32 Siouw City Academy of Science and Letters. 



story of liis life. A brief sketch of his career appears in 

 Volume I of the Proceedings, the data for the same hav- 

 ing been furnished by him at another time. Here Mr. 

 Charles has limited his remarks mostly to life in Sioux 

 City prior to 1865. His remarks are largely local and 

 personal. The latter part, in which he recalls and de- 

 scribes a dozen prominent characters of early days, was 

 added at the suggestion of the editor. 



It is hoped that this paper may contain something 

 of interest and value to the future historian of this 

 locality. Any errors still found in it will be eagerly 

 caught up and corrected by surviving pioneers; at least 

 such corrections are invited. Perhaps others will be 

 thus led to write down their own experiences, a result 

 much to be desired. 



The editor is under obligations to Mrs. John H. 

 Charles for many favors. Also to Mr. J. C. C. Hoskins 

 and Mr. George Weare for kindly going over the articles 

 with him in search of errors, and to Mrs. Mary E. Hagy 

 for verification of several points. 



ANCEISTRY AND YOUTH. 



My ancestors, on my father's side, were Swiss. My 

 great-great-grandfather's name was Henry, or rather 

 Heinrich, Karli. He was a native of the canton of 

 Zurich, Switzerland. In 1734 he emigrated to America 

 and settled in Manor Township, Lancaster County, 

 Pennsylvania. He was the father of three sons, namely : 

 Joseph, John and Jacob. Joseph had tw^o sons named 

 John and Joseph. John, the eldest of these, was my 

 grandfather. He also had two sons named respectively 

 Joseph and John. Joseph was my father. He spelled 

 his last name Charles, the family name having been 

 Anglicized since their immigration to America. 



I was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on 

 January the 19th, 1826. My mother's maiden name was 

 Elizabeth Kauffman. Her people, who were also Swiss, 

 had come to America and settled in Pennsylvania in 

 1717. I was the oldest child in a family of six children, 



