Many important events have transpired in the last half century, and though the one we have met to celebrate is not one of the greatest, it is one of importance to this country, and especially to this immediate vicinity, namely, the birth of the town of Springvale now called Humboldt, which event took place fifty years ago, and I have been asked to perform the pleasant duty on behalf of the citizens of Humboldt of welcoming both the home comers and the strangers, to a full and free participation in the festivities of this Historic day.  On such an occasion as this I can but wish tender, all embracing sentiment of good will and friendship that today hallows the social atmosphere of Humboldt, and trembles in every heart.  But my regret that I am not a poet is mitigated by the fact that such fitting words have already been penned by Brother Herr, and I should like, did time permit, to quote every word of this poem.

Of those who were here fifty years ago, but a very few remain.  While some have made their homes in other and distant lands, a majority of them have passed from earthly life, and of them we have to say:

But those who remain, with their children, together with the hundreds of others who have chosen this beauty spot for their homes, all unite in extending, alike to home comers and strangers, a most hearty greeting.

On the first of September, 1862, I resigned my pastorate in Martinsburg, New York and came west with as little knowledge as to where I should find a home for myself and colony I contemplated as had the patriarch Abraham when he left the land of his fathers.  On reaching Dubuque, Iowa, I was joined by Townsend Rogers.  We came to Cedar Falls, then the end of the railroad and there hired a team and continued our journey.  Between Iowa Falls and Webster City, we met covered wagons bringing settlers and their wounded companions who escaped the massacre which had just occurred in southern Minnesota.  After this, we could but think about the Indians and at one time thought we saw a number of them moving on an elevation far ahead and to the right of our road.  But, on approaching near enough to see more clearly, we found they were cranes having a dance, which was most ludicrous to witness because of the energetic yet awkward manner in which they would jump, spread their wings and duck their heads.

On reaching Webster City, we were strongly urged by the Wilson brothers to stop there.  But I could not find the amount of land I desired for my colony enterprise.  Leaving Webster City late in the afternoon, we made our way along an indistinct trail until darkness compelled to stop.  And while considering how we should tether our horses for the night we saw the light of the one residence between Webster City and Fort Dodge, which we had expected to reach before dark.  Towards this we cautiously make our way, and were hospitably received and entertained for the night.  In the morning while talking with the proprietor, I asked him if he was the owner of all the cattle he had, he answered, "A heap of them."  Not knowing just the number that "heap" represented, I later renewed my question, to which he promptly replied, "A right smart lot."

Leaving our genial entertainers about 7:00, we reached Fort Dodge in time to attend church and hear Rev. L. S. Coffin give a farewell sermon before joining with other volunteers in going to the seat of the Civil War.  We spent Monday in looking over lands on the west side of the river, and on Tuesday came up to Dakota, and spent several days looking over the odd sections which Platt Smith of Dubuque believed lay within the grant to the Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad Company.

Finding the necessary amount and quality of land desired, I returned to Dubuque and contracted with the Company for five sections, at $1.25 per acre.

The few settlers in Dakota and vicinity expressed their interest in my enterprise by subscribing $500.00 towards the erection of a grist mill.

Up to this time I had given my chief thought to the colony enterprise, but knowing the importance of a saw and grist mill in a newly settled country where the nearest grist mill was forty miles away, I recognized the practicability of building up a town, and resolved so to do.  So, Humboldt was conceived in September, 1862, and born the following year.

In my thought of building a town, educational and religious considerations became dominant, so it can be truthfully affirmed that Humboldt is a town which if not religiously conceived, was religiously baptized at its birth.

I well remember the delight with which I first looked upon this beauty spot on the Des Moines valley.  It was in the afternoon of a perfect September day, and I can never forget the impression it made upon me by its wild and marvelous beauty.  The season of 1862 had been favorable for the growth of vegetation, and the prairie grass, interspersed with autumn flowers, waved gracefully in answer to the invigorating September breeze.  Only from the northwest could the plat be approached without wading through water which lay along the foot of the bluff which encircles it on the east and north.  The next day I spent several hours in wandering along the bank of the river, listening to the music of the rapids and dreaming a day dream.  I comprehended the fact that the boundless stretch of fertile prairie surrounding this beautiful valley was destined to be densely populated in coming years, my thoughts were busy with the problem as to what was necessary in order that I might consistently invite my friends in the East to come out to this wilderness of beauty and make their home here, transforming the wild prairie into fields of wheat and corn.

The rapids in the river, the ledges of rock along its banks, and the adjacent timber suggested to me that the first necessity for the success and comfort of the colony was at hand.  Nature stood before me inviting someone to build saw and grist mill, and in connection with such an improvement I saw the blacksmith shop, the dry goods store, the cabinet shop, the grocery, the school and church; in short, a well ordered town became real to my imagination.  The when and how this transformation of the solitude that shut me in like the curtain of night should be thus transformed did not at that time largely engage my thought.  But the purpose was then and there formed to at once ascertain w3ho of right controlled the odd sections of land in this vicinity and if possible to obtain possession of enough of them to meet the necessities of my colony enterprise.  Accordingly, on my return to New York, I stopped at Dubuque and, as already stated, contracted for five sections, embracing Sections #1 and #2 upon which the original town was laid out.  In December, following, I returned to Iowa, accompanied by Mrs. Walters and her family and Mr. John Fairman and his young wife.  My first care on reaching Dakota was to find shelter for those who had accompanied me. 

The Northwest Quarter of Section 7, which was embraced in my contract, had several years before been pre-empted and a building 12 x 16 feet had been erected upon it.  The Indian Scare which preceded my advent in Iowa had caused the pre-emptor to abandon the claim and leave the country.  I took possession of this building, manufactured the necessary bedsteads, some benches and stools, and procuring at Fort Dodge the necessary cooking utensils, we settled down to house keeping.  I set Mr. Fairman and Milton Walters to cutting spars for the dam.

Among those who contributed in work and material towards the erection of the mills were, as I know remember, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Sherman, Mr. McKitterick, Mr. Ames, Mr. Bellows, Mr. Snook, Mr. Callahan, Mr. Flowers, Washington Hand, Clem Cusey, Walter Thomas and a few other whose names I do not call to mind.

