Dover Township History
The Town of Varina

The town of Varina is located on the NE corner of section 31. This land was originally settled by Jacob Hauser. Jacob was born in Germany in 1864, the son of David Hauser. His brothers were named David, Nicholas and Matthew. In 1890 he married Minnie Porath of Buena Vista county. Jacob platted the first addition to Varina in December 1899. In 1901 he was chosen a member of the first town council of Varina.

Settlers of the township

Those who arrived in 1869 and early 1870. The first settlers.

  • Blakeslee, Alvin C - arrived in May of 1870. He located on section 32. He had a family and entered his land as a homestead.
  • Hubbell, Alex - the first settler in the township. He purchased section 26 in May of 1869. He located on his land in April, 1870, with his brother Charles.
  • Hubbell, Charles - brother of Alex.
  • O'Niel, James - and his brother John B. They, along with John's wife, located here in 1870. In 1873 John and his family moved to Nebraska, and in 1874 James died at the home of John Garvey.
  • Woodin, D M - arrived in May of 1870. He had a family and entered his land in section 24 as a homestead.

Those who arrived prior to the establishment of the township. It was established on September 6, 1870.

  • Carpenter, William M
  • Closson, A C
  • O'Niel, James - brother of John
  • O'Niel, John B - brother of James
  • Rathbun, William Wallace - was born in Lee county, Iowa in 1843. In the fall of 1870 he had secured a homestead in Dover township, in section 32. In 1871 he married Harriet Robinson. His principal occupation was teaching. He occupied and improved his homestead until 1882 when he removed to Fonda. Their children are:
    1. Edmund C
    2. Albert - a tile ditcher
    3. Frank - a tile ditcher
    4. Maude - who married Herbert Beardsley in 1897. He was a ditcher.
    5. Minnie - who graduated from Fonda schools in 1901
    6. Annie
    7. Hattie
    8. Estella
    9. Nellie
    10. Arthur
  • Reilly, Bernard E - along with his father Bernard Reilly (see bio, below)
  • Reilly Sr, Bernard - was born in Louth County, Ireland in 1816. He died in 1887. In Ireland he married Ann McCough, who was born in 1818 and died in 1891. In 1870, Bernard, his wife, and their children John, Bernard JR and Kate came to Pocahotnas county. Bernard Sr and John were in section 34, and Bernard Jr in section 20. Bernard and Ann lived on their homestead until 1886 when they moved in with their son Bernard Jr, where the father died the next year. He was active in the orgainzation of the township, and was the eldest person living there at the time of the founding of the township. Their children were:
    1. John - who was born in Ireland in 1847. The Dover Catholic church is located on his farm. John lived with the family who was hired to help work his farm.
    2. Mary - who married M J O'Connor and removed to Wisconsin
    3. Bernard E - who was born in 1851. He was one of the first judges in the township, was the first assessor, was a trustee, and was clerk and president of the school board. He lived with the family who was hired to help work his farm.
    4. James - who was a teacer and lived in California.
    5. Margaret A - who married John Miller and lived in Vinton
    6. Elizabeth - who, it is said, is upposed to have been lost at the time of the great Chicago fire in 1871.
    7. Ellen - a teacher, also lived in California
    8. Kate - who married Francis Farrell. Francis was born in 1850. Their children were Thomas, who was in college, Frank, Mary, Maggie and Ray

