THE PICTURESQUE CHUBB HOUSE

Charles and Colman Chubb

Brothers Charles and Colman Chubb came to Kossuth County shortly after the close of the Civil War.  Born and raised in Wisconsin, they farmed with their father prior to their enlistment.  On August 9, 1861, Charles, two years the elder, enlisted in the 3^rd Wisconsin volunteer infantry and Colman in Company A of the 1^st Wisconsin cavalry.  The time spent in service would be the only protracted separation of the brothers during their lifetime.  The Chubb Bros. partnership they formed before leaving Wisconsin would be terminated only by death many years later.

COMING TO KOSSUTH COUNTY

Following the end of the war, Charles was the first to travel to Kossuth County in July of 1865.  He fell in love with the rich fertile soil and the prospects of the young community and so he soon wrote Colman telling him to come.  Colman drove a team of mules from Wisconsin to Algona arriving August 27, 1865.  The first night of his arrival, he camped on the site where they would later build their two story dwelling at 407 North Harlan Street. Camp was spread under a large tree on the property.

A house was needed for the ambitious brothers and so during the winter of 1866 they had logs sawed for lumber at the old water mill and built a house on the site where they would later build a much more expansive home.  A grand celebration was held in the timber north of town on Independence Day that year.  The story goes that their house was completed to the point that the brothers decided to host a dance the same evening.  The house had no windows due to the fact that they had not yet arrived from the railroad.  Multitudes of mosquitoes were attracted to the two kerosene lamps hung on the walls making it very difficult for the two musicians, Colman Chubb and Will Reed, to play.  Two men with green brush from the nearby timber fanned the musicians throughout the night to keep them comfortable.  The swarm of mosquitoes did not dampen the enthusiastic dancers and a grand time was had by all.

Chubb Road (n/k/a Call State Park Road)

Another View of Chubb Road

Soon the brothers’ attention turned to their future. They homesteaded a tract of land south of Algona (near Call State Park) and commenced farming and raising stock, becoming well known for their cattle.  The two remained in town, living in the simple house they had built and to it they each brought brides.   Colman returned to Ottawa, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, where he married Helen May Wallace on October 15, 1867.  Later that same day, they were driven to North Prairie, Wisconsin where they boarded a train bound for Iowa.  Of course there was no railroad to Algona at that time.   Charles met them at the station in Iowa Falls – the closest terminal to Algona.  Three days later, at midnight, they arrived in Algona.

On January 1, 1869, Charles married Hattie M. Taylor with whom he would have three children, Colman, Charley, and Laura.  That year the brothers built a home on the farm where both families would live for almost 30 years. 

Charles began to expand his interests in businesses other than farming and cattle ranching.  He became involved in the banking business, at one time serving as president of the Burt Savings Bank, and was a director or officer of nine county banks including vice-president of the Algona State Bank.  He was one of the founding directors of Kossuth County Mutual Insurance Company.  Charles served as a county supervisor when the court house was built and went on to serve as a State Senator for four years. Colman focused his attention mostly on the cattle operation but also shared an interest in banking, himself serving as a director of the Algona State Bank.

NEW ALGONA HOME

In January of 1896 a fire broke out in the house in town which the brothers had built on their arrival to the city, rendering it uninhabitable.  Within a few weeks it was decided that a new home for the two couples would be erected on the site.  Plans for a large two story home to accommodate both couples were soon formulated.  Shadle and Herman got the bid and construction began in August.  It was estimated that the house would cost more than $8,000.  By early September the frame was erected and it was soon enclosed.  The placement of the house on the lot raised many questions from passersby.  It seems the brothers once again wanted to sleep under the same branches that shaded them in their first days in Algona and so they placed the house at such an angle to save the tree which is clearly pictured in the photo from “Picturesque Algona.” 

The house was finely finished and featured hard wood throughout the structure.  The generous wrap around porch was an invitation to the Chubbs and their visitors to sit and enjoy a visit on a warm summer day. 

