Esther Ann (Ellsworth) Tompkins b 9 Sep 1828

ELLSWORTH, CORWINE, CANADA, DOUGALL, MARTIN

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 2/20/2004 at 11:14:02

~ MRS ESTHER ANN TOMPKINS ~

This lady represents property to the amount of 115 acres of good land in this county, eighty acres lying in Van Buren Township, and thirty-five in Washington. She is the offspring of an excellent family who came to this county in its pioneer days, and were numbered among its leading citizens. Her father, Ephraim Ellsworth, was a native of Vermont, and married Miss Susan Corwine, who was born in Clinton County, Canada. Mr. Ellsworth in early life learned the trade of a wagon-maker in the Green Mountain State, whence he emigrated to Canada, where he met his future wife. They became the parents of three daughters in the Dominion, and in 1838 emigrated to Iowa.

The father of Mrs. Tompkins, when coming West, took up a claim of Government land near the present town of Van Buren, where he lived and labored until his death, which occurred in 1861, at the age of sixty-one years. The mother is still living, making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Tompkins, and has now arrived at the advanced age of eighty-four. Their eldest daughter, Juliet, is the wife of Edward Canada, of Humboldt County, this State, and the mother of eight children, three sons and five daughters. Esther Ann, our subject was the second child; Priscilla died at the age of six years.

The subject of this notice was born Sept. 9, 1828, in Clinton County, Canada, and was ten years of age when she came to Iowa with her parents. They crossed the Mississippi at what was then Charleston, now Sabula, July 4, 1838. Esther Ann attended the district school, and remained under the parental roof until her marriage with Phinehas H. Tompkins, May, 1849. Mr. and Mrs. Tompkins commenced their wedded life together on a farm at her present homestead, and in due time became the parents of six children. The eldest daughter, Mary S., married Mr. E. Dougall, and lives in Harrison County, this State; they have seven children, namely: Harland, Clarence, Elmer, Jessie, Irving and Bernard (twins), and William. Phinehas H. remains at home with his mother; Nathan Marvin died at the age of fifteen years; George married Miss Mary Martin, resides in Humboldt County, and is the father of two sons, Elmer and Archie; Lura remains at the homestead; one infant died unnamed.

("Portrait and Biographical Album of Jackson County, Iowa", originally published in 1889, by the Chapman Brothers, of Chicago, Illinois)