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and selected claims for future farms. They built cabins and fences, and in February, 1833, moved their families, stock and farm implements to their claims. They had begun to break up the land for crops, when the commander at Fort Armstrong sent a detachment of troops to drive them off. Their cabins and fences were burned by the soldiers and they retreated to the Illinois side, but prepared to return as soon as the Indians were removed.
Morton M. McCarver and Simpson S. White with their families crossed and made claims within the limits of the city of Burlington in 1833 and established a ferry across the river to carry emigrants with their teams and goods. They were the first settlers in Burlington. In the fall William R. Ross brought a stock of goods and opened the first store in the place. In November, 1833, the original town was laid out and platted by Benjamin Tucker and William R. Ross.*
In this same year of 1832 settlement was made near the mouth of the Skunk River. This region was seen to be especially fertile with convenient supplies of wood and water. Among those who staked out claims in this vicinity were Joseph Edwards, Jeremiah Buford, William Lee, Young L. Huges, Joseph York, Jeremiah Cutbirth and John Moore. Their claims were in the vicinity of the town of Augusta as now located and in what is now Lee and Des Moines counties. They cut logs and built cabins and fenced and broke up land for farms. But the Indians had not yet parted with possession of their lands, complaint was made to the authorities and a company of soldiers came upon the settlers one day and drove them from their claims to the east side of the Mississippi. They were determined to hold their new homes and, after the troops were sent away, the squatters again crossed to the west side, took possession of their claims and thus became
* John Gray, a friend of the proprietors and a Vermonter, suggested the name, and it was decided to call the new town Burlington for the city of that name in Vermont.
