Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 706
ALFRED B. PUGH

Alfred B. PUGH, one of the successful farmers of Union Township, residing on section 6, has been a resident of Harrison County for a third of a century. He first settled on the John ROGERS place, LaGrange Township, where he leased land for one season, and then purchased fifty acres, comprising a part of his present farm. At that time, he was living with his parents; his father purchased near by, and the land is a part of his present farm. Our subject remained with his father until he had reached the years of his majority. He built a log cabin upon his land, and kept bachelor's hall there for one year, and in 1862, added one hundred acres to this farm. He broke and grubbed until he has eighty-five acres of that land under cultivation. His log cabin was torn away, and he erected a house, 16x24 feet, with a wing, 14x16 feet on the site of his old cabin home, which was burned in February, 1872. Since then he has added to his house, and built a barn, 30x40 feet, with a granary, 16x18 feet; a carriage house, 20x24 feet; put in a pair of scales; dug three wells; erected a wind-mill and made numerous other improvements. His present farm comprises two hundred and eighteen acres, ninety-seven of which are under cultivation. The place has an orchard of six hundred bearing trees, which are a source of annual revenue to our subject.

Mr. PUGH was born in Campbell County, Va., March 27, 1840, the son of David and Eliza (HUTCHINSON) PUGH, who were the parents of 10 children--Reis G., deceased; Mary J., deceased; Martha A., deceased; George, deceased; Charles, deceased; John T., deceased; Esther, Alfred B., Jonathan G. and Harriet, deceased.

Our subject with his parents moved to Greenbrier County, the old Dominion State, where he remained until they came to Harrison County.

Our subject was united in marriage November 8, 1863, to Nancy L. KNIGHT, daughter of Houston and Elizabeth KNIGHT, natives of Indiana, who reared a family of eleven children, our subject's wife being the seventh. Mr. and Mrs. PUGH are the parents of the following children--Charles D., Mary J., Martha A., William G., deceased; Andrew C., deceased; Aubrie B., John W., deceased; Jessie H., Bessie H., deceased and Frank, deceased. Four of these children are living in Iowa and one in California.

Our subject has passed through four grasshopper seasons, two of which were destructive; also had his crops injured by hail storms.

He is a member of the Odd Fellows order, Logan Lodge, No. 355 and both he and his good wife are acceptable members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Harris Grove, and are active members of the same.

Mr. PUGH has possessed a much greater tract of land since his residence in the county, which has been distributed among his children as follows: each of his daughters he has given seventy acres and sold to his son-in-law seventy acres.

He has had many reverses in the way of sickness, which has cost him many hundreds of dollars.

Politically, he is a Democrat, and is now on his fourth term as Justice of the Peace. He is a Notary Public; has been Treasurer of the School Board and held other offices of minor import.

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