Partition Deed: Morrow County, Ohio 1884

With the death of Amarilla’s grandmother Mary Anne Delano Keller (3 August 1882)  the land and estate of John and Mary was divided up and partitioned among the children and heirs.  Amarilla and George Barclay were the Grantor’s along with others in the following partition deed.   This is one of several deeds dividing up the land among the heirs of John and Mary Keller.  It is the most significant to me because George and Amarilla Barclay (Barkley) are signees. 

The partition deed was dated December 14, 1883.  It was recorded in the Index for Morrow County, Ohio deeds under the name of Charles P. Groves et. al. as Grantor and W.F. Keller et. al. the Grantee.  The clerk’s copy was recorded in Vol. 37, pg. 594, FHL#388692.  Below is a transcription of that deed and my best effort at reading the handwriting of the clerk.

Charles T. Groves et. al.          

Quit Claim Deed   to

Wm. F. & Ida C. Keller

Received: June 18, 1884                     

Know all men by the presents that Mr. Charles T. Groves & Mary E. Groves, his wife of Johnson County and State of Kansas, George Barkley & Amarilia Barkley, his wife of [Twin Grove], State of Minnesota & Henry F. Spracklin and Elizabeth Spracklin, his wife of the County of Muscatine and State of Iowa in consideration of the sum of thirty one hundred and fifty dollars to them paid by William F. Keller and Ida C. Keller of Morrow Co., Ohio in receipt  ____is hereby acknowledged do hereby revise, release and forever quit claim to the said William F. Keller and Ida C. Keller their heirs and assigns forever, the following real estate situated in the County of Morrow in the State of Ohio and in the Township of South Bloomfield and bounded and described as follows viz:  

The East half of the North half of the North East Quarter of Section No. Eleven (11) Township No. Six (6) Range No. Fifteen (15). Also Twenty Three (23) acres of land of the East end of the South Half of the North East Quarter of Section No. Eleven (11) Township No. Six (6) Range No. Fifteen (15) Containing in all about sixty three (63) acres of land, more or less. 

To have and to hold said premises with all the _____ and appurtenances hereto belonging to the said William F. Keller and Ida C. Keller their heirs and assigns forever.  In Witness Whereof, the said Charles T. Groves, Mary E. Groves, George Barkley, Amarilia Barkley, Henry F. Spracklin and Elizabeth Spracklin wife of said Henry F. Spracklin, who hereby relinquishes all their right of dower in the premises have hereunto set their hands and seals this 26^th day of March in the year of our Lord one Thousand eight hundred and eighty four.

Signed, Sealed and Delivered   

Henry F. Spracklin (seal),  Elizabeth Spracklin (seal), George A. Barkley (seal) Amarilia Barkley, (seal),   Charles F. Groves (seal), Elizabeth Groves

In the presents of us  ___Brown,  J.R. Hanley  Witness to signature of George Barkley and Amarilia Barkley – W.H. [Oelmahan], Rachel [Haileny], H.O. Danley.                                                                                              

State of Iowa Muscatine County  ss.

Be it remembered that on this 26^th day of March A.D. 1884 before me the subscriber Notary Public in and for said County personally came the hereinafter named Henry F. Spracklin and Elizabeth Spracklin his wife the Grantors in the above conveyance and acknowledge the Execution signing and sealing of the same to be their voluntary act and deed for the uses and purposes herein mentioned and the said Elizabeth Spracklin wife of the said Henry F. Spracklin being at the same time examined by me separate and apart from her said husband and the contents of said instrument being by me made known and explained to her then declared that she did voluntarily sign seal and acknowledge the same and that she is still satisfied herewith as her voluntary act and deed for the uses and purposes therein mentioned.  In Testimony thereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my Notarized Seal on the day and year last aforesaid.

                                                                                    (Seal ) Thomas Larson, Notary Public

State of Minnesota County of Crow Wing ss.

Be it Remembered that on the 11^th day of April A.D. 1884 before me the subscriber a Notary Public in and for said County, personally appeared George Barkley,  Amarilia Barkley his wife the Grantors in the above Conveyance and acknowledged the Execution Signing and Sealing of the same, to be their voluntary act and deed for the uses and purposes therein mentioned and the Said Amarilia Barkley wife of the Said George Barkley being at the same time examined by me Separate and apart from her said husband and the contents of said instrument being by me made known and explained to her then declared that she did voluntarily sign seal and acknowledge the same that she is still satisfied therewith is her voluntary act and deed for the uses and purposes therein mentioned.

