The horse, like the dog, has long been considered the friend of man. This was particularly true in pioneer days when the horse was the main source of power and of transportation. In the 1850's and before the Civil War, horses in Mitchell County were not plentiful. Many of the pioneers came in covered wagons drawn by oxen, and the yoked oxen were commonly used in the fields for power. Oxen were likewise used to operate treadmills and the rotary type power machine commonly called a "horse power".
In a new country where human life often depended upon the horse for transportation, such as the saddle horse, horse drawn vehicles like buggies, wagons and stage coaches, the horse was all important. This was truer in the far west or sparsely settled regions than it was in Mitchell County. Hamlin Garland tells of riding their fastest horse to Osage in the middle of the night to summon Dr. Chase to attend his sick father. Ann Holbrook Sweney tells of riding a horse from Holbrook Corners to Osage, a distance of twelve miles, to bring Dr. Chase to attend her sick father. Rivers were to be forded and the horse was therefore indispensable.
The early scarcity of horses and their almost indispensable value in pioneer days led to frequent horse thieving. Because of the value of the horse to early settlers, the penalty paid by the horse thief was often his life. In order to protect themselves against the horse thief, the Mitchell County Protective Association Against Horse Thieves was formed Aug. 2, 1873. The annual membership fee was $1.75. It operated much as an insurance company against horse stealing. The association would pay the owner for horses stolen. The members were subject to assessments to pay such claims. There were some exceptions. Horses left out on the prairie or roadway unattended, or horses taken out of the county, were not covered.
By 1885 the association had 439 members. A check of the names revealed that not only farmers were members, but townspeople as well: lawyers, doctors, merchants, in fact, anyone who owned horses. Ordinarily, in new counties the penalty for horse stealing was death. The severity of this penalty was deemed necessary because in pioneer country, to be suddenly deprived of the use of one's horse could mean his death. This would be even truer in newer more sparsely settled regions than in Mitchell County. This penalty, however, was never exacted in Mitchell County.
A board of riders was appointed each year to pursue horse thieves. Their names were withheld. The expense was borne by the association. The organization of this society had a very wholesome effect. Up until 1883, there was only one case of horse stealing from a member, since the society had been in existence. This occurred one Saturday night in the summer of 1880 while a circus was in town. A horse belonging to John Lewis was stolen from the street at about 11 o'clock. The secretary was notified on the following day and he took immediate steps. Postcards and telegrams were sent to all points in this region. The secret riders were sent out in every direction. The thief was found and arrested in McGregor and the horse recovered. The horse thief was brought back to Osage, and court being in session, he was tried, found guilty, and sent to the penitentiary.
Notices were reproduced on cloth and were posted in barns and public places to warn horse thieves that the premises were under the protection of the society.
Bernard Hemann of Stacyville reports that he found one posted in an old barn on his grandfather's farm just last year. His grandfather was a member.
Before sufficient horses could be imported from the East or supplied by horse breeders, the need for horses in Mitchell County was supplemented from herds of wild horses which roamed in this county as late as 1865, and straggling horses were found later than that. Men made a business of capturing these wild horses and breaking them to ride, as well as to hitch. They were known as broncos. They were sold to farmers in this area as late as 1905, although at that late date they were procured from points farther west. The broncos were wiry, tough animals, possessing great endurance and were excellent for use on stage coaches, for saddle horses and cow ponies.
For a time horses stolen in the northwest part of this county were difficult to track and often were not recovered. Legend has it that these stolen horses were hidden in a cave on the west bank of the Cedar River, just north of the stage coach fording place and opposite from the present old stone quarry. To reach the cave, the horses were driven down a ravine on the west side of the river, plainly visible today. From this ravine the horses would emerge into the river, then proceed south down the river until the mouth of the cave was reached. Here they were concealed until the search was disbanded, and then taken out of the country. At that time, it is true, the cave entrance was much larger than it is now. The cave became known as "Horse Thief Cave".
The authority exercised by the Horse Thief Association and the services it performed, have since been delegated to legal authorities and the Sheriff's office in Mitchell County.
No doubt the Horse Thief Association served its purpose in its day. Copies of the bulletins are in great demand, especially by decendents of the members whose names appear thereon. In 1885 the association's officers were: D. F . Gilchrist, president; M. Loomis, secretary; J. H. Brush, treasurer; C. C. Howe and D. L. Talcott were directors.
Preceding was reproduced with the approval of the Mitchell County Historical Society; from THE STORY OF MITCHELL COUNTY 1851-1973, and MITCHELL COUNTY MEMORIES 1946-1996.
Additional Information In the Southwest 1/4 of Section 2, St. Ansgar Twp, just north of the old Falk Rock Quarry and near the fording place on the west bank of the river is an old cave in which the loot from the stage coach robbery was hidden. Also reputed to have been the hideout of Jesse James on his return from the bank Robbery at Northfield, Minn.
From a map at the Mitchell County Historical Society; by W.H. Biedermann, 1968
Perhaps this cave, by Falk's quarry, is the same as the one mentioned in the main article. -- Neal
Transcribed in 2002 by: Neal Du Shane
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