The pioneer history of Pocahontas County, Iowa, from the time of its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 20

Author: Flickinger, Robert Elliott, b. 1846
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Fonda, Iowa, G. Sanborn
Number of Pages: 1058

USA > Iowa > Pocahontas County > The pioneer history of Pocahontas County, Iowa, from the time of its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 20

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

His claim was entered for record May by the Board of Supervisors when in 29, 1858, and the patent for it was is- March (1865) Mr. Hait resigned the sued Sept. 5, 1861. In August, 1860, office in his favor. During the next he married Ellen, a sister of Michael two years 1866-67, he was a member of Broderick and of Mrs. John Calligan, the Board of County Supervisors. then residing at Fort Dodge.

His wife at the age of sixty-two On April 22, 1866, he entered an- years survives him and occupies the other claim, namely, for the E} NE} old home on Sec. 2. Their family con- Sec. 10, (90-31) eighty acres, and on sisted of eight children, seven of April 27, 1871, this entry was renewed whom are living, and several of them for the NE} NE, 40 acres, of the have earned well merited eminence as same section, and the patent for this teachers in the public schools of the last tract was issued Sept. 25, 1872. county. The family is represented in the Lizard township group by the pioneer home in 1893, at the age of portrait of Michael J. Russell, the sixth in the order of birth. At the time of his decease, at the old seventy, he was the owner of 360 acres of land on sections 2, 3 and 10, Lizard township, all of which, except 80 acres, are still in the possession of the fam- ily.

Mr. Russell was a man of unblem- ished integrity and was held in high esteem by all who knew him. He re- ceived a good common education and was the first one in the Lizard settle- ment to engage in teaching school, he teaching the first term in the log cabin erected by Dennis Connors, in the winter of 1863-4. He also taught several terms in other districts. He was a good penman and accountant, and wherever there was need for a scribe his services were in demand.

He was one of the first justices of the peace in Lizard township, and years before any other entry was served as clerk for the township six- teen years, while his two sons, John M. and Michael J., served six years afterward, making twenty-two years that that office has been held in his family.

During the four years from 1862 to 1865, he had the honor to serve as Clerk of the District Court of Pocahontas.

John W. Russell, Philip's brother, also located in Pocahontas county. He selected as a pre-emption the SE} Sec. 34 (91-31), Lake township, 160 acres, making the entry June 7, 1858, and receiving the patent for it Sept. 5, 1861. He enlisted in the war of the rebellion, August 14, 1862, as a mem- ber of Co. I, 32d Iowa infantry. Aft- er his return from the war he died unmarried.

Henry Caspar Brockschink and wife, coming to Pocahontas county in the spring of 1856, laid claim to the SW} Sec. 36, 91-31, 160 acres, which he en- tered for record July 8, 1856. This was the first entry of lands in Lake township, and it was made nearly two

made. The house of Mr. Brockschink was of course the first one in the township. It was built of logs from the native timber along the north branch of Lizard creek. It was 20x24 feet and about 18 feet in height. For several years this was the most north- ern home in the Lizard settlement.

In the fall of 1857, his two brothers county, the county seat at that time Frederick and William Brockschink being in Des Moines township. The came and made their home with Hen- last year of service thus rendered was ry and his family. In the following by appointment, first on the part of spring a band of Sioux Indians camped W. H. Hait, who had been elected to along Lizard lake about three miles the office and appointed Mr. Russell a northwest of this grove, and three of deputy to take charge of it, and later them visited the Brockschink home.

162 PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.

MEDICAL HOSPITAL OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY, IOWA CITY. - It contains seventy-five beds and a large amphitheater for clinical purposes.

163

FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN THE COUNTY.

Mr. Brockschink was absent "at the Collins, the first county supervisor time, but his brother Fred and George from the Lizard district, was chosen Rifenstahl, who had been hunting, county treasurer, Patrick McCabe was returned in time to meet them on the elected his successor on the Board of premises. After some parleying be- County Supervisors and was continued tween the two young men and the In- a member of that Board for four years, dians, one of the latter grabbed the 1862 to 1865. After the county canvass unloaded gun in the hand of Fred of the votes cast at the general elec- Brockschink, wrested it from him tion of 1863, he was appointed to rep- and then ran away with it.

resent the Board of this county in the

The Brockschinks remained on this canvass of the vote for senator in this, farm until the fall of 1858, when the 43d district, at Sac City, and for they leased it to Patrick Forey, who this service received $50.00. To ap- became famous for casting the preciate this fee it must be remem- next year the decisive vote that re- bered that it represented the salary sulted in the erection of the first of the County Judge for an entire county court house in the Des Moines, year, at that period in the history of instead of the Lizard, settlement. this county.

