Lister, William

LISTER, FAUSETT, BROWN, SHEPHERD

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 12/4/2008 at 07:12:15

LISTER, William
Farmer and proprietor of Lister Coal Banks; Sec. 10; P. O. Newton; born in Yorkshire, England, in 1824; came to America in 1865, to Philadelphia, and in 1872 to Jasper CO.; has 100 acres of coal lands on Sec. 10, valued at $100 per acre, and 160 acres in Missouri, valued at $15 per acre. Married Hannah BROWN; she was born in Yorkshire, England in 1820; they have seven children-James, John, Joseph B., LITTLE, R. B.; Farmer; Sec. 1; P. O. Reasonor. ~ "Palo Alto Township Biographies," The History of Jasper County, Iowa, (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878)
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William Lister, proprietor of Lister's Opera House at Newton, is an extensive landowner of Jasper County. He resides on section 10 of Palo Alto Township, where he owns a finely improved farm consisting of one hundred and forty acres. In addition to this property he owns one hundred and sixty acres in Franklin County, Mo. His valuable possessions have been accumulated through his unaided exertions, and his success in life may be attributed to his energy and industry, seconded by good judgment and sound common sense.

A native of England, our subject was born in Yorkshire, on the 20th of October 1823, and is a son of John F. and Sallie (Fausett) Lister, natives of England. He was reared to manhood in the land or his birth, and early in life began to learn the trade of a wool sorter under his father, who followed that occupation. In connection therewith he engaged in agricultural pursuits. At the age or sixteen he was chosen foreman of wool sorters, and served in that capacity for many years in various parts of England. In his youth he had limited educational advantages, but having been a thoughtful reader and diligent student of events of current interest, he has become a well-informed man.

On the 2nd of February 1847, Mr. Lister was united in marriage with Miss Hannah Brown, who was born in Yorkshire, England, August 7, 1820, and was roared to maturity and married in her native shire. She is a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Shepherd) Brown, both natives of England. To Mr. and Mrs. Lister there have been born eleven children, seven of whom are now living, as follows: James, who makes his home in Rhode Island; John, residing in Kansas; Joseph, who lives in Newton, Iowa; Samuel, also a resident of Newton, Iowa; Alfred, who lives in Palo Alto Township, Jasper County; Arthur, who lives in Rhode Island, and Thomas, whose home is in Palo Alto Township.

Our subject has three brothers in America: John F., Thomas and James. He brought his family to this country in 1865, taking passage on the steamship "City of Baltimore" and landing in New York City after a voyage of about fourteen days. Thence they proceeded to Philadelphia, where Mr. Lister followed the occupation of a wool sorter and buyer for several years, and for a time superintended a woolen factory in that city. He also engaged in business as a manufacturer of worsted goods, and all the machinery used while thus engaged was imported directly from England.

About 1872 Mr. Lister came to Iowa, having previously purchased the farm where he now lives. His farm, in addition to being well cultivated, is valuable on account of having upon it a coal bank, from which soft coal has been secured in such quantities as to be quite profitable to the owner. In politics a Republican, Mr. Lister is not aggressive in political affairs, but nevertheless maintains his opinions with fidelity and enthusiasm, and always casts his ballot for the principles of his chosen party. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA Page 332.