Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-11
THEOLDEST SETTLER
Louis Thornburg, of ottumwa, Has
Resided in This State 90 Years.
TALKS BRIGHTLY OF EARLY DAYS.

TALKS BRIGHTLY OF EARLY DAYS
Recalls the Time When There Was
Only One Railroad in IoWa-His Wife
Was the First White Child Born in
the State.
The oldest settler of the state of
Iowa is now enjoying visit in Sioux
City. The man who lays claim to hav
ing lived in Iowa longer than any 9th
er man now alive is Louis W. Thorn
burg of Ottumwa, who is guest at
the home of his son, Charles E. Thorn,
burg GIG Nebraska street, says the
Sioux City Journal. 1t tells the follow
ing interesting story of the Ottum--
wan:
Mr.. Thornburg has been a continu-
GUS resident of the Hawkeye state
for slXty-two years. He will be 50
years OF age on October &c.
Along late in the evening of Noyem-
Der l, 1910, train of eight teams and
wagons drew up on the east bank of
the Mississippi river opposite Burling-
ton and waited their turn in being fer
ried over the river into the wild terri
tory of Iowa. In one of these wagons
rode Mr. Thornburg and his young
wife. They were coming west to To-
cate and seek their fortune. They had
been married in June, 1910, in Ran
dolph county, Indiana, and in October
they started west on their unusual
Journey. The couple settled in Henry
county. Iowa.
Mr.. Thornburg is native of Ohio.
He was born in Leesburg, Highland
county, October 26, 1920. At the age
of Z years he settled in Randolph
county, Ind. with his fathers family
When he was 20 yeas of age he mar.
ried, and four months later he ser
out for the west. His father, Joseph
Thornburg, continued to live on the
Indiana farm for forty years.
For two years Iowa's pioneer set
tier lived in Henry county, working al
his trade, carpentering. On February
8, 1S43, he removed to Keosauqua. in
Van Buren, county, where he resided
for thirty years. Then he engaged in
the grocery and general produce bust
ness. In 1872 he removed to Ottum
wa, where he has since resided.
First Child Born in Iowa.
Mr. Thornburg is not the only one
| in his family claiming distinction as 9
! pioneer. His present wife, who is his
second wife, possesses neat diploma
or certificate signed by Governor
Drake, which signifies that she is the
| first white child born in the state o
| Iowa. This instrument was presented
/ to her by the governor himself fou
! years ago at an old settlers celebra
\ ton at Burlington There was quite
contest for the honor, and the affai
was announced in advance all over tn
1 state, so the selection of Mrs. Thorn
burg is believed to have settled tn
4 question correctly. She is now z
4 years of age.
In Ottumwa Mr.. Thornburg engage
4 in the lumber business for eight year;
or until 1880, when he quit the lumbe
/ business and bought a fruit farm il
the outskirts of the city. There he ha
resided for the past twenty-five years
II remember very well the long, tee
/ ious journey we made across Indian
4 and Illinois in those early days. Nj
Y Thornburg said. Farm houses wer
many miles apart We wauld cam
: nights on some creek. Game of a
4 kinds was plentiful then. The onl
railroad / knew of then in the centrs
J west was road running south out {
!, Indianapolis.
when l first came to Iowa it ha
Just been separated from Wisconsi
| territory.
! 'In 1860 ! owned little sterl
wheeled steamboat named the Charlie
r Rogers, on the Des Moines rive
> which / operated between Keokuk an
Raccoon Forks, which is now the cit
of Des Moines. That was one of th
most interesting years of my life.
Only One Railroad Then.
"About that time Pixies peak wa
attracting attention and drawing m;
: ny people to the west. OF course
1 they had to go in wagons. There wa
but one bridge over the Des Moline
: river, that being located at Eddyyill'
4 We used to land our boat there an
sell supplies to the travellers. wa
, running my store at heoSduqud, ANU
, fifty miles above Keokuk, on the De
: Moines river. | used to get $40 ba
, rel for flour which / bought for $5.6
in ST. Louis. | bought produce alon
t the river and would ship it to st. LOU
!, from Keokuk by water.
: There was but one railroad in 1876
running west from Chicago, that bein
!, line extending to Burlington. use
I to buy cattle occasionally, ship to Blu
lington by water and thence by rail
Chicago
y 81 had many interesting experience
!, with my little steamer. remembe
that once man told me he had sc
q bushels of potatoes about nine mile
: up Coon river a tributary of the De
8 Moines river Coon river was but Ii
tie more than a creek. / could blu
the potatoes for so cents bushel if
went after them Ny pilot said h
: could take the boat any place whel
the ground was little damp, so W
started on the trip up Coon river. w
: made 1t successfully, but after gettin
the potatoes On board We found "
/. would have trouble in turning the bo;
!. around. We tied her stern fast to
tree and before We were ready for ii