Huff, Alexander M.

HUFF

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 23:49:32

Alexander M. Huff

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.690)
A.M. HUFF. This is an old and prominent American family of German and French descent, the remote ancestors being natives of Germany, and early settlers of Stokes County, North Carolina. John HUFF, the grandfather of our subject, was born in that state and was a prominent farmer, owning 200 acres of land. He was the father of twenty-two children, by two wives: Daniel, John, Wells, Charity, Melvina, David, Jordan and William, are all that our subject remembers. Lewis HUFF, the father of our subject, was born on the old homestead, and when a boy went to Indiana with one of his neighbors, where he remained and was married to Susan PALMER. They had twelve children, viz.: Martha, Mary, Margaret, Edith, William, Alexis, Phoebe, Alice, Hermanda, Arthur, Luella, and Charity. After his marriage, in 1840, Mr. HUFF settled in Henderson County, Illinois, where he remained until 1853. In that year, he came to Council Bluffs and settled on a farm on the bottoms, now covered by the courthouse and park. At that time, there were but five houses and five stores there, which were covered with earth. At Omaha, there was not a building, and Mr. HUFF had a claim of 160 acres now in the heart of the city. He was a soldier in the Black Hawk War, and both he and his wife were members of the Baptist Church, in which Mr. HUFF was a deacon for many years. In 1855 he came to Center Township, where he was one of the pioneer settlers, there being but three others - Joshua and Joseph LAYTON and Mr. BELKNAP. Mr. HUFF was born in 1809 and died on his farm in 1885, at the age of seventy-six years.

Alexander M. HUFF, the subject of this sketch, was born in Henderson County, Illinois, May 17, 1845, and was reared to farm life. When but eight years of age, he came with his father to Council Bluffs, and he well remembers the trip to this state. He came with his father to Center Township and was married in Omaha in 1866 to Ella DORAN, daughter of John DORAN, a native of Nova Scotia. To Mr. And Mrs. HUFF were born six children: Mary, Lewis, Ford, Eva, Katie and Daisy. The next year in August 1869, Mr. HUFF moved to his present farm of 160 acres on which he has made many improvements. He has taken an active interest in the cause of education, has been school director for many years. In his political principles, he is a Republican and takes an active interest in all matters pertaining to his township.

In 1863, Mr. HUFF enlisted in Company C, 29th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, as a private and served two years, or until the close of the War. He was in the siege and capture of Mobile, at the battle of Jenkins' Ferry and was sixty days on one march, on Red River, which was a continual skirmish. He was in the hospital five weeks with smallpox, and was honorably discharged at New Orleans. As a soldier of the great Civil War, his descendants will honor his memory.