CHARLES H MOREHEAD, b 10 May 1832

MOREHEAD, RICHARDS, LISTON, BURKEY, TRACEY, CLERK

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 7/13/2004 at 16:01:47

Charles H. Morehead is a native of Ohio, where he was born May 10, 1832. Thomas Morehead, the father of Charles H., was married to Miss Richards, a native of Virginia. They came to this county in October, 1842, and located on the Maquoketa River, in Monmouth Township, where the parents successfully operated a farm until their death. Their market was at Dubuque, to which place they would go in a canoe via the Maquoketa and Mississippi rivers, and thus transport provisions back to their farm. All kinds of wild game abounded then. Indians, though peacable, were plentiful, and did no other harm except that of begging. Mr. Morehead vividly recalls the time when this was indeed a frontier country. His father raised eleven children, namely: Bert, Harriett, Isaac, Kingsberry, Alexander, Charles H., Margaret, David, Mary, Henry, and Richard.

Mr. Morehead, of whom this sketch is written, was reared on the old farm and educated in the district schools. The first schoolhouse was known as a "shake rag" school-house, and was made of round logs and had a puncheon floor. The seats were constucted of the half of a log, flat side up, with pins inserted for legs. In those days these seats were considered quite comfortable, although they had no backs. The doors were made of logs, with wooden hinges and with the old-fashioned typical latch-string, which could be locked by simply pulling the string inside. This educational edifice was situated two miles from Charles' home, and under these disadvantages he obtained his education. He lived on the old homestead until his marriage, which was in 1854, to Miss Elizabeth, a daughter of John and Catherine Liston, of South Fork Township. He then lived on a farm belonging to his father-in-law a few years, being destitute of money at that time, wherewith to purchase land of his own. By degrees he accumulated enough means to buy 107 acres in the timber, on section 31 of this township, eighty acres of which he cleared chiefly with his own hands, and thus made his first home. He gradually improved his farm, and lived there several years, when he sold out and went to Pottawattamie County, Iowa. This was in 1881. He remained there but two years, when he returned to this township, where he bought eighteen acres in the village of Iron Hill, at which place he is now living retired. He has three children: Martha A., now Mrs. J.W. Burkey, and who is living here; Mary C., Mrs. J.S. Tracey; Atwood married Lucy Clerk, of this county, and lives in that township.

Mr. Morehead and family worship at the Free Methodist Church of Iron Hill, of which he is one of the Trustees. Politically, he is a Prohibitionist, but formerly acted with the Democratic party. He has held several offices, among which may be mentioned that of Constable and Deputy Sheriff.

("Portrait and Biographical Album of Jackson County, Iowa", originally published in 1889, by the Chapman Brothers, of Chicago, Illinois.)