Rights for this book: Public domain in the USA. This edition is published by Project Gutenberg. Originally issued by Project Gutenberg on 2013-02-27. To support the work of Project Gutenberg, visit their Donation Page. This free ebook has been produced by GITenberg, a program of the Free Ebook Foundation. If you have corrections or improvements to make to this ebook, or you want to use the source files for this ebook, visit the book's github repository. You can support the work of the Free Ebook Foundation at their Contributors Page. The Project Gutenberg EBook of History of Linn County Iowa, by Luther A. Brewer and Barthinius L. Wick This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license Title: History of Linn County Iowa From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time (1911) Author: Luther A. Brewer Barthinius L. Wick Release Date: February 27, 2013 [EBook #42220] Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY IOWA *** Produced by Brian Sogard, Diane Monico, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) History of Linn County Iowa Luther A. Brewer History of Linn County Iowa From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time BY LUTHER A. BREWER AND BARTHINIUS L. WICK Members Historical Society of Linn County, Iowa CEDAR RAPIDS T HE T ORCH P RESS 1911 C OPYRIGHT 1911 BY L UTHER A. B REWER THE TORCH PRESS CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA TO THE MEMORY OF OUR HONORED PIONEERS INTRODUCTION The history of Linn county is covered by the events of only a few years, if compared with the history of communities east of the Mississippi. The space of one life-time embraces all that has happened here since the first white man looked upon our goodly heritage. True, that life has been prolonged beyond the scriptural three score and ten years. Robert Ellis, who came to this community more than seventy years ago, and who was one of the very early settlers, yet lives in a hale and vigorous age on land he "claimed" at that time. But if the history of the county does not cover many years, it yet is a history crowded with happenings of interest, some of the incidents being more or less stirring. History is defined as a record of the past. It does not concern itself with the present. It has been the purpose of the editors of this volume to treat somewhat at length of the early days in the county. Those conversant with events occurring prior to the Civil war are rapidly moving on, and it is high time that their recollections of beginnings here were gathered and put in permanent form. This has been attempted—how imperfectly done no one realizes more keenly than we realize it. But like little Mary Wood of the story, we have done the best we could in the few months given us to prepare the pages which follow. We have done some things which need not be done again by any one who follows us. We have made definite some things in our history as a county that heretofore have been matters of uncertainty. It is felt that the present volume will make an excellent starting point for some future chronicler. The task of the historian has been an arduous one—far more arduous than can be imagined by any save those who have done similar work. Withal the task has been one of pleasure and of inspiration. The pursuit of knowledge in this instance has really been a delight. We have been taught many things by our work that add to the sum of the pleasures of living in a day crowded with all the conveniences of the twentieth century. Our respect for the courageous pioneer men and the equally courageous and self-sacrificing pioneer women of our county has been placed high. Nobly did they suffer, enduring privations now undreamed of, and never complaining that theirs was a hard lot. We stand with uncovered heads and with a reverent feeling in their presence. It is not possible to make due acknowledgments to all those who aided in gathering the material