CALVIN I. DIMICK.
Calvin I. Dimick is a well-known farmer of Exira township, who not only owns one hundred and ninety-four acres of land in Exira township, but who owns a quarter section of land in Canada. Mr. Dimick has not followed farming all of his life. For some time he was engaged in ditching in Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas. He was also engaged in conducting a hotel at Brayton for some time, but eventually returned to the farm.
Calvin I. Dimick was born on December 3, 1867, in Johnson county, Iowa. His parents were John J. and Fannie (Mitchell) Dimick, both natives of Erie county, New York. The former was born on January 5, 1825, and the latter was born on March 31, 1837. John J. Dimick grew to manhood in Erie county and lived on a farm there. Before his marriage, he made a trip to California during the gold discoveries of 1849 and 1850, and was fairly successful. After three years he moved to Wisconsin and remained there until 1858, when he moved to Johnson county, Iowa. While in Wisconsin, he conducted a hotel. He first purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Johnson county and increased his holdings by one-half. Eventually he engaged in the lumber and stock business and was in that business for five years when he sold out. He came to Audubon county in March, 1881. He located four miles northwest of Exira, where he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres and there he was engaged in general farming until 1901, when he moved to Exira and took up cattle buying. He followed this business until his death in 19 10. His wife had died many years previously, March 1, 1879.
John G. and Fannie (Mitchell) Dimick were the parents of ten children, eight of whom are now living, namely: George G., lives in Hamlin township; Elvira, lives in Syracuse, New York; Horace, deceased; Mary, married Edward Dryden, of Hamlin township; Calvin I., the subject of this sketch; Julia, married W. M. Cress, of Hamlin township; Jessie and Ella, live at Boone, Iowa; John M., a stock buyer at Exira, and an infant deceased.
Calvin I. Dimick received his education in Johnson county and after leaving school, took up farming on his father's place. He remained on the farm until he was twenty years old and then engaged in ditching land in Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas, which occupation he followed for three years. He then moved to Audubon county, and, after a time, began farming on eighty acres of land which he had purchased. He fenced and drained this land and improved it otherwise and lived on it for about six years. After a time he moved to Brayton and there purchased a hotel which he operated for a short time. He then bought the place upon which he now lives. Mr. Dimick raises seventy-five acres of corn and approximately one hundred acres of small grains. He feeds about sixty head of hogs every year and has been very successful with mixed farming.
On November 15, 1892, Calvin I. Dimick was married to Eva J. Beers, the daughter of David and Lola (Lacy) Beers. Four children have been born to this marriage: Harry Russell, Kathleen, Mildred and Mozelle. David Beers was a native of New York state and one of the first settlers in Audubon county, having come overland to this county. David and Lola (Lacy) Beers were the parents of three children, as follow: Eva J., Nellie, married Samuel Budd, of Atlantic, Iowa; and Lona (deceased), married Nora Lyons.
Mr. Dimick is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He has served as township supervisor for a number of years and is an ardent and enthusiastic Democrat.
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Transcribed from History of Audubon County, Iowa Its People, Industries and Institutions With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, by H. F. Andrews, editor, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Company, 1915, pp. 685-686.
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