HISTORY PALO ALTO COUNTY IOWA DwiGHT a Mccarty (!(0i;neU InioetBttg SItbcarg JItliaca. SJetn ^ottt BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE JACOB H. SCHIFF ENDOWMENT FOR THE PROMOTION OF STUDIES IN HUMAN CIVILIZATION 1916 DATE DUE W2 7 1841^8 Cornell University Library F 627P3 M12 History of Palo Alto county. Iowa by Dw olln 3 1924 028 914 310 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028914310 Map of Palo Alto County, Iowa History of Palo Alto County Iowa BY DwiGHT G. Mccarty ^ THE TORCH PRESS rF,nAR RAPIDS. IOWA 1910 OOUKdl UHIV! Uf-i-W ! i'-.H-^.u--- ■ '# %■ ;■*■ ( /](f')Jf^f THE TOHCM PRESS CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA .i.r.iKiiKU), Y'l \<')\:\V{p\p TO MY FATHER AND MOTHER WHOSE SBLF- BACRIPICE AND LOVING ENCOURAGEMENT HAVE BEEN THE INSPIRATION FOR THE BEST IN LIFE THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED CONTENTS Preface 7 Chapter I Introduction — ' ' Westward ' ' 10 Chapter II The West Bend Settlement 15 Chapter III The Irish Colony . 22 Chapter IV The Indians and the Spirit Lake Mas- SACBB 27 Chapter V The Reliep Expedition . 33 Chapter VI New Settlers 42 Chapter VII Early Speculative County-seats 58 Chapter VIII The Political Oegantzation of THE County .... 62 Chapter IX The Catj, to Arms . 74 Chapter X A Decade of Growth 80 Chapter XI The "Old Town" . . 107 Chapter XII The New Bmmetsburg . . 123 Chapter XIII The Period op Development . 135 Chapter XIV Rise of the County Towns . 145 Chapter XV Our Modern County 156 Appendices . 159 Index .. 169 ILLUSTRATIONS AN Map op Palo Alto County, Iowa A. B. Carter "W. D. Powers John McCormick Mb. and Mrs. Jas. Nolan Edward and Margaret Mah. John Neary P. R. Jackman LoTT Laughlin John J. Mahan Chas. T. Nolan- Mr. AND Mrs. Jas. Hickey Mrs. Maggie Hickey-McNally M. H Crowley J. P. Crowley MYiiEs Mahan Martin Coonan . Mrs. Catherine Coonan Thos. Tobin . J. L. Martin P. F. Van Gorden B. P. McEvoY . Z. F. Dickinson . S. W. Ballard The "Old Town" op Emmetsburg Threshing for Martin Coonan in 1871 Geo. B. McCarty T. W. Harrison Rev. J. J. Smith Alex. Peddie M. F. Berwick M. L. Brown "W. J. Brown Pat Joyce . The New Town op Emmetsburg in 1878 Emmetsburg in 1881 . The Present Emmetsburg E. S. Ormsby Palo Alto County Court House frontispiece facing page 17 facing page 20 facing page 20 between pages 22 and 23 between pages 22 and 23 between pages 22 and 23 between pages 22 and 23 between pages 22 and 23 between pages 22 and 23 between pages 22 and 23 between pages 24 and 25 between pages 24 and 25 between pages 24 and 25 between pages 24 and 25 facing page 49 facing page 53 facing page 53 facing page 56 facing page 56 facing page 88 facing page 88 facing page 88 facing page 88 facing page 107 facing page 107 facing page 109 facing page 114 facing page 117 facing page 119 facing page 119 between pages 120 and 121 between pages 120 and 121 facing page 123 facing page 123 facing page 128 facing page 128 facing page 133 facing page 136 PREFACE At the time of the celebration of the Semi-Centennial of Palo Alto County, at Emmetsburg, Iowa, in July, 1906, 1 was asked to prepare a short history and list of old settlers for the souvenir program distributed by the committee. The preparation of that sketch led me deep into the be- ginnings of the county, and the interest then incited has continued to grow as the researches progressed. More- over, there has been a deepening consciousness that it is our sacred duty to preserve by historical record the events and traditions of the past. The intrepid pioneers who fought the battles of the frontier in the early days are fast passing away and with them the precious storehouse of human acts and achievements so vital to any history. We cannot longer delay giving justice to whom justice is due and preserve for posterity the record of those who in the vanguard of progress made possible what we now enjoy. During the four years that have elapsed since begin- ning this work, I have used many spare moments and much of my vacation time in preparing this history. The gathering of material has entailed a larger amount of hard work and patient research than at first contemplated ; and the writing and publication of the book has been com- pressed into a few months and crowded to completion for fear that the constantly increasing distractions of a busy practice might soon prevent any further work upon it be- fore its consummation. No one is more aware of the im- perfections of the book than the author and it is too much to hope that there are no inaccuracies. But it has been my purpose to give as completely and accurately as pos- sible the history of our county. I have tried to be fair 8 HISTOET OF PALO ALTO COUNTY and impartial. No labor has been spared to make the facts thoroughly trustworthy and reliable in every detail. Ref- erences and explanations in footnotes have been given whenever practicable. But throughout it all the aim has been to keep the thread of human interest, the personal touch that makes life worth living and history worth read- ing. The big 1906 Semi-Centennial celebration, lasting three days, bringing together as it did the old settlers and re- newing forgotten associations, brought to light many val- uable reminiscences and stories of the early days. An autograph register of aU visitors, with the date of coming to the county, was a feature of the Old Settlers' Day and has since been permanently bound, together with the ac- count of the proceedings and other historical matter, and forms a valuable record for future reference. Yet it is a lamentable fact that much valuable historical material has been lost and destroyed. The most careful search and extensive inquiry among the old settlers has not reveal- ed a single copy of the old Democrat, published at Soda Bar in 1869, nor of the Palo Alto Advance, published in the Old Town in 18,70, nor of the Palo Alto Patriot, pub- lished in 1873, nor of the Enterprise, issued for a short period about the same time. A partial file and one or two odd copies of the Pilot, published in 1874, have come to light. Complete files of the Reporter and the later papers have been rescued from oblivion in old cellars, barns and attics. I have tried in vain to find a copy of J. L. Martin's sketch of early county history, published many years ago ; and even the manuscript of that little book is now lost. We have waited until too late to begin the preservation of the valuable records of the early days. In fact in a very few years there would have been no survivors of the first days left to tell the romantic tales now recorded in these pages. In writing this book, I have relied much upon public PREFACE 9 records, documents, letters, diaries, newspapers, books, printed reminiscences, and other sources of this kind. But while this has formed the framework, the real body of the narrative has come from the old settlers them- selves. Many of them have very courteously written let- ters and statements of their recollections, and others have told me many interesting facts and incidents of the early days. Often I have had long interviews with them, while our talk was taken verbatim in shorthand and tran- scribed for later use and permanent record. It is in this way that the history has developed. I am deeply grateful for the helpful co-operation of the large number who have assisted me. Without the aid of many friends among the old settlers, my work would have been in vain. It is my one regret that I have not been able to talk to more of these rugged veterans of an early day. It is impossible to express in detail my deep obligations to the many who have so generously assisted me in this work, and I must refer to the footnotes for more special acknowledgment. " In all that is good Iowa affords the best." We are proud of the rich, fertile, progressive county of Palo Alto — the very best in a grand state. And if this little book shall increase our love and contentment here at home, and at the same time perpetuate the memory and worthy achievements of our illustrious pioneers, it shall have ac- complished its intended mission and perhaps be worthy of a place in the archives of our country. CHAPTEE I Introduction — Westward! The ''Westward Movement" is one of the most im- portant facts in American history. Starting with a little fringe of colonies along the Atlantic coast, the settlements began to spread gradually westward, ever westward, to- ward the setting sun. The dangers and hardships of pio- neer life on the eastern coast were met and overcome in each successive stage of the march westward. The same kind of opportunities and difficulties, colored with local variations, recurred to make the strong and sturdy growth from frontier simplicity to permanent development. It is this fact that has given a distinctive quality to American life — the self-reliance, courage and independence which dominate American character.^ A study of the froMier, therefore, will give us the key to our history. Moreover, the genesis of any settlement will show the basis and character of development. Many distinctive characteristics of any community have grown out of pe- culiar conditions or incidents in its early history. It is this frontier life, with its privations, its battles, its pleas- ures, its government, and its crude experiments and com- promises, together with the effects of natural conditions and environment, that discloses the very beginnings of so- cial life. We must study these frontier beginnings as well 1 Frederick J. Turner, "Significance of the Frontier in American His- tory," Annual Seport American Eistorieal Assn., 1893, 200-201. See also McCarty, ' ' Early Social and Religious Experiments in Iowa, ' ' Iowa Histori- cal Eecord, January, 1902. McCarty, Territorial Governors of the Old Northwest. INTRODUCTION — WESTWAED! 11 as later developments if we would appreciate our local history. Indeed there is a romantic fascination surroimding the early days of every community. We listen with thrilling interest to the stories of the first settlers, as they recount the hardships and dangers of home making on the bound- less prairie of a new country. The simple, rugged life of these early pioneers in itself has a charm that increases with the passing of the frontier line. We admire the dauntless pioneer with his ax and gun. We admire his persevering labors in spite of obstacles and discourage- ment, and we admire his courage in the face of every danger. On through forest and over plain, westward and ever westward pressed the adventurous and hardy pioneers. And still farther westward, on over the trackless prairie, where the elk, deer, and other wild animals roamed at will, and where occasional bands of roving Indians had camped and hunted, and departed unmolested. Undaunt- ed by the most severe weather, undismayed by the perils and hardships of a long journey, they pressed forward through the wilderness, leaving their own trail in the tall grass of the prairie, crossing the turbid streams as best they could, exploring the woods and prairies, ever on the lookout for a good location for their new home. The frontier line was gradually moving toward the west, and these pioneer settlers were the advance guard of the west- ward movement. They were willing to undergo all the hardships and privations of frontier life in order that they might found a home for themselves and their families.^ Midway in this westward march was Iowa — the beau- 1 See the writer's "Early Social and Beligious Experiments in Iowa," in the January, 1902, number of the Iowa Historical Becord, for a more complete description of the westward movement in Iowa, and the ex- periences of the early pioneers throughout the state. 12 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY tiful fertile land of Iowa. But at tlie Mississippi progress was delayed for a time, as Iowa soil was owned by tlie In- dians and title had to be acquired before this territory could be thrown open to settlement. Prior to this, the mining settlement of Dubuque had been established ^ and several abortive attempts at settlement had been made but they were not permanent. During these early times trappers and Indian traders roamed over the vast prai- ries, camping, hunting and trapping on the banks of streams and in wooded places ; but always moving and al- ways pushing farther westward ahead of the settlers. They were only skirmishers scouting ahead of the real army of progress. The few squatters who tried to find homes were driven off by the United States soldiers until the Indian title was extinguished and the country finally opened up for settlement, June 1, 1833. Even then actual title was not given until years later when the land sales were held, but this fact did not deter actual settlers, who flocked into Iowa and began to take up the most advantageous locations. The first settlers chose claims along the rivers. Burlington and Fort Mad- ison were settled in the fall of 1833. Davenport was form- ally named in 1836, and Keokuk was laid out in 1837. As settlers increased and pushed westward, other towns were formed. Iowa City was laid out on the banks of the Iowa River in 1839, and became the capital of the territory. In the same year the government removed the Pottawat- tomie Indians to Southwestern Iowa and erected a fort at Council Bluffs. Two Catholic missionaries established a mission there, but it was a frontier outpost for some years before it was reached by actual settlements. In 1843 Fort 1 Julian Dubuque in 1788 purchased a tract of land from the Sac and Pox Indians and began to work the lead mines. Annals of Iowa, April, 1896, 330. Salter, Iowa, the First Free State in the Louisiana Purchase; Gue, Sistory of Iowa, vol. i, chap. 10; McCarty, "Early Social and Reli- gious Experiments in Iowa. ' ' INTRODUCTION — WESTWARD ! 13 Des Moines was built for the United States dragoons for the protection of the frontier from the Indian depreda- tions. As settlers increased and the hostile Indians became more difficult to control, a fort farther north was estab- lished in 1849, called Fort Clarke. The name was changed a few years later to Fort Dodge. In 1853 the troops were moved from Fort Dodge north to Fort Eidgely, but the vacated site was purchased and in the beginning of the year 1854 the toAvru of Fort Dodge was laid out and there- after became the distributing center for Northwest Iowa. It was not until 1854-5 that the vanguard of settlement spread out into Northwestern Iowa. Prior to that time there were only two cabins north of Fort Dodge, that of the adventurous Henry Lott, near the mouth of Lett's Creek in Humboldt County, and one built by William Mil- ler six miles north of Fort Dodge, on the east side of the river. These were rival trading posts which did a flourish- ing business while the soldiers were at Fort Dodge. Lott was a desperate character and was continually stirring up trouble with the Indians. The Indians were inclined to resent the encroachments of the whites, and freely in- dulged their natural trickery in attempts at despoiling the settlers. This was of course resisted and trouble often followed. These frequent clashes, together with the un- scrupulous conduct of such men as Lott, caused a deep- seated resentment among the redmen. The Indian depre- dations increased and kept the settlers, who were coming in, continually alarmed. It was this smoldering resent- ment that caused much of the trouble in the years that fol- lowed, and culminated in the Spirit Lake massacre of 1857, and the Indian border troubles of 1862 and 1863. These periods will be more fully considered in later chap- ters. In the face of such conditions as these the early settle- 14 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY ment of Northwest Iowa began. Traders, locators, sur- veyors and stray settlers all carried back to Fort Dodge tales of the marvelous beauty of the lands along the east and west forks of the Des Moines River. During the sum- mer of 1854 Ambrose A. Call and Asa C. Call built the pioneer cabin in Kossuth Coimty, on the east fork of the river, and that summer and fall a colony of energetic set- tlers took claims there.^ At this time the soil of Palo Alto had not been trod by a permanent settler. History records one incident of the early march across the prairies. The United States troops, on their removal from Fort Dodge in 1854, marched north to Fort Eidgely and their course took them along the river. One evening after a hard day's march, they came to a beautiful little lake and made their camp in an oak grove upon the shore. A terrible storm raged that night and the detachment were compelled to stay there several days before they could continue their northern journey. ^ In spite of the inclement weather we cannot but believe that those gallant soldiers saw the beauties around them, for they were in Palo Alto County — the first arrivals upon its virgin soil. Its beauties and fertility could not long remain unknown and the time was soon to arrive for the first settlement of the county. 1 Sketches by Ambrose A. Call in Algona Upper Des Moines, " History of Kossuth County." 2 William D. Powers, letter to Semi-Centennial Committee. Gue, History of Iowa. CHAPTER II The West Bend Settlement The first settlement in Palo Alto County was made in May, 1855. William Carter and son, Fayette Carter and wife, and Jeremiah Evans and family selected permanent claims on the east bank of the Des Moines Eiver near where West Bend now stands.^ They came from Benton County, Iowa, making their way through the sparsely set- tled country by slow-going ox teams, and from Fort Dodge following the dim trail to the northwest, known as the ' ' Militaiy Eoad. ' ' It was the route that the soldiers had taken in going north to Fort Ridgely, and the subsequent supply wagons had left their marks on the prairie grass. Slight and uncertain was the trail, but it led these pioneers straight to their new home. Before making a final location they decided to look around a little more, and went farther north, camping on May 30th on the east bank of Medium Lake in what is now known as Jackman's Grove. As it was late in the season it seemed best to return, and early the next morning the settlers retraced their steps and began at once to make a permanent settlement at West Bend. Samuel McClelland, who accompanied them, did not stay but returned home. Carter and Evans had taken adjoining claims on a beauti- 1 These facts about the early settlement at West Bend are from inter- views with A. B. Carter, and from a letter written by him to the Semi- centennial Committee May 12, 1906. I have often talked to Mr. Carter and listened to his interesting tales of those early days. Some important facts are corroborated by William D. Powers 's letters to me and especially a letter to the Semi-Centennial Committee, June 20, 1906, which is later given in its entirety. A. B. Carter THE WEST BEND SETTLEMENT 17 property. Finally the Indians drove the settlers' cattle away, killing and devouring one of the oxen. The rest of the cattle were found near the east fork of the Des Moines Eiver, a good many miles to the south. The little colony was glad to be well rid of this insolent band of Indians. In the fall William Carter returned to Benton County and brought back Mrs. Carter and their son Ben (A. B. Carter), who was then fourteen years old. They traveled in a wagon drawn by oxen, and after leaving Fort Dodge it was a slow and tedious journey for sixty miles along the rough trail over the waving plains of grass. They arrived at the settlement in October, 1855, and received a royal welcome to their new home. The Carter and Evans families were the only settlers during the year 1855. They raised some sod corn, forty or fifty bushels of buckwheat, and about two hundred bushels of turnips. This was considered a good return for the few acres of prairie sod. These pioneers did not suffer for food, as they had brought flour and bacon with them, and wild game was plenty. They threshed the buck- wheat with flails, ground it in a coffee mill, and had plenty of buckwheat cakes. Mr. A. B. Carter, in telling about their experiences, says : "It was very cold here during the first winter, and I guess we all were nearly frozen to death. Every one of my toes and fingers turned black, with frost. One time we started to go to Fort Dodge with a load of shingles that we had made. There was a great demand for those shingles then, and we had three pairs of cattle on the sled. Got down about Rutland, and it was getting dark and we got stuck in a snowdrift and had to camp there all night. We were nearly frozen to death. ' ' During the winter of '55 a band of Sioux Indians camped in our woods about fifty rods from the house. From that time on there were adventures every day. The 18 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY old chief's name was Sleepy-Eye. He was undoubtedly a first class man, and kept strict control of the Indians. A few things were stolen from us that winter. One thing was a hatchet. We had just come home from Fort Dodge. The Indians got the hatchet out of our sled, and we told a young Indian about it. He shook his head and went to the camp. Soon he came back with the hatchet and told us who took it. The one who had taken it was the best hunter around and a pretty tough one, and that Indian never came there again. It showed that the chief had pretty good control of them. ' ' That was a hard winter. The snow was very deep and as all wild game was driven away, the Indians came pretty near starving. The Indians would watch us grinding buck- wheat in the coffee mill and thought we had to work hard enough for our living. I used to try and get some of the young bucks to try the coffee mill, but only one of them would help me and I would divide with him. The Indians were in desperate straits for food. My brother and I went to Fort Dodge and got a dressed hog and what com meal we could bring back, and peddled that to them. They bought what they could, and we bought lots of moccasins from them. We went to Fort Dodge and traded moccasins and furs for provisions. There was one pair of oxen that they had noticed we did not work, so they came and de- manded that pair of oxen that they had not seen us work- ing, as they were about starving. The next day we hitched up all the oxen and hauled up some wood to show that we needed them. We went to Fort Dodge again and got them something to eat. When the wild birds came they went up north. Two days after one of the Indians came back and stayed with us all summer. He was about my age, a young boy, and the only Indian among them who would do any work. He came to help do the chores and took quite a notion to me, and that was what brought him back. He THE WEST BEND SETTLEMENT 19 helped anything he could, tried to learn the language, and learned very fast. He tried to do anything he saw anyone else do. We called him ' Josh. ' " We had hunting experiences — lots of them. In the fall of '55 my father and my brother and I came up here and I don't remember where we camped the first night, but the second night we camped up at Walnut Grove, about where the Laughlins settled later. Got up there in the afternoon. Were probably four miles from our team, when along about four o'clock we saw a drove of elk, prob- ably two himdred of them. We got north of them, within a hundred rods, and saw that the main drove was on the south of the creek. On the bottom of the pond over beyond that, we saw two big elk by themselves. Father tried to get these two. He started and as he went along ducks would fly up, and we supposed that every time the ducks flew the elk would be frightened away, but they did not care at all. Father kept gaining on those two ; we could see him as he waded through the pond. We lay there and watched him. He fired a shot. One elk laid down and the other started to run, but stopped in the middle of another report. The elk ran, and would stop, and finally the old rifle popped again. Father shot seven times and had both down — two of the largest elk I ever saw. That was my first hunting experience. Deer were plenty. In the spring of '56 there were elk with our cattle half a dozen times. I wanted to take a gun and get after them, but Father said they were poor then and I should wait until they got fatter. I never got an elk. In the fall of '56, old Sam McClelland, my brother, and I, and this young Indian that I have spoken about, went to Lost Island. There had been thou- sands of elk there, but an Indian told us that he saw four Indians driving them away." ^ 1 Interview with A. B. Carter. Some of the details given above regard- ing the crop of the first year are taken from a letter of Mr. Carter's to the Semi-Centennial Committee, May 12, 1906. 20 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY Early in the spring of 1856 "William D. Powers joined the West Bend colony. He tells the story of his coming to Palo Alto County as follows: "I walked through Palo Alto under command of Major Sherman on our march to Fort Eidgely on the 7th of March, 1854. We marched from there to St. Paul and took boats and landed at Jef- ferson Barracks and from there took boats up the Missouri and landed at Fort Belknap, and from there to Fort Eiley. I was discharged at that post on August 29, 1855. I worked two months in the bakehouse. I served five years as a baker. I came to St. Louis and bought one yoke of oxen and a wagon and I traveled up through Missouri and came up to Dakotah [City] and stayed a few days with Ed McKnight. He had a small log house to live in, the only one in Dakotah [City]. He brought me down to a steep bank of the river where there was a cave. He took me up to the south comer of Palo Alto and showed me a piece of land to live on. I made my claim on section 34 on the 21st day of December, 1855. I saw a log house about a mile from where McKnight and I were taking a lunch. We went up and found Jerry Evans living with his fam- ily. He told us there was not a nail in the house. A little farther toward the river we found another log house oc- cupied by William Carter, father of A. B. Carter, and family. I went back to Dakotah [City] and lived in the cave all winter. I came up to my claim and put up my army tent I had bought in St. Louis. This putting up my tent was on the 9th of April, 1856, at what is called West Bend now. The country looked wild, no people around. However, in the fall some of the Sioux Indians came down the river to hunt. There was plenty of game at that time. The chief, Och-see-da-washta, with a few of his warriors, would pay me a visit and take some dinner with me. I had two barrels of hardtack I brought up from St. Louis. They are hard biscuit for army use. The winter of 1858 W. D. Powers John McCormick THE WEST BEND SETTLEMENT 21 was a cold and snowy time. We wanted to go to Dakotah [City J to get some flour. We could not take any teams along on account of the deep snow. So J. Lynn, S. McClel- land, and a few more made hand sleighs and tramped the snow and dragged our sleighs along and started back with one sack of flour and flfty pounds of pork. It took four days to go and come. Oh, what a change from those hard times ! The Indians would talk about the time I was cap- tured by the Yankton Indians at Devil's Lake. But those wild times are gone and those dark days are set. The bright day of civilization has come. Those wild times and thousands of dark hours are gone forever." ^ The natural advantages afforded by the location and the fact that they were on the main route of travel to the north, combined to give this little settlement a very im- portant position. Rugged and persevering in character, these first settlers have had a vital and lasting influence on the development of the county. 