Pocahontas County, IA USGenWeb Project

Powhatan Township

Powhatan township is the second from the east, in the north row of the county. It was the fourth township organized in Pocahontas county. It was included in Des Moines township until September 3, 1866. At that time it was called "Nunda" and included the two townships to the west. Not many folks were happy with the name Nunda or how it came about. They organized a meeting on March 27, 1867 at the home of Henry Thomas. At that time they decided upon Powhatan, and it was officially changed on April 20, 1867.

During the 1870's the townships name changed several times, as noted, but one name which was quite common at the time was Gandertown. No one is sure how Gandertown came about, but two theories are noted:
1 - One of the early settlers owned the first gander in that section of the country, and it was such a fine specimen that it became the talk of the township.
2 - The other account being an early settler set a hen with 13 goose eggs. When they hatched all of them were ganders, and this large flock of so many ganders attracted considerable public attention.

In 1871 Swan Lake township, which had been attached to Powhatan, was detached from Powhatan. In 1874 the name Powhatan was changed to Jackson at the insistence of Andrew Jackson, a prominent citizen at that time, who was also a member of the board of county supervisors. Andrew Jackson was also treasurer of the school funds, and after disappearing from the county with about $1,000.00 of public funds, the township name was once again changed to Powhatan. The early settlers of the township were of Scotch and American birth, nationalities which continued to be the most numerous.

