Person:William Hartsook (10)

History of Madison County, Iowa

William Hartsook has lived upon his present fine farm in Lincoln township for about sixty-one years and in the early days in this county met and overcame all the difficulties and obstacles that confronted the first settlers. He was born in Gallia county, Ohio, on the 28th of December, 1828, a son of Peter and Ann (Wooten) Hartsook, the former born in Frederick county, Maryland, in October, 1792, and the latter a quarter of a mile from the birthplace of her son William on the 17th of November, 1804. Her parents were Bell and Jane (Gilliland) Wooten, natives respectively of Scotland and Ireland. Our subject's paternal grandfather was William Hartsook, a native of Amsterdam, Holland, whence he and six brothers emigrated to America, settling first in Pennsylvania and later in Maryland. The grandfather fought in the Revolutionary war and did his part in securing the independence of the United States. In 1815 he removed to Ohio and continued to reside there until called by death.

Peter and Ann (Wooten) Hartsook were married in Ohio and in 1850 removed to Knox county, Illinois. Three years later they drove overland to Madison county, Iowa, reaching Lincoln township in October. During the first night spent in this county they were guests of Andrew H. Berthof, who freely extended them the hospitality of his log home. As there were ten children in each of the families, there was much crowding, but that was a minor matter in pioneer days. Mr. Hartsook entered land from the government in Monroe township and settled upon his farm, devoting his remaining years to its cultivation. He served his country well as a soldier in the War of 1812. He passed away when seventy-two years of age, but his widow survived until she reached the advanced age of ninety. He was a member of the Lutheran church, but she was a Presbyterian. They were the parents of thirteen children: Mary Jane, the deceased wife of Paul Moore, of Knox county, Illinois; Mahala, who died when a girl of sixteen; Amelia, who died in infancy; Sarah, deceased, who was the wife of John A. Macumber; William, of this review; Cynthia, the deceased wife of E. r. Denny, a resident of Oklahoma; Balser, who died in Kansas; Elizabeth and Hiram, both of whom died in infancy; Salem, who passed away while in the Union army during the Civil war; Benjamin F., whose demise occurred in Monroe township, this county, and who is survived by a widow and three children; David A., who passed away when twenty-two years old; and Melissa, who died in infancy.

William Hartsook spent his boyhood days in Gallia county, Ohio, At one time the family started to move to Indiana but stopped on the way somewhere near Dayton, Ohio. The mother, who was a woman of extraordinary determination, felt that the move was an unwise one and prevailed upon the family to return to Gallia county. It was necessary to hire a man to take their goods back and as the family was in most limited financial circumstances, our subject paid the moving bill by binding oats and pulling beans four or five seasons. In 1874 he made a visit to his old home county and recognized the man who had moved them back to Gallia county. The man, however, did not recognize him until he was asked if he remembered "the boy who was such a good been puller." Before he accompanied his parents to Iowa he worked upon the river and made three trips to New Orleans, floating down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers on a flat-boat of produce and returning by steamer. In 1850 he made a trip overland to California in search of gold, driving a mule team. More than once he narrowly escaped death on the long journey and on one occasion he and a companion were lost from the train and only accidentally located it in a clump of bushes, which hid all except one corner of the covered wagon. He remained in the Golden state for two and a half years but met with indifferent success. Upon coming to Iowa in 1853 he entered one hundred and sity acres of land frmo the government, which he soon afterward traded, however, for the quarter section which had been entered by his brother-in-law, John A. Macumber. There was no sign of a building upon the place and the land was yet unbroken, but it had been his ambition for a long time to own land and he set to work to make out of this tract of wild prairie a cultivated farm. His energy and good judgment brought him success and he now owns two hundred and forty acres of land and has a splendid set of buildings upon the place. Four about ten years after his marriage he and his wife lived in a one-room log house, sixteen by eighteen feet in dimensions, and the first improvement was the erection of a lean-to. On Christmas Day, 1869, they moved into their present residence, which is a well appointed farm home.

In 1860 in Lincoln township Mr. Hartsook was united in marriage to Miss Catherine R. Smoot, who was born in Knox county, Illinois, on the 11th of July, 1844, a daughter of James W. and Jemima (Wight) Smoot, the former born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, May 12, 1801, and the latter in Rush county, Indiana, January 6, 1823. They settled in Illinois but eventually removed to Madison county, Iowa, locating in Lincoln township, where the father died at the age of eighty years and the mother when seventy-eight years old. They were the parents of five children: Mrs. Hartsook; Adeline, now Mrs. Charles Laidley, of Madison township; Coleman, who was murdered near Montrose, Colorado; Albert, who is unmarried and who makes his home with Mr. and Mrs. Hartsook; and William N., of Ceneterville, Iowa.

To Mr. and Mrs. Hartsook have been born nine children: A. W., a traveling salesman of Des Moines, who married Jane Seiler, by whom he has three children, Arthur, Robert and Fred; Elida, who died when twenty years of age; James W., a farmer of Adair county, Iowa, who married Miss Hettie Lake and has three children, Ralph, Lloyd and Fern; George, who passed away when a young man of twenty-six years; F. P., of Winterset, who married Miss Lavina Foresman, by whom he has a daughter, Helen; Nellie, the wife of Frank Bell, who is operating the farm belonging to our subject, and the mother of a son, Stanley; Sarah, who gave her hand in marriage to Newton Newell, of Warren, Arkansas; Grace Adeline, the wife of Ralph T. Schoenenberger, a farmer of Scott township, by whom she has three children, Catherine, John and Paul; and Ben Butler, a farmer of Lincoln township, who married Miss Vernie Hann, by whom he has four children, Loraine, Howard, Curtis and Alice. Mr. and Mrs. Hartsook have fifteen grandchildren.

