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ANNALS OF IOWA
Volume 5, No. 2 July, 1901
HARDSHIPS OF PIONEERS IN NORTHWESTERN
IOWA
BY W. H. INGHAM.
The first settlements on the upper waters of the
Des Moines river were made in Humboldt and Kossuth counties
in 1854. These grew and spread out considerably in 1856
there was a general tendency to strike out again and many
new settlements were made all along the border of Iowa and
Minnesota. It was during the summer of this year that the
first cabins were built and settlements made at Okoboji and
Spirit lakes, that were destroyed by a party of Sioux
Indians the following March, the history of which is so
well remembered as the Spirit Lake massacre. It was in this
year that the first little pioneer cabins made their
appearance in Palo Alto county, on the west branch of the
Des Moines river; and also at the head waters of the east
branch, where the first cabin was built early in July by
Calvin Tuttle at the grove and lake now bearing his name.
He was soon followed by a family of Johnsons, and later by
two other families which made up the settlement for the
year. I have been rather more explicit as to this
settlement for the year. I have been rather more explicit
as to this settlement than with the others mentioned, as I
purpose showing in the following sketch some of the mishaps
and experiences of several of its members during the cold
and stormy winter of 1857, as seen and known in great part
by myself.
When Mt. Tuttle had completed his building in the fore
part of November he and his son George went below on the
Des Moines river and procured two loads of supplies for the
winter. On their way back they reached the farms of Horace
Schenck and Robert R. Moore, a few miles above Algona, from
which they expected to drive home in two days. In order to
get started early the next morning they teamed their loads
out across the Black Cat creek, some three miles on their
way, and left them in an arm of the creek bottom, little
thinking at the time that their wagons would not be moved
again until late in April. When morning came, it being
December 1st, they found one of the most violent snow
storms ever know in the history of this section of the
country sweeping down from the northwest. It held on for
some three days with a heavy fall of snow, filling up the
ravines and creek bottoms, so that for the time all travel
was stopped. From now on storm followed storm with short
intern until their wagons were buried in fifteen feet of
snow an were not found again until January 18th, after a
long search by running poles down into the snow. Soon after
they were found Mr. Tuttle came to our cabin, where I was
stopping at the time with Charles E. Putnam, A. L. Seeley
and Thos. Covet, and wanted to borrow or buy a pair of snow
shoes she thinking he might be able to reach home in this
way. We did not see how we could let him have a pair as we
had no other means of getting about, although we did have
four horses and a pair of mules snowed under in a stable
near by and then, further, we considered it very unsafe for
him to undertake the trip alone.
After listening to his story, in which he told us he
had heard nothing from his family since he left them in
November, and that he was feeling very uneasy about their
safety and must in some way try and get home, I asked him
if he thought he could walk through from John James' cabin
in one day, it being thirty-five miles, and if so, told him
I would meet him there early the next morning with an extra
pair of snow shoes and see him home. This he was confident
he could so, so at the appointed time I found him ready for
the start and then we were soon off. The morning was cold
with quite a breeze from the northwest, which gradually
gained in force till noon, making it quite impossible for
Mr. Tuttle, who was an elderly man and inexperienced on
snow shoes, to take a thirty-five mile gait. We now planned
to abandon the through trip in one day and camp over night
at the river timber. This we reached near Armstrong Grove
in time to get a fire started before dark and prepare our
camp as well as we could for the night.
Without blankets or any extra clothing, with the
mercury from 20 to 30 degrees below zero, we needed no
place for sleep. Our time was pretty well occupied in
cutting and gathering wood and keeping up a good fire. The
night finally wore away and the morning opened up much
colder, with the air so filled with snow that we could
easily see we were to stay in camp and make the most of it
until another day. Our only supply of eatables on hand was
a small piece of fresh pork, some unground burnt coffee,
tea and sugar, that Mr. Tuttle had planned to take home.