Those who arrived after 1870

  • Barnes, John - was born in Dubuque county, Iowa, in 1852 to George W and Asenath (nee Smith) Barnes. In 1872 in came to Dover township. He lived in section 27. He held many township offices. In 1877 he married Phoebe Edith Miller of Calhoun county. Their children were: Franklin H, George A, John E, Jesse M, Lola R and James F.
  • Chamberlin, Percius R - was born in Vermont in 1823. In Vermont he married Angeline C Baird. In 1873 he made a soldiers claim of 160 acres in section 20 of Dover township. They occupied it until 1889 when his wife died. At that time he sold it to his son Orland and removed to Newell where he worked as a painter. He later moved to Fonda. He joined the civil war on September 26, 1864 and was a member of Company B, 44th Wisconsin infantry. He served until July 2, 1865. Their children were:
    1. Ada - who married Frank Holbrook and lived in Newell. She died there in 1885 leaving four children: Azore, Earl, Jerediah and Rollin.
    2. Lena - who married Hiram Baxter and removed to Sioux City. Their children were: Lula and Lola - twins, Berma and Clarence
    3. Orland E - who married Effie Henthorne and lived on his father's homestead. Their children were Hiel, Merl and Floyd
  • Coleman, James Henry - was born to William and Margaret Coleman of Derby, Connecticut, in 1850. In 1876 he married Kate McGuire of Allamakee county, then moved that year to Dover township. He settled on a farm in section 13. He moved to Fonda in 1892. He was school treasurer and township assessor. Margaret Coleman died in 1880, leaving three small children. These children all died of scarlet fever in the spring of 1881. That same year, James married Victoria Leslie and they had four children: Lottie-who graduated from Fonda schools in 1901, George, Allen and John.
  • Fitzgerald, Daniel - son of John and Margaret Fitzgerald, was born in Ireland in 1844. While in Allamakee county he married Margaret Coleman in 1867. She was born in Maine in 1849. They moved to Dover township in June of 1873, settling on section 23. Daniel and Margaret had ten children, one of which died as a child:
    1. Mary Agnes - who married Joseph D Reagan in 1890 (he must have died before 1904, see John T, below)
    2. John T - who was a township trustee from 1898-1901. He has managed the family business since the death of Joseph D Reagan (who must have died prior to 1904 when this biography was published)
    3. Margaret H - who spent three years pursuing special studies in Chilicothe, MO and Washintgon, IA. She married Hugo Fix in 1901. Hugo is the son of John Fix, who, with his wife and family came from Germany in 1885 along with Emmanuel Gerrick. His siblings were George, Alfreda, Josephine and Rudolph.
    4. Catherine Ellen - who married Henry Dorton in 1898.
    5. Alice Theresa - at home
    6. Daniel Edward - at home
    7. James J - at home
    8. Eunice L - at home
    9. Lewis Patrick - at home
  • Fitzgerald, John - son of John and Margaret Fitzgerald, was born in Ireland in 1836. In 1862 he married Mary Quillian, daughter of Philip Quillian of Allamakee county. They located in the township in 1873, settling on section 23 which eventually grew to be a farm of 340 acres. John and Mary had 8 children: (it seems only 7 are listed in the bio)
    1. Margaret Ann - who married M W Linnan in 1898
    2. Mary Ellen - who married John Eichler in 1888. Their children were Lucy, John and Ray.
    3. John David - who was born in Iowa in 1867. He married Ann Quinlan of Fort Dodge in 1896. Their children were John Vincent and Mary Ethel. He was an assessor of the township.
    4. Elizabeth - who married Joseph Eichler in 1899. Their child was John Francis.
    5. Thomas Philip - who married Mary Mullen in 1900. Mary is the daughter of Terrence Mullen of Fonda. Their child was Mary Genevieve.
    6. Agnes
    7. Winnifred
  • Fitzgerald, Patrick - son of John and Margaret Fitzgerald, was born in Ireland in 1834. The family came to America in 1850, settling in Allamakee county in 1857. In 1871 he married Mary Mackey, and in 1873 they moved to Dover township and lived on section 23. Patrick had increased the size of the farm to 320 by the time of his death in 1898. Patrick and Mary had eleven children, two of which died in childhood:
    1. William Timothy - was born in Iowa in 1871. He married Mary J Carey, daughter of Matthew Carey. In 1900 they removed to Varina where he engaged in business as a member of the J D Fitzgerald & Co implement firm. They had four children: (1) Margaret M (2) Matthew (3) John P (4) William E.
    2. Maggie E
    3. Mary A
    4. James Edward
    5. Sarah Jane - a 1899 Fonda graduate
    6. John P
    7. Hannah - a 1901 Fonda graduate
    8. Catherine
    9. Nellie R
    10. Charles Lewis
