In 1854, during the late summer and fall, Samuel Andrew Thompson (1827-1865, 4^th child) and Morris Jackson Thompson (1829-1918, 6^th child) sons of Zachariah Caleb and Priscialla Albaugh Thompson, removed from Harrison/Carroll Co., Ohio, to the Brush Creek/Taylorsville area of Fairfield Twp., Fayette County, Iowa. The two brothers traveled by railroad to the Ohio River, than down the Ohio by flatboat, up the Mississippi River to Dubuque and into the Brush Creek area on the Mission Road by wagon pulled by Oxen, probably a horse or two, perhaps a cow, plus a few basic tools and wares of the day. Fayette County, Iowa had only been open to white settlers since the late 1840’s and the total population of the county was only a few hundred European descendants at the time Samuel and Morris arrived. They were in reality some of the first pioneers into the area.

When the two Thompson brothers made their trip to Iowa, Samuel was 27 and was married to Martha Jane Sherman who made the trip with him. They had no children yet, the first Mary Priscilla was born in 1855, probably in Fairfield Twp., on their first land claim, just 1 ½ miles west of Taylorsville, Iowa (Taylorsville no longer exists in 2000, but the cemetery is still present). Samuel and Martha’s second child, Amanda Katura was reportedly born near the Grannis Creek area in 1856, which was several miles NW of the original land claim near Taylorsville, and only about a year plus after arrival in the area. The two brothers were reported to have lived about six years west of Taylorsville so there is an unknown in the accuracy of that "story" from the "Biographical Album of Fayette County," and to the actual residence of Samuel. Samuel appears to have been doing a lot of traveling around Fayette County during the late 1850’s, probably claiming, buying and selling land, as well as breaking ground and farming with Morris near Taylorsville.

It is possible that Samuel had been breaking farm ground near the Grannis Creek area, had a cabin and farmstead there, as well as farming with Morris back at Taylorsville. That may explain the birth of Amanda K. and the other children near Grannis Canyon. It would appear that like most of the other early settlers/farmers that the first years of pioneer farming in the area were extremely difficult with many people not making it, and others just holding on to an existence. Morris was 25 at the time of the migration from Ohio, and had been married for four years to Sarah Jane Brown, who with their son Othello D. (1852-1924) made the migration. Sarah Jane apparently was pregnant with John A. (1854-1914), who may have been born along the way, or early upon arrival in the Taylorsville area. Morris had apprenticed as a blacksmith at the age of 17, so was an experienced Smith upon arrival in Iowa, and probably put his skills to use right away, making his own tools, tools for his brother Samuel and perhaps other early settlers. Morris would utilize that trade for many years, as well as the farming skills learned through the family in Ohio. Thus the initial Thompson settlers in Fayette County consisted of the two brothers, their wives, and the two very young sons of Morris J.

As of this date (9/2000/BZ), land ownership in Fayette, Iowa, has also been found for two other brothers. In 1860, William Thompson had land in Illyra Twp., a few miles north of Wadena. In 1865 brother Alexander is recorded as selling land near West Union, and in 1867 had land several miles west of Brush Creek. Father Zach I Caleb Thompson would buy land in 1865 on the southern edge of Brush Creek. Martha Sherman’s brother Josiah Sherman bought land with his brother-in-law Samuel Thompson, early in 1865, just before Sam would leave for Ohio, and die along the way. Thus Josiah seems to have removed to Fayette County by 1865, and apparently was the only sibling of Martha Sherman to make the trip, the other family members staying in Ohio. Martha would eventually remarry M.F. Little quit sometime after Samuel’s death in 1865. M.F. Little farmed just to the NW of Brush Creek and about a mile N of the long term farm of Morris J. Thompson who was appointed guardian of Samuel’s children. If is probable that for some years after the death of Samuel that Martha and the children lived on the farm of Morris J., which would have been 2 miles W of Brush Creek.

