Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 319
WILLIAM EVANS

William EVANS, of section 18, of Douglas township, by reason of having settled in Harrison county, during the month of July, 1855, may justly be called an early settler. He located in Twelve-Mile Grove, Boyer Township, where he entered one hundred and twenty-four acres of land. They lived there until about 1864, when they rented a farm which he tilled until 1865. During the year 1862, the war-cloud of the great Civil War appeared in all its blackness, and the threats of secession aroused the patriotism of every loyal man. Volunteers were called for and one of the number was our subject, who became a member of Company H. of the Fifteenth Iowa Infantry. He enlisted in February, 1862, and was discharged in March, 1863, on account of disability. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Iuka, Miss. Corinth, Miss., at which place he met with a narrow escape, a rebel bullet grazing his chin enough to start the blood. He came home and found his wife fast fading away with that dreaded disease, consumption, of which she died the following autumn. For two years after the death of his wife he rented land, doing his own housekeeping for himself and four children, after which he went to Bedford County, Pa., remained one year, and then retraced his steps to Harrison County and bought the farm he now lives upon.

Mr. Evans was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., February 7, 1826, where he lived until the fall of 1846, and then went to Michigan, staying near Detroit, Kalamazoo, and other points until 1855, which was the date of his coming to Harrison County.

He was married to Mrs. Nancy PHILLIPS, whose maiden name was FARNSWORTH. This marriage occurred in Harrison County, Iowa, in July, 1856. Three children were born by this union; James H., born June 1, 1857; John W., May 28, 1859; and Hulda A., September 15, 1862.

He married his second wife, Miss Hester BECKLEY, in Bedford County, Pa. February 15, 1872.

Politically, our subject is a member of the Republican party, and in his religious convictions is a Methodist.

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