Early Settlers

1864 - 1865

• Booth, George - with William Stone, Jeremian Young and Samuel Booth, all entered their claims on section 25 the same day-September 28, 1864. Homesteaded.
• Booth, Samuel - with William Stone, Jeremian Young and George Booth, all entered their claims on section 25 the same day-September 28, 1864. Homesteaded.
• Hancher, Barney - was the first homestead entry in the township. It was made April 9, 1864, for the SE 1/4 of section 24. He was the first to plant in the township, and also built the first shanty. Son of Nancy. It is noted he is the first resident of Powhatan township. In 1862 he married Ellen Thomas, daughter of Henry Thomas in Bureau, Illinois. Barney was born in Harrison County, Ohio, in 1831. In 1864 he built the first cabin and turned the first furrow in the township. He sold his land in 1879 to James Drown. After he sold his farm he removed to Ness county, Kansas. He returned in 1881, accompanied by Mr and Mrs Henry Thomas. By 1883 he was living near Rolfe. They had five children, one of which died as a child.
  Their children are:
  1. Susanna - who married Albert G Leland in 1885. She died in 1888.
  2. John Henry - who married Allie Hoffman in 1887. In 1895 his wife, her mother (Mrs Hoffman) and their children Erena, Pearl and Amy were all killed in a hotel fire in Seattle, Washington while visiting. He later removed to McHenry, North Dakota.
  3. Alva G - who married Sarah Van Horn and removed to Richards, Calhoun county.
  4. Frank w - married Ida Archer. By 1902 they were also in McHenry, North Dakota.
• Hancher, Nancy - mother of Barney Hancher, A H Hancher, Thomas and Belle. She homesteaded the NE 1/4 of section 24. It is noted she held the first "social" in her home on Christmas Day, 1866. Nancy was married to John Hancher (1798-1853). He was a native of Jefferson County, Virginia. They were married in 1827 and moved to Ohio. John Hancher died in Brown county, Indiana at the age of 57 in 1853. She died at the age of 75 on October 2, 1882.
• Stone, William - with Jeremian Young, Samuel and George Booth, all entered their claims on section 25 the same day-September 28, 1864. His sister is Mrs John Barnes (see bio, below for John Barnes). William was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania in 1797. He married Eliza Ann DeWolf in 1828. She was born on February 27, 1810 to G M and Anna (nee Spaulding) DeWolf. G M DeWolf lived 1781-1865 and Anna DeWolf lived 1786-1872). William Stone suffered from lung trouble, which ultimately caused his death in 1877.
  In 1890 Mrs Eliza Ann DeWolf Stone married Ingham Stone, a nephew of her first husband and also a native of Pennsylvania. Both parties (Eliza Stone and Ingham Stone) were over 80 when they contracted for this marriage. Ingham Stone died at age 88 on January 5, 1898.
  Mrs DeWolf lived to be over 93 years old. She was interested in her family history, and sent the following to be included.
  Family history of Eliza Ann DeWolf Stone
  Her father was the fourth child of a hatter in Brooklyn, Connecticut, where he was educated and later taught music. Her grand father emmigrated from France at an early date. Her mother was the oldest daughter of Willard Spaulding, who located first in New Hampshire but then settled in Cavendish, Windsor county, Vermont. He was a pioneer in that vicinity, and at the time of his death owned a grist mill, two well improved farms, a saw mill and a blacksmith shop. Eliza's parents were married in 1808, and lived in Vermont. They had a family of 13 children. Two of which accompanied her to Iowa. They are Dr DeWolf at Vail, and C H DeWolf at Denison.
• Thomas, Daniel - son of Henry. Entered his homestead claim in September 1864, on section 23 with his brother, Joel. It is noted he built a shanty in 1865. His twin children were the first children born in the township in March of 1866. One died young, the other is the wife of Harley Unbarger.
• Thomas, Henry - noted as being the father in law of Barney Hancher. He homesteaded the SW 1/4 of section 24. It is noted that he, his wife and sons (Daniel and Joel) moved here from Des Moines township in the fall of 1863. Further information indicates he was born in Virginia. He and his wife removed to Green county, Ohio, where almost all of his children were born and raised. Joel was the only one who wasn't. On November 25, 1863, Henry, his sons Daniel and Joel and daughter Sallie came to Pocahontas county and located in Rolfe. At this time they met up with sons-in-law Barney Hancher and Jerry Young. In 1864 they applied for their homesteads. In the spring of 1865 all built temporary cabins and occupied their homesteads. In 1866 Henry Thomas built the first log house in the township. This building was still in use in 1900. In 1875 he sold his land to Henry McEwen. Prior to the land sale Henry and his wife, and Jerry Strong and family removed to Ness county, Kansas. In 1881 they moved to Pocahontas county where Henry died later that year at the home of their son Daniel. Susanna, his wife, died in 1883 also at the home of Daniel. Henry and Susanna had six children:
  1. Lydia - who married Jeremiah Young in 1863 in Bureau county, Illinois. They came to the township in 1863 with their six children. They eventually ended up in Springdale, Washington. Their children were Alva and Eva (twins), Frank, Nellie, Jacob and Annetta (twins-deceased), Henry and Basil (twins).
  2. Margaret E - who married Barney Hancher in Bureau county, Illinois.
  3. Daniel - who married Philena Foote. They lived in Powhatan for 25 years and raised 13 children, five of which lived to adulthood. In 1889 they removed to Washington state.
  4. Joel - who moved in Kossuth county in 1888, and eventually ended up in Colorado.
  5. Joshua - who married and had a small family and then died in 1881 while living in Missouri.
  6. Sallie - who taught the first school in Powhatan. She married George Strong in 1865. George is the son of William B Strong. They removed to Washington state where William died.
• Thomas, Joel - son of Henry. Entered his homestead claim in September 1864, on section 23 with his brother, Daniel. Joel built a sod house, and it was occupied by Mr and Mrs Samuel Booth. It is noted that a child of the Booth was the first death in the township, and was the first to be buried in what would become Powhatan cemetery on section 24.
• Young, Jeremiah - located in section 25 in September of 1864. He is the brother in law of Daniel and Joel Thomas. It is noted he also built a shanty in 1865. He, along with William Stone, Samuel and George Booth, all entered their claims on section 25 the same day-September 28, 1864.

