JOHN W. HOUCK

HOUCK

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/20/2020 at 17:12:22

JOHN W. HOUCK, one of the highly respected and well-to-do citizens of Adams county, Iowa, was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, August 19, 1844. His father was John Houck, deceased, one of the prominent early settlers of this county, and his mother was nee Ernestine Amdor. John W. was the second born in their family, and was five years old when his parents moved to Marion county, Iowa. In 1852 his father came to this county, bought a large tract of land and improved one of the best farms in that part of the State.

In 1859 young Houck went with his father to Pike's Peak, returning in the fall of 1860. He was reared to farm work, and his education was obtained in the common schools of the county. It was not until he was twenty-nine years old that he left the parental home and settled on a farm of his own - the one on which he still resides. Prosperity has attended his efforts, and from year to year he has added to his landed estate until he is now one of the largest property owners in the county. His home farm is in section 6, Quincy township, and consists of 219 acres of well-improved land. He owns sixty acres in section 1 and 520 acres in sections 15 and 22, Douglas township. His home, a comfortable and commodious residence, built in modern style and well furnished and finished throughout, is beautifully located and surrounded by a variety of shade and ornamental trees, orchard grove, etc. Substantial and commodious barn and outbuildings, stock scales, wells and good fences and other improvements and conveniences indicate at once the thrift and enterprise of the owner. A portion of his land in Douglas township is bottom land, set to blue grass, and rivals the blue-grass regions of Kentucky, the rest of his holdings in that township being upland, and well improved, with buildings, etc. Mr. Houck has given much attention to the stock business, and is one of the most successful and extensive stock men in the county. The past year he sold $4,000 worth of cattle and $2,000 worth of hogs.

He was married March 4, 1873, to Miss Sarah J. Falconer, a native of Ohio and a daughter of John and Harriet (Thornborough) Falconer, both natives of Ohio. Her father died in that State, and her mother is now a resident of Carl, Iowa. Mrs. Houck received her education in Belmont county, Ohio. They have three children, - Harry, Amy Daisy and Nettie E. Their youngest, Percy, did at the age of eleven months.

Mr. Houck is a Republican. He and his family are attendants of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is a liberal supporter. Always interested in the promotion of educational and religious matters, adhering to the strictest integrity in all his business dealings, ever frank and cordial in his intercourse with his fellow-men, he is a popular and highly esteemed citizen.