Guyer, Charles P.

GUYER, ALLEN, PHILLIPS

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 2/14/2003 at 19:47:13

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

CHARLES P. GUYER.

Prominent among the representative citizens and respected and influential men of Sharon township is found the sub-ject of this biographical notice, who owns over four hundred acres of fine farming land in that and Brookfield townships. This property is well improved and highly cultivated, and shows conclusively that the owner has not mistaken his calling in adopting agriculture.

A native of Virginia, Mr. Guyer was born in the Shenandoah Valley, February 5, 1856, and is a son of Jacob and Mary (Allen) Guyer, who were also natives of the Old Dominion, their entire lives being passed on a plantation in the Shenan-doah Valley. The mother is now deceased, and the father resides on the old homestead. In their family were seven chil-dren, the only ones living in the west being our subject and his brother John, who is an extensive farmer of Brookfield township, this county.

Charles P. Guyer obtained his education in the schools of his native state, and remained there until the 1st of March, 1878, when he started west, his destination being Clinton county, Iowa. He settled near the village of Elwood, in Brook-field township, where he worked on several farms for several years. He was then married to Miss Elizabeth Phillips, who was also born in the Shenandoah Valley, and is a daughter of William Phillips, an early settler and extensive farmer of Brookfield township, this county. By this union were born two children: William Tilder, at home; and Jennie, who died at the age of three years.

Mr. and Mrs. Guyer began their domestic life upon their resident farm in Sharon township, which he rented for one year, but at the end of that time returned to Brookfield township, where he engaged in farming eight years on a tract of eighty acres. He then purchased the farm which he now occupies, exchanging his property in Brookfield on the purchase price, it being known as the old Lyman place, and consisting of two hundred and forty acres on section twenty-three, Sharon township. Besides this property he now owns eighty acres on section twenty-four, the same township, and ninety-five acres in Brookfield township. He has made all the improvements upon his land and has a beautiful residence. Mr. Guyer pays considerable attention to stock raising, and his success in this line has been marked, being a man of good business ability and sound judgment. On starting out in life for himself he was empty-handed, but has always made the most of his opportunities, and is to-day quite well-to-do. Since attaining his majority he has always affiliated with the De-mocracy, and for the past three years has efficiently served as trustee of Sharon township, being the present incumbent. Mrs. Guyer is a member of the German Reformed church of Brookfield township.