William Samuel Dart

Narrative:

     William Samuel Dart was born about 3 Jan 1798 in Vermont.^4,5,6
     He moved to Indiana before 1820, probably several years before.
     William married first, probably about 1818, perhaps in Dearborn Co., Indiana, a woman who is identified in several un-sourced online trees as Mary Bisbee. Marriage records in the county were lost in the 26 Mar 1826 courthouse fire, and no other record of the marriage, or even of her, has been found. Their son's middle name of Bisbee does lend some credence to the claims of her name.
     William appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Caesar Creek, Dearborn Co., Indiana, with a household consisting of one male under age 10 (son Charles), one age 16 to 26 (himself), and one female age 16 to 26 (his first wife.)¹⁴
     Un-sourced online trees report that his first wife died 3 Jul 1822.
     William married second, probably about 1822, perhaps in Dearborn Co., Indiana, a woman who is identified in several un-sourced online trees as Mary Ann Fraizer. Marriage records in the county were lost in the 26 Mar 1826 courthouse fire, and no other record of the marriage, or even of her, has been found.
     Un-sourced online trees report that his second wife died 8 May 1830.

A New County and a New Wife --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     William moved to Decatur Co., but when is unknown. He has not been found in the 1830 census in either Decatur or Dearborn counties.
     William married third Marietta Cobb, daughter of Capt. Willard Cobb and Amy Allen, on 22 Aug 1833 in Decatur Co., Indiana, with Samuel Bryan, justice of the peace, offciating.^7,8
     He was a farmer as a young man.¹⁵
     On 30 Sep 1835 William was granted a patent for 80 acres of land in Decatur Co., Indiana, under the Cash Entry Act of April 24, 1820. That act reduced the minimum price of public land to $1.25 per acre, and the minimum purchase to 80 acres, but required payment in cash, not on credit. On 15 Mar 1837 he was granted a patent for the 80 acres immediately to the south of the first grant.^16,17 On 2 Aug 1838 William was granted a patent for another 73½ acres, about one mile and a half miles southeast of the previous grants.¹⁸

Moving West --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     William and Marietta moved to Iowa about 1840.¹⁹
     William appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Henry Co., Iowa Territory, with a household consisting of one male under age 10 (son Webster), one aged 20 to 30 (Charles), and one aged 40 to 50 (himself), one female age 15 to 20 (daughter Emily) and one age 30 to 40 (his wife, Marietta Cobb.)²⁰
     On 1 Dec 1841 William was granted a patent for 80 acres of land in Henry Co., Iowa, about a mile and a half south west of Mt. Pleasant, also under the Cash Entry Act of April 24, 1820.²¹
     William and Marietta moved to Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., Iowa, in 1846, when her parents did.^22,23
     William purchased the Oskaloosa House, a two-story frame tavern on the southwest corner of the square, in the spring of 1846. He operated a drug store in one room of the building, the first drug store in Oskaloosa. He sold the building about a year later.²⁴
     William and Marietta appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., Iowa, enumerated 15 Aug 1850, reporting real estate valued at $4,000. Their children Webster, Eliza and George were listed as living with them, as was Lewis Folk, age 21.³

Investing in Land --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     On 1 Dec 1854 William was granted a patent for 160 acres of land in Mahaska Co., Iowa, about a mile and a half south west of Oskaloosa, also under the Cash Entry Act of April 24, 1820. On 1 May 1855 he was granted a patent for an additional 40 acres immediately south of the prior grant.^25,26
     Through the early 1850s he was reporting no occupation in the census. Perhaps he considered himself as an investor. By 1860 he again reported his occupation as farming.^27,28,29
     William served as a councilman of Oskaloosa in 1856 and 1857.³⁰
     William and Marietta appeared on the 1856 State Census of Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., Iowa. Their children Webster and Eliza were listed as living with them, as were her mother, and her sister Sarah.³¹
     On 15 Jan 1858 William was granted patents for three parcels of land. Two were for 40-acre parcels in Ringgold Co., Iowa, near Mt. Ayr, but on opposite sides of the town.^32,33 The other was a 148-acre parcel in Union Co., near Lorimor. Both counties were adjacent to Decatur Co., where his original grants were obtained.³⁴
     William and Marietta appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., Iowa, enumerated 27 Jun 1860, reporting real estate valued at $15,000 and personal estate of $4,00. Their children Webster and Eliza were listed as living with them.³⁵

Retiring to Des Moines --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     William and Marietta moved to Des Moines by 1870. William had retired by then, calling himself a retired merchant.^36,37,38
     William and Marietta appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Des Moines, Polk Co., Iowa, enumerated 20 Jul 1870, reporting real estate valued at $20,000 and personal estate of $6,000. Their daughter Eliza, her husband, and their children are shown as living in the same building.³⁹
     William and Marietta appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of 210 Water St., Des Moines, Polk Co., Iowa, in the household of his daughter Eliza and her husband, Joseph A. Ankeney.⁴⁰
     William died on 24 Aug 1881 in Polk Co., Iowa.^9,10,11 He was buried on 31 Aug 1881 in Woodland Cemetery, Des Moines, Polk Co., Iowa.^12,13

Settling the Estate of an Investor --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     William died intestate (without leaving a will) and letters of administration for his estate were issued on 26 Oct 1881 in Polk Co., Iowa, to Joseph A. Ankeney, his son-in-law. He posted a bond of $2,000.⁴¹
     An inventory of his estate was filed on 9 Nov 1881 listing six notes due the estate. Three were by Peter Appel, dated 20 Sep 1880, totaling $500, at 8% interest, and secured by a mortgage on land in Mahaska Co. The other three were by Jacob Fitsenberger, dated 28 Dec 1880, totaling $480, at 10% interest, secured by a mortgage on land in Dallas Co.⁴²
     The first settlement of the estate was filed on 9 May 1894. Showing the administrator had collected all six notes on their respective due dates, with interest, and some smaller amounts, for a total of $1,272. The entire amount had been paid out, $606 to the widow, in four payments, and $661 to his son Charles, and small amounts for expenses. The estate records do not reflect any distribution of land, so Charles, who was living in Oregon, may have received cash while his siblings received land.⁴³
     A report of the estate was filed on 30 Jun 1896. In which the administrator reported no activity, but the estate had been kept open to cancel a mortgage in the state of Missouri when the balance, about $75, was paid. No further reports were recorded.⁴⁴