Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-08-24

During the year 1853, and immedi-
ately thereafter, settlers poured into
the county SO rapidly that the names
Of settlers and the date Of their COM
ing could not be remembered. All!
who are at all familiar with the set
tlement Of central Iowa will distinct.
" remember the great wave Of inn
migration which reached inland over
our State from the East and with
what rapidity the counties in this
portion of the State. were settled
Marshall, Tama, Benton, and Grun-
dy counties, as well as many others
in this section in 1850 had but few
white residents and had been but
sparingly marked by the advances Of
civilization. For the next Eve years
these counties seemed to goal of
thousands OF western home-seek.
ers," and they become peopled with
hardy pioneers who bat scorned the
many obstacles to their onward
march toward reclaiming to civilixa-
ton this then wild county. Hills,
valleys, and groves soon teened with
thousands Of plucky whites and the
country became populated almost as
if by magic. Towns, villages and
hamlets sprang into existence, and
ten years later Iowa became known
as one of the comparatively older
States.
The settlement Of Tama county
was but a part Of this growth. She
opened her arms to receive the in.
coming tide ofimmigration and when
the reader has perused what follows
regarding this county, he will not
wonder that many of tho first arriv-
ais claimed 1t as their future home.
ORGANIZATION.
We quote farther from Mr.. Wiet.
ing's sketch During the early
settlement of this county it was at.
tached to Benton county for election
aud judicial purposes, and while thus
attached the first election was held
at the house OF Reason A. Redman,
near the Iowa River, on the first
Monday in August, 1852, at which
time the townships Of Howard, In
dian Village and Buckingham were
organized. Since then, however,
their boundaries have been much re-
duced. The county was organized
on the first Monday Of May, 1853, at
which time an election was held also
or county officers, and the following
officers were elected: J. G. Vermil.
ya, County Judge; John Ross, Re-
corder and Treasurer Myron Blod-
gett, Sheriff, and David D. Appel
gate, County Clerk, These were the
first county officers under the organ
ization. To comply with the statute
however, the most of these officers
would hold their offices only until
the next general election, which took
place on the first Monday In August
following, beng the first general
election held in the county, at which
there were polled seventy-two
votes"
Dating back to a point of time an
terror to the advent Of white men,
Indian warriors had hunted noble
game on this very ground; had
fought fierce battles and won deci-
sive victories. 1t was their garden
their home; and where palatial
residences and business blocks now
stand, under the shade Of many an
old oak tree, the young brave wooed
and won his dark eyed mistress. In
deed, it was q noble heritage to the
red man the fair county of Tama !;
bnt il noble to the savage in his un-
tutored ways, how grand should it
appear TO the thousands who have
"cntere d in and possessed" accom-.
panied by the arts and sciences Of
this towering age.
COUNTY SEAT.
Soon after the State Legislature
created Tama county, James r.
Carleton, at that time Judge Of the
4th judicial District, appointed Jo-
seph NJ. Ferguson, of Marshall coun-
ty, and r. B. Ogden, Of Poweshiek
county, a board OF commissioners to
locate the permanent seat for "said
county" The commissioners met for
consultation at the house of Judge
John G. Vermilya, as per order Of
Judge Carleton, on the Goth day Of
October, 1853.
From sketch of the county wlit.
ten by Judge Fulton and published
in the State Register in 1869, We
learn that: They spent some time
in making examinations Of the points
suggested. The first being an ele
waited quarter section about one mile
north of Christian Burners mill
which they concluded was entirely
too far northwest. The second pom,
examined was near tho residence oi
| David RruneY. and was obiected tc