William M. Poulson

POULSON, SPRAY, MCCUEN

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 5/13/2009 at 15:39:37

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

page 727

WILLIAM M. POULSON, farmer and
dealer in farming implements, is the
present proprietor of the Grant House,
Audubon, Iowa. He is a native of the State
of Iowa, born in Jasper County, near the
noted springs of Colfax, April 13, 1852. His
parents are J. C. and Mahala (Spray) Poul-
son, natives of Maryland and Ohio respect-
ively. The father was born July 20, 1820,
and is of German ancestry. He is a farmer
by occupation, and now resides on the farm
on which he settled in Jasper County in 1851.
The mother died April 5, 1886. William M.
Poulson was reared to the life of a farmer,
and received his education in the common
schools. He remained with his parents until
his majority, when he was married to Maggie
McCuen, of Jasper County, Iowa, a daugh-
ter of George A. McCuen. She was born in
Ohio, and came to Iowa with her parents
when a little girl. After his marriage Mr.
Poulson settled in Jasper County, and fol-
lowed farming until the spring of 1878, when
he removed to Audubon County, settling on
a farm in Lincoln Township. There were
160 acres, not a furrow of which bad been
turned at that time. He built a house and
broke out the farm which is now under good
cultivation, he continued to farm until
1887, when he rented the place and removed
to the town of Audubon, and rented the
Grant House, which he is still managing. It
is a good $1 per day house, with comfortable
sleeping-rooms, and a home-like air in all
departments. In the spring of 1889 Mr.
Poulson opened a stock of agricultural imple-
ments and buggies in Audubon. He carries
the celebrated Champion mower and binder,
one of the best in the market. Mr. and Mrs.
Poulson are the parents of two children --
Charles J. and India B. Mr. Poulson is a
staunch Republican. He has represented his
township as trustee. He began his career as
a farmer on his own account, and at the bot-
tom of the ladder. He has met with success
in all his efforts, and by industry and energy
has acquired a good property.