This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: 00EM00 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.sprague/136.142/mb.ashx Message Board Post: My gg-grandmother is Jessie Sprague who is the daughter of Daniel Sprague & Susan Appleton. Jessie married Arthur H. Williams (his 2nd marriage) in Lehigh, Iowa, 1890. Arthur died in Moline, Illinois, 1929 and Jessie died from complications due to a miscarriage in 1896. She is buried in Quincy, Illinois. Together they had 3 children, Edward E., Florence W., and Zola B. <---my great grandmother. Our notes show that Daniel's parents were Jonathan H. Sprague, born 1806 in New York and died 1882 in Iowa and Electa who was born 1811 in Canada and died 1890 in Iowa. They were married in Canada in 1834. They had 4 children: Daniel, James, Zenus, (born in Canada) and Julia (born in Wisconsin). Daniel was born 1835, in Canada and died 1912 in Iowa. Susan Appleton, (the daughter of John & Elizabeth) was born in Canada, 1846 and died 1917 in Illinois. Susan's parents did not approve of her marrying Daniel and so the two of them ran away together when she was only 13 years old and married in South Dakota, 1859. They had 5 children: Cora, Jessie, Blanche, Pearle, Birdie, Arthur. Daniel's traveling circus was called "Sprague's Colossal Circus." My great grandmother writes quite a bit about it in her diary about how Cora and Jessie traveled with their father in a fancy covered wagon to entertain audiences throughout the midwest. Jessie's act was to ride her horse bareback and Cora had a magic act, where she was suspended in the air by her father. The curator at Circus World gave us this copy of one of the actual posters for their show dated 1880. -E.M. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.