William B. Lewis

As printed in 1887

WILLIAM H. LEWIS, one of the pioneers of Washington County, is a native of Lincoln County, Ky., and is a son of Samuel and Cassander (Leasure) Lewis, the former born in Maryland, Sept. 17, 1776, and the latter March 11, 1772, in the same State. They removed to Botetourt County, Va., and subsequently to Lincoln Couuty, K3' where they remained until 1822, when they emigrated to Decatur County, Ind., where Mr. Lewis made a claim in a heavily timbered country, literally hewing a home out of the wilderness. In 1845 he came to Washington County, Iowa, where both died, the husband Dec. 21, I80I, and the wife March J of the same year. They had lived together as man and wife for over sixty years, and during all of that time both had been members of the Associate Presbyterian Church, and were worthy and highly esteemed members of the community.

They were the parents of six children, as follows: Nathaniel, who was born in Virginia May 21, 1793, and died in Indiana; John, born Jan. 2, 1798, died in Des Moines, Iowa; Elizabeth, born March 4, 1801, became the wife of William Douglas, and both died in Indiana; James, born Jan. 29, 1804, died at Afton, Iowa; Mary, born Jan. 7, 1813, married Thomas Donald, and is now deceased; and William B., who was next after James, and was born Sept. 4, 1806. He was sixteen years old when his parents emigrated to Indiana, where he assisted his father in making a home, attending school three months in winter in a log schoolhouse, with a luncheon floor and slab seats.

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Since coming to Iowa, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have lived on the same section where they first made their home, a continuous residence of forty-two years. In early life Mr. Lewis was a Whig, and an ardent admirer of Henry Clay. After the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, he affiliated with the Freesoilers until the formation of the Republican party, in which he took an active part. In 1850 he was elected to the State Legislature, and in 1859 to the State Senate, filling those important offices with credit to himself, and satisfaction to his constituents.

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are the parents of eleven children, of whom ten are now living: Samuel M. is in California; Catherine is the wife of (iilniore Vincent, of this county; Robert P., also of this county, was a soldier in Co. A, 2.Tth Iowa, and served until the close of the war;.James IL, of this county, served one year in the 7th Iowa, when he was discharged for physical disability; Mary E. is the wife of Henry Marshall, of Clay County, Kan., Elizabeth is unmarried, and lives in Dakota; Thomas L. and John are residents of Washington County; Cassander J. and Josephine live with their parents. The deceased son was named Nathaniel.

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As printed in Portrait and biographical album of Washington County, Iowa, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and (1887). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.