Old Resident Tells of Other Days, old Brandon Twp.

DICK, METHENY, TRACY, SNODGRASS, WILSON, BURKEY, CLARK, MANN, SHEUMAKER, BELDEN, KEISTER, HEISTER, GILMORE, ROSS, DEMOSS, OLIVER, STRONG, SINKEY, WAGONER, COOLEY, MILLER, SWIFT, STREETS, DUTTON, COOK

Posted By: LuAnn Goeke (email)
Date: 4/27/2006 at 23:21:25

Old Resident Tells of Other Days

Letter published in the

Jackson Sentinel on February 19, 1929
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Wilmington, N.C. Feb. 13, 1929

Editor Jackson Sentinel
Maquoketa, Iowa

Dear Sir:

I have been thinking for a long time I would write an article for the paper that came to our home for a great many years. My father took the paper for 40 years or more. I was reared on a farm three miles west of Iron Hill and three quarters of a mile south of the Cherry Grove schoolhouse. Our neighbors were Eli Metheny, or Uncle Eli as he was called by nearly everyone; George and Oliver Metheny, sons of Eli Metheny; Washington Snodgrass; Henry Snodgrass; Henry and Basil Tracy; Jesse Wilson; Jesse Burkey; Andrew Clark; George, John and Will Snodgrass; Eleazer Mann and Eli Sheumaker. I am not giving the names of all our neighbors, but those who were of the pioneer days. Then I knew nearly everyone from Canton and Ozark on the west into Maquoketa on all the roads, by Crabbtown, Esgate, Lime Kiln road and many on the road by way of Nashville.

I would like to mention a few names beginning at Canton and Ozark – Dr. M.J. Belden, Hiram Kiester, Abram Heister, Captain James Gilmore, Tommy and Sammy Ross, Tommy Demoss, Tommy Oliver, Harvey Strong all the Sinkeys from Uncle Math and John down, including Orin who was a special friend of ours, his wife being a schoolmate of father's back in Pennsylvania; Levi Wagoner, Isaiah Cooley, Joseph Miller, James Swift.

On the north we had the Edwards families; Streets families; Mathias Dague; Dutton Bros.; Emery Cook; Esben Turner; Cephas Clark; and Eli Wilson, with many others.

At Iron Hill, Uncle Jimmy Green, Elijah and William Green; the Bowlings; Barrows; Anthony Raab; James Binns; Bernard Eisentraut; John Sagers.

To the east, the Teters Bros., Thompsons, Suttons.

To the south and Esgate way, Samuel, John and Elijah Roush; all the Moreheads, Kahlers, Gees, Millers and Andersons; with the Bradleys; Uncle Johnnie Wood; Robert Collum and Davis familes with a host of others.

My first recollections of Maquoketa were the Mitchell Store, called the Pioneer Store, and Spencer and Knittle Store on Main St. with Dr. Martin's Drug Store on Main and E. Platt.

I will name a few of my father's closest friends in the business realm: Pierce Mitchell; Bennie Spencer and Henry Knittle; C.M. Sanborn; Doctor Martin and later Doctor Loose; Alec Organ; Mike Mahoney; Keck and House; Harry Hubbell; Barnes Bros.; W.C. Swigart and Sargent (editors of the Sentinel at one time); Joe and Willard Swigart; W.C. Gregory; Maskreys; Charlie Leach and a lot of other men I cannot mention.

I came along in a class in the City with the Mitchell boys; Johnnie Nitzche; George Trout; Walter Maxwell; Keck Bros.; Maskrey Bros.; Fred and Walter Ingalls; the Farr boys; Will Hand. In the country, I grew up with the Tracy boys; Burkeys; Manns; Snodgrass boys; Clayton and Harvey and others I cannot name on account of space. Herman Farr was one of my school teachers. John Summers was another one. Mr. Summers is dead but I think Mr. Farr is living.

I am wondering if Richard Johnson is living or members of his family? He was best known as Dick Johnson. He married one of the Heath girls whose name was Minerva, better known as “Chuss” Heath.

Can anyone tell whether the Snodgrass boys, Clayton and Harvey, are living? Also Ky, Willie and Raymond, sons of Geo. and Sarah Metheny?

I have written quite a letter but have not as yet told you who I am. I have been wholly engaged in the Gospel ministry for 30 years. I am the eldest son of Wm. Dick. My name is J.M. Dick, pastor of a church in the city of Wilmington, N.C., one of the leading cities by the sea. I have seen tablets and marks of the war between the North and the South, including Fort Fischer. Some of the South have some feeling against the North, but we have kept our life long reputation for knowing how to behave ourselves, so, so far, they have used us splendidly. We are on our sixth year here but are only temporarily settled.

In closing, let me add that my only brother is living near Cedar Falls, Ia. Those we have kept in closest touch with since leaving Maquoketa are the John Turner, Wash Tracy and A.C. Johnston families.

Come on, now, my friends, and let us hear from you.

J.M. Dick

425 S. 4th St.

Wilmington, N.C.

P.S. - Send me a copy of the paper if it is convenient to do so.