William Dunbar – Born in Ohio, Grew Up in Mo Co then Kept Going West

The first born to Lewis and Polly Powers Dunbar was William, who came into the world June 25 in 1823, near Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio. He came with his parents, two brothers and two sisters, to Sugar Creek Township where he grew up and married Martha Waugh whose family came to the same area about the time the Dunbars did. Milo Waugh, Martha’s father, was also born in Ross County, Ohio, wife Elizabeth Kious born in Ohio, as well. They would have a dozen children, Martha, their oldest who sadly they lost at such a young age. She was born August 20th in 1829 in Ohio, married William June 21 in 1846 but sadly passed away the very next year in August. Not sure the reason but would guess childbirth or complications, although William has no child with him and second wife, Sarah Burckhalter in the 1850 census which makes little sense since the two of them also had one before the census. In a few family trees this William is marked as passing away not long after birth but too much points to this being incorrect, so here goes for the correct version, I hope! His picture is also found in the Benavidez Family Tree on Ancestry with Mary Polly’s picture as well. Not 100% positive this is William but 99% sure it is not Polly’s picture included (not the right clothes, few pictures taken before 1850 and she looks old and would have only been in her 40s, thus if anyone, likely William’s second wife Sarah Burkhalter).

In 1850, Lewis lived in Sugar Creek Township, alone raising his nine children, while William is next door not far away in Boone County as a young married (having married 24 Feb 1848) with Sarah. Whether bad memories, cheap land, other family members heading that way, this couple decided to head west and that they did, by the 1860 census where they appeared in the town of Hopeville in Doyle Township, Clarke County, Iowa. How could you resist the name of that little village? He is listed as a farmer with a small place and five children, all listed with initials, making them a bit hard to trace. In the 1863 Civil War Draft listing he is a farmer in Doyle Township age 40 born in Ohio.

So, who are his children? Sadly, they lost about as many as they raised. David was the twin to Goliath (with one interesting story) who were born August 16th in 1861 in Des Moines. Although Goliath lead a fairly long life, David passed away at age 18. Their brother, George Simon (1864-69) was but five and another brother, Horace passed at a dozen years.

Will and Sarah’s oldest was Susanah Martha born near Colfax on 8 March 1849. She is not with them in the 1850 census which is very odd, but is in the 1860 and her death record (20 Jan 1921) states William and Sarah as her parents. Susanah married George Samuel Hesseltine, a butcher and they were parents of four sons and three daughters.

Next up was Mary Jane born April 22 in 1851 in Sugar Creek Township, MoCo., grew-up in Washington County Iowa and married Lewis “Taylor” Stout (who was born in Brighton, Iowa on Christmas Day in 1848), quite a handsome man when she was but 16 years old. They were parents of seven daughters (Sarah, Martha, Druzilla, Minnie, Laura, Mary Jane and Ida as well as four sons Lewis, John, Walter and Perry Fremont). Not sure where the Fremont is from but it seemed to be a popular name in William Dunbar’s family. Taylor and Mary Jane moved to Greenleaf, Kansas where they passed away and are buried.

The next Dunbar child was John born November 3rd in 1853 while still in Indiana and passed away June 19, 1932 in Moscow, Idaho. When he was 23, he visited Lewis and Sarah Summers Dunbar, his grandparents and met and fell in love with Rachel Dunham. They lived in Washington County, Iowa for 40 years then moved to Moscow. He had been a rural mail carrier and later a janitor, as they raised two children: Mattie and Claude.

Druzilla was I believe the first of the children born in Iowa. She married Charles Johnson, son of Zeb and Melinda on July 6th in 1881, with her brother “Goliath” witnessing the marriage. She was just 37 when she passed away in 1897. She had at least three boys (Laban; Charles and Grover).

The twins were next and above, you see that David died at age 18 and his twin brother Goliath Guy has an interesting story. On May 31, 1882, he married Minerva George. They had at least two children, Martin and Margaret. Later, he married Margaret Briscoe who survived him. In the meantime, I would guess when he wed Minerva, he became a Catholic and changed his name to Joseph Anthony Francis Dunbar. He passed away 17 Oct 1924 at age 63 and is buried in St. John’s Catholic Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. He was quite a real estate mongrel.

The last one born named for his father was born Feb 9, 1870 in Brighton, Iowa passed away in Buchanan County, Missouri and is buried in Greenleaf Cemetery, in St. Joseph with his wife, Harriet. He worked for many years at the St. Joe Light and Power Company. Do not believe they had children as in his short obituary it just mentions nieces and nephews.

Thus, you have the first child in the Lewis M. and Polly Powers Dunbar Saga. He ventured to the west, becoming a fairly large farmer, producing nine children, at least 25 grandchildren and beyond. His sons farmed, were in the real estate business, worked for the early light and power companies and some sadly, passed young. His daughters married farmers and remained close to their father. Good family, one in which Lewis M. Dunbar would be proud.

– Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County. You can reach her at [email protected].