Forey and family occupied it six years, and in 1865, Dennis Mulholland bought it from Henry Brockschink for $1500, and moving upon it that year this property has been owned and occupied by the Mulholland family since that date. The Brockschinks went first to Clay county and after- ward to Webster City, where they now reside.

James Donahoe arrived in 1856 and located with a family consisting of himself and wife-Ann Garrahan- and five children, on the SE} Sec. 23, 90-31, (Lizard township,) with the in- tention of pre-empting it, but when, after the lapse of two years, he went to the U. S. land office at Fort Dodge to enter his claim for record, he was surprised to find that the entire sec-

In the fall of 1856, Patrick McCabe tion on which he was living belonged arrived, accompanied by his brother to the grant made by the State of Owen McCabe and James Donahoe Iowa to the Dubuque and Sioux City, and family. Patrick McCabe located (now Illinois Central) Railway Com- on Sec. 24, 90-31, (Lizard township,) pany. Having erected improvements but did not enter his claim for record upon this land he continued to occu- for a number of years. On Sept. 23, py and enjoy them five years longer, 1864, he entered the NE} SE}, 40 acres and in 1863 moved to Johnson town- of this section and renewing this ap- ship, Webster county, where he still plication May 10, 1870, received the resides, at the age of 85 years.

patent for it Sept. 10th following.

While living on this supposed pre- Later he obtained 120 acres addition- emption claim, a daughter, Rose Ann al in the south half of this section, Donahoe, was born, Feb. 23, 1857, and and on this farm he continued to re- she was the first white child born in side as long as he lived. It is now Pocahontas county. Her portrait owned and occupied by his two sons, may be seen in the Lizard township Peter and James J. McCabe, between group. In the year 1892, she became whom it has been divided, and his the wife of Patrick J. Crilly. They wife who still survives him, makes reside at Clare and have a family of her home with them. His brother, five bright children-three boys and Owen McCabe, remained but a short two girls. time in this county.

Thomas Donahoe, James' eldest son,

In the fall of 1861, when Michael is cashier of the State Bank of Clare,

164

PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.

and Peter M. Donahoe his brother, is 1857, and his daughter Mary, born a resident of Sec. 36, Lizard township, April 10, 1858, was the fourth child where he owns a half-section of land. born in this county. For a number of The latter married first Miss Ellen years she has been one of the leading Condon, who, in the fall of 1860, teachers of Lizard township.

taught the first public school in the Lizard settlement, in a log house built by Patrick Collins at the southwest corner of the SEA of Sec. 13 and commonly called the "Pioneer School House." Mr. Donahoe (Peter M.) was one of the pupils that attended this first term of school in the south part of the county taught by Miss Con- don, who later became his wife. After her decease in May, 1879, he was married to Annie Carey. Two of the elder children who came with James Donahoe to Pocahontas county in 1856, namely, Charles and Mary, died during the seven years' residence of the family on section 25, and his wife died in 1895.

With James Donahoe and family there came also his wife's parents, namely, Peter Garrahan and his wife Rose Reilly, both born and married in Ireland, who, coming to this country in 1846, resided ten years in Pennsyl- vania. Mr. Garrahan died in Poca- hontas county about the year 1859, at the age of 56 years, and his wife in Webster county in 1877, at the age of 73 years.

Michael Walsh came to this county in September, 1856, and located a pre- emption claim on Sec. 14, 90-31, (Liz- ard township,) that he has continued to own and occupy until the present time, a period of nearly forty-three years. On June 8, 1858, he filed his claim for the NE} SE} of Sec. 14, 40 acres, and received the patent for it July 10, 1861; and on April 24, 1865, he filed a homestead claim to the SE}, SE} of the same section, 40 acres, and renewing this claim May 3, 1870, re- ceived the patent for it September 10th following.