In Testimony thereof I have herewith subscribed my name and affirmed my seal on this day and year last aforesaid.

                                                            (Seal)  W. M. [Clinaban], Notary Public

State of Kansas,C ounty of Johnson   ss.

Be it Remembered that on this 28^th day of April 1884 before me the subscriber a Notary Public in and for said County came the herein before named Charles T. Groves and Elizabeth Groves his wife the Grantors in the above conveyance and acknowledges the Execution Signing and Sealing of the same to be their voluntary act and deed for the uses and purposes therein mentioned and that the said Elizabeth Groves wife of the said Charles T. Groves being at the same time examined by me separate and apart from her said husband and the contents of said instrument being by me made known and explained to her then declared that she did voluntarily sign seal and acknowledge the same and that she is still satisfied therewith as her voluntary act and deed for the uses and purposes therein mentioned.

In Testimony Whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my Notarial seal on the day and year aforesaid.

                                                            Seal  S.H. Barnard, Notary Public

 (Commission Expires June 26, 1887)  Recorded this 8 day of July 1884, By C. ? Han Bri….. Recorder

Deeds can be very helpful in pinpointing the residence of a person and their relationships.   Henry Spracklin  is the full brother of Amarilla.  This deed is significant because it places Henry in Muscatine County, Iowa in 1884 with his wife Elizabeth.  My cousin and I, were finding it difficult to track Henry once he left home after 1870.  So this was great news to find this deed and discover where Henry was living. My cousin descends from this man so it was a great find.

Amarilla and George Barclay are my great grandparents.  This deed connects Amarilla to the Keller and Delano family.  The Delano family is very old and goes back to Philip Delano of the 2nd boat to Plymouth 1620, the Fortune. 

Charles T. Groves and Elizabeth (Mary Elizabeth Helt) are descendants of Lovina Lavinia (Keller) Helt, daughter of Mary and John, and sister to Elizabeth Keller Spracklin.  It places them in Johnson County, Kansas at this date. 

William F. Keller is the Grantee and Executor of his father John’s will.  He is the younger brother to Lovina and Elizabeth and it places him in Morrow County, Ohio at this date.

Recently I traveled to both Massachusetts and Ohio to dig into the research on Amarilla’s forebears and created another blog that will in more depth the Delano, Keller, Spracklin and Goss connections in Amarilla’s ancestral past.  It is too complicated and large for this Barclay blog.  This blog’s focus was on Amarilla’s and George’s life with references to her connections to these families.   That blog is titled “Solomon Goss of Fearing Township in Ohio.”   http://sgossfamily.wordpress.com/  I have placed a link under “Blogs I Like” to my other blogs.

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George Barclay Acquires Another Patent!

George continues to manage his land acquisitions and in 1884 he adds still more to his holdings and in that process he is acquiring a little more of the soon to be Pine River.  It is interesting that his location is Hennepin County in this patent?

4. Patent from BML – Cass May 10, 1884, St. Cloud #11834

#11834 Patent: G. A. Barclay of Hennepin Co., Minnesota, …St. Cloud, Minnesota whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said G.A. Barclay…and the acts supplemental thereto, for the north east quarter of the north west quarter of section six in township one hundred and thirty-seven north, of range twenty-nine west of the Fifth Principal Meridian in Minnesota containing forty acres, and eighteen hundredths of an acre…In Testimony Whereof, I, Chester A. Arthur… 10 of May 1884, etc…

#11834 Patent Added 1884

Click on the map and you will be able to study it in more detail.  Now that I am back from all my trips I can revisit all these land acquisitions and see if they are correct.  The Deed Mapper software is not as helpful in the land states as it is in the colonial states.

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A Deed: The Northern Pacific Railroad & George – 1883

Meanwhile, George A. Barclay continues to add to his land holdings.

My Aunt Miriam in her notes and the book  ”Logsleds to Snowmobiles“ mention the Northern Pacific Railroad purchase on June 7, 1883.

“…The final 80 acre purchase of the SE1/4 and the SW1/4 (Lot 7) of the SW1/4 of Section 31, Township 138, Range 29, (Barclay Township) was bought on June 7, 1883 from the Northern Pacific Railway Company for $329.36.” (Logsleds – book page 105, 2nd column at the top)

This purchase is a warranty deed 2 pages long which was filed at the Cass County Courthouse on October 30th A.D. 1883 at 9 a.m.  The Grantor was the North Pacific Railroad Co., Minnesota and Dakota Division to George A. Barclay, Grantee #4382.   It was for $329.36, Deed Book F, pg. 167-168.

