Port Wasington, Port Louisa (2) and Odessa.

pg 294

In addition to Harrison, four other towns have been platted in Port Louisa township, as follows: Port Washington in 1848, Port Louisa in 1849, Port Louisa again in 1854, and Odessa in 1861.

The earliest place in Port Louisa of any business importance was called Walling's Landing, which, as we understand it, was about the same place as was platted for the town of Port Louisa as afterward laid out by John C. Lockwood in 1854. This was the shipping point for a large part of the county prior to the advent of the railroads, and at one time there was a great deal of business done there.

There was, as noted above, a Port Louisa laid out by Henry Rockafellar in 1849, considerably west of the place we understand to have been Wallings Landing.

No post office seems to have been established at any of these Port Louisa towns except Harrison.

We notice from the early road records that Walling's Landing was a well recognized point as early as 1842-43 and continued to be so probably until 1849. as notices were circulated for public meetings there as late as 1847.

In 1851 Lockwood & Fleming advertised in the Louisa County Times as having a store at Port Louisa. This was probably at the town platted by Henry Rockafellar. In February of the same year there was an advertisement containing a notice of the proposed incorporation of the Port Louisa, Wapello & Virginia Grove Plank Road & Bridge Company, of which J. W. Isett was president; J. C. Lockwood, secretary, and H. Rockafellar, treasurer. A little later in the year this company advertised for sealed proposals for throwing up and grading about 2,000 feet of the road between the bluff and the town of Port Louisa.

In the Wapello Intelligencer of May 24, 1853, there is a lengthy communication from J. C. Lockwood, concerning the affairs of the Port Louisa, Wapello and Virginia Grove plank road, in which, among other things, he states that the original stock subscribed west of the Iowa river was $840, and east of the Iowa river was $1,620, on which there had been collected up to date $1,095, ana* the company had paid for bridge timbers, etc., $577.70, and had paid Henry Thompson on contract for building the embankment. $517.92, and that there yet remained to be done work between the highlands and Muscatine slough amounting to about $1,600.

In the Intelligencer of March 6, 1854, is the first notice of the sale of town lots in Port Louisa:

”Here’s a Chance for Busines Men.
We will offer at public auction on Tuesday, the 2d day of May, 1854, the following Real Estate:
75 Building Lots
(being the first sale)
In the Town of Port Louisa, Iowa.
Embracing the most desirable sites for Stores, Warehouses, Shops and Dwell ...

pg 293

... ings—on a part of which such buildings are already erected and if desired will be sold with the Lots. Also a
New Steam Saw Mill.
With rotary and Lath Saws attached, now doing a good business. Also a
Steam Flouring Mill,
in the vicinity in good running order, with a good run of Country Custom.
Sale to be made on the premises commencing at 12 o'clock m., when terms will be made known. For particulars apply to the subscribers on the premises, or by mail through this office.
Lockwood & Williamson”

The Port Louisa plank road from Port Louisa to the bluff west of that village was finished late in the winter of 1853-4. The stockholders of the company had a meeting at Port Louisa, on Saturday, February 11, 1854, for the purpose of establishing the rates of toll. These rates were established as follows: For a wagon with two horses, mules or oxen, 15 cents per trip; for wagon with one horse, mule, or ox, 10 cents; for wagon once passing, 10 cents; for every additional horse, etc., in a team, 5 cents; for horseman on horseback, 10 cents; for footman, 5 cents; for loose cattle, 2 cents; hogs, 1 cent; sheep, 1 and 2 cents; persons going to and from church and funerals, and children going to and from school, free.

At this time Port Louisa was thought to be destined to be quite an important place. It had the only good landing on the Mississippi river in this county. It also had a most complete sawing establishment; and there was a good steam grist mill but a short distance from there. There was usually a large amount of pine lumber on hand at the sawmill, being brought down by rafts on the Mississippi.

In the Wapello Intelligencer of March 4, 1856, George Hutchinson, "forwarding and general merchant" at Port Louisa, gives the "exports" from that point during the previous year as follows: 22,052 sacks of wheat, 9,690 sacks of oats, 1,231 sacks of rye, 13,660 sacks of corn, 205 sacks of potatoes, 144 sacks of flaxseed, 26 sacks of mustard, 326 pounds of pork, 8,022 pes. bulk meat, 85 sacks of hams, 956 bbls. of lard. (A sack is about two bushels.)

The paper claims that there was more than that shipped from Wapello & Toole's Landing and via Burlington & Muscatine.

In the Wapello Republican of January 3rd, 1861, Hutchinson & Berner of Port Louisa have a large advertisement of their dry goods, clothing, grocery and notions store and state that they have "unsurpassed facilities for storing grain," and "pay the highest prices for wheat, corn and pork" and "press and bale hay on short notice." Notwithstanding the fact that Port Louisa township has been, most of the time, without any town, its citizenship has always ranked with the very best in the county. In the early days, as well as later, a strong religious sentiment prevailed there, and there have been a great many United Presbyterian families among its settlers.

For the names of the prominent early settlers the reader is referred to the chapter on townships. The following are the particulars as to the laying out of the four towns referred to, as shown on the town plat book in the Recorder's office:

pg 296

PORT WASHINGTON,

laid out by William Hardin and William Johnson on lot No. 2, section 8, township 74 north, range 2 west, on the bank of the Mississippi river. This would be in the northeast quarter of section 8, surveyed by A. D. Hurley, county surveyor, September 26, 1848.

PORT LOUISA,

laid out by Henry Rockafellar, proprietor, October 20, 1849, on tne north end of the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 7 and the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 6, township 74 north, range 2 west, surveyed by A. D. Hurley, county surveyor. This was west of Port Louisa and sometimes called West Port Louisa.

PORT LOUISA,

laid out by John C. Lockwood, surveyed by John R. Sisson, county surveyor, March 20, 1854, and acknowledged by John C. Lockwood, April 4, 1854. It was laid out on the bank of the Mississippi river, immediately south of what is known as the cut-off of Muscatine slough on lot No. 4, in section 5, township 74 north, range 2 west.

ODESSA,

laid out by M. P. Vanloon, May 15, 1861, on lots 1 and 2 in section 18, township 74 north, range 2. The east end of block 1 extends to the main channel of the lake. The west edge of the alley passes through the quarter section corner, being sections 7 and 18.

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