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OLD SETTLER OFFICERS FORTHIS YEAR.A Partial Death Roll.The election of officers resultedas follows:PresidentMontrose.SecretaryMadison.TreasurerMadison.Washington Gslland,Enoch G. Wilson, FortWm. G. Albright, Fort . IIe ha(1VICK PRSIDE.VTS.IJohn Morgan, Green Bay.Sam Houston, Denmark.Otway Cutler, Madison.Jonas Rice, Washington.B. B. Ramsey, Jefferson.Lyman Young, Pleasant Ridge. John Cleypool, West Point. Elias Overton, Marion.Isaac McDaniel, Cedar.Jno. McGreer, Harrison.Samuel Paschall, Fianklin.I). Ramsey, Charleston.Forsyth Morgan, Van Buren.R. S. Owen, Montrose.Jno. Sargent, Des Moines.Israel Anderson, Jackson.who commanded the detachment, could see no way in which to get the army wagon down the then almost precipitous bluff, but we had with us a captain of great fame as a woodsman, Nathaniel Boone, who came to the resoue and said to Col. Kearney: “I can put your wagonsdown the bluff without difficulty,” which he successfully did in a few minutes in the following manner:the teams taken from the turned them tail to, and at-ropes to the end of thetongue, took a turn around a stout tree, had men hold the tongues to guide them, with a few in advance to out away underbrush, and in a few moments all were safely at the foot of the bluff. On our arrival atthe bluff we could sec the beautiful valley on which Camp Des Moines was being built in which valley is now the beautiful little city of Montrose. Lieutenant Crosman, a quartermaster of the United Statesto the raccoon fork, where we camped for about a week. A canoe was dug out of a cottonwood tree by use of an axe and it was manned by Lieutenant A. M. Lea, Private Holliday and two Sac Indians, who descended the Des Moines to its mouth and landed their canoemodern. A stamps fron first issued Also four C 1862. I difieiatwagons,tacningwhat i» now the city of Keokuk. This expedition in the canoefor the purpose of locating a military post, which location made at the present city of Moines and was called Fort Moines.wasnewwasDesDesCamp Des Moines, now Montrose, was vacated in the spring of 1837. All the cabins, stables, etc., were left in good condition and they were soon filled with squatters, traders,etc. D. W. Kilbourne, agent for the New York Land Company, located here and to him belongs the honor of naming Montrose.1 will now relate a little incidentMr.infortystamps frouments. Spissued durit states of Missouri, during the three cance Mrs. Geshow case a lace baby herself, a c over a huiarmy, was engaged in erectingTHE DEATH ROl.L.The announcement of the names of those of the settlers who have crossed the valley of the shadow is one that causes the deepest interest as the ranks grow thinner with the years. The register of deceased members since the last reunion shows the following as the names of those who have gone before:Mrs. Sena Alley, Fort Madison. Augustus J. Alley, Fort Madison. Cromwell Wilson, Fort Madison. Peter A. Millard, Fort Madison. Robert McFarland, Fort Madison. Wm. Davis, Fort Madison. Christopher Haffner, Franklin Township.Mr. Haffner died but a few davs _*4since and was buried Tuesday, the aniversary of the fourteenthunion.quarters for the accommodation of the troops belonging to the First United States dragoons that were to garrison ('amp Des Moines but labor at that time was workscarce and the slowly. The readv for occu-progressed quarters were not pancy until About the first of November, the troops in the meantime living in tents, on the ground now occupied by the railroad depot. I now call to mind two or three of the old pioneers who were here laboring in the erection of the quarters. Wm. Skinner, whom all pioneers recollect, was doing the mason work, building the chimney, etc. Alex. Cruikshank, the old time honored pioneer, was also encaged in some capacity for the government and our friend Ilrlan was a hanger-on about the garrison for one or more vears. And he is still one ofIf he is herere-Old Settler Officer, Attention!the oldest pioneers, he can have an opportunity of explaining to and edifying all who are here. The officers of the detachment were as follows:Our old settlers make a greatmistake 'to tr'tretrng or appointing one more officer of their asso ciaiion, a necrologist. This year the death list as reported is not complete, nor has it been any year, we believe, since the society was organized, and no biographical record goes any year on the record books of the society. One man ought to be appointed or elected to get a record of all the deaths during the year of pioneers and old settlers, whether on the roll or not, and to prepare a short biography of each, which should be read by him on the occasion of the annual meeting, and then this paper should be copied into the Old Settler Record Book, or pasted in after being printed in the Old Settler Paper. We suggest that the present officers appoint such an officer and that at the nextReunion be make his report, and that at that time the society decide whether the necrologist be elected or appointed.The 15th Old Settlers’ Reunion.»ing on :bet G, and loth aph for and an ;ton rest-iton ▼ah Pho-llentthe and tten-i inionslothsias-ringtideator-The‘•MvB 35i, 23The Reunion last Tuesday at Park Bluff, Montrose, was a grand success, both in numbers present in enjoyment. The weather was clear and cool and the rain of the night prevented all dust and did not make anv mud.