CASS CO. IA
Formed 1851 from Pottawattamie
Adair formed 1851 from Cass
Audubon formed 1851 from Cass, Black Hawk
Shelby formed 1853 from Cass
 

CENSUS RECORDS

1860 Cass Co. IA Census
      No Duncan indexed

1870 Cass Co. IA Census
Cass Twp.
Pg.78, #206-206, DUNCAN, James 35 CAN farmer $2000-$700, parents of foreign birth
                  Emily 29 IN keeping house
                  Anna 9 IA at home, father of foreign birth
                  (MAD: James Duncan mar. Emily Fansler 11/26/1857 Cass Co. IA; 1860 Polk Co. IA census)
Pymosa Twp.
Pg.99, #238-238, DUNCAN, Wm. 46 CAN farmer $3000-$1000, parents of foreign birth
                  Abigal 40 VT keeping house
                  Mary 20, Luella 18, John 16 IA at home, father of foreign birth
                  Erma (f) 14, Adia (f) 12 IA at home, father of foreign birth
                  Jennie 8 IA at home, father of foreign birth
                  Maggie (f) 7/12 IA b.Oct., at home, father of foreign birth
                  (MAD: 1860 Polk Co. IA census)
 

MILITARY RECORDS

Pension Index Card File, alphabetical; of the Veterans Administrative Contact and Administration Services, Admin. Operations Services, 1861-1934; Duff to A-J Duncan (negative FHL film 540,888, some cards very faint); Joseph Duncan to Dunn (positive FHL film 540,889, some cards very dark)
      Cataloged under Civil War, 1861-1865, pensions, indexes; does not say if Confederate or Federal, but probably Federal. Negative film, some cards much too faint or dark to read, some cards blurred or faded, particularly the service unit and the dates of application. Most of the very faint or dark cards were in a slightly different format, with space for years enlisted and discharged which were sometimes filled in. Many of these were for service in later years, although one or two were for service ca 1866.
      Name of soldier, alias, name of dependent widow or minor, service (military unit or units), date of filing, class (invalid or widow or minor or other), Application #, Certificate #, state from which filed (sometimes blank), attorney (sometimes blank, MAD: did not usually copy), remarks. Sometimes the "Invalid" or "Widow" class had an "s" added to it before the application #; occasionally the area for the service information included a circled "S". The minor's name was frequently that of the guardian rather than the minor.
      The military unit was frequently the Company Letter, the Regiment Number, sometimes US Vet Vol Inf. (US Veteran Volunteer Infantry), L.A. (Light Artillery), H.A. (Heavy Artillery), US C Inf (US Colored? Infantry), Cav. (Cavalry), Mil. Guards, V.R.C. (?Volunteer Reserve Corps?), etc. Sometimes there were several service units given.
      Cards appear to be arranged by the last name, first name, middle initial if any, and state (including "US") of service.
      Duncan, William; D 2 Ia. Cav.; 1889 Oct. 23, Invalid Appl. #734872, Cert. #498087, Iowa. (MAD: Des Moines, Polk Co. IA per Cass Co. IA History, b. Lower Canada 1824)
 

HISTORIES before 1923

1884 "History of Cass County, Iowa : together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, portraits of prominent persons and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens; history of Iowa" pub. by Continental Historical Co. (FHL book 977.772 H2h and film 934,933 item 1)
      Pg.840: JOHN DUNCAN was born in Polk Co. Iowa, November 5, 1853, his parents being William and Abigail (Williams) Duncan. When he was fourteen years old his parents removed to Cass county, locating in Atlantic. He removed to his present location on section 1, Atlantic township, in 1878, and was married March 29, 1881, to Rosena Strater, daughter of William and Catharine (Humerick) Strater, a native of this county. He has 106 acres of land, part in Franklin and part in Atlantic township ....
      Pg.842-3: WILLIAM DUNCAN was born in Lower Canada, 50 miles southeast of Montreal, August 27, 1824. His parents, William and Margaret (Smith) Duncan, were natives of Scotland. The subject of this sketch removed to Windsor county, Vermont, when nineteen years old. He obtained his education in the schools of Canada and Vermont. He learned the carpenter's trade in Vermont and spent the year 1847 in Boston, Massachussetts, working at his trade. He then returned to Vermont, where he continued the same business until September, 1848. In that year he moved to Des Moines [Polk Co.], Iowa, which contained, at that time, only one frame building. He lived in Des Moines six years, working at his trade. He then moved to a farm 12 miles east of that city, on which he resided until August, 1862, when he enlisted in company D, of the Second Iowa Cavalry commanded by Colonel Hatch. He served 3 years and 3 months. ... He was honorably discharged at Davenport and returned to Polk county where he lived until March 8, 1868, at which time he moved to his present location on section 3, Atlantic township. He was married in Windsor county, Vermont, to Abigail Williams, a daughter of Henry and Abigail (Cram) Williams. They have seven children -- Mary, Luella, John, Emma, Ada, Jennie and Maggie. ... Mr. Duncan is a Republican in politics.
 

