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James Price
James Price was born in Clark county, Ohio, September 14, 1817, emigrated to Cass county, Michigan, at the age of thirteen, and from thence to Burlington, Iowa, in 18--. From there, early in the spring of '43, in company with Jonathan Donnel, he came into this county, and selected a claim where he still lives. The first cabin they built was a few rods below the coal mine owned by S. S. Roberts. Some slight remains of this pioneer building are still visible. This house he occupied with his family on the 22d of June.
That spring Mr. Price broke nine acres of prairie on his claim, planted it with corn, and realized from it a surplus of two hundred bushels, which he sold for fifty cents per bushel. On the following season he obtained some seed wheat from Fairfield, and obtained from it a fair crop. During the first summer he went to Burlington to mill, and in the winter to the nearest mill on Skunk. On the occasion of his winter trip he had to ferry his load over that river in a canoe. On his return from a trip to Fairfield, it rained much of the time, then turned so cold that his clothing was frozen stiff on his body. On another occasion, returning in company with Ray and Samuel Wilson, from a milling expedition to Skunk, a heavy snow storm obstructed the way so much that it was necessary to make frequent halts till one or another should go forward in search of the path and break the drifts.
Besides the nine acres he broke for himself, Mr. Price broke some for two or three of his neighbors, among whom were Samuel Martin, David Fritz, and Wm. Adams, who made claims in what is now section twenty, but remained in the settlement a short time. The unfortunate career of Sam Martin may still be remembered by most of the old settlers. Having stolen a horse at Council Bluffs, he returned to Red Rock, was followed there, arrested and lynched by whipping; after which he descended the river in a canoe belonging to A. B. Donnel, and is now supposed to be in Idaho.