HUNTING FOR THE BYSON HOUSES

When I started this blog I didn’t realize the number of requests that I would get from people researching their family trees.  Hardly a week goes by that I don’t get at least one request and, although I love doing research, I simply do not have the time to assist in most cases.  Every now and then though, a request comes to me that I find either so intriguing or challenging that I have to see what I can find. 

THE INQUIRY

This particular inquiry came from a member of the Byson family.  The Byson name immediately got my attention.  I was quite familiar with the family burial location in Riverview Cemetery and you may be as well.  Standing as sentinel at the west cemetery gate is a large obelisk bearing the name “Byson.”  It is placed right at the fork of the roads as you enter the driveway, demanding your attention.  I have often studied the monument, contemplating the lives of the people who lie beneath it and what stories they could tell. 

As a part of the request, names of the Byson relatives who had lived in Algona were provided along with very brief descriptions about their occupations and burial site which is all they had been able to find.  Photos of two homes were included with the request.  One photo was described as being in town and belonging to Christian Byson and the second one was identified as the John Byson farm home.  The inquirer did not know the location of the homes but was hoping I could help her find their location and if they were still in existence.  No addresses or legal descriptions were given so this would definitely be a challenge.  Since I was already intrigued by the towering family memorial, I decided to test my skills to see what I could find with regard to this particular research request.

  

THE SEARCH BEGINS

I began with the biography for C. Byson in the 1884 History of Kossuth County.  A native of Denmark, Christian Byson immigrated to America in 1869, settling in Pennsylvania.  When he arrived at Castle Garden, he had but $1 in his pocket.  It appears that he became a self-made man.

With pertinent dates from the tombstones, a little more searching led me to the obituaries of both Christian and his first wife, Anna Marie (Peterson) Byson.  Obituaries do not always contain completely reliable information, but they help to provide many clues to the life of the decedent. 

I found out that Anna and Christian had been sweethearts in Denmark and she followed him to America in 1870.  They were wed that same year.  Six children were born to this union, but only three would survive to adulthood—their sons:  John P., Kinney E., and Anthony.

The family resided in Pennsylvania for twelve years before coming to Kossuth County in 1882.  Christian Byson joined a real estate business for a few months before establishing his own firm in October of 1883.  At some point he located his business directly south of the courthouse in a structure which came to be known as the Byson building.  The property was later sold for use as part of the site of the Durdall Hotel.

Several news articles refer to the Bysons living north of Algona but do not pinpoint a location.  However we do know that in 1888 they purchased some farm land in Section 24 of Union Township.  A story published in April of 1894 states that the family had moved that spring to his farm on the Black Cat which Christian had christened “Oak Shade.” The tract had a long history already—on that same property in 1855 William Ingham and A. L. Seeley had built a log cabin, the first one north of the town of Algona.  It appears that Christian became a farmer, raising cattle and hogs in addition to his real estate venture.  He was a member of the Grange which promoted agriculture.  Proud of their Danish history, the Bysons hosted picnics for other area Danes in the grove located on the farm with a barn dance to close out the evening. 

A portion of Union Township plat
from 1896 Kossuth County Plat Book

Having a legal description, I checked out courthouse records and then took a drive north of town.  A house is located on the farm site, the main part of which appears to date back to the late 19^th or early 20^th centuries, but it did not match either of the photos provided by the family.

THE FIRST HOUSE

While searching for the obituary of Anna Byson who died on July 4, 1913, I came across a news article about her final illness which stated that she was “lying low at her home on Nebraska street and slight hopes are entertained for her recovery.”  So now I knew that by 1913 they were living at a home on Nebraska Street—but where on Nebraska?

From Upper Des Moines Republican - June 11, 1913

Next stop was in probate records to see if either Anna or Christian had an estate.  Would the property be listed as an asset?  Nothing was found for Anna but an estate was opened for Christian following his death in December of 1922.  He had remarried in 1915 to Mrs. Ingeborg Jessen of Albany, New York, and, after selling his home in Algona, they had moved to Florida where his death occurred.  Unfortunately a review of the Report and Inventory filed in his estate did not disclose any real estate.  I thought perhaps that would be the end of the story, but an error made by the attorney when preparing the Final Report gave me the breakthrough that I needed. 

