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Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

Biographies - 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa

Page Five


W Garner | H Garner | W Morrow | D Morrow | H Morrow | Parkin | Bio Index



GARNER - Henry GARNER, one of the most prosperous farmers in Raglan Township, residing on section 34, came to Harrison County in March, 1861, which was a month before the Civil War commenced. He first located on the farm he now occupies, consisting of two hundred acres of partly improved land. There was a small log house upon the place 14 x 16 feet, seven feet high. This humble cabin home did good service as a residence for four years. In the fall of 1865 he erected a brick house from brick which he burned himself, the same being 36 feet square and two stories high. He also built a barn, 30 x 40 feet, horse stables, cribbing, etc. He dug three wells, and erected three windmills; set out an orchard of 700 trees, together with shade trees. While the years have, one by one, been slipping away, this man has not been idle, for his landed possessions now aggregate 815 acres, 200 being under the plow, while the balance is in pasture, meadow, and timber land. Mr. GARNER has seen much of the hard times co-incident to pioneer days in Harrison County, being here, as he was, ahead of the railroads, and through the grasshopper years.
He was born July 13, 1827, in North Carolina. His parents were David and Jane GARNER, natives of North Carolina, whose children were as follows: George, Phillip, Sarah, Nancy, Elizabeth, William, David, John, Eliza, Henry and Marinda. All are deceased except William and Henry.
Our subject lived in North Carolina until seven years of age, when his parents removed to Adams County, Ill., where they engaged at farming and remained there until the spring of 1846, and then came to Council Bluffs, Iowa. At this time our subject was twenty years of age. Land was not yet in the market, but he "squatted" on a piece of land which he afterwards pre-empted. He improved this land and lived upon it until he came to Harrison County. He was there during the hard snow winter of 1856-57. In 1846, after landing at Council Bluffs, they received orders from the Government to not let any of the settlers cross the Missouri River until they raised 500 men as soldiers for the Mexican War. This number of men was raised and placed under the command of Col. Kane. Our subject had three brothers who enlisted, leaving their families in tents on the east bank of the Missouri River. It will be remembered that this was at a very early day, when Iowa was yet a Territory, with Indians on every hand, and was, verily, the times that tried men's souls.
Mr. GARNER was united in marriage February 16, 1851, to Anna M. MAHONEY, born April 16, 1833, and the daughter of Stephen MAHONEY, who was a native of Maryland, and whose family consisted of the following children: Rachel, Ann, Harriet E., deceased; Theodore, James; Jerry, William, and Joseph, deceased, and Elizabeth.
Oy subject and his wife are the parents of fourteen children, twelve of whom are living. They were born and named in the following order: Amanda J., November 24, 1851; Margaret E., December 8, 1852; William F., March 5, 1854; George W., April 11, 1855; Harriet E., April 5, 1856; Melissa C., December 30, 1857; Philip John, November 11, 1859; Stephen H., deceased, born March 1, 1862; Eva, deceased, born March 1, 1864; Sarah E., and Mary E. (twins), born April 17, 1866; James, June 21, 1868; Ella Bertha, July 29, 1871, and Minnie M., October 4, 1874.
Politically, Mr. GARNER is identified with the Democratic Party, and has held the office of County Supervisor, School Director, and School Treasurer. Both he and his wife are members of the Latter Day Saints Church.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Morrow Family Researcher: Deb Owens.
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GARNER - William F. GARNER, whose farm home is situated on section 34, of Raglan Township, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1861, with his parents, who settled on the place they now occupy. William F. remained at home until he was of age, working on the farm summers and attending school winters. When he went for himself he first rented land in Magnolia Township, where he farmed three years, and then farmed two years near Logan, after which he moved to Raglan Twp, rented land one year, and in 1881 bought his present place, which then consisted of 95 acres of partly-improved land. His place is now well improved; is provided with good buildings; water pumped by wind power, and is made more valuable by shade trees and an orchard of 700 trees. His farm now consists of two hundred and thirty-five acres; fifty-five acres being under the plow, and the balance in pasture, timber and meadow land. Great has been the change since this gentleman -- the first year of the Civil War -- looked out upon the unsettled domain of Harrison County. The goodly home that he possesses came not by heirship, but by his own brain and muscle.
