On March 14, 1839, Nathan married Cynthia Cook (born about 1820) in Hendricks County, Indiana. Cynthia was the daughter of neighbors Stephen Cook and Patience Marshall Cook. They removed to Keokuk County, Iowa between 1840 and 1842.
Part of the area of Keokuk County was ceded by the Sauk and Mesquakie Indians early in 1838. This first area included "all of the southeastern township, half of the township above it, and a small part of the second township north of it" (Andreas 1971:453). Whites were entitled to settle on this strip in the fall of 1838. Consequently most of the very early settlement of Keokuk County occurred in this area which became Richland Township (Keokuk Historical Society 1969:2-3).
A second treaty ratified at Agency City, Wapello County, in 1842 ceded all the territory east of Red Rock, in what is now Marion County, and the balance of Keokuk County was opened to settlement in the spring of 1843. The boundaries of Keokuk County were formally established in 1843 and it was attached to Washington County. The principal chief who represented the Indians in making the treaty was Keokuk, in whose honor the county was named (Andreas 1971:453; Union Historical 1880:262).
The earliest settlement was in the "Old Strip," in the present townships of Richland and Clear Creek in 1838. Many of the Richland Township settlers were from the same area of Indiana. Settlers in the "Old Strip" section filed their claims in the land office at Fairfield while those in the new section had to file in Iowa City. Only one public land sale was held in 1846 (Union Historical 1880:324).
Nathan was paid $14.50 for a "wagon and team", and $1.00 for "driving stakes" in July 1844. This was probably for road work (brother Charles was a Road Commissioner, and S.E. McCracken was a surveyer).
Nathan purchased 40 acres (NE 1/4 of NE 1/4 of Section 21, 74N, 10W) for $50 on February 15, 1847 (#14434). You can see how close this is to the his parents and in-laws by the Richland map. In 1850 Keokuk County (near his parents) Nathan shared a dwelling with his brother Charles
By 1856 Nathan had moved to Otoe County, Nebraska Territory. The 1856 Nebraska census has:
Nathan S. Woodward, b. in Tenn., laborer; 1 m. 21 up.; 1 m. und. 16; 2 f. 16 up.; 5 f. und. 16. Nathan is not in the 1854 or 1855 census, so he must have moved to Nebraska the past year
Riley Canedy, b. in Ind., laborer; 1 m. 21 up.; 4 m. und. 16; 1 f. 16 up.
There are a few FRAZIERs (a good Quaker name) further down the list.
On June 18, 1858 Nathan S. Woodward filed for the southwest quarter of Section 15, 8N 13E, # 579, joining Stephen Cooke and William W. Cook's filings.
On October 15, 1858, Nathan sold to Walter S Rigal, land 28 rods wide on the south side of the NW 1/4. (Book D, page 465, Otoe County)
By 1860 Charles and the Cook families had joined him in Otoe County. He had livestock worth $200 - one horse, two work oxen, and two milch cows.
The 1865 Nebraska census, Otoe County, has: Nathan Woodward(o), 48, Tenn.; wife, Cynthia Woodward, 44, N. C.; children, Abigail, 18, Ia.; Wm. C., 17, Ia.; Lydia, 15, Ia.; Levina, 13, Ia.; Clara, 9, Neb.; Lillie, 7, Neb.; Lincoln, 5, Neb.; Maggie, 2, Neb.
In March 1866 he was assessed by Nebraska City for personal taxes.
By 1870 both brothers and the Cook family had moved to Johnson County, Kansas (just west of Kansas City), perhaps because there was a Quaker mission and a few distant relatives living in Olathe, or more likely the land sales accompanying the railroad construction.
In the 1870 Oxford township (hh #184) are:
Nathan, 53, farming with $700 real estate, TN
Cynthia, 49, NC
Abigail, 25, at home, born Iowa
William, 22, works on the farm. Born Iowa
Levina, 18, at home, also born Iowa
Chrissa, 15, born Iowa
Lillie B., 12, born Nebraska
Richard, 8, Nebraska
Mary, 6, Nebraska
In hh #187 is a Joshua Cook, 40, farmer with $1400, born Indiana. No positive relatives in this dwelling.
In October 1880 Nathan built a house on the se quarter of section 6, 31N 4W in Shasta County, California, and actually began living in it in 1884. His homestead application said that he had been a laborer in Chico (Butte County) immediately prior to settling upon this land. (Butte County is where sons Richard Lincoln and William C. were, according to the Great Register).
The 1881 Shasta County directory only has eight people for Buckeye. W. T. Hiatt is the only farmer (remember the Hiatt's from 1750-1800 Frederick Co, VA, and North Carolina?), with a general merchandise, saloon, blacksmith, two miners, a merchant, and a shoemaker. There are no Thompson, Graham, Woodward, or Mark in the small book. The only Quaker name I saw was Wm. Hadley, farming in Anderson.
On April 16, 1886 Nathan registered as a farmer living in Buckeye, Shasta County, California. The Registar of the land office, Sylvester Hull, noted on Nathan's 1886 filing for homestead that "the applicant was personally known to me and is a person of respectability".
