William Wirt Maynard came to Council Bluffs in 1854 along with Jeremiah Folsom. The two men walked from Michigan and brought a large herd of sheep with them.
William married Mary B Caulkins in 1855. Mary was born in 1829 in New York State and had moved to Michigan with her parents. William and Mary had two children, Clarence, born in 1856, and Edith, born in 1870.
Upon arriving in Council Bluffs W. W. Maynard and Jeremiah Folsom founded The Chronotype newspaper. Maynard sold his interest in the Chronotype in 1856.
At the urging G. M Dodge and others, William, along with his brother-in-law A.D. Long, founded The Nonpareil newspaper in 1857. A. D. Long died in 1858 and W. W. Maynard continued publishing the paper. Mary Maynard was known as a writer and would assist W. W. with his editorial work. In 1864 William sold the paper but remained an editor there until he died.
In 1864 William received word that his brother Isaac had died at Andersonville prison.
In addition to publishing the Nonpareil W. W. was also postmaster of Council Bluffs in the early 1860s. He was also an active member of the Republican party.
In January of 1876 W. W. Maynard was taken ill and he died a month later on February 26, 1876. He was 43 years old. He is buried in Walnut Hill Cemetery.
"His literary style was abrupt and angular so to speak, but he had the happy faculty of saying a great deal in few words".
Mary Maynard remained in Council Bluffs. In 1902 Mary married a friend from her youth, Gavin E. Caukins. They hadn't seen each other in 50 years and met by chance when he was in Council Bluffs. Mary was 73, Gavin was 75.
They moved to Portland, Oregon where Gavin was in the insurance business. Unfortunately Gavin took his own life in 1913. Mary lived Seattle, Washington for a few years, then moved to Chicago to live with her daughter. Mary Caulkins Maynard Caukin passed away on July 27, 1920. She is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago.
Click HERE for more information on Council Bluffs History.