LETTERS by DIDAMA SELLERS FRY BROWN
HARSHMAN FAMILY = Boone Co., Ia
ORGANIZATION
This township dates its organization from September 6, 1858, by
Samuel WOOD, under order of County Judge D.E. BRAINARD. The first election
was held at Samuel WOOD's house, the second Tuesday of October, 1858, when
Mr. WOOD was duly elected Clerk and Assessor of the newly constituted civil
township.
EARLY EVENTS
The first settler was Thomas DOBSON, who came with his family about
1849, and settled on section 24. Later he removed to Crawford County, Iowa,
where he died. The first marriage was that of Alonzo HUNT to Miss Margaret
DOBSON, early in the 50's. The first school was taught in 1857, at Samuel
WOOD's cabin, by Mrs. Howard S. SMITH. Mrs. Thomas SELLERS was the first
adult to die within the township. She was buried on section 14, in a neighborhood
cemetery.
POST OFFICES
The first postal facilities had in this part of the county was in
1864, when Unionburgh post-office was established. H.S. SMITH was made
first postmaster, the office being kept on section 23-78-42. He was succeeded
by William SMITH; he by William BROWN, and he by Samuel WOOD. Mr. BROWN,
who operated a store at that point, was in debt to Mr. WOOD, who acted
as his assistant postmaster, and Mr. WOOD had to take the stock of goods
to secure himself, and he finally was released from post-office duties
in the following summer: he took the office from BROWN, but through some
neglect on the latter's part, WOOD was not recognized as assistant. At
the time the Hon. D.M. HARRIS of Missouri Valley, who had control of this
class of post-offices, wrote Mr. WOOD as follows: "I am a Democrat and
you are a Republican. I have been acquainted with you for thirty years,
and if there is anything in it an old settler should have it." To this
Mr. WOOD made answer: "Regarding politics, my first wife's name was Mary,
but for short we called her 'Polly,' consequently my polly-ticks are nine
- seven girls and two boys." He never heard from HARRIS afterward, and
in a short time was appointed, but got rid of the responsibility of his
office in 1888.
The present(1891) postmaster is H.B. PECKENPAUGH. Mail is received 3 times per week, from a stage route running from Persia. At this point, Unionburgh, a store was started in 1884, by William BROWN, who built on Mr. WOOD's land. Brown continued about two years. Herman MENDAL had furnished the money on which to operate the store, and he finally sold to Samueal WOOD, BROWN failing in his business undertakings. WOOD ran the store and post-office about two years, and closed out his stock. He erected a dance hall a year after the store was built, and the same is now used for public gatherings.
Valley View post-office was located in 1870, on section 2, with Manning ALLEE as postmaster. He handled a few goods for the "Grange" (a farmer's society which sought to do away with all middlemen or tradesmen.) He was succeeded, both in business and in the post-office, by William CHAPMAN, whose wife attended to the duties of the post-office. Next came Charles KEMMISH; then Claud DAY, who gave way to Joseph SHIELDS. Next came Mr. GRIFFIN, from whose hands the office passed to James JEFFRIES. A man named GROSSGENE held it awhile, and on account of Persia, the railroad town, springing up, the office was abolished.
Union Grove, in the eastern-central part of the township, was named in the following manner: It was an old-time custom, both East and West, when a barn was to be "raised" for the boss carpenter to go to the ridge pole, and while on the highest point to give a name to the barn, after which he would throw a jug or bottle of whiskey down to the assembled workmen. When pioneer Thomas DOBSON's log house was erected, in the fall of 1850, on the suggestion of DOBSON, who said he had never lived in a community where such unity prevailed as here, Samuel WOOD mounted to the top of the house and being minus the whiskey, he threw a gourd full of nails with all the stength he possessed, at the same instant crying aloud Unoin Grove.
EDUCATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS
The pioneer school of Union Township has usually been credited to
La Grange Township, however, in the winter of 1851-52, James B MCCURLEY
taught a term of school in an old Morman cabin, located on section 6 of
Union Township. The next was the one held at Samuel WOOD's residence, on
section 23. It was a subscription school, taught by Mrs. Howard S SMITH,
in 1857. As times changed and more settlers came in, good school buildings
were finally provided. At present(1891), there are nine schoolhouses, the
Iowa regulation number, one for each two miles. The present enrollment
of pupils is about 235, while the estimated value of schoolhouse property
is $5,245.
