Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 596
THOMAS MAGNET

Thomas MAGNET, a farmer located on section 8, of Allen Township, has had a checkered career and seen more than the average amount of hardships co-incident to pioneer life. He came to Harrison County just at the breaking out of the Civil War. That the reader may have a more intelligent view of the subject of this sketch, it should be said that he was born in France, in March, 1823. His parents were Thomas and Mary MAGNET, whose birthplace was France. They had four children--John, Thomas, Catharine and Marion. Our subject, Thomas, came to America when twenty years of age, landing at New Orleans; remained there two winters, and summered in St. Louis, and was a trader with the Indians for a fur company in St. Louis. He was employed by this company for two years, then spent one winter in New Orleans, and then came to Harrison County. He was married in 1861, at New Orleans, to Caroline MOSHNEL, the daughter of John and Ann MOSHNEL, of France, who were the parents of four children--Celestine, Josephine, Odel and Caroline. Mrs. MAGNET's father was a soldier under Bonaparte for fourteen years.

Mr. and Mrs. MAGNET are the parents of five children, born as follows: Paul, born March 28, 1862; Charles, September 25, 1872; Arthur, July 4, 1875; Henry, December 8, 1878; Aleck, January 12, 1881. All are living in Harrison County, except Paul, who is in the Black Hills. Our subject and his family are members of the Roman Catholic Church.

When our subject came to Harrison County, he settled in St. John's Township, on Honey Creek, where he bought forty acres of land of George MCGAVREN, for which he paid $200. He came in poor, and did not have a pair of shoes to wear. He had plenty of meat and flour, but says he did not have five cents in money in three years. That was at a time when the farmers did not use steam threshing-machines and ride in buggies. He could see steamboats ply the waters of the Missouri River every day.

Game was plenty, but there was no money to be had. He remained here four years, went to Missouri and lived a year, returned and went to work near Missouri Valley, where he rented a forty-are farm and continued to labor for three years, and then came to Allen Township, where he purchased forty acres of land on section 17, and there lived for eight years. We next find our subject in the Black Hills, remained one year, after which he returned and purchased the farm, consisting of eighty acres, which he now occupies, and sixty four acres of timber and pasture land on section 5. He built a barn, set out an orchard of one hundred and thirty-three trees, planted out a beautiful grove, and has remained here ever since.

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