Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 643
JOHN W. STOCKER

Among the numerous soldiers of the Civil War who became leading business factors in Logan, Iowa, is numbered the former well-known citizen whose name heads this article. His was a busy career. He came to Harrison county in March, 1857, when this country was almost a wilderness, locating at Little Sioux, where he followed carpentering. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-ninth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, serving his country until 1865. He was promoted to first lieutenant, and during his long residence in this county was familiarly known as Captain STOCKER.

Upon returning home at the close of the was Captain STOCKER purchased an interest in the Woodbine woolen-mills, which he later sold to John Dally and settled at Magnolia, where he engaged in the furniture trade. In 1866 he was elected clerk of the courts. He farmed in section 11 of Magnolia township for a time, and then moved to the new county seat, Logan. He made a trip through the west in 1877. He returned and engaged in buying stock and grain; also in the grocery trade and handled many apples in car load lots.

To retrace his steps it should be stated that Captain STOCKER was born in Vermont in 1835, the son of a Methodist minister. At the age of thirteen years young STOCKER was bereft of his mother and was bound out to learn the miller's trade. Not liking this he ran away from his master and engaged himself to work in the woolen mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. He next is heard of in Buchanan county, Iowa, running a farm and selling corn at twelve cents and wheat at thirty cents the bushel.

Captain STOCKER was much attached to the Grand Army Post at Logan and was an enterprising citizen. Under President Benjamin Harrison he received the appointment of postmaster at Logan, which position he filled acceptably and well until the election of President Cleveland when he had to step down and out. In a few years his health declined and he died September 7, 1893.

Return to 1915 Biographical S Surnames Index

Back to 1915 Biographies Index