WALKER - John Valentine WALKER, a native of Indiana, born in Franklin County, April 10, 1829, came to Harrison County in 1868. He is the son of Albert and Elizabeth (MALONE) WALKER, both deceased. Our subject's parents had nine children. His early life was spent in the Hoosier State and was educated in the common-schools, and began farming for himself in 1850. He was a soldier in the Civil War, a member of Company E, Twelfth Indiana Infantry, and was assigned to the Army of Tennessee. He was under Gen. John A. Logan, and after the war returned to Indiana and resumed farming. When he came to Harrison County he located in Magnolia Township and remained there until 1883, then moved to Allen Township, remained three years, and then moved to his present home on section 25, of Little Sioux Township, where he owns six hundred and ninety-five acres of land.

Our subject was married in Indiana in September, 1851, to Miss Rachel WHITELOCK. Our subject and his wife are the parents of two children now living and two who died in infancy. The living are Ozias and Viola, now Mrs. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. WALKER is a Republican, "voting as he shot." He is a member of Magnolia Masonic Lodge.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 948
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HAMILTON - Capt. Chester M. HAMILTON, a resident of Morgan Township, is a native of Ohio, and came to Harrison County, in 1852. He was born February 4, 1820, and was the son of Jacob and Sarah (MALONY) HAMILTON, of Vermont and Massachusetts respectively. The father's father was Jacob HAMILTON, who was a brother to Alexander HAMILTON, of Revolutionary fame, and was a Captain in the French and Indian War, and was in the Revolutionary struggle with the "Green Mountain Boys." Our subject's early life was spent in the Buckeye State, and his education obtained in Ohio and Wisconsin. The family came to Iowa in 1833, and was among the first settlers to locate on the strip of land known as the Blackhawk purchase. The family remained near Dubuque until 1848. In the spring of 1849 Mr. HAMILTON crossed the plains to Colorado, and was six months en route. He went to work in the gold mines in California, remained eighteen months, and made a financial success. He returned to Dubuque, and in 1852 came to Harrison County, and was one of the Commissioners appointed by the Governor to locate the county seat at Magnolia. He first located in Raglan Township, on section 25, and remained until 1855. He was elected the first Sheriff of Harrison County, having for an opposing candidate Richard Johnson. He was also a member of the board of Supervisors and a Justice of the Peace several terms. He was a soldier in the Mexican War, and was with old Gen. Taylor at Buena Vista; and at the time of the Indian war in Nebraska, he raised a company and was made Captain, and helped quell the raids, under Gen. Harney in Missouri.

He was married in Dubuque in May, 1845, to Emmentine JINKS, and reared a family of seven children � Marshall, Charles, Jennie, Emily, Alexander, Isaac, and Clarence. His wife died in 1874.

Politically, he is a Democrat. He stands well in his community as a man of honor.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 949
Family Researcher: NA To Page Index--- To Bio Index
ERVIN - John M. ERVIN , a farmer, living on section 32, Calhoun Township, came to Harrison County in November, 1856, and at first located at the town of Magnolia, where he remained through that never to be forgotten "hard winter," and well remembers going to Galland's Grove in company with Michael Rogers after corn, when the thermometer was forty degrees below zero; and if it had not been for Mr. Rogers, he would have perished, as he had to be kept awake by slapping him on the cheek. In the spring of 1857 our subject moved on the Boyer, in Boyer Township, where he rented land one year, and then moved to Magnolia, rented land three years, and then started for Texas, and got as far as Holt County, Mo., but could go no further, on account of the army, so he rented land there for four years, during which time he saw many a man shot down by the enemies of the Union. Our subject returned to Harrison County in the autumn of 1865 and located in Jefferson Township, but bought his present place in the spring of 1866. Our subject was born in Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, February 24, 1828, and is the son of John and Elizabeth (MOORHEAD) ERVIN, who are of Irish descent. In the summer of 1856 his father and family of five children started overland for Iowa, being sixty days on the road. They first located at Harris Grove, where the father died in 1863, and the mother about five years later. Our subject was first married to Sarah EARLY, a native of Virginia, and by this marriage had two children � Lucy and Ellen. The mother of these children died, and for his second wife our subject married Mary HIGHTHBATHOM, by whom eight children were born � Gideon T., John L, James L., Amia, Mary, Edward, William, and Minnie.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 949-950
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SEELEY - Jerome SEELEY , a farmer living on section 7, of Magnolia Township, has been a resident of Harrison County, since 1858; locating at Magnolia in the autumn of that year. He drove stage from Magnolia, to where Blair now stands in Nebraska, for one year and then followed teaming and working by the month for Judge Hardy, and other odd work and with the money thus earned bought eight acres of wild land, being his start in real estate. He was a single man at the time and did not live upon his land, but in 1873, improved the same. He also bought land in 1866, when he got back from a trip across the plains, driving a freight wagon. He followed railroad grading work for one year, returned to Magnolia and worked for John Raymond over a year, and then went to farming his own land. He was married in Magnolia Township, in March 1874, to Miss Rosetta PATCH, and they are the parents of one child � Eva E., born December 1879.

Rosetta (PATCH) Seeley, died in Magnolia Township, April 5, 1887. Our subject was again married in Magnolia Township, in April 1891, to Miss Orra STEBBINGS who was born in Minnesota, and came to Harrison County, with her parents in 1868.

The father of our subject, Daniel SEELEY, was born in Vermont at the foot of the Green Mountains, in 1803, and accompanied his parents when he was a small boy to Pennsylvania, and grew to manhood in Erie County. In 1840 he moved to Knox County, Ohio, and afterwards moved to Michigan where he died February 1885.

