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County's First Marriage Subject of DisagreementHistory books differ in their reports of the first marriage of Howard county couples.C, J. Harlan., an early resident of Crcsco, wrote a history of the county in 1930 which includes the following information.“William Woodward and Mary A. Siddall, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Siddall, were married in Fayette county January 31, 1855.“The Woodward and Siduail families had settled in Howard countv, | near the present site of Crcsco, in 1^54. There was no minister or justice of the peace here at that time so the couple went to West Union to be married.“Judge James G. Upfon is said to have performed the first marriage ceremony in Howard county in the Blodgett house at VernonSprings in 1856. There is no rcc-oi d of the name of the couple.However, Judge Upton did perform a marriage ceremony the following January, 1857, whereby hangs a tale.“Jacob Wocllstcin and Wilhelmina Daiibersmith went to the home of Judge Upton who lived on a farm northeast of where Crosco now stands. They found the judge in the stable milking. When they told him what they wanted, Upton dropped the milk stool, came to the house, and with one leg of his overalls still inside the hoot leg and the other outside, tied a good knot that stayed lied.”History books dated 1883 anu 1919 state that the first marriage recorded in the county was that ;of Edmund Gillctt and Helen Bar ber on February 21, 1856.
Newspaper Details
Cresco Times Plain Dealer
Cresco, Iowa, US
Wed, Jun 15, 1966
Page 43
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 03 Mar 2019
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