Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

These parties were Johannes Evenson and Catherine Helen Anderson. At that time, as now, the law required the parties to have a license. In order to obtain this a visit to the Judge was necessary. Rev. N. Brandt, then a wandering missionary, was in the county, and would perform the ceremony. And if this chance escaped them, no knowing when another opportunity would be afforded them. Mr. Evenson straightway started for Bloomfield Township to see the Judge and get a permit to enter into a matrimonial alliance. The missionary had promised to await his return. Mr. E. found the Judge absent. He had gone to Dubuque on official business. Imagine the sensations of that waiting bridegroom! Again the question: Would that minister tarry? After three days Judge Reed returned, and with his license in his pocket, John turned his footsteps homeward a happier man. No grass grew under his feet on that trip. The minister had remainded, and the marriage ceremony was performed-the first, as the records show, to have been performed in the county. The license for this marriage was granted on the 5th day of October, 1851. The second marriage license was granted on the 3d of November, 1851. The contracting parties were Erick Anderson and Miss Ann Soles.

son.

"The first death to occur in the county was that of a Government teamster named Howard. He was engaged in the transportation of material from Fort Crawford to Fort Atkinson, to be used in the construction of the latter. On the 3d of October, 1840, a heavy snow had fallen, and on the next day Mr. Howard started from Joel Post's place, or Postville, to go to Fort AtkinA party following in his wake the next day were surprised to find his loaded wagon in the road and team and driver gone. They followed his track up to near the present site of Castalia, where they found him frozen stiff in death. The same day his remains were brought to the Fort, and on the next day, or 5th of October, 1840, he was buried. This information is authenticated, and shows that the date of the first death and graveyard preceded the first birth by one year, and the first marriage by eleven years. In fact, the graveyard had quite an encouraging start over the marriage era. However much consolation this may have afforded the departed, they may be assured, that in after years, the matrimonial fever swept the county like an epidemic, finding victims on every side.

"It is worthy of note that the first public school building was built at the corners of the following townships, Decorah, Springfield, Glenwood and Frankville, in the center of a Norweigian settlement. This event is worthy of record, as it serves to illustrate the strong desire the Norwegian people have to advance their mental condition. Even here, inhabitants of a wild country, and isolated from the world as they were, they found means of encouraging education. In 1852, principally through their ef

forts, a small, unpretentious log school-house was built at the corners, and in it the late Mrs. Erick Anderson, then a young womman, taught the first school.

"The previous portions show, with considerable accuracy, who were the residents previous to 1851. The following portion of this chapter, perhaps the most valuable in the entire book for the historical information it contains-is in a great measure the work of Mr. A. K. Bailey, editor of the Decorah Republican.

"In 1851 the county was organized. Its officers were elected, and we may presume regularly inducted into office. They needed money in compensation for their services, and then as now it had to be raised by taxes. Happily the first tax list of the county is preserved. The lists for 1853 and 1854 are gone, and this volume was rescued ten years ago by Mr. A. K. Bailey while serving the public as county treasurer, from a box of old papers that were stowed away in an unused closet of the Court House. It should be scrupulously kept as a relic. It is in a fair state of preservation. The contrast between this volume and that of 1862-ten years only-is a complete history in itself of the rapid growth of Winneshiek county. That of 1862 is a volume of nearly a thousand pages of the largest ledger size. This of 1852 is but a small home-made book of 62 pages, composed of double blue foolseap, with its columns ruled off by hand, and bound in a beautiful sample of Indian-tanned buckskin. The warrant for collecting the taxes bears date September 15th, 1852; is addressed to Daniel Kuykendall, treasurer, and is signed by D. R. Reed, county judge. The title page bears the signature of "Morris B. Derrick, Clerk"-a man, who was for a time, at least, a partner of Aaron Newell, at the old Pioneer Store, of Decorah.

This volume, we believe, is really a complete list of the residents (who had any property) in the fall of 1851. Although dated many months later, the work of preparing the list was begun at a time when it would have been impossible to include the settlers who came in 1853. We learn from others that the assessment, which was preliminary, was made by A. H. Fannon, the jolly old constable, who still serves the public."

[Mr. Fannon has died since the publication of the above, being in good health to near the time of his death.]

