FRANCENA MARTHA "CENA" WELLS CALKINS was born August 12, 1846 in Arena Wisconsin to Solomon Wells and Caroline Ross Wells. She married Stephen Crawford Calkins on August 26, 1865 in Mazomanie, Dane County, Wisconsin after Stephen returned home from the war. When the Civil War broke out Stephen had enlisted in company "G", 11th Wisconsin Volunteers on August 27, 1861 and served until the close of the war being wounded at Fort Blakeley, he mustered out on June 29, 1865.
Two months after their marriage, Francena and Stephen, in company with his brother, John and his wife Abigail who was Francena's sister, were on the way to northwestern Iowa by ox teams. The first winter was spent on the Muddy, the following spring they took up homesteads where the city of Spencer, Clay County, Iowa now stands. Here they lived for fourteen years, forming a nucleus around which other homesteaders gathered.
In 1925, Rev. R.A. Coats wrote about Spencer, Iowa's first flag. "By 1871 the colony had grown to a considerable size and it was decided to have a big community celebration on the Fourth of July. We felt it would be incomplete without flag and flag pole so Mrs. Lephe (R. A.) Coats and MRS. FRANCENA (STEPHEN) CALKINS were selected as a committee to see all the unmarried men, and ask for a donation of fifty cents each with which to buy cloth to make a flag. This was willingly given and the women then made the flag.
Mrs. Abbie Calkins writes, it required fourteen and a fraction yards of muslin and calico. As to the exact size I am not certain. We went to Sioux City for the material.
A large bowery was built on the school house grounds, a flag pole erected and the flag raised with appropriate exercises, a program given and a bounteous dinner served. I remember we sent to Sioux City for lemons and made a barrel of lemonade, an almost unknown luxury at that time.
We were very proud of our flag, and Valrous Lamberton was appointed custodian of it. Later flags became more plentiful and when he removed to South Dakota he took the old flag with him. In later years the Lydia Alden Chapter of D.A.R. were able to obtain this old flag and it was graciously returned to Spencer.
June 14, 1925 it was raised to the flag pole, its folds once more floated over Spencer. Then to be placed for safe keeping in a glass case in the rotunda of the Courthouse."
As the country settled up, Stephen again felt the call of his pioneer blood and 1879, with his wife, Francena, and four children started for the Far West in company with several other families, traveling by cow train. Coming to the Lost River County in Idaho, they wintered there and then settled in Custer County at Bay Horse, then a thriving, wild and wooly mining camp. Stephen built the first toll bridge across the Salmon River. Francena and Stephen had eight children; Minnie Etta, Emma Cornelia, Charles Henry, Alma Blanche, Lilly Grace, Frankie Pearl, Ruby Bell and Agnes Bernice Calkins.
Francena Martha Wells Calkins died October 2, 1908 in Caldwell, Idaho and is buried beside her husband, Stephen and near her sister Lephe Wells Coats and daughter Minnie Etta Calkins Tierney in Canyon Hill Cemetery, Caldwell, Idaho.
(Calkins/Wells Genealogy from Family History of Great-Granddaughter, Ruth I. Blair Miller)
Two months after their marriage, Francena and Stephen, in company with his brother, John and his wife Abigail who was Francena's sister, were on the way to northwestern Iowa by ox teams. The first winter was spent on the Muddy, the following spring they took up homesteads where the city of Spencer, Clay County, Iowa now stands. Here they lived for fourteen years, forming a nucleus around which other homesteaders gathered.
In 1925, Rev. R.A. Coats wrote about Spencer, Iowa's first flag. "By 1871 the colony had grown to a considerable size and it was decided to have a big community celebration on the Fourth of July. We felt it would be incomplete without flag and flag pole so Mrs. Lephe (R. A.) Coats and MRS. FRANCENA (STEPHEN) CALKINS were selected as a committee to see all the unmarried men, and ask for a donation of fifty cents each with which to buy cloth to make a flag. This was willingly given and the women then made the flag.
Mrs. Abbie Calkins writes, it required fourteen and a fraction yards of muslin and calico. As to the exact size I am not certain. We went to Sioux City for the material.
A large bowery was built on the school house grounds, a flag pole erected and the flag raised with appropriate exercises, a program given and a bounteous dinner served. I remember we sent to Sioux City for lemons and made a barrel of lemonade, an almost unknown luxury at that time.
We were very proud of our flag, and Valrous Lamberton was appointed custodian of it. Later flags became more plentiful and when he removed to South Dakota he took the old flag with him. In later years the Lydia Alden Chapter of D.A.R. were able to obtain this old flag and it was graciously returned to Spencer.
June 14, 1925 it was raised to the flag pole, its folds once more floated over Spencer. Then to be placed for safe keeping in a glass case in the rotunda of the Courthouse."
As the country settled up, Stephen again felt the call of his pioneer blood and 1879, with his wife, Francena, and four children started for the Far West in company with several other families, traveling by cow train. Coming to the Lost River County in Idaho, they wintered there and then settled in Custer County at Bay Horse, then a thriving, wild and wooly mining camp. Stephen built the first toll bridge across the Salmon River. Francena and Stephen had eight children; Minnie Etta, Emma Cornelia, Charles Henry, Alma Blanche, Lilly Grace, Frankie Pearl, Ruby Bell and Agnes Bernice Calkins.
Francena Martha Wells Calkins died October 2, 1908 in Caldwell, Idaho and is buried beside her husband, Stephen and near her sister Lephe Wells Coats and daughter Minnie Etta Calkins Tierney in Canyon Hill Cemetery, Caldwell, Idaho.
