OAKLAND TOWNSHIP AND ITS TOWNS.

pg 300

The first official name given to the territory comprising Oakland township after it became a part of Louisa county, which was not until January, 1839, was Catteese. The designation of this district was intended both for a road district and a voting precinct, and it was provided that the voting place should be at Hugh Coland's. This name is given at other times as "Calin" or "Callan." Whatever the proper spelling was, it is quite certain he was an early settler in Oakland township, and probably lived near the bank of the Iowa river almost due west from Levi Blake's residence.

Among the other early settlers were Joseph Blake, Peter Blake, Curtis Knight and Absalom Dollarhide. William Blake, M. Seydell, and John Brown.

Joseph Blake was for a time the leading man in Oakland township.

Absalom Dollarhide had a grist mill on Prairie creek, not far from tne bridge in the southwest quarter of section 22.

The first town established or attempted to be established in Oakland township was called Catteese. William L. Toole refers to this in his writings in the "Annals of Iowa." He says, that in a very early day there was great rivalry between Catteese and Fredonia. and at one time there was a lot sale in Catteese.

Catteese was undoubtedly the forerunner of the original town of Port Allen, ...

pg 301

... which was located on high ground just across the river north from old "Todd Town."

In July, 1839, Mr. Samuel Davis, editor of a Whig paper called the "Peoria Register," was making a tour through Wisconsin, and was writing letters, one of which was published in the Iowa News of Dubuque. It is dated Catteese, July 4, 1837, and while it is quite an interesting letter, it does not say anything about Catteese or the immediate country around it, but the fact that it is dated at Catteese shows that it was then on the map.

We have an interesting little book which once belonged to Curtis Knight, which he called his "bill book." It begins in 1831 and extends over to about 1853. There are but few items in it. The first entry covers about four pages, and seems to be an inventory or invoice of goods bought by Curtis Knight in 1831, but the name of the vendor is not decipherable now.

We gather from some of the entries in this book that Mr. Knight settled in Oakland township in the spring of 1838.

If Mr. Knight had recorded all the happenings in the "forks of the river," in those early days, his book would possess very great interest. He might have enlightened us as to the Saturday gatherings for the promotion of horseracing and the manly art of fisticuffing. These were favorite sports with the people of the southern half of Oakland township until long after the war.

The custom in early days of borrowing and lending is well illustrated by some of the entries in this book. We give some sample entries:

“Iowa & Seeder Forks, Louisa County
June 4, 1838. Peter Blake debtor to Curtis Knight:
To 8 lbs. of bacon	$1.00
To 1/2 bushel of seed corn	50.00
To One half day sawing plank	50.00
To one bushel of corn	1.00
To 3/4 yard linen	37.00
August 3, 1838. To breakage of wagon tongue	2.50
Lent to Peter Blake, 4 small pans of corn meal at one time and 2 at another.
Lent four large pans of flour.
Lent 2 bowls of salt.
Lent one tea cup of pepper.
Lent 1 tea cup of shugar.
Lent 1 bowl of salt.
Settled."

From a few entries in the book it seems that Mr. Knight was a store keeper, and charged Jayhue Bedwell with an Ox yoke, staple, ring and post $3.00, and with different sums for different kinds of cloth, one item of 7 1/3 yards of "cassamer" at $13.75. He sells bacon, corn, skein silk, pickeled pork, potatoes, coffee, onions, saddles, honey and various other items. The price for coffee seems to have been 20 cents a pound, and corn meal 50 cts. a bushel.

pg 302

Hugh Callin's name is found in one entry under date of December 4, 1840.

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