davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25

Joel Post and Mr.. Wilcox and FAM
lilies were the only resident families
on the Winnebago reservation. ex-
cept those in government employ.
Harmon Snyder was the first black
smith in the county. coming from
Prairie du Chen and working about
the garrison.
The first white child born in the
county was Miss Mary Jane Taper,
born at the Fort, Jan. 16, 1S41. In
1850 the settlement of the county
had been so rapid that j. l.. Carson
was appointed organizing officer, and
an election for the temporary organ
ization of the county was held.
There We're only three polling places,
Decorah, Moneek and Lewiston.
In the winter of 1884 the first
Bohemians came to the county. set
thing in the vicinity of Fort Atkin-
son. There we're eight families of
them. and they experienced great
hardship during the severe weather
of the winter.
The first church erected in the
county, except the old Mission Chap
el, was a Catholic church in the
vicinity of Twin Springs The first
commissioned postmaster In the
county was James B. Cutler, located
on the Atkin farm in Frankville
township, and his postoffice was call
ed jamestown. His father. Leonard
Cutler and family, came to the county
May 80, 1850, and were among the
early pioneers. In the fall Of 1851
Beard & Cutler began the erection or
the Rogers Mill in Canoe township,
later known as Springwater. 1t was
the first saw mill north of the Iowa
river
In 1850 Johannes Evenson came to
Iowa from Norway and settled in
Madison township, its first settler.
The next year Miss Catherine Helen
Anderson came with her father, and
after much difficulty in securing a
license from Judge Reed in Bloom
field township, they were married by
Rev. N. Brandt, wandering mis-
sionary, the first ceremony performed
in the county. The first death was
that of government teamster nam
ed Howard, frozen to death Oct. 4,
1910, near Castalia, while driving
from Fort Crawford to Fort Atkin-
son, being buried at the latter place
The first public school was built at
the corners of Decorah, Springfield,
Glenwood and Frankville townships,
in the center of Norwegian settle
ment. In 1852 Mrs. Erick Ander-
son taught the first school.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25
EARLY HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY

I- L seems to us that during this
Home Coming week, when
u old settlers and former resi-
dents are gathered in Decorah
to renew the acquaintance and
friendships of the years gone
Dy, that a short sketch of
the early history of Wjnneshiek
county will be especially fitting.
Such a sketch must of necessity be
brief and perhaps disconnected, and
OF course we must depend upon writ
ten history and the remembrances
OF the early settlers for our informa-
ton. The following has been almost
entirely copied and condensed from
published histories of Winneshiek
county, Sparks and Alexander's.
which furnish probably the most au-
thentic and most interesting histor-
zeal sketches of the county.
The Winnebag0 Indians.
A history of Winneshiek county,
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25
" MOTHER =" DAY.

venture and all seeking fortune. Will
liam and Elizabeth Day laid out and
plated the east part Of the town,
William Painter and wife the west
part, while the Morses founded the
beautiful West Side annex. From
1880 until 1857 the little city
among the hills fiourished and grew
marvelously. From 1857 to 1868,
during the great financial depression,
Improvements ceased. The civil war
brought boom times in prices of pro-
duce, and then commenced the de-
molition of the wooden pioneer
structures and their replacement
with brick and stone buildings. In
1896 the c., M. & st. P. r. r. was
built into the town and from that
time city airs were assumed and bnsi-
ness was on the rush until the fail
ure of the wheat in 1878. A million
dollar wheat market for an inland
city was not bad, and the business
men waxed proud and fat. During
the time the farmers were changing
from raising one staple article for
market to general and diversified
farming, business languished; and
the citizens, though often sad, were
not disheartened. The buildings were
kept painted and the sidewalks and
streets repaired. In 1854, the b.,
C. r. & N. r. r. (now c. r. l. & P.
r. R) was extended to Decorah, and
since then railroad facilities and ac-
commodations have been very salts
factory; since which time business
has grown apace. Mammoth stores
in modern constructed buildings line
our streets, which are filled with
carefully selected goods suited to
richest parents. The founding of the
now magnificent Luther College here
in 1864 became a nucleus around
which have formed a system of fine
institutions of learning, and the i'm
petus thereby given to intellectual ad-
vancement has increased the popu-
lation greatly along desirable lines.
People Of wealth and refinement have
sought and found congenial homes
and surroundings here for the edu-
cation OF their children.
Ours is cosmopolitan people. The
hardy Norseman. flaxen-haired and
blue-eyed, intent upon bettering his
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25

