I have read that my great (3x) grandfather, Benjamin Pitney Freeman lived at Sugar Grove, Hale Township, Jones County, Iowa. It is also supposed to be the name of the first school district in the state of Iowa. I grew up on a farm in Hale Township and do not remember my father mentioning it, as he did of some unmarked locations. Can you please provide me with information on it's location?
Thank you for your assistance.
Butch Freeman
(Sugar Grove - Is it a town?)
FROM THE HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY, IOWA
(The following information was found at these two sites)
http://archive.org/stream/historyjonescou00compgoog/historyjonescou00compgoog_djvu.txt
http://iowajones.org/history/1879historyGreenfield.htm
At both sites the following is all that we could find mentioning ‘Sugar Grove.’
- First district school, Sugar Grove, 1840, taught by T. Stivers.
- My wife was an only daughter, and the motive which prompted this long journey was to give her mother (old Mrs. Seeley) a home with us. Thirty miles from our destination, we learned that Mrs. Seeley had died in July of that year. But we came on, though with ardor dampened hopes withered. The country appeared in consonance with our feelings, a dreary waste of prairie— except Walnut Creek and Wapsi timber, 'Sugar Grove* and 'Big Woods' to the north and east. The beautiful groves of young timber on the right bank of Walnut from the bridge to Sibbals Creek, was then all prairie, and the view without obstruction.
- "As I remarked, my wife's mother died on the 9th of July, 184D, only two months before our arrival. The first American flag hoisted in Jones county was hoisted at Rome in 1840, and made by this aged lady. She allowed no other fingers to work thereon but hers, and this was her last work. Here, and at this time, was also the first liberty pole raised, the first post office located, and the first district school instituted in the county. The first school was taught in the *Sugar Grove/ by T. Stivers, Esq., who was the only blacksmith here, and was also deputy postmaster.
Was Sugar Grove a school building as can be inferred by the first point above? Or, was it called that because it was taught in the Sugar Grove (a tree area) as possibly inferred by the third point above? If you have any information about the place called Sugar Grove, please send it our way.
Thank You
(What we have found)
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Sugar Grove, Iowa
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