Combs &c. Families of Clayton County, Iowa

	Combs Counties of Clayton Co, IA

Last updated 09 Mar 2008
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Clayton County; In 1836, Iowa was included in the Wisconsin Territory. Clayton County formed 1837 from Dubuque, Wisconsin Territory, and Iowa Territory created in 1838.

1870 Clayton Co, Census

Source: Heritage Quest Original Images transcribed and submitted by Sue Elfving.

Elk Township

p. 216/17 - 5 Aug 1870

Colesburg PO

112/113 Samuel S. Combs, 46, male, white, Farming, PP=$310, b. KY
James W, 22, male, white, farm laborer, b. IN
Sarah, 20, female, white, keeping house, b. IN
Job, 18, male, white, b. IL
Alice, 15, female, white, b. IL
Minnie F, 6, female, white, b. IA

Note: Now he shows a middle initial of "S" instead of the "F" in 1860 Delaware Co., IA record. No wife in this record but he may have remarried by 1880.

Boardman Twp

Strawberry Point

p. 154A

228/227 Coomes Owen 35 M W Ireland 2,000 200 Ire
Mary 33 F W Keeping House ?
Katie 14 F W At Home OH
Hannah 13 F W At Home WS
Julia 8 F W At Home WS
Eugene 7 M W At Home WS
Martin 1 M W At Home IA

Note: Occupation Ireland?

1880 Clayton Co, Census

Source: FHL 1880 Census transcription

Elk Township

p. 828B

Job Combs, Self, Md, Male, white, 28, Farm Laborer, IL KY NY
Alice, Wife, Md, Female, white, 20, Keeping House, IA VA KY
Gertrude, Dau, Single, Female, white, 2, b. IA IL IA
Bertram, Nephew, Single, Male, white, 8, Attending School, IA, IL, IA

Note: Job, son of Samuel Combs. See 1860 Delaware Co, IA census and 1870 Clayton Co. census records.

p. 329C

Samuel Combs, Self, Md, Male, white, 56, Grocer, b. KY TN KY
Mary, Wife, Md, Female, white, 53, Keeping House, NY NY NY
William, Son, Single, Male, white, 11, Attending School, b. IA KY NY

Note: Could this wife Mary be a second wife. Samuel's 1870 census shows no wife. Or was she just omitted from 1870 census. Also Job's 1880 census record shows his mother born in NY and above Mary is shown as being born in NY.

1885 Clayton Co, IA State Census

FHL# 1021454, HQ# V221-53 (Clayton Co, IA - IAGenWeb Project, USGenWeb)

Elk Twp

91 4 27 S3/4. N.E. S.E

p. 250 June 1st, 1885

10/11 Combs Job A 32 M M Farmer N N
Alice C. 26 F M N N
Gertrude 7 F S N N
Maud J 4 F S N N

91 4 32 SW NE NE

p. 254

32/34 Combs Samuel 60 M M Merchant KY N N X
Sabrina 51 F M IL N N

Note: This means that Samuel must have had had three wives: Mary Pinkley who bore all his children and died in 1868; Mary Unknown from New York who shows up in the 1880 census with an 11 year old son, William, who must be the issue of another marriage; and Sabrina Unknown. Mary Unknown must have died between 1880 and 1885. William is not living with Samuel and Sabrina Unknown, but he would have been 16, and maybe on his own. None of the wives are mentioned in Samuel's obit. (Wes Blank)

91 4 32 N.W. N.E.

33/35 RULON Kelley 34 M M Merchant Clayton N N X X
Allie 29 F M IL N N
Claude 8 M S Delaware N N
Earl 2 M S Clayton N N

Note: Allie is Alice Ross Combs d/o Samuel Stockwell Combs.

Elk Creek Cemetery

Samuel S. Combs (b. Feb. 28, 1824 in Ky., d. April 27, 1894) (middle name listed as Stockwell in some sources but not yet documented) Mary PINKLEY Combs (b. April 1822, d. Dec. 19, 1868) Children:
Andrew J Combs (b. November 12, 1845, Indiana)
James Wilson Combs (b. January 14, 1847 Indiana)
Sarah A Combs (b. June 16, 1850 Indiana)
Job Combs (b. May 7, 1852 Illinois)
Alice Combs (b. 1855 Illinois)

On May 25, 1841, Samuel Combs acquired two homestead patents of 40 acres each in Posey Township, Clay County, Indiana. One Samuel STOCKWELL also obtained patents on the same day in Posey Township. The 1880 census shows Samuel's father to have been born in Tennessee.

On December 29, 1851, Samuel and Mary sold their eighty acres in Posey Township to Alford WYATT. The land they sold is five miles south and two miles west of the present city of Brazil, Indiana, on sections 22 and 27 of Posey Township. Uriah W MODISETT was one of the witnesses to the sale. Uriah, along with Michael Combs, was prominent in the development of Staunton in Posey Township and the building of the Vadelia Railroad.

In the 1856 Iowa State Census, Samuel and his family were listed in Washington Township in Jones County, IA. They must have just moved to Iowa as their residence in Iowa was shown as 0 years. Living with them was Benjamin PINKLEY (Rinkley?), 26.

By 1860, the Combs were in Elk Township in Delaware County, Iowa. Their last child, Minnie F was born in 1864. Benjamin PINKLEY was still living with the family. Samuel's occupation was listed as "miller" in the 1860 US Census. Samuel's son James later married Alma REDDEN, the daughter of an Elk Township mill owner, William REDDEN.

In the 1870 Census, the Combs family is listed in Elk Township, Clayton County. Elk Township, Clayton County, is immediately north of Elk Township, Delaware County. Their child, Minnie F, had been born in 1864, and Mary had died on December 19, 1868. In the household were Samuel, James W, Sarah, Jobe (sic), Alice and Minnie F.

By 1880, Samuel Combs remarried another Mary, this one born 1827 in New York. In the 1880 census Samuel, Mary and a son William, born 1869, are shown. Samuel is listed as a grocer. They must have married after 1870, and William is probably a stepson, since neither Mary or William are shown in the 1870 census.

Important: All Records collected for this county may not have been added here as yet. See also the Combs Research List Archives

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