Pioneer Days
Of Bremer County, Iowa
Compiled from Letter to the Waverly Democrat
by Col. W. V. Lucas
Santa Cruz, Cal.
Appended by
Harry Hazlett
L. C. Oberdorf
H. B. Miller

June, 1918
Waverly Democrat
Waverly, Iowa

3-4	Introduction
5-7	Col. W. V. Lucas Writes Of Things Almost Unknown To The Present Generation
8-10	Tribute To Two Deceased Old Settlers And Other Interesting Data
11-12	Fourth Of July Celebration In 1856
13-17	Unique Characters And Meetings
17-20	Hardships And Weather Conditions Pioneers Had To Contend With
20-24	More About The Hard Winters, And Some Other Things
24-26	Building One Of The First Rural Schools
26-28	More Unique Characters
28-31	Marketing, Educational, And Religious Difficulties
31-34	Hard Times In 1859
35-36	What Happened To Some Of The New Towns
36-43	Boom Spirit Strikes Bremer County And Towns Are Established
43-45	Lafayette Township Pioneers
45-48	Bremer County’s First Newspapers And Their Publishers
48-52	Politics And Politicians Of The Pioneer Days
53-55	Bremer County Treasury Robbed
55-56	Horse Thieves A Burden To Pioneers
56-57	Near-Tragedy In Vicinity Of Irma
58-59	Market And Sale Problems Of Early Settlers
59-61	Odd Characters And Beginning Of Civil War Days
61-67	Early Members Of The Legal Profession
67-70	Bremer County’s First Doctors And Ministers
70-71	Suicide Mysteries
71	Survivors Of The War Of 1812
71-73	More About Churches
73-75	Political Situation Preceeding The Civil War
75-77	Soldiers Who Went To The Front
77-82	Few Slackers During The Civil War
82-83	Campaigning For A Railroad
84-85	Bremer County’s First Fair
85-87	Waverly’s First Railroad Brings Prosperity
88	Organization Of Lodges
88-89	Why Bremer County Is Small
89-96	Men Who Made Good And Helped Make History
96-97	Naming Of Bremer County Townships
97-99	But Few Old Settlers Remain
99-102	Col. Lucas Winds Up His Story
CHAPTER II.
103-107	Harry Hazlett Supplies Interesting Data Concerning Col. Lucas; Pays Beautiful Tribute To A Friend.
107-111	Interesting Stories Of Unique Characters Among The Early Settlers Of Waverly.
111-115	The Presidential Campaigns Of ’56 And Political Campaigns After The War. The Comets Of ’58 And ’61.
116-117	The Days When Wheat Was The Principal Crop, And Men Who Bought It. Early Newspaper Men.
118-126	The Days When Fishing Was Good, And Some Of The Men Who Indulged In The Sport
127-133	Interesting Notes Of Early-Day Lawyers. Charles Plunkett At Head Of Theatrical Profession
133-134	First Thanksgiving In Waverly By Mrs. Jennie Harmon Case
CHAPTER III.
135-142	Harmon Miller Contributes Interesting Experiences Of His Boyhood And Early Days In Bremer County
CHAPTER IV. By L. C. Oberdorf
143-145	Indians; Days When The Red Men Reigned Supreme. Winnebagos In This Section Of Iowa.
145-151	Some Of The “First Things” In Bremer County
151	Brief Account of the First Settlement and Organization of the Various Townships:
151-152	Dayton Township
152-153	Douglas Township
153-154	Franklin Township
154-155	Frederika Township
155-156	Fremont Township
156-157	Jackson Township
158-159	Jefferson Township
159-160	Lafayette Township
160-161	Le Roy Township
161-162	Maxfield Township
163-164	Polk Township
164-165	Sumner Township
166	Warren Township
167	Washington Township and Waverly
168-170	City of Waverly
170	Methodist Episcopal Church
171	Baptist Church
171	St. Mary’s Catholic Church
172	Presbyterian Church
172	Evangelical Church
172	St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
173	Congregational Church
173	St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
174	The German Evangelical Peace Church
174	St. John’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church
175-176	Conclusion

 

 

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