The Old Settlers Association was organized at Livermore, Iowa, on September 25, 1885.  Those signing the membership roll at that time were as follows: 

Mrs. Harlow (Susan) Miner	Hiram & Marcia Fleming
Mrs E. A. Loomis	Amanda A. Vought
Phocian & Margaret E. Weeks	Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Stewart
Rosa Smith	H. A. & Mary Knowles
Theo J. Smith	George & Rachel McCauley
Walter & Mary Thomas	Esther Flower Cruickshank
Hannah Thomas Tellier	M. E. & Augusta Sharp
Abial Hoag	W.W. Clark
S.C. Clark	Stephen H. Taft
N. A. Taft	Mrs. W. Forten
Hannah Bellows	T. T. Rogers
E.G. Rogers	Mrs. N.M. Ray

On the 31 people registering, 19 gave New York as their native state.  In May of 1890 the money was raised in Livermore to purchase 1/2 acre of land in the timber from Rufus Sanderson for $75.  A notice was published in all the papers in the county requesting those wishing to furnish logs for a cabin to bring them to Livermore by June 14, 1890. 

Old settlers recall that Bill Upham, a French Canadian, living in Delana Township, was hired to hew the logs.  The cabin was completed in time to be used for the meeting of September 5, 1891.  The membership at that time numbered 171. 

Many notable gatherings have been held through the years.  Addresses were given by some of our county's best known citizens. 

On September 13, 1901, when U.S. Senator J.P. Dolliver was scheduled to be the Orator of the Day, a special train was sent from Fort Dodge to Livermore at a cost of $75.  Round Trip tickets from Humboldt cost 50 cents. 

         

              

Interior photos for the Old Settler's Cabin

Click on photos to enlarge

Names of the earliest members are printed on boards and nailed to the logs on the inside of the cabin.  Some relics of the past are hanging on the walls and others are brought to exhibit on the day of the picnic,  John Olson was elected curator in charge of the displays. 

The meetings are held once a year, the first Saturday in September, and always start with a picnic at noon.  After a business meeting, a program consisting of talent from various parts of the county is enjoyed.

Names of Early Settlers Who Donated Logs for the Construction of "The Old Settlers Cabin" in Livermore, Iowa

Name	Residence  Twp.	Name	Residence  Twp.
Albert M Adams	Dakotah	H Aldrich
O F Avery	Springvale	J E Barker	Corinth
Simon B Bellows	Grove	John Berry	Humboldt
Thomas Brown	Delana	George Buchotz
H M Burnham		H S Cadett	Weaver
E W Clark		Edward P Clark
E E Clark	Delana	T E Collins	Delana
Carlos Combs	Springvale	D J Coyle	Dakotah
C C Coyle	Dakotah	George Cruickshank	Corinth
William I Cusey	Grove	Joseph O Davis	Dakotah
James Dean	Wacousta	Margaret Dunphy	Grove
W Edison		Hiram Fleming	Delana
Charles Flemming	Dakotah	R S Flowers
John H Ford	Humboldt	John W Foster	Corinth
W E Foster		Frank F French	Springvale
Joseph Goddard		A Gullixson
Byron H Harkness	Springvale	George Hart	Humboldt
R C Hays		John W Hewitt
A A Hewitt		J L Howard	Delana
J A Hunt	Humboldt	A D Hunt
Jim Johnson		J J Jolliffe	Wacousta
Ned R Jones	Corinth	Cordon N King	Avery
Abram H Knowles	Humboldt	John Leist	Dakotah
William H Locke	Rutland	John A Lorbeer	Dakotah
Loren T Martin	Delana	Nellie Martin	Delana
C D Mastin		George C McCauley
Andrew W McFarland	Dakotah	John McNelly	Delana
J M Meagher	Delana	M Melavin
Albert B Miner	Humboldt	Drius A Nash
Melvin H Neal	Delana	William Nelly
Edward D Nickson	Springvale	John Noonan	Delana
G H Norton		P Nowlin
D G Pinney		John Potter	Humboldt
J N Prouty		E Ranson
Obed H Richards	Humboldt	Townsend T Rogers	Springvale
J M Rose		Rufus Sanderson	Humboldt
N R Sanderson	Humboldt	M Schleicher	Humboldt
Edward Sherman	Grove	James D Sinclair	Humboldt
William J Smith	Dakotah	A B Smith
Milo Smith	Humboldt	A K Smith
Theo J Smith	Delana	Edward Snook	Dakotah
Thomas Stewart	Grove	Eber Stone
James Struthers	Wacousta	Joseph Taylor
George Tillson		Lewis Vought	Delana
J L Vought		Henry Watkins	Springvale
A B Webber	Dakotah	Phocean Weeks
Joseph B Weeks		Ira L Welch	Springvale

