THOMAS VIRDEN VISITS MULLAN'S HILL AFTER FIFTY-EIGHT YEARS

One of the first Settlers of Waterloo Returns After Long Absence -- Recognizes Home of Niece, Mrs. Elizabeth Davison -- Visitor Keen Mentally and Active Physically, Although 84 Years of Age.

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When the forenoon Rock Island passenger train pulled into the Union station yesterday an elderly man, grip in hand alighted and after inquiring of a bystander in regard to the direction in which Mrs. Elizabeth Davison lived, he wended his way towards "Mullan's Hill."

Thomas Virden, for such he was, found his way to his niece's residence and crossed the threshold for the first time in 58 years. Mr. Viden is a typical pioneer and the story of his life and the various experiences he has passed thru would make an interesting narrative.

"Altho it was so long ago that I last saw this house, I recognized the place at once," remarked Mr. Virden to a Courier and Reporter representative at the Davison home last evening. "I miss the wide veranda and the rail fence that ran in front where those cottonwoods stand and also the pair of big greyhounds that would leap the fence so lightly and run down and kill coyotes on the prairie over there," pointing to the south.

Mr. Virden, at that time 20 years of age, reached Prairie Rapids, crossing the future townsite of Waterloo, on the first day of July, 1851, making the journey overland from Wayne county, Illinois, with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Virden, and other memebers of the family. A brother, William, had preceded the party in 1845, settling on Black Hawk creek, a few miles south. Three other brothers followed William: James in 1846, Isaac in 1847, and John in 1849. A sister and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mullan, also came in 1846.

Isaac and James had built a cabin for the family on the east bank of Virden's creek, later Waterloo East, about five hudnred yards from where that stream empties into the Cedar. James' cabin stood in the grove about two hundred yards from the river.

During the years 1852 and '53 Thomas was employed by Andrew Mullarky, a Cedar Falls merchant, in hauling merchandize from Dubuque to the Falls by team and wagon. "My wages were ten dollars per month the first year and twelve dollars per month the second year," commented Mr. Virden, "and I saved up enough to purchase 164 acres of government land on the south side of the grove in which brother Oscar lived (from description, later the Theo. Filkins farm); I paid $1.25 per acre for the land and made no improvements with the exception of a short stretch of stake and rider fence.

In a few months a man from St. Louis came along and offered me a thousand dollars for it and I let him have it.

In 1856 my brother-in-law, Nelson Fancher, and myself drove over to the Missouri river country and looked Council Bluffs and Omaha over, with the view of making some investments. Town lots were selling as low as ten dollars each in Omaha, but Nelson who had seen much of the west, having been to California, said that he didn't believe the place would ever amount to much, so we crossed over to Iowa again and bought government land in Monona county, paying $1.25 per acre for it. We returned to Waterloo and the following year I left for Nebraska."

In 1861 Mr. Virden again went to Omaha where he became a freighter, making seven trips across the plains to Denver, driving oxen on six of these journeys. In 1864 he enlisted in the regular army and was engaged in several Indian fights. He took part in the battle of Sand Springs, where the Cheyennes and Arapahoes suffered several losses. Later Mr. Virden located near Grand Junction, Colorado, his present home.

Early in this year Mr. Virden made up his mind to do a little visiting around the country, so he packed his grip and journeyed to San Francisco. After seeing the sights at the exposition he headed for Chicago, where his sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Fancher, resides. Of twelve children only these two remain among the living and they had not met since they bade each other goodbye in the little hamlet of Waterloo way back fifty-eight years ago.

After spending two delightful months with his sister and her children he concluded to visit his relatives in Waterloo, Judge Charles W. Mullan, Supervisor Charles W. Virden nephews, and his niece Mrs. Davison, all of whom were youngsters when Uncle Tom saw them last. Other than these but few remain of his acquaintances. He knew Roes (S.R.) Brainard and Daniel (D.G.) Ellis well and will look up these old friends -- possibly there are others. During his stay in Chicago he met Wm. Schofield, a playmate in Wayne county, Illinois, who he had not seen since 1851. "Schofield still resides at Albion, the old home, and was in a hurry to get back as he is justice of the peace and had a case to try, so we say up nearly all night talking over incidents of our boyhood," said Mr. Virden. Mr. Schofield is 87 years young.

"For some time after we located here," said Mr. Virden, "father's and bother James' log houses were the only dwellings on the east side and out nearest neighbor over there was a settler named Kirkpatrick, who lived four miles down the rive.

There was a steady stream of settlers going thru and many put up with us or camped near our house. A spring of fine water whcih gushed out of the bank near the house supplied our drinking water. When Edmund Miller was locating land he stayed at our house and I knew his partner, Hosford, Well."

In speaking of the changes he noted in crossing Iowa and Nebraska Mr. Virden recalled that in the early days there was an almost utter absence of trees except along the streams.

"Pilot Grove, a few miles east of Waterloo, was the only timber we would meet with in deiving across the prairie to Independence," he said. "There was no bridge across the Cedar when I left," he added. "A ferry was operated and many would ford the river with their teams. Sometimes I waded the river when I went to see my girl who lived on the west side. Several times I helped pull horses out of the river that broke thru the ice in crossing during the winter time."

Few men of eighty-four years are as well preserved as Mr. Virden. He is spry and active as many men twenty years younger and is able to fully enjoy and appreciate the sights and changes that have been wrought since he left his father's prairie home near the middle of the last century.

SOURCE: Waterloo Evening Courier and Reporter, Tuesday, July 27, 1915