judice of race, bred in the bone and
long resident in the flesh, impel them
to earnestly vie with each other for
material and intellectual advance
ment and improvement, and as a
consequence our city-beautiful-
among the wood embowered hills, at
the junction of two enhancing val
leys, watered by the spring fed Up
per Iowa river; well stocked with all
the game fish of this latitude, sur
rounded by well timbered and abun-
dainty watered country, the soil of
which is without a superior for GER
tainty and abLndancy of crops, where
the disasters of lroLt! never occur,
is one of the most modern, progress
sive and desirable residence cities in
the west. The city. with a popula-
tion of 5000, is lighted by electri-
city, generated at the $4,000 water
power plant of the Upper Iowa Po-
wer Co. ten miles northeast of the
city; has an uncxcelled water works
system, we'll paved streets, and free
mail delivery. The citizens also take
pride in a magnificent new $3.50, 900
court house, handsome rev 1000
hotel and fine $4,000 opera house,
the latter two built and owned by the
people of the city, the former by the
people of the county. Nearly all
Christian churches have fine places
for worship, schools are abundant
and of high grade. and the good
things of this world are plentiful and
cheap.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25

without an account of the original
inhabitants, would be incomplete.
In early days the Winnebago Indian
was sole possessor of this land, and
here for ages he held sway. This
country had been his home for CEN
turies. 1t was the heart of an In
dian paradise. From every point of
the compass, his trail centered here.
1t was the land of his birth, and
here he buried his dead
Up to 1910, the Winnebago In
dians inhabited Wisconsin. In 1929
by treaty they ceded to the govern
ment the entire country east of the
Mississippi, to which they laid claim
Finally the government sent them
on west to their new reservation, the
eastern border of which was twenty
miles west of the Mississippi. Fort
Atkinson was erected for a garrison
in their midst to control them. Soon
after their removal to this neutral
ground, which included Winneshiek
county, Winneshiek became their
ruling chief. The nation was divid-
ed into several bands, each posses
sing chief, and over all one head
chief" whose village extended sew
eral miles along the banks of the
Iowa, about where Decorah now
stands. He was the most respected
of all the chiefs of his nation, and
was recognized by the whites as a
man cf extra aordirary talent and abil-
ity
Wachon-Decorah was another prin-
cipal chief of the Winnebagoes By
the whites he was called "one-eyed
Decorah," having lost an eye. There
were three brothers of the Decorahs,
all men of distinction in their ma
tion. Like Chief Winneshiek, Wa
chon-Decorah was an eloquent and
fervent speaker. His remains were
buried at the intersection of Main
and Winnebago streets, and later
moved to the northeast corner of
the court house square. History
relates many interesting anecdotes
of the early experiences of the In
dian and the White Man, which lack
of space forbids us TO repeat.
The First White Settlers.
In 1885, Rev. ID. Lowery emigrated
from Tennessee, and conducted a
school near the mouth of the Yellow
River. In 1912 he was appointed
Indian Agent for the reservation
which includes this county, and in
June erected Old Mission, under in
structions from tae government
about Ave miles 81 otheas' Of Fort
Atkinson. He was also authorized
to open a farm for the instruction of
the Indians In agricultural pursuits,
and this was placed in charge of his
assistant. Col. Thomas. but the In
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25
THE BIRTH AND THE s'OwTH OF DEBORAH

