Polk County IA Archives History - Books .....Notes On Various Topics 1898
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Book Title: Annals Of Polk County, Iowa And City Of Des Moines

CHAPTER XIV.
NOTES ON VARIOUS TOPICS.

IN 1846 the first regular tax was levied and collected in Polk County. The total
amount of this tax was $375.14. The tax levy of Polk County in 1894 was
$1,041,155.95. In 1857, Will Porter was paid $375.50 for publishing the list of
delinquent taxes of that year.

   In 1894, Lafe Young was paid $1,583.80 for publishing the deliquent tax list
of that year.

   Among the first constables of Des Moines townships were Samuel Dilley and
Thaddeus Williams, who were appointed in January, 1847.

   The first dealer in ice in Des Moines was E. R. Clapp, and he was followed by
George R. and Charles Cranston. Albert Grefe followed the Cranstons, and
afterwards with his sons enlarged the business and successfully conducted it for
a number of years.

   A. B. Fuller and P. H. Burrows claim to have made the first plow and first
wagon manufactured in the county.

   The first drayman in Des Moines was Michael Kennedy, who settled here in
1855. He followed the business for years, and is yet living, an honored and well
to do citizen.

   The first steam power was used in the mill built by Charles C. Van in 1848,
and the first steam power applied to a printing press was by John Teesdale in
the Register office in 1859.

   The first stove store was opened by Jesse S. Dicks, who came to Des Moines in
1849. His son and grandson are enlaced in the same business in Des Moines today.
The senior Dicks was at times given the soubriquet of "Buggy" Dicks, Ave learn,
because he was the first man at his former home in Indiana to purchase and use
one of these now generally used vehicles.

   The first power press brought to Des Moines was an old-fashioned Guernsey,
run by hand, and the hands operating it considered it a back-breaker. It was
brought by T. H. Sypherd and used in the Citizen, now the Register office.

   Rev. Spurlock was a noted character in the early days. He was a preacher of
the Methodist Church, but it is alleged loved not only chickens, but also horses
and money. It was time and again charged that he made or handled counterfeit
money, and was more or less connected with horse thieves. But he was shrewd and
could never be convicted, because of the lack of evidence against him.

   According to the court record P. M. Casady was the second attorney admitted
to the bar of Polk County. William D. Frazee was the first. William McKay and
Thomas Baker were practicing attorneys before this, having been admitted in
other counties.

   When Thomas Mitchell settled at Apple Grove there was a vast stretch of
prairie to the east, and on what was afterwards the Iowa City road not a
dwelling house until the travelers came to Bear Grove, not far from the present
town of Marengo. And this was only a little over fifty years ago!

  In the early days the County Board did not propose encouraging the bringing of
charges against persons before the Grand Jury, especially when they were of a
frivolous character, and perhaps inspired more by malice than a desire for
justice. Hence, under date of October 10, 1850, we find the following: "Ordered,
that the Board, upon mature deliberation, consider that no fees should be
allowed to any person for serving as witness before the Grand Jury." This might
be a good order now.

   The County seal, adopted by the County Commissioners April 13,1846, was the
eagle side of a half dollar. In 1851 one, Robbins, was allowed $18.00 out of the
lot fund for a new county seal. April 7, 1846, the District Court ordered that
the seal of the court should be the eagle side of a twenty-five cent piece,
American coinage. The Board of Supervisors for a time used the same kind of a seal.

   The first apple and peach orchard in Polk County, it is claimed, was set out
by Eli Mosier in 1848 on what was afterwards called the Burnham Farm, now in the
northwest portion of the city. Heavy crops of peaches were produced in 1855 and
185G, but the trees were killed by the severe cold weather of January, 1857.

   It is related that the noted pomologist, James Smith, when he settled at an
early day in what is now Douglas Township, made a temporary home for himself and
son by excavating a hole in the side of a hill on his land, and making a slab
door. There the father and son lived for some time, very snugly and not very
uncomfortably. Near this they started the first nursery of fruit trees in Polk
County.

   At the first sale of lots in Fort Des Moines the highest price paid—$160—was
paid by W. W. Clapp for the lot nearest "the point," corner of First and Elm
streets. The lowest price paid for a lot was $10.

   At first wood was more used than coal in town and county, but after a time
coal came into more general use, though it was years before it was used to any
extent for the purpose of cooking. In April, 1847, A. D. Jones presented a bill
for eighty-eight bushels of coal furnished the clerk's office, but the Board
refused to allow it, and he had to appeal to the District Court for relief. This
was one of the earliest coal deals, though it is known the soldiers dug and used
considerable coal while here. This they obtained near where the dam was
afterwards built, but it is stated their best coal was found near the corner of
Barlow Granger's place, south of 'Coon.

