FINAL Phase II Testing and Architectural/Historical Research for Specified Archaeological Sites and Architectural Properties in Subsections F, G, H, J, N, and O, Linn County, Iowa Certified Local Government Grant HADB #57-067 Prepared for State Historical Society of Iowa and the Linn County Historic Preservation Commission Prepared by Leah D. Rogers, Principal Investigator Tallgrass Historians L.C. Iowa City, Iowa September 2008 1 This project has been funded with the assistance of a matching grant-in-aid from the State Historical Society of Iowa, Community Programs Bureau, through the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, under provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966; the opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Department of the Interior. All phases of the project were conducted under the direction of Leah D. Rogers, Principal Investigator with the assistance of the Linn Historic Preservation Commission, Local Volunteers, Property Owners, and Project Assistants, Loren Schutt, Hesper Meidlinger, and Tiffany Eggers 2 Phase II Testing and Architectural/Historical Research for Specified Archaeological Sites and Architectural Properties in Subsections F, G, H, J, N and O, Linn County, Iowa E. Statement of Historic Contexts The following historic contexts are based on contexts developed in a first-phase comprehensive planning document (Rogers 1992); in six comprehensive survey projects for Linn County, Iowa, that followed (Rogers 2003, 2006; Rogers and Page 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996); a Phase II-level investigation of selected properties identified in previous survey projects (Rogers 1998); and two National Register nomination projects based on the results of the previous investigations (Rogers 2000; Page 2002a, 2002b). The first-phase project involved a compilation of contexts applicable to the county’s historical development as a whole, while the subsequent phases added detailed contexts applicable to the individual subsections of the county being surveyed. In general, the county’s historical development can be subdivided into four eras of development: Native American Contact, Early Settlement, Expansion, and Consolidation (Rogers 1992). Within each era, a number of subcontexts were also identified and consisted of the development of communities, commercial districts, transportation, agriculture, industry, religion, education, social culture, and architecture in the county as well as identifying some of the notable persons associated with these developments. The comprehensive survey projects expanded upon these contexts and identified some new ones, including town building, local contractor/builders, rural architecture, family-oriented rural settlement patterns, ethnic settlement patterns, and transportation corridors. As noted above, the initial surveys were followed by National Register nominations of districts and sites identified in the previous survey projects (Figure 1). The National Register properties listed to date as a result of the comprehensive survey projects include: One early historic period habitation site: Dewitt/Harman Archeological Site (13LN454) located in Bertram Township Three farmstead districts and two houses: Podhajsky/Jansa Farmstead District located in College Township Janko, Jan and Antonie, Farmstead District located in College Township Minor, Josias L. and Elizabeth A., Farmstead District located in College Township Moorhead, Joseph and Clara A., House located in Putnam Township Horecky, Henek and Mary, Log Cabin, located in Franklin Township Two commercial districts: Central City Commercial Historic District Dows Street Historic District, Ely The current project consists of Phase II testing and Architectural/Historical research of selected archaeological sites and architectural properties that were identified as potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by two of the above-noted previous survey and evaluation projects in Linn County. These sites and properties were originally recorded during the 2003 and 2006 surveys and evaluation projects of Subsections F, G, and H in west-central Linn County (reported in Rogers 2006) and Subsections J, N, and O in southwest Linn County (reported in Rogers 2003). The previous surveys focused on the Early Settlement Era resources of these subsections, which included most of Otter Creek and Washington Townships, all of Fairfax Township, and smaller portions of Monroe, Marion, Maine, Fayette, Clinton, and College Townships (see Figure 1). Approximately 88 ac (35.6 ha) was encompassed by the current testing and research project. 3 N = areas previously surveyed = Cities surveyed by other CLGs 0 6 miles Figure 1. Linn County Historical Survey County Sectional Map Showing Previously Surveyed Subsections 4 = archaeological site = architectural property 57-07226 57-07224 57-07246 57-07227 13LN878 57-07223 57-07242 57-07250 57-00924 57-07251 13LN882 13LN877 13LN879 & 57-07225 57-07220 57-07221 57-06477 13LN831 57-06480 57-06479 57-06505 N 57-06483 13LN843 57-06485 0 2 mi Figure 2. Linn County road map showing location of sites and properties in current study Source: IDOT Transportation Map 1995 The following contexts are pertinent to the Early Settlement of these and build upon the previous contexts developed in Rogers 1992, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006; Page 2002a, 2002b; and Rogers and Page 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996). 