John Fultz Flaugher (1810 - 1893)

Born 28 Sep 1810 in Antrim Twp., Franklin Co., PA

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Webb) Flaugher — married 15 Sep 1836 in Hagerstown, Washington, Maryland

Descendants

Died 8 Aug 1893 at age 82 in Defiance, Shelby Co., IA

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This profile is part of the Flaugher Name Study.

Biography

John Fultz Flaugher was born on Sep. 28, 1810 to Jacob Flaugher and Margaret Fultz.

John died on Aug. 8, 1893 in Defiance, Iowa.^[1]

Helen Brinker Cooke's Biography of John Fultz Flaugher

There is a widely distributed biography of John Fultz Flaugher compiled by Helen Brinker Cooke from information gathered from John F. Flaugher's granddaughters, Etta Ridenour Loudenslager and Edith Loudenslager Brinker. That biography is included here in order to correct inaccurate information that was given and provide sources.

The Family of John Faultz Flaugher

Before John (should read Jacob) Flaugher (father of John Faultz (should read Fultz) Flaugher) came to America there were several generations of Flaughers here. The pronunciation of the name is "flocker." North Dakota Flaughers pronounce it "Flau-her" (g is silent).

John Fultz Flaugher was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania on September 30, 1810 and married Margaret Webb of Irish descent on 22 September 1836. She was born near Hagerstown on 28 October 1819. He died on 8 August 1893 and she died 22 January 1885. Both were buried in the Defiance Cemetery, Defiance, Iowa which they had given to the town of Defiance for a burial ground.

John had two sisters, Ella who died in Ohio with cancer and Ann Saum (incorrect, this was his niece, daughter of his brother, Samuel; should read Catherine) Cedar County, Iowa buried at Mechanicsville, Iowa. She had a family of one son and daughter. (Actually just two daughters) He had a brother Sam, who was the father of Jimmy Flaugher (later the blacksmith in the town of Defiance) and a brother William, (this is actually his nephew, son of Samuel) whose family was Roy and Della (in North Dakota) and Wayne in Washington state.

John Fultz Flaugher traded his mountain farm in Maryland on Beaver Creek, north of the little cross road on Hagerstown Pike. The mountain farm was located along side of the pike that ran north and south through Maryland. It was on a mountainside and covered several hundred acres.

A big two-story 8-room house stood along side of the pike. Only wild vegetation grew on the mountainside, but the land had been cleared since. Beaver Creek was a small town across the Beaver Creek and went up on a small knell. There he had a blacksmith shop and a house of stone and wood. The stone part was a one and half story consisting of four rooms and the wooden part was a full two-story with four rooms upstairs, hall and large room downstairs. At this time there was a foot bridge across Beaver Creek and on the other side stood two churches, Lutheran and Christian. John F and Sam were charter members and very active in organizing and building the first little Christian church which was replaced by the new church later.

One of the church brothers, a Mr. Middlekauff had bought 640 acres of land in Shelby County Iowa, some distance from Harlan, Iowa which at that time had no railroad. He offered to trade it to John F Flaugher for his mountain farm with a bonus of interest money to be paid to John Flaugher twice a year (approx. 0.) for each payment. This was a great help in getting started in the "wild west."

The eight children of John would receive 80 acres apiece so they all decided to go west. The deal was made in 1869 but they did not move until March, 1870. Meanwhile, all kinds of fruit were dried and preparations made to survive in the new country. Some of the relatives moved to Polo, Illinois and three more of the children had settled there. They were John, the bachelor, Kate, a teacher who married Joe Speilman and Helen who had married Sam Loudenslager and had four children.

It is rumored that son John was the adventurer and made the trip from Illinois to Iowa and saw the land before they decided to move.

The Maryland part of the family, consisting of John F and Margaret together with their children George, Charlie, Alice (Allie) and Nettie and Ann who had married I. L. Ridenour with their child, Lucy, charted a railroad car for their household goods, etc. including a wooden chest which held the dried fruit.

