The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 31

Author: Union Historical Company, Des Moines, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Des Moines, Iowa : Union Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1074

USA > Iowa > Polk County > The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 31

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SEC. 14. At the same election that this constitution is submitted to the people for its adoption or rejection, a proposition to amend the same by striking out the word "white," from the article on the "Right of Suffrage," shall be separately submitted to the electors of this State for adoption or rejection, in manner following, viz :

A separate ballot may be given by every person having a right to vote at said election, to be deposited in a separate box; and those given for the adoption of such proposition shall have the words, "Shall the word 'white' be stricken out of the article on the 'Right of Suffrage?'-Yes." And those given against the proposition shall have the words, "Shall the word ' white' be stricken out of the article on the 'Right of Suffrage?'-No." And if at said election the number of ballots cast in favor of said proposi- tion, shall be equal to a majority of those cast for and against this constitu- tion, then said word "white" shall be stricken from said article and be no part thereof.

SEC. 15. Until otherwise directed by law, the county of Mills shall be in ind a part of the Sixth Judicial District of this State.

Done in convention at Iowa City, this fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, and of the independence of the United States of America, the eighty-first.

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CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names:

TIMOTHY DAY,

M. W. ROBINSON,

S. G. W.INCHESTER,

LEWIS TODHUNTER,

DAVID BUNKER,

JOHN EDWARDS,

D. P. PALMER,

J. C. TRAER,

GEO. W. ELLS,

JAMES F. WILSON,

J. C. HALL,

AMOS HARRIS,

JOHN H. PETERS,

JNO. T. CLARK,

WM. H. WARREN,

S. AYRES, HARVEY J. SKIFF, -

H. W. GRAY,

ROBT. GOWER,

J. A. PARVIN,

H. D. GIBSON,

W. PENN CLARKE,

THOMAS SEELEY,

JERE. HOLLINGWORTH,

A. H. MARVIN,

WM. PATTERSON,

J. H. EMERSON,

D. W. PRICE,

R. L. B. CLARKE,

ALPHEUS SCOTT,

JAMES A. YOUNG,

GEORGE GILLASPY,

D. H. SOLOMON,

EDWARD JOHNSTON.

FRANCIS SPRINGER, President.

ATTEST: TH. J. SAUNDERS, Secretary. .

E. N. BATES, Assistant Secretary.

THE PIONEER.

In the heart of the grand old forest, A thousand miles to the West, Where a stream gushed out from the hill side, They halted at last for rest. And the silence of ages listened To the axe-stroke loud and clear, Divining a kingly presence In the tread of the pioneer.

He formed of the prostrate beeches A home that was strong and good; The roof was of reeds from the streamlet, The chimney he built of wood. And there by the winter fireside, While the flame up the chimney roared, He spoke of the good time coming, When plenty should crown their board-

When the forest should fade like a vision, And over the hill-side and plain The orchard would spring in its beauty, And the fields of golden grain. And to-night he sits by the fireside In a mansion quaint and old, With his children's children around him, Having reaped a thousand-fold.

HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.

CHAPTER I.

PREFATORY.

The County, its location and name-Plan and scope of this work-The war with Mexico, its battles commemorated and warriors honored in the organization of Iowa counties-Presi- dent Polk the central figure of that contest.

OVER a score and a half of years have passed away since the first white settlement was made within the bounds of that territory now known as Polk county, Iowa.

It is less than half of a century since the uncivilized aborigines roamed the prairies wild and free, unfettered by the restraint of common or statu- tory law, and uncircumscribed by township boundaries and county lines. The transformation which has taken place in the physiognomy of the country alone is beyond the comprehension of the finite mind: luxuriant groves where there was the wide stretching prairie; cultivated fields where was the primeval forest; orchards, vineyards and gardens where waved the tall prairie grass. So marked has been the change in the physiognomy of the country that there has been a decided change in the climatology. The elements themselves seem to have taken notice of the great change and have governed themselves accordingly. While the annual rainfall and the mean annual temperature remain the same in quantity, they are now entirely different in quality, and although imperceptible and independent of man's will, they have nevertheless come under the same civilizing power which has changed the wilderness into a fruitful land.

