Person:Isaac Lesh (1)

Steamboat Rock, Clay Township, Hardin Co., IA was originally Platted on February 14, 1855, by Isaac N. Lesh, Sanford Baldwin [brother-in-law to Isaac], John Royal and Charles Boyles, on section 28, township 88, range 19. Originally known as Lithopolis.

STEAMBOAT ROCK - This town is pleasantly situated on the east bank of Iowa River, five miles above Eldora, on the line of the Central Railroad of Iowa, and was laid out in 1855, the original proprietors being Isaac N Lesh, Charles Boyle and John Royal. S B Cunningham sold the first goods here, in October, 1855, opening his stock in a stable covered with prairie hay. The town takes its name from a large projecting rock on the river bluff at this point, which as a distance presents the appearance of a steamboat.

Source: http://www.rootsweb.com/~iahardin/html/towns.html (Hardin County Rootsweb site)

BY ISAAC NEWTON LESH

We landed in Iowa, at Dubuque, from Indiana, about the first of May, 1854, Traveled across the country before there was any railroads thought of in Iowa, in a two horse wagon, on bad roads, through deep streams, various little mishaps, till we got to Cedar River, at Cedar Falls, where the ferry boat was sunk. I had my choice, to remain a week, til it could be raised, or cross in a canoe, leaving my wife and team on the east side, and take it afoot and explore the country on the Iowa River. Not being willing to be idle I chose the latter course. I came out and selected a place, went back, got safely over the Cedar River, and came out a few miles, as far as it was settled; stayed all night; started next morning. It soon began to rain and snow, about half and half, with a western wind. This we had to stand all day expecting every little while to mire down, so wet was the ground, but toward evening we got to where I remembered some places, not many miles east of the Iowa River, when it became dark. Here I got out of the wagon and walked ahead of the team, my wife driving, to [typographical error is illegible] to keep the road and look for bad roads; but, fortunately for us, we did not mire down, as we must have perished that wet, snowy night if we had, without fire, and we could not had any, but way in the night, when Buckners were all in bed, we got there, nearly frozen, too tired and cold to think about supper.

Next day we crossed the Iowa River at Zenia. The river being full, we had to take our goods out of the wagon and ferry them over in canoes, and then swim the horses by the side of a canoe, and last of all ferried the wagon on two canoes. Then we came on up, miring down every now and then, to old Jacob Smith's, where Scotty Smith now lives, just north of Eldora. The next day, we came on up to what is now known as Dickenson farm, a mile or so below Steamboat Rock, where Samuel L. Higgenbotham then lived. Here in the bottom, by then, the 7th or 8th of May, the grass had started a little. I tied the horses, heads down to a foot, and putting a bell on one turned them loose to browse, and went up to my claim, about where the Iowa Central railroad depot now stands at Steamboat Rock. I stayed but a little while but went I came back my horses were not to be seen or heard where I had left them. Tracking them up they had started straight for Indiana, and crossed the river which was then deep, with their heads tied down to a front foot. I never knew how they kept their heads out of water, but they were standing in the water holding up one foot against the east bank, because they could not get out, it being too steep. A silver dollar brought them back. Soon we put up a little cabin a little below the old fair grounds, near the river, and a little more than a stone's throw from where we now live; planted corn, potatoes, etc., everything grew wonderfully. One night some unusually large work cattle, belonging to Henry Kearnes, an old settler, came, and were devouring our little crop at a terrible rate, so in my wrath I got a sheet and put it around me and took after the cattle. I was gaining ground rapidly. They done their best, but one old ox saw it was no use, so he changed his tactics and took after me. You should have seen the whole scene to realize it as I did-He thought it was life or death and so did I, but thanks to good fortune I am here yet. Our children may be interested to know that we came early enough to see some of the larger game and wild animals. One day I was plowing, in plain view, just below Steamboat Rock, in sight of where we live now, there came tearing down the steep bluff, an elk, as if persued by hounds or wolves and plunged into the river, staying long enough to cool off. It came out into the bottom, not far from where I was plowing, and stood there till I made some noise, so tame was it. It stopped once or twice before it was out of sight. Now the iron horse runs on the same tracks. There were also bear tracks within a few rods of the house, and wild cats and cat-a-mounts would gobble up rabbits close enough to our cabin so that we could hear the dull thrashing on the ground as they caught them; then the squeal of the rabbit. Two of the old settlers, Samuel Jackson and Samuel Higganbotham, just below us, near the upper coal banks, caught two cubs up a tree. One they shot, the other they climbed up and got. But while this was going on, the mother bear came up, ready to devour them; but firing their guns at her, they broke a shoulder, and the two dogs they had, secured them, but she killed both dogs. James Buckner also killed a buffalo with a knife, it having got down in a snowdrift.

THE TOWN OF STEAMBOAT ROCK Steamboat Rock is one of the oldest places in Hardin County, Iowa, it having been platted in May, 1855 by John Shepherd, the first surveyor of the county. It is situated handsomely on the bank of the Iowa river, on section 28, township 88, range 19. The original owners of this town site were Isaac N. Lesh, Charles Boyle and John Royal. The town took its name from a large projecting rock on the river bluff, which at a distance presented the appearance of a number of steamboats lying at anchor. One of these was what resembled a wheel-house, and on this grew a large pine tree which was struck by lightning and the shock cut off the (wheel-house) and ruined the appearance of the rock resembling the steamboat. Freshets later completely washed away the piece of rock known as the wheelhouse. While it might have had to draw largely on fancy and imagination to ever have seen a steamboat on the bank of the Iowa river at that point, it was enough to forever give a pretty name to a townsite.

1883 HARDIN COUNTY IOWA HISTORY

Isaac N. Lesh was born in Preble County, Ohio, February 26, 1813. He is the son of Henry and Susanna (Harter) Lesh, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Maryland. His parents moved to Wayne county Indiana, when Isaac was but twelve years of age, where they both died. Isaac recieved a common school education, and was reared on a farm. On the 28th of June, 1836, he was married to Mahala Harris, a native of Indiana. Six children were born unto them, only one of whom is now living, Armeda J., now Mrs. Francis Parker. Mrs Mahala Lesh died March 16, 1851, in Marshall county, Indiana. Mr. Lesh was again married with Elizabeth Baldwin, who was born in North Carolina. They have been blessed with seven children, six of whom are now living, Daniel E., Henry E., Lewis, William and Marilla A. Mr. Lesh and family moved to Clay township, Hardin Co. Iowa May 8, 1854 and entered the land on which the town of Steamboat Rock is now located. In 1861, Mr. Lesh moved his family to Pawnee Co., Nebraska near Table Rock, where they remained for a time, and then moved back to Clay township, Hardin county, Iowa, and located on 140 acres in section 29, where he and his wife now reside. In politics he is a Republican.

[Multiple conflicting versions of the above article currently float across the Internet. Only God knows which copy resembles the original or is the most accurate.]

STEAMBOAT ROCK FIRSTS

The first person to locate in the town after it was platted was Sandford Baldwin in a house that was built of logs by his brother-in-law, Isaac N. Lesh. in Dec. 1855. The house later burned. The first stock of goods was opened in the same building by Isaac N. Lesh. The first blacksmith was Isaiah Frost. The first wagon maker was I.M. Silverthorn. The first shoemaker was E.G. Smith. The first school in the village was taught by Lizzie Kadoo. The first religious services were held by Rev. R.J. Lowrance, a Cumberland Presbyterian minister. The first physician was Dr. O.G. Fisher. The first lawyer and postmaster was S.B. Cunningham. Almost all of these men located in Steamboat Rock from 1855 to 1857