JOHN M. DIMICK.
John M. Dimick is a well-known cattle buyer and feeder of Exira, Iowa, who, after farming with his father for ten years, purchased the homestead farm in Audubon county and began life for himself. Mr. Dimick began life with eighty acres of land, for which he paid twenty-two and one-half dollars an acre. Now, he is perhaps the most extensive stock raiser in Audubon county. He has increased his land holdings from eighty to five hundred and thirty-five acres and raises on an average five hundred head of live stock every year. He buys between twenty-five and thirty thousand bushels of corn and feeds from fifteen to twenty carloads of cattle, and from five hundred to six hundred head of hogs each year. The immensity of these operations is immediately apparent to any one who is at all familiar with farming. Mr. Dimick has the reputation of feeding prime cattle, which the Chicago buyers are always anx'ious to get, and for which they are always willing to pay top prices. He deserves much credit for the great progress he has made.
John M. Dimick was born in Johnson county, Iowa, February 27, 1869, and is a son of John J. and Fannie (Mitchell) Dimick, both of whom were natives of Erie county, New York. John J. Dimick was born January 24, 1825, and his wife, who, before her marriage, was Fannie Mitchell, was born March 31, 1837. John J. Dimick grew to manhood in Erie county, New York, and there lived upon a farm. Before his marriage he made a trip to California during the historic gold-strike of 1849-50. He was farily [sic fairly] successful in his quest for fortune and after remaining in California for three years he returned to Wisconsin, where he remained until 1858, when he came to Johnson county, Iowa. While living in Wisconsin he conducted a hotel. After coming to Johnson county, Iowa, he first purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Johnson county. Subsequently, he increased his holdings by one-half. After being well started in farming, he engaged in the lumber and stock business, in which line he remained for five years, at the expiration of which time he sold out and came to Audubon county, Iowa, in March, 1881, locating four miles northwest of Exira. Here he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land and was engaged in general farming until 1901, when he moved to Exira and took up cattle buying, following this business until his death, January 1, 1910. His wife had died more than a quarter of a century previously, March 1, 1879.
John J. and Fannie (Mitchell) Dimick were the parents of ten children, eight of whom are now living, and in the order of birth were as follow : George G., Elvira, Horace, Mary, Calvin I., John M., Julia, Jesse, Ella and one who died in infancy. George G. is living on the old home farm in Hamlin township owned by John M. Dimick; Elvira is living in Syracuse, New York; Horace is deceased; Mary is the wife of Edward Dryden, a farmer of Hamlin township; Calvin I. lives in Exira township; Julia is the wife of Walkup M. Crees, of Hamlin township; Jesse and Ella live at Boone, Iowa.
John M. Dimick entered the public schools of Johnson county, Iowa, and was enabled to secure a good education, which has been of great assistance to him in all of the business of his life. He was married on July 20, 1889, to Maretta Cook, the daughter of Charles Cook, and to this union three children were born, Clyde J., Ellowene and Frank. Clyde is manager of the Tabor Lumber Company, of Winfield. Iowa, and is married to Pearl Sewel of Henry county, Iowa; he has built a fine residence at Winfield at a cost of three thousand dollars; Ellowene is in attendance at Ames University and Frank is also a student at Ames University.
Mr. Dimmick has always been more or less active in Republican politics, and has served in several offices. He has served as trustee of Hamlin township for six years, discharging the duties of this office in a very satisfactory manner to his fellow citizens. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Maccabees. Mr. Dimick is not a member of any church, but his wife holds membership in the Congregational church, in which she takes an active interest, and of which the family are regular attendants.
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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. 405-407.
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