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Pioneers of Marion County C In concluding the history of this township we shall take occasion to relate a sensational event that took place in '49, in which a number of citizens of this and Pleasant Grove were participants. In '47 a family named Castner came from Missouri and settled about two miles west of Wheeling, where James Thornburgh now lives. The family consisted of five brothers, Jonas, William, John, Ebenezer, and James - all grown men except the last named, who was still a boy - and their mother. Jonas was married, and afterwards took up his residence near Hartford, Warren county. The reputation of the Castners previous to their coming here was such as to justify the opinion that they were no profitable addition to the settlement, and their movements were closely observed by those who felt interested in the fair fame of the community, and the safety of property. It was believed that the Castners had been driven from Missouri for some misdemeanor of theirs there, and it was therefore deemed not advisable to permit them to remain here undisturbed longer than they should give the people an excuse for disturbing them. Such an occasion eventually transpired. Bill went to Illinois on a marauding expedition, where he aided in a daring robbery, and was caught and lodged in jail at Quincy. From there he somehow managed to escape, and was so closely pursued to within a short distance of his home that he was compelled to swim the Des Moines river somewhere below Des Moines City, and finally escaped. News of Bill's escape from jail reached the people here, and a number of them determined to watch for his return to headquarters. Having secreted themselves so as to observe the approach of any one, they patiently watched and listed til past midnight for whatever signs might indicate the fugitive arrival. They knew his family expected him that night, and that his brother John had joined him after he had crossed the river; but it was now evident that the Castners believed, or at least suspected that they were watched, and therefore acted with extreme caution. At last the deep silence of that after-midnight was broken by the hooting of an owl not far away in the timber, and this was presently answered by one near the house. This was taken by the watchers to mean something more than what owls are supposed to mean by it; but there was not the time to look for an explanation. When daylight came the squad surrounded the house, and Eb. and Jim were taken into custody. Being told that the owl signals had been heard, and that they must give a truthful explanation of their meaning or be whipped, they both denied any knowledge of it. But this their custodians believed to be false, and resolved to force them to tell the truth; so they led them away to a convenient place to administer the persuasive hickory. Seeing what was about to take place, poor old Mrs. Castner attempted to follow, declaring that if her boys were to suffer she would suffer with them; but she was rudely driven back by one of the men, and told that they only meant to whip them, a punishment her boys had been accustomed to. Now being convinced that he must tell the truth or be severely whipped, Jim, the boy, stated that the hooting of the owls was by his brother Bill and John to let him and Eb. know where they were, so they could take them something to eat. This was satisfactory, and Jim was released. But Eb. concluded that he would stand the thrashing rather than tell, and the whip was vigorously applied; after which he was a second time admonished to confess or have the process repeated. Now being convinced that a confession would be more agreeable than another application of the gad, he corroborated Jim's statement. They then led their custodians to the place of rendezvous, and their statement was further corroborated by the trail they had made through the dewy grass. But the fugitive brothers had again fled, and it was believed that pursuit would then be in vain. They thereupon turned their attention to the further disposal of their prisoners, by ordering them with the whole family, to quit the country within a given time, or abide certain consequences. But, as the time of grace expired, without any movement on the part of the offenders to comply with the command, the citizens again collected to enforce it. They compelled the Castners to rig up their conveyance and load their plunder, and then accompanied them beyond Bremen, Monroe county, where they left the next morning, after having seen them start on another day's journey. Some time after this Eb. returned to his brother Jonas', in Warren county, on pretense of settling up some business connected with the family. Here a number of citizens of this and Warren county followed him, and Wesley Jordan was made captain of the company. On approaching the house Jonas and Eb. who were at a spring watering their horses, having their guns with them as though they anticipated an attack hastened in. The company now drew up in line in front of the house, and Jonas came to the door and ordered their captain not to approach beyond a certain limit, which, however, he did, and called for Eb. The latter then came to the door with his head bound up and a great butcher knife in his hand. Seeing this, the captain told him the company was not prepared to hear him when coming thus armed; that he had promised to not return to the country, and that he would now be voted a limited time to leave it again or be severely dealt with. Also, inasmuch as Jonas rested under strong suspicions of villainy, he, too, would be dealt with in like manner. A vote was then ordered in Jonas' case, all being in favor of his expulsion to step one pace front. Hearing this, Jonas raised his gun and threatened to shoot any one that stepped forward. Instantly every rifle was deliberately aimed at him, the hammers of which were set and fingers pressed upon them. Seeing his critical situation, Jonas quickly stepped within doors. The vote was taken, and the Castners evacuated the country within the time specified. Among