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 621
JOSIAH P. WALTON, architect and builder, residence No. 39 East Eighth st., is a native of New Ipswich, Hillsboro Co., N. H., and was born Feb. 26, 1826; when 12 years of age, his parents emigrated to Iowa and settled in Muscatine Co.; the family arrived here in June, 1838; he was brought up on a farm; at the age of 22 years, he came to Muscatine and learned the carpenter's trade; in the fall of 1849, he began business for himself as architect and builder; the high-school buildings of Muscatine and Wilton, the Episcopal Church, the large mansion of B. Hershey, Esg., besides many others in Muscatine were built by him from plans of his own devising; he has taken meteorological observations for the Smithsonian Institution and the War Department for the past fifteen years, and has now in his possession the oldest continuos records of this kind in the State of Iowa, commencing in 1839. He was one of the Trustees of the Library Association of Muscatine for several years, and one of the organizers of the Scientific Club. In 1864, he was appointed by Gov. Kirkwood to receive the vote of the 37th I. V. I. for President and State officers. Mr. Walton was one of the twelve men who signed the call for the first Republican Convention of the State of Iowa. He married June 2, 1857, Miss Mary E. Barrows, of Oneida Co., N. Y., a graduate of the Liberal Institute of Clinton, N. Y., they have three daughters-- Alice B., Lilly P., Mary O.; the two eldest are graduates of the city High School, and have given much attention to the study of Entomology, Botany and Natural History; they have accumulated one of the finest collections of entomological specimens in the West, and are enthusiasts in this department of science; Miss Alice B., the eldest daughter, is the author of the chapter on Entomology in this volume, and her father, author of the chapter on the climate.
Back to Biographical Index Page