Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-08-30
Memories of
Former Days
. Rev. ]. M. McElroy.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 100000

find myself interested in the i'm
provement Of the fine Fox property on
Fourth street. When / first met the
owner forty years ago he was young
Fox, and when I shook hands with him
few, weeks since he seemed to be
still young. John Fox was good
stone mason. He put in the founda-
ton for our Presbyterian churh at the
corner of Fourth and Green streets in
1865 Probably he does not now handle
the trowel and stone ak. He is
more familiar with shears and pen
to clip coupons and endorse drafts.
became acquainted with that Fox lot
In 1856. / boarded at Mr.. Robinson s
In little brick house on the Eaton
lot From that house eastward it was
streets or lots. over those bluffs was
nice place for an evening walk, soli-
tary, Thoughtful, recalling mother and
home in Ohio and THE girl I left be-
hind me" in Pennsylvania.
That lot seemed to me an ideal place
mo, no. The word ideal was not in
vogue then 1t is used one hundred
times now for once that 1t was spoken
or written fifty years ago-say good.
good place for a fine residence! The
view was very fine. South Ottumwa
was not in sight and would not be for
the next rs years, but the place for 1T
was there. 1.-The Point" and "Keokuk
Prairie" were there, covered with
grass and sunshine, with few grain
fields and no houses or trees or bridges
or tall buildings or wired poles to OBJ
struct the view.
That bluff lot was a fine place for
hearing. The porkers of that early
day came to town on foot, but had to
cross the river on ferry boat When
drove reached the river on the
South Side then drivers and their help
ers with sticks and voices would per-
suade the. travellers to enter the boat.
There was music in the air, heard on
the bluffs, forcible If not elegant, and
set off by the high pitched tenor of the
hog voices. What a great thing it is
to be able to hear!
When Carey Inskeep pre-empted the
bluff and built a fine house now be-
Ing. remodelled. felt some inward dis
satisfaction, for l had been cherishing
the notion. deep-seated, but unex-
pressed, Of a McElroy home on that
lot.
In front of the Mitchell residence on
that lot there are two trees that are
old friends of mine. Mr.. Inskeep had
the loose earth from foundation and
cistern dumped at the northeast cor
ner OF the lot. partially filling gulch
that crossed the street at that point.
On the wings of the west wind came
two small forest seeds, one galy dress
ed in cotton. the other in the more
sombre attire of the elm. They alight
ed In that loose earth ten feet apart,
and the next spring two little shoots
sprang up and grew that season to the
height of three or four feet, and as
thick as your little finger. And they
are growing still, the cotton taking the
lead but the elm excelling in beauty.
They came unlimited and have taken
no vacation these "A years. The
yield no eatable fruits, but they please
the eye and their shade is grateful.
An applied tape line shows the elm to
have gtrth of feet 4 inches and the
cotton 10 feet 6 inches.
Let US now move on about one
square due east to the Evans home.
On the right, back at Fourth street. is
the Major Porter place, occupied also
for a time by Josiah Myers. and next
to 1t the Kiester place. Here on our
right is the home of Richard Warden,
and and of Father Adams of the
little beyond that of A. NJ.
Barnes. On our left is the lot where
Surgeon S. B. Thrall lived and died.
Turning down Center avenue the first
lot on our left was the home of Soldier
Sam Rudolph, the second that of Capt.
George P. Norris and the third that of
Capt. S. 3. Evans.
Now let us look around a little.
Across the street southwark is a.
dwelling now occupied by Mr. Seaburg
"a house whose history some people
have forgotten and some never knew.
Forty years ago public sentiment was
such that it would not do for blacks
and whites to attend the same school.
Our school board bought the lot and
built that house for the colored school
children. The teacher was S. ".
Sampson. Many OF our older colored
people attended that school.
Thirty yards further south brings
us to small house on the alley occu-
pied by Mr.. Murphy Sr., and later by
MI. Lutz. 1t disappeared years ago. That
house was the home of Dennis Muir
ply before he became a Methodist and
a distinguished minister
Going down the avenue to the bridge
there was neither bridge nor Fill"
there at the time of which we write
note that furthest house on the left
next to Blake's Branch. 1t was built
tain Eaton of Chicago, and afterward
by the Collins people. now wealthy
bankers in California. The second
house was built and occupied by Capt.
A. A. Stuart. author of Iowa Col
onels." The third house was the col
ored Baptist church.
Returning to the Evans grounds, the
first and best dwelling in that region
was built by Ed. Murphy. teamster
brother Of Rev. DR.. Dennis Murphy,
and later captain in Nebraska regi-
ment. T. c. Woodward occupied the
property as a residence and for school
uses In 1858. He was graduate of
Union college, New York, a fine
scholar and a superior teacher. 1t was
perhaps unfortunate that he had some
money, and an ambition that took him
away from the school room. He en-
gagged in business entered politics and
became state senator and trustee Of
the State university, entered the
army and was major of the Thirty
sixth Iowa infantry. He resided for
some years in Washington City and
was connected with the patent Office
ana In his latest years was known as
Judge Woodward. When that Evans
lot was getting into shape for occu-
pancy there was a we'll to dig Notice
mat young fellow using shovel and mat
lock; not large nor in any way stylish,
nor yet out of his teens. In the COM
Ing "unpleasantness" he will be heard
from, honored and promoted distin-
soldier in Totten's Battery, his