George Hawley of Heuvelton, New York learned of land being available in Pocohantas County, Iowa and in the winter of 1879 went to see what was available. The weather was unusually mild, land was cheap, and he returned full of enthusiasm for Iowa. It was decided to trade equity in the NY farm for a half section of Iowa land, plus a $400 mortgage against the 240 acres, (which is now referred to as the “Hawley Home Place”. The deal was made and the future looked bright. John Furness, a brother-in-law came to Iowa with George Hawley who was to live on 140 acres (in W. half of Sect. 14, township 92, Range 34) Mrs. Thad Bellinger also decided to move to Iowa and received 80 acres of the half section of land. That would leave Mr. Hawley with the remaining 100 acres in the NW quarter of Section 12, where he intended to build. In preparation of a home site, he set out some fruit trees, which stood just north of Bellinger’s.

Mrs. Hawley was left to settle affairs in New York. She had a sale and had crates made for shipment to Iowa of the sewing machine, bedding, clothing and personal effects. Her trip to Iowa with six children was made by way of Canada to visit the Hawley relatives. We were in Belleville, Ontario on the 24th of May, Queen Victoria’s birthday, and enjoyed the big celebration. The following day, we took the Grand Trunk Railroad to Chicago, the Illinois Central to Fonda, Iowa. When we changed trains in Chicago, Mother lost contact with a lady who had offered to help by caring for one of the young daughters, and we had to leave without knowing where they were. Sometime later, the lady came through the train looking for us, much to Mother’s relief! We traveled in an “Immigrant Train” and Mother, along with all passengers, had a large ‘valise’ full of provisions for the trip, and she cooked some of our food on a large stove at the end of our coach. We arrived in Fonda on the 28th of May 1880, but our household effects did not arrive until September, and were very sorely needed.

My very first experience in Iowa was one to remember and laugh about through the years. Father met us in Fonda and the event was celebrated by having breakfast in the local restaurant, an entirely new adventure for us children. We were totally ignorant of dining-out procedure, and Fred and I were suddenly on our own, when we were seated apart from the family, with a strange man at a smaller table. We boys were ravenously hungry after our long journey, so when the bacon and eggs arrived, we took over and devoured them without ceremony! He must have been quite surprised and amused, but he was a gentleman and said nothing, except to place another order, much to our embarrassment.

After breakfast, Mother and the girls went to the hotel where they were to stay for a few days. Then Fred and I went with Father by team and wagon across the open prairie to the Home Place where the only building was a trapper’s shanty, which a man named Hi Herold had been renting for $25 per year. He had 1200 dried muskrat skins under his bed, which were most interesting to us children, but the odor was most offensive to Mother. The only other "improvement" on the place, was a hollow dugout big enough for two horses. We had to move into that shanty, and added a lean-to for additional shelter. Somehow our family managed to live in those miserable quarters on a very meager income for several years.

The first winter was the worst of all it was very severe and we had no fuel except wild hay, which we made into twists and burned, in the kitchen stove. We had a few cows that managed to winter on the wild hay. We had raised a little corn but early snow made it impossible to husk that until spring.

Eri Anderson was caring for 264 head of cattle belonging to D.J. Allen and he had plenty of hay, but little shelter, so the cattle got weaker and weaker. By spring only 16 head had survived the long and terrible winter of severe cold and heavy snow. A neighbor, J.C. Strong, had a snowbank 22 ft deep between his house and barn. There were 25 or 30 head of dead cattle in his yard by spring, when they husked their corn.

The only other residents of the Township in the spring of 1880 were J.L. Thronton who lived on a place known as the “Company Farm” and a Green family. It was required three families to have an organized township, so when our family arrived, that was possible. The area had been attached to South Dover Township for school purposes, but was then organized as Laurens Township. Some years later so many former resident of Marshall Co. Iowa had moved in that they voted to change the name from Laurens to Marshall Township.

The law required school privileges where there were five or more children and the schoolhouse was located where there were the most children. So father contacted the school people in South Dover Township and they provided lumber for the first schoolhouse, which Father built in our yard. It was 12 X 12 feet and had a bed in one corner where the first teacher (Mrs. Eri Anderson) slept with her pupil, my sister Celona. After a larger schoolhouse was built as other settlers arrived, this original schoolhouse was moved to many other areas, where school districts were just starting and when no longer used as a schoolhouse it was sold to Lyle Mitchell, who used it as a chicken house.

Much, much more could have been said about the many years of grueling work, the privations and heartaches shared and surmounted by our pioneer forefathers. But it is hoped that this little glimpse of those early days will again remind us of the courage, fortitude, and faith that have built our beloved country, and help us to more fully appreciate the many blessings we now take for granted.

The trapper’s shanty still exists on the Hawley Home Place, which is also a century farm.

The author passed away on December 3rd, 1957 at the age of 88.