John Milton Overman was born in Highland County, Ohio on November 11, 1817. He married Phebe Jane Cooper on June 25, 1840, and they had nine children together. Overman moved to the Sturgis Falls area in December 1847 with his brother, Dempsey. Together, the brothers bought land and a water mill owned by William Sturgis. They were responsible for changing the settlement’s name from Sturgis Falls to Cedar Falls. [1] In February 1848, the brothers brought their families to Cedar Falls. By this time, the sawmill they had built was up and running. In 1850, they added a gristmill and the manufacturing of flour became a very profitable business. [2]
John Overman was among the first proprietors of Cedar Falls, along with a few other pioneers. He built a large and had lots of property. A drawing of his home survives today. With his brother, he donated 66 lots to the county to help raise money to provide for county offices. John Overman became the first mayor of Cedar Falls in 1851. [3] He helped to organize the first school district in the city and became a member of the school board. He also performed duties as postmaster, overseer of the poor, and served in other official capacities. Overman was described as "an active spirit in all the public enterprises of the city… [who] subscribed liberally when means were required to promote its interests." [4] He was also remembered in his obituary as having unbounded physical energy and a strong mentality. [5] John Milton Overman died on June 3, 1906, at the age of 89. Overman Park in Cedar Falls, which is located on a piece of land donated by John and his brother, Dempsey, is dedicated to them and other pioneer settlers of Cedar Falls. It is named in their honor.
1. History of Black Hawk County Iowa and Its People. (Chicago: SJ Clarke Publishing Company, 1915), 273.2. Hake, Herb, 101 Stories of Cedar Falls. (Cedar Falls: The Record, 1977), 3-4.
3. History of Black Hawk County Iowa and Its People. (Chicago: SJ Clarke Publishing Company, 1915), 275.
4. "First Mayor Called Home," Cedar Falls Daily Record, June 4, 1906. Page 1.
5. "First Mayor Called Home," Cedar Falls Daily Record, June 4, 1906. Page 1.
"First Mayor Called Home." The Cedar Falls Daily Record, June 4, 1906, 1.Hake, Herb. 101 Stories of Cedar Falls. Cedar Falls: The Record, 1977.
History of Black Hawk County Iowa and Its People. Chicago: SJ Publishing Company, 1915.
Dempsey Overman was born in Highland County, Ohio, on March 31, 1820. He married Leah Cooper in 1841. In December 1847, he accompanied his brother, John to Sturgis Falls, where they bought the land and water mill owned by William Sturgis for $2,200. [1] They also decided to change the name from Sturgis Falls to Cedar Falls. Dempsey’s wife and family moved to the Cedar Falls area in February 1848, after a sawmill had been built. In 1850, they added a gristmill to grind flour. [2]
Dempsey Overman, along with his brother, John, was among the first settlers of Cedar Falls. When a post office was established in Cedar Falls on January 31, 1851, Dempsey Overman became its first postmaster. He has been referred to as the "Pioneer Letter Carrier of Iowa" because he is believed to be the first mail carrier delivery person in the state. [3] Overman also helped build many churches in Cedar Falls. No matter the denomination, he donated money to help with construction. [4] He also donated money to attract railroads and other enterprises to help develop the city. He was ill for some months before his death, on October 18, 1874, due to liver ailments. A piece of land donated to the city by Dempsey and his brother, John, has been turned into a park. It is named Overman Park in their honor.
1. Hake, Herb. 101 Stories of Cedar Falls. (Cedar Falls: The Record, 1977), 3-4.2. History of Black Hawk County Iowa and Its People. (Chicago: SJ Publishing Company, 1915), 273.
3. History of Black Hawk County Iowa. (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878), 316.
4. "Death of D.C. Overman," Cedar Falls Gazette, October 23, 1874,
Bibliography
"Death of D.C. Overman." Cedar Falls Gazette. October 23, 1874, 3.Hake, Herb. 101 Stories of Cedar Falls. Cedar Falls: The Record, 1977.
History of Black Hawk County. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878.
History of Black Hawk County Iowa and Its People. Chicago: SJ Publishing Company, 1915.
