The Old Settlers Of Johnson County – 1866-1925.

*(BH-160a-i) Here are nine rare Yearbooks published by the Old Settlers Association (OSA) of Johnson County – 1866-97, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1905. 1906, 1907, 1909.* *We are honored to have secured the copies belonging to Iowa City historian Bob Hibbs.*

In January 1861 – with the Civil War only three months away – about eighty pioneers of Johnson County – those who had lived here for at least 20 years – gathered in the new County Court House. Led by one of the county’s eldest statesman – Henry Felkner – the Old Settlers’ Association (OSA) was officially formed, and over the next sixty-four years (1861-1925), the OSA would not only offer a place for old-timers to gather and tell stories, but – through their annual journals – these pioneers have given us a treasure-trove of Johnson County history – told by those who were there to experience it – first-hand.

**Henry Felkner** came to Johnson County in 1837 – one of the earliest pioneers. Felkner was also one of the seven people to attend Johnson County’s first business meeting in January 1838. Read more here.

Henry Felkner (above) served as the first Old Settlers’ Association (OSA) chairman, while one of Iowa City’s earliest educators – Dr. William Reynolds – served as secretary. OSA Committee members were – surveyor Cyrus Sanders (below left), abolitionist Dr. Jesse Bowen (below middle), newspapermen Thomas Hughes (below right) and Silas Foster, and county court commissioner George Fesler.

As the reports indicate, the first meeting of the OSA – with nearly 80 attendees – was held on January 26, 1861 – meeting in the newly-constructed Johnson County Court House. Below, historian Clarence R. Aurner tells us more…

With the Civil War exploding only three months after their first gathering (1861), the Old Settlers’ Association didn’t “officially” meet again until a committee meeting was held on February 22, 1866. At that meeting, David Switzer was appointed OSA chairman. Switzer had become well-known around Johnson County for constructing the county’s first dam/mill – on Clear Creek in 1841. Read more here. The vice chair was everybody’s favorite sea captain – Frederick M. Irish (pictured below) – who arrived in Iowa in 1838. Read more here.

At a June 2, 1866 committee meeting, it was decided to hold the first “festival” on June 21, 1866, and as you can see from the 1892 report given on that first picnic, this event – held “in the grove at the east end of College Street” set the stage for all future OSA reunions to come…

At this first “official” gathering of the OSA, the group’s constitution was signed by the following Johnson County pioneers…

While there was a business meeting of the OSA in 1867, the next “festival” was not held until July 4, 1870 – a large event held on the farm of one of Johnson County’s earliest pioneers – Cyrus Sanders.

Speaking of Cyrus Sanders – in 1880, at the suggestion of Iowa City Daily Republican editor Herbert S. Fairall, sixty-three-year-old Cyrus Sanders began writing down the early history of Johnson County. As Sanders wrote, combining his first-hand knowledge with his wit and wisdom, Fairall published the material, and Iowa Citians absolutely loved it. Knowing that the Sanders’ column was helping to sell newspapers, Fairall created a new department at The Republican, calling it Early Iowa, with Cyrus as the primary contributor for material. Click here for more on this story.

Interestingly, the Old Settlers Association Yearbooks go silent between the 1870 reunion and the 1883 gathering. Yet a deeper look into Iowa City newspaper records show that there were at least four festivals held – yet very intermittently. After the big success in 1870, for example, The Daily Press was found promoting the idea of a 1876 reunion since it was the Centennial Year around the U.S.A. (see below)…

As a result, three consecutive OSA festivals were held – June 13, 1876 (below left), June 16, 1877 (below middle), and September 12, 1878 (below right)- all meeting, once again, at Cyrus Sanders farm…

The Iowa City Daily Republican (below) reported on the big OSA festival – held on September 23, 1882 – for the first time, at the Johnson County Fair Grounds – which was located on farmland southwest of the city (near today’s Iowa City airport). Read more here.

After a successful 1882 festival – held at the Johnson County Fair Grounds – the planning committee decided to hold their annual reunions in some different locations in the following years. The October 25, 1883 festival, for example, was held in downtown Iowa City in Ham’s Hall – the popular entertainment center located on the second floor of Daniel Ham’s building (below) on S. Dubuque Street. Read more here.

The 1884, 1885 & 1886 OSA festivals moved northward – hosted on two different sites. The 1884 gathering met on the farm (see map below) of one of Iowa City’s earliest pioneers – Sylvanus Johnson – Mr. Red Brick, as we like to call him, since he opened Iowa City’s first brick-making operation (1840), making bricks for many of Iowa City’s and SUI’s earliest buildings.

The 1885 & 1886 gatherings met at “Graves’ Grove – near Reece’s – north of city”. At the time of this post, we are not certain where Graves Grove was located – but we are assuming it was very near the Sylvanus Johnson farm.

The festivals often included talks from some of Iowa City’s oldest pioneers – like Johnson County’s first sheriff, Colonel Samuel Trowbridge (below left), and Philip Clark (below right) – the first farmer to settle in Johnson County (1836).

