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JOSEPH L. DURSTON, Belle Plaine, dealer in live stock, was born in South Brent, Somersetshire, England, March 22, 1839, and is the son of William and Harriet (Cox) Durston. His father was born in Somersetshire, England, Jan. 1, 1800, and his mother in the same county Jan. 22, 1809. They were married in their native country, and emigrated from England to America in 1847, arriving in New York City October 4, of that year. The family located in Oswego, where the mother died on the 22d of February, 1859, and the father, July 4, 1884, in his eighty-fifth year.The subject of this sketch came to the United States with his parents in the autumn of 1847. He engaged in the meat-market business at Phoenix, Oswego Co., N. Y., which he continued until June, 1865, when he came to Belle Plaine, Iowa, and engaged in the live-stock trade. Mr. Durston has been in the above-mentioned business more than twenty years in Iowa, during which time he has dealt extensively in live-stock, buying, feeding and shipping. He is a Republican in politics, and has served six years as Deputy Sheriff of Benton County, covering period from 1875 to 1881.
He was united in marriage, at Fulton, N. Y., Oct. 21, 1863, with Miss Frances P. Wright. Mrs. Durston was born in Fulton, N. Y. Mr. Durston had two sisters and a brother. Fannie, the eldest, died in the State of New York, at the age of fourteen years; Betsey C. is the wife of T. J. Reeves of Oswego, N. Y.; Samuel H. married Harriet Cooper and resides in Bradford, Pa. Mr. Durston is widely and favorably known as an upright, reliable businessman, public spirited in local affairs, and is very generally respected and esteemed by all who know him.
Source Citation: "1887 Benton County, Iowa Biographies" [database online] Benton County IAGenWeb Project. <http://iagenweb.org/benton/>
Original data: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Benton County, Iowa." Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1887, p. 275-276.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on February 9th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
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