Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-27

Native of New England.
MISS Permelia Crouch was born in
NeWhaven, Oswego county, New York,
| January 10, 1927. She is the daugh-
ter OF Mr. and Mrs. B. N. Crouch In
1914 the journey from the east to the
then frontier state Of Wisconsin was
made. Even at that early date-thc
lakes were the common mode Of trav-
eilng. Clumsy boats conveyed the
party up Lake Ontario, across to Well
lngton, then through the canal to Lake
Erie and across Lake Huron to the
straits OF Mackinaw Milwaukee their.
nrst destination was reached after a
| stormy passage over Lake Michigan.
from Milwaukee to GAINESVILLE the only
existing mode of transportation in
lhose days, was by freight wagons,
drawn by oxen. The trip Of sixty-two
miles from Milwaukee to GAINESVILLE
was made in a grain wagon, innocent
OF springs and comforts.
The party left Newhaven, N. Y Sen
TENDER 16 and it was October 20 when
the weary travellers finally reached the
scene of their new life. Mr.. Crouch
settled on a revolutionary claim Of
160 acres the property having descend
| ed to his wife, seven miles from the
nearest neighbor and commenced the
heroic task of heWing home out Of
the wilderness.
Neshbors Were Few.
Neighbors were very few and far
between. Even GAINESVILLE, the near.
est town, only consisted of four build
ings, dry goods store, two small
hotels and clothing store
Indians at that period were numer-
Gus. They came in from the west in
tribes Of fifty Or 100, travelling from
Mineral Point to Milwaukee-then a
great trading center The country
| was wild and primeval The prairies
We're broken here and there by vast
timber stretches. Game was numer-
Gus. Oxen were the beasts Of bur
den.
| -Four years after settling in Wiscon-
sin, Miss Crouch was united in mar
riage to Rausel G. Willard, a young
farmer residing about two miles from
her home place. He had moved into
the new country shortly after the
Crouch family.
| From the day of her marriage 10
the present, Mrs. Willard has made
her home at or near the old home
place. For years she resided in the
old log house Thirty-six years ago,
the typical log structure was RACED
and replaced with a modern frame
building. Mrs. Ml.lard at present
makes her home near Hanover, a
small town built up long after their
settling In the state. She makes her
home with James 0. Willard
Times Were Hard,
Mrs. Millard has lived to see a great
change transform in her home state.
From city Of four stores, GAINESVILLE
has grown to a population of $4,000.
From oX-wagons and tortuous bride
paths, modes Of travel have been
transferred to roaring engines and
endless trains of cars.
The hardships endured by the early
race of settlers are hard to imagine at
this day and age of the world. There
was but slow and erratic market for
what small crops they raised and ut
extraordinarily high. Oats sold for ten
cents bushel; wheat only brought in
twenty five cents bushel; men work
ed in the fields for fifty cents day,
while on the other hand, cheap calico
could only be secured by the payment
of twenty-five cents yard. Other
materials sold in proportion.
The receiving and rending Of mail
was momentous incident in the lives
of the people then. A letter could be
sent through Uncle Sans routes then
for ten cents. In it's passage it trav-
elled on snow shoes, horse back, in
stages, trains, canoes and boats.
The hardy pioneers, few of whom
now remain to view the results of the
great evolution in which they were a
potent factor, are the ones who, with
out demonstration are enjoying the
quiet satisfaction Of viewing task
well done. Calmly, peacefully and
softly they are treading down the last
shado-vy aisle which leads into vast
congregation where they too, will
mingle with the parted forerunners Of
today.