Fremont County, Iowa

Fremont Court House Records

The first land entries in Fremont county were made at the land office at Plattsburg, Missouri. The records of this office are not accessible to us, and we are unable to give the names of those who made the entries. At that time, it will be remembered, the southern part of this county was thought to be a part of Holt county, Missouri, and this is the reason why the entries were made at the Plattsburg land office. *May 28, 1849, seems to have been the date of the first entry at an Iowa land office that at Fairfield. The entry was made by David M. English, and the land was the northeast quarter of section 25, township 67, range 42; 160 acres. Other entries were made at the same office as follows:

• First Land Entries
• May 29, 1849, nw 1/4 Sec 26, tp 67, range 42; by Lewis Trudo.
• June 18, 1849, w 1/2 ne 1/4 Sec 35, tp 67, range 42; by John B. Samorie.
• June 18, 1849, nw 1/4 sec 36, tp 67, range 42; by Noah Seabo.
• July 19, 1849, lots 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in sec 23, tp 67, range 42; by Pierre Graivremond.
• July 19, 1849, sw 1/4 sec 23, tp 67, range 42; by Joseph Merriville.
• July 19, 1849, ne 1/4 sec 24, tp 67, range 42, and se 1/4 of same secton; by David M. English.
• July 19, 1849, nw fr qr sec 30, tp 67, range 41; by Thos. Farmer.
• August 31, 1849. se 1/4 sec 30, tp 67, range 41; by Thos. Farmer
• August 31,1849, ne 1/4 sec 30, tp 67, range 41; by Ernest Bollman
• October 9, 1849, sw 1/4 sec 25, tp 67, range 42; by David M. English.
• October 9, 1849, w 1/2 ne 1/4 sec 26, tp 67, range 42; by Lewis Trudo.
• October 9, 1849, sw fr qr sec 30, tp 67, range 41; by Nancy Pearman.
• October 9, 1849, ne 1/4 sec 32, tp 67, range 41, and nw qr of same section; by Daniel McKissick.
• October 9, 1849, se 1/4 sec 29, tp 67, range 41; by Ernest Boilman.
• April 1, 1850, nw 1/4 sec 20, tp 67, range 41; by Jacob McKissick.
• April 1, 1850, se 1/4 sec 19, tp 67, range 41; by John Spidle.
• April 1, 1850, ne 1/4 sec 19, tp 67, range 41; by Edward Bunker.
• April 1, 1850, sw 1/4 sec 20, tp 67, range 41; by Wm. A. Follett.
• June 8, 1850, lots 3, 4, 5 and 6, in sec 11, tp 67, range 42; by A. H. Argyle.
• June 10, 1850, e 1/2 se 1/4 and w 1/2 of sw 1/4 and lots 5 and 6, in secs. 21 and 22, in tp 67, range 4; by Elias Finley.
• October 14, 1850, sw 1/4 sec 13, tp 67, range 42; by Elias Finley.

The first entries made at the Council Bluffs land office were in 1853. The following are a few made in that year, beginning wit the first:

• Council Bluffs
• January 6, 1853, se 1/4 of se 1/4 sec 32, tp 68, range 41; by Thos. M. Gordon.
• January 6, 1853, ne 1/4 of se 1/4 sec 35, tp 68, range 41; by John Burger.
• January 23, 1853, s 1/2 of sw 1/4 sec 7, tp 69, range 41; by Augustus Borchus.
• March 31, 1853, w 1/2 of nw 1/4sec 22, tp 67, range 42; by Job Matthews.
• April 8, 1853, sw 1/4 sec 14, tp 68, range 42; by Abner N. Duncan.
• April 8, 1853, w 1/2 of ne 1/4 sec 22, tp 68, range 42; by John E. Beatty.
• April 8, 1853, nw 1/4 sec 22, tp 68, range 42; by Milton Richards
• April 20, 1853, se 1/4 sec 23, tp 68, range 42; by Jacob Thomas.
• May 30, 1853, sw 1/4 sec 22, tp 68, range 42; by Littleberry Lingenfelter.

These are only a very few of the entries made in the year 1853. We have not space to give them all.

The incident of entering land was an event regarded of great importance to the early settler. For months, and in some instances for years, he and his family had looked forward, with great longing to the day when they should possess a few acres of land tat they could call their own and upon which they could build a home, and now their anticipations were realized. Life, even in the wild west, was now something more than ever worth living for.

*Prior to these entries, and indeed subsequently in great part, the settlers held their land under the claim and preemption law.

Source: Des Moines, Iowa Historical Society, 1881; History of Fremont County