Leading Events in Johnson County, Iowa

VOLUME I

This volume, containing an account of the leading events in the history of Johnson county, Iowa, is sent out with the hope that it will, in a measure, fill a long felt want. Heretofore the citizens of this fair county have had no permanent and adequate record of the struggles and trials of the early settlers. Nor has there been published heretofore in intelligent and condensed form a comprehensive history of the county. The publishers feel under obligation to the author, Professor Aurner, for the splendid work he has done in the writing and the compilation of this publication. In his work he had the hearty assistance and cooperation of many of those who came here in the early days. To all who have aided in this work our thanks are given. Especial mention must be made of the late Hon. Gilbert R. Irish, whose advice and counsel were of material assistance, and without whose contributions of early historical matter it would not have been possible to present this work in so complete a form. We beg leave to express the hope that the work will be found of interest and of value to all those at present in the county as well as to those who may make this place their home in the future.

 

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I.
PIONEER CONDITIONS 1

CHAPTER II.
TYPICAL PIONEERS AND PIONEER EXPERIENCES 18

CHAPTER III.
THE OLD SETTLERS - THEIR ORGANIZATION 42

CHAPTER IV.
THE INDIAN AND HIS CLAIMS 55

CHAPTER V.
COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT 62

CHAPTER VI.
THE ESTABLISHMENT AND ORGANIZATION OF TOWNSHIPS 81

CHAPTER VII.
EARLY EVENTS IN THE NEW CAPITAL OF THE TERRITORY 117

CHAPTER VIII.
THE INCORPORATED CITY 139

CHAPTER IX.
TOWNS AND TOWNSHIPS 157

CHAPTER X.
THE FIRST ROADS 170

CHAPTER XI.
FERRIES AND BRIDGES 186

CHAPTER XII.
STAGE ROUTES AND RAILROADS 205

CHAPTER XIII.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 236

CHAPTER XIV.
COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY BEGINNINGS 271

CHAPTER XV.
METHODIST CHURCHES 295

CHAPTER XVI.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES 311

CHAPTER XVII.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES 341

CHAPTER XVIII.
THE LUTHERAN AND UNITARIAN CHURCHES 349

CHAPTER XIX.
THE BAPTIST, CHRISTIAN, AND EPISCOPAL CHURCHES 360

CHAPTER XX.
THE CONGREGATIONAL AND UNITED BRETHREN CHURCHES 372

CHAPTER XXI.
OTHER RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS 383

CHAPTER XXII.
THE AMISH PEOPLE IN JOHNSON COUNTY 387

CHAPTER XXIII.
EARLY REVENUES AND REAL ESTATE 393

CHAPTER XXIV.
MILLS AND LIVE STOCK 413

CHAPTER XXV.
EARLY INDUSTRIES AND THE COUNTY FAIR 427

CHAPTER XXVI.
THE ENLARGED COMMERCIAL OUTLOOK 437

CHAPTER XXVII.
THE BANKS OF THE COUNTY 445

CHAPTER XXVIII.
RAILROADS BONDS - PUBLIC UTILITIES - COMPARING OF INDUSTRIES 458

CHAPTER XXIX.
THE EARLY COURTS - EARLY MARRIAGES 477

CHAPTER XXX.
THE COUNTY AGENT, THE COUNTY BUILDINGS, AND SOME DISTURBANCES IN WHICH MANY WERE CONCERNED 492

CHAPTER XXXI.
JOHNSON COUNTY IN THE CIVIL WAR 505

CHAPTER XXXII.
AT HOME AND IN THE FIELD 525

CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WARE AND THE G.A.R. REUNION 540

CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE NEWSPAPERS 556

CHAPTER XXXV.
ENTERTAINMENTS - LECTURES - LIBRARIES 569

CHAPTER XXXVI.
SOCIETIES AND CLUBS FOR SPECIAL STUDY 580

CHAPTER XXXVII.
FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS 598

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
THE COUNTY IN THE NATION AND STATE 617

CHAPTER XXXIX.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS - THE POOR AND DEPENDENT - JOHN BROWN - MIGRATIONS - AND THE STORM THAT KILLED JESS BERRY 649

REFERENCES AND NOTES 649

 

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VOLUME II

 

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Could the pioneers of the county be brought together from all the past and be heard at one time the topics of the conversation would probably fall upon the days of their arrival in this unsettled portion of the country called, soon after, Johnson county, Wisconsin territory. All the arrivals had the same experiences, if these are considered as those of "emigrants seeking a new home." They would tell practically the same story of the trip from the home in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, and possibly Maine, with a few from Virginia and Kentucky. They spent weeks in making the trip. They brought stock, driving the cattle along with the train of wagons, and leisurely making the journey with the intention of remaining when they finally reached their destination. It may have been that some of the "men folks" had come on in advance and made ready a log cabin, or it may have been, which is more likely, that some neighbor in the east had settled somewhere in this community and the family would take in one more until a cabin could be thrown together from the rough logs of the timber, which then was plentiful enough for such purposes.