Billups, John S.

BILLUPS

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 3/17/2008 at 23:00:01

Jackson Sentinel,
Centennial Edition, 1938.

John S. Billups

One of the first white children in Jackson county was John S. Billups, who was born September 14, 1837, at Bellevue. Orphaned at three years of age, he lived with friends near Cottonville until he began steamboating on the Mississippi when 14. After six years of river life he came to Maquoketa where he lived with the Thomas Wright family and worked in the Wright woolen mill until 1861 when he enlisted in Co. A of the 9th Iowa Infantry, under Captain A. W. Drips. He served during the entire period of the Civil war.

After returning from the war he continued his work in the woolen mill and then clerked in the D. H. Anderson grocery store until 1894 when he entered the grocery business for himself. He died in 1909. He was the father of Harry Billups, local grocer.