since lived, becoming one of the pioneer settlers here. He remained upon the farm until September, 1892, when he removed to Ames and retired to private life but sold his farm only five years ago. He was the owner of two hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land, adjoining the corporation limits of Ontario, a town four miles west of Ames. On coming to this county he entered a quarter section from the government but after cultivating it for a time sold that property and purchased the two hundred and forty acre tract, which was in a better location and had timber upon it. There he carried on general farming and stock-raising and he also bought and shipped stock to Chicago for twenty years, that constituting an important branch of his business. When he began shipping State Center was the nearest railroad point and he had to drive his stock to that place in order to make shipments. He was the first stock buyer in the county and in his business affairs he always displayed sound judgment, keen discrimination and unfaltering enterprise.
While Mr. Freed successfully conducted business affairs for many years he did not concentrate his energies upon individual interests to the exclusion of all else. He has ever been mindful of his duties of citizenship and in many ways has promoted public progress. On one occasion he spent two days and one night in soliciting subscriptions in Story and Boone counties for the location of the Iowa State Agricultural College. Five counties were working very hard to secure the school, but the untiring efforts of Mr. Freed and others resulted in having the college located at Ames. One man gave thirty acres of a stone quarry and Mr. Freed opened this up and quarried the rock for the foundation for the first buildings of the college erected here. He also raised and dressed a pig which his wife roasted for the free dinner which was held on the 4th of July, 1859, to celebrate the establishment of the college, the entire countryside being invited to attend the feast.
In his political views Mr. Freed has always been a republican and an earnest worker in the party ranks. He served for fourteen years as justice of the peace and for two terms as county supervisor. While filling that position the county board located the county farm and built the first house thereon. When Mr. Freed came to Iowa the city of Ames had not been founded and there was no railroad in the locality. Goods were hauled from Keokuk and after the railroad was built to Iowa City Mr. Freed hauled goods from that point to Boonesboro, about two hundred miles, with ox teams. When he was living in Indiana he helped get out timber for the construction of the Michigan Southern, the first railroad into Chicago. He has always been on the side of progress and improvement, and his influence has been a progressive element in the general development of the community.
On the 12th of September, 1852, Mr. Freed was united in marriage to Miss Catharine D. White, who was born in Wayne county, Ohio, June 5, 1833, and went to Indiana with her parents, James and Marjorie (Dougherty) White. Mr. and Mrs. Freed were married in Indiana and unto them