I'm always on the lookout in newspapers from elsewhere in the United States for references to Lucas County's early days --- a period from which few local newspaper issues survive. The following letter turned up in The Highland News, published at Hillsboro in Highland County, Ohio, on Feb. 18, 1869.
That's the same year Ephraim Cranshaw Bridge, also known as "Bridge the Photographer," produced this composite of tiny images of Chariton --- the earliest known. So it's possible to see what the unidentified author of the letter was writing about.
There are two copies of the composite in the Lucas County Historical Society collection, one in better shape than the other, as well as a framed composite that contains slightly larger versions of some of the images. But I've never seen full-sized versions of any of the photographs, other than those enlarged from the composite many years later.
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Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa
Feb. 5, 1869
Editor News: Having very frequently seen letters in your paper from other parts of Iowa, but none from Chariton, I thought I would give your readers a brief sketch.
Chariton is situated on a high, rolling prairie, a mile from Chariton River, a small stream; also on the Burlington and Missouri R.R. It has a population of 2,500, is the county seat, and is a fast town for its age, having been started within the last 17 years. we have 14 dry goods stores, nine groery stores, four drug stores, four hardware stores, three shoe stores, three furniture stores, two book stores, two harness shops, four hotels five churches and last of all, four saloons and one billiard hall.
We had a fine brick school house erected last summer at a cost of $17,000. The town itself erected this.
We have two printing offices --- a Republican and a Democratic. We have three flouring mills in the county, which do a good business; five saw mills and corn-crackers.
Land is rising in value very fast. Land that could have been bought five years ago for $15 an acre is now worth $40 and $50. Very good raw prairie land can be bought for $10 and $15. the soil of the country is good and productive. Spring wheat, corn, and oats are grown in abundance.
It is a fine country for grazing stock. Thousands of acres of land haying out, which produces the best grass in the world.
The Buckeye reaper and Mower takes the lead, being more in use than any other kind, although a great many others are used; almost every farmer has one of his own.
The B. & M.R.R. is completed to Afton, 60 miles west of this. The road will probably be finished before October to Council Bluffs, on the Missouri river.
The winter is the warmest for a number of years, although we have had considerable show --- have a good sleighing snow at this time.
Truly yours,
A Reader of the News
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