The early settlers who worshipped had to go to Harris Grove or Reeder's Mill, where the Methodist people had early services, the first in Harrison County. In 1891 a neat frame edifice was erected on section 5, costing $1,480. It is 26x44 feet. Preaching is had every other Sabbath, by the Logan pastor. This society is known as the "Bethel Methodist Church." Its present membership is 50. The Harris Grove Class built a good frame building in 1890, costing $1,200. Ed E ERWIN is the Leader of this class.
PARKERS?
1860 HARRISON CO, IA
ALFRED SELLERS 36 OH
ELIZ 37 OH
SALEM 16 OH
ELIZ 14 OH
AMANDA 8 MO
AMERICA J. 1 IA
ALLEN D. SELLERS 27 IN
SARAH J 24 OH
SAMANTHA J. 4 IA
WM A. 2 IA
MARY A. 2 IA
THOMAS SELLERS 59 KY
MARY 66 NY
GEO W. 28 IN
Jed W Smith Jefferson, Harrison, IA 21 1838 Illinois Male
Mary Smith Jefferson, Harrison, IA 18 1841 Ohio Female (SELLERS, per Joyce Smith=jsmith@cswnet.com
William E Smith Jefferson, Harrison, IA 10.12 Iowa Male
THOMAS SELLERS 69 KY, #27 UNION TWN
LOVICE 66 MASS
EDWARD HILDERTH 6M IA
ORSAM HILDRETH 24 IL,#26
CELISHA 20, IA
ROSA 3F IA
SELY 1F IA
JOSEPH HAZARD 34 NY, #28 UNION
NANCY J. 33 PA
kids born Wisc, Ia, Neb, Ia
EVAN W. PARKER 26 IL, #29 UNION
ELIZ 25 OH
HATTIE? 8/12F IA
JANE SELLERS 11F IA?
SALEM SELLERS 24 OH, #30
VALECIE? 24F IL
FRANCES 5F IA
ALFRETTA 2F IA
GEO W. PACKAPAUGH 30 IN
SAMUEL WOOD 54 OH, #21
NANCY A.E. 44 TN
ALLEN SELLERS 36 IN, PAGE 93, ST JOHN TWN
SARAH 35 OH
SAMANTHA J. 14 IA
WM 13 IA
SOLOMON 10 NE
EMMA 8 NE
LEVI? 7M CO
DIDAMA 3 IA
JOSEPH L. 3/12 IA
George A Smith Union, Harrison, IA abt 1866 Iowa White Male
Henry A Smith Union, Harrison, IA abt 1862 Iowa White Male
Ida W Smith Union, Harrison, IA abt 1839 Pennsylvania White Female (JETS W/N?
can't read sex, Farmer, land
Isaacs Smith Union, Harrison, IA abt 1866 Iowa White Male
Lucy A Smith Union, Harrison, IA abt 1868 Iowa White Female
Phebe Smith Union, Harrison, IA abt 1844 Canada West White Female
Wm H Smith Union, Harrison, IA abt 1860 Iowa White Male (is this Mary Sellers
Smiths son? msh)
SALEM SELLERS 34 OH, UNION TWN#40
F.VIRGINIA 34 IL
RANNIE A. 14F IA
ALFARETTA 11F IA
JESSIE L. 9M IA
CHAS A. 7M IA
SALEM A. 4 IA
MARY M. 9/12 IA
SOLOMAN SELLERS 20 NE living with*check Ottawa
Co, Ok
D.KEMMISH? 33 ENGLAND
NETTIE MAY 24 PA
and kids IA
CHAPMAN'S?
Allen D. Sellers and Sara Jane Coon were divorced about 1872.
Allen sold
his land and we believe went to Oklahoma. Sara took her youngest
and
oldest children and went west. She evidentally left my great-great
grandmother
Didama Sellers behind. If anyone has any information about
this, it would
be greatly appreciated.
From: SANDY
"Joseph Burton" <ssburton@mediaone.net>
According to:
CLARKSON DUNN, PAGE 357 EAGLE
FERRELL, HENRY, JAMES DUNN,
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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MARRIAGES
4-12-1817 Clermont Co = Jacob SELLERS married Deborah DUNN
2-18-1820 Brown Co, = Peter SELLERS married Mary CURTIS
10-15-1819 Brown Co = Thomas SELLERS married Diadema CURTIS
SELLA Susan
Woods, John
10-12-1833 Brown
SELLERS Augusta Mann, Oliver P.
