Thomas J. Pearce

PEARCE, WYCKOFF, CASSADY, WALKER, LATTA, PRUSIA, JONAS, LAFAYETTE, STORM, HEUSTIS, OCONNOR, SHERMAN, SMITH

Posted By: LuAnn Goeke (email)
Date: 10/24/2008 at 21:33:32

Thos. J. Pearce; Settled in this County 55 Years Ago at Buckeye - An Interesting Sketch of His Life by Col. Wyckoff. - "Our old County Treasurer and former resident of Van Buren township, Col. R.B. Wyckoff, of Lyons, gets some local history into the following interesting biographical sketch of the late Thos. J. Pearce:

"Lyons, Dec. 30, 1892, Editor Herald: - On Nov. 28th I received a telegram announcing the death of my friend of more than half a century, Thos. J. Pearce, and should have attended his funeral had it not been for my feeble condition. By the urgent request of his good wife and other friends, will give something of his history and in doing so must give must give something of a history of the early settlement of what is now Van Buren township, which may interest some of the readers of your paper:

"Thomas J. Pearce was born in Alleghany county N.Y., on the 17th day of April, 1809, and resided in that State until arriving at manhood, and in 1830 was married to Miss Rachel M. Cassady. In 1833 or 1834, he moved to Ann Harbor, Mich. My first acquaintance with him was in the fall of 1836. I had just been married and went to a meat shop to get part of the necessaries to constitute our first meal, and there found Mr. Pearce working. In the spring of 1838 a number of us young people, some married and some single, hearing so much of the beautiful prairies of Illinois and the 'Blackhawk purchase' as this country was then called, concluded to 'go west and grow up with the country.' And raising a contribution of about $75, started three young men, Lucas B. Walker, William Latta and Azariah Prusia, then a lad of sixteen, to hunt a place for us where we could form a small colony by ourselves. But not finding sufficient timber in Illinois to suit they continued on west, striking the Mississippi at Savanna, Ill., and there came across a man by the name of John Jonas, a brother of Uncle Billy who spent many years of his life near Bellevue, who piloted them to the vicinity since known as the Buckeye settlement. After staking out claims Walker started out to try and raise a breaking team. Those who were able furnished each with a yoke of oxen and others wagon and provision, loaded into the wagon Mr. Pearce and family, consisting of himself, wife and child, started again for the 'Blackhawk purchase,' driving five yoke of oxen hitched to a wagon, and getting through some time in June, making the three time five hundred miles in about two months and all on foot.

"The boys left had in the time built a log cabin, with nature's floor, the ground, in which Mr. Pearce and family moved. The writer, who, with horses, wagon, wife and one child came through the same summer, domiciled with them until he could build a cabin for himself. Mr. Pearce, having no team nor no means to purchase one, moved down to the Maquoketa river and took charge of what was then known as Enoch's ferry, since known as the LaFayette ferry. After residing there about three years, he took up a claim now owned and occupied by Charles Storm. A few years after he traded his interest, as the land was not then in market, for an interest in the O'Connor saw mill on Brush Creek and in the spring of 1840 moved to Bellevue, where he lived until his death.

"He was the father of eleven children, most of whom died in infancy and only two survive him, Juliette, now the wife of J.B. Heustis, living near Andrew, and Ellice P. Pearce, now a resident of Bellevue, son of his present widow. Mr. Pearce was three times married, his first wife dying shortly after he moved to Bellevue, in 1849, after which he married the widow Sherman, who only lived a few years, and in 1855 he married Mrs. Aseneth Smith, who survives him, after a happy life of 36 years together. One son of his first wife, Uriah, lived to manhood, went to California, married there, and died a few years ago leaving a wife and two or three children.

"Mr. Pearce, while in health, was an industrious, hardworking man, doing whatever he found to do cheerfully, but was often a great sufferer from that dread disease, rheumatism, with which he was afflicted and in the early days of the settlement underwent most of the hardships incident to pioneer life. He had seen the time when a corn dodger made of corn meal and mixed without the luxury of a little salt, was the only repast for himself and family, but under all circumstances was cheerful of a kind and affectionate husband and father. Honest in his dealings, and although like many of this country he did not accumulate much of this world's goods, yet he died as he had lived, the noblest work of God - an honest man, at the advanced age of 93 years, 7 months and 11 days. - R.B.W. " - 26 Jan 1893, Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa, pg 4.