Mr. Hartsook and his wife have been members of the Christian Union church in the neighborhood for years and have done much to promote the spread of its influence. He also belongs to Evening Star Lodge, No. 43, A. F. & A. M., of Winterset. He cast his first vote for Franklin Pierce and continued to support the democratic party until he became one of the organizers of the granger or greenback party, but is now a progressive republican. For a number of terms he was township trustee and he lacked but one term of being school director for twenty years. He celebrated the eighty-sixth anniversary of his birth on the 28th of December, 1914, and in 1910 he and his wife celebrated their golden wedding. He is not only one of the oldest men in the county but has probably lived longer on one farm than any other man within its limits. His health is still good and he can read newspapers without the aid of glasses. He and his wife are both very hospitable and are well liked as well as highly respected in their locality. When returning from the gold fields of California Mr. Hartsook traveled by water, sailing through Lake Nicaragua. He contracted fever in the tropics and nearly lost his life on the Caribbean sea. He not only has many interesting recollections of the life in the mining camp of California but also of conditions in Madison county in the pioneer days when the comforts and conveniences that are now taken as a matter of course were unheard of and when there was much to test a man's resolution and courage. His standard of life has always been high and the honored old age which he is enjoying is the direct result of his integrity and industry in the years gone by.

1. ↑ The History of Madison County, Iowa: containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of Iowa. (Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1915)
   2:62-66.
2. ↑ Madison, Iowa, United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication M593).

   Lincoln township, Madison county, Family 40, Lines 17-23, NARA microfilm publication M593

3. ↑ Madison, Iowa, United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication T9).

   Lincoln township, Madison county, ED 112, Sheet 85A, Dwelling 118, Family 120, Lines 43-50, NARA microfilm publication T9, Roll 353

4. ↑ Madison, Iowa, United States. 1900 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication T623).

   Lincoln township, Madison county, ED 28, Sheet 3A, Family 46, Lines 16-23, NARA microfilm publication T623

5. ↑ Madison, Iowa, United States. 1910 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication T624).

   Lincoln township, Madison county, ED 30, Sheet 7A, Family 150, NARA microfilm publication M1283

6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} William Hartsook, in Find A Grave.

   Winterset Madisonian - July 1925
   
   William Hartsook was born in Gallia county, Ohio, December 28, 1828. He died at his home in Lincoln township, Madison county, Ia., June 27, 1925, aged 96 years, 5 months and 29 days. His parents were Peter Hartsook, a native of Maryland and Ann Wooten Hartsook, a native of Ohio. His grandfather, William Hartsook, was born in Amsterdam, Holland, was a soldier in the American revolution and was with Washington's army at Valley Forge. In his childhood William heard his grandfather tell experiences and incidents of the war and he could retell them to his later years. His youth was one of hardships and privation, his parents having little wealth and a family of ten children, he being the fifth child. In later years he liked to talk of these experiences, among which was his work on boats which floated down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans with produce. In 1850 he joined the gold seekers in California, driving a mule team overland; he returned two and a half years later by way of Lake Nicaraugua. With his parents and their family he came to Madison county, Ia., in 1853 where they established a home in Monroe township. In 1854 William secured the eighty acres of open prairie which became a part of the home which he maintained during the remainder of his life.
   
   He was married to Catherine Reed Smoot on the 20th of March, 1860 and they began keeping house in the log building which was their home for ten years preceeding the building of the present one. Nine children came into their home; Andrew W. of Des Moines; Elida, who died at the age of twenty years; James W. of Adair county; George, who died in his twenty-seventh year; Fredrick P. of Winterset; Bertie Ellen, wife of F. E. Bell, living on the home farm; Sarah Allen, wife of Newton Newell of Howard, Kansas; Grace Adeline, wife of R. T. Schoenenberger of Winterset and Ben Butler of Lincoln township. The pioneer home was a hospitable one and practically no one was refused lodging or food. The husband and wife took an active part in community affairs. They were members of the Christian Union church from its organization in the neighborhood. They were charter members of the Lincoln township Grange and active in its work throughout its existance.
   
   William Hartsook was a member of Evening Star lodge, No. 43, A.F. & A.M. He was a man who had many friends whom he loved to be with and to have in his home. He was happy when he could help some one, could give aid or comfort. On the first day of August, 1924, he suffered the loss of his wife and companion of nearly sixty-five years. She had been an invalid for fifteen years, and the object of his devoted care. There remained little of interest in life for him and rapidly lost the vigor which he had retained past his fourscore years and ten. He was ready for the going and slept gently and peacefully away. Funeral services were held from the late home at three o'clock Sunday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Fredrick Cooper. The Masonic order participated in the last rites of the beloved brother.

7. ↑ Madison, Iowa, United States. 1920 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication T625).

   Lincoln township, Madison county, ED 31, Sheet 2B, Family 40, Lines 77-78, NARA microfilm publication T625