Wapello County IA Archives Biographies.....Warner, J. L. 1859 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 July 9, 2013, 11:51 am

Source: See Below
Author: S. J. Clarke, Publisher

J. L. WARNER.

J. L. Warner is a resident farmer of Center township, living on section 14,
which was the original homestead claim of the family, entered from the
government by his father in 1843. It was upon this place that J. L. Warner was
born October 20, 1859, his parents being Sylvester and Juliet (Ford) Warner.

The father was born in Oneida county, New York, November 21, 1817, and the
mother's birth occurred in Cattaraugus county, New York, May 30, 1829. She came
to Iowa with her brother, John Ford, when about fifteen years of age. They were
orphans and from early boyhood and girlhood were dependent upon their own
resources.

In 1837 Sylvester Warner removed from the east to St. Francisville, Missouri. He
was connected with the work of making the first geographical survey of the Des
Moines river, being thus engaged for two years, after which he lived with his
father in Van Buren county, Iowa. By trade he was a blacksmith, but owing to
impaired eyesight turned his attention to farming. When Wapello county was open
to settlement in 1843 he made his way hither and set his stakes at midnight on
the night the district was opened to the white man. Upon the claim which he thus
secured he spent his remaining days and converted it into a well improved farm.
He was the builder of the first wagon ever made in Ottumwa, and he also assisted
in building the first log house. On that occasion there was a log raising or bee
and Mr. Warner, being a mechanic, was made overseer of the work. In the fall of
1841 he and Dr. Hubbard made the trip in an ox cart to Fort Des Moines, which
was before this district was open to white settlement. He became well acquainted
with Black Hawk, Keokuk, Wapello and Appanoose, four well known Indian chiefs.
He served as a blacksmith in the Black Hawk war. He went to enlist for active
duty as a soldier and when it was learned he possessed mechanical talent of that
character he was put to work in the blacksmith shop. Few men were more closely
associated with the early development and progress of the county, and as one of
its pioneer settlers he well deserves mention in this volume. He lived to
witness remarkable changes as the country was taken over from the red men and
utilized for the purpose of civilization. In politics he was a stanch democrat
for many years and later became a socialist. His religious faith was that of the
Spiritualist church. He died in the vear 1892, having for two years survived his
wife, who passed away March 15, 1890. In their family were nine children: George
E., of Agency; J. L., of this review; Ella L., at home; Guy N. and Juliet, at
home, and Annie, Jacob, Sarah and Charles, who passed away in early childhood.

J. L. Warner has spent his entire life upon the farm which he now occupies and
which he owns in connection with his sisters, Ella and Juliet. The place
comprises one hundred and eighty acres and they also have twenty-seven acres
south of the river. Mr. Warner is engaged in dairying and stock-raising and
milks on an average of twelve cows. He raises his own dairy stock and also
horses and hogs. In business affairs he is energetic and enterprising and is
meeting with success in his undertaking.

Mr. Warner is a member of the National Spiritualist Organization and a charter
member of the local organization. His political allegiance is given to the
democratic party, but he never seeks nor desires office as a reward for party
fealty. He is today well known as a representative of one of the old pioneer
families of the county and for almost fifty-five years has been a witness of its
growth and progress. He has lived to see its wild lands converted into highly
cultivated farms, its villages transformed into cities and all of the evidences
of modern business enterprise and of modern civilization introduced.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY IOWA
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1914


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