Westward They Came

The Biography of the Thaddeus R and Sarah K Webb Family

by Colletta Yerka

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Thaddeus & Sarah

Thaddeus R. Webb (aka T. R. Webb) was born 9 Jan 1805 in Ohio. He was the son of Clayton Webb and Jane Riggs.[1] Clayton was a Captain in the Ohio Militia in the War of 1812. On 3 March 1855, Congress passed an act that granted bounty land to certain officials and soldiers who had been engaged in the military service of the United States.

Clayton received one hundred sixty acres for the time that he spent in the military. After his death, this land was given to Jane through warrant #20866.[2]

The land was located in Ellsworth township of Meeker County, Minnesota.[3] Jane assigned the rights of this land over to Thaddeus, who took possession of it in 1856.

Sarah K. Farmer was born in England on 26 June 1819. When she was eight years old she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio with her family.

Thaddeus and Sarah were married in 1840. There were three daughters born to them, while they were in Ohio; namely, Cemantha B. (aka Belle C.); born around 1840, Mary E (aka Minnie E); born 18 July 1844, and Emma J. (aka Jennie E.); born around 1853.[4] They moved to Meeker County, Minnesota in 1856.[5] A fourth child, Thadeus C.(aka Prescott C.) was born to them in 1861, in Meeker County. There are no records of this birth taking place except on the 1870 federal census that lists him as being nine years old and living with Thaddeus and Sarah’s family.

As settlers began to arrive in increasing numbers, they were taking over the hunting grounds of the Dakota Indians. The government had promised to pay them for their land but the money was not forthcoming. Hungry and facing starvation and the loss of their lands, a few bands of Indians began to attack the settlers in 1862. The Civil War was raging back East and down South and Minnesota’s governor, Alexander Ramsey, had sent troops to help fight for the cause of the North, leaving fewer men to defend the western frontier of Minnesota. When the governor received word that the settler’s were under attack out on the prairies of western Minnesota he sent help to squash the uprising. Many of the pioneers fled from the area and went back to their homes in the East. A few of them stayed behind to protect their claims. Sarah and the children went back to Cincinnati to wait out the uprising. Thaddeus stayed behind to protect his land. A. C. Smith, who was the president of the Bar and Old Settler’s Associations, provides us with the following account.[6]

Two weeks after the attack on Hutchinson, Caleb Sanborn having been killed at Cedar Lake the day before, a small party, consisting of Lewis Harrington, Frank Jewett, T. R. Webb, Dave Hern, Nath. Pierce, Daniel Cross and Silas Greene came out from Hutchinson for the remains of Sanborn. When north of Cedar Lake woods, three guns were simultaneously fired by unknown hands, and Cross fell mortally wounded. Five of the party, less Webb, sprang into the double wagon and made their escape round the lake. Webb took to a small boat on the lake and paddled for Cedar Island where he was compelled to spend the night. The Indians lined the lake shore during Webb’s retreat, but not until he had reached a safe distance did he turn to the red skins and place his thumb to his nose- thus inviting them to come where he was if they wanted him.

The next morning Webb returned to Hutchinson, and as he approached town, met some fifty persons coming out to look up him and Cross.

When it was safe to return to Meeker County, Sarah and the children returned.

According to Frank Lamson,[7] the financial panic of 1857 checked all immigration and during the period between 1859 and 1860 there were few who sought homes within the town of Ellsworth. The Indian Outbreak of 1862 depopulated the town and very few settlers continued to reside within the limits of the town during this trying period.

On July 31st 1865, Henry C. and Eugenia B. Farmer of Franklin County, Ohio granted Thaddeus C. Webb power of attorney to deal with their land in Meeker County as he saw fit.[8] On September 14th 1865,  Lowell S. Weymouth purchased the property for three hundred fifty dollars.[9] Lowell S. Weymouth was the son of Samuel and Phoebe Weymouth of Clinton, Kennebec Co., Maine.[10]

Thaddeus and Sarah remained on their farm the rest of their lives and made many improvements. In the back of the 1870 census book, located at Meeker County Courthouse in Litchfield, MN, the farmers gave an accounting of their farms.