in this volume. Many who came here in the early years of the county have been consulted, and always with profit. The drudgery of the work of making this book has been greatly lessened by their courtesy and their help. We thank them all. Some of them have been credited with their assistance in the narrative itself. In addition to the names mentioned in the text we desire to give thanks for aid and counsel to N. E. Brown, perhaps the best posted man in Cedar Rapids on the early history of the city; to Ed. M. Scott, for most valuable aid in the preparation of the chapter on banks and banking; to Capt. J. O. Stewart and Col. W. G. Dows for appreciated assistance in the writing of the chapter on our military history; to Carle D. Brown, of the Commercial Art Press, who gathered most of the illustrations for the volume; to W. F. Stahl, for aid in giving the history of the United Brethren church in the county. Robert Ellis, Mrs. Susan Mekeel, Mrs. Susan Shields, Mrs. Elizabeth Hrdlicka, Augustus Abbe, J. H. Preston, C. G. Greene, J. S. Ely, Wm. Smyth, C. F. Butler, L. W. Mansfield, and many others have assisted in gathering much valuable material concerning the lives of the pioneers. Much that has been gathered concerning times far removed from the present, is from "hearsay," hence it has been difficult to be certain as to the correct facts in some instances. Inaccuracies may be found, but these are due to unavoidable omissions, largely on the part of those who have related these happenings and not from any sense of bias or prejudice. All prior county histories have been consulted as well as the early state gazetteers, Andreas' Atlas , Carroll's History , History of Crescent Lodge , History of the Bench and Bar of Iowa , History of the Courts and Legal Profession , Proceedings of the Linn County Historical Society; and the files of the newspapers published in the county in an early day. It is needless to add that the early city directories have been largely used with reference to the business men of Cedar Rapids in the early days. References to persons have been confined to mere statements of facts and have been free from undue flattery on the one hand and from anything derogatory on the other. The members of the legal and medical professions have been referred to at some length for the reason that the lawyers and doctors were important factors in pioneer days, both in the organization of the county and in the promotion of the various enterprises in our towns. Trusting that this history may be of some value in preserving material which ere long would pass beyond reach of preservation, this work is respectfully dedicated to the early pioneers of the county, whose lives and careers the authors have attempted to describe in the following pages. L UTHER A. B REWER B ARTHINIUS L. W ICK CONTENTS C HAPTER I T HE B IRTH OF I OWA 1 C HAPTER II T HE F IRST I NHABITANTS 3 C HAPTER III I OWA H ISTORICALLY 13 C HAPTER IV I OWA AND H ER P EOPLE 17 C HAPTER V T HE G EOLOGY OF L INN C OUNTY 24 C HAPTER VI B EGINNINGS IN L INN C OUNTY 31 C HAPTER VII W ILLIAM A BBE , F IRST S ETTLER 51 C HAPTER VIII C OUNTY S EAT C ONTESTS —F IRST R AILROAD IN C OUNTY 57 C HAPTER IX T HE O LD S ETTLERS ' A SSOCIATION 66 C HAPTER X P OSTOFFICES AND P OLITICS 82 C HAPTER XI T HE P HYSICIANS OF THE C OUNTY 86 C HAPTER XII T HE M ATERIAL G ROWTH OF THE C OUNTY 92 C HAPTER XIII R URAL L IFE 98 C HAPTER XIV A H ERO OF THE C ANADIAN R EBELLION 101 C HAPTER XV T HE N EWSPAPERS OF THE C OUNTY 106 C HAPTER XVI T HE B OHEMIAN E LEMENT IN THE C OUNTY 121 C HAPTER XVII T HE E ARLY M ARRIAGE R ECORD 127 C HAPTER XVIII H ISTORIC R OADS AND O THER M ONUMENTS 142 C HAPTER XIX S OME OF THE O LD S ETTLERS 145 C HAPTER XX E ARLY L INN C OUNTY L AWYERS AND C OURTS 169 C HAPTER XXI C HATTY M ENTION OF B ENCH AND B AR 177 C HAPTER XXII T HE S CHOOLS OF THE C OUNTY 194 C HAPTER XXIII H ISTORICAL S KETCH OF C ORNELL C OLLEGE 201 C HAPTER