CUMMINGS, Josiah 1804-1874

CUMMINGS, HUME, WICKS

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 5/30/2012 at 15:39:34

The first settler in the township was Josiah Cummings, who came in the summer of 1852.

Josiah Cummings was born in New York, in 1804. In 1819 his parents moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, from thence to Dearborn County, Indiana, where he married Catharine Hume, a native of Frankfort, Kentucky.

In 1842 he moved to Rock Co., Wisconsin, living there until 1850, when in company with his two sons he went to California, where they remained two years, then returned to Wisconsin, where he put in a large crop, then came to Iowa, claimed his land, hired breaking done, and returned to Wisconsin for his family, who, after harvesting, emigrated to Mitchell, Iowa, and on the 12th day of September, 1853, he entered his land at Des Moines.

They lived here until 1857, when they moved to Linn Co., Kansas, where he took part in the free State settlement, remaining until 1862, when they moved to Washington territory, where he died in 1874.

His first wife died in 1856. He was again married to Phebe Wicks, who died in 1880. He was an old time whig, and an earnest republican. The family were all members of the Baptist Church. He was a strong temperance advocate.

[History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa, 1883]

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NOTES:

Burial was at Wallula Cemetery, Wallula, Washington. The gravestone shows his date of birth as June 27, 1804 and death May 24, 1874.

1870 US Census Record lists others in household as:
Lucy - Age 25 - Born: Illinois
Charles F. - Age 8 - Born: Kansas
Josiah - Age 6 - Born: Washington Territory
Elizabeth - Age 4 - Born: Washington Territory
A. Grant - Age 8 mo. - Born: Washington Territory