MUSCATINE COUNTY IOWA REGISTER OF OLD SETTLERS BOOK ONE

Source: REGISTER OF OLD SETTLERS , BOOK One, page 453
submitted by Neal Carter, November 28, 2007

HELPED TO LAY OUT MOSCOW

One of our oldest settlers and well known citizens, Mr. DELEVAN BRATT, departed from this earth to the unknown world beyond last Friday, Sept. 2d, at noon. He had been in poor health for some time, and his end did not come unexpected. The deceased was born on the first day of July, 1812, in the state of New York. When four years old he with his parents moved to Ohio, where he grew to manhood. He went to Indiana, where he engaged in various lines of business. At one time he took a herd of ponies to Chicago, where the government paid off the Indians, and he found a ready market for his ponies. Chicago at that time consisted of two taverns and one store, three houses in all, and Mr. Bratt had to wade through mud and water 3 feet deep for about 12 miles on his return home. Then we find him engaged in a store at Akron, O., which town he helped to lay out. Tired of store keeping, he bought corn and loaded it on barges, took it to New Orleans, which proved profitable for several years. During this time, his parents had moved to Iowa, and hearing about the rich prairies, he followed them in the year 1840, settling near the town of Moscow, where he engaged in farming. Himself and Dan Henderson laid out the present town site and did everything to make it a business center. There was no railroad there and steamboats came up Cedar river. Droves of hogs came from Linn and Cedar county through here on their way to Muscatine.

The remains were laid to rest in the Moscow cemetery last Saturday afternoon. Rev. H. R. Osborn was in charge of the services, which were attended by many old friends and neighbors. His age was 86 years, 1 month and 24 days.

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