Abisha WICKHAM ²

  General Notes:

PHOTO: submitted by Buelah DeVore Stock

Much of the information on this family is from Raymond Wickham, Bev Kubicek & Buelah Stock.

1850 OH CENSUS, Morgan Co, Olive Twp: "Abijah" Wickham, 25, laborer, b. OH. He was living with the family of his brother, Elias Wickham. (Listed on the same census page were the families of Benjamin Wickham, "Apheus" Wickham and Lorana Wickham.)

NOBLE CO, OH LAND RECORDS: in 1851 Abisha Wickham sold 88 acres of land to John Still for $88.

BENJAMIN WICKHAM'S ESTATE: "Abisha Wickham" signed his name on April 21, 1853 as he received $66.95 from his father's estate.

ARTHUR WICKHAM RESEARCH FILES: Abisha Wickham moved to IA in 1853 and to Butler Co, IA by 1858

1854 IA STATE CENSUS, Linn Co, Franklin Twp:
Abisha Wickham -
1 male (Abisha)
1 female (Margaret)
1 voter
1 militia
(Listed next to Nathaniel Ball and Lester Wickham on census.)

US GENERAL LAND OFFICE RECORDS, 1796-1907:
Name: Abisha Wickham
Issue Date: 1 May 1855
State of Record: Iowa
Acres: 40
Accession Number: IA0660__.061
Metes and Bounds: No
Land Office: Fort Des Moines
Canceled: No
US Reservations: No
Mineral Reservations: No
Authority: April 24, 1820: Sale-Cash Entry (3 Stat. 566)
Document Number: 5673
Legal Land Description: Section Twp Range Meridian Counties
24 88-N 19-W 5th PM Hardin

HISTORY OF BUTLER CO, IA, 1883: "The Wickham's, Lester and Abisha, together with their wives and children, came, perhaps, in 1855. Lester and his wife and two children - a daughter named Hetty and a son named Irwin. Hetty married Nathan Ball before coming here, and they accompanied the Wickhams. Abisha and his wife raised one son, Thomas, who is now married and a respectable citizen. Irwin, Lester's son, died in early manhood. The wives of both Lester and Abisha are dead, and both men are now widowers and stay with Thomas. The Wickhams are good, honest, civil citizens. They located south of the South Fork, and were almost isolated for some time, not having any near neighbors; but of late years quite a number of Germans and others have improved farms near by, and now there is quite a settlement."

INFO FROM RAYMOND WICKHAM: Abisha moved to Butler Co, IA in 1854. Thomas Daniel Wickham reportedly told the story that when his grandparents Abisha and Margaret left OH, they drove a wagon with their possessions. Mararet's father drove with them in a buggy the first day. They camped that night on the prairie. The next morning they made breakfast, the father shook hands with both of them, and told them good-bye, knowing he would never see them again. He gave Margaret $100 in gold and told her to buy a home when she got here. (One 40 acre parcel was bought for $2.50/acre from the government = $100)

1856 IA STATE CENSUS, Butler Co, West Point Twp: Abisha Wickham, 25, in IA 2 yrs, b. OH, farmer; Margaret, 26, married, in IA 2 yrs, b. OH. (Abisha's brothers, Lester and Benjamin Wickham, were listed on the same census page, living separately.)

LAND PURCHASES: On Sept 19, 1857 Abisha bought 40 acres of US Government land.

US GENERAL LAND OFFICE RECORDS, 1796-1907:
Name: Abisha Wickham
Issue Date: 10 Nov 1859
State of Record: Iowa
Acres: 40
Accession Number: IA1710__.303
Metes and Bounds: No
Land Office: Dubuque
Canceled: No
US Reservations: No
Mineral Reservations: No
Authority: April 24, 1820: Sale-Cash Entry (3 Stat. 566)
Document Number: 36358
Legal Land Description: Section Twp Range Meridian Counties
32 92-N 18-W 5th PM Butler

1860 IA CENSUS, Butler Co, Pittsford Twp., (P.O.: Franklin Ridge, Franklin Co):
Abisha Wickham, 39, farmer, $200 real estate, $400 personal property, b. OH; Margaret, 29, b. OH; Lester, 3, b. IA; Thomas, 9/12, b. IA; Lester Wickham, 52, farmer, $400 real estate, $170 personal property.
(Listed next to them on the census were Nathaniel & Esther Ball.)

1870 IA CENSUS, Butler Co, Pittsford Twp, Butler Center: Abisha Wickham, 49, farmer, $1000 real estate, $200 personal property, b. OH; Margaret, 39, b. OH; Thomas B., 10, b. IA; Mary, 2, b. IA; Ann Sweeney, 6, b. WI; Margaret Sweeney, 4, b. WI; Lester Wickham, 62, farm laborer, $600 real estate, b. NY.

LAND: On June 12, 1878 Abisha Wickham bought 40 acres from Fanny Woodbury Hopkins for $400.

HEIR: Abisha was listed as heir to Alpheus Wickham's estate in 1880.

1880 IA CENSUS, Butler Co, Pittsford Twp: "Abish" (Ubish?), 59, married, farming, b. OH, parents b. OH; brother Lester, 72, single, farming, b. NY, parents b. NY; son T. (or F.?) B. Wickham, 20, single, farming, b. IA, parents b. OH; boarder T. (or F.?) J. Matheny, 30, single, mason, b. OH, father b. OH, mother b. NY.

1885 IA STATE CENSUS, Butler Co, Pittsford Twp: "Abisaha" Wickham, Section 32 SW of NW 1/4, 49(?), wd, farmer, b. OH; "Luster" Wickham, 77, wd., farmer, b. NY; Thomas B. Wickham, 25, married, farmer, b. IA; Hallie Wickham, 18, married, b. IL; Thomas A., 3, b. IA; Irvin C., 1, b. IA.

1895 IA CENSUS, Butler Co, Pittsford Twp: Abisha Wickham, 74, widowed, b. OH, farmer, religion: Christian. Abisha was living with his son, Thomas B. Wickham.

COUNTY LAND OWNERSHIP MAPS, Pittsford Twp, Butler Co, 1895:
A. Wickham owned 80 acres of land. Listed next to him was T. B. Wickham who owned 120 acres of land and perhaps an additonal 160 acres.

DUMONT CEMETERY RECORDS, Butler Co, IA: "Abrisha" Wickham - Jan 12, 1821 - Jan 15, 1897 Section B, Row 3

Abisha married Margaret BALIS, daughter of Thomas W. BALIS Jr. and Samantha MERRY, on 9 Oct 1851 in Noble Co, OH.¹ (Margaret BALIS was born about 30 Mar 1831 in OH,³ died on 27 Sep 1878 in Dumont, Butler Co, IA ³ and was buried in Dumont Cem, Dumont, Butler Co, IA ³.)