Early in January, with ax in hand, I went up the east Des Moines, on the ice, to find in the timber along its banks tall, straight trees whi9ch would make husk timbers, sills and plates for the grist mill--on finding which I marked them to be cut at a future date.  At about 1:00, I found myself above Lott's Creek and knowing that a blacksmith had settled on the north side of the creek, I sought his residence to obtain dinner.  In reaching the log house, I found a woman with three children; the husband and father having been two days absent to mill, and was expected home the next day.  All she could give me for dinner was some buckwheat griddle cakes with sorghum, which I ate with the relish, and then walked ten miles home.

As was most natural, a spirit of rivalry was awakened in Dakota City when I commenced my work in earnest.  This rivalry I sought to avoid by proposing to Mr. Burk and Mr. McKnight that I would give them a one third interest in my town plat and take a like in theirs, and have a single town between the two rivers, to be called Dakota.  To this Mr. Burk readily gave his assent, but Mr. McKnight rejected the proposition somewhat scornfully.  Before leaving Mr. Burk's office, I said, "Well, Gentlemen, it seems we are elected to engage in a long pull, and a strong pull, but we are not going to pull together, which I regret.  While I shall do al I can, legitimately to build up my town, I shall do nothing with the intention of injuring your town, I hope our rivalry may be just and generous."

Early in the winter I commenced preaching in a little building across the street from Mr. Burk's house, in connection with which was organized a Sunday school.  After the colony came on the ground, we worshiped in a building called "the storehouse," which soon being needed for a residence; we went over to what was known as the court house, in which we worshiped until the Catholics purchased it for a church.  Then we met in what was called the Snook schoolhouse, which later burned down.  About this time, I had got the hardware store on Sumner Avenue enclosed, after which we met in what was called Union hall until the stone schoolhouse was erected.  The Christian Union Church was organized in the summer of 1863, in which was gathered a very successful Sunday school, which eventually attained to a membership of over a hundred scholars, and its monthly concerts were events of much interest.  In the latter part of February 1863, I drove up to Elhanan Clark's in Kossuth county and bought a load of potatoes, and on my return stopped at Mr. Bellows' and bought some pork, paying him two cents per pound for three hundred pounds.  After supper, at about 8:00, putting the dressed pigs upon the wagon, I started for home, but had not been on the road more than twenty minutes before I heard wolves howling, and I soon discovered that they were following me, being attracted by the scent of the port.  They continued approaching nearer and nearer until I crossed the river east of Dakota.  While I was not greatly alarmed, as I did not think that there were any timber wolves among them, I will admit that the music of a brass band would have been more welcome to me.

One day when driving up to Lott's Creek I overtook an Irishman and asked him to ride, which invitation he cheerfully accepted.  To my question, "Where are you going?" he answered, "I am looking for a farm."  Then I said, "Why go any further when good land can be obtained here for $2.00 per acre?"  To which he answered with emphasis, "I'll tell you, stranger, I stopped at Dakota last night and I there learned that a domed rascal by the name of Taft claims he owns all the odd sections in this vicinity and is fleecing everybody he can persuade to buy of him, and, mind ye, he don't fool me."  I commended his caution, and he bid me good bye in blissful ignorance that he had been riding with he rascal against whom he had been warned.  A compliment of like character was once paid me in good faith by Barney Callahan.  He had been working with me one warm day in March, hauling logs, which had been cut and rolled down from the bluff on the ice, out on the land.  He had been loath to go in the morning, and I had urged him very earnestly before he harnessed his team.  We had had good luck and although we got very wet we were going home in comfort, as the day was warm.  Felling very grateful and wishing to say a cheerful word, I said, "Well, Barney, we have accomplished all I planned, and you see how it was that if the logs were not removed at once I was likely to lose them all.  You thought I was very persistent this morning, but now you see the reason for it."  To which he replied, in a deprecating tone, "Oh, Mr. Taft, don't say a word.  You did all right.  The fact is, a man that is engaged in doing what you are doing has got to carry a domed hard face."  And I let the matter rest there.

In February, I received a letter from Platt Smith, of Dubuque, informing me that the lands that I had contracted for ay outside of the line of their grant and were claimed by the Keokuk and Des Moines Valley Company, and he said he would give me a letter of introduction to the President of that company, which had its headquarters in Keokuk.  On the 18th of March, I took the stage, with several other passengers, at Fort Dodge, for Cedar Falls, on my way to Dubuque.  Night overtook us before reaching the Falls and with it came a furious thunder storm which made the latter part of our journey very hazardous.  The lightning and thunder were appalling and one of the lead horses was crazed with fear.  We should have failed to reach town that night if I had not taken the driver's lantern, and going ahead, piloted the stage into town, which I did when the rain was falling in torrents.

Reaching Dubuque, and receiving a letter of introduction to the president of the other railroad company, I went down the Mississippi to Keokuk on the first boat that navigated the river after the ice broke.  I contracted with the company for ten sections of land on the same terms I had originally contracted with the Dubuque company for five sections.  Returning to New York, I came back with the colony, which reached Dakota on the 17th of May, 1863.  I had made an arrangement with the railroad running from Niagara Falls west to bring all the members of my colony with their belongings for two thirds usual fare.  So all one had to do to obtain this reduction was to present a letter from me to the agent at the Falls, setting forth that they were coming to join my colony, and the reduction was made.  At the end of three years there were over two hundred settlers in Humboldt county who came west under this arrangement.