1-26-1862 Brown
I still haven't found evidence of Allen Davenport's (Thomas
and Didama
Sellers' son) birth in Crawford County, IN,
but I did read that their
records were destroyed by a flood. According to a biography
of Alfred
Sellers in Harrison County, IA, Alfred traveled with his uncle,
who I
believe was Thomas. The biography also states:
"Of his earlier life, it should be said that he was born in Ohio,
and was
the son of Peter and Mary SELLERS, who were natives of Pennsylvania
and New
York respectively. They were the parents of two sons -- William
(deceased)
and Alfred, our subject.
Mr. SELLERS, of whom this sketch is written, was united in marriage
during
the month of June, 1841, to Betsy Ann KINNET, daughter of Thomas
and
Elizabeth KENNET, by whom five children were born -- Mary, Salem
(deceased), Elizabeth, Amanda, and Jane.
After nearly a quarter of a century of married life, Mr. SELLERS
was bereft
of his wife, who died about 1864, and three years later, married
Matilda,
daughter of Henry and Frances PECKENPAUGH, who were natives of Indiana,
and
had a family of eleven children in the following order -- Justice,
Stephen,
Lewis (deceased), May (deceased), Harvey, Thomas (deceased), Didama
(deceased), George, Matilda, Parker, and Virginia.
By Mr. SELLERS' second marriage, six children have been born -- Emma,
February 8, 1878; Annie, April 7, 1869; William, July 1, 1870, deceased;
Mary, August 7, 1873, deceased; Lovinia, September 21, 1874, deceased;
and
Rosy, May 19, 1877.
Mr. SELLERS' second wife had been previously married and by such
union had
two children -- Leona, born October 10, 1860, and Edora, January
17, 1862.
Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 458.
Family Researcher: N/A "
The history of Harrison County states that "Mrs. Thomas SELLERS was
the
first adult to die within the township. She was buried on section
14, in a
neighborhood cemetery."
Still haven't pinned down Thomas's parents, but now I think it's
possible
that one of his brothers was Peter.
While looking for Curtis information, I found this great site at:
http://www.isd.net/pcurtis/
It helps answer the Sellers men and Curtis ladies connection.
--Sandy
From: SANDY
"Joseph Burton" <ssburton@mediaone.net>
I recently received this information from Jim Shaw, a descendent
of Allen
Davenport Sellers and Sarah Jane Coon's son William Allen Sellers:
This afternoon, I visited a man named Steve THOMSON, in Orem, Utah,
who
descends from Joseph Lehi SELLERS, through his daughter Elizabeth
JOHNSON, and through her daughter, Lucy (I think). I was referred
to him
by Belva LOCHER. He has the standard SELLERS family group
sheets, a number of
pictures of his mother's and grandmother's families, and a short
narrative
written by either his mother or grandmother about their families.
Among
the
items in the Books of Remembrance, I found a copy of the divorce
decree
issued by Utah County to Sarah Jane Coon SELLERS. It looks
to be the
original copy issued to Sarah Jane from the Probate Court, due to
its
yellowing and delicate condition. I made a copy of it, and
its
transcription follows. I will try to get a copy of the divorce
file from
Utah County.
In the Probate Court of Utah County, Utah Territory
Sarah Jane SELLERS, Plaintiff
vs Decree in Divorce
Allen D. SELLERS, Defendant
This cause coming on regularly to be heard upon the complaint of
the
Plaintiff the affidavit of defendant's absence from the Territory,
the
affidavit of Publication of summons, the affidavit of mailing the
said
summons within the time thereof and the evidence of said Plaintiff
free
from
all legal exceptions being fully heard and considered by the court.
The Court finds that the allegations set forth in the complaint are
true,
that the parties herein were legally married in Harrison County
state of
Iowa on the fifteenth day of October A.D. 1855, by a Justice of
the Peace
of the said County of Harrison,
That said Plaintiff is a bonafide Resident of Utah County, Utah Territory
and has so resided in said County for more than one year previous
to the
Commencement of this suit. That the application for the relief
sought for
was made in sincerity and of her own free will and choice.
That more than two years to wit: about five years prior to the commencement
of this action the said defendant deserted the said Plaintiff without
any
just cause or provocation and that since the said time of desertion
the
said defendant has absented himself from the said plaintiff and
has utterly
failed and neglected to provide for said plaintiff and her minor
children,
That there is one child aged seven years named Joseph Neph SELLERS
now with
said plaintiff.
