| Notes |
- Excerpt from data compiled and written by Emma Swinney Wa l ker, Blakesburg, Iowa, 1928-29.
James Swinney, Jr., third son of James Swinney, Sr., and S u san Hammock Swinney, was born in Monroe County, Virginia , S ept. 22, 1793. He was five years old when Napoleon fou gh t the famous battle of the Pyramids of Egypt. He was tw ent y-two when the battle of Waterloo was fought. George W ashi ngton was serving his second term as President of th e Unite d States at Philadelphia when he was born. He die d the yea r that Iowa became a State.
Jane Gartin (or Garton) daughter of Griffith and Hannah (K i ller) Gartin, was born May 4, 1801, in Virginia. This ho no rable couple was married April 9, 1818, [per marriage ce rti ficate ]and in the State of Vir gini a were born to them six children: Elijah, Delaney, Si anna , Isaac, Gartin and Irvin.
When the Northwest Territory was opened for settlement th i s family emigrated west to Decatur County, Indiana, on No v . 23, 1828.
He first entered 160 acres and later added an 80 acres. T h e father built a log house about 13 miles southwest of Gr ee nsburg, clearing the land about them, planning for a hom e f or his family.
We are told that a daughter, Matilda Jane, born after th e y moved there, was taken ill and passed away and undertak er s not being as plentiful as today, they were at a loss a s t o procuring a casket, as even lumber was not easily obt aine d. So finally they cut the desired length of a hollo w tree , made ends in it, after halving it, and placed th e body o f this little baby girl within and buried her o n a little h ill near there, thus starting the "Swinney gra veyard." I t is here that James Swinney, the father, was l ater buried . We are told this burying ground is now aband oned and i s in only a fair state of preservation.
During the residence of the Swinney family here, seven mo r e children were born to them. They are Vincent, Delilah , M atilda Jane, Caroline, Lucinda, James Harvey and Minerv a. M ATILDA JANE (the above mentioned) was born April 18, 1 832 , and died June 15, 1833. VINCENT was born March 24, 18 30 , and died Sept. 22, 1840, and buried beside the littl e sis ter.
After a time, the father of this large family erected a br i ck house, one of the first in Decatur County. It is sti l l standing and is in good condition, and except for the a dd ition of a porch on the front, it looks just as it did t hen.
In 1846 James Swinney came to Davis County, Iowa, and ente r ed several hundred acres of rich, rolling land between F o x River and Soap Creek, and, we might say, along the C.R. I. & P. Railroad track, east of the now Bloomfield, Ottumw a ro ad, and two other tracts of land in the vicinity of Mo ulton . Some of these tracts were for his sons who wante d to est ablish homes for themselves in this rich prairie l and of Io wa.
He returned to Indiana, a two weeks drive in covered wago n , and while preparing to move his family to their new hom e , he became ill and passed away at 8:00 p.m. Aug. 4, 184 6 . His death was a result of cold contracted while return in g to his family. He was a man who possessed a pleasin g per sonality, we are told. That he was noted for his rea l hone sty, and that he was known to be very particular a s to hi s personal appearance. He and his companion were B aptists . He is buried about one-half mile from the bric k house.
The widowed mother did not come to Iowa for a couple of ye a rs. Then finally in 1848, she with her children, Carolin e , Delilah, Lucinda, James Harvey and Minerva, started ou t i n a one-horse carriage, a very attractive one with glas s wi ndows and trimmed all around with fringe. The older b oys t ook the household goods in ox wagons. Here she settl ed o n what we know as the James S. Stark farm, north of Du nnvil le.
We were told that this family had many personal possessio n s that most families in those days could not boast, suc h a s some unusual household furniture, some real silverwar e, l inens and decorated china.
This wonderful mother and her honored children, together w i th their companions, played an important part in the deve lo pment of the community in which they settled. Even thou g h they passed through the hardships, known only to the pi on eers, they were given to a hospitality unknown today. T hei r lives were useful and helpful. Even though their hom es c onsisted of only one room, often times, yet there wa s alway s room to welcome both old and young, whether it b e a socia l, a singing, a prayer meeting, an apple peeling , a molasse s boiling, a taffy pull, or whatever else.
They were regular attendants at church, going on horseba c k or in wagons, and as the family increased in populatio n , they added a new seat board, as needed.
There were days and days between mails.
They spun their flax, carded their wool, did the family we a ving, made their own jeans and linsey-woolsey; the wome n "s et up" ash hoppers, run off lye, and boiled off gallon s an d gallons of soft soap.
They made their own candles for lights.
They cooked over the fireplaces where the family sat, burn i ng their faces and freezing their backs in winter.
When company or even threshers came, they had to plan an d p repare the meal, after their arrival.
When company came for overnight, beds were made down and t h e men very courteously stepped outside until the ladies p ut out the candle and retire; then the men came in to retir e.
The men had few kinds of machinery, so farmed on a narro w s cale. Yet, we cannot but know they were happy. They li ve d real lives and left us a history of which we love to t alk . Not one of these left his children a name with a sta in . The daughter, Caroline, born Sept. 27, 1836, died of t yph oid fever Jan. 1, 1852, and is buried in the little cem eter y in the field southwest of Chequest, on west from th e Aaro n Emanuel home.
This unusual mother cared for nursing babes for twenty-fi v e years. She died at the home of her daughter, Lucinda a n d family, south of Bloomfield, on Nov. 24, 1876, and is b ur ied in the Dunnville cemetery beside her son, Irvin an d hi s family.
!Buried near Greensburg, IN. (Swinney Family; Emma Walk e r Swinney; p. 7)
!They had 14 children. (James L. Gore, ltr of 20 July 199 4 , p. 15)
James moved to Indiana, with wife and five children in fa l l of 1828. (Pioneer History of Davis County, Iowa.)
!Left VA in Nov 1828 and arrived in Decatur County, IN o n N ov 23rd. (James L. Gore, Ltr of 20 July 1994, p. 15 ) In s ame ltr Mr. Gore records that James also held two t racts o f land in Appanoose County, near Moulton.
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1793 - 1846 (52 years)
