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Audubon County |
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CHAPTER V.THE FIRST SETTLERS. (Cont'd)From History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915)
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THE JENKINSES.JOHN S. JENKINS At the Quaker Divide, near Winterset, Iowa, he fell in with Nathaniel Hamlin and his party, who were on their journey to settle in Audubon county. As stated elsewhere, the company arrived at Mr. Hamlin's claim on May 6. With him came his wife and children. He had three yoke of oxen, a cow and a horse. The next morning after the arrival at Hamlin's place he mounted his horse and rode over to the Nishua Botna river, to the site of the present town of Oakfield, where he selected a claim for his home near the "Big Spring," and near where the old school house at Oakfield used to stand. To mark out his claim he blazed a basswood tree and upon it wrote, "This is my claim," and signed his name to it. Soon after a party of men came there from down river about Indian Town or Lewis, among whom was one Jerry Bradshaw, who took a fancy to the same location and proceeded to blaze trees to mark out a claim. Mr. Jenkins soon learned about Bradshaw's operations and went to ascertain what he was doing. William Hamlin, who went with him, narrated the event many years ago. They were at first in doubt whether Bradshaw was attempting to "jump" "Uncle Johnny's" claim, but found where he had blazed trees on Jenkins's claim and soon discovered that he had cut down one of Jenkins's witness trees and thrown it into the river. This aroused the ire of "Uncle Johnny," who said to Mr. Hamlin: "This shows to me, sir, that they are not innocent progressors." Then they came to "Uncle Johnny's" blazed basswood, and found that Bradshaw had written beneath Jenkins's claim : "This is my claim and you had better get off." We shall have occasion to show later how Bradshaw was disposed of. Mr. Jenkins held his claim and soon built a cabin on it. This claim he sold in 1854 to Samuel B. Hopkins and it subsequently became the Hallock place and the town of Oakfield was located on part of it. Mr. Jenkins soon located in section 29 in what is now Exira township. At first he built another log cabin, later a commodious dwelling, which, if not the first, was among the earliest plastered houses in the county before 1865. This place he sold about 1870, and moved to near the present town of Brayton. He was a Kentuckian of the old school, a stern man, physically and morally, and of lofty sentiments; of the strictest integrity; honorable and trustworthy in every way. His word was reliable and always promptly defended and sustained. Nothing insulted him more than to dispute or cast doubt upon it. At the first election in the county, held at his cabin in April, 1855, he was one of the judges of election. A dispute arose between him and Walter Marsh over the candidates for county judge -- Daniel M. Harris and Thomas S. Lewis -- during which Marsh disputed his word and called him by a hard name. "Uncle Johnny" at once seized his rifle and took it down from the deer horns where it rested and attempted to shoot Marsh, but the bystanders prevented it. In a large sense, Jenkins was one of nature's noble men. His marked characteristics were worthy of record. His courage was undaunted; but he was kind, friendly and courteous. In a rude way, his utterances often approached remarkable poetic charm and force. His hospitality was of the peculiar, old-fashioned Kentucky style, always with an open welcome, and to offer recompense for entertainment, even by a stranger, was next to an insult -- never desired and almost sternly refused, if tendered. His book learning was deficient; he was evidently reared in the stern surroundings of pioneer life -- better acquainted with the methods of acquiring the necessaries of life than with the accomplishments of social enjoyment. In his younger days it was considered honorable for men to engage in contests for physical superiority, with only such power and advantages as nature provided and for the mere gratification of deciding who was the best man in a hand-to-hand fight. We have heard him relate taking part in such contests. His friends and admirers once desired to match him with a noted champion on a pubHc occasion for such a fight. He was then recovering from an illness and did not consider himself in condition for such a trial; but he was persuaded, against his judgment, made the fight, and was defeated. It wounded his pride and injured his reputation, and he decided to fit himself and fight the victor again. Another match was arranged at a general muster of the militia, and a long savage fight was pulled off, in which the combatants used every effort of skill known to such encounters, striking, grappling, wrestling, choking, gouging, etc. Mr. Jenkins won the victory and completely vanquished his antagonist. He added after relating the story: "But, my God, sir, how he gouged me! And my eyes have never been right since." The fact was noticeable that his eyes had been injured. Gouging, which was employed in such fights, consisted in the fighter forcing his thumb into the eye of his antagonist until sometimes the eye was forced from the socket. Barbarous and inhuman as this practice seems, such events were common in old times in Kentucky and elsewhere. A champion in such affairs was considered a popular, prominent citizen, and excited admiration. An old Kentucky favorite once remarked that in his youth every man was expected to be ready to fight at the drop of the hat, and "that unless he was a fighter the girls wouldn't have anything to say to him. That he was looked upon as a coward." What a marked evolution in public opinion on the subject exists today. After Mr. Bradshaw attempted to jump Mr. Jenkins's claim, his party made claim to some of the land claimed by Doctor Ballard. The settlers collected and proceeded to defend the rights of the Doctor. The meeting was on the Botna, in the timber, near the county line. The Doctor was present, addressed the meeting, and explained what he was doing and desired to do; that he proposed to become an actual settler and desired a good-sized estate, which he had selected, and was able to pay for it, when it came into market and requested protection, etc. Bradshaw and his party urged that the action of the Doctor was unfair; that he was asking too much; that it deprived others from settling there, and added that they had equal right to the land as much as the Doctor had; that they had selected some of the land chosen by the Doctor, and intended to settle on and hold it. This brought the matter to an issue. Mr. Jenkins, who was "captain" of the Settlers' Club, addressed the meeting and delivered an ultimatum. Said he: "Men, we think we understand you. Now, if you are for peace, we are for peace; but if you