Chapter Ten

EARLY OSKALOOSA - COUNTY SEAT CONTEST OTHER FACTS LEADING UP TO DATE OF INCORPORATION AS A CITY.

The act of the legislature authorizing the organization of Mahaska county, appointed three impartial commissioners from outside of its territory to visit the new county in the spring of 1844 and decide the question of locating the county seat.

This court was composed of Jesse Williams, of Johnson county, Ebenezer Perkins, of Washington county, and Thomas Henderson, of Keokuk county. These gentlemen were each paid at the rate of two dollars per day for their services. Three locations claimed the attention of the commissioners.

First, the geographical center of the county, about two and one-half miles north of Oskaloosa. It was rather an inviting location, only a little north of the ridge marking the divide between the Des Moines and the Skunk rivers.

Second, Auburn, a village which had been laid out at the head of Six Mile bottom, which extends six miles along the river, some miles beyond where Beacon is now located. This village had been platted a short time before in hope of securing the county seat. The advocates of this site were firm in the belief that the lack of timber on the open prairies would prevent them from being settled for several generations and that this location near the river which was then the only highway of the county would be the center of popuiation in the county.

Third, The Narrows, meaning the narrowest point in the ridge forming the watershed between the two rivers. The timber from each stream almost joined at this point and left only this elevated ridge uniting the two prairies, one southeast and the other northwest. Before the prairies were settled the traveler could see this high ridge for fifteen or twenty miles. This was a great highway of travel between the Mississippi river and Fort Des Moines and on to the far west. There was at that time two cabins within the limits of the original city plat. One was the residence of Perry Crossman and wife and Mrs. Crossman's mother, Mrs. Jones, with her two sons, George W. and John W. Jones, and daughter Sarah, now Mrs.McWilliams, who is still a resident of Oskaloosa. The commissioners were entertained at the Crossman-Jones home and when they had carefully examined the three places desiring the county seat they returned to this cabin to compare notes and announce their decision. This decision bears date of May 11, 1844, a copy of which is as follows:

"Territory of Iowa, Mahaska County, May 11, 1844.

"The undersigned, Commissioners appointed by the Thirteenth Section of an act entitled, 'An Act to Organize the Counties of Keokuk and Mahaska,' after being duly qualified agreeable to the provisions of said Act, have come unanimously to the conclusion to locate the County Seat of said County, and do hereby locate said County Seat on the southeast quarter of Section Thirteen (13), in Township Seventy-five (75) of Range Sixteen (16).

"JESSE WILLIAMS"
"THOMAS HENDERSON"
"EBENEZER PERKINS"

The beautiful name of the seat of justice of Mahaska County was originally spelled Ouskaloosa. The name is associated in Indian history with a Creek princess. The Seminoles had made war upon the Creeks and destroyed their entire body of warriors and taken captive their families. Among these prisoners was an attractive and beautiful princess who finally became the wife of Osceola, a chief of the Seminoles, and he gave her the name of Ouskaloosa, meaning "The Last of the Beautiful."

The three Commissioners recommended the name of Ouskaloosa for the new County Seat. But owing to a difference of opinion on the part of the citizens of the county, they left the name of the new county to be settled by the County Commissioners. Quite a number of persons preferred the name Mahaska for the proposed town. The County Commissioners were A. S. Nichols, Robert Curry and Wilson Stanley. At their first meeting, May 14, 1844, Wm. D. Canfield, disliking the name Mahaska, requested the Commissioners to make choice of another name. M. T. Williams, who was Clerk of the Board, proposed Oskaloosa. There were a number of persons present and the sentiment of all was taken. A large majority favored the name suggested by Mr. Williams, whereupon we find the following entry made· by the Clerk:
"Ordered, By the Board, that Oskaloosa shall be the name of the Seat of Justice of Mahaska County."

We are not told just why the name of this beautiful princess should have been in the minds of so many at that time. When Mr. Williams, anglicised the word he left out the letter "u" and gave us the full, rounded, euphoneous name which is an inspiration to anyone who has ever been a citizen of Mahaska County. May its streets and homes and the lives of its people grow in beauty until the stranger who lingers but a short time within our borders will always think of this city as Oskaloosa, the Beautiful.

