Galland's Iowa Emigrant: Containing a Map and Descriptions of Iowa Territory

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GALLAJYD'S

Iowa Emigrant: Containing a map, and General Descriptions of

IOWA TERRITORY.

Chillicothe:

PRINTED BY WM. 1

840.

C.

JONES.

Entered according to Act of Congress, I.

In the Clerk's oHice of

tlie

in llic

year IHIO, by

GALLAND, District

Court oT the District of Ohio.

r bail

GI3l

Historical IntrodiicliorL

This rf.print

of

a rare

volume on

early

the State Historical Society of Iowa in

pioneer

among Iowa

Iowa has been issued by

honor of

a

man who was

a

pioneers. Dr. Isaac Galland, the author of

Galland's Iowa Emigrant, arrived in what

is

now Lee County

in

1829, four years before permanent settlement began in Iowa. Moreover, Galland lived in

Iowa many years before writing

way of contrast, Lieutenant Albert M. Lea spent only

his book.

By

a year in the

Iowa

District before publishing his Notes on Wisconsin Territory in

1836.

John Plumbe,

Jr. lived in the

Dubuque

lead mining area only

three years before compiling his Sketches of Iowa

1839. Dr. Galland, in the

and Wisconsin

in

on the other hand, had sojourned eleven years

most thickly

settled section of

Iowa and had

in addition

lived across the Mississippi in Illinois for several years before writ-

ing and publishing his Iowa Emigrant. Despite little

its

brevity, Galland's

volume has the advantage of closer personal observation and

longer perspective than the work of either Lea or Plumbe.

book stands colorful

as a

monument

to the

memory

The

of one of the most

and dynamic early lowans.

is now known of his boyhood which seems to have been spent in the Old Northwest Territory. When a voung man, Galland traveled to Mexico with some adventurous compan-

Isaac Galland was born about the year 1792 near what

Chillicothe, Ohio. Little

is

ions in search of gold. Imprisoned by the Spanish authorities, he

was released

on the

at the

end of

a

year and

made

his

wav back

to

Ohio

He paused for a few years in Indiana about the time of War of 1812. He dwelt in Edgar County, Illinois, where he is

foot.

said to have engaged in counterfeiting until driven out bv authoriI

(ylGiSG

ties.

!c IS r(jiii(c'cl to li.iNc lors.iLiii (Ins

I

imuli

Around

»)m|ii litioii.

t

()(|na\vk.a. Illinois. In

is

Tract.

During the next in IS.'JH, C.alland

A

at

crossed the Mississi|i|»i into what

lie

(lonnty, Iowa, and lifl|n'd establish Nashville in the Ilalf-

iu)\v Ixc-

lireed

\S29

occupalum hctausc of too

was practicing mcdiiinc

isjf) lie

romantic figure with

pattii

the

III

liir

Madison

thirty years, or until his death at Fort

was intimately a "latal

associateil with the history of Iowa.

toiu h of genius,"

iailand partici-

(

trade, speculated in land. scr\ed lor a time as the

Mormon

personal secretary ol Joseph Smith, the

Prophet, executed

several notable publishin}; ventures, prescribed medicine occasionally for ailing neighbors, a restless

adventurer

\\

and

ith

starteil the first

boundless energy and enterprise could

have had his name associated with so Dr. Galland had a keen, inventive

He was

flare.

attack an

school in Iowa. Only

many

facets of

mind and

\

enemy with

his

sword cane, which he always carried w

medicine while languishing Herryiiian Jennings, a

itetl

history-.

quicL-tempered and quarrelsome, never hesitating

him. Versatile and resourceful, Calland was said his

Iowa

a distinct literary

in jail

to

have learned

He

lor counterfeiting.

young Kentuckian

to ith

in-

living in Illinois, to

school in Iowa in 1830. As

cross the Mississippi to teach the

first

part of his compensation, Jetuiings

was given the privilege of study-

ing GallancPs medical books.

A

replica of this school stands today

on the banks of the Mississippi below Montrose, ment

As is

a fitting

a

land speculator, Galland aj)parently played

a fast

said to have put his early counterfeiting experience to

by forging land warrants. breed Tract.

