The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-07-10
THE FOURTH AT DELoIT
Fiftieth Anniversary Of the First
Celebration in the County
Address by Rev. Thures-
son Many Remiciences
of the Early Days.


the Fourth of July in this county.
from historical point of view. was
held at Deloit. 1t was just fifty
years before that the early settlers
gathered at Deloit to hold the first
Fourth of July celebration ever held
in the county. That was in the days
before the civil war, in 1857. when
the county contained not more than
one hundred people. and fifty of these
gathered at Deloit on the historic
day. The first. settlers sought the
shelter of the groves to protect them
in the cold stern winters, also because
these furnished the wood needed for
fuel. and to build the humble houses
which became the homes of the hardy
pioneers. Mason's Grove about De-
lott proved one of the most attractive
places for settlement and it was thus
natural that the first celebration
should be held there. We give here
with an account of it written by one
of the men who took part.
| Pleasant View Farm, Deloit Iowa.
4 January. 8, 1870.
| Thos. Dobson,
/ Deloit. Iowa.
Dear Sir:
l have received your circular ask
| ing Of me for information. In re-
ference to the time / came to this
county the l6 November 1856 and at
Mason's Grove on the 18th of Novem-
Der 1855. think on the 18th of same
month made the selection of my land
the south J and the north of south
east quarter of section 8 township 81
north of range SO west of the P. NJ.
. On April following | entered the
above mentioned land with land
warrant for 120 acres of land and by
paying $40. 80 in excess as that was
the amount that j. w. Denison bid ii
up to. / still own the above prem
! Uses and expect to for years to come
t if am permitted to live. In the
year 1858 on the 29th of August,
l was married to Julia A. Earl in
} the town of Denison, we being the
first couple married in Denison. We
, were married by Eli Baer justice
! of the Peace of Denison township,
also being the first couple he evel
: joined in the bonds OF wedlock. ! d.
not know as can give any incidents
/ vun fhxy 0f ho
count of the first 4lh of July celebra.
e ton ever held in the county. in 1875,
q at Deloit, Iowa.
have in my account book an &C
count Of the subscriptions and dis
n bursements of the financial commit
tee. Al a meeting of few citizens
Eli Baer and myself were appointed
a committee to solicit subscriptions
my first book shows the following
names and amount paid, Joseph Dob
q son s1.0O. William bosom sl.OO. Ell
Baer s1.O0. E. Caldwell 81. 90. r. p
Wayne sl.00. Frank Prentice sl.0O
3 De Forest Darling s1.0O Benjamin
; Dobson 500, Geo. C. King. so. Jas
B. King $1.OO Morris McHenry 81. CO.
Marcus Wright $l.0O and Abre Darl
ing 20. compared with original list
June %. 1907. Omitted from origina
list as follows, Cyrus Dobson. zoe
Jason Wright, $l.0O; Chas. Dob
. son. $l.00; total $3.50. With thi.
money we were to- buy flour. sugar
and other things for dinner. we bough
the following articles as we coult
find them among the settlers, as ther.
was no store nearer than Council
Bluffs. Iowa. The material for FLAG
would here remark that it was no,
silk) cost S1.55, flour S4.65. sugar
S4.00. one gallon of molasses Sl.5O,
butter and eggs S1.00. candies l.u0.
part of sheep Sl.00. total sl4.7O. cash
received $3.50 in debt so cents.
There was another collection made
at the dinner. G. C. King so. and
Vincent Cheadle so cents. total 81. so.