Pg 509

         R. H. TODD is a son of Robert and Mary (Sturgeon) Todd. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., March 15, 1829, and received a very fair education in the select schools of his native city. Outside of school life he was engaged in farming and mercantile pursuits until 1854, when with his father’s family he came to Iowa and located at Muscatine, where he remained for one year, and then removed to Louisa County. With the exception of two years spent in the grocery business at Newton, Iowa, he has here since continued to reside. Elizabeth J. Bliven, daughter of Nathan and Lucinda (Wheelock) Bliven, was born in Ohio, in Meigs County, Sept. 12, 1836, and is of English descent. In 1837, when an infant, she came with her parents to Louisa County, Iowa, and her early life was spent in the immediate vicinity of Columbus . . .

Pg 510

. . . Junction. Her education was acquired in the schools of her adopted county. R. H. Todd and Elizabeth J. Bliven were united in marriage Jan. 1, 1856.

Oliver Sherman Todd, the fourth child of R. H. and Elizabeth J. Todd, was born in Louisa County, Iowa, Dec. 12, 1864, and pursued the ordinary life of a farmer boy, doing farm work in summer and attending school in winter, until 1882, when he entered the Eastern Iowa Normal School, which he attended at intervals until June, 1887, when he completed the commercial course. He began learning the printer’s trade in the office of the Columbus Gazette the following autumn, where he was employed until about April 1, 1888, when he took a position in the office of the Muscatine Journal, which he soon relinquished to purchase an interest in the Columbus Safeguard, and has since been one of its editors and proprietors. He is a young man of fine ability, an easy and fluent writer, and is making a success of his chosen profession.