It was with difficulty that we found shelter for the colony.  Mrs. Walters took the Dakota hotel, and my family of seven moved into the building she had vacated.  There was a log house on the McClain farm, another log house on the Cramer farm, and another building down the river, all of which were taken possession of.  Mr. Charles Lorbeer put up the first building on the plat, which he brought in from an abandon homestead.  But little progress was made in building up the town the first summer, but the heads of the families proceeded to select the 80 acre tracts which I had promised each at the price it cost me.  I also agreed to let them have whatever more they wanted at $2.00 an acre.  This whole enterprise rested upon faith.  First, my faith that I should obtain a valid title either from the railroad company or the state; secondly, faith on the part of the settlers in my integrity and ability to procure and give them a valid title.  The several purchasers set to work breaking prairie and raising such vegetables as would grow on prairie sod.  The situation was relieved by there being a number of pieces of land that had already bee broken up, so on abandoned homesteads and some on the farms of those who had enlisted and were in the Union Army.  I tilled, the first year, land on the Cramer farm, the Rowley farm, the Snook farm and the McClain farm.

We had difficulty that year in getting food and making preparations to raise crops on our own land the next year.  Knowing at the beginning that there was no grist mill within many miles, we had brought with us large coffee mills with which we ground our wheat and corn.  At this time there were living in this section of Iowa a good many sympathizers with the Rebellion, called "Copper Heads."  One of them, living at Fort Dodge, said when the colony came through there that "A company of black abolitionists have passed north through our town."  Which statement was correct, except as to color?

As soon as the spring's work was completed, I employed Mr. T. Elwood Collins to survey and plat the town, giving to the streets the names of Generals and statesmen for whom I entertained high regard; and although it is held to be dangerous to bestow honors upon individuals while living, lest they later bring discredit upon their names, none of the streets of Humboldt bear names of which the people need be ashamed.  The name for the town was suggested by my beloved wife, given because of the springs that abound in and near the river.  Springvale was changed to Humboldt with the intent that under it Dakota and Springvale might be merged into one town.  It was not without a mental struggle and it was from a sense of duty that I consented to the change and went to Washington and had the name of the post office changed.

Of the three last days of December, 1863, a furious storm prevailed over the entire Middle West.  It died away toward evening of the third day and the clouds all disappeared during the night.  New Year's morning was bright and clear but, oh, so cold.  The atmosphere upon the face felt like ice.  Cattle perished during the storm.  Mr. Walter Thomas lost a cow.  New Year's Day of 1864 is remembered as one of the coldest on record.

My arrangement for reduced railroad fare resulted in having all goods shipped from Niagara Falls, to be sent in my care to Humboldt County, and some packages came through marked "Taftville."  To this I objected, and to my friends who approved it I said, "I will give my name to the large park but cannot consent to have it given to the town."  The small park I named John Browns Park, in honor of Freedom's great martyr, of whom the Italian statesmen and patriot Mazana said, "John Brown, the redeeming name of America."

During the autumn of 1863 there were a number of cases of typhoid fever.  Mrs. John Craig was brought very low by it, and Mrs. Taft watched with her continuously until she herself was stricken with it, being delirious from the first and continuing so for over two weeks.  It was often so cold during his sickness that water standing in a cap by her bedside would freeze.  I frequently watched, with my overcoat on, with a warm stone in my lap for hands and another at my feet.  I kept hot bricks in the bed and on the pillow near her head.  The children would come to the bedside in the morning, push aside the curtain, look at their mother and go away with sad faces and sometimes in tears when she failed to greet them.  The youngest then three years old, was the first one to be made glad by Mrs. Taft's return to consciousness.  During the night previous to the incident of which I speak, Mrs. Taft had slept more restfully than at any time before, so I had hoped and even expected to see an improvement in her condition in the morning.  I was making preparations from breakfast when the little fellow came from his bed, climbed up in a chair behind the curtain, seeing which I hastened to the bedside lest he should disturb her sleep, when he turned towards me with his face all aglow with delight, saying, "Pa! Ma looks good at me."  The fever had broken and from that time on she rapidly improved.

In the autumn I put up a building from lumber sawed in the new mill, which was run by Mr. Rogers and Mr. Pinney.  It was raised on the fourth day of November, the day on which Mr. Lincoln was elected the second time.  The building was 16 x 24 feet in dimensions and had a cellar under it.  It was boarded up on both sides of the studding and filled in with sawdust.

During the summer of 1863 and the following winter I got the dam in, and during the summer of 1864 got the saw mill running.  Soon after I bought an iron corn cracker, to which Mr. Pinney adjusted a belt from the saw mill pulley, after which we had better meal and graham flour than that produced by grinding by hand in coffee mills.  Mr. Pinney and Mr. Rogers taking turns in running the mills.  This corn cracker gave our town much distinction calling customers from adjoining counties.  Thousands of bushels of wheat and corn were ground in it.  Mr. Pinney also attached the water power to a sorghum mill, in which many tons of canes were ground, the juice being made into syrup at the halves.  This proved a great blessing to the community as it being war time all kinds of sweetening were very high.

In the early spring before the water in the river had raised I had got the walls of the gr5ist mill built, the dam nearly completed, the flume in, but had not shut both of the flume gates, not anticipating the rise of the river at that time.  But the water rose during one night and pouring in through the open gates was undermining one corner of the mil foundation.  The gate was suspended ready to be dropped into its place, and I stepped out on the large beam, drew out the pin that held it up, and taking hold on the stem sought to guide it to its place, but on reaching the water it slipped from the groove, and turning edgeways it was jerked too suddenly as to plunge me into the flume head foremost, which manner of approach proved very fortunate, for being aware that if I was drawn into the gateway it would be fatal, on reaching the water I swam underneath the surface, as I never did before, and succeeded in getting so far beyond the current as to reach the opposite side of the flume, and was helped out by willing hands.   But I contracted a cold that confined me to the house for weeks, which was followed by an attack of pleurisy.  This was my only sickness for twenty five years.

Another and more tragic event during that summer was the death of Uriah Pinney, by drowning.  He was a noble boy, beloved by all who knew him.  I was having some finishing work done on the race which required the floating of timber from the opposite side of the river just above the dam.  Uriah was a good swimmer and after dinner one day swam out, instead of taking the row boat.  He must have been taken with cramps, for he sunk out of sight and perished before it could be realized what had happened.  This event carried deep sorrow into every household.