On August 18, 1886, General Charles W. Irish – son of the long-time Johnson County pioneer, Frederick M. Irish – came into town to share his remembrances of growing up in Johnson County. As it turned out, his talk has provided today’s historians with the most accurate overview of the earliest days of Johnson County – and the fur-traders who first ventured here in the early 1830’s. The 1886 OSA Yearbook (below left) tells us more about this special gathering, and historian Clarence Ray Aurner offers us a small portion of C.W.’s speech…

It’s important to note here that this portion of C.W. Irish’s speech includes the most accurate historical overview of the earliest fur-traders – known by name – who set foot in today’s Johnson County. Most other Johnson County historians between Irish’s time and the 1980’s inaccurately credited John Gilbert as being the first fur-trader (in the 1820’s) to work with Chief Poweshiek and his Meskwaki tribe. But, Irish gets it right when he credits William Phelps’ brother – **Stephen “Sumner” Phelps** – as the earliest trader we know by name. Sadly, however, while Irish got the name right, he had a big discrepancy in his presentation when giving us a timeline – i.e. – he missed the dates by about a decade. Too bad he didn’t have that letter from William Phelps he referred to in his talk, because most Johnson County historians today believe that Sumner Phelps first traveled up the Iowa River to trade with the Meskwaki tribes in the early 1830’s – not the early 1820’s as Irish states here. While C.W. is correct in saying that some unknown French traders might have been working here as early as 1822, it wasn’t until the late 1820’s (at the earliest) or the early 1830’s (our best estimate) when the Phelps brothers would have been trading up and down the Iowa tributaries of the Mississippi River. More details and the reasoning behind all this here.

So, continuing with Irish’s talk, C.W. now proceeds to accurately tell the Johnson County story beginning in 1836…

Which now brings us to the climactic finish to the 1886 Old Settlers’ Picnic – a very short talk from the 82-year old Philip Clark himself…

This 50th Anniversary OSA Picnic of 1886 – with over 1,000 in attendance – just might have been the most memorable because it included so many of the men and women who actually lived these Johnson County stories we now hold dear. Sadly, over the next thirteen years (1887-1900), the list of those who had passed away grew ever larger with each year’s gathering.

Beginning in **1887**, **Johnson County** moved its **Fair Grounds** from its original location on the southwest side to farmland near East Iowa City (see map above) that, today, hosts City High School.

Fortunately, in the late 1880’s, the faithful men and women of Johnson County’s Old Settlers’ Association (OSA) acted on behalf of future generations and accomplished an amazing task that actually unfolded over a thirty-one-year period. It all began in 1887 with a creative idea from Iowa City’s well-known tobacconist – Henry (H.J.) Wieneke.

Two years later, in 1889, it all culminated with the construction of two small, one-room log cabins that reflected those built by fur-traders and the first settlers during the earliest days of Johnson County.

Click here to read more about the log cabins built by the OSA.

**Johnson County Pioneers who settled near River Junction in Pleasant Valley Township** (1908) – from Clarence Ray Aurner’s “Leading Events in Johnson County History, page 120. *Back row: Zion Hill, H. Hamilton. Front row: Caleb Sweet, Mrs. Henry Walker, William Sweet, Jacob Y. Stover, and Mary Ritter. Read more about these early settlers here.*

Pictured above are Johnson County pioneers who settled in Pleasant Valley Township and held reunions in nearby River Junction (south of Iowa City) between 1910-1915. Read more about Pleasant Valley Township here.

*(C-0315)* Here’s a copy of the **1902 OSA Yearbook** being mailed to **General C.W. Irish** at his home in Elko County, Nevada. Historian Bob Hibbs marked this postal cover incorrectly as C.W. (Charles Wood) was F.M. Irish’s son – not grandson.

By 1913, OSA members had added a larger double log cabin in City Park (see pic below) – one that was patterned after John Gilbert’s original Trading Post from 1837.

And, finally, in 1918, one of those smaller, 1889 cabins joined its larger brother in City Park. Come read the full story here.

*For a complete overview of John Gilbert’s 1837 trading post and its importance in Johnson County history, click here.*

So today, we have these two beauties in City Park – a wonderful remembrance of, not only, the early settlers of Johnson County, but of the men and women of the Old Settlers’ Association who had the foresight and the follow-through to leave us these treasures for future generations.

Most every year, there were creative poems offered by a variety of authors. In closing, I thought I’d share two – one from OSA President H.W. Lathrop, and the other from Samuel Magill. Enjoy!

As best we know, the OSA reunions continued through to the 1925 gathering, when finally, the organization ended its amazing 64-year run (1861-1925).

***June 21, 1866 – The Johnson County Old Settlers Association (OSA) hold their first “festival” reunion***.

***June 13, 1876 –*** **In this Centennial year, the Old Settlers Association (OSA) decides to renew their annual festivals – holding a big reunion on the farm of Johnson County pioneer Cyrus Sanders** ***– the first since 1870.***

Kudos to the amazing resources below for the many quotes, photographs, etc. used on this page.

Thanks to FamilySearch.org – you can have full access to all of the Old Settlers’ Association yearbooks from 1866-1925. Click here for a complete index.

(BH-163) – The Johnson County Historical Society took the entire collection of Old Settlers’ Association yearbooks (1866-1925) and published them all in a one-volume book (see above). While the publication date is not listed in the volume, we believe it to be a valuable resource in our collection.