('apt. Campbell’s address was hrief and to the point.Col. Parrot’s speech we publish in full and it is of great historical interest.Montrose fed all the Pioneers and fed them well. The different ehurch organizations had abundantly filled tables, enough to feed all present and many more.At the afternoon session Miss Harshmn recited a poem entitled “Kalequois,” which was written by Mrs. Sigourney in 1837, and published in the Western Adventxirer% a paper then published at Montrose.C. F. Davis, of Keokuk, delivered and interesting address.D. F. Miller, Alex. Cruicksbank, Col. Reid and others done a pleasant amount of talking about old settler matters, making the time pass jolly.The log cabin on the grounds attracted considerable attention. Mrs. Fox presided, and J. K. Cooney, the “western hunter” made it his head-Captain K. V. Sumner, Company B; Captain Nathan Boone, Company H, and Captain J. Browne, Company f, all of whom have answered the last roll call. There were also Lieutenants Burgwin, Olyman, Edwards and B. Shaumlterg and others whose names 1 do not recall. All are gone except A. G. Edwards, now a worthy citizen and Christian gentleman of St. Louis, Mo., who since the first administration of the lamented Lincoln has been United States sub-treasurer at St. Louis.1 have now given you a faint outline of the first pioneers of Mon trose. When Lieutenant Crosman made the selection for the fort.Captain James White, of Commerce,now Nauvoo, had a claim as a squatter to the ground. He had a field of corn growing where the fort was to be located and a double log cabin on the ridge this side of the creek. The quartermaster purchased hia poBsessions for $600. The corn was out off and the buildings of the fort were erected on what was the corn field. The cabin was used as a hospital for the garrison during its occupancy in which only one man Dennis, died and was buried in what is now the cemetery of Montrose.It may seem strange to many persona here when I tell them that the prohibitory law was enforced, hereas early as 1834-5, but such was the case. An early settler by the name of Sam Brierly kept what was then called a grocery at Nashville. It was a wet grocery, as ahout all it contained was whisky and hia best oustomers were the soldier boys. At times they would get too much of the tangle foot, and Col. Kearneyconcluded he would abate the establishment as a nuisance. He therefore ordered Capt. J. B. Brown with a posse of men to visit Nashville and pour all the liquor found into the Mississippi, which was done. The old captain, however, thought it a needless destruction, as it was a waste of one of the good things provided for man's comfort.In the winter of 1834-5, WilliamSkinner made the first claim off the Mississippi river that was made inLee oounty. That claim is now know as Applegate’s. He remained there for some time. In the spring of 1835 emigrants began to come inquarters.The Denmark and Montrose bands made excellent music for the occasion.which took place at Montrose. Kilbourne was a gentleman of some means and concluded that he would have some more comfort than his neighbors. He bought a buggv and his selfish neighbors, not liking so much style a6 riding in a spring butrgy, concluded to put a stop to it. So, with malice in their hearts,they went on the premises,removed one of the buggy wheels and sunk it in the river. This made thebuggy useless and the neighbors appeared satisfied.The colonel’s headquarters were for that early day rather pretentious, although built of logs. The ground floor contained four rooms and a hall, with as many or more rooms in the second story. This building was afterwards utilized as a hotel, and was known as the river house. Wm. Coleman was the landlord and he dispensed the creature comforts to man and beast.I am sorry to say that after a lapse of fifty-one years I am not able to recognize our original land mark, but many of you who settled here when Iowa was a territory will recollect many of the buildings which sheltered the soldiers of Uncle Sum.There were several land marks here when the troops first arrived, which went to prove that a settlement other tiian Indians had been occupants of those lands. At the foot of this bluff was an apple orchard of twenty or more treea, and in the prairies to the west of town were remains of adobe chim-tiutnbr r of domes-spoons givin 1780,spun and wWashingtoryears sgo. buted a col of some 15'In this castficate, in Woodman in 1821. 