Readers will be familiar with the 1862 Homestead act, where the US Government provided 160 acres of land to a claimant, who had never taken arms against the United States, with the claimant being required to improve and cultivate the property. If after five years, the original filer had improved their holding, they could, for a small fee, own all of the property. For a small filing fee and a cost of $1.25/ acre you could forgo the five year improvement and purchase the property outright. The west was settled due to the Homestead Act, which of course was at the time of the Civil War. Most readers are probably not aware of the Bounty Land Warrant applications. There are bounty claims in the land ownership chain that my great grandfather Martin Hovel purchased in Iowa.
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| 1852 Original Approved Land Survey, Part of now T of Lincoln, Worth Co, IA Source: see endnotes |
The bounty land applications provided land to soldiers who served in a variety of US conflicts from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and what are referred to as the "Indian Wars." Over the course of several years, Martin acquired three different parcels in the town of Lincoln, Worth County, IA. His first purchase, the home farm, deed was signed 21 Dec 1877 for the N1/2 NE1/4 section 34 T98N R20W (town of Lincoln) consisting of about 80 acres, although divided by a railroad, he also had a road running along the north and east sides of the property. No easement for the road is provided on the deed. The plat maps show the road fully in his section, not divided between sections. His second purchase was on 22 Sep 1891 directly southeast of the home farm at 47.91 acres, this parcel included a 20' wide access strip (which does not show on the plat maps). His third parcel, of 42.8 acres, adjoined the same rail line, was acquired on 28 Mar 1908.
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| First part of deed US Government to Olive Hurlburt Source: see endnotes |
All three have history in the Bureau of Land Management Records of being sold to a person who serve in a war. The first to a Revolutionary War soldier, the second to one in the War of 1812, and the third to those who served in the Blackhawk Wars.
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| Property Assigned to Wm Stevens, by Olive Hurlburt N1/2 NE 1/4 S 34 Source: see endnotes |
At least for the main farm we know from news articles that Martin broke the prairie sod on that farm and was considered a pioneer farmer. When Martin and Amelia arrived in the area in the fall of 1877, the city of Manly, actually Manly Junction at the time, only consisted of two buildings, the railroad dept and the Harris (later Knowles) general store. This makes sense as the city was first platted in 1877 and was at the junction of two railroads, the Rock Island and the Chicago Great Western. Martin's brother John, appears to have moved to Worth County, town of Union in about 1873. Of their seven siblings all but Rose would eventually move to Iowa and all, at least for a time, farmed the land in the vicinity. It was the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad that ran through or bordered all of his three holdings.
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| P 1 of 1937 VA letter |
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| P. 2 of 1937 VA letter Source: see endnotes |
Let me focus on the records for the home farm, purchased 21 Dec 1877. The whole NE1/4 of section 34 was acquired by Olive Hurlburt widow of Timothy Hurlburt who served as a private in the Revolutionary War. Hurlburt was born in Connecticut, and first volunteered in July 1776. He served in a Connecticut regiments. He moved to Berkshire County, MA in 1781 and married Olive in 1811. (town of Pittsfield), the same general area where my wife's Goff family lived. Timothy died 12 Jul1838 in Pittsfield. His widow was granted bounty land on 23 Mar 1855, and was about 84 years of age at the time.
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| 1930 Plat Map Source: University of Iowa |
For some unknown reason on 3 July 1937 Mrs. Florence Lawton of Rockford, IL requested information from the Veteran Administration regarding Hurlburt's pension and his receipt of bounty land of 160 acres (the NE1/4 s 34). In response of 27 July the assistant director of the VA responded with detailed information. My grandfather Rudy Hovel owned the former Hurlburt bounty land at the time, having acquired the home farm from his father Martin by deed signed 14 Dec 1912. Rudy paid $8,400 for the home "80" and the 42.8 acres in section 27 (the latter acquired in 1908 by Martin). Rudy moved to Wisconsin in 1930, but continued to own the farm until he and my grandmother sold the farm to CW Broderson on 24 Nov 1942. It would have been interesting to find out why Lawton was interested in Hurlburt's pension as the VA was not aware of any children of the Timothy and Olive. Anyway, the deed is clear that ownership was promptly assigned to William H Stevens of Berkshire, MA and his heirs. The deed was signed by President James Buchanan on 1 Jan 1859. Iowa entered the Union as a state on 28 Dec 1846.
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| 1913 Plat Map Source: University of Iowa |
The Stevens ownership set off a series of transfers, likely related mainly to land speculation which was rampant in the era. William H Stevens continued to live in Berkshire and sold the 160 acres to for $300 to Fayette Richmond of Mitchell, Co, IA on 27 April 1870. Less than a month later, on 24 May, Richmond sold the 160 acre property to John Butler and his wife for $600. Both deeds were recorded on the same day in June.
As the area started to develop land values started to increase. John Butler sold the 160 acres for $2,000 to L.S. Butler and his wife and the unmarried E.W. Smith. The deed was signed 8 Apr 1876, and recorded two days later. Within a few months they then sell the 160 acre property to Joseph Bohm by a deed signed 3 July 1876 for $2,000. Notarization of the signatures, of Smith occurred in Pennsylvania in August, but LS Butler did not have his signature notarized until 9 Sep, which is odd as his spouse, Julia's signature was notarized in early August.
Bohm paid the same price for the 160 acres as did the sellers. 1876 was at the end of the panic that started in 1873 with major financiers over extended on loans to railroad magnates. Although, the true start was bank collapses overseas. Bohm would then sell the north half of the NE1/4 of section 34 to my great grandfather, Martin Hovel for $970. Martin married Amelia Duscheck in January of that year, and a pamphlet produced for Manly's centennial (1977) indicates couple moved to Iowa in the fall of that year.
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| The Three Parcels on a present time air photo |
The U.S. government must have been having a fire sale on Iowa land. Martin's daughters grandfather, so my second great grandfather, Andreas Pitzenberger, acquired property in Winneshiek County Iowa, which is eastern part of the state on 1 Jul 1859. I am not sure how it was decided what land was bounty land, but I have to think the Manly land was just developing at the time. My grandmother used to clerk at a general store two of her brothers owned in Manly, the Pitzenberger General Store, and my aunt recalls Ida telling stories of how Native Americans would stop by and they would give them some food or other goods. I guess it is the least that could be done for a group driven from the land by the government.
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| Martin Hovel deed to Iowa home farm signed 21 Dec 1877 Source: Worth Co Recorder's office |
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| Signature block of Martin's home farm deed Recorded 12 Jan 1878 Source: Worth Co Recorder's office |
Sources/Endnotes:
Hurlburt letter: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/196077693?objectPage=19 (also page 1-56)
Hurlburt Deed: https://glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx#searchTabIndex=0
Initial land survey: https://glorecords.blm.gov
Other Deeds: Worth County Recorder Office. Big thanks to the kind public servants of said office who located and electronically provided the records to the author.
1977, Culver, Marjorie. Manly Memories 1877-1977.
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