"An Interesting Early History of Decatur County"

by Mrs. O.N. Kellogg
 
Foreword and Chapter One
NOTE: The following history of the early settlement of Decatur County, Iowa was written by Mrs. O. N. Kellogg who resided in pioneer days in Garden Grove. Her son, Murray Kellogg, resided in Leon and practiced law there.

The manuscript of this early history, yellowed with age and the edges of many pages frayed, was found in the effects of the late Mrs. Lyman P. Sigler by Mrs. T. S. Arnold who kindly turned it over to the Decatur County Journal Reporter for publication.

(Handwritten) Harriett was 31 years old in the 1850 census.
 
FOREWORD
The following pages contain a minute description of a county in Iowa and other items of historical interest.

It was written twelve years ago after a thorough canvass of the county. In notes taken fifteen years ago I was materially aided by Rev. Daniel Winters, who was one of the county officers when the organization was effected. He knew everything relating to the general interest of the county perfectly and possessed a remarkable memory of dates and events. I hereby acknowledge my obligations to him for his uniform friendship and courtesy; also to Allan Scott, who was one of the first in the county but supposed himself to be in Missouri and paid taxes there. Others who have furnished items of history on specific subjects, and all who aided me in my work, will please accept my most sincere thanks.

Have arrived at the age of three score and ten I take a retrospective view of the past and I and that memory recall events as far back as the age of five years and in linking as if were this and that together, it is remarkable how events away back cast their shadows before and reach even into the early settlement of Decatur County, Iowa. For instance: My brother-in-law, Dr. Daniel Roberts, with my dear sister Aldula, and accompanied by his father and mother and numerous family of brothers and sisters, some married, some single, embarked in canoes on Guscara River at New Portage, Ohio, in my early childhood and recollect well the circumstances of their embarkation. They pursued their tortuous way by watercourses until they arrived in Illinois and where they helped to carry forward the various enterprises of a new country Morgan, Pike, and other counties of that state.

And later the doctor was the sole cause and instigator of the negira of our family and the Davis' to the obscure and almost unheard of settlement named by the Mormons, Garden Grove. This superinduced the coming of the Davis', Chases', Knapps', Arnolds', Stearns', Bakers', Careys', Northrups', Woodburys', Charles and R.D. Kellogg, Humestons', Culvers', Harkess' and Siglers', all early settlers and influential families who came a trifle later have shaped the destiny of at least the north half of the county. Henry B. Notson, a lawyer, with others from nearer points, settled the central and southern portions, not forgetting the Hungarians, a noble band, but “Tiffin” is by no means an insignificant factor even at the county seat.

While reflecting upon this chain of events, the centennial year of the settlement of my native state and that of a goodly number of the above named settlers occurred and it seemed a fitting time to unite my early recollection of Ohio with those of Iowa. That through the blessing of God my readers may be warned, instructed and entertained, is the earnest wish of
THE AUTHOR

Note: The Ohioans were nicknamed “Tiffin” by those of the central and southern parts of the county. The author did not date her memoir and there is nothing of her early recollection of Ohio to be found here.
 
CHAPTER ONE
FIRST SETTLER - IOWA A TERRITORY – STATE LINE UNSETTLED
STATUTE LAW - PERSONAL REMINISCENCES
Allen Scott and Edward Winkles, the first settlers in this county, came here with their families in 1839 and located themselves on the Thompson fork of the Grand River. Iowa was then a territory and with the exception of a few villages and settlements in the counties bordering on the Mississippi River, it was as desolate of all the elements of civilization as the Black Hills. Northern Missouri, however, was settled sparsely within from twenty to fifty miles of its present north line and claimed nine miles and a quarter of the State of Iowa.

The original line called Sullivan's located by the government was superseded by another called Brown's which, said the Indians, was run on the purpose to take in their sugar camps.

Iowa in course of time revolted from the claim instituted by Missouri and in the eastern counties bordering upon that State there was an immense amount of difficulty encountered by the early settlers involving not only property but even life. In the confusion and trouble resulting from this conflicting claim of jurisdiction was added the half-breed Indian title. Legislation was demanded which resulted in a remarkable statutory enactment in this State, predicating a title upon ten years' peaceable possession and apparent ownership.

