James A. Wade

JAMES A. WADE, one of the enterprising and successful farmers and stock-raisers of Green Bay Township, residing on section 8, was born in Montgomery County, Indiana, February 8, 1844, a son of Isaac and Elinor (Barnhill) Wade, who were natives of Kentucky and Indiana respectively. They reared a family of nine children – W. S., Sarah Elizabeth, James A., Mary Alice, Eliza Jane, John Henry, Martha Ann, Charles Harvey and Nellie Myrtle.  When our subject was two years old his parents came to Iowa, locating in Des Moines County, where the family lived for ten years, coming in 1856 to Clarke County, and settling in Green Bay Township. James A. was reared to manhood on a farm in Clarke County, receiving his education in the common schools of this and Des Moines counties.  In October, 1863, he enlisted in the Ninth Iowa Cavalry, Company H, and was engaged with his regiment in fighting guerrillas and bushwhackers in Missouri and Arkansas, and had many hard-fought skirmishes and battles with those noted rebels. He received an honorable discharge at Davenport, Iowa, when he returned to his home in Clarke County.  Mr. Wade was married March 6, 1870, to Miss Eliza Jane Harbin, a daughter of John and Providence (Gardner) Harbin, her father being a prominent pioneer and wealthy citizen of Clarke County. Mr. and Mrs. Wade have four children – Levina Eleanor, Nellie Myrtle, Archibald Fred and Alfred Leslie. Mr. Wade is engaged in stock-raising, feeding and dealing in stock, in which pursuit he has met with good success. His farm contains 340 acres of choice land under fine cultivation, with good, two-story residence, a fine orchard and commodious out-buildings and large barn.

SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke County, Iowa, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1886 p. 432-3