GOBBLE, THOMAS WILSON

GOBBLE, MUSICK, MCCULLOCH, SHRINER, FLEENOR, HUDDLESTON, SPERRY, ROBB, ABRAHAM, SEARS, KOONS, SCOTT, CORLE, FETTY, ORENDUFF, JUDD, FANSHER, LEGORE, LOFTUS, KUBBLE, CURRY, HENDERSON, HARDEN, LATHERS, NEWSOME

Posted By: Charlene Hixon
Date: 3/21/2006 at 15:50:41

The Fairfield Tribune, Wednesday, June 28, 1905.

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF THOMAS WILSON GOBBLE,

Of Locust Grove Township, Jefferson County, Iowa.

(By Thomas Wilson Gobble, his grandson.)

I was born in Washington County, Virginia, on the 20th of August, 1818. My father’s name was Isaac GOBBLE, and my mother’s maiden name was Elizabeth MUSICK, better known as Betsie. My father was of Dutch descent and my mother English. Father died when I was a boy about ten years of age. Before his death we had moved further south in the same county (which, by the way, this county of Washington was the first locality named after George Washington.) In our family were nine children: Archie, John B., Sallie, Annie, Rachel, Jane, Betsie, George and myself.

In 1838 I married Mary S. MCCULLOCH, daughter of Colonel Thomas MCCULLOCH, and a short time afterwards, on the 1st of May, 1843, the United States government opened up the territories in the middle west for settlement. I then began to make preparations to set out with a wagon for the west. Previous to this I had been occupied as a blacksmith and a carpenter, so I was able to construct almost the entire wagon myself in which I was to make this long journey. My first intention was to go to Missouri, but Colonel MCCULLOCH, who had then been in Iowa the year before 1843, and returned telling what a promising country Iowa was, and together with the fact that Missouri being a slave state and Iowa not, aided me in deciding to head toward Iowa.

On the morning of September 4th, 1844, everything was in readiness and three of us – my wife, daughter Margaret, now SHRINER, of Fairfield, Iowa, and myself, set out for the west, crossing the Cumberland Mountains at a point where we could see the three states of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The Ohio River was crossed at Louisville, Ky., on a ferry. Up to this point we had taken what was known as the “Turn Pike Road,” which was one of the best traveled roads towards the west. We passed through the states of Indiana and Illinois, and crossed the Mississippi River on the morning of October 6th, at Fort Madison, Iowa, passed through Salem, Iowa, on the 7th, and camped at Goodspeed’s Mill, in Jefferson County, twelve miles east of Fairfield, the evening of the 8th. On the 9th we arrived at Fairfield (which had been settled since 1839) at about noon, ate our dinner by the roadside opposite where now is the old “John Young farm.” Then moving on northwest we entered Locust Grove township at about 3 o’clock the afternoon of the 9th of October. We were soon at the cabin of Abram FLEENOR, our destination, he being also a Virginian and a relative of mine. The journey was now ended and we had taken just thirty-four days to make the trip, and had only traveled once on the Sabbath.

After resting a few days at the home of Abram FLEENOR, I set out to look at the surrounding country, and within a very short time had fully made up my mind that what is now my present location, was just what I wanted. I commenced at once to clear the land and build my cabin, which was located about forty feet southwest of my present home. Just east of our cabin we had a well dug by HUDDLESTON from Indiana, which is to the present day as good as when it was dug. This well is walled with rock, which we had hauled from Rock Creek, several miles north, and it might be interesting to know that while we were hauling these rock we were compelled to cross through large prairie fires.

It was early in 1845 that Abram FLEENOR stayed all night with me as my witness to my claim, and the next morning we went to Fairfield and had the quarter section which contains 186 acres, pre-empted. The price paid the government for this claim was $1.25 per acre, and the same year, 1845, I received the original deed signed by the President, then James K. Polk.

As far as possible my farm was fenced in with what is known as the “worm rail fence,” which was made of split rails and piled one on top the other, this was the only thing we had at that time, for it was several years after that wire fence came into common use. In many places the rail fence is still to be seen around my present farm, having stood the test of time very well.

