LeMars Sentinel
Thursday Morning, Jan. 4, 1877

The Pioneer’s Illiad
LeMars is Born
Grand Chorus—The Baptism-Invocation to the gods—Legends, Traditions, and
Associates
History—Biography—Autobiography—Poetry—Romance—Apotheosis

BY ONE OF THE BOYS

The writer could not have been more surprised by being struck with a
thunderbolt than he was one morning, a few days hence, in being requested to
write a novel for the Sentinel upon LeMars. He felt so bigoted when it's
crudite editor made the request, that he (the writer) became completely
flustered and unguardedly promised to write something.

Alas! Had he known how incompetent he was to fill the bill, he never would
have made that particular promise! For who is there in this wide, wide
world to adequately picture either in prose or verse all which might
appropriately be said of this.

ORIGINAL LEMARS!

The editors instructions were, give us some of the early reminisces, events,
recollections, scenes, views, retrospective and perspective, and for several
days past the editors dreaded greetings were: “don’t neglect that
article!”--Don't keep putting it off until too late to go to press, but get
at it at once!--Take unlimited latitude, spread yourself!--Consider you have
a full carte blanche to write what you have a mind to.”

Spurred on by such incentives as these, I had no recourse but to begin; by
saying “In the beginning” there was no LeMars, where now stands this
beautiful incorporated young city. The first time the writer knew the spot
where it is, was on a cold, bitter stormy day in March, ‘69. There wasn't
much here to cheer the observer at that time!--simply one house! (now
occupied by Father Gibbs) was to be seen upon the pleasant plat of the town!
There were insight from that one, seven houses, and they were all to be seen
with a range of two or 3 miles, and were occupied by a few families who had
settled here with the view of opening up farms, and establishing new homes
on this prairie, “fair as a garden of the gods.” These settlers material
hopes of the future of this portion of this particular country, were, that
their hope would be great, and the R. R. built from Ft. Dodge through to
Sioux City soon. The writer had hopes at that time, not only of the
fulfilling, but more. There had been talk by a few wise and monied men of
the East, headed by John I. Blair, the champion town site man of Iowa, who
has had a hand in establishing successfully from 30 to 40 towns and cities.
In this state. W. W. Walker, and other officers and stockholders at the Iowa
Railroad and Town Lot and Land Company, with a few sharp, shrewd, wide-awake
men of the West, who knew the lay of the land perfectly, about the location
of a town, somewhere near the confluence of the stream known as Willow Creek
and the Floyd River, to be a station on the line of the aforesaid, projected
R. R. This talk became poised about and the “place” began to have a local
name. It was spoken of as the Junction. The St. Paul R.R. Junction, the
place where there was to be a new town up the Floyd River. The first time
anything appeared in print in Iowa giving light upon the uncertainty of the
plan and the location, was in the Des Moines Register, in one of its
September issue's ‘69. It was in a letter, which was headed “St. Paul
Junction.” Still, all was doubt, and speculators rife! It was quite
apparent from the talk and preparations which were being made that a Great
Event was about to transpire. The Almighty unquestionably willed that a new
Place should be, and it is. The first thing which occurred that year, which
seem to be obvious--and evidently was one of the preparations, and seemed to
foretell the coming event was the great eclipse of 1869 --and Mr. Gilman, a
banker of N. Y. City--an amateur, but highly poeted astronomer, came to this
locality to take an observation, and view the eclipse. He located

HIS SEVEN FOOT TELESCOPE

on the southwest corner of section 10, town 92, range 45, (about one fourth
mile in rear of the Catholic Church) and made an observation. It is not
recorded whether he saw clearly the Event, but it is known that he made a
very correct observation of the eclipse, and that his report was not only
published in the papers, but was assigned a place in the archives of the
Smithsonian Institute. ____, who assisted him and taking notes, saw enough
___ to give him inspiration, and a hint of the Thing to come, and which
contributed towards his developing into a full-fledged and skillful lawyer
right here in our town. John Herron, who also assisted, no doubt had his
eye on the county Treasury at this early date. There were others, Capt.
Bettsworth, and Deacon Bodgett, I think among the numbers who assisted in
that observation. Whether they all knew about the Thing to come, I do not
know. I'd venture they had premitations and hopes pertaining to it, but
they were not crystallized. B. O. Foster, also saw enough in it to make a
few wise investments, with a view to the future. The writer, being of
rather an eclipse make-up, only saw enough to prompt him to hover around and
keep his eye peeled.

