The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1903-07-30
4 DESERTED VILLAGE.
Historic "Iowaville" Recalled by
Curator Aldrich.

Curator Charles <Aldrich, of the
state historical department, who has
Just returned to Des Moines from an
interesting trip through Van Buren,
and other parts Of Lee and Henry
counties, talks Interestingly Of his
trip. These counties are among the
richest Of all the ninety-nine counties
in Iowa in historical lore and in the
course of his visit, Mr.. Aldrich, with
Judge Geo. c. Duff1eld and e. r. Har-
Ian, of Keosauqua, located the exact
site of the now almost forgotten town
Of Iowaville on the Des Moines and
within a few miles OF Eldon.
81 first went 70 Stockport" said Mr..
Aldrich in talking of his trip, ION the
invitation of e. r. Harlan, young at
torney of Keosauqua, and son-in-law
of the distinguished pioneer Geo. C.
Duffield, close friend of Judge
Wright and other prominent men Of
southeastern Iowa. From there we
went six or seven miles east to the
house Of William Savage, farmer,
who makes a speciality Of painting
birds in water colors. He has re-
markable collection of 300 to 400 Iowa
birds that seem to me to be as good
as those of John James Audubon. Saw
age is 60 years old and knows as
much of woodcraft as Thoreau John
Burroughs. His collection is one the
state certainly ought to own.
From there we went back, to the
Des Moines river and visited Aaron
| w. Harlan, who lives short distance
| below the decayed hamlet of Croton.
Harlan is SO years old, and has been
a prominent and important character
in that section of Iowa. He was ca
noe man and a fiatboat man in early
times. He and his friends once load
| ed a flatboat at Keosauqua with pork
| and other pioneer products and took
| it to New Orleans, sold out and re-
turned by steamboat. He never
smoked or drank, though he lived
among rough population, and his
complexion is as clear as that Of a
1 child. He has a world Of information
| on early times, and was friend OF
Judge L. Wright, Sam Clark, and men
of that kind.
HE served in the Mexican and the
u civil wars, and is one Of the foremost
characters in my opinion that is left
in southeastern Iowa"
Mr. Aldrich then told Of visiting
Croton, on the Des Moines river, on
the border between Iowa nd Missouri,
and described scenes of the region OF
the famous battle of Athens. From
there, Keosauqua was visited. Mr.
} Aldrich says this locality abounds in
interesting characters, and that it
would be a great field for Octave Tha,
net, He stayed one night at the
home of Geo. G. DufIield, one of the
, builders of the Iowa Agricultural so,
ciety, and a pioneer who knew Black
Hawk and Keokuk well.
Following this, Mr.. Aldrich and
: Messrs. Dufield and Harlan started
, for Eldon and passed the old site OF
, the decayed town of Iowaville and
hunted up Black Hawks grave. eve
met a young man who has an inter
: est in the real estate" said Mr.. AL
drich, land he knew within an acre
/ or two where the chiefs grave was
: located. We went to the place and
5 hunted about for time, and finally
: found a pile of stones that unques
: tionably mark the spot of the burial
: Relic hunters have carried away
/ nearly everything. There ought tc
l be a permanent monument erected
. by the state on this site, and Mr.
Harlan is undertaking a movement
| to have this done. The site is just
} off the upper end Of the old town OF
Iowaville, and about two and a hall
miles from Eldon."
Mr.. Aldrich says but two or three
old houses are left of the once florish.
ing river town of Iowaville. He
brought back a collection of relics
for the department, including stone
axes and a part of the femur Of a
mastodon.