7/22/2004
Pat Baker Let's celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first permanent settlers who came to Humboldt County! The Humboldt County Historical Association is busily engaged in constructing a new display building on the grounds of the Mill Farm Museum Complex, east of Dakota City. This new structure will honor the first permanent settlers who came to Humboldt County in 1854. Humboldt County was open to settlers in 1851, and at first, hunters and trappers ventured into Humboldt County, but didn't stay long. Much has been written about Henry Lott, one of the unlicensed traders, who set up his trade near Red Rock in southern Iowa in 1843. He sold whiskey to Native Americans, then cheated them while they were drunk. Henry Lott built a cabin at the mouth of Lott's Creek (northeast of what is now Livermore) in 1852. At a spot on Bloody Run Creek, Lott shot Sioux Chief Sidominadotah and murdered six of his family. Henry Lott was long gone before the first permanent settlers arrived in 1854. The first permanent settlers to Humboldt County found land near the forks of the Des Moines River, by Gotch Park. Some found land on the banks of the East Fork of the Des Moines River, in Grove and Humboldt Townships. Some settled in Dakota City, all in 1854. At the forks of the Des Moines River, William R. Miller conducted an Indian trading post in 1854 (or earlier). He built, of logs, the first cabin in the township, located in the S 1/2 SW 1/4 of Section 24, Corinth Township. This was southwest of Gotch Park, on the south side of the West Fork of the Des Moines River. He sent four-horse teams to Dubuque twice a year for supplies. Miller was especially gifted with dealing with the Sioux Indians, who suspected the whites of ulterior motives. Miller learned the Sioux language. He refused to use paper money, which was not always good in 1854, taking only coin or bartering for goods. The Millers had 12 children. One of the daughters married B.W. Trellinger, and they became parents of the first child born in Humboldt County in 1854. In 1855, Miller built the first frame house in this part of the state, at his settlement. It served as a stopping place for travelers. In 1854, Humboldt County had 16 townships, as did Wright, Pocahontas, and Kossuth Counties. The county line between Humboldt and Webster Counties was located near the road to the Fort Dodge Community Orchard. In April, 1855, John Duncombe, attorney and land agent, arrived in Fort Dodge. He was determined to move the Webster County seat from Homer to Fort Dodge. In the process, the southern half of Humboldt County was given to Webster County and the northern half to Kossuth County. (See maps.) So, in 1855 Humboldt County didn't exist. The dividing line between Webster and Kossuth Counties was where Highway 3 is now located. The East Fork settlements were in Kossuth County and Miller's land was in Webster County for a few years. When Humboldt County was recreated in 1857, the four townships in Humboldt County's southern tier remained in Webster County. John Duncombe made sure of that. On May 22, 1856, John Duncombe traveled up the river from Fort Dodge to preempt part of the section where Miller lived. In August, he surveyed and platted the town of Humboldt (he spelled it Humbolt) in Section 24. He stayed at Miller's, and while he was there, helped Miller get a patent for his land. The maps drawn in 1857, 1863, and 1874 each show the town of Humboldt in slightly different places in Section 24, Corinth Township. The map of 1857 shows it about where Concrete Products (also known as the Jones Siding) was later located. (See map.) Another shows it across the river. It is not known if John Duncombe ever filed the plat at the courthouse for his town of Humboldt in Section 24. Later there was a post office or town, also named Humboldt, in Avery Township, south of Bradgate. In 1871, the town of Springvale changed its name to Humboldt. William R. Miller moved to Fremont County around 1859-60. James Marsh bought his land. In 1868, N.R. and Lucy Jones bought the property and named it Glen Farm. For five years, Mrs. Jones' brother, Frank Boyd, ran the farm, while Mr. Jones continued his work as a conductor on the old T.H.&I. Railway near Terre Haute, IN. The title rested with the Jones family for 38 years. Then one of the daughters, Faith, married A.B. West, and the title shifted to them. The West family still owns the land. Edward McKnight, Esq. was a well-educated gentleman (as his occupation was listed in the 1860 census), and a man of some wealth. He was in Dakota City in the summer of 1854 to greet Charles Bergk, Christian Hackman and August Zahlten when they came to settle the area. McKnight's Point in the northwestern part of the county was settled by Ed McKnight. In the fall of 1854, McKnight and Newton Dowling built a cabin in Section 24, Corinth Township (not far from Miller), where they lived until cold weather set in. Then he went to Fort Dodge and returned to Dakota City in the spring. Hackman and Zahlten eventually settled in Kossuth County. McKnight drew up the Dakota City town site, but preferred to stay away from the legal battles associated with being a lawyer. He may have had some connection with the deals made in regard to the loss of