For
Muscatine County Iowa
1879
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1879 | |
Here is what the abbreviations in the bios stand for: far: farm; Co.: company or county; dir: dealer; IVA: Iowa Volunteer Artillery; IVC: Iowa Volunteer Cavalry; IVI: Iowa Volunteer Infantry; P.O.: Post Office; S. or Sec.: section; and st.: street.
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Biographical Section, 1879, page 651
J. A. PYEATT, machinist and steamboat engineer, Nichols; born Sept. 6, 1822, in St. Louis; in 1836, commenced learning the blacksmith, Machinist and engineer's trade at Gaty's Foundry in St. Louis; in 1842, engaged as engineer on the steamer Bowling Green, under Capt. John J. Rowe; the following spring of 1843, she ran on a rock at the mouth of Osage River and sunk; crew all got off safely, soon after, went on the Pearl, running on the Illinois River, since which time, he has run on the Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio and all their navigable tributaries except Red River; most of the time on the Missouri River; was on the steamer Columbus in 1850, as engineer, when she collapsed her flues and blew out, killing and wounding about twenty persons; in 1857-58, followed farming near St. Louis, then went down to De Soto, Mo., on the Iron Mountain Railroad, where he worked at blacksmithing, and commenced building a steam grist-mill, but, on account of war, had to suspend; in 1862, engaged in the employ of Captain Eads in building gunboats at Carondelet; in 1864, again went on the river as engineer; in 1868, came to Muscatine on the ferry-boat Northern Illinois, which he ran for seven years, and the Ida May one year; since then, ran on the Diamond Jo most of two seasons. Married Miss Pina W. Lendrum, of Grayson Co., Ky., Nov. 27, 1847; she was born Sept. 22, 1823, in Madison County, Ky.; have an adopted son--Oliver Reynolds Pyeatt, a son of his wife's sister, whose mother died when he was about a year old. Mr. P. is the only one left of three or four engineers on the river who commenced when he did; he now owns a residence in Muscatine, valued at $2,000; is at present in company with his brother-in-law, J. W. Lendrum, running the St. Nichols Hotel. Member of M. E. Church.
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