(The following biographical sketch of Eliza Jane (Stephens) Gray appeared in "Some Descendants of Thomas and Jane (Jefferson) Stephens of Baltimore County, Maryland, 1745-2005" by Edmund G. Fisher, 2005. It is reprinted with the author's permission.)
Eliza Jane Stephens spent the first three years of her life on the Blennerhassett plantation in what is now Wood County, West Virginia, and in 1818 moved with her family to Indianapolis, Indiana. As a teenager, she worked as a domestic laborer in an Indianapolis boarding house. In 1826 she settled with her parents in Hancock County, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from Flint Hills, a small American settlement in what is now Des Moines County, Iowa. Located in Indian Territory, Flint Hills was formerly called "Sha-O-Qua" by the native residents, but had earned its newer designation following the discovery of large ore deposits in the area. In the early 1830's the little village consisted of a ferry boat landing (used by Eliza Jane's father for his pioneering river transport), a general merchandise store, two or three private homes, and a boarding house. About 1832 or 1833, capitalizing on her earlier work experience in Indianapolis, Eliza Jane ferried across the Mississippi River and began a brief career as a maid in the Flint Hills boarding house.
Early in 1834 Eliza Jane met her husband-to-be, a young Flint Hills merchant named John Blake Gray. A newcomer to the community, he was a partner with Eliza Jane's elder brother, Samuel Fulton Stephens, in the historic Stephens & Gray dry goods establishment. The couple courted briefly, then made a perilous 20-mile round-trip rowboat journey to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they exchanged marriage vows on May 15, 1834. The memorable trip was made necessary by the fact that Burlington (Flint Hills) was located in newly-organized Michigan Territory, and the nearest magistrate with marrying authority resided in Nauvoo.
A consummate entrepreneur, John B. Gray had spent his youth in Burlington, Vermont, serving an apprenticeship with a local grocer. While enroute to western Illinois, he had passed through the future site of Chicago, and was reputed to have turned down an offer to buy prime farmland near the modern-day Loop district at the bargain price of $1.25 per acre. His partnership with Samuel Stephens in Flint Hills, dating from January 1834, had been an immediate success. However, John had intended to remain in Flint Hills only temporarily, so the town founders, eager to encourage their dynamic colleague to stay, had made him an unusual offer: if he would agree to settle in Flint Hills and build up his business, he would be given the privilege of selecting a new name for the growing community. He eventually relented, and on March 3, 1834, Flint Hills came to be known as Burlington, a name chosen by John to honor his old home town in Vermont.
The Grays prospered at Burlington during the first five years of their marriage, but by 1839 the ever-restless John had become anxious to meet new challenges. Having kept a keen eye on Texas for some while, he decided to put his entrepreneurial skills to the test in that infant republic. Since travel by water was the most economical means of conveyance, the Grays bought a flat boat, loaded it with their possessions and, with their two infant daughters underfoot, began a thrilling journey down the Mississippi River. After reaching the Gulf of Mexico, they entered an inland waterway which guided them on the westward route to Texas. Their destination was the rough-hewn frontier town of Gonzales, where John enjoyed some success as a horse trader, a highly speculative line of work that required no small measure of business savvy.
Though John's new career proved lucrative, the Grays were unaccustomed to the Texas climate and eventually longed to return to Iowa. The homeward trek was finally made in 1842, but under substantially different conditions than the original, southbound trip. After mapping out a prearranged route, John started out with a large herd of horses and some cattle, trading livestock for food and supplies as he progressed northward. Eliza Jane, meanwhile, drove a covered wagon containing most of the family's personal effects, and also was responsible for the children. John kept to the trails that offered the best grazing, while Eliza Jane followed the fastest wagon routes. Much of the time their respective positions were unknown to each other.
After reaching Iowa, the Grays lodged temporarily in Agency City with Agnes and Harvey Sturdevant, Eliza Jane's sister and brother-in-law. In the fall of 1842 John traveled to Burlington to purchase several wagon loads' worth of merchantable inventory for a dry goods store he intended to establish at Hard Fish, a Sac and Fox Indian settlement located along the banks of the Des Moines River not far from Agency City. On November 1, 1842, John and Eliza Jane moved into a small cabin, formerly occupied by the family of Margaret McIlvain, another of Eliza Jane's sisters, north of J. P. Eddy's historic Hard Fish trading post. However, the Grays resided in Hard Fish for only six months, and John apparently never carried out his plan to enter business in the small frontier village.
