JAMES PUGH
James Pugh was born in Highland county, Ohio, on the 4th day of October, 1834. While James was still a small boy, his parents removed to Hardin county, where he grew to manhood, and received his education in one of the old style log cabins. He is a son of Eli and Mary Pugh, who emigrated from Virginia in an early day, being among the pioneers of Highland county, Ohio. When they moved into Hardin county, they settled in a dense forest, and cleared up a farm, where Mr. Pugh died in 1880, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. His wife is now over ninety-two years of age, and is still living in Hardin county, Ohio. They lived together as man and wife for sixty-eight years, and are the parents of eight children, five of whom are still living. Outside of the death of Mr. Pugh, there has been no death in the family for over forty-six years. Mr. Pugh, Sr., was a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church and a class leader over fifty-seven years. James Pugh, in 1857, left his native State and went to Indiana. In 1862 he enlisted in company G, Sixty-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as a private, but soon afterward was promoted to duty sergeant, and the 9th day of August, 1863, was again promoted to first lieutenant, and transferred to company D, One Hundred and Seventeenth regiment. The following October he was placed upon the staff of General O. B. Wilcox. He was in a number of engagements, and was wounded in one of the running fights, in East Tennessee. In February, 1864, he was discharged on account of his wounds, and went to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he engaged in carpentering. He was married on the 14th day of May, 1863, to Hattie A. Pugh, of Wolcott, Indiana, a daughter of Henry Pugh. They have three children--Charley, Franklin and Jessie F. In 1869, he came to Atlantic, where he secured the reputation of being one of the best carpenters in the city. In 1876, he established the Northwestern Journal, which he published for one year. In 1880, he was elected justice of the peace, and in 1883 was elected mayor of the city of Atlantic, giving a very satisfactory administration, which was above criticism. He was general superintendent of the poultry department of the Cass county fair, in 1884, and has always exhibited an active interest in the fairs. He is a Master Mason, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Grand Army of Republic. Mr. Pugh has been an ardent supporter of the temperance cause for the past twenty-five years, and has never been intoxicated in his life.
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pg. 888-889.