  • Fitzgerald, William - son of John and Margaret Fitzgerald, was born in Ireland on March 11, 1840. While in Allamakee county he enlisted in the civil war in 1862. He was in Company F, 6th Iowa Cavalry. In 1866 he married Ann Jane Williamson and took up farming. In 1874 they removed to Dover township, Pocahontas county on the SW 1/4 of section 13. His three brothers (Daniel, John and Patrick) had moved here the year before. He was a township trustee, treasurer of the school fund for nearly 20 years and a member of the board of county supervisors. Ann's mother, Mrs Margaret A Williamson has made her home with her daughter and son-in-law since 1878. William and Ann had five children:
    1. Margaret E - who married Martin F White in 1891. In 1900 they removed to Perry. They had two boys and three girls.
    2. Esther Ellen - who was at home at the time of the biography (about 1904)
    3. Mary Jane - who married Andrew White. He died in October, 1897, from injuries sustained while trying to stop a runaway team in Laurens. They had a child, Charles W.
    4. Isabella A - at home
    5. Edward - at home
  • Garton, William Henry - arrived in Dover township in 1880. In 1865, while living in La Fayette county, Wisconsin, he married Sarah Josephine Latin. They had six children:
    1. Jennie - who, in 1889, married William Sellick. Their children were Iza and Etta. They lived in the township for six years, then removed to Buffalo county, Nebraska until 1901 when they returned and lived on her fathers farm.
    2. Clifford R - who married Irene Titus in 1897. They lived in section 18 with their child, Alice.
    3. Inez M - who married Frank M Titus in 1896. They removed to Calhoun county.
    4. Ida Ellen - at home
    5. Eunice Edith - at home
    6. Anna - at home
  • Garvey, John - who was born on May 5, 1848 in Ireland. He came alone to America, settling in Allamakee county. While there he married Sophia Willliamson in 1873. That spring, they located on their farm in Dover township, on section 21. Their children were: James - a well digger, Jane - a teacher, Eliza - a teacher, Henry and Albert.
  • Gombar, Frederick Michael - was born in Broadhead, Wisconsin in 1853 to Frederick and Rose (Steiner) Gombar. While living in Wisconsin in 1873 he married Alice McCarl. In 1878, with the David Steiner family, they came to Dover township, section 30. Frederick and Alice had nine children, one of which died in childhood.
    1. Rosa - who married James Dougherty in 1894. Their children were May, Lilian, Eugene and Gladys.
    2. Jennie
    3. Lillian
    4. Trussie
    5. Grace
    6. William
    7. Frank
    8. Hazel
  • Hogan, Michael Augustus - was born in 1855 to Patrick and Catherine (nee MacNamara) Hogan in Delaware county, Iowa. He located on his land in 1877. Michael had two sisters, Catherine and Maggie. Catherine married Hugh J Murray. Maggie married Jacob Coyle. In 1886 Michael married Catherine Cullen, the daughter of Michael and Catherine Cullen of Dover township. Catherine died in 1894 leaving children Frank, Nellie and Edward. Michael was a member of the board of County Supervisors from 1895-1900.
  • Hubbell, Alexander Fullerton - was the first settler in Dover township. Alexander was born on March 28, 1844, the fourth son of Frederick A and Frances L (nee McNeil, born 1808) Hubbell in Champlain, Clinton county, New York. He also had a sister named Julia who died in 1859. His father was a well known attorney. His family was of Welsh descent and can trace their family back over 800 years, as far back as the Danish conquest of England. His mother lived with Alexander in Dover township until her demise on May 29, 1890. She was a native of Charlotte, Vermont, and married Frederick A Hubbell in 1833. Four of her other sons were in the civil war. Henry died at Antietam and James died on his way home. Another son, Charles F, died a few years after the war (1875) from an illness contracted during his service. Alexander joined the war on September 21, 1861 in his 18th year. (Ed note-there is quite an extensive civil war narrative in this biography)
    In the spring of 1869 Alexander travelled to Dover township on horseback from Fort Dodge and purchased all of section 26, which he later called the "large pasture". He was very prominent in the township and held many official offices. In 1887 he married Lois A Wood, daughter of A B P Wood. Their children were Frederic Augustus, Affa, Wolcot Wood and Helen.
  • McCarty, Ann (Mrs. Michael) - was born in 1815. In 1876, she and her children William, Michael, and Maggie located in Dover township. Her husband Michael died in 1870, in Waterford county, Ireland. Ann died in 1890.
    1. William - married Elizabeth Coleman in 1881. In 1900 they removed to Elmore, Minnesota. Their children were Mary, Stella, Martha, Bessie, Theresa and Vada.
    2. Maggie - married Michael J Kearns in 1876.
    3. Michael - was born in Ireland in 1859. In 1877 he settled on section 34 in Dover township. In 1899 he removed to Murdock, Minnesota. He married Katie (nee Kelley) Hefner. Katie Kelley Hefner had been married to John Hefner, who died in October, 1881, and their children were Margaret and Elizabeth. Michael and Katie had six children of their own-Annie, Alice, Mary, John, William and the baby (who is not named - Ed.)
