 |
  Home
Introduction Preface Email CHAPTER IVINTERIM AND RETURN TO IOWA ON THE writer's return to Ohio, his pastoral duties to the people of his charge in Clarksfield were resumed, and continued for about eighteen months longer. Meanwhile correspondence was kept up between the friends already in Iowa, and those in Ohio, who were interested in the success of the enterprise. No one, however, from Ohio joined those already in Iowa during the year of 1849. But in the spring of 1850, Deacon John W. Smith, of Litchfield, and Deacon Josiah B. Hall, of Oberlin, Ohio, with their families joined the settlement at Percival, going by way of the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers. In the same spring the writer's pastoral relations with the church in Clarksfield ceased. His household goods were packed and forwarded to Iowa in the care of Deacons Hall and Smith, while we, after sorrowful partings from those we had learned to love, and sad farewells, repaired to the residence of the writer's father-in-law, Judge Atkins in Cleveland, where we also had a numerous family meeting, which proved to most of that large family group a last meeting on earth, as but one now survives. As we were going to so remote a part of the country, it seemed like a last farewell. the writer too visited the place of his nativity, and looked once more upon the scenes of his childhood - the stone house - the barn where we played "hide and seek" - the old red pump where we so often slaked our thirst - the green meadow coursed by a rippling rill, where we so often sprinkled the bleaching cloths - the pasture where on the green hill-side the lambkins sportively played, while their dams quietly grazed by their side - the pond near by, the paradise of geese and ducks in summer and of skating boys and girls in winter, but a worse than Tartarus to the luckless hen that chanced to lead her bastard brood of ducklings too near its shore - there too was the orchard where we so often satiated our craving for fruit - there the garden, where currants and strawberries flourished, and where wise and honored parents so oft required of lazy boys the thorough cleaning out of a definite portion of weedy garden, before any playing could be allowed. They required it, and made their word good, and now their children rise up and call them blessed. How mistaken the notion that to let children have their own way is kindness! It is a downright curse!The writer also passed on to New York, and visited Washington, - looked in upon the august legislators of this great nation - Webster, and Clay, and Benton and their compeers, he entered the White House, and stood by the side of President Taylor, only a short time before he died. From the center of national power, and wealth, and culture, and art, and refinement, he turned his face to the frontier of civilization. As the friends in Iowa had expressed a wish that a teacher for their school should accompany the writer on his return, he accordingly obtained the consent of Miss Rachel Tucker (now Mrs. D.P. Matthews) to respond to that call. She accordingly joined us at Cleveland, where with wife and three children, we all embarked on a steamer for Detroit - thence by the Michigan Central railroad to Michigan City - thence by steamer across Lake Michigan to Chicago (then an insignificant village_ - thence by Illinois and Michigan canal to LaSalle - thence by private conveyance to Granville, where we visited for several days, and saw father for the last time. Again we took steamer at Hennepin on the Illinois river, but the river was very low, and our progress was thereby very much retarded, so that, instead of reaching St. Louis before the Sabbath, as we were encouraged to expect, when Saturday evening came, we found ourselves many miles from the mouth of the Illinois river. Accordingly we were put ashore and stopped over the Sabbath, and not until Tuesday or Wednesday did we find a chance to re-embark. Did a proper regard for the Sabbath require this at our hands? We reached St. Louis in safety, and were detained there several days before we found a boat, that would take us to our destination. We had the usual experience of a boat ascending the Missouri river, but had to contend with fewer obstructions, as there was a full stage of water. Although desiring to stop at Lambert's landing, the captain took us to Council Bluffs, and left us on his return the next day, July 1, 1850, at Lambert's landing. We were glad enough to find a stopping place. We found that a long and tiresome journey prepares the emigrant to be content with the necessary privations and hardships of a frontier settlement. Our friends greeted and welcomed us most cordially, and our meeting was the occasion of mutual gladness. In the twenty months since Mr. Gaston's arrival much had been done, considering the few there were to do, and the inconveniences under which they labored. A house had been built for Mr. Gaston, a house for Mr. Adams, a house erected and enclosed for the minister when he should come, a school house also for the school, and a frame for a steam saw mill, and boiler room to receive the boiler, when the machinery already contracted for should arrive. A kiln of bricks had been made and burned, and a shingle factory had been started, and thousands of shingles been made, besides stables, barns, and sheds for stock. Many acres of land too had been broken and enclosed. In Christian work too they had not been idle. A union church had been organized embracing most of the professed Christians of the neighborhood. A Sunday school had been started, and many of the people had been gathered into it. A well attended weekly prayer meeting was maintained. A temperance society was organized, and numbers in the community had been induced to sign the pledge for the first time. When the minister came among them, the various parts of the machinery for Christian work were already in operation. The first public service to which he was called was a Sunday school celebration of the Fourth of July, when he was called upon to address the children in the unfinished boiler room of the steam mill. Mrs. Platt had drilled and prepared the children to sing on the occasion, which they did with great spirit and enthusiasm. After the public exercises a picnic or basket dinner was discussed by the assembled throng. Though comparatively a day of small things, it was a great day to many - a day such as they never had seen before. Return to top Note: Names in bold print are to aid in your search for specific surnames that you are researching, they are not in bold in the book.  Previous
Next Copyright © 2000 - 2001 D. J. Coover |