Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1889

Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 573
EDWARD W. DENTON, a farmer, residing on section 15 of Bloomington Township, is a native of Orange County, N. Y., where he was born in 1833. His family is of Scottish origin, and was founded in this country by his great-great-grandparents, who emigrated from Scotland to Long Island in 1690. His parents were H.E. and A. ( Little ) Denton, and were natives of the State of New York. They were the parents of eight children, of whom E. W. was third in order of birth. Mr. Denton, the father of our subject, was a farmer by occupation, and emigrated to Muscatine County, Iowa, in 1855, and settled on section 15, Bloomington Township, where he bought eighty acres of unimproved land, which he transformed into one of the best cultivated farms in the township. He resided there until the time of his death, which occurred in 1873, at the age of seventy-five years. His good wife survived him four years, and died in 1877, aged seventy-six years.

At Muscatine, Iowa on the 24th of August, 1864, Mr. E.W.Denton was united in marriage with Miss Rose A. Farnsworth, who was born in this county, and is a daughter of Aziel and Ann ( Shepard ) Farnsworth, who were early pioneers of Muscatine County. Mr. Farnsworth was a native of the Green Mountain State, and left his home in Vermont when but a lad and went to the State of New York, where he grew to manhood, and in 1833, married Miss Ann Shepard, who was a native of that State. In 1836 he removed to Iowa, and entered Government land, in Sweetland Township, which he afterward bought at a Government land sale held at Burlington in 1839. Mrs. Farnsworth died in Sweetland Township at the age of thirty-eight, and rests in a quiet country grave not far from her former prairie-home. Mr. Farnsworth spent the latter years of his useful life in California, and died there Dec. 13, 1885, aged seventy-six years. He was an earnest, faithful, Christian, and went down like a shock of corn, fully ripe.

Mr. and Mrs. Denton are the parents of seven children, only five of whom are living, viz ; Horace, who is in Montana ; G. Albert, Erminia F., C. Arthur ( Ruby ), and Jasper J., are yet at home.

Mr. Denton is a successful farmer, and has increased the old homestead to 200 acres ; has built a comfortable and cozy house, where he dispenses genuine hospitality, and welcomes many friends. He raises considerable fine stock, in which he takes a special pride. He is a member od Hawkeye Lodge No. 30, A. F.& A. M. He is a social genial gentleman, who enjoys the confidence and respect of his acquaintances, and moves around with the air of one who is pretty well satisfied with his surroundings generally.

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