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JOSEPH CALDWELL

BARR, BELL, CALDWELL, COURTRIGHT, DODSWORTH, EMMERSON, GUSTO, HAFFNER, KNAUF, KRIEGER, MCCORKELL, MCCRACKEN, OVERTON, POWELL

Posted By: L.K.Newby (email)
Date: 11/2/2006 at 15:36:42

Biographical Review of Henry County, Iowa; Chicago: Hobart Publishing Co., (1906) Transcribed from Page 397.

Joseph Caldwell is a retired farmer residing in Mount Pleasant, who after long years of active connection with agricultural interests, during which he won a gratifying measure of success, is now enjoying a well earned rest in a pleasant home in the city. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, September 23, 1840, and is a son of John and Margaret (MCCORKELL) Caldwell, who were also natives of Washington county. They came to Iowa in 1849, settling in Lee county, where the father followed his trade of blacksmithing up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1875. His wife survived him until 1883 and their remains were interred in Clay Grove cemetery, in Lee county.

In their family were ten children: William, who died of cholera (1851) when about twenty-one years of age and was laid to rest in Clay Grove cemetery; Robert, who married Miss Hattie GUSTO and died leaving two children; Jane, the wife of Andrew MCCRACKEN, of Russell county, Kansas, by whom she has four children; John, who married Miss Almira COURTRIGHT and is living in Mount Hamill, Lee county, with his wife and seven children; James M., a resident of Eagleville, Nevada; Andrew B., who resides in Fort Madison, Iowa, with his younger sister Anna M.; Joseph, of this review; Mary E., the wife of George W. KRIEGER, of Lee county; Boyd E., who is living near Center City, Merritt county, Nebraska, and married Lizzie KNAUF, by whom he has five children, one son and four daughters, and Anna M., the wife of Robert J. BARR, who is living in Fort Madison.

Joseph Caldwell, whose name introduces this review, was educated in the common schools of Lee county and remained with his father until twenty-seven years of age, living upon the old homestead and assisting in the work of the farm. He then purchased a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of land in Lee county, where he lived for thirty-one years, giving his time and energies to general agricultural pursuits. He brought his land up to a high state of cultivation, transforming it into productive fields, from which he annually harvested good crops. The years brought to him a comfortable competence and when he felt that his possessions justified him in retiring from business life he put aside the active work of the farm and removed to Mount Pleasant in 1898, since which time he has resided in a beautiful home on East Washington street.

On the 27th of February, 1868, Mr. Caldwell was married to Miss Anna E. EMMERSON, a daughter of Michael and Sarah (DODSWORTH) Emmerson. She was born in a log cabin in Lee county, Iowa, May 9, 1849. Her father was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, October 10, 1815, and his wife’s birth occurred there on the 15th of July, 1821. Mr. Emmerson devoted seven years to learning the tailor’s trade in England, and in 1840 he crossed the Atlantic to America in an old time sailing vessel. He settled in Lee county and two years later he purchased a large farm. When he arrived in Iowa he had but one dollar in money and two suits of clothes, and while cultivating his farm in the early days he worked at the tailor’s trade at night and at odd times, and was thus enabled to pay for the rails used in fencing his farm and also meet the payment upon a part of his land. He likewise worked at the tailor’s trade in Illinois for several years, after which he gave his undivided attention to the tilling of the soil upon his farm in Lee county. He visited England a few years after he first came to America, but never again returned to his native land.

His wife, Sarah, came to the United States with her parents in 1834, the family settling in Morgan county, Illinois, and in 1842 she gave her hand in marriage to John Emmerson. By this union there were two children: Thomas, who died in infancy, and Richard, who married Miss Addie SWAIN and is living on a farm in Morgan county, Illinois. In 1846 John Emmerson enlisted for service in the Mexican war and fell while defending his country at the battle of Buena Vista on the 23rd day of February, 1847. Later his widow gave her hand in marriage to Michael EMMERSON, who though of the same name, was not a relative of her first husband. By this union there were three children, namely: Anna, now the wife of Joseph Caldwell; John S., who died in infancy, and Mary, the wife of M. T. OVERTON, a resident of Lee county, Iowa, by whom she has six children. The father died March 10, 1895, and the mother passed away February 3, 1899, at the advanced age of seventy-seven years. They traveled life’s journey together for nearly forty-eight years, and Mr. Emmerson was resident of Lee county for fifty-five years, being one of its most worthy and respected citizens and pioneers. Coming to America empty-handed, he depended entirely upon his own resources for living, and as the years advanced he prospered in his undertakings.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell were born five children. Ollie J. is the wife of John Elmer POWELL, who is living on a farm at Milton, Iowa, and they have one child, Ruth Viola, now nine years of age. Lutie May is a milliner employed in Mrs. Anderson’s establishment in Mount Pleasant. Cora Ann is a clerk in the Hoaglin dry goods store in Mount Pleasant. Flora Belle is the wife of Alvin C. HAFFNER, president of the Concrete Block Company in Denver, Colorado, where they reside. Grace Ada is living at home with her parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell attend the Presbyterian church and he gives his political allegiance to the democracy, but has never aspired to office. Mrs. Caldwell is a most estimable lady of pleasing manner, cordial disposition and innate culture and refinement. Mr. Caldwell is a self-made man, whose advancement in life is attributable entirely to his own efforts and whose example is well worthy of emulation.

[Genealogist Note: The Micheal Emmerson mentioned in this Bio is the younger brother of Jane Emmerson BELL, wife of John Bell.]

Emmerson/Bell
 

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