Annis, James K. (1835-1915)

ANNIS

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 10/11/2006 at 00:51:59

James Kelder Annis
Aug 30, 1835 - Apr 30, 1915

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.252, Washington Twp.)
J. K. Annis - farmer, P. O. Taylor Station, was born in the State of Maine in 1835. Before he was a year old, his parents moved to Knox County, Ill., and that was his home till he came to Iowa in 1871. The first two years he lived in Mills County, and then came into Pottawattamie County, living one year in Hardin Township, and since that he has lived in Washington Township, and at the time of coming there was but little settlement in the township, there being but about sixteen voters. When buying his farm, he went back from the main traveled road for some distance, thinking that he would always have all the range he wanted for his stock, but in six months, other houses began to go up around him, and soon the entire prairie was inclosed. Mr. Annis was married, in Illinois, to Miss Drusilla A. Essex, in 1867. They have two children, both girls. He was educated in Illinois. He enlisted in the First Illinois Cavalry in 1861, Col. Thomas A Marshall. In the same year, they were taken prisoners at Lexington, Mo., and were paroled but not exchanged, and were again called into service, and were stationed at St. Louis most of the time, but were again mustered out in 1862. He is Republican in politics, and is a member of the Masonic fraternity, becoming one in Illinois, and still keeps his membership there. His farm consists of eighty acres, and he does general farming. By trade he is a mason, and followed his trade for about fifteen years, and occasionally since. Mr. Annis has taken an active part in township affairs since coming here, and is now one of the Trustees of the township, and Justice of the Peace.