Robert L. Fleming was born in Harrison County, West Virginia, in 1811, learned the blacksmith's trade, and stopped in Wood County to teach school, where he married Amy Maddox in 1833. In March 1852 he loaded his household goods, a horse and a cow on a boat at Parkersburg and came down the Ohio and Mississippi to Keokuk with his wife and seven children. After a summer at Primrose the family reached Mahaska County that fall, and he bought 240 acres in Richland Township, where he built a rock house in 1857, taught school, surveyed, and preached for twenty-five years as a Methodist local preacher. Three of his sons have their own sketches in the 1906 history: Charles and Orin, born in West Virginia in 1842 and 1843, and Cornelius, born in 1857 in the rock house he still lived in. Robert died on the home farm in 1894, and his land was divided among his children. Every fact below is cited to the 1906 Past and present of Mahaska County.
Where the family starts
Robert L. Flemingborn 1811Most recent in our records
Cornelius Flemingborn 1857Tap a name to jump to that person.
Pioneer farmer, teacher, surveyor and local preacher, Richland Township
ROBERT L. FLEMING.
Robert L. Fleming, who for many years was a respected and leading agriculturist of Mahaska county, was born in Harrison county, West Virginia, September 3, 181 1, and died upon the home farm in Richland township, June 28, 1894. He started out in life on his own account when only thirteen years of age. living employed as a farm hand by various farmers in the neighborhood in which his parents lived. He later served a three years' apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade and in compensation for his services was given a suit of clothes and a sum of money. He then started west, intending to go to Indiana, which was regarded as the "far west" in those days. On reaching Vood county, West Virginia, about eighty or one hundred miles from his home, he found a chance to teach school and, abandoning his idea of going to the Hoosier state, he there engaged in teaching and at the same time devoted all of his leisure time to study, so that he greatly improved his own education. He Iiecame a well informed man and throughout his entire life added to his knowledge through reading and investigation.
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1857, when Mr. rdeming built a rock house which is still standing, Mr. Fleming making his home therein until his death. As he prospered in his undertakings he addcrl more land to his original ]purchase and afterward divided this among his children. He was a self-made man in the trust and best sense of the term. He taught school for three terms after coming to this county, and as he possessed considerable knowledge of surveying be followed that profession to some extent and did much toward bringing about changes in his township along lines of general improvement and progress.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Fleming were born thirteen children, Init the first three died in West Virginia. Seven were brought by the parents to Iowa, and the remaining three were born in Mahaska county. The family record is as follows: Leander J., born March 15, 1834, died October 9, 1840; Edward Randolph, born October 27, 1835, died October 24, 1840; Robert Luther, born December 26, 1837, died in Virginia; Martha V., born January 8, 1840, is the wife of J. R. Ryan, a minister residing in Nebraska: Charles, bom January 18, 1842, is living in this county; Orin, born December 17, 1843, and now residing in Prairie township, married Elizabeth Evans, now deceased; Justin, born March 13, 1846, wedded Man- E. Murdock and resides in Greenfield, Iowa: Austin, born September 23, 1847, married Janette McCutcheon and is living near Grinnell. Iowa; George, born August 6, 1849, is married and resides upon a part of the old home farm in Richland township; Fletcher, bom May 8, 1831, died October 17. 1852; Nancy, born August 4, 1853, died February 2/. 1881: R. C, born November 2, 1857, is mentioned elsewhere in this work;.\my Cornelia, born November 2, 1857, is the wife of D. W. Richards, of Greenfield, Iowa.
For twenty-five years Robert L. Fleming was a preacher of the Methodist Episcopal faith, after which he became a believe in
Christian Union. He never had a regular charge, but promoted the interests of the gospel as a local preacher and until nearly eighty years of age conducted funeral services when called upon. In politics he was a democrat of the old school, and he often made political speeches. For twenty-eight years he acted as secretary of the district school board but advanced age finally compelled him to abandon that task. He was a man of sound judgment, whose opinions were largely considered authoritative on matters which he discussed. He was an extensive reader and his books and records, many of which are very old, are now in the home of his son, R. C. Fleming. Two volumes of history of the Revolutionary war, published in 1779 and written in Quaker style, are very interesting mementoes of those early days. He also owned a pair of scales or old-fashioned balances which are still in possession of the family and which was presented to Captain Prunty, a grandfather of our subject, by General George Washington at the close of the Revolutionary war. Mr. Fleming stood as the supporter of all that is just, right and honorable in man's relations with his fellowmen. He lived to the advanced age of more than eighty-two years, enjoying the full confidence and respect of all who knew him and when he was called away the county mourned the loss of a worthy pioneer and valued citizen.