   The first regular venire for petit jurors included the following named
persons, brought into court September 29, 1846: Samuel Dille, Aaron Coppick, G.
B. Clark, James White, John Parrot, Thomas Morris, George Rivers, Eli Smithson,
Alfred Bowman, Benjamin Frederick, Simeon Ballard and John Roop. On the same day
the first jury trial in Polk County was had with eleven jurors, Benjamin
Frederick being unwell.

   William Lamb is credited with having built one of, if not the first, dwelling
houses in the county. It was located on Agency Prairie, not far from the present
packing houses.

   During the administration of Byron Rice as County Judge, he organized the
counties of Hardin and Story. The former he divided into two townships,
Washinton [sic] and Kossuth, and the latter into two, named Scott and Pierce
after the then two candidates for President. In 1852 Polk County had
jurisdiction, for election and revenue purposes over nearly all Northern and
Western Iowa, except Dallas and Boone Counties.

   The second stock of drugs ever brought to Des Moines was by W. W. Moore, who
started a new drug store on Second street, below Vine.

   It is stated that two negro women were held as slaves in Fort Des Moines.
This statement is that Joseph Smart, the at that time well known interpreter for
Major Beach, the Indian Agent, purchased two slave women in Missouri and brought
them to the agency, Where he held them for some time as his slaves. He
afterwards took them South and there sold them, though Chief Justice Mason of
the Territorial Court had previously held that if a master brought his slave
into Iowa Territory he thereby lost all ownership or control over said slave.

   W. W. Moore, locating in Des Moines in 1847, was for many years a merchant,
having a large store called "The Hoosier," on Second street, and afterwards on
Walnut, near Fourth. He owned the lots on the southeast corner of Walnut and
Fourth, and upon this corner built the first regular theatre or opera house.
This is now the Wonderland Museum. Mr. Moore yet owns the most of this valuable
property. He has also been interested in the Grand Opera House, and has for
years controlled the bill posting of the city. He now has control of the
Wonderland Museum, and also operates a book and news room in the building.

  Mrs. Nettie Sanford, in her Early Sketches, says that in early days the
prairie schooner was the bed and boarding place until the pioneer cabin was
built, which generally measured about fourteen feet square. Logs were split for
puncheon floors and sometimes Mother Earth was left to-bare her bosom to the
sharp toes of split-bottomed chairs and pole bedsteads. A dry goods box with two
or three shelves was the pantry. This often tried the nerves of the housekeeper,
as the dishes rebelled at the small cribbing up and dashed to the floor in the
most rebellious fashion. Sometimes there were four panes of glass in the window
of the cabin, but if there were no glass the good housewife greased a paper,
oftentimes an old letter and covered the window aperture, emitting a soft
translucent light, favorable to brunettes. In the fireplace of the cabin blazed
a pile of logs or a chunk fire by the door in summer, where the camp kettle and
skillet did service, and left the cabin cool and comfortable.

   It is stated the first shoemaker was Nathaniel Campbell, who in 1845 had a
shop in a log cabin which stood where is now Ewing & Jewett's lumber yard, and
where the new market house is planned to be.

   For lack of regular pipe Peter Newcomer used bark for stove pipe when he
first built his cabin on Agency Prairie. Subsequently he came near losing his
home by reason of his bark getting on fire.

   When first established the postoffice here was called "Raccoon River."

   Two of the most valuable lots in the city at this time were put up on the
Presidential election of 1848. A Democrat then holding a county office bantered
a Whig business man to wager a lot he had purchased against one the latter had
made a payment upon, that Lewis Cass would be elected President. The Whig took
him up and won. According to agreement the Democrat paid what was due the
county, some $40, on the lot, and then deeded it to the Whig. The latter, caring
little for the lots, offered them to his brother for the original cost from the
county and gave him his own time to pay for them. The brother took the lots and
in a few years they added materially to his wealth. The lots today would sell
for a considerable fortune.