Another of the preparations for this crisis, was the actual construction of
the R. R. The grading had been nearly completed between Ft. Dodge and Sioux
City, the track laid about a mile beyond LeMars (I think,) eastward from
Sioux City, and 30 or 40 miles west from Ft. Dodge. A section house had
been erected near a place where 6th street crosses the R. R. on the north
side of the track. Just across from the one spoken of (Brother Breadell now
owns and lives in it). Foster & Blodget’s old store was to be seen one half
mile westward (now the dwelling of Mr. G. Spring), three or four farmhouses
in the distance. A potato field laid just south of the track in the center
of which now stands the Depot Hotel. Piles of railroad ties, iron,
telegraph poles, and long waving prairie grass greeted the eye and helped to
materialize the scene of this eventful occurring.

The time was about the last of September or the first of October ‘69, the
exact day, I forget. I only remember it was on one of those beautiful,
dreamy autumn days, which the denizens of this region alone know of, and
which I cannot describe. In such a scene, and such a day as this, was to
take place the

BIRTH OF LEMARS!

As yet, the place was unknown, negotiations had been pending between Capt.
Bettsworth, who had a claim to the southwest ¼ section 9, and the officials
of the aforesaid company relative to the exact location. How well I
remember the interest, watchfulness, care, and anxiety we all felt
pertaining to the matter. We all thought we knew pretty well, what was to
be the result. We seemed to feel it in our bones--but were in blissful
uncertainty of what the day would bring forth.

The accruement of this fledgling of the prairie began in the morning in
Sioux City, upon the arrival there of a Director’s car, from Cedar Rapids,
the headquarters of the company, containing Mr. Blair, president; the
officials--some being wise men from Boston--and a few Ladies, wives and
friends. And their object was to settle an important matter. They make a
short stop, take on a few invited Sioux City men of the Western type
previously alluded to, and their wives, and as the train pulled out from the
depot, speeding towards the Place, 25 miles distant, at the rapid gait of 30
miles an hour, where now stands before my vision this fair young city! The
birth progressed.

The train arrives at the Spot, a conference was held between the plucky
Captain, who didn't propose to yield too soon his sacred rights, after
encountering the dangers, privations, and anxieties which first settlers
have to combat, he being the first in this region, and Mr. Blair, after a
good deal of banter, and check exhibiting itself on both sides, resulted in
the Captain taking other land where his present home is, and the company
acquiring absolute title to the entire plat, and INSTANTLY LeMars was born!

Ring out your joyous tones, oh Ye Bells! Ye Brazen sweet toned one in the
Congregational church steeple! You inn lunged bell on top of that $2850.00
school house on the hill, now gone for a song! Ring out you Illinois
Central and St. Paul R.R. engine bells! Ring out, all ye big and little
bells! Ring out, oh! Ye sweetest of all LeMars Belles! For on that
particular day previously alluded to, this THING WAS BORN.

Let us get high up here on our trusty old Pegasus, and soar, sing, crow,
whoop 'er up as our Brick Pomery John Curry would say-- clap all your little
hands together, you young and tender LeMars school children! Get out Fred
Kuhry's old and well tired anvil, and make a noise! Let the Brass Band play,
and everybody in this town crow, to swell the music in honor of this most
important of all events in the history of LeMars!

Every Thing has a place and a name. And this time, there was a Place for a
town but it had no name! So, the gentlemen, of that train gallantly conceded
to the ladies of the same rights in the time honored custom of SELECTING THE
NAME for it. Now the evidence is, that these ladies were thoroughbred and
intelligent, accomplished and witty. In fact, the bevy were about as good
on that returning train as it sped backwards to Sioux City as though a
newspaper were published there. For with all their gossiping and slandering
and puzzling of their brains, to think of the name--they seem to be in the
dark. Somebody said something about transposing and composing--when light
began to dawn--a happy thought struck them, they take the first letters of
their given names, arrange them into a word, and that particular word is
LEMARS! The writer who stood upon the platform in Sioux City, when the train
returned--he having declined an invitation to go out on it in the morning--
was shown by a gentleman who acted as a scribe for the Ladies, the notebook
which was used, and a discussion arose as the mystic letters first greeted
this writer's eyes, as to the proper way of writing the name. Having
somewhat of a Frenchy look, the writer suggested it be written with a
capital M as the word "looked bigger," the gentlemen present acquiesced, and
Charlie Collins, who stood by, reported the event in the Sioux City Times
the next morning and then appeared for the first time in print. LeMars with
a capital M and that is why I always write it with a capital M.

