Iowa Old Press
Davenport Republican
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
Saturday, June 15, 1901
AN OLD SETTLER'S DEATH
Henry C. Moorhead Was Second Oldest Settler - Came to Iowa in
1835, Settling at Rockingham - Built the First Steam Mill in
the County - Helped to Make Early Surveys of the State -
Funeral Will Be Held This Afternoon
The passing of Henry C. Moorhead of Buffalo township, whose death
was mentioned briefly in these columns yesterday morning, was the
passing of one of the very oldest settlers not only in the county
but in the state. Capt. Clark of Buffalo is the only one of these
very early settlers left, and he is the oldest living settler in
the state of Iowa, a statement that has been made time and again
without being refuted.
Henry C. Moorhead was 86 years old last February. He was born at
St. Clairville, O., Feb. 15, 1815. When he was but six weeks old
his parents moved to Zanesville, O., and he attended school there
until he was 16 years of age. Then he took the position of
bookkeeper in the mill of his brother-in-law, J.B. Cushing.
In 1835 Mr. Moorhead came to Iowa and located at Rockingham,
where with Col. John H. Sullivan he established the first store
in that place. In 1836 he retired from the firm and engaged in
the dry goods and milling business with S.S. Brown, the firm name
being Brown & Moorhead. They built a mill which was famous
for being the first steam mill in the county. In 1840 Mr Moorhead
moved to Buffalo township, where he had purchased the farm upon
which he resided to the day of his death.
Mr. Moorhead was married in 1847 to Mrs. Mary A. Waggoner,and
eight children were born to them, five of whom are now living.
They are Moses E., at Blue Grass, Ella, now Mrs. D.B. Morehouse
of Davenport, Annie M., now Mrs. M. Biehler of Tacoma, Wash.,
William C., living on a farm near Buffalo and Samuel H., of
Buffalo.
Though given more to home life than public life, Mr. Moorhead
held several important offices of trust. He was identified
closely with the early days of Iowa, having been a member of a
surveying party that surveyed a great deal of this part of the
state. In religious faith his family was from Episcopalian stock.
The funeral will be held this afternoon at 2 o'clock instead of
Sunday afternoon as was stated yesterday. Interment will take
place in the Buffalo cemetery.