Across the Des Moines River from Hard Fish lay a vast expanse of United States "treaty land" (formerly Indian territory) that was scheduled to be opened to settlement by American citizens on May 1, 1843. In anticipation of this opportunity, John clandestinely scouted the area and, with the help of one of his friends, an Indian guide, selected a fine parcel of farmland some three miles inland from the river. On the appointed date he legally crossed into the new region, staked his claim, and hurried to the local land office to file for a federal homestead patent, officially becoming the first American settler in what is now Monroe County, Iowa. The 360-acre Gray place was ideally situated along Gray's Creek (named for John and Eliza Jane) in Pleasant Township, and cost the couple a modest $1.25 per acre. The Grays spent most of their remaining years on their homestead, though they did reside briefly at Albia, Iowa, where John opened a general store and built a fine residence which he called "Steamboat House." Their six surviving children were reared at Gray's Creek, and were educated in Pleasant Township's pioneer schools.
Eliza Jane Stephens spent the first three years of her life on the Blennerhassett plantation in what is now Wood County, West Virginia, and in 1818 moved with her family to Indianapolis, Indiana. As a teenager, she worked as a domestic laborer in an Indianapolis boarding house. In 1826 she settled with her parents in Hancock County, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from Flint Hills, a small American settlement in what is now Des Moines County, Iowa. Located in Indian Territory, Flint Hills was formerly called "Sha-O-Qua" by the native residents, but had earned its newer designation following the discovery of large ore deposits in the area. In the early 1830's the little village consisted of a ferry boat landing (used by Eliza Jane's father for his pioneering river transport), a general merchandise store, two or three private homes, and a boarding house. About 1832 or 1833, capitalizing on her earlier work experience in Indianapolis, Eliza Jane ferried across the Mississippi River and began a brief career as a maid in the Flint Hills boarding house.
Early in 1834 Eliza Jane met her husband-to-be, a young Flint Hills merchant named John Blake Gray. A newcomer to the community, he was a partner with Eliza Jane's elder brother, Samuel Fulton Stephens, in the historic Stephens & Gray dry goods establishment. The couple courted briefly, then made a perilous 20-mile round-trip rowboat journey to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they exchanged marriage vows on May 15, 1834. The memorable trip was made necessary by the fact that Burlington (Flint Hills) was located in newly-organized Michigan Territory, and the nearest magistrate with marrying authority resided in Nauvoo.
A consummate entrepreneur, John B. Gray had spent his youth in Burlington, Vermont, serving an apprenticeship with a local grocer. While enroute to western Illinois, he had passed through the future site of Chicago, and was reputed to have turned down an offer to buy prime farmland near the modern-day Loop district at the bargain price of $1.25 per acre. His partnership with Samuel Stephens in Flint Hills, dating from January 1834, had been an immediate success. However, John had intended to remain in Flint Hills only temporarily, so the town founders, eager to encourage their dynamic colleague to stay, had made him an unusual offer: if he would agree to settle in Flint Hills and build up his business, he would be given the privilege of selecting a new name for the growing community. He eventually relented, and on March 3, 1834, Flint Hills came to be known as Burlington, a name chosen by John to honor his old home town in Vermont.
The Grays prospered at Burlington during the first five years of their marriage, but by 1839 the ever-restless John had become anxious to meet new challenges. Having kept a keen eye on Texas for some while, he decided to put his entrepreneurial skills to the test in that infant republic. Since travel by water was the most economical means of conveyance, the Grays bought a flat boat, loaded it with their possessions and, with their two infant daughters underfoot, began a thrilling journey down the Mississippi River. After reaching the Gulf of Mexico, they entered an inland waterway which guided them on the westward route to Texas. Their destination was the rough-hewn frontier town of Gonzales, where John enjoyed some success as a horse trader, a highly speculative line of work that required no small measure of business savvy.