Mr. GARNER was born in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, March 5, 1854. He is the son of Henry and Ann M. GARNER, natives of North Carolina and Maryland respectively, whose fourteen children were as follows: Amanda J., Margaret E., William F., GeorgeW., Harriet E., Caroline M., John P., Stephen and Eva A., deceased; Sarah E. and Mary E., twins; James F., Bertha E., and Minnie M.
Our subject lived in Pottowattamie County until six years of age, when his parents moved to this county.
April 25, 1875, he was married to Margaret H. BLACKMAN, the former a native of Canada, and the latter of New York State. Mr. and Mrs. BLACKMAN were the parents of nine children -- Stephen M., Charles W., Margaret H., John H., deceased; Juliet, George J., Harriet E., Chester H., Laura B.
Our subject and his wife are the parents of the following children -- Mark L., born February 3, 1876; John S., July 27, 1881; and Edna E., November 20, 1883.
Mr. GARNER is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to Magnolia Lodge, No. 126. Both he and his wife are members of the Latter Day Saints Church.
Politically, he is identified with the People's party.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Morrow Family Researcher: Deb Owens.
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MORROW - David MORROW, a farmer living on section 16, Raglan Township, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1856, in company with his parents, who located in Raglan Twp. He remained at home until he had reached the years of majority. His advantages for obtaining an education were very limited.
His father helped him procure a quarter-section of land, which he plowed up, and erected a house, barn and granary upon. He also dug wells and provided the same with a windmill, and set out an orchard of 100 apple trees, together with shade and ornamental trees; the present farm contains 240 acres, 50 acres of which are plow land, while the balance is in meadow and pasture, all surrounded with a good fence.
Mr. MORROW was born in Canada, is the son of Patrick and Elizabeth MORROW, natives of Ireland, whose ten children were as follows: Jane, William, Elizabeth, Anna, Hugh, Mary, David, Joseph, deceased; David, Salathiel and Matilda.
Our subject remained in Canada until seven years of age, and then came to Harrison County, Iowa. He was married April 2, 1877, to Catharine, daughter of Hugh and Ann STEWART, natives of Ireland, who had ten children, named as follows: John (deceased), Mary A., Catharine, Daniel, James T., Sarah A., Peter P., Rose (deceased), Jennie and Anna.
Mr. and Mrs. MORROW are the parents of four children, as follows: Lewis H., born January 30, 1878; Mary G., April 19, 1980; Jane R., May 21, 1882; Anna T., December 29, 1885. Mrs. MORROW passed from the scenes of this life, November 27, 1890. The family belong to the Roman Catholic Church.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Morrow Family Researcher: Deb Owens.
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MORROW - Hugh MORROW, a farmer residing on section 12, of Allen Township, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1856, in company with his parents, who first located in Raglan Township purchasing about 500 acres of wild land, which his father commenced breaking and generally improving. They built a house by setting posts in the ground and thatched the roof, and built stables and shedding in the same way. The sides of the house were made of sawed unedged boards, while the cracks between were filled with chopped hay and mud.
Our subject was born in Toronto, Canada, March 17, 1844, and remained with his parents until he was twenty years of age, when he went to Colorado and enlisted in Company M., Third Colorado Cavalry. He was mustered in at Denver, and was in the frontier service 110 days, when he was taken sick and discharged. He returned to Iowa and worked on his father's farm one year and a half and then went to St. Louis, to the Academy of Christian Brothers, remaining there six months after which he returned to Iowa and went railroading. He was in a supply store and worked in Nebraska, Iowa and Texas, remaining with the company about seven years. His father had given him a quarter section of wild land, three miles south of the town of Little Sioux, and he returned to this land, which was on the Missouri Bottom, and improved it, remaining there one year, after which he bought the farm he now occupies, disposing of the other in forty-acre lots as he could. His present farm, which consists of 320 acres of prairie land, had no improvements, so he at once set about to subdue it from its wild state. He broke, fenced and set out a grove, and built a house 18 x 26 feet, with a wing 16 x 20 feet, together with numerous outbuildings, and a good well utilized by means of wind power.
Our subject is the son of Patrick and Elizabeth MORROW, natives of Ireland, who are the parents of eight children -- Jane, William, Elizabeth, Anna, Hugh P., David, Salathiel S., and Matilda.
