Elvira Grace FISH

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1880, Living with parents in Des Moines, Pocahontas Co., Iowa
• Census: 1900, Living with husband in LaConner, Skagit Co., Washington
• Census: 1910, Living with husband in Harmony, Skagit Co., Washington
• Census: 1920, Living with husband in North Grandview, Yakimo Co., Washington
• Census: 1930, Living with husband in Sterling, Whiteside Co., Illinois

Family/Spouse: ? MURRAY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elvira married Jasper M. PARKER on 17 Oct 1899 in La Conner, Washington. Jasper was born in Sep 1872 in Iowa; died in 1964; was buried in Grandview Cemetery, Grandview, Yakima Co., Washington. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Nora PARKER was born about 1911 in Washington.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Son of Etheridge M. Fish and Laura Ann Stevens
• Census: 1880, Living in Des Moines, Pocahontas Co., Iowa
• Census: 1900, Living in Clinton, Pocahontas Co., Iowa
• Census: 1910, Living in LaConner, Skagit Co., Washington

Notes:

Name:
Romeyn B. Fish, (b. April 18, 1847) dealer in musical instruments, Rolfe, is one of the early pioneers of Pocahontas county, having located at Old Rolfe June 7, 1866. He is a native of Rensselaerville, NY, the son of Ethridge M., and Laura Ann Fish.

On April 11, 1864, at eighteen, he entered the naval services of the united States as a landsman and was assigned a position on the steamer Mendota, of the North Atlantic blockading squadron, James River division.

When the army of the James advanced on Petersburg, May 5-6, 1864, the Mendota proceeded up the James river above Aiken's Landing and on May 7-16th assisted in the removal of the torpedoes in that vicinity, at Deep Bottom and Dutch Gap. On May 16-17th it was under the fire of the batteries at Chapin's Bluff and the next day it opened fire on working parties at Trout's Neck. On May 22d it opened fire on the batteries near the Howlett House. From that date until April 1, 1865, it was stationed near the barricades at Deep Bottom, and participated in the operations against the rebel gunboats, iron-clads and the Howlett home battery on June 21st; against the batteries at Four Mile creek, June 30-July 1; at Tilghman's Gate, July 16; at Deep Bottom and Strawberry Plains, July 27-29; protected working parties at Dutch Gap, Aug. 10-14, and the forces moving from Dutch Gap to Deep Bottom, Aug. 15-18. It participated in all the operations of Graham's Naval brigade in the James and Appomattox rivers during the siege that resulted in the capture of Petersburg and Richmond, April 2-8, 1865. On July 28th, Maj-Gen. Hancock complimented the men on board this vessel for their effective work that day as follows: 'The fire from the gunboat, Mendota, was very effective nearly every shell alighting in the enemy's works.'

On July 16, 1864, Mr. Fish received an injury in the right eye, by the explosion of a shell from a masked battery of the enemy, while serving as a sharpshooter near Four-Mile creek, Virginia. On Dec. 20 1864, he was assigned service on a schooner that transported coal to the fleet off Fort Fisher, North Carolina. Afterward he was transferred to the steamer, Montgomery, and on Jan. 12-15, 1865, participated in the capture of Fort Fisher and the other defenses of Cape Fear river in that vicinity. He was then returned to the Mendota on the James river, and was honorably discharged at Norfolk, Va., July 18, 1865.

After the war he decided to locate in the west, and traveling by rail to Boon,e thence by stage to Fort Dodge, he arrived in Des Moines township in June, 1866. he secured and improved a homestead on section 28. He has been engaged in the sale of pianos, organs and sewing machines since the year 1881. As a representative of Des Moines township he was a member of the board of county supervisors in 1872 and '73.

On Dec. 39, 1866, he married Ann, daughter of David Slosson, and his family has consisted of six children, three of whom died in childhood.
1- Laura R., in 1888 married Wm. J. Fraser, lives at Mt. Vernon, Skagit county, Was., and has a family of eight children.
2- Elvira G., in 1894 married Frank Murray, who died at Rolfe may 19, 1898. She then moved to Skagit county Wash., where on Oct 18, 1899, she married Jasper parker and still lives.
3-Burt Fish (b. 1876) lives at LaConner Washington.