“…assigns the following described tracts or parcels of land lying and being in the county of Cass in the State of Minnesota that is to say South east quarter of south-west Quarter (SE1/4 SW1/4) and Lot Seven (7) of Section Thirty-one (31) in Township one hundred and thirty-eight (138) north of Range Twenty-nine (29) West of the fifth principal Meridian containing according to the United States Government survey eighty-two 34/100 (82-34/100) acres more or less…

This deed is located in Barclay Township.  It is interesting to note that McNannie is not listed on this deed.   The other problem is that there is a difference in the two descriptions.  So I went back to both and reviewed them carefully to make sure I had transcribed them faithfully, which I have done.  Therefore I have boldy placed the square representing this deed on the map.  The arrow is pointing to the areas in question. 

#4382 Northern Pacific RR Deed is Added

DeedMapper software that creates deeds does not do small Lots for the land state lands like Minnesota.   The land was 82 34/100′s acres and again Deed Mapper created a deed of 80 acres which is slightly smaller than the original.   

So this is an approximation of the Northwest Railroad deed! A copy of the clerk’s book record is available by contacting the compiler or going to the Cass County Recorder’s office at the courthouse in Walker, Minnesota.

I returned to my DeedMapper Help section to make sure I had faithfully captured the topo map and that my deeds are correct and my acreage is right?  I have not reached a conclusion yet.  

So I ask that you are very careful and realize that this is not an easy task.  Please do not take my word for what you see in the maps, instead read the deeds and patents carefully and draw your own conclusions.  I do believe they are in the right area, just not sure about the acreage. 

The quote from Logsleds also says the “final.”  George and Amarilla left a tremendous paper trail in the Recorder’s office at Cass County, there are also some land transactions in the Crow Wing Recorder’s office.  I stopped counting at 40 today!  My spreadsheet is about 13 pages and double-sided.  Oh, did I mention surveying the land….again?  I am not done.    

Northern Pacific Railroad Guide to Company Records: 

http://nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu/findaid/ark:/80444/xv68060

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A daughter is born: Grace Amarilla 1882

Grace Amarilla Barclay was born on April 10, 1882 to George Angus and Amarilla Barclay.  There is no record that completely confirms where Grace was born but most of the records point to Pine River as her place of birth. 

There is a brief reference to a baby being born in the records of the Methodist Episcopal church but nothing specific. Grace’s entry into this world was not as dramatic as her baby brother. 

In 1882-3 Rev. J. A. Gilfillan reports the baptism of one infant at Pine River, crossing of that stream by the Leech Lake and Brainerd road.  Monday Sept 24, 1888 the Bishop confirmed one person.  

Pg. 82-83  Register of the Diocese of Duluth – almost in pieces.

I, Grace’s granddaughter have thoroughly studied the Register of Baptisms & Marriages by Rev. Whipple 142.F.15.3B 1859-1895 MHS and did not find any mention of Grace except for the above possible reference.  No deaths or burials either.

No actual birth record has been found about the birth of Grace.  Her death certificate from the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) gives this date as her birth date. 

See the blog:  The Man Who Lived Airplanes  posted dated July 18, 2010, July 26, 2010 on the death of Grace. 

In Grace’s father, George’s Civil War Pension file there is an affidavit that he signs and in that record he says that “Gracie” is his daughter and Amarilla is his wife.

Affidavit of Grace's Birth

I have no baby pictures of Grace but I do have a picture of her that I think was taken when she was very young. 

Grace Amarilla Barclay

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Life in Pine River – The Barclay Ranch!

There is a book titled: “Down the Mississippi” or “Down the Great River: Embracing An Account of the Discovery of the Mississippi” by Captain Willard Glazier that gives an interesting account of the ranch of George Barclay about 1881.

Headwaters of the Mississippi River - Lake Itasca

In July 2001, I followed up further at the MHS on the reference to Captain Glazier and “Down the Mississippi, (page 35).”  (#F354.655 1841-1905)    This book is not very large about 5 inches by 4 in size and it is bound in a leather cover and it is becoming quite fragile. 

In the table of contents under Chapter II “Through the Chippewa Country” he lists George Barclay …it reads:  “…Ride to Pine River.–Huge Logs and Boulders.–George Barclay.–Characteristics of Indians…….etc.”

