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F 627D8C044" Un'Versl,y Ubrar>'
3 1924 028 913 965
Cornell University Library
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library.
There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028913965
HISTORY
OF
DUBUQUE COUNTY
IOWA
Being a General Survey of Dubuque County History,
Including a History of the City of Dubuque and
Special Account of Districts throughout the
County, from the Earliest Settlement
to the Present Time
FRANKLIN T. OLDT
Editor-in-Chief
P. J. QUIGLEY
Supervising ' Editor CATHOLIC HISTORY
FACSIMILE SIGNATURE OF JUMEN DUBCFQUB
GOODSPEED HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
CHICAGO
*0C
VI KM) Y 1-fvARY
(V
/j-yx'/<
PREFACE
AN examination of this volume by subscribers will reveal that a vast extent of original research for material has been made in newspaper files, public documents and private rec- ords of various kinds. The object has been to compress into the pages, even at the partial expense of finished literary style, interesting and valuable data concerning the county so far as space would allow. In addition, though the subscription list is small, the number of pages has been extended over two hundred beyond what was contemplated at the outset, in order still further to save from permanent loss thousands of interesting items usually over- looked or disregarded by local historians. Thus a permanent foun- dation for a future perfect historical work, which can be elaborated and improved by subsequent writers, has been laid. Generally, statistical tables have been avoided and a narrative form has been adopted. The book necessarily contains errors, though it is believed they will be found comparatively few. The publishers stand ready, as is their custom, to correct all such by a special errata sheet to be sent to subscribers to be pasted in the books. As a whole we feel confident that subscribers will appreciate this fine volume.
The Publishers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HISTORY
CHAPTER PA8E
Geology, Lead and Zinc Mining, etc
Dubuque 's Settlement, the Indians, etc
City of Dubuque, 1788 to 1849
City of Dubuque, 1850 to 1859
City of Dubuque, 1860 to 1869 131
City of Dubuque, 1870 to 1911 167
Boating, Biver Commerce, etc 204
Railway Projects i 24(0
Military Record 251
Politics .324
County Affairs 391
Practice of Medicine, Dentistry, etc 421
Protestants 431
Bench and Bar 447
Townships, Settlement, etc 467
Catholics 871
Education 903
Miscellaneous Events 935
BIOGRAPHY
PAOK A
Abeln, Prank G 818
Adams, Shubael P 773
Aitchison, Albert Wallace 783
Aitchison, William C, Jr 811
Allen, Leonard P 699
Allison, James Emerson 797
Altman, Franc W. 647
Andres, Claus 679
Arendt, Charles F. 699
Armstrong, David 593
Armstrong, David W 823
Armstrong, James 592
B
Baird, William 537
Baldwin, Charles Dunn 530
Baldwin, Isaac W 529
Barker, W. T 455
Barmeier, Harry 752
Barry, Rev. Michael 852
Baumann, Rev. Father John S. . 515
PAOK
Beatty, James W. 512
Beaubines, The 501
Beck, Guido 651
Becker, August 619
Beiler, Frank A 644
Benton, Charles 572
Benton, Curtis D 568
Berg, Christopher H 704
Beringer, John F. 771
Bevan, James W 533
Bigelow, Dr. Isaac S 861
Bisenius, Nicholas John... 695
Blocklinger, Dr. Albert Herman 755 Blocklinger, Benjamin Franklin 684
Board, Charles L 812
Bockensted, Anton 737
Boeckensted, Frank 741
Boldt, Gustav H 703
Bonson, Richard 643
Bonson, Hon. Robert 650
Brede, John F 710
Brede, Louis H 749
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Briggs, Thomas 6 551
Briggs, Thomas Howard 552
Brinkman, Herman 693
Broell, John 0 582
Brouillard, Henry 784
Brownson, Dr. Orestes A 752
Brueckner, Edward 6*04
Brummer, John W 647
Brunkow, Ferdinand W 837.
Buckley, Henry L 850
Buechele, John Paul 777
Buechele, Theodore E., Sr 777
Bullinger, Francis Xavier 864
Bunker, Horace F 847
Burdt, Frederick C 846
Burlage, Simon, Sr 620
Burns, John F 502
Byrne, John M 861
C
Campbell, Edmond H 791
Carey, Eugene C 793
Carey, Rev. Michael H 851
Carkeek, Thomas T 708
Carney, Frank 501
Chesterman, Caleb C 606
Christman, Charles 630
Christman, Mrs. Christiana 857
Claney, Mathew C 843
Clark, Alfred L 845
Clark, Rev. Arthur M 514
Clarke, Dr. E. Lincoln 560
Clarke, Frederick M 565
Collis, George 691
Conlin, James L 535
Conlin, Thomas J 556
Connell, Charles W 566
Conzett, Arthur M 847
Cooley, Mrs. Clara Aldrich 762
Cooley, Hon. D. N 761
Cooper, Augustin A.'. 499
Cox, Walter G 584
Craft, George W 538
Craft, William 689
Crawford, Hon. Phineas W 770
Crawford, Theophilus 656
D
Dehner, Henry L. . . . < 532
Dell, Charles H 824
Dement, Herman 676
Deming, Judson Keith 566
Denison, John D., Jr 728
Denlinger, Martain 807
Dersch, Francis H 701
Deyen, George B 822
Dickinson, George F 526
Doerr, Phillip 522
Doerrmann, Fred 686
Dorr, Col. Joseph B 532
Dreher, Joseph J 648
Drexler, Anton 735
Drexler, Frank L 820
PAGE
Dubuque Academy of Music .... 742 Dubuque, Julien..l9, 31, 43, 46, 391
Duffy, James J 618
Dyer, Judge J. J. 452, 453
Ede, David F 678
Eighmey, Charles H 653
Elmer, Mrs. Phoebe 857
Ellwanger, Andrew 719
Ellwanger, John 631
Ellwanger, Otto 720
Emerson, J. Hannibal 661
Emerson, James M 657
Erschens, Peter F., Jr 639
Even, Peter 605
Evers, Henry 586
F
Fagan, James 527
Faha, Frank 604
Fanning, James 664
Fanning, Timothy 664
Farrington, Earl J 834
Feigner, Emil 736
Fengler, Edwin A 520
Fengler, Leo M 521
Ferring, Anton W 841
Finn, John J 516
Fitzpatrick, Thomas J 623
Flick, Arthur B 524
Fober, Joseph L 702
Foulke, H. B 459
Frantzen, J. P 665
Freeman, L. P 814
Freking, Ferdinand 863
Friedman, Anton 694
Friedmann, George 711
Friedman, Jacob 713
Frith, Eugene E 737
Fromm, Dr. Lawrence 588
Frudden, Hon. A. F 652
Fuhrman, Edward 720
Fuhrmann, Frank P 774
G
Ganfield, Henry 789
Ganfield, Samuel 788
Garrigan, Matthew 816
Gebhard, John B 820
Gehon, Gen. Francis 251
Gehrig, Joseph 692
Gehrig, D. A 869
Gerken, Prof. George F 580
Gerken, Henry 580
Giegenrich, Albert 636
Glab, Adam 581
Glab, John 579
Glab, Nicholas 581
Glaser, August L 545
Goetzinger, Nicholas 641
Gorman, Very Rev. Daniel M.,
LL.D 664
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Gosden, Henry 789
Graffort, Thomas 665
Graham, William 744
Gregoire, Charles Hypolitte. .... 501
Gregory, E. James 775
Guthrie, James E., M.D 663
H
Haas, Hon. Daniel J 640
Ham, Mathias 799
Ham, Moses M 673
Hammel, August, .i 771
Hamil, Andrew Preston 792
Hamil, Thomas A 783
Hamilton, Judge William W,. . . 665
Hammond, William A 528
Harkett, William A 636
Harragan, Joseph F 717
Harrington, Cornelius Daniel. . . 578
Harris, Capt. D. S 205, 218
Harris, James H 666
Hartmann, Anthony A. . ' 833
Hartmann, Leo. L 834
Haudenshield, Jacob 836
Hauer, Lorenz 626
Hawkins, Benjamin 718
Hawkins, Beuben 750
Hay, Robert 621
Heald, Burton D 548
Healey, Mrs. Elizabeth 857
Healey, George W 662
Heeb, Anthony F 611
Heer, Fridolin Joseph, Sr 597
Heer, Eev. George W 650
Heery, William 814
Heffernan, Thomas Henry, M.D. 603
Hein, George L , 540
Heim, John L 655
Heisey, David J 719
Heitzman, William 668
Heles, John B 587
Hempstead, Gov. Stephen 497
Henderson, Col. D. B.. .377, 384, 386
Herod, Joseph 664
Herdmann, Thomas A 830
Heyne, Gustavus A 838
Higbee, Herbert G 510
Higgins, Eugene 803
Higgins, Warren 804
Hillyard, Lorenzo 0 610
Hinds, Franklin 639
Hirons, Harvey 551
Hodgdon, Gen. John 661
Hoefer, Adam J 576
Hoerr, Peter 671
Hoffman, Mathias M 724
Holmes, Dr. Harry Lowell 511
Hollnagel, Charles H 683
Holscher, Bernard, Sr. . . » 732
Honerbaum, Barnard 809
Horchem, B. J 781
Huelshoff, Bernard H 645
PAGE
Huntoon, D. C 866
Hyde, Lucien K 517
J
Jaeger, Frank M 753
Jaekson, Dr. Edward B 605
Johnson, A. C 523
Jonas, Dan J. 763
Jones, Gen. George W) 865
Jones, Budolph 689
Jungk, Philip 825
K
Kapp, John 572
Karrick, Capt. George 0 252
Kearney, Frank J 687
Kearney, William S 812
Keckevoet, John 831
Kehoe, John C 557
Kelly, Thomas 540
Kenline,' Henry Charles 749
Kenneally, Daniel J 669
Kennedy, Michael 815
Kenter, Clemens 818
Kerper, Jacob 575
Kerper, John A 539
Kessler, Jacob 634
Kiene, Emil 559
Kiene, Henry 538
Kiene, Peter, Jr 501
Kiene, Peter, Sr 501
Kies, John L 777
Kif er, John H ' 805
Kingsley, Thomas 681
Kinsella, John A 677
Kirchen, John P., Sr 751
Klauer, Peter 617
Klauer, William H 834
Kleis, Charles E 507
Kluesner, John 765
Knapp, Dr. Horace G 505
Knight, William J 465
Knoll, Dr. Oscar A 800
Knowlton, Henry A 676
Koch, John Adam 705
Kohlmann, Henry W 527
Kolck, Bichard .531
Kremer, George 716
Kretschmer, Prof. Charles G. . . . 627
Kretschmer, Frederick N 577
Kretschmer, Herbert C 576
Kuhn, Prof. Albert 799
Kumpf, Edward E 795
Kutsch, Frank P 844
Kutsch, Joseph P 504
L
Lange, Dr. Frank X 582
Lange, Otto Fernando 734
Langel, Adolph 868
Lange], John 869
Langworthy, Edward... 507
Langworthy, Dr. Henry Glover. 658
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Langworthy, James L 513
Langworthy, James Lyon 696
Langworthy, Lucius H 498
Lattner, Samuel B 746
Leary, James 860
Leffert, Daniel 806
Leigh, Charles E 758
Leman, Adolph Warburg, M.Th. 738
Lemper, Henry P 730
Lenz, Nicholas Martin Phillip. 733
Levens, Capt. Thomas 532
Levi, James 588
Lightcap, Leonard L 702
Limbach, Joseph H 596
Linehan, Dr. Charles M 591
Linehan, Edmund A.... 860
Linehan," J. J 591
Linehan, Dr. Mathias D 633
Link, James F 822
Loetscher, Christian 725
Loizeaux, Charles, E., M.D 603
Lorimier, Peter A 497
Lubck, Louis C 782
Luchrsmann, Dr. Bernard H . . . 596
Luchterhand, Fred L. M 709
Lusk, William H 523
Luther, William C 622
Lyon, Col. D. E 550
Lyons, Michael Edward 722
Lyon, George T 550
M
MacHogan, William 819
Maguire, Daniel D 842
Maguire, John E., M.D 552
Maiers, Peter J. 856
Manson, John W 525
Manson, Walter 632
Martin, William B 843
Martin, Moses H '. 546
Martin, Robert 790
Massey, Frederick 1 695
Mason, Dr. Timothy 636
Mathes, Lee Dandrige 657
Mathiesen, Julius H 837
Matthews, Alphons 722
Matthews, Hon. Matthew C 794
McCollins, John J 713
McCraney, Thomas 646
McEnany, Michael 835
McFadden, Prof. John A 729
McGee, George 573
McGee, Isaac L 569
McNamara, C. B 766
McNamara, John F 726
Menke, John W 884
Merkes, Thomas 707
Meseher, Henry J 817
Metcalf, George 643
Meuser, Joseph A 542
Meyer, Joseph L 549
Mihm, John J 717
Moes, Dr. M. J 706
PAGE
Moes, Mathias 707
Moloney, Lawrence 754
Monger, Shubael A 727
Monroe, Thomas M 455
Mueller, Dr. Emil F , 594
Mueller, Henry 546
Mulgrew, Thomas J 851
Mulkern, Hon. M. B 453, 454
Mullany, John 1 624
Mullen, Richard D 544
Muntz, Samuel E 774
Murphy, John Stanford 766
Murphy, William C 687
Murray, P. C 796
Myers, Dorrance Dixon, Sr 602
N
Nabor, Bernard A 585
Newburgh, Joseph W 858
Newton, Rev. Isaac 571
Neyens, John 784
Nightingale, George L 517
Noel, John B 712
Norman, J. J. E 639
Norton, John W 829
Norton, Patrick 854
O
Ovel, John G. 583
O'Neill, John 810
O'Neill, John H 456, 459
Oneill, William B 543
O 'Malley, Rev. Peter 848
O 'Farrell, James 832
Otto, Prof. Rudolph Franz 719
Oberbroekling, Rev. Frederick
William 671
Orvis, Rev. Gurney Mahan 648
Ott, Joseph John 660
Palmer, William A 728
Pape, Rev. Frederick W 629
Perkins, Solon B 787
Pond, Dr. Alonson M 801
Plamondon, Isidore J., Jr 555
Pitman, John A 564
Pottebaum, Henry 508
Patterson, Samuel 519
Pitschner, Charles 840
Palen, Dr. Charles 849
Preston, Gustavus V. 828
Poole, Horace 697
Pf ersch, Philip C 633
Q
Quinlan, Robert W 859
Quigley, Patrick J 654
R
Rankin, John 547
Ranson, Franklin Adelbert 571
Rath, George C 510
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Bedding, James E 560
Eeinold, John F 680
Benier, Philip J 798
Beynolds, Joseph 238
Bhomberg, Alphons L 534
Bhomberg, Alphonse J 535
Bhomberg, Frank M...s 574
Bhomberg, Joseph Andrew 532
Bhomberg, Joseph H 574
Bhomberg, Titus E 536
Eider, Peter 615
Bittscher, John A 616
Boberts, Thomas C 458
Bobinson, Frederick C 634
Boehe, Michael 674
Bodgers, Eobert W 802
Eoedell, Alfred T 868
Bose, George Be Forest 616
Boshek, John Jerome 867
Bowan, Joseph J., Jr 553
Byan, the Et. Bev. Eoger 848
Euete, Theodore W. 656
8
Samuels, Ben M 635, 451
Sanner, John P 816
Sauer, Daniel 747
Sauser, J. P 813
Sauser, "Michael H ^ 685
Schaetzle, Joseph W 740
Schaul, Adolph. 855
Schemmel, Theodore ™ 736
Schemmel, Joseph 587
Schemmel, William 588
Scherr, Bernard C 613
Seherr, Franz 613
Schiek, Arthur D 559
Schollian, Alexander 672
Schmid, George, Jr 518
Schmid, George, Sr 517
Schmitt, Paul J 521
Schroeder, Frank N 637.
Schrup, Nicholas J. 592
Schrup, John 592
Schrup, Dr. Joseph Henry 715
Schublin, August 828
Schulte, Bernard 756
Schulte, George G 757
Schulte, John J. 757
Schultz, Daniel 786
Schunk, Henry A 746
Schwind, Benjamin J 619
Schwind, John W. 612
Schwinn, Phillip 669
Sebo, Nicholas 808
Segur, James F. 705
Seippel, Peter J. 667
Shaffer, Nicholas M 541
Shiras, Hon. Oliver Perry...... 778
Simplot, Alexander 690
Singrin, William 827
Skemp, Charles P 612
Skemp, Charles W 608
PAGE
Sleator, Col. David 665
Slocum, Prof. Perkins S 554
Smead, John 8 556
Smith, Albert Hugo 614
Smith, George P - 842
Smith, Prof. Harry B 721
Smith, Thomas 548
Spahn, Charles J 714
Speilman, Jacob 862
Spencer, John 688
Spensley, Harker Brent 849
Spoden, John N 764
Spoden, Peter 765
Staheli, Christopher E 852
Stampf er, Joseph Frederick .... 594
Stedman, Benjamin F 585
Steffens, Dr. Cornelius M 731
Steuck, Carl A 854
Stiehler, George W 553
Strief, Samuel L 562
Stronck, Michael 626
Stronek, Peter 627
Stuber, John William 514
Sullivan, Timothy 756
Summerfield, Adolph G 682
Sumpman, Dr. Hubert Anton . . . 595
Sweeney, Dr. Eobert J 727
Swift, Samuel T 578
T
Taylor, Stanley Morgan .607
Taylor, Thomas J 830
Tegeler, Henry 743
Tegler, Bernard 821
Tibbals, William B 698
Tingley, Patrick 643
Traub, Eugene 735
Traufler, George 730
Traut, Paul 780
Tredway, Alfred 570
Tredway, Harry E 570
Trexler, Adolph M 567
Trombley, Eobert H 853
Tschudi, Fred 709
Tucker, Edward, 809
U
Utt, Anna M 824
Utt, John B 824
Urbach, Abe 670
Urbach, Milton 670
V
Van Horn, Charles 590
Van Vors, Jason F 839
Voelker, Christian Anthon 638
Von Der Heide, John Henry... 733
Vorwald, Henry 624
Vorwald, John and Annie 609
W
Walker, Marshall M 563
Waller, John E 629
IO
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
"Walsh, James M 589
Walter, John B 748
"Walton, Charles Wesley 658
"Waples, Peter 1 517
Weaver, GaSsoway S 503
"Webb, Capt. N. F 204
Weigel, Frederick 758
Wieland, Dr. Frank W 678
"Wieneke, August W 840
"Williams, John B 615
"Willner, Milton F 589
Willy, Ulrich 506
"Wilberding, Henry 827
Wilson, Judge David 8 4S2, 462
PAGE
Wilson, Mrs. Frances P. (Stoke-
ly) 498
"Wilson, Judge T. 8 '. . . .453, 463
"Wiltse, Gen. Henry A 660
"Wise, Benjamin CI 509
Wood, Fernando H 642
"Wright, William Scott 682
Wunderlich, Henry J. 529
Wunderlich, Henry. 529
Y
Young, Robert 700
Z
Zumhoff, William 683
ILLUSTRATIONS
Name Facing page
Allison, William B 369
Asylum 113
Beck, Guido , 651
Birdseye View of Dubuque 257
Boldt, G. H. . . 703
Chfistman, Mrs. Christiana 857
Cooley, Hon. D. N *. 761
Cooley, Mrs. Clara Aldrioh 762
Cooper, A. A 499
Cooper, Mrs. A. A 500
Country Club 129
Dubuque, 1846 65
Dubuque 's Monument, Julien 177
Dubuque in Early Days 33
Dubuque Club 113
Dubuque Boat Yard 161
Dubuque Views 471
Eagle Point 145
Eagle Point High Bridge 225
Ellwanger, John 631
Elmer, Mrs. Phoebe 857
Fitzpatrick, T. J 623
Frantzen, John P .- 665
Glab, John 579
Guthrie, Dr. J. B 663
Ham, M .799
Ham, M. M 673
Healey, Mrs. Elizabeth 857
Heeb* A. F 611
Heer, F. J 597
Henderson, Hon. David B 385
Herod, J 664
High and Railroad Bridges 241
Hollnagel, Charles 683
TABLE OF CONTENTS n
Name Facing page
Hollnagel, Mrs. Charles , '. 683
In and around Dubuque 193
Jones, Gen. George W ". £9
Keane, Archbishop John Joseph 396
Kiene, Peter, Sr , 50]
Kiene, Peter 502
Klauer, Peter 617
Kleis, C. E 507
Kretschmer, Charles G 627
Linwood Cemetery 97
Matthews, Alphons 722
Matthews, M. C 794
Mazzuchelli, Fr. Samuel 871
Mouth of Catfish Creek 161
Mississippi Biver View 225
Oldt, P. T 903
Pape, Bev. Frederick W 629
Park and Country Views 273
Patterson, Sam 519
Picturesque Dubuque. 289
Quigley, P. J 654
Ehomberg, F. M ... 574
Rockdale, Street Scenes, etc 321
Roman Catholic Church, Dyersville 455
Buins of Old Mill. 97
Schwind, Jacob 612
Smith, H. B 721
Steps to Cemetery Hill 257
St. Boniface Catholic Church 423
St. Joseph's Sanitarium, Dubuque 390
The J. S. and W. W 209
Thole, Bev. A. J 629
Trexler, A. M 567
Trinity Catholic Church, Luxemburg 671
Waller, John B 630
Y. W. C. A. Building 129
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
GEOLOGY, LEAD MINING, ETC.
DUBUQUE COUNTY lies only partly within the driftless area of this region; this area extends down from the north along the Mississippi in varying widths to about seven miles below the city of Dubuque, where it runs to a point. It extends up the Catfish some ten or twelve miles and up the Little Maquoketa about twenty miles. This region is represented by the Pre-Cambrian system and the remainder of the county by the Ordovician system.
