Carroll County IAGenWeb

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY IOWA

A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement

VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1912

Transcribed by Sharon Elijah August 20, 2020

Simon Burgan, who owns two hundred acres of land in Union and Newton townships, to the operation of which he devotes his entire attention, was born in Wayne county, Ohio, on the 8th of August, 1842. He is a son of Evans F. and Mary Ann (Connelly) Burgan, natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio during the pioneer days. Whence they proceeded to Muscatine county, Iowa, in 1844, remaining there for twenty-four years. In 1868 Mr. Burgan acquired a fine farm property of four hundred acres west of Carroll, his being the last residence between there and Arcadia. He settled upon this place where he continued to reside until his demise in 1885 at the age of eighty years. Mrs. Burgan survived for six years thereafter, her death occurring in Union township, after she had passed the eighty-second anniversary of her birth. They both held membership in the Methodist church, and Mr. Burgan, who was a republican, always took an active and helpful interest in all local political affairs. During the period of his residence in Muscatine county he filled various township offices, and he also served for several years as supervisor. Mr. Burgan was a son of Finley and Sarah Burgan, both natives of Pennsylvania, to whom were born nineteen children, ten sons and nine daughters. The father was a veteran of the war of 1812. The maternal grandparents were also natives of Pennsylvania and they had four children, three sons and one daughter: Preston, Christ, Rant and Mary Ann.

As he was only a child of two years when his parents located in Muscatine county, Simon Burgan was reared there and educated in the district and select schools. He remained at home with his parents until he was twenty years of age, when being seized with the restlessness, which characterizes the majority of youths at that period of their development, he went west. The following ten years were spent prospecting in the mining districts of Montana and Idaho. He returned to Iowa in 1872, taking up his residence with his parents on the old homestead. The management of the property virtually devolved upon him from that time until the demise of his father, when it came into his possession. He subsequently sold it and a year later bought his present farm of two hundred acres.

On the 12 day of December, 1883, Mr. Burgan was united in marriage to Miss Willetta Baird, a daughter of William V. and Maria (Ouderkirk) Baird. Her birth occurred in Charleston, New York, of which city her parents were also natives. Her paternal grandparents were Christopher and Caroline (Van Doren) Baird, while her maternal grandparents were Cornelius and Mary (Scouten) Ouderkirk. In pioneer days her parents removed to Illinois, but the mother died in Carroll county, Iowa, and the father in New York state, both being buried in Carroll county. In their family were seven children, namely: Alexander, Andrew, Clay, Zachary, Willetta, Cornelius and William Wallace. The last named was a soldier of the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Burgan have no children of their own but have adopted a daughter, Ora Louise.

Mr. Burgan casts his ballot in support of the men and measures of the republican party and is now serving as school director. Both he and his wife attend the United Brethren church, of which she is a member, although they were reared Presbyterians. He is one of the prosperous and highly esteemed citizens of Union township and has a wide acquaintance throughout the county.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~