other early citizens of Red Rock, still well remembered by most of the old settlers, was James A. Chestnut whose name, it may be remembered, appears in the list of first grand jurors. He was born in Ireland, February 1, 1803; came to America with his parents at the age of two years, landing at New York. From thence he came to Indiana; from thence to Iowa in '41, and settled in Van Buren county, where he remained for a short time; then moved to Mahaska county and took a claim precisely where Oskaloosa now is. But, not foreseeing the value this land would ultimately attain to, and, like many others, thinking the lands along the river would always be worth much more than the high prairie, he sold this claim and settled at the head of White Breast Prairie, where the old Ewing farm now is. After a short residence here he went to Lee county, where he remained a year; then returned and settled in Red Rock village in '48. In the spring following he went to California where he remained nearly two years. On his way home he contracted the cholera at New Orleans, and died at Natchez. Mr. Chestnut was known as a worthy citizen, and for some time a class leader in the M. E. Church. His widow remained at Red Rock till very recently, when she went to Missouri with one of her sons. The following are the names of most of those persons who settled in the township at the earliest dates: Nathan Nichols and Amanda Hewland, in '46; Peter Row, William Frazer and James Frakes, in '48; John Clark, in '49; Daniel F. Smith in '50, and J. W. Hightree, in '52. Of these John Clark is the oldest resident settler in the township, and D. F. Smith the next, the rest having moved away or deceased. John Clark was born in Tennessee, February 14th, 1815, came to this county in '49, arriving at Knoxville on the 26th of June. Having traded William Frazer a land warrant for a timber claim on White Breast Creek, he also made a prairie claim, built a cabin on the bottom, and moved to it on the 26th of July. In raising the cabin near help was so scarce that he had to resort to friends in Knoxville, and even then it required three days to put the building up. The first milling Mr. Clark done was at Brobst's and Haymakers, on Cedar. In '55 he went to what was known as Beach's mill, now a place called Sumerset, on one of the Three Rivers, in Warren county. At that time there was, on the route to this mill, a wide stretch of uninhabited prairie, on which there was neither a tree, trail nor mound to guide the traveler who wished to cross it, and some one had set stakes at wide intervals as the only way-marks. Mr. Clark, with a wagon and two yoke of cattle, and accompanied by a man named Nathaniel Brown, had crossed this desert to Beach's, and remained there two days waiting for their grinding. Now being in some haste to get home, they set out in time to reach Hammondsburg before night. Here they concluded to tarry no longer than was required to feed and their teams and themselves, hoping to reach home long before midnight. So, without further delay, they drove on, but when darkness came they found it impossible to keep the way themselves, and thought it advisable to trust to the instinctive sagacity of their cattle to pilot them through. Unfortunate trust! The brutes, left to themselves, had lost their reckoning, and were as much at fault as their masters - if indeed they cared particularly about what direction they traveled. At all events, after plodding along in this way for a long time, Mr. Clark began to think something was wrong, and set about making a calculation of their locality as well as it could be done by starlight, the result of which calculation proved that they were far out of their way, indeed so far as the breaks of White Breast, not far from the south-west corner of the county. And here, to add to their vexation, the wagon ran into a slough, at which Brown became alarmed and begged Clark to camp till daylight. But the latter was disposed to lay out if such a contingency could be avoided; so they got the wagon out and proceeded, making a guiding point of certain stars, and reached home at about one o'clock. Jackson McClain and John Clark planted the first orchards in '52. Of the sixty trees planted by Mr. C., but two now live. McClain's are mostly living. John Conrey, uncle of L. C. Conrey, settled where he still resides, a few miles south of Knoxville city, March 20, 1845, having made his claim and erected his cabin the fall previous. During the first year his nearest neighbors were from three to four miles distance, and his nearest convenience for breadstuffs was Bonaparte, Van Buren county. Mr. C. relates an adventure that occurred in the spring following, of which Elisha Wilcutt, one of his neighbors, was the principal hero. He and Mr. Conrey had started on a hunting expedition; and after having traveled together two or three miles without seeing any game, they separated, hoping thereby to meet with better success. A few minutes after Mr. Wilcutt was surprised by five large timber wolves that came rushing down a hill, nearly abreast with each other, and met him in the most threatening manner. One large, black fellow seemed to be the leader of the gang, and fell a victim to the contents of Mr. W.'s rifle. But now having nothing to rely upon for further protection but his dogs and hunting knife, he felt the extreme danger of his situation, and called loudly for help. Mr. Conrey heard the report of the gun, and knew by the frightened cry of his comrade, that he was in trouble, and hastened to his relief. But, on reaching the scene of action he found Mr. Wilcutt, with the help of his dogs, the victor, having dispatched two more of the wolves, the remaining two having instinctively adopted the theory that discretion is the better part of valor and fled. The adventurers name the little creek near by Wolf Run, and it has been known by that name ever since. Isaac N. Crum was
a native of Illinois, from which State he moved to Iowa and settled
in Summit in '45, where he opened the farm he still owns, but resides
in Otley, engaged in the merchantile business. |