Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of William J. Sparks

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]

Descendants of William J. Sparks

Generation No. 1

      1. William J.⁷ Sparks (John⁶, Reuben⁵, Soloman⁴, Joseph³, William², Thomas¹) was born April 10, 1807 in Wilkes CO., NC, and died June 28, 1878 in Boone Co.,Iowa. He married Sarah Jennings September 13, 1828 in Wilkes, NC, daughter of William Jennings and Martha Joines. She was born September 25, 1809 in Wilkes County, North Carolina, and died February 2, 1896 in Boone Co.,Iowa.

Notes for William J. Sparks:
"In 1851, the brothers, Billie and Solomon Sparks, decided to move their families further west to the new lands which were opening up in the state of Iowa. They traveled slowly, stopping for a while in Pike County, Illinois. They crossed the Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa, and there the two families apparently separated, or prepared to separate. Billie continued northwestward until he reached Boone County, Iowa, whileSolomon traveled almost directly west until he reached Mercer County, Missouri. There the two brothers lived for the rest of their lives,scarcely more than 100 miles apart, a distance which in those days made frequent trips back and forth quite difficult.

William J Sparks was a pioneer Baptist Minister : Who organized many Baptist Churches in Iowa
He was from Virginia. His wife Sarah Jennings was born on July 5, 1807 in North Carolina. They came to Iowa in 1851. They had at least 2 sons. David and John.

A brief story of the life of the Rev. Wm J. Sparks or Uncle Bill as he was better known

      Grandfather William J. and Grandmother Sarah (Jennings) Sparks were born in North Carolina, in the year 1807. Grandfather was born April 17, 1807 on the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, near Wilkesboro, Wilkes County. Grandmother, Sarah Jennings Sparks was born July 5, 1807 in North Carolina, town or County not known.
      They both were born 141 years ago this year.(1948) They both must have been around twenty-one years of age when their first child, King David was born October 30, 1828. Uncle David and Uncle Jonathan were both born in North Carolina.
      Grandfather and Grandmother sparks with their two boys, David and Jonathon moved from North Carolina to Indiana where they lived for several years.
      To Grandfather and Grandmother were born a family of thirteen children as follows

Name                  born----location                        died            location

King David            30 Oct,1828- N.Carolina                  2 June, 1892      64 years
Jonathan            24 April,1831      N.Carolina                  29 June,1901       70 years
Mary E.(aunt Polly 21 Mar,1832 Wilkes Co. or      9 Dec 1921 Madrid,Boone Co. Ia
                              Bolling Green, Ind.
Milly(Staley)      4,Mar,1836      Terra Haute, Ind.            18 February,1906            70 years
William F.            20 May, 1839 " " "            4 Dec, 1907            68 Year
John(father)      31 Oct, 1841 " " "            28 Jan,1929            87 "
James & Stephen      7 Mar,1844                        In infancy            Twins
Martha & Elizabeth 28 February,1845                  In infancy            Twins
Nancy                  10 Mar, 1847                        22 April, 1862      15 years
Jane                  10 Mar, 1847                        30 April, 1884      37 years
Sarah Ann            28 Jan, 1849                        28 July, 1931      82 years