The Chubbs moved into their beautiful new home in March of 1897.  They had also built a 24 foot square barn near their residence.  The families had lived in their new home only a few weeks when fire threatened the new structures.  A neighboring stable caught fire and soon burned to the ground along with two horses kept there.  Although the fire company turned on water to keep the flames from spreading, heavy winds blew cinders threatening the Chubb brothers’ barn and residence.  The barn actually did catch fire but using ladders left nearby by a painter by the name of Ward, the firemen were able to climb to the roof and extinguish the flames before they could do much damage.  Thankfully the house was unscathed and was prominently featured in “Picturesque Algona” when it was printed in 1900. 

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

As mentioned above, the Chubb Bros. partnership endured until Senator Chubb passed from this life on May 21, 1911. His services were held at the Chubb home with full military and Masonic ceremonies.  Hattie, his widow, continued to live with Colman and Helen in the home they had built together. 

Colman and Helen Chubb

In 1927 Colman and Helen celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary quietly at home, enjoying visits and congratulations from their many friends.  Mr. Chubb spent much of his time reading to Helen who had lost most of her vision in her old age. 

Hattie Chubb died in January of 1929 and was buried next to her beloved Charles in Riverview Cemetery.  Colman and Helen remained in the family home until Colman’s passing in March of 1930.  Helen was in poor health at the time of his passing, having fallen and broken her hip four months before.  Her health continued to decline until her death on October 16, 1931.

The house stayed in the family for several more generations through Laura Chubb Palmer, the daughter of Charles and Hattie.  Her son, Richard Palmer, became a teacher and taught at Algona High School until his retirement in 1978.  Following his death several years ago, a painting of the Chubb house that he had owned was donated to the Kossuth County Historical Society.  

House located on Chubb lot in 2015

The house was purchased from Richard by Keith and Eileen Myers who had restored all but one room when in 1987 a fire broke out inside the chimney and quickly spread through the walls to all four floors of the house.  The house was razed shortly thereafter leaving only memories of another beautiful Algona home.

Until next time,

Jean (a/k/a Kossuth County History Buff)

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CAPT. ROBERT EMANUEL JEANSON

In July of 1870, Capt. R. E. Jeanson arrived in Algona.  Jeanson was a native of Sweden who had previously served as a captain of an ocean steamer.  He now represented the American Emigrant Company.  This company had acquired large land holdings across the Dakotas, southern Minnesota and northern Iowa as well as other areas in the U.S.  As an agent of the Company, Capt. Jeanson came to inspect the holdings in northern Kossuth County.  At the time that part of the county was very sparsely populated and consisted largely of prairie grass and sloughs.  He found the land to be of high quality. 

Colonization of northern Kossuth County

To encourage permanent settlement, the American Emigrant Company utilized the colonization method.  After appointing J. E. Stacy as the local agent, Capt. Jeanson returned to New York City where he recruited Swedish immigrants to purchase land from the Emigrant Company.  An ad (originally published in Swedish) extolled the virtues of the region.  It read as follows:

A Settler’s Home, Estate, Eagle Lake, Swea, Iowa.

Capt. R. E. Jeanson’s home.

LAND FOR A LOW PRICE THAT IS PROFITABLE, WHICH IS IN THE STATE OF IOWA.

THE SETTLEMENT SWEA:  Located in Kossuth County, Iowa, is one of our best Swedish settlements in America, having three schools, a smithy, and a post office.  The school houses are to spacious and conveniently located that they also are used for assembly halls for spiritual and public meetings.  The Lutheran pastors are up-building.  The settlers belong to a respectable class of Scandinavian emigrants and are popular with their American neighbors.