The great change which has taken place in the development of the material resources of the country is more noticeable, as man can more readily discern the changes which take place by detail in his own circum- scribed field of activity than he can those grand revolutions in the uncir- cumscribed domain of nature. The changes which have occurred in social, intellectual and moral conditions are still more marked, mind being more swift to act on mind than on matter.

These changes can best be estimated by the institution of a brief con- trast:

Then, the material resources of the country consisted simply in the streams of water which quenched the thirst of the aborigine, wherein was

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found the fish which he ate, and upon which floated his frail canoe; the forest where he procured his fuel, material for the construction of his rude weapons, and which sheltered the game that afforded him a meagre and uncertain sustenance. Such were the material resources made available to the owner of the soil. The social condition of the people was scarcely more advanced than is that of certain orders of the lower animals whose social attainments are comprehended in the ability to unite for mutual offense and defense. In intellect and morals there was a people somewhat above the brute, but on the lowest round of the ladder.

Now, the material resources of the country include in their number the soil, with every useful and ornamental product known to the temperate zone: the forest, with every species of manufacture, useful and ornamental, known to the civilized world. The water in the streams, and the currents of air above us are alike trained to do man's bidding, while from the depths of the earth beneath our feet is brought forth the hidden wealth which was hoarded by the turmoil of the ages. A city with its tens of thousands of people, a country with its thousands of inhabitants, while in city and country the lofty spires of churches and school-houses are evidences of the social, moral and intellectual conditions.

All this change in material things has been brought about by the in- coming of a new people from the far-off East, and that, too, within the space of a score and a half years. History furnishes no parallel to the rapid development of this western country; it has been a chain whose links were ever recurring surprises, and among the surprised there are none more so than those whose throbbing brains have planned, and whose busy hands have executed, the work.

Almost a century ago a friend of America, although an Englishman, in language almost prophetic, wrote:

" Westward the course of empire takes its way; The four first acts already past,

A fifth shall close the drama with the day; Time's noblest offspring is the last."

The settlement of the new world alluded to by the writer has, as a whole, fully met the conditions of that prophecy, but not till the past quarter of a century did the onward march of empire culminate in the settlement of central Iowa. With the exception of a few mining towns in the gold re- gions of California and the silver districts of Colorado, nothing has been like it before, and it will not be exceeded in time to come.

This has not been an accident. All kinds of material development fol- low recognized and well-established law, and in nothing does this fact more reveal itself than in the settlement of a country.

Whoever has made it his business to study the " Great Northwest " as it has unfolded itself in history during the last quarter of a century has doubtless met with ever recurring surprises. The story of its unparalleled growth and almost phenomenal development has so often been repeated that it has become a commonplace platitude; but a careful study of the country will suggest questions which have thus far not been answered, and cannot be. Why, for instance, have some sections filled up so rapidly, and certain cities sprung up as if by magic, while others, seemingly no less favored by nature, are still in the first stages of development? These ques- . tions cannot, in all cases, be answered; but whoever has studied the matter

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carefully cannot fail to have discovered a law of growth which is as unvary- ing as any law of nature. The two leading factors in the problem of mu- nicipal growth are location and character of first settlers. The location of Polk county was most favorable; and what is true of Polk county is true of the whole State. Almost surrounded, as it is, by two of the most re- nowned water-courses of the world, one will readily see that it possessed advantages enjoyed by no other State in the Union. These conditions, so favorable to the past and future development of the country, are beautifully illustrated by an ingenious little poem entitled, " Two Ancient Misses," written by a gentleman who has won a wide-spread reputation at the bar, and whose name, were we at liberty to give it, would be familiar to most of the people of Polk county. We here quote it, as it well illustrates our point and is of sufficient merit to be preserved:

TWO ANCIENT MISSES.

I know to ancient misses Who ever onward go, From a cold and rigid northern clime Through a land of wheat and corn and wine To the southern sea where the fig and the lime And the golden orange grow.

