EARLY HISTORY
| PIKE TOWNSHIP EARLY HISTORY | |
PIKE TOWNSHIP EARLY HISTORY The land now known as Iowa was first a portion of the American territorial acquisitions from France known as the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. It was governed under the jurisdiction of Indiana and then Missouri Territories until 1834. In that year all the territory comprising the present states of Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota was made subject to the jurisdiction of Michigan Territory. The Territorial Legislature of Michigan in September created two counties on the west side of the Mississippi River, naming them Dubuque and Des Moines. The counties were separated by a line drawn westward from the foot of Rock Island.
The Michigan Territory proved to be unwieldy to govern since it covered so much land. On 20 April 1836, Congress passed a bill creating a new Territory of Wisconsin which included Des Moines and Dubuque Counties. On 9 Sept 1836, a territorial census showed a population of 6,257 in Des Moines County and 4,273 in Dubuque County.
When the first legislative session was held in October 1836, led by Governor Henry Dodge, the County of Des Moines was divided into seven smaller counties: Des Moines, Lee, Van Buren, Henry, Louisa, Muscatine (spelled "Musquitine") and Cook (later changed to Scott) and defined their boundaries.
Official government survey of the public lands was supposed to begin following the Black Hawk Purchase in 1833, before any settlements occurred on this region. Actual surveys were not started until 1836. This did not pose much of a problem to the early pioneers. They merely adapted standard frontier policy - they marked out the lands they wanted and "squatted" upon them until the government was ready to sell. It took until November of 1838 before any of the "Iowa land" was offered for sale by the government at land offices in Dubuque and Burlington. The settlers went to these places to pay for the tracts, and thus they became legal owners. The land in Muscatine County, Township 77 North Range 4 West and Range 3 West of the 5th Principal Meridian had to be purchased at Dubuque.
On 12 June 1838 an Act was approved to divide the Territory of Wisconsin and to establish the Territory of Iowa. It was to take effect and be enforced on and after 3 July 1838. Iowa became a state on 28 December 1846.
With this bit of historical background in mind: We do not know exactly when the first white men and women came to settle on the prairie watered by Wapsinonoc Creek, which empties into Pike Run, which empties into the Cedar River. In the Indian dialect the "Waupisie knownoc," meant White Creek or Stream. It was not considered to be a great waterway for it varied from few rods to a mile in breadth. It’s importance came from the fact that it was bordered on either side by a belt of timber which was the only resource for building material, fencing and fuel.
The oldest grave marker found in Pike Township was that of Daniel Frank, age 5 years, who died 1 March 1836. Next to him rests his sister Elizabeth, who died 1 June 1836. Both are buried in Nichols Cemetery.
The 1840 federal census of the Territory of Iowa showed seven families in this area: Asa Adams, John Carothers, Mary Carothers, Jeremiah Allen, Samuel Nichols, Gamaliel Olds, and Hubbard Winchester. These families gave a total population of 41 - 24 men and boys, 17 women and girls.
In 1849, the neighborhood was described as being about ten miles north and south on both the east and west sides of Wapsinonoc Creek. "On the east side of the creek were the Frank boys, Major Reamer, Elias Adams, Abner Coble, William Saunders and the Carothers. West of the creek were Samuel Nichols, John Rock, John Criffield, Gamaliel Olds and the Wesson boys. Down the prairie to the south were the Watkins, the Stretches, the Younkins and the Brockways." Another list of early settlers showed the following families of: John Ridder Adams, Andrew Stretch, William Watkins, Winchester Coble, Thomas Newton, David Mills, John Criffield and Purington family.
The population grew to such a point that in October 1853, Pike Township was organized in Muscatine County, Iowa.
Nichols Town Plat & Nichols Station was filed for record 22 June 1871, by Benjamin F. Nichols, owner of the town site. This town was so named in honor of his father, Samuel Nichols.
Back to St. Mary's Pike Township Cemetery Database Page last updated June 6, 2001
This page was put online by Dave Dunston