These without salt or any kind of cooking utensil, not even
a cup, proved to be a real aggravation, especially so, when
we were using ice to quench our thirst. The day passed by
and then another tedious night. Fortunately the storm
slackened down during the night making it possible for us
to travel again. I now told Mr. Tuttle we would go out on
the prairie at the break of day when he must choose to
either go on home or return with me regardless of the
weather. When the time came it only took one thought of
home and family on his part to determine our course, which
quickly brought us facing the wind from the northwest once
more. After a tedious day's tramp we found ourselves at
night still some four miles away from the home. Mr. Tuttle,
who was now very tired almost despaired of ever seeing his
family again. It was not long afterward, however, before we
caught sight of the light in the home window which proved
to be a great stimulant for Mr. Tuttle as well as myself,
and brought out our very best efforts. With several stops
to rest we finally reached the cabin and then, when free of
our snow shoes Mr. Tuttle stepped up and opened the door, I
felt relieved from all further obligation on my part, as I
had fully met my engagement with him to see him home. I
followed him closely as he went in, and for a moment Mrs.
Tuttle and the children seated about a table seemed almost
dazed by the abrupt and unceremonious way we had entered
their home. The change that instantly took place, when they
fully realized who it was and learned from him that George
was still alive and well, must be left to the imagination
alone for its full and complete picture. With the best in
the house for supper and a good night's sleep we came out
in the morning in fine shape. I stopped over one day to
rest, and returned to our cabin well pleased with the
outcome and the lessons learned about winter traveling on
the prairies.
As the provisions in the settlement became very scarce
owing to the failure of Mr. Tuttle in getting through with
his two loads, the Johnson family decided to leave and go
back to their home in Iowa. Mr. Johnson fitted up a sleigh
for winter traveling and then with his family and household
goods started out the latter part of February for the
Algona settlement, forty miles away, expecting to get
through in two or three days. This he could have done had
the crust on the snow been as firm all the way as it was at
the lake when he started. In many places where the snow was
deep his team and load would break through and then he was
obliged not only to shovel them out, but dig out a roadway
for some distance ahead. In this manner he worked his way
on for six days when he found the supplies for his family
and team were about used up, with more than half the
distance yet to go. Hopefully he worked on for another day
and reached a high and sightly bluff on the river a short
distance from Armstrong Grove, where he decided to leave
his family and try and reach the settlement on foot for
help.
Early in the morning he parted from them and started
out on the prairie, still hoping they might in some way be
saved. He was so worn out that at his best he could only
make very slow headway, so that when night came on he was
still a wanderer. Fortunately for him, as well as for his
family, he heard the barking of a dog. This he followed up
until about nine o'clock when John James of Black Cat Creek
settlement, heard him calling for help and went out with
his lantern and found him and took him to his cabin. He
told Mr. James about his family, their condition and where
they could be found. Mr. James at once hurried down the
creek, some one and a half miles, to Mr. Reibhoff's, and
informed them. The news was quickly carried to the others
there in the settlement—William B. Moore, Robert R. Moore
and Horace Schenck—who hastened to meet together at Mr.
Reibhoff's for the purpose of sending out a relief party
with as little delay as possible.
When Peter Reibhoff, George Tuttle, John James and in
John Cullinder offered their services all hands went to
work so that they might be off at an early hour. While the
men folks were busy making sleds to carry their supplies,
the women were equally busy in cooking and gathering the
articles needed for the trip. Everything seemed to be well
arranged for this party, when Mr. Schenck thought it would
be best for another party to go out lightly loaded, so as
to reach the family as quickly as possible. With this in
view he came to our cabin, three miles away, about four
o'clock in the morning, and told us about the family and
what had been done, and then with great earnestness and
much feeling told us what he still thought should be done,
and asked us to make up a party to reach the sleigh with as
little loss of time as might be. Our sympathies were all
enlisted from the start, so that when he had finished I
turned to William S. Campbell, who was stopping with us at
the time, and said, "What do you say ?" His quick reply
was, "If you go, I shall be with you."
