USA > Iowa > Washington County > The history of Washington County, Iowa, its cities, towns, and c., a biographical directory of its citizens > Part 37
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
neatness and business-like appearance for those early days. The penman- ship is exceptionally good, and the names, which include a large number of the first settlers of the county, are as legible as the day upon which they were written. . As before remarked, the store was started in 1837. In 1838 the mill was built, which mannfactured the first lumber made in the county. In 1839 facilities were added for the manufacture of flour and corn meal, and here was made the first flour manufactured in the county. This place was known far and near as "Holcomb's Mill," and, as before remarked, was quite a trading point; the mill brought business to the store, and persous going to the store to trade took grists along to the mill; thus one branch of the business supplemented the other, and the firm of Holcomb & Bullock prospered. Prior to removing to Iowa these men had been engaged in a small way in the mercantile business in Warren county, Illinois, and many of the first settlers of Washington county, who patron- ized their store at Hoosier Bend had previously bought small articles from their peddling wagon in Illinois. It seems a harsh fate which decreed the death of these energetic and liberal minded men just when they were en- tering upon a career of assured success, but such are the vicissitudes of life. In early times there was a post-office established at Holcomb's Mill, by the name of Marcellus; but the post-office, with all other evidences of prosperity, have long since departed from this locality once pregnant with great expectations.
In addition to the names already mentioned of early settlers in the southeast part of the county, we mention the following, giving at the same time, as far as we are able, the subsequent location or death of each: David Sikes, left in an early day; Berry Fancher, died on his original claim; Jolin Grimsley, went to Oregon; John Stout, died on his original claim; Joel Long, lives in Keokuk county; Wm. Disney, took a claim and started a nursery where he resided until the time of his death; Joseph Griffith, returned to Illinois; Timothy Gaskell, improved a claim which he sold and removed farther west; James Heath, went to Burlington; Isaac Pence and Elisha Campbell settled in an early day, and we are unable to tell what became of them; Robt. C. Caldwell, took a claim which he began to im- prove, but died shortly afterward-his death occurred in 1838, and he was buried on his claim, afterward known, as the Snyder farmn. A man by the name of Geerheart died the same winter and was buried at the same place. The first death occurred in the county in September, 1836, being the wife of Mr. Mosteller, who was on her way with her husband and two other families from the vicinity of Greencastle, Indiana, to a claim which had previously been taken in the county. Shortly after entering the eastern boundary of the county Mrs. Mosteller, who had been unwell during a greater portion of the journey, died, and was buried on the claim then held by one Isaac Pence. It was impossible to procure lumber to make a coffin and one was contracted out of puncheons split out of a tree and fitted to- gether as well as the circumstances would permit. In this rude casket, in a grave made in the virgin soil of the prairie, tired ont before reaching the far off western home, was laid this the first body interred within the limits of Washington county.
Oliver Sweet, Morgan Hart and a brother who came among the first, continued to reside in the county. Joseph Earl went to Oregon and T. E. Pur- rington became deranged; E. Boardman returned to his former home, in the East, and Orson Kinsman went to Oskaloosa, where he died ; Elias Washi-
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
burn still resides in the county. A number of the foregoing persons set- tled in the vicinity of Brighton. Thomas Ritchey came in 1837 and im- proved a claim where is now the Malin farm. Le sold his claim in 1889, and was killed in 1848, when hauling barrels near Brighton. This accident occurred about fonr o'clock in the afternoon and at 10 o'clock the same evening, his brother, Adam Ritchey, the first settler of the county, died.
