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THE
HISTORY
BOONE COUNTY,
lOV/A,
CONTAINING
A History of tk County, its Cities, Towns, &c.,
Biographical Sketches of its Citizens, War Record of its Volunteers in the late Ee-
bellion, General and Local Statistics, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prom-
inent Men, History of the Northwest, History of Iowa,
Map of Boone County, Constitution of Iowa,
Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c.
ILlLTJ'STPl.A.TEJID.
DES MOINES:
UNION HISTORICAL COMPANY,
BIRDSALL, WILLIAMS & CO.
1880.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by
THE UlSriOI^ HISTOEIOAL OOMPANY,
In the Ofl&ce of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. O.
HILLS * COMPANY,
PBINTER8 AMD STEBEOTTPBB8,
DK8 MOINES, IOWA.
11582G1
PREFACE.
\^«
^
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 indeed 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 country and neighborhood. This, perhaps, is 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
T'of such general character as to be applicable to general rather than special conditions — to the
y^ Nation or State rather than the County or Township. Thus it is that no histories heretofore
^ published pertain to matters relating to county and neighborhood affairs, for such books, in
» xorder 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. The publishers, having received a liberal
patronage from the people of Boone county, have endeavored to prepare a work containing
a full and minute account of the local affairs of the county.
, The following pages constitute a history of the Northwest and a detailed account of the
^ early settlement, natural resources and subsequent development of Boone county, together
with reminiscences, narratives, and biographies of the leading citizens of the county.
The work may not meet the expectations of some; and this is all the more probable, see-
, ing that it falls short of our own standard of perfection: however, in size, quality of mater-
^^^al and typographical appearance, it is such a book as we designed to make, and fills the con-
> ditions guaranteed by our prospectus.
To the early settler, who braved the dangers, endured the hardships and experienced the
enjoyments of pioneer life, it will be the means of recalling some of the most grateful mem-
ories of the past; while those who are younger, or who have become citizens of the county
in more recent times, will here find collected in a narrow compass an accurate and succinct
account of the beginning, progress and changes incident to municipal as well as individual
life.
The old pioneer, in reviewing the histoiy of the county, all of which he saw, and part of
which he was, will find this work a valuable compendium of facts, arranged in analytical
order, and thus will events which are gradually vanishing into the mists and confusion of
forgetfulness be rescued from oblivion.
The rising generation, which is just entering upon the goodly heritage bequeathed by a
hardy and noble ancestiy, will find in this work much to encourage them in days of de-
spondency, and intensify the value of success when contrasted with the trials and compared
with the triumphs of those who have gone before .
In the preparation of this work we have been materially aided by numerous persons in
sympathy with the enterprise and solicitous for its success : to all such we feel ourselves un-
der great obligations, and take this method of acknowledging the same. To Judge I. J.
Mitchell, John A. Hull, to the publishers of the various newspapers and the incumbents of
the several county offices, we are under special obligations, and whatever of merit the work
may have is largely due to their assistance.
In presenting this work to our many hundred patrons, we have the satisfaction of knowing
that they are of sufficient intelligence to appreciate merit when it is found, and errors will
be criticised with the understanding that book-making, like all other kinds of labor, has its
peculiar vicissitudes.
Whatever of interest, of profit, or of recreation the reader will find in perusing the follow-
ing pages will be a source of satisfaction, gratitude and happiness to the
Publishers.
CONTENTS.
HISTOBICAIi.
PAQE.
The Northwest Territory :
Early French Explorations in
the Mississippi Vail ey 7
Early Settlements in the North-
west 1*
The Northwestern Territory.. 22
The lionisiana Purchase 28
Indian Wars in the Northwest 34
Sketches of Black Hawk and
other Chiefs 42
Early Navigation of Western
Rivers 56
FAGB.
Archeology of the Northwest. 69
Sketches of Western and
Northwestern States 67
Expedition of Lewis and Clarke 86
Sketch of Chicago 96
History of Iowa :
Descriptive and Geographical
Sketch 10.5
Geology of Iowa 117
Economic Geology 125
How the Title to Iowa Lands is
derived 130
Early Settlements and Territo-
rial Organization 141
Territory of Iowa . 153
State Organization 158
Educational 162
State Institutions 169
Railroads 172
Official Record 174
The Judiciary 176
Congressional Representation . 177
State Agricultural Society ,178
Centennial Awards 191
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
PAGE.
CHAPTER I.— PBEFATOBT. The
County— its Location and Name
—Captain Boone and the United
States Dragoons 257—262
CHAPTER II.— PHYSICAL FEA-
TTJBE8. Situation — Extent-
Surface— Rivers— Timber— Cli-
mate — Prairies — Soil — Geology
—Economic Geology —Coal-
Building Stone— Clays— Spring
and Well Water 262—270
CHAPTER III. — IKDIAN AF-
FAIB8. Policy of the Govern-
ment— Treaties— Annuities —
The Sac and Fox Indians —
Eeokuk — Wapello— Indian In-
cidents and Reminiscences—
The Neutral Strip— The Potta-
wattamies — John Greene and
His Band — The Sioux— The
Lott Atrocity — The Re-
venge 271—293
CHAPTER IV. — EABLT SET-
TLEMENTS. Importance of
First Beginnings— Character of
First Settlers — Noah's Bottom
and Col. Babbitt— Elk Rapids
—Swede Point— Hull's Point
—Pea's Point — Boonesboro —
Milford~The Rush of 1856 and
1865 293—320
CHAPTER V FIOMBEB LIFE.
Characteristics of the First
Settlers— Conveniences and In-
conveniences — The Historic
PAGE.
Log Cabin— Agricultural Im-
plements — Household furni-
ture-Pioneer Com Bread-
Hand Mills and Hominy Blocks
—Going to Mill — Trading
Points — Hunting and Trapping
—Claim Clubs and Claim Laws
—A Border Sketch —Surveys
and Land Sales --Western Stage
Company — First Records —
Growth of the County— Table
of Events 320—348
CHAPTER VI OBGANIZATION
OF THE COUNTY. Couuty and
Township Organization — Con-
dition of Territory Before Or-
ganization—Act of Organiza-
tion— S. B. McCall Commis-
sioned Sheriff— First Election
-Proceedings of Commission-
ers — The Location of County
Seat — County Judge System —
First Courts— First Precincts
— Ferries- First Jail— Organi-
zation of Townships — First
Court-house— The Township
Board — Early Officers and
Finances — Public Highways
Public Buildings
CHAPTER VII. — ADDITIONAL
COUNTY AFFAiBS. Finances—
Defalcations — Official Direct-
ory 388-406
CHAPTER VIII BAILBOADS—
NEWSPAPERS— SCHOOLS . . 406 —434
I PAGE.
CHAPTER IX.-Old Settlers' As-
sociation— Churches— Agricul-
tural Societies — Gold Excite-
ment — Accidents and Crimes
—Mine Statistics 434—460
CHAPTER X.— LAND GBANTS-
WARS OF BOONE COUNTY. The
Original River Improvement
Grant- Subsequent Modifica-
tion of the Grant — Extent of
Improvement in the Channel
of the River- Extension of the
Grant, and its Diversion to
Railroad Purposes— Difficulties
Between the Settlers and the
River Land Company — Swamp
Lands — How Disposed of— Ink-
pa-du-ta War — The Pardee
Siege — The River Land
War 460—474
CHAPTER XI.— WAB HISTORY.
Fort Sumter and Lincoln's
Proclamation — Recruiting in
Boone county — Account of
Companies Recruited in Boone
County with Full and Accurate
Lists of Names — Soldiers'
Record— Sherman's March to
the Sea 474—494
CHAPTER XII. — TOWNSHIPS,
CITIES AND TOWNS 498—654
CHAPTER XIII. — BIOGBAPH-
ICAL 655
PAGE.
Westward the Star of Empire
takes its Way 17
An Indian Camp 33
Indians Trying a Prisoner 49
A Pioneer Winter 65
ILiLUSTRATIONS.
PAGK.
Lincoln Monument, Springfield,
Illinois 72
Chicago, in 1820 97
Present Site Lake Street Bridge,
Chicago, 1833 97
PAGE.
Old Fort Dearborn, 1830 103
The " Old Kinzie House " 103
A Prairie Home 129
Breaking Prairie 145
JLITH06BAPHIC PORTRAITS.
PAGE.
John A. Hull 273
John A. McFarland 307
William F. Clark 341
Theodore DeTarr 375
PAGE. I PAGE.
C. J. A. Ericson 409 A. Downing 546
JohnH. Jennings 443 J. B. Hurlburt 579
Frank Champlin 477 W. L. Defore 613
J. W. Black 5111
CONTENTS.
BIOC^RAPHICAJL TOWSTiSIIIP DIRECTORY.
PAGE.
Des Moines 555
Garden 615
Douglas 617
Cass 620
Peoples 623
Union 626
PAGE.
Beaver 628
Maroy • 681
Worth 638
Colfax 646
Jackson 647
Yell 652
PAGE.
Amaqua 662
Grant 663
Pilot Mound 665
Dodge 669
Harrison 677
ABSTRACT OF lOlVA STATE LA^VS.
PAGE.
Adoption of Children 203
Bills of Exchange and Promis-
sory Notes 195
Capital Punishment 199
Commercial Terms 208
Damages from Trespass 201
Descent 195
Estrays 201
Exemption from Executions 200
Fences 202
Forms :
Arti cle of A greement 209
Bills of Sale 210
Bond for Deed 217
Bills of Purchase 207
Chattel Mortgage 215
PAGE.
Forms :
Confession of Judgment 208
Lease .... 214
Mortgages 212, 213
Notice to Quit 210
Notes 207-215
Orders 207
Quit-claim Deed 216
Receipts . . 208
WiUs and Codicils 211, 212
Warranty Deed 216
Game Laws :
Birds and Quadrupeds ... .... 217
Fish and Fish Ways 218
Interest 195
Jurisdiction of Courts 198
PAGE.
Jurors 199
Landlord and Tenant 206
Limitation of Actions 199
Married Women 200
Marks and Brands 201
Mechanics' Liens 204
Purchasing Books by Subscrip-
tion 219
Eoads and Bridges 204
Surveyors and Surveys 204
Support of Poor 205
Taxes 197
Wills and Estates 196
Weights and Measures 207
Wolf Scalps 201
PAGE.
Map of Boone County Front.
Statistics 183
Constitution of the State of
Iowa 220
IHISCEIjLiAIVEOUS.
PAGE.
Constitution of the UnitedStateB.240
Practical Rules for every- day
use 252
Population of Iowa Cities.
The Pioneer
OV/A.
VI
CONTENTS.
BIOORAPHICAJL TOIFKSHIP DIKECTOKY.
Des Moines.
Garden
Douglas ....
Cass
Peoples
Union
PAGE.
. ..555
....615
....617
PAGE.
Beaver 628
Marcy • 691
Worth 638
Colfax 646
Jackson 647
YeU 652
Amaqua
Grant
Pilot Mound.
ABSTRAC T OF IOWA STATE LAWS.
PAGE.
Adoption of Children 203
Bills of Exchange and Promis-
sory Notes 195
Capital Punishment 199
Commercial Terms 208
Damages from Trespass 201
Descent 195
Bstrays 201
Exemption from Executions 200
Fences .202
Forms :
Article of Agreement 209
Bills of Sale 210
BondforDeed 217
BUls of Purchase 207
Chattel Mortgage 215
PAGE.
Forms :
Confession of Judgment 208
Lease 214
Mortgages 212, 213
Notice to Quit 210
Notes 207-215
Orders 207
Quitclaim Deed 216
Keceipts 208
WUls and CodicUs 211, 212
Warranty Deed . 216
Game Laws :
Birds and Quadrupeds ... ; . . . 217
Fish and Fish Ways 218
Interest 195
Jurisdiction of Courts 198
PAGE.
Jurors 199
Landlord and Tenant 206
Limitation of Actions 199
Married Women 200
Marks and Brands 201
Mechanics' Liens 204
Purchasing Books by Subscrip-
tion 219
Roads and Bridges 204
Surveyors and Surveys 204
Support of Poor 205
Taxes 197
WiUs and Estates 196
Weights and Measures 207
Wolf Scalps 201
PAGE.
Map of Boone County Front.
Statistics 183
Constitution of the State of
Iowa 220
MISCE£.£.ANi:OUS.
PAGE.
Constitution of theUnitedStateB.240
Practical Rules for every- day
use 252
PAGB.
Population of Iowa Cities 255
The Pioneer 256
MAP OF BOONE COUNTV. IOWA.
w I-: ti H '/■ /.,• n
1 1 .\ .\r I I. r n .\-
I * I- .V r \-
MI4.LS«n>DU»lM<. 1{ XXV11I\V. /> .1 /.
t^ f) j^hc \\ xx\' w. f ; ft.
The Northwest Territory.
EAELY FEEIS-CH EXPLORATIONS IN THE MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY.
De Soto — Le Caron — Samuel de Champlain — French Adventurers — James Marquette — Louis
Joliet — Embarkation to Explore New Countries — Lake Michigan and Green Bay — The
"Ouisconsin " — Indian Accounts of the Country — Discovering the Great River — Indian
Name of the River — Joy of the Explorers — Intei-view with Indians on Iowa Soil — Feast —
Speech of an Indian Chief— The Des Moines River — " Muddy Water " — The Arkansas —
Return — Indian Nations — Marquette's Record — His Subsequent Voyage — La Vantum —
Marquette's Death — Removal of His Remains — Joliet's Subsequent Explorations — Robert
La Salle — Louis Hennepin — Chevalier de Tonti — De La Motte — Fort Crevecoeur — Henne-
pin's Voyage — Falls of St. Anthony — Seur de Luth — Hennepm's Claims as an Explorer —
Colonization of Louisiana — Dissensions — Murder of La Salle.
The three great colonizing powers of the Old World first to raise the
standard of civilization within the limits of North America were France,
England, and Spain. The French made their earliest settlements in the
cold and inhospitable regions of Quebec; the English at Jamestown, Yir-
ginia, and at Plymouth, Massachusetts; and the Spaniards on the barren
sands of Florida. To the French belongs the honor of discovering and colo-
nizing that portion of our country known as the Yallej of the Mississippi,
including all that magnificent region watered by the tributaries of the Grea,
River. It is true that more than one hundred years earlier (1538-41) tht
Spanish explorer, De Soto, had landed on the coast of Florida, penetrated the
everglades and unbroken forests of the south, finally reaching the banks of
the Great River, probably near where the city of Memphis now stands.
Crossing the river, he and his companions pursued their journey for some
distance along the west bank, thence to the Ozark Mountains and the Hot
Springs of Arkansas, and returning to the place of his death on the banks of
the Mississippi. It was a perilous expedition indeed, characterized by all
the splendor, romance and valor which usually attended Spanish adventurers
ol that age. De Soto and his companions were the first Europeans to behold
the waters of the Mississippi, but the expedition was a failure so far as related
to colonization. The requiem chanted by his companions as his remains
were committed to the waters of the great river he had discovered, died
away with the solemn murmurs of the stream, and the white man's voice
was not heard again in the valley for more than ahundred years. De Soto
had landed at Tampa Bay, on the coast of Florida, with a fleet of nine ves-
sels and seven hundred men. More than half of them died, and the remainder
made their way to Cuba, and finally back to Spain.
Four years before the pilgrims "moored their bark on the wild New Eng-
land shore," a French Franciscan, named Le Caron, penetrated the region of
O THE NORTHWEST TEERITOET.
the great lakes of the north, then the home of the Iroquois and the Hurons,
but a French settlement had been established at Quebec bj Samuel de
Champlain in 1608. This was followed by the establishment of various
colonies in Canada, and the hardy French adventurers penetrated the coun-
try by tlie way of the St. Lawrence and the lakes. In 1625 a number of
missionaries of the Society of Jesus arrived in Canada from France, and
during the succeeding forty years extended their missions all along the
shores of Lake Superior.
In 1637 a child was born at the little city of Laon, in France, whose
destiny it was in the fullness of time to be instrumental in the hands of
Providence in giving to the world a definite knowledge of the grandest and
most fertile region ever opened up to civilization. That child was James
Marquette, the descendant of a family of Celtic nobles. He entered the
Society of Jesus when seventeen years of age, and soon conceived a desire to
engage in the labors of a missionary among the Indians. He sailed for
Quebec in 1666, and two years later founded the mission of Sault Ste. Marie
at the Falls of St. Mary. The winter of 1669-70 he spent at Point St.
Ignatius, where he established another mission. Here the old town of
Michillimackinac, afterward called Mackinaw, was founded. It was from
Indians of the different tribes who came to this mission that he received
some vague intimations of the great river — the father of all the rivers. He
at once conceived a desire to penetrate to the banks of the wonderful river,
and carry his missionary work to the tribes which he had learned inhabited
its borders. He applied to his Superior, Claude Dablon, for permission to
"seek new nations toward the Southern sea." The authorities at Quebec were
equally desirous of having new regions explored, and therefore appointed
Louis Joliet to embark upon a voyage of discovery. Joliet was a native of
Quebec and had been educated in a Jesuit College. He had at the age of
eighteen taken minor orders, but had abandoned all thoughts of the priest-
hood and engaged in the fur trade. He was now twenty-seven years of age,
with a mind ripe for adventure. He left Quebec, and arriving at Mackinaw
found Father Marquette highly delighted with the information that they
were to be companions in a voyage which was to extend the domain of the
King of France, as well as to carry the Gospel to new nations of people. The
explorers, accompanied by five assistants, who were French Canadians, started
on their journey, May 13, 1673. Marquette has himself recorded in the fol-
lowing simple language their feelings on this occasion: "We were embark-
ing on a voyage the character of wliich we could not foresee. Indian corn,
with some dried meat, was our whole stock of provisions. With this we set
out in two bark canoes, M. Joliet, myself and five men, firmly resolved to do
all and suffer all for so glorious an enterprise." They coasted along the
northern shore of Lake Michigan, entered Green Bay, and passed up the
Fox river, carrying their canoes across the Portage to the " Ouisconsin," now
called Wisconsin. At Lake Winnebago, before crossing the Portage, they
stopped at an Indian village, which was the furthest outpost to which Dab-
lon and Allouez had extended their missionary work. Here they assembled
the chiefs and old men of the village and told them of the objects of the
voyage. Pointing to Joliet, Father Marquette said: "My friend is an envoy
of France to discover new countries, and I am an ambassador from God to
enlighten them witli the truths of the Gospel." The Indians furnished two
guides t^conduct them to the Wisconsin river. It is related that a tribe of
Indians endeavored to dissuade them from pursuing their perilous journey
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
bj telling of desperate and savage tribes that they would meet; that the
forests and the rivers were infested with frightful monsters; that there were
great fish in the rivers that would swallow up men and canoes together, and
of a demon who could be heard from a great distance, and who destroyed all
who approached. Unmoved by these frightful stories, Marquette, Joliet,
and their five brave assistants, launched their little canoes on the waters of
the Wisconsin, and moved slowly doAvn the current. After a lapse of seven
days, June 17th, 1673, they reached the mouth of the Wisconsin and glided
into the current of the Mississippi, a few miles below the place now known
as Prairie du Chien. Here, and on this day, the eye of the white man for the
first time looked upon the waters of the Upper Mississippi. Marquette called
the river " The Broad River of the Concej)tion," The Indian name is derived
from the Algonquin language, one of the original tongues of the continent.
It is a compound of the words Missi, signitying great, and Sepe, a river.
The explorers felt the most intense joy on beholding the scene presented
to their enraptured vision. Here was the great river whose waters somewhere
thousands of miles away flowed into a Southern sea, and whose broad valley
was the fairest and richest in the world, but unknown to civilized man, save
as an almost forgotten dream or a vague romance. They had solved one of
the great mysteries of the age in which they lived. As they glided down the
stream the bold blufis reminded Marquette of the '-castled shores of his own
beautiful rivers in France." The far stretching prairies alternating with
forests, on either side, were adorned in all the wild glories of June. Birds
sang the same notes that they had sung for ages amid those "forests prime-
val," while herds of buffalo, deer and elk were alarmed and fled to the dense
retreats of the forest or the broad prairies beyond. Not until the 25th June
did they discover any signs of human habitation. Then, about sixty leagues,
as they thought, below the mouth of the Wisconsin, at a place v/herethey
landed on the west bank of the river, they found in the sand the foot-prints
of man. Marquette and Joliet left their five companions in charge of the
canoes and journeyed away from the river, knowing that they must be near
the habitation of men. They followed a trail leading across a prairie clothed
in the wild luxuriance of summer for a distance of about six miles, when
they beheld another river and on its banks an Indian village, with other vil-
lages on higher land a mile and a half from the first. The Indians greeted
the two white strangers, as far as their ability permitted, with a splendid
ovation. They appomted four of their old men to meet the strangers in
council. Marquette could speak their language. They informed him that
they were "Illini" (meaning "we are men"), and presenting the calumet of
peace, invited them to share the hospitalities of their village. Marquette told
them of the object of their visit, and that they had been sent by the French,
who were their friends. He told them of the great God that tlie white man
worshiped who was the same Great Spirit that they adored. In answer, one
of the chiefs addressed them as follows:
"I thank the Black Govm Chief (Marquette) and the Frenchman (Joliet)
for taking so much pains to come and visit us; never has the earth been so
beautiful, nor the sun so bright as now; never has the river been so calm, nor
so free from rocks, whiuh your canoes have removed as they passed; never
has our tobacco had so fine a flavor, nor our corn appeared so beautiful as we
behold it to-day. Ask the Great Spirit to give us life and health, and come
ye and dwell with us." ^
After these ceremonies the strangers were invited to a feast, arfSccount of
10 THE NORTHWEST TEEEITOBT.
which is given by Marquette. It consisted of four courses. First, there
was a large wooden bowel filled with tagamity, or Indian meal, boiled in
water and seasoned with oil. The master of ceremonies, with a wooden spoon,
fed the tagamity to their guests as children are fed. The second course con-
sisted of fish, which, after the bones were taken out, was presented to the
mouths of the strangers as food may be fed to a bird. The third course was
a preparation of dog meat, but learning that the strangers did not eat that it
was at once removed. The fourth and final course was a piece of buffalo
meat, the fattest portions of which were put into the mouths of the guests.
The stream on whose banks took place this first interview between the
explorers and the untutored Indians, after parting with their guides, was the
Des Moines river, and the place of their landing was probably about where
the town of Montrose is now located, in Lee county, Iowa. One of our
sweetest American poets has rendered Marquette's narrative in verse, as
follows:
" Came a people
From the distant land of Wabun;
From the farthest realms of morning
Came the Black Robe Chief, the Prophet,
He the Priest of Prayer, the Pale-face,
With his guides and his companions.
And the noble Hiawatha,
With his hand aloft extended.
Held aloft in sign of welcome,
Cried aloud and spoke in this wise:
' Beautiful is the sun, strangers,
When you come so far to see us;
All our town in peace awaits you;
All our doors stand open for you;
You shall enter all our wigwams;
For the heart's right hand we give you.
Never bloomed the earth so
Never shone the sun so brightly,
As to-day they shine and blossom
When you came so far to see us.'
And the Black Robe Chief made answer,
Stammered in his speech a little,
Speaking words yet unfamiliar:
' Peace be with you, Hiawatha,
Peace be with you and your people,
Peace of prayer, and peace of pardon,
Peace of Christ, and joy of Mary ! '
Then the generous Hiawatha,
Led the strangers to his wigwam,
Seated them on skins of bison,
Seated them on skins of ermine.
Brought them food in bowls of bass-wood,
Water brought in birchen dippers,
And the calumet, the peace-pipe.
Filled and lighted for their smoking.
All the warriors of the nation,
Came to bid the strangers welcome;
• It is well,' they said, '0 brother.
That you came so far to see us.'"
Marquette and Joliet remained at the Indian villages six days, and were
then accompanied to their canoes by an escort of six hundred Indians. In-
vitations were extended to the strangers to renew their visit, after which the
explorers embarked in their boats and floated on down the stream, passing
the sites of future great cities of the valley, and passing the mouths of the
Missouri and Ohio rivers, and as far down as the mouth of the Arkansas.
THE NORTHWEST TEEKITOET. 11
Marquette named the Missouri river Pekitanoui^ or " Muddy Water," on
account of the now well-known character of that stream.
After extending their voyage to the mouth of the Arkansas, where they
found a village ot the Arkansas tribe, they ascended the Mississippi to the
mouth of the Illinois. They ascended the latter river to its source. Along
this stream they found many villages of the Illinois, or Illini, a large and
powerful tribe, who were subdivided into five smaller tribes — the Tamaroas,
Michigamies, Kahokias, Kaskaskias, and Peorias. The country between the
Illinois and Mississippi rivers was inhabited by the three last named tribes.
The Michigamies resided in the country bordering on Lake Michigan, and
the Tamaroas occupied the territory now included in the counties ot Jersey,
Madison and St. Clair, Illinois. Kaskaskia — also designated by the early
explorers as " La Yantum " and " Great Illinois Town " — was the largest of
the villages, containing, according to Marquette, seventy-five lodges. With-
out the loss of a man, or any serious accident, the party reached Green Bay
in September, and reported their discoveries. Marquette made a faithful
record of what they had seen and the incidents of the voyage. That record
has been preserved. The report of Joliet was unfortunately lost by the
upsetting of his canoe while on the way to Quebec.
At the request of the Illinois Indians, Marquette soon returned and es-
tablished the mission of the Immaculate Conception at La Vantum. In
the spring of 1675, on account of failing health, he started to return to
Green Bay. While passing along the shore of Lake Michigan, conscious
that he was nearing the end of his earthly labors, he observed an elevated
place near the mouth of a small river. He told his companions that the
place was suitable for his burial, and requested them to land. On that
lonely and desolate coast. May 18, 1675, at the age of thirty-eight, James
Marquette ended his last earthly voyage, and received burial at the hands
of his devoted companions. Two years later some Indians of the mission at
Kaskaskia disinterred his remains, and conveyed them in a box made of
birch bark, with a convoy of over twenty canoes, to Mackinaw, where they
were reinterred at the mission church. The post was abandoned in 1706,
and the church burned. The place of burial was finally lost, and remained
lost for two hundred years. In May, 1876, the foundations of the old
Jesuit Mission were accidentally discovered on the farm of one David
Murray, with a number of church relics, the mouldering remains of the
great missionary and explorer, and a cross with his name inscribed upon it.
Joliet, after his return to Quebec, became again a trader with the Indians.
His services were rewarded by the French government by the gift of the
island of Anticosta, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Little after this is known
of him. He died about 1730.
The reports given of the discoveries of Marquette and Joliet, served to
encourage other adventurers to engage in the efi:ort to extend their explora-
tions. Robert La Salle, a French navigator, who was born at Rouen about
the year 1635, had long cherished a project of seeking a route to China by
way of the Great Lakes. Before the return of Marquette and Joliet, he had
explored Lake Ontario and visited the different Indian tribes. In 1675 he
went to France and obtained from the government a grant to a large tract
of land about Fort Frontenac, the exclusive right of traffic with the Five
Nations, and also a patent of nobility. He laid before his government his
desire to explore the Mississippi to its mouth, and take possession of all the
regions he might visit in the name of the King of France. His plans were
12 THE NORTHWEST TEEEITOET.
warmly approved, and he was provided with, the means for carrying them
into execution. In July, 1678, he returned to Fort Frontenac, soon after
established a trading house at Niagara, and visited the neighboring Indian
tribes for the purpose of collecting furs. He engaged the services of thirty
mechanics and mariners and built the first ship tor the navigation of the
lakes. It was called the Griffin, and was a bark of sixty tons. Having
been joined by Louis Hennepin and Chevalier de Tonti, the latter an Indian
veteran, on the 7th of August, 1679, they launched the Griffin on Niagara
river, and embarked for the valley of the Mississippi. They crossed Lake
Erie and Lake St. Clair, reaching Green Bay, September 2d. For the pur-
Eose of relieving himself of some pressing financial obligations at Montreal,
a Salle here engaged for a time in collecting furs with which he loaded the
Griffin, and sent it in the care of a pilot and fourteen sailors on its return
trip, with orders to return immediately; but the vessel was never heard of
afterward. He waited until all hope had vanished, and then, with Father
Hennepin, Chevalier de Tonti, the Sieur de la Motte, and about thirty fol-
lowers, began again the voyage. They ascended the St. Joseph in canoes to
the portage, and carried their barks to the Kankakee, a distance of six miles,
descended the Kankakee and the Illinois until they reached an Indian vil-
lage on the latter stream, at the expansion of the same, known as Lake
Peoria. The village was situated on the west bank of the lake, and must
have been passed by Marquette and Joliet on their voyage up the river in
1673, althouo^h no mention is made of it by them. La Salle, Hennepin, Tonti
and their followers landed at Lake Peoria, January 3d, 1680. The Indiana
received them hospitably, and they remained with them for several days.
Here a spirit of discontent began to manifest itself among the followers oi
La Salle, and fearing trouble between his men and the Indians, they crossed
the river and moved down about three miles, where they erected a fort,
which La Salle named Fort Crevecoeur (heart-break) a name expressive of
La Salle's sorrow at the loss of his fortune by the disaster to the Griffin, and
also his feelings in the fear of mutiny among his men. The party remained
here until in i ebruary, when Tonti was placed in command of the post, and
Hennipin charged with a voyage of discovery to the sources of the Missis-
sippi. La Salle returned on foot with three companions to Fort Frontenac
foi- supplies. On his arrival he learned of the certainty of the loss of the
Griffin, and also of the wreck of another vessel which had been sent with
resources for him from France.
Father Hennepin, with two companions, Picard du Gay and Michel Ako,
on the 29th of February, 1680, embarked from Fort Crevecoeur in a canoe
down the Illinois to its mouth, which they reached in a few days. They
then turned up the Mississippi, reaching the mouth of the "Wisconsin, April
11th. Above this point no European had ever ascended. They continued
the voyage, reaching the Falls of St. Anthony, April 30, 1680. Hennepin
so named the falls in honor of his patron Saint. When they arrived at the
mouth of St. Francis river, in what is now the State of Minnesota, they
traveled along its banks a distance of 180 miles, visiting the Sioux Indians,
who inhabited that region. The river, Hennepin so named in honor of
the founder of his order. In his account of this voyage, Hennepin claims that
they were held in captivity by the Indians for about three months, although
they were treated kindly by them. At the end of this time a band of
Frenchmen, under the leadership of Seur de Luth, in pursuit of furs, had
penetrated to this part of the country by the way of Lake Superior. The
THE NOKTHWEST TEEEITOKT. 13
Indians allowed Hennepin and his companions to return with the traders.
They descended the Mississippi to the mouth of the Wisconsin, passing up
that stream and down the Fox river, and so on through Green Bay to Lake
Michigan. Hennepin went to Quebec, and thence to France, where, in 1683,
he published an account of his explorations and a description of the region
of the Upper Mississippi. In 1697 (two years after La Salle's death) he
publislied an enlarged work, in which he claimed that he had descended the
Mississippi to its mouth. His faithful description of the valley for a time
gave him credit for veracity, but the impossibility of reconciling his dates,
and other circumstances, are by the best authorities regarded as stamping
his claim false. Before the time this work was published, as we shall see.
La Salle had descended the Mississippi to its mouth. Hennepin explained
his long silence as to his exploration to the mouth of the Mississippi, by
claiming that he had feared the enmity of La Salle, who had ordered him
to follow a different course, and had also prided himself upon his own claims
as being the first European to descend the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mex-
ico. Father Hennepin died in Holland, about the year 1699.
We now return to the further adventures of the brave and intrepid La
Salle. He returned to Fort Crevecoeur in the latter part of the year 1680,
to find that Tonti had been abandoned by his men, and obliged to take
refuge among the Pottawattamies. He spent another year in collecting his
scattered followers, finally succeeded, and on the 6th of February, 1682, he
had readied the mouth of the Illinois. As they passed down the Mississippi
La Salle noted the difi*erent streams tributary thereto. They erected a fort
near the mouth of the Ohio, and a cabin at the first Chickasaw bluff. On
the 9th of April they entered the Gulf of Mexico. They reascended the
river a short distance, founded the Fort of St. Louis, took possession of the
whole valley in the name of France, and called it by the name of Louisiana,
in honor of the king.
La Salle, having accomplished much for the glory of France, now retraced
his steps northward. After spending one year about the great lakes, actively
engaged in laying the foundations o? French settlements in the new regions
he had discovered, in November, 1683, he reached Quebec, and soon after
embarked for France. The government, with marks of great esteem, be-
stowed upon him a commission placing under his authority aU the French
and natives of the country,"from Fort St. Louis to Kew Biscay. An expe-
dition, with four vessels and 280 persons, was fitted out for the colonization
of Lousiana; it sailed August 1, 1684. Associated with La Salle, in this
expedition, was Beaujeu, as naval commander. The mouth of the Missis-
sippi was the objective point, but by mistake the fleet passed on northward.
When the error was discovered La Salle desired to return, but Beaujeu per-
sisted in advancing. Dissensions arose, and La Salle, with 230 colonists,
disembarked. This was in February, 1685. A fortified post, which was
called Fort St. Louis, was established, and attempts made at agriculture, but
witliout success. Attempts were made to reach the Mississippi, which they
thought near, but failed. La Salle and his followers traversed the wilderness
toward New Mexico, and in January, 1687, by sickness and disaster, hig
party was reduced to thirty-seven. Some of these, following Beaujeu's ex-
ample, revolted. La SaUe, with sixteen men, then determined to reach the
country of the Illinois. Two men, who had embarked their capital in the
enterprise, were bitter in malignity toward the leader of this unsuccessful
expedition. Their feelings found some gratification in the murder of a
14 THE NOETHWEST TEKKITORT.
nephew of La Salle. The latter sought to investigate as to the death of his
relative, but only shared his fate, as one of them fired upon him from ambush,
and the heroic La Salle fell, the victim of quarrels and dissensions among
his own followers. This event happened after he had passed the basin of
the Colorado and reached a branch of Trinity river, in Texas.
We have thus briefly outlined the part taken by this energetic and ad-
venturous explorer, in giving to civilization a knowledge of a region that
was destined to constitute the richest and most productive portion of the
American continent, if not indeed, of the world.
EAELY SETTLEMENTS IK THE NORTHWEST.
Early Frencli Settlements — Indian Tribes — Mission atKaskasMa — Kahokia — Vincennes — Fort
Ponchartrain — Fort Chartres— La Belle Riviere — La Salle — The English Claim "From Sea
to Sea'' — ^Treaty with Indians in 1684 — English Grants — French and Indians Attack Pick-
awiUany — ^Treaty with the Six Nations — French and English Claims — George Washington
— French and Indian War — Fall of Montreal — Treaty of Paris — Pontiac's Conspiracy-
Detroit — Pontiac's Promissory Notes — Pontiac's Death — France Cedes Louisiana to Spain
— Washington Explores the Ohio Valley — Emigration — Land Companies — The Revolution
— Colonel Clark— Surrender of French Posts in Illinois — Surrender of Vincennes — Gov.
Hamilton Taken Prisoner — Daniel Boone — Simon Gurty — ^Virginia's " Land Laws."
As THE French were the first to explore the region known as the North-
west, so they were the first to improve the opening thus made. The earliest
settlements were in that part of the country east ot the Mississippi and south
of the Great Lakes, occupied chiefly by the' Illinois tribes of the Great Algon-
quin family of Indians. The Illinois were divided into the Tamaroas, M ich-
igamies, Kakokias, Kaskaskias, and Peorias, and were sometimes designated
as the Five Nations. The three last-named tribes occupied the country
between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers; the Michigamies the region bor-
dering on Lake Michigan, and the Tamaroas, a small tribe, in the same region
occupied by the Kahokias, and now embraced in the counties of Jersey, Madi-
son, and St. Clair, in the state of Illinois. The French opened the way for
colonization by the establishment of missions among these tribes, their efforts
in this direction having been attended with great success in Canada. A
mission was founded at Kaskaskia by Father Gravier about the year 1698.
This at the time of the visit of Marquette and Joliet, in 1673, was the
largest and most important of the Illinois villages, and contained seventy-
four lodges, or about fifteen hundred inhabitants. By the early explorers it
was called by the several names of " Kaskaskia," " La Yantum," and " Great
Illinois Town." Here, in 1675, Father Marquette had attempted to cliristian-
ize the Indians by establishing the mission of the Immaculate Conception.
For years it was nothing more than a missionary station, occupied only by
the Nations and the missionary. About the year 1700 missions were also
established at Kahokia and Peoria, the latter being near the site of old Fort
Crevecoeur. Another of the early French settlements was at Yincennes on
the Oubache (Waba, now Wabash) river. Authorities disagree as to tlie
date of this settlement, but it was probably about 1702. For many years
this was an isolated colony of French emigrants from Canada, and several
generations of their descendants lived and passed away in these vast solitudes,
before either they or their savage neighbors were disturbed by the encroach-
ments of an expanding civilization. During all this time they had maintained
friendly relations with the natives. In July, 1701, a station was established
THE NORTHWEST TERKITOET. 15
by Do la Motte on the Detroit river, called Fort PoncLartrain. "Wliile these
attempts to colonize the Northwest were in progress, similar efforts were
being made bj France in the Southwest, but without maintaining like
friendly relations with the natives, for in a conflict with the Chickasaws, an
entire colony at Natchez was cut off. As these settlements in the North-
west were isolated but little is known of their history prior to 1750. In this
year Yivier, a missionary among the Illinois, near Fort Chartres, writes of
five French villages, with a population of eleven hundred whites, three hun-
dred blacks, and sixty red slaves or savages. He says there were whites,
negroes and Indians, to say nothing of half-breeds. They then raised wheat,
cattle, swine and horses, and sent pork, grain and flour to New Orleans. On
the 7th of November, 1750, the same priest writes:
" For fifteen leagues above the mouth of the Mississippi one sees no dwell-
ings, the ground being too low to be habitable. Thence to New Orleans the
lands are only partially occupied. New Orleans contains black, white and
red, not more, I think, than twelve hundred persons. To this point come
all lumber, bricks, salt-beef, tallow, tar, skins and bear's grease; and above
all, pork and flour from the Illinois. These things create some commerce,
as forty vessels and more have come hither this year. Above New Orleans
plantations are again met with; the most considerable is a colony of Germans
some ten leagues up the river. At Point Coupee, thirty-five leagues above
the German settlement, is a fort. Along here, within five or six leagues, are
not less than sixty habitations. Fifty leagues further up is the Natchez
post, where we have a garrison, who are kept prisoners through fear of the
Chickasaws. Here and at Point Coupee they raise excellent tobacco. An-
other hundred leagues brings us to the Arkansas, where we have also a fort
and a garrison for the benefit of the river traders. From the Arkansas to
the Illinois, nearly five hundred leagues, there is not a settlement. There
should be, however, a fort at the Oubache (Ohio), the only path by which
the English can reach the Mississippi. In the Illinois country are number-
less mines, but no one to work them as they deserve."
The fame of Robert Cavelier de La Salle was not achieved alone by his
explorations of the Yalley of the Mississippi, for, in 1669, four years before
the discovery of the Mississippi by Marquette and Joliet, La Salle discovered
the Ohio river, or La Belle Riviere (Beautiful River), as the French called
it. Being conversant with several Indian dialects, he had learned from some
Senecas of a river called Ohio which rose in their country and flowed a long
distance to the sea. La Salle then held the belief that the river flowing to
the west emptied into the Sea of California, and longed to engage in the enter-
prise of discovering a route across the continent. He obtained the approval
of the government at Quebec, but no allowance to defray the expense. He
sold his property in Canada for two thousand eight hundred dollars, and
with the proceeds purchased canoes and the necessary supplies. "With a
party of twenty-four persons he embarked in seven canoes on the St. Law-
rence, July 6th, 1669. Crossing over Lake Ontario, they were conducted by
Indian guides to the Genesee, about where the city of Rochester, New York,
is now located. The enterprise did not receive the approbation of the Indians
at the Seneca village then situated on the bank of the Genesee at this point,
and they refused to furnish him guides to conduct him further. After a
month's delay he met an Indian belonging to the Iroquois tribe on Lake On-
tario, who conducted them to their village, where they received a more
friendly welcome. From the chief of the Iroquois at Onondaga he obtained
16 THE NORTHWEST TEEEITORT.
guides who conducted the party to a river south of Lake Erie. This proved
to be a tributary of the Ohio. They descended it, and thence down the
Ohio to the great falls where Louisville now stands. By virtue of this dis-
covery the French claimed the country along the Ohio, and many years after
established military and trading posts at dinerent points. One of these was
Fort Du Quesne, erected in 1654, which was taken from them by the English
a few years later and called Pittsburg, in honor of William Pitt, then prime
minister of England.
Notwithstanding the discovery of the Ohio by the French under La Salle
as early as 1669, the English claimed from the Atlantic to the Pacific on the
ground that her sea-coast discoveries entitled her to the sovereignty of all
the country from " sea to sea." In 1684, Lord Howard, Governor of Vir-
ginia, held a treaty with Indian tribes known as the l^orthern Confederacy,
to-wit: the Mohawks, Oneidas, Ouondagas, Cayugas and Senecas. The Tus-
caroras being subsequently taken in, these tribes became known as the Six
Nations, and the English assumed their protection. They purchased from
them large tracts of land and aimed to obtain a monopoly of the Indian
trade. The English government made grants of land west of the Alleglianies,
and companies were formed for their settlement. France, seeing the Eng-
lish obtaining a foothold by planting trading posts in the Northwest, in
1749 sent Louis Celeron with a small force of soldiers to plant in mounds at
the mouths of the principal tributaries of the Ohio, plates of lead with the
claims of France inscribed thereon. The English, however, still continued
to make explorations and establish trading posts. One of these grants of
England was to a company known as the " Ohio Company," and embraced a
tract of land on the Great Miami, described as being one hundred and fi.fty
miles above its mouth. Christopher Gist was sent by this company in 1750
to inspect thier lands and to establish a trading post. In 1752 a small party
of French soldiers, assisted by Ottawas and Chippewas, attacked this post
and captured the traders after a severe battle. The English called this post
Pickawillany — the name being subsequently contracted to Pickaway or
Piqua. The location of this post was doubtless near that of the present
town of Piqua, on the Great Miami, about seventy-eight miles north of
Cincinnati. Thus on the soil of what became a part of the state of Ohio
was shed the first blood between the French and English for the possession
of the Northwest.
In 1744 the English had entered into a treaty with the Six Nations at
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, by which they acquired certain lands described aa
being within the "Colony of Virginia." The Indians subsequently com-
plained of bad faith on the part of the English in failing to comply with
some of the stipulations of the treaty. The Governor of Virginia appointed
commissioners to hear the grievances of the Indians. They met at Logs-
town, on the north bank of the Ohio, about seventeen miles below the present
city of Pittsburg, in the spring of 1752. Notwithstanding the complaint of
the Indians that the English had failed to supply them with arms and am-
munition as they had agreed, they succeeded in obtaining a confirmation of
the treaty of Lancaster.
In the meantime the French were quietly preparing to maintain their
claims to the country in dispute. They provided cannon and military stores
in anticipation of the coming conflict. The French were notified to give up
their posts, but they failed to comply. Governor Dinwiddle finally deter-
mined to learn definitely their intentions, and for this purpose selected Major
THE NORTHWEST TERRITOKT.
17
18 THE NORTHWEST TEEEITOEY.
George "Washington, then twenty-two years of age, as a messenger. "With
Christopher Gist as guide, and four attendants or servants, Washington set
out through the wilderness on his perilous journey. He held a conference
with the chiefs of the Six Nations at Logstown in November, 1753. He
learned something of the condition of the French, but the Indians desired to
remain neutral and were disposed to be non-committal, Washington pro-
ceeded to Yenango, where there was a French post called Fort Machault.
Here he delivered to the French governor Dinwiddle's letter, and received
the answer of St. Pierre, the commander of the fort, declining to give up
without a struggle. Preparations for war were made in all the English col-
onies while the French continued to strengthen their lines of fortifications.
It will thus be seen that what is known as the French and Indian war had
its origin in this dispute about the possession of what is now one of the
fairest and richest portions of our Republic. It resulted, not only in Eng-
land maintaining her right to the territory in dispute, but in wresting Can-
ada from France. It was a war of eight years duration, commencing with
the attack of the French and Indians on the English post at Piqua in 1752,
jind virtually ending with the fall of the city of Montreal in April, 1760.
Ticonderoga, Crown Point, Niagara, and Quebec had all previously surren-
dered to the English, the first two without resistance. After the fall of
Montreal the Governor of Canada signed a capitulation surrendering the
whole of Canada to the English. One post, however, that of Detroit, still
remained in possession of the French. Major Rogers was sent from Mon-
treal to demand its surrender. Beletre, the commander of the post, at first
refused, but on the 29th of November, having heard of the defeat of the
French arms in Canada, he also surrendered. September 29th, 1760, the
treaty of peace between France and England, known as the treaty of Paris,
was made, but not ratified until February 10th, 1763. Meantime the Northwest
territory was entirely under English rule and settlements began to extend. The
Indians who had been the friends and allies of the French during the war
were not reconciled to the English, claiming that they had not carried out
their promises. Under the famous Ottawa chief, Pontiac, they united in a
general conspiracy to cut ofiT all the English posts on the frontier. The
Chippewas, Ottawas, Wyandots, Miamis, Shawnese, Delawares and Mingoes,
buried the hatchet in their local quarrels, and united to exterminate the
Engh'sh.
Owing to treachery on the part of some of Pontiac's followers, he failed
in the complete execution of his plans, but in May, 1763, several British
posts fell, and many whites were victims of the merciless tomahawk. In
the arrangement among the Indians it was agreed that Pontiac's own imme-
diate field of action was to be the garrison at Detroit. He laid siege to the
post May 12th, and continued it until October 12th. To obtain food for his
warriors during this time, he issued promissory notes, drawn upon birch
bark and signed with the figure of an otter. All these notes were faithfully
redeemed. Being unsuccessful in reducing the garrison, the tribes generally
sued for peace, but Pontiac remained as yet unsubdued. To Alexander
Henry, an Englishman who visited Missillimacinac the next spring, he said :
" Englishman, although you have conquered the French, you have not yet
conquered us. We are not your slaves ! These lakes, these woods, these
mountains, were left us by our ancestors. They are our inheritance, and we
will part with them to none. Your nation supposes that we, like the white
people, cannot live without bread, and pork and beef ; but you ought to
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 19
know tliat He, the Great Spirit and Master of Life, has provided food for us
upon these broad lakes and in these mountains."
. Pontiac still en-tertained the hope that the French would • renew the war,
and finally conquer the English, and endeavored to incite the Indians on the
Miami, and in other parts of the West, to continue hostilities. He applied,
but unsuccessfully, to the French commander at New Orleans. Being un-
able to unite again those who entered so eagerly into his original conspiracy
for destroying the English settlements, he went to the Illinois country, where
he made a stand, and liad for a time the sympathy and co-operation of the
French fur traders in that region. Soon, however, all but his immediate
followers deserted his cause, and he then reluctantly accepted peace on the
terms offered by the English. From this time he had but little influence
with the tribes. He was killed by an Illinois Indian, while drunk, at Ka-
hokia, in 1769. At the time of his death he was about fifty-seven years of
age.
Great Britain now held sovereignty over the entire Northwest, and to pre-
vent Louisiana from also falling into the hands of the English, France by
secret treaty, in 1762, ceded it to Spain. The next year the treaty of Paris
formally gave to England possession of the Northwestern Territory. The
English now began to prepare for settlement and occupation of the country.
In 1770 persons from Virginia and other British provinces took up the
valuable lands on the Monongahela and along the Ohio to the mouth of the
Little Kanawa. In October of the same year George Washington with a
party descended the Ohio from Pittsburg to the Kenawa, which last named
stream they ascended about fourteen miles, and marked out several large
tracts of land. Buffalo were then abundant in the Ohio valley, and several
of them were shot by Washington's party. Pittsburg was then a village of
twenty houses, the inhabitants being mostly Indian traders.
The British government was inclined to obserrc a liberal policy toward
the French settlers in the West. In 1763 the king, by royal proclamation,
had forbidden his subjects from making settlements beyond the sources of
the rivers which fall into the Atlantic ; but his subjects in the colonies were
little disposed to observe this restriction. Finally, in 1774, Governor Dun-
more, of Virginia, began to encourage emigration to the West. A number
of settlements were made in the Ohio valley, the settlers often coming in
conflict with the Indians. Several battles were fought, ending in the battle
of Kenawa, in July, when the Indians were defeated and driven across the
Ohio. During the years following, up to 1770, several land companies were
formed, and engaged in extensive operations. One, called the "Illinois
Land Company," obtained from the Indians large tracts of land on the Mis-
sissippi river, south of the Illinois. An associa,tion, styling itself the " Wa-
bash Land Company," obtained a deed from eleven chiefs to 37,497,600 acres
of land. The War of the Revolution interfered with these and many other
similar schemes of speculation. The parties interested subsequently made
Afforts to have these land grants sanctioned by Congress, but did not succeed.
In 1771, according to the best information we have, Kaskaskia contained
eighty houses, and nearly one thousand inhabitants, white and black. Ka-
hokia contained fifty houses, with three hundred white inhabitants, and
eighty negroes. There were a few families at Prairie du Rocher, on the
Mississippi river, opposite St. Louis. At Detroit, there were in 1766, about
one hundred houses. This place was founded by Antoine de la Motte Ca-
dillac, in 1701, and is the oldest town in the Northwest.
20 THE NOKTHWEST TEEKITOEY.
"When the "War of the Revolution commenced tlie British held Kaskastia,
Kahokia, Vincennes, Detroit, and other important posts in the "West. Col.
George Rogers Clark, a master spirit of the frontier, who was familiar with
all the important movements of the British in the West, and also with the
disposition of the Indians, formed a plan unequalled in boldness, for subju-
gating these posts. He repaired to the capital of Virginia, Patrick Henry
being then Governor, and presented to the authorities his plan of operations,
which was approved bj Governor Henry. He was accordingly furnished
with two sets of instructions — one secret and the other open. His open in-
structions authorized him to enlist seven companies to go to Kentucky, sub-
ject to his orders, and serve three months from their arrival in the "West.
The secret order authorized him to arm and equip his troops at Pittsburg,
and proceed to subjugate the country. Col. Clark succeeded in raising but
three companies, but with these and a few private volunteers, he descended
the Ohio as far as the falls, in the spring of 1777. Here he fortified a small
island, known as Corn Island, and then announced to his men their real des-
tination. Leaving a small garrison, on the 24th of June, during a total
eclipse of the sun, he moved down the river. Under a burning July sun,
with his chosen band, he marched to Kaskaskia, reaching that post on the
evening of July 4th. "Without the loss of a man on either side the fort and
village were captured. He easily induced the Indians to give their allegi-
ance to the American cause. They accompanied him to Kahokia on the
6th, and through their influence the inhabitants of that place surrendered
without resistance. The priest at Kaskaskia, M. Gibault, hastily joined in
rendering all the aid he could to forward the purposes of Clark. He estab-
lished a government for the colonies he had taken, and then made ready to
march upon St. Yincent, or Yincennes, as it is more commonly knoAvn.
But Gibault offered to go alone and induce the post on the " Oubache " to
throw off the authority of England. Clark accepted the offer, and on the
14th of July Gibault started on his mission. On the 1st of August he re-
turned, with intelligence of entire success, the garrison at Yincennes having
taken the oath of allegiance to Yirginia. Col. Clark placed garrisons at
Kaskaskia and Kahokia, and sent orders for the erection of a fort at the Falls
of the Ohio, where the City of Louisville now stands. He also sent Roche-
blave, the former commander of Kaskaskia, a prisoner of war to Richmond.
The county of Illinois was established in October of the same year, by the
Legislature of Yirginia. John Todd was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel and
acting governor. Courts were established, and the colony was provided with
a government complete. The Indians acknowledged allegiance to the new
government.
AVhile Col. Clark was arranging for the government of the Illinois colo-
nies, the British Governor, Hamilton, was planning an expedition to move
from Detroit down the "Wabash to Yincennes, intending to recapture the
S>sts which had surrendered to Clark, and thence extend his operations to
entucky. He knew nothing of the capitulation of Yincennes until his
arrival, when he found the fort in command of Capt. Helm, who liad been
sent by Col. Clark to take charge of the garrison. Hamilton demanded the
surrender of the fort, and being granted the rights of a prisoner of war, Capt.
Helm surrendered to a superior force. On the 29th of January, 1879, Clark
received intelligence of what had transpired at Yincennes, and of the in-
tended operations of Hamilton. Having sufficiently garrisoned Kaskaskia
and Kahokia, and dispatched a force down the Mississippi to ascend the Ohio
THE NORTHWEST TEKEITOBY. 21
and operate with the land forces in that direction, on the 5th of February he
set out himself with one hundred and twenty men on his hard march to
Vincennes. He reached the fort on the 22d, and was joined by the re-
mainder of his command, which had come by water. He immediately com-
menced his attack on the fort, and on the 2oth Gov. Hamilton surrendered.
He was sent as a prisoner of war to Virginia, where he was kept in close
confinement, and thus failed to accomplish his purpose of uniting the In-
dian tribes against the Americans. All the important posts in the North-
west, except Detroit, were now in the hands of the Americans. Had Clark
received reinforcements, which had been promised, he would doubtless have
captured Detroit also ; but Virginia and the other colonial governments at
this time doubtless had all they could do to attend to the operations of the
war east of the AUeghanies. The Legislature of Virginia passed resolutions
complimenting Col. Clark and his men, and in 1781 he was promoted to
the rank of general. Previous to this he had taken part with Steuben
against Arnold, when the latter invaded Virginia, in 1780. Subsequently,
Virginia gave to Gen. Clark and his men one hundred and fifty thousand
acres of land, wherever they might choose to locate it, north of the Ohio.
They made selection of a tract opposite the Falls of the Ohio, between New
Albany and Jeftersonville, Indiana. Gen. Clark died near Louisville, Ken-
tucky, February 13th, 1808.
The years 1781 and 1782 were dark years in the history of the infant set-
tlements of the Northwest, in consequence of the many outrages practiced
by the Indians. Many deeds of cruelty were committed under the leader-
ship of the outlaw, Simon Girty, occurring chiefly in the Ohio Valley. Sev-
eral battles between the Indians and frontiersmen occurred north of the
Ohio, while in Kentucky the famous Daniel Boone and his companions were
engaged in protecting the frontier outposts.
In 1783 the treaty of peace, which ended the Eevolutionary struggle, was
concluded, and by its terms the boundaries of the West were defined as fol-
lows : On the north, to extend along the center of the Great Lakes ; from
the western point of Lake Superior to Long Lake ; thence to the Lake of
the Woods ; thence to the head of the Mississippi river, down its center to
the 31st parallel of latitude ; thence on that line east to the head of Appa-
lachicola river, down its center to the junction with the Flint ; thence straight
to the head of St. Mary's river ; and thence down along its center to the
Atlantic Ocean.
For some time after the cessation of hostilities. General Haldimand, the
British commander at Detroit, refused to evacuate, on the ground, as he
claimed, that his king had not ordered him to do so. It shortly, however,
passed under the control of the United States, and so remained, except when
held by the British, through the surrender of Gen. Hull, for a few weeks in
August and September, 1812.
The war of independence had been fought and gained, and England, as
we have seen, had renounced her claim to the Northwest, but the Indian
title was not yet extinguished. From 1783 to 1786 various treaties were
made, by which the Indians relinquished their title to extensive tracts of
territory. The individual States also held claims to the territory surrendered
by Great Britain, and acts of cession were necessary to vest the title to the
soil in United States ; but of this we shall treat more fully in another place.
In 1779 Virginia had passed her "land laws," by which grants made to set-
tlers were confirmed, and providing for selling the rest at forty cents per
22 THE NORTHWEST TEKKITORY.
acre. Kentucky was included in the territory of Virginia until 1792. It
was originally explored by Daniel Boone and his compeers about the year
1769. Harrodsburg was founded in 1774, and Lexington a year or two
later, when the news of the battle of Lexington was fresh in the minds of
its founders.
THE NOKTHWESTEKN TEERITORY.
Territory held by States — Articles of Confederation — Objections of certain States — Delaware
Resolutions — Action of Congress — Maryland — New York— Cession of Territory by States —
Ordinance of 1787— Territorial Organization of the Northwest— Fort Washington— Wm.
H. Harrison. Arthur St. Clair— Early American Settlements— New England Company —
Gen. Rufiis Putnam — John Cleves Symmes — Cincinnati Founded — Treaty with Spain —
Division of the Northwestern Territory — Organization of the Territory of Indiana —
Division of Indiana Territory— Territory of Michigan— Gov. Wm. Hull— Destruction of
Detroit by Fire.
At the time the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union were pend-
ing a number of the States held, or claimed, large tracts of territory not now
included in those States. New York, Yirginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut,
South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia, all held such territory. Yir-
finia claimed all that vast region which now embraces the States of Oliio,
ndiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and that part of Minnesota east of the
Mississippi river. That State had made provision, by legislative enactment,
to dispose of her lands to settlers. Certain States, claiming that the unoccu-
pied western lands were rightfully the common property of all the States, in-
sisted on limiting the area of those States claiming western territory. This
was a subject of warm and protracted discussion in the adoption of the Arti-
cles of Confederation. The delegates from Maryland, under instructions from
the General Assembly of that State, declined, in the Congress of the Confed-
eration, to sign the Articles of Confederation until provision was made for
restricting the boundaries of the States, and vesting the soil of the western
territories in the Confederation for the common benefit of all the settlers.
Yirginia had remonstrated against this course. On the 25th of November,
1778, the act of New Jersey for ratifjdng the Articles of Confederation
was presented in the Congress. Her delegates were directed to sign the arti-
cles " in the firm reliance that the candour and justice of the several States
will, in due time, remove as far as possible the inequality which now sub-
sists." The delegation from Delaware, after having signed the articles,
on the 23d of February, 1779, presented sundry resolutions passed by the
legislature of that State, among which were the following:
'^Resolved, That this State thinks it necessary, for the peace and safety of
the States to be included in the Union, that a moderate extent of ^ limits
should be assigned for such of those States as claim to the Mississippi or
South Sea; and that the United States in Congress assembled, should, and
ought to, have the power of fixing the western limits.
''Resolved, That this State consider themselves justly entitled to a right in
common with the members of the Union, to that extensive tract of country
which lies westward of the frontier of the United States, the property of
which was not vested in, or granted to, private individuals at the com-
mencement of the present war. That the same hath been, or may be,
gained from the King of Great Britain, or the native Indians, by the blood
and treasure of all, and ought, therefore, to be a common estate, to be
granted out on terms beneficial to the United States."
THE NORTHWEST TEKRITOKY. 23
The same day, after the presentation of these resolutions, Congress passed
the following:
^'■Resolved, That the ]^aper laid before Congress by the delegates from
Delaware, and read, be hied ; provided, that it shall never be considered as
admitting any claim by the same set up, or intended to be set up."
Eight States voted in favor of this resolution, and three against it.
The State of Maryland still persisting in her refusal to ratify the Articles
of Confederation, on the 30th of October, 1779, Congress, by a vote of eight
States to three, and one being divided, passed the following:
" Whereas, The appropriation of vacant lands by the several States, during
the continuance of the war, will, in the opinion of Congress, be attended
with great mischiefs: Therefore,
'''-Resolved^ That it be earnestly recommended to the State of Yirginia, to
reconsider their late act of Assembly for opening their land office ; and that
it be recommended to the said State, and all other States similarly circum-
stanced, to forbear settling or issuing warrants for unappropriated lands, or
granting the same during the continuance of the present war."
On the 19th of February, 1780, the Legislature of I^ew York passed an
act authorizing her delegates in Congress, for and on behalf of that State,
by proper and authentic acts or instruments, "to limit and restrict the
boundaries of the State in the western parts thereof, by such line or lines,
and in such manner and form, as they shall judge to be expedient," and
providing for the cession to the United States of certain " waste and uncul-
tivated " territory. This act was fully carried into effect by her delegates
on the 1st of March, 1781.
On the 6th of September, 1780, Congress passed a resolution earnestly
recommending the States having " claims to the western country, to pass
such laws, and give their delegates in Congress such powers " as might
effectually remove the only obstacle to a final ratification of the Articles of
Confederation, and requesting the Legislature of Maryland to authorize her
delegates in Confess to subscribe to the articles.
On the 10th ot October, 1780, a further resolution on this subject was
passed by the Congress of the Confederation, as follows:
^'■Resolved, That the unappropriated lands that may be ceded or relin-
quished to the United States, by any particular State, pursuant to the recom-
mendation of Congress of the 6tli day of September last, shall be disposed
of for the common benefit of the United States, and be settled and formed
into distinct republican States, which shall become members of the Federal
Union, and have the same rights of sovereignty, freedom and independence
as the other States; that each State which shall be so formed shall contain a
suitable extent of territory, not less than one hundred, nor more than one
hundred and fifty miles square, or as near thereto as circumstances will admit;
that the necessary and reasonable expenses which any particular State shall
have incurred since the commencement of the present war, in subduing any
British posts, or in maintaining forts or garrisons within and for the defense,
or in acquiring any part of the territory that may be ceded or relinquished
to the United States, shall be re-imbursed; that the said lands shall be
granted or settled at such times, and under such regulations, as shall here-
after be agreed on by the United States, in Congress assembled, or any nine
or more of them."
In pursuance of the recommendation of Congress, of September 6th, 1780,
several States made cessions of territory to the United States. Yirginia
24 THE NOETHWEST TEEEITOET.
ceded her northwestern territory March 1st, 1784, and by an act of her
Legislature of December 30tli, 1788, agreed to change the conditions of the
act of cession of 1784, so far as to ratify the 5th article of the ordinance of
1787, passed by Congress for the government of the territory. The dele-
gates in Congress from Maryland signed the Articles of Confederation at
the date of the cession of territory by New York, March 1st, 1781, thus
completing the confederation.
On the 23d of April, 1784, Congress passed a resolution for the govern-
ment of the territory ceded by Virginia, which was superceded by the
famous ordinance of July 13th, 1787, entitled "An ordinance for the govern-
ment of the territory of the United States northwest of the river Ohio."
The first part of this important enactment provides for the temporary gov-
ernment of the territory, and concludes with six "articles of compact between
the original States and the people and States in the said territory, and forever
to remain unalterable, unless by common consent." The provisions of these
six articles are of such importance as to justify their insertion here in full:
"Article 1. No person, demeaning himself in a peaceable and orderly
manner, shall ever be molested on account of his mode of worship or religious
sentiments, in the said territory.
"Art. 2. The inhabitants of the said territory shall always be entitled to
the writ of habeas corpus, and of the trial by jury; of a proportionate repre-
sentation of the people in the legislature, and of judicial proceedings accord-
ing to the course of the common law. All persons shall be bailable, unless
for capital offenses, when the proof shall be evident, or the presumption
great. All fines shall be moderate, and no cruel or unusual punishment
shall be inflicted. No person shall be deprived of his liberty or property,
but by the judgment of his peers, or the law of the land, and should the
public exigencies make it necessary for the common preservation to take any
person's property, or to demand his particular services, full compensation
shall be made for the same. And, in the just preservation of rights and
property, it is understood and declared that no law ought ever to be made,
or have force in the said territory, that should, in any manner whatever, in-
terfere with or affect private contracts or engagements, honafide^ and with-
out fraud previously formed.
"Aet. 3. Eeligion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good gov-
ernment and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education
shall be forever encouraged. The utmost good faith shall always be observed
towards the Indians; their lands and property shall never be taken from
them without their consent; and in their property,^ rights, and liberty,
they shall never be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars
authorized by Congress; but laws founded in justice and humanity shall,
from time to time, be made for preventing wrongs being done to them, and
for preserving peace and friendship with them.
"Art. 4. The said territory, and the States which may be formed therein,
shall forever remain a part of this confederacy of the United States of Amer-
ica, subject to the Articles of Confederation, and to such alterations therein
as shall be constitutionally made; and to all the acts and ordinances of the
United States, in Congress assembled, conformable thereto. The inhabitants
and settlers in the said territory shall be subject to pay a part of the federal
debts, contracted or to be contracted, and a proportional part of the expenses
of government, to be apportioned on them by Congress, according to the
same common rule and measure by which apportionments thereof shall bo
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 25
made on tlie other States; and tlie taxes for paying their proportion shall be
laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the dis-
trict or districts, or new States, as in the original States, within the time
agreed upon by the United States, in Congress assembled. The legislatures
ot those districts, or ne^w States, shall never interfere with the primary dis-
posal of the soil of the United States, in Congress assembled, nor with any
regulations Congress may find necessary, for securing the title in such soil,
to the honajide purchasers. Ko tax shall be imposed on lands the property
of the United States; and in no case shall non-resident proprietors be taxed
higher than residents. The navigable waters leading into the Mississippi
and St. Lawrence, and the carrying places between the same, shall be com-
mon highways and forever free, as well to the inhabitants of said territory as
to the citizens of the United States, and those of any other States that may
be admitted into the Confederacy, without any tax, impost, or duty therefor.
"Art. 5. There shall be formed in the said territory not less than three,
nor more than five States; and the boundaries of the States, as soon as Vir-
ginia shall alter her act of cession, and consent to the same, shall become
fixed and established as follows, to- wit: the Western States in the said terri-
tory shall be bounded by the Mississippi, the Ohio and Wabash rivers; a
direct line drawn from the Wabash and Post Vincents due north to the ter-
ritorial line between the United States and Canada, and by the said territorial
line to the Lake of the Woods and Mississippi. The Middle States shall be
bounded by the said direct line, the Wabash, from Post Vincents to the
Ohio, by the Ohio, by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the
Great Miami to the said territorial line and by the said territorial line. The
Eastern State shall be bounded by the last-mentioned direct line, the Ohio,
Pennsylvania, and the said territorial line; provided, however, and it is
further understood and declared that the boundaries of these three States
shall be subject so far to be altered that if Congress shall hereafter find it
expedient, they shall have authority to form one or two States in that part of
the said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through
the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan. And whenever any of
the said States shall have sixty thousand free inhabitants therein, such State
shall be admitted, by its delegates, into the Congress of the United States
on an equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatever; and
shall be at liberty to form a permanent constitution and State government,
provided the constitution and government so to be formed shall be republi-
can, and in conformity to the principles contained in these articles, and so
far as can be consistent with the general interests of the Confederacy, such
admission shall be allowed at an earlier period, and when there may be a less
number of free inhabitants in the State than sixty thousand.
"Art. 6. There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the
the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the
party shall be duly convicted; provided, always, that any person escaping
into the same from whom labor or service is lawfully claimed in any one of
the original States, such fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed and conveyed to
the person claiming his or her labor or services as aforesaid."
These articles, sometimes known as the "Compact of 1787," form the
basis of the organization of the N^orth western Territory and of the several
States into which it was subsequently divided. Although the original act
of cession was adopted by Virginia in 1784, it will be seen that it was
three years later before Congress agreed npon a plan of government. The
26 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
subject was one of serious and earnest discussion at various times. At one
time a motion prevailed to strike from tlie proposed plan the prohibition of
slavery. Another proposition was agreed to bj which the territory was to
be divided into States by parallels and meridian lines, making ten States
which were to be named as follows: Sylvania, Michigania, Chersonesus,
Assenisipia, Metropotamia, lUenoia, Saratoga, Washington, Polypotamia and
Pelisipia. When this plan was submitted to the legislatures of the States
there were serious objections made, especially by Massachusetts and Yir-
ginia. There were objections to the category of names, but the chief diffi-
culty was the resolution of Congress of October 10th, 1780, which fixed the
extent of each State at not less than one hundred nor more than one hundred
and fifty miles square, or as near thereto as circumstances might admit. So
the subject was again taken up in 1786, and discussed during that year and
until July 12th, 1787, when the ordinance finally passed, as stated above.
An act of territorial organization was approved August 7th, 1789. Gen.
Arthur St. Clair was appointed Governor, and William H. Harrison Secre-
tary. In 1788 a town had been laid out by John Cleves Symmes at Fort
Washington, and was named Losantiville, but afterward Cincinnati. The
place was settled by persons from the New England States and from New
Jersey, but did not extensively improve until after Gen. Wayne's defeat of
the Indians in 1794. This became the seat of the new territorial govern-
ment. The election of representatives for the territory was held February
4th, 1799. As required by the ordinance of 1787, these representatives met
at the seat of the territorial government to nominate ten persons, out of
which Congress was to appoint five to serve as the territorial council. The
following persons were commissioned: Henry Vandenburg, of Yincennes;
Eobert Oliver, of Marietta; James Findlay and Jacob Burnett, of Cincin-
nati, and David Yance, of Yanceville. The first Territorial Legislature met
September 16th, 1799, and on the 24th both houses were duly organized,
Henry Yandenburg being elected president of the council. On the 13th of
October the legislature elected Wm. Henry Han*ison as delegate to
Congress. He received eleven of the votes cast, being a majority of one
over his opponent, Arthur St. Clair, son of the Governor. At this session
thirty-seven acts were passed and approved. Eleven other acts were passed
which the Governor vetoed. The greater part of the legislation of the ses-
sion related to the organization of the militia and to revenue matters. The
session closed December 19th, 1799. President Adams appointed Charles
Willing Bryd as secretary of the territory to succeed Wm. Henry Harrison,
elected to Congress, and the senate confirmed the nomination. James N.
Yarnum, S. H. Parsons and John Armstrong were appointed to the judicial
bench of the territory in October, 1787.
Having briefly outlined the legislation which resulted in the formation of
a Territorial government, we return to notice some of the earlier American
settlements in the Territory. As elsewhere stated, a few French settlements
had been made by emigrants from Canada and Louisiana, on the Ohio river
and in the region known as the Illinois country, but it was not until after
the Yirginia cession that any permanent American settlements were made.
Then several treaties were made with the Indians, in which they relinquished
their title to large portions of the territory. The government made several
large grants to companies and individuals, for the purpose of colonizing the
country. One of these was to a company from Massachusetts and Connecti-
cut, called the New England Company, of a tract lying along the Ohio and
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 27
Muskingum rivers, embracing 1,500,000 acres. Here the town of Marietta
was laid out, in August, 1787, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio
rivers. Fort Harmar was built on the opposite, or west bank of the Mus-
kingum, the year before. The New England Company sent its first party
of settlers in the spring of 1788. They consisted of eight families, and
some other persons, and all under the superintendency of Gen. Rufus Put-
nam. The party, after a long and weary journey over the Alleghanies, and
down the Ohio, arrived at Marietta on the 7th of April, 1788. This little
band had the honor of being the pioneers of Ohio, unless the Moravian
missionaries may be so regarded. The settlement was first known as the
" Muskingum," but on the 2d of July, 1788, at a meeting of the directors
and agents of the company, the name was changed to Marietta, in honor ol
Marie Antoinette.
In 1786, John Cleves Symmes, of New Jersey, visited the country be-
tween the Miamies, and being pleased with its appearance, made application
to the government for the purchase of a large tract of land, to be settled on
similar conditions with those of the New England Company. The grant
was made to Symmes and his associates the following year. Associated with
Symmes, was Matthias Denman, also of New Jersey, who located, among
other tracts in the Symmes purchase, the section upon which Cincinnati
was laid out. Denman sold to Robert Patterson and John Filson,each one-
third of his location, retaining the other third himself. In August, 1788,
they laid out the first portion of what, in a few years, became one of the
great cities of the "West. Fort "Washington was erected here in 1790, and
was for some time the headquarters of both the civil and military govern-
ments of the Northwestern Territory. There were but few settlers here
until after 1794, when settlers began to arrive rapidly. In July, 1815, the
population was 6,500.
In October, 1795, the treaty was signed between the United States and
Spain, which secured to the former the free navigation of the Mississippi.
After this the Northwest began to settle rapidly. During the next year
settlements were made at various points along the Miami and Scioto rivers,
including those at Piqua and Chillicothe. In September, of the same year,
the city of Cleveland was laid out.
The great extent of the Northwestern Territory, and the rapid increase
of population at the beginning of the new century, began to render the efii-
cient action of the courts impossible ; and to remedy this evil a division of
the Territory was proposed. A committee in Congress, to whom the mat-
ter had been referred, on the 3d of March, 1800, reported in favor of two
distinct territorial governments, and that the division be made by a line
beginning at the mouth of the Great Miami river, and running directly to
the boundary line between the United States and Canada. The report was
accepted, and an act passed, which was approved May 7th, of the same year,
making the division. It provided, among other things, that from and after
the next 4th day of July, " all that part of the territory of the United
States northwest of the Ohio river, which lies to the northward of a line
beginning at a point on the Ohio, opposite to the mouth of the Kentucky
river, and running thence to Fort Recovery, and thence north until it shall
intersect the territorial line between the United States and Canada, shall, for
the purpose of temporary government, constitute a separate territory, and
be called the Indiana Territory." The same act provided, that until the Leg-
islatures of the Territories, respectively, otherwise ordered, Chillicothe, on
28 THE NOETHWEST TEKRITOKY.
the Scioto river, should be the seat of government of the Territory east of
the line of division; and that Yincennes, on the "Wabash river, should be
the seat of government of the Indiana Territory. On the 3d of November,
of that year, the Territorial Legislature met at Chillicothe. William Henry
Harrison was appointed Governor of Indiana Territory, and entered upon
his duties in 1801. The new Territory then embraced all that region now
comprising the States of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and that
part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi river. Nearly the whole of it
was at that time in the possession of the Indians. Soon after the arrival of
Governor Harrison at Vincennes, he concluded several treaties with the In-
dians, whereby large grants of land were obtained from the various tribes.
By a treaty made at St. Louis, August 18th, 1804, he obtained a relinquish-
ment of Indian title to over 51,000,000 of acres. The year before the gov-
ernment had obtained Louisiana from France, by purchase, and that being
divided, the "District of Louisiana" (the "New Northwest") was annexed
to Indiana Territory, thus extending Gov. Harrison's authority over a vast
domain, occupied chiefly by savage tribes.
By an act of Congress, of January 11th, 1805, Indiana Territory was di-
vided into two separate governments, and the new Territory of Michigan
formed. William Hull was appointed Governor of the new Territory, and
Detroit was designated as the seat of government. On the 30th of June
the Territorial government of Michigan was to go into operation. When
Gov. Hull, and the other Territorial officers, reached Detroit, they found the
place in ruins and the inhabitants scattered. On the 11th of that month a
lire had destroyed almost every building in the place. Gov. Hull adopted a
new plan for rebuilding the town, and in population and importance it soon
regained all it had lost by the fire.
Other changes were subsequently made in the boundaries of the Western
Territories, as new States were from time to time admitted into the Union,
until finally, all that vast domain originally designated as the " Northwestern
Teri'itory" became sovereign States.
THE LOUISIANA PUECHASE.
Discovery of the Mouth of the Mississippi — Founding of New Orleans— French Grant — John
Law — The "Mississippi Bubble" — ^Territory West of the Mississippi— France Cedes to
Spain — Spain Cedes Back to France — France Cedes to the United States — Right to
Navigate the Mississippi — Particulars of the Negotiations With France — Extent of the
Territory — Possession Taken by the United States — Division of the Territory.
That vast region of territory once known as Louisiana, came under the
jurisdiction of civilized men by the right of discovery — a right which has
long been known and recognized among civilized nations, though often
necessarily followed by conquest to render it effective. For two centuries
the Spaniards had navigated the Gulf of Mexico, so far as we know, ignorant
of the fact that it received the waters of one of the largest rivers of the
world. About the year 1660 the French, who had re-established themselves
in Canada, received some information of this great river, but did not discover
its mouth until 1691, when, according to some authorities. La Salle succeeded
in reaching it. Iberville founded his first colony in 1699, but it did not
assume importance until 171T, when the city of New Orleans was founded.
In 1712 Louis XIY of France granted to M. Crozart a charter to the whole
territory of Louisiana, which was so named in honor of the king. Under
THE NORTHWEST TEKRITOKT.
the leadership of John Law, in 1716, a company was formed at Paris and
incorporated as the "Mississippi Company," which purchased Louisiana
from the crown. The financial disasters in France caused by Law brought
about the failure of his Mississippi scheme, and the explosion of what is
known in history as the " Mississippi bubble." Louisiana was then resumed
by the crown, and the commerce of the Mississippi was declared free. The
French retained possession until 1762, when they ceded it to Spain, includ-
ing the whole country to the head waters of the great river and west to the
Rocky Mountains. The jurisdiction of France, which had continued for
nearly a century, thus ended, until in 1800 Bonaparte, then first consul,
induced the Spanish government to cede it back to France. During the
time that Louisiana remained a Spanish dependency, that government
claimed the exclusive right of navigating the Mississippi river. The free
navigation of that river was essential to the prosperity and commerce of the
United States. Spain then having jurisdiction also over the Floridas east of
the great river, and that river for several hundred miles flowing wholly
through the Spanish dominions, the question of its navigation south of the
southern boundary of the United States became a serious one to our govern-
ment and people. The people in the western part of the United States
especially demanded the free navigation of the river as a right. But Spanisli
military posts enforced the collection of duties on imports by way of the
river for the upper region. Boats descending were forced to submit to reve-
nue exactions by Spanish authorities. These exactions were a constant
source of trouble and disafiection, and led to a threatening state of afiairs
between the United States and Spain. Spain, however, by the treaty of
Madrid, October 20, 1795, conceded to the United States the free navigation
ot the river from its source to the Gulf, and also the free use of the port of
New Orleans for three years as a port of deposit.
The treaty of Madrid, however, did not quiet all troubles between the
United States and Spain. In 1802, during the administration of President
Jefi*erson, there was some apprehension of a war growing out of the continued
disputes respecting the southwestern boundary. These disputes had led to
many difficulties between the people of the United States and the Spanish
authorities. These afiairs, however, assumed a new aspect, when in the
spring of 1802 the government of the United States received intelligence
that, by a secret treaty made in October, 1800, Spain had ceded Louisiana to
France. At this time Mr. Livingston was the United States Minister to
France, and President Jefferson, soon after learning of the Spanish cession to
France, wrote to Mr. Livingston in reference to acquiring the right to deposit
at the port of New Orleans, and other matters which had been in dispute
between the United States and Spain. In his annual message to Congress,
in December of the same year, the President alluded to the subject of the
Spanish cession to France. Congress passed resolutions asserting the right
of navigating the Mississippi, and insisting upon the right to the use of a
port or place of deposit. At that time it was understood in the United States
that the Spanish cession to France included the Floridas, which, however,
was not the case. The policy of the President was to enter into a treaty
with France for the purchase of New Orleans and the Floridas, and with this
view, on the 10th of January, 1803, he appointed James Monroe minister
plenipotentiary to France to act in conjunction with Mr. Livingston. Mr.
Monroe's nomination was confirmed by the senate. The instructions to the
American ministers only asked for the cession of the city of New Orleans
30 THE NORTHWEST TEERITOET.
and the Floridas, together with the free navigation of the Mississippi. The
cession at this time of the entire Territory of Louisiana was not a subject of
discussion. Mr. Monroe sailed from New York, March 8, 1803, and arrived
in Paris April 1.
Bonaparte was then first consul, and France was on the eve of a war with
England. He supposed the American ministers were authorized to enter
into more extended stipulations than they really were. Marquis de Marbois
was directed to negotiate with the American ministers. Said the first con-
sul to his minister, as recorded by the latter:
"Irresolution and deliberation are no longer in season. I renounce
Louisiana. It is not only New Orleans that I will cede; it is the whole col-
ony, without any reservation. I know the price of what I abandon, and I
have sufficiently proved the importance that I attach to this province, since my
first diplomatic act with Spain had for its object the recovery of it. I
renounce it with the greatest regret. To attempt to retain it would be folly.
I direct you to negotiate this afiair with the envoys of the United States.
Do not even await the arrival of Mr. Monroe; have an interview this day
with Mr. Livingston. But I require a great deal of money for this war, and
I would not like to commence with new contributions. If I should regulate
my terms, according to the value of these vast regions to the United States,
the indemnity would have no limits. I will be moderate, in consideration
of the necessity in which I am of making a sale. But keep this to yourself.
I want fifty millions francs, and for less than that sum I will not treat; I
would rather make a desperate attempt to keep those fine countries. To-
morrow you shall have full powers, Mr. Monroe is on the point of arriving.
To this minister the President must have given secret instructions, more
extensive than the ostensible authorization of Congress, for the stipulation
of the payments to be made. Neither this minister nor his colleague is
prepared for a decision which goes infinitely beyond anything that they are
about to ask of us. Begin by making them the overture without any sub-
terfuge. You will acquaint me, day by day, hour by hour, of your progress.
The cabinet of London is informed of the measures adopted at "Washington,
but it can have no suspicion of those which I am now taking. Observe the
greatest secrecy, and recommend it to the American ministers ; they have
not a less interest than yourself in conforming to this counsel. You will
correspond with M. de Talleyrand, who alone knows my intentions. If I
attended to his advice, France would confine her ambition to the left bank
of the Ehine, and would only make war to protect any dismemberment of
her possessions. But he also admits that the cession of Louisiana is not a
dismemberment of France. Keep him informed of the progress of this
afiair."
On the same day that Napoleon thus confided to Marbois his determina-
tion, conferences began between the latter and Mr. Livingston. The Amer-
ican minister had been in Paris about two years, endeavoring to obtain in-
demnities claimed by American citizens for prizes made by the French
during peace, but so far, without result further than vague answers. Mr.
Livingston had become distrustful of the French government, and feared
the Louisiana overtures were but an artifice to gain still further time. Soon
after these preliminary discussions were entered upon, Mr. Monroe arrived
in Paris, and the next day began his conferences with Marbois. Rapid pro-
gress was made in the negotiations, for both sides had an interest in hasten-
ing the matter. Mr. Monroe was surprised to hear the first overtures made
THE NORTHWEST TEEKITORT. 31
30 frankly by the Frcncli minister, when he proposed to cede to the United
States so vast a region of country, with the largest rivers of the world, in-
stead of merely a town and an inconsiderable extent of territory. The oifer
embraced infinitely more than the American ministers were empowered to
ask for, or accept. Their powers only extended to an arrangement respect-
ing the left bank of the Mississippi, including New Orleans. But the mo-
ment was a critical one with France, hostilities being about to commence
with England. There was not time for further instructions from the gov-
ernment of the United States before the opportunity would pass, perhaps
forever. The American ministers therefore assumed the responsibility of
treating for the purchase of the entire colony, or territory of Louisiana — an
extent of country sufficient in itself for an empire. The terms were soon
agreed upon. The United States was to pay for this vast acquisition the
sum of fifteen millions of dollars. In the treaty of October 1, 1800, be-
tween France and Spain, the latter had reserved the right of preference in
case France should cede this territory to another power ; but here again
France could not afford to wait. The treaty was concluded and subsequently
submitted to the Spanish cabinet. They complained that no regard had
been paid to their reserved right, and for almost a year that court delayed its
approbation of the treaty. On the 10th of February, 1804, however, Don
Pedi'o Cavallos, the Spanish minister, wrote to Mr. Pinckney, the American
minister, that "His Catholic Majesty had thought fit to renounce his oppo-
sition to the alienation of Louisiana made by France, notwithstanding the
solid reasons on which it is founded, thereby giving a new proof of his be-
nevolence and friendship to the United States." The important treaty that
gave to the United States this vast region, with all its wonderful resources,
was concluded on the 30th of April, 1803, and four days later the instru-
ments, in French and English, were signed by the ministers. After affixing
their signatures, the ministers rose and shook hands, each expressing his sat-
isfaction with the result. Mr. Livingston said : " We have lived long, but
this is the noblest work of our whole lives. The treaty which we have just
signed has not been obtained by art, or dictated by force ; equally advanta-
geous to the two contracting parties, it will change vast solitudes into flour-
ishing districts. From this day the United States take their place among
the powers of the first rank ; the English lose all exclusive influence in the
affairs of America."
The first consul, who had followed the negotiation with a lively interest,
acquiesced in the result, and said to Marbois : " It is true, the negotiation
does not leave me anything to desire. Sixty millions [francs] for an occupa-
tion that will not, perhaps, last for a day ! I would that France should en-
joy this unexpected capital, and that it may be employed in works beneficial
to the marine. This accession of territory strengthens forever the power
of the United States ; and I have just given to England a maratime rival
that will sooner or later humble her pride."
On the 22d day of May, 1803, England commenced hostilities against
France by the capture of some of her merchant vessels, and on the same
day Bonaparte gave his formal ratification of the Louisiana treaty of cession.
In July, the treaty was received in the United States, and on the 20th of
October, 1803, it was ratified by the Senate, by twenty-four against seven
votes. The country ceded by this treaty, as estimated at that time, exceeded
a million of square miles, all occupied by savages, except a few sparse settle-
ments, aggregating from 80,000 to 90,000 inhabitants, about 40,000 of whom
were slaves. The whites were chiefly French, or descendants of French*
32 TFE KOETHWEST TEKEITORT.
Congress, a few dajs after the ratification of the treaty bj the Senate, passed
an act making provision for the occupation and temporary government of
the territory acquired. Eleven millions of dollars were appropriated as
payment for the purchase— the remaining four millions being reserved, ac-
cording to a stipulation in the treaty, to itidemnify citizens of the United
States who had sustained losses at the hands of the French. The resolution
for carrying the treaty into efiect was sustained by the House of Represen-
tatives by a' vote of ninety to twenty-five.
Even before the acquisition of Louisiana, it had been a favorite object of
President Jefferson to have an exploring expedition sent across the continent
to the Pacific Ocean, and in January, 1803, he had recommended an appro-
priation for that purpose. The appropriation was made, and the enterprise
was placed under the direction of Captains Lewis and Clarke. The treaty
with France, however, was ratified before the exploring expedition was ready
to start. On the 14th of May, 1804, Captains Lewis and Clarke, with their
companions, consisting in all of thirty persons, left the banks of the Missis-
sippi on their long and perilous voyage of two years and three months, to
seek out and give to their country and the world some more accurate knowl-
edge respecting this vast region of country, of which civilization at that
time knew so little. The expedition was in every way successful, and the
report made by Captains Lewis and Clarke enabled the government and peo-
ple of the United States to form a better judgment of the immense value
of the country acquired.
It will be seen that the region acquired by the Louisiana purchase, com-
prehended not only the present State of Louisiana, but all the vast region
between the Mississippi river and the Pacific Ocean, and as far north as the
British possessions. The great States of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, 'Ne-
braska, Kansas, the greater part of Minnesota, and several of our great Ter-
ritories, are but parts of this purchase.
On the 20th of December, 1803, in pursuance of authority given by act
of Congress, Gov. Claiborne and Gen. Wilkinson took possession of the Loui-
siana purchase, and raised the American flag at New Orleans. The Span-
ish authorities there objected to the transfer, but early in 1804 they acqui-
esced and withdrew. The newly acquired territory, by authority of Con-
gress, was, on the first of October, 1804, divided as follows : All south of
the 33d parallel of north latitude, was called the Territory of Orleans, and
all north of that parallel became the District of Louisiana, and was placed
under the authority of the officers of the then Indiana Territory. It so re-
mained until July 4, 1805, when the District of Louisiana was given a ter-
ritorial government of its own. In 1812, the Ten-itory of ISTew Orleans be-
came the State of Louisiana, and the Territory of Louisiana become the
Territory of Missouri. On the 4th of July, 1814, Missouri Territory was
divided— that part comprising the present State of Arkansas, and the coun-
try west, being organized as the Territory of Arkansas. In March, 1821, a
part of Missouri Territory was organized as the State of Missouri, and ad-
mitted into the Union. On the 28th of June, 1834, the territory west of
the Mississippi river and north of Missouri, was made a part of the Terri-
tory of Michigan, so remaining until July 4th, 1836, when Wisconsin Ter-
ritory was organized. This embraced within its limits the present States of
Iowa, Wisconsin , and Minnesota. An act of Congress, approved June 12,
1838, created the Territory of Iowa, ambracing not only the present State of
Iowa, but the greater part of the present State of Minnesota, and extending
northward to the British Possessions.
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
33
34 THE NORTHWEST TEKKITOKY.
INDIAN WAES m THE NORTHWEST.
Gen. Harmar's Defeat — Gen. St. Clair — His Defeat — Gen. Wayne — His Victory — His Treaties
With the Indians — British Posts Surrendered — Death of Wayne — Gen. Harrison — Tecum-
seh — The Prophet — Battle of Tippecanoe — Tecumseh's Alliance With the British — Harri-
son Appointed Brigadier-General — Perry's Victory— Gen. McArthur — Battle of the Thames
— Tecumseh Killed — Peace With the Indians — Indian Titles Extinguished — Military Posts
EstabUshed at BeUe Point, Council Bluffs, and St. Peters— The Ricarees— Gen. Cass —
Treaty at Fort Dearborn — Fort Atkinson — Grand Council at Prairie du Chien — Indian
Outrages — The Militia Called Out — Gen. Atkinson — PoUcy of Removing the Indians West
— Treaty With the Sacs and Foxes — Black Hawk— He Refuses to Comply With Treaties
— Black Hawk War— Battle of Bad Axe — Gen. Henry Dodge — Black Hawk Captured—
Taken to Washington — Keokuk — Black Hawk Purchase — Gen. Wmfield Scott— Treaties
at Davenport — Antoine Le Claire — Removal of Sacs and Foxes to Iowa — Gen. Street —
Wapello— Maj. Beach — Sac and Fox Villages on the Des Moines— Gov, Lucas — Gov.
Chambers — Visit of Hard-Fish to Burlington — An Incident^Speech of Keokuk.
Almost every advance of civilization on the American continent has been
made at the expense of more or less conflict and bloodshed at the hands of
the savage tribes who were the occupants and owners of the soil prior to the
advent of the white man. Passing over the conflicts of the colonists in the
early settlements of the East, the later struggles of the pioneers of the " Dark
and Bloody Ground," and the Indian wars of the South, we shall briefly
refer to some of the troubles with the aborigines in the Northwest. With
the opening of the new country to white settlers it was necessary to establish
military posts for the protection of the pioneers against the attacks of the
Indians. In 1790, all pacific means having failed with the tribes north of
the Ohio, President Washington sent Gen. Harmar with a military force
-against them. After destroying several of their villages, he was defeated in
two battles near the confluence of the St. Joseph's and St. Mary's rivers, and
not far from the present city of Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1781 Gen. Arthur
St. Clair was promoted to the rank of major general, and was entrusted with
a command against the hostile Miamis. On assuming his command, the
last admonition of Washington was, " Beware of surprise." Gen. St. Clair
marched with his troops to the vicinity of the Miami villages on the Mau-
mee. On the 4th of November, 1791, he was surprised in camp on the St.
Mary's river, and his force of 1400 ill disciplined men was cut to pieces. He
soon after resigned his commission. In this defeat St. Clair's loss was about
600 men. The savages were greatly emboldened by their successes, and it
was soon found that more vigorous measures were necessary. The Indians
continued to commit outrages against the infant settlements. In some cases,
doubtless, the whites were the aggressors, for Washington in his annual mes-
sage of November 6, 1792, recommended more adequate measures "for re-
straining the commission of outrages upon the Indians, without which all
Pacific plans must prove nugatory." Attempts were made to treat with the
ndians, but the attempted negotiations proved unsuccessful.
After the unsuccessful and disastrous campaigns of Generals Harmar and
St. Clair, General Anthony Wayne, who had won distinguished laurels in the
war of the Revolution, was, in April, 1792, promoted to the rank of major
general, and made commander-in-chief in the war against the western Indians.
In August, 1794, he gained a signal victory over the Miamis, near the rapids
of the Maumee, and compelled them to sue for peace. In the same year a
fort was erected by his order on the site of the old " Twightwee Yillage " of
the Miami tribe, where the city of Fort Wayne is now located. It continued
to be a military post until 1819.
1158264
THE NORTHWEST TERKITORY. 35
After his successful campaign of 1794, Gen. "Wayne was appointed sole
commissioner to treat with the Indians, and also to take possession of the
forts still held by the British in the Northwest. He negotiated the treaty
of Greenville which was signed by all the principal chiefs of the Northwest.
By this treaty the Indians relinquished their title to a large tract of country.
That characteristic determination which, during the war of the Eevolution,
had gained him the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony," impressed the hostile
tribes with a dread of him which operated as a wholesome restraint. Gen.
Wayne also took possession of the British posts in the Northwest, which
were peaceably surrendered, in accordance with Jay's treaty, and from this
time there was assurance of peace on the frontier. He died in the garrison
at Presque Isle (Erie), Pa., December 14, 1796.
From the date of Wayne's victory up to 1809 the whites maintained com-
paratively peaceable relations with the Indians. During this year. Gen.
Harrison, then Governor of Indiana Territory, entered into a treaty with the
Delawares, Kickapoos, Pottawattamies, Miamis, Eel River Indians and
Weas, in which these tribes relinquished their title to certain lands on the
Wabash river. About this time the noted chief Tecumseh comes into prom-
inence as the bitter opponent of any more grants of land being made to the
whites.
Tecumseh was a chief of the Shawnees, born on the Scioto river near
Chillicothe, about the year 1770. It was said that he was one of three
brothers who were triplets. The other two brothers were named Kum-
shaka and Elskwatawa. Kumshaka is believed to have died while young,
but Elskwatawa became the Prophet who co-operated with the chief in aU
his plans. His father, Puckeshinwa, had risen to the rank of chief, but was
killed at the battle of Point Pleasant, in 1774. In 1795 Tecumseh was de-
clared chief at or near where Urbana, Ohio, is now located. In 1798 he
went to White river, Indiana, and his brother, the Prophet, to a tract of
land on the Wabash. Tecumseh, by reason of his oratory, had great influ-
ence over the savage tribes, and his plan was to unite all of them against the
whites in a conspiracy, similar to that of Pontiac nearly half a century before.
For this purpose he visited all the tribes west to the Mississippi, and upon
Lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan. At the same time his brother, the
Prophet, pretended to be directed by the Great Spirit to preach against the
influence and encroachments of the white men. Tlieir efforts to incite the
Indians to hostilities were successful, and they gathered a large force of war-
riors, making their headquarters at a stream they called Tippecanoe, near the
Wabash river.
Meantime Gov. Harrison was watching the movements of the Indians,
and being convinced of the existence of Tecumseh's grand conspiracy, had
prepared to defend the settlements. In August, 1810, Tecumseh went to
Vincennes to confer with the Governor in relation to the grievances of the
Indians, but demeaned himself in such an angry manner that he was dis-
missed from the village. He returned to complete his plans for the conflict.
Tecumseh delayed his intended attack, but in the meantime he was gather-
ing strength to his cause, and by the autumn of 1811 had a force of several
hundred warriors at his encampment on the little river called by the Indians
Keth-tip-pe-ee-nunh, or Tippecanoe. Harrison, with a force of eight hun-
dred men, partly regulars and partly volunteers, determined to move upon
the Prophet's town, as it was called. He encamped near the village early in
October, and on the night of the 5th of November his camp was furiousiy
36 THE NORTHWEST TEKEITOKT.
but unsuccessfully attacked. On the morning of tlie 7th he was again
attacked by a large body of the Indians, but Tecumseh's warriors were
completely routed, but not without a severe and hotly contested battle, and
the loss of about 200 of Harrison's men.
President Madison, in a special message to Congress of December 12,
1811, speaking of this engagement, says:
"While it is deeply lamented that so many valuable lives have been lost
in the action which took place on the seventh ultimo. Congress will see with
satisfaction the dauntless spirit and fortitude victoriously displayed by every
description of the troops engaged, as well as the collected firmness which
distinguished their commander on an occasion requiring the utmost exer-
tions of valor and discipline. It may reasonably be expected that the good
effects of this critical defeat and dispersion of a combination of savages,
which appears to have been spreading to a greater extent, will be experi-
enced, not only in the cessation of murders and depredations committed on
our frontier, but in the prevention of any hostile excursions otherwise to
have been apprehended."
The result of the battle of Tippecanoe utterly ruined the plans of Tecum-
seh, for his arrangements with the different tribes were not yet matured.
He was greatly exasperated toward the Prophet for precipitating the war.
Had Tecumseh himself been present it is likely the attack would not have
been made. The defeated Indians were at first inclined to sue for peace, but
Tecumseh was not yet conquered. The breaking out of the war with Great
Britain at this time inspired him with new hope, and his next endeavor was
to form an alliance with the English. In this he succeeded, and was ap-
pointed a brigadier general. He was entrusted with the command of all the
Indians who co-operated with the English in the campaigns of 1812-13, and
was in several important engagements.
After the surrender of Detroit by Gen. Hull, August 18, 1812, Har-
rison was appointed to the command of the Northwestern frontier, with a
commission as brigadier general. As this was in September, too late in the
season for a campaign, he did not assume active operations until the next
year, by which time he was promoted to the rank of major general. After
Commodore Perry won his signal victory on Lake Erie in September, 1813,
Harrison hastened with his command to capture Maiden. On arriving there
late in September he found that Proctor, the British general, had retreated.
About the same time Gen. McArthur took possession of Detroit and the
Territory of Michigan. Pursuing the British army into the interior of Can-
ada "West, Harrison overtook Proctor at the Moravian settlements, on the
river Thames, on the 5th of October. The British general had an auxiliary
force of two thousand Indians under the command of Tecumseh. The battle
was opened by the American cavalry under the command of Col. Richard
;M. Johnson, afterward vice-president of the United States. Early in the
engagement Tecumseh was killed at the head of his column of Indians, who,
no longer hearing the voice of their chief, fled in confusion. It has been
claimed by some authorities that this celebrated chief was killed by Col.
J ohnson, who fired at him with a pistol. This, however, will remain one
of the unsolved problems of history. The result of the battle was a com-
plete victory for the Americans, with the capture of 600 prisoners, six pieces
of cannon, and a large quantity of army stores.
This decisive victory over the combined forces of the British and Indians
practically closed tlie war in the Northwest, and as a consequence peace
THE NORTHWEST TEREITOEY. 37
with the Indian tribes soon followed. Other treaties were negotiated with
the Indians by which they gave up their title to additional large tracts of
territory. The settlement of the country progressed rapidly, and again an
era of apparent good wiU prevailed between the whites and Indians. By the
end of the year 1817, the Indian title, with some moderate reservations, had
been extinguished to the whole of the land within the State of Ohio, to a
great part of that in Michigan Territory, and in the State of Indiana. In
1817 Gov. Cass, of Michigan, in conjunction with Gov. McArthur, of Ohio,
obtained a cession of most of the remaining lands in Ohio with some adjoin-
ing tracts in Indiana and Michigan, amounting in all to about 4,000,000 of
acres, and in 1819 Gov. Cass met the Chippewas at Saginaw and obtained a
cession of lands in the peninsula of Michigan to the extent of about 6,000,000
of acres. The next year a treaty was made at Chicago, then nothing but a
military post, called Fort Dearborn, with the Chippewas, Ottawas and Potta-
wattamies, by which a large additional tract was obtained, which completed
the extinguishment of the Indian title to the peninsula of Michigan south of
the Grand river. By 1820 a number of military posts were established far
in the interior, and among them was one at Belle Point on the Arkansas, at
Council Bluffs on the Missouri, at St. Peters on the Mississippi, and at Green
Bay on the upper lakes.
During the month of June, 1823, Gen. Ashley and his party, who were
trading under a license from the government, were attacked by the Ricarees
while trading with the Indians at their request. Several of the party were
killed and wounded, and their property taken or destroyed. Col. Leaven-
worth, who commanded Fort Atkinson at Council Bluffs, then the most
western post, took immediate measures to check this hostile spirit of
the Ricarees, fearing that it might extend to other tribes in that quarter
and endanger the lives of traders on the Missouri. With a detachment of
the regiment skitioned at Council Bluffs, he successfully attacked the Rica-
ree village. The hostile spirit, however, still continued and extended to the
tribes on the upper Mississippi and the upper lakes. Several parties of
citizens were plundered and murdered by those tribes during the year 1824.
An act of Congress of May 25th of this year, made an appropriation to de-
fray the expenses' of making treaties of trade and friendship with the tribes
west of the Mississippi, and another act of March 3, 1825, provided for the
expense of treaties with the Sioux, Chippewas, Menomonees, Sacs and Foxes,
and other tribes, and also for establishing boundaries and promoting peace
between them. These objects were in the main accomplished, and by the
treaties made the government secured large acquisitions of territory. Gov.
Cass, in conjunction with Gov. Clark, of Missouri, attended a grand council
of the tribes this year at Prairie du Chien to carry out tlie purposes of the
act of Congress last mentioned. During his continuance in office as Gov-
ernor of Michigan Territory, Gov. Cass made, or participated in the making
of nineteen treaties with the Indians, and by them acquired lands in Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, to an amount equal to one-fourth
of the entire area of those States.
During the summer of 1827, when the commissioners appointed to carry
into execution certain provisions of a treaty, made August 19th, 1825, with
various northwestern tribes, were about to arrive at the appointed place of
meeting, several citizens were murdered, and other acts of hostility were com-
mitted, especially against the miners at Fever river, near Galena, by a party
38 THE N0KTH"VV:E8T tebeitoet.
of tlie "Winnebago tribe, whicb tribe was one of those associated in the
treaty. To quell these outrages the governors of the State of Illinois and
the Territory of Michigan, made levies of militia. These forces, with a
corps of seven hundred united States troops, under the command of General
Atkinson, repaired to the scene of danger. The Indians, overawed by the ap-
pearance of the military, surrendered the perpetrators of the murders, and
gave assurances of future good behavior.
For many years it had been the policy of the government to obtain a re-
linquishment of the title of the Indians to all lands within the limits of the
States, and as rapidly as possible cause the removal of the tribes to territory
beyond the Mississippi. In 1830 the Chickasaws and Choctaws, occupying
portions of the States of Alabama and Mississippi, agreed to remove, and
in due time carried out their agreement in good faith. The same year a
treaty was made with the Sacs and Foxes, by which they agreed to cede their
lands to the United States, and remove beyond the Mississippi. The prin-
cipal viUage of these united tribes was located at the mouth of Eock river,
on the east side of the Mississippi, near where the city of Rock Island now
stands. Here had been an Indian village, according to tradition, for one
hundred and fifty years. These tribes had owned and occupied the country
borderino- on the Mississippi, to an extent of seven hundred miles, from the
mouth of the Wisconsin almost to the mouth of the Missouri. The Indians
did not seem disposed to comply promptly with the terms of the treaty, and
one band, under the noted chief Black Hawk {Ma-ka-tai-me-she-hia-kiah),
evinced a determination to keep possession of their old village. ^ John Rey-
nolds, Governor of Illinois, coDstrued their continued residence in the ceded
territory as an invasion of the State, and under his authority to protect the
State from invasion, ordered out seven hundred militia to force their re-
moval, according to the treaty. This interference of the governor of Illi-
nois with the duties belonging to the Federal Government, obliged the com-
mander of United States troops in that quarter to co-operate with him,^ in
order to prevent a collision between the State militia and the Indians. Fort
Armstrong, on Rock Island, had been established as early as 1816, and when
the Black'^Hawk trouble commenced, was in command of Gen. Atkinson.