Thaddeus gave the following account of his farm:

Acres of land improved– 25.

Woodland– 48 acres.

Present Cash Value:

Farm $3,000.00

Machinery $50.00

Total of wages paid, excluding board– $100.00

Livestock as of June 1st, 1870

4 Milch cows

2 working oxen

9 other cattle

5 swine

Total value $350.00

Spring wheat– 144 bushels

Indian Corn– 20 bushels

Oats 100 bushels

Peas and Beans 10 bushels

Irish Potatoes– 10 Bushels

Orchard Products $6.00

Dairy Products–

Butter 150 pounds

Hay 15 tons

Total value of all farm produce, improvements and additions to stock– $650.00

On July 8th 1871, Thaddeus made out his last will and testament. Each of his four children were to receive $50.00 paid out of his personal property by Sarah. Sarah was to have whatever was left over after paying all his just debts and funeral expenses.[11]

On January 21st of 1885, Sarah and Thaddeus sold forty acres of land, located at the NE¼ of the NE¼ of section 32 in township 118N R30W to Prescott for the sum of $500.00.[12]

Death of a Pioneer

T. R. Webb, of Ellsworth, one of the most prominent of the pioneer settlers of Meeker County, died at his home on the shores of picturesque Cedar Lake in the town of Ellsworth last Friday. Though over 86 years of age he was still in fair health. On Thursday he was the victim of an accidental fall down a stair, and received such injuries that death ensued the following day.

T. R. Webb was a native of Ohio, and settled with his family in Meeker county on August 8th, 1856. He was born Jan. 9, 1805.

The funeral took place yesterday, with interment being made in the Litchfield cemetery.[15]

In a special session of probate court held on April 21st of 1891, Charles H. Strobeck, Judge of Probate, accepted Thaddeus’ Last Will and Testament into court. It was recorded in Book “B” of wills on page 235. Sarah was appointed the administrator of the estate and was to give an accounting, of her administration, over the estate to the court. The Letters of Administration were filed on April 21st 1891 and were recoded in Book “A” of letter of Administration on page 205.

On April 19th 1892, Sarah sold 79.55 acres of land to Prescott for the sum of twenty five hundred dollars. It was located on the NW ¼ of the NE ¼ and lot 2 in section 32 of township 118N R30W.[16]

On June 4th of 1895, Sarah sold forty acres, more or less, to each of her three daughters for one thousand dollars each. Emma, who was now married to William Farmer was living in Nebraska. Belle, who married Lowell Weymouth was living in Fresno, California and Mary who married Charles Stinchfield, was living in Columbia, Brown County South Dakota.

Sarah continued to live in her home on Cedar Lake up to the time of her death on the 20th of July 1904. The following obituaries ran in the local newspapers:

Mrs. Sarah K. Webb

Mrs. Sarah K. Webb died Wednesday evening of this week at the age of eighty-five years. The deceased settled near Greenleaf village in the year 1856. The Funeral services were held yesterday afternoon at 1 o’clock from the Greenleaf Presbyterian church. Internment was made in the Litchfield Cemetery.[17]

Aged Pioneer Passes Away

Death of Mrs. Sarah Webb of Greenleaf. Resident there for 48 Years.

Mrs. Sarah Webb, one of the few survivors of the earliest pioneer days of this vicinity, passed away at her home on Cedar Lake, near Greenleaf, Wednesday evening, July 20th at 7:15 o’clock aged 85 years.

Though Mrs. Webb and her husband and children were one of the three first families to settle in that locality, others being Dr. V. P. Kennedy and the Whiteman family, only about half of her life has been spent in Minnesota.

