Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 533
BENSON JACKSON

Benson JACKSON, one of the early pioneers of Dunlap, came to the county in March, 1868. Upon coming to the county, he entered the employ of Story & Smith, hardware merchants, with whom he remained for three years, and in March, 1870, he embarked in business for himself, opening up a hardware and tin-store, and in August, 1873, he formed a partnership with Mitchell & Laub, with whom he was associated for four months, under the firm name of B. Jackson & Co. He then assumed full control, when the firm was consolidated under the name B. Jackson, and in 1879 he sold to D. P. Simmons & Co., and removed to his farm, three miles south of Dunlap, on sections 23 and 24, of Harrison Township, where he spent two years making improvements upon a farm which now contains four hundred and forty acres.

In the autumn of 1881, he returned to Dunlap and in the spring of 1882 he was engaged in the lumber business, in Montana, and that fall sold and formed a partnership with A. I. McMartin, purchasing the lumber business of Olmstead Brothers, at Dunlap, including the grain business. The elevator at that time only contained four bins, and was run by horse power, but has since been rebuilt and remodeled by Mr. JACKSON, until it has a capacity of fifteen thousand bushels. In 1883 he had charge of the business alone, and a year later, disposed of the lumber department, and after two years, repurchased the lumber yard of Pierce & Wells, and again assumed full control. But almost immediately sold the same to A. I. McMartin, after which our subject devoted his entire attention to grain and livestock, together with his farm interests, and at present nearly has control of the grain business at Dunlap. He has handled as high as three hundred car loads of grain in one season.

He has always been one of the active business men of the place, and as a reward now possesses several excellent farms, one located on sections 7 and 8, Harrison Township, of three hundred and twenty acres; a fractional "eighty" on section 6, and eighty acres on section 36, of Willow Township, Monona County; also one hundred and twenty acres in Grove Township, Shelby County; and two hundred and forty-one acres in Crawford County, a part of section 32-3 of Union Township. The last two pieces adjoin on the county line, and this he calls his "Grove Farm." In all, he possesses twelve hundred and seventy acres of land. And the strange part of all this accumulation is found in the fact that when he first struck Harrison County, the total amount of his exchequer was $27.40. He first set foot in Dunlap, at three o'clock in the morning, and commenced work the same day, at carpentering, as his tin-shop was not yet completed. But soon everything was in readiness for his bench work. He started in at $3.00 per day, and from the very outset commenced to accumulate, and has never allowed a good trade to go by, and when he could not get the cash would take such quadrupeds as horses, calves and pigs. He is a close figurer and a shrewd, intelligent, business man as his success will attest.

Our subject is a native of Upper Canada, born in the County of Dundass, January 7, 1846. He was reared in Canada, and his early life passed on a farm. He recieved his education in the public schools, and at the age of sixteen went to learn the tinners' trade, in a large establishment. On account of his education he was soon given the management of affairs, which gave him a good business schooling. In January, 1866, he came to the United States, taking a trip through the Eastern States, and finally landed in Williams County, Ohio, where he remained one winter, previous to his coming to Iowa. He landed April 21, 1867, and spent the summer in Clinton County, and from there to Cedar County, where he remained until the time of his coming to Dunlap.

Politically, our subject is a Republican, but is an avocate of free-trade. He belongs to the Masonic Order, being a member of Hospitable Lodge, No. 244, and Ark Chapter No. 89, and passed all the Chairs of the Blue Lodge, and is Captain of the Host, of the Chapter. He was the First Master Mason made in Dunlap.

Thanksgiving Day has a peculiar significance to our subject, and especially that of 1874, when he was united in marriage to Miss Josephine BRYAN, who was born in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. JACKSON are the parents of four children -- Lilian, Ray, Thomas J., and Gladys I.

The father of our subject, James JACKSON, was born in Canada June 30, 1813, on the same farm he now occupies. He is the son of James and Peggy (DORAN) JACKSON, natives of the north of Ireland and Holland, who settled near Albany, N.Y. There were three brothers who operated flatboats on the Hudson River, and when the Revolutionary War broke out the grandfather of our subject took sides with the British and moved to Canada, while the other two remained with the Federals, and it is supposed they drifted to Virginia.

The mother of our subject died November, 1890, at the age of seventy-six years. She and her husband were the parents of eight children -- Isaac A., a resident of Dunlap; James H., residing at Shaller, Iowa; Benson, our subject; Permillia E., deceased wife of Robert E. ROSE, of Dunlap; Charles E., of Harrison Township; Lovinia, wife of John A. STORY, residing in Canada; George A. and Edgar W. died in infancy.

In conclusion it only remains to be added that the above sketch, tracing the business ladder of this man's life, impresses the reader with the importance to be attaced to a youth learning a good trade and obtaining a good business education, which were the corner stones of this truly successful man's life.

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