The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-11-10
IOWA
PIONEERS
Charles Purvine.
N. HEDGE.

Petalema, Sonoma county. California.
They were returning from the worlds
fair and stopped at Oskaloosa on their
return to mark the growth of the city
and county and to look up some Of the
old landmarks.
Mr.. Purvine's father, Chas. Purvine,
was one of oskaloosa's early settlers.
having come to the new purchase in
1874. The family came from Gamer
on's Mill. Sangamon county. Illinois.
The place took its name from John G
Cameron, who wax a quite distinguish.
ed Cumberland Presbyterian preacher
of that period. Camerons Mill has
been made famous because of the
fact that when a young man Abraham
Lincoln clerked in the store kept at
this mill. It was at this store, !
think, that the great statesman paid
one dollar out of his scanty income
to a hard-up mover" who stopped
one day at the store door and wantsd
to sell him an empty barrel which he
had no longer room for in his wagon.
Big-hearted Lincoln gave him a dol
lar and told him to dump it out at the
store door. The barrel was of no
value to Lincoln. He had simply in
mind to help the old pioneer on his
way. Some days afterwards when he
was cleaning up the store, in hand.
ling this barrel he noticed that it was
heavy to be empty, and on examina-
ton he found in the bottom OF the bar
rel under some other trash a full set
of Blackstone's Commentaries on Eng
fish Law. Lincoln literally absorbed
these law books. They became a part
of the brain and fiber of his life, and
went a long ways towards making
MIN the great lawyer he afterwards
became.
Mrs. S. A. Phillips, at that time
I Miss Hobbs, was an intimate friend Of
the family of John G. Cameron. He
built and occupied the cottage at the
corner of B avenue and Third street
in 1914. In that day it was counted
a rather pretentious home. Mr.. and
Mrs. Cameron were the parents of.
twelve children. Eleven daughters
and one son. One of these daughters
was named for Miss Hobbs, who had
taught in the new settlement just
long enough to win the esteem and af-
lection of the entire community. o.
Kaloosa people know that the good
lady has always retained that happy
faculty.
Mrs. Chas. Purvine was one of the
eleven daughters Of John G. and Mrs.
Cameron. They opened the first tag
ern in Oskaloosa. Mrs. Phillips tells
MS that the hnilding stoedLE heye the
Downpremir1use now stands. It was
q story d b a half frame with four
rooms below and one large room on
the second floor. This was the tavern
at which Micajah Williams and al
number Of other young lawyers board.
ed during their probation days in the
new country.
Mary Purvine, their daughter, was
the first girl born in Oskaloosa. Some
years afterwards the city authorities
wrote her that if she would return and
live in Oskaloosa they would make her
a present of her choice of vacant city
lots.
After some years Mr.. Purvine trad
ed his tavern for what is now the a.
]. Jewell farm in Garfield township,
which wal the home of the family dur
ing his stay in Mahaska county. The
hotel building was afterwards changed
to two stories and for many years was
known as the Madison House. 1t is
said that General Grant once slept
under its roof back in the days when
he was unknown to fame. The old
hotel building is still rendering good
service to humanity up on the corner
Of A street and G avenue.
Mr.. Purvine crossed the plains to
California with a cavalcade of emf
grants in 1S49. Not finding things
Just to suit him there he returned by
the way Of the Isthmus of Panama in
1850. He crossed the plains a second
time in 1851; was chosen captain and
pilot of the emigrant train when it
left the Missouri river for it's long
and dangerous marcn. Indians stole
some. of their cattle and a baby daugh.
ter was buried in an unmarked grave
beside the trail What an unbending
purpose must have been in the hearts
Of these travellers to have borne them
up on such a wilderness journey! On
reaching California Mr.. PurYine
bought a Spanish ranch Of nine nun
dred acres. The only buildings were
adobe or sun burnt brick. These ar
forded a comfortable stopping place
until a better home could be made.
Any place was inviting that permitted
them to end their weary journey.
This tract of land has remained in
the Puryine family ever since. Mr..
r. b. Purvine now has four hundred
acres of this land devoted to a poul
try and dairy farm. He has six thous-
and hens and an average daily yield
OF three thousand eggs. Two wagons
n required to gather the eggs each
day. He finds the white Leghorns to