This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Dewey, Farmer, Cummings Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ok.2ADE/1703 Message Board Post: During her retirement, Mabel Bridges (4/6/1891 - 4/18/1976), using a card file, gathered notes on the earliest of the pioneers in Fremont county. I'm copying the following from Mabel's notes: 1.--1853: William Dewey and Nancy Farmer were married on Jan. 4, 1853 by James R. Cummings, J.P., in Atchison county, MO. 2.--1854: Fremont county Census: "Sidney township" William Dewey....3m....1f...1 voter...1 militia...no aliens 3.--1856: Iowa State Census, Fremont county, "Sidney township" William Dewey....41....b. Mass.....13 yrs in the state Nancy................21.........KY........13 Charles O...........17.........IND.......13 Robert................14.........IND.......13 N.B.: Nancy Farmer was the daughter of Thomas--the man who established the McKissick's Grove postoffice.... William Dewey had been in the State for 13 years, inasmuch as he was an engineer on the Des Moines River Improvement Project during the 1840's. After being elected the senator for the state general assembly from southwestern Iowa, he used his knowledge of the Des Moines River project (when acting as the chairman of the Committee-of-the-Whole which had adjourned to consider the subject of removing the capitol from Iowa City to Des Moines) to swing the vote to come out in favor of this bill....When Col. Dewey died of illness during the Civil War, the city of Des Moines requested and was granted persmission to have the Colonel buried in the capitol instead of in Fremont county....I seems he lies forgotten in an old section of the Des Moines cemetery.