Migration to Iowa, page 2

In 1846 there were only three houses between Oskaloosa and Des Moines, and all were taverns located along the general route and from Keokuk and other cities on the Mississippi River to Des Moines. One of these taverns was owned by Thomas Mitchell, located on the Camp Creek where Mitchellville now stands. There was a stage road past these few taverns. All along the rivers were dense forests, and on the prairies miles and miles of grass as tall as a man's shoulder. In the timberland were wolves, bear, elk, deer, wild turkeys and many other game animals. In 1847 the population of the new settlement of Des Moines was 127."

Here and there in the future Polk County were claims set out at random by anxious settlers, and later when the land was surveyed there was a considerable amount of compromise where claims overlapped. A 'hotel' called the Des Moines House was built partly by covering over some vacant barracks, and there were few buildings in the village, except the log cabins that been used by the soldiers. Practically all of the provisions were brought to the area by flatboats from Keokuk, and the stage road that went by Tom Mitchell's tavern on Camp Creek carried mostly travelers; very little at first was sent by wagon. Navigation on the river continued until around 1862. In 1846 Des Moines was declared to be the County Seat of the new Polk County -- much to the disgust of the settlers in a village called Polk City whch had been settled and named with the idea of being the said County Seat."

Among the papers which I have saved from my father's possessions is a receipt for the sale of 40 acres by the United States Government to a certain William H. Jones, whose only function in this story is to confirm the date of the first purchase from the Government of 40 acres of the land which was to be the home of my grandfather, Benjamin Thompson Johnson. An adjoining 40 acres, which eventually completed the holding, was sold to Joseph Foster by the Government on April 13, 1855. In the meantime, this Joseph Foster had also purchased the original 40 acres from William Jones, and on the following day -- April 14, 1855 -- the 80 acres were sold to my grandfather's cousin, Joel Johnson, and the land remained in the possession of one or another of the Johnsons until June of 1922 when my father sold it. Joel Johnson's heirs had sold it to my grandfather early in 1882. This documents the date of the arrival of our [Johnson] family in Polk County, Iowa."

Copyright

Information on this site related to the Kear family is from The John Cears Kear Family compiled, written and edited by Donald L. Kear, copyright © 1984. Copyright © 2000 - 2006 by Donald L. Kear. All rights reserved. Portions of the pages on this site may be reproduced for nonprofit use only. Credit shall be given to the source.