The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-10-02

man and a faithful worker in that
church. They will make their home
| for the present near Oskaloosa. May
they be blessed abundantly with true
happiness and long life as they trav-
ell life's pathway. o.
! Is .STUMBO. - William C.. Stumble,
son of John Stumbo, was born in
Lawrence county, o., Aug. 2, 1922,
and died at his home at Carlisle, Ia,
Sept 16, 1913, at the advanced age
of 81 years and "a days.
He was one of the early settlers
of Iowa and knew from experience
the hardships and limitations of pio-
neer days. His introduction into the
state, and the incidents of his early
| life would be more interesting read
ing than the choicest fiction. When
| he conceived the idea of going west
he said to his parents one day, Il
am going to Iowa" They tried to
persuade, him to abandon the trip,
but he would not give it up. His
father then decided to go with him.
In the summer of 1913, in company
with two neighbors they started by
boat from Ironton, o., down the
Ohio river, then up the Mississippi
river to Keokuk, Ia; from there
they came by boat up the Des
| Moines river to Pennington, Iowa.
There they secured a horse for the
elder Stumbo to ride while the other
three journeyed on foot The party
| followed the Des MoiDes river to a
point near where Eddyville now
stands. Coming to small stream
of water Mr.. Stumbo said to his
son, Billy, hand me a drink of that
water" He took cup from the
saddlebags and gave his father
drink; he asked for second drink
and liked the water SO we'll that he
said I'm going TO see where that
comes from They followed the
| little stream to the foot of the bluff
near by and found the water flow
| ing out OF a large spring. The ell
der Stumbo looked at the spring, the
rich bottom land, the splendid tim
Der around them and said, Right
here Pm going to stop
While at the spring two Indians
came up and one of them kicked
dirt into the spring to keep them
| from drinking the water and said,
by and by Indian come back and
kill white man." But the party
stopped and John Stumble staked out
claim of 400 acres in the heavy
timber and the community is still
known as the "Stumbo bottom"
| This was the introduction of William
G.. Stumbo to the state of Iowa.
He helped his father build cabin
and then went over to a little settle
Al 10.
and hired to Mr.. White to break
prairie. While engaged in that work
in the summer of 1874 he broke the
native sod where the city of Oska-
loosa is now located--69 years ago.
On returning one day from Mr..
Whites to visit his father he found
the cabin empty and note on the
table from his father saying, Billy,
| I'm going back to Ohio, goodby."
| His father had decided to return to
Ohio and bring the family to the new
| home in the west.
| In the fall of 1S43 w. c. Stumble
visited Des Moines; the only build
ing there was the fort which was oc-
cupied by Allen and his dragons
who we're stationed there to protect
the settlers from the Indians. The
land in what is now Polk and War.
rem counties was still owned by the
Indians and not yet subject to en-
| try. so ne returned to his fathers
cabin in Mahaska county where he
remained two years. While there
he bought yoke OF oxen and
pillow and split 10000 rails to pay for
them.
He returned to Polk county in IS45
and entered on 100 acres with land
warrant and 10 acres in addition in
the same county; he also entered SO
acres in Warren county. making a
total of 215 acres, on which he made
his home for twenty-one years. He
made other changes later. but for
many years had lived on the $40
acres In Allen township. Warren
county. known as the 'Stumbo
farm
Ia 1S47 he was married to Miss
Zillah Langdon who died the same
year of their marriage. On May 30.
1850, he mraried Miss Nancy Deaton.
who died July 16, 1906. BY the
second union the following children
were born: George, who lives al
Monticello, Mimi: Emeline, wife OF
Perry Fry Carlisle. la; Eliza, wife
OF William Seid OF Idaho; Ellen,
wife OF John n. Randleman. who
lives on the home place: Lille. wife
OF Joseph Alkire OF Carlisle, Ia;
FIotilla villa nj ghernfan Meyers Of