The next trip to the Fayette County Courthouse will be a land records "re-search." If anyone has information/correction/discussion on land transactions and relocation’s, please post to me. As of 9/2000, I am looking for the exact year that the other members of Zach I and Priscilla's children moved to Brush Creek. We know that Sam and Morris came in 1854. William was in Fayette Co. by 1860 ("Thompson Genealogy" states that William accompanied Morris J. to Fayette Co., but this is incorrect, it was Samuel Andrew, 8/2000/BZ), Alex by 1865, Catherine in 1877. Eli, Martha Thompson Allen, Allen and David B., the remainder of the family would also end up in Brush Creek.

MORRIS J. THOMPSON from, "The Portrait and Biographical Album of Fayette County, Iowa, 1880"

Morris J. Thompson has for thirty years resided upon his farm on section 31 of Fairfield Township. Add to that period seven years and we have the length of time in which he has resided in the county. He was born in Carroll County, Ohio, September 3, 1829, and is of Scotch descent.

Looking backward many years we find Morris conning his lessons in a log schoolhouse that is furnished with slab seats, a huge fireplace in one end and desks along the wall. He only attended in the winter season and then was frequently absent on account of the work upon the farm requiring his services. He was early inured to hard work and at the age of seventeen began to learn the blacksmith’s trade which he followed until twenty-five years of age when he came to Iowa. He made the trip with his brother Samuel, and the journey was accomplished by means of the railroad, the lakes, the Mississippi, and ox-teams which bore them to their destination. He purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land a short distance east of Taylorville at $3 per acre which exhausted his capital. Here Morris endured many hardships and privations such as fall to the lot of a pioneer and did much hard work. He was forced to go bare-footed some of the time and often worked out of doors in cold weather without shelter, shoeing oxen. He and his brother Samuel walked five miles to cut logs for their house; eating frozen dinners in the woods and when the cabin was built lived in it from April to Christmas without a window. Morris and Samuel came to Fayette County in the fall of 1854, and having lived for seven years upon one farm purchased his homestead in 1861. The land was wild and unimproved but he at once began its development and now has two hundred and forty acres under a high state of cultivation, furnished with the necessary buildings and in connection with this he has enough to keep him in his declining years in peace and plenty. Beside farming he engaged in blacksmithing for thirty years.

LAND RECORDING DATA COLLECTED FROM THE FAYETTE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 8/1990/BZ

---November, 1854, the following is a copy of a land sales in 1863, which apparently is the initial "purchase" of land by Samuel and Morris Thompson when they removed to Fayette County, Iowa------September 8, 1863, Morris Jackson Thompson sold in Fairfield Twp., N ½, NE ¼, Sec24, T92, R7 (This is 80 acres two miles to the east of Tayorsville on the county line with Clayton County. This was rolling timbered land with medium and wet grass prairie in the bottoms.), recorded in book O, page 11. THIS IS PROBABLY THE INITIAL LAND CLAIMED BY SAMUEL AND MORRIS THOMPSON IN NOVEMBER OF 1854, when the two brother arrived in Fairfield Twp. This is 3 ½ miles E and 1 ½ miles N of Brush Creek. It is probable that Samuel transferred his portion of this land to Morris by 1863, and that Morris sold this parcel to buy the farmland 2 miles.

---November 13, 1854, brothers Samuel Andrew Thompson and Morris Jackson Thompson bought in Fairfield Twp., the N ½, NE ¼, Sec 34, T92, R 7 (This is 80 acres 1 ½ miles SE of Brush Creek and was along the east side of the Mission Road to Fr. Atkinson. In 1873, the railroad would cut NW across this land, and in 1865, their Father Zach C. would move to brush creek and farm the land just to the west of this acreage. The land in this area was a variety of tall grass and wet grass prairie with small tree lined creeks running through it. At this time it would have unplowed, uncut, unused virgin prairie county. ), recorded in book P, page 416.

