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Scotch Grove Pioneers
part 6 |
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Those interested in the Scotch Grove settlers may want to contact Rose DeRocher. She has some early marriage records from the Red River Settlement and will do lookups.
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In this year of 1937 it is these pathfinders of 1837, '38, '39, and '40 that their descendants and the people of a community would honor. While poor in gear they brought here a wealth of memories and experiences. These people had known the glory of the heather on the Scottish moors; they remembered the cruel words of the edict from Dunrobin castle; their hearts had thrilled to Gaelic words in Kildonan kirk; they had braved the terrors of the Atlantic and endured privations in the Northland.
But through all the changes life had brought these Highland men and women they carried in their hearts and brought to their new home those virtues that had sustained them—faith, courage, independence, loyalty. These are the qualities that made them great. This was their heritage to this community.
 ![[Fancy type]](scotch/t.gif){kind=small} HE LONG JOURNEY having ended and with thankfulness in their hearts for their safe arrival, the sturdy Scotch pioneers began to build their homes. No survey having been made of the territory, each settled where he chose, built log cabins in the clearings, and carried on most of the work of spinning, cooking, weaving, and washing outdoors in the manner of their former homes. Donald O. Sinclair, his brother M. Mervin, and Frank D. Sutherland, grandsons of these pioneers, are the only direct descendants of these first Scotch, living here in Scotch Grove now.
Indians roamed the territory and tradition states that at the close of the Black Hawk War in 1883, Lieutenant Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln, commanding a band of soldiers, pursued a number of Indians to Dale's ford. The river was high and swift and while part of the Indians stood guard, the rest swam to safety on the other side and they in turn guarded while the remaining ones crossed the river. Such strategy won the approval of the white men and the pursuit was abandoned. As late as 1873 begging and thieving Indians were common and were often annoying to the early settlers.
One of the characteristics evidenced in these pioneers was their religion and soon after settlement the first church of Edinburg was organized in 1841, the first building being erected in 1851 and the second which is still in use being built in 1861. A Methodist church in 1853, a Christian or Campbellite church in 1872, a Presbyterian church in Wayne township in 1861 and three German churches organized in 1856, 1874 and 1876, evidenced the religious character of the early settler. Branches of the Presbyterian church were formed in Monticello, Center Junction, Bethel, and Onslow. In 1850 the schools in the locality were founded while prior to this time educational facilities were very irregular. However from this time on, schools were rapidly located and in general were overcrowded.
![[Picture]](scotch/esuther.gif) From 1845 on German, Irish, and Yankee settlers came to the locality and much of the progress of the settlement is due these people as well as those who came before them. After settlement for the first few years the only mill where corn and wheat could be ground was on Catfish Creek, near Dubuque. In 1847 a sawmill was built at Dale's ford, but it was entirely washed away in 1865 and never rebuilt. In 1858 Charles Applegate* built a gristmill and later a sawmill, which has since been operated by Samuel Eby, his son Joseph, and William Lange. The mill itself has been torn down and the property belongs now to John W. Hutton. In 1860, J. P. Tibbits had a small sawmill five miles above Dale's ford, but this was washed away in 1876. All that remains at the place is Mr. Tibbit's grave on a nearby, high bluff. One other small mill was operated on Mineral creek but only a short time.
*Note: The mill was begun by two brothers, James Stinson and Charles Reno Applegate. My family records give the following account of their family's journey from Ohio to Iowa: "Arrived at Dubuke, Iowa 1 Jan 1857. Crossed Mississippi on foot, on ice. Stayed in Jackson county, Iowa for the rest of that winter. Moved to Jones county, Iowa in late spring of 1857, started building the grist mill. Ran out of money and moved back to Jackson county late that fall. Finished the mill in 1858, then began building his house." Courtesy Stan Barnhill and the Applegate family records. Scotch Grove was far ahead in its quota of men for the Civil War and in memory of those men and those in the wars of 1812 and the Spanish war, there is a monument in the Scotch Grove cemetery. In the World War Scotch Grove was again well represented and there were fortunately few casualties among the men who went.
First known as "Applegate's Crossing" the laying of the railroad and the platting of the village brought about the change in name to Scotch Grove, in honor of the first settlers. The first postmaster was commissioned in 1861, a store, elevator, creamery, blacksmith shop, and an evergreen nursery were all prospering before 1876. Never incorporated, the village has grown into a neat, prosperous small group of business ventures.
In spite of hardships the people in the locality are noted as honest, home-loving and prosperous. They are patriotic, religious, law-abiding and by careful planning of their affairs they use methods in their work that have proven to be of worth, discarding those impractical ways and with an open mind to new ideas for better ways to bring better results, they have been rewarded in progress and prosperity.
![[Picture]](scotch/auldkirk.gif)
HE SCOTCH GROVE Presbyterian church was organized in the Donald Sutherland home in June 1841, by the Rev. Michael Hummer, with twelve charter members as follows:
John Sutherland.
Margaret (McBeth) Sutherland—his wife.
Donald Livingston.
Ann Livingston—his wife.
Donald Sinclair.
Ann (Gibbs) Sinclair—his wife.
James Livingston.
Sarah Livingston—his wife.
David Esson.
Margaret Esson—his wife.
Alexander McClain.
Sarah Sutherland.
At first the church was called "The First Church of Edinburg," it being the expectation that Edinburg would be the county seat of this county. Because the members were few in number, services were held in the homes, very often in the Donald Sutherland home, although others took their turn too. Rev. S. Cowles, of West Point, visited this organization five or six times a year until in 1849, when Rev. F. A. Pratt served for a few months and his wife taught a select school in a room in the Ebenezer Sutherland home. After the town of Edinburg failed to grow, Ebenezer Sutherland offered to the church seven acres of land on the northeast corner of his farm "for church purposes and a cemetery." This offer was accepted as more of the membership was on this side of the prairie.
![[Picture]](scotch/lyons.gif) From Mrs. Lottie Sweesy Johnston, a granddaughter of the giver of the land we learn "that during the short time for which Rev. James Galitan was their minister, the membership built the first house of worship in the summer of 1851. This church, a small frame building, was erected in the cemetery a short distance northeast of where the soldiers' monument now stands. N. W. Austin and his helpers, Mr. Stewart and Mr. McFadden, were given the building contract. The stone was furnished by Ebenezer Sutherland from the quarry on his farm. Most of the frame timber was obtained from the Rev. F. Amos' saw mill above Dale Mill bridge on the Maquoketa River. Since the mill could not supply oak timbers sufficiently long for the cross beams to support the ceiling, these were taken from the timber. Ebenezer Sutherland, his son D. W. Sutherland and William A. Sutherland went out into the woods and wherever they found a tall, straight oak tree they cut it no matter on whose land it was. When they raised the frame, all the neighborhood gathered to help, and were served a picnic dinner by the women.
The windows, hardware and some lumber had to be obtained from Dubuque. Elder Donald Livingstone and Ebenezer Sutherland advanced the two hundred dollars necessary to pay for these. Interest rates of twenty to thirty per cent were usual in these times. The interest, as well as the principal, was never repaid, but the debt was canceled. The congregation soon outgrew the little frame church and in 1861 a second church, the present one, was built at a total cost of two thousand dollars, which was financed entirely by the Scotch Grove congregation. There was much discussion over the site of the second building, one suggestion being a place four miles west of the present site. Another was "on the high ground on the Lovejoy farm half a mile west of the present location." Mrs. Johnston closes this section of the church history with the wish "that God will make this church the Way of Righteousness to Men" and this wish seems to have become true in these following years. |
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