The valley at Dubuque lies about 600 feet above the sea, and above the valley tower the bluffs a few hundred feet higher. The plain back of the bluffs is an important feature of the county. This plain is cut by abrupt ravines and valleys, the principal streams draining Dubuque county being Turkey, Big and Little Maquoketa and Tete des Mort rivers and Catfish creek. The Mississippi flows through a narrow valley bounded by steep bluffs or mounds. This narrow valley and high bluffs are exceptional. Between two long ' tributaries of one of the smaller streams the upland reaches out in a long, finger-like promontory; between two tributaries of the Mississippi there is instead a sharp canyon wall, as if there had existed promontories which later were truncated half or three- quarters of a mile back from the main stream. Thus the valley reverses the normal habit of rivers, becoming narrower here than farther up stream. Certain other streams show this same tendency in a less marked degree, and in addition Maquoketa river and Catfish creek now join the Mississippi through new valleys up stream, having deserted old open valleys having the normal down- stream course usual for tributary valleys. These and other pecu- liarities are unusual in the formation of water courses.
"This region is one of unmetamorphosed, little disturbed, sedi- mentary rocks of the Paleozoic age and there are no igneous rocks in it or recent ones near it. It has been at least once worn down by erosion to mature topographic development and afterward uplifted and is now being redissected. The rocks have a very gentle dip to
17
i8
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
the southwest, superimposed on which are numerous shallow folds of local extent. Within the ore-bearing district only Ordovician and Silurian beds occur." The principal exposures of rock at Dubuque are the Galena formation. The Maquoketa shale and Niagara dolo- mite are seen elsewhere in the county. The lead and zinc deposits lie within the well-known driftless area.
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The Pre-Cambrian rocks lie 1,000 to 1,500 feet below the sur- face ; they do not outcrop in Dubuque county. The Cambrian rocks are represented by about 1,000 feet of sandstone with minor por- tions of shale and dolomite. The Pre-Cambrian and Cambrian rocks slope gently toward the southwest. The Ordovician rocks
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY J 9
are the only ones of importance in the mining operations of Dubuque county. Where this formation is fully developed it embraces (i). a dolomite at the base; (2) a sandstone in the middle; (3) a second dolomite. Above the latter lies the St. Peter sand- stone ; then the Platteville limestone ; then the Galena dolomite, and then the Maquoketa shale. Above this are the quaternary deposits.
Lead ore was discovered at Dubuque by the Indians as early as 1780, and about four years later Julien Dubuque, then at Prairie du Chien, was informed of the existence of that mineral at Dubuque by the Fox Indians. From 1788 to 1810 he worked these mines with hoe, shovel, crowbar and pick, but sank no shafts. He had a furnace at the mouth of Catfish creek and another at Eagle Point. ; In 1805 Lieutenant Pike learned that Dubuque mined from 20,000 to 40,000 pounds of lead annually.
After his death the Indians burned Dubuque's house and fences and destroyed all traces of his mining operations so far as possible in order to keep out other white men. The Indians themselves continued to work the mines intermittently and sold the ore to traders who had furnaces on the islands in the river. In 1830 J. L. Langworthy and others, having previously obtained the con- sent of the Indians and the Dubuque heirs, crossed the river and began work in the mines. The Eagle Point crevice, it is said, was located at this time. Troops drove out the miners and burned their cabins. Evidently the Durango diggings were worked before 1820, because Schoolcraft, who visited this locality in 1820, says they were known and called "Mine of Maquanquitons."
"Very likely Dubuque himself worked these mines, because so far as known no others were permitted to do so. The ore in this locality is the common sulphuret of lead, with a broad foliated structure and high metallic luster. It occurs massive and dissemi- nated in a reddish loam, resting upon limestone rock. It generally occurs in beds or veins which have no great width and run in a certain direction 300 to 400 yards. . . . The lead ore at these mines is now (1820) exclusively dug by the Fox Indians, and as usual among savage tribes the chief labor devolves upon women — also old and superannuated men ; they use hoe, shovel, pickax and crowbar. . . . When a quantity of ore has been gotten out it is carried in baskets by the women to the banks of the Mississippi and then ferried over in canoes to the island, where it is purchased by the traders at the rate of $2 for 120 pounds, payable in goods. The traders smelt the ore upon the island in furnaces. Formerly the Indians were in the habit of smelting the ore themselves, upon log heaps, by which a great portion was converted into what are called lead ashes and thus lost. Now the traders induce them to search about the sites of the ancient fires and carefully collect the lead ashes for which they receive $1 per bushel delivered at the island payable in merchandise." — (Schoolcraft.)
20 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
When the Blackhawk Purchase was made in 1832 the settlers again crowded into this county, but again they were forced to leave by the soldiers because the treaty had not been ratified. After June, 1833, they were no longer opposed.
The first geological survey of this region was made by D. D. Owen in 1839. In 1846 the system of leasing mineral land by the government was abolished and much of the mining land was thrown into market.
The early mining at Dubuque was for lead ores. Pockets of this ore are yet found and individual pockets sometimes contain over 500 to 1,000 tons. Since 1880 zinc carbonate or "dry bone" has been more extensively mined than galena or lead ore. Neither has been mined except above high water of the river. In 1898-00 mixed carbonate and sulphide of zinc were worked at the Alpine mine. At the same time several carloads of mixed blende-galena- marcasite ore were taken from the Pike's Peak mine just below water level by the Dubuque Lead Mining Company. The ore at Dubuque occurs almost entirely in crevices and openings and within the corporate limits of the city. It is also found at Durango and in Jefferson, Table Mound and Mosalem townships. The crevices are vertical and are nearly always found extending east and west and in the long, finger-like ridges reaching out toward the river. There are "top," "middle" and "third" openings. The first is worked at West Dubuque. The "middle" is forty to fifty feet farther down. The "third" is twenty-five to thirty feet below the "middle." The richest deposits have been found at the crevice crossings.
There was no market for zinc ore previous to i860, in which year the La Salle smelter began operations ; later the ones at Mineral Point, Waukegan and Peru were built and buyers were sent here. The rise in the price of zinc ore in 1887 caused miners here to begin operations.
John P. Sheldon, register of the Dubuque District previous to 1838, in his report to the General Land Office said : "The mining country on the west side of the Mississippi in the Wisconsin Terri- tory was opened to the miners in June, 1833, under my superin- tendence as sub-agent; the duties of which office I continued to perform until the month of September, 1834, during which time rent lead to the value of about $30,000 was collected. The regula- tions were in all respects like those which had been in force on the east side of the river, and permits were given to those who had subscribed to them, to mine, to build cabins, to make gardens, and in several instances to enclose and cultivate fields and raise grain for their teams. The number of permits given I cannot recollect, but they were numerous, perhaps over a thousand. . . . On the west side of the Mississippi lead ore has been discovered in the tract of country extending north and south about thirty-five miles and
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 21
lying between the waters of Turkey and Big Maquoketa rivers. The main diggings, however, are adjacent to the Mississippi and near the towns of Dubuque and Peru." He further said that the mining lots embraced ten acres each, had been more or less dug up and cultivated, and now the claimants wanted the benefits of pre- emption. "When the act of June 24, 1834, was passed, there were many valuable mining lots in the possession of miners who had a legal vested right in them, because they had complied with the terms required by the government ; and in law this right could not be invalidated unless it could be shown that the President had no right to suffer the lots to be occupied. In the eye of justice certainly the rights of the miners were sacred. These lots may be considered a species of grant, and if they be not so considered the act alluded to must be characterized as improvident, unjust, and, in view of the previous laws and proceedings of the government in relation to the lead mines, illegal." The land office at Mineral Point was opened October 21, 1834. "It is necessary that provision be made for settling the claims of the miners (in Dubuque county on the west side of the Mississippi) simultaneously with those of the other settlers who may claim under the pre-emption law."
In 1835 several very promising mineral leads were discovered near Durango. These discoveries caused many miners in this vicinity to flock to that locality and as a result thirty to forty houses were erected there, two general stores, five groceries, shops, etc., and the growth of the place seemed assured. But the mineral was soon exhausted and the miners went elsewhere. The four or five families that remained turned their attention to farming. — (Iowa News, quoting the Peoria (111.) Register, November 18, 1837.)
In the neighborhood of Dubuque in November, 1836, there were five blast furnaces that smelted seventy pigs per week each. Of these the one owned by Mr. Hulett smelted 70,000 pounds per week ; a cupola furnace conducted by Mr. McKnight smelted about the same; the one owned by Mr. Lorimier at Rip Row smelted 60,000 pounds per week; several log furnaces smelted each week seventy pigs of seventy pounds each. Mr. O'Ferrall's furnace smelted 100,000 pounds per week; it was 70 x-33 feet and new. Although there were five sawmills and two grist mills in this vicinity, the bulk of the supplies of all sorts still came from the river. Morrison & Prentice bought and shipped mineral in 1836, paying about $23 per 1,000 pounds. "The Maquoketa mines situated in the neighborhood of Peru (a handsome village a few miles above us) we are glad to learn continue to yield large quantities of mineral." — {Visitor, May 11, 1836.) At this date valuable leads were being discovered almost weekly by O'Farrall, Saucier & Morrison half a mile from Du- buque; Taylor, Nix & Co., near Center Grove; another was oh Rocky Mount Lot, three miles distant; Van Buren Diggings, five miles north, and many others. It was noted that many of the best
22 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
leads were found in east and west crevices and that the mineral often appeared in blocks.
"A few months ago times were so good that many heretofore industrious miners had acquired a considerable quantity of the ready and seated themselves down to enjoy it as gentlemen of leisure, but the hard times and constant complaints of those around them have brought them to the conclusion that by industry is the most secure mode of obtaining a living and have accordingly taken up the pick and shovel and gone to work like good fellows. Mineral is now selling at $15 per thousand pounds and we understand the miners are beginning to draw it out in fine style." — (Iowa News, July 29, 1837.) _
"We are glad to perceive the fair prospects of better times in the lead mines. Mining operations are greatly increased and we under- stand that many more lately made discoveries likely to prove val- uable. At the Snake Diggings the times are much better. Mineral is sold at about $18 per thousand pounds." — (Iowa News, August 19, 1837.)
"We observe general activity in mining. All the smelting fur- naces are actively engaged in making lead and large quantities of ore are being raised. Though money is very scarce and the pressure severe, the energy of our citizens remains unabated." — (Iowa News, August 26, 1837.)
In August, 1836, a new and very valuable mine two miles north- west of Dubuque was discovered by Mr. O'Mara. Mineral was found on Sleator's lot, Wootton's lot, Herd's lot, and in scores of other places, no record of which was kept. O'Ferrall & Cox, gen- eral merchants, bought and shipped the mineral. Two men — Cole- man and Carpenter — were killed near Dubuque in May, 1839, by the caving in of the mine where they were working. In August, • 1837, Wilson & Wharton took out on the South Fork of Little Maquoketa 8,000 pounds of mineral in twenty-four hours. Chauncey Swan & Co. discovered near Dubuque in January, 1838, a valuable lead and raised over 10,000 pounds in a few days.
In 1838, according to the Visitor, not less than six million pounds of lead were shipped from Dubuque. It was said in the Visitor that "men are as numerous here as blackberries in summer, but females are quite scarce. This fact is observable in the houses of worship where there are five males in attendance to one female. ... In this county females receive from $16 to $24 per month for house- work and are glad to be had for that." In the autumn of 1836, when the first territorial election in Wisconsin was held, there were polled here 621 votes, "and the entire population could not have doubled those figures."
In the spring of 1841 there were many new mineral discoveries; it was noted by the News that there was four times as much min- eral raised then as at any time during the previous four years.
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 23
New discoveries almost daily caused a sudden "boom" in this industry at this time. In February, 1840, lead was quoted in St. Louis at $4.37^ per hundred.
In the spring of 1843 mining was very successful — had never been better. The hard times drove the miners and loafers to work and all made money.
According to Lucius H. Langworthy, the amount of lead ex- ported from the Dubuque mining district from 1833 to 1856 varied from 40,000,000 to 60,000,000 pounds annually. He said that this result was reached by "surface scratching" and "dry diggings" and that a greater profit would probably result from deep mining. — {Express and Herald, February 28, 1856.) If the average price during this period was $20 per thousand pounds, and it could not have been less, the annual receipts from this source varied from $800,000 to $1,200,000. In a large measure it was this mineral that enriched many of the first capitalists and laid the foundation for the prosperity of Dubuque from 1833 to 1857 and enabled the city to recover itself during the Civil war and ever since that period.
The government had no authority to lease the Dubuque lead mines. The act of Congress did not apply to this locality. A government leasing agent came here in 1836, but did not do much. In 1842 another came, but before this date the citizens had staked off their claims — Langworthys, Waller, Bonson, Parker, Carter, Booth, Ewing and hosts of others. Two agents appeared under authority of John C. Spencer, Secretary of War, put up at a hotel and proposed to lease, and did lease, some of the mines discovered by the above claimants. They paid no attention to the rights of the claimants, but leased to whoever would pay the most. The result was disturbance and legal controversy. It was decided in the district court of the county that there existed no such right to lease the mines and so the controversy ended. Richard Bonson suggested that the development of the mines added to the value of the lands and that therefore the damage to the government was nominal. This was shown at the trial. — {Herald, March 19, 1875.)
In the spring of 1845 there were pending in the district court here at one time four suits against individuals for mining lead on government land. The people generally were indignant at the gov- ernment and demanded that the mineral lands should be thrown into market.
In the summer of 1849 there were seven smelting furnaces near Dubuque and it was estimated that they turned out a total of 30,000 pigs during that year. The price varied from $17 to $25 per thou- sand pounds. In 1847 there were sent to market from Dubuque 140,000 pigs of lead and in 1848 there were shipped 30,000 pigs. These figures show how the amount of ore raised per annum varied. The most of these shipments, but not all, were mined near Dubuque.
24 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
At times as high as 3,000 men were thus employed, though usually not so many.
From April 1 to July 28, 1857, West & Hopkins shipped 12,687 pigs of lead, the aggregate weight being 913,536 pounds.
In October, 1850, the Thomas Levins lead two and a half miles northwest of the city, near Booth's cave, was struck and the crevice was penetrated for 300 yards ; from 300,000 to 500,000 pounds of ore was in sight at one time. This mine became renowned, and is said to have yielded its owner $200,000. If mineral was worth $20 per thousand, this sum would represent about 10,000,000 pounds of ore raised. The shaft was 120 feet deep and horse power was used to raise the ore; there were caves and chambers below where the walls were lined with the mineral ; in one cave were 90,000 pounds ; small cars on rude tracks brought the ore to the shaft from a dis- tance of several hundred feet. Other large leads at this date were owned by Nightingale, Burton, McNear, Karrick & Company, Fanning & Curran, Riley. The mining industry was very pros- perous at this date and well repaid the land owners and the lessees. In July, 1852, mineral was worth $26 per thousand. In the spring of 1853 the price reached $40 per thousand. West & Shields bought large quantities at that figure. This was the highest price up to that date. George O. Karrick and John Richmond owned rich mines in 1853 > there were a dozen others. In 1855 Hall and Whitney, geologists, surveyed this locality.
Each spring, upon the opening of navigation, immense quantities of pigs were shipped to St. Louis by the first steamers. On March 10, 1858, West & Hopkins shipped at one time 14,000 pigs. Old lodes reworked yielded handsome profits.
"The lead mines of Dubuque have long made it like her neighbor, Galena, well known. The country for fifty miles north and south and twenty miles east and west seems underlaid with lead ore. At times vast caverns are found, walled, ceiled and paved with crystal- ized lead, so rich that it shines like silver, and so pure as to yield 85 per cent merchantable lead. The revenue of our city from this source for some years back has increased from $500,000 to $900,000."— (£. & H., April 18, 1858.),
In the spring of 1858, while working upon the foundation of a house at Caledonia and digging holes there for fence posts, work- men threw out lead ore. Lodes as far back as thirty miles from the river were discovered. The Fountain Hill Diggings near Peru were very productive at this date. There was a great revival of the old interest and excitement.
In May, 1858, the miners assembled at the court house and organ- ized the Dubuque Miners' Association; it was a joint stock organiza- tion and started with about 250 members. At this date many mines had been abandoned owing to water in the leads. There was no approved method of getting rid of this water. The Karrick lead
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 25
was 250 feet above high water in the river and yet water was very troublesome at the depth of 130 feet; pumping was too expensive. The association considered horizontal shafts in order to drain off the water. With the view of reopening the old mines the associa- tion in May caused a complete survey of this locality to be made and recommended horizontal shafts just above high water mark. Early in the fall of 1858 C. D. Mullin struck a rich lode east of the Karrick diggings. At a depth of sixty feet he struck a sheet five feet high by two feet thick ; the prospect was estimated to be worth $30,000. At this time there was a distinct revival of the old mining spirit and enthusiasm.
Rich and valuable new leads were struck on the bluffs back of Eagle Point in August, 1858. This ground had been prospected over and over again, but now large yields were uncovered. They were called "clay diggings" and were not considered so valuable as "rock diggings." Baxter & Company took out on Mr. Thedinga's land from May to August over 200,000 pounds of ore. Others with valuable discoveries were Michael Karrick, Matthias Ham!, Starr, Karrick & Beckett, Horr & Brother, on whose grounds were twenty- five windlasses at work. Masses raised weighed 300, 400 and 600 pounds. Thousands of pounds lay in heaps at the top of the shafts.
On September 1, 1858, the miners held a big celebration at Dubuque ; they came with their old mud-covered suits, carts, picks, shovels, sledge hammers, etc., and enjoyed the day to the utmost.
"Mining. — We hear of several new prospects being struck in our vicinity and learn that a large number of persons are profitably engaged in mining. This is the time for miners to reap a golden harvest. Mineral is now bringing $31 to $32 per thousand and in gold." — (Daily Ledger, September 14, 1858.)
A reorganization of miners was effected in Dubuque during September, i860, for the purpose of arbitrating all minor differences among themselves. Connected with this association were Richard Bonson, John T. Everett, Joseph Herod, M. M. Hayden, W. G. Stewart, J. H. Bartlett, C. Childs, James Carr, B. J. O'Halloran, Charles Rose, S. Langworthy, Thomas Levins, Richard Waller, J. L. Langworthy, George Wilde, John Palmer, J. H. Emerson, Thomas Waters, R. O. Anderson, James Pratt, M. G Karrick, William Carter, Allen Leathers, J. H. Hollingsworth, John King, James Thompson, H. L. Stout, P. A. Lorimier and others. They had a constitution, by-laws and officials and kept their affairs in order. A meeting of the miners was held October 2, on which occasion George O. Karrick served as chairman and speeches were delivered by himself, Solon Langworthy and others. Capt. M. M. Hayden offered resolutions to perpetuate the memory of Julien Dubuque; they were adopted by acclamation. Solon Langworthy, George W. Starr, George O. Karrick and T. McNear were appointed a committee to prepare a constitution for the society.
26 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
In the Dubuque lead district in i860 there were four smelting furnaces, as follows: Wild's, at the foot of Southern avenue; Watters & Bronson's, a mile west of Catfish Mills; Brunskill & Watters', a short distance east of Center Grove, and Fern & Sim- son's, a mile or so west of W. G. Stewart's. All were located in ravines, as water was needed in the operation of smelting. Lead ore was composed of two parts or ingredients — lead and sulphur, about 84 per cent of the former and 16 per cent of the latter. Smelting was nothing more than a roasting process whereby the sulphur was consumed by the action of fire and the residue thor- oughly washed of dirt, ashes, etc.
"Since last November, or at the close of navigation, the Dubuque lead region has yielded 4,500,000 pounds of mineral. The average value of this has been $30.50 per 1,000 pounds, or a total of $122,500. The mining interests employ about 1,000 men." — (Herald, June, i860.), "John Owen has taken out of his new discovery since last Tuesday morning 60,000 pounds of mineral." — (Same.) Three miles from Dubuque was Pike's Peak, a mining center.
The Julien Mining Company was doing a large business in February and March, i860. In one day they drew out 20,000 pounds of mineral. A new lead was struck a few miles south of Catfish creek, where some lumps weighed over 1,000 pounds.
"The amount of mineral raised for the week ending June 30, i860, was about 250,000 pounds, and the amount smelted aggre- gated close to 200,000 pounds. In this connection it may not be out of place to remark that from 5,000 to 10,000 men can find profitable employment in the Dubuque lead mines. The Dubuque lead region is contained within an irregular semicircle of not less than twenty miles in diameter. Only comparatively a small por- tion of the ground has been 'proved,' and it is no unreasonable estimate to suppose that 5,000 miners would not exhaust the region in a period less than one hundred years." — (Herald, July 1, i860.)
"Week before last there were smelted here over 200,000 pounds of lead. During the last week 201,600 pounds were smelted. The amount raised during the same time is a little in advance of that figure and will probably reach 250,000 pounds." — (Herald, June 24, i860.)
An excursion of the "Chicago Academy of Sciences" to the Dubuque mining region was an event of October, i860. Several hundred came and were formally received and entertained by com- mittees of citizens appointed for that purpose.
Two Missouri miners — John Harrington and Peter Holman — struck it rich in an old place near Southern avenue close to Mr. Kcmpf's store and only twenty or thirty rods from the point of the bluff. They were at first laughed at, but they found mineral within two feet of the top. By November 12 they had sold 17,000 pounds
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 27
and had 5 .000 more out. Two hundred men were now prospecting in the mines in this vicinity.
The war in Missouri drove here many lead miners, several of whom made big strikes. The melting of the deep snows and the heavy rains seriously interfered with mining in the spring of 1861, by flooding the mines and diggings. Near West Dubuque about 100 pound mass of iron ore was found in April, 1861. It was strongly magnetic.
