Sylvester Newton Travis

BEYER, DONNELLEY, HILLMAN, HOOVER, LORIMOR, TRAVIS

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 10/11/2005 at 11:59:09

Sylvester Newton Travis, a farmer and stockman residing on section 15, Walnut township, was born in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, on the 31st of October, 1847, a son of Martin B. and Lavina (Beyer) Travis, also natives of Pennsylvania, the latter born in Huntingdon county. The father came of Irish stock and the mother of German descent. Being left an orphan Martin B. Travis was bound out at the age of thirteen years to learn the blacksmith's trade which he followed for almost fifty years, until he was sixty-two years of age.

On the 12th of October, 1855, he started west with his family and on November 3d located in Winterset, Iowa. In January, 1856, he purchased a farm in Walnut township and moved thereon, but continued to work at his trade in Winterset until 1861, after which he lived on his farm until his demise. During the summers of 1860 and 1864 he worked at his trade in Colorado, shoeing horses at the stations of the Wells Fargo Express Company for a distance of one hundred and fifty miles east of Denver. In the fall of 1864 he returned to this county and opened a blacksmith shop upon his farm, but subsequently removed his shop to Peru, where for six years he did a big business. He was not only a blacksmith but was a general mechanic and made all kinds of fine tools used upon a farm and for years dressed all of the stone burrs in the mills of Madison, Warren, dark and Dallas counties.

He passed away upon his farm on section 9, Warren township, April 14, 1879, when sixty-two years of age and was survived by his wife until June 22, 1903, her demise occurring when she was seventy-six years of age.

Sylvester N. Travis attended school in Pennsylvania, at Winterset, Iowa, and in Walnut township, this county, and under his father's instruction became proficient in blacksmithing. When twenty-two years of age he opened a shop of his own in Peru, having previously worked in Winterset, but in 1887 he disposed of his business and removed to a farm on section 15, Walnut township, which he had purchased in 1880. He still lives upon that place, which now comprises one hundred and twenty acres of land, and has just bought ninety-five acres adjoining. He carries on general farming and stock-raising and for eighteen years past has raised pure blooded Jersey Red hogs. He feeds both cattle and hogs for the market and derives a good profit from the sale of his stock. He has a forge upon the farm and still does all of his own blacksmithing.

On the 12th of March, 1871, Mr. Travis married Miss Mary E. Hillman, a daughter of Edmund and Ann (Donnelley) Hillman. Her father was born in New Jersey of German lineage and her mother in Pennsylvania of Irish parentage. When two years of age Mr. Hillman was taken by his parents to Preble county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood and learned the carpenter's trade. He was married to Miss Donnelley in that state and in the spring of 1841 they removed to Burlington, Iowa. In 1869 they came to Madison county, locating at Old Peru in Walnut township, where he engaged in the mercantile business. He passed away in 1880 and was survived by his widow until 1897. Mrs. Travis was born in Des Moines county, Iowa, November 10, 1844, and her entire life has been passed in this state. She served as postmistress of Peru for five years under President Harrison and extending into President Cleveland's administration and finally resigned-much to the regret of her patrons.

To Mr. and Mrs. Travis have been born five children, four of who survive. Maude is the wife of A. A. Lorimore, a railroad man of Schama, New Mexico, and they have three children, Raymond, Cecelia and Madge. Elbert died when nineteen years old. Martin Beatty, a farmer of Scott township, married Miss Nellie Hoover and they have five children, Joseph, Edith, Maude, Wilma and Sylvester. Cora Inez, the widow of Wood Dowler, has three children, Curtis, Clarke and Lucile. Lysle Edmund, who is at home with his parents, assists his father with the work of the farm and specializes in the breeding of high grade Shire horses. He married Miss Cora Benson and they have two children, Lorraine and Mary.

Mr. Travis is a republican and for two terms was the capable and popular township trustee. He has served upon the school board for two years and in that connection has manifested a sincere devotion to the welfare of the public-school system. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church of Peru and he is also identified with Hazel Lodge, No. 577, A. F. & A. M., of East Peru. Mr. Travis had a number of interesting experiences in his boyhood days, experiences which help us to realize the wonderful advance in civilization in the last fifty or sixty years. When thirteen years of age he was hunting cattle upon the land which now comprises his farm but which was then school land, and in the evening he came upon a camp of about two hundred Indians, who were making sugar. Naturally enough he was frightened but realized that to betray uneasiness or fear would only increase his danger and, accordingly, rode boldly straight through the camp, going slowly until he was well past it, when he spurred his horse and rode as fast as he could until he reached home in safety. He takes an added pleasure in the security and comforts of life in Madison county at the present time because his parents before him and he in his day have had a part in the mighty transformation that has substituted highly cultivated fields, beautiful farm homes and prosperous villages and towns for the wild, unbroken prairie, with trees only, along the water courses and inhabited only by game and roaming Indians

Taken from the book, “The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915,” by Herman Mueller.