Baldwin, William S. (1812-1893)

BALDWIN

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 11:45:48

WILLIAM SMITH BALDWIN (1812 - 1893)

Pioneer Sketches –by Leonard S. Spencer [The Advocate Tribune,, Indianola, IA, Thursday, Jan 29, 1885, p.2, col.3]
The name of Baldwin is of English descent. Their genealogy is traced back to about the time of the landing of the Mayflower of 1690. If they were not among the crew, they came shortly afterwards. We have not the time to trace their genealogy and history to their first settlement upon American soil, for they are now very numerous within the boundaries of Uncle Sam’s dominion. As far back as we can trace them, they were all stout, hearty men – men that could endure toil and hardships, such as fell upon the early settlers of this country.
The growth and population, the gradual unfolding of the resources of the territories, the embarrassments which attended their political intercourse with Great Britain – all of these things had their effects upon the infant colony. The emancipation of the Americans from foreign rule, was the natural consequences of increasing numbers, and enlarged intelligence; we find the infant grown into young manhood. It was capable of going alone; it was the great and good fortune of this country that she possessed such hardy pioneers, men that could endure the hard and laborious duties of a pioneer life, and of such were the Baldwin families.
William Baldwin, the father of the subject of our sketch, was born at Stonington Point, New London County, Conn., Dec 19th, 1793. His ancestors were enrolled as veterans of the Revolutionary War. At the age of 12 years he moved to Mississippi where he was brought up on a farm, but working most of the time at the carpenter and wagon makers’ trade until he was gown, was married to Miss Almina Smith, Feb 19, 1817. During this year he emigrated to Muskingum County, Ohio. In this county the subject of our sketch was born May 18, 1818. At the time of his birth, Ohio was not what Ohio is today. Her territory was covered with a heavy growth of timber, with no gaudy churches, no school houses, only those built by private purses and then only of logs. Thus timber had to be cut down, and then cut into what was called logging length, from 12 to 16 feet in length, the brush had to be piled into heaps so that it would get dry and then it was set on fire and burnt; after this was done then came the log rolling. From four to six men would get together with a yoke of cattle, haul these logs to a certain place, and then pile them into piles; this was called logging. The trees were generally cut down in the winter and spring and then lay until about the first of September before they were logged up and burnt. The ground after being cleared was sown in winter wheat, being harrowed in with a pair of cattle and a harrow.
If some of our young men of Iowa were to see this done they would wonder how the cattle and harrow could go between the stumps and roots. Such was the work that had to be done at the time that our subject was in his boyhood. He says be received his education under like circumstances – in a log house, with a sapling cut and split with the rough splinters hewn off for a seat, with poles put in for legs, with no back to lean against. His teachers were nearly of the same material. If they could cipher as far as single rule of three, that it was all that was required of them in arithmetic. Grammar was scarcely thought of. Reading, writing, spelling and arithmetic were sufficient for the teacher to know in the days of our subject’s youth. Window glass was made of paper, and to prevent the water from spoiling it, they soaked the paper in grease. Mm. [messier] Smith Baldwin worked upon a farm helping to reclaim it from the native forest.
After arriving at the age of manhood, he was married to Miss Amelia Gleason, of Holmes County, Ohio, January 19, 1841. Miss Gleason was a native of Pennsylvania, her parents were from New England.
They remained in Ohio for several years, working upon the clay farms, and through industry and economy he laid by some money. Five children were born unto them during this time. Whenever there was a log rolling or a chopping bee, or whatever doings were had, whiskey was the usual drink, out of a tin cup; every one helped himself; but it was no such drink as we have in these days; it was the genuine stuff – not “rot gut” nor “sod corn.”
In 1850 Mrs. Baldwin was called away, leaving her five children to be cared for by the hand of another person. This was a sad blow to Mr. Baldwin. In 1851 he sought and found the hand of Miss U. Smith, who gave her consent to become his wife and a mother to this bereaved family; and such she proved to be. She has been a wife and mother in its true sense. The children are all dead but one. One died July 1859. Orren, the oldest son, died April 29, 1860. Resalia V., wife of S. W. Hutchins, died August 15, 1869.
In 1853 he came out on an inspection tour to Iowa, and he was so taken up with the country that he bought a farm; then went back to Ohio, and in the fall of 1854 moved his family to Warren County.
Like all of the early settlers, he found a new country, a farm to make; but he did not have the heavy timber to cut and log as he did in Ohio. He owns a large farm and has it well improved. A few years since his health failed him and he rented his farm and moved to the town of Winterset, Madison County.
We would be pleased to give more of the events of his life, but time and space forbid. The time of this first settlement in Warren County until the present, has been much the same as those that have been previously given. Mr. and Mrs. B. have been the best citizens, have done much towards building up society, and that of the best class. When he first came here we had no churches; meetings were held in private houses and in a log school house. They have been members of the M. E. [Methodist Episcopal] church for nearly 40 years. He has taken a great interest in the Sabbath school. In politics he is a Republican. Before the formation of the Republican party, he and his father before him were “Old-line Whigs.” Lawyers would gather a poor living if all men were such as W. S. Baldwin.
[Note: William Smith Baldwin was born May 18, 1818 in Muskingum County, Ohio and died Oct 1, 1886. He was married first to Amelia Gleason on Jan 9, 1841 in Holmes Co., Ohio. She died in 1850. William married Ursula Newell Smith in 1851. The family moved to Warren County, Iowa in 1854. Ursula died Jan 27, 1886. Both William and Ursula Baldwin were buried in Linn Grove Cemetery, Linn Township, Warren County, Iowa.]