The Indians were overawed by this imposing military force, and yielding to
necessity, crossed the Mississippi. Black Hawk, feeling exasperated at the
harsh treatment his people had received, resolved to prosecute a predatory
war against the white settlements. He united his band of Sacs and Foxes
with the Winnebagoes, under the command of the Prophet "Wabo-ki-e-shiek
(White Cloud), and in March, 1832, recrossed to the east side of the Missis-
sippi. They murdered a number of defenseless families, and committed
many outrages upon the settlers. The whole frontier became alarmed, and
many of the settlers fled for safety. The governor of Illinois ordered out
the State militia, which being joined by four hundred regular troops, con-
stituted a force of about one thousand, under the command of Gen. Atkin-
son. They pursued the Indians, and after a campaign of about two months,
during which two engagements were fought, the war was brought to an end.
) The last, and the decisive battle of the war, is known in history as the bat-
tle of Bad Axe, being fought on a small tributary of the Wisconsin of that
name. This battle took place August 2d, 1832, and the force against Black
Hawk was commanded by Gen. Henry Dodge, of Wisconsin. The Indians
lost forty of their braves, and Gen. Dodge one. The Indians made but little
THE NORTHWEST TEEKITOKY. 39
further resistance, and Black Hawk's "British Band," as it was styled, be-
came demoralized and fled. They reached the Mississippi and were making
preparations for crossing when they were checked by the captain of the
steamboat " Warrior," who discharged a six-pounder at them, although they
had displayed a flag of truce. The next morning Gen. Atkinson arrived
with his army, and made an attack, which the India,ns were now powerless
to resist. Black Hawk escaped, but was taken by some treacherous Winne-
bagoes, and delivered along with the Prophet, on the 27th of August, to
Gen. Street, at Prairie du Chien. Two of Black Hawk's sons, the Prophet
and other leaders, were also taken, and by order of the government were con-
veyed through the principal cities and towns on the seaboard, in order that
they might be impressed with the greatness and power of the United States.
For some time Black Hawk was held as a captive, and then through the in-
tercession of Keokuk, who had been opposed to the war, and had not par-
ticipated in the hostilities, he was allowed to return to Rock Island, and per-
mitted to join his people. Treaties were made with the ofiending tribes by
which they agreed to compensate for the expense of the war, by ceding a
valuable part of their territory on the west side of the Mississippi, and to
immediately remove from the east side. The United States stipulated to
pay to the three tribes annually, thirty thousand dollars for twenty-seven
years, and also to make other provisions for their improvement. By this
treaty the United States acquired the first territory in Iowa which was
opened to settlement. It is what is known as the " Black Hawk Purchase,"
and embraced a strip of territory extending from the northern boundary of
Missouri to the mouth of the Upper Iowa river, about fifty miles in width,
and embracing an area of about six millions of acres. This treaty was made
on the 21st day of September, 1832, at a council held on the west bank of
the Mississippi river, where the city of Davenport now stands. Gen. Win-
field Scott and Gov. John Reynolds, of Illinois, represented the United
States, and on the part of the Indians there were present Keokuk, Pashe-
paho, and about thirty other chiefs and warriors of the Sac and Fox nation.
Within the limits of this purchase was reserved a tract of 400 square miles,
situated on Iowa river, and including Keokuk's village. This tract was
known as " Keokuk's Reserve," and was occupied by the Indians until 1836.
when it was ceded to the United States. This treaty was negotiated by Gov.
Henry Dodge, of Wisconsin Territory, and on the part of the Indians Keo-
kuk was the leading spirit. This council was also held on the banks of the
Mississippi, near the site of the present city of Davenport. The treaty stip-
ulated for the removal of the Indians to another reservation on the Des
Moines river. On this an agency was established, where the present town
of Agency City, in Wapello county, is located. Out of the " Black Hawk
Purchase " was conveyed to Antoine Le Claire, who was interpreter, and
whose wife was an Indian, one section of land opposite Rock Island, and
another at the head of the first rapids above the Island.
General Joseph M. Street, the agent with the Winnebagoes at Prairie du
Chien, was transferred to the Sac and Fox agency on the Des Moines river,
and in 1838 took measures for building and making the necessary improve-
ments. In April, of the next year, he removed with his family from Prairie
du Chien. His health soon began to fail, and on the 5th of May, 1840,
Gen. Street died. Wapello, a prominent chief of the Sac and Fox nation,
died in 1842. His remains were interred near those of Gen. Steeet. The
stone slabs placed over their graves soon after, are inscribed as follows:
40 THE NORTHWEST TEERITOET.
In
Memory of
GEN. JOSEPH M. STKEET,
Son of Anthony and Molly Street.
Born Oct. 18th, 1782, in Virginia;
Died at the Sac and Fox Agency,
May 5th, 18^,0.
In
Memory of
WA-PEL-LO,
Bom at
Prai/rie du Chien, 1787 :
Died near the Forks of Skunk,
March 15th, 18^.2 — Sac and Fox Nation.
Wapello had requested that at his death his remains be interred near those
of Gen. Street.
After the death of Gen. Street, Maj. John Beach, his son-in-law, received
the appointment as agent for the Sacs and Foxes, and filled the position to
the satisfaction of the government. Major Beach was bom at Gloucester,
Massachusetts, Feb. 23d, 1812. After a course of study at Portsmouth
Academy, in New Hampshire, he received at the age of sixteen, the appoint-
ment of cadet at the West Point Military Academy, graduating in the class
of 1832. Receiving his commission as Second Lieutenant by brevet in the
First TJ. S. Infantry, of which Zachary Taylor was then colonel, he was or-
dered to duty on the frontier, and was alternately stationed at Fort Arm-
strong, Fort Crawford, Prairie du Chien, and Jefferson Barracks, near St.
Louis. His hearing having partially failed, in 1838, he resigned his com-
mission in the army, and was, at the time of his appointment as Indian
agent, engaged in the U. S. Land Office at Dubuque. He remained at
Agency City, engaged in mercantile and literary pursuits until his death
which occurred August 31st, 1874. '
At the time of Gen. Street's death, the Indians were occupying their res-
ervation with their permanent, or spring and summer villages, as follows :
Upon the banks of the Des Moines, opposite the mouth of Sugar Creek,
was the village of Keokuk, and above were those of Wapello and Appa-
noose. The village of Hardfish, or Wish-e-co-me-que, as it is in the Indian
tongue, was located in what is now the heart of Eddyville, where J. P. Eddy
was licensed by Maj. Beach, the agent, in the summer of 1840, to establisn
a trading post. Not far from the " Forks of Skunk " was a small village
presided over by Eish-ke-kosh, who, though not a chief, was a man of con-
siderable influence. Poweshiek, a Fox chief of equal rank with Wapello,
still had a village on the bank of Iowa river.
It has been remarked above that Keokuk, who was the chief next in au-
thority and influence to Black Hawk, was opposed to the war against the
whites, and persistently refused to take part in the hostilities. When Black
Hawk's attempt to defy the power of the United States resulted so disas-
trously to the Indians, and they were obliged to cede still more territory,
his influence among his people declined, and that of Keolaik increased.
Black Hawk, however, retained a party of adherents, and for some time a
TDE NORTHWEST TEEEITOEY. 41
sort of rivalry existed between the two chiefs, and this feeling was shared
to some extent by their respective friends in the tribes. An incident is rela-
ted by Maj. Beach to show how the traders were ready to take advantage of
this state of things for their own mercenary purposes.
When Gen.IIarrison became President in 1841, John Chambers, an ex-
congressman of Kentucky, was appointed Governor of the Territory, suc-
ceeding Gov. Eobert Lucas. The governor was ex-officio superintendent
over the Indians and their agencies. Gov. Lucas had favored the Black
Hawk band, whose chief was Hardfish. Accordingly when the new gov-
ernor was appointed, both Keokuk and Hardfish felt that it would be some-
thing of an object to gain his favor. Tlie latter desired the new governor
to pursue the policy of his predecessor, while Keokuk wished at least an
impartial course. Keokuk requested the consent of the agent for him and
his principal men to visit the governor at Burlington. As it was the policy
of the government to discountenance such pilgrimages of the Indians, Maj.
Beach suggested that Gov. Chambers might see proper to visit them at the
agency. With this expectation Keokuk chose to wait. The Hardfish band,
under the influence of some of the traders, were less patient. They hast-
ened to Burlington in a large body, and on their arrival encamped near the
town, sending to the governor a written notice of their presence, and a
request for supplies. The governor answered, declining to accede to their
request, or to hold a council with them. Hardfish and his men returned
over their weary journey of seventy miles to the agency, very much dis-
appointed. In the meantime the governor communicated with Major
Beach, informing him that he would visit the agency soon, and requesting
him to use his influence to prevent the Indians from making incursions
through the white settlements. When the governor fixed his time to be
present, the bands were all informed, and it was arranged that a grand coun-
cil should be held. When the day arrived all the Indians, except the Pow-
eshiek band of Foxes, who were so far away on the Iowa river, were en-
camped within a convenient distance from the agency. Long before the
hour fixed for the meeting, the Hardfish party, arrayed in all their toggery,
and displaying their richest ornaments, came in grand procession upon the
ground. Having dismounted from their ponies, they formed in file on foot
and marched into the agency headquarters, where the governor was to receive
them. Hardfish and some of his principal men shook hands with the gov-
ernor and then sat down.
The reader will remember that at this time the nation was in mourning
for the sudden loss of a President by death, and that Gov. Chambers had
been one of the warmest and most devoted friends of Gen. Harrison, a fact
of which Keokuk was fully advised. Chambers had been aid-de-camp to
Gen. Harrison in the war of 1812, and they had ever after "been as father
and son. Keokuk was shrewd enough to make the most of this.
The appointed hour for the meeting had passed, and the governor began
to become impatient for the appearance of Keokuk. At last the sounds of
the approaching bands were heard faintly floating upon the breeze. After a
time the procession marched with slow and solemn tread into view, not ar-
rayed in gaudy feathers, ribbons and trinkets, like the Hardfish band, but
with lances and staves wrapped around with wilted grass. ISTo sound of
bells responded to the tramp of their ponies, and instead of being painted
in Vermillion, their faces presented the sombre hues produced by a kind of
clay they were wont to use on occasions of solemnity or mourning. Their
42 THE NORTHWEST TEKKITORY.
appearace betokened sadness and affliction. Mr. Josiali Smart, the interpre-
ter, informed Gov. Chambers that this was a funeral march, and that some
one of their principal men must have died during the night. Even Hard-
fish and his men were at a loss to account for what they saw, and wondered
who could have died. At last Keokuk and his men dismounted and filed
slowly and solemnly into the presence of the governor. Keokuk signed to
the interpreter, and said :
" Say to our new father that before I take his hand, I will explain to him
what all this means. We were told not long ago that our Great Father was
dead. We had heard of him as a great war chief, who had passed much of
his life among the red men and knew their wants, and we believed that we
would always have friendship and justice at his hands. His" death has made
us very sad, and as this is our first opportunity, we thought it would be
wrong if we did not use it, to show that the hearts of his red children, as
well as his white, know how to mourn over their great loss ; and we had to
keep our father waiting while we performed that part of our mourning that
we must always attend to before we leave our lodges with our dead."
At the conclusion of this speech, Keokuk steppped forward and extended
his hand. The hearty grasp of the governor showed that the wily chief had
touched the proper cord. The result was, that the Hardfish band received
no special favors after that, at the expense of the other bands.
SKETCHES OF BLACK HAWK AND OTHEE CHIEFS.
Black Hawk— Treaty of 1804^Black Hawk's account of the Treaty— Lieut. Pike— Ft. Ed-
wards — Ft. Madison — Black Hawk and the British — Keokuk recognized as Chief— Ft.
Armstrong — Sac and Fox Villages — Black Hawk's "British Band" — Black Hawk War-
Black Hawk's old age — His death in Iowa — His remains carried away, but recovered —
Keokuk — Appanoose — Wapello — Poweshiek — Pash-e-pa-ho — Wish-e-co-ma-que — Chas-
chun-ca — Mau-haw-gaw — Ma-has-kah — Si-dom-i-na-do-tah — Heniy Lott^A Tragedy in
Humboldt County — Ink-pa-du-tah — Spirit Lake Massacre — Expedition from Ft. Dodge —
Death of Capt. Johnston and Wilham Burkholder.
BLACK HAWK.
This renowned chief, the "noblest Eoman of them all," was born at the
Sac village on Rock river, about the year 1767. His first introduction to
the notice of the whites seems to have been in 1804, when William Henry
Harrison, then the Governor of Indiana Territory, concluded his treaty with
the Sac and Fox nation for the lands bordering on Rock river. Black Hawk
was then simply a chief, though not by election or inheritance, of his own
band of Sac warriors, but from that time he was the most prominent man
in the Sac and Fox nation. He considered the action of the four chiefs who
represented the Indians in making this treaty as unjust and refused to con-
sider it binding. The territory ceded embraced over fifty-one millions of
acres, extending almost from opposite St. Louis to the Wisconsin river.
He claimed that the chiefs or braves who made the treaty had no authority
to make it, and that they had been sent to St. Louis, where the treaty was
negotiated, for quite a different purpose, namely: to procure the release of
one of their people who was held there as a prisoner on charge of killing a
white man. The United States regarded this treaty as a bona fide transac-
tion, claiming that the lands were sold by responsible men of the tribes, and
that it was further ratified by a part of the tribes with Gov. Edwards and
THE NORTHWEST TEKKITORY.
Augaste Choteau, in September, 1815, and again with tlie same commis-
sioners in 1816. They claimed that the Indians were only to occupy the
lands at the Sac village on Rock river until they were surveyed and sold by
the government, when they were to vacate them. The treaty of St. Louis
was signed by five chiefs instead of four, although Black Hawk claimed that
the latter number only were sent to St. Louis for a different purpose. One
of these was Pash-e-pa-ho, a head chief among the Sacs. Black Hawk him-
self thus describes the return of the chiefs to Rock Island after the treaty :
" Quash-qua-me and party remained a long time absent. They at length
returned, and encamped a short distance below the village, but did not come
up that day, nor did any person approach their camp. They appeared to be
dressed in fine coats, and had medals. From these circumstances we were
in hopes that they had brought good news. Early the next morning the
council lodge was crowded. Quash-qua-me came up and said that on their
arrival in St. Louis they met their American father, and explained to him
their business, and urged the release of their friend. The American chief told
them he wanted land, and that they had agreed to give him some on the west
side of- the Mississippi, and some on the Illinois side, opposite the Jeffreon ;
that when the business was all arranged, they expected their friend released
to come home with them. But about the time they were ready to start,
their friend was let out of prison, who ran a short distance, and was shot
dead! This was all myself or nation knew of the treaty of 1804. It has
been explained to me since. I find, by that treaty, that all our country east
of the Mississippi, and south of the Jeffreon, was ceded to the United States
for one thousand dollars a year!"
The treaty was doubtless made in good faith on the part of the commis-
sioners, and with the full conviction that it was by authority of the tribes.
From this time forward Black Hawk seems to have entertained a distrust of
the Americans.
Although Spain had ceded the country west of the Mississippi to France
in 1801, the former power still held possession until its transfer to the United
States by France. Black Hawk and his band were at St. Louis at this time,
and he was invited to be present at the ceremonies connected with the
change of authorities. He refused the invitation; and in giving an account
of the transaction, said:
" I found many sad and gloomy faces, because the United States were about
to take possession of the town and country. Soon after the Americans came, I
took my band and went to take leave of our Spanish father. The Americans
came to see him also. Seeing them approach, we passed out of one door as
they entered another, and immediately started in our canoes for our village
on Rock river, not liking the change any more than our friends appeared
to at St. Louis. On arriving at our village, we gave the news that strange
people had arrived at St. Louis, and that we should never see our Spanish
father again. The information made all our people sorry."
In August, 1805, Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike ascended the river from St.
Louis, for the purpose of holding councils with the Indians, and selecting
sites for military posts within the country recently acquired from France.
At the mouth of Rock river he had a personal interview with Black Hawk,
the latter being favorably impressed with the young lieutenant. Speaking
of this interview, Black Hawk himself said :
"A boat came up the river with a young American chief, and a small
party of soldiers. We heard of them soon after they passed Salt river.
44 THE NORTHWEST TEREITOKT.
Some of our young braves watched them every day, to see what sort of peo-
ple he had on board. The boat at length arrived at Eock Island, and the
young chief came on shore with his interpreter, and made a speech, and
gave us some presents. We, in turn, presented them with meat and such
other provisions as we had to spare. We were well pleased with the young
chief. He gave us good advice, and said our American father would treat
us well."
Lieut. Pike's expedition was soon followed by the erection of Fort Ed-
wards and Fort Madison, the former on the site of the present town of
Warsaw, Illinois, and the latter on the site of the present town of Fort
Madison, Iowa. When these forts were being erected, the Indians sent down
delegations, headed by some of their chiefs, to have an interview with the
Americans. Those who visited Fort Edwards returned apparently satisJBied
with what was being done. The erection of Fort Madison they claimed was
a violation of the treaty of 1804. In that treaty the United States had
agreed that if "any white persons should form a settlement on their lands,
such intruders should forthwith be removed." Fort Madison was erected
within the territory reserved for the Indians, and this they considered an intru-
sion. Some time afterward a party under the leadership of Black Hawk
and Pash-e-pa-ho attempted its destruction. They sent spies to watch the
movements of the garrison. Five soldiers who came out were fired upon by
the Indians, and two of the soldiers were killed. They kept up the attack
for several days. Their efforts to destroy the fort being unsuccessful, they
returned to Eock river.
When the war of 1812 broke out. Black Hawk and his band allied them-
selves with the British, which was the origin of his party, at a later date,
being known as the "British Band." In narrating the circumstances which
induced him to join the British, he says:
" Several of the chiefs and head men of the Sacs and Foxes were called
upon to go to Washington to see the Great Father. On their return they
related what had been said and done. They said the Great Father wished
them, in the event of a war taking place with England, not to interfere on
either side, but to remain neutral. He did not want our help, but wished us to
hunt and support our families and live in peace. He said that British traders
would not be permitted to come on the Mississippi to furnish us with goods,
but that we should be supplied by an American trader. Our chiefs then told
him that the British traders always gave them credit in the fall for guns, powder
and goods to enable us to hunt and clothe our families. He replied that the
trader at Fort Madison would have plenty of goods; that we should go there
in the fall, and he would supply us on credit, as the British traders had
done."
According to Black Hawk, this proposition pleased his people, and they
went to Fort Madison to receive their promised outfit for the winter's hunt,
but notwithstanding the promise of the Great Father, at Washington, the
trader would not give them credit. In reference to their disappointment.
Black Hawk says :
"Few of us slept that night; all was gloom and discontent. In the morn-
ing a canoe was seen descending the river; it soon arrived, bearing an ex-
fress, who brought intelligence that a British trader had landed at Eock
sland, with two boats loaded with goods, and requested us to come up im-
mediately, because he had good news for us, and a variety of presents. The
express presented us with tobacco, pipes and wampum. The news ran
THE NORTHWEST TEERITOEY. 45
tLrougli our camp like fire on a prairie. Our lodges were soon taken down,
and all started for Rock Island. Here ended all hopes of our remaining at
peace, having been forced into the war by being deceived."
Black Ilawk and his band then espoused the cause of the British, who, as
in the case of Tecumseh, gave him the title of "Gen. Black Hawk." But
a large portion of the Sacs and Foxes, at the head of whom was Keokuk,
chose to remain neutral, as well as to abide by the treaty of 1804. Of this
party Keokuk was the recognized chief. The nation was divided into the
"war party" and " peace party." Black Hawk maintained his fidelity to
the British until the end of the war, and was the intimate friend and sup-
porter of Tecumseh, until the death of the latter at the battle of the Thames.
At the close of the war of 1812, Black Hawk returned to his village on
Eock river, to find Keokuk still the friend of the Americans, and the recoo--
nized war chief of that portion of the Sac and Fox nation which had re-
mained neutral. As stated elsewhere, a new treaty was concluded in Sep-
tember, 1815, in which, among other matters, the treaty of St. Louis was rati-
fied. This treaty was not signed by Black Hawk, or any one representing his
band, but was signed by chiefs of both the Sacs and Foxes, who were fully au tlior-
ized to do so. This treaty was held at Portage des Sioux,and was a result of the
war of 1812, with England. In May, 1816, another treaty was held at St.
Louis, in which the St. Louis treaty of 1804 was recognized. This treaty
was signed by Black Hawk and twenty other chiefs and braves. The same
year Fort Armstrong was erected upon Rock Island, a proceeding very dis-
tasteful to the Indians. Of this Black Hawk says:
"We did not, however, object to their building the fort on the island, but
we were very sorry, as this was the best island on the Mississippi, and had
long been the resort of our young people during the summer. It was our gar-
den, like the white people have near their big villages, which supplied us with
strawberries, blackberries, plums, apples and nuts of various kinds; and its
waters supplied us with pure fish, being situated in the rapids of the river. In
my early life, I spent many happy days on this island. A good spirit had care
of it, who lived in a cave in the rocks, immediately under the place where
the fort now stands, and has often been seen by our people. He was white,
with large wings like a swan's, but ten times larger. We were particular
not to make much noise in that part of the island which he inhabited, for
fear of disturbing him. But the noise of the fort has since driven liim away,
and no doubt a bad spirit has since taken his place."
The expedition which was sent up the river to erect a fort at or near Rock
Island, consisted at first of the Eighth United States Infantry, and started
from St. Louis in September, 1815, under the command Col. R. C. Nichols.
They reached the mouth of the Des Moines, where they wintered. In April,
1816, Gen. Thomas A. Smith arrived and took command of the expedition.
They reached Rock Island on the 10th o£ May, and, after a careful exami-
nation, the site for the fort was selected. The regiment being left under the
command of Col. Lawrence, the work on the fort immediately commenced.
It was named in honor of John Armstrong of New York, who had recently
been Secretary of War.
After the establishment of the fort and garrison at Rock Island settlements
began to be made at and near the mouth of Rock river, on the east side of the
Mississippi. Keokuk, as the head chief of the Foxes, with his tribe, in accord-
ance with the treaties they had made with the United States, left in 1828 and
established themselves on Iowa river, but Black Hawk and his "British
46 " THE NORTHWEST TEKKITORT.
Band" of about 500 warriors remained in tlieir village and persistently
refused to leave. The settlers began to complain of frequent depredations at
the hands of Black Hawk's people, and feared that the neighboring tribes of
Kickapoos, Pottawattamies, and Winnebagoes, might be induced to join
Black Hawk in a war of extermination. Finally, in the spring of 1831, Black
Hawk warned the settlers to leave. These troubles culminated in the
" Black Hawk War," and the final capture of the chief and some of his prin-
cipal men, as related elsewhere. The Black Hawk War ended hostilities
with the Indians at or near Rock Island. A garrison, however, was main-
tained there until 1836, when the troops were sent to Fort Snelling. The
fort was left in charge of Lieut. John Beach, with a few men to take care of
the property.
After his capture, Black Hawk and several of his principal men were
taken to Jefferson Barracks, where they were kept until the the spring of
1833. They were then sent to Washington, whei-e they arrived on tlie 22d
of April, and on the 26th were confined in Fortress Monroe. On the 4tli of
June, 1833, they were set at liberty by order of the government and per-
mitted to return to their own country.
In the fall of 1837 Black Hawk, accompanied by Keokuk, Wapello, Povre-
shiek, and some forty of the principal chiefs and braves of the Sac and Fox
nations, again visited Washington, in charge of Col. George Davenport, who
by his influence with the Indians assisted the government in making another
large purchase of territory in Iowa. This tract adjoined the " Black Hawk
Purchase," and embraced 1,250,000 acres.
After Black Hawk's release from captivity in 1833, he seemed im-^alling
to reside in any of the villages of the tribe. Flis band was broken up and
dispersed, as stipulated in the treaty of peace, and he seemed to seek seclu-
sion from his people. While tlie garrison remained at Bock Island, he
usually lived near it, and often put up his wigwam close to the fort, wliere
his vision could take in the beautiful country on the east bank of the Missis-
sippi, which had been his home for more than half a century. But the time
came when he must go with his people to the new reservation on the banks
of the Des Moines. He was then in the waning years of his life, and the
other chiefs of the nation seemed disposed to pay him but little attention.
His family consisted of his wife, two sons and one daughter. He established
his lodge on the east bank of the Des Moines, about three miles below the
site of the present town of Eldon. Gen. Street presented tlie family with a
cow, whicli was a piece of property which exacted much solicitude and care
at the hands of Madame Black Hawk. His lodge was near the trading post
of Wharton McPherson; and James Jordan, who was also at that time con-
nected with the post, had his cabin within a few rods of Black Hawk's lodge.
This was in the summer of 1838, and the old chief who had defied the power
of the United States and caused the expenditure of millions of treasure to
subdue him, was nearing his departure for a final remove beyond the power
of earthly governments. Near his lodge, on the bank of the river, stood a
large elm tree, with its spreading branches overhanging the stream, and
flowing from its roots was a crystal spring of pure water. Flere during the
sultry summer days of that year Black Hawk was wont to repose and dream
over the years of his former greatness and the wrongs that his people had
sufiered. At last, on the 3d" of October, 1838, death came to his relief,
and, according to the Indian idea, his spirit passed away to the happy hunt-
ing grounds.
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 47
The remains of Black Hawk were interred by his family and friends near
his cabin on the prairie, a short distance above the old town of lowaville.
The body was placed on a board, or slab, set up in an inclining position, with
the feet extending into the ground some fifteen inches and the head elevated
above the surface some three feet or more. This was enclosed by placing
slabs around it with the ends resting on the ground and meeting at the top,
forming a kind of vault. The whole was then covered with dirt and neatly
sodded. At the head of the grave was placed a flag-staft' thirty feet high,
from which floated the American flag until it was worn out by the wind.
Interred with the body were a number of his prized and long-treasured
relics, including a military suit presented by Jackson's cabinet; a sword pre-
sented by Jackson himself; a cane presented by Henry Clay, and another
by a British officer; and three silver medals — one presented by Jackson, one
by John Quincy Adams, and the other by citizens of Boston. N^ear the
grave a large post was set in the ground, on which were inscribed in Indian
characters, emblems commemorating many of his heroic deeds. The
Srave and flag-stafi" were enclosed by a rude picket fence in circular form,
[ere the body remained until July, 1839, when it disappeared. On com-
plaint being made by Black Hawk's family, the matter was investigated, and it
was finally traced to one Dr. Turner, who then resided at a place called Lex-
ington, in Yan Buren county. The remains had been taken to Illinois, but
at the earnest request of Black Hawk's relatives, Gov. Lucas interposed and
had them sent to Burlington. The sons were informed that the remains
were in Burlington and went to that place to obtain them. While there it
was suggested to them that if taken away they would only be stolen again,
and they concluded to leave them where they thought they might be more
safely preserved. They were finally placed in a museum in that city, and
years after, with a large collection of other valuable relics, were destroyed by
the burning of the building. In the meantime the relatives of the renowned
chief removed westward with the rest of the tribe, and were finally lost to
all knowledge of the white man.
KEOKUK.
Keokuk (Watchful Fox) belonged to the Sac branch of the nation, and
was born on Rock river, in 1780. He was an orator, but was also entitled
to rank as a warrior, for he possessed courage and energy, but at the same
time a cool judgment. He had an intelligent appreciation of the power and
greatness of the United States, and saw the futility of Black Hawk's hope to
contend successfully against the government. In his first battle, while
young, he had killed a Sioux, and for this he was honored with a feast by
his tribe.
At the beginning of the Black Hawk War an afiair transpired which was
dignified by the name of the "Battle of Stillraan's Eun," in which some three
hundred volunteers under Maj. Stillman took prisoners five of Black Hawk's
men who were approaching with a flag of truce. One of the prisoners was
shot by Stillman's men. Black Hawk had also sent five other men to foUow
the bearers of the flag. The troops came upon these and killed two of them.
The other three reached their camp and gave the alarm. Black Hawk's
warriors then charged upon Stillman's advancing troops and completely
routed them. This failure to respect the flag of truce so exasperated the
Indians that it was with great difficulty that ICeokuk could restrain his war-
riors from espousing the cause of Black Hawk. Stillman's defeat was fol-
48 THE NOKTHWEST TEERITOEY.
lowed by a war-dance, in which Keokuk took part. After the dance he
called a council of war, and made a speech in which he admitted the justice
of their complaints. The blood of their brethren slain by the white men,
while bearing a flag of truce, called loudly for vengeance. Said he:
" I am your chief, and it is my duty to lead you to battle, if, after fully con-
sidering the matter, you are determined to go. But before you decide on
taking this important step, it is wise to inquire into the chances of success.
But if you do determine to go upon the war path, I will agree to lead you on
one condition, viz.: that before we go we will kill all our old men and our
wives and our children, to save them from a lingering death of starvation,
and that every one of us determine to leave our homes on the other side of
the Mississippi."
Keokuk so forcibly portrayed in other parts of this speech the great
Eower of the United States, and of the hopeless prospect before them, that
is warriors at once abandoned all thought of joining Black Hawk.
The name Keokuk signified Watchful Fox. As we have seen, he eventu-
ally superseded Black Hawk, and was recognized by the IJnited States as the
principal chief of the Sac and Fox nation, which, indeed, had much to do in
stinging the pride of the imperious Black Hawk. In person he was strong,
graceful and commanding, with fine features and an intelligent countenance.
He excelled in horsemanship, dancing, and all athletic exercises. He was
courageous and skillful in war, but mild and politic in peace. He had a
son, a fine featured, promising boy, who died at Keokuk's village on the
Des Moines. Keokuk himself became somewhat dissipated during the later
years of his life in Iowa. It was reported that after his removal with his people
to the Indian Territory west of the Mississippi, he died of delinum tremens.
Iowa has honored his memory in the name of one of her counties, and one
of her principal cities.
APPANOOSE.
Appanoose was a chief who presided over a band of the Sacs. His name,
in the language of that tribe, signified "A Chief AVhen a Child," indicating
that he inherited his position. It was said he was equal in rank with Keo-
kuk, but he did not possess the influence of the latter. He was one of the
" peace chiefs " during the Black Hawk "War. During the last occupation of
Iowa soil by the Sacs and Foxes, Appanoose had his village near the site of the
present city of Ottumwa. His people cultivated a portion of the ground on
which that city is located. He was one of the delegation sent to Washing-
ton in 1837, at which time he visited with the other chiefs the city of BostoD,
where they were invited to a meeting in Fanueil Hall. On that occasion he
made the most animated speech, both in manner and matter, that was deliv-
ered by the chiefs. After Keokuk had spoken, Appanoose arose and said:
" Tou have heard just now what my chief has to say. All our chiefs and
warriors are very much gratified by our visit to this town. Last Saturday
they were invited to a great house, and now they are in the great council-
house. Tliey are very much pleased mth so much attention. This we can-
not reward you for now, but shall not forget it, and hope the Great Spirit
will reward you for it. This is the place which our forefathers once inhabi-
ted. I have often heard my father and grandfather say they lived near the
sea-coast where the white man first came. I am glad to hear all this from
you. I suppose it is put in a book, where you learn all these things. As
far as I can understand the language of the white people, it appears to me
THE NORTHWEST TEKRITORT.
49
INDIANS TRYING A PRISONER.
50 THE NORTHWEST TEKEITOET.
that the Americans have attained a very high rank among the white people.
It is the same with us, though I say it myself. Where we live beyond the
Mississippi, I am respected by all people, and they consider me the tallest
among them. I am happy that two great men meet and shake hands with
each other."
As Appanoose concluded his speech, he suited the action to the word by
extending his hand to Gov. Everett, amid the shouts of applause from the
audience, who were not a little amused at the self-complacency of the orator.
But few of the incidents in the life of this chief have passed into history.
His name has been pei-petuated in that of one of the Iowa counties.
"WapeUo, or "Waupellow, was one of the minor chiefs of the Sac and Fox
I^ation. He was born at Prairie du Chien, in 1787. At the time of the
erection of Fort Armstrong (1816) he presided over one of the three prin-
cipal villages in that vicinity. His village there was on the east side of the
Mississippi, near the foot of Ilocl£ Island, and about three miles north of
the famous Black Hawk village. In 1829 he removed his village to Musca-
tine Slough, and then to a place at or near where the town of Wapello, in
Louisa county, is now located. Like Keokuk, he was in favor of abiding
by the requirements of the treaty of 1804, and opposed the hostilities in
which Black Hawk engaged against the whites. He was one of the chiefs
that visited Washington in 1837, and his name appears to several treaties
relinquishing lands to the United States. He appears to have been a warm
personal friend of Gen. Jos. M. Street, of the Sac and Fox agency, and made
a request that at his death his remains be interred along side of those of
Gen. Street, which request was complied with. He died near the Forks of
Skunk river, March 15th, 1842, at the age of 55 years. His remains, with
those of Gen. Street, repose near Agency City, in the county which honors
his memory with its name. The two graves and the monuments have re-
cently been repaired by parties connected with the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy Railroad, whose line passes within a few rods of them.
Poweshiek was a chief of the same rank with Wapello, and near the same
age. He also was one of the chiefs who visited Washington in 1837. When
the greater portion of the Sac and Fox nation removed to the Des Moines
river, he retained his village on the Iowa river, where he presided over
what was known as the Musquawkie band of the Sacs and Foxes. In May,
1838, when Gen. Street organized a party to examine the new purchase made
the fall before, with a view of selecting a site for the agency, the expedition
was accompanied by about thirty braves, under the command of Poweshiek.
At that time the Sacs and Foxes were at war with the Sioux, and after leav-
ing their reservation these men were very fearful that they might be sur-
prised and cut oflf by the Sioux. A small remnant of his band make their
home on Iowa river, in Tama county, at this time. He also remained the
friend of the whites during the Black Hawk war, and the people of Iowa
hare honored his memory by giving his name to one of their counties.
THE NORTHWEST TEREITOET. 61
PASH-E-PA-HO.
Pash-e-pa-lio, called also the Stabbing Chief, at tlie time of tlie treaty of
1804, and until after the Black Hawk war, was head chief among the Sacs.
He was also present in St. Louis at the making of that treaty, and was even
tlien well advanced in years. It has been related that he laid a plan to at-
tack Fort Madison, not long after its erection. His plan was to gain an
entrance to the fort with concealed arms under their blankets, under a pre-
tense of holding a council. A squaw, however, had secretly conveyed intel-
ligence to the commandant of the garrison of the intended attack, so' that the
troops were in readiness for them. When Pash-e-pa-ho and his warriors ad-
vanced in a body toward the closed gate, it suddenly opened, revealing to
the astonished savages a cannon in the passage-way, and the gunner stand-
ing with lighted torch in hand ready to fire. Pash-e-pa-ho deemed " discre-
tion the better part of valor ", and retreated.
Some time after the plot against Fort Madison, Pash-e-pa-ho made an at-
tempt to obtain a lodgement in Fort Armstrong, though in quite a dififerent
way. Several of his braves had the year before, while out hunting, fell in
with a party of their enemies, the Sioux, and had lifted several of their scalps.
The Sioux complained of this outrage to the Department at "Washington,
and orders were issued demanding the surrender of the culprits. They were
accordingly brought and retained as prisoners in Fort Armstrong, wliere they
had comfortable quarters and plenty to eat during the winter. Having fared
sumptuously for several months, without effort on their part, they were re-
leased on the payment of a small amount out of the annuities of their tribes,
to the Sioux. The next fall Pash-e-pa-ho thought he might avoid the trouble
of stocking his larder for the winter. So he voluntarily called on the com-
mandant of Fort Armstrong, and informed him that while on a recent hunt
lie had unfortunately met a Sioux, and had yielded to the temptation to get
his scalp. He confessed that he had done a very wrongful act, and wished
to save the Great Father at Washington the trouble ot sending a letter or-
dering his arrest; therefore he would surrender himself as a prisoner. The
commandant saw through his scheme to obtain comfortable quarters and
good boarding for the winter, and so told him he was an honorable Indian,
and that his voluntary offer to surrender himself was a sufficient guarantee
that he would appear when sent for. That was the last that was heard of
the matter. Pash-e-pa-ho was never sent for.
During the first quarter of the present century the Sacs and Foxes were
frequently at war with the lowas. The latter had one of their principal villa-
ges on the Des Moines river, near where Black Hawk died many years af-
terward. It was here that the last great battle was fought between these
tribes. Pash-e-pa-ho was chief in command of the Sacs and Foxes. Black
Hawk was also a prominent actor in this engagement, but was subject to
his senior, Pash-e-pa-ho. Accounts conflict as to the date, but the eviden-
ces of the conflict were plainly visible as late as 1824. The Sacs and Foxes
surprised the lowas while the latter were engaged in running their horses
on the prairie, and therefore unprepared to defend themselves. The result
was that Pash-e-pa-ho achieved a decisive victory over the lowas.
Pash-e-pa-ho was amon^ the chiefs present at the making of the treaty
of 1832, when the " Black Hawk Purchase " was made. He was very much
fiven to intemperate habits whenever he could obtain liquor, and it is prob-
le that, like Keokuk, he died a drunkard.
52 THE NORTHWEST TEEEITORY.
WISH-E-CO-MA-QUE.
Quite prominent among the Sacs and Foxes, after their removal to Iowa,
was a man knoAvn hy the name of Hardfish, or Wish-e-co-ma-que, as it
ie in the Indian tongue. He was not a chief, but a brave who rose al-
most to the prominence of a chief. He adhered to Black Hawk in his hos-
tility toward the whites, and when Black Hawk died, Hardfish became the
leader of his band, composed mostly of those who had participated in the
Black Hawk war. When the Sacs and Foxes occupied their reservation on
the Des Moines river, Hardfish had his village where Eddyville is now lo-
cated. It was quite as respectable in size as any of the other villages of the
Sacs and Foxes. Hardfish's band was composed of people fi'om the Sac
branch of the Sac and Fox nation. One John Goodell was the interpreter
for this band. The name of Hardfish was quite familiar to the frontier
settlers of Southeastern Iowa.
OHOS-CHTJN-CA.
"When, in 1834, Gen. Henry Dodge made a treaty with the Winnebagoes
for the country occupied by them in Wisconsin, they were transferred to a
strip of land extending west from the Mississippi, opposite Prairie du Chien,
to the Des Moines river, being a tract forty miles in width. The chief of
the Winnebagoes at that time was Chos-chun-ca, or Big Wave. Soon after
their removal to this reservation they were visited by Willard Barrows, one
of the pioneers of Davenport, who had an interview with Chos-chun-ca.
He found liim clothed in a bufialo overcoat, and wearing a high crowned
hat. His nose was surmounted by a pair of green spectacles. Mr. Barrows
held his interview with the chief just south of the lower boundary of the
reservation. Chos-chun-ca was quite reticent as to the afi^airs of his people,
and refused permission to Mr. Barrows to explore the Winnebago reserva-
tion, being impressed with the, idea that the whites had sent him to seek out
all the fine country, and that if their lands were found desirable, then the
Indians would be compelled to remove again. Mr. Barrows, however, with-
out the chief's permission, passed safely through their territory.
MAIJ-HAW-GAW.
The greater portion of the territory embraced within the limits of Iowa,
was once occupied by a tribe, or nation of Indians, known in history as the
lowas (or loways), who for many years maintained an almost constant war-
fare with the Sioux, a powerful rival who lived to the north of them. The
lowas were originally the Pau-lioo-chee tribe, and lived in the region of the
lakes, to the northeast, but about the year 1700 they followed their chief,
Mau-haw-gaw, to the banks of the Mississippi, and crossing over, settled on
th& west bank of Iowa river, near its mouth, and there established a village.
They called the river on which they established their empire, Ne-o-ho-nee,
or " Master of Kivers." For some years they prospered and multiplied, but
the Sioux began to envy them the prosperity which they enjoyed, and with
no good intentions came down to visit them. Sending to Mau-haw-gaw
the pipe of peace, with an invitation to join them in a dog feast, they made
great professions of friendship. The Iowa chief, having confidence in tlicir
protestations of good feeling, accepted the invitation. In the midst of the
THE NOETHWEST TERKITOKT. 63
feast the perfidious Sioux suddenly attacked and killed the unsuspecting
Mau-haw-gaw. This outrage was never forgiven by the lowas.
MA-nAS-KAn.
One of the most noted chiefs of the lowas was Ma-has-kah (White
Cloud), a descendant of Mau-haw-gaw. He led his warriors in eighteen
battles against the Sioux on the north, and the Osages on the south, but
never failed to achieve a victory. He made his home on the Des Moines
river, about one hundred miles above the mouth, and must have been some-
thing of a Mormon, for it is said he had seven wives. In 1824 he was one
of a party of chiefs who visited Washington. He left his home on the Des
Moines to go down the river on his way to join his party, and when near
where the city of Keokulc is now located, he stopped to prepare and eat his
venison. He had just commenced his meal when some one struck him on
the back. Turning round, he was surprised to see one of his wives, Rant-
che-wai-me (Female Flying Pigeon), standing with an uplifted tomahawk
in her hand. She accosted him with—" Am I your wife ? Are you my hus-
band ? If so, I will go with you to Maw-he-hum -ne-clie (the American big
house), and see and shake the hand of In-co-ho-nee ", meaning the Great
Father, as they called the President. Ma-has-kah answered: "Yes, you are
my wife ; I am your husband ; I have been a long time from you ; I am
glad to see you ; you are my pretty wife, and a brave man always loves to
see a pretty woman." Ma-has-kah went on to AVashington accompanied by.
his " pretty wife ", Rant-che-wai-mie, who received many presents, but saw
many things of which she disapproved. When she returned, she called to-
gether the matrons and maidens of the tribe, and warned them against the
vices and follies of their white sisters. This good Indian woman was killed
by being thrown from her horse, some time after her return from Washing-
ton. In 1834 Ma-has-kah was also killed about sixty miles from his home,
on the Nodaway, by an enemy who took a cowardly advantage of him. At
the time of his death he was fifty years of age. After his death all his sur-
viving wives went into mourning and poverty, according to the custom oi
the tribe, except one named Mis-so-rah-tar-ra-haw (Female Deer that bounds
over the prairie), who refused to the end of her life to be comforted, saying
that her husband " was a great brave, and was killed by dogs ", meaning
low, vulgar fellows.
Soon after the death of Ma-has-kah, his son of the same name, at the age
of twenty-four, became the chief of the lowas. His mother was Rant-che-
wai-me, whose tragic death is mentioned above. He also visited Washing
ton in the winter of 1836-7, for the purpose of obtaining redress for injus-
tice, which he claimed had been done to his people by the government, in
failing to keep intruders from their lands, and in disregarding other stipu-
lations of the treaty made with his father in 1825.
SI-DOM-I-NA-DO-TAH.
When the whites began to make settlements on the upper Des Moines,
the region about Fort Dodge and Spirit Lake was inhabited by Sioux In-
dians, made up principally of that di\'ision of the great Sioux or Dacotah
nation known by the name of Sisiton Sioux. When, in 1848, the govern-
ment surveys of the lands purchased north of the Raccoon Forks were in pro-
gress, Mr. Marsh, of Dubuque, set out with his party to run the correction
54 THE NORTHWEST TEKRITOET.
line from a point on the Mississippi, near Dubuque, to the Missouri river.
In this work he was not molested until he crossed the Des Moines, when on
the west bank of the river, he was met by a party of Sioux, under the lead-
ership of their chief, Si-dom-i-na-do-tah, who notified Mr. Marsh and his
party that they should proceed no farther, as the country belonged to the
Indians. The Sioux then left, and Mr. Marsh concluded to continue his
work. He had not proceeded more than a mile when Si-dom-i-na-do-tah
and his band returned and surrounded the party, robbing them of every-
thing. They took their horses, destroyed their wagons and surveying instru-
ments, destroyed the land-marks, and drove the surveying party back to the
east side of the river. This, and other outrages committed on families who,
in the fall of 1849, ventured to make claims on the upper Des Moines, led
to the establishment of a military post at Fort Dodge in 1850.
In the winter of 1846-7 one Henry Lott, an adventurous border char-
acter, had, with his family, taken up his residence at the mouth of Boone
river, in what is now Webster county, and within the range of Si-dom-i-na-
do-tah's band. Lott had provided himself with some goods and a barrel of
whisky, expecting to trade with the Indians, and obtain their furs and robes.
In a short time he was waited upon by the chief and six of his braves and
informed that he was an intruder and that he must leave within a certain time.
The time having expired, and Lott still remaining, the Indians destroyed
his property, shooting his stock and robbing his bee-hives. Lott and his
step-son made their way to the nearest settlement, at Pea's Point, about 16
miles south, and reported that his family had been murdered by the Indians,
as he doubtless thought they would be after he left. John Pea and half a
dozen other white men, accompanied by some friendly Indians of another
tribe, who happened to be in that vicinity, set out with Lott for the mouth
of Boone river. When they arrived they found that the family had not
been tomahawked, as he had reported. One little boy, however, aged about
twelve years, had attempted to follow his father in his flight, by going down
the Des Moines river on the ice. Being thinly clad, the little fellow froze to
death after traveling on the ice a distance of about twenty miles. The body
of the child was subsequently found. The sequel shows that Lott was de-
termined on revenge.
In November, 1853, Lott ventured about thirty miles north of Fort Dodge,
where he pretended to make a claim, in what is now Humboldt county. He
took with him several barrels of wliisky and some goods, and he and his
step-son built a cabin near what is now known as Lott's creek in that
county. Si-dom-i-na-do-tah had his cabin on the creek about a mile west of
Lott's. In January, 1854, Lott and his step-son went to the cabin of the
old chief and told him that they had seen, on their way over, a drove of elk
feeding on the bottom lands, and induced the old man to mount his pony,
with gun in hand, to go in pursuit of the elk. Lott and his step-son fol-
lowed, and when they had proceeded some distance they shot and killed Si-
dom-i-na-do-tah. That same night they attacked and killed six of the chief's
family, including his wife and two children, his aged mother, and two young
children she had in charge — including with the chief, seven victim s in aU. Two
children, a boy of twelve, and a girl of ten years of age, escaped by hiding
themselves. Some days after, the Indians reported the murders at Fort
Dodge, thinking at first that the slaughter had been perpetrated by some of
their Indian enemies. Investigation soon revealed the fact that Lott and his
step-son had committed the deed. Their cabin was found burned down, and
THE NORTHWEST TEKRITOKT. 55
a slight snow on tlie ground showed the track of their wagon in a circuitous
route southward, avoiding Fort Dodge. Intelligence of them was received
at various points where they had been trjang to sell furs and otlier articles,
and where the chief's pony was noticed to be in their possession. Having
several days start, they made their way across the Missouri and took the
plains for California, where, it was subsequently learned, Lott was killed in
a quarrel. It is believed by many of the old settlers of Northern Iowa that
this outrage of Henr}'- Lott was the cause of that other tragedy, or rather
series of tragedies, in the history of Northern Iowa, known as the " Spirit
Lake Massacre."
INK-PA-DU-TAH.
Ink-pa-du-tah, it is said, was the brother, and became the successor, of the
chief who was murdered by Henry Lott. He is known to the whites chiefly
in connection with the horrible outrages committed at Spirit and Okoboji
Lakes in ISTorthern Iowa, and at Springfield in Southern Minnesota. He,
in connection with U-tan-ka-sa-pa (Black Bufi'alo), headed a band of about
eighteen lodges of Sioux, who, in the spring of 1857, robbed the settlers and
committed the most inhuman outrages, culminating in the massacres of the
8th and 9th of March of that year. During the year 1856 a dozen or more
families had settled about the lakes, while along the valley of the Little Sioux
river at Smithland, Cherokee, and Rock Rapids there were settlements.
Ink-pa-du-tah and his band commenced their depredations at Smithland, and
passing up the Little Sioux made hostile demonstrati<m8 both at Cherokee
and Rock Rapids, killing stock and carrying away whatever they saw proper
to take, but committed no murders until they reached the infant settlement
at the lakes. There, and at Springfield, a small settlement in Minnesota a
few miles northeast, they killed forty-one, wounded three, and took with
them as captives four women — Mrs. Howe, Mrs. Thatcher, Mrs. Marble, and
Miss Gardner. Twelve persons were missing, some of whose remains were
afterward found, having been killed while attempting to escape. Of the
four women taken captives, two were killed on their night, Mrs. Howe and
Mrs. Thatcher. The other two, Mrs. Marble and Miss Gardner, were some
months after, through the eftbrts of Gov. Madarie, of Minnesota, and the
Indian agent at Laqua Parle, purchased from Ink-pa-du-tah by employing
friendly Indians to affect the purchase. By this raid and massacre the set-
tlement at the lakes was entirely swept away. All the houses were burned,
and all the stock either killed or taken away. At Springfield the settlers
were somewhat prepared to defend themselves, having heard of the slaughter
at the lakes. Seven or eight persons, however, were killed at Springfield.
The winter preceding these massacres had been unusually severe, and
snow had fallen to the depth of from one to two feet. In March all the
ravines were filled with drifted snow, with a thick and heavy crust, so that
travel in that region was almost impossible. For this reason those infant
settlements were almost cut off from intercourse with the thickly inhabited
parts of the country. It was, therefore, some time before the news of the
massacres reached Fort Dodge, the nearest settlement. The messengers
who conveyed the intelligence were Messrs. Bell and Williams, who lived on
Little Sioux river. Messrs. Howe, Snyder and Parmenter, of Newton, who
had attempted to relieve the inhabitants at the lakes with provisions, also
upon arriving there found all the settlers murdered. They, too, hastened as
rapidly as possible to Fort Dodge and reported. Messengers were at once
56 THE NOETHWEST TEEEITOET.
sent to Webster City and Homer to request the citizens to turn out for the
relief of the frontier, and they responded promptly. Those two places fur
nished forty men and Fort Dodge eighty. The force of 120 men was
formed into three companies of forty men each, under Captains 0. B.
Eichards, John F. Duncombe, and J. C. Johnston. The battalion was
commanded by Major W. Williams. On the 25th of March the battalion
started from Fort Dodge, the snow still covering the ground and all the
ravines being so gorged with drifted snow that in places it was necessary to
cut their way through snow-banks from ten to twenty feet deep. After
marching thirty miles ten men had to be sent back, reducing the force to
110 men. In the meantime a force from Fort Eidgely was approaching
from the north. The Indians, expecting these movements, had taken their
flight across the Big Sioux river to join the Yanktons, in what is now
Dakota. The troops, after almost incredible hardships and sufferings for
eighteen days and nights, being without tents, failed to get sight of a single
hostile Indian. They found and buried the bodies of twenty-nine persons.
A number were burned in the houses by the savages, and their remains
were found in the ashes. The expedition lost two valuable citizens. Captain
J. C. Johnston, of Webster City, and William Burkholder, of Fort Dodge^
the latter being a brother of Mrs. Gov. C. C. Carpenter. They were frozen
to death on their return from the lakes. Eighteen others were more or less
frozen, and some did not recover for a year after. Several years after his
death the remains of young Burkholder were found on the prairie, being
recognized by the remains of his gun and clothing. When overcome by the
cold he was separated from his companions, and his fate was for sometime
unknown.
From this brief account of Ink-pa-du-tah, it will be conceded that there is
no reason to cherisli his memory with any degree of admiration. He was
the leader of a band comprising even the- worst element of the Sioux nation,
' the best of which is bad enough, even for savages. The germ of the band
of which he was chief, was a family of murderers, kno\vn as Five Lodges,
who, it was said, having murdered an aged chief, wandered away and formed
a little tribe of their own, with whom rogues from all the other bands found
refuge. At the time of these hostilities against the whites under Ink-pa-du-
tah, they numbered probably over 150 lodges. They were constantly roving
about in parties, stealing wherever they could from trappers and settlers.
The subsequent career of Ink-pa-du-tah has been west of the borders of Iowa
and Minnesota.
EAELY KAYIGATION OF WESTEEK EIYEES.
Navigation of the Mississippi by the Early Explorers— Flat-boats — Barges — Methods of Pro-
pulsion — Bngs and Schooners — The first Steamboat on Western Waters — The " Orleans ' ' —
The "Comet" — The " Enterprise "—Capt. Shreve — The "Washington" — The "General
Pike" — First Steamboat to St. Louis — The "Independence" the first Steamboat on the
Missouri — Capt. Nelson — "Mackinaw Boats " — Navigation of the upper Mississippi — ^The
"Virginia" — ^The "Shamrock " — Capt. James May— Navigation of the upper Missouri—
Steamboating on the Smaller Rivers.
We have accounts of the navigation of the Mississippi river as early as
1539, by De Soto, while in search of the "fountain of youth". His voyage
ended with his life, and more than a hundred years passed away, when Mar-
quette and Joliet again disturbed its waters with a small bark transported
THE NOETEnVEST TEEEITORT. 57
from the shores of Lake Superior. At the mouth of the Wisconsiu they
entered the Mississippi, and extended their voyage to the mouth of the
Arkansas. Their account is the first which ^ave to the world any accurate
knowledge of the great valley of the Mississippi river. Their perilous voy-
age was made in the summer of 1673. The account was read with avidity
by the missionaries and others about Lake Superior, and soon after a young
Frenchman named La Salle set out with a view of adding further informa-
tion in relation to the wonderful valley of the great river. His expedition
was followed by other voyages of exploration on western rivers, but the nar-
ratives of the explorers are mostly lost, so that very little of interest remains
from the voyage of La Salle to the latter part of the eighteenth century,
when the French, then holding Fort Du Quesne, contemplated the establish-
ment of a line of forts which would enable them to retain possession of the
vast territory northwest of the Ohio river. Regular navigation of the Ohio
and Mississippi, however, was not attempted until after the Revolution, when
the United States had assumed control of the western waters. Trade with
New Orleans did not begin until near the close of the century. A few flat
boats were employed in the trade between Pittsburg and the new settlements
along the Ohio river. The settlement of Kentucky gradually increased the
trade on the Ohio, and caused a demand for increased facilities for convey-
ance of freight. Boatmen soon found it profitable to extend their voyages
to the Spanish settlements in the South. Freight and passengers were con-
veyed in a species of boat which was sometimes called a barge, or hargee by
the French. It was usually from 75 to 100 feet long, with breadth of beam
from 15 to 20 feet, and a capacity of 60 to 100 tons. The freight was re-
ceived in a large covered coffer, occupying a portion of the hulk. Near the
stern was an apartment six or eight feet in length, called "the cabin",
where the captain and other officials of the boat quartered at night. The
helmsman was stationed upon an -elevation above the level of the deck. The
barge usually carried one or two masts. A large square sail forward, when
the wind was favorable, sometimes much relieved the hands. The work of
propelling the barges usually required about fifty men to each boat. There
were several modes of propelling the barges. At times all were engaged in
rowing, which was often a waste of labor on such a stream as the Missis-
sippi. Sometimes the navigators resorted to the use of the cordelle, a strong
rope or hawser, attached to the barge, and carried along the shore or beach
on the shoulders of the crew. In some places this method was imprac-
ticable on account of obstructions along the shores. Then what was known
as the "warping" process was resorted to. A coil of rope was sent out in
the yawl, and fastented to a tree on the shore, or a " snag " in the river.
While the hands on board were pulling up to this point, another coil was
carried further ahead, and the "warping" process repeated. Sometimes it
was expedient to use setting poles, but this method was used chiefly in the
Ohio. During a period of about twenty-five years, up to 1811, the mode of
conveyance on our western rivers was by flat-boats and barges. It required
three or four months to make a trip from Pittsburg to New Orleans. Pass-
engers between these points were charged from $125 to $150, and freight
ranged from $5 to $7 per 100 pounds. It cannot be supposed that under
such circumstances, the commerce of the West was very extensive.
Previous to the introduction of steamers on western waters, attempts were
made to use brigs and schooners. In 1803 several ships were built on the
Ohio, and in 1805 the ship "Scott" was built on the Kentucky river, and
58 THE NOETHWEST TEKKITOET.
in the fall of that year made her first trip to the falls of the Ohio, While there
two other vessels, built by Berthone & Co., arrived. All of them were com-
pelled to remain three months, awaiting a sufficient rise in the river to carry
them over the falls. In 1807 Mr, Dean built and launched a vessel at Pitts-
burg. This vessel made a trip to Leghorn, and when making her entry at
the custom house there, her papers were objected to on the ground that no
such port as Pittsburg existed in the United States, The captain called the
attention of the officer to the Mississippi river, traced it to its confluence
with the Ohio, thence following the latter stream past Cincinnati and Mari-
etta, to the new city in the wilderness, more than two thousand miles hy
water from the Gulf of Mexico ! All these vessels were found inadequate for
the purpose of trading on the western rivers, and were soon abandoned.
They could not stem the current of the Mississippi. They were transferred
to the gulf, and the commerce of the rivers was abandoned to Mike Fink
and his followers, remaining with them until 1811, In this year Fulton and
Livingston opened a ship-yard at Pittsburg, and built the small propeller
" Orleans ", which was also furnished with two masts. She was a boat of one
hundred tons burthen, and the first steamer that was launched on western
waters. In the winter of 1812 she made her first trip to JSi ew Orleans in
fourteen days. As she passed down the river, the settlers lined the banks,
and the greatest excitement prevailed. The flat-boatmen said she never could
stem the current on her upward trip. After her first trip, the " Orleans "
engaged in the Natchez and New Orleans trade, and paid her owners a
handsome profit on their investment. The next steamer was the " Comet ",
and she was built by D, French, She carried but twenty-five tons, and
made her first trip to New Orleans in the spring of 1814. Soon after she
was taken to pieces, and her engine used in a cotton factory. The " Vesu-
vius ", of 48 tons burthen, was launched at Fulton's ship-yard in the spring
of 1814, made a trip to New Orleans, and on her return was grounded on a
sand bar, where she remained until the next December, This boat remained
on the river until 1819, when she was condemned. The "Enterprise" was
the fourth steamboat, and was built by Mr, French, who built the " Comet."
The "Enterprise" carried seventy-five tons, and made her first trip to New
Orleans in the summer of 1814. When she arrived at her destination she
was pressed into the service of the army, under Gen. Jackson, then at New
Orleans. She was very efficient in carrying troops and army supplies from
the city to tlie seat of war, a few miles below. During the battle of the 8th
of January she was busily engaged in supplying the wants of Jackson's
army. On the 5th of May following she left New Orleans, and arrived at
Louisville in twenty-five days.
In 1816 Captain Henry Shreve built the "Washington" with many im-
provements in construction. The boilers, which had hitherto been placed in
the hold, were changed by Captain Shreve to the deck. In September, 1816,
the "Washington" successfully passed the falls of the Ohio, made her trip
to New Orleans, and returned in November to Louisville. On the 12th of
March, 1817, she departed on her second trip to New Orleans, the ice then
running in the Ohio slightly retarding her progress. . She made the trip
successfully, and returned to the foot of the falls in forty-one days— the
upward trip being made in twenty-five days. By this time it was generally
conceded by the flat-boatmen that Fitch and Fulton were not visionary fools,
but men of genius, and that their inventions could be turned to immense
advantage on the rivers of the West. Steamboats from this time on rapidly
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 59
multiplied, and the occupation of the old flat-boatmen began to pass awaj
On Captain Slireve's return to Louisville the citizens gave him a public re-
ception. Toasts and speeches were made, and the " Washington " declared
to be the herald of a new era in the West. Captain Shreve in his speech
asserted that the time would come when the trip to New Orleans would be
made in ten days. His prediction was more than verified, for as early as
1853, the trip was made in four days and nine hours.
While these festivities were going on in Louisville, the " General Pike "
was stemming tlie current of the Mississippi for a new port in steamboat
navigation. With a heavy load of freight and passengers she left New
Orleans for St. Louis. On her arrival at the latter city several thousand
people greeted her as she slowly approached the landing.
Steam navigation commenced on the Missouri in 18] 9, the first boat being
the " Independent ", commanded by Captain Nelson. She ascended as far as
Chariton and Franklin, at which points she received a cargo of furs and
buffalo hides, and returned with them to St. Louis.
In 1816 Fort Armstrong was erected at the lower end of Rock Island. On
the 10th of May of this year Col. Lawrence, with the Eighth Regiment and
a company of riflemen, arrived here in keel boats. Col. George Davenport
resided near the fort and supplied the troops with provisions, and also engaged
in trading with the Indians. Most of his goods were brought from "Macki-
naw " through Green Bay, thence up Fox river to the " Portage ", where they
were packed across to the Wisconsin river, and carried down the Mississippi
in what were called " Mackinaw Boats." The navigation of the upper Missis-
sippi was confined to keel-boats until 1823, when the first steamboat — the
" Yirginia" — from Wheeling ascended with provisions to Prairie du Chien.
This boat was three or four days in passing the rapids at Rock Island.
After this, up to 1827, steamboats continued to ascend the upper Mississippi
occasionally with troops and military stores. In this year Capt. James May,
of the steamboat "Shamrock", made the first voyage with her from Pitts-
burg to Galena. This was the first general business trip ever made on the,
upper Mississippi by a steamboat. Capt. May continued as master of a
steamboat on this part of the river until 1834.
The first navigation of any considerable portion of the Missouri river was
that of Captains Lewis and Clarke, when in 1804 they ascended that river in
keel -boats, or barges, from its mouth almost to its source. Of late years
steamboats have navigated it regularly to Fort Benton. Steamboat navi-
gation has also been employed on many of the smaller rivers of the West,
including the Des Moines and Cedar rivers in Iowa. The introduction of
railroads has superseded the necessity of depending upon the uncertain nav-
igation of the smaller rivers for carrying purposes. The great water-courses,
however, will doubtless always remain the indispensible commercial high-
ways of the nation.
ARCHEOLOGY OF THE NORTHWEST.
Ancient Works — Conjectures — Works of the Mound Builders in Ohio — Different forms and
Classes— Mounds at Gallipolis, Marietta, and Chillicothe — Relics Found— Ancient Fortifi-
cations at Circleville and Other Places — Fre-historic Remains in Other States — In Iowa —
Excavation of Mounds — Elongated and Round Mounds — ^Their Antiquity — Who were the
Mound Builders?
Scattered all over the great Northwest are the remains of the works of an
60 THE NORTHWEST TERKITOKY.
ancient people, who must have been infinitely more advanced in the arts
than the Indian tribes who inhabited the country at the time of the advent
of the European. The question as to whether the Indians are the descend-
ants of that people, the Mound Builders, is a subject of antiquarian specula-
tion. One thing, however, is certain, that a people once inhabited all this
vast region who possessed some considerable knowledge of the arts and even
the sciences; a people of whom the Indians possessed no knowledge, but
whose works have survived the mutations of hundreds, and perhaps tlious-
ands of years, to attest that they lived, and acted, and passed away. There
have been various conjectures of the learned concerning the time when, by
what people, and even for what purpose, these monuments of human ingenuity
were erected. Their origin is deeply involved in the obscurity of remote an-
tiquity. Keither history, nor authentic tradition, afford any light by which
to conduct inquiries concerning them, and it is probable that no certainty
upon the subject will ever be attained. Brief mention of some of these
ancient works cannot fail to interest the reader. They are found distributed
over the country generally from the Alleghany Mountains to the Kocky
Mountains. They are more numerous and more remarkable, however, in
some parts of the country than in others.
Some of the most remarkable fortifications in Ohio are at Worthington,
Granville, Athens, Marietta, Gallipolis, Chillicothe, and Circleville; also, on
Paint Creek, 18 miles northwest of Chillicothe, and on a plain three miles
northeast of the last named city. In some localities there are both mounds
and fortifications, while in others there are mounds only. The mounds vary
in magnitude, and also somewhat in shape. Some are conical, ending sharply
at the summit, and as steep on the sides as the earth could be made to lie.
Others are of the same form, except that they present a flat area on the top,
like a cone cut off at some distance from its vortex, in a plane coincident
with its base, or with the horizon. Others again, are of a semi-globular
shape. Of this description was that standing in Gallipolis. The largest
one near Worthington is of the second kind, and presents on the summit a
level area of forty feet in diameter. There is one at Marietta of this kind,
but the area on top does not exceed twenty feet in diameter. Its perpendic-
ular height is about fifty feet, and its circumference at the base twenty rods.
Those in Worthington and Gallipolis are each from fifteen to twenty feet in
circumference at their bases. A large mound once stood in the heart of the
city of Chillicothe, but was leveled forty or fifty years ago to make room for
the erection of a block of buildings, and in its destruction a number of relics
were exhumed. Several smaller mounds were located in the same vicinity.
They are found scattered in profusion in the vallies of the Miamis, Scioto,
Hocking and Muskingum rivers, as well as south of the Ohio river. One
of the largest is near the Ohio river, 14 miles below Wheeling. This is
about 33 rods in circumference, and consequently between ten and eleven
rods in diameter at its base. Its perpendicular height is about seventy feet.
On the summit is an area of nearly sixty feet in diameter, in the middle of
which is a regular cavity, the cubical content of which is about 3,000 feet.
Within a short distance of this mound are five smaller ones, some of which
are thirty feet in diameter. Some of the mounds mejitioned, and others not
referred to, have been excavated, either by the antiquarian or in the construc-
tion of public works, and in most of them human bones have been discov-
ered. Most of these bones crumble in pieces or resolve into dust shortly
after being exposed to the air; except in some instances, wherein the teeth.
NORTH
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 61
I'aw, skull, and sometimes a few other bones, bj reason of their peculiar
solidity, resist the eftects of contact with the air. From the fact of the find-
ing human remains in them many have inferred that they were erected as
burial places for the dead. In some of them, however, which have been ex-
amined, no liuman remains have been discovered, but pieces of pottery, stone
hatchets, and other relics, are found in nearly all.
Many of these mounds are composed of earth of a different quality from
that which is found in their immediate vicinity. This circumstance would
seem to indicate that the earth of which they were composed was transported
some distance. A striking instance of this difference of composition was
first noticed some sixty or seventy years ago, in a mound at Franklinton,
near the main fork of the Scioto river. This mound was composed alto-
gether of clay, and the brick for the court-house in that town were made of
it at that time. In it were likewise found a much greater number of hu-
man bones than is usually found in mounds of its size. The characteris-
tics mentioned in connection with the mounds in Ohio apply to those gen-
erally throughout the Northwest.
Not so numerous as the mounds, but more remarkable as involving the
principles of science, especially mathematics, are the fortifications, or earth
walls, found in many places. They are commonly supposed to have been
forts, or military fortifications. They generally consist of a circular wall,
composed of earth, and usually as steep on the sides as the dirt could con
veniently be made to lie. Sometimes, though rarely, their form is elliptical,
or oval, and a few of them are quadrangular or square. In height they are
various ; some of them are so low as to be scarcely perceptible ; some from
twenty to thirty feet in height, while others again are of an intermediate
elevation. The wall of the same fort, however, is pretty uniformly of the
same height all around. They are likewise equally various in the contents
of the ground which they enclose, some containing but a few square rods of
ground, while others contain nearly one hundred acres. The number of their
entrances, or gateways, varies in different forts from one to eight or more,
in proportion to the magnitude of the enclosure. The walls are mostly sin-
gle, but in some instances these works have been found to consist of two
parallel walls, adjacent to each other. The forts are generally located on
comparatively elevated ground, adjoining a river or stream of water. Their
situation is usually such as a skillful military engineer or tactician would
have selected for military positions. This fact would seem to strengthen
the theory that they were designed and constructed for fortifications.
The city of Circleville, Ohio, is located on the site of one of the most re-
markable of these fortifications, and from this circumstance takes its name.
There are, or were, indeed, two forts at that place, one circular, and the other
square, as represented in the diagram on the opposite page.
In this, it will be seen that a square fort adjoins a circular one on the east,
communicating with it by a gateway. The black points in the square fort,
opposite the gateways, show the location of mounds, each about three feet
high. The circular fort consists of two parallel walls, whose tops are, ap-
parently, about three rods apart, the inner circle being forty-seven rods in
diameter. Between these two walls is a fosse, excavated sufiiciently deep
and broad to have afforded earth enough for the construction of the exterior
wall alone, and no more. From this circumstance and others, the earth for
the construction of the inner wall is supposed to have been transported from
a distance. The inner wall is composed of clay, and the outer one of dirt
62 THE NORTHWEST TEKKITOET.
and gravel of similar quality with that which composes the iieigliLoring
ground, which is another circumstance quite conclusive of the coiTectness
of the conjecture that the material for the inner wall was brouo-ht from a
distance. There is but one original opening, or passage, into tlie circular
fort, and that is on the east side, connecting it with the square one. The
latter has seven avenues leading into it, exclusive of the one which connects
with the circle. There is one at every corner, and one on each side equi-distant
from the angular openings. These avenues are each twelve feet wide, and
the walls on either hand rise immediately to their usual height, which is
above twenty feet. "When the town of Circleville was originally laid out,
the trees growing upon the walls of these fortifications and the mounds
enclosed in the square one, were apparently of equal size and age, and those
lying down in equal stages of decay, with those in the surrounding forest,
a circumstance proving the great antiquity of these stupendous remains of
former labor and ingenuity. Of course, the progress of modern civiliza-
tion in the building of a city over these ancient remains, has long since
nearly obliterated many of their parts. The above is a description of them as
they appeared sixty years ago, when Circleville was a mere village, and be-
fore the hand of modern vandalism had marred or obliterated any of the
parts. A somewhat minute description of these ancient remains is given,
not because they are more remarkable than many others found in different
parts of the JSTorthwest, but as an example to show the magnitude of many
similar works. Among others in the same State may be mentioned a re-
markable mound near Marietta, which is enclosed by a wall embracing an
area 230 feet long by 215 wide. This mound is thirty feet high and ellip-
tical in form. This mound, with the wall enclosing it, stand apart from two
other irregular enclosures, one containing fifty and the other twenty-seven
acres. Within the larger of these two enclosures there are four truncated
pyramids, three of which have graded passage ways to their summits. The
largest pyramid is 188 feet long by 132 feet wide, and is ten feet high.
From the southern wall of this enclosure there is a graded passage way 150
feet broad, extending 600 feet to the immediate valley of the MuskiuOTm
river. This passage way is guarded by embankments on either side from
eight to ten feet high. In the smaller square there are no pyramidal struc-
tures, but fronting each gate-way there is a circular mound. The walls of
these several enclosures are from twenty to thirty feet broad at the base, and
from five to six feet high. Besides these, many similar embankments rnay
be traced in the same vicinity.
Squier and Davis, authors of that most elaborate work, entitled "The An-
cient Monuments of the Mississippi Yalley", estimated that there were in
Ross county, Ohio, at least one hundred enclosures and five hundred mounds.
They give the probable number in that State at from one thousand to fifteen
hundred enclosures, and ten thousand mounds. These estimates are quite
likely to be far below the actual number, as their investigations were made
many years ago, when large portions of the State were yet covered with for-
ests, and before any general interest had been awakened on the subject of
which they treated. Among the remarkable fortifications in Koss county
is one at Cedar Bank, on the east side of the Scioto river, about five miles
north of Chillicothe. It is of a square form, enclosing an area of thirty-
two acres. The west side of this enclosure is formed by the high bluff bor-
dering the river at this point. There are two gate-ways opposite each other,
one on the north and the other on the south side. Inside of the enclosure.
a .|%iijL^?^jJ^
eiiamMmM
ft
1
ii'~
Scagg
ii
THE NOKTHWEST TEERITOKY. G3
on a line with the gate- ways, tliere is a mound 245 feet long and 150 feet
broad. The form of this work is shown by the diagram on the opposite page.
When this work first attracted the attention of Mr. E. G. Squier, Dr.
Davis, and others engaged in archseological research, it was in the midst of
a dense forest of heavy timber. Trees of the largest growth stood on the
embankments, and covered the entire area of ground enclosed. About a
mile and a half below, on the same side of the Scioto, are other fortifica-
tions, both circular and square, even more remarkable than the one last de-
scribed, on account of the forms and combinations which they exhibit.
Another fortification in this county, in the form of a parallelogram, 2,800
feet long by 1,800 feet wide, encloses several smaller works and mounds,
which altogether make 3,000,000 cubic feet of embankment.
A series of the most wonderful and most gigantic of these pre-historic
works, is to be found in the Licking Valley, near Newark. They cover an
area of two square miles. The works are of such vast magnitude that even
with our labor-saving implements to construct them, would require the la-
bor of thousands of men continued for many months. "Fort Ancient", as
it is called, in Warren county, Ohio, has nearly four miles of embankment,
from eighteen to tAventy feet high.
Mounds and fortifications similar to those in Ohio are found in all the
States of the Northwest, and indeed, throughout the entire valley of the
Mississippi and its tributaries. In the valley of the Wabash, in Indiana,
are many interesting remains of the works of the Mound Builders. Near
Kahokia, Illinois, there is a mound 2,000 feet in circumference, and ninety
feet high. Many remarkable objects of interest to the antiquary are found
in Wisconsin. Scattered over her undulating plains are earth-works, mod-
eled after the forms of men and animals. At Aztalan, in Jefferson county,
is an ancient fortification 550 yards long and 275 yards wide. The
walls are from four to five feet high, and more than twenty feet in thickness
at the base. Near the Blue Mounds, in that State, there is another work,
in form resembling a man in a recumbent position. It is one hundred and
twenty feet long and thirty feet across the trunk. At Prairieville there is
still another resembling a turtle in shape which, is fifty-six feet in length.
At Cassville there is one wliiah is said to resemble the extinct mastedon.
In some instances these animal resemblances and forms are much defaced
by time, while in other cases they are distinctly visible. Fragments of an-
cient pottery are found scattered about most of them.
Scattered over the surface of Iowa, also, are to be found many of these
monuments of a pre-historic race. The mounds especially are numerous,
appearing most in that portion of the State east of the Des Moines river,
but in a few instances west of it. Groups of mounds are found along Iowa
river, in Johnson county, presenting the same general appearance with those
in the States east of the Mississippi. Near the mouth of this river, in Louisa
county, are the remains of an ancient fortification, with a number of mounds
in the same vicinity, which have attracted the attention of the curious. In
the vicinity of Ottumwa, Wapello county, are a large number of mounds,
several of which have been examined. There is a chain of them in this last
named county, commencing near the mouth of Sugar Creek, a small tribu-
tary of thp Des Moines, and extending twelve miles nortward, with distances
between tiiem in some instances as great as two miles. Two of them were
excavated several years ago. One of them was about 45 feet in diameter,
and situated upon the highest ground in the vicinity. The other was directly
64 THE NORTHWEST TEEKITOEY.
north about one-fourtli of a mile. Its diameter at the base was about 75
feet. In the center of this last named mound, was found, at the depth of
four feet, a layer of stone, with the appearance of having been subjected to
the action of lire. There were also found a mass of charcoal, a bed of ashes,
and calcined human bones. A number of relics were also found in the
smaller mound first mentioned. These examinations were made by several
gentlemen of Ottumwa.
Mr. F. C. Koberts, in a Fort Madison paper, writes of the examination of
a mound situated about six miles north of that city, a few years ago. It is
located on the brow of a hill, is of an elliptical shape, and small in size,
being only about 30 feet long, and fifteen feet wide; its height was about
six feet. The mound contained a number of separate compartments, con-
structed as follows : First, there was a floor made of limestone, which must
have been brought a distance of several miles, as none nearer could have
been obtained. This floor was laid regular and smooth, the best stone only
being used. Above the floor, with an intervening space of about twenty
inches, there was a roof, also made of limestone. The sides of this vault, if
it may so be called, seemed to have once had stone walls, but they were more
or less caved in. It was also thought that the roof had originally been much
higher. The compartments were made by partitions or walls of stone. Each
compartment was occupied by a human skeleton, and articles of flint and
stone, as well as some bones of animals. All the skeletons of human origin
were placed in a sitting position, with the knees drawn up, and the head in-
clined forward between them. The arms were placed by the side, and some-
times clasped around the knees. Besides the human bones, there were those
of some large birds and of some animal. Some of these were charred, and
were found in connection with charcoal and ashes. .There were numerous
flint weapons, and small three cornered stones.
In Clayton and other counties in the northeastern part of the State, the
Mound Builders have left numerous monuments of their existence in that
region in pre-historic times. The researches of Hon. Samuel Mnrdock, of
Clayton county, have been extensive and successful in giving to the scien-
tific and antiquarian world much information in relation to these works
of an ancient people who once occupied our continent. He has collected
a vast number of relics from the mounds in that portion of the State.
After long and thorough investigation, he gives it as his opinion that in
Clayton county alone there are not less than one hundred thousand arti-
ficial mounds, including the two classes, the round and the elongated,
the latter ranging from one hundred to six hundred feet in length.
All of them, so far as examinations have been made, contain more or less
skeletons. One which was examined near Clayton was estimated to have
contained over one hundred bodies. From investigations made, the infer-
ence is drawn that the elongated mounds are of greater antiquity than the
round ones. The skeletons found in the former are in a more advanced state
of decay, and in some of them there is scarcely any trace of bones. In
nearly all the round mounds skeletons were found in a remarkably good
state of preservation, and can be obtained by the thousand. These facts in-
dicate most conclusively that the elongated mounds were the work of an
older race of the Mound Builders, and that they were erected ages before the
round ones were. The fact that human remains have been found in nearly
all of both classes favors the theory that they were erected as receptacles for
the dead.
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
fJ,*)
A PIONEER WINTER.
66 THE NORTHWEST TEKKITOKT.
While workmen were excavating a mound for tlie foundation of a ware-
house in the city of McGregor, in the summer of 1874, human bones were
found, and also a stone axe weighing thirteen pounds. It was embedded
twenty feet below the original surface.
As stated, the work of the Mound Builders was not confined to that por-
tion of the State embracing the Mississippi drainage. Similar remains,
though not so numerous, are observed on the western slope of the water- shed
between the two great rivers bordering the State. Some five miles below
Denison, Crawford county, in the valley of Boyer river, there is a semi-cir-
cular group of artificial mounds. They are situated on a plateau, rising
above the first, or lower bottom, and are about nine in number, each rising
to a height of from five to six feet above the general level of the ground.
Another similar group is located on a second bottom, at the mouth of Para-
dise creek, in the same county. Human remains have been found in some
of them.
Having noticed briefly some of the various forms in which these stupen-
dous works of men who lived far back in the centuries, whose annals have
not come down to us in any written language, we can say now that the most
learned have only been able to conjecture as to the remoteness of their an-
tiquity. The evidences that they are of very great age are abundant and
conclusive, hut how many htmdreds or thousands of years? This is the
problem that many an antiquary would freely give years of study and inves-
tigation to solve. The length of time which elapsed during which these
works were in progesss is another of the unsolved questions connected with
them, and yet there is abundant evidence that some of them are much older
than others ; that the process of their construction extends over a large dura-
tion of time — a time during which the Mound Builders themselves passed
through the changes which mark the monuments that they have left behind
them. It is a well known fact that the manners and customs of rude nations
isolated from intercourse and commerce with the world, pass tlirough the
process of change and development very slowly. The semi-ci»vilized nations
of eastern lands, after the lapse of thousands of years, still cling to the man-
ners and customs, and the superstitions of their ancestors, who lived at the
early dawn of our historic period. They use the same rude implements of
husbandry, the same utensils in the household, the same arms in warfare,
and practice the same styles of dress — all with but little change or modifi-
cation. The changes are only sufiiciently marked to be perceptible after
many generations have passed away. Situated as the Mound Builders were,
we can but infer that they too passed slowly through the processes of change,
and the works which they have left behind them thoroughly attest the truth
of this proposition. Their older works appear to be more elaborate and
more intricate, showing that the earlier workers were possessed of a higher
degree of attainment in the mechanical arts than those whose works are
more recent. The inference is that probably after long ages, they gradually
retrograded, and were finally subdued or driven southward into Mexico and
Central America, by the ancestors of the Indians, who came upon them from
the northwest, as the Goths and Yandals invaded and subverted the Roman
Empire. This final subjugation may have resulted after centuries of war-
fare, during which time these fortifications were constructed as defences
against the enemy. That they were for military purposes is scarcely sus-
ceptible of a doubt. This implies a state of warfare, and war implies an
enemy. The struggle ended in the final subjugation of that people to whom
THE NORTHWEST TEEEITOKT. 67
we apply the name of Mound Builders — tlieir conquerors and successors
being a race of people in whom we recognize to this day, traces of the
Asiatic type.
We, another race of people, after the lapse of other ages, tread to-day, in
our turn, on the ruins of at least a limited civilization — a civilization older
than that of the Aztecs, whom Oortez found in Mexico. This great Missis-
sippi valley was once a populous empire, millions of whose subjects repose
in the sepulchers scattered in our valleys and over our prairies. While we
bow at the shrine of a more intelligent Deity, and strive to build up a truer
and better civilization, let us still remember that we tread on classic ground.
SKETCHES OF WESTEKN AND NORTHWESTERN STATES.
Legislation in Regard to Ohio — Admission as a State — Description — Climate and Soil — Origin
of Name — Seat of Govemment-^Legislation in Regard to Indiana — Description — Lost
River — Wyandot Cave — Seat of Government — Internal Improvements — "Vmcennes — Illi-
nois — Admission as a State — Description — Productions — Towns and Cities — "Lover's
Leap'' — "Buffalo Rock" — "Cave in the Rock" — Michigan — ^The Boundary Question
— Admission as a State — Description — History — Towns and Cities— Wisconsin — Descrip-
tion — Climate and Productions — Objects of Interest — Towns and Cities — Sketch of Mil-
waukee — Minnesota — Description — Lakes — Climate and Productions — Natural Scenery —
Red Pipe Stone — Historical Sketch — Towns and Cities — Nebraska — Description — Towns
and Cities — Missouri — Organic Legislation — The " Missouri Compromise " — Description —
Early Settlement — St. Louis — Other Towns and Cities.
Ohio was the first State formed out of the territory northwest of the river
Ohio, which was ceded to the United States by the General Assembly of
Virginia in 1783, and accepted by the Congress of the United States, March
1, 1784. This territory was divided into two separate governments by act
of Congress of May 7, 1800. Ohio remained a Territorial government until
under an act of Congress, approved April 30, 1802, it adopted a State consti-
tution, and was allowed one representative in Congress. On the first of
November of the same year the constitution was presented in Congress.
The people having, on November 29, 1802, complied with the act of Con-
gress of April 30, 1802, whereby the State became one of the United States,
an act was passed and approved February 19, 1803, for the due execution of
the laws of the United States within that State.
The State embraces an area of about 39,964 square miles, or 25,576,960
acres. There are no mountains, but the central portion of the State is ele-
vated about 1000 feet above the level of the sea, while other portions are
from 600 to 800 feet in elevation. A belt of highlands north of the middle
of the State separates the rivers flowing north into Lake Erie from those
flowing south into the Ohio river. The middle portion of the State in
great part is an elevated plain with occasional patches of marsh land. A
large proportion of the State When first settled was covered with forests, but
in the central part there was some prairie. Boulders are found scattered
over the surface, as they are generally throughout the Northwest.
The bituminous coal-field of the State extends over an area embracing
nearly 12,000 square miles. It occupies the eastern and southeastern parts,
with its northern boundary running near Wooster, Newark, and Lancaster.
There are also frequent beds of limestone, as well as sandstone well suited for
heavy masonry. The most important of the other mineral productions is
68 THE NORTHWEST TEERITOEY.
iron, wliicli it possesses in great abundance. This is found running through
the counties of Lawrence, Gallia, Jackson, Meigs, Yinton, Athens, and
Hocking, in a bed 100 miles long by 12 wide. For fine castings it is not
surpassed by that found in any other part of the United States. Salt
springs are also frequent.
The great river of the State is the Ohio, which forms its southern bound-
ary, and receives the tributary volume of waters flowing from the Muskin-
gum, Scioto, and Miami, as well as those of many smaller streams. The
interior rivers mentioned vary in length from 110 to 200 miles. The Ohio
is navigable by steamboats of the first-class during one-half the year to Pitts-
burg. The Muskingum is navigable by means of dams and locks to
Zanesville, 70 miles from its mouth, and at times 30 miles farther up to
Coshocton. On the northern slope of the State, beginning at the northwest,
are the Maumee, Sandusky, Huron, and Cuyahoga, all flo^ving into Lake
Erie, and all flowing their entire course within the State, except the Mau-
mee, which rises in Indiana. The last-named river is navigable for lake
steamers a distance of 18 miles. Lake Erie coasts the state about 150 miles
on the north and northeast, affording several good harbors.
The climate in the southern part of the State is mild, while in the north
the temperature is equally as rigorous as in the same latitude near the
Atlantic. Great droughts have occasionally prevailed, but the State is re-
garded as one of the most productive in tne Union. Indian com, wheat,
rye, oats, and barley, are the leading cereals. All the fruits of the temperate
latitudes are generally abundant. The forest trees are of many kinds, includ-
'ing the several varieties of oak, hickory, sugar and maple, beech, poplar, ash,
sycamore, paw-paw, buckeye, dogwood, cherry, elm, and hackberry.
The State receives its name from that of the river which forms its southern
boundary. It is of Indian or aboriginal origin. It is not easy to determine
its real signification in the Indian Tankage, but some writers have claimed
that it means handsome or beautiful. This opinion would seem to be some-
what plausible from the fact that the early French explorers called it La
Belle Riviere^ or the Beautiful Kiver, having probably learned the significa-
tion of the Indian name, and therefore gave it a French name with the
same signification.
Ohio was first partially settled by a few French emigrants on the Ohio
river, while they possessed Canada and Louisiana, about the middle of the
the last century. But these settlements were very inconsiderable until the
year 1787 and 1788, when the Ohio Company and others from New England
made the settlement at Marietta. The early inhabitants were mucli annoyed
by the incursions of the Indians, who had successively defeated Gen. Harmar
and Gen. St. Clair, in 1791 and 1792, but were themselves utterly routed by
Gen. Wayne in August, 1794. Fort Sandusky, in the war of 1812, was suc-
cessfully defended by Maj. Croghan, then but 21 years of age, with 160 men
against the attack of Gen. Proctor, with 500 British regulars and as many
Indians. Cincinnati was laid out as early as 1788, but there were only a few set-
tlers until after Wayne's victory. It then improved rapidly, having in 1818
a population of upward of 9,000. Chillicothe was laid out in 1796, and in
1818 had a population of 2,600. Columbus, the present capital, was laid
out early in the year 1812, and in 1818 contained about 1,500 inhabitants.
Cleveland was laid out in 1796, and about the same time a number of set-
tlements were made along^the Miami. Until the legislature met in Colum-
bus, in December, 1816, Cincinnati and ChiUicothe^had alternately enjoyed
THE NORTHWEST TEKKITORY. 69
the distinction of being both the Territorial and State capitals. In 1814 the
first State-house, a plain brick building, was erected at Columbus, the per-
manent seat of the State Government. In February, 1852, it was entirely
consumed by fire, and was succeeded by the present fine State capitol, which
had been commenced prior to the destruction of the old one. The conven-
tion which formed the first constitution of the State was held in Chillicothe,
in November, 1802.
The following table shows the population of Ohio at the close of each
decade from 1800 to 1870:
YEAR.
WHITE.
COLORED.
AGGREGATE.
1800
45,028
228,861
576,572
928,329
1,502,122
1,955,050
2,302,808
2,601,946
337
1,899
4,723
9,574
17,345
25,279
36.673
63,213
4.5,365
230,760
581,295
937,903
1,519,467
1,980,329
*2,339,511
*2.665,260
1810
1820
1830
1840
1850
I860
1870
* The above aggregate for 1860 includes
1870 includes 100 enumerated as Indians.
enumerated as Indians, and the aggregate for
Indiana was formed out of a part of the ^Northwestern Territory which
was ceded to the United States by the Virginia. It received a separate Ter-
ritorial form of government by act of Congress of May 7, 1800, and William
Henry Harrison was appointed Governor. At this time it included all the
territory west to the Mississippi river, including all now embraced in the
States of Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and that part of Minnesota east of
the Mississippi. The seat of the territorial government was established at
Yincennes. By act of January 11, 1805, it was divided into two separate
foyernments, and that of Michigan created. Again, February 3, 1809, that of
llinois was created. On the 19th of April, 1816, Congress passed an act
to enable the people of Indiana to form a constitution and State government.
On the 29th of June of the same year the people formed a constitution, and
on the 11th of December, 1816, an act of Congress was approved admitting
the State into the Union. The laws of the United States were extended to
the State by an act of March 3, 1817.
Indiana is 278 miles in its greatest length from north to south, and about
144 miles in width, and includes an area of 33,809 square miles, or 21,637,-
760 acres. It has no mountains or great elevations, but portions south of
White river are somewhat hilly. Korth of the White and Wabash rivers
the country is generally level or slightly undulating. The rivers are gener-
ally bordered by rich alluvial bottom lands, sometimes extending for several
miles in width. Some of the southeastern counties in places present a
rocky surface. The eastern part is generally heavily timbered, while the
western is chiefly prairie. The State has a gradual inclination toward the
Ohio, and most of the streams flow into that river. Lake Michigan borders
the State on the northwest for a distance of about 40 miles, while the Ohio
forms the entire southern boundary. In the northern part there are some
small lakes. The Wabash is the largest interior river, and with its tributa-
ries drains nearly three-fourths of the State. At high water it is navigable
70 THE NORTHWEST TEERITORT.
bj steamboats as far as Covington. White river is its principal tributary.
It rises in two branches in the eastern part of the State, the two branches
uniting about 30 miles from the Wabash. The Maumee is formed by the
St, Joseph's and St. Mary's in the northeastern part of the State, and passes
off into Ohio. The Kankakee, one of the sources of the Illinois, drains
the northwestern part of the State. Among other streams are the Tippeca-
noe, Mississiniwa, Whitewater, Flat Rock, and Blue rivers.
The State yields an abundance of coal, the great deposit being in the
southwestern portion, and embracing an area of nearly 8,000 square miles, or
some twenty-two counties, in most of which it is profitably mined. There
are also iron, zinc, gypsum, and lime and sandstone. Many quarries of stone
yield excellent building material.
Indiana is not without its natural wonders which have attracted the atten-
tion of the curious. Among these is Lost river, in Orange county. This
stream is about fifty feet in width. It .sinks many feet under ground, and
then rises to the surface at a distance of 11 miles. Then there is Wyandot
Cave, in Crawford county. In beauty and magnificence it almost rivals the
celebrated Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. It has been explored a distance
of over twenty miles. Its greatest width is about 300 feet, and its greatest
height 245 feet. Among its interior wonders are "Bandit's Hall," "rluto's
Ravine," "Monument Mountain," "Lucifer's Gorge." and "Cal}^so'g
Island," The interior is brilliantly sparred with pendant stalactites.
The climate is milder than in the same latitude on the Atlantic coast, but
somewhat subject to sudden changes. The soil is generally productive, and
in the river bottoms very deep, well adapted to Indian corn and other kinds
of grain. The alluvial bottom lands of the Wabash and its tributaries are
especially noted for their fertility. The productions are the various kinds
of grain, vegetables, and fruits common in temperate latitudes.
Indiana has a lar^e variety of forest trees. Among those indigenous to
the State are several kinds of oak, poplar, ash, walnut, hickory, elm, cherry,
maple, buckeye, beech, locust, sycamore, cottonwood, hackberry, mulberry,
and some sassafras.
Indianapolis is the capital, and is situated on the west fork of White
river, in Marion ounty. The site was selected for the capital in 1820, while
the whole country for forty miles in every direction was covered with a
dense forest. Previous to 1825 the State capital was at Corydon, but in
that year the public ofiices were removed to Indianapolis. The State-house
was erected at a cost of $60,000, and at that time was considered an elegant
building. It is now unsuited for the purposes of a great State like Indiana
and will soon give place to a larger and more elegant structure. Indianapolis,
in 1840,had a population of 2,692 ; in 1850 it had 8,900 ; in 1860 it had 18,611 ;
and in 1870 it had 48,244.
In works of internal improvement Indiana stands among the leading States
of the Mississippi valley. Railroads radiate in all directions from Indian-
apolis, and there is scarcely a place in the State of any considerable import-
ance that is not connected, directly or indirectly, with the larger cities.
Among her early improvements were the Wabash and Erie Canal, connect-
ing Evansville with Toledo, and the Whitewater Canal, connecting Cam-
bridge City with Lawrenceburg, on the Ohio. Of the Wabash and Erie
Canal, 379 miles are within the limits of Indiana. The Whitewater Canal
is 74 miles long. Indianapolis is the largest and most important city in
the State, and among the principal cities may be mentioned New Albany,
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
71
Evansville, Fort Wayne, La Fayette, Terre Haute, Madison, Laporte, Jeffer-
sonville, Logansport, Crawfordsville, Lawrenceburg, South Bend and Michi-
gan City. Gorydon, the former State capital, is 115 miles south of Indian-
apolis, in Harrison county. "When the seat of government was removed from
this place to Indianapolis, in 1834, it remained stationary for a long time,
but within a lew years it has become more flourishing. Vincennes, the an-
cient seat of the Territorial government, is on the left bank of the Wabash
river, 120 miles south of Indianapolis. It is the oldest town in the State,
and possesses much historic interest, being first settled by the French about
the year 1735. Many of the present inhabitants are of French descent.
The seat of government was removed from Vincennes to Corydon in 1813.
The following table shows the population of Indiana, at the close of each
decade, from 1800 to 1870:
TEAR.
WHITE.
COLORED.
AGGREGATE.
1800
2,402
23,890
145,758
339,399
678,698
977,154
1,338,710
' 1,655,837
298
630
1,420
3,632
7,168
11,262
11,428
24,560
2,517
24,520
147,178
343,031
685.866
988,416
*1, 350,428
*1, 680,637
1810
1820
1830
1840
1850
I860
1870
* The above aggregate for 1860 includes 290 enumerated as Indians, and the aggregate for
1870 includes 240 enumerated as Indians.
Illinois was formed out of a part of the Northwestern Territory, which
was ceded to the United States by the State of Virginia. An act for divid-
ing the Indian Territory, was passed by Congress, and approved February
3d, 1809. An act to enable the people of the Territory to form a constitu-
tion and State government, and authorizing one representative in Congress,
was passed and approved April 18th, 1818. By the same act a part of the
Territory of Illinois was attached to the Territory of Michigan. The people
having, on the 26th of August of the same year, formed a constitution, a
joint resolution was passed by Congress, and approved December 3d, 1818,
admitting the State into the Union, and on the 2d of March following, an
act was approved to provide for the due execution of the laws of the United
States within the State of Illinois.
The extreme length of Illinois from north to south is about 380 miles',
and its greatest width about 200 miles. It embraces an area of 55,409 square
miles, or 35,459,200 acres. The surface of the State is generally level, with
a general inclination from north to south, as indicated by the course of its
rivers. There are some elevated bluffs along the Mississippi and Illinois
rivers, and a small tract of hilly country in the southern part of the State.
The northwest part also contains a considerable amount of broken land.
Some of the prairies are large, but in the early settlement of the State there
were many small prairies, skirted with fine groves of timber. The prairies
are generally undulating, and in their native state were clothed in a great
variety of beautiful wild flowers. The State is weU supplied with minerals
of great economic value. The region of Galena, in the northwest part, has
72
THE NORTHWEST TERBITORT.
LINCOLN MONUMENT, SPRINGFIELD, ILL.
THE NORTHWEST TERKITORY. 73
for many years yielded vast quantities of lead. The coal fields cover an area
of M,000 square miles. There are salt springs in Gallatin, Jackson and
Yermillion counties; and medicinal springs, chiefly sulphur and chalybeate,
have been found in several places. Excellent building stone for heavy ma-
sonry, are quarried at Joliet, La Mont, Quincy, and other places.
Illinois possesses pre-eminent facilities for water transportation, the Missis-
sippi river forming the entire western boundary, and the Ohio the entire
southern, while Lake Michigan bounds it on the northeast GO miles. The
Illinois river is navigable for steamboats 286 miles. Rock river, though
having obstructions near its mouth, has in times of high water been navi-
gated for a considerable distance. Kaskaskia, Sangamon and Spoon rivers
have also been navigated by steamboat, but the construction of railroads has
in a great measure superseded the necessity of this means of transportation.
Among the rivers are the upper portion of the Wabash, which receives from
this State the waters of the Yermillion, Embarras and Little Wabash. The
principal tributaries, or souTces, of the Illinois river are Kaskaskia, Des
l^laines and Fox rivers. Lake Peoria is an expansion of the Illinois river,
near the middle of the State. Lake Pishtoka, in the northeast part, is a lake
of some importance.
Illinois, extending through five degrees of latitude, presents considerable
variety of climate. Peaches and some other fruits, which do not succeed so
well in the northern part, rarely fail to yield abundantly in the southern part.
The State has immense agricultural capabilities, unsurpassed, indeed, by any
other State in the Union, unless it may be the younger State of Iowa. Among
its agricultural staples are Indian corn, wheat, oats, rye, potatoes, butter and
cheese. Stock raising on the prairies of Illinois has, for many years, been
carried on extensively. All the fruits and vegetables common to the latitudes
in which it is situated are successfully and abundantly produced.
Timber is plentiful, but not very equally diffused. The bottom lands are
suppKed with fine growths of black and white walnut, ash, hackberry, elm,
sugar maple, honey locust, sycamore, Cottonwood, hickory, and several species
of oak. Some of these also grow on the uplands, and in addition white oak,
and other valuable kinds of timber. White and yellow poplar flourish in
the southern part, and cypress on the Ohio bottom lands.
As we have seen, Illinois did not become a member of the Federal Union
until 1818, yet settlements were made within its limits about the same time
that William Penn colonized Pennsylvania, in the latter part of the seven-
teenth centtiry. These settlements, like other French colonies, failed to in-
crease very rapidly, and it was not until after the close of the Eevolution,
that extensive colonization commenced.
Springfield, the capital of Illinois, was laid out in 1823. It is situated
three miles south of the Sangamon river, in Sangamon county, and is sur-
rounded by rich and extensive prairies, which have been transformed into
splendid farms. Large quantities of bituminous coal are mined in this
vicinity. This city will ever be memorable as the home of Abraham Lincoln,
and as the place where his remains are entombed. In 1840 it had a pop-
ulation of 2,579; in 1850 it had 4,533; in 1860 it had 7,002; and in 1870
it had 17,364. Since the last date the population has increased rapidly. A
new and magnificent State capitol has been erected, and Springfield may
now be regarded as one of the fiourishing cities of Illinois.
Chicago, on the site of old Fort Dearborn, is now the largest interior city
of the United States. It stands on the shore of Lake Michigan, with the
74
THE NORTHWEST TERKITORT.
Chicago river flowing tlirongh it. As the great commercial emporium of
the !N'orthwest, a special account of this citj will be given elsewhere. Among
other large and thriving cities are Peoria, Quincy, Galena, Belleville, Alton,
Rockford, Bloomington, Ottawa, Aurora, Lincoln, Eock Island, Galesburg,
Joliet and Jacksonville.
The internal improvements of Illinois are on a grand scale. The rail-
roads traverse almost every county, connecting her towns and cities with her
great commercial city on the lake, and with the markets of the East. Besides
these, she has her great canal, from Chicago to Peru, uniting the waters of
Lake Michigan, with the Mississippi river. This canal is 100 miles long.
A few striking features of the natural scenery of this State may be men-
tioned. Along the Mississippi are bold and picturesque bluffs, rising from
one to three hundred feet. " Starved Rock " and " Lover's Leap " are eminen-
ces on Illinois river, the former being a perpendicular mass of limestone,
eight miles below Ottawa, and rising 150 feet above the river. It is so called
from an incident in Indian warfare. A band of Illinois Indians took refuge
on this eminence from the Pottawattamies, but being surrounded by the
latter, they all died, it is said not of starvation, but of thirst. JSTearly oppo-
site " Lover's Leap " is " Buffalo Rock," 100 feet high. Here the Indians
formerly drove the buffalo, and with shouts caused them to crowd each other
over the precipice. On the banks of the Ohio, in Hardin county, is " Cave
in the Rock," the entrance to which is but little above the water. The cave
ascends gradually from the entrance to the extreme limit, back 180 feet. In
1797 it was the rendezvous of a band of robbers, who sallied forth to rob
boatmen and emigrants. Other outlaws have since made it their abode.
The following table shows the population of Illinois at the close of each
TEAR.
WHITE.
COLORED.
AGGREGATE.
1800
2,275
11,501
53,788
155,061
472,254
846,034
1,704.291
2,511.096
183
781
1.374
2,884
3,929
5,436
7,628
28,762
2,458
12,282
55,162
157,445
476,183
851,470
*1,711,951
*2,539,891
1810
1820
1830
1840
1850
I860
1870
* The above aggregate for 1860 includes 32 enumerated as Indians, and the same number
enumerated as Indians in 1870.
MICHIGAN.
Michigan was formed out of a part of the territory ceded to the United
States by the State of Yirginia. It was detached from Indiana Territory,
and become a separate Territorial government under an act of Congress ap-
proved January 11, 1805. It remained for more than thirty years under a
territorial form of government, but embraced a vast region not now inclu-
ded in the State. JDiiring this time there was considerable legislation in
regard to its boundaries, the most important of which was the adjustment
of the boundary line between Michigan and the State of Ohio, in 1836. In
January, 1833, a memorial of the Legislative Council of tlie Territoiy was
presented in Congress, praying for admission into the Union as a State.
The prayer of the memorial was not granted at that time, partly on account
THE NORTHWEST TERRITOKY. 75
of the disputed boundary question. Finally, on the 15th of June, 1836, an
act was passed " to establish the northern boundary of the State of Ohio,
and to provide for the admission of the State of Michigan into the Union,
upon conditions therein expressed." One of the conditions was, that if a
convention of delegates elected by the people of Michi^^an for the purpose
of giving their assent to the boundaries, as declared and established by the
act of June 15th, 1836, should first give their assent, then Michigan was to
be declared one of the States of the Union. This condition having been
complied with, Congress, on the 26th of January, 1837, passed an act de-
claring Michigan one of the United States, and admitting it into the Union
upon an equal footing with the original States.
Michigan occupies two peninsulas, the southern one lying between Lakes
Erie, St. Clair and Huron on the east, and Lake Michigan on the west ; and
the northern one between Lakes Michigan and Huron on the south, and
Lake Superior on the north. The northern peninsula is about 320 miles in
extreme length, from southeast to northwest, and 130 miles in its greatest
width. The southern peninsula is about 283 miles from north to south, and
210 from east to west in its greatest width. The joint area of the two
peninsulas is 56,243 square miles, or 35,595,520 acres. The northern penin-
sula embraces about two-fifths of the total area.
The southern peninsula is generally an undulating plain, with a few slight
elevations. The shores of Lake Huron are often characterized by steep
bluffs, while those of Lake Michigan are coasted by shifting sand-hills, ris-
ing from one hundred to two hundred feet in height. In the southern part
of this peninsula are large districts covered with thinly scattered trees, called
"oak openings."
The northern peninsula is in striking contrast with the southern, both as
to soil and surface. It is rugged, with streams abounding in water-falls.
The Wisconsin, or Porcupine Mountains, form the water-shed between Lakes
Michigan and Superior, and attain an elevation of 2,000 feet in the northwestern
portion of the peninsula. The shores of Lake Superior are composed of
sandstone rock, which in places is worn by the winds and waves into many
strange and fanciful shapes, resembling the ruins of castles, and forming
the celebrated ^'Pictured Eocks." The northern peninsula of Michigan
possesses probably the richest copper mines in the world, occupying a belt
one hundred and twenty miles in length by from two to six miles in width.
It is rich in minerals, but rigorous in climate and sterile in soil. Coal is
plentiful at Corunna, one hundred miles from Detroit.
The State is so surrounded and intersected by lakes as to fairly entitle it
to the soubriquet of " The Lake State." There are a number of small lakes
in the interior of the State, which add to the general variety of scenery, but
are not important to navigation. The Straits of Mackinaw (formerly -^Tit-
ten Michilimacldnac) divide the southern from the northern peninsula, and
connect the waters of Lakes Michigan and Huron by a navigable channel.
