Humboldt County
Historical Association
PO Box 162
Humboldt, Iowa
50548
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The Bachelors
of 1858
by
Mrs. G. C. McCauley
Program given at a meeting of the
Old Settler's Society in 1894
There were more bachelors in the county in 1858 than there are old maids now. In nearly every other cabin there were two, three or sometimes four [bachelors] living together.
The did their own cooking, but I do not know who washed the dishes. I sometimes think they washed them only on extra special occasions, for I have heard some of them say they would turn them over to keep them clean to eat on the next time. I think that is a good plan and I do not see why we have not adopted it long ago instead of making slaves of ourselves for the past thirty-five years.
It is amusing to see a man going about frying bacon, boiling potatoes, making coffee and often biscuit. They were very clean, however, and kept their cabins swept carefully. Their beds were made like the berths on steamboats, one above the other. That was to save house-room, as they had but one room, you know.
Charles Bergk commenced "baching" in a cave on the bank of the Des Moines [River] not far from the county seat. He was postmaster, recorder and treasurer. George Cruickshank was a merchant at Dakota City. Ed McKnight and George Cass are the only ones we know of who still lead a single life.
Further up the river lived the three Bellows brothers. They were fortunate to have a good sister to keep house for them until Simon Bellows found his better half. At Hand's Grove there were three Cusey Brothers. John Ford was the schoolmaster, and George Mann the County superintendent. Bradford was the first county surgeon.
Cal Beers gave the oration at the first Fourth of July celebration held in Dakota City. He was barefooted with patches on his knees.
Across the river from Hand's Grove was McCauley's bachelor hall with G. C. McCauley, Henry Badger and John Crose. When calling there one day the first object to meet our eyes was a roasted chicken hanging on the wall tied to a nail. His dishes and cooking utensils were piled on the floor in a corner of the room.
Eger Stone was the favored one. He had two sisters to keep house for him. Next then was Dave Niver and Steve Crook. From them a mile or so was George Hart and brother, with Lewis Vought and brother, with whom, in company with my parents, I had the pleasure of eating supper one evening, and we enjoyed eating it very much. It seemed quite a funny thing to me to visit a bachelor, but they were our neighbors and nothing was thought of it.
Those fellows were very hospitable. You could never pass their cabins near meal time without being urged to stay and eat with them. It was no uncommon thing for them to come home from a hard day's work and find their roast chicken eaten and nothing left but the bones, for anyone traveling about the country getting hungry, would enter a cabin and finding no one at home would help themselves to everything in the shape of eatables.
There was a party larger than all the rest held at "Wash" Hand's on Christmas Eve, when sleighs were sent out in all directions. The girls and bachelors were all gathered in. An elegant dinner was served. Then we all went to the school house to play games, as that was a Methodist settlement and dancing was not allowed. "Wash" Hand stayed to see all things were in order and said all should start for home before twelve as this was Saturday night (and they must keep the Sabbath.)
They were a merry crowd as their sleighs flew over the snow on their homeward way and each one was left at his or her door. As time went on quite a number of matches were made. The bachelors said they were tired of washing dishes, so when a girl would promise to get three meals a day 365 times a year, she was the one chosen. Today we can look over the crowd and see many white-haired fathers and grandfathers who were the bachelors of the early days of 1858.
(Note: An examination of the records in the Humboldt County Courthouse reveal that there was an unusual number of marriages in 1859.)