As printed in the source1. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Farmer, section 10, Richland Township
Charles Fleming, a representative of one of the old and prominent pioneer families of Mahaska county now living on section lo, Richland township, where he carries on general agricultural pursuits, was born in West Virginia, January i8, 1842. He was ten years of age \\hen the parents came to Iowa. His father, Robert L. Fleming, is now deceased, but for many years was closely associated with agricultural interests in this part of the state. The family came here in pioneer times when Charles was only about ten years of age. His childhood and youth were passed under the parental roof, and he worked ujxin the home farm until he reached the age of twenty-six years, his education having been acquired in the common schools.
On the 6th of October, 1867, Charles Fleming was married to Miss Emily Samantha Spain, who was born in Union county, Ohio, March 28, 185 1. Mention is made of her parents in connection with the sketch of T. J. Timbrel on another page of this work, Mrs. Timbrel being a sister of Mrs. Fleming. From his father Mr. Fleming received forty acres of land, a part of which he purchased in 1853. The forty acres was all wild, not a fence having been built nor an improvement made upon the property. He erected a good frame residence, also built barns and fences and has since made his home upon the farm, which under his careful direction has been transformed into a rich and productive property. He bought forty acres adjoining the original purchase on the west and still later thought sixty acres, all of which is im- ])moved with good buildings lying north of the second forty acres. Mr. Fleming has met the usual experiences of pioneer settlers. There has been much arduous labor in connection with the development of his land, but his work has triumphed over the pioneer conditions and he has made a good home and farm from the wild prairie. He now owns one hundred and forty acres of good land which is clear of all indebtedness. His memory goes back to the early days when in his father's home grease lamps were used and afterward candles. They cooked over an open fireplace and the women of the household in those times spun their yarn and wove their own cloth. On one occasion when they first came to Iowa they were stopping at the home of an early settler named Petty. The supply of flour gave out and they thought none was to be had. Mr. Fleming rode all day in search of flour or meal, and returned with a peck of sour corn meal, from which they made bread, eating it with a relish because of their hunger. Long since, however, the hardships and difficulties of pioneer life have given way before an advancing civilization and the prosperity- which has been won by Mr. Fleming and other settlers.
Unto our subject and his wife have been born two children: Dosha Drusilla and Almarillis. Dosha was married to Benjamin Warbleton, August 31, 1894, and to them have been born two children: Icy, who died in infancy: and Lelia. The younger daughter, Almarillis, was a teacher in the public schools for several years, but at the present time is at home.
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As printed in the source1. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Farmer, section 15, Prairie Township
Orin Fleming is one of the pioneer residents of Mahaska county and now lives on section 15, Prairie township. Few citizens are more familiar with the history of this county when it was a frontier district and he relates many interesting incidents of those early days and the methods of living at that time. He was born in Wood county. West Virginia, December 17, 1843, "d is a son of Robert Fleming, who is mentioned on another page of this work. The father was born in Harrison county, 'est Virginia. September 3, 181 1. and died upon the home farm in Richland township, June 28, 1894. In early manhood he started for Indiana, but on reaching Wood county. West Virginia, about one hundred miles from his home, remained there to teach school. While there he married Amy Maddox and after farming for a time in West Virginia started, in March, 1852, for Iowa, traveling by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Keokuk, where they were met by Amos Bartlett, with whom Mr. Fleming had arranged to move their effects. They stopped first at Primrose, Iowa, and after several months came on to Mahaska county, reaching Oskaloosa on the second day of their travel and just before dark crossed South Skunk river. It was two o'clock at night when they reached the cabin of Amos Bartlett. The prairie was on fire that night, making it as light as day. With their family and the men who had hauled their goods from Primrose there was a company of twenty-five persons to breakfast at the Bartlett home the next morning. Robert Fleming had a sack of flour and some pork, which they had brought with them. They set up a cook stove out of doors and did their cooking on it. For a number of years the family shared in die usual hardships and privations of pioneer life.
