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G. BARSTOW WILLIAMS. a prominent farmer resilling on section
11, Columbus City Township. is an honored pioneer of Louisa County.
He is a native of Fayette County. Ind. and a son of Robert and
Elizabeth (Wright) Williams, who were born in the State of New
York. The father was a farmer by occupation, and migrated to
Indiana about 1815, settling in Fayette County, where he entered
160 acres of land, and improving it made it his home until 1828,
when he sold out and bought another farm, upon which he resided
until 1836. Emigrating to Iowa at that time he became one of
the early settlers of Louisa County, where he bought 160 acres
of land in Wapello Township, where he resided until his death,
which occurred in 1855, at the age of seventy-three years. The
mother having died in 1824. when our subject was seven years
old. Robert Williams was again married, becoming the hushand
of Elizabeth Hart, who was also born in the Empire State. Mr.
Williams reared a family of twenty children, ten of whom were
born of his first union, namely: Mary, who became the wife of
Aaron McCrae, and after his
death married Nathaniel Dunham, is now deceased;Sarah married
George Jones, of Connersville, Ind., and both have passed away;
Wright, who lived in Louisa County, was Judge of the County Court,
served as a member of the Legislature, aided in framing the Constitution
of the State of Iowa in 1846, and his death occurred in 1857;
Dennis, who had served as Recorder of Louisa County, died in
Missouri in 1873; Electa became the wife of Leonard Robinson,
and both are now dead; Amelia married Thomas Stoddard, and both
are deceased; Mercy became the wife of William Nicholson, and
both are also deceased; Zebina, who died in Kansas in 1871, Was
formerly a prominent citizen of Louisa County, The above mentioned
children were born in New York, and after Mr, Williams removed
to Indiana the following children were born: G, Barstow; Charles,
a resident farmer of Putnam County, Mo. By the second union there
were: Robert, who died in childhood; Cynthia became the wife
of Robert Gregory, and is a resident of Colorado; Sarah is the
wife of James Hickler, of this county; Louie Ann is the widow
of a Mr. Alexander, and lives in Wapello; Louisa, deceasefl wife
of Mr Jillett; Emeline, wife of Mr. Weston, of Wapello; Oliver,
deceased; Marietta died in childhood, and two other children
died in infancy. The father was a member of the Christian Church,
and a Whig in politics. Conservative, yet just to all, he was
not only honored as a pioneer, but was highly esteemed as a citizen.
G. Barstow Williams. our subject. was born on the 12th
of September 1817, and was reared upon a farm, receiving his
education in the common schools of a new country. With his parents
he migrated to Louisa County. Iowa, in 1836, and entered a claim
on section 33. Columbus City Township, of 200 acres, which he
partly improved. At that time the nearest settlement was the
Swank settlement in the Mississippi bottom, from which he was
twenty-five miles distant. Several times he had great trouble
with the Indians, who were very numerous in those pioneer days.
During his first winter's residence in Louisa County they stole
all his provisions and his only coat, and he was forced to walk
twenty-five miles in his shirt sleeves through the biting cold.
At another time an Indian stole his mittens, but Mr. Williams
gave pursuit, chased him to his home, and took the mittens by
force. In order to make a livelihood he was forced to cut rails
at fifty cents per hundred, but the hardships and trials which
come to those who make homes in a new country were endoured with
patience, and his hard labors were at length rewarded. He lived
upon his first claim for about three years, and afterward purchased
of his brother Zebina 191 acres on section 11, Columbus City
Township, which still continues to be his home.
On the 14th of November, 1837. Mr. Williams was united
in marriage with Miss Ann Hall. a native of Pennsylvania, and
estahlished his bride as the mistress of the pioneer cabin. By
their union six children were born: Wright, a physician, now
residing in Putnam County, Mo.: Lucy, wife of Elijah M. Strauser
of Newtown, Mo.; Warren, a stockman of the Indian Territory:
Thomas, who is engaged in farming in Edwards County. Kan.; Millie,
wife of Joseph Caldwell. Jr, of Colorado; and Alice. wife of
Jacob Getts, whose home is in Edwards County. Kan., In 1853 death
visited the pioneer home. and took as its victim the wife and
mother. Mr. Williams was again married in 1854,
hecoming the husband of Cordelia Spafford, a native of Potter
County, Pa., and by tbeir marriage four children were born; Augusta,
who is now the wife of Ed Watts, a resident of Cairo, Louisa
Co, Iowa; Elizaheth. now deceased: Frank, proprietor of the Parker
Mineral Wells. of Potter County. Pa., and Lawrence, whose home
is in Columbus City, Iowa. The mother of these children departed
this life Sept. 23, 1866, and Mr. Williams was the third time
married, May 27, 1869, the lady of bis cboice being Eliza Rhooes,
who was born in Hanover, Ohio, and is a daughter of Jehu Rhodes.
