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HENRY HILTON, an enterprising farmer
of Coffin’s Grove township, Delaware county, is a native of New
York, and was born April 3, 1827. His father, Hiram Hilton, was
also a native of New York and an old settler on the Oswego
river. He was always engaged in agricultural pursuits. Our
subject’s mother bore the maiden name of Betsey Owen, and was
born in Vermont, and died at the age of ninety-four.
Henry Hilton, the subject of this
brief sketch, was reared on a farm in his native place,
receiving but little education. He started out to work for
himself at the age of fifteen. When twenty years of age he went
to Wisconsin state, where he worked as a farm hand for seven
years. In 1861 he came to Iowa and settled in Coffin’s Grove
township, Delaware county. Here he found employment as a
teamster, then rented land, afterwards bought one hundred and
thirty five acres, and has been steadily engaged at farming
since. Besides general farming, he has given much time and
attention to stock-raising, at which he has been very
successful. He now has one of the best improved farms in the
vicinity, all under cultivation and well stocked.
Mr. Hilton married December 11, 1855,
taking to wife Miss Mary J. Hines, who was born in Ireland in
1828. This union has been blessed by the birth of twelve
children, as follows: Nettie, wife of Charles Trusne, of Rechan;
Marion, wife of Elliott Wing, of Buchanan county, Iowa; Charles,
now living at Los Angeles, Cal.; Edgar, a resident of Delaware
county, Iowa; Nelley, wife of Edward Dibble, of De Kalb county,
Ill.; Leona, wife of William Seward, of Delaware county; Ida,
Harry, Carrie, Frank and Lottie, at home with their parents.
Minnie May died at the age of thirteen.
In politics Mr. Hilton is a stanch
republican and takes great interest in his party. He has held
the usual number of local offices, the duties of which he
discharged faithfully. Socially he is a genial, kind-hearted
gentleman, and enjoys the confidence and esteem of all who know
him. |
