William Woodworth
Millville Twp.

Millville Twp. -- William Woodworth is a native of Schroon, Essex County, N.Y., born Jan. 16, 1818. In September, 1838, he drove through to the Territory of Iowa with one horse and a buck board buggy, bringing his mother with him. He reached the Mississippi River at Savanna, Ill., and crossed at Port Byron, stopping seven miles above Davenport. He returned to Illinois, and located in Hampton, where he remained three years, then went to the lead mines of Wisconsin, returning to Millville, Ia., seven years later. He engaged in mining here two years, and then followed flatboating, steamboating, and in company with Isaac H. Preston, ran a ferry across the Turkey River, at what is now known as Millville.

He next went to Fairplay, Wis., where he kept a saloon one year, then returned to Iowa, and built a log cabin at Cherry Valley, where he sold general merchandise seven years, and in 1865 erected a building for that purpose in Millville. In 1869 he built his present commodious store, and in 1876 a fine brick dwelling house, which he still occupies.

He was married in March, 1870, to Julia A. Garabrant. They have one child-- George, born March 17, 1873.

Mr. Woodworth has held the office of Justice of the Peace, and is the present Postmaster of Millville. In the fall of 1881, accompanied by his wife, he visited New York, and many of the principal cities and points of interest in the East, returning via Montreal and Chicago. He has in his possession a piece of red oak timber, bearing the cut of an ax, which, according to the growth of timber near where it was found, must have been made 129 years ago.

source: History of Clayton County, Iowa, 1882, p. 1021
Transcribed by Sally Scarff and Marlene Chaney