Notes for Levi WILLIAMS

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Notes for Levi WILLIAMS

1850 census:
name: Levi Williams
event: Census
event date: 1850
event place: Johnstown, Rock, Wisconsin, United States
gender: Male
age: 51
marital status:
race (original):
race (standardized):
birthplace: New Jersey
estimated birth year: 1799
dwelling house number: 858
family number: 858
line number: 39
nara publication number: M432
nara roll number: 1005
film number: 444992
digital folder number: 004206491
image number: 00282
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Levi Williams M 51 New Jersey
Jane Williams F 45 New Jersey
*****
1870 census, Fayette County, Iowa.
name: Levi Williams
estimated birth year: 1798
gender: Male
age in 1870: 72y
color (white, black, mulatto, chinese, indian): White
birthplace: New Jersey
home in 1870: Iowa, United States
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Levi Williams M 72y New Jersey
Jane Williams F 65y New Jersey
*****
History of Fayette County, Iowa,
A history of the County, its Cities, Towns Etc.
Page 541
History of Banks Township
"The first settler in Township 93, Range 10, was Theodore Wilson, who located in the Summer of 1851, on the west side of Sections 7 and 18, at the north end of the timber since known as 'Wilson's Grove.' Wilson appears to have had an eye to business.
He claimed the whole grove, and when he could effect a sale, he posted to Dubuque to make the entry so that he could transfer the title.
. In 1852, Robert Armstrong located in the township. In the Summer of 1853, Oliver T. Fox, from New Jersey, purchased Wilson's claim, at the head of the grove, and moved here with his family in the following Fall. George Linn, from Maine, William
Robertson and Peter Robertson settled in the vicinity during the same year.
.In May, 1854, Levi Williams and William T. Wade, from New Jersey, came to Fayette County, to visit Fox and to view the country. At that time, they found four families in the township, viz.: the Armstrongs, the Robertsons - not a settler between them
and West Union, and not a cabin in town west of them.
. In May, 1855, Williams and Wade returned to the township and settled on Sections 7 and 18, on Government land, 'which,' says Mr. Wade, 'with few exceptions, extended nearly to West Union, but which was all entered that Summer.'
The civil township of Banks was created by order of the County Court February 4, 1856. The township was named in honor of Hon. N. P. Banks of Massachusetts.
The first election was held at the house of George Linn, April 7, 1856. The poll book shows the names of six voters on that occasion, viz.: David Linn, David Linn, Jr., George Linn, Oliver T. Fox, Levi Williams and William T. Wade. Mr. Wade is the only
survivor the number. At this election, David Linn and William T. Wade were elected Justices of the Peace; William T. Wade, Township Clerk; David Linn, Levi Williams and O. T. Fox, Trustees; Geo. Linn, Assessor.
N. Bent, William E. Royce, H. L. Royce, William Elliott and Nathan Linn, with their families, settled in Banks Township in 1856. In the Summer of 1856, the Republican Convention, to nominate a candidate for Representative to the Legislature from
Fayette and Bremer, was held at the house of George Linn.
At the April election, in 1857, 12 citizens exercised the right of suffrage. In October, 1858, there were 20, and at the Presidential election, in 1876, 69 votes were cast, and 'the township,' says Mr. Wade, 'gave Hayes and Wheeler and Burdick 25
majority.'
The first school in Banks Township was taught by Jane Spears, in the house of David Linn, Jr., in the Summer of 1857. George Linn taught the school in the Winter of 1858-0. The first school house was erected in Sub-District No. 1, in 1865. There are
now four schoolhouses in the township.
The first roads located were the 'Armstrong road,' from Wilson's Grove to West Union, in May, 1855, and the 'Fox road,' between Sections 7 and 18, in June of the same year.
The first birth was a child to Mr. and Mrs. T. Wilson, and the second birth was Eva Bent, in May, 1857. The first marriage was that of Henry Parkhurst and Matilda Fox in, in June, 1856. The first death was that of Adam Armstrong, of consumption, in
1854.
April 4, 1860, fire caught in Wilson's Grove, and the wind, blowing a gale, carried it into the prairie, and the houses and stables of George Linn, Nathan Bent and Robert Linn were burned. The fire made a clean sweep of everything in its track.
Says Mr. Wade: 'Incidents without number might be given of snow-blows, bad roads, etc., but those who have pioneered in a new country know what it is to cross the prairie without a house or hardly a landmark, for twelve or fifteen miles, in a snow-blow
or in the night. If their team lose or get off the track or take the wrong one, they are as badly off as a vessel at sea without a compass.' During the Winter of 1855-56, Mr. Wade and Mr. Williams came to West Union with a team, for a load of supplies.
They started for home near nightfall, and about 10 o'clock, when about half way home, they were overtaken by a sudden snow-squall, lost their track, and were compelled to encamp by the side of a hay stack near by until morning. Fortunately, they did
not freeze, as they had some blankets, and found their way home the next morning without serious difficulty.

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