The winter of 1864-65 was a very cold one and some of the families suffered oppressive hardship.  Mr. Pinney and family, Mr. Leland and family and Mr. Byron Parsons lived in cellars covered with boards.  While the boards kept the rain from falling directly upon the occupants of the cellars, they did not prevent the water from gathering in the cellar in which Mr. Leland and Mr. Parsons lived, and they had to bale out their dwelling place after each storm.  I lived in the building to which I have referred, erected November 4th.  Besides a family of seven, I had to keep hotel also.  Guests who had come to mill often covered the kitchen floor, sleeping on the under their own blankets or buffalo robes.  I had put a stove in the cellar to keep the vegetables from freezing, and it was the warmest room of all, so the children, as also the guests, would lift the trap door, put their hands on the sides of the opening, drip themselves down upon a dry goods box, step from that on to a lower box, pull the door over then down to its place, and step on to the cellar bottom.  One morning when writing at my desk I saw five, one after another, descend, shutting the door after them.  Before we got the saw mill running I had some of my logs sawed at the McAuley mills, six miles up the river.  One cold winter day I drove up with a large log, got stalled on my way and was greatly hindered.  After reaching the mill, unloading the log, and reloading with boards, I started for home, but had got but little way on my journey when night overtook me.  As the track was very indistinct I had to drive slow to keep from losing it.  I became greatly chilled before reaching Dakota and had real difficulty to keep from going to sleep.  I could have driven but very little farther.

In the last days of December, 1864, I arranged to drive down to Fort Dodge in my spring wagon, two of my hired men and the two older boys, William and Frederick, accompanying me.  At this time Mr. Pinney's family were living in the upper part of the mill.  Mr. Pinney was sick with a fever and was being cared for away from home.  George Pinney, then a young lad, was also sick with a fever and being cared for by his mother.  In that open loft there were no partitions except those made by blankets.  Albert Pinney was working for me and was the provider for the family.  As there were signs of a storm I took with me a large, strong umbrella and the rubber blankets with which we covered our loads of wheat and flour in moving them.  We had a delightful ride down, but it began to mist just before we reached the city, which mist soon turned into snow.  While we were in the city the wind suddenly changed and a fierce storm began to develop.  Knowing the severity of Iowa storms, I concluded my business as soon as possible and we started on our home journey, facing a furious storm.  When a short distance out of the city, I drove up to a straw stack and had the men fill the box with dry straw, had the boys lay down in the wagon bed and covered them with the oil cloth blankets.  With our overcoats well buttoned up and our hands protected as best we could, we made our way up the river.  I sat in the middle and the man on one side, held the umbrella and with one hand and reaching forward held the edge of the cover on the other side of me.  In this manner they managed to give my eyes partial protection from the snow that then cut like small shot.  The umbrella prevented a tragedy, for we all must have perished without it.  The reins in my hands seemed like ribbons of ice, as they were frozen hard, being wet by the first part of the storm.  The roads were drifting badly and one of the horses frequently stumbled.  If much of the road had been drifted ad badly as on the last two miles of the drive, we could never have reached home.

There was but one stopping place between Fort Dodge and home.  That was the grove in which Mr. Webber had built a log house.  When we reached the shelter of the grove and putting the blankets upon the horses, we went in and got thoroughly warmed.  They tried hard to have us remain over night, saying we never could live to reach home, but I replied, "We MUST reach home tonight."  Resuming our journey, I drove the team as I had never driven before, and have never since.  "Old Dime" came near giving out before we reached home, one time stumbling and falling so that I was afraid she would never get upon her feet again.  The boys called out from time to time, "Papa, are we most home?"  But they bore their imprisonment courageously until we reached home and I lifted the snow covered blankets from them, and the storm smote them with demoniac fury.  They then gave free vent to their pent up feelings.

I told Albert Penney and Mr. Lawler to hasten down to the mill and see if all was well there.  As they descended the stairway and came in sight of Mrs. Pinney, she exclaimed, "Oh boys, I am so glad you have come, for these double doors have been threatening to give way for some time."  She had scarcely finished speaking when a fiercer blast than before burst them in, extinguished the lamps and tore away blankets and overturned chairs.  Mrs. Pinney felt her way to the bedside of the sick child and gave it what protection she could until the men, getting upon their knees, each behind a door, pushed them shut and held them until Mrs. Pinney relight the lamp and procured a hammer and nails, when the doors were made secure.  If we had failed to reach home that night Mrs. Pinney and the children would have been frozen to death.

A storm of like character occurred in February, 1866, in which the McLachlin boy perished.  Mr. Rogers, with his team, took a load of flour down to Fort Dodge that day, and I accompanied him.  We went down on the ice.  The fore part of the day was very pleasant.  We left the Fort to return about 3:00, and when entering upon the river above where the old dam used to stand, we were greeted with a strong breeze from the north, accompanied with fine snow.  The ride home was very uncomfortable.  We took turns driving and running behind the sleigh to keep warm.  Soon after we reached the forks of the river a sharp gust of wind hurtled through the leaves of the trees of the river's bank, then it was altogether calm for two or three minutes, then another blast, and in a little less time still another, until before we reached the McClain ford we were in the midst of a wild Iowa storm.  We made our way home from the ford with great difficulty, and just before reaching shelter the wind carried away my hat which I made no effort to regain.

In February 1865, the mill commenced making bolted flour, which was made an occasion of great rejoicing, a banquet being given at the Fremont House, where biscuits and butter and sorghum were served free.  Hundreds from our county and quite a number from adjoining counties were present on the occasion.

There being no bridges or culverts in this part of the state at that time, farmers frequently came to the mill in company, so as to double teams when crossing bad sloughs.  I have seen loads of grain come to mill, drawn by three yokes of oxen.

A man known as Judge Rose came to what is now Rutland, the year after I came into the country.  He said he represented a number of families and seemed intent on doing much the same kind of work that engaged my attention.  He had so little confidence in my enterprise that he volunteered to pay $20.00 for the first barrel of flour that I should manufacture.  Later he moved to Webster City.  When the mill was set running I purchased a very nice barrel, filled it with the best flour that could be manufactured, and sent it to him by express, writing him at the same time, thanking him for his generous offer.  But he never took the flour and he did not answer my letter.  I later understood that the flour was taken to pay express charges.

