LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA

Submitted by Lynn McCleary May 11, 2022
(transcribed as written)

Page 1

     Columbus City was founded in 1840. The location was one half mile east of the present site, at the edge of the woods and near the Indian trail, between Burlington and Iowa City. But there was some misunderstanding about the title to the land, and the following year the town was moved to the present location. The land was surveyed and plotted in the Spring of 1841, by Edward F. Wilson. The first sale of lots was made July 4. Such buildings, mostly log cabins, as had been erected on the original stand were moved to the new location. Settlers were coming in rapidly and the new town got away to a good start. It was a good class of citizens that settled the new town – doctors, ministers, teachers and lawyers, mostly from the eastern states. Along with the were workers at the various trades so necessary in building up a new community, blacksmiths, carpenters, tailors, brick and stone workers, shoe makers, harness makers, merchants, etc., etc. Hotels were much needed to accomodate newcomers and prospectors. Among those early landlords I remember Philip Gore, Adam Reister and John Gardner, Abram Fulton came in later. Gore’s place, a large two-story building which served both as hotel and store was burned in 1848. Then John Gardner put up a new hotel, and that building, or a part of it, is still standing and is used as a dwelling. Gardner’s hotel opened in 1850 and continued in operation until 1870. The Fulton House, owned by Abram Fulton, opened in 1861. After his death Mrs. Fulton carried on the business until her passing in 1898. That building is also still standing and in use.

    Business houses were numerous those early days, with many lines represented. W. W. Garner had the first iron store (hardware) house furnishing establishment. Among other merchants were Philip Gore, Italian Myler, Nathan Fitch, George Harrison and Jarboe & Perry. In the Sixties a drygoods store was opened by James and Frank Colton. Later this store was owned by Frank Colton and J. W. Garner, who carried on the business fifty-three years under the firm name Colton & Garner. In the beginning the medical needs of the community were served by Doctors Bell Skillman and Taylor. All three soon moved on to other towns and in their places came Doctors Cleaves, Neal and Robertson. Dr. Roberston, whose son also studied medicine, …

Page 2

… moved to Muscatine in 1867. Doctor John Overholt came to Columbus City about that time. Later he was succeeded by his son, Dr. Daniel Overholt, and he in turn was succeeded by Dr. John L. Overholt, a grandson of the first-named.

    In 1869 Dr. A. B. McCandless came to the City. Later he sold his practice and drug store to Dr. J. W. Morgan who, in the course of time was succeeded by Dr. S. J. Lewis.

    Those early doctors had much to contend with. They got about the country on horseback, carrying their medicines and other supplies in saddlebags. There were no roads to speak of, and they got to their patients the best way they could, sometimes following an Indian trail, but mostly going direct across the unsurveyed prairies. As the land was taken up by incoming settlers section lines were mapped and roads came into use. Then came what we now refer to as the “horse and buggy days”. They brought easier going. Now they have the speed and comfort of the automobile, with the airplane available for quick service and emergencies.

    Doctors Clarke and Colton had the first drug business. George Darrow, Jacob Getts and john Will were blacksmiths. Stonemasons were Charles and Henry Alburn. William Hartman did plastering. Among those early carpenters were William Warren, John Gardner, Thomas Kelly and George Lischer. It was before the day of ready-made clothing, and tailoring was done by H. S. Denham, Philip Rasley and John Freed. Sam Shearer and Andrew Lischer made shoes, and Fred and William Goble did harness making.

    Robert Hanna was the first resident lawyer. Before his coming local people had to go to Muscatine, Burlington or Wapello when in need of legal service; but is was a busy, peaceful community and there was very little need of law.

    Columbus City took out articles of incorporation in the Spring of 1871. Andrew Gamble, J. Myler, A. Fulton, George Harrison and H. P. May were appointed commissioners to call an election, which was held May 27. The following persons were elected to serve until March 1872: Mayor, Abram Fulton; Recorder, W. W. Garner; Councilmen, H. P. May, G. L. Thomas, J. N. Smith, I. Myler and David Morgan.

    When the town was young and before the day of railroads mails were carried on horseback and come up this way from Burlington. The first post office was in one of the stores until a building could be erected for that purpose. H. K. Thomas was the first postmaster, appointed in 1843. Mail came once a week until 1848.

    In 1856 a stock company was formed to publish a newspaper. It was called the Courier. It lasted three months. In 1859 The Enterprise was established. It did a little better than the Courier, lasting six months. Next came the Columbus Nonpariel, …

Page 3

… which was soon consolidated with another newcomer, the Columbus Safeguard, edited ad published by R. H. Moore, in the old Union Block in 1870. The safeguard was later moved to the Junction, later to be consolidated with the Gazette.