VIZ Wy belongings and intellectual
CONF ION, and having good time az
he s< along; the careful, plodding
and w 'th producing German; the
Irishm -and where is he not-who
loves pt } SO much that he will
fight for whose friendship is the
warmest a I hatred the most in
tense; the Bohemian, from the land
of wierd romance and oppression !;
the liberty loving Swiss; the Scotch
man. not fond of jokes, but of wealth
and romance; the persistent English
man, who has patience and persev-
erance to conquer all things. And
among all these we have the Yankee,
with his public school, to leaven the
whole lump, and mould them tog-
ether as citizens of the republic. And
while all these different peoples. who
are rapidly becoming one people, are
gladly Americans, yet pride and pre-
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25

ri HALF century and a de-
cade ago. in June, 1S49,
A Virginia family, seeking
a new home in the wilderness,
camped at beautiful spring just
back of where the "Winnesheik"
now stands, and the mother of the
family, who, for her many kindly
deeds to the early settlers, has gone
down in local history as Mother
Day." entranced by the beauties of
the scenery, the purity of the water
and the fertility of the soil, as evil
denced by the luxuriant abundance
of vegetation, exclaimed, if not "Eu-
reka", yet a kindlier expression
Here we Will make our home" And
there their house was blilt, and with
the red savages as witnesses, the city
Of Decorah was founded.
In those early days there came
many people, some looking for ad-
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25

Where is the state of matrimony? ?
1t is the United States. 1t is bound
ed by hugging and kissing on one
side and babies and cradles on the
other Its products are population,
broomsticks and staying out nights,
1t was discovered by Adam and Eve
while trying to find a northwest
passage out of Paradise. The clim-
ate is rather sultry until you pass
the tropics OF housekeeping, when
squally weather sets In with suffi-
cient power to keep all hands cool
as cucumbers. For the principal
roads leading to this interesting
state, consult the first pair of blue
eyes you run against.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25
Decorah Drum Corps Picture.

The Decorah Drum Corps Picture.
There are doubtless many or our
members of the old famous Decorah
Drum Corps In the cut printed on
this page. For their information We
print their names, as follows:
First Row-Mart. Brown, Fred
Reum, AL. Anderson. Fred Thomp-
son. Art Anderson. Ole Lomen: sec
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25

ond row-LOu Gellerman, Fremont
Anderson, Frank Coleman, Chas.
Thompson, Charles S. Marsh; third
row-Frank Smout, c. j. Weiser,
C. A. Neufert, Will Lee.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25

One way to make yourself think
your job is hard is to procrastinate
until the night before the day the
job is to be delivered.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25

The hand that rocks the cradle Is
the same hand that wields the roll
ing pin.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25

