JOSEPH MOWDER, farmer, Sec.15; P. O. Havana; was born in Columbia Co., Penn., July 3, 1808; when abeut 6 years of age, his father's family removed to Harrison Co., but he remained with his grandfather; he removed to Lycoming Co., Penn., when about 25 years of age, and, on the 31st of July, 1833, was married to Miss Judith Stroup, who was born in Columbia Co., Penu., Dec. 4, 1810; by this union there were ten children, five of whom are living:  Jacob T., John, Elizabeth (wife of George Lewis, who lives in Nemaha Co., Neb.), Martha J. (wife of John Blakely, who resides in Mason Co., Ill.) and Charles C.; the five deceased are David, Mary C., died in October, 1845; Harriet A., Aug. 2, 1834; one died in infancy. Mr. Mowder removed to Havana Township, this county, in May, 1839, and now resides within one-fourth of a mile of where he first settled; he says his first residence was constructed of logs and not encumbered with either upper or lower floor. Many of the early settlers had their houses so arranged that (if they were wealthy enough to own a horse) they could hitch to a log of wood and " haul " it in at one door and pass out with the horse at the other, thus securing their fuel by horse power. He now owns 240 acres of land in Havana Township.



Maintained by Mason County Coordinator Donna Mayer