VAIL, James

VAIL, PETITT

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 2/16/2014 at 00:00:47

Biography ~ James Vail

"Biographical and Historical Record of
Ringgold and Decatur Counties, Iowa"
(Lewis Publishing Company (1887)), p. 664:

JAMES VAIL, farmer and proprietor of the Ohio House, at Garden Gove, is a son of EPHRIAM and ELIZABETH VAIL, who were prominent pioneers of Decatur County, witnessing all the features of a frontier life, and enduring all the hardships and toils of the early settler. EPHRAIM VAIL came to Decatur County in 1861, and settled in garden Grove, where he built a house with two rooms. In this building he reared a large family of children, and accommodated the traveling public. During the first years of his residence here immigrants were so numerous that he was often obligated to keep from twenty-five to fifty persons at one time. Realizing that his custom was too large for his building, in 1868 he built a large commodious hotel, the first one in Garden Grove, in which he did a thriving business, and it is now the leading hotel in the place. Mr. VAIL died in ___. Mrs. VAIL survives, at the age of eighty-four, and is living with her daughter. They had eleven children. JAMES VAIL was born in Ohio, in 1850. He was reared on a farm, and possessed a liberal degree of tact, which, with his large experience, has enabled him to carve out a successful career for himself. He makes a specialty of fine horses, and has one English draft horse eight years old, weights 2,000 pounds; St. Nicholas, trotting horse, sired by WILSON’s horse, Blue Bull, of Rushville, Indiana, and one Norman stallion, weighting 1,750 pounds. Mr. VAIL and his brother, PETER, own 640 acres of land, and also, in partnership with his sisters, ELIZABETH CHRISTINE, his owns the Ohio House, which he has recently re-furnished and repaired, until it is now one of the best hotels in Decatur County: He has been “mine host” of this house since his father’s death, long enough to render himself popular with the traveling public. His genial manner has won for him with their patronage. Mr. CREGO, his clerk, is the right man in the right place. Mr. VAIL’s sisters superintend the house. Mr. VAIL owns 320 acres of land, besides his partnership interests. Politically he is a Republican.

NOTE: Ephraim Vail was born in Allegheny Co. PA, and died at Garden Grove IA on August 16. 1872. Ephraim's wife, Elizabeth (Petitt) Vail was born in Hampshire Co. WV, and died on Octoeber 10, 1899, Garden Grove IA. Elizabeth, daugter of Ephraim and Elizabeth, died on October 10, 1889. They were interred at Garden Grove Cemetery, Garden Grove IA.

Transcribed by Sara LeFleur, Decatur County Historial Society Musuem, January of 2014

Note by Sharon R. Becker, February of 2014