Steele, William

STEELE

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 21:44:21

William Steele

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.521)
WILLIAM STEELE, a farmer of Lewis Township, was born in Harrison County, Ohio, July 1, 1841, the son of S. K. and Rebecca (KERBY) STEELE. Our subject, the second in a family of eight children, was reared in his native county until fifteen years of age, when he removed to Burlington County, Iowa, where he remained until 1869. He then entered the United States service in the great Rebellion, in Company H, Thirteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served eleven months and four days, being honorably discharged at Davenport, Iowa. He participated in four different battles: Franklin, Tennessee, Nashville, Wise's Forks, North Carolina, McCarver's Station, Tennessee, and was also in a number of skirmishes. After his discharge he returned to Des Moines, where he was engaged in farming for three years, and in 1869 he came to Pottawattamie County, Iowa, purchasing forty acres of wild land on section 14, Lewis Township. Here he erected a small frame house, 14 x 16 feet, in which they lived until 1880, when he erected his present neat frame residence, 16 x 26, one and one-half stories high, with an L 16 x 18, one story high. He has added to his first purchase until he now owns eighty acres of land, which is all well improved. He devotes himself to farming, stock-raising and fruit-growing, and is preparing to devote his entire attention to the growing of all kinds of fruits and vegetables. He is one of the live, energetic men of this part of the county, and has by honesty and integrity won a large circle of friends. He has assisted largely in opening up and developing this part of the county, and is deserving of all the honor and esteem shown him. Politically he is a stanch Republican, has served his township as Assessor for the past four years, and has also served as Constable two years.

Mr. STEELE was married December 31, 1864, to Miss Mary E. HOUX, who was born in Champaign County, Ohio, near Urbana, May 2, 1844. They are the parents of seven children: Lucy B., at home; Clara J., wife of E. L. Gladwin, a resident of Lewis Township; James H., at home; William, John W., Hattie M. and Mabel B.