Carlton Snyder

HOPE, SHAWVER, SNYDER

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 8/9/2012 at 15:56:25

Biography and History of Ringgold and Union Conties, Iowa, 1887, page 393

Carlton Snyder, farmer and stock-raiser, section 5, Jefferson Township, was born February 10, 1841, Platte County, Missouri, a son of Andrew Snyder, a native of Richland County, Ohio. He came with his parents to Iowa in 1847 and located in Warren County, 8 miles south of Des Moines.

Our subject was reared to agricultural pursuits, and was educated in the common school of Warren County, and at the grade school in Winterset, Iowa.

He enlisted (at age 21 from Norwalk, Iowa, on August 15, 1862) during the late (Civil) war in Company H, thirty-fourth Iowa infantry and was with the Regiment in the battles of Vicksburg at Chickasaw Bayou and Arkansas Post. He was discharged for disability in March 17, 1863 at St. Louis Missouri. Carlton was a patient at the House of Refuge Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, February 12, 1863.

He went to Central City, Nebraska, in 1871, remaining there until 1875.

He was married March 31, 1874 in Clarke County, Iowa to Miss Amanda Jane Shawver, a daughter of George Shawver, who lives near Macksburg, Madison County, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have had three children, two still living - George A. and Elbert. They have taken a boy to bring up, named Clyde A. Hope.

Mr. Snyder located in Madison County, Iowa, in 1875, and in 1876 came to Ringgold County, when he settled on his prison farm, which contains 120 acres of choice land.

Mr. Snyder has served as trustee and school director. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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History of Ringgold County, Iowa - 1908

When the toesin of war sounded, men from all walks of life flocked to the standard of the county, coming from the work shops, the fields, the counting houses, the stores in the offices, all actuated by the common purpose of defending the Union even at the sacrifice of their own lives if necessary. Forty-seven years have come and gone since the outbreak of hostilities and others who met the enemy on Southern battlefields are fast passing away.

Among the veterans now living in Union County is Carlton Snyder, of Shannon City, who for years was a farmer of Iowa and still owns a farm of 120 acres in Ringgold County. He came to the state at a very early period in its settlement and development, being brought to Iowa by his father in the fall of 1846, when a little lad of five years. He was born in Platte County, Missouri, February 10, 1941.

His father, Andrew Snyder, was a native of Ohio and was there reared after which he removed westward to Platte County, Missouri, being one of the early settlers of that locality. As stated, he came to Iowa in the fall of 1846, casting his lot with the pioneer residents of Warren County which was then a largely unclaimed and unsettled district, much of the land still being in the possession of the government, while only here and there had a little home being built to indicate that the seeds of civilization were being planted in the West. Mr. Snyder entered land from the government and opened up a farm, which he cultivated until 1872, when he sold that land and removed to Madison County, settling near Winterset. There he spent his remaining days, his death occurring in January, 1878, when he was seventy-four years of age. His wife died January 12, 1891, at the advanced age of eighty-four years.

Carlton Snyder was one of a family of four daughters, and seven sons, who reached adult age, while one son and one daughter died in early life. He was reared to manhood upon the Warren County farm and was thoroughly trained in the work of the fields until he had become thoroughly familiar with the best method of planting and caring for the crops.

He was twenty-one years of age when he responded to the country's call for aid, enlisting in August, 1862, with the Thirty-forth Iowa Infantry. With that command he went to the South, joining the Army of the Tennessee and participating in the first siege of Vicksburg at Chickasaw Bayou. He was also in the battle of Arkansas Post with his regiment and during the winter of 1862-3. He was then discharged for disability and returned home.

Three years passed before he fully regained his health, after which she resumed farming, going to Nebraska, where he secured a homestead claim in 1871. He located up on this and improved it until he had obtained a deed to the property, remaining there until 1875. He then sold this place and return to Madison County, where he carried on farming for a year, after which he took up his abode in Ringgold County, upon a tract of land which he purchased some years before. It was wild and unimproved when it came into his possession, so you broke the sod, fenced the fields, and did all the work necessary toward the production of crops. In due course of time the farm was brought under a high state of cultivation. He also worked a marked transformation in its appearance through the erection of a set of substantial farm buildings and through the planting of a grove and large orchard. This farm adjoins the southern boundary line of Union County and is about three miles from Shannon City. Year by year, Mr. Snyder successfully conducted his farming interests until 1899, when he removed to the village and purchased a residence. He then established a butcher business, conducting a meat market for two years and at the same time gave supervision to the management and operation of this farm.

On 31st March, 1874, in Clarke County, Iowa, Mr. Snyder was married to Amanda J. Shawver, who was born in Warren County but was reared in Clarke County. In the latter she was educated, also attending schools in Indianola, Iowa. Her father, George Shawver, was a native of Indianola (sic Indiana), born about 1824. In that state he grew to manhood and with married there to Miss Sarah Cox, also a native of Indiana. Removing westward to Iowa, they cast in their lot with its pioneer settlers. For a number of years they were residents of Clarke County, where the death of Mrs. Shawver occurred. The father afterward married again and later removed to Madison County, where he spent his last years, his death there occurring about 1894. Mrs. Snyder was one of eight children, four sons and four daughters, of home two sons and two daughters are yet living. By his second marriage Mr. Shawver had a son and a daughter. Mrs. Snyder was a teacher for several years in Clarke and Warren counties and gave excellent satisfaction in her work in the schoolroom.

Following their marriage the young couple began their domestic life homestead claimed in Nebraska, where Mr. Snyder had kept bachelor's hall for a few years. Three children have come to bless their union, but they lost their first born, Frank, in infancy. The second son, George A., Is now married and is a businessman of Shannon city, where he is engaged in dealing in grain and coal. Ira Elbert is upon the home farm. They also reared and adopted son, Clyde A. Hope, who is the child of Esther Snyder's sister, who lived with them from the age of six months. He is now a farmer of this county.

Politically Mr. Snyder is a Republican and has voted for every presidential nominee of the party that's casting his first ballot for Abraham Lincoln in 1864 with the single exception of the year 1872. For several years, while living on a farm, he served as township trustee and had previously been township clerk in Warren County, and while in Nebraska he was officially identified with the schools. He has also filled the office of road supervisor in this county and his official duties have been discharged with a promptness and fidelity that indicates his deep interest in the welfare of the community.

Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, taking an active interest in its work and doing all in their power to extend its influences. Mr. Snyder has been superintendent of the Sunday school at Shannon City for twelve years and Mrs. Snyder is a teacher in the Sunday school, while in the various departments of church work they are active. He has also been one of the trustees of the church and steward for twenty-four years and, moreover, their lives are in harmony with their professions and are a force in the moral development of the community.

Mr. Snyder belongs to the Shannon City Lodge, I.O.O.F., is a valuable member of its Grand Army post and has served as commander, while for a number of years he has filled the position of quartermaster.

In all matters of citizenship he has been as faithful to the interest of his country as when he followed the old flag on the southern battlefields and gave substantial proof of his loyalty to the Union cause.