Miner Paign, Oelwein founder 1833 - 1910

PAIGN, HOWE, HOCKINGS, CLARK, DICKINSON

Posted By: Dorothy Gosse (email)
Date: 11/18/2010 at 09:05:53

Miner Paign, one of the oldest pioneers of Fayette County and one of the founders of Oelwein, passed away at his home on First Street East at 6:15 Friday evening after an illness of less than forty-eight hours. He was on the street
Wednesday afternoon as usual, and was taken ill that evening, not leaving bed till the end came. He was a well known figure on the streets, and the summons was unexpected by relatives and friends.
Miner Paign was born in the township of Cold Spring, Cattaraugus county, New York, August 6, 1833 and was therefore seventy-six years, six months and twelve days of age at the time of his death. In 1848 he left the home farm and went to Kane county, Illinois where he remained till 1853 when he came to Iowa. He worked in a saw mill at Auburn for a year and then took up his residence on a tract of land just north of Fayette, which he had entered on coming to the county. He was
married in the township of Windsor, May 14, 1854 to Miss Hannah Howe, and to this union were born six children, three sons and three daughters, all of whom have passed away with the exception of one daughter, Mrs. A. L. Hockings, of this city.
Mr. Paign continued farming near Fayette till 1858 when he sold his property and bought a stage line, the route covering the road between Earlville, Delaware county and Decorah, Winneshiek county. He carried on this business til the spring of 1961, when war having been declared he sold out and entered the army. May 20, 1861 he enlisted in Company F, Third Iowa Infantry, and served until December of that years when he was discharged for physical disability, resulting from disease contracted in the service. After his return from the army he was unable to conduct business or perform labor for several years. In 1870 he purchased a farm of eighty acres in Jefferson township where Oelwein now stands. When the B. C. R. & N. Railway was built he gave the right of way through his farm. The station of Oelwein was established partly on his land and in 1873 he laid out his first addition on which part of Oelwein now stands. As he located here before Oelwein was known as a town he was well known in this city and throughout the county. He was a member of Griffith Post No. 134, G. A. R. and at various times served the city as a member of the board of education, city councilman and justice of the peace. He was a man of excentricity and of great originality. He had been in excellent health up to within a few months, and never wore an overcoat when walking till the present winter.
Besides his widow and daughter, Mrs. A. L. Hockings, and grandchildren, he is survived by the following brothers and sisters --- Squire Paign, of Bismark, Washington; Harvey Paign, of Fayette; Foster Paign of New York, Allan Paign, of Fayette; Susan Clark of Bedford, Pa., Palmyra Dickinson of Stanley, Ia.
At this writing the date for the funeral has not been decided on as his daughter, Mrs. A. L. Hockings and her husband were in Oklahoma at the time of his death. They were wired and it is expected that they will arrive tonight or tomorrow.

Oelwein Register - 23 Feb 1910
Note: Burial Grandview Cemetery, Fayette Iowa