Utterson, John

UTTERSON

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/2/2021 at 21:09:20

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.876

JOHN UTTERSON
With the farming interests of Allen Township John Utterson has long been actively identified and today the owner of a nice farm of eighty acres on Scotch Ridge, his home being on section 18. He is a native of Scotland, born near Berwick, on the 6th of April 1828, and in his native land he grew to manhood, being reared to agricultural pursuits and given fair school ad­vantages.
Resolved to try his fortune in America, Mr. Utterson went to Greenock, Scotland, where he took passage on a sailing vessel, the Charles Harrison, and was nearly six weeks in crossing the Atlantic but finally landed safely in New York in July of that year. After two months spent in the Empire state, where he worked on a farm he proceeded to Ohio and was engaged in railroad construction for a time. In 1852 he came to Warren County, Iowa, and secured employment on a farm by the month, working in that way for a few years. He then returned to Ohio and was engaged in railroad work in Co­lumbiana County.
Mr. Utterson was married in Belmont County, Ohio, December 20, 1860 to Miss Sarah Petit, who was born in Virginia, September 13, 1835, and was principally reared in that state, whence she removed to Ohio. They remained residents of Belmont County 'until after the birth of four of their children and about 1865 Mr. Utterson returned to Iowa, accompanied by his family. He located upon the farm where he still resides, having previously purchased the land, but at that time only a few acres had been broken and the only improvement was a small house. He cleared away the brush, placed the land under cultivation, built fences and later erected a good story and a half house with a basement and also a good barn. He also planted an orchard and shade trees and now has a well improved and valuable farm. In connection with its cultivation he also engaged in the raising and feed­ing of stock.
Mr. Utterson has been called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 4th of July, 1898, and was laid to rest in Scotch Ridge cemetery. Unto them were born five sons and four daughters, namely: James, a con­tractor and builder of Carlisle; John a resident of Des Moines; David, who is engaged in farming near Summerset; Robert, a blacksmith of Summerset, and Gordon, who is engaged in farming near Carlisle in Polk County; Lizzie, the wife of William Hastie, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume; Lena, who is now keeping house for her father; Carrie, who died at the age of five years, and Flora, who married Richard Roper and died, leaving three children.
Mr. Utterson votes independent of party ties and has never cared for political office. He is an active member of the Scotch Ridge United
Presby­terian Church and is a man held in high esteem by all who know him on account of his upright life and honorable business methods.