Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/406

, they were unable to hold these valuable lands. A few months later David W. Walton of Indiana made a claim on Sugar Creek, a name he gave to the stream owing to the sugar maples growing along its banks. He built a cabin and early the following spring moved his family to the new home. They were probably the first permanent settlers in the county. In May, 1836, Enos Nye of Ohio took a claim on the bank of Cedar River four miles west of Walton’s. In June, 1836, Andrew Crawford and Robert G. Roberts made claims in the central part of the county. In July of the same year James Posten made a claim in the eastern part of the county in the grove which bears his name. George McCoy and Stephen Toney settled on the east bank of the Cedar River in 1836 where McCoy established a ferry. In August McCoy and Toney laid out a town which they named Rochester, for the city of that name in New York. Benjamin Nye opened the first store and built a mill near the mouth of Rock Creek. Rev. Martin Baker, a Christian minister, was the pioneer preacher in the county, beginning services in 1836. Moses B. Church taught the first school in 1837 at the house of Colonel Henry Hardman.

In 1837 Rochester was made the county-seat and there the first election was held in March, 1838, at which the following officers were elected: Christian Holderman, treasurer; Robert G. Roberts, register, and Richard Ransford, J. M. Oaks and Joseph Wilford, commissioners. The first court was held in May, 1838, at Rochester, Judge David Irwin presiding. In 1839 commissioners were chosen by the Legislature to select a location for permanent county-seat. The site was located near the geographical center of the county and named Tipton for General John Tipton, United States Senator from Indiana. A town was platted in 1840 by John G. Tolman, the county surveyor, on a claim made in 1836 by William M. Knott, and the first sale of lots took place on the 15th