a7eFIRST HOME COMING
sNzgksgeza e DecUsH
h. ~ -. - sII.:,s2g:sssza'-saI|I|
IN l|l6 !
Y7.A1 va
q 2Y<~4E[
EEsSs. SE-u|;I1 sEEs' IIzzz5 -Az i = 4
4GH An from he long long ago.
ssSs the rss Ses samsssss :" @sss ss's s Deeor.h
xnswss to e% s ca can i's Of "S welcome si aome
With see he. the s,s asa ns. ~. .s % s
"1s he the s %'sS s the 'iss ss 4 a.ns ss psss.s
heu The Indians must turn toward the western
Entered; nd our city's history was begun.
The great homecoming was in honor,
@.n Of the love .ney bore the old old
BY this se ssR Rs ,asy os sasa to s"s
Fm 'Fssss rassn II n his rs%s ss%' As e n9;s ;nan
How they must all leave the old ground.
HE to sit in suIen retrospect,
He thinks s Of tSe riesy i"an hHes sHaen
Sr n OF as n swsh ae at ..sr h"%e rnun in 1he e sem
Feigns; stars are out,
And the wild wolves chorus gaiety
Coming in all its wierd wild way;
Df @ dance ams ssqw hos by mourning
So the feast is spread for three days
= Chiefs battle-sained and
There Keokuk his Black Hawk.
From e Fo their hs Sac Villages to, to the he soSh~asd s;a
SS%ns from a s n attn home The
Of %n"sshss fs% ss %ro liked ss the mot fSss % name
But took Observation-Disclosures
There formed scalp-dance,
And took bloody later,
numbering the seless needing mot neir
% 1ows's s" eSansses S% ss apSe sappis
All AM felt lit the , hospitality i 20: Of the oy Wnnebago
On day by day the feast led,
Mee san All ean.ns% tns ti%si they they nsan MENU
@ %e S sss 'pS pn sse de could sa nS. ans fish,
Sent, Sen: up their savory yapors of game,
Until anticipation grew to ready relish.
The homecoming at its fnalc close.
At ishe Sans ms psepa1s% of s"%%rs eiose
For civilization demanded their
Their thoughts turned o old favorte Sites
So they paid this last farewell with native
Even the darken,
The breezes the
Cried Farewell o, Redmen!"
To favored secluded
Before which all "a adieu
Was hillside, with k-paisaded
Carved I'm beautiful relief, O'erOoking the blue.
Enclosed within its a
Frescoed and painted by the Nature artist
Eeathery cerOnds cooling
Made by the dripping water,-beautfu
Here spirit dwelt a legend told,
embodied
In spirits fold,
Ever and the relmen backward
To commune, perhaps with the brave
Who lie buried, their fathers day,
Beneath the sheltered the
So the red people the setting
Upon their ponies
And pioneer history Iowa begun,
When the
And this is the Legend of Decorah,
As spirit lowering
Told rippng
Or the trophies of Indian mound.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-08-25

-Conigisky optician. Winn. Blk.
New-York tribune., 1909-11-09
HOT SUFFRAGE TALK
BOTH SIDES ARGUE.
Wander Far Afeld and Are
Not 4ilzrays an Order.

To rid itself OF its doubts on the trouble
some question whether women ought 20
vote. the Metropolitan Temple threw open
its doors last night % all strong minded
thought on the subject. The body OF
opinion which accepted the invitation was
unqusstionably strong minded and strongly
divided itself IN behalf os both parties II
was strongly rooted. moreover. IN certain
very direct methods OF argument and re-
buttal which were famous even before the
polar discussion made them immortal.
They say w0man's suffrage Is a failure
IA COloredo." cried one OF the suffragists.
WAY. very prominent man came here
10 New York and said that We learned.
though. that re Gidnt have a very good
reputation where he came from"
NOW. as 10 Colorado. we have n signed
letter from General PalmoT-and no better
man ever lived than General Palner-and
he says that woman suffrage IS a fallur-
IN Colorado answered an anti"
Another rlatrOnly "ant" turned sgUarely
toward a group Os trim-sklrted women
who had applauded very hard the demands
for the ballot % batter the conditions 0f
working wcmeu. and exclaimed:
Have you women taught your children?
What have you done FOR the younger gen
Grafton? The suffragists say that men
have driven them out OF the homes. Per-
haps some Gay they viii drive them cut %
industry. Then what VIII they dOs They
Will go back 20 the homes Where they
belong
Then there was the man with the big
voice. who wanted 70 know II any Of the
men there present had backbone. and
whether any citizen witEi1 sound of his
voice had dared 10 stand up and vote the
Prohibition ticket last Tuesday. here q
loud bang from the gavel brought him up.
and whils he stopped To argue the point
the chairman informed him that lis time
was Up
The audience hlIed the church 20 its COM
Portable capacity. and applauded both sides
warmly. Il vas plain. however. that there
vas a strong preponderance OF sympathy IN
favor OF the suffragists. The nearest they
had TO a chilly reception was accorded TO
the woman who had reached the concIusior
that it might be a sin 70 vote, but that IL
certainly was q temptation. Men. she said
often cast their votes as they ars paid 70
cast them.
another speaker, . man. VINO was as IN
parliamentary as the "antis" themselves.
led them oy easy stages 70 the proposition
that -the biggest curse 20 this country is
that swindling game which goes by The
name Of Wall Street"
Among the speakers were Miss Harriet
May Mills. vice president OF the New York
State Women Suffrage Association. Miss
Juliet Points. formerly president of the Col
lege Equal Suffrage Club Of Barnard Col
lege and for the "antis" Mrs Gilbert Z;
Jcnes. OF the National League for the Civic
Education of Women. and Livingston Rowc
SCHUYLER
New-York tribune., 1909-11-09
OPERA HOUSE
Fine Nezc Building Opened
rcith La G;OcondG."

