| Notes |
- From Rosemarie Karlan, correspondent.
MARY SPRAGUE AND WM. A. LADD
We have fascinating legends of Mary Sprague. She is said to be of "the Smiths of Virginia" As far as we can determine, she was born in Vermont so the "Smiths" must have traveled. Their daughter, Aris Ladd Grimshaw, told that she grew up where she could hear Niagara Falls but never saw them. Another puzzling legend is "Sprague dirt." Her son, David Ladd, was "dark complected" (as was a nephew Claude Grimshaw), attributed to "Sprague dirt" by the Ladds. I would love to know what this is all about. We have corresponded, now, with descendents of Mary's son, David Ladd, and they at first told us that Mary was an "Iroquois Princess" but as far as I know now they have backed the Indian blood thing off at least another generation. They also say that she originally spelled her name Meary.
Mary kept her age a mystery. In 1870 Census at Dayton, Richland Center, Wisconsin she was 45, in 1880 in Jackson twp. Boone County, Iowa she was 56, in 1900 Butler twp., Sanborn County, SD her birth date was listed as Feb. 1821. I'm inclined to believe this birth date because it also agrees with her age of 81 years on her will dated Nov. 17, 1902. It doesn't agree with Aunt Lyra's chart (she has "born 1829, died 1904"). Her tombstone says 1820. What can you expect? Her daughter, Aris, our great-grandmother, had the wrong birth date put on her husband's stone so he wouldn't be younger than she was.
William doesn't have as many legends. It is said that he was 6 foot 7-1/2 inches tall. This has to be so, because why would they make up that extra half-inch. We find from the censuses that he was first a sawyer in NY and then a farmer in WI. He is said to have died because a tree fell on him
They moved a lot. Wouldn't it be great to know just how they made these moves! I wonder if they went by boat across the Great Lakes. It was about the time they started using steamboats on the lakes. We have them (Wm. Ladd and Mary) in New York, then maybe Canada. (Son, Wallace is listed as having been born in Canada)
We have recently made contact with Suzan Ladd, a descendent of son, David who says they have David and his family on a census in Iowa, next, in 1860 and they have a military record for him in the Civil War.
By 1870 Mary and William were in Wisconsin and newlywed daughter Aris and George Thomas Grimshaw were living with them. William died there in 1871. (We don't have any record of this death though)
Mary was living next in Jackson Boone County Iowa in 1880 living with her son Wallace and near her son, David and family. Her brother Hela Sprague lived in Fayette County too. On this same census was another Sprague family: William 35 (probably isn't Hela's son, a William born 1866 is buried in their plot) his wife Lizbeth 28 and Anna M. 8 and Kerry? A. 2.
In 1885, Mary and son, Wallace, lived together in Sanborn County, Dakota Territory, with David and family living nearby. Her brother Hela Sprague and his family lived there also. He died in 1901 and is buried there where Mary is, in the Prairie Home Cemetery out in the country in Butler twp., Sanborn County, SD. Three of Hela and Sarah's children died in late 1893. She obtained a patent on 160 acres in Sec 15, 105N 060W in Sanborn County 6/8/1902 and Wallace had a patent on 40 acres, Sec. 2, 105N, 060W, dated 4/27/1889. Wallace died Nov. 29, 1896, age 41, leaving Mary alone. There is a story about Wallace having been operated on for appendicitis at home.
When Mary wrote her will November 17, 1902 she provided: individual bequests to her children and grandchildren and designated money for a tombstone for herself and Wallace. Her son, David and his family were living in Tripoli, Iowa at the time; and Aris was living at Oacoma SD.
The earliest Census we have for them is 1850 New York Census - St. Lawrence County (my copy is blurry but I have heard that this is Lawrenceville, NY) shows entries 509, 521
WILLIAM A. LADD, age 31, male, occupation Sawyer, born NY, MARY M. LADD age 24, born NH, David A. Ladd age 7 (? could be 4) male, born ditto same as Mary, ARICE F. LADD (this is phonetic spelling; her name is Aris Phedora) age 2, F. born ditto same as Mary, Anna C. Ladd, age 21, F. born ditto same as Mary.
(Note, we don't know who Anna C. Ladd was but we know someone of that name was married in Dayton, Richland, WI to Lyman Bingham, Farmer, Feb. 16, 1868 subscribing witnesses were Wm A. Ladd and Asher Ladd. Father and Mother of wife were Wm. A. Ladd and Mary M. Ladd. They weren't old enough to be her parents but maybe they adopted her)
his New York census is handwritten and on further study, it looks like they are all born in NH because the H or Y looks similar to the H on Farm Hand elsewhere. In a later census in 1870 in Wisconsin they were all listed as coming from Vermont. What is St. Lawrence Co. NY now could have been NH or Vermont when they were born; I haven't researched this.
We have the 1851 Census of Frontenac County (Wolfe Island) It shows Grimshaws living there This may or may not have had anything to do with Mary & William.
