of
Muscatine County Iowa
1879
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1879 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Historical Section, 1879, pages 589-592
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY HORSES. The horses of Muscatine County are noted for their excellence, which has resulted from the importation, from time to time, for twenty-five years, of well- bred trotting stallions and mares. There have been no specimens of the "accidental" or "pedigree unknown" trotters discovered here, though this county has furnished a greater number of individuals that have trotted in 2.30 or under than any other county in the West, and more than the balance of the whole State of Iowa combined.
The first stallion of trotting blood brought here from the East was General Wayne, an inbred Morgan, he being by Young Sherman Morgan, and his dam by Flint, by Sherman Morgan. He was foaled in 1845, and arrived here with his owner, George E. Jones. May 28, 1853. He was a typical Morgan, being 14.2 hands high and weighing 1,030 pounds. His arrival aroused the latent horse spirit pervading the community, and, in August, 1853, a company, consisting of David R. Warfield and others, was formed, to purchase a good Morgan trotting stallion. Young Green Mountain Morgan was the animal selected. He was an inbred Morgan. His sire was Hale's Green Mountain, also an inbred Morgan, and his dam was by Bulrush Morgan. He was a chestnut horse, and foaled in 1849. He only made one season here, and died in June, 1854. He got, however, Madam Kirkwood dam of Kirkwood and Fannie Foss, an inbred Morgan, dam of Bashaw, Jr., the two horses which made the reputation of Green's Bashaw, they having trotted respectively in 2.24 and 2.24 3/4 time, which has not since been equaled by any of his sons or daughters. Great credit was given to Green Mountain Morgan by the enemies of Bashaw. they saying that it was the Morgan blood that made Kirkwood and Bashaw, Jr., so good. Young Green Mountain was also the sire of Eastman's Morgan, who got Little Fred, record 2.20.
In the spring of 1855, succeeding the death of Young Green Mountain, Mr. Wetherbee brought Prophet to Muscatine. He was by Hill's Black Hawk, dam said to be by Vermont Hambletonian. He was taken to Bloomington, Ill., in 1856, after the season was over, and thus made two seasons here. He was a bay, with star and white hind feet, 15.2 hands high, rangy and very handsome; would weigh about one thousand pounds. Prophet was the sire of the dams of Iowa Chief and Bashaw Drury.
Mr. Wetherbee also brought another stallion by Hill's Black Hawk, in the fall of 1895, called first Wallace's Ethan Allen--John H. Wallace having purchased him--and afterward Drury's Ethan Allen, when owned by Mr. Drury, of New Boston, Ill. This Ethan Allen was the sire of Lady Fox, record 2.30, her dam being Lady Partington, a mare brought from Orange County, N. Y., by E. Stewart. The pedigree of the dam of Ethan Allen is given by Mr. Wallace in Frank Forester's "The Horses of America," by Tippoo Taib, he by Duroc.
Andrus Hambletonian, by Judson's Hambletonian, by Bishop's Hambletonian; was brought here by Mr. Wetherbee, and sold, during the winter of 1855-56 when about fifteen years old, to the same company that owned Young Green Mountain Morgan. He was the sire of the famous mare Princess. He made two seasons here, but was very slightly patronized, the rage being for the smoother-built, handsomer and more happy Morgans. He was a brown horse, without marks, 16 hands high, strongly, but inclined to be roughly, built, and had a well-developed Roman nose, He died in 1857.
Hector, a bay horse by Latourell's Bellfounder, sire of Conqueror--the first horse to trot 100 miles in nine hours--was brought to Muscatine by William Hoyt, in 1856, and died here in 1858.
In the years 1855 and 1856, Hezekiah Hoyt, of Orange County, N. Y., brought West a large number of horses and among them were two mares which afterward became famous through their produce, one being Katy Darling, the dam of Alexander's Abdallah, the sire of Goldsmith Maid, and the other the Elliott mare by Abdallah, the dam of Tramp. Katy Darling was a bobtailed, balky, chestnut mare of medium size, by Bay Roman, dam by Mambrino, son of Mambrino 1449. She was sold at auction some years before her death for $40. The Elliott mare was a large roan mare brought West to trot, but being injured on the journey was sold to William Elliott for $400. She raised five colts--two mares by Gage's Logan, two stallions by Bashaw Peacock and Wild Bashaw, and her last foal was Tramp by Gage's Logan. She died the property of William Elliott, in 1866.
Gage's Logan, formerly Wild Hornet, was bred by George W. Connor, in Orange County, N. Y., and when a colt was brought by him to Muscatine. He was a bay horse, 16 hands high, with a large star and left hind foot white, with five black spots around the coronet. He was foaled in 1854, and got by Rysdyk's Hambletonian, dam Lady Wallace by Ohio Eclipse; second dam Sally Miller by Post Boy, son of Duroc 791. He was sold to David A. Gage, of Chicago, Ill., December 7, 1864, and was afterward shown in Wood's Museum on account of his remarkable style and beauty. He is still living, and is the sire of Tramp, Skinkle's Hambletonian, record 2.28 3/4, and many other good horses.