Those who arrived in 1866

• Anderson, Edward - section 15, homesteaded. Entered the claim in 1865. He is the brother of Robert R and John Anderson. He never secured the title to his homestead as he was kicked by a horse, and the sore never healed causing his demise in 1872. He married Elizabeth Gillis, who is noted as being from Ontario. Their children were James, who lived in California and Henry, who first married Joan Steele. Joan died, and Henry married Maggie Ballentine, removed to Washington where they raised their five children. Elizabeth stayed on the homestead and completed the title to the land. In 1886 she married George Henderson. George died in 1892.
• Anderson, John - section 15. Brother of Edward and Robert R. It is noted that while John was on Roberts' homestead in 1866, he found the bones of some settler who had gotten lost in a snowstorm about 1864. John married Isabella McGilvery. After he death he married Kate Gaffeney, also removed to Washington where they raised five children.
• Anderson, Robert R - section 15, homesteaded. Entered the claim on October 26, 1865, at the same time as his brothers Edward and John. Robert was born in 1842 to James and Helen (nee Russell) Anderson in Somerville, New Jersey. In September, 1884, he married Mary McFadzen. She was born in Ontario, Canada. Their children were Minnie, who graduated from Plover in 1902; James, who worked on a farm near Plover, and Arthur, who was adopted.
• Brown, J W - section 10. Married Clara Heathman. See bio, below.
• Drown, James - section 24. Later purchased the farm of Barney Hancher.
• Fraser, John B - homesteaded on section 36 in 1866. He was born in 1827, a native of Glasgow, Scotland. In 1842 he came to Beavertown, Canada. While there in 1859 he married Mary Bow, who was also of Scoth descent. They and their children John, Jessie, William and Mary came to Pocahontas county. It is noted he is one of the men who helped in changing the name of the township from "Nunda", later "Jackson" to Powhatan. He was an abstainer who supported prohibition since 1881. Their children were:
  1. Jessie - who died at age 23 in 1884. She was born in August, 1861. In 1880 she married John Taylor. She died in Odebolt. Their children were Mabel, who married Milton W Maulsby in 1901 and Charles, who lived with his father in Rolfe.
  2. John T - who was born in Canada in 1860. He married Ida M Waite in 1883. Lived in Center township, section 1. Their children were Ethel, Mary, John, George, Frank, Lucile and Foster.
  3. William J - was born in Canada in 1863. He married Laura Fish, daughter of R B Rish in 1888. By 1902 he had located Mt Vernon, Washington. Their children were Bert, Minnie, Winnie, Vernon, Clare, Earl and Jessie.
  4. Mary E - who married John A Vandecar in 1885. They ended up in West Bend township, Palo Alto county Iowa. Their children were William, Frank, Gladys, Mary, Cora, Belle, Howard and Irene.
  5. Charles E - who was born August 1, 1868 in Pocahontas County. He was one of the first children born in Powhatan, and was born in a log house. He gradutated from the Iowa Business College in 1889. He worked in the Rolfe bank and organized the Rolfe Telephone company in 1899. He was clerk of Clinton township for several years. He married Hattie L Beam on 1895. She is the daughter of Dr W O Beam of Humboldt. Starting in 1890 she taught twelve terms of school in Rolfe.
  The brothers and sisters of Hattie L Beam -
  • Dr W W Beam of Rolfe
  • Mrs J H Charlton of Rolfe
  • C H Beam of Pocahontas
  • Dr W O Beam of Moline, Illinois
  • H A Beam of Moline, Illinois
  • Mrs A Owen of Toledo, Iowa
  • Jennie - who married Thomas Heather in 1900. She taught school also at Plover. In 1902 they removed to Bard, South Dakota.
• Hancher, Abel Hicks - section 24. He had a sister named Belle, and she married Henry Tilley. The marriage of Belle and Henry Tilley was the first marriage on March 29, 1866. Henry Tilley is the son of Matthew and Sarah (nee Pether) Tilley of Clinton Township. Abel is the son of Mrs Nancy Hancher - see above. Abel was born in Ohio in 1845. His cabin was one of the first in the township. Abel married Carolin Cooper of Des Moines township. She is the daughter of Beriah Cooper. Their children were:
  1. Adelbert - who lived with his uncle Thomas Cooper for many years. He married Ollie Jinness and their child was Luverne.
  2. Melvin Park - he married Priscilla Hanlon in 1896. They removed to Des Moines township and their child was Virgil.
  3. Charles - who married Jessie Shepard in 1897 and had two children
  4. Thomas - who married Eva Grove in 1900. Their child was Leta M.