1 Letter of William D. Powers, June 20, 1906. CHAPTER III The Irish Colony In July, 1856, another notable group of settlers came to Palo Alto County. This was a colony of Irishmen from Kane County, Illinois, who with brave hearts and stead- fast purpose came on into the frontier wilderness in search of homes. There were seven families in this colony, and it consisted of the following persons : James Nolan, An- astasia his wife, Maria his daughter, and two sons, James and John F. ; John Neary and his wife, and one son, John F. Neary, and one daughter, Mary; Edward Mahan and Margaret his wife, Ann and Ellen his daughters, and two sons, John and Myles; Martin Laughlin, his wife Mary, three sons, Lott, J. T., and Patrick, and one daugh- ter, Ellen; John Nolan and wife Bridget, and one son, Charlie; Thomas Downey and Ellen Downey his wife, and Ellen his daughter; Orrin Sylvester and his wife Ellen. Patrick Jackman and Thomas Laughlin, both single, came with these settlers though not members of the families above enumerated.^ There were six ox teams in the party and they wended their weary way toward the west. Their proposed destin- ation was in the vicinity of Sioux City, Iowa, but at Fort Dodge they met a man by the name of Lynch, who had been with the government surveying party in 1855, and who told them of the splendid location for settlers along the west branch of the Des Moines Eiver, where there was plenty of timber, abundance of good water, and the tall 1 Interviews with J. F. Neary, Lott Laughlin, J. J. Mahan, Myles Mahan, Patrick Jaekman, Charles Nolan and others. Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Nolan Edward and Margaret Mahan John Neary p. R. Jackman LOTT Laughlin John J. Mahan Chas. T. Nolan THE IRISH COLONY 23 grass was ample evidence of the fertility of the soil. Some of the party went forward with Mr. Lynch and looked over the ground, returning with glowing accounts of the coun- try. So the entire party started on the rough trail from Fort Dodge. They reached the Des Moines River at last and camped in the timber at what is now known as Mur- phy's Bayou. They stayed there nearly a week while the various members of the party prospected the country and selected their claims. While here these pioneers discov- ered the first traces of Indians. Two dozen slaughtered geese were found hanging in a large elm tree where they had been left by the redskins. But the incident scarcely more than awakened their curiosity, as they had not oc- casion as yet to know the treacherous savage nature that was later to spread terror throughout the settlement. These pioneers soon moved up the river and settled on section 14, in Bmmetsburg township, about two miles northwest from the present city of Emmetsburg. Such brave and sturdy settlers as these were good examples of the frontiersman. They commenced with what nature furnished them and began to build their homes from the prairie and the woods. Although it was getting late for plowing, the breaking up of the prairie was at once begun by doubling up on their ox teams. The next task was to put up some hay for the cows and young stock, which they had brought with them in addition to their oxen. They built rough shelters for their stock, and as fast as possible constructed rude cabins out of logs, the bark still on, and the cracks chinked with mud. These cabins all had clay ■ floors, and were roofed with " shakes " or thatched with hay, covered with sod. Most of the cabins had cellars or " root houses " as they were called, dug on the outside of the house, roofed with logs, and covered over with clay and sod. This " root house " had no outside opening and was entered by steps leading down from inside the cabin. 24 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY The cabin fire would keep the frost out of the cellar and there was no danger of freezing. Several of the cabins had rough fireplaces built in the clay floor and under the side logs, well plastered with clay and with a piece of tin or sheet iron at the back. The chimney was usually a hole in the roof for the smoke to pass through and was in fact the most prominent feature about that sort of convenience in those days. Plain accommodations, hearty fare and plenty of hard work, characterized the daily life of these first settlers. Little of interest transpired during the first six months in their new homes, and except for an occasional Indian, or a hunt for wild game, there was little excitement to break the routine work on their claims. These settlers had come direct from a well settled community, and as yet little appreciated the full value of nature's gifts. Musk- rats, beaver, mink, as well as wolves and foxes, were plen- tiful. But the settlers knew little about hunting and prac- tically nothing about trapping. It was not until 1858, when three professional trappers came and camped near them, and were offered over $7,000 for their winter's catch, that the settlers began to realize the value of such pelts. Wild fowl of every kind was abundant. It was a common sight to see Medium Lake black with wild geese. Deer, antelope, and elk were often seen and two buffalo were sighted by some of these settlers that year. Nature 's abundance was some compensation for pioneer hardships. Supplies and provisions were obtained from Fort Dodge, though the settlers had to go to Iowa City for their com meal and made several trips that fall. As the snow was very deep the first winter, the men were compelled to make trips to Fort Dodge on snow shoes in real Indian fashion. If it had not been for the furs for trade, they would have f oimd it hard to subsist, as there was very little money in those far-off settlements. Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Hickey Mrs. Maggie Hickey-McNally First White Child Born in Palo Alto County M. H. Crowley J. P. Crowley THE IRISH COLONY 25 James Hickey and wife joined the Irish colony ia the early fall of 1856, and remaiiied with the settlement dur- ing the first winter. Their daughter (Mrs. Patrick McNal- ly), born in October of that year, was the first white child bom in the county. The following spring the Hickeys took up a claim farther south across the river on section 35-96-33. One of the eariy settlers who came to this county after the Irish colony settled here, was Jerry Crowley, Sr., and family, consisting of five children, J. P., Michael H., Katie, Ellen and John. They came in the fall of 1856 and settled in a picturesque grove of natural timber on the west side of the river ia section 35, in what is now Walnut township, about five miles north of the Irish settlement. Mr. Crow- ley built a house that fall and then went to Fort Dodge to get supplies for the winter. He bought some sod corn from Shippey and potatoes from Evans. There were no white neighbors nearer than the Irish colony, but in the winter of 1856, some time in December, a band of fourteen Indians camped in the woods not over twenty-five rods from Crowley's house. The family could see the tepees plainly from their dooryard. They were good Indians, with Sleepy-Eye as their chief, and did not bother the Crowleys any during that winter. In fact iiiey were given large quantities of flour and other suppUes. There were three trappers who camped along the river that winter and traded somewhat with the Indians. These trappers got a great many valuable furs and took them to Fort Dodge, but the snow was so deep that they did not get back with the supplies in time to trade with the Indians before the Indians left. These same Indians left in the spring of 1857, at the time Inkpadutah's band perpetrated the Spirit Lake massacre. Michael H. Crowley, describing the band of Indians, says: *' They camped not over twenty-five or thirty rods from our house. I used to see the squaws 26 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY chopping wood. They never tried to molest us. I was al- ways afraid of them. One in particular I remember. He would come in with a great big club, all tacked full of brass tacks. It had a steel spear in the end of it and a skunk tail hanging to the end. He was a ferocious looking fellow and I never liked him, and was very glad when they left. The rest of the family did not seem to be afraid of them. Jerry used to go over to the tepees and play with the Indian children. They would slide down hill together. ' ' ^ Eoger Corcoran, his wife and three children, came with Jerry Crowley, Sr. They settled on the south side of the river in section 35. It was the intention of Mr. Corcoran and Mr. Crowley to take the same claim, buy it, and divide the timber. But this agreement was not carried out, as the former left the next spring and did not return. There was a community of interest and helpfulness per- vading this Irish colony. The seven original families had located close together in a compact little settlement for protection and social convenience. With stout hearts and willing hands these sturdy settlers together braved the trials of frontier life. This Irish colony, as it was called, thus became the nucleus of the settlement in the central part of the county and exerted an important influence over the community. 1 Interview with M. H. Crowley. CHAPTEE IV The Indians and the Spirit Lake Massacre The pioneer family on the western prairie could endure with fortitude the life on a lonely claim, but one danger continually menaced its peace of mind. The roving bands of Indians were generally unfriendly and often treacher- ously destructive. Once roused to vengeance, the savage nature found expression in deeds of pillage, arson and murder that made one's blood run cold. Many different tribes of Indians had roamed over the Iowa prairies before the advent of the white settlers, but all these had gradually drifted westward, and their land acquired by the government, untU in 1851 the last of West- em Iowa was ceded by treaty to the United States. Of all the bands of Indians the Sioux were perhaps the most ferocious and warlike. They were continually at war with other tribes and as they saw the onward march of the white settler and felt the encroachments upon their be- loved hunting ground, they became sullen and bitter to- ward the pioneers. Some unfortunate conditions served to intensify this feeling. As early as 1847, Henry Lott, an unscrupulous ruffian, who had settled far out on the frontier in Webster County, organized a gang of desperate characters who stole horses and committed many depredations among the settlers and Indians. Lott's cabin finally became such a notorious rendezvous, that when a band of Indians under the chief Sidominadotah tracked a number of stolen ponies to his place, they ordered him to leave the county. As he did not do so, a few days afterwards the Indians killed his • fPtdaS^BK^^^ W-\ a ^B m \<'% Hr ' .^'¥^''''' t,j^ J. liii' M\ ^r';' f' i T. W. Harrison THE OLD TOWN 115 nounced to the 'Old Settlers' that I had decided to lo- cate here. They asked me what my business was. [ said, ' Lawyer and Real Estate. ' They said, ' You will starve to death at that trade. ' I said, ' I will take my chances with the rest of you, ' and they laughed heartily. ' ' ^ Mr. McCarty, during the winter, had a table and a few books in one comer of the Jones & Johnson store building which he had helped to build, and that was his law office. In March he had lumber hauled from Fort Dodge, and built an office building 14x16. This was the first office building in the old town.^ Among the new arrivals that spring were H. L. Bumell and wife, and E. J. Hartshorn. Harrison formed a part- nership with Bumell and they put up a small building and used it as an office and residence. McCarty and Harts- horn formed a partnership in the law and land business about the same time. James P. White and W. H. Shea also put up an office building. Later M. L. Brown and his brother, P. S. Brown, came and built a small hardware and agricultural implement building. About this time James Fitzgerald and his wife bought the small Daniels house and opened up their store. Ketchen and Lenhart put up a building for a clothing store. That summer A. D. Gallop built the " Valley House " and the little settlement began to take on the airs of a town. W. J. Brown and Alex Peddie were among the new- comers in 1871 who cast their destinies with Emmetsburg. In 1872 F. H. Roper became the landlord of the ' ' Valley 1 statement of T. W. Harrison. 2 " I paid $50 per M for dimension lumber, and for flooring and siding, etc., about $65 per M. When I got the lumber home, I figured up and found my lumber had cost me, including the expenses of the trip, about $120 per M. ' ' Statement of Geo. B. McCarty. This historic old building was moved to the new town and stood (on lot 2, block 51, Corbin & Lawler's plat) just south of McCarty & McCarty 's oflfice until it was destroyed by fire in April, 1909. 116 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY House " and did a thriving business, clearing $1,000 in the first five months.^ James Fitzgerald was a genial but thrifty merchant and his quaint mannerisms furnished amusement for the town. Many are the stories told about " Fitz," as he was pop- ularly known. Three of them are worth recording. In the early days of the town the boys used to buy cigars, etc., at Fitz's little store and he was always willing to give change for a ten dollar bill if the customer made a pur- chase but " no buy, no change " was an inflexible rule of the store. "W. H. Shea, Jas. P. White and Al Jones put up a job on Fitz and began buying cigars, etc., and telling him to ' ' charge them to McCarty. ' ' This was done and in the course of a week or so Fitz presented his bill of $7.40 to McCarty for payment, whereupon the account was indig- nantly repudiated as not of his making. Fitz mourned as for a lost friend over being swindled in this manner, but quietly bided his time and one day White and his two friends came into the store and asked for some cigars in order to get change for a $10 bill. Fitz took the bill and quietly tucked it into his inside pocket and busied himself arranging his goods. When White asked for the change, Fitz coolly answered, " Oh, charge it to McCarty." On another occasion when a customer came in to buy a pocket- book but had no money to pay for it, Fitz sorrowfully put the pocket-book back on the shelf, remarking, ' ' You must think me green to sell you a pocket-book on tick when you've no money to put in it." One day a lady came into his store and wanted to buy a darning needle, for which he charged her five cents and when she complained of the price, Fitz exclaimed, ' ' The freight, the freight, lady. I can 't sell it for less, the freight is so high. ' ' But everyone liked good old Jimmie Fitzgerald and his " old woman " 1 statement of F. H. Roper. THE OLD TOWN 117 who together by thrift acquired enough to retire from business cares and live in comfort to a ripe old age. At this time Fort Dodge was the terminus of the rail- road and all lumber and supplies had to be hauled from there. Joe Mulroney was running a small stage from Fort Dodge to Spirit Lake once a week to cany the mail and such passengers as had no other conveyance. The arrival of the weekly mail was an important event and the whole town would turn out to welcome the stage on its ar- rival. In December of 1870 the McGregor & Missouri River Eailway was built as far as Algona and from that time on, there was a daily mail by stage from Algona, and that place became the terminus and the base of supplies for Emmetsburg until the railroad was completed through in 1878. The Catholic Church was the first church in the old town. It was erected in 1871 through the efforts of Father Line- han of Fort Dodge. Before this the settlers had gathered logs to build a church, but a prairie fire sweeping over the prairie had destroyed all the results of their hard labor.^ This new church was a large structure for those early days. Father Smith was the first pastor. He arrived at Emmetsburg in December, 1871, when the new church was only partially completed. With fearless energy and boundless faith the young priest began his life work in the new field. He completed the church and organized his parish. There were only thirty-nine Catholic families in the county then, but his sphere of activity was much broader. His parish contained eight counties, but as resi- dent priest he had charge not only of Northwest Iowa, from Hancock to the state line on the west, but also all those counties lying north of Himaboldt, Pocahontas, Buena "Vista and Plymouth. In addition to his charge in 1 statement by Father Smith, Semi-Centeniiial Record Book, p. 211. 118 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY Iowa, he attended to Southwest Minnesota and Eastern Dakota. In the Iowa territory there are today twenty- seven priests, where the territory was once attended by him alone. Moreover, in the tireless and willing discharge of his duties on the wild and desolate frontier plains, he ministered to the needs of all, and was the kind and cheery friend and adviser of all the settlers, regardless of church or creed. Father Smith is still in active charge of his large and influential church at Emmetsburg, which has grown from the small beginnings so auspiciously started many years ago. No service that he has ever rendered during his long and devoted life has reaped such abundant fruit as those years of untiring devotion to the pioneers on the Iowa prairie.^ In the winter of 1871-2 the scattered Protestant families organized a Union Church, John L. Lang being the leading spirit, and Eev. B. C. Hammond, who lived on a homestead five or six miles northeast of town, preached for them. ' ' This Union Church was afterwards duly incorporated and was the forerunner of the present First Congrega- tional Church of Emmetsburg. A Union Sunday School was also organized by Mr. Lang and conducted by him in the spring and summer of 1872. In August, 1872, that Little Giant of Methodism, Col. E. S. Ormsby, located in the old town and it did not take him long to gather to- gether that remnant of the tribe of Israel known as Meth- odists and organize a Methodist Episcopal Church and 1 Very Eev. J. J. Smith was ordained a priest in. Dublin, Ireland, June 26, 1870. After coming to Dubuque on August 30, 1870, he was assistant priest at the cathedral for three months. He was then appointed pastor at Clermont, Fayette County, from whence he was removed to Emmetsburg in December, 1871. A very excellent comparison of those early days with the present, written by Father Smith, will be found in the Semi-Centennial Record Book, p. 211. See also sketch of his life and work in the Palo Alto Tribune. Alex. Peddie M. F. Kerwick THE OLD TOWN 119 Sunday School which have both been flourishing ever since. ' ' * Others began to locate in the town that was already as- suming considerable importance as a trading center. There were over 1,000 settlers in the county and Emmets- burg was the only town and trading point this side of Al- gona and Fort Dodge. T. H. Tobin, Pat Joyce, and John Hall started stores. E. S. Ormsby established the first bank in 1872 under the name of Bumham, Ormsby & Co., capital $10,000. M. F. Kerwick also came in 1872. The town had grown so naturally along the Coonan road, that no plat had been made at first and the buildings had been located in Coonan 's corn field or pasture at the whim of the newcomer, but in the smnmer of 1870 Mr. Coonan had some blocks and lots surveyed out and later had the plat recorded as " Emmetsburg."- The Democrat, published by Jas. P. White, at Soda Bar, and the Advawe. published by MeCarty & Hartshorn and Harrison dt Burneli, wei-e the rival papers that flourished throughout the exciting campaign of 1870. But when White lost the treasurership at that election his paper soon after went out of business and the Advance sold out to Bates & Hagedon, who discontinued the old name and started the Palo Alto Patriot in June. 1873.^ After a year the Patriot sold out to the Palo Alto Printing Company, who dropped the old title and began the Palo Alto Pilot. The first issue was June 11, 1874, and was printed in the 1 "Fifty Years Ago in Palo Alto Ctounty," by T. W. Harrison, Ee^ister and Leader, July 8, 1906. »May 24, 1871, recorder's ofSee, Palo Alto County. s The most careful searcli and extended inquiry have failed to find a single copy of either the Democrat or Advance, and it is believed that time and inattention have destroyed these valuable historical records. One copy of the Patriot -nns once discovered among some old papers at Algona. It was dat- ed June, 1874, and marked in pencil, "the last copy of the Patriot," and con- tained a notice of the dissolution of the firm of Bates & Hagedon, the pub- ishers. But even this copy is now lost. 120 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY Old Town.' J. C. Bennett, who worked on this paper, says : ' ' When I first came in contact with it in July, 1873, it was a pretty badly mixed up outfit. It had evidently been stored in someone's bam at some time. The first ink we had to work with was about half straw. The first court calendar printed for use in the county was printed in the Pilot office in the early part of the winter of 1873. I have a copy of that somewhere. The Pilot office in the Old Town was located in the building that is now occupied by McCrum as a shoe store. It was made of nothing but siding and thin ceiling. The only press was an old worn- out hand press. Had to print the calendar on the old hand press in freezing weather, and it was pretty hard to do anything. . . The Pilot was edited by different par- ties, first by J. L. Martin, then by Rev. J. E. Eowen, who was the Methodist preacher here. A. W. Utter was next editor. I was with it from the fall of 1874 to June, 1876. ' ' " In 1871-2 several houses were built on the hill a mile east of the Old Town. T. W. Harrison built his house in the spring of 1871 (the one now occupied by Mr. Appleby), John L. Lang in the fall of 1871, and Captain Hartshorn and E. J. White built theirs in the spring of 1872. ' ' These houses ' were half way between the Old Town and the loca- tion where the new town was expected to be laid out. They were the first houses on the present town site of Em- metsburg as they are now in the northwest part of our present city." "That (1872) was the summer of brides for the new town. Mrs. T. W. Harrison, Mrs. Emory King, Mrs. Al Jones, Mrs. Ben Johnson, and Mrs. A. L. Ormsby, all came as brides. Some of them were disappointed at not finding 1 Odd numbers of the Pilot have been found, and J. C. Bennett has pre- served a file, beginning with no. 20 of vol. i, Oct. 22, 1874, to no. 47 of vol. u, May 11, 1876. 2 Statement of J. C. Bennett. 3 Statement of T. W. Harrison. Letter of Capt. E. J. Hartshorn. W. J. Brown M. L. Brown THE OLD TOWN 121 a larger town in fact, as they had read glowing descrip- tions of it in the numerous letters from their lovers for a year or more before. But they made a happy addition to the new town society, and were each in turn vigorously, if not delightfully, serenaded by Duncan's Band." ^ ' ' Among the old settlers who lived in the vicinity were ' Paddy in the Bush ' (Patrick Nolan, who lived in the woods north of town) ; * Paddy on the Flat ' (Patrick No- lan, who lived on the river bottom south of town) ; ' Paddy Grreen ' (Patrick Nolan, who lived on the west shore of Medium Lake) ; Mrs. Laughlin, the character of the com- munity, who lived south of town, always full of her jokes and witticisms ; Dan Kane, who lived in the woods north of town ; Mr. and Mrs. Martin Coonan, Sr., who kept the only boarding house in or about the town ; John Pender- gast, who lived near the lake where Mr. Saunders's man- sion now stands ; John Nolan, who lived on the west side of the lake; William O'Connell, who lived west of the river ; Wm. E. Cullen, William Murphy, and Charles Hast- ings, who lived south of town ; James Hickey, Larry Bums and Pat Lannon, who lived west of the river and south of town; James Nolan, Martin Laughlin, Lott Laughlin, Jerry Crowley, Miles Mahan, Ed Mahan, Billy Jackman, and Patsy Jackman, at Walnut ; Mickey Jackman on the east side of the lake ; T. H. Tobin, William Shea, Thomas Shea, Eobert Shea, Joe Mulroney, Kiren Mulroney, Will- iam Mahar, and others at Soda Bar in Nevada township ; Michael Kirby, John Doran, Dan Doran, and others, west of the river in Great Oak township; John Neary and Thomas Welch, east of the river, and some others whose names I do not now recall." ^ Other people located in the town from time to time, until in 1874 there were forty or more business buildings and 1 T. W. Harrison 's statement. 2 Statement of T. W. Harrison. 