Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

structions from the Government, built the first gristmill in Winneshiek county. The Mission and farm was continued under Col. Thomas' supervision, until the Indians sold their reservation to the Government, when they were removed, and there was no further need of these enterprises.

"Lowery continued in charge of the Indian Mission some time after building it, but finally resigned to take charge of a Mission in Minnesota, whereupon Gen. Fletcher was appointed to serve in

his stead.

"It is difficult to discriminate, exactly, as to whom belongs the honor of being the first permanent settler. It lies between Mr. A. R. Young, of Fort Atkinson, and Hamilton Campbell and wife, of Bloomfield township. Mr. A. R. Young, residing on his farm, celebrated as the defunct Lewiston, was a member of the garrison stationed at the fort, and the only soldier who remained and became a permanent resident. He married a daughter of one of the first comers. If to him is accorded the right of a settler from the time of his coming to the fort as a soldier, then he is the oldest resident beyond all dispute. But if, on the contrary, the honor of being a settler is not accorded to him until after he was mustered out of the service and began to till the soil, then to Hamilton Campbell and wife belongs the credit.

"Hamilton Campbell and wife made a claim June 7, 1848, on sections 23 and 26, in what is now Bloomfield township, and there to-day they are honored residents.

Dr. F. Andros, formerly of Decorah, was surgeon at the fort, but on its abandonment he removed to Clayton county, where for twenty-five years he was a useful and honored citizen. [Dr Andros has since, within a year or two, removed to Dakota, to renew his experience in pioneer life].

"From 1842 to 1848, the only resident families on the Winnebago reservation, except such as were in Government employ, were those of Joel Post and Mr. Wilcox. The latter resided about forty rods south of the fort, on the road leading to the Indian Agency, or Mission. Both these men were special favorites of office holders, and were permitted by the Indian Agency to keep houses of entertainment for the accommodations of persons visiting the fort and agency. The information to be obtained in relation to Wilcox is very meagre. Beyond the above fact we have been unable to ascertain anything in relation to his history, and it is not believed that he was long a resident.

"Mr. Joel Post was the first farmer, and first actual settler on the reservation. Soon after the Government had decided to establish Old mission and Fort Atkinson, he conceived the idea that a half-way house for the accommodation of parties engaged in transporting building material and supplies from Fort Crawford to Fort Atkinson would prove profitable. He therefore made application to the General Government to establish such a house on

the reservation, which he was allowed to do. He erected a log house in 1841, on the site where Postville now stands. The same spring, he broke up some ground and raised crops. This preceded the mission farm by a year.

"Harmon Snyder was the first blacksmith who worked at his trade in Winneshiek County. He came from Prairie du Chien with the force detailed to build the fort, and was employed, chiefly, in work for the garrison. At the same time, he did a great deal of work for the Indians. They would stand around and watch him while at his work, with wonder and abmiration. How long he remained and whither he went, must remain an untold story, for lack of information.

"The credit of being the first white child born in the county belongs to Miss Mary Jane Tapper, this being her maiden name. She was born at the fort, on the 16th of January, 1841. She is the daughter of Mr. James and Mrs. Ellen Tapper, who were married in New York city in 1838, and emigrated from there to St. Louis, arriving at their destination on the 10th of May, 1840, Mr. Tapper met Government officials at this place, and with about fifty other mechanics contracted to come out into the then wild and comparatively unknown region of lowa, and construct a fort, said fort being Fort Atkinson. Mr. Tapper is an Englishman, and came to this county in 1828. He now resides two miles southeast of Monona.

"Mary Jane Tapper, the first white child born in the county, married a Mr. Robert M. Boyce, and resides with her husband two miles north of Monona.

"The honor of being the second white child born in the county, so far as can be ascertained, belongs to Miss E. Thomas of Prairie du Chien, a lady of marked talent and pleasing social attainments. She was born in 1844, at the Old Mission, where her parents resided, her father, Col. Thomas, being in charge of the Mission at the time.

