Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-07-22
SOME PIONEER HISTORY
MAKERS OF IOWA
Record of Case in Territorial
Days Rivals bred Scott
Coco

Case III AulSiACall Il'StVIy, IL ls
interesting to note the fact that
as early as 1889, during Terri
torial days, similar case cams
before the supreme court OF
Iowa. "In the year 1884," says
a writer in one of the publica-
tions of the State Historical
Society of Iowa, ga slave owner
named Montgomery, living ir
Missouri, entered INFO a writ
ten agreement with a slave,
one Ralph, to the effect that
upon payment by Ralph of $3.50
with interest from J mary ]
1895, he was to become free
In order to earn money with
which to purchase his freedom
Ralph made his way up the
Mississippi and found employ
ment in the lead mines in the
vicinity of Dubuque. Five
years passed and still the ex-
slave was unable to earn and
save enough money to make
any payment to his former
master. At this juncture, 1889,
two kidnappers from Virginia
appeared at the mines, learned
the situation with regard to
Ralph, and wrote to Montgom-
cry offering to return the ne
gro for the sum of 500. The
offer was accepted, but as the
kidnappers were making away
with their unfortunate prey
they were brought before the
court on a writ of habeas cor
pus. The case went up to the
supreme court of the territory
of Iowa and Judge Charles
Mason rendered a decision CIV
ing Ralph his freedom.
Tradition has it that the first
log cabin upon the present site
of Keokuk was built In 1920 by
DR.. Samuel C. Muir, a graduate
of Edinburgh University. He
is said to have married Sac
Indian girl who saved his life
while engaged in the Indian
trade, and it was while he him.
self was performing the duties
of surgeon at Fort Edwards,
Just across the Mississippi in
Illinois, that he constructed he
cabin for the accommodation Of
his Indian wife and five child
rem. Muir seems to have lived
at Illinois lead mines for some
time; indeed, in 1919 he was
there selling merchandise fur
nished by George Davenport of
Rock Island One year later,
in August, 1920, the explorer,
Schoolcraft, found him trading
goods for lead on an island op-
posite the old mines of Julian,
Dubuque Tradition also tells
US that later Muir resigned his
post at Fort Edwards and, after
leasing his log CABIN to Otis
Reynolds and John Culver,
practiced medicine for several
wears in northern Missouri and
later at the Galena mines. Ger
tain it is that Muir traded with
the Sac and Fox Indians for at
least four yeers after 1920
In October, 1912, two Quak-
ers from the east visited the
Sac and Fox Indians living in
Iowa near the site of the pres
ent town of Agency City. Their
report contained the following
descriptions of these Indians,
which is printed by the State
Historical society of Iowa in
"The Iowa Journal of History
and Politics" for April.
"These tribes number in all
about 5000 They are a largo.
stately race, particularly The
men. None of these Indians,
to our knowledge, cultivate the
soil, but they are, in gene al,
hunters. They have, however.
a large pattern farm carried n
for their benefit, by a govern
msnt farmer. They live in
Wigwsms, or lodges. similar to
those of all the unciviIized In
dams. They have no schools
nor any civic or religious insti-
buttons among them but in
other RESPECTS their manners
and customs are about the same
as those OF the Winnebagoes A
few OF their children have re.
calved Some instruction at the
Gao cav academy in Kentucky,
but for want of q suitable on
portunity to apply what little
learning they may have obtain
ell, soon after their return thew
fell into the habits of their ur
CIVILIZED brethren"
Mr.. and Mrs. B. Odren of
Lincoln, Neb, were here yes