Christian had sold his Algona house on contract and so did not actually own any real estate in Iowa at the time of his death.  However, when the attorney drafted the Final Report for Christian’s estate, he inadvertently entered the real estate description that had been sold on contract as if it had been owned by the decedent and then, realizing that it should not have been there, crossed it out.  Thankfully it was very legible.  The legal description was for property located on Nebraska Street and courthouse records confirmed that it had been owned by the Bysons.  Census records for 1910 corroborated the location of the couples’ residence at 120 West Nebraska Street.  Although the house is no longer there, a person who grew up in the neighborhood remembered it well and estimated that the house was razed in the 1950s.  The City of Algona built a police garage in the location a few years ago.

Corner where Christian Byson home stood
as it looks today

One house location found, one to go.

THE SECOND HOUSE

The farm house in the photo had been identified as belonging to John Byson, the oldest son of Christian and Anna.  He stayed in the area and became a very well-known well driller. He dug wells for farmers and businesses across the county during his 40+ years in business.  I had already determined that the residence located on Christian’s farm did not match the photo of the farm house sent to me, so I knew that John must have purchased his own farm land.  The pictured house looked vaguely familiar—was it still in existence?

Without access to any plat books or farm directories for the period between 1901 and the mid 1940s, the search became a little harder.  I turned once again to the newspapers to see what I could find. I stumbled across the farm auction sale bill stating that John had sold his farm which described the property as located “on No. 18, just across from the Catholic Cemetery in the northeast 

Algona Upper Des Moines - December 8, 1942

part of Algona.”  Shortly thereafter I found the article which told of the sale of the property to a Sheldon farmer by the name of Ray Schilmoeller.  No wonder that house had looked familiar!  I had been in it several times as a child as Ray and his wife, Trudy, had been friends of my parents.  The house was completely re-sided a number of years ago by its current owners giving it a much different look, but it still maintains the original lines of the farm house in the photo.

Former John Byson home as it looks today

SUMMING UP

Along the way, I discovered many things about the Byson family.  Christian and Anna were members of various Union Township clubs including the East Union Literary Society as well as being active in the Association of United Workmen, Democratic party, and other social groups.  The family was very patriotic.  The American flag was displayed over their door every holiday.  They made a grand return to Europe in 1896, spending three months visiting Denmark, Sweden and Germany. 

John too was well-known in the community not only for his skill in well drilling but also for his friendly and jovial demeanor.  According to his obituary, it was often said that the famous cartoonist, Ding Darling, used him as the basis for his portrayal of the Iowa farmer.  After selling his farm in 1942, he and his wife moved to San Diego, California, where he passed from this life in 1960.

It was satisfying to be able to find the answers to the inquiries made regarding the Byson families.  It is my hope that the stories contained in this research will bring to life the grandparents which heretofore have only been names on a family tree.    

So the next time I visit Riverview Cemetery I plan to once again stop by the obelisk bearing the Byson name.  As I gaze upon the tall pillar pointed to the heavens, I will know that it represents a memorial to two immigrants who traveled far from their homeland with nothing but determination and hope for a better future who then went on to achieve the American dream. 

This marks my 100^th post of the stories of Kossuth County and its citizens.  I hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

Until next time,

Kossuth County History Buff

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EARLY-DAY IRVINGTON - Part II

We continue with our story about the building of the fort in Irvington for protection from the Indians following the Spirit Lake Massacre.

Bride Remains as Cook.

But to return to our little settlement, all the women and children had been sent with the caravan excepting the bride and her sister, who concluded to take their chances of being killed by the Indians, and were installed as chief cooks for the garrison, remaining so to the end of the war.  Early in the morning of the same day that the caravan started, we also dispatched two men on horseback to Webster City, to secure arms and ammunition and they were instructed to hire a team to bring at once such as could be purchased.

The day was a very busy one, and by night we had our fort about half completed, and the scouts who had patrolled the prairie north and west reported no Indians in sight.

On one corner of the cross streets was a two-story house made of hewn logs, which was used as headquarters and a boarding house.  There was also a house on the other three corners of the same cross streets, and in these four houses we all gathered for the night, with instructions in case of an attack by the Indians to flee to headquarters.  A guard was also selected to patrol the garrison during the night.

From 1896 Plat of Kossuth County - 
"Old" Irvington was located directly
north of Irvington Station

Troublesome Visitor Ducked.

We had some fun along with our work, and during one morning one incident occurred which afforded much amusement for all but the one most concerned.  I had been installed as foreman of the crew who were to run the mill, and we were well at work sawing plank when a stalwart young man came among us, declaring that we were a set of damned fools to think we could fight Indians, and that he had no doubt but the Indians were on the war path; that they were likely to make a raid on the town any night, and murder all who remained, and he for one was not going to stay.