the lower tier of townships in 1855-1857. McKnight established the first steam sawmill in 1855, on the east bank of the East Fork of the river near Dakota City, which passed through the hands of Charles Bergk and was later sold to Corydon Brown. In 1858, Charles Bergk purchased the town site from McKnight. When the Civil War came, McKnight served as a Lieutenant. He left the area in 1867, and in 1884 was living in Fairfield. Charles Bergk was quite prominent in Dakota City affairs. He served as mayor and was county treasurer until 1874, when he was no longer able to perform his duties and left the state in disgrace. The town site was transferred from him to the county in 1875. Thomas Scurlock, Michael and John Johnson came into Humboldt County in 1854 and made claims near the mouth of Lott's Creek, on the East Fork of the Des Moines River, but on opposite sides of the river. I.B. McCormick also made a claim. On the banks of the East Fork of the river, Solomon Hand located on Section 4, Grove Township, in 1854. It became known as the Hand Settlement. He was joined the next year by his brothers, Fletcher and George Washington Hand (known as "Wash" Hand) and their families. The year 1855 was marked by the addition of a considerable number of pioneers to Humboldt County. Nearly all settled around and about the timber on the two forks of the Des Moines River. They were Samuel Church, George and William Basam, Abel and Reuben Bond, George and Thomas Steward, Henry McLean, Hugh Johnson, Harlow Miner, David H. Niver, William Hamilton, Pat Burns, Martin G. Williams, George Ellis, J.C. Elias and H.C. Cusey, Washington and Albert Clarke, and Eber Stone. Eber Stone and his sister, Lucy, were the second settlers in Grove Township. They lived in sections 26 and 27, then moved to Section 16, Humboldt Township. The log cabin of Henry Lott was moved to Section 16 and placed next to Stone's log cabin. Elwood Collins' daughter, Oella, painted a picture of it. (See photo.) In the winter of 1855-56, Peter Collins, a Quaker merchant, made an exploring trip to Minnesota. Seeing there was to be a metropolis adjoining St. Paul, he went in with others to lay out the village of Minneapolis. As one portion of the partnership contribution, he agreed to send a store to the young city. While Peter was away on this trip, his son, T. Elwood Collins, emigrated to the new region on Lott's Creek and started to lay out a town to be called Sumner. A lovely cemetery can be seen there today. Elwood wrote his brother, Mahlon, ordering a stock of goods, and instructed him to join him at Lott's Creek. They were joined by the Dr. Dearman Williams family and others of the Quaker faith. By the time Peter returned from Minnesota, the Lott's Creek scheme was so far along that the Minneapolis plan was abandoned. In retrospect, Peter saw this was a mistake. The town of Sumner never materialized. Minneapolis was laid out in 1855 and became one of the most enterprising cities in the West, but they didn't know this in 1855. In 1856, the arrivals to Humboldt County were more numerous: Phocion Weeks, George Hart, John Hart, William Tucker, H.A. Knowles, James A. Hunt, Samuel Stone, Herman Munson, William Hill, John Hewitt, Alexander McLean, M. Sherman, John Hutchinson, H.A. Cramer, Thomas Reed, Ambrose Booth, Leander Chase, Martin Maxwell, Hamson McHenry, and William Burkholder and his sons. Three men, all named John, were the first settlers in what is now the City of Humboldt, long before the Rev. Stephen H. Taft discovered this lovely river valley. John McKitrick and John Means made their appearance in the spring of 1856. The friendly Indians helped them build a cabin in what was later called Bicknell Woods. It was west of Highway 169, south of the river, and north of Wildcat Road, the SE 1/4 of Section 2, Corinth Township. John McKitrick came without his family, who followed him in July. When they arrived, the Indians put up another cabin of logs for him west of the first one, in the SW 1/4 of Section 2. About that time, John Johnston and his family came and lived in the original cabin with John Means. Johnston's daughter, Maggie Johnston Duncan, was born in that cabin in May 1859, the first child born in what was to be Humboldt. Johnston later bought the land where Johnston Hill is located, east of Highway 169 and south of the river to 4th Ave. SW, and built a house there in 1862. John Means owned the land between McKitrick and Johnston, later selling it to A.D. Bicknell. In the 1870s, Means built the stone house at 1001 Lewis Street. In 1868, James McKitrick and his family came to Humboldt. He lived in John McKitrick's log cabin while he farmed next to John McKitrick. Later, James bought land on the Rutland corner, and seven of his nine children became local teachers. John McKitrick died in 1872. His widow, Margaret, married Robert Henderson and they continued to farm the John McKitrick farm. These are our first pioneers. Let us honor them as we celebrate Humboldt County's 150th year of settlement. These pioneers cleared the land, built log homes, raised families, started businesses, and put down roots that made our farms and communities what they are today.
|
|||
|
The Humboldt
Independent • Official paper of Humboldt County
Telephone: (515)
332-2514 |
