HURRICANES

According to the memory of the "oldest inhabitant" of the county, John Huff, whose knowledge of the incidents and happenings of this bailiwick date back to 1835, six notable hurricanes or windstorms, have swept through different portions of the county, five of which are here mentioned.

The first of these storms occurred in 1842. Its force was so terrific that great trees were twisted off as if they had been but pipe-stems. The barn of a Mr. Gray was entirely demolished. LIve-stock that chanced to be grazing in its course were lifted up from the pasture, carried high up in the air and then dashed to death on the earth below. After leaving the vicinity of Mr. Gray's farm, the storm passed to the open prairie beyond, where its force was lost in open, unoccupied wasters. Fortunately no human lives were victims to its fury.

Old settlers say the hurricane of 1851, was the most destructive that ever visited the vicinity of Fairfield. It came from the southwest and first struck the earth between 3 and 4 o'clock P.M., on Cedar bottom, near the southwest corner of H. B. Mitchell's farm, where large hickory-trees were twisted off at as if they had been weeds. The first building damaged was the University of

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Fairfield, the roof of which was taken off and the walls partially demolished. Mr. Hoffman's house next suffered, the roof of the rear portion, which was log, deposited on the brick portion higher up. Reed Wood's dwelling-house, a quarter of a mile north of town, occupied by John Fulton, was completely destroyed. Mr. Fulton was away from home and Mrs. Fulton, with her boy five and little daughter three years old, was alone. The mother lost consciousness through fright when the wind first struck her dwelling, and her last recollection was of hanging to an upright studding of the house and her feet "flapping in the wind like a rag." When she recovered her understanding physically and mentally, she was on the ground near the house, her little boy clinging to what clothing was left about her. The sides of the house and roof were gone, and the ceiling lying on the floor. Her first thought was of her little girl whom she last saw playing on the floor near a large iron pot. She fled, screaming that her child was killed, and assistance soon arrived to discover the little girl between ceiling and floor, saved without a scratch, by the good iron pot. A wagon standing near the house was rudely treated by the angry wind. ONe wheel was broken short off and carried nearly a mile away, another wheel three-quarters and another a quarter of a mile. The remaining portion of the wagon was picked up bodily and deposited a few rods distant, with such force that the coupling-pole was driven into the ground nearly four feet. The house of Mr. John Clinton, half a mile north of the present city limits, suffered the loss of a summer-kitchen attached to the rear. A corn-pen built of rails was carried away, and the corn with which it was filled, was left in the shape of a hay-stack, the ears trimmed from the sides and corners, amounting to about one hundred bushels, scattered over the prairie. After damaging the brick house of Mr. Tweed and the dwelling of John Noble, short distances further north, the cyclone left the earth and was no more heard of. The damage to fences was very considerable, as well as to timber, orchards and out-houses.

Again in 1853, Jefferson was "taken in" in the course of another hurricane, that played many fantastic tricks. Trees tow and three feet in diameter were either twisted off like twigs, or dragged out by the roots and carried up in the air and deposited at great distances, as if they had only been a feather's weight. The track of the storm did not reach the more thickly-settled districts, and hence the damage to farm improvements was but trifling.

On the 22d of March, 1858, Round Prairie was visited by a windstorm that leveled fences, entirely demolished some houses, and unroofed many others. Among the houses unroofed was the dwelling of Joseph Tilford. The storm was no respecter of persons, and "cavorted" around the home of the old pioneer as recklessly as if he had been the meanest "claim-jumper" that ever sought to infringe upon the rights and possessions of honest "squatters." Fortunately, however, no damage was inflicted on persons, and after whirling around among the farms and farmhouses for awhile, the hurricane hurried away to the open, unoccupied prairie, where it soon lost its force.

On a Sunday afternoon, in the month of ----, 1878, a furious hurricane crossed the county from west to east passing Fairfield about one mile to the north. A few houses in the course of the storm fiend were almost completely demolished, and others were seriously damaged, but fortunately no person was killed. The cyclone struck the German Church building in Lockridge township, while services were in progress, and, in the twinkling of an eye, the congregation were piled up in a promiscuous heap in the center of the floor, and the roof and walls of the building picked up and carried away. Strange to say, only one person, a young lady, was severely injured.

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OLD SETTLERS

On the 23d of February, 1858, a meeting of those who resided, or were doing a business, in Fairfield, or were citizens of the county on the 1st of January, 1846, was held in Fairfield, for the purpose of forming an old settlers' association. The exercises were opened with an address by Charles Negus, Esq., on the first settlement of the town and county. After the address, a resolution was adopted requesting each one present who came to the county prior to January 1, 1846, to register his name and, as near as possible, the exact date of his settlement. Under the resolution, the following-named "pioneers" appended their names:

J. A. Gallaher, February 22, 1849; B. B. Tuttle, November, 1840; Charles Neus, March, 1841; R. H. Van Dorn, May, 1841; D. Mendenhall, May, 1842; George Craine, October 5, 1842; J. A. Cunningham, August, 1842; J. M. Slagle, November 10, 1842; Thomas D. Evans, November 13, 1842; Anson Ford, January 11, 1843; C. W. Slagle, April 23, 1843; George Acheson, April 23, 1843; J. E. Cummings, November 13, 1843; T. W. Titus, November 20, 1843; W. W. Junkin, April 20, 1844; George Stever, May 6, 1844; A. H. Brown, July 5, 1844; Jesse Byrkit, October 28, 1844; S. H. Bradley, November 4, 1844; William Myers, May 1, 1845; E. C. Hampson, May 15, 1845.