Coming to her frontier home when 37 years of age, she was regarded as a mother by all the younger settlers of the neighborhood for many years, and her ministrations to all in the vicinity were those of a mother.

When the terrible Indian war came on Mrs. Webb and her children returned to their former home in Cincinnati, Ohio, until it was safe for them to return, but her husband remained on the their homestead throughout all the trouble, at the greatest risk to his life. Since then she has lived continually on the same place.

Sarah K. Farmer was born in England June 26th, 1819 and came to America when eight years of age, the family locating in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was married to T. R. Webb in 1840, and in 1856 came with her husband and children to the extreme frontier of Minnesota.

The family was one of the best known in this section in the earlier days. There are four children, Mrs. L. S. Weymouth now of Fresno, Cal., Mrs. C. H. Stinchfield of Waubay, S.D., Mrs. Wm. Farmer of Minneapolis and one son, P. C. Webb, who still resides on the old farm. Mrs. Stinchfield and Mrs. Weymouth lived in Meeker County for a good many years after their marriage. Mr. Webb’s death occurred fourteen years ago.

Mrs. Webb’s death came after only about two weeks’ sickness, and was due only to her very advanced age. She was in full possession of her mental faculties up to the last, though she had been partially blind for the past sixteen years. Her death was peaceful and her son and two daughters, Mrs. Weymouth and Mrs. Farmer, were with her at the end. Her granddaughter, Miss Grace Stinchfield, has cared for her since the early spring.[18]

The following pages will give an account of each of Thaddeus and Sarah’s children.

Belle C. Webb

Belle C. Webb became the bride of Lowell S. Weymouth on October 26th 1865. They were married in St. Paul, Ramsey County, MN by Herman Bisbee; a minister of the Gospel. Their witnesses were John DeGraw and M.H. DeGraw.[19] After their marriage, Lowell and Belle returned to live on Lowell’s land in the town of Greenleaf.

Lowell and Belle became the parents of one son, Harry H. Weymouth born in the Village of Greenleaf in 1867. There is no record of this birth except on the 1870 federal census, which lists him as three and living with Lowell and Belle.

On November 15th 1884, Lowell and Belle sold the property they had purchased from the Farmer’s, through a mortgage to John and Mary Johnson.[20] Lowell and Belle were living in Hennepin County at the time of this sale. One year later, Lowell and Belle sold the rights of this mortgage to Prescott C. Webb for the sum of eight hundred dollars.[21]

On July 13th of 1886, H.C. and Eugenia B Farmer, now residing in Kenton Co. Kentucky, signed a Quit Claim Deed granting L.S. Weymouth the farm land.[22]

John and Mary Johnson would eventually get this land paid off.

By September 9th 1892, Harry, Lowell and Belle’s son, had moved west and purchased land in Fresno, California.[23]

On June 4th of 1895, Sarah, who was now a widow, sold Belle forty acres of land in section 32 of township 118 N R30 W. in consideration of having received one thousand dollars.[24] Lowell and Belle sold this land to Prescott for fourteen hundred dollars on May 6th 1905. Prescott was living in Hutchinson, Minnesota at the time of this transaction.[25]

In 1907 Lowell and Belle, in consideration of one dollar, signed a quit claim deed on the property that they owned in the Village of Greenleaf and granted Ira Pratt the rights to these two lots.[26]

On the 1900 census Lowell was listed as a dairyman, living in Fresno County CA.

By 1910 he had switched to raising poultry. The Weymouth’s were still living in Fresno County as of April 24th 1910.  Harry was working as an electrician in April and was still a single man living at home with his parents. By May 6th he had moved to Pacific Grove in Monterey County and was working in the collections department for the electric company.

Lowell passed away sometime between 1910 and 1920 as on the 1920 census Belle is listed as a widow and is living in San Jose, Santa Clara Co. CA. Harry is now married to Clara M. and is living in the Oak Grove Precinct of Santa Clara County. He became a fruit farmer by this time.