Boston. New. Sta Gaoconda. present
ed by a chorus. halIst and orchestra largely
composed of Bosi nisns. tonight opened
Boston's new home for grand opera-the
Boston Opera Hous E. at Huntington avenue
and opera Place.
Representatives II Boston's prominent
families occupied the hfty-six boxes and
Ioges and overlooked INTO the parquet-
Every seat I'm IN. house was sold many
weeks ago FOR eve ~ performance OF the
fifteen weeks w'aish will constitute the sea-
son.
Among those wao participated in the
opening were Cover hes, Eben 5. Draper and
many state and city fiicials.
The building is one OF the most complete
in the world 1t was erected by Eben u.
Jordan at an outlay Of Sl.20oso. The ex-
terror is plain and rather severe, except for
a Greclan FACADE. sat n futed columns and
an artistic peIime NJ.
The color sche me OF the interior is a
harmonious comb mat: on Of gray and gold.
with q backgroun Of dark red There are
five tiers OF boxes and loges. and seats for
nearly three thorssand persons. The stage
affords facilit!eg. for productions on an
enormous scale. Connected with the
opera house Is ballet school and a school
for the training bf chorus singers
The house ope' sed under the management
Of Henry Russo 4. with Arualdo Cont as
musical director.
The principal parts Of the opera we're
taken by Irliar NOrdica. as Ia Gicconda.
Florenci1 Cons antino. as EnzO: Louise
Homer. as I.aIr q. Anna Meitschick. as la
Ciacs. and CiitEs to Nivstte. as AiWise.
The Boston Opera Company win have
Eve weeks tusi- IN January and February
between tno -rps divisions OF the local
season
New-York tribune., 1909-11-09
SOCIETY ATTENDS.
prominent Persons Seen at
The Nee Theatre

