Iowa
Old Press
Mitchell County Press
Osage, Mitchell County, Iowa
July 5, 1900
OLD SETTLERS
Men who settled Here in the 50's.
Our whole county is now one beautiful garden. As far as the eye
can reach fields and meadows of waving green hold it entranced.
Fine groves dot the landscape here and there, and herds of horses
and cattle lazily revel in the abounding wealth of luxurious
grass. Favored of high heaven are we in Mitchell county as the
seasons roll. Knee high corn the Fourth of July issues a crop, is
the old adage; but the last day of June 1900, saw much corn waist
high and not a little that could look over a short man's
shoulders.
Mitchell county is coming to be a paradise for farmers who own an
eighty or a quarter of its fair bosom. Witness the barns and
grainaries and elegant houses that appear on every hand as you
ride in any part of the county. This has always been the home of
the husbandman, the herdsmen.
Few factories have ever flourished with us, save the creamery and
the mill. No better butter ever oiled a man's internal machinery
than Mitchell county's Durhams and Jerseys furnish for our
tables, with a large surplus to send on to New York City.
Samuel Coon.
Our man of the 50's for this week has been wedded to the farm
nearly all of his life. Pennsylvania was his native state, but he
was only eight weeks old when he accompanied his parents to Ohio.
He was born Aug. 8, 1832. He lived in Ohio in different parts of
the state until he was twenty-two years old. He was raised on a
farm but worked cutting logs much of the time. His employer
shipped logs nearly all over the world. Part of the time Mr. Coon
was busy in a mill. His early education was limited to the
country school, but life's great workshop has furnished
himabundant opportunity for improvement.
MOVING WEST.
The fall of 1855 saw Mr. Coon leave Ohio and come straight to
Mitchell county, Iowa. Everything was new and he was here in
early manhood to try titles with dame nature for a competence.
For three years he worked on a farm by the month. How many of our
boys and men that make a place for themselves in life try an
apprenticeship on the farm working by the month.
BUILDING THE MILL.
Three men, Mr. Samuel Coon, Mr. Dan Sheehan and Mr. Elisha
Tibbets determined to build a mill. This they did, each putting
in $100. The rest they were to pay in parts as they were able.
For a time all went well. The old saW ripped and buzzed merrily.
It was a steam mill they were running, and one day the fire fiend
laid their plant in ashes. However the debt was paid and the mill
rebuilt, hard as it was in those days to get ahead.
MARRIED.
In 1859 Mr. Coon took for his bride Mrs. Ellen Dailey with whom
he lived thirty-six years, until her death in 1895. She was a
woman of beautiful spirit and excellent Christian character,
highly esteemed by her neighbors and all who knew her.
Mr Coon still stayed in the mill for a time. Oak and bass-wood
made the timber largely in those days. The early houses were a
baloon frame with nothing but siding nailed on to the studding.
Ah, but the wind and jack frost played high capers at times
through those frames.
ON THE FARM.
Tired of the old mill, Mr. Coon traded for twenty acres of land
just west of Sanford Thomas'. Here he built a pretty good home
for those days. Soon, however, he moved to his present farm,
paying $12 an acre for the same. He has never offered it for sale
but it must now be worth about 5 times that $12 an acre he paid
years ago. Much hard work has been put in on the old farm. Mr.
Coon has made it his home since he first moved there with the
exception of three years that he spent in Osage. Sixteen years
ago he looked in upon the old state of Ohio, enjoying a pleasant
trip.
REMINESENCES.
Mr. Coon's father and mother died when he was a small boy and he
had to take things as they came. In the early days, he and Mr.
Joe Mason who now lives at LeRoy, were together. Last week Mr.
Mason was a delegate to the council that met in the Baptist
church in Osage. He visited Mr. Coon and they enjoyed living over
the eary days. One October they went to McGregor together with a
yoke of oxen. It took about seven days to make the trip. They
patronized "Green's hotel", acres of which lay all
about. On their trip the rain began to pour down. They sheltered
themselves as best they could in the brush, but the rain turned
into sleet and the weather was very cold and disagreeable. Joe
went along saying "Oh my hands will freeze, my hands will
freeze." We had some pretty hard times, so we would butter
our bread light to keep within bounds. I have known men to hoe
corn for 40 cents a day and their dinner. This was only for a
short time one summer. I don't blame hard times; we always had
enough to eat. Cake three times a day (Johnny cake). Bill Eckford
owned a farm in those days. He mortgaged it for "$10. To do
this he paid 30 per cent and all costs out of the $10, for
recording mortgage. He thought this was all right until he found
the mortgage was never recorded.
THE CHILDREN.
Julia and Mary, Daniel and George are the children that came to
the home. Miss Julia spends her winters in Colorado. For years
she was a successful teacher. Mrs. Mary Cole is now on the old
home farm. Both girls have many warm friends. Daniel Coon, after
enjoying rare privilegs in the Cedar Valley Seminary, our State
University and the University of Chicago, spent a year studying
in Europe. In June, 1899, he came to Osage again where he is the
esteemed pastor of the Baptist church. Dr. George Coon is the
head of a medical school in Louisville, Kentucky. He has just
been shaking hands with President McKinley down in Washington,
where Dr. Coon had gone to read a paper before the homoeopathic
physicians. They are all children in whom a father can justly
take pride and comfort. Mr. Coon has always kept his word as good
as gold. He is a member of the M. E. church at Osage and is held
in high esteem by ( rest missing).
[transcribed by M.O., February 2008]