Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 761
HENRY GARNER

Henry GARNER, one of the most prosperous farmers in Raglan Township, residing on section 34, came to Harrison County in March, 1861, which was a month before the Civil War commenced. He first located on the farm he now occupies, consisting of two hundred acres of partly improved land. There was a small log house upon the place 14 x 16 feet, seven feet high. This humble cabin home did good service as a residence for four years. In the fall of 1865 he erected a brick house from brick which he burned himself, the same being 36 feet square and two stories high. He also built a barn, 30 x 40 feet, horse stables, cribbing, etc. He dug three wells, and erected three windmills; set out an orchard of 700 trees, together with shade trees. While the years have, one by one, been slipping away, this man has not been idle, for his landed possessions now aggregate 815 acres, 200 being under the plow, while the balance is in pasture, meadow, and timber land. Mr. GARNER has seen much of the hard times co-incident to pioneer days in Harrison County, being here, as he was, ahead of the railroads, and through the grasshopper years.

He was born July 13, 1827, in North Carolina. His parents were David and Jane GARNER, natives of North Carolina, whose children were as follows: George, Phillip, Sarah, Nancy, Elizabeth, William, David, John, Eliza, Henry and Marinda. All are deceased except William and Henry.

Our subject lived in North Carolina until seven years of age, when his parents removed to Adams County, Ill., where they engaged at farming and remained there until the spring of 1846, and then came to Council Bluffs, Iowa. At this time our subject was twenty years of age. Land was not yet in the market, but he "squatted" on a piece of land which he afterwards pre-empted. He improved this land and lived upon it until he came to Harrison County. He was there during the hard snow winter of 1856-57. In 1846, after landing at Council Bluffs, they received orders from the Government to not let any of the settlers cross the Missouri River until they raised 500 men as soldiers for the Mexican War. This number of men was raised and placed under the command of Col. Kane. Our subject had three brothers who enlisted, leaving their families in tents on the east bank of the Missouri River. It will be remembered that this was at a very early day, when Iowa was yet a Territory, with Indians on every hand, and was, verily, the times that tried men's souls.

Mr. GARNER was united in marriage February 16, 1851, to Anna M. MAHONEY, born April 16, 1833, and the daughter of Stephen MAHONEY, who was a native of Maryland, and whose family consisted of the following children: Rachel, Ann, Harriet E., deceased; Theodore, James; Jerry, William, and Joseph, deceased, and Elizabeth.

Oy subject and his wife are the parents of fourteen children, twelve of whom are living. They were born and named in the following order: Amanda J., November 24, 1851; Margaret E., December 8, 1852; William F., March 5, 1854; George W., April 11, 1855; Harriet E., April 5, 1856; Melissa C., December 30, 1857; Philip John, November 11, 1859; Stephen H., deceased, born March 1, 1862; Eva, deceased, born March 1, 1864; Sarah E., and Mary E. (twins), born April 17, 1866; James, June 21, 1868; Ella Bertha, July 29, 1871, and Minnie M., October 4, 1874.

Politically, Mr. GARNER is identified with the Democratic Party, and has held the office of County Supervisor, School Director, and School Treasurer. Both he and his wife are members of the Latter Day Saints Church.

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