Several years ago, my mother and I joined several of my aunts and cousins for a "tour" of some of the Crawford county area farms where my grandparents lived and raised their children. The help of my aunts, Edna and Lois, was invaluable since they lived in this area their whole life and the locations were still fresh in their mind. As the oldest children of Fred and Maude Stephenson, they knew more about where the family lived than anybody else still living.
The trip covered an area between Denison, Dunlap, and Castana, but mostly places just north of Dow City and Arion.
But rather than describe that trip, I thought I would try to put together a timeline of the Stephenson family, using what I gathered from that trip. The pictures were taken on this trip, which I would guess to be around the year 1990.
Fred Stephenson was born in 1886 near Dunlap. Dunlap itself is just across the county line inside of Harrison county, Iowa. Fred could have been born in Dunlap itself, but I suspect it was rural Dunlap. The 1885 Iowa census seems to have missed the family, but his mother's family (William Davis) is found in Harrison township, a few miles southeast of Dunlap.
In the 1890s, the Stephensons moved to Paradise township in Crawford county. The farm was owned by John Flahive and located in the south half of section 10, a bit east of what was known as Kenwood. The Stephenson kids went to Bell School, which was a few miles south of their home.
Maude Stephenson was born in Paradise township in 1887. James owned land near Kenwood. It was just south and west a couple miles in the southwest of section 17, not far from the Stephensons. It is located on P Avenue, just west of 180th St. In 1912, Fred and Maude married in Arion, just to the south. Kenwood was probably not much more than a post office at that time, and that closed in 1932, so Arion was the closest town.
Fred took over the farming of his dad's farm as Jonathan had retired and moved to Arion. Fred was there for just a year or two. By the time Edna was born in 1913, they had moved to "Dr. Carr's farm" which was located in section 32. Lois was also probably born on this farm in 1915. And years later, Inez would be born on the same farm, but down the creek at another house.
This house is located on R Avenue about one mile east of Dane Ridge Rd. on the south side.
Edgar and my mother, Dorothy, were both born near Castana. But a lot happened between Lois' birth and theirs. In 1916, Fred had a farm auction, selling all his livestock and equipment, stating he was quitting farming. He moved into Arion at this time and lived at a house on the northwest corner of Stout and Catherine.
In March 1917, the Denison paper reported that he was moving to Windom, Minnesota. But he moved back before unloading because of deep snow. In April, few weeks later, they rented the Hemphill farm near Castana. The Hemphill farm was east of Castana in sections 22 and 15 of Center towhship. I've been to my Mom's birthplace, and recall it being at the south end of this farm, but north of E34 and Plum avenue at least a quarter mile. Edgar was born on the same farm, but a different house. It appears that a different road bordered the farm nearly a mile straight north, where Pine loop turns a corner. I believe this is where Edgar must have been born in 1917.
Mom was born on moving day, March 1. I've related this story in another post, but basically, the family moved that very day, leaving her and her mother behind with the new tenants for a few days.
I'm not sure if they moved to Soldier right away, or perhaps stayed in the Castana area for a while. Local news items in the Denison papers indicated that they were in Castana or Mapleton, but the Soldier farm was deeded over to Fred on March 1, 1920. This farm was 129 acres in section 4 of Willow township on Sumac Avenue, east of highway 37. Wayne was born here in 1922.
The farm ended up being sold at a sheriff's sale February 13, 1924. Edna told me that Fred had bought and lost a farm near Soldier, so this seems to confirm that, although I don't know exactly what happened.
They moved to near Ute, back in Crawford county. Lillian was born here in 1925, and the family stayed there through 1926. This farm was located on O street (E46) just west of 110th Ave on the south side. The buildings seem to be gone now, but this was what was left when out tour visited there.
Ardis was born on a farm near Dunlap in 1927. This farm wasn't far from the Soldier farm where Wayne was born, but a little farther down highway 37, with Dunlap address. The best I can determine from my notes, is that this farm was east of highway 37, on 317th or W Avenue, and then north on E47 a little over a quarter mile, over the creek, and then on the west side of the road. Assuming I have the right location, it appears to be all gone now. The picture below is definitely the right farm as found on our trip years ago, but the house is newer than what Ardis was born in.
Inez was born in Paradise township in 1930, where the family started out.This place was on the same farm that Edna had been born on in 1913, but a different building site. The farm spans a good part of the section, and the picture below was taken from the road which itself was a quarter mile of the section line. The building site had to be half a mile back. Old aerial photos show a building site in the fork of the creeks, and a lane off of Dane Ridge Rd, where it starts to angle northwest. The photo was taken looking east of Dane Ridge Rd, I think where S Ave tees off of it to the west.
Across the road to the west was the Bill and Cora (Stephenson) Turner farm. Their kids were double cousins to Fred and Maude (Turner) Stephenson's.
Mom graduated from Dow City High School in 1937. Her parents and the rest of the family had moved to Denison on March 1st, so she stayed with the Turners to complete her schooling in Dow City. Fred held an auction February 2, 1937 at his home on Dr. L. M. Coon farm, 5 miles northwest of Dow City on Dane Ridge Rd. From the directions to the farm described in the auction bill, I think this is the same place they had been on, the Carr farm, just a different owner by that time.
