Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 623
ANDREW J. BURCHAM

Andrew J. BURCHAM, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1853, and is now a resident of Morgan Township (1891). He is a native of the Old Dominion State and was born in Campbell County, Virginia, in January 1849. He is the son of George H and Mary (MORTIN) BURCHAM. The father was a native of Kentucky and the mother of Ohio. They reared a family of ten children -- Elizabeth (deceased); John, a resident of Shelby County, Iowa; Melvino, now of Nebraska; Samuel S, of Clay Township, this county; Amanda (deceased); Andrew J; George W, of Morgan Township; Susan, now Mrs MORGAREIDGE; Ruth, married and lives in Shelby County; and Frank B, a resident of Morgan Township.

The family came to Harrison County, when our subject was but four years of age, and located in Magnolia Township, where the father bought land which he sold in 1855, and took land in Clay Township, his being the only house between the Soldier and Little Sioux Rivers. All provisions that the family had, were hauled from Magnolia on a hand-sled, by the father, during the hard winter of '56-'57. Mr. BURCHAM opened up a farm, and they remained there until 1864, and then came to Morgan Township. During the high-water period of 1857, the father took a canoe and went over the surrounding country, looking for high ground. After the water had subsided he came and entered land in the southern part of Morgan Twp, onsection 36, having 260 acres.

Our subject, Andrew J, began work for himself in 1886, (the father died in 1870) working on the Missouri River, first running rafts and then acting as a pilot, which work he continued until 1872, when he opened up a farm in Clay Twp, which he afterwards sold and bought his present farm on section26. He now has 80 acres of land in the township, all under cultivation. Our subject and his father used to break prairie, with eight and ten yoke of oxen.

Our subject was united in marriage March 27, 1870, to Ophelia MARGAREIDGE, the daughter of John S and Mary (WITHIM) MARGAREIDGE, natives of Ohio, who came to the county in 1856. Our subject and his wife are the parents of four children -- Mariam, born December 18, 1871; Fillmore, Ocyober 17,1873; Clara, October 12, 1878; Dottie, born September 5, 1885. In his political views, our subject is identified qith the Democratic party.

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