FRANKLIN H. CRESSWELL

CRESSWELL

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/20/2020 at 14:44:40

FRANKLIN H. CRESSWELL, of section 27, Grant township, is the owner of Pleasant View stock farm, and a breeder of and dealer in thoroughbred shorthorn cattle and Poland-China hogs. He is one of the well-known and reliable stock men in the Blue Grass region, and one of
Adams county’s reliable citizens. He was born in the Hawkeye State, in van Buren county, December 31, 1846, just three days after Iowa was admitted into the Union.

His father, Matthew Cresswell, a native of Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, was one of the early settlers of this county, having come here in 1840. Our subject’s mother, Catherine (Stuart) Cresswell, was born in Pennsylvania. The parents still live in Yan Buren county, Iowa, where the father is one of the pioneer stock men of the county, and a member of the firm of M. Cresswell &
Son, dealers in short-horn cattle.

Our subject was reared on a farm in Van Buren county, and received his education in the common schools. In 1871 he came to this county, and bought 160 acres of wild land, which he has since improved. He has a good frame house situated on a natural building site, and surrounded by a fine grove and orchard of eight or nine acres. He also has good barns, stables, sheds, yards, feed lots, stock scales, and all the modern conveniences necessary for a good stock-farm. For twelve years Mr. Cresswell has been engaged in raising blooded stock, and at his home can be found some of the best specimens of stock in the Blue Grass region. He also is one of three who own an imported Perclieron horse, being a member of the firm of W. T. Park & Co. Mr. Cresswell owns 160 acres of land, where he resides, and 120 acres in Union county, Iowa.

He was married in Van Buren county, Iowa, February 16, 1874, to Miss Mary E. Cornell, who was born and reared in that county, a daughter of William and Hannah Cornell. Mr. and Mrs. Cresswell have two sons: Hugh M. and Byron C. The greatest loss of Mr. Cresswell’s life was in the death of his wife, June 26, 1880. She was a kind and estimable lady, and her death was a great loss to the husband and sons. She was buried in Fairview cemetery, Van Buren
county. Politically he is a Greenback or Independent, and has served in most of the township offices with credit. He is a man yet in the prime of life, intelligent and well informed on general topics, frank and cordial in his manner, reliable in business, and is one of Grant township’s popular citizens.