XXIV H ISTORY OF C OE C OLLEGE 215 C HAPTER XXV T HE O LD B LAIR B UILDING 232 C HAPTER XXVI S OME OF THE O LD C EMETERIES 242 C HAPTER XXVII E ARLY E XPERIENCES IN S TAGE AND E XPRESS 244 C HAPTER XXVIII L INN C OUNTY L IBRARIES 248 C HAPTER XXIX W AGES AND P RICES IN C OUNTY FROM 1846 TO 1856 253 C HAPTER XXX S OME OF THE F IRST T HINGS IN C EDAR R APIDS AND L INN C OUNTY 256 C HAPTER XXXI S OCIETY IN THE E ARLY D AYS 261 C HAPTER XXXII S OUTHERN I NFLUENCE 267 C HAPTER XXXIII S OME T OWNSHIP H ISTORY 270 C HAPTER XXXIV L ISBON AND THE U NITED B RETHREN C HURCH 291 C HAPTER XXXV C OUNTY AND D ISTRICT P OLITICS 298 C HAPTER XXXVI C EDAR R APIDS 307 C HAPTER XXXVII B EGINNINGS OF C HURCHES AND F RATERNITIES IN C EDAR R APIDS 395 C HAPTER XXXVIII C ATHOLICISM IN L INN C OUNTY 401 C HAPTER XXXIX L INN C OUNTY S TATISTICS 416 C HAPTER XL T HE B RIDGES ACROSS THE C EDAR AT C EDAR R APIDS AND E ARLY S TEAMBOATING ON THE C EDAR R IVER 420 C HAPTER XLI B ANKS AND B ANKING IN L INN C OUNTY 435 C HAPTER XLII R OSTER OF C OUNTY O FFICERS 451 C HAPTER XLIII H ISTORY OF M ARION , THE C OUNTY S EAT 460 C HAPTER XLIV L INN C OUNTY IN W AR 470 C HAPTER XLV O DDS AND E NDS OF H ISTORY AND R EMINISCENCE 479 FOOTNOTES End ILLUSTRATIONS L UTHER A. B REWER Frontispiece B. L. W ICK 4 L EWIS F IELD L INN 8 A S CENE ON THE C EDAR R IVER AT C EDAR R APIDS IN THE F IFTIES 12 R ESIDENCE OF I SAAC C ARROLL IN 1839 12 A N E ARLY L AND D EED 16 S HEPHERD ' S T A VERN 20 G EOLOGICAL I LLUSTRATIONS 24 T HE A STOR H OUSE 28 D OUBLE L OG C ABIN BUILT BY W ILLIAM A BBE 32 F IRST P RESBYTERIAN C HURCH IN C EDAR R APIDS IN 1851 36 R ESIDENCE OF W ILLISTON J ONES 36 D ANIEL S EWARD H AHN 40 L INN C OUNTY S CENES 44 G OING S HOPPING 48 I NDIAN S CENES 48 F ORMER P ASTORS U NITED B RETHREN C HURCH , L ISBON 52 S AMUEL W. D URHAM 56 S OME E ARLY M EMBERS U NITED B RETHREN C HURCH , L ISBON 60 P RESENT D AY S CENE 64 A N O LD L AND R ECEIPT 64 S TEAMBOAT ON C EDAR , 1887 64 D R . J OHN F. E LY 68 J OHN A. K EARNS 72 A. J. R EID 72 C. S. H OWARD 72 W ILLIAM S TICK 72 T HE V ARDY H OUSE , C EDAR R APIDS 76 F RANKLIN B LOCK AND R ESIDENCE OF P. W. E ARLE 76 T HE L ISTEBARGER C ABIN , C EDAR R APIDS 76 M R AND M RS . G ODFREY Q UASS 80 M R AND M RS . W ILLIAM G IDDINGS 80 M R AND M RS . I SAAC M ILLBURN 80 M R AND M RS . W. A. L ACOCK 80 J. P. G LASS 80 F. A. H ELBIG 80 P ROF . H. H. F REER 84 R EV . G EO . B. B OWMAN 84 J OSEPH M EKOTA 84 W. F. S EVERA 84 D R . J. S. L OVE 88 J. H. V OSMEK 92 F R . T. J. S ULLIV AN 92 D R . E. L. M ANSFIELD 92 H ON . J AMES U RE 96 J UDGE J. H. R OTHROCK 96 J. J. D ANIELS 96 L. J. P ALDA 96 B RIDGE AT THE P ALISADES 101 T HE P ALISADES OF THE C EDAR 101 B ARNEY M C S HANE C ABIN 104 C ABIN IN "C RACKER S ETTLEMENT " 104 U NITED B RETHREN C HURCH , L ISBON 108 M AIN S TREET , M OUNT V ERNON 108 A LEXANDER L AURANCE 112 O LD M. E. C HURCH , M OUNT V ERNON 116 S TREET S CENE IN L ISBON 116 S CHOOL AT F AIRFAX 120 M ETHODIST C HURCH AT F AIRFAX 120 T HE C HAPEL , C ORNELL C OLLEGE 124 C ARNEGIE L IBRARY , M OUNT V ERNON 124 U NITED P RESBYTERIAN C HURCH AT S COTCH G ROVE 128 W OOD -B URNING E NGINE , 1879 128 M AIN B UILDING , C ORNELL C OLLEGE 132 S OUTH -H ALL , C ORNELL C OLLEGE 132 H ENRY B RUCE H OUSE , S PRINGVILLE 136 F IRST S PRINGVILLE B AND 136 T HE "O LD S EM " C ORNELL C OLLEGE 140 B OWMAN H ALL , C ORNELL C OLLEGE 140 B UTLER P ARK AT S PRINGVILLE 144 B USINESS D ISTRICT AT S PRINGVILLE 144 P ICNIC AT H OME OF G EO . L. D URNO , S PRINGVILLE , IN 1884 148 I LLINOIS C ENTRAL D EPOT , C ENTRAL C ITY 148 M ETHODIST C HURCH , C ENTER P OINT 152 S OUTH M AIN S TREET , T ROY M ILLS 152 M. E. C HURCH , T ROY M ILLS 156 M ILL AT P RAIRIEBURG 156 A T O LD S ETTLERS ' R EUNION , M ARION 160 A P ARK S CENE IN M ARION 160 C OURT H OUSE , M ARION 164 W APSIE R IVER AND M ILL AT C ENTRAL C ITY 164 I SAAC B UTLER 168 P UBLIC S CHOOL AT S PRINGVILLE 172 M ETHODIST C HURCH , S PRINGVILLE 