Daniel Seward Hahn

As printed in 1887

ANIEL SEWARD HAHN. One of the oldest pioneers who yet lives to tell of the trials and struggles through which the early settlers passed in establishing homes in Linn County, is the gentleman whose name heads this notice. He came here in L 837, and for a period of half a century has been closely identified with the development of the county, and has gained a reputation for honesty and straightforward dealing second to none within her boundaries. ne has witnessed the county's development from a wild, uncultivated tract of land to one of the richest and most productive agricultural districts in the State, and has contributed his quota to her advancement in these directions.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Sfjixrxx uineninan. The grandfather was killed by the Indians at North Bend, while there for the purpose of selling a tract of land to raise money to pay the balance which he owed on the site of the city of Cincinnati. It is not certain whether the grandfather was born in this country or not, but if not, he was of German parentage.

The father of our subject was born in Pennsylvania, but after the death of his father the family removed to Butler County, Ohio, where they secured land and where our subject's father was reared to manhood. lie followed the vocation of farming, and continued to reside in Butler County until 1820, when he removed to Indiana, settling near Crawfordsville and clearing a farm. He removed from the latter county to Knox County, Ill., where he was a pioneer, and where he also improved a farm and erected thereon a good set of frame buildings, and was busily engaged at farm work until his death, which occurred in 1850.

The maiden name of our subject's mother was Susannah Seward, who was a native of York State and a cousin of the Hon. W. II. Seward. She died in Butler County, Ohio. Oursubject was the fourth in order of birth of his parents' family of live chilli, dren, and the youngest of four sons and the only ii child now living, lie was but five years old when his mother died, and twelve years of age when the family removed to Indiana, and there lived to attain his majority. His opportunity of acquiring an education was limited, as there were no free schools in those days, and what education he received was through the instruction of a private tutor.

Mr. Hahn married, in 1830, Permelia Epperson, who was born in Tennessee and reared in Kentucky. lie leased a tract of land in Montgomery County. Ind.. after his marriage, and lived there until 1834, engaged the while in farming. He then, accompanied by his wife and four children, started for Illinois overland, bringing his household goods with him. Arriving in that State, he located at Henderson Grove, and worked his father's land im-

1 til the fall of 1836. He then moved to Mercer County, that State, but could not obtain a clear title to land desired in that county, and in the

.'.'-spring of 1837, in company with his brother-inlaw, Charles Moberley, started for the Black Hawk purchase. They had one horse, and on their journey purchased corn and bread sufficient to satisfy their hunger. They, however, remained only a short time when they returned to Illinois and, with two yoke of oxen, came to this State and located in Cedar County, where his brother-in-law had a claim. Remaining with him a short time, our subject then came to this county and located on the identical tract of land on which he now resides. He broke a few acres, erected a log house on his claim, and in July returned to Illinois for his family, and brought them and his household goods to his new home with his faithful ox-teams. At this time he was the owner of two yoke of oxen, a mare and a colt, four cows and about fifty cents in money. He put in a crop of buckwheat on his brother-in-law's sod land, which, after harvesting and placing in a bin, he was extremely discouraged to see the angry flames destroy, and he was consequently obliged in buy buckwheat, which he ground in a coffee-mill to keep the wife and children from starving. The following year he raised a crop of winter wheat which he reaped with a sickle and threshed with a flail. The nearest mill was on Rock Creek, twenty miles distant. Wild game of all kinds was plenty, and had it not been so the early pioneers would have had an extremely hard time to keep from starving to death, and our subject still retains possession of the old gun which he had in those days, and with which he killed many a deer, the same gun having been owned by his father. Mr. Hahn was always fearless, and was a terror to horsethieves who roamed the country during the early settlement of this county. His life was threatened by them time after time, and he alwa37s went armed and prepared for any emergency that might arise. The land when he first came here was unsurveyed, and the log cabin in which he first lived was covered with shakes, and he even lived in it for several months without ever having a floor.

After the land came into the market our subject entered eighty acres, which took nearly all the money he had. This he had made off the land by raising wheat, corn ami pork, which he sold at Muscatine and Dubuque. He afterward entered other land as he could obtain the means to do so, and the last eighty acres of his claim he paid for

=HH] with money received from a man who came along while he was confined to the house, sick, and who bought some hogs from him and paid him just enough money to enter his last eighty acres, lie entered in all 280 acres, and is now the proprietor of 25* acres of the identical land which he entered from the Government almost fifty years ago. He has a fine stone quarry, good timber and running water mi his place, and from the insignificant price which he paid for it, it has advanced in value until it is now a handsome competency on which he can live and enjoy his declining years in peace and quiet. His place is on section 15, Franklin Township.

Mr. ami Mrs. Hahn became the parents of eleven children, six sons and five daughters. The faithful wife and mother departed this life Nov. 16, 1881. Five sons are still living. Charles is a resident of Johnson County, Iowa; Joseph, of Osborn County, Kan.; Daniel, of the little city of Mt. Vernon, in this State; and Sarah, the wife of William Murray, lives in California; Mary E. married Edward Haley, of Franklin Township; Jane became the wife of G-george Johns, and lives in Mt. Vernon; Elias lives in Kansas; Permelia lives in Mt. Vernon, and John manager the old homestead.

Mr. Hahn, politically, affiliates with the Democratic party. He cast his first vote for Gen. Jackson, and has remained firm in the faith of his early manhood, and is perfectly satisfied with President Cleveland's administration. In religion he is an (_>ld school predestinarian Baptist.

A lithographic portrait of Mr. Halm is shown on another page of this work.

As printed in Portrait and biographical album of Linn County, Iowa (1887). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.