ENLOW, William Henry

ENLOW, STONEBRAKER, STEPHENSON

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 3/8/2006 at 21:33:10

"CENTENNIEL FAIRFIELD LEDGER", Oct. 2, 1939, Pg. 4, Sec. G

WILLIAM HENRY ENLOW was born in Adams County, Ohio, Aug. 28, 1823... in 1833 his parents moved to Lee County, Iowa, near Keokuk... In 1838, five years later, his father sold the farm and moved to Van Buren County, near Birmingham... From 1840 to 1842 he carried the mail horseback from Fairfield to Des Moines. It took one week each way to make the trip. His load was necessarily light and postage high, his mail was of very great importance, which added greatly to the responsibility.

He encountered many dangers, with no road to follow -- all he had being an Indian trail. His horse swam all the streams. Most of them were fords selected by the Indians, and followed the most shallow places. Along the route he has recorded seeing much wild game, now all extinct. Wild deer in the forests were plentiful... The Black Hawk Indians were camped around Agency... Mr. ENLOW made friends with them by trading a few small trinkets and speaking what he could of their tongue.

After this, until 1845, he worked with his father on the farm. He did most of the cradling of grain by hand.... They raised many hogs on this farm. The hogs had to be driven to Keokuk from Birmingham, to market. It took one week, and they made one trip a year.... This farm was sold to James Kelley, and he moved his family again, this time to Winchester, Van Buren County.... His father purchased a store in Winchester, and engaged in this pursuit for some time. One corner had groceries, another shoes, cloaks and dresses, hardware, bakery, and last but not least, the United States Post Office. He served as Postmaster, clerk, and proprietor... When Cloyce ENLOW, son of Grant ENLOW, was in High School his Aunt Florence, the oldest child of this family, gave him these facts for an essay which he wrote. For Mr. William ENLOW, carpenter work led to that of wagon making. On these old-style wagons the grease-bucket was carried alongside and applied every few miles. It took out a little of the creak and croak.... One of these wagons he made was given to the Old Relic Society here at Fairfield, by the Woodrow Brothers. This wagon has been exhibited in the Free Public Library of Fairfield. It is the only wagon left that he made, so far as is known.

In 1856 he married Laura Isabel STONEBRAKER, of near Hagerstown, Maryland. They were married at Birmingham...

William Henry ENLOW was not eligible for the regular army during the Civil War, as he had some fingers taken off in an accident, so he joined the "Wide Awakes" and bugled for them. He had nine children, the only remaining one of the immediate family left is his son Grant ENLOW of this city. You can see that he not only cradled wheat, but rocked the cradle as well..... William Henry ENLOW died April 10, 1904, being past 80 years old. His son, Grant ENLOW, has two children, Cloyce M. ENLOW and Mrs. Harvey STEPHENSON of Ottumwa. (By Mrs. Grant ENLOW)

[Also posted to the Lee and Van Buren Counties' Biographies boards]

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s).