LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA

Pg 30

WILLIAM TODD

Transcribed by Beverly Gerdts, submitted June 12, 2017

       William Todd was a pioneer of Louisa county, of 1838. He was born in New Jersey, October 20, 1805; when he was 4 years old, the family moved to Hamilton, Ohio. When he grew to young manhood, he learned the brick laying trade. From Ohio, he went to Mississippi for a few years; from there he went to Illinois; in 1836, he came to Iowa, and located in Muscatine. In the spring of 1838, he moved to Fredonia and made this his home. In 1840, Mr. Todd was united in marriage with Mrs. Lucinda Bliven, sister of Marvil Wheelock. Two children graced this union, a son and daughter. The son, James, was a war veteran of the 25th infantry. The daughter Sophia was the wife of Walter Gillett, and died in 1881, leaving two children. In the year 1857, Mr. Todd platted the village of Hillsboro, on the south bank of the Iowa river at the point now crossed by the Rock Island railroad. Several business houses were erected and trade established, while a ferry was put in operation across the river at that point by Mr. Todd. He was the first licensed ferryman at the point, and continued to run the ferry until the wagon bridge was built in, 1879. Mrs. Todd was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church in Fredonia, and passed away in 1888.

        So many of those early settlers' descendants are interwoven with our citizens of today, it is a problem to relate them individually, yet keep the connections.

        Mrs. Lucinda Wheelock Bliven, wife of William Todd, was a mother of Hiram Bliven, whose descendants are closely woven in Fredonia history down through the years.