Lemars! Which embodies everything. The little one which shall become a
thousand-and a small one a Strong Nation! For isn't Lemars a Host within
itself? Not to wonder that the Bard of Lemars, who under the non de plume
of Walt Whitman Jr., who is recognized as being none other than "Buck" man,
should sing of it as

"Uprising form the greensward, the beautiful young city, Lemars,

Rough and shaggy as a bear's whelp,

Brawny and active as a champion baseballist,

Beautiful and independent as the belles of a homesteader's dancing party,

The un-incorporate young athlete bathed himself in the rays of the bright
October sun this morning,

Young, self-reliant, arrogant, and generous Lemars.

* * * * * * * * * *

Lemaria Felix! Exultant Gateway! Son of the brown fisted plowholder! Poem of
the Grand old Prairies! Our own beautiful Lemars."

All this and more might be sung, with much propriety in adoration of this
new creation. Out high and noble birth, born and named in a R. R. train, at
the rattling rate of 30 miles an hour! Not to wonder that Lemars has always
rushed things! Dumped down here beside the track-a poor, friendless, tender
waif! But oh! Didn't he have the elements of greatness in him though? And
now, when the stripling willed by the Omnipotent, conceived by John I.
Blair, and named by the musical voice of lovely women, whose voice gage to
it its musical sound. It mattered little whether spelled by the Sentinel,
Lemars or the more Liberal LeMars, its sound being the same, for oh! 'tis
music in a believer's ear! This little but might one, left here alone, by
the officers, who have scarce visited it a dozen times, and whose unnatural
mothers not at all! (it so, not known to the public.) What was to become of
it? John I. Blair knew! He, the man who told the writer on that platform in
Sioux City. Henceforth the sun shall revolve about Lemars! And Lemars can
take care of itself! Did it? There is not a soul in town who can deny but
that the sun does perform its revolution as spoken of every day. But did it
take care of itself entirely? I think I hear the ready benedictions of
George Walton or of the Assyrian Greer, offering in thunder tones, Not Much!
By ___ ___!

It was the very material help of the first

BUSINESS MEN OF LEMARS

who caught up this mere babe with scared a name, and cared for it, nursed
it, fought for it! For have we not fighting men here? Ask the plucky
Charlie Corkery, the tough Ore Bennett, the valiant Gus Aldrich, the
indomitable and invincible Pat Hopkins, the irrepressible Buck, the
inevitable Charlie Bennett and a regiment of warriors we have right here,
and if it can't be seen at once that war is in their eyes, the I don't know
anything about it. These and others not forgetting, the ministers of the
Gospel who, among other things fed it amply, with the Gospel Leaven, not
forgetting the helping hand of woman, both in the church and out of it, in
the home and out of it, the editor, the teacher and all who contributed to
its sustenance. Those who in this town stand to obscure places, but
nevertheless put forth the feeble effort, with so noble promptings as the
most exalted.

Had the SOLONS and SAVANS of this region wasted their midnight oil in
endeavoring t find out something about the early baptism of Lemars, instead
of dragging those weary and interminable effusions through the columns of
the Sentinel, they might have discovered that Lemars itself had an original
and early baptism, but it wouldn't have made much difference whether it was
baptized or not; it saw the future of itself and believed in it, and when
the early baptism of blizzards and grasshoppers were felt about its
trembling young fern, it knew they both would prove a blessed baptism; for
didn't it test the nerves and try the soul of the young thing?