122 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY houses. But all the buildings along the Coonan road were small and cheaply constructed, as it was realized that the railroad company would locate a depot on its own ground and that those on the Coonan plat would have to move or there would be two towns within a few miles of each other. It was in the summer of 1874 that the Old Town reached the acme of its existence, for in a few short months it dis- appeared like the mist before the morning sun and the new and fairer city on the hill took its place in history. Pat Joyce The New Town of Emmetsburg in 1878 CHAPTEE XII The New Emmetsburg With all its sudden growth and outward prosperity, the old town of Emmetsburg on the river was but transitory. The buildings were all rough, temporary structures, or built on posts, as it was expected that the railway would plat a town elsewhere, and that the town would have to be moved some time. Mr. Coonan did not take the trouble to convey lots or plat the town for several years. Moreover, the location which chance had selected was not at all suit- able for a permanent town. This unsettled condition produced a spirit of uneasiness among the people that grew stronger as the railroad com- pany in 1873 began to build from Algona westward. Even when railroad operations suddenly ceased, the dissatisfac- tion with local conditions grew until in 1874, when the agitation for a change began to take definite form. Gen. John Lawler of Prairie du Chien, Wis., who was an oflScer of the railroad company, had bought the northeast quarter of section 25-96-33 for the purpose of a town site and the railroad had been surveyed through that tract. Austin Corbin of New York City owned the northwest quarter of section 30-96-32, adjoining the Lawler quarter on the east, and was anxious to get in on the town site proposition. T. W. Harrison was the attorney for Mr. Lawler and the railroad, and Geo. B. McCarty was the at- torney for Mr. Corbin. Mr. McCarty thus describes the negotiations : ' ' Mr. Corbin gave me special authority to act for him and to visit the officers of the railroad company with a view to making arrangements looking to the loca- 124 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY tion of a depot and town site. In July I went to Prairie du Chien and saw Gen. John Lawler, who promised to meet me in Milwaukee next day. I then went to Milwaukee and saw S. S. Merrill, general manager, and Alex Mitchell, president of the railroad, and had several hours' session with Lawler, Merrill and Mitchell, and an agreement was then reached that the railroad company was to proceed at once in connection with Austin Corbin and plat the north- east quarter 25-96-33 and the northwest quarter 30-96-32 into a town site and town lots ; that the township line be- tween said quarters should be the principal street and that the depot should be located within 200 feet of said line and that a court house square be platted on the highest point east of said line and dedicated to the use of the county for court house purposes, provided the county took steps to locate the county seat there within a reasonable time. That a public park of not to exceed a square of four blocks should be located on the high ground near the northeast corner of the northeast quarter 25-96-33 and dedicated to the use of the town as a public park. That they were to proceed at once to plat out the town site and when so plat- ted that part of the site on the northwest quarter of 30-96- 32 should be equally divided between Austin Corbin and John Lawler, that is each alternate lot or block as the agents of the respective parties should agree. ' ' It was further agreed that before said division was made each person who owned a lot in the Coonan plat with a business or dwelling building thereon and would move his building to the Corbin and Lawler site before Decem- ber 1, 1874, should have a lot donated to him upon which to locate his building, and other persons who would build and erect a good, substantial, new business building or residence on said plat on or before December 1, 1874, should have a lot donated to them, in consideration of their THE NEW EMMETSBURG 125 moving or erecting buildings. It was provided that no two persons should be located on adjacent lots. There must be at least one intervening lot between. That after locations were made deeds should be made to said parties and remaining lots divided. It was also stipulated on the part of the railroad company that this agreement was to be subject to the approval of Gen. Dodge, chief engineer of the company, and that before said town was so laid out and platted Gen. Dodge should designate on the ground what land was required by the railroad company for right of way and depot grounds and Gen. Dodge should definite- ly locate the right of way, tracks, and depot site and that when the road was constructed to Emmetsburg the rail- road company contracted to erect their depot on said site so selected and make it their permanent depot site. I then went to Madison, Wis., and saw General Dodge and he ap- proved of the agreement and agreed that he would have the plat of depot grounds and site ready within ten days, or as soon as he could take some additional measurements, etc. It was also agreed that I was to act as the agent for Austin Corbin, and T. W. Harrison was to act as agent for the railroad company, and we were to proceed to sur- vey and plat the town as soon as possible." ^ By this compromise a town site war was avoided, and the original plat was called Corbin & Lawler's Plat of Emmetsburg and is so known to this day. This division also secured for the county-seat the beautiful court house square, and the spacious public park in the west part of town. The Corbin quarter in Freedom township had or- iginally been homesteaded by Thomas Mahar in the early sixties. His cabin stood at the southeast comer of the 1 statement of Geo. B. MeCarty. These recollections of early days by Mr. McCarty have never been published, but a copy of them may be found in the Semi-Centennial Becord Book. 126 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY court house square and only a few years ago a slight de- pression there plainly marked the place of his cellar. Mr. Mahar abandoned his claim soon after taking it. While these preliminaries were being arranged, T. W. Harrison was busy preparing for the removal of the Old Town to the new location. Mr. Harrison describes these events as follows : ' ' One morning in June, 1874, when I went to my office, I found a delegation of the business men waiting for me. They said that a meeting of the business men was being held in one of the stores and they wanted me to come over to it. I was then the attorney and agent for the railroad company, and they wanted to know if I thought the railroad company would plat out the railroad town site and give them a lot for each building they would move over if they would move at once, as the risk from fire was too great where they were, and their stocks of goods were getting too large to carry without insurance, and they wanted to get on permanent lots and enlarge their build- ings. I told them I thought the company would do that, but that the company would want some guarantee that they would move in case the railroad town site was platted. They told me to draw up any kind of an agreement and bond I desired, and they would sign it. I prepared an agreement and bond with a forfeiture of $500 each in case they did not move as soon as the lots were ready for them, and they all signed it, fifteen of the leading business men of the Old Town. I took the agreement and bond to John Lawler, the vice-president of the railroad company at Prairie du Chien, Wis., and he said, ' Yes, the company will do that,' but that he would have to submit it to the directors in New York City. He said it would take about a week for him to get an answer and for me to return home and hold myself in readiness upon receipt of a tele- THE NEW EMMETSBURG 127 gram from him, to go ahead then and plat the railroad town site. ' ' ^ When at last the telegram was received stating that the negotiations had been approved, Mr. McCarty and Mr. Harrison hired Le Eoy Grout to do the surveying and be- gan to plat and lay out the new town.^ ' ' The grass was tall, in many places up to our hips, and in some places as high as our heads. Not a tree nor a shrub in sight — just prairie. We got a team and mower and set flags and would mow two swaths through so we could see to set and line up the stakes. When the survey was well along the question of moving came up. In the meantime dissensions had arisen. Coonan had become awake and was offering special inducements for them to stay and others got discouraged at the thought of moving out on the prairie and locating their buildings in the tall grass, without a furrow broken, no roads or paths. In fact it did not look very inviting. About this time some of the dissenters held a meeting and resolved they would not move and about one-half of them agreed to this. Then the question came up and was discussed pro and con for three or four days."* Martin Coonan told them that a hard winter was coming on and that they would freeze and starve out in ' ' Stake- 1 T. W. Harrison, ' ' Fifty Years Ago in Palo Alto County, ' ' Begister and Leader, July 8, 1906. 2 Thia account of the beginning of the new town is taken mainly from the statements of T. W. Harrison and Geo. B. McCarty, the two principal actors in this drama. As here given it is reenforced by the recollections of M. L. Brown, E. J. Hartshorn, Alex. Peddie, J. C. Bennett, and others. Mr. Harrison's statement, as it appeared in 1906, contained some inac- curacies which he would doubtless have corrected if a later revision had been made after talking with others and refreshing his memory. The ac- count presented in these pages has been carefully verified and is believed to be an accurate history of this interesting period. See early files of the Pilot for the life of the new town. See also Appendix D for sample items. 8 Geo. B. McCarty 's statement. 128 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY town" as he called it; that they had better stay right where they were and he would give them all the lots they wanted. These were potent arguments, and the business men became exceedingly lukewarm on the subject of mov- ing. I had procured a house moving outfit to come here from Humboldt with their teams and tools, all ready to do the moving. The business men dreaded the trouble and expense of moving. The house movers were clamoring to commence their work, and one day while I was out of town they loaded up my office, moved it out and dropped it on the comer where the Waverly Hotel now stands, and it stood there a lone speck on the prairie for two or three weeks. If it had not been for the bond the business men would have been strongly inclined to remain where they were. But I assured them with great earnestness that the company would collect that bond from every one of them. Finally we got the four leading merchants together in a room, and handed them the plat of the new town and said that we would give them their choice of comers and give each of them two lots on a comer if they would move over at once, and wherever they located would center the busi- ness of the town, and be the most valuable property in town. They said that was fair, and that they would do it."^ It was on September 2, 1874, that the Harrison office was moved up to the new site and as the first lone building on the prairie, marked the beginning of the prospective town. The second building moved up was the McCarty office building, occupied by McCarty & Hartshorn, which was located on lot 2, block 51, where it stood just south of the present McCarty & McCarty law office until burned in April of 1909. The third building moved was the White & Shea office, which was moved over to the opposite side of 1 statement of T. W. Harrison. n ^■M''^ tf-: -^I'^'ii' .j i, ■■ :.^^* J .- t w w H THE NEW EMMETSBURG 129 the street, to lot 1, block 52, where Berger's store is now located. The fourth was Tobin & Co. 's general store. " Early the next morning," says T. W. Harrison, " the movers loaded the Tobin store building on their trucks, and started for the new town, while all the people looked on and wondered. The building was not large, but it took several days to move it to the new site, and Mr. Tobin was selling goods out of the back door all along the way. He was so well known and so universally liked, and the nov- elty of the situation gave him such an advertisement that a large crowd of customers followed him to the new town, and his business was larger than it had ever been before, so much so that he said he wished that the other merchants would not move, but leave the new town trade to him and he would be perfectly satisfied."^ This building was placed on the comer where the Tobin Block is now occu- pied by the Farmers' Savings Bank. The fifth was the Ketchen & Lenhart clothing store, which was moved to lot 1, block 37, the comer where the Emmetsburg National Bank now stands. ' ' Then came a halt, ' ' says G-eo. B. McCarty in describing the events. " No one would make a start. Those who had moved up cut the grass and set out a few hitching posts and were ready for business. Several days were spent in trying to get others to move but without avail. About this time T. C. Davis, who was the postmaster, said that he would put up a building if they would give him a lot. He selected lot 6, block 37, and began his building. In the meantime we had forwarded a petition to Washington to have permission to move the postoffice, but red tape and remonstrance held it up for some time. In the meantime two or three small dwellings had been moved up. Then Ormsbys agreed to have their bank building and E. S. Ormsby's house moved. P. Joyce and Jas. Fitzgerald, 1 statement of T. W. Harrison. 130 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY each having a general store, refused to move, and the others joined with them, John D. Hall saying that he would move if the others would agree to. Finally a meet- ing was held at which there were those who had moved and those favorable, which lasted until near midnight to devise ways and means to break the deadlock. The mov- ers ' outfit was idle and on expense and they threatened to leave. It was finally agreed that the parties present would pay the movers when not at work for the next week and appeal to the people of the county. A painter by the name of Walt Duncan was put to work painting boards — 'Staketown or bust,' Staketown being the name given to the new town by those opposed, *0n to Staketown,' 'Staketown only station on this line,' 'Staketown will pay more for farm products and sell goods cheaper.' These were nailed on to stakes and set up on all roads, nailed to bridges, etc., and men were sent out and sta- tioned on all roads to appeal to the farmers to stand by us and aid us in having one good town and the county-seat located there without a county-seat war; that the location was a central one and that the railroad would build their depot there under their contract, etc. "Whereas on the other hand it would be two small towns within one and one-half miles of each other, always scrapping and fight- ing, a county-seat war, postoffice fight, etc., which argu- ments seemed to take well with the farmers (Emmetsburg was the only town in the county at that time, no other trad- ing or business place). Many of them permitted signs to be put on their wagons or chalked, 'Staketown or bust,' and would drive straight through the Old Town to ' Stake- town.' It was a winning card and turned the tide of events. The Tobin store had to get extra clerks and one Saturday took in $153 in cash and over $200 worth of farm products. Had to saw 2x4 lumber and set them in the ground to hitch teams to. While the Old Town had a THE NEW EMMETSBURG 131 quietude settle over it. Within a week they gave in and even offered a high bonus to be moved first.^ So that by December 1st, the Old Town had moved up, and the new town loomed up on its hill and could be seen from almost any part of the county, with not a tree or shrub to hide it."' " Miss Mary McGroarty, sister of Mrs. A. L. Ormsby, was a musician and musical composer, and she wrote a new march which she called ' The March of Emmetsburg, ' as she witnessed the flight of the town from the old to the new site."* The new town of Emmetsburg, after many vicissitudes, had at last become a reality. Later generations owe a debt of gratitude to the wisdom and foresight of the men of 1874 who gave us a central, well located, beautiful county-seat, with ample room for broad growth and ad- vancement as time goes by. One opportunity, however, appears to have slipped by. Mr. Harrison says : "I had planned at the time to change the name of the new town to ' Merrill,' the name of the general manager and most potent factor in the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. I had Mr. Merrill in my office in the spring of 1875 and submitted the matter to him, and it pleased hiTn greatly. He said : ' That means spending $20,000 to help make the town grow.' I replied that ' I hoped so.' I discussed that matter with the busi- ness men of the town, and some of them objected so vig- orously because they said they had advertised Emmets- burg so extensively that it would hurt their business to make any change in the name, that I finally dropped the 1 " p. Joyce is waiting anxiously for his store building, which is out running a race with that of Jas. Fitzgerald from the old town to the new. At present Fitz is a few yards ahead." Falo Alto Pilot, Oct. 22, 1874, vol. i, no. 20. 2 Statement of Geo. B. McCarty. 8 Statement of T. W. Harrison. 132 HISTOET OF PALO ALTO COUNTY subject. But if that had been done the city would now have 10,000 or more population. I learned afterward that Mr. Merrill built the Estherville Branch with the idea that the name would be so changed, and it was his plan to com- plete it through to Fargo, North Dakota, and make this city the division point for that line, with its offices, round- house and shops at this place. The original railroad name for this station was ' Sage, ' in honor of Russell Sage, who was a stockholder and director in the company, but as Mr. Merrill then had no town named for him in Iowa, it would have pleased him greatly to have this town given his name, and he would have made it one of the most im- portant points on the whole Iowa and Dakota division."^ Yet the citizens were progressive and hard working and the town grew rapidly. Mr. Harrison thus describes the selling of the lots in the new town : "I made up the sched- ule of prices for selling the lots in the new town, placing the best residence lots at $25 each, and the best business lots at $250 each, and submitted it to the land commission- er of the railroad company. He said, ' Oh, no ! you have the prices too high. Put the best business lots at $50 each, and the best residence lots at $25 each. We want that town to grow so as to make business for our road when we build over there. ' I said, ' All right, you are the boss, but I would take them all if I had the money, for the best lots will soon be worth $1,000 each.' The lots sold fast, and the town grew rapidly and lots which were then sold for $50 each, are now worth from $3,000 to $4,000 each." ' In the spring of 1875 the first sod was turned for the planting of trees and gardens. The trees around the court house square were planted by the citizens them- selves, each planting a tree and caring for it as it grew. Thus early was the practice of planting trees encouraged, 1 Statement of T. W. Harrison. 2 Statement of T. W. Harrison. E. S. Oemsby THE NEW EMMETSBURG 133 and to the far-seeing policy thus begun, we owe the chief beauty of our city that is known far and wide as the ' ' Shade Tree City ' ' of Northwestern Iowa. In this first spring after the Old Town was moved to its new location, E. S. Ormsby who had moved his building to the location where the First National Bank now stands, and controlled the land north of Main street, which is now known as Bumham's addition, broke up a large tract of this and planted it to wheat, and that summer after the wheat was cut people began to build their houses there and it was a very peculiar sight to see the houses dotting the stubble fields/ In the fall of 1875 by almost unanimous vote the county- seat of the county was changed from the mythical ' ' Paoli ' ' to the beautiful square donated and designated on the plat of Emmetsburg as "Court House Square."^ In 1876 A. L. Ormsby built his brick residence on the hill, the first brick building in new Emmetsburg. The town was incor- porated in 1877, M. L. Brown being the first mayor. Emmetsburg continued to grow and prosper as -settlers became more numerous throughout the county. The pros- pect of the railroad also attracted people, but the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway did not complete its road through to Emmetsburg until August, 1878. The B., C. R. & N, Ry., now the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, was built to Emmetsburg in 1882. With these two railroads, the town became a city and prosperity smiled upon it. In 1880 the brick court house was built. It was a large and substantial building for those times and still stands as a worthy public building for a prosperous county. In the same year, T. H. Tobin built the first brick store build- ing in the town. The First National Bank Building and Waverly Hotel were built in 1882. Other substantial 1 statement of J. C. Young. 2 Minutes and Supervisors ' Eecord, Palo Alto County, vol. i, pp. 413 and 424. 134 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY buildings followed ^ until now Emmetsburg with its 3,000 inhabitants, six elegant churches, and its splendid schools, many substantial business buildings, with elegant resi- dences, unsurpassed by any town in Iowa — stands a monu- ment to its founders and builders, as well as the worthy county-seat of the great and prosperous county of Palo Alto. 1 Many facts about the later history of the city will be found in the Christmas Souvenir edition of the Emmetsburg Democrat, 1895. The files of the Palo Alto Beporter, Emmetsburg Democrat, and Palo Alto Tribune, are replete with contemporaneous history of the city, but full narration of those events would fill another volume and must be left for some future historian. CHAPTER XIII The Period of Development — 1873-1910 The year 1873 was one long to be remembered. It ush- ered in the years of adversity, that tried the stoutest heart. The hard times, the grasshoppers and the wet seasons, together made a combination that threatened bankruptcy for even the most industrious. These years of toil and sorrow are a sad but necessary part of the county's his- tory. The grasshoppers of the Eocky Mountain region paid a visit to Iowa and adjacent states in 1873-4 and again in 1876-7. It is diflScult to describe the ravages of these in- sects and hard to realize the extent of the suffering that their devastation caused the pioneers. These insects are a species of locust or grasshopper that breeds abundantly every year, by boring holes in the ground and filling these holes with eggs during August, and these eggs hatch out the following spring. Hundreds of these eggs are laid by a single insect and the rate of propagation is enormous. When hatched out the young feed on the tender vegetation near by and when they have eaten everything in sight they migrate in great swarms, devouring grain, garden vege- tables, growing crops, young grass, and everything of a like nature. These pests traveled in dense swarms, often several miles wide, obscuring the sun and making a roar- ing noise like the sound of a waterfall. They traveled mostly in the warm portion of the day, and in the early mornings and cool evenings would gather in loose grass or protected places for shelter and warmth. This fact was made use of by the farmers to destroy the pests. 136 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY which were often shoveled up in great quantities from sheltered places, and loose straw and hay were scattered around and then burned when covered with the ' ' hop- pers." These grasshoppers often covered twenty miles a day in their flight, leaving in their path a region dev- astated as though swept by a prairie fire. The old settlers remember vividly the events of these visitations, that were like the ' ' plague of locusts ' ' that visited the Egyptians in the days of Pharoah.^ The climatic conditions were such, however, that the grasshoppers could not survive after the second year. In 1876, when they appeared in this county for the second time, a determined fight was made to destroy them as soon as hatched, and protect the growing crops. The county was organized in the spring, the county buying large sheets of tin and barrels of tar, which were distrib- uted throughout the county, and from these ' ' hopper dozers " were constructed. The long sheets of tin were fastened together and bent up at the bottom side and filled with tar. These tins were then put on wheels or carried through the fields, knocking the grasshoppers off the grain and into the tar, from which they were taken in large quan- tities and burned.^ The following year the grasshoppers departed unwept and unmourned and have never since appeared in this part of the country. These repeated ravages of the grasshopper pests were a serious hardship on the early settlers striving to make a living on the Iowa prairie. With crops destroyed, gardens ruined, their incomes thus cut off, real privation and 1 ' ' For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all of the fruit of the trees which the hail had left; and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through aU the land of Egypt." — Exodus x:15. 