Poland, George W.

POLAND

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/16/2019 at 13:56:03

George W. Poland

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.600)
GEORGE W. POLAND, a substantial farmer of Pottawattamie County, was born in Maryland, December 8, 1825, the son of Peter POLAND, also a native of Maryland. He was married to Margaret METZ and they were the parents of three children: Jane, Margaret and George W. Mrs. POLAND died when our subject was but six years of age, and the father was again married and went to the Western country, and our subject never heard from him again. He was brought up by different people, and received but little education, but in early life began to work on the farm and in a tan yard, which he continued three years. He remained in Virginia until 1855, when he came to Iowa, settling in Washington County, and first working at farm work and in 1863 he bought a farm in that county, and ten years later came to his present place, which then consisted of 240 acres of wild land, but which he has since converted into a fine, fertile farm. He sold 80 acres of his land and gave his son, Amos, forty acres, so that he now owns 120 acres of fine land and ten acres of timber.

Mr. POLAND was married in 1849 in Hampshire County, Virginia, to Mary A. McSHANE, daughter of John McSHANE. She was born in Maryland, March 9, 1821, and had a similar experience with her husband, her parents having been poor and she was brought up by strangers. They are the parents of four children, viz.: Elizabeth E., now the wife of M.T. BAKER, a farmer of Washington County, Iowa, and they have four children, Jacob U., Viola, Cora A. and Elma; Amos, a farmer of Knox Township, married Mary STEWARD and they have two children, Julia E. and Anna B.; Mary J., married William GIBBONS, a farmer of Woodbury County, Iowa, and they have four children, Eva B., George E., Amos C. and Cleveland; Dennis married Annie GARTHWAITE and is now a farmer on the old home place, and they have three children, George E., Grant and Amos C. The granddaughter, Julia E., married William MEREDITH, a farmer of Knox Township, and they have one child, Jane H. Thus, Mr. And Mrs. POLAND have thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They have both been life-long members of the United Brethren Church, in which Mr. POLAND has held the office of class leader, trustee, and Sunday school Superintendent for many years. In his political views he is a Republican and has been School Director and Supervisor of his township.

Mr. POLAND is a self-made man, as his early days were clouded with poverty, and in early youth, he was left to the care of strangers with all the vicissitudes of such dependency, and by a straightforward course and an honest purpose, he has steadily risen until he now owns a good farm, and has given his children a good home. He has always been a religious and moral man, and deserves the respect of all his descendants for the good example he has set them, in which he has been assisted by his faithful wife; together they have borne the burden, and together they will reap the reward of the well-doer. Mr. POLAND had a cancer cured on his nose, which bid fair to end his life. The regular doctors failed to cure it, and a friend recommended him to a farmer who had cured several cancers. Mr. POLAND called to see him, and used his medicine, which in time cured him completely. He bought the prescription, and has since treated others successfully.