GEORGE WASHINGTON GARTON
A
pioneer of Wayne county, Iowa, where he has made his home for
over sixty years, George Washington Garton has become one of
the largest land owners in this section, where he holds title
to eight hundred and eighty acres of valuable property on
sections 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10, Clay township, and he takes the
more pride in his prosperity because he has secured the same
entirely by his own efforts.
Mr.
Garton was born in Putnam county, Virginia, November 4, 1844,
and is a son of Allen D. and Caroline (Kimberling) Garton. The father was born
near Red House Shoals, West Virginia, September 17, 1817, and
died in Washington township, Wayne county, Iowa, in November,
1892. Thomas
Garton, Sr., the great-grandfather of our subject, was a
native of Virginia, of Scotch-Irish descent, and served as a
soldier of the war of the Revolution. His son, Thomas
Garton, the grandfather of George W. Garton, also rendered
distinguished military service, being a participant of the War
of 1812, in which he was seriously wounded. He carried the
cartridge ball which disabled him in his leg for about
thirty-five years and after the bullet was located and
extracted, it was kept by a sister as a memento in remembrance
of her brother for a great many years after his death. A peculiar
occurrence connected with it is the fact that after a lapse of
about fifteen years the bullet crumbled into dust. For generations the
family were prominent farmers and large plantation owners in
Virginia. The
father, Allen D. Garton, in 1851 left his native state with
his family and, coming down the Ohio river as far as St.
Louis, then proceeded up the Mississippi to Keokuk. There he purchased
a team and made his way to Jefferson county, Iowa, and thence
to Wayne county, where he arrived in Washington township,
October 10, 1851, and there remained until his death. There were no
railroads at the time and the nearest trading point was
Chariton. The
means of locomotion were ox teams and much of the travel was
by foot and therefore necessarily slow. The father became
one of the substantial farmers of Wayne county and served in a
number of public offices, being county assessor from 1857
until 1858, and serving as justice of the peace for ten years. He was a man of
studious mind and a lover of books, well read and highly
educated. In
1837 he united with the Methodist church and after coming to
Washington township became a member of the Baptist
denomination. On
October 3, 1843, he married Miss Caroline Kimberling, who died
May 31, 1860, and to them were born eight children, of whom
George W., our subject, is the eldest. J. M., the next in
order of birth, died while young and Henry B. is also
deceased. F. M.
resides in Oklahoma and T. E. makes his home in Washington
township. The
next in the family is N. H. Garton, a resident of Allerton,
Iowa. Mrs.
Elizabeth (Garton) Holmes died in Humeston in 1911. The youngest member
is Cassius A., a resident of Decatur county, Iowa. In October, 1861,
the father married Mary Raines, a daughter of John and Ellen
Raines, and they became the parents of six children: Charles W., a
resident of Broken Bow, Nebraska; Emma May, also of Nebraska;
Willis L., of the same state; and William A., Mary A. and
Maria F. The
three eldest children were born in Virginia but the younger
ones were born in Iowa and all were reared in Wayne county.
George
W. Garton came with his parents to Wayne county in 1851, when
a boy of only seven years, and received his education in the
schools of the neighborhood.
He early assisted his father with the work of the farm
and became acquainted with the best methods of agriculture. Subsequently he
taught school for four years in Wayne county and in the course
of his work in that capacity introduced a novelty along the
line of teaching geography in this section which was, that by
singing the lessons they might more easily be fixed in the
minds of the pupils. This
new departure he instituted in 1866. He began to teach in 1865 when
twenty-one years old and has in his possession one of the
oldest certificates to be found in the county. Subsequently he
turned all his attention to agriculture and as success
attended his efforts he increased his holdings until he is now
the owner of eight hundred and eighty acres of finely
cultivated and highly valuable land in Clay township, Wayne
county, on sections 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10, equipped with four sets
of improvements. Progressive
and energetic, he has always followed the most up-to-date
methods in agriculture and has become one of the substantial
men of the locality.
Mr.
Garton was married, January 20, 1870, to Miss Mary S. Shipley,
who was born in Missouri, March 6, 1849, and died in Clay
township, Wayne county, March 16, 1910. Her father was
Richard R. Shipley, a native of Kentucky, who died at Clio,
Iowa, at the age of eighty-nine years, while her mother passed
away when Mrs. Garton was quite young. The family were
early pioneers of the state of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Garton
are the parents of the following children: William R., a
resident of Clay township; one who died in infancy; Allen D.,
who passed away at the age of two years and ten months;
Gilbert Hollister, a resident of Clay township; Samuel, who
makes his home in the same township; and Edward, also residing
there. The four
eldest children were born in Richman township and the younger
ones are natives of Clay township.
Mr. Garton is a stanch democrat and has held all of the local township offices, an indication of his popularity and the esteem in which he is held by his fellow citizens. In 1903 he was a democratic nominee for state representative for Wayne county and has attended a number of county and state conventions and always has been a valued man in the councils of his party. His sons have also aspired to public office and one at present holds the office of justice of the peace in Clay township while another is assessor in the same township. The family are members of the Baptist church in Clay township, in the work of which they take active and helpful interest, and Mr. Garton gave liberally of his means towards the construction of the church building as well as donated the land upon which it was built. He is an exemplary member of the Masonic body, being connected with Clay Lodge, No. 191, A. F. & A. M., of which for many years he was worshipful master. In his various relations of life he has shown himself to be a man of strong character and high principles and has become a force for good in the community in which he makes his home, where he is highly regarded by all who know him. As a pioneer of this section he has not only been an interested witness of the changes that have occurred but has been largely instrumental in bringing about the general advancement which has made the wild prairie one of the most fertile sections of the middle west. In whatever relation he has done service his work has been of a high order and the prosperity which has come to him is well merited and while he has attained individual success along agricultural lines he has been constructive in the development of new methods in this section of the country.