Copies were made of pages 35, 36 and 37.  It does not give an exact date.  It does not mention Mrs. Barclay or any children just describes the ranch and accommodations.  The Table of Contents features a really good description of the chapters. 

Page 35-37: 

“After dinner we resumed our journey, with Pine River as the evening destination.  Sometimes in the road, sometimes out of it; now driving along the shore of a lake, and again over huge logs and boulders, it was voted that our ride to Pine River was unlike anything we had ever elsewhere experienced.  The ranch of George Barclay, the only white habitation between Gull Lake and Leech Lake, was reached at five o’clock in the evening.  Here we were most agreeably surprised to find very good accommodations for both man and beast.  Barclay is a decided favorite with the Indians, and his prosperity in this isolated corner of Minnesota is largely due to his friendly relations with them.  He is always supplied with guns, knives, beads, tobacco, and such other goods as are in demand by his dusky neighbors for which he receives in exchange furs, game, snake-root and such other products of the forest as find a ready market at Brainerd or Saint Paul.  Much valuable information was obtained at Pine River concerning our route to Leech Lake and beyond, the peculiar traits and characteristics of the Indians whom we were likely to encounter, and those persons at the Agency who could be of most service to us.  An excellent breakfast on the following morning, with the prospect of reaching Leech Lake, put my little party in the most exuberant spirits for the day……”

Page 148

“…several of my hearers showed their interest by coming large distances to the lecture, and one, George Barclay, a pioneer, told me he had brought his family thirty-seven miles with an ox-team to hear what I had to say about the old explorers.”  Private home in Brainerd, Minnesota August Eighteenth”

In trying to pin down the date or approximate time that Capt. Glazier visited G. Barclay, I found on page. 31 that Glazier headed for Brainerd on July 7, 1881.  He has included his description of George’s ranch in Chapter II – Through the Chippewa Country.  They headed for what is called the Government Road on July 12th to Leech Lake.  He stopped at Reuben Gray’s house who had a hotel/pioneer half-way house between Brainerd and Leech Lake at Gull Lake.  

The interesting thing is that there is no mention of the death of baby George just a little before the visit by Capt. Glazier?

This book is currently available for viewing at Google Books and is well worth reading.

Note:  The photograph above was taken at the headwaters site in the park at Lake Itasca.  They had to clean up the lake from the logging and fix this area with cement so that is why it looks so orderly.  Here is a link to the State Park website:  http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/itasca/index.html  I think I saw a red fox in the trees when we were there.

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A Tragedy: An Accident – Baby George Dies!

For many years I did not know how little baby George died.  I had been to the cemetery and viewed his tombstone next to his father but I didn’t understand why he had died so young?

On my last trip to Minnesota in 2007, I found a brief article in the Brainerd newspaper that described the whole ordeal.

George Alexander was only 18 months old.  He died on the 19th of June 1881 on the way to Brainerd from Pine River.  Apparently he drank  some German Cough balsam that was filled with probably codeine and his little body could not handle the amount of narcotic and he died en route probably in his mother’s arms as George tried desperately to get them to Brainerd and get help.  They were too late.

There is no mention of the death of the baby in the Whipple papers at the Minnesota Historical Society (Methodist Episcopal).  The papers are very difficult to read and I have actually looked at them twice to see if I could make out anything else. 

The article appears in the Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, June 25, 1881 under Local News – Death of Baby George A. Barclay.

1) Mr. and Mrs. G.A. Barclay desire to express their heartfelt thanks to the citizens of this place for their kind sympathy and attentions manifested during their recent bereavement, and for the assistance rendered during the last solemn rites at the funeral of their lamented child.

2) A sad occurrence transpired in the family of Mr. George Barclay, postmaster at Pine River, last Saturday.  Their infant child, about seventeen months old, had in some manner got hold of a bottle of German cough balsam , and drank the whole of it.  No physician being nearer Pine River than Brainerd, Mr. and Mrs. Barclay immediately started with the child for this place. But the effects of the potion were to speedy, as just upon arriving in town the child expired.  This is a very severe blow to the bereaved parents, and the sympathies of the community are heartily enlisted in their behalf.  The remains were interred in the Brainerd cemetery on Monday.

George Alexander is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Brainerd, MN location:  Center N 1/2 Lot 17 Block 7.  He is next to his father and mother, George and Amarilla Barclay.