We are told that Wm. D. Canfield had built a cabin on his claim near where Seibel's mill now stands, in the spring of 1844, there being at that time a flowing spring in the draw which slopes to the southwest. While Mr. Canfield's home was not in the original plat of the city, it was the first cabin erected within the present. city limits of Oskaloosa. The quarter section chosen by the locating commissioners as above described had been staked off by torchlight on the morning of May I, 1843, by John Montgomery. John White had claimed the quarter section just north of town, and Felix Gessford had a half section just east. This claim was sold to A. G. Phillips and included most of what is now East Oskaloosa. Mr. J ames Seevers had a claim just southeast of the Narrows. Mrs. T. G. Phillips tells us in her well written reminiscences of Mahaska county that when Mr. Seevers learned that the commissioners had chosen the Narrows as the location he threw up his hat and exclaimed: "Proud Mahaska!" thus giving rise to that expression.

The town of Oskaloosa was laid out by David Stump, the county surveyor, and Thomas Fansher, father of A. J. Fansher, carried the chain for him. A day in June was selected for the public sale of lots. There was strong opposition from the settlers out at Six Mile and the lot sale was a failure. After sacrificing several lots the commissioners stopped the sale and delegated to M. T. Williams the authority to dispose of them at private sale. When a sale was made Mr. Williams gave simply a certificate of sale with the guarantee of a deed when the board should obtain a title to the grounds from the United States. The records show that the lots sold from five to fifty dollars. The commissioners records give a very complete report in Mr. Williams own hand of this sale for the year 1845. The highest price paid for any one lot was fifty-six dollars.

Lot 5, Block 19, where the Downing House now stands, was sold June 9, 1844, to Harmon Davis for forty-one dollars. The election of this year entered largely into the county seat question, the Six Mile settlers working vigorously to have the location moved. Candidates were nominated according to their views on the question of location. The result of-the election was so large a majority in favor of Oskaloosa that the question of location was forever settled.

Gradually the town grew. Cabins multiplied rapidly. Streets and roads were laid out. Saw mills were soon in the neighborhood and ran night and day to supply the demand for native lumber. Frame buildings began to appear among the rough log cabins. Charles Purvine built and opened the first tavern on the Downing House lot in the late fall of 1844. W. D. Canfield had entertained guests some months before, but his house was of short duration. The "Canfield" House was located where the Bashaw livery stable now stands. It is said of this house that its proprietor was at times under the necessity of going out among the settlers and borrowing a supply of stores for his pantry until his goods should arrive from the river. Borrowing was a necessity of the times and no one hesitated to loan, even to the last quart of meal. At the time the town was located there were but few trees on the quarter section named. Tall prairie grass covered the surface everywhere. It was provided on the plat of the original survey that a public square should be reserved near the center of the quarter section on which the county' seat was located. The square was surrounded by a fence. Later different individuals planted· trees in the square and as a matter of local pride took care of them until their growth was assured.

Dr. Crowder says he distinctly remembers while going with his mother from the square northwest to where the old normal school building now stands they came on to a spotted fawn near the path, which bounded away and hid itself in the tall grass.

Mr. Micajah T. WilIiams built the first frame dwelling in Oskaloosa in r845, doing the work with his own hands. It was located at the corner where the postoffice building now stands. To this home in the fall of that year he took his young bride, Miss Virginia R. Seevers, a sister of the late Judge W. H. Seevers.

Few names are more closely identified with the history of Oskaloosa than the name of Micajah T. Williams. He was a graduate of the Ohio law school at Cincinnati, and was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-two. He came to Mahaska county in December, 1843, and as has been stated, was associated with William Edmundson, the first sheriff in the organization of the county. In 1846 he was one of the locating commissioners to locate the county seat of Polk county. One of the three commissioners failed to appear, and another, a Mr. Pinneo, was taken sick while making the necessary observations, and the task of completing the work fell upon Mr. Williams. When the stakes had been driven fixing the site, Mr. Williams said to the company of men about him, "Gentlemen, I have not only located the county seat of Polk county, but I have fixed upon the site of the future capital of the state." It is said that the crowd went wild with enthusiasm and carried him about the village on their shoulders. The sequel of that prophecy shows how well Mr. Williams had studied Iowa. In the fall of 1854 he was elected to the State Legislature and again in 1861 he served the county in the same capacity with marked ability. Mr. Williams was a friend of education. His name appears as a member of the board of trustees of Oskaloosa College. The merest sketch of his life would require a chapter.He died in Oskaloosa, the city which delighted to do him honor, on Sunday, January 15, 1884, and he rests in Forest cemetery.

