CHAPTER IX.
BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP (CONT'D).
Thomas Ludley, mentioned in the Meredith narrative, was also an Englishman, and had not been long in America before he located in Cass county, during the same year of Mr. Meredith's arrival. He took up a claim in the north half of the southwest quarter of section 33, and erected a cabin near where the residence of William F. Altig afterward stood. In June, 1856, he purchased the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 32, and again added to his possessions by adding, in 1858, the north half of the southwest quarter of section 28. Mr. Ludley was what might be called a land-grabber in the modern days, and although he secured much real estate he accomplished little in the way of improving it. The consequence was that he became land-poor, left the country and went to Oregon.
Leonard Everly, the first man to make a business of horse trading, was a settler of 185, locating on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 33, and the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of the same section. He built a cabin on that part of his land which was in the south portion of Ludley's Grove, near a spring, the framework being of sapling poles and its entire construction very primitive. But he proved an adept at his business of horse trading and accumulated some wealth, removing eventually to a locality west of Lewis, where he died.
John W. Russell, who came from Ohio in August, 1857, invaded the township more as a land investor than as a home seeker, although he built a house in which to reside while here. He first entered the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 33, and in the year following took up the remaining 120 acres of the quarter section. At one time he was the owner of four quarter sections, and in the late 'eighties, though then residing in Ohio, had large landed interests in the township.
While the Civil War drew from Brighton township, as from other portions of the county, not a few of her early settlers, during that period there were also such new comers as John A. Collins, George W. Crouch, William A. Trailor and William A. Altig.
John A. Collins, a Virginian by birth and an Indiana and Iowa farmer by choice, came to Cass county in the fall of 1863 and spent the following winter in a small shanty, on the southeast quarter of section 24, Brighton township. Later in the year George W. Couch occupied the shanty and the land as his homestead, and Mr. Collins bought the north half of the southeast quarter, and the east half of the northeast quarter of section 36. Upon this land was a small house partially completed, which he finished and to which he subsequently made various additions until he had a large and comfortable residence. Mr. Collins paid $100 down for his original land, which left him $25 upon which to live until he could raise a crop. He owned one poor old team, and the first season was able to break only three acres of land, being obliged to rent land upon which to raise grain. This was but a common instance of the shifts to which the early settlers were put to tide over the first few hard years in a new country, where with scanty means they were wresting a livelihood from the virgin soil. But within fifteen years Mr. Collins had under cultivation 240 acres of fine land and was prosperous, honored and happy.
Like Mr. Collins, George W. Couch was a native of Virginia, and a farmer of Indiana several years before coming to the township. In 1863 himself and family occupied the log hut mentioned and twenty-five acres of broken land. At that time the country in his vicinity was very thinly populated, the only dwelling in sight of his house being the cabin of James Harris. Indians were plenty, and the greater portion of the land was unbroken prairie. Mr. Crouch paid for his land $13 per acre, with a crop on. He came with but little means, but did well, eventually owning a fine homestead of 160 acres, all improved, with substantial buildings, and a beautiful grove, a part of which he planted himself.
William M. Trailor came from Menard county, Ill., in 1864, bringing with him in several wagons, his wife, family, household goods, and about $5,000 in money, so that in after years, when he owned several sections of land in Brighton township, as well as considerable property in Pottawattamie county, and was esteemed one of the wealthiest farmers in the locality, he had no story to tell of his poverty and hard circumstances when he became a settler in these parts. On his arrival in Lewis Mr. Trailor met Thomas Meredith, of whom he bought a quarter section of land, a portion of which was on the northwest quarter of section 29,and 120 acres on the southwest quarter of the same section. In the fall he built a log cabin on the banks of Indian creek. This the family occupied for eighteen months, when Mr. Trailor built a house, the frame of which was sawed at a mill in Brighton township about a mile south of his place. The lumber, doors, windows, shingles, nails, etc., were drawn from Boonesboro, one hundred miles distant, by Mr. Trailor himself. The house was a story and a half in height, sixteen by twenty-six feet, and quite modern for those times. It was the family residence for two years, when it burned with all the household furniture; so that even Mr. Trailor's early life in the township was not without its little set-backs.
A Kentuckian by birth, William F. Altig passed his years from childhood through early manhood in Menard county, Ill., where his friend, Mr. Trailor, was born and lived. When Mr. Altig came to Cass county, in the spring of 1864, he had lately been left a widower with two children. He afterward married a Miss Short, by whom he had five children, most of whom reached maturity. Mr. Altig's first purchase was a farm of 240 acres on section 33. To this he added from time to time until he owned 200 acres in a body, a part of which was on section 32. He gradually worked into the specialty of stock raising, paying particular attention to Holstein cattle. His farm was admirably adapted to this branch of husbandry, both naturally and by improvement, being well watered by three springs fenced, and furnished with suitable buldings.
Another farmer of Menard county, Ill., was John W. Berry, who came to Cass county in 1867, and bought 305 acres of land in section 32, which included the old Meredith farm. There was a house standing on the bank of Indian creek in the northwest quarter of the section, into which he moved and lived one year. He then built a larger and better residence on the southwest quarter of the same section. Eventually he owned a fine 500-acre farm, devoted to both grain and stock raising.
J. R. Herbert, a well-to-do farmer of Ohio, came to Brighton township in 1867 and traded his home property in Hardin county, that State, for section 2 and a part of section 4, his plan being to provide homes for his sons. He built a house on a hill in the southeast corner of the land, the lumber for which was drawn from Dunlap and Jefferson. After the house was completed it was discovered that it was not standing on his land at all, and consequently had to be removed. Mr. Herbert divided the land among his four sons, three of whom became permanent residents of the county, reserving 117 acres for himself. Franklin H., the oldest son, had served meritoriously throughout the Civil War in an Ohio regiment, received 160 acres in section 2, prospered, held various township offices and was highly respected in every way. Joseph K., the youngest, had a farm of eighty acres and engaged in stock raising. Another son, Henry B., moved to Audubon county, of which he was at one time sheriff.
Merritt Hewitt enlisted from Iowa county and served through the Civil War. In 1875 he bought eight acres on the east half of the northwest quarter of section 22, the tract being surrounded by a fine grove and partially improved. In the 'eighties he erected a large residence upon his homestead, which through his skillful and careful management had become one of the most attractive and valuable in the locality. Mr. Hewitt was assessor of the township.
"Compendium and History of Cass County, Iowa." Chicago: Henry and Taylor & Co., 1906, pp. 128-131.
Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, October, 2017.
