Carter, Amos S. (1837-1908)

CARTER

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Date: 10/11/2006 at 00:54:02

Amos Scott Carter
Oct 7, 1837 - Oct 7, 1908

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.252, Washington Twp.)
A. S. Carter, farming and stock, P.O. Neola, was born in Ohio in 1837, son of Samuel Carter, who was born and raised in Maryland, and is still living and in good health, although seventy-eight years old. Mr. Carter's mother died when he was young. Mr. Carter was educated in Ohio, in common schools. He was raised on a farm, and such has been his occupation all his life. He was married, in Ohio, in 1860, to Miss Malinda Hartley, born in Ohio, in the same county as Mr. Carter - Guernsey County. They have ten children - seven boys and three girls - all at home but one daughter, and she is married, and living in New Sharon, Mahaska Co., Iowa. Mr. Carter first moved to Nodaway County, Mo., where he lived for three years and then came to his present place, in Washington Township, getting here in December, 1869. He had bought the land, however, before he had moved from Ohio. There were no improvements on the farm when coming here, so Mr. Carter went to work to make him a home, planting out groves, orchards, and building farm buildings, till now he has a well-improved farm. His farm now consists of 360 acres - 160 in Section 3 and 200 in Section 4. Mr. Carter's business is raising corn and feeding stock, and has made a success of it. He is Republican in politics. In township affairs Mr. Carter has taken an active part always, and has held most of the township offices. When he first started on the place, there were no groves, but now has eight acres in cultivated forest trees, besides roads lined with trees. His orchard consists of about two acres, with trees in bearing. When he settled in the township, there was not settlement in sight, and no roads in this part of the township. Mr. Carter has also been land agent for a number of years. He was here where he could learn the carners of all pieces near him, and where such tracts lay, so was appointed agent. Although Mr. Carter is not a member of any church, yet his standard is morality. No one has ever heard him utter an oath, or never was drunk. When he came to this place, in December, 1869, he had only $37 with which to begin building and improving. Of his farm, 270 acres are in cultivation, 225 in corn - the remainder in pasture and grass. His farm is splendidly watered - two fine springs, three wells and the Middle Silver Creek through the farm. Neola is the nearest town of importance, and he is nine miles south of that place, nearly the same distance west of Oakland, and eighteen miles northeast of Council Bluffs.

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.710)
AMOS SCOTT CARTER, proprietor of the Sunny Side Farm, was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, October 7, 1837, a son of Samuel CARTER, who was born in Harford County, Maryland in 1806, and died in Guernsey County, Ohio. He was a farmer all his life and his political views were Republican. Religiously, he was a Friend or Quaker, and his children were also reared to that faith. Our subject's mother was Susan (BENSON) CARTER, a native of Harford County and a daughter of Amos BENSON. Mr. And Mrs. BENSON were the parents of three children: John, Mary Jane, and Doudney, one of whom died when seventeen years of age. The mother died when Mr. CARTER was but four years old.
The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm in Guernsey County, Ohio, where he was taught to chop wood and grub and clear land, which was the foundation of his subsequent prosperous life. In 1867 he bid farewell to his father and birth place and went to Nodaway County, Missouri, near Maryville, where he remained two years and nine months. December 24, 1870, he came to Pottawattamie County where he was among the early settlers and where he has since remained. He became interested in the settlement and improvement of the county, and for several years acted as land agent and it was through his influence that many of Washington Township's best citizens were induced to locate here. Mr. CARTER now owns a fine farm of 250 acres, on which he has erected a beautiful home, a house 24 X 40 ½ feet, which is surrounded by shade and ornamental trees and a grove of eight acres. The house is situated near the public road which divides the farm east and west. Opposite the house is a bearing orchard of fine fruit, of about two acres, which yields good crops. Nearby is a five-ton wagon and stock scales; a barn 32 X 48 feet, twelve feet high to square, which is convenient for twenty head of horses, with corn and oats bin and good hay loft. There are also a cattle feed lot, a shed 16 X 112 feet, a wind mill and tank, a hog house adjoining, 18 X 48 feet; a hog pasture enclosed of thirty acres, which takes in the creek for the use of watering the stock. His farm is watered by the Middle Silver Creek, which flows through it. He is also engaged in stock raising, of which he has some very high grades, and the next year he intends to devote his whole time to this business.
Mr. CARTER was married in Guernsey County, Ohio, September 29, 1860, to Miss Melinda HARTLEY, daughter of Noah HARTLEY, a pioneer of Guernsey County and a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was a son of Malone HARTLEY, of English ancestry. The mother of Mrs. CARTER was Millicent (HALL) HARTLEY, daughter of Isaac HALL. Mr. And Mrs. Noah HARTLEY reared thirteen children, eight of whom are now living, namely: William H., Phoebe, Arnold, Melinda, Sarah E. SMITH, Uriah, Caleb, Samuel and Noah P. The mother died August 5, 1866. Mr. And Mrs. CARTER are the parents of ten children, viz.: Millie Jane, born October 25, 1861, now the wife of James BOILEAU, an architect of South Omaha, Nebraska; Noah Elmer, foreman of planning-mill at South Omaha, born March 13, 1863; James Thomas Albert, born March 8, 1865, a wagon maker and blacksmith by trade; John William, born November 8, 1866, is now living on the old homestead; Phebe Adaletta, born July 9, 1869, is the wife of Henry H. CRAWMER, a railroad man of Kansas; Amos Edwin, born February 25, 1871, a mechanic, is at home; Arthur Elwood, born May 31, 1873, also at home; Charles Tilmon, born July 7, 1875; Ruth Minnie, November 18, 1878; and George Alfred, July 17, 1881. Politically Mr. CARTER is a Republican and also member of the Christian Science Church.