    Schools were established early. For the first school a brick building of two large rooms with a fireplace in each room, built for a private home, was used until a one-room brick building was erected, located in front of the present school building. The first teacher was Dr. John Cleaves; the next was Wesley W. Garner. After the school the teachers were Finck, Pease and Chandler; and they were followed by women teachers, the Misses Prime, Trigg, Wolf and Weir. This was in the nature of a private school, and money being scarce, the teachers were paid in produce. The first public school was conducted in the two-story, three room brick building which was erected in 1857 and is still in use.

    In 1865 Thomas Baird taught in the Seceder church; also James Atcheson at the same place. As early as 1845 an advanced school was talked of and a building lot was selected and the foundation laid for an academy. But times suddenly changed and it was never built. Later the ground served as a drill ground during the Civil War. The location was a block east of the present school building and in later years was planted in orchard.

    The first religious meeting was a class formed by the Methodists in 1840, followed by the United Brethren in 1841, and the Seceders (Associate Presbyterian) in 1842. There were no churches or houses of worship at first; meetings being held in any vacant room or in private homes; or in summer the meetings were held in groves and were called “bush meetings.” The Methodist church was built in 1866 and is still in use, having been remodeled in later years. There were several circuit riders, men who travelled on horseback and served several appointments in a season. Peter Cartright, Andy Kirkpatrick, Joseph Paschal and Michael See were pioneer ministers that I remember. Later there were six churches in the town – Methodist, United Brethren, United Presbyterian, Associate Presbyterian, Christian and Baptist.

    The first military funeral was that of Robert Britt, a soldier of the War of 1812. Some boys who wanted a good view of the burial ceremony climbed a large hickory tree near the grave. When the captain ordered the salute the men fired and the boys fell out of the tree badly scared. The first Masonic funeral was that of Ed Jones, conducted by the Wapello lodge. The original cemetery was north of the present one. We refer to it now as the Tennessee cemetery.

    In those early days the town was lively. People came to hunt game on the prairie and to find locations for new homes. My father, Wesley W. Garner was a notary public and a surveyor and …

Page 4

… which was held at Iowa City then. Political parties were Democrat and Whig, and slavery was much discussed. The “underground railway” was in operation. There was no station in Louisa County, but one in Henry County at Salem, one in Washington County, then on north to West Brach and Springdale in Cedar County. My father never wanted to take part in this movement, having come west to the new country to avoid slavery. We had often seen a closely covered wagon going through town but thought nothing unusual about it until one day when Father was coming home the same wagon passed him and the back was slyly raised and a black face appeared at the opening. Father came in and said there was no mystery about that wagon. He had suspicioned what it was but did not report it, believing it was none of his business and he did not want to mix in the work.

    Political rallies were popular at that time, I remember one held in Wapello in 1854. Columbus City was to send a float and a crowd. The float was a hayrack drawn by four horses. Seats were placed down the sides of the rack decorated with bunting and filled with young ladies and girls dressed in white, each carrying a flag with the name of a state on it. The outriders were young men on horseback and wearing badges on their arms. The ride was not an easy one, with rough roads and no seat cushions, but when we neared Wapello the horses were speeded up and we went into town and around the streets in grand style with the band playing. But to us little girls who were not old enough to enjoy the speaking it was a long tiresome day, and we were happy to be at home again late in the evening.

    The first fourth of July celebration was held in 1848. One of the early celebrations was held at the southeast corner of town, a locust grove there making it an ideal spot for such occasion. Wanting to make it a grand rally day, with the additional attraction of a big dinner, the women of the community baked pies and cakes, cooked chickens and other good things for a bountiful dinner. When the women began to take the food from the baskets a gang of roughs came up; one snatched a pie, another took a cake, other took chickens and various things within reach; then they ran off to have a least to themselves. The men then put a guard around the table. But there was not enough food left for the big crowd, so some of the women living nearest the picnic ground sent home for more food. Mother had prepared to entertain company at supper so she sent home for some of the food she intended for supper. Those who were sent on the errand brought everything they found; so when Mother went home she found her cupboard had been stripped and she was obliged to prepare another supper for the company. Later a grove on the hill on the road to Columbus Junction was cleared and prepared to be a gathering place; and for years that was used for public …

Page 6

… gatherings and dinners. But a guard was always posted to avoid a repetition of the incident at the first dinner.