Belle passed away sometime between 1920 and 1930.

I have been unable to locate Harry and Clara after the 1920 census.

Jennie E. Webb

I am not sure how Jennie Webb and William Farmer came to know each other, unless they had met while Jennie was still living in Ohio, but the fact remains that they did meet and were married on March 1st, 1874 by L. Y. Bailey, a minister of the Gospel. The wedding took place in Greenleaf, Minnesota. L. S. Weymouth and Belle C. Weymouth were their witnesses.[27]

William G. Farmer was born in Ohio in February 1850.[28] On the 1850, Fulton Township, Hamilton County, Ohio Census there is a William E. Farmer born to George C. Farmer and Sarah J. Farmer. William was listed as being four months old. By 1860 they had moved to Williamsburg Township, Clermont County, Ohio. William was nine and was listed as William G. Farmer. He had been joined by two siblings, Jenny B. and George C. Junior.

By March of 1874, William was living in Lee County, Iowa. After William and Jennie were married they returned to Iowa to set up housekeeping.

Their first child, Roy W. Farmer was born in October of 1877 in Iowa.[29]

By June of 1880, William and Jennie had moved to Minneapolis. It was interesting to note on the 1880 census that they were now neighbors to Lowell and Belle.[30] Lowell was a baker and William was a clerk in a retail store. This raises the questions of weather or not Lowell owned his own bakery and was William working for Lowell?

Three more sons joined William and Jennie’s household while they were living in Minneapolis. Carl P. was born in June of 1881, Fredrick F. was born in January of 1883, and Lee was born in January of 1889.

In June of 1895, when Sarah K. Webb sold some of her property to her daughters, Emma and William were living in Nebraska.[31] By 25 March 1907, when Emma sold this property to Charles F. Lewerenz, Emma and William had returned to Hennepin County, Minnesota.[32]

On the 1900 Federal Census for Minneapolis, Hennepin Co. Minnesota, it shows no employment for William or Emma, who are now fifty and forty-six, respectively. Roy has become a telegraph operator and Carl and Fredrick are working as machinists. Lee is in school.

By 1910 William and Emma have moved up to Duluth.

Carl P. Farmer is living in Duluth and is married to Annabelle. They have one son, Carl L.

Fredrick, (aka Fred R) is living in Duluth and is married to Ida L. They have two children, Ralph E.; age 2 and Mavis R. age not readable.[33]

Lee, (aka Robert Lee), was living in Duluth at the time of the birth of Robert Preston in 1912.[34]

Robert Lee was married to Mary V. Labaque.

I did not find them on the 1910 Census records but found them on the 1920 Federal census for Los Angeles Township, Los Angeles, CA.

Robert and Mary had another son, William Francis who was one and one-half by January of 1920.

William and Emma were living with them. William was working as a salesman in a retail grocery store.

In April of 1930 Robert Lee and his family are still living in Los Angeles. Robert is managing a printing office.

William G. Farmer has passed away and Emma moved in with Carl and Annabelle.

Carl and Annabelle were also living in Los Angeles in 1930.

Emma passed away between the 1930 census and before the California Death index starts in 1940.

I have been unable to find where Roy went but I found a death certificate at the Minnesota Historical Society for a Roy W. Farmer. The certificate number is 1921–MN–020666. This record can be obtained online by going to the Minnesota Death Certificate Index at http://people.mnhs.org/dci. From there it is possible to find where he passed away and from this information it may be possible to find an obituary for him. That might be our only possibility of finding out information for Roy.