There are a number of small rivers, the most important in the southern pe-
ninsula being St. Joseph's, Kalamazoo, Grand, Muskegon and Manistee, all
emptying into Lake Michigan; and Au Sable and Siganaw, flowing into
Lake Huron, and the Huron and Kaisin discharging their waters into Lake
Erie. The principal rivers of the northern peninsula are the Menomonee,
Montreal and Ontonagon. The shores around the lakes are indented by nu-
merous bays. Several small islands belong to Michigan, the most impor-
tant of which is Isle Royale, noted for its copper mines.
76 THE NOKTHWEST TEEEITOET.
The climate of Michigan is generally rigorous, except in proximity to the
lakes, where the fruits ot the temperate zone succeed admirably. The north-
ern peninsula is favorable for winter wheat, but Indian corn does not suc-
ceed well. In the southern peninsula, Indian corn is produced abundantly,
as well as the winter grains. This part of the State is pre-eminently agri-
cultural.
Portions of the northern peninsula are heavily timbered with white pine,
spruce, hemlock, birch, aspen, maple, ash and elm, and vast quantities of
lumber are manufactured at the fine mill-sites afforded by the rapid streams.
Timber is plentiful also in the southern peninsula, and consists chieiiy of
several species of oak, hickory, ash, basswood, maple, elm, linden, locust,
dogwood, poplar, beech, sycamore, cottonwood, black and white walnut,
cherry, pine, tamarack, cypress, cedar and chestnut.
Northern Michigan abounds in picturesque scenery, among which may
be mentioned the " Pictured Eocks," composed of sandstone of various col-
ors. They extend for about twelve miles, and rise 300 feet above the water.
Sometimes cascades shoot over the precipice, so that vessels can sail between
them and the natural wall of the rock. This portion of the State every sea-
son attracts large numbers of excursionists and pleasure-seekers, on account
of its charming and interesting scenery.
The State is named for the lake which forms a part of its boundary, and
signifies in the Indian language, "Great Water." The first white settle-
ments were by the French, near Detroit and at Mackinaw, in the latter hall
of the seventeenth century ; but these colonies did not progress rapidly.
This territory, with other French possessions in North America, came into
possession of Great Britain at the peace of 1763. It remained under the
dominion of Great Britain until the American Revolution, when it became
the possession of the United States. The British, however, did not surren-
der Detroit until 1796. This region was chiefly the scene of the exploits
of the celebrated chief Pontiac, after the expulsion of the French. During
the war of 1812, Michigan became the theater of several of the battles and
many of the incidents connected with that war. At Frenchto%vn, in this
State, January 22, 1813, occurred a cruel massacre by the savages of a party of
American prisoners of war. Gen. Harrison soon after drove the enemy out
of the Territory, and removed the seat of war into Canada, where he fought
and gained the battle of the Thames.
Lansing, the capital of Michigan, is situated on Grand river, in Ingham
county one hundred and ten miles northwest of Detroit. It was selected for
the seat of government in 1847, at which time it was surrounded by an al-
most unbroken wilderness. The river here affords excellent water power.
A new and handsome State capitol has just been completed.
Detroit, situated on the river from which it takes its name, eighteen miles
from the head of Lake Erie, is the largest city in the State. It was the
capital until the removal of the seat of government to Lansing, in 1850.
Historically it is one of the most interesting cities in the West. The French
had here a military post as early as 1670. Three Indian tribes, the Hurons,
Pottawattamies and Ottawas, had their villages in the vicinity. With other
French possessions, it passed into the hands of the British at the peace of
1763, and twenty years later it came under the jurisdiction of the United
States, although, as stated above, it was not surrendered until 1796. June
11th, 1805, it was almost totally destroyed by fire. Gen. Wm. Hull, first
governor of the Territory of Michigan, then projected the city on a new
THE NOETHWEST TEKRITORT.
77
plan. On the 18th of August, 1812, this same Gen. Hull surrendered it
into the hands of the British, but the latter evacuated it September 29th of
the same jear. In 1870 the population was 79,577, and since then has rap-
idly increased.
Among the other important towns and cities in the State, are Grand Rap-
ids, Adrian, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, Jackson and Monroe.
The following table shows the population of Michigan at the close of each
decade, from 1800 to 1870 :
YEAR.
WHITE.
COLORED.
AGGREGATE.
1800
551
4,618
8,591
31,-546
211,560
395,071
736,142
1,167.282
'"144
174
293
707
2,583
6,799
11.849
551
1810
4,762
8,765
31,659
212,276
397,654
*749,113
*1,184,059
1820
1830
1840
1850
I860
1870
*The above aggreorate for 1860 includes 6,172 enumerated as Indians, and the aggregate
for 1870 includes 4,926 enumerated as Indians.
WISCONSIN.
"Wisconsin was formed out of a portion of the Territory of Michigan, but
was originally a part of the Northwestern Territory ceded by the State of
Virginia to the United States. On the 12th of December, 1832, a resolution
passed the house of representatives directing, a committee to inquire into the
expediency of creating a Territorial government for Wisconsin out of a part
of Michigan. On the 20th of April, 1836, an act was passed and approved
establishing a Territorial government. On the 20th of June, 1838, an act
was passed and approved to divide the Territory of Wisconsin, and to estab-
lish the Territorial government of Iowa. June 12, 1838, an act was passed
designating the boundary line between the State of Michigan and the Terri-
tory of Wisconsin. On the 6th of August, 1846, an act was passed and
approved to enable the people to form a constitution and State government.
On the 21st of January, 1847, the people adopted a constitution, and on the
3d of March of the same year an act of Congress was passed and approved
for the admission of the State into the Union. By act of May 29, 1848, the
State was declared admitted into the Union, to be entitled to three represen-
tatives in Congress after March 3, 1849.
The extreme length of Wisconsin from north to south is about 285 miles,
and its greatest breadth from east to west is about 255 miles. It includes
an area of about 53,924 square miles, or 34,51 1 ,360 acres. It is generally of an
elevated rolling surface, with a large proportion of prairie. There are no
mountains, properly so called, though the descent toward Lake Superior is
quite abrupt, and the rivers full of rapids and falls, which afford valuable
mill-sites. The great lakes, Superior and Michigan, lave the northern and
eastern borders, besides which there are a number of smaller lakes, the most
important of which is Lake Winnebago, southeast of the middle of the State.
It is 28 miles long and 10 miles wide, and communicates with Green Bay
through the Fox or Neenah river. In the northwestern part are numerous
small lakes, with clear water, gravelly or rocky bottoms, and bold picturesque
78 THE NORTHWEST TEKKITOKY.
shores. The rivers generally flow in a soutliwest direction and discharge
their waters into the Mississippi, which flows along the southwest border of
the State for more than 200 miles. The most important interior river is the
Wisconsin, which has a course of about 200 miles almost directly south,
when it changes its course westwardly, and flows about 100 miles further to
its junction with the Mississippi. At favorable stages it is navigable for
steamboats 180 miles. The Bad Axe, Black, Chippewa, and St. Croix rivers
are important streams for floating timber and lumber from the pine region
in the northwest part of the State. The streams flowing into Lake Superior
are small, but rapid, affording excellent mill-sites.
The climate is severe and the winters long, but the State is free from the
unhealthy changes which are common farther south. The south and middle
portions form a fine agricultural region. Wheat is the great staple produc-
tion, though all kinds of small grain and Indian corn are raised successfully.
Large portions of the State are well adapted to grazing and the dairy. The
nortliern part of the State, about the head- waters of the Black and Chippewa
rivers, and the sources of the rivers emptying into Lake Superior, has but
limited agricultural capabilities, as in that region are many ponds and
marshes, and also large quantities of boulders scattered over the surface.
There are many objects of interest to the tourist and the lover of the
picturesque. The rivers abound in rapids and falls. In St. Louis river
there is a series of cascades which have a descent of 320 feet in 16 miles.
The Menomonee river at Quinnesec Falls dashes down over a perpendicular
ledge of rocks 40 feet, and has a fall of 134 feet in a mile and a half. Among
other noted falls are the St. Croix, Chippewa and Big Bull Falls in the Wis-
consin river. Along the rivers are many grand views of bluffs, rising from
150 to 200 feet, and at one place in Richland county on the Wisconsin,
where it passes through a narrow gorge, the cliff's have an elevation of from
400 to 500 feet. On the Mississippi, in La Crosse county, the rocks rise
500 feet perpendicularly above the water.
The great lead region extends into the southwestern part of Wisconsin.
The deposit here is intermingled to some extent with coj)per and zinc,
together with some silver. Copper is found in a number of places, and also
some iron ore. The iron ores of the Lake Superior region extend into Wis-
consin. Beautiful varieties of marble are found on the Menomonee river and
in other localities.
On the upper Wisconsin river, and other tributaries of the Mississippi,
north of the Wisconsin, are vast forests of pine, and immense quantities are
annually floated down the Mississippi to supply the markets in other States.
Among other forest trees are spruce, tamarack, cedar, hemlock, oak of sev-
eral varieties, birch, aspen, basswood, hickory, elm, ash, poplar, sycamore and
sugar-maple.
Wisconsin was visited at an early period by French missionaries, and a
settlement was made in the latter part of the seventeenth century.
Madison, the capital of the State, is situated on an isthmus between Lakes
Mendota and Monona, 80 miles west of Milwaukee, and 132 miles northwest
of Chicago. Wlien the place was selected for the seat of government in
1836, there were no buildings except a solitary log cabin. The State capitol
is a fine looking stone building erected at a cost of $500,000, and stands on
an elevation seventy feet above the lakes. The city overlooks a charming
country, diversified by a pleasing variety of scenery. It has steadily and
rapidly increased in population.
THE NOETHWEST TEREITOKY.
79
The great city of "Wisconsin is Milwaukee (called at an early day " Mil-
wacky ") and next to Chicago may bo regarded as the commercial metropolis
of the Northwest. It is situated on the west shore of Lake Michigan, about
90 miles north of Chicago. Milwaukee river empties into the lake at this
point. The city is situated on both sides of the river, and has one of the
best harbors on the whole chain of lakes. The fine water power of the Mil-
waukee river is an important element in its prosperity. Being a port of
entry, the government has expended large sums in the improvements of its
harbor, and in the erection of public buildings.
In 1805 Jacques Yieau, a half-breed trader whose house was at Green
Bay, visited the country at the mouth of the Milwaukee river for the pur-
pose of trading with the Indians. This he did annually until in September,
3 818, when he brought with him a young man named Solomon Juneau, who
became his son-in-law. The young man established friendly relations with
the Indians, and in 1822 erected a block-house on the site of the present city
of Milwaukee. He remained for 18 years the only permanent white resi-
dent, being visited occasionally by fur traders to whom he sold goods. In
1836, the village which has grown to be a large city, began to appear. Jun-
eau died in 1856, at the age of 64 years, having lived to see the place he
founded grow to a prosperous and flourishing city. In 1836 the population
was 275; in 1840, it was 1810; in 1850, it was 19,873; in I860, it was 45,286;
in 1870, it was 71,640; and at the present time (1878) it is estimated at 123,-
000.
Among other important towns and cities of Wisconsin are Racine, Janes-
ville, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, AVatertown, Sheboygan, Beliot, Kenosha, La
Crosse, Wauwatosa, ^lanitowoc, Portage City, Platteville, Sheboygan Falls,
Beaver Dam, Whitewater, Port 'V/'ashington, Green Bay, Mineral Point,
Shullsburg, Monroe, Prescott, and Hudson.
The following table shows the population of Wisconsin at the close of each
decade from 1800 to 1870:
YEAR.
WHITE.
COLORED.
AGGREGATE.
1800
115
' 30,749
304,756
773,693
1,051,351
'i96
635
1,171
2,113
115
1810
1820
1830
1840
30.945
305,391
*775,881
*1, 054,670
1850
I860
1870 !
* The above aprgregate for 1860 includes 1017 enumerated as Indians, and the aofgregate
for 1870 includes 1206 enumerated as Indians.
MINNESOTA.
Tlie eastern portion of Minnesota formed a part of the territory surrendered
by the French to Great Britain at the peace of 1763, and subsequently by
the latter to the United States at the close of the E«volution. The western
portion is a part of the territory known as the Louisiana Purchase, ceded by
France to the United States in 1803. It received a Territorial form of gov-
ernment under an act of Congress which became a law March 3, 1849, and
was admitted into the Union as a State May 11, 1853.
The extreme length of Minnesota north and south is about 380 miles, and
80 THE NORTHWEST TEEEITOET.
in widtli is about 300 miles. It embraces an area of 81,259 square miles, oi
52,005,760 acres. The face of tbe country generally presents the appearance
of an undulating plain, although it is the most elevated tract of country
between the Gulf of ]\[exico and Hudson's Bay. There are no mountains,
but the summits of the water-sheds rise to a height of nearly two thousand
feet above the level of the sea.
Minnesota is one of the best watered States in the Union, being drained by
many rivers and dotted over with innumerable small lakes and some of con-
siderable size. The great Mississippi has its humble origin as a mere rivulet
in Lake Itasca. This diminutive stream, here but a few feet in width, first
meanders in a northeasterly direction, receiving tribute as it passes from a
number of other small lakes, when it changes its course to the south, and
after meandering a length of six hundred miles in Minnesota, dashes its
waters down over the Falls of St. Anthony, then flows along the border of
the State two hundred miles further, and thence grandly pursues its course
to the Gulf of Mexico. Several tributaries of the Mississippi drain the
southeastern portion of the State. The Red River of the North drains the
northern part, passing off into Hudson's Bay. It is the outlet of a number
of lakes, among which are Traverse, Otter Tail, and Red. This river also
forms the west boundary of the State for about two hundred miles. That
portion of the State sloping toward Lake Superior is drained by the St. Louis
and its tributaries. St. Peters, or Minnesota river, has a total length of
over four hundred miles within the State. Its principal branch is Blue
Earth or Mankato river, which flows nearly north. The St. Peters, Crow-
Wing and Crow rivers are tributaries of the Mississippi from the west.
Lake Superior forms a part of the eastern boundary, and the Lake of the
Woods a part of the northern. Among other lakes of considerable size are
Rainy, Red Lake, Lake Cass, and Leech Lake. Devil Lake in the north-
west part is about 40 miles long and 15 miles wide, and is said to have no
-vdsible outlet. Lake Pepin is an expansion of the Mississippi in the north-
eastern part of the State, and is a beautiful sheet of water. The State abounds
in small lakes which are mostly clear and beautiful. Owing to the multitude
of lakes Minnesota seldom suffers from inundations, as tney tend to check
the sudden rise and violence of the streams.
The climate of the northern part of Minnesota is severe, but in the
southern part is not so rigorous as to prevent fair crops of Indian corn from
being produced some seasons. Wlieat and other winter grains succeed ad-
mirably in nearly all parts. In the valleys of the rivers the soil is excellent,
and even the vaUey of the Red River of the North is regarded as a fine
agricultural region. Wheat is the great staple and the facilities for manu-
facturing flour are unsurpassed, as the water power is practically unlimited.
A portion of the State is heavily timbered with pine, and one of the great
industries is the manufacture of lumber. Extensive forests of pine grow on
the Rum, St, Croix, and Pine rivers, and on the shores of the Mississippi,
below Pokegamin Falls. Taken, as a whole, however, Minnesota cannot be
called a well-wooded country. The river bottoms furnish some very good
growths of oak, aspen, soft maple, basswood, ash, birch, white walnut, linden
and elm. In the swamps or marshy places are found tamarack, cedar, and
cypress.
Minnesota presents to the tourist many natural objects of interest, especially
in her grand and beautiful scenery along the Mississippi and around her lakes.
St. Anthony's Falls are celebrated, not so much for their magnitude as a
THE NORTHWEST TEKEITOKY. 81
cataract, as for their geological interest and the wild scenery connected with
them. Like Niagara, the falls are divided by an island, with the larger
volume of water passing on the west side. This west division is 310
yards wide. The greatest perpendicular fall of water is but ] 6^ feet, but in-
cluding the rapids the descent is 58 feet in 260 rods. The rivers of Minne-
sota have numerous picturesque falls and rapids, and are in many places
bordered with perpendicular bluffs of limestone and sandstone.
So far as revealed by geological examination, Minnesota possesses no
great mineral or metallic wealth. There is, however, a rich deposit of iron
ore in that part of the State bordering on Lake Superior. A thin vein of
lead was discovered by the geological corps of Prof. Owen on "Waraju river,
and some copper was found, but not " in place," having probably been car-
ried thither by the drift. Stone suitable for building purposes exists in
freat abundance. In the southwest part of the State is a singular deposit
nown as " red pipestone." Of this the Indians made their pipes, and the
place of its deposit was held in great sacredness by them. It is said that
different tribes at enmity with each other, met here on terms of amity and
smoked the pipe of peace. Longfellow has rendered this locality celebrate '
in " Hiawatha." It was here —
" On the Mountains of the Prairie,
On the great Red Pipe-stone Quarry,
Gitche Manito, the mighty,
He the Master of Life, descending,
On the red crags of the quarry.
Stood erect, and called the nations,
Called the tribes of men together."
The first white men who are said to have visited the country now embraced
in Minnesota, were two fur traders in the year 1654. They returned to Mon-
treal two years afterward and gave a glowing account of the country. This
was followed by the visits of trappers and missionaries, and to the latter we
are indebted for the first printed accounts of Minnesota. In 1805 an explor-
ing expedition under Pike traversed the country. A military post was
established at Fort Snelling in 1819. Excepting a British settlement at
Pembina, which was not then known to be within the limits of the United
States, no settlements were formed in Minnesota until after 1840.
St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota, is in Eamsey county, on the bank of
the Mississippi, 2070 miles from its mouth, and 9 miles by land below the
Falls of St. Anthony, The first settlement was made about the year 1 840.
The population has increased rapidly, and as a manufacturing, commercial
and business place it has assumed considerable importance. Minneapolis, a
few miles above St. Paul, is a rapidly growing city, and is noted for its
great water power and manufacturing resources. Among other important
towns are Stillwater, Eed Wing, St. Anthony, Fort Snelling, and Mankato.
The following table shows the population of Minnesota at the close of each
decade from 1850 to 1870:
YEAR.
WHITE.
COLORED.
AGGREGATE.
1850
6,038
169,395
4:38,257
89
259
759
6,077
*172,023
*439,706
1860
1870
* The above aggregate for 1860 includes 2369 enumerated as Indians, and the aggregate
for 1870 includes 690 enumerated as Indians.
82 THE NOETirWEST TEERITOKY.
NEBRASKA.
Nebraska is formed out of a part of the territory ceded to the United
States by France by the treaty of April 30, 1804. It was erected into a
separate Territory May 30, 1854, the limits subsequently being greatly
reduced by the formation of Dakota Territory in 1861, a right reserved in
the act creating the Territory of Nebraska. It was admitted into the Union
as a State, March 1, 1867.
Nebraska is in its extreme length from east to west about 412 miles, and
in breadth fi-om north to south about 208 miles, embracing an area of 75,905
square miles, or 48,636,800 acres. The greater portion of the State is an
elevated undulating prairie with a general inclination toward the Missouri
river. There are no mountains or very high hills. The soil is various, but
generally fertile, except in the western portion near the base of the Rocky
Mountains. The bottom lands along the rivers are not surpassed in fertility
by any in the United States, while the higher undulating prairie is equally
productive with that of other western States. When the prairies are once
broken they are easy of cultivation, the soil being light and mellow. The
staple productions are wheat, Indian com, oats, and other cereals common
to the latitude. The climate is mild, as compared with that of the same
latitude on the Atlantic. The summers are sometimes very warm, and the
extreme western part is occasionally deficient in rain. Taken as a whole,
however, this is destined to become one of the foremost agricultural States
in the Union. ...
Nebraska is deficient in native timber, but the older settled portions are
dotted over with groves of artificial or cultivated timber, which is so rapid
in its growth as to require but a few years to produce enough for the ordinary
wants of the settler. The rivers and streams aie generally bordered with
f'oves of native trees, including oak, walnut, hickory, cotton wood and willow,
long the Missouri river in places are some heavy growths of cottonwood.
The Missouri river forms the entire eastern boundary, and is navigable
for steamboats throughout the whole extent of that boundary and for Hun-
dreds of miles above. AmongMthe important interior rivers are the Platte,
the Niobrara, the Republican Fork ot the Kansas, the EUdiorn, the Loup
Fork of the Platte, the Big Blue and the Nemaha. These rivers are so dis-
tributed, as, with their numerous tributaries, to aftbrd admirable drainage to
all parts of the State, and as a consequence it is free from marshes, conduc-
ing to the excellent health for which Nebraska is noted.
So far as yet revealed, the State is not rich in minerals. Coal, however,
has recently been discovered in the southeastern part, in a vein sufiiciently
thick for mining. Near Lincoln are some salt springs of sufiicient magni-
tude to yield large quantities of salt. On Platte river and other streams
both limestone and sandstone are obtained of suitable quality for building
material.
Rapid progress has been made in the construction of railroads in Nebraska.
Among them are the Union Pacific and its branches, the Burlington & Mis-
souri River and its branches, and others, affording raiboad advantages to a
large portion of the State, and connecting the j)i'incipal towns with the
mam lines, east, west and south.
Lincoln, the capital of Nebraska, is in Lancaster county, in the southeast-
ern part of the State. Here are most of the State institutions. It is a
thriving young city and is in the midst of a fine agricultural portion of tlie
State. ISTear it, on a little stream known as Salt Creek, are a number of
THE NORTHWEST TEKEITOET. 83
salt springs, and considerable quantities of salt have been manufactured.
Eailroads connect it with all the ffreat markets of the country.
Omaha is the leading commercial city of the State, and is located on the
west bank of the Missouri river in Douglas county. It is 18 miles by land
above the mouth of the Platte river. The principal portion of the city is
situated on gently rising slopes extending from the river to the blujffs. The
elevations are crowned with fine residences, and command pleasant views of
the river and valley, with the city of Council Bluffs, Iowa, in the distance.
Since the completion of the Union Pacific Eailroad it has grown in popula-
tion and wealth very rapidly. A costly iron railroad bridge spans the Mis-
souri river at this point. As a produce, shipping and general commercial
point it is rapidly growing into prominence. It was the first capital of the
Territory and State, and takes its name from a tribe of Indians.
Among other important towns and cities are Nebraska City, Columbus,
Kearney, Grand Island, Hastings, Plattsmouth, Tecumseh, and Niobrara.
The following table shows the population of Nebraska by the census of
1860 and 18 TO:
YEAR.
WHITE.
COIiOKED.
AGGREGATE.
J860
28,696
122,117
82
789
28,841
122,993
1870
In the aggregate for 1860, the enumeration includes 63 Indians, and in that of 1870, the
enumeration includes 87 Indians.
Missouri was formed out of a part of the territory ceded by France to the
United States in 1803. By an act approved March 26th, 1804, the French,
or Louisiana purchase, was divided, that part embracing the present State
of Missouri being at first designated as the District of Louisiana. The
name was changed to Territory of Louisiana, by an act passed March 3d,
1805, and again by an act of June 4, 1812, Louisiana Territory was changed
to Missouri Territory. By an act passed March 2, 1819, the southern por-
tion was detached and organized as the Territory of Arkansas. During the
same year the people of the Territory of Missouri, through their Legislative
Council and House of Representatives, memorialized Congress for admis-
sion into the Union as a State. On the 6th of March following an act was
passed to authorize the people of the Territory to form a State constitution.
Missouri being the first State formed wholly out of territory west of the
Mississippi, the question of the extension of slavery came up and gave
rise to a stormy debate in Congress while the Missouri bill, as it was
called, was pending. The propriety and expediency of extending that in-
stitution to the new States west of the Mississippi, was powerfully and earn-
estly contested, and resulted in a compromise restricting slavery to certain
limits, and prohibiting the extension of slavery to certain territory. The
bill, however, of March 6th, passed without restrictions. The people on the
19th of July, 1820, adopted their constitution, which was laid before Con-
gress November 16th of the same year. The Senate passed a joint resolu-
tion declaring the admission of the State of Missouri into the tlnion. This
was referred to a select committee in the House of Representatives, and on
84 THE NORTHWEST TEKEITOET.
the loth of February, 1821, Mr. Clay made a report. The House rejected
the resohition, and on motion of Mr. Clay, a committee on the part of the
House was appointed to join a committee on the part of the Senate to con-
sider the subject and report. On the 26th of February, Mr. Clay, from the
joint committee, reported a " Kesolution providing for the admission of the
State of Missouri into the Union, on a certain condition." This resolution
was passed and approved, March 2, 1821. The condition was that Missouri,
by its legislature, should assent to a condition that a part of the State con-
stitution should never be construed to authorize the passage of a law by
which any citizen of either of the States in the Union should be excluded
from the enjojinent of any of the priviliges and immunities to which such
citizen is entitled under the Constitution of the United States. What was
known as the " Missouri Compromise," was embraced in the act of the pre-
vious session, which authorized the people of the State of Missouri to form a
State constitution, and consisted of a compromise section in the bill by which
slavery was to be forever prohibited in that part of the territory west of the
Mississippi (except the State of Missouri), lying north of thirty-six degrees
and thirty minutes north latitude. Thus, after fierce and stormy debates,
running through two sessions of Congress, Missouri came into the Union,
and the exciting question of slavery was supposed also to have been settled.
On the 10th of August, 1821, President Monroe issued his proclamation
declaring the admission of Missouri completed, according to law.
Missouri in its greatest length from east to west is about 285 miles, and
in width from north to south, 280 miles. It embraces an area of 67,380
square miles, or 43,123,200 acres. That portion of it north of the Missouri
river is mostly undulating prairie and timber land, while that portion south
of the Missouri river is characterized by a great variety of surface. In the
southeast part, near the Mississippi, is an extensive area of marshy land.
The region forming the outskirts of the Ozark Mountains is hilly and bro-
ken. West of the Osage river is a vast expanse of prairie. The geological
features of Missouri are exceedingly interesting. Coal, iron and several
kinds of stone and marble for building purposes exist in great abundance.
A vast region, in the vicinity of Iron Mountain and Pilot Knob, produces
iron of the best quality, and exists in inexhaustible quantity. It is also
found in other parts of the State. There is also lead, which has been mined
in considerable quantities. Copper is found throughout the mineral region,
but is found combined with other minerals. Silver is also combined with
the lead ore. The bituminous coal deposits are mainly on both sides of the
Missouri river, below the mouth of the Osage, and extending forty miles up
that river. Cannel-coal is found in Callaway county.
Missouri possesses the advantages of two of the greatest navigable rivers in
the United States — the Mississippi, which forms her entire eastern boundary,
and the Missouri, which flows along her northwestern border nearly two
hundred miles, and crosses the State in a south-easterly course to its junc-
tion with the Mississippi. As both of these rivers are navigable for the
largest steamers, the State has easy and read}'- commercial intercourse to the
Gulf of Mexico and the Rocky Mountains, as well as up the Ohio to Pitts-
burg. Besides the Missouri, the State has several important interior rivers,
to-wit : Grand river and Chariton, tributaries of the Missouri river from
the north, and the Osage and Gasconade from the south ; also. Salt river and
Maramec, tributaries of the Mississippi. The St. Francis and White river
THE NORTHWEST TEKKITORY. 85
drain the soutlieastern part, passing from the State into Arkansas. The
Osa^e is navigable for steamboats about 275 miles.
Missouri as a State has many material resources, fitting her for becoming
one of the most wealthy and populous States in the Union. The soil is gen-
erally excellent, producing the finest crops, while those portions not so well
adapted to agriculture are rich in minerals. The greater portion of the State
is well timbered. In the river bottoms are heavy growths of oak, elm,
ash, hickory, cottonwood, sugar, and white and black walnut. On the
uplands also are found a great variety of trees. Various fruits, including
apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries and strawberries, are produced in the
greatest abundance. Among the staple productions are Indian corn, wheat,
oats, potatoes, hemp and tobacco. A great variety of other crops are also
raised.
The State has an uneven and variable climate — the winters being very cold
and the summers excessively hot. Chills and fever are common to some
extent along the rivers.
The earliest settlement in ]\ lissouri seems to have been by the French, about
the year 1719. About that time they built what was called Fort Orleans,
near Jefferson City, and the next year v^orked the lead mines to some extent.
Ste. Genevieve was settled in 1755, also by the French, and is the oldest town
in the State. Missouri's greatest commercial metropolis, St. Louis, was first
settled in 1764, the earliest settlers being mostly French.
Jefferson City, the capital of the State, is situated on the right bank of the
Missouri river, in Cole county. It is 128 miles by land, and 155 miles by
water from St. Louis. The location being elevated, comm ands a fine view
of the river, with the pleasant and picturesque scenery which is presented at
this point on the Missouri.
St. Louis, the great commercial city of Missouri, as well as of a large por-
tion of the Northwest, is situated on the right bank of the Mississippi,
twenty miles below the mouth of the Missouri, and 174 above the mouth of
the Ohio. It is 744 miles below the Falls of St. Anthony, and 1194 miles
above New Orleans. The city enjoys many natural advantages as a com-
mercial emporium, being situated nearly midway between the two oceans,
and centrally in the finest agricultural region on the globe. "With the
greatest navigable river on the continent, affording her a water highway to
the ocean, and to many of the large inland cities of the country, St. Louis is
rapidly and surely going forward to a grand future. Her already great and
constantly improving system of railways, is tending every year to open up to
her larger fields of business and commercial intercourse. Of late years a
strong rivalry has sprung up between St. Louis and Chicago, in regard to
population, etc., each claiming to be the third city in the Union. The in-
p.rease of St. Louis since the war has been great, the ascendency being at an
ojinual rate of about ten per cent. At this increase she is fast earning the
•soubriquet of the " Future Great City."
The site on which St. Louis stands was selected February 15th, 1764, by
Laclede, as a post possessing peculiar advantages for collecting and trading
in furs, as well as for defense against the Indians. For many years it was
but a frontier village, the principal trade of which was in furs, buffalo robes,
and other collections of trappers and hunters. A great part of the popula-
tion was absent during the hunting and trapping seasons, so that the in-
fancy of this city was almost a struggle for existence. As late as 1820, the
population was but 4,598. The first brick house was erected in 1813. In
86 THE NORTHWEST TEEEITOET.
1822, St. Louis was chartered as a city, under the title given by Laclede in
in honor of Louis XV of France. In 1830 the population was 6,694, an
increase of only 2,096 in ten years. In 1840 the population had reached
16,469; in 1850 it was 77,950, including 2,650 slaves; in 1860 the popula-
tion was 160,773 ; and in 1870 it was 312,963.
Kansas City, one of the rapidly advancing young cities of the State, is
situated on the Missouri river just below the mouth of the Kansas. In
1870 the population was 32,260. Since that time there has been a rapid in-
crease, both in population and business.
St. Joseph is one of the flourishing cities, and is situated on the left, or
east bank of the Missouri river, 496 miles by water from St. Louis. It was
laid out in 1843, and became an important point of departure for overland
emigration to California and Oregon. In 1870 the population was 19,560,
but has rapidly increased since then.
Among the important and thriving towns and cities are Hannibal, Spring-
field, Boonville, Lexington, Chillicothe, Independence, Palmyra, Canton,
Iron Mount and Moberly.
The following table shows the population of Missouri at the close of each
decade, from 1810 to 1870 :
YEAB.
■WHITE.
COLOKED.
AGGREGATE.
1810
17,227
55,988
114,795
323.888
• 592,004
1,063,489
1,603,146
3,618
10,569
25,660
59,814
90,040
118,503
118.071
20,845
1820
66,557
1830
140,455
383,702
1840
1850
682,044
1360
*1, 182,012
*1,721,295
1870
* The aggregate for 1860 includes 20 enumerated as Indians, and the aggregate for 1870
includes 75 enumerated as Indians.
EXPEDITION OF LEWIS AND CLAEKE.
Organization of Exploring Party — Departure — Osage Indians — Strange Tradition of the Ori-
gin of the Osage Nation— The Missouris— Old French Fort— Artificial Mounds— The Ot-
toes and Pawnees — Indian Graves — ^The Ayauway Indians — Council with Indians at Coun-
cil Bluffs — Little Sioux River— Death of Sergeant Floyd — Great Sioux River — Red Pipe-
stone Quarries — Buffalo and other Animals — Mountain of the Little Spirits — Council with
the Sioux— Indian Idols— The Mandans— Winter Quarters— White and Brown Bears-
Antelopes — Black HlUs — First View of Rocky Mountains — Natural Scenery — The Great
Falls of the Missouri — Shoshones — Sources of the Missouri — Columbia River — The Tush-
epaws — Short of Provisions — Pierced-Nose Indians — Down Lewis River — The Sokulks —
Great Falls of the Columbia— The Echeloots— Wooden Houses— Fingers as War Tro-
pics— Sight of the Pacific— Fort Clatsop — Return— Arrival at St. Louis.
In January, 1803, President Jefferson, in a confidential message to Con-
gress in regard to Indian affairs, took occasion to recommend, among other
things, the organization of a party to trace the Missouri river to its source,
and thence proceed to the Pacific ocean. The recommendation was favor-
ably considered, and Capt. Merriwether Lewis, was, on his own application,
appointed to take charge of the expedition. Wm. Clarke was subsequently
associated with him, so that this celebrated expedition is knovm in our his-
tory as that of Lewis and Clarke. The incidents of this long, tedious, and
romantic journey are worthy to be related as among the most interesting
THE NORTHWEST TEKBITOBY. 87
in the annals of American adventure. At that time all that vast region
bordering on the Upper Missouri and its tributaries, as well as the regions
bordering on the Pacific, were unknown and unexplored by white men. By
the latter part of the year 1803 the party comprising the expedition was
made up and ready to start. The highest settlement of whites on the Mis-
souri river at that time was at a place called La Charrette, sixty-eight miles
above the mouth. At this place it had been the design of Capt. Lewis to
winter, but the Spanish authorities of Louisiana had not yet received official
information of the transfer of the country to the United States. For this
reason the party remained in winter quarters at the mouth of Wood river,
on the east side of the Mississippi.
Besides Captains Lewis and Clarke, the party was made up nine young
men from Kentucky, twelve soldiers of the regular army, two Frenchmen
as watermen and interpreters, and a colored servant belonging to Captain
Clarke — twenty-six persons in all. A corporal, six soldiers and nine water-
men, in addition to the above, were engaged to accompany the expedition as
far as the country of the Mandans, as there was some apprehension of at-
tacks by the Indians between Wood river and that tribe.
Three boats were provided for the expedition. The largest was a keel-
boat, fifty -five feet long, drawing three feet of water, carrying one large
square sail, and twenty-two oars. The other two were open boats, one of
six, and the other of seven oars.
The expedition started from the encampment at the mouth of Wood
river on Monday, May 14, 1804. Captain Lewis, who was at that time in
St. Louis, joined the expedition at St. Charles, twenty-one miles up the
Missouri, which place they reached on the 16th. Here they remained until
the 21st, when they proceeded on their voyage, reaching La Charrette, the
last white settlement, on the evening of the 26th. The village consisted of
but seven poor families. On the 1st of June they arrived at the mouth ojf
the Osage, one hundred and thirty-three miles on their journey. The coun'
try bordering on this river was inhabited by a tribe known as the Osage
Indians. They had a remarkable tradition among them as to the origin of
their nation. They believed that its founder was a snail passing a quiet ex-
istence along the banks of the Osage, till a flood swept him down to the Mis-
souri and there left him exposed on the shore. By the heat of the sun he
was changed to a man. The change, however, did not cause him to forget
his native place away up on the banks of the Osage, and he immediately
nought his old home. Being overtaken with hunger and fatigue, the Great
Spirit appeared, gave him a bow and arrow, and taught him to kill deer and
prepare its flesh for food and its skin for clothing. When he arrived at his
original place of residence he was met by a beaver, who inquired who he
was, and by what authority he came to disturb his possession. The Osage
replied that he had once lived on the borders of that river and that it was
his own home. While they were disputing the daughter of the beaver ap-
peared, and entreated her father to be reconciled to the young stranger. The
father yielded to her entreaties, and the Osage soon married the beaver's
daughter. They lived happily on the banks of the Osage, and from them soon
came the villages and nation of the Osages. Ever since they entertained a
pious reverence for their ancestors, never killing a beaver, for by so doing they
would slay a brother. It has been observed, however, that after the opening
of the fur trade with the whites, the sanctity of their maternal relations was
very much reduced.
88 THE NORTHWEST TEKEITOKY.
The next tribe mentioned by the explorers was that of the Missouris, once
a powerful nation, but then reduced to about thirty families. They finally
united with the Osages and the Ottoes, and as a separate nation became ex-
tinct. The Sauks, Ayauways (lowas), and the Sioux are mentioned as being
the enemies of the Osages, and as making frequent excursions against them.
On the 26th of June they arrived at the mouth of the Kansas, 340 miles
from the Mississippi, where they remained two days for rest and repairs.
Here resided the tribe of Indians of the same name, and had two villages
not far from the mouth of the river. This tribe at that time had been re-
duced by the Sauks and Ayauways to only about three hundred men. The
party at this stage of their journey, saw numerous buffalo on the prairies.
On the 2d of July the party passed Bear Medicine Island, near which were
the remains of an old tort, built by the French, the ruins of the chimneys
and the general outline of the fortification being visible. On the 8th of
July they reached the mouth of the Nodawa. The river is mentioned as
navigable for boats some distance. On the 11th they landed at the mouth of
the Nemahaw. Mention is made of several artificial mounds on the Ne-
mahaw, about two miles up the stream at the mouth of a small creek.
From the top of the highest mound there was a fine view of the country.
On the 14:th they passed the Nishnahbatona river, finding it to be only three
hundred yards from the Missouri at a distance of twelve miles from its
mouth. Platte river and other streams, both in Iowa and Nebraska, are men-
tioned and the country described with great accuracy. Along in this part
of the country were the first elk they had seen.
On the 22d of July the explorers encamped on the north (Iowa) side of
the river, ten miles above the mouth of the Platte river, to make observa-
tions and to hold an interview with the neighboring tribes. They remained
here in camp until the 27th. Among the streams mentioned in this vicin-
ity are the Papillon, Butterfly Creek and Moscheto Creek, the last named
being a small stream near Council Bluft's. In mentioning them we use the
orthography of the explorers, which in some instances differs from that now
in use. The Indians who occupied the country about the mouth of Platte
river at this time were the Ottoes and Pawnees. The Ottoes were much
reduced, and formerly lived about twenty miles above the Platte on the
Nebraska side of the river. They lived at this time under the protection
of the Pawnees. The latter were also much dispersed and broken. One
band of the nation formerly lived on the Republican branch of the Kanzas
Piver. Another band were the Pawnee Loups, or Wolf Pawnees, who re-
sided on the Wolf fork of the Platte. Another band originally resided on
the Kanzas and Arkansaw, but in their wars with the Osages they were
often defeated and retired to the Red river. Various other tribes living fur-
tlier west, are mentioned. On the 27th they continued their journey, and
about ten leagues from their encampment, on the south (Nebraska) side of
the river, they saw and examined a curious collection of graves, or mounds.
They were of different heights, shapes and sizes. Some were of sand, and
others of both earth and sand. They were supposed to indicate the position
of the ancient village of the Ottoes before they retired to the protection of
the Pawnees. On the 29th they passed the spot where the Ayauway Indians,
a branch of the Ottoes, once lived, and who had emigrated from that place
to the Des Moines. Mention is here made of an interview with one of the
Missouri Indians who lived with the Ottoes, and the resemblance of his
language to that of the Osages, particularly in calling a chief inca.
THE NORTHWEST TEBEITOKY. S9
On the 30th of July the party encamped on the south (Nebraska) side ol
the river. At that place next to the river was a plain, and back of it a
wooded ridffe, rising about seventy feet above the plain. At the edge of
this ridge they formed their camp, and sent an invitation to the Indians to
meet them. From the bluffs at this point they mention a most beautiful
view of the river and adjoining country. The latitude of the camp was de-
termined by observation to be 41 degrees 18 minutes and 14 seconds. The
messenger sent to invite the Ottoes returned on the evening of the 2d of
August, witli fourteen Ottoe and Missouri Indians, accompanied by a French-
man who resided among them, and who acted as interpreter. Lewis and Clarke
made them presents of pork, flour and meal, and the Indians returned presents
of watermelons. The next morning (Aug. 3d) a council was held with the
six chiefs who were of the party of Indians; they were told of the change
in the government, and promised protection and advised as to their future con-
duct. All the chiefs expressed their joy at the change in the government,
and wished to be recommended to the Great Father (the President) that
they might obtain trade and necessaries. They asked the mediation of the
Great Father between them and the Mahas (Omahas), with whom they were
then at war. At the conclusion of the council medals and other presents
were given to the chiefs, and also some presents to the other Indians who
were with them. The grand chief of the Ottoes was not present, but to
him was sent a flag, a medal, and some ornaments for clothing. The ex-
plorers gave to the place where this council was held the name of Council
feluffs. The reader will remember, however, that it was above the present
city of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and was on the ifebraska side of the river.
On the afternoon of the 3d of August they resumed their journey, and on
the 7th arrived at the mouth of a river on the north side, called by the Sioux
Indians, Eaneahwadepon (Stone river), and by the French, Petite Riviere
des Sioux, or in English, Little Sioux river. The explorers were informed
by their interpreter (M. Durion) that this river rises within about nine miles
of the Des Moines ; that within fifteen leagues of that river it passes through
a large lake, nearly sixty miles in circumference, and divided into two parts
by rocks, which approach each other very closely. Its width is various ; it
contains many islands, and is known by the name of Lac dJ' JEsprit — Spirit
Lake. The country watered by it is open and undulating, and may be visited
in boats up the river for some distance. The interpreter further added that
the Des Moines was about eighty yards wide where the Little Sioux ap-
proaches it; that it was shoally, and that one of its principal branches was
called Cat river. The interpreter claimed to have been to the sources of the
Little Sioux, and those who are familiar with the country about Spirit Lake,
will concede that he described it quite accurately. The explorers speak of a
long island two miles above the mouth of the Little Sioux, which they named
Pelican island, from the large number of pelicans which were feeding on it,
one of which they killed. They also killed an .elk. On the 10th they passed
the first highland near the river, after leaving their encampment at Council
Blufts. Not far from this, on a high bluff, was the grave of Blackbird, one
of the great chiefs of the Mahas, who had died of small-pox four years be-
fore. The grave was marked by a mound twelve feet in diameter at the base,
and six feet high, and was on an elevation about 300 feet above the water.
In the center of the grave was a pole eight feet high. Near this the Mahas
had a village, and lost four hundred men of their nation, and a like proportion
of women and children by the small-pox at the time that Blackbird died.
90 THE NOETHWEST TERKITOKT.
After this dreadful scourge they burned their village, which had consisted of
three hundred cabins. On a hill at the rear of the place where the village
stood were the graves of the nation. On the evening of the 18th the ex-
plorers were again visited at their camp by a party of Ottoes and Missouris,
who entertained them with a dance. The professed object of their visit was
to ask intercession for promoting peace between them and the Mahas, bat
probably the real object was to share a portion of the strangers' provisions
and liquors.
The next day, August 20th, after passing a couple of islands, they landed
on the north side of the river, under some bluffs — the first near the river on
that side after leaving the Ayauway village. It was here that the party liad
the misfortune to lose one of their men — Sergeant Charles Floyd. He had
the day before been siezed with a billions colic. Before his death he said to
Captain Clarke, " I am going to leave you; I want you to write me a letter."
Soon after making this request the brave soldier passed away. He was buried
on the top of the bluff, with honors due to a soldier. The place of his inter-
ment was marked by a cedar post, on which his name and the day of his
death were inscribed. About a mile further up on the same side of the Mis-
souri, they came to a small river, to which they gave the name of Floyd river,
in honor of their deceased companion. The place of the burial of Sergeant
Floyd was but a short distance below where Sioux City now stands. During
a great freshet in the spring of 1857, the Missouri river washed away a por-
tion of the bluff, exposing the remains of the soldier. The citizens of Sioux
City and vicinity repaired to the place, and with appropriate ceremonies, re-
intorred them some distance back from the river on the same bluff. The
same cedar post planted by his companions over his grave on that summer
day more than half a century before, remained to mark the place of inter-
ment up to 1857, although during nearly all this time the country had been
inhabited only by savages.
On the 21st of August the expedition passed the site where Sioux City
now stands, and noted in their journal the confluence of the Great Sioux
river with the Missouri. From their interpreter, M. Durion, they received
an account of the Great Sioux river. He stated that it was navigable for
more than two hundred miles, to the great falls, and even beyond them. The
reader will remember that this was before the time of steamboats on western
waters. He mentioned a creek that emptied into the Great Sioux below the
falls, which passed through cliffs of red rock, out of which the Indians made
their pipes ; that the necessity for procuring that article had caused the intro-
duction of a law among the nations, by which the banks of that creek were
held to be sacred, and even tribes at war met at the quarries without hos-
tility. These were what are now known as the "Red Tipestone Quarries,"
in southwestern Minnesota.
A few miles above the mouth of the Great Sioux, on the north, or Dakota
side of the river, they killed a buffalo, a deer and a beaver. They also saw
some elk. The place where the buffalo was killed they described as a beau-
tiful prairie, and gave it the name of Buffalo Prairie. They mention on the
south side of the river, a bluff of blue clay, rising to the height of 180 or
190 feet. Several miles from this, on the south side of the river. Captains
Lewis and Clarke, with ten of their men, went to see a mound regarded with
freat terror by the Indians, and called by them the Mountain of the Little
pirits. They believed it was the abode of little devils in human form,
eighteen inches high, and having large heads; that they had sharp arrows,
THE NORTHWEST TEKKITORY. 91
and were always on the watch to kill those who might approach their place
of residence. The Sioux, Mahas and Ottoes never would visit the hill or
mound for fear of the vengeance of the Little Spirits. The mound, thougli
extraordinary in its formation, they did not regard as artificial. From its
top they could see large herds of buffalo feeding at a distance.
On tiie 26th they passed the mouth of Yankton river, and, on landing,
were met by several Indians, who informed them that a large body of Sioux
were encamped near. On the 30th and 31st they held a council with the
Sioux, and smoked with them the pipe of peace. The Indians exhibited
their skill in dancing and various other amusements to entertain their vis-
itors. These Indians were the Yankton tribe of the Sioux nation. Their
grand chief was We-u-cha, or in English, Shake Hand. Speeches were
made and presents exchanged.
On the 1st of September the explorers passed Calumet Bluffs, and the
next day Bonhomme Island, near which they visited some ancient earth-
works, or fortifications, on the south, or Nebraska, side of the Missouri.
They made a minute and careful examination of these works. They
embraced nearly five hundred acres. A day or two after, on a hill to the
south, near Cedar Island, they discovered the backbone of a fish, 45 feet
long, in a perfect state of petrifaction.
After several conferences with different tribes, and observations in regard
to the country, its formation, and the different animals seen, on the 13th of
October they reached a small stream on the north side, to which they gave
the name of Idol Creek. Kear its mouth were two stones resembling human
figures, and a third like a dog. These were objects of great veneration among
the Kicaras (Eicarees), who occupied the country in that vicinity. They had
a legend that a young brave was deeply enamored with a girl whose parents
refused their consent to the marriage. The young brave went out into the
fields to mourn his misfortunes, and a sympathy of feeling led the lady to
the same spot. The faithful dog would not cease to follow his master. The
lovers wandered away together with nothing to subsist on but grapes, and
they were at last changed into stone, with the lady holding in her hands a
bunch of grapes. When the Ricaras pass these sacred stones, they stop to
make offerings of dress to propitiate the deities, as they regard them. Such
was the account given to Lewis and Clarke, by the Ricara chief As they
found here a great abundance of fine grapes, they regarded one part of the
story as very agreeably confirmed.
On the 19th they reached the ruins of one of the Mandan villages. It
had been fortified. This, they were informed by the Ricara chief, was one
of several villages once occupied by the Mandans until the Sioux forced them
forty miles higher up the river. In this vicinity they counted no less than
62 herds of buffalo, and 3 herds of elk at a single view.
About the 1st of November, 1804, the expedition reached the country of
the Mandans, where they went into winter quarters. These Indians had
raised considerable corn, some of which they presented to the party. During
the winter they obtained a great deal of information in regard to the history,
traditions, and manners and customs, not only of this peculiar and remark-
able nation, but of other tribes. Their huts, or cabins, were all completed
by the 20th of the month, and the place was named Fort Mandan. It was
on the north side of the Missouri, in a grove of cotton wood. The place, as
ascertained by observation, was in latitude 47 deg., 21 min. and 47 sec, and
the computed distance from the mouth of the Missouri was 1600 miles.
92 THE NOKTHWEST TERRITOKY.
During the winter they were visited by a great many Indians of the Man-
dan and other tribes.* A few French and traders of the Northwes^t Fur
Company also visited them.
The party remained at Fort Mandan until April 7, 1805, when they
resumed their journey. There were then thirty-two persons in the expe-
dition, some of the party having returned to St. Louis. In this portion of
the country they began to see numbers of white bear, antelope, and other
animals, which they had not seen lower down on the river. On the 12th
they arrived at the mouth of the Little Missouri, near whicli they found large
quantities of small onions, about the size of a bullet, of an oval form and
white. The next day they passed a small stream to which tliey gave the
name of Onion Creek, from the great abundance of that vegetable growing
near it. . Along this part of the Missouri were large numbers of bald eagles,
and also many geese and brant. Numerous deserted Indian lodges were
noticed, which they supposed to have belonged to the Assiniboins, as there
were the remains of small kegs. That tribe was the only one in this region
that then used spirituous liquors. They obtained it from the traders of the
Hudson Bay Company, bartering their furs for it. Here many plants and
aromatic herbs are mentioned, and some resembling in taste and smell sage,
hyssop, wormwood and juniper. On the 26th they camped at the mouth of
the Yellowstone, where game of various kinds was very abundant. Frequent
mention is made of the burned hills along that part of the Missouri for some
distance above and below the Yellowstone. Among the animals killed by
the hunters of the expedition in this part of the voyage were several
brown bears. On the evening of the 14th of May the men in one of the
canoes discovered a large brown bear lying in the open grounds about three
hundred yards from the river. Six of them, all good hunters, went to attack
him, and, concealing themselves by a small eminence, four of them fired at
a distance of about forty paces. Each of them lodged a ball in the bear's
body, two of them directly through the lungs. The animal sprang up and
ran open-mouthed toward them. As he came near, the two hunters who had
reserved their fire, gave him two more wounds, one of which, breaking his
shoulder, retarded his motion for a moment. Before they could reload he
was so near upon them that they were obliged to run to the river, the bear
almost overtaking them. Two of the men sprang into the canoe, and the
others concealed themselves in some willows and fired as fast as they could
reload, striking him several times. The shots seemed only to direct him
toward the hunters, till at last he pursued two of them so closely that they
threw aside their guns and pouches, and jumped twenty feet down a perpen-
dicular bank into the river. The bear sprang after them, and was within a
few feet of the hindmost when one of the hunters on shore shot him in the
head, and finally killed him. They dragged the bear to shore and found
that eight balls had passed through his body in difierent directions.
On the 20th of May the party reached the mouth of the Muscleshell, a
river of considerable size from the south. They were then 2270 miles above
the mouth of the Mississippi, in latitude 47 deg., 24 min. Mention is made
of what the French traders called Cote Noire, or Black Hills. On the 26th
of May they had the first view of the Rocky Mountains, " the object,", as the
journalist remarks, " of all our hopes, and the reward of all our ambition."
The view was obtained from what they called one of the last ridges of the
Black Mountains. On the 30th they had reached that part of the river
which passes through between walls of rocks, presenting every form of
THE NORTHWEST TEKRITORT. 93
sculptured ruins, and having the appearance of being the productions of art.
Of these objects of natural scenery they give a most glowing description.
On the 3d of June the expedition reached a junction of two branches of
the river, when they were at a loss to determine which was the true Mis-
souri river. Parties, one under Captain Lewis and the other under Captain
Clarke, pi-oceeded to explore both branches by land. The party under Cap-
tain Lewis, on the 13th, reached the Great Falls of the Missouri on the
southern branch, which determined the question. One of the men was
sent to inform Captain Clarke of the discovery. The explorers give a vivid
description of the wonderful and beautiful scenery which is here presented.
In the vicinity of the falls they saw a herd of at least a thousand buffalo,
one of which they shot. Here Captain Lewis himself had an encounter
with a large brown bear, from which he escaped by plunging into the river.
'i of Medici
Mention is made of grasshoppers at the mouth of Medicine river, about
twelve miles above the Great Falls, in such multitudes that the herbage on
the plains was in part destroyed by them. At that point the Missouri is
described as being three hundred yards wide, and Medicine river one hun-
hundred and thirty-seven yards wide. The party remained here until the
15th of July, examining the surrounding country, constructing canoes, and
making general preparations for continuing the journey. On that day they
again embarked with eight heavily loaded canoes, encountering many diffi-
cult places for navigating, owing to the rapids. Toward the latter part of
July they reached a point where the Missouri is formed of three branches,
one of whicli they called Jefferson, one Madison, and one Gallatin. Here
the party divide and explore the several branches, partly for the purpose of
finding the Shoshones, the Indians that were known to inhabit that region.
On the 11th of August they encountered a single Indian on horseback, who
proved to be one of that tribe or nation. Captain Lewis, who had continued
his course up the Jefferson, or principal branch forming the sources of the
Missouri, reached a point where it had so diminished in width that one of
his men in a fit of enthusiasm, with one foot on each side of the rivulet,
thanked God that he had lived to bestride the Missouri. A few miles
further on they reached the point where issues the remotest water — the
hitherto hidden sources of that river, which had never before been seen by
civilized man. They sat down by the brink of the little rivulet, and
quenched their thrist at the chaste and icy fountain, which sends its modest
tribute down to the great ocean thousands of miles away. Crossing over the
the dividing line between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, at a
distance of three-quarters of a mile, they stopped to taste for the first time
the waters of the Columbia, here a stream of clear, cold water flowing west-
ward. On the same day Captain Lewis succeeded in gaining a friendly in-
terview with the Shoshones. Captain Clarke, with a part of the expedition,
was at this time at the junction of the three branches of the Missouri, and
Captain Lewis engaged a number of the Indians, with about thirty of their
horses, to transport their merchandise and outfit to the Shoshone camp.
The Shoshones are described as being a small tribe of the nation called
the Snake Indians, an appellation which embraces the inhabitants of the
southern parts of the Pocky Mountains and of the plains on either side.
During the summer the Shoshones resided about the headwaters of the
Colunabia, where they lived chiefly on salmon. In their journal the explorers
give a long and interesting account of the habits, traditions, and manner of
94 THE NORTHWEST TEREITOET.
life of this people. They found them honest, friendly, and ready to render
them all assistance in their power.
After purchasing twenty-nine horses from the Shoshones, the party on the
30th of August resumed their journey toward the Pacific. On the 4th of
September, after many difficulties in finding a practicable route, they came
to a large encampment of Indians who received them with great cordiality.
The pipe of peace was introduced and a council held. They represented
themselves as a band of a nation called Tushepaws, a numerous people then
residing on the headwaters of the Missouri and Columbia rivers. The In-
dians shared their berries and roots with the strangers and received some
presents. Several horses were purchased from them. On the 6th the}
reached a stream to which they gave the name of Clarke river, Captain
Clarke being the first white manVho ever visited its waters. The route
was a rugged one, and in many places almost impracticablG, and to add to
the difficulties of the situation, snow had been falling, so that on the 16th it
was six or eight inches deep. The difficulty of procuring game or other
subsistence made it necessary for them to kill several of their horses on this
part of their journey, for food. They had a little of what was called portable
soup which they used by melting some snow. This, and about twenty-
pounds of bear's oil, was their only remaining subsistence. They were now
in a region where their guns were of little service, for there was scarcely a
living creature to be seen in those mountains. Captain Clarke and si's
hunters searched the mountains all day for game but found none, and a',
night encamped on a small stream to which they gave the name of Hungi-y
Creek. Their only refreshment during the day was a little of the portabJ )
soup. On the 26th, Captain Clarke and his hunting party encountered three
Indian boys, and sent them forward to the village with some presents. An
Indian came out to meet them, and conducted them to a large tent in the
village, which was the residence of the great chief. After some introductory
ceremonies by signs, the Indians set before the strangers some bufialo meat,
dried salmon, berries and several kinds of roots. This, after their long
abstinence, was a sumptuous treat. One of the chiefs conducted them to
another village, two miles away, where they were received with great kind
ness and passed the night. These Indians called themselves Chopunisli, or
Pierced-Nose (Nez Perces). With a few articles Captain Clarke chanced to
have in his pockets he purchased some dried salmon, roots and berries and
sent them by one of his men and a hired Indian back to Captain Lewis.
The main body with Captain Lewis had been so fortunate as to kill a few
pheasants and a prairie wolf. As soon as it was known in the villages that
the wonderful strangers had arrived the people crowded in to see them.
Twisted Hair, the chief, drew a chart or map of the country and streams on
a white elk-skin, which was of great service in guiding them on their course.
From these Indians as many provisions were purchased as could be carried
on their horses. After proceeding down the river some distance, they
determined to continue their journey in canoes, which they set about con-
structing. By the 7th of October the canoes were launched and loaded.
The horses were branded and left with the Indians to be kept until their
return. Accompanied by some of the Indians down Lewis river, the ex-
pedition finally reached the Columbia on the 16th, having stopped at a
number of villages on the way. The Columbia at the mouth of Lewis river
they found to be 960 yards wide, and Lewis river 575 yards wide. Here
they found themselves among a nation who called themselves Sokulks, a
THE NORTHWEST TEEEITORT. 95
people of a mild and peaceable disposition. Fish was their principal article
of food. On the 18th thej resumed their journey down the Columbia in the
presence of many of the Sokulks who came to witness their departure.
They passed many different tribes who inhabited the borders of the Colum-
bia, all of whom they visited in their villages and encampments, learning
their condition, habits, history and mode of living. Wlierever they halted
large numbers of Indians gathered to see them, and generally manifested the
greatest kindness and hospitality. All of them had pierced noses.
On the 22d of October the party reached the Great Falls of the Colum-
bia. Many Indians inhabited this portion of the country, and some of them
assisted the party in unloading the canoes, transporting the goods around
the falls, and in bringing down the canoes. At one place it was necessary to
haul the canoes over a point of land to avoid a perpendicular fall of seventy
feet. Some distance below the falls they came to a village of another tribe,
or nation, called the Echeloots. Here they found the first wooden houses
they had seen after leaving the settlements near the Mississippi. They were
made of logs and poles, with poles for rafters and covered with white cedar,
kept on by strands of cedar fibres. The inhabitants received the strangers
with great kindness, invited them to their houses, and came in great num-
bers to see them. They were surprised to find that these Indians spoke a
language qaite different from that of the tribes above the Great Falls.
Some of their customs, however, were the same. Like the tribes they had
recently visited, they flattened the heads of their children, and in nearly the
same manner. Among the mountain tribes, however, this custom was con-
fined to the females almost exclusively, whereas the Echeloots subjected
both sexes to the operation. On the 18th they came to another tribe where
they saw a British musket and several brass tea-kettles which the Indians prized
very highly. In the interview with the chief he directed his wife to hand
him his medicine-bag, from which he drew out fourteen forefingers, which
he said had belonged to the same number of his enemies whom he had
killed in battle. These fingers were shown with great exultation, after which
they were carefully replaced among the other valuable contents of the
medicine-bag. This was the first instance in which the explorers had
observed that any other trophy than the scalp was ever carried from the
field in Indian warfare.
On the 2d of November the party passed the rapids which form the last
descent of the Columbia, and tide-water commences*. On this part of the
Columbia they began to meet with tribes who had some knowledge of the
whites, and from articles in their possession, it was observed that they had
maintained some sort of trade or barter with the whites. The Indians here
also began to be troublesome and were disposed to pilfer whenever an oppor-
tunity offered, showing that in their intercourse with the whites they had con-
tracted some vices that they are free from in the absence of such intercourse.
On the 16th of November, 1805, the expedition encamped in full view of
the Pacific Ocean, at Haley's Bay, as laid down by Vancouver. Their long,
tedious and eventful journey to the Pacific having ended, they made prepa-
rations for going into winter quarters. Some distance below the mouth of
the Columbia, tliree miles above the mouth of a little river that empties into
the bay, in a thick grove of lofty pines, they formed their winter encamp-
ment. Game was exceedingly plenty, and during the winter they were vis-
ited by a large number of the Indians inhabiting the coast region. They
called the place Fort Clatsop, from the tribe of Indians inhabiting the imme-
96 THE NORTHWEST TERKITOEY.
diate vicinity. Here thej remained until the 23d of March, 1806, when
they commenced their return, by the same route.
JBefore leaving. Captains Lewis and Clarke posted up in the fort a note
to the following effect:
" The object of this is, that through the medium of some civilized person,
who may see the same, it may be made known to the world that the party con-
sisting of the persons whose names are hereto annexed, and who were sent
out by the government of the United States to explore the interior ot the
continent of North America, did cross the same by the way of the Missouri
and Columbia rivers, to the discharge of the latter into the Pacific ocean,
where they arrived on the Idth day of November, 1805, and departed the
23d day of March, 1806, on their return to the United States, by the same
route by which they came out."
It is somewhat singular that this note a short time after fell into the hands
of a Captain Hill, while on the coast near the mouth of the Columbia river.
It was delivered to him by some Indians, and taken to Canton, China, from
whence it was brought to the United States in January, 1807. On the 23d
of September, 1806, the party reached the mouth of the Missouri, and
decended the Mississippi to St. Louis, arriving at 12 o'clock. Having fired
a salute, they went on shore, where they " received a most hearty and hos-
pitable welcome from the whole village."
This is but a very partial and hasty review of that romantic and extraor-
dinary expedition — the first exploration by authority of the government of
the United States, of that wonderful region which of late years has attracted
so much attention. It gave to the world the first authentic account of the
upper Missouri and its tributaries, and of the rivers that fiow from the west-
ern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and seek the Pacific Ocean through the
great Columbia. It imparted to civilized man some definite knowledge of
the strange tribes whose homes were on the borders of those rivers; of their
habits, traditions and modes of life; of the fauna and flora of a region hith-
erto unknown, and of natural scenery not surpassed in grandeur and sub-
limity by that of any other part of the world. Other explorers have since
revealed a portion of the hidden treasures of that part of otr national do-
main, but the pioneer expeditien of Lewis and Clarke, so successfully accom-
plished, wiU always possess a peculiar and thrilling interest.
SKETCH OF CHICAGO.
First White Visitors— The Name— Jean Baptiste— John Kinzie— Ft. Dearborn— Evacuation —
The Massacre — Heroic Women — Capt. Heald — Capt. Wells — Scalping the Wounded — Ft.
Dearborn Re-built — Illinois and Michigan Canal — Chicago Laid Out — Removal of In-
dians — City Organization — Pioneer Religious Societies — Public Improvements — Location
of City— Growth— The Great Fire— Rise of the New Chicago.
The history of so great a city as Chicago, like that of London, or Paris,
or New York, by reason of its commercial, financial and other relations to
the world at large, is a history of world-wide interest. Not that Chicago
may yet be compared in size, population or wealth with the great cities
named, would we mention it in connection with them, and yet, considering
its age, it is greater than either of them. In its ratio of increase in popu-
lation, commerce, and general progress, it is to-day outstripping them. In
what civilized part of flie globe is Chicago not heard of, read of, and known?
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
97
PRESENT SITE OF LAKE STREET BRIDGE.
98 THE NORTHWEST TEEKITOKT.
If, 80 many centuries after the founding of Eome, mankind still feel inter-
ested in the mythical story of Eomulus and Remus, may not the present
and future generations read with equal interest the more authentic story of
the founding of a great modern city?
The Jesuit missionary and explorer, Marquette, first visited the place
where Chicago is located, in 1673. Again, in the winter of 16J4^5, he
camped near the site of the present city, from December until near the close
of March. Upon his arrival, in December, the Chicago river was frozen
over, and the ground covered with snow. The name is of Indian origin, and
was applied to the river. By_ the French voyageurs it is variously spelled,
the majority rendering it Chicagou. The place is mentioned by "feerrot in
1770.
In 1796, Jean Baptiste, a trader trom the "West Indies, found his way to
the mouth of the little stream known as Chicago river, and engaged in trad-
ing with the Indians. Here for eight years, almost alone, he maintained
trade and intercourse with the savages, until, in 1804, Fort Dearborn was
erected, and a trading post was established by John Kinzie, who became
the successor of Jean Baptiste. Fort Dearborn, as first constructed, was a
very rude and primitive stockade, which cost the government only about
fifty dollars. It stood on the south bank of Chicago river, half a mile from
the lake. The few soldiers sent to erect and garrison it were in charge of
Major Whistler. For a time, being unable to procure grain for bread, the
soldiers were obliged to subsist in part upon acorns. The original settler,
Jean Baptiste, or as his full name was written, Jean Baptiste Point au Sable,
sold his cabin to Mr. I^nzie, and the latter erected on the site the building
known to the early settlers as the " Kinzie House." This became a resort
for the officers and others connected with the garrison. In 1812 the garrison
had a force of 54 men, under the command of Capt. Nathan Heald, with
Lieutenant Lenai L. Helm and Ensign Eonan. Dr. Yoorhees was surgeon.
The only white residents, except the officers and soldiers, at that time, were
Mr. Kinzie and his family, the wives of Capt. Heald and Lieut. Helm, and
a few Canadians, with their families. Nearly up to this time the most
friendly relations had been maintained with the Indians — the princij^al tribes
by whom they were surrounded being the Pottawattamies and Winnebagoes.
The battle of Tippecanoe had been fouglit the year before, and the influence
of Tecumseh began to be observable in the conduct of the Indians. They
were also aware of the difficulties between the United States and Great
Britian, and had yielded to the influences brought to bear by the latter. In
April of this year, suspicious parties of Winnebagoes began to hover about
the fort, remaining in the vicinity for several days. The inhabitants became
alarmed, and the families took refuge in the fort. On the 7th of August
a Pottawattamie chief appeared at the fort with an order or dispatch from
Gen. Hull, at Detroit, directing Capt. Heald to evacuate Fort Dearborn, and
distribute all the government property to the neighboring Indians. The
chief who brought the dispatch advised Capt. Heald to make no distribution
to the Indians. He told him it would be better to leave the fort and stores
as they were, and that while the Indians were distributing tlie "stores among
themselves, the whites might escape to Fort Wayne. On the 12th of August
Capt. Heald held a. council with the Indians, but the other officers refused to
join him. They feared treachery on the part of the Indians, and indeed liad
been informed that their intention was to murder the white people. In tlie
council Capt. Heald had taken the precaution to open a port-hole displaying
THE NORTHWEST TEKKITORT. 99
a cannon directed upon the councir, and probably by that means kept the
Indians from molesting him at that time. Acting under the advice of Mr.
Kinzie, he withheld the ammunition and arms from the Indians, throwing
them, together with the liquors, into the Chicago river. On that day Black
Partridge, a friendly chief, said to Capt. Heald : " Linden birds have been
singing in my ears to-day; be careful on the march you are going to take."
On the 13th the Indians discovered the powder floating on the surface of the
water, a discovery which had the effect to exasperate them the more, and
they began to indulge in threats. Meantime preparations were made to
leave the fort.
Capt. Wells, an uncle of Mrs. Heald, had been adopted by the famous
Miami warrior. Little Turtle, and had become chief of a band of Miamis.
On the 14th he was seen approaching with a band of his Miami warriors,
coming to assist Capt. Heald in defending the fort, having at Fort Wayne
heard of the danger which threatened the garrison and the settlers. But all
means for defending the fort had been destroyed the night before. All,
therefore, took up their line of march, with Capt, Wells and his Miamis in
the lead, followed by Capt. Heald, with his wife riding by his side. Mr,
Kinzie had always been on the most friendly terms with the Indians, and
still hoped that his personal efforts might influence them to allow the whites to
leave unmolested. He determined to accompany the expedition, leaving
his family in a boat in the care of a friendly Indian. In case any misfor-
tune should happen to him, his family was to be sent to the place where
Niles, Michigan, is now located, where he had another trading post. Along
the shore of Lake Michigan slowly marched the little band ol whites, with a
friendly escort of Pottawattamies, and Capt. Wells and his Miamis, the lat-
ter in advance. When they had reached what were known as the " Sand
Hills," the Miami advance guard came rushing back, Capt. Wells exclaim-
ing, "They are about to attack; form instantly." At that moment a shower
of bullets came whistling over the sand hills, behind which the Indians
had concealed themselves for the murderous attack. The cowardly Miamis
were panic-stricken, and took to flight, leaving their heroic leader to his fate.
He was at the side of his niece, Mrs. Heald, when the attack was made, and,
after expressing to her the utter hopelessness of their situation, dashed into
the fight. There were 54 soldiers, 12 civilians and three women, all poorly
armed, against 500 Indian warriors. The little band had no alternative but
to sell their lives as dearly as possible. They charged upon their murder-
ous assailants, and drove them from their position back to the prairie.
There the conflict continued until two-thirds of the whites were killed and
wounded. Mrs. Heald, Mrs Helm and Mrs. Holt, all took part in the combat.
In a wagon were twelve children, and a painted demon tomahawked them
all, seeing which, Capt. Wells exclaimed, " If butchering women and chil-
dren is your game, I will kill too," and then spurred his horse toward the
Indian camp, where they had left their squaws and papooses. He was pur-
sued by several young warriors, who sent bullets whistling about him, killing
his horse and wounding Capt Wells. They attempted to take him a prisoner,
but he resolved not to be taken alive. Calling a young chief a squaw, an
epithet which excites the fiercest resentment in an Indian warrior, the young
enief instantly tomahawked him.
The three women fought as bravely as the soldiers. Mrs. Heald was an
expert in the use of the rifle, but received several severe wounds. During
the conflict the hand of a savage was raised to tomahawk her, when she ex-
100 THE NORTHWEST TEKEITOKY.
claimed in his own language, " Surely you will not kill a squaw." Her
words had the effect to change his purpose, and her life was spared. Another
warrior attempted to tomahawk Mrs. Helm. He struck her a glancing
blow on the shoulder, when she sized him and attempted to wrest from him
his scalping knife, which was in the sheath attached to his belt. At that
moment the friendly Black Partridge dragged her from her antagonist, and
in spite of her struggles carried her to the lake and plunged her in, at the
same time holding her so she would not drown. By this means he saved
her life, as he intended. The third woman, Mrs. Holt, the wife of Sergeant
Holt, was a large woman, and as strong and brave as an amazon. She rode
a fine, spirited horse, which more than once the Indians tried to take from
her. Her husband had been disabled in the fight, and with his sword, which
she had taken, she kept the savages at bay for some time. She was finally,
however, taken prisoner, and remained a long time a captive among the In-
dians, but was subsequently ransomed.
After two-thirds of the whites had been slain or disabled, twenty-eight
men succeeded in gaining an eminence on the prairie, and the Indians de-
sisted from further pursuit. The chiefs held a consultation, and gave the
sign that they were ready to parley. Capt. Heald went forward and met
the chief. Blackbird, on the prairie, when terms of surrender were agreed
upon. The whites were to deliver up their arms and become prisoners, to
be exchanged or ransomed in the future. All were taken to the Indian
camp near the abandoned fort, where the wounded Mrs. Helm had previ-
ously been taken by Black Partridge. By the terms of surrender no pro-
vision had been made as to the disposition of the wounded. It was the
understanding of the Indians that the British general, Proctor, had offered
a bounty for American scalps delivered at Maiden. Here there was another
scene of horror. Most of the wounded men were killed and scalped.
Such is a hasty glance at scenes that were witnessed on this then wild
shore of Lake Michigan. Such were the experiences and the struggles of
the heroic men and women who ventured forth into the wilderness to plant
the germs of civilization, and to lay the foundations of future cities and
States. The site on which now stands a city which ranks among the great-
est on the continent, is consecrated by the blood shed by heroes on that
bright 15th day of August, 1812.
Fort Dearborn was rebuilt in 1816, under the direction of Capt. Bradley,
and was occupied until 1837, when, the Indians having removed from the
country, it was abandoned.
Congress, on the 2d of March, 1827, granted to the State of Illinois every
alternate section of land for six miles on either side of the line of the then
proposed Illinois and Michigan canal, to aid in its construction, from Chi-
cago to the head of navigation of the Illinois river. The State accepted the
grant, and on the 22d of January, 1829, organized a board of canal commis-
sioners, with power to lay out towns along the line. Under this authority
the commissioners employed Mr. James Thompson to survey the town of
Chicago. His first map of the town bears date August 4, 1830. In 1831
the place contained about a dozen families, not including the officers and sol-
diers in Fort Dearborn. On the 10th of August, 1833, it was organized by
the election of five trustees — there being twenty-eight voters. On the 26th
of September of the same year, a treaty was signed with the chiefs of the
Pottawattamies, seven thousand of the tribe being present, and on the 1st
of October they were removed west of the Mississippi. The first charter of
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 101
the city was passed by the Legislature of Illinois, and approved March 4th,
1837. Under this charter an election was held May 1st, of the same year.
A census was taken on the 1st of July, when the entire population was
shown to be 4,170. The city then contained four warehouses, three hundred
and twenty-eight dwellings, twenty-nine dry goods stores, five hardware
stores, three drug stores, nineteen provision stores, ten taverns, twenty-six
groceries, seventeen lawyers' offices, and five churches. It then embraced
an area of 560 acres. At this date grain and flour had to be imported from
the East to feed the people, for the iron arteries of trade did not then stretch
out over the prairies of Illinois, Iowa, and other States. There were no ex-
portations of produce until 1839, and not until 1842 did the exports exceed
the imports. Grain was sold in the streets by the wagon load, the trade
being restricted to a few neighboring farmers of Illinois.
Of religious organizations the Methodists were the pioneers, being repre-
sented in 1831, 1832 and 1833, by Eev. Jesse Walker. Their first quarterly
meeting was held in the fall of 1833, and in the spring of the next year the
first regular class was formed. The first Presbyterian church was organized
June 26th, 1833, the first pastor being Rev. James Porter. It consisted at
the time of twenty-five members from the garrison and nine from the citi-
zens of the town. The first Baptist church was organized October 19th,
1833 ; and the first Episcopal church, St. James, in 1834. The first Cath-
olic church was built by Rev. Schofler, in 1833-4.
The first great public improvement projected was the Illinois and Mich-
igan canal, one hundred miles in length, and connecting Chicago with La
Salle, at the head of navigation on the Illinois river. It was completed in
the spring of 1848.
To the eye of an observer, Chicago seems to be situated upon a level plain,
but in reality the height of the natural surface above the lake varies from
three to twenty-four feet, and the grade of the principal streets has been
raised from two to eight feet above the original surface. A complete sys-
tem of sewerage has been established. The surrounding prairie for many
miles is apparently without much variation of surface. Though it cannot
be observed by the eye, yet the city really stands on the dividing ridge be-
tween the two great rivers that drain half the continent, and is about six
hundred feet above the ocean. Chicago river, before being widened, deep-
ened, and improved, was a very small stream. It has but very little per-
ceptible current, and for several miles is very nearly on a level with the
lake. It is formed by two branches, one from the north and the other from
south, which unite about a mile from the lake. From this junction the
stream flows due east to the lake. These streams divide the city into three
parts, familiarly known as North Side, South Side, and West Side. Bridges
constructed upon turn-tables, or pivots, are thrown across the streams at
many^ places. By swinging the bridges round, vessels are allowed to be
towed up and down the river by steam tugs, so that there is very little diffi-
culty in the way of passing from one division of the city to another. The
stream has been made navigable for several miles for sail vessels and pro-
pellers, and immense warehouses and elevators have been constructed along
its banks, where vessels are loaded and unloaded with great rapidity.
We have seen that when the first census was taken in 1837, the city had
a population of 4,170. By 1840 it had increased to only 4,470 ; in 1845 it
was 12,088 ; in 1850 it was 28,269 ; in 1855 it was 83,509. The census of
1870 showed a population 298,977.
102 THE NORTHWEST TEEKITOKT.
One of the gigantic public improvements of Cliicago is that for supplying
the citj with water. Owing to the fact that the water in the lake, near tlie
shore, was polluted by filth from the river, in 1865 a tunnel was cut under
the lake, extending a distance of two miles from the shore. Tliis tunnel is
thirty-five feet below the bed of the lake. This work is regarded as an ex-
ample of great engineering skill, and has proved to be successful. The con-
tract price for this work was $315,139. Another great work is the tunnel
under the Chicago river at Washington street, cut for the purpose of dis-
pensing with the bridge over the river, and to obviate the necessity of the
public waiting for vessels to pass. The contract price for this great work
was $200,000.
There are other great public improvements of the city, which with her rail-
roads leading out in all directions, her immense lake shipping trade, and her
population of nearly half a million people, show the greatness that Chicago
has attained, all within so short a time. As she has been great in her prosper-
ity, so also has she been great in her calamities. On the 8th and 9th of Oc-
tober, 1871, this city was the scene of one of the greatest conflagrations
known in the annals of the world — greater than that of London in 1666,
when thirteen thousand buildings were burned. In Chicago twenty thou-
sand buildings were swept away by the devouring element, with miles of
magnificent business blocks, palatial residences, and costly ornamentations
— all covering an area of over five thousand acres! In all that part of the
city between Harrison street and the Chicago river, and on the North Side
for nearly four miles to Lincoln Park, there was nothing to be seen but the
ruins of a city that had suddenly gone down at the merciless bidding of the
tire-fiend. It was a scene of desolation and ruin, and its announcement at
the time thrilled a sympathetic chord which vibrated throughout the whole
civilized world. Like the fabled Phcenix, Chicago rose again from her own
ashes, but grander and more magnificent than she was before. Chicago is
now, and has for some years been, the greatest pork packing and grain shipping
market of the world. Her commerce is of immense proportions and reaches
to all lands where American trade is known. She is the commercial metrop-
olis of the great Korthwest, and the States of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, "Wis-
consin and Minnesota, pour their tributes of wealth over thousands of miles
of railroads into her lap.
THE NORTHWEST TERKITORT.
103
OLD FORT DEARBORN, 1830.
History of Iowa.
DESCRIPTIVE AND GEOGEAPHICAL SKETCH.
Extent — Surface — Rivers — Lakes — Spirit Lake — Lake Okoboji — Clear Lake — Timber — Cli-
mate — Prairies— Soils.
Extent. — Iowa is about three hundred miles in length, east and west, and
a little over two hundred miles in breadth, north and south ; having nearly
the figure of a rectangular parallelogram. Its northern boundary is the par-
allel of 43 degrees 30 minutes, separating it from the State of Minnesota.
Its southern limit is nearly on the line of 40 degrees 31 minutes from the
point where this parallel crosses the Des Moines river, westward. From
this point to the southeast corner of the State, a distance of about thirty
miles, the Des Moines river forms the boundary line between Iowa and Mis-
souri. The two great rivers of the Korth American Continent form the
east and west boundaries, except that portion of the western boundary ad-
joining the Territory of Dakota. The Big Sioux river from its mouth, two
miles above Sioux City, forms the western boundary up to the point where
it intersects the parallel of 43 degrees 30 minutes. These limits embrace an
area of 55,045 square miles; or, 35,228,800 acres. When it is understood
that aU this vast extent of surface, except that which is occupied by the riv-
ers, and the lakes and peat beds of the northern counties, is susceptible of the
highest cultivation, some idea may be formed of the immense agricultural re-
sources of the State. Iowa is nearly as large as England, and twice as large
as Scotland; but when we consider the relative area of surface which may
be made to yield to the wants of man, those countries of the Old World will
bear no comparison with Iowa.
Surface. — ^The surface of the State is remarkably uniform, rising to nearly
the same general altitude. There are no mountains, and yet but little of
the surface is level or flat. The whole State presents a succession of gentle
elevations and depressions, with some bold and picturesque bluff's along the
principal streams. The western portion of the State is generally more eleva-
ted than the eastern, the northwestern part being the highest. Nature
could not have provided a more perfect system of drainage, and at the same
time leave the country so completely adapted to all the purposes of agricul-
ture. Looking at the map of Iowa, we see two systems of streams or rivers
running nearly at right angles with each other. The streams which dis-
charge their waters into the Mississippi flow from the northwest to the
southeast, while those of the other system flow towards the southwest, and
empty into the Missouri. The former drain about three-fourths of the State,
and the latter the remaining one-fourth. The water-shed dividing the two
106 HISTOKY OF IOWA.
systems of streams, represents the highest portions of the State, and grad-
ually descends as you tbllow its course from northwest to southeast. Low-
water mark in the Missouri river at Council Bluffs is about 425 feet above
low- water mark in the Mississippi at Davenport. At the crossing of the
summit, or water-shed, 245 miles west of Davenport, the elevation is about
960 feet above the Mississippi. The Des Moines river, at the city of Des
Moines, has an elevation of 227 feet above the Mississippi at Davenport, and
is 198 feet lower than the Missouri at Council Bluffs. The elevation of the
eastern border of the State at McGregor is about 624 feet above the level of
the sea, while the highest elevation in the northwest portion of the State is
1,400 feet above the level of the sea. In addition to the grand water-shed
mentioned above, as dividing the waters of the Mississippi and Missouri,
there are between the principal streams, elevations commonly called " di-
vides," which are drained by numerous streams of a smaller size tributary to
the rivers. The valleys along the streams have a deep, rich soil, but are
scarcely more fertile than many portions of those undulating prairie " di-
vides."
Rivers. — As stated above, the rivers of Iowa are divided into two systems,
or classes — those flowing into the Mississippi, and those flowing into the
Missouri. The Mississippi river, the largest on the continent, and one of the
largest in the world, washes the entire eastern border of the State, and is most
of "the year navigable for a large class of steamers. The only serious ob-
struction to steamers of the largest size, are what are known as the Lower
Rapids, ]*ust above the mouth of the Des Moines. The government of the
United States has constructed a canal, or channel, around these rapids on
the Iowa side of the river, a work which will prove of immense advantage
to the commerce of Iowa for all time to come. The principal rivers which
flow through the interior of the State, east of the water-shed, are the Des
Moines, Skunk, Iowa, Wapsipinicon, Maquoketa, Turkey, and Upper Iowa.
One of the largest rivers in the State is Red Cedar, which rises in Minne-
sota, and flowing in a southeasterly direction, joins its waters with Iowa
river in Louisa county, only about thirty miles from its mouth, that portion
below the junction retaining the name of Iowa river, although above the
junction it is really the smaller stream.
The Des Moines is the largest interior river of the State, and rises in a
group or chain of lakes in Minnesota, not far from the Iowa border. It
really has its source in two principal branches, called East and "West Des
Moines, which, after flowing about seventy miles 'through the northern por-
tion of the State, converge to their junction in the southern part of Hum-
boldt county. The Des Moines receives a number of large tributaries,
among which are Raccoon and Three Rivers (North, South and Middle) on
the west, and Boone river on the east. Raccoon (or 'Coon) rises in the vi-
cinity of Storm Lake in Buena Yista county, and after receiving several
tributaries, discharges its waters into the Des Moines river, within the lim-
its of the city of Des Moines. This stream affords many excellent mill
privileges, some of which have been improved. The Des Moines flows from
northwest to southeast, not less than three hundred miles through Iowa, and
drains over ten thousand square miles of territory. At an early day, steam-
boats, at certain seasons of the year, navigated this river as far up as the
" Raccoon Forks," and a large grant of land was made by Congress to the
State for the purpose of improving its navigation. The land was subse-
quently diverted to the construction of the Des Moines Yalley Railroad.
HISTORY OF IOWA. 107
Before this diversion several dams were erected on the lower portion of the
river, which aflford a vast amount of hydraulic power to that portion of the
State.
The next river above the Des Moines is Skunk, which has its source in
Hamilton county, north of the center of the State. It traverses a southeast
course, having two principal branches — their aggregate length being about
four hundred and fifty miles. They drain about eight thousand square miles
of territory, and afford many excellent mill sites.
The next is Iowa river, which rises in several branches among the lakes
in Hancock and Winnebago counties, in the northern part of the State. Its
freat eastern branch is Red Cedar, having its source among the lakes in
[innesota. The two streams, as before stated, unite and flow into the Mis-
sissippi in Louisa county. In size, Eed Cedar is the second interior river
of the State, and both are valuable as afibrding immense water power. Shell
Rock river is a tributary of Red Cedar, and is important to Northern Iowa,
on account of its fine water power. The aggregate length of Iowa and Red
Cedar rivers is about five hundred miles, and they drain about twelve thou-
sand square miles of territory.
The Wapsipinicon river rises in Minnesota, and flows in a southeasterly
direction over two hundred miles through Iowa, draining, with its branches,
a belt of territory only about twelve miles wide. This stream is usually
called " Wapsie " by the settlers, and is valuable as furnishing good water
power for machinery.
Maquoketa river, the next considerable tributary of the Mississippi, is
about one hundred and sixty miles long, and drains about three thousand
square miles of territory.
Turkey river is about one hundred and thirty miles long, and drains some
two thousand square miles. It rises in Howard county, runs southeast, and
empties into the Mississippi near the south line of Clayton county.
Upper Iowa river also rises in Howard county, flows nearly east, and
empties into the Mississippi near the northeast corner of the State, passing
through a narrow, but picturesque and beautiful valley. This portion of
the State is somewhat broken, and the streams have cut their channels deeply
into the rocks, so that in many places they are bordered by bluffs from three
to four hundred feet high. They flow rapidly, and furnish ample water
power for machinery at numerous points.
Having mentioned the rivers which drain the eastern three-fourths of the
State, we will now cross the great "water-shed" to the Missouri and its
tributaries.
The Missouri river, forming a little over two-thirds of tlie length of the
western boundary line, is navigable for large sized steamboats for a distance
of nineteen hundred and fifty miles above the point (Sioux City) where it
first touches our western border. It is, therefore, a highway of no little im-
portance to the commerce of Western Iowa. During the season of naviga-
tion some years, over fifty steamers ascend the river above Sioux City, most
of which are laden with stores for the mining region above Fort Benton.
We will now refer to the larger tributaries of the Missouri, which drain the
western portion of Iowa.
The Big Sioux river forms about seventy miles of the western boundary
of the State, its general course being nearly from north to south. It has
several small tributaries draining the counties of Plymouth, Sioux, Lyon,
Osceola, and O'Brien, in northwestern Iowa. One of the most important
108 HISTORY OF IOWA.
of these is Kock river, a beautiful little stream running through the coun-
ties of Lyon and Sioux. It is supported by springs, and affords a volume
of water sufficient for propelling machinery. Big Sioux river was once re-
garded as a navigable stream, and steamboats of a small size have on sev-
eral occasions ascended it for some distance. It is not, however, now con-
sidered a safe stream for navigation. It empties into the Missouri about
two miles above Sioux City, and some four miles below the northwest cor-
ner of Woodbury county. It drains about one thousand square miles of
Iowa territory.
Just below Sioux City, Floyd river empties into the Missouri. It is a
small stream, but flows through a rich and beautiful valley. Its length is
about one hundred miles, and it drains some fifteen hundred square miles of
territory. Two or three mills have been erected on this stream, and there
are other mill sites which will doubtless be improved in due time.
Little Sioux river is one of the most important streams of northwestern
Iowa. It rises in the vicinity of Spirit and Okoboji lakes, near the Minne-
sota line, and meanders through various counties a distance of nearly three
hundred miles to its confluence with the Missouri near the northwest corner
of Harrison county. With its tributaries it drains not less than five thou-
sand square miles. Several small mills have been erected on this stream,
and others doubtless will be when needed.
Boyer river is the next stream of considerable size below the Little Sioux.
It rises in Sac county and flows southwest to the Missouri in Pottawattamie
county. Its entire length is about one hundred and fifty miles, and drains
not less than two thousand square miles of territory. It is a small stream,
meandering through a rich and lovely valley. The Chicago and Northwest-
ern Eaih'oad passes down this valley some sixty miles.
Going down the Missouri, and passing several small streams, which have
not been dignified with the name of rivers, we come to the Nishnabotua,
which empties into the Missouri some twenty miles below the southwest
corner of the State. It has three principal branches, with an aggregate
length of three hundred and fifty miles. These streams drain about five
thousand square miles of southwestern Iowa. They flow through valleys of
unsurpassed beauty and fertility, and furnish good water power at various
points, though in this respect they are not equal to the streams in the north-
eastern portion of tlie State.
The southern portion of the State is drained by several streams that flow
into the Missouri river, in the State of Missouri. The most important of
these are Chariton, Grand, Platte, One Hundred and Two, and the three
Nodaways — East, West and Middle. All of these afford water power for
machinery, and present splendid valleys of rich farming lands.
We have above only mentioned the streams that have been designated as
rivers, but there are many other streams of great importance and value to
different portions of the State, draining the country, furnishing mill-sites,
and adding to the variety and beauty of the scenery. So admirable is the
natural drainage of almost the entire State, that the farmer who has not a
stream of living water on his premises is an exception to the general rule.
LAKES OF NOKTHEKN IOWA.
In some of the northern counties of Iowa there are many small, but beau-
tiful lakes, some of which we shall notice. They are a part of the system of
HISTORY OF IOWA. 109
lakes extending far northward into Minnesota, and some of them present
many interesting features which the limits of this work will not permit us
to give in detail. The following are among the most noted of the lakes of
northern Iowa: Clear Lake, in Cerro Gordo county; Rice Lake, Silver Lake
and Bright's Lake, in Worth county; Crystal Lake, Eagle Lake, Lake Ed-
ward and Twin Lakes, in Hancock county; Owl Lake, in Humboldt county;
Lake Gertrude, Elm Lake and Wall Lake, in Wright county; Lake Caro, in
Hamilton county; Twin Lakes, in Calhoun county; Wall Lake, in Sac
county; Swan Lake, in Emmet county; Storm Lake, in BuenaYista county;
and Okoboji and Spirit Lakes, in Dickinson county. _ JS[ early all of these
are deep and clear, abounding in many excellent varieties of fish, which are
caught abundantly by the settlers at all proper seasons of the year. The
name ' Wall Lake,' applied to several of these bodies of water, is derived from
the fact that a line or ridge of boulders, extends around them, giving them
somewhat the appearance of having been walled. Most of them exliibit the
same appearance in this respect to a greater or less extent. Lake Okoboji,
Spirit Lake, Storm Lake and Clear Lake are the largest of the Northern
Iowa lakes. All of them, except Storm Lake, have fine bodies of timber on
their borders. Lake Okoboji is about fifteen miles long, and from a quarter
of a mile to two miles wide. Spirit Lake, just north of it, embraces about
ten square miles, the northern border extending to the Minnesota line. Storm
Lake is in size about three miles east and west by two north and south.
Clear Lake is about seven miles long by two miles wide. The dry rolling
land usually extends up to the borders of the lakes, making them delightful
resorts for excursion or fishing parties, and they are now attracting attention
as places of resort, on account of the beauty of their natural scenery, as well
as the inducements which they afford to hunting and fishing parties.
As descriptive of some of the lakes of Northern Iowa, the author would
here introduce some former correspondence of his own on the occasion of a
visit to Spirit and Okoboji Lakes, in Dickinson county. At that time he
wrote in regard to Spirit Lake:
With a party of delighted friends — seven of us in all — we made the cir-
cle of Spirit Lake, or Minne-Wauhon as the Indians called it. Starting
from the village of Spirit Lake early in the morning, we crossed the upper
portion of East Okoboji on a substantial wooden bridge about three hundred
feet in length, a half mile east of the village. Going around a farm or two,
we proceeded up along the east shore of Spirit Lake to what is kno\vn as
" Stony Point." Here a point of land has been gradually forming, for, we
do not know how many years, or even centuries, but large trees have grown
from the rocks, gravel and sand thrown together by various forces far back
in the past. From the inner edge of the growth of timber, a ridge of rocks
extends some forty rods into the lake, gradually lessening until, at the fur-
ther extremity, it only affords a dry foot-way by stepping from rock to rock.
This point is said to be constantly extending and it is not improbable that
in time, two lakes may be formed instead ot one. " Stony Point" is almost
wholly composed of boulders of various sizes and shapes, brought together
by the action of water, on either side. It is the resort of innumerable birds and
water fowl of various kinds, including pelicans, black loons and gulls. When
we approached they were holding high carnival over the remains of such un-
fortunate fish as happened to be thrown upon the rocks by the dashing of the
waves. Our presence, however, soon cleared the coast of its promiscuous
110 HISTOKT OF IOWA.
gathering of feathered tenants, but after we left, they doubtless returned to
their revelry.
We continued our journey up the lake a mile further to the " inlet." Here
a small stream makes its way in from the east, and, having high steep banks,
all we had to do was to go round its mouth through the lake, the water being
very clear, with a fine gravel bottom, and sufficiently shallow for good ford-
ing. Just above this, a sand-beach extends for some distance, portions of
which are covered with clumps of willows and other small trees. No heavy
groves of timber border on the east side of the lake, but scattered trees and
small groves extend all the way along. The adjoining prairie land is gener-
ally dry, rolling and well adapted to farming purposes. Several farms are in
cultivation along the banks of this part of the lake.
Nearly east of the north end of the lake, we crossed the Iowa and Minne-
sota line. Our road led us about a mile further north, where it diverged
westerly to the south bank of a pleasant little sheet of water, known as Loon
Lake. This has an outlet connecting it with other small lakes, which lie
near the head of Spirit Lake, and which were doubtless once a part of the
same. In a pretty little grove on the shore of Loon Lake, in the sovereign
State of Minnesota, we paused for our nooning.
From Loon Lake the road turns southward, passing several miles through
groves of timber that border the west shore of Spirit Lake. A number of
clear and quiet little lakes are nestled romantically in the groves west of
Spirit Lake with only sufficient room in many places for a roadway between
them and the latter. Of these charming little lakes, the three principal ones
are Lake Augusta, Plum Lake, and Round Lake. In the formation of the
last named, nature has indulged in one of her most singular and interesting
freaks. It is something over a quarter of a mile in diameter, and so nearly
round that the eye can detect no irregularity. The bank, all around, rises
to the uniform height of about thirty feet, sloping at an angle of forty-five
degrees, and giving. the lake the appearance of a huge basin. A dense forest
approaches on all sides, with large trees bending over the water, which is so
deep down in its reservoir that the wind rarely ruffles its surface. There is
no visible inlet or outlet, but the water is always deep and clear. It is
indeed worth a day's journey to see this charming little gem of a lake,
reposing so quietly in the midst of its wild surroundings of lofty trees,
tangled vines and wild flowers. "
Plum Lake is so called from the fact that there are many groves of wild
plums around it. It lies between Lake Augusta and Pound Lake. Near
the north end of Plnm Lake is a commanding elevation called " Grandview
Mound." From the summit of this mound there is a fine view of Spirit
Lake, and a portion of the surrounding country. There is every appearance
that these little lakes were once a porticm of the greater one that lies east of
them, and they are now separated from it by a strip of land only wide enough
in many places for a good wagon road, but it is gradually increasing in width
from year to year. It is covered with a growth of cottonwood, soft maple,
elm, wild plum, and other trees,' with a dense profusion of wild grape vines
clinging among the branches. The beach along the edge of Spirit Lake
here is composed of gravel, sand and shells, with a ridge of boulders, rising
and extending up to the timber, through which the road passes.
Round Lake, above mentioned, is situated in what is known as " Marble
Grove," one of the finest bodies of timber to be found about the lakes, and is
so named from its early occupant, who was killed by the Indians. It was in
HISTORY OF IOWA. Ill
this grove, after the massacre, that the Indians peeled the bark from a tree,
and with a dark paint, made a picture-record of what they had done. Tlie
killed were represented by rude drawings of persons in a prostrate position,
corresponding with the number of victims. ^Pictures of cabins, with smoke
issuing from their roofs, represented the number of houses burned. In the
murder of Marble and his child, and the capture of Mrs. Marble, the Indians
completed the annihilation of the settlement at the lakes, and thus left a
record of their fiendish work. "Marble Grove" at that time was doubtless
a scene of savage rejoicing over the perpetration of deeds which cast a gloom
over all Northwestern Iowa, and which the lapse of years only could remove.
From the south end of " Marble Grove " to the village of Spirit Lake, the
road passes over undulating prairies for some three or four miles, with
several new farms now being improved on either side. The principal groves
of timber about this lake are at the west side and the north end, while a
narrow belt extends around the other portions. The water is deep, and the
wind often dashes the waves against the banks with great violence. At
other times the surface is smooth and placid.
There is a legend which we give briefly, for the benefit of those who may
be curious to Icnow the origin of the name of Spirit Lake. Many moons
before the white man took up his abode or built his cabin on the shores of
the lake, a band of Dakota warriors brought a pale-faced maiden here, a
captive taken in one of their expeditions against the whites who had ven-
tured near their hunting grounds. Among the warriors was a tall young
brave, fairer than the rest, who had been stolen from the whites in infancy
by the wife of Um-pa-sho-ta, the chief. The pale-faced brave never knew
his parentage or origin, but the chief's wife called him Star of Day, and he
knew not but that she was his own mother. All the tribe expected that he
would sometime become their chief, as no warrior had proved so brave and
daring as he. Star of Day, only, had performed deeds which entitled him
to succeed to the honors of the aged Um-pa-sho-ta. But all the distinctions
or titles that his nation might bestow, possessed no attraction for him while
he beheld the grief of the beautiful pale-faced captive. He therefore deter-
mined to rescue her, and also made up his mind to flee with her from the
tribe and make her his wife. The maiden had recognized in the blue eyes
and fair face of her lover, something which told her that he, like herself,
was a captive. One night, while all the warriors were asleep in their lodges.
Star of Day and the maiden slumbered not. He silently unbound the
thongs which fastened her to the lodge frame. , Only a few paces through
the thick forest brought them to the lake shore, where, under the willows,
liis light canoe was in readiness. Soon the lovers were midway across tlie
lake, but the Great Spirit who ruled in the wind and the water, as well as in the
forest, -willed that their home should be together beneath the waters where
no Dakota should henceforth ever disturb them. And so a breath of the
Great Spirit in the wind dashed a wave over the little canoe, and it went
down with the lovers. Since that time no Indian's canoe has ever dared to
venture upon the lake. Only the white man's canoe is always safe, for the
spirits of Star of Day and the maiden still abide under the water, in a
beautiful cave of shells, guarding only the white man's canoe from danger,
as spirits ever know their own. From that time the Dakotas called the lake
Minne-Wauhon^ or Spirit-Water.
Okohoji. — Okoboji is the most beautiful of all the lakes of Korthwestern
Iowa. Walter Scott could not invest the historic lakes of Scotia with more
112 HISTOEY OF IOWA.
of the wild beauty of scenery suggestive of poetry and romance, than we here
find around this loveliest of Iowa lakes.
Okoboji lies immediately south of Spirit Lake, and is of very irregular
shape. Its whole length is at least fourteen miles, but it is nearly separated
into two parts. The two parts are called, respectively. East and West Okoboji,
A wooden bridge has been erected across the straits, on the road from the
village of Spirit Lake to that of Okoboji, the water here being ordinarily not
over a couple of hundred feet wide and about fifteen feet deep. West Okoboji
is much the larger body of water, stretching west and northwest of the straits
some eight miles, and varying in width from one to two miles. As you pass
around this lake, the scene constantly changes, and from many different
points the observer obtains new views, many of which might furnish inspira-
tion to the pencil of the artist. The water has a deep sky-blue appearance,
and the surface is either placid or boisterous, as the weather may happen to
be. The dry land slopes down to the margin on all sides.
Huge boulders are piled up around the shores several feet above the
water, forming a complete protection against the action of the waves.
These rocks embrace the different kinds of granite which are found scat-
tered over the prairies, with also a large proportion of limestone, from which
good quick-lime is manufactured. This rock protection seems to be charac-
teristic of all that portion of the lake-shore most subject to the violent beat-
ing of the waves. But there are several fine gravel beaches, and one on the
north side is especially resorted to as being the most extensive and beautiful.
Here are immense wind-rows of pebbles, rounded and polished by the vari-
ous processes that nature employs, and in such variety that a single handful
taken up at random would constitute a miniature cabinet for the geologist.
Agates, cornelians, and other specimens of exquisite tint and beauty, are
found in great profusion, being constantly washed up by the water. The
east end of West Okoboji, at the straits, is some five miles south of Spirit
Lake, but the extreme west portion extends up to a point west of Spirit
Lake, East Okoboji is not so wide or deep as the other part, but is nearly
as long. It extends up to within a quarter of a mile, or less, of Sj)irit Lake,
and is now connected with it by a mill-race, being some four or five feet
lower than that lake. At a narrow place near the upper end of tliis lake, a
bridge some three hundred feet long has been erected on the road leading to
Estherville. The Okoboji outlet heads at the south end of East Okoboji,
and in its passage flows through three lakes called Upper, Middle and Lower
Gar Lakes. These little lakes are so named because large quantities of the
peculiar long-billed fish designated by that name, are found therein. This
outlet has a rapid fall all the way to its junction with the Little Sioux river,
some five miles below, and is about being turned to good account by the
erection of machinery on it. This outlet is also the greatest of the fishing
resorts about the lakes
The groves around Lake Okoboji embrace over one thousand acres of good
timber. The larger groves are found on the south side, where the principal
settlement was at the time of the Indian massacre. There are two or three
fine bodies of timber on the north side of West Okoboji, and a narrow fringe
of timber borders nearly all the lake shore between the larger groves. On
the north side of West Okoboji, near the west end, is a splendid grove of
hard maple, of large size, while none of this kind of timber is found else-
where about the lake. On the same side in another grove, we observed
many red cedars of large growth. We noticed one nearly three feet in
S
HISTORY OF IOWA. 113
diameter, and a fine crop of young cedars, from three to ten inches high,
have taken root along the shore. Burr oak seems to predominate among
tlie various kinds of timber, and the groves on the south side are mainly
composed of this kind, with considerable ash, elm and walnut. In many
j^laces the ground is covered with a dense growth of wild gooseberry and
wild currant bushes, all now giving promise of a fine yield of fruit. Many
plum groves are scattered about the lake, and grapes also grow in profusion.
We noticed, however, that the wild crab-apple, so plentiful in other parts of
the State, was wanting.
The land rises from the lake nearly all the way round, with a gradually
ing bank, to the height of some thirty feet, and then stretches away in
undulating prairie or woodland, as the case may be. In some places, the
unbroken prairie extends to the beach without a tree or shrub. A splendid
body of prairie, embracing several thousand acres, lies in the peninsula
formed by Lake Okoboji with its outlet and the Little Sioux river. Between
Okoboji and Spirit Lakes, there is also a good body of prairie with some
well improved farms. A lake of considerable size, called Center Lake, with
a fine body of timber surrounding it, lies between Okoboji and Spirit Lakes.
In point of health, as well as in the beauty of its natural scenery, this
locality far surpasses many others that have become fashionable and famous
resorts. A month or two in the summer season might be spent here with
constant change, and a pleasing variety of attractions. The invalid or
pleasure seeker might divide the time between hunting, fishing, driving,
bathing, rowing, sailing, rambling, and in various other ways adapted to his
taste or fancy. He could pay homage to Nature in her playful or her
milder moods; for sometimes she causes these little lakes to play the role of
miniature seas by the wild dashing of their surges against their rocky shores,
and then again causes them to become as calm and placid as slumbering
infancy.
