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David T. Durham
But most distinguished among those who settled in the township in '43, was David Durham, a brief sketch of whom may be in order here:
Mr. D. was born in Belfast, Maine, July 7th, 1792, and immigrated to Ohio in 1828. He started on the 3d of September, and reached Dovertown, Morgan county, Ohio, on the 10th of October, where he located, and opened a farm. But, after being engaged in this business four or five years, he went to the salt works on the Muskingum river, and engaged as a laborer to Sennet Ramey, who, a year or two later, appointed him superintendent of his salt works. After serving in this capacity for some time, he purchased an establishment and went into the salt business on his own account. But owing to the plentifulness of the commodity, together with limited means of shipping it down the Muskingum in scows and canoes, and transportation by land in wagons, the business proved unprofitable, and he failed to meet all the payments on the property. This was in 1836, when money matters became close and precarious. Abandoning the salt works he then employed himself for one season in transporting flour and salt to and from Zanesville by flat boats and scows. Early in '37 he moved to Zanesville, where he engaged in various occupations, till the autumn of that year, when he moved to McClain county, Illinois. But not being able to settle there as he desired, with a large family, he moved again the spring following, and stopped in what is now Jefferson county, Iowa. Here his companion, Nancy Durham, who had shared his varied fortune for more than twenty years, died, April 13, 1839. After about five years' residence in Jefferson county, Mr. Durham moved to Clay township, where he took and occupied a claim till he secured a title from the government in 1847.
During his residence here, Mr. Durham was elected a member of the Board of County Commissioners, as stated in another place, and carried the first mail between Oskaloosa and Knoxville. After a long and somewhat eventful life, attended with many conflicts with fickle fortune, having at last secured a competence and a resting place for himself and children, he departed this life, March 15, 1866, aged about seventy years.
Mr. Durham was much respected for his noble traits of character, being of an amiable disposition, kind and obliging to all who had occasion to apply to him for help, in time of need. His departure was, therefore, lamented by a numerous circle of friends and acquaintances, but not as those who mourn without hope.
[Pages 132 to 133]:
A little adventure may be worth relating in concluding this chapter: In March, 1845, Jasper Koons and wife, crossed to the north side of the Des Moines river on the ice, going on a visit, and left Eliza J. Durham, then quite a young woman, and now Mrs. D. D. Miller, in the care of his house and two small children, on the south side of English. Expecting to return soon, the parents did not leave Miss D. and the little ones as well provided for as would have been required in case of a long absence. But on the third day of their absence the ice began to break up on the river, rendering it impossible for the Koons to return. So early one morning Mr. K. came to the bank, opposite Durhan's and called over to inform Mr. D. of the unprovided and isolated situation of Eliza and the children, and requested that some one should look after them till he should be able to get home. Father Durhan took a pony and proceeded to the rescue immediately. He found English broken up and not very safe to ford; but the case was one of emergency, and he made no delay. He found the sufferers without provisions or fire, and during the night previous, though the weather was quite cool, they had had no fire.
But how to remedy the difficulty was the most difficult part of it. The pony would not be likely to bear two grown persons in safety over such a flood, to say nothing of the addition of the two children to the cargo, and he had not been so well trained to the business as to make one or more voyages through the ice-cold flood without a pilot, or at least without some humane incentive, though it was quite possible that he was as unselfish as any brute of his kind.
But it is said that "where ever there is a will there is a way,' out of almost any strait. Though there may be many exceptions to the truth of this proverb, it is true in a majority of cases, and it was in this. Eliza thought of the bed-cord, and proceeded to change it from its appropriate use to that of a tow line for pony. Being prepared for the adventure she tied one end of the cord to the halter. Mr. D. then took the children up and made the crossing, his sister paying out as they went. She then tugged away at the tow line, and Foster urged, till the unwilling vessel was compelled to launch again, and Miss D. soon joined the others in safety.
During the memorable flood of 1851, Mr. Durham and his family took refuge in their ferry boat, as it was moored along the side of the house where they remained till a place could be provided for them on dry land.
To get out of fire was no uncommon circumstance in those early days, and persons have been known to go several miles to get a supply. Matches were not convenient, and it was not every house that could be provided with them.