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HUFF, John 1811 - 1895; county's first white settler

HUFF, WOODWARD, MOWER, WOODARD

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 1/10/2011 at 11:02:49

"The Fairfield Ledger"
October 23, 1895

Death of a Jefferson County Pioneer.

John HUFF, the first white settler of Jefferson county, died at his home in this city Monday night. He was in the eighty-fifth year of his age, and had been in declining health for some time. Mr. HUFF was a native of Floyd county, Virginia, but when a lad of tender years removed with his father's family to Kentucky, where he grew to manhood. In 1831 he joined the general pilgrimage to the unknown west and became a resident of Schuyler county, Ill. From this point he made his first trip to Iowa in 1835, an expedition up Skunk river in search of honey and beeswax. While on this trip he located a claim in what is now Round Prairie township, Jefferson county. Returning in the spring to make permanent settlement in the new country, he found that the family of James Tilford had preceded him and had by merest accident located on the claim on which he had placed his stakes. These two families were the only white people in the territory which is now embraced in Jefferson county. Mr. HUFF moved on a few miles further west, and on June 17th, 1836, made settlement on section No. 1, Cedar township. The location of the Tilfords was made a month earlier.

Mr. HUFF was married to Sarah WOODWARD March 3d, 1836, and his bride accompanied him here and shared with him all the privations and hardships of pioneer life. Eight children were born to them, six of whom are now living--James D., William, Jefferson, Louisa and Mrs. Geo. R. MOWER--most of them in this vicinity. Mrs. HUFF died in 1871. Much of the matter relating to earliest Jefferson county history which has appeared in print has been derived from Mr. HUFF's recollections of those days. He was a man of little education, but his mind was active and his memory excellent, and he was able to relate to many interesting incidents of pioneer times.

The funeral will be held today, and the remains will be interred in Bethesda cemetery east of the city.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I am not related to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: An 1890 biography for John HUFF gives Sarah's surname as WOODARD, not WOODWARD as noted above. The obituary also names his living children but only lists five and not six.


 

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