B. T. Hoxie, in 1845, kept store at the Ewing Agency. In the Spring of 1846, when the prohibition in regard to settling on the west side was removed, he transferred his goods and business to the sutler's cabin on the other side of the river. R. W. Sypher, and other business men, followed his example. In the Fall of 1843, the first Government Annuity in what was afterward called Polk County, was paid to the Indians. Every year thereafter, until the Indians were removed from their reservation, the annuity was paid, bringing to the Fort a large number of visitors to witness the festivities of such an occasion. To the Indians, these were grand gala days, in which their distinctive traits of character were fully exemplified; and the white spectators either looked on, or participated in the varied and fantastic amusements.

It is worthy of historic mention here, as one event in a very eventful year, that in 1846, as a response to local peti. tions, the Congress of the United States passed a special act, authorizing the agents of Polk County to pre-empt 160 acres of land in legal subdivisions, for the plat of the County Seat. If Fort Des Moines had failed to secure the County Seat, this special act would have been inoperative and void, so far at least as it applied to Fort Des Moines. About 140 of the 160 acres thus pre-empted, were secured for the County Seat.

Among the business men of Fort Des Moines between 1846, and 1850, were the following: W. W. Clapp, Provision Grocer near the junction of the Des Moines and 'Coon rivers; L. D. Winchester & Co., Grocery and Dry. goods, near foot of Second street; A. J. Davis, Drygoods, Second and Market; James Campbell, Grocery and Drygoods, corner Second and Vine; Joseph Crews, Liquor Saloon, Second and Market; R. W. Sypher, Drygoods and Grocery, Second street; Lyon & Allen, Drygoods, Second street; C. Good, Drugs, Second and Elm; Benjamin Cof

feen, Drygoods, Second and Market; Wm. Kraus, Clothing, Second street; B. T. Hoxie, Drygoods, Second and Market.

Cole and Winchester commenced business in 1847, on Second street; and later in the season James Sherman was included among the business men of that locality. Chaplin & Thompson and Campbell & McMullen were also on Second street.

William Lamb has the reputation of building one of the first dwelling houses in the county, near Allen's old packing house; and history gives B. T. Hoxie the credit of keeping the first regular citizens' store. Mr. Hoxie was a good and true man, and was summoned to his reward many years since. His son, H. M. Hoxie, was the popular Clerk of the District Court twenty years ago, and was, during the war, U. S. Marshal for the State. He is now a railroad officer in Texas

The first frame house was built by Addison Michæl in 1847, and the first brick by L. D. Winchester. This latter gentleman, who afterward removed to California, was a relative by marriage of Dr. D. V. Cole, now of this place, and for thirty years closely identified with our progress. To him we have been largely indebted for many of these reminiscences of early times. His cousin, I. J. Cole, who also went to California, was engaged in business on Second street in 1848. The same year, 1848, Alfred M. Lyon and B. F. Allen sold goods in one of the barracks buildings; Allen afterwards built on the corner of Second and Vine and continued to sell goods until he ultimately went into the banking business. For more than a score of years, B. F. Allen maintained a financial reputation of which any man ought to be proud. He grew from year to year in wealth and prosperity, until he was recognized as the richest and most influential banker in Iowa. During the monetary crisis of 1857, when men everywhere in the West who had achieved high business reputations, were swept into

forlorn and hopeless bankruptcy, he stood unshaken amid the storm, not only preserving his own great credit, but furnishing a currency for our local business when all other helps had failed, and at the same time stretching out a strong hand to save men from sinking, who to-day, because of this timely assistance in their hour of peril and threatened ruin are riding on the topmost wave of commercial prosperity,

Alfred M., Jonathan, and Harrison Lyon, were associated in those days with the growth of our city. Two of them are still living among us; but the third, Alfred M. Lyon, as noble a patriot as ever gave his life to his country, went into the battle at Black River Bridge, when his position as sutler demanded no such service, and lost his life while fighting gallantly for the Union. J. M. Griffiths & Co. started a store on Second street, in 1848. One of the first houses in town was built by David Solenberger, July, 1846. The dimensions were 18x20, one story high. A man by the name of Vanatta, had a turning lathe in those times employed in manufacturing chairs and other articles. There was an Apothecary's shop also, dispensing medicines to the public.