On March 22, 1861, George Wharton and Joseph Brunskill went down into Brunskill & Watters' diggings at West Dubuque to examine a cave that had just been struck. The cave was some 3,000 feet from the bottom of the shaft and was reached by a rough crevice. They soon lost their supply of candles and those within hands were soon burned up, leaving them in total darkness and unable to find their way. After a reasonable time their friends went after them, but they had spent the whole day there in great anxiety.
In April, 1861, it was complained that the land owners near Dubuque charged too high a rent for their mineral lands — that it worked too great a hardship on miners, particularly on those who had bad luck — the bad luck and high rents combined to make the lot of many worse and worse. The argument was that "the true policy of the land owner was to be liberal with the miner, for the more inducements that were held out for the production of any article the more of that article will be produced. So with the mineral ; the lower the rent the more will engage in mining." The mining association should have a system that would work and be fair in all cases. And owners should give a bonus for big finds to stimulate further discoveries. Owners should ask no rent for the first 100,000 pounds of mineral ore. The miners at their public meetings passed strong resolutions against the existing currency. The lead caves were one of the attractions of Dubuque for visitors.
In May, 1862, mineral was worth $37 per thousand pounds; by December it was $44. James Hughes built a shot tower in 1862 in one of the old mining shafts. Mr. Mallett at the Durango Diggings in 1862 made a rich strike and cleared up in less than six months over $25,000. The mineral raised within the city limits in 1862 was about 1,000,000 pounds, worth $40,000. Miners thoroughly ex- plored the Maquoketa, Catteese and Catfish neighborhoods.
On February 11, 1863, mineral was worth here $48 per thousand. By March 2 it had reached $53. In 1863 Judge Lovell and others raised 150,000 pounds of mineral at Pike's Peak, this county. In August, 1 86 1, the Dubuque Shot Manufacturing Company were making drop shot of all sizes. In August, 1863, mineral had fallen to $40 per thousand. Prof. James Dale Owen, son of Robert Dale Owen, geologist, exhibited specimens at the State Fair here in 1863. October 10, 1863, mineral was worth $52.50. Back of the city in
28 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
a mineral shaft ninety feet underground there were found in 1864 the molar teeth of a mammoth in a fair state of preservation.
In March, 1864, mineral was worth here $71 in greenbacks per thousand pounds; on July 1, 1864, it was quoted at $84 in green- backs; on July 15 it was $90; this was about the highest point it reached. As the reserved mineral lands of the county were now in market and had been for some time, opportunity for fortune making was not lacking.
Several very valuable discoveries were made in 1865 — one on the south side of Dodge street ; another, the Wootton crevice, in which Chapman, Ratcliff, Bunting, Peacock and others were interested. By August, 1865, little mineral was being raised ; it was worth from $53 to $55 per thousand.
In 1866 the old Burton mine was reworked; S. P. Smith and General Vandever were interested in this work; out of this shaft there had been taken formerly 5,000,000 pounds of mineral worth probably from $150,000 to $200,000. In six weeks in the fall of 1867 400,000 pounds were taken from the old Tom Kelly mines on the bluffs. Valuable new leads were found near Center 'Grove in 1868. The famous Coakley & Faulhopper lode was discovered two miles northeast of town in Langworthy Hollow, in 1871. The miners held a festival in February, 1871, and a large attendance enjoyed the occasion. T. C. Roberts was the principal speaker. He said that for forty years about $250,000 worth of lead annually had been taken from the mines of the Dubuque district.. The fol- lowing is an extract from a poem read at this festival :
"They're gone, they're gone to the unseen shore,
Their life work is all well done, Brave Julien and Kelly and many more
Have followed there one by one ; But why, brave knights of the giant will,
Why not, ere you strike your tent, Of the limestone rock they did cut and drill
Uprear them a monument?"
The drybone ore from which zinc is made is found in the hills around Dubuque, in the old lead holes and near them, and for many years was mined more than the lead mineral itself. Late in the eighties George Perry, on the old Randall farm, took out consid- erable drybone ore; he had found several paying crevices. It was found to exist from the cap rock down to living water about sixty feet below. At the termination of one drift the crevice was about eight feet wide and completely filled with ore. J. F. Rebman about the same time discovered on the old Stout farm a number of heavy zinc deposits ; his crevice was about forty feet wide. From Rhom- berg hill to the Western brewery Trieb & Company and Trieb,
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 29
Southwell & Brunskill discovered and worked valuable deposits; they were considered the most extensive zinc mines west of the river. Burt, McNulty & Cooper worked the "Ave Top" mine on Julien avenue near Nevada street ; it had turned out nearly 2,000,000 pounds of lead, but in the eighties was worked for zinc by Hird, Oatey & Watters, and paid. Mr. Goldthorpe mined a lot of drybone at Center and Fourteenth street. Many men and teams in the eighties were thus employed. It was thought that with a home reducing plant and full time worked the Dubuque drybone mines would yield from 100 to 200 tons per day. One mine in 1890 offered to contract to deliver twenty-five to fifty tons a day.
In 1899 there was a revival of zinc mining in Dubuque county. Considerable was found near Buncombe — Rowley mine, mill and roaster; Northwestern mine and mill; Buncombe Hill mine and Big Dad mine. In nearly all the old lead mining districts drybone has been found, often in paying quantities.
Among other rich strikes in the sixties was one in August, 1868, on the hill south of the French brewery, near Langworthy Hollow. Lead ore to the amount of 100,000 pounds had been taken out there many years before.
In 1867 there was found in the old Kelly cabin $4,000 in gold; later a boy in kicking over a tin can at the cabin uncovered $1,800 in gold; search revealed $1,500 more in an old tea canister. These discoveries caused a thorough search to be made, but no more gold was found. The search, however, led to several discoveries of lead ore in the old Kelly mines.
In 1875-6 Collins & Rooney shipped large quantities of lead ore, often from 3,000 to 5,000 pounds a day. Edwards & Luther's old mine, though eleven years old, seemed to grow better and better in 1876.
The Dubuque Ore Concentrating Company was organized in 1892 with the following officers: John Babcock, president; E. E. Jones, vice president; S. J. Southwell, secretary; Philip Pier, Sr., treasurer. By this date (1892) considerable drybone was being mined in this county, but as yet there was no reduction plant here. The above company laid plans to mine drybone, black jack and galena on an extensive scale; its plant was on Southern avenue. Early in 1893 the Dubuque Zinc Company, with a capital of $100,000, prepared to manufacture zinc from drybone on an exten- sive scale. E. T. Goldthorpe, in 1891, operated one mine near Durango and three near Dubuque; in that year he shipped fifty carloads of ore, the freight charges on which were $1,600. In four years previous to 1892 he shipped over $100,000 worth of zinc and lead ore from this vicinity to Mineral Point for reduction.
3o HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
It is related on unknown authority that some time after Du- buque's death, an Indian fighter and pioneer, John T. Smith, took possession of the works and attempted to carry on mining and smelting, but received no encouragement, and soon encountered open opposition from the chief Pi-a-nos-ky, who, with a band of warriors, tore down his buildings and drove him and his com- panions across the river.
The Avenue Top Company in recent years; their mine in Du- buque township yielded about $150,000 in lead ore, then $25 in dry bone, and later over $100,000 in blackjack. The old Rarrick mine yielded over $500,000 worth of lead ore ; Bartlett & Stewart raised about $150,000 worth; Levins, about $250,000; Burton, Jarrett & Glab, $200,000, and others. Many "bunches" were formed worth $10,000 to $20,000. The Stewart cave is about 900 feet long and in one place it is 100 feet wide. Sunflower cave at Kauffman ave- nue is forty feet wide, 800 feet long and sixty feet high in places. West Dubuque has numerous other caves.
In August, 1894, Kimball Goldthorpe discovered a rich lead of ore in West Dubuque. At the depth of 190 feet he found two solid sheets. In 1895, Meehan, at the depth of 130 feet, struck a valu- able lead on Southern avenue. The Shearn mine was one of the richest ever struck here; during the summer of 1895 about 400,000 pounds of ore were raised. The Goldthorpe, Jones & Kimball mine, near the old Karrick diggings, was very valuable ; at one time 10,000 pounds were taken out daily. Three mines — Karrick's, Shearn's and Sloan's — have yielded a total of approximately 15,000,000 pounds. Cheney's, Levins', Horton's, Emery's and Bartlett's mines have been successful. In 1896 large quantities of "ore dust" were shipped from Durango ; it was used for smelting purposes. J. W. Halpin & Company made a valuable strike in 1898; they took out 20,000 pounds of ore in a week in West Dubuque. The Pike's Peak and Alpine street mines were valuable.
The Dubuque Ore Development Company was incorporated in 1905. Large beds of blackjack were found in 1906 at Pike's Peak. The Key West Mining Company had valuable mines in 1906; this year rich discoveries of ore were made on Southern avenue and on Cascade road. This year, also, the Avenue Top Mining Company found large quantities of pure resin jack. This company sold five carloads of zinc ore in January, 1908. In July the richest strike of blackjack yet made here was unearthed on the Miller farm, West Dubuque. The Harriman Company was organized in 1906. The Tri-State Mining Company is a recent organization. The Goose- born Mining made important discoveries on Grand View avenue.
Other valuable discoveries are in progress, and the end of ore wealth is not in sight.
DUBUQUE AND THE INDIANS.
THE conveyance of the Fox Indians to Julien Dubuque in 1788 was as follows: "Copy of the council held by the Foxes, that is to say, of the branch of five villages, with the approbation of the rest of their people, explained to Mr. Quinantotaye, deputied by them, in their presence, and in the presence of us, the undersigned: that is to say, the Foxes permit Mr. Julien Dubuque, called by them the Little Cloud, to work at the mines as long as he shall please and to withdraw from it without specifying any term to him; moreover, that they sell and abandon to him all the coast and the contents of the mine discovered by the wife of Peosta, so that no white man or Indian shall make any pretension to it, without the consent of Mr. Julien Dubuque; and in case he shall find nothing within, he shall be free to search wherever he may think proper to do so, and to work peaceably without anyone hurting him or doing him any prejudice in his labors. Thus we chief and braves, by the voice of our villages, have agreed with Julien Dubuque, selling and delivering to him this day as above mentioned, in presence of the Frenchmen who attend us, who are witnesses to this writing.
"At the Prairie du Chien, in full council, the 226. September, 1788."
"Blondeau,
Ala Austin (his X mark). Autaquk. "Basil Teren (his X mark), ~\ Blondeau D'Quirneau, \ Witnesses."
Joseph Fontigny." J '
On the day this document was executed Dubuque is said to have delivered goods to the Indians in payment for the tract of land, which this writing purported to lease or convey; and a few days afterward, it was also said, the Indian chiefs, in the presence of Dubuque, allowed monuments to be erected at the mouths of Little Maquoketa and Tete des Morts rivers as boundaries of the tract along the river.
The petition of Julien Dubuque to Governor Carondelet was as follows : "The most humble petitioner to your excellency, who is called Julien Dubuque, having formed a habitation upon the fron- tiers of your government, in the midst of the savage tribes that
31
32 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
are the inhabitants of the country, has purchased a tract of Ian from these Indians, and the mines which it contains; and throug his perseverance in surmounting all the obstacles arising as we from dangers as heavy expenses, has at length succeeded, afte many troubles, in being the peaceful owner of a tract of land situate on the western bank of the Mississippi river, to which he has give the name of the 'Mines d'Espagne' (Mines of Spain or Spanis Mines), in honor of the government to which they belong. As th locality of the habitation is but a point and the different mines h works are sparsely spread, and at a distance of three leagues fror each other, the most humble petitioner prays your excellency to b pleased to grant him the peaceful possession of the said land an mines ; that is from the upper hills of the small river Maquauquitoi to the Mesquabynonques hills, which is about seven leagues upon th western bank of the Mississippi, by three leagues in depth; whic demand the petitioner hopes to obtain from your goodness. I pra the same goodness, which makes the happiness of so many subject; to excuse my style and to be willing to accept of the pure simplicit of my heart for want of my eloquence. With all my power beseech heaven to preserve you, and to pour all favors upon yot and I am and shall be all the days of my life, of your excellenc the most humble, obedient and submissive subject."
"J. Dubuque."
"New Orleans, October 22, 1796. "Let information be given by the merchant Don Andrew Tod on the nature of this demand."
"The Baron de Carondelet."
The exact language of Andrew Todd was in part as follows "I have to say that, as to the land for which he asks, nothing occur to me why it should not be granted if you find it convenient; wit the condition, nevertheless, that the grantee shall observe the pre visions of his majesty relating to the trade with the Indians; an that this be absolutely prohibited to him, unless he shall hav consent in writing"."
The board of commissioners for ascertaining and adjusting Ian claims in the Territory of Louisiana sat at St. Louis, September 2c 1806; it was shown, and reported as follows:
"Julien Dubuque and Auguste Chouteau claim a tract of on hundred and forty-eight thousand one hundred and seventy-si arpents of land situated on the river Mississippi at a place calle the Spanish Mines, about four hundred and forty miles from S Louis, forming in superficies an extent of about twenty-one league: They produce, first, a petition by the said Julien Dubuque to th Baron de Carondelet, praying for the peaceable possession of a extent of land of about seven leagues on the west side of the Missii
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 33
sippi, beginning at the heights of Mesquabynonques, being in front on said river about seven leagues by a depth of three leagues — the whole forming the said tract called the Spanish Mines; together with a reference by the Baron de Carondelet to one Andrew Todd, an Indian trader, of the above demand, under the date of the 22d of October, 1796, with the assent of said Andrew Todd to the granting of the same provided the said petitioner should not inter- fere with his trade, the same dated 29th October, same year."
The prayer of the petitioner was granted by Carondelet in the following language : "Concedido' como se solicita baxo las restric- ciones que el comerciante Don Anstres Todd expresa en so informe, 10 Noviembre, 1796" (Granted as it is demanded, under the restric- tions mentioned by the merchant Don Andrew Todd in his infor- mation) .
"I, the undersigned, William Henry Harrison, governor of the Territory of Indiana, and commissioner plenipotentiary of the United States for treating with the Indian tribes northwest of the Ohio, do hereby certify and declare that after the treaty which was made with the Sacs and Foxes at St. Louis on the 3d day of November, 1804, was drawn up and prepared for signing, I was shown a grant from the governor general of Louisiana to a certain Dubuque for a considerable quantity of land at some distance up the Mississippi and where the said Dubuque has for many years resided. Finding that this tract could be considered receded by the treaty as it then stood, the additional article was written and submitted to the Indians. They readily consented to it; and the undersigned informed them that the intention of it was to embrace particularly the claim of Dubuque, the validity of which they acknowledged. Given under my hand and seal at Vincennes, the 1st day of January, 1806."
"William Henry Harrison."
The principal objection to the claim was as follows, in the lan- guage of Mr. Gallatin, then secretary of the treasury : "The prin- cipal question made on this claim is one which, perhaps, in the whole history of Louisiana titles, is peculiar to itself. There is no fraud imputed; no want of authority to make the supposed grant; no uncertainty of its location. It is not challenged for want of being possessed in good faith; and no exception is taken to the capacity of the grantee. But conceding all these facts it is objected, that, on the face of the papers, in their purpose and meaning, no title of any sort in the land was intended or has been created; that the whole transaction was but to obtain a personal privilege, or usufruct, at will; and whatever of concession or stipulation there is, was but for a temporary personal protection and which has not been other- wise validated as a title" (See Vol. 1, Laws United States, p. 562). An adverse report of the Senate committee in 1841-2 (Senate Docs.,
34 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
Vol. V, No. 341 ) "assumes essentially the same ground as 1 Gallatin and regards the Indian contract as a personal privilege Dubuque to work the mines; the governor's concession but affirmance of this power; that the right was acquired without c sideration, and died with the person ; that the Indians had no ri: to sell the lands, and that it was the policy of the Spanish gove ment not to sell its mines, etc."
But the Senate committee found otherwise as follows : "T no precedent or example can be found of such grant of perso privilege in the use of lands being made up between the Indians e the Spanish government in the whole history of the provinc administration in Florida and Louisiana; that the Spanish authc ties indulged the Indians with a power of sale to individual wr men, subject to a ratification of title by the government authoril of the province; that such sales had already been confirmed by boards of land commissioners, by Congress, and by the courts of United States; that the article of sale to Dubuque by the Indi; contained the following language : 'That they sell and abandon him all the coast and the contents of the mine discovered by the w of Peosta, so that no white man or Indian shall make any pretens: to it, without the consent of the Sieur Julien Dubuque.' And article further said that 'In case he shall find nothing within ( mine sold to him) he shall be free to search wherever it shall se good to him, and to work peaceably without any hurting him, doing him any prejudice in his labors.'
"The committee readily acknowledge this part is but a perso: permission. But it is a permit beyond the sale and conveyance, 1 purporting, as in the preceding, a sale and surrender of possess- with a covenant of warranty against all pretensions of the white n or Indian; that this was intended to be a sale in fee so far as Indians could make it; that Dubuque's application to Carond« must have been in order to secure a confirmation of his title, becai he already had held possession for over eight years."
"What Todd understood to be the object of Dubuque's requ is too manifest to be disputed by any. Apprehending the motr of the petitioner to be apparent and palpable he in plain and sim brevity replied to the governor that 'As to the land for which (Dubuque) asks nothing occurs to me why it should not granted.' This information seems to have satisfied the govern and hence the conclusion is irresistible — the governor understc Dubuque's requete as Todd did, viz. : a simple petition for a gr; of the lands specified and which had been purchased of the India The lead mines were an incident of the lands of so little importai at that time, that Todd never alludes to them."
It was shown that on November 3, 1804, in a treaty made in Louis between the government and the Sac and Fox nations Indians, "the general boundary line between the lands of the Uni
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 35
States and of the said Indian tribes shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at a point on the Missouri river opposite to the mouth of the Gasconade river; thence in a direct course so as to strike the river Jeffrion at the distance of thirty miles from its mouth, and down the said Jeffrion to the Mississippi ; thence up the Mississippi to the mouth of the Wisconsin, and up the same to a point which shall be thirty-six miles in a direct line from the mouth of said river; thence by a direct line to the point where the Fox river (a branch of the Illinois) leaves the small lake called Sakeagan; thence down the Fox river to the Illinois river and down the same to the Mississippi." The Indians ceded to the United States all the lands included within the above described boundary. In this treaty the following language was used: "It is agreed that nothing in this treaty shall affect the claim of any individual or individuals who may have obtained grants of land from the Spanish government, and which are not included within the general boundary line laid down in this treaty, provided that such grants have at any time been made known to the said tribes and recognized by them." In a letter dated Vincennes, January 4, 18 16, and addressed to Auguste Chouteau at St. Louis, William Henry Harrison used the following language: "Enclosed you have the certificate on the subject of Dubuque's claim. I hope it will be sufficient for your purpose. I have no doubt of the validity of your claim and never had any."
On October 20, 1804, Dubuque sold to August Chouteau, 72,324 arpents of said land for $10,848.60, the undivided half or moiety of which was afterward sold by the said Chouteau to John Mullanphy, and on September 20, 1806, they presented their title papers to the board of commissioners — Lucas, Penrose and Donaldson. Mr. Lucas dissented from the opinion of a majority of the board "upon the ground that it was not a perfect, but merely an inchoate and incomplete title." The Senate committee said : "In reviewing the decision of the board of 1866 in favor of the claim, the committee are satisfied their decision was right and just in its general result, but that the board erred in pronouncing it 'a complete Spanish title.' It is obviously but a concession of land without a natural or ascertained boundary. And for this reason a survey, the customary prerequisite, was wanting, preparatory to executing the grant in complete form. But the dissenting opinion of Mr. Lucas, for this reason, is manifestly against all legal and equitable principle applica- ble to the case. And regarding the claim as reported by him to be 'an incipient or imperfect title,' it is, as such, equally with perfect titles, protected by the treaty ceding Louisiana, and therefore was entitled to his decision in its favor (Am. St. Papers, Public Lands, Vol. Ill, pp. 586-587).
The memorial or petition of Pierre Chouteau, J. Ferdinand Ken- nett and others stated "That some time in the year 1774 Julien Dubuque, a mineralogist, emigrated to the Province of Louisiana
36 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
and settled among the Sac and Fox nation of Indians, on the tylissi sippi, near the site of the present town of Dubuque."
In the journal of his "voyage" to the sources of the Mississip] in the years 1805 and 1806, Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike speaks of Julie Dubuque. He commences by saying: "Sailed from my encamj ment near St. Louis, at 4 o'clock P. M., on Friday, the 9th c August, 1805, with one sergeant, two corporals and seventeen pr vates, in a keel boat, 70 feet long, provisioned for four month: water very rapid. * * * First September, Sunday — Embarkf early; wind fair; arrived at the lead mines at 12 o'clock. * * We were saluted with a field piece and received with every mark c attention by Monsieur Dubuque, the proprietor. There were r horses at the house and it was six miles to where the mines wei worked; it was therefore impossible to make a report by actu inspection. I therefore proposed ten queries, on the answers 1 which my report was founded (see below). Dined with Mr. E who informed me that the Sioux and Sauteurs (Chippewas) wei as warmly engaged in opposition as ever; that not long since tl former killed fifteen Sauteurs, also on the 10th of August Sauteu: killed ten Sioux at the entrance of the St. Peter's; and that a w; party composed of the Sacs, Reynards and Puants (Winnebagoes of two hundred warriors, had embarked on an expedition again the Sauteurs, but that they had heard that the chief having had £ unfavorable dream, persuaded the party to return, and that I wou meet them on my voyage. At this place I was introduced to a chi< called the 'Raven of the Reynards.' He made a very flowery speec on the occasion, which I answered in a few words, accompanied by small present. I had now given up all hopes of my two men (wl had strayed away and become lost), and was about to embark, wh< a perogue arrived, in which they were, with a Mr. Blondeau at two Indians whom that gentleman had engaged above the rapids < Stony (Rock) river. The two soldiers had been six days witho anything to eat except muscles (clams), when they met Mr. Jam Aird, by whose humanity and attention their strength and spiri were in a measure restored, and they were enabled to reach tl Reynard village, where they met with Mr. B. The Indian chi furnished them with corn and shoes and showed his friendship 1 every possible attention. I immediately discharged the hire of ti Indians and gave Mr. Blondeau a passage to the Prairie Des Chier Left the lead mines at 4 o'clock."
