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ALWAYS A SUBSCRIBER.illJt. IV M'GHKUON.1 was born iii Boaver county, Poun* I ^ dvnnin, Dec. 23, 1827; my father died | h ben I was 10 months old, my mother bon 1 was in my 10th year; in 1840 I cnt to Senaca county, Ohio aud sorvod iree years learning the blacksmith a ■ade; in April 1850 I took Horace Groo iy's advice and started west by going U own the Ohio river and up the Missis- j v ppi to Keokuk, lauding there April 17; spent two years in various places in jcastern Iowa, and western and oentral | v llinois, working at my trade; the first f May 1852, 1 loft Logan county, Illi-h aois, bouud for some point further | f rest; I struck Cass county, Iowa, Juue 2, at old, Indian Town about 3 miles I ^ ielow Lewis; at that time the last of the f ilormous were leaving there for Salt | jftke; after they were gone there were2 families left in the entire county; two birds of these lived in Indian Town tud vicinity, one family lived at Gay ord's grove in Union township; Joseph iverly lived on the Hawes farm south-,vest of Atlantic; an old man named Lieeves lived in a small cabin near where I'arkey oreek empties into the ’Botna; mother family lived near where the Lewis mill now is; I made a claim of Kit) acres of land on section 14, Grove twp., where Seldon Kirk now lives and commenced building a hewed log house on it in July 1852. that being the first hewed log in the county, aud first bouse with a 12 light window, or door made out of sawed lumber, tbe lumber being black walnut that I got at a little saw mill on Keg creek in Glenwood (or Coonville, it was then called). My nearest neighbors was James Byrd and Joseph Everly, either of which was from 6 to 7 miles off and no road to get to either. The nearest house east was 45 miles distaut without a road to get to it from here; in the spring or early summer of 1853, Geo. W. W. Wakefield and his brother Albert settled on the south side of the Turkey grove and JesseSlier on the east side during that ear aud next, quite a number of fannies settled on Turkey creek near the ;roves; among these were Dr. Morrison, le settled where Anita now is; Peter tauawyer at what was thcu called iighland grove, on sec. 1 Grove twp.; fohn R. Kirk on farm now owned by J. JcWaid. During the war I sold my arm and started a small country store n Grove City which I run until the spring of ’69; I moved my store to At-untic into a building 24x00, on the mrner of Fifth aod Chestnut streets, where Downs’ Btore is now; I' sold it ;o Judge L. L. Alexander in August ’72 md went into the Cass Co. Mill Elevator Co. In Feb. ’74 the mill and elevator with their contents were burned, leaving me about as poor as a man ever gets. In 1878 commenced in the small Eruit and plant business which I have followed for 21 years; it has given me a good living and a little besides, which I expect to be content with what few days I am permitted to live, I commenced taking the Telegua-PH e few weeks after it was first, published by Lafe Young and I believe I bavlt; never missed an issue of the Weekly to this day, and every time I go to Dei Moines I make it a point to call on mj old friend Lafe YouDg and have a few dry jokes and talk over old times.R. D. McGeehon.
Newspaper Details
Atlantic Daily Telegraph
Atlantic, Iowa, US
Fri, Jan 12, 1900
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Cass C.
NA, 27 Mar 2017
Other Publications Near Atlantic, Iowa
Atlantic Cass County Democrat
Atlantic Bruces Optimist
Atlantic Advertiser
Atlantic News Telegraph
Atlas of Cass County Iowa
