West Liberty History 1838-1938

Source: One Hundred Years of History
* Commemorating a Century of Progress in the West Liberty Community * WEST LIBERTY, IOWA
LOG CABIN HISTORY

Chapter XII

THE LAND SALE

In 1830, the government had acquired a tract of land in southeastern Iowa containing six million acres. It lay along the Mississippi, extending back from the river from forty to fifty miles, and from the Missouri line to about the 42nd degree, north latitude. This tract the government had bought of the Sac and Fox Indians, for the magnificent sum of ten cents per acre. Within its bounds was reserved a tract lying along the Iowa River of forty miles square, including the present site of the city of Wapello, as a reservation for the band of Indians of whom Keokuk was the chief. Now, in 1838, the government was offering this six million acres of land to its citizens at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. These values seem ridiculously small at the present time, when compared to the from sixty to one hundred dollars per acre which these same lands are bringing, and from which have been taken crops aggregating many times the latter amount; but considering the difficulty of obtaining the purchase price at that time, which had to be in gold, there is not that wide difference in apparent cost as at first seems the case. The land office was at Dubuque, and when the government announced the sale, a number of our pioneers prepared to go to that place and purchase such lands as they had selected. Among these were W. A. Clark, William Corns, Enos Nyce, Asa Gregg, and Enos Barnes. The distance to be traveled was not far from one hundred miles, and over a wild country, devoid of road, and nothing to guide them on their way but the general direction. For mutual protection and entertainment they decided to travel in company. Considering the fatigue of the journey and the time consumed for its prosecution, this was a greater undertaking than a trip across the continent at the present time.

These men prepared for their hazardous journey by loading their wagon with provisions for many days sustenance, and a complete camping outfit, arming themselves with such weapons as were at hand. They carried, for those times, large sums of money on their persons, and the country through which they were to pass was known to be infested with desperate characters, who sometimes appeared disguised as Indians, and at others in their true characters as highwaymen, and meeting them was one of the contingencies of the journey. Late in the fall of 1838 they began their journey, which took them over wild plains, across sloughs and swamps, river bottoms and turbulent streams. At the Cedar river they found a ferry, a primitive affair, that took them across. These ferry boats were simply a scow, propelled across the stream by the force of the current and with a capacity for one team at that time. To prevent the boat from floating down with the current a rope was stretched across the river and drawn taut enough to keep it from touching the water. On this cable ran a trolley, with a rope fastened at either end and passing through a pulley at each end of the boat and around a wheel near its center. By turning this wheel it would lengthen one end of the rope and shorten the other, thus, bringing the side of the boat to an angle with the current of the stream; would be propelled across it, after being pushed from the shore with a pole until the current fairly acted upon its side, and in due time reach the opposite bank if it did not run around a sand bar, or break loose and float away down stream, contingencies that were not uncommon. Sometimes a team would become restless or frightened and plunge or back off the boat and many a one found a watery grave in that way. From the Cedar they passed among the hills and hollows of Rock and Cedar creeks to a broad expanse of prairie that perhaps has no superior for fertility and natural beauty in the state. The Wapsipincon was reached and safely crossed by fording, and they journeyed on, the monotony of their way being allayed by observing the kaleidoscopic view ever before them. It would be interesting to know the matters of discussion and subjects of conversation indulged in by these men, to pass the time as their team slowly toiled on its way. It was late in the autumn and game was abundant and in good condition, so their bill of fare was well interspersed with venison steaks, turkey and prairie chicken, and when they made camp for the night the air was redolent with the savory odors of game slowly broiling over the camp fire. After supper they would retire for the night but one, who remained awake to guard the camp. After leaving the Wapsipinicon river the country became more broken, the hills higher and more rugged, and ledges of rock were observed cropping out from the banks of the streams. As they approached the country drained by the Maquoketa river, they encountered great forests of magnificent trees of walnut, oak and maple, and the hills were steep and the streams rapid and turbulent. The labors of the journey increased with each mile traversed. One had to go ahead of the team to select a passable route through the thick woods and seek out fords across the numerous streams. To one only acquainted with the gentle undulating hills along the Wapsinonoc and the adjacent country, the ruggedness and brokeness of portions of Jackson and Dubuque counties would be a surprise. Over those hills and across those ravines our travelers had to pick their way as best they might, but after many days of toil Dubuque was reached, and then came long hours of waiting, for they were but a unit of the great crowd that were waiting for the opening of the land office on like business. A line was formed, extending from the door of the office back along the street of the village---for Dubuque was but a village then, five years old---and each had to wait his turn to make his entry.

In due time the important business they had come so far to perform was transacted and they were ready for the return journey. All went well until they reached the region of the Wapsipinicon river just before nightfall, on a raw cold day. The Wapsipinicon is a treacherous stream, full of eddying currents and sands and at that time was filled with floating ice; but it lay between them and home, and it might be days before the crossing was better. So they boldly drove into the chilling current, but on reaching mid-stream their team stopped and one of the horses absolutely refused to go farther. They coaxed, they urged, they whipped, they used violent language,---perhaps, but the stubborn beast refused to move. They could not camp there, and something must be done. So with many objurgations of things in general and that horse in particular, they dismounted into that ice cold water, waist deep, and proceeded to unhitch the stubborn beast, and by pulling and pushing succeeded in getting it to the bank, when they returned for the other horse and the wagon. By one of the number taking the place of the stubborn horse and the others pushing on the wagon, they were at last able to make a safe landing. Asa Gregg had been suffering with the ever present ague, and for him to undergo that icy bath seemed but little less than suicidal. So Enos Barnes made a beast of burden of himself and bidding Gregg to mount his shoulders, carried him safe and dry to the bank. What a plight was theirs! Their clothes being saturated, at once froze upon them, and the nearest shelter and hope for a fire was at a cabin a mile from the river. They hitched up their team as speedily as possible and urged it to its best speed, while they ran by the side of the wagon, their clothes cracking and rattling with every step, and the ice cold water swashing in their boots. The exposure was severe to all of them, but with one of their number it left results from which he never recovered, and within the year he slept his last long sleep, his life no doubt shortened by that days exposure. In due time they reached their homes without further adventure, happy in the knowledge that they now held in simple fee a moiety of that eminent domain, which they had labored to wrest from its wild state.

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