Having concluded their trip to the headwaters of the Mississip and been gone all winter, they returned down the river in the sprii of 1906. On the 15 th they passed through Lake Pepin. Th arrived at Prairie Des Chiens on the 18th. Here Pike dined wi Mr. Gampbell in company with Messrs. Wilmot, Blakely, Woe Rollet, Fisher, Frazer and Jearreau.
"April 23, Wednesday — After closing my accounts, etc., at hi
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 37
past 12 o'clock left the prairie; at the lower end of it was saluted Ly seventeen lodges of the Puants. Met a, barge, by which I received a letter from my lady. Further on met one batteaux and one canoe of traders. Passed one trader's camp. Arrived at Mr. Dubuque's at 10 o'clock at night, found some traders encamped at the entrance with forty or fifty Indians; obtained some information from Mr. D. and requested him to write me on certain points. After we had boiled our victuals, I divided my men into four watches and put off — wind ahead.
QUERIES PROPOSED TO MR. DUBUQUE WITH HIS ANSWERS.
i. What is the date of your grant of the mines from the sav- ages? Answer : The copy of the grant is in Mr. Soulard's office at St. Louis.
2. What is the date of the confirmation by the Spaniards? Answer : The same as to query first.
3. What is the extent of your grant? Answer: The same as above.
4. What is the extent of the mines? Answer : Twenty-eight or twenty-seven leagues long and from one to three broad.
5. Lead made per annum? Answer: From 20,000 to 40,000 pounds.
6. Quantity of lead per cent of mineral? Answer: Seventy-five per cent.
7. Quantity of lead in pigs? Answer: All he makes, as he neither manufactures bar, sheet-lead, nor shot.
"Dubuque remained in the uninterrupted possession of the said land from the time of its purchase from the Indians in 1788 until his death, which occurred in the month of March, 1810, during the whole of which time he worked the mines and cultivated a portion of the land. He died in possession and was buried upon the land on a high bluff near the present town of Dubuque; and so great was the veneration entertained for him by the Indians, that for many years after his death they kept a fire burning upon his grave and watched it by day and night. Pierre Chouteau, Jr., one of your petitioners, having been repeatedly urged by Dubuque to join him in business on the land aforesaid, left St. Louis in the spring of the year 1810 for the residence of Dubuque, where he intended to remain for some years at least. Upon his arrival he found that Dubuque had departed this life some few weeks before. Dubuque often spoke to the Indians of the expected arrival of his friend, the said Chouteau, and a short time before his death enjoined it upon them, as your peti- tioners are informed and believe, to receive and treat him as a friend. The chief of the said nation received the said Chouteau with every demonstration of respect and kindness, and informed him that it
38 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
was the request of Dubuque that he should take possession of 1 property and occupy his house. In compliance with that reque the said chief gave to the said Chouteau the immediate possessii of the home formerly occupied by Dubuque. He had freque conversations with the chiefs of the said nation relative to t claim of Dubuque to the said tract of land and was informed 1 them that he (Dubuque) was entitled to the same. The sa Chouteau did not remain all the time Upon the said land after r arrival in 1810, but continued to do business there until the coi mencement of the war of 1812, when he returned to St. Lou After the death of Dubuque, August Chouteau qualified as \ administrator and as such obtained an order from the probate cot of St. Charles county, in the Territory of Missouri, to sell t' interest of Dubuque in said lands for the payment of debts. T land was divided by the administrator into lots or parcels and so under the order aforesaid, when John P. Cobanne, Pierre Cho teau, Jr., William Russell and others became the purchasers.
"Shortly after the treaty between the Sacs and Foxes and tl United States, concluded on the 21st of September, 1832 (by whi the former ceded to the United States a large tract of counti within the limits of which the Dubuque tract of land now claim' is situated), your petitioners took possession of such land and pr ceeded to erect houses upon and occupy the same in like mann as lands claimed under similar titles have always been occupi and held in the country ceded by France to the United States ai believed that they were under the protection of the law in so doirj and that the government of the United States would not distu them until it was ascertained that their title was invalid, or at ai rate, until some provision should be made for testing its validil But so far from doing this the extraordinary spectacle was exhibit of an ejectment by military force under an order of the secreta of war."
William Wirt, attorney , general of the United States, express the opinion, February 14, 1825, concerning the removal by for of Mr. Henderson, one of the claimants under the Spanish tit "that it is not competent to the executive to remove him (Hend< son) by force under the Act of March 3, 1807, 'to prevent sett! ments being made on lands ceded to the United States until authc ized by law.' "
"By the treaty of September 21, 1832, the Indians sold to t United States only such land as was 'rightfully claimed by the? for as they, at the treaty of November 3, 1804, did not only discla: the ownership, but expressly recognize the Dubuque claim as valid Spanish grant (the possession of which was then in Dubuque the United States acquired no title to that tract of land by t treaty aforesaid. Your petitioners having taken possession of sj land under and by virtue of a grant from the Spanish governme
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 39
were not intruders upon the public lands and ought not to have been so regarded and treated by the secretary of war" (see Senate Documents, 29th Congress, 2d session, Vol III, No. 218)..
Finally, the Senate committee "are fully satisfied that justice demands that the report of the board of commissioners aforesaid should be approved and that the title to the said tract of land should be confirmed by the United States to the said Julien Dubuque, his heirs, assignees, or legal representatives; and in con- formity to these views they have reported a bill and recommended its passage." (March 3, 1847, see No. 218, Senate Documents, 29th Congress, 2d session, Vol. III).
The Senate committee on public lands, on July 1, 1842, "thought it very obvious that the grant, permit, or concession, by whatever name it may be called of the Indians in council to Dubuque, was never intended by either of the parties to give any greater interest in the land or mines to Dubuque than a mere personal permit or privilege of working the mines as long as he pleased and of leaving them whenever he should think proper."
They therefore concluded that the government preemption laws should apply to the Dubuque tract. In other words that settlers could preempt land there as on other land owned by the United States. (Senate Documents, Vol. V, 27th Congress, 2d session, No. 341.)
The House of Representatives committee on public lands reported that they felt "assured that the Indians considered the privilege granted by them to Julien Dubuque as a personal privilege, from the fact that, as early as the year 1830, and previous to the cession by treaty of the land called the 'Black Hawk Purchase' to the United States (and which includes this tract of land) and while all of what is now comprised within the limits of the territory of Iowa belonged to the Indian tribes, divers persons crossed the Mississippi river and commenced mining upon this tract of land (the Dubuque claim) ; which occupancy was resisted and com- plained of by the Indians, and upon proper representations being made the government sent a military force to expel such persons, which was accomplished; and said military force was then sta- tioned at the place where now stands the town of Dubuque. After the making of the treaty of September 21, 1832 (the Black Hawk Purchase), and previous to the ratification thereof, the whites again crossed the river and commenced mining and making gardens in the vicinity of what is now the town of Dubuque. By the said treaty it was stipulated that the Indians were to retain possession of the lands so ceded until the 1st of June, 1833. To keep which stipulation inviolate the government again sent a military force to expel its citizens, which was as far as practicable effected; and that after the due ratification of the said treaty, to-wit: On the 1st day of June, 1833, said military force was withdrawn, and the
4o HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
settlers were permitted, encouraged and invited by the governme to occupy said tract of land under the government." (See H. Docs., 27th Congress, 2d session, No. 894.)
Those who petitioned Congress regarding the Dubuque cla and title in 1835-6 were Elizabeth Mullanphy, Octavia Mullanpl Ann Biddle, Mary Harney, William S. Harney, Bryan Mullanpl James Clemens, Jr., Eliza Clemens, R. Graham, Catherine Graha: Charles Chambers, Jane M. Chambers, Cerre Chouteau (in her o\ right and as executrix of Auguste Chouteau, deceased), E. Che teau, Henry Chouteau, Gabriel S. Chouteau, Aug'te P. Choute; (by Pr. Chouteau, Jr., attorney in fact). They had been dispc sessed of their property under this claim and asked to be restored the possession of their property until the title should be adjudicate
In 1842 the citizens who had settled upon the Dubuque clai petitioned Congress to the following effect : That they had settl there after June 6, 1833, and were therefore entitled to the prr leges granted by the preemption laws ; that the privilege of maki: proof and payment for their homes under such laws was denied the by the register and receiver at Dubuque on the ground that the tn was reserved from sale as shown by a letter from the commission of the general land office dated April 4, 1839. The House coi mittee of Congress took the position "that the privilege given Julien Dubuque by the Indian tribes was the mere personal privile of hunting, mining, smelting, fishing, etc., within certain lim (twenty-one miles front upon the Mississippi river by nine mi] in depth) and was not intended to convey to him any further rig or privilege." The committee showed that the government h "not only on all proper occasions heretofore denied the validity such claim, but has since purchased this same tract of land frc the Indians. by treaty dated September 21, 1832, at Rock Islar and given through its agents to the settlers written permission reside on and occupy said tract of land and to work at the min thereon, to erect houses for their protection and enclose gardens f the support of the settlers, they paying to the agents of the Unit States for the benefit of the United States, certain proportions of t amount of mineral raised or lead ore smelted by them." For the and other reasons the committee reported a bill in favor of t relief prayed for by the petitioners.
The Miners' Express of July 28, 1842, contained the report the committee on public lands in the United States Senate, to whe was referred a bill extending the right of preemption to settle etc., on the Dubuque claim, denying the validity of the claim, whi was accompanied by a bill providing that settlers might enter th< lands as if no claim existed ; that patents issued for lands so enter should be considered as a relinquishment of the title of the Unit States to the land ; but, if, at any future time the claim should declared valid by a proper tribunal and the patentee should
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 4"
lawfully ejected, the purchase money should be refunded to the patentee.
Much land in the county was unentered previous to March, 1847, owing to the Dubuque claim, but at this date Congress removed the difficulty and the land was thrown into market.
Iowa, in the language of the Indians, means "the beautiful land." What is now Dubuque county was seen first by white men in 1673 ; in that year Joliet and Marquette passed down the Mississippi and may have landed in this county. Joliet was sent out on an expedi- tion to find the "great river" and a water route to the South Sea, as the Pacific ocean was then called, and Marquette was chosen to accompany him. The latter called the Mississippi "La Conception." Later La Salle called it "Colbert." In 1788 the Fox Indians pos- sessed the soil, the lands of the Sacs being farther down the river. In 1836-7 Congress ordered the town of Dubuque surveyed and platted, but this act did not remove the claim of Dubuque's heirs and for many years the land was kept out of market on this account. In Congress a strong delegation worked persistently in favor of the Dubuque-Chouteau claim.
"Afterward when the lands were ordered to be sold and the proclamation of sale duly made, and when Iowa was unrepresented in that body, the United States Senate passed a resolution request- ing a withdrawal of the land from sale. This startled our people and Messrs. Hastings and Leffler, our representatives in Congress, were interviewed. They called upon the President and learned that the act of the Senate could not be disregarded; but they learned that if the House should pass a resolution ordering the sale, it would proceed. Mr. Hastings accordingly presented such a reso- lution in the House, whereupon a Missouri member violently pro- tested against it and raised such a commotion that when the vote was taken it was difficult to decide whether it was passed or not. The clerk thought it was lost and so entered it on his memorandum. At the adjournment Mr. Hastings (familiarly known as 'Old Red') went to him for a copy of the resolution. The clerk replied: 'I thought the resolution failed to pass.' He replied, 'No, sir, give me a certified copy to be handed to the President.' The clerk did so, the copy was presented to the President and the sale proceeded. This act of Mr. Hastings was one of more benefit to our city and county than any other single act in the history of our legislation. Had that sale not taken place at that time, it might never have taken olace, for the claim of Chouteau might have been confirmed by Congress and this confirmation would have depopulated the eastern half of this county, or if the sale had ever been made it would have been after years of delay, fraught with destruction to the prosperity of our city and county. After the public sale Mr. Chou- teau brought a suit against Mr. P. Maloney, one of our worthy citizens, to test the validity of his title, and the decision before
42 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
referred to was made by the United States Supreme court. Another temporary incubus upon the prosperity of our city and county was the attempt to take the mineral leads from our early miners by pretended government agents, who claimed to have authority to lease these lands. Certain adventurers procured such appointments and granted to their own secret agents and tools, leases of rich lodes discovered after much labor and expense by such men as Richard and Robert Waller, the Langworthys, Antoine Loire and many others and these pretended agents asked the judge here for an injunction to prevent all working of our mines without a license from him. The judge decided that the law authorizing this leasing did not apply to Iowa, whereupon the secretary of war, Mr. Spencer, wrote to the judge to prepare himself for a removal from office for the reason that the law did apply to that part of Iowa which was east of the Mississippi. Daniel Webster hearing of this, called upon Mr. Spencer, gave him a short lesson in geography and the judge was not removed." — (Judge Thomas S. Wilson in Herald of September 4, 1883).
Comparatively little is known of Dubuque during the twenty-one years' residence here. So far as known no portrait of him is in existence; all such are purely imaginary and should have no place in history. Neither is it known that he had an Indian wife. Elipha- let Price, an early settler near here, said that one of Dubuque's employes told him that Dubuque had no Indian wife. If he had one what became of her after his death? If there were any children what became of them? Would not the wife and children have claimed his estate here and elsewhere? Not the slightest trace of them has ever been found. — (See Judge T. S. Wilson in Herald, February 6, 1887). Peosta was a Fox chief and a warrior of the Kettle Chief's Tribe. The name Pesota usually bestowed upon Dubuque's alleged Indian wife, seems to be a distortion of Peosta. Dubuque and nine other Frenchmen, it is said, came here in 1788. It would be interesting to know who his white companions were, how long they remained, the terms upon which they worked for him, etc. Dubuque wrote his name as it is now written ; he did not use a capital B. In French the name is written Debuc. — (See Herald, January 8, 1866.) At his death Dubuque was concealed on the bluff where his monument now stands ; his body was placed in a cave. In 1823 when this cave was opened, Mr. Langworthy, who was present, said the skeleton was yet there with the hat still on the head or skull. — (Miners' Express, September 18, 1850). It is said that the Indians for many years kept a fire burning at the cave or grave. His Indian name was "La Petit Nuit." The Great Washington of the Foxes, Kettle Chief, was buried on the same mound. On the cross at the grave is the following inscription in French. "Julien Dubuque Mineure De La Mine D'Espagne, Moret Le 24 Marse, 1810; Agee 45 y2 anne." — (Translation: Julien
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 43
Dubuque, Miner of the Mines of Spain, died the 24th of March, 1810, aged 45 years and 6 months). Dubuque was thus a young man when he came here — about twenty-four years old.
Dubuque was a French Canadian born in the Province of Quebec, January 10, 1762, and was a mineralogist. At the age of twenty- two years he settled near Prairie du Chien and soon learned of the lead ore near the mouth of Catfish creek, where the Kettle Chief's village was located, containing about four hundred Indians. In 1788 he secured the right to work the mines. He opened stores, built smelting furnaces, bought furs, built houses and horse mills, opened gardens and farms, sold or traded goods and mined lead for market. From time to time he had Frenchmen to assist him and no doubt also Indian women and old men. He was doubtless good to the Indians, treated them fairly, taught them how to secure many comforts and become strong and it was no wonder they loved, respected and obeyed him. Twice a year he took a boat load of lead ore, furs and hides to St. Louis and returned with fresh goods, money and supplies of food, clothing and ammunition. The inscrip- tion on his grave, or cross, says that he died March 24, 1810, aged forty-five years and six months ; if so, he was born about September, 1764, instead of the date given above.
A new impetus was given to the growth of Dubuque by the final settlement of the Dubuque claim. This settlement was practically made by Congress in 1846-7. The President by proclamation adver- tised the lands for sale, whereupon the Senate presented a resolution asking for a postponement of the sale, but this was prevented by an Iowa member, who asked that there be no postponement unless upon petition of the settlers. This passed and was sanctioned by the President. Previous to 1846-7 all titles at Dubuque were con- sidered uncertain. Many pioneers refused to settle here. All who settled prepared their affairs so as to meet the Dubuque claims in case his heirs won. Dubuque was thus crippled for years. In 1847 the growth was large as a consequence of the Congressional act of 1846-7. Over 150 buildings were erected in Dubuque from March 1, 1847, to December 1 ; a majority were brick.
When the case of Chouteau vs. Maloney (the Dubuque claim case) was called in the Supreme court of the United States in December, 1853, every member of the Iowa delegation in Congress was present. The case was concluded in January, 1854. Judge Thomas S. Wilson, of Dubuque, first addressed the Court and upheld the views of Albert Gallatin. He was followed by Mr. Carmack, who assailed the views of Gallatin and upheld the justice of the old Senate committee report. Piatt Smith spoke, as did Judge Wilson ; so did Attorney General Cushing. The whole Pierce administration favored the Iowa contention. Briefly the points made by Judge Wilson were as follows : 1 . The Indians could not and did not sell the land, as it belonged to Spain. 2. Dubuque
44 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
had only peaceable possession and not full proprietorship. 3. Tr bounds were indefinite. 4. Carondelet only gave permission t work the mines, as his language was not such as was usually use in making land grants, and no process verbal nor order of surve accompanied his order. 5. Carondelet had no authority to mat such a sale or grant. 6. If Carondelet had such power, he coul give only an inchoate and imperfect title — one that would ava nothing in a court of law. 7. There must be a compliance wit Spanish law and there was not in this case, and therefore no sal was meant. 8. The land was acquired from France in 1803 an from the Indians in 1832 ; Congress had authorized the sale to tr settlers, had recognized their preemption rights and had given thei patents to their tracts of land; would the government now reven all this, and exclude the thousands of settlers? Justice Wayr delivered the unanimous opinion of the Supreme court in favor c the settlers. On February 28, 1854, there was received here telegram that the Dubuque case had been decided in favor of low; Immediately an impromptu celebration was held; the cannon w< fired, bells were rung and all congratulated each other on the ou come and the good news. Thus at last this vexatious case w; settled forever.
Dubuque county has little Indian history, because the tribes wei removed before the arrival of the 'pioneers. The early settle] found the usual artificial mounds which doubtless were thrown u by the Indians and not by the Mound Builders proper. Several c these mounds stood originally where Dubuque's monument no- stands. "One opened in Dubuque county disclosed a vault divide into three cells. In the center one were found eight skeletons sittin in a circle and in the center of the group was a drinking vess< made from a sea shell. The whole chamber was covered with lo| preserved in cement." One mile northeast of Dyersville, on sectic 29, township 89 north, range 2 west, were formerly a group c Indian mounds — nine in all, seven circular and two embankment
Originally the Dakota family of Indians possessed what is no Iowa. In this family were the Iowa, Omaha, Winnebago, Mascoi tin, Otoe, Sisseton and other tribes. Farther south were the Illinoi Fox, Chippewa, Attouays, Pottawattomie and other tribes of tl great Algonquin family. In the fierce wars between the two fam lies the Sacs and Foxes gained possession of what is now Dubuqi county and were found here by the first white men. Dubuqi secured his grant from the Foxes, and lived with them until h death. A large Fox village of sixty to seventy bark and log dwel ings stood on the present site of Dubuque, and nearby in the valh were the Indian corn, bean and pumpkin fields. Before the whit' came, the Sioux, it is related, were attacked on the bluff abo two hundred yards below the mouth of Catfish creek, on the fir bluff below the one on which stands Dubuque's monument, by
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 45
large band of Sacs and Foxes. In the rush they endeavored to drive the mounted Sioux over the bluff. Many were forced over the steep bank and the Sioux were defeated in the end. As a proof of this battle the first settlers found at the bottom of the bluff, on the east side, many Indian skeletons, more or less disjointed, scattered around for a considerable distance. Bones of Indians and horses could be seen there as late as twenty or thirty years ago. During the fight, it is related, a Sioux leaped his horse down the north side, which was not so steep, and escaped, from that circumstance the bluff has been known as Horse Bluff. The date of this battle is not known, but was before August 19, 1825, at which date a treaty removed the Sioux permanently farther northward. The Horse Shoe Bluff there is named from the shape of the small valley.
In 1832 the Sacs, Foxes and Winnebagoes ceded a large tract, including Dubuque county, to the United States government for the consideration of $20,000 per annum for thirty years ; $50,000 to be paid to Indian traders; 6,000 bushels of corn, fifty barrels of flour; thirty barrels of pork; thirty-beef cattle, and twelve bushels of salt.
Late in May, 1838, a few wandering and dissipated Winnebago Indians came down the river and camped on an island opposite the lower end of town. A night or two later a few roughs from Dubuque went there for dishonorable purposes and were resisted by the braves and squaws, during which a squaw was mortally wounded. She was buried by the people of Dubuque and the roughs were pursued and punished. Several were wounded in the struggle. One of the roughs escaped. Joseph Ducoste, who was charged with the murder of the squaw, Se-a-co, broke jail at Dubuque in June, 1838, and Sheriff Cummings offered a reward of $50 for his arrest.
"Indians About. — A company of about forty Indians of the Pottawattomie tribe were encamped at Table Mound, near this city, during last week. We understand they were a little amusing to the people in that neighborhood. In a drunken frolic they had three of their horses killed. Those that visited the city were fine looking, well-dressed Indians." — (Miners' Express, June 6, 1849.)