(Calkins/Wells Genealogy from Family History of Great-Granddaughter, Ruth I. Blair Miller)
FRANCENA MARTHA "CENA" WELLS CALKINS was born August 12, 1846 in Arena Wisconsin to Solomon Wells and Caroline Ross Wells. She married Stephen Crawford Calkins on August 26, 1865 in Mazomanie, Dane County, Wisconsin after Stephen returned home from the war. When the Civil War broke out Stephen had enlisted in company "G", 11th Wisconsin Volunteers on August 27, 1861 and served until the close of the war being wounded at Fort Blakeley, he mustered out on June 29, 1865.
Two months after their marriage, Francena and Stephen, in company with his brother, John and his wife Abigail who was Francena's sister, were on the way to northwestern Iowa by ox teams. The first winter was spent on the Muddy, the following spring they took up homesteads where the city of Spencer, Clay County, Iowa now stands. Here they lived for fourteen years, forming a nucleus around which other homesteaders gathered.
In 1925, Rev. R.A. Coats wrote about Spencer, Iowa's first flag. "By 1871 the colony had grown to a considerable size and it was decided to have a big community celebration on the Fourth of July. We felt it would be incomplete without flag and flag pole so Mrs. Lephe (R. A.) Coats and MRS. FRANCENA (STEPHEN) CALKINS were selected as a committee to see all the unmarried men, and ask for a donation of fifty cents each with which to buy cloth to make a flag. This was willingly given and the women then made the flag.
Mrs. Abbie Calkins writes, it required fourteen and a fraction yards of muslin and calico. As to the exact size I am not certain. We went to Sioux City for the material.
A large bowery was built on the school house grounds, a flag pole erected and the flag raised with appropriate exercises, a program given and a bounteous dinner served. I remember we sent to Sioux City for lemons and made a barrel of lemonade, an almost unknown luxury at that time.
We were very proud of our flag, and Valrous Lamberton was appointed custodian of it. Later flags became more plentiful and when he removed to South Dakota he took the old flag with him. In later years the Lydia Alden Chapter of D.A.R. were able to obtain this old flag and it was graciously returned to Spencer.
June 14, 1925 it was raised to the flag pole, its folds once more floated over Spencer. Then to be placed for safe keeping in a glass case in the rotunda of the Courthouse."
As the country settled up, Stephen again felt the call of his pioneer blood and 1879, with his wife, Francena, and four children started for the Far West in company with several other families, traveling by cow train. Coming to the Lost River County in Idaho, they wintered there and then settled in Custer County at Bay Horse, then a thriving, wild and wooly mining camp. Stephen built the first toll bridge across the Salmon River. Francena and Stephen had eight children; Minnie Etta, Emma Cornelia, Charles Henry, Alma Blanche, Lilly Grace, Frankie Pearl, Ruby Bell and Agnes Bernice Calkins.
Francena Martha Wells Calkins died October 2, 1908 in Caldwell, Idaho and is buried beside her husband, Stephen and near her sister Lephe Wells Coats and daughter Minnie Etta Calkins Tierney in Canyon Hill Cemetery, Caldwell, Idaho.
(Calkins/Wells Genealogy from Family History of Great-Granddaughter, Ruth I. Blair Miller)
Two months after their marriage, Francena and Stephen, in company with his brother, John and his wife Abigail who was Francena's sister, were on the way to northwestern Iowa by ox teams. The first winter was spent on the Muddy, the following spring they took up homesteads where the city of Spencer, Clay County, Iowa now stands. Here they lived for fourteen years, forming a nucleus around which other homesteaders gathered.
In 1925, Rev. R.A. Coats wrote about Spencer, Iowa's first flag. "By 1871 the colony had grown to a considerable size and it was decided to have a big community celebration on the Fourth of July. We felt it would be incomplete without flag and flag pole so Mrs. Lephe (R. A.) Coats and MRS. FRANCENA (STEPHEN) CALKINS were selected as a committee to see all the unmarried men, and ask for a donation of fifty cents each with which to buy cloth to make a flag. This was willingly given and the women then made the flag.
Mrs. Abbie Calkins writes, it required fourteen and a fraction yards of muslin and calico. As to the exact size I am not certain. We went to Sioux City for the material.
A large bowery was built on the school house grounds, a flag pole erected and the flag raised with appropriate exercises, a program given and a bounteous dinner served. I remember we sent to Sioux City for lemons and made a barrel of lemonade, an almost unknown luxury at that time.
We were very proud of our flag, and Valrous Lamberton was appointed custodian of it. Later flags became more plentiful and when he removed to South Dakota he took the old flag with him. In later years the Lydia Alden Chapter of D.A.R. were able to obtain this old flag and it was graciously returned to Spencer.
June 14, 1925 it was raised to the flag pole, its folds once more floated over Spencer. Then to be placed for safe keeping in a glass case in the rotunda of the Courthouse."
As the country settled up, Stephen again felt the call of his pioneer blood and 1879, with his wife, Francena, and four children started for the Far West in company with several other families, traveling by cow train. Coming to the Lost River County in Idaho, they wintered there and then settled in Custer County at Bay Horse, then a thriving, wild and wooly mining camp. Stephen built the first toll bridge across the Salmon River. Francena and Stephen had eight children; Minnie Etta, Emma Cornelia, Charles Henry, Alma Blanche, Lilly Grace, Frankie Pearl, Ruby Bell and Agnes Bernice Calkins.
Francena Martha Wells Calkins died October 2, 1908 in Caldwell, Idaho and is buried beside her husband, Stephen and near her sister Lephe Wells Coats and daughter Minnie Etta Calkins Tierney in Canyon Hill Cemetery, Caldwell, Idaho.
(Calkins/Wells Genealogy from Family History of Great-Granddaughter, Ruth I. Blair Miller)
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