Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 778
JOHN W. HILLMAN

Many of the best families of Harrison county, Iowa are residents of Clay township. Among these John W. HILLMAN, who has lived in this county since 1856, has been a witness of the growth of the county from its earliest beginning down to the present time. He how has a fine farm in Clay township, which he has acquired as the result of his own individual efforts, and here he raises fine live stock of various kinds. He is also found of wild animals, and intends to stock his farm with buffalo and black-tailed deer.

John W. HILLMAN, the son of Benjamin A. and Martha M. (ESSLEY) HILLMAN, was born on February 1, 1849, in Madison county, Iowa, near Wintersett. His parents were both natives of Ohio and of English and German descent, respectively. Shortly after John W. HILLMAN was born, the family moved to Illinois, where his father died in 1855. In 1854 his mother located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, at a time when there was only one store and a hotel in the place. Later the mother moved to Magnolia, in Harrison county, to make her home with her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Essley. However, John W. remained in Council Bluffs, or Kanesville, as it was then called, with one of his uncles for two years, after which he came to Harrison county and has since made this his home. As he was only nine years of age when he came to this county, he received the greater portion of his education in the local subscription schools of that early period, which were held only two or three months each year. A few years after coming to this county his mother remarried and Mr. HILLMAN then made his home with his mother and stepfather until he was thirteen years old. He then left home to make his own way in the world. He worked out on farms in the immediate vicinity, although he also did logging and split railway ties for the Union Pacific Railway Company. He also broke a great deal of prairie land, using four and five yoke of oxen at a time. During his younger years every one drove oxen, even to the wagons when they went to church.

In 1871, the year after his marriage, Mr. HILLMAN rented seventy acres of land northeast of Logan, but after living on this for four years he bought eighty acres of land seven miles northeast of Logan, and on this farm he lived for nineteen years, but in the meantime had bought two hundred and forty acres in sections 21 and 22 in Clay township. It was heavily timbered land and he had to clear a place in order to build his house. He built a large seven-room house, a good barn, granaries, cribs, etc., and gradually cleared and brought his farm under cultivation. In 1894 he sold his farm near Logan and moved to his farm in Clay township, where he has since lived. He carries on general farming and stock raising and makes a specialty of Shorthorn cattle, Poland-China hogs and full-blooded Plymouth Rock chickens. At one time he was very much interested in the raising of thoroughbred running horses and made a success of this line of business, but later retired from this line of activity.

On his farm he left about fifteen acres of heavily timbered land, around which he now has a high wire fence, and in this he has the only herd of native deer to be found in the county, and, as has been before stated, he intends to stock this preserve with buffalo and wild game of all kinds.

Mr. HILLMAN was married on July 17, 1870, to Mary M. KIRK, who was born on January 4, 1851, in Jefferson township, Harrison county, a daughter of Jacob and Amelia (SMOTHERS) Kirk, natives of Tennessee and Ohio, respectively. To this union have been born six children: Clara, Fred, Jacob A., Geneva, Jesse and Hugh. All of the children are now married and rearing families of their own, with the exception of Hugh, who is teaching school and still makes his home with his parents. Clara is the wife of Sherman Lockling, a farmer of Taylor township, and has three children Edith, William and Blanche. Fred, who lives in Oklahoma, married Martha Dickinson, and has three children, Florence, Clarence and Mary. Jacob, who lives in Modale, married Hattie Thomas, and has five children, Mary N., Earl, Kattie, Vera and Beryl. Geneva is the wife of John Beeman, a farmer living near Mondamin, and has five children, Orval, Beulah, Thelma, Kenneth and Cecil. Jesse married Mattie Logan, and lives near Modale. He has three children, Opal, Vesta and Helen.

Mr. HILLMAN is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is independent in politics and votes for the best man without regard to the party to which he belongs. During his long residence in this county, Mr. HILLMAN has so conducted himself and his affairs as to merit the high esteem in which he is held by all who know him.

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