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Iowa News
from the
Johnson Scrapbook
Page 1
(Source: Ina Belle Potter - Johnson Scrapbook).
Thank you, Rebecca Frank
Special Service. "L.C. Hance, 86 Early Farmer In Chickasaw, Dies. Came By Oxen To Iowa In 1856; Bought Land For $5.00 an Acre. New Hampton Courier, New Hampton, IA. caAugust 1934.
(Courier - Special Service)
Ionia, IA.-- Loren Charles Hance, 86, who came to Chickasaw county in May, 1856, by covered wagon form Illinois, died Friday of infirmities incident old age. He has been in poor health under care of his daughter Mrs. Josie Potter and husband of St. Cloud, MN.
Funeral arrangements had not been made Saturday.
Mr. Hance was born near Rockford, Ill. Jan. 23, 1848. When he was 8 years old his father came to Chickasaw county and filed on government land at $1.25 an acre. They traveled to Iowa in May, 1856 by two yokes of oxen. At East Dubuque the wagons and livestock were taken across the Mississippi on a flatboat.
They first settled one mile east of Ionia, first called Dover. They lived in a tent until October, when their log house was ready.
On Nov. 12, 1868, he purchased 80 acres of land adjoining the homeplace for %5.50 an acre. He owned this tract at time of his death.
He married Cynthia Lowe, who died Feb. 10, 1892. He married to Emmaline Trusty in November 1900; she died two years ago.
Seven children were born to the first union: Irene, who died 30 years ago; Mrs. Potter; Lillian Bray; Willis, Los Angeles; Estella Stevens, San Diego, Cal; Alma Corrigan, Cal; Harry, Long Beach, Cal. Four Step-children also survive: Oscar Trusty, Ionia; Mrs. Lottie Taylor, Jackson Junction; Walter, Bassett, Leon Owatona, MN; as well as 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
( an attached article)
For many years Mr. Hance was Mayor of Ionia, he was also Justice of the Peace, and was always an active businessman, selling real estate for years, under the name of the Square Deal Land Man. He lived many more years than the time allotted to man he being 86 years, 7 months, and 11 days old.
Funeral Services were held in the Congregational Church in Ionia on Monday Afternoon at 2:00 o'clock, with Rev. Halbert officiating, and burial was made in Chickasaw Cemetery by the side of his loved ones gone before. A choir composed of Mrs. Winton Waite; Mrs. Nelson Huffman; Clyde Heald and Ralph Watts sang Three Beautiful numbers.
The pallbearers were P.L. Kepple of Nashua, N.I. Mead of Bassett; Henry Adams, Marvin Crooks, Peter Gerholt and Rod Parrish, all of Ionia.
Those from a distance to attend the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. S. Manigal of Waterloo, Iowa, Mrs.Darold Bray of San Diego, CA: Mr. and Mrs. George Taylor and Mrs. Winifred Taylor of Jackson Junction, Walter Trusty, Arthur Potter of Bassett, Iowa, Mr. and Mrs. Orlo Potter and 2 children of Nashua, Iowa.
For the past 2 years Mr. Hance has been most tenderly cared for by his daughter, Mrs. Herbert Potter, of St, Cloud, MN and the past 6 weeks another daughter Lillian Bray.
Hance, L.C. "Turn Backward Oh Time In Thy Flight." New Hampton Tribune, New Hampton, IA. ca1930.
L.C. Hance of Ionia gives some interesting incidents of early Chickasaw County, Iowa.
Ionia Cor.--- Here are some interesting incidents of early life in Iowa which was kindly given us by L.C. Hance of Ionia. People are always interested in news of this kind and we are always pleased to publish articles relative to early days in Chickasaw County. Following are experiences which L.C. Hance is able to recall.
"I was born near Rockford, Ill. on Jan. 23, 1848, and now have passed the age of 78 years.
My father came to Chickasaw County IA in 1854 and filed on Government land at a cost of $1.25 per acre. The next year my older brother came out and broke up a part of this land and in May 1856 we started our journey from Illinois, traveling with two covered wagons and all live stock were driven onto a large flat boat and ferried across the Mississippi river, landing at Dubuque, IA.
Travel by ox team was far from being an automobile race and we were obliged to make our way across the country with scarcely more than trails for roads and seldom a bridge over the streams were then in evidence.
I will give you a couple of incidents of our journey, or no historic value, but affording considerable excitement for us.
Near Galena,IL were several abandoned lead mines. One of our oxen fell into an old shaft about 20 feet deep. As there was no machinery for a hoist, it took all hands a half day to get him out. This was accomplished by shoveling dirt into the shaft for the animal to tramp and by digging an inclined trench back from the shaft until he was able to walk out. While traveling through Clayton, County, IA, a severe electrical storm came upon us suddenly. The horses and oxen were unhitched and secured to prevent them from stampeding and we folks all sought the shelter of the covered wagons. After the storm had passed we went about a mile and found a man and horse dead in the road having been struck by lightening. One of the man's boots had bee torn from his foot and the metal stirrup melted by the lightening.
The first day of June 1856, we reached the old homestead, one mile east of Ionia , first called Dover, were we lived in a tent until October, when we moved into a large log house we had built during the summer.. This house had a large fireplace as stoves were very rare in those times. The shingles were red oak. The logs for these were sawed into blocks, the length of the shingle, then quartered and split with an instrument called a rave. The shingles were then shaved smooth with a drawing knife by hand.
The first winter was very cold, but I do not believe I have ever lived in a warmer house than that was.
(parts of the article are missing)
Sometimes they received $.35 per bushel for the wheat, while the dressed frozen pork brought only $2.00 per hundred. On the return trip they brought back groceries and other goods for men who were operating small crossroad stores. One summer we did not have a loaf of wheat bread and could not get it but had plenty of corn meal.
There was also plenty of game and fish. We boys once counted 3_? deer in one herd feeding on the Wapsie... River flats. Wild geese, ducks, swan, brant, prairie chickens, partridge and quail were found in large numbers, wild pigeons often cast a shadow, like a dark cloud as they flew over.
I might state, in passing, that my first visit to New Hampton, there were but three houses in the town and there were not electric and concrete pavements.
Pres. Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated in April 1865 and throughout the following summer many memorial sermons were preached at different points. My oldest brother served with Union Army during the Civil War and he with myself and several other boys attended one such sermon at the Little Brown Church at Bradford, making the round trip of nearly twenty mile on horseback.
November 12, 1868, I purchased 80 acres of land and adjoining our home place on the east for $5.50 per acre and still hold title to the same land.
There are many people living in Chickasaw county older in years than I, yet doubt if many have a longer...
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