HAMILTON, Joseph

HAMILTON, POWERS, BUCK

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/28/2014 at 10:09:35

Biography ~ Joseph Hamilton

"Biographical and Historical Record of
Ringgold and Decatur Counties, Iowa"
(Lewis Publishing Company (1887)), p. 521:

JOSEPH HAMILTON, merchant at Leon, was born in Montgomery County, Indiana, February 12, 1831, son of ROBERT and ELANOR (POWERS) HAMILTON, natives of Pennsylvania, and Ohio respectively. The father was German and the mother of Scotch-Irish ancestry. They lived and died in Indiana,, where JOSEPH grew to manhood, following the vocation of a farmer until forty years of age, since which time he has been engaged in the mercantile trade in connection with farming. He keeps a general stock of dry-goods, boots, finest stores in Leon. Mr. HAMILTON came to Decatur County in 1853, and settled upon a farm in Decatur Township, where he followed farming until 1876, at which time he erected the large brick building he now occupies for a store, in which he also kept a hotel. The building is 44 x 96 feet, and three stories high. He still owns the fine stock farm in Decatur Township, section 3, consisting of 700 acres, all in a good state of cultivation. He was married in Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana, to LUCY A. BUCK, daughter of ANDREW and NANCY BUCK, who was born in Indiana, in 1834. They have been the parents of nine children, seven living – WILLIAM B., who resides on a part of the home farm; L. A., proprietor of an omnibus line at Leon; MARTHA A., ARNETTA, JOHN F., clerking in a store; GEORGE B. and HARVEY D. Mr. HAMILTON commenced life a poor boy, and is now one of the wealthiest men in Decatur County. As a citizen he is highly esteemed. Politically he is a Democrat.

Transcription by Sara LeFleur, Decatur County Historical Society Museum, January of 2014