Kirkwood, Robert

KIRKWOOD

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 14:12:23

Robert Kirkwood

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.478)
ROBERT KIRKWOOD, a farmer of Crescent Township, was born in Fifeshire, Scotland, July 27, 1827, a son of Robert and Agnes (STRANG) KIRKWOOD; the father died in his native country, and the mother in this county in 1858. In June 1847, he married Mary MUIR, a native of Fifeshire, Scotland. In March 1848 he emigrated to America, landing, after a voyage of seven weeks, at New Orleans with other members of his family and that of his wife's. They reached Florence, Nebraska, May 20. An anectdote here. The next morning, after they landed here, Mr. KIRKWOOD was the subject of a little joke. He and his brother-in-law were out taking a little stroll when they met some young men, who accosted them with the remark that they "had found a hog's head last night." He asked them why they didn't find the "hog" too. He then discovered that it was a "hogshead" of sugar that had been stolen!

A day or two afterward, they crossed the river into Pottawattamie County, locating within a short distance of where Mr. KIRKWOOD now lives. He settled temporarily upon public land that had not yet come into market and made some improvements, not expecting to remain, and experienced many privations, mid Indians, wild beasts, etc., common to the frontier. When the land came into market, he purchased eighty acres on section 24, Crescent Township, at $1.25 per acre. He erected a log cabin, fourteen feet square, which he made his home for a number of years. The first marketing he did was to sell a load of corn, which he hauled to Florence, Nebraska, at that time Indian Territory, with three yoke of oxen, through sloughs and over prairies, having no road. On the way, he had to unload three times and carry the corn over the muddy ground some distance in baskets. The $25 he received for the corn was the first money he made by his farming here. In early times, he did considerable work by the day, laboring sometimes for wages as low as forty cents per day. To his first purchase of land, he has added others until he now has 507 acres in Crescent and Norwalk Townships. His residence is on section 26, Crescent Township. He has always turned his attention to farming and stock raising, until about five years ago, since which time he has retired from active labor. By his honesty and integrity, he has won a good reputation and he has done much to build up the interest of the community in which he resides. As early as 1849, he was one of five who went into Harrison County and erected a number of log cabins for the early settlers there. He is a solid citizen and a solid Democrat; has been a member of the Board of Supervisors of Pottawattamie County three terms; Township Trustee, and Treasurer of the school board for sixteen years continuously; was one of the organizers of the Council Bluffs Savings Bank, and is now a stockholder; was once nominated by his party for Representative to the State Legislature, but declined. He has been a member of the Crescent City Mutual Protection Association since its organization in 1872, being now president of that society. He is also a member of the Grange. He and his wife are both members of the Church of Latter-day Saints.

His children are: Jennett, wife of William McKEOWN of Boomer Township; Agnes, now Mrs. Hans N. HANSEN of Hazel Dell Township; Isabel, deceased, wife of T. F. FINCH of Hancock County, Iowa; John, a resident of Norwalk Township, this county, and married to Agnes LAPWORTH; James, Thomas, and Lizzie at home. Three of the children are deceased.