W. H. STEVENS, an enterprising and successful farmer and
stock-raiser of Green Bay Township, residing on section 36, is a native of
Maine, born near Bangor, his parents, William and Cynthia (Oaks) Stevens, being
natives of the same State. They had a family of ten children – Eunice, William,
Lucy, Frances, Cynthia, Nancy, Lorenzo, Augustus, John F. and William H., our
subject, who was the youngest child. When about four years of age he was taken
by his parents to Philadelphia, they residing there three years, and in 1840
the family removed to Meigs County, Ohio, where our subject was reared to
manhood. His early life was passed on a farm, and his education was received at
the public schools. He was united in
marriage September 28, 1858, to Miss Martha Hogue, who was born and reared in
Meigs County, Ohio, a daughter of James and Christina (Patterson) Hogue. Her
parents were natives of Scotland, being born near Edinburgh. They reared a
family of seven children – William, Alexander, Margaret, James, Jane, John and
Martha. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens have three sons – Harvey E., Delmont D. and James
F. During the late war Mr. Stevens
enlisted in Company D, Fifteenth Ohio National Guards, the date of his
enlistment being June 16, 1863. He participated in the raid against Morgan in
Ohio, and had a skirmish with that bold rebel leader. January 15, 1864, he
re-enlisted in the three years’ service, in Company A, Second West Virginia
Cavalry, and was at the battles of Cedar Creek and Winchester. After being in
the service about eighteen months he was honorably discharged at Wheeling, West
Virginia, July 4, 1865. He then returned
to Meigs County, Ohio, where he followed farming and carpentering till 1869. He
then came to Green Bay township, Clarke County, Iowa, and located on his
present farm, which at that time was entirely unimproved, where he is still
engaged in general farming and stock-raising. His farm now contains 265 acres
of as good land as can be found in the township, well improved and under high
cultivation. He has a good residence, surrounded by shade and ornamental trees,
and commodious farm buildings for his stock. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens are
consistent members of the Free-Will Baptist church. In politics he is a
Republican. He is a member of Jacinth Lodge, No.443, A.F. & A.M. and is one
of the representative men of Clarke County.
SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke
County, Iowa, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1886 p. 309
