Seward, Lorenzo D.

SEWARD

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 21:12:18

Lorenzo D. Seward

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.350)
LORENZO D. SEWARD, one of the well known citizens of Pottawattamie County, was born in Adams County, Illinois, in 1841, son of Pitney Seward, who was a pioneer in that county. When he landed at Quency, there was but one house there. Byrum SEWARD, the grandfather of our subject, was a pioneer of Butler County, Ohio, and a cousin of Secretary SEWARD of Lincoln's administration. He served in the War of 1812. Pitney SEWARD was twice married; first to Mahala CASE, and they had eight children: Byrum, Julia, Harriet, Franklin, Lorenzo, Stephen, Elizabeth, and Alice. Mr. Seward's second wife was Harriet CASE, a sister of the first, and they had five children, only two of whom grew to maturity, Hattie and Sallie. Mr. Pitney SEWARD moved to Clark County, Missouri, about 1866, where he died at the age of seventy-two years; was born in 1811 and died in 1883. He was a member of the Christian Church, a substantial farmer, and was respected by all who knew him. He and his father were among the first pioneers to the western country.

Lorenzo D. was but ten years of age when he went to Ohio to live with his uncle, and but fourteen years of age when he came to Iowa in 1855 with his two brothers, Franklin and Stephen, landing at Keokuk, where he remained until 1858. In that year, he went to Story County and worked on a farm until 1859, when he went to Colorado, when Denver was but a small town, and worked in the mines and also at teaming. He drove a team across the plains from Leavenworth, Kansas, to Denver and other points. In 1863 he returned to Iowa and married Carrie F. LONG of Fremont County, Iowa. Her father was an old pioneer of that county, having settled there in 1859. He was from Wisconsin but was a native of Germany. He was the father of eleven children, viz.: Charles, Rosanna, Catharine, Mary, Maggie, Jacob, Carrie, Julia, Rachel, Henry and Clara. The father was a substantial farmer and died in Fremont County.

Mr. and Mrs. Lorenzo SEWARD are the parents of four children: Minnie, Henry, Katie and Effie L., who died in infancy. After marriage, Mr. Seward settled in Mills County, Iowa, where he worked in a saw mill for two years. He resided in that county until 1878 when he came to Pottawattamie County and settled on a farm. He purchased his present farm in 1880. He is a member of Hancock Valley Lodge, No. 439, I.O.O.F. In his political views, he is a Democrat and is Chairman of the Township Democratic Committee. He stands high in the community as an honorable man, and one who has had a wide experience in western life.

Addendum and Note to Researchers: L. D. Seward is shown in the 1885 Atlas of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, as owning 80 acres in section 20, Valley Township.