Watkins, H. S.

WATKINS

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 10/7/2008 at 16:17:57

H. S. Watkins

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.196, Neola Twp.)
H. S. Watkins, farmer, P. O. Neola, was born in London, England, January 2, 1840; his father, William Watkins, was born in England about 1801, and came to America about 1842, settling first in Hancock County, Ill., thence to Iowa, where he lived near Crescent City till 1852, when he emigrated to Utah and located in Brigham City, where he died in 1865. He was a plasterer, brick-layer and cabinet-maker, but farmed in this country. Subject's mother, Hannah M. (Gypp) Watkins, was born in London, England in 1802, and came to America with her husband and three children; she died in Brigham City, utah, in 1867, and was the mother of thirteen children. Mr. Watkins began as a day laborer in Utah, in 1859, and was employed in various places in that Territory and Montana until 1860, when he married and came to this county, and was engaged in farming until 1863, when he again turned westward and for two years engaged in mining and freighting in Colorado, Montana and Utah. In the fall of 1865, Mr. Watkins returned to Iowa, and bought a farm in Pottawattamie County, and remained upon it till 1881, when he bought the farm of 320 acres where he now lives. It is situated about four and a half miles northwest of Neola. Mr. Watkins was married, in Utah, in 1860, to Sarah T. Jones, born in Wales in 1844; her father, John Jones, was born in Wales, and came to America in 1849, settled first in this county, and then went to Utah in 1852; her mother, Jane (Taeharn) Jones, was born in Wales and came to America with her husband; she was the mother of seven children. Mr. and Mrs. Watkins have four children - Estella E., Maria J., Mary A. and David A. Mr. Watkins is not a partisan in politics.