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

Part II, Chapter III

Lake Prairie Township - Its Geography and Early History - Names of first Settlers - Wellington Nossaman -
Stump Mill - Pottery - Col. Alley - Shooting Affray - The Mathewses -
First Birth - Wm. Welch - Keokuk, Iowa - An Adventure

Lake Prairie township consists of township 77, range 18, and all of townships 75 and 76, range 18, north of the Des Moines river. It is bounded on the north by Jasper county, on the east by Mahaska county, on the south by Clay township, with the Des Moines river as its boundary line, and on the west by Polk and Summit.

The principal streams that run through it are Skunk river and Thunder creek. Skunk river runs through the northeast corner of the township, entering at section six, and after pursuing a meandering course, leaves it at about thirteen. This stream is very crooked, and the numerous ponds and bayous that have been caused by the changes of its channel, making reservoirs of stagnant water, has rendered the neighborhood somewhat noted for ague. Thunder creek rises in Summit, runs through the north half of Lake Prairie, and empties into Skunk on the east line of the couuty. There are several smaller streams not named on the map, from which we obtain much of our information about the geography of the township.

This Township is well timbered along the larger streams, and the land there is more or less hilly, but beautifully undulating on the upland prairies.

No extensive coal mines have been opened.

Lake Prairie was originally what was called Lake Precinct, but in January, ‘46, the north half of it (township 77, range 18) was declared a township and called Jefferson, and the place of holding election was at the house of Richard Everwine. At the same time the south half was called Lake, with the place of election at Wilson Stanley’s on Lake Prairie. [For an account of such changes as took place in its southern boundary, see history of Clay.] But by a special act of the State Legislature, during the winter of ‘47-8, both of these townships were constituted one township and called Lake Prairie. This name was taken from the long lake extending two miles below Amsterdam, between which and the river lies an extensive and beautiful prairie.* This lake, judging from its size and appearance, was at some remote period, the channel of the river, and extended so as to intersect with it at each end; but since, by the accumulation of ice or other drift at the upper end, the water was forced to cut a new channel, a large part of the old one has been gradually filling up by the washings of freshets and the earth that has been brought down from the uplands by rains, through successive ages, and forest trees are now growing over the abandoned channel.

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*On this prairie were once a couple of beautiful springs that were resorted to by the Indians of the village near by, and attracted the attention of the settlers by their peculiar appearance and character. They were from ten to fifteen feet wide, and one of them of unknown depth, filled with a very light sediment, through which no solid bottom could be reached by sounding with the longest poles. The water would rise and fall, and from the subterranean depths would occasionally come a sound resembling thunder. The Indians called it Thunder Spring.
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Most prominent among those who first settled in this township, are Wellington and Levi Nossaman, William and John Welsh, Wilson Stanley, George Gillaspy, Green T. Clark, Thomas Tuttle, John B. and Robert Hamilton, James L. Warren, Asa and Jasper Koons, John Gillaspy, John and William George, William Cayton, Ose Mathews, (who afterwards settled in Red Rock), William Bainbridge and Jacob C. Brown. We have been able to obtain biographical sketches of a few of these which will now be given, together with their experiences in pioneer life.

Wellington Nossaman was born in Monroe county, Va., in 1817. At the age of two years was taken by his parents to Pike county, Ky.; in ‘32 moved to Marion county, Ind.; in ‘42 came to Jefferson county, Iowa; was married on the 17th of March; came to this county in April, ‘43, and made a claim in the south part of the township.

Here Mr. N. lived in a pole shanty, roofed with bark, that had been hastily put up for a temporary shelter, till a better building could be provided on his claim and a patch of corn planted. During this time Mrs. W. and Levi Nossaman were the only women in the settlement.

In the fall of ‘43, John B. Hamilton built the first house proper, a round log cabin, intended for something more than temporary use; and Mr. Nossaman built the next one immediately afterwards.

At this early date the difficulty of obtaining breadstuffs induced Mr. N., in connection with Wm. Welch, to put up what they called a stump mill, to grind corn. It was constructed to run by horse power, and when in motion the entire mill turned on a pivot under the burrs. It was capable of grinding about one bushel of corn per hour, and supplied quite a demand in the settlement. During the same year (‘46) and at the same place they also established a horse-power saw-mill, and manufactured the first lumber in the county north of the river. In addition to these temporary, though valuable enterprises, they erected a pottery there, and manufactured some pretty good ware. The remains of the pottery are still visible four mile south of Pella. In after years Mr. Nossaman, in connection with Joseph Porter, built the first steam saw-mill in Pella, which was also the first machinery in the county run by steam. His lime kiln, four miles south of Pella, was, perhaps, the first permanent establishment of the kind in the county.