They arrived in Denison, Iowa in March 1870 by train. Here they rented a house large enough to include all the Maryland family and preparation began to settle on the land which was 12 miles away.

It had to be surveyed before any building could be done. Four of the 80's lay on the west side of what became the town of Defiance, extending one-mile north and south. Ann's was the furthest north, then Charles, Alice and Nettie's (John Flaugher's home place.) Alice died in March 1871 and her 80 was sold in lots for the town of Defiance and a part donated for the cemetery. Also land at the end of main street was given Jimmie Flaugher, a nephew for a blacksmith shop. The other four 80's lay about ½ mile east and ½ mile south of Cut Hill. A road north and south divided the tract. John, the son had the north 80 and Helen the south 80 on the west side of the road. The deeds are recorded at the recorder's office of Shelby County at Harlan, Iowa. It was dated 5 April 1870 from S. F. Middlekauff to John Flaugher. It is recorded in Book G at page 260. The description reads Northeast Quarter of Section 14-81-39/160 acres, Southeast Quarter of Section 14-081-39, 160 acres - West of Defiance a Southwest Quarter of Section 24-81-39/160 acres South and East of Defiance. Lumber was bought in Denison, Iowa and hauled to the south 80 which was John F. Flaugher's home place. There was an old corral about ½ mile from the Willow Creek and the house was built a little northwest of it. Neighbors who had no land broken on their farms had planted a garden in this fertile spot which was a great help to the family when they moved there. John F Flaugher built what they called a double house, four room's downstairs and 4 rooms upstairs. The house was divided east and west by a stairway and hall running north and south with an outside door opening into the hall and stairway from the south. It was a well-built and warm house. The Ridenour family occupied the west two lower rooms. The John F Flaugher family had the rest of the house. There were chimneys in the two south rooms. In the east (Flaugher) side was a wood stove with the stove pipe running through a drum in the ceiling heating the south room downstairs which was the room of Father and Mother Flaugher. The Ridenour used the west chimney for their stove. This house was the home of Nettie Flaugher Cotton until the Cotton estate was sold. Nettie and her husband Saul Cotton both died while their children Charlie, Flossie and Forrest were small. The farm held until they were grown.

On 27 September 1870, Helen Loudenslager with husband Sam and children, Shelby, Ed, John, Edith and Lillian arrived at father John Flaugher's home, in time for dinner a few hours after Etta May Ridenour had arrived. They drove overland from Polo, Ill. They joined the Flaugher clan at the double house until a little two-room house could be erected over a cave which they moved into before cold weather set in. About a year later, Kate Spielman and husband Joe came overland and stopped at southeast Iowa in Aster where they found wild plum, grapes and apples at Homesteader's Orchard and brought an 80 acre farm ½ mile west and ½ mile south of John Flaugher's home place upon which was a very old house near a spring creek, which was a tributary that fed Willow Creek. Lovely trees were growing along this creek. It was dubbed "The Hog House" but part of the time Joe and Kate held out there until they built a four-room house. *Incidentally, years later a long room was added and after Joe's death, Sam Loudenslager's family moved here. It was here that Lillian was married to Osborne Ross and Edith to Marcus Brinker.) Joe Spielman did not put any improvements to Kate's 80 as it was flat and he called it "Kate's Frog Pond." They had six children, Hattie, Addie and Joe who died when small. Ridenour did not put any improvements on Ann's'80 but they began breaking out strips of land and putting it into watermelon to get it into production. Soon after arriving there they heard of an 80 joining Ann's 80 on the northwest and as soon as possible arrangements were made to buy this 80 through the bankers at Dow City (Mr. Dow for whom the town was named and his son-in-law, Mr. Graves.) They could only break sod when it had several inches of growth on it and as they broke it, they gathered the red root by the bushels and carried them in by the wagon load. After drying for about a year it mad wonderful stove wood. Between breaking they worked on getting building started. The men all worked together to build each other's homes. Ridenour and Spielman had the most tools so they were the foreman/ At the building sites the women folks usually went along as soon as there was a shelter and dinner was fixed for the working crew. The story is told that at one of the places Lucy and Edith being present when boards were being planed, gathered up the curls of wood carvings, fastened them to their braided hair and pretended to be very elegant ladies indeed.