Though John's new career proved lucrative, the Grays were unaccustomed to the Texas climate and eventually longed to return to Iowa. The homeward trek was finally made in 1842, but under substantially different conditions than the original, southbound trip. After mapping out a prearranged route, John started out with a large herd of horses and some cattle, trading livestock for food and supplies as he progressed northward. Eliza Jane, meanwhile, drove a covered wagon containing most of the family's personal effects, and also was responsible for the children. John kept to the trails that offered the best grazing, while Eliza Jane followed the fastest wagon routes. Much of the time their respective positions were unknown to each other.
After reaching Iowa, the Grays lodged temporarily in Agency City with Agnes and Harvey Sturdevant, Eliza Jane's sister and brother-in-law. In the fall of 1842 John traveled to Burlington to purchase several wagon loads' worth of merchantable inventory for a dry goods store he intended to establish at Hard Fish, a Sac and Fox Indian settlement located along the banks of the Des Moines River not far from Agency City. On November 1, 1842, John and Eliza Jane moved into a small cabin, formerly occupied by the family of Margaret McIlvain, another of Eliza Jane's sisters, north of J. P. Eddy's historic Hard Fish trading post. However, the Grays resided in Hard Fish for only six months, and John apparently never carried out his plan to enter business in the small frontier village.
Across the Des Moines River from Hard Fish lay a vast expanse of United States "treaty land" (formerly Indian territory) that was scheduled to be opened to settlement by American citizens on May 1, 1843. In anticipation of this opportunity, John clandestinely scouted the area and, with the help of one of his friends, an Indian guide, selected a fine parcel of farmland some three miles inland from the river. On the appointed date he legally crossed into the new region, staked his claim, and hurried to the local land office to file for a federal homestead patent, officially becoming the first American settler in what is now Monroe County, Iowa. The 360-acre Gray place was ideally situated along Gray's Creek (named for John and Eliza Jane) in Pleasant Township, and cost the couple a modest $1.25 per acre. The Grays spent most of their remaining years on their homestead, though they did reside briefly at Albia, Iowa, where John opened a general store and built a fine residence which he called "Steamboat House." Their six surviving children were reared at Gray's Creek, and were educated in Pleasant Township's pioneer schools.
(The following biographical sketch of Eliza Jane (Stephens) Gray appeared in "Some Descendants of Thomas and Jane (Jefferson) Stephens of Baltimore County, Maryland, 1745-2005" by Edmund G. Fisher, 2005. It is reprinted with the author's permission.)
Eliza Jane Stephens spent the first three years of her life on the Blennerhassett plantation in what is now Wood County, West Virginia, and in 1818 moved with her family to Indianapolis, Indiana. As a teenager, she worked as a domestic laborer in an Indianapolis boarding house. In 1826 she settled with her parents in Hancock County, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from Flint Hills, a small American settlement in what is now Des Moines County, Iowa. Located in Indian Territory, Flint Hills was formerly called "Sha-O-Qua" by the native residents, but had earned its newer designation following the discovery of large ore deposits in the area. In the early 1830's the little village consisted of a ferry boat landing (used by Eliza Jane's father for his pioneering river transport), a general merchandise store, two or three private homes, and a boarding house. About 1832 or 1833, capitalizing on her earlier work experience in Indianapolis, Eliza Jane ferried across the Mississippi River and began a brief career as a maid in the Flint Hills boarding house.
Early in 1834 Eliza Jane met her husband-to-be, a young Flint Hills merchant named John Blake Gray. A newcomer to the community, he was a partner with Eliza Jane's elder brother, Samuel Fulton Stephens, in the historic Stephens & Gray dry goods establishment. The couple courted briefly, then made a perilous 20-mile round-trip rowboat journey to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they exchanged marriage vows on May 15, 1834. The memorable trip was made necessary by the fact that Burlington (Flint Hills) was located in newly-organized Michigan Territory, and the nearest magistrate with marrying authority resided in Nauvoo.