His family began to live upon his pre-emption claim in the spring of

Mr. Walsh has not been ambitious for political honors either in the county or his own township, but has endeavored to prove himself an ag- gressive farmer and afford to his fam- ily, not merely their share of the com- forts of life, but also the best facili- ties for their moral and intellectual improvement. When the first fields were enclosed in the Lizard settle- ment in the year 1867, Michael Walsh was among the number of those who had one enclosed, the others being Michael Collins, Charles Kelley, John Calligan and Michael Broderick. And when in 1870, two quarter sections were enclosed, Michael Walsh had the first one and Hugh Collins the other. The cost of the wire at that time was $8.00 a hundred. Among the old settlers of the Lizard settle- ment he has been considered the most careful and economical as a farmer and has acquired considerable wealtlı by the honest toil of himself and fam- ily. He is now the owner of 160 acres and his son William J. Walsh is the owner of 240 acres, making 400 acres in possession of the family at present and all of it is located on sections 11 and 14, Lizard township.

His home was along the trail from Fort Dodge through Lizard, Lincoln and Swan Lake townships to Spencer, and for a number of years he kept an inn for the entertainment of travelers and hunters. He and his estimable wife were hospitable entertainers, and many a weary traveler "bid to stay," whiled the long evening away at this ancient hostelry, either listen- ing to or relating some interesting in- cident that occurred in the early days.

1857.

During the year 1857, there arrived

165

FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN THE COUNTY.

the families of John Quinlan, Michael Webster, and the year following to Donovan, Patrick Forey, Thomas El- Pocahontas county. His homestead lis, James Gorman, Patrick McLarney, contained 100 acres, and entering Thomas Crole, Patrick Collins and his claim for record June 12, others.

1858, he received the patent for

John Quinlan located his family on it March 15, 1860. During the six the St NW} Sec .. 24, 90-31, (Lizard years 1858 to 1864, he rented and lived township,) 80 acres, and on April 29, on the SW} of the same section, 1865, entered it as a homestead claim. known as the Brockschink or Mulhol- This claim was renewed May 3, 1870, land farm. He then bought and moved upon the NE} Sec. 2, Lizard town- ship, (the Michael Broderick farm) where the family remained for twenty

and he received the patent for it Sept. 10th following. In 1871, after four- teen years' residence on this home- stead, he sold it, moved to Webster years. On the frontier in those days county and now resides at Clare. His there was an apparent necessity that homestead was owned for a while by every home should be open for the William Condon and after his decease entertainment of the wayfarer, and by his wife Margaret, and at present Mr. Forey endeavored to combine the by their daughter, Mary Condon.

public entertainment of travelers

Mr. Quinlan, after the organization with farming while he lived upon of the county in 1859, was the first the Brockschink farm. In 1885 he one of the Lizard settlers to make the moved to Pocahontas and for two assessment of Lizard township. Pre- years kept hotel in what is now known vious to the organization of the coun- as the "Ozark Flats." In 1887 he ty, all residents of the Lizard settle- moved to Lake township and in 1891 ment were assessed and voted as a died there in his 81st year. His wife part of Webster county, to which Eliza Quinn, daughter of James Quinn, they were temporarily attached for Esq., of Kildare county, Ireland, sur- revenue and judicial purposes. The vives him and resides in her own home assessment of the Lizard settlement at Pocahontas, at the age of 77 years. in 1859 was made by W. H. Hait and in 1860 by Oscar Slosson, both of whom

the northeast part of the county, the county at this date being included in one township. Later that same year, Lizard township was constituted and in 1861, John Quinlan became its first assessor and for five successive years, 1861 to 1865, he performed the func- tions of that office.

Mr. Forey was a brilliant conversa- tionalist and possessed that warm were residents of the settlement in heart and ready wit for which the people of his native country have been noted. He was the first republican who located in the Lizard settlement and for several years was the only one in it. He was very enthusiastic in defending and advocating his political views, and at the special election held November 15, 1859, to determine whether or not the voters of Pocahon-

Patrick Forey, who in 1857 located with his family on the E} SE} Sec. 36, tas county would approve the pro- 91-31 (Lake township), was a native posed contract of the County Judge of Galway county, Ireland, and came for the erection of a court house in to the United States in 1835. In 1846 Des Moines township and a bridge he in company with his nephew, over the Des Moines river near it, Thomas Burke, established and dur- both payable in the swamp and over- ing the next ten years managed a flowed lands of the county, he is said wholesale feed and provision store in to have cast the decisive vote and St. Louis, Mo, In 1856 he came to thus became Lizard's "famous poli-

166

PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.

tician. "

The tradition concerning this in- vote.

