WILLIS A RICE, b 11 Sep 1835

RICE, KIMBALL, FRENCH, STEWART

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 9/17/2004 at 19:12:16

This very popular and prominent farmer of Maquoketa Township, controls 150 acres of choice land, occupying a portion of sections 34 and 35, and also has ten acres of valuable timber on section 12 in South Fork Township. He is a New Englander by birth and parentage, his native place being Highgate, Franklin Co., Vt., where he first opened his eyes to the light Sept. 11, 1835. He received his education in the common school, and remained under the home roof until twenty years of age. Then, in the fall of 1855 he set out for Iowa, and has since been a resident of the Hawkeye State. A gentleman by birth and breeding, he is one of those whom it is a pleasure to meet, while his fine intelligence and goodly store of knowledge make him a companion no less profitable than pleasant.

In glancing at the parental history of our subject we find that his father, Willis Rice, Sr., was a native of the same county as his son, while his grandfather, Levi Rice, was a native of Massachusetts. The latter removed to Vermont in early manhood, where he engaged in farming, and accumulated a good property. With the exception of serving as a soldier in the War of 1812, he remained a resident of the Green Mountain State thereafter until his death. The paternal great-grandfather of our subject was Capt. Jonathan Rice, who was born in Massachusetts, and traced his ancestry to England. He served all through the Revolutionary War, receiving his Captain's commission and an honorable wound. He was one of the early settlers of the Bay State.

The father of our subject cleared a farm of 300 acres from the forests of his native county, near which afterward grew up the city of St. Albans. He was prospered in his undertakings, and lived to the advanced age of eighty-four years. During the later years of his life he supported the Republican party, and was for a long period a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In early manhood he was married to Miss Asubah J. Kimball, a native of his own county, and the daughter of Moses Kimball, who was born in Scotland. The latter emigrated to America when a young man, and locating in Franklin County, Vt., carried on farming there until his death. The mother of Mr. Rice died in Highgate, Vt.

To the parents of our subject there were born six children, namely: Moses, now a resident of White River, Vt.; Levi and Polly, deceased; Willis A., our subject; Curtis, of Lowell, Mass., where he operates a foundry; and Asubah, deceased. Willis A., Jr., in making the journey westward, proceeded by rail and boat to Rock Island, Ill., thence by stage to Maquoketa, where he followed brick-making two years. In 1858 he purchased a tract of wild land in Bloomfield Township, Clinton County, upon which he made considerable improvement, and where he prosecuted agriculture about five years. Then, in 1862, he sold out and purchased 140 acres - his present farm in Maquoketa Township. This also was in its primitive condition, there being upon it no improvements whatever. He labored industriously for years in clearing the land, preparing the soil for cultivation, building fences, setting out fruit and forest trees, and adding the other improvements which have made it an object of admiration to passers by.

Mr. Rice makes a specialty of dairying, keeping for this purpose from fifteen to twenty cows. He has all the equipments necessary to the successful prosecution of this industry, a milk house, and an abundance of running water. He has a fine windmill, water tanks, and the usual equipments of a well regulated farm. He raised graded Short-horn cattle, besides buying and feeding a car load of cattle annually, and a goodly number of swine. He is a lover of good horses, keeping of these animals about ten head, both for draft and road purposes, and utilitizes two teams to operated the farm.

Mr. Rice was first married in his native State, in 1854, to Miss Lydia French, who was born in Swanton, Vt., came to the West with her husband, and died at the homestead in 1879. Of this union there were born six children, the eldest of whom, a son, Ronelo, is a telegraph operater, is married and stationed at Langworthy, in Jones County, this State; Albert is deceased; Hattie, a bright and intelligent young lady, is a teacher in the High School at Monmouth; George is farming in the vicinity of Miles; Harley and Carlotta make their home with their parents, the latter attending the High School of Maquoketa.

Our subject in 1881 contracted a second marriage with Miss Martha Stewart, of Fairfield Township. This lady was born in Ohio, and for some years prior to her marriage followed the profession of a teacher. Of this union there are no children. The fact that Mr. Rice has been for a period of fifteen years Township Trustee in a Democratic township speaks well for his standing among his fellow-citizens. He has also served as School Director several terms and Road Supervisor. He is quite prominent in party politics, being sent as delegate to the county conventions, and for the past eight years has been a member of the Republican Central Committee. Both he and his estimable wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Miles Centre, and in this Mr. Rice officiates as Steward and Trustee; he has also been Superintendant of the Sunday-school. Socially, he belongs to the I.O.O.F. and the A.O.U.W. at Maquoketa. He is comfortably situated financially, and a general favorite among a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

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