In graceful curves they wind about Upon their long and lonely route, Among the beauteous hills; They never cease their onward step, Though day and night they're dripping wet, ,

And oft with the sleet and snow beset, And sometimes with the chills.

The one is a romping, dark brunette, As fickle and gay as any coquette; She glides along by the western plains, And changes her bed every time it rains; Witching as any dark-eyed houri, This romping, wild brunette Missouri.

The other is placid, mild and fair, With a gentle, sylph-like, quiet air, And a voice as sweet as a soft guitar;

She moves along the meadows and parks Where naiads play Æolian harps- Nor ever go by fits and starts- No fickle coquette of the city, But gentle, constant Mississippi.

I love the wild and dark brunette Because she is a gay coquette; Her, too, I love, of quiet air, Because she's gentle, true and fair. The land of my birth, on the east and the west, Embraced by these is doubly blest- "Tis hard to tell which I love best.

It is an account of the past history of the most favored and prosperous region thus embraced which we design, in the following pages, to chronicle. In entering upon the work before us, we have not underestimated the difficulty and importance of the task. The chief difficulty lies in the fact that the events to be treated, while they have to do with the past, are

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so intimately interwoven with the present that they are properly a part of it. The writer of history, as a general thing, deals wholly with the affairs of past generations, and his aim is to pause when he arrives at that realm bounded by the memory of men now living. The whole field of our inves- tigation lies this side of that boundary line, as there are many who will doubtless peruse this work who from the first have witnessed, and taken part in, the events we shall attempt to relate.

While there are probably a few who came to Polk county as early as 1843, its permanent settlement did not properly begin until 1846. As- suming that date to be the beginning of the history proper, there have elapsed but thirty-four years, and many who came at that time, or shortly afterward, still live in our midst. And such, while they have grown pre- maturely old in body by reason of the hardships and privations incident upon a life of more than ordinary activity and trial, have not grown old in spirit. Each one of such knows the history of the county; and, be it said with due reverence for their hoary heads and bended forms, each one knows that history better than any one else. Such readers are very uncharitable critics; and a work of this kind absolutely accurate in all its details and particulars, were it within the scope of human possibility to make such a work, would undoubtedly be pronounced by many well-meaning and honest persons, faulty and untrustworthy. This results from the fact that thirty years, though not a long period in the history of the world, is a long time in the life of an individual. Events occurring at that length of time in the past we think we know perfectly well, when the fact is, we know them very imperfectly. This is proved and illustrated by the reluctancy and hesita- tion manifested invariably by old settlers when called upon to give the details of some early transaction; the old settler usually hesitates before giving a date, and after having finally settled down upon the year and the month when a certain event occurred, will probably hunt you up in less than a day and request the privilege of correcting the date. In the mean- time you have found another old settler who was an eye-witness of the act in question, and the date he will give you does not correspond with the first date nor the corrected date as given by the first old settler.

We have noticed the same uncertainty with regard to other details of a particular transaction; such, for instance, as an early election, whether Mr. Jones was the successful or the defeated candidate, and with regard to an altercation, whether Smith or Brown was the aggressor. There is at this time living in an adjoining county a noble old gray-headed man whose pioneer feet trod close in the tracks of the receding aborigines; he has held many offices of honor and trust, and although life has lost none of its charms, he would rather die than utter an untruthful word or commit a dishonorable deed. It appeared from the official record that at an early day he had held the office of County Surveyor, and the fact having been made public by publication in a work of this character, he sought out the writer and informed him that the statement was incorrect; that not he but a certain Mr. W. had been elected to the position named at the time men- tioned. He clung tenaciously to his position, and refused to recede from it even when the poll-book was produced confirming the statement of the writer. To this day the old gentleman firmly believes that Mr. W. and not himself was County Surveyor in 1849, although in addition to the evidence of the poll-book is evidence of the county plat-book, where are certified over his signature the surveys of at least three different towns.

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HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.