He also kept a store there, on his farm, known in the neighborhood as “the one-horse store.” During the flood of ‘51 he erected a temporary grist mill, that was run by a band from an armed upright shaft, and ground eight bushels of corn per day. This mill was run day and night for six weeks, to supply the demand till the flood abated. In ‘53 Mr. N. purchased the Franklin House, in Pella, and kept hotel and a mercantile establishment in it at the same time, for about two years.

Previous to the organization of the county, Mr. Nossaman attended court at Oskaloosa, where he assisted to build the first court house of Mahaska county, and was one of the first grand jurors of that county court. In ‘45 he was elected to the office of coroner of this county, and, by virtue of that office, acted as high sheriff during the absence of the sheriff elect. In ‘46 or ‘47 he was appointed deputy assessor, and was the first person that assessed the Holland colony.

The first justice elected in Lake Prairie was William Bainbridge, and Wellington Nossaman was the first constable. The first election came off on Lake Prairie, at the house of Mr. Bainbridge, about half a mile above the crossing now known as Durham’s ford or ferry, near the locality of an Indian village called Keokuk’s town, consisting of forty or fifty huts.

The first lawyer resident in the county was John W. Alley, more commonly known as Colonel Alley. Of his history previous to his settlement on Lake Prairie, we have been able to obtain no particulars. He immigrated from Indiana, and settled at the place above mentioned at an early date, after which he moved to Red Rock and from thence to Afton, Union county, where he died.

His reputation as an attorney was so good that he was constantly employed, and scarcely a case came upon trial in the Des Moines valley, within the bounds of the county, that the Colonel was not employed to pettifog for one side or the other and such was his popularity that it was supposed that whoever was lucky enough to secure his services was pretty sure of success in spite of justice. But, like many engaged in the profession, he was not scrupulous as to the means of winning a case, especially if the case chanced to be a difficult one, which was very frequent. At such times he would flatter the justice by language like this: “Now, in addressing a gentleman of your discernment and intelligence, it is scarcely necessary to remind you,” etc., and then proceed to quote the law of some other State provided he could find none among our own statutes that could be construed favorably to his client. It is related that one of the justices’ dockets contained the record of the decision of a case in something like this style: “I have examined this case pro and con. Colonel Alley knows all about it, and says it is so and so, and I believe it is,” and rendered his decision accordingly. Apparently the Colonel had been giving the justice some private counsel.

During his residence in this township the Colonel had some trouble with the Koonses in relation to a claim at the lower end of White Breast prairie, and was fired upon and slightly wounded in the arm, one night, as he was on his way home. Having ascertained the person of his intended assassin, he ambushed himself near the disputed claim, and awaited the appearance of Jasper Koons, who was hauling rails. When his intended victim hove in sight and was within easy range, the Colonel fired and the bullet knocked the ox whip off the fellow’s shoulder. Soon after this a compromise was effected, and Koons surrendered the claim on the receipt of a stipulated sum.

A few more instances might be related in which the Colonel was more or less concerned, but, as they transpired in Red Rock, they will more properly appear in the history of that township.

Among those mentioned in the list of early settlers, who took claims on the first of May, ‘43, was Ose Matthews and his families, consisting of Drs. Reuben and Homer Matthews, Simpson B., Warren, and Ose, Jr., together with George Reynolds and Ray Alfrey, sons-in-law.

Ose Matthews, Sr. was born in Massachusetts, March 14, 1784; moved to Troy, N. Y., - date not remembered - where he resided several years; thence to Lake county, Ohio, in 1817; thence to White Pigeon Prairie in ‘37; thence to Iowa, and stopped below Old Agency in ‘42; thence to Lake Prairie in ‘43, and settled there at the time above stated. In ‘46 or ‘47 they sold out to the Hollanders, and Mr. Mathews settled again a short distance above Red Rock village, in what is now Union township. After living here about a year he went to Red Rock village, where he lived with his son Simpson several years, till the latter went west, when he made his home with his son-in-law, George Reynolds, in Summit township, till he died, Dec. 20, 1865.

The most important event connected with this family during their residence on Lake Prairie, was the birth of a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Alfrey, Jan. 18, ‘44, being the first white child born in the county north of the Des Moines river. She was called Amanda Lenora. She is now married, and lives in Des Moines.

What further relates to the Matthews and Alfreys will be found in the history of Red Rock.

Among those whose names are more or less identified with the early history of Marion county is William Welch, at present a citizen of Pella. As such, his biography deserves a place among these pages.

