Stidham, William

STIDHAM

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 21:56:03

William Stidham

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.647)
WILLIAM STIDHAM is one of the well-known early pioneers of Grove Township, having first come to this county when a lad, in 1847. He was born near Wilmington, Delaware, February 18, 1837, son of George David and Esther STIDHAM, both natives of Pennsylvania. He was only a babe when his parents moved to Fountain County, Indiana, and when he was seven years old, his mother died. Then for a time he made his home with an uncle. His father was subsequently married, in Vermilion County, Illinois, to Susan Ann WINEGAR, by whom he had one daughter, now Mrs. Esther WILLIAMS, a widow of Grove Township. After his father’s marriage, William returned to him. Mr. STIDHAM came to Garden Grove, Iowa, with the Latter Day Saints in 1846, where he spent the winter, and the next season went to Salt Lake. He was a bold and fearless man. He loved new scenes, new country and plenty of game, and the adventurous life of the West was congenial to his tastes, but he would not obey the Mormon laws. He was threatened with death if he continued to disregard their laws, so the next season, with two other families, he left Utah to return to Iowa. On his way back, he met Brigham Young, to whom he told why and where he was going, but Mr. YOUNG, seeing he was in the vicinity of friends, did not offer to molest him. Upon his arrival in Iowa, he located in Monroe County, where he remained two years. At the end of that time, he came to Pottawattamie County, and settled in Grove Township, where he spent the rest of his life and died at the age of seventy-six year. Previous to his death, he united with the Christian Church. In politics he was a Republican. His wife was a Methodist. She lived until 1889 and died at the home of her step-son, the subject of this sketch.

William STIDHAM grew to manhood in this pioneer country, received a limited education in a log schoolhouse, and early in life did farm work, breaking and clearing land. In 1869 he went to California, going across the plains with ox teams. He engaged in mining, prospecting, and freighting goods, which at that time was a profitable business, and spent ten years on the Pacific coast, after which he returned to Iowa, and for two years lived in Grove Township, Pottawattamie County. Then he went to Big Horn River, the head of the Missouri, on a prospecting tour, but the Indians were so troublesome, killing some of the men, that the search for minerals had to be abandoned, and the prospecting party returned to civilization. Mr. STIDHAM came back to his old home in Grove Township. Here he owns 186 acres of land, on section 21, well watered and comprising both timber and prairie land. The farm is well adapted for grain or stock.

Mr. STIDHAM has in his make-up many of the characteristics of the Western pioneer. He is firm in his convictions of right and wrong, is plain in his speech, and is frank and fearless in his manner. He has the confidence and respect of all who know him.