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

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.. Kalbacl was born at Womels-
dorff, Berks county, Pennsylvania,
Nev. 13. 1922, eighty-fve miles west
Of the city of Philadelphia. His an
cestors Of both father and mother
came to America before the Revolu-
dsnary war and all who were then
living participated actively in that
heroic struggle. He was the fifth
oAiid born into the family, there being
q family of nine children, five broth
ers and four sisters. Wnen Mr.. Kali
bach was eleven years of age his faith
ca died and left the care of the young
faMiIy to the mother. With great
siagleness 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 respectabiiity, living
to see the good old age Of eighty-four
years. A widowed mother with SUI
preme devotion to the welfare Of her
fanaily 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..
Kaabach contributed by his labor to
the support of the family until he was
twanty-one years of age, having in
the meantime served an apprentice
ship of three years in learning the
cabinet makers trade.
on Nov. 8, 1S43, Mr.. Kalbach was
united in marriage to Miss Christine
Ksch, who was his faithful companion
for fifty-three years.
ON April 1, 1S49, Mr.. and Mrs. Kali
bach babe adieu to the home of their
childhood to join the great caravan
that was moving westward that year.
Tie discovery of gold in California
the previous year had aroused the en-
tire nation and sweeping tide Of
emigration set in for the Pacific coast
and the west.
Mr.. K.albach and his company had
only in mind locating somewhere in
the western states to engage in its
growing enterprises. They left their
home at Port Carbon, Schuylkill Co.,
Pennsylvania, and came to Reading
by rail, thence by stage fourteen
miles to Womelsdorff, the place Of his
birth; then to Harrisburg, Youngstown
and on to Pittsburg by canal. The
reader will notice that this route leads
over the Allegheny mountains. Mr..
Kalbach states the strange fact that
he crossed this rugged range of noun
tains on a canal boat.
The boat carrying the emigrants
and their effects was built in five sec
items, and when they came to the foot
OF the mountains at Hollidaysburg,
each of the five sections of the boat
weCe placed on car trucks and cou-
pled together, making a train of cars.
Stationary engines along the noun
tain railway furnished the power, and
BY following slopes and inclines to
the summit of the mountains, then
alaMg the level ridge for eight or ten
mAes, the descent on the western
slope was cautiously made to Johns
town, where the improvised train was
transformed from mountain climb
or into a modest canal boat, cheerful
" submitting to the tow-path gait.
At Pittsburg the party re-shipped
their goods and were towed down the
Ohio river to Beaver, Pa, then across
the state of Ohio to where the city of
Cleveland is now located 1t was
then mere lake port with few
stores and a modest population. From
Cleveland the company boarded a
steamer and made the circuit of the
lakes by way Of Mackinac Strait, to
Chicago.
Mr. Kafbach has a distant memory
of many interesting experiences and
occurrences in that earlier day. He
was offered house and two lots in
what is now almost the heart of the
city of Chicago for eight hundred
dollars on ten years time at 10 per
cent interest. Ducks were hunted in
the marshes near where the splendid
Rock Island depot now stands.
At the crossing Of Lake and Clark
streets fence rail was stuck deep
into the mud with board tackled
across the top with this ominous
warming No Bottom Here" In that
year the longest stretch of railroad
track leaving the city was eighteen
miles. After a weeks sojourn in chi
oago the party of thirteen persons
secured a four-horse team to make a
tour Of several hundred miles down
through Illinois as far as Carlisle, In
diana. Camping as they went and
Hwng on provisions that could be
p1fchased along the way, and what
ever wild game they were able to
secare, they passed through Kanka-
kee and on southwark AT Danville,
M., they ran practically out Of pro-
visions and sought to replenish their
supply. The generous village store
keeper sold them all he had.--one and