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| Taken from an 1862 transportation map of Iowa. |
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| A.R, Fulton |
His route west from Ottumwa took him through Monroe, Lucas, Clarke and Union counties --- with the bonus of a side trip down into Appanoose. Transportation at that time was by horse, ox or foot, so his progress would have been rather slow.
Fulton, born during 1825 in Ohio, had arrived in Fairfield during 1851 and co-founded The Fairfield Ledger. By 1858, he had sold out and was working as Jefferson county surveyor, one of many public posts --- including legislator --- he held during the years that followed until his death in 1891 in Des Moines.
After returning home, Fulton wrote the brief account that follows, published first in a newspaper I can't track down called The North-Western Review, reprinted on Friday, Feb. 5, 1855, in the Burlington-based Daily State Gazette.
Fulton entered Monroe County at Cuba, a village that no longer exists --- other than its cemetery --- in northeast Monroe County. Branches of my mother's family were among the first settlers in Monroe County during the spring of 1843 and Uncle Harry Miller, who lived at Cuba and was among the founding members of the Monroe County Church of the Brethren just to the west on the road to what now is the village of Avery, very well may have been on hand to greet him.
His trip ended at Afton, then the county seat of Union County --- Creston had not yet been dreamed of. In between, he noted the deplorable state of Chariton's streets and sidewalks had seems to not have been impressed by Lucas County's old log courthouse/jail, then still in use on the east side of the square.
Fulton moved from Fairfield to Des Moines during the early 1860s, wrote for a variety of publications and edited others, and during 1882 produced his magnum opus, The Red Men of Iowa --- the first attempt to deal coherently with the Hawkeye State's first inhabitants.
Here's the text of his report on south central Iowa as it stood during 1858 --- only 11 years after Lucas County had opened to EuroAmerican settlers:
(From the North-Western Review)
SKETCHES OF IOWA
By A.R. Fulton
Having, within a few weeks, visited a number of the southern counties of Iowa, I thought a few notes of personal observations on the several counties which I visited would be of interest to readers of the Review.
MONROE COUNTY
The east part of this county is well timbered, and an abundance of stone coal, of a good quality, is found. Much of the prairie, however, is rather broken. Good building stone is obtained in various parts of the county, but especially in the east portion, along North, Middle, and South Avery, which are small tributaries of the Des Moines.
Albia, the county seat of this county, contains about eight hundred inhabitants. It is situated on a fine, dry, rolling prairie, convenient to timber and coal. It contains a steam flouring, saw and lath mill, two drug stones, two hotels, a printing office, and several dry goods and grocery stores. The first settlement in the county was made at Albia about 12 years ago.
There are several smaller towns, among which are Cuba, a thriving village on the State road from Ottumwa to Albia, and eight miles east of the latter place; Blakesburg, on the east line of the county, and Georgetown, eight miles west of Albia on the road to Chariton.
APPANOOSE COUNTY
The first settlement was made in this county about nine years ago. There is a fine body of timber on the Chariton river which runs through the county from northwest to southeast. The best stone coal I have seen is at Rubly's mill on the Chariton river, about four miles north of Centreville. Excellent coal is also obtained at other points in this county.
The principal towns are Centreville, the county seat; Moravia, twelve miles north of Centreville; Unionville, twelve miles northeast, and Millard, in the southeast part of the county. Centreville has a fine location on a high rolling prairie, with plenty of excellent coal and timber and a good quality of building stone convenient. It contains a steam flouring mill, which is doing a good business. A newspaper is published here. The population is about eight hundred.
LUCAS COUNTY
This county has fine timber and prairie. The prairie is generally rolling, but the west portion is somewhat broken. The county is supplied with an excellent quality of stone coal from White Breast, west of Chariton.
Chariton, the county seat, contains a population of about eight hundred. A U.S. Land Office is located here. A large flouring mill has just commenced operation. A newspaper (The Patriot) is published here. The citizens have not, as yet, manifested much taste in the way of public improvements. The expenditure of a few hundred dollars on the streets and sidewalks would add much to the character of the town, as well as to the pleasure of its citizens. The court house and jail are combined in an old log structure of rather primitive appearance. It is proposed, however, to build a new one next summer.
CLARKE COUNTY
This is a new county, but is fast settling up. The prairie is generally more broken than that of counties further east, but a good portion of it is of excellent quality. It is the opinion of the people living in the county that there is stone coal, but as yet no coal banks have been worked to any extent. Big Squaw and Little Squaw, two small streams running through the county, are each fringed with fine groves of timber. Stone for building purposes of a good quality is obtained.
Osceola, the county seat, is located on the prairie, with timber convenient. It has improved rapidly within the last year. There is a good frame courthouse, three hotels, two tin and stove establishments, a drug store, and several dry goods and grocery stores. I noticed many neat and tasty residences, mostly frame.
Ottawa is a new town near the east line of the county, containing a hotel, store, post office, &c. &c. Hopeville, in the southwest part of the county, is said to be a thriving village.
UNION COUNTY
The eastern portion of this county is somewhat broken, but is better supplied with timber than the west. There are fine groves of hickory, walnut, elm, linn, and birch, bordering Grand river and its tributaries. The first settlement was made by the Mormons, some of whom sojourned at Mt. Pisgah. But after remaining a year or two, they left for Kanesville, and from thence removed with their friends to Salt Lake. During their brief stay, however, they destroyed a great portion of the best timber on Grand river, and the marks of their useless waste in this way are plainly visible in the neighborhood of Mt. Pisgah --- which, by the way, the reader must not mistake for a town, as there is but one town there now. A good quality of building stone is obtained on Grand river, but as yet no coal banks have been worked. It is said that coal has been found in several places.
Afton, the county seat, was located two years ago last February. I was on the ground where it is situated on the twentieth of March two years ago, but there was not a single house erected at that time. I now find some fifty or sixty buildings and some of them are neat and tasty residences. A court house is just completed, which cost about $2,500. Highland, about two miles southwest of Afton, is a rival town for the county seat. There are some twenty houses in it. In the east part of the county there is a little town called West Union.
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