Byers, John

BYERS, JOHNSTON

Posted By: Gary Norris (email)
Date: 12/11/2012 at 13:46:38

The History of Poweshiek County, Iowa
Des Moines: Union Hist. Co., 1880.

BYERS, JOHN - Bear Creek Twp - pg 824. Billiard hall, Brooklyn. Was born in County Belfast, Ireland, June 25, 1834, and when quite young he moved with his parents to Canada, where they resided for a number of years, and where John was partially raised and educated. They next moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where they remained ten years and here the subject of this sketch learned the trade of paper-staining. In 1848 he moved to Illinois, where he resided for a time, returning to Pennsylvania, where he lived for eighteen months, after which he returned to Illinois and resided until 1867. In 1867 the family came to Poweshiek county, Scott township, where the subject of this sketch was engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1873, when he removed to Brooklyn, engaging in the grocery trade, which he operated six years. Was married February 25, 1859, to Miss Eliza Johnston, of Illinois. By this union they have one daughter, Eliza Jane. A portion of his time in Pennsylvania he was engaged in clerking in a grocery house at Manchester, at which place he was unfortunate, meeting with an accident by the explosion of a package of gun caps, by which he was deprived of the sight of one eye.