Clear Lake. — Clear Lake, in Cerro Gordo county, is among the better
known lakes of the State, on account of its easy accessibility by rail, as well
as its many and varied attractions. It is a beautiful little sheet of water,
and as a pleasure resort has for several years been constantly growing in
favor. This, and Storm Lake, in Buena Yista county, as well as some
others, are deserving of special description, but what is already given will
afford some idea of the lakes of Northern Iowa.
Timber. — One of the peculiar features of the topography of the north-
west, is the predominance of prairies, a name of French origin, which sig-
nifies grass-land. It has been estimated that about nine-tenths of the sur-
fiice oi' Iowa is prairie. The timber is generally found in heavy bodies skirt-
ing the streams, but there are also many isolated groves standing, like islands
in the sea, far out on the prairies. The eastern half of the State contains a
larger proportion of timber than the western. The following are the leading
varieties of timber: "White, black and burr oak, black walnut, butternut,
hickory, hard and soft maple, cherry, red and white elm, ash, linn, hackberry,
birch, honey locust, cottonwood and quaking asp. A few sycamore trees are
found in certain localities along the streams. Groves of red cedar also pre-
vail, especially along Iowa and Cedar rivers, and a few isolated pine trees are
scattered along the bluffs of some of the streams in the northern part of the
State.
Nearly all kinds of timber common to Iowa have been found to grow rap-
8
114
HISTOKT OF IOWA.
idly when transplanted upon the prairies, or when propagated from the plant-
ing of seeds. Only a few years and a little expense are required for the
settler to raise a grove sufficient to affijrd him a supply of fuel. The kinds
most easily propagated, and of rapid growth, are cottonwood, maple and wal-
nut. All our prairie soils are adapted to their growth.
Prof. C. E. Bessey, of the State Agricultural College, who supervised the
collection of the different woods of Iowa for exhibition at the Centennial
Exposition, 'in 1876, has given a most complete list of the native woody
plants of the State. Below we present his list. When not otherwise stated,
they are trees. The average diameters are given in inches, and when the
species is a rare one, its locality is given:
Papaw — shrub; 2 to 3 inches.
Moonseed— climbing slirub; }4. inch.
Basswood, Ljmn or Linden — 20 inches.
Prickly Ash — shrub; 2 inches.
Smooth Sumach— shrub; 2 inches.
Poison Ivy — climbing shrub; 1 inch.
Fragrant Sumach — shrub; 2 inches.
Frost Grape — vine; 2 inches.
River Bank Grape— vine; 2 inches.
Buckthorn— shrub; river bluffs; 2 to 3 inches.
New Jersey Tea — low shrub; J^ inch.
Red Root— low shrub; Yz inch.
Bitter-sweet — cUmbing shrub; 1 inch.
Wahoo — shrub; 2 inches.
Bladder Nut— shrub; 2 inches.
Buckeye— 20 to 80 niches.
Sugar Maple— 20 to 24 inches.
Black Maple— 12 to 18 inches.
Silver or Soft Maple— 20 to 30 inches.
Box Elder— 3 to 12 inches.
False Indigo — shrub; 3^ inch.
Lead Plant— low shrub; J^ inch.
Red Bud— 6 to 8 inches.
Kentucky Coffee Tree— 3 to 12 inches.
Honey Locust — 12 to 20 inches.
"Wild Plum— shrub or tree; 2 to 5 inches.
Wild Red Cherry— shrub or tree; 2 to 6
inches.
Choke Cherry— shrub; 2 to 3 inches.
Wild Black Chen-y- 12 to 18 inches.
Wine Bark — shrub; 3^ inch.
Meadow Sweet— shrub; % inch.
Wild Red Raspberry— shrub; % inch.
Wild Black Raspberry— shrub' M inch.
Wild Blackberry— shrub; \i inch.
Dwarf Wild Rose— low shrub; 3^ inch.
Early Wild Rose— low shrub; % "ich.
Black Thorn— 3 to 5 inches.
"White Thorn— 3 to 5 mches.
Downy-leaved Thorn— 2 to 3 inches.
Wild Crab Apple— 3 to 5 inches.
Service Berry or June Berry — 3 to 5 inches.
Small Jime Berry — shrub; 2 to 3 inches.
Prickly Wild Gooseberry — shrub; ^i inch.
Smooth Wild Gooseberry— shrub; % inch.
Wild Black Currant— shrub; 3^ inch.
Witch Hazel— shrub; 1 to 2 inches; said to
grow in N. E. Iowa.
Kinnikinnik — shrub; 2 inches.
Rough-leaved Dogwood — shrub; 1 to 3
Inches.
Panicled Cornel — slirub; 2 inches.
Alternate-leaved Cornel — shrub; 2 inches.
Wolf berry — low shrub; )^ inch.
Coral Berry — low shrub; % inch.
Small Wild Honeysuckle — climbing shrub; 3^
inch.
Blackberried Elder — shrub; 1 to 2 inches.
Red-berried Elder — shrub; 1 to 2 inches.
This one I have not seen, but feel quite
sure that it is in the State.
Sheep Berry — shrub; 2 inches._
Downy Arrow-wood — shrub 2 inches.
High Cranbeiry Bush — shrub; 1 inch.
Button Bush — shrub; 1 inch.
Black Huckleberry — low shrub; 3^ inch; near
Davenport, according to Dr. Parry.
"White Ash— 12 to 18 inches.
Green Ash — 8 to 12 inches. There is some
doubt as to the identity of this species.
Black Ash — 12 to 16 inches.
Sassafras — 3 to 18 inches. Said to grow in
the extreme southeastern part of the
State.
Spice Bush — shrub; 1 inch. Said to grow in
Northeastern Iowa.
Leatherwood or Moosewood — shrub; 1 to 2
inches. In Northeastern Iowa.
Buffalo Berry— shrub; 1 to 2 inches. Possi-
bly this may be found on our western
borders, as it occurs in Nebraska.
Red Elm— 12 to 14 inches.
"White Elm— 18 to 30 inches.
Corky Ehn — 10 to 15 inches. I have seen no
specimens which could certainly be re-
ferred_ to this species, and yet I think
there is little doubt of its being a native
of this State.
Hackberry — 10 to 16 inches,
Red Mulberry — 6 to 10 inches.
Sycamore, or Buttonwood — 10 to 30 inches.
Black Wahiut— 24 to 48 inches.
Butternut — 12 to 20 inches.
Shell-bark Hickory — 12 to 24 inches.
Pecan Nut— 12 to 20 inches.
Large Hickory Nut— 18 to 24 inches.
Pig Nut Hickory— 12 to 20 inches.
These three last species I have not seen
in the State, but from their known dis-
tribution, I have no doubt that they are
to be found in the southern portions of
the State.
Butternut Hickory— 12 to 18 inches.
"White Oak— 20 to 30 inches.
HISTORY OP IOWA. 115
Burr Oak — 24 to 36 inches. Petioled Willow — shrub; 2 inches.
Chestnut Oak— 5 to 10 inches. Heart-leaved Willow— small tree; 3 to 4 in-
Laurel Oak — 5 to 10 inches. ches.
Scarlet Oak— 12 to 16 inches. Black Willow— 3 to 12 inches.
Red Oak — 15 to 20 inches. Almond Willow— 3 to 8 inches.
Hazel Nut — shrub; 1 inch. Long-leaved Willow — shrub; 2 to 3 inches.
Ii'on Wood — 4 to 7 inches. Aspen — 6 to 12 inches.
Blue Beech — 3 to 4 inches. , Cottonwood — 24 to 36 inches.
White Birch — 3 to 6 inches. Said to grow in White Pine — a few small trees grow in North-
Northeastern Iowa. eastern Iowa.
Speckled Alder — shrub or small tree; 2 to 3 Red Cedar— 6 to 8 inches.
inches. Northeastern Iowa. Ground Hemlock — trailing shrub; 1 inch.
Prairie Willows — low shrub; )4. inch. Green Briar — climbing shxub; 3^ inch.
Glaucous Willow — small tree; 2 to 3 inches.
Total number of species, 104; of these, fifty-one species are trees, while
the remaining ones are shrubs. The wood of all the former is used for
economic purposes, while some of the latter furnish more or less valuable
fuel. ^
Climate. — Prof. Parvin, who has devoted great attention to the climatol-
ogy of Iowa, in a series of observations made by him at Muscatine, from 1839
to 1859, inclusive, and at Iowa City, from 1860 to 1870, inclusive, deduces
the following general results : That the months of November and March
are essentially winter months, their average temperatures rising but a few
degrees above the freezing point. Much of the former month is indeed mild
and pleasant, but in it usually comes the first cold spell, followed generally
by mild weather, while in March the farmer is often enabled to commence
his spring plowing. September has usually a summer temperature, and
proves a ripening season for the fall crops, upon which the farmer may rely
with safety if the spring has been at all backward. May has much more
the character of a spring month than that of summer, and " May day" is
not often greeted with a profusion of flowers. The average temperature of
May during thirty- two years was 59.06 degrees, while that of September
was 63.37 degrees. Prof. Parvin states that during thirty-five years the
mercury rose to 100 degrees only once within the region of liis observations
in Iowa, and that was during the summer of 1870. It seldom rises above
ninety-five degrees, or falls lower than fifteen degrees below zero. The
highest temperature, with very few exceptions, occurs in the month of Au-
gust, while July is the hottest month as indicated by the mean temperature
of the summer months. January is the coldest month, and in this, only
once in thirty- two years did the mercury fall to thirty degrees below zero.
The prevailing winds are those of a westerly direction, not for the year alone,
but for the several months of the year, except June,. July, August and Sep-
tember. August is the month in which the greatest amount of rain falls,
and in January the least. The greatest fall oi rain in any one year, was in
1851—74.49 inches, and the least in 1854—23.35 inches. The greatest fall
of snow for any one year, was in 1868 — 61.97 inches. The least was in
1850 — 7,90 inches. The earliest fall of snow during twenty-two years, from
1848 to 1869, inclusive, was October 17th, 1859, and the latest, April 29th,
1851. The greatest fall was December 21st, 1848 — 20.50 inches. During
that time no snow fell during the months of May, June, July, August and
September, but rain usually occurs in each of the winter months.
The clear days during the time embraced in Prof. Parvin's observations,
were thirty-two per cent; the cloudy twenty-two per cent, and the variable
forty-six per cent.
116 HISTORY OF IOWA.
The year 1863 was very cold, not only in Iowa, but throughout the coun-
try, and there was frost in every month of the year, but it only once or twice
during thirty years seriously injured the corn crop. When the spring is
late the fall is generally lengthened, so that the crop has time to mature.
The mean time for late spring frosts is May 4th; that of early fall frost is
September 24th. The latest frost in the spring during thirty-one years, from
1839 to 1869, inclusive, was May 26th, 1847; and the earliest, August 29th,
1863.
Prairies. — The character of surface understood by the term prairie, is not
a feature peculiar to Iowa, but is a characteristic of the greater portion of
the irorthwest. Dr. C. A. White, late State Geologist of Iowa, in his re-
port says :
" By the word prairie we mean any considerable surface that is free from
forest trees and shrubbery, and which is covered more or less thickly with
grass and annual plants. This is also the popular understanding of the
term. It is estimated that about seven-eighths of the surface of Iowa is
prairie, or was so when the State was first settled. They are not confined to
the level surface, but are sometimes even quite hilly and broken; and it has
just been shown that they are not confined to any particular variety of soil,
for they prevail equally upon Alluvial, Drift, and Lacustral soils. Indeed,
we sometimes find a single prairie whose surface includes all these varieties,
portions of which may be respectively sandy, gravelly, clayey or loamy.
Keither are they confined to the region of, nor does their character seem at
all dependent upon, the formations which underlie them, for within the State
of Iowa they rest upon all formations, from those of Azoic to those of Cre-
taceous age inclusive, which embraces almost all kinds of rocks, such as
quartzites, friable sandstone, magnesian limestone, common limestone, im-
pure chalk, clay, clayey and sandy shales, etc. Southwestern Minnesota is
almost one continuous prairie upon the drift which rests directly upon, not
only the hard Sioux quartzite, but also directly upon the granite.
" Thus, whatever the origin of the prairies might have been, we have the
positive assurance that their present existence in Iowa and immediate vicin-
ity is not due to the infiuence of climate, the character or composition of
the soil, nor to the character of any of the underlying formations. It now
remains to say without the least hesitation, that the real cause of the pres-
ent existence of prairies in Iowa, is the prevalence of the annual fires.
If these had been prevented fifty years ago Iowa would now be a timbered
instead of a prairie State,
" Then arises questions like the following, not easily answered, and for
which no answers are at present proposed :
"When was fire first introduced upon the prairies, and how? Could any
but human agency have introduced annual fires upon them? If they could
have been introduced only by the agency of man why did the forests not
occupy the prairies before man came to introduce his fires, since we see
their great tendency to encroach upon the prairies as soon as the fires are
made to cease ? The prairies, doubtless, existed as such almost immediately
after the close of the Glacial epoch. Did man then exist and possess the
use of fire that he might have annually burnt the prairies of so large a part
of the continent, and thus have constantly prevented the encroachments of
the forests ? It may be that these questions will never be satisfactorily an-
swered; but nothing is more evident than that the forests would soon occupy
a very large proportion of the prairie region of North America if the prai-
mSTOKT OF IOWA. 117
rie fires were made to cease, and no artificial efforts were made to prevent
their growth and encroachment."
ISous. — Dr. White has separated the soils of Iowa into three general di-
visions, viz : the Drift, Bluff, and Alluvial. The drift soil occupies the
freater portion of the State, the bluff next, and the alluvial the least. The
rift is derived primarily from the disintegration of rocks, to a considerable
extent perhaps from those of Minnesota, which were subject to violent gla-
cial action during the glacial epoch. This soil is excellent, and is generally
free from coarse drift materials, especially near the surface.
The bluff soil occupies an area estimated at about five thousand square
miles, in the western part of the State. It has many peculiar and marked
characteristics, and is believed to be lacustral in its origin. In some places
the deposit is as great as two hundred feet in thickness, all portions of it
bein^ equal in fertility. If this soil be taken from its lowest depth, say two
hunm-ed feet below the surface, vegetation germinates and thrives as readily
in it as in the surface deposit. It is of a slightly yellowish ash color, ex-
cept when mixed with decaying vegetation. It is composed mainly of si-
lica, but the silicious matter is so finely pulverized that the naked eye is un-
able to perceive anything like sand in its composition. The bluffs along the
Missouri river, in the western part of the State, are composed of this ma-
terial.
The alluvial soils are the " bottom " lands along the rivers and smaller
streams. They are the washings of other soils mixed with decayed vege-
table matter. They vary somewhat in character and fertility, but the best
of them are regarded as the most fertile soils in the State.
As to the localities occupied by each of these different soils, it may be
stated that the drift forms the soil of all the higher plains and woodlands
of the State, except a belt along the western border, which is occupied by
the bluff soil, or bluff deposit, as it is generally called. The alluvial occu-
pies the low lands, both prairie and timber, along the streams. It may be
remarked that the alluvial soil composing the broad belt of " bottom " along
the Missouri, partakes largely of the bluff soil, owing to continued wash-
ings from the high lands or bluffs adjacent.
GEOLOGY OF IOWA.
Classification of Rocks — Azoic System — Huronian Group — Lower Silurian System — Primordial
Group— Trenton Group — Cincinnati Group — Upper Silurian System — Niagara Group —
Devonian System — Hamilton Group — Carboniferous System — Sub-Carboniferous Group —
Kinderhook Beds — Burlington Limestone — Keokuk Limestone — St. Louis Limestone —
Coal-Measure Group — Cretaceous System— Nishnabotany Sandstone— Woodbury Sand-
stones and Shales — Inoceramus Beds.
In January, 1855, the General Assembly passed an act to provide for a
geological survey of the State. Under authority given by this act. Prof.
James Hall, of IsTew York, was appointed State Geologist, and Prof. J. D.
Whitney, of Massachusetts, State Chemist. During the years 1855, 1856,
and 1857, the work progressed, but was confined chiefly to the eastern coun-
ties. A large volume was published in two parts, giving in detail the results
of the survey up to the close of the season of 1857, when the work was dis-
continued. In 1866 it was resumed under an act of the General Assembly
passed in March of that year, and Dr. Charles A. White, of Iowa City, was
appointed State Geologist. He continued the work, and in December, 1869,
118
HISTORY OF IOWA.
submitted a report to the Governor in two large volumes. From these
reports we derive a pretty thorough knowledge of the geological character-
istics in all portions of the State.
In the classification of Iowa rocks, State Geologist "White adopted the
following definitions:
The term " formation " is restricted to such assemblages of strata as have
been formed within a geological epoch; the term "group,'^ to such natural
groups of formation as were not formed within a geological period; and the
term " system," to such series of groups as were each formed within a geolog-
ical age.
The terms used in this arrangement may be referred to two categories —
one applicable to geological objects^ and the other to geological time. Thus:
Formations constitute Groups; groups constitute Systems; Epochs consti-
tute Periods; periods constitue Ages.
In accordance wifli this arrangement the classification of Iowa rocks may
be seen at a glance in the following table constructed by Dr. White:
SYSTEMS.
AGES.
GROUPS.
FORMATIONS.
EPOCHS.
THICKNESS.
IN FEET.
Cretaceous
Caxboniferous
Devonian
Upper Silurian.
Lower Silurian
Azoic
Post Tertiary. .
Lower Cretaceous •
Coal Measures . .
Subcarboniferous
Hamilton . . .
Niagara . . •_.
'' Cincinnati
Trenton ...
Primordial
Huronian . . . .
Drift
Inoceramus bed
Woodbury Sandstone and Shales
Nishnabotany Sandstone
Upper Coal Measures
Middle Coal Measures
Lower Coal Measures
St. Louis Limestone
Keokuk Limestone
Burlington Limestone
Kinderhook beds
Hamilton Limestone and Shales .
Niagara Limestone
Maquoketa Shales
Galena Limestone
Trenton Limestone
St. Peter's Sandstone
Lower Magnesian Limestone
Potsdam Sandstone
Sioux Quartzite
10
to 200
50
130
100
200
200
200
75
90
196
175
200
350
80
250
200
80
250
300
50
AZOIO SYSTEM.
Huronian CrTOup. — The Sioux Quartzite Formation in this Group is
found exposed in natural ledges only on a few acres in the northwest corner
of the State. The exposures in Iowa are principally upon the banks of the
Big Sioux river, for which reason the specific name of Sioux Quartzite is
given to it. It is an intensely hard rock, breaking with a splintery fracture,
and a color varying in different localities from a bright to a deep red.
Although it is so compact and hard the grains of sand of which it was
originally composed are yet distinctly to be seen, and even the ripple marks
upon its bedding surfaces are sometimes found as distinct as they were when
the rock was a mass of incoherent sand in the shallow waters in which it was
accumulated. The lines of stratification are also quite distinct, but they are
not usually sufficiently definite to cause the mass to divide into numerous
layers. It has, however, a great tendency to break up by vertical cracks
HISTORY OF IOWA. 119
and fissures into small angular blocks. The process of metamorphism lias
been so complete throughout the whole formation that the rock is almost
everywhere of uniform texture, and its color also being so nearly uniform
there is no difficulty in identitying it wherever it may be seen.
In a few rare cases this rock may be quarried readily, as the layers are
easily separated, but usually it is so compact throughout that it is quarried
with the greatest difficulty into any forms except those into which it naturally
eracks. It has a great tendency, however, upon its natural exposures, to'
break up by vertical fissures and cracks into angular blocks of convenient size
for handling. Except this tendency to crack into angular pieces, the rock
is absolutely indestructible. No traces of fossil remains of any kind have
been found in it. As shown by the table its exposure in Iowa is fifty feet in
thickness.
LOWEK SILURIAN SYSTEM.
Primordial Group. — The Potsdam Sandstone Formation of this Group
has a geographical range extending throughout the northern portion of the
United States and Canada, and in Iowa reaches a known thickness of about
300 feet, as shown in the table. It forms, however, rather an inconspicuous
feature in the geology of Iowa. It is exposed only in a small portion of
the northeastern part of the State, and has been brought to view there by
the erosion of the river valleys. The base of the formation does not appear
anywhere in Iowa, consequently its full thickness is not certainly known, nor
is it known certainly that it rests on the Sioux Quartzite. The rock is
everywhere soft; usually a very friable sandstone, but sometimes containing
some clayey material, and approaching in character a sandy shale. It is
nearly valueless for any economic purpose, not being of sufficient hardness
to serve even the commonest purposes of masonry. ^N'o fossils have been
discovered in this formation in Iowa, but in Wisconsin they are found quite
abundantly in it.
The Lower Magnesian Limestone Formation has but little greater geo-
graphical extent in Iowa than the Potsdam Sandstone has; because, like
that formation, it appears only in the bluffs and valley-sides of the same
streams. It is a more conspicuous formation, however; because, being a
firm rock, it presents bold and often picturesque fronts along the valleys.
Its thickness is about 250 feet, and is quite uniform in composition, being a
nearly pure buff-colored dolomite, it lacks a uniformity of texture and
stratification which causes it to weather into rough and sometimes grotesque
shapes, as it stands out in bold relief upon the valley-sides. It is not gener-
ally valuable for building purposes, owing to its lack of uniformity in texture
and bedding. Some parts of it, however, are selected which serve for such
uses at Lansing and McGregor. It has also been used to some extent for
making lime, but it is not equal to the Trenton limestone, near Dubuque,
for that purpose. The only fossils that have been found in this formation in
Iowa, are, so far as known, a few traces of the stems of Crinoids found near
McGregor.
The St. Peter's Sandstone Formation is remarkably uniform in thickness
throughout its known geographical extent. It is a clean grit, light colored,
very friable rock; so pure in its silicious compostion that it is probable some
portions of it may be found suitable for the manufacture of glass. It occu-
pies the surface of a large portion of the north half of Allemakee county,
immediately beneath the drift, and it is also exposed a couple of miles
120 msTOEY or iowa.
below McGregor, where it is much colored by oxide of iron. It contains no
fossils.
Trenton Group. — The lower formation of this group is known as the
Trenton Limestone. "With the exception of this all the limestones of both
Upper and Lower Silurian age in Iowa, are magnesian limestones — nearly
pure dolomites. The rocks of this formation also contain much magnesia,
but a large part of it is composed of bluish compact common limestone. It
occupies large portions of both "Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, together
with a portion of Clayton. Its thickness as seen along the bluffs of the
Mississippi is about eighty feet, but in "Winneshiek county we find the
thickness is increased to upward of 200 feet. The greater part of this
formation is worthless for economic purposes, but enough of it is suitable
for building purposes and for lime to meet the wants of the inhabitants.
The worthless portions of the formation consists of clayey shales and shaly
limestone. Fossils are abundant in this formation. In some places the
rock is made up of a mass of shells, corals, and fragments of trilobites,
together with other animal remains, cemented by calcareous matter into
compact form.
The upper portion of the Trenton Group, known as the Galena Limestone
Formation, occupies a narrow strip of country, seldom exceeding 12 miles in
width, but it is fully 150 miles long. It is about 250 feet thick in the
vicinity of Dubuque, but diminishes in thickness as it extends northwest, so
that it does not probably exceed 100 feet where it crosses the northern
boundary of the State. The outcrop of this formation traverses portions of
the counties of Howard, "Winneshiek, Allamakee, Fayette, Clayton, Dubuque,
and Jackson. It exhibits its greatest development in Dubuque county. It
is not very uniform in texture, which causes it to decompose unequally, and
consequently to present interesting forms in the abrupt bluffs of it, which
border the valleys. It is usually unfit for dressing, but affords good enough
stone for common masonry. It is the source of the lead ore of the Dubuque
lead mines. The full thickness of this formation at Dubuque is 250 feet.
Fossils are rare in it.
Cincinnati Groujp. — The Maquoketa Shale Formation of this group, so-
called by Dr. "White, is synonymous with the Hudson River Shales, of Prof
Hall. It is comprised within a long and narrow area, seldom reaching more
than a mile or two in width, but more than a hundred miles long, in the State.
Its most southerly exposure is in the bluffs of the Mississippi river, near
Bellevue^ in Jackson county, and the most northerly one yet recognized is in
the western part of "Winneshiek county. The whole formation is largely
composed of bluish and brownish shales. Its economic value is very slight,
as it is wholly composed of fragmentary materials. The fossils contained in
this formation, together with its position in relation to the underlying and
overlying formations, leave no doubt as to the propriety of referring it to the
same geological period as that in which the rocks at Cincinnati, Ohio, were
formed. Several species of fossils which characterize the Cincinnati group
are found in the Maquoketa Shales, but they contain a large number of
species that have been found nowhere else than in these shales in Iowa, and
it is the opinion of Dr. White that the occurrence of these distinct fossils in
the Iowa formation would seem to warrant the separation of the Maquoketa
Shales as a distinct formation from any others of the group, and that its true
position is probably at the base of the Cincinnati group.
HISTOET OF IOWA. 121
UPPER SILUKIAN SYSTEM.
Niagara Group. — The area occupied by the Niagara limestone FormatioD
is nearly 160 miles from north to south, and between 40 and 50 miles wide
in its widest part. At its narrowest part, which is near its northern limit in
Iowa, it is not more than four or five miles wide. This formation is entirely
magnesian limestone, with, in some places, a considerable proportion of sili-
cious matter in the form of chert or coarse flint. Some of the lower portions
resemble both the Galena and Lower Magnesian Limestones, having the
same want of uniformity of texture and bedding. It affords, however,
a great amount of excellent quarry rock. The quarries at Anamosa, in Jones
county, are remarkable for the uniformity of the bedding of its strata.
Wherever this rock is exposed there is always an abundance of material for
common masonry and other purposes. In some places excellent lime is
made from it.
DEVONIAN SYSTEM.
Hamilton Group. — The Hamilton Limestone and Shales Formation occu-
pies an area of surface as great as those occupied by all the formations of
both Lower and Upper Silurian age in the State. The limestones of the De-
vonian age are composed in part of magnesian strata, and in part of common
limestone. A large part of the material of this formation is quite worthless,
yet other portions are very valuable for several economic purposes. Havino-
a very large geographical extent in Iowa, it constitutes one of the most im-
portant formations. Wherever any part of this formation is exposed, the
common limestone portions exist in sufficient quantity to furnish abundant
material for common lime of excellent quality, as well as good stone for com-
mon masonry. Some of the beds furnish excellent material for dressed stone,
for all works requiring strength and durability. The most conspicuous and
characteristic fossils of this formation are brachipod moUusks and corals.
CARBONIFEKOUS SYSTEM.
The Sub-Carhomferous Group. — This group occupies a very large sur-
face in Iowa. Its eastern border passes from the northeastern portion of
Winnebago county in a southeasterly direction, to the northern part of Wash-
ington county. Here it makes a broad and direct bend nearly eastward,
striking the Mississippi river at the city of Muscatine. The southern and
western boundary of the area is to a considerable extent the sam^e as that
which separates it from the coalfield. From the southern part of Pocahontas
county, it passes southeastward to Fort Dodge, thence to Webster City,
thence to a point three or four miles northeast of Eldora, in Hardin county,
thence southward to the middle of the north line of Jasper county, thence
southeastward to Sigourney in Keokuk county, thence to the northeast corner
of Jefferson county, and thence, by sweeping a few miles eastward to the •
southeast corner of Yan Buren county. The area as thus defined, is nearly
250 miles long, and from 20 to 40 miles wide. The general southerly and
westerly dip has carried the strata of the group beneath the lower coal-
measure along the line last designated, but after passing beneath the latter
strata for a distance of from 15 to 20 miles, they appear a wain in the vaUey
of the Des Moines river, where they have been bared by the erosion of that
valley.
The Kinderhook Beds, the lowest Formation of the Bub-carboniferous group,
122 HISTORY OF IOWA.
presents its principal exposures along the bluffs which border the Missis -:ippi
and Skunk rivers, where they form the eastern and northern boundary of Des
Moines county; along English river in "Washington county; alonglowa river
in Tama, Marshall, Hardin and Franklin counties, and along the Des Moines
river in Humboldt county. The southern part of the fo'rmation in Iowa
has the best development of all in distinguishing characteristics, but the
width of area it occupies is much greater in its northern part, reaching a
maximum width of eighty miles. The Kinderhook formation has consider-
able economic value, particularly in the northern portion of the region it
occupies. The stone which it furnishes is of practical value. There are no
exposures of stone of any other kind in Pocahontas, Humboldt and some
other counties embraced in the area occupied by it, and therefore it is of very
great value in such places for building material. It may be manufactured
into excellent lime. The quarries in Marshall county and at Le Grand are
of this formation ; also the oolitic limestone in Tama county. This oolitic
limestone is manufactured into a good quality of lime. The principal fossils
appearing in this formation are the remains of fishes ; no remains of vegeta-
tion have as yet been detected. The fossils in this formation, so far as Iowa
is concerned, are far more numerous in the southern than in the northern
part.
The Burlington Limestone ia the next Formation in this group above the
Kinderhook Beds, the latter passing gradually into the Burlington Lime-
stone. This formation consists of two distinct calcareous divisions, which
are separated by a series of silicious beds. The existence of these silicious
beds suggests the propriety of regarding the Burlington Limestone as really
two distinct formations. This is strengthened also by some well marked
palaeontological differences, especially in the crinoidal remains. The south-
erly dip of the Iowa rocks carries the Burlington Limestone down, so that
it is seen for the last time in this State in the valley of Skunk river, near
the southern boundary of Des Moines county. Northward of Burlington
it is found frequently exposed in the bluffs of the Mississippi and Iowa riv-
ers in the counties of Des Moines and Louisa, and along some of tlie smaller
streams in the same region. Burlington Limestone forms a good building
material ; good lime may also be made from it, and especially from the up-
per division. Geologists have given to this formation the name of Burling-
ton Limestone because its peculiar characteristics are best shown at the city
of Burlington, Iowa. The great abundance and variety of its character-
istic fossils — crinoids — ^have attracted the attention of geologists and nat-
uralists generally. The only remains of vertebrates reported as being found
in it are those of fishes. Remains of articulates are rare in it, and confined
to two species of trilobites. Fossil shells are common but not so abundant
as in some of the other formations of the Sub-Carboniferous Group.
The Keokuk Limestone is the next Formation in this group above the
Burlington Limestone. In Iowa it consists of about fifty feet in maximum
thickness. It is a grayish limestone, having usually a blueish tinge. It oc-
cupies in Iowa a more limited area than any other formation of the sub-
carboniferous group. It is well developed and largely exposed at the city
of Keokuk. It is synonymous with the Lower Archimedes Limestone of
Owen and other geologists. The most northerly point at which it has been
recognized is in the northern part of Des Moines county, where it is quite
thinned out. It is only in the counties of Lee, Yan Buren, Henry and Des
Moines that the Keokuk Limestone is to be seen; but it rises again and is
HISTORY OF IOWA. 123
Been in the banks of the Mississippi river some seventj-five or eighty miles
below Keokuk, presenting there the same characteristics that it has in Iowa.
The upper silicious portion of this formation is known as the Geode bed.
These geodes are more or less spherical masses of silex, usually hollow and
lined with crystals of quartz. The Keokuk Limestone formation is of great
economic value, as some of its layers furnish a line quality of building ma-
terial. The principal quarries of it are along the Mississippi from Keokuk
to Nauvoo, a distance of about fifteen miles. The only vertebrated fossils
in it are those of fishes, consisting both of teeth and spines. Some of these
are of great size, indicating that their owners probably reached a length of
twenty -five or thirty feet. Several species of articulates, moUusks and ra-
diates are also found in this formation. Among the radiates the crinoids
are very abundant, but are not so conspicuous as in the Burlington Lime-
stone. A small number of Protozoans, a low form of animal life, related
to sponges, have also been found in the Keokuk Limestone.
The next Formation in the Sub-Carboniferous Group, above the Keokuk
Limestone, is what Dr. Wliite calls the St. Louis Limestone, and is sjmon-
ymous with the Concretionary Limestone of Prof. Owen, and the Warsaw
Limestone of Prof. Hall. It is the upper, or highest formation of what Dr.
White classifies as the Sub-Carboniferous Group, appearing in Iowa, where
the lower coal-measures are usually found resting directly upon it, and where
it forms, so to speak, a limestone floor for the coal-bearing formations. To
this, however, there are some exceptions. It presents a marked contrast
with the coal-bearing strata which rest upon it. This formation occupies a
small superficial area in Iowa, because it consists of long narrow strips.
Its extent, however, vsdthin the State is known to be very great, because it is
found at points so distant from each other. Commencing at Keokuk, where
it is seen resting on the geode division of the Keokuk limestone, and pro-
ceeding northward, it is lound forming a narrow border along the edge of
the coal-field in Lee, Des Moines, Henry, Jefierson, Washington, Keokuk
and Mahaska counties. It is then lost sight of beneath the coal-measure
strata and overlying drift until we reach Hamilton county, where it is found
in the banks of Boone river with the coal-measures resting upon it, as they
do in the counties just named. The next seen of the formation is in the
banks of the Des Moines river at and near Fort Dodge. These two last
named localities are the most northerly ones at which the formation is ex-
posed, and they are widely isolated from the principal portion of the area it
occupies in Iowa; between which area, however, and those northerly points,
it appears by a small exposure near Ames, in Story county, in the valley of
a small tributary of Skunk river. This formation as it appears in Iowa,
consists of three quite distinct sub-divisions — magnisian, arenaceous and
calcareous, consisting in the order named of the lower, middle and upper sub-
divisions of the formation. The upper division furnishes excellent material
for quicklime, and in places it is quarried to serve a good purpose for ma-
sonry. The middle division is of little economic value, being usually too
soft for practical use. The lower, or magnesian division, furnishes some ex-
cellent stone for heavy masonry, and has proved to be very durable. This
formation has some well marked fossil characteristics, but they do not stand
out with such prominence as some of those in the two preceding formations.
The vertibrates, articulates, mollusks, and radiates, are all more or less rep-
resented in it. Some slight vegetable remains have also been detected in it.
The Coal-measure Group.— The formations of this group are divided
124: HISTOKT OF IOWA.
into the Lower, Middle, and Upper Coal-measures. Omitting particular
reference to the other strata of the Lower Coal-measure, we refer only to
the coal which this formation contains. Far tlie greater part of that indis-
pensible element of material prosperity is contained in the strata of the
Lower Coal-measures. Beds are now being mined in this formation that
reach to the thickness of seven feet of solid coal. l^Tatural exposures of
this formation are few, but coal strata are being mined in a number of local-
ities.
The area occupied by the Middle Coal-measure is smaller than that of
either of the others, and constitutes a narrow region between them. The
passage of the strata of the Lower with the Middle Coal-measure is not
marked by any well defined line of division.
The area occupied by the Upper Coal-measure formation in Iowa is very
great, comprising thirteen whole counties in the southwestern part of the
8tate, together with parts of seven or eight others adjoining. It ad-
joins by its northern and eastern boundary the area occupied by the Middle
t!oal-measures. The western and southern limits in Iowa of the Upper
Coal-measures are the western and southern boundaries of the State, but the
formation extends without interruption far into the States of Missouri, Ne-
braska and Kansas. It contains but a single bed of true coal, and that very
thin. Its principal economic value is coniined to its limestone. Wherever
this stone is exposed it furnishes good material for masonry, and also for
lime. The prevailing color of the limestone is light gray, with usually a
tinge of blue. The sandstones of this formation are usually shaly, and quite
worthless.
CKETACEOUS SYSTEM.
The Nishmibotami Sandstone. — This formation is well exposed in th«>
valley of the East I^ishnabotany river, from which circumstance Dr. White
has so named it. It is found as far east as the southeastern part of Guthrie
county, and as far south as the southern part of Montgomery county. To
the northwestward it passes beneath the Woodbury sandstones and shales,
the latter in turn passing beneath the Inoceramus, or chalky beds. It
reaches a maximum thickness in Iowa, so far as known, of about 100 feet,
but the exposures usually show a much less thickness. It is a soft sandstone,
and, with few exceptions, almost valueless for economic purposes. The most
valuable quarries in the strata of this formation, so far as known, are at
Lewis, Cass county, and in the northeastern part of Mills county. Several
buildings have been constructed of it at Lewis, but with some the color is
objectionable, being of a dark brown color. A few fossils have been found
in it, being leaves too fragmentary for identification.
The Woodbury Sandstones and Slmles. — These are composed of alternat-
ing sandstones and shales, as the name implies, and rest upon the Nislma-
botany sandstone. They have not been observed outside of the limits of
Woodbury county, but they are found there to reach a maximum of about
150 feet. Some layers are firm and compact, but the larger part is impure
and shaly. The best of it is suitable for only common masonry, but it fur-
nishes the only material of that kind in that part of the State. Some slight
fossil remains have been found in this formation.
The Inoceramus Beds. — ^These beds constitute the upper formation of the
Cretaceous System in Iowa, and have a maximum thickness of about 50 feet.
ITiey rest directly upon the Woodbury sandstones and shales. They are
HISTORY OF IOWA. 125
observed nowhere in Iowa except along the bluffs of the Big Sioux river, in
"Woodbury and Plymouth counties. They are composed of calcareous mate-
rial, but are not a true, compact limestone. The material of the upper por-
tion is used for lime, the quality of which is equal to that of common
limestone. No good building material is obtained from these beds. Some
fossil fish have been found in them.
Above all the formations above-mentioned rests the Post-Tertiary, or Drift
deposit, which is more fully mentioned in connection with the Soils of Iowa.
ECONOMIC GEOLOGY.
Coal— Peat— Building Stone — Lime — Lead — Gypsum — Spring and Well Water — Clays —
Mineral Paint.
Every year is adding to our knowledge of, and attesting the importance
and value of our vast coal deposits. In some unknown age of the past, long
before the history of our race began, Nature by some wise process, made a
bountiful provision for the time when, in the order of things, it should
become necessary for civilized man to take possession of these broad rich
prairies. As an equivalent for the lack of trees, she quietly stored away
beneath the soil those wonderful carboniferous treasures for the use and
comfort of man at the proper time. The increased demand for coal has in
many portions of the State led to improved methods of mining, so that in
many counties the business is becoming a lucrative and important one,
especially where railroads furnish the means of transportation. The coal
field of the State embraces an area of at least 20,000 square miles, and coal
is successfully mined in about thirty counties, embracing a territory larger
than the State of Massachusetts. Among the most important coal produc-
ing counties may be mentioned Appanoose, Boone, Davis, Jefferson, Ma-
haska, Marion, Monroe, Polk, Yan Buren, "Wapello, and Webster. Within
the last few years many discoveries of new deposits have been made, and
counties not previously numbered among the coal counties of the State are
now yielding rich returns to the miner. Among these may be mentioned
the counties of Boone, Dallas, Hamilton, Hardin, and Webster. A vein of
coal of excellent quality, seven feet in thickness, has been opened, and is
now being successfully worked, about five miles southeast of Fort Dodge, in
Webster county. Large quantities of coal are shipped from that point to
Dubuque and the towns along the line of the Dubuque and Sioux City Kail-
road. A few years ago it was barely known that some coal existed in
Boone county, as indicated by exposures along the Des Moines river, and
it is only within the last few years that the coal mines of Moingona have
furnished the vast supplies shipped along the Chicago and Northwestern Eail-
road, both east and west. The great productive coal field of Iowa is embraced
chiefiy within the valley of the Des Moines river and its tributaries, extend-
ing up the valley from Lee county nearly to the north line of Webster
county. Within the coal field embraced by this valley deep mining is
nowhere necessary. The Des Moines and its larger tributaries have gener-
ally cut their channels down through the coal measure strata.
The coal of Iowa is of the class known as bituminous, and is equal in
quality and value to coal of the same class in other parts of the world.
The veins which have so far been worked are from three to eight feet in
126
HISTORY OF IOWA.
thickness, but we do not have to dig from one thousand to two thousand
feet to reach the coal, as miners are obliged to do in some countries. But
little coal has in this State been raised from a depth greater than one hun-
dred feet.
Prof. Gustavus Hinrich, of the State University, who also officiated as
State Chemist in the prosecution of the recent Geological Survey, gives an
analysis showing the comparative value of Iowa coal with that of other
countries. The following is from a table prepared by him — 100 represent-
ing the combustible:
NAME AND LOCALITY.
Brown coal, from Arbesan, Bohemia
Brown coal, from Bilin, Bohemia . .
Bituminous coal, from Bentheu, Sili;
Cannel coal, from Wigan, England
Anthracite, from Pennsylvania ....
Iowa coals— average
114
123
126
113
104
110
In this table the excess of the equivalent above 100, expresses the amoimt
of impurities (ashes and moisture) in the coal. The analysis shows that the
average Iowa coals contains only ten parts of impurities for one hundred
parts combustible (carbon and bitumen), being the purest of all the samples
analyzed, except the Anthracite from Pennsylvania.
Extensive deposits of peat in several of the northern counties of Iowa have
attracted considerable attention. In 1866, Dr. White, the State Geologist,
made careful observations in some of those counties, including Franklin,
Wright, Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Winnebago, Worth, and Kossuth. It is
estimated that the counties above named contain an average of at least four
thousand acres each of good peat lands. The depth of the beds are from
four to ten feet, and the quality is but little, if any, inferior to that of Ireland.
As yet, but little use has been made of it as a fuel, but when it is considered
that it lies wholly beyond the coal-field, in a sparsely timbered region of the
State, its prospective value is regarded as very great. Dr. White estimates
that 160 acres of peat, four feet deep, will supply two hundred and thirteen
families with fuel for upward of twenty-five years. It must not be inferred
that the presence of these peat beds in that part of the State is in any degree
prejudicial to health, for such is not the case. The dry, rolling prairie land
usually comes up to the very border of the peat marsh, and the winds, or
breezes, which prevail through the summer season, do not allow water to
become stagnant. Nature seems to have designed these peat deposits to
supply the deficiency of other material for fuel. The penetration of this
portion of the State by railroads, and the rapid growth of timber may leave
a resort to peat for fuel as a matter of choice, and not of necessity. It there-
fore remains to be seen of what economic value in the future the peat beds
of Iowa may be. Peat has also been found in Muscatine, Linn, Clinton, and
other eastern and southern counties of the State, but the fertile region of
HISTORY OF IOWA. 127
Nortliern Iowa, least favored with other kinds of fuel, is peculiarly the peat
re^on of the State.
BUILDING STONE.
Tliore is no scarcity of good building stone to be found along nearly all the
streams east of the Dos Moines river, and along that stream from its mouth
up to the north lino of Humboldt county. Some of the counties west of the
Dcs Moines, as Cass and Madison, as well as most of the southern counties
of the State, are supplied with good building stone. Building stone of
peculiarly fine quality is quarried at and near the following places: Keosau-
qua, Van Buren county; Mt. Pleasant, Henry county; Fairfield, Jefferson
county; Ottumwa, Wapello county; Winterset, Madison county; Ft. Dodge,
"Webster county; Springvale and Dakota, Humboldt county; Marshalltown,
Marshall county; Orford, Tama county; Yinton, Benton county; Charles
City, Floyd county; Mason City, Cerro Gordo county; Mitchell and Osage,
Mitchell county; Anamosa, Jones county; Iowa Falls, Hardin county;
Hampton, Franklin county; and at nearly all points along the Mississippi
river. In some places, as in Marshall and Tama counties, several species of
marble are found, which are susceptible of the finest finish, and are very
beautiful.
Good material for the manufacture of quick-lime is found in abundance in
nearly all parts of the State. Even in the northwestern counties, where there
are but few exposures of rock "in place," limestone is found among the
boulders scattered over the prairies and about the lakes. So abundant is
limestone suitable for the manufacture of quick-lime, that it is needless to
mention any particular locality as possessing superior advantages in furnish-
ing this useful building material. At the following points parties have been
engaged somewhat extensively in the manufacture of lime, to-wit: Ft. Dodge,
"Webster county; Springvale, Humboldt county; Orford and Indiantown,
Tama county; Iowa Falls, Hardin county; Mitchell, Mitchell county; and
at nearly all the towns along the streams northeast of Cedar river.
Long before the permanent settlement of Iowa by the whites lead was
mined at Dubuque by Julien Dubuque and others, and the business is still
carried on successfully. From four to six million pounds of ore have been
smelted annually at the Dubuque mines, yielding from 68 to 70 per cent of
lead. So far as known, the lead deposits of Iowa that may be profitably
worked, are confined to a belt four or five miles in width along the Missis-
sippi above and below the city of Dubuque.
GYPSUM.
One of the finest and purest deposits of gypsum known in the world exists
at Fort Dodge in this State. It is confined to an area of about six by three
miles on both sides of the Des Moines river, and is found to be from twenty^
five to thirty feet in thickness. The main deposit is of uniform gray color,
128 HISTOET OF IOWA.
but large masses of almost pure white (resembling alabaster) have been
foimd embedded in the main deposits. The quantity of this article is prac-
tically inexhaustible, and the time will certainly come when it will be a
source of wealth to that part of the State. It has been used to a consider-
able extent in the manufacture of Plaster-of-Paris, and has been found equal
to the best in quality. It has also been used to a limited extent for paving
and building purposes.
SPKING AND WELL WATER.
As before stated, the surface of Iowa is generally drained by the rolling or
undulating character of the country, and the numerous streams, large and
small. This fact might lead some to suppose that it might be difficult to
procure good spring or well water for domestic uses. Such, however, is not
the case, for good pure well water is easily obtained all over the State, even
on the highest prairies. It is rarely necessary to dig more than thirty feet
deep to find an abundance of that most indispensible element, good water.
Along the streams are found many springs breaking out from the banks,
affording a constant supply of pure water. As a rule, it is necessary to dig
deeper for well water in the timber portions of the State, than on the
prairies. Nearly all the spring and well waters of the State contain a small
proportion of lime, as they do in the Eastern and Middle States. There are
some springs which contain mineral properties, similar to the springs often
resorted to by invalids and others in other States. In Davis county there
are some " Salt Springs," as they are commonly called, the water being found
to contain a considerable amount of common salt, sulphuric acid, and other
mineral ingredients. Mineral waters are found in different parts of the
State. No one need apprehend any difficulty about finding in all parts of
Iowa an abundant supply of good wholesome water.
In nearly all parts of the State the material suitable for the manufacture
of brick is found in abundance. Sand is obtained in the bluffs along the
streams and in their beds. Potter's clay, and fire-clay suitable for fire-brick,
are found in many places. An excellent article of fire-brick is made at
Eldora, Hardin county, where there are several extensive potteries in opera-
tion. Fire-clay is usually found underlying the coal-seams. There are
extensive potteries in operation in the counties of Lee, Yan Buren, Des
Moines, Wapello, Boone, Hamilton, Hardin, and perhaps others.
MINERAL PAINT.
In Montgomery county a fine vein of clay, containing a large proportion
of ochre, was several years ago discovered, and has been extensively used in
that part of the State for painting bams and out-houses. It is of a dark red
color, and is believed to be equal in quality, if properly manufactured, to the
mineral paints imported from other States. The use of it was first introdueed
by Mr. J. B. Packard, of .Ked Oak, on whose land there is an extensive de-
posit of this material.
HISTORY OF IOWA.
129
130 HISTOKY OF IOWA.
HOW THE TITLE TO IOWA LANDS IS DEBITED.
Right of Discovery— Title of France and Spain— Cession to the United States— Territorial
Changes— Treaties with the Indians— The Dubuque Grant— The Giard Grant— The Hon-
ori Grant— The Half-Breed Tract— System of PubUc Surveys.
The title to the soil of Iowa was, of course, primarily vested in the origi-
nal occupants who inhabited the country prior to its discovery by the whites.
But the Indians, being savages, possessed but few rights that civilized nations
considered themselves bound to respect, so that when they found this coun-
try in the possession of such a people they claimed it in the name of the
King of France, by the right of d%scovery. It remained under the juris-
diction of France until the year 1763.
Prior to the year 1763, the entire continent of Korth America was divided
between France, England, Spain, and Eussia. France held all that portion
of what now constitutes our national domain west of the Mississippi river,
except Texas and the territory which we have obtained from Mexico and
Russia. This vast region, while under the jurisdiction of France, was
known as the " Province of Louisiana," and embraced the present State of
Iowa. At the close of the " Old French War," in 1763, France gave up her
share of the continent, and Spain came into possession of the territory west
of the Mississippi river, while Great Britain retained Canada and the
regions northward, having obtained that territory by conquest in the war
with France. For thirty-seven years the territory now embraced within the
limits of Iowa remained as a part of the possession of Spain, and then went
back to France by the treaty of St. Idlefonso, October 1, 1800. On the
30th of April, 1803, France ceded it to the United States in consideration
of receiving $11,250,000, and the liq^uidation of certain claims held by citi-
zens of the United States against 1 ranee, which amounted to the further
sum of $3,750,000, and making a total of $15,000,000. It will thus be seen
that France has twice, and Spain once, held sovereignty over the territory
embracing Iowa, but the financial needs of Napoleon afforded our govern-
ment an opportunity to add another empire to its domain.
On the 31st of October, 1803, an act of Congress was approved author-
izing the President to take possession of the newly acquired teiTitory and
provide for it a temporary government, and another act approved March 26,
1804, authorized the division of the " Louisiana Purchase," as it was then
called, into two separate Territories. All that portion south of the 38d
parallel of north latitude, was called the " Territory of Orleans," and that
north of the said parallel was known as the " District of Louisiana," and
was placed under the jurisdiction of what was then known as " Indiana
Territory."
By virtue of an act of Congress, approved March 3, 1805, the "District
of Louisiana " was organized as the " Territory of Louisiana," with a Terri-
torial government of its own, which went into operation July 4th, of the
same year, and it so remained until 1812. In this year the " Territory of
Orleans" became the State of Louisiana, and the "Territory of Louisiana"
was organized as the "Territory of Missouri." This change took place
under an act of Congress approved June 4, 1812. In 1819, a portion ot this
territory was organized as " Arkansaw Territory," and in 1821 the State of
Missouri was admitted, being a part of the former "Territory of Missouri."
This left a vast domain still to the north, including the present States of
Iowa and Minnesota, which was, in 1834, made a part of the " Territory of
HISTOET OF IOWA. 131
Michigan." In July, 1836, tlie territory embracing the present States of
Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin was detached from Michigan, and organized
with a separate Territorial government under the name o± " Wisconsin Ter-
ritory."
By virtue of an act of Confess, approved June 12, 1838, on the 3d of
July of the same year, the "Territory of Iowa " was constituted. It em-
braced the present State of Iowa, and the greater portion of what is now
the State of Minnesota.
To say nothing of the title to the soil of Iowa that may once have vested
in the natives who claimed and occupied it, it is a matter of some interest
to glance at the various changes of ownership and jurisdiction through
which it has passed within the time of our historical period:
1. It beLjnged to France, with other territory now belonging to our na-
tional domain.
2. In 1763, with other territory, it was ceded to Spain.
3. October 1, 1800, it was ceded with other territory from Spain back to
France.
4. April 30, 1803, it was ceded with other territory by France to the
United States.
5. October 31, 1803, a temporary government was authorized by Con-
gress for the newly acquired territory.
6. October 1, 1804, it was included in the "District of Louisiana," and
placed under the jurisdiction of the Territorial government of Indiana.
7. July 4, 1805, it was included as a part ot the " Territory of Louis-
iana," then organized with a separate Territorial government.
8. June 4, 1812, it was embraced in what was then made the "Territory
of Missouri."
9. June 28, 1834, it became part of the "Territory of Michigan."
10. July 3, 1836, it was included as a part of the newly organized "Ter-
ritory of Wisconsin."
11. June 12, 1838, it was included in, and constituted a part of the newly
organized "Territory of Iowa."
12. December 28, 1846, it was admitted into the Cnion as a State.
The cession by France, April 30, 1803, vested the title in the United
States, subject to the claims of the Indians, which it was very justly the
policy of the government to reco^ize. The several changes of territorial
jurisdiction after the treaty with France did not affect the title to the soil.
Before the government of the United States could vest clear title to the
soil in its grantees it was necessary to extinguish the Indian title by pur-
chase. The treaties vesting the Indian title to the lands within the limits
of what is now the State of Iowa, were made at different times. The fol-
lowing is a synopsis of the several treaties by which the Indians relinquished
to the United States their rights in Iowa:
1. Treaty with the /Sacs and Foxe^^ Aug. ^ 182 Ji.. — This treaty between
the United States and the Sacs and Foxes, was made at the City of Wash-
ington, William Clark being commissioner on the part of the United States.
By this treaty the Sacs and Foxes relinquished their title to all lands in
Missouri, Iowa then being a part of Missouri. In this treaty the land in
the southeast comer of Iowa known as the " Half-Breed Tract," was re-
served for the use of the half-breeds of the Sacs and Foxes, they holding
the title to the same in the same manner as Indians. This treaty was rati-
fied January 18, 1825.
132 IIISTOKY OF IOWA.
2. Treaty icith various trihes^ Aug. 19, 1825. — This treaty was also made
at tlie city of Washington, by William Clark as Commissioner on the part
of the United States, with the Chippewas, Sacs and Foxes, Menomonees,
Winnebagoes and a portion of the Ottawas and Pottawattamies. This treaty
was intended mainly to make peace between certain contending tribes as to
the limits of their respective hunting grounds in Iowa. It was agreed that
the United States should run a boundary line between the Sioux on the
north and the Sacs and Foxes on the south, as follows: Commencing at the
mouth of the Upper Iowa river, on the west bank of the Mississippi, and
ascending said Iowa river to its west fork; thence uj) the fork to its source;
thence crossing the fork of Red Cedar river in a direct line to the second or
upper fork of the Des Moines river; thence in a direct line to the lower fork-
of the Calumet (Big Sioux) river, and down that to its junction with the
Missouri river.
3. Treaty with the Sacs and Foxes, July 15, 1830. — By this treaty the
Sacs and Foxes ceded to the United States a strip of country twenty miles
in width lying directly south of the line designated in the treaty of Aug. 19,
1825, and extending trom the Mississippi to the Des Moines river.
4. Treaty with the Sioux, July 15, 1830. — By this treaty was ceded to
the United States a strip twenty miles in width, on the north of the line
designated by the treaty of Aug. 19, 1825, and extending from the Missis-
sippi to the i)e8 Moines river. Bj these treaties made at the same date the
United States came into possession of a strip forty miles wide from the
Mississippi to the Des Moines river. It was known as the "Neutral
Ground," and the tribes on either side of it were allowed to use it in com-
mon as a fishing and hunting ground until the government should make
other disposition of it.
5. Treaty with various tribes, July 15, 1830. — This was a treaty with the
Sacs and Foxes, Sioux, Omahas, lowas and Missouris, by which they ceded
to the United States a tract bounded as follows: Beginning at the upper
fork of the Des Moines river, and passing the sources of the Little Sioux
and Floyd rivers, to the fork of tl^e first creek that falls into the Big Sioux,
or Calumet river, on the east side; thence down said creek and the Calumet
river to the Missouri river; thence down said Missouri river to the Missouri
State line above the Kansas; thence along said line to the northeast corner
of said State; thence to the highlands between the waters falling into the
Missouri and Des Moines, passing to said highlands along the dividing
ridge between the forks of the Grand river; thence along said highlands or
ridge separating the waters of the Missouri from those of the Des Moines,
to a point opposite the source of the Boyer river, and thence in a direct line
to the upper fork of the Des Moines, the place of beginning. The lands
ceded by this treaty were to be assigned, or allotted, under the direction of
the President of the United States, to the tribes then living thereon, or to
such other tribes as the President might locate thereon for hunting and
other purposes. In consideration of the land ceded by this treaty the United
States stipulated to make certain payments to the several tribes joining in
the treaty. The treaty took effect by proclamation, February 24, 1831.
6. Treaty with the Winnebagoes, Sept. 15, 1832. — This treaty was made at
Fort Armstrong, by Gen. Winfield Scott, and Gov. John Reynolds, of Illinois.
By the treaty the Winnebagoes ceded to the United States all their lands on
tlie east side of the Mississippi, and in part consideration therefor the United
States granted to the Winnebagoes as a reservation the lands in Iowa known
mSTOET OF IOWA. 133
as the Neutral Ground. The exchange of the two tracts was to take place
on or before June 1, 1833. The United States also stipulated to make pay-
ment to tlie Winnebagoes, beginning in September, 1873, and to continue
for twenty-seven successive years, $10,000 annually in specie, and also to
establish a school among them, with a farm and garden. There were also
other agreements on the part of the government.
7. Treaty with the Sacs and Foxes, Sept. ^1, 1832. — This was the treaty
known as the "Black Hawk Purchase," which opened the first lands in
Iowa for settlement by the whites. In negotiating this treaty Gen. Win-
field Scott and Gov. John Eeynolds represented the United States. By it
the Sacs and Foxes ceded to the United States a tract of land on the eastern
border of Iowa fifty miles wide, and extending from the northern boundary
of Missouri to the mouth of the Upper Iowa river,- containing about six
millions of acres. The United States stipulated to paj^ annually to the Sacs
and Foxes $20,000 in specie, and to pay certain indebtedness of the Indians,
amounting to about $50,000, due chiefly to Davenport & Farnham, Indian
traders, at Rock Island. By the terms of the treaty four hundred square
miles on Iowa river, ineluding Keokuk's village, were reserved, for the use and
occupancy of the Indians, This treaty was made on the ground where the
city of Davenport is now located. The government conveyed in fee simple
out of this purchase one section of land opposite Rock Island to Antoine
LeClaire, the interpreter, and another at the head of the first rapid above
Rock Island, being tlie first title to land in Iowa granted by the United
States to an individual.
8. Treaty with the Sacs and Foxes, 1836. — This treaty was also made on
the banks of the Mississippi, near where the city of Davenport now stands.
Gen. Henry Dodge, Governor of Wisconsin Territory, represented the
United States. By it the Sacs and Foxes ceded to the United States
" Keokuk's Reserve," as it w^as called, for which the government stipulated
to pay $30,000, and an annuity of $10,000 for ten successive years, together
with certain indebtedness of the Indians.
9. Treaty with the Sacs and Foxes, Oct. '21, 1837. — This treaty was made
at Washington; Carey A. Harris, Commissioner of Indian Afl'airs, repre-
senting the United States. By this treaty the Sacs and Foxes relinquished
their title to an additional tract in Iowa, described as follows: "A tract of
country containing 1,250,000 acres, lying west and adjoining the tract con-
veyed by them to the United States in the treaty of September 21, 1832.
It is understood that the points of termination for the present cession shall
be the northern and southern points of said tract as fixed by the survey
made under the authority of the United States, and that a line shall be
drawn between them so as to intersect a line extended westwardly from the
angle of said tract nearly opposite to Rock Island, as laid down in the above
survey, so far as may be necessary to include the number of acres hereby
ceded, which last mentioned line, it is estimated, will be about twenty-five
miles." The tract ceded by this treaty lay directly west of the "Black
Hawk Purchase."
10. Treaty with Sacs and Foxes, same date. — At the same date the Sacs
and Foxes ceded to the United States all their right and interest in the
country south of the boundary line between the Sacs and Foxes and the
Sioux, as described in the treaty of August 19, 1825, and between the Mis-
sissippi and Missouri rivers, the United States paying for the same $160,000.
134 mSTOKT OF IOWA.
Tlie Sacs and Foxes by this treaty also relinquished all claims and interest
under the treaties previously made with them.
11. Treaty with the Sacs and Foxes, Oct. 11, 181^. — This treaty was
made at the Sac and Fox Agency, by John Chambers, as Commissioner, on
behalf of the United States. By it the Sacs and Foxes relinquished to the
United States all their lands west of the Mississippi to which they had any
claim or title, and agreed to a removal from the country, at the expiration of
three years. In accordance with this treaty, a part of them were removed
to Kansas in the fall of 1845, and the remainder in the spring of 1846.
The treaty of 1803 with France, and these several treaties with the Indian
tribes, vested in the United States, the title to all the lands in the State of
Iowa — subject, however, to claims set up under certain Spanish grants, and
also, the claim to the " Half-Breed Tract," in Lee county, which claims were
afterward adjudicated in the courts or otherwise adjusted. The following
is a brief explanation of the nature of these claims:
The Dubuque Claim. — Lead had been discovered at the site of the present
city of Dubuque as early as 1780, and in 1788 Julien Dubuque, then resid-
ing at Prairie du Chien, obtained permission from the Fox tribe of Indians
to engage in mining lead, on the west side of the Mississippi. Dubuque,
with a number of other persons, was engaged in mining, and claimed a large
tract, embracing as he supposed all the lead bearing region in that vicinity.
At that time, it will be remembered, the country was under Spanish juris-
diction, and embraced in the "Province of Louisiana." In 1796 Dubuque
petitioned the Spanish Governor of Louisiana, Carondelet, for a grant of
tlie lands embracing the lead mines, describing in his petition a tract con-
taining over twenty thousand acres. The* Spanish governor granted the
petition, and the grant was confirmed by the Board of Land Commissioners
of Louisiana. Dubuque, in 1804, transferred the larger part of his claim to
Auguste Choteau, of St. Louis. On the 17th of May, 1805, Dubuque and
Choteau filed their joint claims with the Board of Land Commissioners, and
the claim was decided by them to be a clear and regular Spanish grant, hav-
ing been made and completed prior to October 1st, 1800, and while it was
yet Spanish territory. Dubuque died March 24, 1810. After the death of
Dubuque the Indians resumed occupancy of the mines and engaged them-
selves in mining to some extent, holding that Dubuque's claim was only a
permit during his lifetime, and in this they were sustained by the military
authority of the United States, notwithstanding the decision of the Land
Commissioners. In the treaty afterward between the United States and the
Sacs and Foxes, the Indians made no reservation of this claim, and it was
therefore included as a part of the lands ceded by them to the United States.
In the meantime Auguste Ohoteau also died, and his heirs began to look
after their interests. They authorized their agent to lease the privilege of
working the mines, and under this authority miners commenced operations,
but the military authorities compelled them to abandon the work. But little
further was done in the matter until after the town of Dubuque was laid
out, and lots had been sold and were occupied by purchasers, when Henry
Choteau brought an action of ejectment against Patrick Malony, who held
land under a patent from the United States, for the recovery of seven undi-
vided eighths of the Dubuque claim, as purchased by Auguste Choteau in
1804. The case was decided in the United States District Court adversely
to the plaintiff. It was carried to the Supreme Court of the United States
on a writ of error, where the decision of the lower court was affirmed. The
HISTORY OF IOWA. 135
Supreme Court held that Dubuque asked, and the Governor of Louisiana
granted, nothing more than peaceable possession of certain lands obtained
from the Indians, and that Carondelet had no legal authority to make such
a grant as claimed.
The Giard Claim. — The Lieutenant Governor of Upper Louisiana, in
1795, granted to one Basil Giard 5,760 acres in what is now Clayton county.
Giard took possession and occupied the land until after the territory passed
into the possession of the United States, after which the government of the
United States granted a patent to Giard, for the land which has since been
known as the " Giard Tract." His heirs subsequently sold the whole tract
for $300.
The Ronori Claim.— On the 30th day of March, 1799, Zenon Trudeau,
Acting Lieutenant Governor of Upper Louisiana, granted to Louis Honori
a tract of land on the site of the present town of Montrose, as follows: "It
is permitted to Mr. Louis (Fresson) Henori, or Louis Honori Fesson, to
establish himself at the head of the rapids of the Eiver Des Moines, and his
establishment once formed, notice of it shall be given to the Governor Gen-
eral, in order to obtain for him a commission of a space suflSicient to give
value to such establishment, and at the same time to render it useful to the
commerce of the peltries of this country, to watch the Indians and keep them
in the fidelity which they owe to His Majesty." Honori retained possession
until 1805, l3ut in 1803 it was sold under an execution obtained by one
Joseph Eobedoux, who became the purchaser. The tract is described as being
" about six leagues above the Des Moines." Auguste Choteau, the executor
of Robedoux, in April, 1805, sold the Honori tract to Thomas F. Reddeck.
In the grant from the Spanish government it was described as being one
league square, but the government of the United States confirmed only one
mile square. Attempts were subsequently made to invalidate the title of
the Reddeck heirs, but it was finally confirmed by the Supreme Court of the
United States, in 1839.
The Half-Breed Tract. — By a treaty made with the Indians, August
4, 1824, the United States acquired possession of a large tract of land
in the northern portion of Missouri. In this same treaty 119,000 acres
were reserved for the use of the half-breeds of the Sac and Fox nation.
This reservation occupied the strip between the Mississii3pi and Des Moines
rivers, and south of a line drawn from a point on the Des Moines river,
about one mile below the present town of Farmington, in Van Buren county,
east to the Mississippi river at the lower end of Fort Madison, including all
the land between the two rivers south of this line. By the terms of the
treaty the United States had a reversionary interest in this land, whicli de-
prived the Indians of the power to sell. But, in 1835, Congress relinquished
to the half-breeds tliis reversionary interest, vesting in them a fee simple
title, and the right to sell and convey. In this law, however, the right to
sell was not given to individuals by name, but to the half-breeds as a class,
and. in this the subsequent litigation in regard to the "Half-Breed Tract"
originated. A door was open for innumerable frauds. The result was that
speculators rushed in and began to buy the claims of the half-breeds, and,
in many instances, a gun, a blanket, a pony or a few quarts of whisky was
sufiicient for the purchase of large estates. There was a deal of sharp prac-
tice on both sides; Indians would often claim ownership of land by virtue
of being half-breeds, and had no difficulty in proving their mixed blood by
Ihe Indians, and they would then cheat the speculators by selling land to
136 HISTORY 01* IOWA.
which they had no rightful title. On the other hand, speculators often
claimed land in which they had no ownership. It was diamond cut dia-
mond, until at last things became badly mixed. There were no authorized
surveys, and no boundary lines to claims, and, as a natural result, numerous
conflicts and quarrels ensued. To settle these difficulties, to decide the va-
lidity of claims or sell them for the benefit of the real owners, by act of the
Legislature of Wisconsin Territory, approved January 16, 1838, Edward
Johnstone, Thomas S. Wilson and David Brigham were appointed commis-
sioners, and clothed with power to effect these objects. The act provided
that these commissioners should be paid six dollars a day each. The com-
mission entered upon its duties and continued until the next session of the
Legislature, when the act creating it was repealed, invalidating all that had
been done and depriving the commissioners of their pay. The repealing
act, however, authorized the commissioners to commence action against the
owners of the Half-Breed Tract, to receive their pay for their services, in the
District Court of Lee county. Two judgments were obtained, and on exe-
cution the whole of the tract was sold to Hugh T. Eeid, the sheriff executing
the deed. Mr. Reid sold portions of it to various parties, but his own title
was questioned and he became involved in litigation. Decisions in favor
of Reid and those holding under him were made by both District and Su-
preme Courts, but in December, 1850, these decisions were finally reversed
by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Joseph Webster,
plaintiff in error, vs. Hu^h T. Eeid, and the judgment titles failed. About
nine years before the "judgment titles" were finally abrogated, as above,
another class of titles was brought into competition with them, and in the
conflict between the two, the final decision was obtained. These were the
titles based on the " decree of partition " issued by the United States District
Court for the Territory of Iowa, on the 8th of May, 1841, and certified to by
the clerk on the 2d day of June of that year. Edward Johnstone and Hugh
T. Eeid, then law partners at Fort Madison, filed the petition for the decree
in behalf of the St. Louis claimants of half-breed lands. Francis S. Key,
author of the " Star Spangled Banner," who was then attorney for the New
York Land Company, which held heavy interests in these lands, took a lead-
ing part in the measure, and drew up the document in which it was pre-
sented to the court. Judge Charles Mason, of Burlington, presided. The
plan of partition divided the tract into 101 shares, each claimant to draw his
proportion by lot,and to abide the result. The plan was agreed to and the
lots drawn. The plat of the same was filed for record, October 6th, 1841.
The title under tliis decree of partition, however, was not altogether satis-
factory. It was finally settled by a decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States, in January, 1855.
SYSTEM OF PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS.
In connection with the subject of land titles, an explanation of the method
of public surveys will prove interesting to all land owners. These explana-
tions apply, not only to Iowa, but to the Western States generally, and to
nearly all lands the title to which is derived from the Government.
Soon after the organization of our government, Virginia and other
States, ceded to the United States extensive tracts of wild land, which,
together with other lands subsequently acquired by purchase and treaty,
constituted what is called the public lands, or public domain. Up to the
year 1802, these lands were sold without reference to any general or uniforiH
HISTORY OF IOWA. 137
plan. Each person who desired to purchase any portion of the public do-
main, selected a tract in such shape as suited his fancy, designating his
boundaries by prominent objects, such as trees, rocks, streams, the banks of
rivers and creeks, cliffs, ravines, etc. But, owing to the frequent indefinite-
ness of description, titles often conflicted with each other, and in many cases
several grants covered the same premises.
To obviate these difficulties, in 1802, Col. Jared Mansfleld, then surveyor-
general of the Northwestern Territory, devised and adopted the present mode
of surveying the publrc lands. This system was established by law, and is
uniform in its application to all the public lands belonging to the United
States.
By this method, all the lines are run by the cardinal points of the com-
pass; the north and south lines coinciding with the true meridian, and the
east and west lines intersecting them at right angles, giving to the tracts
thus surveyed the rectangular form.
In the first place, certain lines are established running east and west, called
Base Lines. Then, from noted points, such as the mouths of principal riv-
ers, lines are run due north and south, which are called Principal Meri-
dixins. The Base Lines and Principal Meridians together, are called
Standard Lines, as they form the basis of all the surveys made therein.
In order to distinguish from each other the system or series of surveys thus
formed, the several Principal Meridians are designated by progressive
numbers. The Meridian running north from the mouth of the Great Miami
river, is called the First Principal Meridian; that running north through
the State of Indiana, the Second Principal Meridian; that running north
from the mouth of the Ohio river through the State of Illinois, the Third
Principal Meridian; that running north from the mouth of the Illinois
river, through the States of Illinois and "Wisconsin, the Fourth Principal
Meridian; and that running north from the mouth of the Arkansas river,
through the States of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, the
F-lfth Principal Meridian.
Having established the Standard Lines as above described, the country-
was then divided into equal squares as nearly as practicable, by a system of
parallel meridians six miles distant from each other, crossed or intersected
by lines east and west, also six miles from each other. Thus the country
was divided into squares, the sides of which are six miles, and each square
containing 36 square miles. These squares are called Townships. The
lines of the townships running north and south are called Range Lines; and
the rows or tiers of townships running north and south are called Ranges;
tiers of townships east and west are called Townships; and the lines di-
viding these tiers are called Township Lines. Townships are numbered
from the Base Line and the Principal Meridians. Thus the townshif) in
which Sioux City, Iowa, is located, is described as township l!^o. 89 north,
in range No. 47 west of the Fifth Principal Meridian. The situation of this
township is, therefore, 528 miles (making no allowance f>r fractional town-
ships) north of the Base Line, as there are 88 townships intervening between
it and the Base Line; and being in range No. 47, it is 276 miles west of the
Fifth Principal Meridian, as there are 46 ranges of townships intervening
between it and the said Principal Meridian. The township adjoining on the
north of 89 in range 47, is 90 in ra:nge 47; but the township adjoining on
the west of 89 in range 47, is numbered 89 of range 48, and the one north
of 89 of range 48, is 90 of range 48, and so on.
138
HISTORY OF IOWA.
Some of the townships mentioned in this illustration, being on the Mis-
souri and Big Sioux rivers, are Jractional.
The lines and corners of the townships being established hy competent
surveyors, under the authority of the government, the next work is to sub-
divide the townships into sections of one square mile each, making 36 sec-
tions in each full township, and each full section containing 640 acres. The
annexed diagram exhibits the 36 sections of a township:
6
5
4
3
2
1
7
8
9
10
11
12
18
17
16
15
14
13
19
20
21
22
23
24
30
29
28
27
26
25
31
32
33
34
35
36
The sections are numbered alternately west and east, beginning at the
northeast corner of the township, as shown by the diagram.
The lands are sold or disposed of by the government, in tracts of 640
acres, 320 acres, 160 acres, 80 acres and 40 acres; or by the section, half
sf^ction, quarter section, half quarter section and quarter of quarter section.
The annexed diagram will present a section and its sub-divisions:
W
160 A
40 A
80 A
40A
160 A
160 A
The corners of the section, and the comers at iN"., E., S. and "W. have all
been established and marked by the government surveyor in making his
sub-division of the township, or in sectionizing, as it is termed. He does
mSTOET OF IOWA. 139
not establisli or mark any of the interior lines or comers. Tliis work is
left for the county surveyor or other competent person. Suppose the last
diagram to represent section 25, in township 89, north of range 47 west,
then the sub-divisions shown may be described as the northwest quarter of
section 25 ; the southwest quarter of section 25 ; the southeast quarter of
section 25, all in township 89 north of range 47 west of the 5tli Principal
Meridian. But these descriptions do not include any portion of the north-
east quarter of the section. That we wish to describe in smaller sub-divis-
ions. So we say, the east half of the northeast quarter of section '25; the
northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section ^5, and the southwest
qy/irter of the northeast quarter of section 25, all in township 89 north of
range 47 west of the 5th Principal Meridian. The last three descriptions
embrace all the northeast quarter of the section, but described in three
distinct tracts, one containing 80 acres, and two containing 40 acres each.
The Base Lines and Principal Meridians have been established by astro-
nomical observations; but the lines of sub-di\'isions are run with the com-
pass. The line indicated by the magnetic needle, when allowed to move
freely about the point of support, and settle to a state of rest, is called the
magnetic variation. This, in general, is not the true meridian, or north
and south line. The angle which the magnetic meridian makes with the
true meridian, is called the variation of the needle at that place, and is east
or west, according as the north end of the needle lies on the east or west
side of the true meridian. The variation of the needle is different at dif-
ferent places, but in Iowa the magnetic needle points about 2^ degrees east
of the true meridian. The lihes of the lands are made to conform as nearly
as practicable to the true meridian, but owing to the imperfections of instru-
ments, topographical inequalities in the surface of the ground, and various
other causes, it is absolutely impossible in practice to arrive at perfection ;
or, in other words, to make the townships and their sectional sub-divisions
exactly square and their lines exactly north and south and east and west.
A detailed statement of the manner of sub-dividing a township into sec-
tions would be too lengthy for this article. Suffice it to say, that the frac-
tional tracts are all tlirown on the north and west sides of the townships. The
last tiers, or rows, of quarter sections on the north and west sides of a town-
ship generally fall either below or in excess of even quarter sections. Where
there is a large district of country of uniform level surface, the errors of
measurement are not likely to be so great, and the fractions in that case
may not vary much from even quarter sections.
All measurements are made in chains. A chain is a measure of four
rods, each link being the hundredth part of a chain, and is so used in the
field notes and calculations. For convenience in practice, however, the sur-
veyor generaly uses a half ch/iin, equal to two rods, or fifty links, but the
sui-veyor's reckoning is kept, and all his calculations are made in full chains
of four rods, and decimal parts thereof. In the measurement of lines, every
five chains are called an " out," because at that distance, the last of the ten
tally rods or pins, with which the forward chainman set out, has been set to
mark the measurement. The other chainman then comes forward, counts
and delivers to him the ten tally rods which he has taken up in the last
"out," the forward chainman likewise counting the pins as he receives them.
At the end of every five chains, the forward chainman as he sets the tenth
or last tally rod, calls, " out," which is repeated by the other chainman,
and by the marker and surveyor, each of whom keeps a tally of the " outs,"
140 HISTORY OF IOWA.
and marks tlie same as lie calls them. Sixteen " outs," or eighty chains,
make a mite.
The corners of townships, sections and quarter sections, are marked in the
following manner:
On the exterior township lines, corner posts are set at the distance of
every mile and half mile from the township corner. The mile posts are for
the corners of sections, and the half-mile posts for the corners of quarter
sections. They are required to be driven into the ground to the depth of
from fifteen to twenty inches, and to be made of the most durable wood to
be had. The sides of the posts are squared off at the top, and the angles
of the square set to correspond with the cardinal points of the compass.
All the mile posts on the township lines are marked with as many notches
cut in one of the angles as they are miles distant from the township corner
where the line commenced. But the township corner posts are notched with
six notches on each of the four angles. The mile posts on the section lines
are notched on the south and east angles of the square, respectively, with as
many notches as they are miles distant from the south and east boundai'ies
of tiie township. If it so happens that a tree is situated to supply the
place of a corner post, it is "blazed" on four sides facing the sections to
which it is the corner, and notched in the same manner that the corner posts
are. At all corners in the timber, two or more bearing trees in opposite
directions are required to be noted, and the course of each tree noted and
recorded. The trees are "blazed" on the side facing the post, and the let-
ters B, T. (Bearing Tree) cut in the wood below the blaze. At the quarter
section corners, the post is flattened on opposite sides, and marked "J," and
the nearest suitable tree on each side of the section line is marked to show
the township, range and section in which such tree is situated. More recent
regulations require four witnesses, or bearing trees, at the township and
section corners, and two at the quarter section corners, if within convenient
distance.
In the prairies, and other places where bearing trees could not be noted,
quadrangular mounds of earth are raised around the posts, the angles of the
mounds corresponding with the cardinal points of the compass. The
mounds are required to be two and a-half feet high and four feet square at
the base. The earth to form the mound at the section corner is taken from
one place to form the pit directly south of the mound; and at the quarter
section corner it is taken directly east of the mound. The posts are squared
and notched as heretofore described. More recent regulations require
stones or charcoal to be buried in the mound.
In the timber the lines are marked in the following manner: All those
trees which the line cuts have two notches on each side of the tree where
the line cuts it. These are called "station trees," and sometimes "line
trees," or " sight trees." All trees within ten or fifteen links on each side
of the line are marked with two spots or " blazes," diagonally or quartering
toward the line. The names and estimated diameters of all the " station
trees," with their distances on the lines, are noted.
In the northwest part of Iowa, where the prairie so largely predominates,
the landmarks, of course, are chiefly mounds and pits. The original stakfes
set by the surveyors have mostly been destroyed by the flres, but occasion-
ally one may be found. Many of the mounds and pits have also been par-
tially obliterated, but the experienced surveyor will generally identify them
with very little trouble. A person in search of the landmarks on the prai-
HISTOKT OF IOWA. 141
rie should provide himself with a compass with which to trace the lines, A
small one will answer the purpose of ascertaining lines approximately, but
for finding the sub-divisions accurately, a good compass or transit and chain
are required.
The field notes of the original surveys furnish primarily the material
from which the plats and calculations of the public lands are made, and the
source from whence the description and evidence of the location and boun-
daries of those surveys are drawn and perpetuated. The surveyors of the
public lands were, therefore, required to keep an accurate record of the
topography of the country, with a description of everything which might
aftbrd useful information. The crossings of streams, lakes, ponds, sloughs,
etc., with their location on the lines, were all required to be carefully noted.
EAELY SETTLEMENTS, AND TEEKITOEIAL OEGAKIZATION.
Julien Dubuque — Spanish Lead Mines — Early Settlement at Dubuque — Settlement at Mont-
rose— Old Apple Trees — Fort Madison— Keokuk — First Settlement at BurUngton — First
Settlement in Scott County — Organization of Scott County — Murder of Col. Davenport —
Band of Outlaws broken up — Some First Things — Territorial Convention — Subject of
Pre-emptions — Missouri Boundaiy — Question of Separate Ten-itorial Organization — Me-
morials to Congress.
The first white men who are known to have set their feet upon the soil of
Iowa, were James Marquette and Louis Joliet, in 1673, as we have seen in
a former part of this work. It was 115 years after the visit of these cele-
brated French voyageurs before any white man established a settlement,
during which time several generations of the Indian tribes occupied the val-
leys of the beautiful rivers of Iowa, or roamed over her broad prairies. Dur-
ing all this time they doubtless kept ahve among them the tradition of the
strange Black- Eobe Chief and his pale-faced companions who came in their
canoes to see their fathers so many years before. It was likewise a French-
man, Julien Dubuque, who had the honor of making the first permanent
white settlement. In 1788, having obtained permission from the Indians,
he crossed the Mississippi with a small party of miners for the purpose of
working lead mines at the place where the city is now located which bears
his name, the lead having been discovered a short time before by the wife
Peosta, a Fox warrior. Dubuque was a native of France, but had emigrated
to Canada and become an Indian trader. "While engaged in that business
he reached Prairie du Chien about the year 1785, and with two other French-
men, laid out a village which now constitutes the northern part of that city.
As a trader he acquired great influence with the Sac and Fox Chiefs. Six
years after he engaged in mining (1796), he wrote a very diplomatic peti-
tion to the Spanish Governor of Louisiana, Baron de Carondelet, to con-
firm the Indian grant. The governor referred the petition to a merchant
and trader named Andrew Todd, who recommended that the grant be con-
firmed, with a restriction prohibiting Dubuque from trading with the
Indians, without first obtaining Todd's consent in writing. With this re-
striction the petition was granted. Dubuque, as was a common custom
among the French traders, had married an Indian woman. He gave to the
district embraced in his grant the name of the Mines of Spain, in 1796, in
compliment to the Spanish governor. He remained engaged in mining
until his death, which occurred March 24, 1810. He was buried on a bluff
near the present city, and at his grave was placed a cedar cross, liewn square,
142 HISTORY OP IOWA.
and about twelve feet Ligli. On the arms of the cross there was, in French,
an inscription, of which the following is a translation:
JULIEN DUBUQUE,
MINER OF THE MINES OF SPAIN,
DIED MARCH 24tH, 1810,
AGED FORTY-FIVE AND A-HALF YEARS.
A number of Indians were afterward buried at the same place, and among
them the chief Kettle and his wife, who both died some eighteen years after
Dubuque. Kettle had requested his tribe to bury him and his wife in the
vault with Dubuque, In 1828 their bodies were on the surface of the
ground, wrapped in buffalo robes, protected from animals by closed walls
and a roof. The cross and vault of Dubuque, it is said, were torn down
about the year 1854, by some thoughtless boys, or perhaps men. The vault
was built of roughly dressed limestone taken from the edge of the bluff only
a few feet distant. But little more than is here stated is known of the first
white man who settled on Iowa soil. .
At the death of Dubuque the Indians claimed that the right, or lease of
the whites to work the mines had expired, and but little more mining seems
to have been done there until after the Black Hawk War. "When attempts
were made to engage in mining the military authority interfered to prevent
intrusion upon the rights of the Indians. In 1829, James L. Langworthy,
a native of Vermont, who had been engaged in lead mining at Galena, Illi-
nois, crossed over the river for the purpose of working the mines known
then as the " Spanish Lead Mines." The Indians refused to give him per-
mission, but allowed him to explore the country. With two young Indians
as guides, he traversed the region between Maquoketa and Turkey rivers.
When he returned to the Sac and Fox village, he secured the good will of
the Indians, and formed his plans for operating the mines. The next year,
with his brother, Lucius H. Langworthy, and some other miners, he crossed
over the river and engaged in mining. In June, 1830, the miners adopted a
code of laws or rules, reported by a committee consisting of James L. Lang-
worthy, H. F. Lander, James McPhetres, Samuel Scales and E. M. Wren.
They erected an independent civil government of their own, the first gov-
ernment established by white men in Iowa. Some time after this the War
Department issued an order to Col. Zachary Taylor, then in command of the
military post at Prairie du Chien, to cause the miners to leave the west side
of the river. Notice was accordingly given them and the order was reluc-
tantly obeyed, but not until a detachment of troops was sent to enforce it.
After the close of the Black Hawk War, and the treaty went into effect which
allowed settlement, on and after June 1, 1833, the Langworthy brothers and
some others returned and resumed their claims, and soon there was a con-
siderable settlement at Dubuque. The first school house in Iowa was
erected there the same year, and before the close of the year there were five
hundred white people in the mining district. At a meeting of the settlers,
in 1834, the place was named Dubuque.
Except the mining settlement at Dubuque, the first traces of the
white man in Iowa, are to be found in Lee county. On the 30th of
March, 1799, Louis Honori Fesson obtained permission of the Span-
ish government to establish himself at the head of the rapids of the
river Des Moines for the purpose of trading with the Indians. The
place was at this time occupied by a half-breed Indian named Ked Bird,
HISTOKT OF IOWA. 143
but known among the whites as Thomas Abbott. Subsequently the town
of Montrose was located on the ground where Fesson had his trading post
and Red Bird his wick-e-up. Settlers of a later day have felt much interest
in tlie existence here of some full grown apple trees which must have been
planted by some hand long before the Black Hawk War. It has been
claimed by some that they were planted by Fesson as early as the beginning
of the present century. Hon. D. "W. Kilbourne, one of the early settlers of
Lee county, claimed that they were planted by Red Bird some time between
the years 1795 and 1798. Mr. Kilbourne was personally acquainted with
Red Bird as well as with Black Hawk and other noted Indians of the Sac
and Fox tribes, and from them he received what he believed to be an authen-
tic account of the origin of the " ancient apple orchard " at Montrose. It
was the custom of the Indians once a year to visit St. Louis for the purpose
of obtaining supplies of blankets and other articles. The half-breed, Red
Bird, then a young man, made his customary pilgrimage in the early spring,
and on his return stopped a few days at St. Charles on the Missouri river.
There a white man made him a present of about twenty small apple trees
and gave him instructions how to plant them. Red Bird carried the trees
home with him and planted them near his wick-e-up, placing stakes around
them. ISTearly all of them grew and remained to excite the wonder and
curiosity of succeeding generations of white men.
In 1809 a military post was established where Ft. Madison is now located,
but of course the country was not open to white settlers until after the
" Black Hawk Purchase." In 1834 troops were stationed at the point where
Montrose is now located, but at that time the place was called " Fort Des
Moines." They remained until 1837, when they were removed to Fort
Leaven worch. At first they were under the command of Lieut. Col. S. "W.
Kearney, who was afterward relieved by Col. R. B. Mason. The command
consisted of three companies of the 1st United States Dragoons, Co. C,
Capt. E. Y. Sumner, Co. H, Capt. N"athan Boone, and Co. I, Capt. J. B.
Browne. Capt. Browne resigned his position in the regular army in 1837,
and remained a citizen of Lee county. In 1838 he was appointed by Gov.
Lucas as Maj. Gen. of Militia. He was also elected as a member of the first
Territorial Legislature which convened at Burlington, and had the honor of
being the first President of the Council and afterward Speaker of the House
of Representatives. At the " Foot of The Lower Rapids " there was a place
which, prior to 1834, was known as " Farmers' Trading Post." In Septem-
ber of that year a meeting of half-breed Indians and their assigns was held
in the old trading house then owned by Isaac C. Campbell. The object of
the meeting was to petition Congress for the passage of a law granting them
the privilege to sell and convey their respective titles to what was then
known as the " Half-breed Reservation," according to the laws of Missouri.
In attendance at this meeting were representatives from Prairie du Chein
and St. Louis. At this time there were about nine families residing in the
vicinity, and after the adjournment of the meeting the resident citizens re-
{)aired to the saloon of John Gaines to talk over their prospects when the
lalf-breed title should become extinct. They looked forward to the time
when a city should grow up at that point. John Gaines called the meeting
to order and made a speech in which he said the time had now come to
agree upon a name for the town. He spoke of the chief Keokuk as the
friend of the white nian, and proposed his name for the future town._ The
proposition met with favor and the name was adopted. In the spring of
144 HISTOET OF IOWA.
1837 tlie town was laid out and a pnbKc sale of lots took place in June.
Only two or three lots were sold, although many attended from St. Louis
and other points. In 1840 the greater portion of Keokuk was a dense for-
est, the improvements being only a few cabins. In 1847 a census of the
place gave a population of 520. During the year 1833 Capt. James White
made a claim on the present site of Montrose, and in the same year, soon
after the close of the Black Hawk war, Zachariah Hawkins, Benjamin Jen-
nings, Aaron White, Augustine Horton, Samuel Gooch, Daniel Thompson
and Peter Williams made claims at Ft. Madison. In 1833 these claims
were purchased by John and JSTathaniel Knapp, upon which, in 1835, they
laid out the town. The next summer lots were sold. The lots were subse-
quently re-surveyed and platted by the United States Government.
The first settlement made at Burlington and in the vicinity, was
in the. fall of 1832. Daniel Tothero came with his family and settled
on the prairie about three miles from the Mississippi river. About the
same time Samuel White, with his family, erected his cabin near the river
at what is known as the upper bluf within the limits of the present city
of Burlington. This was before the extinction of the Indian title, for that
did not take place before June 1st, 1833, when the government acqidred the
territory under what was known as the " Black Hawk Purchase." There
was then a government mih'tary post at Eock Island, and some dragoons
came down from that place during the next winter and drove Tothero and
and White over the river, burning their cabins. White remained in Illinois
until the first of the following June, when the Indians surrendered posses-
sion of the "Black Hawk Purchase," and on that very day was on the gronnd
and built his second cabin. His cabin stood on what is now Front street,
between Court and High streets, in the city of Burlington. Soon after Mr.
White's return his brother-in-law, Doolittle, joined him, and in 1834 they
laid out the original town, naming it Burlington, for the town of that name
in Vermont. The name was given at the request of John Gray, a Yer-
monter and a friend of the proprietors. Thus White and Doolittle became
the Romulus and Remus of one of the leading cities of Iowa. During the
year 1833 there was considerable settlement made in the vicinity, and soon a
mill was erected by Mr, Donnell, on Flint creek, three miles from Burling-
ton. In 1837 Major McKell erected a saw-mill in the town. In June,
1834, Congress passed an act attaching the "Black Hawk Purchase " to the
Territory of Michigan for temporary government. In September of the
same year the Legislature of Michigan divided this purchase into two coun-
ties, Des Moines and Dubuque. The boundary between them was a line
running due west from the lower end of Rock Island. They also organized
a county court in each county, and for Des Moines county made the seat
of justice at Burlington. The first court was held in April, 1835, in a log
house. In 1838 Iowa was made a separate Territory and Burlington was
made the capital and so remained until after the admission into the Union
as a State. The Territorial Legislature met for several years in the first
church erected in Burlington, knpwn as " Old Zion." In this same building
the supreme judicial tribunal of the Territory also held its sessions, as well
as the district court.
The first white man to settle permanently within the limits of Scott
county, was Capt. B. W. Clark, a native of Yirginia. He had settled and made
some improvement on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, but in 1833 he
moved across the river and made a " claim and commenced an improvement
HISTORY OF IOWA.
145
10
146 HISTORY OF IOWA.
wliere the town of Buffalo was laid out. His nearest wliite neighbors on the
west side of the Mississippi, were at Burlington and Dubuque. David H.
Clark, a son of Capt. Clark, born April 21, 1834, was the first white child
born within the limits of what is now Scott county.
Before the time, June 1, 1833, that the Indians were to give possession
to the whites, Geo. L. Davenport had been permitted to make a claim. He
had been a favorite with the Indians from boyhood, and for this reason he
was permitted to go upon the lands while others were kept off. The land
upon which a part of the city of Davenport is located, and adjoining or near
Le' Claire's reserve, was claimed by R. H. Spencer, and a man named Mc-
Cloud. Mr. Le Claire afterward purchased their claim interest for $150.
The project of laying out a town upon Mr. Le Claire's claim was first dis-
cussed in the autumn of 1835, at the residence of Col. Davenport, on Eock
Island. The persons interested in the movement were Antoine Le Claire,
Maj. Thos. Smith, Maj. Wm. Gordon, Phillip Hambaugh, Alexander W.
McGregor, Levi S. Colton, Capt. James May and Col. Geo. Davenport. In
the spring of 1836, the enterprise was carried into effect by the purchase of
the land from Mr. Le Claire, and the laying out of a town to which the
name of Davenport was given, in honor of Col. Davenport. The survey
was made by Maj. Gordon. Some improvement had been made upon tlie
ground by Mr. Le Claire, as early as 1833, but none of a substantial character
until 1836.
During this year Messrs. Le Claire and Davenport erected a building
which was opened as a public house or tavern, by Edward Powers. During
the same year John Litch from JN'ewburyport, N. 11. , opened the pioneer
whisky shop in a log shanty on Front street. A ferry across the Mississippi
was established by Mr. Le Claire, who was also the same year appointed the
first postmaster, and carried the mails in his pocket while ferrying. The
first white male child born in Davenport was a son of Levi S. Colton, in
the autumn of 1836. The child died in August, 1840, at the Indian village
on Iowa river. The first female child was a daughter of D. C. Eldridge.
Alex. W. McGregor, opened the first law ofiice in 1836. Eev A. M. Gavit,
a Methodist minister, preached .the first sermon in the house of D. C. Eld-
ridge. At the close of the year 1836 there were some six or seven houses
in the town. The Indians still lingered about the place. Col. Davenport
still kept a trading house open on Rock Island, and furnished supplies.
When the Sacs and Foxes removed from the lands embraced in the first
purchase they settled for a short time on Iowa river, and after the second
purchase removed to the Des Moines river, where they remained until the
last sale of their lands in Iowa when they were removed by the government
to Kansas.
Scott county was organized and named in honor of Gen. "Winfield Scott at
the session of the Legislature of "Wisconsin in December, 1837. Major
Frayer Wilson was appointed sheriff. The election for county commission-
ers was held on the third Monday in February, 1838, when the following
were elected: Benj. F. Pike, Andrew W. Campbell, and Alfred Carter. On
the 4th of July, 1838, by an act of Congress, Iowa became a separate Terri-
tory, and Robert Lucas, of Ohio, was appointed the first Territorial Governor.
He made the following appointments for Scott county: Williard Barrows,
notary public; Ebenezer Cook, judge of probate; Adrian H. Davenport,
sheriff; Isaac A. Hedges and John Porter, justices of the peace. D. C.
Eldridge received the appointment of postmaster at Davenport. The first
niSTOET OF IOWA. 147
District Court met in Davenport in October, 1838, Hon. Thomas S. Wilson,
of Dubuque, presiding.
For two years a contest had been going on between Davenport and a place
called Kockingham as to which should have the honor of the county seat.
The fourth Monday of August, 1840, was fixed for holding an election to
decide the vexed question. It resulted favorably to Davenport, the citizens
of the successful town building a court house and jail free of expense to the
county.
On the Tth of July, 1838, Andrew Logan, from Pennsylvania, arrived
with a printing press, and on the 17th of September foUowing^ issued the
first number of a paper called louoa Sun and Davenport and Uock Island
News^ the first newspaper published in the county. On the 26th day of
August, 1841, the first number of the Davenjport Weekly Gazette was issued
by Alfred Sanders.
One of the most exciting incidents connected with the early history of
Davenport and Scott county was the murder of Col. George Davenport on
Rock Island, July 4, 1845. The country on both sides of the river had been
infested by a lawless band of freebooters, with their supposed headquarters
at Nauvoo. They had organized themselves into bands and ena;aged in
horse stealing, counterfeiting, burglary, robbery, and murder. In some
places men in otiicial positions and of good standing in community were
associated with them. On the fatal 4th of July, Col. Davenport's family was
away at Stephenson attending a celebration when three men attacked him in
his house, one of whom shot him with a pistol through the thigh. They
then bound him with strips of bark and blindfolded him. They then made .
a search for the key of his safe but were unable to find it. Returning to the
wounded man, they carried him up-stairs where the safe was and compelled
him to unlock it. The booty obtained was about $600 in money, a gold
watch-chain and seals, a double-barrelled gun, and a few articles of minor
value. Col. Davenport lived long enough to relate the incidents of the rob-
bery. For several weeks no trace could be found of the murderers. Edward
Bonney, of Lee county, Iowa, undertook to ferret out their place of conceal-
ment. About the middle of August he went to !N"auvoo where he obtained
trace of them by representing himself as one of the gang. On the 8tli of
September he arrested a man named Fox at Centerville, Indiana, and com-
mitted him to jail there. On the 19th he arrested two others, Birch and
John Long, at Sandusky, Ohio, and brought them to Rock Island by waj' of
the lakes and Chicago. These three men were known at the west as leaders
of gangs of desperadoes, but operated under different names. Three others
were also arrested as accessories, Richard Baxter and Aaron Long, near
Galena, Illinois, and Granville Young, at Nauvoo. Aaron was a brother of
John Long. On the 6th of October all of them were indicted by the grand
jury of Rock Island county, except Fox, who had escaped from jail in Indi-
ana on the 17th of September. On the 14th of October the two Longs were
put upon trial, found guilty, and sentenced to be hung on the 27th of the
same month. Birch, the greatest villain, turned State's evidence. Baxter
was tried separately, convicted and sentenced to be hung on the 18th of jSTo-
vember. In his case a writ of error was obtained and a new trial granted,
when he was again found guilty and sentenced to the penitentiary for life,
where he died two years after. Birch took a change of venue to Knox
county, and while awaiting trial escaped from jail. Upon the gallows John
Long confessed aU, but died a hardened wretch without sign of repentance
or fear of death.
148 HISTORY OF IOWA.
During tlie year 1834 settlements were made at various points besides
those mentioned, in what are now the counties bordering on the Mississippi
river, and soon other settlements began to extend to the western limit of the
Black Hawk Purchase.
The first post-office in Iowa was established in Dubuque in 1833. Milo
H. Prentice was appointed postmaster.
The first justice of the peace was Antoine Le Claire, appointed in 1833, as
" a very suitable person to adjust the difficulties between the white settlers
and the Indians stiU remaining there."
The first Methodist Society in the Territory was formed at Dubuque on
the 18th of May, 1834, and the first class meeting was held June 1st of that
year.
The first church bell brought into Iowa was in March, 1834.
The first mass of the Koman Catholic Church in the Territory was cele-
brated at Dubuque, in the house of Patrick Quigley, in the fall of 1833.
The first school house in the Territory was erected by the Dubuque miners
in 1833.
The first Sabbath school was organized at Dubuque early in the summer
of 1834.
The first woman who came to this part of the Territory with a view to
permanent residence was Mrs. I^oble F. Dean, in the fall of 1832.
The first family that lived in this part of Iowa was that of Hosea T. Camp,
in 1832.
The first meeting-house was built by the Methodist Episcopal Church, at
Dubuque, in 1834.
The first newspaper in Iowa was the Dubuque Visitor, issued May 11th,
1838. John King, afterward Judge King, was editor, and William C.
Jones, printer.
By the year 1836 the population had increased so that the people began
to agitate for a separate Territorial organization. There were also several
other matters in which they were deeply interested. In iJ^ovember, 1837, a
convention was called at Burlington to take action. Some account of this
first Iowa convention, and the action taken by it, will be of interest to every
citizen of the State.
TERKITORIAL CONVENTION.
On Monday the 6th of November, 1837, a convention of delegates from the
several counties in that portion of Wisconsin Territory west of the Missis-
sippi river, then sometimes called Western Wisconsin, convened in the town
of Burlington. Among the principal purposes for which this convention
was called were: 1. To memoralize Congress for the passage of an act
granting the right of pre-emption to actual settlers on government lands;
2. To memoralize Congress on the subject of the attempt then being made
by the State of Missouri to extend lier northern boundary line so as to
embrace territory claimed as being a part of Wisconsin ; 3. To memoralize
Congress for the organization of a separate territorial government in that
part of the Territory of Wisconsin west of the Mississippi river.
The following were the accredited delegates in the convention from the
Dubuque Comity.—?. H. Engle, J. T. Fales, G. W. Harris, W. A. War-
ren, W. B. Watts, A. F. Kussell, W. H. Patton, J. W. Parker, J. D. Bell, and
J. H. Pose.
Des Movnes Cov/nty. — ^David Korer, Eobert Ealston, and Cyrus S. Jacobs.
HISTORY OF IOWA. 149
Yan Buren County. — Yan Caldwell, J. G. Kenner, and James Hall.
Henry County. — W. H. "Wallace, J. D. Payne, and J. L. Myers.
IfuscaUne County. — J. R. Struthers, M. Coucti, Eli Reynolds, S. G.
Hastings, James Davis, S. Jenner, A. Smith, and E. K. Fay.
Lomsa County. — J. M. Clark, Wm. L. Toole, and J. J. Rinearson.
Lee County. — Henry Eno, John Claypool, and Hawkins Taylor.
The oflScers of the convention were: President, Cyrus S. Jacobs; Yice
Presidents, J. M. Clark, and Wm. H. Wallace; Secretaries, J. W. Parker,
and J. R. Struthers.
The following committees were appointed:
To draft and report a memorial in relation to the right of pre-emption —
Messrs. Engle, Kenner, Payne, Struthers, Patton, Rorer, and Smith.
To draft and report a memorial on the subject of the boundary line —
Messrs. Eno, Claypool, Kenner, Ralston, Davis, Watts, and Toole.
To draft and report a memorial on the subject of a separate territorial
organization — Messrs. Rorer, Hastings, Caldwell, Myers, Claypool, Rinear-
son, and Harris.
The convention continued in session three days, and on the afternoon of the
last day all the committees reported, and their reports were unanimously
adopted.
MEMORIAL ON THE SUBJECT OF PRE-EMPTIONS.
To the Honorahle Senate and House of Representatives :
A convention of citizens representing all the counties in that part of Wis-
consin Territory lying west of the Mississippi river, have assembled at Bur-
lington, the present seat of government of said Territory, for the purpose of
taking into consideration several measures immediately affecting their in-
terests and prosperity. Among the most important of these is the passage
by your honorable bodies, at the session about to be commenced, of a pre-
emption law by which the settlers on the public land shall have secured to
them at the minimum price, the lands on which they live, which they have
improved and cultivated without fear of molestation, or over-bidding on the
part of the rich capitalist and speculator. It is a fact well known to your hon-
orable bodies, that none of the land in Wisconsin, west of the Mississippi river,
in what is called the " Iowa District," has yet been offered for sale by the
government. It is equally true that that tract of country is now inhabited
by twenty-five thousand souls, comprising a population as active, intelligent,
and worthy as can be found in any other part of the United States. The
enterprise of these pioneers has converted what was but yesterday a solitary
and uncultivated waste, into thriving towns and villages, alive with the en-
gagements of trade and commerce, and rich and smiling farms, yielding
their bountiful return to the labors of the husbandman. This district has
been settled and improved with a rapidity unexampled in the history of the
country; emigrants from all parts of the United States, and from Europe,
are daily adding to our numbers and importance. An attempt to force these
lands thus occupied and improved into market, to be sold to the highest bid-
der, and to put the money thus extorted from the hard earnings of an indus-
trious and laborious people into the coffers of the public treasury, would be
an act of injustice to the settlers, which would scarcely receive the sanction
of your honorable bodies. In most cases the labor of years and the accu-
mulated capital of a whole life has been expended in making improvements
on the public land, under the strong and firm belief that every safeguard
would be thrown around them to prevent their property, thus dearly earned
150 HISTORY OF IOWA.
by years of suffering, privation and toil, from being unjustly wrested from
tiieir bands. Sball tbey be disappointed? Will Congress refuse to pass
sucb laws as may be necessary to protect a large class of our citizens from
systemized plunder and rapine? Tbe members comprising tbis convention,
representing a very large class of people, wbo delegated tnem to speak in
tbeir stead, do most confidently express an opinion tbat your bonorable
bodies will at your present session, pass some law removing us from danger,
and relieving us from fear on tbis subject. Tbe members of tbis conven-
tion, for tbemselves, and for tbe people wbose interests tbey are sent bere to
represent, do most respectfully solicit tbat your bonorable bodies will, as
speedily as possible, pass a pre-emption law, giving to every actual settler
on tbe public domain, wbo bas made improvements sufficient to evince tbat
it is honajlde bis design to cultivate and occupy tbe land, tbe rigbt to enter
at tlie minimum government price, one-balf section for tbat purpose, before
it sball be offered at public sale.