This Lemars grew right along, not necessary to say that it
developed-disciples! See the burying forms of Ike and the Prince Jim
Struble, Fred Clark, Curt Curtis, George Argo, and not forgetting "Buck" as
they ___ themselves to the much talked of Court House on the hill of Mars in
LeMars, there to expound-Justice. Behold the laughing Doc Hilbert, the
first doctor in LeMars who every partook of the exhilaration attending the
comforts of that biting, stinging, terrible blizzard, we delighted in the
14, 15, and 16th of March 1870, the thought of which freezes my blood even
now. Lemars has developed the business capacity of some of her early young
business men. Look at the extensive business which has been presided over
by such men as Frank Flint, Will Young, Peanut Young, Mat Tritz, L.K.
Bowman, Moe Ascaden,Ye wandering Jew Bennett, Mayor Bennett, succeeded by
Allison, Parson Wediser and Alex Stanley, A. H. Lawrence, Charley Aldrich,
the Springs, Tom William, Tailor Smith, Leon Fairchild, Curt Norris, Davie
Gibbs, Electric Joe Pocock, Van Dalson, the Grubbs, Woodsod, Andrews, Uncle
Gebles, Carbon Burdick, Little Knapp, Charlie Hofman, Chuck and many others
equally as noteworthy, but which limited time and space, with no design on
my part to neglect-prevent me from mentioning. Lemars has always produced
the money with which to pay its debts, and distribute its charities, and, it
didn't happen to have the wherewith just when it was needed, it produced it
in the course of time. It has produced in all its business history but one
bankrupt who came to the public surface, and had he not overworked himself
and brought on impairment to his health that, never would have occurred. It
produced the famous explorer of the Black Hills, John Gordon; besides
editors, lawyers, doctors, ministers, a swarm of grain buyers and successful
business men, poets, teachers, artists, bogus and genuine politicians-for
what other than genuine are such as those of the type of Recorder Hilbert,
Bus Haerling and Ed Blake? -- saloon keepers, praying men and women,
capitalists, bankers, men of talent and genius, critics, who I opine will
seek to tear this article to stems, and to such would say, if you think it
can be improved do it yourself; botanists, writers, speakers, babies and a
premature mayor! These are a few of the productions of Lemars. And now who
made a emcre? It was the men of whom we have spoken, men of title, for
everyone of the titles I have used have their significance and rank in the
town. They are not the high and empty sounding titles of men outside of
this place. Not the empty meaning of the titles to the men up there in
Yankton where they are all Generals, Colonels, Majors, Captains, Governors,
and Judges, and simple common men-pzka!

These Boys of the street who have simply stood by this stripling Lemars in
those early dark days, when it had but one house for shelter, and when
outsiders croaked, laughed, jeered and did everything they could to smoother
its feeble breath-these men in those early days stood up for it! And have
ever since! And now don't it do our very souls good to see Uncle Billy
Barrett, the Boss man of Plymouth county, and Rea and our Representative in
the Legislature-Our Gilliland and Henry Morf, on our streets-doing homage to
this young god. I say of Lemars, god, because I believe that the ruling
spirit which has hovered over this place is entitled to that name. There
have been various nicknames give it. The Sentinel calls it "The Gateway of
Eastern Commerce." Ike, in our Lyceum of the past called it "The Modern
Athens." Buck called it in his Lyric production above quoted, several
nicknames, all very good, and quite faithful in description. But Friend
Buck, isn't the sex of this presiding spirit a little mixed? I like the last
musical sounding name you gave it-a poem! But as the sex of the Ruling
Spirit which controls the dennies of the place has been a question of doubt,
let it henceforth be called a god! And in rank with the gods and goddesses
of ancient mythology-a new and original god! The production of the 19th
century, and, Buck, sing us a new song in its praise. If any should doubt
my opinion as to its sex, let them come here to Lemars, and standing upon
yon hill of Mars, behold the mile square of ground dotted at its base with
brick blocks, wooden blocks, depots, elevators, the gigantic form of the new
steam mill, as it discharges the finest and whitest of flour made in Iowa
from its side at the rate of 150 barrels a day, and such large clouds of
back smoke from its lofty stack as to almost cast a shadow upon the town,
stores, shops, churches, school houses, and beautiful homes scattered
throughout the scene, and then step into their homes, ask the wives and
mothers, and all the female portion of our community, who have had equal
honor in building, who made Lemars? And I'll wager their answer will be "The
men made it" for the women!

Then let it be know hereafter that the gender of the ruling spirit here is
masculine, and now that I have idealized it into a god let it have no other
name by Lemars. And see to it that not like Jupiter who ruled all gods and
goddesses, but who fell from power so soon as he gave himself up to the
pleasures of this world, that this new being has a career worthy of its
name. And when high on one of the temples of Justice, Art or Learning,
which shall be erected here, this new god shall be placed, materialized, in
sculptured form with finer pointing heavenward, carved by some gifted artist
of our own production. "Let this be the motto graven at its base

"Faith, Hope, Charity, Concord, Peace!"

* * * * * * * * *

I have been requested to say something of the FUTURE OF LEMARS, oh; that I
were gifted with protean powers! No man in this or any other place can
clearly see the future of the young giant of the prairies. I can only feel
when I look upon the result of these past seven years of its history, that
its future will be a glorious one! This town which always takes care of its
own, which in one minute stamped out the contagion of uncalled for
grasshopper relief petitions, and the next opened its heart to actual
sufferings from want and conflagrations! This town, which the minute a
stranger sets foot upon the platform of the depot, can measure him, and no
matter about his fortunes be-will in time be assigned his proper place, this
town so beautifully located, and though the story of its birth is not a new
one, to us, still like that old, old story of Christ and his birth, is ever
pleasant to hear.

