The Homestead

     My family story so far has been about Sarah and her family.  Her husband,  Grandpa Withrow and his son-in-law, Grandpa John Mac Vorhies ( Ginevra's husband) were farmers.  In November of 1875, Joseph entered into an agreement to purchase 160 acres of land for the sum of $2800 with a $700 down payment. Five more payment dates are outlined in the document ending on the 26th of December 1878. This transaction was made in association with Head Brothers Bank of Jefferson, Iowa. 

     In January of 1877, Joseph sold the west 80 acres to his son-in-law John Mac Vorhies.  By 1880, both the west eighty in John Mac's name and the east eighty which has been put in Sarah Jane Withrow's name was entered into the Register of State Land.  The land patent number 1855 is recorded in Vol 19 on pages 697 and 696.

     To me this means, that our ancestor Joseph Withrow bought his land from the State of Iowa and was the first to develop this 160 acres which was part of the Louisiana Purchase.  I have obtained three documents that show the transfer of land to Joseph A. Withrow and then to John Mac Vorhies  These documents were found in the archives of the Greene County Court House.  If anyone is interested in reading more of these documents, I would be happy to provide copies.

     This original 160 acres is in the NW quarter of section 16 of Scranton Township in Greene County, Iowa.  Directly to the north of Section 16 lies Section 9.  Part of this section also became part of John Mac's property.  This is how the 40 acres in Section 9 as well as 20 acres in the far NW corner of Section 16 came to be part of Great Grandma Smith's land. John Mac's property was divided among his three children: Estella, Eugene, and Leroy.

     This land was where my parents lived from March of 1942 until 1959/1960 when all of  Grandma's land was sold out of the family.  It was referred to as The Sixty.


This farm is across the road from the original land purchased by Joseph Withrow.  John Mac Vorhies purchased the Withrow land and land in the section across the road. The above farm was eventually inherited by Great Grandma Estella Vorhies Smith.  This is where I grew up.