in Makee township and William Gamsin and John Haney at Lansing. In 1839 Henry Johnson, a discharged soldier, built a cabin near the mouth of Paint Creek where he lived several years with Indian wives. Johnsonport was named for him. A military road was opened by the Government about this time, on the west side of the Mississippi between Fort Crawford and Fort Atkinson and, in 1841, Joel Post obtained permission to keep a public house in the Government building. Here at the “Half Way House” he and his wife often entertained Captains E. V. Sumner, Nathaniel Lyon, Lieutenants Alfred Pleasanton and Jefferson Davis at that time young officers in the regular army but afterwards famous leaders in the War of the Rebellion. The village of Postville now occupies the ground where the old public house stood and takes its name from the landlord of pioneer times. In 1840 Jesse Danley built a dam across the Yellow River and erected a saw mill. In 1841 Jacob Rynerson settled in the Old Mission and, after the removal of the Winnebago Indians, the property was purchased by Thomas C. Linton who was selected sheriff in 1848 to organize the county.
The first county-seat was located a mile and a half northwest of Rossville and was named Columbus. In 1848 Archy Whaley settled east of Waukon and William C. Thompson and Professor Whaley came in 1849. The first county officers were chosen the same year; Elias Topliff, county judge; John B. Twiford, clerk; James M. Sumner, recorder and treasurer. In 1851 Father Thomas Hore, a Catholic missionary, settled at Wexford where he founded a colony of his countrymen from Ireland. He there built the first church in the county. In 1848 H. H. Houghton made a claim where Lansing stands and in 1851 he and John Hainey laid out the town of Lansing. The first houses were rude log cabins. The first court was held in Columbus in July, 1852, by Judge Thomas S. Wilson. In 1851 the first newspaper was established by