  • Merchant, Peter - was born in Pennsylvania in 1818. It was there he married Susan Weaver and removed to Green county, Wisconsin. In 1871, with his wife and seven of eight children, moved to Dover township, section 30. In 1890 they moved to Fonda where his wife died on January 21, 1892 at the age of 66. Their children:
    1. Mary - born in Green county. She married George Frazee and they later moved to Palo Alto county where George died. He left two children, Nettie and George.
    2. Elizabeth - married Mr Zane, who resided in Lake City. He died soon afterward leaving a son, Burr.
    3. Albert - who married Nellie Spear. They, and their three children, eventually ended up in Dakota.
    4. Sarah - who married Columbus Logan and removed to Sioux City.
    5. William - who married Ella Westlake Manson and moved out west.
    6. Sophia - who married M B Keifer who was an attorney at Fonda. They later moved to Sioux City.
    7. Edward - went west
    8. Emma - died at age 17 in 1884
  • Needham, Horace Moulton - was born in Massachusetts in 1849, the son of Allen and Eunice Needham. About 1859 the family moved to Winnebago county, Illinois, where, in 1872, he married Emma C Atwood. About 1874 Horace and Emma moved to Dover township, settling in section 21. In 1888 he was president of the school board. Their children:
    1. Nellie - who, in 1900, married William C H Peters of Varina
    2. Eunice - who was a seamstress
    3. Caspar - at home
    4. Frank - at home
    5. Guy - at home
    6. Fay - at home
    7. Mabel - at home
  • O'Conner, Patrick - the brother of James O'Connor of Grant township. Patrick was born in Ireland in 1850. Patrick arrived in America about between 1872 and 1874 and lived with his brother James on his farm in Warren county, Iowa. In 1874 Patrick married Ellen Durigan. In 1872 his brother James married Margaret Jane Durigan. In 1878 both families moved to Pocahontas county, Patrick in Dover township and James in Grant. In 1880, their parents, their father and mother, ages 65 and 60 respectively, came to America to live with their sons. They also had a brother named Barney who lived in Fonda, arriving in 1883. The father, also named Patrick died in 1888 and their mother in 1881. In 1892 Patrick moved to Buena Vista county, and later to South Dakota. The children of Patrick and Ellen are:
    1. Anna - who married William Hogan and lived in Des Moines
    2. Gertie - also lived in Des Moines
    3. Sadie - also lived in Des Moines
    4. Frank
    5. Ambrose
    6. Ray
    7. Edith
    8. Vincent
    9. Lagora
    10. Valley
    11. Baby, not yet named.
  • Pinneo, George Oliver - was born in Yates county, New York, the son of James R and Eunice (nee Bingham) Pinneo in 1838. About 1848 his mother died, and seven years later he moved to Cedar county Iowa. While in Cedar county he married Sarah Towne Smith in 1862. She was born in 1838, the daughter of Ethan and Elizabeth (nee Baker) Smith. The Smiths came in wagons from Ohio to Tipton, Iowa in 1851. George secured his homestead in section 30, Dover township, in the fall of 1871, and the occupied the land on February 22, 1872. About 1888 he partened with F M Gombar and purchased a six-foot ditcher and did a large amount of drainage work. On May 2, 1864, George enlisted in the civil war, Company I of the Iowa 46th and served until the end of the war. He was a township trustee and served on the school board. He died in 1891. His wife was a teacher. Their children were:
    1. Ethan J - who was born in 1866. He married Etta C (nee Lampman) Davis in 1893
    2. Carlos Ernest - who was born in 1867. He married Lizzie B Whitney in 1895. They lived on his father's homestead. Their children were Frances, Henrietta, Elizabth, Lois G, George O and Ruth E. He was active in the Varina Presbyterian church.
    3. Bessie - who married Al Watts in 1887
    4. Hattie - who graduated from the business department of the B V College and lived with her mother in Varina.
  • Sayre, Mahlon - was born in New Jersey in 1817. He was eighth in a family of nine sons. He learned the trade of broom making in New Jersey. He then removed to Winnebago County, Illinois. While in Illinois he married Lucinda Haven (see Electa Haven Sayre - below). Two of their children, Albert and Elnora, had moved to Pocahontas county prior to 1873. In 1873 Mahlon and the family moved to Dover township, settling in section 20. Mahlon and Lucinda died months apart in 1890. Their children were:
    1. Elvira - who married William Gilson
    2. James Albarnus - who was born in 1852. In 1875 he married Fannie Thompson and they homesteaded in Buena Vista county. James died in 1891. Their daughter was Pearl, who married E D Snyder in 1900. Fannie had moved to Oklahoma, and Pearl and husband followed.