The mother of our subject, Sophia (HART) SEELEY, was born in New York State and died in Michigan. They were the parents of seven children, of whom our subject was the third. He was born in Erie County, Pa., March 1837, and remained with his parents until 1858, and then came West.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 950
Family Researcher: NA To Page Index--- To Bio Index
SMITH - Albert M. SMITH , of St John's Township, was among the settlers who found their way to Harrison County, in the autumn of 1856. He came from Putnam County, Ind., in a covered wagon, requiring twenty-one days for the trip. He was a single man at the time and made his home with his brother, J.M., who came the year before. He worked at various things including the herding of cattle, in this county and in Pottawattamie. In 1858 he rented a farm in the last named county, and remained there about three years. In 1864, he bought forty acres of wild land of John Jenkins in St. John's Township, and has since added forty acres more land to his place. He was born in 1838, in Tennessee. He is one of a family of nine children. His father was Andrew SMITH, a native of Tennessee, whom married Lucinda WALKER.

Our subject was married to Martha MCINTOSH, daughter of M.B. and Elizabeth MCINTOSH, in St. John's Township, February 12, 1860. Her parents came to Harrison County in 1856 and located where Missouri Valley now stands. Our subject and his wife are the parents of two children � Robert Boone, born June 1861, and died in 1863, and Max, born October 31, 1864, now living in Oklahoma, Millie E., born October 17, 1868.

Mr. and Mrs. SMITH, are members of the Baptist Church at Loveland.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 950-951
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WILLETT - Lucius D. WILLETT came to Harrison County in September, 1868, and settled on Allen Creek, in Magnolia Township, where he bought a piece of wild land, consisting of on hundred and sixty acres. He improved and lived upon this until the spring of 1877, when he sold and went to Nebraska, remained a short time, but sold, and came back to Harrison County, and bought the place on which he now lives, on section 33, of Boyer Township.

Mr. WILLETT hails from the old Green Mountain State, and was born in Franklin County, Vt, May 28, 1845, when seventeen years of age, went to Malone, N.Y., where he remained a year, and then enlisted in Company A, Third Vermont Infantry. This was under the last call of President Lincoln for troops to subdue the Rebellion. He served six months and was discharged at Burlington, Vt., after which he soon drifted West.

He married to Miss Frances HILLIS in Magnolia, March 15, 1871, and by this union six children were born � Abbie L, Sarah S., Harry C., Pansy M., Frederick E. and Samuel N.

Mrs. WILLETT was born in Jones County, Iowa, January 6, 1846, and when but a small child accompanied her parents to Harrison County, where she has lived ever since, with the exception of the time she was attend the college at Grinnell, of which school she is a graduate. Both Mr. and Mrs. WILLETT are members of the Presbyterian Church.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 951
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MCCOID - James MCCOID, proprietor of Rock Bottom Roller Mills at Logan, located at Jeddo in 1856, when he bought the general store of Thorpe & Kirby, and operated the same for four years, when he sold out and moved to a piece of land on section 23, of Jefferson Township, where he remained until 1868, when he purchased Henry Reel's flouring mill at Logan. In the autumn of 1889, Mr. MCCOID built his present roller mill, which has a sixty-barrel capacity per day.

He was born in Blue Tock Township, Muskingum County, Ohio, in July, 1828, and is the son of Nathaniel and Mary (SARCHETT) MCCOID. The father was a native of Ireland, but came to this country when he was two years old. Our subject's mother was born on the Isle of Guernsey, France, and died in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, as did her husband.

James started in life for himself, when eighteen years of age, by working on a farm at $6.50 per month in Indiana. He was married in August, 1861, to Emeline STRIKER, a native of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. MCCOID are the parents of twelve children, ten of whom are living � Mary, Geneva M., Allie, Effie, Berta, James V., Thomas, Lee, Winnie and Harry.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 951-952
Family Researcher: NA To Page Index--- To Bio Index
GUMP - Josiah B. GUMP, a resident of Calhoun Township, was born in Bedford County, Pa., October 25, 1828, and when twenty years of age, removed with his parents to Miami County, Ohio, and a year later to Indiana, where his mother died. Our subject left the Hoosier State in 1851, and went to St. Paul, Minn., where he was engaged in the employ of the North American Fur Company, and he helped survey what is now the Northern Pacific Railroad Line, from St. Paul to Puget Sound, and came down the Missouri River to Council Bluffs in the autumn of 1853 and worked at the carpenter's trade until he came to Harrison County.

He was married July 4, 1855, to Rachel EARNEST, by whom four children were born, two living in Harrison County, Iowa, one in Chadron, Neb., and one in Deadwood, S.Dak.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 952
Family Researcher: NA To Page Index--- To Bio Index
MCCOLM - Dr. C.B. MCCOLM, of Persia, Iowa, came to Harrison County in the autumn of 1886, engaging in the practice of medicine and drug business.

He was born in Adams County, Ohio, July 10, 1853, remained at home until nineteen years of age, and then taught school. His parents removed to Wayne County, Iowa, when he was three years of age, where he taught school seven years, studying medicine in the meantime. Subsequently he moved to Nodaway, Adams County, Iowa, where he ran a drug store for two years, then went to Hepburn, Page County, Iowa, where he conducted a drug store, practiced medicine and was Postmaster. While residing there, he attended Keokuk Medical College, also the one at St. Joseph's Mo.

He was married in Wayne County, Iowa, to Miss Eva EASLEY, March 11, 1877, and they are the parents of two children � Arthur, born May 26, 1881,, died Jun 12, 1881 and Glennie V., born August 8, 1885.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 952
Family Researcher: NA To Page Index--- To Bio Index

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