Omaha daily bee., 1896-07-16
'HARDSHIpS OF PIONEERS
Gherokee's Early Settlers Had to Face tn
Terrible Sioux. al hi
TWICE ABANDONED THEIR HOMES
History of the spirit Lake Massacre
ana the Peculiar incidents which
Provoked the Tcrrthle
Anuir.

Cherokee county left the little colony plat
ting a town, in the summe of 1856, on the
banks OF the Little Sioux river. The
pioneers labored hard all that season and
experienced but few hardships until the
following winter, although some little diff
fculty was contended with in securing deeds
and land grants, as the land Office was
located at Sioux City, sixty miles distant.
The first deed granted for land in the
county was filed for record August 3, 1856.
1t was conveyed by Robert Perry. in con
sideration Of 500 paid in hand" by viii
liam r. Henry, George A.. Jackson and H..
c. Campbell of Woodbury. county. The
first real estate mortgage made was that of
NJ. e. PrendergraSt in consideration of $500,
to August Kirwan, and was recorded De-
cember Is, 1857. The first house erected
was that Of the colony. mentioned in the
preceding article, which was built in 1856.
1t was made of logs, l2X2O feet, one and
a half stories high. The first saw mill was
built in 1865, and the first -four mill in
1870.
The first election was held in August,
1857, at George Lebouryean's log house and
the full vote Of the county was cast, nine
teen in all. The first postofice was estab-
lished at the log house of Ben Holbrooks,
on section 26, G! what is at the present time
known as Cherokee township, in the fall
of 1857. The mails were carried by a
footman and he never failed to reach the
settlement less than once in every two weeks
and sometimes as often as once q week, If
the walking was good. The old Iowa Falls
d Sioux City stage line crossed by the way
of Correctionville, some thirty miles south
of Cherokee, hence the mail route here was
the one running from Spirit Lake to Sioux
City. Before this postoffice was established
mails were a scarce article here and no
one thought of making a kick" though the
mails hammer IN ne six or eight weeks late
The first mail that reached the colony after
the settlement was made was brought from
Sioux City by Carlton Corbott eight weeks
Gfter their arrival and settlement.
The first marriage in the county was that
OF Carlton Corbott and Rosabell Cummings.
in the autumn OF 1859. The first birth in
the county was Ida NJ. Brown. daughter of
Mr., and Mrs. James A. Brown. She was
born January 2S. 1858. she is now the wife
of Henry Hubbard of Hazelton, S. D.. The
first death was that of a Mr.. Davis, who
was frozen to death in January. 1857.
ESTABLISHES a STORE.
The first general store was conducted in
the old block house at the stockade built
for protection against the Indians in 1S62-69.
The first Fourth Of July celebration held
in the county was in the year of 1858, on
the Benjamin Holbrook farm County Judge
G. w. Sherwin was the orator of the day.
A basket picnic was held in the hay barn
and a fat pig was roasted About fifteen
persons took part in the celebration.
At the Fourth of July celebration in
1861, the first year of the rebellion, George
Killem delivered the grafton, under a new
bridge. where the celebration was held.
During his speech he referred to the south
as trying to destroy the union, and re-
marked in his patriotic zeal that they
might tear down this bridge n hundred
times. and yet loyal hands will rebuild it
a hundred and one times The first frame
house was built in 1858, by G. W. Sherwin,
the ma,Srial being brought by wagon from
Sioux City.
The first democratic county convention was
held in a earn field in June, 1858. The
county went republican at the first election,
and has not fallen from grace once in all
these years. The records will show hat
it has always yielded a good round repub
lican majority, as well as a bountiful crop,
and it can be depended upon for the gen
eral election this fall, with a plurality of
500 to 1000 for Major Mckinley.
The first term of school was taught In
1858, by Mrs. Lemuel Parkhurst, now of
Linn county. For a three months term she
received $55, the money being paid to her
by the home colony, at Milford, Mass. The
largest number of scholars in attendance
any one day Of the term was twelve. Three
Of these were members of Mrs. Parkhurst's
family.
INDIAN TROUBLES.
The severity of the winter of 1861, the
IdTuSulIS, pTlNHllOUS ana luQldu uGp-Gud-
tions will always be remembered by the
survivors of that little band Of pioneers, and
are recorded as the darkest hours OF their
lifetime. The great Spirit Lake massacre
OF which so much has been written occurred
in the winter af 1861. The history of this
horrible tragedy is so well known and has
been so thoroughly recorded in various
historical works that it cannot be enlarged
upon, except so far as the causes which led
up to it and to its effect upon the settle
ment Of Cherokee county. The true cause
OF the Indians going on the war path at that
time was never known by history writer's,
for it was kept a secret by the whites who,
indirectly, were the cause of the whole
trouble. 1t can be truthfuliy said that the
imprudence and bad faith Of some Of the
white race brought on that series Of d%epreda-
tions and bloody outrages which eliminated
in the Spirit Lake massacre, making subject
matter for one of the most terrible chapters
in the history of Indian ferocity. If the
whites at no other time broke faith with
the treaty made by William Clark and
Ninan Edwards, Indian commissioners in
July, 1915, they did 4 this one instance;
not as a government, >but by a few indi-
viduals.
1t was in the month of February, 1857,
that a party of Sioux Indians started on
a hunting expedition down the Little Sioux
river. They made a quiet and friendly stop
at the Cherokee settlement, then went on
to Smithland in Woodbury. county. Here
is where the trouble began. The whites
insisted that the Indians reveal to them
where they were going and what the bust
ness of their trip might be, and refused to
.et them pass unless they gave a satisfactory
explanation, The Indians replied that they
were going down to shake hands with the
OmRhas. The answer was not satisfactory
to the whites so they compsAsa-the Indians
TO give up their guns. This action IN the
part of the whites greatly enrlg d the sioux
and they turned back, wTeaking vengeance
upon the whites in every way imaginable.
White men stole their guns and white men
must make restitution, which could only be
satisfied by the shedding on human blood,
Consequently, they entered'~syery cabin
home, insulting helpless womeh and taking
guns and food.
ENTERED CHEROKEE.
When they arrived at Cherokee their pas
sion knew no bounds, and Fhey acted in a
hendIsh manner The ~guna(they had picked
up on their return wereS pointed at the
helpless settlers in order tor brighten them
into giving them more apdlalso to suffer
any indignity that they mRht feel disposed
to force upon them. Cattlt4Tere stolen
and scanty provisions seized AID deyoured
by them. They remained Three days, all the
while debating whether to murder the en-
tire settlement or not. These are spoken
Of as the longest DAYS and nights ever eg-