SPEER, James - 1912 Bio (1859-1930)

SPEER, ROBINSON

Posted By: Debbie Nash (email)
Date: 7/30/2003 at 22:03:14

From the “History of Jefferson County, Iowa” – 1912, Volume II
Pages 320-321

JAMES SPEER.

“James SPEER, a leading citizen and successful agriculturist of Cedar township, is the owner of a well improved farm of one hundred and seventy-three acres on sections 20 and 21. This has remained his place of abode from his birth to the present time, his natal day being January 1, 1859. His parents, James and Sarah (ROBINSON) SPEER, were born and reared in County Antrim, Ireland, and came of Scotch-Irish descent. The father crossed the Atlantic to the United States in 1840, locating in Pennsylvania, where he turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits. Hearing of the great possibilities of the west, he made a trip to Iowa in the spring of 1841 and in Cedar township, Jefferson county, found some land that he believed would prove a good investment. Accordingly he purchased the tract of three hundred and twenty acres where our subject and his brother, Andrew R., now reside and also bought an adjacent tract consisting of eighty acres for a brother in the Keystone state. After the demise of this brother he sold the property to Andrew Louden. James SPEER, Sr., returned to Pennsylvania in the winter of 1841-42 and immediately made preparations to come to Iowa as a permanent resident. In the spring of 1842 he took up his abode on his new Iowa farm, remaining thereon until called to his final rest aged seventy-two years. He was numbered among the honored pioneer settlers of this county and was actively engaged in farming until within four years of his death, when blindness necessitated his retirement. His wife passed away on the old home place. Their children were four in number, namely: Rose Mary, who is deceased; John M., a foreman of the Louden Machinery Company of Fairfield; James, of this review; and Andrew R., a well known farmer of Cedar township, Jefferson county, residing on section 20.

In his youthful days James SPEER attended what was known as the Center schoolhouse in Cedar township and in the summer seasons, when not busy with his text-books, assisted in the operation of the home farm. He has never married and remained with his parents until they passed away, taking complete charge of the homestead property when his father retired. After the demise of his parents, he lived on the farm with his sister, Rose Mary, until her death, which occurred on the 12th of December, 1905. Since that time Mr. SPEER has had assistance in the operation of the place, living thereon with his tenants. At the time of his father’s demise the estate of five hundred acres was divided among the children, his share embracing one hundred and seventy-three acres and constituting an excellent tract of farming land on sections 20 and 21, Cedar township. He carries on general farming and stock-raising and is one of the well known and highly respected agriculturists of Jefferson county. His place is well improved in every particular and in its near and thrifty appearance indicates the supervision of a practical and progressive owner.

Mr. SPEER is a republican in politics and is now serving his first term as township trustee, being elected by the largest vote on the ticket in a township which is strongly democratic. For several years he has served as a school director in district No. 3. He is a Presbyterian in religious faith and belongs to Cedar Chapel, while fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a member of Jefferson Lodge, No. 4, at Fairfield, Iowa. The circle of his friends is coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances and it is with genuine pleasure that we present the record of his life to the readers of this volume.”

I am copying this information for the benefit of genealogical research and am not related to said individuals.