Rarey, Henry W.

RAREY

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 11/13/2007 at 22:12:32

Henry W. Rarey

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.264, Wright Twp.)
Henry W. Rarey, farmer, P. O. Whipple, was born in Franklin County, Ohio, June 2, 1839. He is the son of W. H. and Eliza (Rine) Rarey. His father was born in Franklin County, Ohio, February 22, 1812. He was one of the originators of the Rarey system of training horses, and, according to the report of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture in 1855, owned more fine horse stock than any other man in the State. He commenced traveling in 1858, which he continued until 1870, visiting, during the time, a dozen or more States in the Union. He died in February, 1877, at his old home in Groveport, Franklin Co., Ohio, a town which he laid out himself. He was a brother of J. S. Rarey, the great American horse-trainer, but who traveled mostly in Europe. The mother of our subject was a native of Ohio, and died in 1844. Our subject received but a limited education, and, at the age of twenty-two, began life for himself as a farmer. He was married, in Xenia, Greene Co., Ohio, November 9, 1861, to Eliza McCoy, born in Ross County of the same State. After his marriage, our subject operated his uncle's (J. S. Rarey's) farm for four years. He came West in 1871, stopping in Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, this State, till the spring of the following year, when he came to this county, locating on his present farm, in Wright Township, July 4, of that year. He has made all the improvements himself. He was one of the first Justices of the Peace of Wright Township. He has three children - Estella, William Elmer and Jennie May. Our subject joined the Cadets of Temperance at an early age, and throughout his life has lived up to its obligations. He is also an Odd Fellow. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics, he is Republican.