The spelling of the family name has had several variations, such as Stambach, Stamback, and Stambaugh. On the headstones in Lischey Cemetary near Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, Stambaughs are indeed Stambachs in the oldest part of the cemetary. According to various sources, the name has also had various meanings. One source stated that the name was Bavarian and meant "one who lives near the mouth of a river," and the other source stated that the name meant "one who lives in a mill on a river."

According to J. O. Stambaugh, Hans Jacob Stambach came to America from Stambach, Bavaria in about 1735. Others migrated to America at this period of time. In 1789, only five families of Stambaughs were living in America, four in Pennsylvania and one in Virginia. The 1790 census for Manheim, Manallen, and Tyrone townships in York County, Pennsylvania lists John, Peter and Jacob Stambaugh. The 1800 census lists Stambaughs in the following townships in York and Lancaster Counties, Pennsylvania:

Only heads of households were listed. It is assumed, but not proven that the starred Peter is the ancestor of our branch of Stambaughs. Peter Stambaugh married Elizabeth Schoaf and had seven children: Peter Jr., Jacob, Susana, Barbara, Magdalina, Frederick, and Christian. It is believed that Jacob Stambaugh was the father of Samuel, my great-great grandfather.

Jacob, who was born in 1774, married Maria Markley and had ten children: John B., Samuel, George, Lydia, Michael, Adam, Jacob Jr., Addison, and two who died in infancy.

The Revolutionary cause made large use of the skills of the Pennsylvania Dutch, who were really Germans who did not find it comfortable to be called Germans after the Battle of Trenton, according to J. O. Stambaugh, our most diligent family historian. The Pennsylvania Dutch made both rifles and cannon balls and cannons, as well as the Conestoga Wagons.

Several Stambaughs fought in the Revolutionary War, although, no particular names are known. Eva Stambaugh, my great-aunt, received a letter from a Stambaugh in Browning, Illinois who was trying to establish a relationship in order to become a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Samuel Stambaugh, Jacob's second eldest son, was born April 10, 1810 in York County, Pennsylvania. In the spring of 1833, when Samuel was 23 years-old, he left York County, where he had learned the brick-making trade, for a look at what the west had to offer. He first went to Butler County, Ohio, where other Stambaughs were living at the time, although, their relationship to Samuel is unknown. There is evidence that he went on to Schuyler County, Illinois and possibly as far as Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Samuel returned to York County in the fall of 1833, where he no doubt told great stories of the land to the west. Evidently the stories were believed by other members of his family, and this started the great migration.

The Stambaughs migration started in the spring of 1835. Jacob Stambaugh, his wife, and ten grown children left York County. The first stop was in Butler County, Ohio, where the family stayed for four years. The entire family then appeared in Schuyler County, Illinois in 1839. During Samuel's stay in Schuyler County, he won the hand of Rachel Bryant, daughter of John Bryant and Elizabeth McNew, and they were married on April 19, 1840. Two weeks after the wedding, Sam and his older brother, John, left for Linn County, Iowa, where they took squatters claims on the Cedar River. The claim would be located in what is now downtown Cedar Rapids. The two brothers helped erect the first courthouse in Cedar Rapids, which was a log structure. John helped in the construction of the first frame house in Cedar Rapids, while Sam, who had learned the brick mason trade in Pennsylvania, worked in the construction of the early brick buildings in Cedar Rapids. Eva Stambaugh has copies of land grants in Iowa made out to Samuel and signed by President James K. Polk.

John and Samuel sold their rights to Cedar Rapids land around 1844, and at that time John returned to Schuyler County. Sam located on a farm near Bertram, Iowa. The land owned by John is a part of the well-known Bever Park in Cedar Rapids.

Samuel Stambaugh, who was six feet, two inches tall and weighed two hundred pounds, married Rachel Bryant and had twelve children; Lidia Ann, Mary Angeline, Louisiana (or Loussant), Sara Elizabeth, John Milton, Noah Benjamin, James Alvin, Rachel Jane, George Washington, Albert Henry, and Martha Eva.

The following is a letter written by Samuel Stambaugh (who learned to write after he was married) to his son, Noah Benjamin, on November 28, 1895 in Bertram, Iowa:

"Well I rct your wellcome ensor last Satorday I thought best to let you know at once that I cannot sue for this years rent until in March first because ther article makes it due on that day So you see I am out until that time but Eva sais that he told her that he would show up in the spring and quit farming but he dont tell me so he thinks that I would pay him two hundred dollars to get him out but I must sue for the rent that will put him out because he has no right to rent the farm to aney other pardy with out my concent, I will heave to tell you about condision of the farm in the spring next he has 10 or 12 acres of fall plowing that he would wont pay for plowing and he has sade about 10 or 12 acres in rye that I would rent and he randet to A. Danniel about 8 acres of the east land of the 40 next to J. Daniel

