Luther Humphrey Woodford

Luther Woodford married Nancy Bell on March 28, 1833 in Licking County, Ohio. The couple had 11 children:

• Almira Potter Woodford
• Luther Humphrey Woodford
• Julia Maria Woodford
• Franklin Henry Woodford
• Olive Caroline Woodford
• Charles Riley Woodford
• L C Woodford
• Eli Bell Woodford
• Franklin S Woodford
• Nancy Emeline Woodford
• Mary Amelia Woodford

Obituary for Luther Humphrey Woodford:

Luther Woodford was born in Farmington or nearby Avon, Connecticut, in 1807. He was married to Nancy Bell, a Canadian school teacher, whom he met at a country schoolhouse where he stopped to sell clocks. Luther Woodford and Nancy Bell married in Licking County, Ohio on March 28, 1833. They started west in a covered wagon. Many long months and years passed before they and their family arrived in Agency City in southern Iowa where Luther entered the mercantile business. In 1854, Luther Woodford sold out his business and started west again by covered wagon. Reaching Council Bluffs, which was then a flourishing trading post, he heard of the new settlement of Sergeant Bluff. He left his family at the trading post and went north up the Missouri river to this new fertile region. He selected a homestead and returned to his family.

All the land was marked with numbered stakes, a record of which was kept in the Govt. Office at Council Bluffs, where Luther went on horseback to purchase the place later known as the Old Homestead. It contained 1600 acres and was purchased for $1.25 per acre.

In 1855 the family set out from Council Bluffs in three canistotas drawn by two teams of oxen and one team of horses. It took six weeks to complete the trip, and the family arrived in May 1855. The first house in which this family lived was a log cabin of rough timer chinked with mud, with a pole, hay, dirt roof, and puncheon floor. The door and window casing were hewn out with a broad axe. This home was a stopping place for the old stagecoach line between Council Bluffs and Sioux City.

In 1860 the family moved into a new frame house that Marcus Coombs had built for them. This house was made almost completely by hand. The front door was shipped in by boat from Council Bluffs. The sills in this house were cut from native walnut and are still firm today. This house is probably one of the oldest in Woodbury County and is still in use today. The Rudolph Olsen family lives in it now.

Luther was active in the life of his new community. He helped organize the first school and served on its first board of education. He was instrumental in getting the Methodist Church established. He was one of the originators of the Woodbury County Agricultural Society, organized for the purpose of awarding prizes to produce and stock from the farms situated in the surrounding neighborhood. Later, this Society became known as the "County Fair." He served as a county judge, and when the system was changed, as supervisor. He was chairman of the board of supervisors from 1862-1870.

In the 1856 census, Luther and Nancy Woodford lived in Sergeant Bluff, Woodbury County, Iowa. In the 1860 census, Luther and Nancy Woodford were living in Sergeant Bluff, Woodbury County, Iowa. in the 1885 census, Luther and Nancy Woodford were living in Woodbury Township, Woodbury County, Iowa.

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Luther was born in Farmington, Connecticut. He married Nancy Bell, a Canadian schoolteacher, on 28 March 1833, LIcking County, Ohio. They started west in a covered wagon. Many long months and years passed before they and their family arrived in Agency City in southern Iowa where Luther entered the mercantile business. In 1854, Luther Woodford sold his business and started west again by covered wagon. Reaching Council Bluff, which was then a flourishing trade post, he heard of the new settlement at Sergeant Bluff. He left his family at the trading post and went north up the Missouri River to this new fertile region. He selected a homestead and returned for his family. All the land was marked with numbered stakes, a record of whih was kept in the Govt. Office of Council Bluffs, where Luther went on horseback to purchase the place later known as the Old Homestead. It contained 1600 acres and was purchased for $1.25 per acre.

In 1835, the family set out from Council Bluffs in three canistotas drawn by two team of oxen and one team of horses. It took six weeks to complete the trip, and the family arrived in May 1855. The first house in which the family lived was a log cabin of rough timer chinked with mud, with a pole, hay and dirt roof and puncheon floor. The door and window casing were hewn out with a broad zxe. This home was a stopping place for the old stage coach line between Council Bluffs and Sioux City.

In 1860, the family moved into a new house which Marcus Coombs had built for them. This house was made almost comcpletely by hand - the front door was shipped in by boat from Council Bluffs. The sills in this house were cut from native walnut and are still firm today. This house is probably one of he oldest in Woodbury County and is still in use today.

