JOHN NELSON, b 15 Jun 1819

NELSON, DEVINE, MCKILLIP, CROOKSTONE, KIRK

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 7/14/2004 at 09:06:19

John Nelson, a well-known, influential and wealthy citizen of Jackson County, of which he was a pioneer, is the largest landowner in Richland Township, and one of its most substantial citizens. He owns 640 acres of highly improved land on sections 19 and 20, well watered by Farmers' Creek and Spring Branch. He devotes his farm mostly to raising stock, for which it is admirably adapted; has a fine herd of cattle, and also buys and feeds cattle, shipping four car-loads a year. Mr. Nelson is a true lover of the horse, and a good judge of the animal, and is famous for his fine trotting and running stock. He has seven valuable full-blooded horses on the place, among which may be mentioned the celebrated trotters, Mambrino Bashaw and Baby Mambrino, and three other celebrated trotters. Dora Mack, a fast runner, has a record of 1:50, and the celebrated Hawkeye, a runner that Mr. Nelson raised, ran a half a mile in forty-eight seconds, and is noted as one of the swiftest running horses in the country.

Our subject is of the mingled Celtic and Scottish blood that has furnished the United States with some of its most intelligent and best citizens. His paternal grandfather, Charles Nelson, was a native and life-long resident of County Sligo, Ireland, where he carried on the occupation of a farmer. His son Paul, father of our subject, was reared there to the same calling, but at the age of eighteen he enlisted in the English army, and for seven yars led the life of a soldier, during his term of service taking part in the war with France. After his experience of military life he resumed farming in county Leitrim, adjoining his native county In 1836 he went to Scotland, retiring from active labor, and died soon after. He was an honest, pious man, and a devoted member of the Catholic Church. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Mary Devine, was born in County Sligo, where her father, Cormick Devine, was engaged in tilling the soil. He took part in the Irish rebellion, and was on board of a French vessel that was disabled during a storm, and was never heard of after. The mother of our subject also spent her last days in Scotland. The following is recorded of the ten children born of her marriage: Mary is in Scotland; Charles is deceased; John, our subject; Joseph and Peter, deceased; Patrick, in New York; Mike, Nicholas, Paul and Winnie are all deceased.

Our subject was born in the town of Killumery, County Sligo, Ireland, June 15, 1819, was reared on a farm, and had very good school advantages. At the age of sixteen years he went to Scotland, where he engaged in mining coal and iron ore, and in 1842 he emigrated to the United States, leaving Liverpool in the sailing-vessel, "Old Britania," and landing in New York City after a long voyage of thirty days. From that city he proceeded to Mt. Savage, Md., where he was once again employed in mining coal and iron ore, continuing thus engaged until 1847. In the spring of that year he resolved to try life in the great West, and going by team to the nearest river town or landing place on the Ohio River, he embarked on the boat "Anglo Saxon" for St. Louis, and from there came on the "Lynx" to Bellevue, this State. From that place he came to this locality, and invested a sum of money in 300 acres of wild prairie land, paying the Government $1.25 an acre for it. He thus became one of the early settlers of Richland Township, and the first one west of Farmers' Creek. By persistent labor and a judicious expenditure of money, he has improved a fine farm, and buying more land adjacent is now the owner of what would constitute a whole section of land. He has set out beautiful groves and a fine orchard, has erected a commodious and well ordered set of farm buildings, including a nice residence, good barns, etc. He has seeded the most of his land down, as he is extensively engaged in stock-raising, as before mentioned, but he also rents a part of it.

Mr. Nelson is blessed with an amiable wife who is devoted to the interests of her family. They were united in marriage in Mt. Savage, Allegheny Co., Md., Sept. 25, 1844. Her maiden name was Bridget McKillip, and she was born in Scotland, coming to America with her parents, James and Catherine (Crookstone) McKillip. The following is recorded of the twelve children born to her and our subject: Mary is a sister of charity of the order of St. Joseph, at Lincoln, Ill.; Paul is at home; Kate married William Kirk, who owns a farm in Allamake County, but rents it, and lives in Richland; Lizzie is a dressmaker in Chicago, Ill.; James is a graduate of a Milwaukee College, and an ordained priest, and has charge of a parish in Howard County; Charles is a farmer in Richland Townhip; Patrick is a graduate of Notre Dame University, and is a lawyer in Dubuque; John's home is in Colorado; and Michael, residing in Maquoketa, is County Recorder. All have attended college and are graduates excepting Paul, John and Charles.

Coming here amongst the early settlers of Richland Township our subject has accumulated wealth, and won for himself an honorable position in the township and county. And at the same time his large enterprise, business capacity and public spirit have been prominent factors in the upbuilding of this section of the State, and in placing it on a solid basis of material and lasting prosperity. He is one of the leaders of the Democratic party, and thirty-five times has been chosen to represent his constituency at county conventions. He has been identified with the administration of public affairs as Supervisor of Roads and School Director, and he has served on the grand jury. In him the St. Lawrence Catholic Church finds one of its most liberal supporters.

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