Iowa
Old Press
THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD
Sidney, Fremont County, Iowa
December 17, 1891
Hamburg, Ia., Dec. 15, 1891. To the Editor of the Herald:
"William Lewis, a former noted resident of this vicinity had about 1,070
acres of bottom land on the old bed of the Big Muddy in Missouri, south of
Hamburg. From the point where the Nishnabotna enters the old bed, south to
the present channel of the Missouri, a distance of five miles, the water way
has contracted and accretions have been formed on each side. Above, or west
of the outlet of the Nishnabotna to the main river, about 3 miles, the old
channel has been filled up by a sudden change in the river course, and as I
am informed, the doctrine of accretions does not apply. Here is where the
Lewis land is situated.
After Lewis' death, the Allen brothers, young men, tried to carry the
land and the mortgages on it. In the usual way the land reverted to the
mortgagees, the Lombard investment Company. The Goldens of this place have
some land in that vicinity. For some time they have had a dispute with the
Lombard's about their lines and the ownership of the made land. A building
erected by the Goldens, was torn down by the opposite party, and an agent of
the Lombard's received corporeal punishment for the same. There have been
numerous suits in Missouri between the parties, in which the Goldens have
been successful. A suit is now pending in the U. S. court to be held at
Omaha. It was expected that the parties would come here to take depositions
in the case, but instead, the Lombards were last week having surveys made to
fortify their claims. I have heard that about 800 acres of land are in
dispute. I am not posted as to the merits of the controversy, but I think
the old settlers here are in favor of the Goldens. It is said that they now
raise good potatoes in the old bed of the Missouri. There may be some other
suits grow out of this litigation.
"The change in the river's channel puts part of Nebraska on the east
side of the water. Above, where the Nishnabotna enters the old bed, it is
dry land between two states, and below only a comparatively small water way
separates Nebraska from Missouri. As the suits heretofore have been in
Missouri where the land is, the Goldens have had Rockport lawyers for their
attorneys.
[transcribed by W.F., April 2007]