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William Banks Sr b Peel Isle of Man 21 Oct 1811 died 2 Mar 1895 Holt Co MO son of Thomas and Catherine Banks, hus of Wa-Rush-Ka-Me of the Iowan Indian tribe and hus of Jane Newasha of the Sac-Fox Indian tribe
William Banks claimed the distinction of being next to Lewis and Clark who came up the river in 1803, the first white man to set foot upon what was later to be called Holt Co MO. In the spring of 1832 he shipped as a deck hand on the steamship, Yellowstone, the first steamer to ascend the Missouri River as far as the mountains. On this trip Mr. Banks cut ash wood for the steamer on a piece of land 3 1/2 miles below the site of the present town of Forest City, on which he settled nine years later. He purchased this quarter section of land from a mulatto, jeffrey Doraway, brought a stock of goods to Jeffrey's Landing on the steamer, Thames, and in company with a Mr. John C McIntosh established the trading post, Iowa Point, where in 1844 he started the first flat boat ferry on the Missouri River above Robidoux Landing.
A large spring flowed from under the bluffs on the west side of the house. Emigrants stopped at Banks Spring to refresh themselves or to visit the adjacent blacksmith shop before going into Oregon, the County Seat for supplies or lodging.
The child of his first marriage, Joseph Banks, preceeded him in death. Joseph had several children among them Bessie Banks of Whitecloud Kansas.
William Banks Jr son of his second marriage died of typhoid fever in 1899. William Jr and his wife had 9 children.
DJD