Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-04
MEMORIES OF ADAMS.
"reminiscences Of Early Days in
Wapello County.
FROM JOHN W. n'NAHlLL.
Now a Resident of Youngstown, III.
nois-Came to Iowa in 1e47, Locat-
ing Near the Present Site of Riakes.
burg.

The Courier is in receipt of let |
ter of "reminiscences of early days in
Adams township, Wapello county, in
which John w. McMahill, pioneer
of Iowa, and veteran of the civil
war; refers to many interesting incl
dent of pioneer days Mr.. McMahill
served thru the war as a member of
company B, thirty-sixth Iowa Volun-
teer Infantry. He was "a good soldier
and a prominent citizen, and the fol
1 lowing from his pen will be of inter
est to his old friends and comrades
/ in Iowa:
| Youngstown, Ills, Aug. 10, 1900.
ed. Courier am a reader of your
paper and have been for the past five
| years. love to read the letters from
| its corps of able correspondents.
There is a cause for all this, and if
you will kindly grant me space, l will
! state what it is.
In March. 1877, my father, mother,
two brothers and myself landed in
Iowa, settling near the town of
Blakesburg. At that time the coun-
try was in almost the same condition
as when tie Indians left it. There
was no town of Blakesburg, and OF
tumwa was a small village. The coun-
try was opened to settlement, but set
tiers were few | can name those who
were in Adams township when we
landed. There was Mrs. Sweat and
her sons and daughters, Leauder and
Henry Sweat. and Miss Serentha
4 Sweat; Messrs. Lawson and Luzerne
Bradley, sons of Mrs. Sweat by a
former husband; James Adams, Alb
salon Brooks, James Leonard, Silas
Doggett, Charles Derby and his faith
er, and two brothers named McGin-
MS. and Mrs. Louisa Sutton. These,
as far rs memory survives me, are
the early settlers Of the renowned
township of Adams.
In the county adjoining Wapello
on the west. is Monroe. There were
the Readings, Holidays, Stokes, Con
RAIDS, Aarons, Houshs, McIntires,
streebys and the Long brothers,
) Aaron and II. A. On the prairie could
ter, as he would stealthily creep upon
them.
THE schools of that day We're not
, such as our children attend at the
present. They were subscription
best they could withathe motley col
g lection of books and pupils. The first
9 teacher whose name / recall as g
! teacher at Blakesburg, was a Mrs
0 Borne, a sister OF c.. w. Derby, o
7 South ottumwa. The next was Mr.
y Huston, then Thomas Fowler Tht
I latter was elected Judge of Wapellt
L county, and was on the bench wheI
Il company B, Thirtysixth Volunteer In
t fantry was organized at the cour
house, August IL, 1862.
There are many things connected
/ with the early history of Adams town
. ship that are pleasant memories tt
me, things that | delight to recall
Y Some Of them demand more extend
g ed notice than | can give them in this
e short letter Permit me, then, to sa.
e of my schoolmates from 1S47 to 1860
e CO those who attended school a
e Blakesburg, not one was ever arreste
e for murder OF other infamous crimes
T. The first murder was that of Rober
If Rawlston. The murderer was no
e known The murder was comrnitte
IL at a charivar The murder OF MI
st Medley by Mr.. CloSd occurred severe
'e years later. Both were unfortunat
S events, and cast a gloom upon tn
ST faircst portion Of Wapello county.
IS IN conclusion I beg leave to stat
I'd that | feel honored to know that one
re during my sojourn of three scor
III wears, | have lived in Adams tow
l. ship, associated with her best, int11
y entail and honored citizens in civ
y life. bivouaced with her brave sor
L. in Dixie's sunny land from 50 to 8
N and then, at the close of the unplea
!. antness led to Hymens altar one
her best daughters for a helpmet
a thru life.
n III this fails to go into the wast
go basket, may. say more in the future