are for war, we are for war, by G__, sirs! Now, you get off from this land." It had the desired effect. None of the Bradshaw party settled on the land claimed by Doctor Ballard. The early settlers endured many hardships and privations. There was hardly such a thing as sawed lumber in the settlement, unless it was a wagon box or some article of furniture of that kind. Nearly everything, except food or clothing, required for use had to be hewed from the forest trees by hand work with axes, saws, etc., or had to be obtained from a distance. There were neither mills, workshops or stores here, and the nearest were many miles distant. The settlers ground corn, buckwheat, etc., in hand mills, or grated new corn as a substitute for meal. On one occasion, about 1852, the supply of flour and meal was at low ebb. Mr. Jenkins and Benjamin Hyatt took a load of corn and grain, with an ox team, and started for mill in Missouri. Their route was down the Botna, and on reaching Indian Town (near Lewis) they met a company of Mormons, who were suffering for breadstuff, who requested them to set a price on their grain, for they must have it. They sold the load at two dollars and a half a bushel and returned home, took another supply of grain and proceeded to the mill in Missouri. On arriving there they were told that there was a large amount of custom work ahead of them, and that their grist could not be ground for two weeks, but they persuaded the miller to grind it sooner. Jenkins once related that the Democrats here during war times prophesied that the "greenback" and United States bonds would become worthless, as continental money did in time of the Revolution. That he then had a few hundred dollars surplus money which he desired to invest for safe-keeping. He consulted the county judge, A. B. Houston, Esq., for advice, who recommended him to let the United States money alone and to invest in Audubon county warrants, then worth seventy-five cents on the dollar, saying that they would pay six per cent interest, and that he (Houston) would assist him in getting them cashed. Afterwards Mr. Houston was elected county treasurer, and occasionally Jenkins called on him and presented his warrants for payment; but there were always other demands for the county revenue, and the warrants were not paid during Houston's term of office, but were paid by his successor, Van Gorder. In mentioning the matter years afterward. "Uncle Johnny" remarked: "I think that 'App' (Mr. Houston) pulled the wool over my eyes." It does not appear that Mr. Jenkins made any profession of religion; but that he was liberal in religious matters. In 1865 Elder Richard C. Meek, a noted preacher in his day, and his wife visited at the home of Mr. Jenkins several months, and while there held family religious services evening and morning. At bedtime good "Aunty Meek" would bring the large Bible and place it before the elder, who would read a portion of Scripture and then offered a prayer, in which he suggested, "We know not that we shall live to see the light of another morning," etc. Next morning he returned thanks for protection through the night, and again referred to the uncertainty of life and recommended preparation for the future. This constant reference at prayer time to the uncertainty of life went on with continual monotony for weeks, to the annoyance of Mr. Jenkins, until one day the elder and "Uncle John" took a stroll together. The elder made the mistake of again introducing the unwelcome subject, and advising the propriety of preparation for the hereafter. "Uncle John" called a halt abruptly. Said he: "Elder Meek, if you are going to die, sir, why don't you die like a man, and not be dying every day of your life, like a d___ coward?" He was a life-long Democrat; was elected county judge in 1865 and held the office one year. We shall have occasion to notice other events in his career at other parts of this work. He died at Brayton on July 11, 1886, and his wife died on March 10, 1882. Their children were as follow: Benjamin Franklin married Maria Byrd and Josephine Gilbert, John Taylor married Darthula Rogers, Sarah Blauset married Lee L. Bartlett, Isaac Hughes married Clarissa Chase and Mollie Devine, Harriet married George Cannon, George Washington married Caroline Woody. Benjamin Franklin Jenkins (son of John S.), came to Audubon county with his father's family in 1851. He married, first, Maria Byrd. They were divorced, and she became Mrs. Joseph C. Yetzer, of Atlantic, Iowa. For his second wife he married Josephine Gilbert. He was a prominent farmer, and lived near Brayton, Iowa. He was a member of the board of supervisors. He died on December 24, 1887; his wife survived him and died later. To Benjamin and Josephine Jenkins were born these children: Olive, who married Clarence Keese Hallock; Charles W., who married Eva Walker; Hayden; Margaret, who married Charles Sykes; May, who married Ernest Cotton, and Pearl. John Taylor Jenkins (son of John S.), was born in Meade county, Kentucky, November 14, 1838. He married, in Audubon county, on January 19, 1865, Darthula, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Rodgers, who was born in Illinois. He came to Audubon county with his parents in 1851. He lived at home with his parents until he enlisted in the Second Iowa Battery on August 19, 1861, and served in the Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth Army Corps, under Generals Pope, McPherson, Sherman and Grant. He participated in the battles of Corinth, Vicksburg, Iuka and Tupelo, and was mustered out on September 4, 1864. Upon the organization of the Audubon county militia, the same year, he was elected second lieutenant of the Audubon Mounted Infantry company, which saw no service and became obsolete at the close of the war, the following year. Upon the return of peace, he became a prominent farmer near his former home, and is a large landowner. He was proprietor of the town of Brayton in 1879, and was a merchant in Brayton from 1879 to 1887, afterwards being a dealer and shipper of live stock. He was postmaster at Brayton. A life-long Republican, he has been an active worker in the party, and many times has been a delegate to Republican conventions. He has served as township clerk, township trustee, member of the school board and member of the board of supervisors. He has a fine home near Brayton and is the last survivor of the little company which first settled in Audubon county on May 6, 1851. He is a member of Pymosa Lodge No. 18, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Audubon Lodge No. 217, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Grand Army of the Republic. Mrs. Jenkins was a popular school teacher before marriage. Their children, born in Audubon county, are as follow: Jeanette, who married Horace M. Bartlett; Marion Elver, who married Mame Black, now deceased, and Frank Granger, who married Josephine Cypher. |
