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Matter of Placing Bonnifield Cabin on Land Near Water Works Discussed by Historical Society. Plan to Make a Large State Park. Town is to have an old settlers’ park in memely of the pioneers who settled the state in the early 30's, the central feature of this park cov ering, as it will, over 100 acres, will be the log house ,which Rhodham Bonnifield, the father of W. B. Bon nifield, Sr. of Ottumwa, built when he and his family first settled in Jef ferson county. This now famous cabin, admittedly the oldest existing was erected in the ’30's by Rhodham Boonifield, whose son, W. bs. Booni field, is an attorney and prominent citizen of Ottumwa. The old cabin was moved to this city last summer in order to save it from destruction, the owner of the land on which it stood gladly giving it to the Jeffer son County Old Settlers’ association to get rid of it. I t is probably the ost valuable relic of its kind of building in the state of lowa is to be used as a museum for relics of the days of the early settlers. In the acres surrounding it, trees, shrub bery and grasses native to lowa are grown. Thesehore was first proposed last January and the possibility of bring ing the matter before the legislature Wars then discussed in the Daily Journal. New Interest in the plan comes as a result of ths discussion at the last meeting of the Historical so ciety. C H. Gage then reported on the plan to purchase 11 acres of land adjoining the water works property to be used as a park. The land would cost about $2,000. Last summer when the Bonnifield cabin was belng moved to this city it was proposed to put it on a corn er of the court house square. Com plaint was made against this, how early Lowa, and the plan to place it in a park in the county in which it was erected is a worthy one. It is proposed to buy eleven acres now owned by Fairfield people and which adjoins the water works park. The cabin itself would be placed on this, and thus all object ions to the city granting the use of the park would be overcome. The project will be pushed through with all speed possible. On the property of J. W. Pordyce about amne and a half southeast of Glendale to Jefferson county, until August 9, 1006, there stood an old log house about whose weather beaten sides, almost seventy years had foiled since first it was erected on Iowan's virgin prairie In June, 1837, one of the first white dwelling in Jefferson county was built by a brother and three children of Rhodham Bountfield, one of the earliest settlers in the new country that is now Jefferson county, and in the following year another cabin was built by Mr. Bonnifield. This second cabin is the one the threat ened destruction of which caused the first steps to be taken in a move ment which may result pan Iowa State Old Settlers’ park. It is also the oldest house now standing in the whole state of Iowa, and is to be preserved by the Old Settlers’ association of Jefferson county. ‘This building, built in 1888, became the center of the pioneer life of the early days. Situated as it was on the old state road between Lurlinc ton and Agency City, it was a rallying point for the social, political and religious life of the first settlers In it, the first post office in Jefferson county was established. Here the first governors and territorial dele gates on their journeys through the new country found shelter and enter tainment within its hospitable walls In this old building the city of Falfield was named by Mrs. Rhod ham Boonifield, the mother of W. B. Boonifield, Sr., of Ottumwa, who suggested the name to the surveyors as they were engaged in staking out the town. On down through the years the cabin has come and yet many of its old logs still be, or did jie until they were removed August 9, in the identical positions they occupied when the builders first placed them. From the accompanying cut an idea of the present appearance of the Bonnifield cabin, built in 1838 by Rhodhiram Bonnifield, father of W. B. Bonausfield, of Ottumwa, may be obtained, but its condition when firet built may only be described in words and these can but feebly illus trate the crude form of architecture in those early days. The log which composed its walls were hand hewn with a broad ax. The flooring of the building was made of whipsawed walnut boards. The roof was made of rived and shaved walnut shingles. The gable ends of the building were formed by split boards. The old open fire place was made of flat rock quarried in the neighborhood, and the chimney was made of sticks, it being impossible to obtain pricks for this purpose. The windows were of the old fash ioned kind, each containing six very small lights. The doors were of whip sawed walnut, battened style. The latch string was used. The walls were finished with fine and sand and then washed. Origin ally there was a porch in front of the building taking in that amount of the front length of the house bounded by the outer edge of the two windows. The huge fire place was used both for heating and cook ing purposes, there being no stove in the pioneer household. Such a park as is planned would be a monument to the old settler that would far more suitable than any granite monument ever could be. In addition to the pioneer atmosphere out of doors, inside the log cabin it has been proposed to establish an old settlers’ museum, and the build steed would be a constant reminder of the hardships endured by the pioneers, William H. Coop, who will prob ably occupy this cabin, was the first White child born in Jefferson county On the sixth day of June, 1836 William G. Coop and his wife, Nancy, stopped their team of oxen on a spot on the vast prairie which was to form Lowa, and a part of it, Jeff creale county, too patent in what is how the northwest corner of Cedar township on the lth day of July a son was born to these white settlers. that son was William E. Coop. from his earnest childhood Mr. Coop had as his playmates and com panions the children of the Indians who roamed the prairies. He can remember of his father’s going to the McBright Government Station, where the beautiful city of Burling ton now stands in all her majestic dignity, for the family supplies. When the family needed milling done the father would yoke up the oxen, take his sacks of corn and drive Overland to Beardstown, Lil., on the Illinois river, the trip often requiring several weeks and then the Mr. Coop's father was a colonel in the Blackhawk Indian war and was thirteen times elected to the legis lature that made the laws of the territory of Lowa, Mr. Coop has spent the 71 years of his life in this county and has been a resident of Patrfield since it was first laid out. Tie has watched the city grow from a wilderness and a little Indian trading point to one of the most enterprising and progressive cities of the site in the entire state It is with pride that Mr. Coop an nounces that he has been a resident of Fairfield and Jefferson county since his birth. Here he married his wife who has been a willing help mate to him all these years. Here he raised his family and here Mr. Coop says he expects to spend the remaining years of his life. Al though now 71 years of age he rare ly uses glasses. His eye right is ex cellent and he says, “I’ve never had the tooth ache to all my Hte and I have never lost a tooth except my first teeth.”’ OLDEST BUILDING IN THE STATE.
Newspaper Details
Fairfield Journal
Fairfield, Iowa, US
Wed, Jun 19, 1907
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason S.