"We were amused at the antics of a party of Pottawattomie Indians who were allowed to ride backwards on the tender. They evidently thought it great sport as they whooped and hallooed until they rivaled the neigh of the iron steed. But the shriek of that animal evidently took them down some — or up rather, as one fellow jumped three feet into the air when the engineer let the whistle loose." — E. & H., June 4, 1855).
CITY OF DUBUQUE, 1788 TO 1849.
SO FAR as known, Julien Dubuque and his French companion were the first white persons to reside permanently in what i now Dubuque county, Iowa. They came here probably i 1788 and began to work the lead mines, and Dubuque, at leasi lived here more or less continuously until his death in 18 10. Afte the latter date until 1827, it is not probable that any white person resided permanently here, though doubtless, in spite of the fact tha the Indian title was not extinguished and the Indians themselve were hostile to such advances, white explorers from the older Galen and Wisconsin districts, invaded cautiously this county with the ob ject of settlement when the lands should be secured by treaty am thrown into market. It is also known that white traders resided mor or less permanently on the islands in front of Dubuque from 1810 b 1830. The period from 1827 to 1832 has thus been called th period of exploration when white men on the east side of th Mississippi invaded the wilds west of the river to select homes wit! the view of early future settlement. This invasion was doubtles one of the sequences of the Indian treaties of 1804, 1818, 1824, etc. which forecast the speedy acquirement by the government of land west of the river. Many who afterward became permanent resi dents of this county made explorations during this period; amon them were James L. Langworthy, Lucius H. Langworthy, Jame McPeters, E. M. Wren, Samuel Scales, George W. Jones, Thoma McCraney, Anton Loire and others.
A party of ladies and gentlemen from Galena celebrated th Fourth of July, 1828, at the mouth of Catfish creek, Dubuqu county. This was probably the first time in what is now Iowa tha the flag was raised and that day celebrated. In 1832 another part from Galena celebrated the same day at the same place. — (Herald November 2, 1865.)
George W. Jones came here to trade with the Indians as early a 1828; he then resided at Sinsinawa Mound. In order to conve; his ox team and cart across the river, he lashed two canoes or othe boats together and then put his whole outfit on board and all wer ferried over by the Indians. He obtained lead and gave mone' and goods therefor. The Langworthys and a dozen other men wh< afterward became settlers here were thus engaged, several of then as early as 1827. Some times they dealt with the traders on th
46
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 47
islands and sometimes directly with the Indians. It is said that one or more of Dubuque's French companions resided here or on the islands until 1826.
When the first explorers arrived they found a large village was still standing silent, solitary and deserted, at the mouth of Catfish creek. Every Indian had vanished. About seventy buildings, con- structed with poles and the bark of trees, were all that remained. The council house, though rude, was large and contained a great number of furnaces where kettles had been placed to prepare the feasts of peace or war. On the inner surfaces of the bark of the council house were paintings of elks, buffaloes, bears, panthers and other animals. Even their sports, feasts and fights were thus repre- sented. Here seemed to be a rude record of their history. The whole place was destroyed by fire in the summer of 1830 by some visitors in a spirit of vandalism, much to the regret of the first settlers.
The treaty with the Sacs and Foxes by which what is now Dubuque county became open to settlement, was concluded Sep- tember 2, 1832, and took effect in June, 1833. No sooner was it learned that the treaty had been concluded than miners, adventurers, explorers, families and homeseekers generally began to cross the river in order to secure first choice of permanent locations. This fact reaching the knowledge of the authorities caused orders to be issued to the soldiers at Prairie du Chien to remove all such per- sons ; whereupon Lieutenants Gardonnier, Abercrombie, Wilson and Davis (the latter becoming afterwards President of the Southern Confederacy), came to what is now Dubuque and compelled the invaders to re-cross to the east side, though many went no farther than the islands in the middle of the river, where traders had sojourned for many years. Being fully convinced that the treaty would soon be confirmed, the settlers returned when the soldiers lost their vigilance or were withdrawn. The result was that a score or more of permanent settlers made their claims in Dubuque county late in 1832 and early in 1833. After the spring of 1833 the sol- diers did not longer seriously molest the settlers here. Some score or more of the first settlers date their settlement here from 1832, because they came then and went away temporarily only because the soldiers compelled them to go.
The chief object of the first settlers was to work the lead mine9 and incidentally to secure tracts of land advantageously situated. By the spring of 1834 the village contained 300 inhabitants — set- tlers, miners and temporary residents. In the spring of 1833 the first log cabin was built near where Finn's old tavern afterward stood. During this year Milo H. Prentice became the first postmaster and the first sermons — Protestant and Catholic — were preached. In 1833 also Robert Read established a farm on what afterward became the W. G. Stewart place in Dubuque township. Hosea T. Camp,
48 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
whose daughter married John Palmer, brought the first family to reside here permanently in 1833. In June P. Weigel brought his family; three of the children are yet living in Dubuque. Rev. Erastus Kent, Presbyterian, of Galena, and Rev. Burton Randall, Methodist, held services here in 1833. The first raft of lumber was brought down the river by James H. and Ezekiel Lockwood in 1833. Mrs. Camp and Mrs. Susan F. Dean, later Mrs. Law- rence, were the first women to come here for permanent residence —
1833-
In May, 1833, Patrick Quigley arrived in Dubuque. The cabins or shanties were so few that for the first two or three months he was obliged to sleep out of doors more than half of the time. In August he moved into his own house, which had neither doors nor windows. The first flurry of snow late in autumn obliged him to enclose his quarters. He was the first justice of the peace in Dubuque and received his commission from Governor Horner of Michigan territory. The next year the first hotel was built — Bell Tavern — partly of logs — and stood a few rods north of where the Julien House is now located. The houses then were few, poor and huddled together. The growth of the place this year (1833) was rapid. In 1834 the town did not advance in population and appear- ance as rapidly as it had in 1833. Many who had come here to mine, left, not meeting with success. Others were perhaps fright- ened away by the cholera which appeared here. A Methodist chapel was built this year, and a Catholic cathedral of stone in 1835. The masons and carpenters who worked upon it charged $5 per day. Saloons were numerous and nearly everybody drank.
In the summer of 1834 a public meeting was held and attempts were made to change the name of Dubuque to that of Washington. The former had been adopted by common consent and not by any formal act of the inhabitants or the authorities. However, it was not thought wise to change the name, as the place had already become widely known as Dubuque. In 1834, the Fourth of July was celebrated on Bee branch. Simon Clark was the orator and Clark and Lucius H. Langworthy sang the "Star Spangled Banner." On May 18, 1834, Rev. Burton Randall became regular pastor of the Methodist church which had been organized the year before ; he preached in a log building which stood on the present site of the Julien House. The first church was a log structure, which stood where Washington Park now is. By act of June 28, 1834, Congress attached the Black Hawk Purchase to Michigan territory, and on September 8, 1834, the Legislature of Michigan territory formed the two counties — Des Moines and Dubuque. Thus, prior to 1834, Dubuque may be said to have had no law, but it was not altogether lawless. It was a typical mining town, with dram shops where armed men congregated to drink and fight. Although it is usual to attempt to make the village previous to 1834 appear intensely
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 49
wild and wicked, it was not so in reality, because the lawless were held in check by men like the Langworthys McCraney, John King, Milo H. Prentice and others, who united to secure good order and morals and were immensely aided by the first ministers and the first religious congregations. But moral suasion was supplemented by a set of orders or resolutions drawn up by John King and adopted by the citizens as a guide of law and order to serve until the usual courts could be set in operation.
A young man named Wheeler was tarred and feathered in Dubuque in the spring of 1834. He had been engaged by the citi- zens to take an insane person to his father in Illinois. Upon his return he was charged with having pocketed most of the subscription and with having left the insane man in destitution down the river. Wheeler declared he was innocent and asked his accusers to write to the father of the insane man; but they refused, tarred and feath- ered and dumped him out of town. A little later the citizens received a letter from the father of the insane man requesting them to thank Mr. Wheeler for the care and attention given his son on the journey down the river. After that not a person who had preferred the charges against Wheeler or was concerned in his tarring escapade could be found. In order to get a fight it was only necessary to charge someone with participation in the outrage. — (Eliphalet Price in Herald, July 13, 1865.)
"The population almost without exception was of the roughest sort, being composed mostly of miners, whose amusements con- sisted in gambling and drunken frolics on the most villainous whisky. A miner would work until he had accumulated sufficient for a spree and until cleaned out at keeno or some other game he alternated between drunk and drunker — between drunk enough to howl and fight, or too drunk to do either. The standard of morality was infinitely low; the taking of life or any other species of crime was regarded less a wrong than a pastime. Acts of extreme law- lessness, however, were rare, for there was a regular system of organization among the miners by which was administered a set of laws with inflexible impartiality. The streets such as they were presented different aspects than at present. Then a ragged Sac or Dacotah, blending in his presence the savage dignity of the red man and the unsteady evolutions of a modern top-heavy civilization and barbarity trying to affiliate. A half dozen miners — fierce in unkempt locks and ragged beards, eyes glaring and bloodshot, swaying with unsteady pace from shop to shop, going from bad whisky to worse and varying the performance by an occasional fight." — (Early description of Dubuque, Herald, April 17, 1859.)
During the winter of 1835-6 a small band of Sacs and Winne- bagoes encamped on an island in front of the town, killed one of their number — a large man — and left him, terribly mutilated, lying on the ice. It was thought he was killed for cruelty to his squaw.
5o HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
This circumstance was narrated at a later day by Rev. H. W. Reed, who came to Dubuque in 1835. At that time he was the only Protestant minister in this region. His cabin stood eight or nine miles west of Dubuque and was built of round logs, with a single three-light window with oil paper for glass. The roof was so poor that during storms pans were used to catch the water running through. There his first child was born and there it died. On Sundays he traveled eight miles to the bluffs to preach to the miners at 9 o'clock ; then at 1 1 o'clock he preached in the village below the bluffs; at 3 o'clock at Peru, and in the evening again at Dubuque. At Peru there was no church building and on two occasions he preached in gambling rooms. He preached occasionally at Durango. Card playing was a favorite amusement — Sundays and week days. It was about 1836 that the local paper here advertised for a min- ister— "One who can reason, preach, sing and enforce the fourth commandment."
At the close of 1835 the population of Dubuque was estimated at 1,000. The people were then described by Lieut. A. M. Lee in his "Notes on Wisconsin" as exceedingly active and enterprising, carry- ing on a brisk and lucrative mineral trade and supplying the miners with the necessaries and comforts of life. When the territory of Wisconsin was set off in July, 1836, it was thought that Dubuque, owing to its central location, might become the seat of government. Belmont and Madison competed with it for this honor and Belmont won. The final struggle between Madison and Dubuque was earnest and exciting. The speeches of the Dubuque members of the Legis- lature were effective and eloquent. Patrick Quigley was one of them. He compared the founding of cities here with those in Europe and said, "They traversed the Caspian, the Black and the Mediterranean seas and founded their Constantinople, their Car- thage and their Rome, not as gentlemen are attempting to raise Madison in a wilderness of swamps, but where there were good and commodious harbors and "where commerce and population invited." The slowness of travel is shown by the following extract taken from the Visitor of October 19, 1836 : "A goodly number of the Visitors left Dubuque on the 14th of September for Chillicothe, Ohio, but after traveling as far as Indianapolis, Indiana, became worn out and being destitute of covering returned to Dubuque. We have again dressed them in a new livery, put them into an old worn-out, two- horse stage — (we like uniformity), and cautioned them to keep the driver from using them as a seat (which is the common practice), and they would probably see their friends in Chillicothe in time to receive their New Year's gift."
In the autumn of 1836 a weekly mail was established between Dubuque and Fort Des Moines. Previous to that year no surveys had been made here, except by private citizens, who were aided by subscription. Among these private surveys was one by George W.
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 51
Harrison, who laid off between twenty and thirty blocks in the central part of the city. In 1836 Gen. George W. Jones, congress- man, secured a grant of the section, which then constituted the town. By this act public surveys were made and the town was laid off in lots and outlots, the proceeds of the latter to be devoted to the improvement of the former.
In an oration, July 4, 1836, W. W. Coriell, in speaking of the struggle between Madison and Dubuque for the capital, said : "Only three years have elapsed since the white man came into possession of the country in which Dubuque is situated, and already, including the county of Des Moines, it is estimated that we number more than twelve thousand inhabitants on the west side of the Mississippi, being about one-half of the population of the whole country of Wisconsin. Our town and its immediate vicinity has doubtless a population of two thousand industrious and enterprising citizens as any to be found in the broad extent of the United States. Dubuque, from its commanding situation, being easy of access from any point, from the fertility of the soil and the vast mineral resources of the country in its vicinity, from the number of its population, being greater than that of any other town in the territory, may well aspire to be the capital." — (Visitor, July, 1836.)
The first child born here was Susan Ann McCraney, who mar- ried John S. Barnes. A Mrs. Butterfield, aged no years, died here about 1850. David Stiles, aged 106, died in 1871. George Cubbage taught school in 1833. Catholic services were held at the residence of Patrick Quigley late in 1833. A Mr. Fox died in 1833 — the first ; he was probably the first person buried in the old cemetery at Jackson square. Ira Williams, Warner Lewis and Patrick Quigley were the first justices — 1834 and 1835. On March 9, 1834, the first temperance meeting was held. In August, 1834, a meeting to sup- press vice and to expel gamblers and other bad characters was held. In November, 1836, William A. Burt made the first county surveys; he was the inventor of the solar compass. The first brick house was built by Leroy Jackson in 1837. Alexander Levi was the first alien to receive naturalization papers — 1837. Saloons were closed for the first time on Sunday in August, 1835. George W. Jones made the first political speech in 1835. George Zollicoffer made the first wine from native grapes in 1834.
In 1836 there were very few buildings north of Fifth street. At Locust and Sixth were two frame buildings which were torn down in 1873. At the corner of Fifth and Locust was the Visitor in a log house. Sixth street was once called Church because it led to the old log church at what is now Washington square. The original Athenaeum was built in 1840 by Emerson and Crider at Sixth and Main. Here the Express and later the Herald were issued; this was called "Democratic Corner." In 1846 it became the Key City hotel. In 1863 it was transformed into the Athenaeum by W. G.
52 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
Stewart and the public hall therein became famous. Here the the- atrical stars of the country appeared — Sallie St. Claire, Anna Bishop, Edwin Forrest, Lawrence Barrett, Edwin Adams, James E. Murdock, J. W. Wallack, Jr., Daniel Marble, J. B. Rice, Julia Dean, J. B. Booth, W. J. Florence, John Wilkes Booth, E. A. Sothern and others, and here appeared also, under the auspices of the Young Men's Association, Wendell Phillips, J. G. Holland, Horace Greeley, Victoria Woodhull, Anna E. Dickinson, Stephen A. Douglas, E. T. Youmans, B. F. Taylor, L. Agassiz, H. W. Beecher, the Hutchin- sons, Adelina Patti, Ole Bull, and others.
On May n, 1836, the Dubuque Visitor, the first newspaper in Iowa, and the first west of the Mississippi and north of St. Louis, made its appearance in Dubuque. It was edited by John King, who was assisted in June by William C. Jones, and from the start by Andrew Keesecker.
Its motto was, "Truth Our Guide — The Public Good Our Aim." It was issued at "Dubuque Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory," and was printed by Mr. Jones on a Smith press which was afterward used on the early newspapers at Mineral Point, Wisconsin ; St. Paul, Minnesota, and Sioux Falls, Dakota. The Visitor was first located at Church and Main streets, the former being then a street between Fourth and Fifth. It was a two-story log building, 20x25 feet, erected in 1834 by Pascal Mallet for a residence. In October, 1836, King claimed nearly 1,000 subscribers for the Visitor. In about six months the office was removed to the east side of Main street, just above the Globe building. In 1837 the name was changed to Iowa News and the office was changed to the east side of Locust street near Fifth and there remained until discontinued about 1842. The material for the Visitor in 1836 was obtained at Cincinnati. Both Jones and Keesecker wrote articles for the Visitor. The latter set the first type in the territory ; he continued to set type in Dubuque until his death in 1870. King and Keesecker were Democrats, but Jones was a Whig. Later the latter went to New Orleans and finally to California, where he died in 1867. King was a Virginian and came to Dubuque in 1833, and from the start bore a prominent and useful part in the development of the city and county. He was justice of the peace in 1835, was postmaster about 1839; assisted Plumbe in promoting the first Pacific railway in 1836; was a mem- ber of the city council from 1854 to 1866, and at his death in 1871 was paid great honor by an immense concourse of citizens.
The old graveyard was laid out before the act of Congress was passed, which provided for a survey of the town of Dubuque in 1836. Before that date the citizens had taken possession of the tract, buried their dead there and placed around it a good fence. An act of Congress sanctioned the lots already surveyed, occupied and improved.
"From 500 to 800 head of stock cattle might be advantageously
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 53
disposed of at this place." — (Visitor, May 11, 1836.) "Artisans of almost every description are needed at Dubuque and would find immediate employment at good wages, particularly brickmakers and masons." — (Visitor, May 11, 1836.) Great improvements were made in 1836 and early in 1837; streets were straightened, cut down, leveled and drained.
"Congress accordingly passed an act on July 2, 1836, giving the inhabitants of Dubuque and other towns in Wisconsin named in the act, pre-emption rights to the town lots occupied and improved by them, so that title by occupation and improvement will be per- fectly good. . . . There is no Spanish or French grant to lands at or near Dubuque. The claim of the heirs of Dubuque and Chouteau is but a baseless fabric which was decided upon by Albert Gallatin when that gentleman was at the head of the Treasury Department and declared to have no validity. It appears, from the papers in that case that Julien Dubuque was only a tenant at will of the Fox Indians by the permission of the governor of Louisiana and held by no tenure which ever could entitle his heirs or assigns to the fee simple. Dubuque died in 1810 and the country which he occupied was abandoned to the Foxes in 18 12 and not again settled upon until the year 1832." — (Iowa News, June 17, 1837.)
Early in 1836 the citizens were informed by George W. Jones, their delegate to Congress, that if they would prepare a petition to that effect he would cause the sale of the public lots in Dubuque and the expenditure of the proceeds upon the harbor. This petition was duly prepared and forwarded.
Great complaint was made against the irregularities of the mail, which, according to contract, should have been conveyed three times a week between Galena, Dubuque and Peru, as shown by the following :
"The mail that was due on Wednesday last came the next day and the carrier, fatigued with his extraordinary exertion, leaving his mail bag in town, took a small jaunt into the country by way of recreation and did not return until the next day; consequently our papers and letters were detained from Galena twenty-four hours. The mail was due again on Sunday, but the carrier being probably conscientiously opposed to traveling on that day, it did not come until brought by a steamboat passenger on Monday. The variety of times in which the mail makes its trips is only equaled by the variety of means used in its conveyance. It comes on horseback, in wagons, big and little, in carriages, occasionally in stages, and not infre- quently in order to have an easy trip, is retained at Galena for the arrival of a steamboat; and sometimes, to save trouble and expense, it waits till next time." — (Visitor, May 18, 1836.)
Thomas Graffort kept the Washington hotel at Oak and Locust streets. At a citizens' meeting it was "Resolved, That the persons who first selected the present place of burial be a committee to lay
54 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
off and superintend the fencing of this piece of ground, viz. : James L. Langworthy, Thomas McCraney and Hosea T. Camp." John Ewing, Hosea T. Camp and James Smith were appointed to collect subscriptions to defray the expense. It was asked at this time, why not remove the graveyard to the bluffs back of town? Another meeting was held in July, 1836, to consider the proposition of "cut- ting a canal through the isthmus." James L. Langworthy, Hiram Loomis and James Cox were appointed a committee to cali for pro- posals to cut a canal that should "connect the main slough with the bayou — sixty feet wide at the top, forty feet at the bottom, an average of six feet deep and 1,600 feet long.
"The tide of emigration is pouring in upon us an immense number of families this spring. Every steamboat from below is crowded with passengers. We have had twenty-five different arrivals by sixteen different steamboats, as follows : Galenian — Captain Rogers ; Wisconsin, Du Buque, Olive Branch, Heroine, Banner — Captain Dickerson; Cavalier — Captain Patterson; Missouri, Fulton, Palmyra — Captain Cole; Warrior — Captain Gleim; Far West, Envoy, Frontier — Captain Harris ; Quincy — Captain Cameron, and others." — {Visitor, 1836.)
The congressional act of July 2, 1836, for laying out Dubuque and Peru made the following requirements: That lots and streets previously laid out should be properly observed ; town lots to be not more than half an acre and outlots not over four acres each; lots to be offered at public sale within six months ; no town lot to be sold for less than $5 ; the lots to be divided into three classes according to relative value ; persons who had complied with the law as regards claims and improvements to have first chance to buy their lots ; no person could buy more than four acres unless he had made actual improvements thereon; "that a quantity of land of proper width on the river banks of the towns of Dubuque and Peru and running with the river the whole length of said towns shall be reserved from sale (as shall also the public squares) for public use and remain forever for public use as public highways and for other public uses." The grant at Dubuque embraced a section of land and the original survey was made by G. W. Harrison. In August, 1837, Thomas S. Wilson resigned as trustee and John Plumbe, Jr., became his suc- cessor. Thomas C. Fassett was elected president of the board. The act of March 3, 1837, provided for the laying out of Dubuque and Peru by commissioners.