Minnie (Mary) E. Webb

Minnie E. Webb and Charles H. Stinchfield were married by Jesse Smith, a minister of the Gospel, on February 22nd, 1866 in Greenleaf, Meeker County, Minnesota. Thaddeus and Sarah Webb were their witnesses.[35]

Charles H. Stinchfield was born in Maine on October 3rd, 1836.[36] During the Civil War he served as a Captain in Company E. of the 4th Minnesota Infantry. He enlisted on September 26th 1861 and was discharged in September of 1865.[37]

The following service record can be found through Ancestry.com:

American Civil War Soldiers Record about Charles H Stinchfield

According to the 1870 Census, Charles and Minnie were living in Cedar Mills, Renville County, Minnesota. They had one son, Edwin, who was two years old. By the 1880 census, Cedar Mills had become part of Meeker County.

Charles and Minnie were living in the town of Cedar Mills. Charles’ occupation was listed as farming. The 1880 census states that Charles and Minnie had three children, however birth records at the courthouse in Litchfield indicate that there may have been another daughter.[38] On the 1880 census, Grace; was nine and Fanny was five. Edward on the 1870 census was known as Charles E. on the 1880 Census.

Sometime between 1880 and 1890, the Stinchfield family moved to Columbia, Brown County, South Dakota. In 1895, when Sarah Webb sold land to each of her daughters, Mary received the NW ¼ of the SE ¼ of section 29 in township 118N. R30W.[39]

Mary retained the rights to this land up until her death in September 1906.[40]

On March 16th 1907, a Final Decree was issued in the matter of the Estate of Mary E. Stinchfield in the Probate Court of Meeker County, Minnesota. Decree number 41913, granted the rights to Mary’s family for the land which was in Meeker County.[41] The Stinchfield’s sold this property to Charles F. Lewerenz on the 16th of March 1907. Charles H. and his daughters were still living in Brown County, South Dakota. Charles E. was living in Walsh County, North Dakota.[42]

On April 15th, 1910, when the Federal Census was taken, Charles H. Stinchfield, who was now 75 years old, was living in the State Soldier’s Home in Hot Springs, Fall River County, South Dakota.

Charles E. was living in Warrenton Township, Warren, Marshall Co. Minnesota with his wife Mary.[43] It appears that he may have been a superintendent at an elevator.

Fanny was working as a bank teller in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

I could not locate Grace on the 1910 census.

Charles H. Stinchfield passed away on 12 October 1911. His body was sent back to Litchfield, Minnesota to be buried next to Minnie and their son, William.

I could not find birth or death records for William in Meeker County. His tombstone does not give birth or death dates on it. While searching the internet for information on this family I came across the following information about William:

He was born and died on 11 Feb 1867 in Cedar Mills Township.[44] At that time Cedar Mills was part of Renville County, Minnesota. His records, if there are any, would be in Renville County.

The 1920 census gives the following information about Charles E., Grace, and Fanny:

Charles and his wife are still living in Warren, Minnesota.

They have two children; Frank E. and Grant P.

Grace E. is married to William A. Abbott and is living in Malibu Township, Los Angeles County, CA.

Fanny’s whereabouts are unknown.

The 1930 census gives the following information:

Charles and his family are still in Warren. Charles has become the auditor for the grain company.

Grace is now a widow and is still living in Los Angeles.

She has taken in boarders, all of whom are nurses. Among them is Fannie M. Stinchfield, her sister.

Charles E. Stinchfield passed away February 2nd, 1946 in Marshall County, MN.[45]

Mary J. Stinchfield (Charles’ wife) passed away December 8th, 1945 in Marshall County, Minnesota.[46]

Grace passed away on November 13th, 1955 in Los Angeles, CA.[47]

Fannie passed away December 2nd, 1957 in Los Angeles, CA.[48]

The Social Security Death index has listings for Frank E. Stinchfield; born 26 Mar 1913, died 29 Jul 1997 and Grant Stinchfield; born 26 Mar 1913, died 29 Jul 1997 The dates of birth for these two individuals appears to be correct, however they would need to be researched further to confirm that they were in fact the children of Charles E. and Mary Stinchfield.