            None of the children were born in Iowa. There were 3 sets of Twins

      Grandfather and Grandmother Sparks with their two boys Uncle David and Uncle Jonathan, who were born in North Carolina moved from N.C. to Bolling Green, Owen County, Indiana, in 1831-35 and lived there four years, before moving to Terra Haute, Indiana October 31, 1841. (John Sparks was born in Terra Haute, Indiana.)
      They then lived here in Indiana for several years, and then having "contracted" the Western fever, loaded their scanty belongings into two Ox carts and started for the west. Grandfather owned two teams of oxen. The older people walked most of the way, but the younger children when they became too tired to walk any farther were permitted to get on into the carts and ride until they became rested enough to walk. They had to travel slowly With the oxen, and the pioneers who had horse teams soon left the ox teams far behind. But this fast traveling did not last very long, only two or four days, then the horses became worn out with their fast traveling. The ox teams soon overtook the horse teams; then they were willing to travel together, by being together they could help each other if any trouble occurred, and also greater protection could be given if any Indians were encountered. Many Indian skirmishes met with and conquered.
      The last stop before coming to Iowa was in Pike county, Illinois, where they stayed for a short while. They then began again their trip to Iowa.
      Grandfather's two brothers, Reuben and Solomn, with their families accompanied Grandfather until they crossed the Mississippi river, Keokuk, Iowa.
      The pioneers, at times would have to wait several days and sometimes a week or two to cross the river on the ferry, since there were no bridges across the river.
      Grandfather's brother Soloman went in to Missouri and settled in Mercer County in 1851. Reuben, Grandfather's other brother went westward, and father had forgotten where he had located, since it was nearly impossible to get mail through.
      Grandfather and Grandmother with their family of nine children, traveled in a northwesterly direction and settled on the east side of the Des Moines river several miles south and east of Boonesboro, in Boone county, Iowa. This was during the year of 1851. Then in the spring of 1852 they moved on to land which he homesteaded from the government, and for which he paid a dollar and a quarter an acre. He also bought land from a Mister Preston(Press) Berry, a relative.
      There being no buildings on the land when he bought it, soon by help of the other pioneers a log cabin was built. Grandfather then began to clear the land, and break the virgin soil to get the seed planted for the first crop to furnish food for the family and the farm animals. The work was done with the help of the two yoke of oxen.
      The pioneer had to be Jack-or-all-trades, for boots and clothing needed for the family. Grandfather made their boots and other leather goods from hides he tanned. All the wood ashes were saved in barrels or boxes, water was poured on the ashes and then the liquid was caught in iron or wooden containers. This liquid called potash was the material or lye which was used to remove the hair and other worthless material. Sometimes oak bark(for tannic acid) was used to make the leather tougher for rough use.
      Grandmother carded and spun the wool, flax and hemp fibers into thread and then she wove these threads into cloth, which was used for their clothing, tablecloths, towels, socks, mittens and other articles.
      Father has said that he had to wear a "tow shirt"(tow was made out of the fibers of hemp and flax) until he was ten years old, He said that it was, "rough and tough and scratchy", He has also said that his first pair of "Sunday" shoes cost $18.00 and also that he was eighteen years old when he bought them.

      The last elk in Boone County was killed by Grandfather. They called the elk "Old Darby". Father has said that they had three good hunting dogs; One was part Mastiff and the other two were just "hound dogs". Father said that the Elk taken refuge in a small cave or washout along a creek, and the dogs were slashing the elk's nose until it was nearly bitten off. But in return the elk had slashed great gashes, with its sharp hooves, on the dogs.
      The dogs loud barking was heard by Grandfather and he lost no time in going to the dogs. He then shot "Old Darby" the last of the great herds of elk that roamed this then wild country.
      Father has also told about the destruction of vast herds of deer that roamed the country. A severe winter with heavy snows and then the snow was crusted with ice. The deer were chased by dogs and men in sleds. The deer would as they leaped would break the ice crust and then the dogs would capture them. The early pioneer would then load the deer on the sled. Sled loads of deer were destroyed, and father said that there were no more deer around. Thus the elk and deer were all gone.
      Reminiscences of early days as told to me by father

                                                Signed by
                                                George E. Sparks



Notes for William J. (Billie) Sparks:
Aug 10, 1836 William Sparks patented 40 acres described as the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 19, T 10 N, R 5 W.
Dec. 9, 1837 William Sparks patented 40 acres described as the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 29, T 10 N, R 5 W.
Dec. 9, 1837 William Sparks patented 40 acres described as the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 30, t 10 N, R 5 W.
Jan 18, 1839 William sparks patented 80 acres described as the west half of the southwest quarter of section 29, T 10 N, R 5 W.
June 1, 1849 William J. Sparks patented 40 acres described as the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 30, T 10 N, R 5 W.
Jan. 11, 1841 William J and Sarah Sparks sold for $50.00 to Luke Jennings the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 29, T 10 N, R 5 W.
March 9, 1839 William J. and Sarah Sparks sold for $120.00 to William Phipps
the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 19, T 10 N, R 5 W.
Jan 11, 1841, William J. Sparks and Sarah Sparks sold for $50.00 to Luke Jennings the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 29, T 10 N, R 5 W. William patented this land of Jan. 18, 1839.
Sept. 30, 1851 William J. and Sarah Sparks of Owen Co IN sold for $1300.00
to Jacob Koub the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter and the northeast
quarter of the southeast quarter of section 30, T 10 N, R 5 W, and the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 29, T 10 N, R 5 W. William patented the first parcel on Dec. 9, 1837, the second parcel on June 1, 1849, the third parcel on Jan. 18, 1839, and the fourth parcel on Dec. 9, 1837.