I

le

Much

may have met

of his activity centered

in lx:e

a

New York company

County.

game.

in the Half-

who was

Rey''s decree, dividing the

disputed in

among one

laiul

one instance

by the United States Supreme (lourt. (lalland was involved

ject,

then an

having extensive land interests

hundred and one claimants, was recognized

(jiiarrels

He

good use

or at least corresponded with Francis

Scott Key, author ol the "Star Spangled Banner,'"

attorney for

in

in

1850

many

over the dis[)Uted claims, wrote volumiiiousK on the sub-

and was himself severely indicted

in his

monu-

to this energetic pioneer.

in lsr>o

by

I).

\\

.

Kilbourne

exceedingly rare 2 1-page booklet, Strittuns, vu Dr. II

l.

Cal-

land's Pamphlet, Fri/Klal, "Villainy F.xfwstd/' willi Sonif A((ounl of

His

ransadions

I

Lee County,

Hut

as a j)ul)lislicr

is

it

Lands

in

cj

Sac and lex

llir

litservntioiis, Etc., in

loiva. lliat

(iailaiul dciiuHistialcd itiiiarkaljlc

enterprise. Arnonj^ the miinerous ventures with

which he was asso-

ciated either direcdv or iiuhrectly, one must mention

and

ern Adiuntnrir

(irst

The West-

raid oj the Upper Mississippi which has the

Ih

distinction of being the second nevvsj)aj)cr j)rintcd in

Montrose

cohunn

in

Lee County on Jmie

|)a|)er

was discontinued

have been preserved. able editor,

Thomas

It

was

Ciregg,

the Western Adventurer

28,

1K,'}7.

in IK.iH

who

Iowa — at

four page, seven

and oidy scattered issues

a readable paj)er,

due

largely to

its

declared in the prospectus that

would be devoted

mineralogy, geology, climate,

The

to the history,

geography, farming,

soil, j)roduction, ])opulation,

conunerce, mechanics, education, improvements, and Indian tradi-

and remains of the West.

tions

Not content with

this venture,

Galland proposed

of the Western Adventurer to print titled

less

a

monthly publication

"Chronicles of the Nortii American Savages."

had

a

hand

in a

proposed magazine

to

columns

in the

He

to

be en-

also doubt-

be called "The Western

Emigrants' Magazine, and Historian of Times in the West,"which

Thomas Gregg planned

to edit

and publish monthly

at the office

of the Western Adventurer. Galland did write a series of

articles,

printed posthumously in the Annals of Iowa (First Series) in 1869,

and

entitled

ligion

"The Indian Tribes of

and Traditions." His

emphasis on the red men

loxoa

the West: Their Language, Re-

Emigrant placed considerable

in Iowa.

Although Indians are discussed too Galland's Iowa Emigrant answered

fully for a

many

book of this kind,

questions which the pros-

pective emigrant might raise regarding the Territory of Iowa.

The

boundaries, history, and general character of the population are treated,

and considerable space

game, and

fruit

of the region.

is

The

devoted soil

to the rivers, lakes,

and climate

wild

are discussed

under these categories. Officers of government, counties, towns, and post offices, land offices and their officers, Indian agencies and military'

posts are enumerated at the end of the volume. Galland's Iowa

Emigrant

is

very individualistic, containing

much

information that

m

was luw

.iiul

ami

a|)|>iaraiuc'

lend

lA' (fiilltniil's

fini^raiils

primiiij;.

Had

tlic

ha\c-

hccn more im|)ressi\e.

ill

was scarcely

i'.mit^rdut

appearance might

iimUli

many

miisi Im\c iiillmiuid

il

towani Iowa.

to liiaii riic-

iiscliil,

a tri-

hook, hccn printed in a larj^tr city, lint

its

iallaml. proh-

(

ablv govcrnetl by scnlimenl, chose William Carey Jones to print the hook in his old in t)!

ofChillicolhe, Ohio. Horn in Maine

home town

ISM. Jones was brought

to ChillictJthe

by his parents

two and apparently acquired considerable

experience before John King met him west to help issue Iowa's

May

in iK.Xi.

liiu/ue Visiter

contract with King in the

iiis

age

at the

and newspaper

and brought him

newspaper— the Du

iirst

Jones broke

11. 1H.'36.

