Anson E. Allen

ALLEN, ORKIN, VAN RENNSELAER, GILBERT, KNIGHT

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 5/13/2009 at 11:14:52

1889 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
SHELBY AND AUDUBON COUNTIES, IOWA
W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS
113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO

pages 794-795

ANSON E. ALLEN, of Viola Township,
is the possessor of one among the best
farms in the township. As an agri-
culturist and raiser of hogs and cattle, Mr.
Allen occupies the front rank. He began
his way in life without means, but by hard
labor, economy, and good management he has
acquired a good competence. He was born
in Ticonderoga, New York, October 5, 1838,
and is the fourth in a family of eight chil-
dren, five boys and three girls. The father,
La Fayette Allen, was born in East Middle-
bury, Vermont, in 1806. He was a farmer
and merchant by occupation, and was a son
of Ebenezer Allen, who was a distant relative
of Ethan Allen. The mother of A. E. Allen
was Betsey Orkin, daughter of James and
Nancy Orkin, who was born in New Hamp-
shire in 1810. James Orkin was born in
England, and was brought to America at the
age of seven years; be was a soldier in the
war of 1812. The mother of La Fayette Allen,
father of our subject, was a Van Rennselaer,
of Hollandish descent. La Fayette Allen re-
moved with his family and settled in Rut-
land County, Vermont, where he passed the
remainder of his days. At the death of his
father A. E. Allen was but eleven years old;
he was sent to the common school, and later
attended a select school at Brandon, Vermont.
He resided with his mother until he had
attained his eighteenth year, when he drifted
west to Jones County, Iowa. In 1862 Mr.
Allen enlisted in Company K, Twenty-fourth
Iowa Volunteer Infantry, going into camp; his
company was assigned to the western army,
where he did faithful service, and was dis-
charged in 1863, after which he returned to
Jones County, Iowa. He then engaged in
farming, buying and shipping stock to the
eastern markets on the large scale, and con-
tinued in this business for a period of fifteen
years, in which he was successful, although
he commenced on a small capital. In 1882
Mr. Allen removed from Jones County, Iowa,
to Audubon County, purchasing seven eighty-
acre tracts of land; he afterward bought
other tracts until he owned 880 acres, a part
of which he sold, leaving one section, 640
acres. This farm is most admirably situated,
being on one of the branches of the Nishna-
botna River and the most of the land is in
a fine state of cultivation. The farm is well
stocked with cattle and hogs for the protec-
tion of which Mr. Allen has provided a number
of sheds; the large water supply needed is
furnished by a windmill, with several tanks,
all being arranged with an eye to convenience.
Mr. Allen has a large substantial residence,
situated upon an elevated plain, commanding
a fine view of the surrounding country. He
has been twice married -- first in 1804 to
Mary Gilbert, who was born in 1844, and
died in 1873, leaving three boys -- Charles, a
farmer; Frank, of the firm of Allen & Crane,
editors of the Audubon County Advocate,
and Horace, now living with his grandmother
in Vermont. Mr. Allen’s second wife was
Catherine Knight, who died in Jones County,
Iowa, in 1879, leaving one little daughter -
Emma Kate. In political matters Mr. Allen
is rather conservative, voting as a rule the
Republican ticket. He and his two sons
served in the late civil war. His grandfather,
Ebenezer Allen, served in the war of 1812.