Algona High School - Bulldog Yearbook (Algona, IA)

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- The Senior Magazine - History of the Pioneers N THE summer and fall of 1854, several adventurous spirits came for to see and admire and finally to stay in one of the most beautiful spots in northern Iowa. They settled in Algona or in its immediate vicinity. These were the pioneers whose pictures you see on the preceding pages. All did their share in making possible our Algona of today, and of this number D. A. Haggard is still with us. Mr. Haggard, at the age of 90, is well and hearty and can tell many a stirring tale of early adventure and hardship. The very first of these pioneers to land in Algona were Asa Call and his brother Ambrose. On July 9, 1854, these men paused awhile in their quest for an ideal location for a town and admired the beautiful view which lay before them. Here was a plain located on the top of a hill, surrounded on three sides by a wooded valley. I believe, Ambrose, that this is the place we have been looking for, said Asa Call as he tested the soil. And indeed, it was the first fulfillment of their dreams. 011 the following day, with the aid of W. T. Smith, who was at that time in their employ, they staked out their claims. Judge Asa Call soon returned to Iowa City, where his wife resided, for several weeks, and Ambrose Call was left to hold the fort alo11e-the only white man in the county. On August 27, 1854, the first women and children arrived. Among those who came in this tiny caravan were Malachi Clark, his wife Rachael, son Thomas and daughter Elizabeth. The family first homesteaded on the Parson-Bowan place but later moved to what is now known as the Mann-Goffrey farms. Elizabeth Clark was married to Christian Hackman in 1859 and the couple lived on the outskirts of the settlement where the brave young bride kept house alone during the Indian trouble in the north. During the raid of the Sioux a big redskin grabbed Mrs. Hackman and pulled her head down. She expected to have her head cut off or at least suffer a blow from the tomahawk. Instead the Indian merely wanted a bright colored comb which she wore. On November 4, 1854, two men rode up to the Call cabin where the Judge and his wife resided inquiring about the settlement. It was W. H. Ingham and Mr. Stine. The former was merely seeking a good hunting ground, but being taken with the beauty and worth of the country, he decided to remain and make his permanent home here. David A. Haggard came to Algona to settle immediately after the Civil War. In 1854 he had been a member of a group of surveyors sent out from Dubuque. He had lived on his farm near Algona until 1881 when he moved to the town itself. He served as sheriff until 1886. Another distinguished citizen of Algona first took up his residence here in the year 1855. On the 20th day of May, August Zahlton came up from the Humboldt cave where he had been living with Mr. Hackman and bought a claim in the Call Grove. A young man of about 20 summers arrived from Boston 011 July 4th, just looking the country over to see what he could find.' ' He remained in the community until his death in 1928. Algona has never had a more constructive 11or a, more desirable citizen than Uncle Lew Smith. ' ' May 9th is also a memorable date for it was then that the D. W. King family drove into the settlement and bought a claim in the Call Grove territory. In the fall of '55 John Ellison Blackford, who was later to become one of the most successful and prominent citizens in the state, arrived with his family. At the first town election Mr. Blackford was made justice of the peace. His later political prominence was not confined to this community only, for he was sent later to the state legislature. All buildings erected during the years 1854-1855 had to be constructed of logs since there were no saw mills. Judge Call was anxious to remove this handicap. Accordingly he decided to install a combined grist and saw mill. Because of the difliculty in transportation, the machinery for the mill did not arrive until the next summer and the mill was 11ot ready to operate until 1856. Thi mill later burned and was never rebuilt. When one considers the apparent hopelessness of the situation confronting the pioneers one 's admiration for their perseverance and courage is greatly increased. Not much imagination is needed to conjure up the difficulties they were forced to face. Here was a group of settlers absolutely dependent upon themselves for food, shelter and defense against hostile Indian . It is little wonder that the band was like one big family. The brotherliness as well as the bravery of the group is well illustrated by the heroic defense against the Indians, especially at the Maxwell cabin. I11 the early part of July, 1855, a party of Sioux Indians invaded the settlements. Ambrose A. Call, the unoflicial defender of the colony, was informed of their presence in rather a startling way. A big Indian walked into his cabin, disturbed his Sunday nap, and was persuaded to -all 1929 lt- .. Paaa Six

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A The Senior Magazine -e 4 eWv fH-b-' Algona Pioneers of '54 D. A. llguuucn W. Il. INGHAM 'Y ai .X X i r Mus. As.x t'.x1.1, Mus. Il. 1':hIZAllE'l'Il IIACKMAN 1929 V www--me-bu Page Five

