Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, August l6, l923

The annual reunion of the tribe of GARBER, which has been held each year in this county for a number of years, was held last Sunday at the home of L.D. GARBER, three miles northeast of Leon, there being over sixty of the relatives in attendance. A big dinner was served on the lawn, and the afternoon spent with a program of music, talks and reminiscenses. A feature was the reading of a history of the trip of JOHN GARBER and family from Huntington, Pennsylvania to Libertyville, Iowa in l844, which was kept by MISS SUSANNAH GARBER TEETER, and was recently found among some old papers. The GARBER family came to Iowa, 79 years ago, and it is very interesting reading. It is as follows:

"On April 2, l844, about noon, we left our home near Huntington, and at nightfall arrived at the foot of the mountains. A little after sunrise the next morning we resumed our journey and traveled seven miles without seeing a house. About noon we came to a dwelling, where we had dinner and by sunset we had traveled to Johnstown where we remained until Friday, visiting Stutsman's. Going from there to the Spruce settlement, we remained to attend a sale at Goughenour's Saturday, and Sunday attended church. We stayed in the settlement until Tuesday when we took dinner at the Eli Renshoff home and went to the wharf where we were to take the caanal boat.

We embarked at dark and immediately started and at noon Wednesday came to Blairsville. At evening we came to the tunnel which is through and under the hill and is 354 feet long. We went across the aqueduct on the other side Thursday and arrived at the tenth lock Friday morning at sun-up. From that time, we went through Blackwater until about 9 o'clock and passed a great many salt works and at dark we reached l2 mile lock.

Arriving at Pittsburgh about 2 o'clock, Saturday morning, we transferred to the steamboat "Swift-Sure" but did not leave until noon for Wheeling, W. Va. Our next town was Marietta, Ohio. When we came to Parkersburg, the apple trees were in bloom. Peaches and plums were in full bloom before we left Pennsylvania.

On Sunday morning we had traveled as far as Ripley and about l0 o'clock we came to Cincinnati where we lay until Monday evening. There we were astonished to find a woman in the wheel of our boat. The second mate was sent to loose her and it was found that she was not known. They took her to shore where someone said she was the wife of a worthless man who was in jail. She had started to see some of her friends and it was presumed she had too much spirits and had fallen into the water. A coffin was brought for her and she was taken away and buried. They did not bury those that were drowned in the same burying ground with others, but in a separate place.

Monday evening we sailed from Cincinnati and came to Louisville, Ky., Tuesday morning and here we shipped to another boat, "The Charlotte". While the boat was crossing the falls of the Ohio, we got off and walked about 2 miles around the falls when we were again taken on board. We had to get on the boiler deck where there were seven families and eight other passengers. We were so crowded we could scarcely turn around.

On Friday the l9th, we came to the mouth of the Ohio and went up the Mississippi River. The pilot was not acquainted with the river and we stuck on the sand bars. We scoured the rocks and plowed the sand but finally got loose only to strike another when in sight of St. Louis. The boat was extricated again with little damage and at 3 o'clock, we anchored in St. Louis. Saturday we visited the market places of the city and saw all kinds of garden greens and all sorts of flesh, beef, pork, veal and sausages and various kinds of articles. Here the boat unloaded lumber and several things and did not leave until l0 o'clock Saturday night. When some 5 miles out of St. Louis, a large stallion jumped overboard and swam away. The owner left the boat to find it but we heard nothing of him later.

Sunday, April 2lst, the Mormons held preaching services on the boat. Monday we sailed on to Nauvoo, Ill., where about 80 Mormons landed. It took about four hours for them to unload. From here we rowed back about a mile for some families to land on the other side. At this time we were having a heavy rain and passengers were landing all along. At dark our party landed at Burlington, Iowa, and the way the drays came. One said, "I'll haul you," another said, "I'll haul you." We took the closest place we could get and of course made a bad choice.

On the 23rd, the men went out to hunt a location and the 24th they secured a house and returned. Here in the vicinity of Burlington, we lived four years, when we moved to Jefferson County, Iowa."

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
August l2, 2002