|)rinting

on

fall

of

commenced printing the Galland may have known

1836, and returned to Chillicothe where he

on November

Scictc Gazette

Jones, either at (Chillicothe or for his selecting

Jones

1H3inv or nccfssitv. ill

llicir

taicl\

I'lit-

jjio^icss oI iinj)r()\ tiiKiil

the sparse locations of

a ilin^f li)iist,

absolute exposure to

sa\agc foe,

a

rounding circumstances. Under

contnhnud

all

tiiese

circumstances fannhes

raised, not onlv without the advantages of a school

cation, l)Ul the\ were not

unh e(|ueiillv dej)n\ed e\en and hence contracted

benefits of social intercourse,

and even customs, peculiar

now no

to

now

edu-

of

tiie

habits,

themselves. But these causes

longer in existence, the eflec

great facilities

to

accordnig with the sni-

prt)clnce a peculiarity of cliarac ter,

were

and

llic inlial)i(aii(s.

ts

The

have also ceased.

com-

airorded to enugralion, as well as to

mercial intercourse in general, have been productne of as

obvious changes, in

any other

character of the western pioneer, as

in the

effects

\\

Inch

which the

rapidity with

it

The

has produced in society.

frontier settlements are

now made,

the great facilities afforded to emigrants, of carrying with

them

and most of the conveniencies of life,

their

all

the necessaries

entire security

from danger and the density and j)roximity of

their settlements, at once, conclusively j)rove that the char-

acter of the people of

Iowa has nothing peculiar

in

but

it

what has been derived from other and older sections of the civilized world. Almost every State in the Union and many foreign countries are contributing to States of

among

Ohio, Pennsylvania and

the

first

X'irginia.

in affording the greatest

same

while, at the

Kentuckv. Tennessee,

alc.

The

immber of emigrants;

are also

and

Hence an individual from almost

an\

may

populaUon.

York, are perhaps

time, the Northern States, together with

in furnishing I(;\\a with industrious

States, or in fact

its

New

doing their part

enterj)risingciti/.ens. j)ail

from almost any part of the

find himself as

it

were

at

ONMi State or country, in Iowa.

of

the United

civili/ed world,

home, among natives If,

of his

therefore, any thing of the

"Mobocralic half-horse and half-aligator" character, so ,

quently ascribed to the citizens of bjwa,

the-

western

settlers,

we can onlv

fre-

can be attiibuled

adniiie the

sudden

to

iransi-

In wliicli

tioii,

older States,

ioNcruors, Senators and Representatives, oi

(

most

polite circles of the

metarnoiphosed

h

to

is trills

every class, from the

toj^ellic i\\ nil ji^entleuK-n of

to a clan

jiolished societies, can

of'haH-human

he lej^retted, that the

Iowa has

irj^in soil ol

\

become

westerners.'"

ever heeii deliled hy the tracks oi a jwlilf ntohilc, a Ijoftidar //ihkIiki or a legalized

tliiej,

hut

(juite gratifying that

is

it

neither the soil nor climate agrees with such gentry. Ihey

ha\

found

therefore,

e,

it

corn enient to

make hut

in the country; and, after visiting us, they

up

their

march

a short stay

have generally taken

perhaps to Texas.

to the south,

Rivers. MISSISSIPPI. The pronunciation of this name in the language of tlie Sauk Indians

is,

Mis-se Se-po. Mis-se

is

an adjective, answering to

most splen-

the Knglish words, grandest, noblest, chiefest, or

did,— and Se-po, simply means

river;

name

hence, this

in its

original acceptation signifies, the grandest, the noblest, the chiefest, or the

nounce

most splendid

name with

this

SepouJi, that

is,

river.

The

Indians often pro-

the plural termination, uh, as Misse

Chiefest of Rivers.

This

truly majestic river

rises

between the 48th and 49th degrees of north

after

winding

of about

3038

its

miles, empties into the

29th degree of north latitude.

It

Gulph

found many delightful

its

whose waters abound

which

charges

From

its

source, are in fish

and

fine timber.

in this vicinity, of similar character, are likewise

the sources of the river

lakes,

course, from

its

and whose shores are lined with groves of

Other lakes

and

of Mexico in the

receives in

each side, many beautiful streams. At, and near

fowls,

latitude,

course towards the south, for the distance

Red River

of the North: another noble

rising in this great valley, runs north,

and

dis-

waters into Hudson's Bay.