MEMORIAL ON THE SUBJECT OF THE MISSOURI BOUNDARY LINE.
To the HonoraMe, the Senate and House of Hejpresentatives of the United
States in Congress assembled:
Tbe Memorial of a Convention of Delegates from tbe several coianties in
tbe Territory of Wisconsin, west of tbe Mississippi river, convened at Bur-
lington, in said Territory, ISTovember 6, 1837, respectfully represent:
Tbat your memorialists are desirous of asking tbe attention of Congress
to tbe adjustment of tbe boundary line between tbe State of Missouri and
tbe Territory of Western Wisconsin. Mucb excitement already prevails
among tbe inhabitants situated in tbe border counties of tbe State and Ter-
ritory, and it is mucb to be feared tbat, unless tbe speedy action of Congress
sbould be bad upon tbe subject, difficulties of a serious nature will arise,
militating against tbe peace and barmony wbicb would otherwise exist
among tbem. At tbe last session of tbe legislature of Missouri, commis-
sioners were appointed to run tbe northern boundary line of tbe State. They
have recently been engaged in tbe work, and, according to the Hue run by
tbem, there is included within the limits of the State of Missouri a consid-
erable tract of country hitherto supposed to belong to the Territory of Wis-
consin, and which is still believed of right to belong to it. The northern
boundary line of Missouri was run several years ago by commissioners ap-
pointed by the State of Missouri, and will cross the Des Moines river at a
point about twenty-five miles from its mouth. This line, if continued on
due east, would strike the Mississippi river near the town of Fort Madison,
about ten miles above the rapids in said river, long since known as the Des
Moines rapids; and this line, so run by the commissioners, has always been
considered as the boundary line between the State and Territory. The pres-
ent commissioners, appointed by the State of Missouri, giving a different
construction to the act defining the boundary line of the State, passed up
the Des Moines river in search of rapids, and have seen proper to find them
some twelve or fourteen miles further up the river than the other commis-
sioners of Missouri formerly did, and, selecting a point which they call
the rapids in the Des Moines river, have from thence marked out a line
which is now claimed as the northern boundary line of the State. Were
tbis line extended due east, it would strike the Mississippi river at the town
of Burlington, some thirty miles above tbe rapids known, as stated above, as
the Des Moines Rapids.
HISTOKT OF IOWA. 151
Missouri was created into an independent State, and lier boundary line
defined, in June, 1S20. At that time the country bordering on the Des
Moines river was a wilderness, and little was known, except from the Indi-
ans who hved on its banks, of its geographical situation. There was at that
time no point on the river known as the Des Moines rapids, and at the
present time between the mouth of the river and the Raccoon forks, a dis-
tance of two hundred miles, fifty places can with as much propriety be desig-
nated as the one selected by the commissioners of the State of Missouri.
Your memorialists conceive that no action of the State of Missouri can ,
or ought to, affect the integrity of the Territory of Wisconsin; and standing
in the attitude they do, they must look to the general government to protect
their rights and redress their wrongs, which, for so long a period of time,
existed between the Territory of Michigan and the State of Ohio relative to
their boundaries, will, it is hoped, prompt the speedy action of Congress on
this existing subject. Confidently relying upon the wisdom of the general
government, and its willingness to take such means as will settle this ques-
tion, the people of Wisconsin will peaceably submit to an extension of the
northern boundary line of the State of Missouri, if so be that Congress
shall ordain it; but until such action, they will resist to the utmost extrem-
ity any attempt made by the State of Missouri to extend her jurisdiction
over any disputed territory.
We, therefore, pray that Congress will appoint commissioners, whose duty
it shall be to run the line between the State of Missouri and the Territory
of Wisconsin according to the spirit and intention of the act defining the
boundary lines of the State of Missouri, and to adopt such other measures
as in their wisdom they shall deem fit and projDer.
MEMORIAL PRAYING FOR A DIVISION OF THE TERRITORY.
To the Honorable, the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States in Congress assembled:
The memorial of a general convention of delegates, from the respective
couiities in the Territory of Wisconsin, west of the Mississippi river, con-
vened at the capitol at Burlington, in said Territory, I^Tovember 6, 1837,
respectfully represents :
That the citizens of that part of the Territory west of the Mississippi river,
taking into consideration their remote and isolated position, and the vast
extent of country included within the limits of the present Territory, and
the utter impracticability of the same being governed as an entire whole, by
the wisest and best administration of our municipal afiairs, in such manner
as to fully secure individual right and the right of property, as well as to
maintain domestic tranquility, and the good order of society, have by their
respective representatives, convened in general convention as aforesaid, for
availing themselves of their right of petition as free citizens, by representing
their situation and wishes to your honorable body, and asking for the organ-
ization of a separate Territorial government over that part of the Territory
west of the Mississippi river.
Without in the least designing to question the official conduct of those in
whose hands the fate of our infant Territory has been confided, and in whose
patriotism and wisdom we have the utmost confidence, your memorialists
cannot refrain from the frank expression of their belief that, taking into
consideration the geographical extent of her country, in connection with the
probable population of Western Wisconsin, perhaps no Territory of the
152 mSTOKT OF IOWA.
United States has been so much neglected by the parent government, so illy
protected in the political and individual rights of her citizens.
Western Wisconsin came into the possession of our government in June,
1833. Settlements were made, and crops grown, during the same season;
and even then, at that early day, was the impulse given to the mighty throng
of emigration that has subsequently filled our lovely and desirable country
with people, intelligence, wealth and enterprise. Prom that period until the
present, being a little over four years, what has been the Territory of West-
ern Wisconsin? Literally and practically a large portion of the time with-
out a government. With a population of thousands, she has remained
ungoverned, and has been quietly left by the parent government to take care
of herself, without the privilege on the one hand to provide a government of
her own, and without any existing authority on the other to govern her.
From June, 1833, until June, 1834, a period of one year, there was not
even the shadow of government or law in all Western Wisconsin. In June,
1334, Congress attached her to the then existing Territory of Michigan, of
which Territory she nominally continued a part, until July, 1836, a period
of little more than two years. Dm'ing the whole of this time, the whole
country west, sufficient of itself for a respectable State, was included in two
counties, Dubuque and Des Moines. In each of these two counties there
were holden, during the said tenn of two years, two terms of a county court
(a court of inferior jurisdiction), as the only sources of judicial relief up to
the passage of the act of Congress creating the Territory of Wisconsin. That
act took effect on the third day of July, 1836, and the first judicial relief
affi)rded under that act, was at the April term following, 1837, a period of
nine months after its passage; subsequently to which time there has been a
court holden in one solitary county in Western Wisconsin only. This, your
memorialists are aware, has recently been owing to the unfortunate disposi-
tion of the esteemed and meritorious judge of our district; but they are
equally aware of the fact, that had Western Wisconsin existed under a sep-
arate organization, we should have found relief in the services of other mem-
bers of the judiciary, who are at present, in consequence of the great extent
of our Territory, and the small number of judges dispersed at two great a
distance, and too constantly engaged in the discharge of the duties of their
own district, to be enabled to anbrd relief to other portions of the Territory.
Thus, with a population of not less than twenty- five thousand now, and of
near half that number at the organization of the Territory, it will appear
that we have existed as a portion of an organized Territory, for sixteen
months, with but one term of courts only.
Your memorialists look upon those evils as growing exclusively out of the
immense extent of country included within the present boundaries of the
Territory, and express their conviction and belief, that nothing would so
effectually remedy the evil as the organization of Western Wisconsin into a
separate territorial government. To this your memorialists conceive them-
selves entitled by principles of moral right — by the same obligation that
rests upon their present government, to protect them in the free enjoyment
of their rights, until such time as they shall be permitted to provide protec-
tion for themselves; as well as from the uniform practice and policy of the
government in relation to other Territories.
The Territory of Indiana, including the present States of Indiana, Illinois,
and Michigan, and also much of the eastern portion of the present Territory
of Wisconsin, was placed under one separate territorial government in the year
HISTORY OF IOWA. 153
1800, at a time that the population amounted to only five thousand six hun-
dred and forty, or thereabouts.
The Territory of Arkansas was erected into a distinct Territory, in 1820,
with a population of about fourteen thousand. The Territory of Illinois was
established in 1809, being formed by dividing the Indiana Territory. The
exact population of Illinois Territory, at the time of her separation from In-
diana, is not known to your memorialists, but her population in 1812, one
year subsequent to that event, amounted to but eleven thousand five hun-
dred and one whites, and a few blacks — in all, to less than twelve thousand
inhabitants.
The Territory of Michigan was formed in 1805, by again dividing the
Indiana Territory, of which, until then, she composed a part. The popula-
tion of Michigan, at the time of her separation from Indiana, your memo-
rialists have been unable to ascertain, but in 1810, a period of five years sub-
sequent to her separate organization, her population amounted to but about
four thousand seven hundred and sixty; and in the year 1820, to less than
nine thousand — so that Michigan existed some fifteen years, as a distinct
Territory, with a population of "less than half of Western Wisconsin at pres-
ent; and each of the above named Territories, now composing so many
proud and fiourishing States, were created into separate territorial govern-
ments, with a much less population than that of Western Wisconsin, and
that too at a time when the parent government was burdened with a
national debt of millions. Tour memorialists therefore pray for the organ-
ization of a separate territorial government over that part of the Territory of
Wisconsin west of the Mississippi river.
TERKITORY OF IOWA.
Territorial Organization — Members of First Legislative Assembly — Its Presiding Officers —
Important Acts — The Great Seal of the Territory — Provision for Locating Seat of Gov-
ernment — Some Prominent Members — The Boundary Dispute — Its Settement — Delegate
to Congress — Territorial Governors — Death of Wm. B. Conway — Various Incorporations.
Congress considered the prayer of the memorial favorably, and " An Act
to divide the Territory of Wisconsin, and to establish the Territorial govern-
ment of Iowa," was approved June 12, 1838, to take efiect and be in force
on and after July 3, 1838. The new Territory embraced " all that part of
the present Territory of Wisconsin which lies west of the Mississippi River,
and west of a line drawn due north from the head water or sources of the
Mississippi to the territorial line." The organic act provided for a Governor
whose term of office should be three years, and for a Secretary, Chief Jus-
tice, two Associate Justices, and Attorney and Marshal, who should serve
four years, to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate. The act also provided for the election, by the white
male inhabitants, citizens of the United States, over twenty-one years of
age, of a House of Representatives, consisting of twenty-six members, and
a Council, to consist of thirteen memhers. It also appropriated $5,000 for a
public library, and $20,000 for the erection of public buildings. President
Van Buren appointed Ex-Governor Robert Lucas, of Ohio, to be the first
Governor of the new Territory. William B. Conway, of Pittsburg, was
appointed Secretary of the Territory; Charles Mason, of Burlington, Chief
Justice; and Thomas S. Wilson, of Dubuque, and Joseph Williams, of
Pennsylvania, Associate Judges of the Supreme and District Courts; Mr.
Van Allen, of New York, Attorney; Francis Gehon, of Dubuque, Marshal;
154:
HISTOET OF IOWA.
Auajustus C. Dodge, Eegister of the Land Office at Burliiigton, and Thom-
as licKnight, Eeceiver of the Land Office at Dubuque. Mr. Yan Al-
len, the District Attorney, died at Rockingham, soon after his appointment,
and Col. Charles Weston was appointed to fill his vacancy. Mr. Conway,
the Secretary, also died at Burlington, during the second session of the
Legislature, and Jatnes Clarke, editor of the Gazette^ was aj)pointed to suc-
ceed him. Immediately after his arrival, Governor Lucas issued a procla-
mation for the election of members of the first Territorial Legislature, to be
held on the 10th of September, dividing the Territory into election districts
for that purpose, and appointing the 12th day of IsTovember for the meeting
of the Legislature to be elected, at Burlington.
The following were the names, county of residence, nativity, age, and
occupation, of the members of that first Territorial Legislature:
COUNCIL.
NATIVITY.
OCCUPATION.
E. A. M. Swarzy
J. Kieth
A. Inp^ram
Robert Ralston
C. Whittlesey
George Hepner
Jesse B. Browne
Jesse D. Payne
L. B. Hughes
J. W. Parker
Stephen Hempstead.
Warner Lewis
J.M.Clark
Van Buren.
Des Moines.
Cedar.
Des Moines.
Lee.
Henry.
Scott.
Dubuque.
Louisa.
Vermont.
Virginia.
Penn.
Ohio.
New York.
Kentucky.
Kentucky.
Tennessee.
Virginia.
Vermont.
Conn.
Vu'ginia.
New York,
Farmer.
Grunsmith.
Farmer.
Merchant.
Merchant.
Farmer.
Formerly in U.S. A
Physician.
Merchant.
Lawyer.
Lawyer.
Farmer.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
NAME.
NATIVITY.
OCCUPATION.
Wm. H. Wallace .
Wm. G. Coop....
A. B. Porter
La.urel Summers . .
Jabez Burchard . .
James Brierly
Wm. Patterson. . .
H. Taylor. .......
Harden Nowlin . . .
Andrew Bankston.
Thomas Cos ,
C. Swan
C. J. Price
J. W. Grimes
George Temple —
George H. Beeler.
V. B. Delashmutt.
Thomas Blair
James HaU
Samuel Parker . . .
G. S. Bailey
Levi Thornton
Wm. L.Toole....
Robert G. Roberts
John Frierson
S. C. Hastings....
Henry.
Scott.
Lee.
Dubuque.
Lee.
Des Moines.
Van Buren,
Louisa.
Cedar. ^
Muscatine.
Ohio. _
Virginia.
Kentucky.
Kentucky.
Penn.
Ohio. _
Virginia.
Kentucky.
Illinois.
N. C.
Kentucky.
New York,
N. C.
N. H.
N. H
Virginia.
Virginia.
Kentucky.
Maryland.
Virginia.
Kentucky.
Penn.
Virginia.
Penn.
Ohio.
New York
Farmer.
Farmer.
Farmer.
Farmer.
Farmer
Farmer.
Farmer.
Farmer.
Farmer.
Farmer.
Farmer.
Miner.
Farmer. -
Lawyer.
Farmer.
Merchant.
Farmer.
Farmer.
Farmer.
Physician.
Farmer.
Farmer.
Farmer.
Surveyor.
Lawyer.
niSTOKY OF IOWA. 155
Jesse B. Browne, of Lee county, was elected president of the council. He
had been an officer in the regular army, was a gentleman of dignified
appearance and commanding stature, being six feet and seven inches in
height. William R. Wallace, of Henry county, was elected speaker of the
House. Some years after he held the position of receiver at the United
States land office located at Fairfield. He subsequently removed to Wash-
ington Territory, and at one time served as a delegate in Congress from
that Territory.
Among the acts passed were those for organizing the counties of Linn,
Jefferson and Jones; for changing the name of Slaughter county to Wash-
ington ; providing for the election in each county of a board of commission-
ers, to consist of three persons, to attend to all county business, and acts
providing for the location of the capital and the penitentiary. The Terri-
tory was divided into three judicial districts, in each county of which court
was to be held twice a year. The counties of Lee, Yan Buren, Henry and
Des Moines constituted the first district, to which Charles Mason, of Bur-
lington, was assigned as judge. Tlie counties of Louisa, Washington, John-
son, Cedar and Muscatine constituted the second district, with Joseph
Williams, of Muscatine, as judge. The counties of Jackson, Dubuque,
Scott and Clayton constituted the third district, with Thomas S. Wilson, of
Dubuque, as judge.
Among the proceedings was the passage of a resolution by the council,
instructing Wm. B. Conway, the secretary of the Territory, to procure
a seal, in compliance with this instruction, on the 23d of JSTovember,
Mr. Conway submitted to the inspection of the council what became the
" great seal of the Territory of Iowa." The design was that of an eagle
bearing in its beak an Indian arrow, and clutching in its talons an unstrung
bow. The seal was one inch and five-eighths in diameter, and was engraved
by William Wagner, of York, Pe^nnsylvania. The council passed a resolu-
tion adopting the seal submitted by the secretary, but it does not appear
that it was adopted by the other branch of the legislature. In his communi-
cation to the council presenting the seal, Mr. Conway calls it the " great
seal of the Territory of Iowa," but the word " great " did not appear upon
it. This old territorial seal appears to have been lost in the removal from
Iowa City to Des Moines.
Under the act passed for the location of the capital, Chauncey Swan, of
Dubuque county, John Ronalds, of Louisa county, and Robert Ralston, of
Des Moines county, were appointed commissioners, and were required to
meet at the town of Napoleon, in Johnson county, on the first Monday of
May, 1839, and proceed to locate the seat of government at tlie most suit-
able point in that county. They proceeded at that time to discharge the duties
of their trust, and procured the title to six hundred and forty acres. They
had it surveyed into lots, and agreed upon a plan for a capitol, selecting one
of their number, Chauncey Swan, to superintend the work of erecting the
building. The site selected was about two miles northwest of what was
then the town of Napoleon, a place which now is not known as a town.
The new town was named Iowa City, and the first sale of lots took place
August 16, 1839. In November, 1839, the second Territorial Legislature
assembled in Burlington, and passed an act requiring the commissioners to
adopt a plan for a building, not to exceed in cost $51,000. On the 4th day
of July, 1840, the corner stone was laid with appropriate ceremonies, Sam-
156 HISTOET OF IOWA.
uel C. Trowbridge acting as marshal of the day, and Governor Robert Lucas
as orator.
This first legislative body which enacted laws for the government of the
new Territory of Iowa held its sessions in the then unhnished Methodist
church in Burhngton, the lower story or basement being built of stone, and
the upper story of brick. It was known in later years as " Old Zion." Of
the members of that legislature several afterward held prominent official
positions in the State. Two of them, Stephen Hempstead, of Dubuque,
and James W. Grimes, of Burhngton, held the office of Governor. The
latter also became prominent in the United States Senate, and in the
National Cabinet.
"William G. Coop continued to be returned as a member of one or the other
branch of almost every General Assembly, up to the change of parties in
the election of James W. Grimes, as Governor. Ilis later legislative career
was as a member of the State Senate from Jefferson county. He was the
Democratic candidate in that county against James F. Wilson in 1856, for
member of the constitutional convention, but was defeated by the latter. He
was a man of strong party attacliments, being a Democrat in the strictest
sense, but was faithful to his constituents, and honest in his discharge of duty.
We recognize other names that were familiar in the subsequent history of the
Territory or State, and among them, the following: Asbury B. Porter, who
became the first colonel of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry during the Rebellion;
Hawkins Taylor, of Lee county, who, during later years, has resided most
of the time in Washington City ; Warner Lewis, of Dubuque, who afterward
held the position of Surveyor General for Iowa and Wisconsin ; WilHam L.
Toole, of Louisa county, after whom the town of Toolesboro in that county
was named; Laurel Summers, of Scott county, and others. In the organi-
zation of this first Territorial Legislature party ties do not seem to have
been very strictly drawn, for General Browne, who was chosen president of
the council without opposition, and Colonel Wallace, who was elected
speaker of the house, with but little opposition, were both Whigs, while
both branches of the legislature were largely Democratic. Party lines were
not tightly drawn until the campaign of 1840, when the young Territory
caught the enthusiasm which characterized that contest throughout the
country.
THE BOUNDAEY DISPUTE.
One of the exciting questions with which the Territory of Iowa had to deal
was that in relation to the southern boundary. The constitution of Missouri
in defining the boundaries of that State had defined her northern boundary to
be the parallel of latitude which passes through the rapids of the Des Moines
river. In the Mississippi river, a little above the mouth of tlie Des Moines
river, are the rapids, which had been known as the Des Moines Rapids, or the
Rapids of the Des Moines river. Just below the town of Keosauqua, in Van
Buren county, there are rapids (though very shght and inconsiderable) also
in the Des Moines river. The Missouri authorities claimed that the latter
rapids were referred to in the definition of her boundary, and insisted on ex-
ercising jurisdiction over a strip of territory some eight miles in width wliich
Iowa claimed as being a part of her territory. At the first court held in Far-
mington, Van Buren county, in April, 1837, by David Irwin, Judge of the
Second Judicial District of Wisconsin, an indictment was found against one
David Doose for exercising the office of constable in Yan Buren county
HISTORY OF IOWA. 157
under authority pf the State of Missouri. This, and other similar acts
by Missouri officials, were the origin of the despute which resulted in demon-
strations of hostilities, and very nearly precipitated a border war. Governor
Boggs, of Missouri, called out the militia of that State to enforce its claims,
and Governor Lucas, of Iowa, called out the militia of the Territory to main-
tain its rights. About 1200 men were enlisted and armed. There was no
difficulty in raising volunteers, for the war spirit ran high. At this stage,
however, it was considered best to send peace commissioners to Missouri
with a view of adjusting the difficulties. Gen. A. C. Dodge, of, Burlington;
Gen. Churchman, of Dubuque, and Dr. Clark, of Fort Madison, were ap-
pointed and proceeded to discharge the duties of their mission. When they
arrived they found that the county commissioners of Clarke county, Mis-
souri, had rescinded their order for the collection of taxes in Iowa, and the
Governor of Missouri had sent messengers to Governor Lucas with a propo-
sition to submit an agreed case to the Supreme Court of the United States.
This proposition was declined, but afterward both Iowa and Missouri
petitioned Congress to authorize a suit to settle the question. This was
done, and the clecision was adverse to the claims of Missouri, Under an
order of the Supreme Court of the United States, "William G. Miner, of
Missouri, and Henry B. Hendershott, of Iowa, acted as commissioners to sur-
vey and establish the boundary line. They discharged the duties assigned
them, and peace was restored.
In September, 1838, the election was held for delegate to Congress.
There were four candidates in the field, to-wit: William W. Chapman
and David Eorer, of Des Moines county; B. F. Wallace, of Henry county,
and Peter H. Engle, of Dubuque county. William W. Chapman was elected
by a majority of thirty-six votes over P. H. Engle. During the time that
Iowa remained a separate Territory, from 1838 to 1846, the office of Gov-
ernor was held successively by Robert Lucas, John Chambers, and James
Clarke. Robert Lucas had been one of the early Governors of Ohio, and
was appointed the first Governor of the Territory of Iowa by President Yan
Buren. John Chambers had been a Representative in Congress from Ken-
tucky, and a warm supporter of Gen. Wm. H. Harrison for President in
18-iO. After the change of the l^ational administration he was appointed to
succeed Governor Lucas. James Clarke had been the editor of the Gazette
at Burlington, but at the death of Wm. B. Conway, Secretary of the Terri-
tory, which occurred at Burlington, November 6, 1839, Mr. Clarke was ap-
pointed his successor, and afterward succeeded John Chambers as the last
Territorial Governor.
The death of Wm. B. Conway, Secretary of the Territory, was an event
which cast a gloom over the Territory. Prior to his appointment by Presi-
dent Yan Buren he had been a resident of Pittsburg, Penn. His remains
were taken to Davenport for interment, and on the 9tli of November a pub-
lic meeting of the citizens of that place passed resolutions expressing the
highest esteem both for his character as a citizen and as an officer ot" tlie
Territory. His remains were taken to St. Anthony's Church where the
solemn seiwices for the dead were performed by Rev. Father Pelamorgues.
On the 11th a meeting of the members of the bar of the Territory was'held
at Burlington, in which his associates in the profession also passed resolutions
of respect for the deceased. Of this meeting Charles Mason was chairman,
and David Rorer was appointed to present the resolutions to the Supreme
158 HISTOKY OF IOWA.
Court of the Territory, for the purpose of having them entered on the record
of the court. The deceased left a wife and one child.
The first Territorial Legislature provided by law that " no action commenced
by a single woman, who intermarries during the pending tliereof, shall abate
on account of such marriage; secured religious toleration to all; vested the
judiciary power in a Supreme Court, District Court, Probate Court, and
Justices of the Peace; made real estate divisible by will, and intestate prop-
erty to be divided equitably among heirs ; made murder punishable by death,
and provided proportionate penalties for other crimes ; established a system
of free schools, open to all classes of white children; provided for a system
of roads and highways; enacted a law to prevent and punish gambling, and
in fact enacted a pretty complete code of laws, many of which still remain in
force.
Among the various institutions and associations incorporated were the fol-
lowing: The Wapello Seminary, in Louisa county; the Bloomington and
Cedar Piver Canal Company; the Des Moines Mill Company, in Yan Buren
county; the Burlington Steam Mill Company; seminaries of learning in Fort
Madison, West Point, Burlington, Augusta, Farmington, Bentonsport,
Rockingham, Keosauqua, Dubuque, and Davenport; the Burlington and
Iowa Piver Turnpike Company; the Burlington and Des Moines Transpor-
tation Company; the Keosauqua Lyceum, and the Iowa Mutual Fire Insur-
ance Company at Burlington.
STATE ORGAKIZATIOK.
First Constitution — Proposed Boundaries — Changed by Congress — Rejection of Constitution
by the People — Congress Repeals its former Provision as to Boundaries and Fixes the
Present Limits — ^The Second Constitution — Its Adoption by the People — Election of State
OfBers — First General Assembly — Seat of Government — Monroe City — Fort Des Moines —
Final Permanent Location — Removal — ^Third Constitutional Convention — New Capitol —
Case of Attempted Bribery in First General Assembly.
By the year 1844 the population of the Territory had reached 75,152, and
the people began to desire a State organization. In October of that year a
constitutional convention was held at Iowa City, which formed a constitution
defining the boundaries of the State as follows :
" Beginning in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river,
opposite the mouth of the Des Moines river; thence up the said river Des
Moines in the middle of the main channel thereof, to a point where it is in-
tersected by the Old Indian Boundary Line, or line run by John C. Sullivan
in the year 1816; thence westwardly along said line to the 'Old northwest
corner of Missouri ' ; thence due west to the middle of the main channel of
the Missouri river; thence up the middle of the main channel of the river
last mentioned to the mouth of the Sioux or Calumet river; thence in a
direct line to the middle of the main channel of the St. Peter's river, where
the Watonwan river (according to Kicollet's map) enters the same; thence
down the middle of the main channel of said river to the middle of the main
channel of the Mississippi river; thence down the middle of the main chan-
nel of said river to the place of beginning."
On the 3d of March, 1845, Congress passed an act providing for the admis-
sion of the State into the Union, but with boundaries different from those
defined in the proposed constitution. By this act the State was to extend
north to the parallel passing through Mankato, or Blue Earth river, in the
HISTORY OF IOWA. 159
present State of Minnesota, and west to the meridian of 17 deg, 30 min. west
from Washington. These boundaries would have deprived the State of the
Missouri Slope and of one of the grand rivers by which it is now bounded,
while in shape it would have been long and comparatively narrow. As a
result, at an election held August 4, 1845, the people of the Territory rejected
the constitution with the change of boundaries as proposed by Con<^ress.
The vote stood 7,235 for, and 7,056 against it, being a majority of 421 against
the adoption. On the 4th of August, 1846, Congress passed an act repealing
so much of the act of March, 3, 1845, as related to the boundaries of Iowa, and
fixing the boundaries as now defined. On the 4th of May of that year a sec-
ond constitutional convention had convened at Iowa City, and after a session
of fifteen days formed the constitution which was sanctioned by the people
at an election held August 3, 1846. The popular vote stood 9,492 for, and
9,036 against the constitution at this election, being a majority of 456 in favor
of it. A copy of this constitution was presented in Congress, and on the
28th of December, 1846, an act was passed and approved for the admission
of the State of Iowa into the Union.
On the 26th of October, 1846, an election had been held for State officers,
when the folio wiii^ were elected: Ansel Briggs, Governor; Elisha Cutler,
Jr., Secretary of State; Joseph T. Fales, Auditor, and Morgan Eeno, Treas-
urer. At this time there were twenty-seven organized counties with a popu-
lation, according to the census, of 96,088.
The first General Assembly under the State organization, convened at
Iowa City, l^ovember 30, 1846. Thomas Baker was elected President of
the Senate, and Jesse B. Browne, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
As the latter had been President of the first Territorial Council, so he was
the first Speaker of the House when Iowa became a State.
The capitol building at Iowa City being at this time still in an unfinished
condition, an appropriation of $5,500 was made to complete it. The boun-
dary being so much extended west of the limits of the Territory when the
capital was located at Iowa City, the question of removal and permanent loca-
tion at some point further west began to be agitated, and the fii-st General
Assembly appointed commissioners to locate the seat of government, and to
select five sections of land which had been granted by Congress for the erec-
tion of public buildings. The commissioners in discharge of their duties
selected the land in Jasper county, lying between the present towns of
Prairie City and Monroe. The commissioners also surveyed and platted a
town, to winch they gave the name of Monroe City. Four hundred and fif-
teen lots were sold, the cash payments yielding $1,797.43, being one-fourth
of the price for which they sold. "When the commissioners made their re-
port to the next General Assembly, it was observed that their claim for
services and expenses exceeded the cash received by $409.14. The report
was referred to a committee without instructions, but the location was never
sanctioned by the General Assembly. The money paid by purchasers was
mostly refimded. Meantime the question of re-location continued to be
agitated at each session. In 1851 bills were introduced in the House for
removal to Pella and Fort Des Moines, but both of them failed to pass. At
the next session a biU was introduced in the Senate for removal to Fort Des
Moines, which was also defeated on a final vote. In January, 1855, the ef-
fort proved successful, and on the 15 th of that month the Governor ap-
proved the bill re-locating the seat of government within two miles of the
Kaccoon Fork of the Des Moines, and providing for the appointment of com-
160 HISTOEY OF IOWA.
missioners for that purpose. Under this act the commissioners made selec-
tion of the present site. A temporary building was erected by an associa-
tion of citizens of Des Moines, or Fort Des Moines, as it was then called.
On the 19th of October, 1857, Governor Grimes, having been advised that
the building was completed and ready for occupancy, issued a proclamation
declaring the city of Des Moines the capital of Iowa. The officers with
the archives of the State removed during the fall and winter, and on the
11th day of January, 1858, the Seventh General Assembly convened at Des
Moines.
Meantime a third constitutional convention had been called to fi-ame a
new State constitution. It convened at Iowa City, January, 19, 1857, and
adjourned March 5th of the same year. Francis Springer, ot Louisa county,
was chosen President. The constitution as adopted by this convention was
approved by the people at an election held August 3d of the same year, the
vote being 40,311 for, and 38, 681 against it. it took efiect by proclamation
of the Governor, September 3, 1857. In this constitution the location of
the seat of government at Des Moines was made a part of the fundamental
law. In 1868 an amendment was made to this constitution, striking the
word " white " from the clause defining the qualification of electors. The
whole vote cast by the people on this amendment was 186,503, with a ma-
jority in favor of striking out, of 24,265.
The first capitol building erected in Des Moines being inadequate for the
growing wants of the State, being too small and not sufficiently safe, an act
was passed and approved April 13, 1870, providing for the erection of a
new one. Tlie following were constituted a Board of Commissioners to
have charge of the erection: GrenviUe M. Dodge, of Pottawattamie county;
James F. Wilson, of Jefferson county; James Dawson, of "Washington
county; Simon G. Stein, of Muscatine county; James O. Crosby, of Clay-
ton county; Charles Dudley, of Wapello county; John ^. Dewey, of Polk
county, and William L. Joy, of Woodbury county. The Governor was
also constituted a member of the Board, and President ex-ojjlcio. A. P.
Fulton was elected Secretary of the Board. It was provided in the act that
the plan to be selected should not be for a building exceeding in cost $1,500-
000, and the sum of $150,000 was appropriated to commence the work.
In the fall of 1870 excavation for the foundation was commenced,
and on the 23d of November of the next year, the ceremony of
laying the corner stone took place. Gen. N. B. Baker was chief marshal
of the day, and Governor Samuel MerriU delivered an appropriate address.
The Board of commissioners experienced many difliculties in finding
stone, especially within the limits of the State, that had been sufficiently
tested for a building of such magnitude. The law required them to give
preference to material obtained in the State, price and quality being equal,
and they desired to comply with the spirit of the law. As a result, how-
ever, some material was placed in the foundation, which being exposed, dur-
ino- the next winter, was affected by the weather, and the next season it was
neccessary to remove a portion of the foundation, involving a large addi-
tional expense.
The Fourteenth General Assembly convened in January, 1872, and in
March a joint committee was authorized to examine and report upon the
character of the material used. They reported that unfit material had been
placed in the foundation, and recommended its removal. An act was
passed at this session appropriating $100,000 for the work in 1872, and
HISTORY OF IOWA. 161
$125,000 to be used annuallj thereafter for the prosecution of the work,
but the whole cost not to exceed the limit of $1,380,000. The Board were
required, however, to direct all their action with a view to the completion
of the building for $1,500,000. The same act placed the work in charge
of a Board of commissioners consisting of five members, including tlie
Governor, who was also to be President, ex-officio. The following were con-
stituted the members of the new Board: John G. Foote, of Des Moines
county; Maturin L. Fisher, of Clayton county; Robert S. Finkbine, and
Peter A. Dey, of Johnson county, and the Governor, as above stated. Ed.
Wright was appointed Secretary by the Board. This Board proceeded with
the work in accordance with the general plan adopted by the former Board,
and when completed Iowa will have one of the finest and most substantial
capitol buildings in the Union.
Having presented a brief review of the legislation in regard to seat of gov-
ernment, which, as we have seen, was inaugurated by the first General As-
sembly, we return to that session. The contest between the two political
parties for ascendency was at that time a very earnest one, and especially in
view of the election of U. S. Senators. The two political parties in the
legislature were nearly equally divided. The friends of the several candidates
were present at the opening of the session to take part in the lobby branch,
in behalf of their respective favorites. Keokuk county was represented in
the House by ITelson King, a Whig, although his county at that time was
regarded as Democratic. Gen. A, O. Dodge, of Burlington, was the prom-
inent Democratic candidate for Senator, and the name of J. C. Hall, also
of Burlington, was likewise favorably mentioned. On the aftsrnoon of
December 9th, Mr. King, of Keokuk county, by consent of the House, rose
in his place and made a statement to the following efiect: That since he had
presented his credentials, and taken his seat as a member, he had been ap-
proached by several diflferent persons relative to the casting of his vote for
United States Senators ; that several distinct propositions for the payment of
money and other reward had been oftered him, if he would vote for certain
candidates, or either of them, as might be determined upon, which deter-
mination was to be made known to him previous to casting his vote for
United States Senator; and that the said parties offering thus to reward him
for his vote, had promised to secure him from all blame or suspicion, by
procuring written instructions from his constituents, urging him so to vote.
lie further stated that one Marshall had the day previously given him a five
dollar note on the State Bank of Ohio, and told liim to call on him at any
future time, and he would give him one hundred dollars, or any amount he
wanted. He said that Marshall had also surrendered to him two receipts
for indebtedness — one for legal service while he (King) had resided in Lee
county, and the other in discharge of a claim of two dollars and fifty cents,
held against him by one William Stotts. Mr. King having concluded his
statement, Mr. Stewart Goodrell, then a member of the House from Wash-
ington county, moved the appointment of a committee of five to investigate
the charges made by Mr. Kin^. Tlie committee was subsequently increased
to seven, as follows: W. J. Cochran, of Lee county; Stewart Goodrell, of _
Washington county; Alfred Hebard, of Des Moines county; Andrew"
Leech, of Davis county; Samuel Whitmore of Jefiferson county; John L.
Morton, of Henry county, and Robert Smyth, of Linn county. The com-
mittee commenced their investigations on the same day that Mr. King made
his statement. Marshall was arrested, and various witnesses were com-
11
162 HISTORY OF IOWA.
manded to appear before the committee to give evidence in the case, and tlie
investigation which was commenced on the 9th of December, 1846, appears
not to have ended until the 19th of Jannarj, 1847. Not until the 4th of
February was any report made to the House, and, then it did not show that
the committee had arrived at any conclusions. The report and testimony
were ordered to be laid on the table, subject to the further order of the
House, The report was never called up. On the same day that Mr. King
made his original statement to the House of the attempted bribery, a resolu-
tion tendering him a vote of thanks, was laid on the table. Near the close of
the session (Feb. 24) this resolution was called up, and a substitute offered for
it by Mr. Smyth, of Linn, censuring both King and Marshall. The original
resolution and the substitute were both laid on the table, and that was the
end of the bribery case, which excited a great deal of interest among tlie pol-
iticians and people of the State at that early day in her political history. It
should be stated that Mr. Marshall was not a member of either branch of
the General Assembly. The developments on investigation were generally
understood at the time to be quite as damaging to the party making the
charge as to any other person. The legislature adjourned without electing
United States Senators at that session. The next General Assembly elected
George W. Jones, of Dubuque, and Augustus C. Dodge, of Burlington. A.
Clinton Hastings, and Shepherd Leffler, represented the State in the 29th
Congress, 1846 to 1847, being the first Kepresentatives in Congress from
Iowa.
EDUCATIONAL.
Public Schools — How Stipported — State University — Its Presidents — Faculty — University
Fund — Agricultural College — State Normal School — Other State Educational Institutions
— Public and Private Colleges and Schools.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
We have seen that the first territorial legislature made provision for gen-
eral education by organizing a system of common schools. The famous or-
dinance of 1787 required that " schools and the means of education shall be
forever encouraged," and this has been the policy of the government in the
admission of every new State since that time, as evinced by the liberal
grants of the public lands for educational purposes.
The 'public schools are supported by funds arising from several different
sources. In the first place, the sixteenth section of every congressional town-
ship was set apart by the government for school purposes —being one thirty-
sixth part of all the land in the State. Congress also made to the State an
additional donation of 500,000 acres, and an appropriation of five per cent
on all the sales of public lands in the State. The State also gives the pro-
ceeds of the sales of all lands which escheat to it. The money derived from
these sources constitutes the permanent school fund^ and, including the
proceeds of the land still unsold, will amount to over four millions ot dol-
lars. The interest on this fund is apportioned by the State Auditor semi-
annually to the several counties of the State, in proportion to the number
of persons between the ages of five and twenty -one years. The counties also
levy an annual tax for school purposes, which is apportioned to the several
district townships in the same way. A district tax is also generally levied
for the same purpose. The money arising from these several sources consti-
HISTORY OP IOWA. 163
tutes the support of the public schools, and is sufficient to enable every sub-
district in the State to afford from six to nine months school each year.
While Iowa is fostering and building up many excellent institutions of a
higher order, the glory of her educational work consists in her admirable
system of common schools — her peoples' colleges. The superintendent of
public instruction is the highest school officer of the State, and exercises a
general supervision over its educational interests, so far as relates to the pub-
lic schools. Each county has a county superintendent, who examines appli-
cants for teachers' certificates, visits the schools, reports annually to the State
Superintendent, and exercises a general charge over the schools of the county.
Each civil township constitutes what is called a district township, which is
divided into sub-districts, and each sub-district elects a sub-director. The
several sub-directors in the district township constitute a board of directors.
In toNvns and cities there are independent districts, which elect officers to
manage their affairs independently of the district townships.
The common school system has recently been greatly improved by the in-
auguration of normal institutes, under the auspices of the superintendent
of public instruction, and also by the establishment of a permanent State
normal school at Cedar Falls. The total permanent school fund, November
1, 1877, was $3,460,348.76. This is being augmented from different sources,
and the interest only is applied toward the support of the common schools.
STATE UNTVEKSITY.
By an act of Congress of July 20, 1840, the secretary of the treasury was
authorized to set apart and reserve from sale not exceeding two entire town-
ships of land in Iowa, for the use and support of a university. The consti-
tution under which Iowa was admitted into the Union contained a provision
requiring the General Assembly to take measures for the protection, im-
provement, or other disposition of the land granted by Congress for the
university, and to create from the proceeds of the same a permanent fund
for the use of a university. A bill was passed by the first General Assembly,
establishing at Iowa City an institution to be called the " State University,"
with such branches as, in the opinion of the General Assembly, the public
convenience might thereafter require. The same act also granted for the
use of the university the public building, with ten acres of ground, at Iowa
City, the same to be used, however, for the purposes of the State government
until the removal of the capital. By acts of January 15, 1849, and January
16, 1849, two branches of the university, located respectively at Fairfield
and Dubuque, were established, and placed upon equal footing, " in respect
to funds and other matters," with the university established at Iowa City by
the act of 1847. The branch at Fairfield was organized May 6, 1849. A
site of twenty acres of ground was purchased and a building erected, upon
which twenty-five hundred dollars had been expended. The building was
almost destroyed by a hurricane in 1851. No aid from the State or the
University fund was ever given in support of the branches. The board at
Fairfield requested the termination of its relation to the State, and, in ac-
cordance with this request, an act was passed January 24, 1853, severing the
connection. The branch at Dubuque was never organized. The new con-
stitution, which took effect September 3, 1857, provided that " the State
University shall be established at one place, without branches at any other
place, and the university fund shall be applied to that institution and no
other."
164 HISTOEY OF IOWA.
At a special meeting of the board, Febniaiy 21, 1850, it recognized the
" College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Upper Mississippi," an institu-
tion at Davenport established under the laws of the State as the " College
of Physicians and Surgeons of the State University of Iowa," but with the
express stipulation that such recognition should not render the university
liable for any pecuniary aid, nor was the board to acquire any control over
the property or management of the medical association. Soon after this the
medical college removed to Keokuk. This arrangement was terminated by
the operation of the new constitution.
In March, 1855, the University was partially opened for a term of sixteen
weeks, and there was an attendance of from seventy-five to one hundred
students during the term. The first regular catalogue was published for the
year lS5d-7. At a meeting of the board, August 4, 1858, the dewee of
Bachelor of Science was conferred upon Dexter Edson Smith, being the first
degree conferred upon a student of the University.
From 1860 to 1877, inclusive, the total number of ladies in the coUegiate
department was 2,994, and gentlemen 3,941 ; total number of ladies in the
law department since its organization, 6, and gentlemen, 632; total number
of ladies in the medical department since its organization 48, and gentlemen
469. . ^
The presidents since its organization have been :
Amos Dean, of Albanv, N. Y., elected July 16, 1855.
Silas Totten, D. D., LL.D., elected Oct. 25, 1859.
Professor Oliver M. Spencer, elected August 19, 1862.
Professor Kathan R. Leonard, elected June 26, 1866, as president pro
tern., during absence of President Spencer in Europe fifteen months by leave
of the board.
James Black, D.D., elected March 4, 1868.
Rev. George Thacher, elected March 1, 1871.
C W. Slagle, of Fairfield, elected president j?rc> tern., June, 1877.
J. L. Pickard, elected in 1878.
The faculty of the University consists of the president, nine professors in
the collegiate department, one professor and six instructors in military sci-
ence; chancellor, three professors and four lecturers in the law department;
eight professor demonstrators of anatomy; professor of surgery and two
lecturers in the medical department, and two professors in the homeopathic
medical department.
The law department was established in June, 1868 ; the medical depart-
ment in 1869; the chair of miltary instruction in June, 1874, and the depart-
ment of homeopathy in 1876.
From 1858 to 1876, inclusive, the General Assembly has made appropria-
tions for buildings, and for the support of the University, sums aggregating
$264,757. The Seventeenth General Assembly, by an act approved March
22, 1878, made an appropriation, as an endowment fund, of $20,000 annually,
and an additional appropriation of $10,000 for repairs of buildings, fences,
walks and other purposes. On the 30th of September, the University held
interest bearing mortgage notes amounting to $195,423.13; contract notes
amounting to $10,357.74, and a fund known as the Saline fund, amounting
to $4,106.85. These amounts, aggregating $209,887.72, constitute a per-
manent fund, the interest of which goes to the support of the University.
There were also, September 30, 1877, remaining unsold, 2,059.70 acres of
University lands, and 3887.10 acres of Saline lands, making a total of 5,946.80
HISTOKT OF IOWA. 165
acres, the proceeds of which when sold, will go to increase the permanent
University fund. At five dollars per acre these lands will add to the perma-
nent fund $29,734, which amount added to the above will give to the Uni-
versity a permanent endowment fund of $239,621.72.
AGKICULTUKAL COLLEGE.
By an act of Congress passed in 1862, a grant of 240,000 acres of land
was made to the State for the endowment of schools of agriculture and the
mechanical arts. Under this act 240,000.96 acres were appropriated to the
State; but as 35,691.66 acres were located within railroad limits, which were
computed at the rate of two acres for one, the actual number of acres in the
grant was 204,309.30. In addition to this grant Congress also gave its
assent to the State to use for the same purpose the five sections of land in
Jasper county, which had been selected for the seat of government of the
State. There were also donated iu Story and Boone counties for the use of
the institution 921 acres, making a grand total of 208,430.30 acres. This
last donation of 921 acres was made by citizens of Story and Boone counties.
The General Assembly passed an act which was approved March 22, 1858,
establishing tlie Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm. Under this
act a board of trustees was appointed, which at a meeting in June, 1859,
received propositions for the location, and in July the oifer of the present
location in Story county, was accepted. In 1864 the General Assembly ap-
propriated $20,000 for the erection of a College building, and in 1866
an additional appropriation of $91,000 was made. The building was com-
pleted in 1868. An ofiice was opened in Fort Dodge for the sale of the Col-
lege lands, and Hon. George W. Bassett was appointed agent for their sale.
From the establishment of this agency in August, 1865, to November 1,
1867, the amount received on sales of lands was $68,782.81, and the amount
of interest collected on leases for the same time was $338,931.78, making a
total of $406,714.65, which is a permanent endowment fund.
The courses of study in the College, as revised in 1877, are as follows:
1 — The Course in Science as related to Agriculture. 2 — The Course in
Mechanical Engineering. 3 — ^The Course in Civil Engineering. 4 — The
Ladies' Course in Science. 5 — Course for Juniors and Seniors in Special
Industrial Sciences. 6 — Post-graduate Courses of Study. 7 — The Prepar-
atory Course. From 1872 to 1877, inclusive, the number of graduates of
the College was 123.
By the terms of the law, tuition in the Agricultural College is made for-
ever free to pupils from the State, over sixteen years of age, who have re-
sided in the State six months prior to their admission. Each county in the
State has a prior right of tuition for three pupils, and additional pupils to
the extent of the capacity of the College, are distributed by the board of
trustees among the counties in proportion to the population.
The following constitute the Faculty: — A. S. Welch, LL. D., President
and Professor of Psychology and Philosophy of Science ; Gen. J. L. Geddes,
Professor of Military Tactics and Engineering; "W". H. Wynn, A. M., Ph.
D., Professor of English Literature; C. E. Bessey, M. S., Professor of Bot-
any, Zoology, Entomology; A. Thompson, C E., Mechanical Engineering
and Superintendent of Workshops; F. E. L. Beal, B, S., Civil Engineering;
T. E. Pope, A. M., Chemistry; M. Stalker, Agricultural and veterinary
Science; J. L. Budd, Horticulture; J. K. Macomber, Physics; E. W. Stan-
ton, Mathematics and Political Economy; Mrs. Margaret P. Stanton, Pre-
166
HISTORY OF IOWA.
ceptress, Instructor in Frencli and Mathematics; J. S. Lee, B. S , Assistant
Professor of Chemistry; Mrs. M. B. Welch, Instructor of the English Lan-
guage, and Lecturer on Domestic Economy; J. C. Arthur, M. S., Librarian,
and Demonstrator of Botany and Zoology. There are also instructors in
Yocal and Instrumental Music.
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.
The State Normal School was established by the General Assembly, at Iowa
Falls, in 1876, and under the law the property of the Orphans' Home, at that
place, was transferred for the use of the Normal School. The first Board of
Directors organized June Tth, of that year. H. C. Hemenway, was chosen
President; J. J. Tolerton, Secretary, and E. Townsend, Treasurer. At the
same meeting Prof. J. C. Gilchrist, A. M., was elected Principal of the
school.
The following constitute the Faculty: — J. C. Gilchrist, A. M>, Professor
of Mental and Moral Philosophy and Didactics; M. W. Bartlett, A. M.,
Professor of Languages and Natural Science; D. S. Wright, A. M., Profes-
sor of Mathematics ; Miss Frances L. Webster, Teacher of Geography and
History; E. W. Burnham, Professor of Music.
During the second year 105 ladies and 50 gentlemen were in attendance,
33 counties of Iowa being represented. By an act of the General Assem-
bly, approved March 25, 1878, the sum of $13,500 was appropriated for the
maintenance of the school for the next biennial period of two years. By
the same act the board of directors were empowered to charge pupils a tui-
tion fee of not exceeding six dollars per term, if necessary, in order to prop-
erly support the school.
COLLEGES, SEMINARIES AND ACADEMIES.
There are also in Iowa the following educational institutions:
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.
LOCATION.
Des Moinea .
Fayette • . . .
Fremont. . .
Henry
Henry
Humboldt . .
Jefferson...
Linn
Linn
Mahaska . . .
Mahaska . . .
Marion ....
Mills
Poweshiek .
Scott
Warren. . . .
Winneshiek
Burlington ....
Fayette
Tabor
Mount Pleasant
Salem
Humboldt
Fairfield.......
Mount Vernon.
Western
Oskaloosa
Oskaloosa
Pella
Malvern
College Springs
Des Moines....
Grinnell
Davenport
Indianola
Decorah
Burlington University
Upper Iowa University
Tabor CoUege
Iowa Wesleyan University.
Whittier CoUege
Humboldt College
Parson's College
Cornell College
Western College
Oskaloosa College
Penn College
Central University of Iowa.
Baptist College
Amity College
University of Des Moines . .
Iowa College
Griswold College
Simpson Centenary College.
Luther College
HISTORY OF IOWA.
167
ACADEMIES AND OTHER PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS.
COUNTY.
LOCATION.
TITLE.
Allamakee . .
Allamakee . .
Allamakee. .
Appanoose . .
Appanoose. .
Benton
Benton
Benton
$enton
Black Hawk
Black Hawk
Black Hawk
Black Hawk
Buchanan. . .
Chickasaw . .
Chickasaw . .
Clarke
Clarke
Clayton
Clayton
Clayton
Clayton
Clinton
Clinton
Clinton
Clinton
Clinton
Clinton
Davis
Davis
Delaware. . .
Delaware . . .
Des Moines.
Des Moines.
Des Moines.
Des Moines.
Des Moines.
Des Moines.
Des Moines.
Des Moines.
Des Moines.
Des Moines.
Dubuque . . . .
Dubuque . . .
Dubuque . . .
Dubuque . . .
Dubuque
Dubuque . . . .
Dubuque ...
Dnbuque . . .
Dubuque . . . .
Dubuque . . .
Dubuque . . . .
Dubuque . . .
Dubuque . . .
Dubuque . . •
Dubuque . . .
Dubuque . . . .
Dubuque . . .
Greene
Grundy
Guthrie
Hamilton . . .
Rardin
Waukon
Lansing
Lansing
Moulion
Centerville
Vinton
West Irving. . .
Blairstown
Vinton
Waterloo
Waterloo
Waterloo
Waterloo
Independence . . .
Bradford
Fredericksburg. .
Murray
Osceola
Elkader
Guttenburg
McGregor
Clayton Center. .
Lyons
Lyons . .'.
Lyons
Clinton
De Witt
Olive Township.
Bloomfield
Troy
Hopkinton
Petersburg
Burlington
Kossuth
Burlington
Burlington
BurUngton
Burlington
Burlington
Burlington
Burlington
Burlington
Dubuque
Dubuque
Dubuque
Dubuque
Dubuque
Dubuque
Dubuque
Dubuque
Dubuque
Dyersville
New Vienna. . . .
Cascade
Table Mound...
Dubuque
Sherrill's Moimt.
Epworth
Farley
Jefferson ,
Grundy Center..
Panora
Webster City...
Ackley
Waukon Seminary
Sisters' School
Mrs. Houghton's School
Moulton Normal School
Centerville Academy
Tilford Academy
Irving Institute
Blairstown Academy
Eclectic Institute
Conservatory of Music
Cedar Valley Institute
Prairie Home Seminary
Our Lady of Victory.
Notre Dame
Bradford Academy
Select School
Graded School
Osceola Private School
Sisters' School
Sisters' School
Sisters' School
German School
Riverside Institute
Seminary of Our Lady of Angels
Latin School
Business College
Sisters' School
Norwegian •.•••.• •• •
Southern Iowa Normal and Scientific Institute.
Troy Normal and Classical Institute
Lenox Collegiate Institute
Petersburg Catholic School
Mr. Gordon's School for both sexes
Kossuth Academy
Graff's School
Young Ladies' School
German- American School
German Evangelical Zion School
First German Evangelical School
St. John's Convent
St. Paul's School
St. Patrick's School
German Theological Seminary
St. Joseph's College
St. Joseph's Academy
St. Mary's School
St. Patrick's School
Academy of Visitation
St. Maria, (German)
Private Primary
Private Boarding School
St. Francis
St. Boniface
Church School
Church School
Church School
St. Peters'
Epworth Seminary
Church School
Jefferson Academy
Grundy Center Academy
Guthrie County High School
Webster City Academy
Catholic School
168 HISTOET OF IOWA.
ACADEMIES AND OTHER PRIVATE mSTIUTIONS-Cow^nweci.
COUNTY.
LOCATION.
TITLE.
Hardin
Hardin
Hardin
Henry
Henry
Henry
Henry
Howard
Iowa
Iowa .........
Jasper
Jasper
Jasper
Jefferson
Jefferson
Jefferson
Johnson
Johnson
Jones
Jones
Keokuk
Keokuk
Keokuk. ......
Kossuth.... ..
Lee
Linn
Louisa
Lucas
Mahaska
Mahaska
Mahaska
Marion
Marshall
Marshall
Marshall
Marshall
Mills
Mitchell
Muscatine ....
Muscatine ....
Muscatine ....
Pocahontas . . . .
Polk
Polk
Polk..
Polk
Pottawattamie
Pottawattamie
Pottawattamie
Scott
Scott
Scott
Van Buren. .. .
Van Buren. . . .
Wapello
WapeUo
Warren
Washington . .
Webster
Webster
Winneshiek. . .
Winneshiek . . .
Woodbury . . . .
Alden
New Providence. . .
Eldora
Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant
New London
Cresco
Marengo
Lytle-City
Lynnville.
Prairie City
Newton
Pleasant Plaine...
Fairfield
Fairfield
Iowa City
Iowa City
Anamosa
Olin
Baden
Coal Creek. .......
German Township.
Algona
Denmark
Cedar Rapids
Grand View
Chariton
Hopewell
Rose Hill
Ejioxville
Albion
Le Grand
Le Grand
Stanford
Glen wood
Osage
Wilton
Muscatine . . . .
Muscatine . . . .
Fonda
Des Moines...
Des Moines...
Des Moines . . .
Mitch ell ville. .
Council Bluffs.
Council Bluffs.
Council Bluffs.
Davenport . . . .
Davenport . . . .
Davenport . . . .
Birmingham . .
Farmington . .
Ottumwa
Ottumwa
Ackworth
Washington. .
Fort Dodge. . .
Fort Dodge...
Decorah
Spillville
Sioux City. . . .
Private School. ...
New Providence Academy
Eldora Academy
Female Seminary, and Howe's Academy »
German College
German Primary «
Academy
Private School
Root's Winter School »
Catholic School
Lynnville Seminary
South Side Academy
Hazel Dell Academy
Pleasant Plaine Academy
Fairfield Academy, and Private School
High School _. . . . .
McClain's Academy, and St. Joseph's Institute.
St. Agatha's Seminary
Anamosa Academy
OHnBigh School *
Baden Select School
Friends' Select School
German Lutheran School *
Algona College
Denmark Academy
Collegiate Institute
Eastern Iowa Normal School
Chariton Academy
Hopewell Academy »
Select School
Select School
Knoxville Academy
Albion Seminary
Le Grand Christian Institute
Le Grand Institute
Stanford Institute
Private School
Cedar Valley Seminary
Wilton Seminary, and Collegiate Institute
Sisters' School, and German School
Business College
Teachers' Normal
St. Ambrose School
St. Mary's School, (German)
Business College
Mitchell Seminary
St. Francis' Boys School
St. Francis' Girls' School
German School
St. Margaret's, and Sisters' Academy
St. Cunigundus'
St. Anthony's, and Business College
Birmingham Academy
Select School
Convent Of St. Joseph, and Commercial College.
Female Seminary, and Pecks' Normal
Ackworth Seminary
Washington Academy
Convent of Our Lady of Lourdes
German School
Decorah Institute, and Business College
Catholic School
German School
HISTORY OF IOWA. 169
STATE INSTITUTIONS.
Hospitals for the Insane — College for the Blind— Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb — Or-
phans' Homes — Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children — The Penitentiary — The Additional
Penitentiary — State Reform School — State Historical Society.
HOSPITAL FOK THE INSANE, MT. PLEASANT, HENKY COUNTY.
The General Assembly, by an act approved January 24, 1855, appropri-
ated $4,425 to purchase a site for a Hospital for the Insane, and $50,000 for
tlie erection of a building. Edward Johnston, of Lee county; Charles S.
Clarke, of Henry county, and the Governor (Grimes), were appointed to se-
lect the location and superintend the erection of a building. They made
the location at Mt. Pleasant, Henry county, and adopted a plan with suffi-
cient capacity to accommodate three hundred patients. Henry Win slow
was appointed to superintend the erection of the building. The building
was not ready for occupancy until March, 1861. Witliin the first three
months about one hundred patients were admitted. Richard J. Patterson,
M. D., of Ohio, was appinted Superintendent, and in 1865 he was succeeded
by Dr. Mark Ranney. From the opening of the Hospital to the 1st of No-
vember, 1877, there had been admitted 3,584 patients, of whom 1,141 had
been discharged recovered, 505 improved, 689 unimproved, and one died.
The total number discharged was 2,976, leaving 608 under treatment.
HOSPITAL FOB THE INSANE, INDEPENDENCE, BUCHANAN COUNTY.
In 1868 a bill passed the General Assembly making an appropriation of
$125,000 for the erection of an additional Hospital for the Insane, at Inde-
pendence, Buchanan county. A board of commissioners was appointed,
who commenced their duties June 8, 1868. They made the location about
a mile from Independence, on the west side of the Wapsipinicon river, and
about one mile from the river. The building was ready for occupancy
April 21, 1873. On the 1st of October, 1877, the Superintendent, Albert
Reynolds, M. D., reported 322 patients in the hospital.
COLLEGE FOE THE BLIND, VINTON, BENTON COUNTY.
In August, 1852, Prof. Samuel Bacon, himself blind, established an in-
stitution at Keokuk for the instruction of the blind. In January, 1853, the
General Assembly passed an act by which the State adopted the institution
at Keokuk, and on the 4th of April, of the same year, it Avas opened for the
reception of pupils, at Iowa City. A board of trustees was appointed, with
authority to receive propositions and make a permanent location. Liberal
donations were made by citizens of Yinton, Benton county, and that place
was selected. In October, 1862, the institution was opened at Yinton with
twenty-four pupils. Up to 1878 about $285,000 have been expended in
buildings and improvements connected with this institution. During the
period of two years, ending November 6, 1877, about 135 pupils were
in attendance. The faculty is presided over by Rev. Robert Carothers, A.
M., as Principal.
170 HISTOKY OP IOWA.
IKSTITUTIOIf FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB, COUNCIL BLUFFS, POTTAWATTAMIE
COUNTY.
This institution was established first at Iowa City, by an act of the Gen-
eral Assembly, approved January 24, 1855. W. E. Ijaras was the first
Principal. He resigned in 1862, and the board of trustees appointed Ben-
jamin Talbot his successor. In 1868 commissioners were appointed to re-
locate the institution and superintend the erection of a building, and the
sum of $125,000 was appropriated to commence the work. It was located
about two miles south of Council Bluffs, and connected with it is a tract ol
about ninety acres of ground. The main building and one wing "were com-
pleted October 1, 18T0, and immediately occupied. On the 25th of Feb-
ruary, 1877, the main building and east wing were destroyed by fire, and
and on the 6th of August, of the same year, the roof of the new west wing
was blown off and the walls partially injured by a tornado. About 150
pupils were in attendance at the time of the fire. About half of the classes
were dismissed, reducing the number to about seventy. The institution re-
mains in charge of Benjamin Talbot as Superintendent. By an act of the
General Assembly, approved March 25, 1878, the sum of $40,000 was ap-
propriated for the purpose of rebuilding and completing in a plain and sub-
stantial manner the main building.
soldiers' orphans' homes, DAVENPORT, CEDAR FALLS, GLENWOOD.
In 1866 the General Assembly passed an act establishing three Homes
for the soldiers' orphans, as follows: located at Davenport, Cedar Falls,
and Glenwood. This was the result of a movement inaugurated by Mrs.
Annie Wittenmeyer, during the civil war. In October, 1863, she
called a convention at Davenport, to devise measures for the support and
education of the orphan children of Iowa soldiers who had fallen in the na-
tional defense. An association was formed, and provision made for raising
funds. A sufficient amount of funds was raised to open the Home, and
at a meeting of the Trustees in March, 1864, they decided to commence op-
erations at once. A large brick building in Van Buren county was secured,
and on the 13th of July, of the same year, the executive committee re-
ported that they were ready to receive pupils. In little more than six
months seventy pupils were in attendance. The Home continued to be sus-
tained by voluntary subscriptions until 1866, when it was assumed by the
State and the three Homes established as above stated. In 1876 the Homes
at Cedar Falls and Glenwood were discontinued, and the pupils remaining
in them removed to the Home at Davenport. The buildings at Cedar Falls
were appropriated to the use of the State Normal School, and those at Glen-
wood to the use of the Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children. September
30, 1877, there were in attendance at the Home in Davenport 139 sol-
diers' orphans, and forty-one indigent children, the Sixteenth General As-
sembly having passed an act opening the Home for the admission of in-
digent children.
asylum for FEEBLE-MINDED CHILDREN, GLENWOOD, MILLS COUNTY.
By an act approved March 17, 1876, an Asylum for Feeble-Minded
Children was established at Glenwood, Mills county. The buildings and
grounds for the Soldiers' Orphans' Home were by the same act transferred
HISTOET OF IOWA. 171
to the use of the new institution, which was placed under the management
of three trustees, who held their first meeting at Glenwood, April 26, 1876.
The property having been repaired, the Asylum was opened September 1,
1876, and the school organized on the 6th with only five pupils. In Novem-
ber, 1877, the numl)er had increased to eighty-seven.
THE PENITENTIAKY, FOKT MADISON, LEE COUNTY.
The Territorial Legislature by an act approved January 25, 1839, provided
for the election by joint ballot of the Council and House of Representa-
tives of the Territory, of three directors to locate the Penitentiary within
one mile of the public square in the town of Fort Madison, and provided
further, limiting the cost of the Penitentiary to an amount not exceeding
forty thousand dollars. The same act authorized the Governor to draw the
sum of twenty thousand dollars which had been appropriated by Congress
for the erection of public buildings in the Territory of Iowa, to pay for
materials and work on the building. The location at Fort Madison, how-
ever, was coupled with a proviso that the citizens of that place and Lee
county should execute to the directors a deed for ten acres of ground. All
the conditions were complied with, and the erection of the building was
commenced July 9, 1839. The main building and warden's house were
completed in the autumn of 1841. Since that time additions and other im-
provements have been made.
ADDITIONAL PENITENTIAET, ANAMOSA, JONES COUNTY
The Additional Penitentiary at Anamosa was established under an act of
the General Assembly approved April 3, 1872. Three commissioners were
appointed to make the location and provide for the erection of the necessary
buildings. They met at Anamosa, June 4, 1872, and made selection of a
site donated by the citizens. "Work was commenced on the building Sep-
tember 28th of the same year, and May 13, 1873, twenty convicts were
transferred from the Penitentiary at Fort Madison to Anamosa. The entire
enclosure embraces fifteen acres.
THE STATE REFORM SCHOOL, ELDORA, HARDIN COUNTY.
On the 31st of March, 1868, an act of the General Assembly was approved
establishing a State Reform School near the town of Salem, Henry county.
A board of trustees, consisting of one from each Congressional district, was
appointed. A proposition was accepted for the lease of W bite's Iowa Man-
ual Labor Institute at Salem, the buildings fitted up, and on the 7th of Octo-
ber, 1868, the first inmate was received from Jasper county. In 1872, an act
was passed and approved providing for the permanent location, and $45,000
appropriated for erecting the necessary buildings. The permanent location
was made at Eldora, Hardin county. Inmates are admitted at ages over
seven and under sixteen years. The object of this school is the reformation
of juvenile offenders.
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
This society was organized in 1856, under an act of the Sixth General As-
sembly, "for the purpose of collecting, arranging and preserving books,
pamplilets, maps, charts, manuscripts, papers, paintings, statuary, and other
172 HISTOKT OF IOWA.
materials illustrative of tlie history of this State; and also to preserve the
memory of the early pioneers of Iowa, their deeds, exploits, perils, and adven-
tures; to secure facts relative to our Indian Tribes; to exhibit faithfully the
antiquities, and to mark the progress of our rapidly increasing common-
wealth; to publish such of the collections of the society as it shall from time
to time deem of value and interest; to bind such publications and other
books, pamphlets, manuscripts and papers as they may publish or collect;
and to aid in all respects as may be within its province, to develop the his-
tory of this State in all its departments." At that time the sum of $3,000
per annum for two years was appropriated. The society is under the man-
agement of a board of Curators, consisting of one member appointed by the
governor from each congressional district, and of nine additional members
elected by the society. The officers consist of a president, secretary, treasurer
and librarian.
KAILROADS.
In May, 1854, the first rail was laid in Iowa, at or near high water mark
on the bank of the Mississippi, in the city of Davenport. That year the road
was completed to Iowa City, a distance of about 54J^ miles. The first loco-
motive in Iowa was landed at Davenport in July of the same year, and was
called the "Antoine LeClaire." The road was then called the Mississippi
& Missouri Eailroad. The first rail was laid at Keokuk, on what was then
called the Keokuk, Fort Des Moines & Minnesota Railroad, on the 9th day
of September, 1856, and in October of the same year two locomotives for the
road were landed at Keokuk from a barge which arrived from Quincy.
They were called the " Keokuk " and the "Des Moines."
In the meantime several lines of railroad had been projected to cross the
State from points on the Mississippi. On the 15th of May, 1756, an act of
Congress was approved making a grant of land to the State to aid in the
construction of railroads from Burlington to the Missouri river, near the
mouth of Platte river; from Davenport, via Iowa City and Fort Des Moines
to Council Bluffs; from Lyons northeasterly to a point of intersection with
the main line of the Iowa Central Air Line Railroad, near Maquok^ta
thence on said main line, running as near as practicable on the forty-second
parallel across the State to the Missouri river, and from Dubuque to a point on
the Missouri river at or near Sioux City. The grant embraced the sections
designated by odd numbers six miles in width on each side of the four roads
named. Where lands had been sold the State was authorized to select other
lands equal in quantity from alternate sections or parts of sections within
fifteen miles of the lines located. The law provided certain conditions to be
observed by the State in disposing of the lands to the railroads for which
they were granted. In consequence of this grant the governor called a spe-
cial session of the General Assembly which convened at Iowa City in July of
that year, and on the 14tli of the same month an act was approved accepting
the grant, and regranting the lands to the railroads named, on certain speci-
fied conditions. The roads, with the exception of the Iowa Central Air Line,
accepted the several grants, and located their lines before April 1, 1857, that
being a stipulation in the act of July 14th. The lands granted to the Iowa
Central Air Line road were again granted to the Cedar Rapids & Missouri
River Railroad Company. The act of Congress making this grant named
no companies, but designated certain lines, in aid of which they should be
HISTOET OF IOWA. 173
applied, leaving the State free to dispose of tlie lands to sucli companies as
would comply with the conditions. The state granted the lands to the fol-
lowing companies: Burlington & Missouri Eiver Railroad Company; Mis-
sissippi & Missouri River Railroad Company; Cedar Rapids & Missouri
River Railroad Company, and Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad Company.
These became the first land grant roads in Iowa. Several subsequent acts
of Congress modified the conditions of the first act, especially with reference
to changes in the lines of the several roads. On the 12th of May, 1864,
Congress made another grant of land to the State to aid in the construction
of a railroad from McGregor to Sioux City. This grant embraced every
alternate section ten miles on each side of the proposed road, with the rigtit
to receive other lands for such as might be sold or pre-empted.
By an act approved August 8, 1846, Congress granted to Iowa the alter-
nate sections on each side of the Des Moines river for the purpose of improv-
ing the navigation of that river from the mouth to the Raccoon Fork. In
1847 the State organized a board of public works. The board constructed,
or partially constructed, dams and locks at some four or five points on the
river, when with the approval of Congress, the lands were transferred to a
company styled the Des Moines ISTavigation and Railroad Company. At
this time (1854) the board of public works had disposed of most of the lands
below the Raccoon Fork, and 58,000 acres above it, and had incurred an
indebtedness of $70,000 over and above the proceeds of the sales made.
This indebtedness was assumed by the company. In the meantime there
were difierent and conflicting rulings as to whether the lands above the
Raccoon Fork were intended to be included in the grant. This led to a
compromise with the Des Moines Navigation and Railroad Company. The
company took all the land certified to the State prior to 1857, and paid the
State $20,000 in addition to what they had expended, and abandoned the
work. Congress, in 1862, settled the question as to the extent of the grant
by a definite enactment extending the grant to the north line of the State,
and the General Assembly granted the remainder of the lands to the Des
Moines Yalley Railroad Company to aid in building a railroad up and along
the Des Moines valley, and thus this road also became a land grant road.
Under the several acts of Congress there have been granted to the State
to aid in building railroads, an aggregate of 4,394,400.63 acres of land,
including the grant of August 8, 1846, for the Des Moines river improve-
ment, as follows :
Burlington and Missouri River Railroad 292,806.41
Mississippi and Missouri River (now C. R. I. & P.) 482,374.36
Iowa Central Air Line (now Cedar Rapids & Missouri) 735,997.80
Dubuque & Sioux City & Branch 1,232,359.15
McGregor & Sioux City (now McGregor & Missouri River). . 137,572.27
Sioux City & St. Paul 407,910.21
Des Moines Valley 1,105,380.43
Total number of acres 4,394,400.63
On the 1st of January, 1877, there were in Iowa 3,938 miles of railroad.
Since that time the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, as it is now called, has
been extended from Algona to Sheldon, and several other lines have been
constructed or extended, maldng over 4,000 miles of railroad in the State,
with an aggregate assessed valuation of over $23,000,000. Several very
174 HI8T0EY OF IOWA.
important roads in the State have been constructed without the aid of land
grants, while others are projected and will be completed in due time.
OFFICIAL KECOED.
TEKRITORIAL OFFICEBS.
Governors — Robert Lucas, 1838-41; John Chambers, 1841-45; James
Clarke, 1845.
Se&retaries—WiWiom B. Conway, 1838, died 1839; James Clarke, 1839;
O. H. W. StuU, 1841; Samuel J. Burr, 1843; Jesse WiUiaras, 1845.
Auditors— :ie&iQ Williams, 1840; Wm. L. Gilbert, 1843; Robert M.
Secrest, 1845.
Treasurers —Thornton Bayliss, 1839; Morgan Reno, 1840.
Judges — Charles Mason, Chief Justice, 1838; Joseph Williams, 1838;
Thomas S. Wilson, 1838.
Presidents of Council — Jesse B. Browne, 1838-9; Stephen Hempstead,
1839-40; M. Bainridge, 1840-1; Jonathan W. Parker, 1841-2; John D.
Elbert, 1842-3; Thomas Cox, 1843-4; S. Clinton Hastings, 1845; Stephen
Hempstead, 1845-6.
Speakers of the Eouse—WiYHdJoo. H. Wallace, 1838-9; Edward John-
ston, 1839^0; Thomas Cox, 1840-1; Warner Lewis, 1841-2; James M.
Morgan, 1842-3; James P. 'Carleton, 1843-4; James M. Morgan, 1845;
George W. McClearj, 1845-6.
First Constitutional Corwention^ i^4^— Shepherd Leffler, President;
Geo. S. Hampton, Secretary.
Second Constitutional Convention^ 181fi — Enos Lowe, President; THl-
liam Thompson, Secretary.
OFFICERS OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT.
Governors — Ansel Briggs, 1846 to 1850; Stephen Hempstead, 1850 to
1854; James W. Grimes, 1854 to 1858; Ralph P. Lowe, 1858 to 1860;
Samuel J. Kirkwood, 1860 to 1864; William M. Stone, 1864 to 186S;
Samuel Merrill, 1868 to 1872; Cyrus C. Carpenter, 1872 to 1876; Samuel
J. Kirkwood, 1876 to 1877; Joshua G. Newbold, Acting, 1877tolb78;
John H. Gear, 1878 to .
Lieutenant Governors — Office created by the new Constitution Septembei
3, 1857— Oran Faville, 1858-9; Nicholas J. Rusch, 1860-1; John R.
Needham, 1862-3; Enoch W. Eastman, 1864-5; Benjamin F. Gue, 1866-
67; John Scott, 1868-9; M. M. Walden, 1870-1; H. C. Bulls, 1872-3;
Joseph Dysart, 1874-5; Joshua G. Newbold, 1876-7; Frank T. Campbell,
1878 to .
Secretaries of State— EW^ho. Cutler, Jr., Dec. 5, 1846, to Dec. 4, 1848;
Josiah H. Bonney, Dec. 4, 1848, to Dec. 2, 1850; George AV. McCleary,
Dec. 2, 1850, to Dec. 1, 1856; Elijah Sells, Dec. 1, 1856, to Jan. 5, 1863;
James Wright, Jan. 5, 1863, to Jan. 7, 1867; Ed. Wright, Jan. 7, 1867, to
Jan. 6, 1873; Josiah T. Young, Jan. 6, 1873, to 1879; J. A. T. HuU, 1879
to .
Auditors of State— So^e^h. T. Fales, Dec. 5, 1846, to Dec. 2, 1850;
William Pattee, Dec. 2, 1850, to Dec. 4, 1854; Andrew J. Stevens, Dec.
4, 1854, resigned in 1855; John Pattee, Sept. 22, 1855, to Jan. 3, 1859;
HISTORY OF IOWA. 175
Jonathan W. Cattell, 1859 to 1865; John A. Elliott, 1865 to 1871; John
Russell, 1871 to 1875; Buren R Sherman, 1875 to .
Treasurers of State — Morgan Reno, Dec. 18, 1846, to Dec. 2, 1850;
Israel Kister, Dec. 2, 1850, to Dec. 4, 1852; Martin L. Morris, Dec. 4,
1852, to Jan. 2, 1859; John W. Jones, 1859 to 1863; William H. Holmes,
1863 to 1867; Samuel E. Rankin, 1867 to 1873; William Christy, 1873 to
1877; George W. Bemis, 1877 to .
Superintendents of Public Instruction — Office created in 1847 —
James Harlan, June 5, 1847 (Supreme Court decided election void);
Thomas H. Benton, Jr., May 23, 1847, to June 7, 1854; James D. Eads,
1854-7; Joseph C. Stone, March to June, 1857; Maturin L. Fisher, 1857
to Dec, 1858, when the office was abolished and the duties of the office de-
volved upon the Secretary of the Board of Education.
Secretaries of Board of Education — Thomas H. Benton, Jr., 1859-
1863; Gran Faville, Jan. I, 1864. Board abolished March 23, 1864.
Superintendents of Public Instruction — Office re-created March 23,
1864— Oran Faville, March 28, 1864, resigned March 1, 1867; D, Franklin
Wells, March 4, 1867, to Jan., 1870; A. S. Kissell, 1870 to 1872; Alonzo
Abernethy, 1872 to 1877; Carl W. von Coelln, 1877 to .
Registers of the State Land Office — Anson Hart, May 5, 1855, to May
13, 1857; Theodore S. Parvin, May 13, 1857, to Jan. 3, 1859; Amos B.
Miller, Jan. 3, 1859, to October, 1862; Edwin Mitchell, Oct. 31, 1862, to
Jan. 5, 1863; Josiah A. Harvey, Jan. 5, 1863, to Jan. 7, 1867; Cyrus 0.
Carpenter, Jan. 7, 1867, to January, 1871; Aaron Brown, January, 1871,
to January, 1875; David Secor, January, 1875 to 1879; J. K. Powers, 1879
to .
State Bvnders — Office created February 21, 1855 — William M. Coles,
May 1, 1855, to May 1, 1859; Frank M. Mills, 1859 to 1867; James S.
Carter, 1867 to 1870; J. J. Smart, 1870 to 1874; H. A. Perkins, 1874 to
1875; James J. Smart, 1875 to 1876; H. A. Perkins, 1876 to 1879; Matt.
C. Parrott, 1879 to .
State Printers — Office created Jan. 3, 1840 — Garrett D. Palmer and
George Paul, 1849; WilHam H. Merritt, 1851 to 1853; William A. Horn-
ish, 1853 (resigned May 16, 1853); Mahoney & Dorr, 1853 to 1855; Peter
Moriarty, 1855 to 1857; John Teesdale, 1857 to 1861; Francis W. Palmer,
1861 to 1869; Frank M. Mills, 1869 to 1870; G. W. Edwards, 1870 to
1872; R. P. Clarkson, 1872 to 1879; Frank M. Mills, 1879 to .
Adjutants General — Daniel S. Lee, 1851-5; Geo. W. McCleary, 1855-
7; Elijah Sells, 1857; Jesse Bowen, 1857-61; Nathaniel B. Baker, 1861 to
1877; John H. Looby, 1877 to 1878; Noble Warwick, resigned;
G. L. Alexander, 1878 to .
Attorneys General— Da.vid C. Cloud, 1853-56; Samuel A. Rice, 1856-
60; Charles C. Nourse, 1861-4; Isaac L. Allen, 1865 (resigned January,
1866); Frederick E. Bissell, 1866 (died June 12, 1867); Henry O'Connor,
1867-72; Marsena E. Cutts, 1872-6; John F. McJunkin, 1877 to .
Presidents of the Senate — Thomas Baker, 1846-7; Thomas Hughes,
1848; John J. Sclman, 1848-9; Enos Lowe, 1850-1: William E. Leffing-
well, 1852-3; Maturin L. Fisher, 1854-5; William W. Hamilton, 1856-7.
Under the new Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor is President of the
Senate.
SpeaJcers of the House — Jesse B. Browne, 1847-8; Smiley H. Bonhan,
1849-50; George Temple, 1851-2: James Grant, 1853-4; [Reuben Noble,
176 HISTORY OF IOWA.
1855-6; Samuel McFarland, 1856-7; Stephen B. Sheledy, 1858-9; John
Edwards, 1860-1; Knsh Clarka862-3; Jacob Butler, 1864-5; Ed. Wright,
1866-7; John Eussell, 1868-9; Aylett R. Cotton, 1870-1; James Wilson,
1872-3; John H. Gear, 1874-7; John Y. Stone, 1878.
New Constitutional Convention^ 1857 — Francis Springer, President;
Thos. J. Saunders, Secretary.
STATE OETICEES, 1878,
John H. Gear, Governor; Frank T. Campbell, Lieutenant Governor; Josiah
T. Young, Secretary of State; Buren R. Sheaman, Auditor of State; Geo.
W. Bemis Treasurer of State; David Secor, Register of State Land Office;
John H. Looby, Adjutant-General; John F. McJunken, Attorney-General;
Mrs. Ada JM^orth, State Librarian; Edward J. Holmes, Clerk Supreme Court;
J ohn S. Runnells, Reporter Supreme Court ; Carl W. von CeoUn, Superin-
tendent Public Instruction; Richard P. Clarkson, State Printer; Henry A.
Perkins, State Binder; Prof. ]S"athan R. Leonard, Superintendent of Weights
and Measures ; William H. Fleming, Governor's Private Secretary ; Fletcher
W. Young, Deputy Secretary of State; John C. Parish, Deputy Auditor of
State; Erastus G. Morgan, Deputy Treasurer of State; John M. Davis,
Deputy Register Land Office; Ira C. Kling, Deputy Superintendent Pub-
lic Instruction.
STATE OFFICEES, 1879.
John H. Gear, Governor; Frank T. Campbell, Lieutenant-Governor;
J. A. T. Hull, Secretary of State; Buren R. Sherman, Auditor of State;
George W. Bemis, Treasurer of State; J. K. Powers, Register of State Land
Office; G. L. Alexander, Adjutant-General; John F; McJunken, Attor-
ney-General; Mrs. Sadie B, Maxwell, State Librarian; Edward J. Holmes,
Clerk Supreme Court; John S. Runnells, Reporter Supreme Court; Carl
W. von Coelln, Superintendent Public Instruction; Frank M. Mills, State
Printer; Matt C. Parrott, State Binder.
THE JUDICIARY.
SUPREME COURT OF IOWA.
Chief Justices. — Charles Mason, resigned in June, 1847; Joseph Wil-
liams, Jan., 1847, to Jan., 1848; S. Clinton Hastings, Jan., 1848, to Jan.,
1849; Joseph Williams, Jan., 1849, to Jan. 11, 1855; George G. Wright,
Jan. 11, 1855, to Jan., 1860; Ralph P. Lowe, Jan., 1860, to Jan. 1, 1862;
Caleb Baldwin, Jan., 1862, to Jan., 1864; George G. Wright, Jan., 1864, to
Jan., 1866; Ralph P.Lowe, Jan., 1866, to Jan., 1868; John F. Dillon,
Jan., 1868, to Jan., 1870; Chester C. Cole, Jan. 1, 1870, to Jan. 1, 1871;
James G. Day, Jan. 1, 1871. to Jan. 1, 1872; Joseph M. Beck, Jan.l, 1872,
to Jan. 1, 1874; Wm. E. Miller, Jan. 1, 1874, to Jan. 1, 1876; Chester C.
Cole, Jan. 1, 1876, to Jan. 1, 1877; James G. Day, Jan. 1, 1877, to Jan. 1,
1878; James H. Rothrock, Jan. 1, 1878.
Associate Judges. — Joseph Williams ; Thomas S. Wilson, resigned Oct.,
1847; John F. Kinney, June 12, 1847, resigned Feb. 15, 1854; George
Greene, Nov. 1, 1847, to Jan 9, 1855; Jonathan C. Hall, Feb. 15, 1854, to
succeed Kinney, resigned, to Jan., 1855; William G. Woodward, Jan. 9,
1855 ; Norman W. Isbell, Jan. 16, 1855, resigned 1856; Lacen D. Stockton,
HI8T0BT OP IOWA. 177
June 3, 1856, to succeed Isbell, resigned, died June 9, 1860; Caleb Bald-
win, Jan. 11, 1860, to 1864; Kalph P. Lowe, Jan. 12, 1860; Geo. G. Wright,
June 26, 1860, to succeed Stockton, deceased; elected U. S. Senator, 1870;
John F. Dillon, Jan. 1, 1864, to succeed Baldwin, resigned, 1870; Chester
C. Cole, March 1, 1864, to 1867; Joseph M.Beck, Jan. 1, 1868; W.E. Mil-
ler, October 11, 1864, to succeed Dillon, resigned; James G. Day, Jan. 1,
1871, to succeed Wright.
SUPREME COTJKT, 1879.
Joseph M. Beck, Lee county. Chief Justice; Austin Adams, Dubuque
county. Associate Justice; William H. Seevers, Mahaska county, Associate
Justice; James G. Day, Fremont county, Associate Justice; Jas. 11. Eoth-
rock. Cedar county, Associate Justice.
CONGEESSIONAL KEPRESENTATION.
UNITED STATES SENATORS.
g'he first General Assembly failed to elect Senators.)
eorge W. Jones, Dubuque, Dec. 1848-1858; Augustus C. Dodge, Bur-
lington, Dec. 7, 1848-1855; James Harlan, Mt. Pleasant, Jan. 6, 1855-1865;
James W. Grimes, Burlington, Jan. 26, 1858 — died 1870; Samuel J. Kirk-
wood, Iowa City, elected Jan 13, 1866, to fill vacancy occasioned by resig-
nation of James Harlan; James Harlan, Mt. Pleasant, March 4, 1866-1872;
James B. Howell, Keokuk, elected Jan. 20, 1870, to fill vacancy caused by
the death of J. W. Grimes — term expired March 3d; George G. Wright,
Des Moir.es, March 4, 1871-1877; William B. Allison, Dubuque, March 4,
1872; Samu3l J. Kirkwood, March 4, 1877.
MEMBERS OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Twenty-ni/nth Congress — 18Ji,6 to 18Jf7 — S. Clinton Hastings; Shepherd
Lefiler.
Thirtieth Congress — 18Jf.7 to 18J^9 — First District, William Thompson;
Second District, Shepherd Leffler.
Thirty-first Congress — 18^ to 1851 — First District, First Session, Wm.
Thompson; unseated by the House of Representatives on a contest, and
election remanded to the people. First District, Second Session, Daniel F.
Miller; Second District, Shepherd Leffler.
Thirty-second Congress — 1851 to 1853 — First District, Bernhart Henn ;
Second District, Lincoln Clark.
Thirty-third Congress — 1853 to 1855 — ^First District, Bernhart Henn;
Second District, John P. Cook.
Thirty -fourth Congress — 1855 to 1857 — First District, Augustus Hall;
Second District, James Thorington.
Thvrty-fifth Congress — 1857 to 1859 — First District, Samuel R. Curtis;
Second District, Timothy Davis.
Thirty-sixth Congress — 1859 to 1861 — First District, Samuel R. Curtis;
Second District. William Yandever.
12
178 mSTOEY OF IOWA.
Thirty-seventh Congress — 1861 to 1863 — First District, First Session,
Samuel R. Curtis.* First District, Second and Third Sessions, Jas. F. Wil-
son; Second District, Wm. Yandever.
Thirty-eighth Congress — 1863 to 1865— First District, James F. "Wilson;
Second District, Hiram Price; Third District, William B. Allison; Fourth
District Josiah B. Grinnell; Fifth District, John A. Kasson; Sixth Dist,,
Asahel W. Hubbard.
Thirty-nmth Congress — 1865 to 1867 — First District, James F. Wilson;
Second District Hiram Pric«; Third District, William B. Allison; Fourth
District Josiah B. GrinneU; Fifth District John A. Kasson; Sixth District,
Asahel W. Hubbard.
Fortieth Congress — 1867 to 1869 — First District, James F. Wilson; Sec-
ond District, Hiram Price; Third District, William B. Allison; Fourth
District, William Lou^hridge; Fifth District, Grenville M. Dodge; Sixth
District, Asahel W. Hubbard.
Forty-first Congress— 1869 to 1871— First District, Geo. W. McCrary;
Second District William Smyth; Third District, William B. Allison; Fourth
District, William Loughridge; Fifth District, Frank W. Palmer; Sixth
District, Charles Pomeroy.
Forty-second Congress — 1871 to 1873 — First District, George W. Mc-
Crary; Second District, Aylett R. Cotton; Third District W. G. Donnan;
Fourth District, Madison M. Walden; Fifth District, Frank W. Palmer;
Sixth District, Jackson Orr.
Forty -third Congress— 1873 to 1875— First District, Geo. W. McCrary;
Second District, Aylett R. Cotton; Third District, William G. Donnan;
Fourth District, Henry O. Pratt; Fifth District, James Wilson; Sixth Dis-
trict, WilKam Loughridge; Seventh District, John A Kasson; Eighth Dis-
trict, James W. McDill; Ninth District, Jackson Orr.
Forty-fovHh Congress— 1875 to 1877— First District George W. Mc-
Crary; Second District, John Q. Tufts; Third District, L. L. Ainsworth;
Fourth District, Henry O. Pratt; Fifth District, James Wilson; Sixth Dis-
trict, Ezekiel S. Sampson; Seventh District, John A. Kasson; Eighth Dis-
trict, James W. McDill; Ninth District, Addison Oliver.
Forty-fifth Congress— 1877 to 1879— First District, J. C. Stone; Second
District, Hiram Price; Third District, T. W. Burdick; Fourth District, H.
C. Deering; Fifth District, Rush Clark; Sixth District, E. S. Sampson;
Seventh District, H. J.B. Cummings; Eighth District, W. F. Sapp; Kinth
District, Addison Oliver.
Forty-sixth Congress— 1879 to 1881 — First District, iMoses A. McCoid;
Second District, Hiram Price; Third District, Thomas Updegraff; Fourth
District, H. 0. Deering; Fifth District, Rush Clark; Sixth District, J. B.
Weaver; Seventh District, E.H.Gillette; Eighth District, W. F. Sapp;
Ninth District, Cyrus C. Carpenter.
STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
On the 14th of April, 1853, the following editorial appeared in the Fair-
field Ledger:
" State Faie. — Iowa is an Agricultural State, but as yet her agricultural
resources are but in the infancy ot their development. In some counties,
* Vacated seat by acceptance of commisaion of Brigadier General, and J. F. Wilson
chosen his successor.
HISTORY OF IOWA. 179
however, some attention has been paid to the organization of societies for the
promotion of the interests of agriculture. These several societies have had
their annual fairs, and in this way much good has been done, but the growing
importonce of our agricultural and industrial interest now demands a more
feneral and extensive arrangement. Let us then have a State Agricultural
air sometime in next October or November. Let some central point be
fixed upon for an exhibition which will be an honor to our young State. It
would not be expected that the first exhibition of the kind would vie with
those of older States, where societies have long been established. But in a
few years a well organized State Society with its annual fairs, would accom-
plish the same good results that have attended them in other States. The
mechanical arts, as well as the raising of stock or grain, might be brought
to a high state of perfection. We suggest that this matter be taken into
consideration in time, and let there be a union of all the county societies
that are organized, with such as may be organized, for the purpose of hold-
ing a general Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition next fall."
The suggestions of the foregoing article were heartily seconded by several
papers of the State, and especially by the Iowa Farmer and HoHicultwrist^
at Burlington.
No definite action was taken until the 14th day of October, 1853, when
at the close of the Second Annual Exhibiton of the Jefierson County Agri-
cultural Society, that Society met for the election of a board of officers.
At this meeting 0. W. Slagle offered the following resolution:
Resolved^ That the officers of the Society be instructed to take immediate
steps to effect the organiztion of a State Agricultural Society and use their
influence to have said Society hold its first exhibition at Fairfield, in Octo-
ber, 1854.
This resolution was adopted, and on the 21st of November, a notice signed
by P. L. Huyett, 0. Baldwin, and J. M. Shaffer, was issued to the different
county societies, inviting them to send delegates to a meeting to be held at
Fairfield, December 28, 1853, to take part in the organization of a State
Society. Pursuant to this call, the meeting was held, and delegates were
present from the counties of Henry, Jefferson, Lee, Yan Buren and "Wap-
ello. Communications from officers of societies, and one from Hon. James
"W. Grimes, were read, heartily approving of the movement. D. P. Ins-
keep, of "Wapello county, was chairman of the meeting, and David Sheward,
of Jefferson county, secretary. A committee was appointed which reported
a constitution for the society. The society was duly organized with the fol-
foUowing officers: Thomas "W. Claggett, Lee county. President; D. P. Ins-
keep, Wapello county, Yice President; J. M. Shaffer, Jefferson county.
Secretary ; C. "W. Slagle, Jefferson county. Corresponding Secretary, and W .
B. Chamberlin, Des Moines county, Treasurer.
In addition to the above officers, the following were appointed a Board of
Managers :
Lee County. — Arthur Bridgeman, Reuben Brackett, and Josiah Hinkle.
Van Buren Cotmty. — ^Timothy Day, Dr. Elbert, and "William Campbell.
Henry Gownty. — ^Thomas Siviter, Amos Lapham, and J. "W. Frazier.
Jefferson County. — P. L. Huyett, John Andrews, and B. B. Tuttle.
Wapello County. — ^R. H. "Warden, Gen. Ramsay, and Uriah Biggs.
Mahaska Coimty. — ^Wm. McKinley, Sr., John White, and M. T. Wil-
liams.
Polk Comity. — Dr. Brooks, Thomas Mitchell, and William McKay.
180 HISTORY OF IOWA.
Des Moines County. — J. F. Tallant, A. K. Averj, and G. Neely.
Louisa County. — George Kee, Francis Springer, and Joshua Marshal],
Muscatine County. — J. H. Wallace, James Weed, and John A. Parvin.
Dubuque County. — W. Y. Lovel, Orlando McCranej, and L. H. Lang-
worthy.
Johnson County. — R. H. Sylvester, LeGrand Byington, and C. Saunders.
Scott Cownty. — J. A. Burchard, James Thorington, and Laurel Summers.
A resolution was adopted providing that the first State Fair be held at
Fairfield, commencing Wednesday, October 25, 1854, A resolution was
also adopted for the appointment of a committee of five to memorialize the
General Assembly for pecuniary aid, and the following were appointed:
George W. McCleary, of Johnson county; George S. Hampton, of Johnson
county; David Rorer, of Des Moines county; Ealph P. Lowe, of Lee
county, and George Gillaspy, of Wapello county.
At this meeting the following fourteen persons afBxed their signatures to
the Constitution, agreeing to become members: Charles Negus, J. M.
Shaffer, D. P. Inskeep, Amos Lapham, J. W. Frazier, Josiah Hinlde, J. T.
Gibson, Stephen Frazier, Evan Marshall, Thomas Siviter, John Andrews,
B. B. Tuttle, Eli Williams, and P. L. Huyett.
This meeting was held in the court house at Fairfield, and was not very
largely attended, for at that time there was not a mile of railroad in the
State.
THE FIRST STATE FAIR.
In accordance with the arrangement made at the organization of the So-
ciety, the first annual fair was held at Fairfield, commencing October 25th,
1854, and continued three days. The number of people in attendance was
estimated at the time at from 7,000 to 8,000. The exhibition was consid-
ered a grand success. All portions of the State at that time settled, were
represented by visitors. The fair was held on the grounds which have for
many years been occupied as the depot grounds of the Burlington & Mis-
souri River Railroad. There was a fine display of stock, agricultural imple-
ments, farm products, and articles of domestic manufacture. In the ladies'
department there was an attractive exhibit of their handi-work. The nat-
ural history of the State was illustrated by Dr. J. M. Shaffer's collection of
reptiles and insects, and by a fine collection of birds shown by Mr. Moore,
of Des Moines. The dairy was well represented, and a cheese weighing
three hundred and sixty pounds was presented to Gov. Grimes by his Lee
county friends.
The most exciting incident of the fair was the equestrian exhibition by
ten ladies. This took place on the afternoon of the second and the forenoon
of the third day. The first prize was a gold watch, valued at one hundred
dollars. It was awarded by the committee to Miss Turner, of Keokuk.
One of the fair contestants was Miss Eliza J. Hodges, then only thirteen
years of age. She rode a splendid and high-spirited horse, the property of
!Dr. J. C. Ware, of Fairfield. The daring style of her riding, and the per-
fect control of the animal which she maintained, enlisted the favor and
sympathy of the throng present in her behalf The popular verdict would
have awarded the prize to Miss Hodges. A purse of $165, and some other
E resents, were immediately contributed for the " Iowa City girl," as the
eroine of the day was called. Provision was also made for her attendance,
HI8T0KT OF IOWA. 181
free of all charge, for three terms, at the Ladies' Seminary at Fairfield, and
one term at Mt. Pleasant, all of which she gracefully accepted.
George C. Dixon, of Keokuk, delivered the first annual address. Thomas
"W. Claggett was re-elected President, and Dr. J. M. Shaffer, Secretary. The
second annual fair was appointed also to be held at Fairfield, commencing
on the second Wednesday in October, 1855, and continuing three days.
Such is a brief account of the humble beginning, and first exhibition
of the Iowa State Agricultural Society, which has since grown to be one of
the important institutions of the State, attracting to its annual exhibits
many thousands of people, not only from all parts of Iowa, but from other
States.
THE FISH COMMISSION.
The Fifteenth General Assembly, in 18Y4, passed " An act to provide for
the appointment of a Board of Fish Commissioners for the construction of
Fishways for the protection and propagation of Fish," also "An act to pro-
vide for furnishing the rivers and lakes with fish and fish spawn." This
act appropriated $3,000 for the purpose. In accordance with the provisions
of the first act above mentioned, on the 9th of April, 1874, S. B, Evans of
Ottumwa, Wapello county; B. F. Shaw of Jones county, and Charles
A. Haines, of Black Ilawk county were appointed to be Fish Commission-
ers by the Governor. These Commissioners me|; at Des Moines, May 10,
1874, and organized by the election of Mr. Evans, President; Mr. Shaw,
Secretary and Superintendent, and Mr. Haines, Treasurer. During the
first year the Commissioners erected a "hatching house " near Anamosa,
and distributed within the State 100,000 shad, 300,000 California salmon,
10,000 bass, 80,000 Penobscot salmon, 5,000 land-locked salmon, and 20,-
000 of other kinds.
The next General Assembly amended the law, reducing the commission
to one member, and B. F. Shaw was appointed. During the second year
there were distributed 533,000 California salmon, and 100,000 young eels;
in 1877, there were distributed 303,500 lake trout in the rivers and lakes
of the State, and several hundred thousands of other species. During the
years 1876 and 1877, the total number of different kinds distributed, and
on hand, was over five and a half million. The Seventeenth General As-
sembly, by an act approved March 23, 1878, appropriated $6,000 for con-
tinuing the promotion of fish culture in the State. B. F. Shaw was con-
tinued as Commissioner.
STATE ENCOURAGEMENT OF IMMIGRATION.
The first legislative act in Iowa designed to promote immigration, was
passed in March, 1860. The law provided for the appointment by the Gov-
ernor of a Commissioner of Immigration to reside and keep an office in the
city of New York, from the first of May until the first of December of
each year. It was made the duty of the Commissioner to give to immi-
grants _ information in regard to the soil and climate of the State, branches
of business to be pursued with advantage, the cheapest and best routes by
which to reach the State, and to protect them from imposition. To carry
out the objects of the law, the sum of $4,500 was appropriated to be ap-
plied as follows: for the payment of the Commissioner two years, $2,400;
182 HISTOET OF IOWA.
for printing documents in English, German, and sucli other languages as
the Governor might deem advisable, $1,000, and for office and office ex-
penses for the Commissioner, $1,100. Under this law, Hon. N. J. Kusch, of
Scott county, who had previously been Lieutenant Governor, was appointed
Immigration Commissioner, and in May, 1860, established an office in ]S"ew
Tork. The object of the law seems to have had special reference to foreign
immigration. The Commissioner in his report to the Governor, in Decem-
ber, 1861, gave it as his opinion, that the establishment of an agency in
New York was not the most successful method of inducing immigration to
a particular State. He thought far more could be accomplished at less ex-
pense by the distribution ot documents. In February, 1862, the law was
repealed, and the office of Commissioner of Immigration was discontinued
May 1st of that year.
The next effi)rt put forth by the State to promote immigration was under
an act passed by the Thirteenth General Assembly, in 1 870. Hon. M. J.
Rohlfs, of Scott county, had at the previous session introduced a bill in the
House of Representatives for the purpose, but the measure did not then
succeed. At the next session he renewed his efforts with success. The law
provided for the appointment by the Govei-nor of a Board of Immigration,
to consist of one member from each Congressional district, and the Gov-
ernor, who was ex-offioio President of the Board. It also provided for a
Secretary, to be ex-officio Commissioner of Immigration, and to be chosen
by the Board. Provision was also made for the appointment of agents in
the Eastern States and in Europe, and for the publication and distribution
of documents. To carry out its objects an appropriation of $5,000 was
made. This was designed to pay expense of documents, salary of Secre-
tary, and compensation of agents, the members of the Board receiving no
compensation, except mileage for two meetings each year, to be paid out of
the general fund. Under this law the following persons were appointed by
Governor Merrill: Edward Mumm, of Lee county; M. J. Eohlfs, of Scott
county; C. L. Clausen, of Mitchell county; C. Khynsburger, of Marion
county; S. F. Spofford, of Polk county, and Marcus Tuttle, of Cerro Gordo
county. At their first meeting, held in April, 1870, they elected A. R.
Fulton their Secretary, and authorized him to prepare a pamphlet for dis-
tribution, in the English, German, Holland, Swedish and Norwegian lan-
Eages. Many thousands of copies of a pamphlet entitled "Iowa: The
)me for Immigrants," were printed in the several languages named, and
distributed throughout the East and in European countries. Many other
pamphlets and documents were also distributed, and several agents com-
missioned. So successful were the efforts of the Board that the next Gen-
eral Assembly appropriated $10,000 for continuing the work. The amend-
atory law, however, reduced the Board to five members, including the Gov-
ernor. The Board, as reduced, was composed of the following members:
M. J. Eohlfs, of Scott county; S. F. Spoffi3rd, of Polk county; Marcus
Tuttle, of Cerro Gordo county; C. Y. Gardner, of Pottawattamie county,
and the Governor. The new Board continued the former Secretary, and
pursued its work by the distribution of documents, through agents and by
correspondence. After four years existence the Board of Immigration was
discontinued, but not until it had doubtless been the means of inducing
thousands to find homes within the borders of Iowa.
Statistics.
NUMBER OF TEOOPS FUENISHED BY THE STATE OF IOWA
DURING THE WAR OF THE REBELLION,
TO JANUARY 1, 1865 *
No. Regiment.
No. of
men.
No. Regiment.
No. of
men.
1st
2d
3cl
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
nth
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22d
23d
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
29th
30th
31st
32d
33d
34th
35th
36th
37th
38th
Iowa Infantry
959
1,247
1,074
1,184
1,037
1,013
1,138
1,027
1,090
1,027
1,022
981
989
840
1,196
919
956
875
985
925
980
1,008
961
979
995
919
940
956
1,005
978
977
925
985
953
914
910
39th Iowa Infantry
40th •' *'
41st Battalion Iowa Infantry . . .
44th Infantry (lOO-davs men) . . .
45th " " ' "...
46th " " "...
47th " " "...
48th Battalion " "...
1st Iowa Cavalry
2d " "
3d " "
4th " "
5th " "
6th " "
7th " "
8th " "
9th " "
Sioux City Cavalry f
Co. A, nth Penii. Cavalry
1st Battery ArtiUery
2d " "
3d " "
4th " "
1st Iowa African Inf 'y, 60th U. S.^
Dodge's Brigade Band
Band of 2d Iowa Infantry
Enlistments as far as reported to Jan
1, '64, for the older Iowa regiments
Enlistments of Iowa men m regi
ments of other States, over. ...
Total
Re-enlisted Veterans for different
regiments
Additional enlistments
Grand total as far as reported up to
Jan. 1,1865
933
900
294
867
912
346
1,478
1,394
1,360
1,227
1,24.5
1,125
562
1,234
1,178
93
87
149
123
142
152
903
14
10
2,765
2,500
61,653
7,202
6,664
75,519
* This does not include those Iowa men who veteranized in the regiments of other States,
nor the names of men who enlisted during 1864, in regiments of other States,
t Afterward consolidated with Seventh Cavalry.
t Only a portion of this regiment was credited to the State.
184r
STATISTICS.
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STATISTICS.
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STATISTICS.
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188
STATISTICS.
TAELE.
SHOWING THE DATE OP ORGANIZATION, AND THE POPULATION OP THE SEVERAL COUNTIES
OP IOWA, FOR THE YEARS NAMED.
-73
AGGREGATE.
COUNTIES.
1875.
1870.
1860.
1850.
1840.
Voters.
