Elizabeth (Miller) Stoops (1829 - 1889)

Born 1829 in Indiana, USA [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of Henry Anderson — married 15 Feb 1844 in Boone County, Indiana

Died 11 Sep 1889 at about age 60 in Hamilton Co., Indiana

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Biography

Elizabeth Miller was born about 1829 in Indiana, the daughter of Emanuel and Rachel (Poindexter) Miller. There is no proof of her mother's name. (This came from the Lints website.) Manuel and Rachel probably married in TN. No record has yet been located in Tennessee or Indiana.

She had five siblings: Martha Ann, Serelda, Minerva, Lucinda, and Martin. Through her father's second marriage to Elizabeth Jane Butterley in 1849, Elizabeth had three half sibling:, Eli David, Mary Carolina, and George R.,

On Feb. 15, 1844, Elizabeth married Henry Anderson, son of John and Rebecca (Quillen) Anderson. They were married by married by Benjamin Beaman, Minister of God, Elizabeth was not of age and the license states the “female parent consent verbally given.” (Source: 1844 Marriage to Henry Anderson; Indiana, Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.)

In Boone Co., Indiana, about 1844, Elizabeth and Henry became the parents of their first child, Eli Thomas. Their second child, Eliza was born in Boone Co., Indiana in about 1846 or 1847.

The family decided to move to Iowa possibly because others they knew were going to Iowa or because they were seeking land to purchase. Whatever the reason, they migrated to Madison Co., Iowa after the birth of their second child, and were there by 1850. Their third child, Rebecca C. was born in Iowa in Aug. of 1848 near Winterset, Madison Co., Iowa. (Source: 1850; Census Place: , Madison, Iowa; Roll: M432_187; Page: 145B; Image: 159.; 1851 Census; Iowa, State Census Collection, 1836-1925 [database on-line]. Original data: Microfilm of Iowa State Censuses, 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925 as well various special censuses from 1836-1897 obtained from the State Historical Society of Iowa via Heritage Quest.)

Their fourth child, William Henry, was born on Sunday, June 4, 1851, and always stated to his family that he was born near Des Moines in Polk Co., Iowa.

“The decade beginning in 1850 was to witness a migration tide which was to seep over the waste places of the state and to inundate the valleys and hills with more than sufficient human energy to build up a Commonwealth of the first rank.” Why did so many come? The railroad came right up to the Mississippi River. Advertisements by land speculators lured people. Guides for emigrants encouraging people to come for a Iowa was a land of “beauty, advantage, and fertility.”

“These inducements combined with the fatal epidemic of cholera in the middle States and a severe drought throughout the Ohio Valley during the summer of 1854 brought homeseekers to Iowa by the thousands, particularly during the years of 1854 to 1856.” (Source: Iowa Journal of History & Politics “The American Occupation of Iowa 1830 to 1860” Vol. 17 No. 1 (Jan. 1919) pp. 83-102)

Traveling from Boone Co., IN to Madison Co., IA:

The distance from Boone Co., Indiana to Madison Co., Iowa is about four hundred and eighty-nine miles. With today’s mode of travel, it would take a little over seven hours. However, such was not the case in the late 1840s. Henry and Elizabeth probably loaded all their worldly goods into a covered wagon. By the time Henry and Elizabeth migrated to Iowa, horse-powered ferries had been in existence since 1841. Not until 1852 was the first steam ferry operated by John Wilson in Davenport. (Source: Discovering Historic Iowa Transportation Milestones www.iowadot.gov/Chapter 2)

“During the fall and early winter of 1854 there was an almost uninterrupted procession of immigrants crossing the ferries at Prairie du Chien, McGregor, Dubuque, Burlington, Davenport, and Keokuk. Sometimes they had to wait in camp two or three days for their turn to cross." (Source: The Iowa Journal of History & Politics “The American Occupation of Iowa 1830 to 1860” Vol. 17 No. 1 (Jan. 1919) pp. 83-102)

At some point between 1846 and 1848 when upon reaching the Mississippi River, probably at Davenport, it would be logical to assume Henry and Elizabeth perhaps also waited their turn to cross over on the ferry.

The Land Where the Anderson Family Settled:

The source for the following information is from: The State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa Dept. of Cultural Affairs The Annals of Iowa Vol. 39/Number 2 (Fall 1967) pp. 105-133 "The People of Iowa on the Eve of the Civil War” By Morton M. Rosenberg

The land the Anderson Family settled in was much like that of Indiana. There were the same hardwood trees of oak, walnut, and hickory and the land was decent for growing corn, wheat, buckwheat, and barley.

Gold fever hit Iowa. At estimate of 10,000 people left to seek gold that had been found in California. In 1854 practically all the upper half of Iowa was still not settled.

“Up and down the Mississippi in 1850, but especially along the portions adjoining southern Iowa, an epidemic of the dread cholera raged along the water-front towns.” “During the intense heat of mid-July, a newspaper in Burlington report that an average of six to eight persons fell victim to the dreadful scourge daily, and warned those living inland to remain out of town until the intensity of the disease had abated.” p. 109

“If cholera could not deter the settler” nature tried. Heavy rains began in mid-May and continued for two months. Crops washed away and people were depressed by the gloomy days. Flooding came and destroyed many farms, taking buildings, crops, and livestock. p. 110

The railroad brought German and Irish immigrants (p. 124), and southerners and their slaves (p. 125).

Henry Anderson died sometime between Feb. 26 and before April 2, 1852 in the Winterset area of Madison County, Iowa. Probate Records are located there.

