Peoria I. Whitted

WHITTED, HOWARD, MONTGOMERY, BOYLS, SEWELL, BARBER

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 5/18/2009 at 13:52:13

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

pages 741-742

PEORIA I. WHITTED, ex-County Sur-
veyor, Exira, Iowa, was born in Maury
County, Tennessee, in the town of Will-
iamsport, February 29, 1832. William Whit-
ted, the father of P. I. Whitted, removed from
Virginia to North Carolina, and was there
married to Miss Arrena Howard, a native of
Orange County, North Carolina, and a daugh-
ter of John Howard; site was born in 1796,
and was the mother of thirteen children, eleven
of whom lived to maturity. William Whit-
ted and wife removed from North Carolina to
Tennessee, and settled in Maury County, re-
siding there until 1833, when they moved to
Vigo County, Indiana; thence they went to
Parke County, Indiana, and in 1838 they went
to Vermillion County, Indiana. At this place
the father engaged in packing pork; when
going down the river he was taken with yel-
low fever and died; his wife late in life came
to Cass County, Iowa, and resided there until
her death, which occurred June 5, 1862.
Peoria, the subject, passed his youth in Indi-
ana, and attended the district school. In 1845
the family removed to Keokuk County, Iowa,
and here he grew to manhood. He entered
the Methodist College at Muscatine, Iowa,
and here pursued his studies for two years. In
1850 he went to Ottumwa, Iowa, and after-
ward entered the printing office of the Des
Moines Courier; here he spent one year, then
went on a government surveying expedition
to Santa Fe, New Mexico. After an absence
of six months he returned to Iowa City, and
then engaged in the survey of the railroad
from Davenport to Iowa City; this is now the
Rock Island Railroad. In 1853 Mr. Whitted
came to Audubon County, stopping at Ham-
lin's Grove; at this time there were only six
houses in the county. Mr. Whitted acted as
land agent, and assisted in the laying out of
Omaha, Nebraska. He was appointed organ-
izing sheriff, and called the first election held
in the county; this was in April, 1855, and
the cabin of John S. Jenkins was the voting
place. On the first Monday of the following
August a general election was held; Mr. Whit-
ted was a candidate for county surveyor, and
was elected; he soon after took charge of the
office, and has held it for twenty-two years.
After retiring from public office he continued
the survey of private lands and roads. In the
spring of 1857 he removed to Exira, and has
since there made his home. Mr. Whitted was
married February 28, 1860, to Miss Louisa
C. Montgomery, of Exira, a daughter of L.
B. and Fannie (Boyls) Montgomery; Mrs.
Whitted was born in Hancock County, Illi-
nois, and at the age of fifteen years came with
her parents to Exira. The father was a native
of Pennsylvania, and the mother was born in
the State of New York; both are dead, and lie
buried in the cemetery at Exira. Mr. Whit-
ted and wife have had seven children born to
them -- Clinton J., Mary, the wife of Albert
Sewell; Minnie, wife of J. M. Barber; Forest,
Elbridge, Carl C. and Clara B. Mr. Whitted
is a member of the I. O. O. F.; he is present
assessor of Exira. In national matters he
votes the Democratic ticket. He owns two
good farms, one in Exira Township and one
in Hamlin Township, and five acres in his
home place. Mrs. Whitted is a member of
the Christian church, and is one of its most
active members, as well as one of its liberal
contributors. Mrs. Whitted's father, L. B.
Montgomery, was one of the first settlers
of Audubon County. He held the office
of county superintendent of schools for two
terms. He had a wide circle of friends and
was greatly beloved by all who knew him.