Josiah Smart, an Indian trader, had a trading post on Skunk, in the southwestern part of the county, at a very early date. After the treaty of 1837, when the Indians were removed from that locality, Smart went west with them. He had been with the Indians a great deal of his time from boyhood; he understood their language thoroughly and was very successful in managing the aboriginies. His wife was a full blooded Indian and like the rest of her tribe was very fond of whisky. While Smart himself did not use liquor to excess yet in common with most of the men of his time he kept a bottle of whisky about him for medicinal purposes. Knowing the weakness of his wife for strong drinks, and not wishing to take his "medi- cine" with him he locked the bottle up in a leathern valise and departed. Upon returning the next day he found his wife beastly drunk and upon in- vestigation found that she had managed to get the valise open far enough to get the neck of the bottle out, and then by holding the bottle, valise and all up over her head was enabled to extract the coveted liquid. By this union Mr. Smart had two children, danghters; one of them resembled the father in appearance and disposition, while the other one was like the mother. These peculiarities became still more marked as the girls grew older; when they grew up to be young women Mr. Smart took them to St. Lonis to be educated, hoping that they would, through the influence of in- strnetion and association, both become like full blooded white women in their manners and disposition; he was not disappointed in regard to the one who become a very accomplished young lady, but the other one, not- withstanding all the instruction and refining, remained a wild Indian still. By reason of his knowledge of the Indian langnage Mr. Smart became quite valuable to the government as an interpreter, which position he held until the Indians were all removed from the State, when lie followed them to their new reservation in Kansas. His name will be found attached to a document, a copy of which is found in a former part of this work.
In the early days of the county's settlement the Brighton neighborhood was the most populous and important. The cause for this may be found in the fact that there was an abundance of timber, a good mill-site, and, more- over, a partially successful communication with St. Louis by means of skiff's and flat-boats. The importance of this early settlement demands a more full and detailed account of its first beginnings, than is found in the bare mention of the few names already given.
Silas Washburn was one of the first men who arrived in the Brighton neighborhood. He was a native of Massachusetts. He came on foot and alone, arriving early in 1837. Upon the claim whichi he took is now lo- cated the Brighton mill. This claim he afterward sold for $200. He and Morgan Hart, before mentioned, lived together in a little shanty sitnated on the road leading from Brighton mill, abont a quarter of a mile from the mill-site, and here the two passed the winter of 1837-38. Their bed was made of prairie liay, and they had no bed elothes except their day clothes. However, they had plenty of timber for fnel and managed to spend the winter pleas- antly. In April, the following year, a relative of Mr. Washburn, by the
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name of Seneca Beach, arrived, bringing with him his own family and that of Mr. Washburn. A short time prior to the coming of Mr. Beach, a man by the name of John Beers came and was at this time engaged in erecting a cabin. He being without a family and not particularly needing the cabin, Washburn and Beach procured the use of it for their families until they could erect suitable buildings of their own. These two families were the first families which lived in that neighborhood. They built houses that season, Washburn's house being located a little northeast of the lot where now stands the Brighton national bank. The house was a one story house, built of logs, covered with clapboards, and had a sod chimney, the dimen- sions being 16x18. That summer some young men came from Massachu- setts, who built another house in the vicinity. In 1839, John Brier, a native of Ohio, settled in the vicinity of Brington, on the east side of Skunk river, near what was then known as Sandy Hook. His claim was near the Indian village and he had several hundred of the savages for near neighbors a short time. John Brier, Sr., the father of the former, came at the same time; he had considerable money which he loaned Mr. Pickerell, the man who erected the first mill at Brighton, for many years known throughout this and adjoining counties as Pickerell's mill. After the mill was com- pleted it caught fire and burned down. This was a severe loss to Mr. Pickerell who was now unable to build and was not in a condition to pay back the money he had already borrowed. The only way out of his dif- ficulties was to make a journey to the East and endeavor to borrow some money from his friends there. He made the trip, was successful and re- turning about midnight went to the residence of Mr. Brier and awoke him in order to pay him back his money. The mill was rebuilt and formed quite an important factor in the problem of early settlement. John Brier, Sr., died in the vicinity of Brighton some twenty years ago. John Brier, Jr., still lives at Brighton, and owns a part of the claim he first took, forty years ago. He, in 1839, hauled the stock of goods which composed the first mercantile establishment of Brighton from Burlington. The propri- etor of the store was John Lewis. The store building was a one story log, 16x20. About the same time a man by the name of Jeff Gordon opened a grocery in the vicinity of Brighton; his customers were principally Indians, and his goods consisted chiefly of whisky. In 1838 George Ferrior settled in the present bounds of Brighton township; he has since died, and his wife, Rebecca Ferrior, still resides there. Among others the following came prior to 1840: Wm. Spencer, John W. Stone, James S. Erwin, L. J. Washburn, Ed. Deeds, Robert C. Riste, S. O. Kirkpatrick, W. D. Hoag- land. Seneca Beach was the first justice of the peace, he having received his commission from Gov. Lucas, September, 1839; he died many years ago and his wife Mrs. Edna Beach died July 22, 1878, after having lived in the county for more than thirty-eight years. The first marriage at Brighton was that of Orson Kinsman to Hannah Dinsmore. The first birth was that of Philo Dray. The first Fourth of July celebration was held held at Brighton, 1839; at which time there was a public dinner free to all. Cele- bration was held a little south of where the national bank now stands. A Mr. Collins was the orator and Dr. Horace Carley read the Declaration. Dr. Carley died the same year and was the first person buried at Brighton.