We told him, all right, to leave, but he persisted in trying to convince us of our folly and danger in language which we resented.  Finally, in jest more than anything else, I said to him, “You get out of here, or we’ll chuck you in the river,” which was but a few rods from the mill.  He immediately jerked off his coat, threw it on the ground, and defied the whole crowd.  As he turned to reply to something said by one of the boys I leaped on his back, throwing my arms around both of his, and, clasping my hands tightly in front of him, sang out, “Come on boys, let’s chuck him in.”  It was no quicker said than done, and the whole crew made a rush, grabbed him by the arms and legs, and started for the river.

Victim Departs With Threat.

He was still defiant, and we lowered him feet first into the water up to his knees.  Still defiant, we dropped him in to his thighs, and gave him another chance to retract, but he became sullen, and would make no promises.  We then chucked him in up to his shoulders, with the admonition if he did not promise to get out at once the next chuck would be final.  This subdued him, and he said he had changed his mind, and if we would let him out he would go home, and inform his people of the situation and return to help us.

Guns and Ammunition Arrive.

At the end of the second day we had the wall of our fort all erected, and the messengers sent out to secure arms and ammunition had returned, closely followed by a team bringing about forty shotguns and rifles, with powder and shot, and lead for making bullets.  Percussion caps had come into use, but the guns were muzzle-loaded, and each charge of powder and shot had to be rammed in.

The men bringing the ammunition had met the caravan early in the morning, and heard their heartrending stories, but as they also had met the Californian on his return from Johnson’s Point they learned from him the true situation.

Unusual Sound Alarms Settlers.

About eight o’clock that evening an incident occurred which gave us a chance to show our bravery as Indian fighters.  While we were all assembled at headquarters, playing cards, swapping lies, and having a general good time, a mournful sound came from the barn which was located a few rods back of the house.  It sounded as though the cattle were lowing, either in pain or fear, and the sound was repeated at short intervals.  The immediate conclusion was that the Indians were torturing the cattle, causing them to make the mournful sound, for the purpose of drawing the settlers out into the open.  It was a well-known Indian trick for surprising unsuspecting settlers, and we concluded at once that Indians were responsible for the unusual sound. 

The command was given, “to arms,” and each man seized his gun.  A hasty consultation was held, and it was decided to send a small squad to the barn to investigate, while the balance of the company should be held in readiness for battle.  The captain called for six volunteers, and three times the number stepped forward.  Six men were selected, the writer being among the number, and we proceeded slowly towards the barn, guided by the mournful sound.  As we neared the barn the sound seem to come from behind it, so we made a detour to the rear of the barn, and finally locating the sound as coming from the roof of a shed at the rear of the barn.

Steer Cause of Commotion.

The rafters of the shed roof were round poles, placed about two feet apart, and these were entirely covered with prairie hay.  During the winter the snow had drifted in behind the shed above the eaves, and a two-year old steer had gone up over the snow onto the roof, and his weight had forced his feet through the hay, so he was suspended astride of a pole, his feet and legs hanging inside the shed, while his body rested on the roof.

The whole affair was so ridiculous that we shouted with laughter, and called the balance of the company to help us rescue the “enemy” and enjoy the victory.  After the steer was removed from his uncomfortable position, and placed in the barn for the night, the “soldiers” returned to headquarters, and enjoyed a good night’s sleep.  It was our first, last, and only battle; no shots were fired and no one was hurt.

Another time we were all prepared for an attack, but it proved to be only the old cat rattling the door knob, as was his habit when he wanted to come in.

Third Day Passes Quietly.

We spent the third day making two rows of portholes in the walls of the fort and spiking heavy slabs over the cracks outside.  The first row of holes was made four feet above the ground, and the other row eight feet from the ground.  Those for the rifles were four inches long, by two high, made by boring two holes side by side with a two-inch auger.  For the shotguns a third hole was bored above the center of the other two, making an opening four inches long, by four inches high in the center, running to two inches high at the outside.

The day passed without excitement or any unusual occurrence to disturb the peace and quietude of the garrison, and no further work was done on the fort.

From History of Kossuth County published in 1913

Scare Subsides Without Raid.

While all this excitement and preparation was going on, the small band of Indians that was the cause of it was hastening westward with its plunder and captives towards what was then known as the “Yankton Territory,” now South Dakota.  Shortly after leaving Spirit Lake they murdered two of the young women carried away, but the third was rescued about three months later, and returned to her home in Minnesota, and afterwards wrote a book giving the details of the massacre and the hellish deeds of the Indians.

