Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-03-04

JOHN y. JENHlNS
John Shacket Jenkins was born near
Elizabeth, Mead County, Kentucky,
Oct. IA, 1899. His wife was Malinda
Miller He was stone mason by
trade and also a farmer. They lived
in Mead county until 1874 and then
moved to Dablonega, Wapello County,
Iowa.
This locality did not please them
and i'm the spring of 1851 they started
west again without amy particular
place i'm view, to discover suitable
place for a home They brought With
them, three yoke of oxen, COW and a
horse for live stock. At the Quaker
divide near Winterset, they fell in
with Nathaniel TIamlin and his party
who were on their journey to settle in
Audubon County. They were also
Kentucky people and he decided to
accompany Mr.. llamlin.
AS stated elsewhere they arrived at
Mr.. Hamlin's claim on May 6. Mr..
Jenkins entire family, consisting of
his wife, four sons and two daughters
accompanied him. When they arrived
Troublesome was out of its banks
and overlooking.
The next morning Mr.. Jenkins star
ted out to explore the country. He
went alone and not with any compan-
ions as previously stated. am ena-
bled to make this correction thro the
courtesy of John L. Jenkins Esq of
| Bray ton, who is the only survivor of
| the family and came With his father.
He was then lad Is years old and re-
members the incident perfectly be
sides many other events OF the early
| settlement. He says his father fel
and lodged a tree against another tree
on the opposite bank of the river and
/ "Cooned it over on the fallen tree
His horse was led with long rope anc
swan the river. He then mounted
the horse and rode over to where The
town of Oalltield is now situated anC
selected a claim for his home at the
Big Spring.
To make the site of his claim ht
blazed a Eastwood tree and wrote OF
it: "This is my claim
A few days later a party of mel
came up the Botna from about Indian
Town OF Lewis among whom was one
Jerry Bradshaw, who took a fancy t
the same location and proceeded {,
blaze trees to mark it, Mn. Jenllin
soon learned about BradshaW's opera
tons and came to his claim to aScel
tain what he was doing. William
Hamlin, who went with him narrate,
the event to me many years ago.
They were at first in doubt as t
whether Bradshaw was attempting t
Jump Uncle .Johnny's claim, bu
found where he had blazed trees o
Jenkins claim and soon found wher
he had cut down one of Jenkins wit
ness trees and threw il into the rive
This aroused his temper and reterrin
to the destroyed, he said to Mr.. Han
lin 'This shows me they are not innt
cent progressors!"
Then they came to Uncle Johnny
blazed Eastwood and found tina
Bradshaw had written beneath Jel
kin S claim '"This is my claim and 80
had better get off. - We shall hay
occasion to relate later how these tw
aggreSsors were gotten rid Of Nj
i Jenkins held his claim and built c
! bin near where the old schoolhouse
Oakfeld was afterwards located.
This claim he sold to one Samuel
Hopkins in 1854 and soon after locate
in Section 20. Al first he built a Il
cabin, where he lived many years. l.
ter he built a commodious house the
which, if not the first, was among ii
> earliest plastered houses in the cou
= ty. 1t was one of the few nous
which were plastered when | can
: here in ll65. This place he also 50
about 1870 and located near the pr
sent town of Brayton.
Mr.. Jenkins was kentuchian
the old school, a stern manly ma
physically and morally, and of lof
aspirations. A man of the stricte
integrity, honorable and truswortl
q in every way. His word was reliaii
and always promptly defended al
j, sustained. No thing insulted hi
: more than to cast dispute or dou
upon it, In IA large sense he was 0