George Alexander Barclay

Written on the tombstone for baby George is the following: 

Sacred to the memory George A. infant son of G.A. & A. Barclay died June 19, 1881 1 yr. 5 mo. 9 days.  Underneath this stone do lie as much virtue as could die which when alive did vigor give to us much beauty as could live. 

There is a little lamb on the top of the tombstone.  This tombstone is to the right of the father, George A. Barclay in Evergreen Cemetery in Brainered, MN.

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Pine River: June 1880

June 1, 1880 the U.S. Federal Census was enumerated for Pine River.  We find George is listed with a family but not much detail:

Source:  The George Barclay Family, 1880 U.S. Federal Census Pine River, Cass Co., Minnesota, SD 3, ED 218, pg. 10, Line 1:

Barclay, George, male, 30 years old, husband, tavern keeper, place of birth unclear.  Under George’s name is written wife, age 26 place of birth not indicated, child age 7/12, male born Minnesota.  The wife is keeping house. 

This census is not very clear and lists the family members under George as “wife” and “child” with no names given.  We do know that George has a family started and is living in Pine River.  

Along with George and his family there are two other individuals:  John Eins age 32 and Thomas [Nourling] age 62.  Both men are helping in the Tavern.  John is from Norway and the other is from Kentucky. 

There is only one page for Pine River listed for this census. 

This 1880 census lists as enumeration districts for Cass County as follows with the approximate number of people in parentheses:

The Chippewa Agency (21), Clayton (18), Gull Lake (19) and Gull River (135?), Hay Creek (2), Leech Lake Indian Reservation (6), Not stated – Twps 139 and 140 with 9 pages with children and wives listed (200+), Pelican Lake (3), Pillager (18) , Pine River (5) and West Brainerd (36). 

The birthplace given for George is also obscure and has the word “Native” written above another scribble that is very faded and difficult to read.  It might indicate he refused to answer or more likely he wasn’t home?

The listings from the above census enumeration districts had lots of families listed but most of the population was north of Pine River.

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A Son is born: George Alexander Barclay 1880!

It was a happy day in Pine River the 10th of January 1880 when George and Amarilla’s son George Alexander Barclay as born. 

On my second trip to Minnesota in July of 2001, I found the actual records of George Alexander’s birth that are mentioned in the “Logsleds…” book.  I did not find the actual quote from Rev. Benjamin Whipple that they feature in the book about the baptism of young George. I did find parish records recognizing the birth of the baby boy.   The collection of the Whipple papers at the Minnesota Historical Society is large and complicated and I have tried at least twice to figure it out. 

Source: “21, baptised George Alexander sone of  Geo A. & Amanda Barclay born 10 January 1880 Sponsors parents, Rev. I.A. Gilfillan at 1/2 ____ house.” (Very difficult to read) (Vol. 10 ,P1035, Box 43 Manuscripts, P.E. Church, Diocese of Minn. Vol 8-16 MHS). 

Source:  Whipple Register of Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths 1859-1895 1 Vol., #142.F.15.3B, Minnesota Historical Society.

“Baptisms: August 21, 1880, Pine River, George Alexander Barclay, Parents:  George A. & Ammanda Barclay, Sponsors and witnesses:  Parents and Rev. I.A. Gilfillan.  (Register of Baptisms, Marriages – Whipple Records 142.F.15.3B 1859-1895 1 Vol. – MHS) 

On page 106 first column there is an interesting account of the baptism of baby George in the Logsleds to Snowmobiles book.  This account was taken from The Whipple papers at the Minnesota Historical Society.  

It reads:  “Time evening. Log hotel in the woods, kept by a frontier man and his wife. She is eight miles from the nearest white woman, and between her and Brainerd, 36 miles distant, are just two of her sex. They are happily and contented all alone in the woods with the little infant son God has given them. The Bishop assembles all hands in the dining room and proceeds to baptize the boy. “Name this child,” says the Bishop. “George Alexander,” says the sponsor, the name of the father. “Stop,” says the exulting frontiersman. “George Alexander Barclay,” giving his own name in full. He wished all present and absent to understand that the boy was a Barclay.”

Based on what I have determined, I think it was the Rev. Gilfillan who did the baptism and the journal is housed in the Whipple papers which is a collection of the Rev. Whipple’s. 

There seems to be a little confusion regarding the actions of the father.  The son was named “George Alexander” while the father was “George Angus.”  Did George Angus Barclay name is son after his brother Alexander?

