Chapter III
The
original town of Chariton was a perfect square of 160 acres and cost $200. This whole area and much more had belonged by
right of possession and government treaty to the Sac and Fox Indians. They, poor, innocent children of the forest,
surrendered it to ‘The Great White Father’ in the Black Hawk Treaty of 1848 and
were given three years to move out beyond the Missouri River and on their way
toward the setting sun. The inevitable
march of empire was on its way.
Look
at your map and see the sharp pyramidal angle of the Chariton River just south
of town. Shortly after the Sac and Fox
Indians had gone, a band of Mormons came along on their epic migration
westward, found the inviting area in the very apex of the river’s angle and
decided to stay. They were the first
white people ever to set foot on Lucas county soil, but they were sojourners –
not settlers. They did settle down for
the winter, built six shanties of poles, prairie grass and mud and with dried
grass for mattresses, lived quite comfortably for a time and named the place
‘Chariton Point’. Late the next year
they decided to resume their pilgrimage and press on toward their land of
promise – the placid waters of the Great Salt Lake and the fertile valley where
they would build their New Jerusalem.
As the Mormons moved out, the first white settlers started moving in. Ever since our independence from England, hordes of Europe’s oppressed had flocked to Freedom’s shores and were now billowing joyously over the lush fertile plains of the midwest and into Iowa. ‘Beautiful Land.’ Two years after the Red Man’s exodus, the government gave this 160 to one John Joppert, a private in the Third Missouri Mounted Regiment for his military service. He promptly sold his land warrant to James G. Robinson, who in turn conveyed it to Lucas county for the aforesaid $200.
As the Mormons moved out, the first white settlers started moving in. Ever since our independence from England, hordes of Europe’s oppressed had flocked to Freedom’s shores and were now billowing joyously over the lush fertile plains of the midwest and into Iowa. ‘Beautiful Land.’ Two years after the Red Man’s exodus, the government gave this 160 to one John Joppert, a private in the Third Missouri Mounted Regiment for his military service. He promptly sold his land warrant to James G. Robinson, who in turn conveyed it to Lucas county for the aforesaid $200.
In
that long-gone day, Lucas and Monroe counties were one for election, revenue,
and judicial purposes and under its original name ‘Kiskekosh’ – the name of an
Indian Chief. The last territorial
legislature passed an act to establish a new county which he called Lucas
county, honoring Governor Robert Lucas, Iowa’s last territorial governor. That was in 1846. A second act, supplementary to the first, was
passed three years later, to organize the new county as of July 4, 1849. Three commissioners were appointed to locate
the county seat: Wareham G. Clark of
Monroe Co., Pardon M. Dodge of Appanose Co., and Richard Fisher of Wapello.
The
Commissioners lost no time. In August
they set out northward from Chariton Point to find the right spot. They came to a big stake four feet high. It was a government land mark and Mr. Clark
said something like, "Boys, help me up on this stake.: He surveyed the great panorama and said, “Gentlemen,
this I s the county seat of Lucas county.”
The boundaries were defined and the name “Polk” was given it in honor of
the retiring President James Polk, but the people didn’t like that name. They preferred Chariton Point, but since
there was another locality so near by the same name, it was decided to use just
Chariton. The date was 1852 with formal
incorporation coming in1857. The civic
machinery was put into action and Lucas County, though wild, untamed and harsh,
and Chariton assumed their rightful places in the great state of Iowa and the
young nation.
Many
people have wondered about the origin of the name Chariton. It is French and here is the story: In a very early day, a French Indian trader
located a trading post at the spot where this river, then unnamed, flowed into
the Missouri, and to this stream he gave his own name. There is no further information about him.
The first election was held in the log cabin of the first white settler, William McDermit in ‘Ireland’ which later became Cedar township. Twenty-five men voted. (Woman suffrage had not yet been dreamed of generally, although Susan B. Anthony was already having brain waves in that direction). Eleven officials were elected but their offices were in their hats. Now a courthouse must be built. The Commission called for sealed bids. The detailed specifications make delightfully quaint reading but for this column it must suffice to say that courthouse would be of logs, a story and half and a contract was let for $374. When it was finished, another contract was let for benches of good hewn lin wood and with oak legs and a good substantial pulpit. Then one dollar was allowed for paper and quills for the Oco\ber terms of court. The Historical Society has a replica of that log courthouse. Ask to see it the next time you visit our museum, which is open from 2 to 5 each Wednesday afternoon.
The first election was held in the log cabin of the first white settler, William McDermit in ‘Ireland’ which later became Cedar township. Twenty-five men voted. (Woman suffrage had not yet been dreamed of generally, although Susan B. Anthony was already having brain waves in that direction). Eleven officials were elected but their offices were in their hats. Now a courthouse must be built. The Commission called for sealed bids. The detailed specifications make delightfully quaint reading but for this column it must suffice to say that courthouse would be of logs, a story and half and a contract was let for $374. When it was finished, another contract was let for benches of good hewn lin wood and with oak legs and a good substantial pulpit. Then one dollar was allowed for paper and quills for the Oco\ber terms of court. The Historical Society has a replica of that log courthouse. Ask to see it the next time you visit our museum, which is open from 2 to 5 each Wednesday afternoon.
The
second courthouse was beautiful building in the Georgian style of
architecture. It was a red brick but
with a log foundation and only lasted about ten years. Your Historical Society is eager to have a
replica of this beautiful building and has a picture of it from which a replica
could be made. Is there anyone reading
this column who would like to make this very fine contribution to the
museum? Is so, please contact any member
of you Historical Society,. It will be
greatly appreciated.
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After
the second courthouse was found to be unsafe, court was held in churches for a
few years then an election was held to authorize the building of a new
one. The contract was let to the G. J.
Stewart Lumber Company who “faithfully followed the plans and specifications of
a Des Moines architect, with the result of a fine, substantial building at a
reasonable price.” The Stewart Lumber
Company served this community for many years.
G. T. Stewart was the father of the late Mrs. Zora Stewart Harper and of
Harry Stewart, both of whom many readers of this column will remember.
There were still remnants of Pottawattamie Indians around for a good many years, so reluctant to leave their loved homelands that they camped along the steams of the county, such as Cedar, Whitebreast and Wolf creeks where, friendly and harmless, they “called”76 on the settlers, always hungry, always begging and slyly helping themselves to leftovers.
There were still remnants of Pottawattamie Indians around for a good many years, so reluctant to leave their loved homelands that they camped along the steams of the county, such as Cedar, Whitebreast and Wolf creeks where, friendly and harmless, they “called”76 on the settlers, always hungry, always begging and slyly helping themselves to leftovers.
Many years
later, a band of Indians camped for a few months south of Chariton on the bank
of the river where Chairton’ late Dr. H. D. Jarvis was called to deliver the
baby of a young Indian mother. Some time
later, these mystical children of Nature, as it were, gathering honey from the
weed, gather pretty boughs and grasses, dyed them lovely colors with the
extracts of roots and herbs known only to them and brought them to their Doctor
friend who kept the treasured token in his office for a long time and related
the episode to this writer many years later.
Thus was spoken the Red man’s
final and tender farewell to Lucas County in the person of one of our widely
known “angels of mercy” the late Dr. Jarvis.
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Your Historical Society takes
pride in making possible a repository for such episodes as record the
heartbeats, the errands of mercy and the acts of brotherhood in the day-to-day
living during the years of struggle, hardship and -er- fun that came from the
hands, the hearts and minds of those who have molded the history of the Midwest. It is done that your children and your
children’s children may know and feel the pride of their heritage. Your family is invited to be represented in
the privilege and honor of this repository.
Pages 5 thru 8
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