In the spring of 1865, I went East on business, and on my return I was accompanied by Mr. Snyder and family and Mrs. Bremer and family.  We left the cars at State Center and hired a team to cross over to the Northern Railroad.  Night overtook us before we had reached the only stopping place between the two roads.  We had, however, come in sight of the light and, having lost the trail, made directly for it.  To make sure that we would come in contact with no disturbing force, I took the driver’s lantern and piloted the way.  Water was running freely in many of the sloughs that we crossed.  The driver had a three horse team, one to lead of the double team.  While walking some little distance ahead of the team, I suddenly dropped into what was called a slough well, dug to gather water for cattle in the summer time.  Throwing out my hands, I prevented going lower than to my shoulders.  Mr. Snyder, noticing that the light suddenly disappeared, sprang from the wagon, hastened to my relief, and taking hold of my shoulder helped me out.  And the moment after I was released the leading horse went in with his forefeet.  The water was flowing a foot deep  over the surface of the ground, so all we had to do to get the horse out of the well was to seize his head and pull him down stream, after which he got upon his feet.  Then, avoiding the well, we made our way to the end of our journey.  When retiring, I have my clothes into the hands of the landlord to be rendered wearable by being dried during the night.

At one time, when compelled to cross the mill pond on treacherous ice, I dropped through and would have been drowned but for my precaution in carrying a long pole in my hand.  This stopped my descent, and crawling upon the ice over it, I made the shore by keeping that in my hands and moving on my hands and knees.

In order to take the stage at Fort Dodge to go East, I had to leave my home soon after midnight.  I quote from The True Democrat, on February 28^th, 1866, an account of one of those early rides, when called upon to attend an important railroad meeting at Boone.  My hired man, Mr. Rathkey, and I left home at 3:00 a.m.  The night was dark and stormy.  In fording the East Fork the horses had to break ice almost strong enough to hold them up.  On reaching the farther bank and driving up on the prairie, the wind proved too strong for our lantern and it went out.  We soon found ourselves lost on the prairie and could make no further headway without a light.  The only way the lantern could be relighted was by my holding a blanket over the teamster as he got down in the wagon bed.  Then we found the trail and made our way safely to Fort Dodge, reaching there just as the stage coach drove up to the Duncombe House.

The Railroad Company, with which I contracted for the land, failing to build as required in the bill making the grant to it, was unable to complete its title, so I could not procure mine.  Under these embarrassing circumstances, I resolved on seeking relief through the state legislature.  In December, 1866, I went to Des Moines, a stranger to everybody in the city except Judge. C. C. Cole, whom I had met in Keokuk when there to contract for the land.  He introduced me to leading members of the Legislature, and I laid my case before them.  I shall never cease to be grateful for the deep and intelligent interest they all took in my enterprise.  In a few days a resolution had passed both houses and received the executive sanction, which authorized the governor to convey the land directly to me on my paying the agreed purchase price into the State Treasury.  So it turned out that what at first seemed a serious difficulty proved a blessing in disguise, as my visit to the State Capitol gave me the acquaintance of many of the legislators and other leading men of the state, among whom I call to mind Governor Stone, B. F. Gue, Dr. McGowan, Senator Harlan, Judge Wright, Judge Hubbard, Judge Chase, John Scott, Governor Larrabee, Governor Merrill, Governor Carpenter, Charles Aldrich, J. J. Parker, J. B. Powers, Judge Oliver, Professor Abernathy and others.  This acquaintance later proved of signal value to me when I engaged in my educational work.  In the Senate I found an old school chum, who was with me a member of the “Union Literary Society” in Mexico Academy, New York.  I last saw him as we parted on leaving school.

In 1866, I established a weekly paper called the True Democrat, which name I changed to Republican when I found that “Copper Heads” supposed that paper represented secession.  In 1872, I transferred the paper to my son, Frederick, who changed the name to “The Humboldt Kosmos” and who remained its editor and proprietor until he removed from Humboldt to Sioux City, when he sold the paper to its present proprietor who changed its name again to “The Humboldt Republican.”

In 1867, a calamity befell me and the town and there was also conferred upon me and my family a priceless blessing.  In April of that year an ice gorge took out the mil dam, and in June our only daughter, Mary, was born.  The going out of the dam, while an oppressive loss t me, and while compelling farmers to go far to get milling done, proved a blessing to scores of families, by reason of the work which was made necessary in recovering control of the river.  Instead of putting the dam where it formerly stood, I found that by putting it a half mile up the river I could secure three feet more of fall and also make the mill safe from damage by future floods.  This required the digging of a canal a half mile long, which involved an outlay of many thousands of dollars.  I commenced excavating the canal on the 6^th day of June, frequently had fifty men employed at a time, together with many teams.  For a few weeks I paid the workmen on each Saturday night, but find my resources would not permit this, I paid them half, promising them the remainder when the mill should run.  But it soon became evident that I could not continue to pay even that amount, and I told the men the best I could do was to furnish them bread for their families and let them wait for the rest of their pay until the mill should run; and such were the necessities of those early settlers that they gladly accepted these conditions, and I had no difficulty in procuring all necessary help on these terms.  When I commenced the work I had quite a stock of flour in the mill.  After this was exhausted I borrowed from farmers all the grain that I could and sent it to Webster City to have it floured, but this source of supply finally failed me, when the outlook became dark indeed.  I had come to where two week more work would give me the command of the river, as I had got the dam in and was putting in head gates, all of which would have been of no avail without the completion of the canal.  This was called “Starvation Year” in northern Iowa.  Mr. Rogers helped relieve the situation by taking a load of his wheat to Tyson’s mill below Fort Dodge.

