The Experiences of the Benjamin Lamb Family as told by Thomas Jefferson Lamb
Indians, slaves and runaways. Oh my!
“Early Dawn in Ringgold County”: The Story of a Pioneer Family
My GGG grandfather, Cyrus B. Daman (1817 - 1914)
Have you ever wondered what it was like to a pioneer? What was it like to travel by oxen and wagon to a new place that was inhabited by few other pioneers? And without the modern convinces of paved roads, phones, mechanical engines, etc. Your life and your family’s lives totally dependent on your knowledge and skills? For a glimpse into the past, I have transcribed for you the childhood memories of my GGG Aunt Rosanna (Daman) Bradford relating the trials, adversities and everyday life of her pioneering parents, Cyrus and Fanny (Dake) Daman, and their eight children.
A little back ground, in 1941, at the age of eighty-seven, Rosanna (Daman) Bradfield submitted the to the Ringgold County Historical Society an essay of her childhood memories of the pioneer life of her parents and siblings. The title of her essay was “Early Dawn in Ringgold County” The historical society published her story in the Ringgold County Bulletin and sold it for 10 cents an issue. Years later, in 2011, The Diagonal Progress newspaper ran a series entitled “”Gone With the Wind” History of Jefferson Township” that was series of articles written for the most part by pioneers of Jefferson Township of Ringgold County, Iowa. The “Early Dawn in Ringgold County” was published in 5 parts within the “Gone with the Wind” series.
The full transcription can be found by clicking here.
Daman family tree
Lew W. Lamb, Sr. (1874 - 1945)
The above is the only known photo of Lew W. Lamb, Sr.
Lew Lamb, Sr. was born to Hiram and Sarah (Emery) Lamb on August 16, 1874 in Clarke County, Iowa. He was the 6th and last child. Lew had 4 sisters, Margaret Malinda ("Linnie"), Happa, Dora, and Iva and 1 brother, Clarence. He lived in Murray, Clarke County, Iowa with his parents during his youth.
In 1893, at the age of 19, Lew married Katherine Fivecoat, daughter of J. W. Fivecoat. The couple had 1 son, Claude Leon Lamb, Sr. who was born in 1895. They lived in Murray, Clarke County, Iowa until about 1912 when they moved to Perry, Iowa, and then to Creston, Iowa in 1914 and later to Omaha, Nebraska. Katherine passed away in March 1919 from complications from a serious operation in Omaha. She was brought back to Murray, Iowa for burial. [1]
On August 13, 1926, at the age of 52, he married Cleona Effie Smith, age 21, in Ringgold County, Iowa. The couple had 8 children. The first was a stillborn male born and died on 1 May 1927 in Viola, Mercer County, Illinois. [4] The remaining children were born in Union County, Iowa. The children were: Betty L. (b. 1928, d. 2007), Clarence E. (b. 1929, d. 2015), Maude "Irene" (b. 1931, d. 1978), Doris J. (b. 1932, d. 1996), Lew W. (b. 1936, d. 2019), a daughter [b. 1939, still living], and Donald E. (b. 1944, d. 2009). The children were baptized in the Saint Paul Episcopal Church on Christmas day in 1939, except for Donald, who was baptized on July 8, 1945.
Lew worked as a painter and was often hired to paint tall structures, such as church steeples and water towers, as heights did not seem to bother him. [2] He also worked as a brakeman for the C. B. & Q Railroad until 1914 when two fingers on his right hand were smashed while attempting to couple some railroad cars. One finger had to be amputated. [2,3]
He was a staunch Democrat. In the 1940's people relied on radio to hear to news and for entertainment. If President F. D. Roosevelt was scheduled to address the nation, Lew's son, Clarence, had the responsibility of making sure the radio battery was charged. This involved loading the battery into the Radio Flyer wagon and taking it to the gas station for charging, which took a couple days to charge. He would then fetch it back home in plenty of time for the president's address. [2]
Lew also keep a vegetable garden. In order to prevent compacting the soil while weeding or harvesting, he would put down a wood plank between the rows of vegetables to walk on. [2]
Numerous newspaper articles reveal that Lew had a bit of a problem with alcohol resulting in brawls and brushes with the law. Case in point, in December 1909, he was arrested and was sentenced to serve 15 days for assaulting the marshal and intoxication. However, he was released from custody on the condition that he sign a pledge to "not touch a drop of liquor for a year." [5] I do not know if he fulfilled that pledge but he continued to have problems with excessive drinking.
The day before his 71st birthday, on 15 August, 1945, Lew passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage. [6] Leaving his wife to raise 7 children ages 1 - 17 years. He was buried in the Murray Cemetery, Clarke County, Iowa on 17 August 1945.