Mr. Fannon says that the assessment was begun and made early in the spring, before the immigration of 1852 had set in, and he thinks all whose names are included in it had arrived in 1851 or before. Mr. F. made the assessment as sheriff; says he was really the first sheriff; and this was one of the first of his official acts. This claim is in collision with the records, and we cannot undertake to reconcile the discrepancy. In making the list, Mr. F. says he sometimes could not visit more than half a dozen families in a day, so widely were they scattered, particularly in the north half of the county, but he always found a welcome recep

tion, and a hearty invitation to "sit up to the table" when meal time brought him to one of their cabins. The residents in the northern tier of townships, however, strongly objected to being assessed; not that they wished to escape taxation, but because it was doubtful in their minds whether they dwelt in Iowa or Minnesota. Mr. E. E. Meader gives this information. He, personally, wished to be in Iowa, and had the happiness of finding, when the lines were run, that he had located his cabin just right in order to secure the land he wanted, and at the same time remain an Iowan. This much of outside history to the volume. Now for the stories its pages reveal. We find in it the names of 446 persons. Perhaps some of these were not residents, but the list contains many a known and familiar name. A large share are assessed with personality only; which means that they had not secured their lands, and had only the "improvements" or a little stock to pay tribute on. It will be impossible to locate most of these in making a list of settlers by townships, as we propose to do; but whenever lands are named, the townships and ranges will be an unerring guide. Preliminary to this, however, let us give a few general facts. Lands were assessed at the Government price, $1.25 per acre. As land was plenty at this price, it is fair to pre

sume that assessments were made at the full cash value. The taxes were only four in number besides the poll tax, viz.: county, state, school and road, and they summed fifteen mills. In these later days, when assessments are made at one-third of the cash value, taxation is high if it reaches twenty-five mills, with township school taxes included. There are no footings to show what the total value of the assessed property was, but the taxes themselves aggregate as follows:

[blocks in formation]

besides $650 of poll taxes. This would make the total assessable property in the county at that time, worth $182,789.

The richest man in the county was John McKay, of Washington Prairie. He paid the enormous sum of $23.94 in taxes. Francis Teabout was close up to him, being down for $23.16. Benjamin Beard followed with $20.95. These three were the

very rich men, for they were the only ones who paid more than $20; or, rather, were regularly assessed for sums that amounted to precisely that figure. The list of other persons who paid over $10 is so short that we give the names in full:

Joseph Spillman, Calmar..

Levi Moore, Burr Oak.
Moses McSwain, Bloomfield..
James S. Ackerson, Burr Oak.

$18.96

17 68

16 83

16 00

James B. Cutler, Frankville.....

Newell & Derrick, Decorah..
Ingebret Peterson, Decorah..
Isaac Callender, Frankville..
Samuel Allen, Bloomfield..
O. W. Emery, Decorah..
Gideon Green, Bloomfield..
C. E. Brooks, Military.
David Bartlett, Canoe.
J. T. Atkins, Frankville.
Joseph Huber, Washington.
Abner DeCow, Bloomfield..
W. F. Kimball, Decorah...
Wm. Cummings, Bloomfield.
Richard M. Carson, Washington.
Wm. Campbell, Bloomfield..
Andrew Mayer, Washington..
John W. Smith, Frankville,.
James D. McKay, Frankville.

15 78

15 73

14 82

14 32

14 30

13 81

13 59

13 04

12 76

12 29

11 27

11 24

11 17

11 13

11 13

11 05

10 83

10 72

10 09

This table indicates that the wealth of the county then centered on Washington Prairie. Decorah with her presert capital certainly makes a poor showing. The population, too, was most numerous there. This the following table, showing all the names to which land is assessed, will more clearly show. Although the majority of those named have passed away, there are enough familiar names to make it interesting reading, and worth preserving:

BLOOMFIELD.

Samuel Allen, G. B. Abbmar, Charles Anderson, Geo. Blake. John Braumire, Samuel Clark, John Cowen, Wm. Clark, Grace Cohen, Jonathan Dean, David Duff, Abner DeCow, Wm. Elliott, Samuel N. Faint, Gideon Green, Levi Grundy, Adam Garen, Charles Hawthorn, Benj. Hawk, John W. Jenkins, Samuel B. Jones, Tasa T. Kendt, Maria Lacy, Henry McSwain, John McMartin, Nathan McKinley, Henry Noble, Andrew Stewart, Margaret Slaught, Kund Thompson, Richard Thomas, John Thompson, Moses McSwain.

FRANKVILLE.