Prescott C. Webb

Out of all of Thaddeus and Sarah’s children, Prescott seems to be the most elusive.

Although he continued to hold onto the family farm for many years he eventually sold the property and moved south to Hutchinson, McLeod County, Minnesota.[49]

I drove down to Glencoe to go through the county records to see what I could find on Prescott. I spent a good portion of the day pouring over the land records, marriage records, death records and even the birth records but found very little information on him.

He had several pieces of property on the south end of Hutchinson, but eventually sold them, with the exception of the property where his brass foundry and home were located. This property was out by the fairgrounds.

My next step was to go back up to Hutchinson and go to the McLeod County Historical Society to see if they might have any information about him. I was fortunate to find the following marriage announcement for him and a young lady by the name of Izetha Bogert:

Bogert—Webb

A wedding in which there was a considerable dash of romance was that which was consummated in Dubuque, Iowa, March first, at the residence of Rev. Geo. L. Cady, a Congregational minister. The groom was Mr. P. C. Webb, originator, promoter, and proprietor of the Hutchinson Brass Foundry, located near the fair grounds. The bride was Miss Izetha Bogert, a young lady not many years along in her teens, and who, along with her little sister, Florence, was discovered by the groom in a friendless and penniless condition in River Falls, Wis.

His generous heart was touched and, though a bachelor, he possessed the paternal instinct. They were orphans and he proceeded to make them his daughters by adoption.

This was two years ago. In those two years the elder girl changed from short to longer skirts and into a charming stage of early woman-hood. Mr. Webb began to have “a feelin’ in his heart” which was different from the feelin’ which first caused him to pity the forlorn girls and then adopt them, but the different feelin’ was all for the older sister. Cupid was crowding out the father—that’s plain to be seen. And Izetha became enmeshed in love’s web- or Webb’s love- and not long ago the two decided that—not withstanding the disparity in ages—they would “make a team” and to avoid any possible legal complications over the matter of the erstwhile adoption of the bride by the groom they went to Iowa to have the knot tied, and it was securely tied under the laws of that state and in the presence of two witnesses.

The couple returned to Hutchinson last week happy as larks in spring-time and settled down in a cosy little home which the groom had provided near his workshop and foundry. The groom is an honest, upright and hardworking citizen, but not so prosaic that he cannot enjoy his first voyage on the matrimonial sea if it begun under circumstances romantic and different from the ordinary. The bride, though young in years, is bright and ambitious and there is every reason for hoping that the happy pair will continue to be happy.[50]

In my efforts to find more information on Prescott and where he and Izetha may have gone, I went back to Litchfield to see if the newspapers from that time frame would yield any more information. I found the following information in the Litchfield Saturday Review of March 9, 1907:

Making Toy Engine

P. C. Webb at his foundry near the fair grounds is at work on a cheap but practical toy steam engine which can be sold at about $12 and which will run light machinery in a boy’s workshop. A Minneapolis firm has encouraged Mr. Webb to design such an engine with the promise of taking all he can make. He is confident that he can make such a machine within the price limit and if he succeeds, this work alone will give his shop a steady run of work. He already has a model well along towards completion.[51]

To date (February 21st, 2006), I have been unable to find out if Prescott and Izetha continued to live in Hutchinson or if they moved away. I have not been able to find any census or death records for them. I find it hard to believe that some one could just fall out of sight but Prescott and Izetha have managed to elude me.

For those of you that may come looking for family, I hope that this biography will aide you in your quest for answers. There are a number of people out there who have much more information on these families that would be more than willing to help you trace your ancestry.

If you go to RootsWeb.com, on the internet, and type in “Thaddeus Webb”, it will pull up information about Thaddeus Webb. Click on “World Connect” and you will be taken to a site that you will connect you with family. Good luck with your quest for knowledge! Until next time, Happy Hunting!

Colletta Yerka

68694 244th St.

Dassel MN 55325

colletta53@hotmail.com