Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 740
MARION PURCELL

Marion PURCELL. Thirty-five years ago, and three years after Harrison County was organized, and when our subject was about seventeen years of age, he came to this part of the wild West, and has seen the county developed from one stage to another, has seen the nimble-footed deer, forever frightened from the country by the quicker speed of the screaming locomotive, the modern-day emblem of civilization.

He was born in Putnam County, Ind., May 15, 1839, and is the son of Benjamin and Ella A. (TYLER) PURCELL, natives of Kentucky, and who were the parents of thirteen children: John M., deceased; Marion, Emiline; Thomas, and Sara J., deceased; Nephi, Alma, Nancy A., Matilda, Permillia, David, Josephine and Benjamin.

Our subject lived with his parents on the farm in the Hoosier State, until they exchanged that for the Hawkeye State in 1856. They first settled in Pottawattamie County, where they leased land one year, and then removed to this county. It will be remembered in this connection, that our public school system, in all its perfection, stands out in great contrast, over the common district school, found in Indiana at an early day. As our subject's parents were very poor people, their son was not permitted to receive the liberal education now vouchsafed to almost any farmer boy of to day.

Our subject was married July 8, 1858, to Emiline (BOONE) PURCELL, daughter of Emmet and Betsy P. BOONE, natives of Kentucky, who had a family of seven children: An, Jane, Amanda, Emaline, Samuel, John and Laura. By this marriage union four children were born: Sylvester T., Benjamin C., Columbus M., and Emaline. For his second wife our subject married Miss CRAWFORD, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Logan CRAWFORD, by which marriage union two sons were born: Oliver R., and Ira M. For his third wife, Mr. PURCELL married Lucy PICKARD, daughter of John PICKARD, a native of New York. By this marriage union three children were born: John, Frank P., and Oscar.

Upon coming to this country, the PURCELL family bought eighty acres of land in Boyer Township, for which they paid $2 per acre. Their first improvements consisted of a "dug-out" covered with rails, hay and dirt, with no floor. It was the first habitation on Willow River, north of Elk Creek. This rude structure was occupied for two years, when a log cabin, 18x20 feet was erected, and provided with a board roof, while the land was fenced with forks and poles. When twenty years of age, our subject's father gave him his time, and it will be understood that it was well improved, (just at that time) for he went back to the Hoosier State, remained one year and a half, and returned with a bride. He rented land of his father, one season, providing himself with another prairie mansion ("sod house") but after one year moved down the Willow, near Magnolia, remained a year, then lived with his father a year, and raised a pair of mules, which he traded for forty acres of land in Magnolia Township. He sold this property and bought an equal amount of wild land near Elk Creek which he improved and lived upon for six years, and then sold and bought the place he now lives upon, consisting of a quarter section. For its size, there is no better found in Harrison County; it has a fine orchard of one hundred trees and plenty of small fruit.

When our subject came to Harrison County it was no unfrequent sight to see large droves of deer and elk; using his own language, "I have counted one hundred and twenty-five deer in one drove, and forty five elk, and I believe that I have killed as many as two hundred deer since I came to Iowa.

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