While in Denison, the Stephensons lived at 1717 N. 6th St. Fred died there in 1958. I'm hoping somebody can fill in the remaining details here. Maude spent the last few months of her life at Eventide Nursing Home in Denison, from mid 1964 until her death in January 1965.
The trip covered an area between Denison, Dunlap, and Castana, but mostly places just north of Dow City and Arion.
But rather than describe that trip, I thought I would try to put together a timeline of the Stephenson family, using what I gathered from that trip. The pictures were taken on this trip, which I would guess to be around the year 1990.
Fred Stephenson was born in 1886 near Dunlap. Dunlap itself is just across the county line inside of Harrison county, Iowa. Fred could have been born in Dunlap itself, but I suspect it was rural Dunlap. The 1885 Iowa census seems to have missed the family, but his mother's family (William Davis) is found in Harrison township, a few miles southeast of Dunlap.
In the 1890s, the Stephensons moved to Paradise township in Crawford county. The farm was owned by John Flahive and located in the south half of section 10, a bit east of what was known as Kenwood. The Stephenson kids went to Bell School, which was a few miles south of their home.
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| Jonathan Stephenson farm site |
Maude Stephenson was born in Paradise township in 1887. James owned land near Kenwood. It was just south and west a couple miles in the southwest of section 17, not far from the Stephensons. It is located on P Avenue, just west of 180th St. In 1912, Fred and Maude married in Arion, just to the south. Kenwood was probably not much more than a post office at that time, and that closed in 1932, so Arion was the closest town.
Fred took over the farming of his dad's farm as Jonathan had retired and moved to Arion. Fred was there for just a year or two. By the time Edna was born in 1913, they had moved to "Dr. Carr's farm" which was located in section 32. Lois was also probably born on this farm in 1915. And years later, Inez would be born on the same farm, but down the creek at another house.
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| Edna and Lois Stephenson Birthplace |
Edgar and my mother, Dorothy, were both born near Castana. But a lot happened between Lois' birth and theirs. In 1916, Fred had a farm auction, selling all his livestock and equipment, stating he was quitting farming. He moved into Arion at this time and lived at a house on the northwest corner of Stout and Catherine.
In March 1917, the Denison paper reported that he was moving to Windom, Minnesota. But he moved back before unloading because of deep snow. In April, few weeks later, they rented the Hemphill farm near Castana. The Hemphill farm was east of Castana in sections 22 and 15 of Center towhship. I've been to my Mom's birthplace, and recall it being at the south end of this farm, but north of E34 and Plum avenue at least a quarter mile. Edgar was born on the same farm, but a different house. It appears that a different road bordered the farm nearly a mile straight north, where Pine loop turns a corner. I believe this is where Edgar must have been born in 1917.
Mom was born on moving day, March 1. I've related this story in another post, but basically, the family moved that very day, leaving her and her mother behind with the new tenants for a few days.
I'm not sure if they moved to Soldier right away, or perhaps stayed in the Castana area for a while. Local news items in the Denison papers indicated that they were in Castana or Mapleton, but the Soldier farm was deeded over to Fred on March 1, 1920. This farm was 129 acres in section 4 of Willow township on Sumac Avenue, east of highway 37. Wayne was born here in 1922.
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| Wayne Stephenson Birthplace near Soldier |
They moved to near Ute, back in Crawford county. Lillian was born here in 1925, and the family stayed there through 1926. This farm was located on O street (E46) just west of 110th Ave on the south side. The buildings seem to be gone now, but this was what was left when out tour visited there.
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| Lillian Stephenson Birthplace near Ute |
Ardis was born on a farm near Dunlap in 1927. This farm wasn't far from the Soldier farm where Wayne was born, but a little farther down highway 37, with Dunlap address. The best I can determine from my notes, is that this farm was east of highway 37, on 317th or W Avenue, and then north on E47 a little over a quarter mile, over the creek, and then on the west side of the road. Assuming I have the right location, it appears to be all gone now. The picture below is definitely the right farm as found on our trip years ago, but the house is newer than what Ardis was born in.
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| Ardis Stephenson Birthplace (different house) |
Inez was born in Paradise township in 1930, where the family started out.This place was on the same farm that Edna had been born on in 1913, but a different building site. The farm spans a good part of the section, and the picture below was taken from the road which itself was a quarter mile of the section line. The building site had to be half a mile back. Old aerial photos show a building site in the fork of the creeks, and a lane off of Dane Ridge Rd, where it starts to angle northwest. The photo was taken looking east of Dane Ridge Rd, I think where S Ave tees off of it to the west.
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| Looking towards Inez Stephenson Birthplace |
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| What was left of Bill and Cora Turner farm |
While in Denison, the Stephensons lived at 1717 N. 6th St. Fred died there in 1958. I'm hoping somebody can fill in the remaining details here. Maude spent the last few months of her life at Eventide Nursing Home in Denison, from mid 1964 until her death in January 1965.
You have done an outstanding job of researching all of the homes of Fred and Maude Stephenson. Some of those home sites were fairly close to the farm where I grew up. AB
ReplyDeleteApparently there are a few more to be found. They moved around a lot.
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