MUSCATINE COUNTY IOWA
		       REGISTER OF OLD SETTLERS
			  BOOK One, page 453

		       HELPED TO LAY OUT MOSCOW

One of our oldest settlers and well known citizens, Mr. DELEVAN BRATT,
departed from this earth to the unknown world beyond last Friday,
Sept. 2d, at noon.  He had been in poor health for some time, and his
end did not come unexpected. The deceased was born on the first day of
July, 1812, in the state of New York.  When four years old he with his
parents moved to Ohio, where he grew to manhood. He went to Indiana,
where he engaged in various lines of business. At one time he took a
herd of ponies to Chicago, where the government paid off the Indians,
and he found a ready market for his ponies. Chicago at that time
consisted of two taverns and one store, three houses in all, and Mr.
Bratt had to wade through mud and water 3 feet deep for about 12 miles
on his return home. Then we find him engaged in a store at Akron, O.,
which town he helped to lay out. Tired of store keeping, he bought
corn and loaded it on barges, took it to New Orleans, which proved
profitable for several years. During this time, his parents had moved
to Iowa, and hearing about the rich prairies, he followed them in the
year 1840, settling near the town of Moscow, where he engaged in
farming. Himself and Dan Henderson laid out the present town site and
did everything to make it a business center. There was no railroad
there and steamboats came up Cedar river. Droves of hogs came from
Linn and Cedar county through here on their way to Muscatine.

The remains were laid to rest in the Moscow cemetery
last Saturday afternoon. Rev. H. R. Osborn was in
charge of the services, which were attended by many
old friends and neighbors. His age was 86 years, 1
month and 24 days. 

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