Extracted from the History of Harrison County Iowa
Chicago
National Publishing Company
1891

   INTRODUCTION.

Chapter I

They have moved away out into Western Iowa, “is a phrase which does not carry with it the meaning it did, when so commonly spoken, a quarter or a third of a century ago, when the hopeful and adventurous pioneer had left his older home in some one of the thickly settled middle or eastern states, and taken a “claim” in Western Iowa, which was then but little less than a desolate prairie land and wilderness.  At that date no network of railroads, providing a royal highway over which the iron-hearted, steaming monster could speed his rapid way by day and by night, year in and year out, had been projected.  The prairie sod was then unturned; the rivers and creeks were then unbridged, and almost impassable roads were the rule everywhere.  Ox and mule trains, en route for Pike’s Peak and California, had for a few years passed through this section of the State and speculated, while camped along some one of its many beautiful streams, upon the future of this charming domain, which a little later on was named Harrison County.  But vague, very vague, indeed was their comprehension of the richness of the soil and the wealth they were leaving behind, when they passed on toward the setting sun, in search of homes and happiness.  They might have heard,

“The tread of Pioneers,

Of Nations yet to be;

The first low wash of waves where

Shall roll a human sea,

Are plastic, hot and warm

And the chaos of a mighty world

Is rounding into form.”

 

A few brave sons of toil had the hardihood to face the privations incident to frontier life, and come on in advance of railroads, high culture and fancy styles!  They brought no better titles to their lands that they were among American citizens, which had already come to mean much to him who sought to build for himself a home with naught save hard days work.  “They came, they saw—they conquered,” and soon the ear of civilized life caught the inspiration and wended its way on to this goodly country, where med at once grew healthy and wealthy.  The settlers multiplied; the soil produced far more than the first settlers could consume, and it was not long before capitalists saw money could be better expended, than in giving an outlet for the annually increasing crops, by the construction of great systems of railroads.  So it may be said that Western Iowa is marked by two special eras—one the first settlement and the other the advent of the railroads.  It is the purpose of this work to trace out the historic events, from the date of the earliest settlement, on down through the railroad era, noticing the advancement on all hands, from the first step to the present day—in brief to survey the original, primitive wilderness, and the same domain, after having been transformed into a well-tilled garden spot, assuring the reader the contrast is indeed marked..

Let us hasten, then to record the words as they fall from the quivering lips; let us tell of the gradually heroic deeds done in those pioneer days, that their actions may find the niche in history, which they so justly deserve.  Let their words and deeds build for them a monument that shall out-last the stone or bronze, which must ere long mark their last resting place.  Let there an epitaph be inscribed “They have builded better than they knew.”

But before we take up the true history of modern times, let us record a few facts concerning this country as it existed, “down through the dim and misty vista of time, before man was,” and see what foundations were her builded by an all wise Creator, in the geological formation, the soil, the forests, the meandering stream and beautiful lakes.

 

TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY.
 

Harrison county is situated on the western border-line of Iowa, in the fourth tier of counties from the southern line.  The Missouri river washes its western border, while Monona and Crawford counties bound it on the north; Shelby county on the east and Pottawattamie county on the south.

According to the latest surveys the county contains 446,000 acres, of which over 400,000 are under a high state of cultivation and 42,724 acres consist of native timberland.  The real estate and personal property in 1885 was, per assessment, valued at $5,514,229.00 

The streams which drain and water the county gain the Missouri bottoms within the county, except the Pigeon and Mosquito.  Beginning at the east side of the county, the first stream is the Mosquito, then the Pigeon, Boyer, Willow, Allen and Steer Creeks, then the Soldier and Little Sioux rivers.  These all take a south-westerly course until they either empty into the Missouri river or pass the southern boundary line.  The Mosquito river takes it source in Washington township and derives its name from the great number of mosquitos which infested this section at an early day. 

The Pigeon rises in Douglas township, and is sixteen miles long from its source to the point at which it passes out of Harrison county.  The banks of these streams are from ten to twenty feet high, and convey the floods off without much damage. 

The chief water courses of the county are the Boyer, Willow, Soldier and Little Sioux rivers.  The Boyer in its crooked, meanderings from the northeast corner of the county, to the place it passes out into Pottawattamie county, ten miles from the Missouri river and twenty miles from the southeast corner of the county, traverses sixty miles and only by a straight line twenty-eight miles. 

The Willow is the next stream west of the Boyer and it rises in Crawford county, entering this county in Lincoln township, near the west line of section 3-81-42.  It passes through portions of Lincoln, Boyer, Magnolia, Calhoun and Taylor townships. 

