Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 339
HON. PHINEAS CADWELL

Hon. Phineas CADWELL is among the early pioneers of Harrison County and has been prominently identified with its growth and development; he has lived to see what was little less than a howling wilderness transformed into a well-tilled garden spot of the Missouri Slope.

The CADWELLs are of Scotch descent and are able to trace their ancestry back nine generations. It is found that Edward CADWELL was the father of two sons, Edward Jr., and Matthew, who landed in New England from Scotland, but formerly from Holland, soon after the landing of the Pilgrims who sailed in the Mayflower in 1620. Edward’s wife died at the extreme age of one hundred ad three years, being the mother of twelve sons – Abraham, William, Nehemiah, Matthew, Edward, Daniel, David, Joseph, Timothy, Aaron, Moses, Tellar.

Nehemiah’s wife died at the advanced age of one hundred and five years and they were the parents of Ashbel CADWELL, who was born in 1735, and married Lydia SMTH, daughter of Ebenezer SMTH; she was born in 1727, and died February 10,1798; he died in 1785. They were the parents of four children – Phineas, born February 28, 1757; Lydia, Ashbel and Deborah. Phineas CADWELL was married December 25, 1780, to Eleanor HEYDON, daughter of David HEYDON, and they had eight children – Polly A., Polly A. (second) Mahala, Ebenezer SMTH, Eleanor, Emma, Ashbel and Belinda. The last named is still living aged nearly eight-six years.

In 1814 Ebenezer SMTH enlisted and was appointed to the command of a company of detached militia under Col. Erastus Cleveland, who was ordered to report to Maj. Gen. King at Sackett’s Harbor. After the close of that strife he was brevetted Colonel for his meritorious conduct.

When eighteen years of age Phineas entered the War of the Revolution, serving most of the time until the closing of that struggle which culminated in our National Independence, holding the rank of Corporal.

March 2, 1808, Ebenezer SMTH CADWELL married Sally Clark and by this union there were nine children – Carlos C., Christopher C., Elizabeth, Mahala, Mahala (second) Barzilla and Priscilla, (twins) Phineas, our subject, and Philinda. Phineas CADWELL Sr., died at the home of his son, Ebenezer S., in the town of Bloomfield, Walworth County, Wis., February 11, 1857, being ninety-nine years, eleven months and eleven months and eleven days old, lacking seventeen days of being a centenarian.

Phineas CADWELL, our subject, was born in Madison County, N.Y., April 17, 1824, and spent his youthful days the same as most of the boys were wont to do in the old “Empire State.” He attended school at Lenox. Madison County.

In the fall of 1842 he embarked on life’s sea for himself going to the then wild region of Racine County, Wis., where his father had given him a hundred and sixty acres of land. He kept “batch” for about three years, returning to New York, October 7, 1845, and married Harriet N. FISKE, daughter of Silas and Susanna (WITE) FISKE, who is the third child of a family of five children. She was born May 31, 1824. Seven children have blessed this marriage union – Charles F., born February 29, 1848, and died October 8, 1861; Mary e., born November 29, 1849, and died in infancy; William C., born June 28, 1853; Edgar F. August 4, 1855; Frederick H. M. December 8, 1860; Harriet P., August 26, 1863, and Katie E., October 22, 1865.

Mr. CADWELL came to Harrison County, October6, 1854, locating on section 36, of Magnolia Township, where he purchased in that and adjoining sections three hundred and sixty acres of land to which he has added at different times until he now has in one body an even one thousand acres.

He has owned at one time as high as seventeen hundred acres which have been mostly divided among his children. In March, 1881, he removed to his present place on section 13, one half mile north of Logan, where he has erected a fine farm house, surrounded by beautiful grounds kept in the best manner, which, with a fine bearing orchard of four hundred trees, provides him with one of the best homes in Harrison County. In 1874, our subject and George W. Fiske, started what was known as CADWELL’s Bank, operating at Logan and Woodbine.

Politically Mr. CADWELL is a Republican and in the fall of 1871, was elected to a seat in the Legislature, which position he held with credit to himself and his constituents. While in the Legislature he served upon important committees, including that of Agriculture. In January, 1861, he was elected a Director of the State Agricultural Society and was a member of that organization for twenty years; was also president of the Harrison County Agricultural Society for the same length of time.

Religiously Mr. CADWELL entertains the faith and doctrine all belief of the Latter day Saints, and is a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, uniting with that sect in the spring of 1870. He was president of the Magnolia Branch of this church for seventeen years and one year at Logan. In April, 1883, Mr. CADWELL, Joseph SMTH and W.W. BLAIR were at Richmond, Mo, and viewed the original manuscripts of the Book of Mormon, which was taken from the plated and translated by Joseph SMTH. At the time of the breaking up of the Mormon sect at Nauvoo., Ill., the manuscript fell into the hands of Oliver COWDERY and later in the hands of David WHITMER, who was one of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and though a poor man, once refused $2,000 for the manuscripts, the offer being made by Orson Pratt and another prominent elder from Utah.

Mrs. CADWELL was our subject’s faithful companion all these years until September 1, 1891, when, after an illness of one year, she was released from her sufferings by the Angel of Death. She had been a devout Christian and belonged to the Baptist Church for fifty-five years. In her death our subject found the greatest bereavement of his eventful life.

Return to 1891 Biographical C Surnames Index

Back to 1891 Biographies Index