He was born in Scotland, January 18, 1840, being the oldest son of Godly parents. On the second day of April 1861, he emigrated to America, living for four years in the state of Maine. In the spring of 1865 he started for the west, going to Missouri to inspect the boundless prairies. Not being quite satisfied with conditions in Missouri he came to Iowa, finding conditions more congenial he went to work for T. A. Dennis of Harrison County who was then furnishing ties and bridge material for the Union Pacific railroad company. In the fall of that year he came up into Crawford county where he beheld the beauties and saw the fertile soil of the far famed Boyer Valley with which he became infatuated. His first winter in Iowa was spent in teaching school in what was then known as the Butler school house, making his home with Mr. And Mrs. James Butler. During the following spring he purchased a piece of land which he began to improve, building a house which was the beginning of the home in which he lived until the time of selling the farm to move to Dow City. On November 20th, 1866, at Saco, Maine, he was married to Jean Wilson, oldest daughter of James and Margaret Wilson. In January, 1870, he, with others, saw the necessity of having a church organized so we could have the benefit of religious services. Rev. Benjamin Shinn, being at that time pastor in Denison, preached for ten nights in the Comfort school house, organizing a class which is now the First Methodist church of Dow City. When the church was incorporated as a religious body, in conformity to the laws of our state, he was one of the first trustees elected, which office he has nobly filled until the day of his death, as well as filling many of the other offices of the church. In politics he was republican and was honored by his party with various offices, the most prominent one being a member of the legislature of 1876-7, when the late Senator John H. Gear was speaker of the house. Mr. Gear gave him appointments to some of the most important committees of the house, in which he served his constituents faithfully and well.
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