On Saturday morning, two weeks before the opening of the canal, I sent one of my hired men and work teams down to Fort Dodge, following later with my driving team.  I went to Fuller and Ringland’s store and offered them a dollar extra on each hundred of flour if they would let me have a ton on ninety days time, to w3hich they replied, “We can sell only for cash.”  Having learned that Mr. George Bassett was loaning money belonging to the state, I called upon him at his office and inquired on what terms I could obtain a hundred dollars.  He replied, “Give me your note, with some other good name, and you can have the money.”  He wrote out a note, which I signed, and then I called at the Fort Dodge Messenger office and stated to Mr. B. F. Gue the conditions confronting me.  He promptly replied, “I will sign the note with you,” which he did.  Taking the note back to Mr. Bassett I obtained the hundred dollars, then went back to Fuller and Ringland’s bought a ton of flour, had it loaded upon my wagon, and let the team start home with it, remaining myself to transact some further business.  It then occurred to me that if the load of flour reached home before I did not a sack of it would get into my larder, so I started for home, making good time, and drove across the bridge just as the load of flour was being driven up to my residence.  There were then no trees to obscure the vision, my house being in sight of the workmen on the canal.  As soon as the load of flour was sighted the workmen dropped their spades, pick axes, shovels and scraper handles and started for the wagon.  Those with teams headed also in that direction.  They were all on the march when I came in sight and most of them reached there before I did.  I, however, got there in time to get my hands upon the mouths of two sacks, and when a man who had one sack on his shoulder requested me to let his son take another sack, saying he had a large family, I replied, “my family is the largest, I must retain two sacks.”  Some of the men were laughing some were shedding tears.  One jolly Irishman exclaimed, “Bully for Taft.”  Another more Quaker like in manner exclaimed, “Thank God.”

Two weeks from that day the water was let into the canal, which was made an occasion of much rejoicing.  I had given notice in the True Democrat when the head gate would be lifted, and hundreds came from all parts of the county.  Many came from adjoining counties, also, and they all gathered on the river’s bank at the head of the canal.  The Good Templars were out in force, and the brass band was on hand.  I got into a rowboat below the head gate and was carried down to the mill by the rising tide while the company led by the band, marched down on the north side.  It was a day never to be forgotten by those who were present.

Among the first Ordinances passed after the town was incorporated was one prohibiting the sale of intoxicating drinks, signed by John Dickey, Mayor, and S. H. Taft, Recorder.

In the spring of 1869, I set out a great many trees, and in 1872, I set out over two thousand, most of them on the college grounds and in the second college addition.  Since returning to town this time I have highly enjoyed the grateful shade of those beautiful trees.

Sumner Avenue was the first road opened up into Humboldt.  When I spoke to Mr. Craig, one of the county officials, about opening this road and having a culvert put in at the lowest point, he replied, “There will never be travel enough there to need a culvert.”  And when I went before the supervisors and asked for the laying out of the Air Line Road, old Mr. Atkinson, who was opposed to it, said, “Not in Mr. Taft’s nor in my day will a road be needed there.”  Realizing the necessity of a good approach from the east, I put in the culvert on Sumner Avenue and plowed and turnpiked at each end of it for several rods.  This was at the time the only piece of turnpike in the county.  The next road laid out was to the west, which road I employed Mr. Averill to survey for a distance of six miles.  The third road secured was the Air Line road, the county bearing the expense of the survey and the putting in of a bridge at Bloody Run.  But three owners of the quarter sections along which this road ran refused to give the right of way, tow of them demanding $100 and one of them $52.00,  This I paid to avoid the inconvenience of delay.  In 1866, I employed Mr. Collins to take out a trail from the Fort Dodge road on the west side of the river, leaving it after crossing the creek this side of the Flower farm and going over to Lizard Creek, to accommodate farmers living ten and twelve miles west on the creek.  And much grist was brought to the mill over that road.  We of this day are amused at the failure of the first settlers to comprehend what the future held in store for them in this garden spot of the state of Iowa.  But men of high distinction have made like mistakes.  Daniel Webster, on hearing some railroad men talking of building a road to Worcester, exclaimed, “A railroad from Boston to Worcester!  Who will ever be interested in a railroad to Worcester?”

A bit of early history, revealing the fact that Humboldt did at one time have a blind pig, came to my knowledge a few weeks ago.  The story was told me by Mr. Young, whom many of you will remember as one of the early settlers in Humboldt.  When visiting me not long ago, he told me the story, which I will give as nearly as I can in his own words.  “I had been up to do some business at the Courthouse and coming down on my way home to Balzer Lindstruth’s, with whom I was then living, I stopped at Mr. ____ and asked him for something that might give me a little warmth.  He replied, “I have no license to sell anything, and Mr. Taft and his fanatical friends watch me very closely, but if you will go with me I can find you something to drink.’  He started downstairs, asking me to follow him, and took me into the back end of the cellar, where he drew me a glass of liquor, which I drank, and after returning with him upstairs I started for home.  But before I got across the bridge I was taken with violent pains to both stomachs, and before I got to Mr. Lindstruth’s I was in such agony that I crawled under the side3 of a hay stack and stayed for a while, but feeling sure that I would die if I did not get relief I started on my way again and succeeded in reaching his house, when he gave me a cup of mustard and water, which gave immediate relief.  I have never drank anything since.”  If a like result would come to all patrons of blind pigs, we might feel partially complacent.

After the upper dam was put in, high water in the spring usually overflowed the low land west of the dam, and finally it began to cut a channel from where it flowed into the river below the dam up towards the mill pond, so that it became necessary to build a dyke across this low land, which was done while the water was flowing three feet deep.  The dyke was constructed by driving plank, sharpened at one end, four inches in width, into the ground from eighteen inches to two feet, and filling in front with gravel and building up stone on the backside.  The driver stood in a boat that was fastened as we moved along, but the holder of the plank had to stand in the water and with his feet see to it that each plank was properly driven beside its fellow.  And I was so anxious that this should he done correctly, as a badly driven plank leaving a place for a break would jeopardize the whole work that I worked all on day with ice water flowing about me up to my hips.  Dr. Welch drove up twice to where we were at work, warning me that I was jeopardizing my life.