    3. Albert - who was born in 1854. He married Mary Burdick in 1872. She is the daughter of Frank A Burdick. Their children were Dora and Budd.
    4. Melinda - who married Lewis K Johnson in 1867. They lived in Illinois until 1873, when they moved to Dover township. Their children, all of whom live in Idaho, are: Jennie - who married Daniel Finnelson: William - who married Daisy Ingram: and Lulu - who married Charles Irwin. It is noted that Melinda married again (no mention of what happened to Lewis K Johnson) in 1887, this time to Washington Snyder, and in 1888, they removed to Idaho.
    5. Elnora - who married Eugene Evans.
  • Sayre, Electa (nee Haven) - who was born in 1826. She was born in Vermont, the daughter of James and Melinda (Hemenway) Haven. Electa was second in a family of 10 children, six of which located in Pocahontas county. Those who didn't locate in the county were Sylvester, a soldier in the civil war, Ellen, James and Lydia.
      Children of James and Melinda Haven who moved to Pocahontas County:
    • Electa
    • Lucinda Haven - who married Mahlon Sayre (see bio, above)
    • Sophia Haven - who married Horace Haven and lived in Fonda
    • Minerva Haven - who married A F Burdick
    • Henrietta Haven - who married Mannis O'Donnell
    • Charles Haven
    In 1837 the Haven family removed to Winnebago County, Illinois. It was here that she married William Sayre in 1844. In 1855 William and Electa moved to Allamakee County, Iowa, where William died in 1861 leaving seven children. In 1865 Electa moved to Dyersville and in 1877 to Pocahontas county, settling in Dover township. Their children were:
    1. Lionel - who was born in 1845. He married Polly Mountsey in Dubuque county, Iowa. In 1875 they located in Dover township. Lionel died in Sellwood, Oregon in 1901 leaving two children, Addie and Nellie.
    2. Frances - who married William Spence and lived in Washington State.
    3. Lewis - was born in 1848 and is at home
    4. Julia - who married Mark A Haven in 1871. He is a son of Solomon Haven and was a carpenter. They lived in Fonda, and he was a member of the town council and later, Mayor. Their children were Albert and Harrold.
    5. Ellen - who married Edward O'Donnell in 1877.
    6. Eugene - who was born in 1860. He married Lula Beardsley in 1886 and they lived in Cedar township. Their children were Gus and Clay.
    7. Charles - who was born in 1862. He married Elizabeth Gilson in 1887. She was a milliner and they lived in Fonda with their child, Zola.
  • Steiner, David - was born in Germany in 1826. In 1852 he came to America, settling in Wisconsin. He enlisted in the civil war on August 11, 1862. After the war he returned to Wisconsin, where he married Sarah (nee Harrison) Thompson, widow of Gilbert Thompson who died in 1861. Gilbert and Sarah had 4 children before his death - Thomas, Christina, Carrie and Gilbert. In 1871, his family, now consisting of seven children, and Peter Merchant and his family of seven children came to Dover township. David Steiner located on 172 in section 30. Peter Merchant and family homesteaded 80 acres also in section 30. The three children of David Steiner and Sarah Harrison Thompson Steiner were:
    1. William F - who was born in Green county, Wisconsin. In 1894 he married Mary Kinney and lived on his father's old farm. Their children were William D, Vernie and Mary Gladdis
    2. Rose - who was a clerk
    3. Lily - who was a seamstress
    The four Thompson children also lived in the township for a number of years.
      The Thompson children:
    • Thomas Thompson - who was born in 1857. He married Sarah Carroll of Buena Vista county in 1893. Their children were Ruth, Eugene and George. They resided in section 30.
    • Christina Thompson - who married Joseph T Malden. He was a grain dealer and they lived in Manson, Calhoun county. Their children were Gene, Claude, Earl, Lloyd and Joseph.
    • Carrie Thompson - who married Robert Kleeburger. He was a harness maker. They removed to Aurelia and their children were Millie, Grace and Jay.
    • Gilbert Thompson - who moved to Tacoma, Washington in 1880. Taft, Harrison - was born in St Lawrence county, New York in 1844. The family later moved to Greene County, Illinois. He joined the civil war in Illinois and was in Co E of the 65th Illinois Infantry. After spending 3 years and 7 months in the war he came home. He soon moved to Machester, Iowa. In 1872 he homesteaded in Dover township. In 1872 he also married Martha Melinda Burdick. She is the daughter of A F Burdick. She died in 1901 leaving five children.
      Harriet Blanche - who married Charles W Taft in 1899. They lived in Waterloo and she had two children
      Claude H
      Maud A
      Lutie - twin to Lottie (noted as being "at home")
      Lottie - twin to Lutie (noted as being "at home")

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      Information transcribed, compiled and arranged by Tim Meyer, copyright 2003 - 2004