The congressional act of July 2, 1836, provided for surveying the lots and streets of Fort Madison, Burlington, Bellevue, Dubuque, Peru and Mineral Point, and $3,000 was appropriated to cover the expense. On March 3, 1837, an amendatory act was passed by which three commissioners were appointed to hear all evidence under the claims made pursuant to the act of July 2, 1836. The act of March 3, 1839, provided that said commissioners should be paid
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 55
$6 per day for their services. The latter act made it the duty of the register and receivers to expose and sell the lots provided for by the act of July 2, 1836. The act further provided that the receivers should pay over any residue to the town authorities. The following amounts were received by the receivers : Mr. McKnight received for lots sold in Dubuque $5,573.26; Dr. S. Langworthy, $1,200.90; Col. George McHenry, $34.70; Major Mobley, nothing. Of the receipts $3,000 went at once to the commissioners for surveying the towns mentioned in the act — six towns. The sum of $1,404 was applied to the survey of Dubuque, which sum was deemed too large — nearly one-half of the whole. Nearly complete settlements were made by 1847.
The Fourth of July, 1836, was elaborately celebrated. Hiram Loomis was chairman and W. W. Coriell, secretary, of the meeting called to make arrangements. Ezekiel Lockwood was marshal of the day ; D. Gillilan, assistant marshal ; Rev. S. Mazzuchelli, chap- lain; M. H. Prentice, reader of the Declaration; W. W. Coriell, orator; Dr. S. Langworthy was president of the day and Patrick Quigley, J. M. Harrison, Dr. Timothy Mason and W. C. Jones, vice presidents. Toasts were offered by Dr. Langworthy, Rev. Mazzuchelli, W. W. Coriell, Patrick Quigley, James McCabe, John King, Augustus Coriell, Leroy Jackson, J. M. Harrison, David Sleator, William Blake, M. H. Prentice, S. W. Masters, W. B. Green, William Cardiff, J. H. Swan, Eli Chittenden, A. Morgan, Charles Corkery, B. F. Davis of Peru, William Hutton, Ezekiel Lockwood, Michael Norton, E. G. Chittenden, W. Vance, Cyrus Harper, William Allen, H. W. Sanford, Davis Gillilan, William C. Jones, Peter Davis, W. W. Chapman, David Sleator, D. F. Blythe, T. C. Fassett, Capt. Francis Gehon, John King and Warner Lewis. R. C. Bourne, P. A. Lorimier, Dr. F. Andross, P. Samuels, Hosea T. Camp, Edward White, John Ewing, L. Wheeler, John Loraine, Hiram Loomis, Thomas Fassett and others were also present.
On November 30, 1836, the Miners' Bank of Dubuque was char- tered with a capital of $200,000, the subscribers being Ezekiel Lock- wood, Francis Gehon, John King, William Myers, Lucius H. Lang- worthy, E. M. Bissell, Robert D. Sherman, William W. Coriell and Simon Clark ; they were authorized to sell the stock.
In October, 1836, Dubuque contained about 1,200 population; it had three churches, two or three schools, fifty stores of all kinds, including shops; fifty-five dwellings, one warehouse built in 1836, and was spread over four principal streets and seven cross streets — approximately from First to Seventh and from Locust to Clay. The number of votes polled in October, 1836, was 621 in Dubuque village and over 1,000 in Dubuque county. The original survey of the village embraced thirty-five blocks which were subdivided into 220 town lots. Among the business men in 1836 were D. Gillilan, dry goods ; F. K. O'Ferrall, real estate ; O'Ferrall & Cox, merchan-
56 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
dise ; A. Levi & Co., groceries and provisions ; John M. Davis, tailor ; Dubuque Tavern, Jeremiah Penix, proprietor ; L. Bruly, boot and shoe maker; W. M. Baker & Co., liquors; E. Lockwood, merchan- dise; Philip C. Morheiser, sign painter; William Myers, merchan- dise; Emerson & Crider, merchandise; Timothy Mason & Co., drugs; Wheeler & Loomis, merchandise ; George S. Nightingale, merchan- dise; Dr. R. Murray; C. H. Gratiot, merchandise; Fassitt & Sher- man, merchandise; Quigley & Butterworth, groceries; Baptiste LaPage, confections ; Sleator & Swoker, merchandise ; John Regan & Co., merchandise; Gartrell & Dougherty, liquors, groceries, hard- ware, etc. ; R. C. Bourne, groceries ; S. C. Parish, bakery, confec- tionery; Swan, Webster & Co., merchandise; McClay & Bellows, merchandise ; F. B. Everett, merchandise ; John Amer, merchandise ; H. L. Massey & Co., merchandise.
In November, 1836, a weekly mail between Dubuque and Des Moines was established. In 1836 Congress appropriated $40,000 for the improvement of the Mississippi above St. Louis. In 1836, so rapidly was the town growing and so improved were local condi- tions and business, that the citizens organized as the Wisconsin Hotel Company and attempted to raise $20,000 by subscription for a mammoth brick hotel that should fittingly represent the importance of the place. The hotel was to be located on Main street on lots bought of Mr. Allen at a cost of $2,000. Loomis, Sleator and King were the committee to oversee all arrangements. In August of this year E. C. Dougherty kept New House hotel on Locust near the Catholic church. The rapid growth was checked in the fall of 1836, because the necessary building material could not be obtained, though the stress was partly relieved by the rafts of boards and shingles brought down from Wisconsin by Ezekiel Lockwood.
In the fall of 1836 William Hale, of Peru, brought from Shawneetown, 111., a drove of about twenty milk cows which he quickly sold to the settlers at $27.50 per head. Chauncey Swan & Company operated a distillery on Catfish creek two miles southwest of Dubuque. David Sleator began work on a sawmill at Eagle Point late in 1836. Settlers were pouring into the new lands on the west side of the rivers. In 1836 about fifty families from Phila- delphia and a large colony from Ohio crossed and settled in the open country to the westward. "Dubuque's Mines" was the name of the postoffice. M. H. Prentice was continued as postmaster. In June, 1836, a meeting was called for the purpose of forming a library association. At this date a Mr. Turner lectured here on "Temperance." The Visitor said, "As heretofore we will be glad to receive also Sucker paper and N. Biddle." The editor was a Democrat and was making fun of the paper money of Illinois and of the national banks. Nicholas Biddle was at that date president of the national bank which was opposed by Presidents Jackson and Van Buren and all other Democrats. Already, in 1836, a canal to
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 57
connect the main shore of the river with the steamboat landing on the inner slough was discussed and projected. It was found neces- sary to dig one-third of a mile and through the "isthmus." The step was deemed necessary for two principal reasons: 1. Boats could come up to the business part of town ; 2. a current would be formed through Lake Peosta and the canal and would drain the inner and other sloughs.
The first election of trustees of the town of Dubuque was held April 1, 1837, and the following board was chosen : William Myers, Thomas S. Wilson, Charles Miller, Thomas C. Fassett and Timothy Fanning. Mr. Wilson was chosen president of the board ; Charles Corkery, clerk; Patrick Quigley, town treasurer; Philip C. Mor- heiser, marshal and collector, and Ezekiel C. Dougherty, assessor. After the election the first regular business was the passage of the following resolutions :
Resolved, That for the purpose of removing the obstructions from the slough of the river next to the town of Dubuque and for rendering it navigable for steamboats, that the president and trustees of said town borrow such sums of money as may be deemed neces- sary to effect those objects, which money will be repaid as soon as a sufficient sum shall be in the town treasury.
Resolved, That a committee be formed whose duty it shall be to carry into effect the objects embraced in the foregoing resolution, to employ men and to superintend the work, and whose further duty it shall be to change the course of the water from the ravine near Mr. Lorimier's house to a channel more direct towards the river.
Messrs. Fanning, Miller and Fassett were appointed such com- mittee and later made report that instructions had been carried out so far as the high water would permit. Regular ordinances for the government of the town were then passed at subsequent meetings — defining officers' duties ; penalties for breaches of ordinances ; regu- lating the police ; to prevent running horses, etc. ; fines and forfeit- ures ; authorizing citizens to furnish fire buckets and ladders and to form themselves into a fire company.
At. the meeting of May 6, 1837, the first steps to raise revenue by taxation were taken; ten days later the revenue ordinance was passed. Another early ordinance provided for the due observance of the Sabbath. Still others defined and marked the boundaries of the town, location of streets, etc. ; regulated wharves and steam- boats ; gave Alexander Butterworth and George Strasser permission to keep a "butchering yard or slaughtering pen within the limits of the town," etc.
Upon June 24, 1837, after further consideration, the trustees concluded to take no further action concerning the streets, in view of the fact that the commissioners appointed by the President of the United States to survey and lay off the town were then at work. On June 26 W. W. Chapman, lawyer, was employed for $50 to
58 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
attend the five cases of the town then pending. The assessment list returned by the assessor was found defective and a reassessment was ordered. Stephen Hempstead, attorney, specially employed for the purpose, gave his opinion that the board of trustees were author- ized and empowered by the act of incorporation to hold courts and impose fines ; a day for such courts was thereupon set apart. Citi- zens were notified regularly to work the streets. G. W. Harrison was the regular surveyor of the town; copies of his original plots were made. It was agreed that Charles Corkery should be paid $200 annually for his services as clerk of the board. On August 26, 1837, Mr. Wilson resigned from his position as trustee and hence as president of the board. Peter A. Lorimier was elected his suc- cessor, but declined, and John Plumbe, Jr., was chosen and he accepted. Stephen Hempstead, for $200, agreed to attend to the legal business of the town for the remainder of the current year. In September a house to the rear of the store of John Regan & Company was rented for an office by the board ; they were to pay to George L. Nightingale, agent for Regan & Company, $5 per month for the house.
On September 16, 1837, the board caused to be circulated hand bills calling for a mass meeting of the citizens on September 23 "for the purpose of expressing public opinion and obtaining information relative to the survey of all such lots and parcels of ground as were intended for public use in the town of Dubuque by the original surveys." In September, 1837, Fassitt & Sherman were repaid the $50 they had loaned the board in April ; and Gehon & Hendry were repaid $25 for a similar loan. An ordinance to regulate shows was passed October 7. In October steps to grade a portion of Main street were taken. Quigley & Butterworth and Patrick Finn were repaid sums loaned the board in April. On November 4 the treas- urer reported on hand a balance of $36. As early as November 18, 1837, a conflict of certain streets with the graveyard was reported and considered. The county commissioners and the town board, both, were at work on the Lorimier Hollow road, a very important highway leading westwardly; the board also worked the Dirty Hollow road.
"Dubuque is incorporated and though only laid out in 1833 now contains about 2,000 inhabitants. We have two stone and one wooden churches ; an excellent female school and another for boys ; several splendid brick houses; a bank which has never suspended specie payments ; a double steam sawmill and a grist mill about to be attached; a printing press which issues weekly the Iowa News; about thirty stores; two public billiard rooms; two coffee houses; an extensive public reading room ; four hotels ; two brick yards, etc. The mail arrives tri-weekly at present, but will run daily from January 1 next. Steamboats we do not pretend to count ; they come and go constantly. Navigation is now in the finest order. Laborers
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 59
receive from $20 to $30 per month and found; mechanics receive from $2.50 to $3 per day; farmers receive for wheat $2 per bushel, corn $1, rye $1.50, oats 75 cents, potatoes 50 cents; beef is worth 6 to 7 cents a pound; sugar 12^ cents, coffee 20 cents." — (Iowa News, December 9, 1837, John Plumbe, Jr.) The town actually contained about 1,100 inhabitants instead of 2,000. The Lafayette Circus Company, of New York, performed here several nights to large houses in 1837; a menagerie of wild animals was exhibited here, also, in 1837; and a ^ne collection of paintings.
In July, 1837, T. Fanning & Co. opened the Jefferson House at Main and O'Connell streets. A weekly mail connecting Dubuque, Peru, Durango and Cassville was established in July, 1837. In June, 1837, a public sale of lots was advertised at Eagle Point by Thomas McCraney, Mathias Ham, F. K. O'Ferrall and John Foley. Engle, Booth & Co. began the construction of a steam sawmill in May, 1837. Previous to the summer of 1837 not a foot of land in Iowa west of the Mississippi had been sold, though there were about 14,000 squatters. On June 3, 1837, the Iowa News succeeded the Dubuque Visitor, with Coriell, King and Russell proprietors. Mr. Coriell had been connected with the Visitor. Early in 1837, when the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature refused to place on record the protests of the citizens of Dubuque against the establishment of the capital at Madison, the people here protested vigorously.
In 1837 three fine brick houses were erected ; the Catholic cathe- dral was completed; the Presbyterian church of stone was up two stories high and ready for the roof. Charles Corkery opened the Shakespeare coffee house, an institution afterward famous for its convivial meetings, parties, etc. He kept a file of newspapers from all parts of the country, to which guests were admitted. He also kept liquors to which guests were admitted — "cash up." The stand had formerly been occupied by Gehon & Hendry.
"The Miners' Bank, of Dubuque, has just got into operation discounting liberally and paying specie. Can you say as much for any of your old and long established institutions?" — (John Plumbe, Jr., in Iowa News, November 18, 1837.)
The Iowa News was suspended from October 14 to November 15, 1837, for want of paper. Richard Plumbe succeeded Thomas Graffort as proprietor of the Washington House. In 1837 O'Ferrall & Co. occupied their fine warehouse on the wharf. In August, 1837, flour was $12 to $15 a barrel; bacon 10 to 12 cents a pound; corn $1.50 per bushel; labor $20 to $25 per month.
The steamboat arrivals and departures at Galena in 1837 were 717, according to the Saturday Evening Post, of Philadelphia, of January, 1838; the most of these boats touched at Dubuque. About the middle of February, 1838, the mercury sank to 25 degrees below zero at Dubuque. A railway to connect the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans and to connect the Mississippi and Lake Michigan was
60 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
seriously considered in 1838. In the spring of 1838 Dubuque had three or four church organizations and two stone buildings; one bank — the only one west of the Mississippi; thirty stores; three hotels ; one theater, one lyceum ; two academies ; one reading-room ; one printing office ; one steam sawmill ; one grist mill building ; one coffee house ; several billiard halls ; several "elegant brick mansions" ; the lead mines were in full operation, new veins, lodes or leads being discovered weekly, though there was no scientific mining here yet. — (John Plumbe, Jr., in Iowa News, February 10, 1838.) On Jan- uary 5, 1838, the Iowa News said it had received no mail for six days. The lyceum was organized December 27, 1837, at the house of James Langworthy. The Iowa News came within four votes out of twenty-four of getting the contract to print the territorial laws in 1837-8.
An investigation, in January, 1838, of the acts of the commis- sioners appointed to survey and lay off the town showed gross irregularities and unjust charges. They were entitled, it was shown, to thirteen days' pay and had drawn pay for three months. Other illegal acts were set forth in the records. The commissioners were Carver, Cubbage and Coriell.
In April, 1838, the following men were elected trustees: Alex- ander Butterworth, John McKenzie, John Plumbe, Jr., Benjamin Rupert and Philip C. Morheiser. Joseph T. Fales became clerk and B. F. Davis marshal. An ordinance to prevent steamboats from landing freight on the Sabbath was passed in April, 1838. This caused objections from a number of citizens, whereupon a public meeting to consider the repeal of the law was called. Mr. Hemp- stead was employed as attorney of the board "at a fair compen- sation."
In June, 1838, the trustees conferred with the county commis- sioners with reference to the selection of a quarter section of land for county purposes as per act of Congress. The president of the board was authorized to confer with the commissioner of the Gen- eral Land Office with the "view of securing to Dubuque the benefits contemplated by the law of Congress authorizing the laying off said town."
In August, 1838, William H. Turner stated in reference to his testimony concerning the United States commissioners to lay off Dubuque that the "answers are not recorded as they ought to have been and are extremely incorrect. Mr. Corkery, clerk, stated that the answers as reported were substantially as Mr. Turner had made them.
In February, 1838, the citizens held a public meeting to devise ways and means to improve the mail service. A committee was appointed to petition Congress to afford additional mail facilities, as follows : 1 . A tri-weekly, four-horse, post coach route from Dubuque to Milwaukee; 2. a weekly horse route to the center of
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 61
Delaware county; 3. a weekly horse mail from Dubuque to the Cedar River settlement; 4. an improvement of the mails between Dubuque and Chicago and between Dubuque and St. Louis. Judge Lockwood, J. T. Fales and John Plumbe, Jr., served as such com- mittee. Early in 1838 the Iowa Thespian Association gave regular theatrical performances here in the Shakespeare House ; the "Glory of Columbus," by William Dunlap, was rendered by the young men of Dubuque to overflowing houses and the performance was re- peated several times. Thomas C. Fassett, A. J. Anderson and George L. Nightingale were the committee on arrangements for the Thespians. In March, 1838, the citizens assembled at the Methodist church and organized a temperance society with Judge Lockwood president and John Plumbe, Jr., secretary, and decided on a basis of total abstinence. St. Patrick's day was duly celebrated at the Jef- ferson hotel. In 1838 Dubuque was made the office of this land district. Thomas McKnight was receiver and Joseph Worthington register. In June, 1838, the town board called for a loan of $3,000. The sale of lands in this district was advertised to commence November 5, 1838.
The commissioners appointed to lay out the town (William W. Coriell, George Cubbage and M. M. McCarver) gave notice in 1838 that they would sit in June to determine claims to pre-emption to town lots. These commissioners were later charged with gross irregularities if not downright dishonesty. They demanded an investigation and a committee of citizens found them blameless.
"Changes in Dubuque. — We heard a gentleman remark the other day that he had resided in Dubuque about five years, during which time he had lived, first, under no government at all, then under Michigan, next under Wisconsin, and now under Iowa." — (Iowa News, July 14, 1838.)
In June, 1838, large flocks of wild pigeons alighted on the build- ings of Dubuque. On June 18, 1838, John King sold his interests in the News to Coriell and Russell. Richard Plumbe kept the Washington House in 1838. There was much complaint in 1838 over the fact that the butchers left offal and bones lying in the streets. The land office officials gave notice for claimants to come forward September 15, 1838, and prove their rights under the pre- emption laws. Land sales during the first four days amounted to $30,000. Late in 1838 hunting parties from Dubuque killed buf- faloes and elks on the headwaters of the Turkey and Maquoketa rivers.
The commissioners appointed to settle pre-emption claims having failed to act, a mass meeting of the citizens was held at the court house April 30, 1838, to consider the situation. It was "resolved, that a committee be appointed to prepare a memorial to the commis- sioner of the General Land Office setting forth the grounds for which the citizens of Dubuque desire the repeal of that part of the
62 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
amendatory law which empowers one set of commissioners to execute the provisions of the act of July, 1836, at the several towns therein mentioned and asking the appointment of a separate commis- sion for Du Buque in order that every person entitled to a certificate of pre-emption may receive the same without delay; that this meet- ing view with much regret the arbitrary dismissal by one commis- sioner of Mr. Vliet, whose survey of the town of Du Buque under the instructions of the surveyor general had given general satisfac- tion to her citizens." Stephen Hempstead, J. Fanning and M. H. Prentice were appointed such committee.
"Canal. — We are glad to see that two or three public spirited individuals have commenced this work upon their own responsi- bility. The great advantages to be derived from this connection of the river with the bay are too apparent to all to require from us a word in commendation of this laudable undertaking." — (Iowa News, October 29, 1838.)
Late in 1838 W. W. Coriell sold his interest in the News to John B. Russell, and Edwin Reeves joined the latter in conducting the paper. November 3, 4 and 5 Dubuque was crowded with settlers living to the westward, who came here to buy the homes they had pre-empted.
In 1838 there were but ten persons or firms whose tax exceeded $10 each and their tax exceeded one-fourth of the whole tax of the year. In 1838 the aggregate tax levied was $534.37; in 1839, $740.62; in 1856, $90,000; in 1857, upwards of $102,000. — (Times, September 9, 1857.)
For the year 1838 the total receipts of the town of Dubuque were $64 and total expenses $211.54%; balance against the town, $147.54%. The receipts were mostly fines and licenses. The largest item of expense was $150 for salaries.
In 1838 among the business men were the following : Hempstead & Lorimier, grain and merchandise ; Paschal Mallet sold his grocery to M. Frichette ; G. B. Morrison, flour and whisky ; C. Kaltenbach, jewelry; G. A. Shannon & Co., general store; Mattox & Markle, general store; Quigley & Butterworth, grocers; Scott & Taylor, merchandise ; Joseph McClay, flour, etc. ; Adam J. Anderson, wheel- wright, plough-maker and sleigh-maker; O'Ferrall & Harbeson, general store; Emerson & Crider, grocers; E. Lockwood, general store ; Nicholas Carroll sold lime ; Gehon & Hendry, general store ; Timothy Mason, drugs; L. Longuemare & Bro., grocers.
The Dubuque Lyceum was in operation early in 1838, with T. R. Lurton, president, and John Plumbe, Jr., secretary. In February, 1838, a select committee of the territorial legislature investigated the Miners' Bank. Ezekiel Lockwood was president of the bank and Thomas Martin cashier. The following statement was issued at this time:
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 63
ASSETS.
Certificates for specie deposited in Detroit $ 40,000.00
Bills discounted 40,809.05
Due bills of exchange i>450-°°
Due from individuals 2,060.00
Contingent expenses 1,010.26
Suspense account 4>463Q8
Real estate . . ., 95°°°
Foreign bank notes 20,155.00
Items counted as cash 7>375-75
Specie on hand 1,318.02
Total $119,592.06
LIABILITIES.
Capital stock paid in $100,000.00
Discount received 864.01
Profit and loss 1,1 13.00
Twelve months' notes in circulation 12,680.00
Notes on demand in circulation 1,350.00
Individual deposits 3>585-°5
Total $119,592.06
There had been a sharp crusade against the bank by Edward Langworthy and others. John Dillon, cashier, swore that the bank had on hand, November 21, 1837, $41,147 in specie; it had not yet suspended early in 1838. In 1837 it issued post notes. On December 5, 1838, the bank was found by the legislative committee to be solvent and comparatively sound. Its circulation was $10,990 ; post notes still out, $5,035; individual deposits, $3,647.39; gold and silver on hand, $3,033; notes of other banks, $18,874; bills dis- counted, $71,597.72; real estate, $4,206.11 ; capital stock, $100,000. The legislative committee was Warner Lewis, Hardin Nowlin and James Hall. At this time the bank advertised to redeem its post notes upon demand without regard to maturity.
