Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 615
JACOB MINTUN

Jacob MINTUN, who found his way from Salt Lake to Pottawattamie County, in 1852, and to Harrison County New Year's Day, 1854--thirty-seven years ago--is justly entitled to a biographical notice in this connection. His present home is on section 24, of Raglan Township. At first he bough a claim of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which had been built a log cabin, with five acres of breaking. He paid $1.25 per acre for this land, which he sold one year later.

The next two years he rented land in Taylor Township. He put in a shingle machine which he operated two years, and then went to the village of Magnolia, where he engaged in the grocery business and served as Postmaster under President James BUCHANAN's administration, and remained there until the spring of 1860. He then moved back to Raglan Township where he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of wild land. He built a house 24x32 feet; also built cribs, shedding, dug wells, and set out a small orchard, and has remained there ever since. He, like many another Harrison County farmer, has had his crops injured by the grasshopper plague, who in their infancy hopped about on one side of the farmer's field and chirped "in the wheat bye and bye"--and they were there to cut the ripening grain, while the husbandman frowned and paid an exorbitant price for his next year's see wheat. Our subject also encountered the deep snow winter of 1856-57, and endured his share of hardships co-incident with that season.

Mr. MINTUN was born in Ohio, May 18, 1828, and is a son of Matthew and Elsie MINTUN, natives of Pennsylvania, who were the parents of the following ten children:--Lemuel, Hezekiah, two who died in infancy, John, Lucinda, Hannah, Mehitable, Jacob, Maria. Only Hannah and Jacob survive.

Jacob lived in Ohio until ten years of age, when his parents moved to Lee County, Iowa, and remained eleven years. The father died in that county, after which Jacob went to Jefferson County, lived there three years, and then moved to Pottawattamie County, halted a year, and then came to this county.

Our subject was married in December, 1852, to Phebe A. LAMB, daughter of Emory W. and Mary LAMB, natives of Indiana, who were the parents of eight children--Charles W., Phebe A., Tryphena, Delora, Eliza, and Ellen. The mother of these children died in 1879, and in November 1881, Mr. MINTUN married Rachel L. STREETER, daughter of Morton and Myra STREETER, natives of Vermont, whose five children were as follows:--Rachel L., Porter L., Sarah, Dennis, and one deceased.

To Mr. MINTUN have been born these children--Mary E. (deceased), James F., Charles A. (deceased), Maria J., John W., Henry W. (deceased), Ida R., Vezuettie A., George E., Edward, Willey (deceased).

By Mr. MINTUN's second marriage were born--Morton L. (deceased), Flora (deceased), Carrie, Earl and Cora

. Mr. MINTUN was the second Sheriff of Harrison County, and was also Deputy Sheriff for a number of years. He belongs to Magnolia Lodge No. 126, A. F. & A. M.

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