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John Box
Lee County
Emigrated to Morgan County, Illinois, in 1820, while Illinois was yet a Territory. He married Miss Delilah Bratton and they settled upon a claim of unimproved land, which they industriously cultivated, and upon which they remained for the following thirteen years. Mr. Box then “pulled up stakes,” and setting his face westward, crossed the Mississippi with his family into the portion of Iowa which then belonged to the Territory of Wisconsin. They located one and half miles north of the present site of Fort Madison. He became prominent in the public affairs of this section, and was a member of the Territorial Legislature which convened at Belmont, Wisconsin. He served one term, when Iowa was stricken off as the Blackhawk Purchase, and in 1838 was elected to the Territorial Assembly of Iowa, at its first session, serving until 1840. He introduced the bill for the division of Lee County, which then embraced an area equal to five counties, Buren, Henry, Jefferson and Louisa. At the expiration of his last term of office, Mr. Box engaged in the mercantile business at Ft. Madison for a number of years, and then moved back upon the old farm and remained there until 1852. He then resumed business as a merchant for eight years following, and then retired to Floris, Davis County, where he spent the remainder of his life, his decease occurring February 30, 1874. He was a straightforward business member in good standing of the Christian Church, and contributed liberally of his means for the promotion of education, temperance and religion.
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