JAMES HUNGERFORD

James Hungerford is a retired farmer and blacksmith living at Manly. He has passed the eighty-fifth milestone on life's journey and is one of the venerable and respected residents of Worth county. He was born in the town of Carpenter, Chenango county, New York, October 18, 1832, a son of Bele and Fannie (Goble) Hungerford. The father was born in Connecticut, while the mother's birth occurred in Steuben county, Pennsylvania. Bele Hungerford spent his boyhood days in Connecticut and afterward removed with his parents to the state of New York, where a farm was purchased from a soldier. Part of the tract had been cleared and the grandfather bent his energies to the further development and improvement of the place, continuing to reside thereon until his death. His wife also passed away upon the old home farm in New York. After the death of his parents, Bele Hungerford decided to remove to the west and made his way to Rock county, Wisconsin, when his son James was a lad of twelve years. He took up his abode in the town of Spring Valley and secured government land. Upon the place there was a rude shack made of logs and the family occupied that until the father was able to erect a more modern, comfortable and commodious home. He was a carpenter by trade and as soon as possible built a frame house. His farm comprised one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he carefully cultivated and developed for some time and then sold the property, after which he purchased a half section south of the old homestead farm. This he continued to further cultivate and improve until about 1867, when he removed to Fillmore county, Minnesota, where both he and his wife passed away at the home of their son Albert. There were many Indians in Wisconsin at the time they established their home in the west. It was not an unusual sight to see a large band of the red men almost any day, and every condition and hardship of pioneer life was to be faced and there were many obstacles to be overcome in the reclamation of the district for the purposes of civilization. Mr. Hungerford was a republican in his political views and gave stanch endorsement to the principles of the party. His religious faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church and he adhered closely to its teachings, so that throughout his life he exemplified high principles of manhood and citizenship.

James Hungerford spent his boyhood in New York and Wisconsin, and in the latter state pursued his education in one of the old-time log schoolhouses which were features of frontier settlement. He was reared to farm life, early becoming familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops, and he continued upon the old homestead until his marriage, which was celebrated in 1856, Miss Ann Rossiter becoming his wife. She was a daughter of William and Anna (Thorp) Rossiter and was a native of England. They had come to the new world with three families who settled in the same township where the Rossiter home was established, while ten people took up their abode in Rock county, twelve miles west of Janesville. Mr. Hungerford raised a crop of corn where Brodhead now stands. In 1864, with his family, he drove across the country to Mitchell county, Iowa, where he established a blacksmith shop which he conducted until 1872. He then removed to Worth county, again traveling by team, and located on a tract of school land which he had previously purchased for six dollars per acre, securing one. hundred and twenty acres. He put up a temporary dwelling, cut some wild grass for a bed, which he occupied the first night, and in the morning found six rattlesnakes in the little shack. The next spring he removed his family to the farm, which he operated until 1890. Year after year he carefully tilled his fields and cared for his crops, promoting the farm work along progressive lines and transforming the once wild tract into a valuable property. His was for many years a most busy and useful life and a very substantial measure of success rewarded his efforts. At length he put aside the more active work of the farm and took up his abode in Manly. In 1915 he sold eighty acres of his land to the Rock Island Railroad Company for a hundred and fifty dollars per acre. He then purchased one hundred acres in Lincoln township, Worth county, and he now has one hundred and forty acres of valuable land beside city property.

Mrs. Hungerford's father, a native of England, came to the United States in early life, settling in Rock county, Wisconsin, where he followed farming, casting in his lot with the early settlers of that section, and there he spent his remaining days. His daughter, Mrs. Hungerford, was reared upon the frontier and eventually became the wife of James Hungerford. To them were born two children: Martha, who became the wife of D. A. Mitchell, of Manly, and died in July, 1915; and William, who occupies and operates a farm in Lincoln township, Worth county. Mrs. Hungerford passed away in 1916, at the age of eighty-seven years, and left behind her many warm friends.

Mr. Hungerford was the organizer of the Evangelical church of Manly and built the first church. He also established the first Sunday school in the locality. He has ever done much to advance moral progress in his community, putting forth every effort in his power to promote the work of the church and extend its influence. He was also the builder of the first schoolhouse in his home neighborhood and also built the first parsonage. He was at one time assessor and he has always stood for progress and improvement in matters of citizenship. In a word, his aid and influence have been given on the side of advancement, of truth and of right and throughout the entire period of his residence in Iowa he has been numbered among the valued citizens of the state.

SOURCE: HISTORY OF MITCHELL AND WORTH COUNTIES, IOWA, 1918, VOL. II; PAGES 213-215

Transcription by Gordon Felland, 9/22/2006