Snell, Thaddeus S. SR.1847-1921

SNELL, MOREY

Posted By: Paul Van Dyke-Volunteer
Date: 2/22/2014 at 14:17:48

Thaddeus S. Snell, Sr. was a Civil Engineer, Surveyor, and First Ida County Superintendent of Schools 1877. A great influx of settlers followed the railway in 1877 to this area, and he was made Ida County Superintendent of schools. He was the son of Stephen and Emily Snell born in Oswego County, New York, Sept. 27, 1847.

He received his education of a civil engineer at Syracuse University, and in 1871 was a member of a party of surveyors employed to make the survey of a line of a proposed railway through this country, striking out from Fort Dodge, Iowa.

When young, Mr. Snell reached the future site of Ida Grove, Iowa, when there was only the tavern (such as, hotel and place to eat) and store of Judge Moorehead over near the grove, on the site of the present Wm. C. Moorehead house. Here he was notified that the railway proposition had failed and there was no money for him, but he had his outfit of surveyor's instruments and tools and decided to stay in the new country just beginning to open up. Of the people living in this part of the county at that time, only 3 Moorehead brothers, H. A. Moorehead, G. C. Moorehead, and W. C. Moorehead; and James Wilkinson survive Mr. Snell.

Mr. Snell did a great deal of the early surveying in Ida County, locating most of the roads and re-locating the old government surveys made two decades before and in many ways helped perpetuate the government corners. He assisted laying out Ida Grove, Iowa, and platted the original 50 cemetery lots in the present burial ground.

He married Dora Morey in 1876 at Nashua, Iowa, and they had 4 children, Bruce M. Snell, Sr.; Roy Snell, Thaddeus Snell, Jr., and Catherine.

Spouse:Dora Belle Morey Snell (1859 - 1953)*

Burial:
Mount Hope Cemetery
Battle Creek
Ida County
Iowa, USA