Baxter B. Berry built the first brick house in Oskaloosa. It is still standing on North First street, just south of the Christian church. In the year 1848 Mr. W. T. Smith purchased the place for four hundred and fifty dollars. Himself and wife began housekeeping in Oskaloosa in this home in 1849. Mr. Smith has been a prominent figure in the development of all the enterprises of the city and county until the year 1894, when he went to make his home at Des Moines. He was elected prosecuting attorney of the county in 1848 and the first mayor of the city in 1853, and filled that office a number of terms in after years. He was a liberal subscriber to and one of the chief promoters of Oskaloosa College, as the records show; was president two years of the Iowa Central Railroad, and in all like enterprises his name appears as an unselfish promoter.

So far as we have been able to learn, the chief business houses in Oskaloosa in about 1850 were as follows:

General Stores- Street Brothers; Wm. S. Dart; E. Perkins and Phillips & Moreland.
Dry Goods- H. Temple & ,Co., Jones & Young.
Tailors- M. Baldwin, James S. Chew, R. C. Campfield and Currier & Company.
Boots and Shoes- Wise & Matthews and J. M. Whitney.
Saddlers- W. S. Edgar and J. D. Fletcher.
Eagle Hotel
Jewelry- Santler & Co.
Wagon Maker- J.W. Rodgers
Gunsmith- T. Schriver & Co.
Stoves and Tinware- B. Goodrich
Furniture- B. D. Perkey

The principal lawyers were M. T. Williams, A. L. Crookham, Wm. T. Smith, John R. Needham, Wm. H. Seevers, Eastman & Skiff and A. M. Cassady.

The physicians were C. G. Owen, N. Henton, A. Baker, E. VV. Hyde and W. Weatherford.

Steps were taken in December, 1851, to establish city government. Attorney E. W. East man, afterward lieutenant-governor, presented a petition from the citizens to the county court requesting a special election at which the citizens might be permitted to vote for or against incorporation. The election was ordered and held December 27, 1851. There were sixty-three ballots cast "for incorporation" and sixty-one "against incorporation At an election held January 3, 1852, E. VV. Eastman, John R. Needham, A. S. Nichols, W. H. Seevers and M. T. Williams were chosen to prepare a charter. For some reason this committee did not act, and at the request of Wm. Loughridge, Judge Crookham ordered another special election held on May 28, 1853, to select persons to prepare a charter. The records show the following report of this election:

"OSKALOOSA May 30, 1853.
"Now comes S. A. Rice, one of the clerks appointed to conduct an election in the village of Oskaloosa for the election of three resident voters of said village to prepare a charter or articles of incorporation for the said village to become a city, holden on the 28th day of May, 1853, and files a return of said election, by which it appears that M. T. Williams, S. A. Rice and Wm. Loughridge were elected by the voters of said village to prepare said charter or articles of incorporation for said village to become a city, and it is thereupon ordered that the clerk of this court, notify said officers of their election, and it is furthermore ordered that they prepare said charter or articles of incorporation and present them to this court on or before the next regular term of this court.
"J. A. L. CROOKHAM
County Judge."

On the 17th day of June the charter was presented to the court, and submitted to the people on the 28th, when it was almost unanimously ratified.

The first city election was ordered to be held July 2, 1853.

The charter under which the city was organized defined the city limits, provided that its council should be composed of a mayor and two aldermen from each of the four wards into which the city was divided, provided for elections and named the powers and duties of the city officers.

On July 12, 1853, a meeting of the officers of the city was called at the office of W. T. Smith, at which time Mayor Smith was duly qualified by Judge Crookham and the council was organized and held their first session as the law making power of the new city. At this time Oskaloosa had a population of about twelve hundred. The city government of the city of Oskaloosa became effective July 2, 1853, with the following city fathers in charge:

Mayor- William T.Smith.
Marshal- Isaac Kalbach
Clerk- William Loughridge
Treasurer- James Edgar

Councilmen-
First ward- J. M. Dawson, R. R. Harbour
Second ward- I. N. Cooper, E. W. Eastman
Third ward- Tobias Leighton, Smith E. Stevens
Fourth ward- E. M. Wells, Henry Temple

Isaac Kalbach came to Oskaloosa in May, 1851, coming from Pennsylvania, a cabinetmaker by trade. He is the head of the well known Kalbach family and one of our much esteemed citizens. A majority of the years of his residence in Oskaloosa Mr. Kalbach has been in the lumber business.

William Loughridge was a young attorney of excellent ability who had recently come to Oskaloosa. In 1855 he was elected mayor of the city, and the year following he was chosen state senator. Later he served as judge of the Sixth judicial district and in 1866 he was elected by the republicans as representative in congress, in which body he served three years, where his ability won for him a wide reputation. James Edgar was one of the early settlers of Cedar township.

The young city is now full fledged and has entered the race for supremacy and usefulness in the peerless commonwealth of the west. We will study its growth in another chapter.