History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/3/Counties/Buchanan
BUCHANAN COUNTY is in the third tier west of the Mississippi River and in the third south of the Minnesota line; embraces an area of five hundred and seventy-six square miles and is divided into twenty congressional townships. It was established in December, 1837, and at that time contained all of that portion of the original county of Dubuque lying directly west from Delaware to the Missouri River. The county was named for James Buchanan, afterwards President of the United States. The name was suggested by S. P. Stoughton a prominent Democrat of the new county. In 1843 the territory was reduced to its present limits.
The first white man known to have settled in the county was William Bennett who with his family came from Delaware County in February, 1842, took a claim and built a log cabin on the east bank of the Wapsipinicon River where Quasqueton was afterwards laid out. Soon after S. G. and S. H. Sanford and Ezra Allen took claims in the same vicinity. Early in the spring Dr. Edward
FIELD STREWN WITH BOWLDERS,
In Buchanan County
Brewer, R. B. Clark and Frederick Kessler joined the first settlers. In 1845 a post-office was established named Quasqueton with William Richards as postmaster. The town was laid out by D. S. Davis in 1847, the name being of Indian origin and signifying “rapid water.” In 1847 the commissioners selected to locate a county-seat, chose the site where Independence stands. Rufus B. Clark was the first to call attention to this spot as a beautiful location for a town and, associating himself with N. A. McClure and S. P. Stoughton, entered a quarter section of land embracing the water power and a portion of the ground upon which Independence was built. In March, 1847, Mr. Clark built a log cabin on the land thus entered which was the first house in Independence. A dam was built across the river, a sawmill erected, a store opened and a post-office secured by the proprietors of the new town during the year 1848. Mr. Clark kept a hotel in his two-room log cabin while Mr. Stoughton opened a store and kept the post-office in his cabin. Edward Brewster practiced medicine and kept a school in his house.
The county was organized in 1848 by the election of the following officers: Elijah Beardsley, judge; E. D. Phelps, sheriff; S. P. Stoughton, clerk; and Elijah Beardsley, prosecuting attorney. The first term of the District Court was held in April, 1849, by James Grant, judge of the Third District. In May, 1855, B. F. Parker and James Hillery issued the first number of a newspaper named the Independence Civilian. In December, 1856, Jacob Rich and Mr. Jordon began the publication of the Quasqueton Guardian in the rival town. The first railroad built into the county was the Dubuque and Sioux City, which reached Independence in December, 1859.
During the session of the Legislature of 1868, Senator William G. Donnan secured the passage of an act providing for the location and building of an additional Hospital for the Insane at Independence.