Decatur County profited by the experience of her more eastern sisters so far as to avoid collision with her southern neighbors. Grundy County, Missouri, which claimed nearly half of this county, sent its sheriff from Trenton, the county seat, sixty-five miles distant to collect delinquent taxes and none resisted the process.

With no capital but health and willing hands for any work that might be procured, Allen Scott and his wife first crossed the Mississippi River at Burlington and both hired out to an old bachelor to work a month. Obtaining by this means some provisions and a few necessary articles, they struck out and made a claim a few miles from there and about a mile and a half from a mill where he again hired out to work, and after a few days spent in building a house and making necessary furniture, he was ready to commence. Mrs. Scott was only fifteen; consequently it is not surprising that she declined staying alone in the little cabin during the long days with nothing to do and nobody to talk with. She put up her own lunch as well as her husband's and walked with him to his work.

Happily, about midway between their cabin and the mill she discovered a cluster of gopher hills which, to her practical mind, suggested the idea of making a garden there as it was now Spring, thus utilizing the finely pulverized soil, and sending the little squatters off to make a new claim for themselves elsewhere. In gardening she added fishing, thus supplying the table with that delicacy but as the season became warm the fish were no longer relished and the virgin soil on which her garden grew refused to bring forth weeds, thus, necessarily, for want of employment or diversion, the long hot days of summer dragged wearily until Autumn came and brought a change. Scott, having earned some money, determined to go with a party of young men to Sugar Creek to make a claim. He engaged a young girl to stay with his wife but she never made her appearance, fear probably overbalancing her sense of obligation to keep her promise.

As yet no Indians had been seen in the neighborhood but the very day that he went away the tinkle, tinkle, tinkle of many little bells fell like a death-knell on the ear of the young woman as she sat in her little cabin alone. There was nothing but a quilt at the doorway to prevent the ingress of wolf or Indian and she had heard enough of Indians to know that their ponies jingled those bells and that her cabin was at that moment surrounded by hundreds of them. Unfortunately, the fireplace made an opening more unmanageable than the door, being only the wooden frame built up three of four feet and left without topping out.

Fire was a necessity for warmth and cheer but its light would attract attention and thereby hasten the fearful doom which she felt was surely impending. With a courage born of despair she remained perfectly quiet during several hours, listening, but hearing nothing to confirm her fears she sought upon her homely couch the repose she so much needed. The bedstead was made by driving a bit of spling into the dirt floor, leaving it the height of a bed above the ground and at a suitable distance each way from a corner of the cabin to give the required length and width of an ordinary bedstead. Placing then a pole on this upright one, and fastening it by nails and thrusting one end out between the logs of the cabin, it only remained to split some long clapboards and lay upon it, poking one end out also through the wall of the cabin and thus a flexible comfortable bedstead is provided by an hour's labor.

Toward morning the lady was started to find herself, bed, clapboards and all, raised up. She was startled indeed but not surprised. Expecting death and only debating in her own mind how it would come she remained motionless as she was helpless an finally her throbbing pulses became calm as she reflected that the clapboards might possibly have been tilted by some harmless beast outside the cabin. When daylight came her first act, woman-like, was to look under the bed. Judge of her surprise on discovering that a large dog which her husband had often petted had come in his absence and established himself as her protector. Quite innocently he had caused her fright while assuming position under the unerring guidance of an instinct as beautiful and grand as it is unaccountable.

That day and Indian lifted the quilt at the door and walked majestically in. He took a seat which she offered him and he commenced talking to her in the Indian dialect and also by signs, but neither word nor sign could she understand. He was big and her fears magnified him to gigantic proportions. It is only a question of time, she thought to herself, when he gets ready to strike the blow will fall; I am hopeless. Presently he reached over his shoulder and drew forth from its scabbard a knife a foot long and proceeded to draw it back and forth across the palm of his hand as if whetting it. “Great God,” she exclaimed, “my time has come.” While she was breathlessly awaited the onslaught he arose slowly and, seeing a loaf of bread upon the table, he marked with his knife across the center of it and this she understood.

She afterwards supposed that he wished to beg or borrow a whetstone but, failing to make himself understood in that particular, the bread made amends as he thrust it into some of the many folds of his hunting shirt and took himself off.
 
 
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