WHISMAN, Andrew J. - 1914

WHISMAN, BROWN, PINDELL, BOWMAN

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 7/9/2009 at 02:24:14

HISTORY OF
Cherokee County
IOWA
VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1914
by Thomas McCulla

ANDREW J. WHISMAN.

From 1867 until 1910 Andrew J. Whisman was closely connected with agricultural interests in Cherokee county, witnessing during that time a great deal of the development and growth of this part of Iowa and bearing an active and honorable part in the work of progress. During the years he gained a comfortable degree of prosperity and he is now able to live retired. He was born in Monroe county, Jndiana, September 28, 1838, and he is a son of David and Catherine (Brown) Whisman, natives of Virginia. At an early date the father engaged in farming and also operated a freighting line out of Louisville, Kentucky. In 1853 he went to McLean county, Illinois, and there farmed until 1875, when he moved to Cherokee county, where he lived retired until his death. His wife has also passed away.

Andrew J. Whisman is one of a family of eighteen children. He acquired his education in the public schools of McLean county, Illinois, and worked upon his fathers farm for eighteen years. At the end of that time he moved to Livingston county, in the same state, and there engaged in farming independently until 1866. On the 26th of October, 1867, he came to Cherokee county and took up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres. To this he afterward added one hundred and twenty acres and upon this fine property farmed for fortythree years, following always the most progressive and practical methods and becoming in time one of the leading agriculturists of this locality. For a number of years he operated a general store upon his farm and later had a similar enterprise in Washta. Since 1910 he has lived retired, having won a period of rest and leisure by earnest and competent work in the past.

On April 17, 1858, Mr. Whisman married Miss Delinda Pindell, a daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Bowman) Pindell, of Livingston county, Illinois. They became the parents of three children: Mary C., the wife of Earl Edmonds, an attorney of Correctionville, Iowa, by whom she has three children, Grace, Edna and Lucille; Miles D., a realestate dealer of Huron, South Dakota, who is married and has two children, Ray and Harlan; and Elizabeth, deceased. Mrs. Whisman was born in McLean county, Illinois, February 17, 1839, and died in Washta, May 23, 1912.

Mr. Whisman is a member of the Congregational church and has served as deacon and Sundayschool teacher. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has held the offices of township trustee and school director. He is numbered among the early settlers in this part of Iowa and has seen the locality develop from a frontier district into a rich and populous farming community. He named the town of Washta and became its first postmaster in 1867, holding this position thereafter for seventeen years. His upright and honorable life and his integrity in all business and official relations have won him the respect and esteem of those with whom he has come in contact and he is today one of the leading and representative citizens of his locality.