Milton Howard (1852 - 1928)

Born 1852 in Muscatine, Iowa, United States

Husband of Kate (Jones) Howard — married 23 May 1867 in Scott, Iowa, United States

Husband of Lena (Smith) Howard — married 2 Dec 1893 in Scott, Iowa, United States

Died 18 Mar 1928 at about age 76 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa, United States

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Biography

Milton Howard is Notable.

Milton Howard was born around Muscatine, Iowa somewhere between 1844 and 1852. The 1900 census says February 1844, but the family has not yet been located on the 1850 census and other potential census records give different years. He may have been born in 1852 (as listed on his death record) which woud explain his absence from the 1850 census.

He was kidnapped with his family and brought south as a slave as an infant or at age 7, He is recorded as being in Montgomery Alabama at age 2, or sold in north Alabama.^[1]

He escaped north and enlisted in the Union Army on 21 January 1864. He mustered in on 11 February 1864 and was a Private, in Company F, 60th Regiment U.S. Colored Infantry. He mustered our 15 October 1865 in Devall's Bluff, Arkansas.^[2][3]

Milton Howard worked on the Rock Island Arsenal, an army facility, from 1866 to 1922. He was the first black man to do so. He spoke several languages, teaching himself because of the languages spoken by his colleagues.

He married Katy Jones 23 May 1867 in Scott County, Iowa.^[4] They had one son, Warren G Howard. In 1870, the family lived in Davenport, ward 2, Scott, Iowa, United States. Milton is listed as being born in Georgia, but this does not match any other records.^[5]

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

Milton Howard Male 24 Georgia

Kate Howard Female 31 Alabama

Warren Howard Male 0 Iowa

He married Lena Smith on 2 Dec 1893 in Scott, Iowa, United States.^[6] In records for his children from the 1890s he is often listed as Milton Smith.

In 1895, the family lived in Scott, Iowa, United States.^[7]

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

Milton Howard Male 43

Line Howard Female 24

Warren Howard Male 23 [son of Katy Jones]

Roy Howard Male 4

Willie Howard Male 1 [listed as 3rd child on birth record]

In 1900, the family lived in ED 135 Davenport Township, Precinct 2 Davenport city Ward 5, Scott, Iowa, United States^[8]

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

Milton Howard Head Male 56 Iowa

Lena Howard Wife Female 29 Missouri

Roy Howard Son Male 10 Illinois

Willie Howard Son Male 6 Iowa

Perl Howard Daughter Female 4 Iowa

Jean Howard Son Male 1 Iowa

In 1910, the family lived in Davenport Ward 5, Iowa.^[9]

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

Milton Howard Head Male 65 Iowa

Lena Howard Wife Female 39 Missouri

William Howard Son Male 15 Iowa

Pearl Howard Daughter Female 13 Iowa

Jene Howard Son Male 11 Iowa

In 1920, the family lived in Davenport Ward 6, ED 177, Scott, Iowa, United States.^[10]

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

Milton Howard Head Male 75 Iowa

Lena Howard Wife Female 49 Missouri

Eugene Howard Son Male 20 Iowa

Pearl C Howard Daughter Female 23 Iowa

He died 18 Mar 1928 in Davenport, Iowa.^[11][12][13] He was survived by his wife Lena, daughter Pearl Perkins, and sons Edward, Leroy, Eurgene, and William.^[3]

He was buried in Oakdale Memorial Gardens, Davenport, Scott County, Iowa, USA^[14]

Research Notes

His father was John Howard, born in Alabama.^[11] The 1900 census says he was born in Virginia, and the 1910 in Louisiana, and the 1915 in Tennessee. His marriage to Lena Smith gives his father as Addison Smith.

Sources

1. ↑ The amazing life of Davenport's Milton Howard. He was born free, but kidnapped into slavery. He escaped to serve in the Civil War and work at the Rock Island Arsenal for 56 years by Jim Meenan Quad City Times, 23 October 2020] alternate link
2. ↑ "Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1861-1949," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q23N-3TW3 : 17 March 2018), Milton Howard, 1861-1949; citing Iowa, United States, Military Service, State Historical Department, Des Moines; FHL microfilm 1,487,415.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Milton Howard, former slave and G.A.R. Veteran Dies While Attending Church Services Sunday, Quad City Times, Monday, March 19, 1928
4. ↑ "Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XJGK-KHM : 13 January 2020), Milton Howard, 1867.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDVY-D7H : 2 January 2021), Milton Howard, 1870.
6. ↑ "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XJ69-HX2 : 25 September 2017), Milton Howard and Lena Smith, 02 Dec 1893, Scott, Iowa, United States; citing reference Vol.12, p.168, 10633, county courthouses, Iowa; FHL microfilm 1,004,419.
7. ↑ "Iowa State Census, 1895," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTQJ-VJ9 : 4 April 2020), Milton Howard, Scott, Iowa, United States; citing p. 324, 1895, State Historical Society, Des Moines; FHL microfilm 1,022,179.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9LN-TQS : accessed 7 February 2021), Milton Howard, Davenport Township, Precinct 2 Davenport city Ward 5, Scott, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 135, sheet 5B, family 114, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,458.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MG9D-ZPF : accessed 7 February 2021), Milton Howard, Davenport Ward 5, Scott, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 144, sheet 3A, family 51, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 423; FHL microfilm 1,374,436.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDMF-YJN : 1 February 2021), Milton Howard, 1920.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} "Iowa, Death Records, 1904-1951," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q248-XG8X : 8 November 2017), Milton Howard, 18 Mar 1928, Davenport, Scott, Iowa, United States; citing certificate #824761, State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines; FamilySearch digital folder 101784604.
12. ↑ "United States Headstone Applications for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHZZ-DTX : 4 April 2020), Milton Howard, .
13. ↑ "Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations, ca. 1835-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2QV-VPPH : 11 February 2019), Milton Howard, 18 Mar 1929; citing Davenport, Scott, Iowa, United States, The State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines.; FHL microfilm 2,188,713.
14. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 07 February 2021), memorial page for Milton Howard (Feb 1844–19 Mar 1928), Find A Grave: Memorial #13551168, citing Oakdale Memorial Gardens, Davenport, Scott County, Iowa, USA ; Maintained by Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (contributor 48353502) .

• "Iowa State Census, 1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK4T-1WJZ : 24 November 2020), Milton Howard, 1915; citing Scott Township, Hamilton, Iowa, United States, card no. , Iowa State Historical Department, Des Moines; FHL microfilm 1,462,755.

• "Iowa State Census, 1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQ7-NJJK : 20 June 2020), Milton Howard, Davenport, Scott, Iowa, United States; citing Davenport, Scott, Iowa, United States, Iowa State Historical Department, Des Moines; FHL microfilm .

See also:

• Up from slavery, by John Willard, Quad City Times May 14, 2002

• Milton Howard Family, photo from Putnam Museum, Quad City Times, Mar 7, 2014 Updated Oct 22, 2020

• "Two Quad-Cities men to be honored with Arsenal street namings" by Ed Tibbetts, 17 Aug 2018, Quad City Times

• Prominent area blacks profiled in 1915 paper, Quad City Times, Feb 5, 2003

• Quad-City Times, Davenport, Iowa, 18 Apr 1915, Sunday, Page 17

• Milton Howard, Private, Company F, 60th USCT

• History of former slaves in Iowa studied, Des Moines Register, 9 March 2014