ADDRESSES OF MAJOR LACEY 343 



On the tenth day after the opening of the county to 

 settlement the southeast quarter of section thirteen, town- 

 ship seventy-five, range sixteen, at the Narrows, was 

 selected as the county-seat. It was a site for a beautiful 

 farm and bore the number thirteen, which is often a lucky 

 number. 



A. S. Nichols, Robert Curry, and AVilson Stanley were 

 appointed commissioners to plat the future city. Silver 

 and gold the people had but little of, but of the town lots 

 the county held plenty and so A. S. Nichols for laying out 

 and platting the town received the two lots on High Aven- 

 ue, where the interurban station now stands, and the 

 "Eye Tooth Lot" at the southwest corner of the square, 

 now occupied by Holtman & Baker's grocery. 



I first saw this public square in April, 1855. It was 

 grown up with dog fennel and was the center of the 

 business of the growing little city. The lumber wagons 

 of the farmers surrounded it on Saturdays and were 

 much in evidence on the other days of the week. 



Gradually the dirt had accumulated in the streets 

 around it so that after a heavy rain this park was a shal- 

 low lake, which, in cold weather, was an ideal skating rink 

 and an unfailing source of delight to the boys of that day. 



In the fall of 1855 the first county fair was held at 

 Oskaloosa and long tables in this square were covered 

 with the finest of vegetables, giving evidence of the fruit- 

 fulness of this fertile land. 



The cattle show was held in some feed lots of Mr. 

 Marks, south of where the Oskaloosa College now stands. 



This square was not located in the center of the town 

 tract, but it was so located that the water from the south 

 side of the alley on the west then ran to the Des Moines 

 and the water from the north side of that alley to Skunk 

 River. 



