Graham, E. T.

GRAHAM

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 11/12/2008 at 16:29:58

E. T. Graham

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.256, Waveland Twp.)
E. T. Graham, farmer, P. O. Griswold, Cass Co., Iowa, was born in Coles County, Ill., in 1830; his father was born in Kentucky in 1816, and died in Illinois in 1863; his mother, Laurana L. (Sawyer) Graham, was born in Kentucky, and is still living; the parents followed farming, and had twelve children, eight of whom are still living. Mr. Graham received a common-school education, and, at the age of eighteen, began life for himself as a farmer on rented land in Illinois. He afterward pre-empted 160 acres of land in Coles County, Ill. In 1852, he went to California, prospecting, and returned to Illinois two years later. In 1853, he built a saw-mill in Coles County, Ill. Four years later, he sold his mill, and built another, which he ran two years, then traded it for eighty acres of land in Illinois. He afterward sold this land, and, in 1862, engaged in a woolen manufactory in Mattoon, Ill., the firm name being Linder& Graham, which firm did a flourishing business. In 1872, he moved to Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and rented a farm, on which he remained nine years. In 1881, he bought a beautiful farm of 240 acres at $25 per acre, which is to-day worth at least $40 per acre. He was married to Miss Maranda Dickey in 1849. She was born in Ohio, and died in Illinois in 1859. Her parents were born in OHio, where her father died. Her mother died in Kansas about 1878. Mr. Graham married his second wife Miss Emily J. Rogers, in 1861. She was born in Kentucky in 1842. Her parents were born in Kentucky, and are still living. Mr. Graham has had eleven children - four by his first wife and seven by his second wife. Eight of the children are living. Mr. and Mrs. Graham were formerly members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Graham has eighty head of very fine cattle, fifty head of hogs and eleven head of first-class horses.