2 Palo Alto Beporter, June 9, 1877. See also March 3, 1877, June 2, 1877. THE PERIOD OP DEVELOPMENT — 1873-1910 137 starvation stared them in the face. Many had to seek other means of employment in order to live and it was only the courageous and determined persistence and hope of the pioneers that brought them through this crisis in our history. The grasshoppers had so completely devastated the prairies that food and provisions were very scarce. This scarcity was intensified by the terrible money panic of 1873, inaugurated by the disastrous "Black Friday" on Wall Street, which spread its ominous results throughout the country. Money was almost unknown and the settlers had to subsist as best they could on game and what few provisions they could procure. Many of the settlers were in desperate circumstances. The condition of the people became very deplorable in 1874, especially during the winter months. The extremely wet weather and the ravages of the grasshoppers had left them without crops, and many of them in such destitute circumstances as to be " unable to procure food, clothing, or seed to sow for the coming season." These facts were set out in a resolution adopted by the board of supervisors February 4, 1874, and forwarded to Hon. E. J. Hartshorn, then a member of the general assembly of Iowa, and ask- ing for relief in their time of need.^ Nothing, however, came of this appeal and the people of the county were compelled to work out their own salvation, which they did with persevering courage and hopefulness. But these reverses and troubles soon came to an end. After a year or two their effects had been overcome. The splendid courage and determination of the settlers sur- mounted all obstacles, and the tremendous fertility of the soil soon yielded an abundance that brought a return of prosperity. Adversity was after all short-lived and the 1 Minutes, Supervisors ' Eeeord, no. 1, p. 347. A copy of the said reso- lution will be found in full in Appendix to this history. 138 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY filial period of development was at last ushered in and the county grew in population and prosperity with a steady and healthful advance. Space allows mention of only a few incidents in this long and eventful period. The prosperity of the county continued to increase. An article in the Palo Alto Reporter Octoher 7, 1876, says: ' ' Lands range from $2 to $10 per acre, wild, and from $8 to $20 improved. . . Dairying and stock-raising are becoming favorite industries of the county. In 1874 the county exported $30,000 worth of butter and $80,000 worth of cattle. In 1875 $50,000 in butter and $100,000 in fat cattle." The schools of the county were increasing in number and efficiency. A. L. Day, who was elected county super- intendent of schools in 1873, was a man of culture and scholarly attainments. Mr. Day started a private school at Bmmetsburg in 1874 and Miss Maria Blair ^ acted as deputy superintendent until the Old Town was moved up to the present site, J. C. Bennett was elected superintend- ent the following year and served one term. One of the first Normal Institutes of which there is a record in the newspapers was held in October, 1876. Miss Bassett and J. L. Martin were the instructors. About fifty teachers were enrolled and an instructive program was carried out successfully. The county schools were indeed becoming an important factor in the development of the county. No one man perhaps exerted more influence upon the schools of the county in an early day than J. L. Martin, who was not only a pioneer settler but a pioneer in school work. He was elected county superintendent in 1869 and as a teacher and instructor for many years thereafter took an active and influential part in perfecting the school system of the county. 1 Maria Blair and George B. MeCarty were married December 14, 1875. THE PERIOD OF DEVELOPMENT — 1873-1910 139 Along in 1871 some difficulties had arisen over the swamp lands which had been conveyed to Wm. E. Clark in 1860. The board of supervisors finally appointed a committee, consisting of Geo. B. McCarty, Eobt. Shea and Wm. E. Cullen, to investigate these swamp titles and they reported that the finances of the county were not in a con- dition to bear the expense of quieting these titles, but that the board make the best possible terms with the intending purchasers of the interest of the county and that the pur- chasers quiet the title in their own name and at their own expense, and suggesting that the board call a special elec- tion to ascertain the wishes of the people thereon, although this was not absolutely imperative.^ Again in 1874 a committee composed of W. H. Shea and T. W. Harrison was authorized to investigate the unpatented swamp lands of the county and procure patenting of such lands as soon as possible. And as these tracts were not listed for tax- ation, being unsettled and their ownership uncertain, in the words of the record "the county was losing large sums annually," and in order to remedy this the board agreed to quit claim all the swamp and overflowed lands, that were duly patented to the county, and not included in the de- scription in the county's deed to Mr. Stockdale. These transactions as to the disposal of the swamp and over- flowed lands show how little value was attached to this land at that time. Vast tracts of land were thus practic- ally given away which are now being drained and reclaim- ed and made the most fertile farming land in the country. A memorable convention was held at Le Mars in 1874 to nominate a candidate for district attorney for the north- west district of Iowa. That was before the days of the county attorneys, when the prosecuting attorney traveled around the circuit with the judges. Geo. B. McCarty from Palo Alto County, E. B. Soper of Estherville, Lewis, 1 Minutes and Supervisors' Record, Palo Alto County, vol. i, p. 212. 140 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY from Cherokee, Evans from Harrison County, Judge Eob- inson of Buena Vista, and Judge Ford of Sioux City, were the candidates before the convention. Emmetsburg sent a delegation of politicians, T. W. Harrison, Capt. E. J. Hartshorn, M, L. Brown, and Charlie Ketchen. After an exciting convention the Emmetsburg candidate succeed- ed in getting the nomination. The trip home was nearly as exciting as the convention, as the delegates vividly remember hauling their horses out of swamps and deep water and many acts of heroism and daring in getting across the swollen streams that several times threatened to engulf the whole party. In the fall election Geo. B. McCarty was elected district attorney for the western district of Iowa. The next year he removed to Sioux City, in order to be nearer his work, and remained there until September, 1878, when he re- signed the office, returned to Emmetsburg, and permanent- ly resumed the practice of law at the county seat of Palo Alto County. An agricultural society was organized in Palo Alto County in December, 1876, and January, 1877."^ After several preliminary conferences the following officers were elected at a meeting at the office of T. W. Harrison, Jan- uary, 1877: President^-J. C. Baker. Vice President — Jas. Scott. Secretary — C. A. Hoffman. Treasurer — T. W. Harrison. And one director from each township.'' This was the beginning of the society that held annual fairs for so many years and that still owns the grounds south of Emmetsburg. 1 Reporter, Dec. 16, 1876, vol. ii, no. 27, and Dec. 30, 1876, vol. ii, no. 29, and Jan. 20, 1877, vol. ii, no. 32. ^Beporter, Jan. 20, 1877, vol. ii, no. 32. THE PERIOD OF DEVELOPMENT — 1873-1910 141 The railroad was so slow in coming that the enterprising citizens of Emmetsburg decided to build a road of their own. * ' The Des Moines River E. E. " was organized with E. S. Ormsby as president and A. W. Utter as secretary, for the purpose of building a road south from Emmets- burg through the county. At a directors' meeting Janu- ary, 1877, steps were taken to vote a tax and other arrange- ments made. The newspaper report optimistically con- cluded as follows : "The meeting was well attended and a commendable amount of enthusiasm and unanimity of feel- ing manifested. ' ' ^ Taxes were voted in one or two town- ships and voted down in others, and this reverse effectual- ly crippled the enterprise. The building of the Milwaukee the following year and the Burlington a few years later put a damper on home roads, and though this branch was periodically agitated, it never was consummated. The failure of the railroad to build through to Emmets- burg as expected was a great disappointment to the people. With the terminus of the road only twenty-five miles dis- tant at Algona, it was expected that the new town would soon have railroad facilities. But year after year passed and the railroad company became involved in litigation over "overlapping" grants with other roads and did not comply with the requirement of their grant from the state, that the road be built through to Sheldon by December 1, 1877. The question of forfeiture of the grant became the issue in the Legislature in 1878. Capt. E. J. Hartshorn of Emmetsburg was state senator from this district and was a member of the Committee on Eailroads in the Sen- ate. In writing of the situation, he says: "We had a big fight over the old McGregor and Missouri Eiver R. E. land grant. They had only built to Algona and their time was more than up for building through to Sheldon. The B., C. E. & N.'s terminus was then in Grundy County, and 1 Palo Alto Seporter, Jan. 20, 1877, vol. ii, no. 32. 142 HISTOKY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY wanted to build up to Algona, take this grant and build on west from there. They made a tremendous effort in the Legislature, backed by powerful state interests, but gen- erally along the line of the incompleted portion of the McGregor road the people wanted the grant taken from the old construction company and given to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road. After an exciting struggle we won out and the road was built from Algona to Patter- sonville (now Hull I think) in O'Brien County that season ( 1878) . " ^ It was with great rejoicing that the first train was welcomed at Emmetsburg in 1878 and the town began at once to grow and expand commensurate with its im- portance as the county-seat of the prosperous county of Palo Alto. The long heralded railroad from the south finally be- came a reality in 1881, when the B,, C. E. & N. E. E. com- menced building their tracks through this county north to Estherville, Spirit Lake, etc. When the Chicago, Mil- waukee & St. Paul found that the B., C. E. & N. was about to build from Emmetsburg to Estherville, they became alarmed lest the new road should take a part of the terri- tory which they had intended to occupy and cut them out from a line which they had projected from Emmetsburg northwest via Estherville, Jackson and Crookston, Minne- sota, and then north to Winnipeg. This was a pet scheme of S. 8. Merrill, the general manager of the Chicago, Mil- waukee & St. Paul railway. The Burlington, as the old B., C. E. & N. road was called, had no sooner made their survey and begun grading than the Milwaukee rushed contractors, laborers and material to Emmetsburg and began to push the construction of a branch road north. This unusual activity stirred the Burlington and they redoubled their efforts and there began across the northern 1 Letter of Capt. E. J. Hartshorn, Washington, D. C. See also the flies of the Beporter during this time. THE PERIOD OF DEVELOPMENT — 1873-1910 143 part of Palo Alto County a race in construction of rail- roads that is one of the most memorable in the history of the west. Neck and neck the two roads struggled as far as Osgood, six miles north of Emmetsburg, where the Bur- lington being slightly in the lead, drew in close to the low line of bluffs north of Osgood, which would have crowded the Milwaukee, which was building parallel with them on the west side, into the foot hills, and thus the Milwaukee suddenly changed their survey and crossed at Osgood to the east, going by way of the town of High Lake (now abandoned), then on to Estherville. Another strate^c position was the narrow isthmus between Spirit and East Okoboji Lakes, which is only wide enough for one right of way. Here again the Burlington stole a march by sending A. A. Wells, who lived near Osgood, up there to secure the right of way and when he had contracted for the right of way it effectually shut out the Milwaukee from that route, and they built no further than Estherville, while the Bur- lington continued on through. The rivalry between the two roads was very keen and as the trains started from Emmetsburg at the same time, and as the roads ran parallel to each other for four or five miles, there was a daily race between the two trains to reach the crossing. The train crews soon imbibed the spirit of bitter rivalry and it was a daily event for the crews to hurl anathemas at each other and fight for the right of way at the crossing. The Milwaukee road ran one of their engines squarely across the crossing and held it there, refusing to let the other road cross their trains until finally the engine was removed by a court injunction. But though the Burling- ton seemed to get the best of these stirring days of rivalry, this new road was barely able to keep going. One of their engines was attached in Minnesota for a coal bill. Times were hard and business poor. Several of the old settlers remember distinctly that for several years, especially dur- 144 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY ing the summer time, the Burlington carried very little freight and it was a common sight for days in succession to see the engine and a caboose go by without a single freight car attached.^ Trains would wait for passengers and freight and even on the Milwaukee they have been known to leave cars of lumber, household goods, etc., on their main track between stations for the convenience of the consignee in unloading. But although the Milwaukee temporarily had the advantage of the freight and passen- ger traffic on account of their main line running east and west through Emmetsburg, for which the branch line made a good feeder, yet after the death of Mr. Merrill and when other parties came into control, the branch was neglected, the road bed grew up to weeds, the track poor, the trains more irregular, and often in the winter the trains would be stuck in the snowdrifts for days, or would not run at all for weeks at a time on account of the snow and severe weather. Finally a compromise was effected with the Burlington and the Milwaukee tracks were taken up, the branch abandoned in 1889 or 1890, and nothing now re- mains except the abandoned grade which may still be seen paralleling the present Rock Island track north to Osgood, the historic evidence of a great struggle in railroad build- ing. There are many other events that are well worthy of being chronicled, but the limits of this volume prevent their narration at this time. The files of the county papers, which have been preserved, give a regular history from week to week of these later years of development. 1 statements of J. A. Spies, Z. F. Dickinson, C. H. Giddings, and otherB. CHAPTER XIV The Rise of the County Towns The building of the railroads through the county was an important factor in opening up new regions for settlement and increasing the accessibility of the lands. It is a pecu- liar fact that all the toAvns of the county except the old town of Emmetsburg were brought into existence along the line of the railroads. The railroad determined the location and in fact made the towns possible. It was the railroad that gave rise to the numerous small towns throughout the county, and the history of these small towns must of necessity follow the lines of road and their construction. These towns have been an important factor in the devel- opment of the county and their history is an essential link in the historical chain. BTJTHVBN The town of Euthven was started the year the Milwau- kee railroad was built through the county, 1878. Euthven Brothers, Robert and Alex, owned the land where the present town site is located and they gave one-half to the railroad company in return for locating the town plat there. The town was accordingly laid out and called Euthven. While the construction gang was still grading the road, a small shanty was put up and used as a saloon. That sort of business seemed to be the first need of the rough workers, and migrated with them as their work pro- gressed. Thos. Miller was the first resident of the town, as he moved his camp shack to the town site while the road was being graded, and lived there and boarded some of the 146 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY men. John McDonald built a smaU store there shortly after the railroad was completed through and put in a few groceries, overalls, jackets, etc. C. W. Hastings later bought McDonald out. Potter & Scovington were the next to put in a store. The building of the Des Moines & Fort Dodge Railroad through to Ruthven in 1882, and making that the northern terminus of the road gave an added im- petus to the growth of the town. Town lots then began to sell rapidly and for the next year or two the town boomed considerably. Stores were built, better houses were erect- ed, and the population grew rapidly. From then on the history of Euthven is the history of a steadily growing town and it is not only the oldest of the small towns of the county, but it is the largest and has continued to prosper and thrive until now it stands well among the towns of its size in the state. WEST BEND The present site of the town of West Bend was first set- tled by Jeremiah Kelly of Euthven and a young man named Jones. Mr. Kelly built the first frame house in the township on the east side of the river. A postoffiee had been established at the Carter cabin on the south bank of the river where there was a sharp turn to the west. This gave the name West Bend to the township and when the B., C. E. & N. Ey. was built in the fall of 1881 the people of West Bend township voted a five per cent tax on condition that the company would locate a depot in the township. The railroad tried to get the tax and at the same time miss the township, but finally located a station just inside the township line and named it Ives after the president of the road. The people of the township wanted the name West Bend and A. B. Carter met Col. Dows, one of the main officials of the road, at Capt. Sopor's office in Emmetsburg and asked him to change the name of the town to West Bend, which he finally consented to do. This THE RISE OF THE COUNTY TOWNS 147 was before there was a single house built on the proposed town site. The building of the railroad brought with it the shanties of the construction gangs, and a shanty saloon, with a beer keg for a chimney, was hastily constructed east of the right of way. The first permanent building was a companion for the shanty and was built by Jack Gallegar as a saloon in order to accommodate the thirsty toilers on the con- struction work. This building was located where Mikes Bros. ' meat market now stands and was completed in the year 1881, the same time the railroad was completed. James Evans put up a store building (the one now occu- pied by Geo. G. Schreiber) and bought a stock of groceries. Edward Bagley, in the late fall of '81, moved an old cheese factory from the Banwart settlement in Garfield township, Kossuth County, and set it up for a hardware store on the comer now occupied by Falb's blacksmith shop. James Til- ford and his brother built a little store and then H. H, Ja- cobs gave up the stage-line, built a store and put in a stock of groceries that cost him $855. That was considered quite a stock in those days. The next summer Mr. Jacobs put in dry goods, crockery, shoes, and other general mer- chandise. His first bill of shoes was $100 and dry goods, $150. He then had the most complete and largest store next to Emmetsburg. His store was only 20x40 and by the latter part of July it was so full of goods that he had to build on an addition. Wm. Amos about that time bought grain and live stock and later, in partnership with Gray as Amos & Gray, added lumber and coal. Later they also put in a store. Then James Johnson moved to town and was the first postmaster, the postoffice being moved in from the Carter cabin. Mr. Johnson built a building which was occupied by Benjamin Franklin as a drug store. In the spring of 1882 McFarland & McCormick bought out the Evans stock of goods and in the fall McFarland 148 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY bought out McCormick and a little later absorbed the Amos store, f oundihg the firm of McFarland & Son, which has since been running and is the pioneer firm of West Bend. Franklin Minger was the first blacksmith, and his son Elmore was the first child bom in the town. Elmore is still a resident of West Bend and is head clerk in the McFarland department store. L. E. Hampton had the first clothing store. Mark Gray built the first residence. J. C. Fehlhauer in 1882 built the West Bend House, the first regular hotel of the town, and Dan Kelly was the first landlord. The first school was conducted in the old Steiner build- ing in 1882 and the first sermon delivered in the town was preached by Eev. Brooks of Livermore. The first passenger train that came through West Bend on the railroad brought Dr. E. W. Bachman, who stepped off the train at West Bend and located there to practice medicine. Dr. Bachman was later county superintendent, state senator from this district, and still later moved to Estherville where he is now practicing. The period of 1882-3-4 was one of great activity in West Bend, and the town grew and prospered. It has grown steadily since that time and is now one of the thriving towns of Palo Alto County. RODMAN The B., C. E. & N. Ry. was graded and laid through Fern Valley township in 1881. Wm. Thompson had a postofSce at his farm on section 18 which was called Pern Valley. A man by the name of Rodman of Forest City, an old retired sailor, owned some land on the right of way in the township and he offered the railway company a half interest if they would plat a town on his land and call it "Rodman." This was done and the station house was the only building except the temporary boarding shanties for some time. Wm. Thompson moved his postoffice from THE RISE OF THE COUNTY TOWNS 149 his farm into town and changed the name to Eodman. He built a small building for the postoflSce and also put in a small stock of goods. He would walk back and forth each day to his store from his farm. Soon after "Wm. Sloan bought out this store and became postmaster. Thom- as Bates built the first house and boarded the section hands and worked on the railroad. Mart Fritz built a house and E. E. Shriner built a store in 1888. W. D. Fenn built the next house. There were several large hay bams put up about this time and the buying and shipping of hay became the leading business of the town. M. L. Fritz built a hotel and several other stores, blacksmith shop, and oth- er buildings were erected from time to time. After sev- eral attempts to have a creamery, the people of the town finally got together, borrowed the money from a bank at Emmetsburg, and the creamery was built in 1895. Later more hay bams and two elevators were built, and several more business ventures came to the little town, which continued to grow until now Eodman is a thriving village, which still has the distinction of being one of the principal hay shipping stations in the county. OSGOOD The memorable race between the B., C. E. & N. Ey. and C, M. & St. P. north from Emmetsburg to Spirit Lake, made history very rapidly in 1881. The Burling- ton, being slightly ahead, ran so close to the bluffs as to force the Milwaukee to cross to the east about six miles north of Emmetsburg. The enterprising farmers in the neghborhood were quick to see the advantage of a railroad crossing and bought part of the Jerry Conway farm and do- nated it to the Burlington company on condition that they would put a station there. The company built that station and stock yards in 1881. The station was called Blair- gowrie after Blairgowrie farm to the eastward, but the people got up a petition to have the town named Osgood 150 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY after the town of Osgood in Canada, the home of E. P. McEvoy, who owned the land where the town of Osgood was laid out. C. H. Giddings built a store there in 1882. He lived on his farm and would walk over to his business for some time after that. Later he built an addition to his store and moved to town. In 1890 the ice house for the cream- ery was built and the following year the creamery build- ing was erected. It ran just a month when it burned to the ground. It was rebuilt at once. Z. F. Dickinson, who had settled just north of where the town site is now lo- cated, came to the county in May, 1878, and was one of the prime movers in the many enterprises of the town. A. A. Wells was another prominent resident of that vicinity. 