One 1887 mention of him in the Lyons, Nebraska MIRROR has him living in Redding, California, unable to attend a reunion because of his age. In 1889 he used Nathan Shelley Woodward when filing. He said that his family consisted of himself, his wife, and a granddaughter. His wife had been absent one month about 4 years ago and another month about 5 years ago, waiting on her sick daughter-in-law. He had no farm implements, adding that he was not very well, and was too old to do much work, and his son-in-law had put in crops for him. He had one cow and calf, two hogs, and about two dozen chickens. In the house were four beds with bedding, 8 or 10 chairs, one table, one lounge, one cooking stove, dishes, knives, and forks. It was a 1 1/2 story house, 14 x 21, built out of pine lumber, shake roof, two rooms, four doors & windows, value $100. One stable built out of pine lumber valued at $10, chicken house $5, smoke house $10. About 10 acres cleared and enclosed with pickets and brush fence value $150. Well 16 feet deep value $10. Also about 300 fruit trees value $300.
Patty Junge, a descendant that contacted us in May 2005, was very generous in sharing these photos of Nathan and Cynthia. My guesstimate is that they are about the era of the homestead.
Patty also provided more information about Nathan and Cynthia's house "That would have been the original house that burned because the lamp caught the kitchen curtains on fire. Another house burned after that because of Christmas tree candles, before the last one in the forest fire of 1936."
David Steel Thompson, in a witness statement, said he was 52, living on the NW 1/4 of Sec 8, 31N 4W, and was Nathan's son-in-law. He had known Nathan for about 20 years, in Kansas and in Shasta County. He said he had helped to survey the land for Nathan, and had been over the land frequently since 1880. He had seen Nathan on the land at least once a month. He was a farmer, living about 1/4 of a mile from Nathan, and had lived there 9 years.
Perry Watson Mark signed the other witness statement, saying he was 32, living on the SW 1/4 of Sec 32, 32N, 4W (about one mile north). He said he had farmed there for five years, and had known Nathan for about 10 years, being his son-in-law.
Neighbors also attesting were W.B. Ragsdale and A.A. Graham. (Arnold A. Graham, a physician born Aug 1826 in Ohio, is on the same page as David Thompson in the 1900 census)
The homestead witness statement agrees with the Shasta County marriage of Lilly Bell Woodward and Perry W. Mark on Oct 11, 1881. The Shasta County Genealogical Society has listed in Redding Cemetery a Nathan L. Woodward, buried 1/10/1894, d-76 y. In the same plot is a Cyntha Woodward. One date on the record is 1884.
In the same four-person plot are Clem Thompson and Abby G. Thompson (all four graves are unmarked) with a date of 1896. Clem and Abby may be the two children of Abigail's who died young.
So it appears that Nathan died in Shasta County.
Children of Cynthia and Nathan:
1. Mary P. Woodward 1840
2. Lucinda A. Woodward 1842
3. Abigail E. Woodward 1844
____In 1880 the Shasta Buckeye, page 87D, census has D.B. Thompson, 42, his wife A.E., 35, and SON Lotus, age 4.
____In 1900 Shasta County, Buckeye township, hh# 87, are:
David Thompson, born April 1827 in Ohio (parents KY and OH), is a farmer.
Recent information from Annette Cummings, a descendant:
"David Steele is the son of Joseph and Mary (Milligan) Thompson. He was born in Adams county, Ohio. The family moved to Coulterville, Randolph County, IL and then to Olathe, Johnson County, KS. Thompson family is large, most of the siblings stayed in KS, two were lost during the CW.
It is unknown why David and Abigail moved to CA. I have a 1922 interview between Josiah VanKirk Thompson (researcher of Am Rev descendants) and family members of David. It was written that David moved to Stockton. I found David in Shasta by accident. Also in the article, son of David died in a hunting accident. Since Arnold out lived his father, it must have been Samuel C. Do you know or have any information on the date or cause of his death. I have not been able to find burial location for Abigail or David.
The 1880 census has Lotus listed as a male. Lotus is listed 1900 as a widow. Lotus married Richard Morgan and had Lorna, she later married Wm Lester Davis and had a son Lawrence. I do not know where they ended up. Arnold married and had a son, David Steele Thompson, they moved to CO. There may have been more children.
The Thompson family were Reformed Presbyterians (Scottish Covenators).
David served in the Union army. Was a town law officer in KS."
He's been married 26 years to
Abigail E. Thompson, born August 1844 in Iowa - parents TN and NC, has had four children, two living. One is:
Lotus Morgan, born March 1876 in Kansas. She is widowed, the mother of
Lorna Morgan, born February 1900 in California. Her father was born in Ohio.
The other child is Arnold G. Thompson, born July 1886 in California. (wonder if he were named after Arnold Graham).
____The IGI listing has Abigail EMILY Thompson (which matches her mother) dying "before 1911" in California. It has David Thompson dying 1913 in California.
It has one child "Samuel Clemmens Thompson, born 1883", (which could be the "Clem" buried). It has "Lotus Thompson, born Mar 1876 in Kansas", and "Arnold Graham Thompson, born July 5, 1886 in Redding, died Mar 15, 1940 in Denver, Colorado". However, IGI has Abigail's birth date and marriage location wrong.