Andrew Mullarky was born in 1820 in County Mayo, Ireland. He immigrated to the United States with his family in 1830. They lived in Rhode Island, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois before moving to Iowa. In 1849, Mullarky married. The following year, he moved with his wife, Ellen, to Cedar Falls from Freeport, Illinois. He brought with him a small amount of supplies to open a store, the first in Cedar Falls. This store, named the Black Hawk Store, prospered for thirteen years. [1] The second level of the building was used for many years to conduct county business and to house records. For this reason, Mullarky was considered the custodian of county records for many years before the county seat moved to Waterloo. [2]
Andrew Mullarky took over the job of postmaster from Dempsey Overman. He also held many other local positions including service on the school board and town council. He was involved with the railroad and other corporations. Mullarky served on a committee to lay out and establish a state road from Cedar Falls to Independence. He was described as "being thoroughly imbued with the spirit of Western enterprise, of great force of character, possessed of wide and comprehensive views and with full confidence in the successful future of his adopted state." [3]
Andrew Mullarky died on December 12, 1863, in an accidental drowning. Awakening after having been passed out behind C.R. Wallace’s drug store, Mullarky, still drunk, became disoriented and fell into the millrace on the stormy night. [4] Though people tried to rescue him, because of the wintry conditions, he was not pulled from the water until ten minutes after he had fallen in. He left behind his wife and three daughters.
1. Hake, Herb. 101 Stories of Cedar Falls. (Cedar Falls: The Record, 1977), 5.2. Hake, 101 Stories, 5.
3. History of Black Hawk County. (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878), Page 319.
4. "The Drowning of Andrew Mullarky," The Cedar Falls Gazette, December 18, 1863, 3.
Bibliography "The Drowning of Andrew Mullarky." The Cedar Falls Gazette. December 18, 1863, 3.
Hake, Herb. 101 Stories of Cedar Falls. Cedar Falls: The Record, 1977.
History of Black Hawk County. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878.
George Philpot was born in Barnesville, Ohio, on June 7, 1817. He married Charlotte Morrison on May 9, 1837 and they had thirteen children together. In the spring of 1850, the family settled about three miles west of Cedar Falls. They lived with their neighbors, the Dempsey Overman family, until their house was built. [1]
George Philpot served many years as town constable and also as justice of the peace. He died on July 15, 1887, after a few years of failing health. He was one of the first settlers in the area and a founder of Cedar Falls. He is remembered in his obituary for being "most pure and sterling of character." [2]
1. Cedar Falls Historical Society: Series III (Nancy Philpot), Box 8, Folder 10 (Cedar Falls Record, July 23, 1908).2. "Death of Geo. Philpot," Cedar Falls Gazette, July 22, 1887, 5.
Cedar Falls Historical Society: Series III (Philpot, Nancy), Box 8, Folder 10 (Cedar Falls Daily Record, July 23, 1908)."Death of Geo. Philpot." Cedar Falls Gazette, July 22, 1887, 5.
Sheldon Fox was born on November 7, 1820, in Richmond, New York. He moved with his family to Ohio and then to Wisconsin. He married Amy Asenath on July 20, 1846, in Wayne County, Ohio. Fox and his family moved to Cedar Falls in 1855. Fox was the proprietor of a large stone mill at the foot of Second Street. [1] In 1863, he built a stylish brick home for his wife and three daughters at the corner of Second and Franklin Streets. [2] This building is now used as the meeting hall of the Odd Fellows. [3] Towards the end of his life, Fox invested in mills and land in Minnesota and elsewhere around the country, but usually wintered in Cedar Falls. He died on March 10, 1901, after suffering from an illness for most of the winter.
1. "Sheldon Fox," Semi-Weekly Cedar Falls Gazette, March 12, 1901, 7.2. Cedar Falls Historical Society: Series III (Sheldon Fox), Box 13, Folder 6 (Family Genealogy).
3. Special Collections, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa: Page, William C. ReconnaissanceHistorical and Architectural Survey of Black Hawk County: 1992. Dunbar/Jones Associates. 1992, Volume 2, F-10.
Cedar Falls Historical Society: Series III (Sheldon Fox), Box 13, Folder 6 (Family Genealogy).Special Collections, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa: Page, William C. Reconnaissance Historical and Architectural Survey of Black Hawk and Bremer Counties: 1992. Dunbar/Jones Partnership. 1992, Volume 2, F-10.
"Sheldon Fox." Semi-Weekly Cedar Falls Gazette, March 12, 1901, 7.