There are some marked exceptions, but as a rule the memory of the old settler is not trustworthy; his ideas of the general outlines are usually comparatively correct, but no one who has the grace to put the proper estimate upon his mental faculties when impaired by age and weakened by the many infirmities of years will trust it in the arbitrament of questions of particulars and details.

The stranger who comes into the county with none of the information which those possess who have resided here for years works at a great disad- vantage in many respects. He does not at first know whom to interview, or where to find the custodians of important records. However, he possesses one great advantage which more than makes up for this: he enters upon his work with an unbiased mind; he has no friends to reward, and no enemies to punish; his mind is not preoccupied and prejudged by reports which may have incidentally come into his possession while trans- acting the ordinary affairs of business; and when in addition to this he is a person whose business it is to collect statements and weigh facts of history, he is much better qualified for the task, and to discriminate between state- ments, seemingly of equal weight, than those who either immediately or remotely are interested parties and whose regular employment lies in other fields of industry. This is true, even though the former be a total stranger and the latter have become familiar with men and things by many years of intercourse and acquaintanceship. He is best judge and best juror who is totally unacquainted with both plaintiff and defendant, and he is best qual- ified to arbitrate between conflicting facts of history who comes to the task without that bias which is the price one must pay for acquaintanceship and familiarity. The best history of France was written by an English- man, and the most authentic account of American institutions was written by a Frenchman, and it remained for an American to write the only authentic history of the Dutch Republic.

The American people are much given to reading, but the character of the matter read is such that with regard to a large proportion of them it may truthfully be said that "truth is stranger than fiction." Especially is this the case in respect to those facts of local history belonging to their own immediate county and neighborhood. This is, perhaps, not so much the fault of the people as a neglect on the part of the book publishers. Books, as a rule, are made to sell, and in order that a book may have a large sale its matter must be of such a general character as to be applicable to gen- eral rather than special conditions-to the Nation and State rather than to county and township. Thus it is that no histories heretofore published pertain to matters relating to county and neighborhood affairs, for such books, in order to have a sale over a large section of country, must necessarily be very voluminous and contain much matter of no interest to the reader. After having given a synopsis of the history of the State and the North- west, which is as brief as could well be, and contains nothing except what is absolutely necessary for a proper understanding of the circumstances and conditions bearing upon the settlement of the county, we are now prepared to enter upon the history of the county proper. The physical features of the county will first claim our attention, then a number of pages devoted to the subject of Indians and Indian affairs. The history of Polk county cannot be written without frequent allusions to that unfortunate race of people who originally owned the soil, and who, from the first settlement of the county even to the present time, make occasional visits to the hunting

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grounds and burial places of their forefathers. A chapter on the Indian affairs of the country will be given, not only because it comes within the legitimate scope of the work, but also because nothing in the whole realm of literature is more fascinating to the common average reader than narra- tives of this kind, and although this chapter will doubtless contain many things old, as well as new, there are few of our patrons who would desire to have it omitted. We shall then speak of the first settlers, treating of them as accurately, definitely and fully as warranted by the facts at our disposal; giving the date when each one came to the county, from what State or country, and where now located if still living. In connection with the few first settlers we shall aim to speak of many leading citizens who have come more recently, and in the concluding pages of the book will be found a biographical directory, the value of which will increase with years. Pioneer times will then be described and incidents related showing the trials and triumphs of the pioneer settler. Then county organization, political affairs, newspapers, railroads, schools, etc. Finally a soldier's record, and a history of cities, towns and townships in detail.

The compiler of a history of a county has a task which may seem to be comparatively easy, and the facts which come within the legitimate scope of the work may appear commonplace when compared with national events; the narration of the peaceful events attending the conquests of industry as " Westward the course of empire takes its way " may seem tame when con- trasted with accounts of battles and sieges. Nevertheless, the faithful gath- ering and the truthful narration of facts bearing upon the early settlement of this county and the dangers, hardships and privations encountered by the early pioneers engaged in advancing the standards of civilization is a work of no small magnitude and the facts thus narrated are such as may challenge the admiration and arouse the sympathy of the reader though they have nothing to do with feats of arms.

