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.

1890

     A glimpse into the last decade of the 19th century would show Joseph Withrow celebrating age 59-69.  Sarah Jane, would age from 56-66. Joseph Jr.  turned 16 in 1890 and at the end of the century turned 26.  At age 11 in 1890, the family would not have expected that little Sarah Jane (Sadie) would only live for six more years in the decade often referred to as the Gay Nineties.

     At the beginning of the decade, Joe Jr. (16) and Sadie (11) probably walked to school with the children of their older sisiter, Ginevra.  Ginevra (35), John Mac (40) and their three children lived next to the Withrows.  Estella now 14, Eugene now 13, and Leroy now 11 undoubtedly attend the country school shown on the map below.

     The families properties are located in the northwest quadrant of section 16.  The school is located in the far southeast corner of the same section.  School District No. 5.

     Anna and her husband, Wm. lived in Greene County as well as Boone County and Carroll Counties.  There is a considerable amount of research needed on this branch of the family.  However, this is where some of the third and fourth cousins I know come in.

     By 1899, Ginevra's daughter, Estella, was close to marriage.  Her brother, Eugene (23) and Leroy (21) had also become adults by the end of the 1890's.


NW Quadrant Section 16 Original Homestead of the family
Look for school in the southeast corner. The kids had about a two mile walk by road. Did they cut through the section on winter days? I do know it was not uphill both ways.  This is not a very clear map. When I enlarge it, it goes off the page. Well, another technology problem to solve.