The first settlement made on the present site of the city of Washington was in the latter part of the year 1839, by Joseph Adams, commonly
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
known as Old Quincy Adams. He came from Ohio, and arrived at Wash- ington on the 17th day of October. He purchased two lots located on the sontheast of the public square, on the corner of Iowa and Jefferson streets. He immediately set about the work of erecting a blacksmithi-shop and a residence. The buildings were both made of logs, the shop being 16x16 while the residence was 14x16. Mr. Adams was a good mechanic, and as soon as people began to settle in the neighborhood his shop became thronged with work. He is now a resident of Sigourney, Keokuk county, and still follows his trade to some extent, although he has a fine farm and is comfortably fixed.
In 1840 there were but twelve families residing in Washington. They were as follows: Joseph Adams, Henry McColough, Dr. George H. Stone, Daniel Powers, Bloomer Thompson, John Daugherty, Almon Moore, Amos Embree, John Jackson, John Hendel, H. A. Stone and Samuel Joy.
Daniel Powers built the second house in Washington. The building was a double log, as before described, one and a-half stories high, with two large old-fashioned chimneys, chiefly remarkable for the amount of wood they were capable of consuming proportionate to the amount of heat that could be eliminated. There were two large rooms below and two above, reached by a common ladder. It stood where more recently were erected the store-buildings occupied by Wallace & Knox and others. The building was intended for a tavern, and as such was used and did good service for many years.
John Daugherty was the first merchant of Washington. It seems that he was on his way to Missouri, and hearing that there was a town of great expectations, called Washington, whose present state of development did not threaten a ruinous competition, he turned the heads of his oxen toward the far-famed metropolis and arrived at the Powers tavern late one evening, and before the next sun shone upon the trackless prairies he had negotiated with the landlord for the use of a part of the tavern, where he unloaded his cart and opened up business. This proved to be a fortunate arrange- ment. Guests of the house patronized the store; customers of the store patronized the tavern; Daugherty boarded with Powers, and Powers traded with Daugherty, and in dull times when there were neither guests nor cus- tomers, the landlord and the merchant could trade jack-knives and tell stories.
A new impulse was given to the life of trade soon after by the establish- ment of a competing house. Almon Moore, of Wapello, Louisa county, having heard what flattering inducements were offered at Washington for an enterprising man of business, and envious of Daugherty's prosperity, arising from a monopoly of the trade, determined to transfer his base of operations to the new-county seat. He didn't take the cars and visit Washington with a view to establishing a branch house to be put in charge of a clerk, provided he could obtain suitable rooms, but simply loaded the effects of his Wapello house on a cart, drove to Washington, erected a block, consisting of a one-story frame shanty, right under the nose of Daugherty and opened up his competing line of goods right in the very center of business. Moore didn't so much as countenance the other house by boarding at the tavern; he brought along with his stock of good a cook- ing stove, household goods, furniture, provisions and his family, whom he installed in a rear room of his business block, and set up housekeeping.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
Mr. Moore succeeded in business and afterward became one of the leading men of the county.