    Columbus City has always been liberal in religion and politics and always ready to do her full share when the all came for volunteers for war service. A full company, called the state militia, was organized in 1858. They were known as the Union Guard and their uniforms were gray trimmed in black. They were quick to offer their services for the Civil War and all enlisted in the three companies organized in Columbus City. W. W. Garner had drilled the Union guard and they had taken prizes in drill contents. The Fifth Iowa was the first to form and the men were drilled by Garner on the academy lot. Soon afterward the Eleventh Iowa was organized, followed by the Twenty-fifth Iowa, all under the same drillmaster. With this preliminary training the companies did not remain long in camp, being soon ordered to the active front, with many of the men soon made officers. The Twenty-fifth Iowa was with Sherman on his “March to the sea”. Manny of the Columbus City volunteers never came back, and of those who returned many were crippled and broken in health. Some were held in southern prison camps; one for nine months and others for shorter time. During the war the town was left without men workers and the women helped harvest the crops, working in the hay and binding and shocking the small grain. When the call came for services in the World War overseas thirty-one young men from Columbus City responded, and all but one came home when the war ended.

    We who now have so many conveniences do not realize how people lived in those early days. The first kerosene lamps came into use in 1856. Prior to that time primitive lights were in use. A cup of grease with a rag for a wick served for light until there was material to make candles, using the tin candle molds. Big fire places furnished light as well as heat in many homes at night. Knitting by the firelight was a part of women’s work. The fire was never allowed to burn out, by logs being used to hold the fire.

    Two of the town’s original buildings are still in use – the winering building at the northeast corner diagonal from the town pump, and the house just east of the United Presbyterian church. Many of the original houses were built of brick but were later torn down because the brick had not been burned hard enough and the buildings became unsafe. Three times fire destroyed the business block at the corner by the town pump; the first time in 1848, the second time in 1872, and the third time in 1894. A good brick store building now occupies that location.

    My father built a large barn but for some time it was not used for its original purpose. In July 1848 it was used for a debate on doctrines, principally baptism, between the Presbyterian and …

Page 7

… the Christians (Campbellites). The debate lasted three days – and on one was either convinced or converted. During the gold rush to California in 1849-50 campers used the barn for sleeping quarters, doing their cooking in the yard.

    Quoting from my Father’s diary, he says, “from March 1856 to May 9th, 250 wagons teams passed through this city, splendid four to six horse teams, stage fashion. They averaged from six to ten teams per day.”

    The life of the people in those early days, especially of the young folk, was more serious than in the present day. Amusements were just as enjoyable as those now, but so different. They enjoyed dancing, but it was more dignified than the dances of today. From early days we had many good singers. There were singing schools, singing clubs, spelling schools and geography schools. In recent years one former pupil in my school said to me, “When I want to know the capital of a state I remember how you taught us to sing the names of the states and their capitals, and I recall them fine.” Skating was a popular winter sport. Before the days of tile drainage there were numerous ponds that afforded good skating in the winter, as did also the creeks, which carried more water than they do now. The site of the present fair ground was a popular place to skate (then called Muskrat Pond) and also the Iowa River.

    Our first band music was fifes and drums. George Darrow’s family were all drummers, and the two William Paschals were fifers. When they wanted a big time they called on the Cairo band to help, whose members were the Weavers, the Seilers and the Marshalls. When they all played on the Fourth of July or at political meetings they made rattling good music.

    At the Iowa River north of town William Todd had a rope ferry. A big rope was fastened to a tree on each side of the river and attached to a flat boat with wheel and rope; a pole was used to push the boat. At the junction of the Iowa and the Cedar rivers was a horse ferry; the horse tread on a track that turned a wheel and carried the boat forward. Later at those crossings both railway and vehicle bridges were built, which are now replaced by modern structures.

    We could say much about the Indians in this locality in the early days. Although they had been moved farther west when this part of the country was opened to settlers, they visited this community often until about 1870, following the old trails and visiting the Indian graves on the bluff above the Iowa River at Todd’s ferry. They were the Sac and Fox Indians, among them earlier chiefs were Black Hawk, Keokuk, Wapello and Poweshiek. The Musquakies now living on the reservation in Tama County are descendants of the Fox tribe.

    Many of the young folk who attended our schools have gone far in the world’s work. Some of the early scholars became prom- …

Page 8

… inment in the professions of law, teaching and newspaper work, and others as public officials. Frank Springer, who as a boy became interested in the rock formations along Long Creek, became an authority on crinoidea. He also ranked high in the legal profession and had a prominent place in the public affairs of his adopted stat, New Mexico, as did also his brother, Charles Springer. Vene Gambell opened the first mission school on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea and taught the natives to speak the English language, which they now use entirely instead of their native dialect. After a furlong home, he was lost with his wife and child in the sinking of their ship on the return voyage to the island. One young woman, Abbie Cleaves became a physician; an unusual profession for women of that early day. Many became teachers or have filed other offices. So we feel proud of the product of our schools.

