Er. Atherton

ATHERTON, WARD, SCOTT, BALCOM, DENSMORE, WILSON, COOK, SKINNER, PENCE, GIBSON

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 5/5/2010 at 19:15:01

History of Jackson County, Iowa, James W. Ellis, 1910.

ER. ATHERTON.

Er. Atherton, owning and operating an excellent farm of one hundred and sixty acres in South Fork township, was born in this township on the 14th of January, 1872, his parents being Ransom and Amanda (Scott) Atherton. The father, whose birth occurred in Essex county, New York, on the 2d of October, 1815, was there reared to manhood, learning the blacksmith's trade, which he followed for a number of years. In early manhood he wedded Miss Elvira Balcom, by whom he had four children, one of whom still survives—Sylvanus, a resident of Thomson, Illinois. The wife and mother passed away on the 8th of November, 1855, and subsequently Mr. Atherton left the Empire state and took up his abode in Carroll county, Illinois. At that place, on the 21st of August, 1859, he wedded Mrs. Louisa Densmore, who was called to her final rest on the 22d of December, 1865. In that year he came to Jackson county, Iowa, purchasing and settling on a tract of forty acres in South Fork township, which is now included in the home farm of our subject. For some years after his arrival in this county he followed the blacksmith's trade but eventually abandoned that pursuit in order to devote his entire attention to farming. Following the death of his second wife he was again wedded, on the 6th of September, 1866, being united in marriage to Mrs. Amanda (Scott) Cook, the widow of John Wilson Cook. She was born in Jackson county, Iowa, on the 26th of April, 1842, her parents being David and Holly (Skinner) Scott. The birth of her father occurred in Kentucky on the 31st of May, 1795. He and his wife were among the five families who came from Indiana to this county early in the '30s and took up their abode with the pioneer settlers here. They located in Jackson county prior to the arrival of John E. Goodenow and one year after the settlement of the Pence brothers (Solomon, Wallace and Gabriel). The Scott family, together with the other four families who accompanied them to this county, settled in Monmouth township, where David Scott made his home throughout his remaining days, passing away at the comparatively early age of fifty-three years. Mrs. Amanda Atherton now lives with her son Er. By her marriage to John Wilson Cook she had three children, as follows: Alma and Freeman D., both of whom are deceased; and Willis W., a resident of Woodbury county, Iowa. Unto Ransom and Amanda Atherton were likewise born three children, namely: Louisa, the widow of William Fuller, of Sioux county, Iowa; Er., of this review; and Charles, living in Jones county, Iowa.
Er. Atherton was reared under the parental roof and attended the common schools in pursuit of an education. He was seventeen years of age when his father died and, being the eldest son in the family, he took charge of the home farm. About ten years later, on the 1st of January, 1900, he purchased the place, and it has since remained in his possession. By buying an adjoining tract of one hundred and twenty acres he later extended the boundaries of the farm to include a quarter section of land, and took up his abode on his new purchase because of the better improvements thereon. The property is located in South Fork township, and here he has carried on his agricultural interests to the present time, also making a specialty of the raising of Duroc Jersey hogs, in which branch of activity he has won a gratifying measure of success.
On the 15th of September, 1909, Mr. Atherton was united in marriage to Miss Eva Ward, a daughter of Sylvester and Rhoda (Gibson) Ward. The father is deceased but the mother still survives and makes her home at Baldwin, this county.