POTTIGER, John H.

POTTIGER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/1/2021 at 22:08:51

John H. Pottiger
born 1841 in Pennsylvania

John H. Pottiger, Township Clerk of Logan Township, was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in 1841, a son of John and Susan (Mader) Pottiger, natives also of that county. The father, a butcher by trade, died in 1846, and the mother departed this life a short time previous. The grandparents came from Germany and settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and the name was at that time spelled Bade Dacher, but was Americanized. Mr. and Mrs. Pottiger were the parents of four children, two now living: Sarah, wife of John Thomas, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and J. H. One son, David, who was reared in Dauphin County, enlisted in the cavalry service in the late war from that county, served about three years, and died on his way to Washington, District of Columbia, to be mustered out of service. The fourth child died in infancy.
John H., the subject of this sketch, was reared and educated in his native county, receiving a common-school and academic education. He afterward taught school in Dauphin and Lebanon counties, and during that time also attended the Pennsylvania State Normal, at Millersville. In 1860 he began a commercial course in the Eastman College, at Poughkeepsie, New York, after graduating was engaged as hotel clerk in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, two years, was assistant distributing clerk in the post office of that city until 1864. In February of that year enlisted in Company I, Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Infantry, for the war, and was in the Fourth Army Corps, under General Thomas. He joined his regiment at Nashville, Tennessee, was in the hospital in that State for some time, was clerk of the Army Department, and was honorably discharged at Harrisburg, in 1865. After returning home Mr. Pottiger was employed as steward in a large hotel about five years, next as sales agent for the Philadelphia & Reading Coal Company, throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia, during five years, after which he took the position of sales agent in a wholesale shoe business. In 1879 he purchased eighty acres of raw land on section 32, Logan township, Ida County, Iowa, which he put under a fine state of cultivation and sold. He then purchased and improved eighty acres on section 5, Corwin Township. Mr. Pottiger has one and a half acres of his place devoted to an orchard of plums, cherries and grapes, and ornamental trees, all surrounded by a grove.
He was married in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, in 1863, to Miss Sarah Youtz, a native of Lebanon County, that State, and a daughter of Anthony and Margaret Youtz, natives also of Pennsylvania, but both now deceased. The father died in 1867, and the mother in 1891. Our subject and wife have four children, namely: Jennie B., wife of Robert H. Todd, of this township; Flaurett, wife of S.C. Blackman, manager of the Green Bay Lumber Company of Early, Sac County; John M., also engaged in the lumber business in that city; and Harry H., at home. Mr. Pottiger has witnessed many changes in Ida County, has taken an active interest in politics, voting with the Republican Party, has served as Township Clerk since 1884, and has been a member of the School Board. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Logan Center, of which Mr. Pottiger is one of the stewards.
Source: Biographical History of Crawford, Ida, and Sac Counties, Iowa, 1893, p.348