Franklin Keller ^{1 2 3 4 5 6}

  General Notes:

Grandfather's Keller's Pioneer Days

KELLER, MCINTOSH, FELTON, FORMAN

Posted By: Jenny Bailey <cezanne893@hotmail.com>
Date: 8/29/2003 at 21:16:32

"Grandfather's Keller's Pioneer Days", written by his grandson, Neil Morrison, Jr., November 23, 1924. From the Warren County [Iowa] Genealogical Society Newsletter, Indianola, Iowa 50125, date unknown.

"My grandfather, Franklin Keller was born in Barbour County, West Virginia, March 21, 1831. His parents, John and Lucinda Keller were natives of old Virginia. Grandfather was the oldest of a family of fourteen children. He grew to young manhood in West Virginia, where he was married to Ellan [sic] Jane Mc-Intosh [sic], January 16, 1851. Grandfather became the father of twelve children, six boys and six girls. He moved from West Virginia to Iowa having came [sic] by water to Keokuk, Iowa. He landed there March 21, 1854, having taken two weeks to make the trip. Here he hired a man to haul his household goods with his team of oxen to Eddyville, Iowa.

My grandfather spent his first night in Iowa in the little town of Farmington on the Des Moines river [sic] in Van Burean [sic] County. Here he and his brother-in-law, Abraham Felton, who had came [sic] from West Virginia with him purchased a team of oxen and started on foot for Warren, driving the first day a distance of twelve miles. He stayed over night with an old gentleman who was very kind and who made them feel at home. He carried the children into the house for them.

The old gentleman seeing Grandfather was a stranger advised him to leave his family there until he could find a location which suited him. Grandfather rented a house in Van Burean [sic] County for six months. It was now the sixth of April. By the first of May he had buried his two little children who were born in West Virginia. The two little children were buried in the little town of Boneparte [sic]. At the time of the children's death he came down with the measles. After the doctor and funeral expences [sic] were paid grandfather's last penny was spent. He then indeed realized his condition without money and among strangers. He commenced working in a brick yard in the little town of Vernon. By working at any and everything he could find to do he saved enough money, and on the twenty fourth of September started on foot for Warren County.

On the thirtieth of September Grandfather was in the place where New Virginia is now situated. The wild prairie grass at that time was four feet tall. Grandfather with the assistance of William Forman Sr. commenced to survey to find a suitable location. After surveying a week he decided to locate on the place now known as the Neil Morrison farm, where he lived and remained until his death. Here he began the construction of a log cabin, cutting down the trees and hewing out the logs to make it. By the twentieth of November he had his little cabin under clapboard roof, and moved in without chinking or doubing [sic] the cracks and without doors or windows and with old mother earth for a floor. A quilt hung in the place of a door and the chimney was made of sod. The water was carried from the place known as the Lee Keller farm.

After the cabin was completed he began splitting rails to fence his farm with. In order to do this Grandfather went to the creek and chopped down the trees and cut out the rails by hand. There were neither roads nor bridges in those days. The creek had to be forded to get the logs across.

The wild prairie grass grew very high and heavy in those days, and when it was dry it might cause a terrible fire so he had to make fire guards to protect his buildings from the fires. He did this by plowing several furrows around his buildings. He also protected them by backfiring. This was done on mild days by setting out a small fire and making it turn back from the buildings for several yards. Great caution had to be taken because when the fires come they come with great speed. The people fought the fires by wetting quilts or coats and beat the fire out.

Farming implements were scarce in grandfather's day's and most of them were made by hand. Grandfather had one plow and he used a team of oxen to plow with. He cradled the grain and threshed it with a hickory flail. Their crops consisted of corn, wheat, barley, rye and flax from which the material for the clothing was spun. There was wild fruit to be found in the woods in abundance: plums, wild crabs and wild grapes which they made good use of. Also walnuts, hazel and hickory nuts which they enjoyed very much in the long winter evenings.

At first Grandfather's light was the open fireplace, but later they used tallow candles made by their own hands. They had no matches so they brought fire from flint rock by striking it against steel. The spark would ignite any dry and light thing, so they were very careful not to lose their fire and kept it covered well in the fireplace.

The cooking was done in the fireplace with very few cooking utensils; the chief one being a large iron oven which swung from the center of the fireplace. In this oven the cornpone was baked in, but the potatoes and meat were roasted in the fireplace. Dainties were scarce in those days but what they did have was very good and nourishing. Their meat consisted of wild game such as rabbit, quail, squirrels, wild turkey, goose, duck and herds of deer; but grandfather was never fortunate enough to shoot a deer.