176 H OME OF J. F. B UTLER , S PRINGVILLE 176 M ETHODIST C HURCH AT P ALO 180 S CENE AT S PRINGVILLE 180 E ARLY V IEW OF S PRINGVILLE 184 F IRST S TORE IN S PRINGVILLE 184 L UTHERAN C HURCH , L ISBON 188 M AIN S TREET , L ISBON 188 P RESBYTERIAN C HURCH AT S PRINGVILLE 192 T HE B UTLER F ARM AT S PRINGVILLE 192 C ORNELL C OLLEGE IN 1865 200 A S TREET S CENE IN M ARION 204 T HE D ANIELS H OTEL , M ARION 204 R EV . S AMUEL M. F ELLOWS , A. M. 208 C OMMERCIAL H OTEL , C ENTER P OINT 212 B RIDGE OVER THE C EDAR AT C ENTER P OINT 212 W. F. K ING , LL. D. 216 M AIN S TREET FROM THE N ORTH , F AIRFAX 220 M AIN S TREET LOOKING W EST , C ENTRAL C ITY 220 A N O LD G RA VE AT S PRINGVILLE 224 R EV . J. B. A LBROOK , D. D. 224 P ROF . H ARRIETTE J. C OOK 224 M RS . M ARGARET M C K ELL K ING 224 B APTIST C HURCH , C ENTRAL C ITY 228 O LD B ARN AT C ENTRAL C ITY 228 J AMES E. H ARLAN , LL. D. 232 C ONGREGATIONAL C HURCH , C ENTRAL C ITY 236 C HRISTIAN C HURCH , C ENTRAL C ITY 236 S CENE AT T ROY M ILLS 240 M ILL AND D AM AT C OGGON 240 H IGH S CHOOL , C ENTRAL C ITY 244 B RIDGE O VER W APSIE AT C ENTRAL C ITY 244 T. S. P ARVIN 248 W EST R OWLEY S TREET , W ALKER 253 M AIN S TREET , P RAIRIEBURG 253 M AIN S TREET , S PRINGVILLE 256 Q UAKER M EETING H OUSE AT W HITTIER 256 W HITTIER 256 M AIN S TREET , C ENTRAL C ITY , FROM THE S OUTH 261 G ENERAL S TORE AT C OVINGTON 261 U PPER W AGON B RIDGE , C ENTRAL C ITY 264 H ENDERSON B RIDGE , C ENTRAL C ITY 264 B APTIST C HURCH , P RAIRIEBURG 268 M ILWAUKEE B RIDGE , C OVINGTON 268 T HE "O LD S CHOOL ," C OGGON 272 S OUTH S IDE M AIN S TREET , C OGGON 272 S CENE ON THE C EDAR AT C EDAR R APIDS 276 B IRDSEYE V IEW L OOKING E AST , C EDAR R APIDS 276 C EDAR R IVER D AM , C EDAR R APIDS 276 Q UAKER O ATS P LANT , C EDAR R APIDS 280 S TREET R AILWAY S TATION AT B EVER P ARK , C EDAR R APIDS 280 V IEW OF C EDAR R APIDS FROM THE I SLAND 288 R AILROAD Y ARDS AT C EDAR R APIDS 288 F ATHER F LYNN , C EDAR R APIDS 296 P UBLIC AND C OMMERCIAL B UILDINGS IN C EDAR R APIDS , 1910 300 B IRDSEYE V IEW OF C EDAR R APIDS IN 1868 304 F ATHER S VRDLIK , C EDAR R APIDS 307 B IRDSEYE V IEW OF C EDAR R APIDS IN 1889 312 F EDERAL B UILDING , C EDAR R APIDS 320 A UDITORIUM , C EDAR R APIDS 320 P ART OF Z OO IN B EVER P ARK , C EDAR R APIDS 328 A S CENE IN B EVER P ARK , C EDAR R APIDS 328 S IXTEENTH A VENUE B RIDGE , C EDAR R APIDS 336 F IRST S TREET , CORNER S ECOND A VENUE , IN 1869 336 F IRST U. B. C HURCH W EST OF M ISSISSIPPI R IVER 344 C OE C OLLEGE B UILDINGS 352 S INCLAIR P ACKING P LANT , C EDAR R APIDS 360 B LACK H AWK 366 A W INNEBAGO I NDIAN 366 T HE S LA VE D ANCE OF THE S AC AND F OX 366 C EDAR R APIDS C OUNTRY C LUB H OUSE 368 G EORGE G REENE S QUARE 368 R IVERSIDE P ARK , C EDAR R APIDS 368 C EDAR R APIDS IN 1856 369 T HE O LD B LAIR B UILDING 371 M ONTROSE H OTEL , C EDAR R APIDS 376 S. C. B EVER 384 T HOMAS G AINER 384 E. D. W ALN 384 R EV . E LIAS S KINNER 384 J. M. M AY 392 C APT . A. B OWMAN 392 E. M. C ROW 392 F ATHER L OWRY 401 S T . W ENCESLAUS C HURCH , C EDAR R APIDS 404 S T . W ENCESLAUS S CHOOL , C EDAR R APIDS 404 T HE L ATE V ERY R EVEREND D EAN G UNN 408 Q UAKER O ATS T RAIN 412 S CENE ON C EDAR R IVER 412 S T . P ATRICK ' S C HURCH , C EDAR R APIDS 412 M ERCY H OSPITAL , C EDAR R APIDS 416 J UDGE N. M. H UBBARD 422 V IEWS ALONG THE C EDAR R IVER 424 P ARK V IEWS IN C EDAR R APIDS 432 I N AND A ROUND M T . V ERNON 436 R. D. S TEPHENS 440 A DDISON D ANIELS 440 J. B. Y OUNG 440 I. M. P RESTON 440 S. S. J OHNSON 444 T HOS . J. M C K EAN 448 N. W. I SBELL 448 W ILLIAM G REENE 448 O. S. B OWLING 448 I NDEPENDENT H OSE C OMPANY , C EDAR R APIDS , 1875 452 C ITY R ESIDENCES , C EDAR R APIDS 456 V IEW OF M ARION , 1868 460 J AMES E. B ROMWELL , S R 464 T. M. S INCLAIR 468 J. O. S TEWART 468 C OL . T. Z. C OOK 472 S OME E ARLY C URRENCY 476 S TREET V IEWS IN C EDAR R APIDS , IN 1910 480 MAPS L INN C OUNTY 1 S HOWING B LACK H AWK P URCHASE 184 S HOWING