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ANNALS OF IOWA
VOL. VIII. IOWA CITY, JANUARY, 1870. NO. 1.
RECOLLECTION OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT
OF NORTHWESTERN IOWA
BY N. LEVERING, MECKLIN, MO
(Continued)
By an act of the congress of 1854-5, a United States
land office was located at this place (Sioux City), and was opened for pre-emptions
on the 22d day of October, 1855. Dr. S. P. Yomans was appointed register, and
Gen. Andrew Leach, receiver. On the 20th day of May, 1856, congress passed an
appropriation bill granting every alternate section of government land for the
building of the Dubuque and Sioux City railroad, and on the 5th of July
following, the survey was commenced at Sioux City, and running east. This
enterprise lent additional interest and gave a new impetus to the settlement of
the northwest, and more especially to Sioux City. In July of the same year,
Messrs. Plummer and Flag (if I mistake not) built the first steam saw mill ever
built in Woodbury county. It was located at the mouth of Perry creek. This
important enterprise added in a wonderful degree, to the growth and prosperity
of the town and surrounding country. The mill was subsequently purchased by
Messrs. Sanborn and Folet, who were men of energy and enterprise. They soon
added to their mill a lath and shingle machine, and in 1858 erected a grist mill
with two run of stone, near the mouth of Floyd river, in south Sioux City. This
was the first mill of the kind built in Woodbury county. By the 1st of December
of this year (1856) there were about one hundred neat and comfortable dwellings
in the city, seven dry goods stores, two clothing stores, one tin and stove
store, and one grocery and drug store. The members of the bar at that time were,
John Currier, A. W. Hubbard, S. T. Davis, N. C. Hudson, and H. I. Brown. Hon. S.
Riddle, of Council Bluffs, presided as district judge. This judicial district
extended from Pottawattamie county, north to the state line, a distance of about
two hundred miles, and east about one hundred miles. The first court held in
Sioux City in 1856, was held in the barroom of the "Desmoines House,"
kept by Jacob Osterling, a German.
The first sermon preached in Sioux City, if I have been
correctly informed, was by a Rev. Mr. Black, of the Methodist church, in 1855,
in the bar-room of what is known as the "Hays House," on the levy,
then occupied by the proprietors, Benner and Bros., as a hotel. At that time
morals were at a low ebb in Sioux City, for it is said that when brother Black
came to our city to break the bread of life and set up the kingdom of God, satan
came also, and set his up in the other end of the bar-room, by some of his
disciples, under the influence of the devil's tea, and who irreverently indulged
in the luxury of a game of seven-up during divine service.
The winter of 1856-7 was one of great severity, and
will be long remembered by the early settlers of the northwest. On the 2d and 3d
days of December, one of the most terrific snowstorms that ever blew out of the
heavens, swept over that section of the country, hurling snow into every crack
and crevice that air could penetrate, and into drifts of fifteen and twenty feet
in depth, burying cattle, sheep, and other stock, so deeply that hundreds
perished from the extreme cold. On the 7th day of February following, another
severe snow storm nearly equal to the one of the 2d and 3d of December, added
much to the distress of many of the settlers of the northwest, as but few were
prepared for it. The snow was now about four feet on the level, which completely
hemmed in some settlers who were living remote from the more populous portions
of the country, and whose stock of provisions gave out before it was possible to
get more. Some killed their cattle and subsisted upon them for days after their
flour and meal had given out, whilst others lived upon parched corn. A Mr.
Guilliams and family, who in the fall of 1856 built a cabin in Big Sioux river
valley, in Plymouth county, about sixteen miles from Sioux City, suffered much.
After they had consumed the last of their flour, Mr. Guilliams set out for Sioux
City to procure more, arriving there one day and returning the next to his
starving family with a sack of flour for which he paid $10.00, and carried it
the entire distance on his back. By the time this sack of flour was consumed the
snow had increased in depth, and Mr. Guilliams and wife were so afflicted with
scurvy that it was impossible to obtain more; they were now compelled to resort
to some means to supply the keen demands of appetite, which was now making an
urgent demand. A poor cow, high of bones and low of flesh, was selected as the
dernier resort, and slaughtered for the occasion, and upon whose flesh they
subsisted for a number of days, until other provisions could be obtained. Their
fire-wood gave out, and being some distance from timber they were not able to
procure more; the weather was very severe,—intensely cold. After consuming all
wood in their reach they attacked the walls of their cabin by chopping and
splitting blocks from the logs; in this manner they obtained wood sufficient to
cook their beef, keeping their beds a greater portion of the day to avoid
freezing. Thus the dreary winter,—
"Like the wounded snake,
Drew its slow length along."
When early in the spring a friend from Sioux City (Mr.
Mills, I think) passed that way, and good Samaritan-like relieved their wants.
This is only one instance out of many of the same character, that occurred in
northwestern Iowa during that winter.