Nothing more was done in preparation for war, and as the excitement soon subsided the military company disbanded.  The caravan that had gone to Webster City returned, families were reunited, and our little community settled down again to its usual routine.  No more work had been done on the fort, but it stood for many years in its uncompleted state, as a reminder of the imaginary Indian War, and it was three months before we fully recovered from the effects of the disturbance along the frontier in northern Iowa, and southern Minnesota.


This is perhaps the best story I have read about how the Irvington fort came to be.  The memories preserved therein obviously remained very vibrant in the mind of Mr. Robinson who chose to write them down so many years after they occurred.  I for one am thankful that he did.    

Until next time,

Jean

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EARLY-DAY IRVINGTON - Part I

Every now and then I happen upon a little gem of history when I am researching an entirely different topic.  The story that I am about to share certainly fits that bill.  My next two posts will share the memories of O. W. Robinson, an early settler of the Irvington area, as he recalls the building of the fort in Irvington during the frightening days following the Spirit Lake massacre.  This article was read at a meeting of the Kossuth County Historical Society and then published in the December 27, 1916 edition of the Kossuth County Advance.  Part I begins with the introduction from the newspaper article:  

  

The reminiscences of early-day Irvington at the time of the Indian war scare presented herewith were written by O.W. Robinson, who was boss sawyer at the Irvington sawmill at the time the occurrences which he describes took place.  Mr. Robinson was also one of the county’s first sheriffs.  He left this county after a short residence here, and is now living retired at Chassell, Mich.  This article was first published in some Michigan newspaper, a copy of which Mr. Robinson addressed to Levi W. Parsons, who died many years ago.  The paper was delivered to M. de L. Parsons, who gave it to President Reed, of the county historical society.  Mr. Reed selected from it the portions here given, as thus revised, the paper was read by Miss Zelda Reed at the recent annual meeting of the historical society.

News of Spirit Lake Massacre.

In April of 1857 there occurred at Spirit Lake, Iowa, a massacre committed by a small band of Sioux Indians.  At that time all of the northern part of Iowa, except along the Mississippi river, was called frontier, and the settlements were few and far between.  I was then living at Irvington in Kossuth county.

The first news of the massacre was spread by a young trapper who chanced to visit the settlement a few days after the tragedy.  As he approached the settlement he saw no signs of life, which he thought odd, and he received no response to his rap on the door of the first house he reached.  He opened the door, and entered the single room cabin, where he found piled in a corner and covered with straw the lifeless bodies of six people.  He did not wait to make further investigation, but sped on to the nearest settlement to spread the alarm, and as the news traveled it became exaggerated until the excitement and fear among the pioneer settlers became intense.

Military Companies Organized.

A volunteer military company was formed at Fort Dodge, and another at Webster City, and both companies marched immediately to the scene of the massacre, a distance of eighty miles or more.  They found no traces of the Indians, only the results of their hellish work, so they buried the dead, and retraced their steps homeward.

In the meantime the exaggerated reports had reached our little settlement in Kossuth county, but as we could trace none of the reports to an authentic source it was decided, at a hastily called meeting of the citizens, to send out a young man on horseback the next morning to learn the facts if possible.  He left early, and had gone about sixteen miles in the direction of Spirit Lake when he met the volunteer troops on their way home, learned from them the actual facts, and returned home the same evening.

Six Men Appointed Scouts

A meeting was held that night, and six men appointed as scouts to keep a lookout for Indians north and west of us, and to report each night.  They were furnished with fleet saddle horses, and directed to return at once if they saw any Indians.  No Indians were discovered in the neighborhood, so, after two days, the scouting was discontinued, and the settlers were becoming quite convinced that there was no immediate danger when a messenger appeared from the nearest settlement five miles north of us.  He informed us that Indians had been discovered some twenty miles north, apparently moving in the direction of our settlements.  He was greatly excited, and wanted our people to move up there, and join them in building a fort, as he felt sure that the Indians would reach the settlement in a day or two.

Another meeting was called that afternoon, and it was decided to send all the women and children to Webster City, and to build a fort and organize a military company at Irvington instead of going north with the messenger to his settlement.  About sixty men were enrolled in the military company, and a man by the name of Smith, from New Hampshire, was made Captain.  Mr. Carlon, from Pennsylvania, First Lieutenant, and myself Second Lieutenant.  We chose as our military advisor a man about seventy years old who had been a soldier and Indian fighter during the Black Hawk war.

