Among the pioneers of Mitchell county, deserving of special mention in this connection, should be named Homer I. Stacy, who platted the beautiful village, which, at the earnest request of many friends, he named Stacyville.
Mr. Stacy came to Iowa on a prospecting tour; and after a careful examination
of the claims in different portions of the State, he bought of John McIntire
for himself and brother, Fitch B. Stacy, 600 acres of land on the Little
Cedar river, paying therefore $3,000. Mr. McIntire had purchased this tract
of the government at $1.25 per acre, but a short time before. Mr. Stacy then
selected and located for himself and brother, 1,500 acres more, including
the present site of Stacyville.
With his family he spent the winter of 1855-56 at Mitchell, and the following spring platted Stacyville, built a store and residence, and moved his family to their new home in the embryo town. He commenced to sell goods and at the same time carry on quite an extensive farm.
Early in 1856 he erected a school house, and in company with others built a mill. He was the first justice of the peace in Stacyville township, and has held all the offices of trust within this township. In 1857 he was appointed to locate the swamp lands, performing his difficult duties with marked ability.
During the ten years prior to 1883 he was in a sense retired by impaired health. During the terrible hard times of 1857-8 many had occasion to know personally his warm sympathy for the needy and distressed pioneer, who were in many cases pressed for the necessities of life. His open hand supplied their wants, often at the sacrifice of some toil, and other times by privation to himself and family. In times when flour and provisions were scarce, Mr. Stacy was called upon to furnish such goods on credit, as money could not be obtained; and in many instances he never received his pay, but to more than repay him for his kind generosity, he met men frequently, ten, fifteen and twenty years afterwards, who would again thank him for his kindness showed them in those days which tested men's real manhood.
Among the many instances of his free-hearted benevolence, space admits of recording but two which show the character of the man. During the hard winter Mr. Stacy was running a store at Stacyville, and one dreary day an old man remained in his store nearly all day without entering into any conversation, and finally, toward evening, Mr. Stacy asked him if there was anything he could do for him. He said that his family were out of provisions, and his stock out of grain, and hay all gone, and worse than that he was without money. Mr. Stacy helped him to provisions, but told him he had no hay to spare him. The stranger then said he knew where he could get some hay if he could pay for it out of his store; so Mr. Stacy allowed him to get the hay in this manner, trusting to the man's honor for his pay. The man lived a few miles over in Minnesota and proved to be a worthy man, whose family were in sore need, and which made Mr. Stacy feel that it was "better to give than to receive." Another case which doubly repaid him for his generosity, was where a man, with whom he was acquainted, but who was in poor circumstances, was compelled to go about his daily toil, in mid-winter time, with a pair of boots through which his toes were protruding. In a jovial way, one day, Mr. Stacy remarked to him : "Why don't you get a pair of boots?" The poor man informed him that he could not raise the money with which to purchase them. Mr. Stacy told him to come rightinto his store and pick out such a pair of boots as he wanted, and that he might pay for them when he could. The man took the boots with many a "God bless you." Twenty years rolled away, and one day Mr. Stacy was spoken to by a man whom he did not recognize. The man remarked to him: "Well, I never shall forget you—you are the man who trusted me to a pair of boots when I was going about with my toes out." Thus the two early settlers were again made known to each other, and again did the man thank his benefactor, who assured him that he had done no more than duty demanded.
Mr. Stacy was born in De Kalb, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Jan. 9, 1820. His parents were Isaac and Orpha (Page) Stacy. The first nine years of his life he lived in comparative ease and comfort, as his father was at that time in good circumstances. But through the misfortune of three years' sickness, his father became an invalid for life, and a great share of his property exhausted, by means of a defective land title.
Homer, the subject of this sketch, was the oldest son of six children, and, from the time he was nine years old until he was twenty-two, he saw, perhaps, more real hardship than is the ill lot of many boys to experience. Until twelve years of age he worked on the farm summers, and aided in getting out wood in the winter time. The next ten years he managed to get about two months' schooling each winter, by putting in part of his time at cutting wood and doing chores. He had from his early-boyhood a longing desire to gain a liberal education, and went through many self-denying hardships that this end might be gained.
His greatest trial, however, being the thought that his youth was passing away, with but little possibility of his aims being accomplished. After the spring's work, when he was twenty-two years of age, he commenced attending Governeur Wesleyan Seminary, spending two years there, and at teaching. In the fall of 1843 he started by way of St. Lawrence river and the lakes for Cleveland, Ohio, where he arrived after a long stormy passage, with but fifty cents in his pocket. He remained in Ohio, teaching and clerking, until February, 1845, at which time he in company with two friends made an overland trip to Chicago. After traveling about and working at haying and harvesting a few weeks, he finally stopped at Dover, Bureau Co., Ill., where he was taken sick of fever. He finally recovered and engaged in teaching and trading, in which he was quite successful.
After ten years spent in that locality, he sold out his business interests there, consisting of a store, lumber yard and a farm, and started west on a prospecting expedition. This was in the autumn of 1855, and before there was a mile of railroad constructed in Iowa. Mr. Stacy went overland to Rock Island, and from there to Dubuque, visiting Waterloo and Cedar Falls, then returning to Dubuque, he went to McGregor, and thence went to Mitchell county, where he located the lands before mentioned. He was married in 1846 to Amelia L. Donaldson, daughter of Rev. Asa Donaldson,of Dover, Ill. Mrs. Stacy was born July 1, 1823. Their family consists of seven children—Mary E. (Mrs. George Wall), B. Fitch, who in 1881 moved to Dakota, Ella M. (Mrs. E. W. Stacy, of Osage), Delia O., Francis A., Hattie A. (Mrs. Henry Reeve), and Asa I. Mr. and Mrs. Stacy, with all of their children, are members of the Congregational Church.
In 1883 Mr. Stacy was among the well-to-do agriculturists of Mitchell county, farming about 700 acres of land, his farms being provided with the most substantial buildings and other improvements. During these twenty-eight eventful years of his life spent in this county, he has gained a large circle of friends, who will ever remember his upright life and noble deed which in after years will be reviewed about the firesides of the old settlers' children.
Source: History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa, 1883, pages 505-507.