Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 26, 2025
How many times Virginia's ears must have burned as we tenderly discussed the poor yellow-haired peasant girl far off there by the foaming fjords. One trouble with all of us Vandemark Township settlers was that we had no money. I had long since stopped going to church or to see anybody, because I was so beggarly-looking.
Vandemark," said she, finally, "I don't hear the perprietor of the estate say anything about lighting and stayin' a while. Help me down, Jake!" I swung her from the saddle and tied her horse. I stopped to put a halter on him, unsaddle him, and give him hay.
Vandemark Township and Monterey County, as any one may see by looking at the map of Iowa, had to be reached from Wisconsin by crossing the Mississippi at Dubuque and then fetching across the prairie to the journey's end; and in 1855 a traveler making that trip naturally fell in with a good many of his future neighbors and fellow-citizens pressing westward with him to the new lands.
Once what was called the Cow Vandemark crowd got control and kept it for years by calling the township meetings always on our own side of the slew; and then Foster Blake sneaked in a full attendance on us when we weren't looking by piling a couple of my haystacks in the trail to drive on, and it was five years before we got it back.
I was out before him this time, and helped Virginia and Mrs. Stone to get down. The judge was wrestling with the heavy bag. The governor came out to welcome us, and he and Judge Stone carried it in. Mrs. Wade, a scared-looking little woman, stood in the hall and gave me her hand as I went in. "Good evening, Mr. ," said she. "Mr. Vandemark," said the judge. "My body-guard, Mrs. Wade."
And yet, the history of Vandemark Township was in that old road that he complained of because he couldn't do a good job of breaking across it he was one of those German settlers, or the son of one, who invaded the state after the rest of us had opened it up.
He was a good enough American for Jacobus Teunis Vandemark. The next day was a wedding-day the marriage morning of the plow and the sod. It marked the beginning of the subdual of that wonderful wild prairie of Vandemark Township and the Vandemark farm.
It was a baby county, a baby state, and Vandemark Township was still struggling up toward birth. "The thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts": but after all they are only the stirrings of the event in the womb of life. I would not have married Virginia on the day after the party at Governor Wade's if she had in some way conveyed to me that she wanted me.
I told him you'd be able to show it to him." "Land already entered?" he queried. "I don't seem to remember the name of Vandemark on the records. Sure it's in this county?" I went back to the little flat package in the iron-bound trunk, found my deed, and gave it to him. He examined it closely. "Not recorded," said he. "Out near Hell Slew, somewhere.
"I know," said Gowdy. "I know. Able man, too. How did it happen that I didn't see your outfit, Mr. Vandemark? I went back over the road after I passed you there at the mud-hole, and returned, and wondered why I didn't see you. Thought you had turned off and given Monterey County up. Odd I didn't see you." And all the time he was looking at me like a lawyer cross-examining a witness.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking