Jacob Levi DOTY

                   Margaret Alvira Doty, daughter of Jacob L. Doty and Jane VanHorn (Doty ),
was14 years old when she came with her parents, brothers, and siste rs
from their home in eastern Iowa to Goldfield, IA making the long tr ip in
a prairie schooner (covered wagon) with an oxen team pulling the sch
ooner and horses pulling another wagon with 2 cows tied behind for milk a
nd butter for the family.
They came to Wall Lake in southeastern Wright County (it was nothing
b ut swamp then) and got stuck in the mud where they camped for the
night, u ntil an Uncle met them and said it was only a short distance to
Eagle Gro ve (Iowa) and they could make it by morning.
The uncle put his horses on the wagon and the oxen on the empty wagon a
nd to pull them out and they continued theirjourney arriving May 19,
1869 .
They built a sod house southwest of Goldfield and lived in that until
la ter when they were able to build a log house.
Goldfield was originally named "LIBERTY".   When they first changed t
he namethey wanted to call it Brassfield (after the 1st settler Major
Bra ssfield)but he didn't want a town named after him so they named it
Goldfi eld instead.
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The country was all prairie except where the rivers ran through the lan
d.  The prairie dogs and rattlesnakes were numerous.
Once when "Grandma Jane Doty" was going to make biscuits for dinner,  s
he reached up on a shelf to get the baking powder and heard a noise (it w
as a rattlesnake curled up on theshelf in the house)
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When Margaret (Or Maggie as she was called) was 20, she married John
And erson on December 9, 1875.  They had 12 children, all of which grew
up a nd married.  They lived all of there married life around Renwick,
Hardy, E agle Grove, and Goldfield, IA area.
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When "Maggie" was caringfor her first born child, she received word th
at her brothers and sisters were sick with diphtheria but she couldn 't
go home to see them.  She lost 5 brothers and sisters in about 2 wee ks
to the sickness.  They were all laid torest together in Glenwood Cemet
ery in Goldfield, IA.
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When "Maggie's" children were small, there were Indians all around, t
he countryside. The Indians camped around the Boone river and had a lar
ge settlement northwest of present day Eagle Grove.
The Indians in the area were friendly.  They used to come and beg for
fl ower from her.  No matter how many scoops she gave them, they would
alwa ys say "more, more" as they couldn't speak any other English   she
would s ay no Lots of papooses to feed and she would point to her
children.
In the winter the Indians would let there ponies run loose and they wou
ld get in and destroy their hay stacks.  John and Maggie would fence the
h aystacks in, but then the Indians would sneak up at night and cut the
wir es so their ponies could still feed.  They would also tare boards off
of t he corn crib so the ponies could get the corn.
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Obit uary of Margaret Alvira Doty
-from the
E agle Grove Eagle newspaper-
Daughter of Jacob L. Doty and JaneVanHorn (Doty) was born April 6, 18
55 at Lowden (Cedar County) Iowa, and died at the home of her son Ed L.
An derson on Wednesday May 28, 1941 having attained the advanced age of
86 ye ars, 1 month and 22 days.
She was the eldestof a family of twelve children, of whom the only
surv iving one is a brother, Lewis J. Doty, of Birchwood, Wis.
When Margaret was 14 years of age she camewith her parents and other
me mbers of the family, from the home in easternIowa to Goldfield, IA
maki ng the then long tri
                  

                   Maryl was one of 5 Doty children that died within 2 weeks of each othe
r.  They all contracted diptheria in 1880 and passed away.
                  

                   Sherwan drowned near Lowden at the age of 4.
                  

                   In his early days, Levi Doty was chosen as the "arbitrator" of disput es
in Clayton County, Iowa.   Everyone called him "Judge", and they had h im
settletheir local disputes.  He was apparently a wealthy landowner.  (
owned land,mills, etc.)
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One son travelled west and settled.(he supposedly hated women and didn
't want to marry)  He settled at Klondike and came back home at one time
w ith over $300,000.00 from his prosporsHe willed all of his money wh
en he died to a Judge in Montana.
                  

                   Abby was one of 5 Doty children that died within 2 weeks of each other.
T hey all contracted diptheria in 1880 and passed away.
                  

                   Samuel was one of 5 Doty children that died within 2 weeks of each othe
r.  They all contracted diptheria in 1880 and passed away.
                  

                   James was one of 5 Doty children that died within 2 weeks of each othe
r.  They all contracted diptheria in 1880 and passed away.
                  

                   Sarahl was one of 5 Doty children that died within 2 weeks of each othe
r.  They all contracted diptheria in 1880 and passed away.