This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Rice, Howard, Belcher Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ok.2ADE/1841 Message Board Post: During her retirement, Mabel Bridges (4/6/1891 - 4/18/1976), using a card file, gathered notes on the earliest Fremont county pioneers. I'm copying the following from Mabel's notes. 1.--1839: In 1839, Mrs. Rice and her two sons from Indiana settled at Pleasant Grove.--Cowden 2.--1850: Federal Census, Fremont county, Iowa Keziah Rice..........40....b. Penn. Francis................14........Ind Ira........................12.......MO Alvarado.................9........MO Nancy....................8........Iowa Mary......................1........Iowa Elizabeth Howard....14.......MO George Belcher.......34.......KY 3.--1852: Fremont county Census, "Franklin township" Keziah Rice.....5m....3f 4.--1856: Iowa State Census, Fremont county, "Franklin township" George L. Belcher.....39......b. KY....11 years in the State Francis M. Rice.........19.........Ind.....16 Ica Rice.....................17........MO.....16 Joseph A. Rice...........15........Iowa....15 Vandlia Belcher...........15.......KY.......2 Nancy J. Rice..............13.......Iowa.....13 Mary Belcher...............7.........Iowa.....7 George T. Belcher........4........Iowa......4 N.B.: Keziah Rice was one of the first settlers in all southwest Iowa; she died at Belcher's Ferry, straight west of Riverton, atop the bluffs overlooking. About 1980, her grave and small cemetery were destroyed in order for the area to be cultivated.--W.F.