Fort Built at Irvington

He drew the plan of our fort, which was a hundred feet square, with projecting corners, so that we could rake the four sides in case of an attack.  It was located on a level plat of ground, and constructed of four-inch plank, set endwise into trenches three feet deep, with twelve feet standing above the surface.  The plank were held together by two rows of plank spiked lengthwise along the top and middle of the uprights.  The material was donated by those having logs at a small custom sawmill there, and the mill-crew volunteered their services to help.

It was an exciting and busy day for all hands, but conducted in a systematic manner, and by nightfall everything was in readiness to begin our defense against a possible raid by the Indians, and the day closed with the impromptu wedding of a young couple who had intended marrying later in the year.

Wedding Interrupts Preparations

A license was hastily procured, and all hands invited to the wedding, which was held at the home of the bride’s parents at eight o’clock in the evening.  All the young people attended; the bride’s younger sister was the bridesmaid and your humble servant the best man.  A justice of the peace performed the ceremony, and after congratulations had been extended to the happy couple the festivities of the evening began, which, to say the least, were hilarious, and lasted a couple of hours.

The next morning everybody was up by daybreak and busy at the task assigned him by our military commander.  Some were digging the ditches for the fort, some sawing plank, others teaming them from the mill to the location of the fort, and still others setting them upright in the three foot ditches, and tamping the earth solidly around them, taking care at the same time to keep the sides in perfect line.

Women Leave for Webster City

The older men made the preparations for taking the women and children to a place of safety, as they were to accompany them.  Ox teams and prairie “schooners” were our only mode of conveyance, and by noon the caravan was ready, and started for Johnson’s Point, about twelve miles down the east fork of the Des Moines River.  Here they expected to camp the first night, and cross the prairie the next day to the Boone River, which they would follow down to Webster City.

They reached Johnson’s Point early in the evening, made camp, and were just in the midst of preparing supper when two young men from a small settlement three miles farther down the river rushed in, and said that Indians had been seen standing on a mound a few miles west of the settlement that afternoon.  They said the settlers had all been ferried across the river, and started for Fort Dodge, some thirty miles down the river, and that they had come to warn the settlers at Johnson’s Point and at other places along the Boone River and across the prairie.

Panic Over News of Indians.

This information created a panic and without finishing their supper everything and everybody were immediately loaded into the schooners, the oxen hitched up, and the caravan started on its way again, marching all night, with the two men leading it.  One of the women of the party told me afterwards that they spent a dreadful night.  She feared the reports might be true, and the Indians attack them, and she was utterly disgusted with the men who had charge of the party. The oxen were urged forward with a vigorous application of long whips, while only subdued tones were used in speaking, and a small dog which persisted in barking was held by the hind legs so the hind wheels ran over it breaking its neck.

About daybreak they reached some settlements on the Boone River, the first house being that of a young California couple, about three miles from the other houses.  The young men had walked in advance of the caravan, and they told the Californian of the situation, but as he was a man of some experience in frontier life, and at that time his wife was very sick, with a sister taking care of her, he was more concerned over her recovery than a probable Indian raid.  He sent the young man on, and, taking his rifle, went out to meet the caravan, which he did some two miles distant.

One Pioneer Not Stampeded.

He listened to the exaggerated reports concerning the Indians, their stories of having seen reflections of burning villages in their travel across the prairie, and their entreaties that he and his family join them in their flight to Webster City, and told them in no uncertain language that he did not believe a word of their reports, and ordered them to pass his house quietly, in order not to disturb his sick wife.  He piloted them past his place, rifle in hand, and then, leaving his sick wife in charge of her sister, he mounted his swiftest horse, and galloped across the prairie to Johnson’s Point, where he found young Johnson, who had also refused to join the caravan.

From Johnson he learned that there were no Indians in sight, and that no lights of burning villages had been seen, so he turned back and went home.

Meanwhile the caravan had reached Webster City in a state of frenzied excitement, and spread the groundless reports of their escape, the burning of the villages, and the probable massacre of those that stayed behind.  At the same time they entered Webster City from the north a volunteer military company entered from the Des Moines.  They had heard reports that the Indians were about to make a raid on Webster City, and had come to help defend the place. 

Stay tuned for Part II.

Notes from KCHB:  The military advisor described in the story would likely have been an older Irvington resident by the name of John Edwards who had been a soldier and Indian fighter. The bride and groom mentioned would have been the first couple married in Kossuth County.  They were William Moore and Sarah Wright who were married at the home of her parents, Jacob and Nancy Wright on April 22, 1857, by Justice of the Peace George Wheeler.  William later served as a soldier in Company A, 32nd Iowa Infantry and died at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on December 30, 1862.

Until next time,

Kossuth County History Buff

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