Additional information for Lew's life and family can be found at:
[1] The Osceola Sentinel; Osceola, Iowa; 27 March 1919 [http://osceola.advantage-preservation.com]
[2] Interview with Clarence E. Lamb
[3] The Perry Advertiser; Perry, Iowa; 18 January 1914; Page 5
[4] Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947 [Ancestry.com]
[5] Osceola Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, Thursday, December 16, 1909, Page 1 [http://osceola.advantage-preservation.com]
[6] Death certificate
Who are these people??
This is a photo of Hiram and Sarah Lamb and, I assume, relatives and/or offspring. I am speculating that this photo was either taken in 1900 when relatives came to help Hiram celebrate his 70th birthday or in 1908 when there was a reunion of the Lamb and Emery families . If you know who any of these people are, please, add a comment with the number and name. Your help is appreciated!!
8. Hiram Lamb
10. Sarah Lamb
Hiram Lamb (1831 - 1914)
Hiram “Hi” Lamb was born in Floyd County, Indiana on October 28, 1831, a son of Benjamin and Charlotte “Lottie” (Atkins) Lamb. (1) Lottie passed away in either 1843 or 1844 when Hiram was 12-13 years old. Benjamin then married Olive West in August 1844. In 1850, Benjamin and Olive, their family of 11 children and three nephews (2) hitched up their team and trekked to the State of Iowa, which was founded in December 1846. The family first claimed land in Decatur County, Iowa before permanently settling in Pleasant Township in Union County, Iowa. In 1851, the family founded the town of Hopewell, about 3 miles from the current day Hopeville. The closest neighbors were at Mount Pisgah, a Mormon settlement 12 miles away.
Living in a time and place where the closest general store was in Saint Joseph, Missouri, the family subsisted mainly on hominy and venison and wild honey during the summer of 1851. (3) Hiram was said to have killed many deer in 1851 and 1852. (4)
He also developed carpentry skills, working as a cooper (6) (barrel maker) and constructing buildings. Hiram set about building a house in Hopeville. The house was made of logs that Hiram hewn and it had a shingle roof. Folks thought he was “putting on airs” with such a fancy house! Hiram hung the door by July 4, 1853 and “had the building completed all ready for occupation before his marriage” to Sarah Jane Emery, daughter of Dr. Jesse and Margaret (Pounds) Emery, in June 1854. (4,5)
The couple made a home for themselves, adding 4 children to the family (Margaret, Happa, Clarence, and Dora) while living in Hopeville. (7) Then “in 1868 the railroad was extended across the prairie west of Osceola and a town plat was laid out for Murray. Mr. Lamb went there and built the first residence of the town for himself.” (4) Two more children were born after the move to Murray (Iva and Lew). (8)
Hiram was highly respected citizen of Murray. He and J. F. Wick are credited with transplanting sapling trees from the banks of the Grand River and planting them in Murray. (9) In 1875, Hiram and Jim Emery built a two-room school. (10) He served as the Assessor for the town and served as a grand juror in Des Moines. Hiram was also confirmed by the Senate as postmaster for Murray on January 14, 1903 (11) and served until June 13, 1914 (12) when he resigned due to failing health. His appointment as postmaster was signed by Theodore Roosevelt and George B. Cortel. Hiram noted that “Teddy writes the plainest and best hand.” (13)
Hiram lived out his life in Murray, Clarke County, Iowa watching the once unsettled country become populated and developed. Experiencing ill health in the latter half of 1914, he passed away on December 18, 1914 from arteriosclerosis. (1) He was buried in the Murray Cemetery.
For more information on Hiram please go to: https://www.lambeivinsancestry.com/hiram-sarah-lamb
Citations:
Death Certificate for Hiram Lamb
Illustrated Centennial Sketches, Map and Directory of Union County, Iowa by Colby, C. J., 1876, Page 13
Illustrated Centennial Sketches, Map and Directory of Union County, Iowa by Colby, C. J., 1876, Page 14
Osceola Sentinel, published in Osceola, Iowa, Volume XL, No. Thursday, August 17th, 1899, Page 12
Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke County, Iowa by Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago (Ill.), 1886, Page 511
Population schedules of the seventh census of the United States, 1850, Iowa [microform]; by United States. Bureau of the Census; United States. National Archives and Records Service; Reel 0183 - 1850 Iowa Federal Population Census Schedules - Decatur, Delaware, Des Moines, and Dubuque Counties
Population schedules of the ninth census of the United States, 1870, Iowa [microform]; Washington : National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration; Reel 0382 - 1870 Iowa Federal Population Census Schedules - Clarke and Clay Counties
1880 Federal Census [microfilm]; National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration; Reel 0332 - 1880 Iowa Federal Population Census Schedules - Cerro Gordo (cont'd: ED 44, sheet 51-end), Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Clark (part: EDs 1-43, sheet 21) Counties
The Murray Journal, published in Murray, Iowa on Thursday, August 13th, 1936, Volume 3, Number 37, page 1
Osceola Sentinel Progress Report, published in Osceola, Iowa on Thursday, December 10th, 1970 , Page 11
