GEORGE W VINE, b 8 Nov 1819

VINE, SWINTON, HAMMOND, NICKERSON, BENNETT, WIDEL, STODDARD, JEPSEN

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 1/24/2005 at 15:07:18

In presenting this biographical notice of the career of one of the leading men of Jackson County, and a gentleman who is thoroughly representative of its progressive element, we deem it our duty to first briefly advert to the life story of those from whom he draws his origin.

Nathaniel and Olive (Swinton) Vine, the parents of our subject, were natives of the Empire State; the father born in 1782, and the mother in 1792. Ebenezer Vine, grandfather of our subject, was a native of England, having been born near London, and while yet a young man, together with his brother Solomon, decided to try his fortune in the New World. They came to the United States and first settled at Whitehall, N.Y., where they both were married, and where Solomon died. After Ebenezer's marriage he removed to Ticonderoga, where he followed the vocation of a farmer until his death, which occurred when he was eighty years of age. He was the father of a family of six children, namely: Nathaniel, Sarah, Rebecca, Chloe, Hannah, and Rachel.

The father of our subject also followed the vocation of an agriculturist during his entire life. He was married to Olive Swinton. This lady was the daughter of James Swinton, who was of English birth and parentage. Nathaniel Vine resided at Ticonderoga until 1846, at which time he came to Iowa, making the journey by water to Racine, Wis., thence overland by team to this State and county. Here he remained until his death, in 1861, aged seventy-nine years; his wife having died ten years previously, in 1851, aged fifty-nine.

The parental family consisted of four children, all of whom grew to maturity. George W., our subject, was the oldest; Phoebe, the wife of Moulton J. Hammond, of Tama County, this State; David died in California; Sarah is residing with relatives, and is unmarried.

George W. Vine, the subject of this sketch, was born in Ticonderoga, Essex Co., N.Y., Nov. 8, 1819, and in 1841 was married at Ticonderoga, N.Y., to Mahala Nickerson, who was born at Castleton, Rutland Co., Vt., June 18, 1821, the daughter of Tartellus and Hannah Nickerson. In 1844 he came to Iowa and made a claim of eighty acres of land in South Fork Township, near Maquoketa, and since that date has been an honored resident of the county. For then years our subject followed the occupation of a farmer, upon the land which he secured in 1844, and during that time, by his untiring industry and indefatigable labor, he developed a good farm. He then removed to Monmouth, where he kept a hotel until the completion of the railroad, after which he engaged in the lumber trade, at first keeping only hard wood, but after several years he kept all kinds. Besides his property at Monmouth village he owns twenty acres of fine farming land.

Our subject and his wife have been blessed by the birth of seven children, the eldest of whom is Emery, a ranchman near Miles City, Mont.; Antoinette, now Mrs. Bennett, lives at Monmouth; Phoebe, the wife of Smith Widel, also resides at Monmouth; Truman lives in Washington; David is a railroad man, in the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company; Olive, the wife of Burt Stoddard, lives in Brandon Township, this county; Alvira is the wife of Fred Jepsen, of Monmouth Township, this county. Previous to the organization of the Republican party our subject was a Democrat, but at present is a Republican. He is connected with the Methodist Church, to the support of which he contributes liberally and cheerfully.

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