Craft, William P.

CRAFT

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/16/2019 at 16:23:28

William P. Craft

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.505)
William P. CRAFT, a wealthy and popular citizen of Pottawattamie County, was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, April 22, 1839, a son of Peter and Tacy (DeGOOD) CRAFT, the former a native of Ohio, and a son of Samuel CRAFT, a native of Germany; the latter is the daughter of Joseph DeGOOD, of French parentage. Mr. and Mrs. Peter CRAFT were married in Millsborough, Washington County, Pennsylvania, and in 1854 moved to Wapello County, Iowa, where, in November, 1859, the mother died. The father now lives in Ottumwa, Iowa, at the age of seventy-two years. In the East he was a coal dealer and boat-builder by trade, but in Iowa he has been engaged in farming. Politically he is a Democrat, and religiously is an Atheist, or a believer in the rotation or progress of souls.

The subject of this sketch remained on a farm in Wapello County until 1873, when he went to Montgomery County, Iowa, and bought forty acres in wild land, which he afterward improved. In 1880 he sold this place and came to Pottawattamie County, where he bought 120 acres of land on section 19, Washington Township, and later bought 160 acres on section 18, and in 1888 eighty acres more, and he now owns a well-improved farm of 360 acres.

He was married February 5, 1867, in Wapello County, Iowa, to Miss Mary SILVERS, who was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, but was reared in Marysville, Iowa. She was the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (PRICKETT) SILVERS. Mr. and Mrs. CRAFT have ten children, viz.: Ella M., now the wife of Ammi WOOLF, a worthy and honorable citizen of Washington Township; Emma E., Sadie, James, Jessie, Ida S., Otis, Carl, Daisy and Myrtle. Politically Mr. CRAFT is a Democrat, and both he and his wife are members of the Christian Church. Mr. CRAFT is yet in the prime of life, is intelligent and well informed on general topics, and is one of the county's solid business men.