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From: "Cathy Joynt Labath" <>
Subject: [IAPALOAL] History of West Bend cont...
Date: Wed, 7 May 2003 17:33:26 -0500


...continued...
West Bend Journal
May 30, 1956
Centennial Edition

First History Written of 100 Year Old Town
Original Site on West Fork of the Des Moines River
By Mrs. Ed Nessen


As we note, all down thru history, in every country, war plays a major
part. During the early settlement of Palo Alto Co. the Civil War was waged.
A.B. Carter of West Bend was the first to enlist from this county, on August
2, 1861, at Fort Dodge. In 1862 James Linn and Wm. D. Powers enlisted their
regiment was in active service until it was mustered out in June, 1865.
During the early part of the war practically no settlers came to this
county, in 1863 the whole population was 142 people.
In May of the year 1863 Mr. and Mrs. Geo. J. Jacobs, Sr. and family of
5 small children left Wisconsin for Iowa by oxen and wagon first coming to
Fort Dodge. Mr. Jacobs came alone to the West Bend settlement first to
choose the homestead. On July 31, 1863 the entire family came to the
homestead in Section 22, West Bend Twp. and a log house with a sod roof was
built. a terrible prairie fire this first fall burned this family out except
for the log house. The winter supply of hay (which had been cut with a
scythe was gone) and some of the horses and cattle died from lack of feed.
Food for the family was very scarce and the last dinner the family had, they
had ground up what seed corn was left.
Mr. Jacobs and his son Henry H. broke prairie all one summer with a
yoke of oxen. The latter made trips to the nearest trading post at Fort
Dodge by oxen for supplies.
Here on the Jacobs Homestead, where Donald Jacobs, grandson of the
early settler Geo. Jacobs, Sr. now lives and farms, was located the first
blacksmith shop and a store. Also for 14 years the post office was located
here. In those pioneer days the families "took turns", so to speak, at
operating the post office. It was just in 1948 that the original building
that housed the post office and store was torn down, on the Jacobs farm.
H.H. Jacobs (was a brother of Geo. Jacobs, living here in West Bend) ran the
stage between Humboldt and Emmetsburg, hauling both mail and passengers. The
Jacobs Homestead was the stopping point for meals and overnight lodging and
the Jacobs family was noted for its hospitality. Mr. Jacobs continued to
drive stage until the railroad went thru in 1881 and West Bend was started
at its present location. He then built a store and put in a stock of
groceries that cost him $855, considered quite a stock in those days. The
next summer he added dry goods and other general merchandise, and had the
most complete and largest store outside Emmetsburg.
Geo. Jacobs, Jr., 83, who is a resident of West Bend, having retired
from farming several years ago, recalls many interesting incidents from his
boyhood. He remembers that the Indians would come to the store and beg for
flour and salt, which they would always receive. These Indians never caused
trouble. Sometimes the Jacobs boys would go down to the river where the
Indians were camped. They would stick a willow in the ground, notch the end
of it and place a penny there. The Indian that shot the penny out of the
willow with a bow and arrow could have it.
Geo.Jacobs, Sr. passed away in 1904 at tha age of 83 and his wife in
1922 at the age of 92. Geo. Jacobs, Jr. owns the original homestead, where
his son Donald, 3rd generation, lives at the present time.
After the War several new settlers came into the West Bend Colony.
Among them were C.G. Groves, John Dewitt, Jas. Johnson, Ira D. Stone, Joseph
Knapp, John P. Bickle, Dan Ditch, Jeremiah Kelly, Michael Karsh and several
others.
Among the other early settlers in West Bend twp, in 1868 were E.P.
Vance, John F. Little, and Frank Little. In 1869 Geo. Brown, J.E. Stone, and
J.C. Felhauer; in 1870, W.H. Booth and Sam Post, in 1871, Julius Thatcher,
Sol Huntley and S.W. Ballard.

..to be cont...

Cathy Joynt Labath
Palo Alto Co, IA USGenWeb Project
http://www.celticcousins.net/paloalto/index.htm


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