0. H. Giddings was the first postmaster, as he received his commission in June, 1882. Other buildings, elevators, blacksmith shop, stores, and houses were erected from time to time and the town of Osgood has grown to be a good creamery, trading and shipping point. GEAETTINGBB A well known physician of Milwaukee owned about 2,000 acres of land in Walnut township where the railroad was surveyed, and he offered the railroad company a half interest in the northwest quarter of section 9, through which the right of way passed, if they would plat a town. The railroad officials, desiring to be in on the ground floor, organized the Cedar Eapids, Iowa Falls & Northwestern Town Lot Co., which took the half interest in the town plat of the town of Graettinger. The railroad went through late in the year 1882. For several years there was nothing to the prospective town but the depot and a house on the hill occupied by August Eeichle. In 1885, J. A. Spies and his father came to Graettinger and built a house there, and also put up farm buildings on their THE RISE OF THE COUNTY TOWNS 151 farm in section 5. The town lot company became discour- aged abont this time and Mr. Spies bought them out. H, N. Oshier was station agent at that time and asked Mr. Goodell, the division superintendent at Estherville, if he could put in a small stock of goods in the depot as they had to go clear to Emmetsburg for their supplies. Mr. Goodell replied that they were about to move the depot to Osgood and that it would not be worth while. This was the first intimation that they had that the enterprising people at Osgood were offering to move the depot down there free of charge. Fortunately for Graettinger the town lot deal was not fully closed and Mr. Spies notified the town lot company that they did not want the lots if the depot was moved. The prospect of this deal slipping through their fingers roused the officials to action, and the order to move the depot was rescinded, and Graettinger was saved by a narrow margin. In 1887 Geo. Zahm built the first store, but in the following year he sold out to H. N. Oshier, who still occupies the same store as the pioneer merchant of the town. Mr. Zahm soon after built another store further up the street, and handled general mer- chandise there imtil he later sold out to Preston Fahen- stock. This is the same store building that is now occu- pied by the "Wildey store. Several other stores of various kinds were started during the next years. Mr. Zahm and Mr. Spies started the first lumber yard in 1890 and the following year Mr. Spies bought out his partner and iDuilt the first elevator. Henry Baum built the hotel the same year. Preston Fahenstock and his father built the cream- ery in 1892. The second elevator, the present Farmers' elevator, was put up by H. N. Oshier in 1895. In 1886 the people wanted a school on the Graettinger side of the river, and so a rough-board, sloping-shed-roof house was built. There was no floor and at times of rain the roof leaked so that the children had to huddle in one corner to 152 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY avoid the dripping water. Miss Anna Mahan (Mrs. Anna Donohue) was the teacher, and rode horseback three miles every morning against the bleak northwest wind, to the school. The next year a floor was added, but no shingles on the roof. The preseijt school house was constructed in 1898. Many other stores, houses and business places of all kinds have been added to Graettinger until at present it is a growing town and has the reputation of shipping more freight over the railroad than any other town of its size in Iowa. MALLABD When the Des Moines & Fort Dodge Eailway was sur- veying through the county, Ellington township voted a tax, but Rush Lake did not. Greo. Inman, who owned the eighty on the west side of the township line and in Rush Lake township, gave the railway company a half interest in return for the location of the town site on his land. This took the station out of Ellington and into Rush Lake, but the railway doubtless got the benefit of the tax just the same. Inman had promised the railway company to give them the part of his land east of the tracks, but there was a mortgage on it and the mortgagee took the property and this precipitated a long controversy with the railway which was finally compromised in some way. The track was laid as far north as Mallard in September, 1882. The railway station was the first building on the town plat, though Inman had a small house on his farm and Joseph Mihlfread had lived in a small shack in the neighborhood for several years. The town was named by Chas. E. "Whitehead, president of the Des Moines & Fort Dodge Railway, who was a great hunter and used to hunt out through this county for several years before the railway was built. He had a good sense of humor and after nam- ing "Plover," the station to the south, called this new station "Mallard" because of the great quantities of THE RISE OF THE COUNTY TOWNS 153 ducks that inhabited the sloughs and ponds. The railway had hardly been completed before Hackenburg built a store and opened up a stock of general merchandise. He was followed in the same year (1882) by Bill Stafford's general store. John Mertis built the first residence in town. In the spring of 1883 C. H. Sands started a grain, coal, and lumber business and Orie Kendall built a hotel. Mr. Hackenburg was the first postmaster of the town. At first the regular church and Sunday School services were held in the waiting room of the depot, as that was the largest available room. Chas. Ziegler started the first hardware store in the fall of 1883 and several other busi- nesses started and from that time on the growth of the town was rapid and has continued until Mallard is today a prosperous business town. CUBLEW The town of Curlew was another station established in 1882 on the Des Moines & Fort Dodge Eailway. It was named Curlew by President Whitehead of the railway company in honor of the numerous curlew birds found in the neighborhood and in keeping with his policy of nam- ing the towns as an enthusiastic hunter. S. A. Easton built a hotel near the railway right of way, some distance from other towns, and drew trade for some time from the county round about before the company put in a station. Mr. Easton was a genial landlord and his house did a good business. In 1888 Melvin Fisk purchased the hotel from Easton, and later built a livery and feed barn and still later a grain elevator. He soon branched out and sold coal and bought and sold stock. From this begin- ning the town grew steadily and Mr. Fisk has continued and is today its chief promoter and business man. Cer- lew is a lively little town and holds its own among the towns of Palo Alto County in an educational as well as a business way. 154 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY AYBSHIBE The Des Moines & Fort Dodge Eailway Company built through to Ayrshire in October, 1882. P. 'Grady was the foreman of the construction gang from Tara to Euth- ven and January 1, 1883, dropped off at Ayrshire as sta- tion agent, and held that position for eighteen years. Patrick Claer had bought a relinquishment of some land in Silver Lake township in 1873 and moved there with his two boys, Tom and P. J., and one daughter, and lived there until 1882, when he sold eighty acres to the railroad com- pany for a town site. The depot was built in November, 1882. P. H. Owens built the first store that fall and Schoonmaker & Hall built a general store at about the same time. The next summer Geo. Pendelburg opened a hardware store and then built the first residence on the town lots. Ed Brown started a lumber yard and Joel Campbell opened up a coal business. H. Emrich also went into the hay business and sold coal and other supplies. As Mr. 'Grady, the station agent, also bought coal and grain on the side, there was plenty of competition along this line. From this time on Ayrshire grew rapidly and was soon a thriving village that was a great convenience to the surrounding territory, and it has continued to grow until today it stands well to the front among the towns of Palo Alto County. CYLINDEB Cylinder started with a large hay bam built by Brown & Sons in 1885 and the railroad company then put in a siding in order to enable them to load hay. The Browns also built a house the same year and in 1889 John Geoders built a store. The following year the railroad company built a depot, and the station was named Cylinder after the famous Cylinder Creek that flows near the town site. It is said that the creek got its name from an attempt of some early settlers to cross the stream at high water with an THE RISE OP THE COUNTY TOWNS 155 engine, but the feat was too difficult and the heavy machine sank into the mud and the cylinder became detached and lost in the creek and was never found. This may be only a legend, but it is certain that the stream which has long been known by that name gave the name to the town locat- ed not far from its banks. John Geoders was the first postmaster. In 1890 Chas. Terwilliger built another store and the farmers built the creamery. The following year the farmers joined together and put up a blacksmith shop and house for the blacksmith and John Ganzley took charge and worked out the price of the building in work for the stockholders until it was fully paid for. Kelly Bros, put in another store in 1892 and the hotel and livery bam was erected by B. E, Hughes the following year. Others built stores and houses and the town grew rapidly until 1901, when it was incorporated, Geo. Wells being the first mayor and M. N. Oleson the first and only marshal. Cylinder is in the center of a rich and prosperous farming community and is a good trading station and prosperous little town. CHAPTEE XV Our Modern County Over fifty years have elapsed since the first permanent foundations were made in Palo Alto County. Many of the pioneers who played a part in the scenes enacted in those early days are still living among us to bear witness to the marvelous changes time has wrought. From a total of only 216 at the close of the Civil War, the population of the county has increased by leaps and bounds until now we have nearly 15,000 people within its boundaries. This increase in population is typical of the development of the land. From a wild, undeveloped prai- rie country, with only a few scattered settlers located along the timbered streams, the land has been all taken up and has doubled in value many times until the state census of 1905 shows that Palo Alto County has 1,557 farms contain- ing 312,040 acres, with an actual value of $15,030,201. Land is steadily advancing in price, and by means of scien- tific drainage and better farming methods, even the one- time waste land is now being made to yield nature 's abund- ance. In prosperity and material wealth Palo Alto County stands well to the front. There are fifteen banks in the county, all prosperous and steadily growing. The com- bined capital stock and surplus amount to over $466,000 and the total deposits amount to $2,130,074.93, as shown by the last statements. In volume of trade and business, Palo Alto ranks as one of the live and up-to-date communi- ties of Northwest Iowa. The 1905 state census shows that during the previous OUR MODERN COUNTY 157 year Palo Alto County raised 2,185,245 bushels of corn, valued at $625,543; 1,979,540 bushels of oats, valued at $504,006 ; and produced over 80,000 tons of clover, timothy and wild hay, valued at over $170,000, besides over 30,000 bushels of other crops not listed. The same census shows that Palo Alto County had 35,790 cattle, valued at $625,- 608 ; 40,451 swine, valued at $191,161 ; and 10,609 horses and mules, valued at $628,792; 182,940 fowls, valued at $64,373; 709,380 dozen eggs, valued at $94,658; and dairy products valued at $311,170. All these figures for stock and crops would be largely increased for the subsequent years. Surely this is a splendid record for a county that has only just begun to develop its resources. In social betterment, Palo Alto takes a high place. A thorough and complete system of rural schools makes a practical education accessible to every country child, while excellent graded, parochial and high schools place the best advantages of a common school education before the am- bitious youth of today. There are twenty-eight flourishing churches in the coun- ty, and the large and influential membership speaks well for the Christian influences that are such a strong factor in the highest type of civilization. In the cities and towns we find substantial business blocks and handsome, convenient houses. The farmers are building better homes, fitted with every convenience, and the life on the farm is becoming every day less of a drudg- ery and more of a pleasure. Rural mail routes practically cover the whole county, while 612 miles of rural and through telephone lines within the county, together with eight live, up-to-date newspapers, make the dissemination of knowledge and ease of communication an accepted fact. Every town in the county has railroad connections, there being over 74 miles of railroads crossing the county. Emmetsburg, the county seat of the county, is a modem 158 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY city in every respect, having electric lights, modern city water and fire protection, sewerage system, public library, fine modern opera house, good hotels and public buildings, excellent accredited schools, and strong, flourishing churches. Many of the other towns of the county have their own lighting plants and water systems and other conveniences unheard of in a small town a few years ago. Yet with all the progress the town and city debts are low and taxes small. The county itself is in exceptionally good financial condition, as it is out of debt, has only $8,000 bridge bonds, no overdue obligations, and owns property valued at $61,000 that is rapidly appreciating in value. Surely the seeds sown by the courageous and far-seeing pioneers have borne abundant fruit. Palo Alto County stands today as one of the attractive counties of the great state of Iowa. It offers the advantages of a wholesome, up-to-date community, a place for a home, a place in which to live in happiness and contentment — ^life in the best and truest sense of the word. Our modern county stands today a worthy monument to the pioneers who with patient in- dustry and wise foresight built such broad and true found- ations. APPENDICES APPENDIX A COUNTY OFFICERS 1858 — (First county oflScers elected at a special election, December 20, 1858) . James Hickey, county judge ; John Mulroney, treasurer and recorder ; John Shea, drainage commissioner; James McCosker, county surveyor; Orrin Sylvester, coroner; Thos. H. Tobin, sheriff; Felix McCosker, clerk. 1859 — (Election October 11th.) James Hickey, county judge; John Mulroney, treasurer and recorder; Thomas McCormick, clerk; James Mc- Cormick, sheriff; E. F. Carter, coroner; Joseph T. Mulroney, drainage commissioner; John L. Davis, surveyor. 1860 — (Election November 6th.) Lott LaughUn, clerk of district court; John Mulroney, treasurer and recorder; James Nolan, surveyor; Martin Coonan, sheriff; John Nolan, justice of the peace; Michael Graham, con- stable. 1861 — Thomas McCormick, county judge; John Pendergast, clerk; J. M. Mulroney, treasurer and recorder; Jeremiah Crowley, drainage com- missioner; John McCormick, county superintendent; James Neary, county supervisor; Patrick Lynch, sheriff; John McCormick, coroner; Thos. Camp- bell, justice of the peace; Thos. Laughlin, constable.i 1863 — J. M. Mulroney, treasurer and recorder; Thos. Campbell, sheriff; Patrick Mulroney, county judge; Wm. Carter, county superintendent; John McCormick, coroner; Hiram Hall, drainage commissioner; John Nolan, county supervisor Emmetsburg township; Wm. E. Cullen, clerk. 1864 — James Hickey, clerk; John Mulroney, recorder; Daniel Beam, superintendent. 1865 — ^Patrick Mulroney, county judge; James P. White, treasurer; Pat- rick Nolan, sheriff; James P. White, surveyor; James H. Underwood, superintendent and coroner; James Hickey, clerk. 1866 — J. H. Underwood, clerk; A. B. Carter, recorder. 1867 — Jas. P. White, treasurer; John McCormick, sheriff; D. W. Spauld- ing, superintendent; John M. Hefley, county judge. 1868 — ^W. D. Powers, recorder; G. S. Anderson, surveyor. 1869 — James P White, treasurer; J. M. Hefley, sheriff; J. L. Martin, superintendent; M. Coonan, surveyor. 1870 — ^Wm. B. Cullen, recorder; Robert Shea, clerk. 1871 — W. H. H. Booth, auditor; M. L. Brown, treasurer; M. D. Daniels, sheriff; T. W. Harrison, surveyor; John J. Eobins, superintendent. 1872 — J. L. Martin, recorder; Robert Shea, clerk. 1 A contested election between John M. Mulroney and John and James Ifolan and Thos. McCormick. 162 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY 1873— W. H. Shea, auditor; M. L. Brown, treasurer; P. C. Nolan, sheriff; A. L. Day, superintendent; J. L. Lang, surveyor. 1874— J. L. Martin, recorder; T. J. Prouty, clerk. (Geo. B. MeCarty was elected district attorney for four years.) 1875 — Benjamin Franklin, auditor; M. L. Brown, treasurer; J. E. King, sheriff; J. C. Bennett, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor. 1876 — M. F. Coonan, recorder; T. J. Prouty, clerk. 1877 — John J. Robins, auditor; Robert Shea, treasurer; J. E. King, sheriff ; A. S. McGrorty, Jr., superintendent ; Le Roy Grout, surveyor. 1878 — Thomas Walsh, recorder; T. J. Prouty, clerk. 1879 — John J. Robins, auditor; Robert Shea, treasurer; Henry Perkins, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor; T. McDonnell, sheriff. 1880 — Thomas Walsh, recorder; Wm. E. Cullen, clerk. 1881 — ^W. H. H. Booth, auditor; Robert Shea, treasurer; H. A. Pike, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor; T. McDonnell, sheriff. 1882 — Thomas Walsh, recorder; D. W. Burlingame, clerk. 1883— W. H. H. Booth, auditor; Robert Shea, treasurer; P. V. Nolan, sheriff; E. W. Bachman, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor. 1884 — Thomas Walsh, recorder; J. E. King, clerk. 1885 — ^W. H. H. Booth, auditor; E. J. Hartshorn, treasurer; H. H. Jacobs, sheriff; B. B. KeUy, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor. 1886 — Wm. G. Henry, recorder; J. E. King, clerk; Thomas O'Connor, county attorney (first county attorney and only Democrat ever elected to the oMce in Palo Alto County). 1887 — P. V. Nolan, auditor; E. J. Hartshorn, treasurer; H. H. Jacobs, sheriff; P. H. Donlon, superintendent; John Moncrief, surveyor. 1888 — ^Lewis Stuehmer, recorder; David Grier, clerk; Thomas O'Connor, attorney. 1889 — P. V. Nolan, auditor; E. P. McEvoy, treasurer; H. H. Jacobs, sheriff; P. H. Donlon, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor. 1890 — Lewis Stuehmer, recorder; C. E. Clark, clerk; B. E. Kelly, at- torney. 1891 — John Moncrief, auditor; E. P. McEvoy, treasurer; H. H. Jacobs, sheriff; P. H. Donlon, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor. 1892 — Lewis Stuehmer, recorder; C. E. Clark, clerk; Thomas O'Connor, attorney. 1893 — C. W. Hodgkinson, auditor; A. J. Armstrong, treasurer; John W. Hanson, sheriff; Bessie Larson, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor. 1894 — ^L. A. Martin, recorder; E. J. Hartshorn, clerk; John Menzies, attorney. 1895 — C. W. Hodgkinson, auditor; A. J. Armstrong, treasurer; John W. Hanson, sheriff; Bessie Larson, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor. 1896 — L. A. Martin, recorder; E. J. Hartshorn, clerk; John Menzies, attorney. 1897 — P. V. Hand, auditor; J. B. Lamb, treasurer; Wesley Davidson, sheriff; Anna Donovan, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor. APPENDICES 163 1898 — Geo. Kinnie, recorder; H. M. Helgen, clerk; E. A. Morling, at- torney. 1899 — J. B. Lamb, treasurer; Wesley Davidson, sheriff; Anna Donovan, superintendent; Le Roy Grout, surveyor. 1900 — ^P. V. Hand, auditor; Geo. Kinnie, recorder; H. M. Helgen, clerk; E. A. Morling, attorney. 1901 — S. P. Crisman, treasurer; Alex Cullen, sheriff; Anna Donovan, superintendent; Le Eoy Grout, surveyor. 1902 — Thos. E. Martin, auditor; F. H. Wells, recorder; D. A. Johnson, clerk; F. C. Davidson, attorney. 1903 — S. P. Crisman, treasurer; Wm. Coakley, sheriff; Anna Odland, superintendent; Le Eoy Grout, surveyor. 1904 — Thos. E. Martin, auditor; F, H. Wells, recorder; D. A. Johnson, elerk; F. C. Davidson, attorney. 1906 — Sim E. Stedman, auditor; E. G. Kelley, treasurer; E. M. Carney, clerk; Wm. Coakley, sheriff; Pearle Eichardson, recorder; J. E. Williams, attorney; Lille Patton, superintendent; Le Eoy Grout, surveyor; J. L. Van Gorden, coroner; B. J. Bergeson, representative. 1908 — Sim E. Stedman, auditor; E. G. Kelly, treasurer; E. M. Carney, clerk; Alex Cullen, sheriff; Pearle Eichardson, recorder; J. E. Williams, attorney; Lille Patton, superintendent; Guy Campbell, surveyor; J. L. Van Gorden, coroner; F. C. Davidson, representative. APPENDIX B ASSIGNMENT OF JUDGMENT AND SETTLEMENT OF PAOLI COUET HOUSE MATTEE The County of Palo Alto \ In the District Court of vs. \ the County of Palo John M. Stockdale et al. \ Alto. To the Honorable Board of Supervisors of Palo Alto County, Iowa: — At the June term of the District Court of Palo Alto Co., in 1866, a judgment was rendered and entered upon the Judgment Docket now in the office of the clerk of the District Court of said County, against John M. Stockdale and others, defendants, in the above entitled cause, and in favor of Palo Alto Co., Plff., for the sum of ($9750.00), Nine Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars and cost of suit. I desire to purchase said judgment from your said County and will pay for the same as follows, to wit: 1st. — I will deed or cause to be deeded to your said county one square of land containing three acres more or less in the town of Paoli in your said county, embracing the ground on which the Court House now stands, for the site of a Court House to be erected. 2nd. — ^Deed or cause to be deeded to your said county this day one square or tract of land in the town known as PaoU, containing three acres, more or less, for the purpose of a poorhouse site or other purpose of said county. 3rd. — I will erect or cause to be erected in the county seat of said county, upon the land first above named, one court house or public building for said county, according to the plan and conditions of a contract herewith sub- mitted and will execute a bond with approved security for the faithful performance of said contract. 4th. — I will release or cause to be released the county of Palo Alto from all or any claim which I have or may have against the said county for damages on account of land deeded to me by the said county which has been conveyed to other parties by the U. S. Government, provided that I still retain all rights of indemnity which may accrue to me from the state of Iowa, or the U. S. 5th. — I agree to discontinue or cause to be discontinued the application or suit now on file in the office of the clerk of the District Court of your said county in relation to the above judgment, and to pay all costs which may accrue or may have been incurred in the prosecution of said suit or appli- APPENDICES 165 cation for a new trial in said above cited cause. The acceptance of the above proposition by your Board shall be a final and conclusive contract and agreement without further action on my part. Witness my hand this 14th day of August, A. D. 1866. (Signed) John M. Stoekdale. Resolved by the Board of Supervisors after full conference, investiga- tion and reflection that the interests of the county will be promoted and litigation and expense avoided as well as a substantial benefit realized from a doubtful claim by the sale of the above named judgment of Nine Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars, in favor of Palo Alto and against John M. Stoekdale and others, and upon the terms and conditions above offered, and we the said Board of Supervisors, do hereby sell, trans- fer and assign for good and valuable consideration the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, to the said John M. Stoekdale, his heirs and as- signs, all right, title and interest of said County of Palo Alto in and to the said judgment or any and every part thereof and authorize him or his assignee to collect said judgment and to assume and have the benefit of all right and legal means for the collection of said judgment or any part thereof which could have leen resorted to by Palo Alto Co. And the said defendant both principal and securities, to wit, John M. Stoekdale, Wm. P. Logan, Wm. N. Meservey, H. Butterworth, and A. Taylor, are hereby re- leased from the payment of said judgment or any part thereof to said PlfE., Palo Alto County, and they and each of them the said defendants are hereby authorized and required to pay said judgment to the said John M. Stock- dale or his assignee which shall be a full and complete payment, and the Clerk of the District Court of the said County of Palo Alto (he being the clerk of the Board) is hereby authorized and directed to make the follow- ing entry upon the Judgment Docket in the above entitled cause and im- mediately contiguous to said judgment, to-wit: The above or foregoing judgment is hereby for good and valuable con- sideration sold, transferred and assigned to John M. Stoekdale and to his assigns, August 14th, 1866. See order of Board of Supervisors and sign his name thereto as clerk. Witness our hands this 14th day of August, 1866. (Signed) Joseph T. Mulroney, John Nolan, Supervisors. I hereby certify that James H. Underwood, C. M., was entirely opposed and voted against the proceedings of this meeting. James Hickey, Clerk.i 1 Minutes and Supervisors' Record, Palo Alto County, i, pp. 86-88, county auditor's office. APPENDIX C The following is a copy of a resolution adopted by the board of super- visors of Palo Alto County and forwarded to Representative E. J. Harts- horn, Wednesday, February 4, 1874: To the General Assembly of the State of Iowa: — Your petitioners, the Board of Supervisors of Palo Alto County, Iowa, would respectfully represent to your honorable body that owing to the extremely wet weather and destruction by grasshoppers, a great number of the citizens of this county are in destitute circumstances and are unable to procure food, clothing or seed to sow for the coming season. Tour peti- tioners would further represent that they are without means or authority by law and are wholly unable to provide adequate relief for such a wide- spread calamity and that unless aid is procured in some manner, the pros- perity and well being of this portion of the state will be materially af- fected and its development greatly retarded. Therefore your petitioners would humbly ask your honorable body to make an appropriation of $5000.00 for the benefit of the destitute in this county, and to make such enactments as shall ena^ble the Board of Supervisors to distribute the same as shall seem just and proper and for the best interests of the county or that you will furnish relief in such other manner or under such other regu- lations as may seem proper, for the relief of this county, and in further- ance of the future prosperity thereof and to the honor and well being of the whole state. Alexander Gownie, Chmn. Attest: W. H. H. Booth, Auditor.i 1 Minutes and SuperTisors' Record, Palo Alto County, no. 1, p. 347. APPENDIX D Abstract of election returns Palo Alto County election, October 13, 1874: For district attorney, Geo. B. McCarty 308; M. Wakefield 175. For the herd law 320, against 76.i The Election Eegister no. 1, p. 222, in the office of the auditor of Palo Alto County shows that the proposition of restraining stock carried, the of^cial vote being 335 for and 148 against. Advertisement by McCarty & Hartshorn, ' ' Iowa Land Office. Several thou- sand acres of choice land for sale at $2.50 to $5.00 per acre. ' ' 2 Report of Teachers' Institute Friday and Saturday, September 11 and 12, 1874.3 " Fitzgerald's store is on wheels and en route to the new town." * " The Lake Shore House is being thoroughly re-fitted and enlarged and will be opened in about ten days. ' ' " Grand Ball at Roper's Hall on the 29th. Free carriages to and from the Valley House."' ' ' P. Joyce is waiting anxiously for his store building, which is out run- ning a race with that of Jas. Fitzgerald from the old town to the new. At present Fitz is a few yards ahead. ' ' ? 