Hoyt and L. P. Sherman, Isaac Cooper, and R. L. Tidrick, were at an early period embraced among the business men of Ft. Des Moines.

W. W. Jones came to this county, April 27th, 1847, from Jefferson County, Indiana. He bought a lot on the corner of Third and Vine streets, Fort Des Moines; and he claims that he erected on it the first frame dwelling house in the town. This old building forms a part of the present Monitor House, and the lot on which Mr. Jones' house was built was a part of the original plat of the town, purchased by him of the County authorities.

W. W. Jones states that, in 1848, he gathered blackberries in the vicinity of the site of the Jones House, in East Des Moines.

It is claimed by James Holcomb, that Lewis Whitton built in 1846, in the rear of the barracks on Coon River, the first frame house in Fort Des Moines.

The following list embraces the attorneys of the same period: P. M. Casady, J. M. Perry, Wm. McKay, R. L. Tidrick, Col. Tom Baker, C. Ben. Darwin, W. W. Williamson, A. T. Reynolds, A. D. Jones, Barlow Granger, W. D. Frazee, John Howe, W. H. McHenry, and O. R. Jones.

The physicians were: Drs. F. C. Grimmel, P. B. Fagan, H. H. Saylor, Wesley Kirkbride, D. V. Cole, T. K. Brooks, Henry Grimmel, and Wm. Baker.

The garrison buildings were supplied with brick chimneys, and were whitewashed inside and out. A spectator standing on Capitol Hill, and looking westward over the face of the country, would, in 1847, have estimated the apparent population of Fort Des Moines at 300 or 400. The two rows of cabins, stretching along the rivers, and the straggling buildings in the vicinity, had a picturesque appearance to the beholder.

OUTLOOK FROM 1846 TO 1850-CONTINUED.

Reuben W. Sypher came to Fort Des Moines from Indiana, in September, 1846. His first employment was to sell goods at the trading post of Phelps & Co. The cabin occupied by the sutler while the soldiers were here, was located near where the Rock Island passenger depot now stands. B. T. Hoxie sold goods at this cabin in 1847. He sold out to Benjamin Coffeen; and but a short time afterwards, Mr. Sypher sold goods at the same place.

The old Government Agency, as distinguished from the trading posts of Phelps & Co., J. B. and W. A. Scott, and the Ewings, was situated on Agency Prairie, as mentioned in another place. Here from the year 1842, to the year 1845, Major Beach acted as Indian Agent, recognizing the services of Joseph Smart as Interpreter.

In the Fall of 1847, Mr. Sypher transferred his business

to his new store building on the northeast corner of Second and Vine streets. It will be remembered that at the time specified, the business of the new town was confined almost exclusively to the Barracks, and to the southern part of Second street. When, therefore, Mr. Sypher proposed to build a business house as far north as Vine srreet, which, by the way, was but one square from Market street, the citizens laughed at him for his supposed folly; but time proved the wisdom of his new enterprise.

The office of the Regimental Surgeon was on the East side of Second street, between Market and Elm. After the removal of the Surgeon, the cabin was occupied by Dr. P. B. Fagan. Near this office was the shop of J. M. Thrift, the company's tailor. The barns in which the horses of the dragoons were kept, were built of frame, and located a little west of what is known as Fifth street. One of these barns was subsequently removed to the rear of the Marvin House on Third street, and was used there as a stable. In 1846, W. A. Scott, a whole souled and public spirited man, cultivated a large farm on the prairies south of the Railroad lines, east of the river, within the present city limits.

Between the dates given at the head of this article, the different settlements in the County were popularly known as follows: Apple Grove, in Beaver township; Wallace's Prairie, in Camp township, where Lafayette stands; Trullinger's Grove, in Franklin township; Four Mile Settlement, Mud Creek, Saylor's Grove, and Hopkins' Grove; the last of which is in the Northern part of the County. These settlements were all East of the Des Moines river. On the West were Ayers' Grove, Walnut Creek and McClain's Settlements, Keokuk Prairie, and Linn Grove; the last, though now in Warren, was formerly in Polk County.

There is a little indefiniteness in regard to the recognized boundaries of Keokuk Prairie. From all the information we have received on this subject, we would say that this