--- November 13, 1854, brothers Samuel Andrew Thompson and Morris Jackson Thompson bought in Fairfield Twp., NE ¼, SW ¼, Sec 3, T92, R7 (This is 40 acres of hilly, timbered land with a deep valley creek running through it. Wood for log buildings, fires, building, tools, etc., was absolutely necessary for the success of any pioneer farming endeavor, therefore almost every early settler out in the prairie area to the S, SE, W and NW of Brush Creek, had to own at least a small parcel of timbered land to the N of brush creek, or have enough creek/river bottom timber to get along.), recorded in book P, page 416.

---March 26, 1855, Samuel Andrew Thompson and Morris Jackson Thompson, bought in West Union Twp., the NW ¼, NW ¼, and NE ¼ , NE ¼ Sec 17, T94, R8, and E ½, NE ¼, Sec 18, T94, R8 (This is 160 acres of timbered land with a creek running diagonally through it, located immediately bordering the west side of present day West Union (2000). Then the are was a few log cabins and a merchant or two, known as Knob Prairie), recorded in book P, page 360. Perhaps in the Winter of their arrival the two brothers traveled up the Mission Road, past Fayette, Iowa, then straight north to Knob Prairie finding an area to lay claim too. They may have been going to Knob Prairie to register the land near Brush Creek and also looking for new land.

---November 11, 1856, Samuel Andrew Thompson bought in Westfield Twp., W ½, SW ¼, Sec 36, T93, R8 (This is 80 acres of rolling hills with timber and prairie bottoms, 1 mile south and 3 ½ miles east of Fayette.), recorded in book I, page 124.

---January 14, 1859, Samuel Andrew Thompson bought in Oran Twp., S ½, SE ¼, and the NW ¼, SE ¼ of Sec 7, T91, R10 (This is 160 acres of tall and wet grass prairie a mile west of the Wapsipinicon River, and 1 miles west and 4 ½ miles north of present day Fairbanks, or 20 miles west and 3 miles south of Brush Creek.

---January 14, 1859, Samuel Andrew Thompson bought in Oran Twp., S ½, SE ¼, and the NW ¼, SE ¼ of Sec 20, T91, R10 (This is 160 acres of wet grass prairie, slough land, brushy bottom land timber on the west side of the Wapsipinican River, 1 miles north of present day Fairbanks, or 20 miles west and 6 miles south of Brush Creek.), recorded in book K?, page 23.

---April 16, 1859, Samuel Andrew Thompson sold in Westfield Twp., W ½, SW ¼, Sec 36, T93, R8 (This is 80 acres of rolling hills with timber and prairie bottoms, 1 mile south and 3 ½ miles east of Fayette.), recorded in book K?, page 23.

---July 20, 1860, William H. Thompson bought in Illyria Twp., SW ¼, NE ¼, Sec 10, T93, R7 (This is 40 acres of very hilly timbered land, 3 miles directly north of present day, 2000, Wadena), recorded in book J, page 597. William (1823-1894) is the oldest son of Zach C. and Priscilla Thompson. This is the first land transaction found for William in Fayette County, thus apparently he made the migration in late 1859 or early 1860 at the age of 37, with wife Jane Capper (1825-1905), son Stewart (1848-1894), daughter Eliza A. (1851-1919), son David C. (1852-1924), and daughter Hanna Priscilla (1857-1922).

---April 30, 1862, Samuel Andrew Thompson bought in West Union Twp., NE ¼, Sec 7 and N ½ of NE ½, Sec 18, T94, R8 (This is a total of 240 acres 1 miles W/NW of West Union in the same area Samuel bought 45 acres of timber land in 1855. This new land was a combination of rolling prairie land and wet grass prairie bottomland with a creek running through it.

