Thomas Burk

BURK

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 3/10/2009 at 10:12:41

Thomas Burk who is residing on Sec 15, Des Moines township, is one of the active and enterprising farmers of Boone county, owning a valuable tract of land adjoining the City of Boone. He is also a public spirited man and one who has long be He en actively identified with the progress and improvement of this portion of the state, having taken up his abode here in 1885. Mr Burk is a native of Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred in the city of Philadelphia June 11, 1843. He received good school privileges in his native state and when a young man made his way to the west, hoping to secure good business opportunities in the Mississippi valley. He located in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1861. By trade he is a painter and he followed that pursuit in Bloomington for about three years, after which he worked in Chicago. Subsequently he removed to Iowa, and engaged in teaching school in Boone county during the winter of 1867-68. At a later date he returned to Chicago and gain worked at the painter’s trade for several years in that city. He took up his abode permanently in Boone county in 1885, and purchased land near the city, since which time he has devoted his attention to general farming. He secured 162 acres of land upon which some improvements had been made and began the further development of the property. He then sold his first farm and purchased 80 acres in Des Moines township upon which he now resides. He has since rebuilt and remodeled the house and has erected a good barn, has planted splendid fruit and shade trees and made many other substantial improvements which add to the value and attractive appearance of the place. The farm is pleasantly and conveniently located just outside the city limits of Boone, so that Mr Burk and his family are enable to enjoy the comforts and conveniences of city life as well as the freedom and pleasure of farm life.
In the city of Bloomington, Illinois, in 1864, Mr Burk was united in marriage to Mrs Mary E Horne, a native of McLean county, Illinois, I, and a widow a the time of her marriage to Mr Burk. Her father was John Mabary, one of the old settlers of McLean county. By her former marriage she had one son, John C Horne, who is married and lives in Chicago. Unto Mr and Mrs Burk have been born three children who are yet living, the eldest being Charles T who assists in the operation of the farm. Barbara E is the wife of Professor C C Gray, principal of the schools of Wyoming, Iowa. He is a man of brilliant education, graduate of Cornell College and is regarded as one of the prominent instructors in the state. Anna M is the wife of William M Bass, a farmer of Boone county. Mr and Mrs Burk lost their first child, Francis M, who died in Chicago, September 5, 1881, when about sixteen years of age. Mrs Burk is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Boone, and Mr Burk attends services with her and contributes to its support.
In politics he has been a life long Republican since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. He has taken an active interest in local politics and has been honored with a number of public offices. He served for six years as township clerk and in 1896 he was elected supervisor and re-elected to that office until he has filled the position for six consecutive years, being an active and leading member of the county board. For four years he has been its chairman and he does everything in his power to promote the substantial improvement of the county through the exercise of his official prerogatives. He is a friend of education, a believer in good schools and the employment of capable teacher, and through many years service on the school board he has labored to advance educational facilities in this county. For fourteen years he has served as secretary of the school board. He has been a delegate to numerous county, congressional and state conventions and was one of the delegates to the state convention of 1901, when Governor Cummins was nominated. Thirty-five years have passed since Mr Burk first came to Boone county and during this time he has witnessed much of the growth and up building of this portion of the state, having seen its wild lands transformed into fine farms, while the county has been crossed and recrossed by the network of railroads, the telegraph and telephone have been introduced and agricultural, commercial and professional interests have been carried on until the county has grown and developed into one of the leading counties of this great commonwealth.

1902 Boone County History Book