THE NAME.

It has been intimated by one that there is nothing in a name, but a name sometimes means a great deal. In this case it indicates the character of the people who settled the county, and have given to it its distinctive characteristics.

Names are sometimes given to towns and countries by accident; some- times they originate in the childish caprice of some one individual, whose dictate, by reason of some real or imaginary superiority, is law. However, in this instance, the county and its chief city did not receive a name by accident; neither did it originate in the childish caprice of one man, but the christening took place after mature deliberation and by general con- sent.

The period during which a large part of Iowa was settled, and during which this county was organized, was a period of great events in the his- tory of our country. The martial feeling, when aroused, stirs society from center to circumference, and nothing so quickly and permanently affects a people in its manners, modes and etymology as war. It was during the progress and immediately after the triumphant close of the war with Mexico that a large number of the counties of central Iowa were organized. The Democratic party in the Nation, which favored the war, was also largely in the majority in the State, and the war spirit, which had taken

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possession of nearly every one, and which entered into all kinds of conver- sation and official deliberations, left its impress particularly on the General Assembly of the Territory and young State of Iowa. In the organization of at least fifteen counties the names of battle-fields and distinguished gen- erals of the Mexican War were perpetuated. The question of the acquisi- tion of Texas and the consequent declaration of war with Mexico was the chief issue in the presidential campaign of 1844. The party in favor of this measure nominated as their candidate James K. Polk, who was tri- umphantly elected. The party cry during that campaign was "Polk and Dallas," and as commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States Polk was not only the standard-bearer of the Democratic party, but the central figure of the Mexican campaign. It was therefore to be expected, and altogether consistent with the general tendency of affairs, for the Legislature of the Territory, in session right in the midst of the Mexican campaign, to select as a name for the county which was to be the future capital of the State and the center of population, wealth and influence the name of the standard-bearer in the preliminary campaign and the cen- tral figure in the subsequent conquest. It was also very proper that the name Dallas, which had been associated with that of Polk during the cam- paign in question, should be given to the county immediately west. Whether or not the policy of naming counties after illustrious politicians and famous generals and battle-fields be a good one or not, it has neverthe- less been followed to a greater or less extent in the various States through- out the Union, and in none more so than in Iowa, and in the case of no other county of Iowa was the selection more appropriate than that of Polk county. It was the purpose of those in authority in the Territory to per- petuate the illustrious names of the Mexican War. James K. Polk was the central figure of the time, around whom all the other names clustered; he was the central star of the galaxy, around whom all the lesser lights revolved. If his name was to be perpetuated by bestowing it upon a county, that county must be the center of influence, the brightest star of the galaxy. When the county was named the legislators in effect uttered a prophecy, and to the fulfillment of that prophecy have the leading citi- zens ever directed their efforts. The position of supremacy to which that prophecy elevated the county is to-day maintained, and that it will ever thus be maintained is attested by its location, natural resources, and the energetic, aggressive and progressive character of its people.

A brief sketch of the man whose name the county bears will be in place here.

He was born in Mecklenburgh county, North Carolina, November 2d, 1795. His ancestors were originally from Ireland, and the name was Pol- lock, which, in the course of time, was abbreviated to Polk. His ancestors emigrated to America during the eighteenth century, and were farmers, which avocation occupied the attention of the President's father and of himself while passing the years of youth and early inanhood. In 1806 the family removed to Dutch Run, in Tennessee. After receiving a rudimen- tary education, such as was afforded by the common schools of Tennessee, young Polk entered the State University of North Carolina, where he graduated in 1818. Immediately upon his graduation, he entered upon the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1820. In 1823 he was elected to the State Legislature and in 1825 was chosen to represent his district in the United States Congress. He soon won a wide-spread reputation in the

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The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 31

Author: Union Historical Company, Des Moines, pub Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Des Moines, Iowa : Union Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1074

Author: Union Historical Company, Des Moines, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Des Moines, Iowa : Union Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1074