History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/3/Counties/Woodbury
WOODBURY COUNTY is one of the largest in the State, embracing an area of eight hundred seventy-three square miles. It was first named Wahkaw but changed to Woodbury, January 22, 1851, in honor of Judge Levi Woodbury of the United States Supreme Court. The county lies on the Missouri River in the fourth tier south of Minnesota. Along the river in this vicinity is a broad expanse of level bottom land of great fertility, varying in width from five to ten miles. The bluffs beyond are high, steep and in places broken into deep ravines and lofty ridges, gradually spreading out into gently rolling prairie. The principal interior streams are the Floyd River, branches of the Little Sioux and Maple rivers and Perry Creek. The Big Sioux forms a part of the western boundary.
The Indian title to this part of Iowa was extinguished in 1847. Early in 1848, forty-four years after this region was visited by the Lewis and Clark exploring expedition, a single adventurous pioneer, William Thompson, made his way up the Missouri valley and settled at Floyd’s Bluff, within the limits of what is now Woodbury County. Here he built a log cabin, opened trade with the Indians and laid out a town which he named Thompsonville. After Wahkaw County was created this became the county-seat, but having no steamboat landing, made but little progress and in a few years was abandoned. In May, 1849, Theophile Brugnier a Frenchman who had married an Indian wife, built a cabin on the bluff near the mouth of the Big Sioux about two miles above where Sioux City stands. In the fall of the same year Robert Perry, an eccentric but well educated man from Washington D. C., settled near a creek where Sioux City stands; he lived there several years and his name was given to the creek. In 1850
FLOOD PLAIN OF THE MISSOURI, ABOVE SIOUX CITY.
Showing the Big Sioux River.
Paul Paquette built a cabin about two miles from the mouth of the Big Sioux River.
In 1853, soon after the change of name, the county was organized and the county-seat located at Floyd’s Bluff. The first county officials were Marshal Townsley, judge; Hiram Nelson, recorder and treasurer; and Joseph P. Babbitt, clerk. At this time Woodbury County embraced a large territory north and east which has since been divided into several counties. In 1854 J. K. Cook, a government contractor, came with a party and bought claims in the vicinity of Sioux City. Among those who owned claims in this locality was the gallant General Lyon who was killed at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, the first year of the Civil War. In the winter of 1854 Sioux City was platted and among the pioneers in and about the new town were Joseph Lionels, Hiram Nelson, Francis Chappel, G. W. Chamberlin and Marshal Twonsley. In July 1855, a stage line was established supplying the town with weekly mail. The first term of court was held at Floyd’s Bluff by Judge Riddle in September, 1855. Numerous settlers arrived in Sioux City early in 1856 and the population of the new town was one hundred fifty. By a vote of the people the county-seat was moved from Floyd’s Bluff to Sioux City where a United States Land office was established in 1855.
The Omaha, a steamboat from St. Louis, arrived at Sioux City in June, 1856, loaded with provisions and lumber framed ready to be converted into houses. In July a steam sawmill was built. The first white women in the new town were Mrs. S. H. Casady and Mrs. J. R. Myers who arrived with their husbands in the summer of 1855. By the close of the year 1856 the population had increased to more than four hundred, and ninety buildings had been erected. On the Fourth of July, 1857, S. W. Swiggett issued the first number of a weekly newspaper named the Iowa Eagle.
In 1853 Mr. Shook settled on the Little Sioux River at a place which took the name of Correctionville. R. Candreau, C. Bacon and M. Kellogg arrived the next year. For many years Correctionville was a station on the old stage line from Fort Dodge to Sioux City. Another one of the early settlements was made on the Little Sioux River near the south line of the county at Smithland. In 1857, when Inkpaduta’s band of Sioux Indians came through this settlement on the way to Spirit Lake, hostile demonstrations were made and the settlers gathered and disarmed a number of the Indians. The savages stole other arms, however, and continued their journey up the valley.
Sergeant’s Bluff was laid out in 1856 by Crockwell and Dr. Wright of Independence. It was a rival of Sioux City, lying six miles south. In 1857 a newspaper was established by Cummings and Ziebach, named the Western Independent which was later removed to Sioux City where it became the Sioux City Register. The Sioux City and Pacific Railroad was completed to Sioux City in March, 1868.