The earliest settlers of Locust Grove Township as well as I can now remember were about as follows, Many of whom had been there either a few years previous to my coming, or shortly afterwards –

Abram FLEENOR, Becca FLEENOR his wife, MCCULLOCH, and family – Martha, Harriet, Thomas, Washington, Sarah, and others; John SPERRY and wife and children – John, Joe, Hanna, and others; Sammy ROBB, wife and children, Thomas, Harriet, and others; Lot ABRAHAM, wife and child – Charles; David SEARS, wife and children – Jacob, William, Joe, John, and others; Dillon KOONS; Joe SCOTT and wife; Harvey LAUGHLIN and family; Jonathan LAUGHLIN and wife; General Samuel WHITMORE and wife; Thomas Wilson GOBBLE, his wife, Mary S. (McCulloch) GOBBLE, and children – Margaret, Thomas M., John M., and Charles; John LINDER, wife and family; Cookeley FLEENOR, wife and family; George Washington GOBBLE (my brother); Elijah COLLINS, wife and children – Andie, Asbery, Jacob, Lige; William HUMPHREYS and Felan (or Fred) HUMPHREYS; Philip KEENEN, a bachelor and Irish cooper, who later was burned to death in his cooper shop; Newton GREENWOOD and wife (he married a daughter of Lot ABRAHAM); C. KINSLEY, wife and family; David ELLER, wife and family; David CALDWELL, wife and family; Robert CALDWELL, wife and family; Chris. SEARS, wife and children – John and others; John SEARS, Joe SCOTT and Chris. SEARS were great wolf hunters, well known for hunting with gray hounds; “Mike” COSSEL, from Virginia, helped me to hew the logs for my first cabin; John COSSEL from Virginia; Solomon COSSEL, from Virginia; James THOMPSON and wife; Harriet, and children – Charles.

Dr. STARK, first doctor in Locust Grove Township, settled near Whitmore’s Grove, east of Batavia; Tinsley M. BROOKS, wife and family – he named and started the town of Brookville; Samuel CURCHAVILLE (KERCHAVEL), wife and daughter, Emma – he was the son-in-law of Tinsley M. BROOKS and was the first merchant in Brookville; Sampson SMITH, wife and family; Reuben HARRIS, wife and family; William BROWN and wife – John BROWN, his son, became a preacher and married a daughter of Reuben HARRIS; Andrew SMITH, wife and family; Conrad NEWSOME and family; James LATHERS and family; Mathew HARDEN and family; Agrippa HENDERSON, wife and family; Milton HENDERSON, wife and family; William CURRY and family; Levi KUBBLE (Hubbell?) and wife; Mr. ORREL, who at one time saved my brother George’s life when he had gone down in a well where the damps had gathered; Mr. LOFTUS and wife; Dan LEGORE and wife; John FANSHER who married Martha FLEENOR; Mr. JUDD and family; John ORENDUFF, wife and family, both from Virginia; Aaron FETTY and family; Archibald CORLE and family.

The first places to be settled in this township were the present town of Brookville and Batavia, then known as Creesville.

The oldest house being the cabin of Abram FLEENOR, where we had spent the winter of 1844. Our first school was taught by Chas. MCCULLOCH in a log cabin which I helped to erect on what is known as “Hickory Ridge” and where at present a more modern building now stands. The distance to this school was so great that I later joined the Abingdon district, where I later helped build three other school buildings. The first churches were held in the different cabins wherever it was convenient to those who were most regular in attendance. The first church service was held in the cabin of Abram FLEENOR, by a Mr. GIBSON and John SPERRY.

The first saw mill was located a few miles north of us. This had what was then known as a “whip-saw,” a saw which took two men to operate, one man stood overhead while the other stood underneath, and operated it entirely by hand. Our lumber consisted of cherry, walnut, hickory, oak, elm and linn. I had learned the cabinet trade at home in Virginia and I was now quite skilled in making all kinds of furniture, such as coffins, beds, dressers and tables. With the aid of Aaron F. KAADE from Pennsylvania, I opened a cabinet shop, where I made articles of furniture for sale, and later as trade increased I added a few articles such as groceries and farm tools.

The first grist mills were located on the Des Moines River, and on Cedar Creek, west of Fairfield, operated by CLINKENBEARD. It was run by water power and at one time the creek became very high, flooding the entire country around and washing this mill away. CLINKENBEARD happened to be in the mill at the time and was only rescued from drowning, by being able to crawl on a hastily made raft and floating down stream until he could climb to shore. Before having a mill in this township we were compelled to go to Bentonsport and Keosauqua. Sometimes we had to stay as long as a week at a time before we could get our grain milled. At Bentonsport one time, a man by the name of JOHNSON and I had prepared for a two days’ trip, the mill was behind on orders, and it was nine days before we had our grain milled. Meanwhile we had to quarry rock at this place for our board.

The first clothing we had was all homespun, shorn from the sheep, carded, spun, dyed and woven into jeans cloth or flannel. Later a mill was established at Bonaparte by MEEK Bros., and we then took the wool, which we had raised and sheared ourselves, and had it manufactured into clothing. This firm, which is interesting to know, is still in business, and I still continue to buy their goods for the firm of T. W. GOBBLE Co., which I had established in September, 1853.