Based on the information from the 1880 census we know that there weren’t that many people in Pine River in 1880 so George and Amarilla were probably far from religious gatherings so they either took this as an opportunity to have their child baptised.  The other possibility is that George was not Catholic.  We see that there are two instances in which George and Amarilla interact with the Episcopal faith, 1) their marriage, 2) the baptism of their child. 

Both Rev. Whipple and Gilfillan are very extraordinary men and no matter which of the two men it was that stopped at the Barclay Ranch is was a major event. 

For Rev. Whipple:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Benjamin_Whipple

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1875-1876 Commissioner?, 1877 Postmaster, 1879 Patent

George and Amarilla settle in at Pine River.  George helps out the settlers before the county was organized in 1897.   He is given credit under the Cass County Commissioners for his assistance.

Source:  Cass County Heritage, Cass County Historical Society, Taylor Publishing, 1999.

pg. 23 – Cass County Commissioners – “Before the organization of Cass County in 1897, we were under the governance of a number of different counties. Prior to 1897 there were a number of men that intervened for the early settlers of Cass County, Charles Ahrens 1872-1875, George N. Bardwell 1872-1875, George A. Morrison 1872-1875, George A. Barclay 1875-1876, Reuben Gray etc.”

UPDATE:  In the Cass County Courthouse in the Bond Book A pg. 2 we find two entries:  1) Certificate of Election, Filed January 22, 1875 @ 11 O’clock in which George A. Barclay receives the highest votes and is therefore elected County Commissioner for the ensuing term.  2) Oath of Office in which George promises to “faithfully and impartially discharge the duties…” Dated at West Brainerd this 4th day of January A.D. 1875…” 

George also took on the role of postmaster for Pine River

Source:  Record of Appointment of Postmasters, #M841, Roll 63 NARA, Minnesota Counties Aitkin-Faribault Co., Target 14, Cass County, Vol. 39, ca 1871-81, Vol. 57 ca. 1881-1892, Vol. 84 ca. 1892-1930.

George A. Barclay was appointed the postmaster for Pine River in 1877 and continued till his death in 1898.  After him came Edward Coyle 5 Jan. 1899, James R. Kinler May 4, 1899, Eddie J. Holman Mar. 21, 1906, W. P. Stervant 24, Apr. 1914, Elmer Dahl, Irvin Lembke, Dec 2, 1924, Oliver Dahl Oct. 16, 1924 to 1930.

A little over a year after his marriage to Amarilla, George obtains another patent for land.  It is interesting that George states he is from Hennepin Co. and not Cass Co.

3. Patent from BML – Cass County –  9/23/1879 – St. Cloud #7946

#7946 Patent: George A. Barclay of Hennepin County, Minnesota, ….St. Cloud, Minnesota..whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said George A. Barclay… and the acts supplemental thereto, for the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section six in township one hundred and thirty-seven of range twenty-nine in the district of lands subject to sale at Saint Cloud, Minnesota containing forty-one acres, and twenty-one hundredths of an acre.  In testimony whereof., I R. B. Hayes… 23 of September 1879, etc…

 

 

 

 

 

NW qtr Sec 6 #7946

 

 

The Deed Mapper software does not do 21/100ths so what you see is an approximation of the patent of 41 and 21/100ths of an acre.  We are now carving out the town of Pine River as George adds to his land holdings.

So far we have about 233+ acres of land totalled for George A. Barclay at this time.  We still have more to go and we have not addressed deeds.

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Amarilla’s Origins in Iowa!

Amarilla Spracklin Barclay was most likely born near Blairstown in Benton County in the state of Iowa on the 17 of November 1858. 

Amarilla’s father was Daniel D. Spracklin and her mother was Elizabeth Keller.  Daniel and Elizabeth  married 1 January 1853 in Sparta, So. Bloomfield Twp., Morrow Co., Ohio. 

Source:  Marriage Records, 1848-1951, Index 1848-1948, Morrow Co., Ohio.  General Index V1A-10, 1848-1948 #388779 Item 1, Marriages v. 1A #388779 Item 2 1848-1858. Keller, Elizabeth to Daniel Spracklin Vol. 1A, pg. 119. Pg. 60, Spracklin, Daniel D. to Keller, Elizabeth on Jan. 1, 1853 by Joel Abbott JP.

