William DUNWOODY - History

DUNWOODY, REAHM, GROODRICH, MURPHY, RUCKEL

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 6/29/2006 at 12:32:11

"Portrait & Biographical Album of Jefferson & Van Buren Counties", pub. 1890, Page 266

WILLIAM DUNWOODY, retired, one of the early settlers of Fairfield, was born in Somerset Co., Penn., on March 1, 1811, son of Robert and Susanna (REAHM) DUNWOODY. The father was of Scotch-Irish (sic) descent, and the mother a descendant of German ancestry. Robert DUNWOODY made farming his chief occupation through life, but was a great admirer of and always kept on hand a number of fine horses. He was married in the Keystone State, but about 1817 he removed with his family to Ohio, settling near Coshocton, whence he afterwards removed to Columbus. He was engaged in running freight wagons, hauling freight from Cincinnati and other cities to Philadelphia. He died at the age of sixty years and his widow afterward became the wife of Austin GROODRICH, with whom she came to Iowa about 1846. They settled in Van Buren Co., where the death of Mrs. GROODRICH occurred when some seventy years of age. By her first marriage she had six children, but our subject, who was the fourth in order of birth, is the only one known to be living. She also had six children by her second marriage.

Mr. (William) DUNWOODY was married in Delaware Co., Ohio, on the 21st of May, 1837, to Miss Sarah MURPHY, who was born in Zanesville, Ohio, April 10, 1815, daughter of Patrick and Amelia (RUCKEL) MURPHY. Her parents were both natives of Limerick, Ireland, where they married. Two children were born to them in that country and about 1812 they emigrated with their family to America, locating in Penn.. Their deaths occurred in the same year in Columbus, Ohio, the husband being about fifty years of age and his wife forty-six. In their family there were eight children.

In May, 1849, Mr. and Mrs. DUNWOODY became residents of Fairfield, then a mere hamlet. In those days they used grease lamps instead of electricity, and many other adjuncts of pioneer life were found in their home. Mr. DUNWOODY established a bus line and successfully engaged in that business for some years, but at length misfortune overtook him and he lost almost everything he had....

[Also posted to the Van Buren County Documents board]

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