The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-09-08
IOWA
PIONEERS
NJ HODGE.
Isaac KaIbach.

Among the names winch are most
familiar in Mahaska county and this
part Of Iowa is the name and family
Of Mr.. Isaac Kalbach. 1t is a name
that is always kindly and respectfully
spoken Of bee use Of what it has al,
ways stood for.
Mr.. Kalbach was born at Womels-
derff, Berks county, Pennsylvania,
Nsv. 10, 1922, eighty-fiye miles west
Of the city Of Philadelphia. His an
cestors Of both father and mother
came to America before the Revolu'
denary war and all who were then
living participated actively in that
heroic struggle He was the fifth
oRild born into the family, there being
q family of nine children, five broth,
ers and four sisters. Wnen Mr.. Kal.
bach was eleven years of age his faith.
e1 died and left the care of the young
faMily to the mother. With great
singleness Of purpose she quietly as.
sumed the double responsibility that
came to her by the death OF her hus'
band, and raised all her children to
usefulness and responsibility, living
to see the good old age Of eighty-four
years. A widowed mother with SUI
preme devotion to the welfare OF heI
family will carve deep channels in the
life of her children Some of the
best men this nation has ever honored
were sons of widowed mothers. Mr.
Kaibach contributed by his labor tc
tAe support of the family until he was
twenty-one years of age, having IN
the meantime served an apprentice
shiR of three years in learning the
cabinet makers trade.
On Nov. 8, 1913, Mr.. Kalbach was
united in marriage to Miss Christine
Koeh, who was his faithful companion
fer fifty-three years.
On April 1, 1S49, Mr.. and Mrs Kali
bach babe adieu to the home of theil
childhood to join the great caravan
that was moving westward that year
The discovery Of gold in California
the previous year had aroused the en-
tire nation and a sweeping tide o.
emigration set in for the Pacific coas
and the west.
Mr.. Kelbach and his company hat
Only in mind locating somewhere il
the western states to engage in it!
growing enterprises. They left theil
heme at Port Carbon, Schuylkill Co.
Pennsylvania, and came to Readins
by rail, thence by stage fourteen
miles to Womelsdorff, the place Of hi
birth; then to Harrisburg, Johnstowl
and on to Pittsburg by canal. Thu
reader viii notice that this route lead
over the Allegheny mountains. MI
Kalbach states the strange fact tina
he crossed this rugged range of noun
taiRs on canal boat
The boat carrying the emigrant
aSa their effects was built in five sec
tiers, and when they came to the foo
OF the mountains at Hollidaysburg
each of the five sections of the boa
wsCe placed on car trucks and cou
pied together, making train of cars
Stationary engines along the noun
tain railway furnished the power, ant
b8' following slopes and inclines t
the summit of the mountains, thel
alens the level ridge for eight or tel
MMes, the descent on the western
slepe was cautiously made to Johns
tswn, where the improvised train wa
transformed from a mountain climb
IL into modest canal boat, cheerful
" submitting to the tow-path gait
At Pittsburg the party re-shippe
their goods and were towed down tn,
Ohio river to Beaver, Pa, then acros
tke state of Ohio TO where the city o
Cleveland is now located. 1t wa
then mere lake port with a fey
stores and modest population Fror
Cleveland the company boarded
steamer and made the circuit of tn
lakes by way of Mackinac Strait, t
Chicago.
Mr.. Kaibacl has distant memor
Of many interesting experiences an
occurrences in that earlier. day. H
was offered house and two lots i
what is now almost the heart of tn
: city Of Chicago for eight hundre
dollars on ten years time at 10 pc
cent interest. Ducks were hunted i
the marshes near where the splendi
Rock Island depot now stands
At the crossing of Lake and Clar
streets fence rail was stuck dee
into the mud with a board tackle
aeress the top with this ominou
warning: mo Bottom Here" In tina
year the longest stretch of railroa
track leaving the city was eightee
miles. After weeks sojourn in On
cago the party of thirteen person
secured a four-horse team to make
tour of several hundred miles dow
through Illinois as far as Carlisle, Il
diana. Camping a they went an
living on provisional that could b
psaachased along the ", and VIVA
ever wild game they were able /
secure, they passed through HANKS
kee and on southwark At Danyill
Iil,, they ran practically out of pr,
visions and sought to replenish the
supply. The generous village stor