of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 229-233
SWEETLAND TOWNSHIP. The northern portion of this township is a singularly fine body of land and is settled by enterprising and prosperous farmers. The southern portion has considerable timber land and is uneven and broken. Sweetland Was organized in 1842 and comprises all of township 77, north of range 1 west, lying north of the Mississippi river, together with sections 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, of townwship 78, north of range 1 west. The township was settled at a very early day. Along the Mississippi river runs the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, having a station at Fairport, about seven miles due east of Muscatine, on section 25. The village was originally named Salem and Was laid out by William Chambers, the plat of which was filled April 20, 1839. One of the early settlers Was Isaiah Davis, who came in 1837 and resided in the township over fifty years. Marshall Farnsworth came in 1838.
The schools will compare favorably with those of other townships and are open on an average of eight and a half months in the year. The average attendance is twenty-five pupils for each school and the cost per capita, per year, is $2.86.
GENEVA THE AMBITIOUS. In 1836 Dr. Eli Reynolds formed a partnership with Harvey Gillett and laid out the town of Geneva (now extinct), about three miles up the river from Muscatine, in Sweetland township. It was the worthy Doctor's plan and ambition to make his town the county seat. And to that end succeeded in passing a bill in the legislature of 1837-38 at Burlington. The measure, however, needed the signature of Governor Dodge, which Was never obtained, Dr. Reynolds resided in the home of his creation about twelve years. (See chapter on pioneer physicians for more complete description of this pioneer.)
J. P. Walton at an Old Settlers' Reunion held at Wyoming Hill, September 21, 1892, related the foI1owing details regarding Geneva that is of more than ordinary interest in connection with the history of this township. Mr. Walton's father, Amos Walton, first settled at Geneva with his family, consisting of Mrs. Walton and two boys, John and Josiah. The elder Walton Was made postmaster of the town. He held the position until his death, which occurred in the spring of 1841. The office Was then discontinued.
We spoke about Harvey Gillett and Dr. Reynolds," said Mr. Walton, "and their obsolete town of Geneva. The town of Geneva was situated three miles up the river, which later became the Colonel Hare farm. This town Was laid out in the spring or summer of 1837 by Dr. Eli Reynolds and John Lawson. Dr. Reynolds lived in a double log cabin on the bank of the river near the sulphur spring. In the summer of 1837 Harvey Gillett purchased an interest in the town and commenced to build two hewed log houses, one for himself and the other for his brother Addison. In the fall when he got his house under roof he started to New York after his family, which Consisted of a wife and six or more girls, all under the age of thirteen years. One could scarcely expect to find a family more unfitted to emigrate to so new a country. Mrs. Gillett and family had lived for a long time in the best of New York society. Her relatives were among the most noted commercial houses of that city. She did not possess that happy faculty of making the most of her circumstances; on the contrary, she was disposed to find fault, where the opposite would suit better, and a sufficient opportunity was offered, during the winter of 1837-38. It was said that when the boat landed late in November, 1837, within a few rods and in full sight of their future home, Mrs. Gillett asked of her liege lord: 'Where is our new home?' 'Over behind the hill,' was the reply. One can scarcely imagine her surprise upon entering their new house, a simple hewed log cabin, without chinking or daubing, doors, windows, chimneys or floors. Mr. Gillett while on his way up the river on the boat had secured the services of a Yankee carpenter, who soon made the building inhabitable. Mr. Gillett's family stayed in the west something over a year and returned to New York and never came west again. Mr. Gillett, after marrying a second wife, settled near Lisbon, Linn county, Iowa.
"The town of Geneva had a steam sawmill. It was situated at the mouth of the creek. It was owned by Colonel John Vanatta and Dr. Eli Reynolds. This mill after passing through several hands was taken down and removed to Muscatine, and used for a barrel manufactory by Coe & Wells. Geneva had its grocery store, having whiskey and tobacco, without salt. It was kept by James Davis, the high sheriff of the county. In the front of the grocery we saw the first school meeting ever held in the county. Early in July, 1838, the neighbors to the number of a dozen or so, convened and unanimously concluded to build a log schoolhouse that would answer for other meetings, and the location seemed to be the only difficulty. Weir Long, the oldest man of the number, was of the opinion that it should be located in as 'centerable a place as possible.' However, the meeting adjourned without building the schoolhouse.
"Dr. Reynolds, the two Gilletts, James Davis, Addison Reynolds, Amos and Asa Walton and the engineer, Mr. Smith, boarding at Dr. Reynolds', composed the men of the town. As the postoffice, which was the residence of the postmaster, was one of the somewhat public buildings of the place, let us describe it: It was a round log cabin, about 14Xl6 feet in the clear, having the openings between the logs filled with pieces or chunk of wood and daubed with the black mud of the river bottom. The chimney was made of split sticks and daubed with the same kind of mud. The roof was covered with split clapboards, four feet long, resting on ribs or bearing poles. The clapboards butted against eave poles and were fastened down with weight poles. The door was made of split clapboards pinned to wooden hinges and fastened with a pin. The floor was made with puncheons, made by splitting logs and hewing one side. For a window, an opening was left between the logs near the door which was stuffed with a coat or blanket during the night or when the weather was cold. When this opening and the door were closed all the light that entered the room came down the chimney. Not more than half the buildings in Geneva had glass in them; paper made transparent by oiling was often used as a substitute."