4. William C. Woodward 1846
____The California Great Register has William Calvin Woodward - age 36 in 1884, b. IA, farmer in Rock Creek, Butte County
____In 1900 Butte County, E.D. 11, sheet 10 is listed a Wm. C. Woodward, born November 1847 in Iowa, with father born in Indiana and mother in Tennessee. He is renting a farm. With him is his son, a farm laborer, Walter L., born September 1881 in California. His mother was born in Pennsylvania.
____Cohasset Cemetery, Butte County has William C. Woodward 1849-1934
5. Levina M. Woodward 1848
6. Lydia P. Woodward 1849
7. Clara A. Woodward 1855
8. Lilie Bell Woodward 1858.
_____Lilly Bell married Perry W. Mark in Shasta County on October 11, 1881. Perry was listed as a woodworker in Shasta County in the 1886 Great Register. In the 1898 Shasta County Register he is 40, a farmer, born in Missouri.
In the 1900 Shasta County census - Buckeye Precinct, E.D. 117, sheet 18A, are:
Marks, Perry, born January 1856 in Missouri, father born Pennsylvania and mother Virginia. Perry is a carpenter. He's been married 19 years to
Lilly Bell, who has six children living out of seven. Lilly was born March 1858 in Nebraska to a Tennessee father and North Carolina mother. Their children, all born in California, are
Albert Ray, May 1884 - student
Myrtle M., May 1887 - student
Paul W., Oct 1889 - student
Lilly Adler, February 1892 - blank
William, December 1895, and
Wesley S., May 1899.
________In the 1900 Shasta County census is a Thomas Mark, born March 1853 in Missouri. Sure looks like brothers/cousins....
9. Lincoln Woodward 1860 (using the 1865 census)
____Richard Lincoln Woodward - the Great Register has him age 25 in 1886, b. Nebraska - Stockraiser in Chico, Butte County
____The 1900 Butte County census, E.D. 185, sheet 4, is almost illegible. It has Richard, born January 1876 in Nebraska, parents born TN and NC, owning a 64-acre farm with no mortgage.
His wife Sarah was born April 1873 in Oregon, parents born TN and NC. (???)She had six children, four of whom were living.
Their daughter W..... was born January 1895.
Second daughter Carrie was born April 1896.
Third daughter Eva was born January 1898.
Fourth daughter was born January 1900. All four were born in California.
Larry Moulton kindly has permitted use of the pictures of Richard Woodward, and the following from his father Hobart's book:
Richard Lincoln was born January 8, 1859 in Olathe, Kansas. His parents owned a large grain ranch. They also raised horses and mules. They sold their ranch and decided to come to California by Immigrant Train in 1870. They settled in the Enterprise District of Redding, CA. They bought a ranch. Richard went to Chico and went to work for John Bidwell. He was promoted to sheep foreman. He met Lulu Nanney, when she was attending Chico Normal. She invited Dick to visit the Nanney Ranch in Lanes Valley, wehre he met Ida Nanney and they were married in a few months. They built a large two-story home and a nice barn.
Abner Nanney, Ida's father, was a strict cattleman and he warned Dick not to bring any sheep on the ranch, so Dick raised cattle and hogs, also large gardens to feed his large family and also sold produce to the sawmills in the area. He also had a butcher's license and sold meat, bacon and hams.
Richard and Ida had eleven children. The Lanes Valley School was made up mostly of Woodwards, Childs and Morgans.
Here's a list of the children and who they married.
Winnie Woodward Fremd
Wave Woodward Moulton
Mildred Woodward Hampton
Lavina Woodward Fitzpatrick
Lillian Woodward Morrissey
Beulah Woodward Grimm
Elizabeth Woodward (died young)
William Woodward, married Isabel Boone
Merrill Woodward, married Floy Wright
Bernal Woodward, married Shirley Wayland
Richard Woodward's parents lived at Enterprise near Redding. He took his 3 oldest girls in a spring wagon to visit his parents. The trip took one week, two days to go and two days to return. They camped out two nights. They went down the Lanes Valley Road to the Long Ranch, then across the Spring Branch Road to Balls Ferry, then on to Enterprise. His parents are buried in the Continental Cemetery in Redding.
Larry Moulton provided the following Birth and Death Dates:
Winnie b. Dec 17, 1894; d Dec. 11, 1959
Annie Wave (my grandmother) b. Apr. 16, 1896; d. Feb. 10, 1987
Eva b. May, 1898; d. 1917
Mildred (Millie) b. Jan. 28, 1900; d. Apr. 6, 1997
LaVina (Vina) b. June 1902; d. 1985
Lillian b. June 22, 1903; d. Dec. 24, 1984
Beulah b. Oct. 1906; d. 1993
William b. Aug. 1908; d. Dec. 12, 1993
Merrill b. July, 1910; d. 1997
Bernal b. Mar. 1912; d. 1986
Elizabeth b. 1914; d. 1916
10. Maggie Woodward 1863 (using the 1865 census)