Another business enterprise was started by Amos Embree; it was the the second one, Embree having opened out before Moore came. This mer- chant should not be forgotten, and probably is not by the early settlers, as he did much to enliven the streets of the new town. There was quite a demand for his goods, although he had not a great variety, and it is averred that what he had sometimes froze up in cold weather. He kept his goods in a barrel, which, leaking at the spigot one cold night, there was formed quite a beautiful icicle; so it is said, but as the icicle has never yet been produced, the statement admits of doubt.
One of the most widely known and influential citizens of the town in early times was Dr. Stone. He was a gruff, taciturn, though withal a kind-hearted man. It was not easy to draw him ont in conversation, except on subjects relating to his profession, and even on such subjects he was not always communicative. Should a patient be inquisitive enough to say, " What is this, Doctor, you are giving me?" he would most likely reply, "This is medicine." If this did not satisfy the impertinent patient, the Doctor would most likely make some reply coupled with profanity. Mr. S. A. James, of Sigourney, says: "I was intimately acquainted with Dr. Stone. He was a thoroughly educated physician and surgeon, and for a number of years acted in the latter capacity on board a vessel in the United States Navy. Whether natural or acquired, his gait and appear- ance have marks of youthful training at a military academy. He was rather reserved in conversation, except to his intimate friends, and pos- sessed a high sense of honor and integrity; baseness and dishonesty in the smallest matters he heartily despised. Perhaps once in twelve months, or it might not be so frequently, and again it might be oftener, he indulged in a 'spree.' This would usually last a week, and during such time he suspended all business and for the most part was shut up in his house with his family."
In connection with two other gentlemen Dr. Stone was appointed by the Territorial Legislature to select a location for the seat of justice in Keokuk county, and as he was such a strong-willed and positive man, it may be said that he selected the location. The name was also his choice. He had always been a great admirer of the writings of Mrs. Sigourney, and no doubt observed their moral effect and salutary influence upon his young family, although himself sometimes felt rebuked by them when indulging in the sin of profanity.
Allusion has already been made to the Jackson family, and mention made of three of its members, John Jackson, John J. Jackson and Rachel Jackson, first the wife of Milo Holcomb and now wife of Mr. Dudley Buck, of Sigourney. Elizabeth J. became the wife of Joseph Kock, to whom she was married March 26, 1844; she died February 25, 1879. The youngest of the family was Martha Jane, who has spent nearly the whole of her lifetime thus far in Washington. A few years since she was united in marriage to Mr. H. A. Burrell, editor of the Washington County "Press."
While these settlements and improvements were going on in Washing- ton, the country in the vicinity was being settled. Wm. Basey came in the spring of 1839 and took a claim northwest of town. In April he com- pleted his house, which was a log cabin 16x18, one story high, and was located near the place where Col. Palmer now resides. On the 25th of
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
October, 1839, Ann Basey was born, she being the first white child born in Washington township. The first child born in the town of Washington was a daughter of Joseph Adams, September 22, 1840; she is the wife of John Farra, of Sigourney. Mr. Basey moved to Keokuk county some years ago, where he still resides.
Nathan Baker settled on the claim from which his brother Thomas had been driven, in 1839. After the Indians had been removed Thomas Baker again came to the vicinity of Washington and settled southwest of the town. Both of the Bakers afterward emigrated to California.
William L. Harvey came in 1838, and took a claim on the Brighton road, about a mile and a-half from town, afterward known as the Stewart farm. Thomas Wilson came about the same time, and settled near Har- vey's claim. In 1839, William Ayres took a claim which proves to be the same where is now located the county infirmary.
