Vermont to Indiana and Beyond, ver. 2

Linn County, Iowa

Coming across "new" old information during the filing process and found this to be an interesting description of Rev. Erastus Lathrop's family's migration from Vermont to Indiana.  A journey that Russell's family took in 1837 to Decatur County.

Elkanah Lathrop's known children:

Armon b. ca. 1775 VT, d. ca.  1852

• Vermont
• Clay Co., IL by 1840
• Effingham Co., IL by 1852

Rev. Erastus b. 1776 VT, d. 1827 Decatur Co., IN

• Canada ca. 1800
• Vermont 1812
• Dearborn Co., IN 1817
• Ohio Co., IN 1818
• Decatur Co. IN 1821

Ezra b. 1781 Vermont or Canada, d. 1845 Decatur Co., IN

• Decatur Co., IN by 1817

Elkanah b. ca. 1787, d. 1851 Decatur Co., IN

Hannah b. ca. 1791 Vermont, d. ca. 1819 Vermont

Russell b. 1793 Vermont, d. 1872 Richland Co., VT

Rev. Erastus md. Delia Ingalls in Fairfax, VT in 1800.  They had 10 children:

Augustus b. Feb. 10, 1801 in Sutton, Quebec, Canada, d. June 20, 1886 Marion, Iowa, 16 at migration
Ezra M. b. March 12, 1803 in Sutton, Quebec, Canada, d. Dec. 9, 1885, Greensburg, IN, 14 at migration
Maria b. 1805 Quebec, Canada, living Selma, IA, 1885, 12 at migration
Harvey b. 1807, Vermont, d. Apr. 3, 1875 Iowa, 10 at migration
Nelson b. 1809 Quebec, Canada, living Henry Co., Iowa 1850, 8 at migration
Erastus b. ca. 1811 Vermont, living Farmington, Iowa 1850, 5-7 at migration
Miranda b. 1811 Quebec, Canada, d. 1890 Ottumwa, Iowa, 6 at migration
Electean b. Oct. 28, 1815 VT, d. March 29, 1872 Greensburg, IN, 2 at migration
Russel b. 1817 Indiana, d. 1888 Iowa
Unknown child

Augustus's obituary includes a detailed description of the his migration to Indiana. It was printed in the Greensburg Indiana newspaper on July 10, 1886.

We clip the following obituary notice of Augustus Lathrop, for many years a leading citizen of Greensburg from the Marion (Ia.) Pilot of July 1:

Augustus Lathrop was born in Sutton, Canada, Feb. 10, 1801. When the war of 1812 broke out he moved with his parents to Vermont.  On his sixteenth birthday [Feb. 10, 1817] he started with an ox team and sleigh for Ohio, which was then the "Far West."  As soon as they reached St. Albans, Augustus joined a company of emigrants, whom he had not seen before, and went on in advance, leaving the rest of the family to overtake him later on.  At the head of navigation of the Ohio [Pittsburgh, PA] 607 miles on modern roads] he was met by the father and family, and after tedious delays and the sale of teams, they embarked upon a raft of pine lumber, the only mode of transportation at that time, for Cincinnati, [464 miles from Pittsburgh] which was then but a small town.  On arrival it was found that there was not an empty house in the place, but when it was learned that one could be obtained in Lawrenceburg [IN], a village twenty miles below, the family pushed on, and after an unusually tedious journey of three months duration, [arrived in May 1817 averaging 12 miles per day] were greatly relieved to find comfortable quarters in that town.

[total estimated distance from northern Vermont to Lawrenceburg, IN, 1091]

Hard work and denial of luxuries in a new country was essential to success and Augustus being a good mechanic and industrious soon obtained work at good wages.  His father was a minister and in addition to hard manual labor during the week was in the habit of riding several miles on Sunday morning and preaching and it was not an uncommon occurrence for Augustus to assist his father on Sunday night, after the toils of the week, in the preparation of his sermon.  When his father died, he was but nineteen years of age, and the care of the family, consisting of ten children, of which he was the oldest, was left in his hands.  After a few years hard work he succeeded in securing for them a comfortable home.  A second farm was obtained in southern Indiana, where Greensburg now stands. 

