WASHINGTON ROUNDY
HON. WASHINGTON ROUNDY - One of the early pioneers of Galland's Grove, Mr. Roundy was born in New York 1825.
When he was 9 years old, he and his parents (and eight other children) came to Ohio, and lived there one year. In the next 13 years they lived in Missouri and Illinois. He was married in 1848 to Alvira Williams in Illinois.
Mr. And Mr. Roundy were the parents of 11 children; Newton; Sarah, wife of James Adamson; Adda, wife of William Major; Rena, wife of James Fouts; Ellen, wife of David Adamson; Fannie, wife of Freeman Vandemark; John W.; Julia, wife of William Fouts; Polly, wife of William McCole; Mary E. (Minnie) wife of James Fouts; and Albert. In the spring of 1850, Mr. Roundy started on a trip to California. At Council Bluffs due to ill health, he was dissuaded from continuing the trip, and remained in Council Bluffs, then a small village.
The following spring, he traded one of five yoke of oxen for 160 acres of land in Grove Township. A rude log cabin had been erected on the land. Here Mr. Roundy and family settled, intending to stay a year or two, then go on to California. They were among the first settlers in the Township as only seven other families had located there previous to them. The plan to go to California was abandoned, and they made it their permanent home. They endured all the hardships encountered by pioneers in those early days and did their share in building up the County from a wild and unbroken prairie, inhabited by wolves, deer and elk, to a fine and prosperous community.
Mr. Roundy possessed nearly 1000 acres of land in Shelby County. He had made valuable improvements and had one of the finest homes in that part of Iowa. He was a staunch Democrat and strongly advocated the issues of the party. In 1887, Mr. Roundy was elected a member of the Iowa Legislature.
Descendents of Washington Roundy who are living in the Dunlap area are:
Grace Robertson, Woodbine, daughter of Newton; Irma Pryor, granddaughter of Polly; Earl Hack, Vera McCord and Dale Hack (of Logan) grandchildren of Sarah; Vera Evans, granddaughter of Adda; Pauline Wilkins, Nadine Probasco, Fay Fouts, Florence Greenwood, Holly Fouts of Dow City, are grandchildren of Rena. Dean Fouts is the grandson of Julia; Ellen has no descendants left; Golden Thompson and Wave Trimpe are daughters of Fannie; Cecil Roundy in South Dakota is John's only child; Elvie Hartwig, a daughter of Minnie; Bert's wife and daughter are still living in South
Dakota. Charles Mumm lives in the home and on the farmstead which Washington Roundy pioneered.
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Above, early pioneers of Galland's Grove - the Washington Roundy Family
Back Row: Rena Roundy Fouts Sharp, Addie Roundy Major, Julia Roundy Fouts (my g-grandmother), John Roundy, Minnie Roundy Fouts, Fannie Roundy Vandermark, Ella Roundy Adamson. Front Row: Newton Roundy, Sarah Roundy Adamson, Polly Roundy McCole, Bert Roundy.
Source: 1867-1967 Dunlap Pioneers and Progress Centennial Book. Contributed by Roseanna Zehner at mslace@glenwoodcs.com
See also Washington Roundy's 1889 Biography, with portrait.
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