OLD SETTLERS PICNIC HELD SATURDAY

Emmetsburg Democrat, Thursday, August 20, 1931
Fine Address Made By Daughter of Member of Irish Colony
Mrs. Alice Libert Gives a Fine Address

DAY WAS SUCCESS

The old settlers picnic held at the Assumption church grounds
Saturday attracted a large crowd and was considered a success. Serving began at
11 o'clock and all were served at about 1:30.

Mrs. Alice Libert, daughter of Charles Nolan and granddaughter
of John, both members of the original Irish Colony, spoke on the "Early
Settlers of Emmetsburg." She had her subject well in hand as she knew the
early history of the county by hearing it often rehearsed in her home during her
childhood years, as well as reading it after a history was written. Mrs. Libert
 ...(print faded rest of line).

In April 1856 a band of sturdy Irish adventurers from Kane
county near Elgin, Ill., packed their belongings into covered wagons, hitched
their oxen to the wagons, rounded up their few cattle, waved farewell to their
friends and started west to "grow up" with the country. This colony
consisted of the following families-seven in all: James Nolan, his wife,
Anastasia, his daughter Maria and his sons James and John; John Nolan, his wife
Bridget and son Charles; John Neary, his wife Ellen, his son John F. and
daughter Mary (Mrs. Mary Murphy), Edward Mahan, his wife Margaret, his
daughters, Ann and Ellen and his sons, John and Myles; Martin Laughlin, his wife
Mary, sons Lott, John T and Patrick, and daughter, Ellen; Thomas Downey, his
wife, Ellen; Orrin Sylvester and wife Ellen. Patrick Jackman and Thomas Laughlin
also came with the colony.

In those days the roads were not paved, in fact, in a great many
places there wasn't even a trail to guide the lead team of oxen. They had six
yoke of  oxen, one horse, and a few cattle. For protection they had a
single-barrel gun and a double-barrel pistol. They had neither a clock or a
watch to tell the time. It was their intention to settle in the vicinity of
Sioux City or some where along the Missouri river.
After much hardship and tirbulation, the little band arrived in
Fort Dodge. There they met a surveyor, Lynch, who advised them to go up on the
west fork of the Des Moines river. With this advice and plenty of provisions,
they started east to locate their future homes.

On July 6, 1856, they arrived at the "Patch", as the
Irish settlement was known. This is located about two miles northwest of
Emmetsburg. This was the nucleus around which this wonderful country has
developed. They cut logs and built their cabins. Later in the fall the cabins
were chinked with mud. These cabins had clay floors and sod roofs. The men put
up some hay for their cattle that fall, and built sheds to shelter the cattle.
During the early fall James Hickey and his wife, Margaret
arrived in Fort Dodge from Pennsylvania and hearing of the Irish settlement
decided to join them. Their daughter, Margaret (Mrs. Pat McNally) born October
14, 1856, was the first white child born in this part of the county.
Pat Nolan and Mike Maher walked from Fort Dodge in February 1857
and joined the colony.

Jerry Crowley and family, consisting of Jerry, Michael, Kate,
Ellen and John, came in the fall of 1856 from St. Louis, and settled on the west
side of the river in Walnut township about five miles north of the Irish
Settlement.

Of the original Settlement that came in 1856, seventy-five years
ago, there are four survivors-John Mahan of Graettinger, Iowa, Ellen Mahan (Mrs.
Steve Guerdet of Crookston, Minn.), Mary Neary (Mrs. Mary Murphy) and Charles
Nolan of Emmetsburg, Iowa.

There was very little of importance occurred in the winter of
1856 and 1857. The men did some hunting and thus supplied meat for the colony.
They were making ready for the spring work at the time of the Indian Massacre at
Spirit Lake, March 8, 1857. At this time the settlers went to Fort Dodge for
protection. A band of fourteen Indians camped along the river near the Crowley
home during the winter and were very peaceful until they joined the other bands
of Indians in the spring. Most of the settlers returned that summer and fall.
Myles Mahan and family came in 1857; Tom Tobin, his father and
mother and sister Alice and Joe and Kerin Mulroney came in 1857. Mrs. Mulroney
and Maggie came in 1858; the Sheas, Coonans, Pengergasts and Mile Nolan came in
1858. Tom Tobin and Ellen Laughlin was the first couple married in the county.
Palo Alto got its first mail service in 1858. The first stage
route from Algona to Spirit Lake, started July 1st that year. The first
postoffice was at Jack Nolan's, Mr. Nolan being the postmaster. The postoffice
was named Emmetsburg, after Robert Emmet the fearless Irish Patriot. When the
post office was first established at Nolans the mail was put in a big milk pan
and the settlers would gather on Sunday afternoons and pick out their mail.
Later the post office was moved over on the river and Martin Coonan made
postmaster.

In the summer of 1861, James P. White taught the first school in
the county, in a cabin in Walnut township on the Patsy Jackman claim. Mr. White
also published the first newspaper in the county October 8, 1870.
Several attempts were made to locate a county seat but did not
succeed. Martin Coonan's home on the east bank of the Des Moines River near the
Riverdale farm was a sort of a tavern and this hospitable home was the stopping
place for weary travelers for several years. In the fall of 1868 Thos. Davis
came to the county, bringing with him an old sawmill outfit. He formed a
partnership with E.G. Pond. Together they built a brush dam across the Des
Moines river a short distance from Coonan's and set up a saw-mill. This new
industry was the final step in the locating of the real town. The first store
was built by N.D.Bears in 1869. This store was 10x12 and 7 feet high on one side
and about 6 feet high on the other side. In the store there was about a wheel
barrow full of goods; some pipes, tobacco, candy,etc. The town soon grew until
it was quite a little place. When the C.M. & St. Paul, R.R. was surveyed
through here it was decided to move the town to its present site. On September
2, 1874, the T.W. Harrison law office was moved over and located on the present
site of the Waverly hotel. A few weeks later Geo. B. McCarty's office and
Tobin's store. After this the others followed and Emmetsburg has been growing
ever since.