While breakfast was being prepared, the sleds were
brought in, tent cover and blankets were rolled up and
bound to them, also an axe to each. As the other party had
a great supply of provisions we did not wait to prepare any
and only took what we could gather from the table for our
lunch. At the first signs of day we were off and soon found
out that the morning was cold, and as usual we had a strong
northwest wind to face. About eleven o'clock the sky
clouded over and soon after we were in one of those
blustering snow storms so common at that day. At times it
seemed as if we should have to turn back, or go to the
timber for protection, and yet when we thought of the
family that had been waiting so long for help, we nerved up
all the stronger and pushed on. About one o'clock we
discovered a break in the clouds at the horizon, and by
three o'clock the storm had passed by. We now saw the
sleigh some two miles away directly in front of us. This
distance was quickly covered and when we walked up to it,
so uncertain as to what we should find, and gave one of the
bows of the cover a vigorous shake and asked, "How are you
getting along?" we for once, at least, listened to a quick
response, and such expressions of thankfulness as we had
never heard before and probably never will again. This was
followed by earnest appeals from Mrs. Johnson to her little
girl, Mary, not to die, as help had come, repeating it over
and over again, evidently in hopes of getting some
expression from her showing that she was still alive.
During this time Campbell, who was standing at my side,
spoke the feelings of both when he said, "I am glad we
came."
We now told Mrs. Johnson to be quiet as possible, and
when we got a fire started and camp ready we would come and
get them. When she heard the word "fire," it seemed to have
the desired effect, as she had seen none for some time. We
went down to the river bottom near at hand, where Campbell
began cutting wood, while I cleared away a site for a camp
in some four feet of snow with one of my snow shoes. When
this was done and the support poles were in place we spread
the heavy canvas for a cover and fastened it down close to
the ground on all sides but the open front. A fire was soon
started and then with the rubber blanket spread out on the
ground, with the Mackinaws and buffalo robe covering it we
had a really comfortable appearing camp, although the
mercury was some thirty degrees below zero.
A big fire was now in order, and when the camp was
thoroughly warmed we hastened to the sleigh just above us
on the bluff and found the family all unconscious but Mrs.
Johnson, and all helpless and unable to move. We took the
little boy of some twelve years of age, and Mary, about
ten, out from between the heavy feather ticks and carried
them to camp apparently beyond the need of help, and then
Mrs. Johnson with her infant child was placed beside them.
From now on we had plenty to do in keeping up the fire. Up
to this time we had been so occupied that we had entirely
forgotten the other party, as they had not put in their
appearance. Hoping to aid them in finding our camp, we
began firing guns at frequent intervals, and kept it up
until quite late, when we gave up seeing them for the
night.
By this time the young folks had warmed up and
regained consciousness, and much to our relief we heard no
complaining from the camp. The night soon passed and then
at break of day we began firing guns again. This was kept
up until about eight o'clock, when we had our first
response from down the river. Another gun was fired, and
then another response from nearer by was soon followed by
the appearance of John James on the bluff overlooking our
camp. He told us the rest of the party were down the river
about five miles in a well hole in the snow where they had
stayed over night without a fire. I now told him we had the
family all safe, and we wanted something to eat, and to try
and hurry up the provision party in quick time. A short
time before noon they reached our camp, when we enjoyed
their provisions while they appeared to enjoy our fire
fully as well. The cattle were fed, and when dinner was
over the sleigh was loaded up again, cattle hitched on, and
with two long ropes fastened to the sleigh. and passing by
on either side, with a couple of men to each, we were ready
for a start. As I remember the picture just at that time it
would not have been taken for a rapid transit outfit.
We reached a fine ash grove on an island in the river
a short distance above the mouth of Mud creek before night,
where we stopped to camp. The weather during the day had
become more moderate, and the wind had quieted down With
plenty of help we made good preparations for the night.
During the evening about the camp fire we listened to the
experiences of the relief party while hauling their heavy
loads during the storm the day before, also about the night
spent in the snow well without a fire, that no one of that
party is liable ever to forget.
In comparing notes we found that all of us were more
or less frozen about the hands and face while beating up
against the storm. Bright and early we were up, and when
breakfast was over we packed up again and were off, with
everybody feeling well satisfied with the work so far
accomplished.
Before noon Campbell and I left the party some two
miles out from Mr. Riebhoff's and went to our cabin. Soon
after the whole settlement was gladdened by the safe
arrival of the family, and vied with each other in offering
them the hospitality of their homes. They finally accepted
of Mr. and Mrs. Schenck's invitation, as they had more
spare room to offer, where they stayed until warm weather,
when they went on their way with the best wishes of all who
knew them and with memories that are not liable ever to be
forgotten. |
