In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1901) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From Biographical records of Linn County, Iowa .. (1901), Portrait and biographical album of Linn County, Iowa (1887)
ENRY F. BORGHART. This enterprising citizen occupies a prominent place among theexcellent German farming element which has done so much toward the improvement and building up of this section of the country. Mr. Borghart is located on section " College Township, and the proprietor of a large farm, under a high state of cultivation. His dwelling and outhouses are built in the most substantial manner, and the entire premises has that air of solidity and comfort which is peculiar to the homestead of the sturdy and enterprising Herman farmer. The possessions of Mr. B. are the result of his own persevering industry, assisted by his good wife, he being a self-made man in the strongest sense of the term.
Henry F. Borghart was born near Berlin, Germany, March:i. 1838. His father, Frederick, was an agriculturist to a moderate degree, and had also acquired the trade of a weaver. The father was married in Prussia to Miss Henrietta Kaufinann. who was also of pure German ancestry. Of this union there were born three children, our subject being the second child, and the only one who lived lo come to the United States. In 1.S47, with his parents, he set out for the New World on a sailing vessel, embarking at Bremen, and landing at New Orleans. They were seven tedious weeks in making the journey. From the place of their landing they proceeded to St. Louis, thence to Bloomington, which is now Muscatine, Iowa. Shortly afterward they came to Linn County, and settled on a tract of land in College Township, where they established a permanent homestead, and which now remains in the possession of their only son. When our subject came here with his parents they settled on a farm and lived in a log cabin about fourteen feet square, until August, 1849. That year a tornado swept this section of the State, and completely demolished the cabin, sweeping it entirely away\ and destroying all the furniture, scattering the bedding and clothing beyond recall, and rendering the family completely homeless. After the storm was over the neighbors gathered together and assisted in rebuilding the cabin, and the family then occupied it until 1857. They then erected another and larger dwelling, the main part of which was brick.
When the tornado struck the primitive dwelling of the parents of our subject, the father, mother, ami son, Henry F., were in bed. They were blown several feet from the site of the cabin, and strange as it may appear, although amidst and partially covered by the broken timbers, they suffered only slight wounds, from which they soon recovered.
When the parents of Mr. Borghart emigrated to this country, Iowa was a young State, and the claim upon which they settled had but recently come into market. To this he subsequently secured a title, the nearest land-ollice then being located at Iowa City, the old state capital. When they took possession of their land it was wild and unbroken, and required hard and incessant labor to bring it to the condition which would entitle it to be designated as a farm..Much of it was covered with timber, but by laborious effort, in due time it was cleared,
Vjyrfjvr crops were put in, and smiling fields began to repay them for months of weary toil. By degrees, the father increased his landed interests, and our subject is now the possessor of 500 broad acres.
The mother of our subject departed this life at her home in this township, Dec. 12, 1871. at the age of fifty-seven years. The father subsequently married again, the name of his second wife being Catharine Fuhrmeister. They are now living in retirement and ease in Ely, Putnam Township. The father is well and widely known in this county as an upright man and a well-to-do substantial citizen.
The subject of our sketch was only nine years old when his father came to this country. His marriage with Miss Jane Fuhrmeister was celebrated Jan. 24, 1801). This lady was a native of Prussia, born April 22, 1839, and died at the early age of thirty-three years. Oct. 10, L872. Her parents emigrated to the United States when she was a child; her father is deceased, and her mother subsequently became the wife of her father-in-law, the father of our subject.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
Mrs. Borghart was one of the early teachers in the public schools of the county, having been thus engaged for ten or twelve years.
Mr. and Mrs. Borghart are members of the Evangelical Association, of which Mr. B. ione of the
Trustees and a Steward. He is also Trustee of his township, and bears the reputation of a good citizen, and a valued member of the community. In politics he is a Democrat. A lithographic view of the handsome residence, large barns, and outbuildings on the farm of Mr. Borghart, 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.
HEXRY F. BORGHART.
Henry F. Borghart, deceased, was numbered among the honored pioneers of Linn county, who located here when this region was wild and unimproved. In the work of development he took an active i)art in early days and aided in opening up the county to civilization. As the years passed he faithfully performed his duties of citizenship and his interest in the welfare and progress of the community never al)ated- Becoming widely and favorably known he made many friends and his death was a loss to the entire community.