teresting incident is as follows. It was perceived by those interested,

In 1856, when Patrick Forey arrived in Webster county, he selected as a that there were just twenty-one votes pre-emption claim the NW} Sec. 20, . in the county at that time, of which Jackson township, 160 acres, and ten were in the Des Moines and eleven erected upon it a frame house, for in the Lizard settlement. All in the which he drew the lumber from Bor- Des Moines settlement were united der Plains, about twelve miles south- and very earnest in their desire to east of Fort Dodge. This house was have the public building and bridge located in the Lizard settlement, provided for in the contract. But as about one mile east of the Pocahontas the time of the election drew near, county line, and while Mr. Forey oc- those in the Lizard settlement per- ceiving the great advantage these

cupied it, Father McCulloch, of Fort Dodge, began to celebrate mass in public improvements would be to it once a month. This home thus be- their friends in the north part of the came the place where the first relig- county and remembering that their ious services were held in the Lizard own settlement was the oldest and settlement. ·

therefore justly entitled to them, con- cluded not to approve the proposed contract, indulging the hope that by some subsequent arrangement the claim on section 36, Lake township. public building might be erected on After securing the patent for this the farm of Charles Kelley, on Sec. 12, claim he sold it to Charles Kelley. Lizard township. Inasmuch as Mr. While he lived on the adjoining or Brockschink farm, where he kept Forey's home was the furthest north in the Lizard settlement and also be- hotel, his nearest neighbors on the cause of the fact he held different po- north were distant twelve miles, on litical views from the rest of them in the east thirteen miles and on the that settlement, his vote became the west, at Sioux Rapids, forty miles. subject of special interest to both At the time of the massacre of the parties. The Des Moines people felt settlers at New Ulm, Minnesota, by their need of it and expressed their the Indians in 1862,* the county seat desire he would vote with them, while of Buena Vista county was at Sioux those in the Lizard settlement find- Rapids. When all the settlers fled ing he was not likely to vote with from that vicinity, Messrs. Moore and them, delegated one of their number Jameson, two of the public officers of to challenge his vote and, if possible, Buena Vista county, carried with prevent him from casting it against them the records and seals of that them.

This election was held in the home of William Jarvis, in the Des Moines precinct, and it is said that, having been thwarted in several direct at- tempts to vote, during the latter part of the day, moving backward inad- vertently, he got close enough to the ballot-box to hand in his ballot with- out observation on the part of his po- litical opponents, and thus gave the

measure voted for a majority of one

As his title to this land was dis- puted, Mr. Forey abandoned it the next year and located on another

county until they reached the home of Patrick Forey, on the Brockschink farm. Presenting Mr. Forey with a carbine they requested him to keep these public records until they should be called for, and then passed on farther east. They did not call for them until the lapse of three weeks, when they returned and carried them back to Sioux Rapids. About the *Page 42.

167 .

FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN THE COUNTY.

year 1860, Mr. Forey had traded for 1868. an 80 acre farm near Sioux Rapids, in- tending to make it his home, but aft- erward sold it to Wm. S. Lee, one of the Buena Vista county officers at this time. The fact that the public records were entrusted to his personal care at this time of danger, was no no doubt due to the acquaintance formed through these transactions.

In 1860, Patrick Forey was drawn as one of the first jurors in the county, the others from the Lizard settlement being James Donahoe and Roger Col- lins.

1858.

During the year 1858, a few more settlers came to the Lizard settlement among whom were Thomas Crowell, Mrs. Bridget Vahey (Sec. 13), Thom- as Quinlan (Sec. 2), Thomas Prender- gast (Sec. 4), and possibly a few others; but they remained only for a short time in the settlement. After this there were but very few, if any addi- tional settlements made in the south part of the county, until after the close of the war.

EMBARRASSING EVENTS.

At the first election held in Clinton township, in the fall of 1860, he was Two events had occurred that for a one of the judges of the election board few years made the situation and cir- and, being chosen at that time one of the first trustees of that township, held that office for four years. After he moved with his family to Lizard township, his son, Patrick J. Forey, served as a justice of the peace eight successive years, 1875 to 1882. cumstances of those who were on the frontier in this section embarrassing and tended to check further immigra- tion. The first was the grant of a title to every alternate or odd num- bered section of the vacant and unap- propriated lands, for six sections in Patrick McLarney, who in 1857 mar- ried Ellen, a sister of Walter Ford, occupied the latter's claim in Lizard township in 1858. He continued in the county until about the year 1865. He was chosen secretary of the school Board of Lizard township when it was first organized in 1860, and served as clerk for the township nearly three years during the period of 1862 to 1864. width on each side of certain lines of railway that proposed to cross the state of Iowa at that time. The act of congress making these grants to the state of Iowa, was approved May 15, 1856, and the General Assembly of Iowa accepted and appropriated these lands to the several railroads to be built across the state in an act that was approved July 14, 1856. Their James Gorman pre-empted the S SEł and St SWł of Sec. 12, 90-31, (Lizard township) 160 acres, making the entry June 11, 1858, and receiving the patent for it April 10, 1860. title to these lands on the part of the Dubuque and Pacific (now Ill. Central) railway having been certified by the U. S. land office at Fort Dodge for the east three tiers of townships of Poca- hontas county, and by the land office