"The settlement of the county was so rapid that in 1850 the pioneers felt themselves old enough to organize. Prior to that time the land had been surveyed and brought into market. In 1850, J. L. Carson was appointed organizing officer, and an election for a temporary organizatton ordered. At that time there were fewer polling places than now, there being only three. Their names serve to show where the settlers were located. They were Decorah, Moneek and Lewiston. Many have asked without receiving an answer, "Where is Lewiston?" My researches enable me to answer this query: In 1850 it promised to be a town of note. It was the speculator's "Napoleon;" but Lewis Harkins, then in charge of the Government property, and Mr. Francis Rogers, joint owners of the land, became involved in a quarrel regarding their individual interests in the town plat, which finally resulted in the wreck of all the bright hopes before entertained as to the future

prosperity of Lewiston. To-day there is not a vestige of its remains. Even the records give no account of its whereabouts and this one vote is the only recorded evidence of its existence. In another generation this fact would have been buried from the researches of the historian, as only a few of the settlers remain who are able to verify the early existence of such a place. Francis Rogers and Lewis Harkins were the proprietors of the land where Lewiston was laid out, and the place derived its name from Harkins' given name. The old settlers say that Lewiston was a regularly laid out town, situated one mile north of Old Mission, on what is now known as the Rogers farm, owned by Aaron Young, who at that time was Second Sergeant of Company C.

"Among the defunct places of notoriety that existed in the early history of Winneshiek County, was a spot bearing the euphoneous name of Grab-all. The place noted by this title was a high bench of timber land, half way between the Iowa trail and Postville. It was given this name because the Government stationed a sergeant's guard there, to "grab all" the Indians passing that way, for removal.

"The next place worthy of special mention is Rattletrap. Rattletrap of early times is known to-day as Castalia. At the time the town bore this name it consisted of one solitary log house, owned and superintended over by one of the most natural and original of Erin's daughters, Mrs. John Powell. I have it from reliable authority that she was capable of talking a common regiment of Decorah lawyers blind in less than no time. It would be comforting to believe this statement, but when one stops to consider the capability of the Decorah lawyers, it is accepted only as a rough joke perpetrated on the old woman.

Whisky Grove was a popular resort for the soldiers stationed at Fort Atkinson. The grove that became thus noted is located just east of Calmar. An incident showing why it was given this name, is related in substance as follows: It was near the time when the Indians would receive their annuity, and the soldiers at the fort their pay, that a half-breed would procure a barrel of whisky at Fort Crawford, loaded it on his wagon and transported it to this particular grove. The soldiers were secretly informed of the fact, and the most of them got gloriously drunk. The first intimation the commander of the garrison had of its existence was the beastly intoxication of his men, and even then he was unable to ascertain its location. The half-breed remained here for some time, and carried on a thriving business. The soldiers who patronized him would not betray his whereabouts to their commander.

The winter of 1853-4 the first immigration of Bohemians came to the county, settling in the vicinity of Fort Atkinson. There were eight families of them. The winter was severe in the extreme, and the following incident is told of it:

One day in mid-winter two boys, members of a Bohemian family who had settled near Spillville, were dispatched to Waucoma to mill. At the time they left their homes nothing betokened a storm. But on their return, when they were near the Van Dyke place, one of our much dreaded Iowa "blizzards" overtook them. The elements were convulsed, and emitted forth the blinding snow in voluminous quantities. The wind swept across the bare prairies a perfect tornado. Becoming enveloped in such a storm, they soon became confused and lost their way. No one can describe what their feelings were when the certainty of their being lost on the wild prairie in such a storm dawned upon them. Conjectures only can be made. That they thought of their anxious parents and little brothers and sisters waiting patiently for their return, which, alas! would never be; that they at times gave way to grief as they speculated on their dreadful fate; or again at other times would become courageous when a ray of hope would break on their clouded way, or when despair would fill their hearts, that they sought the Giver of Life in fervent supplication to spare their lives and guide them safely to their homes. That they did all this would be but natural. The prayers of anxious parents availed nothing. God in His wisdom denied their petitions. The boys were frozen to death. A drift of driven snow was their last resting place, and the snow their winding sheet. It was twelve days thereafter before the bodies of the unfortunate boys were found. Both oxen were found to be alive. One had forced himself from the yoke, and was browsing near by, while the other was held an unwilling prisoner.