Luther was active in his new community. He helped in the organization of the first school and served on the board of education. He was instrumental in getting the Methodist Church established. He was one of the originators of Woodbury County Argicultural Society, orginazed for the purpose of awarding prizes to produce and stock from the farms situated in the surrounding neighborhood. He served as a county Judge and later as a supervisor. Luther Woodbury, son of Aseph and Almira (Potter) Woodford, natives of Connecticut, of English and Irish descent. His father was a farmer. When of age, Luther went through the country selling Yankee notions, but finally devoted himself to selling clocks, exclusively and devoted six years to this, traveling with a horse through Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Missouri, Illnois and Iowa. Upon reaching Agency City, he engaged in merchandise business for a year. Luther was born in Farmington, Connecticut. He married Nancy Bell on March 28, 1833 in Licking County, Ohio. Luther Woodford was born in Avon, CT, in 1807.

He was married to Nancy Bell, a Canadian school teacher, whom he met at a country school house where he stopped to sell clocks. Luther Woodford and Nancy Bell were married March 28, 1833. They started west in a covered wagon. Many long months and years passed before they and their family arrived in Agency City in southern Iowa where Luther entered the mercantile business. In 1854 Luther Woodford sold out his business and started west again by covered wagon. Reaching Council Bluffs, which was then a flourishing trading post, he heard of the new settlement of Sergeant Bluff. He left his family at the trading post and went north up the Missouri river to this new fertile region. He selected a homestead and returned for his family. All the land was marked with numbered stakes, a record of which was kept in the Govt. Office at Council Bluffs, where Luther went on horseback to purchase the place later known as the Old Homestead. It contained 1600 acres and was purchased for $1.25 per acre. In 1855 the family set out from Council Bluffs in three canistotas drawn by two team of oxen and one team of horses. It took six weeks to complete the trip, and the family arrived in May, 1855. The first house in which this family lived was a log cabin of rough timer chinked with mud, with a pole, hay and dirt roof and puncheon floor. The door and window casing were hewn out with a broad axe. This home was a stopping place for the old stage coach line between Council Bluffs and Sioux City. In 1860 the family moved into a new frame house which Marcus Coombs had built for them. This house was made almost completely by hand-the front door was shipped in by boat from Council Bluffs. The sills in this house were cut from native walnut and are still firm today. This house is probably one of the oldest in Woodbury County and is still in use today. The Rudolph Olsen family live in it now. Luther was active in the life of his new community. He helped in the organization of the first school and served on its first board of education. He was instrumental in getting the Methodist Church established. He was one of the originators of the Woodbury County Agricultural Society, organized for the purpose of awarding prizes to produce and stock from the farms situated in the surrounding neighborhood. Later this Society became known as the "County Fair." He served as a county judge, and when the system was changed, as supervisor. He was chairman of the board of supervisors from 1862-1870.

Children born to this union were: Almira Potter, 12/26/1833 Johnstown, Ohio Luther Humphrey, 2/8/1836 MO Julia Maria, 2/13/1837 MO Franklin Henry, 7/1/1840 IN Olive Caroline, 11/12/1841 MO Charles Riley, 12/6/1842 MO Luther Clinton 5/19/1844 MO Eli Bell 4/10/1846 MO Franklin Ephraim 5/5/1848 MO Nancy Emeline 9/26/1850 IA Mary Amelia 1/1/1852 IA

Luther Woodford, Sr., farmer, Sergeant Bluff, was born in Hartford County, Conn., in September, 1807, a son of Aseph and Almira (Potter) Woodford, natives of Connecticut, of English and Irish descent, respectively. His father followed his vocation, that of a farmer until his death. Our subject remained on his father's farm until he attained his majority, receiving his education at a log schoolhouse in the district. When of age he went through the country selling Yankee notions, but finally devoted himself to selling clocks exclusively, and devoted six years to this, traveling with a horse and wagon through Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa. Upon reaching Agency, City, Iowa he engaged in Merchandising there and remained a year, then sold out, and in the spring of 1855 came to Woodbury County and entered 1,600 acres of land, in what is now section thirty-two, Woodbury township, paying $1.25 an acre. He erected a long house, having a dirt roof and ground floor, and lived there a year, during which time the land office was opened and Sioux City was laid out, and many of the people who came stopped with him over night. The next spring he built a house of hewed logs, which he lived in four years, then he had Marcus Combs build the house he now lives in. Mr. Woodford settled in Woodbury County when there was but one other settler there, Mr. Crockwell, and has seen the wonderful development of the county and the transactions that have taken place since its organization, as recorded in the earlier part of the work. In 1833 he married Nancy Bell, and to them have been born eight children, vis.: Almira, Charles, Olive, Frank, Luther, Eli, Nancy, and Mary. He and his sons own about 1,400 acres, all adjoining and under good state of cultivation. Mr. Woodford is a member of the I.O.O.F. and a charter member of the Masonic Lodge at Sioux City, and in politics a republican, having been a Whig when that party was in existence. He and his wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

History of Woodbury County 1890-91 (information from Ruth Petersen)* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Oct 25 2020, 1:16:00 UTC