February 24, 1876

Mr. JAMES SPENCER is in town. He came to look up some land he owns in Middle Fork Township, near Ina Townsley's farm. Mr. SPENCER will commence improving his land in about a month.

May 4, 1876

J. W. SPENCER recently located in Middle Fork Township and is opening out a large farm.

(NOTE: Land records show that this 160 acres of land is in RICE Twp and initially purchased along with an adjacent 40 acres from the Gov’t. in 1855 for $1.25 an acre by, his Uncle THOMAS W. SPENCER of Greene Co., OH. This uncle died in 1871 so Jas. family may have inherited this property through father.)

January 20, 1881 - DELPHOS JOTTINGS

Mr. James Spencer has gone to Chicago with two car loads of cattle. His friends anxiously await his return for a report on the sights.

March 3, 1881 - DELPHOS JOTTINGS

Mr. James Spencer is buying stock cattle and hogs - thereby keeping currency, in circulation and making his neighbors happy.

October 26, 1882 - RICE TOWNSHIP

Jim Spencer received a telegram the other day that his daughter's child had been run over by a wagon and is severely, injured. Mr. Spencer started for Nebraska, where his daughter is, on Monday.

October 18, 1885 - RICE TOWNSHIP

James W. Spencer was the purchaser of a threshing machine a few days ago, He says he was just getting ready to rest, but that he will now, under the new administration, have to go to hard work again. We are sorry Jim, but you know the old saying, "There is no rest for the wicked."

September 1, 1887 - RICE TOWNSHIP

J. W. Spencer is cutting up corn this season, as a trial trip.

November 24, 1887 - RICE TOWNSHIP

Corn going 20 - 50 bushels. The wind last Saturday tore off the chimney from Mr. Spencer's kitchen causing J. W. to go hungry for a season, also turned over hay stacks and unroofed sheds and the like of movable property without number.

April 31, 1891

J. W. Spencer and Jas. M. Slentz on April 25th paid up on the RECORD and within five minutes of each other. They were both happy, and claimed that Ringgold County was never more prosperous and that there was never less reason for complaining. It was a pleasure to meet such happy citizens.

COUNTY EXPENDITURES, September 24, 1891

Claim by James W. Spencer for $7.00 for sheep killed by dogs - passed.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, January 5, 1893

John Lowder and family are visiting with James Spencer in Rice this week. (Son in law of James and Malinda)

MT AYR JOURNAL, On front page, August 26, 1896

Mr. Jas. Spencer of this city, and a free silver Republican meets the gold bug argument that prices will be doubled if free coinage of silver is adopted in this way, and his figuring proves it.

He says: "I bring a 200 pound hog to market, and under the gold standard I get $3.50 per hundred for it, the hog brings me $7.00. I wish to buy 100 pounds of fence wire and go to the hardware store and it costs me $3.50, and I have $3.50 left from the hog money to pay on a debt or my taxes.

Free silver is adopted and prices are doubled. I bring a 200 pound hog to market and it brings me $7.00 per hundred, or $14.00. I go to the same hardware store for 100 pounds of fence wire, and the merchant says the price of wire has doubled, so I pay him $7.00 for the 100 pounds of wire, and I have $7.00 of the hog money left to pay on debt or my taxes.

If the gold bug's claim that free silver will double prices, is it not clear that every farmer will be benefited whether he sells hogs, cattle, corn or any other of his products? and is it not good common sense that he should favor and vote for a system that will benefit him?"

1896

J. W. SPENCER is a retired farmer who at 60 years of age is able to come to Mt. Ayr to enjoy town life after the arduous labors of accumulating a farm of 520 acres, and taking a prominent part of fostering farmer organizations of the County. Mr. SPENCER came here in 1876 from Illinois and located in Rice Township where he bought a farm of 320 acres. By devoting his attention to stock raising and shipping, he greatly increased the size of his farm. During this time, he has been a prominent member of agricultural society and the Farmer's Insurance Association. Since January of the present year he has made his home in Mt. Ayr.

(Per his g-grand-daughter Naomi Adair Hickerson letter of Jan 15, 1999, The Mt Ayr home was a BIG home one block west of the southwest corner of Mt Ayr city square, on the north side of the street, where he eventually died. Malinda then sold the house, buying another across the street closer to the square. James’s daughter Sarah Rosella 'Ella' Nicholas who was crippled with arthritis lived with Malinda, also Sarah’s son Elmer Nicholas and wife Maude Leslie (North), and daughters Zoe, Genivieve, and Beatrice.

September 10, 1896

Democrat nominee for county treasurer; ORIN G. SPENCER (son of James W. Spencer).

October 22, 1896

O. G. SPENCER is one of the model young men of the county. As county recorder he will be found to be "the right man in the right place." He will fill the office with honor to himself and his friends who put him there, should they honor him with an election. [Vote listed in the following weeks paper gave C. J. Palmer 2213 votes Orin G.. Spencer 1619.]

October 29, 1896, Personals Column

J. W. SPENCER came home from OHIO Saturday where he has been visiting his old home.

[His brother, Thomas W., would have been living near Cedarville on their home place in Greene Co, Ohio. It is possible that his sister, Delilah, was also living.]

TWICE A WEEK WEEKLY
Mount Ayr, Iowa
July 5, 1898

Installation of new officers of Theta Lodge No. 189 A.O.O.W. They were installed Friday evening included J. W. SPENCER, outside watchman.

TWICE A WEEK WEEKLY
Mount Ayr, Iowa
September 25, 1900

Saturday's shipment of stock to Chicago was as follows; J.W. SPENCER, two cars of hogs; W.F. Blackman, one car each of hogs and cattle.

TWICE A WEEK WEEKLY
Mount Ayr, Iowa
October 22, 1900

ALVAH SPENCER of Rice Township was trying to buy or rent land in this vicinity last week.

(MERRITT was near Kellerton on the west in Ringgold Co. ALVAH assumed to be Alpha L. Spencer)

TWICE A WEEK WEEKLY
Mount Ayr, Iowa
March 12, 1901

Meeting held at RICE CENTER vote 16 to 6 to consolidate rural schools. Also voted $500 for addition on DELPHOS SCHOOL. School roads to be established leading north and south from District #6 Schoolhouse.

TWICE A WEEK WEEKLY
Mount Ayr, Iowa
March 13, 1901

ROAD DIRECTORS in RICE TWP; No. 5 or 6, Alpha SPENCER; No. 7, Neal Boyles; No. 8, Ethel SPENCER; No. 9, Ell HOOVER. (Ethel was son of James W. Spencer)

TWICE A WEEK WEEKLY
Mount Ayr, Iowa
November 27, 1941

Rose Hill No. 2 Eunice Shuemaker, teacher

(Eunice was daughter of Roy Berry and Goldia Belle (Spencer) Sheumaker, grand daughter of James W. Spencer, later wife of Gerald Maylan ‘Red’ Jones of Grant City MO.)

Our school opened Sept. 1 with an enrollment of 14 pupils. They are as follows: Robert and Richard Saville and Dorothy Jackson, seventh grade; Dorothy Saville and Lloyd Glendenning, fifth; Joe Jackson, fourth; Lloyd Cochran and Garner Saville, third; Betty Black, second; Clarice Jackson, first; and Max Glendenning, Carroll Olney, and Hazel Saville, primary.

See Spencer Family Page

From historical genealogical document authored by Loren Spencer Elliott, December, 1992 & e-mail of January 25, 2001   allo4@juno.com, P.O. address 991 Leasure World, Mesa, AZ 85206

Submitted by Delbert Spencer, April of 2009