1 Palo Alto Pilot, vol. i, no. 20, Thursday, October 23, 1874. 2 Palo Alto Pilot, vol. i, no. 20, Thursday, October 22, 1874. 8 Palo Alto Pilot, vol. 1, no. 20, Thursday, October 22, 1874. 4 Palo Alto Pilot, vol. i, no. 20, Thursday, October 22, 1874. 5 Palo Alto Pilot, vol. 1, no. 20, Thursday, October 22, 1874. 6 Palo Alto Pilot, vol. i, no. 20, Thursday, October 22, 1874. 7 Palo Alto Pilot, vol. i, no. 21, October 29, 1874. APPENDIX E "Prospectus or Palo Alto Democrat • ■ On or before the first of November, 1869, the undersigned will issue at Soda Bar, Palo Alto County, Iowa, an Independent Democratic Newspaper bearing the above title. ■ ' The Democrat will be a faithful and impartial expositor of the natural advantages, resources and progress of the county in which it is published, and an ailvooate of the social, social political and financial interests of North- western Iowa. ' ' Bound by no clique and controlled by no faction, the Democrat will assume that conservative, yet progressive, stand on the political questions of the day, calculated to redeem our country from* the thraldom, oppression and misrule which the unlimited power of the Republican party has wielded in the interests of the few at the expense of the many. In short its watch- word will be Retrenchment and Reform, and will labor with unswerving fidel- ity tor the restoration of principles and the inauguration of measures cal- culated to secure to all classes of our people those rights and privileges which th^ spirit of our free institutions inspire and national dignity and our common manhood demands. "James P. White, ' ' Editor and Publisher. ' ' Terms of sub. were 2,00 per year 1.00 sir mos. i 1 The original of this Prospectus is owned by Tom White, Whittemore, lows. INDEX INDEX AcKEE, John, 96 Acker, Hud., 96 Acknowledgement for help in writ- ing this history, 9 Acres, William R., 98 Adamson, P. C, 99 Advance, Palo Alto, published in 1870, 90; printed at Humboldt or Algona, 91 ; description of, 93, 94 ; published in old town, 119 Advance, Palo Alto, 93, description of, 93, 94; published in old town, 119 Agricultural Society, organized, 140 Aldrieh, Charles, remembers frac- tured Indian skull, 29 ; letter from, quoted, 66 note Allan, C. T., buys threshing machine, 91, 102 Allen, H. T., 102 Algona, 29; mail service from, 54; volunteers for northern brigade, 76; railroad ended, trading point, 90; freight line, 90; Palo Alto Democrat published at, 90; stage line through, 101; teaming to, 103; railroad to, 117; base of sup- plies for Emmetsburg, 117; rail- road builds Westward, 123; rail- road terminus at, 141, 142 Algona, Upper Des Moines Bepuili- can, cited, 14 note; cited 55 note; cited 60 note Amos, William, 147 Amos & Gray, 147 American character, developed on the frontier, 10 American Historical Association, an- nual report 1893; cited 10 note Anderson, Peter, 99, 100 Anderson, G. S., elected Surveyor, 1868, Appendix A Andrews, L. P., article in Des Moines Register & Leader, cited, 29 note Annals of Iowa, cited, 12 note; cited 31 note; cited 34 note; cited 36 note; cited, 39 nite; cited, 41 note Antelope, often seen by settlers, 24 Anthony, John A., settled near Lost Island Lake, 100 ; kept Lost Island post-office, 100; headquarters for stage line, 101 Appelby, George, 120 Armstrong, A. J., elected treasurer, 1893, Appendix A; elected treas- urer, 1895, Appendix A Aristotle, 62 Ashley, Levi, came to county, 85 Ayrshire, founding of town of, 154; history of, 97, 154 Ayrshire Chronicle, cited 97 note Bachman, Dr. E. W., 148; elected superintendent, 1883, Appendix A Badger Creek, 45 Badgrow, G. R., 113 Bagley, Edward, 147 Baker, David G., came to county, 102; Diary of Experiences, 102 Baker, J. C, 102; first president county fair, 140 Ballard, S. W., came to county, 96; portrait, 88 Ballard, Charles, driving stage, 89 Banwart, settlement, 147 Bancroft, 29 Barnard, R. T., 96 172 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY Bargstrom, Lara, 101 Barker, M. W., came to county, 96 Barringer, Cleybom, 101 Barringer, Emmet, 101 Barringer, Lyman, 101 Barnum, L. C, 102 Bart, J., came to county, 96 Bassett, Miss, instructor in Insti- tute, 138 Bates, Thomas, 149 Bates & Hagedon, start Palo Alto Patriot, 119; dissolution of the firm of, 119 note Baum, Henry, 151 "Black Friday," 137 Blackford, John E., representative, 71 Blair, Miss Maria, acts as deputy county superintendent, 138; mar- ries George B. McCarty, 138 note Blairgowrie, 149 Blizzard, described, 102 Beach, George H., 98 Bearss, N. D., builds first building in old town, 108; description of building, 108, 109, 113 Beck, A. P., 98 Beck, Douglas, 98 Benton county, Iowa, 15; Mrs. Car- ter and Ben come from, 17 Bennett, J. C, worked on Pilot, 119 ; describes Pilot office, 120; state- ment of, cited, 120 note; state- ment of cited, 127; elected super- intendent, 138; Appendix A Bergegon, B. J., elected representa- tive from Palo Alto County, 1906, Appendix A Bickle, John P., came to county, 83; Biekle and Jacobs put up hay, 82 Big Island Lake, signs of Indians at, 35 Board of Supervisors, settlement of Court House difficulty of, by, Ap- pendix B; issuing depreciated warrants, 93 Boardman, H. K., 102 Boddy, John, came to county, 97 Boone, Carter hauls lumber from, 56 Booth, H. T., came to county, 96 Booth, William H. H., auditor, office of, 92; came to county, 96; elect- ed auditor, 1871, Appendix A; elected auditor, 1881, Appendix A; elected auditor, 1883, Appendix A ; elected auditor, 1885, Appendix A Border plain, steam saw mill brought from, 85 Border Brigade, description of, ac- tivities of, 76, 77, 78, 79; article on, by Captain Ingham, cited, 76 note, 77 note, 79 note; recollec- tions of, participants in, cited, 76 note Bradgate, stage route to, 88 Bradley, B., 102 Bridge, early specifications of, 69, 70 Briezee, trials with expedition in crossing Cylinder creek, 39, 40 Brown, Ed, 154 Brown, George, came to county, 95, 96 Brown, M. L., came to old town, 115; candidate for county treas- urer, 94; treasurer, office of, 92; statement of, cited, 127; first mayor of Emmetsburg, 133; dele- gate to convention, 140; elected treasurer, 1871, Appendix A; elected treasurer, 1873, Appendix A; elected treasurer, 1875, Ap- pendix A; portrait, 120 Brown, P. S., came to old town, 115 Brown, W. J., comes to old town, 115; portrait, 120 Brown & Sons, 154 INDEX 173 Brennan, James, came to county, 85, 98 Brennan, John, 101 Brooks, Kev. of Livermore, 148 Brigade, northern border, descrip- tion of, activities of, 76, 77, 78, 79 ; article on, by Captain Ingham, cited, 76 note, 77 note, 79 note; recollections of, participants in, cited, 76 note Buchaeher, William, came to county, 96 Buena Vista County, 117, 140 Buffalo, seen by early settlers, 24 Burkholdsr, Captain, perishes from cold, 36, 41, bones found years after, 36 Bulls Ferry, 45 Burlingame, D. W., elected clerk, 1882, Appendix A Burlington, Cedar Bapids & North- ern By J terminus of, 141; builds through Palo Alto county, 142; fight with Milwaukee, 142; race in construction of roads, 133, 142, 143, 144, 149; builds to West Bend, 146; built to Bodman, 148; builds to Osgood, 149; builds to Graettinger, 149 Burlington, first settlement of, 12 Burnell, H. L., arrives in old town, 115; forms partnership with Har- rison, 115; political canvass, 94 Burnham, Ormsby & Company, bank of, established, 119 Burns, Lawrence, came to county, 84, 121 Burns bridge, 48 Bursell, Frank, 96 Butler, U., 102 Cabins, of first settlers, 23 Cahill, Thomas, settled in county, 48 Cahill, county seat speculator, 58 Call, Ambrose A., pioneer cabin of, 14 ; historical sketches by, 14 note ; sketch of early history, in "His- tory of Kossuth County," cited, 29 note; early days in the west fork, cited, 50 note, 55 note, 60 note, 61 note Call, Asa C, pioneer cabin of, 14 Call's Addition, 107; houses at, 120 Cammiek, W. H., came to county, 96 Campbell, Thomas, settled in county, 44 ; putting up hay with Jacobs, 81, 82; elected justice of the peace, 1861, Appendix A; electel sheriff, 1863, Appendix A Campbell, Joel, 154 Campbell, Guy, elected surveyor, 1908, Appendix A Caner, W. H., 110 Carpenter, Cyrus C, joins relief ex- pedition, 34; county seat commis- sioner, 60; referred to, 66 note; county seat commissioner, 67 Carpenter, J. M., 101 Carney, Robert, Sr., came to county, 83, 84 Carney, W. T., came to county, 84 Carney, Bobert, Jr., came to county, 84 Carney, John, came to county, 84 Carney, E. M., elected clerk, 1906, Appendix A; elected clerk, 1908, Appendix A Carroll, Dennis, came to county, 84 CarroU, Patrick, came to county, 84 Carter, A. B., interview with, and letter from, 15 note; still owns old homestead, 16 note; comes to county, 17; tells experiences, 17, 18, 19; interview and letter of, 19 note, 20; statement that Sleepy Eye camped at Crowley 's, 32 note ; statement of cited, 44 note; state- ment of, cited 53 note; statement of, 56 note cited; school director of West Bend, 56 note; facts as 174 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY to first election given by, 64 note; appointed sheriff, 72; first volun- teer to Civil War, 75; service of, in war, 75; letter from cited, 75 note; secures name of West Bend, 146; elected recorder, 1866, Ap- pendix A; portrait, 17 Carter, Ann, 44 Carter, Elizabeth, 44 Carter, Mrs., comes to the county, 17 Carter, E. Tayette, first settled in Palo Alto county, 15; successful vote for coroner, 71; joins north- ern border brigade, 77 ; second ser- geant, 77; elected coroner, 1859, Appendix A Carter, William, settled at West Bend, 15; brings rest of family, 17, 20, 42, 43; daughters of, 44; services at cabin of, 56 ; hauls lum- ber for school house, 56; voting at cabin of, 64; postmaster at, re- ferred to, 81; elected county sup- erintendent, 1863, Appendix A Carter & Evans, location chosen by, 15, 16; first experiences of, 17; re- ferred to, 42 Gates, T. J., 98 Catholic Church, first services, 56; first church in old town, 117; de- stroyed by fire, 117; rebuilt, 117; growth of, 117, 118 Cavanaugh, county seat speculator, 58 Cedar Eapids, chronological history of, cited, 53 note Cedar Bapids 'Republican, cited, 53 note Cedar Eapids, Iowa Falls & North- western Town Lot Co., 150 Census of Palo Alto county, 1863, 1873, 81 Cherokee County, 140 Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul E. E., 181, 133; fight for land grant, 141, 142; builds through county, 142; builds branch north from Emmetsburg, 142 ; construction race with Burlington, 142, 143, 144; construction race through Osgood, 149 Chicago, Eock Island & Pacific E. E., 133; construction race with Mil- waukee, 142, 143, 144, 149 Christensen, L. C, 99 Churches, of modern Palo Alto coun- ty, 157 Circus, first in county, 90 CivU War, issues of, 74; Pala Alto county, in, 74, 75 ; substitutes from Palo Alto county, 75, 76; delays western settlement, 80; conces- sions to soldiers of, 80 Claer, Patrick, 154 Claer, P. J., 154 Claer, Tom, 154 Clark, 110 Clark, C. E., elected clerk, 1890, Ap- pendix A; elected clerk, 1892, Ap- pendix A Clarke, George L., 98 Clark, Malachi, cabin entered by In- dians, 29 Clark, William E., makes contract to build PaoU court house and school house, 68; contract for court house, 86; difSculties over swamp lands, 139 Clemens, James, came to county, 96 Clermont, Iowa, 118 note Coakley, William, elected sheriff, 1903, Appendix A 1906, Appendix A Colburn, L. B., 97 Collins, T. D., 97 Collins, John, 97 Collins, Dan, 97 Comer, F., came to county, 96 Compromise, in the Civil War, 74 INDEX 175 Confederates, 75 Congregational Church of Emmets- burg, organization of, 118 Conlon, Thomas, 98 Conners, Pat, buys threshing ma- chine, 91 Consigny farm, 60 Conway family, 101 Conway, Jerry, 149 Cooley, L. M., 102 Coonan, Martin, settled in county, 53; method of threshing, 54; post- master at Emmetsburg, 55, 58; candidate for county clerk, 64; candidate for county judge, 71; vote for, 71; elected sheriff, 73; distributes amunition, 77; builds log cabin, 107; builds brick house, 107; tavern of, 107, 108, 109; Coonan 's house described. 111, 112; family of, 113; travelers at, 113, 114; hospitality of wife of,. 114; plats town of Emmetsburg, 119, 121; buildings on plat of, 124; old town grows along road of, 119; plats old town, 123; offers inducements to stay in old town, 127, 128 ; elected sheriff, 1860, Ap- pendix A; elected surveyor, 1869, Appendix A; elected recorder, 1876, Appendix A; portrait, 53 Coonan, Catherine, came to county, 53; portrait, 53 Coonan, Martin, Jr., recollections of, cited 54 note ; 113 Coonan, Will, 113 Coonan, Dan, 113 Coonan, Tom, 113 Coonan, John, 113 Corbin, Austin, owns townsite, 123, 124, 125 Corbin & Lawler plat of Emmets- burg, referred to, 115 note; plan- ned, 124, 125; completed, 125 Corcoran, Roger, settled with Crow- leys', 26 Corry, F. M., vote for representative, 71 Council Bluffs, fort erected at, 12; Catholic mission established at, 12 County Fair, organized, 140 County Judge, importance of office of, 65; powers and duties of, 65, 66; head of local government, 66; Hickey, Jas., elected first from Palo Alto county, 66; contracts with Clark for court house, 86 County officers, scattered location of in 1872, 92 County Seat, the dream of the pro- moter, 58 ; in western country, 58 ; in Palo Alto county, attempts to locate in, 58, 59, 60, 61; advant- ages of location of, 131; failure of speculative, 107; changed to Emmetsburg, 133 County towns, rise of, 145; location determined by railroad, 145 County warrants, depreciation of, 92, 93, 94, 95; buying for specula- tion, 93, 94; redeemed, 94, 95 Court, in old Paoli court house, 60, 69; abandonment of, 69 Court house at Paoli, contract for building of, 86; assigned, 86; un- finished, 86, suit brought for dam- ages, 86; settlement of. Appendix B; new, built, 133; Palo Alto County, picture of, 136 Court House square, at Emmetsburg, procured, 124, 133 Coverdale, Lieutenant, commanding company in border brigade, 77 Coyle, Charles, buys McFarland quarter, 43; sells back to McFar- land, 43 Coyle, Daniel F., Judge, 43 Crisman, S. P., elected treasurer, 176 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY 1903, Appendix A; elected treas- urer, 1901, Appendix A Crooks, Bill, settled in county, 85 Crookston, Minnesota, 142 Cross, Fred, came to county, 96 Crowder, J. G., came to county, 84 Crowley, Jerry, St., settled in Palo Alto county, 25; first experiences of, in county, 25; Indians camped near cabin of, 25; candidate for coroner, 64; vote as candidate for coroner, 71; joins northern border brigade, 77; recollections of cited, 76 note, 121; elected drainage commissioner, 1861, Appendix A Crowley, Michael H., description of Indians, 25, 26; interview with cited, 26 note; statement in re- gard to Indians, 32 note; stae- ment of, cited, 53 note; early spell- ing book, 55; statement of, cited 55 note; statement cited, 85 note; portrait, 24 Crowley, J. P., 25; dealings with Corcoran, 26; portrait, 24 Crowley, John, 25 Crowley, Katie and Ellen, 25 Cruikshank, John, 101; settled in Lost Island Township, 101 Cullen, Alex, elected sheriff, 1901, Appendix A; elected sheriff, 1908, Appendix A Cullen, Terrenee, 99 Cullen, Thomas, 97 Cullen, William E., came to county, 85, 121, 139; elected clerk, 1863, Appendix A; elected recorder, 1870, Appendix A; elected clerk, 1880, Appendix A Culver, 110 Currans, James, 101 Curlew, founding of town of, 153; history of, 153 Cylinder creek, trials of expedition in crossing, 37, 38, 39, 40, 48; freighting through, 90, 154 Cylinder, founding of town of, 154; history of, 154, 155 Cylinder township, 64 Dakota (City), W. D. Powers at, 20; lives in cave at, 20; jour- ney to, for provisions, 21, 29, 44, 118; freight line to, 90; John Mc- Cormick at, 45; stage route to, 88, 89 Damon, Joseph, 101 Dangers, to pioneer families, 106 Daniels, M. D., sheriff, office of, 92 ; builds building in old town, 109; description of building, 109, 113; elected sheriff, 1871, Appendix A Davenport, named, 12 Davidson, Wesley, 97; elected sher- iff, 1899, Appendix A; elected sheriff, 1897, Appendix A Davidson, J. P., 97 Davidson, F. C, elected attorney, 1904, Appendix A; elected attor- ney, 1902, Appendix A; elected Representative from Palo Alto county, 1908, Appendix A Davis, Thomas C, brings saw-mill to county, 108; set up saw-mill, 108, 110, 112, 113; postmaster, 129; builds building in new town, 129 Davies, John L., county surveyor, vote for, 72 Davies, John C, settled in county, 52; early experiences of, 52; al- leged connection with horse thieves, 52 Dawson, Thomas, came to county, 54; buys yoke of cattle, 82 Day, A. L., County Superintendent of Schools, 138; starts private school, 138; elected superintend- ent, 1873, Appendix A INDEX 177 Democrat (old), no copies to be found, 8; first paper in county, 90 ; edited by James P. White, 90 ; published by James P. White, 119 ; prospectus of. Appendix E Democrat, Soda Bar, prospectus of, Appendix E Democrats, early settlers all, 64; vote on state ticket, 71; vote on presidential election, 1860, 72, 73 ; election of 1870, 92, 93, 94 Democrat (present), 91, 94 Des Moines, Indian prisoners on way to, 49 Des Moines River, surveyors cross, 28; Lett returns to, 28, 14; West Bend settlement on, 15; settlers on west branch of, 22; camp on, 23, 35; west fork of, 41, 42, 58; prairie fire jumps, 82, 107; saw- mill at old town, 108 Des Moines Register 4" Leader, cited 29 note, 114 note Des Moines Valley Eailroad Co., land commissioner for, 92 Des Moines Eiver Bailroad, project- ed, 141 Des Moines & Fort Dodge Kailroad, builds through to Euthven, 146; built to Mallard, 152; built to Curlew, 153; built to Ayrshire, 154 Devil's Lake, Indians capture Pow- ers at, 21 De Witt, John, came to county, 83 Dickinson county, settlement at, 30 Dickinson, Z. F., 150; portrait, 88 Dickerman, G. L., 97 Ditch, Dan, 83 Dodge, Augustus C, vote for govern- or, 71 Dodge, General, 125 DoUiver^ J. P., lodged at Mahan's, 50 Domek, Adam, 98 Donlon, P. H., elected superintend- ent, 1887, Appendix A; elected superintendent, 1889, Appendix A ; elected superintendent, 1891, Ap- pendix A Donohue, Mrs. Anna, 152 Donovan, Anna, elected superintend- ent, 1897, Appendix A; elected superintendent, 1899, Appendix A ; elected superintendent, 1901, Ap- pendix A Donovan, John, freighted, 90; set- tles on section 26, Bmmetsburg township, 99 Dooley farm, 60 Doran, John, farm referred to, 51; came to county, 84; describes early experiences in county, 84; letter of cited, 84 note, 121 Doran, Dan, 121 Dorweiller family, settles in Kos- suth county, 83 Douglas, Stephen A., votes for, 73 Downey, Thomas, settled with Irish colony, 22; came to county, 54; voting at cabin of, 63 Downey, EUen, settled with Irish colony, 22 Downey, Elias, campaign for James Hickey, 64 Dows, Col., 146 Doyle, MJartin, 101 Drennan, William T., 98 Drybread, George G., 147 Dublin, Ireland, 118 note Dubuque, Julian, purchases land and starts mines, 12 note Dubuque, mining settlement of, 12, 109 Dudgeon, F., 96 Duhn, L. P., 99 Duhn, J. S., 99 Duncan, Walt, 130 Duncan, C. S., came to Palo Alto 178 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY county, 100; early experiences in, 100; letter cited, 100 note Duncan's band, in old town, 121 Buncombe, John F., captain of Co. B of relief expedition, 33; ad- dress of cited, 41 note; vote for senator, 71; employed as attorney for county, 86; at Shippeys, joins command after storm, 40 Dunn, John L., elected surveyor, 54; elected surveyor, 1859, Appendix A Dyer, Sam, 98 East Okoboji Lake, 143 Easton, 8. A., 153 Egan, Thomas, 98 Egyptians, plague of locusts, 136 Election, first in county, 63; first regular, 63, 64; election of, 1870, 92, 93, 94; election of 1871, 93, 94 Elliott, James B., 98 Elliot, John A., land commissioner for Des Moines Valley Railway Co., 93 Ellington township, school for, 96; Ellington township, first settlers in, 96, 100, 152 Elk and deer, 16, 24; hunting, by Carters, 19 Elson, A., came to county, 96 Emmet, Eobert, Emmetsburg named after, 59 Emmet coxinty, 59 Emmetsburg township, first settlers in, 23, 98 Emmetsburg, first postoflSoe called, 54; speculative town of, laid out, 58, 59; named after Eobert Em- met, 59; abandonment of staked town, 59; residence of volunteers in northern brigade, 77, 89 ; freight line to, 90; early news- papers published at, 91; staging at, 88, 89 ; driving stage to, 89 ; stake town of, 108; travel to old town of, 108; old town of, early arrivals at, 108, 109; first houses on Call's addition of, 120; own- ers of town plat of, 123; negotia- tions for platting of, 123, 124, 125 ; preparations for removal to, 126, 127 ; platting of, 127 ; moving of, 128-131; growth of, 132-134; sources for later histoiy of, cited, 134 note ; difficulties in laying out, 127; railroad building at, 141- 144; modern city of, 157, 158; picture of old town, 107; picture of new town, 1878, 123; in 1881, picture of, 129 ; the present city of, 129 Emmetsburg National Bank, 129 Emmetsburg Democrat, Christmas souvenir edition of, cited, 134 note Emerich, H., 154 Enterprise, Monthly, 91; no copies left, 8 Erstad, C. O., 98 Erstad, A. C, 98 Estherville, volunteers for northern brigade, 76; border brigade sta- tioned at, 77; mill at for grinding wheat, 83 ; stage line to, 88 ; Palo Alto Democrat published at, 90; freighting to, 90, 139, 142, 143 Evans, Jeremiah, settled with family at West Bend, 15, 20, 140 Evans cabin, relief expedition at, 33 Evans, Mrs., caught Indians pilfer- ing, 16, 17 Evans, James, 147 Exodus, X:15, cited, 136 note Palb, Teed, 98 Ealb, blacksmith shop, 147 Fahnestock, Preston, 151 Fair, county, organized, 140 INDEX 179 Fairfield township, some settlers in, 97; settlers in, 98 Fargo, North Dakota, 132 Farm land, present value of, in county, 156 Farmers Savings Bank, 129 Fayette county, Palo Alto as part of, 62; Fayette county, 118 note Fenn, W. B., 149 Fern Valley, some settlers in, 97 Fern Valley township, 43; WiUiam Shippey settles in, 48; postoffice at, 55; religious service in, 56; settlers in, 85; staging at, 89, 148 Fellows, J. B., 101 Fehlhauer, J. C, 148 Fiddlers' green, stage route by, 88 First official newspaper, 91 First .