Mr. Welch was born in the little villiage of Huntsville, on the Yadkin river, N. C., Jan. 1st., 1800, being a little more than seventy-two years of age at this present writing. Went to Wilkes county, same State - date not mentioned - and from thence to Richmond, Indiana, in 1827; thence to Macbonaugh, Illinois, in ‘31; from thence, in consequence of the breaking out of the Black Hawk war, he, together with many other settlers, went further south, leaving their claims and some other property for whoever might succeed them. Then, in ‘36, Mr. W. immigrated to Iowa, and settled at what is now Bonaparte, Van Buren county. At that time the territory was under the political jurisdiction of Wisconsin, and was known only by that name. Here Mr. W. (being a potter by trade), erected the first pottery in the territory, the slight remains of which may still be seen in that locality. At one time during his residence there he was also employed as recorder, and was compelled to find his own stationery, which, owing to its exorbitant price and difficulty of obtaining it from a distance, together with his own extreme poverty, he finally supplied himself with it at considerable sacrifice. Then it was after much delay and difficulty that he obtained only a part of his fees for this service.

In 1844, Mr. Welch came to Lake Prairie, and settled in the timber, about four miles south of the present site of Pella. Here in connection with Mr. Nossaman, as already stated in this chapter, he erected a pottery and a mill in the locality In 1845, Mr. W. was elected to the office of County Commissioner, in which office he served one year. See chapter IX.

During the first year of settlement, parties of Indians were frequently seen passing and repassing along their long frequented route up and down the Des Moines valley, visiting the trading houses and returning to their villages. These villages were little better than mere camps, consisting of huts and tents built without any regularity for streets of alleys, each family putting up their portable dwelling on whatever locality best suited their taste or convenience. Hunting and fishing were the principal occupations of the inhabitants of these villages; and should game become scarce in the neighborhood of a village, the people could easily gather up their houses and load them, with all their baggage on ponies, and dogs and women, and move to some more plentiful locality, leaving no traces of the deserted town, except a few stakes and poles that had made the scanty frame work of their huts.

Only one village was known to be located in the county, which was the one already mentioned in this chapter, called Keokuk’s town. It was on Lake Prairie, near Durham’s ford. Whether it was at any time the residence of the renowned chief is not known, for the place was abandoned soon after the whites began to settle in the neighborhood. But it is quite probable that he had some thing to do with its location, and possibly made it his head-quarters. The remains of this village were noticeable some time after it was taken away.*

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*During the residence of the Indians at this villiage, the chief Appanoose was there at one time; and the wife of Dr. Ober, a settler, and a lady of much refinement, desiring to have a conversation with the “big Ingin,” opened it by asking him what disease Wappalo died of. Appanoose could speak some plain English, but not being acquainted with the technical terms of polite society, he promptly answered her in language that meant “diarrhea,” but that brought a blush to the fair cheek of the lady, and indisposed her to continue the conversation.
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Notwithstanding the generally friendly disposition manifested by the Indians toward the earlier settlers, it is apparent that they harbored a feeling of jealousy toward those who had come into the territory previous to the time stipulated in the treaty. Yet, restrained perhaps by fear of punishment, they made no demonstrations calculated to lead to an open rupture. The only instance of the kind, showing a resentment that their savage natures prompted them to gratify, had they dared do so, occurred as follows:

On or about the 7th of April, 1843, Green T. Clark, Robert Hamilton and Henry McPherson, with two or three others, all of whom had come into the neighborhood of Lake Prairie in search of a location, were encamped on the river near where the Curtis farm now is. They had been prospecting through the country, and on this occasion the company was divided, and the three above named persons went up the river whilst the others went in an opposite direction. Having wended their way some distance through the heavily timbered and comparatively trackless wilderness of the Des Moines bottom, in the direction of Red Rock, the approach of night warned them that it would be prudent to return to camp as speedily as possible.

But after they had begun to retrace their steps a party of Indians confronted them in the same narrow trail. Fearing some possible mischief for the savages, they changed front and commenced a retreat, though not by flight, keeping up Indian file order, thinking to avoid contact with them. But as they were descending a slight declivity, at the bottom of which was a pond of water, around which the path led, one of the Indians, who was about a hundred and fifty yards behind and a little above them, fired at them, and the bullet passed in such close proximity to their heads as to not only be very distinctly heard, but felt by the disturbance of the air, and struck in the water in front of them. Turning to see from whence the firing had come, they saw one of the savages running from the rank as though in pursuit of something, and then suddenly stop and search with apparent carefulness among the grass for the game he made believe he had killed. Evidently the villain had fired upon them for the purpose of killing or frightening them; and then, to avoid suspicion and escape the punishment he knew he deserved for the act, he performed the game farce with the cleverness of a professional actor. But our adventurers had neither the time nor disposition just then, to bring the culprit to account for his conduct. To avoid any further attentions from such cowardly assassins, required some haste and vigilance, and they soon succeeded, returning safely to camp that night.

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