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 632
SHEPHERD SMALLEY, Sec. 3; was born in Hamilton Co., Ohio, Aug. 12, 1817, where he remained, receiving as good an education as the Western schools of that early day afforded; in 1839, in company with his parents, came to and came to and settled in Bloomington (now Muscatine), where he has since resided, his father having died since, but his mother is still living in the city of Muscatine, now over 80 years of age; Mr. S. has lived for forty years on the site of his present fine dwelling, the original house that he built forty years ago making part of the same; in the same year he built his large barn, hauling the lumber fifty or sixty miles; it was the first barn of any size in the county, and still in a good state of preservation; Mr. S. erected his house and barn before the land was bought from the Government, which was rather adventurous. Feb. 19, 1845, he married Miss Minerva Drury, daughter of Isaiah Drury, one of the pioneers of Rock Island Co., Ill.; they have five children--William, Abraham, Priscilla (now Mrs. Hartman), Rhoda (now Mrs. Shield) and Frank. Mr. S. has held various important offices of trust and responsibility in the county and State; he was the first Drainage Commissioner appointed by the Governor for this part of Iowa, and was one of those who got an appropriation bill through the Legislature for a levee fund for Muscatine Co., and helped prosecute the work which made thousands of acres of land very valuable in Muscatine Co. that would otherwise have been worthless. Mr. S. is one of Iowa's early pioneers, and also one of Muscatine Co.'s most enterprising citizens, ready to help in every public enterprise. Mr. S. is a Democrat.
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