Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 333
LUKE JEFFERSON

Luke JEFFERSON was a member of the vanguard of civilization, who kindled his camp fire and set his stakes to remain in Harrison County, May 4, 1853, settling at Twelve-Mile Grove, Douglas Township; and by reason of his long residence his earlier and later prominence in the county is here given space for a notice concerning himself and family.

He was born June 24, 1827, in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, and when five years of age, with his parents, emigrated to America, landing in New York harbor in March, 1832, and went to Troy, remained two years and in 1834 removed to Portage County, Ohio, where they lived three years and then removed to Marion County, of that State, where the father died after arriving there.

Our subject remained with his mother until September 2, 1852, when they started for Iowa but halted in Macon County, Ill., and wintered there, coming on to Iowa in the spring. They made the journey from Ohio, crossing the great prairie States, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa with teams. While wintering in Illinois he renewed the acquaintance of Miss Mary A. FARNSWORTH with whom he had been acquainted in the Buckeye State, and believing that he would surely be in need of a faithful companion in the far west, to which point he was enroute, he made a certain practical proposition to her by which she became his wife, the marriage ceremony being performed September 16, 1852, and as this good helpmate will necessarily be closely connected with this sketch and all that pertains to it we will pause here to introduce the reader to their family of seven children -- John W., born July 17, 1853; Olive L., March 29, 1855; Phoebe, February 5, 1857; Thomas F., August 13, 1859; Mary H. C., March 31, 1861; Samuel L., March 23, 1863; Emma M., March 31, 1865; Emma died in infancy.

Mrs. JEFFERSON was a native of Ohio, born in Marion County, September 2, 1831, and twenty years later accompanied her parents to Macon County, Ill., where, as above stated, she married Mr. JEFFERSON and was true and faithful to her sacred vows until she died December 31, 1882.

Upon coming to this county our subject settled on a place on section 31, Douglas Township, the land was, however not yet in the market, but he claimed eighty acres upon which he lived until 1855, when he removed to the southeast quarter of section 26, of Boyer Township, which he had previously entered. On section 31, he had broken twenty acres and built a log cabin or rather moved it to that spot, as it was one that had been rudely constructed by the Mormons. On section 26, he built a frame building, designed for a stable eventually, but lived in it one summer while he was building his present residence which is a two-story frame house 30x34 feet, with a kitchen and wood-house added. The other buildings of the place consist of barns, graneries, corncribs, etc. His farm consists of three hundred and sixty acres in one body where he lives, and three hundred and fifty-three acres in Douglas Township. His farm with its substantial improvements and good location makes it among the desirable places in the county.

When Mr. Jefferson came to the county he was a poor man and had but one team and a cow which he bought in the Eastern part of Iowa and if the reader should visit his broad acres of to-day with all their charming surroundings he would know for a truth that his has been a life full of hard labor and good management. Politically Mr. Jefferson casts his vote with the Republican party.

Return to 1891 Biographical J Surnames Index

Back to 1891 Biographies Index