A consummate entrepreneur, John B. Gray had spent his youth in Burlington, Vermont, serving an apprenticeship with a local grocer. While enroute to western Illinois, he had passed through the future site of Chicago, and was reputed to have turned down an offer to buy prime farmland near the modern-day Loop district at the bargain price of $1.25 per acre. His partnership with Samuel Stephens in Flint Hills, dating from January 1834, had been an immediate success. However, John had intended to remain in Flint Hills only temporarily, so the town founders, eager to encourage their dynamic colleague to stay, had made him an unusual offer: if he would agree to settle in Flint Hills and build up his business, he would be given the privilege of selecting a new name for the growing community. He eventually relented, and on March 3, 1834, Flint Hills came to be known as Burlington, a name chosen by John to honor his old home town in Vermont.
The Grays prospered at Burlington during the first five years of their marriage, but by 1839 the ever-restless John had become anxious to meet new challenges. Having kept a keen eye on Texas for some while, he decided to put his entrepreneurial skills to the test in that infant republic. Since travel by water was the most economical means of conveyance, the Grays bought a flat boat, loaded it with their possessions and, with their two infant daughters underfoot, began a thrilling journey down the Mississippi River. After reaching the Gulf of Mexico, they entered an inland waterway which guided them on the westward route to Texas. Their destination was the rough-hewn frontier town of Gonzales, where John enjoyed some success as a horse trader, a highly speculative line of work that required no small measure of business savvy.
Though John's new career proved lucrative, the Grays were unaccustomed to the Texas climate and eventually longed to return to Iowa. The homeward trek was finally made in 1842, but under substantially different conditions than the original, southbound trip. After mapping out a prearranged route, John started out with a large herd of horses and some cattle, trading livestock for food and supplies as he progressed northward. Eliza Jane, meanwhile, drove a covered wagon containing most of the family's personal effects, and also was responsible for the children. John kept to the trails that offered the best grazing, while Eliza Jane followed the fastest wagon routes. Much of the time their respective positions were unknown to each other.
After reaching Iowa, the Grays lodged temporarily in Agency City with Agnes and Harvey Sturdevant, Eliza Jane's sister and brother-in-law. In the fall of 1842 John traveled to Burlington to purchase several wagon loads' worth of merchantable inventory for a dry goods store he intended to establish at Hard Fish, a Sac and Fox Indian settlement located along the banks of the Des Moines River not far from Agency City. On November 1, 1842, John and Eliza Jane moved into a small cabin, formerly occupied by the family of Margaret McIlvain, another of Eliza Jane's sisters, north of J. P. Eddy's historic Hard Fish trading post. However, the Grays resided in Hard Fish for only six months, and John apparently never carried out his plan to enter business in the small frontier village.
Across the Des Moines River from Hard Fish lay a vast expanse of United States "treaty land" (formerly Indian territory) that was scheduled to be opened to settlement by American citizens on May 1, 1843. In anticipation of this opportunity, John clandestinely scouted the area and, with the help of one of his friends, an Indian guide, selected a fine parcel of farmland some three miles inland from the river. On the appointed date he legally crossed into the new region, staked his claim, and hurried to the local land office to file for a federal homestead patent, officially becoming the first American settler in what is now Monroe County, Iowa. The 360-acre Gray place was ideally situated along Gray's Creek (named for John and Eliza Jane) in Pleasant Township, and cost the couple a modest $1.25 per acre. The Grays spent most of their remaining years on their homestead, though they did reside briefly at Albia, Iowa, where John opened a general store and built a fine residence which he called "Steamboat House." Their six surviving children were reared at Gray's Creek, and were educated in Pleasant Township's pioneer schools.
Eliza Jane Stephens spent the first three years of her life on the Blennerhassett plantation in what is now Wood County, West Virginia, and in 1818 moved with her family to Indianapolis, Indiana. As a teenager, she worked as a domestic laborer in an Indianapolis boarding house. In 1826 she settled with her parents in Hancock County, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from Flint Hills, a small American settlement in what is now Des Moines County, Iowa. Located in Indian Territory, Flint Hills was formerly called "Sha-O-Qua" by the native residents, but had earned its newer designation following the discovery of large ore deposits in the area. In the early 1830's the little village consisted of a ferry boat landing (used by Eliza Jane's father for his pioneering river transport), a general merchandise store, two or three private homes, and a boarding house. About 1832 or 1833, capitalizing on her earlier work experience in Indianapolis, Eliza Jane ferried across the Mississippi River and began a brief career as a maid in the Flint Hills boarding house.