The lady had formerly been married, and was the widow of B. F.
St. Clair. Two children had been born of her former marriage,
only one now living, Harry, a teleraph operator, of Bloomer,
Miss. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are the parents of two children,
Nellie and Arthur, both at home.
For forty-seven years Mr. Williams has been a member of
the Christian Church, in which he holds the office of Deacon,
and is one of the earnest and untiring workers. His wife, who
is a most estimable lady, also belongs to that denomination.
In his political views he is a supporter of the Republican party.
For fifty-two years he has been a resident of Louisa County,
and is a pioneer in every sense of the word. He has aided in
the development of the county, has transformed the wild and unbroken
prairies into farms of the greatest fertility, has aided in every
enterprise for the good of the community. and has always been
ready to advance the educational, social and moral interests.
As a citizen, he is reliable and trustworthy, as a neighbor and
friend, is hospitable and kind, and as a father and husband,
is loving and considerate. His life has been a blessing to the
community, and we are pleased to record his sketch among the
other pioneers who have placed Louisa County in the front rank
in the great State of Iowa.
Mr. Williams is at this time (1888) the oldest living settler
in the county. He still has in his possession the stump from
which he cut the first tree with which be built his first camp
fire after his arrival here, on the 4th of July, 1836.
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COLUMBUS CITY TOWNSHIP comprises tbe greater part of township
75 north, of range 5 west, together with part of township 74
north, of range 5 west, a part of township 74 north, of range
4 west, and a part of township 75 north, of range 4 west. Its
settlement dates from 1836. Tbe township comprises some of the
best land and finest farms in the county. The first white settler
was G. Barstow Williams, who yet resides in the township. He
came in the spring of 1836 from Montgomery County, Ind., and
on his arrival camped about thirteen miles west of Wapello, upon
the farm where he now resides. This was On the 4th day of July,
1836. At this time the Indians, who were of tbe Musquaukee, Fox
and Sac tribes, were still in possession of tbe country. over
100 of them being encamped within a mile of the cabin erected
by Mr. Williams. During the following winter Mr. Williams and
his brother Zebina made rails and cleared a portion of tbe land.
The winter was a severe one, the snow, which was about two feet
deep, lying upon the ground for over three months. "More
tban a month elapsed at a time," says Mr. Williams. "that
we never saw a white man, our only companions being wild beasts
and wild Indians. At two different times the Indians broke into
our cabins and stole our provisions and part of our clothes,
leaving us nothing to eat. We had to walk twenty-five miles in
our shirt sleeves to renew our supplies. The second time they
took everything but some meal, which escaped their notice. Upon
this we lived for two weeks. At one time we left our camp and
went several miles to erect a couple of claim cabins, taking
with us only a small piece of bread and meat, about enough for
one meal. We worked until night, and then crawled into an open
cabin, scraped away the snow, which was about as deep there as
anywhere else, threw down a couple of old quilts, slept until
midnight. then got up and went about a mile, and erected a claim
cabin by daylight. That morning it commenced raining. We had
nothing for our breakfast, but continued our work until the afternoon,
when we started for our camp. Arriving at Long Creek. we found
it had become so swollen with the rain that we could not cross.
Drenched with rain, with no food or fire, we crept into a cabin
and slept that night. The next morning, after felling some trees,
we succeeded in crossing the creek, and reached our camp about
10 o'clock. Thus, by dint of hard labor, having nothing upon
which to depend but our hands, we gained a foothold in Iowa.
In the spring our friends, who had spent the winter in Burlington,
came back, and then commenced the work of improvement under all
the disadvantages incident to a new country, such as going forty
miles to mill with an ox-team, grating our corn, or going without
bread as some did for several weeks at a time, and living principally
upon squash and potatoes."
The experience of Mr. Williams will serve as an illustration
of the hardships of pioneer life in Louisa County. one by one
others began to come into the township, and in due time it was
settled by an enterprising people, improvements were made, the
old log cabin gave place to the more modern dwelling, and Columbus
City Township took rank with the best in the county or State.
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