Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-09-05

old at this time. He rented a LOO
no use belonging to Williams near now
what is the Plat or Dixson Settlement
cemetery. We lived here until INV
father could build house on the land
he entered of the government three
miles south of Colesburg on the naked
prairie.
see by the Delaware county history
that fn 1874 the farmers of Dixson Set.
tlement built hewed log school house
on the farm of John Platt Sr. This
sfSSSl ahs4ss &Hsse HaA ss eessnetssy speak o
now is. The log school house is out of
existence long ago. A select school
was taught in this house by John Hum.
phry in 1845. 1t was at this school
house first went to school, cannot
we'll recollect my teachers name, but
am inclined to think it was Abby Hall
who afterwards became Abby Ellis.
All of the old settlers of Dixson Settle.
ment we'll knew Abby Ellis. 1 we'll
recollect one of my school mates, his
name was Daniel L. Nelson who now
ia an eminent physician of Chicago.
his father was afterwsrd supposed to
De murdered on one of the branches of
Elk Creek just east of Greeley. Law
renee McNamee Of Colesburg afterward
became administrator of the Nelson
estate and sold the Nelson farm to tGeo.
& Mary Links parents.
My father was carpenter by trade
and built number of the first barns
and houses in Dixson Settlement. /
think my father built and moved onto
the land he entered either in 1852 or
1853. 1t was a trackless prairie,- there
being no houses until nearly to Dyers-
vile and one ar two on Plum Creek
near Nottingham now EarIyille.
Many is the time have seen the
prairie fires run across this prairie faster
than horse could run over the same
ground where Petersburg now stands,
and all of those fine farms lying south
of Colesburg. Our own house was at
one time in great danger of being burnt
but by hard labor and back firing it was
saved. recollect grove that stood
north west of our house where, occas-
| i0nally we could see deer. In the spring
| of the year large quantities of CT anes,
| wild ducks and geese could BIT seen on
this prairie. l have picked up many q
dozen of prairie chickens eggs after q
fire had passed over the prairie.
The older settlers that located in the
timber and around C0lesburg made fun
of my father for settling on the prairie.
They said that he would freeze and
starve to death. This same land has
become first class farms with good
houses and barns and if you should
offer the owners of them SO dollars or
even 100 dollars per acre they would
laugh at you.
\ VNbo ,onoDl ehhNoI -
called the Hubbard school house near
Joe and John Merton's, the third
school house was BOlsinger's and two
terms OF select school at Colesburg,
At the age of twenty.four years
though best to go west and grow up
with the country or as you may say,
18th, 1866, chose and married one of
the fair daughters of Colesburg and
moved onto the farm l now own In
Richlsnd township, January 2nd., 1867
There was considerable wild land here
at this time and it was selling for eight
dollars per acre. My land was unfm.
proved and l had to haul my fencing
from Turkey timber. We at this
time had no fence wire because it had
not come into use. Many day have
gone to the timber, cutting my own
loads, and some days so cold that j
would almost freeze to death, not see
ing fire from morning until night. How
often have thought If we could have
had the nice fur coats and winter ap
parel We have now, What mercy il
, would have been to me. This land II
now worth fifty dollars per acre.
The first visitors we had at our new
home was surprise party headed b,
Franklin Emerson Esq, 1t seemed tt
!, have been the rule that none SHOULD
! move into the neighorhood withou
9 having surprise on them and we wer,
no exceptions to the rule, Mrs. Rya
9 Hickox told my wife that she woul,
! have to put up supper for the crowd
! The idea in house IL by 18 and % o
30 persons to feed. Nevertheless tn
2 supper was got and we had good oil,
fashioned visit. When Mr.. Emerson
y started to go home told him woul
= pay him back with interest before tn
9 winter closed. ! was as good as m
: word and we stayed till the smal
. hours of the morning and had suppe
= too. have lived in Delaware count
for 81 years and Jackson county for
q years. You may think that / am
Hawkeye. II you do / am proud
y to say that live In one Of tile bes
q cnunk{on In Tntyn TAn1, v.,o ~ .&n,.nkv