The Ridenour house was the last finished and that was four years from the time they arrived in Iowa. It was located about a mile north of Grandpa Flaugher's home. Soon after arriving the Ridenours heard of an 80 joining Ann's on the northwest and as soon as possible, arrangements were made to buy this 80 (through the bankers at Dow City). It was on this 80 that their house was built. By this time they were a little more established and the plans a little more elaborate. It started with a two-room house set upon a hill. One side was excavated and finished up which they called a cellar and a shed room on the north. Later the dirt was excavated and a basement made which led out on ground level at the east. The two upper rooms opened out at the ground level at the south side. Grandpa Masseys "a southern solider) laid the brick walls in the basement. Three rooms were finished for now but the other one was floored and walled up but used for storage. After all was completed the Ridenours had a house warming. Besides the family, the neighbors, Pretty Prairie folks, the Irish and all the neighborhood around Dow City were promised a "shin-dig" and oyster stew when the house was done.

Ed Loundenslager played the bass violin, other Loundenslager boys and neighbor boys joined with their violins and this composed the orchestra. Charles Muck did the calling. A great time was had by all, but of course, one Irishman had to bring along a little "toddy" and he slept most of the evening.

Quite a few events took place at this home. Aunt Nettie Flaugher was married there to Saul Cotton. Milo had his first illness of rheumatic fever, Grandma and Grandpa Flaugher and often Nettie made their home with them after they left the home place. In 1888, the Ridenours retired from the farm due to ill health of Father Ridenour and moved into Defiance where they resided until moving to Oklahoma in 1901 where they bought a claim. Later Ann's 80 in Iowa's was sold and 160 joining them on the north was purchased. Until 1964 when Milo sold his 40 out of this 160, it was the only piece of land that represented the 80's given to the Flaugher children. Charlie's 80 laid south of Ann's and he sold it when he went to work on the new railroad, which was put through Defiance in 1882. He had done farm work up until that time. About this time he met Maud Long, a pretty young girl from southern Iowa whom he married. They lived in Defiance until after Marge was born, and later moved to Manilla, where Beatrice was born. After her birth Aunt Maud developed an abscess under her breast and didn't live long. Aunt Kate Spielman took care of them both. The baby was very frail and Aunt Kate tried hard to save her but to no avail. Aunt Helen Loudenslager had taken Margie to her home so she continued to keep her and raised her. She married Harry Yackey and they had one son, Ray. They lived in Chicago where Harry worked on the railroad as did Ray, later. Ray had one son who lived in Chicago. Of the four 80's lying SE of Defiance, as mentioned before, the NE 80 was given to John, the bachelor. He put no buildings on his farm but kept it for about 40 years, then sold it to Sabe Harris. Meanwhile he helped to raise Margie, and the Cotton children; Charlie, Flossie and Forrest, who had lost both of their parents when they were very small. Forrest had one son, Neil who lived in Oklahoma City in the 1950's and 60's. John spent much time in the Old Soldier's Home in Marshalltown, Iowa, then among relatives. He died and was buried in Putman, Oklahoma. George's 80 was located across the road west from John's. A road divided these two farms, as did the two 80's joining them on the south. The Loudenslager lived south of John, and Katie Spielman's 80 was south of George's. He married Belle Dale, acclaimed to be the best teacher in Shelby county. He built a house and farm buildings on his 80, where they lived and she taught the country school nearby. They had Allie, Harvey, Maggie, and Maud. All were born here except Maud. Allie went with her to school as soon as he was school age. He took quinsy then Diphtheria and died before a doctor could get there. He was buried in the Defiance Cemetery. George and Belle did not get along and were separated quite a bit of the time. She wanted to sell the farm to her brother in Oregon who was making a lot of money. Grandma Flaugher would not sign the deed, but some arrangements were finally made whereby the farm was sold. She taught school at various places and George worked on the railroad around Manilla. During this time George bought what was later the Kate Spielman property in Defiance, which she purchased after Joe had contracted a cold and pneumonia from a trip to Garlan and died when the children were quite small. George and Belle were remarried and lived here but not for long. The family separated and eventually she took the girls and went to Baker, Oregon where her brother lived. Later George quit his job on the railroad and went out but he was dissatisfied and wanted Harvey to go back to Iowa with him, but he was reluctant to go and long after George died and buried there. John Flaugher, Jr., his brother, went out to the services. In the 1920's Milo Ridenour and C.A. and Maggie Robinson stopped at Baker, Oregon and tried to find the grave but no records could be found and the caretaker thought that there might have been another cemetery, but no trace could be found. Last heard of Belle and the girls, they had gone to Kansas City. Harvey had enlisted in the army and disappeared. After Nettie was married, she went to live in a nearby town from which Solley had a run on the railroad. The children Charlie and Flossie were born here. He was injured in an accident on the railroad and was forced to retire so they moved to the 80 which was her father's homestead. After some time here Solley went to Corinda, Iowa for treatment and died there. Nettie stayed on at the 80 with help of her brother, John, until she sickened and died very suddenly. Uncle John stayed on with the children there as long as he could then they lived among the relatives who raise them. John Flaugher, Jr. maneuvered around and took over a house in Defiance where some of the relatives had lived, possibly George, for Grandpa and Grandma Flaugher. They lived there until Grandma died with dropsy. During her illness, it is said that Belle Flaugher stayed with Grandma and helped care for her. Grandfather and son John stayed on here until Aunt Kate bought the house an kept Grandfather as long as she could and then he went to the Ridenour and Loudenslager homes until he was taken to a home in Council Bluffs, where he died at the age of 82 years, 10 months and 29 days. Of the original Flaugher family, John and his wife Margaret, Kate Spielman and her husband Joe, Charlie and his wife Maud, Allie, the young daughter who died of spinal meningitis, shortly after moving to Iowa, Nettie and her husband E.E. Cotton were buried in the Defiance Cemetery. Also one son-in-law, Sam Loudenslager, and grandchildren, Elva Spielman, Lucy Ridenour, Allie Flaugher, Bea Flaugher, Flossie Cotton, great-grandchildren, Ethel and Frankie Brinker, and Elsie Loudenslager, Ed Loudenslager's daughter of North Dakota.

