Thomas Highly - Tipton's Oldest Citizen

HIGHLY, ROESSER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 10/19/2006 at 11:01:21

Thomas Highly
Tipton's Oldest Citizen
Submitted by Catherine Call Scramlling
(original document was broken into paragraphs for easier reading)

Some of our "Eighty" Club may possibly only get into the charmed circle by "The skin of their teeth" but our member today has been ranked among the elect for almost 10 years, having been born in Swineford, Penn., May 5th, 1825, which makes him eighty-nine years of age next May.

When he was a young man this part of the United States was known as the "Great American Desert." But it was believed that there were great possibilities west of the Alleghenies, and in 1842 his family came as far west as Ohio, where eight years were spent.

In 1850, he in company with a sister and her husband and their four boys crossed the Mississippi at Davenport, the Ferry being driven by horse tread power. This crossing was made June 30th and July 1st, 1850 he first trod the streets of Tipton.

He assisted in farm work until 1852 when he was seized with the California fever and crossed the plains for that land of promise. Those were the days of the oxen and this journey was made carrying the "ox goad" and driving four yoke. The start was made about the middle of May and the journey consumed about six months.

The first little trouble on the route occurred at Council Bluffs, then - - -Kainsville, where there was a a- - - ferry, but so many persons were waiting to cross that this party used the Morman ferry ten miles further upstream, crossing at night. They came into contact with - - -Indians on the way who tried to hold them up for the privilege of crossing their land.

The price asked was a cow and a calf, but it was refused. His home in California was in the northern part about thirty miles from the Oregon line, where his wages the first day were $4.00. After that he worked by the month for $100 - - board. Nothing was said about a - -for beds were not very plenty and they floor was often used instead.

Money was cheap in those days when he was suffering from a - -they charged him $18 a week for board. The smallest change they had was 25 cents. A quarter of a pie cost 25 cents. Potatoes 25 cents a peck, flour 75 cents a pound when - - -blocked the pack trains and they were short of supplies.

After four years of truck farming and following a pack train, Iowa looked good to him and in 1855 he started back by way of San Francisco, Panama, Aspinwall, New York and th- -- train to Rock Island , by boat to Muscatine and by stage to Rochester.

By this time his parents had followed to the lands across the Father of Waters and had purchased a farm northeast of Rochester, where he resided, taking care of them in their old days.

Sept. 8, 1864 he was married to Catherine Roesser, who had been born in Germany, and took her to he house where they lived most of their married life. To the one--acres purchased by the father they added many more and lived a - - and contented life respected by neighbors and friends.

In - - - 1898 they moved to Tipton which has been their home to this day. Highly has been democratic fraternally - - -- and in Religion a member of the reformed church. Having accumulated a compe- - --he and his helpmate are spending days quietly, surrounded by children and many friends.

(Mr. Highly died Dec. 19, 1915.)