This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Matthews, McKinnon Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ok.2ADE/1812 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. 1856: Iowa State Census, Fremont county, "Fisher township" William Matthews....27....b. NY.....10 years in the State Amanda M. Mariah...24.......NY.....10 Charles William.........8.......Iowa Henry McKinnon.......17......OH N.B.: William Matthews ran a stage coach (actually, it was a hack) and carried the mail on the South Tier State Road from Manti to Sidney. He lost this government contract once the powerful and rich Western Stage Coach Company started its stage coach line from Ottumwa to Nebraska City. Its stage coach line on the South Tier was the longest stage coach line in the State of Iowa......If I'm remembering correctly, Matthews also was responsible for the Manti hotel.--W.F.