The Lewis Families of Pottawattamie County, Iowa

WILLIAM LEWIS,of LewisTownship was born in Monroe County, Michigan, November 28, 1834. His father, Silas Lewis, was a native of Onondaga County, New York, born in 1792, and in 1808 came to Monroe, Michigan, with his )parents. In his youth he learned the shoemakers' and tanners' trades, which he followed a number of years. He then engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1852, at the age of sixty years, in Monroe, Michigan. He was married in Michigan, to Lydia Chilson, who was born in Delaware County, New York, in 1799. She had moved to Michigan in an early day, and died January 15, 1890, at the home of her son William, in Lewis Township, Pottawattamie County. They had a family of ten children, of whom all are living except three: Shubael, a retired farmer of Kansas; Samuel B., a nurseryman of Monroe, Michigan; Silas, deceased; Chilson, a farmer of Pottawattamie County; James, residing in Colorado; William, of Lewis Township, Pottawattamie County; Nelson, a dairyman of Pottawattamie County; George, a nurseryman of Monroe, Michigan. The father served in the war of 1812, under Genoral Hull. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

William Lewis, our subject, was reared to farm life, and received his education in the public and private schools. He remained at home until he was twenty years of age, and then came to Iowa, stopping at various points until he finally landed in Pottawattamie County, where he located. He engaged at work by the month for a couple of years; the first man ho worked for was D. B. Clark, of Council Bluffs. He then commenced farming for himself, renting for a few years, and in 1861 he purchased a tract of forty acres on section 9, Lewis Township, which had been broken. Here he erected a residence and spent one year, when he sold out and purchased 200 acres of J. P. Casady, of Council Bluffs, on sections 10 and 15, Lewis Township, which was partially improved. The farm contained a small house, in which they lived for some time, and in 1885 they erected a tine two-story frame residence, 40 X 40 feet, wiiicli is one of the finest in this part of the county. He has also good barns for stock and grain, and three or four acres of grove. He has added to his first purchase 120 acres, making a total of 320 acres, all of which he has under good cultivation. It lies on sections 10, 11 and 15, Lewis Township. He devotes his attention mostly to farming and stock-raising, and takes an interest in all better grades of stock. He feeds quite a number of cattle each year for the market, and is one of the live, energetic business men of his township. Politically he is a stanch Republican. He is a over of law and order, and strives to promote the best interests of his county.

William Lewis was married January 2, 1862, to Miss Lydia Edwards, who was born at Mt. Clemens, Macomb County, Michigan, July 27. 1844. She is the daughter of W. A. and Lncretia (White) Edwards, natives of Genesee County, New York, and Michigan The father is a farmer during his later years, and is a resident of Appanoose County, Iowa; the mother died in 1848. They had a family of five children: Nelson, deceased; Sarah, deceased; Frank, residing in Lewis Township; Lydia, the wife of the subject of this sketch; and Daniel, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are the parents of si.K children, viz.: George, born November 15, 1863, residing on his father's farm in Lewis Township; Emma, wife of John Short, residing in Council Bluffs; Edward, born February 26, 1869, is at home; William, born March 28, 1872, is employed in a creamery in Dexter, Iowa; Elsie, Ijorn October 29, 1875; Katie, born November 24, 1877. Mr. Lewis is a self-made man, having risen from the very bottom of the financial ladder. When he landed in Council Bluffs he had but $10 to call his own, and how well he lias succeeded is demonstrated by looking at his beautiful home, surrounded by his broad acres of well cultivated land. The family are among the county's most worthy and respected citizens.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

N. H. LEWIS.

Among the native sons of Pottawattamie county who have gained a creditable name in business circles is numbered N. H. Lewis, who was born in Council Bluffs on the 5th of June, 1860. His parents were J. B. and Amanda J. Lewis, natives of Kentucky and of Illinois respectively. The father was a harness maker by trade and came to Council Bluffs in 1853, only about five years after the admission of the state into the Union. The city was then a frontier town, in which he established a harness business, continuing his operations in that line up to the time of his demise, which occurred in 1904. His widow still survives and now makes her home with her son, who is her only living child.

In early boyhood N. H. Lewis was sent to the public schools, where he acquired a good English education, as he passed from one grade to another. In early life he learned the trade of harness and saddle making with his father and they continued in business together until the father retired at the Bluffs. Mr. Lewis of this review then established a business of his own at Marne, Iowa, where he continued for six years. On the expiration of that period he came to Walnut in 1887, established a harness store and has since carried on the business at this place. He has been very successful in his mercantile operations and his enterprise and diligence well entitle him to the measure of prosperity which he is now enjoying.

In 1885 Mr. Lewis was united in marriage to Miss Frances E. Gill, who was born in Lewis, Cass county, Iowa, in 1860, a daughter of Mason C. and Mary Gill, whose family numbered eight children. Both parents are still living, the father having reached the venerable age of ninety years, while the mother has attained the advanced age of seventy-eight years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have been born three children: Frances E., a graduate of Drake University and now engaged in teaching school; and Vera and Fred W., both at home.

Mr. Lewis exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party and is recognized as one of its local leaders. He is now a member of the school board and the cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion. He is also serving as one of the aldermen of the town of Walnut and exercises his official prerogatives in support of all that promises to prove of benefit to the community. He belongs to the Odd Fellows lodge. No. 327, in which he has filled all of the chairs. His mother was one of the pioneer members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Council Bluffs and now has her membership in the church at Walnut. The family is an old and prominent one in the county, the name of Lewis having figured in connection with the harness trade for more than a half century, and at all times the name has stood as a synonym for commercial integrity and progress.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

M. LEWIS, one of the prominent citizens of Washington Township, was * born in Franklin Coui'ty, Indiana, September 23, 184G, the son of Samuel Lewis, who was born in the same county in 1812, and was a son of Daniel Lewis, a native of Pennsylvania, and of English descent. Our subject's mother was Martha (Richardson) Lewis, who was born in Ohio, and the daughter of Nathaniel Richardson, a native of Connecticut. In 1853, when the subject of this sketch was but seven years of age, the family moved to Marion County, Iowa, where the father lived until 1879, and then in Pottawattamie County till his death, which occurred in 1882, at the age of seventy years. He had been a farmer all his life; politically he was a Republican; and religiously a member of the Methodist Church. The mother now lives in Madison County, Nebraska. They had a family of twelve children, seven sons and five daughters, all of whom grew to maturity.

F. M. Lewis remained on the farm in Marion County until 1877, when he settled six miles from Council Bluffs, and later bought eighty acres of land, where he now lives. He was one of the early settlers in his neighborhood, and has been very successful in all his undertakings, being now the owner of 200 acres of well improved land. He was married in Marion County, Iowa, February 1, 1877, to Miss Lizzie Devore, who was born in Bartholomew County, Indiana, the daughter of Levi and Rosetta (Osborne) Devore, the former a native of Indiana, and the son of Ben Devore, and the latter was the daughter of Jonathan Osborne, a native of New England. Mrs. Lewis was but two years of age when her parents moved to Marion County, where she grew to maturity and was educated. Her mother died in 1881, in Pottawattamie County, and the father now lives six miles north of Council Bluffs, near Crescent. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have four children: Tonny Benton, Mary Elva, Charles Earl and Irvin. Politically Mr. Lewis is a Republican; and religiously both himself and wife are members of the Evangelical Church.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.