Gifford, Ellis

GIFFORD, DAVIS, WARDLE, ZUMWALT, HORTON, WOODY, FLEENOR, LIVINGSTON

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 11/29/2008 at 17:18:01

GIFFORD, Ellis
Farmer, Sec. 12, P.O. Monroe. He was born in Rush Co., IN 16 Nov 1839, and removed with his parents to this State when 4 years of age. The settled in Des Moines Co., remaining in that county a short time and thence to Mahaska, and thence to Monroe, this county in 1843. He married Miss Emma J. WOODY in Monroe 27 Aug 1865. She was born in Lawrence Co., IN. They have three children---Sarah Paulina, Mary Estelle and George Milton. He own a farm of 140 acres and is a Democrat. ~ Fairview Township Biographies "The History of Jasper County" (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878)
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Ellis Gifford

It is not necessary for a visitor to the rural districts to understand agriculture in order that he may know which are the good farmers of the section. The sight of the tumbled down fences, weedy fence corners, machinery exposed to the wind and weather, and inadequate shelter for stock and crops is sufficient to stamp the proprietor of a farm as one lacking in enterprise and judgment. Well built farm structures, neat fences and fields where useful grain has the upper hand of the weeds are equally conclusive proof of the skill and energy of him under whose management this state of things obtains.

The subject of this notice is numbered among the enterprising farmers of Fairview Township, Jasper County. He was born in Rush County, Ind., November 16, 1839. He is a son of the Hon. Manly and Sarah (Davis) Gifford, both natives of the same place as their son. The former was born September 8, 1816, and died March 21,1889. The paternal grandfather, Ananias, was a native of New Jersey, and located in Indiana in an early day on a farm. His wife was in her maiden days Phoebe A. Wardle, also a native of New Jersey. She died in 1839. Of their union nine children were born: Freelove, John, James, Solomon W., Sarah, Noah, Mary, Manly, and Clark, who died in infancy. The mother died when fifty years old, and the father when eighty-one years of age. He was a Democrat politically.

The father of our subject made his home with his parents until twenty-three years of age, attending school in the winter months, and assisting in tile farm work in the summers. He was married December 13, 1838, to Sarah Davis, a daughter of William and Nancy (Zumalt) Davis. They became the parents of eight children, viz.: Ellis, William R., John M., Nancy J., Alfred, Mary E., Harriet A. (deceased) and Sarah E. Mrs. Gifford was a member of the Christian Church, and passed from this life in her forty-fifth year.

Manly Gifford soon after his marriage rented a small farm in Rush County, Ind., and remained on it until 1843, when he located in Des Moines County, this state. The fall of the same year he moved to Mahaska County and took up a claim of three hundred and twenty acres, and afterward traded this with John Vance for one near Monroe, Iowa. He immediately located on his new place, which was almost a wilderness, there being but two cabins between Oskaloosa and Monroe, and the former town was thirty miles distant. The post- office was located there, and it took twenty-five cents to get a letter.

The estate consisted of three hundred and twenty acres, as did the original one, and he had but twenty cents when he landed thereon. He set about its improvement in good earnest, soon becoming the owner of seven hundred acres of valuable land. He was one of the first County Commissioners of Jasper County, having been elected in 1846, and in 1848, with L. W. Babbitt, he was elected to represent Marion, Jasper and Polk Counties in the State Legislature. He was afterward elected County Judge, but resigned, and later was appointed by the Governor one of the Commissioners to locate the county seat of Dallas County, Iowa. Mr. Gifford also ran for State Senator on the Democratic ticket, but was defeated by the opposing party. He was the recipient of various township offices, all of which he held with satisfaction to the people and with credit to himself. Some time later he located on a small farm near Otley, Iowa, and finally made his home in Knoxville, Marion County, until his death, which occurred when seventy-two years of age. Each of his children, as they started out for themselves in life, received from him a gift $1,000, and at his death he was worth over $30,000.

At the age of twenty-six years our subject left the parental roof and made a home for himself. Previous to this time and after he was twenty-one, he clerked in a store for several winters. He was married to Emily J., a daughter of John and Mary (Horton) Woody, both natives of Indiana. Four children came to bless their union, all of whom are living. S. Paulina, the wife of Robert Fleenor, lives in this township and is the mother of two children, Goldie M. and Charles, E. M. Estella, who is the wife of Thomas E. Livingston, lives near our subject's estate; they were the parents of one child, who died in infancy. The two sons are George M. and Manly. Mrs. Gifford, when but three years old, came to Iowa with her parents from Lawrence County, Ind., where she was born, and in this state gained her education.

Soon after his marriage, our subject purchased a one-half interest in one hundred and thirty- nine acres of land in Marion County, but in the spring of 1867 he sold out and located on a like number of acres in this township, on which he yet makes his home. He was compelled to go in debt $1,600 on this place, and consequently for nine years lived in a small shanty. But by the untiring efforts of both himself and wife he was soon able to purchase more land, making his estate number three hundred and sixty-seven acres of finely improved land. On this may be seen substantial buildings and a comfortable residence, which is graciously presided over by Mrs. Gifford. One of the handsome features of the place is a large orchard, consisting mainly of apple trees, which in 1891 yielded him over eighteen hundred bushels of fine apples. It is considered the finest orchard in the township. The place is now worked by his sons, George M. and Manly, under his sagacious management, and he is thus taking life easy. Mr. Gifford of whom we write is in his political affiliations a strong Democrat, and is a reliable citizen, an intelligent man, and one whose life wins respect from those about him. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA Page 318.