William August Moeller >From "History of Davenport and Scott County" Vol. II by Harry E. Downer-S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1910 Chicago. Surnames: Moeller, Fick, Ewaldt, Koch, Klindt, Wiese, Ottsen, Sorensen, Hinze, Rohlf. Among the early German residents of Scott county was the Moeller family, of which William August Moeller was the eldest of eight children. He arrived in Davenport in his sixth year and form that time forward continued his residence in this county most of the time, devoting his energies to agricultural pursuits. He placed his reliance upon the safe, substantial qualities of indefatigable effort and unfaltering perseverance and as the year as passed his financial resources increased until the poor little German boy became a man of considerable wealth, possessing valuable property interests from which he annually derived a substantial income. It is a fact worthy of note that some of the strongest characteristics of the German race have been dominant factors in the substantial upbuilding and development of Davenport and Scott county. William August Moeller was among the number of German citizens who aided in the pioneer development of this section of the state. He was a little ! lad of five years of age at the time of his arrival here in 1848. His birth had occurred at Propstei, Germany, November 16, 1842, his parents being Henry and Anna Moeller, who on crossing the Atlantic to the United States with their family landed at New Orleans in 1847. They made their way up the Mississippi river as far as St. Louis and remained there through the winter but in the spring of 1848 continued their journey to Davenport. The father worked as a laborer for about a year, after which he purchased forty acres of land in Davenport township at the usual government price of one dollar and a quarter per acre. Upon this claim he built a small house and at once began improving the fields, making his home there until 1855, when he sold that place ad bought one hundred an sixty acres of prairie land in Lincoln township at fifteen dollars per acre. He thereon erected a residence, fenced the land and made all the other improvements. Year by year he carefully tilled the soil and as his financial resources increased he extended the boundari! es of his place from time to time until he was the owner of about four hundred acres when his death occurred, November 17, 1872. He had for eleven years survived his wife, who passed away July 23, 1861. They were the parents of eight children. William August Moeller, the oldest of the family, acquired his education in the district schools of Scott county, was reared to the occupation of farming and throughout his entire life carried on general agricultural pursuits. When he started out on his own account he at first rented a part of his father's farm and when his close economy and unfailing and unfailing industry had brought him sufficient capital to enable him to become the owner of a farm he invested in two hundred and forty acres in Lincoln township. There he lived for a long number of years and the place is still known as the old homestead. He also bought tow hundred acres in Sheridan township and two farms near Donahue, Scott county, of one hundred and sixty acres each, but later sold those tracts to his sons. He also became the owner of a farm in Ida county, Iowa, where his daughter now lives. Year by year he prospered, making good use of his time and opportunities and in all of his farm work he was practic! al, diligent, determined and therefore successful. Mr. Moeller was married twice. He first wedded Miss Dora Fick, now deceased and they had five children. Anna, the eldest, is the wife of Herman Ewaldt and they had eight children: William, Henry, Herman, Rudolph, Arnold, Albert, Meta and Hugo. Henry Moeller married Meta Koch and they have three children: Roy, Henry and May. William married Anna Klindt and they have two children, Clarence and William. Meta is the wife of Gust Wiese and their five children are Howard, Ruth, Arthur, Stella and Erma. Laura, the youngest of the family, is the wife of William Ottsen and has one daughter, Lorena. For his second wife, Mr. Moeller chose Magdelina Sorensen, a daughter of Henry and Louise Sorensen, who came to Scott county in 1883 and are now living at Eldridge. Mrs. Moeller came to this county in 1881. She was born in Schleswig, Germany, April 28, 1862. She has five children: Rudolph, living in Lincoln township, married Amanda Hinze and has four children-Hertha, Elton and infant twi! ns. Clara is the wife of Herman Rohlf, of Davenport, and they have two children, Wilbert and Bernice; Amanda, Arnold and Helen are at home. During the years of his residence upon the farm Mr. Moeller served in a number of local offices, including that of township trustee and school director. He was ever loyal to the best interests of the community and cooperated in many measures for the public good. He held membership with the Turners at Eldridge and was a man of social, genial disposition who won friends wherever he went. He continued to reside upon the farm until November, 1906, when he removed to Davenport, where his death occurred on the 29th of March, 1907. His widow still owns the old home place of two hundred and forty acres in Lincoln township and the two hundred acre farm in Sheridan township, besides fine city property, having been left fairly comfortable financial circumstances by her husband. Mr. Moeller was a man of many good qualities and his life moreover illustrates the value of industry and close application in the attainment of success. As the architect of his own fortunes he builded wisely an! d well. ~~~~~~*~~~~~~ Elaine Rathmann ACC Scott Co, IA USGenWeb Project List Adm: *IA-CIVIL-WAR *IA-DANES