St.

Anthony's Falls

sissippi, the

countiy

is

only

to the

head sources of the Mis-

now beginning

to

5

be correctlv

c'xaiiiiiud, I

1)V

i

lation of

tinij)tlcnt

cn;j,iiucis

it

stiNuc of ii

ol)Mi\ ations inadc tins sumiiRT shall

llic

out, the (icj)ailmtiit will possess to c-iiahlc

tl\i'

iii

riic Sciri'turvof \\ ar, say.s:''\N Ik

iiitcci Si.ilcs.

to coiistnic

all

iiiatci lals

tlic

lali. il-

l>f \\(tikctl

iictcssary

and topographical map

a j)hysicai

t

the

the

portion of our countrv, wliich, added to that already

of

tliis

in

our j)ossession.

the

fioiii

same hand,

ol the

sources

ol the

and North Red River, will present at one view countrv comprehended between the Syth and looth

Mississij)pi

the vast

ilegree of longitiule,

and the

4i)th

and 4yth degree of north

latitude."'

MISSOURI. This

own is,

river

is

Fox Indians

called by the Sauks and

in their

language, Pc-ka-ton-oke Scpv; which literally translated

"River of Vortexes," or whirlpools.

most

It

constitutes the al-

boundary of the Iowa Termor) and the one of its tributaries, completes the whole

entire western

White Earth western

river,

;

from the north boundarv of the State of Mis-

line,

souri to the Canadian line, on the parallel of the 49lh degree

of north latitude. The Missouri rises in the

Rocky Mountains,

and passing along the west side of the Iowa Territory receives many fine rivers from each side, and after leaving the Territory of Iowa,

it

continues

its

course through the most

fertile

and interesting portion of the Slate of Missouri, and empties itself into the

Louis.

The appearance

muddy and current, the

banks,

Mississippi about 20 miles above the city of St.

all

filthy

of this river

appearance of

immense numbers

its

is

very rejnilsive; the

water, the torrent-like

of snags, sand-bars and hilling

mind of the beholder,

contribute to produce in the

feelings of an unpleasant character. Steamboats have navi-

gated

waters for

its

some which

Yellow Stone

river,

Earth

seems

ment

ri\er. It ol

within

to

distance above the

mouth

of the

advance

ol the

White

is still

the United States, to

its

in

be the present j)olicv of the govern-

remo\e

all

(he Indian tribes

jurisdiction, to the south-west side of the Missouri

river;

many upon

and

to sctllc tluin

tlicic,

under

llit

the aits ol civilization, as tliey

ol

influence of as

may be

jnevailed

to adopt.

JACQUES, Or James

about 47 degrees of North latitude, and running south, empties itself into the Missouri, in latitude 43.

river, rises in

This

river

is

said to afford an extensive

and de-

between the high table lands and

lightful valley, situated

the Missouri river.

RED PIPE STONE, Or Calumet its

river,

sometimes called the Sioux

source also in the Beautiful

separate

from the

it

Meadows

river,

or table lands

has

which

His Excellency Gov. Lucas,

St. Peters.

recommends as the northern boundary of the contemplated new State of Iowa, the St. Peters river from the mouth up to the mouth of the Blue Earth river; thence up

of Iowa,

and west

the same,

Red Pipe

with the Missouri

country

to the Cactus,

Stone; thence

is

down

an eastern branch of the

the

same

to its

confluence

river. It is said, that a great part of the

not surpassed by any lands in the United States

as to fertility of soil.

Being also well watered, and interspersed

with groves of timber. ST.

This

is

PETERS. been already

a beautiful river, rising, as has

re-

marked, in some small but delightful lakes, in the vicinity of the south-eastern slope of the Beautiful

Meadows, and sweep-

ing round in a south-easterly direction, to

bend about the Swan Lakes, east direction,

Snelling.

