THOMAS W. HOUGH

HOUGH, PAXTON, SCHOOLEY, LOCKWOOD

Posted By: Alice Wayne Daniels (email)
Date: 7/23/2004 at 20:39:30

BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY, PG 30-31
1903 APPANOOSE AND MONROE COUNTIES, IOWA HISTORY BOOK

THOMAS W. HOUGH

Along the southern bank of the Potomac river, about midway between Harper’s Ferry
and Washington, is situated the old county of Loudoun, which has figured conspicuously
and sometimes pathetically in the history of Virginia. Early in the Civil war it was
brought into prominence by the battle of Ball’s Bluff, in which Senator Baker of Oregon
met his death. Later this county was pitilessly ravaged by both sides, as the contending
armies marched back and forth repeatedly across his border land between the warring
sections. Loudoun has always been noted for the substantial character of its agricultural
population, and ranked for years as one of the best farming counties of the Old Dominion.
Among the families long connected with “Old Loudoun” and identified with her
development was that of Hough, which name was quite frequent there at that time. In the
early part of the last century Isaac Hough, who was the first of twelve children, conducted
a wool manufactory in connection with a mercantile business and became a man of some
importance in the community, owing to the success of his enterprises. He married Mary
Jane Paxton, by whom he had eleven children: Martha, deceased; Thomas W.; Mary
Ann, deceased; John, Isaac, Henry, Robert, Phoebe, Mary Elizabeth, Jennie, deceased,
and Edgar, deceased. The father died in 1868, but his wife survived him thirty years, not
ending her earthly pilgrimage until 1898.

Thomas W. Hough, second eldest of their children, was born on the grandfather’s old
homestead in Loudoun county, Virginia, February 4, 1834, and remained in his native
place until several years after passing his majority. He left Virginia in 1859, a year or two
before the desolating waves of war broke over the devoted county of Loudoun, and made
his way to what was then considered the “far west.” He first located in Jasper county,
Iowa, where he lived for many years and accumulated considerable means, but in 1892 he
transferred his residence to Appanoose county, of which he has since been a citizen. His
real estate holdings at present consist of several large town properties at Moulton and two
farms southeast of that city. Since he came to Iowa Mr. Hough has been an industrious,
hard-working man, and what he now owns is the well earned compensation of a life of
labor.

On May 29, 1856, three years before his departure from Virginia, Mr. Hough was
married to Florida Schooley, by whom he had nine children: Ida Virginia, Rosa May,
deceased; Mattie Ellen, Walter Elmer, Ellsworth Rosalie, Jessamine, Mary Ann, Thomas
Albert and Florida S. The mother died April 13, 1875, in Jasper county, Iowa, and Mr.
Hough was again married, October 18, 1877, to Fannie M., daughter of Samuel and
Gertrude Lockwood, to which union have been born three children: Nellie G., Bertha,
deceased, and William Henry Clyde. As the result of his industry and good management
in earlier years, Mr. Hough is able to spend the evening of his life in comparative repose,
and added to this satisfaction is the pleasant feeling that he both enjoys and deserves the
good wishes of his neighbors.