Romeyn married Ann E. SLOSSON. Ann (daughter of David SLOSSON and Rachael VAUGHAN) was born on 2 Sep 1846 in Chazy, Clinton Co., New York; died on 20 Nov 1918 in Grandview, Yakima Co., Washington; was buried in Grandview Cemetery, Grandview, Yakima Co., Washington. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1856, Living with parents in Elk, Clayton Co., Iowa
• Census: 1860, Living with parents in O\'Brien, Wright Co., Iowa
• Census: 1880, Living with husband in Des Moines, Pocahontas Co., Iowa
• Census: 1900, Living with husband in Clinton, Pocahontas Co., Iowa
• Census: 1910, Living with husband in LaConner, Skagit Co., Washington

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1856, Living in Elk, Clayton Co., Iowa
• Occupation: 1856, Shoemaker
• Census: 1860, Living in O\'Brien, Wright Co., Iowa
• Census: 1870, Living in Des Moines, Pocahontas Co., Iowa
• Census: 1880, Living with daughter Ann Fish, in Des Moines, Pocahontas Co., Iowa

Notes:

Name:
During the two years 1858 and 1859, a number of new families located in the Des Moines settlement, among whom were David Slosson, John A. James, Perry Nowlen, Henry and William Jarvis, Ora Harvey, .F. Avery, James Edelman, Hank Brown and John Straight.

David Slosson, in May 1858, came to Pocahontas county, with a family consisting of his wife, Esther Vaughan, who died in 1875, three sons - Oscar, Orland and Edmond - all of whom were young men, and one daughter, Ann, who became the wife of Eomeyn B. Fish and is still a resident of the county. On his arrival, David Slosson located on section 26, and on September 28, 1858, entered his preemption claim for lots 1 and 2 and the W1/2NE1/4 of that section, containing 158 acres. His eldest son, Oscar Slosson, December 8, 1860, entered as a pre-emption the SE1/4 Sec. 24, 160 acres, same township, and received the patent for it June 1, 1861; and Orlando, the second son, on January 18 1868, entered as a homestead the NW1/2 Sec. 26, 160 acres, same township and received the patent for it September 1, 1869.

David Slosson was the son of David and Esther (Vaughan) Slosson, his father being of Welsh and his mother of English descent. He was a native of Vermont, where he was born march 11, 1811, near Grand Isle. He received a good common school education, and when quite young moved to New York state, where he learned the shoemakers' trade.

At twenty he married Rachel Vaughan, a cousin, and during the next five years worked at his trade during the winter and on the farm during the summer. He then moved to Summit count, Ohio - later to Clinton County, New York, and in 1846 returned to Summit county, Ohio. The next move was to Michigan, and in 1852 he came to Clinton county, Iowa, where he remained until the time of settlement in this county in 1858.

His next move was to Washington Territory, where his three sons - Oscar married to Julia Towslee, Orlando married to Harriet Halstead and Edmond married to Ellen Savage - still reside. He died there June 30, 1884. His daughter, Mrs. R.B. Fish, resides at Rolfe.

At the time of the organization of this county, David Slosson had the honor to be chosen the first County Judge and served in that capacity from march 21st, the day he qualified, to Dec. 31, 1859. the duties devolving upon this officer were those that are now performed by the Board of County Supervisors. As there was no public building in the county his cabin, which was somewhat central in the Des Moines settlement, became the seat of government for the county, and the public records were kept there until the erection of the first court house, in the fall of 1860.

His administration of the affairs of this county, though limited to a period less than one year, was unusually eventful and has been rendered memorable by thee important contracts that were concluded by him in behalf of the county. These contracts related to the erection of the first court house at Old Rolfe, the construction of the first bridge over the Des Moines river and the special survey of the swamp lands of the county that they might be given in payment for the public building and bridge.

The following item from the record is of interest as showing the salary of the Judge and his systematic method of keeping the record:

STATE OF IOWA
Pocahontas Co.,
County Court
July 9, A.D. 1859

On this day, I, David Slosson,County Judge of said county, drew a warrant for $12.50 for one (the first) quarter's salary fee.

David Slosson
County Judge

The law creating the Board of County Supervisors was enacted in 1860, and in 1861 he had the honor to serve as a member of the first Board of County Supervisors. He also served on his Board during the years 1863 to '67, 1870 to '71 and 1874 to '79, making a period of nearly thirteen years that he served in this capacity, the longest of any inucmbent in that office.

David married Rachael VAUGHAN. Rachael was born on 21 Aug 1810 in New York; died on 27 Nov 1875 in Iowa; was buried in Old Rolfe Cemetery, Pocahontas County, Iowa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1856, Living with husband in Elk, Clayton Co., Iowa
• Census: 1860, Living with husband in O\'Brien, Wright Co., Iowa
• Census: 1870, Living with husband in Des Moines, Pocahontas Co., Iowa