Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-01-14

BREWER FIRST IN THIS COUNTY
By the Close Of 1850 There Were
Only Seven Families
in the County.

From the History Of Hamilton
4 County: Whoever may have been
first In the county, we find that in
the spring Of 1850 Thomas Hogan
came and took up claim on what
3 is now section 21-87-26, which is, in
Webster township. John Tolman.
who was afterward school fund com
missioner Of Webster county. came
along and located claim on the
farm OF what was afterward owned
for a long time by John Robinson.
Shortly after Tolman had located
hfA claim, Mintor. or Major Brass
neId, came and purchased it. Toll
man then moved TO Webster coun-
ty. Brassfeid remained but short
time and soon took up a claim near
Goldheld, where he resided many
years. claiming to be the first settler
Of Wright county.
In the fall of 1850 Wilson Brewer
and family. and nephew. William
Brewer. snd William Stanley and
family arrived and settled near
Bones mill. about six miles south Of
I webster City. AS usual in those
times. they came with OK teams and
covered wagons. They had q large
tent which they set up Came was
- plentiful that Wilson Brewer was
able TO bring IN fine ygarling deer
and the party partook Of supper
OF venison. Wilson Brewer staked
out claim just south Of the mill
site and built a cabin, but soon sold
to his nephew, and coming up the
river, staked out new claim with
ain the present boundaries of Web
ster City.
Mr.. Stanley located his claim up
the river short distance from the
mill site. He built his house on the
east side OF the river and cleared
a truck patch on the west side. Be-
ing hunter and trapper he made
no other improvements. The site of
his cabin Is still plainly to be seen.
the land being now owned by Coun-
ty Clerk J. c. Sterling. After oc-
cupying this claim for about year,
Stanley sold 1t to Peter Lyon and it
was occupied by his brother, Isaac
Lyon and family. for some time.
Shortly after the sale of his claim
Mr.. Stanley died and his family
moved north OF Webster City and
took up another claim. William
Stanley was the first white settler
to die within the present limits Of
Hamilton county. His death occur
red In the fall OF 1851.
These were all the settlers who
came during the year 1850, and at
the close Of that year. no more than
seven families had permanently To-
Gated In Hamilton county.
Isaac Hook was the first settler
to come In 1851. He took claim
and settled at Hooks Point. D. S..
Jewett followed and took claim
and built a cabin in section 21-87-
2s. but soon thereafter sold to Jacob
Crooks and left the county. He af-
terwards returned, however. and for
many years was prominent citi-
zen OF Cass township. where he re-
sided until his death. Nick Bonnet,
. son-in-law OF Mr.. Crooks, came al
30 In 1861. In September Ed Least
man and James Brock arrived. and
1t was also In this year that Peter
and Isaac Lyon. with their families,
came, and settled on the Stanley
claim as above mentioned.
These were all the settlers COM
Ing In 1851. so that at Its close only
fourteen families had located in the
county and the population did not,
perhaps, exceed fifty people.
Among these early settlers the
Lyons were noted for their fashion
Of wearing buckskin clothes. nicely
frinGed. giving the men very pict-
uresaae appearance. An old settler
said TO the writer that he would
never forget the first time he saw
10Th Lyon. 10Th, then boy, was
dresesA In buckskin, with . coonskin
CAP md moccasirs. He was going tol