1845 Trip through "Des Moines Country"
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| The Des Moines County - A
descriptive essay of a trip through Van Buren County, then part of the
"Iowa Territory", a year before achieving statehood. |
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Iowa State Gazette Burlington, Iowa
- Saturday, June 28, 1845 - A Chapter from Che-Mo-Ko-Mon. The Des Moines country—Keosauqua—Bonaparte—Meck’s Mill—Farmington—Emigrants—Bateman’s old gray Horse. MR. EDITOR:—Since my return from my transatlantic wanderings, I still find myself leading somewhat the life of a cosmopolite; and as my old friends have given me a unanimous and cordial welcome back again, I cannot refrain from telling them, through the columns of your “Gazette,” that my devotion to Iowa still remains unabated, and my faith in her future destinies unchanged. It is now nearly five years since I published my “Sketches of Iowa.” Some accused me of tinging my embelishments rather too much colcour de rose. Since that period, however, I have again travelled over a great part of the United States, and a considerable portion of Europe. And I see no reason to retract one iota of what I have previously written, but rather that the descriptions were far short of the reality. But I sat down this morning to write you an article upon my recent journeyings, and not a homily of my past deeds. I think I promised you, some weeks since, an occasional paragraph touching these matters. Since my return I have visited and lectured, I believe, in every county seat south of the Iowa river, excepting the New Purchase; and I have been astonished as well as gratified to witness the rapid advances made, and the spirit of enterprise that pervades both town and country wherever I have journeyed. I have just now returned from the Des Moines country. Every body eulogizes the Des Moines country and I have done my part at it. I have once more returned and beheld it after having (in the interim) gazed upon the Thames, the Dee, the Severn, the Trent and the “soft flowing Avon.” And I will hazard the assertion that if the Des Moines river meandered any portion of the continent of Europe, adorned with its beautiful scenery that we can every day look upon and admire, I believe that half the population of Europe would annually make a pilgrimage to its sylvan banks—(don’t sneer distant reader, I know of what I speak.) My engagement was especially at Keosauqua, to address the citizens upon my recent travels. The object of my visit brought me necessarily in contact with many of the citizens, both individually and collectively; and a more enterprising, intelligent and affable community, I do not believe can be found in this or any other Territory. Keosauqua is steadily increasing, and being the seat of justice of Van Buren county, gives it a pre-eminence over most other towns on the Des Moines. It contains a fine brick court house, situated on a commanding eminence, which not only overlooks the town but likewise embraces an extensive view of the valley of the Des Moines. Keosauqua carries on an extensive traffic with the Indian country for furs and peltries. It contains several mercantile establishments, which appeared to be well filled with good stocks of merchandize. The town also supports two weekly newspapers. From Keosauqua I proceeded down the Des Moines, through Columbus and Bentonsport, to Bonaparte, formerly Meek’s Mill. Here Doct. Cressup kindly converted one of his spacious rooms into a Lecture Hall, and on Thursday Evening I addressed a highly respectable audience. The next morning Judge Meek’s waited upon me, and in the kindest manner conducted me over his spacious mill. If I were to say this is a great mill for a new country, the story would be but half told. It would be a noble structure in any country, and is not only creditable to Iowa but to the valley of the Mississippi. The new mill is six stories high, painted white. The solidity and excellence of the frame exceeds any thing of the kind that I have ever met with before. The bolting chests are all finished in pannel work, in as good taste as any private residence. The castings were all made in the Territory of Iowa, on the most improved principles, which reflects no little credit upon the enterprise and ingenuity of the Iowa mechanics. Attached to this mill are extensive carding and fulling mills, where I saw a few specimens of sattinetts and broad cloths that would not disgrace the mills of Lowell or Manchester. (If any of your readers feel desirous to know what Iowa can already do in the way of manufacturing cloth, I will leave a specimen or two upon your desk.) When we reflect that in 1839 Bonaparte was a primeval wilderness, these facts speak a strong and deeply interesting language concerning the prosperity of our Territory. Bonaparte is situated upon the north side of the Des Moines, about 40 miles (by water) from the Mississippi, and about 30 miles by land. Its growth has been rapid; it contains 4 or 5 mercantile establishments, and presents, probably as good a field for the settlement of enterprising mechanics as any other place in the Territory. From Bonaparte I proceeded on to Farmington, where I also addressed the citizens, who received me in the most cordial manner. Farmington is also famous for its mills, and next to Keosauqua is the largest town on the Des Moines river. Farmington, like other principal towns upon the Des Moines, must at no distant period become a place of great and important trade. The lands in the vicinity are of the most attractive character, both as to beauty and fertility. How enterprising men, endowed with sane minds, can continue to fritter away their lives, delving over the sterile soil of New England, when eligible lands of this character invite the plough of the husbandman—how they can settle down contented, I say, is more than I can divine. Don’t think, “Down Easters” Pennsylvanians, Buckeyes and Hoosiers, that you can continue to come to Iowa forever and still purchase lands at 125 cts. per acre! “Now is the accepted time.” In this my “Hor-o-scope” is true; and your children will rise up and tell you that my council was the “words of wisdom.” But the eyes of the people abroad are becoming opened to see clearly our unrivaled advantages. Let me give you an instance in point, by way of conclusion. Striking out from the Des Moines timber, on my way home, I met a settler riding an old gray horse hunting up stray stock. Who was he? Apparently so well initiated on the soil of Iowa, that you might readily have taken him for an old pioneer of the “Black Hawk War.” Who was he? you wonder; I’ll tell you, (pardon my digression.) About the middle of last October, late one afternoon, I crossed Waterloo bridge and perambulated the densely populated suburbs of London to Vauxhall Walk. I went to take a social cup of tea, and bid a few friends farewell prior to leaving old England for the shores of America. Seven months have scarcely elapsed, and I find myself again wandering over the beautiful prairies of Iowa. I strike out from the Des Moines timber, in the open prairie—I met a party of emigrants encamped; some busily engaged making brick, others hewing timber, making rails &c. I recognise familiar faces in this motley group. Presently honest, worthy John Bateman, rides up on an old gray horse, after a fruitless search in hunting up his cattle. Reader this was the individual with whom I took the social cup of tea in London! This was our first meeting this side of the Atlantic. Bateman is now an Iowa farmer, owning 1200 acres of good land near the Des Moines. Surely “truth is stranger than fiction,” and yet how many of the inmates of the log cabins of Iowa there are whose histories would be still more strange. Ever yours, CHE-MO-KO-MON. Note: "Che-Mo-Ko-Mon" (or cheemookomon) is a historical Native American (Sauk and Meskwaki) Algonquian term translating to "big knife" or "white man/American." It was used historically in the Upper Mississippi Valley region and appears as a pen name for 19th-century Iowa promoter J.B. Newhall, as well as an alias in pioneer records. Transcribed by Rich Lowe for the Van Buren Co IAGenWeb Project http://iavanburen.org |