Snyder, Alfred D.

SNYDER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/2/2021 at 20:55:48

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.480

ALFRED D SNYDER
The advanced state of civilization of the United States owes much to its pioneer settlers who forced their way into the wilderness of its territorial possessions and out of the wild chaos there existing evolved order and system, and a community of happy homes. Particularly fortunate were those pioneers who chose this section of Iowa as a field for their operations, for here was an abundance of pure water, a fertile soil and plenteous shade. Among these fortunate one was Andrew Snyder, the father of our subject, who was born in Ohio, of German descent. In 1839 he removed from Ohio with his family to Missouri, and in 1847 came to this county. There were no roads through the country at this time and for three weeks their party camped on the prairie above Des Moines, Mr. Snyder got a man to haul them to Cruise’s grove and bought a claim of one hundred and sixty acres in Linn Township. Glad were they to find thereon a little cabin eighteen feet square, and this afforded shelter not only for his own family during the winter of 1847-48, but also parts of two other families who were less for­tunate than himself in the matter of an abode. On this place he made his home for forty years, then moved to a farm two miles north of Winterset, Madison County, where his remaining days were passed. While not a pro­fessor of religion during his younger years, he was a firm believer in Chris­tianity, and united with an orthodox church prior to his death. His wife, Elizabeth (Mosier) Snyder, was a native of Pennsylvania. She died at Norwalk, aged eighty-four years. She was a member of the Dunkard's faith. They were the parents of ten children, as follows: Samuel, living in Winterset; Lucinda, wife of William Young, of Madison County; Jona­than, residing in Nebraska; Hardesty, who died at the age of seventy-two; Alfred D., of this review; Andrew, living at Valley Junction, Iowa; Carlton, residing at Shannon City, Iowa; Sophronia, who lives with her brother, Alfred D.; Thornton, living in Nebraska, and Mary, who died in early womanhood.
Alfred D. Snyder was born in Richland County, Ohio, October 15, 1834. He was but five years old when his parents removed to Missouri, and thirteen years of age when they removed thence to Iowa. His father's home was a stopping place for emigrants from Ohio, where they found a cordial, hearty welcome. When they first came to the county an Indian burying ground was not far distant down the river, and one of the pastimes of Mr. Snyder's youth was to scrape handfuls of beads from the ground above these graves. Other trophies which these graves yielded to the unsuperstitious settlers were rifles which had been buried with the braves, and bottles of whisky which had been put there to accompany them to the happy hunting ground. Likewise, the Indian blankets found upon these mounds were made to serve a more substantial purpose than as an adornment to the final resting place of a dead chief, and in Mr. Snyder's memory remains the vision of a coat worn in Warren County made from one of these blankets. Mr. Snyder is often called upon in pioneer meetings to relate some of the experiences of his early days, and he never lacks for a keenly interested audience. He has often written articles for the local papers on pioneer times, a distinction to which he is entitled by virtue of his being the oldest living settler in Linn Township.
Mr. Snyder has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits, and started farming operations in his own behalf when twenty-four years of age. Prior to this time he lived at home with his father. He first rented land, but afterward bought his present home of eighty acres on section 14, where he has resided for over forty years. When he first took possession of this place it was a wild tract of unimproved land, but nothing daunted he under­took the building of fences and the erection of the necessary buildings, even­tually converting it into a comfortable, modern home. Before the railroads penetrated this section he carried the mail from Des Moines to Winterset when there were no roads but only a trail. He made the trip three days each week for a salary of one hundred and thirty dollars per year. In those pio­neer days all flour was hauled from Oskaloosa, and naturally the corn which grew abundantly in that locality was made to act as substitute for flour. Mr. Snyder recalls the time when he has worked for hours grating boiled corn on a tablecloth spread on the floor, with which to made bread when millers were few and far between.
Mr. Snyder's first wife was Susan Webster, a native of Virginia. She died many years ago. His second wife was Frances Ellen Brookens, who died five years ago, leaving one child, a son, Frank, who is now a young man and lives at home with his father. Mr. Snyder is a member of the Methodist Church of Norwalk, in which he has served as trustee and it was while he was in that office that the new parsonage was built. For years he has been a prohibitionist. He carries his years well, is in good health and takes an active interest in the work of his farm.