Iowa News from across the Country
- 1844 -
Iowa News from across the Country
- 1844 -
Daily Atlas
Boston, Massachusetts
January 3, 1844
Indians - A delegation from the Fox Indians are on their way to
Washington, and are expected to arrive in this City today. They
are under the charge of Maj. C.R. Hopkins. The object of their
visit to the seat of government is to make some arrangement in
relation to the payment of their annuities. They reside in Iowa,
near the head of the Iowa river. - from the Buffalo Gazette,
Dec. 28, 1843
[transcribed by S.F., October 2016]
Vermont Chronicle
Bellows Falls, Vermont
February 14, 1844
Died, in the City of New Orleans, 8th of November last, of Yellow
Fever, after experiencing eight days of uncommon distress, Dr.
Josiah Miles, of Farmington, Iowa Territory, aged 35 years.
[transcribed by S.F., October 2016]
Daily National
Intelligencer
Washington, D.C.
July 10, 1844
Died, in Burlington, Iowa Territory, on Monday, the 24h ultimo,
B.F. Wood, merchant of that place. The circumstances attending
the demise of Mr. Wood were these: He was sailing in a boat one
hundred and fifty yards from the landing, when a gust of wind
rendered the boat a little unmanageable. One oar only being on
board, he tried to pull her round, the oar slipped and he fell
overboard. Before assistance could be rendered he had sunk to
rise no more.
[transcribed by S.F., October 2016]
"The Greensborough Patriot" 20 July 1844 (Greensborough North Carolina)
THE IOWA COUNTRY.
Believing that the following extract of a familiar letter from an emigrant to the Territory of Iowa will be perused with interest, we therefore give it space in our paper.
IOWA TERRITORY,
MAY 14TH, 1844.
..."I left Montgomery county, Indiana, on the 22d of April; had a prosperous journey of seventeen days, during which I travelled about 400 miles a little north of west from where I started, making a distance between you and myself, according to my computation, of about 1100 miles. I do not know the precise latitude that I am in, but I suppose it to be about the 41st degree of North latitude, and ? of a degree North of where I lived in Indiana. With respect to the quality of this country, you must expect that my observation has been quite limited, having been but a few days in the territory. I have only seen the road leading from Fort Madison, on the Mississippi, where I entered Iowa, to this place, 13 miles west of Tally's ford on the Desmoines river, and a little more than 100 miles from Fort Madison. But so far as my observation has extended I have found Iowa to be a very beautiful, fertile and healthful country, surpassed by very few places in the West, though not equal to the immediate section of country that I left in Indiana in some particulars, -- though I am of opinion that no country that is as rich as Iowa, and be more healthy.
"With respect to commercial facilities, this country can never equal the Wabash valley. There, since the canal has been in operation, they have a choice of a Northern or a Southern market. -- Here, admitting that the Desmoines will afford a good steamboat navigation (which I doubt) they will be nearly confined to the New Orleans market, which is seldom, if ever so good as that of New York. I say that we will be nearly confined to a Southern market, but we will not be exclusively so, for I have no doubt but that some of the produce of Iowa, will obtain passage through the Indiana and Ohio rivers and canals to New York, and that some of the eastern manufactures will arrive here by the same route. Perhaps when Wisconsin river and Green Bay are united by a canal, (and that will be effected ere long,) a large portion of the produce of Iowa may run in that route.
"The first settlement was made here on the 20th of June last: At this time there are five families and six men without families here. There are other settlements on either side within a few miles distance.
"We are about six miles east from lands at present occupied by the Indians.
"There is a post office within about 80 miles from here at Keosauqua the county town of Van Buren county, but expect that we shall obtain a post office within about 25 miles from here some time within a year. We also go to mill at this time to the same place, but expect to have mills running amongst us some time this fall.
"In all new settlements nearly, much contention grows out of clashing land claims. At the commencement some difficulty arose between the people of the Hoosier settlement, as this one is called, and one 10 or 12 miles off on that account, but none, as yet, has originated amongst the Hoosiers themselves.
"The Desmoines is a stream of great magnitude and length than I supposed it to be, before I saw it: it discharges as much water probably as the Wabash, and more than the Illinois, but it is a shallower stream than the former, and abundantly shallower than the latter, and runs with the most rapid current of any river that I have seen in the West. Indeed I do not know that the Yadkin itself surpasses it in rapidity. It is believed to be from 350 to 400 miles long. There is a place known as the "rapids;" though I think at no place on the river rocks impede the navigation.