Patrick Collins, an elder brother of at Sioux City for the west tier of Michael, in the fall of 1857, with a townships, was approved by the De- family consisting of wife and three partment of the Interior, Dec. 27, children-one son and two daughters- 1858. The early settlers were natu- located on the NE} SE} and NE} SW} rally attracted to the vicinity of the Sec. 12, 90-31 (Lizard township) eighty proposed routes of these railways, but acres. The patent for this homestead these grants of the alternate sections was issued to Patrick Collins, Jr., within six miles of the proposed road, Sept. 1, 1869, the claim having been affected many of them quite seriously. filed June 6, 1863 and renewed July 1,. Those who had located claims on these

168

PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.

sections under the U. S. pre-emption sued by private banking institutions, law of Sept. 4, 1841, at $1.25 an acre, became worthless. So serious was and had not previously filed their the stagnation in business throughout claims for record, now found they had the country that the railway compa- no claim to their frontier home, and nies, notwithstanding the magnificent many in consequence abandoned them. grants of land received from the state Another result within the six-mile of Iowa, were unable to make any limit was, that from that date all the progress in the construction of their pre-emptions on the even numbered lines across the state until after the sections were limited to 80 instead of close of the war.

160 acres, and the government price During the year 1858, nearly all of was increased from $1.25 to $2.50 an the lands in Clinton and Lake town- acre. The news of these changes did ships were disposed of by the U. S. not circulate in the public press as land office at Fort Dodge, but the they do now, and when they occurred records show that they were purchased, many a settler was taken by surprise. not by actual settlers but by non- Another cause of embarrassment resident investors or speculators. that checked immigration was the These lands were beyond the six-mile financial panic of 1857, when a great limit and were available for purchase part of the money of the country, is- at the nominal price of $1.25 an acre.

Center Building of Industrial School for the Deaf, Council Bluffs. -

WM. H. HAIT, TREASURER AND RECORDER, 1859-61. TREASURER, 1866-69.

MRS. W. H. HAIT, First Teacher, 1860.

MRS. ROBERT STRUTHERS.

MRS. OSCAR F. AVERY.

DES MOINES TOWNSHIP.

ROBERT STRUTHERS, SURVEYOR, 1860-69; REPRESENTATIVE, 1872-73.

WM. D. MCEWEN. (In 1874.) :,

169 1

FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN THE COUNTY.

VI.

FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE COUNTY.

"Tis well to sing the merited word of praise, Of heroes in fierce martial strife;

But heroes, too, are they who raise The standard of a nobler life, Therefore we hail the pioneer, Whose strong arm helped to found a state,

As one whose name we may revere,

And hold in common with the great.

-A. R. FULTON.

THIE DES MOINES SETTLEMENT.

HE first settlements settlers.

Concerning the three men named

in the north part of the county were above who built the first two shanties in the Des Moines settlement, it may be observed that Craig did not enter his claim for record, but James Smith,

made in what is now Des Moines township and in the year 1857. In May of that year a party of pio- who on June 11, 1858, entered for rec- neers, consisting of Robert Struthers, ord his claim for lots 3 and 4, contain- W. H. Hait, A. H. Malcolm and ing 77 acres on section 36, received the Guernsey Smith, came from Fort first patent issued to anyone in Des Dodge with an ox team and selected Moines township, and D. W. Hunt, homes.

At this date there were no settlers in this county, except the few already 2, following, for lots 5 and 6 and the

named who during the previous N} NE} Sec. 36, 93-31, 141 acres, re- year, had located in the Lizard settle- ceived the second patent, issued Aug. ment. Daniel W. Hunt and James 15, 1860. These men, Messrs. James

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The pioneer history of Pocahontas County, Iowa, from the time of its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 20

Author: Flickinger, Robert Elliott, b. 1846 Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Fonda, Iowa, G. Sanborn Number of Pages: 1058

Author: Flickinger, Robert Elliott, b. 1846
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Fonda, Iowa, G. Sanborn
Number of Pages: 1058