Newell, 50th Wedding Anniversary 1898

NEWELL

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 10/27/2020 at 12:07:28

Source: Decorah Republican Mar. 17, 1898 P 7 C 3

A PIONEER STORY.
Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Newell, of Waukon, celebrated their golden wedding March 7th. That date was also Mr. N.’s 81st birthday. Mr. Newell came to Iowa in 1851, and while looking about visited Frankville, and declined a munificent offer from Frank Teabout of ten acres of ground if he would locate and build a blacksmith shop. After looking around a bit he went back to New York and in 1853 he brought out his family. Scott Shattuck met him at Dubuque, and persuaded him to go to Waukon. He did so and that family became the “first family” of Allamakee's capital city. The Standard, from which we glean these incidents, adds this story of that first pioneer year:—
In June 1853, the first District Court was held in “Wawkon." It was necessary to have a court-house and money was raised and a 10x14 feet log cabin that stood near Mrs. Cooper’s residence southeast of town and owned by a Mr. Pitcher was bought and moved onto the lot now occupied by Bellows & Eggleston's tin shop. A small “lean-to" was added for the grand jury room. The night before the opening of court was dark and rainy; about 12 o’clock there was a loud knocking at the door of the Newell cabin for admittance and shelter, among the party being Gen. Vandever and Messrs. Burt and Samuels, of Dubuque, and Sam’l Murdock and Ruben Noble, of Garnavillo. They were informed they could come in if they would on the floor; they had brought with sleep{?} them a bed tick and going through the rain to a nearby straw stack filled it with wet straw, took it to the house and as many as could find straw to lie on did so and enjoyed the comfort of a shelter in that 16xl8 feet house, which, beside the Newell family, accommodated eight regular boarders, seven of whom, including D. W. Adams, and L. T. Woodcook, slept up stairs. Hersey Pratt having the honor of being “in on the ground floor” with the aforesaid distinguished guests. And yet that pioneer cabin was never too small nor too full to accommodate others