  5. Stella - who married Clarence D Hobbs in 1900.
  6. Eva L - who was a teacher
  7. Edith - noted as being "at home".
• Henderson, George - section 26. His wife is buried in section 24, Powhatan cemetery. George is the brother of James. George's children were Janet, Catherine, Margaret and George. George was born in 1834 and died in 1892. He is the elder brother of James. He was born in Fifeshire, Scotland where he married Cecilia Somers in 1858. Cecilia died in 1871. In 1886 George married Elizabeth (nee Gillis) Anderson, widow of Edward Anderson. Elizabeth died in Canada in 1899 leaving two children by her first husband.
  The children of George and Celilia were:
  1. Jennie - who married S E Hamilton and removed to Los Gatos, California
  2. Catherine
  3. George
  4. Maggie - who married J A Wonderlich and lived in Havelock. She died in 1901 leaving six children; David, Kate, Jennie, Nina, Bessie and one not named in the article.
  5. James - who lived in Palo Alto county
  6. William - who was in the navy and served under Admiral Dewey at Manila
• Henderson, James - section 8. He was born in Scotland in 1836 to George and Catherine Henderson. He is the brother of George Henderson. In 1863 he removed to Canada where he married Beatrice Penman. It is noted they also arrived with James Ploven. On May 22, 1866, James, George and James Ploven all filed claims for their homesteads and to become citizens. Their naturalization papers arrived in 1871 and their homestead patents in 1876. James and Beatrice had eight children:
  1. Elizabeth - who married Samuel L Horsman in 1886. Their children were James, John, Myrtle, Glenn, William, Edith and Martha B
  2. Catherine - who married Louis Parradee in 1886. Their children were Mary, John, Rose, Ruth, Susan and May
  3. George - who married Blanche Miller in 1893. They removed to Palo Alto county. Their children were Eleanor, Agnes and Ellis
  4. William - who works the home farm
  5. John - who married Ella Harmon in 1898. She is the daughter of A B Harmon. Their children were Pearl and Roy.
  6. James - who married Eva May Harmon and lived near Plover
  7. Janet - who married Harry McFadzen in 1902
  8. Charles - who married Myrtle Barrick in 1898. Their child is Hazel.
• Joliffe, John Blake - section 2. John was born in England in 1845 to James and Mary Ann (nee Blake) Joliffe. On October 14, 1867, he married Jane Metcalf, daughter of Rev Frederick Metcalf of Des Moines township. John also had a younger brother named James J Joliffe, who lived in Old Rolfe and was a champion of temperance. John and Jane had twelve children:
  1. Emma - the sixth child. Died at age 18 in 1897 after they removed a tumor weighing 100 pounds from her
  2. Cerinda - died at 15 in 1890
  3. Ida - died in childhood
  4. Rose E - who married George Kinsey in 1890. Their children were Mary, Eva, Charles, Nellie and Edna.
  5. Mary - who married Henry Tansey in 1896. They lived near Plover and had a son, Lee.
  6. Albert - who married Annie Gratzen in 1894. Their children were Roy, Bessie, Sadie and Mabel.
  7. Sarah - who married Daniel Miller in 1892 and removed to Des Moines where she died in 1898. Their children were Etta, Ray and Glenn. In 1900 Sarah married Henry L Roush. Their daughter was Hazel.
  8. Ina - a teacher.
  9. Hattie - at home
  10. Clara - at home
  11. William - at home
  12. George - at home
• Lothian, Robert - section 30
• Lowrey, Robert - section 28
• MacVey, Thomas L - section 25. Thomas was born in Tariffville, Hartford county, Connecticut on August 15, 1835. His was the fourth child of Thomas and Elizabeth (nee Lord) MacVey. His father was of Scottish descent and his mother of English descent. He married Elizabeth while living in Maine. At the age of 12 his mother died and he had to care for himself and 2 younger brothers. In the winter of 1863 Thomas married Rebecca Noble of Carlisle, Pennsylvania while he was in the civil war. Two of his brothers and his father were in the civil war. His first child was born in Chicago, and was named Frank Lincoln at the request of Tad Lincoln, who was a visitor in the MacVey home. His wife was one of the first teachers in the township and was a very good teacher. She died in 1893. She was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, the seventh child of Frank and Mary (nee Brown) Noble. Her brother was the Rev George Brown, founder of the Methodist Protestant church. Thomas built the first frame house in 1867. The lumber was hauled from Boone, some 80 miles away. In 1896 Thomas married Fannie Josephine Work, a native of Pennsylvania. Thomas L MacVey and Rebecca had two sons:
  1. Frank L MacVey - who was born in Illinois in 1865. He married Elizabeth N Brown, daughter of Gilbert N Brown on November 24, 1893. Her father, Gilbert, was a veteran of the civil war. They had four children - Bernice Rebecca MacVey, Noble Le Seur MacVey, Ruth Brown MacVey and Gilbert Niles MacVey.
  2. William Lee MacVey - was born in Powhatan on October 10, 1867. In 1886 they removed to Louisiana, and then returned to Powhatan in 1898.
• Orcutt, William - section 14
• Stone, William - section 25, homesteaded. It is noted his wife was Eliza (nee DeWolf) Stone. In 1870 their homestead was occupied by John Barnes (see below)
• Strong, C L - section 16
• Strong, Fannie N (Mrs) - on section 12
• Strong, George W - on section 14. Son of William B Strong.
• Strong, Ira - entered his homestead in April 1866, on the NW 1/4 of section 24. Buried in section 24, Powahatan cemetery. Ira was born in 1811 to Elisha and Eunice Strong, and his brother was William B Strong. They were raised in Allegany county, New York. While there, Ira married Abigail Cass, who was born in New York in 1816. Four of his sons secured their homesteads the same year-Oscar, Philander, Edwin and Charles. Abigail was a teacher who resumed teaching after the death of Ira.
  The children of Ira and Abigail were:
  1. Augusta - who married Milan Sharpe and removed to Humboldt county
  2. Orlando W - who married Eliza Drown. He died in 1885. Their children were Etta - who married Charles Sroufe and Dora, a teacher, who lived with Etta.
  3. Caroline - who married Samuel N Strong, son of William B Strong. Caroline died in 1886. Their children were: Alice - who married Wilfred Palmer; William; Emma - who was a teacher; Adelbert - who married Graces Dawes in 1902 and lived near Plover; Mary.
  4. Oscar - who was born in New York in 1844, and died in 1885. In 1872 he married Elizabeth L Rowen, daughter of Rev John E Rowen. Their children were Irene, who was a teacher and Rollin W. Elizabeth later married Mr Huntington, editor of the Belmond Herald and removed to Kansas.
  5. Edwin J - who was a teacher, traveled a lot and has "discovered some genius for invention".
  6. Lucius Milton - who was a farmer and teacher. He died in 1896.
  7. Philander - who was born in New York in 1836. He married Eva Rowley, who died in 1883. Their children were Frank, Charles and George. In 1885 he married Clara Bavard and their children were Frederic, Florence M, Clarence and Mabel.
  8. Charles Lemming - who was born in New York in 1851. He married Phoebe J Hayes. They ran a hotel in Plover from 1886 to 1891. Their children were Eugene and Lemming. They later homesteaded in Cushing, Oklahoma.
• Strong, Oscar J - on section 12
• Strong, Samuel N - section 15, homesteaded. See bio, William B Strong.
• Strong, William B - was born in New York in 1813 to Elisha and Eunice Strong. He is the younger brother of Ira Strong. In 1835 he married Jane Davy. Their child was William Wallace Strong. Jane died in 1837. In 1840 William B married Fannie Nowlen. She was born in 1816 and is the sister of Perry Nowlen, who was an early settler of Des Moines township. William and Fannie had three more children. William died at age 53 in 1866 and is buried at Old Rolfe. Catherine lived past the age of 86 years, probably living in Rolfe. Their children were:
  1. William W - who married Lovern Bradford. It seems as though they had one child, they both died, and the child moved to the south.
  2. Samuel N - who was born in New York in 1843. He married Carolina Strong, daughter of Ira Strong. Caroline died in 1886 at the age of 46. Their children were Alice-who married William Palmer. Alice died at 26 in 1894, leaving a child, Wilbur. Emma - a teacher. William - who was born in 1873. Adelbert - who married Grace Dawes in 1902. Mary - who lived at Rolfe. In 1896 Samuel N Strong married Eliza Van Natta, relict of Andrew Like (widow of?).
  3. George N - who was born in New York in 1845. He married Sallie Thomas, daughter of Henry Thomas. About ten years later they removed to Washington state, where George died leaving 4 daughters. His family stayed in Washginton state. George was county surveyor in 1870.
  4. Elizabeth - who married George Van Natta in 1867. They removed to Powhatan township. It was there she died at age 27 in 1872, leaving two children: Jas W - who removed to Portland, Or., and Cynthia - who married (Unknown) Keith and removed to Colorado. Soon after Elizabeth died George and family moved to Oregon.
• Tilley, Henry - section 12. Married Belle Hancher. (see A H Hancher).
• Umbarger, Samuel - section 2