Green's Bashaw was foaled in 1855; bred by Jonas Seely, Orange County, N. Y., and sold when a weanling to Col. F. M. Cummings, who brought him with his dam to Muscatine, where he was sold at two years old to Joseph A. Green. He was again sold in the fall of 1864, to Walter Carr, of St. Louis, and by him to H. C. Beckwith, of Hartford, Conn., where he made the season of 1865, after which Mr. Green repurchased and brought him back to Muscatine. After the death of Mr. Green, in November, 1876, he was sold to George A. Young, of Leland, Ill., where he is still kept. Bashaw is a black horse with star and snip, right hind foot white, about 15.3 hands high, and weighs about 1,000 pounds. He was sired by Vernol's Black Hawk, and his dam was by Webber's Tom Thumb, a Canadian pony of unknown pedigree, but his grand- dam was the famous Charles Kent mare, who was the dam also of the most famous sire of trotters the world has ever known, namely, Rysdyk's Hambletonian. Through this famous mare, Bashaw obtained three crosses of Messenger blood, and through the females in the paternal line two crosses of Messenger, so that though bred in line a Bashaw, he really united that blood through both sire and dam, the union of which in Rysdyk's Hambletonian made him so prepotent as a sire of trotters. Bashaw is the sire of Kirkwood, 2.24; Bashaw Jr., 2.24 3/4; Amboy, 2.26; Rose of Washington, 2.26 1/2; Wild Oats, 2.29 3/4; Josephine, 2.30, and Wapsie, sire of Gen. Grant, 2.21, and West Liberty, 2.28. A very large number of the sons of Bashaw were kept for service in the county for many years, but as they did not, with the exception of Wapsie, prove successful as sires of trotters, the number has gradually lessened until now there are hardly any horses of Hambletonian blood here receiving the preference. There are quite a number of fine brood-mares by Bashaw remaining in the county, notably Kate Carman and Flora, own sisters to Kirkwood, 2.24, and Flaxey and Delancy, own sisters to Bashaw, Jr., 2.24 3/4, all four being owned by Daniel Hayes, the owner of Tramp.
Horton's Abdallah Chief, a bay horse about 15.3 hands high, very muscular and stoutly built, was brought to Muscatine when young by Dr. James S. Horton. He was bred by Silas Horton, Orange County, N. Y., and was foaled about 1853. An exceedingly well-bred horse for his time, he added greatly to the value of the stock of the county, although he did not produce any very fast trotters. He changed owners a number of times, but remained in the county till 1876, when he was sold by I. K. Terry, of Wilton, to a gentleman in Davenport. He was got by Roe's Abdallah Chief, by Abdallah, dam by Messenger Duroc 2d, 2d dam by Commodore.
Gen. Hatch, the only stallion representing the Clay family that ever stood in the county, was brought here and is now owned by Benjamin Hershey. He was foaled in 1860, and was bred near Lexington, Ky. He was got by Strader's Cassius M. Clay, Jr., dam by imported Envoy. He is a bay, with star, and hind feet white, stands about 16 hands high, and is remarkable for style and finish of form, and is exceedingly bloodlike in his general appearance. He is the sire of Envoy, record 2.28, and Fleta, 2.34 1/2, both being out of Dolly by Iowa, thorough-bred son of Glencoe.
Kirkwood, by Green's Bashaw, and the fastest of his get was out of a mare by Young Green Mountain Morgan. He was bred by David R. Warfield, and foaled in 1860. He was a brown, about 15.2 hands high, and rangy in build. He has a record of 2.24. He was owned successively by Samuel Carr, H. S. Compton and Mr. Carman, of New York.
Bashaw, Jr., was bred by S. L. Foss, and foaled in 1860. He was by Green's Bashaw, dam Fanny Foss (strongly inbred), by Young Green Mountain Morgan (strongly inbred), 2d dam Fanny Green (strongly inbred) by Hale's Green Mountain (strongly inbred). He was a dark chestnut, 15.2 hands high, and, as would be inferred from his inbred dam, resembled the Morgans rather than the Bashaws. He was owned successively by H. S. Compton, Piatt & Starr, of Tipton, and A. F. Fawcett, of Baltimore, Md. He has a record of 2.24 3/4.