Then we have the August 10, 1870 Census of Dayton Richland Center County Wisconsin.
WILLIAM A. LADD age 51, farmer, 800 value of real estate, 100 value of personal estate, born in Vermont.
MARY A. LADD age 45, keeping house, born in Vermont.
David A. Ladd, age 24 farmer, 200 value of personal estate, born in Vermont.
Wallace Ladd, age 15 work on farm, born Canada (107-106)
GEORGE GRIMSHAW, age 21, farm laborer, born Canada
ARIS P. GRIMSHAW, age 22, at home, born New York (same location 107-106)(living with her folks)
Same Census: The Grimshaw family had moved from Wolf Island to Richland WI
Notice from this census Wallace Ladd was born in Canada approx 1855; they were near the border, could have just gone up there; but maybe they lived there for a while
William A. Ladd died soon after this census. November 29, 1871. We believe that a tree fell on him. It is interesting to note that the great Chicago fire and the fire that destroyed Peshtigo, WI happened in October that year. More than a million acres of timberland were burned.
Anna Celestine Grimshaw (our grandmother) was born in Bremmer Co., Iowa, near Olewein Iowa. Dec. 7, 1874.
The Census for June 17, 1880 Franklin Twp. Bremmer Co. Iowa shows:
GEORGE GRIMSHAW 30 farmer, born in Canada, ARIS GRIMSHAW 32 wife, keeping house, born NY, William Grimshaw 8, son, born Iowa. TYNE GRIMSHAW (our grandmother Anna Celestine) age 5, daughter, born Iowa.
The Census for June 15 1880 Iowa shows
MARY LADD age 56 keeping house and her son Wallace A., Age 24, a farmer. Her other son, David, age 34 is listed there with his family
Next comes the Census Dist. No. 94 County of Sanborn, Territory of South Dakota 1885 shows Mary Ladd living with her son W.A. Ladd single, farmer, born Canada, father born Vermont. She is 60, widowed, farmer, born New York, father born New York, mother born New York. Her other son, David, is listed with his family as is her brother, Hela Sprague with his family.
From Rosemary Karlen, correspondent, note of April 29th, 2005
Actually we just haven't gotten any further with Mary Sprague than when I started way, way back there before I even thought of checking genealogy. That is, we haven't found out who her parents were. We know a lot about her - we've read her will, we read her homestead papers and her son's homestead papers, also her brother's homestead papers, her two brothers' Civil War Pension requests AND we think we have hooked her husband, William Asher Ladd, to the published history of Daniel Ladd who was born in England and came to America in 1634. That history book stops just one generation before our William Asher Ladd who was born in 1819 but we believe we have established a connection to Asher Ladd (born Jan 16, 1783 as his father)
We really worked on it. Thanks for recommending the correspondents you did. I e-mailed the man in England a lot and we both wanted to make the connection but just couldn't find any evidence other than coming to Fayette Co., IA from St. Lawrence Co., NY in pretty much the same time frame. It probably is a lot more complicated than we thought. The stories about Mary being an Indian princess (maybe related to Pocahontus) could be just that the relatives thought anybody dark complected had a secret but our two separate families of descendents had heard them. I haven't made any progress on a possible first marraige. I know that Hela Sprague was called "Uncle" but maybe that wasn't good enough for me to even assume her maiden name was Sprague. We even found a picture of her and the picture of my Great grandmother Arris, they could have Indian blood. I'm enclosing 2 pictures of Aris (young & old) I must have misplaced Mary.
From Rosemarie Karlen, correspondent, note of May 7th, 2005
1901-1910 Edward VII ruled England (Victoria had been Queen from 1837-1901)
1901 MARY M. LADD filed Homestead Proof Dec. 14, 1901 saying she had resided upon the land , NE ¼ of Section 15, in Twp. 105N of Range 60W, since the 9th day of Dec., 1896. Her Homestead Proof statement gives her age as 80, PO Letcher. Yes to native born and it is filled in New York and crossed out to Vermont. "House was built for former entry man. I established residence at date of entry. House is 16 x 24 ft, granary, stable, 50 acres fenced, 80 acres broken, value $1200. Other answers: two children, I am an unmarried woman, Not been absent from the land, 80 acres cropped each season, ordinary prairie farming land, has not sold or mortgaged any portion of the land, has no personal property of any kind elsewhere than on this claim. Her testimony was backed up by Harry Taylor Letcher, Clifton Reeves, age 30, Mitchell SD (he mentions a corn crib too) Two other witnesses are listed but we don't have testimony from them: Julius Smith and Ephraim Corliss. M. A. Skinner, Publisher of the Chronicle, Letcher, SD swears that it was published 6 consecutive weeks Oct. 31, 1901 thru Dec. 5, 1901. [3, 5]
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1825 - 1904 (79 years)
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Census
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