CYRUS A. McCORMICK

Cyrus A. McCormick, living upon a farm of one hundred and twenty acres on section 6, Linn township, has been a lifelong resident of Cedar county, in fact he is one of the native sons of the township in which he still makes his home. He was born November 27, 1869, and is a son of James A. and a brother of H. C. McCormick, in connection with whose sketch on another page of this volume the family history is given.

On the old homestead Cyrus A. McCormick was reared and his youthful days were devoted to the work of the farm and the acquiring of an education. After attending the district schools he continued his studies in Mechanicsville and later attended the Northern Indiana Normal College at Valparaiso, Indiana, where he pursued a business course that qualified him for life’s practical duties.

On the 14th of January, 1896, Mr. McCormick was married in Johnson county, Iowa, to Miss Nettie Slater, who was born and reared in that county and is a daughter of Samuel Slater, who came from Pennsylvania to Iowa when this was still a pioneer district, the work of improvement and development being yet in its infancy. Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. McCormick located upon the farm where they now reside. Not long afterward he erected an attractive and comfortable residence. He has also built two good barns together with outbuildings for the shelter of grain, stock and farm machinery. These include corn cribs, sheds and a hog house and his fields are enclosed with a woven wire fence. Altogether the place is a well improved farm lacking in none of the modern accessories, equipments and conveniences. In the early days the settlers of Iowa devoted their attention to breaking the sod and the raising of crops, but as the land has become rich and productive so that there is a large yield to the acre, the tendency has been to use a portion of the different farms for stock-raising. This course Mr. McCormick has pursued and now feeds and fattens from four to six car loads of cattle, hogs and sheep each year. He is a breeder of and dealer in shorthorn cattle, to which he has given his attention for some years. He has made exhibits and won premiums at the county fairs and is well known in this connection. He and his brother, H. C. McCormick, go west each fall and buy sheep, which they ship to their farms in Linn township, here feeding and fattening them for the market.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. McCormick has been blessed with two daughters, Helen May and Josephine E. The parents are well known in this locality and have a large circle of warm friends. Politically Mr. McCormick is a democrat and his value as a citizen is demonstrated in the fact that he has several times been called to local office, serving for three years as township trustee and for four years as township clerk. He has also served on the grand jury. He belongs to the Masonic Lodge in which he has taken the Master degree and he is widely and favorably known in Tipton and throughout Cedar county as one who belongs to that class of substantial citizens who are ever ready to uphold the legal and political status of the community and promote public progress along the lines of substantial improvement and development. There is no sham or pretense in this nature. He is thoroughly genuine and reliable at all times and his friends rejoice in what he has accomplished in a business way.