Two years later the water cut through the dyke, leaving an island west of the dam.  This was to me a crowning calamity.  The recovery of the control of the river was of inexpressible importance to me.  How this could be attained came to me when reverently seeking divine guidance.  It occurred to me as possible to fill the gap with quarry stone, which was obtainable on the bank of the river opposite to the cut.  I had observed that flat stone would sink and come to rest even in a rapid current.  To get the stone there in necessary amounts involved great difficulty and even danger to life.  But that genius of a mechanic Dunham Pinney helped me work out the problem of procedure.  I had a flat boat which would carry several tons of rock at a time and the plan agreed upon was to attach two ropes to the rear end of this boat one to hold it in check and the other to draw it back to shore.  A large rope was suspended across the river, one end fastened to a post at the quarry; the other fastened to a tree on the island, and had a short rope running from boat to a pulley on this suspended rope.  Then we were to load the boat with stone and the workmen would pull it out into the current, with one of the ropes half hitched around the post to hold the boat whenever it was desired.  This control of the boat was put into Mr. Pinney’s hands, and the boat was drawn back to shore by a horse.  I elected myself captain of the boat and at 7:00 at night, with three men started across the river.  Before reaching the middle of the river the current moved the boat toward the gap, and when we were as near as was safe I called a halt, when the rope was fastened to the post.  Then we threw the stone from the forward end of the boat into the gap.  Our lives were constantly in the hands of Mr. Pinney, for had he let go the rope, the boat with all hands, and the horse besides, would have been drawn into the vortex.

At one time, with a heavy load, I did not call a halt quite soon enough and the boat reached so far out upon the dropping waters that it began to fill and sink.  Then I called out, “Take us back!  Take us back!” at which the horse was put upon a trot and we were brought to shore just in time to spring from the sinking boat to the bank before it went down.  We had to unload the boat with long poles, and when it rose to the surface we baled out the water and resumed our work.  After putting in about ten loads, I asked Mr. Pinney to let the boat move a little farther out, after being unloaded, so I could ascertain what progress we were making in filling the gap.  Standing on the boat that was tugging at the rope with the waters rushing by it, I thrust a pole down and struck the stone which we hand thrown in at a depth of about eight feet.  I called back, “All right, boys we shall win.”  You should have heard the shout of gladness that went up from the people on the bank of the quarry.  We worked all night, by which time we had stopped the enlargement of the break.  It took several days to obtain control of the waters but in less that a week’s time the mill was set running again.

The dyke needed frequent repairing, to do which we carried material across the river on the flat boat.  For sometimes the long rope spanning the river remained in its place, and it was an easy and safe matter to pull the boat over by the rope.  But this was finally removed, after which we had to cross the river by the use of poles.  On one occasion when the water was high we crossed over, made repairs, and attempted to return.  But a strong wind from up the river had set in and before we had got half way across the river it became evident that the boat would be carried over the dam.  Mr. Belcher and Mr. Jones, who were with me, were given their posts on the boat, and we worked as for our lives.  I told them to retain their places until the front end of the boat came to where the water dropped over the dam, then to leap to the shore, if possible.  We succeeded in getting the boat so near the bank that when we jumped we reached so near that by leaning over we could take hold of the projecting stones of the bank, and the water came up only to our shoulders.  So we escaped with no further injury than a plunge in the cold water.  The boat went over the dam and remained in the vortex some little time before floating away.

At the time I laid out the parks some considered it a waste of land to devote four blocks to a single park, but I replied that the time would come when such dedication would be accounted one of the most commendable things that I had done.

In 1870, I contracted for land for an educational campus, and then went East to secure funds for establishing a college.  The erection of the Central Building was commenced in 1870, and its doors were open for the reception of students in September, 1872.  For two years no tuition fee was charged, only an incidental fee of $2.00 per term for lights and fuel.  The teachers were paid from funds I procured in the East.  A good many are today occupying positions of trust and influence which they never could have attained but for Humboldt College.  And many of its earliest students have attained signal distinction in their several callings and professions.  It is also cause for grateful satisfaction that the graduates from Humboldt College, under its present administration, take high rank in the educational and commercial world.  The work of establishing the school was attended with experiences of a most diverse character, ranging from the gladness that waits on a consciousness of noble attainment achieved to that of oppressive sadness attendant upon the apparent loss of all that was believed to have been attained.  But of these experiences I cherish the pleasant ones, while to the fullest extent of my ability I consign the unpleasant remembrances to the grave of forgetfulness.

There were three occasions in the history of Humboldt when its prosperity, if not its very life, was in peril.  First, when the state re-granted the river lands to the Valley Railroad Company after the company had failed to comply with the terms of the first grant.  Mr. Kasson, who was appointed to draft the bill, knowing that I had contracted for ten sections of the land, asked me to formulate a section of the bill that would protect my interests, which I did.  This section provided that a portion of the land should be withheld from the company until it should build the road into Fort Dodge.  This provision so offended the president of the road that he said, “I will now run the road so as to make the grass grow in the streets of Taft’s town, or I’ll go to hell.”  But for this provision the road would have been built through some distance west of town.  This provision was so important to Fort Dodge that several of its leading business men thanked me for securing its incorporation in the bill.

The second occasion was when the committee of five, appointed to locate the road from Fort Dodge to Britt, came to our town.  The committee had driven down from Britt on the divide between the Des Moines and the Boone Rivers, and two of them favored that route.  Mr. Piersons came to my house very early one morning and said, “I have brought the locating committee up along my road, and they are at the hotel now.  Two of them are in favor of an air line route between Britt and Fort Dodge and two of them favor buying my road and building through the towns on the river.  Governor Washburn is undecided.  Now we have got to win the governor to our side or you and I are going to the devil.”  Governor Washburn, after looking over the ground, decided for the river route and the purchase of Mr. Pierson’s road.

The third occasion was when Mr. Pierson agreed with me to abandon three miles of grading and turn west and cross the river at the Forks instead of at Dr. Welch’s quarry, on condition that I should raise seventeen hundred dollars for the company and also obtain the right of way to Humboldt and the necessary depot grounds there, all of which I accomplished within sixty days.