This

water power.

and empties

it

changes

itself into

its

its

the Mississippi at Fort

river, as well as its tributaries,

And

at

southermost

course to a north-

abounds with

no very remote period of time will river Des Moines by a canal.

doubdess be connected with the

DES MOINES. This name was given

to this

stream by the French traders, 7

and

however, count tors

'"

iiilciprctccl

is

w

cxj)lorccl

It:

couutrv,

tliis

li

thcv ac-

wluii tiuii aiiecs-

iitv say, tliat

1

iKimc,

Iiuluiii

"Kc-()-sliaN\-(|u.i:" die origin of uIik

is

foi. as follows, to

first

MoiiLs" Ri\cr." IIk-

I'lic

on

tlicv fouiul, rcsidinji;

llic

man without family or human comname was Ke-o-sliaw-(|ua; hence tliey

of this river, an ohi

l)ank.

panion, and called

it

iuiil a

N

Ids

lliat

K.eoshawc|ua's n\er. '\\\v irencli seem also to lia\e

when regarding; this named it (La riviere Des

iew to the same circumstance, thev

loiielv iidial)itant as a recluse,

Moines,) or "I'he river of the Monks.'" in length,

waters interlock

course

it

uh blanches of

it

Raccoon

continues

district of country, of

be formed.

Its

and shallow; are in

in

tiie St.

Its

head

and

ni its

width.

Peters,

passes diagonally through the neutral ground, and

receiving the

streams,

\\

about 400 nnles

It is

and averages about 300 yards

many

it

river

its

and many other

which the new

State of

waters are transparent, and

abounds

fine tributary

course through the centre

in fish,

Iowa must soon its

current swift

and springs of excellent water

places found in great profusion along

The bottom

that

cjf

shores.

its

some

lands are not very extensive, except in

places, but they are of a rich alluvial soil, covered generally

with a heavy growth of forest walnut, hackberrv, sugar nut,

some buckeye, and

the banks of

tills

trees,

such

as black

tree, cherry, locust, all

and white

mulberry, coflee

the varieties of oak, &c.

Upon

river are already situated the flourishing

towns of St. Francisville,in Missouri, Farmington,\'aii Huren, R(jchester, Ix'xington, Bentonsport and

rapidly improving.

Its

many others,

all

now

shores are also lined with beautiful

farms as high up as to the Indian Agency, above which the

while peoj)le are not vet

j)iiniilti(l

lo settle. Iron

ore and

stone coal have been found in abundance in every part of is

no

that lead ore will be discoxered ni great (jiiantities

on

this countrv'

doubt

w here they ha\ e been searched

the neutral ground, as soon as that disti

jected to

a pio|)(i exaiiim.itioii.

ic

t

(»f

for.

c

Ihere

oiinliy

is

sub-

The Des Moines, IVom its

confluence with

hne between the and between

the .p).].\'

tlie Missis,sij)j)i.

State of Missouri

this section of the

situated that tract of huid

breed reservation. This

of)" ol nortli latitude, to

constitutes the hounclary

and the territory

same and the

known

as the

of

Iowa;

Mississijjpi,

Sauk and

is

I'Ox half

the southern extremity of Iowa

is

Territory, and occupying the lower rapids of the Mississippi,

where water power

to

any extent can be obtained:

to

which

might be enumerated many other local advantages, which cannot

fail

to

make

on the Mississippi

up

In passing

Agency, we are

this

one of the most promising situations

river.

Des Moines, above the Indian country which still belongs to

the river

in a district of

and Foxes but which

the Sauks States will

it

is

presumed

soon purchase from them. This

with the neutral ground, water power and

its

of the centrahty of

a

is

not only on account of the

plated boundaries of a

of the

soil,

the timber, the also

on account

location, in reference to the

new

together

most desirable section of Iowa,

fertility

mmeral productions, but its

the United

tract,

contem-

State.

SHECAQUA, OR SKUNK RIVER. This

river

in length;

is

it is

about 150 yards wide and probably 200 miles

already thickly setded with an industrious and

improving population. There are also several flourishing

on its banks, together with some fine mills. and the timber in many places is both abundant and of a good quality. This river empties into the towns and

The

villages

soil is fertile,

Mississippi about 8 miles below Burlington, and 12 above

Fort Madison.

FLINT CREEK, Is a

valuable

little

water powers which

it

stream, on account of the excellent aflibrds. It

sissippi, a short distance

empties

LOWER IOWA This stream

is

itself into

the Mis-

above Burlington.

