Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-12-23
AFTER MORE Than
Fifty YEARS
Mrs Charles Carpenter, Formerly of
This City, Now Of Estherville.
Tells Tragic Story.
IN WEBSTER CITY 20 YEARS
Grows Reminiscent of the Days
When Life was in Danger in
Northwestern Iowa.

Mrs. Charles Carpenter, who re.
sided in Webster City with her fam.
lily from 1864 to 1884, living in a
house upon the hill across the river
on Dubuque street, now resident OF
Estherville, where her son, Charles
Carpenter, Jr., is publishing the
| Democrat, became reminiscent a few
days ago, as the following from the
Democrat indicates:
1t was our pleasure to spend a
pleasant hour in The company OF
Mrs. Charles Carpenter at her com.
modious home on north Sixth street
one evening last week. During our
conversation she grew reminiscent
! and told us something of life in
Dickinson county in the early COS.
A year or so after the Spirit Lake
massacre of 1857, few brave citi-
zens of Fond du Lac, Wis, hearing
rumors of the extremely fertile soil
and rich timber growths in the new
land to the west among them
Charles Carpenter, left home and
loved ones in the safe haven at Fond
du Lac and set out for the land of
promise. They arrived at Spirit
Lake early in the year of 1860, and
as conditions seemed ideal there for
a permanent home, all entered upon
a claim or homestead. Mr.. Carpen-
ter chose a homestead on the east
side Of the lake, and in due course
of time sent for the wife and two lit
tie daughters back in Wisconsin. At
ter an overland trip which required
four weeks time, the travellers arriv-
ed at their new home July 3, 1860.
Within year after their arrival on
Spirit Lake the two little Carpenter
girls, Florence and Alice, succumbed
to an attack of fever. The little set
Element lived in peace and content
ment for almost two years without
fear of the various bands of rowing
Indians who frequented this section
at that time, but during the sum-
mer of 1852 rumors of uprising and
depredations on the part of the red
men were numerous, and on Aug. 22|
of that year the awful massacre at
New Ulm, Mimi, was perpetrated.
The first news of the massacre at
Jackson was brought to Spirit Lake
by man named Peterson, who
walked from Jackson to that place
and carried two small children the
entire distance. After he arrived one
of the children died from an injury
it had received from the Indians
when his entire family was murder
ed. Mr.. Peterson got up early one
morning and left his family asleep
while he went into the field to gath
err some corn for breakfast. While
in the field the Indians came and
murdered his entire family but these
two children, one of which was hit
on the head and left for dead. Hell
took them in his arms and hid in
the field until darkness arrived and
then started for Spirit Lake, theI
nearest settlement. He walked all
night and kept out Of sight in the
grass the next day, and the follow
ing night continued his trip to the
Lake. When he arrived he was weak |
and nearly dead from hunger and
exposure.
For ten days after the murderous
onslaught of the red fiends the set
tiers on Spirit Lake were all quar-
tered in the court house for fear OF
being murdered. Stock of all kinds
was turned loose during this time,
and after the scare was over some
of the men went out to make a
while others went and bur-
led the dead bodies and gave succor
to the MANNED survivors of the ter
rible ordeal. Fearing for their lives
and those of their families. most of
the men went to the town of Spirit
Lake and entered the military SER
vice. Mr.. Carpenter, on account of
injuries sustained previous to this
time, was unable to pass physical
examination that would admit him
to military service for the federal
government, so he joined the state
troops that were then quartered in
The court house in Spirit Lake. Here
he family remained until 1864,
when they removed to Webster City,
At which point they resided for
twenty years. In 1884 they purchas-
I'd farm near this city and moved
,nto it, remaining there eight years.
When the farm was disposed of the
'amily took up their residence in Es-
building the dwelling on