D ES M OINES C OUNTY S UBDIVIDED 185 A FTER THE S AC AND F OX C ESSIONS OF 1837 190 L ATE D IVISION OF B LACK H AWK P URCHASE 191 S HOWING THE TWO C ESSIONS AS AT P RESENT D IVIDED 197 R EPRODUCTION OF THE F IRST M AP OF C EDAR R APIDS ( PART 1) 316 R EPRODUCTION OF THE F IRST M AP OF C EDAR R APIDS ( PART 2) 316 MAP OF LINN COUNTY CHAPTER I The Birth of Iowa Iowa is known as a prairie state. Prairie is a French word and signifies meadow. It was the name first applied to the great treeless plains of North America by the French missionaries who were the first white men to explore these regions. As yet scientists have not been able to explain the origin of the prairies. Different theories have been advanced, but the interesting problem is without satisfactory and conclusive solution. Agassiz, the scientist, maintained that America is not the "new world." "Hers was the first dry land lifted out of the waters," he wrote; "hers the first shores washed by the ocean that enveloped all the earth besides; and while Europe was represented only by islands rising here and there above the sea, America already stretched one unbroken line of land from Nova Scotia to the far West." Iowa, also, was born, had a beginning sometime. Just how many years ago this interesting event took place it is difficult to approximate. Prof. Samuel Calvin, state geologist, says that "geological records, untampered with, and unimpeachable, declare that for uncounted years Iowa, together with the great valley of the Mississippi, lay beneath the level of the sea. So far as it was inhabited at all, marine forms of animals and plants were its only occupants." The soils of the state were produced by the action of the ice in what is known as the glacial period. We are told how by Professor Calvin: "Glaciers and glacial action have contributed in a very large degree to the making of our magnificent State. What Iowa would have been had it never suffered from the effects of the ponderous ice sheets that successively overflowed its surface, is illustrated, but not perfectly, in the driftless area. Here we have an area that was not invaded by glaciers. Allamakee, parts of Jackson, Dubuque, Clayton, Fayette, and Winneshiek counties belong to the driftless area. During the last two decades deep wells have been bored through the loose surface deposit, and down into the underlying rocks. The record of these wells shows that the rock surface is very uneven. Before the glacial drift which now mantles nearly the whole of Iowa was deposited, the surface had been carved into an intricate system of hills and valleys. There were narrow gorges hundreds of feet in depth, and there were rugged, rocky cliffs, and isolated buttes corresponding in height with the depth of the valleys. "To a person passing from the drift-covered to the driftless part of the state, the topography presents a series of surprises. The principal drainage streams flow in valleys that measure, from the summits of the divides, six hundred or more in depth. The Oneota, or Upper Iowa River, in Allamakee county, for example, flows between picturesque cliffs that rise almost vertically from three to four hundred feet, while from the summit of the cliffs the land rises gradually to the crest of the divide, three, four or five miles back from the stream. Tributary streams cut the lateral slopes and canyon walls at intervals. These again have tributaries of the second order. In such a region a quarter section of level land would be a curiosity. This is a fair sample of what Iowa would have been had it not been planed down by the leveling effects of the glaciers. Soils of uniform excellence would have been impossible in a non-glacial Iowa. The soils of Iowa have a value equal to all of the silver and gold mines of the world combined. "And for this rich heritage of soils we are indebted to great rivers of ice that overflowed Iowa from the north and northwest. The