McARTHUR, THOMAS

MCARTHUR, BURT

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/11/2005 at 12:56:54

Biography reproduced from page 426 of the History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa published in 1884:

Thomas McArthur is a native of Scotland. He came to America in 1851, after stopping in Pennsylvania and Ohio, went to Illinois, where he remained two years. In 1865 he came to Kossuth county, took a homestead, and went back to Illinois for his family, removed them in wagons, taking eighteen days for the trip. After camping for a week at Blackford’s bridge, they camped on section 18, Algona township, taking the wagon beds off, they staked them down to the ground to keep them from being blown off by the wind. During these pioneer days they were obliged to cook over the fire; and to bake bread, dug clay, plastered it over a barrel, the burned the barrel out, and it was ready for use. Mr. McArthur had to go ten miles and cut logs, haul them to a saw-mill to have them made ready to build the first house, also went fifteen miles for cottonwood trees to set out a grove. It took a whole week to go to mill. The first winter they lived in a house built of rough boards, walled around with sod, plastered inside with clay. The same winter he got lost on the prairies, and froze his feet so badly, that he lost eight of his toes in one night. He now has 200 acres of fine land; sixty acres is under cultivation, but he is turning his attention mostly to raising fine cattle. He has good improvements on his farm, and is one of the substantial men of the county. He was married in 1852 to Isabel Burt, born in 1830, in Scotland. They have eight children—Isabel, Mary T., Thomas J., Elizabeth G., Maggie A., Peter A., Lillie M. and Charles O. Mr. McArthur is a member of the grange.