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- The Senior Magazine - leave only after he had obtained some bullets by a trade. After this visitor had left, Mr. Call with several others visited the Barney Holland place. There was some trouble going on there for the Indians had turned their ponies into the Holland fields and had taken a grindstone to the middle of the village and set Holland to turning it in order that they might sharpen their knives and tomahawks. The villagers decided that if they wished to keep the situation under their control 11ow was the time to take a hand in the alfair. The settlers immediately demanded that tl1e ponies be turned out of the corn and that Holland stop turning the grindstone. The Indians were stubborn but just as an open break seemed inevitable, they yielded. The next day the Indians visited every cabin in the settlement. The defenseless cabins they plundered, and at the others they merely begged for food. The evening of the second day Mr. Maxwell came to the Call cabin stating that the Indians had just left his cabin and that he was alarmed because they seemed very sullen and saucy. They had taken what they wanted since he was unable to resist them on account of the woman and children. Mr. Call, knowing that Mr. Maxwell had recently received a large load of supplies which would further tempt the Indians, promised to go over the next morning as the Indians conducted all the raids in daylight. Although he rose early the next morning and left for the Maxwell cabin, Mr. Call found eleven husky young Indians armed to the teeth swarming into the house. By the time he arrived, the house had been literally turned inside out. Soon one of the braves began to drag out a two-bushel bag of flour and to take it to the door. The men thought things had gone far enough so Mr. Call jumped forward, caught hold of the sack and ordered the Indian to stop, but he was defiant and jerked the sack out of Mr. Call's hands. Mr. Call seized the bag again with his left hand and with his right caught the young Indian under tl1e chin. The Indian fell over backwards, striking his head o11 the door as he fell. Mr. Maxwell a11d Mr. Call set the sack up against the wall and took their stand beside it, revolvers ill hand. For a moment the cabin was silent and then the spokesman for the invaders came forward and asked Mr. Call to feel the edge of his tomahawk. Mr. Call took the tomahawk and stuck it back in the Indian's belt. In a loud voice the Indian then said that they would nepo squaw and papooses Qkill woman and childrenj. Call replied that if they did they would nepo every Indian in the cabin. The Indians scoied at the idea of two white men killing many Sioux, but at the same time they backed away. Maxwell became alarmed for the safety of his wife and children and began at once to plan some way to get them out of the cabin. Giving the Indians something to eat he distracted their attention enough to allow Mrs. Maxwell and the children to escape. She ran to the Brown cabin about a mile away and several men immediately started for the harassed cabin when notified as to conditions by Mrs. Maxwell. When the Indians saw reinforcements coming, they got their guns and backed away, but they were made to take 0E their blankets and retur11 stolen articles. Thus another great crisis in the lives of the pioneers was passed. There were numerous other encounters with the Indians and the bravery of the settlers was maintained in every case. The new community passed through a severe term of probation when even the weather itself seemed to unite with other forces to test the tenacity, courage and virtue of the settlers. Eighteen hundred fifty-six is remembered as the notably wet year. Continued rains made the highlands as well as the lowlands impassable. It began to rain early in tl1e spring and kept up until late fall. The river overflowed in April and covered the valley between the two bluffs. The crops that year were poor and very scanty over the entire state. As this came at a time of financial depression, it was doubly felt by the settlers. Another discouraging feature about this territory was the prairie fires. These usually occurred in the fall when the frosts had deadened the prairie grass. Hundreds of acres of grass were often swept away i11 o11e fire. ' During the last years of the '60's, the great annual fires lost their power. The redtop and blue grass which began growing around the farms kept green after the frost came and therefore checked the fires. The great economic struggle did not occupy the minds and lives of the pioneer to the exclusion of all else. They were both a congenial and an intellectual group. The first social center was also a religious center, although there was no preacher available. Elder Marks, described as an eccentric, religious enthusiast, used to preach around at the dilferent cabins. He was addicted to the use of big words, but he was uneducated and sadly confused their meaning, much to the amusement of his audience. Ambrose Call records him as saying, My dear hearers when you are wriggling over the mouth of hell you will remember what old Marks told yon. Why just a few days ago I read of the body of a woman whom her friends undertook to move several years after her death, but they couldn't do it. It had become ver battum, it had petrified, in plain English, my dear hearers, it had turned to stone and weighed 600 ounds. P Algona's first church, the Congregational church, was founded in 1856 by Father Taylor, who served as its pa tor for 16 years. He was aifectionately called Father Taylor by the whole community which, regardle s of creed or denomination, admired and respected the sterling qualities of the man. -all 1929 ll.- Paae Seven