In response to a toast, "The HIstorian of Fairfield," Mr. Negus said that when he came here, seventeen years ago, there were only 110 inhabitants in the place (Fairfield), and then proceeded to give the names of all the men who were here, with a short history of each one. He said that of the number who lived in town when he first came here, there was not one present on this occasion.

The meeting, after styling itself the Old Settler's Cub, adjourned to meet February 22, 1859.

At the date of the second meeting of the Old Settler's Club, February 22, 1859. Wells' Hall was occupied by the meetings of the Baptist Church, and the address which was to have been delivered was indefinitely postpones.

The old settlers, to the number of twenty-three, met at the National Hotel, where supper was served. J. M. McClelland, being the oldest settler present, was made President, and W. W. Junkin, Secretary. New names were registered as follows:

J. M. McClelland, February 12, 1838; E. R. Norvell, October 10, 1842; William Long, September, 1842; W. L. McLean, _____, 1843; Mungo Ramsey, ______, 1843; J. D. Jones, March 30, 1845; William Myers, May 1, 1845; W. K. Alexander, May 20, 1845; Bernhard Henn, June 30, 1845; John Fore, ______, 1845.

The meeting was addressed by Judge Negus, who gave short sketches of nearly all first inhabitants. He gave as a toast, "The Memory of Willis Cheek—Funnel me again, boys!" Other toasts were responded to, and a good time was had generally.

At this meeting, a committee of seven was appointed, to consist of the seven present who had presided longest in the county, to perfect a plan for the organization of the Old Settler's Club. These were J. M. McClelland, Charles Negus, R. H. Van Dorn, William Long, J. M. Slagle, James Cunningham, B. B. Tuttle.

A movement was begun to erect a monument over the remains of Thomas Clay, one of the early settlers, beloved by all who knew him.

After these proceedings, the meeting adjourned for one year; but, as no records of subsequent meetings can be found, and there being no Old Settlers' Club in existence now, it is fair to presume that was the last meeting of the kind ever held—a fact that is to be regretted.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Previous to the organization of the Republican party, in 1856, the people of Jefferson County were divided between Whigs and Democrats, with a good working majority in favor of the latter. In local contests, party lines were not always closely defined, and a Whig was sometimes elected to fill some county office. In the election of members of the Legislature, the Democrats generally pulled together and elected their man. The first break in this long-established rule was made in 1852.

In that year there were three members of the House and two members of the Senate to be elected from this county. The Democrats nominated Samuel Whitmore, James Thompson and W. J. Rogers for the House, and Col. W. G. Coop and Dr. Ramage for the Senate. The Whigs nominated Dr. Edward Meacham, H. B. Mitchell and John Andrews (as now remembered) for the House, and John Park and Thomas O. Wamsley for the Senate. The canvas was closely contested. Both parties put in their "best licks." The result was a divided delegation. The Democrats elected two members of the House—Samuel Whitmore and W. J. Rogers, and the Whigs elected H. B. Mitchell, who has the honor of being the first Whig elected from Jefferson County to the Iowa House of Representatives. Coop, Democrat, and John Park, Whig, were elected to the Senate.

In 1856, when the Republican party had fully organized and presented candidates for President and Vice President, thereby asserting its national strength, the Republican spirit, that had been slumbering in Jefferson County, began to assert itself, since when the Republican party has had everything pretty much its own way. Occasionally, however, as in the case of the present County Treasurer, a Democrat has been chosen to fill some of the county offices, just as a Whig used to be in ante-Republican days.

ROLL OF HONOR

Jefferson County has been represented in the State Senate by William G. Coop, J. R. Teas, Robert Brown, John Howell, John Park, William M. Reed, James F. Wilson, J. M. Shaffer, D. P. Stubbs, A. R. Pierce and M. A. McCord.

In the House of Representatives, by Alexander Wilson, Richard Quinton, _______ Stansberry, J. W. Culbertson, R. R. Harper, J. H. Flint, S. Whitmore, J. R. Bailey, W. H. Lyons, George Weyand, William Baker, Andrew Collins, Thomas McCulloch, Charles Negus, H. D. Gibson, W. J. Rogers, H. B. Mitchell, J. Wamsley, R. Stephenson, Edmund Meacham, William Bickford, C. E. Noble, Louis Roeder, J. F. Wilson, Thomas Moorman, Mathew Clark, Peter Walker, W. W. Cottle, A. R. Pierce, Owne Bromley, George C. Fry, John Hayden, A. R. Fulton, William Hopkirk, Joseph Ball, Edward Campbell, Jr., W. L. S. Simmons and John Herron.

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In 1844, Robert Brown, Samuel Whitmore, J. L. Murray, Hardin Butler and S. S. Ross, were elected Delegates to the State Constitutional Convention. The Constitution submitted was rejected by the people, and, in 1846, a second Convention was called. William G. Coop and S. S. Ross were sent as Delegates. James F. Wilson was chosen a Delegate to the Convention of 1856, for the revision of the Constitution.

Two citizens of the county have represented the First Congressional District of Iowa in the United States Congress—Bernhart Henn in the Thirty-third and Thirty-fourth Congresses, from 1851 to 1855, and James F. Wilson in the Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses from 1862 to 1869. M. A. McCoid, of Fairfield, was elected Representative to Congress at the October election, 1878.

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