Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1922-02-27

Iowa and into the west was told /
the Webster City Engineers club /;
their regular monthly meeting Satu1
day evening by j. L. Quackenbush
member Of the club. MI. Quackcnbusl
who, as a boy of 10, joined the party 9
engineers who were trying to find tn
best route across the state, told of til
adventures and hardships encounters
by the pioneers in running the lin
westward over the sloughs which il
those days covered large section o
the state. He declared that, in spit
of the hardships. 1--WE were comfort
able, we had plenty of blankets. a goot
cook. three wagons to pull the grub, ant
on the whole we had a good time"
Were Real Men.
'The early engineer" Mr.. Quacken'
bush told the club. was real man
When the Civil war broke ont these
men were the first to offer their ser.
vices to the government. There was
an engineer corps in the Civil war
but at that time it was called the pion-
Ger corps. Its leaders were some of
the best engineers in the country at
that time"
1t was in 1866 that the party. in
charge of Captain j. Bradley. struck
al I,
been run into that place in 1864 and
'65 by party led by Captain Aims
worth.
Needed Transportation.
"Tne government was in need Of
said Mr.. Quicken
bush. THE railroads were mostly in
the east and south and of the latter
many had been destroyed during the
early days of the war. The govern.
ment needed supplies and soldiers
Iowa was even then looked up.
on as great grain state and the gov
was urging the railroads to
build into Iowa. AS inducements they
had offered the Dubuque & Sioux City
railway ever other section of land for
five miles back from the right of way
from Fort Dodge west. The company
this and sent engineers toI
make the survey, prepare for building
and commence construction. The line
into Va t,l
Cedar Falls during the first year of
the war"
Why He Was Chosen.
Explaining why lie, boy of fifteen,
was included in the party which took |
the line west. Mr. Quackenbush told the
club that his father, James ,Quacken-
bush, mad contract for all the bridges
from Cedar Falls to Iowa Falls Cap
tain AinswOrth, OF Dubuque, a govern
ment engineer, was in charge. His |
partner, a Captain Marsh, died, which
placed double load on Capt. Aims
shoulders and made it neces-
'ary for him to entrust part Of the
work to incompetent men. As result
Contractor Quackenbush had much
r0uble getting proper materials and
ound that he had long timbers where
hort ones were needed and short ones
where long ones must be used. He
vent to Dubuque to interview Captain
AinswOrth and the latter returned to
heck up on the work. The younger
was delegated to help
i'm make the check
Start For West.
When. the next year. after the road
lad been finished to Iowa Falls, the
ompany decided to send party across
he state to make survey to deter
nine the best line to connect Fort
Dodge with some point on the Platte
liver. AinswOrth. remembering young
luackenbush. suggested that he go
long, partly because he might enjoy
he trip and partly as a companion
or Frank Marsh. son of his former
artner, who was to be one of the
arty.
"Our first camp" Mr. Quack enbush
DID the engineers. was at Alden on
he bank of the Iowa river. The line (
'as where it now is. The camp was
II the stream because there it was 5
Ossible TO get water, fuel and stakes. {
''The second camp was at Hawkeye} 5
tation. This is now the AIcVickerl /
arm southeast of harrisburg. Here
re had our first experience with I
loughs. There We're no roads then {
nd no bridges except small cheap {
mes. The sloughs were wide and full {
f water. )
Help Emigrants. $
I'VE would usually find number
emigrants waiting at the sloughs t
Or us to help them across or trying to Il
Ut across by themselves. The custom Il
as to drive in as far as you could 90. v
hen some fellow, previously stripped
)r the purpose. would loosen the v
orses or oxen and let them wallOw out t
hen long rope or chain would be b
itched to the wagon and you would
uIl If Out-nrovidinp Won did mn mill n