THE LAND’S QUALITY:  The land is hilly and the soil is a rich hard mull from 2 to 6 feet deep on a clay bottom, and completely free of stones and stumps.  As proof of the soil’s richness, it can be said that from the county fair exhibits a common beet weighed a Swedish “lispund,” and potatoes there “skalpund” each.  Animals are the most profitable for farm use in this place, they require the least work and take little or no risk.    

  The settlers at Swea have told me that one cow keeps him for the year with butter and milk.  Animals are sold to the buyers themselves who are in the settlement several times during the year, therefore the owners are set free of the trouble of traveling around to sell them.  The soil and climate are as well especially profitable for the growing of oats, corn, also root vegetables of all kinds, as well as grapes, apples, pears, plums, etc.  ‘VILKOR.’  The American Emigrant Company in Hartford, Conn., for whom the undersigned is an agent, owns around 60,000 acres of land in this province in and around the settlement of Swea.  The price varies at present between 8 and 10 dollars per acre.  This property sells in 40, 80 and 160 acres.  We require at least one fourth of the total purchase price in cash on possession, and the remainder can be paid in small regular payments suited to the buyers ability to pay. 

  With a capital of 700 dollars or 3000 kronor an owner can be set up completely with a house, animals and tools, so that the settler can accomplish independence to anticipate beginning work in an economical and sensible way.  If land is bought from me, and I am asked for advice, I will give a special report on everything that is necessary that a beginner should buy and the price there-on.

TRAVELING THERE:  Persons living in Sweden do best to get their tickets direct to Bankroft, Iowa.  Traveling from New York costs $22.50 on the railway.  Any families thinking of going there, and I am informed in time, I will personally assist with the choosing of their future home.  A railway goes near the settlement.  For inquiries and for gaining a wide range of information to the best capability.  One advice I do give however, “Go and see Swea first for the landscape out does anywhere else.  The state of Iowa, beyond doubt, is the best state in this large Republic, and I am always ready to give all the information wanted to such who want to make a home in the West.  However, I urge everyone to first see Iowa and this beautiful land before they decide on any other state.”  R. E. Jeanson”

Settlers Begin to Arrive

The first family arrived in 1871.  The following year a company house was built to house up to 40 people while they built their own homes.  It was located 4 miles west and 2 miles north of the present location of Swea City.  The lumber for the company house was hauled by Peter and Victor Eckholm across the prairie.  Because there were no landmarks along the way, the Eckholms planted willow saplings at intervals along the route to serve themselves and other travelers.  The company house continued to serve schools and churches for many years as a meeting place.

Capt. Jeanson made regular trips between Castle Garden in New York City where he met Swedish families upon their arrival in America and Swea township where he assisted them with location and purchase of farm land.  The American Emigrant Company sent hundreds of settlers to northern Kossuth in 1872.  Some of those who arrived that year include A. G. Anderson, Carl Anderson, Soloman Anderson, C. Adolfson and John Martin.

The immigrants first years on the prairie were not easy.  The northern Kossuth area was very remote from other established communities in the county.  A round trip to Algona took five days and the language barrier made life quite difficult.  They also struggled for fuel.  The nearest timber was seven miles away.  Like many early settlers, they turned to the prairie grass.  In place of firewood, the dried grass was twisted into tight strands.  This often became the chore for the children.

Captain Jeanson and his family

Capt. Jeanson was married in New York in 1878 to Hilda Gustave Rosenberg.  The following year he purchased his farm in Eagle Township.  Here he created his own Swedish estate along the shores of Eagle Lake.  Called “Engendomen,” it consisted of a manor house and landscaped grounds.  The house stood on a hill on the south end of the little lake.  Three stories high, it contained 21 luxuriously decorated rooms which included mirrored doors and fireplaces.  There was a large music room with several musical instruments.  Verandas almost surrounded the first floor and the exterior of the house was decorated with the gingerbread work so popular at the time.  An observatory tower rose from the flat roof.  The tower contained a powerful telescope that Capt. Jeanson’s had shipped from Sweden which he used to study the stars and survey his domain. 