This town, with such surroundings: As it lay imbedded in the center of
America township, and such hedging as the geographical mite of Plymouth
county made, and of which Lemars is the heart, who shall say that it has not
a grand future? Do you wonder that it has always been patriotic and that
its principles have been high, noble and firm, the very sound of such names
as its surroundings. America township and Plymouth county give answer:

I will venture this of the future of Lemars, that we have see the Britts,
Scot, Dane, Frank, Nersk, Tenten, Hibernian and others of foreign birth, and
men from every part of America crowding into its center during the seven
years past, a strange gathering of all types of humanity, all strangers to
each other motives, and see the fruits of the labors of these men produced
in so short a tie will take of itself, and we don't worry much about Lemars
future. The men who in the past have run this town and who in just one holy
minute put down the only of their number, who aspired to run it his way, or
as they did where he came from, are safe to trust the destinies of the
future. And when I speak this I will also include those belonging to the
class of newcomers among us, who it is hoped have found their lines cast in
pleasant places, the writer being somewhat an old settler. I naturally have
spoken of those of us who have been identified with its beginning; to
newcomers, who, whether being gentlemen of wealth and culture, robust and
sagacious mechanics, or honest and ambitious laboring men to you all belong
just as many responsibilities, cares and anxieties as you shall mould the
future Lemars as it did those of the early days.

Would you continue on in the glory and fame which you have won? Would you
see, instead of the wooden churches, which are even now too small to
accommodate their congregations-and some of the congregations have none at
all-in their stead, beautiful, large, permanent buildings? Would you see,
not only the beautiful new school building just completed, accommodating 500
children-and which is but the displacement in these seven years of that old
one-story 14x16 log school house the writer saw in the '69, and stood only
about three quarters of a mile south-west from the new one, the crevices
between the logs being so large that I could see my hat through, and was the
nearest in 12 miles-instead a larger, grander building than this last one we
have erected, one which will require a corps of a dozen professors, whose
labors will furnish teachers of ability to supply the fast increasing needs
of the youth of Plymouth county? Would you see a County High School rear
its graceful proportions in your midst, as the very material result of that
Swamp Land Fund? Would you see yourselves ensconced in larger and more
beautiful homes than you now occupy? Would you see this Modern Athens become
the True Gateway of Eastern Commerce? If so, then have a care!

And if you do not care to participate in the realization of these things
the, at least cast a glance to that Silent City on yonder hill, which some
of us from our habits of enterprise and zeal to provide for the future, when
we established it, little thought that it would so soon be the resting place
of those who were so very near and dear to us. Let the whitened slabs and
shafts of that hallowed ground remind you, that, when you and I have ceased
to traverse these busy streets, our bodies have been placed to rest in that
city and our spirits summoned to the Celestial City above, that there is God
above all who shall judge us in accordance as we have walked here below!

And now, if we would have our guerdon great, when summoned before that final
Judge, consider, that we living men, with the plastic material right here
before us, the moulding of which we are responsible for, must not falter or
weary in our well doing. And now that I view in these "Revival" days the
people of this place, who have great open hearts, who in days past gave
liberally to sustain a raffle, horse race, fire engine, poor widow or needy
minister, and all in one day! Or attending a social dance, with innocent
pleasure as their object and prayer meeting afterwards-or vice versa-now
attending these churches almost enmasse, with as much earnestness in their
countenances, to seek the true way of action as when in days gone by they
sought Mammon.

I am HOPEFUL! I believe that when they rich cluster of events, which I have
barely touched upon-which would fill volumes of themselves-are numbered with
the past, that the New Year of 1877 will begin a new era in the history of
Lemars, and that the transpiring events of that year will exhibit such
results as its end as shall surpass and eclipse all that I have so briefly
and feebly spoken of. Oh! That I could portray the feelings which swell in
my bosom as I even think of the future of Lemars!!

In the Cathedral of Seville there is a monument erected over the remains of
Columbus, on it is inscribed, "To Castile and Leon, Columbus has given a new
world." When John I. Blair shave have passed "beyond" let this be our
tribute to his memory: "TO THE NEW WORLD GAVE HE LEMARS!"

I fancy I again hear the editor's thrilling tones exclaiming, "Let up."