Lot Abraham Reminiscenses ~ About 1902

ABRAHAM

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 10/19/2006 at 08:46:51

REMINISCENT. ~ by Hon. Lot Abraham

For Free Press. The old log school house that Mr. A. F. JOHNSON, of Oregon, writes about, was built late in the fall of 1842 by volunteer labor of the early settlers, John STANSBURY, Samuel and Benjamin DICKEY, James SPEARMAN, John CHANDLER, Jessie PARISH, Ben HENNESS, J. Milton WILSON, John WILSON, Ludwell P. FARISS, Ward and Duff BRADFORD, Geo. BRUMMETT, Uncle Billy WALTERS, Samuel HOLLAND, Thos. JOHNSON and Peter HEATER and John ABRAHAM and perhaps others that I can’t think of now.

I myself was there part of the time, not to do much work, but to be with my father who died that winter and Mr. SPEARMAN a few years later, and some of them moved away; and they are all gone long ago except Mrs. Samuel HOLLAND, who lives in Mt. Pleasant with her son, J. M. and of our old schoolmates, a few linger about her yet.

Neal SPEARMAN, who drilled us boys on the same old school house play ground and led us to the war in 1861, living on the old Ward BRADFORD farm. His brother, Jim, went out as captain of Co. H. 25th Iowa, and received a wound at Vicksburg that caused his death afterwards in Springfield, Nebraska, where he left a large family. Lucretia married Jim FORBES, dying only a few years ago after a long and useful life. Little Bettie married Wm. CAMPBELL, both living a retired life in Mt. Pleasant. Cynthia married Jim HOLLAND and they, too, are retired farmers in Mt. Pleasant. Mary, better known as Meck, is now the wife of one of our veteran comrades, Enoch A. ESSON, living in Indianola, Nebraska.

Jake PARLIER served in Co. H., 25th Ia. And died soon after the war. I know nothing of his brother, Syd, for many years. M. V. B. FARISS was a tricky boy at school and more so as a man, and died in Denver, Colorado, two years ago. Mary never married and died in Springfield, Illinois, about ten years ago. Eliza married a Dr. McBRIDE and lived with him in Decatur, Illinois, until he died, about fifteen years ago. I met her in Springfield, Illinois, in 1889 with Mary, but she is not there now.

Susan ABRAHAM lived with our mother, who died in 1872, and since has lived mostly with Bro. John on a farm near Valley, Nebraska. Rebeckah married A. H. JACKMAN, who died at Louisville, Nebraska, three years ago. Sarah married Noah JOHNSON and they live on the old Ben DICKEY farm, and I have made my home here on the land my father bought in 1841. I bought out the interests of all the other heirs and have added a few acres to it, making a good place to come back to when I want to rest awhile. Bill LAUGHLIN lives in Ashland, Nebraska. I don’t know anything of Louisa, and Kires is dead.

Permelia DICKEY married a Wm. CONKLIN and they live in Des Moines, Iowa, and Hugh lives there near them. Jim DICKEY [called Red Jim, to distinguish him from Sam’s Jim] went to California among the first and died there. Hannah died in Washington, Iowa, two years ago. Asa ROGERS married Susan WILLIFORD and moved to Nebraska. Emily and Chastina died years ago.

George STANSBURY went to California in an early day and Eliza married Albert MILLER, who died near Topeka, Kansas, a few years ago. She is living there yet. Catherine married a returned Californian named WASHBURN, and they went to Oregon. Joseph and Tom went in our company to the war. Joseph lost his life in 1862; Tom married a BLAKEMORE girl and lives near Topeka, Kansas.

Mary CHANDLER married the notorious Bill BURGE, who was ordered away from Bogus Corner up here in 1863. Janette married Ed BURR and they live in Missouri. Sarah WORTH married Joe COOPER and went to Missouri, where he died years ago, near Sheridan, Missouri, and Bill married Jo COOPER’s sister and they lived and died out there at the same place. Jehoiada and John served with us the four years for Uncle Sam and live in or near San Diego, California.

Dave BUSEY went to California in the spring of 1852, and we never hear of him. Anne BRADFORD married Jake CURE and lives with him in Missouri. Eli went to war with us and now lives in New London, nearly blind. Elam and Charley HEATER both died young. Susan SHUCK married Ben HEATER and moved to Oregon. Legrand CHANDLER married Eliza MORLEY and they live on the old Johnny CHANDLER farm yet. Jim CHANDLER lived the life of a bachelor, a romantic one, too, and died at Red Oak, Iowa, only a few years ago. Jeff WILSON went to war, then lived on a farm near here, when he died, four years ago. John M. went all through the war with us and brought back honorable scars and now lives among the retired farmers in Mt. Pleasant.

Our old log school house, where we learned some, but played and fought more; and made the master treat every Christmas, even if we had to ride him on a rail and duck him in the creek; and where we had spelling schools, and oh, yes -- weren’t those singing schools immense! We would elect three choristers to lead the singing by turns, because each leader knew a few tunes -- and the more leaders, the greater variety of tunes!

Well, the old school house, with its slab seats, had to go in 1855, replaced with a good frame house that stood there until 1876, when the present good brick house took its place, and that old frame house has been my wood house ever since. But enough for this time.
LOT ABRAHAM.

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This unnamed, undated [about 1902] newspaper article is probably about the Pleasant Hill area of southeast Center Township, Henry County, IA, where the Abraham Family lived. It was found in the scrapbooks of Mary [Blaut] Abraham, wife of Captain Lot Abraham; the scrapbooks are currently owned by their great-granddaughter, Martha [Wright] Allen, Mt. Pleasant, IA. [October 2006]