Reuben David Babcock

• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Nov 28 2017, 8:09:26 UTC

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Reuben was born eight miles north of Carlton, New York, near Oak Orchard Creek on the shore of Lake Ontario. They (Reuben & Lucinda) had eleven Children. Reuben D. Babcock and his family came to Vinton from Stillwater, Mich., sometime between 1860 and 1865. He walked most of the way, leading a team of oxen and carrying six seedling sycamore trees wrapped in oiled paper in his pocket. The family settled in what was then the last house between the west edge of town and Henkle creek. The original house, which has been added to, still stands on the northwest corner of West 3rd street and C Avenue, and is now owned by Roy Bushnell.

Mr. Babcock planted the sycamore trees east of his house. Five of them grew but only one now remains. Babcocks were the parents of eleven children five of whom died while small. One infant was buried in their back yard, but the marker has been gone for many years. Descendants living in Vinton are a grand-daughter, Eleanor Rogers; a grandson, Harold Geiger, and three great-grand-daughters, Mrs. Carl Evans, Mrs. Roger Smalley and Dorothy Schoonover.  Reuben and family are in the 1856 Iowa State Census, Benton Co.  Another Orbit:

When but six months old (his father having died) his mother moved with her family to Indiana. In 1847 he moved to Branch county Michigan and in 1848 married Miss Catherine Bartholomew. He united with the Freewill Baptist church in 1855 and in 1856 he came to Benton county, Iowa. He died February 6th, 1894, aged 64 years, 7 months and three days. He was the father of 11 children. His wife and seven children are still living. The funeral sermon was preached at Bear creek church Feb. 8th, by S.T. Shortess. 

My 2nd great grandfather, Reuben D. Babcock, lost his father when he was less than a year old (1829-30). He and his mother moved from New York to Indiana... she remarried to a man with the surname ARCHER; their given names are unknown to me. Family information also provides that this second marriage produced at least one son, B. F. ARCHER, who lived in Hart, Michigan. Reuben moved (unknown whether alone or with parents and siblings) to Branch Co. MI where he married in 1848 and then, in 1856, moved on to Iowa. He was named after his Maternal Grandfather. Reuben served in the Mexican war and has a memorial marker on his stone.He served in the Mexican War which took place in 1846, the year Iowa became a state. He is on the Veterans list for Iowa. (If you want to contact his great grandson: stephencbabcock@aol.com)

bio by: Stephen Babcock

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Nov 28 2017, 8:20:51 UTC
• Residence: 1860 - Polk Township, Benton, Iowa, USA
  • Reference: 1860 United States Federal Census - SmartCopy: Jul 7 2022, 3:04:39 UTC
• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jul 7 2022, 3:58:46 UTC

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• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jan 13 2024, 16:56:10 UTC