Baxter, John K.

BAXTER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/24/2019 at 23:13:53

John K. Baxter

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.63, Belknap Twp.)
Farmer, P. O. Oakland, was born in Leesburg, Ohio, December 13, 1842. He is the son of Joseph H. and Isabella (Porter) Baxter. His father was born in Cannonsburg, Washington Co., Penn., August 17, 1806. He was a blacksmith, and worked at his trade in his native town, and also in Leesburg, Ohio, to which place he moved about 1840. His death occurred in the latter place, February 20, 1837. His (subject's) mother was born in Caunonsburg, Penn., March 20, 1806. This most worthy lady still enjoys good health, and lives with her daughter, Mrs. John W. Gard, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Both the parents are of Scotch descent. Their ancestors were compelled to seek refuge in the North of Ireland to escape the bitter persecution visited upon the "non-Conformists" under the Stuart dynasty. They finally emigrated to Pennsylvania previous to the Revolution. Our subject's father, in early life, had a taste for military tactics, and was for many years Captain of a military company in Pennsylvania. He was the father of ten children, eight of whom lived and grew to maturity - five sons and three daughters. Four of the sons were Union soldiers in the late civil war. Robert was killed while on a "scout" in Baxter County, Va., in 1862. James was a member of the Eleventh Iowa, and was wounded in the battle of Shiloh, from the effects of which he died in 1863. Joseph and our subject were also through the war, but escaped unhurt, with the exception that the latter lost his hearing at the battle of Shiloh. Our subject received a common-school education, and lived at home till he was seventeen years of age. At that time, he went to Moscow, this State, for the purpose of studying medicine with his brother. He attended the high school, and his brother gave him courses in anatomy. September 10, 1861, he enlisted in the Eleventh Iowa as musician of Company I, under Capt. C. B. Millinger. He received his discharge October 28, 1863, on account of physical disability, namely, loss of hearing, as before stated. After his discharge, he continued his study of medicine with his brother, intending to become a physician, but was compelled to give it up in consequence of his defective hearing. He was appointed Postmaster at Moscow, Iowa, in 1863, and held this position till the spring of 1869, since which time he has run a store, an insurance office and the Merchants' Union Express. He was married in Iowa City, October 10, 1867, to Texie A. Buuch, born in Albemarle County, Va., October 18, 1844; she was the daughter of William E. and Sarah (Crank) Bunch, both natives of Virginia. Her father came to Moscow, this State, in 1855, and was engaged in the merchandising and afterward in the drug business. He now lives at Saratoga, McDonald Co., Mo., where he keeps a drug store. In 1869, our subject sold out in Moscow, and moved to Lamar, Barton Co., Mo. Here his family had such poor health, that he came back to Jasper County, Iowa, where he farmed five years. In June, 1877, he came to this county. He owns forty acres in Belknap Township, where he now resides, and also 200 acres in Woodbury County, this State. He has three children living - Colfax E. (born August 6, 1868), Grace J. (born July 23, 1872), and Claude J. (born June 13, 1881). Mrs. Baxter is a member of the Evangelical Methodist Church. In politics, Mr. Baxter is a Republican.