Elijah Buell 1801-1889

BUELL, BOYD, PIERCE, EATON, GASTON, HOBEIN

Posted By: Michael J. Kearney (email)
Date: 11/25/2005 at 16:21:47

The Clinton Herald Monday March 4, 1889 p. 3 Lyons Mr. Elijah Buell, one of the oldest residents of Lyons, is very ill. He has been unconscious since Friday, and his death is looked for at any time. Later - His death occurred at 12 o'clock today.

The Clinton Herald Tuesday March 5, 1889 p. 3 Lyons As was noticed in Monday's Herald, Mr. Elijah Buell, the man who first located in this vicinity, died at his residence Monday afternoon, after being unconscious for several days. Elijah Buell was the son of Japeth and Rachael Buell, the former a soldier of the war of 1812, and on the first day of April, 1801, the subject of this sketch came to bless their union. His paths were from the first cast in rough places as his father received a gun shot wound in the leg, during the war of 1812, and when but a lad in his teens Elijah was obliged to shift for himself, and by so doing laid the foundation for the indomitable will he has shown during his residence of fifty four years in this county. When less than sixteen years of age he was employed in the vicinity of Cleveland, Ohio, to which place he had drifted, in clearing off a small tract of land, but afterwards turned his attention to navigation, and was for a period of nearly seventeen years employed on steam and sailing boats on the great lakes or on the Mississippi river, finally locating in 1835 at the point where Lyons now stands on the Mississippi river, where he took up six hundred acres of land, located in the eastern part of this county. Mr. Buell was one of the first commissioners elected in the county, and for several years filled the position of Alderman. He was a man of great force of character, just in his dealings with others, and had a positiveness of disposition which made him a firm friend and unrelenting enemy. For the past dozen years he had been living in quiet at his handsome home in this city, surrounded by members of his family, who were present at his last hours. Deceased had been twice married, his first wife being Caroline Boyd, who bore him two children - Robert, who died in January, 1888, and Strong, who is now at home. His second wife was Mary L. Pearce, and by her has born Mrs. W.D. Eaton, of this city; Mrs. A.D. Gaston, of Marshalltown; George P., of Paulina, Iowa; Mrs. C.A. Hobein, of Cedar Rapids; Lang, on the farm west of Lyons, and William E., living at home. The funeral will be held Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock, from his residence on Ninth street.