Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 913
JAMES W. MESSENGER

The histories of some men read like a romance and few men in Harrison county, Iowa, have had a more romantic career than James W. MESSENGER, now one of the largest and most substantial farmers and stock raisers of Douglas township. Several years ago he walked into this county with a dollar and a half in his pocket, and all of his possessions consisted of the clothes which he wore on his back. Today, this same impecunious youth, who came into the county several years ago, owns three hundred and forty acres of land, for which he would not now take one hundred and fifty dollars an acre. It takes no vivid imagination to show that Mr. MESSENGER must have employed his talents to good advantage. It is small wonder that his broad acres are such a pride to him. He has made everything he has by his own individual efforts.

James W. MESSENGER, the son of Edward and Eva (LANTZ) MESSENGER, was born in Warren county, Iowa, December 19, 1867. His parents were born either in West Virginia or Pennsylvania, and located in Warren county, Iowa, in April, 1865. Edward MESSENGER served three years and a half in the Civil War.

James W. MESSENGER was fourth of eight children born to his parents. He received a limited common-school education and, when sixteen years of age, came to Harrison county alone and hired out to work on a farm in Allen township for fifty cents a day. He worked by the month for seven years, in both Harrison and Monona counties. He found that he was not able to make much success while working for other farmers and determined to have a farm he could call his own. With this idea uppermost in his mind, he came to Harrison county and, although he only had a dollar and a half in his pocket, he rented a farm and saved his money with the intention of buying land for himself. For twelve years he rented and, during all of this time, lived frugally and with one idea in mind and that to own a farm of his own. He bought his first one hundred and sixty acres in sections 17 and 18, in Douglas township in 1902, paying forty dollars an acre for the land. He moved on the farm a year later and has since been working for himself. He bought one hundred and eighty acres of land in 1910, for which he paid ninety dollars an acre, and now has one tract of three hundred and forty acres, all in sections 17 and 18, of Douglas township. Some idea of the value of this land may be gained from the fact that he has refused an offer of one hundred and forty-five dollars an acre for it. He makes a specialty of feeding cattle and hogs for the market and is one of the largest feeders in the county. He feeds and ships about ten carloads of cattle and five carloads of hogs every year, which averages about two hundred head of cattle and four hundred head of hogs. His farm is well improved and everything about the place shows that he is a man of thrifty habits.

Mr. MESSENGER was married on February 3, 1891, in Logan, Iowa, to Jennie ISOM. To this union have been born four children, all of whom are living at home: Ralph, born on July 25, 1892; Jessie, born on October 5, 1896; Floyd, born on December 19, 1903; and Ethel, born on October 29, 1909.

Mrs. MESSENGER was born on November 8, 1874, in Fremont county, Iowa, and is a daughter of William H. and Sarah A. (DAUGHERTY) ISOM. Her parents were natives of Alabama and Missouri, respectively. Her father served in the Confederate army for a time.

Mr. MESSENGER and his family are active workers in the Methodist Episcopal church. The Republican party receives his support, but, on account of his extensive farming and stock raising interests, he has never been active in political matters. He has never been a candidate for public office, feeling that there are others who are probably better qualified to hold an official position. He is a man of pleasing appearance, genial in his manner and is rightly classed among the most progressive farmers and stock raisers of Harrison county.

Return to 1915 Biographical M Surnames Index

Back to 1915 Biographies Index