The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-07-22
WAS HERE FOR rs YEARS
She Came to Iowa in 1899, Crossing
the River in Flat Boat and
Has just Cut Third
Teeth.

seventy-six years ago she took up her
legal residence in Iowa.
II Is rare treat to meet one 90
closely identified with the upbuilding
Of this state, as is Mrs. Ann Druzilla
Dickens, widow Of one az the men
who stood guard over Chief Black
hawk on the first night OF his capture
and sister of the other two. for the
three men in question were Edward
Dickens, Thomas and Martin Van
Sickle.
This interesting old lady of 81
years and past Is the Oldest settler
IN the state, she having come from
indiana with her parents, Andrew
and Sarah Van Sickle In the spring
OF 1888, crossing the Mississippi river
at Gordon's Ferry in fiatboat. and to
use Mrs. Dickens own words. with
q yoke of oxen in the center Of the
boat, and SO MANY men, women and
children POSSIBLY ten in ALI as could
stand up around the oxen. Oh my,
but wasn't that exciting, and weren't
we glad when we got across!''
Two buildings there were In Dun
leith In those days, one the house in
which Julien Dubuque had lived, the
other log hotel kept by the Widow
Willorghby. Mrs. Dickens, then a
girl Of eleven years, stopped the first
night after crossing the river &. this
hotel, and the next day a leg shack
was erected for the family to live in,
and along with other land-seekers to
wait for the first OF June, when the
fifty mile strip of eastern iowa known
as the B'ackhawk purchase, should be
thrown open to settlers.
AS soon as the shack was thrown
together In the crudest possible way
It was decided that Mrs. Van Sickle
and the children should remain at
the Dunleith- mines, while the hus-
band and father, who by the way
had been soldier of the war Of 1872
and had honorably served at the
battle of Princeton, should seek for
land farther north. Away he went,
returning on June with glowing
tales of the newly found land, and
the next day the family moved and
started to erect log house on the
| Maquoketa river. There they lived
until the year 1886, when whisperings
of land of greater promise 'ured the
\ family to the banks of Turkey river,
where a second cabin near the pres
ent site Of Millville, in Clayton coun-
/ ty was erected.
Early in the following year Ann Van
Sickle stood at the marriage altar
alongside of Edward Dickens, young
man rom Tennessee, who had come
here in the same year as the Van
Sickles' arrival, and who had staked
claim in the same neighborhood.
This fair bride (for indeed she must
have been fair, judging from the pink
cheeks and steel blue eyes OF the old
tlady Of S7) was the first white woman
married in Iowa north of the Turkey
river.
Again quoting her own words:
We'll, as am the last left on earth
of that band of pioneers, nigh. safe
4 ly say that was pretty brave those
i days. Yoy see, after our marriage
Edward cleared up some land about
eight miles from our cabin, and he
usually went over there on Sunday
and stayed until the next Satarda,
night. leaving me alone in the cabin
and as the nearest neighbor was sever
miles the other way, | was the onl,
white person within radius Of flfteer
miles. Oh yes, there were Indians
but what most feared was the pan
theirs. Why, Edward came home on
Saturday evening and shot one II
particular right near our cabin tina
measured six feet from tip to tip; an,
then how the wolves did howl thos
nights Even now, in the shelter o
this comfortable home, I often dream
of the lonely summer, with the hoo
of the owl and the cry of the vol
and panther the only sounds coul
hear, and not one soul, unless a
Indian should chance to come begin
Ito exchange word with from on
weeks end to another. Wasn't gla
when, year later, my first bah
came for company for me? Speakin
OF babies, have raised twelve t
honorable manhood and womanhoo'
and maybe it didn't take scrimping
raise them all!
ooh well, there was always game {
hand-deer, bear, raccoon, wild tn
keys, etc. have seen dozens Of vii
turkeys on their feeding grounds Q
the banks of Turkey river at one
And then there were the finest of fis
in the streams, wild game in abun
ance, and oh such delicious wild no
ey. Here must tell of my honey ia
1t was a large trough cut out of hic