[WED]Re: Wedmore to Iowa
Carol Raithel
wedmore@lists.tutton.org
Tue, 11 Feb 2003 20:20:23 -0600
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As a native Iowan born ,raised and still living near Dyersville, I =
thought you might like to hear from a descendant of immigrants from =
Wedmore in the late 1840' s-1850's. Dyersville and Manchester are =
located about 18 miles from each other in eastern Iowa. Manchester is =
directly west of Dyersville and about halfway in between is the small =
town of Earlville, where I was born and still live. My gr.gr. =
grandfather Jeremiah Gibbs homesteaded land 2 miles south of Earlville =
in 1852. He emigrated to America between 1845&1848 to Onondaga County , =
NY near Jordan where his parents were living. By 1850 he was living in =
Wisconsin and in 1852 he homesteaded land south of Earlville, along =
with his wife and 6 children. Jeremiah's land was just several miles =
west of land homesteaded by his cousin George Gibbs who had come to =
Dyersville area with James Dyer , a few years earlier. Word of mouth =
passed down thru the generations was that Jeremiah came to this area in =
Iowa on the recommendations of his cousin George about the "good farming =
land here".Four or five other Gibbs cousins from the Wedmore area also =
came to this area around Dyersville and many are buried in the Earlville =
cemetery. =20
Apparently about the same time that Dyersville was being first =
settled by the English, small communities to the north, namely New =
Vienna, Luxemburg , Holy Cross were being established and settled by =
Catholic Germans, as were communities to the immediate south, namely =
Worthington and Cascade. As the land prices rose, many of the English =
families sold their original properties for a profit and moved westward =
to cheaper land( probably one of the reasons James Dyer also helped =
establish Manchester to the West) The German families bought many of =
these farms from the English and that is how Dyersville became and =
still is such a predominantly Catholic city , as are the communities to =
the North and South.
As a child growing up in Earlville in the 1940's , Manchester was =
predominantly Protestant, Dyersville was predominantly Catholic and =
Earlville was about 1/2 of each. I also remember hearing the Curry =
name being familiar in the Earlville area in the early 1900's -- this =
coincides with Sandy McGinnis's earlier posting about a Roper girl =
marrying a Curry and settling west of Dyersville . I was born in =
1936, a fourth generation Gibbs. My father was married to a wife of =
German ancestry . With a mixture of English/Irish/ German bloodlines---I =
guess I'm a true American!
Carol Raithel
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob & Sandi McGinnis" <mcginnis@arn.net>
To: <wedmore@lists.tutton.org>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 5:12 PM
Subject: Re: [WED]Wedmore to Iowa
> The book on Dyersville written in 1939 takes up the question of why =
the
> English left England to come to the states, Iowa & Dyersville
particularly.
> The author felt that they were not fleeing any specific problem but =
came
> because they wanted to better themselves and had learned of the
> opportunities available from letters written by the earliest settlers.
> As to a specific religion, I agree it didn't seem to be a reason for =
the
> English settling at Dyersville and surrounding area. There was & =
still is
a
> large German Catholic settlement there but that was not an influence =
for
the
> English as far as I can tell. My family left Wedmore via Bristol to =
NY
and
> then to Burlington, Racine County, Wisconsin in the late 1840's and =
the 3
> Roper sisters--married to a Tincknell, an Evans & a Curry --were in =
Iowa
> just west of Dyersville farming by 1853. Their father, Hugh Roper, =
was
> Baptist but after reaching Iowa the families joined the Methodist =
church.
