“SKETCHES AND ANECDOTES OF THE OLD SETTLERS
AND NEW
COMERS …”
by
COL. J.M. REID, Attorney at Law
Keokuk, Iowa
R.B.
OGDEN, PUBLISHER
1876
Compiled by Carol Griswold
Salli 10-08-2006
It used to be the custom here, in “early times,” to select for every character
of any special note in the place, some soubriquet or nick-name- such as
the whim of its donors might deem appropriate; upon the same principle, it is
presumed, that Napoleon was dubbed by his idolizing soldiery, the “Little
Corporal,” Jackson, “Old Hickory,” and Taylor, old “Rough and Ready.” Thus, we
had here, some eight or ten years ago – the originals of which every Old Settler
will readily call to mind from the soubriquet –The tall Cedar of
Lebanon; Devil Creek; Citizen; Dot and go 1; Joe Doane; Doublehead;
Compromise; Government; Pompey; Sweet William; Split Dog; Big Muddy;
Dont’y; Flitterfoot; Cousin William; Old Jums; Rouser; Little Pee Dee; Fat
Boy; Peril
;
Oh!la me; Peezzle Weezzle; Wharf Rat; Little Reed; Red Fox; Heels; Terror;
Dornicks; B---s Bill; Berkshire; Osprey; Jurisprudence; Little Duff;
Pacing Johnson; Dabney; Picayune Andrews; R.B.; and Bucket No. 1; Bucket
No. 2; Bucket No. 3, etc., etc., etc.
Among the well known “Institutions” of Keokuk in early times, and still
remembered also in connection with her public men, was “Rat Row,” a string of
log cabins stretched out upon the ground between the fine store houses now
fronting upon the levee, and the river; the “Shot Tower,” a noted frame
building, somewhat upon the lantern order of architecture, that formerly
embellished the ground now occupied by the Hardin House; the ancient “Wharf
Boat,” fitted up for the accommodation of passengers on their arrival and
departure; the “Rapids” hotel – sometimes under the noted management of “Sweet
William” – the Astor House of the aspiring young City, and where “Peril” the
“Tall Cedar,” and others, did sometimes congregate to concoct and perform their
exploits; the old “Mansion House” – the rival of the “Rapids” – catered for in
those days by the inimitable “Pompey”; the “Old Elm Tree,” a short distance
above the old Packet Depot, to which most of the Steamboats landing here were in
the habit of “making fast”; the “Painted Rocks,” down near the first Pork
House, a favorite place of resort – until their beauty and romance were
destroyed by the barbarous innovations of modern stone quarries – of ardent
young “lovyers” upon any pleasant Sunday afternoon; the “Fleet of Tow Boats”,
used for carrying freight over the rapids in low water, and for hauling which,
when the supply of rope on hand fell short – as happened not unfrequently – the
native grape vine, found in abundance along the river bank, or the bark of the
paw-paw and the hickory, was put in requisition as a substitute.
The tall Cedar of Lebanon was
General Jesse B. Browne
Devil Creek, William A. Clark, first
Mayor of Keokuk
Citizen, A. Browne, Commission
Merchant
Dot and go one (1), Capt. Silas
Haight
A.
Holland, Capt. Trotter
Joe
(rest indecipherable)
Doublehead, Colonel John Hillis
Compromise Roberts, Robert Roberts
Government, Captain Adam Hine
Pompey, L.B. Fleak
Sweet
William, William Coleman
Split
Log, Colonel Mitchell, of Missouri
Big
Muddy, Lou. Collins of Muddy Lane
Donty,
Dr. Birdsell
Flitterfoot, Valencourt Vanorsdall
Cousin
William, William F. Telford
Old
Jums, James H. Wise
Rouser, Captain William Holliday
Little
Pee Dee, P.D. Foster
Peril, Dr. O’Hara
Terror, Dr. Hogan
O! la,
me, John A. Graham
Red
Fox, General H.T. Reid
Peezle
Weezle, William C. Graham
Little
Reed, J.P. Reed
Heels, Lyman E. Johnson
Dornicks, Calohill E. Stone
Taller, Dr. Thos. M. Sullivan
Burns
Bill, William C. Rentgen
Pacing
Johnson, J. Nealy Johnson
Berkshire, William Timberman
Black
Hawk, Israel Anderson
Osprey, George C. Anderson
Jurisprudence, Joseph A. Clark
Dearduff, Little Duff
R.B.,
Ross B. Hughes
Dabney,
Zephaniah Meeker
Billy
Confang, William Morrison
Horse
Head, Dr. D. Hoover
Picayune Andrews, James Andrews
Bucket
No. 1, Isaac R. Campbell
Bucket
No. 2, Henry J. Campbell
Bucket
No. 3, Captain Jim Campbell
Beef
McCready, John McCready, of the country
Chips, J.B. Thurman
Wharf
Rat, Capt. Daniel Hine
Sheeps,
George A. Hawley
Anti
Christ, John McKean
Jiggery Jones, Joab Jones
Garry, Lewis R. Reeves
Garret, C.F. Davis
L
(rest indecipherable)
Wapsi,
Hugh W. Sample
Old
Continental, Peter Eicher
Black
Bill, Bill Thompson
Off Ox
of Democracy, J.C. Hall
Old
Blueface, Palmer of Iowa City
Cock-eye, Henry W. Starr
Bow-legs, W. H. Starr
Old
Timber, J.W. Woods
Elcana
Perdew, Kil Kenny
Uncle
Toby, Francis Semple
Peach
Blossom, Phillip Viele
Old
Tilthammer, Peter Miller
The
Old He Possum, Josiah Clifton
Old
John A. Murrell the Law Pirate, M.M. Morrill
Ghost
of Buster, Daniel F. Miller
Old
Buck, Captain William Edwards
Chief
of the Blackfeet, Dr. J.D. Elbert
King
of the Hairy Nation, Dr. John J. Sellman
Cottonwood, John Hill.
Besides the foregoing there were numerous others such as “Skillet Head,”
“Trigger Leg,” etc., etc., in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.