OTHER SETTLERS IN 1852

W. W. MCKINNEY first came to Iowa in 1839, but moved to Hamilton county in August, 1852. He settled just north of Hook's Point.

ELZIAR RUSSELL came in September, 1852, and settled on the southeast quarter of section 9-87-26, the farm which is now known as the Low Lawn Stock Farm. He began at once to make permanent improvements, and resided there until the winter of 1853-4, when he moved to section 7 in the same township. His new claim was a piece of ground claimed by the Des Moines River Land Company and joined the town plat of Homer. Mr. Russell made some improvements, but did not occupy the land long, becoming interested in town property in Homer, as well as in some mill property in Webster county.

THE FIRST MILL

ANDREW GLOSECLOSE, with his son and daughter, came to the county in the summer of 1852. He built a dam across Boone river on section 15-87-26, preparatory to building a mill. He had been in the milling business on Big Creek, about three miles north of Polk City, in Polk county, for several years, but that stream had gone dry in the summer and the location was not good. Major Brassfield had visited the mill and told him of some excellent mill sites on the "East Fork" and persuaded him to move up here. After finishing up the dam and putting up a pole cabin, to the square, he went back to Polk county, and in December brought the rest of the family. The snow was deep, the weather cold, and the cabin had no roof. He planted two "forks" in the ground, put a pole across, and stood up poles, covering them with bark, thus providing a temporary abode until the cabin could be finished. The next year he had his mill moved and set up, and sometime in 1853 was ready to grind wheat and corn. Lewis McCrary and Wm. Strickler were the men employed to set up the mill. The burrs for the mill were made of an Iowa "Niggerhead," in Polk county, and though not equal to the finer burrs of a modern mill, they did fair work. This was the first grist mill in the county. Mr. Gloseclose also brought along a hand mill, called in these days a corn cracker, for grinding corn. He also put in a sawmill in connection with his grist mill. He ran the mill about two or three years and sold to Snell, Butterworth & Messmore, and they sold to Charles Fisher and it is known to most of the residents of the county as the "Fisher Mill." Miss Sarah Gloseclose was a girl of thirteen when she accompanied her father and brother to this county in 1852. In 1857 she married Morgan Hill and lived for many years near the place where her father first settled, and from her we learned the facts above stated. Mrs. Hill can remember when elk were so plentiful that her father and a neighbor caught two of them in the deep snow, and after tying them up, came to the house for a sled and brought both of them in alive. They tried to tame them but they refused to be tamed and finally died. She feels quite sure that Isaac Hook must have brought the first goods into the county, for she remembers that before moving to Hamilton county, Mr. Hook rented a house near their mill in Polk county and brought goods there and opened a store. in charge of it. The goods were supplied

Frank Hook, then a young man was from his store in this county and the

reason given for bringing the goods back was that there were not enough people to sell them to.

Among the other arrivals in 1852 were John Whaley, who came in September; Washington Neese, who came in November; and W. W. McLaughlin, who came in December; while Dan and John Devore, Philamen Johnson, Mr. Eckerson and John Cofer all came during the year and settled near Hook's Point and Homer.

AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER

There was also another, a very eccentric character, who settled near Homer about this time. This was E. H. West, who afterwards became sheriff of the county. He was part of the time a most devout leader in religious matters and part of the time an equally persistent worshiper at the shrine of Bacchus. His revels rarely passed without his becoming deeply intoxicated. He was greatly elated over the honor of being sheriff of the county and was anxious that everybody should recognize his importance. If he met a stranger he would always stop and inquire his name and where he was going, and would then add, "My name, sir, is West, E. H. West, sir, high sheriff of Webster county." He left the county after a few years and while all of the old settlers remember him and have many a hearty laugh over his many eccentricities, no one knows where he went or what became of him.

There may have been other arrivals during this year, but if so no record of the fact has ever been made and no one recollects that others came.

A PIONEER PRAYER MEETING

Up to this time, January 1, 1853, if any minister or schoolteacher had plied his vocation in the county, we have failed to find the old settler who remembers the fact. Spiritual matters were not, however, entirely neglected. Prayer meetings were occasionally held at the cabins of the settlers, and these devotions were as earnest and devout, if not more so, than those held in palatial cathedrals where the auxiliaries of civilization count for more than a contrite heart.

