Pioneers of Marion County by Wm. M. Donnel, 1872

Part II, Chapter XIII

Red Rock Township Continued - Joel B. Worth - A Critical Situation - Sickness and Loss -
A Tough Joke - David Worth - A Prairie Fire - James A. Chestnut

Joel A. Worth and Thomas Black were the first persons who succeeded Mr. Prunty in the settlement of the northern part of the township. Mr. W. was born in Ky., Aug. 17, 1817, emigrated to Ill. in ‘29, and from thence to Fairfield, Iowa, in Nov. ‘43, in company with Thomas Black, and their families.

Here winter overtook them, and they were compelled to secure quarters for their families till spring. Having provided corn and fuel, they set out for the “New Purchase” in search of a permanent location. At the close of a cold day in December they got as far as where Pella now is, and being unable to reach a more sheltered place, they put up a sort of cat-faced tent to windward of a scanty grove that grew near where the Central University now stands, and prepared to pass the night there. But a serious difficulty interfered with an important part of this preparation, which was to kindle a fire. Everything was damp, the wind was blowing a strong, cold blast, and our wayfarers were in imminent danger of perishing unless they could get something warm for the “inner man.” They had one box of matches, but these seemed to have been either worthless at the start or had become damaged, and they were not aware of it till at this critical moment. One after another they refused to ignite, till nearly the entire box was exhausted, and all hope of obtaining the fire sustaining heat was as nearly extinguished. At length only two matches remained, and upon these seemed to depend their weal or woe. Fortunately, or it may be providentially, to their great joy, these two matches happened to possess the vitality requisite for the crisis. With the utmost care a fire was started, and a warm supper restored the adventurers to comparative courage and comfort.

Next day they reached their destination and took up their quarters with Mr. Prunty till claims could be selected and houses built. The claim selected by Mr. W. proved to be in section 1, town. 77, range 20, on which , on the 14th of Feb., he put up a cabin, and on the 19th of March had the pleasure of introducing his family to their new home.

That spring, by joining teams with Black and Prunty, Mr. Worth got fifteen acres of his land broken. From this, notwithstanding the lateness of the growing season, he succeeded in raising a pretty fair crop of sod corn, and that without any fencing, there being then little or no stock in the country to trespass upon the crops.

During his early pioneer life here Mr. Worth suffered some adversities that may be worth relating. Soon after returning from the milling trip related in the preceding chapter, he fell sick of a fever, brought on by severe exposure, from which he did not fully recover for four months. Then early in the spring following (‘45) one of his oxen died, leaving him without any kind of a tem by the aid or which to replenish his store of provisions, that threatened soon to be exhausted. Being entirely without means he could neither purchase another ox nor the necessary supply of food. This was a trying situation, and the only way to get out of it was to sell the remaining ox for what he could get, and invest the money in provisions. this he did, getting eleven dollars for the animal, and with Allen Tice, to whom he had sold it, went to Illinois and returned with three barrels of flour and one of salt. This supplied them till the corn became fit for use; and Mr. W. was enabled to get another team in time for another season’s cropping.

An anecdote may not be out of place here. It occurred at a time when provisions were very scarce, especially meat, as most of the game had been killed or driven away by the Indians. Mr. Worth had been out hunting, and returned with what appeared to be the hind quarter of a small deer. The meat looked tempting to Mrs. W., who had a genuine fondness for venison, and she was eager to have a mess of it so soon as it could be cooked; so she took immediate charge of it, and owing to the want of grease to fry it with, put the whole into a large pot to boil, and hastened the process with a good hot fire.

After blubbering away at a lively rate for about an hour or more, the good lady thought it about time the tender young deer was done, and proceeded to test it by prodding it with a fork. But, to her surprise, the meat seemed about as tough, if not little tougher, than when it was put there. Impatient at this, she rushed the fire, and kept the pot in a foaming temperature for some time longer. Then again she prodded the ham, and was not only surprised but puzzled to find it even tougher than ever, so tough, indeed, that it fairly resisted the sharp points of the fork. She declared she had never seen nor heard of the like before, but was determined to boil it down if such a thing could be done. But it was evident that the longer it was boiled the further it was from being done, till finally it became as black and hard as a piece of old sole-leather. It was truly a curious kind of venison, and Mrs. W. was at her wit’s end as to what further disposition to make of it. At this her husband could no longer restrain his merriment. What was the matter? Why, her young venison was a piece of a big old catamount, all muscle, that contracted and became harder by contact with heat. It was a tough joke, and it may be supposed that the cook appreciated it no more than she did the venison.

During the year following, (1845), Mr. Worth moved into Jasper county, just across the line, where he still lives in the enjoyment of a comfortable competence as the reward of his early trials in pioneer experience.

During the autumn of the same year that Joel Worth settled in this township, he was followed by his brother David, who had been to the country on a prospecting tour in the month of August previous.

On his way up the last time, Mr. W. had an opportunity to witness one of those grand, and sometimes fearful conflagrations that were so common before the prairies were sufficiently settled to interpose any obstruction to the sweeping march of the devouring element. He had camped, with his family, a short distance from a house in the vicinity of Black Oak Grove, Mahaska county. Sometime during the night they were awakened by a suffocating cloud of smoke, and an alarm of fire; and had barely time to get the wagons moved to a bare spot of ground adjoining the house, and secure the tent, before the whole prairie was swept by a long column of fire, producing a night scene at once grand and terrific. Stables and fences were with difficult saved, and fighting fire was the order for the remainder of the night.

As they neared their destination, they were met by Thomas Black, who had been on the alert for their appearance, and had seen the wagons five or six miles distant on the prairie, where there were then no groves or improvements to obstruct the view. They were gladly welcomed. To those who were citizens of the country at that early date, having been a year, or at least a few months, separated from the society they had been all their lives accustomed to, the arrival of a new comer, especially if he happened to be a relation or acquaintance, was an event of no small importance, and the greeting was comparatively joyful. Mr. W. located on section two, which was bounded on the west by the United States boundary line. He has been nearly ever since a citizen of the county, and now lives on section eight.

Among other early citizens of Red Rock, still well remembered by most of the old settlers, was James A. Chestnut whose name, it may be remembered, appears in the list of first grand jurors. He was born in Ireland, February 1, 1803; came to America with his parents at the age of two years, landing at New York. From thence he came to Indiana; from thence to Iowa in ‘41, and settled in Van Buren county, where he remained for a short time; then moved to Mahaska county and took a claim precisely where Oskaloosa now is. But, not foreseeing the value this land would ultimately attain to, and, like many others, thinking the lands along the river would always be worth much more than the high prairie, he sold this claim, and settled at the head of White Breast Prairie, where the old Ewing farm now is.

After a short residence here he went to Lee county, where he remained a year; then returned and settled in Red Rock village in ‘48. In the spring following he went to California where he remained nearly two years. On his way home he contracted the cholera at New Orleans, and died at Natchez.

Mr. Chestnut was known as a worthy citizen, and for some time a class leader in the M. E. Church. His widow remained at Red Rock till very recently, when she went to Missouri with one of her sons.

Transcribed by Mary E. Boyer, 12/06, reformatted by Al Hibbard 12 Oct 2013.