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Author: bozlen3
Surnames: Castner
Classification: death
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.casner/127/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
I have noted numerous questions about the deaths of some of the members of this notorious
family.Have tried to contact Liz Freeman but neither of her email addresses I've found
are good. At any rate, this information is from the book about Jasper County, Iowa
published in 1912, when so many county histories were being published:
FROM: CHAPTER V
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY
Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa
B.F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912
http://iagenweb.org/jasper/history/1912/history/chapter5.htm
"THE FIRST BAD CHARACTERS IN THIS COUNTY
The two Castner boys, the fifth persons to come in for the supposed purpose of taking up
lands, proved anything but good citizens. While Adam Tool, the first settler, was down in
Jefferson County with his family, after having made his improvements, preparatory to
bringing the family here, Benjamin and Jonas Castner came in from Missouri. Finding Mr.
Tool's cabin unoccupied, they at once moved into it. When the good pioneer returned,
rather than have trouble, he gave the boys fifteen dollars to vacate. They then claimed
lands near by and built themselves a cabin. It was not long before it was noticed that
Jonas was making frequent visits to his old home in Missouri to see his father, and it was
also observed that whenever he went south that some of the friendly Indians lost several
ponies, as they would come along and inquiry was made by them for stray ponies.
These Castners committed all kinds of depredations, at one time robbing a poor
Indian's tent during the absence of the squaw, of all the blankets, buffalo robes,
camp kettles, and in fact everything that was worth carrying. That night when the Indian
returned and discovered his loss, he started for Castner with a gun and butcher knife.
Arriving at Frost's the latter persuaded him to stay all night, fearing he might get
killed if he went there in the night alone. The following morning he went to Castner's
and found his goods, but while there parleying about them, one of the boys came running
in, saying to the Indian, "There is a turkey out here; let me take your gun,"
which the Indian did; but the young man forgot to return and while the Indian was in
search of the young man to get his gun the goods disappeared and he never saw them
afterwards. During the trouble that followed the Indian got his hand shot and claimed that
it was done by Jonas Castner. In the fall of 1845 Jona!
s finally got his just deserts at the hands of a mob near old Fort Des Moines. It was
government payday at the fort and when Jonas was discovered hanging around, a party
painted like Indians, but probably all whites, seized Jonas and ran him to the woods and
gave him an unmerciful flogging. There was no trial and no questions asked. They said his
curses were frightful. That fall the family went to Missouri, but afterwards returned to
Iowa, bringing a large amount of stock with them, which mostly died during the following
winter. Typhoid fever soon broke out in the family; the old man, his eldest son, Henry,
and several younger ones died. The balance of the family scattered, some going in 1862
across the plains. The Castners were Virginians by birth and several of their near
relatives had served time in the penitentiary of that state."
Beth Ostlund-Wood
mbowc(a)hotmail.com
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