Orin Fleming had but little education except what he gathered from reading and observation. In 'est \Trginia he attended school for only three terms, his father being the teacher during two terms. After coming to Iowa he went to school but little for he was soon old enough to split rails, chop wood, build fences and work upon the home farm and aid in the support of the family. He made his home with his parents until twenty-one years of age, when in company with two other men he made a trip to the west, where he drove a team through Missouri and then went into Colorado as far as Cayote, which was then the terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad. They started in 1866 and were gone for nearly two years. Mr. Fleming left with two hundred dollars and returned with four hundred dollars. They lost over one thousand dollars, however, by selling some buffalo hides to a man in Colorado, who took them to St. Louis and never came back with the money. They had often sold to him before and in all business transactions he had seemed honest and reliable, so they did not hesitate to trust him on this occasion. On the trip they killed between three and four hundred buffaloes, also a large number of wolves and geese and ducks without number, so that their table was frequently supplied with fresh game. Sir. I-Hemiug kept a diary or expense account while on the trip and some of the items are interesting, showing the condition of prices at that time: "One hundred and fifty bushels of corn at two dollars and a half per bushel; boots twelve dollars per pair: one sack flour ten dollars." The Union Pacific was under course of construction while Mr. Fleming was in the west and the workmen were guarded by soldiers from Hayes City to ])protect them from the Indians.
On his return from the frontier Mr. Mcming went to work on a farm by the month. His father had gi\cn him forty acres of land and he purchased another forty acres, on which he built a frame house, there making his home for two years after his marriage. His was a strenuous life, for he worked untiringly in his efforts to get a start and develop his farm. He bought trees at one dollar per hundred feet of lum- Ijer in the tree and paid one dollar per hundred to have it sawed into ten and twelve foot lumber. He cut the trees, hauled them to the mill and got out the posts, and he laiilt a fiveboard fence and thus enclosed his fort-acre farm. In 1874, however, he sold that property lying in Richland township and purchased eighty acres on section 15, Prairie township, where he now resides. This had been broken and was enclosed with a pole fence. There was a plank house, si.teen by twenty-two feet, upon the place and a prairie stable with hatched roof. Mr. Fleming remodeled the house and lived in it until about twelve years ago, when he built a large scjuare frame residence which is one of the commodious and pleasant homes o{ the township. He also built a frame bam, sheds and other buildings, has good fences and the house is well painted. He also owns eighty acres a half mile west of where he now resides together with forty acres in Richland township and five acres of woodland in Poweshiek county. His land is all under a good state of cultivation, but there are no buildings upon anv of the tracts save that upon which he resides, as the remainder of his land is used simi)ly for the production of crops.
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1880. died at the age of three years, eleven months and two days; Jessie M., born May 10,
1881, is the wife of Thomas Edgar Lewis, a resident of New Sharon; Grover C, born May 21, 1884, is at home; Laura E., born March 3, 1888, is also at home; Inez M., born May 3, 1892, complete the family.
Mr. Fleming has always been a democrat and has served as school director and road supervisor but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. He is a good citizen, honorable in all his dealings and is a well informed man. He represents one of the old and prominent pioneer families of the county, having for more than a half century resided within its borders and from actual experience can relate incidents of pioneer life which show the rapid and marvelous changes that have occurred as the county has been reclaimed for the purpose of civilization and improvement.
As printed in the source1. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Farmer, section 10, Richland Township
Cornelius Fleming, whose fellow townsmen speak of him in terms of respect and good will, is now devoting his time and energies to farming on section 10, Richland township. He was born November 2, 1857, in the house which is yet his place of residence and here he has always lived. He is the son of R. L. Fleming and a twin brother of Amy Cordelia Fleming. In his youth he attended the district schools and was trained to farm work, remaining in the employ of his father until his marriage, which was celebrated on the 4th of December, 1887, Miss Annettie 'illeck becoming his wife. Her birth occurred in Logan county, Illinois, July 22, 1867. After the marriage of the son the father lived with him for seven years, or until his death, which occurred upon the old family homestead. At that time Cornelius Fleming inherited ninety acres of the land. This is a good farm, well situated. It is rolling prairie and very productive. There are fair buildings upon the place, which were erected by the father and the residence is a story and a half structure, being built of rock and cement. Mr. Fleming gives his attention to general agricultural pursuits and has his fields under a high state of cultivation. He is a good worker, honest and industrious. In his home he has an old bureau which his father brought from Virginia. It is filled with old books and papers
S62 which were kept by R. L. Fleming, many of which are valuable, while all are very interesting.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Fleming have been born eight children: Robert Glenn, bom October ii, 1888; Lemuel Guy, February 23, 1891; Hulda Maud, September 19, 1893; Perry Weldon, Februaiy 8, 1896; Chanley Lee, August 15, 1898; Carl Sanford, December II, 1900; John Lloyd, May 31, 1903; and Paul Ernest, January 15, 1906.
Mr. Fleming exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the democracy. He has never sought office, however, and has served only as constable. His time and attention are devoted to his farming" interests, which he has followed throughout his entire life.
As printed in the source1. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops in the early 1900s. We pick up from there and trace your line down to you and back as far as the records go, into a written book with every source cited.
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