My Genealogy Hound

JAY D. SPAULDING.
That Jay D. Spaulding is one of the most prominent citizens of Union county and one of its worthy pioneers is indicated by the fact that the village and township of Spaulding were named in his honor. Coming to this district when it constituted a part of the “far west,” he has since been identified with its improvement and development, and from a humble financial position has steadily worked his way upward until he is now one of the large landowners of the county. Moreover, his labors have been of a character that has greatly benefited the community and he has cooperated in many measures for the general good.

Mr. Spaulding was born in Lafayette, Onondaga county, New York, December 27, 1841. His paternal grandfather, Jeremiah Spaulding and his brothers were soldiers of the Revolutionary war, being present at the surrender of General Burgoyne and also at the surrender of General Cornwallis. His parents were Dwelly and Cynthia (Woodworth) Spaulding, who were likewise natives of the Empire state, but came of Connecticut parentage. They spent the early part of their lives in eastern New York, near Saratoga, and then removed to Onondaga county, where their remaining days were passed. Mr. Spaulding secured a tract of new and unimproved land, which he developed into a fine farm and thereon made his home. He died while visiting his son in Union county in 1869, at the age of seventy-six years, while his wife passed away later at the old home in New York. Jay D. Spaulding was the youngest of their eight children, the others remaining in the Empire state, save one brother that went to Michigan.

Upon the old homestead farm in Onondaga county, New York, Jay D. Spaulding remained to the age of twenty-one years, and after acquiring a knowledge of the rudiments of education in the common schools he attended the academy at Onondaga Valley and also Cazenovia seminary in that state. His education was continued until he was about twenty-four years of age and for one year he taught in the district schools of his native county. He spent the spring and summer of 1865 in western Virginia and eastern Tennessee In 1864 he had gone to Michigan, where he had previously purchased land and in Ionia county, that state, he cleared and developed one hundred and twenty acres. In the south he was employed in the oil wells as a workman and driller, while in Michigan he grubbed the stumps and developed a farm, using eight yoke of cattle as a grubbing team. At length he sold that property. Up to this time his entire life had been passed in New York, save the period spent in Michigan and in the south. During the winter of 1865-6 he went to Syracuse, New York, and became a member of the firm of I. A. Thurber & Company, wholesale bakers and confectioners, continuing in that business for about two years, or until the spring of 1867.

He then sold his interest and came west, arriving in Union county in the month of June. The journey was made by rail to Michigan, after which he worked at loading boats at Grand Haven for two weeks. He then engaged in grubbing in southern Michigan and subsequently worked on a farm in Laporte county, Indiana. In June, 1867, at Michigan City, he met E. J. Emmons, a New York man, who had been his companion and friend from earliest boyhood, and with him started westward on foot. They had no particular point in view, wishing to find good land and open range for stock. They crossed the Mississippi river at Rising Sun and visited three tiers of counties, moving backward and forward across the country trying to get ahead of the Burlington Railroad, which was being built. Believing that sooner or later this ridge in what is now Spaulding township would have a railroad, they decided to settle here. Mr. Spaulding regarded this as the best land that he had seen and took up his abode in Union county, after traveling between six and seven hundred miles on foot. He has since lived continuously in the township and as an honored pioneer and progressive citizen has done much for the development of the county.

At the time of his arrival the township was all open prairie. There was not a stick of timber here of any size. He has seen the planting and growth of every one of the trees found here and has witnessed the transformation of the unbroken sod into productive fields, which annually bring forth rich harvests. In the first month after his arrival he purchased a quarter of section 11 and then went to Chariton to buy teams, tools and wagons. He did not have much money and he found that all supplies were high. With a covered wagon he returned in company with his partner, coming up the Mormon trail from Afton. They lived that summer in the covered wagon and broke some prairie. Later they built a little shanty twelve by twenty-four feet, in which Mr. Spaulding resided until the spring of 1868, when he built the main part of his present residence, hauling lumber from Des Moines, which was the nearest railroad station. It required five days to make the trip and he slept under the wagon at night. Mr. Spaulding owned the land and his partner bought the tools and teams. They have been associated in business from childhood to the present time, and Mr. Emmons now resides in Denver, Colorado, Mr. Spaulding managing his interests for him in Union county.

As his financial resources increased Mr. Spaulding added to his property from time to time until he was the owner of about sixteen hundred acres here, mostly lying in Spaulding township. He now has about twelve hundred acres or more, all of which he has improved himself. For his early purchases he paid two dollars and sixty cents per acre and for the home place he paid five dollars per acre. As the years have gone by he has labored earnestly, industriously and untiringly for the development of his farming interests and has brought much hitherto wild land under a high state of cultivation. Stock-raising has been the main feature of the place. He has engaged quite largely in raising horses. He is an excellent judge of stock and his operations in this direction have brought him a very gratifying measure of success. For the past twenty years he has also been interested in mining in Colorado and he is likewise interested in a ranch owned by a son in the Big Horn basin in Wyoming.

In the fall of 1870 Spaulding township was organized and was named in his honor. The post office came with the building of the railroad in 1878 and was named Spaulding at the same time. After the organization of the township Mr. Spaulding held some of the township offices for several years, putting forth effective and earnest effort to see that highways were laid out on section lines and of full width and to see that schoolhouses were established in the corner of every quarter section, two miles apart, this being the first township which followed that course. It met with considerable opposition but Mr. Spaulding made a strong fight and thus did splendid work for the cause of education. He has been a lifelong republican and cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864, since which time he has voted for every nominee of the republican party at the head of the ticket. His wife cast a vote for Theodore Roosevelt in Colorado, having lived there long enough to have won the right of franchise.

Mr. Spaulding was married in Lafayette, Onondaga county, New York, in 1870, to Miss Mattie Palmer, who was born in that county, June 14, 1847, a daughter of Avery F. and Sarah (Baily) Palmer, who were natives of Connecticut and Massachusetts respectively. In childhood days they went to New York, where they were married, spending the residue of their lives on a farm in Onondaga county, Mrs. Spaulding being the seventh in order of birth in their family of eight children. Her paternal grandfather, General Waterman Palmer, won his title by service in the Revolutionary war. When her parents located in western New York they established a home in the midst of the forest and in fact had to make a clearing large enough to build a log house. Mrs. Spaulding acquired her early education in the common schools of her native county, afterwards attended the Skaneateles (New York) Academy and the Syracuse public schools. For two years she engaged in teaching school in Onondaga county, and is a lady of culture and refinement, who has been of much assistance to her husband since their marriage. Unto them has been born one son, Elmer, whose birth occurred in Spaulding township, June 3, 1879. He married Alice Hoakison, a native of this county, and they are now living on his ranch in Wyoming, comprising two section of land.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Jay D. Spaulding are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of the village of Spaulding. They assisted in organizing the Presbyterian society there and were associated with it until it disbanded to be succeeded by the Methodist Episcopal church. In early days Mr. Spaulding had to go to Afton seventeen miles away for his mail for about three years. Today mail is received at his own door and he has a telephone in his home. He had to make his own survey here and put up the government stakes. There were many deer and much other wild game, and at the time of his arrival Indians camped about the timber. In fact every evidence of western frontier life was to be seen and the work of development and improvement lay in the future. It has been accomplished by such hardy pioneers as Mr. Spaulding, who have labored along practical lines for the improvement of the county as well as for the advancement of their individual business interests. No history of the county would be complete without mention of him, and his well spent life is worthy of emulation, for while he has won success it has been gained through the most honorable methods.