McPherron, Francis T.

MCPHERRON

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 17:33:18

Francis T. McPherron

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.428)
Francis T. McPHERRON, who resides on section 8, Hardin Township, came to this county in 1877, where he has since made his home. He was born in Henry County, Iowa, January 20, 1850, near Mt. Pleasant, the son of J. W. and May E. (COOK) McPHERRON. The father was a native of Knox County, Tennessee, and the son of William McPHERRON, who was a native of Pennsylvania, and of Scotch-Irish ancestry; the mother was born in Mansfield, Ohio, the daughter of Luther COOK, a native of Pennsylvania. The father settled in Henry County, Iowa, in 1837, before it was admitted to the Union and when it was inhabited by the Fox and Winnebago Indians. They reared a family of six children, three sons and three daughters, of whom our subject was the second child. Mr. McPHERRON still resides in Henry County on the farm which he has owned for over fifty years.

Francis T. was reared on the old farm, and at the age of twenty years he began work at the carpenter's trade in Henry County, which he continued until 1878, when he came to Council Bluffs and worked at his trade one year. In 1877 he bought eighty acres of wild prairie land, of which he broke forty acres, and the next year he rented the land for one year. In 1879 he built a small farm house, and in 1890 a good frame house, and made many other improvements. The farm contains a grove of eight or ten acres and an orchard. He now owns 200 acres of land, and is engaged in general farming and stock-raising.

Mr. McPHERRON was first married in 1874, in Henry County, Iowa, to Miss Helen EVELAND, who was born in Henry County, the daughter of James W. EVELAND. By this union there was one child, Helen. Mrs. McPHERRON died the same year they were married, in 1874. In 1879 he married Anna B. HENDERSON, of Henry County, Iowa, the daughter of J. W. HENDERSON. They have four children: Vernon F., Perry E., Ira C., and Stacy W. Politically Mr. McPHERRON is a Republican. He is a member of the I.O.O.F., Trenton Lodge, No. 57, at Trenton, Iowa, and of the I.O.G.T., of Downsville, Norwalk Township. He was raised a Presbyterian, and his wife is a member of the Christian Church.