The grounds contained a large orchard which contained many rare fruit trees, a boathouse on the lakeshore which housed a sailboat, and stables where the saddle and driving horses and carriages were located.  Well kept gravel paths led from the house to each location.

Of course many servants were needed to maintain a country estate of this size.  Most of the positions were filled by young Swedes who worked to repay the cost of their fare to America.  A cook, maids, governesses as well as a coachman and yard and field workers made up the army of workers.  It is told that the Captain was a tough taskmaster who noticed any lack of attention to detail by the servants.

Captain Jeanson and his wife became the parents of four children, Hilda Robertina, Anna Cathrina, Robert Emanuel, and Ross Hilbert.  Among the governesses who both cared for and educated the children were Miss Clara Zahlten, Miss Kate Smith, Miss Heckart and Miss Altwegg, all of Algona.   

Capt. Jeanson belonged to the Swedish Baptist church as did many of the citizens who settled near Swea.  He often preached to the congregation when a pastor was not available.  Services were first held in the company house and then in the schoolhouse or church.  The church stood near the old company house and was later sold to the township for a community hall and was moved to the center of the township, about 4 miles west of Swea City.

The Jeansons move on

For many years, Capt Jeanson worked to attract a railroad connecting his colony with Des Moines and continuing into Minnesota.  It became apparent by the late 1880s that this project would not materialize.  When their two older daughters left home in 1894 to attend the Baptist College in Des Moines, Mrs. Jeanson could not endure the loneliness and had long missed society life.  She and the Captain and their two younger sons decided to move permanently to Des Moines.

The Jeansons later moved to Los Angeles, California in 1907 and Captain Jeanson died on Memorial Day in 1920.  His wife passed in December of 1933 and both are buried in Floral Hill Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Eagle Lake was drained in 1911 as part of the big Mud Creek project.  Eventually numerous wings of the mansion were removed and moved off to make houses on area farms. 

Honest and a man of faith, Captain Jeanson used his influence to improve the lives of the settlers and increase their prosperity.  He was well respected and loved by those he helped to settle northern Kossuth County.

Until next time,

Jean, a/k/a KC History Buff

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BRYANT SCHOOL

Recently I was looking through some Algona High School yearbooks from the 1920’s and came across some photos of the inside of the Bryant school building.  Although I never attended Bryant, I used to play summer softball on the city little league as a child and often practiced on the ball diamond there.  From my youthful perspective, I thought the building looked huge and imposing.  These interior photos piqued my curiosity about the building and its history and so I of course had to do a little digging.

From the1922 AHS Yearbook

Extra Room Needed

In 1898, the Algona School Board was considering prospective sites for a new high school.  There were two school buildings in use at that time.  The Central schoolhouse was located where the building formerly known as the O.B. Laing Middle School is currently situated.  It had been built in 1885 and housed every grade until 1896 when the Third Ward schoolhouse was erected.  Although that relieved some of the overcrowding in Central, it became apparent only two years later that it would be necessary to erect a building dedicated to housing the high school classes. 

The building of the new school was not without controversy, however.  Did you know that the school was almost built in other locations?  Although the site finally chosen was the one most preferred, it was also the most expensive at $6,400.  There were four owners of the property.  C. E. Heise owned four lots and wanted $3,000; Thomas Little owned a house and lot for which he was asking $650; Will Haggard owned an empty lot priced at $500; and finally David A. Haggard placed a value of $2,250 on the two lots he owned on which his house, barn and outbuildings were located. 

Due to the costs involved, the board also considered building on a half block on east State Street which could be secured for $2,000.  Their other possible choice was the full block west of the old Chrischilles homestead on the hill west of city hall (approximately where the Water Works building currently stands) at a cost of $3,000.