Early in 1834 Eliza Jane met her husband-to-be, a young Flint Hills merchant named John Blake Gray. A newcomer to the community, he was a partner with Eliza Jane's elder brother, Samuel Fulton Stephens, in the historic Stephens & Gray dry goods establishment. The couple courted briefly, then made a perilous 20-mile round-trip rowboat journey to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they exchanged marriage vows on May 15, 1834. The memorable trip was made necessary by the fact that Burlington (Flint Hills) was located in newly-organized Michigan Territory, and the nearest magistrate with marrying authority resided in Nauvoo.
A consummate entrepreneur, John B. Gray had spent his youth in Burlington, Vermont, serving an apprenticeship with a local grocer. While enroute to western Illinois, he had passed through the future site of Chicago, and was reputed to have turned down an offer to buy prime farmland near the modern-day Loop district at the bargain price of $1.25 per acre. His partnership with Samuel Stephens in Flint Hills, dating from January 1834, had been an immediate success. However, John had intended to remain in Flint Hills only temporarily, so the town founders, eager to encourage their dynamic colleague to stay, had made him an unusual offer: if he would agree to settle in Flint Hills and build up his business, he would be given the privilege of selecting a new name for the growing community. He eventually relented, and on March 3, 1834, Flint Hills came to be known as Burlington, a name chosen by John to honor his old home town in Vermont.
The Grays prospered at Burlington during the first five years of their marriage, but by 1839 the ever-restless John had become anxious to meet new challenges. Having kept a keen eye on Texas for some while, he decided to put his entrepreneurial skills to the test in that infant republic. Since travel by water was the most economical means of conveyance, the Grays bought a flat boat, loaded it with their possessions and, with their two infant daughters underfoot, began a thrilling journey down the Mississippi River. After reaching the Gulf of Mexico, they entered an inland waterway which guided them on the westward route to Texas. Their destination was the rough-hewn frontier town of Gonzales, where John enjoyed some success as a horse trader, a highly speculative line of work that required no small measure of business savvy.
Though John's new career proved lucrative, the Grays were unaccustomed to the Texas climate and eventually longed to return to Iowa. The homeward trek was finally made in 1842, but under substantially different conditions than the original, southbound trip. After mapping out a prearranged route, John started out with a large herd of horses and some cattle, trading livestock for food and supplies as he progressed northward. Eliza Jane, meanwhile, drove a covered wagon containing most of the family's personal effects, and also was responsible for the children. John kept to the trails that offered the best grazing, while Eliza Jane followed the fastest wagon routes. Much of the time their respective positions were unknown to each other.
After reaching Iowa, the Grays lodged temporarily in Agency City with Agnes and Harvey Sturdevant, Eliza Jane's sister and brother-in-law. In the fall of 1842 John traveled to Burlington to purchase several wagon loads' worth of merchantable inventory for a dry goods store he intended to establish at Hard Fish, a Sac and Fox Indian settlement located along the banks of the Des Moines River not far from Agency City. On November 1, 1842, John and Eliza Jane moved into a small cabin, formerly occupied by the family of Margaret McIlvain, another of Eliza Jane's sisters, north of J. P. Eddy's historic Hard Fish trading post. However, the Grays resided in Hard Fish for only six months, and John apparently never carried out his plan to enter business in the small frontier village.
Across the Des Moines River from Hard Fish lay a vast expanse of United States "treaty land" (formerly Indian territory) that was scheduled to be opened to settlement by American citizens on May 1, 1843. In anticipation of this opportunity, John clandestinely scouted the area and, with the help of one of his friends, an Indian guide, selected a fine parcel of farmland some three miles inland from the river. On the appointed date he legally crossed into the new region, staked his claim, and hurried to the local land office to file for a federal homestead patent, officially becoming the first American settler in what is now Monroe County, Iowa. The 360-acre Gray place was ideally situated along Gray's Creek (named for John and Eliza Jane) in Pleasant Township, and cost the couple a modest $1.25 per acre. The Grays spent most of their remaining years on their homestead, though they did reside briefly at Albia, Iowa, where John opened a general store and built a fine residence which he called "Steamboat House." Their six surviving children were reared at Gray's Creek, and were educated in Pleasant Township's pioneer schools.
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