Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-01
PEOPLES PULPIT.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

To the Old Settlers of WapeIIo County.
1t is up to the old settler to make
some history, or at least preserve
some old landmarks that are fast be-
coming extinct / suggest some
old settler, who Is actually an
old settler take the matter UP and call
to his aid any person or persons he
wishes to assist in locating some OF
the most historical points In the coun-
| ty, and starting a subscription paper
or contribution box to erect granite
slabs at each one of those historic
places with the proper inscription
thereon, so, not only the people of to-
day, but the generations yet to come,
when they visit those places may know
what was once there. How manv of
4 those speakers at the old set
| tiers meeting at Agency City Aug.
| 49, know that the Pattern house
built by Uncle Sam and occupied by
the government farmer. who taught
the red men how to farm. Is yet stand
ing and in good preservation, almost
within the sound of their voice?
How many know the size of that
farm, and the parties who own it at
this time? How many of them know
where the council house stood? How
many men know that the red men,
through love and affection gave the
agent section of land $40 acres, that
today is worth 500 per acre? This
| land should be marked in red on the
county map. Also the Pattern farm.
How many know where the agency was
in relation to Agency City? Or after
the old agent died who succeeded him
How many know where the fort was
in Wapello county, when abandoned,
and how the soldiers went away!
How many know where the Indian
grave yard was? Or the Indian vii
lage?
How many know Appanoose, the In
| dian chief, made the agent believe
Sugar creek was one hundred miles
| long and almost a navigable stream, or
at least would furnish abundance OF
water power to run mill, and got the
agent to have a mill built on Sugar
creek to run by water power to grind
the wheat and corn grown on the gov
eminent farm?
Do any of them know what was
done with the first crop of wheat thai
grew on that farm? These are few
Of the many questions that ARE inter
esting to the people today. and viii
be to the generations yet to come.
was an eye witness of the Dahlonegs
war. A brother in-law to the captain
who commanded the old settlers IL
that battle came all the way from Ne.
was turned down. The man wht
owned and occupied the land for TWEEN
ty years where Fort Stamford stood
and who was present by request of thu
soldiers to see them pack their KNAPP
sacks and depart for other fields t.
conquer, sat where the speakers OF
Aug 16 could have laid their hands o,
to my knowledge, now living, VIII
: staked off his claim in township 72-1
the first hour Of the day, the first da.
of May, 1S43, sat in reach of thos
speakers ignored.
I visited the Pattern farm about
year ago, looked the house through in
side and out found it in, a good stat
of preservation. The SMOKE hous
8 also stands as firm apparently as
e d.I sixty years ago. the old oaken doc
: cut out of native timber with whip
:. saw in 1888 is yet swinging on tn
S wrought iron hinges forged out by tn
d government blacksmith, fastened o
r with wrought nails made by the sam
e man. Those things are dear to tn
old settler; they would rather have
five minutes talk with a pioneer lik
Giltner, Harrison Reynolds, Ephrial
4 McMillen, Angeline Daily, Johann
: Godfrey, Angeline Brimm Reynolds {
V Martha Brimm Reynolds, than a
> other speakers you could trot out in
- month Of Sundays.
With one Of the best historical field
in southern Iowa. if not in all tn
state, fast becoming obliterated an
lost sight of, let us before 1t is tc
late make record of those places, S
IS the orator at the old settlers meetin
in the future can talk intelligently, {
the story teller can give some co
u oring of truth to his Indian we
I; dances that the settlers Of the ear
q forties experienced.
We are not up-to-date, the old Sc
: tiers of adjoining counties are far
: advance. For proof of this attend or
of their meetings or read their Pre-
II grams in the papers. While we have
n much better field to work on, they a
" outstripping us, all through bad MAJ
lie agement. Now let some one take tt
l. initiatory and start the ball rollin
l. and to show that / mean business
t will subscribe as much In proportie
lie to my financial ability as any man
H. the county to establish those historic
points for the benefit of the coun
and the future generations. Who w
take hold? e. G. Kitterman.