   Hon. Joseph Williams, one of the early Territorial and State Judges, was one
of the most jovial of men and at the same time a strict "teetotaller." In going
the judicial rounds in each county he had the following pledge recorded, and
induced as many as possible of the members of the bar, court officials, and
others to sign it: "We, the undersigned, by hereunto setting our names, pledge
our sacred honor, each to the other, that we will abstain from all intoxicating
drink as a beverage." This was at a time when drinking among the members of the
bar was more common perhaps than at this day, and the Judge's pledge no doubt
did much good, even if it was often broken. Judge Williams was a fine scholar, a
wit and humorist, and the life and soul of a feast or social party. He was also
a musician who could play almost any instrument. He lived for many years at
Muscatine, but being appointed a United States Judge in Kansas, became a
resident of that Territory and State, and died there some years ago. "Judge
Joe," as he was familiarly called, was a prominent and much loved man in the
early days of Iowa.

   Major Hoyt Sherman in 1850 attended a judicial sale of the Pursley estate,
with the intention of purchasing one of the five-acre tracts if the bidding did
not go beyond his means. He went early and Judge J. C. Jones, guardian of the
minor heirs, asked him to act as clerk of the sale for the sum of $5. When the
tract the Major wanted was offered he hid, but others bid also. He had placed
his limit at $100 and some other man bid this amount. The Major stopped, but
soon concluded to add his day's work, bid $105 and got the land. He, years
afterwards, built his residence upon it, owns it now, and the land is now worth
close to $50,000.

   It is claimed that the first white child born in the county, and in the
territory which is now a part of the city, was that of J. M. Thrift and wife,
and Thrift was the first tailor in the town, coming here with the soldiers.

   In the records of the District Court of Polk County for the May term, 1819,
we find the following entries:

   "On motion, Barlow Granger produced to the court a certificate given by three
judges of the Supreme Court of the State of Iowa, licensing him to practice in
the Supreme Court and the District Courts of this State, which certificate being
satisfactory to the court, Barlow Granger appeared in open court and took the
oath required by law.

   "Hoyt Sherman presented to the court a certificate granted by the Supreme
Court, licensing him to practice in the Supreme and District Courts, which being
satisfactory to this court, Hoyt Sherman appeared in open court and took the
oath required by law."

   Isaac Cooper was not a shoemaker, and yet to him is awarded the claim of
having made the first pair of shoes put together in Polk County. Winter was
coming on, his children's feet were bare, shoemakers and leather scarce, and out
of the discarded saddles of officers of the Fort he procured leather from which
he made the shoes. Cooper says he never purchased of a merchant such durable
shoes though there may have been more handsome ones.

   Taylor Pierce, a well known citizen and early settler, who was much among the
Indians, says the latter called the vicinity of Des Moines Ase-po-lo, which
means Raccoon. The river was called Ase-po-lo-sepo, sepo meaning river. Des
Moines River was called Keosauqua always, from its source to its mouth. The
words mean dark, or inky, and originated probably from the drainage into it of
the charred, blackened debris from burned prairies. The Indians spoke of the Des
Moines River as "Keosauqua sepo." If coming to Des Moines and asked, their
answer would he: "Posse puckachee Ase-po-lo," meaning, "We are going to the
Raccoon."

   Luther D. Johnson, a young lawyer of much promise, came to Des Moines from
Iowa City, in the spring of 1850, to take charge of the Iowa Star, which had
been established the year previous by Barlow Granger. During the summer he was
called back to Iowa City by the serious illness of his brother. Then he himself
was taken sick and died. The Des Moines Bar subsequently passed appropriate
resolutions and wore mourning for thirty days.

   Dr. H. H. Saylor came to Polk County in 1846 and located in a cabin on Saylor
bottom, where he commenced the practice of medicine. He afterwards practiced in
Des Moines for many years and up to his death. He built one of the first brick
residences in the town on Front street, below Vine.

   In the fall of 1846 J. J. McCall, of Camp Township, made a contract with
Ballard to haul his corn to Fort Des Moines, Ballard to have himself one load of
corn for every load he hauled to the Fort.

   The first peddlers license was issued January 7, 1847, to William Forsythe,
allowing him to peddle goods or merchandise in Polk County for three months upon
the payment of $7.50. He must have been delinquent, as on the same date P. M.
Casady was allowed $5.00 for professional services in the case of Polk County
vs. William Forsythe, before Squire Meachem.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

ANNALS OF POLK COUNTY, IOWA,
AND
CITY OF DES MOINES
BY WILL PORTER.

"And this volume, dedicated to its people, sets forth in attractive style all
the facts and incidents that go to make up the history of which all citizens are
justly proud."
—Major Hoyt Sherman.

GEO. A. MILLLER PRINTING COMPANY,
PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS,
DES MOINES, IOWA,
1898.

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