At the age of twenty-four  he married Susan Ellis, who was born at Shelbyville, Kentucky, in 1802.  She was a daughter of Stephen Ellis, one of the pioneers of Indiana.  He declined to accept sixty acres of land, which was the amount his father was to give each of the married children, believing that there were better opportunities in some other business and during the first year after marrying, he raised a crop on shares on the farm of his father-in-law. Succeeding well in raising his first crop, and producing enough bread stuffs to last two or three years, he immediately set about to construct a machine for carding wool, which, previously to that time, was done by hand.  Locating on an eighty acre lot of government land, he commenced at the very rudiments and soon had his machinery going by horse power.  By hard work and economy he was enabled in the year 1835 to build larger and buy a steam engine which was the first ever used in that country, and while he had never had any experience with steam, yet without the aid of an engineer, he set up and managed his first engine and though it was only intended to card wool, in a few years he was conducting a business of his own ingenuity and perseverance second to none in that part of the State, consisting of carding wool, fulling, cooling and pressing cloth, and in connection with this a saw mill and a flour grist mill.  In the year 1844 his wife died and the care of business and family following this sad loss, doubtless combined to undermine his health and from that time until the time of his death he had not been able to endure the labor which he had undergone previous to that time, though he continued in the mercantile business up to within the last twenty years of his life.  He was married the second time, to Mary Ann Bain, Dec. 14, 1845.  She was regarded with esteem and affection by the whole family.  She died Jan. 29, 1875.

Father Lathrop was converted at the early age of thirteen and soon after joined the Baptist church of which he was a consistent member for more than three score years and ten. Although he had but few educational advantages he was gifted with an unusually strong intellect and retentive memory and he never failed to improve his mind to the greatest extent possible, and for that reason he has always been ranked among the most intelligent and influential citizens.  Even during his later years he exhibited an unusual range of information on all subjects that interest the public.  He has always been zealous in temperance work and all kinds of reform an indefatigable religious worker, interested in all that pertains to the upbuilding of the kingdom of Christ holding on to the true faith, yet sufficiently broad in his views to recognize good wherever it may be found.  He sought to do good unto all men as he had opportunity and his kind and generous disposition has impressed all with whom he has come in contact.  When we consider that his whole life has been one continual walk with God, and that he had reached the ripe age of eighty-five years and that his last days were days of intense suffering, we can scarcely feel sad, and for we know that his sufferings are ended and that he is now reigning with Christ in

"The land of pure delight 

Where saints immortal reign."

The children of the deceased are as follows: W.E. Lathrop, Greensburg, Ind., now deceased. M.E. Lathrop [Stephen E.?], Ottawa, Kansas; Mrs. Garry Treat and V.A. Lathrop of Marion.  The funeral was held at the house of V.A. Lathrop and was conducted by Rev. J.V. DeWitt of Martelle, assisted by Rev. H.K. Fuller, pastor of the Baptist church of Marion.

Augustus Lathrop b. 1801, d. 1886 md. 1) Susan Ellis 1825; 2) Mary Ann Bain 1844

Children by Susan Ellis:
William Erastus b. 1828 IN, d. 1882 IN md. Arabella Gageby in 1851
Delia Jane b. 1832 IN, d. 1918 Marion, IA, md. 1) James Bassett, 2) Garry Treat
Stephen b. 1834 IN, d. 1903 KS md. Rhoda Frackwell 
Virgil Augustus b. 1837 IN, d. 1918 md. Mary Gageby 1858 (sister of Arabella above)

In  the fall of 1854 Augustus' children William, Delia and Virgil and their families moved to Iowa and settled southeast of  the town of Marion, 447 miles from Greensburg on modern roads.  It's possible that they traveled by train to Iowa as there were several railroads in operation in Indiana at that time. In later years family members would return to Greensburg, sometimes to visit and others to stay. 

William & Arabella moved back to Greensburg in 1873 where they lived the rest of their lives.  Two of their daughters Flora and Fannie died there in their early twenties. The third, Mary married Leonidas Bromwell in Indiana and moved to Iowa, back to Indian and then to Omaha, Nebraska. 

Augustus joined his children in Marion, IA after the death of his second wife, Mary Bain and the death of his son William Erastus in 1882:

Greensburg Standard, oct. 27, 1882
Mr. Virgil Lathrop, of Marion, Iowa, and Stephen Lathrop, of Kansas, and Mrs. [Delia] Treat of Iowa, who were called here to attend the funeral of their brother, are spending a few days among friends.  The old father [Augustus] will accompany them home. 

William Erastus Lathrop was the eldest son of Augustus and Susan Ellis Lathrop, was born in Jefferson county, this state [IN], June 12, 1838, died in this city [Greensburg] Sunday morning last . . . The Lathrop family was among the earliest settlers of this county, having come here in the winter of 1822. The father of the deceased remained here but a few months, however, going from here to near Cross Plains, Ripley county, where he married and resided until about twenty years ago, when he came to this city . . . engaged in the sawmilling business . . . removal to Iowa (1853) . . . On the 10th of April 1851 he was united in marriage with Miss Arabella Gageby, daughter of David Gageby, one of the early settlers in this county . . . in 1873, he returned to Greensburg, died Oct. 22nd . . . two years ago he was elected County Commissioner . . . widow and children . . . 

Marion Weekly Sentinel, Thursday, Aug. 1, 1918.
Delia Jane Lathrop was born in Cross Plains, Ripley county, Indiana, July 26, 1832, and died July 29, 1918 at Marion, Iowa, having passed her eighty-sixth birthday a few days previously.  She was the last member of the family of August Lathrop, three brothers and one sister having preceded her in death.  

