The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-01-15
.S0N[E EARLY HISTORY
Slaves sMereDnce Held asGkatteIs
iialDeCatur County.


thsrs appeared an editorial entitled.
"Lesvealfrom History" Tbs editorial
gave some important historical events
in con nnection with the settlement and
early history of Iowa, andsended with
this statement: sit seems >strange to
think that slavery existed SO close to
Iowa. 1T is pleasing to reflect that her
soil was neversstained," Theearly his.
tory of Rinegold county somewhat dis.
proves the statement, and tells that
two young slaves were actuaAiy sold in
this county many years ago.
As amatter Of fact, however, slavery
20 au dnstitufion was never counte-
nancedin the, state of Iowa. The sale
spoken of was In Middle ForB township.
In the early days it was often difficult
to locate the boundary line between
Missouri and Iowa, and the nnan who
sold the slaves must have Thoughts that
he was doing business in Missouri and
not in IOWA.
The discussion was brought about by
Greer Springer of Decatur county. He
happened to be- familiar with the early
history OF Decatur and Ringgold coun-
Ties, and ofIowa as we'll, and in a lette,
to the Capital says there are several in-
stances where 'sslaves have been owned
and sold on Iowa soil.'' Continuing,
he says. 's0n page 41l, History Of
R,nggold county, Iowa. find tho fol-
lowing very interesting bit of history:
''One authentic instance is known Of
slavery in this county (Ringgold). L.
?. Alien, a native of Buncombe county,
North Carolina, came to this county in
the spring Of 1852, and settled in what
10 now Middle Fork township, He, pos
eesaod at that time, and for six months
afterwards, two young negroes, boy
and a girl, aged about Id and l6 respect.
fvely.
In The autumn he sold them to man
from near 81. Joseph, Missouri flor
Sl,10o. William Fierchall, now Of
Worth county, Missouri, was witness
of this sale, and saw $500 of the money
paid. Allen lived In Ringgold county
thirteen years.
Again on page I'll, History of Ring.
gold and Decatur counties, l find the
following:
Before the settlement OF the bound
ary question (referring to the dispute
between Iowa and Missouri on that
point) several slaves were held in the
south part of Decatur county. We find
the following among the early records:
81. John Mcdaniel, of the county Of
Decatur and state of Iowa, do hereby
release, give up and set at liberty as q
free man, George A. Black, a colored
man, who has resided in my family
from boyhood. Said man is about
forty.tive years old at this time, about
five feet eleven inches high.
"Witness my hand and seal this 25th
day of February, A. D. 1852.
r.. ST. "JoHN MCDANIEL /"
Continuing the account says:
"George died in the south part of the
county or the edge of Missouri, Nc.
Daniels moved to Oregon years ago."
think that many other instances of
human slavery existing in Iowa can be
shown but this is sufficient.
The reason for slaves being held on
Iowa soil is that for years the boundary v
between Iowa and Missouri was in dis.
pute. Iowa claimed her southern line
to be the southern survey which begun
ut the foot of the Des Moines rapids il
the Mississippi. Missouri claimed her
northern line TO be the northern sur.
voy which begun at the head of the rap
ids-a difference of about nine miles in
distance. Iowa finally won her point
and the southern survey was finally
made the line. Men owning slaves on
Iowa soil contended they were in Mis-
souri,"
Cold AZ TnruHnn