---September 8, 1863, Morris Jackson Thompson bought in Fairfield Twp., E ½, NW ¼ , Sec 32, T92, R7 (This is 80 acres 2 miles west of the "six corner intersection" at the S side of Brush Creek.), recorded in book n, p 295. THIS FARM APPARENTLY IS THE FINAL HOMESTEAD FARM AND MAIN LAND HOLDING OF MORRIS J. THOMPSON

---September 8, 1863, Morris Jackson Thompson sold in Fairfield Twp., N ½, NE ¼, Sec24, T92, R7 (This is 80 acres two miles to the east of Tayorsville on the county line with Clayton County. This was rolling timbered land with medium and wet grass prairie in the bottoms.), recorded in book O, page 11. THIS IS PROBABLY THE INITIAL LAND CLAIMED BY SAMUEL AND MORRIS THOMPSON IN NOVEMBER OF 1854, when the two brother arrived in Fairfield Twp. This is 3 ½ miles E and 1 ½ miles N of Brush Creek. It is probable that Samuel transferred his portion of this land to Morris by 1863, and that Morris sold this parcel to buy the farmland 2 miles

---October 14, 1863, Samuel Andrew Thompson bought in Smithfield Twp., E 5/8, NE ¼, Sec 36, T 92, R8 (This is 100 acres 3+ miles west of the "six corner intersection" at the south side of Brush Creek, and two miles just west of the land Morris Jackson registered in this same year.), recorded in book O, page 388.

---October 14, 1863, Samuel Andrew Thompson bought in Fairfield Twp., N ¾, E ½ , SE ¼ , SWW ¼, Sec 9, T92, R7 (This is 20 acres of hill timber 3 miles straight N of Brush Creek), recorded in book O, page 388. Again, these small woodland plots would be land utilized for woodcutting.

----October 14, 1863, Samuel Andrew Thompson bought in Westfield Twp., W ½, SW ¼, Sec 36, T93, R8 (This is 80 acres of rolling hills 1 ½ miles S and 3 ½ miles east of Fayette, just to the west of the timber land in the area.), recorded in book O, page 389.

---December 1, 1863, William Thompson sold in Pleasant Valley Twp, N ½, SE ¼, Sec 18, T94, R7 (This is 80 acres of basically hill timber 4 miles straight west of present day Elgin.), recorded in book ), page 485.

---March 17, 1864, William Thompson bought in Smithfield Twp., S ½, W ½, and NW ¼, S ¼, Sec 27, T92, R8 (This is 225 acres of tall and wet grass rolling prairie six miles west of the "six corner intersection" and was 2-3 miles west of the land owned by brothers Samuel and Morris.), recorded in book R, page 108.

---January 10, 1865, Samuel Andrew Thomspon and Josiah Sherman (Sam’s brother-in-law, Martha’s brother) bought in Smithfield Twp., W ¾, W ½, NE1/4, Sec 36, T92, R8 (This is 60 acres of tall and wet grass prairie 3 ½ miles straight W of

"Six corner’s" at the south edge of Brush Creek, and in the area of final settlement of Morris J.), recorded in book R, page 63.

---April 5 1865, Alex Thompson sold in West Union Twp., E ½, E ½, NE ¼, Sec 25, T94, R8 (This is 40 acres of hilly timber land, 1 miles W of Brainard, or 2 ½ miles S, 4 miles east of West Union.), recorded in book R, page 152.

---April 7, 1865, SAMUEL ANDREW THOMPSON DIED ON THE WAY BACK TO OHIO, AND WOULD BE TAKEN THE REST OF THE WAY TO RUMLEY TWP. AND BURIED IN ALLEN MEMORIAL CEMETERY. It would appear that by this time Samuel had bought and sold considerable property in Fayette County. Since the land holdings were so dispersed around the county, one can speculate that Samuel was spending time traveling throughout the county exploring for land holdings, and at a very early time in the history of the county. In the future Samuel’s brothers would sell some of his land, so they apparently acted as executors and guardians of his six children who where 1-10 years old at his death. Presently, I do not know what the arrangements for his wife Martha Sherman were, or who in the Sherman family might have also been Fayette County at this time. Where the family lived, or by what means is unknown at this time. Martha’s burial is unknown, 9/2000/Z.

---Summer, 1865, the father and mother of the Thompson boy’s who had removed to Fayette Co., Iowa, were now joined by their Parents, Zachariah I Caleb and Priscialla Albaugh Thompson. Zach I would purchase 120 acres at the south edge of Brush Creek. The SE part of the "Six Corner Intersection." The diagaonal of the Mission Road would run through his property.

