History of Cherokee County |
History of Cherokee County |
| MATT PEARSON - ARRIVES IN IOWA IN 1854 My parents Mr. & Mrs. Matt Pearson settled on the Iowa River in 1854, the next spring coming to Woodbury County the Little Sioux by the way of Wall Lake and Pilot Rock. While camping at Wall Lake one night, they tied their saddle mule to a small tree about sun down. The mule broke loose and started back. My father started to look for the mule and was gone all night not returning until noon the next day. In the evening about dusk a panther across the lake commenced howling and kept us up all night which frightened my mother, she being awake with the children. She built a large fire out of a big tree that was laying close to the wagon, and sat up all night afraid that the panther might come up to the wagon. When the panther commenced to howl the oxen came p and stuck their heads under the wagon and stayed in that position until morning, also, the two large dogs they had curled up under the wagon never making a noise. They arrived at Pilot Rock July 4, 1855 and came on down the little Sioux to Correctionville. Later they returned to the Iowa River on account of the Indians. They came back in the spring of 1856 and settled on Pearson creek. The winter before while they were gone my mother’s brother Jake Pindel, was shot by a Mr. Shook, a neighbor who desired his land. My father & mother lived in that house until fall. In order to have better winter quarters they moved to Sioux City and took the ferry boat to cross the Missouri river into Nebr. While crossing the boat became stranded on a sand bar. Father unyoked the oxen and drove them off the boat and shouted to them until they reached the Neb side. That lightened the boat and they crossed over safely. They moved into one of the cabins that stood near what is now called Christal Lake. The town at that time was called Covington. Other families wintered there too. That winter was a very cold winter with lots of snow. My father had bought the timber off of forty acres of land and logged it off. He hauled it across the river to Sanburns and Talbeth Saw Mill on sleds drawn by two yokes of oxen. On Jan 25, 1857 a pair of twins was born to them. My sister Eliza and myself. Everyone who could came to see us. One little boy who came gave us each a string of Indian beads. I still have mine. (also a cap and two aprons that mother made to help keep us warm when Father moved his family back in the spring, March 1857 to Pearson Creek near Correctionville. Mother said she didn’t know how we ever lived to cross the country the roads were so bad and it was so cold. They crossed over some of the hollows on the snow drifts that filled them. As I grew older, I remember the Indians. One time the Omaha’s stole some ponies from the Sioux. The Sioux followed them down the river. The neighbors heard that the Indians were coming so they gathered at the Bacon’s for safety not knowing whether they would be peaceful or not. When the Indians came two little boys were outside playing. Mrs. bacon told him to call the boys in but he said “O they won’t hurt the boys.” But he fastened the doors tight. The Indians finally made them understand that they were just hunting the Indians that stole their horses. They were then asked into the house where they smoked their pipe. I remember my sister and I and other small children crawled under the bed and watched them from the farthest corner. The women all standing close by. Another time we heard that the Indians were coming. Father had gone to Sioux City for provision s for the neighbors. Richard Gendreau and Morris Kelley took mother and the children over to Bacons and they all proceeded to Smithland. When they got to Smithland the people there had heard about the Indians and a good many of them had left. They were so frightened that they never stopped for anything. Some leaving their clothes on the bushes where they were drying. I remember Mother telling this incident. They were living in a two roomed log cabin. One night father was not at home the bedroom door came open. Mother called the oldest child to close it thinking the wind blew it open. It soon came open again and she again had it closed. The third time it came open she herself got up and slammed it shut as hard as he could and said something. It didn’t open again that night. She said she knew it was an Indian. Another time my mother looked out on the bluff and saw about a dozen Indians going along in single file. She called us children to watch them. I remember one Indian came to the house. Father gave him some dried venison. My twin sister went and stood beside him and he gave her some to eat but I was afraid. But my father was such a small man that she couldn’t see him among the Indians. She fastened the tent flap and waited. When the ____ came near the dogs ____ barked. Mother heard Father speak to him but ---- she could not open the tent. Father asked them in and mother cooked them something to eat in the big kettle over a fire outside the tent. Source: Former Cherokee County Historical Society scrapbook (Source: A copy of a letter Mrs. W. G. Fee (mother of James H Fee) had written. Former Cherokee County Historical Society working papers) |
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