The student of Cedar county’s history does not carry his investigations far before he learns that the name of Enlow figures prominently in connection with the annals of this section of the state. Luke Enlow belonged to a family that has been prominently and actively associated with the work of progress and improvement here. He was born in Stark county, Ohio, October 11, 1832, and was the seventh in order of birth in a family of eight children, whose parents were James and Ruth (Hewitt) Enlow, natives of Pennsylvania. On leaving the Keystone state they removed to Ohio, where their remaining days were passed. Their family numbered eight children: Mrs. Emily Shreeve, who died in Ohio; Mrs. Susan Whinery, who also passed away in that state; Mrs. Rebecca Pennock, who died in Ohio; Mrs. Mary H. Cope, who died at West Branch, Iowa; Samuel, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume, Luke; Thomas, who died in Cedar county, and Jonathan, who died when a young man in Ohio.
Luke Enlow spent his youthful days in his native county and remained a resident of Ohio until he came to Iowa, with the exception of a single year spent in Indiana. He arrived in Cedar county in March, 1854,--a young man of twenty-one years. He secured a companion and helpmate for life’s journey when, on the 12th of September, 1856, he wedded Miss Cynthia Ann Gruwell, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, September 12, 1837, and had been a school-mate of her husband during her youthful days. In 1854 she came to Iowa with her parents, Moses and Ann (Carr) Gruwell, who were natives of Stark county, Ohio. They located in Gower township, three miles north of the present site of West Branch, Mr. Gruwell entering four hundred acres of land from the government. There he developed and improved a farm, upon which he continued to make his home until his death. Following his demise his widow removed to West Branch, where her remaining days were passed. They were the parents of eight children, namely: Mrs. Enlow; Thomas, who died in West Branch leaving a widow and three sons; Hiram I., a resident of California; Samuel C., living in West Branch; Mrs. Esther Neagus, who died in Springdale; Charles C., a resident of Minnesota; Mary P., the wife of Abner Edmundson, of Washington; and Eliza Lloyd, who died in West Branch.
Following their marriage Mr. Enlow and his bride located upon a farm in Hardin county, Iowa, where they lived for twelve years. They then returned to this county and settled three miles north of West Branch in Gower township. It was a tract of eighty acres, which he at once began to cultivate and improve. As he prospered in his undertakings he added to this a tract of forty acres and later he bought eighty acres more, making a total of two hundred acres, which he continued to cultivate and develop until 1892. He brought his fields under a high state of cultivation and they returned to him splendid crops as a reward for his care and labor. For his products he found a ready sale upon the market and thus year by year he prospered until he came to be numbered among the substantial citizens of the county. He continued to engage in farming until 1892, when he retired to West Branch, where his remaining days were passed. The family still own eighty acres of the old home farm, while the remainder was sold to his son.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Enlow there were born five children: Dora L., who died at the age of thirty-two years; J. Walter, who owns and resides upon the old home place in Gower township; Ella, at home; Esther Bell, the wife of T. D. White, of West Branch; and Ethel, who died in her third year. The old homestead farm has been owned by only three white men. It was entered from the government by Mrs. Enlow’s father and a part of it was purchased by her husband, while now it is owned by her son.
Mr. Enlow was an active member of the Society of Friends and aided liberally in building the Honey Grove Friends church. After his removal to West Branch he united with the Friends church there and remained one of its loyal supporters and active workers until his demise. His life was ever in harmony with its teachings, and he was widely known as an upright and honorable man, who merited the confidence and good-will which were universally extended him.
In politics he was a stanch republican but never consented to hold office save in connection with the schools. He was interested in matters of progressive citizenship, however, and gave his support to many measures and movements for the public good.
Mrs. Enlow still resides in West Branch, where she is widely and favorably known. For fifty-six years she has been a resident of Cedar county and her memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present. There is little today to indicate the condition of things which existed at the time of her arrival. As she traveled westward with her parents one month was consumed in making the journey from Ohio to Iowa with wagons, for there were no railroads at that day. They had a wagon loaded with their household goods, while a two-seated carriage was occupied by the family. With the exception of the two youngest children, who were born here, all made the long journey across the prairies from Ohio to Iowa. Mrs. Enlow can remember the time when the town of West branch had no existence and other flourishing towns and villages of this part of the state were little more than hamlets. She has seen the wild lands converted into fine farms and the primitive homes replaced by large and substantial dwellings, giving every evidence of the prosperity which has blessed the county as the result of the energy and business enterprise of its citizens.