The Panic of 1857 hit Iowa, “the miseries of the cruel winter” and “the summer and autumn of 1858” which “brought further distress. Heavy rains and intermittent floods caused crop failures over two-third of the state.” Many families barely survived. Such were the conditions following the Panic of 1857. “Wheat sold for a mere 40 cents a bushel.” With poor crops prices people could not pay their taxes and were forced “to yield their land holdings to tax-title purchasers.” (Source: The State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa Dept. of Cultural Affairs The Annals of Iowa Vol. 39/Number 2 (Fall 1967) pp. 105-133 “The People of Iowa on the Eve of the Civil War” By Morton M. Rosenberg)

Sometime after 1854, but definitely by 1859, Elizabeth left Iowa with her family and relocated to Union Co., TN where she had many relatives. She came by the way of Boone Co., Indiana and left Rebecca Catherine with Henry's parents, John and Rebecca Quillen Anderson as evidenced by the 1860 Census of Boone Co., Indiana.

By July 31, 1860 Elizabeth Anderson in the Census Union Co., Tennessee, is listed as a widow with six children: Eli T. (14), Eliza Jane (11), William H. (7), Henry C. (3), Martha E. (3), and Brockenridge (1/12). All children are listed as born in Tennessee. One twin was listed as boy named Henry, while in reality, the child was a girl named Mary. This was the south and at that time it was not popular to have been born in the North. (Source: Year: 1860; Census Place: District 10, Union, Tennessee; Roll: M653_1276; Page: 485; Image: 293; Family History Library Film: 805276)

Mary, Martha, and Brockenridge are not Henry Anderson's children.

To give additional credence to Elizabeth being the daughter of Emanuel Miller, the following is included.

Boone Co., Indiana Deed Record Book 10 April 1865 - June 1866 No. 118 pages 103 & 104 "Emanuel Miller to Eli T. Anderson, (Power Atty.) Know all men by these presents, that I, Emanuel Miller, of the County of Union, and State of Tennessee, do hereby nominate, make, constitute and appoint and place in my room and stead, Eli T. Anderson, of Claiborne County, and State of Tennessee, my true and lawful attorney for me and in my name, room and stead, to collect, receive and receipt for all moneys notes, or other evidence of debts or assets which is now, or may hereafter become due me from Andrew J. Grose, or his assigns, administrators, executers, etc., in the State of Indiana. ..." Emanuel Miller signed the document with his mark. "Witness, my hand, in office at Maynardsville, this 28th day of June 1865, Wm. Colvin, Clerk. State of Tennessee, Union County: I, Isaac Snodderly, Register for said County, do certify that the foregoing instrument, was filed in my Office on the 28th day of June at one o'clock, and was set in the Note Book No.one, at page 86, and was a duly registered in Book "B" at pages 543 &4. Witness, my hand, at office, this 28th day of June 1865. Isaac Snodderly, Register

I certify that the Power of Attorney of which the above is a true copy was duly stamped with a 50 cent Revenue Stamp, and recorded on the 21st day of July, 1865m at 9 o'clock, A.M. of say day. John Thomas, R, B, ___"

With Eli being the eldest son of Elizabeth, he received this Power of Attorney from his Grandfather, Emanuel Miller.

Note: On the 8 of June 1865 Eli T. Anderson and Julia A. Lynch were united in marriage in Campbell Co., Tennessee by T. W. Paige J.P. (Source: Tennessee State Marriages 1780 – 2002; Campbell County, Indiana; Marriage Records 1838 – 1889 A – C; Page 445. Married by T. W. Paige J.P.)

In the 1870 Census of Boone Co., Indiana, Elizabeth is living in Dwelling No. 625 with son James O. Anderson in the household of Francis King. Eli and Julia (married are living in Dwelling No. 624. One might think the Eli, Julia, Elizabeth, and James travelled north together. (Source: Year: 1870; Census Place: Center, Boone, Indiana; Roll: M593_300; Page: 41B; Image: 402117; Family History Library Film: 545799)

Elizabeth married Jesse A. Stoops on November 9, 1871 in Hamilton Co., Indiana. (Source: Indiana Marriage Index 1810-2000; FHL Film Number 001320354 p. 92)

On the 3rd and 4th day of June, 1880 Census Noblesville, Hamilton Co., Indiana, Elizabeth is living with husband, Jesse A. Stoops, and her son, James O. Anderson, age 19. (Source: Year: 1880; Census Place: Noblesville, Hamilton, Indiana; Roll: 281; Family History Film: 1254281; Page: 438B; Enumeration District: 041; Image: 0525)

Jesse A. Stoops, was born in KY in 1819. He died 22 Nov. 1884 at the age of 65 yrs. 7 months, and 10 days and is buried in the Hurlock Cemetery, Noblesville, Hamilton Co., IN.

On 11 Sept. 1889 Elizabeth Stoops died. The county of her death is listed as Hamilton Co., Indiana. It was reported in the Lebanon Pioneer Sept. 19, 1889, Boone County, Indiana and indicated that she lived at or near the community of Northfield in Union Twp. Perhaps Elizabeth is buried in an unmarked grave near Jesse. At this time her burial location is unknown. She more than likely was living with her stepson, James P., and stepdaughter, Mary Ann Stoops who were living in Union Twp., Boone Co., Indiana in 1900. Neither one was married and was in their 50s in 1900. They are both mentioned in Jesse A. Stoops’s Will and given land in that County near the Northfield area.

Sources

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