The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-01-02
The NAH ASKA BAR
A Reminiscent Banquet Talk by
w. r. Lacey.

ed by w. n Lacey at the mhnhdkd
County Bar Banquet, and being of a
historical character it is published in
full on request OF number who
heard 1t.
Gentlemen of MdhdSkG Bar:
am asked to respond to the toast.
"Reminiseence of the Mahaska Bar"
"Reminiscences of the Mahaska bar and
of the bar of the state would substan-
TALLY be history of the state and
of Mahaska county In all the years
past the lawyer has been the pioneer,
along with the covered wagon with It's
hounds in front and COW tied to the
rear; along with these. in the great
west, has come the lawyer. He has
been a spokesman of the pioneer; he
has been the business agent of the
government and the first settlers. A
history of the lawyers of Mahaska
county would substantially be a his
tory of the county itself.
On the first of May, 1913, Mahaska
county was opened for settlement by
the whites. We are told by those old
pioneers that many days before these
pioneers slipped through the Gordon
of soldiers and, with his lantern, grub
bag, Ratchet and blanket, reached the
corner of his claim, and was ready at
midnight on the memorable May 1,
1S43, to stake out his future home. 1t
is even intimated by some of the old
time settlers that their time-pieces
were turned back, and actual business
commenced as e~rly as 8 o'clock, and
when ,4e sun arose on the morning of
May list this beautiful flower-covered
mr. irin cfn
farms and towns.
The first thing these farmers did
was 20 organize themselves into
body polite for their protection; the
lawyer there figured as one of the
leading men of the times.
The first territorial legislature of
Iowa convened February, 1874, and
made provision for the organization
of Mahaska county. William Edmund
son, known to many of the old set
tiers, was appointed sheriff, by one
Judge Williams, a federal judge, whose
residence was in Muscatine; and he
also appointed our late lamented gen
ial and jovial friend, NJ. T. Williams.
clerk of the district court. William
Edmundson had united with his Office
the office of justice of the peace, being
appointed by Territorial Governor
Chambers, who, l am informed, was
a LAWYER.
The scanty inhabitants that were
seeking to locate in town, after the
site of Oskaloosa was fixed, gathered
together and a wrangle occurred as to
what SHOULD be the name of our beau
tiful city. The town being located at
almost the narrowest point between
the Des Moines and Skunk rivers, it
was first proposed to call it 'The Mar
rows"
In those days there was very little
timber, and the old government and
Indian trail followed the highest part
of the divide from Keokuk to Des
Moines, and the timber skirting both
the Skunk and Des Moines rivers was
visible, making Oskaloosa almost the
narrowest point between the two riv-
ers, and for that reason many of the
old settlers were in favor of calling it
THE Narrows." But our old friend
and brother of the bar, who has long
since been gathered to his fathers, and
whom we all reverence and revere, NJ
t. Williams, arose and proposed the
name be 0skaloosa, in opposition to
THE Narrows."' The vote was taken,
and the name of Oskaloo5a, at the
suggestion of our old friend, has come
down to us from the past. Oskaloosa
was an Indian name, as was also Ma
haska. Our old friend, M. 7. Williams
told us that Mahaska means White
Cloud" and Oskaloosa, "The Last of
the Beautiful" and, as we now under
stand it, Oskaloosa was the daughter
Of Proud Mahaska, the Indian chief
The first court of this county was
to convene Monday, July
Is, 1874, and to be presided over by
Joseph Williams, Judge. The first
court record of Mahaska county,
which is the first record of the county,
was as follows, and this is the record
entry:
TERRITORY OF Iowa, MALAYSIA CoUN-
TY, S. S.
Monday, July Is, 1874, being the
third Monday of July, the day appoint
ed by law for the commencement of
the July term of the district court for
the county aforesaid, at Oskaloosa, the
seat of justice in said
the Hon. Joseph Williams,
Judge of the Second Judicial district,
failing to appear, the court was ad-
iourned from day to day, by the sher-
iff, in pursuance of an order of the
said judge, until the third day, Wed.
nesday, July II. 1874, court met, pur-
suant to adjournment, Hon. Joseph
Judge"
And now, to-wit: July 10, 1914, it |
Is ordered by the court that Micajah
+. Williams, Esq, who has been here
.ofore pro tempore appointed clerk of
he district court in and for the said
of Mahaska, in said Territory
If Iowa, be and hereby is appointed
,lerk of said district court, according |
% the requirements of the law.
The next record is as follows:
And now, to-wit: John H. Bate
nan, free white male person, ma
i've of England, having on this 18th |
lay of July, 1914, filed his declaration |
If his intention to become citizen of |
he United States, as required by laws
n this court, as appear of record, |
anne into court, and was admitted |
Ind declared citizen of the United
States of America.
The first indictment by grand jury
vas July 10, 1874:
United States VS.. A. w. Blair In
lictment for assault with intent to
niict a bodily injury" reads the rec
,rd.
The next entry Is as follows:
at is ordered that the seal of this
'ourt be one dime Of United States
Iilver coin"