The Iowa patriot. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1839-1839, 1839-06-06

tise in good time. 8sitss
Renaissance OF THE EARLY SET
/ ELEMENT OF BURLINGTON T. 7.
NO.sI. 81
MIR EpwARDs--At your request and beliey-
ing that a brief sketch of the first settlement
of our country would be interesting to the
readers Of your paper, communicate the fol-
lowing:--1 arrived at what was formerly called
the upper end OF Flint Hills, now the City Of
Burlington, in August, A. D. 1893, at which
+ time every thing was in a rude state Of
nature; the Indian title of these lands being on
| ly distinguished the first of juno previous. The
only white persons that found residing in or
near the place on which Burlington has since
been laid out, were Mcssrs. M. NJ. McCARvER
and S. S. WHITE, who had vcntured here, pre-.
| vious to the eXtinguishment of the Indian IT,
tie, with their families, suffering all the prva-
tons and difficulties attending the settlement
| Of wilderness country, which were very
great and not few of them. frequently with
out bread or meat, only such as the God Of Ma
tore supplied the country bountifully with,
wild honey, venise,, fish and vegetables, in ads
dition to which they were driven from their
newly finished cabin, which was fred and
/ burnt down by the soldiers from Rock Island, as
/ ordered by the Government to remove the set
! Much credit is due these citizens for their en-
/ terprize, having made the first claim, and es-
taLlished the first ferry that enabled cmigrants
to cross the great Mississippi to this newly
4 favored land, and in endeavoring to make them
as comfortable as circumstances would admit
! A short period after they had made their claim
L they sold one third Of their interest to Mr. A
/ Doolittle, who went on to improve, but did NO
become citizen until the carly part Of the
year 1884. In the fall of A. d. 1888, VIM R
4 Ross brought q. valuable stock of goods here
with his household furniture at great hazard ant
4 much expense, accompanied by his aged Faith
ther, who had fought throughout the Revolution
airy war, and who was one of the first settler
of Lexington, Ky. Worn down with toll ant
age, and being exposed to the inclemencies Of
off the same fall with chills and fever, an,
now lies beneath the clod on the topmo
pinnacle Of our City; the first white person bur;
ed in this section Of the ''New Purchase
4 Late in the same fall Major jeremiah Smitl
!. landed with a fine stock of Goods, hayin
sometime previously settled and improved til
] the farm on which he at present resides, abou
one and half miles from Burlington Hayin
given history of all the permanent settler
of what is now called Burlington, in 1888,
ing the natives. Burlington had long been
i great point Of trade for the Indians, as woul
q appear from the numerous old trading houses
j, roo: house, and number OF graves that wer
L all along the bank of the river, together wit
], several that were deposited in canoes wit
e their trinkets, and suspended in the trees; tn
s canoes being made fast to the limbs by strips Q
E bark. Among the rest was the noted Frencl
or half breed, M. Blondeau, who was interre
Immediately in front of the old store house "a
: IS. s. Ross, with paling around his grave, an
/ the cross with his name cut thereon, he being
!. a Roman Catholic. Wehad his remains remoy
: ed and reinteled in the present burying groun
E for Burlington. Their trade was somewhat va
5 liable to the merchants in 1893, but Government
5 having purchased all their lands within GU
present surveyed boundary, and their nature
Il and habits OF life being SO different from tina
4 of civilized community they have entirely Re
moved beyond our western boundary, still pu,
J suing the wild game for a livelihood.
!! The original town of Burlington (whicl
should have been called shok -ko-kon, the En-
glish Of the Indian title Flint Hill, was draught
.fed and nd surveyed BY Benjamin Tucker an,
VIM. r Ross, in the months Of November ant
j December, 1893. AS have been more lergth
than "a expected i the outset, Twill endeayor
in as concise hummer as the nature Of the, cas-
will admit r. detail few particulars 10 d
\ gard to The settlement Of the country bvs Ina