James Washburne, farmer, section 30, Mendon Township, was born in Compton, Lower Canada, Feb. 21, 1814. His parents, Joseph and Sarah (Warner) Washburne, were natives of Massachusetts, and moved into Lower Canada at an early day. They had a family of five sons and three daughters, of whom, James, subject of this sketch, was the oldest son and second child. He attended school and worked on his father's farm until sixteen, when his parents removed to Pittsburg, N.H., and settled on a farm. At the age of twenty-one he left home and began to work for himself. He built and ran saw and grist mills on the Connecticut River until 1858, when he came to West Union, Fayette County, Iowa, where he worked at the wagon-maker and boot and shoe trades about five years, then farmed until February, 1867, when he came to Clayton County, and bought his present farm on section 30, Mendon Township, where he has since remained. Mr. Washburne married Betsey Wright at Pittsburg, N.H., Nov. 25, 1834. They have had a family of four girls and four boys--Anna, born Sept. 4, 1835, wife of Chas. Woodard; Phoebe A., born July 11, 1838, married Andrew S. Barnes; James, Jn., born Sept. 24, 1840, died Nov. 14, 1840; Amanda M., born April 30, 1842, wife of George E. Dayton; Marietta, born May 4, 1844, married Chas. Severy; Hiram P., born Feb. 1, 1847, married Jenetta Allen; Chas. S. W., born Dec. 5, 1848, married Anna Schriver; George P., born March 28, 1851, married Ella Davis; Edward E., Sept. 20, 1853, married Josephine Orr. Mr. Washburne owns a farm of eighty acres, seventy acres under cultivation and well stocked; he raises grain and fruit for the market. He is one of the enterprising, representative men of Clayton County, where he has been identified since 1867. He was elected to the Vermont Legislature two terms, and was Justice of the Peace and Postmaster of Pittburg, N.H., sixteen years; has also held the office of Justice of Peace in Mendon Township. source: History of Clayton
County, Iowa, 1882, p. 1003 |