CHAPTER XII. Chronology: List of the More Important Events in the History of Allamakee County, in the Order of their Occurrence. 1825. Upper Iowa River southern boundary of Sioux. 1828. First saw mill, on Yellow River. 1830. Neutral ground established. 1832. Winnebago Reservation. 1834. Old Indian Mission built. 1835. Mission School and Farm established. 1837. First settler at Johnsonsport about this time. 1840. Old Mission abandoned. 1841. First white child born at Old Mission. ་་ Joel Post located at Postville. First murder, caused by whisky. 1847. Act passed defining county boundaries. 66 Winnebago treaty relinquishing Neutral Ground. 1848. First school, at Postville. 1849. County organized by act of Legislature, January 15. 66 First postoffice established, at Postville. First settler at Waukon, July. 1850. First grist mill, at Waterville. 66 แ First County Agricultural Society, June 7. First criminal trial in District Court, November 9. 1856. Fourth county seat election, April. 66 Mining at New Galena. "-7. Winter of the crust. 1857. Prairie du Chien & Mankato R. R. Co. organized. 1859. Fifth county seat election, April 4. Contract for court house at Waukon let, August 2. 1861. Sixth county seat election, April 8. Court house at Waukon completed. 1861 Court house at Lansing erected. 1862. Seventh county seat election, April. 1864. McGregor Western Railroad built. 66 Eighth county seat election, November 8. 1866. County seat "raid," June 9. 66 Poor Farm bought, October 22. 1867. County seat question decided for Waukon. 1868. Present Agricultural Society organized, January S. 1869. Ninth county seat election, October 5. 1872. B., C. R. & Ñ. R. R. built. 1875. Tenth county seat election, October. 1877. Waukon & Mississippi R. R. built. 1880. High water in Mississippi, June. 1881. Poor House built. 1882. Jail built. BIOGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENT. ALLAMAKEE COUNTY. Armstrong & Alexander-these two young and energetic business men established their business, which is known as the Chicago Clothing House, in 1879, and now carry a stock of $8,000 to $10,000. Levi Armstrong was born in Kentucky, January, 1819. In 1864 the family removed to Linn Co., Iowa, where the subject of this sketch received a good education at Cornell College. He commenced mercantile life by clerking, which he followed until March, 1879, when he engaged in his present business. He was married in April, 1875, to Anna McLaury, and now has two children, Nettie and Edwin. R. J. Alexander was born in Linn Co., Iowa in 1852. Subsequently the family removed to Cedar Co. He was educated at Cornell College, and in 1876 commenced mercantile life as clerk, and continued as such until 1879, when he formed the partnership with Mr. Armstrong. Andrew Anderson, P. O. Elon; farmer, sec. 33; son of Andrew and Christine Anderson; born in 1824 in Sweden, emigrated to the U. S. in 1853, locating in Rock Island Co., Ills., till the fall of 1854, when he came to Allamakee County, Iowa, locating on the farm he still owns, now containing 176 acres, well improved and worth $4,000. He married Miss Sophia Palmgren in 1859, she was also a native of Sweden. They have four children, John A., Peter A., Mary S. and Samuel C. He is a member of the Baptist Church. P. J. Amquest (deceased) was a native of Stockholm, Sweden, who emigrated to the U. S. in 1856, and settled in Makee tp., Allamakee Co., where he worked at the tailor's trade np to the time of his death, which took place in December, 1863. He left a wife and four children. N. J. Amquest, son of P. J. and Cecelia Amquest, was born in 1859, received a good common school education, and in 1878 commenced mercantile life as clerk for C. D. Buman, whom he served until Dec., 1881, subsequently clerked for L. Clark. Ole G. Anderson, P. O. Elon; farmer, sec. 29, brother of Andrew Anderson, born in Sweden, July 12, 1832. His mother died when he was but a boy, and in 1854 himself and father came to America and located in this township, where his father died in 1872. During the late rebellion he enlisted in Co. B, 27th Iowa Inf. in March, 1864, the company being immediately taken to the front, where they participated in the battle of Nashville, Tenn., and Fort Blakely, Ala., they being about the closing up of the war. In the fall of 1865 he was transferred to the 12th Infantry, Co. B, and discharged in January, 1866, at Davenport. He married Miss Betsy Eastman, August 10, 1867; they have but one son, David, having lost six children, five of whom died in the spring of 1882, from diptheria, August I., Clara E., Amy E., Effie G., Bertie M., Huldah having died previously. Mr. A. owns a farm of 182 acres, worth $25 per acre. He is a member of the Baptist Church. Andrew E. Ammundson, P. O. Elon; farmer, sec. 4; son of Erick and Cornelia Ammundson; born in 1847 in Norway. His parents emigrated to the U. S. in 1851, locating in Rock Co., Wis. In the fall of 1853 they came to