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Central City PioneerObserves 96th BirthdayI!IOne of Linn county*** oldest plo-tioer women, Mrs. Elmira Jewell, who has been a resident of Central City since 1844, last Friday celebrated her ninety-sixth birthday, t »ie real celebration was postponed .alii Sunday when a birthday din-. or and family party was held at...» home of her granddaughter,... h. R. A. Maine.Born in Phillips, Maine, as Elmira Sawyer, she came west withher parents, four brothers and one sister, when she was ten years Transportation in those days was difficult and to get to Iowa they iiad to employ many different ways of travel. From her birthplace to Gardner, Maine, they used a team of horses, and from there they journeyed to Boston via the boat route They boarded a train at Boston and traveled as far as Albany, N. Y. A boat carried them from Albany ao Chicago, then a mere settlement. An ox team was the means of transportation from Chicago to Iowa. The trip required from earls- summed untilOct. 10, 1844 to reach this destination. !When the family reached Linn county they had twenty-five cents left and it was necessary for all of them to work in order to increase their resources. The boys got jobs as railspUtters, Elmira did house-! work while her sister, Polly, taught the first school in Central City, which was their home after having first lived in a cabin near what Is now known as Jordan’s Grove.Elmira was married to Harrison Jewell during her late teens and to them were born two children. Clarence and Viola. The daughter died when Mrs. Jewell was sixty years old and she took charge of her family until they were able to care tor themselves.Old age has not dulled the memory of Mrs. Jewell and she can still recalls the days when Indians were the rivals of the white man and when wild turkeys, prairie chickens and deer were as plentiful as livestock is today. She enjoys talking of her past experiences and frequently attends community celebrations.e*c1II
Newspaper Details
Marion Sentinel
Marion, Iowa, US
Thu, Oct 16, 1930
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Nicholas W.
USA 04 Jan 2020
Other Publications Near Marion, Iowa
Marion Register
Marion Pilot
Old Settler of Linn County
Linn County Patriot
Linn County Register
