Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-02-08

.Nc., &c.
..rno.e sioed OId Days.
Ia preparing tho present article on the
history Of InwA City and johnson
County, the writer would premise BY 40
knowlsdsinx the aid afforded him In bic
labora BY Capt F.. NJ. Irish, an old and
respected citizen Of the County. The lOrs
Asnals for 1868, contain an interesting and
.labora,ely written history Of johnson
County, by Capt Itish, and it Is TO this
work that we are indebted for most Of our
facts concerning tho first settlements on
the banks OF the Iowa river. The FIRST
white man that entered johnson county
with view Of making \ home within its
limits was Mr. John q Gilbert. who. as
early Al 1888 established a traiing house,
Oh the eastern bank Of the Iowa river, III
what il now Pleasant Valley Township.
4 shsiox 81 70 nance rests over the mem
cry Of this FIST pioneer. Tho name OF
I&bt7t was assumed in tho place Il Prem
Mcs. nis riyhlill one; why, no one now
LIVING can probably expl,in. Mr.. Gilbert,
tf,r by that nam. only shall We refer to
hind was cousin Of Geo. ID. Prentice, and
gentleman OF far more than ordinary ln>
telligence, education and refinement. BY
all who became Acq lainted With him in
after years. he 10 spoken Of ~ man emf
mont for his integrity, honor andgenerosity.
One who held the respect OF all who met
him, white man or Indian. 1t is probable
that L.s honesty aud fair dealing with the
surrounding savagcs alone protected him
durin. this three years OF his resi- 1cncc here
before any white man had settled within
forty IN les Of his lonely cabin. What
mysserions iniilencs had driven this soil.
tary man from the society no was SO well
calculated to adorn, and led him wandcrer
lar iaio the unsxplersd wilderness, we
know not, and the secret il there ives any,
persisted with it's possessor.
la the fan Of 1896 Mr.. Gilbert while on
visit to Rock Island Chen Stevenson's
Landing found Philip Clark and Eli Myers
VIII, had left their homes in Northern Ia
diana, aud, on horseback Travelled west
ward. Learning that they were searching
after a home beyond the Mississippi, he
told them OF ths beauty and fertility of the
lands on the Iowa river, and asked them to
retarn wi.h him. Persuaded by his glow
ing descriptions they visited tho Gland OF
promise. aud delighted with the rich sol,
the timber. and many advantages Of the
country, a. once determined to settle per
manently. Stalking out their claims under
the guidance OF GILBERT, they built 4 cabin
and ,hen returned to the settlements for
their families. Ia tho following spring
they arrived with number of their neigh
bors ami took possession. Thus was formed
tho first settlement in the now rich and
lofulons county ofIohn8on. Qltc a his
tory is connected with tho life Of one OF
ihese early pioneers, Mr. clark Lurcd by
the stories Of the fabulous ricaness of the
California gold mines, IN 1890. he crossed
tar plains IN search OF the new FL Dorado
HIS wife whom he left behind in charge oi
magnificent farm If 900 acres, and for
whose comfort h6 hal made every PROV
ssea, renewed sn old attachment, and pro
cnriag divorce, married her former lover
aud disposed OF most OF the property
Seven years after his departure, Clark.
VINO hal written often 10 his faith
less wifi. fre9uently ndng her money,
returned to fad himself homeless, house.
less waaiercr, despoilei Of wife and chill.
drcn. lie Immediately commmenced legal
ted probably by the old maxim that possess
sion is nine points OF the law, erected q
cabin on his former farm and lived in it, A
desperate named Wilkinson was hired to
kill him, aud made repeated attempts to
accomplish the crime. Exasperated by
this diabolical attempt 10 ruin and then
murder an innocent and unoffending CHI
z,n. his old nsighbors gathered and Selling
h. h.
with the intcatioa of cscorting him out %
the country, tearing that his many crimes
were about to bring summary punishment
on his devoted head. the prisoner broke
from his guards and jumping INTO the Iowa
river was drowned Tho parties who
hta him in charge were al arrested, aud
tssanto Davenport Tor trial. All weic
hcnoraoly acquitted however.
Tho names Of those who accompanied
Clarke and Myers into the country in MAY
1897 arc, we believe. a. follows Samuel
Walker. Tom Wilson, s g. Trowhridge
Heary talkner and plcasan, HAIRS. la lie
.iaae following, VIM. Sturgls, Geo. w.
Hawkins, John Henry, Jacob Erhart,
John Cane and 5. b. Mulhollaud arrived
and August brought A. ID. Steven. Samuel
samgardner, Jonathan Harris. IS. II. Nc.
Crazy and Joseph Walker. These gentle.
men immediately erected buildings and
thus in single summer quite q sett cement
sprNng up in tho ncighborhsod Of the old
trading house.
In 1883 an act passed Congress organic
ing the Territory Of Iowa. and officers were
Immediately appointed. In the fall Of the
same year =. q. Trowbridgs received from
Gsv Lucas Sheriff. commission, author.
zing him to organize the county. At on
election which took place soon af.sr Hen.
~ Falknsr. Abner Wslcott and Samue
Sturgis. were chosen commissioners, and
about the same time Robt. Walker was ap
pointed Justice Of Psacs, tho Arst peace off.
Ger Of the county.
The fret meeting Of the Commissioner
Was held in the Phelps trading house,
which ssill stands on the Byington farm
shortly after town wss laid OF, called Ma.
poleou, in pleasant Valley Township. This
embryo city WAS selected - the Coun.
~ Seat The Same year. Judge joseph
Williams. Of Auscatine, held the first court
This august tribunal convened in Gilbert
trading house. Tn. Grand Jury held i,s
session on the open prairie near BY, there
being no room Tor it in the trading house
Al Ihe first meeting Of the Iowa Terri.
tarlsl Legislature which convened ct Bur.
lagton, in November, 1883, three com.
missicners we're appointed to select . site
for capital and were orcsrcd to locate il
On the Iowa river, in Johnston county
The Surveyors appointed BY these gentle
mon, selected the ground on which Iowa
City nov stands, and in June, 1889, laid
out the town on public land, a section OF
which was donated by the Federal Govern.
msot Tor this purpose, together with 500. :.
900 for the necessary buildings.
The site of the ns~ capital was covere d
with dense growth Of timber, and force
Of men were 1t once set to work to clear il
OF. Il vas here that the patriotic settlers
met for their first Fourth of July celebra.
tion, and from oil accounts it must have
been "rare old time" After the tables
had been cleared festive gathering over a
barrel Of superb punch. with the usual &C.
compartments Of tossts and responses took
place.
The 6rs, buildings erected within the pres
sot corporate limits Of Iowa City, Was built
~ NJ. Mat. Teneick. 1t was mere cabin
q unnewn logs, and occupied the ground
on which Mr.. Hobart's residence now
stands. The 6rst frame house was built
BY Wesley Jones. The frs. hr;.L h,,;,d;,.