this county, locating in Center tp., where they still reside. Mr. A. was married to Miss Agnes Shaugor in 1873. She was born in Lafayette county, Wis.; they have two children, Gundy Maud and Anna A. Mr. A. has served his tp. as secretay of school board, sub-director, etc. He is a member of the Lutheran church. A. T. Anderson, P. O. Dalby; farmer, sec. 2; son of Thomas and Ambjor Anderson, was born in this Co. in 1851, was reared on his father's farm with the exception of the time he attended school and was engaged in teaching. He was some three years in attendance at the Lutheran College, Decorah. He married Miss Oline Smeby in June 1877. She was also born in this Co. They have two children, Olaf and Theodore. Mr. A. owns a farm of 158 acres, valued at $35 per acre. He is the present tp. clerk, which office he has filled seven years, and is a member of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church. Thomas Anderson, P. O. Dalby; farmer, sec. 12; owns 440 acres of land, valued at $25 per acre. He was born Dec. 15, 1820, in Norway. In early life he learned the tailor's trade, at which he worked mostly till he came to the U. S., which was in the spring of 1846, locating in Rock Co., Wis., where he was married in May, 1850, to Miss Emily Christianson, and the same year came to Allamakee Co., Ia., locating on a part of his present farm, he being one of the earliest settlers of the tp. His children are Andrew T., Knudt, Lena and Mary. He has lost three, Christian, Betsey and Sarah. Mr. A. has served as trustee of his township several terms, and is a member of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Charles Arklay, P. O. Waukon; farmer, sec. 34; owns 120 acres of land, valued at $10 per acre. He was born in Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1815; learned the carpenter and joiner's trade in early life, which business he followed for many years. He was married to Miss Emily Murray in 1841, and in 1851 they emigrated to the U. S., stopping in New York City till 1859, when he came to this county and purchased the farm upon which he still resides. His children are William, Emily and Margaret. Mr. A. is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Charles Amann, proprietor Germania House, was born in Germany in 1849, and came to America in 1872, and settled in Troy, N. Y. In 1875 he came to Lansing and engaged in brewing until 1882, when he engaged in his present business. He married Carrie Christ, also a native of Germany; they have three children, Ernest, Eugene and Lena. Dudley W. Adams, horticulturist, was born in Winchendon, Mass., November 30, 1831. His father was a lumberman and lost his life from an accident in the woods when the son was but four years old. His mother gave him a careful home training and an ordinary district schooling, with the addition of an academic course before maturity, which he assisted to secure by intervals of teaching. With the attainment of his majority came the development of a malady all too common in that region, and a severe cough admonished him to leave his native state and the dangers of its climate. Accordingly, one day in September, 1853, he might have been seen (had there been any in the country as witnesses) "hoofing it" from the port of Lansing eighteen miles to the capitol of Allamakee County in company with L. T. Woodcock. Reaching the upland near Adams' present residence, the pilgrims ran across Scott Shattuck and Tom Minard cutting a road through the hazel-brush, and upon inquiring the way to Waukon they were directed to cast their eyes to the westward where two log huts were in sight and informed that these constituted the object of their pilgrimage. One of these huts was the pioneer residence of Geo. Shattuck, and the other the "seat of justice" of Allamakee County. As might have been expected of young men in their circumstances they were somewhat taken aback, and doubtless showed it; but going bravely to work they at once began preparations for the erection of a frame store and dwelling, which is now the National House on Main street. The lumber was all oak and was hauled from Smith's mill on Yellow River, where it was sawed out by Austin Smith. A stock of goods was opened in this building the same fall. The first sale of merchandise in Waukon, was by Mr. Adams, a pair of boots to Ezra Reed, Jr., from the stock while it lay in Scott Shattuck's new frame hotel (now George Mauch's residence) awaiting the completion of the store. He also took out the first letter from the first mail received at Waukon, it being one he himself had written whlle east after the goods, addressed to his partner, Mr. Woodcock. Meanwhile Mr. Adams had taken up 200 acres of government land, of which he still owns 120, forty acres of which are now occupied with orchards in bearing. From 1853 the growth of the community was rapid, and Mr. Adams found many ways in which to occupy his time to advantage, and proved himself a |