She was married to James Bassett in 1848, and with him and a young son, and in company with her two brothers, Erastus and Virgil Lathrop, and their families, came to Iowa in the fall of 1854, driving across the country, the journey across Indiana and Illinois occupying three weeks.   

The three families settled on farms southeast of Marion.  Four years later James Bassett died while on a visit tho their relatives in Indiana. The son, William E. Bassett, died in 1868, after a long illness.

In 1860 she was married to Garry Treat with whom she lived more than fifty years until his death in 1913.  Their only daughter, Mrs. E.J. Esgate and three grandchildren, Arthur E. Esgate, of Phoenix, Arizona, Edith M. and Helen H. Esgate, of Washington, DC survive her.

Mr. and Mrs. Treat moved to Marion in 1888 and have been continuous residents here, except for two years spent in Southern California.  

She joined the Baptist church in Indiana and for sixty-four years has been a faithful and zealous member of the Marion Baptist church, and for a number of years has been its oldest member.

Mrs. Treat has had a long and busy life, filled with labors of love for her family and friends, her church and community. She has at different times had the care of three orphan children, giving them the attention and training of a true mother.  She has, up to the end of her life, kept up with the events of the world, and held her interest in all the forces of righteousness.

"Blessed are the dead which died in the Lord from henceforth.  Yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest them from their labors; and their works do follow them."

Stephen md. Rhoda Frackwell in Decatur Co., IN in 1853 and followed his siblings to Marion, Iowa in 1856.  Between 1854 and 1870 they moved to Franklin County, Kansas where Stephen died in 1903.  Rhoda was living in Topeka in 1915 at the age of 82.  They had six children, two of whom lived to adulthood.

Friday, July 12, 1918, Marion Register
Virgil A. Lathrop, was a native of Cross Plains, Ripley county, Indiana.  He was born July 16, 1837 and died at his home in Marion, July 6, 1918.

At the age of 17 he came to Iowa, where he resided with the exception of a brief period, during the remaining years of his long and useful life. 

He was married August 29, 1848 to Miss Mary E. Gageby in Marion.

His wife and five children mourn his passing.  One son, James has crossed the great divide. The survivors are David, Elmer, Harry, William and Miss Minnie Lathrop.  His sister, Mrs. Delia J. Treat also survives him.

He was a member of the 76th Indiana Infantry, which served in the Union army during the Civil war. For many years he belonged to Robert Mitchell Grand Army Post.

With his wife he was a member of the Marion Baptist church for 59 years.

His funeral services were held at the home on Monday following his death.

He was a good citizen, an upright man, true to every trust, and was unanimously esteemed.

Rev. Frank Gageby and Rev. James W. Lee officiated at the funeral services.

Obituary of Erastus Lathrop's son Ezra.

EZRA LATHROP:
Ezra Lathrop was born March 12, 1803 at Sutton, Canada, and died Sunday, Dec. 8, 1885 at 2:35 p.m. He removed with his father, Rev. Erastus Lathrop, to this State in 1817, a journey of 500 miles, which was made in sleighs, descending the rivers on rafts, steamboats being then unknown. The first year was spent in Dearborn county, but the family finally settled in Ripley county on the hills of Laughery creek. Block houses, to which the inhabitants fled for protection from the Indians, were still standing.

Decatur county was then a part of the Indian reservation. A few years later this territory was opened up to settlers and in 1821, his father made purchase in this county, but died before removing the family to his new purchase. The hardships of the family then began. Ezra Lathrop threaded his way through the wilderness to the lands purchased by his father. This region was then a dense forest. A rude habitation was improvised for his mother and children and ten acres of ground, cleared during the winter. Greensburg then contained but three cabins. Forest trees and spice covered its public square. This was in the year 1822. On August 4th 1824 Mr. Lathrop was married to Miss Abbie Potter, who proved a devoted wife, and aided him to rise from poverty to competence. She died August 21, 1877. His early occupation was farming, but he afterward was a builder and contractor. He was repeatedly elected Justice of the Peace for 24 years. He was also for many years in the mercantile business, but finally retired, and during the latter years of his life has been a money lender. Thos who had business with him in that relation testify to his fairness. He never extorted unjust or injurious interest. He was faithful to his friends and relied greatly on the integrity of those in whom he had confidence, even if poor and was always willing to aid them. He was a faithful and consistent member of the Baptist church throughout his life.

Mr. Lathrop stood out in striking contrast to many rich men. He never undertook to make money by doubtful methods, was merciful to the debtor and took great interest in all moral reforms. One son survives him, the Rev. James. B. Lathrop. He lived an honorable and upright life, and died regretted, full of years and with an abiding faith of a glorious immortality.

The above was published in the New Era Dec. 9, 1885.


Revised 8/25/2018