Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 343
JAMES HANER

James HANER, ranks among the earliest settlers of Harrison County, emigrating with his father, William HANER, arriving November 8, 1854. He located on section 3, of La Grange Township, where he rented land for one year. He traded a yoke of oxen for forty acres of land in Union Township, and on this place remained until the spring of 1857, and for two years rented land, then traded for one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 26, and a small house at Reeder's Mills, which had belonged to Norman SQUIRES. On this place they remained until William HANER died October 5, 1859, after which his property was divided, and of this, James received $75. Three years before his father's death, James commenced working at the blacksmith's trade at Reeder's Mills, then known as "Hardscratch," and followed that for a livelihood. In the fall of 1864 he went to Warren County, Iowa, remained two years, and then returned to Harrison County and settled at Mondamin, building the first blacksmith shop in the place, in the summer of 1867. In 1872 he returned to Reeder's Mills and resumed blacksmithing and the next year was made postmaster, and in 1874, built an addition to his blacksmith shop, and put in a stock of groceries which he still retails.

Mr. HANER was married in Harrison County January 1, 1860, to Sarah M. LOSS, a native of the State of New York, born December 7, 1843, and the daughter of Benjamin B., and Almira (REYNOLDS) LOSS. Mr. and Mrs. HANER are the parents of seven children -- William B., born November 13, 1860; Almira J., December 25, 1862 and died October 16, 1864; Mary A., born February 20, 1865 and died June 5, 1884; Charles A., born August 22, 1867; Anna, September 26, 1869; Inez E., June 27, 1871; and Warren W., November 1, 1873.

Our subject was born in McLean County, Ill., January 18, 1836, and is the youngest son of a family of seven children. He is the son of William and Mary (STEELE) HANER.

At an early age when this family of whom we now write were pioneering, their nearest trading point was Council Bluffs, to which they went fifty-six times, fifty times of which were made with ox teams. Our subject's father had two yoke of oxen and a horse team. Like most of the early settlers in this portion of Iowa, this family passed through many hardships. Soon after coming to the county, MR. HANER entered eighty acres of land, and as the "Club Law" was in effect at that time, members of the club called upon Mr. HANER and told him that he must relinquish his claim, and they threatened to come blackened, to which he replied as there were no negroes in the country that if they came to molest him he had three guns in the house, and he would find out who three of their number were. They afterward called upon him with a rope to hang him, so he finally made the deed for the land.

Politically Mr. HANER affiliates with the Democratic party, having voted with them since arriving at his majority. He has held office of School Director and Treasurer for many years, retiring five years ago as Director but was Treasurer until Sept 21, 1891. In 1872 he was made postmaster at Reeder's Mills, under a Republican administration, and has held the office ever since, with the exception of three months. In connection with his store and post-office, he still follows the blacksmithing trade to some extent.

Both he and his wife have been members of the Latter Day Saints church (the Logan branch) since July, 1878.

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