Adair
1854
1853
1849
1846
1855
1846
1853
1849
1853
1847
1858
1854
1855
1856
1853
1836
1855
1856
1853
1851
1858
1838
1840
1855
1847
1844
1850
1840
1834
1857
1834
1859
1850
1854
1855
1849
1854
1856
1851
1857
1858
1853
•1853
1836
1855
1857
1858
1845
1838
1846
1839
1838
1839
7045
7832
19158
2370
17405
28807
22913
17251
13220
17315
3561
11734
3185
5760
10552
17879
6685
4249
11400
10118
3559
27184
34295
6039
14386
15757
13249
16893
35415
1748
43845
1436
20515
13100
6558
13719
7028
8134
9638
7701
1482
15029
11818
21594
7875
3455
794
17456
23061
24128
17127
24654
19168
3982
4614
17868
16456
1212
22454
21706
14584
12528
17034
1585
9951
1602
2451
5464
19731
4722
1967
10180
8785
1523
27771
35357
2530
12019
15565
12018
17432
27256
1389
38969
1392
16973
10768
4738
11173
4627
6399
7061
6055
999
13684
8931
21463
6282
2596
226
16644
22619
22116
17839
24898
19731
984
1533
12237
11931
464
8496
8244
4232
4915
7906
57
3724
147
281
1612
12949
940
58
4336
6427
52
20728
18938
383
5244
13764
8677
11024
19611
180
31164
105
12073
3744
1309
5074
1374
793
3058
1699
179
5440
3621
18701
3168
332
43
8029
18493
9883
15038
17573
13306
1616
Adcims .. ....... . .
1727
777
3131
3653
527
Audubon .
3679
672
135
735
••••••
4778
Black Hawk
4877
Boone
3515
Bremer
2656
Buchanan
517
3890
Buena Vista
817
Butler
2598
681
Carroll
1197
Ca^s
2422
Cedar
3941
1253
3934
Cerro Gordo ..
1526
1001
2392
Clarke
79
2213
Clay
868
Clayton
3873
2822
iioi
821
527:
Clinton
5569
Crawford
1244
Dallas
854
7264
965
1759
12988
""m
5577
3170
3448
2882
Delaware • .
3662
Des Moines .. ...
6654
394
DubuQue.
10841
3059
8759
299
Fayette
825
4637
Floyd
2884
Franlrlin. . - . .
1374
1244
2998
Greene
1622
1525
Guthrie
2339
1455
303
3215
Harrison . . .
2658
8707
3772
4641
Howard
1712
695
Ida
172
822
7210
1280
9904
4472
3007
'"iiii
■"2773
1491
471
3576
4901
5239
3721
Johnson
5225
Jones
4180
STATISTICS.
189
TABLE
SHOWING THE DATE OP ORGANIZATION, AND THE POPULATION OF THE SEVERAL COUNTIES
OP IOWA, FOR THE YEARS NAMED.
Continued.
'3
AGGREGATE.
COUNTIES.
1875.
1870.
1860.
1850.
1840.
Voters.
Keokuk
1844
1855
1837
1839
1839
1849
1872
1850
1844
1845
1850
1851
1854
1854
1851
1858
1838
1860
1872
1851
1867
1858
1859
1846
1848
1848
1855
1858
ia38
1853
1860
1853
1854
1851
1853
1837
1844
1849
1839
1851
1853
1857
1851
1853
1857
1855
20488
3765
33913
31815
12499
11725
1139
16030
23718
24094
19629
10555
11523
2267
12811
10389
21623
2349
1778
14274
2728
5282
2249
31558
21665
16482
7546
2873
39763
5664
3720
13111
18771
10418
8827
17980
18541
19269
23865
13978
13114
24233
2986
8568
4908
3244
19434
3351
38210
28852
12877
10388
221
13884
22508
24436
17576
8718
9582
3654
12724
5934
21688
715
13271
416
29232
18947
10370
6766
4822
4202
Kossuth
773
Lee
18861
5444
4939
471
6093
1373
1927
5709
7274
2899
Lucas
2464
287
Lyon
7339
14816
16813
6015
4481
3409
832
8612
1256
16444
8
1179
6989
5482
338
'.'.'.'.'.'.'.
2632
6287
j^jahaska,.
4988
4445
Marshall
Mills
2365
Mitchell
'
2338
1292
2884
2743
2485
Mnnf ornmprv ......
6731
1942
6588
595
498
3222
556
1136
464
6842
4392
3634
1496
657
7109
1084
637
O'Brien
Page
9975
1336
2199
1446
27857
16893
15581
6691
1411
38599
2640
676
11651
16131
6989
6986
17672
22346
17980
18962
11287
10484
1562
23570
6172
2892
2392
4419
132
148
103
11625
4968
5668
2923
246
25969
818
10
4051
5285
3590
2012
17081
14518
10281
14235
6409
2504
168
13942
1119
766
653
551
Palo Alto
Polk
4513
7828
615
Pn'wpisViipk'
Ringgold
Sac
Scott
6986
2140
Shelby
Sioux. .-.
Story
2674
3911
2282
1924
3893
Tama
8
204
12270
8471
961
4957
340
6146
*"i594
Wapello
3923
4168
W^arren ...
W^ashington ..................
6346
Wayne
2947
Webster
3747
4117
546
406
Woodbury
1776
Worth
763
Wright
694
'
Total
....
1353118
1191792
674913
192214
43112
284657
190
fiTATISnOS.
YOTE FOR GOYER^OR, 1877, AND PRESIDENT, 1876.
eOUNTISS.
1877.
aOVEBNOB.
Rep. Dem. Gr. Pro,
1876.
PEESIDENT.
Bep. Dem.
1877.
OOVKBNOB.
1876.
FBESIDENT.
Adair
Adams
Allamakee
Appanoose . .
Audubon
Benton
Black Hawk...
Boone
Bremer
Buchanan
Buena Vista. . .
Butler.
Calhoun..
Carroll
Cass
Cedar .
Cerro Gordo . .
Cherokee
Chickasaw
Clarke
Clay.
Clayton
Clinton
Crawford
Dallas
Davis
Decatur
Delaware
Des Hoinea . .
Dickinson. ....
Dubuque
Emmett
Fayette
Floyd
Franklin
Fremont
Greene ......
Grundy
Guthrie
Hamilton
Hancock
Hardin
Harrison
Henry
Howard
Humboldt, . . . .
Ida
Iowa
Jackson
Jasper
Jefferson
Total vote,
1547
1165
410
1432
178C
1612
1180
1290
747
1453
418
1315
903
662
1279
1054
517
1873
2444
1541
893
1269
1226
2315
197
1587
1-233
1311
1250
1031
909
1160
842
340
1492
1348
1770
551
382
321
1132
1619
1977
161
397
1540
1049
352
712
1111
981
682
75
744
839
1093
348
74
1107
267
16
1770
2327
651
215
1231
961
U43
1384
8
3415
1331
215
504
424
647
149
54
1120
1966
1154
753
19
1241
623
1041
201
115
104
642
224
1018
576
1334
1376
1709
1711
427
2901
2979
2018
1737
2227
770
1828
622
799
1876
2328
1274
864
1574
1405
567
2662
3654
1043
2136
1586
1647
22:»
3325
259
2798
246
3029
2032
1178
1658
1310
1099
1434
1187
281
2152
1557
212
1870
2126
3375
2166
Johnson
Jones
Keokuk . .
Kossuth
Lee
Linn
Louisa
Lucas..
Lyon
Madison
Mahaska.
Marion
Marshall
Mills
Mitchell
Mouona
Monroe
Montgomery . .
Muscatine
O'Brien
Osceola
Page.
Palo Alto
Plymouth . . . .
Pocahontas. . . .
Polk
Pattawattamie.
Poweshiek . ..
Ringgold
Sac
Scott
Shelby.
Sioux
Story
Tama
Taylor
Union
VanBuren
Wapello
Warren
Wai-hington..
Wayne
Webster
Winnebago. . . ,
Winneshiek. ..
Woodbury . . . .
Worth
Wright
1804 Totals. ...
1449 Majorities.
1646
1419
757
1416
200
780
196
771
979
1445
448
175
1090
816
94
1466
2917
48
4977
36
1709
751
379
1682
510
417
629
425
1485
600
2157
2524
1328
1203
261
1792
1823
1976
1448
1435
1396
580
1034
1122
1753
306
295
1166
311
779
370
3171
2223
1496
964
436
1260
1426
1325
899
1490
1710
1726
544
2074
1109
2345
1218
2316
817
804
17
1077
1102
459
119
928
441
1775
21
40
508
357
487
516
1305
1029
944
1221
832
127
40
1009
77
44
1353
218
4J0
671
177
301
1265
742
2364
638
3160
4331
1920
1478
252
2246
3221
2736
3056
1452
1663
713
1418
1749
2523
463
329
2243
343
8-35
374
4321
2565
2509
1246
661
3819
897
439
1843
2337
1727
1238
2113
2582
2439
2467
1692
1299
498
2759
1034
703
574
121546 79353 34228
42193
10639 171332 112121
59211
1877, 245,766; 1876 (including 9,001 Greenback), 293,454.
Centennial Awards.
TO IOWA EXHIBITORS.
Under the system of awards adopted at the Centennial Exposition of 1876,
every article exhibited was placed in one of thirty-six groups, numbering
from 1 to 36. The examination was not of a competitive character, but
upon the merit of the article. Each article of merit was entitled to receive
a diploma and a bronze medal of uniform value. The following awards
were made to Iowa exhibitors:
GEOUP NO. I.
"Wesley Redhead and Mahaska Goal Mining Company are accredited with
samples of coal. The committee says: "Commended as samples of bitum-
inous coal of Iowa."
LEAD OEE.
John Harvey, of Dubuque. — Report says a large and instructive exhibit
of Galena lead ores of Iowa.
W. P. Fox, of Des Moines. — Commended for an instructive exhibit of the
stratified deposits of the State of Iowa.
[Note. — In this group were shown fifty-five varieties from stone quarries
in Iowa, prepared by Donahue & McCosh, of Burlington, in blocks six by
nine inches square; also were shown samples of building and moulding
sands, and three specimens of glass sands, twelve of fire and potters' clay,
six or eight samples of mineral paint, and one sample of peat; also some
tine samples of geodes from Keokuk. Judge Murdock, of Clayton county,
exhibited a collection of relics of the mound builders. The most prom-
inent one was his large collection of mound builders' skulls.]
GROUP KO. lY.
State of Iowa. — Commended as a very fine collection of cereals in the
straw, beautifully cleansed; also grasses and seeds — sixty varieties — a fine
collection beautifully arranged; also a collection of Indian corn, seventy
varieties.
BUTTEK.
Stewart & McMillen, of Manchester, "Delaware county. Entry No.
880. — Commended for the best samples of 200 lbs. and 30 lbs. respectively,
made at Newberg factory, Edge wood and Hebran.
192 CENTENNIAL AWARDS,
Stewart & McMillen, Entry N"o. 895. — Commended for clean, sweet
flavor, firm texture and superior excellency generally, comprising samples
ol'difierent creameries.
[JSToTE. — The general report of the committee on butter puts the yield of
the United States for 187G at 710,000,000 lbs. Messrs. Stewart & McMil-
len had about ninety competitors, among whom were the best butter makers
of the world. In addition to the centennial awards, they got the golden
medal awarded by the national butter and eo;g association. Iowa creamery
butter sells in the Philadelphia market readily with the gilt edged brand.
The butter crop in Iowa is an item of interest, and the State owes Stewart
& McMillen a debt of gratitude for their very active exertion at the centen-
nial in raising Iowa butter to a level with the gilt edge manufacturers of
the eastern States. Delaware county, Iowa, is to our State what Chester
county is to Pensylvania.]
Bryan & Curtis' butter. Strawberry Point, Clayton county. — Commended
for fine quality and superior skill in manufacturing.
GROUP NO. VI.
Collection of woods by Prof. McAfee, Agricultural College, — Commended
as a good State exhibit, containing 160 specimens arranged in vertical and
transverse sections.
J. C. Arthur, Charles City, T^To. 185. — Herbarium of plants. The her-
barium contains species named and clasified, neatly mounted, labeled and
one in duplicate. The duplicate collection ingeniously arranged for exhi-
bition on large sliding frames within a glass case. The whole accompan-
ied with a printed catalogue.
AWARDS ON COLLECTIVE STATE EXHIBITS.
State of Iowa, No. 11. — Commended for a large display of its minerals,
soils, native and cultivated grasses, its pomology in large variety, and col-
lection of woods and a valuable collection of mound builders relics.
GROUP KO. XXYIII.
EDUCATIONAL.
Board of Education, Burlington, No. 76. — Commended for f^ creditable
display of the work of pupils.
State Educational Department, No. 77. — Report good exhibit of the sta-
tistics of State school system and work of public schools.
Board of Education of West Des Moines, No. 78. — A creditable exhibit
of work of pupils.
GROUP XXII.
Skinner Bros., Des Moines, No. 63. — Commended for excellence of ma-
terial, good workmanship and beauty of form.
CENTENNIAL AWARDS. 193
GROUP NO. XXIII.
BOOK BINDING AND PAPEE INDUSTEY.
John D. Metz, Dubuque, No. 94. — Blank books with patent ends and
mode of stitching. Report an admirable made book aside from the patent
improvement claimed.
GROUP XXX.
H0E8ES AND CATTLE.
Eli Elliot, West Liberty. — Short Horn bull, Baron French, No. 8. — Re-
port in form, quality and useful characteristics he is entitled to rank as a
superior specimen of the Short Horn breed.
State of Iowa, Short Horn Herd, No. 12. — One bull and four cows. The
animals composing this herd, in high excellence of form, quality and useful
characteristics, are entitled to be ranked as lirst-class specimens of the
Short Horn breed.
J. W. Jacobs, West Liberty, No. 13. — Two cows. Maid of Honor and
Lucy Napier, commended for high excellence of form and useful charac-
teristics, entitled to rank as first-class specimens of the Short Horn breed.
E. S. Wilson, West Liberty, No. 35. — Heifer, Louden Mirvine, for high
excellence in form, quality and useful characteristics is entitled to rank as
a first-class specimen of the Short Horn breed.
E. S. Wilson, No. 36. — Emma Down and heifer calf Centennial Mine.
In form and useful characteristics they are entitled to be ranked as first-
class specimens of the Short Horn breed.
GROUP XXXYL
Henry Avery, Burlington. — Commended for a collection of apples,
among which Grimes' Golden Pippin, an excellent kind, is especially mer-
itorious in size and flavor.
David Leonard, Burlington, No. 16. — Commended for a valuable selec-
tion of varieties very well grown, and especially for a seedling named
Robinson, which promises well for the northwest, both as respects to tree
and fruit.
No. 27. — Polk County, by James Smith, Des Moines. Commended for
160 varieties of apples, and for the very large number of valuable varieties
and for the very superior manner in which they are grown; also for great
care and correctness in naming.
No. 30. — E. H. Caulkens commended for twenty varieties and their val-
uable characteristics; also great excellence and beauty in growth.
R. S. Willet, Malcolm. — Commended for 40 varieties of apples of gen-
eral value and the superior manner of growth.
No. 39, L. Hollingsworth, Montrose. — Seventy-five varieties of apples,
commended for a large number of useful sorts and for the meritorious
manner in which they are grown.
No. 65, G. B. Brackett, Denmark. — Pears are Plate White Doyenne.
13
194 CENTENNIAL AWARDS.
These specimens of this old and important variety reach the highest stan
dard of excellence of large size and beautifully colored.
No. 81, Wilson T. Smith, Des Moines. — Twenty varieties of pears
commended for being well grown, and handsome collection. The Flemish
Beauty and Beaurae Clangean being superior.
No. 83, "White Elk Vineyard, Keokuk. — Eighteen varieties, creditable
display of pears. The Beaurae Clangean having brilliant coloring.
Iowa State Horticultural Society wax models of fruit. No. 209. — Three
hundred varieties of apples in wax, of perfect accuracy and beautifully dis-
played — the work of the Iowa State Horticultural Society.
[Note. — There were in all 1020 specimens. The fruit furnished as
models was by various members of the State Horticultural Society, crop of
1875, the greatest number of which was by James Smith, of Des Moines,
and to whom the nomenclature is mainly due; 610 of the casts were made
by Mrs. Wm. Greenland, of Des Moines, and 410 of them by Col. G. B.
Brackett, of Denmark. This was the most attractive display made by
Iowa, and was universally admired ; and in this line Iowa can boast of as
fine talent for accuracy as to model and coloring as is found anywhere.
Two hundred of these casts were sold to and exchanged with the Japanese
authorities, and are now doing duty in the archives of their government.]
Iowa State Horticultural Society, No. 217. — September collection, report
a very good collection, containing many varieties.
[Note. — The Horticultural Society showed in May thirty-five varieties
of apples of late keepers, also the summer varieties were shown in their
season. The fall display was very fine, covering seven tables 35x6, and
numbering about 335 varieties of apples, and filling over 2,000 plates.]
W. W. Winterbotom, Fort Madison, No. 191. — Timothy grass seed. The
seed is remarkably clean, and every way meritorious.
H. C. Gordon, Davis county. No. 204. — His yellow corn was of peculiar
weight and good quality, one ear weighing one pound and thirteen ounces.
L. T. Chute, Manchester, No. 207. — The cereals and roots in the Iowa
collection exhibited are a well grown collection of twenty-five varieties.
Potatoes especially meritorious.
State of Iowa, September exhibits of the crop of 1876, No. 208.— They
make a collection of cereals, grasses and roots, exhibiting the ability of the
State to produce these articles in the highest degree.
The information contained in the notes is additional to that given in the
ofl[icial reports of the Exposition, and is furnished by Dr. Alex. Shaw, of
Des Moines, who held an official position in connection with Iowa exhibits
up to August 18, 1876.
Abstract of Iowa State Laws.
BILLS OF EXCHANGE AND PEOMISSOET NOTES.
Upon negotiable bills, and notes payable in this State, grace shall be al-
lowed according to the law merchant. All the above mentioned paper fall-
ing due on Sunday, New Year's Day, the Fourth of July, Christmas, or any
day appointed or recommended by the President of the United States or the
Governor of the State, as a day of fast or thanksgiving, shall be deemed as
due on the day previous. Ko defense can be made against a negotiable in-
strument (assigned before due) in the hands of the assignee without notice,
except fraud was used in obtaining the same. To hold an indorser, due dili-
gence must be used by suit against the maker or his representative. Notes
payable to person named or to order, in order to absolutely transfer title,
must be indorsed by the payee. Notes payable to bearer may be transferred
by delivery, and when so payable, every indorser thereon is held as a guar-
antor of payment, unless otherwise expressed.
In computing interest or discount on negotiable instruments, a month
shall be considered a calendar month or twelfth of a year, and for less than
a month, a day shall be figured a thirtieth part of a month. Notes only
bear interest when so expressed; but after due, they draw the legal interest,
even if not stated.
INTEEEST.
The legal rate of interest is six per cent. Parties may agree, in writing,
on a rate not exceeding ten per cent. If a rate of interest greater than ten
per cent is contracted for, it works a forfeiture of ten per cent to the school
iund, and only the principal sum can be recovered.
The personal property of the deceased (except (1) that necessary for pay-
ment of debts and expenses of administration; (2) property set apart to
widow, as exempt from execution ; (3) allowance by court, if necessary, of
twelve months' support to widow, and to children under fifteen years of age),
including life insurance, descends as does real estate.
One-third in value (absolutely) of aU estates in real property, possessed by the
husband at any time during marriage, which have not been sold on execution
or other judicial sale, and to which the wife has made no relinquishment
of her right, shall be set apart as her property, in fee simple, if she survive
him.
The same Bhare shall be set apart to the surviving husband of a deceased
wife.
196 , ABSTRACT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA.
The widow's share cannot be affected bj any will of her husband's, unless
she consents, in writing thereto, within six months after notice to her of
provisions of the will.
The provisions of the statutes of descent apply alike to surviving husband
or surviving wife.
Subject to the above, the remaining estate of which the decedent died
siezed, shall in absence of other arrangements by will, descend
First. To his or her children and their descendants in equal parts; the
descendants of the deceased child or grandchild taking the share of their
deceased parents in equal shares among them,
Second. "Where there is no child, nor descendant of such child, and no
widow or surviving husband, then to the parents of the deceased in equal
parts ; the surviving parent, if either be dead, taking the whole ; and if there
is no parent living, then to the brothers and sisters of the intestate and their
descendants.
Third. When there is a widow or surviving husband, and no child or
children, or descendants of the same, then one-half of the estate shall descend
to such widow or surviving husband, absolutely; and the other half of the
estate shall descend as in other cases where there is no widow or surviving
husband, or child or children, or descendants of the same.
Fourth. If there is no child, parent, brother or sister, or descendants of
either of them, then to wife of intestate, or to her heirs, if dead, according
to like rules.
Fifth. If any intestate leaves no child, parent, brother or sister, or de-
scendants of either of them, and no widow or surviving husband, and no
child, parent, brother or sister (or descendant of either of them) of such
widow or surviving husband, it shall escheat to the State.
WILLS AND ESTATES OF DECEASED PERSONS.
No exact form of words are necessary in order to make a will good at law.
Every male person of the age of twenty-one years, and every female of the age
of eighteen years, of sound mind and memory, can make a valid will ; it must
be in writing, signed by the testator, or by some one in his or her presence,
and by his or her express direction, and attested by two or more competent
witnesses. Care should be taken that the witnesses are not interested in the
will. Inventory to be made by executor or administrator within fifteen
days from date of letters* testamentary or of administration. Executors' and
administrators' compensation on amount of personal estate distributed, and
for proceeds one-half per cent on overplus up to five thousand dollars, and
one per cent of sale of real estate, five per cent for first one thousand dol-
lars, two and one-half on overplus above five thousand dollars, with such
additional allowance as shall be reasonable for extra services.
Within ten days after the receipt of letters of administration, the executor
or administrator shall give such notice of appointment as the court or clerk
shall direct.
Claims (other than preferred) must be filed withiii one year thereafter, or are
forever barred, unless the claim is pending in the District or Supreme Court,
or unless peculiar ci/rcumstances entitle the claimant to equitable relief.
Claims are classed and payable in the follo^dng order:
1. Expenses of administration.
2. Expenses of last sickness and funeral.
ABSTKAOT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA. 197
3. Allowance to widow and children, if made by the court.
4. Debts preferred under the laws of the United States.
5. Public rates and taxes.
6. Claims filed within six months after the first puUication of the notice
given by the executors of their appointment.
7. All other debts.
8. Legacies.
The award, or property which must be set apart to the widow, in, her own
right, by the executor, includes all personal property which, in the hands of
the deceased, as head of the family, would have been exempt from execution.
The owners of personal property, on the first day of January of each year,
and the owners of real property on the first day of November of each year,
are liable for the taxes thereon.
The following property is exempt from taxation, viz. :
1. The property of the United States and of this State, including uni-
versity, agricultural, college and school lands, and all property leased to the
State; property of a county, township, city, incorporated town or school dis-
trict when devoted entirely to the public use and not held for pecuniary
profit; public grounds, including all places for the burial of the dead; fire
engines, and all implements for extinguishing fires, with the grounds used
exclusively for their buildings and for the meetings of the fire companies;
all public libraries, grounds and buildings of literary, scientific, benevolent,
agricultural and religious institutions, and societies devoted solely to the
appropriate objects of these institutions, not exceeding 640 acres in extent,
and not leased or otherwise used with a view of pecuniary profit ; and all
property leased to agricultural, charitable institutions and benevolent soci-
eties, and so devoted during the term of such lease; provided, that all deeds,
by which such property is held, shall be duly filed for record before the
property therein described shall be omitted from the assessment.
2. The books, papers and apparatus belonging to the above institutions;
used solely for the purposes above contemplated, and the like property of
students in any such institutions, used for their education.
3. Money and credits belonging exclusively to such institutions and de-
voted solely to sustaining them, but not exceeding in amount or income the
sum prescribed by their charter.
4. Animals not hereafter specified, the wool shorn from sheep, belonging
to the person giving the list, his farm produce harvested within one year
{)revious to the listing; private libraries not exceeding three hundred dol-
ars in value; family pictures, kitchen furniture, beds and bedding requisite
for each family, all wearing apparel in actual use, and all food provided for
the family; but no person from whom a compensation for board or lodging
is received or expected, is to be considered a member of the family within
the intent of this clause.
5. The polls or estates or both of persons who, by reason of age or in-
firmity, may, in the opinion of the assessor, be unable to contribute to the
public revenue; such opinion and the fact upon which it is based being in
all cases reported to the Board of Equalization by the Assessor or any other
person, and subject to reversal by them.
6. The farming utensils of any person who makes his livelihood by farm-
198 ABSTEAOT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA.
ing, and tlie tools of any mechanic, not in either case to exceed three hun-
dred dollars in value.
7. Government lands entered or located or lands purchased from this
State, should not be taxed for the year in which the entry, location or pur-
chase is made.
There is also a suitable exemption, in amount, for planting fruit trees or
forest trees or hedges.
Where buildings are destroyed by fire, tornado, or other unavoidable cas-
ualty, after being assessed for the year, the Board of Supervisors may rebate
taxes for that year on the property destroyed, if same has not been sold for
taxes, and if said taxes have not heen delinquent for thirty days at the
time of destruction of the property, and the rebate shall be allowed for such
loss only as is not covered by insurance.
• All other property is subject to taxation. Every inhabitant of full age
and sound mind shall assist the Assessor in listing all taxable property of
which he is the owner, or which he controls or manages, either as agent,
guardian, father, husband, trustee, executor, accounting officer, partner,
mortagor or lessor, mortgagee or lessee.
Road beds of railway corporations shall not be assessed to owners of ad-
jacent property, but shall be considered the property of the companies for
purposes of taxation; nor shall real estate used as a public highway be as-
sessed and taxed as part of adjacent lands whence the same was taken for
such public purpose.
The property of railway, telegraph and express companies shall be listed
and assessed for taxation as the property of an individual would be listed
and assessed for taxation. Collection of taxes made as in the case of an in-
divddual.
The Township Board of Equalization shall meet the first Monday in April
of each year. Appeal lies to the Circuit Court.
The County Board of Equalization (the Board of Supervisors) meet at
their regular session in June of each year. Appeal lies to the Circuit Court.
Taxes become delinquent February 1st of each year, payable, without in-
terest or penalty, at any time before March 1st of each year.
Tax sale is held on first Monday of October in each year.
Redemption may be made at any time within three years after date of
sale, by paying to the County Auditor the amount of sale, and twenty per
centum of such amount immediately added as penalty, with ten per cent,
interest per a/rmum on the whole amount thus made from the day of sale,
and also all subsequent taxes, interest and costs paid by purchaser after
March 1st of each year, and a &\mi\Q.Y penalty of twenty per centum added
as before, with ten per cent interest as before.
K notice has been given, by purchaser, of the date at which the redemp-
tion is limited, the cost of same is added to the redemption money. Ninety
days' notice is required, by the statute, to be published by the purchaser or
holder of certificate, to terminate the right of redemption.
JUEISDICTION OF COHETS.
District Gowrts have jurisdiction, general and original, both civil and
criminal, except in such cases where Circuit Courts have exclusive jurisdic-
tion. District Courts have exclusi'oe supervision over courts of Justices
of the Peace and Magistrates, in criminal matters, on appeal and writs of
error.
ABSTRACT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA 199
Circuit Courts have jurisdiction, general and original, with the Dis-
trict Courts, in all civil actions and special proceedings, and exclusive ju-
risdiction in all appeals and writs of error from inferior courts, in civil
matters. And exclusive jurisdiction in matters of estates and general
probate business.
Justices of the Peace have jurisdiction in civil matters where $100
or less is involved. By consent of parties, the jurisdiction may be ex-
tended to an amount not exceeding $300. They have jurisdiction to try
and determine all public offense less than felony, committed within their
respective counties, in which the fine, by law, does not exceed $100 or the
imprisonment thirty days.
LIMITATION OF ACTIONS.
Action for injuries to the person or reputation; for a statute penalty;
and to enforce a mechanics' lien, must be brought in two (2) years.
Those against a public officer within three (3) years.
Those founded on unwritten contracts; for injuries to property; for
relief on the ground of fraud; and all other actions not provided for,
within five (5) years.
Those founded on written contracts ; on judgments of any court (except
those provided for in next section), and for the recovery of real property,
within ten (10) years.
Those founded on judgment of any court of record in the United States,
within twenty (20) years.
All above limits, except those for penalties and forfeitures, are extended
in favor of minors and insane persons, until one year after the disability is
removed — time during which defendant is a non-resident of the State shall
not be included in computing any of the above periods.
Actions for the recovery of real property, sold for non-payment of taxes,
must be brought within five years after the Treasurer's Deed is executed
and recorded, except where a minor or convict or insane person is the
owner, and they shall be allowed five years after disability is removed, in
which to bring action.
JUEOES.
All qualified electors of the State, of good moral character, sound judg-
ment, and in full possession of the senses of hearing and seeing, are compe-
tent jurors in their respective counties.
United States officers, practicing attorneys, physicians and clergymen,
acting professors or teachers in institutions of learning, and persons dis-
abled by bodily infirmity or over sixty-five years of age, are exempt from
liability to act as jurors.
Any person may be excused from serving on a jury when his own inter-
ests or the public's will be materially injured by his attendance, or when the
state of his health or the death, or sickness of his family requires his ab-
sence.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
was restored by the Seventeenth General Assembly, making it optional
with the jury to inflict it or not.
200 ABSTEACT OF THB LAWS OF IOWA.
A MABEIED WOMAN
may convey or incumber real estate, or interest therein, belonging to her ;
maj control the same or contract with reference thereto, as other persons
may convey, encumber, control or contract.
She may own, acquire, hold, convey and devise property, as her husband
may.
Her husband is not liable for civil injuries committed by her.
She may convey property to her husband, and he may convey to her.
She may constitute her husband her attorney in fact.
EXEMPTIONS FKOM EXECUTION.
A resident of the State and head of a family may hold the following
property exempt from execution: All wearing apparel of himself and
family kept for actual use and suitable to the condition, and the trunks or
other receptacles necessary to contain the same ; one musket or rifle and
shot-gun ; all private libraries, family Bibles, portraits, pictures, musical in-
struments, and paintings not kept for the purpose of sale; a seat or pew
occupied by the debtor or his family in any house of public worship; an
interest in a public or private burying ground not exceeding one acre ; two
cows and a calf; one horse, unless a horse is exempt as hereinafter pro-
vided ; fifty sheep and the wool therefrom, and the materials manufactured
from said wool; six stands of bees; five hogs and all pigs under six
months; the necessary food for exempted animals for six months ; all flax
raised from one acre of ground, and manufactures therefrom ; one bedstead
and necessary bedding for every two in the family; all cloth manufactured
by the defendant not exceeding one hundred yards ; household and kitchen
furniture not exceeding two hundred dollars in value; all spinning wheels
and looms; one sewing machine and other instruments of domestic labor
kept for actual use; the necessary provisions and fuel for the use of the
family for six months; the proper tools, instruments, or books of the debtor,
if a farmer, mechanic, surveyor, clergyman, lawyer, physician, teacher or
professor; the horse or the team, consisting of not more than two horses or
mules, or two yokes of cattle, and the wagon or other vehicle, with the
proper harness or tackle, by the use of which the debtor, if a physician,
public officer, farmer, teamster or other laborer, habitually earns his living;
and to the debtor, if a printer, there shall also be exempt a printing press
and the types, furniture and material necessary for the use of such printing
press, and a newspaper office to the value of twelve hundred dollars; the
earnings of such debtor, or those of his family, at any time within ninety
days next preceding the levy.
JPersons unmarried and not the head of a family, and non-residents, have
exempt their own ordinary wearing apparel and trunks to contain the same.
There is also exempt, to a head of a family, a homestead, not exceeding
forty acres; or, if inside city limits, one-half acre with improvements, value
not limited. The homestead is liable for all debts contracted prior to its
acquisition as such, and is subject to mechanics' liens for work or material
furnished for the same.
An article, otherwise exempt, is liable, on execution, for the purchase
money thereof.
Where a debtor, if a head of a family, has started to leave the State, he
■■\'
•9
ABSTRACT OF TUE LAWS OF IOWA. 201
shall have exempt only the ordinary wearing apparel of himself and family,
and other property in addition, as he may select, in all not exceeding seventy-
five dollars in value.
A policy of life insurance shall inure to the separate use of the husband
or wife and children, entirely independent of his or her creditors.
WOLF SCALPS.
A bounty of one dollar is paid for wolf scalps.
MARKS AND BRANDS.
Any person may adopt his own mark or brand for his domestic animals,
or have a description thereof recorded by the township clerk.
No person shall adopt the recorded mark or brand of any person residing
in his township.
DAMAGES FROM TRESPASS.
When any person's lands are enclosed by a lawful fence, the owner of
any domestic animal injuring said lands is liable for the damages, and the
damages may be recovered by suit against the owner, or may be made b>
distraining the animals doing the damage; and if the party injured elect;-
to recover by action against the owner, no appraisement need be made bj
the trustees, as in case of distraint.
When trespasfing animals are distrained within twenty-four hours, Sun-
day not included, the party injured shall notify the owner of said animals,
if known; and if the owner fails to satisfy the party within twenty-fonr
hours thereafter, the party shall have the township trustees assess the dam-
ages, and notice shall be posted up in three conspicuous places in the town-
ship, that the stock, or part thereof, shall, on the tenth day after posting
the notice^ between the honrs of 1 and 3 p. m., be sold to the highest bidder,
to satisfy said damages, with costs.
Appeal lies, within twenty days, from the action of the trustees to the
circuit court.
Where stock is restrained, by police regulation or by law, from running
at large, any person injured in his improved or cultivated lands by any do-
mestic animal, may, by action against the owner of such animal, or by dis-
training such animal, recover his damages, whether the lands whereon the
injury was done were inclosed by a lawful fence or not.
An unbroken animal shall not be taken up as an estray between May 1st
and November 1st, of each year, unless the same be found within the law-
ful enclosure of a householder, who alone can take up such animal, unless
some other person gives him notice of the fact of such animal coming on
his place; and if he fails, within five days thereafter, to take up such estray,
any other householder of the township may take up such estray and pro-
ceed with it as if taken on his own premises, provided he shall prove to the
Justice of the Peace such notice, and shall make affidavit where such estray
was taken up.
202 ABSTRACT OP THE LAWS OF IOWA.
Any swine, sheep, goat, horse, neat cattle or other animal distrained (for
damage done to one's enclosure), when the owner is not known, shall be
treated as an estray.
"Within five days after taking up an estray, notice containing a full de-
scription thereof, shall be posted up in three of the most public places in
the township; and in ten days, the person taking up such estray shall go
before a Justice of the Peace in the township and make oath as to where
such estray was taken up, and that the marks or brands have not been al-
tered, to his knowledge. The estray shall then be appraised, by order of
the Justice, and the appraisement, description of the size, age, color, sex,
marks and brands of the estray shall be entered by the Justice in a book
kept for that purpose, and he shall, within ten days thereafter, send a certi-
fied copy thereof to the County Auditor.
When the appraised value of an estray does not exceed five dollars, the
Justice need not proceed further than to enter the description of the estray
on his book, and if no owner appears within six months, the property shall
vest in the finder, if he has complied with the law and paid all costs.
Where appraised value of estray exceeds five and is less than ten dollars,
if no owner appears in nine months, the finder has the property, if he has
complied with the law and paid costs.
An estray, legally taken up, may be used or worked with care and mod-
eration.
If any person unlawfully take up an estray, or take up an estray and fail
to comply with the law regarding estrays, or use or work it contrary to
above, or work it before having it appraised, or keep such estray out of the
county more than five days at one time, before acquiring ownership, such
ofiender shall forfeit to the county twenty dollars, and the owner may re-
cover double damages with costs.
If the owner of any estray fail to claim and prove his title for one year
after the taking up, and the tinder shall have complied with the law, a com-
plete title vests in the finder.
But if the owner appear within eighteen months from the taking up,
prove his ownership and pay all costs and expenses, the finder shall pay him
the appraised value of such estray, or may, at his option, deliver up the es-
tray.
FENCES.
A lawful fence is fifty-four inches high, made of rails, wire or boards,
with posts not more than ten feet apart where rails are used, and eight feet
where boards are used, substantially built and kept in good repair; or any
other fence, in the opinion of the fence viewers, shall be declared a lawful
fence — provided the lower rail, wire or board be not more than twenty nor
less than sixteen inches from the ground.
The respective owners of lands enclosed with fences shall maintain parti-
tion fences between their own and next adjoining enclosure so long as they
improve them in equal shares, unless otherwise agreed between them.
If any party neglect to maintain such partition fence as he should main-
tain, the fence viewers (the township trustees), upon complaint of aggrieved
party, may, upon due notice to both parties, examine the fence, and, if
found insufficient, notify the delinquent party, in writing, to repair or re-
build the same within such time as they judge reasonable.
If the fence be not repaired or rebuilt accordingly, the complainant may
ABSTEACT OF THB LAWS OF IOWA. 203
(io SO, and the same being adjudged suflBcient by the fence viewers, and the
value thereof, with their fees, being ascertained and certified under their
hands, the complainant may demand of the delinquent the sum so ascer-
tained, and if the same be not paid in one month after demand, may recover
it with one per cent a month interest, by action.
In case of disputes, the fence viewers may decide as to who shall erect or
maintain partition fences, and in what time the same shall be done; and in
case any party neglect to maintain or erect such part as may be assigned to
him, the aggrieved party may erect and maintain the same, and recover
double damages.
No person, not wishing his land enlosed, and not using it otherwise than
in common, shall be compelled to maintain any partition fence; but Avhen
he uses or incloses his land otherwise than in common, he shall contribute
to the partition fences.
Where parties have had their lands inclosed in common, and one of the
owners desire to occupy his separate and apart from the other, and the other
refuses to divide the line or build a sufficient fence on the line when di-
vided, the fence viewers may divide and assign, and upon neglect of the
other to build as ordered by the viewers, the one may build the other's part
and recover as above.
And when one incloses land which has lain uninclosed, he must pay for
one-half of each partition fence between himself and his neighbors.
Where one desires to lay not less than twenty feet of his lands, adjoining
his neighbor, out to the public to be used in common, he must give his
neighbor six months' notice thereof.
Where a fence has been built on the land of another through mistake, the
owner may enter upon such premises and remove his fence and material
within six months after the division line has been ascertained. Where the
material to build such a fence has been taken from the land on which it was
built, then, before it can be removed, the person claiming must first pay
for such material to the owner of the land from which it was taken, nor
shall such a fence be removed at a time when the removal will throw open
or expose the crops of the other party; a reasonable time must be given be-
yond the six months to remove crops.
ADOPTION OF CHILDREN.
Any person competent to make a will can adopt as his own the minor
child of another. The consent of both parents, if living and not divorced
or separated, and if divorced or separated, or if unmarried, the consent of
the parent lawfully having the custody of the child ; or if either parent is
dead, then the consent of the survivor, or if both parents be dead, or the
child have been and remain abandoned by them, then the consent of the
Mayor of the city where the child is living, or if not in the city, then of the
Clerk^ of the Circuit Court of the: county shall be given to such
adoption by an instrument in writing, signed by parties consenting, and stat-
ing the names of the parties, if known, the name of the child, if known,
the name of the person adopting such child, and the residence of all, if
known, and declaring the name by which the child is thereafter to be called
and known, and stating, also, that such child is given to the person adopting,
for the purpose of adoption as his own child.
The person adopting shall also sign said instrument, and all the parties
204 ABSTRACT OP THE LAWS OF IOWA.
shall acknowledge the same in the manner that deeds conveying lauds shall
be acknowledged.
The instrument shall be recorded in the office of the County Eecorder.
SURVEYORS AND SIJRVETS.
There is in every county elected a Surveyor known as a County Surveyor,
who has power to appoint deputies, for whose official acts he is responsible.
It is the duty of the County Surveyor, either by himself or his deputy, to
make all surveys that he may be called upon to make within liis county as
soon as may be after application is made. The necessary chainmen and
other assistance must be employed by the person requiring the same to be
done, and to be by him paid, unless otherwise agreed; but the chainmen
must be disinterested persons and approved by the Surveyor and sworn by
him to measure justly and impartially. Previous to any survey, he shall
furnish himself with a copy of the field notes of the original survey of the
same land, if there be any in the office of the County Auditor, and his sur-
vey shall be made in accordance therewith.
Their fees are three dollars per day. For certified copies of field notes,
twenty-five cents.
mechanics' liens.
Every mechanic, or other person who shall do any labor upon, or furnish
any materials, machinery or fixtures for any building, erection or other im-
provement upon land, including those engaged in the construction or repair
of any work of internal improvement, by virtue of any contract with the
owner, his agent, trustee, contractor, or sub-con trrctor, shall have a lien, on
complying with the forms of law, upon the building or other improvement
for his labor done or materials furnished.
It would take too large a space to detail the manner in which a sub-con-
tractor secures his lien. He should file, within thirty days after the last of the
labor was performed, or the last of the material shall have been furnished,
with the clerk of the District Court a true account of the amount due him,
after allowing all credits, setting forth the time when such material was fur-
nished or labor performed, and when completed, and containing a correct
description of the property sought to be charged with the lien, and the whole
verified by affidavit.
A principal contractor must file such an affidavit within ninety days, as
above.
Ordinarily, tliere are so many points to be examined in order to secure a
mechanics' lien, that it is much better, unless one is acustomed to managing
such liens, to consult at once an attorney.
Eemember that the proper time to file the claim is ninety days for a prin-
cipal contractor, thirty days for a sub-contractor, as above;" ani that actions
to enforce these liens must be commenced within two years, and the rest can
much better be done with an attorney.
roads and bridges.
Persons meeting each other on the public highways, shall give one-half of
the same by turning to the right. All persons failing to observe this rule
shall be liable to pay all damages resulting therefrom, together with a fine,
not exceeding five dollars.
ABSTRACT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA. 205
The prosecution must be instituted on the complaint of the person
wronged.
Any person guilty of racing horses, or driving upon the public highway,
in a manner likely to endanger the persons or the lives of others, shall, on
conviction, be fined not exceeding one hundred dollars or imprisoned not
exceeding thirty days.
It is a misdemeanor, without authority from the proper Road Supervisor,
to break upon, plow or dig within, the boundary lines of any public high-
way.
The money tax levied upon the property in each road district in each town-
ship (except the general Township Fund, set apart for purchasing tools, ma-
cliinery and guide boards), whether collected by the Road Supervisor or
County Treasurer, shall be expended for highway purposes in that district,
and no part thereof shall be paid out or expended for the benefit of another
district.
The Road Supervisor of each district, is bound to keep the roads and
bridges therein, in as good condition as the funds at his disposal will permit:
to put guide boards at cross roads and forks of highways in his district ; ana
when notified in writing that any portion of tSe public highway, or any
bridge is unsafe, must in a reasonable time repair the same, and for this pur-
pose may call out any or all the able bodied men in the district, but not
more than two days at one time, without their consent.
Also, when notified in writing, of the growth of any Canada thistles upon
vacant or non-resident lands or vacant lots, within his district, the owner,
lessee or agent thereof being unknown, shall cause the same to be destroyed.
Bridges when erected and maintained by the public, are parts of the high-
way, and must not be less than sixteen feet wide.
A penalty is imposed upon any one who rides or drives faster than a walk
across any such bridge.
The manner of establishing, vacating or altering roads, etc., is so well
known to all township officers, that it sufficient here to say that the first step
is by petition, filed in the Auditors' office, addressed in substance as follows:
The Board of Supervisors of County: The undersigned asks tliat
a highway, commencing at and running thence and terminating
at , be established, vacated or altered (as the case may be).
"When the petition is filed, all necessary and succeding steps will be shown
and explained to the petitioners by the Auditor.
SUPPORT OF POOR.
^ The father, mother and children of any poor person who has applied for
aid, and who is unable to maintain himself by work, shall, jointly or sev-
erally, maintain such poor person in such manner as may be approved by
the Township Trustees.
In the absence or inability of nearer relatives, the same liability shall ex-
tend to the grandparents, if of ability without personal labor, and to the
male grandchildren who are of ability, by personal labor or otherwise.
The Township Trustees may, upon the failure of such relatives to main-
tain a poor person, who has made application for relief, apply to the Circuit
Court for an order to compel the same.
Upon ten days' notice, in writing, to the parties sought to be charged, a
hearing may be had, and an order made for entire or partial support of the
poor person.
ABSTRACT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA.
Appeal may be taken from such judgment as from otlier judgments of
the Circuit Court.
Wlien any person, having any estate, abandons either children, wife or
husband, leaving them chargeable, or likely to become chargeable, upon the
public for support, upon proof of above fact, an order may be had from the
Clerk of the Circuit Court, or Judge, authorizing the Trustees or the Sheriff
to take into possession such estate.
The court may direct such personal estate to be sold, to be applied, as
well as the rents and profits of the real estate, if any, to the support of
children, wife or husband.
If the party against whom the order is issued return and support the per-
son abandoned, or give security for the same, the order shall be discharged,
and the property taken returned.
The mode of relief for the poor, through the action of the Township
Trustees, or tlie action of the Board of Supervisors, is so well known to
every township oflScer, and the circumstances attending applications for re-
lief are so varied, that it need now only be said that it is the duty of each
county to provide for its poor, no matter at what place they may be.
LANDLORD AND TENANT.
A tenant giving notice to quit demised premises at a time named, and
afterward holding over, and a tenant or his assignee willfully holding over
the premises after the term, and after notice to quit, shall pay double rent.
Any person in possession of real property, with the assent of the owner,
is presumed to be a tenant at will until the contrary is shown.
Thirty days' notice, in writing, is necessary to be given by either party
before he can terminate a tenancy at will; but when, in any case, a rent is
reserved payable at intervals of less than thirty days, the length of notice
need not be greater than such interval between the days of payment. In
case of tenants occupying and cultivating farms, the notice must fix the ter-
mination of the tenancy to take place on the 1st of March, except in cases
of field tenants and croppers, whose leases shall be held to expire when the
crop is harvested; provided, that in a case of a crop of com, it shall not be
later, than the 1st day of December, unless otherwise agreed upon. But
when an express agreement is made, whether the same has been reduced to
writing or not, the tenancy shall cease at the time agreed upon, without
notice.
But where an express agreement is made, whewier reduced to writing or
not, the tanancy shall cease at the time agreed upon, without notice.
If such tenant cannot be found in the county, the notices above required
may be given to any sub-tenant or other person in possession of the prem-
ises; or if the premises be vacant, by affixing the notice to the principal door
of the building, or on some conspicuous position on the land, if there be no
building.
The landlord shall have a lien for his rent upon all the crops grown on the
premises, and upon any other personal property of the tenant used on the
premises during the term, and not exempt from execution, for a period of
one year after a year's rent or the rent of a shorter period claimed falls due;
but such lien shall not continue more than six months after the expiration
of the term.
The lien may be effected by the commencement of an action, within the
ABSTRACT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA.
207
period abova described, for rent alone; and the landlord is entitled to a writ
of attachment, upon filing an aflSdavit that the action is commenced to re-
cover rent accrued within one year previous thereto upon the premises de-
scribed in the affidavit.
VTEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Whenever any of the following articles shall be contracted for, or sold or
delivered, and no special contract or agreement shall be made to the con-
trary, the weight per bushel shall be as follows, to wit:
Apples, Peaches or Quinces 48
Cherries, Grapes, Currants or Gooseber's, 40
Strawberries, Raspberriea or Blackber's, 32
Osage Ot-ango Seed 32
Millet Seed 45
Stone Coal 80
Lime 80
Corn in the ear 70
Wheat 60
Potatoes 60
Beans 60
Clover Seed 60
Onions 57
Shelled Com 56
Rye 56
Flax Seed 56
Sweet Potatoes 46
130
Sorgum Seed 30
Broom Com Seed 30
Buckwheat 52
Salt 50
Barley 48
Com Meal 48
Castor Beans 46
Timothy Seed 45
Hemp Seed 44
Dried Peaches 33
Oats 33
Dried Apples 24
Bran 20
Blue Grass Seed 14
Hungarian Grass Seed 45
Penalty for giving less than the above standard is treble damages and
costs and five dollars addition thereto as a fine.
NOTES.
Form of note is legal, worded in the simplest way, so that the amount
and time of payment are mentioned:
$100. Chicago, 111., Sept. 15, 1876.
Sixty days from date I promise to pay to E. F. Brown or order, one hun-
dred dollars, for value received. L. D. Lowky.
A note to be payable in anything else than money needs only the facts
substituted for money in the above form. .
Orders should be worded simply, thus.
Mr. F. H. Coats: Chicago, Sept. 15, 1876.
Please pay to H. Birdsall twenty-five dollars, and charge to
F. D. SiLVA.
BILLS OF PURCHASE.
W. N. Mason,
Salem, Illinois, Sept. 18, 1876.
Bought of A. A. Graham.
4 Bushels of Seed Wheat, at $1.50 $6 00
2 Seamless Sacks " 30 60
Keceived payment,
A. A. Graham.
$6 60
208 ABSTRACT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA.
Eeceipts should always state when received and what for, thus:
$100. Chicago, Sept. 16, 1876.
Keceived of J. W. Davis, one hundred dollars, for ser-
vices rendered in grading his Jot in Fort Madison, on account.
Thomas Bkady.
If receipt is in full, it should be so stated.
DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL TERMS.
$ means dollars, being a contraction of U. S., which was formerly
placed before any denomination of money, and meant, as it means now,
United States Currency.
£ means pounds, English money.
@ stands for at or to; fli ior pounds, and bbl. for larrels\ ^ for per or
ly the. Thus, Butter sells at 20@30c f ft, and Flour at $8@$12 ^ bbl.
% for per cent, and jj for number.
May 1. Wheat sells at $1.20@$1.25, " seller June." Seller June means
that the person who sells the wheat has the privilege of delivering it at any
time during the month of June.
Selling short, is contracting to deliver a certain amount of grain or stock,
at a fixed price, within a certain length of time, when the seller has not
the stock on hand. It is for the interest of the person selling " short " to
depress the market as much as possible, in order that he may buy and till
his contract at a profit. Hence the "shorts " are termed " bears."
Buying long, is to contract to purchase a certain amount of grain or
shares of stock at a fixed price, deliverable within a stipulated time, ex-
pecting to make a profit by the rise in prices. The " longs " are termed
" bulls," as it is for their interest to " operate " so as to " toss " the prices
upward as much as possible.
CONFESSION OF JUDGMENT.
$ . , Iowa, , 18 — .
after date — promises to pay to the order of , dollars,
at , for value received, with interest at ten per cent per annum after
until paid. Interest payable , and on interest not paid when due,
interest at same rate and conditions.
A failure to pay said interest, or any part thereof, within 20 days after due, shall cause the
whole note to become due and collectible at once.
If this note is sued, or judgment is confessed hereon, $ shall be allowed as attorney fees.
No. — . P. O. , .
CONFESSION OF JUDGMENT.
— vs. — In Court of County, Iowa, , of
County, Iowa, do hereby confess that justly indebted to
sum of dollars, and the further sum of $ as attorney fees, with
interest thereon at ten per cent from , and — hereby confess judg-
ment against as defendant in favor of said , for said sum of
$ , and $ as attorney fees, hereby authorizing the Clerk of the
Court of said county to enter up judgment for said sum against
with costs, and interest at 10 per cent from , the interest to be paid — .
Said debt and judgment being for .
ABSTRACT OF THE LAWS OP IOWA. 209
It is especially agreed, however, That if this judgment is paid within
twenty days after due, no attorney fees need be paid. And hereby sell,
convey and release all right of homestead we now occupy in favor of said
so far as this judgment is concerned, and agree that it shall be liable
on execution for this judgment.
Dated , 18—. .
The State of Iowa, )
County. j
being duly sworn according to law, depose and say that the fore-
going statement and Confession of Judgment was read over to , and
that — understood the contents thereof, and that the statements contained
therein are true, and that the sums therein mentioned are justly to become
duo said as aforesaid.
Sworn to and subscribed before me and in my presence by the said
this day of , 18 — . , Notary Public.
AKTICLES OF AGREEMENT.
An agreement is where one party promises to another to do a certain
thing in a certain time for a stipulated sum. Good business men always
reduce an agreement to writing, which nearly always saves misunderstand-
ings and trouble. No particular form is necessary, but the facts must be
clearly and explicitly stated, and there must, to make it valid, be a reason-
able consideration.
General Form of Agreement. — This agreement, made the second day of
June, 1878, between John Jones, of Keokuk, county of Lee, State of Iowa,
of the first part, and Thomas Whiteside, of the same place, of the second
part —
Witnesseth: That the said John Jones, in consideration of the agreement
of the party of the second part, hereinafter contained, contracts and agrees
to and with the said Thomas Whiteside, that he will deliver in good and
marketable condition, at the village of Melrose. Iowa, during the month of
November, of this year, one hundred tons of prairie hay, in the following
lots, and at the following specified times; namely, twenty -five tons by the
seventh of November, twenty-five tons additional by the fourteenth of the
month, twenty-five tons more by the twenty-first, and the entire one hun-
dred tons to be all delivered by the thirtieth of November.
And the said Thomas Whiteside, in consideration of the prompt fulfill-
ment of this contract, on the part of the party of the first part, contracts to
and agrees with the said John Jones, to pay for said hay five dollars per
ton, for each ton as soon as delivered.
In case of failure of agreement by either of the parties hereto, it is hereby
stipulated and agreed, that the party so failing shall pay to the other, one
hundred dollars, as fixed and settled damages.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands the day and year first
above written. John Jones,
Thomas WniTEsros.
Agreement with Clerhfor Services. — This agreement, made the first day
of liay, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight, between Reuben
Stone, of Dubuque, county of Dubuque, State of Iowa, party of the first
14
210 ABSTRACT OF THE LAWS OP IOWA,
part, and George Barclay, of McGregor, county of Clayton, State of Iowa,
party of the second part —
Witnesseth: That the said George Barclay agrees faithfully and diligently
to work as clerk and salesman for the said Reuben Stone, for and during the
space of one year from the date hereof, should both lire such length of time,
without absenting himself from his occupation ; during which time he, the
said Barclay, in the store of said Stone, of Dubuque, will carefully and
honestly attend, doing and performing all duties as clerk and salesman
aforesaid, in accordance and in all respects as directed and desired by tho
said Stone.
In consideration of which services, so to be rendered by the said Barclay,
the said Stone agrees to pay to said Barclay the annual sum of one thousand
dollars, payable in twelve equal monthly payments, each upon the last day
of each month; provided that all dues for days of absence from business by
said Barclay, shall be deducted from the sum otherwise by the agreement
due and payable by the said Stone to the said Barclay.
Witness our hands. Reuben Stone.
George Barclay.
BILLS of sale.
A bill of sale is a written agreement to another party, for a consideration
to convey his right and interest in the personal property. The purchaser
must tahe actual possession of the property, or the bill of sale must be ac-
hnowledged and recorded.
Common Form of Bill of Sale. — Know all men by this instrument, that
I, Louis Clay, of Burlington, Iowa, of the first part, for and in consideration
of five hundred and ten dollars, to me paid by John Floyd, of the same place,
of the second part, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, have sold,
and by this instrument do convey unto the said Floyd, party of the second
part, his executors, administrators and assigns, my undivided half of ten
acres of corn, now growing on the farm of Thomas Tyrell, in the town above
mentioned; one pair of horses, sixteen sheep, and five cows, belonging to me
and in my possession at the farm aforesaid; to have and to hold the same unto
the party of the second part, his executors and assigns forever. And I do,
for myself and legal representatives, agree with the said party of the second
part, and his legal representatatives, to warrant and defend the sale of the
aforementioned property and chattels unto the said party of the second part,
and his legal representatives, against all and any person whomsoever.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my hand, this tenth day of
October, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Louis Clay.
notice to quit.
To John Wontpay: You are hereby notified to quit the possession of
the premises you now occupy, to-wit:
[Insert Description.]
on or before thirty days from the date of this notice.
Dated January 1, 1878. Landlord.
[Reversed for Notice to Landlord.]
ABSTRACT OP THE LAWS OF IOWA. 211
GENERAL FORM OF WILL FOR REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY.
I, Charles Mansfield, of the town of Belle vue, county of Jackson, State of
Iowa, being aware of the uncertainty of life, and in failing health, but of
sound mind and memory, do make and declare this to be my last will and
testament, in manner following, to-wit:
First. I give, devise and bequeath unto to my eldest son, Sydney H.
Mansfield, the sum of Two Thousand Dollars, of bank stock, now in the
Third National Bank, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and the farm owned by myself,
in the township of Iowa, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, with all
the houses, tenements and improvements thereunto belonging; to have and
to hold unto my said son, his heirs and assigns forever.
Second. I give, devise and bequeath to each of my two daughters, Anna
Louise Mansfield and Ida Clara Mansfield, each Two Thousand Dollars, in
bank stock, in the Third National Bank of Cincinnati, Ohio; and also each
one quarter section of land, owned by myself, situated in the township of
Fairfield, and recorded in my name in the recorder's office in the county
where such land is located. The north one hundred and sixty acres of said
half section is devised to my eldest daughter, Anna Louise.
Third. I give, devise and bequeath to my son, Frank Alfred Mansfield,
five shares of railroad stock in the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and my one
hundred and sixty acres of land, and saw-mill thereon, situated in Manistee,
Michigan, with all the improvements and appurtenances thereunto belong-
ing, which said real estate is recorded in my name, in the county where
situated.
Fourth. I give to my wife, Victoria Elizabeth Mansfield, all my house-
hold furniture, goods, chattels and personal property, about ray home, not
hitherto disposed of, including Eight Thousand Dollars of bank stock in
the Third National Bank of Cincinnati, Ohio, fifteen shares in the Balti-
more & Ohio Railroad, and the free and unrestricted use, possession and
benefit of the home farm so long as she may live, in lieu of dower, to
which she is entitled by law — said farm being my present place of residence.
Fifth. I bequeath to my invalid father, Elijah H. Mansfield, the income
from rents of my store building at 145 Jackson street, Chicago, Illinois,
during the term of his natural life. Said building and land therewith to
revert to my said sons and daughters in equal proportion, upon the demise
of my said father.
Sixth. It is also my will and desire that, at the death of my wife, Yic-
toria Elizabeth Mansfield, or at any time when she may arrange to relin-
quish her life interest in the above mentioned homestead, the same may re-
vert to my above named children, or to the lawful heirs of each.
And lastly. I nominate and appoint as the executors of this, my last
will and testament, my wife, Victoria Elizabeth Mansfield, and my eldest
son, Sidney H. Mansfield.
I further direct that my debts and necessary funeral expenses shall be
paid from moneys now on deposit in the Savings Bank of Bellevue, the
residue of such moneys to revert to my wife, Victoria Elizabeth Mansfield,
for her use forever.
In witness whereof, I, Charles Mansfield, to this my last will and testa-
ment, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this fourtn day of April, eight-
een hundred and seventy-two.
Charles Mansfield.
212 ABSTRACT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA.
Signed, and declared by Charles Mansfield, as and for his last will and
testament, in the presence of us, who, at his request, and in his presence,
and in the presence of each other, have subscribed our names hereunto as
witnesses thereof.
Petee a. Schenck, Dubuque, Iowa.
Frank E. Dent, Bellevue, Iowa.
"Whereas I, Charles Mansfield, did, on the fourth day of April, one
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, make my last will and testament,
1 do now, by this writing, add this codocil to my said will, to be taken as a
part thereof.
"Whereas, by the dispensation of Providence, my daughter, Anna Louise,
has deceased, November fii'th, eighteen hundred and seventy- three; and
whereas, a son has been bom to me, which son is now christened Eichard
Albert Mansfield, I give and bequeath unto him my gold watch, and all
right, interest and title in lands and bank stock and chattels bequealiiied to
my deceased daughter, Anna Louise, in the body of this will.
In witness whereof, I hereunto place my hand and seal, this tenth day of
March, eighteen hundred and seventy-five.
Charles Mansfield.
Signed, sealed, published and declared to us by the testator, Charles
Mansfield, as and for a codicil to be annexed to his last will and testament.
And we, at his request, and in his presence, and in the presence of each
other, have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto, at the date hereof.
Franx E. Dent, Bellevue, Iowa.
John C. Shay, Bellevue, Iowa.
{Form No. L)
satisfaction of mortgage.
State of Iowa, )
County, j ^^•
I, , of the county of , State of Iowa, do hereby acknowledge
that a certain Indenture of , bearing date the day of , A. D.
18 — , made and executed by and , his wife, to said on
the following described Keal Estate, in the county of , and State of
Iowa, to-wit: (here insert description) and filed for record in the office of
the Recorder of the county of , and State of Iowa, on the day of
, A. D. 18 — , at o'clock . M. ; and recorded in Book of
Mortgage Records, on page , is redeemed, paid off, satisfied and dis-
charged in full. . [seal.]
State of Iowa,
County,
Be it Remembered, That on this day of , A. D. 18 — , before
me the undersigned, a in and for said county, personally appeared
, to me personally known to be the identical person who executed the
above (satisfaction of mortgage) as grantor, and acknowledged
signature thereto to be voluntary act and deed.
"Witness my hand and seal, the day and year last above
written. .
AB8TKACT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA. 213
ONE FOEM OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE.
Know all Men by these Presents: That , of county, and
State of , in consideration of dollars, in hand paid by of
county, and State of , do hereby sell and convey unto the said
the following described premises, situated in the county of , and
State of , to- wit: (here insert description) and do hereby covenant
with the said that lawfully seized of said premises, that they
are free from incumbrance, that have good right and lawful authority
to sell and convey the same; and do hereby covenant to warrant and
defend the same against the lawful claims of all persons whomsoever. To
be void upon condition that the said shall pay the full amount of
principal and interest at the time therein specified, of certain promis-
sory note for the sum of dollars.
One note for $ , due , 18 — , with interest annually at per cent.
One note for $ , due , 18 — , with interest annually at per cent.
One note for $ , due , 18, — with interest annually at per cent.
One note for $ , due , 18 — , with interest annually at per cent.
And the said Mortgagee agrees to pay all taxes that may be levied upon
the above described premises. It is also agreed by the Mortgagor that if
it becomes necessary to foreclose this mortgage, a reasonable amount shall
be allowed as an attorney's fee for foreclosing. And the said hereby
relinquishes all her right of dower and homestead in and to the above de-
scribed premises.
Signed this — — day of , A. D. 18 — .
[Acknowledge as in Form No. 1.]
SECOND FORM OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE.
This Indenture, made and executed • by and between of the
county of and State of , part of the first part, and of the
county of and State of ^part of the second part, Witnesseth, that
the said part of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum of
dollars, paid by the said part of the second part, the receipt of which is
hereby acknowledged, have granted and sold, and do by these presents, grant,
bargain, sell, convey and confirm, unto the said party of the second part,
heirs and assigns forever, the certain tract or parcel of real estate, sit-
uated in the county of and State of , described as follows, to-wit:
{Here insert description.)
The said part of the first part represent to and covenant with the part
of the second part, that he have good right to sell and convey said prem-
ises, that they are free from incumbrance, and that he will warrant and de-
fend them against the lawful claims of all persons whomsoever, and do ex-
pressly hereby release all rights of dower in and to said premises, and relin-
quish and convey all rights of homestead therein.
This instrument is made, executed and delivered upon the following con-
ditions, to-wit:
First. Said first part agree to pay said or order
Second. Said first part further agree as is stipulated in said note, that
314 ABSTEACT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA.
if he shall fail to pay any of said interest when due, it shall bear interest
at the rate of ten per cent, per annum, from the time the same becomes due,
and this mortgage shall stand security for the same.
Thi/rd. Said first part further agree that he will pay all taxes and
assessments levied upon said real estate before the same become delinquent,
and if not paid the holder of this mortgage may declare the whole sum of
money herein secured due and collectable at once, or he may elect to pay
such taxes or assessments, and be entitled to interest on the same at the
rate of ten per cent, per annum, and this mortgage shall stand as security
for the amount so paid.
Fourth. Said first part further agree that if he fail to pay any of
said money, either principal or interest, within days after the same
becomes due; or fail to conform or comply with any of the foregoing con-
ditions or agreements, the whole sum herein secured shall become due and
payable at once, and this mortgage may thereupon be foreclosed immedi^
ately for the whole of said money, interest and costs.
Fifth. Said part further agree that in the event of the non-payment
of either principal, interest or taxes when due, and upon the filing of a bill
of foreclosure of this mortgage, an attorney's fee of dollars shall be-
come due and payable, and shall be by the court taxed, and this mortgage
shall stand as security therefor, and the same shall be included in the de-
cree of foreclosure, and shall be made by the sherifi* on general or special
execution with the other money, interest and costs, and the contract em-
bodied in this mortgage and the note described herein, shall in all respects
be governed, construed and adjudged by the laws of , where the
same is made. The foregoing conditions being performed, this conveyance
to- be void, otherwise of full force and virtue.
[Acknowledge as in form No. 1.]
FORM OF LEASE.
This Article of Agreement, Made and entered into on this day of
, A. D. 187-, by and between , of the county of , and
State of Iowa, of the first part, and — ' , of the county of ,
and State of Iowa, of the second part, wicnesseth that the said party of the
first part has this day leased unto the party of the second part the following
described premises, to-wit:
[Here insert description.']
for the term of from and after the — day of , A. D. 187-, at
the rent of dollars, to be paid as follows, to-wit :
[Here insert terms.']
And it is further agreed that if any rent shall be due and unpaid, or if
default be made in any of the covenants herein contained, it shall then be
lawful for the said party of the first part to re-enter said premises, or to
destrain for such rent; or he may recover possession thereof, by action of
forcible entry and detainer, notwithstanding the provision of Section 3612
of the Code of 1873; or he may use any or all of said remedies.
And the said party of the second part agrees to pay to the party of the
first part the rent as above stated, except when said premises are untenable
ABSTEAOT OP THE LAWS OF IOWA. 215
by reason of fire, or from any other cause than the carelessness of the party
of the second part, or persons family, or in employ, or by supe-
rior force and inevitable necessity. And the said party of the second part
covenants that will use the said premises as a , and for no other
purposes whatever; and that especially will not use said premises, or
permit the same to be used, for any unlawful business or purpose whatever;
that will not sell, assign, underlet or relinquish said premises without
the written consent of the lessor, under penalty of a forfeiture of all
rights under this lease, at the election of the party of the first part; and
that will use all due care and diligence in guarding said property, with
the buildings, gates, fences, etc., in as good repair as they now are, or may
at any time be placed by the lessor, damages by superior force, inevitable
necessity, or fire from any other cause than from the carelessness of the
lessee, or persons of ■ family, or in employ excepted ; and at the
expiration of this lease, or upon a breach by said lessee of any of the said
covenants herein contained, will, without further notice of any kind,
quit and surrender the possession and occupancy of said premises in as good
condition as reasonable us©, natural wear and decay thereof will permit, dam-
ages by fire as aforesaid, superior force, or inevitable necessity, only excepted.
In witness whereof the said parties have subscribed their names on the
date first above written.
In presence of
FOEM OF NOTE.
$ , 18-.
On or before the — day of , 18 — , for value received, I promise to
pay or order, dollars, with intesest from date until paid,
at ten per cent per annnm, payable annually, at . Unpaid interest
shall bear interest at ten per cent per annum. On failure to pay interest
within days after due, the whole sum, principal and interest, shall be-
come due at once
CHATTEL MORTGAGE.
KJNOw ALL Men by these Presents: That of County, and
State of in consideration of dollars, in hand paid by , of
County and State of , do hereby sell and convey unto the said the
following described personal property, now in the possession of in the
county, and State of , to-wit:
[Here insert Description.]
And do hereby warrant the title of said property, and that it is free from
any incumbrance or lien. The only right or interest retained by grantor in
and to said property being the right of redemption as herein provided. This
conveyance to be void upon condition that the said grantor shall pay to said
grantee, or his assigns, the full amount of principal and interest at the time
therein specified, of certain promissory notes of even date herewith, for
the sum of dollars.
One note for $ — , due , 18 — , with interest annually at per cent.
One note for $ — , due — , 18 — , with interest annually at per cent.
One note for $ — , due , 18 — , with interest annually at per cent.
One note for $ — , due , 18 — , with interest annually at per cent.
216 ABSTRACT OF THE LAWS OF IOWA.
The grantor to pay all taxes on said property, and if at any time any part
or portion of said notes should be due and unpaid, said grantee may proceed
by sale or foreclosure to collect and pay himself the unpaid balance of said
notes, whether due or not, the grantor to pay all necessary expense of such
foreclosure, including $ Attorney's fees, and whatever remains after
paying off said notes and expenses, to be paid over to said grantor.
Signed the day of , 18 — . .
[Acknowledged as in Form Ko. 1.]
WAREANTT DEED.
Know ALL Men by these Presents: That of County and
State of , in consideration of the sum of dollars, in hand paid by
of County, and State of , do hereby sell and convey unto
the said and to — heirs and assigns, the following described premises,
situated in the County of , State of Iowa, to- wit:
{Here insert Description.']
And I do hereby covenant with the said that — lawfully seized in fee
simpleof said premises, that they are free from incumbrance; that — ha good
right and lawful authority to sell the same, and — do hereby covenant to war-
rant and defend the said premises and appurtenances thereto belonging,
against the lawful claims of all persons whomsoever; and the said
hereby relinquishes all her right of dower and of homestead in and to the
above described premises.
Signed the day of , A. D. 18—.
IN PRESENCE of
[Acknowledged as in Form No. 1.]
QUIT-CLAIM DEED.
Know all Men bt these Presents: That , of County, State
of , in consideration of the sum of dollars, to — in hand paid by
, of County, State of , the receipt whereof — do hereby ac-
knowledge, have bargained, sold and quit-claimed, and by these presents do
bargain, sell and quit-claim unto the said and to — heirs and assigns
forever, all — right, title, interest, estate, claim and demand, both at law and
in equity, and as well in possession as in expectancy, of, in and to the fol-
lowing described premises, to-wit: [here insert description] with all and
singular the hereditaments and appurtenances thereto belonging.
Signed this day of , A. D. 18 — .
Signed in Presence of
[Acknowledged as in Form No. 1.]
ABSTRACT OF TETB LAWS OP IOWA. 217
BOND FOE DEED.
KJNOW ALL Men by these Presents: That of County, and
State of am lield and firmly bound unto of County, and
State of , in the sum of dollars, to be paid to the said , his
executors or assigns, for which payment well and truly to be made, I bind
myself firmly by these presents. Signed the day of , A. D. 18 — .
The condition of this obligation is such, that if the said obligee shall pay
to said obligor or his assigns, the full amount of principal and interest at
the time therein specified, of — promissory note of even date herewith, for
the sum of Dollars.
One note for $ , due , 18 — , with interest annually at — per cent.
One note for *$ , due , 18 — , with interest annually at — per cent.
One note for $ , due , 18 — , with interest annually at — per cent.
And pay all taxes accruing upon the lands herein described, then said obli-
gor shall convey to the said obligee, or his assigns, that certain tract or par-
cel of real estate, situated in the County of , and State of Iowa, des-
cribed as follows, to-wit: [here insert description] by a Warranty Deed,
with the usual covenants, duly executed and acknowledged.
If said obligee should fail to make the payments as above stipulated, or
any part thereof, as the same becomes due, said obligor may at his option,
by notice to the obligee, terminate his liability under the bond, and resume
the possession and absolute control of said premises, time being the essence
of this agreement.
On the fulfillment of the above conditions, this obligation to become
void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue; unless terminated by
the obligor as above stipulated.
[Acknowledged as in form Ko. 1.]
GAME LAWS.
By the laws of Iowa, as amended by the Legislature of 1878, it is unlaw-
ful to do any of the following acts:
BIRDS AND QUADRUPEDS.
1. To kill, trap, ensnare, or in any manner destroy any of the birds of
the State, except birds of prey and game birds, during the open seasons as
provided by law; or to destroy the eggs of such birds as are protected by
this section — except that persons killing birds for scientific purposes, or
preservation in museums and cabinets, are not liable under this section.
Penalty, $5 to $25.
2. To shoot or kill any prairie chicken from Dec. 1 to Sept. 1, woodcock
from Jan. 1 to July 10, pheasant, wild turkey or quail from Jan. 1 to Oct.
1, wild duck, snipe, goose or brant from May 1 to Aug. 15, deer or elk from
Jan. 1 to Sept. 1, beaver, mink, otter or muskrat from April 1 to Novem-
ber. Penalty, deer or elk, $25 ; the others, $10.
3. To take or attempt to take at any time with trap, net or snare any
bird or animal mentioned in Sec. 2, or to willfully destroy the eggs or nests
of such birds. Except that beaver, mink, otter or muskrat may be trapped
218 ABSTRACT OF THE LAWlS OF IOWA-
or snared during the open season, or at any time for the protection of pri-
vate property. Penalty the same as in section 2.
4. To shoot or kill any wild duck, goose or brant with any kind of gun,
except such as is commonly shot from the shoulder, or to use medicated or
poisoned food to capture or kill any of the birds mentioned in section 2.
Penalty, $25, and thirty days in jail unless sooner paid.
6. To shoot or kill for traffic any prairie chicken, snipe, woodcock, quail
or pheasant at any time; for one person to kill during one day more than 25
of either kind of said birds; to ship or take out of the State any bird
mentioned in section 2, deer or elk; to buy, sell, or have in possession any
such bird, deer or elk during the close season, except the first live days. Pen-
alty, deer or elk, $25 ; others, $10.
t). For any person, firm, or corporation to have in possession, at one
time, more than twenty-five of either prairie chicken, snipe, woodcock, quail
or pheasant, unless lawfully received for transportation; to ship to any per-
son in the State in one day more than one dozen of the birds mentioned in
section 2 ; and in case of shipment an affidavit must be made that the birds
have not been unlawfully killed, bought, sold, or had in possession, and are
not shipped for sale or profit, and giving name and address of consignee
and number of birds shipped, and a copy of the affidavit shall accompany
the birds, etc. Penalty, same as in section 2. The making of a false affi-
davit is perjury.
7. For any common carrier, its agent or servant, to knowingly receive
for transportation any bird or animal mentioned in section two, during the
close season (except the first five days), or at any other time, except in the
manner provided by law. Penalty," $100 to $300, or 30 days in jail, or
both.
8. The having in possession during the close season, except the first five
days, of any birdinentioned in section 2, deer or elk, is prima facie evidence
of a violation of the law.
9. Prosecutions, except under section 1, may be brought in any county
where the game is found, and the court shall appoint an attorney to prose-
cute, who shall be entitled to a fee of $10; and the person filing the infor-
mation to a fee equal to half the fine imposed on the defendant; both fees
to be taxed as costs. The county is, however, in no event liable for either.
FISH A2n) FISH WAYS.
10. To catch or kill bass or wall-eyed pike from April 1 to June 1 ; sal-
mon or trout from November 1 to February 1. Penalty, $5 to $25.
.11. To use any seine or net for the purpose of catching fish, except
native minnows, and except by the fish commissioner for propagation and
exchange. Penalty, $5 to $50 for first ofiense; $20 to $50 for second.
12. To place across any river, creek, pond or lake, any trot line, dam,
seine, weir, fish-dam, or other obstruction, in such manner as to prevent the
free passage of fish, except under the direction of the fish commissioner, and
except dams for manufacturing purposes provided with fish-ways. Penalty,
$25 to $100, or 10 to 30 days in jail.
13. To continue any datn or obstruction heretofore erected, for an unrea-
sonable length of time, after the 6th day of April, 1878, without having
fish- ways provided therein. Penalty, $5 to $50 for first ofiense; $20 to $50
for the second, and the dam abated as a nuisance.
AB8TBAOT OP THE LAWS OF IOWA. 219
14. Persons raising or propagating fish on their own premises, or own-
ing premises on which there are waters having no natural outlet, supplied
with fish, shall absolutely own said fish. Ko person shall take, or attempt
to take, fish therefrom without consent of the owner. Penalty, $5 to $25,
or 30 days in jail.
The "close" season is when killing is forbidden; the "open" season is
when it is not.
PURCHASING BOOKS BY SUBSCRIPTIOlSr.
The business of publishing books by subsGription^ having so often been
brought into disrepute by agents making representations and declarations
not authorized by the publisher^ in order to prevent that as much as possi-
ble, and that there may be more general knowledge of the relation such
agents bear to their principal, and tlie law governing such cases, the follow-
ing statement is made:
A subscription is in the nature of a contract of mutual promises, by
which the subscriber agrees to pay a certain sum for the work described;
the consideration is concurrent that the publisher shall publish the book
named, and deliver the same, for which the subscriber is to pay the price
named. The nature and character of the work is descrihed by the pro-
spectus and sample shown. These should be carefully examined before
subscribing, as they are the basis and consideration of the promise to pay,
and not the too often exaggerated statements of the agent, who is merely
employed to solicit subscriptions, for which he is usually paid a commis-
sion for each subscriber, and has no authority to change or alter the con-
ditions upon which the subscriptions are authorized to be made by the
publisher. Should the agent assume to agree to make the subscription
conditional, or modify or change the agreement of the publisher, as set out
by the prospectus and sample, in order to bind the principal, the suh-
scriber should see that such condition or changes are stated over or in con-
nection with his signature, &oth.QX the publisher may have notice of the same.
All persons making contracts in reference to matters of this kind, or any
other business, should remember thai the law as written is, that they can
not be altered, varied or rescinded verbally, but if done at all, must he
done in writing. It is therefore important that ^\ persons contemplating
subscribing should distinctly understand that all talk before or after the
suhscHption is made, is not admissible as evidence, and is no part of the
contract.
Persons employed to solicit subscriptions are known to the trade as
canvassers. They are agents appointed to do a particular business i7i a
prescribed mode and have no authority to do it any other way to the pre-
judice of their principal, nor can they bind their principal in any other
matter. They can not collect money, or agree that payment may be made
in anything else but money. They can not extend the time of payment
beyond the time of delivery nor bind their principal for the payment of
expenses incurred in their business.
It loould save a great deal of trouble, and often serious loss, if persons,
before signing their names to any subscription book, or any written instru-
ment, would examine carefully what it is; and if they cannot read them-
selves call on some one disinterested who can.
Constitution of State of Iowa.
We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the
hlessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him i or a con-
tinuation of those blessings, do ordain and establish a free and^ independ-
ent government, by the name of the State of Iowa, the boundaries whereof
shall be as follows:
Beginning in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river,
at a point due east of the middle of the mouth of the main channel of the
Des Moines river; thence up the middle of the main channel of the said
Des Moines river, to a point on said river where the northern boundary
line of the State of Missouri — as established by the Constitution of that
State, adopted June 12, 1820 — crosses the said middle of the main channel
of the said Des Moines river; thence westwardly along the said northern
boundary line of the State of Missouri, as established at the time aforesaid,
until an extension of said line intersects the middle of the main channel of
the Missouri river; thence up the middle of the main channel of the said
Missouri river, to a point opposite the middle of the main channel of the Big
Sioux river, according to Nicollett's map; thence up the main channel of
the said Big Sioux river, according to said map, until it is intersected by the
parallel of forty-three degrees and thirty minutes north latitude; thence east
along said parallel of forty-three degrees and thirty minutes, until said par-
allel intersects the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river; thence
down the middle of the main channel of said Mississippi river, to the place
of beginning.
Article 1. — Bill of Rights.
Section 1. All men are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain in-
alienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and
liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing and
obtaining safety and happiness. ...
Sec. 2. All political power is inherent in the people. Government is
instituted for the protection, security, and benefit of the people, and they
have the right, at all times, to alter or reform the same, whenever the pub-
lic good may require it.
Sec. 3. The General Assembly shall make no law respecting an estab-
ment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; nor shall any per-
son be compelled to attend any place of worship, pay tithes, taxes, or other
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA, 221
rates, for building or repairing places of worship, or the maintenance of any
minister or ministry.
Sec. 4. No religious test shall be required as a qualification for any
office of public trust, and no person shall be deprived of any of his rights,
privileges, or capacities, or disqualified from the performance of any of his
public or private duties, or rendered incompetent to give evidence in any
court of law or equity, in consequence of his opinions on the subject of re-
ligion; and any party to any judicial proceeding shall have the right to use
as a witness, or take the testimony of any other person, not disqualified on
account of interest, who may be cognizant of any fact material to the ease;
and parties to suits may be witnesses, as provided by law.
Sec. 5. Any citizen of this State who may hereafter be engaged either
directly or indirectly, in a duel, either as principal or accessory before the
fact, shall, forever be disqualified from holding any office under the Consti-
tution of this State.
Sec. 6. All laws of a general nature shall have a uniform operation; the
General Assembly shall not grant to any citizen, or class of citizens, privi-
leges or immunities, which upon the same terms shall not equally belong
to all citizens.
Sec. 7. Every person may speak, write and publish his sentiments on
all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right. No law shall be
passed to restrain or abridge the liberty of speech, or of the press. In all
prosecutions or indictments for libel, the truth may be given in evidence to
the jury, and if it appear to the jury that the matter charged as libelous
was true, and was published with good motives and for justifiable ends, the
party shall be acquitted.
Sec. 8. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreasonable seizures and searches shall not be
violated; and no warrant shall issue but on probable cause, supported by
oath or affirmation, particularly describing the place to be searched, and
the persons and things to be seized.
Sec. 9. The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate; but the Gen-
eral Assembly may authorize trial by a jury of a less number than twelve
men in inferior courts; but no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or
property, without due process of law.
Sec. 10. In all criminal prosecutions, and in cases involving the life or
liberty of an individual, the accused shall have a right to a speedy and pub-
lic trial by an impartial jury; to be informed of the accusation against him;
to have a copy of the same when demanded; to be confronted with the wit-
nesses against him; to have compulsory process for his own witnesses; and to
have the assistance of counsel.
Sec. 11. All offenses less than felony, and in which the punishment
does not exceed a fine of one hundred dollars, or imprisonment for thirty
days, shall be tried summarily before a justice of the peace, or other officer
authorized by law, on information under oath, without indictment, or the
intervention of a grand jury, saving to the defendant the right of appeal;
and no person shall be held to answer for a higher criminal offense, unless
on presentment or indictment by a grand jiiry, except in cases arising in
the array or navy, or in the militia, when in actual service, in time of war
or public danger.
Sec. 12. Ko person shall, after acquittal, be tried for the same offense.
222 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
All persons shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, except
for capital offenses, where the proof is evident, or the presumption great.
Sec. 13. The writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, or refused
when application is made as required by law, unless in the case of rebellion
or invasion, the public safety may require it.
Sec. 14. The military shall be subordinate to the civjl power. No
standing army shall be kept up by the State in time of peace; and in time
of war no appropriation for a standing array shall be for a longer time than
two years.
Sec. 15. No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house
without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war except in the manner
prescribed by law.
Sec. 16. Treason against the State shall consist only in levying war
against it, adhering to its enemies, or giving them aid and comfort. No
person shall be convicted of treason unless on the evidence of two witnesses
to the same overt act, or confession in open court.
Sec. it. Excessive bail shall not be required ; excessive fines shall not be
imposed, and cruel and unusual punishments shall not be inflicted.
Sec. 18. Private property shall not be taken for public use without just
compensation first being made, or secured to be made, to the owner tliereof,
as soon as the damages shall be assessed by a jury, who shall not take into
consideration any advantages that may result to said owner on account of
the improvement for which it is taken.
Sec. 19. No person shall be imprisoned for debt in any civil action, on
mesne or final process, unless in case of fraud; and no person shall be im-
prisoned for a military fine in time of peace.
Sec. 20. The people have the right freely to assemble together to coun-
sel for the common good; to make known their opinions to their represen-
tatives, and to petition for a redress of grievances.
Sec. 21. No bill of attainder, ex-posi facto law, or law impairing the
obligation of contracts, shall ever be passed.
Sec. 22. Foreigners who are, or may hereafter become residents of this
State, shall enjoy the same rights in respect to the possession, enjoyment,
and descent of property, as native born citizens.
Sec. 23. There shall be no slavery in this State; nor shall there be in-
voluntary servitude, unless for the punishment of crime.
Sec. 24. No lease or grant of agricultural lands, reserving any rent or
service of any kind, shall be valid for a longer period than twenty years.
Sec. 25. This enumeration of rights shall not be construed to impair or
deny others, retained by the people.
Abticle 2. — Right of Suffrage.
Section 1. Every male citizen of the United States, of the age of twenty-
one years, who shall have been a resident of this State six months next pre-
ceding the election, and in the county in which he claims his vote sixty
days, shall be entitled to vote at all elections which are now or hereafter
may be authorized by law.
Sec. 2. Electors shall, in all cases except treason, felonyj or breach of
the peace, be privileged from arrest on the days of election, during their
attendance at such elections, going to and returning therefrom.
OONSTTTUTION OF THE STATE OP IOWA. 223
Sec. 3. No elector shall be obliged to perform military duty on the day
of election, except in time of war or public danger.
Sec. 4, No person in the military, naval, or marine service of the United
States shall be considered a resident of this State by being stationed in any
garrison, barrack, or military or naval place or station within this State.
Sec. 5. No. idiot or insane person, or person convicted of any infamous
crime, shall be entitled to the privilege of an elector.
Sec. 6. All elections by the people shall be by ballot.
Article 3. — Of the Distribution of Powers.
Section 1. The powers of the government of Iowa shall be divided into
three separate departments: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial;
and no person charged with the exercise of powers properly belonging to one
of these departments shall exercise any function appertaining to either of
the others, except in cases hereinafter expressly directed or permitted.
Legislative DEPARTiiENT.
Section 1. The legislative authority of this State shall be vested in a
General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Kepresen-
tatives; and the style of every law shall be — ^''Be it enacted hy the General
Assembly of the titate of lowa.^''
Sec. 2. The sessions of the General Assembly shall be biennial, and
shall commence on the second Monday in January next ensuing the election
of its members; unless the Governor of the State shall, in the meantime,
convene the General Assembly by proclamation.
Sec. 3. The members of tlie House of Representatives shall be chosen
every second year, by the qualified electors of their respective districts, on
the second Tuesday in October, except the years of the Presidential elec-
tion, when the election shall be on the Tuesday next after the first Monday
in November; and their term of office shall commence on the first day of
January next after their election, and continue two years, and until their
successors are elected and qualified.
Sec. 4. No person shall be a member of the House of Representatives
who shall not have attained the age of twenty-one years; be a free white
male citizen of the United States, and shall have been an inhabitant of this
State one year next preceding his election, and at the time of his election
shall have had an actual residence of sixty days in the county or district he
may have been chosen to represent.
Sec. 5. Senators shall be chosen for the term of four yeers, at the same
time and place as Representatives; they shall be twenty-five years of age,
and possess the qualifications of Representatives, as to residence and citi-
zenship.
Sec. 6. The number of Senators shall not be less than one-third, nor
more than one-half the representative body; and shall be so classified by
lot, that one class being as nearly one-half as possible, shall be elected every
two years. When the number of Senators is increased, they shall be an-
nexed by lot to one or the other of the two classes, so as to kewp them as
nearly equal in numbers as practicable.
224: CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
Seo. 7. Eacli House shall choose its own officers, and judge of the quali-
fication, election and return of its own members. A contested election
shall be determined in such manner as shall be directed by law.
Sec. 8. A majority of each house shall constitute a quorum to transact
business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may
comp<fl the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such
penalties as each house may provide.
Sec. 9. Each house shall sit upon its own adjournments, keep a journal
of its proceedings, and publish the same; determine its rules of proceed-
ings, punish members for disorderly behavior, and with the consent of
two-thirds, expel a member, but not a second time for the same offense; and
shall have all other powers necessary for a branch of the General Assembly
of a free and independent State.
Sec. 10. Every member of the General Assembly shall have the liberty
to dissent from or protest against any act or resolution which he may think
injurious to the public or an individual, and have the reasons for his dissent
entered on the journals; and the yeas and nays of the members of either
house, on any question, shall, at the desire of any two members present, be
entered on the journals.
Sec. 11. Senators and Representatives, in all cases except treason, felony,
or breach of the peace, shall be privileged from arrest during the session
of the General Assembly, and in going to and returning from the same.
Sec. 12. When vacancies occur in either house, the governor, or the per-
son exercising the functions of governor, shall issue writs of election to fill
such vacancies.
Sec. 18. The doors of each house shall be open, except on such occas-
sions as, in the opinion of the house, may require secrecy.
Sec. 14. Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn
for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which they
may be sitting.
Sec. 15. BiWs may originate in either house, and may be amended, al-
tered, or rejected by the other; and every bill having passed both houses,
shall be signed by the Speaker and President of their respec'ive houses.
Sec. 16. Every bill which shall havepassfed the General Assembly, shall,
before it becomes a law, be presented to the Governor. If he approve, he
shall sign it; but if not, he shall return it with his objections, to the
house in which it originated, which shall enter the same upon their journal,
and proceed to reconsider it; if, after such reconsideration, it again pass
both houses, by yeas and nays, by a majority of two-thirds of the members
of each house, it shall become a law, notwithstanding the Governor's objec-
tions. If any bill shall not be returned within three days after it shall
liave been presented to him (Sunday excepted), the same shall be a law in
like manner as if lie had signed it, unless the General Assembly, by ad-
journment, prevent such return. Any bill submitted to the Governor for
his approval during the last three days of a session of the General Assem-
bly, shall be deposited by him in the office of the Secretary of State within
thirty days after the adjournment, with his approval if approved by him,
and with his objections, if he disapproves thereof.
Sec. 17. N"o bill shall be passed unless by the assent of a majority of
all the members elected to each branch of the General Assembly, and the
question upon the final passage shall be taken immediately upon its last
reading, and the yeas and nays entered upon the journal.
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA. 225
Sec. 18. An accurate statement of the receipts and expenditures of the
public money shall be attached to and ar*d published with the laws at every
regular session of the General Assembly.
Sec. 19. The House of Kepresentatives shall have the sole power of
impeachment, and all impeachments shall be tried by the Senate. When
sitting for that purpose, the senators shall be upon oath or affirmation; and
no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the
members present.
Sec. 20. The Governor, Judges of the Supreme and District Courts,
and other State officers, shall be liable to impeachment for any misdemeanor
or malfeasance in office; but judgment in such cases shall extend only to
removal from office, and disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust or
profit under this State; but the party convicted or acquitted shall neverthe-
less be liable to indictment, trial, and punishment according to law. All
other civil officers shall be tried for misdemeanors and malfeasance in office,
in such manner as the General Assembly may provide.
Sec. 21. No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which
he shall have been elected, be appointed to any civil office of profit under
this State, which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which shall
have been increased during such term, except such offices as may be filled
by elections by the people.
Sec. 22. No person holding any lucrative office under the United States,
or this State, or any other power, shall be eligible to hold a seat in the
General Assembly. But offices in the militia, to which there is attached
no annual salary, or the office of justice of the peace, or postmaster, whose
compensation does not exceed one hundred dollars per annum, or notary
public, shall not be deemed lucrative.
Sec. 23. No person who may hereafter be a collector or holder of pub-
lic moneys, shall have a seat in either house of the General Assembly, or
be eligible to hold any office of trust or profit in this State, until he shall
have accounted for and paid into the treasury all sums for which he may
be liable.
Sec. 24. No money shall be drawn from the treasury but in consequence
of appropriations made by law.
Sec. 25. Each member of the first General Assembly under this consti-
tution shall receive three dollars per diem while in session; and the further
sum of three dollars for every twenty miles traveled in going to and return-
ing from the place where such session is held, by the nearest traveled route;
after which they shall receive such compensation as shall be fixed by law;
but no General Assembly shall have the power to increase the compensa-
tion of its members. And when convened in extra session they shall re-
ceive the same mileage and per diem compensation as fixed by law for the
regular session, and none other.
Sec. 26. No law of the General Assembly, passed at a regular session,
of a public nature, shall take efi'ect until the Fourth day of July next, after
the passage thereof. Laws passed at a special session shall take efiect
ninety days after the adjournment of the General Assembly, by which they
were passed. If the General Assembly shall deem any law of immediate
importance, they may provide that the same shall take efi^ect by publication
in newspapers in the State.
Sec. 27. No divorce shall be granted by the General Assembly.
15
226 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IO"W:A.
Seo. 28. No lottery shall be authorized by this State; nor shall the sale
of lottery tickets be allowed.
Sec. 29. Every act shall embrace but one subject, and matters properly
connected therewith; which subject shall be expressed in the title. But if
any subject shall be embraced in an act which shall not be expressed in the
title, such act shall be void only as to so much thereof as shall not be ex-
pressed in the title.
Sec. 30. The General Assembly shall not pass local or special laws in
the following cases :
For the assessment and collection of taxes for State, county, or road pur-
poses;
For laying out, opening, and working roads or highways ;
For changing the names of persons ;
For the incorporation of cities and towns;
For vacating, roads, town plats, streets, alleys, or public squares;
For locating or changing county seats.
In all the cases above enumerated, and in all other cases where a general
law can be made applicable, all laws shall be general, and of uniform ope-
ration throughout the State; and no law changing the boundary lines of
any county shall have effect until upon being submitted to the people of
the counties affected by the change, at a general election, it shall be ap-
proved by a majority of the votes in each county, cast for and against it.
Sec. 31. No extra compensation shall be made to any officer, public
agent, or contractor, after the service shall have been rendered, or the con-
tract entered into; nor shall any money be paid on any claim, the subject
matter of which shall not have been provided for by pre-existing laws, and
no public money or property shall be appropriated for local or private pur-
poses, unless such appropriation, compensation or claim, be allowed by two-
thirds of the members elected to each branch of the General Assembly.
Sec. 32. Members of the General Assembly shall, before they enter
upon the duties of their respective offices, take and subscribe the following
oath or affirmation: " I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be),
that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitu-
tion of the State of Iowa, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of
Senator (or Representative, as the case may be), according to the best of
my ability." And members of the General Assembly are hereby empow-
ered to administer to each other the said oath or affirmation.
Sec. 33. The General Assembly shall, in the years one thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, one thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, and one thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five, and every ten years thereafter, cause an
enumeration to be made of all the inhabitants of the State.
Sec. 34. The number of Senators shall, at the next session following
each period of making such enumeration, and the next session following
each United States Census, be fixed by law, and apportioned among the
several counties according to the number of inhabitants in each.
Sec. 35. The Senate shall not consist of more than fifty members, nor
the House of Representatives of more than one hundred ; and they shall
be apportioned among the several counties and representative districts of
the State according to the number of inhabitants in each, upon ratios to be
fixed by law; but no representative district shall contain more than four
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA. 227
organized counties and each district shall be entitled to at least one Repre-
sentative. Everj county and district which shall have a number ot inhabi-
tants equal to one-half the ratio fixed by law, shall be entitled to one Rep-
resentative; and any one county containing in addition to the ratio fixed
by law one-half of that number, or more, shall be entitled to one additional
Representative. No floating district shall hereafter be formed.
Sec. 36. At its first session under this Constitution, and at every subse-
quent regular session, the General Assembly shall fix the ratio of repre-
sentation, and also, form into repsesentative districts those counties which
will not be entitled singly to a Representative.
Sec. 37. When a Congressional, Senatorial, or Representative district
shall be composed of two or more counties, it shall not be entirely sepa-
rated by any county belonging to another district; and no county shall be
divided in forming a Congressional, Senatorial, or Representative district.
Sec. 38. In all elections by the General Assembly, the members thereof
shall vote viva-voce; and the votes shall be entered on the journal.
Article 4. — Executive Department.
Section 1. The supreme executive power of this State shall be vested
in a chief magistrate, who shall be styled the Governor of the State of
Iowa.
Sec. 2. The Governor shall be elected by the qualified electors at the
time and place of voting for members of the General Assembly, and shall
hold his office two years, from the time of his installation, and until his suc-
cessor is elected and qualified.
Sec. 3. There shall be a Lieutenant-Governor, who shall hold his office
two years, and be elected at the same time as the Governor. In voting for
Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, the electors shaU designate for whom
they vote as Governor, and for whom as Lieutenant-Governor. The returns
of every election for Governor, and Lieutenant-Governor, shall be sealed up
and transmitted to the seat of government of the State, directed to the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall open and publish them
in the presence of both houses of the General Assembly.
Sec. 4. The persons respectively having the highest number of votes, for
Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, shall oe declared duly elected ; but in
case two or more persons shall have an equal, and the highest number of
votes for either office, the General Assembly shall, by joint vote, forthwith
proceed to elect one of said persons Governor, or Lieutenant-Governor, as
the case may be.
Sec. 5. Contested elections for Governor, or Lieutenant-Governor, shall
be determined by the General Assembly in such manner as may be prescribed
by law.
Sec. 6. No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor, or Lieu-
tenant-Governor, who shall not have been a citizen of the United States;
and a citizen of the State two years next preceding the election, and
attained the age of thirty years at the time of said election.
Sec. 7. The Governor shall be commander-in-chief of the militia, the
army, and navy of this State.
Sec. 8. He shall transact all executive business with the officers of gov-
ernment, civil and military, and may require information in writing from
228 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
the officers of the executive department upon any subject relating to the
duties of their respective offices.
Sec. 9. He shall take care that the laws are faithfully executed.
Sec. 10. Wlien any office shall, from any cause, become vacant, and no
mode is provided by the Constitution and laws for filling such vacancy, the
Governor shall have power to fill such vacancy, by granting a commission,
which shall expire at the end of the next session of the General Assembly,
or at the next election by the people.
Sec. 11. He may, on extraordinary occasions, convene the General As-
sembly by proclamation, and shall state to both houses, when assembled, the
purpose for which they shall have been convened.
Sec. 12. He shall communicate, by message, to the General Assembly,
at every regular session, the condition of the State, and recommend such
matters as he shall deem expedient.
Sec. 13. In case of disagreement between the two houses with respect to
the time of adjournment, the Governor shall have power to adjourn the
General Assembly to such time as he may think proper; but no such ad-
journment shall be beyond the time fixed for the regular meeting of the next
General Assembly.
Sec. 14. ^o person shall, while holding any office under the authority of
the United States, or this State, execute the office of Governor, or Lieuten-
ant-Governor, except as hereinafter expressly provided.
Sec. 15. The official term of the Governor, and Lieutenant-Governor,
shall commence on the second Monday of January next after their election,
and continue for two years, and until theii* successors are elected and quali-
fied. The Lieutenant-Governor, while acting as Governor, shall receive the
same pay as provided for Governor; and while presiding in the Senate shall
receive as compensation therefor, the same mileage and double the per diem
pay provided for a Senator, and none other.
Sec. 16. The Governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commuta-
tions and pardons, after conviction, for all offenses except treason and cases
of impeachment, subject to such regulations as may be provided by law.
Upon conviction for treason, he shall have power to suspend the execution
of sentence until the case shall be reported to the General Assembly at its
next meeting, when the General Assembly shall either grant a pardon, com-
mute the sentence, or grant a further reprieve. He shall have power to re-
mit fines and forfeitures, under such regulations as may be prescribed by
law; and shall report to the General Assembly, at its next meeting, each
case of reprieve, commutation, or pardon granted, and the reason therefor;
and also all persons in whose favor remission of fines and forfeitures shall
have been made, and the several amounts remitted.
Sec. 17. In case of the death, impeachment, resignation, removal from
office, or other disability of the governor, the powers and duties of the office
for the residue of the term, or until he shall be acquitted, or the disability
removed, shall devolve upon the Lieutenant-Governor.
. Sec. 18. The Lieutenant-Governor shall be president of the Senate, but
shall only vote when the Senate is equally divided ; and in case of his ab-
sence, or impeachment, or when he shall exercise the office of Governor, the
Senate shall choose a president pro tempore.
Sec. 19. If the Lieutenant-Governor, while acting as Governor, shall
be impeached, displaced, resign, or die, or otherwise become incapable of
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA. 229
performing the duties of the office, the president pro tempore of the Senate
shall act as Governor until the vacancy is filled, or the disability removed;
and if the president of the Senate, for any of the above causes, shall be ren-
dered incapable of performing the duties pertaining to the office of Gover-
nor, the same shall devolve upon the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives.
Sec. 20. There shall be a seal of this State, which shall be kept by the
Governor, and used by him officially, and shall be called the Great Seal of
the State of Iowa.
Sec. 21. All grants and commissions shall be in the name and by the
authority of the people of the State of Iowa, sealed with the Great Seal of
the State, signed by the Governor, and countersigned by the Secretary of
State.
Sec. 22. A Secretary of State, Auditor of State, and Treasurer of State,
shall be elected by the qualified electors, who shall continue in office two
years, and until their successors are elected and qualified ; and perform such
duties as may be required by law.
Article 5. — Judicial Department.
Section 1. The judicial power shall be vested in a Supreme Court,
District Court, and such other courts, inferior to the Supreme Court, as the
General Assembly may, from time to time, establish.
Sec. 2. The Supreme Court shall consist of three judges, two of whom
shall constitute a quorum to hold court.
Sec. 3. The judges of the Supreme Court shall be elected by the quali-
fied electors of the State, and shall hold their court at such time and place as
the General Assembly may prescribe. The judges of the Supreme Court so
elected, shall be classified so that one judge shall go out every two years ;
and the judge holding the shortest term of office under such classification,
shall be Chief Justice of the court during his term, and so on in rotation.
After the expiration of their terms of office, under such classification, the
term of each judge of the Supreme Court shall be six years, and until his
successor shall have been elected and qualified. The judges of the Supreme
Court shall be ineligible to any other office in the State, during the term
for which they have been elected.
Sec. 4. The Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction only m
cases in chancery, and shall constitute a court for the correction of errors at
law, under such restrictions as the General Assembly may by law prescribe ;
and shall have power to issue all writs and process necessary to secure jus-
tice to parties, and exercise a supervisory control over all inferior judicial
tribunals throughout the State.
Sec. 5. The District Court shall consist of a single judge, who shall be
elected by the qualified electors of the district in which he resides. The
judge of the District Court shall hold his office for the term of four years,
and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified ; and shall be
ineligible to any other office, except that of judge of the Supreme Court,
during the term for which he was elected.
Sec. 6. The district Court shall be a court of law and equity, which shall
be distinct and separate jurisdictions, and have jurisdiction in civil and
230 CONSTITTinON OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
criminal matters arising in their respective districts, in sucli manner as shall
be prescribed by law.
Sec. 7. The judges of the Supreme and District Courts shall be conser-
vators of the peace throughout the State.
Sec. 8. The style of all process shall be " The State of Iowa," and all
prosecutions shall be conducted in the name and bj the authority of the
same.
Sec. 9. The salary of each judge of the Supreme Court shall be two
thousand dollars per annum; and that of each District Judge one thousand
six hundred dollars per annum, until the year eighteen hundred and sixty ;
after which time they shall severally receive such compensation as the Gen-
eral Assembly may, by law, prescribe; which compensation shall not be
increased or diminished during the term for which they have been elected.
Sec. 10. The State shall be divided into eleven judicial districts; and
after the year eighteen hundred and sixty, the General Assembly may re-or-
ganize the judicial districts, and increase or diminish the number of districts,
or the number of judges of the said court, and may increase the number of
judges of the Supreme Court; but such increase or diminution shall not be
more than one district, or one judge of either court, at any one session ; and
no re-organization of the districts, or diminution of the judges shall have
the effect of removing a judge from office. Such re-organization of the dis-
tricts, or any change in the boundaries thereof, or any increase or diminution
of the number of judges shall take place every four years thereafter, if nec-
essary, and at no other time.
