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WILLIAM S. BOYD, M. D., a retired physician and farmer, of Benton Township, residing on section 27, Taylor Township, was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., June 20, 1814. He is the son of John and Rachel (Waters) Boyd, natives of Pennsylvania. His father was a farmer by occupation, and followed agricultural pursuits up to the time of his death. Both parents died in Westmoreland County.The subject of our sketch was reared on a farm and remained upon it until twenty years of age, receiving his primary education in the public schools. He then attended a literary school at Washington, Pa., for two years, after which he read medicine two years. He attended a medical school at Cleveland, Ohio, also for two years, and graduated therefrom. In 1868 [sic] he attended one course of lectures at Jefferson Medical College, at Philadelphia, and in 1849 he went to Wayne County, Ohio, where he began the practice of medicine, and continued there five years. In the meantime he had assumed domestic ties, and in the fall of 1854, with his family, consisting of wife and three children, he came in wagons to Benton County, being twenty-eight days on the road. He located at Vinton and soon built up an extensive and successful practice. He continued in that city until 1877, when, on account of inflammatory rheumatism, he was compelled to retire from his professional duties.
In 1860 Dr. Boyd purchased the eighty acres of land on section 27, Taylor Township, which he yet owns. He also owns 160 acres in Polk Township. He bought a home in Vinton when he first came to the county, which he still owns and in which he lived until the death of his son's wife, since which time he has been living with his son on his farm. They are making a specialty of fine stock, have a few fine graded Short-horns and Jerseys, and some very fine Hambletonian horses.
Dr. Boyd has been thrice married; first in 1839, to Miss Mary J. Sloan, who only lived about two months. He was again married, in 1843, to Miss Eliza Creathers, who bore him four children, two of whom are now living: John R., married Miss Marion Carter, and is residing in Defiance, Iowa; Rachel A., married to Henry Miller, lives in Vinton. Mrs. Eliza Boyd died in 1851. In 1852 he married Miss Catherine Winegardner, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Griffith) Winegardner. By this union there have been born three children, two of whom are living: Willoughby Watson, born April 14, 1855, a farmer on the Doctor's home farm; he married Miss Nellie Richie, who died Nov. 28, 1884, leaving two children — Bessie H. and Edna C.; Cornelia S. studied music in Boston, and is engaged in teaching in Vinton. Dr. and Mrs. Boyd are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Vinton. For eight years Dr. Boyd was Examining Physician for pensions.
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. 294 & 297.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on February 12th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
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