1 Marsh KnijP. C. Jajdian relic hatchets, some from the Mississ Oregon we collectionand China, petrified.There wirelics of atheads. SoThese are lt;the Indian!no more o were madeT. S. Bous a letter Davy Croc Congress I Neither en known inwas addreaEconomy, Franked tv marked F onoe livedter is just written in ing and th would be tneys and quite a tic sage bushes were growing.In the soring of 1835 the troopsfenced about ten acres of the prai-and had the finest vegetablene,gardens I have ever seen in the west raising all kinds of early vegetables and large quanities of potatoes, beets, etc., for winter use. I will now relate a circumstance whioh may sound strange to the formers Lieutenant Crosman made a contract with citizen of Commerce to furnish hay for the use of our horses and at that early dsv hay scales were unknown here. Thecongresscom pomt idanybody, ran for re-t It was t! brated rerr Tennessee would go 1 Prof. H bition afractionalUnited Su as shinpli nominatioi 50 cents.Mr. JacBig Cedarat the advhay wasguessed off as it was hauled in and the contractor got the advantage of the guess. Long before the winter broke the hay was exhausted. It would not do to let our horses andoldhaving beJanuary,present.Col. Parrott’s Address.■ day e lefttter?As announced on the program, 1 who have been honored by the pioneers of the Lee County Association as their president, respectfullysubmit to this vast assemblage of pioneers, old settlers and young settlers, and all who have honored the early settlers by their presence here to-day, in a plain way, some incidents connected with the early settlement of Des Moines, now Lee county, Iowa. On the 25th day of September, 1834, a detachment ofthat gallant old regiment known as the First United States dragoons arrived here on the very ground on which this beautiful park is situated. There being no roads or land marks to guide, the detachmentstruck this prominent bluff, andLieutenant Colonel S. W. Kearney,and make claims, among whom were the Howards, which settlements wasknown at that time as Howards. InMay, 1835, the troops began a campaign to the noithwest, and the first day out camped at or near the Howards’ claim and remained one ot two days hunting up the stray horses which had broken loose from their picketings. Most of the horses were found at Camp Des Moines, hsving taken the back track and returned to their stables. Howards’ improvements were very meagre. He had no cabin but with bis family was living under a block-jack arbor, the only protection that had been erected for his wife and little ones. He had a few acres of sod turned over and axed in some corn, pumpkins, etc. The troops proceeded and made what was known to the early settlers as the dragoon trace. They returned to camp Des Moines in September, 1836, after having traversed the country as far north a9 Lake Pepio and west to the headquarters of the Des Moines river, down said rivermules go without and one great frontiersman Captain Boone, ssid we would have to go harvesting. We took our syctbes and went lo the bottom lands above the fort where the long grass was standing straight up on the frozen ground. The mowerswent to work and cut tons of thegrass. It may aeem strange but the horses and mules ate it with a greater relish than they did the fine prairie grass of which the Jhay wasmade.I have now ahout brought the doings of the soldiers to a close I was discharged February 10th,1847, and stuck my stake at Fort Madison, from where I removed to Keokuk where I still reside.You who came here in territorial days can look back and see with what mtghtv strides this oormnon wealth has advanced. Iowa is today one of the garden spots ot the United States and in another fifty years will be perhaps one of the leading states in the union, but I will say to the old pioneers who are here to-day that at the time your vision will not take it all in. Many of your children and grandchildren I hope may be left to see the deve-lopement of one of the grandest states in the union.THAT 1quickly cur ran tee it.WI LL Ylt;and Liver is guantnte*SLEEPLby that terrthe remedy CATA K1breath wcudv. Price i0For sale byLillian S| a novel cat male! WoTake a!Take a Take a Take a'Tuhe aITake a—Take aIn thort,'— Qualiii*the world,— liiltern and power*—And thalt theae, si —And a proof of ttiOld Time Curiosities.We clip the following from the report of the Free Press of the old settlers meeting at Mt. Pleasant, Henry .county, Saturday, August 15th: r»A Bible printed at Geneva, Switzerland in 1568 was the oldest relic having a definite date, on the ground. This was forty-three years anterior to the first publication of what is authorized trans-Fiye yea ney and lit Since th* at all. My my limbs i water.All the ting wouldBitters; Ihardness h swelling filike a mirai have beenJ. W. Mlation made by persons appointed by King Jatnes I. Although printed in Switzerland it is in old fashionedEnglish, and can be readily under-atood.There were otner books printed one and two hundred years ago. A Methodist magazine, published in 1801. two hymn books taken from rebels near Vicksburg, in 1863.P. C. Jay had a show case of curiosities, some old and someP“1 wm dri puttering for Urge bills ft 1 wss com sgo, by the using flop I ill well, sn since, snd I keep your fi for lev* tt atitProIf when y bands you c a green c'm druggist as ken your nr the fraud ar swindle, amconviction.See U. H. -ner, Read ingists and ol
Newspaper Details
Fort Madison Daily Democrat
Fort Madison, Iowa, US
Wed, Sep 02, 1885
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Musser P.
IA, USA 18 Jun 2018
Other Publications Near Fort Madison, Iowa
Fort Madison Weekly Democrat
Fort Madison Daily Democrat
Fort Madison News
Standard Atlas of Lee County Iowa
An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Lee County Iowa