It is reported that at one of these early meetings, while all were on their knees, a billy goat walked into the cabin door, and cautiously advancing behind the one leading in prayer, slowly, but harder and a little harder bumped the praying settler while louder prayed the devout man. Finally the goat, intent on attracting attention, gave a resounding butt, which sent the leader of prayer over the chair in front of which he knelt. In the meantime everyone in the house had become aware of the goat's doings and was holding fast his mouth, and suppressing his "risibilities" with might and main. But when the good brother went sprawling over his chair, and, in anger bred in this moment of misfortune, exclaimed, "d-m the goat," a roar of laughter filled the cabin. Further prayers were dispensed with for that time, but it is scarcely necessary to remark that when prayer meetings were held in that house thereafter, the goat was safely tied up.

ARRIVALS IN 1853

Fewer settlers came to the county in 1853, than had come in the two previous years. We do not make mention of the settlements in what is now Webster county. Those who came to Hamilton county, so far as they have been reported, were John N. Maxwell, J. M. Funk, Wm. W. Funk, J. R. Payne, N. Branch, Elisha Neese, Geo. Neese, Patrick Frakes and his sons and Rosco Royster. There may have been others, but we have not met them or heard of them.

Jacob Funk and Wm. W. Funk came in June, 1853, and went back east the following fall. While here, they entered about two hundred acres of land on the Boone river just south of what is now Webster City. They employed Wilson Brewer to get out five thousand rails with which the work of fencing could be done. They returned to this county the next spring.

George Neese settled on the southeast quarter of section 21-87-26, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred a few years ago. His widow, Susan Neese, resided there until her death in 1888.

Patrick Frakes took up a claim in what is now Cass township, but as the land lying north of the correction line did not come into market until in the summer or fall of 1854, he was unable to enter his claim until then.

Rosco Royster settled near Homer.

John N. Maxwell looked over the country, entered a claim and went back to Indiana, but returned the next year. His favorable report of the country brought his father, Judge John D. Maxwell, and several other families within the next two or three years.

"CLAIM JUMPERS"

In the spring of 1853 the lands had all been surveyed and placed on the market. Quite a number of early settlers made a business to enter choice lands in the name of different members of their family and many transients came and went, entering lands.

The land office was then at Fort Des Moines and choice lands were selected and frequent trips made to Des Moines, not unfrequently on foot. Speculators came, selected lands, and entered them on their return.

It not unfrequently happened that they took the numbers of land already occupied by a settler who was making improvements and had neglected to secure the title to his claim by formal entry. Men who did this were called claim jumpers, and the settlers made it very unpleasant for a claim jumper if he returned in person to claim one of these selections. These claim jumpers were speculators, however, and very seldom returned, as their entries were made to sell, and were usually sold to emigrants, while on the way. In consequence of this class of entries, much litigation and bad blood was engendered, and the settlers, acting together to protect each other in their improvements, usually succeeded in making it so unpleasant for a man with a "jumped" claim, that he was glad to compromise by receiving his entry money back.

Another reason why settlers were so annoyed, was that many of them did not have the money with which to make entry and so took possession, made improvements and trusted to the future for the opportunity and means to secure their titles. Speculators sometimes took advantage of this, and filed against their lands.

THE FIRST LAND ENTRY

The oldest entry in this county that we have been able to find, was made by Thomas Williams. He entered 400 acres in 31-88-25 and in 36-88-26 June 25, 1853.

"SLOUGHING DOWN"

During this year the first mill was built in the county. Prior to that for awhile, the nearest mill was at Red Rock, south of Des Moines, but later there were erected one or two mills in Polk county. Trips were made to these mills with ox teams and as there were no bridges north of Des Moines, and only a few south of there, the going was anything but pleasant. Ox teams were better however, for wading sloughs and crossing streams than horses, as they could work through where horses and mules would mire down. Still it not unfrequently happened, that even ox teams were stuck in a slough, when it would become necessary for the wagoner to carry the load out on his back, piecemeal, then draw the wagon out, usually by means of a cable chain hooked to the end of the wagon tongue. So often did the "sloughing down" process happen, that no settler even ventured away from home with a team without being supplied with cable chains or heavy rope, with which to draw out if he got stuck in the mud. There was not a bridge in the county, as yet, and more curious still, no apparent effort had been made to get one.