The Indians would frequently come through in tribes, set up their tepees [sic] and camp. Of course the feathers which the Indians wore attracted the attention of the white children. As also did the blankets of many colors which the squaws donned; the blankets which we prize so highly today. The Indian squaw was always decorated with many strings of beads. She always had beaded garments of brilliant shades. She carried her little papoose fastened to a board on her back. When the squaws came to the different homes to beg they would stand the little papooses down by the door. The tribes would always travel on Indian ponies and would always have some ponies to trade to the white men.

In those days the large prairie wolves were numerous and would howl around the cabin at night. The wolves would often carry off the young of the flocks. One night when grandfather was away at work a large prairie wolf came and kept howling around the cabin so long it frightened grandmother terribly. It would come right up and sit down by the door (which was only a quilt) and howl. Grandmother thought sure it would come in the room and kill her, and the baby. She threw some meat out the back door, then slipped out the front door and went to the nearest neighbors a mile and a quarter away.

My grandfather helped organize Squaw township and acted as clerk at the first election. He put the first ballot into the ballot box.

Grandfather was one of the Charter members who founded the Mount Tabor society in March 1855. The people of the neighborhood held meetings at the different homes until the spring of 1857 when the new school house was built on the south-east corner of Grandfather's farm. The people worshipped there until the year of 1874, when the church was built. This church still stands as a place of worship and as a memorial to the early pioneers.

Grandfather worked on a brickyard located on Squaw Creek south of where L .D. Forman lives. The bricks were used by the early pioneers. Some of the old brick houses still stand as pioneer landmarks. Grandfather had a brother eighteen years old who had came out from West Virginia to visit him. He would go with Grandfather to the brickyard to help work. One very hot day in August this young man became very hot, [and] he got on a spring board (which the men had fixed) and jumped into the cool water to bath[e]. It threw him into chills and he became unconscious, a burning fever set in and he died a few days afterward. There being no one who knew anything of embalmbing [sic] and no trains he was buried here in Iowa. This was a sad incident in grandfather's life.

In the days of my grandfather there were no groves [of trees] and nothing for protection from the severe winter storms which were so much longer then the ones we have now days. Sometimes grandfather's cabin, stables and sheds would be snowed from sight. One terrible stormy night when the snow and wind was blowing fiercely it blew the snow through the cracks in the cabin and made a large drift across the room and covered Grandmother and Grandfather up.

Grandfather lived on the same farm in Warren County fifty eight years. Grandfather was married over fifty six years when Grandmother died. He was very sad and lonely when she died. After her death he lived on in the old homestead. Later my father and mother moved in to care for him. He lived five years and six months after grandmother's death. He died at the ripe old age of 81 years and six months.

One of Grandfather's well known sayings was, "old Iowa is the best state in the union," and "Warren County is the best county in the state."

Thus in the years between 1854 and 1912 Grandfather saw our Iowa grow from a wild uninhabited prairie to one of the most prosperous agriculture [sic] states in the union. The state famous for, "out where the west begins," and "Land where the tall corn grows."

[all punctuation in the original]
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  Burial Notes:

Mt. Tabor Cemetery, Warren County, Iowa:
Franklin Keller, 3rd great grandfather of Mae Broyles
This cemetery is land that Franklin donated after the death of his brother, Jackson, in 1856, one of the first burials. Many Kellers are buried here.
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  Noted events in his life were:

• He has alternate birth date of 1830 and a birth location of Virginia.

This birth year was referenced by his age of 30 on the 1860 census.
. ⁵

• He appeared on the 1860 US Census in Squaw Township, Warren County, IA on 18 July 1860. ⁵

1860 US Census
Page 180, Roll 341, Dwelling 1263, Family 1218
Squaw Township, Warren County, Iowa
Frank Keller..30..VA..Farmer
(Living with wife and 3 children.)

NOTE - If his birth date was 21 Mar 1831, then his age should have been 29 instead of 30.
.

• He appeared on the 1880 US Census in Squaw Township, Warren County, IA on 30 June 1880. ⁴

1880 US Census
Page 420C, District 234, Dwelling 59, Family 60, Roll 0368
Squaw Township, Warren County, Iowa
Frank Kellar..Self..49..WV..Farmer
(Living with wife and 6 children.)
.

• He was buried after 22 September 1912 in the Mount Tabor Pioneer Cemetery in New Virginia, IA.

Plot: Row 5
Find A Grave Memorial #10791069
. ⁶

• His obituary was published in the Unknown newspaper after 22 September 1912 in , Warren County, IA.

