JO SNOW'S HISTORY;
SOME REAL THRILLS
Has Seen the Rise of Many Towns-Herded Sheep Where Omaha Bee Now Stands—War Time Scenes
Finding Jo Snow in a reminiscent mood is as entertaining as reading the latest best seller. He has stored away under his hat a variety of experiences and adventure stories in which he has figured as a leading character from time to time ever since he made his advent on this terrestial sphere away back in 1856. They are genuine adventures too,
with guaranteed first class thrills. Away with the every day, shop worn, "I've-heard-that-before" early day stories. Jo Snow has the floor.
Historic old Sidney landing, two miles south of Hamburg is where baby Jo was born and spent his early days. He arrived during the administration of Franklin Pierce, and was still a very small lad when the civil war opened. A recruiting station was established at Sidney Landing, and baby Jo used to spend much of his time playing near there. Close by was an old fashioned brick lined well and into this the young adventurer tumbled head first one day, emitting shrill shrieks for help as he plunged to the icy bath. After striking the water he flip flopped right side up, and was gingerly fished out safe, sound and unhurt by the amazed soldiers. They expected to find a dead baby when they viewed his swift descent, but the corpse proved unexpectedly lively. Then there were occasional freighting steamers and a ferry boat at the landing, and the deck hands used to amuse themselves by jiggling the gang planking out from under baby Jo, who sprawled to the ground below.
Young Jo had another experience that nearly cost him his life. A neighbor had a pair of pet deers which wandered over to the Snow homestead one day and climbed on the roof of a cave just outside their kitchen door and lay down there and were sunning themselves. Jo shied a few clods and sticks at them but the deer did not scare worth a cent. One of them made for Jo and struck him in the back and knocked him over just at the kitchen door, where his mother rescued him by reaching out a hand and dragging him in to safety. Mr. Snow says that he was evidently not born to be killed, but would just be obliged to die a natural death.
There was no actual fighting in the vicinity of Sidney Landing during the war, but the territory along the river and adjacent thereto was familiar ground to the bushwhackers. Again and again they rode through the country, coming in little bands, and big, bands, and usually on mischief bent. The Kansas red legs and invading bands of desperadoes from three states kept the settlers in a constant state of watchfulness. The Missouri militia made frequent expeditions up the river trying to catch the fugitive bands of bushwhackers and outlaws.
News was transmitted in those days by words of mouth. Travelers brought news into the country, and it was passed along from man to man with incredible rapidity. Some one brought news one day that a large band of Indians from Minnesota and Wisconsin were on the rampage and coming down the river. Like wildfire the news spread and every house was depopulated. The inhabitants all fled inland in search of a safe hiding place. Four steamboat loads of the Indians' passed by but evinced no warlike intentions.
Three towns existed in that early day which are now obsolete; Sonora, on the river; El Paso, a stage station and Linden, county seat of Atchison county. These towns, Red Oak Junction, Tabor, and Bartlett, all used Sidney Landing as a trading and shipping point. All transportation was by steamboat and stage lines.
For many years the country along the Missouri bottom had been untouched by settlers. A dense growth of tall grass covered mile after mile of the lowlands, and through this the prairie fires swept with uncheckable speed and ferocity driving men and beasts before it. A shanty built on the lowlands would in all certainty be swept away by fire before the first summer closed. Settlers woud not risk inevitable destruction. Gradually the grass "died out and then the country was rapidly settled. Shanties soon dotted the country along the river and trading points were established.
The parental home at Sidney Landing was a log house, three rooms
long and one story high. Everything was made by hand, even the cloth from which their clothes were made. Mother Snow spun and wove the woolen cloth and fashioned the garments for the entire family. Jo Snow said that he had his first suit of store clothes when he was fifteen or sixteen years old. When the settlers became more numerous two saw mills were started, and millions of feet of fine cottonwood lumber was turned out. Many of the old cottonwood houses erected in those early days are still standing.
Mr. Snow says: "Just after the close of the war I helped a man drive 2,000 sheep from Hamburg to Omaha. We walked the entire distance. The sheep were ferried across the river in two boat loads at a charge of 15 cents per head." There was a good joke on the sheep driver, whom Snow was assisting. He thought to get ahead of the ferryman by estimating the number of sheep at a considerable less number than were actually in the drove. Suspecting deception, the ferryman counted each sheep as it was driven aboard and then added a few more to his total "to pay for the big lie" he said. They must have passed directly over the site of Council Bluffs but saw no signs of the now thriving city. In Omaha they camped about on the site of the Bee building, and there in broad daylight he saw two wolves attack and kill several sheep.
There was one dry goods store, two saloons, one blacksmith shop and one hotel at Sidney Landing. Karle Sippie had the first dry goods store in Hamburg. J. T. Davis had the second. Simon Crosser clerked in the Davis store at that time. Mrs. Crosser's father, Mr. Miller, ran the first hotel. It was called "Stage Tavern." Jo Snow's father started the first harness shop in the county at Hamburg just after the war closed. Dr. Austin was the first medical practitioner and Dr. Hamilton, father of our C. A. Hamilton, was the second. . Mr. Snow says Dr. Hamilton' was a large, fine looking man, Hamburg was a mere settlement until the K. C. railroad came through in 1867-8, then the boom started. A big auction sale of town lots was held and corner lots sold for $500, inside ones for $200 and $300. A special train was run from Council Bluffs. The first school in Hamburg was a private school. A man by the name of Howell got it up. A Mr. Daggett was the second teacher and W. P. Ferguson, third. Mr. and Mrs. Snow, sr., paid the munificent sum of $4.00 per head to W. P. Ferguson for the education of Jo and his sister. After that a public school was started and the building still stands in Hamburg.
Being born in the state of Missouri and under a democratic administration, Mr. Snow embraced the democratic politics and has remained true to his first love.
Jo Snow married Miss Docia Covert of Vinton, la., in 1890. They spent several years, in the west, accumulating experience, but little of this world's goods. Mr. Snow said about all he brought back with him from the west was good credit. He spent a year in Essex and moved to Shenandoah in 1894, having previously worked here during the winters in the different harness shops. During the summer he farmed in Locust Grove. Since moving to Shenandoah he has steadily been engaged in business, selling new and second hand furniture. His son, Tulin, assists him in the business. His daughter, Mabel, is in the public schools. Mr. Snow's mother, eighty years old, is still hale and hearty. She makes her home with them here in Shenandoah.
[Sentinel-Post, Shenandoah, Iowa, Feb 6, 1912]