£!ongregational Church of Em- metsburg, organization of, 118 First National Bank Building, 133 Fish, Joseph, came to county, 96 Fisk, Melvin, 153 Fisher, ran stage, 88 Fitzgerald, James, genial merchant of old town, 116; stories of, 116, 117; opens store at old town, 115; refuses to move, 129, 130; finally moves, 131, 131 note, Appendix D Fleming, Michael, 101 Fleming, John, 101 Fort Belknap, 20 Fort Clark, established, 13; name changed to Fort Dodge, 13 Fort Des Moines, built, 12, 13 Fort Dodge, settlers follow military road from, 15; tedious journey from, 17; trip to by Carter, 17; returned from, 18; many trips to, 18, 22, 23; provisions obtained from, 24, 25; trading furs at, 25; Fort Dodge, name, 12; change from Fort Clark to, 13; troops move from, to Fort Ridgely, 13; town of, laid out, 13; country around, 13; stories carried back to, 14; establishment of, 28, 29; settlers seek refuge at, 32; news- of massacre atirs, 33 ; relief expedi- tion recruited at, 33 ; officers from, 33; marches from, 34 ; McCormick's journey from, 45; mail routes from, 54; Indian prisoners on way to, 49; travel from Spirit Lake, 50; William Murphy worked at, 51, 52 ; speculators from, 58 ; pe- tition sent to, 63 ; election news from, 72; enlistments at, 75; school books procured at, 55; speculators return to, 59; home- steaders make proof at, 80; home- stead law incentive to settlement, 80; trading point, 82, 85; stag- ing at, 89; homesteaders selecting land at, 99, 109; difficulties of hauling supplies from, 110, 111; terminus railway, 117; stage route from, 117 Fort Madison, first settlement of, 12 Fort Eiley, 20 Fort Eidgely, troops move from Fort Dodge to, 13, 14, 15; soldiers march to, 20 Foly, D., 101 Ford, Judge, 140 Forest City, 148 Forrest, P. C, 98 Frame, J. E., 97 Franklin, B., came to county, 83, 147; elected auditor, 1875, Ap- pendix A Franklin's, stage route by, 88 Fraziers', 56 Freeman, James, 101 Freedom township, 125 Fries, George, came to county, 96 Fritz, M. L., 149 Fritz, Mart, 149 180 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY Prontier life, discloses beginnings of society, 10 Frontier, westward march of, 10 Funkley, P. H., 101 Galbeaith, came to county, 83 Gralleger, John, 99 Galleger, Pat, 99 Grallegher, Jack, 147 Gallup, A. D., builds the Valley House at old town, 115 Ganzley, John, 155 Gappa, Matt, 98 Gardener, Milo, 98 Garver, Frank H., articles on the es- tablishment and boundaries of Iowa counties, cited, 62 note General Assembly for the state of Iowa, 3rd, creates new counties, 62; 5th, laws cited, 63, note 3 Gibbs, Charles C, 102 Gibbs, Mrs., 48 Giddings, C. H., worked on threshing machine, 91; relates experiences, 91; has picture, 91; Giddings, C. H., 150 Giddings, H. F., 102 Glenn farm, 44 Goeders, John, 154, 155 Goff, "Warren, 101 GoflE, Dwight, 101 Goldtrap, came to county, 83 GoodeU, Mr., 151 Goodlaxon, E., came to county, 96 Grace, W. H., came to county, 85 Grace, Henry, came to county, 85 Graettinger, 102; founding of town of, 150; history of, 150, 152 Grahan, Michael, elected constable, 73; elected constable, 1860, Ap- pendix A Granger's Grove, expedition reaches, 35 Grass, luxuriant growth of, in early days, 105 Grasshoppers, pest of, 51; examples of numbers of, 51, 105; devasta- tion of, 135; description of, 135, 136; methods for killing, 136; ef- fect on country, 136, 137 Gray, Mark, 148 Greeley, Horace, advice to go west, 80 Grethen, Peter, came to county, 96 Great Oak township, referred to, 52; postoffice at, 56; early settlers in, 84, 85, 98, 121 Griffin, N. E., 113 GrUey, A., came to county, 96 Grimes, Governor, appoints agent to protect the frontier, 33 Groff, John, 98 Gross, D. C, came to county, 96 Grout, LeRoy, surveys town of Em- metsburg, 127; elected surveyor, 1875, Appendix A; elected survey- or, 1877, Appendix A; elected sur- veyor, 1879, Appendix A; elected surveyor, 1881, Appendix A; elect- ed surveyor, 1883, Appendix A; elected surveyor, 1885, Appendix A; elected surveyor, 1889, Appen- dix A; elected surveyor, 1891, Ap- pendix A; elected surveyor, 1893, Appendix A; elected surveyor, 1895, Appendix A; elected survey- or, 1897, Appendix A; elected sur- veyor, 1899, Appendix A; elected surveyor, 1901, Appendix A; elect- ed surveyor, 1903, Appendix A; elected surveyor, 1906, Appendix A Grier, David G., came to county, 96; elected clerk, 1888, Appendix A Groves, C. G., came to county, 83 Grundy county, 53, 141 Gue, history of Iowa, 12 note, 14 note, 34 note, 53 note, 75 note Guerdett, J. B., buys threshing ma- chine, 91 Gunderson, G., 101 INDEX 181 Hackenburg, Mr., 153 Hais, Abel, 56 Hall, John D., starts store in old town, 119; moves, 130 Hall, Hiram, elected drainage com- missioner, 1863, Appendix A Halstead, D. H., came to county, 85 Hammond, Eev. B. C, 102, 103, 110; preaches for Union Church, 118 Hammond, S., 102 Hampton, L. E., 148 Hamilton, 6. M., came to county, 97 Hancock county, 117 Hand, John, 99 Hand, P. V., elected auditor, 1897, Appendix A ; elected auditor, 1900, Appendix A Hansen, Hans, 98 Hanson, Peter, 101 Hanson, John W., elected sheriff, 1893, Appendix A; elected sheriff, 1895, Appendix A Hard times, of 1873, 135-137 Hare, Ovid, 97 Hare, Myron, 97 Harriman, Jacob, came to county, 96 Harris, Charles, 101 Harrison, Albert 99 Harrison, William, 99 Harrison, T. W., office of, 92; polit- ical canvass, 94; buys farm, 99; statement of, cited, 112 note; describes Coonan hospi- tality, 114; first came to Emmets- burg, 114; decides to locate, 115; fifty years ago in Palo Alto coun- ty, 114 note; statement of cited, 119; builds house in Call's addi- tion, 120; statement of, cited, 120 note; arrival of bride of, 120; statement of, cited, 121 note; at- torney for Lawler and Eailroad, 123, 125; arranges for removal of old town, 126; draws bonds to insure removal to new town, 126; surveys new town, 127; statement of, cited, 127 note; account of be- ginning of new town described, 127 note; statement of, cited, 128 note; office of moved, 128; de- scribes moving of buildings, 129; statement of, cited, 129 note; state- ment of, 131 note; plans to name town Merrill, 131, 132; describes selling of town lots, 132; state- ment of, cited, 132 note; appointed to investigate swamp lands, 139; treasurer of county fair, 140; del- egate to convention, 140; portrait, 88; elected surveyor, 1871, Ap- pendix A Harrison & Burnell, publish Advance, 119 Harrison county, 140 Hartshorn, E. J., comes to old town, 115; forms partnership with Mc- Carty, 115; political canvass, 94; builds house, 120; letter of, cited, 120 note; statement of, cited, 127; member of General Assembly, 137 ; petition for relief forwarded to, 137; delegate to convention, 140; on railroad committee of legisla- ture, 141; describes railroad fight, 141, 142; letter of, cited, 142 note; elected treasurer, 1885, Appendix A; elected treasurer, 1887, Ap- pendix A; elected clerk, 1894, Ap- pendix A; elected clerk, 1896, Ap- pendix A Hartungs, Kufus A., 97 Harvey, Colonel, regiment of, 75 Hastings, Charles, came to county, 85, 121, 146 Hatch, settled in Kossuth county, 85 Hathway, trials with expedition in crossing Cylinder creek, 39, 40 Hefley, John M., came to county, 83 ; elected county judge, 1867, Ap- 182 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY pendix A; elected sheriff, 1869, Appendix A Helgen, H. M., elected clerk, 1898, Appendix A; elected clerk, 1900, Appendix A Henry, Wm. G., came to county, 95 ; moved to Emmetsburg, 95; elected recorder, 1886, Appendix A Hendersons, 56 Herd law, vote for. Appendix D Herriek, came to county, 83 Herrington, C. L., came to county, 97 Herrington, S., came to county 97 Hertley, Peter, came to county, 96 Hickey, James, joins Irish colony, 25; moves across river, 48; promi- nence of, 48, 49; Great Oak post- office at, 56; named from Oak trees, 56 ; election judge, 63 ; elect- ed county judge, 64; facts as to first election given by, 64 note; hospitality of home of, told by Charles Aldrich, 66 note; swears in other officers, 66, 67; orders books for county, 67; advertises for bids for selection of swamp lands, 67; makes contract with Hood, 67; makes contract with Clark to build court house, school at Paoli, 68; issues proclamation for special election to approve swamp land, 68; statements of, cited, 67 note; as county judge, appoints clerk, 70 note; appoints assessor, 70 note; re-elected county judge, 71; statement of, 71 note; fills vacancy in county offices, 72; clerk, 86 ; postoffice, 88 ; stag- ing, 88, 89; experiences in stage, 89, 121; elected county judge, 1858, Appendix A; elected county judge, 1859, Appendix A; elected clerk, 1864, Appendix A; elected clerk, 1865, Appendix A Hickey, Mr. and Mrs. James, por- trait, 24 Hickey party, victorious at first elec- tion, 64 Hickey, Michael O., appointed clerk, 70 ; acting county judge, 72 ; coun- ty canvasser, 72; county surveyor, 72 Hiekey-McNally, Mrs. Maggie, por- trait, 24 High Lake, 143 Highland township, settlers in, 101 Higley, John, 98 HUl, John, came to county, 97 Historical records, fast disappearing, 8 Historical sources, relied upon in this book, 8, 9 Historical Department of Iowa, Charles Aldrich, founder of, let- ter from, cited, 66 note History of Kossuth county, 29 note Hodgkinson, C. W., elected auditor, 1893, Appendix A; elected auditor, 1895, Appendix A Hoffman, C. A., came to county, 96; first secretary of county fair, 140 Homer, Iowa, 29 Homesteaders, coming to county, 95 Homeseekers, coming to county, 95 Hood, Andrew, joins relief expedi- tion, 34; selects swamp land, 67, 68; appointed county surveyor, 70 Hoolihan, county seat speculator, 58, 108 Horse thieves, working in county, 52 ; in the state, 53 ; references to, cited, 53 note Hoskins, John and Steve, 97 Hougstein, Paul T., 98 Hovey, John W., 101 Howe, F. O., 101 Howe, Dan, lives at West End set- tlement, 44 INDEX 183 Howe, brings news of massacre from Lakes, 32 Howland, trials with expedition in crossing Cylinder creek, 39, 40 Hughes, E. E., 155 Hull, 142 HuUen, Henry, 98 Hunting, experiences at the West Bend settlement, 19 Huntley, Sol, came to county, 96 Humboldt, Iowa, 128; stage line from, 88, 99, 111 Humboldt county, Lotts creek in, 13 ; return of Lott to, 28, 29, 43 ; freight line to, 90, 117 Independence township, settlers in, 98 Indians, had title to Iowa land, 12; traders roamed over prairie, 12 ; their title extinguished, 12; hos- tile, difficult to control, 13 ; trouble with the whites, 13; trouble with Henry Lott, 13; causes of Spirit Lake Massacre and border troub- les, 13; camped at West Bend set- tlement; pilfering from Evans, 16, 17; driving away cattle, 17; ad- ventures of Sioux at West Bend, 17, 18; driving away elk, 19; geese slaughtered by, 23, 24; camped near Crowley's, 25; In- dians menacing the pioneer, 27; various tribes roaming over prai- ries, 27 ; troubles with the settlers, 27; troubles with Henry Lott, 27; resenting whites' advance, 28; treachery of Lott too, 28; ravages of Inkpadutah, 29 ; start for Spirit Lake, 30; Spirit Lake Massacre described, 30, 31; war dances after victory, 31; relief expedition against, 33; signs found by expe- dition, 35; prisoners on way to fort, 49; escape at Mahan's, 50; border troubles of, 1862, 76; out- break in Minnesota, 76; beaten off, in desperate fight, 76; prompt measures of border brigade, 77, 78 Ingham, W. H., captured by Indians, 3; enlists men for border brig- ade note 77; captain of Co. A, 77; his company located at Estherville, 77 ; sums up results, 78 ; article on northern border brigade, cited, 76 note, 77 note, 79 note; Annals of Iowa, cited, 76 note, 77 note, 78 note Ingham, S. E., ordered to organize border brigade, 76, 77; work of in organizing, 77 Ingham, Harvey, describes Indians in Midland Monthly, 29, 30; Mid- land Monthly, cited, 30 note Inkpadutah, leader of the Sioux In- dians, 16, 25; discovers murder of his brother, 28; becomes chief of Sioux band, 29; leads his band, 29, 30; leader in Spirit Lake Mas- sacre, 30; where camped, 32 note Inman, George, 152 Institute, teachers, first in county, 138 Iowa City, founded, 12; cornmeal brought from, 24, 44; end of rail- road, 45; John McCormick leaves goods at, 45 Iowa Historical Record, cited, 10 note, 11 note, 62 note Iowa Eiver, 12 Iowa Lake, company of border brig- ade at, 77 Iowa Land Office, Appendix D Iowa teiTitory, 62 Iowa Journal of History and Poli- ties, cited, 62 note Iowa Volunteer Infantry, 32nd, Co. I, Linn & Powers enlist in, 75 Iowa, affords the best, 9; midway in western march, 11, 12; early settlements in, 12; settlers in, 12; 184 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY tribes of Indians in, 27; ceded by treaty, 27; northern border brigade, description of, activities of, 76, 77, 78, 79; article on, by Capt. Ingham, cited, 76 note, 77 note, 79 note; recollections of par- ticipants in, cited, 76 note; border counties alarmed in 1862, governor raises border brigade, 76, 77; prompt work of the brigade, 77, 78, 79; settlement in delayed by Civil War, rush of settlement after war, 80; coming of homesteaders. 80, 81 Ireland, nativity of volunteers in border brigade, 77 Irishmen, colony of, settled in coun ty, 22 Irish colony, first settled in Palo Alto county in July, 1856, 22, 23 ; importance of, 26; first news of massacre brought to, 32; remain for some time, 32; seek refuge at Port Dodge, 32; relief expedition reaches, 34; refugees sent back to, 35; expedition returns to, 36; con- ditions in, 36; soldiers take steer by force from, 36 ; referred to, 48, Irvington, Kossuth county, 56 51; candidates from at first elec- tion, 64 Jackman 's Grove, camping at, 15 Jackman, Michael, comes to county, 52 ; cabin of, historical landmark, 52, 99; family of, 107, 121 Jackman, Billy, 121 Jackman, Patrick, settled with Irish colony, 22 ; interview with, cited, 22 note; joins northern border brig- ade, 77, 121; portrait, 23 Jackson, Minnesota, 30; mail route to, 54, 142 Jacobs, Geo. J., located at West Bend, 81; family of, 81; first ex periences of, 81, 82, 83 Jacobs, H. H., came to county, 81 described early experiences, 81, 83 interview with, cited, 83 note drove stage, 88; experiences stag- ing, 88, 89, 147; description of store in West Bend, 147; elected sheriff, 1885, Appendix A; 1887, Appendix A; elected sheriff, 1889, Appendix A; elected sheriff, 1891, Appendix A Jasper County, settlers from, 32 Jefferson barracks, 20 Jennings, John, 98 Jenkins, Henry, starts Eeporter, 91 Jensen, Nels, 99 Jenswold, John, 98 Josh, stayed at Carter's, 19 Johnson, D. A., elected clerk, 1902, Appendix A; elected clerk, 1904, Appendix A Johnson, James, came to county, 83, 147 Johnson, Ben, 109; arrival of bride of, 120 Johnson, Severt, 101 Joiner, H. L., came to county, 83 Joliffe, James, 56 Joliffe, John, 56 Johnson, J. C, captain of Co. 0, of relief expedition, 32; perishes from cold, 36, 41; bones found years after, 36; captain led men to bury dead, 36 Jones, Peter, 99; description of country, 99; high water, 99; in- terview with, cited, 99 note Jones & Johnson, store building in old town, 115 Jones, Al, came to county, 109 stopped at Coonan's, 109 note purchased stock of goods, 109 mentioned, 112, 113; arrival of INDEX 185 bride of, 120; plays joke on Fitz- gerald, 116 Joyce, Patrick, starts store in old town, 119; refuses to move, 129, 130; finally moves, 131, 131 note; Appendix D; portrait of, 123 Judgment, in Paoli Court House mat- ter, in full. Appendix B Kane, J. J., 98 Kane, Dan, 121 Kane county, 111., colony of Irish from, 22 Keeler, James A., freighting, 90; diary of early days, 90; interview with, cited, 90 note Keenan, James, 99 Keane, Daniel, came to county, 154 Kelly, Dan, 148 Kelly Bros., 97, 155 KeUy, Jeremiah, came to county, 83, 146 KeUey, Edward, 98 KeUy, B. E. elected superintendent, 1885, Appendix A; elected attor- ney, 1890, Appendix A Kelly, B. G., elected treasurer, 1906, Appendix A; elected treasurer, 1908, Appendix A Kendall, Orie, 153 Keokuk, laid out, 12 Kerwick, M. F., comes to old town, 119; portrait, 119 Ketchen & lienhart, open clothing store at old town, 115; move store, 129 Ketchen, Charles, delegate to conven- tion, 140 King, E. J., 98 King, Emory, arrival of bride of, 120; elected sheriff, 1875, Appen- dix A; elected sheriff, 1877, Ap- pendix A; elected clerk, 1884, Ap- pendix A; elected clerk, 1886, Ap- pendix A Kinne, George, elected recorder, 1898, Appendix A; elected record- er, 1900, Appendix A Kirby, Lizzie, came to county, 83 Kirby, Thomas, came to county, 83 Kirby, William, came to county, 83 Kirby, Michael, came to county, 83, 84, 121 Kirby, Henry, came to county, 83 Kirby, Mrs. Alice Tobin, 56 Kirkwood, Samuel J., vote for gov- ernor, 71; raises forces for border brigade, 76, 77; general orders of, 78 KittleweU, Hiram, came to county, 97 Kleigle, George, 98 Knapp, Joseph, came to county, 83 Kiiutson, Torry, 101 Kossuth county, pioneer settlers in, 14; history of, 14 note, 147 Krieg, John, came to county, 96 Kress, Adam, came to county, 96 Kunz, August, came to county, 96 La Baeee, Simpson, 98 Lacy, A. V., came to county, 96 Lane, John, 99 Lake Shore House, Appendix D Lamb, J. B., elected treasurer, 1897, Appendix A; elected treasurer, 1899, Appendix A Lannon, Pat, 121 Lang, John L., organizes church, 118; builds house, 120; elected surveyor, 1873, Appendix A Land, prices in Palo Alto county. 138 Larson, Bessie, elected superin- tendent, 1893, Appendix A; elect- ed superintendent, 1895, Appendix A Larson, Torkel, 101 Laughlins, location of settlement of, 19; referred to, 50 note 386 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY Laughlin, Mrs. 121 Laughlin, Thomas, settled with Irish colony, 12; came to county, 85; elected constable, 1861, Appendix A Laughlin, Lott, settled with Irish col- ony, 22; interview with, cited, 22 note; statement of, 55 note; elect- ed township clerk, 65; elected clerk, 73; joins northern border brigade, 77; recollections of, cit- ed, 76 note, 121; elected clerk of the District Court, 1860, Appendix A; portrait, 23 Laughlin, Martin, settled with Irish colony, 22; candidate for treas- urer and recorder, 64; vote as can- didate for drainage commissioner, 72, 121 Laughlin, Mary, settled with Irish colony, 22 Laughlin, J. T., settled with Irish colony, 22 Laughlin, Patrick, settled with Irish colony, 22 Laughlin, Ellen, settled with Irish colony, 22 Lawler, Gen. John, 124; owns town- site, 123, 126 Laws of Iowa, 1860, cited, 66 note, cited, 62, note 3, 63 note 6 Lee, Thomas, 101 Leek, D. M., 101 Lehane, T. W., 97 LeMars, convention at, 139 Letson, Amos, 99 Leuer, John, came to county, 96 Lewis, 139 Linn, James, comes to county, 44; marriage of, 44; enlists in Civil War, 75 Lincoln, adherence of, 72; votes for, 73; approves homestead law, 80 Linehan, Father, assists to build first church, 117 Little, John F., came to county, 95 Little, Frank, came to county, 95 Little Crow, leads Sioux Indians, in border troubles of 1862, 76 Little Sioux Kiver, Indians starting down, 30, 84 Locust, see grasshopper Local government in Palo Alto Coun- ty, 62; development of, 70, 73 Log cabins, built by first settlers in timber, 80, 81 Loughridge, Linn, came to county, 96 Loomis, X. S., came to county, 96i Loon Lake, Indians camping at, 30 Lost Island, hunting at, 19 Lost Island, post-office at, 100 ; stage line through, 101 Lost Island Lake, first settler at, 100; other settlers at, 101 Lost Island Township, contained Highland and Lost Island, 100; divided in 1878, lOO; settlers in, 101 Lott, Henry, cabin of, 13; troubles with the Indians, 13; unscrupu- lousness of, 27; cabin rendezvous; driven out by Indians, 28; his re- turn, 28; kills chief, Sidoninato- dah, 28; escapes down the river, 28; failure to punish, 29; treach- ery of, one cause of Spirit Lake massacre, 29, 30 Lott's creek, 13; return of Lott to, 28 Luce, A. M., left flour at Shippeys, 34 Lynch, Patrick, came to county, 54, 85 ; elected sheriff, 1861, Appendix A Lynch, Andrew, came to county, 85 Lynn, J,, journey for provisions, 21; locates settlers in Palo Alto coun- ty, 22, 23, 101 Lyon, T. J., came to county, 85 INDEX 187 Lyon county, repudiates indebted- ness, 94 Madison, Wisconsin, 125 Mahan, Ann and Ellen, settled with Irish colony, 22 Mahan, Edward, settled with Irish colony, 22; fearlessness of, 50; success trapping, 51; campaign for Nolan, 64, 121 Mahan, Edward and Margaret, por- trait, 23 Mahan, James, comes to county, 49 Mahan, John J., settled with Irish colony, 22; interview with cited, 22 note, 109; portrait, 22 Mahan, John, comes to county, 49 Mahan, Miss Anna, 152 Mahan, Margaret, settled with Irish colony, 22 Mahan, Mary, Anna, Maggie and Esther, come to county, 49 Mahan, Mary Ann, comes to covmty, 49; pursues Indians, 49, 50; a fearless frontier woman, 50 Mahan, Myles, settled with Irish col- ony, 22; interview with, cited, 22 note ; come to county, 49 ; early ex- periences of, 49, 50, 51; courage of, 50 ; builds new house, 50 ; lines road to Spirit Lake, 50; goes to Mankato for supplies, 51, 121, portrait, 49 Mahan, Miles E., comes to county, 49; statement of, cited, 53 note; interview with, cited 50 note, 51 iiote Mahan, Michael, appointor assessor, 70 Mahan, Patrick, comes to county, 49 Mahan, William, comes to county, 49 Maher, Thomas, came to county, 54; hauls county books, 67; appointed clerk, 70, 98; homestead entry, 125; abandons same, 126 Maher, William, came to county, 54, 121 Mail, carried by stage, 88 Mallard, founding of town of, 152 ; history of, 152, 153 Mankato, Minn., Mahan 's trip to for supplies, 51 Map of Palo Alto County, frontis- piece Marriage, first in county, 44 Marsh, Father, first religious ser- vice, 56 Marsh, Joseph, came to county, 96 Martin, bought steam saw mill, 85 Martin, J. L., history of Palo Alto county, no copies to be found, 8; came to county, 85 ; political can- vass, 94 ; editor of Pilot, 120 ; pio- neer in school work, 138; elected county superintendent, 138; teach- er in institute, 138; elected super- intendent, 1869, Appendix A; elected recorder, 1872, Appendix A; elected recorder, 1874, Ap- pendix A; portrait, 56 Martin, John E., 98 Martin, John S., 98 Martin, J. K., came to county, 85 Martin, L. A., elected recorder, 1894, Appendix A; elected recorder, 1896, Appendix A Martin, Patrick, came to county, 85 Martin, Thomas, came to county, 85 Martin, Thos. E., elected auditor, 1902, Appendix A; elected auditor, 1904, Appendix A Martin, Captain, quarters soldiers at Mahans, 49 Mason, Prank E., experience in crossing Cylinder creek, 37, 38, 39; recollections of, cited, 41 note Matthews, Mary E., teacher at West Bend, 56 Mathieson, Jacob, 98 Mathieson, Julius, 98 ISS HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY McAlhany, P., 101 McBane, Angus, joins relief expedi- tion, 34 McBride, James, 101 MeCarty, George. B., came to county in 1869, 109; describes journey, 109; early experiences of, in old town, 109-113; statement of cited, 109 note ; buying warrants, 93 ; describes campaign of 1870, 92, 93, 94, 95; recollections of Palo Alto county, cited, 95 note; political canvass, 94; recollections of early Palo Alto county, cited, 108 note, 113; recollections of early Palo Alto county, cited, 114 note; first oflSce of, in old town, 115; cost of lumber to build, 115 note; loca- tion of old building in new town, 115 note; statement of, cited, 115 note; practical jokes on, 116; at- torney for Corbin, 123; negotiates for platting of Emmetsburg, 123- 125; statement of cited, 125 note; surveys new town, 187; statement of, cited, 127 note; office of, moved, 128; describes moving of buildings, 129, 130, 131; state- ment of, 131 note; appointed to investigate swamp titles, 139 ; can- didate for district attorney, 139, 140; elected district attorney, 140; removes to Sioux City, 140; re- turns to Emmetsburg, 140; elected district attorney for four years, 1874, Appendix A; vote for dis- trict attorney, Appendix D; por- trait, 109 McCarty & McCarty, site of old landmark near office of, 115 note; law office, 128 McCarty, D. G., early social and re- ligious experiments in Iowa, cited, 10 note; Territorial Governors of the old Northwest, cited, 10 note; early social and religious experi- ments in Iowa, 11; describes early settlement in Iowa, cited, 11 note, 12 note, 62 note McCarty & Hartshorn, office of, 92; forms partnership, 115; publish Advance, 119; office of, moved, 128 ; land advertisement. Appendix D McCarty, Martin, 98 McClelland, S., journey for pro- visions, 21; hunting with, 19; first came to the county, 15; returns to Palo Alto county, 42; locates on Des Moines river, 42; elected con- stable, 65 McComb, Father, held religious ser- vice, 56 McCormick, Charles, joins family in West Bend, 46; some reminis- cences cited, 44 note, 46 note; reminiscences of a pioneer, cited, 54 note; cited 56 note McCormick, Isabel, see Mrs. Isabel McCormick Stone McCormick, James, comes to county, 44; froze feet on journey, 44; amputation at Fort Dodge, 44; elected justice of the peace, 65; successful vote for sheriff, 71; justice of the peace, 72; county canvasser, 72; elected sheriff, 1859, Appendix A McCormick, John, settled in Nevada township, 98 McCormick, John, Jr., comes to county, 44, 45, describes journey, 45; first experiences in new home, 45, 46; interview with cited, 46 note ; had first mower in the coun- ty, 82; Alf Jacobs puts up hay, 82; writes to brother, 43; recollec- tions of, cited, 43 note; elected county superintendent, 1861, Ap- pendix A; elected coroner, 1861, INDEX 189 Appendix A; elected coroner, 1863, Appendix A; elected sheriff, 1867 ; Appendix A ; portrait, 20 MeCormick, Joseph, joins family in West Bend, 46; enlisted in Civil War, 75; met death at Memphis, 75; buried in National Cemetery, 75 MeCormick, Mrs. John, Sr., comes to county, 44; travels to Palo Alto county, 42 MeCormick, Robert, comes to county, 42; one of volunteers to bury dead, 36; writes from Palo Alto, 43 MeCormick, Tom, joins family in West Bend, 46; postmaster at Pern Valley, 55; successful vote for clerk, 71; elected county judge, 1861, Appendix A; elected clerk, 1859, Appendix A McCormicks, hospitality of, 46; de- scribed by J. N. Prouty, 46, 47, 48, 85; Fern Valley postoflSce at, 48, 55 ; voted for Nolan party, 64 ; first three republicans, 71 note McCormicks, relief expedition, 34 MeCosker, Felix, elected county clerk, 64; leaves county, 70; fails to qualify as clerk, 70 MeCosker, James, settled in county, 53; first county surveyor, 53; elected county surveyor, 64; 1858, Appendix A McCoy, John, came to county, 85 McCoy farm, 52 McDonald, John, 146 McDonnell, T., elected sheriff, 1879, Appendix A; elected sheriff, 1881, Appendix A McEvoy, E. P., settled in county, 101; interest in Osgood, 150; elected treasurer, 1889, Appendix A; elected treasurer, 1891, Ap- pendix A; portrait, 88 McFarland and Son, 148 McParland, C. J., judge, appoints commissioners, 60 McFarland & MeCormick, 147 McFarland, R. M. J., Sr., comes to county, 43; returns to Wisconsin, 43 ; comes back to Palo Alto, 43 McFarland, C. J., appoints county seat commissioners, 67 McGregor, Iowa, 109 McGregor & Missouri River Railway, built as far as Algona, 117; fight over forfeiture of grant of, 141, 142 McGroarty, Miss Mary, composes "March of Emmetsburg," 131 McGrorty, A. S., Jr., elected super- intendent, 1877, Appendix A McGuffey's speller, used by pio- neers, 55 McKnight, Ed., 20; cabin rifled, 29 McKnight's Point, services at, 56, 89 McKnight, Lieutenant, commanding company in border brigade, 77 McKinley, 103 McLaughlin, settled in Lost Island, 101 McNally, Mrs. Maggie Hickey, first white child born in the county, 25 ; portrait McNally, Myles, 98 Meagher vs. Drury, 89th Iowa 366, 63, cited 63 note Medium Lake, swarming with game, 24; referred to, 52, 107, 108, 121; site of county seat on bank of, 58 Mellon, W. H., 98 Memphis, Tennessee, 75 Menzies, John, elected attorney, 1894, Appendix A; elected attor- ney, 1896, Appendix A MerrUl, Samuel, 109, 124; attempt to name Emmetsburg after, 131, 132, 142, 144 190 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY M«rtis, John, 153 Methodist Episcopal Church of Em- metsburg, organization of, 118, 119 Mexican war, Palo Alto named after, 62, 63 Midland Monthly, cited, 29 Mikes Brothers, 147 MiLfread, Joseph, 152 Miller, Billy, 45 Miller, William, trading post cabin of, 13 Miller, Eufus, 97 Miller, Thomas, 145 MUler, Amos J., 101 Millerke, Hiram, 99 Mills, John, came to county, 96 Millea, J. H., 98 Millea, David, 98 Military road, travels over, 42, 15 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 124, 150 Minger, Elmore, 148 Minnesota, expedition reaches state line of, 35, 118; Sioux outbreak in, 76 Minute record, cited, 70 note 1, cited, 67 notes; cited, 69 note Minutes and Supervisors record, cited, 86 note; cited, 87 note; 88 note; cited, 76 note; cited, 91 note, 92 note; cited, 133; cited, 137 note; cited, 139 note Mitchell, Alex., 124 Mississippi river, western progress delayed at, 12 Missouri river, 20 Missouri, 20 Modern Towns of present Palo Alto County, 157, 158 Moffitt family, came to county, 96 Moffitt, John, came to county, 96 Moncrief family, came to county, 85 Moncrief, John, elected surveyor, 1887, Appendix A; elected auditor, 1891, Appendix A Money Panic of 1873, 137 MonticeUo, Iowa, 113 Morrison, Seymour, came to county, 97 Moran, Thomas, 102 Morling, E. A., elected attorney, 1898, Appendix A; elected attor- ney, 1900, Appendix A Mosquitoes, prevalence of in early days, 106 Mulroney's, Soda Bar PostofSce at, 54, 55 Mulroney, Kieren, came to county, 54; joins northern border brigade, 77, 121 Mulroney, Maggie, 54 Mulroney, Mrs., 54 Mulroney's, Jacobs hauls hay from, 82 Mulroney, Patrick, elected county judge, 1863, Appendix A; elected county judge, 1865, Appendix A Mulroney, John M., elected treasurer and recorder, 64; successful vote for treasurer and recorder, 71; elected treasurer and recorder, 73 ; elected treasurer and recorder, 1858, Appendix A; elected county treasurer and recorder, 1859, Ap- pendix A; elected treasurer and recorder, 1860, Appendix A; elect- ed treasurer and recorder, 1861, Appendix A ; elected treasurer and recorder, 1863, Appendix A ; elect- ed recorder, 1864, Appendix A Mulroney, Joseph, settled in county, 54; elected constable, 65; success- ful vote for drainage commission- er, 72; joins northern border bri- gade, 77; ran stage, 88; freezes feet, 82; supervisor, 86, 117, 121; elected drainage commissioner, 1859, Appendix A Munch, Henry, came to county, 90 Murphy's bayou, first camp at, 23 INDEX 191 Murphy, William, comes to county, 51; returns to Port Dodge, 52; settles permanently in county, 52; aids laying out county seat, 58; statement of, cited, 59 note, 121 National Cemetery, 75 Neary, John, settled with Irish col- ony, 22, 121; portrait, 22 Neary, John "P., settled with Irish colony, 22; interview with, cited, 22 note; statement in regard to Indians, 32 note Neary, Mary, settled with Irish col- ony, 22 Neary, James, elected county super- visor, 1861, Appendix A Neary, Patrick, came to county, 85; road to, 85 Nelson, John, 99 Nevada Township, settlers in, 98 Newark, N. J., 44 New Jersey, 43, 44, 45 New settlers, selecting locations, 42 New Ulm, Minnesota, Indians at- tack, 75; desperate fight at, 76; Indians beaten off, 76 Nolan, Anastasia, setled with Irish colony, 22 Nolan, Bridget, settled with Irish colony, 22 Nolan, Charles, came to county, 85 Nolan, Charles T., settled with Irish colony, 22; statement of, 55 note, 109, portrait, 23 Nolan, James, settled with Irish col- ony, 22 ; election judge, 63 ; can- didate for county judge, 64; vote as candidate for sheriff, 71; elect- ed surveyor, 73, 121; elected sur- veyor, 1860, Appendix A Nolan, Mr. and Mrs. James, portrait, 22 Nolan, James, Jr., settled with Irish colony, 22 Nolan, James F., came to county, 84 Nolan, John, settled with Irish col- ony, 22; first postoffice at, 54; mail distribution at, 55; elected constable, 65; elected justice of the Peace, 73, supervisor, 86, 99, 121; elected justice of the peace, 1860, Appendix A; elected county supervisor, Emmetsburg township, 1863, Appendix A Nolan, John F., settled with Irish colony, 22 Nolan, Maria, settled with Irish col- ony, 22 Nolan, Patrick, settled in county, 51, 99, 104, 121 ; elected sheriff, 1865, Appendix A; elected sheriff, 1873, Appendix A Nolan, P. v., elected sheriff, 1883, Appendix A; elected auditor, 1887, Appendix A; elected county au- ditor, 1889, Appendix A Normal Institute, first in county, 138 North, The, in the Civil War, 74 Northwest Iowa, early settlement in, 13, 14 Nowhan, Percy, 56 Obart, H. C, came to county, 96 O'Brien County, 94, 142 Ochseedawashta, visits W. D. Powers, 20 "Old town" of Emmetsburg, 10.