CHARLES FRANKLIN PORT

The agricultural interests of Sugar Creek township find in Charles Franklin Port a worthy representative and he now owns and operates a well improved and highly cultivated farm of one hundred and seventy acres on section 13, known as Eagle Forest Farm. A native of Cedar county, he was born in Rochester township on the 11th of November, 1856, and is a representative of an old and honored family, his parents being Nicholas and Catharine (Beach) Port, both natives of Darmstadt, Germany. They were born near the Rhine, the father February 20, 1811, and the mother February 1, 1817. Nicholas Port came alone to the United States and settled in Ohio, where he was married on the 15th of November, 1838, his wife having come to the United States with her parents in 1831. They made their home for some time in Richland county, Ohio, and in March, 1856, came to Iowa and settled on a farm in Rochester township, Cedar county, where our subject was born. Mr. Port made farming his life occupation. Prior to coming to this state he had gone to California during the gold excitement there in 1850, traveling the entire distance from Ohio to the Pacific coast with an ox-team. He spent four years in the far west and returned by way of the isthmus of Panama to New York. He died in this county, March 20, 1883, and his wife passed away on the 27th of December, 1888.

They were the parents of the following children: Mary Ann, now the wife of William Kaiser of Wilton; Augustus, who enlisted from Cedar county in Company D, Eleventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil war and being taken ill, returned home, where he died on the 18th of June, 1862, at the age of twenty-one years; Charlotte, who married D. G. Agnew and died in August, 1881; Theodore, a resident of Wilton; Adolphus, who became a physician but is now deceased; Lavina, the deceased wife of William Lyle; Charles F., of this review; and Flora, who married J. B. Carl and died in 1882.

Charles F. Port was a lad of eight years when the family removed to the farm in Sugar Creek township, where he now resides and since old enough to be of any assistance has aided in the work of the fields. He is today one of the most progressive and up-to-date farmers of the locality and now owns a well improved place of one hundred and seventy acres that is under a high state of cultivation, including a twenty-acre tract of natural forest. The place has been named Eagle Forest because here our subject killed a large eagle, measuring three feet eight inches from its bill to its tail, and seven feet ten inches from tip to tip of wings. Although he has engaged in general farming he has made a specialty of stock-raising, breeding principally shorthorn cattle.

Mr. Port was married April 12, 1881, to Miss Delina Eleanor Barclay, who was born in Center township, Cedar county, on the 18th of February, 1860, a daughter of Thomas and Sarah Jane (Myers) Barclay. Her father was born in Pennsylvania, February 28, 1835, and now resides in Greenfield, Adair county, Iowa. Her mother departed this life in November, 1867, at the early age of twenty-eight years. Mrs. Port is the oldest of their five children, the others being: Joseph M., who lives near Wilton; Ora Etta, the wife of J. B. Kingery of Missouri; John M., of Sugar Creek township; and Thomas, who died in May, 1882.

Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Port, as follows: Ora Charlotte, now the wife of C. W. Norton of Phoenix, Arizona; Irwin Augustus, a physician living on Sixty-third street, Chicago, Illinois; Flavel Gibson, a resident of Sugar Creek township; Eva Idella, who is engaged in teaching school and lives at home; Irolene J., who was born February 16, 1888, and died January 1, 1909, being at that time a school teacher, having graduated from the Wilton high school; Olga Flell, who is also engaged in teaching school; Arebas Barclay, who died at the age of sixteen months; Florence Delina, who is attending high school; Erma Catharine, at home; and Nevin Franklin.

Since age conferred upon Mr. Port the right of franchise he has cast his ballot for the men and measures of the democratic party and has taken quite an active and commendable interest in public affairs, serving as township trustee for eighteen years and school director for twelve years. He has worked untiringly to secure better roads in his vicinity and as a public-spirited citizen never withholds his support from any worthy object which he believes will prove of public benefit. He holds membership in the Presbyterian church of Sugar Creek and is now serving as elder. Fraternal he belongs to White Pigeon Lodge No. 240, Mutual Brotherhood of America, at Wilton, and is also identified with the Grange.