 

SEPTEMBER 1885 MEETING OF THE OLD SETTLER'S ASSOCIATION

transcribed from the Livermore Gazette

Pursuant to call the old settlers of Humboldt County to the amount of about fifty met at Livermore on Friday, September 25^th for the purpose of organizing an “Old Settler’s Association.”  After dinner, eaten in the grove, the meeting was called to order and Auld Lang Syne sung in old style.  Rev. A. S. Zimmerman led in prayer and S. H. Taft spoke upon the subjects likely to come before the meeting.  The committee appointed at the preliminary meeting to arrange constitution and by laws made report, and after amending slightly the meeting adopted the same.  The membership roll was circulated and forty-five names were enrolled as members of the Association.  The following officers were then elected for the year.  President Hiram Flemming, Vice President, George McCauley, Secretary, A.H. Knowles, Treasurer, James Hunt.  On motion of O. F. Avery the rules were suspended in this case and E.W. Clark and family of Kossuth County were admitted to membership with the same privileges as residents of Humboldt County.  Contributions were asked for to defray the expenses of the Association, and $3.75 was raised for that purpose.  By vote it was decided to hold the next reunion at Livermore.  On motion of O. F. Avery the Secretary was instructed to furnish each paper published in the county a copy of the proceedings of this meeting.  Adjourned to meet on the last Friday in September, 1886

SEPT 24, 1886 MEETING OF THE OLD SETTLER'S ASSOCIATION

transcribed from the Livermore Gazette

The Second Annual Old Settlers’ Picnic was held in Livermore last Friday and was a grand success.  Quite early in the forenoon the people commenced to gather for all parts of the county, with well filled lunch baskets in the rear end of their wagons and joy in their countenances.  The Livermore Cornet Band came out at noon and sounded their bugles as the train came in on the Minneapolis & St. Louis, in honor of all who might arrive, who proved to be Al Adams, B.F. Simmons, and J. S. Fletcher, with their wives, and some others.  The band escorted these to the grounds and furnished the music during the afternoon.  The first thing on the program was very delicious—that is, the dinner.  When we saw those loaded tables were thought how nice it would be to be an Old Settler for about seventeen minutes, and when we were invited to partake our cup of joy was simply full, as was everybody else long before the table was cleared.  After dinner the people were call to order by George McCauley, and a number of the older people were invited up on the platform.  Although we cannot begin to name them all, yet we noticed on the grounds, aside from our Livermore people, J. E. Blackford and wife of Algona, E.W. Clark and wife of Kossuth, H. A. Knowles and wife, Walter Thomas and wife, J. M. Thomas and wife, Charles Thomas and wife, S. H. Taft and wife, and D. G. Penney and wife, of Humboldt, S.F. Boyden and J. Jolliffe with their wives, of Wacousta, G. L. Cruickshank and wife of Corinth, S. B. Bellows and wife, William Cusey and wife, and Thomas Stuart of Grove, Hon. Robert Struthers and wife, of Pocahontas, and many others.  Some excellent speeches were delivered by J. J. Jolliffe, S. H. Taft, Walter Thomas, Mrs. Lorbeer and others.  Mrs. Clark delivered a poem which we publish elsewhere, and A.H. Knowles read a history of the settlement of the county.

Altogether it was a big time for the older people and not so slow as it might be for the younger.