Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 921
PETER W. LEWIS

Denmark has contributed many of her most enterprising citizens to the population of this country, and many of these people have made eminent successes as farmers. One of the most successful of these farmers in Harrison county is Peter W. LEWIS, who is a native of the little kingdom of Denmark.

Peter W. LEWIS was born on May 24, 1865, the only child of his parents, although he has two half-brothers and a half-sister. When nine years of age Mr. LEWIS was brought to America by his parents, who located in Boone county, Iowa. He lived at home until he was fourteen years old, when he left the parental roof and came to Harrison county, where he has since lived, with the exception of four years, which he spent on a farm in Kansas, where he took up a timber claim in 1888. He still owns this land. Mr. LEWIS worked out by the month when he first came to this county. He has rented land to some extent, but has owned his own farm since his marriage. He bought eighty acres of land in section 24, Boyer township, in this county, in 1890, to which he has added from time to time until he is now the owner of two hundred and twenty-five acres of fine farming land, some in section 23 and some in section13.

Mr. LEWIS was married on March 18, 1891, to Laura D. JEFFERSON, who was born in Harrison county, the daughter of Richard and Caroline (JACOBS) JEFFERSON, natives of England and of this country, respectively. To Mr. and Mrs. LEWIS eight children have been born: Lillie V., born on September 26, 1892, was a teacher in the schools of Harrison county, and is now a student in the Boyles College; Laura A., born on May 22, 1894, is a teacher; Clyde J., born on January 8, 1896, lives at home; Mary Winnifred, born on June 8, 1897; Vernon Glenn, born on October 10, 1898; Richard Roy was born on November 1, 1900; Peter Franklin, born on August 8, 1905, and Dorothy Caroline was born on October 27, 1906. All of these children are living at home.

Mr. LEWIS' farm is well improved, having on it a twelve-room house with all modern conveniences, including a basement. He has gas lights, hot and cold water throughout his home, and all his farm buildings are of good quality, with large and commodious barns and a large garage. Mr. LEWIS feeds about sixty head of cattle each year and about one hundred head of hogs annually for the market. His stock is of high grade and it is to this fact that he attributes his success in the stock business. He averages over fifty-two bushels of corn to the acre year in and year out, and has raised eighty bushels to the acre on some of his land, which, before the Boyer Ditch was put through, would hardly yield ten bushels to the acre. Mr. LEWIS' farm adjoins the southeast corner of Woodbine.

Mr. LEWIS is an ardent Republican, but a strong advocate of prohibition. He has been a member of the school board of his township for several terms and was president of the board for several years. He has also occupied the position of road supervisor and held other minor offices, all of which he discharged faithfully and well, to the entire satisfaction of the people he served. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He and his family are loyal members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and take an active part in the affairs of that denomination.

Mr. LEWIS is a man of courageous convictions, aggressive in all matters of public policy, and popular among all the people of his community.

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