LEWIS, John ca.1818-1909

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LEWIS, John ca.1818-1909

LEWIS

Posted By: County Coordinator (kermit)
Date: 4/14/2010 at 17:56:37

#1:
John Lewis came from Illinois to Mitchell county in the fall of 1854, and bought 480 acres of land in Lincoln and Douglas townships. After remaining part of the winter splitting rails, he went back to Illinois, and returned the following spring with his family, arriving May 6, 1855. He bought of George Colton, the Orin Hart claim, the southwest quarter of Section 31, giving the first real estate mortgage on record in the county, for $1,000,00, dated August 6, 1855, witnessed by Dr. A. H. Moore and his wife. This was ever after the Lewis home. There were then five children. There were in all thirteen children. One died in infancy and another at the age of three years. One of the greatest hardships of the early settlers was the lack of good water. Mr. Lewis hauled water for more than a year from one to two miles.
In the spring of 1856, Wayne and Henry Morris came from Illinois, and took a claim on what is now the Whitcomb place. In the summer they dug the first well in the township for Mr. Lewis. They worked all summer and fall, as it was a very difficult job. In some places the blasting was twelve feet across. They found good water at a depth of 84 feet. Mr. Lewis paid them $200.00 cash, and $800.00 in accounts against Illinois debtors.
Stephen Green also came in the summer of 1857, but gave up his claim and returned to Illinois, as did also the Morris brothers. In 1857, Mr. Lewis built a frame house and a large barn. Wm. Bellville, who lived in a little cabin near by, did the carpenter work, and Tinker Allen helped with the mason work.
John Lewis was a native of Hartford, Conn., born October 22, 1817. When quite young his parents moved to Pottsville, Penn., but soon moved again to Ohio, where in 1825, his father was killed by the falling of a bridge. At the age of fifteen John spent 18 months at the shoe makers' trade, in Nelsonville, in the winter driving a team on the Hocking canal; with a partner he cleared $600.00 by a contract of construction on this canal. He then spent some time buying cattle for contractors in Virginia, after which he took a flat boat load of tan bark down the Ohio, selling both at Cincinnati. Then he went to Louisville and worked as a ship carpenter.
In 1834, he went to Florida where, with sixty others, he bought three condemned war vessels from the government, and went on a whaling voyage, which he followed six years.
In 1842, he went to Texas looking for land. February 27, he left Texas, and June 7 reached Keokuk, Iowa, having walked the whole distance. Then going to Elizabethtown, Illinois and there worked as a carpenter, and was married December 7, 1843 to Mary Van Voltinburg. Here he was engaged in farming, stock buying and also had a saw mill. Mr. Lewis was a successful farmer and aided greatly in the development of the county.
Mrs. Lewis was a typical pioneer mother, resourceful, able, untiring, her home her world.
She reared a large family and met the hardships of pioneer life with courage and success.
Although an invalid for nineteen years, her spirit was ruled by patience to the passing away February 15, 1908, at the age of 79 years. Mr. Lewis survived her scarcely one year. His death occurred February 8, 1909, at the age of 91 years. The daughter, Mary and her brother Charles and family, still live on the old homestead.
[Source; "Osage Township" by Clarinda Hitchcock; hosted by Rootsweb}
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#2:
The Osage City Cemetery listing on IaGenWeb shows:
LEWIS, JOHN (loc) 0192 9 (died) 07 FEB 1909
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#3:
Photo of John from the STANDARD HISTORICAL ATLAS OF MITCHELL COUNTY, 1911.

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Obituary: #1: John Lewis came from Illinois to Mitchell county in the fall of 1854, and bought 480 acres of land in Lincoln and Douglas townships. After remaining part of the winter splitting rails, he went back to Illinois, and returned the following spring with his family, arriving May 6, 1855. He bought of George Colton, the Orin Hart claim, the southwest quarter of Section 31, giving the first real estate mortgage on record in the county, for $1,000,00, dated August 6, 1855, witnessed by Dr. A. H. Moore and his wife. This was ever after the Lewis home. There were then five children. There were in all thirteen children. One died in infancy and another at the age of three years. One of the greatest hardships of the early settlers was the lack of good water. Mr. Lewis hauled water for more than a year from one to two miles. In the spring of 1856, Wayne and Henry Morris came from Illinois, and took a claim on what is now the Whitcomb place. In the summer they dug the first well in the township for Mr. Lewis. They worked all summer and fall, as it was a very difficult job. In some places the blasting was twelve feet across. They found good water at a depth of 84 feet. Mr. Lewis paid them $200.00 cash, and $800.00 in accounts against Illinois debtors. Stephen Green also came in the summer of 1857, but gave up his claim and returned to Illinois, as did also the Morris brothers. In 1857, Mr. Lewis built a frame house and a large barn. Wm. Bellville, who lived in a little cabin near by, did the carpenter work, and Tinker Allen helped with the mason work. John Lewis was a native of Hartford, Conn., born October 22, 1817. When quite young his parents moved to Pottsville, Penn., but soon moved again to Ohio, where in 1825, his father was killed by the falling of a bridge. At the age of fifteen John spent 18 months at the shoe makers' trade, in Nelsonville, in the winter driving a team on the Hocking canal; with a partner he cleared $600.00 by a contract of construction on this canal. He then spent some time buying cattle for contractors in Virginia, after which he took a flat boat load of tan bark down the Ohio, selling both at Cincinnati. Then he went to Louisville and worked as a ship carpenter. In 1834, he went to Florida where, with sixty others, he bought three condemned war vessels from the government, and went on a whaling voyage, which he followed six years. In 1842, he went to Texas looking for land. February 27, he left Texas, and June 7 reached Keokuk, Iowa, having walked the whole distance. Then going to Elizabethtown, Illinois and there worked as a carpenter, and was married December 7, 1843 to Mary Van Voltinburg. Here he was engaged in farming, stock buying and also had a saw mill. Mr. Lewis was a successful farmer and aided greatly in the development of the county. Mrs. Lewis was a typical pioneer mother, resourceful, able, untiring, her home her world. She reared a large family and met the hardships of pioneer life with courage and success. Although an invalid for nineteen years, her spirit was ruled by patience to the passing away February 15, 1908, at the age of 79 years. Mr. Lewis survived her scarcely one year. His death occurred February 8, 1909, at the age of 91 years. The daughter, Mary and her brother Charles and family, still live on the old homestead. [Source; "Osage Township" by Clarinda Hitchcock; hosted by Rootsweb} ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- #2: The Osage City Cemetery listing on IaGenWeb shows: LEWIS, JOHN (loc) 0192 9 (died) 07 FEB 1909 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- #3: Photo of John from the STANDARD HISTORICAL ATLAS OF MITCHELL COUNTY, 1911.
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