Iowa News from across the Country
- 1843 -

The Daily Atlas
Boston, Massachusetts
Monday, March 20, 1843

Died. At New York, on Wednesday last, Do-hum-me, the Indian woman, aged 17 years, wife of Cow-hick-ke, one of the young Indian chiefs from Iowa, now in that city.

[transcribed by S.F., April 2016]

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Farmers' Cabinet
West Virginia
April 21, 1843

DIED
In Burlington, Iowa Territory, March 17, after a brief illness, Mr. Nehemiah Chase, aged about 30 years, formerly of New Hampshire, and late one of our most enterprising merchants. Mr. Chase was the son of Henry B. Chase, Esq. of Warner, in Merrimack county.

[transcribed by C.J.L., July 2005]

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Farmers' Cabinet
West Virginia
May 12, 1843

MISCELLANY, MEN, MANNERS, and THINGS IN IOWA
IOWA TERRITORY, March, 1843
It is a matter of surprise how little the intelligent inhabitants of New England know of the country west of the Mississippi, especially of this territory. Ask the first intelligent man you meet for the geography of Iowa, and, in nine cases out of ten, he can give you no definite idea of its position. He knows it is a territory lying "somewhere out West," and this is about the sum of his knowledge on the subject. Tell him that in 1832 the white man made his first permanent settlement on its soil, and that, now, it contains a population of over seventy thousand distributed among nineteen different counties, each thoroughly organized with its seat of justice, its judicial and executive officers, its schools and churches; tell him that Iowa contains several cities, already risen to commercial importance, and exporting annually millions of dollars in value of the productions of the soil; tell him that through its whole extent are scattered flourishing inland towns, where may be found taste, refinement, and education and your auditor will listen with incredulity if not with positive unbelief. Such is, or rather was, two years ago, when I was among you, the state of information in regard to this portion of the United States. I have neither the leisure nor the inclination at this time to shed any elaborate light on the subject, but propose, within the limits of my sheet, to give you some rambling thoughts on matters connected with this Territory, and refer your readers for further information to "Newhall's Sketches of Iowa," published by J.H. Colton, New York, in 1841, advising them however, that it is much behind the times as would be sketches of Connecticut published fifteen years ago.

I suppose you of the East consider the present resident of Iowa the very pioneers of the West. Never was a greater mistake; the true Western pioneers have pushed on beyond us or if hear and there, one still lingers, it is only that he may dispose of his farm and "improvements" to push for a "new country." Strange restless beings are the genuine pioneers. Among them you may find some who have helped to lay the foundation of every State from the "old thirteen" hither, men who have successively held seats in every legislature from Virginia to Iowa, inclusive, but who are now moving to a new country again to "make a claim," again to act a conspicuous part in the community in which they live, again to run the political race, become a member of a legislature of some future State, find themselves thrown in the shade by those of greater attainments, who follow in their wake and again push for the "new purchase." The recent purchase is attracting considerable attention at this time; we have just heard of the ratification of Gov. Chamber's treaty made last autumn with the Sac and Fox Indians, by which they ceded to the United States a large tract of country lying on the Desmoines river, west of the present settled portion of this Territory. This is a part of Iowa, and by this cession comes under the territorial jurisdiction. It is a valuable purchase, having an excellent soil, well watered and abounding in timber conveniently interspersed throughout the prairie. The Indians are to yield possession on the first of May. Now comes a rush and a scrambling for town sites, mill privileges, county seats, and spring tracts, such as no one but an eye witness have any idea of. For more than eighteen months past settlers have been crowding to the frontier in anticipation of a purchase; during that time, singly, and by companies, they have travelled over a whole tract, selecting for himself a 'claim' according to his fancy.

I was through the country, hunting buffaloes, last June, and saw with some surprise that even there, on both sides of the Desmoines from the line to Racoon forks, a distance of 90 miles, settlers had been before me and "claimed" every eligible tract of land. The sign adopted to signify others that any individual had "claimed" a particular tract, varied according to the taste of the claimant. In some instances a simple blaze on the trees was the only sign, in others the settlers had cut his initials in the bark, while the more warlike had decorated the blaze with the figures of a bowie knife and pistol crossed, signifying, I suppose, that the gentleman who had put that bark there, would, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, maintain his right against the ????. The "knowing ones" have a sign ??? to either of the above; they ????? "claim," driving the stakes, with the ??? their visit cut in them, so deep in the earth as not to be visible, the object being, in case of dispute, to refer to the stakes for evidence of the priority of their claim.

