LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA

Pg 48

NATHAN BLIVEN

Transcribed by Beverly Gerdts, submitted June 13, 2017

        In the early period of the settlement of the New England states, the Bliven family was founded in New York. The spring of 1957, will mark the 120th...

Pg 49

… year since the coming of the Bliven family to the United States. They originally lived in Boliver, New York. In the spring of 1836, Nathan Roger Bliven, son of Theodaty and Bethena (Wheelock) Bliven, with their family, came to Iowa which was then a part of Wisconsin. Mrs. Bliven's brother, Marvil Wheelock, had preceded them the year before. They came down the Ohio river the first year, as far as Marietta, Ohio, where their youngest daughter, Elizabeth Julietta, was born September 12, 1836. The next spring, the Bliven family, with Mr. Bliven's mother, journeyed down the Ohio, and up the Mississippi by boat. The boat was heavy laden and at Keokuk was unable to proceed. The men and children were requested to walk a long distance before they were taken back on the boat in deeper water. They came to Bloomington, which is now Muscatine, where they stayed all night at a small hotel on the Mississippi, then by oxen to Fredonia. Mrs. Bliven's brother had built a small house at Fredonia, and it was there they made their first home, in this new country where the first white settlers had come only three years before.

       Nathan R. Bliven was born August 6, 1800 and his wife Lucinda was born Aug. 12, 1802, at New London ,Conn. Their children were: Rosetta,who married Iseral Dixson, and made their home in Quincy , Illinois, also Missouri and Cherryvale, Kansas. Ester became the wife of Allen Pease, and both taught school in Columbus City, and later moved to Salem,Wisconsin, where they reared a large family. Albert L. Bliven married Miran A Wheelan and made their home near Coneville, Iowa, and were the parents of W. E. Bliven , who was untied in marriage to Anna McKee, owner and operators of the Bliven and McKee button factories. Hiram W. Bliven was united in marriage to Anna Gay, and reared a family of seven children: Lucinda, Mrs. Frank Pierce, Elnathan, who married Lina Arning, John James, who was united in marriage to Bessie Aheson, whose sketch will be found on proceeding pages. Harriet became the wife of Walter Gelatt, Anna became the wife of Aleck McCullough, Belle became Mrs. Worley, and Sarah died in infancy. This family of Hiram Blivens were closely connected with Fredonia life. They moved to the farm in the forks of the river, January 3, 1865, and Mrs. Hattie Bliven Gelatt was born the next day, January 4, 1865, with Dr. Dill as the attending physician. The Bliven family did much of their trading at Fredonia.

       Elizabeth Bliven was united in marriage to E. R. Todd, and they were the parents of O. S. Todd, Mrs. Elizabeth Crotsenburg, E. R Todd, who operated the Todds Ferry across the Iowa river at Todd town, and Musa Todd.

       Nathan Bliven passed away August 12, 1838, and was buried in the Fredonia cemetery.

       Faced with the problem of making a living for her family of small children, Mrs. Bliven started a grocery store in Fredonia. In 1840, she became the wife of William Todd; an honored pioneer of Louisa county. To this union two children were born: James, who was a civil war veteran, and died soon after coming home from the service. And Sophia, who became the wife of Walter Gelatt.

       Mrs. Hiram Bliven was Ann Gay, born in Cornwall, England, and came to America with her parents at the age of seven. At this writing, only one of Hiram's children is living. Mrs. Hattie Gelatt. Mrs. Anna McCullough passed away May 11, 1956.