This far I have given you what you might say was a historical
review of the early settlement of this county., but in giving that I am also
giving the early history of the Assumption parish, for, as you well know, the
Irish settlers were Catholics who had brought the religion of their forefathers
from Ireland to the bounteous prairies of Iowa.
In 1859 or 1860, Father Marsh held the first religious service
in the county. Father Marsh was stationed at Fort Dodge and drove up with a
team. He stayed over night at James Hickey's and the following day read mass at
Martin Laughlin's. The entire colony was there. Many having children to be
baptized and glad to avail themselves of the opportunity and also to once again
attend the holy sacrifice of the mass.
Father Marsh made a few trips to Emmetsburg and he became ill
and died. He was suceeded by Father DeLainey and Father Butler. Either one of
these priests would drive to Emmetsburg, about once a month, and usually came up
on Saturday and sould have mass on Sunday at one of the settler's homes and on
Monday at some other home, thus giving all the settlers an opportunity to hear
mass.

About 1868 or 1869 Fathers DeLainey and Butler were succeeded by
Father Thos. Linehan and Father Minan. The Catholic church was the first church
in the old town. It was built in 1871 through the efforts of Father Linehan.
Father John Smith was the first pastor. He arrived at Emmetsburg in December,
1871, when the new church was only partially completed. There were thirty-nine
Catholic families in the county then. Father Smith also had charge of northwest
Iowa, southwest Minnesota and eastern Dakota. Prior to this the settlers had
hoped to have a church and had gathered the logs at the present site where A.
Scott Ormsby's home stands. The structure was several logs high when it was
destroyed by a prairie fire.and then the building of a church was abandoned for
a few years. The church was built of pine which was hauled from Algona and Fort
Dodge. It was quite a building for those times and the building is still
standing and in good condition on the W.E.G. Saunders place in the north part of
town.

Father Smith built his home in the new town in 1883. The corner
stone for the present Assumption church was laid in 1884. The brick for the
church was made and burned right in front of the church, the clay being taken
from the front yard. The church was completed and services were held the
following year. Rev. Father Smith labored earnestly through all the pioneer
years and his memory will be revered by not only the Assumption parish but all
of northwest Iowa. The religious educations of his people was always uppermost
in the heart and mind of Father Smith and it was indeed a great satisfaction to
him to realize his ambition in the founding of St. Mary's academy in 1889. The
academy was established and has been under the care of the Sisters of Charity of
the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Father Smith passed away January 1912 and was succeeded by Mgr.
P. F. Farrelly who carried on the work so well begun by Father Smith. Mgr.
Farrelly supervised the building of our fine parish house and also the beautiful
new home for the Sisters. Mgr. Farrelly died Sept 1924 and was succeeded by our
present pastor Very Rev. J.G. Murtagh, who is, you all know, nobly endeavoring
to out do his predecessors.

Comments were made by others present.
Sports of various kinds were enjoyed during the afternoon.
Supper was served and there was dancing in the evening. Over $800 was netted.

Interesting Early History
In addition to the above particulars the public will be
interested in learning that county judge, the position held by Mr. Hickey, when
Palo Alto was first organized, had executive, legislative, and judicial powers
combined. He did the work that was later allotted to several county officers and
also the duties now performed by county supervisors. He hhad special court
powers. The present labors of the county auditor had to be given his close
attention and also those of county attorney. He levied and collected taxes and
expended county funds. He had to submit certain matters to the voters and call
elections. He was almost absolute dictator in public affairs. These duties were
placed on his shoulders by the code of 1851. This law lasted until 1860, when
certain changes were made. Mr. Hickey was re-elected and served until 1861.
Cyrus Carpenter of Fort Dodge, who was later elected governor of Iowa, and Chas.
Aldrich, who was one of our first state historians, had occasion to stop at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Hickey during the summer of 1858. They reported officially
that Mr. Hickey was a bright, intelligent Irishman and that he was handling his
official duties with more than ordinary skill.

Late in December, 1858, he advertised for the survey of the
swamp lands of our county and ordered the books for other county officers.
January 3, 1859, the county seat was located at Paoli which was on the old John
Dooley farm something over a mile southeast of our city limits. It was during
his term of office that the contract was made with Wm. B. Clark of Baltimore to
build the first court house and erect the first school house. The statute
permitted these improvements and the payment of them out of the sale of swamp
lands. John M. Stockdale was really the contractor but his name did not appear
in the record. Mr. Hickey appointed Mike Mahan assessor of Palo Alto township in
May, 1859.

The first state election was held in the fall of 1859. All of
the successful candidates were democrats. Old settlers tell us that in the
Douglas Lincoln presidential campaign, Douglas received 29 votes and Lincoln 4.
We mention the above details as Mrs. McNally being the oldest of the family and
her father had a great deal to do in the organization of our county.





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