It is therefore ordered adjudged and decreed in pursuance of the
statutes
in such cases made and provided, and the Court by virtue and authority
of the
Power therein vested does order adjudge and decree that the marriage
heretofore existing between the said Plaintiff Sarah Jane SELLERS
and the
defendant Allen D. SELLERS be and the same is hereby dissolved and
that the
said parties are and each of them is freed and absolutely released
from all
the obligations thereof, and that the said plaintiff is hereby declared
to
be a ferna Sole and restored her maiden name of Sarah Jane COON
and that
the said plaintiff have the custody of the said Joseph Nephi SELLERS
and that
the costs in this case taxed at twelve Dollars be paid by said plaintiff,
Done in open Court this 10th day of June A.D. 1878,
Warren N. DUSENBERRY
Probate Judge
Territory of Utah
County of Utah
I, Wilson H. DUSENBERRY, Clerk of the Probate Court of Utah County,
Utah
Territory, hereby certify that the foregoing is a full true and
correct
copy of the original decree of divorce on file in my office in Provo
City, Utah
County, Utah Territory, As Witness my hand and the seal of
the said Court
in said Provo City this 30th day of January A.D. 1879.
Wilson H. DUSENBERRY
Probate Clerk
Sarah took her youngest child, Joseph Lehi (not Neph as the decree
states)
with her and left behind the rest of her children:
Symanthy, Mary Alice, William Allen, Solomon, Emma, Nephi and my
great-great grandmother Didama Sellers. Some were still minors.
Also, Jim sent me this, a letter from Didama. H. Allen Sellers
is a son of
Joseph Lehi Sellers.
I found in my files a copy of a letter Didama BROWN wrote to her
nephew,
Allen SELLERS.
The envelope was addressed to H. Allen Sellers, 126 So. 1st West,
Rigby,
Idaho. The return address was Mrs
Didama Brown, Woodbine Iowa. The
postmark was Woodbine, Iowa, dated 6 P.M., Mar 31, 1948. The
stamp was a
three cent stamp. In 1989, the letter was in the possession
of Allen
SELLERS, in Menan, Idaho, from whom I got a copy.
The following transcription is exactly how it is written, except
for a
little bit of formatting.
Mrch 30, 1948
Woodbine, Iowa
Harison Conty
Dear Allin Sellers
I hope you ar all well as it leavs me well enough to get out and
rake an
clean the yard it such a big pace to clean so much land it was so
dirty to
when I came here I hope Joseph is so he can walk and go places.
I cant
very well walk very good. My feet hirts me I hope my Brother will
be better I
Just couldn't hardly sleep last night for thinking of him have to
having
that cind of a operation I hope he pul through if the lord sees
fit I was
with him we grew up to gether the cambers raised Nephi they say
to me why
don't to come out here his folks is now I don't now much about my
folks as
I
was raise in the place Pa took me. They dident want me to
now my people
then when I was old enough to work out I found my people and I married
in
in
in my one people Frys that is my daughter name now she is married
to Mr
Condron and her father did a bow 10 years later my children is all
from Mr
Fry then later I married Mr Brown. He buried up in Canada
he died in the
year the War started I bin down hear since I was 75 My daughter
don't live
very far from me she has six garls al but one was home on easter
sonday
they
all married when she got home from chirch they had dinner so we
don't now
much eather one of us now much a bout our famly recking I sent for
her to
see an read your letter she Don't now any thin a bout my people
she don't
rember her father I have 4 cildren did here when I lived here before
I went
to
Canada. I will close for this time some one will write an
tell me how
Nephi is
this is Didama
Woodbine Iowa
I dident now that grandma name was spelt Diadama Sellers I
never nowed
only what chapmans ses Nephi never told me so I cant think of any
more
to say so good by write some
From Aunty Didama Brown
Jim also sent the obituary notice for William Feltie Fry, Didama's
first
husband:
Also in my files was a copy of an obituary for William Feltie FRY.
It was
published in "The Saints' Herald", the Official Publication of the
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Volume
43, Number
49, page 800, published 2 Dec 1896, at Lamoni, Iowa. The transcription
follows.
FRY - William F. FRY, born April 6, 1859, died November 10, 1896,
after
an illness of six weeks. He was not a member of the church,
but his
parents, Henry and Eliza FRY, were, as also his wife. These
are left to
mourn, as well as four little children. Funeral services from
the
Christian
church, Missouri Valley, Iowa. Sermon by A.M. FYRANDO.
I would also like this to go to IAHARRIS-L@rootsweb.com. Should
I send it
there too?
Thanks --Sandy