jrhand@ncn.net has sent a private inquiry to me. If anyone can help her, please reply directly to her. Bill Klauk Erie Co (PA) Genealogy ----- Original Message ----- From: Ruth Hand To: ErieCoGenie@worldnet.att.net Sent: Friday, August 15, 2003 6:35 PM Subject: Question Dear Bill, I live in a small town, Emmetsburg, in northwest Iowa and have been doing research this past month for a PowerPoint presentation that my husband will use in his work as Foundation director for our local hospital. I am wondering if you might possibly be able to help me find information related to that for which I have been searching at great lengths. Please allow me to explain.. The first slides in this presentation are directed toward a history of our hospital, beginning with the first doctor in our county (called Palo Alto). I particularly wanted a photo of this man so I looked through articles in an old scrapbook at the hospital and discovered it was a Dr. J. H. Underwood who had settled in West Bend, IA (Palo Alto County) in 1863, after serving as an assistant surgeon in the cavalry under General Steel in Little Rock, AR during the Civil War (I do not know what this means in relation to which side he was serving for, the Union or the Confederacy). Further research in the genealogical room at our local library turned up cards on both Dr. Underwood and his wife, Maria. From them, I learned that his full name was James Hester Underwood, born in Erie County, PA., and that he died in 1880 at age 45 of "paralysis." There were no photos in the local paper of the time so that seemed to be the end of the trail. I have made many phone calls to other local historical societies and driven to several towns around, but we have been unable to locate any further information, let alone a picture of him. This leads to why I am contacting you. Previously, I had used a search engine on the Internet to look for the Underwood family, but over 46,000 entries came up. Today, I searched for an Erie County, PA site in hopes of finding any mention of the Underwood family with no way of knowing if they remained there or eventually moved to another city or area of the country. He would have been born in 1835 and perhaps trained as a medical doctor/surgeon or enlisted for service in the Civil War during the late 1850's or early 1860's. I did find and take a photo of his gravestone located in Riverside Cemetery a few miles west of the town of West Bend near the site of the original settlement. The library card did not mention his parents or any other siblings/family members, but it did mention that his wife was the daughter of pioneer settlers in West Bend Township of this county, and he worked part time as a farmer as well as medical doctor. They had four children, 2 sons and 2 daughters. I found library cards on the two sons showing that they both died young, one in 1893 of "creeping paralysis" and the other in 1898 of an un-named accident. One daughter was mentioned living in San Gabriel, CA, but there was no mention of what eventually happened to her and no reference whatever to the other daughter. The mother finally moved to Los Angeles in 1898, passing away in 1907 of acute bronchitis. In closing, I would like to know if you might have any further information about this man, particularly a picture of him from the war or his early 20's. If so, please let me hear from you. I would be most grateful for any time and help you could give me in this matter. Sincerely, Ruth E. Hand Emmetsburg, IA Ph. 712-852-4808 Email: jrhand@ncn.net