"It was in meeds Danel agreed to pay $350 per acre. That he would have to pay your or you could pay him for breaking it but it is in that low ground and in a wed season he may fail, next to Daniel about 10 acours has been in corn 2 years and about 12 acers a joining and 10 acors was in corn this yeare. The open field was in corn and oats this year about half of each now you please and think over it as neare as you can and bare in mind at the same time that you will have to aply to clover to bring the ground all right until you can make menure anove to keep it in good shape, and then let me know what ren you can pay and board me and Mother and do our work such as washing and nesiry work about the house. but if either of us should get intyrle helpless we will alow you what is fair and right for that you will also think of keeping the fenses in good shape gidding up wood and prepare for the stoges let me know as soon as convnint and I will prepare Ardicle and send it

"Imens left last Monday for the Messibry low bodom he chardered a care and took 2 teams all his household goods. Angeline is with us and Ally at J. Stonekenys until they made money to send for them then they will go. Mertha Daniels burred this week on tuesday I might tell you heave and now that I am thankful indeed to be to the allwide Providenes that I am still able to lay down and git up by my self altho it helps we are as well as usual and hope this will find you all the same. You must take good care of that lidle Aire of yours and not let him friess this long wender and he will come out all right in the Spring. Well this the 29 and I must write som more of my trubles with my Son in law about farming or keep up the fenses about August John Oxley came to see me about that fens he said he would like to turn in his horses I told him that Barry must do it but the fins is not made yeat Two lodes of railes would have maid it all right but that is not all he ordered me this summer to gid postes made to put in wier fens out at the school house to and his aim is to git the rails for wood to save to make or chop wood for the house I must say a few more words and close you bare in mind that if I making ardicle with you to hold the plase while we live then the proceds will go to each one equily and if I pass on first he would run the farm he would be shure to get all the rend I will say to you I have not seen James since I got this letter as I have the spase yed.

"I will tell you that it was very luckkey for all of you that I suceded in dividing the place if I had not he would have got all most one half the farm in spite of all

                    "Fairwell. direct as before
                    "Saml Stambaugh"

The following letter was written by Rachel Bryant Stambaugh to Noah Benjamin Stambaugh on October 17, 1894 in Bertram, Iowa:

"Mr & Mrs N.B. Stambaugh
"Dear Children
"I will write you a few lines this after noon to let you know how we are getting along
"We are all well and hope you are the same
"We are having very nice warm weather, We received a letter from Sam and Dell the other day I suppose you heard Floy was married, They sent me their pictures he is a great big fellow larger than Albert, He has a nice looking woman she is eighteen he is 21 Sam and Dell are getting along real well John Oxley and family have come back from California They like the climate there She sayes it is no place for poor people especially farmers, They were out there all summer, They say there was an abundance of fruite there this year,

"Will Noah your Father has been trying to divide up the place, but I do not like the way he wants to do with some of the children and I will not sign the deeds, I feel better satisfied to let it be as it is Are you going to farm the same place next year than we had this, Zach has rented the place here for three years. He pays $350.00 per year and boards me and your Father and does our work, Eva was very anxious to rent some where else and live to them selves but she had to give it up. We have enough potatoes to do us, but if the crop had been good we would have had a good many more, they are small too, none of them are very large, Cabage was pretty good. We had a letter from Bert he sayes Lett has been down sick again this time with a fever, she is sick all the time. Bert has a hard time get along well I will close for this time hoping to hear from you soon "from your Mother

                    Rachel Stambaugh"

When Sam reached the age of 85, he and Rachel separated. Rachel lived with her daughter, Eva Berry, and Sam was cared for by my great-grandfather, George, until his death. Samuel Stambaugh died on August 20, 1897, and the following is a copy of his obituary:

"Samuel Stambaugh, one of Linn County's earliest settlers, died at his home in Bertram County, August 20, 1897. He was born near the village of Jefferson, York County, Pennsylvania, being at the time of death 87 years, 4 months, and 10 days old, and the last one of his fathers family which consisted of ten brothers and sisters.

"He was a resident of York and Adams County, Pennsylvania until the spring of 1833, when he went to Butler County, Ohio. In the spring of 1839, his fathers family, including himself emigrated to Schuyler County, Illinois. Samuel and John Stambaugh, an older brother, only remained in Illinois about two weeks when they started for Linn County, Iowa, where they selected claims in what is now Rapids township. Samuel's first claim was in section 36, township 83, north range 7 west and on the north side of Cedar River. He did not remain there but a short time until he exchanged this first claim with James Doty for another one which was his present home, and upon which he lived for 58 years. John Stambaugh bought a claim of Mr. Coles which in later years became the well-known farm of Samuel C. Bever (a park in Cedar Rapids is known as Bever Park).