This gentleman was born near Campbellsville, Kentucky, the son of John and Nancy (Ship) Hoagland. He remained in Kentucky until he was fourteen years old, where he received a common school education. After going to Indiana he attended Franklin College, where he was graduated in 1846 and was then chosen assistant surveyor on the Miami reserve having taken a civil engineering course in college. He was next resident engineer on the Franklin and Martinsville Railroad, and in 1885 was connected with the management of the construction of the line from Jeffersonville to Indianapolis, and also sketched the topography of the Peru and Indianapolis line. On November 23, 1848, Mr. Hoagland was married to Miss Mary Ann Woods, of Morgantown, Indiana, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Woods, natives of Tennessee. On account of his wife's ill health he moved to Iowa and settled on a quarter-section of land which he had entered in 1848 in Monroe county. On this he began the raising of livestock and general farming, and he also acquired land in Wayne township. He has made several moves since coming to the county, but now resides on his farm in Cedar township, where he held the office of supervisor for twelve years shortly after coming here, and was also a justice of the peace. He was nominated three times for the legislature, but refused till the last time, when he was elected, and served during the session of 1884. Mr. Hoagland was an ardent Democrat till the formation of the Greenback party, when he joined its ranks, and it was on that ticket that he was elected a member of the twentieth assembly, which was the first session held in the new capitol building. He is a member of the United Brethren Church.