Born near Belfast, Ireland, in County Down, July 14, 1841. In the spring of 1857 he came west with an older brother, stopping at Monmouth, Illinois. Hard times came on and the bottom dropped out of the price of live stock and farm produce, and wages dropped so that a farm hand was glad to get a place to stay all winter and work for his board. On the 3d of September, 1863, Edward Boland was united in marriage to Margaret McCann in London, Ontario, Canada. In March, 1868, Mr. Boland brought his wife to Williamsburg, Iowa county, Iowa, and in April, 1868, they lived in Troy township on a rented farm for a few years. After becoming a naturalized citizen in 1874, Mr. Boland was elected one of the trustees of Troy Township and served on that board for eight years. In 1894 he was elected assessor but after performing the duty for two years refused to serve any longer on account of home duties. In 1903 he was chosen by the republican party to represent Iowa county in the state legislature in the thirtieth and thirty-first general assemblies but afterward refused the nomination as the next election on account of farm duties. In 1909 Mr. Boland moved to Williamsburg and was appointed justice of the peace to fill a vacancy. Both Mr. and Mrs. Boland are members of the Presbyterian Church and he has been a member of Stellapolis Lodge, No. 391, A.F. & A.M.

Born near Belfast, Ireland, in County Down, July 14, 1841. In the spring of 1857 he came west with an older brother, stopping at Monmouth, Illinois. Hard times came on and the bottom dropped out of the price of live stock and farm produce, and wages dropped so that a farm hand was glad to get a place to stay all winter and work for his board. On the 3d of September, 1863, Edward Boland was united in marriage to Margaret McCann in London, Ontario, Canada. In March, 1868, Mr. Boland brought his wife to Williamsburg, Iowa county, Iowa, and in April, 1868, they lived in Troy township on a rented farm for a few years. After becoming a naturalized citizen in 1874, Mr. Boland was elected one of the trustees of Troy Township and served on that board for eight years. In 1894 he was elected assessor but after performing the duty for two years refused to serve any longer on account of home duties. In 1903 he was chosen by the republican party to represent Iowa county in the state legislature in the thirtieth and thirty-first general assemblies but afterward refused the nomination as the next election on account of farm duties. In 1909 Mr. Boland moved to Williamsburg and was appointed justice of the peace to fill a vacancy. Both Mr. and Mrs. Boland are members of the Presbyterian Church and he has been a member of Stellapolis Lodge, No. 391, A.F. & A.M.