Why Black Hawk County, Iowa?

Many years ago geography was one of my favorite subjects.  When I learned about typical migration patterns, and knew that my Smelsers moved to Black Hawk County, Iowa, from southern Missouri, I wondered why north and not west or southwest.  Well, we may never know for certain, but I have a couple (maybe related) theories:

Jobs

About 1918, Deere and Company bought the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company, and by 1923 Deere & Co. was manufacturing John Deere tractors in Waterloo.

My theory has been that the Smelsers came north to work at Deere & Co.  However, while gathering the “proof” documents for this post, I was surprised that I didn’t find Aaron listed in any of the Waterloo City Directories from the 1920s.  So, did he ever live in Waterloo?  I don’t know.  And, I’ve yet to find evidence that Jessie or James (Elmer) worked at Deere.

Jessie, James (Elmer), and Stella are listed in several Waterloo City Directories:

Jessie   1921 – a painter for FW Anibal (automobile painter)

            1922 – hoseman, Hose Co. No. 2 (fire dept.)

            1924 – hydrantman, Eng. Co. No. 2 (fire dept.)

            1925 – pipeman, Eng. Co. No. 1 (fire dept.)

                       

James (Elmer) 1921 – works for Illinois Central Railroad

            1922 – (no employer listed)

            1924 – foreman, WCF&N railroad

            1925 – foreman, WCF&N

Stella   1922 – worked for George Koletis (who had a restaurant on Water St.)

            1924 – waitress Hummel Café

And, there are additional entries for them in later Waterloo City Directories.  However, I did not find any evidence of a Smelser working at Deere & Co. in the 1920s.  So was John Deere the draw?  Did they ever work for Deere?

 

Perhaps. But, it was post-WW I, the roaring 20s.  And, with Deere expanding, maybe Waterloo’s economy was good with plenty of other jobs available.  

However, the Smelsers weren’t the only kin who migrated from Texas County, Missouri, to Waterloo.  Aaron’s wife Emma (who died in 1920) had nine half-siblings.  At least 4 of them (and Emma’s step-mother, Margaret Melissa Lawson Elmore), also moved to Waterloo and show up in city directories: 

Jesse William Elmore – 1925 & 1928 – repairman WCF&N railroad

                        1930 – eng. WCF&N

Dallas Delmar Elmore- 1928 – repairman  WCF&N railroad

                        1930 – assembler, John Deere

Nelson Aaron Elmore- 1930 – second hand store

James Bradford (husband of Pearl Elmore) – 1930 – at John Deere

If jobs were what brought the Smelsers and their Elmore & Bradford kin to Waterloo, how did they, while in Texas County, Missouri, find out about the new job opportunities up north?  Newspapers?  Maybe.  But, that brings us to my second theory about their migration north.

DOCUMENTS (Have or seen):

• Various Waterloo City Directories [from between 1920 and 1935] online at ancestry.com

DOCUMENTS NEEDED, QUESTIONS UNANSWERED:

• Where were Aaron Smelser, Melissa & Clarence *between* the 1920 and 1930 Federal census enumerations?