Location Chosen

By September of 1898, the board decided on the Heise property as the location of the new high school building.  They scaled back on the amount of property they wanted to buy which divided some of the lots in half and hired lawyers to deal with the owners.  When that didn’t work, they had the ground condemned and the appraisals came in at considerably less than the asking prices.  One of the owners, D.A. Haggard, had special circumstances due to the fact that when the school was built, the building itself was placed in such a manner that the east side of the school was within a few feet of his home.   Heise and D.A. Haggard both appealed and the cases went on for several years. 

The lawsuits didn’t stop the construction of the new state-of-the-art school building.  Bids were let in August of 1898 and construction began soon thereafter.  The need for the new building was great.  That fall Central School was so crowded that the high school classes were moved to the Old Normal School building which was located a few blocks northwest of the current Catholic Church site.  Unusually cold weather occurred that winter with temperatures at times between 30 and 40 degrees below zero.  The old stoves in the building were unreliable and entirely inadequate to combat the frigid winds.  A rickety stove pipe even came crashing down on several occasions jeopardizing the safety of the students.

Bryant Opens

It had been hoped that the school would be ready in time for the beginning of classes in September of 1899, but due to construction delays, the building was finally ready for classes in November of that year.  The high school occupied the larger room on the east in the second story.  The seats were of oak and adjustable as to height.  The northwest room on the same floor was used for recitation purposes.  That room was furnished with cane-seated chairs with arm rests. 

An article published in the Algona Republican on March 21, 1900, described it as follows:

“The Bryant building constructed in 1899 is the home of the High School.  Besides the High School rooms, five grade rooms are provided, three of which are as yet unfinished.  This beautiful structure with its Colonial architecture surrounded by native oaks is an ornament to our city.  The foundation is of pressed Lehigh brick, while the superstructure is made from Twin City buff brick.  The building has a slate roof, cement floors in the basement, and flush water closets.  The heat supplied is steam, furnished by both direct and indirect radiation.  Natural slate blackboards are used exclusively.  The walls and ceilings are beautifully tinted with three shades of green.  Water is supplied to all floors.  Owing to a lack of available funds, the laboratory is not yet provided with desks and suitable appliances for science work.  The expenses for this property are as follows:  Contract for building, something over $14,000; for heating and plumbing, $2,500; for architect, $500; for grounds, about $3,200; for furniture, $450. Besides this was extra pipe work in the garret, sidewalks, grading of grounds, etc.  These expenses aggregate $21,000.  More than another thousand will be needed to complete the unfinished rooms.”

Captioned "After a Busy Day"

Captioned "Our Place of Business" 

The Lab

Mock Political Convention Held in the Assembly Room

In the column "Tidbits from Evelyn" printed in the January 20, 1955 edition of the Upper Des Moines, the columnist shared her memories which provide a good description of the interior of the school in early days:

"Bryant was not so pretentious when I went there.  The addition had not been built, fewer studies were offered, there was no gym, no domestic science taught, no study hall.  Assembly room took in the entire east 3rd of the building, a small library opened off this, and wide halls and cloak halls and the stairways took the middle section.  Two class rooms were on the second floor with the assembly, chemistry lab and physics doubling and located in the northwest corner.  Miss Kern had the southwest class room.

Downstairs Miss Wallace had the southeast room for her kindergarten youngsters--or it may have been primary grade. Miss McCoy was across the hall in the northeast corner, Supt. Overmyer had the middle room facing the front stairs, and other class rooms were in the northwest and southwest corners, divided by the basement stairs."

A wing was later added on the north side of the building in 1912 at a cost of $49,000, completing the structure as I remember it.  The addition contained the first gymnasium.  I have been told that entry to the gym itself was rather peculiar.  The only accesses to the gym floor were through the locker rooms.  Public seating consisted of bleachers that were mounted to the wall with the bottom seat located several feet above the floor, sort of on a platform.  Entry doors to that seating were at the top.  Rather than go all the way down to the locker rooms to enter the gym floor, students often took a shortcut by hopping over the bar at the bottom of the bleachers and dropping down onto the floor.