> Sandi McGinnis
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT size=3D2>As a native Iowan born ,raised and =
still living=20
near Dyersville, I thought you might like to hear =
from a=20
descendant of immigrants from Wedmore in the late 1840' s-1850's. =20
Dyersville and Manchester are located about 18 miles from each other in =
eastern=20
Iowa. Manchester is directly west of Dyersville and about halfway in =
between is=20
the small town of Earlville, where I was born and still live. My =
gr.gr.=20
grandfather Jeremiah Gibbs homesteaded land 2 miles south of =
Earlville in=20
1852. He emigrated to America between 1845&1848 to Onondaga =
County ,=20
NY near Jordan where his parents were living. By 1850 he was living =
in=20
Wisconsin and in 1852 he homesteaded land south of Earlville, =
along with=20
his wife and 6 children. Jeremiah's land was just several miles =
west of=20
land homesteaded by his cousin George Gibbs who had come to Dyersville =
area with=20
James Dyer , a few years earlier. Word of mouth passed down thru =
the=20
generations was that Jeremiah came to this area in Iowa on the =
recommendations=20
of his cousin George about the "good farming land here".Four or five =
other Gibbs=20
cousins from the Wedmore area also came to this area around Dyersville =
and many=20
are buried in the Earlville cemetery. </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> Apparently about the same =
time that=20
Dyersville was being first settled by the English, small communities to =
the=20
north, namely New Vienna, Luxemburg , Holy Cross were being established =
and=20
settled by Catholic Germans, as were communities to the immediate south, =
namely=20
Worthington and Cascade. As the land prices rose, many of =
the=20
English families sold their original properties for a profit and moved =
westward=20
to cheaper land( probably one of the reasons James Dyer also helped =
establish Manchester to the West) The German families bought many =
of=20
these farms from the English and that is how Dyersville became and =
still=20
is such a predominantly Catholic city , as are the =
communities to the=20
North and South.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT size=3D2> As a child growing =
up in=20
Earlville in the 1940's , Manchester was predominantly Protestant, =
Dyersville=20
was predominantly Catholic and Earlville was about 1/2 of=20
each. I also remember hearing the Curry name =
being=20
familiar in the Earlville area in the early 1900's -- this =
coincides=20
with Sandy McGinnis's earlier posting about a Roper girl marrying a =
Curry and=20
settling west of Dyersville . I was born in =
1936, a=20
fourth generation Gibbs. My father was married =
to a=20
wife of German ancestry . With a mixture of English/Irish/ =
German=20
bloodlines---I guess I'm a true American!</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT size=3D2>Carol Raithel</DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT size=3D3>----- Original Message -----<BR>From: "Bob & =
Sandi=20
McGinnis" <</FONT><A href=3D"mailto:mcginnis@arn.net"><FONT=20
size=3D3>mcginnis@arn.net</FONT></A><FONT size=3D3>><BR>To: =
<</FONT><A=20
href=3D"mailto:wedmore@lists.tutton.org"><FONT=20
size=3D3>wedmore@lists.tutton.org</FONT></A></FONT></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D3>><BR>Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 5:12 PM<BR>Subject: Re: =
[WED]Wedmore to Iowa<BR><BR><BR>> The book on Dyersville written in =
1939=20
takes up the question of why the<BR>> English left England to come to =
the=20
states, Iowa & Dyersville<BR>particularly.<BR>> The author felt =
that they=20
were not fleeing any specific problem but came<BR>> because they =
wanted to=20
better themselves and had learned of the<BR>> opportunities available =
from=20
letters written by the earliest settlers.<BR>> As to a specific =
religion, I=20
agree it didn't seem to be a reason for the<BR>> English settling at=20
Dyersville and surrounding area. There was & still =
is<BR>a<BR>>=20
large German Catholic settlement there but that was not an influence=20
for<BR>the<BR>> English as far as I can tell. My family left =
Wedmore=20
via Bristol to NY<BR>and<BR>> then to Burlington, Racine County, =
Wisconsin in=20
the late 1840's and the 3<BR>> Roper sisters--married to a Tincknell, =
an=20
Evans & a Curry --were in Iowa<BR>> just west of Dyersville =
farming by=20
1853. Their father, Hugh Roper, was<BR>> Baptist but after =
reaching=20
Iowa the families joined the Methodist church.<BR>> Sandi=20
McGinnis</FONT></DIV>
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