---March 1966, Morris Jackson Thompson, sold as Administrator of Samuel Jackson Thompson, to Josiah Sherman, in Smithfield Twp., W ½, W ¾, W ½, NE ¼, Sec 36, T92, R8 (This is 30 acres of prairie land that was 3 ½ miles west of "six corner intersection" on the south side of Brush Creek), recorded in book X, page 561. It has to be assumed that this is Martha Sherman’s brother Josiah (1838-1923), thus other members of the Sherman family from Carroll/Harrison Co., Ohio must have migrated to Fayette Co., Iowa.

---June 14, 1867, Alexander Thompson, bought in Smithfield Twp., W ½, NW ¼, Sec 24, T92, R8 (This is 80 acres of wet and tall grass prairie 1 miles N and 4 miles W of Brush Creek.), recorded in book Z, page 491.

---May 2, 1868, William Thompson Guardian of the Minor Heirs of Samuel Andrew Thompson, sold in Westfield Twp., 2/3 undeveloped, W ½, SW ¼, Sec 36, T93, R8 (This the 80 acres that on November 11, 1856, Samuel Andrew Thompson bought in Westfield Twp, of rolling hills with timber and prairie bottoms, 1 mile south and 3 ½ miles east of Fayette, recorded in book I, page 124.), recorded in book Y, page 463.

---May 18, 1868, William David Thompson, sold in Pleasant Valley, SE ¼, SE ¼ , Sec 1, T94, R7 (This is 40 acres of timbered hard hill country, 2 ½ miles N and 1 mile E of Elgin Iowa on the Clayton Co. line.) recorded in book Y, page 485.

---May 18, 1868, William David Thompson sold in Oran Twp., W ½, NW ¼, of Sec 6, T91, R 10 (This is 80 acres of mainly wet grass prairie on the west fringe of the Wapsipinican River bottom timber.), recorded in book Y, page 515. This may be land that William’s brother had acquired in his wanderings around the county, as in 1859 Samuel had claimed land in Oran Twp., north of present day Fairbank.

---January 2, 1869, Morris Jackson Thompson bought in Fairfield Twp., SW ¼, SE ¼, Sec 29, T92, R7 (This if 40acres of tall and wet grass prairie 1 ¾ miles west of "six corners intersection", on the north side of the road.), recorded in book 28, page 20. This land is close to the other Thompson holdings west of six corners.

---April 1869, William David Thompson sold ?, see record note, recorded in book H2, page 334.

---October 8, 1870, William David Thompson bought in Auburn Twp., W ½, off N side of SE ¼, NE ¼, Sec 33, T95, R9 (This was a 12 acres timbered area in the NW part of Fayette Co., 3 miles N and 6 miles W of West Union), recorded in book 31, page 331.

--- November 1, 1870, William David Thompson, bought in Illyria Twp., SW ¼, NE ¼, Sec 1, T93, R7 (This is 80 acres of very hilly timbered land 3 miles E and 4 miles N of Wadena, and on the Clayton Co. line. By this time much of the timber had been cleared, the thin forest soil plowed and row crops put in where possible, especially on the lower slopes and bottoms. Much of the land was pastures, hogs and some cattle were allowed to run wild.), recorded in book 30, page 492.

---October 12, 1872, Alex Thompson bought from William Thompson, in Auburn Twp., undeveloped ½ of 13 acres in SE ¼, NW ¼, Sec 34, T95, R9 (This hilly timbered land very near or bordering on the Turkey River, 1 ½ miles S and 1 ½ miles W of Auburn, or 5 miles west and 3 miles N of West Union.), recorded in book 33, page 521.

---December 17, 1886, Morris J. Thompson sold for Sam Thompson in Fairfield Twp., W ½, E ¼, NE ¼, NW ¼, Sec 3, T92, R7 (This is 5 acres hilly forested land 4 ½ miles N and 1 miles E of Brush Creek, and 3 ½ miles N of Taylorsville.), recorded in book Z, page 5.