Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1889

Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 465
WILLIAM J. PHILLIPS, one of the pioneers of Muscatine County, Iowa, of 1839, was born in Augusta County, Va., in the year 1827. He is a son of Andrew B. and Eliza ( Meek ) Phillips, who were also natives of Augusta County. The father engaged in agricultural pursuits, and in 1839, accompanied by his family, emigrated from his old home to Muscatine County, locating on what is now section 3, Wapsinonoc Township. For twelve years he resided on that farm, and then removed to the farm which continued to be his home until his death, which occurred in 1883, at the advanced age of eighty years. Politically he was a supporter of the Democratic party, and in his death the county lost one of its best citizens. His wife, who is a member of the Christian Church, and a most estimable lady, is still living in Wapsinonoc Township. They had a family of eight children, all of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, William J., of this sketch, being the eldest ; John, who is engaged in carpentering in Clinton, Iowa ; George, a farmer of Wapsinonoc Township ; Solomon, who resides in the same township ; Noah, a resident of Wapsinonoc Township ; Preston, who is located at Atchison, Kan.; Ann, wife of William Pool, a resident farmer of Wapsinonoc Township ; and Eliza, wife of Charles Stafford, whose home is in Denver Colo.

Our subject was reared to farm life. and since his thirteenth year has been a resident of Muscatine County. In 1848 he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Hunter, a daughter of Samuel Hunter,and of their union three children have been born :Chester, who is engaged in farming in Wapsinonoc Township ; Alice, who became the wife of John Pollock, died in 1886 ; and Anna, wife of Joseph Pringey, was called to her final home in in 1884. Both parents are members of the Christian Church, and Muscatine County contains no better citizens. In his political sentiments Mr. Phillips is a Democrat, and socially, is a member of the I.O.O.F. Systematic and progressive, everything about his well-cultivated farm, which comprises 120 acres, denotes thrift and enterprise, and he is numbered among the leading farmers of the community. Mr. Phillips is one of the early settlers of Muscatine County. For a half-century he has been identified with its history, has witnessed almost its entire growth and development, has seen its broad, uncultivated prairies transformed into beautiful homes and farms, its villages rapidly becoming cities, until now scarcely a relic of pioneer days remains.

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