I believe Amarilla was born near Blairstown because her father Daniel had land in Leroy Twp., Benton County, Iowa which is where Blairstown is located.   He had migrated from Ohio to Iowa.  According to the 1856 Iowa State census they were in Iowa by 1855.  There are problems with the index of the 1856 census but Daniel is there along with other interesting discoveries.

Benton County was organized as a separate county in 1846 with the town of Vinton as the county seat.  Blairstown was established in 1862.  The town of Marengo was incorporated in 1859 and was more established as a town at the time.  Marengo is the county seat for Iowa County, Iowa and has been since 1845 according to this website which gives a little history of Marengo, Iowa:  http://www.marengo150.com/default.htm 

The two towns are about 9 miles from each other with Blairstown being directly north of Marengo.  I drove the highway between the two towns and it is a nice drive through a canyon and over a hilly area.  Blairstown and Marengo are situated in flat land areas between these rolling hills. 

Between Blairstown & Marengo

Blairstown, Iowa

In the photograph above you see Blairstown in the distance and the water tower to the left.

Source:  Blairstown, 1862 to 1987, History – Town History.  I obtained a copy of this history book from the Blairstown Public Library which has  a genealogical collection.  At that time they were in a temporary building in 2003 so researching was a challenge.  The librarian was very helpful.  The genealogical collection is in the care of another individual through the Benton County Genealogical Society and that information is listed at the library website.  Apparently they are in their new building now, so it would be a much better experience to do research there. 

Here is the link:  http://www.blairstown.lib.ia.us/use-the-library/genealogy2

Benton Co. 1872 Atlas

Daniel’s land in Leroy Twp. is in two 40 acre sections straddling the double line that runs the entire page above, north to south.  He is slightly to the right of the middle of this picture.  If you click on the photo it will enlarge and look for two smudgy dots on each side of that long line.  The township page above is  from the 1872 Iowa County Atlas – Benton County, Leroy Twp. which I found at the Iowa County Genealogical Society.  Blairstown is in the upper right corner of the photograph. 

Be advised that the Iowa County Genealogical Society was in the basement of the Marengo Public Library but they did some renovations a few years ago and the society is now in North English.  See the links to the right on this blog.

Daniel moved to Dayton Twp., Iowa County, Iowa after this 1872 date and he appears in the 1874 Atlas of Iowa County, Iowa published by Harrison & Warner.  Daniel purchased the land in Dayton Twp.  at the end of 1872.  The land in Dayton Township is in the northeast corner of section 19 which is right next to the Poweshiek County line southwest of Millersburg and close to Keokuk County.  Marengo is twenty miles north of Millersburg.  So Daniel put some distance between his original land purchases in Benton County and moved south to Iowa County and obtained a lot more land, all in one large piece. 

To get a better idea of the distance from Blairstown I have below a copy of an atlas page of Iowa County showing Dayton Twp. and if you focus on the white square you can see about where the land was situated.  I am using Millersburg as a reference point.  

Historical Atlas 1875 of Iowa County, Iowa

I found this atlas at the Iowa Digital Library website for The University of Iowa and I chose the page for Iowa County.  http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/atlases  There are more counties listed at this website. 

I have deeds and more information regarding Daniel’s land holdings in Iowa and copies of atlas pages for Iowa County and Benton County. 

I did check newspapers around the time of Amarilla’s birth to see if I could find an announcement or discover her mother Elizabeth’s obituary for March 10, 1859 but I was not successful.  I did see obituaries but mostly news about the farming industry.  I also checked the bible records at the Iowa Historical Society in Des Moines and did not find anything to confirm my theory. 

Amarilla’s mother Elizabeth died four months after her birth. Daniel her father remarried in 1863 to Sarah Blacketer Allgood.  They had seven more children as I have mentioned in a past post. 

Amarilla was born in Iowa and was not unfamiliar with living on a farm and that lifestyle.  So in my opinion this made her adapt well to life on the frontier in Pine River, Minnesota in 1878 after her marriage to George Angus Barclay. 

Amarilla’s family the Spracklins is a very large family and I have been researching them for many years.  There are many others who have done a great deal of work on this family line.  There is Mayflower and DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) connections in Amarilla’s ancestry through both her father and her mother sides and it spans the early history of our country and if I shared all of the research that I have on her family it would take a blog all by itself and it would be a major undertaking. 

The scope and focus of this blog about the Barclay’s is about George and Amarilla’s life together.  In future posts Amarilla will be touched by her Spracklin and Keller families as events unfold in her life.

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