The first cabins were made of logs, laid one on top of the other, and the cracks were daubed with mud. There were seldom more than two rooms in them. The windows were usually wood from linn wood and fitted with 8x10 inch glass, although many had nothing but solid wooden windows, which would have to be taken the day time to admit light.

Matches were not known of in the early days, and fire was only started by means of a sharp piece of steel (usually a jack knife) struck quickly against a sharp piece of flint, which made sparks, and these sparks would ignite powder if sprinkled on a little cotton. It was so hard to start a fire that when once started we were very careful not to let it die out.

The farm implements used on my farm were constructed at the blacksmith shop of John SPERRY, not far from the home of Abram FLEENOR. These were constructed in a very crude manner but served our purpose well. Some of the first plows were made of wood, with steel sheers, and a wooden mold board.

Most of the early roads were old Indian trails, one was what is known as the old Territory road, which run from Fairfield to Agency City, east and west about halfway between Abingdon and Batavia.
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The products of the early farm were hogs, horses, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, and goose, together with wheat, corn, oats, rye, buckwheat and potatoes. At that time the nearest hog market was Keokuk and many times farmers have taken a drove of hogs there, taking about a week to go the seventy miles.

We had picnics and celebrations in the early days, much like we have in the present day. All the neighbors would get together and we would have the very best of times.

The most extraordinary winter which I remember of was the winter of 1848, when we had snow four feet deep. We happened to run short of wood at the cabin and I went out to cut down a tree level with the top of the snow. After the snow had gone the stump stood just four feet above the ground. This stump stood for many years after and I was reminded of this little incident whenever I would see it. In the spring all the creeks were flooded as they have never been since.

The names of the different creeks in and around Locust Grove Township originated from some peculiarity which surrounded it, as the name of Cedar was derived from the fact that at the head of this creek there were a great many cedar trees. The name of Competine Creek originated, it is said, from the fact than an Indian chief by the name of Competine lost one of his favorite sons and buried the remains on the banks of this creek. Locust Grove was named because there were so many locust trees in and around Brookville. Coon Creek because there were so many coons on it.

The wild animals which I have seen in and around this township were wolves, wild cats, deer, gophers, squirrels, coons, rabbits and prairie chickens, snakes, such as rattlers, black, blowing vipers and copperheads. Wild turkey, quail and wild pigeon were very numerous in our timberland. The timberland was very plentiful and consisted of the following varieties: white, burr, and jack oak, elm, linn, hickory, walnut, maple, locust, buckeye and other timber.

Although this country had not been occupied very long by the white settlers, very few Indians were seen, for most of them had left for Nebraska when the government opened up this land in 1838. Since 1844 the township of Locust Grove has grown wonderfully, in fact, it is the garden spot of Iowa to me, and I will always be content to live in it.

* * * * * * *

I take the liberty from my personal knowledge and the assistance of Mrs. Margaret SHRINER, to add the following to Mr. GOBBLE’s historical sketch: His family are as follows: Margaret J. SHRINER, widow of George SHRINER, who raised a family of four boys and one girl, now residing at Fairfield, Iowa; Thomas M. GOBBLE, of Clinton, Iowa, who also has been a merchant all his life; John M. GOBBLE, of Muscatine, Iowa, in the grocery trade all his life; Charles H. GOBBLE of Muscatine, Iowa, a merchant for many years and now in the insurance business. These were his children by his first wife.

Mr. Gobble was married a second time to Miss Jemima TAYLOR, who is yet with her aged husband on his farm, and they have the following children: Lee Taylor GOBBLE of Fairfield, Iowa, a merchant, now of the clothing firm of GOBBLE & HEER, and also second vice-president of the Iowa State Savings Bank; Anne LINDER, wife of Wm. B. LINDER, of Libertyville, Iowa; Hester L. MOWERY, wife of Virgil MOWERY, residing at Mitchell, South Dakota; Frank GOBBLE, married and has charge of his father’s farm; Wilson T. GOBBLE, married, a merchant in charge of the store of GOBBLE & Co., Abington, Iowa; Mabel HAWTHORNE, wife of Thomas HAWTHORNE, a farmer residing near the father.

Mr. Gobble trained all his sons to be merchants, and all have been successful in business, and have fully sustained the noble character of their aged mother and father – the old pioneer who dictated the above historical sketch of his early life in our county, and he has good cause to be proud of his family of sons and daughters.

I. D. JONES.