Keith, H.

KEITH

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 12/2/2007 at 21:23:12

H. Keith

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.88, Crescent Twp.)
Rev. H. Keith, nursery and fruit grower, Crescent City, was born in Logan County, Ohio, June 8, 1826, son of Jacob Keith, who was born in mason County, Ky., in February, 1793, and was engaged in farming and stock-raising until he died February 13, 1869. He married Amelia Steward, of Mason County, Ky., born December 1793, by whom he had thirteen children, only four of whom are living. When the subject of this sketch was fourteen years of age, he, with his parents, came to Indiana; thence to Linn County, Mo., in 1837, where he remained until 1844. His childhood days were nearly devoid of school advantages, nevertheless he is a self-educated man. From Linn County he went to Mercer County, Mo., and remained until 1848. he married in Grundy County, Mo., October 7, 1846, Elizabeth H. Sutton, of Boone County, Mo., born March 6, 1826; her parents were John Sutton, born in 1795, in Garrett County, Ky., and Elizabeth (Davis) Sutton, of Madison County, Ky., born in 1801. Mr. Keith came from Missouri to Dallas County, Iowa, where he remained until 1852, engaged in farming and cabinet work. He then removed to Mills County, Iowa, and remained until 1855, engaged in farming and stock-raising. From there he went to Leavenworth, Kan., where he was principally engaged in farming. In 1856, he went to Dallas County, Iowa; remained a year, employed in farming, and then came to Grundy County, Mo., and followed farming until 1861, when he sold out and came to Wayne County, Iowa, where he remained six years. August 20, 1862, he enlisted in the Thirty-fourth Iowa Volunteers, Company F. Capt. McClanahan, and was under command of Grant and Sherman. He was at the capture of Vicksburg and Arkansas Post, and was sent to Chicago with prisoners captured at Arkansas Post; he went to St. Louis, where he was crippled in Benton Barracks, from which he was discharged March 27, 1863, when he returned to Wayne County, Iowa. There he was appointed missionary for East Des Moines Conference until 1867, when he was sent to Union County, Dak., by the Missionary Board. There he resided for six years, and was sent from that district to the Legislature of Dakota. In 1873, he went to Antelope County, Neb., and in 1874 to Cass County, where he engaged in merchandising. In 1875, he came to Avoca, this county, as a missionary; in 1876, went to Shelby County; 1877, to St. John, Harrison County; in 1878, to Washington County, Neb., and the same year to Furnas County, where he remained until 1880, then removed to Blue Spring, Gage County, Neb. In 1881, he came to Crescent City, Iowa, and has since resided here; he is engaged at present in nursery and fruit growing. At an early age, he became a Methodist Protestant, which has been his faith since. he has had eight children, six of whom are living. In politics, he is a Republican; he was first a Whig, then a Free-Soiler, and took an active part in the Kansas struggles; he is at present a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.