Mrs. JOEL N. (Zeruih Stevenson) POST 1807-1886
STEVENSON, POST, SWITZER, SHERWOOD, LACOOK, ROLL
Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 3/29/2005 at 12:51:50
DIED. In Postville, on Wednesday, Dec. 22nd, in her 80th year, of paralysis, Mrs. Zeruih POST. Mrs. POST was perhaps better known in Northeastern Iowa than any woman now living, as she had been a continuous resident of Postville for about forty-seven years, and was considered the mother of Postville, having been here years before there was any town here or even any settlement round about. We extract the following brief account of her life from the history of Allamakee county:
Zeruih POST, a native of Jefferson Co., N. Y., was born in 1807. Her maiden name was STEVENSON. She was married to Joel N. POST in 1831; he was a native of Vt. In 1836 they immigrated to Green Bay, Wis., remaining there till the summer of 1838, when they again started westward in a canoe down the Wisconsin River, being two weeks before they landed at Prairie du Chien. They located in Clayton Co., Iowa. In 1840, Mr. POST was selected by General BROOKS to take charge of a station known as the Half-Way-House, on the military road between Prairie du Chien and Fort Atkinson, they first located about one mile east from where she now lives. Subsequently General SUMNER granted them a permit to relocate where the town of Postville now stands. At the time their nearest neighbor was twelve miles east, where the town of Monona now stands, Fort Atkinson being 24 miles west, that being the place where the Indians received their supplies from the Government. Their only neighbors from 1840 to 1848 were the Indians, who were removed during the latter year. In 1849 the post office was established and called Postville, Mr. POST being commissioned as postmaster, but before the commission arrived Mr. POST died, leaving the duties of the post office to Mrs. POST's brother. After the death of her husband Mrs. POST purchased from the Government 480 acres of land, the same being the land upon which they had located and partly improved, the town of Postville being located upon part of it. Mrs. POST has five children living: Joel N., now in Dakota; Mary SWITZER, now in California; Margaret SHERWOOD, now in Minnesota; Lydia LaCOOK, in Colorado, and Lucy ROLL, of Postville, but soon to leave for Montana. She lost one son, John S., who died while in the service of his country during the late rebellion. The funeral of Mrs. Z. POST will be held from the Methodist church at 10:30 Sunday morning.
Postville Review, 12/25/1886 - contributed by Sharyl Ferrall
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Added by Reid R. Johnson, August 27, 2012. The following article & photo were published in the
Postville Herald, Wednesday, May 28, 1947The Herald today is enabled to print a picture of Mrs. Joel Post, for whom Postville was named. The engraving was made from a photo sent to us by Mrs. Lucy E. Chriss of Los Angeles, Calif., a former Postville resident. Mrs. Chriss writes,
"In looking over some old pictures, I came across this one of Mrs. Post, the lady Postville was named after. Her first home was on the McEwen corner (now owned by Elrie Ruckdaschel), and my father (George Lull) bought the big barn they owned and moved it onto his farm east of Postville, now known as the Webb farm.
"Mrs. Post's home later was in the middle of the block west of the Harvey Roberts place. That's where I knew her back in 1877. I doubt if there is anyone now living in Postville who ever knew her. Thought you at least would like to see the picture - quite dressy for those days, and a perfect picture."
Lucy E. Chriss.Mrs. Post was Postville' first postmaster. Her husband had been commissioned by the U.S. Government to establish a halfway house here to accomodate federal soldiers traveling between Ft. Crawford, Wis., and Ft. Atkinson, Iowa. He was appointed postmaster here, but passed away before the commission arrived and his wife was appointed to serve in his stead.
Allamakee Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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