Congressional Record December 1, 1902 - January 22, 1903: Vol 36
Congressional Record June 13, 1914-June 30, 1914: Vol 51
The Osceola Democrat, published in Osceola, Iowa, Volume XXXIV, No. 4, Thursday, January 24th, 1907, Page 8
Nancy (Rowley) (Terrul/Terrill) Rockwood
Gen 1: Rowley >> Gen 2: Nancy Rowley >> Gen 3: Eunice (Terrul) Damon >> Gen 4: Cyrus B. Damon >> Gen 5: Eunice A. (Damon) Smith >> Gen 6: Cyrus E. Smith >> Gen 7: Cleona E. (Smith) Lamb
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On June 23, 1880, Nancy (Rowley) (Terrul) Rockwood celebrated her 100th birthday in Bath, Ohio. In a speech Rev. E. S. Bower presented Nancy's life story as follows:
"Nancy Rowley was born in New Canaan, New York, one hundred years ago to-day, June 23, 1780. Her mother's ancestors were of Irish descent, and especially noted for their longevity of life, her grandmother living to the extreme age of one hundred and four years. Her father was from the New England stock. Her advantages for a school education were limited, but for the stern battles of life she was well equipped. At the early age of 14 the entire responsibility of household affairs fell upon her shoulders. At that age her father was in Canada in quest of a home. Her sister, her sister's husband, and her mother all lay sick of a fever. There were no neighbors within three miles of their home, and the care of these invalids fell upon Nancy alone. Her mother became so ill, however, that she was compelled to apply to their nearest neighbor for aid. He carried her mother to his home, where she stayed one week, and departed for the spirit world.
Two years later, at the age of sixteen, Nancy married Jerald Terrul. The result of this union was six children, only three of whom are living. Their oldest, Electa Rolph, is 82 yeas of age; the next two are dead. Lyman Terral died at the age of seventy-five and Eunice Terral Damon, wife of our venerable father Damon, died at the age of fifty-seven. Maria Terrul Hurlburt, to whom I am indebted for these data, and who, to us today, looks so youthful, is in her 77th year. Their next child, Sally, died at the age of 13, and their youngest son [Jarred D. Turrel], who is grandfather to some of theses children, is only seventy.
Soon after marrying Terrul, Nancy moved with him to E. Bloomfield, N.Y. Their neighbors here were principally wolves and other wild beasts. During her stay of ten years in this place she had hard work to preserve her dignity. These hideous neighbors were inclined to be very familiar. Many a time did she have her hands full to keep the wolves from attending the baby. They would enter the house and, but for her courage and self-possession, would have rendered her home childless. About the year 1808 General Wadsworth offered one acre of land to any family who would settle in Geneseo, or where that city now stands. His object was to secure a settlement sufficiently large to defend themselves from the savages by whom this district was surrounded.
Jerald Terrul and his wife and family were among the first to accept the General's offer. Here the courageous mother found herself confronted by an enemy equally daring and much more cunning that that with which she had had to contend in East Bloomfield.
At the beginning of the war of 1812 Terrul offered his services to defend the country's honor; but before the close of that year, his service ended and his life was given to expiate the misery of our people. Mourning the loss of her husband, with but little of this world's goods, the widow Terrul now sets herself about providing for the maintenance and education of her children.
'Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing,
Onward through life she goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees its close.'
Thus she continued for 16 years, when her family had passed from childhood to manhood and womanhood.
In the year 1828, feeling that she was comparatively alone in the world, as her children no longer needed her care, she married Ammilo W. Rockwood. About five years later they came with ox-teams to Ohio. Their first home was on the Smith road were Chas. Williamson has recently been living. Afterward they lived in Granger, then removed to Bath, on the farm now occupied by her venerable son-in-law, father Damon. Here in 1849, Rockwood died, but she was lived on to the present. Here she is with us to-day, the object of our admiration, that she so obeyed the laws of Nature, as to be permitted to live thus. She says she does not know why the Lord has let her live so long. Now he may take her when he pleases. She is full of years and good works, and now she is
'Only waiting till the reapers
Have the last sheaf gathered home;
For the Summer time is faded,
And the Autumn winds have come.
Quickly, reapers, gather quickly
For the bloom of life is withered,
And I hasten to depart.'" [1]
Nancy died about 3 months later: "Mrs. Nancy Rockwood died at 11 A.M. Saturday in Bath, aged a few months over 100 years. The funeral as held at Hurd's Corners, Monday at 2 P.M." [2]
She was buried at Moore's Chapel Cemetery, Bath, Summit County, Ohio, USA [3]
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[1] The Summit County Beacon, Akron, Ohio, 30 June 1880, Wednesday, Page 5 [Newspapers.com]
[2] The Summit County Beacon, Akron, Ohio, 22 September 1880, Wednesday, Page 6 [Newspapers.com]
[3] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/79597976/nancy-rockwood