TAYLOR COUNTY, IOWA

                                                         Formed in 1847.

  The settlers had probably planned out their route, depending on their starting point. By water most could use the Ohio River to the Mississippi River to St. Louis, then the Missouri River on to their point of departure, then on land a short distance to Marysville, Mo. Others could use the land, ride a ferry boat across the Mississippi River in the Keokuk, Mo. area and continue on land until they arrived at Marysville, Mo. Some stopped in Davis County, Iowa.

 Most of the first settlers to settle in Taylor County, Iowa, first settled in Nodaway, County, Missouri which was a short distance off of the Missouri River for a short time before moving to the untamed and unsettled Iowa Territory. The last place to secure supplies was in Marysville, the county seat of Nodaway County, Mo. To mail a letter from Marysville cost 25 cents.

 The settlers and the area that I am researching settled in the area that was later named Holt Township, that was located about 36 miles from Marysville, Mo.

In 1851, Levy Hayden and John Hayden arrived in Taylor County, Iowa and moved to Kansas later.

 Corneluis N. Scott and wife Jennie E, { Dunkin } Scott moved from Indiana and arrived  in Nodaway County, Mo. in 1851. They spent six months before moving the 36 miles to Holt Township, Taylor County, Iowa where they settled on section 35, there only three families living there in [ 1852 ]

In Sept. of 1853, the first birth in Holt Township was to Mr. and Mrs. Scott and he was named John Scott.

John Wesley Dunkin, arrived in 1850 in Nodaway County, Mo. He resided there until he married Phoebe Ingals in 1852. They moved to the Holt Township in 1853 and their first child “ Casandra “ was born there. He settled on sections 26 & 35. In 1860, he sold this land to his brother and moved  a few miles So. to Doniphan County, Kansas Territory His daughter Casasndra when reaching the age, married William Laird, one of the sons of John and Rebecca { Townsend} Laird.

In 1851/1852, Elihu & Morning Ann { Reed } Baker and family moved up the Mississippi River on a boat with his brother “ Bryant H. Baker & family and settled in Davis County, Iowa. By the year 1855 Elihu Baker and family had moved to Taylor County, Iowa and bought 40 acres. In 1857 he bought 120 acres in section 33 in Holt Township. On May 9, 1867, is daughter Jemima Baker married Benjamin Frank Dunkin while living in Holt Township, Iowa.

Bryant H. Baker, brother of Elihu Baker made the same moves as Elihu Baker did.

In 1853, D.B. Gartrell, settled on section 6, Holt Township, Taylor County, Iowa

In 1854, Nov. 29, William Seabolt bought 160 acres in Taylor County, Iowa.

In 1854, there were only six men living in Holt Township, Iowa.

The Doctors of the early times were Dr. Bent of Bedford, Iowa and Dr. Grover of Hawleyville.

When the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 opened the territory to farmers, some  moved on from Taylor County, Iowa to Kansas as John Wesley Dunkin, Levy and John Hayden did

John Laird b- Apr. 22, 1812   married   Nov. 30, 1837 to Rebecca Townsend b ca- 1813

In 1854, John Laird settled on section 32.and both buried in Holt Cemetery, Taylor Co.

                                                       Their son

Thomas Laird b-Feb. 16, 1842 m-April 1866 in Taylor Co to Julia Ann Scott b-1847-Ind.

Julia Scott was the 1^st child of Jennie { Dunkin } & Corneilous Scott.

In 1854, Thomas Laird settled on section 33 in Holt Township, Taylor County, Iowa.

In 1855, the first school house was built of logs, for a cabin  by G.C. Abbitt and Mr. John Lewis. The seats were slabs, the floor “ puncheon,” and the chimney made of sod. It was located on section 33. Here the first school was taught by Mrs. Churchill. It was a subscription school.

In 1855, Jacob Keesland settled on section ?  Holt Township, Taylor County, Iowa

The milling of the early citizens of Holt Township was done at a distance of 80 miles, except when they patronized the little “ corn Cracker “ at Hawleyville.

In 1855, Samuel D. Churchill settled on section 10, in Holt Township, Taylor Co., Iowa

In 1856, the first religious services in Holt Township was held at Hayden`s Grove. Rev. Isaac Kelly, the pioneer Methodist Clergyman of S.W. Iowa, preached there in 1856. Also Elder William Cobb of Bedford, was among the early ministers.

In 1856, Reuben Henry Dunkin settled in Ringgold County, in 1859, then moved to, Taylor County, Iowa Post-office Holt and bought land from his brother “ John Wesley Dunkin “ in section 26 and 35.

In 1856, St Clair Cade and family all came up the Mississippi River on a floating mill, owned by St. Clair` s half brother, Bryant Seabolt. They stopped at every town along the way to grind corn for people. When they came to the Iowa border, the Cale family got off and landed in Davis County, Iowa. They moved to Taylor County, Iowa.

In 1856, John Dunn settled on section 8 in Holt Township, Taylor Co., Iowa

In 1856, Jabez Green Moore & Alatha –Allie- { Baker } Moore b-Tenn., Came to Davis County, Iowa in 1850. In 1856 they came to Taylor County by ox team. This was open country at that time and Marysville, Mo. was the closest P.O.

