David Henry Frost History

Born January 25, 1821, Augusta, NY, Oneida County, to David Frost (2) and Olive Post.

Married to Caroline Elizabeth Eaton June 20, 1848, Stockbridge, NY.

Caroline and David had ten children (William Eaton and the first Theodora died as an infants; also note that the Five Families book lists the Theodoras as Theodore, ending in "e", however the journals and other sources list her as Theodora):

Name Date of Birth Birth Place
William Eaton Frost 10-19-1849  
Henry Ashel Frost 10-16-1850  
Elizabeth Marion Frost 12-21-1852  
Caroline Eaton Frost 2-3-1855  
Jane Stiles Frost 9-1-1856  
Cornelia Frost 4-20-1858  
Theodora Frost 12-17-1866  
Theodora Frost 11-16-1867  
Arthur Knowlton Frost 4-24-1869 Vinton, Iowa
Ethel Emeline 7-16-1871  

David died June 11, 1897, at Brunswick, Antelope Co., NE, and is buried in Brunswick Cemetery, Antelope County, NE.

Read a family journal of the David Henry Frost family.

In 1850 David Henry and Caroline lived in Stockbridge, Madison County, NY on real estate valued at $9,330. David was listed as a 29 year old farmer and Caroline was listed as 23 years old. David’s mother Olive P. Frost lived with them as did James Walsh, a 20 year old laborer born in Ireland, and Mary Jones, a 20 year old from Wales. Nearby neighbors were David’s sister Mary Louisa and her husband Samuel Hull and their children

In 1857, David Henry and Caroline lived in Northfield, Rice County, Minnesota Territory along with their children Henry A. (7), Elizabeth (4) Caroline (3) and Jane (13). Their next door neighbor was his mother Olive P. Frost who lived with four other people formerly from NY, relationship (if any) to her unclear at this time.

In 1860, David Henry and Caroline lived in Northfield Township, Rice County, Minnesota Territory. The online microfilm of the original census record is extremely faded and virtually unreadable. I do know that they lived there with their children Henry (9), Elizabeth (7), Caroline (5), Jannie (3) and Cornelia (2). They shared the home with someone named Harriet Kingsley, relationship (if any) unknown at this time.

In 1866 The Vinton Eagle (Iowa) posted an obituary for a child Theodore Frost, son of DH and CE Frost. The child died August 29, 1866.

As of July 8, 1870, David Henry and Caroline lived in Belle Plaine, Benton County, Iowa. Their real estate was valued at $5,000 and their personal property was valued at $7,500. They lived with their children Henry A. (19) who was a printer, Elizabeth (17), Jane S. (13), Cornelia (12), Olive T. (2), Arthur H. (1) and a young man Arthur Peel (17) a printer born in Ohio. I know the son is Arthur Knowlton but the census record lists him as Arthur H.

Note that the David Henry Frost family journal was started in 1878 (after the above and before the below census).

Read an extract from 1878 History of Benton County Iowa (p 473-641) about David Henry Frost.

Read an extract from the Hamilton College Hamilton Literary Magazine about David Henry Frost.

As of June 1, 1880, David Henry and Caroline lived in Benton Township, Iowa. David was 59 and an editor; Caroline was 52 and kept house. They lived with their children Henry A. (29) an editor, Marian (27) schoolteacher, Caroline (25) clerk in Post Office, Jannie (23) teacher, Cornelia (22) clerk in post office, Theodora (12), Arthur (11), and Ethel (8). They also had a young niece named Cornelia Blackmer (10) born in MN who lived with them at the time. The names above are as they appear in the census record.

In 1885, David Henry and Caroline lived in Willow Precinct, Antelope County, Nebraska. They were counted in the Nebraska State Census taken June 1, 1885. The household included David (64), Caroline (57), and daughters Jen (28) teacher, Cornelia (27) farmer, Theodora (17), Arthur (16) and Ethel (13).

The US Census for 1890 was destroyed in a fire so there is no data from that time period. The next census to contain data for this part of the Frost family was 1900.

In the 1900 US Federal Census, Caroline Frost the widow was listed in Antelope County, NE as a 72 year old farmer. She lived with her children Elizabeth (48) a teacher, Caroline E. (45) a teacher, Jane S. (44) a teacher, Cornelia (42) a teacher, Olive T. (33) keeping house, and Ethel E. (29) a teacher.

In the 1910 US Federal Census C. E. Frost, an 82 year old widowed farmer lived in district 6-2 Antelope County, NE with her daughters E.M. (57), C.E. (55), J.S. (53), C. (52), and T.V. (43). They shared the house with Jacob Anderson (28) a laborer from Denmark and Ann Blackmer (85), sister-in-law to Caroline. Although that is what the census states, Ann Blackmer was actually Caroline's sister, not her sister-in-law. Ann (Eaton) Blackmer and her husband William H. Blackmer were the parents of the cousin Cornelia Blackmer (who lived with David Henry and Caroline in 1880) and of the cousin Ellery who lived with their daughters in 1930. Dorothy Riggs mentions Ellery in her memoirs when he rode by horse to the Thanksgiving dinner in the 1878 journal entry. Ellery's ride and Thanksgiving visit is also mentioned in the David Henry Frost family journal.

In the 1920 US Census Federal Census, five daughters of David Henry and Caroline Frost still lived on the farm: Caroline (65), Marion (67), Jane (63), Cornelia (61) and Theodora (52).

In the 1930 US Federal Census, in Crawford, Antelope County, Nebraska, three daughters of David Henry and Caroline Frost lived on the farm: Jane S. (73), Cornelia (71) and Theodora O. (62). They shared the home with their cousin Ellery Blackmer (75) born in NY.

Read the current factoid page on David Henry and Caroline.


Last revised April 24, 2020

back to Arthur Karl Frost family tree