Read, John Boyd

READ

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 17:23:56

John Boyd Read
born Nov 14, 1830, VA

J. B. Read is one of Warren county's honored pioneers, who has aided in paving the way to civilization in this region. For more than a third of a century he has made his home in this locality, has seen its wild lands transformed into beautiful homes and farms, while towns and villages have sprung up and the work of progress has been carried forward until the county to day ranks among the best in this great commonwealth. Mr Read was born in Harrison county, Virginia, November 14, 1830 and is the twelfth in order of birth in a family of thirteen children, whose parents were Francis and Arah (Hall) Read. In their family five were sons and eight daughters. Those still living are: Nathan, a resident of Fremont county, Iowa; Catherine Hall, of Kansas; J. B., of this sketch; and Cynthia, wife of Addison Morris, of Liberty township, Clarke county, Iowa. The Read family is of Scotch-Irish origin, and was founded in America by the grandfather of our subject, John Read, a native of the Emerald Isle, who crossed the Atlantic, locating in Virginia. Not long afterward the Revolutionary war began and he entered the Colonial service, participating in several important engagements which contributed to the success of the American arms. His son Francis was numbered among the country's defenders in the war of 1812. Both the grandfather and father of our subject died in Virginia. The latter was born in Frederick county, Virginia, and in accordance with the customs of the country owned a number of slaves, but, becoming convinced of the inhumanity of this practice, he gave to them their freedom some years before the Emancipation Proclamation was written. When his son J. B. came to Iowa he brought three negroes, who, although they were free, wanted to be with our subject. A devout Christian gentleman of high principles, to which he was ever true, Francis Read departed this life in the Old Dominion, respected by all who knew him. He had been twice married, his first union being with Miss Ann Davisson, by whom he had one child, Edith. She became the wife of Elias Proudfoot, and for some years they were residents of Indiana, but subsequently removed to northwestern Missouri, where their last days were passed. Our subject was born and reared on the old family homestead, and was educated in subscription schools. He inherited from the family a splendid physique that well fitted him to cope with the arduous duties of frontier life. He early became a farmer, and has taken most active part in the development of Warren county and the transformation of its lands.
On the 28th of May, 1857, Mr. Read wedded Miss Emily Cather, a native of Harrison county, West Virginia, and a daughter of Colonel Thomas and Barbara (McDonald) Cather, representatives of distinguished Virginian families. Her great-grandfather, on the paternal side, fought in the Revolutionary war, while her father served in the Union army during the Civil war, acting as Brigadier-General of the Home Guards. His grandparents were natives of Pennsylvania, but had crossed the Alleghanies into Virginia at the time when under the instigation of the British leaders the Indians were committing fearful depredations in Keystone State. The family originally from Scotland and its representatives been prominent in the military and civil in this country. Mrs. Read's father was leader in politics, being one of the members of the Whig party in his locality serving for some years as a member of the State Senate. His father had also been a member of the Virginia Legislature five terms, and acted as Magistrate of the town some years. To Mr. and Mrs. Read were born five children, named as follows: Guy R. C., who was born June 9, 1858, is now a successful lawyer of Omaha, Nebraska; Jarona B., born June 20, 1862, became the wife of J. G. Payne, and died November 19, 1891; B. F., born December 25, 1865, is operating a fine farm in Warren county; Thane, born March 8, 1869,died on the 14th of August, following; Cassius Everett, born November 28, 1871 is living his parents. Mr. Read arrived with his family in Warren county on the 29th of April, 1859, and took up his residence in a hewed-log house in New Virginia township, where he purchased land. He immediately began placing it under the plow and a crop was planted the first year. He has lead a busy life, and as the result of his energy placed his farm under a high state of cultivation and made it a profitable tract. Now, in his declining years, he is living retired, his earnest toil in former years making this possible. In politics he is an ardent Republican, but has never sought or desired the honors or emoluments of public office. Mr. Read has been a member of the Methodist Church since he was fourteen years of age, and his wife has for many years been a faithful member of the Baptist Church, in which she was reared by her parents. Both are honored and esteemed residents of this community, and well deserve mention among the pioneers. Source: A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa, Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1896, vol.1, p.569

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.875
JOHN B. READ
John B. Read, deceased, who was a prominent agriculturist and pioneer settler of New Virginia Township, was born in Harrison County, West Vir­ginia, November 14, 1830, being the twelfth in order of birth in a family of thirteen children born unto Francis and Arab (Hall) Read. Of this family of five sons and eight daughters only two are now living, namely: Nathan, of Fremont County, Iowa; and Cynthia, the wife of Addison Morris, of Atlantic, Iowa. The Reads are of Scotch-Irish origin and the first representative of the name to come to America was John Read, the grandfather of our subject. He was a native of Ireland, located in Virginia and was a member of the colonial forces in the Revolutionary War, his demise occurring in the Old Dominion. His son, Francis, father of John B. Read, was a soldier in the war of 1812, his birth having occurred in Benton County, Virginia. As was the custom at that time, he owned a number of slaves and when John B. Read came to Iowa he brought three negroes with him. They were free but as they were still young, wished to be under his care. Francis Read also passed away in the state of his nativity.
John B. Read was reared on the old homestead where he was born and obtained his education in the subscription schools. On the 29th of April, 1859, he arrived in Warren County, Iowa, and took up his abode in a hewed log house in Virginia Township, where he purchased land. He was a man of splendid physique and was thus enabled to cope with the difficulties and arduous duties of frontier life and his labors were an important element in the work of development that transformed a wild and unimproved region into a rich agricultural district. Succeeding in his farming interests, he became the owner of a valuable tract of land and carried on the work of the fields until several years prior to his death, when he removed to New Virginia, spending his remaining days in retirement from active business. He was an enterpris­ing and public-spirited citizen and was considered a valuable friend by his neighbors in pioneer times, for his sound judgment and keen discrimination made his advice much sought on all matters of general interest. For thirty years prior to his death, which occurred on the 31st of May 1907, he had been in poor health.
On the 28th of May, 1857, Mr. Read was united in marriage to Miss Emily Cather, a native of Harrison County, West Virginia, and a daughter of Colonel Thomas and Barbara (McDonald) Cather, representatives of distinguished Virginia families. Her paternal great-grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War, while her father served in the Union army during the Civil War, acting as brigadier general of the Home Guards. The family originally came from Scotland and its representatives have been prominent in military affairs in this country. The grandfather of Mrs. Read was a member of the Virginia state legislature for five terms and also acted as magistrate of the town for some years. Her father was also a leader in politics, being one of the dis­tinguished members of the Whig party in his locality and serving for some years as a member of the state legislature. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Read were born five children, namely: Guy R. C., a prominent attorney of Omaha, Ne­braska; Jarona B., the deceased wife of J. G. Paine; B. F., a well known agri­culturist of Virginia Township, who is mentioned on another page of this work ; Thane, who died in childhood; and C. E., a farmer of Virginia Township.
In his political views Mr. Read was an ardent Republican but never sought nor desired office. He was one of the original stockholders of the Warren County Bank, and was also a stockholder in the Citizens Savings Bank of New Virginia. He had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since fourteen years of age, and his widow was connected with the Baptist faith as long as there was a church of that denomination in New Virginia. She owns the valuable estate which was left her by her husband and still makes her home in New Virginia, being one of the few pioneers remaining to tell of the struggles and hardships which the early settler had to undergo in his efforts to establish a home on the frontier.