Lewis, William C. (1848-1937)

LEWIS

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 9/19/2008 at 13:52:30

William Calvin Lewis
Sep 21, 1848 - Apr 16, 1937

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.163, Macedonia Twp.)
William Lewis, farming and stock-raising, P. O. Macedonia, was born in La Salle County, Ill., in 1848; son of Charles and Elizabeth (Hougs) Lewis; he, born in Norway in 1826, came to America when fourteen years old, settling in La Salle County, where he was engaged in farming, till his death in 1861; she, born in Rochester, N. Y., in March, 1827, is now living on the homestead in La Salle County, Ill.; she is the mother of seven children, five of whom are dead. Mr. Lewis was engaged in farming in his native State till coming to Iowa in 1870, when he bought 160 acres, a part of the farm where he now lives; this land was in an uncultivated condition, and cost Mr. Lewis $8.50 an acre; he has improved his original farm and added to it, until now he has 760 acres, worth about $30 an acre. Mr. Lewis was married in Mills County, Iowa, May 30, 1873 to Mrs. Elizabeth Richards, born in Parke County, Ind., February 10, 1844, daughter of James and Alzina (Fisher) Shank; he, born in Warren County, Ohio, about 1817, is a blacksmith in Mills County, Iowa; she, born in Brown County, Ohio, in 1819. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have four children - Anna W., Arthur C., Laura I. and Charles M. Since coming to Iowa, Mr. Lewis has given his attention largely to stock-raising; he now has 150 head of cattle, besides hogs. Mr. Lewis is no partisan in politics.

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.681)
WILLIAM LEWIS, a well known stock dealer of Grove Township, has been a resident there since 1870. He was born in LaSalle County, Illinois, September 21, 1848, son of Charles Lewis, who was born in Norway, and was but a youth when he came in 1826 to America. He married Elizabeth Hougas, a very intelligent lady, who was born at Rochester, NY. He was a pioneer of LaSalle County and resided there, a successful businessman, until his death in 1861. He left two sons (William, the subject of this sketch, and Ed, a resident of Dakota), and his widow, who lived until August 5, 1890.
William was brought up to farm work and completed his school education in the city of LaSalle. In 1870 he came to Pottawattamie County, first buying a tract of wild land on section 36, Macedonia Twp., which he occupied and improved for ten years, when he settled upon his present farm. He now owns 1,080 acres of well improved land. His home farm comprises 160 acres, and there is on the premises a good frame residence built in modern style, besides a good barn and other outbuildings, competent for the care of a large number of domestic animals.
In the winter of 1889-90, he fed 40,000 bushels of corn. Besides, he owns an interest in 700 or 800 head of livestock in Sarpy County, Nebraska. Mr. Lewis is a thorough stockman, and a jolly, warm-hearted westerner. He is a Democrat, but too busy with his own affairs to take any part in a political canvass.
He was married in Mills County, Iowa, May 30, 1873, to Mrs. Elizabeth Richards, a native of Parke County, Indiana, and daughter of James and Alzina (Fisher) Shank. Her father was born in Warren County, Ohio, and her mother in Brown County, same state. The four children of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are: Anna W., Arthur C., Laura I., and Charles M.