The full biographical sketch as printed, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.
THOMAS HARDING.
Thomas Harding is one of the venerable citizens of Washington county, having passed the eightieth milestone on life's journey. He was born in Morgan county, Ohio, in the fall of 1828 and is a son of Lewis G. and Mary (Brannon) Harding. The father was a native of West Virginia but in his boyhood days went to Ohio and after three years spent in Illinois he re- moved to Iowa in i860. He continued a resident of this county through- out his remaining days and died in 1878. In his youth he had been his father's assistant in a hotel but with that exception he always gave his at- tention to general farming. The Hardings are of an old American family, originally from England, and representatives of the name lived for some time in Delaware before a removal was made to West Virginia. It was William Harding, the great-grandfather of our subject, who came from England in pioneer times. The mother of our subject was born in West-
moreland county, Pennsylvania, and was married in Ohio, while her death occurred in Iowa in 1885. The family numbered ten children: Benjamin and Mary Jane, both deceased; Thomas, of this review; Lyddie Anne, the widow of Washington Dye ; Nancy Ellen, deceased ; Eliza, the wife of George Bailey, of Rock Island, Illinois; Josiah, of Ainsworth ; F. W., a retired farmer living in Oregon township ; John B., of Kansas ; and one who died in infancy.
Thomas Harding acquired a common-school education and remained at home until twenty-two years of age, when he began farming in Ohio. In 1858 he became a resident of Rock Island county, Illinois, where he lived for three years and then came to Washington county, Iowa, locating where he now resides. He has witnessed the development of the county, noting with interest its growth as the wild land was reclaimed for the purposes of civilization, as churches and schools were built, manufactories and in- dustries established. He lived in the county for five years before a school was organized in this neighborhood, after which a third of the township was struck off and a school established with fifteeen pupils. Mr. Hard- ing has always given his attention to general agricultural pursuits and now owns one hundred and twenty acres of land which is well improved. He does not personally carry on the farm, however, but rents his land and from it derives a substantial income.
In 1850 Thomas Harding was married to Miss Alvira J. Sears, a resi- dent of Morgan county, Ohio, and they had seven children: Browning H., a telegraph operator of What Cheer, Iowa ; Mary J., the deceased wife of T. J. Glaze, of Houston, Texas ; Minnie T., the wife of F. B. Jackson, a farmer of Oregon township; Charles O., who died in infancy; Ella, the wife of Andrew Hofer. of Solon, Iowa ; Lewis, who is engaged in the gen- eral practice of medicine at Solon; Margaret E., the wife of Dr. J. T. Hay, a general practitioner at Lincoln, Nebraska, and superintendent of the in- sane asylum.
Thomas Harding votes with the republican party, to which he has given his support since its organization, while previously he voted with the whig party. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church all his life and his family are connected with the same organization. He is now well advanced in years and receives the respect and veneration which is usually accorded to a ripe old age.
Source: History of Washington County, Iowa, vol 2. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.
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