Among the many other sons of Bashaw that have stood here, are Wapsie, a large dun horse--sire of Gen. Grant and West Liberty--bred and owned by Jesse Bowersock, of West Liberty. His dam was by Hempstead's Joe Gales. Peacock, a roan horse foaled 1862, dam the Elliott mare, the dam of Tramp, by Abdallah, was bred by William Elliott, and owned by William Fayerweather, who sold him in 1876 to A. E. Kimberly, West Liberty, who is also the owner of Wild Bashaw, a chestnut, full brother to Peacock, foaled in 1863. Muscatine, a black horse, was owned and bred by Mr. Barnard, pedigree of dam unknown. He stood here for many years, and died after becoming the property of Jesse Bowersock. The Elliott horse is owned by William Elliott, and is a black, 16 hands high, dam an own sister to Tramp. Burns is a chestnut stallion, foaled 1873, bred by C. Weed, and owned by Dr. McAllister. His dam is by Iowa Chief. From all these individuals, the Bashaw blood has become widely diffused, and for many years the Bashaws were very popular, and were considered by those who did not keep posted in regard to the progress of horse-breeding in other portions of the country, as the leading stock in the world. Gage's Logan, the representative of the Hambletonians, received a small amount of patronage.
Tramp, the most famous of the produce of Logan, has done much to bring the Hambletonians into popularity. He is a black chestnut, with strip in the face, 16 hands high, weighs 1,100 pounds, is powerfully built, and has a remarkable natural trotting step. He was bred by William Elliott, of Muscatine, foaled in 1864, got by Logan, by Rysdyk's Hambletonian; dam, the Elliott mare (brought West by Hezekiah Hoyt, in 1856), by Abdallah, the sire of Rysdyk's Hambletonian. Tramp is, therefore, inbred to Abdallah like the famous mare Goldsmith Maid, record, 2.14; like Huntress, record, 2.20 3/4, and like the famous stallions Messenger, Duroc and Harold. His produce justify his breeding, he being the sire of Trampoline, record, 2.23, and many other good ones, although not being a Bashaw, he received no outside patronage, and only got three or four colts a year until he was eleven years old. He was bought when a year old by Hayes Brothers, and is now owned by their successor, Daniel Hayes, who is the largest breeder of trotting colts in the county. Among his brood-mares are Kate Carman and Flora, own sisters to Kirkwood, record, 2.24; Flaxey and Delancey, own sisters to Bashaw, Jr., record, 2.24 3/4; Burrie, by Captain, record, 2.28, dam Kate Carman, own sister to Kirkwood, record, 2.24; May, by Gen. Hatch, sire of Envoy, record, 2.28, dam by Kirkwood, record, 2.24.
Skinkle's Hambletonian, by Gage's Logan, dam said to be by Davy Crockett, was foaled in 1861, bred by Samuel Bamford, and afterward owned by Skinkle & Jones, who sold him, in 1870, to 0. J. Evans, Minneapolis, Minn., where he died. He was a bay, sixteen hands high, and had a record of 2.28 3/4.
North Star Mambrino, made the seasons of 1869 and 1870 in Muscatine. He was a bay and a large coarse-looking horse, 16.2 hands high, and would weigh 1,200 pounds. He was foaled in 1860, got by Mambrino Chief, dam by Davy Crockett. He was owned by Mr. McCarty, of Chicago, Ill., and trained by Sherman Perry, when here. He afterward obtained a record of 2.26 1/2.
Alex F., now owned by Dr. Hallam, was foaled in 1874, bred by William Fayerweather, got by Romulus, by Rysdyk's Hambletonian, dam an own sister to Tramp. He is a dark brown, 16.2 hands high and weighs 1,240 pounds.
Hamble Hawk, a brown stallion, with a strip in the face and left hind leg white, 15.3 hands high, was imported from Orange County., N. Y., by Chester Weed in 1874. He was foaled in 1871, and bred by C. R. Bull, Oxford Station, N. Y. He was by Rysdyk's Hambletonian, dam by Long Island Black Hawk. After the death of Mr. Weed in 1875, he was sold to Warfield Bros., who, in turn, sold him, in 1878, to J. M. Fisher, of West Liberty, where he is now owned.
Attorney, a chestnut stallion, foaled in 1877, and bred by A. J. Alexander, Spring Station, Ky., was bought and brought here in 1878, by Frank Warfield. He is a very finely-proportioned rangy colt, 15.2 hands high, as a two-year-old, and his breeding is as superior as his appearance. He is by Harold, an inbred Hambletonian, sire of Maud S., trial at four years old, 2.17 1/2, and his dam is by Alexander's Abdallah, sire of Goldsmith Maid, 2.14; second dam Dy Robert Bruce, etc. He will undoubtedly add greatly to the value of the stock of the county. Mr. Warfield also owns Flirt, bred by B. Hershey, own sister to Envoy, 2.28, and Fleta, 2.34 1/2, and other fine brood-mares.
In the foregoing sketch of Muscatine County horses, there are, no doubt, many interesting items omitted, from the haste in which it has necessarily been prepared, but it is hoped that many facts will here be preserved for the benefit of future breeders in the county, as it is probable that the horse interest will continually increase, as it is one of the most profitable branches of the farmer's business.
Back to Historical Index Page