Mrs Speer and Washington County Pioneer History Leader
Mrs Charles Arthur Speer, longtime county historian, preserved local records, genealogical data, and early census facts. Her work, drawn from Keck 1869 and Littler 1879-80, includes a draft plat of Washington Seat of Justice dated 1839, noting public squares and highways, witnessed by Justice William L. Harvey.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Charles Arthur Speer
John Wesley Morton
Alice Rogers
Charlemagne
Alfred the Great
Irving Keck
Nathan Littler
Howard A. Burrell
Washington County
Des Moines
Edgar Harlan
Speer
Said
Joseph Neal
Joseph B. Davis
Washington
First Recorded Instrument Mortgage Note Details
Matthew Morehead granted a mortgage to David Bunker on the east half of the northeast quarter of section 83 and the west half of the northwest quarter of section 34 in township 4 north of range 6 west. Payment of 100 dollars due on or before October 1, 1840, tied to a note of hand. The mortgage settlement appeared March 20, 1841.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Matthew Morehead
David Bunker
Township 4
Fist Bill of Sale for Prairie Team and Plow
Daniel Powers sells to Allen Phillips a five yoke cattle prairie team, one prairie plow, and five log chains. Payments of 200 dollars due by September 1 and 206 dollars due by October 1, 1841. Given December 14, 1839. Daniel Powers marks with X.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Daniel Powers
Allen Phillips
Deed Record Transfer From 1839 Mill Site in Washington County
First deed of record shows on December 31 1839 Charles D Haskell sold to Abram Owen for 100 dollars one undivided third of 80 acres known as Haskell s Mill site on English River in Washington County plus one third of water privilege spring minerals and timber reserving timber cutting rights for Haskell s farm upon request.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Charles D. Haskell
Abram Owen
Haskell
English River
Washington County
Soldier of Napoleon's Army grave in Oak Ridge Cemetery
Notes from April 11 1840 describe corner stone lots donated for schools by commissioners. Portions of blocks were intended for school buildings while current occupiers include the West half of the Junior High site and the Pese Motor Company and Jackson's Snack Shack. A marked grave of Jacob Engle in section 33 Dutch Creek Township notes death on February 1 1869 aged 77.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jackson
Pese Motor Company
City of
Washington
Oak Ridge Cemetery
Setion 33
Dutch Creek Township
Jacob Engle
War veterans Samuel Lewis and Casandra buried in Brighton Hillcrest
Proof of service found for Samuel Lewis a private in the 3rd Virginia Regiment in 1781. He died March 9 1851 aged 84 5 6, buried Hillcrest cemetery Brighton with his wife Casandra Le Sueur. Phi Delta Theta erected a granite memorial to Ardivan Walker Rodgers in Hillcrest. Memorial Day services held annually by Iowa Wesleyan Chapter.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington County
Timothy Brown
Elm Grove
Washington
Samuel Lewis
Hillcrest
Brighton Town
Casander
Casandra le Sueur
Virginia Regiment
Carte County
Kentucky
Brighton
Phi Delta Theta Fraternity
Iowa Wesleyan College
Mt. Pleasant
Iowa
Ardivan Walker Rodgers
Phi Delta Theta
Miami University
Oxford College
Ohio
Personal Story of Washington Pioneer Winfield Smouse
Winfield Smouse recalls moving from Pennsylvania to Washington in 1867 and seeing prairie lands largely unbroken with little fencing. He notes Washington as the terminus of the C R A P Railway later expanded, and remembers meeting politicians Sam Russell and Henry Clay Dean in the 1860s, as well as the Chicago fire of 1871 and a major cyclone near Washington in 1873.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Winfield Smouse
Washington
Ilona
Pennsylvania
Crawfordsville
Sam Russel
Henry Clay Dean
Chicago
Mrs Anderson Is Graduating Class of 1872
Mrs Anderson is highlighted as Washington high school’s sole graduate of 1872. A lifelong devotee to music and church work, she taught nearly continuously, served as organist at age 15, led multiple societies, and balanced home life with active civic involvement across several clubs and groups.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Anderson
Emma Ball
Washington High School
Hestelline Parker
P. P. Ink
Methodist
American Institute of Applied Music
New York
Kate Chittenden
Vania German Society
P E. O
Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Church
Chautauqua
Also Mentioned on This Page
Washington Seat of Justice
Iowa Territory
Board of County Commissioners
County of
William L. Harvey
Harvey
Mrs. Speer
Inemberg
Iowa Wesleyan
Mrs. Anderson
The
Pennsyl
Florida
Mr. Ink
A. Anderson
Old Second United Presbyterian Church
First United Presbyterian Church
Washington Street
Washington State Bank
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!