Dr. Leib sings Lucas County's praise back in 1851

Charles Leib in 1862

Chariton, founded during September 1849, was just beyond its second birthday in December of 1851 when Dr. Charles Leib headed back to his native Pennsylvania armed with a hickory walking stick that he planned to present to James Buchanan at Wheatland, Buchanan's home near Lancaster, on behalf of Lucas County Democrats.

Dr. Leib, an enigmatic character to say the least but with clear political aspirations, probably had arrived in Chariton earlier that year and didn't stick around long. By 1854, he'd headed for Kansas. But during his brief residence, he did his part to put Lucas County on the map.

Whilst arranging his visit to Wheatland, Dr. Leib checked into Reed's Hotel in Lancaster and set about during a little promotional work for his adopted home beyond the Mississippi.

He placed an advertisement in several editions of The Lancaster Intelligencer for his pal Henry Allen, owner and operator of Chariton's first hotel, land agent, surveyor and hatter --- not by any means a colonel, as the title Charles awarded him in promotional literature implied.

And then he wrote the following and had it published in The Intelligencer of Dec. 23, 1851, singing the praises of Lucas County. It may not be Lucas County's first prospectus, but it certainly is among the earliest.

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In another column of the Intelligencer will be found the card of Col. Henry Allen, of Chariton, Lucas county, Iowa, who offers his services to persons holding land warrants, to locate them on the public lands in that state, to pay taxes on lands for non-residents, and to "transact all business connected with a General Land Agency." Col. Allen has resided on the frontier for a number of years, is intimately acquainted with that part of the State, as he has traversed it in the character of a surveyor, and is well calculated to locate warrants. He is a strict business man, and as I believe him to be worthy of all confidence do not hesitate to recommend him to those who hold, wish to purchase, or locate lands, as being a faithful and efficient agent.

There is no portion of Iowa which offers greater inducements to persons desirous of emigrating to that State, than does Lucas and the surrounding country, and indeed all the counties in the Southwestern portion of it. The soil cannot be surpassed in point of fertility, the climate is genial; and, both timber and prairie, can be had at the nominal price of $1.25 per acre, the market is excellent, our people being enabled to sell every pound of produce at high rates at their doors; the country is well watered and timbered and is fast filling up with emigrants, the majority of whom are from Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

But a few years ago that portion of Iowa was  uninhabited, save by the Indian; but the wigwam has given place to the log cabin, the sturdy oak and the slender sapling have alike fallen before the keen axe of the hardy pioneer, and at every stop the marks of civilization are to be seen.  It may almost seem incredible, yet it is true, that in two years more than 1,000 persons have settled in Lucas county. It is one of the most western organized counties in the state, and lies between the Des Moines River and the Missouri State line, being one of the second tier of counties north of it. The main divide leading from the Mississippi to the Missouri river passes through it, and it will be but a few years until there will be a railroad constructed from the mouth of the Des Moines to Council Bluff, which must necessarily pass through the heart of it.

Already have the people of the counties east of us commenced building a plank road, which is to be extended to our county seat, so that ere long we will be connected with the Mississippi river by means of not only a plank road, but all the Des Moines river which is being improved at this time with a view to steamboat navigation. Lucas county is watered by the Chariton river, and by Big and Little White Breast, Wolf, Otter, English, Cedar and Squaw creeks, all of which are bounded by timber of the best quality.

Chariton, the county seat, is situated about a quarter of a mile from the Chariton river, on the Mormon trail, and has improved rapidly during the last year. During the year 1850 more than 7,000 emigrant teams passed through it, going west, while about 5,000 passed through this year, many of them bound for the western portion of the State, while others were on the road either to California, Oregon, or Nebraska.

Corn is worth 50 cents per bushel, Potatoes 75, wheat 75 to $1.00, Pork $3.50 per hundred, Beef $2.50 to $3; everything else in proportion, and so great is the emigration west, for years produce will command these prices at the door of the farmer.

The counties which surround Lucas are in an equally flourishing condition, and it is to this land of promise and plenty that we earnestly invite the enterprising young farmers of Pennsylvania. With one-third the labor that is required in Lancaster county to till the soil in our state, the land yields a crop equal, if not superior to the best ever produced in this "Garden of Eden."

I feel confident that there are many in this county who are looking to the "great west" as their future home, and it will afford me pleasure ere I return to Iowa, which will be in about two weeks, to give them all the information with regard to it in my possession.

Charles Leib

Reed's Hotel, Lancaster, Dec. 20, 1851

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Obviously, Dr. Leib overstated Lucas County's case a little. The plank road project never quite got off the ground, the railroad did not arrive until 1867 and the Des Moines River was some distance away from the county's shores and never was developed into a reliable navigable stream.

Beyond that, Lancaster County farmers would need to break the prairie sod before farming it; and Chariton actually was a very small and rather grubby frontier village.

But I was interested in the number of emigrant wagons that in Charles's estimation had passed through --- 7,000 in 1850 and 5,000 in 1851. Emigrants actually were Lucas County's first cash crop and supplying and feeding the thousands who traveled the Mormon Trail west was a principal source of income during those earliest days.