The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1857-11-07
ORR GINAL SKETCH.
CEDAR COUNTY.

Many of the early settlers, who still
linger among US, and have witnessed the
almost magical change that has been
wrought here since the red hunter left
these grounds, will recollect the appear.
ancc which this county presented twenty
years ago. Although its geographical
features were the same then that they are
now-the same woodlands covered the
vallies and the same groves dotted the
prairies, and the old rocks and giant sy-
camores sent out their long branches and
bore their leafy honors with the same
royal grace then as they do now. The
calm waters of the Red Cedar lent the
same charms to that glorious scenery
through which it wound its way down to
the Father of Waters; and the various
smaller streams sparkled as brightly in the
sunlight and glided on as smoothly and
gally through copse and dell then as they
do now
But there has been Change change
SO great, that person unacquainted with
the rapid improvement that has been
wrought in the west during the last quar-
ter of century, would be slow to believe
it sober truth. This whole land was beau
tiful then--its beautiful now--and, per-
haps, to lover of nature, one who de-
lights to view her in her primeval simpli-
city, ere the hand Of man has changed
her aspect or marred her untarnished
beauty, it might have been considered as
more attractive then; but for all that is
really valuable for the purposes of civil
lizcd life and rational enjoyment, its pre-
sent appearance and condition are beyond
comparison more to be valued and admir-
ed now than they could be in their wild
and unproductive state.
At that early period in the history of
Iowa very little had been done by way of
improvement, and in Cedar county par
ticularly, a few emigrants only had OBJ
tanned foothold. A few cabins had been
erected by the edge Of the groves, and
in the shadow of gentle woodland; and
there were perhaps one or two upon the
banks of the Cedar, and by the side of
Rock Creek. Red Oak, Linn, Mason's,
Pioneer and Poston's Grove could each
boast of q few settlers in and along their
borders; but when all was told the popu-
lation amounted to amere handful. The
Indian with his wigwam, his squaw and
his pappoose, was still here, and this
whole domain presented the same nm
changed appearance, the same unbroken
wilderness as characterized its every fea-
turc when the old French poyagers frs,
looked upon the land Of the lowas, from
their bark canoes, on the bosom of the
Mississippi; and SO far as anything like
social life and civilization are concerned
kind of solitary stiffness reigned ove'
the whole scene. And yet there was life
and hustle, and activity; but it was
among the native denizens Of the woods
and the prairies, the aborigines of The
land and the few pioneers who had "stucl
their stakes" Few others had ever look
ed upon our beautiful prairies---beautifu
in their uneavcn and undulating surface
beautiful in their irregular, abrupt, in
dented and rounded outlines; and still
more beautiful in the queenly splendor o
the thousand nameless flowers that form
ed 80 rich carpet for the light tread 0
the Indian maidens foot, or for the fawn
repose. 1t was here that "Natnre sowe'
heaself and reaped her crops and in tn
early spring time and during the balm.
summer, no crops that the wilderness ha
ever produced shown forth with more lux
uriant and fascinating splendor than di
those upon our pleasant prairies. Her
in truth we're the gardses Of Flora