The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa Thursday, June 15, 1905 'BACK TO THE PIONEER DAYS' - - - - - - - The local society of English Township is collecting early history and sketches of pioneer settlers. ISAAC C. CAIN, who is perhaps the oldest settler in Lucas County, now temporarily in Washington, contributes the following which is handed us by Marshal Dunsbee: Manor, Washington; June 10, 1905. In accordance with my promise to give some facts in connection with the early days of English Township and my family parentage, I write you. My grandfather, CHAS. W. MCGLOTHLIN, was of Scottish origin, and JANE DAVIS, his wife, French; and my grandparents on the other side were ABIJAH CAIN, Irish, and MARTHA CAIN, his wife, English. This forms a cosmopolitan parentage. They all emigrated from North Carolina to Kentucky thence to Ohio and from there to Fountain County, Indiana. There GEORGE CAIN and REBECCA MCGLOTHLIN, my parents, were married, and there I was born in Dec. 1825, and emigrated to Iowa with my parents in 1841, settling in Monroe County, where I was married to ELIZABETH J. LEEPER in Nov. 1848. Our first child, C.J. CAIN, was born in said county Dec. 30, 1849. I came to Lucas County and pre-empted land in August, 1850, and moved there in September of the same year. There were only four families living between Knoxville and Chariton and one between Newbern ! and Chariton at that time -- a distance of 38 miles. The land which I pre-empted lined Newbern on the south and west and my house was built of logs. We moved into it before it was completed. The puncheon floor was only half laid, no chinking between the logs and no door when a severe snow storm caught us. Besides we had no stove; no chimney. It also was without stable for my team. The cabin was the first house where the town of Newbern now stands. RANSON DAVIS laid out the town of Newbern and built the first house near mine. Rev. JOSEPH HOWARD was the first minister of the gospel of the township and settled on land joining mine on the west. This was in the same year we came (*can't read)...three churches, the Cumberland Presbyterians and after them the United Brethren. My first crop of wheat in the county brought 18 bushels per acre and was cut with a cradle. WILLIAM STUART and SANFORD SMITH cut ten acres of wheat in one day. This was near Newbern. PLEASANT WILLI! AMS and myself built the first mill in Lucas County -- a saw mill on Big White Breast, later it was changed to a grist mill. I burned the first (*can't read) in the county on Long Branch (?) in English Township. The first potters ware made in the county was by (?) CAIN, on English Creek. The year 1861 has been designated as the year of the flood. it began to rain the 8th day of May and continued until all streams were impassable, there being no bridges. Our family (?) present supply of flour and as none could get any ground (?) then boiled corn grown the year before, grated it and then made our (?) for six weeks. MARTIN WILLIS and myself made sugar on White Breast two seasons -- 1854 and 1856. (?) I sowed the first timothy seed in the county. It was thought by people that it would not be a success, but I got quite a good crop. Wolves were very pleanty. I have seen as many as five together in the month of February in the early fifties. Settlers were very sociable and if a log cabin was ready to be raised -- the neighbors would turn out and help, without invitation. DR. CHAS. (?) began the practice of medicine in Lucas County and as bridges and (?) were sources he traveled much on horse back, stopping at cabins when hungry for milk and corn bread. If the folks were not at home he would help himself and feed his horse anyway. The Doctor (?) to tell of those days and laughs. He came to my house one very hot day and found no one at home. He was very sick, and had tied his horse and laid down in the shade when I came home and found him going to vomit but it seemed he could not. I fixed him a pallet and helped him to take a vomit, saying "that is what you would do with me." (?) he replied, "I could give it in but it would make me so sick. Bring me some warm water." He lost his hat in tying his ho! rse, which I found for him and after he recovered from his sun stroke started for his home at Chariton. I have spoken of the Rev. JOSEPH HOWARD. He was a (?) Cumberland Presbyterian and did not like to baptize by immersion. At a protracted meeting he had previously one of the converts desired to be baptized by immersion. This (?) to either comply or lose a (?), so the time was set and the (?) a neighboring stream, selected (?) goodly number of people were there to witness the ceremony. The minister waded into the stream, selected (?) to witness the ceremony. But on account of the adverse (?) of the preacher and for (?) reasons. The minister waded into the stream with the convert (?) to administer the sacrament but in some unaccountable way the subject got away from the man and made his way to the nearest shore while the preacher was assisted up the opposite slope, remarking as he reached terra-firma, "I didn't believe much in it, nohow." Thus unceremoniously terminated a meeting that failed of its original purpose. We bought most of our store goods at Eddyville. I made two trips to the Mississippi River -- to Burlington and Keokuk. Later two trips to Missouri, 200 miles, for apples which I sold at $2.00 a bushel. The years '47 and '48 were the dryest I ever saw in Iowa. The prairie grass dried in August until it burned readily. The ground cracked open until we could run sticks from four to six feet. These crevices ran east and west across the divide. RANSON DAVIS, JOSEPH STUART and myself built a steam mill in newbern. Old TOMMY WILSON was the first storekeeper and about this time WESCOAT & WAYNICK located in Chariton. -- Yours truly, ISAAC C. CAIN. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert September 1, 2004 *Note that the left side of the paper had quite of lot of words missing and was extremely dark -- so there are lots of question marks...