Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-01-28

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Was a new cabin to be built, all
the settlers for miles around were
sure to be there. The logs were cut
and put in place, the cabin rooted,
f1oored, "daubed and not infrequent-
ly a country dance was held in the
new cabin at night Every settler
worked with a will all day, and If
any imbibed SO freely as to be a lit
tie uncertain on his feet at night,
little heed was paid to the fact.
Still, sentiment in favor of tenn
perance, caused no doubt by witness
ing the frequent drunks which the
ever present whisky jug created, RI
pened into a prohibitory law which
at an election had the sanction Of
the majority of the electors of this
county.
The year 1854 was destined to be
one of the more important to the
county than any that had vet pre-
ceded it. 1t was in this year that
what might be called the real settle
ment of the county began.
AS has been seen by those who
have read the former chapters of
this history, the eMigrants prior to
1854 were few and far between. It
is probable that the whole popula-
tion of the county did not exceed
800 on the first day Of January,
1854. The garrison at Fort Dodge
had abandoned the place in Septem-
Der, 1853, and moved westward to
Fort Ridgley, leaving. according to
AM old Iowa bulletin, only three men
at Fort Dodge. viz: VIM. William
son, his son j. B. and discharged
soldier named Joseph Sweet.
( Among the arrivals this year
1S45-were T. j. Ament, H. Gage,
w. j. Silvers, L. B. Hill, Benjamin
Beach, Tolman Wiltsey, B. B. Sc
gar r.. D. Remington, S. X. Boak,
H.. V. Boak, Joseph Fisher, A. Brock,
Bailey Brock, H. M. Barstow, Rob-
ert Scott, J. F. Butler, w. c. Roys-
ter, George Cooper, Alanson Dickin-
son and A. j. Barr.
David, Than and Ben Beach,
George Cooper and Tolman Wiltsey
came together and arrived at Wilson
Brewers, May IL, where they put
UP. The women of the party had
been left at Marshalltown and the
men came on prospecting. They all
received a hearty welcome at Mr..
Brewers and the next day he went
with them to select lands The
Beaches selected the Woolsey farm,
now Lawn Hill addition to Webster
City, and the Geo. Ship farm near
the cemetery. Mr.. Dickinson select
ed the farm afterward so long the
home of B. Willard.
When the party had made selec-
ton of land. David Beach and Alan
son Dickinson went to Des Moines
to enter them, and Wiltsey and
Than Beach went back to Marshall
town after their families. Beach
and Dickinson went to Des Moines
on foot. They stayed all night the
first night at Alexander's, below
Bridgeport, in Boone county. Beach
had not been accustomed to walking
and next morning was SO stiff and
sore that he wanted to give up the
trip, being assured by Dickinson
that he would Timber up" in a
short time, started forward again
and got through. One thing that
made the trip uncomfortable was
that he carried about 800 in gold
in his trousers pocket. which became
very heavy as the journey proceeded
and chafed him terribly.
When the party had returned, the
built a log house on the
land west Of town and kept hotel.
The house had only one room in it,
but travellers could not pick and
choose in those days, and so the
house received good patronage. AS
many as seventeen guests were
accommodated here at
,ne time. OF course the accommo-
iations were not what would be
considered by commercial travellers
If today, first class, as most of the
guests had to sleep upon the floor,
,ut 1t was the best they could do
Ind there was no grumbling. In
Iced those who stopped here were
and hardy pioneers, and
hey not only expected but rather en-
Dyed the hardships met. AS some
II these were light in comparison
With what they experienced in a |
different ways. they were
lot thought OF until long years az
erwards as being anything out Of
he way.