Buena Vista County, IA
USGenWeb Project

The rapid development of the rich agricultural resources of Buena Vista county is due to the persevering efforts of men of brain and enterprise who bring to their calling excellent judgment and superior business methods.  The tremendous strides in agriculture during the past few years have developed methods of farming which were almost totally unknown a third of a century ago.  Having learned all that his father is able to teach him, the young farmer of today, whose ambitions are equal to his possibilities, sees before him an ever widening vista of opportunity resulting from invention and experiment, and though he has acquainted himself with the chemistry of soils, the value of lands, the rotation of crops and the economy of time, he knows that work is being continually carried forward at the experimental stations of the country and recognizes that there are short cuts to results still undiscovered and more practical and profitable methods that will further eliminate the former drudgery of the farm and give the agriculturist the leisure which was formerly thought to be enjoyed only by the more substantial classes in the city.  Standing as a representative of all that is progressive in agriculture, Enoch Erickson is one of the busy and enterprising men of Buena Vista county and is accomplishing excellent results in his chosen life work.

Mr. Erickson was born in Mahaska county, Iowa, April 26, 1872, and is a son of Thomas and Abbie (Johnson) Erickson, the former a native of Norway and the latter of Ohio.  Extended mention of his parents is made elsewhere in this volume.  The son was reared in his native county, early becoming familiar with the duties and tasks that fall to the lot of the agriculturist.  He was twenty-one years of age when he started out in life for himself and was the first one of the family to leave the old home.  He came direct to Buena Vista county, where he has since engaged in farming.  For several years he cultivated a half section of land in Poland township, which he still owns, but for the past three years he has rented his farm as his health will not permit his farming.

On the 6th of November, 1895, Mr. Erickson was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Howe, a daughter of John Howe, and unto them have been born two children:  Thomas Russell, who was born December 30, 1901; and Letha Ree, born April 2, 1905.  The parents are members of the Methodist church and are highly esteemed throughout the community, where they have an extended circle of warm friends.  In all of his business dealings Mr. Erickson is known to be upright and fair, never taking advantage of another in any transaction and is highly esteemed by friends and neighbors, while by all he is regarded as one of the wide-awake, progressive men of the county.