William M Alvord

Brief Life History of William M

When William M Alvord was born on 8 September 1834, in Indiana, United States, his father, Menzo Alvord, was 24 and his mother, Mary Polly Walters, was 21. He married Lydia Caroline Kesling on 10 March 1862, in Benton, Iowa, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 1 daughter. He lived in Benton, Iowa, United States in 1905 and Vinton, Benton, Iowa, United States in 1910. He died on 14 August 1910, in Benton, Ringgold, Iowa, United States, at the age of 75, and was buried in Benton, Iowa, United States.

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Family Time Line

William M Alvord
1834–1910
Lydia Caroline Kesling
1842–1887
Marriage: 10 March 1862
George Wesley Alvord
1866–1948
Joseph Aaron Alvord
1868–1946
Francis Earnest Alvord
1871–1926
Mary Delila Alvord
1875–1967

Sources (25)

  • William Alvord, "United States Census, 1870"
  • William Alvord, "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934"
  • William M Alvord, "Find A Grave Index"

World Events (8)

1836 · Remember the Alamo

Being a monumental event in the Texas Revolution, The Battle of the Alamo was a thirteen-day battle at the Alamo Mission near San Antonio. In the early morning of the final battle, the Mexican Army advanced on the Alamo. Quickly being overrun, the Texian Soldiers quickly withdrew inside the building. The battle has often been overshadowed by events from the Mexican–American War, But the Alamo gradually became known as a national battle site and later named an official Texas State Shrine.

1836 · The Massive Internal Improvements Act

The Massive Internal Improvements Act of 1836 loaned Indiana $10,000,000 to create infrastructure such as canals, railroads, and roads across the state. The act was signed by Whig Governor Noah Noble and passed by the Indiana General Assembly. However, the financial crisis known as the Panic of 1837 thwarted these plans as costs ballooned. Construction on the infrastructure was not completed and the state debt rapidly increased.

1856 · The Town of Santa Claus

The town of Santa Fe was denied their application for a United States Postal Service as a town of Santa Fe, Indiana, was already established. Several meetings were held and the name was changed to Santa Claus, Indiana. The United States Postal Service granted their application. Due to the name, the post office in Santa Claus continues to receive thousands of letters to Santa Claus from children around the world each December.

Name Meaning

English (southwestern): variant of Alford 1; the spelling reflects the southwestern English dialect pronunciation.

History: This surname was brought to North America by Alexander Alvord, who came from Devon or Somerset to Windsor, CT, c. 1645. He had many prominent descendants.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

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