considerable work of that kind but aside from that did not engage in farming. He had developed a knack at that work while a boy and he also became quite efficient in weaving.
Mathew E. McMichael is the youngest and the only survivor in a family of eleven children, nine of whom reached adult age. His brother John, in response to the last call, served for three months with the One Hundred and Forty-third Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war. The members of the family are: James, who was a farmer, thresher and teamster and died at Alliance, Ohio; Eliza Jane, who became the wife of David Kimball and died in Ohio; William, who was a carpenter and died in Ames; Margaret May, who, died in infancy; Robert Hayes, who was a builder and contractor and passed away in Ohio; Isabella, who became the wife of Wesley Kimball and died in the Buckeye state ; John, who was a laborer and died in Ohio; David, who was proprietor of a livery stable at Lisbon, Ohio, for many years and there passed away; Margaret, who married Robert Morrow and died in Ohio; Anna, who died in infancy; and Mathew Ellis.
Mathew E. McMichael devoted his youth to the acquirement of an education and assisted his father in different lines of work. He was about twenty-three years of age when in May, 1862, he offered his services to the government and joined Company F, of the Eighty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for five months, after which he was taken prisoner at Harper's Ferry in the fall of 1862. Being paroled, he returned home, where he suffered an attack of typhoid fever. He enlisted a second time, in 1864, as a member of Company F, One Hundred and Forty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for three months. He participated in the battle of Harper's Ferry and many minor engagements and assisted in the capture of Morgan when the Confederate general made his raid into Ohio. After the war Mr. McMichael worked as a farm laborer and later as a teamster until he came to Iowa in 1868. Making his way to Story county, he settled in Franklin township about five miles north of Ames and there rented land until July, 1870, when he took charge of the county poor farm. He was the first superintendent of the Story county farm and filled the position for twenty-two months. He then came to Ames, where he engaged in the draying business for a number of years, after which he resumed farming on a place a mile south of Ames. He rented and cultivated that land for six years, when he returned to Ames and was again engaged in teaming for a number of years. Later he went to Grundy county, where he engaged in farming in the vicinity of Conrad for six years, after which he returned to Ames and has since partially lived retired. In 1909 he built his present fine home at No. 1007 Douglas avenue.
Mr. McMichael has been married three times. In 1865 he wedded Miss Elizabeth Orr, a native of Elkton, Ohio, who died in 1866. In January, 1868, he married Samantha Evans, who was born in Illinois and died