George Henry Stevens

STEVENS

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 5/14/2010 at 21:48:24

The life record of George Henry Stevens is interwoven with the history of Boone, Where he has been a resident for half a century, becoming well known as a carpenter, builder and architect. He has now passed the eighty-first milestone on life’s journey, having been born in Almond, Allegany county, New York, June 8, 1833.
His paternal grandfather, Phineas Stevens was descended from Henry Stevens how was a son of Nickolas Stevens an officer under Cromwell, and who came to this country in 1678, settling at Stonington, Connecticut. Phineas Stevens was the first white child born at Almond, New York. His son, Levi Stevens, the father of our subject of this review, was also a native of Almond and married Jemima Dyke. She was a descendent of Captain Nathaniel Dyke, a native of Connecticut, who was educated at Yale and who served in the Revolution, being an officer in the American army. He was on the staff of General Warren at Boston and later was on the staff of General Washington. The Stevens, McHenry and Dyke families were among the early settlers of Allegany county, New York. Levi Stevens followed the occupations of farming and of carpentering. His political endorsement was given to the whig party, and both he and his wife were Universalists in religious faith. Her death occurred in Allegany county in 1847, when she was nearly fifty years of age. They were the parents of eleven children: Harriet who became the wife of Lester Ely and died in Nebraska at the advanced age of eighty-six years, James of Rochester, New York, now deceased who married Georgie Annie Allen and after her death wedded Ophelia Goff, Robert, who married Miss Stoddard and located in Rochester, New York, but died in Detroit, Michigan, Ann who became the wife of William Wilcox, and died in Dunkirk, New York, William who also passed away in the Empire state, Jackson, who makes his home in Hamilton, Illinois, Martin who died in childhood, George Henry of this review, Asher who with is brother William was burned to death in a fire that destroyed their old home in New York, Llewllyn who was a soldier in an Illinois regiment during the Civil war, and Lucien, who also served in the Civil war and is now in the National Soldiers’ Home at Danville.
In his youthful days George Henry Stevens attended the subscription schools to the age of eighteen years. He was reared upon the home farm and when a youth of fifteen began learning the carpenter’s trade, which he made his life work. On December 1858, when a young man of twenty-five years, he married Emily Thankful McHenry, a daughter of James and Abigail (Vincent) McHenry. Mrs Stevens was born October 12, 1836, in Almond, New York, and attended school there and also an academy at Alfred, New York. She then began teaching at the age of twenty years in the country schools and was thus employed to the time of her marriage.
Her father, a son of Captain John McHenry of the Revolution, made farming his life work and always continued a resident of the Empire state. By his first marriage he had four children. Benjamin who was born November 13, 1813, married Julia Hall and lied in Allegany county, New York, to an old age, after which he removed to Denison, Iowa, where his last days were passed. Josiah McHenry born August 15, 1815, married Minerva Green and spent his entire life in Allegany county, New York, where he engaged in the hotel business, Priscilla born July 13, 1817, became the wife of James Chase in 1838. They went as far wet as Nauvoo, Illinois, with the Mormons, after which Mrs Chased was taken back to New York state by her brother Josiah and never returned, her husband afterward going to England as a Mormon missionary. Roswell, born November 24, 1819, married Sarah Coffee and they removed to Rock county, Wisconsin, becoming pioneer settlers of that locality, in which they spent their remaining days. Having lost his first wife, James McHenry married in 1821, Miss Abigail Vincent and their children were as follows: James Vincent, born October 16, 1822, married Dency Teft and settled in Rock county, Wisconsin, and afterward went to Denison, Iowa, where his death occurred. Elizabeth born January 9, 1825, became the wife of Thomas Cottrell and died in Allegany county, New York. Richard Charles, born April 10, 1826, married Adeline Peck and they remained residents of Allegany county until called to their final rest. Amelia, born October 16 1828, became the wife of Milo Wigant, an attorney who removed westward to Helena, Arkansas, and finally became a resident of Oregon, where both passed away. Morris born July 29, 1831, removed to Crawford county, Iowa where he wedded Mary L Comfort. He served as first county surveyor and continued in office until his death in 1911. Mary Eleanor, born October 31, 1833, became the wife of William Coon and settled in Crawford county, Iowa where her death occurred. Mrs Stevens is the next of the family. Abigail born July 11, 1839, became the wife of Paul M Green and they removed to Rock county, Wisconsin, where they spent the remainder of their lives. For this third wife James McHenry chose Sarah Alexander and they had one child. William Alexander, who was born March 6, 1841. He married Miss Mary Sears, and he served as a soldier in the Eighty Illinois Cavalry during the Civil war. He afterwards settled in Denison, Iowa.
Following the married of George Henry Stevens and Emily Thankful McHenry, they began their domestic life in the east, but in 1865 came to Iowa, influenced by the fact the Mrs Stevens had two brothers at Denison, Crawford county. Mr and Mrs Stevens intended joining them there and proceeded by train as far as Nevada, which was then the terminus of the railroad. They then took the stage for Denison, but found the country so wild and undeveloped that they returned to Boonesboro, which was then a village of promise, later establishing their home at he corner of Eighty and Benton streets, Boone where Mr Stevens built a dwelling. He acquired a farm of 120 acres in Crawford county, which he developed but eventually sold. After his removal to the west, however, he continued to follow his trade an as an architect and builder became well known in this county, erecting may of the early substantial residences of Boone and the surrounding country, while the Phipps Hotel, one of the first hostelries of Boone was a monument to his skill and enterprise as a builder.
Mr and Mrs Stevens have a daughter, Marie Burr, who was born in New York, January 1, 1861, was educate dint eh pubic schools of Boone and was graduated form the high school with the class of 1879. On October 2, 1879, she became the wife of John H Boggs Frampton, by whom she had five children: George Elliott, a brakeman of n a passenger train on the Chicago & Northwestern, who married Rosalee Forbes, Arthur Vincent and electrician of Boone, who wedded Mary Smith, Mary Emily who was a graduate of the Boone high school and attended Simpson College for two years, but passed away November 23, 1911, at the age of twenty-six years, Walter John, a passenger brakeman residing at home, and Harris Burr who is attending school at Iowa City. The father of these children John Harris Boggs Frampton, is next to the oldest engineer in point of service on the Western Iowa Division of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway. When Mrs McKenley was taken ill on a tour over the country with the President Mr Frampton was chosen as the one to haul the train from Omaha to Boone and weighty complimented for the manner in which he performed this service by the president who noted his extreme carefulness.
Mr Stevens cast his first presidential ballot for John C Fremont in 1856 and has since been a stalwart supporter of the republic party but has never sought nor desired office. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and their many good qualities have gained for them the high regard, confidence and good will of all who know them. No history of Boone county would be complete without reference to them , for they have been actively identified with its up building and progress thorough five decades.

1914 Boone County History Book