Mr. MORROW was married November 26, 1874, to Rosa A. FERGUSON, daughter of W.P. and Susan FERGUSON, natives of Ireland, who reared twelve children -- Rosa A., Thomas J., Bridget M., Hugh D., William W., John B., Susan E., Joseph E., Mary J., Frank A., Catherine A., and Mark. Mrs. FERGUSON was born inNew York, Setember 6, 1853.
Mr. and Mrs. MORROW are the parents of nine children born as follows: Elizabeth S., September 6, 1876; Patrick, December 4, 1877; Anna J., November 19, 1880; Evaline M., July 8, 1882; Rosa I., October 30, 1883; Helen C., August 31, 1885; Teresa B., August 20, 1887; Agnes M., January 17, 1889; and Hugh P., January 22, 1891.
Our subject and his family are members of the Roman Catholic Church. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, and politically is identified with the Democratic party. He has held the offices of Justice of the Peace, Township Trustee, Township Clerk, Roadmaster, and Postmaster.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Morrow Family Researcher: Deb Owens.
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MORROW - William MORROW, member of the Board of Supervisors, located on section 16, of Raglan Township, accompanied his parents to this county in 1856. They located in Raglan Twp, and he remained with them until he had attained his majority, when his father gave him 160 acres of land, upon which he erected a frame house, granary, and other outbuildings, and set out an artificial grove as well as an orchard. He remained on this place nine years and then exchanged it for his present place, consisting of 240 acres, which at that time was wild land. Here he erected a story and a half frame house, 18 x 24 feet, with an addition of 12 x 16 feet, and another, 18 x 24 feet. He also built a basement barn, good granary, sheds and cribbing. He obtained the purest water from three living springs which run to his different stock yards. He set out an orchard of 300 trees, and beautified his place by growing a charming grove of shade trees. He has added to his original land until he now has 672 acres, 130 being under the plow, while the balance is in meadow and pasture land, the entire tract being surrounded by a substantial fence. With the exception of the original quarter section, for which his father paid $1.25 per acre, our subject has made the balance by his own exertions.
Mr. MORROW is a native of the Emerald Isle, having been born in Ireland, December 30, 1836. His parents were Patrick and Elizabeth MORROW, natives of the same country. They were the parents of the following children -- Jane, William, Elizabeth, Anna, Hugh P., David (deceased), Mary (deceased), David, Joseph(deceased), Salathiel S., and Matilda. Four of these children were born in Ireland, six in Canada, and one in Iowa. Our subject left his native land when six years of age, coming to Canada, where he remained until nineteen years old, at which time he came to Harrison County, Iowa. At an early day, in this county, he owned a horse of great speed, and he related how that in four instances he ran a deer down and killed it with his pocket knife. During the grasshopper years in this county the little winged pests destroyed every acre of his growing corn.
He was united in marriage in April, 1859, to Nancy McCAUGHRIN, the daughter of Alexander and Margaret McCAUGHRIN, natives of Ireland, who were the parents of three children -- Nancy, Martha and John. Mrs. MORROW was his faithful companion until May 24, 1879, when she was called upon to lay down the burden of life. Our subject and his wife were the parents of Margaret J., born March 3, 1860; Hugh H., deceased, June 18, 1861; William A., February 12, 1863; Sarah A., November 5, 1864; Stephen A., deceased, June 18, 1866; Joseph P., November 24, 1867; Elizabeth M., May 20, 1869; Catharine E., March 13, 1871; Stephen E., January 1, 1873, and Daniel A., October 24, 1874.
Mr. MORROW is a member of the Roman Catholic Church, as was his wife.
Politicaly, our subject affiliates with the Democratic party. He was elected as a member of the Board of Supervisors in 1889, and is proving himself an efficient officer.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Morrow Family Researcher: Deb Owens.
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PARKIN - John PARKIN, and wife Elizabeth Jane White Parkin. Born in Virginia and came to Harris Grove in 1857. They settled with their children Samuel, Sarah Jane, Joseph W., Wesley M., John Clark, Floyd and Mary on Lot 4, Sec. 6, Union township and later settled east of the Grove. John Parkin was County Surveyor in 1867 and operated the first shingle machine in the Grove. My ggrandfather & parents, Floyd Parkin, and John A. and Elizabeth White Parkin, attended services at Harris Grove Church and several family members are buried in the cemetery across the road.
Parkin Family Researcher: Gloria Lamm.
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