The theatrical company of Mackenzie and Jefferson rendered several plays early in 1839 at the Shakespeare House, among them being "Honeymoon" and "How to Rule a Wife." Among the actors were Leicester, Germon, Warren, Sankey, Jefferson, Burke, Wright and Stafford and Mesdames Ingersoll, Jefferson, Germon and Mackenzie. Germon sang "Lass o'Gowrie" and Burke danced the "Sailors' Hornpipe." The company rendered a farce called "The Waterman." Tickets, $1; children, 50 cents; performance commenced at 6 130 p. m. and concluded at 10 p. m.
On January 28, 1839, it commenced to snow and continued for
64 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
two days, covering the ground to the depth of twelve to fourteen inches. This was the heaviest fall since the winter of 1830-1. It had been gloomy here before, but now all became merry. Parties, dances, sleigh rides and merriment took absorbing possession of all. "Sleigh bells are ringing; youngsters, old maids and even old bachelors are smiling; beaux are courting, all are dancing, and de'il take the one that has not felt the comforts of the times," said the Iowa News of February 2, 1839.
"The board of trustees of this place has held several meetings within the last ten days in order to set matters to rights prior to their retirement from the arduous duties of their office. This is right. If they have neglected for near a year to hold a meeting, letting the business for which they were elected go undone, they should before their term of office expires collect taxes sufficient to pay their salaried, clerk at least. There has been but a small per cent upon the amount of taxes assessed as yet collected, leaving an amount due sufficient to put our streets in good order and repair the damage done to them in several parts of the town. This neglect comes hard upon many of our well-disposed citizens who have paid their taxes. Now when they utter a complaint against the board for its neglect of duty, they are answered that the taxes are not collected — the people won't pay." — (Iowa Nezvs, March 16, 1839.)
The fact was that the citizens generally demurred to the payment of land and other property tax owing to the unsettled condition of their pre-emption rights and to the claims to all this soil by the heirs of Julien Dubuque.
"The theatrical company of Messrs. Mackenzie and Jefferson has been performing in this place for the last ten days to respectable houses, giving general satisfaction." Othello, Charles II., Rob Roy McGregor, Richard III. were rendered to good houses. Leicester was the leading tragedian; Germon made a good villain, and Jef- ferson could always bring roars of laughter. They left after eleven days' performance.
The Iowa News was chosen by the legislature to print the session laws of 1838-9 and was required to give bond for $5,000. In preparing this bond the editor of the News came in conflict with W. B. Conway, secretary of the territory, whose arbitrary and dominating practices caused much vexation and anger. A citizen of Dubuque received a perpetual ferry privilege, investing him with the exclusive right at Dubuque. As trade improved he failed to improve on his rickety old house boat. This roused the ire of the citizens and he was deprived of his privileges by the United States District Court. Miss C. Morheiser opened an establishment for the ladies in April, 1839 — millinery and mantua making. In December, 1839, the Dubuque Lyceum met in the basement of the Presbyterian church; A. Levi was secretary.
In April, 1839, the following trustees were elected :. Samuel D.
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 65
Dixon, Edward Langworthy, Patrick Quigley, Lorin Wheeler and Thomas C. Fassett. Benjamin Rupert became clerk and George A. Shannon treasurer. In April, 1839, the board took action "to con- sider the practicability of the citizens of Dubuque to commence a system of improvements the coming summer," and a committee was appointed to report on the best course to pursue. A resolution offered by Mr. Langworthy in April provided for the appointment of a permanent committee on finance one of whose duties was to learn at once if citizens who performed work for the town would be willing to receive as pay corporation certificates bearing interest at 8 per cent. At this time further inquiries were made by the board concerning the validity of titles in the town. Five hundred blank town orders were ordered printed May 15, 1839. Mr. Childs was paid $50 for a large copy of the original plat of the town. It was found best at this time to appoint a committee on claims. In June the basis for street grades was established at several points on the wharf. Estimates for grading and macadamizing certain streets were considered. In June, 1839, the board ordered the purchase of an engine then in the town, but the records do not show what the object of this action was. At this time the ferries stopped at McGeafy's Landing. An embankment was ordered built from the lower landing to where Main street intersected Front street ; it was let out in several contracts by the yard and was paid for in town orders bearing 7 per cent interest. The base of the embankment was ordered made twenty-one feet wide and the top fifteen feet wide.
In September, 1839, the trustees met in a back room of the building occupied by Nightingale & Dougherty. The center of the embankment being built at Front street was ordered located forty feet east of the west line of Main street. The contractors of the embankment were James Currin, John McMahon, John Blake, Hugh Tranor (Treanor) and John Chapman; they were each required to give bond for $100 and obligate themselves to complete the work by November 1, 1839. Several of the contractors backed out and were released and others were appointed. Contractors were paid forty-four cents per square yard. F. Guerin was one of the contractors. They were permitted to take dirt out of Third and other nearby streets. In October, 1839, an embankment was ordered as follows : From First street, on the east side of Main street, until it should intersect the embankment leading to the lower landing. A committee was appointed to memorialize the legislature to the effect that the ferry privileges here were the property of the corporation of Dubuque. In order to continue Eighth street west- ward the board bought a portion of the garden of Mr. Lorimier late in 1839. In November, 1839, the board borrowed $100 of the Miners' Bank of Dubuque. After November 11, 1839, the trustees
66 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
met at the office of Dr. Timothy Mason, who had become a member of the board.
On December 16, 1839, the proposed city charter was referred to a committee. It was duly considered by the board ten days later, amended and a copy forwarded to Edward Langworthy, member of the legislature. On February 10, 1840, an election on the city charter was ordered held at the court house on the first Monday in March, 1840. A. Butterworth, J. F. Fales and Leroy Jackson were appointed judges of election. On March 18, 1840, the board decided to memorialize Congress concerning the disposal of the proceeds of the sale of town lots. Timothy Mason prepared the memorial.
On April 1, 1840, B. F. Davis was allowed a bill as per ordinance "informing on O'Mara, Hedges, Downs and LaPage for violation of the Sabbath." The vote on the city charter was polled in a house at the corner of Main and Third streets. E. M. Bissell, for with- holding the "profiles" from the board, was ordered sued in trover in April, 1840.
The trustees in April, 1840, were Quigley, Dixon, Mason, Wheeler, Farley and Miller. Benjamin Rupert became clerk. The board met in the store of Mr. Hawkins on Main street. Persons who were using the graveyard as a pasture were ordered to desist.
The Iowa News of February 1, 1840, contained the following editorial : "Du Buque. — Never to our knowledge has our city been so well supplied with all the necessaries of life at this season of the year as at the present time. Flour which in the winter time was always held at the prodigious and extortionate price of $18 and even $20 a barrel can now be had readily at $7, $8 and $9 per barrel, and all other articles in the same proportion. It is true, money is scarce, but the great difference in the price of provisions is not owing to that circumstance. The soil is beginning to be extensively cultivated. In addition our citizens are occasionally treated with luxuries which our eastern brethren do not enjoy. Prairie chickens by the sled load are frequently peddled out through the streets at a bit apiece and venison is in abundance. The time is near at hand when we will no longer have to depend upon the lower country for our supplies of provisions. Indeed, that sort of speculation may be considered at an end already." Jordan's Ferry was opposite Dubuque. There stood a tavern, grocery, stable and there ferry privileges could be had. In 1840 there were a first class new horse boat, a flat, and skiffs. This property was offered for rent in February, 1840, by George W. Jones.
"Upon a level we suppose the snow to be about ten inches deep, which, together with the others before it, makes a greater fall this winter than any one since the settlement of the country." — (Iowa News, February 15, 1840.)
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 67
"NOTICE. — Ran away from the subscriber on the 22nd inst. a servant girl about eleven years of age ; had on a small figured blue calico dress, short black hair and black eyes. I hereby caution all persons against harboring or trusting her, under penalty of the law, as I will enforce it against anyone to the uttermost extent.
"Du Buque, Jan. 25, 1840. Charles Swift."
Dubuque was incorporated as a city at the legislative session of 1839-40, with the following boundary : "Beginning at a point in the middle of the main channel'of the river Mississippi, east and parallel with the south line of the town of Dubuque, as surveyed and laid off by the commissioners appointed under an act of Congress to lay off the towns of Fort Madison, Burlington, Du Buque, etc., and running westwardly with the said line to a stone which marks the southwest corner of said town ; thence northwardly to a stone which marks the northwest corner of said town; thence with the line of said town to theTslough ; thence east northeast to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river; thence with said channel to the place of beginning." An election of one mayor and six aldermen was ordered held on the first Monday of April, 1840; they were to hold their offices for one year.
"The mails are getting far behind. For the last ten days we have had but one eastern mail. ... A southern breeze for a few days past, together with a moderate rain, has poured such a quantity of water on the ice as to threaten a breaking up soon. Mr. Karrick, mail contractor, informs us that in crossing the river last evening one of his horses broke through the ice and would have gone under but for the firm footing and strong exertions of the other. There is no safety in the ice at the present time." — (Iowa News, February 22, 1840.)
"When Dubuque first became a corporate town, very little interest was manifested about it — the meeting was not attended by many citizens and very few of the large property holders and influential citizens attended. The first board of trustees was composed of men every way worthy of their station. The Hon. Judge Wilson was president of the board and I am happy to say they discharged their duties with fidelity, but the people generally evinced an apathy in their acts — they stood aloof and when they happened to enforce the laws they were not backed and supported by their fellow citizens." — (Civis, in Iowa News, February 22, 1840.)
The News was suspended from March 7, 1840, to May 5, same year, and was then revived by W. W. Coriell and Edwin Reeves; the former was owner and the latter associate editor. The Dubuque Sawmill Company was dissolved in May, 1840, the members being Caleb H. Booth, Francis K. O'Ferrall, Charles E. Harbeson and Peter Hill Engle. At the monthly meeting of the Catholic Tem- perance Society in March, 1840, over three hundred persons were
68 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
present, including many ladies; nineteen persons took the pledge. Among the speakers were Quigley, Benton, Davis, Bradford, Good- rich and Collins, nearly all of whom were lawyers. The Protestants also had a large temperance society. It was thought at this date that soon one-third of all Dubuque would have signed the pledge. There were weekly lectures during February and March, 1840, at the Lyceum; Mr. Collins lectured there on "Education" to three hundred persons. The office of town marshal was created May 5, 1840.
NOTICE.
To Pre-emption Claimants to Town Lots in the Town of Dubuque, Iowa Territory:
You are hereby notified that all lots in the above town not entered by pre-emption before the 20th day of June next will be then advertised to be sold at public auction to the highest bidder in accordance with the act of Congress of the 3d of March, 1837, at this office.
B. Rush Petrikin, Register. Thomas McKnight, Receiver.
Many settlers gathered here to attend the land sales advertised for May 18, 1840. About one hundred encamped on an island in the river in front of the town. The hotels and boarding houses were filled. No speculators were here — they dared not appear. The buyers who came had the cash for their lands. Here was seen the pioneer in all his might and all his glory. At this sale lands in Taylor, Iowa, New Wine and Cascade in Dubuque county were offered.
In May, 1840, several new buildings were in progress; lumber was abundant and cheap; there were many new mining prospects; the smelters were busy and credit was getting better. There was a duty of 3 cents a pound on pig lead; 3^ cents on leaden shot and balls ; 4 cents on red or white lead, dry or ground in oil, and 2 cents on lead ore or mineral. The streets of the town were infested with hogs and there was much complaint.
"As the season for fleas is approaching we beg leave to direct the attention of the corporation to the droves of hogs which infest our streets." — (Iowa News, June 16, 1840.)
"The taxes assessed by order of the board of trustees upon houses and lots in the town of Du Buque, to which the government title has not yet been extinguished, being illegal, our citizens are not willing to pay, without better evidence is furnished them, that the money heretofore collected has been expended in a way to benefit the town. It is time enough to pay our taxes when we have our evidences of title in our pockets." — (Iowa News, June 16, 1840.)
On June 20, 1840, private entries of town lots by pre-emption
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 69
were permitted. In June $70,000 was received at the land office in one week. The steam sawmill of Booth & Martin, in June, 1840, was busy cutting from 2,000 to 3,000 feet of pine lumber per day. Their logs came from the Chippewa and Black rivers. Business here was dull in June, 1840.
A large raft of sawed pine lumber arrived here from Plover portage on June 16 and fifteen more from the same place were on their way down. "If the water in the Chippewa and Wisconsin rivers should continue high a little while longer, the towns on the upper Mississippi will be literally deluged with pine lumber." — (lawdiNews, June 23, 1840.)
John King was postmaster in 1840. The Iowa News was sus- pended from June 14, 1840, to May 29, 1841. The Fourth of July, 1840, was celebrated on an immense scale. In September, 1840, there were many lots in Dubuque to which no certificates of pre- emption under the act of March 3, 1838, had been issued; also lots the certificates of pre-emption to which were granted and issued illegally and the claims to which had been rejected; also a few forfeited lots.
On June*29, 1840, the marshal reported that he had completed the fence around the graveyard. Provision for the safe keeping of gun powder was made. On July 1 1, 1840, it was "ordered that the note held by William E. Trask for the fire engine, amounting to $400, be renewed by another payable October 18, 1840, for $410.66, at 8 per cent interest. Work on the south end of Main street was in progress in August, 1840. Proposals for building a town powder magazine were ordered received.
The act of Congress of March 3, 1837, gave to the inhabitants of Dubuque the net proceeds of the sale of 640 acres of land on which the town was located, to enable them to construct streets, wharves, etc. By September, 1840, there were left about sixty lots upon which no pre-emption claim had yet been made. In view of these facts the trustees determined "to see that all lots left as public lots should be sold at a fair public sale open to all bidders." In September, 1840, a committee was appointed "to petition the Secre- tary of War for the survey of the port and harbor of the town of Dubuque. In November, 1840; there was pending a case entitled United States vs. President and Trustees of the Town of Dubuque. As a measure to prevent fires an examination of all stove pipes and chimneys in town was made in December, 1840. Hay scales were ordered bought in January, 1841.
"Lately visiting Dubuque we found it progressing finely in build- ings, mining and dry goods business; but the retail grocers (wet) wore long faces. A complete temperance reformation has been effected by the zeal of the Catholic clergy among its much abused Irish citizens in whose hands the glass has given place to implements of industry. Nor is the reformation confined to them alone — it has
7o HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
spread throughout the community, embracing every class and every denomination. Almost every Irish Catholic has signed the pledge of total abstinence. In politics she is slumbering — not a movement save secret caucuses which are held weekly by the leaders of the party. This is no time for Democrats to be idle ; wake up to duty, Democrats." — (Bloomington Herald, April 16, 1841.)
"We are happy to perceive a spirit of energy in the movements of our new corporation which will before long remedy the evils under which our citizens have so long suffered. The work of straightening Eighth street and repairing the road through Lorimier Hollow, over which a considerable portion of the business of the town with the country in its rear is done, will not only be of great benefit to our trade, but will stop the rush of water which for the past two years has been ruining the property at the south end of Locust street. It is also in contemplation to commence the excava- tion of the long-desired canal between the outer and inner sloughs as soon as the fall of water will permit. After this improvement is completed a current will be thrown into the inner slough which will render its waters sweet and healthy and enable steamboats to approach the wharves in ordinary stages of water. We have too long remained in a state of apathy in regard to the disadvantages suffered on account of the obstructions to our harbor and the conse- quent injury to the health and business of this place. No towt* on the upper Mississippi has so many natural resources as Dubuque. It is only necessary to apply the enterprise of an industrious and vigorous population to insure a rapid advance to prosperity. A fter this canal is commenced all our citizens who feel interested ir its speedy completion will have an opportunity of affording .uch assistance to the corporation as they may deem expedient either in teams or labor." — (Iowa News, May 29, 1841.)
In 1 84 1 the citizens petitioned Congress for a survey of Dubuque harbor with a view of improving navigation. In the spri.ig of 1841 a bill for the final settlement of the Dubuque claim was introduced in the United States Senate.
In March, 1841, the ladies of the Dubuque Benevolent Associa- tion gave a public dinner and were patronized by almost everybody. The voluntary speakers were Patrick Quigley, Charles Corkery, G. C. Collins, Timothy Davis and Rev. J. Cretin. In th* spring of 1841 bills of the Miners' Bank to the amount of about $1 2,000 were deposited and as usual a certificate of deposit for specie was issued, but when the specie was demanded two days later it was announced that the bank had suspended.
The first number of the Miners' Express was issued a!>out August 1, 1 841, by Thomas and Keesecker. Avery Thomas, of Dubuque, went to Cincinnati by boat and purchased the materials. The citi- zens previously had urged the need of such a sheet here. No doubt proper encouragement and perhaps pecuniary assistar>ce were ex-
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 71
tended. D. S. Wilson related that when it came to naming the paper many titles were proposed ; finally the Miners' Express was unani- mously chosen. During its existence it was often called "The Thun- derer," like the London Times, because it swayed at will the old democracy of this portion of the West.
On March 1, 1841, the citizens of the town voted on the question of a charter and city government — fifty-eight votes for the charter and thirty-eight votes against it. This vote was an acceptance of the charter and an election of mayor and six aldermen was ordered held April 5, 1841. H. W. Sanford, Augustus Coriell and Dr. Timothy Mason were appointed judges of that election.
The first city officers elected were C. H. Booth, mayor, and J. P. Farley, Charles Miller, E. Langworthy, W. W. Coriell, H. Simplot and T. Fanning, aldermen. Mr. Coriell was chosen president of the board. On May 3, 1841, Benjamin Rupert was elected city clerk ; B. F. Davis, marshal and collector ; E. C. Dougherty, assessor and street commissioner; William Lawther, treasurer, and Charles Miller, weigh-master. At this time there was considerable money in the land office here due the city from the sale of city lands ; it was decided to ask the Secretary of the Treasury to order this sum paid to the city of Dubuque.
On May 26, 1841, it was determined by the board to begin at once the improvement of the harbor under the supervision of the street commissioner, who was directed to open a canal to connect the outer and inner sloughs at the best practical points. He was directed "to deepen the channel which now connects the slough at the lower landing with the inner slough and levee the same on the side next the town so as to make as good a steamboat landing as may be practicable." Mr. Farley voted against this ordinance.
The board opened Eighth street and appointed a jury to assess the damage thereby to the property of Peter A. Lorimier; they found the damage to be $70. On May 31, 1841, the board ordered issued in the denominations of $1, $2, $3 and $5 blank orders to the amount of $2,000. Proposals for work on the canal were called foi in June, 1841 ; this work was paid for in city scrip. Another $1,000 was appropriated for canal work on June 21, 1841. Steps to deepen the mouth of the inner slough at the lower landing were taken in August, 1 84 1. Another $1,000 for canal work was appropriated late in August, 1841. Previous to September 6, 1841, there had been appropriated for the opening of this canal a total of $3,500; the canal to connect the outer and inner sloughs. The board on September 6, 1841, pledged the fund due the city from the land office from the sale of public lots for the payment of the above appropriation. The board investigated the accounts of the land office so far as the sale of city lots was concerned. A great many grocery (wet) licenses were issued about this time; the license was $100.
72 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
Gen. James Wilson was appointed surveyor general for Iowa and Wisconsin in the fall of 1841. It was stated at the time though denied that he bought the printing plant of the Iowa News with the intention of establishing here a Whig newspaper.
The Dubuque Insurance Company was organized in February, 1842, by Edward Langworthy, William Lawther, J. P. Farley, Charles D. Townsend, Timothy Davis, Patrick Quigley, Robert Waller and Henry Simplot. A mechanics' institute was incorpo- rated a little while before this date. D. S. Wilson and A. Keesecker were editors of the Miners' Express. The winter of 1842-3 was unparalleled for its long continuance and exceptional severity. It began about the middle of November with snow after snow and severe cold. Aside from a dozen fair days late in January, it was snowing nearly all the time. Nine days in February, 1843, the mercury was below zero and of the first twenty-three days in March eleven were below zero. The river did not open until late in April and the ice was more than thirty inches thick. In 1842 the Miners' Bank, after suspension, changed owners and afterward was con- trolled by the Gas Light Company of St. Louis, under which it resumed for a short time, but then suspended again. A bill was introduced in the legislature to repeal its charter, but this step roused the citizens of Dubuque who agreed to raise $50,000 in specie to strengthen the bank, providing the charter was not re- pealed; whereupon the bill was defeated in the council though it passed the House. It was still the only bank in Iowa territory, and though the Democrats opposed it the Whigs fought hard to retain it.
"The Miners' Bank of Dubuque a few weeks ago was selected by the brokers of St. Louis as their next victim. They refused its notes, decried them, and soon they were finding their way to the shaving shop at a discount. Two somebodys were sent up to Dubuque to examine its affairs, who returned and reported that she would resume specie payments on the first of July next. This story told, the brokers could pass her notes at par, which they had taken in at a great discount." — (Bloomington Herald, July 17, 1842.)
"The Miners' Bank of Dubuque has, we are informed, gone to the
, where we wish all banks could be sent. Give us the barrel
and we know when we put our hands upon it that it is there and no mistake." — (Bloomington Herald, July 22, 1842.)
In April, 1842, Samuel D. Dixon was elected mayor and John Thompson, J. P. Farley, James Fanning, Joseph Ogilby, A. Cline and Joseph T. Fales, aldermen. The council elected the other city officers. The water which came down Lorimier Hollow (Eighth street) in early flood times caused severe Josses and was very troublesome. Much time was spent in examining the extravagant charges of the commissioners appointed originally to lay off Du- buque. A ditch carried the water down Eighth street to the slough and had to be bridged at several places. The fire engine was ordered
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 73
transferred to a company of firemen formed about this time. The trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church agreed to sell the old meeting house to the city council for $100. John D. Bush and William B. Smith, who laid claim to lots on the public square, refused to vacate until they were paid $100 per lot each.