⁶ Franklin Keller was born in Harrison, Virginia on the 21st day of March 18 31, and departed this life Sept 22, 1912, at the ripe old age of 81 years and 6 months, at the old homestead, which has been his home ever since coming to this state in 1854. His wife preceded him to the better world about 5 years ago, they having lived together over fifty-six years. They were among the very earliest settlers of this part of the state and were among the twenty-eight charter members that founded the Mt. Tabor society in March 1855. All of these members having gone to their reward except Mrs. Lucy Masterson, now of Glenwood, Iowa, and N. E. Stickel, of New Virginia, Iowa. He was married to Ellen Jane McIntosh Jan 16, 1851 in West Virginia. Here two children were born to them and with these they came to their western home in the spring of 1854, settling first in Van Buren county. Here they buried their two children. In the fall of the same year they came to Warren, where they entered the farm on which he has resided for fifty-eight years.

They were the parents of twelve children, four having died in infancy, the rest living to manhood and womanhood, are married with families of their own. Two of them, John and Rebecca, died leaving families. Six remain. They are Bollovia, Mrs. Rosa Sanders, Charles, Lee, Mrs. Cyrena Morrison and Mrs. Ida Taylor, all striving to serve the God of their father and mother, with a hope of meeting the loved ones gone before. They were all with him during his last days, also a brother, Ira Keller, of West Virginia, lovingly and tenderly ministering unto him. He often spoke of the loving care of his children. He leaves, besides his children to mourn his loss, three brothers, Allen, Morgan and Ira, four sisters, Mrs. Minerva Bryan, Mrs. Hester Murphy, Mrs. Lura Proudfoot, and Mrs. Lucinda Woodford, also thirty-three grandchildren, nineteen great-grandchildren, and a host of friends. He was converted at the age of 16 years in the old log church at Pleasant Creek, West Virginia, of which church he remained a member until marriage, when he changed his membership to the Ebenezer class bringing his letter from this class in Iowa. He had a clear conversion and his testimony was always clear and direct concerning the saving power of God and the wonders of His grace. He was a true man of God and though sorely afflicted in the last few years of the life, he bore it all with patience that becometh God's children rejoicing in the love of God. He was a faithful and loyal member of his church which he loved so dearly, and in his last hours spoke of his church as dearest of all to him. How often have we heard him say, Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth. He has finished his course here yet his works will follow him.

His funeral service was conducted at the house by Rev. C. K. Corkill, his pastor, song, Jesus Lover of my Soul, and prayer, after which the body was taken to Mt. Tabor church, of which class he has been a member fifty-seven years. The scripture lesson the 91st Psalm and 23rd Psalm using the 15th verse of the 116th Psalm, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints, for his text. The opening song, How Firm a Foundation, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, Nearer my God to Thee, Jesus is Mine, Asleep in Jesus. The church and casket were beautifully decorated with flowers. Something near forty years ago he was made a Mason and was a member of Neophyte Lodge, No. 301 at New Virginia, Iowa. After the sermon the Masons rendered their beautiful burial service and the body was laid to rest by the side of his wife at the Mt. Tabor cemetery.

(Source: Unknown Newspaper, Warren County, IA, Sep 1912)
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Franklin married Ellen Jane McIntosh, daughter of Elijah Benjamin McIntosh and Rebecca Sayre, on 16 January 1851 in , Harrison County, VA.^{1 2 3 4} (Ellen Jane McIntosh was born on 15 December 1828 in Pleasant Creek, VA,^{1 2 3 4 5 7 8} died on 20 February 1907 in , Warren County, IA ^{1 2 3 8} and was buried after 20 February 1907 in New Virginia, IA ^{3 8}.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1860 US Census in Squaw Township, Warren County, IA on 18 July 1860. ⁵

1860 US Census
Page 180, Roll 341, Dwelling 1263, Family 1218
Squaw Township, Warren County, Iowa
Frank Keller..30..VA..Farmer
Jennie Keller..31..VA
John Keller..5..IA
Lucinda Keller..3..IA
Bolivy Keller..1..IA
.

• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in Squaw Township, Warren County, IA on 30 June 1880. ⁴

1880 US Census
Page 420C, District 234, Dwelling 59, Family 60, Roll 0368
Squaw Township, Warren County, Iowa
Frank Kellar..Self..49..WV..Farmer
E. J. Kellar..Wife..51..WV..Keeping House
Boliva Kellar..Son..21..IA..Farmer
Rosa Kellar..Dau..15..IA
C. B. Kellar..Son..14..IA
Lee F. Kellar..Son..12..IA
Serena Kellar..Dau..10..IA
Ida Kellar..Dau..6..IA
.

  Marriage Notes:

Mt. Tabor Cemetery, Warren County, Iowa:
Franklin Keller, 3rd great grandfather of Mae Broyles
This cemetery is land that Franklin donated after the death of his brother, Jackson, in 1856, one of the first burials. Many Kellers are buried here.
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