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WILLIAM LESTER, one of the prominent farmers and large land-owners of Benton County, resides on section 10, Iowa Township, and has, in company with his brother John, 400 acres of land, well improved. They are among the leading stock-growers of that section. Our subject was born in Delaware County, N. Y., Dec. 18, 1839, and is the son of Daniel and Mary (Carr) Lester. He learned the carpenter's trade in his youth, at which he worked till 1867, but on coming West laid his trade aside and took up farming and stock-raising. Mr. Lester has a large herd of thoroughbred Short-horn cattle, and is one of the most enthusiastic and successful breeders of high blood cattle in the county. They have at the present time 460 head. He also keeps a large stock of Poland-China hogs. He has been very prosperous in his farming and stock operations, and has a valuable property. Himself and brother also own 640 acres in Ida County, and 160 in Woodbury County. The father died on the homestead Oct. 27, 1884; their mother is still living, and has reached the advanced age of seventy-three years.
Mr. Lester is a Knight Templar Mason, a member of Hope Lodge No. 175, A. F. & A. M., and a member of Mt. Horeb Chapter No. 45, R. A. M., and of St. Bernard Commandery, No. 14, K. T., all of Belle Plaine.
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. 292.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on February 10th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
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