J. T. Atkins, Antin Anderson, Robert Angers, Christ, Anderson, Lucy Adams, Henry Brandt, John C. Buckley, Benson Egbert, Thomas Beard, Benjamin Beard, Wm. Beard, Wm. Birdsell, John Bennett, Besalid Bennett, Isaac Calender, William Cummings, James Cutlip, Edward Carter, Francis Carlton, David Duff, Emanuel Dean, James Dunn, Francis Durst, H. D. Evans, J. H. Gellelan. Egbret Gulbranson, Joseph Gordon, Ole Hulverson, J. H. Hawk, Isaac Hawk, John Halver, Levi Hubbell, Samuel Hood, Elizabeth Joiner, Matlen Johnson, James Kilgore, Edward Knight. Benj. Knight, John Krauder, Alanson Loomis, Ole Anderson Loma, J. D. McKay, John McKay, Miron Dean, M. McSwain, John Martin, Drury Mays, John F. Neider, Erick B. Olson, Erick Oleson, Knud Oleson, Robert Pierce, Samuel Peterson, Harris Reed, D. Ritchie, J. H. Ransom, Dwight Rathbun, John W. Smith, James B. Schenck, Andrew Stewart, James Smith, S. Schrekner, Josiah T. Tuttle, George Teeple, Francis Teabout. Knud Toleffson, Elizabeth Tuttle, William Woods. Oliver F. Woods, Walter Rathbun.

MILITARY.

John Anderson, Mary Ashby, Chauncy Brooks, C. E. Brooks, Dolvy Howard, John O. Porter, Geo. Bechel, Martin Bechel, John L. Carson, Geo. A. Clark, Wm. H. Fulton, John Gardner, Lewis Harkins, Joseph Huber, Wil

liam J. Peck, Andrew Sharp, T. H. Semiss, Jacob Smith, Tolef and Lars Tosten, Charles K. Wood, Jas. C. H. Miller, Andrew Meyer, John S. Neal, Francis N. Palmer, Harvey P. Waters, Gardner Waters, Aaron Young.

SPRINGFIELD.

Jacob Abrahamson, J. B. Cutler, Knud Gulbranson, Ole Gullikson, Egbert Gulbranson, Halvor Halvorson, Erick Clements, O. A. Lomen, Ole Larson, Wm. Lansing, Michael Omlie, Thomas Simonson, T. Holverson, Ole Tostenson.

Joseph Spillman.

JACKSON.

DECORAH.

Jacob Abrahamson, Thos. P. Parker, Ann Bowie, John L. Carson, William Day, Claiborne Day, Nathan Drake, Adams Dexter, O. W. Emery, N. S. Gilbert, Thor. Gulbranson, Geo. W. Hazel, Adam Heckart, W. F. Kimball, Daniel Kuykendahl, M. A. Meintner, Philip Morse, Joseph McGehee Newell & Derrik, K. G. Newland, Engebret Peterson, Amasa Perkins, William Parker, Thomas Robertson, Joseph Reed, A. Simmonson, Jason Tuttle, John R. Townsley, Abraham Taxell, Geo. A. Wigeland.

MADISON.

H. Anstenson, Ole Asleson, John Evenson, Jane Fletcher, Ever Gulbranson, Ole Gunderson, Peter Jamison, Chas. McLaughlin, H. Oleson, Wilson Smith, Tolef Tuleston.

BLUFFTON.

Benjamin Disbie, Philo S. Curtis, E. Chapmen, Geo. A. Clark, Emery Burritt, Geo. R. Emery, S. E. Fairbanks, Bernard Harmon, M. A. Meinter, Levi Moore, Geo. Smith, Robert Stockton, James Turner, Daniel Wheeler, Henry Wilson.

CANOE.

James J. Ackerson, John Robinson, David Bartlett, Samuel Bolinger, Jas. B. Cutler, Wm. T. Cochrane, J. Freedenberger, B. F. Giles, N. S. Giblert, Michael Gatlin, Lorenzo Gates, Joseph Harper, H. Holverson, J. Hornson, L. Iverson, Thos. Kennedy, John Knudson, David Kinnison, S. M. Leach, E. B. Horton, Elizabeth Potter, Ole Snear, Wm. Shirley, N. Updegraff, Wm. B. Updegraff.

GLENWOOD.

J. T. Atkins, Robert Angus, Philander Baker, John Barthel, Levi Barnhouse, John C. Buckley, David Bender, Daniel Becknell, L. Carmichael, Chas. Benjamin, Julien Dougherty, F. M. Fuller, Torkel Hanson, Permany Hantly, C. N. Hatch, Nels Johnson, German Johnson, Geo. Keatings, Wm. Kyrk, John S. Morse, Lyman Morse, Thos. Severson, W. Sanford, Tosten Nelson, Lebrend Whitney, Leroy C. Walter.

PLEASANT.

Benj. Beard, J. B. Cutler, H. Halverson, Joln Klontz, Peter K. Londgon, Ole Magneson.

This completes the entire list of landed assessments, and, it will be seen, includes only twelve of the twenty townships. Of the eight others no mention is made. These were the four in the northern tier, and four out of five on the west side. The fifth has only one assessment, and that is to a resident in Calmar township. That there were dwellers or squatters on this territory is

« ForrigeFortsett »