Country Facts and Folklore
By Andy Reddick

Connection with Daniel Boone

Walter Whitten's wife seems to have been related to Daniel Boone, although the connection has not been substantially verified.
 
Walter Whitten (my great-great-great grandfather) and Reuben Sperry (a great-great grandfather) were among those who originated the settlement of Business Corners northeast of Douds, on what was later known as "Dutch Ridge."  Only the cemetery of the Old Zion Lutheran Church remains as a reminder of this once thriving settlement before Doud Station was built.
 
Walter Whitten (1802-1863) was the son of Archaelus and Zelpha Rundel Whitten.  Archaelus(1775-1862) originated in Scioto County, Ohio and Walter was born in Lawrence County.  Walter came to Iowa Territory in 1840 and staked a claim near the present village of Douds in Van Buren County, which he sold in 1841 and helped found the village of Business Corners.
 
His wife Rebecca, was the daughter of John Stover (1776-1820) whose family had recently moved from Virginia to Ohio at the time of his death.
 
Stovers came from Switzerland to America around 1700 (Forerunners, Henry Strickler, 1925).  Some settled in Pennsylvania, others in Virginia.  Jacob (who died in 1741) was an agent for the Swiss settlers and tried to establish a Swiss colony in Virginia around 1709. On March 15, 1715 he married Sarah Boone in Philadelphia.  Sarah was sister to Squire Boone, and therefore was Daniel's aunt.
 
Here's the problem:  Rebecca's father John died suddenly in 1820 and his wife remarried.  His family had just moved to Ohio, thus records of his immediate family seem to be lost. Sandwiched in between John and Jacob the Swiss agent, is presumed to be another man named Jacob, but nothing is known about him.
 
Substantial evidence exists but nothing concrete to verify the connection.  If someone has additional information about Rebecca Stover, please share what you have discovered.


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Contributed to the Van Buren Co. IAGenWeb Project by Andy Reddick
http://iavanburen.org