It was about this time that a characteristic individual came to the county and settled between Washington and Brighton. Whoever has visited the county-seat in later years cannot have failed to notice his well-bred, well- kept form and stopped awhile to gaze upon his good-natured, amiable countenance. From this description the reader will know that reference is made to Captain Moreland, who come in 1839, and settled on the Brighton road about four miles from the latter place. Prior to pitching his tent in the county the captain had for many a long year, composed in part of many a long dark night, helped to man many a gallant craft on the turbid Mississippi. He began life on the river at a very early age and followed that business continually till 1839, when he settled in the county. He lived on his claim till 1868, when he sold it and removed to Washing- ton, where he now resides. He is a jolly, well-kept and well-fed man and presents quite a youthful appearance for one who has lived so long and passed through so many trying ordeals and witnessed so many exciting scenes. He relates many interesting incidents occurring on the river, and during the early settlement of the county. During the former part of his life he was thrown into society of General Sam Houston and Col. David Crockett and became intimately acquainted with both of these distin- guished individuals. When he arrived in this country there were four set- tlements: at Brighton, Crawfordsville, on Dutch Creek and on English river. At an early day Captain Moreland was honored with the office of Justice of the Peace which he held for a number of years. His jurisdic- tion at first seems to have liad a wide extent and a number of persons re- siding in what is now in the limits of Keokuk county, who were charged with burning a house belonging to a rival squatter, had their preliminary examination before him. At the time alluded to two families by the name of Agustine and a family by the name of Henderson resided on Dutch creek.
Slaughter, not for whom the county was first named, resided on English river. Thus at the beginning of the year 1840 there were but four settle- ments in the county; the largest being in the vicinity of Crawfordsville; next in importance was that in the vicinity of Brighton; quite a number of claims were taken along English river, and perhaps a dozen families lived on Dutch creek. Not exceeding two hundred people resided in the county at this time, and many of them were young unmarried men who may be said to have been but temporary settlers. At this time there were probably about two hundred people of all ages living in the county. The reason that the country did not settle up faster was due partly to its phys-
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
ical features, and partly due to artifical canses. First, there was the Mississippi river which could not be crossed except where there were ferries, and there were none in early times except at Burlington and Keokuk. Persons coming from the east crossed the river at these two points. Those who crossed at Keokuk followed up the Des Moines river, and thereby were carried south and west of this region. Those who crossed at Burlington likewise were carried south of this latitude. Finally when there was a ferry located at New Boston, directly east of this county, and emigrants began to cross at that point the Iowa river furnished a new ob- stacle. Thus it was that a portion of the emigration which would have drifted to this region was turned aside to other parts. And thus to the existence of natural barriers, such as rivers, and the mere accident of fer- ries, may be traced the cause of settlements in some parts of the State and the lack of them in other parts. Such a magnificent country as this, with its black, loamy soil, beautiful prairies, and the diversified material resourcs of water, stone and timber, was not destined long to remain idle. If the Iowa river could not be forded the emigrant could cross at Burlington and thus flank the stream. The land had been seen by a few adventuresome pioneers, and its fame had gone abroad, and henceforth it required some- thing more than a deep-flowing river or the accidents of ferries to keep the surging thronging mass of emigrants from the promised land. Thence- forward the country was destined to fill up rapidly, and there has never been a time since 1840 when Washington county was not in the van of the onward march of improvement. A few settlements had been made on English river in the north part of the county prior to 1840. The first set- tlement in that part of the county was probably made by Joseph Edel- stein. This man was originally from Switzerland. He first located in Ohio, and in 1838 came to Iowa in search of a new location. He took a elaim on English river, not far from the present site of Riverside, on sec- tion 13, township 77, range 7. Here he built a cabin, and made arrange- ments to bring his family from Ohio. From some cause the cabin was burned down before the arrival of his family in 1839, and he was compelled to live with his family in a cave near English river until he could build another dwelling. After the completion of the new cabin he moved into it and prospered. Besides farming he did considerable work at his trade of wagon-making. He was a zealous Catholic, and in the course of time quite a community was established in that neighborhood composed of persons of like religious faith. One of the first church buildings of the county was erected in that locality. His family consisted of six children, three boys and three girls. Mr. Edelstein and his wife died. a number of years since. A short time after Edelstein settled on English river a man by the name of John Diehl settled in the same neighborhood. His claim was on section 14. He came from Germany a single man, and shortly after arriving in America married a lady by the name of Elizabeth Spaner. He and his wife moved on the claim, taken the year previous, in 1839. He was a Lutheran, and succeeded well at his occupation as a farmer; the family consisted of two children, both girls. Mr. Diehl died in 1843, and his widow still lives on the original claim.
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