Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 932
CHAMBERS HESTER

Chambers HESTER The man who heads this sketch, and who is a farmer of section 15, of clay Township, was born in Brown County, Ohio, May 17, 1838. His parents were Stephen A. and Sarah A. (BARNES) HESTER, both natives of Kentucky. In 1838 they left Ohio and moved to Montgomery County, Ind., remained for two years and then came to Des Moines County, Iowa. After a four years' residence there, they moved to Jones County, and remained until the spring of 1853, and came to Kanesville, now council Bluffs, remained until the fall and then came to Harrison County, locating on section 22, of clay Township.

Upon coming to the county they had nothing but a team of horses and a wagon. They liked the country very much and made arrangements with Cassady & Test, a money loaning firm of Council Bluffs, to borrow money enough to enter a half section of land.

The firm furnished the money and gave a bond for a deed; in this land our subject had a one-third interest. It was timber land, and in the spring of 1854 they made arrangements with Thomas A. Dennis to bring in a sawmill, and go in company with him in the land, as well as in the mill. They sent to St. Louis for the mill, and in coming up the Missouri River it was thought the boat would sink, and they commenced throwing things overboard, including much of the mill machinery. The boiler they corked up and rolled into the river, and it floated and was thus saved. In the summer of 1855 this mill was in operation, but was burned in the autumn of 1856; however, the machinery was not injured except the wood-work and saws. This was the first mill located in Clay Township.

Our subject sold his share in the mill in the fall of 1855, after which he followed various things. He bought a few calves, put up some hay and remained at home with his father until the fall of 1858. He entered eighty acres of land which belonged to the county, the same being heavily timbered. In 1862 he purchased forty acres more of county land on section 23, where he built a log house, and subsequently erected a frame house 16 x 24 feet, which burned a few years later, and was replaced by another 16x30 feet, with additions. His farm now consists of one hundred and seventy acres. In 1883, in order to give his children better educational advantages, Mr. Hester moved to Blair, Neb., where he remained four years, and then moved to his present place, upon which he erected a house that year.

Concerning our subject's domestic life, it may be stated that he was united in marriage in Clay Township, in December 1859, to Miss Sarah J. SHARPNACK, the daughter of Samuel and Lucretia (LONG) SHARPNACK. Our subject and his wife are the parents of seven children � Jasper A., Laura L., Minnie M. (deceased), Levi F., Cancey A., Bertie C., Rena A.M.

Sarah J. (SHARPNACK) HESTER was born in Wetzel County, Va., and when quite small accompanied her parents to Harrison County, Iowa. She passed from the scenes of this life August 22, 1885. She was a member of the Advent Church.

Mr. HESTER married for his second wife Miss Clara HATCHER, with whom he experienced an incompatibility which caused a separation within a few months. June 28, 1891, he was united to Miss Sarah SHARLEY.

Politically our subject is a Democrat, and in religious belief and profession he and his wife are members of the Free Methodist Church.

Our subject's father left Harrison County about 1882, then moved to Washington County, Neb., where he subsequently died. The mother died in Burt County, Neb., and the remains of both parents are buried in the Blair Cemetery.

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