society was present in force at the FIRST
pubic Performance AZ The New Theatre
.aet night and the audience was quite as
o'iiilani as at any gala night az the Met
iopoliisn Opera.
among those present were SIR. and Mrs.
oiiNer Hartman. who lad with them Mrs
James Henry Smith Ind Mrs. Hermann
Oeif.chs. The latter IN black. with black
Iealhers in her hair. Mrs. James Henry
smith. who Is stin in mourning. was also
sarbed in black chiffon and lace, with silk
enb. oidery.
Mrs. Robert Coelet. in white crepe de
chine and lace. with 2 gold 0let IN her
hair. was with Mrs. ". starr Miller. in
peacock blue and black lace. and Miss
Edith Starr Miller. in a frOck Of blue satin
a-d sapphire velvet.
Blue satin vsiled with black lace formed
the principal feature OF the toilet OF Mrs.
John Turner Atterbury. who had with her
her debuante daughter. Mss Beatrice
Flagg. in q frock OF nectarine satin.
Mrs. Moses Taylor Campbell sat with
Mrs.. Stuyvesant Fish and Miss Lota Rob
inson, Mrs. Campbell IN black embroidered
chiffon over silver gray satin. with black
aisrettes IA ler hair. Miss Rob.nson's
dress was Cf cloth II gold. while Mrs.
Fish's dress was OF white satin. adorned
WIN -tAAFl hldth lut't-
'Mrs. Peter u. Martin was with Mrs.
Richard Stevens and Mrs. John r. Drexel,
the latter arrayed in black jetted lace
which IVES also the material OF Mrs. Stew
ens's frock. Mrs. Martins gown was Of
sage green velvet ana gold lace. Mrs. De
Laneey Nicou was in silver gray chiffon
and cloth of silver, ana Mrs T. Suffern
Taller, who was escorted by he- husband.
wore dress of pink chiffon am pink
satin. Miss Catherine Cameron appeared
in white crepe Dc chine and Mrs. AIbert
Gould Jennings ia black satin. brocaded
with flowers.
Among Others present were 8Ir. and Mrs
Edmund T. Baylies. Mrs. George J. Me
Murtry. Mrs. Albert r Shaituck. Mrs.
Henry a alexander, with Miss Eleanor
Alexander and Miss Elizabeth Bertron
Mrs. Seth Barton French, Mr.. and Mrs.
William X Vanderbilt. J. Pierpont Nor
ssh. Mr.. and Mrs. George Jay Gould and
Miss Marjorie Gould. Mr. and Mrs. Clar-
ence II. Mackay. M and Mrs. Ernest Ise-
liz, Mr.. and Mrs Y. De Lancey Kountze.
AIr. and Mrs. Henry Rogers Winthrop. Mr.
and Mrs. Arthur Curtiss James. Mr.. and
Mrs. l. 1. Bloonnin gdale. Mr.. and Mrs. A.
". Pepper. NJ. ana Mrs. II. {. Blooming
dale. Mr.. and Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney.
ana Mr.. and Mrs. Payne Whitney. Mr..
end Mrs. William 2. osgood Field. Henry
Clews. August Belmont. Frank l. Plum
mer. Paul =. Cravath. Lewis Preston and
Fred Townsend Martin.
New-York tribune., 1909-11-09
GREET H.iMH.ERSTEIN
Brilliant -4ud rRce Encourages
Wanh0tt un Manager.

If the audience V-s0. noa a. large as the
ones that greeted Mt. Ha mmersteins per-
formanees Of Salome last year, II was none
the less Of size that She aid prove OF en-
couragement to Thirty fourth streets In
trepid pioneer. Ev cry seaS was taken and
III the rear aislea The crowd stood two
deep.
In appearance Sas audience was
brilliant one; it is sa Z 20 say. one OF the
most brilliant that las ever graced the
Manhattan Opera Hc usa Though nearly
every one arrived in a carriage or auto
mobile. there was ltt1e confusion in the
street. and when at SS1;i the applause OF the
musicians greeted tse appearance Of "
de la Fuente In the = ouductor's stand the
auditorium was pract Es uy filed.
Nile. Cavalier. Nile. . srville-Rsache. NJ.
Renaud and NJ. DaLmoGss were all applaud
ed upon their entrance an received numer-
Gus curtain calls az ths end OF each act.
~ the conclusion OF the third act Mr..
Hammerstein himsa was brought smiling
before the curtain liz was evidently
pleased with the rece ptior OF the opera. and
thanked the audience. IL a few graceful
words. saying that has Ia tried to do his
best and should contiI tus 20 do SO.
Most Of the costun les were exceedingly
effective. though N DalTnOres. in q wig
and beard that woul,l have done credit to
the most exquisite df Judean dandies and a
&C stune that shovel small signs OF desert
pilgrimage, scarcely evoked the image Of
Cn- who had fed on locusts and wild honey.
VI. Renaud's ralmeu was truly I.a gnificent
in its richness and lIarbIric splandor. ana
he wore il befittingey. Mile. Cavaleri made
& pretty picture With her bare arms and
red wig. and ten years at least seemed
suddenly 70 haus dropped from her
shoulders.
The stage setti1 gs were excellent. and
one. the interior 81 tae temple, really mag
nificent. NIr, Co mis- stage management
was excellent.