Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-07-02
The Delaware County Old Settlers
Reunion.

day WAS fairly well attended notwith-
standing the threatening aspect of the
weather. They assembled ut the grounds
in the forenoon and passed the time re-
newing old acquaintance. During the
noon hour they betook themselves to
the floral hall, where the lunch baskets
were opened and the picnic dinners
partaken of.
The afternoon session began about
1870, when President F. b. Peet called
the meeting to order. The invocation
was offered by Rev. b. M. Amsden, fol
lowed by music by the grarhophone of
w. H. Acres.
President Peet in q short speech well
coined the old settlers to the meeting
and compared the hardships of the old
settlers with the comparative ease en-
joyed by the present generation. In
concluding Mr.. Peet paid a glowing
tribute to old age which was received
with hearty applause.
Next on the program was paper by
r.. j. Bixty, who prefaced his remarks
with the statement that he was in real
ity an old settler of an adjoining county,
having been born in Clayton county but
as he had always done his trading in
this county and is now resident of it,
if there was no objection, he was going
to consider himself q member of the or.
ganization. His subject was pioneer
schools, and he read rate bill No. 1, of
Lodomillo township, Clayton county
He received it from e. q. Madison. 1t
bears date of the year l849, was sworn
to before S. r. Peet j /. p, and disc)oses
that VIM. S. Clark, teacher of the school
received for his terms teaching the
small sum of SAL So. He then described
the old log school house with its rough
hewn benches and desks In some re-
spects he thinks the pioneer schools had
an advantage over those of the present,
just as it is claimed that the smaller
schools now have advantage over the
larger, for the reason that the teachers
of the smaller schools are in closer touch
with the pupils.
G. III. Pierce read paper from w. IL
Hollister The writer says that he, in
company with Hsssel Munson, set out
from Belvidere, Ill.,, in November, 1854
to hunt home in Iowa. They came to
Galena BY rail staged 1t to East Du-
buque and crossed the river on steam
ferry. They came to Delaware county
but they did not think the timber good
enough and moved on. They stopped
at Mr.. Jakeway's at Buffalo Grove but
did not like the timber around there as
it was very thin. They started up the
Cedar River for Pilot Grove, which war
about six miles distant. They Travelled
until about midnight when they found
that they were travelling in circle
The wolves were barking on all sidet
and the travellers felt pretty blue. a
family living at the Grove had sick
child and lit light which showed them
the way to the house and to say thai
they rejoiced on reaching a haven OF
rest and security, but mildly expresses
it. After looking the country ovel
quite thoroughly they came back tt
Delaware township and bsrgained for {
farm in sections 8 and 10. They ther
returned to their home in ILL.,, and IL
the next year, 1856, returned to thil
county to make their future home.
Mrs. Amos Perry was the next on the
program and had for her subject "Ths
Early Pioneers of Collins Grove" Shs
gave very lucid account of the trisll
of the early pioneers Of Collins Grove
In those days the billiards. were &c
severe that 1t was common occurrence
for person trying to go two or three
miles in one of the storms to be froze1
to death. The Minkler children, Mrs
Perry being one of them, had to walk
over two miles to school while other,
had to walk as much as three. Wilc
game and fruit were plentiful. Before
the building of the Coffin store the PEG
pie of her neiyhborhocd had to send tt
Dubuque for the necessaries, and the
little store twelve feet long and sixteeI
feet wide, bull, by Clement Coflir
proved a great convenience.
james Lendrum's paper was read by
Floyd Peet. Mr. Lendrum came to thit
county and located at Silver Greek Ii
June, 1852. The first corn he cultivated
was by means of hoe. After paying
for his forty acres of land he had Just
enough money left to buy q barrel Of
flour. He traded rifle he had brough,
with him for COW and during the fol
lowing winter lived on corn dodgers and