He was a soldier in the 1st Pennsylvania Infantry in the War of 1812.After the war he returned to Fayetteville, Pennsylvania and married Mary Painter. They were married on 24 Jan 1818 in Fayetteville, PA. George and Mary Painter Frain had eight
children. In 1827 he moved to New York State. In 1837 he went by horse drawn stage, crossing Lake Erie by boat and then on to the State of Iowa. There he saw a great future for his family. In 1838 he went back to New York and moved his family to Cedar
Co., Iowa. The family lived in a log cabin on the edge of the timber, among the Masquakie Tribe of the Sax and Fox Indians. George was a great friend of Chief Spotted Tail and was frequently honored by the Chief by being invited to attend the tribual
"Dog Feasts". To refuse, would have been be friendly with the indians. They helped the settlers in many ways toget a foothold in this new country.George built a sod fence completely around his homestead to mark his boundries. He then built a dam on the
Pee Dee Creek and put a waterwheel in and built a mill.
He cut out huge round mill stones and ground homestead for a homestead at New Liberty, Scott Co., Iowa.George was a progressive minded man and noting there wasn't any schools for the children in the area, he built the first school house. He established
the first lending library in this school house, hired teachers and bought books from his own personal money. John Brown, the Abolotionist of Ossawatamie, Iowa, held meetings in this school before he went to Harper's Ferry in 1858.In 1860, at the age of
65, George traded his property in New Liberty for property in Rochester, Cedar Co., Iowa. He lived there until he died at the ripe old age of 96, the year 1891. Rachel Frain was born 24 Sept 1820, in Fayetteville, Chester Co., Pennsylvania. She married
John Strauss in Cedar County, Iowa and they had one child. Rachel and John longed to go further west and settle in the beautiful Pacific west. So they, along with her sister, Elizabeth Frain Brown and her family went across the plains on the "Old
Oregon Trail".
Family Records. Letters Written by George Frain to Daughter Elizabeth.
[LETTER WRITTEN BY GEORGE FRAIN TO DAUGHTER ELIZABETH]
Rochester, Cedar County, Iowa
Sept. 27, 1883
It is some time since I heard from that George. So it is a fair day. I County, Texas. He doth not say why he left his native land and he doth not tell what he is at only he talked about raising cotton but the dry weather cut their crop short and so it is the same cry in this part of the world, the much wet in the spring put the farmers back until late then planted poor seed and that failed and now we had frost on the 7th, of September, so in various parts of the country much was destroyed by hail storm and tornados. Some towns were nearly rent to pieces and many lives lost, some that fled to their cellars escapt (escaped), but lost all the clothes they on, so now since mother died I and Margaret keep house and her two children. The county doeth nothing, so I have a few hundred on interest yet and that will not last long but the county says must keep them children and Margaret must go to work out for a living, let the old man keep himself if he can, now I am past 88 years old now who doth work more than I do. I tended two acres with hoe and got 60 bushels of potatoes and seven bushel of onions and a bushel of navy beans and many tomatoes and much eadables, but I had to work for it. I have 16 acres of woodland but I cannot sell it but I get our firewood off of it and I have the best garden in town. Now please write soon and give me something about railroad from Sacramento to Portland. We have no news from John since he left more than a year ago.
Please write soon,
Father Frain.
Rochester, Iowa
December 20, 1886
It has been some time since I heard from any of you and now I am housed up since the cold weather set in and the flies are all gone. Now I will give Elizabeth a short sketch of the Frain family and where they came from. From first place when I was a boy and lived with my mother, I saw my Grandpa he came to our house and gave us a visit and then left for his home and his name was Jacob Frain and this was in East Coventry Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania and my mother had eleven children and 9 grood (Grew) up and the cept (kept) dying off till they were all gone except myself and father died in 1810 and mother died in 1823. Both buried in Chester county, PA. and I was bound out to a farmer in Montgomery in Limirick Township Montgomery County seven miles from home and then at seventeen years I was free then I went to lern (learn) the plaster trad (trade) so when I got free from that I left for a better country then I went to York state that was 200 miles to go on foot so I traveled that back and forth 3 times and in 1828 I moved to York state I bought 50 acres of woodland for $150… then I worked at my trade till I near workt (worked) out then I sold out for 700 dollars and came to Iowa in 1838 kept batch and built a house then 1839 and in 1840 we all moved out to our old place we landed in 1840 May 1 then the land sale took place on the 18th of the month and I with some neighbors went 70 miles to Dubuke and bot (bought) Ľ section and near half woodland and then in two years after we added 100 more and I sold three years too soon then I commenst to tole money but it soon was reduced.
So now I have Margaret and her children to keep I have my hands full last summer was very dry and hot so the drought took our garden so we had a barrel of potatoes in place of 6 as in former years now Margaret is trying to get pension Andy was in the army 3 years and lost his discharge so I have no hopes. My brother Henry had 7 sons and no daughters and they are scattered broadcast som in Kanses (Kansas) and in Pennsylvania three of them was in the war and two came out crippled and one had an arm off at the shoulder so he drew 35 dollars pr (per) month the rest of his brothers are all sober men well to do and live there is one cousin Dave Christman living in this state only and he was last heard from Sue City, Iowa. Your mothers name was Mary Painter she lived at The Trap in Montgomery County and her relatives are all dead many years since. If anyone comes and sais (says) he is a relative of Geo. Frain tell him we do not own him as one of our family.
We are all well With respect,
George Frain
Rochester Dec. 13, 1889
I am not able to write you a fue (few) lines there has been some change. Since you left this country in some death and otherwise. Bill Baker, Tom James Nichola Halter, Sam Mathor, Hiram Platt of Tipton and many more have all gone since you left this country. Now I will tell you that Mary C. Smith of Pottowattoma (Pottawattamie) county came home after an absent of 13 years remarried and for 18 days and returned last Tuesday for her home. Now I have but little to tell only that I can get about again. George F. Walker and May Walker both tend school George ia (is) a good reader and Mae is next in class. George is 14 and May is 11 and both good children. George worked out 7 months last summer at 6 dollars and he got his pay. Now we have a moderate fall and no snow and very low waters this year had a very good crop of all corn. Since you left this state is over run with railroads and many bridges cross the large rivers. At Muscatin is Wagon bridge building to be complete first of May next. There is now 2 bridges at Omehaw (Omaha). Now tell how many barrel of peaches and other fruit you had last fall. This is about all
With respect,
George Frain
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