Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-04-12
JEREMIAH GULLIoN, OF MARION
COUNTY HAS REMARKABLE
PIONEER RECORD.
HELPED hEw LOGS FOR
FIRST COUNTY COURT HOUSE
GulIion Some Traveller Despite His
Long Residence in One Place
I Crossed Plains Four Times and
Sailed Around Cape Horn-lnterest-
ina Historical Data.

Knoxville, April 12.-Jeremiah Gull
lion Of Liberty township, does not lay
claim to being the oldest living native
born male citipen," Or anything Of that
sort, but he is certainly able to fur
nish a record of citizenship that can
man in this section Of the state.
Mr.. Gullion has owned the farm
upon which he now resides since Oc-
tober, 1S44-nearly sixty nine years
and that farm comprises more acres
today than it did in the early days
of Iowa Territory.
The record as furnished by one Of
his relatives last week is as follows:
Jeremiah Gullion was born in Gallitan
county, Kentucky, Feb. %, 1929 and
was united in marriage with Hannah
Pierson in Fountain county. Indiana
He and his wife came to Iowa with
his fathers family and settled in what
is now Marion county in 1914. They
left Indiana Aug. 6 of that year and
arrived near his present location on
Aug. 26. 1874. Marion was not known
at that time and the eastern half was
cial purposes. He moved onto the farm
where he now resides, northwest corner
of Liberty township, in October, 1874.
Some of the logs of his first cabin
".(claim pen,") as such buildings wero
then known. are still on the farm.
Four Trips Across Plains.
Mr.. Gullion has made four trips
across the plains" and back. The
first time he started on May 6. 1850,
driving six yoke of oxen and arrived at
the claim on the return trip on Dec. q,
1852. The second time he left Liberty
township on April s. 1853 and spent
five months and fifteen days on the
road. After he started back on that
trip he stayed two weeks in the new
boom. town of San Francisco. He then
boarded "a steamer for Panama, spend
ing eighteen days and nights on the
ocean between San francisco and tine
istnmus. On arriving at Panama he
walked across the 1sthmus a distance
of twenty seven miles, to the town Of
Gorgona and from that point took the
steamer Santa Anna to Havana. He
could have hired a mule for the
isthmus trip for SIG but preferred to
walk and keep his extra change. The
trip from the Cuban capital to New
Orleans was of course, also by steamer
and from the latter point to Churchill
on the Mississippi river, thence to the
mouth Of the Des Moines and from
there to Marion county by wagon. On
the third trip he took twelve yoke Of
oxen: spent five months eight days on
the trip and returned to Iowa in 1860
with four mules and two ponies. He
then bought a farm Of forty acres in
Liberty township; purchased from the
government at SIPS per acre. and the
neighbors helped him to erect house.
AT about that time he and his brother
walked to Fairfield and back in order
to make first payment at the govern
Elent land office.
"Settled Down for Four Years.
He settled down" for four years
and was again seized with the wander
fever" in 1854 and then made his fourth
trip across the plains-that time to
Idaho. driving four mules. It was upon
this occasion that Mr.. Gullion became
acquainted with James Bridger the
famous frontiersman whose name has
been given to "Bridger's Pass one Of
the noted trails over or thru the Rocky
mountains. James Bridger acted as
pilot for the wagon train which was
composed of ninety-two teams and We
hicles.
Mr.. Gullion helped to hew the tim
bers for the first Marion county court
house. He says that the logs were cut
on the Lewis Pierce land. now John
Free farm. Mr.. Gullion made his final
government claim payment at Des
Moines at the time of treaty with
the Indians He does not give the
date. but says that there was nothing
of Des Moines at that time except the
fort and a few Indian huts. That was
his last trip to the present capital OF
the state.