Thomas Early

EARLY, MATTHEWS, MCMURN, MEARS

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 8/7/2004 at 16:18:22

“History of Madison County Iowa and Its People”
Herman A. Mueller, Supervising Editor
Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1915

For more than sixty years Thomas Early, president of the Bank of Earlham and a successful farmer and stockman, has resided in this county and during the greater part of that time he has contributed materially to the development of the county. He was born on the 11th of November, 1844, in Trumbull county, Ohio, a son of John and Elizabeth (McMurn) Early. The father was born upon the ocean when his parents were coming to the United States from Scotland and the mother was born in Trumbull county, Ohio.

The paternal grandparents of our subject settled near Pottsville, Ohio, upon a farm. Upon reaching maturity their son, John Early, followed agricultural pursuits in the Buckeye state, becoming a landowner. He raised a good grade of shorthorn cattle and was successful as a farmer and stockman. Believing that still better opportunities awaited him in the west, he came to this county in 1855 by way of Eddyville. Winterset was then a small village and it was necessary to travel by stage in order to reach it. Much of the land in the county was still in the possession of the government and the vast unbroken prairies gave little promise of becoming the thickly settled agricultural region of today. Mr. Early bought raw prairie land in Jackson township and continued to reside upon his farm until his death.

During the big snows of the winter of 1856-7 the family endured many privations, as it was almost impossible to get supplies from the outside world, but they were not discouraged and as the years passed on and the country became settled and land increased in value they reaped the reward of their courage and determination. Mr. Early was a Republican and was one of the prominent men in political circles in his locality. He had great energy and much power of initiative and was among those who built the first schoolhouse in the township.

Before the erection of churches religious services were held in his home and he was a leader in the Presbyterian church of his locality. He passed away when sixty-five years of age and his wife died when sixty-three years old. They were the parents of five children: William, deceased, who was formerly a farmer of this county; James, also deceased, who was county treasurer of Madison county at one time; Thomas, of this review; Elizabeth, the deceased wife of John Mears, of Madison county; and Minerva, the widow of Noah Sulgrove, of Greenfield, Iowa.

Thomas Early pursued his education in the first schoolhouse built in Jackson township. He sat on a slab bench and considered himself fortunate to have a desk, even though it was made of slabs. He did his part in the work of developing a farm from the virgin prairie and in assisting his father learned practical methods of agriculture. On the 4th of May, 1864, when not quite twenty years of age, he enlisted in Company E, Forty-seventh lowa. Volunteer Infantry and was made fourth corporal. Upon the close of hostilities he returned to Jackson township and for a short time resided under the parental roof. He then bought land, paying nine and ten dollars per acre, and began farming and raising stock upon his own account.

He early displayed marked financial ability and as he was an energetic and efficient agriculturist his capital increased rapidly. He invested heavily in land, becoming the owner of twenty-two hundred acres. He found the stock business especially profitable and bought and fed many head annually, one year shipping seven hundred and sixty carloads of stock. In 1908 he suffered a paralytic stroke and has since sold most of his land, wishing to be relieved of the responsibility of managing it. He still has, however, five hundred acres which is mainly in pasture and devoted to the raising of cattle. He is prominent in financial circles, being president and a director of the Bank of Earlham, which enjoys the full confidence of its community. He retains his home in Madison county, but spends the weekends with his daughter in Des Moines.

In 1868 Mr. Early married Miss Harriett Matthews, who was born in Indiana, a daughter of Calvin and Louisa Matthews. The father was a land owner and farmer in the Hoosier state and was quite active in public affairs in his locality. His daughter Harriett came to Iowa with relatives and taught school in this county previous to her marriage. She was a woman of true Christian character and was beloved by all who were privileged to know her. She passed away in 1900, leaving two children: Lettie E., the wife of Dr. J. H. Sloan, of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Orson L., who was formerly in the implement business in Earlham but is now living in Oklahoma City. He is married but has no children.

Mr. Early was one of the organizers and a charter member of the Church of Christ, which is known as Early chapel. He supports the Republican party but has never desired public office nor taken an active part in political affairs, although never remiss in his duties of citizenship. He has been identified with many forces that have contributed to the welfare of his locality and his keen insight and sound judgment have contributed largely to the success of those movements with which he has been associated. His business success is due entirely to his own efforts and he is a splendid example of a self-made man.

Madison Biographies maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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