Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-07-07

"A'oh "O"N C0Ai V'o "CiSAo VI
man, if not too heavy. It was al
most impossible to get about except
on foot, and in that way the mail was
carried to and from the "Colony,'
near "Ede's Grove" in Delaware
county, by Kessler, he being selected
for that service on account of being
small and light. Deer were abund
ant and easily overtaken, as theil
sharp feet broke through the crust
SO venison was plenty. Bee trees
had been found in large numbers
in the fall, and there was a plentiful
supply of honey. Some families had
three or four barrels of that com
modify, but honey and venison
though each delicious, were found
hardly adequate food for sole and
constant use; and grain there was
none, nor other food of any kind to
be had short of journey to the
"Colony."
II. b. Hatch was the first to ven
ture out after corn. He went with
two yoke of oxen, and on his return
was overtaken by storm of sleet sc
severe that the freezing rain blinded
not only himself but his oxen. But
by walking on the off side of his cat.
tie he managed to shelter himself
somewhat, and after stopping many
times to remove the Ice from his eyes
and those of his oxen, he succeeded
in reaching home with his load Of
corn, much to the joy of the settlers
who had been greatly alarmed for his
safety. This corn was Immediately
distributed, and when exhausted, Mr.
Sanford went to the same place and
brought another load, which he care
fully dealt out, sternly refusing any
applicant more than one peck at a
time; not from any want of kindness
or generosity, but to enforce that
severe economy in its use, which was
absolutely necessary. For several
months during that winter, venison,
honey, and boiled corn constituted
the only food Of the settlers. Wolves
were numerous and bold, and often
came to the springs, within a few
steps from the doors of tho settlers,
to drink. On the lst of April, ls43,
tho river was still frozen, and teams
crossed on the ice.
In the spring of ls43 the land in
the south part of the county was put
in the market, and on the 18th of
March of that year the first entry
was made by Edwin r. Fulton, the
entry being the west half northeast
"a, SO, 8, the 80 which Bennett had
claimed and settled. upon. Fulton
was never a citizen of this county,
and was probably some friend of
Bennett whom he procured to make
the entry for him. In May, ls43,
Malcolm McBane and John Cordell-
both with their families - settled
in the immediate vicinity of Quasque-
ton, on tho east side of the river
They entered their first land May cd,
lS43. Sometime in the summer or
fall of lS43 came James Biddinger,
S. Y. Thompson, and w. w. Had
den; the former settled near, and the
two latter at Quasqueton. During
the summer Of l843, Touring mill
was erected at Quasqueton by Mr..
Stiles, but was probably not COM
pleted until 1914, about which time
a Mr.. Richards settled there and
opened the first store. Up to this
time the place had been known only
as "The Rapids of the Wapslpinicon," "
but now it had a saw mill and grist
mill, a store, tavern and saloon, and
had become quite village, and was
named s'Trenton," which name it re-
tanned until about 1S47, when it was
regularly laid out into lots and re-
christened Quasqueton, which name
is euphonized from Quasquetuck sig
nifying in Indian tongue, "swift
waters" The first settlers had now
begun to raise wheat as well as corn,
and with a mill in their immediate
vicinity where it could be ground,
were in little danger of being again
compelled to subsist on boiled corn.
Fish were abundant in the river, and
it Is told, and is undoubtedly true,
that they were caught of such size
that, tied together by the gills and
thrown across a horse, their candal
fins touched the ground on each side.
1t is surmised, however, that the
horse was an Indian pony, and of not
unusual height. The species of fish
which attained to such size was the
"Muscalonge," and some of the same
species weighing "a pounds were
caught at Independence as late as
1854. During the year 1874 there
seems to have been but little addi-
tional emigration to the county; but
in 1S45 quite number of families
among them one Abbot,
James Rundle, and Benoni and Har-
vey B. Haskins, and, I think, David
Merrill; these families all settled
near Quasqueton. During that year,
also, was made the frs. entry of land
north of the correction line. 1t was
on section 25, 80, 8, part of what is
now known as the "County Poor
Farm" and was entered by John
Kimmis, December 4th, 1s45.
Rufus B. Clark, in his hunting ex-
cursions, had early visited, observed
and admired the site of Independence.
He had no means with which to pur-
chase land, but he laid claim to the
place, and in the spring Of ls47 built
a log house on the east side of the
river, at spot near the present juno
ton of Chatham and Mott streets,
and removed his family thereto
After making the claim, he visited
Janesville, Wisconsin, and induced
S. p. Stoughton and Nicholas A. Nc
Clure to purchase the land. Slough
ton came to Independence the same
spring, April, 1s47, entered the land,
and during that summer built dam
and saw mill, and brought also a
small stock of goods. With him
came Samuel Sherwood, Mervin Dun
ton, and a DIR. Lovejoy. In July,
ls47, S. S. Mcclure, Eli D. Phelps,
A. H. Trask, and Thos. w. Close, ar
rived, and all settled at Independence.
In June of that year three Commits
appointed by the State Legis-
lature for that purpose, visited the