In the month of March, 1857, when the snow rapidly
disappeared, the streams were swollen out of their banks. So high were the
Missouri and Floyd rivers, that they came together in what is now called south
Sioux City, not far from where the Presbyterian church now stands. It was about
this time that it was discovered that the mad waters of the Missouri were
encroaching upon the grave of Sergeant Floyd (who was buried about two miles
below Sioux City, on Floyd's bluff), and likely to precipitate the grave and its
contents into its turbid bosom. A meeting of the citizens of Sioux City was at
once called, and a committee appointed to repair to the grave at once, and
secure all that remained earthly of Sergeant Floyd. Said committee consisted of
N. Levering, chairman, Hon. M. F. Moore, Dr. S. P. Yeomans, George Ware, and J.
M. White. The committee, together with a large number of citizens, repaired to
the grave which was on Floyd's bluff, about two miles below Sioux City. This
bluff is about two hundred feet high, commanding a view for many miles of the
surrounding country in Iowa, Nebraska and Dakota. When the committee arrived
they found, much to their regret, that the mad, and rushing waters beneath had
robbed the grave of part of its contents. Until then he had slumbered for over a
half century, where he had been laid by his companions and brother soldiers, far
from fond and loving hearts near and dear, in a howling wilderness, the abode of
savage beasts and still more savage men, where naught was heard save the
war whoop of the brawny savage, the howl of the wolf or the croak of the raven.
Until then, the green grass had waved and flowers bloomed upon his silent abode.
For more than fifty long years had the autumn leaves rustled, and fragrant
flowers drooped and withered o'er his grave; the chilling winter winds howled a
sad requiem, and the turbid waters of the Missouri murmured by, and no one
visited the last resting-place of the brave adventurer, save the red warrior or
the dark-eyed Indian maiden, who would turn aside to gaze or perchance drop a
tear upon the grave of the pale face brave, as they would recall to mind with a
sigh the relative or lover who may have in like manner been stricken down by the
mighty hand of the Great Spirit, in a strange land, far from those he loved.
By much labor, and danger of being precipitated into
the abyss below, we succeeded in securing all that the muddy waters beneath had
left, which were the skull, lower jaw, one thigh and one shin, with quite a
number of smaller bones, together with relics of the coffin. The bones had
suffered but little from decay. In order to arrive at some conclusion as to the
probable stature of Sergeant Floyd, the writer of this sketch made an accurate
measurement of a portion of the bones secured. The skull measured twenty-one and
a half inches in circumference, the thigh eighteen and three-fourth inches in
length, the chin bone fifteen and one-fourth inches, and the other bones in
proportion; he must have been six feet six or seven inches
high. The remains thus secured were taken in
charge by the committee, for re interment. The coffin in which he was placed
appeared to have been made with small oak slabs split out and set up on end
around the corpse, and covered with the same material. The red cedar post that
stood at the head of the grave, placed there by the hands of his comrades to
mark the spot and point out to the traveler in after years, where slumber the
ashes of the brave explorer, had slid into the river; it was as sound as it was
the day it was placed there. It had been whittled down until it was no larger
than a walking stick, by travelers anxious to preserve a relic of the grave of
Floyd. According to a published account some years since, a piece of this post
was carried to London by an English traveler, and placed in the museum there to
perpetuate the memory of Floyd. On the 28th day of May, 1857, the remains of
Sergeant Floyd were re-interred, with appropriate ceremonies, on the same bluff,
within two hundred yards of where they had formerly rested. They were placed in
a neatly finished coffin, six feet seven or eight inches in length. A large
concourse of people were present to witness the funeral ceremonies. Capt. James
B. Todd, late of the U. S. army, officiated as marshal, under whose direction a
procession was formed at 2 o'clock p. m., in front of the U. S. land office. The
coffin was draped with the stars and stripes; the pall bearers were eight, seven
of whom represented seven different states; they were, W. Craft, of Virginia; T.
Griffy, Kentucky; L. Kennerly, Missouri; W. H. Levering, Indiana; N. Levering,
Ohio; D. W. Scott, of the U. S. army (the other names not now remembered). The
coffin was borne at the head of the procession, which was marched to the levee
where the steamboat "Lewis Burns" was in waiting to carry all that
could get aboard down to Floyd's bluff. Many went in carriages, &c., the
boat not being able to take all. Arriving at the bluff the grave was found in
readiness, when Capts. Todd and Scott, W. H. Levering and W. Craft, lowered the
coffin into the grave. Impressive funeral services were then performed by the
Rev. Thomas Chestnut, of Illinois, after which an oration was delivered upon the
occasion by Hon. M. F. Moore, of Sioux City, Iowa. The address was very
appropriate, able and eloquent, and reflected much credit upon the honorable
gentleman Steps were then taken to erect a monument over the grave of Floyd, out
of American marble, which I am sorry to say was never consummated. I trust it
will yet be done at no distant day by the good citizens of Sioux City, to mark
the grave and point out to the traveler the spot where now slumber the ashes of
the only man of Lewis and Clark's expedition who died during their long and
tedious journey of three years up the Missouri river, and of the first white man
who was buried in the northwestern country.
(To be continued.)
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