Those who arrived in 1869

• Lind, Marcus - section 16. He was born in Denmark in 1820. He lived in Australia where me met and married his wife (name not noted). She was a native of Scotland. She was a member of the Presbyterian church and died at age 80 in 1900. Their children were Mary and Margaret McDonald (Ed note: Surname is Lind, not McDonald) who lived on the homeplace.
  • Note 10-2004: New biographical material below provided by Ann C. Click here to send her and email. She is related to this family.
  • Marcus Lind was born June 25, 1820 in Mogeltonder, Denmark. It is not known when he emmigrated to Australia but it was here he met and married Anne McDonald, a native of Scotland. They became the parens of twin daughters, Margaret and Marie, born November 23, 1855, in Australia. This family located in Powhatan township, Pocahontas County in the fall of 1867 (?). Marcus Lind was the owner and occupant of a farm on the NW quarter, section 16, township 93, range 32 in Powhatan township, near Plover. He occupied this farm from 1867 until his death in 1898. The Lind daughters never married. This family is buried in the Lind family mausoleum in Powhatan Cemetery.
• Stevens, George - section 16

Those who arrived 1870-1874

• Barlow, C F
• Barnes, George W - section 12. Son of John Barnes (see below)
• Barnes, John - resided on section 12 about 1874. It is noted he arrived with his son William in 1870 and began to occupy the homestead of William and Eliza Stone. Eliza Stone is the sister of William Stone (see 1864). John Barnes was born in 1815 in Pennsylvania. In 1841 he married Betsey N DeWolf, also a native of Pennsylvania. Later in 1871, his wife and their other eight children joined them on the homestead. In 1872 they moved to Des Moines township, and about 1874 they moved back to Powahattan onto section 12. In 1896 his wife died. Their children were:
  1. Anna C - who married Rev James S Ziegler. They removed to Des Moines and their children were Lena, Lulu, Dora and Grace
  2. Mary E - who, in 1875 married Daniel P Frost, a farmer. They moved to the NE 1/4 of section 16 in Powahatan, where Daniel died in 1882 leaving a son, Frederic. Frederic graduated from Mt Vernon in 1899, and was a school principal for a year, then engaged in the real estate business
  3. Harriet E - who taught the first school at Pocahontas, married Edward Snell. They removed to Crawford County, and she died there in 1884. Their children were Bertha and Wayne.
  4. William L - who married Clara B Hampdon in 1891. They located on a farm in section 11. In 1902 they moved to Palisade, Colorado and began to raise fruit. Their children were Erroll and Leatha.
  5. Fannie - who also was an early teacher in the county. She later lived in Tama City.
  6. George W - who, in 1893, married Jem (nee Henderson) Bowen. She was the daughter of Senator George Henderson, and the widow of George Bowen. He was later minister of the M E Church. Their children were Ruth and Joyce.
  7. Alice M - who married Joseph Dougherty in 1893. In 1898 they bought the old home farm of John Barnes. Their child was Cora.
  8. John M - was in the military and served in the Phillipine Islands, then returned to Plover.
  9. Samuel Howard - who fought in Cuba, died in 1902.
• Fessenden, Bradley M - owned a farm on section 25 from 1872 until 1889. He was born in Montrose, Pennsylvania to Isaac B and Lydia Fessenden. In 1866 he married Betsey B DeWolf while he was living in Carroll county, Illinois. In 1899 he removed to Sherburne, Minnesota. They had a family of ten children:
  1. Henry E - who married Minnie Grove
  2. Mary E - who married Samuel W Lyman in 1890. She died at the age of 31 in 1891 leaving five children while living in McHenry, North Dakota.
  3. Clara E - who married George L Pirie
  4. Charles L - the oldest child
  5. Isaac B
  6. Harvey D
  7. George
  8. Bessie
  9. Lydia
• Frost, Daniel P - section 16. On January 25, 1879, the post office called "Mayview" was established in Daniel's home. Due to the fact he liaved about 2 miles from the mail route between Pocahontas and Sioux Rapids, and no privison had made for the extra distance on the part of the mail carrier, no mail was received or distributed at the first post office in the township.
• Fulcomer, Thomas
• Geddes, Alexander - section 29
• Goodchild, George - section 20. Also noted as arriving in 1869. George was born in England in 1818. While in England, in 1846, he married Ursula Wilkinson. His wife died in 1885. They had nine children, three of which died young.
  Their children were
  1. Henry - who married Nettie Spencer of Osceola county in 1883. They removed to the SW 1/4 of section 27 in Washington township. He was a carpenter and a mason. Their children were Mary, Anna, Kate, Sarah, Edward and Jesse.
  2. William A - who married Eunice Chase in 1885. She is the daughter of Elijah Chase. They lived on the Chase farm north of Havelock. Their children were Ella, Elizabeth, Ursula, Minnie, William and Lester