PIONEER DWELLINGS

The settlers were mostly poor and unable to buy lumber sufficient for their own wants, and as the revenues of the county for the first year after its organization did not reach $1200, it will be seen that there were no means at hand to secure bridges, even where they were most badly needed. Houses were built from cellar to garret without sawed lumber and in many instances, without nails. The walls were of round or hewn logs, the opening between them being chinked up with strips of wood and "daubed" with mud. The floors and doors were made with "puncheons" split out of logs and dressed with an ax. The roof was made of "shakes" rived out of logs and held in place by weights laid over each layer of "clapboards." Some were fortunate enough to have glass windows, but even this luxury was denied to many; in which case slats were fastened across the window opening and greased paper pasted over them. In some cases even this was not done, and the openings were left open, and were closed only when severe cold weather demanded it. Large holes were bored into the logs which formed the wall of the house and into these seasoned stakes were driven, extending into the room far enough to support a bed, and sometimes two or three bunks of this kind were made, one above the other. Slabs or "puncheons" were fixed against the wall in the same manner for cupboard and water bench. Chairs were made without backs, though some settlers could make rough ones with "splint" bottoms. Every log cabin had its huge open fire place-for stoves were not used by the earliest settlers-where great log fires were built, and upon the broad stone hearth the good wife and sturdy daughters did the family baking. When good flour or corn meal was to be had, what grand light bread or corn "pone" these pioneer dames could make, and many a pioneer's mouth will water at the recollection of

it. Suspended from the crane over the fire was a chain with a hook upon which pots and kettles were hung for cooking. Coffee, corn bread, venison, crab apples and hominy, these were the substantials of life. Wheat bread, sugar, etc., were luxuries, to be set out on holiday occasions or when "company" came, and not infrequently they were taken off the table before the children (at the second table) got at them. Sometimes, however, a lump of sugar was given to a hungry little fellow to give him an idea of the good things he too could enjoy when he grew up and became "company."

PIONEER HOSPITALITY

The rough and rugged lives, thus environed by such uninviting conditions, were filled with much kindness, and it was rare, indeed that the needy passerby failed to obtain free shelter and relief.

The rude doors were fastened by a wooden latch on the inside. A string was attached to this latch and passed out through a hole in the door above, which, being pulled from the outside, raised the latch. To draw in the string, was to lock the door more securely than can be done with the patent locks of the present day. There was no picking such a lock. These latch strings were always out to the new comer and neighboring settler. It was the sign of hospitality, a very hearty invitation to call being often expressed by the sentence: "Our latch string will always be out."

Was a new cabin to be built, all the settlers for miles around were sure to be there. The logs were cut and put in place, the cabin roofed, floored, daubed, and not infrequently a country dance was held in the new cabin at night. Every settler worked with a will all day, and if any imbibed so freely as to be a little uncertain on his feet at night, little heed was paid to the fact.

Still, a sentiment in favor of temperance, caused no doubt by witnessing the frequent drunks which the ever present whisky jug created, ripened into a prohibitory law which at an election had the sanction of a majority of the electors of this county.

ARRIVALS IN 1854

The year 1854 was destined to be one of more importance to the county than any that had yet preceded it. It was in this year, that what might be called the real settlement of the county began.

As has been seen by those who have read the former chapters of this history, the emigrants prior to 1854 were few and far between. It is probable that the whole population of the county of Webster did not exceed 300 on the first day of January, 1854. The garrison at Ft. Dodge had abandoned the place in September, 1853, and moved westward to Ft. Ridgley, leaving, according to an old Iowa bulletin, only three men at Ft. Dodge, viz: Wm. Williams, his son James B., and a discharged soldier named Joseph Sweet.

Among the arrivals this year-1854-were T. J. Ament, H. Gage, W. J. Silvers, L. B. Hill, Benj. Beach, B. B. Segar, Tolman Wiltsey, R. D. Remmington, S. K. Boak, H. V. Boak, Joseph Fisher, A. Brock, Bailey Brock, H. M. Barstow, Robert Scott, J. F. Butler, W. C. Royster, George Cooper, Alanson Dickinson and A. J. Barr.

David, Than and Ben Beach, Geo. Cooper and Tolman Wiltsey, came together