Post #8 Old Books/ A Wealth Of Lost History

      

 

      Saturday August 18th found us heading to the Marion HY VEE coffee area to meet w/ C.P.  from the Iowa Office of Archaeology to hear about the “dig” @ Bowen’s Prairie before Hwy 151 went through the area.    She had e-mailed me several great documents on the project, plus another one pertaining to a dig they’d done over by Langworthy during the same time.  I was just as interested in meeting her as any information she might share.  I wanted to get a sense of her passion for history.  We had a great visit over coffee, with an offer to show us around the Historical archives in Iowa City maybe later this winter. 

      During our car trip to Marion J. A.   and I were talking about the account she’d told me about the family that had been  lost in the winter storm over by Langworthy Iowa.  She told me she’d read the story in a two volume set called   History Of Jones County Iowa  (Illustrated)  published in 1910.  “What” I said, you mean it has additional information the History of Jones County 1879   Doesn’t have???  “Oh yes” J.A.  said.  I’m thinking to myself…II have to get a copy of that set !!!!  I’d also heard from someone who’d purchased  A Centennial History Of Mount Vernon, Iowa 1847-1947   on e-bay.  After I’d heard there was such a book in existance, I wanted to get a copy of that as well.  I”m sure I could check some of these books out @ the local library, but it is such a hassle, and you never know when the “urge” (or free block of time) will happen to do some reading, so a personal copy is a priority for me.

      After we left HY Vee, we stopped @ an old book store/coffee shop called  The Sanctuary  in Marion Iowa.  Two hours later, we left w/ the book on Mt Vernon, plus A Glimpse of Iowa In 1846 (The Emigrant’s Guide),  and Iowa City an Illustrated History  by Gerald Mansheim.    I called an antique store in Anamosa called “The Gathering” , asking about the two volume Jones County History 1910.  She had it!!!  $160.00 later, it was mine.  (she only had the original set, and I’m hoping, I can recoop some of this after I publish a book my adventure)

    Here is an excerpt from History Of Jones County Iowa 1910 talking about that family who died near Langworthy I’d written about in post # 7″:
    

     ” I think it was the winter of 56 and 57 that we had a big blizzard.  Sunday morning was fair and warm for the time of the year.  The day turned out to be beautiful until about four o’clock in the afternoon.  Nearly every one that didn’t have company went some wheree.  We were at a neighbor’s that day, but got home just as the storm broke in its fury.  It was all my father could do to get from the stable to the house.  On what is now the Hosford farm on the main road, lived an Englishman by the name of Wade.  The farm was then owned by Mr. Walworth.  They were our neighbors to the South.  They had a family of ten children, the eldest a boy of nineteen and the youngest about a year old.  In the morning the father and mother drove out near Langworthy, taking the baby with them, to a Mr. Scriven’s to spend the day and also to bring one of the daughters home with them to do some sewing.  They started back while the sun was yet shining.  The storm came up so suddenly that in a few minutes it was impossible to see anything before  them.   Before they reached home they lost their way.  The horses couldn’t face the storm. ….”

     The account continues….but I need to wrap this up. 

     I’d like to include the complete account  in my yet to be published  book  On The Trail Of Lyman Dillon