Bolden, John R. (1825-1898)

BOLDEN

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/16/2019 at 01:34:02

John R. Bolden
Nov 20, 1825 - Feb 4, 1898

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.332)
JOHN R. BOULDEN, a farmer of Rockford township, was born in Miami county, Ohio, November 20, 1825, son of William L. and Nancy (PATTERSON) BOULDEN. The parents were natives respectively of Maryland and Delaware, and of Scotch and Irish ancestry. The father was born and brought up on a farm. On attaining the stature of manhood, he drove a stagecoach between Baltimore and Philadelphia. In 1811 he was detailed by the Government to take his team to Ft McHenry, where he was made wagon-master, and was there during the bombardment. He served through the war of 1812-14. In 1817 he came westward over the mountains by wagon to Wheeling, Virginia, where he placed his family on a flat-boat and floated down to Cincinnati, while he with the horses came overland through Ohio to that point.

In 1810 in Philadelphia, he had married the daughter of Joseph PATTERSON, who had served in the Revolutionary war, and was engaged in thirty-two different battles. Out of 700 of the regiment, he was one of only thirty-five who came out under command of General DeKalb, who fell at the battle of Camden. He had marched from Delaware to engage in the siege of Boston; he was also at the battle of Brandywine and many other hard-fought battles of the Revolution. Afterward he was sent south under the command of Gates. After the war was over, he returned to his native home in Elktown, Delaware, where he died July 4, 1798. He was intimately acquainted with General Washington. At his death, he left his wife and five children, of whom Abraham, Jemima, and Benjamin are dead, and Nancy was the wife of the late Mr. BOULDEN, and Sidavant was the wife of Jerome BONAPARTE. She was known as Lady Bonaparte in Baltimore, where she survived the death of her husband a short time.

Mr. William L. BOULDEN had but one sister, Rachel, who married Robert MOODY, both of whom are now deceased. When he moved to Miami County, he bought a tract of heavy timbered land there and cleared and made many valuable improvements; and there he made his home until his death, September 18, 1830, leaving a wife and five children, namely: Lewis, born in 1813 died in March 1866; William H., born March 16, 1816, and died in October 1857; Joseph P., born August 11, 1819, residing now in Pottawattamie County; Mary Ann, born September 7, 1822 and died a year afterward; John R., the subject of this sketch; Maria, now the widow of Levi G. BRANDON, born November 27, 1828, and now residing in Des Moines.

Mr. John R. Boulden, brought up in farm life, at the age of 19 went to Piqua and learned the shoemaker's trade. At the age of 24 he married Mary MILLER, daughter of Elias and Catherine (MOORE) Miller, natives of New Jersey, who came to Ohio in 1803. Mrs. Catherine Miller was a native of Kentucky and came to Ohio at an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Miller were of German and Irish extraction, and were the parents of 9 children: Rebecca and Ellis, deceased; Lucretia, residing in Ohio; Hannah, wife of Solomon WINTERS and living in Indiana; Philetha, widow of Adam SCHAEFFER in Piqua Ohio; Philip, in the west; Mary, wife of Mr. BOULDEN; John, residing in Ohio, and Elias, in Lafayette, Indiana. Mrs. Boulden was born Feb 18, 1829, and brought up in farm life, and married at the age of 20 years.

Mr. Boulden remained in Miami County on a farm until 1871, when he moved by emigrant wagon to this state, being six weeks on the road. He purchased a quarter section of land in Wayne County but sold it and bought the present place of 125 acres of heavy timber land on section 36, range 44, and here he began clearing and breaking and starting the many improvements essential to a complete home in the country. He has a fine orchard of about six acres, besides a nice vineyard. He raises all the small fruits. The residence is beautiful and the locality healthful. During a period of 19 years the family has resided here with no sickness worth mentioning. Fifty acres of the place is cultivated to grain, while the rest remains in pasture and timber. Having learned the trade after he was married, Mr. Boulden has done a great deal of carpenter work in connection with farming; and also, for some years past, has made about 1,000 bushels of charcoal per year. He is a live, energetic man.

Politically he is a zealous Democrat, taking an active part in the interests of Democracy, and as such he enlisted in the service of his country in the 147th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, at Piqua, being mustered in at Camp Dennison. Being taken to Washington, he was placed in the First Brigade, under General Derusa, in the 22nd Army Corps and fought in many hotly contested battles. He was advanced to the position of Sergeant, and was finally mustered out as such Sept 4, 1854 at Camp Dennison. He also enlisted in the Mexican war, but was held for orders at Cincinnati, Ohio, in readiness for a call. He has also been connected with the township in its various offices, of which he has been Justice of the Peace for three terms. He is now officiating on the Board of Education, taking a leading part. He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance of which he is now President. He was elected to represent Miami County, Ohio in 1867 in the Legislature with the overwhelming majority of 440, over a Republican majority of 1,600 being on the ticket with Allen G. Thurman when he ran for Governor of Ohio. And he was on the stand when Vallandigham made the famous speech for which he was taken captive and banished.

Mr. and Mrs. Boulden are the parents of 12 children: Charles W., born October 1, 1850 and now residing in Missouri Valley; John F., born February 19, 1852, at home; George W., born November 15, 1853, and is now living in Seattle, Washington; Martha C., born June 15, 1855, wife of James GARRISON in Los Angeles, California; Cathrine A., born February 20, 1862, wife of Charles WILTFONG in Council Bluffs; Eva, born June 16, 1865, is now Mrs. Richard THORNTON of Fremont, Nebraska; Benjamin Thurman, born August 20, 1868; Emma born November 15, 1870; Maggie M., born June 15, 1877, the last three at home; Aldezara, born May 10, 1857, died July 8, 1858; Joseph Orra, born Sept 10, 1859, died June 14, 1860; and Louis E., born Sept 12, 1863, died March 16, 1865.