The old fire engine on May 2, 1842, was turned over to the following enrolled fire company : John R. Harvey, Warren Emer- son, D. McGouldrich, James M. Emerson, William H. Robbins, James V. Campton, David S. Wilson, A. Keesecker, Rufus Miller, Charles Miller, Samuel Dodge, R. C. Anderson, William Rebman, Jacob Evans, B. F. Davis, J. E. Whitcher, George W. Starr, William Young, James H. Warren, William Newman, C. Pelon, Timothy Smith and William W. Anderson.
On May 9, 1842, the council prepared a memorial to Congress asking that body to donate to the city authorities the islands in the Mississippi river opposite the city ; the memorial was forwarded to Hon A. C. Dodge, delegate in Congress.
"Orders have been received at the land office to suspend business until the new register shall arrive and be duly qualified. The conse- quence of this will be detrimental to hundreds of settlers who have not yet proved up their pre-emptions under the act of 1840 and the time will expire in a month from, this." — (Miners' Express, 'May 19, 1842.)
The erection of a market house was first broached June 20, 1842, and again considered July 11. The city procured considerable lum- ber at Hale's mill. On July 12 Cline, Fales, Fanning and Ogilby voted in favor of a market house and Farley against it. A com- mittee of -three prepared plans and specifications for the building. The council, in October, 1842, inquired into the expediency of erect- ing bridges across the sloughs, so that access to the main channel of the river could be secured. In December, 1842, the receiver of the land office here issued a statement as to the amount of money due the city, the number of lots yet to be sold, etc. In December the fire company petitioned for ladders and hooks which were made for them by Joseph Ogilby upon order of the council.
In 1842 the Washingtonians and other temperance organizations had strong followings in Dubuque. In 1843-4 Congress appro- priated $14,500 for the Dubuque harbor. In the fall of 1843 the trade of Dubuque was much larger than ever before; grain and pork in enormous quantities came here in wagons from a hundred miles to the westward. Every business here felt the stimulus. In No- vember, 1843, Prof. M. De Bonneville who had taught French at Harvard University lectured here on animal magnetism. It was said he could stop a woman's tongue by merely shaking his finger at her. He organized a private class and it was declared humorously that all who had scolding wives became members. It was claimed that he performed several remarkable cures — deafness, lameness, etc. The first number of the Iowa Transcript was issued late in
74 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
May, 1843, by H. H. Houghton, of the Galena Gazette. It claimed to be Democratic, but favored Clay for President. The Express favored Van Buren. Owing to ill health Mr. Houghton was forced to suspend the paper temporarily about August 1, 1843. The Miners' Express said February 17, 1843, that mercury a few days before stood in Dubuque at 40 degrees below zero. — (Bloomington Herald, February 24, 1843.)
"We had a tremendous hail storm here on Tuesday evening last. It broke upwards of twenty panes of glass in the house in which our office is situated. Six of the hailstones weighed a pound." — (Miners' Express, May, 1843.)
The famous "Bill Johnson" who had played the part of a villain in Maine and along the Canadian border came west to Buchanan county, Iowa, in 1843 and began similar tactics. He had spread consternation along the entire Canadian border. It was alleged that the man of that name in the West was not the same person as the Maine buccaneer. The one in the West was finally lynched by a party of regulators, but his lynchers were sent to the penitentiary by the United States District Court sitting at Dubuque. The western "Bill Johnson" had a lovely daughter who attended the trial and riveted all eyes by her unusual feminine charms. Mr. Keesecker, of the Miners' Express, wrote of her in extravagant terms — "heavenly charms, deep blue eyes, matchless grace, piercing glances, queen-like dignity, soul-subduing countenance," etc., and was laughed at by the whole press of the West. He resented this interference and came near having a duel with John B. Russell, the editor of the Bloomington Herald. Apparently the only obstacle to the encounter was their disagreement as to the place of meeting. The blood curdling articles of the editors make good reading.
The election of city officers in April, 1843, was neki at B. Rupert's office ; Dr. T. Mason and Gen. F. Gehon were judges of the election. Wilson and Keesecker of the Miners' Express did the city printing for several years about this period. David & Crawford, attorneys, represented the city in the case of City of Dubuque vs. United States Commissioners. At the April election, 1843, James Fanning was chosen mayor, and Timothy Fanning, David Sleator, P. C. Morhiser, John H. Thedinga, F. K. O'Ferrall and Joseph Ogilby, aldermen. There were bridges at Bluff, Locust, Iowa, Clay and other streets, for which lumber was obtained from Hale's mill. W. B. Smith was city clerk. An ordinance prohibiting the opening of saloons and stores on Sunday was lost in June, 1843 ; ayes — Fanning and Ogilby ; nays — Thedinga, Morhiser and Sleator. New bridges were built on Bluff, Main, Iowa, Clay, Locust and White streets and Lorimier Hollow. In June, 1843, citizens peti- tioned for the erection of a market house. The city had great trouble to get its dues from the land office. It was necessary to dig drains from Bluff street to the slough across Locust, Main,
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 75
Iowa, Clay and White streets on Eighth, Seventh and others. Lum- ber from Sage's mill was used on city bridges. A suitable place for the fire engine was obtained in January, 1844. At this time the council resolved itself into a board of health for the suppression of smallpox.
By May, 1844, the notes of the resuscitated Miners' bank were at par with specie. About April 1, 1844, H. H. Houghton sold the Transcript to Royal Cooper. The paper expired in September, 1845, at which date the materials were removed to Rock Island.
In April, 1844, F. K. O'Ferrall was elected mayor, and Fanning, Thedinga, Blake, Rogers, Dwelle, Shields, aldermen. Grocery (wet) license was fixed at $100. The town lots remaining unsold in Dubuque were listed in 1844. A general examination of the public improvements going on here was ordered in April, 1844. Culverts on all the cross streets had to be built. Again on May 9, 1844, the council asked the receiver at the land office why the money due the city was not paid over. Eleventh street to the canal was opened in the spring of 1844. The ordinance closing groceries (wet) and stores on Sundays went into effect in May, 1844. Several mines were discovered in the forties on city property, which were leased for mining purposes. J. P. Farley was authorized to build a pow- der magazine, and all persons who sold powder were required to deposit the same therein. The council met in a room owned by R. Cox in 1844-45. In November, 1844, Farley & Bonson pre- sented a bill of $206.85 for building a powder magazine. E. Lang- worthy was asked to appear before the council in November, 1844, to report the amount of mineral due the city from the Third street mines. The city's share of this mineral was one-fourth and was worth $83.30 in specie. Immense sums in the aggregate were spent on street improvements. The survey of the harbor in detail was duly considered in December, 1844. Captain Barney, in charge of the government surveys of the harbor, was consulted and assisted. The question of a market house was again considered in February, 1845. Levi and Simplot agreed to donate to the city ten feet front- ing on their lots on Fifth street between Main and Iowa, providing the same should be used for a market-house. Steps to raise the means to erect the building were taken in February, 1845. James Wilson and E. Dwelle leased the city mines on Third street.
In April, 1845, F. K. O'Ferrall was again chosen mayor, and Elisha Dwelle, Robert Rogers, Timothy Fanning, John H. The- dinga, John G. Shields and John Blake, aldermen. Twenty feet on the south side of Fifth street between Main and Locust streets, owned by Charles Miller, was obtained for a market house. J. P. Farley improved and fenced the public square and was paid therefor $136.50. The Couler Hollow road was greatly improved in 1845, so also was Dodge street up Madden Hollow. Captain Barney gave the council the hydrographical map of the upper Mississippi in
76 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
April, 1845. The council considered the contemplated improve- ments on tne harbor. L. H. Langworthy having exchanged with the city important lots on the Couler, was required to furnish the city as a part of the compensation 10,000 good building brick. G. W. Starr was paid $5 "for fixing and hoisting the American flag on July 4, 1845." M. Hooper prepared specifications for the market house at this time. A stone wall sixty-four feet long and two and one-half feet thick was ordered built on the west side of Locust street between Second and Third. In July, 1845, Warner Lewis informed the council concerning instructions received at the land office in regard to the unsold town lots and issued instructions as to what should be done to enter and pay for the same. December 1, 1845, was the day set to close the sale of such lots. "Cash or its equivalent in city scrip" was a term often used at this date in the payment of bills. It was necessary to build a bridge on the landing. Mr. Cook's plan for a market house was finally accepted. Sealed proposals for the building were called for. A cistern was ordered built in the market house — to hold 200 barrels of water. All slaughtering within the city limits was prohibited from September 1 to November 1, 1845. This order was in response to a petition to that effect. Todd & Humboldt offered to build the market house as per plans for $883.
In January, 1845, A. Keesecker sold his interest in the Miners' Express to George Green, who had formerly been a member of the territorial council from Cedar, Linn and Jones counties. Through the exertions of Charles Corkery there was subscribed in Dubuque in 1845 $1,000 for a hospital; he also managed to secure the title to eight acres within the city limits for a site. In 1846 the ladies of Dubuque, among whom were Mrs. G. W. Jones and Mrs. J. P. Finley, gave a public supper by which to raise funds to buy a fire engine. They gave several others and by 1848 the fund amounted to $125.60, which the council endeavored to obtain, but without avail, unless they should furnish an equal amount. The sum was put in bank and continued to draw interest. In January, 1845, pursuant to act of Congress of December 26, 1844, Col. J. J. Abert and Capt. T. J. Cram, of the United States Topographical Corps, made the following report of the survey of Dubuque harbor.
The chart of the survey of Dubuque harbor showed that the harbor was not in the main river, but in one of its collateral chan- nels, of which there were several near Dubuque. In times of high and medium water boats of the largest class could enter the harbor, but during the usual low and the extreme low stages of the water boats of that class could hot enter all the secondary channels leading to and from the harbor, owing to the shoaliness of the water. The shoals were the result of sand and mud deposits due to the currents and the islets. At a stage of four and one-half feet above extreme low stage the mean maximum velocity of the running prism of
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 77
water in these channels was only .962 miles per hour, maintaining an average maximum depth of nine feet; while the velocity in the main river in the contiguous reach was 1.5 miles per hour with an average maximum depth of fourteen feet. It was shown that there would be no difficulty in removing the existing shoals by the simple process of dredging so as to allow steamers of the largest class to enter the harbor at the lowest stages ; but the dredging would have to be repeated periodically.
In the law making the appropriation for the harbor the following language was used: "For the improvement of the harbor at the town of Dubuque, Iowa, seven thousand five hundred dollars. Provided, Upon due examination and survey, under the direction of the secretary of war, it shall appear that a permanent improve- ment can be accomplished and completed for this amount so as to admit the landing of steamers of the largest class navigating the river at the town of Dubuque at all seasons of the year." It was stated that "the upper Mississippi rose in June and July, 1844, to an elevation of twelve feet two inches above its extreme low stage at Dubuque and did not subside to a stage admitting of taking the soundings until in October following, when it was down to a stage lower than the elevation of the June and July flood by seven feet eight inches. This is the stage to which the soundings recorded in the chart are all referred and which is four feet six inches above extreme low stage."
Among the plans proposed for the improvement of the harbor were the following:
1 a. Dredge the bed of the main river near Eagle bluff for an extent of 1,000 feet; cost, $2,000.
2b. Excavate a steamboat canal from bank of main river from lower extremity to the head of Lake Peosta for 1,800 feet; cost, $12,690.
3c. Dredge present bed at head of Lake Peosta for an extent of 1,600 feet; cost, $2,371.
4d. Dredge bed of channel from near foot of Lake Peosta to head of existing artificial canal ; cost, $750.
5e. Deepen that canal, also the head of the natural basin just below as far down as the foot of Orange street — dredging 2,250 feet; cost, $5,087.
6f. Dredge head of natural channel from Langworthy's ware- house down to Jones street, 1,600 feet; cost, $1,501.
7g. Dredge head and remote from natural channel from Jones street down along bluff into the main river, 7,000 feet ; cost, $9,240.
8h. Machines, superintendence and contingencies, $9,400. Total cost, $43,039. This plan carried out would give open navigation at the lowest water for the largest class of steamers then on the river from the main river near Eagle Bluff down to the main river below the town, four and three-quarters miles.
78 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
The second plan was not to use Lake Peosta at all, but to deepen the secondary channel just east of that lake about 1,200 feet, and then dredge. All of this would cost $34,181.
The third plan was to improve the natural channel, abandon the existing canal and in lieu cut a new steamboat canal south from that channel into the basin; total cost, $31,857.
The fourth plan was to improve natural channel, dig a deep feeder for the basin, open a steamboat canal from deep water in the basin to deep water in the secondary channel; dredge bed of the channel, and by dredging keep the channel free of deposits; cost, $25,042.
The fifth plan contemplated constructing a deep feeder to supply the basin from the channel, a steamboat canal, dredging the bed of the channel, construction of a dam, etc. ; cost, $15,689.
Plan six included a deep feeder, a steamboat canal, dredging the bed of channel, etc. ; cost, $10,277.
Plan seven embraced a long canal straight through everything out to the main river, with dykes to protect its sides, a dam across lower end of basin, sluice-gates in the canal, etc. ; cost, $25,375.
Plan eight contemplated a causeway from the town to the bank of the main river, where good landing would be found for all classes of boats at lowest stages; cost, $64,875.
Plan nine embraced a causeway that would be submerged and would cost $22,333.
The total amount of money paid out by the corporation from April 1, 1843, to March 31, 1844, was $1,491.61 ; total city indebt- edness, including the above amount, $5,461.84. The total actual receipts were $1,434.65; and the total resources, including this amount, were $6,302.27.
The total amount of money paid out by the corporation from April 1, 1844, to April 1, 1845, was $2,926.11. The corporation owed W. A. Trask $565.67 and interest for the fire engine which was bought in July, 1840. On March 31, 1845, there was yet owed for the powder magazine $206.85, an& city orders to the amount of $3,337.36 were outstanding. At the public land sale on March 27, 1843, there were sold 170 city lots for about $1,700. The total receipts of the city for the year ending March 31, 1845, were $2,662.55. This sum and the other resources due the city and the public property were estimated at $8,263.06.
The council continued to have much trouble in getting the funds due it from the land office. Heavy grading on Main street was done in 1845. Clay street was ordered graded in November, 1845.
In 1845 amendments to the city charter were discussed; a com- mittee was appointed to make suggestions of changes. Saucier and Mattox were permitted to mine on Fifth street, they to pay one- fifth of the mineral found to the city. The council paid $20 for having the willows cut from the island opposite the canal made by
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the government under the superintendence of Captain Barney. The assessed valuation of $600 on the library of Bishop Loras was reduced to $300 in January, 1846. It was ordered in January, 1846, that no city scrip should be issued for less than 75 cents on the dollar.
On March 10, 1846, the citizens petitioned to have the city divided into wards. Accordingly the council immediately formed the fol- lowing wards: First ward — All of the city lying south of Third street. Second ward — All of the city between Third and Eighth streets. Third ward — All of the city north of Eighth street. It was decided that two aldermen should be elected from each ward and a mayor from all the wards jointly. Todd & Humboldt were paid $135.61 for extra work on the market house.
In April, 1846, in spite of their efforts to prevent it, the city fathers saw city scrip fall to 70 cents on the dollar. In April, 1846, F. K. O'Ferrall was re-elected mayor, and Hugh Treanor, Michael McNamara, W. H. Robbins, Mordecai Mobley, Amos Mat- thews and Lewis L. Wood, aldermen. W. B. Smith was rechosen clerk. Mr. Trower was the first market master — chosen in April, 1846. John T. Cook was paid $10 for his plan for the market house, the same having been accepted. In April, 1846, the citizens petitioned to have the public square ornamented. A council room was prepared in the new market house in 1847. The rent of inside stalls in the market house was fixed at $15 per annum; choice stalls were offered publicly to the highest bidder. In May, 1846, C. J. Leist succeeded Mr. Trower as market master. All articles of produce or meat were required to be sold in the market house. A cannon was ordered for $25 for city use. Market hours were from 3 a. m. to 10 a. m. each day except Sunday — from May to October. Mr. Fulweiler's slaughter house was ordered removed from its then location, it having become a declared nuisance. The same of Mr. Straper's butchering establishment. Billiard license was fixed at $25. The beer license was $25. George L. Nightin- gale became city clerk in 1846. The market receipts from May 12, 1846, to August 10, 1846, amounted to $36.25. The city advanced William Rebman $25, to be used in buying a cannon; but as he had not done so by August 24, 1846, he was ordered to refund that amount. J. P. Farley and Charles Corkery were paid $40 in August, 1846, for improvements on the public square. John D. Bush, owner of a slaughter house, was ordered to change his location in August, 1846.
In September, 1846, the council appointed a committee to draft a new charter for the city of Dubuque, to be submitted to the Legis- lature the coming winter.
In 1844 Congress appropriated for the improvement of Dubuque harbor the sum of $7,500, and later $7,000 more was appropriated for the same purpose. In November, 1846, the work not progress-
80 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
ing as well as expected by the council, they called upon Captain Barney, superintendent in charge, for a report as to how much of the money had been spent, amount on hand, time yet required to com- plete the work, etc. In December, 1846, the council caused to be enumerated all of the islands opposite the city for the purpose of petitioning Congress for a donation of the same to the city, previous to the public sale which was to take place in March, 1847. Such a petition was prepared by the city attorney.
To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled:
"We, the undersigned, the mayor and aldermen of the city of Dubuque, would most respectfully solicit your honorable bodies to enact a law donating to the city of Dubuque certain islands situate, lying and being opposite said city and between the city and the main channel of the Mississippi river; or otherwise, if your honorable bodies should deem it inexpedient to donate the same, to grant to the city the exclusive right and privilege of purchasing the same at the same rate that other lands of the United States are sold. We would most respectfully urge upon your consideration the following rea- sons, as among numerous others, for our request: The situation and locality of the islands are such, that if they should fall into the hands of private individuals, the city of Dubuque would be almost entirely cut off from the main channel of the river, and subject the citizens to great inconvenience, and the most unconscionable exac- tions from them on the part of private speculators. For the purpose of more fully exhibiting to you our peculiar situation and the dilemma the city would be placed in should the title to those islands happen to fall into hands other than the city, we have caused a map to be made and hereunto annexed, by which it will appear that what has been and' is alleged by us is true; and by which it will also appear that we ask from you to grant the city only those lands which are absolutely necessary to its growth and commercial impor- tance; in which also the whole nation as connected with the great national thoroughfare — the Mississippi river — have a deep interest and must be materially benefited ; to grant to the city the following lands, to-wit : All of sections 19 and 30, township 89 north, range 3 east, and a fraction of section 25, township 89 north, range 2 east, as is more particularly marked and designated upon the map afore- said, and must in our opinion most clearly manifest itself to the Con- gress of the United States. We are fully impressed with the opinion and firm belief that after the national legislature has, in its liberality, granted us a tract of land upon which is located the city of Dubuque, they will still continue to exhibit their regard for our welfare, by granting us a boon which is so essential and necessary for its future prosperity^ and happiness and which cannot, at the present time, in any material way affect the previously vested rights of private indi-
HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY 81
viduals. We would further most respectfully state to your honor- able bodies, that unless Congress pass a law enabling the land before described to become the property of the city of Dubuque, the appro- priations which have already been made by that body for the improvement of the harbor, a part of which has already been expended, will prove to be entirely useless, worthless and of no avail to the city. We would further represent that the lands above described are entirely unfitted for cultivation or habitation, and can only be useful to the city for commercial business, and for city pur- poses, and that they would be valuable to the city alone and to none other, except for those who designed speculating upon the necessi- ties of the city, and the rise of property in the neighborhood of a growing city.
"F. K. O'Ferrall, rriayor; William H. Robbins, L. L. Wood, M. McNamara, M. Mobley, Hugh Treanor, Amos Matthews, aldermen. Attest: George L. Nightingale, clerk. Dubuque, December 15, 1846." (Senate Documents No. 256, 29th Cong., 1st session.)
The total amount of money paid out by the city for the fiscal year ending April 1, 1846, was $3,438.51; the total receipts were $3,432.15.
In a communication to the Senate committee dated January 29, 1847, James H. Piper, acting commissioner of the general land office, stated that "there would not appear to be any preemption claim preferred for any of the islands in the Mississippi river opposite the city of Dubuque ;" that "with regard to their probable value this office has no means of knowing;" and that "the bill enclosed by you gives authority for the entry of 'the islands in the Mississippi river opposite the said city' and then characterizes them by saying, 'which are fractions within sections 19 and 30, township 89 north, range 3 east ; and in section 25, township 89 north, range 2 east;' while, from the diagram referred to, it will be seen that the above special designations include only parts of said islands, leaving out the following, viz.: Fractions in sections 17, 18, 20 and 31, township 89 north, range 3 east, amounting in the aggre- gate to 73.13 acres." (Senate Docs., No. 109, 29th Cong., 2d session. ),
In 1847 George L. Nightingale was appointed public bidder at the sale of the mineral reserve. He performed his arduous and delicate duties to the satisfaction of all.
In 1847 members of the Mechanics' Institute debated in the hall over Terry's saloon the question: "Resolved, That the Wilmot proviso is right and ought to be sustained by the American people." Late in 1847 the Dubuque Philharmonic Society gave a series of concerts at the Congregational church, rendering both secular and sacred music to large audiences. Captain Barney's work on the harbor was still in progress. Many new and fine residences were erected in 1846 and 1847 — notably by General Jones, Gilliam, Reed,
82 HISTORY OF DUBUQUE COUNTY
Gildea,