"Portrait and biographical album of Polk County, Iowa : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States and governors of the state." (anonymous); pub. Chicago: Lake City Pub. Co., 1890, 848 pgs. (LH11540, HeritageQuest images 4/2007; FHL film 934,959 item 3)
      Pg.786-787: THOMAS DUNCAN, who is living a retired life in Mitchellville, has been a resident of Polk County for the long period of thirty-five years. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, April 28, 1817, and is a son of William and Margaret (Smith) Duncan, who were also natives of the same country. His father was a representative business man of Glasgow, and in that city engaged in the wholesale grocery trade until 1820, when he bade good-by to his native land and with his family sailed for America. He located near Granby, Shefford County, in the Province of Quebec, where he purchased land and engaged in farming until advanced age forced him to lay aside all business cares, when he removed to Granby and there lived a retired life until his death, which occurred several years ago. His wife, the mother of our subject, died some twenty years previous, after which he was a second time married. By the first union nine children were born, six of whom are living at this writing in 1890 - Margaret, widow of John Parker, resides in Granby, Canada; Thomas is the next younger; John also makes his home in Granby; William is a citizen of Atlantic, Iowa; Janet is the wife of W. Hale of Granby; and James is also living in Atlantic. Our subject spent but three years of his life in his native city when he was brought by his parents to the province of Quebec, then Lower Canada. During his youth he received a common-school education and at the age of 20 years left home ... making his way to Vermont he secured a position as a farm hand, ... continuing to reside a greater part of the time in that State until 1855, he then followed the course of emigration westward and became a resident of Polk County, Iowa. ... He purchased 52 acres of wild land on section 22, Beaver Township, and after erecting a log cabin began the work of developing and improving a farm. After a number of years he sold and purchased a 160 acre tract in the same township, on which he resided until March, 1890, when he leased his land and removing to Mitchelville, retired to private life. In a pleasant home, furnished with the comforts and many of the luxuries of life, he and his wife expect to spend the remainder of their days. The 2nd of May, 1842, witnessed the celebration of the marriage of Thomas Duncan and Sarah Todd, who have now traveled life's journey together for more than 48 years. Mrs. Duncan is the daughter of Simon and Anna (Wood) Todd, the former a native of New York, and the latter of Canada, both of English parentage. By occupation her father was a farmer and followed that business in Shefford County, Canada, until his death. Mrs. Todd survived her husband a number of years, passing to her final rest about 1868. In their family were twelve children, eight of whom are now living - James, Caroline, Peter, Lydia, Sophia, Esther, Robert L. and Sarah.
      Mr. and Mrs. Duncan are the parents of eight children - Elizabeth, wife of Alexander C. Tigner, a farmer of Howard County, Neb.; Robert, a farmer of Sac County, Iowa; Margaret, wife of J.C. Garret, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Camp Township, this county; Mary, deceased; Thomas H. who makes his home in Sac County; Sarah A., at home; William C. a resident of Calhoun County, Iowa; and one child who died in infancy. Mr. Duncan ... owner of a highly improved and valuable farm in Beaver Township besides some property in Mitchellville. Republican, member of the Old Settlers Association of Polk County. His wife holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church and to its support Mr. Duncan contributes liberally, although he himself is not a member. (MAD: Atlantic, Cass Co. IA; 1850 Chittenden Co. VT)
 

END

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