Ghosts still walk the land watered by the Nishnabotna and shaded by the great groves of walnut, oak, and maple. These are the spirits of men and women whose vision, faith, and daring led them to abandon homes in the East, leaving behind the social and physical amenities of an established community, to risk their lives and lay claim to a harsh and virginal land. The proud and handsome Ioway chief Mahaska, the visionary entrepreneur Franklin H. Whitney, and the wartime friend of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gov. Clyde Herring, are just three of the scores of extraordinary individuals who played a role in Cass County history. Not every effort met with success, as many early settlements now exist only in the ghostly images of fading memory; yet it is out of their vision and sacrifice that a thriving county of 16 proud townships emerged.