John G. Andrews

As printed in 1912

JOHN G. ANDREWS

John G. Andrews is one of the well-known farmers of Graham township and lives in honorable retirement on the eighty acres of land he first purchased in the region. He came to Johnson county when land was cheap and his possessions have doubled in value several times since he made his first purchase of land in 1875. He was born in Pennsylvania, January 4, 1846, son of Joseph and Johanna (Garrett) Andrews, natives of the same state, the father born in 1819 and the mother in 1815. They came west in 1860 and the mother died in 1890 and the father passed away in Graham township, June 3, 1911. He was a millwright and farmer and worked in grist mills in his native state, also after coming to Iowa. He and his wife had three children: Mary Jane, unmarried; John G., of this sketch; and AVilliam, of Morse, a sketch of whom appears in this work. The family came to Madison county, Iowa, in 1868, and lived there until the spring of 1876.

Mr. Andrews has followed farming all his life, and in 1875 bought eighty acres of land where he now lives, forty acres of which were a part of the old pioneer farm of Henry Felkner, and forty acres were formerly owned by E. B. Moore, who sold it to E. B. Morse, from whom, in 1875, Mr. Andrews purchased it at $35 per acre. Mr. Andrews purchased his east eighty acres, the James Ryan quarter section, in 1880, at $60 per acre, and all of this land is now (1912) valued at $200 per acre. Mr. Andrews also owns 113 acres of land comprising the old John Hope estate. The first purchase of land contained no buildings and was literally covered with cockle-burrs. He brought it to a tillable state and,has put in tiling and constructed fences. In 1 885 he moved the old James Ryan house, which forms the north part of his residence, and added to it. In 1880 he erected the building he now uses for a stock barn, 30 by 20 feet, with 16 foot shed, at first used as a granary. In 1899 be put up a more modern building, 42 by 56 feet, with 20 foot posts, and having a capacity of 75 to 80 tons of bay. In 1905 he erected a handsome residence for his son, a short distance north of his home.

Mr. Andrews has always believed in high-grade stock. His farms tare stocked with some 35 head of Hereford cattle and 80 head of Duroc Jersey hogs. In 1911 his corn crop averaged 75 bushels to the acre. He now has both his farms rented, one to his son and one to his son-in-law. He has been an enterprising and ambitious farmer and has prospered in all his undertakings.

As printed in Leading events in Johnson County, Iowa, history (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.