More About William J. Sparks:
Baptised: Baptist Church by Rev.George Douglas
Burial: June 1878, Sparks Cemetery, Boone Co., Iowa
Moved: 1831, Owen CO., IN, near Bowling Green

More About Sarah Jennings:
Burial: February 4, 1896, Sparks Cemetery, Boone Co., Iowa

More About William Sparks and Sarah Jennings:
Marriage: September 13, 1828, Wilkes, NC

Children of William Sparks and Sarah Jennings are:

+	2	i.		David⁸ Sparks, born December 23, 1830 in Wilkes, North Carolina; died October 2, 1892 in Ogden, Mercy Twp, Boone Co.,Iowa.
	3	ii.		Jonathan Sparks, born April 24, 1831 in North Carolina; died June 29, 1901 in Boone Co.,Iowa.

More About Jonathan Sparks:
Burial: 1901, Sparks Cemetery, Boone Co., Iowa

+	4	iii.		Mary Elizabeth Sparks, born March 21, 1832 in Wilkes Co., North Carolina; died December 9, 1921 in Madrid, Boone Co., Iowa.
	5	iv.		Milley Sparks, born March 4, 1836 in Terra Haute, Indiana; died February 18, 1906. She married Joseph Staley April 28, 1866 in Boone Co., Iowa; born 1837; died Unknown.

More About Joseph Staley and Milley Sparks:
Marriage: April 28, 1866, Boone Co., Iowa

+	6	v.	William Russell Sparks, born May 20, 1839 in Terra Haute, Indiana; died December 4, 1907 in New Market, Iowa.
+	7	vi.	John Sparks, born October 31, 1841 in Terra Haute, Indiana; died January 28, 1929 in Boone Co.,Iowa.
	8	vii.	James Sparks, born March 7, 1844 in Terra Haute, Indiana; died March 7, 1844 in Terra Haute, Indiana.
	9	viii.	Stephen Sparks, born March 7, 1844 in Terra Haute, Indiana; died March 7, 1844 in Terra Haute, Indiana.
	10	ix.	Elizabeth Sparks, born February 28, 1845 in Terra Haute, Indiana; died February 28, 1845 in Terra Haute, Indiana.
	11	x.	Martha Sparks, born February 28, 1845 in Terra Haute, Indiana; died February 28, 1845 in Terra Haute, Indiana.
	12	xi.	Jane Sparks, born March 10, 1847 in Indiana; died April 30, 1884 in Boone Co.,Iowa.

More About Jane Sparks:
Burial: 1884, Sparks Cemetery, Boone Co., Iowa

xii.

Nancy Sparks, born March 10, 1847 in Indiana; died April 22, 1862 in Boone Co.,Iowa.

More About Nancy Sparks:
Burial: 1862, Sparks Cemetery, Boone Co., Iowa

xiii.

Sarah Ann Sparks, born January 28, 1849 in Terra Haute, Indiana; died July 28, 1931. She married Louis Phipps December 20, 1869 in Boone Co., Iowa; born 1848; died 1911.

More About Sarah Ann Sparks:
Burial: 1931, Linwood Cemetery, Boone Co., Boone, Iowa

More About Louis Phipps:
Occupation: Farmer
Residence: Des Moines Township

More About Louis Phipps and Sarah Sparks:
Marriage: December 20, 1869, Boone Co., Iowa

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]