Sec. 11. The judges of the Supreme and District Courts shall be chosen
at the general election; and the term of office of each judge shall com-
mence on the first day of January next after his election.
Sec. 12. The General Assembly shall provide, by law, for the election
of an Attorney-General by the people, whose term of office shall be two
years, and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified.
Sec. 13. The qualified electors of each judicial district shall, at the time
of the election of District Judge, elect a District Attorney, who shall be a
resident of the district for which he is elected, and who shall hold his office
for the term of four years, and until his successor shall have been elected
and qualified.
Sec. 14. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to provide for the
carrying into effect of this article, and to provide for a general system of
practice in all the courts of this State.
Article 6. — Militia.
Section 1. The militia of this State shall be composed of all able-bodied
male citizens, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, except such
as are or may hereafter be exempt by the laws of the United States, or of
this State; and shall be armed, equipped, and trained, as the General Assem-
bly may provide by law.
Seo. 2. No person or persons conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms
shall be compelled to do military duty in time of peace: provided, that such
person or persons shall pay an equivalent for such exemption in the same
manner as other citizens.
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OP IOWA. 231
Seo. 3. All commissioned officers of the militia (staff officers excepted)
eliall be elected by the persons liable to perform military duty, and shall be
commissioned by tlie Governor.
Article 7. — State Debts.
Section 1 The credit of the State shall not, in any manner, be given or
loaned to, or in aid of, any individual, association, or corporation; and the
State shall never assume, or become responsible for, the debts or liabilities
of any individual, association, or corporation, unless incurred in time of war
for the benefit of the State.
Sec. 2. The State may contract debts to supply casual deficits or failures
in revenues, or to meet expenses not otherwise provided for; but the aggre-
gate amount of such debts, direct and contingent, whether contracted by one
or more acts of the General Assembly, or at different periods of time, shall
never exceed the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ; and the
money arising from the creation of such debts, shall be applied to the pur-
pose for which it was obtained, or to repay the debts so contracted, and to no
other purpose whatever.
Sec. 3. All losses to the permanent, school, or university fund of this
State, which shall have been occasioned by the defalcation, mismanagement,
or fraud of officers controlling or managing the same, shall be audited by
the proper authorities of the State. The amount so audited shall be a per-
manent funded debt against the State, in favor of the respective fund sus-
taining the loss, upon which not less than six per cent annual interest shall
be paid. The amount of liability so created shall not be counted as a part
of the indebtedness authorized by the second section of this article.
Sec. 4. In addition to the above limited power to contract debts, the
State may contract debts to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, or defend
the State in war; but the money arising from the debts so contracted shall
be applied to the purpose for which it was raised, or to repay such debts,
and to no other purpose whatever.
Sec. 5. Except the debts hereinbefore specified in this article, no debt
shall hereafter be contracted by, or on behalf of this State, unless such debt
shall be authorized by some law for some single work or object, to be dis-
tinctly specified therein ; and such law shall impose and provide for the
collection of a direct annual tax, sufficient to pay the interest on such debt,
as it falls due, and also to pay and discharge the principal of such debt,
within twenty years from the time of the contracting thereof; bnt no such
law shall take effect until at a general election it shall have been submitted
to the people, and have received a majority of all the votes cast for and
against it at such election; and all money raised by authority of such law,
shall be applied only to the specific object therein stated, or the payment of
the debt created thereby; and such law shall be published in at least one
newspaper in each county, if one is published therein, throughout the State,
for three months preceding the election at which it is submitted to the peo-
ple.
Sec. 6. The Legislature may, at any time, after the approval of such
law by the people, if no debt shall have been contracted in pursuance
thereof, repeal the same; and may, at any time, forbid the contracting of
232 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
any further debt, or liability under such law; but the tax imposed by such
law, in proportion to the debt or liability, which may have been contracted
in pursuance thereof, shall remain in force and be irrepealable, and be an-
nually collected, until the principal and interest are fully paid.
Sec. 7. Every law which imposes, continues, or revives a tax, shall dis-
tinctly state the tax, and the object to which it is to be applied; and it shall
not be sufficient to refer to any other law to fix such tax or object.
AbTICLE 8. COEPOEATIONS. •
Section 1. Ko corporation shall be created by special laws; but the
General Assembly shall provide, by general laws, for the organization of all
corporations hereafter to be created, except as hereinafter provided.
Sec. 2. The property of all corporations for pecuniary profit, shall be
subject to taxation, the same as that of individuals.
Sec. 3. The State shall not become a stockholder in any corporation,
nor shall it assume or pay the debt or liability of any corporation, unless
incurred in time oi war for the benefit of the State.
Sec. 4. No political or municipal corporation shall become a stock-
holder in any blinking corporation, directly or indirectly.
Sec. 5. ]^o act of the General Assembly, authorizing or creating corpo-
rations or associations with banking powers, nor amendments thereto shall
take effect, nor in any manner be in force, until the same shall have been
submitted separately, to the people, at a general or special election, as pro-
vided by law, to be held not less than three months after the passage of the
act, and shall have been approved by a majority of all the electors voting
for and against it at such election.
Sec. 6. Subject to the provisions of the foregoing section, the General
Assembly may also provide for the establishment of a State Bank with
branches.
Sec. 7. If a State Bank be established, it shall be founded on an actual
specie basis, and the branches shall be mutually responsible for each others'
liabilities upon all notes, bills, and other issues intended for circulation as
money.
Sec. 8. If a general banking law shall be enacted, it shall provide for
the registry and countersigning, by an officer of State, of all bills, or paper
credit designed to circulate as money, and require security to the full
amount thereof, to be deposited with the State Treasurer, in United States
stocks, or in interest paying stocks of States in good credit and standing, to
be rated at ten per cent below their average value in tlie city of New York,
for the thirty days next preceding tlieir deposit; and in case of a deprecia-
tion of any portion of said stocks, to the amount of ten per cent on the
dollar, the bank or banks ownin^ said stocks shall be required to make up
said deficiency by depositing additional stocks; and said law shall also pro-
vide for the recording of the names of all stockholders in such corporations,
the amount of stock held by each, the time of any transfer, and to whom.
Sec. 9. Every stockholder in a banking corporation or institution shall
be individually responsible and liable to its creditors, over and above the
amount of stock by him or her held, to an amount equal to his or her re-
spective shares so held, for all its liabilities, accruing while he or she re-
mains such stockholder.
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA. 233
Sec. 10. In case of the insolvency of any banking institution, the bill-
holders shall have a preference over its other creditors.
Sec. 11. The suspension of specie payments by banking institutions
shall never be permitted or sanctioned.
Sec. 12. Subject to the provisions of this article, the General Assembly
shall have power to amend or repeal all laws for the organization or creation
of corporations, or granting of special or exclusive privileges or immunities,
by a vote of two-thirds of each branch of the General Assembly; and no
exclusive privileges, except as in this article provided, shall ever be granted.
Aeticle 9. — Education and School Lands
1 . — Education.
Section 1. The educational interest of the State, including common
schools and other educational institutions, shall be under the management
of a board of education, which shall consist of the Lieutenant Governor,
who shall be the presiding officer of the board, and have the casting vote in
case of a tie, and one member to be elected from each judicial district in
the State.
Sec. 2. Ko person shall be eligible as a member of said board who shall
not have attained the age of twenty-five years, and shall have been one year
a citizen of the State.
Sec. 3. One member of said board shall be chosen by the qualified elec-
tors of each district, and shall hold the office for the term of four years, and
until his successor is elected and qualified. After the first election under
this constitution, the board shall be divided, as nearly as practicable, into
two equal classes, and the seats of the first class shall be vacated after the
expiration of two years; and one-half of the board shall be chosen every
two years thereafter.
Sec. 4. The first session of the board of education shall be held at the
seat of government, on the first Monday of December, after their election;
after which the General Assembly may fix the time and place of meeting.
Sec. 5. The session of the board shall be limited to twenty days, and
but one session shall be held in any one year, except upon extraordinary oc-
casions, when, upon the recommendation of two-thirds of the board, the
Go rernor may order a special session.
Sec. 6, The board of education shall appoint a secretary, who shall be
the executive officer of the board, and perform such duties as may be im-
posed upon him by the board, and the laws of the State. They shall keep
a journal of their proceedings, which shall be published and distributed in
the same manner as the journals of the General Assembly.
Sec. 7. All rules and regulations made by the board shall be published
and distributed to the several counties, townships, and school districts, as
may be provided for by the board, and when so made, published, and dis-
tributed, they shall have the force and efiect of law.
Sec. 8. The board of education shall have full power and authority to
legislate and make all needful rules and regulations in relation to common
schools, and other educational institutions, that are instituted to receive aid
from the school or university fund of this State; but all acts, rules and
234 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
regulations of said board may be altered, amended, or repealed bj the Gen-
eral Assembly; and when so altered, amended, or repealed, they shall not
be re-enacted by the board of education.
Seo. 9. The Governor of the State shall be, ex-officio, a member of said
board.
Seo. 10. The board shall have no power to levy taxes, or make appro-
priations of money. Their contingent expenses shall be provided for by the
General Assembly.
Sec. 11. The State University shall be established at one place, without
branches at any other place, and the university fund shall be applied to that
institution, and no other.
Sec. 12. The board of education shall provide for the education of all
the youths of the State, through a system of common schools; and such
schools shall be organized and kept in each school district at least three
months in each year. Any district failing, for two consecutive years, to or-
ganize and keep up a school, may be deprived of their portion of the
school fund.
Sec. 13. The members of the board of education shall each receive the
same per diem during the time of their session, and mileage going to and
returning therefrom, as members of the General Assembly.
Sec. 14. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business, but no rule, regulation or law, for the regulation
and government of common schools or other educational institutions, shall
■pass without the concurrence of a majority of all the members of the
board, which shall be expressed by the yeas and nays on the final passage.
The style of all acts of the board shall be, " Be it enacted by the board of
education of the State of Iowa."
Sec. 15. At any time after the year one thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three, the General Assembly shall have power to abolish or re-organize
said board of education, and provide for the educational interest of the State
in any other manner that to them shall seem best and proper.
2. — School Funds and School Lands.
Section 1. The educational and school funds and lands, shall be under
the control and management of the General Assembly of this State.
Sec. 2. The university lands, and the proceeds thereof, and all moneys
belonging to said fund shall be a permanent fund for the sole use of the
State University. The interest arising from the same shall be annually ap-
propriated for the support and benefit of said university.
Sec. 3. The General Assembly shall encourage, by all suitable means,
the promotion o^ intellectual, scientific, moral and agricultural improve-
ment. The proceeds of all lands that have been, or hereafter may be,
granted by tlie United States to this State, for the support of schools, which
may have been, or shall hereafter be, sold or disposed of, and the five hun-
dred thousand acres of land granted to the new States, under an act of
Congress, distributing the proceeds of the public lands among the several
States of the Union, approved in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and forty-one, and all estates of deceased persons who may have
died without leaving a will or heir, and also such per cent as has been, or
may hereafter be, granted by Congress, on the sale of lands in this State,
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA. 235
shall be, and remain a perpetual fund, the interest of which, together with
all rents of the unsold lands, and such other means as the General As-
sembly may provide, shall be inviolably appropriated to the support of
common schools throughout the State.
Sec. 4. The money which may have been, or shall be, paid by persons
as an equivalent for exemption from military duty, and the clear proceeds
of all fines collected in the several counties for any breach of the penal
laws, shall be exclusively applied, in the several counties in which such
money is paid, or fine collected, among the several school districts of said
counties, in proportion to the number of youths subject to enumeration in
such districts, to the support of commen schools, or the establishment of
libraries, as the board of education shall, from time to time, provide.
Sec. 5. The General Assembly shall take measures for the protection,
improvement, or other disposition of such lands as have been, or may here-
after be reserved, or granted by the United States, or any person or persons,
to this State, for the use of a university, and the funds accruing from the
rents or sale of such lands, or from any other source for the purpose afore-
said, shall be, and remain, a permanent fund, the interest of which shall be
applied to the support of said university, for the promotion of literature,
the arts and sciences, as may be authorized by the terms of such grant.
And it shall be the duty of the General Assembly, as soon as may be, to pro-
vide effectual means for the improvement and permanent security of the
funds of said university.
Sec. 6. The financial agents of the school funds shall be the same, that
by law, receive and control the State and county revenue, for other civil pur-
poses, under such regulations as may be provided by law.
Sec. 7. The money subject to the support and maintenance of common
schools shall be distributed to the districts in proportion to the number of
youths, between the ages of five and twenty-one years, in such manner as
may be provided by the General Assembly.
Article 10. — ^Amendments to the Constitution.
Section 1. Any amendment or amendments to this constitution may be
proposed in either House of the General Assembly; and if the same shall
be agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each of the two
houses, such proposed amendment shall be entered on their journals, with
the yeas and nays taken thereon, and referred to the Legislature to be cho-
sen at the next general election, and shall be published, as provded by law,
for three months previous to the time of making such choice; and if, in the
General Assembly so next chosen as aforesaid, such proposed amendment or
amendments shall be agreed to, by a majority of all the members elected to
each house, then it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to submit
such proposed amendment or amendments to the people in such manner,
and at such time as the General Assembly shall provide; and if the people
shall approve and ratify such amendment or amendments by a majority of
the electors qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly, voting
thereon, such amendment or amendments shall become a part of the Consti-
tution of this State.
Seo. 2. If two or more amendments shall be submitted at the same
236 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
time, they shall be submitted in such manner that the electors shall vote for
or against each of such amendments separately.
Sec. 3. At the general election to be held in the year one thousand eight
hundred and seventy, and in each tenth year thereafter, and also at such
time as the General Assembly, may, by law, provide, the question: " Shall
there be a Convention to revise the Constitution and amend the same?" shall
be decided by the electors qualified to vote for members of the General As-
sembly ; and in case a majority of the electors so qualified, voting at such
election for and against such proposition, shall decide in favor of a Conven-
tion for such purpose, the General Assembly, at its next session, shall pro-
vide by law for the election of delegates to such Convention.
Article 11. — Miscellaneous.
Section 1. The jurisdiction of justices of the peace shall extend in all
cases (except cases in chancery, and cases where the question of title to
real estate may arise), where the amount in controversy does not exceed one
hundred dollars, and by the consent of parties may be extended to any
amount not exceeding three hundred dollars.
Sec. 2. Ko new county shall be hereafter created containing less than
four hundred and thirty-two square miles; nor shall the territory of any or-
ganized county be reduced below that area, except the county of Worth, and
the counties west of it, along the northern boundary of the State, may be or-
ganized without additional territory.
Sec. 3. No county, or other political or municipal corporation shall be
allowed to become indebted in any manner, or for any purpose, to an amount
in the aggregate exceeding five per centum on the value of the taxable prop-
arty within such county or corporation — to be ascertained by the last State
and county tax lists, previous to the incurring of such indebtedness.
Sec. 4. The boundaries of the State may be enlarged, with the consent
of Congress and the General Assembly.
Sec. 5. Every person elected or appointed to any office shall, before en-
tering upon the duties thereof, take an oath or afiirmation to support the
Constitution of the United States, and of this State, and also an oath of
office.
Sec. 6. In all cases of elections to fill vacancies in office occurring be-
fore the expiration of a full term, the person so elected shall hold for the
residue of the unexpired term; and all persons appointed to fill vacancies in
office, shall hold until the next general election, and until their successors
are elected and qualified.
Sec. 7. The General Assembly shall not locate any of the public lands,
which have been, or may be granted by Congress to this State, and the lo-
cation of which may be given to the General Assembly, upon lands actually
settled, without the consent of the occupant. The extent of the claim of
such occupant so exempted, shall not exceed three hundred and twenty
acres.
Sec. 8. The seat of government is hereby permanently established, as
now fixed by law, at the City of Des Moines, in the county of Polk, and the
State University at Iowa City, in the county of Johnson.
constitution of the state of iowa. 237
Akticle 12. — Schedule.
Section 1. This Constitution shall be the supreme law of the State, and
any law inconsistent therewith shall be void. The General Assembly shall
pass all laws necessary to carry this Constitution into effect.
Sec. 2. All laws now in force, and not inconsistent with this Constitu-
tion, shall remain in force until they shall expire or be repealed.
Sec. 3. All indictments, prosecutions, suits, pleas, plaints, process, and
other proceedings pending in any of the courts, shall be prosecuted to final
judgment and execution; and all appeals, writs of errors, certiorari, and
injunctions, shall be carried on in the several courts, in the same manner as
now provided by law; and all offenses, misdemeanors and crimes that may
have been committed before the taking effect of this Constitution, shall be
subject to indictment, trial and punishment, in the same manner as they
would have been had not this constitution been made.
Sec. 4. All fines, penalties, or forfeitures due, or to become due, or ac-
cruing to the State, or to any county therein, or to the school fund, shall
inure so the State, county, or school fund, in the manner prescribed by law.
Sec. 5. All bonds executed to the State, or to any officer in his official
capacity, shall remain in force and inure to the use of those concerned.
Sec. 6. The first election under this constitution shall be held on the
second Tuesday in October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and
fifty-seven, at which time the electors of the State shall elect the Governor
and Lieutenant Governor. There shall also be elected at such election, the
successors of such State Senators as were elected at the August election, in
the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, and members of the
House of Representatives, who shall be elected in accordance with the act
of apportionment, enacted at the session of the General Assembly which
commenced on the first Monday of December, one thouasnd eight hundred
and fifty-six.
Sec. 7. The first election for Secretary, Auditor, and Treasurer of State,
Attorney-General, District Judges, Members of the Board of Education,
District Attorneys, members of Congress, and such State officers as shall
be elected at the April election, in the year one thousand eight liundred and
fifty-seven (except the Superintendent of Public Instruction), and such
county officers as were elected at the August election, in the year one thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-six, except Prosecuting Attorney, shall be held
on the second Tuesday of October, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-
eight; Provided, that the time for which any District Judge, or any other
State or county officer, elected at the April election in one thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight, shall not extend beyond the time fixed for filling
like offices at the October election in the year one thousand eight hundred
and fifty-eight.
Sec. 8. The first election for Judges of the Supreme Court, and such
county officers as shall be elected at the August election, in the year one
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, shall be held on the second Tuesday
of October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Sec. 9. The first regular session of the General Assembly shall be held
in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, commencing on the
second Monday of January of said year.
Sec. 10. Senators elected at the August election, in the year one thou-
238 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
sand eight hundred and fifty-six, shall continue in office until the second
Tuesday of October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine,
at which time their successors shall be elected as may be prescribed by law.
Sec. 11. Every person elected by popular vote, by a vote of the General
Assembly, or who may hold office by Executive appointment, which office
is continued by this constitution, and every person who shall be so elected
or appointed, to any such office, before the taking effect of this constitution,
(except as in this constitution otherwise provided) shall continue in office
until the term for which such person has been or may be elected or ap-
pointed shall expire; but no such person shall continue in office after the
taking effect of this constitution, for a longer period than the term of such
office, in this constitution prescribed.
Sec. 12. The General Assembly, at the first session under this eonstitu-
tion, shall district the State into eleven, judicial districts, for District Court
purposes; and shall also provide for the apportionment of the General As-
sembly, in accordance with the provisions of this constitution.
Sec 13. The foregoing constitution shall be submitted to the electors of
the State at the August election, in the year one thousand eight hundred and
fifty-seven, in the several election districts in this State. The ballots at such
election shall be written or printed as follows : Those in favor of the constitu-
tion — "New Constitution — Yes." Those against the constitution, "New Con-
stitution — No." The election shall be conducted in the same manner as the
general elections of the State, and the poll-books shall be returned and can-
vassed as provided in the twenty-fifth chapter of the Code; and abstracts
shall be forwarded to the Secretary of State, which abstracts shall be can-
vassed in the manner provided for the canvass of State officers. And if it
shall appear that a majority of all the votes cast at such election for and
against this constitution are in favor of the same, the Governor shall imme-
diately issue his proclamation stating that fact, and such constitution shall
be the constitution of the State of Iowa, and shall take efi'ect from and after
the publication of said proclamation.
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 " wliitej" from the article on the " Right of Sufi'rage,"
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 * Eight of Suffrage?' — Yes." And
those given against the proposition shall have the wt)rds, " Shall the word
'white' be stricken out of the article on the 'Eight 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
and 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.
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
239
In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names:
Timothy Day,
S, G. WiNCHESTEE,
David Bunkek,
D. P. Palmer,
Geo. W. Ells,
J. C. Hall,
John H. Peters,
"Wm. H. AVakken,
H. W. Gray,
KOBT. GOWER,
H. D. Gibson,
Thomas Seeley,
A. H. Marvin,
J. H. Emerson,
R. L. B. Clarke,
James A. Young,
D. H. Solomon,
Attest:
Th. J. Saunders, Secretary.
E. N. Bates, Assistant Secretcmf,
M. "W. Robinson,
Lewis Todhunter,
John Edwards,
J. C. Traer,
James F. Wilson,
Amos Harris,
Jno. T. Clark,
S. Ayres,
Harvey J. Skiff,
J. A. Parvin,
W. Penn Clarke,
Jeee. Hollingwoeth,
Wm. Patterson,
D. W. Price,
Alpheus Scott,
George Gellaspy,
Edward Johnston.
Francis Springer, President
Constitution of United States.
TTe, the people of the United States ^vn order to form a more perfect union^
establish justwe^ impure domestic tranquility, provide for the corrimon
defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the^ hlessings of liherty
to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution
for the United States of America.
Article I.
Section 1. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a
Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of
Representatives.
Sec. 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of members
chosen every second year by the people of the several States, and the electors
in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most
numerous branch of the State Legislature.
No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age
of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and
who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall
be chosen.
Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several
States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective
numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free
persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and exclud-
ing Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons. The actual enumer-
tion shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress
of tlie United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such
manner as they shall by law direct.
The number of representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thou-
sand, but each state shall have at least one representative, and until such
enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to
choose three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight,
Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Caro-
lina five, and Georgia three.
When vacancies happen in the representation from any State, the execu-
tive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker, and other officers
and shall have the sole power of impeachment.
Sec. 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Sen-
AND ITS AMENDMENTS. 241
ators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six years; and
each Senator shall have one vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled, in consequence of the first
election, they shall be divided as equally as may be, into three classes. The
seats of the Senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of
the second year; of the second class, at the expiration of the fourth year;
and of the third class, at the expiration of the sixth year; so that one-third
may be chosen every second year; and if vacancies happen, by resignation
or otherwise, during the recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive
thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the
Legislature, which shall then fill such vacancies.
'No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty
years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not,
when elected, be an inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.
The Vice-President of the United States shall be president of the Senate;
but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.
The Senate shall choose their other officers, and also a president pro tem-
pore, in the absence of the Yice-President, or when he shall exercise the of-
fice of President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. Wlien sit-
ting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. When the Pres-
ident of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside; and no
person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the mem-
bers present.
Judgment, in cases of impeachment, shall not extend further than to
removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor,
trust or profit, under the United States; but the party convicted shall, never-
theless, be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment
according to law.
Sec. 4. The times, places, and manner of holding elections for Senators
and Representatives, shall be prescribed, in each state, by the Legislature
thereof; but the Congress may, at any time, by law, make or alter such reg-
ulations, except as to the places of choosing Senators.
Tlie Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting
shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall, by law, appoint
a difierent day.
Sec. 5. Each house shall be the judge of the elections returns, and quali-
fications of its own members, and a majority of each shall constitute a quorum
to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and
may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members in such
manner, and under such penalties, as each house may provide.
Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its mem-
bers for disorderly behavior, and with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel
a member.
Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and, from time to time,
publish the same, excepting such parts as may, in their judgment, require
secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the members of either house, on any ques-
tion, shall, at the desire of one-fil*th of those present, be entered on the
journal.
Neither house, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent
of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than
that in which the two houses shall be sitting.
16
242 CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
Sec. 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation
for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of
the United States. They shall, in all cases, except treason, felony and breach
of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session
of their respective houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and,
for any speech or debate, in either house, they shall not be questioned in any
other place.
Ko Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was
elected, be appointed to any civil office, under the authority of the United
States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have
been increased during such time; and no person, holding any office under
the United States shall be a member of either house, during his continuance
in office.
Sec. 7. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of
Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments,
as on other bills.
Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representaties and the
Senate shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President of the
United States; if he approve, he shall sign it, but if not, he shall return it,
with his objections, to that house in which it shall have originated, who
shall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to reconsider
it. If after such reconsideration, two-thirds of that house shall agree to pass
the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by
which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of
that house, it shall become a law. But in all such cases the votes of both
houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons
voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journal of each house
respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten
days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same
shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress, by
their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law.
Every order, resolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the Senate
g,nd House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of adjourn-
ment), shall be presented to the President of the United States ; and before
the same shall take effect, shall be approved by him ; or, being disapproved by
him shall be repassed by two-thirds of the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case of a
bill.
Sec. 8. The Congress shall have power —
To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises ; to pay the debts, and
provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States;
but all duties, imposts, and excises, shall be uniform throughout the United
States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States ;
To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States,
and with the Indian tribes;
To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the
subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the
standard of weights and measures;
To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current
coin of the United States;
AND ITS AMENDMENTS. 243
To establisli post-offices and post-roads;
To promote the progress of science and useful arts, bj securing, for limited
times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writino-s
and discoveries;
To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;
To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas,
and offenses against the law of nations;
To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules con-
cerning captures on land and water;
To raise and support armies; but no appropriation of money to that use
shall be for a longer term than two years;
To provide and maintain a navy;
To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval
forces ;
To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union,
suppress insurrections, and repel invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for
governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the
United States, reserving to the States, respectively, the appointment of the
officers, and the authority of training the militia, according to the discipline
prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive legislation, in all cases whatsoever, over such district
(not exceeding ten miles square), as may, by cession of particular States, and
the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United
States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent
of the Legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the erection of
forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings; and
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into
execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Consti-
tution in the government of the United States, or in any department, or
officer thereof.
Sec. 9. The migration or importation of such persons as any of the States
now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the
Congress, prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax
or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for
each person.
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless
when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.
No bill of attainder, or ex post facto law, shall be passed.
Ko capitation or other direct tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the
census, or enumeration, hereinbefore directed to be taken.
No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any State. No
preference shall be given, by any regulation of commerce or revenue, to the
ports of one State over those of anotner; noT shall vessels, bound to or from
one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay duties in another.
No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appro-
priations made by law; and a regular statement and account of the receipts
and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time.
No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States; and no person
holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent
of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind
whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.
244 CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
Sec. 10. No State shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation;
grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make
anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any
bill of attainder, ex-post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of con-
tracts, or grant any title of nobility.
No State shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any imposts or duties
on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing
its inspection laws ; and the net produce of all duties and imposts, laid by
any State on imports and exports, shall be for the use of the treasury of the
United States, and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and control of
the Congress. No State shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any duty
of tonnage, keep troops, or ships of war, in time of peace, enter into any
agreement or compact with another State, or with a foreign power, or
engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as •will
not admit of delay.
Article II.
Section 1. Tlie executive power shall be vested in a President of the
United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four
years, and, together with the Vice-President, chosen for the same term, be
elected as follows:
Each State shall appoint, in snch manner as the Legislature thereof may
direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and
Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress ; but no
Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit
under the United States, shall be appointed an elector.
The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by ballot for
two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same
State with themselves. And they shall make a list of all the persons voted
for, and of the number of votes for each; which list they shall sign and cer-
tify, and transmit, sealed, to the seat of government of the United States,
directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall,
in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the
certificates, and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the
greatest number of votes shall be the President, if such number be a major-
ity of the whole number of electors appointed ; and if there be more than
one who have such majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the
House of Representatives shall immediately choose, by ballot, one of them
for President ; and if no person have a majority, then from the five highest
on the list, the said house shall, in like manner, choose the President. But
in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representa-
tion from each State having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall con-
sist of a member or members from two-tlurds of the States, and a majority
of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. In every case, after the
choice of a President, the person having the greatest number of votes of the
electors, shall be the Yice-President. But if there should remain two or
more who have equal votes, the Senate shall choose from them, by ballot, the
Yice-President.
The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the
day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the same
throughout the United States.
AND ITS AMENDMENTS. 245
No person, except a natural-born citizen, or a citizen of the United States
at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office
of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not
have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident
within the United States.
In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resig-
nation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of said office, the
same shall devolve on the Vice-President; and the Congress may, by law,
provide for the case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the
President and Vice-President, declaring what officer shall then act as Presi-
dent, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed,
or a President shall be elected.
The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensa-
tion, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for
which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period,
any otlier emolument from the United States, or any of them.
Before he enters on the execution of his office, he shall take the following
oath, or affirmation:
" I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of
President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve,
protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Sec. 2. The President shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy
of the United States, and of the militia of the several States, when called
into the actual service of the United States ; he may require the opinion, in
writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon
any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices, and he shall
have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United
States, except in cases of impeachment.
He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to
make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur; and he
shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall
appoint ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls, judges of the
Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appoint-
ments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established
by law; but the Congress may, by law, vest the appointment of such inferior
officers as they think proper in the President alone, in the courts of law, or
in the heads of departments.
The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen dur-
ing the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions, which shall expire at
the end of their next session.
Seo. 3. He shall, from time to time, give to the Congress information of
the state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures
as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinay occasions,
convene both houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between
them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such
time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public
ministers; he shaU take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall
commission all the officers of the United States.
Seo. 4. The President, Vice-President, and all civil officers of the United
States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of
treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
246 coNSTiruTioN of the united states
Aeticlb III.
Section 1. The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in
one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may, from
time to time, ordain and establish. The judges, both of tlie Supreme and
inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behavior, and shall, at
stated times, receive for their services a compensation, which shall not be
diminished during their continuance in office.
Sec. 2. The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity, aris-
ing under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made,
or which shall be made, under their authority; to all cases affecting ambas-
sadors, other public ministers and consuls; to all cases of admiralty and
maritime jurisdiction'; to controversies to which the United States shall be a
party; to controversies between two or more States, between a State and citi-
zens of another State, between citizens of different States, between citizens
of the same State claiming lands under grants of different States, and between
a State, or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens, or subjects.
In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and
those in which a State shall be party, the Supreme Court shall have orig-
inal jurisdiction. In all other cases before mentioned, the Supreme Court
shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions
and under such regulations as the Congress shall make.
The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury;
and such trials shall be held in the State where the said crime shall have
been committed; but when not committed within any State, the trial shall
be at such place or places as the Congress may, by law, have directed.
Sec. 3. Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying
war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and com-
fort. No person shall be convicted of treason, unless on the testimony of
two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but
no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture, except
during the life of the person attainted.
Article IV
Section 1. Full faith and credit shall be given in each State, to the pub-
lic acts, records and judicial proceedings of every other State. And the Con-
gress may, by general laws, prescribe the manner in which such acts, records
and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof.
Sec. 2. The citizens of each State shall be entitled to all privileges and
immunities of citizens in the several States.
A person charged, in any State, with treason, felony, or other crime, who
shall flee from justice, and be found in another State, shall, on demand of
the Executive authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up,
to be removed to the State having jurisdiction of the crime.
No person held to service or labor in one State, under the laws thereof,
escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein,
be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up, on claim
of the party to whom such service or labor may be due.
Sec. 3. New States may be admitted, by the Congress, into this Union ;
AUD ITS AMENDMENTS. 247
but no new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any
other State, nor any State be formed by the junction of two or more States,
or parts of States, without the consent of the Legislatures of the States con-
cerned, as well as of the Congress.
The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules
and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the
United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed
as to prejudice any «laims of the United States, or of any particular State.
Sec. 4. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union,
a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against
invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when
the legislature cannot be convened), against domestic violence.
Article Y.
The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary,
shall propose amendments to this constitution, or, on the application of the
Legislatures of two-thirds of the several States, shall call a convention for pro-
posing amendments, which in either case shall be valid to all intents and
purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of
three-fourths of the several States, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof,
as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Con-
gress ; provided that no amendment, which may be made prior to the year
one thousand eight hundred and eight, shall in any manner afifect the first
and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no State,
without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.
Article YI.
All debts contracted, and engagements entered into, before the adoption
of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States, under this
Constitution, as under the Confederation.
This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made
in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the
authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the
judges in every State shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution
or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of
the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of
the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by oath, or affirm-
ation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be re-
quired, as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United
States.
Aeticlb YII.
The ratification of the conventions of nine states shall be sufficient for the
establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the same
Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the States present, the
seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven
248
CONSTITUTION OP THE UNITED STATES
hundred and eighty-seven, and of the independence of the United States
of America the twelfth. In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed
our names.
New Ha/irypshvre.
John Langdon,
KicHOLAS Oilman.
MaasacJmsetts.
Nathaniel Gokham,
KuFus King.
Connecticut.
"Wm. Sam'l Johnson,
RoGEE Sheeman.
l^ew York.
Alexander Hamilton.
New Jersey.
WiL. Livingston,
Wm. Pateeson,
David Beeaelet,
JoNA. Dayton.
GEO. WASHINGTON,
President and Dej^ty from Yvrgvma,.
Delaware.
Geo. Read,
John Dickinson,
Jaco. Beoom,
Gunning Bedfoed, Je.,
KiCHAED BaSSETT.
Maryland.
James M'Henet,
Danl. Caeeoll,
Dan. of St. Thos, Jenifeb.
Vi/ravnia.
John Blaie.
James Madison, Je.
North CaroUna.
Wm. Blount,
Hu. Williamson,
Rich'd Dobbs Spaight.
lama.
B. Feanklin,
robt. moeeis,
Thos. Fitzsimons,
James Wilson,
Thos. MnTLiN,
Geo. Cltmee,
Jaeed Ingeesoll.
Gouv. MOEEIS.
South Carolina.
J. Rutledge,
Chaeles Pinckney,
Chas. Coteswoeth Pinckney,
PlEECE BUTLEE.
Georgia.
William Few,
Abe. Baldwin.
WILLIAM JACKSON, Seoreta/ry.
AMENDMENTS
To the Constitution of the Urmted States, ratified according to the provis-
ions of the Fifth Article of the foregoing Constitution.
Aeticle I.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof ; or abridging the freedom of speech,
or of the press ; or the right of the people peacea Wy to assemble, and to pe-
tition the government for a redresss of grievances.
AND ITS AMEMDMENTS. 249
Article II.
A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and hear arms, shall not he infringed.
Article III.
No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the
consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed
by law.
Article IY.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and
effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated ;
and no warrant shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or
affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the per-
sons or things to be seized.
Article Y.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous
crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in
cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual
service, in time of war, or public danger ; nor shall any person be subject
for the same oflense to be twice put in jeapordy of life or limb; nor shall
be compelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself, nor be
deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall
private property be taken for public use without just compensation.
Article YI.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy
and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the
crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously
ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accu-
sation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compul-
sory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance
of counsel for his defence.
Article YII. •
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed
twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact,
tried by jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United
States, than according to the rules of common law.
Article YIII.
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel
and unusual punishments inflicted.
250 CONSTITUTION OF TIIE UNITED STATES
Article IX.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be con-
strued to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Article X.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to
the people.
Article XI.
The judicial power of the United shall not be construed to extend to any
suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United
States, by citizens of another State, or by citizens or subjects of any foreign
State.
Article XII.
The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by ballot, for
President and Yice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhab-
itant of the same State with themselves ; they shall name, in their ballots,
the person voted for as President, and, in distinct ballots, the person voted
for as Yice-President; and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted
for as President and of all persons voted for as Yice-President, and of the
number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and trans-
mit, sealed, to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to
the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in pres-
ence of the Senate and House of Pepresentatives, open all the certificates,
and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the greatest num-
ber of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a ma-
jority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no person have
such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers, not ex-
ceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Rep-
resentatives shall choose immediately by ballot, the President. But, in
choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation
from each State having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of
a member or members from two-thirds of the States, and a majority of all
the States shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Kepresenta-
tives shall not choose a President, whenever the right of choice shall devolve
upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Yice-
President shall act as President, as in the case of the death, or other consti-
tutional disability of the President.
The person having the greatest number of votes as Yice-President, shall
be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number
of electors appointed; and if no person have a majority, then, from the tw»
highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Yice-President ; a
quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of
Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice.
But no person, constitutionally ineligible to the office of President, shall
be eligible to that of Yice-President of the United States.
AJSTD ITS AMENDMENTS. 251
Article XIII.
1. Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for
crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within
the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legis-
lation.
Article XIY.
1. All persons born, or naturalized, in the United States, and subject to
the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and of the States
wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor
shall any State deprive any person of life liberty, or property, without due
process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.
2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States, ac-
cording to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons
in each State, excluding Indians not taxed; but whenever the right to vote
at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President
of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial
officers of the State, or members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any
of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and
citizens of the United States, or in any way abridge, except for participation
in rebellion or other crimes, the basis of representation shall be reduced in
the proportion which the whole number of such male citizens shall bear to
the whole number of male citizens, twenty-one years of age in such State.
3. No person shall be Senator or Representative in Congress, or elec-
tor of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military,
under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken
an oath as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or
as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer
of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States shall have
engaged in insurrection or rebellion, against the same, or given aid and com-
fort to the enemies thereof; but Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of
each house, remove sush disability.
4. The validity of the public debt of the United States authorized by
law, including debts incurred for the payment of pensions and bounties for
suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither
the U nited States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation
incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any
claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave ; but such debts, obliga-
tions, and claims shall be held illegal and void.
5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation,
the provisions of this article.
Aetiolb XV.
The rights of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States, or by any State, on account of race, color, or
previous condition of servitude.
2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
Miscellaneous.
PRACTICAL KULES FOR EYERT DAT USE.
How to find the gain or loss per cent, when the cost and selling price ara
given.
iiuLE. — Find the difference between the cost and selling price, which will
be the gain or loss.
Annex two ciphers to the gain or loss, and divide it by the cost price;
the result will be the gain or loss per cent.
How to change gold into currency.
Rule — Multiply the given sum of gold, by the price of gold.
How to change currency into gold.
Rule. — Divide the amount in currency by the price of gold.
How to find each partner'' s share of the gain or loss in a. copartnership
business.
Rule. — Divide the whole gain or loss by the entire stock, the quotient
will be the g^in or loss per cent.
Multiply each partner's stock by this per cent, the result will be each
one's share of the gain or loss.
How to find gross and net weight and price of hogs.
A short and simple method for finding the net weight, or price of hogs ^
when the gross weight or price is given, and vice versa.
Note.— It is generally assumed that the gross weight of Hogs diminished by 1-5 or 20
per cent, of itself gives the net weight, and the net weight increased by ^ or 25 per cent,
of itself equals the gross weight.
To fine the net weight or gross price.
Rule. — Multiply the given number by .8 (tenths.)
To find the gross weight or net price.
Rule. — Divide the given number by .8 (tenths.)
Hoio to find the capacity of a granary, hin, or wagon-bed.
Rule. — Multiply (by short method) the number of cupic feet by 6308,
and point off one decimal place — the result will be the correct answer in
bushels and tenths of a bushel.
For only an approximate answer, multiply the cubic feet by 8, and
point off one decimal place.
How to find the contents of a corn-crib.
Rule. — Multiply the number of cubic feet by 54, short method, or by 4^
MISOELLAITEOUS. 253
ordinary method, and point off one decimal place — the result will be the
answer in bushels.
Note.— In estimating com in the ear, the quality and the time it has been cribbed
must be taken into consideration, since com will shrink considerably during' the Winter and
Spring. This rule generally holds good for corn measured at the time it is cribbed, provided
it is sound and clean.
How to find the contents of a cistern or tanh.
KuLE. — Multiply the square of the mean diameter by the depth (all in
feet) and this product by 5681 (short method), and point off one decimal
place — the result will be the contents in barrels of 31-|- gallons.
Sow to find the contents of a harrel or cash.
Rule. — Under the square of the mean diameter, write the length (all in
inches) in reversed order, so that its units will fall under the tens; multi-
ply by short method, and this product again by 430; point off one decimal
place, and the result will be the answer in wine gallons.
Sow to ineasure hoards.
Rule. — Multiply the length (in feet) by the width (in inches) and divide
the product by 12 — the result will be the contents in square feet.
How to measure scantlings^ joists, planhs^ sills, etc.
Rule. — Multiply the width, the thickness, and the length together (the
width and thickness in inches, and the length in feet), and divide the pro-
duct by 12 — the result will be square feet.
How to find the numher of acres vn a body of land.
Rule, — Multiply the length by the width (in rods), and divide the pro-
duct by 160 (carrying the division to 2 decimal places if there is a remain-
der); the result will be the answer in acres and hundredths.
When the opposite sides of a piece of land are of unequal length, add
them together and take one-half for the mean length or width.
Hoio to find the numher of square yards in a floor or wall.
Rule. — Multiply the length by the width or height (in feet), and divide
the product by 9, the result will be square yards.
How to find the numher ofhricks required in a huilding.
Rule. — Multiply the number of cubic feet by 22^.
The number ot cubic feet is found by multiplying the length, height and
thickness (in feet) together.
Bricks are usually made 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and two inches
thick; hence, it requires 2T bricks to make a cubic foot without mortar, but
it is generally assumed that the mortar fills 1-6 of the space.
How to find the numher of shingles required in a roof.
Rule. — Multiply the number of square feet in the roof by 8, if the shin-
gles are exposed 4^ inches, or by 7 1-5 if exposed 5 inches.
To find the number of square feet, multiply the length of the roof by
twice the length of the rafters.
To find the length of the rafters, at one-fourth pitch, multiply the
width of the building by .56 (hundredths); at one-third pitch, by .6
(tenths); at two-fifths pitch, by .64 (hundredths); at one-half pitch, by
.71 (hundredths). This gives the length of the rafters from the apex to
the end of the wall, and whatever they are to project must be taken into
consideration.
Note.— By M or J^ pitch is meant that the apex or comb of the roof is to be ^ or >^ the
width of the bunding higher than the walls or case of the rafters.
254 MISOELLANEOUS.
How to reckon the cost of hay.
KuLE. — Multiply the number of pounds by half the price per ton, a,nd
remove the decimal point three places to the left.
Sow to measure grain.
KuLE. — Level the grain; ascertain the space it occupies in cubic feet;
multiply the number of cubic feet by 8, and point off one place to the left.
Note. — Exactness requires the addition to every three hundred bushels of one extra
bushel.
The foregoing rule may be used for finding the number of gallons, by
multiplying the number of bushels by 8.
If the corn in the box is in the ear, divide the answer by 2, to find the
number of bushels of shelled corn, because it requires 2 bushels of ear corn
to make 1 of shelled corn.
Rapid rules for measuring land without instruments.
In measuring land, the first thing to ascertain is the contents of any
given plot in square yards; then, given the number of yards, find out the
number of rods and acres.
The most ancient and simplest measure of distance is a step. Novr, an
ordinary-sized man can train himself to cover one yard at a stride, on the
average, with sufiicient accuracy for ordinary purposes.
To make use of this means of measuring distances, it is essential to walk
in a straight line; to do this, fix the eye on two objects in a line straight
ahead, one comparatively near, the other remote; and, in walking, keep
these objects constantly in line.
Farmers and others hy adopting the following simple and ingenious
contrivance^ may always carry with them the scale to construct a correct
yard measure.
Take a foot rule, and commencing at the base of the little finger of the
left hand, mark the quarters of the foot on the outer borders of the left
arm, pricking in the marks with indelible ink.
To find how many rods in length will make an acre, the width being
given.
Rule. — Divide 160 by the width, and the quotient will be the answer.
Sow to find the number of acres in any plot of land, the number of
rods being given.
Rule. — Divide the number of rods by 8, multiply the quotient by 5, and
remove the decimal point two places to the left.
The diameter being given, to find the circumference.
Rule. — Multiply the diameter by 3 1-7.
How to find the diameter, when the circumference is giveii.
Rule. — Divide the circumference by 3 1-7.
To find how many solid feet a round stick oftimher of the same thick-
ness throughout will contain when squared.
Rule. — Square half the diameter in inches, multiply by 2, multiply by
the length in feet, and divide the product by 144.
General rule for measuring timber, to find the solid contents in feet.
Rule. — Multiply the depth in inches by the breadth in inches, and then
multiply by the length in feet, and divide by 144.
MISCELLANEOUS. 255
To find the numher offset of timber in trees with the larh on.
Rule. — Multiply the square of one-fifth of the circumference in inches,
bj twice the leno^th, in feet, and divide by 144. Deduct 1-10 to 1-15
according to the thici^ness of the bark.
IIoward''s new rule for computing interest.
Rule. — The reciprocal of the rate is the time for which the interest on
any sum of money will be shown by simply removing the decimal point
two places to the left; for ten times that time, remove the point one place
to the left; for 1-10 of the same time, remove the point three places to the
left.
Increase or diminish the results to suit the time given.
Note.— The reciprocal of the rate is found by inverting the rate; thus 3 per cent, per
month, inverted, becomes 3^ of a month, or ten days.
When the rate is expressed by one figure, always write it thus: 3-1,
three ones.
Rule for converting English into American currency.
Multiply the pounds, with the shillings and pence stated in decimals, by
400 plus the premium in fourths, and divide the product by 90.
POPULATION OF IOWA CITIES.
The following table presents the population of thirteen of the principal
cities of Iowa for the years 1870, 1875 and 1878 — the population for the last
named year being, in the main, estimated:
Pop. in 1870. Pop. in 1875. Pop. in 1878.
Des Moines 12,035 14,443 25,000
Burlington 14,930* 19,987 25,000
Davenport 20,038 21,234 26,82T
Dubuque 18,434 23,605 27,500
Keokuk . , 12,766 11,841 15,000
Cedar Eapids 5,940 7,179 11,350
Iowa City 5,914 6,371 8,000
Council Bluffs 10,020 9,287 11,000
Clinton 6,129 7,028 9,000
Muscatine 6,718 7,537 8,000
Sioux City 3,401 4,290 6,000
Ottumwa 5,214 6,326 10,000
Marshalltown 3,288 4,384 6,416
Fort Madison, Mt. Pleasant and Waterloo are, probably, entitled to appear
in the above table, as each of them, doubtless, has a population of over
six thousand.
* Includes whole township.
THE PIONEER
In the heart of the grand old forest,
A thousand miles to the West,
Where a stream gushed out from the hill sido,
Thej 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 Boone County.
CHAPTEK I.
PREFATORY.
The County, its location and name — The United States Dragoons — Colonel Boone and his
connection with the county which bears his name.
But little more than a quarter of a century has elapsed since the first per-
manent settlement was made within the bounds of what is now Boone
county, it is less than a half of a century since the uncivilized aborigines
roamed the prairies wild and free, unfettered by the restraint of common or
statutory law and uncircumscribed by township boundaries and county
lines. Almost a century ago a friend of America, although an English-
man, 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 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.
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 doubt-
less 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 cit-
17
25S HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
ies sprung up as if by magic, while others, seemingly no less favored by na-
ture, are still in the lirst stages of development? These questions cannot,
in all cases, be answered; but whoever has studied the matter carefully can-
not fail to have discovered a law of growth which is as unvarying as any
law of nature. The two leading factors in the problem of municipal
growth are location and character of first settlers. The location of Boone
county was most favorable; and what is true of Boone county is true of
the whole State. Almost surrounded, as it is, by two of the most renowned
water-courses of the world, one will readily see that it possessed advan-
tages enjoyed by no other State in the Union. These conditions, so favora-
ble 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 Boone county. We here quote it, as it well illustrates our
our point and is of sufficient merit to be preserved.
TWO ANCIENT MISSES.
I know two ancient misses
Who ever onward go,
From a cold and rigid northem clime
Through a land of wheat and com 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, wUd 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 ^olian hai-ps —
None 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 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
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 259
of the people who settled the county, and have given to it its distinctive
characteristics.
Names are sometimes given to towns and countries bj accident; some-
times thej 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 ac-
cident; neither did it originate in the childish caprice of one man, but the
christening took place after mature deliberation and by general consent.
Among the hardy pioneers whose restless and daring spirits tired of the
staid and monotonous ways of the older settled communities, there was one
who early crossed the Alleghanies and wrested from the warlike savages a
home in*^ what has very properly been named the "Dark and Bloody
Ground." For true manliness of character, for bravery and for skill in
dealing with the crafty red man of the forest he was without a peer. His
name was Daniel Boone. This man had a son who inherited a great many
traits of his father and was in a remarkable degree endowed with those
characteristics which distinguished the daring frontiersman of the far
West.
It would be entirely unnecessary to explain to the early settlers who were
the United States Dragoons. Though the early settlers of this county are
mostly well along in years and their recollection of early events is gradu-
ally wearing away by the erasion of passing events, there are doubtless
none but what appreciate the significance of the term "Dragoon" and who
even at this late day can call back the picture of those dignified and pom-
pous, though brave and honorable, persons who were a terror alike to the
predatory savage and the covetous claim hunter. The children of the
pioneer and those people who have come to the country in later years have
not been accustomed to associate with these doughty champions of law and
order, and for the benefit of such a word of explanation would, perhaps, not
be amiss.
The term dragoon originated in England many years ago and was applied
to a certain species of cavalry soldiers who rode swift horses, went lightly
armed and whose business it was to scour the King's dominions and by
menace or actual deeds of violence awe the obstinate Saxon into sub-
mission.
Their first appearance in America was during the Revolutionary War
when they performed important service by making long and rapid excur-
sions through the country within the American lines and thus keeping open
a line of communication with the tories who were scattered throughout the
whole country. What the Cossack is to the Russian array, and what Mosby's
and Forest's swift riders were to the Confederate army, that the dragoons
were to the English soldiery. When the war of independence closed and
the colonies, by the terms of the treaty of peace, became free and inde-
pendent, it became necessary for the republic to organize an army, and in
the organization of this army, that of England was taken as a model;
and not only English tactics but English military terms were appropriated.
The term dragoon is no longer used in military parliance but from the or-
ganization of the United States army till sometime after the close of the
Mexican War the dragoon was an important, and what was supposed to be
an indispensable, factor in the service. Their peculiar mission for over
fifty years was to lead in the van of civilization and act as umpire in cases of
dispute between the pioneer and the savage. In time of war they encircled
360 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
the scattering settlements of the frontier like a wall of fire and many a de-
fenseless settler owed the protection of his. life and family to these men.
They fully understood the Indian character and Indian tactics and under
ordinary circumstances one dragoon was a match for five Indians in an open
and hand to hand conflict. In time of peace, however, the dragoon knew
no friends and was as swift and unrelenting in administering punishment
to the trespassing settler as to the savage Indian. One day his mission
would be to pursue a band of hostile Indians who had left their reservation
and menaced the life or property of the settler; the next day, perchance,
his task would be to search out the aggressive squatter who, ignoring Indian
treaties, had erected a cabin across the boundary line; when he found such
the dragoon would invariably burn the cabin and drive the squatter back
across the line.
One of the first companies of United States Dragoons stationed in this
section of country was commanded by Colonel Boone. He was among the
first white men who explored the region and gave a correct account of its
natural resources and as a tribute to his memory the county bears his
name.
The following brief biography of Colonel Boone will be of interest to
every reader of this work and will doubtless be regarded as relevant at this
place. For the facts in this biography we are indebted to Chas. Negus
whose able article on the subject, published in the Annals of Iowa in 1872,
has come to be regarded as an important part of the permanent history
of the Hawk-Eye State:
"There is one name, which, whenever it is mentioned among military
men and old frontiermen, is always mentioned with respect, and that name
is Nathan Boone. On account of his father. Colonel Daniel Boone, of Ken-
tucky, the fame of the son is not as wide-spread as it should be, nor is it
such as he was justly entitled to. He was born in Kentucky in 1772, in
the settlement made by his father; lived there until he was grown to man-
hood, and then moved to the Territory of Missouri, where, at thirty years
of age, and on the 25th day of March, 1812, he was made, by
the President of the United States, a captain of mounted rangers.
These rangers, of which there were seven companies, were raised
during the war with Great Britian, for the protection of the
frontier of the United States against the Indians, and were to serve on foot
or horseback, as the exigencies of the service might require. He served
through the whole war, his company being made up of frontiersmen from
Missouri Territory. He was promoted major of the Missouri mounted
rangers, on the 10th of December, 1813, continued as captain in 1814, and
his command was finally disbanded when the whole army was cut down at
the close of the war, in June, 1815. By nature he was cool and daring,
combining the superior knowledge of the white man with the cunning of
the Indian. He had the passion peculiar to his family for the chase, and
often went off' on long and lonely marches, far beyond the most extended
frontier settlements, in pursuit of the denizens of the forest. After leaving
the army, he was sometimes employed as a surveyor, and laid off" many In-
dian boundaries in the territory north of Missouri; and sometimes as a
trapper, when he indulged his love for hunting for months together. His
home he moved beyond the Ozark Mountains, where, in a beautiful valley,
and far in advance of civilization , he made it cheerful and happy.
"There he lived until the breaking out of the Black Hawk War, when he
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 261
was again called upon by the President to serve his country in the field. A
battalion of mounted rangers was raised and placed under the command of
Major Henry Dodge, the six companies of which it was composed being
commanded respectively by Captains Lemuel Ford, Benjamin V. Becks,
Jesse B. Brown, Jesse Bean, Nathan Boone, and Matthew Duncan. Captain
Boone's coram; :ion was dated June 16, 1832, This battalion rendered
good service dr. ,ng the Black Hawk troubles, and after the war closed it
was sent west ot the Mississippi, and served in the Indian country. Here,
Boone's knowledge of woodcraft was invaluable, and he was known to be
one of the ablest woodsmen that ever belonged to the United States army.
He could go to any point in a straight line, no matter whether it was
across the prairie or through the timber, and possessed a keener instinct
than the Indians themselves. He was an extraordinary man, and it is said
that no Indian hunter excelled him in the knowledge of woodcraft.
"In August, 1833, the battalion of rangers was reorganized as the First
regiment of United States dragoons, Major Dodge having been promoted
colonel: Stephen W. Kearney lieutenant-colonel, and Richard B. Mason,
major. Five of the captains in the rangers were retained, Captain Becks
having been discharged, and five other captains from the old array ap-
pointed to the regiment; these were Clinton Wharton, Edwin Y. Suraner,
Eustace Trenor, David Hunter, and Reuben Holmes.
"While a captain, Boone was stationed at Fort Des Moines, and at Leav-
enworth, but every summer his company made long expeditions far
out in the Indian country. He was the favorite pioneer captain of Colo-
nel Kearney, who had the most implicit confidence in his knowledge and
sagacity. It is related that at one time, while out in the buffalo range,
several 3'oung and enthusiastic officers started out and followed a drove of
bufialo a long distance. They became separated frora the main command
and frora one another, and, in fact, got lost. Night carae on, but still the
young gentlemen did not return, and all became exceedingly apprehensive
in regard to their safety. A long night ensued, but with the first light of
the following morning Boone was on the trail, though in sotne places it had
been obliterated by .the hoofs of thousands of buffaloes ; and after a long
search, found them completely lost, and almost insane.
"At another time, an ofiicer, while in pursuit of buffaloes, after riding
several miles, lost his hat, but in the hurry of pursuit did not stop to pick
it up. After shooting a buffalo, he returned and tried to find it, but could
not do so, and tying his handkerchief around his head he returned to the
main body, Boone asked hira where he had lost his hat, and the ofiicer
told hira it was soraewhere out on the plain — he did not know where. Asa
hat at that tirae could not well be replaced, it was worth looking after, and
Boone rode out, and having been gone an hour or two, returned with the
hat.
"In the settlement of the Osage Indian diflSculties, in 1837, and those of
the Cherokees, which originated in the death of Boudinot and Ridges, in
1839, Boone acted a conspicuous part.
"During the Mexican War he was kept on the plains in the Indij^n coun-
try, whe^e it was thought he could be more usefully eraployed than he
could further south. He was proraoted raajor in the First regiment on the
15th of February, 1847, and served as such until the 25th of July, 1850,
when he was promoted lieutenant-colonel of the Second dragoons. Feeling
that old age was wearing upon him, and that he* was no longer able to keep
262 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
the field, he resigned out of the army on the 15th of July, 1853, and died
at his home in Missouri, in January, 1857, in the seventy-fifth year of his
age.
"Several of the paths leading towards the Rocky Mountains were first
traveled by parties under the leadership of Boone, and he discovered many
of the water-courses and streams along which travelers have since wended
their way to the shores of the Pacific. This work has been claimed by ex-
plorers who have visited the country long since his time, and who have
robbed him of the credit which was due him as a successful pioneer and
noted leader on our wide western domain. He was a man of great mod-
esty and simplicity of character. His education was quite limited, as he
lived nearly his whole life on the frontier, away from schools and the ad-
vantages which most other Americans possess. He had the most unflinch-
ing perseverance, combined with personal courage, and an integrity wliich
nothing could shake. In personal appearance he is said to have strongly
resembled his celebrated father, Daniel Boone, the first settler of Ken-
tucky . ^
CHAPTER II.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
Situation — Extent — Surface — Rivers — Timber — Climate— Prairies — Soils — Geology — Eco-
nomic Geology — Coal — Building Stone — Clays — Spring and Well Water.
Boone county is situated near the center of the State — accurately speak-
ing it is about thirty miles west and a very little south of the geographical
center; it is considerably west and north of the center of wealth and pop-
ulation. Numbering by counties it is in the fifth tier numbering either
from the north or south boundary of the State, in the eighth, numbering
from the east, and in the fifth Irom the west boundary of the State. Its
latitude is about 42 degrees and 10 minutes, being somewhat north of the
city of New York, and its longitude is about 93 degrees, and 50 minutes
west of Gi-reenwich, and 13 degrees and 50 minutes, or about 1,150 miles
west of Washington City.
It is bounded, on the north by Webster and Hamilton counties; on the
east by Story county; on the south by Dallas and Polk; on the west by
Greene. It comprises the congressional townships 82, 83, 84 and 85 of
ranges 25, 26, 27 and 28 west.
Boone county is in the shape of a square as nearly as could be made,
estimated by the measurements of the original surveys, and is twenty-four
miles each way, giving it a superficial area of five hundred and seventy-six
square miles, or three hundred and sixty-eight thousand, six hundred and
forty acres. The civil townships as now constitued are as follows: Harri-
son, Dodge, Pilot Mound, Grant, Amaqua, Yell, Des Moines, Jackson, Col-
fax, Worth, Marcy, Beaver, Union, Peoples, Cass, Douglas and Garden.
Of these, Harrison, Jackson, Colfax, Garden, Peoples, Union, Beaver,
A maqu^, and Grant have the same boundaries as the corresponding con-
gressional townships; Dodge, Marcy and Des Moines are larger, while
Pilot Mound, Yell, Worth, Douglas and Cass are smaller than congres-
sional townships. Dodge is the largest township and Douglas the smallest.
The county was originally divided into civil townships whose boundaries
in the main corresponded with the boundaries of the congressional town-
H18T0KY OF BOOKE COHNTT. 263
ships, but in later years some important changes were made which will be
mentioned more particularly at the proper place. All the townships, as at
present constituted have regular boundaries, except where they border
upon the Des Moines river. Owing to the great expense necessarily in-
volved in bridging this river, but few bridjics have been erected, conse-
quetly the river forms an impassable barrier during certain portions of the
year thus making it very inconvenient, if not altogether impassable, hence
it has been so arranged that no township, as at present constituted, extends
on both sides of the stream.
Boone county's elevation is somewhat greater than the average county of
Iowa in this latitude; from this circumstance it earned the appellation in
early times of "High Boone,"
The elevation of the county is probably about 950 feet above the level
of the sea, or 506 feet above low water mark in the Mississippi river at
Keokuk. According to the railroad levels, the highest point on a line
drawn east and west across the center of the county is near the east bound-
ary line, where the elevation is 1,188 feet above the sea or 744 feet above
low water in the Mississippi river at Keokuk. The elevation of the prin-
cipal points on the railroad in the county is as follows:
Boone 951 feet above the sea.
Moingona 919 feet above the sea.
Ogden 1,080 feet above the sea.
Beaver Station 1,039 feet above the sea.
The water in the Des Moines river, here, is about 460 feet higher than at
its mouth.
The county is generally of an undulating prairie, and has altogether a
diversity of country seldom seen in so small a space. At a varying distance
from the streams rises an irregular line of bluifs, or hills, sometimes
wooded, and sometimes, previous to improvement, covered with a luxuriant
growth of prairie grass, having between them the water bottom lands of
unsurpassed fertility. These hills are usually a gentle slope, easily
ascended and descended by wagons and sinking into mere benches, mod-
erately lifted above the surface of the valley; again they rise oft-times to
the height of one hundred and fifty feet above the bed of the Des Moines
river. From side to side between these hills the streams meander with
banks varied by hill, meadow and forest. Rising to these higher grounds
the eye often commands views of exquisite loveliness, embracing the silvery
course of river or creek, the waving foliage of trees, the changing outlines
of hills and the undulating surface of flower-decked prairie, with culti-
vated farms, with farm houses from the log hut of the first settler to the
brick or painted houses and barns of the more advanced cultivator of the
soil.
A remarkable chain of blufi^s or hills, called Mineral Ridge, extends the
entire width of the north side of the county. The surveyors declared that
the ridge contained deposits of iron from the fact that their compass
needles were deflected when running lines in that locality. This is the
reason why the elevations were called Mineral Ridge.
An old record says that:
" Opposite to Honey creek in section 18, township 84, range 26, is a row
264 - msTOEY OF boone county.
of ancient mounds, nine in number, the largest one being in the center
and over fifteen feet high. "
Professor Owen says:
" The real beauty of this section can hardly be surpassed. Undulating
prairies interspersed with open groves of timber and watered with pebbly
or rocky streams, pure and transparent, hills of moderate height and gentle
slope; here and there, especially toward the heads of the streams, small
lakes as clear as the streams, skirted with timber, some with banks covered
with the green sward of the prairie. These are the ordinary features of
the landscape. For centuries the successive annual crops have accumulated
organic matter on the surface to such an extent that the succession even of
exhausting crops will not materially impoverish the land. "
The country presented to the first settler an easy task in subduing the
wild land. Its natural prairies were fields almost ready for the planting
of the crop, and its rich black soil seemed to be awaiting the opportunity
of paying rewards as a tribute to the labor of the husbandman. The
farms of Iowa at present are generally large, level, unbroken by impassa-
ble sloughs, without stumps or other obstructions, and furnish the best of
conditions favorable to the use of reaping machines, mower, corn planters
and other kinds of labor-saving machinery.
Boone county is well supplied with good living streams, many of them
having fine mill sites. The Des Moines river is the principal stream of
the county, as it also is of the State. It enters the county a mile west of
the center of the nothern boundary line and pursues a southeasterly course,
leaving the county four miles east of the center of the south
boundary line. Its average width is over one hundred yards and its waters
are of a crystal clearness when not disturbed by freshets. Many mill
sites may be found along this stream within the bounds of the county, but
few of these have thus far been improved. No county in this or any
other State has better facilities than this for fiouring mills, or the propaga-
tion of any kind of machinery. The available water power along the Des
Moines river in Boone county alone, were it utilized, would furnish a remu-
nerative occupation for all the able-bodied men in the county. It has
been but recently that the full value of the Des Moines river for water
power begun to be appreciated and at some points (as at Ottumwa for in-
stance), is become to be regarded as the foundation of future municipal
wealth and greatness.
As to the significance of the name of this river. According to Nicollet
the name Des Moines, which has been attached to the largest river, one of
the first counties organized and the capital of the State, is a corruption of
an Indian word signifying " at the road. " He remarks, " but in the later
times the inhabitants associated this rmme {Revere des Moins) with that
of the Trappist Monks {Moines de la Trappe) who resided on the Indian
mounds of the American Bottom. It was then concluded that the true
reading of the Rivere Des Moins was Rlvere Des Moines or River of the
Monks, by which name it is designated on all the maps.
The older settlers have doubtless noticed quite a change in the spelling
of this name in later years, the approved way of spelling in former times
having been Demoin,
The other streams of the county are small, but nevertheless important.
Equaw creek in the northeast part of the county is a fine, rapid stream
of clear, pure water, having a plentiful supply of timber and settlements
HISTORY OP BOONE COUNTY. 265
along its banks; it is a tributary of Skunk river. It is said that Equiioa
is the Indians' name of the creek and signifies woman's. Hence the white
settlers soon accustomed themselves to call it Squaw creek, which detest-
able custom in this case as in the case of Skunk river has resulted in the
dropping of the pleasant sounding Indian name and the substitution of a
name which is unpleasant both to the ear and the eye. Notwithstanding
the stream has practically lost its beautiful name it has lost none of its
beautiful characteristics for which it is deservedly noted.
Amaqua creek waters the western portion of the county; its course is
southward and has along its banks a plentiful supply of timber. It is said
that Amaqua, an Indian word, means beaver, consequently the stream is
frequently if not generally called by that name — another evidence of the
etymological researches of the early settlers, which is more creditable to
their industry than good taste. Two townships, through which this tream
flows, Amaqua and Beaver, received their names from it. This stream
furnishes abundance of water for that region.
The other streams are short tributaries of the Des Moines river. They
are called Bear creek, Blufi" creek, Cryton's creek, all on west side; Hull's
creek, Pea's creek and Honey creek on the east side. The banks of all
these streams are lined with timber, and imbedded in them are mines of
wealth in the form of coal, stone and potter's clay. Two of these streams,
viz.: Hull's creek and Pea's creek, received their names from the two first
settlers, John Pea and Hull. It is very appropriate for the names of these
hard}'^ pioneers thus to be perpetuated, and so long as the present race
occupy the land they will remain unchanged by the vicissitudes of time.
Among the most abundant of all trees originally found was the black
walnut, so highly prized in all countries for manufacturing purposes. Tim-
ber of this kind was very plentiful and of good quality originally, but the
high prices paid for this kind of timber presented itself as a tempatation
to destroy it which the people, frequently in straightened circumstances,
could not resist. Red, white and black oak are still very plentiful, although
they have for many years been extensively used as fuel. Crab apple, elm,
maple, ash, cottonwood and wild cherry are also found. The best timber
in the State is to be found in this county,
A line of timber averaging four miles in width follows the course of the
Des Moines river, and all the other streams are liberally supplied. De-
tached groves both natural and artificial are found at many places through-
out the county, which are not only ornamental, in that they vary the monot-
ony of the prairie, but likewise very useful in that they have a very impor-
tant bearing on the climate. It is a fact fully demonstrated by the best of
authority that climate varies with the physiognomy of a country.
There is a variety of soil as well as surface in this county. Portions
along the Des Moines river are somewhat broken and uneven but the soil
is productive and peculiarly well adapted to the raising of wheat, corn,
oats and other cereals. Grasses of all kinds grow luxuriantly and it is one
of the best localities for stock raising,
Boone county is well supplied with stone for all kinds of building pur-
poses. Quarries of limestone of the best quality, resembling the celebrated
Joilet limestone, have been discovered and operated in various parts of the
county. The best quarries are located in the vicinity of Elk Rapids. An
abundance of stone suitable for the manufacture of lime is also found in
266 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
the county. While building stone is not well distributed over the county,
yet enough is readily obtained anywhere.
Potter's clay of good quality is found all along the course of the Des
Moines river. This clay has for a number of years been utilized in the
manufacture of stone and earthenware. The potteries of Boone county
have for many years had a wide-spread reputation and their capacity is
only limited by the amount of capital invested. Clay also for the manu-
facture of tiling and brick is found just above, and immediately below the
coal veins.
Along the river bluffs at numerous places gush forth springs of living
water whose supply even during the dryest seasons seems to be exhaustless
while good well water can be obtained anywhere by digging or boring a
distance of from fifteen to thirty feet. The lakes which are represented on
the early maps prove to be nothing but small sloughs. These are to be
found in considerable numbers all over the county. It is found that by
draining these marshy places they afford the most productive spots of land.
It will not be many years, under the present enterprising management,
till all these sloughs will be converted into corn fields.
The climate is what is generally termed a healthy one, subject however
to the sudden change from heat to cold. The winters, however, are as a
general thing uniform although there seems to have been very marked modifi-
cations in the climate during the past few years, resulting, doubtless, from
the changes which have taken place in the physiognomy of the country.
At one time it was asserted, with much confidence, that the climate of
the Mississippi Valley was warmer than that of the Atlantic States in the
same latitude, but this idea has long since been exploded by observations
which have been made in both regions.
From Blodgett's Climatology of the United States we learn that the
"■'early distinctions between the Atlantic States and the Mississippi Yalley
have been quite dropped as the progress of observation has shown them to
be practically the same, or to differ only in unimportant particulars. It is
difficult to designate any important fact entitling them to any separate
classification; they are both alike subject to great extremes; they both
have strongly marked continental features at some seasons and decided
tropical features at others and these infiuence the whole district similarly
without showing any line of separation. At a distance from the Gulf of
Mexico, to remove the local effect, the same peculiarities appear which be-
long to Fort Snelling; Montreal as well as to Albany, Baltimore and Rich-
mond."
As this county is nearly on the same parallel as Central New York it is
fair to presume that the climate is nearly identical, provided the above be
true. Yet observation shows that there is a perceptible tendency to ex-
tremes, as we go further west, owing to the lakes and prairies probabh', and
shows that the spring and summer are decidedly warmer, and the winter
colder here than in New York. From the open country, the great sweep
of the winds, and the force of the sun, the malaria from the rich prairies
is counteracted and dispelled so that the climate here is as healthy as in
any portion of the known world.
The geological characteristics of the county are varied and form an in-
teresting subject of study and investigation. In this progressive age and
owing to the present advanced stage of scientific research, the intelligent
people of Boone county will not fail to be interested by a somewhat
HISTOEY OF BOONE COUNTY. 267
elaborate dissertation upon the subject of local geology as applied to the
tbrraation of their own lands, the constituents of their own soil, and the
comparisons and contrasts which will be made with other and adjoining
counties. In discussing this subject we draw not only upon facts of our
own observation, but avail ourselves of the best authorities at our com-
mand.
Alluvmm. — The deposits strictly referable to this formation in Boone
county, are: the soil everywhere covering the surface, and narrow belts of
alluvial bottom lands skirting the principal streams; these consist of
irregularly stratified deposits of sand, gravel and decomposed vegetable
matter, the whole seldom exceeding ten or twelve feet in thickness. The
reader will understand that the original surface of the land consisted of
rock; portions of these rocks having been detached by the action of the ele-
ments, by chemical causes and the action of glaciers in pre-historic times
were afterward transported by subsequent floods; this constitutes the soil
and is alluvium or drift, according to its peculiar formation.
Drift Deposits. — The entire surface of the county is covered with a
heavy deposit of drift material presenting the usual characteristics of this
formation, and consisting of irregularly stratified beds of sand, gravel and
clay, with an average thickness of from forty to sixty feet.
The drift of this region contains a greater amount of arenaceous or sandy
material than is found in the same deposit farther south, which seems to
have been derived from the decompositions of the sandstones and shales
of the coal-measures in the immediate vicinity. The dark color of the soil
is derived from the presence of coal, which doubtless existed here in former
times, and still exists in large quantities. That peculiar quality of soil
commonly called "hard pan," and which is found further south, is due to
the absence of arenaceous material composed of decomposed particles of
lime instead of sandstone.
Outlies of these sandstones and shales must have existed all over the
northern part of the county previous to the drift period, and have been
broken up and redeposited by drift agencies in beds of loose sand. Frag-
ments of coal are quite common in this formation and have been derived
from the coal seams previously existing.
Voal-Measu7'es. — Outlies of rocks referable to the age of coal seem to
originally have been spread over a considerable portion of the surface of
the county but have, to a great extent, been broken up and carried away by
the drift agencies.
With regard to the geological formation of Boone county, lying as it
does wholly within the area of the coal field, it is referable to the middle
and lower coal-measures. A careful examination of the strata has been
made at three points, viz.: Elk Rapids, at the mouth of Hull's Creek, and
at Milford, two and one-half miles above Boonesboro.
The following was the result of observations near the mouth of the creek
emptying into the Des Moines river, from the west of Elk Rapids:
Gray Shale and Shaly Sandstone 20 feet.
Ash-colored Marl, containing Orthis Productus, Chonetes, Terebratula., and joints
of Cnnoids 6 feet.
Gray Shale 15 feet*
Dark Blue Shale 8 inches.
Marly Limestone, with Productus, Chonetes, etc 10 inches!
Ash-colored Shaly Clay 4 feet.
Buff-colored, Arenaceous Limestone 4)^ feet!
Unexposed 18 feet.
iSt)5 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
The uppermost bed in this section was found to contain marine shells in
great profusion and in a most perfect state of preservation.
At the mouth of Hull's creek observations were made with the following
result:
Compact Gray Limestone 2 feet.
Gray Shaly Clay 4 feet.
Massive Sandstone 6 feet.
Gray Shale 8 feet.
Ferrugenous Shale 4 feet.
Dark Blue Slate 4 feet.
These beds were found to be overlaid by a heavy deposit of drift, form-
ing hills at least one hundred feet in height.
Observations were made at Milford with the following result:
Sandstone 4 feet.
Unexposed 6 feet.
Bituminous Slate, containing Tingula and Fossil wood 8 feet.
Coal ■ 1 foot.
Unexposed 21 feet.
Coal, in the bed of the river 1 foot.
The bituminous slate in this section was found to contain large concre-
tions of Sejptaria, one of which having been broken was found to contain
fish spines and a small species of Orhicula.
At an early day most of the coal mined in this region was taken from
the bed of the river where the seams were laid bare by the action of the
current. Along the bluffs the strata was entirely hidden by the heavy
deposits of drift clay and gravel which is spread in great profusion over the
rock strata in this part of the State.
As before remarked Boone county lies wholly within the limits of the
coal field. Coal was early discovered here and it was found to be not only
of a good quality but also in great abundance at certain places. In a work
prepared by Prof. C. A. White, entitled " Geology of Iowa," published in
1870, we find the following account of the coal interests of Boone county:
" The whole of Boone county lies quite within the recognized limits of the
coal field, and yet, so far as is known, coal has actually been discovered at
only a few points near the center. This is doubtless in a great part due to
the great depth of the drift, which covers the strata of the whole county,
and also in part, perhaps, to a supposed general depression of all the strata
so that the subcarboniferous as well as the lower strata of the lower coal-
measures are brought somewhat beneath the level of the Des Moines river
along the whole length of the county.
" Coal has been extensively worked near Boonesboro and Moingona,
on the line of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, by two companies
organized for that purpose. Besides this, considerable quantities have been
mined by private parties to supply local demand. All the mines have been
opened in the valley sides of the Des Moines river and Honey creek, one of
its small tributaries.
" There are two distinct beds of coal known and mined here, the principal
one being the lowest and about four feet thick. The upper one is from two
and a half to three feet thick. The quality of the coal is equally as good
as that of the other, but requiring proportionably more labor, is not so ex-
tensively mined. These being the only mines opened along the line of
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTT. 'JOS*
that railroad iu Iowa, they are of great value and importance. There can
be no reasonable doubt that these or other beds of coal may yet be reached
by sinking shafts from the prairie surfaces of different parts of the county
at a comparatively moderate depth."
This view, written by the State Geologist, and one of well recognized
ability, was the correct statement of the coal interests of Boone county in
their infancy. The author's prophesy of the extensive deposits of coal, at
that time undiscovered, is being rapidly fulfilled. Not only is it found to
underlie the surface of the entire county and other counties in the recog-
nized limits of the coal field, but extends much farther out in both directions,
and the future geologist who shall prepare a geological map of Iowa must
extend the width of the coal field by several miles on either side.
The quality of the coal in the county seems to improve as it is being
worked, and is rapidly becoming the favorite of Iowa coals. For a number
of years the Oskaloosa coal was thought to be superior to any other found
in the State, but while that coal has not depreciated the quality of Boone
county, coal has so far improved as to now be its successful rival. An
analysis of Boone county coal has been made by the State Geologist, the
result of which we deem to be of sufficient importance to the readers of this
work to be given. Before doing so a preparatory explanation will be
necessary, in order that the reader who is not versed in scientific and tech-
nical terms may be able to understand the significance of the analysis.
First. The value of coal for fuel is inversely proportional to the amount
of moisture contained in it; that is, the more water it contains the less is
its value. And moisture is a damage to the coal not only because it takes
the place of what might otherwise be occupied by combustible matter, but
because also it requires some of the heat generated by the burning of the
combustible matter to transform it into steam, and thus expel it. It will
thus be seen that the presence of large quantities of moisture in coal seri-
ously impair its value. But in looking over the analysis given it should
be remembered that some of the coals were taken fresh from the mines,
others had been kept for some time in a damp room, while others had been
subjected for some time to the high temperature of a heated room.
Second. The greater the per cent of ash, the less the value of the coal.
Third. The more fixed carbon which the coal contains, the greater its
value.
Fourth. The same holds true, to a certain extent, with regard to the
volatile combustible matter, the precise limits of which cannot be deter-
mined until we know the composition of this combustible matter.
For the purpose of analysis two samples were taken.
No. 1 was a sample from the Northwestern Coal Company's mine at
Moingona.
This is a hard, compact, and brittle coal. It is distinctly laminated, and
cleaves well. There is considerable mineral charcoal, and the coal is quite
dusty. Quite a number of seams of calcareous matter are found, and some
pyrites.
The coke is tolerably compact, With brilliant metallic luster. The ash is
red. No. 2 was a sample taken from the bottom of the same mine. The
appearance of this coal and of its coke is quite similar to that of the top
sample. The color of the ash is a very brigiit red.
270
BISTORT OF BOONE COUNTY.
COMPOSITION.
No.l.
Moisture 13.23.
Volatile Combustible 37.52.
Fixed Carbon 43.69.
Ash 5.56.
No. 2.
..11.51
.43.74
. 5.89
Total.
100.00 100.00
CALCULATED ON DRIED COAL.
VolatUe Combustible 43.25 43.91
Fixed Carbon 50.36 49.43
Ash 6.39 6.66
Total.
,100.00 100.00
Total Volatile
Total Combustible .
Coke.
No. 1.
. .50.75. .
j 81.21..
j 93.61..
j 49.25. ,
j .56.75. .
No. 2.
. . .50.37.
. . .82.60.
. . .93.34.
. . .49.63.
...56.09.
Undried.
Dried.
Undried.
Dried.
COMPOSITION OF COKE.
Carbon 88.74.
Ash 11.26.
.87.69
.12.81
Total.
.100.00 100.00
From a specimen of Oskaloosa coal the following result was obtained:
Moisture, 5.38; Volatile Combustible, 34.03; Fixed Carbon, 48.60; Ash,
11.99.
In examining the principal shaft of the Lower Yein Coal Company's
mine, two miles northwest from Boonsboro, the following formations were
noted :
MATERIALS.
FEET. INCH 8.
MATERIALS.
FEET. INCH'S.
Granite rock
White sand rock.
Granite rock
Sand rock
Black slate
Coal
Sand rock
Black slate
Dark soil 4. . . .
Gravel 4. . . .
Brown clay 12
Blue clay 6
Water, sand and gravel 2.3.'. . .
Blue clay 43
Dry sand. 9
Sea mud 6
Water, sand and gravel 5
Stiff clay 7....
Soap-stone 5
Brown rock 2
Soap-stone 5
Sand rock 4
Soap-stone 12 Black slate 4.
Red Cap rock 1 Coal 3.
Soap-stone 3 —
Rocky marl 3 Total 218.
Soap-stone 12
Gray slate 2.
Black slate 3 .
Coal
Brown Cap rock 1 .
Coal 2.
Fire-clay 1 .
.10
,10
HISTORY OF BOONE GOUNTr. 271
CHAPTEK III.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
Policy of the Government — Treaties— Annuities — The Sac and Fox Indians— Keokuk-
Wapello — Indian Incidents and Reminiscences — The Neutral Strip— The Pottawatta-
mies — John Greene and His Band — The Sioux— The Lott Atrocity — The Revenge
and the Retaliation.
It has been the custom of the general government in deah'ng with the
Indians west of the Mississippi river to treat them as independent nations.
In these negotiations with the aborigines of Iowa the authorities, at vari-
ous times, entered into treaties with the Sioux, in the north, and with the
Sacs and Foxes, in the south, the government purchasing the land from the
Indians just as Louisiana was purchased from France. The Black Hawk
purchase was acquired by means of the first treaty made with the Sac and
Fox Indians in reference to Iowa lands. This treaty was made September
1, 1832, and included a portion of country bounded as follows: Beginning
on the Mississippi river, where the northern boundary line of the lands
owned by said Indians strikes said river, thence up or westward on said
line fifty miles, thence in a right line to the Red Cedar river, forty miles
from the Mississippi river, thence in a right line to the northern part of
the State of Missouri, at a point fifty miles from the Mississippi river,
thence by the said boundary line to the Mississippi river, and "thence up
the Mississippi river to the place of beginning. The western boundary
line was a very irregular one, as it followed the same general direction as
the Mississippi river. It ran a little west of the present location of Wash-
ington, and its general direction was a little west of south.
The second purchase was made in 1837, October 21, and included a suf-
ficient amount of territory to straighten the boundary line. The western
boundary of the Black Hawk purchase being a very irregular line, the
treaty of 1837 was designed for the purpose of straightening said boundary
line. By this treaty the Indians ceded a tract of country west and adjoin-
ing the Black Hawk purchase, containing one million two hundred and
fifty thousand acres. Upon survey, however, the number of acres proved
insufiicient to make a straight line, as was originally intended. The Indians
stipulated to remove within one year, except from Keokuk's village, which
they were allowed to occupy five months longer.
The last treaty made with the Sac and Fox Indians comprehended all the
rest of their lands in the State. This treaty was made at Agency City, in the
present limits of Wapello county, and was concluded October 11, 1842, procla-
mation of its ratification having been made March 23, 1843, and possession
was given to all that part lying east of Red Rock, now in Marion county,
on May 1, 1843. The last "date, therefore, is the period when the whole of
the country was thrown open to white settlement.
The principal chief in this treaty was Keokuk. A gentleman of an ad-
joining county heard this chief make a speech on that occasion, which he
pronounces an unusually eloquent address. He says, that in his opinion,
"the former standing of Keokuk as an Indian orator and chieftain, as a
dignified gentleman and a fine specimen of physical development, was not
in the least overrated." During the Black Hawk trouble his voice was
for peace with the white man, and his influence added much to shorten that
3^2
HISTOBT OF BOONE OOUNTT.
war. As an honor to this chief, and owing to his influence in bringing
about the treaty, a county was called Keokuk.
Until the conclusion of the Black Hawk treaty the Indians held undis-
puted sway in Iowa. Few, if any, white people in those days ventured as
far west as this, and the country was comparatively unknown, except as re-
ports were brought to the frontier by roving bands of Indians, intent on
barter. In the main the Indians subsisted upon the wild animals then
inhabiting this country. Occasional patches of Indian corn • were culti-
vated, which furnished them scanty food during a portion of the year; but
wild turkeys, pheasants, deer, fish and muskrats formed the chief articles
of diet.
As they ceded their lands to the United States, strip after strip, they
gradually withdrew, and the white settlers took their place as possessors of
the soil. The aborigines were not forcibly ejected from their lands as in
other parts of the country, but the change was effected by a legitimate pro-
ceeding of bargain and sale.
As a result of this peaceable arrangement, and the earnest efforts of the
government to carry out, to the letter, the provisions of the treaties, the
early settlers experienced none of the hardships which fell to the lot of the
early settlers in other parts of the country, where misunderstanding about
the ownership of the soil gave rise to frightful massacre and bloody wars.
The Indians gave no serious difficulty, and seldom, if ever, disturbed the
early settlers of this county, after they had rightfully come into possession
of it.
By the various treaties made with the Sac and Fox Indians, the govern-
ment paid these $80,000 per year, by families. Mr. William B. Street, of
Oskaloosa, was disbursing clerk for John Beach, Indian agent, during the
year 1841, and still retains in his possession the receipts for the part pay-
ment of his annuity, in his own handwriting, and the marks of the chiefs
in signing. We give an extract, including the names of part of the In-
dians who were at that time living at Kish-ke-kosh's village, in what is
now the eastern part of the county, west of Keokuk county:
" We, the chiefs, warriors, heads of families and individuals without fam-
ilies, of the Sac and Fox tribe of Indians, within the same agency, acknowl-
edge the receipt of $40,000 of John Beach, United States Indian Agent,
in the sums appended to our names, being our proportion of the annuity
due said tribe for the year 1841 :
MARKS
MEN
WOMEN
child's
TOTAL
X
1
3
4
X
2
3
6
X
1
2
2
X
1
X
1
2
4
X
1
3
X
1
2
4
X
1
2
4
X
2
1
3
6
X
8
2
2
Kish-ke-kosh'
Ko-ko-ach
Pas-sa-sa-shiek
Mo-ka-qua
Pa-ko-ka • •
Ka-ke-wa-wa-te-sit. .
Much-e-min-ne'^
Wa-pes-e-qua'
Wa-pe-ka-kah*
Mus-qua-ke'
And fifty-nine others.
I 71 30
106 95
55 65
17 82
71 30
53 47
71 30
71 30
106 95
124 78
'Kish-ke-kosh means "The man with one leg oflF.
*Much-e-min-ne means "Big man." ^
'Wa-pes-e-qua means "White eyes."
*Wa-pe-ka-kah means "White crow.
'Mus-qua-ke means "The Fox."
^1
HI8T0BY OF BOONE COUNTY. 275
" We certify that we were present at the payment of the above-mentioned
amounts, and saw the amounts paid to the several Indians, in specie, and
that their marks were affixed in our presence this 19th day of October,
1861.
"(Signed) JNO. BEACH,
U. S. Indian Agent.
THOMAS McCRATE,
Lietit. 1st Dragoons.
JOSIAH SMART,
Interpreter.
" We the undersigned chiefs of the Sac and Fox tribe of Indians, ac-
knowledge the correctness of the foregoing receipts.
"KEOKUK,' his X mark.
"POWESHIEK.Miis X mark."
The payments were made in silver coins, put up in boxes, containing
five hundred dollars each, and passed into Keokuk's hands for distribution.
The several traders received each his quota according to the several demands
against the tribes admitted by Keokuk, which invariably consumed the far
greater portion of the amount received. The remainder was turned over
to the chiefs and distributed among the respective bands. Great com-
plaints were made of these allowances to the traders, on the ground of ex-
orbitant prices charged on the goods actuall}'' furnished, and it was alleged
that some of these accounts was spurious. In confirmation of this charge
over and above the character of the items exhibited in these accounts an
affidavit was tiled with Governor Lucas, by an individual to whom the gov-
ernor gave credence, setting forth that Keokuk had proposed to the maker
of the affidavit to prefer a purely fictitious account against the tribe for the
sum of $10,000, and he would admit its correctness, and when paid the
money should be divided among themselves, share and share alike. To
swell the trader's bills, items were introduced of a character that should
brand fraud upon their face, such as a large number of blanket coats, arti-
cles which the Indians never used, and telescopes, of the use of which they
had no knowledge. This showed the reckless manner in which these bills
were swollen to the exorbitant amounts complained of, in which Keokuk
was openly charged with being in league with the traders to defraud the
Indians. At this time the nation numl^red about two thousand and three
hundred and it is not possible tliat Keokuk could have carried on an organ-
ized system of theft without the fact becoming apparent to all. As it was,
however. Governor Lucas thought best to change the manner in which the
annual payments were made. The matter was referred to the Indian
bureau, and the mode was changed so that the payments were made to the
heads of families, approximating a per capita distribution. This method
of payment did not suit the traders, and after a short trial the old plan was
again adopted. That the Indians, then as now, were the victims of sharp
practice, cannot be doubted, but the fact can be attributed to the superior
tact and the unscrupulous character of many of the traders; this furnishes
a more probable explanation and is more in accord with the character of
Keokuk, as known by his intimate friends, still living, than to attribute
"Keokuk means " The watchful fox.'' 'Poweshiek means " The roused bear.'
18
276 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
these swindling operations to a conspiracy in which the ilhistrious chief
was the leading actor.
Among the early settlers of Iowa, the names of Keokuk and Wapello
are the most noted and familiar. These two illustrious chiefs live not only
in the recollections of these early settlers, but in the permanent history
of our common country. Short biographical sketches of these two noted
characters, therefore, will be of great interest to the people of this county,
and peculiarly appropriate for a work of this kind. To the school boy who
has frequently read of these Indians, the fact that they roved around on
this very ground where their feet tread, and that in their hunting excursions
these Indians crossed the same prairies where they now gather the yellow-
eared corn, will give to these sketches intense interest, while the early set-
tler who talked with Wapello and Keokuk, ate with them, hunted with
them and fished with them, cannot fail to find in these brief and necessarily
imperfect biographies, something fascinating as they are thus led back over
a quarter of a century, to live over again the days of other years, and wit-
ness again the scenes of early day, when the tall prairie grass waved in the
autumn breeze, and the country, like themselves, was younger and fresher
than now.
Keokuk belonged to the Sac branch of the nation, and, as mentioned in
the first part of this work, was born on Kock river, Illinois, in 1780. Ac-
cordingly he was sixty-three years old at the time the county was thrown
open to the white settler, and fifty-seven when the boundary line of 1837
was established. The best memory of the earliest settlers cannot take them
back to a time when Keokuk was not an old man. When in 1833 the im-
patient feet of the white men first hastened across the Mississippi eager for
new conquests and fortunes, this illustrious chief was already nearing his
three-score years, and with longing eyes he took the last look at the fair
lands bordering on the Great Father of Waters and turned his weary feet
toward the west, his sun of life had already crossed the meridian and was
rapidly approaching its setting.
Little is known concerning the early life of Keokuk, except that from
his first battle, while yet young, he had carried home the scalp of a Sioux,
whom he had slain in a hand-to-hand conflict, and between whose tribe and
the tribe to which Keokuk belonged there ever existed the most deadly
enmity. For this feat Keokuk was honored with a feast by his tribe.
It is said that a great battle was once fought by the Indians near Pilot
Mound, one of the elevations of Mineral Ridge, on the east side of the
river in this county. Keokuk commanded the Sacs and Foxes, and Little
Crow commanded the Sioux. This battle must have been fought some time
prior to the Black Hawk War. The bones of the slain were frequently
plowed up by the early settlers in the vicinity of Pilot Mound, and a num-
ber of skeletons have been exhumed from the top of the mound. Keokuk
is said to have been victorious. Several hundred warriors were engaged on
either side.
Keokuk first came into prominence among the whites at the breaking
out of the second war with England, commonly known as the War of 1812.
Most of the Indians at that time espoused the cause of the English, but
Keokuk, at the head of a large number of the Sacs and Foxes, remained
faithful to the Americans. In 1828 Keokuk, in accordance with the terms
of a treaty, crossed the Mississippi river with his tribe and established him-
self on the Iowa river. Here he remained in peace, and his tribe flourished
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 277
till the breaking out of the Black Hawk War in 1832. He seemed to have
a much more intelligent insight into the great national questions which
were raised during these early Indian difficulties, as well as more thorough
appreciation of the resources of the national government. He opposed the
Black Hawk War, and seemed to fully forecast the great disaster which there-
by befel his tribe. Although many of his warriors deserted him and followed
Black Hawk in his reckless campaign across the Mississippi, Keokuk pre-
vailed upon a majority of his tribe to remain at home. When the news
reached Keokuk that JBlack Hawk's warriors had gained a victory over
Stillman's forces in Ogle county, Illinois, the war spirit broke out among
his followers like fire in the dry prairie grass; a war-dance was held, and
the chief himself took part in it. He seemed for a while to move in sym-
pathy with the rising storm, and at the conclusion of tlie war-dance he
called a council to prepare for war. In a work entitled "Annals of Iowa,"
published in 1865, there is reported the substance of a speech made by
Keokuk on this occasion. We quote: " I am your chief, and it is my
duty to lead you to battle, if, after fully considering the matter, you are
determined to go." He then represented to them the great power of the
United States, against which they would have to contend, and that their
prospect of success was utterly hopeless. Then continuing, said: " But if
you are determined to go on the war-path, I will lead you on one condition
— that before we go we kill all our old men, and our wives, and our children,
to save them from a lingering death by starvation, and that every one of you
determine to leave his bones on the other side of the Mississippi." This
was a strong and truthful picture of the prospect before them, and was pre-
sented in such a forcible light that it caused them to abandon their rash
undertaking.
After the Black Hawk War Keokuk was recognized as the head of the Sac
and Fox nation by the United States government, and in this capacity he
was looked upon by his people from that time on. This honor, however,
was sometimes disputed by some of the original followers of Black Hawk.
A gentleman of some prominence as a writer, and who is said to have wit-
nessed the affray, says: "A bitter feud existed in the tribe during the time
Keokuk resided on the Des Moines river, between what was denominated
' Keokuk's band and Black Hawk's band.' Their distrust, and indeed
hatred, were smothered in their common intercourse, when sober; but when
their blood was fired with whisky, it sometimes assumed a tragic feature
among the leaders of the respective bands. An instance of this character oc-
curred on the lower part of the Des Moines river, on the return of a party
making a visit to the 'half-breeds,' at the town of Keokuk, on the Missis-
sippi. In a quarrel incited by M'hisky, Keokuk received a dangerous stab
in the breast by a son of Black Hawk. The writer saw him conveyed, by
his friends, homeward, lying in a canoe, unable to rise." The writer con-
tinues: " Hardfish (who was the pretended chief of the rival party) and
his coadjutors lost no occasion to find fault with Keokuk's administration."
In person, Keokuk was of commanding appearance. He was tall,
straight as an arrow, and of very gr; ceful mien. These personal character-
istics, together with his native fervor, and ready command of language,
gave him great power over his people as a speaker. If, as a man of energy
and courage he gained the respect and obedience of his tribe, it was more
especially as an orator that he was able to wield his people in the times of
great excitement, and in a measure shape their policy in dealing with the
278 HISTORY OF BOONB OOTINTT.
white man. As an orator rather than as a warrior, has Keokuk's claim to
greatness been founded.
" He was gifted by nature," says the author of the Annals, " with the
elements of an orator in an eminent degree, and as such is entitled to rank
with Logan, Red Jacket and Tecumseh ; but unfortunately for his fame
among the white people, and with posterity, he was never able to obtain an
interpreter who could claim even a slight acquaintance with philosophy.
With one exception, only, his interpreters were unacquainted with the ele-
ments of the mother tongue. Of this serious hindrance to his fame Keo-
kuk was well aware, and retained Frank Labashure, who had received a
rndimental education in the French and English languages, until the latter
died broken down by exposure and dissipation; but during the meridian of
his career among the white people he was compelled to submit his speeches
for translation to uneducated men, whose range of thought fell below the
flights of a gifted mind, and the fine imagery, drawn from nature, was be-
yond their power of reproduction. He had a suflicient knowledge of the
English tongue to make him sensible of this bad rendering of his thoughts,
and often a feeling of mortification at the bungling efforts was depicted
upon his countenance while he was speaking. The proper place to form a
correct estimate of his ability as an orator was in the Indian council, where
he addressed himself exclusively to those who understood his language,
and where the electric effects of his eloquence could be plainly noted upon
his audience. It was credibly asserted that by the force of his logic he
had changed the vote of a council against the strongly predetermined
opinions of its members." A striking incident of the influence of his elo-
quence is that one already related in which he delivered a speech to his
followers, who were bent on joining Black Hawk, after the Stillman reverse
in Ogle county, Illinois. Mr. James, of Sigourney, being present at the
council, at Agency City, when the treaty of 1842 was made, says of Keokuk:
" We heard him make a speech on the occasion, which, by those who under-
stood his tongue, was said to be a sensible and eloquent effort. Judging
from his voice and gestures, his former standing as an Indian orator and
chieftain, we thought his reputation as a dignified yet gentlemanly aborig-
ine had not been overrated. During the Black Hawk War his voice was
for peace with the white man, and his influence added much to the shorten-
ing of the war. As an honor to the chief our county bears his name. "
Keokuk, in company with Black Hawk, Poweshiek, Kish-ke-kosh, and
some fifteen other chiefs, under the escort of Gen. J. M. Street, visited
Washington City and different parts of the East in 1837. The party de-
scended the Mississippi to the mouth of the Ohio by steamer, and thence
up the latter to Wheeling, where they took stage across the mountains.
When the party arrived in Washington, at the request of some of the gov-
ernment officials a council was held with some chiefs of the Sioux there
present, as the Sacs and Foxes were waging a perpetual war with the Sioux
nation. The council was held in the Hall of Representatives. To the great
indignation of the Sioux, Kish-ke-kosh appeared dressed in a buffalo hide
which he had taken in war from a Sioux chief, and took his position in one
of the large windows, with the mane and horns of the buffalo as a sort of
head-dress, and the tail trailing on the floor. The Sioux complained to the
officials, claiming that this was an insult to them, but they were informed
that the Sacs and Foxes had a right to appear in any kind of costume they
chose to wear. The first speech was made by a Sioux, who complained
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 279
bitterly of the wrongs they had suffered, and how they had been driven
from their homes by the Sacs and Foxes, their warriors killed and their
villages burned. Then followed Keokuk, the great orator of his tribe, who
replied at some length, an interpreter repeating the speech after him.
There were those present who had heard Webster, Calhoun, Clay, and Ben-
ton in the same hall, and they declared that for the manner of delivery, for
native eloquence, impassioned expression of countenance, the chief surpassed
them all and this while they could not understand his words, save as they
were repeated by the interpreter. From Washington they went to New
York, where they were shown no little attention, and. Gen. Street attempt-
ing to show them the city on foot, the people in their anxiety to see Keokuk
and Black Hawk crowded them beyond the point of endurance, and in order
to avoid the throng they were compelled to make their escape through a
store building, and reached their hotel through the back alleys and less fre-
quented streets. At Boston the}' were met at the depot by a delegation of
leading citizens and conveyed in carriages to the hotel. The next day they
were taken in open carriages, and with a guard of honor on foot, they were
shown the whole city. During their stay in Boston they were the guests
of the great American orator, Edward Everett, who made a banquet for
them. When the Indians returned and were asked about New York they
only expressed their disgust. Boston was the only place in the United
States, in their estimation, and their opinion has been shared in by many
white people who since that time have made a pilgrimage from the West to
the famous shrines of the East.
While residing at Ottumwah-nac, Keokuk received a message from the
Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, in which the latter invited Keokuk, as
king of the Sacs and Foxes, to a royal conference at his palace at Nauvoo,
on matters of the highest importance to their respective people. The invita-
tion was accepted, and at the appointed time the king of the Sacs and Foxes,
accompanied by a stately escort on ponies, wended his way to the appointed
interview with the great apostle of the Latter Daj' Saints. Keokuk, as be-
fore remarked, was a man of good judgment and keen insight into the
human character. He was not easily led by sophistry, nor beguiled by
flattery. The account of this interview with Smith, as given by the author
of the "Annals," so well illustrates these traits of his character that we give
it in full:
" Notice had been circulated through the country of this diplomatic in-
terview, and quite a number of spectators attended to witness the denou-
ment. The audience was given publicly in the great Mormon temple, and
the respective chiefs were attended by their suites, the prophet by the dig-
nitaries of the Mormon Church, and the Indian potentate by the high civil
and military functionaries of his tribe, and the Gentiles were comfortably
seated as auditors.
" The prophet opened the conference in a set speech of some length, giv-
ing Keokuk a brief history of the Children of Israel, as detailed in the
Bible, and dwelt forcibly upon the history of the lost tribes, and that he,
the prophet of God, held a divine commission to gather them together and
lead them to a land 'flowing with milk and honey.' After the prophet
closed his harangue, Keokuk 'waited for the words of his pale-faced brother
to sink deep into his mind,' and in making his reply, assumed the gravest
attitude and most dignified demeanor. He would not controvert anything
his brother had said about the lost and scattered condition of his race and
280 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
people, and if his brother was commissioned by the Great Spirit to collect
them together and lead them to a new country it was his duty to do so.
But he wished to inquire about some particulars his brother had not named,
that were of the highest importance to him and his people. The red man
was not much used to milk, and he thought they would prefer streams of
water; and in the country they now were there was a good supply of honey.
The points they wished to inquire into were, whether the new government
would pay large annuities, and whether there was plenty of whisky. Joe
Smith saw at once that he had met his match, and that Keokuk was not the
proper material with which to increase his army of dupes, and closed the
interview in as amiable and pleasant a manner as possible."
Until 1836 Keokuk resided with his tribe on a reservation of 400 square
miles, situated on the Iowa river. His headquarters were at a village bear-
ing his name, located on the right bank of the stream. In this year, in
accordance with the stipulations of a treaty held at Davenport, Keokuk
with his followers removed to this territory, now comprised in the bounds
of Keokuk, Mahaska and Wapello counties. The agency for the Indians
was located at a point where is now located Agency City. At this time an
effort was made to civilize the red man. Farms were opened up, and two
mills were erected, one on Soap creek and one on Sugar creek. A salaried
agent was employed to superintend these farming operations. Keokuk,
Wapello and Appanoose, each had a large field improved and cultivated.
Keokuk's farm was located upon what is yet known as Keokuk's Prairie,
in what is now Wapello county. The Indians did not make much progress
in these farming operations, and in the absence of their natural and wonted
excitements, became idle and careless. Many of them plunged into dissi-
pation^ Keokuk himself became badly dissipated in the latter years of his
life. Pathetic as was the conditition of these savages at this time, it was
but the legitimate result of the treatment which they had received. They
were confined to a fixed location, and provided with annuities, by the gov-
ernment, sufficient to meet their wants from year to year. They were in
this manner prevented from making those extensive excursions, and em-
barking in those warlike pursuits, which from time immemorial had formed
the chief avenues for the employment of those activities which for centu-
ries had claimed the attention of the savage mind; and the sure and regu-
lar means of subsistance furnished by the government, took away from
them the incentives for the employment of these activities, even had the
means still existed. In addition to this the Indian beheld his lands taken
from him, and his tribe growing smaller year by year. Possessed of an
ideal and imaginative intellect he could not help forecasting the future, and
thus being impressed with the thought that in a few years all these lands
would be in the possession of the white man, while his tribe and his name
would be swept into oblivion by the tide, immigration, which pressed
in upon him from every side. Keokuk saw all of this, and seeing it, had
neither the power nor inclination to prevent it. Take the best representa-
tive of the Anglo-Saxon race, and place him in similar circumstances, and
he would do no better Shut in by restraint from all sides, relieved from
all the anxieties comprehended in that practical question, what shall we eat,
and wherewithal shall we be clothed? and deprived of all those incentives
springing from, and inspired by a lofty ambition, and the best of us, with
all our culture and habits of industry, would fall into idleness and dissipa-
tion and our fall would be as great, if not as low, as was the fall of that
HISTOKT OF BOONE COUNTY. 281
unhappy people who formerly inhabited this country, and whose disap-
pearance and gradual extinction we shall now be called upon to contem-
plate.
Wapello, the cotemporary of Keokuk and the inferior chief, after whom a
neighboring county and county seat were named, died before the Indians
were removed from the State, and thus escaped the humiliation of the
scene. He, like his superior chief, was a fast friend of the whites and
wielded an immense influence among the individuals of his tribe. As is
mentioned in a former chapter, he presided over three tribes in the vicinity
of Fort Armstrong during the time that frontier post was being erected.
