Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1889

Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 262
WILLIAM VANATTA, a pioneer settler of Muscatine County, residing on section 1, Seventy-Six Township, was born in Beaver County, Pa., Nov 7, 1811. He is the son of James and Betsy ( Hull ) Vanatta, who were natives of Pennsylvania. The father was born in 1771, and died in 1837, at the age of sixty-six years. His wife was born in 1784, and died in 1868, aged eighty-four years. Mr. Vanatta was a farmer by occupation, and was also engaged for about twelve years in running a ferry across the Ohio River at Beaver. He and his wife were the parents of thirteen children, eight sons, and five daughters, three of whom died in infancy, four died after reaching maturity, and six are still living : Rachel, who is now eighty-four years of age, is the widow of Joshua Stern, of Mercer County, Ill.; Mary, who is eighty-two years of age, is the wife of John Day, formerly of Illinois, now living in Kansas, and who has been blind for sixteen years; William, our subject, is the next in order of birth, and was the twin brother of James, who died in 1886; Thomas, living in Jasper County, Iowa, is now in his seventy-second year ; Garshom, who is sixty-nine years of age, is a resident of Washington Territory; Eliza who is sixty-two years old, is the widow of Richard Kiddoo, and resides in Mercer County, Ill.

William Vanatta, our subject, spent the days of his childhood and youth upon his father's farm, remaining under the parental roof until the age of twenty-four. He was then united in marriage with Miss Matilda Brobeck, their union being celebrated March 19, 1835. This lady is a native of Virginia, born March 1, 1815, and is the second of a family of ten children, eight of whom are yet living, who were born to Phil and Margaret ( Baker ) Brobeck, natives of Germany. The young couple began their domestic life upon a farm of sixty acres situated on Crow's Island, in the Ohio River, where they resided for four years. At the expiration of that time they removed to Mercer County, Pa., where Mr. Vanatta purchased 100 acres of improved land. This farm he cultivated for the succeeding four years, when, selling out, he determined to come to Iowa, and , accompanied by his family, boarded a steamer at Beaver, Ohio. After five days they reached St. Louis, changed steamers and went to Keokuk, then crossed the rapids in a small boat, and on the "Ocean Wave" completed their journey to Muscatine County, where they landed April 1, 1846. Immediately after his arrival Mr. Vanatta rented a farm for a year, but before the expiration of that time he purchased eighty acres of partly improved land on section 11, Seventy-Six Township, though no house had been built upon it. He immediately erected a little log cabin, into which the family moved, and there lived in true pioneer style. He subsequently enlarged the cabin, making it his home until the spring of 1869, when, selling out, he removed to his present house on section 1 of the same township. His farm now comprises 200 acres of highly cultivated land, 160 of which are situated on section 1 and forty acres on section 12.

Mr. and Mrs. Vanatta are the parents of eight children: Harrison, the eldest son, who was a member of the 11th Iowa Infantry, offered up his life on the altar of his country, dying in Jefferson City, Mo., at the age of twenty-one years; Margaret, wife of B. D. Randleman, of Muscatine; Samuel, who is residing on the old homestead; Amelda, wife of D. McCabe, who lives in Seventy-Six Township; Williamson, a resident of Muscatine; Charlotte, whose son Boyd is living with our subject, the deceased wife of Elias Holliday, and David, who resides in the city of Muscatine. The parents of these children are both members of the Presbyterian Church, and are deeply interested in the work of that denomination. Politically, Mr. Vanatta is a Republican. For almost forty-three years he has been a resident of Muscatine County, during which time he has been a prominent worker for its interests, and has aided largely in its growth and prosperity.

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