Poling, James L.

POLING

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/29/2021 at 23:45:54

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.896

JAMES L. POLING
The gentleman whose name introduce, this record is entitled to mention in this volume from the fact that lie is one of Warren County's oldest settlers, having made his home here for almost a half century, and also from the fact that he is one of its wealthiest landowners, owning and operating a farm of three hundred and seventy-two and a half acres, situated on sections 7, 8, 17 and 18. White Breast Township. He was born in Randolph County, West Virginia, February 25, 1854, a son of John and Susan (Parsons) Poling, the former a native of Virginia, where he was reared and married. About 1855 he made his way westward to Iowa, first locating in Mahaska County, where he spent about a year, while in 1856 he took up his abode in Warren County, passing away here September 8, 1858. His wife survived him for many years.
James L. Poling was but two years of age at the time of the removal of the family to Iowa and was but four years of ageatthe time of his father's demise. He was therefore, thrown upon his own resources at a very early age. He remained with his mother after his father's death and at the ageof twelve years engaged in teaming on his own account. From that time he helped in the care of his mother, with whom he remained until he had reached the age of twenty-four years. At that time he established a home of his own by his marriage in Knoxville, Iowa, November 25, 1875 to Miss Lizzie Anna Shupe, who was born in Ohio but came to this state at the age of eight years and was here reared and educated. She is a daughter of Jacob Shupe, one of the early settlers of the state.
Following his marriage Mr. Poling took his young bride to Indianola, where he spent a year, after which he located on a part of his present farm, this being in the spring of 1877. The place then comprised but forty acres of land, of which only fifteen acres had been broken. With characteristic energy he began the work of breaking the prairie. In the course of time he had placed the fields under a high state of cultivation, so that each year he harvested good crops as a reward for the care and labor bestowed upon the land. He also built a log cabin, in which he lived for some time. As his financial resources increased he added to his landed possessions from time to time until his place today embraces three hundred seventy-two and a haft acres. He has tiled and fenced his land, has replaced the old log cabin with a commodious and modern residence, supplied with all conveniences and ac­cessories, and he has also erected a second residence and has two complete sets of barns and outbuildings. He is here engaged very extensively in general farming and stock-raising, feeding annually two carloads of cattle and one of hogs, which he ships to the city markets. He certainly deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, for all that he today possesses has been acquired through hard labor and well directed effort.
The marriage of Mr and Mrs. Poling has been blessed with four sons and five daughters, namely: Walter E., who owns and operates one hundred and twenty acres of land adjoining his father, is married and has three sons, Gerold L., Allen and Alfred. R. B., who follows farming in North Dakota, is married and has four children, Ila, Ilene, Delmer, and an infant. C. L.,whois with his brother in North Dakota, is married and has three sons, James, Calvin and an infant. Ina May, who engaged in teaching for a time is now the wife of Robert Wolcott, a farmer of White Breast Township, by whom she has one son, Pearl B. Catherine, also engaged in teaching for a time. Bertha, Paul and Florence are still at home; Zeta M., died at the age of three years.
At local elections Mr. Poling cases an independent ballot, but where state and national issues are involved, votes for the man and measures of democracy. He was elected and served as trustee of his township for a few years and has been identified with the school board for a long period. He is a Master Mason, belonging to the blue lodge at Lacona. Character and ability will come to the front anywhere. As boy and man, many a man has been buffeted by fortune and has almost insurmountable obstacles thrust in his path but perseverance has cleared them away and he has gone on to success. This Mr. Poling has done, for from the early age of twelve years he started out to make his own way in the world and today his valuable farm stands as one of the best evidence of what he has accomplished and no citizen of the county won the proud American title of a self-made man.