There was no town of Gravity and a store was started in Holt Township later. They settled on section  27 ? in Holt Township, Taylor Co., Iowa. Both buried in the Holt Cemetery.

In 1856, William H. Stearns settled on section 17 in Holt Township, Taylor Co., Iowa

D. Leonard, left Deleware County, Ohio and went west by team and arrived in Taylor County, Iowa on Sept. of 1856. The next spring he moved to a farm on section 10. At that time his closest neighbors to the west was 4 miles and to the north was 12 miles.

In 1856, John Rutledge settled on section 12 in Bedford Township, Taylor Co., Iowa

In 1856, S.L. Meredith settled on section 33.

In 1857, W.D. Burge settled on section 10, in Holt Township, Taylor Co., Iowa

In 1857, the devastating depression may be the reason some come in with two yoke of oxen and very little of their supplies left.  So they hang around Marysville, Mo. until they have sufficient supplies to cross the unsettled land and build a log cabin in the wilderness of Iowa Territory.

In 1858, E.W. Meredith settled on section 27.

In 1858, T.J. Davis settled on section 28.

In 1859, J. I. Algeo settled in section three, Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa. He served as sheriff.

In 1860, A. McCracken settled on section 4, Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa

When the Homestead Act was passed in 1862, some passed through Iowa and homestead in Nebraska.  The first one to file was Daniel Freeman, A Union Scout from Iowa.

In 1863, Henry Teel Martin & Mary Ann {Dunkin} Martin  both born and raised and married in Indiana, moved west and settled in Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa

In 1863, Benjamin Frank Dunkin was a brother of Mary A. {Dunkin } Martin and most likely came west with them, and settled in Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa.

Frank Dunkin married Jemima Baker there on May 9, 1867. Daughter of  Elihu & Morning A. Baker

.In 1863, John Weber arrived in Taylor County, Iowa and settled on section 21.

In 1864, there were only six men living in Holt Township, Iowa.

In 1865, Jerome B. Rogers settled on section 8, Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa

In 1865, A.W. Wilson settled on section 9, Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa.

In 1865, T.O. Wilson settled on section 9, Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa

In 1868, George Brockman settled on section ? Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa

In 1868, H. H. Johnson settled on section 25.

In 1869, James Elliot settled on section 8, P.O. Holt, Taylor County, Iowa.

In 1870, on  March 16^th, Agnes Morning Dunkin was born to Frank & Jemima Dunkin.

In 1870, C.E. Smith came to Taylor Co., Iowa he taught school.

In 1870 Holt, Taylor County, Iowa census, Frank Dunkin gave his occupation as being a Plaster`. 

In 1871, William Walker settled on section 9, Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa

In 1871, George Barnet settled on section  ?, Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa

In 1873, Effie M. Dunkin was born to Frank & Jemima Dunkin in Taylor Co., Iowa.

In 1874, farmers crops were destroyed by the grasshopper invasion.

In 1876, Hattie Dunkin was born to Frank & Jemima Dunkin in Taylor Co. Iowa.

In 1876, Frank Parker settled on section  ?, Post-office Holt, Taylor County, Iowa

In 1877, J.O. Tuffs, Postmaster arrived at Holts Corner.

In 1878, Rev. W.G. Meredith died in the fall.

By the year 1878, Frank Dunkin and family had moved to Kansas and their child Maud Dunkin was born there in Sept., 1878

 Benjamin Franklin Dunkin who liked to be called Frank was born 1837 in Morgan County, Indiana. He was the Great-Grand-Father of Thomas Lester Clark.                                           

                                                Taylor County Republican

                                                             May 9, 1878

                                                        Holt Township News

Last week rain did an immense amount of good to small grain and grass, which were choking for a good drink.

The typical pioneer stated: to get land, to better his own and his.

Holt is in the South part of the Township, and it is located in section 33.

Until 1878, Holt Township had two Post-offices  “ Dan “ located on section 10, and Nomenclatured for Uncle Dan Leonard.

The Postmaster is Mr. J.O. Tufts, a merchant T.J. Davis is the messanger.—The mails are tri-weekly, and the route is from Bedford to Corning.

In 1879, Dr. J. T. Malcolm arrived at Holts Corner. The Malcolm brothers, druggist  carry a good stock of pure drugs and receive a generous patronage. Now  Holt Township has a Doctor of it` s own.

The older Dunkins in Bold Print are brothers and sisters.

                                                             NOTE` S

The land office was located in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

On Section 12, P.O. Bedford---The Burlington and Missouri Railroad  Company held a claim on this land.

A town has been laid off in Section 22, and it is called Gravity.

Heretofore, Holt has been quite a trading point, but the new railroad town of  Gravity, in

 Washington Township, will probably accomplish it` s destruction.

In 1888, 1500 miles of new railroad now building in Iowa.

Isaac May learned the plaster` s trade.

In the 1870 Holt, Taylor County, Iowa census, Frank Dunkin gave his occupation as being a Plaster`.