Iowa
Old Press
Washington Evening Journal
Washington, Washington co. Iowa
September 9, 1920
Unearths Records of Old Settlers Association Here
In looking over some old books and papers in his office recently
City Clerk S. J. Kellogg ran across a record book containing the
minutes of the Old Settlers’ Association of Washington
County organized March 10, 1877. The last record was written
September 5, 1901 and it is presumed that the last meeting of the
association was held on that date.
A.S. Bailey, at that time editor and proprietor of a paper called
the Star at Brighton is given credit for originating the
idea of forming an association. He took the leading part and the
meeting for organization was held in Carroll Hall at Brighton,
with sixty old settlers present, including four from Richland and
Keokuk County, 21 from Washington and 35 from Brighton.
Membership was possible according to the by-laws adopted, for any
one who settled in the county previous to the year of 1851 and at
that time resided in Washington County or adjoining counties. The
first officers were: President Anson Moore of Brighton Township,
vice presidents, J. H. Wilson of Washington, R. S. Mills of
Brighton, and D. Bunker of English River township; treasurer,
James Dawson of Washington: Secretary, Nathan Littler,
Washington; executive committee, George W. Foreman and O. H.
Prizer of Brighton, J. S. Reeves and J. L. L. Terry of
Washington, and William S. Pringle of Clay.
It was decided to hold the first annual meeting at Washington on
Sept. 6, 1877. Following the minutes of the meeting is a list of
the charter members, with their ages and the date they came to
Iowa. A large number of them had come to the county previous to
1840, the earliest date being 1837. Those named from
Washington included J. H. Wilson, Jesse Ashby, R. T.
McCall, Michael Wilson, S. A. Russell, B. P. Baldwin, George
Brokaw, George C. Anderson, Oliver Crawford, Dr. A. N. Miler, Dr.
Wm. McClelland, James Dawson, J. C. Conger, E. Ross, J. L. L.
Terry, D. W. French, Ralph Dewey, J. S. Reeves, A. Norton, N.
Littler and Samuel Griffith, none of whom are now living.
Met on Fair Grounds
A meeting of the executive committee was held at Brighton in July
and plans made for the first annual gathering in September. It
was decided that the fair grounds would be the most suitable
location. Hon. Samuel A. Russell was chosen as the orator of the
day and James Dawson as chief marshal. The following is quoted
from Secretary Littler’s account of the September
celebration, as recorded in the book.
”Thursday, Sept 6, 1877, it being the day set apart for the annual gathering of the old settlers of Washington county, Iowa, the day being a very pleasant day, the people began assembling at an early hour and by 10 a.m. the ___(edges crumbled) seemed literally full of people, who came in by trains, by teams and ___cessions, and by other means. It was undoubtedly the greatest gathering of people Washington ___ ever witnessed in her county seat or of any other place in the county. There were estimated to be ___ wagons, and other wheeled conveyances in the procession which occupied one and a half hours in viewing at any point.. The attendance was probably not less than ten thousand persons, while many placed their estimates as high as twenty thousand or more. And, although there were so many people present, it was one of the most quiet and orderly gathering of people ever witnessed in the county. The program was promptly adhered to as to time and as fully carried out in other respects as it was possible to do on such an occasion, and every part was adhered to and completed by 3:30 o’clock when all people quietly departed to their homes.”
Then follows an enthusiastic account of the picnic dinner and
of the afternoon program, with its music and addresses.
Many interesting comments are made by the secretary on the
presence of various of the very early settlers of the county,
some of whom came here in 1836.
Second Meeting at Brighton
The second annual gathering of the old settlers was held at
Brighton on Sept 6, 1878, on the grounds of D. F. Funston,
described as “a beautiful shady grove lying immediately
along the line of the Southwestern railway, on the north side
thereof about a half mile southwest of Brighton. A special train
was rode from Washington and a crowd of four or five thousand
people attended the meeting according the secretary’s
account. The address for the day was delivered by Gen. A.
_. Dodge of Burlington. At that time, the association had 1300
members.
The third annual reunion was held at the fairgrounds here on
August 28, 1879. The speaker of the day was Hon. C. W. Slagle of
Fairfiled (sic) The reunion of 1880 was held at the fair grounds
with Hon. Samuel Tracy as the speaker. In 1881 the meeting was at
Crawfordsville and a special train was run from Washington over
the “Narrow Gauge.”
Annual reunions were held thereafter, mostly in Washington, but
at times other towns of the county enjoyed….. [rest of line
missing].
[transcribed by N.J., Nov. 2005]