by

Julie A. Gale

    Dempsey Overman was born in Highland County, Ohio, on March 31, 1820. He married Leah Cooper in 1841. In December 1847, he accompanied his brother, John, to Sturgis Falls, where they bought the land and water mill owned by William Sturgis for $2,200. [1] They also decided to change the name from Sturgis Falls to Cedar Falls. Dempsey’s wife and family moved to the Cedar Falls area in February 1848, after a sawmill had been built. In 1850, they added a gristmill to grind flour.[2] 

    Dempsey Overman, along with his brother, John, was among the first settlers of Cedar Falls. When a post office was established in Cedar Falls on January 31, 1851, Dempsey Overman became its first postmaster. He has been referred to as the "Pioneer Letter Carrier of Iowa" because he is believed to be the first mail carrier delivery person in the state. [3] Overman also helped build many churches in Cedar Falls. No matter the denomination, he donated money to help with construction. [4] He also donated money to attract railroads and other enterprises to help develop the city. He was ill for some months before his death, on October 18, 1874, due to liver ailments. A piece of land donated to the city by Dempsey and his brother, John, has been turned into a park. It is named Overman Park in their honor.

Footnotes 

1. Hake, Herb, 101 Stories of Cedar Falls (Cedar Falls: The Record, 1977), 3-4. 

2. History of Black Hawk County Iowa and Its People (Chicago: SJ Publishing Company, 1915),
    273. 

3. History of Black Hawk County Iowa (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878), 316. 

4. "Death of D.C. Overman," Cedar Falls Gazette, 23 October 1874, 

   Bibliography 

 
"Death of D.C. Overman." Cedar Falls Gazette. October 23, 1874, 3. 

Hake, Herb. 101 Stories of Cedar Falls. Cedar Falls: The Record, 1977. 

History of Black Hawk County. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878. 

History of Black Hawk County Iowa and Its People. Chicago: SJ Publishing Company, 1915.