Charles Ensign

ENSIGN, BENJAMIN, SWAIN, STRONG

Posted By: Diane (email)
Date: 2/24/2002 at 19:52:52

Charles Ensign is a son of Elias and Clara M. (Benjamin) Ensign, and was born in Colchester, Delaware county, New York, March 29, 1819. His father and grandfather were natives of New Hartford, Connecticut. The latter was a resident of that town eighty-three years, and died there at the advanced age of eighty-nine. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Charles’ father died in Walton, Delaware county, New York, in 1832. His mother was born in Columbia county, New York, and died in Castile, Wyoming county, in the same State, May 20, 1851. Mr. Ensign’s early life was passed in the county of his birth, where he received a common school education, supplemented by three terms at a select school.
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When he was seventeen years old the family moved to Castile, Wyoming county, New York, where Charles lived for eighteen years. In March 1854, he started west, and crossed the Mississippi river on the 29th day of that month. His first summer in the west was spent at Rockville, Delaware county, Iowa. In November he came to Waverly, Bremer county, and that winter taught the first school of the town. Here he remained until the spring of 1856, and then settled in New Hartford, Butler county, and during the winter of that year taught the first school in that village.
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In 1855 Mr. Ensign voted for the temperance law. In his younger days he belonged to the whig party, but changed to a republican upon the formation of that party. He has taken an active interest in political matters in his township, and also quite an interest in the politics of the country. The office of township clerk has been filled by him for nineteen years out of the last twenty-four. Besides his business as a farmer, which occupation he has followed until the last year, he has been a notary public for the past twenty-two years.
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In 1846 he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Swain, who is a native of Olean, New York. Four children have been born to them of whom three are now living – Emily A., wife of William Strong, of Grundy county; Laura, who is now a teacher in the Cedar Falls Normal School, and is a graduate of the college in Iowa City. She graduated in the class of 1876, and in June of 1877 took the Diadactive degree, and one year later the Master of Arts degree. To her belongs the honor of being the first lady ever selected from that college to read the Master of Arts oration. Clarissa, the youngest daughter, is a student at the Cedar Falls Normal School.
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Source: History of Butler and Bremer Counties, Iowa
Union Publishing Co., Springfield, IL, 1883
Page 454