Mr. Borghart was born near Berlin,
Germany, on the 3d day of March, 1838,. and in 1847 accompanied his parents on their emigration to the new world, being the only one of their family who reached years of maturity. Coming at once to Linn county, Iowa, the father, Frederick Borghart, purchased a small farm of forty acres in College township, on which a log house hadpreviously been erected. He was in limited circumstances on coming to this country, but succeeded in his farming operations here and after paying for his first tract made additional purchases. The mother of our subject died on the home farm December 12, 1871, at the age of fifty-seven, and the father subsequently married Mrs. Catherine Fuhrmeister, and reuKjved to Ely. where he resided for several years, but he died on the old homestead in College township in 1889. His second wife died at the home of her son, Andrew Fuhrmeister, in Ely, in 1890. On his arrival in College township, Frederick Borghart erected a logxabin about fourteen feet square, in which the family lived until August, 1849, which time a tornado swept over this section of the state and completely demolished the cabin, sweeping it entirely away and destroying all the furniture, scattering the bedding and clothing beyond recall, and rendering the family completely homeless. When the tornado struck the cabin, the parents and their son. Henry F., our subject, were in bed. They were blown several feet from the site of the cabin, and although they were partially covered with broken timbers, their injuries were slight anil they recm-ered in a few days' time. After the storm was over the neighhnrs gathered together and assisted in rebuilding the cabin, and the family then occupied it until 1857, when a larger and more commodious dwelling was erecteil.
Henry F. Borghart began his education in the schools of Germany, and after coming to this country attended the pubhc schools of College township, Linn county, for a time. He grew to manhood amid pioneer scenes. The father purchased his first wagon and a team of oen in Illinois, and then ferred them across the river at Muscatine. Our subject aided in the arduous task of transforming the wild prairie land into richly cultivated fields, and he and his father carried on the farm together for some time. Later he purchased it, and as he succeeded in his agricultural labors he added to it from time to time until at his death he owned five hundred and forty acres in the home tract and lands in other places, which he had placed under excellent cultivation and improved by the erection of some good, substantial buildings. He carried on general farming quite extensively, and was also successfully engaged in stock raismg. His prosperity was due to hard labor and good management, and he well merited the success that attended his efforts.
In 1 86 1 Mr. Borghart married Miss Jane 'Fuhrmeister, who died in 1872. leaving three children, who grew to maturity, namely: Amelia, wife of George Smith, of College township; Frederick, also a resident of College township; and Martha, wife of Henry Wilkins, of the same township. They were all educated in the public schools near their childhood home.
On the 24th of October, 1875,:\Mr. Borghart was again married, his second union being with Mrs., Louisa (Xiles) Pierce, a native of Erie county, Pennsylvania, and daughter of Henry and Catherine (Pulis) Xiles. and the widow of Robert Pierce, by whom she bore one son, Ernest, born December 14, 1869, and who is now a land owner of Sac county. Iowa, but residing at Lytton. in the same state. Mrs. Borghart was one of the early teachers of Linn county, and followed that profession for some ten or twelve years. In 1860 her father brought his family to this county and for a time was engaged in farming in College township, but finally sold his farm there and removed to Sac county, Iowa. Subsequently he returned to Linn county, and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Borghart, in College township, February 22, 1895, at the age of eighty-two years. His wife, who was torn April 18, 1816, still survives him, and continues to reside with her daughter. Mr. Xiles was an earnest and consistent Christian and the Belle Prairie Baptist Church was organized through his influence and that of his brotherin-law, Aaron B. Pulis. In his family were five children: A. C, who was a soldier of the Civil war and was killed in the battle of W'indiester; WilliamF., who served four years in the L'nion army and is now engaged in farming in Sac county, Iowa; George, also a resident of Sac county; Louisa, now Mrs. Borghart, and Elnora J., who married Mortimer Hulce and died December 6, 1900. By his second marriage Mr. Borghart hail four children: Jennie, George, and Katie and Matie, twins.
Mr. Borghart died on his farm June 6, 1893, and was laid to rest in College township cemetery. In politics he was a Democrat, and being a very influential and popular man in his community he was called upon to fill several local offices. He took a very active part in church work as a member of the United Evangelical Church, of which his wife was also a member, and was officially connected with the same for many years. It was mainly through his untiring labor and influence that a church was organized and maintained in College township, and he was also a verjactive worker in the Sunday-school, being the superintendent many years.
In 1897 Mrs. Borghart removed to Cedar Rapids in order to give her children better educational advantages than the country schools afforded, and purchased the home which they now occupy at 1102 South First street, west. As the children will graduate from the high school in the spring of 1901. it is her intention to return to the farm in College township. She is a woman of good business and executive ability, and to her aid and encouragement not a little of Mr. Borghart's success was due. She is highly esteemed wherever known, and lias made many friends during her residence in Cedar
Rapids.
As printed in Biographical records of Linn County, Iowa .. (1901). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1901. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.