BIOGRAPHY: Durham, Samuel W.
From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875

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Honorable  SAMUEL W. DURHAM, was born in Jackson County, Indiana, in 1817, his 
family being of English origin, and among the early settlers of Virginia, where his 
grandfather resided near Richmond, and was a soldier in the war of the Revolution.  The 
family afterwards removed to Kentucky, where most of them still reside, Judge Durham, 
member of Congress from Danville, being a cousin of the subject of this sketch.  His 
father, Colonel J. B. Durham, married Elizabeth Ewing, of Kentucky, and had by her a 
family of ten children.   He removed to Indiana in 1811, and was a captain under Colonel 
Tipton, in command of General William H. Harrison.
Young Samuel was educated at Clark County Seminary, where he became quite proficient 
in the higher mathematics, and in 1840, upon removing to Linn County, Iowa, was 
engaged for some five years in the United  States Land Survey, which was then going on 
in the state.   His explorations and surveys were quite extensive, and he furnished the 
United States authorities with much valuable data in regard to the topography and 
geography of Iowa and some portions of Wisconsin.   He has been engaged somewhat  in 
the purchase and sale of real estate, and though never seeking it, has been repeatedly 
called upon to serve the people in the public capacity.   In 1841 he was elected county 
surveyor, which office he has since repeatedly filled ; in 1844 was chosen a delegate to the 
constitutional convention, which met at Iowa City, and in 1846 was elected Sheriff of Linn 
County.
He married Ellen Wolcott, which union was blessed with six children, five of whom are 
now living, viz.,;  Canfield,  Alice,  Mary,  Benjamin and  Louisa.  His oldest son 
Jefferson, was a member of the 24th Regiment Iowa Infantry Volunteers, and died at 
Marion in 1869.