You must know, (or perhaps you do,) but your readers must know that the laws of the United States forbids that any white man, except licensed traders, to settle or hunt on Indian lands, or to be on them for any purpose except to pass and re-pass. You must know further, that after the Indian title is extinguished and possession yielded up, the first person who builds or in any other way improves a particular tract, not exceeding three hundred and forty acres, has a pre-emption right to the same, at the minimum price of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. These pre-emption rights are, in the language of the country, called "claims." They are often quite valuable, the holder sometimes selling a mere claim as high as one or two thousand dollars. The settlers are so eager to get on and secure their favorite selection that even before the treaty hundreds had gone on and commenced their "improvements." But by the energy and firmness of Gov. Chambers, (by the way a high minded gentleman,and excellent officer, who executes the law regardless of personal consequences,) these trespassers were driven out of the country, and their improvements destroyed. This was not accomplished without the aid of a corps of United States dragoons, whose presence has, since, been constantly required to keep the settlers within the boundary line. Consequently they are crowded along
the frontier just within the line, some two or three families in a cabin, each ready, when the day arrives, to hasten to his favorite spot, put up his cabin and confirm his claim. There will be warm work on the purchase, on the first of May. Some individual, who long before has marked out his claim will be on the spot, bag and baggage by half past twelve o'clock in the morning of that day, and will find some other man has reached the place, five or ten minutes before him, who with material provided, has got a cabin half up. Then comes the strife; he who first picked it out will assert his right on the boy's principle of "I dubs first," while his competitor will as pertinaciously maintain his claim because he "squatted" first under the law. Of course the more audacious and obstinate will prevail, but when two unyielding bold spirits come in collision, the rifle and the bowieknife will act as umpires and settle the dispute.

[transcribed by C.J.L., July 2005]

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Vermont Phoenix
Brattleboro, Vermont
May 26, 1843

The following account of a Western wild Pigeon Roost is from the Dubuque Miners' Express:
There is an immense Pigeon Roost in the forks of the Maquoketa river in Jackson County, such as has never been seen in this country before. It is three miles long, and a half a mile in width. There can be no estimate made of their numbers. Their roosting places are almost a mile distant from their nests and feeding places, being three in number, and each covering a section of land; and in passing to and fro they darken the air with their number; they break down young trees with their weight and hundreds are killed by getting entangled in the falling limbs and branches. The people kill them with clubs; and their noise is so loud that when a gun is fired amongst them, the report cannot be heard; and a person can stand in one place and shoot all day, the birds returning as soon as you can load. They are building their nests, and the people are alarmed, lest they may destroy their crops.

[transcribed by K.W., November 2012]

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Emancipator and Free American
New York, New York
August 3, 1843

Married, in New York, 23d ult., Enos Stewart, Esq., of Davenport, Iowa Territory, to Lucia, daughter of Capt. William Bragg, of Boston.

[transcribed by S.F., April 2016]

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The Ohio Observer
Hudson, Ohio
Thurs., September 14, 1843

Died. August 7th, after a short illness, while on a isit to her son, at Solon, Iowa Territory, widow Ruth Sutliff, of Vernon, Trumbull Co. Ohio, relict of Deacon Samuel Sutliff, aged 73 years. Mrs. Sutliff united with the Presbyterian Church in early life, and by a uniform christian deportment honored her profession, and gained the confidence and love of all who knew her, religion was the absorbing theme with her. Her children and friends feel that they and the cause of the Redeemer have sustained a loss in her death, they will be consoled with the belief that the event was her unspeakable gain.

[transcribed by S.F., April 2016]

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Boston Courier
Boston, Massachusetts
Thurs., October 12, 1843

Died. Of billious fever, at his residence in Keosauqua, Van Buren county, Iowa Territory, Sept. 12, Thomas B. Paine, Esq. Attorney at Law, 26 years, 3d son of John Paine, Esq. of Sommersworth, N.H.

[transcribed by S.F., April 2016]

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Vermont Chronicle
Bellows Falls, Vermont
Wed., November 8, 1843

Died. In Ottumwa, Iowa, Sept. 20, Maria, wife of Sewal Kenney, Esq., formerly of Vermont, 36.

[transcribed by S.F., April 2015]



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