The Kitchen

Mr. J. F. Overmyer seated in the office

From "Picturesque Algona"

The new Bryant schoolhouse was completed just in time to be prominently featured in the book “Picturesque Algona.”  The building went on to serve thousands of children during its lifetime.  It was demolished in 1980 to make room for a newer, single story structure that cost over one million dollars to build and where children, including one of my grandsons, continue to receive a first-class education. 

Bryant School in 2015

The arch from the old school entry was preserved until early in 2015 when it became unstable and was removed.  Though the last remaining memorial of this building is now gone, I am glad we have these photos to document its long and glorious life.

Until next time,

Jean (a/k/a KC History Buff)

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RESCUING THE JOHNSONS

Harvey Ingham, the son of W.H. Ingham, was a prolific writer. He wrote a series of short books on various topics of interest about the "pioneer days."  I was looking at one of them this week and had to

share an excerpt with you. It is from "Ten Years on the Iowa Frontier."  The book tells of the adventures of William Ingham on the untamed Iowa prairies.

The story told here actually occurred directly after the elk hunting trip that I shared with you several weeks ago.  Not yet recovered from their exhausting quest in pursuit of big game, William Ingham and William Campbell were at home in their cabin when a knock came at the door.  I will let Harvey take it from here.

A PIONEER RESCUE MISSION

        They were barely returned from this strenuous journey, when late on one of the bitterest nights of that bitter winter, Horace Schenck appeared at the cabin to appeal to them to set forth at once to rescue a family that had been abandoned near Armstrong’s Grove.  At 9 o’clock of that night John James, who was living about the Reibhoff cabin on the Black Cat, had heard some one calling for help and on going to him had found a man snow blind and lost, and badly frozen.  It soon appeared that he was a Mr. Johnson that had moved to the Tuttle settlement at the head of the East Branch late in the fall before; that he had made provision for an ordinary winter, but the season had been so extreme that Mr. Tuttle’s provision wagons had been blocked and it was plain he must reach the settlements.  Accordingly he had put his remaining food in the sleigh and started with his yoke of oxen, hoping to be not longer than two or three days on the road.  There were four members of the family besides an infant child, and his supplies were enough to last for five days.  Before he had gone many miles he found that the snow crust would not bear the weight of his oxen in the ravines where the snow was deep, and there was nothing for him but to shovel a path.  After six days of this tedious labor, his provisions were exhausted, and he had not completed half of his journey.  There was but one thing to do.  He brought his wagon to a sightly spot just south of Armstrong’s Grove, fastened the wagon covers down tightly, bade his family goodbye, and started on foot for the settlements twenty-four miles below.  The bright sunlight on the snow had inflamed his eyes and the strong wind only added to the irritation until in the afternoon he had lost his sight entirely and for several hours had wandered aimlessly.  On hearing the barking of a dog he had gotten his bearings and thus arrived at the James cabin.  A hurried conversation was held by the Schenck, Reibhoff and Moore families and a relief party was organized at once.  Peter Reibhoff, John James, George Tuttle and John Callander were to leave at 4 o’clock in the morning, provided with food for the family and also with fodder for the oxen.  But Mr. Schenck, feeling that the case was urgent and knowing that Ingham and Campbell were more experienced frontiersmen, instead of going home made his way three miles across the river valley to urge a second relief party, which should travel light and with all possible speed, leaving it to the others to bring up the supplies.  At first the two men demurred, assuring Mr. Schenck that the other party were fully equal to the situation, that they were worn out with their long tramp and wanted to hang up their snowshoes for the winter.  At that Mr. Schenck, intensely aroused, arose and made a plea for the exposed family out on the prairie miles away, that would have stirred far wearier men than they were.  Mr. Ingham turned to Campbell and said, “What do you say!”  His reply was quickly, “I shall go if you do.”  As the other party was to carry a full supply of provisions, a hasty breakfast was all they had, and at daybreak they were off.  Mr. Ingham writes:

        “We started at a rather lively pace, intending to make a fast trip of it, but we soon found that we were facing a strong, cold wind.  We soon came to a place where we should have found traces of the other party, which presumably had left at 4 o’clock n the morning, but we paid little attention to anything but keeping our direction.  At 11 o’clock it began to snow, and the wind soon blew strongly enough to stop us, and frequently to turn us backward.  For the first time that winter we were being frozen about our faces and hands.  We pushed forward, however, as best we could until about 1 o’clock, when the wind slackened and the worst part of the storm had passed by.  By 3 o’clock the sky was clear and we caught our first sight of the sleigh about two miles away and directly in front of us.  We quickly covered the distance, and shaking the stays of the cover vigorously we asked, “How are you getting along?”  For once we heard a response whose earnest thankfulness could not be mistaken.  But only one voice responded.  We had fears for the safety of the children.  Telling Mrs. Johnson to remain as quiet as possible until we could build a fire, we went to the foot of the bluff on the creek bottom, where Campbell began chopping wood from a dry tree while I found a place for the camp near a large down tree and cleared away about three feet of snow with one of my snowshoes and put up supports for the tent cloth to keep away the wind.  We soon had a fire started, a large rubber blanket spread on the ground and with other heavy blankets and a buffalo robe, had made a comfortable camp.  When we went to the sleigh Mrs. Johnson was the only occupant who was conscious.  We had some doubts about the recovery of a boy about 12 and a girl about 10.  But we got them all before the fire, and soon found ourselves fully occupied in keeping warm, for the night was coming on very cold.  At dark we began firing guns at intervals to attract the attention of the party having the provisions and kept it up until 9 o’clock, when we concluded they would not reach us that night.  The children had regained consciousness and we were safe if only the food would arrive in time.  When morning came we began firing again and kept it up until 8 o’clock, when we got our first response.  Soon after John James stood above us on the bluff and told us that the rest of the party were down the river some four miles, where they had dug a snow well and crawled into it.  They had spent the night without a fire and all of them were more or less frozen.  We urged him to hurry back and bring up the supplies.  A little before noon the whole party came up, and it was not long until they were enjoying our fire and we were enjoying what they had brought to eat.  The cattle were fed and shortly after noon we were ready to start.  I remember the picture as it was presented just then.  It would not have been taken for a rapid transit outfit.  We were soon off and by hard work managed to reach an island in the river not far about the mouth of Mud Creek for our night’s camp.  We then got the full story of the trials of the other party.  They had not started early in the morning as had been planned, and when the storm struck them they had turned to the timber on the river, which they reached after dark.  They had dug a well in the snow some eight feet deep and covered the opening with blankets, and in that way had kept from freezing.

        “The weather moderated during the night and in the morning we were off at an early hour.  About 11 o’clock Campbell and I left the party within a couple of miles of the Reibhoff Grove.  The Johnson family were hospitably taken in by Mr. Schenck and the remained with him until warm weather returned, when they went on their way south.”

CLOSING THOUGHTS

As always, I am amazed by the sheer strength and bravery demonstrated by our early ancestors.  They did not have insulated boots, coats or other insulated gear to keep them warm and yet they walked many miles in brutal winter weather.  I think of that poor father wandering snow blind for hours trying to save his family.  I think of that mother snuggled under the sleigh cover trying to keep her hungry children warm and safe against the elements, not knowing whether or not her brave husband would return or if they would be rescued. Finally, I think of those hardy pioneers who were unwilling to allow a family to perish and risked their own lives to save them.  

As we dig out of the Groundhog Day blizzard of 2016, I know my mind will continue to return to the story of how the Johnsons were rescued by some of the brave pioneers who settled Kossuth County.

Until next time,

Jean

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