glaciers in their long journey ground up the rocks over which they moved and mingled the fresh rock flour from granites of British America and northern Minnesota with pulverized limestones and shales of more southern regions, and used these rich materials in covering up the bald rocks and leveling the irregular surface of preglacial Iowa. The materials are in places hundreds of feet in depth. They are not oxidized or leached, but retain the carbonates and other soluble constituents that contribute so largely to the growth of plants. The physical condition of the materials is ideal, rendering the soil porous, facilitating the distribution of moisture, and offering unmatched opportunities for the employment of improved machinery in all of the processes connected with cultivation. Even the driftless area received great benefit from the action of glaciers, for although the area was not invaded by ice, it was yet to a large extent covered by a peculiar deposit called loess, which is generally connected with one of the later sheets of drift. The loess is a porous clay, rich in carbonate of lime. Throughout the driftless area it has covered up many spots that would otherwise have been bare rocks. It covered the stiff intractable clays that would otherwise have been the only soils of the region. It in itself constitutes a soil of great fertility. Every part of Iowa is debtor in some way to the great ice sheets of the glacial period. "Soils are everywhere the product of rock disintegration, and so the quality of the soils in a given locality must necessarily be determined in large measure by the kind of rock from which they were derived. "From this point of view, therefore, the history of Iowa's superb soils begins with first steps in rock making. The very oldest rocks of the Mississippi Valley have contributed something to making our soils what they are, and every later formation laid down over the surface of Iowa, or regions north of it, has furnished its quota of materials to the same end. The history of Iowa's soils, therefore, embraces the whole sweep of geologic times. "The chief agents concerned in modifying the surface throughout most of Iowa since the disappearance of the latest glaciers have been organic, although the physical and chemical influences of air and water have not been without marked effect. The growth and decay of a long series of generations of plants have contributed certain organic constituents to the soil. Earth worms bring up fine material from considerable depths and place it in position to be spread out upon the surface. They drag leaves and any manageable portion of plants into their burrows, and much of the material so taken down into the ground decays and enriches the ground to a depth of several inches. The pocket gopher has done much to furnish a surface layer of loose, mellow, easily cultivated and highly productive soil. Like the earth worm, the gopher for century after century has been bringing up to the surface fine material, to the amount of several tons annually to the acre, avoiding necessarily the pebbles, cobbles and coarser constituents. The burrows collapse, the undermined boulders and large fragments sink downwards, rains and winds spread out the gopher hills and worm castings, and the next year, and the next, the process is repeated; and so it has been for all the years making up the centuries since the close of the glacial epoch. Organic agents in the form of plants and burrowing animals have worked unremittingly through many centuries, and accomplished a work of incalculable value in pulverizing, mellowing and enriching the superficial stratum, and bringing it to the ideal condition in which it was found by the explorers and pioneers from whose advent dates the historical period of our matchless Iowa." The last invasion, we are informed, was from 100,000 to 170,000 years ago—somewhat prior to the recollection of the "oldest inhabitant."