The Saunders Families of Henry County, Iowa

Presley Saunders was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, July 11, 1809, and emigrated to Springfield, Illinois, in the year 1828, and there engaged in farming until the breaking out of the Black Hawk war in 1832. He enlisted in Captain Moftet's company, and was an active participant in the events following, which lead to the capture of Black Hawk. The treaty of 1833, and the settlement of this territory by the whites. He was in the same regiment with Abraham Lincoln, and they were close, intimate and personal friends. In 1834 he, with his four companions, started west, and finally located on the site of Mount Pleasant, where he set his states and pre-empted the land from the government. In February, 1835, he brought his family from Illinois. In 1836 he opened a store in the new village of Mount Pleasant, and there began the business life which he followed, with strict integrity and always with success, for fifty-two consecutive years, making him the oldest merchant in the state.

In the early days Presley Saunders, with his brothers, Alvin and William A., organized a private bank, which they operated safely and successfully. In the year 1862 this bank went under the name of Saunders, Kibbin & Company, and continued thus up to the time of its organization as the First National Bank of Mount Pleasant. Presley Saunders was president of the First National Bank from the time it was organized up to the date of his death, July 19, 1889.

In 1830 he was married to Aliss Edith Cooper, of Sangamon county, Illinois, but she died at Mount Pleasant in 1836. They had one child, Alary, who married John W. !\IcCoy. In 1837 Mr. Saunders was married to Huldah Bowen. She was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, in 181 7. and was the daughter of Isaac and Rhoda Bowen. natives of Maryland and Kentucky. Their union was blessed with four children. Smith, who lived in Mount Pleasant for quite a number of years, and afterward moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he died on April 15, 1901, leaving two sons, Alvin B., who married Alice Saunders and who died in 1904, leaving a wife and three children who now live in Kansas City, Missouri: Eliza, the wife of John Bowman, now residing 'in York, Nebraska, and who have three children; and Etna, who married Fred Hope, and who now lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her daughter, ]Mrs. Chester Rouse.

The life of Presley Saunders was full of encouragement to young men who had an earnest desire to succeed. He started only with a capital of a good constitution; was temperate and had frugal habits; was industrious, and was full of perseverance. From these humble beginning he raised himself to a prominent position in the community and acquired an ample fortune.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM G. SAUNDERS.

William G. Saunders, one of the oldest. most respected and influential citizens of this city and county, died at his home on South Jackson street about 11 o'clock Sunday evening, December 3, 1899. His death resulted from heart disease, and was entirely unlocked for at this time, although both he and his relatives had been warned by the family physician that he would quite likely pass away in that manner. Mr. Saunders had been suffering from a complication of troubles for a long time, and his death was a matter of but a few months at best. However, lately he had been feeling unusually well, and was up town the previous Friday attending to business matters. The same day he was out at his farm making arrangements for the erection of a home. Sunday he seemed unusually bright and ate three hearty meals. In the evening he spent some time looking over the plans for the new farm house, and went to bed at the usual hour. About eleven o'clock, however, his nieces heard Mr. Saunders groaning but reached his side too late to relieve him. Dr. Smith stated that it was a plain case of heart disease.

Mr. Saunders would have been eighty-four years old this coming Christmas. He was born in Kentucky, and came to Iowa in the early '50s. He has always been actively engaged in business enterprises, and is thought to have been one of the wealthiest men in the county. He was at the time of his death president of the First National Bank, and a stockholder in the Savings Bank. Aside from this he possessed large holdings of real estate in the city and county. He also had large investments in Omaha and other parts of the west. His estate is estimated to be worth between $300,000 and $500,000. He riiade a will disposing of his property this fall.

Mr. Saunders died a widower and childless. His wife died about fifteen years ago and he never had children. He leaves a brother and two sisters: Mr. Aaron Saunders, of Blytheville, Missouri, Mrs. William Tolle, of Los Angeles, California, and Mrs. Elizabeth Saunders, of this city.

Mr. Saunders was cared for at his home by three nieces, Alisses Rena, Maggie and Tillie Fouche, who kept house for him and whom he regarded as his children.

Mr. Saunders and his family were affiliated with the Christian church.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

HENRY CLAY SAUNDERS, dealer in real estate, loan and collection agent, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, was born in the Shenandoah Valley, near Staunton, Augusta Co., Va., Dec. 1829, and is the son of Bartley M. and Annie (Caulk) Saunders, who were pioneers of Henry County, Iowa. Henry C. removed with his parents to Tennessee in early childhood, and from there went to Georgia. From Georgia the family removed to Georgetown, Ill., and from there to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, arriving May 26, 1838. Our subject was educated in the public schools and at Mc- Kinney's High School, of Mt. Pleasant, and after completing his studies engaged as a merchant's clerk at Mt. Pleasant, following that occupation for ten years. He was appointed Postmaster at Mt. Pleasant in 1849, under President Zachary Taylor's administration, and served four years. He was next made Deputy Recorder and Treasurer of ►

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.