In 1829 he removed his village to Muscatine Swamp, and then to a place
near where is now located the town bearing his name. Many of the early
settlers of the country remember him well, as the southern part of this
county was a favorite resort for him and many members of his tribe. It
was in the limits of Keokuk county that this illustrious chief died. Al-
though he willingly united in the treaty ceding it to the whites, it was
done with the clear conviction that the country would be shortly over-
run and his hunting ground ruined by the advance of pale faces. lie
chose to sell rather than to be robbed, and then quietly receded with his
band.
Mr. Scearcy, of Keokuk county, relates an incident in the life of this chief
which w^e here quote: "Between the Sioux, and the Sacs and Foxes, a
bitter and deadly hatred existed. This enmity was carried to such a bitter
extent that it caused the establishment, by the government, of the neutral
ground, in the north part of the territory, which was a strip of country
about thirty miles in width, over which the tribes were not allowed to pass
in order to slay each other. The love of revenge was so strongly marked
in the Indian character that it was not to be suppressed by imaginary geo-
graphical lines, and consequently it was not a rare occurrence for a Sac or
Fox Indian, or a Sioux, to bite the dust, as an atonement for real or imag-
inary wrongs. In this manner one of the sons of Wapello was cruelly cut
down, from an ambush, in the year 1836. When the chief heard of the sad
calamity he was on Skunk river, opposite the mouth of Crooked creek.
He immediately plunged into and swam across the stream. Upon arriving
at a trading-post near by, he gave the best pony he had for a barrel of
whisky, and setting it out, invited his people to partake, a very unwise
practice which he doubtless borrowed from the white people who availed
themselves of this medium in which to drown their sorrows."
Wapello's death occurred in Keokuk county, in March, 1844. In accord-
ance which the provisions of the treaty of 1843, he had retired with his
tribe west of Red Rock, and it was during a temporary visit to his old
hunting ground on Rock creek, that he breathed his last. We quote from
an address of Mr. Romig, delivered in a neighboring town a few years
since, the following pathetic account of the death of the warrior:
"As the swallow returns to the place where last she had built her nest,
cruelly destroyed by the ruthless hands of some rude boy, or as a mother
would return to the empty crib where once had reposed her innocent babe
in the sweet embrace of sleep, and weep for the treasure she had once pos-
sessed, so Wapello mourned for the hunting grounds he had been forced to
leave behind, and longed to roam over the broad expanse again. It was in
the month of March; heavy winter had begun to shed her mantle of snow;
the sun peeped forth through the fleeting clouds; the woodehuck emerged
282 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
from his subterranean retreat to greet the morning breeze, and all nature
seemed to rejoice at the prospect of returning spring. The old chief felt
the exhilarating influence of reviving nature, and longed again for the
sports of his youth. He accordingly assembled a party and started on a
hunting excursion to the scenes of his former exploits. But alas, the poor
old man was not long destined to mourn over his misfortunes. While
traveling over the beautiful prairies, or encamped in the picturesque groves
that he was once wont to call his own, disease fastened upon his vitals and
the chief lay prostrate in his lodge. How long the burning fever raged
and racked in his brain, or who it was that applied the cooling draught to
his parched lips, tradition has failed to inform us; but this we may fairly
presume: that his trusty followers were deeply distressed at the sufferings
of their chief whom they loved, and administered all the comforts in their
power to alleviate his sufferings, but all would not avail. Grim Death had
crossed his path, touched an icy finger on his brow, and marked him for
his own. Human efforts to save could avail nothing. Time passed, and
with it the life of "Wapello. The last word was spoken, the last wish ex-
pressed, the last breath drawn, and his spirit took its flight. The passing
breeze in ^olean notes chanted a requiem in the elm tops. The placid
creek in its meandering course murmured in chorus over the dead. The
squirrel came forth in the bright sunshine to frisk and chirp in frolicksome
glee, and the timid fawn approached the brook and bathed her feet in the
waters, but the old man heeded it not, for Manitou, his God, had called
him home.
"Although it is a matter of regret that we are not in possession of his
dying words, and other particulars connected with his death, let us endeavor
to be content in knowing that Wapello died sometime in the month of
March, in the year 1844:, in Keokuk county, on Rock creek, in Jackson
township, on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter, section 21,
township 74, range 11 west, where a mound still marks the spot; and with
knowing also that his remains were thence conveyed by Mr. Samuel Har-
desty, now of Lancaster township, accompanied by twenty-two Indians and
three squaws, to the Indian burial ground at Agency City, where sleeps the
Indian agent, Gen. Street, and numbers of the Sac and Fox tribe, and
where our informant left the remains to await the arrival of Keokuk and
other distinguished chiefs to be present at the interment."
Keokuk, Appanoose, and nearly all the leading men among Indians, were
present at the funeral, which took place toward evening of the same day
upon which the body arrived at the Agency. The usual Indian ceremonies
preceded the interment, after which the remains were buried by the body
of Gen. Street, which was in accordance with the chieftain's oft repeated
request to be buried by the side of his honest pale-faced friend.
In 1845, in accordance with the stipulations of the treaty, and in obe-
dience to the demand of the white man, whose friend he had ever been, and
whose home he had defended, both by word and act in times of great excite-
ment, Keokuk led his tribe west of the Missouri river and located upon a
reservation comprised in the boundaries of what is now the State of Kansas.
What must have been the emotions which swelled the heart of this renowned
savage, and what must have been the peculiar thoughts which came throng-
ing from his active brain when he turned his back for the last time upon
the bark covered huts of his Iowa village, the graves of his friends, and that
portion of country which, but the year before, had been honored by his name!
IJISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 283
It was leaving everything familiar in life and dear to the heart. To hira it
was not going west to grow up with the country, but to lose himself and
his tribe in oblivion and national annihilation.
Keokuk lived but three years after leaving the Territory of Iowa, and we
have no facts at our command in reference to his career at the new liome
west of the Missouri. The " Keokuk Register" of June 15, 1848, contained
the following notice of his death, together with some additional sketches of
his life:
" The St. Louis ' New Era' announces the death of this celebrated Indian
chief. Poison was administered to him by one of his tribe, from the effects
of which he died. The Indian was apprehended, confessed his guilt, and
was shot.
" Keokuk leaves a son of some prominence, but there is little probability
of his succeeding to the same station, as he is not looked upon by the tribe
as inheriting the disposition and principles of his father."
We close this sketch by appending an extract from a letter recently writ-
ten by Judge J. M. Casey, of Fort Madison, to Hon. S. A. James, of
Sigourney:
" While Keokuk was not a Lee county man, I have often seen him here.
He was an individual of distinguished mark; once seen would always be
remembered. It was not necessary to be told that he was a chief, you
would at once recognize him as such, and stop to admire his grand deport-
ment. I was quite young when I last saw him, but I yet remember his
appearance and every lineament of his face as well as if it had been yester-
day, and this impression was left upon every person who saw him, whether
old or young. It is hard for us to realize that an Indian could be so great a
man. But it is a candid fact, admitted by all the early settlers who knew
him, that Keokuk possessed, in a prominent degree, the elements of great-
ness."
During the visit of Keokuk, Wapello, and their party at Boston, which
has already been referred to, there was a great struggle between the mana-
gers of the two theatres of that place to obtain the presence of the Indians
in order to " draw houses. " At the Tremont, the aristocratic one, the fa-
mous tragedian, Forrest, was filling an engagement. His great play, in
which he acted the part of the gladiator, and always drew his largest audi-
ences, had not yet come off, and the manager was disinclined to bring it out
while the Indians were there, as their presence always insured a full house.
General Street, who as before remarked, was in charge of the party, being
a strict Presbyterian, was not much in the theatrical line, hence Major
Beach, to whom we are indebted for the facts of this incident, and who ac-
companied General Street at the time, took the matter in hand. He knew
that this peculiar play would suit the Indians better than those simple
declamatory tragedies, in which, as they could not understand a word, there
was no action to keep them interested, so he prevailed upon the manager
to bring it out, promising that the Indians would be present.
In the exciting scene where the gladiators engage in a deadly combat,
the Indians gazed with eager and breathless anxiety, and as Forrest, finally
pierced through the breast with his adversary's sword, fell dying, and as
the other drew his bloody sword from the body, heaving in the convulsions
of its expiring throes, and while the curtain was descending, the whole In-
dian company burst out with their fiercest war whoop. It was a frightful
yell to strike suddenly upon unaccustomed ears, and was immediately fol-
284 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
lowed by screams of terror from the more nervous among the women and
children. For an instant the audience seemed at a loss, but soon uttered a
hearty round of applause — a just tribute to both actor and Indians.
During the same visit to Boston, Major Beach says that the Governor
gave them a public reception at the State House. The ceremony took
place in the spacious Hall of Representatives, every inch of which was jam-
med with humanity. After the Governor had ended his eloquent and ap-
propriate address of welcome, it devolved upon one of the chiefs to reply,
and Appanoose, in his turn, as at the conclusion of his " talk, " he advanced
to grasp the Governor's hand, said: "It is a great day that the sun shines
upon when two such great chiefs take each other by the hand! " The Gov-
ernor, with a nod of approbation, controlled his facial muscles in a most
courtly gravity. But the way the house came down " was a caution, " all
of which Appanoose doubtless considered the Yankee way of applauding
his speech.
The Indians seldom occupied their permanent villages except during the
time of planting or securing their crop, after which they would start out on
a short hunt, if the annuity — which was usually paid within six weeks
from the first of September — had not been received. Immediately after pay-
ment it was the custom to leave the village for the winter, hunting
through this season by families and small parties, leading a regular
nomadic life, changing the location from time to time, as the supply of game
and the need— so essential to their comfort — of seeking places near the
timbered streams best protected from the rigors of winter, would require.
It was, doubtless, on one of these tours through the country that Kish-ke-
kosh once stopped over night at the house of a white man. He was ac-
companied by several companions, who slept together on a buffalo hide
within view of the kitchen. In the morning when he awoke, Kish-ke-kosh
had an eye on the culinary operations there going on. The lady of the
house — it is possible she did it intentionally, as she was not a willing en-
tertainer of such guests — neglected to wash her hands before making up
the bread. Kish thought he would rather do without his breakfast than eat
after such cooking, and privately signified as much to his followers, where-
upon they mounted their ponies and departed, much to the relief of the
hostess. When they arrived at a house, some distance from the one they
had left, they got their breakfast and related the circumstance.
This Kish-ke-kosh, previous to 1837, was simply a warrior-chief in the
village of Keokuk. The warrior-chief was inferior to the villaiie-chief, to
which distinction he afterward attained. The village presided over by this
chief is well remembered by many of the early settlers. It was located,
some say, just over the line in what is now White Oak township, Mahaska,
county. Major Beach thus describes it: "The place cannot be located
exactly according to our State maps, although the writer has often
visited it in Indian times; but somewhere out north from Kirkville, and
probably not twelve miles distant, on the banks of Skunk river, not far
above the Forks of Skunk, was a small village of not over fifteen or twenty
lodges, presided over by a man of considerable importance, though not a
chief, named Kisk-ke-kosh. The village was on the direct trail — in fact it
was the converging point of two trails — from the Hardfish village, and the
three villages across the river below Ottumwa, to the only other prominent
settlement of the tribes, which was the village of Poweshiek, a Fox chief
of equal rank with Wapello, situated upon the Iowa river."
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 285
Here the squaws, after grubbing out hazel-brush on the banks of the
creek or the edge of the timber, unaided by either plow or brave, planted
and tended their patches of corn, surrounding them bj rude fences of wil-
low, which were renewed each year. Here the men trained their ponies,
hunted, fished and loafed, until the first of May, 1843, when they bade
adieu to their bark-covered huts. The following incident is located at this
point: Some time about 1841, Maj. Beach, Indian agent, in company with
W. B. Street and others, came up from Agency City on some business
with Kish-ke-kosh. Arriving late in the evening they encamped near the
village, and on the following morning Kish-ke-kosh, with his assistants,
came over to camp to receive them. The pipe of peace was lighted and
passed around and the business transacted. After the council the whites
were invited to come over in the evening to the feast which the Indians
proposed having in honor of their visit. The invitation was accepted, and
presently the whites heard a g:reat howling among the dogs, and looking in
the direction of the village they could plainly see the preparations for the
supper. A number of dogs were killed and stretched on stakes a few inches
above the ground. They were then covered with dried grass, which was set
on fire and the hair singed ofi", after which, after the dogs had gone through
the scalping process, they were cut up and placed in pots along with a
quantity of corn. The whites were promptly in attendance, but on account
of their national prejudice they were provided with venison instead of dog
meat. After the feast, dancing was commenced: first, the Green Corn
dance, then the Medicine dance, and closing just before morning with the
Scalp dance. Kish-ke-kosh did not take part in this Terpsichorean perform-
ance, but sat with the whites, laughing, joking and telling stories.
On another occasion, Kish-ke-kosh and his suit, consisting of several
prominent personages of the tribe, being then encamped on Skunk river,
went to the house of a Mr. Micksell on a friendly visit, and he treated
them to a feast. Besides Kish-ke-kosh and his wife, who was a very lady-
like person, this party consisted of his motlier (Wyhoma), the son of
Wapello, and his two wives; Mashaweptine, his wife, and all their children.
The old woman on being asked how old she was, replied : " Mach-ware-re-
naak-we-kan" (maybe a hundred); and indeed her bowed form and hide-
ously shriveled features would justify the belief that she was that old.
The whole party were dressed in more than ordinary becoming style; prob-
ably out of respect for the hostess, who, knowing something of their vora-
cious appetites, had made ample preparations for them. When the table
was surrounded, Kish-ke-kosh, who had learned some good manners, as well
as acquired cleanly taste, essayed to perform the etiquette of the occasion
before eating anything himself. With an amusingly awkward imitation of
what he had seen done among the whites, Kish-ke-kosh passed the various
dishes to the others, showing the ladies especial attention, and helped them
to the best of everything on the table, with much apparent disinterested-
ness. But when he came to help himself his politeness assumed the Indian
phase altogether. He ate like a person with a bottomless pit inside of him
for a stomach, taking everj^thing within liis reach without regard to what
should come next in the course, so only that he liked the taste of it. At
last, after having drank some five or six cups of cotFee and eaten a propor-
tionate amount of solid food, his gastronomic energy began to abate. See-
ing this, his host approached him, and with apparent concern for want of
his appetite, said: " Why, Kish, do you not eat your dinner? Have another
286 HISTOKY OF BOONE COUNTY.
cup of coffee and eat soemthing." In reply to this hospitable urgency
Kish-ke-kosh leaned back in his seat, lazily shook his head, and drew his
finger across his throat under his chin, to indicate how full he was. Of
course, the others had eaten in like proportion, making the most of an event
that did not happen every day.
The Indians in this region had a novel way of dealing with drunken peo-
ple. When one of them became unsafely drunk he was tied neck and
heels, so that he could be rolled around like a hoop, which operation was
kept up till the fumes of liquor had vanished, when he was released. The
sufferer would beg for mercy, but to no avail. After he was sobered off he
showed no marks of resentment, but seemed to recognize the wisdom of
the proceeding.
The Sacs and Foxes, like all other Indians, were a very religious people,
in their way, always maintaining the observance of a good many rites;
ceremonies, and feasts in their worship of the Kitche Mulito, or Great
Spirit. Fasts did not seem to be prescribed in any of their missals, how-
ever, because, perhaps, forced ones, under the scarcity of game or other
eatables, were not of impossible occurrence among people whose creed
plainly was to let to-morrow take care of itself. Some of the ceremonies
bore such resemblance to some of those laid down in the books of Moses as
to have justified the impression among Biblical students that the lost tribes
of Israel might have found their way to this continent, and that the Korth
American Indians are the remnant of them.
During sickness there was usually great attention given to the comfort
of the Indians, and diligent effort to cure the patient, and when it became
apparent that recovery was impossible, the sufferer while still alive was
dressed in his best attire, painted according to the fancy of the relatives
present, ornamented with all his trinkets, jewels, and badges, and then
placed upon a mat or platform to die. The guns, bows, arrows, axes,
knives, and other weapons were all carried away from the house or
lodge and concealed. They alleged that these preparations were necessary
to evince their respect to the Great Spirit, who at the moment of death
visits the body of the dying, receives the spirit, and carries it with Him to
Paradise, while the concealment of all warlike weapons shows their humble
submission to, and non-resistance of, the Divine will.
Dead bodies were sometimes deposited in graves; others placed" in a sit-
ting posture, reclining against a rock or tree; others again were deposited
in boxes, baskets, or cases of skins, and suspended in the branches of trees,
or upon scaffolds erected for the purpose. Elevated parcels of dry ground
were usually selected as burial places, and not so much regard was had for
the cardinal points of the compass as to the relative position of some neigh-
boring object. The graves were arranged usually wifh reference to some
river, lake, or mountain. Where it was convenient, the grave, when en-
closed, was covered with stones, and under other circumstances it was
enclosed with wooden slabs, upon which were painted with red paint cer-
tain signs or symbols commemorative of the deceased's virtues. The death
of a near relative was lamented with violent demonstrations of grief.
Widows visited the graves of their deceased husbands with hair disheveled,
carrying a bundle composed of one or more of the deceased's garments,
and to this representative of her departed husband she addressed her ex-
pressions of grief and assurances of undying affection, and extreme anxiety
for the comfort and well-being of the departed.
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTJT. 287
One of the early settlers in a county south of this relates the following
amusing incident:
Five negroes, having become tired of the sacred institution of slavery as
exemplified and enforced by the typical taskmaster of Missouri, ran off and
sought protection among the Indians, who, never before having seen any
negroes, and not being able to understand their language, did not know
what to make of the strange looking animals. Consequently a council was
held, and the wisest among the chiefs, having viewed them carefully and
debated the matter at some length, decided that they were a peculiar species
of bear. Having never before seen any representatives of this species they
supposed that their pale-faced neighbors would esteem it quite a favor to
behold them, and probably they would be able to dispose of the strange
looking animals to a certain trader and receive in return a goodly amount
of "fire- water." Accordingly the negroes were taken, ropes tied around
their necks, and they were led off to the nearest white settlement. After
exhibiting the "bears," as they called them, they negotiated a trade with
one Grimsley, the latter giving them a quantity of whisky for them. When
the Indians were gone Mr. Grimsley turned the negroes loose, and they
soon became favorites among the white settlers. They worked for various
persons in the Crooked Creek settlement during a portion of the next sum-
mer, when their master in Missouri, hearing through an Indian trader that
two negroes were in this vicinity, came up and took possession of the ne-
groes and carried them back to Missouri.
The Indian villages were of themselves quite a curiosity. Those of the
early settlers who visited these villages describe them as being well ar-
ranged, and the apartments of the chief making quite an attempt at roy-
alty. This was more particularly the case with their winter quarters. The
huts were made by driving poles in the ground and plaiting bark between
them; the roof was composed of matting made of grass and reeds. The hut
of the chief, which differed from those of the other Indians in having a
large court enclosed in front of the entrance, was from forty to sixty feet
long and from ten to twelve feet wide. Along either side were arranged
bunks where the Indians slept, and lengthwise at an equal distance from
either side was a trench some two feet wide and from eight to ten inches
deep, where fires were kindled and the cooking done. Immediately above
this trench was an opening in the roof to permit the smoke to escape.
The summer tents erected by the squaws when on a hunting excursion
were made by planting a circular row of willows in the ground and tying
the tops together. These were easily constructed, and of course but tem-
porary.
Reference has already been made to the fact that from time immemorial
a deadly feud existed between the Sac and Fox Indians on the one part and
the Sioux on the other part. These were the two principal tribes inhabit-
ing the State in early days and the hatred they had for one another fre-
quently embroiled them as well as numerous lesser tribes in long and
bloody wars.
In order to put an end to these sanguinary contests, and stop the
effusion of blood, the United States Government tendered its services as a
mediator between the two hostile tribes. As a result of the first negotia-
tions it was agreed, in August, 1825, that the Government should run a
line between the two tribes, and thus erect an imaginary barrier between
the respective territory of the hostile tribes. After a trial of nearly five
288 HI8T0KT OF BOONE COUNTY.
years, it was found that the untutored mind of the red man was unable to
discern an imaginary boundary. The Sacs and Foxes from the south in
pursuing game northward were frequently borne beyond the boundary line
and they were sure to have a fight with their jealous neighbors before they
returned; the same was often true of the Sioux. The idea was then con-
ceived by the agents of the Government of setting aside a strip of neutral
territory, between the two tribes, of sufficient width to effectually separate
the combatants, on which neither tribe should be allowed to hunt nor en-
camp.
A treaty was accordingly made with the Sacs and Foxes, in July, 1830,
whereby the latter ceded to the Government a strip of country twenty
miles in width, lying immediately south of the line designated in the treaty
of August, 1825, and extending from the Mississippi to the Des Moines
rivers. At the same time a treaty was made with the Sioux, whereby the
latter ceded to the Government a strip of country twenty miles in width
lying immediately north of the line designated in the treaty of August,
1825, and extending from the Mississippi to the Des Moines rivers. By the
provisions of these treaties, the United States came into possession of a
strip of country forty miles wide and extending from the Mississippi to the
Des Moines rivers, upon which it was unlawful for either Sac and Fox or
Sioux to hunt. This strip was known as the " Neutral Ground." Certain
of the inferior and peacable tribes, as the Pottawattamies for instance, were
permitted to remain on the Neutral Ground.
That part of Boone county east of the Des Moines river was literally in
the Neutral Ground; that part west of the river was practically in the
Neutral Ground also, as the savages seem to have so regarded it. That
part of the county bordering on the Des Moines river was a favorite resort
of the Pottawattamie Indians, and here the early settlers found them in
great numbers. Mr. Benjamin Williams, one of the pioneers of this region,
found them in great numbers in the vicinity of Elk Rapids, when he came
to the county in 1846. They had been accustomed to make maple sugar
in a large grove located upon the claim which Mr. Williams first took.
After the Indians were gone, he used their appliances for catching and
hoarding the sap in continuing the business. The sugar troughs were
made of the bark of elm trees, and so well were they constructed that they
lasted for a number of years. A large walnut trough, which the Indians
had used for hoarding the sap, Mr. Williams continued to use for some
five or six years after they were gone. During the winter of 1846-47 some
five hundred of these Pottawattamie Indians were encamped in the vicinity
of Elk Rapids, and, although several white men had settled in that vicinity
at that time, none of them were molested by the Indians. Their chief was
an old man by the name of Chemisne; by the early settlers, however, lie
was known by the name of Johnny Greene.
An incident occurred during this winter which threw the settlers into a
fever of excitement. A man named Henry Lott had settled at the mouth
of Boone river, in what is now Webster county. His house was in range
of the Sioux Indians, whose chief's name was Sim-au-e-dotah. By some
accident, or from wounds received in battle, or on account of some natural
deformity, we know not, he had no thumb or fore-finger on his right hand;
on account of this deformity, he was known as Old Chief Three Fingers.
Lott had provided himself with a small quantity of goods and a barrel of
whisky, expecting to drive a prosperous trade with the old chief and his
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 289
band, and buy their robes and furs for little or nothing. The first visit the
chief made him he was accompanied by six braves of his band, all painted
and armed for the war-path. He informed Lott that he was an intruder;
that he had settled on the Sioux huntins: grounds, and warned him to leave
before a certain time. The time having arrived, the Indians appeared, and
finding Lott still remaining, they commenced an indiscriminate destruc-
tion of property. They robbed his beehives, shot his horses, cattle and
hogs full of arrows, so that many of them died; threatened and abused his
family and drove him and his son from the house more scared than hurt.
Two small girls, daughters of Lott, fled to the timber and Mrs. Lott cov-
ered a small child, the youngest of the family, under a feather bed, and
then, after contending with the savages till her strength was exhausted,
was compelled to submit to all the indignities which they chose to heap
upon her.
One of the most remarkable circumstances of the whole affair is the fact
that although the Indians were in and around the house during a great
part of the day, the little fellow hidden under the feather bed, not once
moved or uttered any ontciy.
When Lott and his son reached the Boone Eiver Bluffs they looked back
at the house, which was plainly in view, and as they thought they saw,the
Indians tomahawking the family, and heard the screams of the wife and chil-
dren, the two having no arms concluded to make their way rapidly to the set-
tlements and sometime the same night reached Pea's Point, spreading a
horrible story, alarming the women and children and astounding every-
body.
John Pea proposed an immediate expedition to take vengeance on Sim-
au-e-dotah, but Lott was sent to Elk Eapids, some sixteen miles below, to
procure more men. "When he reached the Rapids he found Chemisne, a Pot-
tawattamie chief, with whom he was acquainted. This Indian was known
to the early white settlers by the name of Johnny Greene, and was
encamped there with several hundred of his tribe. Upon hearing Lott's
stor}' he immediately called a council of his braves, wherein it was deter-
mined that the chief should accompany the white men with twenty six of
his warriors. After several pow-wows they painted themselves in the most
hideous manner and mounting their ponies set off for Pea's point to join
the expedition.
The settlers around Pea's Point fearing that the Sioux might follow Lott
and his son, and fall upon the settlement and murder all, had assembled at
the house of John M. Crooks for better safety and defense, and were on
the lookout for Indians.
Lott with several white men and the Pottawattamies were rapidly ad-
vancing across the prairie towards Crook's house, the Indians in the front
yelling as is their custom when starting on the war-path and not in the
vicinity of danger. The settlers supposing them to be Sioux coming to
attack them, prepared for action, each singling out his Indian, and were
upon the point of tiring when they recognized f.ott and other white men,
and were happily disappointed to find them all friends.
John Pea and six other white men accompanied Lott and the Pottawat-
tamies to the mouth of Boone river and found that the family had not
been tomahawked as Lott had represented, but one of his boys, a lad about
twelve years old, in order to escape from the Indians, had undertaken to
reach the settlements by following down the river on the ice, and across
290 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
the bottoms, a distance of twenty miles. The Sionx had robbed the family
of nearly everything they had except the barrel of whisky which Lott had
securely hidden, and the family was found in a very destitute condition.
After making an unsuccessful scout the Potawattamies returned to
camp. Lott gave them all the whisky they could carry with them as they
would not drink any till they returned to camp. They filled their cups
and powder-horns and carried it in that manner all the way back to Elk
Kapids, a distance of thirty six miles, where, to celebrate the result of their
expedition, they took a rousing spree.
This incident, while it resulted in no harm to the settlers of Boone
county, had the efiect to deter many from settling in the county the ensuing
spring and summer.
Lott was much overcome when he found in what condition the savages
had left his family. His wife died a short time afterward from the effects
of the treatment she had received from the Indians. The boy, who started
down the river in order to reach the settlement, perished from the effects of
the cold, and his dead body was found on the ice. The two little girls were
found some time afterward in a sorry plijjht, exhausted by the cold and hun-
ger. After burying his wife and boy, Lott secured homes for the other
children among the settlers of this county, and it is but proper to state, in
this connection, that the little boy, now grown into manhood, recentlj' made
a visit to this locality. The two girls, having grown to be young women,
were married and became the wives of two of the leading citizens of this
county.
Having thus arranged his affairs, Lott turned his attention to wreaking
vengeance upon the savages who had despoiled his home, and the saddest
part of the story remains to be told.
Lott, now having determined on his plan of proceeding did not lose
much time in carrying it out. He procured an ox team and drove to Des
Moines. Upn arriving there he purchased two barrels; one he filled with
pork and the other with whisky. What other ingredient he mixed with
the pork and whisky can be imagined from the effects it had upon those
who ate it.
Having thus laid in his stock of goods, he set out from Des Moines to
the hunting grounds of the Sioux. After driving around for some time
he learned that the old chief. Si m-au-e-dotah, with a hunting party, was en-
camped near a stream in the present bounds of Webster county. He pro
ceeded stealthily into the timber near by and hastily erected a tempo-
rary shelter, where he stored his pork and whisky. During the following
night he kindled a large fire, and having heaped upon it a sufficient quantity
of fuel, to keep it burning for a day or two, he arranged his wagon, team and
cooking utensils in such a manner as to indicate sudden fliglit. After Lott
had thus fixed up matters to suit his mind he quietly left the country.
How the camp, with its team, wagon, pork and whisky was discovered by
Sim-au-e-dotah's band next morning, and just what became of the provis-
ions, will probably never be known. However, the fact did become public
that during the following summer the Indians in that vicinity were greatly
terrified by the ravages of a peculiar and unknown epidemic, against which
the skill of the medicine men, and the most importunate appeals to the
Great Spirit, were of no avail. It is said that over seventj^-five of the most
robust and bravest of the warriors perished in a short time, and a feeling
of melancholy and sadness took possession of the whole tribe of savages.
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 291
Notwithstanding the sad havoc among the Sioux following Lott's last
visit to their hunting grounds, the old chief Sim-au-e-dotah and his sons
escaped and continued to prosper. Upon hearing that the chief with his
family still survived, Lott determined on a braver, as well as a more manly,
plan of revenge. Having disguised himself so that the old chief could
not recognize him, and armed with a trusty rifle, whose unerring aim usually
brought down its game, Lott mounted a horse and rode into the Sioux
country. He entered tlie camp where Sim-au-e-dotah was encamped and
sought an interview with the old chief. After having put the wary savage
off his guard by tlie presentation of gifts and the utterance of the most
expressive words of friendship, Lott informed Sim-au-e-dotah that a
certain prairie, through which he had originally come abounded in game
of the choicest kind, and thus having aroused the old man's natural pro-
pensity for the chase succeeded in prevailing upon him and his three sons
to accompany him on a hunting excursion. When Lott and the Indians
arrived at the place where the game was reported to be, it was decided,
upon the suggestion of the former, that they surround the prairie in which
the game was concealed. The three young Indians were sent in opposite
directions, and as soon as Lott and the old Indian were left alone, the for-
mer soon dispatched the unsuspecting old chief; he then started on the
track of the young Indians and killed all three of them in detail. It is
further reported that after killing the old Indian and liis three sons Lott
uragged their dead bodies together, on an elevation near the Des Moines
river, and having built a log heap placed them on it, and having set it on
fire returned to Boone county.
In the course of time reports of Lott's doings began to be whispered
abroad, and his case came up for investigation before the grand jury, then
in session at Des Moines. Among the members of the grand jury was a
gentleman residing at Boonesboro. Lott's case was the last one disposed
of, and in the evening, just before the jury was discharged, a true bill was
found against Lott and he was indicted for murder in the first degree. It
is not positively known when the Boonesboro juror left Des Moines,
nor when he arrived at the former place; all that is known is the fact that
his horse was in the stable at Des Moines at dark on the evening of the day
that the indictment was found, and that the same horse was in a stable at
Boonesborough the following morning. It is also known that Lott left the
country the same night, and the sheriff who came up from Des Moines to
arrest him the next day failed to find him. Lott was never again seen in
this region of the country, and nothing has been definitely known as to his
whereabouts. It was rumored at one time that he made his way to the
Pacific slope, and after having been engaged in barter and mining for a
number of years, was finally lynched for some alleged misdemeanor.
Whether or not such was the tragic end of his eventful life is not positively
known, but the incidents as above related bearing upon his career in Boone
and Webster counties are vouched for by some of the early settlers then
residing in the vicinity of Boonesboro, and they can be relied on as
substantially true in all the particulars.
The failure of the sheriff from Polk county to find Lott ended the mat-
ter as far as legal proceedings were concerned, but not so as far as the sav-
ages were concerned.
They were greatly exasperated when they found that their chief and his
19
292 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
suns had been decoj'ed and slain and they preferred complaint to the gov-
ernment agents, through whose influence doubtless Lott's indictment was
procured. After Lott's escape it finally became whispered about among
the savages that Lott was not only responsible for the death of their chief
and his sons but that his pork and whisky had had something to do with
the epidemic which previously had carried off some seventy-five of their
braves. They nursed their grievances and their desire of revenge increased
until it finally found vent in the Spirit Lake massacre, which created so
great a sensation at the time and which did so much to retard emigration
to this section. The details of this massacre do not constitute a part of
the history of Boone county, but as this massacre was intimately connected
with the history of this county it is proper to give a brief account of it.
In the spring of 1857, Ink-pa-du-tah, chief among the Sioux Indians
and cousin to the chief killed by Lott, led a band of Indians to a small
settlement of whites near Spirit Lake, in Dickinson county. They mur-
dered many of the settlers and carried some of the women and children
into captivity. They plundered the settlement of all the stock and pro-
visions and then retreated into Minnesota. Although the scene of this
massacre was over one hundred miles away it caused a thrill of fear and
excitement in this county. A company of rangers was organized under
command of S. B. McCall, who immediately marched to the relief of the
settlers. When they arrived at the scene of the massacre they buried the
dead and scouted the country far and near but could not find any traces of
Ink-pa-dutah, nor any of his band.
Duiing the following summer the government concluded a treaty with
the Sioux Indians, and removed those living in southern Minnesota to the
west of the Missouri river.
Thus did the successor and relative of Sim-au-e-dotah wreak vengeance
on the white man for the murder of the chief and the penalty of that foul
deed had to be paid by innocent parties.
The Sioux Indians always noted for their fierce cruelty still are true to
their former characteristics and it was the same tribe under the leadership
of Sitting Bull who for some years was a source of so much terror to the
Black Hills' miners, and who composed the army concerned in the defeat
and death of the brave General Custer.
The following extract of a letter written about the time of the Spirit
Lake massacre by A. B. Holcomb to friends in the east will give some
idea of what effect the news of that atrocity had upon the settlers at this
point:
" The Indian excitement has gone by. We had quite an alarm here. It
all proved false, however. But to see teams with families flocking in and
bringing in the report that Fort Dodge and Webster City were taken and
burnt the night before started the patriotic blood of our citizens here.
The Boonesborough "Invincibles" were soon armed and marched to the scene
of battle, and were gone three days. I brought out my Sharp's rifle and
made up all the powder I had into cartridges to keep garrison, but we
could never learn that any "poor Indian " came within 100 miles of this
place, and the alarm was soon over. If they had come this way their red
skins would have caught a good peppering. We should have had a grand
hunt. One woman came in here from Spirit Lake at the time of the mas-
sacre there. She with several other women defended a log cabin for sev-
eral hours against the Indians, and finally beat them off. She had the
HI8T0BT OF BOONE COUNTY. ^3"
mark of a rifle ball upon one cheek and also one upon the thigh. She was
out two days and one night in March, with nothing on but the clothes she
wore about the house and a single crust of bread to eat, and with a child
two months old in her arms. She knew nothing of the fate of her hus-
band until she got here, nor he of her. "
But the Indian was destined to create no further disturbances upon the
soil which the white man had marked for his own. In accordance with
the stipulations of sacred treaties and likewise agreeably to the demands
of the times the alloted time had now come for the red man to move west-
ward again on his roving mission and add one more proof that his race is
fast passing away and must eventually disappear before the restless march
of the Anglo Saxon race, as did the traditionary Mound Builders give
place to the predatory red man of later times.
• ' And did the dust
Of these fair soUtudes once stir with life
And burn with passion ? Let the mighty mounds
That overlook the rivers, or that rise
In the dim forests crowded with old oaks
Answer : A race that has long passed away
Built them. The red man came —
The roaming hunter tribes, warlike and fierce —
And the Mound Builders vanished from the earth.
The solitude of centuries untold
Has settled where they dwelt. The prairie wolf
Howls in their meadows and his fresh dug den
Yawns by my path. The gopher mines the ground
Where stood their swarming cities. All is gone —
All! save the piles of earth that hold their bones
The platforms where they worshiped unknown gods."
Thus as those traditionary Mound Builders were forced to give way to
the plundering red men of later times, so must he give place to his pale-
faced successor, and his night of ignorance and superstition in which he so
delights to revel, must give place to the approaching light of intelligence
and civilization as truly as the darkest shades of midnight are dispelled by
the approaching liglit of day. When the last barrier of restraint was thus
removed, the tide of emigration, so long held in check, began to come in
at a rapid rate over these prairies, and thus has it continued to roll, wave
after wave, until it has reached the western shore, carrying with it the
energy and talents and enterprise of nations; and washing to the surface
the gold from the mountains and valleys of the Pacific slope, it has envel-
oped our land in the mighty main of enterprise and civilization.
CHAPTER IV.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
Importance of First Beginnings— Character of First Settlers— Noah's Bottom and Col.
Babbitt— Elk Rapids— Swede Point— Hull's Point— Pea's Point— Boonesboro— Mil-
ford— The Rush of 1856 and 1865.
Evert nation does not possess an authentic account of its origin, neither
do all communities have the correct data whereby it is possible to accu-
rately predicate the condition of their first beginnings. Nevertheless, to
be intensely interested in such things is characteristic of the race, and it
394 HISTORY. OF BOONE OOTTNTY.
is particularly the province of the historian to deal with first causes.
Should these facts, as is often the case, be lost in the mythical tradition of
the past, the chronicler invades the realm of the ideal, and compels his im-
agination to paint the missing picture. The patriotic Roman was not con-
tent till he had found the " First Settlers," and then he was satisfied,
although they were found in the very undesirable company of a she bear,
and located on a drift, which the receding waters of the Tiber had per-
mitted them to preempt.
One of the advantages pertaining to a residence in a new country, and
the one possibly least appreciated, is the fact that we can go back to the
first beginnings. We are thus enabled, not only to trace results to their
causes, but also to grasp the facts which have contributed to form and
mould these causes. We observe that a State or county has attained a cer-
tain position, and we at once try to trace out the reasons for this position
in its early settlement and surroundings, in the class of men by whom it
was peopled, and in the many chances and changes which have wrought
out results in all the recorded deeds of mankind. In the history of Boone
county, we may trace its early settlers to their homes in the Eastern
States and in the countries of the Old World. We may follow the course
of the hardy woodman of the " Buckeye" or the " Hoosier" State on his
way west to "grow up with the country," trusting only to his strong arm
and his willing heart to work out his ambition of a home for himself and
wife, and a competence fur his children. Yet again, we may see the path
worn by the Missourian in his new experience in a land which to him was
a land of progress, far in advance of that southern soil upon which he had
made his temporary home, in his effort to adapt himself to new conditions.
We may see here the growth which came with knowledge, and the progress
which grew upon him with progress around him, and how his better side
developed. The pride of Kentucky blood, or the vain glorying of the
Virginia F. F. V.'s, was here seen in an early day only to be modified in
its advent from the crucible of democracy when servitude was eliminated
from the solution. Yet others have been animated with the impulse to
" move on," after making themselves a part of the community, and have
sought the newer parts of the extreme West, where civilization had not
penetrated, or returned to their native soil. We shall find much of that
distinctive New England character which has contributed so many men
and women to other portions of our State and the West; also we shall find
many an industrious native of Germany or the British Isles, and a few of
the industrious and economical French — all of whom have contributed to
modify types of men already existing here. Moreover, there were repre-
sentatives of a hardy, industrious and enterprising race from the inhospit-
able climes of northern Europe, who were among the first to found homes
on the more productive soil and under the milder skies of Iowa. Who-
ever has read that inimitable work, the history of Charles the Twelfth, and
with the author has followed the stalwart Swedes on their conquering
career through northern and central Europe can but exclaim " how stranger
are the facts of history than the myths of fiction." Those who have noted
the career of the descendants of those brave, strong men in subduing the
wilds and overcoming the obstacles and withstanding the hardships of this
country in early times, can but admit that they are worthy sons of illustri-
ous sires.
With confidence that general results will prove that there is much of
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
good in everything, and that a justice almost poetic has been meted out to
the faults and follies, to the foibles and the virtues of the early settlers of
this county, we may now enter upon their story.
The first white man who resided in the present limits of Boonecounty was
Col. L. W. Babbitt. He had been for a number of years commanding a
detachment of United States Dragoons, and while serving in that capacity
had frequently crossed the country. During these excursions from Fort
Des Moines to the vicinity of Fort Dodge, he was struck by the beautiful
scenery and natural resources of the country lying along the Des Moines
river. He had also noted what he regarded as a particularly favored point,
just above the present site of Moingona, formerly familiarly known as
Noah's Bottom, but more recently called Rose's Bottom. At tliis place he
had discovered the remains of a former village. The character of these
remnants of human habitation convinced him that the people who had
previously dwelt there were not representatives of the Sioux, Potawatta-
mies, Sac and Fox Indians, nor yet of any tribe or tribes of savages known
to the civilized world. The dwellings were of a more permanent charac-
ter, and the tools used in their erection were evidently of a better quality
and a more approved character than the Indians referred to had been
known to possess. There were also found the remains of cooking utensils,
which the savages were not accustomed to use and other unmistakable evi-
dences of a pre-historic civilization.
It was probably in part due to desire to investigate these remains of the
former village, and partly due to the fact that the surroundings were of
such a nature as to make this location a desirable winter quarters that Col.
Babbit, on retiring from the United States service, determined to locate
at this point. He arrived there in the autumn of 1843, and erected tem-
porary quarters in which he and his attendants could comfortably pass the
winter. Provisions were readily procured at points further down the river,
and by reason of his familiarity with the country he had a comparatively
easy and convenient communication with the white people who had located
in the older settled country to the south and east. Then, too, the country
for miles in every direction being entirely new, and many parts of it scarcely
if ever before having echoed to the sound of that great instrument of civ-
ilization, the rifle; game of all kinds was abundant, of the best quality,
and easily obtained. Fish were easily caught in great numbers, and the
choicest of fur-bearing animals were numerous. Added to this the further
fact that the Colonel had for many years spent his time on the frontier, and
by reason of many a solitary march and lonely camp in the solitudes of
the wilderness, had accustomed himself to being shut off from the conve-
niences and luxuries of civilized society, he doubtless found his temporary
home in Noah's Bottom a very pleasant and enjoyable one. In regard to
the remains of the former habitations already referred to, Col. Babbit, on
careful examination and mature deliberation, came to the conclusion that
they had constituted the dwellings of a band of half breeds who were
known to have dwelt along the shores of the upper Des Moines in very
early days. These half breeds were a cross between the French and Sioux,
and by reason of their relationship with the Sioux were allowed to remain
in that region long before it would have been safe for any white people to
dwell there. These people, half French and half Indian, were frequently
referred to in the Indian traditions; at one time they were quite numerous
along the upper Des Moines, and it was probably they who gave the name
296 H18T0EY OF BOONE COUNTY.
to the river. Authority has already been cited, in a former chapter, for the
statement that the word Des Moines is a corruption of the French phase
Rivere des Moines^ meaning " river of the monks."
After spending the winter of 1843 and 1844: in Noah's Bottom, Col.
Babbitt emigrated to the Missouri Slope, and was among the most ener-
getic and influential of the first citizens of Council Bluffs.
Although Col. Babbitt spent the winter of 1843 and 1844 within the
bounds of Boone county and no other white man located here till early in
1846, he cannot properly be regarded as the first settler, as his stay was
but brief, and he did not locate there with the intention of making it a
permanent home; he staked off no claim, and made no permanent improve-
ments.
As to who was the veritable "first settler" in this county, accounts some-
what differ. Though the various accounts regarding tnem are almost legion,
yet no two of them seem to fully correspond when placed side by side.
After examining many authorities and interv^iewing many of the oldest set-
tlers now living in the county in regard to this much vexed question, it
should not surprise the reader if the following statement of the case should
somewhat differ from the preconceived opinions of many. The stranger
who comes into the county with none of the information which those pos-
sess who have resided here for years, works at great disadvantage 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 ad-
vantage, 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 transacting 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 qual-
ified for the task, and to discriminate between statements seemingly of equal
weight, than those who are either immediately or remotely interested par-
ties, 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 be-
come familiar with men and things by many years of intercourse and
familiarity. Ee is best judge and best juror who is totally unacquainted
with both plaintiff and defendant, and he is best qualified to arbitrate be-
tween conflicting facts of history who comes to his task without that bias
which is the price of acquaintanceship and familiarity. The best history
of France was written by an Englishman, and the most authentic account
of American institutions was written by a Frenchman, and it remained for
an American to write the only reliable history of the Dutch Republic.
The first settlements in Boone county, like those of all other counties
of the State, were made in or near to the timber. As timber was originally
found only in strips along the water-courses, we find that the first settle-
ments were made along the rivers and creeks. In fact, the most beautiful
prairies were shunned by early settlers. Inhabitants of to-day, whilst con-
templating the broad prairies, dotted with neat, commodious dwellings,
barns, orchards, and artificial groves, look back with surprise at the choice
of the first settlers. The uninviting features of the Western prairies is sug-
gestive of a poem written of them which many have read in their boyhood
days. The poem was doubtless written by some New England pedagogue
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 297
after returning from a flying visit to some such a country as this was in
early days:
" *0h, lonesome, windy, grassy place,
Where buffalo and snakes prevail ;
The first with dreadful looking face.
The last with dreadful sounding tail.
I'd rather live on camel hump
And be a Yankee Doodle beggar.
Than where I never see a stump
And shake to death with fever 'n' ager.' "
There were two reasons for this: First, the settlers were in the main
the descendants of those hardy backwoodsmen who conquered the dense
forests of Indiana, Ohio, and the regions farther east. When farms were
opened up in those countries a large belt of timber was invariably reserved
from which the farmer could draw his supply of logs for lumber and fence
rails, and fuel for cooking and heating purposes. Even at the present day
a farm without its patch of timber is exceedingly rare in those countries.
Having from their youth up been accustomed to timber, the emigrant from
these timbered regions of the East would have ever felt lonesotne and soli-
tary deprived of the familiar sight of the tall forest trees and shut oft from
the familiar sound of the wind passing through the branches of the vener-
able oaks. Then again, timber was an actual necessity to the early settler,
In this day of railroads, herd laws, cheap lumber and cheap fuel, it is easy
enough to open a farm and build up a comfortable home away out on the
prairie, far from the sight of timber. But not so under the circumstances
surrounding the tirst settlers. There was no way of shipping lumber from
the markets of the East, coal mines were unknown, and before a parcel of
land could be cultivated it was necessary to fence it. In order to settle the
prairie countries it was necessary to have railroads, and in order to have
railroads it was necessary that at least a portion of the country should be
settled. Hence the most important resource in the development of this
Western country was the belts of timber which skirted the streams; and
the settlers who first hewed out homes in the timber, while at present not
the most enterprising and progressive, were nevertheless an essential factor
in the solution of the problem.
In one sense of the word the first settlements of Boone county were
along the Des Moines river, in another sense they were not. They fol-
lowed the general course of the river, but owing to the density of the tim-
ber near its banks and the character of the soil, the country immediately
bordering on the Des Moines was not so desirable as that somewhat more
remote.
From either side of the river flowing in a southwestern and southeastern
direction are a number of small streams or creeks. The uniform width of
the belt of timber along the Des Moines was originally about four or five
miles, but where these smaller streams empty into the river the timber ex-
tends much further out. These places were called " points " and at these
points were the first settlements made; here were the first beginnings of
civilization;^ here began to operate the forces which have made the wilder-
ness a fruitful place and caused the desert to blossom as the rose.
The first settlements were made on the east side of the river,
not because the country there was any better than on the opposite
side, but because emigration came from the east; for the same reason the
south part had settlements before the north part had any. With a few
298 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
exceptions this has been true of every other county and of the State itself
— the direction which civilization has taken has been toward the northwest.
It is true that the first settlement in the State was at or near Dubuque and
that settlements were made at other points along the river at the same
time, or even earlier than at Burlington, Ft. Madison and Keokuk. But
it is also true that Lee county in the extreme southeast was the first county
to be generally settled and the great tide of emigration continued to
press from that point and even to-day it follows the same course. Thus it
is that while Boone county is near the geographical center of the State it
is yet too far north and west to be in the center of population, and while
the city of Boone is somewhat northeast of the geographical center of the
county, it is, nevertheless, very near in the center of population.
The first settlements made in Boone county were in 1846; all accounts
agree in substantiating this fact. During this year some twenty settle-
ments were made by different individuals. In some instances claims were
taken and permanent improvements begun, by different persons at different
places on the same day. Some were here days, and perhaps weeks, before
the others knew of their arrival ; over thirty years have passed since then
and as none of these first settlers took the precaution of making a record
of the date of their arrival, they are, many of them, uncertain as to the
precise time, consequently their accounts of whom was the veritable first
settler are somewhat conflicting. The honor of being the first settler is
claimed for different parties; the writer having heard all the accounts, and
carefully weighed all the evidence, concludes that this honor, without
doubt, rightfully belongs to Charles W. Gaston, who settled near Elk
Rapids, on section 34, township 82, range 26, in January, 1846. Mr. Gas-
ton had previously been in the United States service, and while performing
the duty of a soldier had passed through this section of country as early
as 1835. It was probably at that time, and during that journey, that he
was favorably impressed with the physical features and natural resources of
this section and determined at some future time to make it his permanent
home. By the terms of the treaty made with the Indians they were to
leave the Territory of Iowa in the fall of 1845, at which time some of them
departed, but they were not all removed till some time after. Mr. Gaston,
doubtless, was frequently very uneasy in his new home during the first
months of his residence in the county, as many Indians were still here.
Though their title had expired they had not been removed to their reserva-
tion in Kansas, and although the savages who still remained were of a
peaceable disposition, they were liable when intoxicated or enraged over
some real or imaginary wrong, to wreak their vengeance upon any repre-
sentative of the pale-faced race who chanced to be within their reach. Mr.
Gaston, however, was naturally of a brave and adventurous disposition, and
his discipline while in the army, and his experiences with the Indians on
the frontier, were all calculated to prepare him for the hazardous under-
taking of becoming the first permanent white settler of the county. He
was within a distance of twenty miles from Fort Des Moines, where there
was a garrison permanently located and where quite a number of settle-
ments had been begun. In case of impending danger ov scarcity of provi-
sions a forced march of twenty miles would not have been much of an un-
dertaking to a man who had undergone the privations and endured the
hardships which he had already passed through. Then again, it is proba-
ble that a chain of scattering settlements had been formed between Des
HISTORY OF BOONE OOUNTY. 299
Moines and Elk Rapids, prior to the time Mr. Gaston settled at the latter
place, and he doubtless had frequent communication with his white neigh-
bors toward the south. At any rate we do not hear that Gaston was sub-
jected to any great annoyances from the Indians or endured any peculiar
hardships further than those to which the early settlers were in common
subjected. As soon as the heavy snows of the winter melted away and
the roads became passable he doubtless soon ceased to feel like a stranger
in a strange land, for one by one the characteristic ox wagon of the emi-
grant made its way up the Des Moines, and the driver was sure to stop at
Mr. Gaston's cabin to enquire concerning the country farther north. Then,
too, the work of felling trees, making rails, building fences and other pre-
paratory work essential to the opening up of a field for cultivation, doubt-
less so far employed his mind as well as his energies, that he was troubled
very little with despondency or loneliness. Moreover, Mr. Gaston was not
one of those shiftless and aimless adventurers who were ever liable to be
overcome by the desire to move on; he had come stay; in other words he
had settled. The faculty of being able fix the mind upon some definite
plan of operations, does much to achieve success and snatch victory from
the jaws of impending defeat. Such faculty Mr. Gaston seems to have
possessed in a remarkable degree, and as a result he has been enabled to see
the country improved all around him, and as the country has improved he
himself has prospered and been blessed with plenty. He still resides near
the place where his first cabin was originally built. Not long since he took
to himself a new wife, and although quite advanced in years, he still has
expectations in the future: that they may be realized is the wish of the
writer, and his many friends throughout the county.
The Hull family is the most numerous family in the county. The Jones
and Smiths stand no show with the [lulls. Of the early settlers were three
brothers, James, George and Uriah. George and James came here in 1849,
and Uriah in 1851, James was a doctor, and was known as Dr. Hull. He
had three sons, Wesley C, Saml. A. and Fenlon W., and four daughters,
Mrs. Jno. M. Wane, Mrs. R. M. Gwinn, Mrs. Jessie Seigler and Mrs.
Milden Luther. His widow, Sophia, still survives.
George had four boys, Uriah, James Wm. and Geo. F., and one daughter,
Mrs. Judge Montgomery. In later life he married Mrs. Hannah Crooks,
mother of Hon. Geo. W., who still survives.
Uriah had one son, Philip, and four daughters, Mrs. John Hoifman,
deceased, Mrs. L. B. Gilden, Mrs, Ben. Holcomb and Mrs. J. B. Patterson.
The old man still survives.
Levi Hull, one of the early settlers, was cousin of James and Jesse. He
died of cancer about 1860. He left one son, James, and several daughters,
among them Mrs. E. J. Vontries.
An uncle of these, George Hull, came to the county about 1849. Of his
family that came to the county were Jesse, William, John, Nathan, Isom,
George, Jackson, Martin, Sarah, Anna Grogan, Mary Dickison and Martha
Long. Of these, John, Jackson, Martin and Mary now survive.
Jesse had three boys, David, Risse and William, and four girls, Civilla
Graves, Amanda Luther, Carrie Graves and Mary, all of these survive but
William and Mary.
John had four boys and two girls. His son Henry was the first child
born in the county. William had eight children, Nathan had seven, Isom
had eight. George was lost in the army, and the others have all done well in
300 HISTOBY OF BOONE COUNTY.
multiplication. Some of these were here as early as 1847. Jesse was a
long time stage agent and kept a wayside tavern at Bell Point. John A.
and S. Asbury are sons of Eev. Samuel Hull, of Terre Haute, Ind., and
nephews of Dr. James, George and Uriah. John A. came in 1854 and
Asbury came at same time, but he returned to Terre Haute, coming back
in 1868.
The Hulls are of Scotch and German stock, the father of the family be-
ing a pioneer in the mountains of Virginia, and among the first settlers of
Licking county, Ohio. They are almost unanimous in the Methodist faith,
and Dr. James and his son, Wesley C, are the only two that ever faltered
in their democracy, so far as heard from. In early days in the county,
when local questions were prominent and all-absorbing, they sometimes
" bolted " and they were so strong that, by fusing with the three Whigs in
the county, they could carry the elections, and for several years the old
liners had^to look out or the Hulls and Whigs would unite and beat them.
They have all raised large families and the present generation can scarce
be counted.
In May, 1846, came John Pea, James Hull, Jolin M. Crooks, S. H. Bowers
and Thomas Sparks. They all settled in or near the timber bordering on
a creek which empties into the Des Moines river about three miles north
of Elk Rapids. Two of them, John Pea and James Hull, came near the
same time, probably on the same day, although tiiey were not from the
same neighborhood in the East, and probably had not met till arriving in
this county. The others came later, but ail during the month of May,
1846. Mr. Pea was a pioneer of the old stock; a positive, outspoken,
blunt man. He was a Pennsylvanian by birth and prior to settling in this
county, had for a time resided in every State intervening between this and
the place of his birth. He resided for a time in Ohio when its forests
were in a primeval condition. That country settling up, he gathered to-
gether his effects and penetrated the dense forests of Indiana. Having
resided in Indiana till the representatives of a higher civilization pressed
too close around him he again emigrated and pitched his tent in the van of
civilization on the broad prairies of the Garden State. From Illinois he
removed to Missouri and was one of the pioneers of that State. Whether
he was again crowded out or whether he disliked the " peculiar institution "
of the State and was induced to come to the free soil of Iowa to escape the
blighting curse of slavery, we know not. It is sufficient to know that he
came, and for many years was one of the leading citizens of Boone county.
The neighborhood in which he settled was, in his honor, named Pea's
Point. This locality, we believe, was afterward called Flat Rock. The
stream a short distance southeast of Boone and emptying into the Des
Moines some three miles above Elk Rapids was called Pea's creek, and it
is our understanding that it still bears that name. Pea's ford, a favorite
crossing of the Des Moines directly west of Boone, was also named after
this hardy pioneer. After the county began to be tolerably well settled up
Mr. Pea become somewhat discontented and conceived the idea of again
emigrating. He even made the preliminary preparations and had the lo-
cality picked out in Nebraska where he proposed to drive his stakes for the
sixth time. From some reason his plan of emigrating to Nebraska was
not carried out and John Pea, one of the most active and characteristic
pioneers of Boone county, died a few years ago and was buried not many
miles from the spot of ground upon which he erected his first Iowa cabin.
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 301
We have already said that John Pea was a plain, blunt man; this state-
ment does not necessarily conflict with the further statement that he was a
man of kind heart and generous impulses. He was a man of vigorous
constitution and powerful frame, and after his head was covered with the
gray hairs of three-score and ten winters, such were his erect form and
robust constitution that time seemed to have broken its billows over his
manly form only as the ocean rends its fury over the immovable rocks of
the shore. Both physically and socially he was altogether such a man as is
the product of a busy life on the wild frontier; from such factors, and only
such, can a like product be obtained.
One of the of most eventful scenes, and one greatly regretted both by
friend and foe, in the life of John Pea, was enacted during the prog ress of
the late war. Although an ardent admirer of the American Union, and at
heart as patriotic a citizen as could be found from Maine to Oregon, Mr.
Pea was an ultra Democrat of the anti-war stamp and was a good represent-
ative of that class of citizens known in every community throughout the
north, vulgarly called copperheads. It is not known that he took active
measures to retard recruiting, or that he frequently even so much as openly
spoke against the prosecution of the war. However, during the exciting
times when the Union army was meeting with repeated reverses, and the
call for volunteers was so large and frequent that the quota could no longer
be filled, and it became necessary to order a draft, under the excitement of
the hour and probably with no evil intent, Pea made some very insulting
remarks, addressed to some recruits who were upon the point of leaving the
county for the seat of war. The persons to whom these remarks were ad-
dressed, being in charge of a commissioned officer, did not dare to resent
the insult, but they treasured up in their memory the words spoken. This
was especially true of one of the number, a man who was physically Pea's
superior, and v;hen in the course of time he returned to the county on a
recruiting mission he assailed Pea on the streets of Boonesboro, and
after addressing the old man in the most abusive language knocked him
down, whereupon Pea inflicted upon the person of his assailant two or
three frightful stabs, from the efiects of which the officer was likely not to
recover. A large number of returned soldiers were in the town at the
time, and when the various accounts, as usual highly colored, were spread
abroad, threats of lynching the old man were freely made. The civil
authorities seeing that a movement in this direction was taking definite
shape, and that a rope for that purpose had already been procured, took
Pea to a place of safety. He was indicted by the grand jury at its next
sitting, and although the officer who had been stabbed had in the meantime
recovered, a powerful eftbrt was made to convict Pea of a crime which
would have sent him to tiie State prison. The accused, however, had in the
meantime enlisted the sympathies of many of the leading citizens, and
through the untiring eftbrts of his counsel, ex-Judge Mitchell he was ac-
quitted.
James Hull, who came to the county the same time John Pea did, was
from Indiana. He was the advance guard of a numerous following of en-
terprising farmers of the same name and of the same ancestry. He first
located at Pea's Point, where, in years afterward, numerous representatives
of the»same family and from the same locality in Indiana settled. In later
J ears he removed to Boonesboro, where he still resides. Later came
esse Hull, John Hull, William Hull, and others of the same name and
302 HI8T0KT OF BOONE COUNTY.
family. The Hulls were so nucnerous at one time that they became quite
an important element in the politics of the county. There were in early
days the Democratic party, the Whig party, and the Hull party. On
questions of national and State politics the Hulls were Democrats, and the
Democratic party was largely in the majority, bat on local questions the
Hulls did not always vote with the Democratic party, and if they went
with the Whigs the Democrats were in the minority. Thus it was that in
all contests of a local character it was a matter of vital interest to know how
the Hull party would vote. The first contest in which the Hulls showed
their strength was in an election which decided the location of a certain
road. The policy of the dominant party was to have the road run through
the timber; the Hulls objected, and by uniting with the Whigs came very
nearly defeating the measure, and would have done so had not some of the
Whigs broken away from the alliance. The Hulls have always been known
in the county as an active, energetic, and intelligent class of people; they
represented nearly all of the known callings, trades, and professions. Jesse
Hull resided for many years at a place some ten miles south of Boone,
called Bell's Point, where he kept a stage station for the Des Moines and
Fort Dodge line of the Western Stage Company. James Hull was a phy-
sician, and lived at Pea's Point, where he erected a house, which is known
in late years as Dr. James Hull's old farm house. Kev. George Hull, a
Methodist minister, organized the first religious society in the county,
during the year 1848. John A. Hull, Esq., has for many years been known
in this and adjoining counties as one of the leading lawyers of the State.
At another place we shall speak more fully of these repiesentative men of
the county.
John M. Crooks was from Indiana, He was one of the most influential
citizens of the county in early days. It was at his house that the settlers
congregated at the time of the Lott difficulty. When the Pottawattamies,
under the direction of Lott, came across the prairie flourishing their weapons
and uttering their war cries, the band of white settlers, supposing that they
were the bloodthirsty Sioux, went out to meet them, under the command
of Mr. Crooks. Their weapons consisted of but a few trusty rifles, while
the larger part of the force was armed with pitchforks and scythes, yet that
little band, under the command of their brave leader, would have made a
desperate fight had the Indians proved to be enemies, as they were supposed
to be, instead of friends, which they really were. John M. Crooks emi-
grated to the West years ago, and is now a citizen of Nevada. Jacob
Crooks, with his wife, Hannah, the parents of J. M. Crooks, settled in the
county the following year. Thej^ first located in Jefferson county, this
State, in 1845, and after remaining there two years, followed their son to
this county. Old Jacob Crooks has long since passed away, but the mem-
ory of the good old man still remains a grateful heritage to those who, by
many years of intimate association, learned to prize his many sterling traits
of character. G. W. Crooks, another son, came to the county at an early
day. He held the office of sheriff, first by appointment to fill out an unex-
pired term, and then by election, for a number of consecutive years. He
afterward was elected to the General Assembly of the State, and is now one
of the prominent attorneys of Boone.
Thomas Sparks was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, December
23d, 1815. His parents removed to Tuscarawas county, Ohio, whence they,
returned to Pennsylvania, young Sparks remaining with them. In 1846
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 303
he emigrated to this county where he has since resided. He had no edu-
cational advantages in early life except such as were furnished in the com-
mon schools of the States where he resided. His early education, how-
ever, has been supplemented by extensive reading and self culture in later
years. Mr. Sparks is a descendant of a noble line of ancestors who emi-
grated from England with William Penn in his first voyage to Pennsyl-
vania, in 1682. This ancestor, Oliver Copes by name, first settled on
Naaman creek, in Pennsylvania, the record showing that he purchased of
Penn five hundred acres of land which were set off to him in 1682.
Although Mr. Sparks has given his attention chiefly to the business of
farming he has also taken an active part in the political aifairs of the
county. At the election held in August, 1849, for the purpose of organ-
izing the county he was elected to the otiice of count}'^ surveyor, a very
responsible and important ofiice in those days. Since that time he has been
elected to many important oflices and has invariably discharged his official
duties with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his constituents.
He at present resides about six miles south of Boone, where he owns a
fine farm of two hundred and eighty acres in an excellent state of culti-
vation.
Among the number of men of education and refinement who left their
comfortable homes in the East and exchanged the luxuries of an old settled
country for the hardships and privations of the new, there are none proba-
bly who have been more prominently associated with the development of
the county or who have exercised a more potent influence in moulding and
shaping the community in which they moved than John M. Wayne.
He came to the county shortly after the first settlement was made and still
lives near the spot of ground where he erected his first cabin on the orig-
inal claim. The most important part of his education was obtained in the
office of ''The New York Tribune " where he served an apprenticeship as
a printer. It was doubtless under the tuition of the sage of Chapaqua that
he imbibed these ideas of industry and economy which have since secured
for him a successful career in business and the political principles which
were inculcated by this leader of tlie Whig party Mr. Wayne carried with
him to the new country in the defense of which he waged many a fierce
contest. At the first election held in the county, August, 1849, Mr. Wayne
was elected to the responsible office of clerk of the district court. At this
election party lines were not closely drawn, the only issue before the people
being that of securing honest and competent officials. Affairs did not long
remain in this condition and although the Democrats were largely in the
majority Mr, Wayne adhered rigidly to his Whig principles although in
doing so he thereby diminished his chances for official promotion. Not-
withstanding the fact that he was recognized as the most radical and prom-
inent of the leaders of the minority party Mr. Wayne was frequently
elected to important offices and by a frequent coalition with the Hull party
elections were frequently carried in spite of the large majority of the op-
posite party. Mr. Wayne is comfortably located on an excellent farm a
few miles south of Boone, and enjoys the respect and confidence of all who
know him.
M. Hoffman was born in Indiana in July, 1827. On arriving at majority
he came to Iowa and located in this county in 1848. His first claim was
in section 15, township 83, range 26, and which he entered some time
after, this being the first land entered in the county. He returned to In-
304 HI8T0KT OF BOONE COUNTY.
diana the same year, and in the following spring removed with his family
to his claim in this county. The claim was improved as rapidly as circum-
stances would permit. By patient industry and economy Mr. Hoffman has
become the owner of six hundred acres of well improved land, and now
in mature age holds the position of being one of the leading farmers and
stock raisers of the State. The only capital Mr. Hoffman had on coining to
Iowa was two hundred'dollars which his father gave him on arriving at his
majority.
In June 1846, Benjamin Williams took a claim near the present site of
Swede Point. His claim was in section 34, township 82, range 26. When
he moved on this claim Mr, Williams found part of it occupied by a band
of Pottawattamie Indians. The claim contained a fine grove of maple
trees, which was a favorite resort of the Indians in the spring of the year.
They had just suspended their sugar-making operations when Williams
arrived, and as stated elsewhere, he in later years utilized their implements
in the manufacture of sirup. Mr. Williams further states that the Indians
having committed some deprecations upon the stock of a certain settler,
the case was reported to an officer of the dragoons, who came to inquire into
the matter, and finding the Indians all drunk selected two of the leaders
of the band and tied them up to an elm tree until they should become suffi-
ciently sober to give an intelligent account of affairs. Mr. Williams still
resides in the county and is one of the best representatives of that class of
Iowa farmers who have become justly renowned in the history of the
State. A native of Ohio, he emigrated to Illinois at a time when that
country would have been sufficiently new for most of people, but finding
that itwas settling up very rapidly, and that he was too late to take full
advantage of an unsettled country there, he set out in a short time for Iowa,
and having visited several localities along the Des Moines river, returned to
Illinois and informed his neighbors that he had found a much better
country. He soon made arrangements to remove to this county, where he
arrived, as before stated, in June, 1846. He immediately set about the
work of improving his claim but was not satisfied with confining his ex-
ertions there. Hearing that preparations were being made to build a fort
at a point further up the river, he employed two men with teams, and taking
these, in connection with his own team, set out for the present site of Fort
Dodge. Upon arriving there he found that Capt. Johnson, with a detach-
ment of dragoons, had but recently arrived and that he was just in time
to get a job, for which, as he now remarks, he knew he would receive the
cash, and that, too, not in depreciated currency of State banks but in the
genuine yellow eagles of the government. He was not long in concluding
a bargain with Capt. Johnson to haul the logs for the construction of the
fort, the compensation to be three dollars per day for each of his teams.
After a sufficient number of logs had been hauled Johnson inquired for
lumber and Williams informed him that a saw-mill had been recently erect-
ed at Elk Rapids, where a sufficient amount could be procured. Johnson
authorized him to procure the lumber, and Williams set out with his three
teams for that purpose. He proceeded to Elk Rapids and returned with
the lumber, which was received by the officer, the latter paying Williams
five dollars and giving him an order for the remainder of the bill. A short
time afterward Col. Armsted arrived with some more dragoons and took
charge of the garrison at the fort. Col. x\rmsted was an insolent and over-
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 305
bearing individual, and when Williams asked him for the money due him
the Colonel turned upon him and said:
"You can have no money, sir; and what is more I want you to load up
the lunaber and take it away, as I will have none of it."
Williams knew that his order was good and, what was more, a quantity
of the lumber had already been used by the garrison, the very table and
benches at the Colonel's headquarters having been manufactured out of it.
He therefore informed Armsted that the lumber would lie where it was till
the judgment day if not removed until he handled it, and as for his pay he
had an order from Capt. Johnson, which the Government was good for.
When the Colonel saw that Williams was not to be intimidated and that he
had an order for the money, the irate officer toned down wonderfully, invited
Williams into his quarters, where he divided with him the contents of a
black bottle, and then paid the bill entire. The lumber was just what the
garrison needed and Armsted had no intention to part with it, his object
evidently being to brow-beat Williams, whom he deemed to be a timid in-
dividual and, after having frightened him, compromise the matter by pay-
ing a small sum for the lumber.
The mill where Williams procured the lumber was on the Des Moines
river, and the first one erected in the county. The few settlers who were
in the county joined together and put in the dam. Trees were cut out the
proper length and dragged into the river; upon these brush and stone
were piled until the dam was constructed. The mill was at first con-
structed simply for the manufacture of lumber, but in the course of a few
years an arrangment for grinding wheat and corn was added. The burs
were made out of some large round sandstone, commonly called nigger-
heads, found on an adjoining prairie.
Mr. Williams tells some interesting stories about his first trips to Des
Moines and to Parmelee's mill, in Warren county. He was in Des Moines
when there were but two business houses in that place and says he could
have hauled all the goods away from there at one wagon load; could have
had his choice of lots in the present Capital City at the rate of fifteen dol-
lars apiece. He went to mill down in that country once and, when arriving
there, found the dam out of repair and the mill crowded with grists from
all parts of the country. JS^ot knowing what to do he walked off a few
rods, where his team was feeding, and began to meditate. During his
meditations he chanced to see two men wheeling rock to be used in repair-
ing the dam, and the idea immediately suggested itself that the best way
to get his grist ground would be to assist in repairing the dam. He im-
mediately threw off his coat and went to work. When supper time came
he followed the men and when they sat down to eat he sat down, too.
When night came he undertook to sleep in his wagon, but the musquitos
were so troublesome he slept none that night; so, on the following evening,
when the other laborers went to bed, he followed them and sought to share
their bed. They informed him that it was too hot for three in a bed, but
he put them off with the remark that he was very fond of company and
the more the merrier. Finally, the mill started, and some of the employes
informed the proprietor that they had better grind Williams' grist for he
was an intolerable bore and they wanted to get rid of him. Upon making
inquiry, the proprietor ascertained what work Williams had performed,
ground his wheat, paid him for his work, and the latter departed in high
spirits. On his way back through Des Moines he saw one of the two mer-
306 mSTOKY OF BOONE COUNTY.
chants, which that town then supported, laboring verj' hard to manufac-
ture stove wood from some drift which had been brought down bj the cur-
rent of the river during the high water of the preceding spring. Williams
saw that cutting wood was hard work for the knight of the yard stick, and,
accosting him, inquired what he would pay to have the wood cut up. The
latter offered one dollar, which Williams accepted, finishing the task in
about one hour, and again set out for home.
Mr. Williams, at an early day, came into possession of the parcel of
land upon which is the town of Boonesborough; that is he owned the claim,
but had no title from the government. When the county seat was located
upon it, the county commissioners entered the land, and Williams got
nothing for his claim. He had paid the original owner of the claim one
hundred dollars in cash for it, which was quite a sum of money to lose in
those days. Mr. Williams' first claim consisted of three hundred and
twenty acres, all of which was timber. His opinion was, that timber being
scarce would always be valuable; while there was such an abundance of
prairie land, that it would be comparatively easy to secure that at any
time. His wife, Mrs. Elsie A. Williams, died the next year after coming
to the county, and was buried on section 34, where a portion of ground
was afterward set aside as a burying-ground. Although Mr. Williams is
nearing his three-score years and ten, he is still enjoying comparatively
good health.
The first settlement at Swede Point was made in 1846. In September
of that year Mrs. Anna Delander came direct from Sweden with a family
of four sons and three daughters, and settled upon the land where Swede
Point now is located.
During the following year, 1847, quite a number of settlers came,
among whom were the following: Jesse Hull and John Hull, already
mentioned; William Sawyer, John Dobson, Richard Green and William
Holston. These located during the months of May and June of that year
in various parts of what is now Douglas township.
It was in this neighborhood that the first marriage and the first birth oc-
curred. The first marriage was that of Henry Holcomb to Mary J. Hull,
in 1848. The first birth was that of Henry, son of John and Sophia Hull.
This part of the county was early settled by Swedes. They have always
had the reputation of being an enterprising, industrous class of citizens,
an-i most of them have well improved farms.
Montgomery McCall settled near the present site of Boonesborough early
in February, 1847. For a year or more his family lived nearer the source
of the Des Moines river than any other white family. Mr. McCall was a
man of more than ordinarj^ force of character, and being a radical Demo-
crat was for years considered one of the leaders of the party, although he
does not seem to have held many, if any, important offices. He was one of
that type of pioneers, who were so numerous in early days, partizan from
principle rather than from policy. He was greatly exasperated at the Hull
party for their coalition with the Whigs, and although he was a kind hearted
man, and by his general demeanor in affairs of business and politics, drew
around him hosts of friends, it is not clear that he ever fully forgave the
Hulls for their union with his political enemies. Mr. McCall at one time
owned the land where Moingonia is now situated, but he parted with the
land and probably died without once dreaming of the immense mineral
wealth of which he was possessed. Two sons, John McCall and William
jf fh ^7^>^-y{^^^^
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 309
McCall, still reside in the county on the west side of the river, with one of
whom the aged widow of Montgomery McCall now resides. S. B. McCall,
another son of Montgomery McCall, emigrated further west several years
ago. He it was who lead the "Boone Invincibles," or "Tigers," as the}'
were sometimes known, against the predatory Sioux who, under the lead of
the chief Ink-pa-du-tah, ravished the stricken settlement of Spirit Lake.
Some amusing as well as pathetic incidents are related of Capt. McCall's
command against the Sioux. It seems tliat the great difficulty in fitting
out the "Tigers," was the scarcity of fire-arms. After the company had
been quickly organized, upon the receipt of the news, it was found that
there were barely enough arms, including old flint-lock muskets, squirrel
rifles, shot guns and horse pistols, to funiish each "Tiger" with a piece. Some
of the citizens, fearing that the settlement might be attacked, refused to
loan their fire-arms for the use of the expedition. So it happened that
upon the eve of their departure some of the "Tigers" had not so much as a
flint-lock musket. Prof. Couch, of Greene county, of late years a writer
and lecturer of considerable reputation, was then a citizen of Boonesboro.
He had just arrived from the East a few days prior to the Spirit Lake massa-
cre, and when the "Tigers" organized, his Yankee blood rose to the boiling
point. He joined the "Tigers" but was unabie to procure a gun; those
who were the fortunate owners of rifles or muskets had either already
loaned them or persisted in holding them for self-defense. When the com-
pany were on the point of departing, Coucli heard of a musket which for
years had been stacked away among some old rubbish in the corner of a
lawyer's office. He rushed up into the office, and finding that the disciple
of Blackstone was not in, searched out the musket and carried it away in
triumph without consulting the owner or so much as examining the piece.
Thus armed he joined the company and rode away in triumph. Owing to
the excitement and haste which attended the organization and departure of
the company, no examination had been made of the arms and ammunition.
This oversight suggested itself to Capt. McCall on arriving at Hook's
Point, in Webster county, whereupon the Captain called a halt and pro-
ceeded to make an examination. Upon examining Couch's equipments it
was ascertained that tiiis doughty soldier had no ammunition, and that his
musket had neither bayonet, I'amrod nor lock. Prof Couch, however, pro-
ceeded with the expedition, notwithstanding his indiflerent outfit, and the
result of the expedition proved him to be one of the bravest "Tigers" in
the herd, and the old musket, notwithstanding its dilapidated condition, did
as much execution as any Sharp's rifie in the outfit.
S. B. McCall was the first sheriff of the county by appointment of Judge
McKay. The order for his appointment will be found at another place.
When the old board of county commissioners was legislated out of ex-
istence and the county judge system was established S. B. McCall became
the incumbent of that office.
David Hamilton, another one of the first settlers, located further up the
river and laid out the town of Milford.
R. S. Clark first located about three miles south of Boonesboro. He
afterward removed to a claim west of Boonesboro now known as the
Zimbleman farm. He emigrated to Missouri some 3'ears ago.
John Gault settled near Swede Point; he afterward removed to Oregon.
Richard Greene went to Arkansas and William Holston to Missouri.
20
310 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
John Castle settled near Swede Point, where he still lives.
The first settlements included about twenty families, few representatives
of which now remain in the county.
In 1848 emigration set in so rapidly and new settlers came in so fast
that it would be impossible to give even a passing notice of each of them.
In 1851 the county was organized and in 1854 there was a great rush of
emigration; also in 1865. It will be proper to give a brief account of
a few of the more prominent ones who settled in the county during these
times. In doing this we have experienced some difficulty as well as in
tracing out the date and location of those who settled in the county at an
earlier day.
The historian experiences no difficulty in ascertaining the date of battles
and sieges, the discovery of continents and the coronation of kings, for by
common consent these are important events, worthy of a place in the mem-
ory of men then living, who transmit the same to their children. The date
of a settlement on the frontier, however, is not deemed so important, and
is sometimes forgotten by the parties themselves.
At the time referred to settlements were scattered at regular intervals
along the east side of the Des Moines river, but there were few on the west
side, and scarcely any on the prairie at a distance from the timber which
skirted the river. Nevertheless in that portion of the county which was
settled afi'airs which heretofore were in an unsettled and chaotic condition
now began to take shape, and the county settled down in a state of perma-
nent prosperity. Pioneer times had not yet ended, and there were many
hardships to endure and sacrifices to make. The persons alread}' men-
tioned as early settlers, while they were the first, and probably endured
the greatest hardships, they by no means controlled the future policy of
the county; they had their share in these matters, and the names of sev-
eral of these first settlers will be found on the public records as county
officers, yet the men who did most to shape legislation and stamp their
characters on the permanent institutions of the county, were those who
came subsequent to 1849. In 1846 Iowa became a State. All that was
done prior to 1849 was simply preparatory or introductory. From 1849 to
1855 was the formative period of the State, and what may be said of the
State is likewise true of the county. In many respects these six years
were the most important in the history of the county. It was during this
period that constitutions were adopted, churches organized and school-
houses erected. Owing to the difficulty with the Indians the growth of
the county was slow from 1846 to 1849, at which time the inhabitants
numbered 419. The Indian difficulties having been disposed of by the
new purchase, and there being much available timber lands, the growth
during the next two years was more rapid, the per cent of increase in pop-
ulation during these two years being probably greater than during the
same length of time in the history of the county. In 1851 the population
was 890, or an increase of over one hundred per cent in two years. A great
many of those who settled during this period were only temporary, and
again removed westward, while nearly all of them settled in the timber,
thus leaving the best part of the farming lands unimproved. The settlers
who came between the years 1849 and 1855 not only settled on the best
lands but came to stay. As a general thing they were men of good sense,
well educated, industrious, thrifty and in many cases were men of consid-
erable means; men not driven from the older settlements by want, but who
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 311
came to better their condition. The per cent of increase during these
years was not so great, but it represented a more permanent population
and a more thrifty class of people. In 1852 the population was 1,024 and
in 1856 it was 3,518.
During this period there settled in the county many persons who after-
ward became prominently identified with the history of the county, and
some of whom are still residing in the same neighborhood where they first
settled. Special efforts have been taken to gain information with regard
to the leading men of the county who settled daring this formative period
of the county's history, as well as of some of the more influential citizens
who came since. The most interesting facts are those relating to date of
birth, nativity, occupation, place of residence, positions of honor and trust
held now or in times past, time of coming to the county, date of mar-
riage, names of children, etc., all of which will be found arranged in alpha-
betical order in a biographical record further on.
It is the object, however, at the present stage of the work to mention the
names of certain ones who came to the county from 1849 to 1855, and show
what part they performed in the development of the material resources of
the county and point out their influence in originating, directing and con-
trolling the moral, intellectual and social enterprises which constitute the
distinctive characteristics of the county and distinguish it as being the
most radical and progressive in the State. It is admitted that this stage of
our work brings us down to a period in the memory of many now living.
Many events of that period, however, are becoming indistinct; these we
hope to rescue from the confusion of speculation and place them, arranged
in analytical order, in the imperishable receptacle of the printed page.
The importance of this is all the more apparent from the fact that the
number of those who lived here in those times is rapidly diminishing and
the memory of such becoming, year by year, more indistinct.
It is generally admitted that a higher moral sentiment and intellectual
culture prevail in this county than in most, of the counties of the State.
This is not accidental; it is- the necessary and legitimate result of some
cause which must be sought for in the formative period of the county's his-
tory. It is universally admitted that nothing is so potent in its influence to
shape the moral, social and intellectual condition of a people as schools,
churches and newspapers. It will be found in reading the subsequent
pages that the persons who oame during the period referred to were from
those localities in the East where the greatest attention had been paid to
these mighty forces of civilization. Many of them had been educated at
the best colleges of the East, and with a few exceptions they had all availed
themselves of the liberal facilities furnished by the best common school
system in the world. The ancient Grecian and Koman prided himself on
his devotion to his household gods, and while he might lose on his journey a
father, mother, sister or even wife without a great pang of grief, 3'et it was
a mark of unpardonable folly or cowardice to lose his gods. Those who
have read the story of ^Eneas fleeing from the ruins of his native Troy,
leaving being him in the devouring elements his beloved Oreusa, and stop-
ping on the way to bury the aged Anchises, yet amid fire and sword, amid
shipwreck and famine, still clinging to his "trusted gods. But there is no
account of the heroes of antiquity clinging to their lares and penates with
any greater tenacity or hastening with any greater alacrity to set them up
on the soil of the new found home than did the first settlers of this county
312 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
cling to their churches and free schools and hasten to establish them in the
goodly land which they had found west of the Father of Waters.
Clark Luther, who now resides on section 35, township 83, range 26, was
born in Eandolph county, South Carolina, in 1823. When yet an infant
his parents removed to Clay county, Indiana, where he grew into manhood.
In the spring of 1849, he removed to Story county, this State, where he
remained for two years. In 1851 he disposed of his interests in Story
county and removed to the place where he now resides. In the first place
he entered a half section and immediately went to work improving it.
During his residence in Boone county he has devoted his energies almost
exclusively to the management of his private aifairs of business, leaving to
others the arduous and often thankless business of looking after public
affairs. He now owns a home farm of eight hundred acres, and twenty-
five hundred acres in an adjoining township. The fact that he employs
over over fifty head of work horses, affords some idea of the extent of his
farming operations.
John Long was born in Virginia February 3, 1812. When about ten years
of age his parents went to Lawrence county, Indiana, where they remained
three years; then removed to Clay county, where they remained until
young Long grew into manhood. He emigrated to Iowa in 1850, and
settled in the neighborhood where he now resides. When he came to
Iowa he was poor, having scarcely enough money to defray the necessary
expenses of his trip here. He now owns about one section of land, and
has given to his children, who have married and left the parental roof, over
eight hundred acres of choice land. Mr. Long is a quiet and unassuming
man, and is a good representative of that class of persons who are known
by their actions, rather than their words. He is of "Welsh and Irish an-
cestry, his grandfather having been a native of Ireland and his grand-
mother being from Wales.
W. M. Boone was born in Harrison county, Indiana, May 30th, 1822,
where he continued to reside until 1851, when he removed to the tract of
land in this county where he now resides. He was of the same family as
the renowned hunter and pioneer, Daniel Boone, and consequently a con-
nection of Capt. Boone, who first explored the county and from whom it
received its name. It was probably owing to this fact, in part, that Mr.
Boone selected this county as his home, and the circumstance will afford
additional interest to this sketch. Although many years have elapsed
since the illustrious Kentucky pioneer closed his eventful career, his name
is still familiar to every school boy. Mr. Boone resides on section 23,
township 83, range 26. He has a farm of about two hundred acres, is a
conscientious and upright citizen, and enjoys the confidence of all.
S. C. Wood was born in Kentucky in February, 1823. When he was
eight years old his parents removed to Illinois. When sixteen years of
age he commenced the study of civil engineering, which he pursued for
two years, when he went to Wisconsin to engage in his profession. After
remaining in Wisconsin for one year, he returned home and continued his
studies till 1848, when he came to Des Moines, in this State. Shortly after
arriving at Des Moines, he took the contract of sectionizing a portion of
Dallas and Madison counties. During the fall of 1849, he made a journey
up the Des Moines river and selected for his future home the land upon
which he now lives. After locating in the county, Mr. Wood was honored
HISTOET OF BOONE COUNTY. 313
at several successive elections with the office of county surveyor. His
terms of service in this office extended over a period of ten years.
In 1851 two brothers by the name of McFarland settled in the town of
Boonesboro. This town had just been selected as tlie county seat and
although about the only title it had to being called a town, was the certifi-
cate of the locating commissioners, yet it was a place of great expecta-
tions, and offered great inducements to professional and business men.
These two men came up the river from Keokuk by boat, as at that time a
somewhat uncertain and hazardous navigation was maintained on that river
at certain seasons of the year. During this trip the boat met with some
kind of a catastrophe, whereby one of them lost a quantity of household
goods and the other his law library. They finally arrived at Des Moines,
where they stopped for a few years, and then removed to the incipient town
of Boonesboro, where one of them opened up a store of general mer-
chandise and the other entered upon the practice of law. The lawyer be-
came the Hon. Judge McFarland, whose fine personal appearance and
natural talents, no less than his numerous eccentricities, won for him a
wide-spread reputation. The other has become a banker and financier of
State-wide reputation. Shortly afterward, R. W". Sypher, of Des Moines,
formed a partnership with S. B. McCall in establishing a store of general
merchandise in Boonesboro, and placed the management in charge of
James A. Black, a young man who had just come to the county from Terre
Haute, Indiana. R. J. Shannon also came to Boone about the same time
and engaged in the mercantile business, with other parties, under the firm
name of Shannon, Sheets & Co.
The aforementioned persons may properly be termed the pioneers of
Boone county mercantile and professional enterprises, and were, in many
respects, men well-calculated to lay the foundation, upon which not only
they, but hundreds of others, have so well builded. These men came West,
not because they failed to find employment for their varied talents amid
the busy scenes of their Eastern homes; such rare talent for business as
they possessed finds employment anywhere. They came West because they
believed that there w^as a better opening in the new and rapidly developing
country west of the Mississippi. It was well for this country that such
men did come. Amid the stirring, active and almost reckless push of busi-
ness speculation, every community needed just such enterprising yet safe
men of business, with cool heads, yet active brain, who could safely pilot
the finances over this stormy sea of speculation and yet keep up with the
ownward march of improvement.
John A. McFarland was born in Knox county, Ohio, in July, 1819.
There he remained until the breaking out of the Mexican War, following
in the meantime the occupation of farming. When war was declared with
Mexico, he enlisted in the second regiment of Ohio volunteers, and served
throughout the war, first under Gen. Morgan then under Taylor. As be-
fore remarked, he came to Des Moines at the close of the Mexican War
and sliortly after located in Boonesboro, where he engaged in mercantile
business. His store consisted of general merchandise and was the first
established in Boonesboro. Prior to that time there were no stores in
the county north of Swede Point and Elk Rapids, while much of the trade
of the county went to Des Moines and other points still farther down the
river. After carrying on a successful business for several years, Mr.
McFarland retired from the store and opened up a banking institution.
314: HISTOKT OF BOONE COUNTY.
He followed the banking business in the old town until it became evident
to his mind that the business would eventually be transferred to the new
town of Boone, when he transferred his banking business and erected the
elegant and commodious block in which the bank, with which he is now
connected, is located. This was the finest brick block erected in the town
of Boone. It is now, and is likely to remain, a building creditable to the
enterprising town where it is situated. Ever since he embarked in the
banking business Mr. McFarland has conducted his financial affairs with
great care and prudence and, by this course of procedure as well as by a
liberal and progressive spirit, has won for himself the confidence of all the
people with whom his business brings him into contact, and given him an
enviable reputation among the leading financiers of the State.
R. J. Shannon came to the State in the fall of 1856 and settled at
Boonesborough. He opened a store of general merchandise the same year,
and although the business partners with whom he was connected changed
at stated times, he continued in the business till 1861, when he disposed of
his business and entered the army. When he returned fr6m the army he
embarked in the grocery business at the new town of Boone. As was his
experience at the old town so at the new, and Mr. Shannon succeeded well.
He retired from the grocery business some time since and is now engaged
in settling up the business of the house.
James W. Black arrived from Indiana at Boonesboro in May, 1855.
He was a characteristic representative of that large class of enterprising
and adventursome young men who in early days cut loose from the the re-
straints of home and sought fields which offered a wider range for their ac-
tive powers. Upon arriving at the town of Boonesboro he was em-
ployed by the firm of McCall & Sypher as clerk McCall not being a bus-
iness man and Sypher being at Des Moines, the management af the store
was confided to the young clerk. Here Mr. Black measured calico,
weighed out sugar and coffee, negotiated for the purchase of valuable
pelts, bartered for butter, eggs and 'coon skins, constantly in the store by
day and slept on a dry goods box at night. At the expiration of four
years the firm of McCall & Sypher dissolved partnership and the business
was closed out. Mr. Black then went to Fort Dodge where he remained
for some time, when he went into the army. On returning from the army
he opened up a hardware business in Boone which he followed for a while, giv-
liis attention the same time to shipping stock. He then sold out his hard-
ware business and since then has turned his whole attention to the stock
business. There is not a more popular stock buyer in the State than he
and no better proof is required by the majority of Boone county farmers
for the statement that hogs or cattle are worth a certain price than the fact
that "Jimmy " Black says so.
Judge McFarland was probably one of the most eccentric gentlemen
who ever occupied the bench in this or any other judicial district of the
State in early or later times. He was a man of fine personal appearance
and one who would have attracted attention anywhere. He had a luxuriant
beard which he permitted to grow at full length, and always wore it in that
style. He was a delegate to the convention at Cincinnati which nominated
James Buchanan for president. It appears that McFarland was foreman
of the Iowa delegation, and as such acted a very conspicuous part in the
deliberations of that convention. A correspondent for a St. Louis paper,
in giving account of the proceedings of the convention, took occasion to
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 315
criticise the several delegations, alluding in rather a facetious way to the
personal characteristics of some of the more prominent men. In speaking
of the Iowa delegation he referred to McFarland as a man with a flourishing
crop of whiskers, whose extravagant luxuriance, doubtless, exhausted such
a large proportion of nutriment as to greatly impoverish the nerve centers
of the brain. When McFarland saw the criticism he vowed vengeance
against the incorrigible reporter, and doubtless would have given him a
thorough castigation could he have found him.
Many anecdotes, relative to the eccentricities and peculiarities of this
gentleman, are repeated by the early members of the Iowa bar. He first
became judge by appointment of the governor, on the resignation of the Hon.
Wm. McKay, judge of the 5th judicial distri-it. This district consisted of quite
a number of organized counties, among others Polk, to which was attached
for revenue and judicial purposes a large tract of unorganized territory to
the north and west, including what is now Boone county. Before the expi-
ration of the term of office which Judge McFarland held by appointment
Boone county became organized. It seems that the act providing for the
organization of Boone county failed to make any change in the relation
which all that unorganized territory northwest of Boone county originally
sustained to Polk; consequently as far as the statutes were concerned that
territory was still a part of Polk, while practically it was totally cut olF
from Polk by the organization of the new county of Boone. The jurisdic-
tion of the civil officers of Polk county could not extend across the terri-
tory of the newly organized county of Boone, neither could the jurisdic-
tion of the civil officers of Boone extend into the unorganized territory
north and west. Thus matters stood when Judge McFarland went before
the people for election to the office of judge on the expiration of the term
which he held by appointment. There was quite a number of settlers
scattered throughout the unorganized territory north and west of Boone
county, and according to the provisions of the legislative enactment they
belonged to the 5th judicial district, and being of proper age and citizens
of the United States, they had a right to vote. When the day of election
came no provisions had been made by the authorities of Polk county for
the opening of the polls in this territory; there were no places designated
for holding elections, no judges nor clerks of election, and no poll-books.
Notwithstanding this the settlers gathered together by neighborhoods and
voted; those who were in favor of McFarland took their position in a row
on one side of an imaginary line, and those opposed to him took their places
on the opposite side of the line. Kearly all the people throughout that
region voted for McFarland, and although the election was conducted with-
out any of tlie forms ot law, the result was nevertheless transmitted to
headquarters, by the board of canvassers and was counted the same as re-
turns from the regularly organized counties. The result of the canva ss showed
that McFarland was elected, counting the vote of the unorganized territory,
but by throwing out that vote his opponent was elected; he was declared
elected, however, by the board of canvassers, and received his commission
from the governor. Steps were taken to contest the election, and J. A.
Hull, Esq., of this place, in connection with other counsel, carried the case
before the proper tribunal. It was shown that the vote in the territory in
question had been cast without any form of law, but the judges decided
that unless the contestants could show fraud the vote must be counted, even
though it was informal. It seems that a short time prior to this election,
316 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
J. A. Hull had borrowed a barrel of lime from the judge. When the latter
ascertained that Hull was taking active measures to defeat him the latter
sued him for the lime. Hull paid the bill to the justice, but in the mean
time the irate judge was somewhat pacified and refused to receive the
money from the squire; Hull, also, refused to take it, and the proceeds of
that judgment still constitute a portion of the assets of that justice or his
heirs. On one occasion D. O. Finch, of Des Moines, and a certain attor-
ney, were trying a case before McFarland. It was a warm afternoon and
the trial was proceeding at a slow and tedious pace when the judge fell
asleep. Finally Finch and the opposing lawyer got into a quarrel, concern-
ing the filing of a certain motion, and the former, in rather loud and bois-
terous language was threatening to commit personal violence on the
latter for alleged breach of professional faith in filing the motion. In the
midst of the dispute the judge awoke, and starting from his seat informed
the two quarrelsome lawyers that if " they didn't quiet down immediately
he would lick h 1 out of both of them."
On another occasion a certain lawyer, who was noted for a too extensive
use of his nasal organs in articulation and also for the elaborateness with
which he discussed questions of law, was at great length endeavoring to
impress some legal technicality upon the mind of the judge, when a cer-
tain anima,l anchored to a post in the vicinity of the court of justice begun
a most vociferous braying; the Judge immediately called the lawyer to
order informing him that ''one jackass at a time was enough. "
Notwithstanding his peculiarities Judge McFarland was a man of more
than ordinary natural ability and possessed a most generous disposition.
He would make any sacrifice of personal ease in order to accommodate a
friend. The great fault of the Judge was an inordinate use of that which
inebriates as well as cheers. His fondness for the cup grew on him with
age and from the efiects of intemperate drinking he was brought to a
frightful death and an untimely grave.
Hon. I. J. Mitchell was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1829. When yet
a youth his parents removed to a farm in Clermont county, Ohio, where
they remained for a number of years, after which they removed to Brazil,
Indiana. When he grew into manhood young Mitchell taught school and
studied medicine. In 1855 he came to Boonesboro and established a
drug store. Neither the practice of medicine nor the drug business prov-
ing congenial to him he entered upon the study of law and in 1857 was
admitted to the bar. In 1858 he was elected a member of the State board
of education, which office he filled for two years. In 1868 he was elected
to the State Senate and in 1870 was appointed trustee of the State Agricul-
tural College at Ames. In 1874 he was elected judge of this jndicial dis-
trict, his official term expiring in Jaimary, 1879. Besides these positions
to which he has been elevated by the vote of the people, Judge Mitchell
has held at least two other important offices by appointment of the gen-
eral government, that of draft commissioner and assessor of internal rev-
enue. As draft commissioner during the war he was called upon to dis-
charge some very arduous and unpleasant duties. These duties he
discharged with such care, impartiality and fidelity that there never was a
breath of suspicion nor so much as an insinuation bearing upon his official
integrity. The same is true with regard to the discharge of his duties as
assessor of internal revenue. There are few men who have held such im-
portant trusts in the State and nation who have commanded such a large
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 317
share of public confidence or who have greater reasons for congratulating
themselves upon their past record. Judge Mitchell is a man of more than
ordinary culture, possessed of fine sensibility. His idea of ofticial dignity
and political honor forms a striking contrast to the common and estab-
lished code of the present day. He does not believe that working up dele-
gations or packing conventions are consistent with the proper estimate of
the self-respect of the candidate. Hence he has made no organized attempt
to obtain the nomination for any office. He is and always has been an ar-
dent admirer of the principles of the party with which he is identified and
when designated as the' standard-bearer in any campaign has entered the
field and given his best energies to bring about a victory; the ])osition of
standard-bearer, however, whenever he did receive it was received unso-
licited on his part. His connection with the early history of Boone countv
is merged into the present, and he is now actively engaged in the practice
of his chosen profession. We conclude that in pursuing his private busi-
ness he has as wide a field of usefulness, and as much real enjoyment as
he ever enjoyed while engaged in public and ofiicial duties, and should he
again exchange the former for the latter it will be not of his own choosing
but from a sense of duty to his constituents.
Among the professional pioneers of Boone county there are none more
familiarly known in this and adjoining counties than John A. Hull. He
is a member of the numerous Hull family before referred to, but owing to
the prominent position which he has occupied at the bar for more than a
quarter of a century, and the important part he has played in the politics
of the county and congressional district, it will be proper to give the fol-
lowing additional facts :
He was born at Terre Haute, Ind., in 1831; graduated at Asbury Uni-
versity at Greencastle, Indiana; studied law, was admitted to the bar and
engaged in the practice of his profession at Madison, Tennessee. He emi-
grated to Boone county in 1854, and immediately opened a law office in
Boonesboro. The town was then yet in its infancy, but, as is usually
the case in western towns, the bar was already well represented, and Mr.
Hull had for competitors some of the ablest lawyers then in the State. As
far as the practice of his profession was concerned, Mr. Hull was quite sur-
prised to find that there was quite a diiference between the theory and the
practice, and, notwithstanding the fact that he had previously received a
thorough preparation and had passed a most creditable examination before
being admitted, he found that there still remained much to learn. How-
ever, he readily adapted himself to his new surroundings, and from the first
procured a large share of legal business. The prominent position which he
first took at the bar Mr. Hull has kept till the present time, and he still is
regarded as one of the leading lawyers of the county. Mr. Hull is no
fanatic, but has always proved himself to be possessed of positive convic-
tions. During the heated campaign of 1854, when the chief question be-
fore the people of the State, was the adoption of the prohibitory liquor law,
he took a decided stand in favor of that measure, and it was largely due to
his influence that the law was indorsed by a majority of the voters of this
judicial district. In politics, he has always been a pronounced Democrat of
the Jeftersonian and Jacksonian school. It is partly on this account and
partly from the fact that he has not been an aspirant for office that Mr.
Hull has never been elected to those positions which his integrity and ex-
perience have so well fitted him to occupy. Though not an old man, hard
318 HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
work and the cares of business are beginning to tell on his constitution, and
he contemplates, at no far distant day, to abandon the practice of his pro-
fession and give his entire attention to the cultivation of his farm, located
near the city of Boone. He was raised a farmer's boy and, in returning to
that occupation, he will gratify a long cherished desire and will be doing
what hundreds of other professional men have done before him.
A. B. Holcomb came to Boone county in 1855. He located in Boones-
boro, and although he gave some attention to the practice of law he
was chiefly engaged in real estate transactions. At the time the town of
Boone was laid out he owned a large portion of the land upon which the
town was located. Long before the railroad was surveyed, and even before
the town of Boone was thought of, he, with almost prophetic vision, seemed
to comprehend what was to come to pass. Mr. Holcomb was from Con-
necticut, and some of the letters which he wrote to friends in his native
State, beir unmistakable evidence of his remarkable sagacity. Previous
to his death, which occurred but a short time since, Mr. Holcomb became
involved in a lawsuit with some parties in the East, during the progress of
which it became necessary to introduce as evidence certain ones of the
letters referred to. Through the kindness of J. A. Hull, Esq., we have had
access to these letters, and as they contain many facts which properly
belong to the history of the county, we shall take the liberty to make fre-
quent extracts. From the first letter written we take the following:
"BooNESBORO, Iowa, July 24, 1855.
"E. Holcomb, Esq.:
"Turned up at last at this place; 'tis the geographical centre of Iowa, the
county seat of Boone county, and one of the points of great interest to
land operators. Everybody seems wild with the excitement of entering
government lands. Benton's mint drops fly freely, and fortunes are made
sure, and no mistake.. Forty per cent interest is the lowest sale last week.
I got one quarter section; it was run up to $1.30 per acre. I bought a
land warrant, so that the lot cost me $202.50.
" The town is now in the third year of its settlement; is the county seat;
public building is not built yet; courts are held in the log school-house.
It has about forty houses and 200 inhabitants,"
He then proceeds to speak of the manner in which lands were sold and
the prices which they commanded, and then speaks as follows of the char-
acter of the soil:
" Of the fertility of the soil here, it cannot be excelled. The prairie is
rolling, a most magnificent sight; it reminds me of the handsomest Hartford
meadows in June, fresh and green. Where it is broken up, you pass corn
fields of one hundred acres in extent, yielding from fifty to one hundred
bushels per acre. The labor of one man with a pair of horses will easily
produce 10,000 bushels of corn, so that we produce the supplies for family
wants, and a man has nothing to do. I think it would make some of our
Granby farmers' eyes blink to look at a farm here in corn, wheat, oats, etc.,
and all comparatively with no labor. Corn is planted by horse-drill; it is
never hoed, and never fails to produce as much as above stated per acre."
In a letter dated June 30, 1856, he proceeds to answer some questions
with regard to the natural resources of some land he had bought:
"1. What is the quality, thickness, and width of the coal beds?
' 'Answer. The indications are that it underlies the most of the 140 acres.
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 319
The mill stream crossing the lot is below the general surface from sixty to
one hundred feet. The stream runs on a bed of blue limestone. The broken
banks of the bluffs, where the stream washes them, show the formation
above the limestone. On the limestone lies potter's clay, saj' six feet thick.
Upon the clay lies a stratum of coal from three to six feet thick, and in one
place where the coal crops out it is six feet above the surface of the bottom,
and how far below we have not yet ascertained. At this place the coal and
clay alternate to the height of iifty feet above the bed of the stream. One
time I saw cropping out of the bank, at least fifty feet above the stream, four
feet thick, and of the best quality. The coal is usually a stratum of coal, slate
two feet thick lying on it. I am satisfied that this place indicates about
the general appearance of the bluffs elsewhere when you uncover them; in
fact, we have seen coal in other places on the lot, cropping out as high above
the stream as that. The blacksmiths here are working coal from these beds,
and say it is the best they find here, and of the quality of the best Ohio
coal.
" 2. The dip is from one to three degrees southerly, and will be drained
with little trouble. The coal burns freely in the ordinary cooking stove,
making flame and a hot fire, and generating steam much more rapidly than
wood.
" 3. It is about one-half mile from the river, with good county road list.
In the spring arks can be floated down the river, say two or three months
in the year.
" 4. The market now, of course, is very limited. , But taking into consid-
eration the immense quantity that will be required for steam purposes for
railroads, mills, factories, and fuel as the county fills up, we can hardly
imagine the immense demand for it in a few years. It must be of great
resource here; and then who can imaging the value of these coal beds? I
think sandstone overlays the whole. I see it cropping out over the coal
usually, but 1 have not satisfied myself of that yet.
" 5. There has never been any salt yet found in the State. I do not know
that anybody has ever bored for salt. The idea is new to me. I think that
it is possible that by boring through the limestone salt water may be
reached, and if so, it would be worth more than the Mariposa grant of Col.
Fremont.
'' 6. Salt is retailing here at $2 per bushel, and is worth that in most parts
of the interior of the State. From what examination I have had of the
country, I think the best route for the Central Railroad to cross
the Des Moines is down Honey creek to the river, and if they go that
route they must cut these coal beds for the road, and I think these beds will
furnish one of the strongest inducements to lay th 
