The subject of this sketch is entitled to a prominent place in the history of the pioneer settlers of Scott County. His life has been spent here, and he has witnessed the development and advancement of the community since he broke the first sod and planted a ten- acre field in corn in June, 1836. He has seen the forests and wild prairies vanish, and broad fields of waving grain take their place, and no man in the County has done more to bring about such a change than the venerable old gentleman whose name heads this sketch.
John M. Friday first saw the light of day in Würtemberg, Germany, May 18, 1819. His parents were Charles J. and Doretha (Fisher) Friday, also natives of Würtemberg. They came to America in 1832, and settled in Montgomery County, Indiana, where he rented land on shares for four years. In 1836 he decided to come to Iowa Territory and procure a home, and with that object in view, he came to Rockingham, which was the County seat. The claims in the river bottom had all been taken, so Mr. Friday fell back on the bluffs and staked out his claim of one hundred and sixty acres, and as before stated, broke the first land on the bluff and fenced it with rails.
A man by the name of Wilson had started a log cabin prior to Mr. Friday, but his was the first completed and occupied on the prairies, back from the river. When the Government lines were run they threw the cabin and all the cleared ground to the claim of a Mr. Winfield, hence Mr. Friday had to begin over again by erecting another house and clearing more land. He lived here until his death, which was in 1860, Mrs. Friday having died in 1851. There were four children born to them: John M., Gottlieb, Jacob and Caroline. The latter was born three days after their arrival in Scott County, and her birthplace was one of the wagons which they had brought from Indiana, and which the family occupied until they could build a house. She, no doubt, frem what can be learned, was the first white child born in Scott County, which was May 18, 1836, and later married George Wright. The only remaining member of the family who is left to relate their early experiences and hardships is the subject of this sketch.
When they arrived here flour was sixteen dollars a barrel and corn meal two dollars a bushel, and it was so musty and stale that Mr. Friday when it was baking in an oven that it could almost be smelled a mile away, and he would not allow his hogs to eat the meal now. When his father landed in Davenport, after paying his ferry across the river, he had a cash capital of fifty cents, and provisions being so high they had a hard time and saw many hardships before they harvested their first crop of sod corn in the fall of 1836.
Mr. Friday also has the honor of planting the first apple trees in Rockingham Township, bringing the seed with him from Indiana, and sowed the first wheat in the Township the same fall. He also assisted in getting out timbers for the first mill in the County, which was located at Rockingham, and was supposed to be the first mill built between Dubuque and St. Louis on the Mississippi river.
Mr. Friday was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Forgey on May 6, 1847. She is a native of Indiana. Their union was blessed with eight children, the six girls being born in the old log cabin. Caroline, born March 13, 1848, married Amos Burnsides; Nancy, born April 8, 1850, married John L. Burnsides; Anna D., born August 22, 1852, married Frank Burnsides; Sarah E. , single, born December 26 , 1854; Manerva, born June 2, 1856, married James Burnsides, Jr.; Mary L., born October 16 , 1859, married John Nelson; John M., Jr., born July 19, 1862, married Augusta Schmidt, and Charles J., born October 20, 1864, married Celia Schmidt.
Mr. Friday landed in Scott County a poor boy, but he had strong arms and a determination to succeed in life, and make for himself a name among his fellow-men. By hard work he has been prosperous and accumulated a great deal of property. Ile owns eight hundred and eighty acres of fine land, divided in Rockingham, Buffalo and Blue Grass Towriships. He has been prominently identified with every move which would promote the interests of his community. He is a charter member of the old original Pioneers' Society of Scott County, and one of the very few who are now living that were charter members. He is exceedingly liberal, and willing to use his influence and money to advance the interests of his neighbors or the community in general, and he can look back with pride to what he has accomplished in life, and the good he has done, and now in his declining years he can enjoy the fruits of his early labors in comfort and ease. He always supported the Lutheran Church liberally, and is a Democrat in politics.
Such is the life history of one of the old and highly esteemed citizens of Scott County, who is still able to relate the incidents of pioneer days.
BIOGRAPHIES