FAIRPORT. Fairport is situated on the line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, near the banks of the Mississippi, seven miles east of Muscatine. At its inception it was called Salem but shortly afterward changed to Fairport. Its leading industry at one time was the manufacture of pottery but the chief interest in the town now centers in the great clam and mussel hatcheries recently established there by the United States government. The citizens number probably 100. There is a good school and the Methodist denomination affords religious services for the people of the community. Clam fishing is an industry largely engaged in by several of its citizens. There is also a grocery store, blacksmith shop and a small hotel. Quite a good deal of stock is shipped from Fairport and here is a splendid harbor, the water being very deep, permitting large boats to land at low water mark without any difficulty.
SWEETLAND CENTER. This community of interest is situated about six miles north and a little east of Muscatine. There are only a few families in the community, the business portion of the village consisting of a general merchandise store, a neat church edifice under the auspices of the Methodist denomination, and a few residences. In the early days the stage line from Muscatine to Davenport passed through this hamlet. The farmers in the vicinity are industrious and the farms are among the best in the state. Sweetland also has a very good school, with a large attendance. The citizens do the most of their trading in Muscatine, bringing quite a good deal of stock here, whence it is shipped to the various markets.
DRURY'S LANDING. The late John McGreer, one of the early settlers, wrote the following article, in 1899, on one of the early points of interest in this section and, while the spot was not of this county, still it was so closely connected with the activities of the Muscatine pioneers, that it is justly entitled to a place in this history:
Muscatine had at one time a remarkably lively competitor for the Illinois trade, only two and a half miles away on the Illinois side of the river. Drury's Landing (familiarly known as the "Landin," or the "Pint"), was the competitor, located just above the head of the Big or Fourth Slough. Today not a landmark remains to indicate to passers that a lively village once flourished there. Where the "business center" was, is overgrown with trees, underbrush, and weeds. In Jimtown, its suburb, I understand a couple of tumble down log cabins remain, and a field occupies the land. Reynolds Drury was its founder, general merchant, grain, produce and stock buyer, a merchant whose credit was good for all he wished to buy in Cincinnati, New Orleans and St. Louis. (Chicago wasn't in it then). He bought most everything the farmers had to sell. Those without money he trusted till they got or raised a crop; gave credit from one crop to another; bought as much produce as all Bloomington did from Illinois. Up river steamboats would leave barges for loading, which would be filled to the gunwales ready to hitch on and be towed south on the return trip. All boats stopped there either to load or unload freight or take on boat supplies. He had wood yards on the bank, large ice house and cold storage room combined. In winter he bought and traded for wild game, deer, turkeys, prairie chickens, etc., put them in the cold storage room and on the opening of navigation, he barreled and shipped them to southern markets. When living on the farm, my sister and I had our quail traps and could tell all about it. With plenty of snow and a good price for quail, we did not always have to wear those Dennis Pullin's home made shoes. * * *
During the season when high water overflowed the bottom road opposite Bloomington, things boomed at the "Pint." I am sure I have seen as many as fifty teams (including ox wagons), scattered about town at one time. In those times the Bloomington horse ferry boat landed here instead of directly across the river. Unless farmers had special purchases to make in Bloomington which required wagons, they unhitched, tied their horses or oxen to the wagon until their return, and paid foot passage down to Bloomington, but most generally sold their grain to Reynolds Drury. My picture of Drury's Landing is made entirely from memory and my recollection of it as it looked in 1845. * * * It was my destiny to live there in that year and it came about in this way. My father died on the farm when I was about four years old. In course of time my mother married Dr. Charles Drury, a physician then connected with Dr. Eli Reynolds, with their offices and residence at the Landing. They were the leading physicians in that part of the country and had an extensive practice for many miles around. Dr. Reynolds had first located at Geneva, but when that place began to go down, he moved over to the "Landing," which at that time was the prospective city of the future. We rented the farm for one year and moved to Dr. Drury's home, the roof of which is just shown in the sketch, immediately back of Reynolds Drury's store. We went back to the farm again previous to moving to Muscatine. Reynolds Drury's warehouse is shown on corner of upper slough and river. The platform projecting over the water is where steamboats landed to take freight on or off. On the slough side of the warehouse he also had a large door for receiving and delivering freight. The warehouse does not show large in the picture, but its capacity was many thousand bushels of grain. The platform on river (where I am seen fishing for dog fish) is where the horse ferry landed. The long building with the double porch is Reynolds Drury's home, and his store in the room on the corner under awning. The lower floor back of porch was a large kitchen and dining room. Right here I will mention one of his generous peculiarities: When dinner was ready, no matter how many customers were in the store, he would say: "Here, everybody shut off now and go to dinner," (and they usually did) but he wouldn't put out a hotel sign and seldom charged for entertainment. Dr. Eli Reynolds had his office and also kept a small "apothecary shop" (as it was then called) in the small square front building next south of Drury's. The next building south was Asbury Warfield's general store. Asbury had previously sold it to two brothers named Neienburg, but after the suicide Warfield had to take the store back. The first house back of warehouse on slough bank was Tom Comstock's cooper shop. Next was Reynolds Drury's ice house and cold storage room. Then came Jimtown (Drury's suburb). The blacksmith shop here was run by a man named Dupont. The tall dark trees shown on the hillsides are pines and the place known as "Pine Bluffs." The other small houses along the bottom are residences. There were probably six or eight scattered around and back to the hill. * * *
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