North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-04-14
History Of Clayton County. Iowa.

History Of Clayton County, Iowa.
EIDEcK, the enterprising editor of the
Elkader Journal, is Publishing a series of
articles relating to the history of our coun-
ty. Judge PRICE, of Gutenberg, finds
some errors in the history, and he writes
to his Tong time friend, Thomas Updegraff,
Esq, as follows. We publish, by consent
Of "Tom.'
Gutenberg, April 6, 1860.
FRIEND ToM.-In the History of Clayton
County, which is being published in the
Journal, the author has fallen into an error
in regard to the locality of the first Black
smiths shop on the south side Of Turkey
river. There were three smiths shops in
operation upon the south side Of Turkey
river Mt least two years before there was
any inhabitant residing in the immediate
vicinity Of Elkader. The first smiths
shop upon the south side of the river was
erected in August, 1886, upon the south
bank of the river, near the mouth of the
Henderson branch, in the northwest COR
ner of Millvillc township. The logs for
this shop were cut in one day by Dudley
Peck and f. Price and on the same day
Capt. William d. Grant made the clap
boards for the roof On the next day
Thomas Vansickle hauled the logs together,
and on that day we raised the building,
put on the roof, cut out the doorway, and
built the furnace. A few days after Capt.
Grant placed in the building full set of
blacksmiths' tools, and shortly after Cyrus
Henderson was duly installed as the first
blacksmith upon the south side of Turkey
river. A day or two before the installation of
Isl" took place, the Captain and myself
visited the shop, which was distant about
one mile from his residence, and discover
Cd that scouting party of the Raccoon
family had made an attack upon the build
ing since our previous visit. The slcdge.
hammer, the rise, and the anvil appeared
to have come out of the conflict without
serious injury, but the bellows had receiv-
ed a wound which had penetrated its bow
els, at point where some tallow had been
placed for the purpose of so(tening the
leather. The Cap, who never swore ex-
cept on extraordinary occasions, regarded
this as one of them, and the result was
the bellows was rendered invunerable to
all future attacks of the coon by an impen.
etrable blue streak that settled around it
during the time the Captain, in prairie
like attitude, was examining the incision.
"Si.," who was about Ii years old, had
acquired literal theoretical knowledge of
the Vulcanian art by blowing and striking
in the army shop of Col. Taylor, at Prai-
RE du Chen, and the earliest display of
his artistic skill in the new shop was
brought to bear upon a bull-plough, so
called. the first agricultural implement we
had owned, and which needed new Ian.
The work was commenced early in the
morning, 81. engineering and singing, and
we blowing and striking, and there was
no difficulty in holding the plou. h by the
bar with the naked hand when heated. un-
til near the close of the day, when. what
remained of it, was found necessary to
hold with pair of tongs. At length the
borax having given out, and the lag still
stubbornly refusing to adhere to the
plough, ST. seized it with herculean
grasp and, whirlins it around his head,
sent it sparkling through the air across
the shop. Then, stepping back with fold
ed arms and sooty face. he stood and ST.
lently sazcd upon the charred and mutt
lated plough, like Vulcan contemplating
the shield of Achilles. A few stone that
mark the ruin of its furnace is all that re-
mains of the first blacksmith shop on the
south side of Turkey river. In the winter
of 1886 following, shop was opened at
Export, and one at Millvillc, all of which
were on the south side of Turkey river,
and were in operation three or four years
before the shop was started at Elkader.
Besides the three shops have named on
the south side of the river, there were two
upon tic north side, both older than the
Henderson shop. One was erected by
Robert llatfield-in the spring of 1885,
and one by manufacturer of counterfeit
coin in the fall of 1884 this was the first
shop in the county. The owner professcd
to be blacksmith and gunsmith, but was
in fact a manufacturer of bogus coin, of
the denomination Of fifty cents. There is
not now fragment of these five shops re-
naming; but, what is remarkable, it is
believed the five blackslniths who first
worked in them are still living, and are
named as follows: William Morris (bogusI,
Robert Hatfield, Cyrus Henderson, Robt.
Campbell and Frederick Hodge.
Your friend.
ELIpHALET PRIcE.