Allen and Steer creeks both have their origin in Allen township, take a south-westerly course, and after having meandered among the hills of Allen, Magnolia and Raglon townships, enter into Atwood or Gilmore lake at the foot of the bluffs.  These streams being things of beauty, are ever a joy to the beholder.  The name of Allen creek was derived from a squatter, named Andrew Allen, who, in 1851, settled on the banks of this stream.  Steer creek was so named on account of several head of steers having perished by miring down out of sight, while being driven over this section in 1849.  The name of Soldier was applied to another stream because of a company of United States troops having encamped on its banks in 1846.  This stream has it source in Ida and Crawford counties; enters Monona county, running in a southwesterly direction until the same passes a north line of this county, at which point it veers to the east, then, serpent-like, it winds its way southwest to the Missouri bottoms, through Taylor, Clay and Cincinnati townships.

The largest of Harrison County’s streams—the Little Sioux river—makes the swamps on the southern line of Minnesota, passes through Osceola, Dickinson, Clay, O’Brien, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Woodbury counties, introducing itself in Harrison county, on section 5-81-44 in Little Sioux township, still flowing southwest to the Missouri river.  The surface of the country presents an appearance as varied as the tastes of men.  The high, rolling upland, far beyond the point where it is possible for malaria to prevail; the sunny cove nestling in along-side the bluffs, so picturesque; the broad expanse of level prairie, reaching on and on, as far as the eye can measure; the elevated lands on margin of lake or river; the home in the native forests, or if perchance one has desired, for special reasons, to settle on “gumbo,” Harrison county possesses all of these. 

The valley are from one half to more than a mile in width.  The broad expanse of corn, wheat and tame grasses presents a feast to the eye.  In every location, good pure water may be obtained from creeks which never fail; from springs gushing forth from the earth’s surface, or from wells gained at a depth of forty to sixty feet. 

The broadest, most delightful and most wonderfully fertile valley is the Boyer, extending in places two miles in width.  It is nature’s own garden spot, improved by intelligent men and modern appliances.  Indeed it arrests the eye of every passerby and holds them spell-bound and half entranced.  The rural scenes—the magnificent farms—the tens of thousands of acres of growing corn, grasses and vegetables—the fine bearing apple and small fruit orchards—the loving herds; the happy populace, one and all, attest as to the beauty and royal richness of the Boyer valley, where from sixty to ninety bushels on corn surprises no one who has lived here a term of years to come to know the blessing of a sure crop every year!    Of the Missouri Valley it may be stated that it comprises more than one-fifth of the entire area of Harrison county. 

Another feature of this goodly county is the presence of lakes, among which may be named Smith’s Lake, in Little Sioux township, located on section 31.  This lovely lake is over four hundred yards wide by a mile in length and is in many places one hundred feet deep.  It is the grandest lake in all the famous Missouri slops and abounds in the finest specimens of fish known to Iowa waters.  Round lake, in the center of Morgan township, was at one point a part of the bed of the great Missouri river and still depends upon that muddy, changeable stream for its supply of water.  Horse Shoe Lake, in Clay township, is of the same character of Round Lake, except it derives its supply of water from the Soldier river.  Nobles Lake, partly in Harrison, but extending into the domain of Pottawattamie county, is located in Cincinnati township.  This is indeed a charming spot at all seasons of the year and a great fishing ground.  Here one finds pickerel, bass, cat, buffalo and sun-fish. 

In Harrison county, the post-tertiary deposits exhibit their unusual charactistics, besides a limited exposure of the upper coal measure, which appears in the Boyer River Valley.  To this date no paying coal deposits have been discovered, not-withstanding there is an outcropping of coal at or near Logan and six miles up the Boyer river.  The drift and bluff deposits are both found in Harrison county, a feature selfdom found in one locality.  Glass sand is found in a four foot strata on section 7-81-44, in Jackson township.  The sandstone found in the northwestern part of the county makes excellent building material.  Potter’s clay is found on section 18-80-43 one mile northwest of Magnolia; also on section 15-81-42 in Lincoln township.  Peat (moss suitable for fuel) is found covering about two hundred acres in Jackson township, section 34-81-44; also in Lincoln, Harrison, Cass and La Grange townships. 

Mineral water gushes forth from the earth a mile above Reeder Mills, in Jefferson township, on Harvey Armstrong’s farm.  It contains iron, sulpher and magnesia.  There is also a mineral well twenty-two feet deep, on section 7-78-43.

The soil of the upland consists of the light colored deposits of bluff formation and only differs from that in the bottoms in the fine condition of silicious material of which it is nearly composed.  Both the upland and bottoms are derived from the same source—that of the Missouri bottoms being the coarser, because the finer particles are swept away by the current of the ceaseless flood, which comes sweeping down year by year.

