SAMUEL WATROUS
Samuel Watrous settled where he now lives on section 4, in March, 1881. His land was originally conveyed from the Government to Thomas Turner, in 1855, who made the first improvement upon it. It was afterwards owned by various parties and purchased by Mr. Watrous of George H. Swain and R. Corbett. Samuel Watrous was born in Cattaraugus county. New York, in 1841. When three years old, he removed with his parents to Fulton county, Illinois. In 1855 the family removed to Tazewell county of the same State, thence to Marshall county, same state, thence to Henry county, thence to McDonough county, also in Illinois. In 1863 they moved to Minnesota where Erastus Watrous, father of Samuel, died in 1867. Mrs. Watrous and three unmarried children returned to Illinois. In 1869 the family removed to Kansas. The mother and two unmarried children came to Cass county in 1876. The mother, Nancy (York) Watrous, died April 1, 1882, at the age of eighty-two years. Samuel Watrous was married in 1882.
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pp. 769-770.
