A Narrative History of The People of Iowa with SPECIAL TREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR, INDUSTRY, BUSINESS, ETC. by EDGAR RUBEY HARLAN, LL. B., A. M. Curator of the Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa Volume IV THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc. Chicago and New York 1931 Part 3 Bio of the Hon. Millard Fillmore Rohrer On October 23, 1928, at the seventy-fifth anniversary banquet and program of Council Bluffs Lodge No. 49, I. O. O. F., Mr. Rohrer made a memorable address, extracts from which are quoted below: "This lodge was established by the pioneers of Knaesville-later named Council Bluffs and hence is the pioneer fraternal order established in this city. "In order that our members may grasp the lapse of time, a few short years before the lodge was founded this state was occupied by the tribe of Pottawattamie Indians, from which tribe our county takes its name. By a treaty dated June 5, 1846, the Pottawattamies were required to move to a new reservation in Kansas, and during that year and the following their removal took place. "The following month - July, 1846, about 5,000 Mormons, headed by Brigham Young, from Nauvoo, Illinois, arrived here en route to Salt Lake City, Utah. The Mormons named this locality Kanesville in honor of Thomas L. Kane, a friend of Brigham Young. Thomas L. Kane was a younger brother of the great arctic navigator, Elisha Kent Kane. "Now, after a short lapse of seven years, an act of General Assembly of Iowa, on January 19, 1853, changed the name of the town from Kanesville to Council Bluffs, being the name selected for this locality, recorded in the diary of Lewis and Clark, who explored the Missouri River in 1804 and camped in the vicinity of Mynster Springs and held council with the Indians in the vicinity of Rainbow Point. For the information of our members I will state that in the year 1804 the main channel of the Missouri River was undoubtedly what is now known as Big Lake, and Mynster Springs emptied into the river, making it an ideal place for the Lewis and Clark expedition to camp. "Now you see, Council Bluffs Lodge No. 49 was founded only nine short months after our beloved city was christened its present name Council Bluffs, or on October 26, 1853. "The men who petitioned to establish this lodge were: Hadley D. Johnson, John T. Baldwin, J. P. Cassady, H. R. Hall, B. R. Pegram and Anson Belden. Hadley D. Johnson came here from Indiana. He was admitted to the bar of his district on the first day of the first term the district court convened in this county. He subsequently became the first senator from this district in the Legislature, and was largely instrumental in securing the passage of the special charter of this city on January 24, 1853. "John T. Balwin was always a prominent and conspicuous citizen. He was city alderman in 1856 and 1857, and mayor during the year 1877. In the year 1856 he and Gen. G. M. Dodge established the banking firm of Baldwin & Dodge, which was succeeded by our present Council Bluffs Savings Bank. He was half owner of the City Flouring Mills, which was on the site now occupied by our city auditorium. "In 1867 the Ogden House, at a cost of $85,000, was erected on the southeast corner of Broadway and Park Avenue. This was the finest hotel at that time west of Chicago, and at once took a commanding position with the traveling public. A misfortune occurred by its being burned in October, 1874. John T. Balwin was the only citizen with money and enterprise to rebuild the same, which he did in the year 1876, and for many years it was the principal hotel in Iowa and Nebraska." Later on in his speech he said: "Judge J. P. Cassady was of sturdy Scotch-Irish stock. He came to Iowa from Indiana, was admitted to the bar at Des Moines, came here and formed a partnership with Sen. Hadley T. Johnson. In 1858 he was, as an independent, elected county judge. In 1861 he was chosen a director of the Council Bluffs & Saint Joseph Railroad, and was afterward elected its president. In 1867 he was elected to the State Senate and secured the first appropriation for the erection of buildings for what was then known as the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and now known as the Iowa School for the Deaf. "B. R. Pegram was an extensive merchant on the north side of Broadway, west of First Street. He was also a banker. He was at one time a partner of Gen. G. M. Dodge in the flour milling and freighting business, and they delivered the first train load of flour in the city of Denver. He went from here to Saint Louis and was later captain of the first steamer running between Saint Louis and New Orleans. He was city treasurer in 1855. "J. B. Stutsman was a prominent merchant, member of the first city council in the year 1853 and served with the first mayor of the city, Cornelius Voorhis. He was also a member of the city council in 1854. He was forman of the first grand jury ever convened in this county. He was the first white gentile settler in this entire settlement. In later years he removed to Harlan, Iowa, continued to the retail dry goods business, and became one of the most respected citizens, and died full of years and honor. To be continued. Debbie Clough Gerischer Iowa History Project _http://iagenweb.org/history/_ (http://iagenweb.org/history/) Scott County, Iowa _http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm_ (http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! 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