"Mr. Aaron Young tells the following story of the early discovery of coal deposits in the south part of Winneshiek county. Mr. Young was a soldier at the fort at the time of the reputed discovery. He says:

to

"The discovery was made by one of the regular soldiers, who used go from the fort on horseback and return in less than an hours' time, bringing with him a sack of coal. These trips were always made in the night, and alone. He allowed no one to accompany him, nor would he divulge his secret. Although the officers tried bribing him, punishing him, and finally got him drunk, in hopes he would be more confiding; but all to no purpose. His time was nearly out, and he said he calculated to open the coal mine as soon as it expired. But before the time came his company was ordered to Florida, where he was shot, dying almost instantly, leaving no one in possession of his valuable secret.

"Another story is that the Indians used to bring coal in their blankets to sell to the blacksmith, or when they wanted a pony shod, and that an old Indian chief, by the name of Four-Eyes, offered to tell where the coal was, at one time, for two ponies. But as nobody had the ponies the bargain was not consummated and the old chieftain took his knowledge away with him to the Far

West. That coal was obtained in some mysterious way by the soldier there is no doubt; but to convince the scientific man that he obtained it from deposits in Winneshiek county will require stronger evidence than the above stories furnish. Every person familiar with the geological topography of the country well understands how unreasonable such an idea is.

"The first church erected in Winneshiek county, excepting the old Mission chapel, was built about the year 18-, in the vicinity of Twin Springs. It was Catholic. Father Leuvent officiated. The site was selected and the church directed to be built by Bishop Lovas, of Dubuque, who was the first ordained Bishop in Iowa.

"The first duly commissioned postmaster in Winneshiek county was James B. Cutler, of Osage, then a sterling pioneer of the county. He located on the Atkin Farm, Frankville township. The commission confers on James B. Cutler the appointment of postmaster of Jamestown, and bears the signature of Nathaniel K. Hall, Postmaster General under Millard Fillmore, and dated the 18th day of September, 1851. Judge J. T. Atkins served as assistant postmaster. The office was discontinued March 31, 1852. Mr. Leonard Cutler and family came to the county May 30, 1850, which places them among the early pioneers. The father of Mr. James B. Cutler is still living."

[We are informed by Judge M. V. Burdick, one of the old settlers and a prominent man in pioneer life here, that there is a slight error in the above paragraph. Lewis Harkins, proprietor of Lewiston, was postmaster at Fort Atkinson certainly as early as 1850; and at an equally early date John L. Carson was postmaster at Old Mission.

[Mr. James B. Cutler is now (1882) over one hundred years of age. The one hundredth anniversary of his birthday was celebrated at Frankville last year, and was a notable event. It will be referred to elsewhere.]

Among the various souvenirs seen by the author, retained as mementoes of olden times, is a shipping-bill of certain mill irons brought from Galena to Lansing by "the good steamboat called the Nominee," consigned to Messrs. Beard & Cutler, and dated the 29th of March 1852. These mill irons were used by Beard & Cutler in what was in 1860 known as the Rogers Mill, on the Canoe, and now known as Springwater Mill, now owned by Mr. A. Bradish. The erection of the mill began in the fall of 1851, and it was running July 8, 1852. Probably it was the first saw-mill north of the Iowa river.

"In 1850 a young man came from Norway to Iowa and found a spot of ground that suited him in what is now known as Madison township, Winneshiek County. So far as ascertained, he was its first settler. In the year following an older man followed him, who was the father of at least one girl. As young men and maidens will, this young man and this maiden agreed to wed.

« ForrigeFortsett »