James VIRDEN

VIRDEN, MULLAN, MCCALLUM, DAVISON, FANCHER, BUNTON, MULLEN, WILLIAMSON, PRATT, WILCOX, RICHARDSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/17/2010 at 23:24:31

February 23, 1823 -- November 16, 1909

Waterloo Evening Courier, Waterloo, IA
November 17, 1909

DEATH TOUCHED JAMES VIRDEN

Pioneer of Black Hawk County

NATIVE OF KENTUCKY

Died Yesterday Morning at Rowan, Iowa

Further messages received in this city last evening and this morning confirm the news of the death of James Virden at Rowan, IA., yesterday morning. It was reported at first that Mrs. Virden had passed away. Nothing has been received concerning the last illness of the aged gentleman, although relatives and friends in this community have known for some time that he was failing in general health rapidly and it was recognized that he could not in all probability long withstand the ravages of time.

Friends here have been advised that the funeral services will be conducted tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock at Rowan, where Mr. Virden and his aged wife had resided for about eight years. Interment will also be at Rowan.

In addition to the widow and four children—Mrs. Laura Mullan of Aberdeen S.D.; Frank Virden of Minneapolis, and Mrs. Emma McCallum and "Dick" Virden of Rowan—there are also two nephews and a niece, surviving in Black Hawk county. The nephews are the Hon. C. W. Mullan and C. W. Virden, member of the board of supervisors of the county and the niece is Mrs. Elizabeth Davison, a sister of Mr. Mullan.

The descendant was a member of a family of twelve children eight brothers and four sisters. Three brothers survive. They are Daniel, Thomas and Frank Virden, all residents of Colorado. Mrs. Lizzie Fancher of Chicago and Martha Bunton of South Dakota are the sisters surviving. The decedent was a brother of Mrs. America Mullen and Oscar Virden, the latter dying in Black Hawk county within the past two years.

Memories Awakened. The death of Mr. Virden, one of the pioneers of Black Hawk county and in fact one of the two earliest white settlers on the site of the Waterloo of today, has awakened many memories of the days that have gone before and particularly memories of the pioneer days when the forest and the stream and the unbroken prairies were first subdued for the livelihood and habitation of man. Mr. Virden was a native of Kentucky. He was born in Lexington in that state on Feb. 23, 1823, and was the son of William and Martha (Williamson) Virden. The decedent resided in Lexington with his parents until he was nine years of age, when the family moved to Wayne county, Illinois. Young Mr. Virden remained there until he was twenty-two years old and he then worked in the lead mines at Galena, Ill., one year. He then came to Black Hawk county in the year 1846, the day of the year being June 1.

Takes Up Government Land. In 1848 he pre-empted 158 acres of land in East Waterloo township, but for a time he worked on the mill race at Cedar Falls, returning to the land he had pre-empted and living there in a log cabin standing near Virden’s creek until 1856, in which year he erected a frame house, drawing the lumber by team from Dubuque. In 1858 Mr. Virden sold is farm in Black Hawk county and moved to Brunswick, Chariton county, Missouri, where he bought property and engaged in the grocery business for one year. His store was greatly damaged by the flood of the spring of 1859 and he sold the establishment, returning shortly to Waterloo. Until it was burned down in 1861, he operated a steam saw mill. Mr. Virden suffered a loss of about $3,000 by this fire. He then operated a saw mill for M. H. Moore for one year at Waterloo. He next ventured into farming again, having purchased 80 acres of land near Waterloo, and he followed this occupation for two years. He sold this farm and removed to Elk Run, four miles east of Waterloo, where he purchased 120 acres. After living on this land for about ten years he sold it and moved to a section near, where he built a house and which was soon afterward destroyed by fire. The family then resided for a number of years in Waterloo, until 1880, when they again located on a farm. Mr. Virden and his family left here about a score of years ago. During 1880 and 1881 Mr. Virden was interested in the silver mines of Colorado and acquired a number of claims in connection with his brother, Daniel.

Marital Relations. Mr. Virden was first married to Charlotte Pratt, daughter of Jonathan and Mary (Wilcox) Pratt, on Feb. 27, 1851. Mrs. Virden died April 3, 1855, at the age of twenty-three years, leaving two sons—George and Willard—who are now residents of Colorado, where they have lived for many years. The decedent was again married on Jan. 18, 1858, to Harriet Richardson, who was born in Chenango county, New York in 1832. The widow and her four children survive. .... [incomplete]