'In The Early Days' by Hon. John Clark

CLARK

Posted By: Deborah Brownfield - Stanley (email)
Date: 1/2/2005 at 16:29:15

The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa
Thursday, September 7, 1905

'IN THE EARLY DAYS'
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Some Reminiscenses of the Past By a Pioneer of Monroe
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The following is a synopsis of the paper by the HON. JOHN CLARK, of Albia, which he read here before the Old Settlers' meeting last Thursday. MR. CLARK will soon be eighty years of age. The article is clipped from the Albia News:

In writing up a short history of Lucas County I will go back to the purchase of the land of the Sac and Fox Indians in 1812. They were removed from Agency City to Fort Des Moines and all the country between the west line of Jefferson County to the west line of Lucas County north and south was opened for settlement, at which time Wapello and Kishkekosh (now Monroe) and Lucas County were attached to Jefferson for revenue, judicial and election purposes. In 1845 they removed the Indians to their reservation now being in the Indian Territory and the balance of land was opened for settlement. In 1844 Wapello County was organized and Monroe and Lucas were attached to Wapello, and in 1845 Monroe organized and Lucas was attached to Monroe. The legislature of 1848-9 passed an act to organize Lucas County and they had their election in August and elected county officers and appointed three commissioners to locate the county seat. They met about the first of September, 1849. I do not recollect the names of the commissioners except W.G. CLARK of Monroe County. They located the county seat on the quarter section where Chariton now is and gave it the name of Polk. The commissioners employed DAVID CHAPMAN of Monroe County to survey the quarter section into town lots and about the first of November, 1849, they advertised the sale of town lots to the highest bidder. After the sale the question came up as to the name the commissioners had given the county seat. They were not satisfied with the name of Polk. One proposed the name of Greencastle. MR. TOWNSEND jumped up (the grass on the site was about a foot high) and said it was green enough but where was your castle? Then I proposed the name of Chariton, which name was then adopted. At the same legislature in 1848-9 they passed an act to establish a state road from Eddyville and Ottumwa to unite in the west part of Monroe County to Traders Point on the Missouri River 4 miles below Kanesville, now Council Bluffs. At the request of the court and citizens of Lucas they adjourned until the county seat was located and then located the road through Chariton. In January, 1852, I took the contract to carry the mail from Albia to Chariton once a week. At that time there were two stores in operation: NELSON & RYLEY, WESCOATT and O.L. PALMER, NELSON WESCOATT being postmaster. HENRY ALLEN had a hotel on the southeast corner of the square. The old log court house stood north of ALLEN's Hotel. Two brothers, WAYNICKS, who were physicians and DAVID their brother, I think, had a drug store. BEVERLY SEARCY, Col. JOHN EDWARDS, CULBERTSON and quite a number of others whom I do not remember were living there then. There were WILSON, ROBINSON, MCDERMOT, LARIMER, PROTHERS, WIRT and I think DR. WAYNICK's father, BAUM & SHELLER, surveyors, and others I cannot mention now. In 1853 the government removed the land office from Fairfield to Chariton and the mail service was ordered up three times a week. MR. BRAUNER, FORD & ANDERSON, DR. FITCH and others came in that year. MR. CULBERTSON built a two story frame house on the south for hotel, DR. COWLS, of Farmington, opened a store on the west side of the square. I think the first attorney was a young man by the name of SIGLER. Afterwards came MR. DAVIS, a brother-in-law of DR. WAYNICK. My term of carrying the mail expired on the first of July, 1854 when the Western Stage Co. took the contract to carry it from Fairfield to Chariton.

In 1848 the county commissioners of Monroe County established precincts for election purposes at Chariton, Pt. Pisgah and Kanesville. That was the election at which the poll books of Kanesville were stolen from Monroe County. The Mormons were driven out of Nauvoo, Ill., in 1846. They crossed the Mississippi River and a great many came to Eddyville and crossed the Des Moines River, passed west by the way of CLARK'S Point and quite a number stopped on Grand River and made a settlement at Pisgah and opened quite a road called the Mormon trail, which was traveled by people going to California in 1849, 50 and 51. In the year 1848 I became acquainted with Col. DUNGAN, your worthy president. His brother, LEVI S. DUNGAN, came to our house in 1844 seeking a location as a physician. We invited him to stay all night with us which he did. In the morning we were so well pleased with him we asked him to loacte with us at CLARK'S Point. He acquired a good practice and was a skillful physician. As a man he was admired and beloved by all. He was elected first postmaster in Monroe County at Clarksville. As I have written this from memory of events of 50 years and more ago I may have made some mistakes. If so, please excuse me.
-- Yours,
JOHN CLARK, Albia, Iowa.

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