The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-03-16

ing entry made by the clerk:
Ordered, BY the Board, that Oska
loosa shall be the name OF the seal
Of Justice Of Mahaska county"
We r not told just why the name
of this beautiful princess should have
been in the minds Of SO many at that
time. When Mr.. Williams anglicized
the word he left out the letter SUI
and gave VI the full, rounded, eu
phonious name which is an inspira
ton to anyone who has ever been q
citizen of Mahaska county. May its
streets and homes and the lives Of
its people grow in beauty until the
stranger who fingers but a short time
within our borders will always think
of this city as Oskaloosa, the Beau
tiful."
We are told that VIM. D. Garfield
had built a cabin on mis- claim near
where Seibel's mill now stands, in
the spring Of 1844,there being at that
time a flowing spring in the draw
which slopes to the southwest
While Mr.. Canfield's home was not
in the original plat of the city, it was
the first cabin erected within the
present city limits of Oskaloosa. The
quarter section chosen by the locat.
ing commissioners as above describ.
ed had been staked of by torchlight
on the morning of May 1, 1913, by
John Montgomery. John White had
claimed the quarter section just
north of town, and Felix Gessford had
a half section Just east. This claim
was sold to A. G. Phillips and includ-
ed most Of what is now east oska-
loosa. Mr.. James Sewers had a
claim Just southeast Of the Narrows.
Mrs. T. G. Phillips tells us in her
well-written "reminiscences of Mahas-
ka county that when Mr.. Sewers
learned that the commissioners had
chosen the Narrows as the location
he threw up his nat and exclaimed:
Proud Mahaska," thus giving rise to
that expression. ~ i.
The town of Oskaloosa was laid out
by David Stump, the county surveyor,
and Thomas Fansher, father of A. J..
Fansher, carried the chain for him.
A day in June was selected for a
sale of lots. There was strong
opposition from the settlers out at
Six Mile and the lot sale was a fail
ure. After sacrificing several lots
the commissioners stopped the sale
and delegate to M. T. Williams the
authority to dispose of them at pri-
vate sale. When a sale was made
Mr.. Williams gave simply a certif-
cate Of sale with the guarantee of a
deed when the board should obtain a
title to the grounds from the United
States. The records show that the
lots sold for from FIVE to fifty dollars.
The commissioners records give a
very complete report in Mr.. Williams
own hand Of this sale for the year
1S45. The highest price paid for any
one lot was fifty+six dollars.
Lot S, block 10, where the Downing
House now stands, was sold June 9,
1874, to Harmon Davis for forty-one
dollars. The election of this year
entered largely into the county seat
question, the Six Mile settlers work
ing vigorously to have the location
moved. Candidates were nominated
according to their views On the
question Of location. The result of
the election was so large a majority
in favor of Oskaloosa that the ques-
tion Of location was forever settled.
Gradually the town grew. Cabins
multiplied rapidly. Streets and roads
were laid out. Saw mills were soon
in the neighborhood and ran night
and day to supply the demand for ma,
tive lumber. Frame buildings began
to appear among the rough log cab
ms. Charles Purvine built and open
ed the first tavern on the Downing
House lot in the late fall Of 1874.
d. Garfield had entertained guests
some months before but his house
Wdo VI ohOlN uuldlAOh' 1hS Sdh
field" house was located where the
Bashaw livery stable now stands.
1t is said of this house that its pro-
prietor was at times under the ne
cessity Of going out among the set
tiers and borrowing a supply Of
stores for his pantry until his goods
should arrive from the river. Dor
rowing was a necessity Of the times
and no one hesitated to loan, even
to the last quart Of meal. At the
time the town was located there
was not a single tree on the quarter
section named. Tall prairie grass
covered the surface everywhere. 1t
was provided on the plat of the or
iginal survey that a public square
be in the center of the quar-
ter section on which the county
seat was located. The square was
surrounded by a fence. Later diff
ferent individuals planted trees in
the square and as a matter of local
pride took care of them until their
was ausnrad