Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-14

perhaps controlled and supported in
large measure by the state; is
the growth of the idea which occurred
to Hiram Heaton of Glendale.
On the property of Dr. w. Fordyce,
about a mile and a half southeast Of
Glendale, there stands, or rather until
Thursday there did stand, an old log
cabin, about whose weather beaten
sides, almost seventy years have rolled
by since first it was erected on Iowa's
virgin prairie.
First White Dwelling House.
In June 1887, one of the first white
dwellings In Jefferson county was
built by a brother and three children
of Rhodham Bonnif1eld, one of the
earliest settlers in the new country
that is now Jefferson county, and in
the following year another cabin was
built by Mr.. Bonnifeld. This second
cabin is the one the threatened dis
truction of which, caused the first
steps to be taken in movement which
may result in an Iowa State Old Set
tiers park.
It is also the oldest house now stand
ing IN the whole state of Iowa, and is
to be preserved by the Old Settlers
Thursday this venerable building
was moved from it's site on the For
dyce farm to Fairfield, where it will
form the central feature of interest at
the coming Old Settlers reunion to be
held there September and 4. The
history Of the movement which CEN
tiers about the preservation of this old
landmark in Iowa's early history reads
Hike romance.
This building, built in 1888, became
the center of the pioneer life of the
early days. Situated as it was on the
old state road between Burlington and
Agency City, it was a rallying point
life of the first settlers. In it, the first
post Office In Jefferson was establish
ed. Here the first governors and the
territorial delegates on their journeys
through the new country found shelter
and entertainment within it's hospital
walls.
Here Fairfield Was Named
In this old building, the city of Fair
field was named by Mrs. Rhodham
Bonnifield, the mother Of w. B. Bonni-
field, Sr., of this city, who suggested
the name to the surveyors, as they
were engaged in stalking out the town.
On down through the years the cab
in has come and yet many of Its old
logs still lay or did until they were
moved Thursday, in the identical posi-
ton they occupied when the builders
first placed them, building a white
mans habitation in a land rife with
pioneer hardships and Astounding in
wild animals and wilder men,
For many years this building has
not been used as a living place by
men, and for the last two years 1t
served as hay barn. This summer
the owner of the place, DR.. Fordyce,
decided to tear down the old struc.
ture as worthless. Hiram Heaton
himself an old settler. heard of this
intention of the owner and it seeming
q sacrilege to him that the Oldest
building now standing in the entire
state of Iowa, which without any doubt
the Bonnifield cabin is, protested.
Given to Association.
DR.. Fordyce then offered to turn the
building over to the Old Settlers as
sociation of Jefferson county, making
the suggestion to Cranmore Gage, the
treasurer. This offer was Immediately
accepted. 1t was at first the inten
ton of the officers of the association
to place the building on corner Of
the court house lot and there preserve
the old landmark. But this method oil
procedure did not seem suitable to Ger
tain citizens of the city, so the city
council passed an ordinance putting
the court house grounds within the
fire limits, thus blocking the project
Then arrangements we're made tc
put the cabin on a vacant lot in the
downtown portion Of Fairfield To dc
this, however, it was necessary, by
an arrangement with the council tt
secure the consent of all the adjoining
property holders. This the officers o.
the association were unable to do.
Then a lot was selected as a per
manent home for the ancient dwelling
and it was intended to plant some ma
tive trees and flowers and make {
small park out Of the plot of ground
This land on which the building was
to have been placed could be secured
at cost of $500. Steps toward rails
ing this amount were taken, and {
committee of the Old Settlers associa
ton came to Ottumwa to see Mr.. Bon
pif1eld to secure from him a deScrip
ton of the cabin as it was originally
built.
To the great qualification of the com
mittee Mr. Bonnifield fell in with the
project and donated to them, on the
condition that the cabin be erected a.
nearly as possible in its original con
dftion and thus maintained by the as
Bociation, the sum of $500.
Project Grows In Leaps.
This was all that was required t.
purchase the land which had been pro
posed, but upon the receipt of the $500
offer the project began to grow in leaps
and bounds.
Instead of the one-half acre lot pro
posed, the members of the association
began to figure on two different site!
in Fairfield where five acre plot!
might be obtained and a historical an(
botanical park instituted.
In outlining the general plans of thu
park an official of the Jefferson Coun
ty Old Settlers organization said re
Gently to representative of the Cou