5 Early Settlement of Linn County, Iowa: late 1830s-1870 Prior to the settlement of the project area by Euro-Americans, Native American groups such as the Meskwaki and Winnebago called Linn County home for at least a portion of the year. The principal camp grounds of the Meskwaki were reportedly along Indian Creek and the Cedar Valley in White Oak Grove between Usher’s Ferry and the present Seminole Valley Park (west-southwest of the current study area and east of the Cedar River) and in Wickiup Hollow near Toddville (in an area now known as Wickiup Hill northwest of Cedar Rapids and also on the east side of the Cedar River). The principal camps of the Winnebago were near McCloud’s Run, Cedar Lake, the Palisades, Linn Grove, Scotch Grove (west of Cedar Rapids), and “in other places where there was much timber” (Brewer and Wick 1911:9; also Browne 1980). While technically the Meskwaki relinquished title to these lands by 1837, some remained in Iowa while others moved back from the reservation in Kansas where they had been relocated. Since the white settlers of Linn County did not protest their presence, the Meskwaki in particular continued to visit the county on a regular basis camping and gathering maple sugar from the groves. Generally, they had good relations with the white settlers. The majority of early settlers’ accounts in all areas of Linn County include some mention of Indian contact. For the most part, these are anecdotal accounts of Indians passing through the area. In the spring of 1847 there was a report of an Indian attack which turned out to be nothing more than a misunderstanding but put the Linn County countryside into a brief uproar (Western Historical 1878:399). One of the most common accounts of Indian contact in the vicinity of Linn Grove (in eastern Linn County) was of the Indians setting up temporary camps for gathering maple sugar well into the 1880s (Hartsough 1936:I-2). One of the farmstead districts within the current study area was at a location reportedly frequented by Native Americans to tap the maple trees and process it into maple sugar during the Early Settlement Era. This site was in what historically was known as Sugar Grove, which still exists as a timbered grove still containing some maple sugar trees. The property was purchased by the Etzel family in the late 1880s. George Etzel noted that his grandfather could remember the Indians visiting this grove to gather maple sugar (Personal communication with Leah Rogers, 2005). It is probable that these visitors were Meskwaki. The 1911 county history book noted that the Meskwaki, Sauk, and Winnebago had hunting areas along the Cedar and Wapsipinicon rivers during the early settlement period. Some early settlers such as William Abbe, and the Edgerton, Usher, and Crow families learned the native languages and could converse with these groups. William Abbe and Robert Ellis even served as the government agents supplying the Winnebago at Fort Atkinson in northeast Iowa, which was then part of the Neutral Ground (Brewer and Wick 1911:11). There is some evidence that Hiram Usher, whose family settled along the Cedar River north of present-day Cedar Rapids, operated a trading post at an early date near the later town of Covington, with his obituary noting that he had “bartered and traded” with the Indians (Browne 1980). Other reported trading posts in Linn County were located at the town of Ivanhoe and St. Mary’s, both in southeastern Linn County (Kirkpatrick 1987:176; Strong 1990:42). There were a number of candidates for the first permanent Euro-American settler in Linn County including: William Abbe, Edward M. Crow, Jacob Mann, C.C. Haskins, Daniel Hahn, or Dyer Usher. Abbe settled to the west of the later town of Mt. Vernon and reportedly came to the county as early as 1836, staked out a claim, and then left to bring his family to the new claim. His family arrived in 1837 (Brewer and Wick 1911:51). Dyer Usher also claimed to have entered the county in 1836 but left to later return to make a permanent settlement (Laura Browne, personal communication 1992). The other candidates all settled in Linn County at various times during 1837, with Crow reportedly making his claim just southeast of Viola in July of that year (Western Historical 1878:335). Whoever was first in the county, it is widely accepted that the first permanent settlements were made in the county in 1837. It was also in 1837 that Linn County was first established and named for a distinguished Senator from Missouri (ibid.:357). Therefore, the beginning date for the Early Settlement Era of Linn County has been generally designated as the late 1830s (Rogers 1992).