The finest growths of timber are found in abundance.  All along the Missouri, and well up into the interior of the county in LaGrange, Union and Harrison Townships are found vigorous, growing forests.  Harris Grove covers over six thousand acres; Twelve Mile Grove in Douglas and Boyer Townships has one thousand acres; Bigler’s Grove in Boyer and Jefferson Townships; Union Grove in Union Township; Spencer’s Grove, just north of Missouri Valley, has two thousand acres; Brown’s Grove in Calhoun Taylor and Magnolia Townships, the largest of any; Raglan Grove in Raglan Township; Spink’s Grove in Magnolia and Allen Townships; the Flowers Grove in Jackson Township and Weaver’s Grove in Harrison Township, together with the artificial groves planted by hardy pioneers, places the county beyond want of timber for all the time.

There is vastly more timber in the county now than in 1852, owing to the fact that prairie fires have been kept out, and also the other fact, that fencing is no longer made from native timber, as in early days when rail fences were used in place of the present barbwire.  It is estimated that the county has thirty-three thousand acres of timber.

 

RAIN-FALL AND TEMPERATURE.
 

By having free access to a daily weather report, compiled from observations taken by Jacob T. Stern, one of the pioneers of this county, we are enabled to give the rain-fall and temperature, by yearly averages, commencing with 1861 and ending in 1890.

In 1860 this highly esteemed gentleman, then living on his fine farm, in Harris Grove, was induced by a newspaper man named Ford, then editing a paper at Magnolia, to become a monthly reporter of weather items, for the Smithsonian Institute, at Washington, D. C.  Later on, the War department (Signal Service branch) appointed him reporter for them.  Fine instruments and weather indicators were sent him, and each day, for all these years, he or members of his family have kept up their tri-daily observations and forwarded the same weekly to the Department “without money and without price.”

On account of failing health Mr. Stern suggested to the Department at Washington, that his wife be appointed to relieve him.  This was agreed to and since about 1886 Mrs. Stern has made the observations and a weekly report to Washington.

The chief items included in the reports are the temperature, rain-fall and crops indications.  The subjoined gives the averages of rain-fall and temperature by years in round number:

INCHES		DEGREES TEMPERATURE
1861--26		43
1862--25		45
1863--20		48
1864--24		48
1865--31		50
1866--24		47
1867--28		45
1868--35		46
1869--50		46
1870--24		47
1871--27		49
1872--33		46
1873--46		47
1874--28		48
1875--42		44
1876--28		46
1877--45		49
1878--46		53
1879--32		50
1880--25		51
1881--57		51
1882-37		50
1883--39		49
1884--36		49
1885--43		48
1886--39		48
1887--28		49
1888--40		51
1889--33		51
1890--41		50
1891--35		51

Average 34 inches.  Average, 48 Degrees Temperature

 

Knowing that their race is nearly run, this venerable old couple who for all these years have kept these reports, have directed that after they passed from earth, their son Almor continue the record, which will be done.

 THE LAST BUFFALO.

 
The buffalo, deer and elk will not—cannot remain long surrounded by civilization.  There were large droves of elk and deer within Harrison County after white men commenced to settle its fertile soil.  There are many reasons for believing that the grandest of all American animals and the species found nowhere else in the world—the buffalo, also made this his home.  However but one was ever seen and killed by the white man’s gun.  This according to George Musgrave, in the Logan Observer of March 6, 1886, was killed in 1863.  It was first seen near the Boyer River, in Boyer Township, a short distance north from the Josiah Coe farm.  A few of the neighbors gave him chase, with their horses.  They ran the frightened animal around the east side of Twelve Mile Grove, across the farms of Matthew Hall and George Mefferd, to the south branch of the Piscaynne, where G. W. Pugsley then resided, and who chanced to be standing in his doorway.  Seeing them coming toward his cabin, he drew his rifle and when the buffalo neared him he shot and fortunately killed him.  At that date (1863) no buffaloes were known to exist nearer than fifty miles west from the banks of the Missouri River.

 

THE DEER AND ELK.
 

Plentiful as were deer and elk at the beginning of the settlement in this county, they faded away, fleeing west or being slaughtered ruthlessly by the pioneer’s rifle, or made a deadly victim by the severe elements.  The “hard winter” of 1856-57, deer and elk were so plentiful that they scarcely a luxury, or even much valued as a family diet.  December, 3, 1856, a little snow began falling and it increased and continued for seventy-two hours, causing the surface of the earth to be covered by a mantle of snow four feet deep on the general level, with all ravines and valleys filled to the level, covering many of the great tree tops entirely over.  The temperature changed and a sleet fell, which encrusted the snow hard enough to permit teams to pass over its shining, glossy surface.

The large droves of deer and elk were left to the mercy of the Indians and white men, with their nimble hounds and sure rifles.  The deer and elk could not run rapidly, as the ice covered snow caused them to slip and fall and cut their small, trim legs on the knife-like crust of snow and ice.  It was during this memorable winter that many thousands of deer and elk in Western Iowa were uselessly slaughtered and but very few have ever been seen since.