  3. Ursula - who married Joseph O Overholt. Their children were Ira and Inez (twins), Seigel, William and Florence
  4. Herbert - who married Margaret Ludington. They lived in Palo Alto county with their children Mabel, Leon and Wayne.
• Goodchild, W E - section 20
• Heathman, Hiram - Uncle of Squire Heathman. He was born in Ohio in 1821. While in Ohio he married Priscilla Moody. He died at the age of 64 in 1885. His wife died at the age of 70 in 1895. They had ten children:
  1. Rosella - who married Dwight Wood. They lived in Wisconsin until 1898 when they moved to Rolfe. They had six children:
     • Edward - who married Amelia Wallace. Their child was Edna. Amelia died in 1890. In 1898 Edward married Minnie Thompson and they had three children.
     • Nettie - who married John Albee in 1895 and had a son, Elmer
     • Addie - who married Edward Gibson in 1888. They lived in Rolfe with their children roy, William, Nettie and Dewey.
     • Bert - who married May Spear in 1896 and lived in Rolfe
     • Ida - who married William Porter in 1893
     • Almeda - (no futher info)
  2. Vilinda - who married Charles Waterman. Charles located on section 8 in 1873. Their children were:
     • Emma - who married Calvin Wells and removed to Dakota
     • Eva - who married John Hodgden and removed to O'Brien county
     • Mabel
  3. Hiram - who married Viola Hilton and lived near Ruthven. Their children were Marion, Myrtle and Elmer
  4. Clara - who was born in Greene county, Wisconsin in 1845. While there she married Jacob W Brown who had homesteaded in 1866 (see above). They had three children, Aria, Susan and Alice when Jacob died in 1880. In 1882 Clara married William H Drown, a barber. He died at Rolfe in 1889. Their son was Clarence.
     • Aria - who married Thomas Beatty, had two children and lived in Perry
     • Susan - who married John Baird and had three children.
     • Alice - who married Edward Wasson and removed to St Joe, MO.
  5. Elmus H - who married Lucy Beam. He was a township trustee. Their children were Maud, a teach who married William Postin in 1900, Claude, Earl and Floyd.
  6. Samantha - who married John Conley in 1868 and removed to Wisconsin. In 1875 they removed to Hermosa, Colorado, where, in 1901, John died leaving an estate of $30,000.00. Their daughter was Lilly, who married Theron Northop in 1887. After the death of Lilly's father, she and her family moved into her fathers' home. The children of Lilly and Theron were Dart, Earl, Paul, Euphemia, William and Lyle
  7. Lydia - who married Jacob Strandberg, who was a shoemaker. They had five children. (1) Lizzie, who married Charles Northrop and had two children. (2) Alvah (3) George (4) Cora (5) Paul
  8. George - who married Lillian Wells and farmed in Powhatan. They had five children-George, Lewis, Gould, Verner and Esther
  9. Cora - who was born in 1860. She married William Amos and removed to Oklahoma where they had five children
  10. Martha - who was born in 1862. She married Thomas Meredith and their children were guy and Cecil
• Heathman, Squire Ephraim - section 9. He was born in Hancock county, Ohio in 1846. He is the son of David C and Catherine Heathman. He served in the civil war for several years. In 1868 he married Phoebe J Smith, daughter of Joel Smith and removed to Greene county, Wisconsin. His wife is a native of Greene county, Wisconsin. In 1872 he moved back to Powhatan township. He held many offices in the township and was involved in the church work. They had 12 children, 2 of which died young.
  Their children were:
  1. Mark - died at age 15 in 1887
  2. Willis D - who married Ida Grove and lived in Plover with their children Lena, Squire and Myrtle
  3. Frank E - who graduated from the Medical college at Keokuk and practised in Havelock. He married Maggie Fitzgerald and their children were Virgil, Lucile and Elmer
  4. Calvin - who married Maud Stevens in 1899. They lived in Plover with their child, Cleetis
  5. George - who married Alice Pullan in 1901 and lived in Plover
  6. Arthur - who married Maggie Pirie in 1899. Their children were Clarence and Margaret and they lived in Plover
  7. Rosa - who married Walter E Chinn in 1901. They lived in Plover.
  8. Carrie - at home
  9. Maggie - at home
  10. Ida - at home
  11. Ina - at home
• Hilton, Joseph D - was born in Maine. He served in the Civil war while living in Wisconsin. After the war he returned to Wisconsin where he married Alice Perrington. In 1873 Joseph, Alice and their children Harry and Bert located in Powhatan township. In 1900 they removed to Burlington, Washington. When his wife died (the date is not noted) they had five children:
  1. Harry A - who married Catherine Geddes and lived near Plover
  2. Nettie - who married Henry Shrouf and lived near Plover
  3. Bert
  4. Ernest
  5. Leslie
  After the death of Alice, Joseph married Cora Northrop, and their children were Maud, Alma and Lois.
• Jackson, Andrew
• Pettit, S N
• Rowley, George W - section 12
• Rowley, Norman L - section 12
• Young, M J