On the 20^th of September, 1872, the National Scientific Association, which held its sessions that year in Dubuque, visited Humboldt and spent three days with us.  Among those who gave addresses were:  Dr. White, Prof. Perry, Prof. Putnam, Prof. Waldon and one or two others.  Two days before their visit Humboldt College had opened its doors for the admission of students.  The visit of the scientists was much appreciated by citizens, teachers and scholars.

In 1875, the Christian Union Church supplemented its previous declaration regarding the bounds of its fellowship by declaring that “any and every person desiring to study and practice the Christian religion as taught by Christ, was invited to fellowship and membership.”  This church was organized in 1863, but a house of worship was not erected until 1879, at which time it was difficult to obtain mechanics but still more difficult to find money to pay them with.  So, making available my knowledge of mechanical work obtained when I was a student, I laid the walls under the church, my son William and Mr. Stephen Seward being my tenders.  Under the direction of Mr. Penney, I superintended the framing and erection of the building, which was accomplished during the winter of 1879-80.  The funds with which the building was erected came from three sources:  first, the subscription of its friends; second, the two year’s salary which I contributed toward it; and third, a few hundred dollars which were borrowed.  The church was dedicated in the early summer of 1880, with Miss Mary A. Safford was chosen as the first pastor in the new house of worship.  On the occasion of the dedication, the church was named “Unity Church,” by which name the church and society have since been called.

On the 20^th of September, 1889, our beloved daughter, Mary, died.  Of her beautiful character, her helpful social and religious influence in the county, I have no need to speak before those present who knew her.  I have spoken of her birth as a priceless blessing, made so by the helpfulness and beauty of her brief life, of which I have to say that it was ever inspired and beautified by the belief that she was God’s child, for the one conclusive reason that He made her.  I am confident that the thought that she was other than a child of God never gave her an hour’s anxiety.  To her, the Gospel proclaimed and illustrated by Jesus of Nazareth was not a new religion but rather a clearer revelation of the ever abounding love and gracious watch care of God.  Before entering the valley of the shadow of death, while yet able to speak through earthly lips, with a countenance all radiant with peaceful trust and Heavenly joy, she said, “I shall soon know the mystery of death and the life beyond.”  In the light of such a death, we may well repeat the challenge of the apostle.  “O, death, where is thy sting; O, grave, where is thy victory?”

In this connection I take grateful satisfaction in paying a tribute to the noble Christian woman, faithful wife and affectionate mother, who counseled with and inspired me for almost fifty years.  With rare courage and ability she cheerfully accepted the double burden imposed upon her during my long absence from home when procuring funds for the college.  She possessed executive ability of a high order, and was for a quarter of a century on of the directing and molding moral and social forces of Humboldt.  I shall awaken no feeling of protect when saying that no one enjoyed more unreservedly the respect, confidence and love of all than did Mrs. Taft.

As nearly as my memory enables me to name them, the following are some of the first developments in the life of Humboldt.  The first house was erected by Charles Lorbeer.  The first church organization and Sunday school was the Christian Union.  The first church edifice erected was the Congregational.  The first school house was erected upon the block where the present school houses stand, by Mr. Dyer and S. H. Taft.  The first paper established was The True Democrat, published by S. H. Taft.  The first hotel was kept by Mr. Locke.  The first mason was Mr. Leland.  The first hardware store was kept by Mr. J. F. Ward.  The first general store was kept by Mr. Eli Wilder.  The first furniture store was kept by Charles Lorbeer.  And the first blacksmith shop was run by Mr. Goldsworthy.  Dr. Cole was the first dentist and Dr. Russell was the first physician.  The first goldsmith was Mr. Knowles.  The first school teacher was Mr. Jared Snyder.

The work of building, from these small beginnings, has been carried forward until Humboldt has attained wide distinction because of its inviting homes, pleasant parks, shaded streets, extensive, elegant stores, strong banks, grandly improved water powers and electric plant, beautiful lake, successful Chautauqua, and its first class high school and college.  Financially, it has measured up fully to my highest hopes; but religiously and politically, it has not yet attained to all I had hoped for.

I have thus far spoken of the conception, birth and early years of Humboldt and some of the experience attending upon my work in its behalf.  I wish the time would allow of my telling of the faithful work of those associated with me, without the cooperation of many of whom success would have been impossible.  Among the early settlers and their families I recall the following names, though of necessity this list is incomplete.

Having spoken of the birth and early history of Humboldt, I should be untrue to the cause of human progress and untrue to my own sense of duty, even unworthy of the higher honor you have bestowed upon me, if I should fail to speak of what ought to be Humboldt’s future and how desirable social, moral and political conditions can be assured.

But fifty years lie behind Humboldt; fifty centuries lie before it if it shall prove worthy of continued existence.  It is God’s good pleasure that its life should run parallel with the passing ages if it will but truly represent the principle of law, which is to command what is right and forbid what is wrong; and if it shall execute judgment and justice and deliver the spoiled out of the hands of the spoiler.

Fellow Citizens:  America must not prove untrue to its heaven appointed mission as the custodian of the priceless treasures of Christian civilization by permitting them to be whelmed in the maelstrom of political corruption and social debauchery.  But to prevent this dire catastrophe we must improve the environments of our youth.  To do this we much cease to “bargain away the public health and the public morals” by licensing the traffic in intoxicating drinks and we must establish a government of law that shall “be a terror to evil doers and a praise to them that do well.”  And such a consummation I believe to be near at hand.  The social and political heavens are bright with promise of coming victory for the cause of truth, purity and righteousness.  Let it be ours to severally act nobly our part in the crowning contest for the preservation and promotion of Christian civilization.

“We need the Cromwell fire to make us feel

The common burden and the public trust,

To be a thing as sacred and august

As the white vigil where the angels kneels.

We need the faith to go a path untrod

The power to stand along and vote with God.”

Fellow Citizens:  I reverently invoke upon you all Heaven’s richest blessings.  May your lives be hallowed and exalted by an abiding consciousness that you are the children of the living God who gave you your being.  And may the spirit of love and human helpfulness that glorified the life and death of the Master ever rule your hearts and lives so that you shall know the joy and peace of the eternal life this side of the grave.  And may the memories of this historic occasion brighten all the days of future years.