"I have done as others do in respect to laying a claim on a piece of land. The piece that I have selected is hard to surpass in beauty and fertility, even in the West. I think as much as 70 out of the 80 acres that it contains is as level as any Yadkin bottom that you ever saw, is entirely dry and I have not a doubt but that it will with good cultivation, yield 50 bushels of corn to the acre on an average. I fear that it is rather too porous a soil to produce wheat so surely and abundantly; but in order to secure so beautiful a piece of prairie I was compelled to select a lot 1 1/2 or 2 miles from the timber that must support it. Not a stick as thick as your finger grows on the prairie. When it will come into market we know not.
"It is believed that Iowa abound in the minerals of lead, iron, coal and lime. Lime and coal are abundant in this neighborhood, and I have seen some of the richest iron ore here that I ever saw. How extensive the mines may be, none know, as they are unexplored.
"Water power prevails so extensively that it may prove detrimental to the interest of the community; for there is much more power than can be useful, and that may occasion mills in greater numbers to be erected than can be well patronized; and if that should be a fact none can bestow that expense and attention on them necessary to make the best mills. But the time is not far distant when all that part of the Territory that I have seen will contain a very dense population. Iowa when compared with Indiana, and especially with Illinois, so far as I have seen the Territory, has the advantage with respect to the arrangement and distribution of prairie and timber. The prairies are narrower and the groves more numerous in the Territory than in the States. In fertility I believe some places in Illinois exceeds, though I believe that in average fertility either Indiana or Iowa is equal ??? (faint and illegible)
"From the great distance that we are from a post office it may be a week or two before these lines may be mailed; though occasionally our neighbors are obliged to go to mill and that will enable us to communicate with the post office, and we are in hopes of obtaining an office within 25 miles from us within the course of the year; and should we do that it is my intention to endeavor to obtain one in our neighborhood on such conditions as will be a little burdensome to us, but better than no office. ...I presume that there is not a solitary newspaper of any description received within less than 25 miles from here and possibly not nearer than 45 or 50, consequently we can know nothing of what is transpiring around us.
"Some authors have rated the Ohio river and the Mississippi above Missouri of equal magnitude, I have seen either river but once each, and when I saw them Mississippi was at its highest, and Ohio at its lowest stage of water, but if I am not greatly mistaken Mississippi is much the greatest body of water.
"Should any person wish to find this neighborhood, Fort Madison, on the Mississippi, is the proper place to cross, from the East, or South-East, thence to West Point 10 miles, thence to Winchester 25, thence to the old Indian agency 25, thence to Dahlonega 6, thence to Brimm's Point 12, thence to Benedict's mill 10, thence to Tally's ford, or ferry, on the Desmoines 12, thence to A. May's 13. Note that Red Cedar creek empties into Desmoines about two miles below Tally's ford, and we live on the west fork of said creek.
"Since the above was written we have received nine more persons into our little colony. We now number just 50 souls, to wit: 46 Hoosiers, 3 Pukes, and one native born Hawk-eye. There has been no death in the settlement; not any serious sickness which was contracted here: one or two colonists last fall by going down Desmoines, and exposing themselves, became dangerously ill; but none who remained in our settlement."
"Sac and Fox Agency.
Wap-pel-lo county, May 30th.
"On going to seek a post office, I found one here thirty miles nearer than I was apprised of one being to us: you will therefore send here instead of Keosauqua. Be particular to name the county, as letters often go to the New agency by the mail stage, though there is no office there for other purpose than government business. We have almost drowned with incessant rains ever since the 18th of April, previous to that time wheat was very fine. It is now injured."
[transcribed by N.M.L., March 2021]
Vermont Watchman
and State Journal
Montpelier, Vermont
July 26, 1844
Died, in Fairfield, Iowa Ter., May 25, Mrs. Louisa Hitchcock,
daughter of Samuel Rich, Esq., of this town. Printers in Mass.
and Conn. are requested to notice.
[transcribed by S.F., October 2016]
Hartford Daily
Courant
Hartford, Connecticut
July 30, 1844
Deaths. At Baltimore [Henry co.], Iowa, June 28th, Mrs. Abigail
H. Abbe, in the 40th year of her age, wife of John B. Abbe and
daughter of Sanford Kingsbury, of Warehouse Point. "Blessed
are the dead who die in the Lord."
[transcribed by S.F., February 2008]
Vermont Chronicle
Bellows Falls, Vermont
July 31, 1844
Died, in Benton's Port, Iowa Ter., Louisa, wife of Wm. P.
Hitchcock, and daughter of widow Margaret Rich of Montpelier,
aged 37 years.
[transcribed by S.F., October 2016]
Ohio Observer
Hudson, Ohio
October 23, 1844
Died, in Wayne, Ash. Co. on the 9th inst. Hezekiah Fitch, son of
Dea. Wm. Fitch, late of Fairfield, Jefferson Co. Iowa.
[transcribed by S.F., October 2016]