E. S. CLEVELAND

CLEVELAND, WENTWORTH, ADAMS, SQUIRES, FOX, CRALL, WALKER, CLAPP, FLETCHER, MARTENA, KRONK

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/9/2013 at 15:38:11

E. S. Cleveland, former township clerk and justice of the peace, is practically a self-made man. While the conditions of his youth and early manhood were such as to call out his physical, mental and moral strength. He overcame the difficulties and now has the right to he called a leading citizen. Mr. Cleveland, a retired farmer of this county, is a native of Maine, having been horn in Somerset county January 18, 1849. His parents were both natives of Maine.

Benjamin Cleveland, father of E. S. Cleveland, was a farmer and lumberman during all of his residence in that New England state. Moving to Wisconsin in 1854, he purchased a farm in Green county, having made the journey with his little family as far as Freeport, Illinois, by rail. The rest of the journey to Wisconsin was made overland. Farming in Wisconsin until 1870, he then took up his residence in Iowa Falls, Iowa, on eighty acres of land which he purchased at twenty-eight dollars an acre. In 1890 he retired from active duties and subsequently lived with his son, the subject of this sketch, until his death, which occurred on May 7, 1904. His faithful wife, who had shared all his hardships as well as his joys, was before her marriage. Octavia Wentworth. She passed away on March 1, 1899. Of their nine children, five are still living. E. S. being the fourth in order of their birth.

After finishing his education in the common schools of Green county, Wisconsin, E. S. Cleveland taught school for three terms. But the hereditary leaning was toward agricultural activities, and in 1869 he became the owner of eighty acres of land in this county, which he purchased at two dollars and a half an acre. Moving here in 1877, he located in Dayton township, and after living on rented property for three years he moved to his own farm, built a substantial home and cultivated the land, to which he added other tracts until he had accumulated a farm of four hundred and forty acres in Lake township, where he and his family lived until 1910. He then was able drop the burden of active grinding toil and moving to Clarion has lived the rest of his time in comparative ease. During his farming career he fed all of his grain to his hogs and cattle. Mr. Cleveland has varied his occupational pursuits by terms in public office, having been both township clerk of Lake township and justice of the peace.

On March 14, 1869, Adaline Adams became the wife of E. S. Cleveland. The daughter of G. W. and Sarah (Squires) Adams, she was born in Green county, Wisconsin, although her father was a native of Pennsylvania, and her mother New York state. Mr. Adams was a successful farmer during all of his life. In 1867, selling out his holdings in Wisconsin, he moved to Kansas, but soon returned to Wisconsin, where he continued farming until 1898, moving then to this county, where he retired from active work and located in Goldfield. His death took place there in the fall of 1898, his wife having died ten years previous to that time. Of their ten children four are now living, one of whom is the wife of E. S. Cleveland.

Mr. Cleveland is recognized as one of the most progressive farmers of the county and is a prominent member of the Grangers Association. He is also a member of the Good Templars. In political matters he is an independent voter.

A large and interesting family blessed the life of Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland. One of their ten children passed away in infancy. The others are George, Charles S., Wilmer, Arthur, Walter, Allen, Evelyn, Harry and Ellen. George who married Frances Fox became the father of three children, Garth, Joe and Nina. Charles became the husband of Inez Crall, and to them were born four children, Ralph, Sydney, Ruth and Marjorie. Wilmer married Bertha Walker, and their only son is named Morris. Emma became the wife of Arthur Clapp, and two children, Winifred and Blanche were born. Walter married Mae Fletcher, and their three children are Myrtle, Edna and Russell. Allen became the husband of Laura Martena, and they are the parents of Marie, Ceverne, Benjamin, and Evelyn, who died in infancy. Harry, whose wife is Lucy Martena, is the father of three children, Viola, Elden and Harold. To Ellen Cleveland, who married Charles Kronk, one child, Edith Mary, was born.

Mr. Cleveland, in all of life's relationships, has measured up to the standard of excellence which he early set for himself. He can now look back upon a well-spent life, a life guided by the desire to be not only successful but useful, and such opportunities he has never neglected.

History of Wright County, Iowa, by B. P. Birdsall, 1915, page 383.