^, 104, 105; beginning of, 107, 108; early growth of, 108, 109; condi- tions in, 113-121; population of, 119; houses built East of, 120; temporary buildings in, 122; reaches its acme, 122, 123; un- settled condition in, 123 ; agitation for removal of, 123; picture of Old settlers, recollections taken ver- batim as sources for this history, 9; their assistance acknowledged, 9 O'Connor, James, 102 192 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY O'Connor, Thomas, 102 O'Connor, Thomas, elected county attorney, 1886, Appendix A; elected county attorney, 1888, Ap- pendix A; elected attorney, 1892, Appendix A O 'ConneU, William, 121 Odland, Anna, elected superintend- ent, 1903, Appendix A G'Grady, P., 154 Ohio, nativity of Sergeant Carter in border brigade, 77 Okoboji Lakes, settlement at, 30; massacre at, 30, 31 Oleson, M. N., 155 Olney, Dr., of Fort Dodge, 44 Olsen, James, 99 Olsen, Lars, 99 Olson, Peter, came to county, 97 Ormsby, Col. E. S., locates in old town, 118; organizes Methodist church, 118, 119; establishes first bank, 116 ; moves house and bank, 129; plants wheat in new town, 133; president Des Moines River E. R., 141; portrait, 133 Ormsby, A. L., arrival of bride of, 120; builds brick house, 133 Ormsby, Scot, 107 Oshier, H. N., 151 Osgood, founding of, 149 ; history of, 101, 102, 149, 150; railroad race through, 143, 144 Osgood, Canada, 150 Owen, son acts as guide through high water, 99 Owens, P. H., 154 Owens, Robert C, came to county, 97 Palo Alto township, 64 Palo Alto, rich and fertile, 9; first setlement in, May, 1855, 15; first prairie broken in, 16; soil untrod by permanent settlers, 14; first travelers over, 14; Major Sher- man's march through, 20; Wil- liam D. Powers settles in, 20; Irish settlement in, 22 ; settlers in, knew nothing of Spirit Lake mas- sacre, relief expedition reach, 33; letters from, 43; settlers in, 43; climate severe, 43; beauties of, 43; first marriages in, 44; settle- ment of Myles Mahan in, 49 ; first mail service in, 54; speculative county seats in, 58, 59, 60, 61; need of county organization, 62; part of original Fayette county, 62; established as a new county, 62; named after battle of Palo Alto in Mexican war, 62, 63; at- tached to Boone county for gov- ernmental purposes, 63; attached to Webster county, 63; organized as a separate county government, 63, 64; first election in, abstract of votes, 64, 65; smoothness of county government, 73; volunteers in northern border brigade, from, 77; anxiety in, during border troubleSj 78; guns and amunition distributed to settlers in, 77; homestead proof made at Fort Dodge office, 80; western tier of counties at Sioux City office, 80; settlement delayed during war, 81; population of, 81; census shows growth of, 81; stage lines in, 88, 89; freight lines in, 90; early newspapers in, 90, 91; pays old indebtedness in full, 94; home- steaders coming to, 99; period of growth for, 106; advance of in population and prosperity, 106; impressions of a traveler to, 1869, 107, 108; land prices in, 138; in- dustries of, 138; schools of, 138; modern aspects of, 156, 157, 158; value of farms of, 156; banking strength of, 156; trade and busi- INDEX 193 ness of, 156; products of, 157; social conditions of, 157; modern towns of, 157, 158; advantages of, 158; map of, frontispiece Palo Alto bounded, 62 Palo Alto SepoHer, cited, 44 note- cited, 54 note ' Palo Alto Printing Company, pub- lished the Pilot, 119 Palo Alto Advance, published in Old Town in 1870, no copies left, 8; published at, 90 Palo Alto Patriot, published in 1873, no copies left, 8; published in 1873, 91; started, 119; extra copy of, 119 note Palo Alto Tribune, 118 note Paoli, old postoffice at, 55; location of county seat at, 67; located by county seat commissioner, 60; court house and school house built at, 60; failure to develop town, 60; abandoned, 61; court house, description of, 68; school house at, 68; description of, 68; desertion of, 69; residence of volunteers, 77 ; steam saw mill at, 85; contract for buildings at, 86; court house at, untenantable, 92; brick from court house at, 107, 108, 133 "Paddy in the Bush," 121 "Paddy on the Flat," 121 "Paddy Green," 121 Parmeter brings news of massacre from Lakes, 32 Pattersonville, 142 Patton, Lille, elected superintendent, 1906, Appendix A; elected super- intendent, 1908, Appendix A Pease, Luther L., 63 ; vote for sen- ator, 71 Peddie, Alex., statement of, cited, 127; comes to old town, 115; por- trait, 119 Pendergast, John, came to county. 54; elected justice of the peace, 65; elected clerk, 1861, Appendix A Pendleburg, George, 154 Pennsylvania, 11th Cavalry, 75; Palo Alto county, soldiers in, 75 Perking, Henry, elected superintend- ent, 1879, Appendix A Perry, Izac, came to county, 96 Perry, W. I., 101 Peterson, Peter O., 98 Peterson, Thomas, 99 Peterson, E., came to county, 96 Peterson, owns first threshing ma- chine in county, 85 Phoenix, J. B., came to county, 97 Pharoah, plague of locusts, in time of, 136 Pike, H. A., elected superintendent, 1881, Appendix A Pilot, published in 1874, partial file only of, 8; issued in old town, 119, 120; published at Emmets- burg, 1874, 91; description of, 120; incomplete file of preserved, 120 note, 131 note; items from. Appendix D Pioneers fast passing away, 7; per- petuate achievements of, 9; charm surrounding life of first settlers, 11; increases with passing of frontier life, 11; adventures of, 11; endure hardships to found a home, 11 ; first experiences at Irish settlement, 23; incident il- lustrating diflSculty of, 43; of Iowa and the Civil War, 74; of Palo Alto county and Civil War, 74; locate in timber, 81; home- steaders locate on prairie, 80, 81; pioneers' privations of, described, 82, 83; pleasures of, 106; women of, self-sacrifice of, 106; troubles with grasshoppers, 135-137; effect of hard times on, 136, 137; desti 194 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY tution of, 137; return of prosper- ity, 137, 138 Pleasant Hill, Palo Alto soldiers in battle of, 75 Plover, 152 Plymouth county, 117 Pocahontas county, services at, 56, 60, 67, 117 Pocahontas, prairie fire coming from, 81 Political organization in detail, 62, 73; established, 73; campaigns, 92, 93, 94, 95; close for years, 95 Pollock, William B., joins relief ex- pedition, 34; county seat commis- sioner, 60; county seat commis- sioner, 67 Pond, E. G., bills saw-mill, 108, 112, 113 Population of Palo Alto county, 156 Post, Sam, came to county, 96 Potatoes, price in 1871, 100 Potter & Scovington, 146 Pottawattomie Indians, 12 Powhattan, services at, 56 Powers, William D., letter to semi- centennial committee, 14 note; let- ters from, 15 note; joining West Bend colony, 20; tells his story, 20, 21; letter of, cited, 21 note; marriage of, 44; elected justice of the peace, 65; elected township clerk, 65 ; justice of the peace, 72 county canvasser, 72; enlists lu Civil War, 75; elected recorder, 1868, Appendix A; portrait, 20 Prairie, first broken in the county, 16 Prairie fires, menace of, 51; ex- amples of terror of, 51; burns out Jacobs, 81, 82 Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, 123, 124, 126 Presidential campaign in, 1860, 72, 73 Presbyterian church, organized, 56 Prices for produce in 1871, 105 Products of Palo Alto county, 157 Prospectus of Palo Alto Democrat, published at Soda Bar, Appendix E Protestant church, in old town, 118 Prouty, J. N., takes homestead, 99; moves back to Humboldt, 99; de- scription of McCormiek hospital- ity, 46, 47, 48; letter of, cited, 48 note Prouty, Tom, 99 Prouty, T. J., elected clerk, 1874, Appendix A; elected clerk, 1876, Appendix A; elected clerk, 1878, Appendix A Prouty, Chester, 99 Pugsley, George, 97 Public Park of Emmetsburg, secured, 124 QUIGLET, B., 98 Quigley, Peter, 98 Eadigan, p., 101 Eailroad, Des Moines River, pro- jected, 141 Bandall, Ezekial, and family, came to county, 96 Bead, Washington, vote as candidate for treasurer and recorder, 71 Beam, Daniel, elected superintendent, 1864, Appendix A Bed End, see Inkpadutah Beed, M., came to county, 96 Beed, William, settled in county, 53 Begister 4" Leader, cited, 119 note Begister of elections cited, 64 note, 70 notes, 71 note, 72 note Beichle, August, 150 Belief expedition recruited, 33; starts on march, 33; reaches Palo Alto county, 33; experiences of, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41; trials in crossing Cylinder creek, 37, 38, INDEX 195 39, 40; courage of, 41; importance of in history, 41 Religious service, first in county, 56 Reporter, Palo Alto, complete flies preserved, 8; started, 1876, 91; cited, 134 note, 136 note, 138 note, 140 note, 141 note, 142 note Republican, three first votes in coun- ty, 71; votes for governor, 71; MeCormick's first three, 71 note; four votes for president in 1860, 72; campaign of 1870, 92, 93, 94 Republican paper, 91 Resolution, asking relief for county, Appendix C Revision of 1860, cited, 66 note Richards, J. C, came to county, 97 Richards, Charles B., captain of Co. A of relief expedition, 33; remin- iscences of, cited, 34 note, 39 note ; at Shippey's, joins command after storm, 40 Richardson, Ralph, 97 Richardson, William, 97 Richardson, Thomas, 97 Richardson, Pearl, elected recorder, 1906, Appendix A; elected record- er, 1908, Appendix A Rierson, Anfin, 101 Rierson, Halver, 101 Riverdale farm, 53, 58 Robinson, Judge, 140 Robins, John, 103; elected superin- tendent, 1871, Appendix A; elect- ed auditor, 1877, Appendix A; elected auditor, 1879, Appendix A Rocky Mountains, grasshoppers from, 135 Rodman, McCormicks located near, 44; founding of, 148; history of, 148, 149 Rogers, John, came to county, 96 Rolfe, state route to, 88, 89 Root house of pioneer cabin, 23 Roper, F. H., becomes landlord of the Valley House, 115, 116, state- ment of, cited, 116 note Roper's Hall, Appendix D Roper, Bill, stormbound on stage, 89 Rowen, Rev. J. E., editor of Filot, 120 Rund, Adam, came to county, 96 Rupert, John, came to county, 96 Rural schools, in county, 157 Rural mail routes in county, 157 Rush Lake township, newcomers in, 96, 152 ; experiences of Carters at, 17 Rustabakke, 8. A., 98 Rutland, Humboldt county, 45; stag- ing to, 88 Ruthven, Robert, owns townsite, 101, 145 Ruthven, founding of town of, 145; history of, 145, 146 Ruthven, Alex, 101 ; owns townsite, 145 Ruthven, John, 101 Ruthvens, 101 Ryan, Myles, came to county, 85 Ryder, Orin, 99 Ryder, "William, 99 Ryder, Silas, 101 Sac and Fox Indians, sell land to Dubuque, 12 note Sage, first name of Emmetsburg, 132 Sage, Russell, 132 Salter, Wm., Iowa, the first free state in the Louisiana purchase, 12 note Sands, T. H., 153 Sanders, Ed., 96 Sanders, H., 96 Sanford, Filo, 96 Sater, Andrew, 97 Saunders, W. E. G., mansion of, 121 Saw Mill, at Paoli, 85; service to settlers, 85 196 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY Sawyer, John, 97 Sawyers, Colonel, commanding bor- der brigade, 78; reports of, 78 Scarlet Point, see Inkpadutah Scandinavian settlement, in Palo Alto county, 99, 100 Schaffer, of Dakota City, McCor- micks stop with, 44 Schneider, John, 97 Schneider, Mike, came to county, 96 School at West Bend, 56 School, at Graettinger, 151, 152 School, first in county, 55 Schools, organiation of, 55; of mod- ern Palo Alto county, 157 ; increas- ing, 138; superintendent of, 138 "School section," of Coonan house, 111, 112 Schoonmaker & Hall, 154 Schuler, Mike, 96 Scofleld, A. J., came to county, 96 Scott, James, vice-president county fair, 140 Seasnbumer, Anton, came to county. Secession, as an issue in Civil War, 74 Seely, L., 98 Semi-Centennial, Palo Alto county, at Emmetsburg, Iowa, July, 1906, renewed historical associations, 8; containing autograph register of visitors, 8 Semi-Centennial committee, letters to, 15 note; letter of Mr. Carter to, 19 Semi-Centennial Eecord Book, cited, 54 note, 125 note, 118 note, 114 note Settlement of Paoli Court House matter. Appendix B Settlement of judgment, 87; com- pleted by supervisors, 87; poor lo- cation of, 87; abandonment of, 87; interior furnishiiigs of, 87 Settlement, genesis of, shows charac- ter of development, 10; Western, delayed by CivU War, 80 Sharp, Mrs. Abbie Gardner, sole sur- vivor of Spirit Lake massacre, 30; described Spirit Lake massacre, 30, 31; history of Spirit Lake massacre, cited, 30 note, 31 notes, 34 note Sharp, Seth, 56 Shade tree city, Emmetsburg as, 133 Sheperd, J. W., came to county, 97 Sherlock postoface, 97 Sherlock, Patrick, came to county, 96, 97 Sherlock, James, 97 Sherlock, Dan, 97 Sherlock, John, 97 Sherlock, Joe, 97 Sherman, Major, march through county in 1854, 20 Sheas, came to county, 54 Shea, -William, came to county, 85, 121; finds bones of Johnson and Burkholder, 36 Shea, W. H., forms partnership with White, 115; plays joke on Fitz- gerald, 116, 94, 113, 139; elected auditor, 1873, Appendix A Shea, Thomas, came to county, 85, 121 Shea, John, came to county, 85; elected drainage commissioner, 64; elected drainage commissioner, 1858, Appendix A Shea, Eobert, came to county, 85, 121, 139; elected clerk, 1870, Ap- pendix A; elected clerk, 1872, Ap- pendix A; elected treasurer, 1877, Appendix A; elected treasurer, 1879, Appendix A; elected treas- urer, 1881, Appendix A; elected treasurer, 1883, Appendix A Sheldon, 141 Shippey's, flour found at, 34; relief INDEX 197 expedition reaches, 34; relief ex- pedition at, 38, 39, 40, 85 Shippey, Bobt., candidate for drain- age commiBBioner, 64 Shippey, William, settled in county, 48 Shippey, James, candidate for coun- ty surveyor, 64 Shippey, John, vote for candidate for county surveyor, 72 Shriner, E. E., 149 Sidominatodah, d«ath of, 28 Silver creek, bridge over, 69 Silver Lake township, settlers in, 96; some early history of, article, cited, 97 note Simonson, A., 101 Simmons, Jason, came to county with McFarland, 43 Sioux City, Iowa, 22, 113, 140; land ofSce, western tier of townships, land proof at, 80 Sioux Indians, camped near West Bend settlement, 16; trouble with, 16; camp near Carters', 17; ex- periences of, 18, 20; ferocity of, 27; trouble of with Lott, 27, 28 ; ■ treachery of Lott towards, 28; death of chief, Sidomimato- dah, 28; Inkpadutah becomes chief, 29; vengeance of, 30; per- petrate Spirit Lake massacre, 30, 31; outbreak in Minnesota, 1862, 76; on war path to the south, 76; brigade turns Indians northward, 77; prevents trouble in Iowa, 78 Skow, J. J., 99 Slater, Mrs. Thomas, writes of early experiences, 104, 105; letter of, cited, 105 note Slater, Thomas, freight, 90; came to county, 102; tells of early experi- ences in, 102, 103, 104; letter of, cited, 104 note; prices of produce, described by, 105; statement of, cited, 105 note Slavery, as an issue in the Civil War, 74 Sleepy Eye, chief of the Sioux, 18; chief of Indians near Crowley's, 25; camped at Crowley's grove, 32 note Sloan, Orrin, came -to county, 85 Sloan, W. S., came to county, 85 Sloan, David, came to county, 85 Sloan, WiUiam, 149 . Smith, Sistory of Dickinson County, 30; cited, 34 note Smith, Private, at Shippey 's, joins command after storm, 40 Smith, Joe, 110 Smith, Father J. J., first pastor of first church, 117; comes to Em- metsburg, 117; extent of Parish, 117; wide influence of, through Northwest, 118 ; statement of, cited, 117 note; sketch of life of, 118 note, portrait, 117 Smithland, Indians go to, 30 ; trouble at, 30 Snow, H. I., 97 Snyder, J. M., 46 Soda Bar, 55; postoffice established at, 56; staging from, 88 Society of early pioneer, 55 Soda Bar, Democrat published at, in 1869, 8; published at, 119 Sod houses, built by homesteaders, 80, 81 Soldiers, special land concessions to, 80 Soners, J. T., 101 Soper, E. B., 139, 146 South, The, in the Civil War, 74 Spaulding, D. W., elected superin- tendent, 1867, Appendix A Spaulding, James, 101 Spencer, stage line through, 101, 113 Spies, Jacob, 150 198 HISTORY OP PALO ALTO COUNTY Spies, J. A., 150, 151 Spirit Lake, peaceful settlement at, 30 ; massacre at, 30, 31 ; detach- ment sent to bury dead at, 36 ; Myles Mahan stops at, 51; mail service to, 54; travel to, 50; Ma- han 's a half way house, 50; road to, staked out, 50, 51; stage to, 117, 66 note; saw mill at, 85, 14:2, 143 Spirit Lake expedition, see relief ex- pedition Spirit Lake massacre, causes of, 13; border troubles, causes of, 13, 25, 30, 31; history of, cited, 30 note, 31 note; Indians prisoners of, escape, 49, 50; memory of terrifies settlers, 78 Springfield, United States troops quartered at, 35 Springfield, Minnesota, Indians camp near, 30; refugees from, meet re- lief expedition, 35 Sprout, C. N., 98 Sprout, L. N., 98 Sprout, A. L., 98 Stafford, Bill, 153 Stage, regular trips made by, 88 ; description of experiences in stag- ing, 88, 89, 90 ; routes of, 88, 89 Stakes towns, 58; fight to build up, 130, 131 Starr, William, 113 State election in, abstract of votes, 71, 72 Stebbins, J. P., came to county, 96 Stedman, Sim E., elected auditor, 1906, Appendix A; elected auditor, 1908, Appendix A Steil, Nicholas, came to county, 96 Sterner, O. A., came to county, 96 Stewart, Charles, came to county, 85 St. Louis, 20 St. Paul, 20 Stock, restraining of, carried in county. Appendix D Stockdale, John M., buys swamp land, 59 ; cousin of Governor Kirk- wood, 59 note; secures appoint- ment of commissioner, 59, 60; se- cures control of land, 60; builds court house and school house, 60; assignee of Clark contract, 69; brought steam saw miU to county, 85; assignee of contract for court house at Paoli, 86; suit against, 86, 87; settlement of, 87; difS- culties over swamp titles, 139 Straight, John, county seat commis- sioner, 60, 67 Stratton, Lieutenant, 36 Stone, Ira D., came to county, 83 Stone, J. E., came to county, 96 Stone, Mrs. Isabel McCormick, comes to county, 44; description of jour- ney, 44; letters of cited, 44 note Struthers', 56 Stuehmer, Lewis, elected recorder, 1888, Appendix A; elected record- er, 1890, Appendix A; elected re- corder, 1892, Appendix A Substitutes, hired from county for Civil War, 75, 76 Supreme Court of Iowa, case inwlv- ing title in Palo Alto county, 63 Swamp lands, difficulties over, 139 Swessinger, G., came to county, 96 Sweeny, Michael, paper on relief ex- pedition, cited, 36 note Sylvester, Orrin, settled in county, 48; elected coroner, 64; elected coroner, 1858, Appendix A Teachers' Institute, Appendix D Telhauer, J. C, came to county, 96 Terwilliger, Chas , 155 Teuland, stage route to, 89 Thatcher, Julius, came to county, 96 Thompson, William, 148 INDEX 199 Thompson, J. M., 97 Thoreson, Simon, 100 Thoreson, Lars, 100 Threshing machine, first in county, 86 Threshing for Martin Coonan, 1871, picture of, 107 Tilford, James, 147 Tobin-Mulroney settlement, at Soda Bar, 83 Tobins & Mulroneys, saw mill at, 85 Tobin & Company's store, moved, 129 Tobin, Alice, came to county, 54; postmistress at Soda Bar, 56; postmistress, 88 Tobins, hauls hay from Jacobs, 82 Tobin, Thomas, came to county, 54; postmaster at Soda Bar, 56; elect- ed sheriff, 64; elected justice of the peace, 65; postmaster, 88; starts store, at old town, 119, 121; trade of, while moving, 129; pop- ularity of store of, 130; builds brick store building, 133; elected sheriff, 1858, Appendix A; por- trait, 56 Town lots, sale of, in Emmetsburg, 132 Trade and Business in modern Palo Alto County, 156 Trapping, by early settlers, 24, 51 ; at Mahan 's, 51 Treat, E. D., came to county, 97 Trees, planting of, began early in Emmetsburg, 132, 133 Tressler, F. W., came to county, 96 Tribune, Palo Alto, cited, 134 note Troug, John, Sr., came to county, 96 Turner, Frederick J., "significance of the frontier in American his- tory," 10 note Umposhota, captures prisoner, 30 Underwood, James H., came to coun- ty, 83 ; supervisor, 86 ; elected sup- erintendent and coroner, 1865, Ap- pendix A; elected clerk, 1866, Ap- pendix A Union, as an issue in the Civil War, 74 Union church, in old town, 118 United States, soldiers of, protect- ing Indian title, 12; dragoons at forts for protection of frontier, 13; troops of, march through Palo Alto county, 14; camp on shore of Lake in, 14; cession of Indians' lands to, 27; mounted troops of after Indians, 35 Upper Des Moines Bepuhlican, cited, 50 note Utter, A. W., editor of Pilot, 120; secretary Des Moines River R. R. Co., 141 Valley House, hotel at old town, 115, Appendix D Vance, E. P., came to county, 95 Vanderryt, B., came to county, 96 Van Gordon, P. F., settled near Graettinger, 102; portrait, 88 Vernon Township, settlers in, 102 Volunteers from, 75 Wagner, Fbbd, 98 Wagner, John, came to county, 96 Walker, F. E., 98 Wall Street, 137 Walnut grove, camping at, 19 Walnut township, first school in, 55, 100; other settlers in, 101, 150 Walsh, John, 98 Walsh, Thomas, came to county, 85, 121; elected recorder, 1878, Ap- pendix A; elected recorder, 1882, Appendix A; elected recorder, 1880, Appendix A; elected record- er, 1884, Appendix A Walsh, Terrence, 98 200 HISTORY OF PALO ALTO COUNTY Walsh, Robert, 98 Warrants, to pay for war substi- tutes, 75, 76 Warren, C. 8., came to county, 85 Washington, soldiers reach, 75 Water, high, on prairie, 99 Waucousta, staging at, 89 Waverly hotel, built, 133 Waverly hotel, 128 Wealth, of modern Palo Alto county, 156 Webster county, 60, 63, 67 Webster City, news of massacre, stirs, 38; relief expedition raised at; officers from, 33 Webster, H. A., 97 Wells, A. A., gets right of way for railroad, 143, 150 Wells, George, 155 Wells, F. H., elected recorder, 1902,' Appendix A; elected recorder, 1904, Appendix A Wening, M., came to county, 96 Wessar, G., 98 Wessar, Philip, 98 Wessar, Theo., 98 West Bend settlement, first settle- ment at, 15, 15 note; Carter moved to, 16 note; building of first cab- ins at, 16; West Bend, W. D. Powers settled at, 20; importance of settlement at, 21; referred to, 42; James Linn joins, 44; some setlers near, 44; McCormicks at, 44, 45; John McCormick arrives at, 45; describes early experiences at, 45, 46; school at, 56; voted for Hickey party, 64; Carter en- lists from, 75; Jacobs family join, 81, 85; staging at, 88, 89 West Bend, town of, founded, 146; history of, 146, 147, 148 West Bend tovraship, Carter settled on Section 21 in, 16 note; Mo- Farlands settle in, 43 ; new settlers after war, 83; new settlers in, 95, 146 West Bend house, 148 Westward movement, description of the successive stages of, 10 Whalen, Michael, came to county, 97 Wheelock, brings news of massacre from lakes, 32 White, Geo. M., came to county, 96 White, E. J., builds house, 120 White, James P., taught first school, 55; came to county, 83; elected county treasurer, 83, 84, 87, 88; storm bound on stage, 89; buying warrants, 93, 94; candidate for county treasurer, 94, 113; forma partnership with Shea, 115; plays joke on Fitzgerald, 116; publishes Democrat, 119; elected treasurer, 1865, Appendix A; elected sur- veyor, 1865, Appendix A; elected treasurer, 1867, Appendix A; elected treasurer, 1869, Appendix A White & Shea, office for holding court, 92; offilce of moved, 128 Whitehead, Charles E., 152, 153 Whitman, G. V., came to county, 97 Whitman, Ward, trapped in county, 53; vote as candidate for clerk, 71 Wilcox, D. M., came to county, 96 Wild fowl, abundant, 24 Wildey, Leslie, 151 Wiley, William, came to county, 97 Williams, Major William, takes charge of expedition for relief of Spirit Lake people, 33; takes pre- cautions against Indian surprise, 35; secures provisions, 36; at Shippey's, joins command after storm, 40 Williams, O. O., came to county, 96 Williams, James E., elected county attorney, 1906, Appendix A; elect- INDEX 201 ed county attorney, 1908, Append- ix A Williamson, Ole, came to county, 97 Willis, Charles, came to county, 97 Wilson, J. J., freight Une, 90 Wilson, T. C, came to county, 85 Wisconsin, 43, 102 Wisconsin territorial legislature, 62; journal of cited, 62 note Winnipeg, 142 Women, self sacrifice of pioneer, 106 Woodin, Freeman, 98 Wooley, John, 98 Yankton Indians, capture W. D. Powers at Devil's Lake, 21 Yeager, C. P., 98 Young, Dr. A. C, came to county, 97 Young, J. C, came to county, 97; statement of, cited, 97 note; moved to Emmetsburg, 97; state- ment of, cited, 133 Zahn, Geobge, 151 Ziegler, Charles, 153