Tipton Conservative, Tipton Iowa, March 21, 1957
Transcribed by Sharon Elijah, May 14, 2019
The caption of a picture (which shows the stones) above these articles states “The stones over the graves of Col. David Walton, in Sharon cemetery in Sugar Creek township, and Andrew Crawford, in West Fork cemetery in Center township, have much in common. On each is written practically the same statement “First White Settler in Cedar County”. Both men were permanent settlers in Cedar county in May, 1836. However, Walton apparently arrived before Crawford, although the argument has lasted more than 100 years. The grave of Walton is near the entrance of Sharon and has been well cared for. However, the grave of Crawford is located in a nearly abandoned cemetery and is overgrown with weeds, brush and vines.”
Crawford Froze Feet in Blizzard On Sugar Creek
By Ruth Clark
When Andrew Crawford came to Cedar county he did so with the permission of the Indians, and for a time employed a young chief to guide him in his search for a suitable homesite. They went as far west as the Iowa river, but returned to Cedar county, the story goes, because the Indians preferred to have him locate here.
Crawford was a representative of an old Scotch family, being connected with Sir William Wallace. His father, James C. Crawford, made his home in northern Ireland before coming to this country in 1795 with his wife and six children. Andrew Crawford, then 10, was one of the children.
Following their arrival in New York, the family settled in Schenectady, where Andrew reached manhood and married, when he moved to western New York.
During the War of 1812 Crawford joined a New York regiment and was stationed at Sacket Harbor for three months.
He too, like pioneer David Walton, had been a successful man before coming to Wisconsin territory. Following his military service, Crawford went to Michigan, where he farmed on an island in the Detroit river in partnership with a Capt. Brooks for three years. They raised fine cattle, but were forced to give up their operations because of differences with the Canadians.
His next venture was owning and operating a farm near Fort Wayne, Ind.
Records indicate Crawford, accompanied by a daughter, Mrs. Phoebe Eastern, arrived in Cedar county in May, 1836. He settled the west half of the southeast quarter of section 34 in township 80, range 2. This first claim was on the banks of Sugar creek, near the south line of what is now Center township.
As soon as he found this stopping place, he is said to have hitched up his breaking plow and turned the sod on a few acres. This was planted with an acre of corn and a half acre of potatoes and turnips. Four other acres he made ready for wheat. In 1837 his land yielded 40 bushel to the acre in wheat.
Crawford abandoned his first claim for lack of water and settled on another quarter section on Sugar creek which was covered with timber.
It was Mrs. Andrew Crawford who performed a seemingly superhuman task by following her husband to their new home in Iowa. She drove a team of oxen, hitched to a covered wagon, from their farm near Fort Wayne, Ind. with the youngest son, Charles, on her lap. The baby was two months old when she arrived in Cedar county.
Crawford died in 1856, but he lived the last 20 years of his life a cripple, as a result of the severe blizzard of the winter of 1836-37.
The family needed provisions, so the father set out to bring them from the source of supply at Pine creek. He reached his destination, but when he started to walk the 40 miles home through two-foot-deep snow, a blinding storm set in. Crawford lost his way, but finally stumbled upon Sugar creek after dark. He walked along it all night, knowing that only movement would keep him from freezing. By morning, having cheated death, but nearly worn out, he was about to give in when he noticed a break in the snow and found a path made by a farmer named Burnside in order to get his cattle to water at the creek.
Crawford found his way to their house, more dead than alive, badly frozen. Both feet were partially frozen and the toes on one foot had to be amputated.
Crawford is buried in East Fork cemetery, named because it is near the east fork of Sugar Creek. His grave, like that of another veteran of the War of 1812, is overgrown with vines, sumac and reeds.
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Walton Died of Cholera While on Mississippi
By Ruth Clark
Not only has there been controversy over the identity of the first white settler in Cedar county, there is also an accompanying contest about the first white woman to prepare a meal on this soil.
It is generally accepted that Col. George Davenport was the first white man to travel through the county, establishing a trading post for the Sac and Fox Indians on the west side of the Cedar river just above the mouth of Rock Creek. The post was established in 1831, abandoned in 1835.
But the question of who broke ground and erected buildings has for years raged over the names of Col David W. Walton and Andrew Crawford. According to records in available histories of Cedar county, Walton seems to have a slight edge over Crawford. Though it isn't hard to understand the confusion, since there was no one waiting at the borders of the county with pad and pencil to record arrivals in the spring of 1836.
It was in the summer of 1835 that David Walton, accompanied by his son George, made an exploratory trip to Iowa. They crossed the Mississippi river at Clark's Ferry, and proceeding to Cedar county chose a location near a small stream which the elder Walton gave the name of Sugar Creek. One story has it that the name came from the fact that there was an orchard of sugar maples on its banks, another that it was called thus because the water was so sweet.
Walton staked out a claim on what is now the south half of Section 14, township 79, range 2, (Sugar Creek township) erected a log cabin and made other improvements. Then he rejoined his family in Indiana to wait for spring.
When he returned to Cedar county he brought with him his wife and family of seven, five sons and two daughters. They were amply provided with all the necessities for frontier life, including an “excellent breaking team of four yoke of fine-looking, strong, heavy cattle.”
Walton was fairly well-to-do when he came here. A native of New Jersey, he was regarded as a man of great mechanical ingenuity and some skill as a blacksmith. He lived in Pike county, Ohio and engaged in milling operations in Tippecanoe, Ind. before coming west to the Black Hawk Purchase.
On May 1, 1836, the Walton family crossed the Mississippi at Rockingham. By May 10 they had arrived at the selected place. He and his sons immediately set about putting 100 acres of corn under cultivation and other ground was prepared for spring wheat.
Political activities attracted this pioneer resident, who was an ardent Whig supporter. He was elected judge of probate in 1841. His title of colonel came in 1848 when he was appointed to command of a regiment in the territorial militia by Gov. Dodge of Wisconsin territory.
On May 1, 1850, sixteen years to the day after the Walton family had crossed the Mississippi, David Walton died aboard his boat as it was docking at Muscatine. He had been on a hunting and trapping expedition and became afflicted with cholera.
His boat and effects were brought home and a grave made in Sharon cemetery near the old claim he had secured when he first came to the Iowa prairie.
He is credited with naming, in addition to Sugar creek: Otter creek, Mud creek, Crooked creek, and Elkhorn creek, as well as Burr Oak and Coon groves.