    Perhaps relating some incidents of pioneer days would be enjoyed in contrast to the present time. Typical of the experiences of early settlers in this part of Iowa was that of one family with whom I was intimately acquainted. Leaving their home in Pennsylvania, in 1842, they traveled overland to Pittsburgh, then by steamboat down the Ohio River and up the Mississippi, doing their own cooking enroute. They landed at Burlington, and from there went to Danville where they bought a yoke of oxen and a wagon, with which the father and three oldest sons and one daughter continued on the journey in search of a suitable homestead, the mother and the three youngest children remaining with friends at Danville. Their search ended at a point about six miles northwest of Columbus City, where they located in the edge of the timber along the Iowa River. Their first work was to plow through land to plant a crop that would mature and serve for winter food – corn, pumpkins and garden stuff. Then they built their log cabin, having lived in and under the wagon and cooked over an open fire during the summer In the autumn they journeyed to Burlington with their ox team to get doors and windows for the cabin and other supplies for winter, bringing the rest of the family home with them from Danville. Before the doors and windows were in place a baby boy arrived; nor was there yet a fireplace, only a big hole in the wall for the chimney to fill. Indians and wolves were prowling, around and there was no doctor nor even a woman to help. But that baby boy lived to be seventy-eight years old. The Indians were much interested in the newcomer, whom they called the white papoose, and were often seen peering into the cabin to get a glimpse of the child.

    It was twenty miles to mill to get corn ground for meal, and a week was required to make the trip; oxen did not travel very fast. Their garden grew; but it was difficult to keep it for the Indians were great beggars. Wild game was plentiful, and that with corn brad was the principal diet for the winter. Two of …

Page 9

… the sons went to California during the gold rush, traveling the long route with an ox team. Later one of the men said to a lady who had made the trip to California by train in the early eighties, “ You made the trip in one week. It took me six months to walk it.” (Now the journey can be made by airplane in a few hours!)

    In 1867 the bride of one of the sons was visiting in the home and all the family went one day to visit with another son who lived on a farm a few miles away. The host said if his guests would ride behind his oxen he would take them home. That mode of travel was a novelty to the bride so the offer was accepted and they started out. The oxen acted mad and finally they commenced to run, soon upsetting the load in a ditch by the roadside. The aged mother landed in the ditch under the wagon but no one was hurt. The mother laughingly said that was not her first experience with a runaway ox team. Years before she had accompanied one of the men of the family on a trip to Burlington for supplies, the journey requiring two days each way since they had only the oxen to drive. She filled one of the mill sacks with hay for her seat on the wagon, but the driver walked most of the way. As they drove into the city about noon they came upon a circus parade. The oxen took fright at the elephant and started to run down the main street. She bounced up and down but held fast to the wagon to avoid being thrown out and the oxen were finally stopped without damage to the outfit. “But”, she said, “for a short time I created more excitement than the circus.”

    It may interest readers to know some of my family history. My father, Wesley W. Garner, first visited the site of Columbus City in 1840, having traveled overland from Ohio with his brother, transporting a stock of merchandise to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where the brother remained. Father returned to Ohio, but in 1845, with his wife and three children again came to Columbus City and established a home, continuing to reside here until his death in 1889. I have no recollection of that journey to Iowa, being only nine months old at the time, but I distinctly remember a journey to Ohio and return with my mother in 1854, when we traveled the entire distance by river steamers on the Iowa, Mississippi and Ohio rivers. At that time steamboats traveled up the Iowa River as far as Iowa City, and we landed at Toddtown. With the exception of two years in the late sixties, I have lived in this town continuously since 1845 and was one of the early teachers in the old brick schoolbuilding which has been in use since 1857.

    Many of the early settlers in other parts of the county I knew personally; but I have mentioned only those who lived in or near Columbus city and whose names come to mind in thinking of the early history of the town. Someone has said, “Events in life are pictures to hang on memory’s wall to look at when we sit in the shadows”. And now as I “sit in the shadows” I have many pleasant memories of my long residence in Columbus City …

Page 10

… and of the many friends and acquaintances who have at one time or another been fellow citizens or whom I have known in connection with more than half a century in the mercantile business. Few of the early residents remain to help celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the town in this year of 1941. Time has brought many changes in the community during the past one hundred years; but although Columbus City never became the metropolis the founders evidently hoped it might when they chose the town’s name, it is, at least, still on the map.

Columbus City, Iowa
January 15, 1941