Those who arrived from 1875 - 1879

• Fuller, E C
• McEwen, Alexander - he was on the SW 1/4 of section 12. He later sold his land to John Barnes. Alexander was born in Scotland in 1845. He is the son of Rev John McEwen. Rev John McEwen had a sister named Margaret (nee McEwen) McEwen. Margaret's husband was not related to their family even though they have the same last name. Margaret was the mother of William McEwen. The siblings of Rev John, besides Margaret, were Peter, James, Donald, William, Grace and Janet. Rev John died in 1886, and his family consisted of Alexander, Donald, Robert, Marjory, John, Mary and Henry. Rev John was pastor for 45 years at Dyke Forres, Murrayshire.
  The children of Reverend John McEwen
  1. Donald - died in 1886. He had been a surveyor in India.
  2. Robert - went to India and engaged in the indigo trade. He died in Edinburgh in 1893.
  3. Marjory - who married John Smith. He was a merchant in Hong Kong, China.
  4. John - was the assistant to his father, and after his death took over as pastor of Dyke Forres.
  5. Mary - married Rev George Bisset and lived in Edinburgh.
  6. Henry - is superintendent of the electric light plant in Glasgow. He received a medal from the London astronomical society for some astromical drawings he made for the Chicago Worlds fair in 1893. He was also a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of London.
  7. Alexander - the eldest child in the family. He moved to Des Moines county and lived for years with Henry Jarvis and taught school. He prepared a set of abstract books for W D McEwen at Old Rolfe, and took charge of the store McEwen and Bruce when it was established in 1870.
     On October 6, 1875, he married Delilah Hamble, daughter of Philip Hamble of Washington township. He was also known to raise fine horses on his farm.
     The children of Alexander and Deliliah were:
     • John P - noted as at home
     • Mary A - noted as at home
     • Marjory - a teacher, who married E L Wallace in 1902. He was a principal at Plover, and later managed a lumber yard at Schaller.
     • Susan - who was a teacher, married Fred C Chinn on April 16, 1901.
     • Philip - at home
     • Henry - at home
     • Elizabeth - at home
     • Robert B - at home
• Shaver, Nelson H - who was born in Lowville, New York in 1844 one of 7 boys. Besides farming he also kept a meat market in Plover. In 1858 his family moved to Wisconsin. On February 13, 1864, while in Wisconsin, Nelson enlisted in the civil war. He served under General Grant and was at Burksville at the time of Lee's surrender. His father and 4 of his brothers were also in the war. His brothers were Alfred, Charles, Frank and George. After the war was over, Alfred, Charles, George and his father died soon after their return. Nelson returned to Wisconsin where he married Alice L Fenton in 1867. They moved to Powhatan in 1879. They had four children:
  1. Charles - who died at age 13 in 1887.
  2. Glenn - who married Leora Thompson and resided near Rolfe.
  3. Jennie - who married John Roberts in 1896.
  4. Don - who was still at home when the biography was written (abt 1904).
• Smith, Joel - was a native of Massachusetts and was born in 1811 and died in 1890. In 1832, while living in Ohio he married Julia Dayton. Later, they moved to Green county, Wisconsin, where his wife died after a few years. Their children were Harris, Welton, Harriet, Sophia, William and Merritt. Five of his six children with his wife Julia married and located in Wisconsin. William, with his wife and three children, located in Powhattan township in 1879. In 1849 Joel married Marinda (nee Pratt) Kelley, the widow of Joseph Kelley. Joseph Kelley had died in Wisconsin, and their daughter was Mary Emily. Mary Emily Kelley later married Alva L Whitney who located in Powhattan township in 1881. After Joel Smith died, Mary Emily's mother Mary M Smith lived with the Whitney's. The children of Joel and Marinda were Phoebe, Calvin and Eunice, the youngest, who died at age 16.
  • William - son of Joel and Julia. He eventually had eight children.
    Williams children were:
    • Charles - who married Etta Randall and lived in Powhattan
    • Olive - who married Oliver Goodlatson and removed to Palo Alto county.
    • Joel
    • Cora
    • Edith
    • Fred
    • Etta
    • Blanch
  The children of Joel Smith and Marina Kelley Smith - (Also known as Mary M Kelley)
  1. Phoebe - married Squire Heathman (see Heathman, 1870-1874 above).
  2. Calvin - married Susan Spangler and removed to Minnesota where they raised their children who were William, Frank, Calvin, Ray and Roy.
• Smith, P W