Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 810
BENJAMIN A. DIVELBESS

Benjamin A. DIVELBESS, a farmer of section 4, LaGrange Township, may well be counted a pioneer boy of Harrison County, for he came with Charles CARVALHO in May, 1853. Mr. CARVALHO took a claim and remained there until the spring of 1854, this settlement being at Bigler's Grove when our subject was only eleven years old. CARVALHO moved to Harris Grove, LaGrange Township, and purchased a claim of Michael MCKINNEY, afterwards entering the land, and lived upon the same until 1861. Then they crossed the plains with horse teams to California, taking a drove of cattle with them. Here CARVALHO and our subject remained until the autumn of 1871, when Mr. DIVELBESS returned to Harrison County, and for one year rented land of Mr. LONGMAN, in Jefferson Township, and in December, 1872, he came to the farm he is now living upon, having rented the same of Mr. LONGMAN. In the spring of 1873 our subject bought forty acres of wild land from William ORR, on section 4, of LaGrange Township, but still continued to live on the farm that he rented from Mr. LONGMAN, and in 1878 he purchased the same. He has added to the improvements already on the place, and also to his land, until now he has three hundred acres.

When he first came to the county Council Bluffs (then called Kanesville) was their nearest postoffice and trading point. Upon one occasion CARVALHO had to make three trips there with ox-teams to get a plow; he obtained the necessary irons and had to do the woodwork after he got home. In the winter of 1854-55 he attended school in a house on what is known as the William DAKAN farm, in Union Township, the same being a subscription school, and J. B. MCCURLY being the teacher.

Our subject was born in Holmes County, Ohio, May 9, 1842, and in 1846 his mother died, and a year later he went to live with Charles CARVALHO; in 1853 they left Steuben County, Indiana, with ox-teams enroute for Harrison County, Iowa. As has been related before, our subject remained with CARVALHO until 1871, when he left him in California, and came back to Harrison County.

He was married October 19, 1870, having returned from Caifornia on a visit. He married Miss Fannie LONGMAN, by whom six children have been born -- Daniel A., born in California, Harold B., Nellie A., Minnie M., Benjamin F., and Alice E.

Fannie (LONGMAN) DIVELBESS was born in England June 14, 1846, and came with her parents to America in 1851, living with her parents in Harrison County until the date of her marriage.

Daniel S. DIVELBESS, father of our subject, was of German origin, but he was born in Pennsylvania about 1810, and died in Steuben County, Ind., in September, 1871. The mother, Rosella (PHENICE) DIVELBESS, was born in Pennsylvania about 1815, and remained there until married. She died in Steuben County, Ind., in 1846. They were the parents of six children, our subject being the fourth.

Politically, Mr. DIVELBESS is a Republican, and his father was a Whig. His brothers are scattered thoughout the country, two living in Kansas, one in California, and one was killed at Petersburg, Va., in 1864.

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