The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-12-10
Hamilton Township
Before the War. !: ::
Paper read by Historian Duncan Campbell
before the Decatur Co. Historical Society.
He sent to Wash,

NeSt vi IledSanbOn. lie sent to Wash
ington for the seed.
A portion of the clothing of the men
was made from buckskin, and being
nicely dressed looked quite we'll.
Wooden clothes were made by the women
folks who carded the wool. spun it, wove
1T, and made it into clothing of such
enduring quality that new dress did
not have to be made every other day
The first land to be occupied was in
the timber or adjacent to it. This was
because of the facility it afforded for
getting material for dwellings,, barns,
fences and fuel. The first houses were
log cabins with puncheon floors and
clapboard roofs. The puncheons were
logs split and dressed or hewed on one
side to flat surface and laid close to-
gether on log sleepers. The shingles
were made from blocks of oak about
three or four feet in length, quartered,
and then split into clapboards by froe.
These We're laid on the roof-logs and
weighted and held in place by other
logs. The doors We're often hung on
wooden hinges and fastened with
wooden latches. The windows con-
sisted of openings between the logs.
over which pieces of oiled paper or
muslin were stretched. The stick and
clay chimney with it's open fireplace
and wide hearth was distinctive
feature of these primitive homes, and
no happier memories cling around the
recollection of any hearthstones in the
world than do in the thoughts connected
with those in these lowly cabins. The
minds of many of those now in middle
age bark back to the times, when if as
by chance, the young people of the
neighborhood gathered in one of these
l6XlS dwellings of an evening, and the
stove and the table, the beds and the
cupboard were hustled outdoors to
make room for the dance when Jim and
Nancy, Bill and Kate, Tom and Emma,
Charlie and Mary We'd with each other
in holding out the longest.
From short biography of John e.
Logan, who settled in Morgan township
in 1874, we take the following: "The
Indians had not then been removed, and
the county was then in a primitive
state. His postof1ice was at Trenton.
Missouri, forty miles away, and the
postage on each letter was twenty-five
cents, which was invariably demanded
when the letter was taken from the
Office. Money was scarce, and but little
silver with which to make change, and
.beeswax was used as a substitute,
which was in good demand at twenty
five cents pound. A small grist mill
had been erected four miles below
Princeton, Mo-, distance Of about
twenty-five miles. This was of very
small dimensions, but much better than
none, and was a blessing for which the
pioneers were thankful. His dwelling
was cabin of hewed logs. 1920 feet in
size. He had been here the previous
autumn and had made his location and
engaged man to build the above men
toned, he returning to Missouri and
bringing his family the following spring.
This cabin formed part of his present
residence, it having been clapboarded
on the outside and sealed within. This
is the Oldest residence in the township.
Here MIR. Logan and wife have lived for
a period of forty-two years. A eener-
alton has passed away since they set
tied here. 1t was beautiful. timbered
country with no underbrush, and deer
and other wild game we're abundant"
But there were other wild animals in
the woods besides deer; coyotes or
prairie wolves roamed about in great
Numbers and made night vocal with the
chorus of their prolonged bowls. Many
a calf. pig, lamb and chicken fell a
victim to their bold raids upon the pens
and corrals of the settlers.
When Decatur county was organized
April 1, 1850, William Hamilton, Asa
Burrell and Josiah Morgan were named
commissioners, and their first meeting
as such was held May 6. Henry B.
Noston was chosen clerk, and Andrew
Still was allowed thirty dollars for his
services as organizing sheriff. The
county seat was not yet located and it
was ordered that until that was done
the district court, the probate court
and the commissioners court should be
held at the home of Daniel Moad, about
six miles southeast of where Leon now
stands. In July following, the commits
sioners held a meeting in which they
organized Garden Grove, Morgan, Ham
ilton and Burrell townships, naming the
last three, in which they severally
lived, after themselves. In the organic
alton of Hamilton township, William
Hamilton, William Eaton and Jefferson
Dimick were chosen judges, and Wyllis
Dickinson and Gideon P. Walker clerks.
In those days the township business
was transacted in the most simple and
informal manner. At the first election
held in Woodland township the bal
lot box was a tin pail with cover, and
the tickets were written by one of the
clerks.
With the fifties many new settlers
came in. From 1852 to 1857 more new
people came in than in any other equal
period since the first settlement. David
Purdun, William Shook, A. W. Moffett,
Daniel Bartholow, George Morey, G.. NJ.
Hinkle, John Keown. William Loving,
Austin Cowles, Robert Booth, James
Dunlavey, John Henderson, James Gam
mill, DIR. David Macy, DR.. Glendenning,
DR.. Mullinnix, Fleming, James. Am prose
and Meredith Dale, Wilson Stone, Eben-
ezer Robinson, Amasa Bonney, W. S..
Warnock, William Alden, Royal Rich
ardson, John Clark, Isaac Waldrup,
Richard Holden, Andrew Scott, L. j..
Graves, John Mark, Henry Laney, Fields,
James Alfrey, - Hartman, John Mills,
with their families. No doubt there
were number of others whose names
have been overlooked.
Tn, tho Iox,, 1,ofona 4 .