RIVER.

called by the Indians in the

Sauk language, 9

p

.\u/iu-tc-s(tk'a-H(i\, wliicli is

about

clianiiil

ami

luiitiit:

sttoiijj;

tlic luoiitli

arc not cxccllctl in iK'aiUy, l)v

it

'200 vartis wide, arul |)crlia|»s 'joo miles long, a iltc

nally j)rairic fnnn

crv

vm/7///^ linjjdlo hull:

si;j;iulics a

its

Ixiitoms.

up

loi

tlit-

of

i'lrtilily

wlmh

arc-

io miles,

ilistancc ol

soil

and romantic sccn-

The

anv other juut of the western country.

principal

Red Cedar and

tributaries to this beautilul river, are the

English rivers: the former from the north-east, and

from the south-west

sides.

several llourishiii}; towns,

On

|)I1iki-

the banks of

among w Inch

are situated

it

Wapalaw

is

the

the latter

,

the seal

of justice of Louisa County, situate about 15 miles from

its

higher up. j)eiha|)s 100 miles Irom the

inoulii: and still mouth, Iowa City has been located by authority as the permanent Territorial seat of Government. The several coimties

through which

this river

improving; Cedar County

and is

branches pass are rapidly

its

especially a delightful district.

WA-PE-SK-PIN-E-KA,

Or

}V/ii((

Mimrt/l

abounding

river, is also a line stream,

with water power and a good

soil.

This

regarded as the

is

of the mineral region, in ascending the Mis-

commencement sissippi.

MACOQUETA. This stream mill privileges,

ing land and

is

j)rincipally celebrated for

though

it

also afiords

some valuable mineral

of this district of the countr)'

its

much

deposits.

cascades and

excellent farm-

The

settlement

also rapidly progressing.

is

Tl'RKEY RIVER, Or

l\ii-f-ah,

is

a

very pleasant

with gooti timber and rather sparse.

vet

is

we

first

From

meet with ^'ellow

a part of the

this,

10

Paint Creek,

stream, abounding

white population as

following

river, a

Winnebago Indians

some fai ms. TheiK e passing

little

a rich soil; the

uj)

the Mississi|)|)i,

small stream

reside,

we

upon w Inch

having a school and

arrive at the

IOWA

IIF'TRR rius

IS

a C()n.si(ltial)lc sdc-iiiii.

white people; coiiHiieiices

the

Red

on the west hank thence

in

riol

l)iit

hv

yet iriliiihittd

neutral

llie

j;^roiiricJ

of the Mississippi; thence to

Des Moines; thence

to the

Pipe Stone, and ihcnce

country 40 miles

VKK.

jjoitit at wliicli

tlie

is

it

(leclar;

this ri\er,

KI

to the Reel

the Missouri river; heing a hell of

l(j

width.

A

few miles ahove the mouth of

and on the opposite hank of the

Mississij)j)i

is

the

mouth of the "liad-A\e Creek," noted mainly on account of the inhuman hutchery of a large nuinher of Indian women, children and helpless old men of the Sauk nation, at the conclusion of the

Root

non

celehiated ''Black

Hawk

and many

war,"

Wolf

River of the Mountains, White

river,

river,

late

or Can-

other smaller streams empty themselves

The River of mounds or tumuli and the White Wolf or Can-

into the Mississippi from the western shore.

the Mountains

which

are

is

celebrated for

found uj)on

its

ancient

its

banks;

its

water power. This

non

river

still

an uninhabited wilderness, except a settlement of prin-

is

noted for

is all,

however,

cipally half breeds of the Sioux nation of Indians,

who

are

located on a valuable reser\'ation of land, situated on the

may be added, a few Missiondifferent points. It is now in contem-

shore of Lake Pepin; to which ary establishments at

plation to purchase from the natives, the entire district of

countiy south of the to

St. Peters,

out of which

it is

proposed

form the new State of Iowa.

The Beautiful Meadozcs. This

is

that extensive elevation of rich

land which separates the the

Red

try of

\

alleys of the

river of the North. ''This

surpassing

fertility

is

and

fertile table

Jacques or James, and

represented to be a coun-

and beauty. The slope

fine table land,

about nineteen hundred

of the sea, and

is

fish, that, after

swelling two small lakes, form

feet

rises to a

above the surface

watered by frequent streams abounding at their

11

in

conflu-

CIRC

llic

sui)i)i)il a

of

soil

mmicrous pojuilatum, one

tages