Sources

1. ↑ Newspaper Article; Herald and Torch Light, Hagerstown, MD, dated Aug. 31, 1893; A Native of this County Dead; Andrew Ridenour, residing at Smoketown, this county, has received information of the death at Defiance, Iowa on the 8th of August, of John Flaugher, in his 83d year. His ailment was apoplexy. Deceased was a native of Beaver Creek District. He moved to Iowa 23 years ago and was engaged in farming. His farms in Iowa aggregate 640 acres of land. His wife died about five years ago. He is survived by seven children - four daughters and three sons. The daughters are Mrs. Helen Loudenslager, Mrs. Isaac Ridenour, Mrs. Kate Spielman, Mrs. Cotton. The sons are George, John and Charles. His children all reside near Defiance.

See also:

• 1830; Census Place: District 3, Washington, Maryland; Series: M19; Roll: 58; Page: 148; Family History Library Film: 0013181. Enumerated in his father, Jacob's household, along with son, William.

• 1840; Census Place: Leitersburg, Washington, Maryland; Roll: 171; Page: 154; Image: 891; Family History Library Film: 0013186.

• United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M69F-ZR7 : 30 December 2015), John Flaugher, 1860.

• United States Census, 1870, index and images, FamilySearch Jno Flaugher, Iowa, United States; citing p. 1, family 5, NARA microfilm publication M593, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 000545919.

• United States Census, 1880, index and images, FamilySearch Jno F Flaugher, Union, Shelby, Iowa, United States; citing sheet 2D, NARA microfilm publication T9, NARA microfilm publication T9, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 1254364.