Representative Manly Gifford View All Years
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Manly Gifford
Jasper County
Born September 8, 1816, in New York, and made his home with his parents until twenty-three years of age, attending school in the winter months, and assisting in the farm work in the summers. He was married December 13, 1838, to Sarah Davis, a daughter of William and Nancy (Zumalt) Davis. Manly Gifford soon after his marriage rented a small farm in Rush County, Md., and remained on it until 1843, when he located in Des Moines County, this state. The fall of the same year he moved to Mahaska County and took up a claim of three hundred and twenty acres, and afterward traded this with John Vance for one near Monroe, Iowa. He immediately located on his new place, which was almost a wilderness, there being but two cabins between Oskaloosa and Monroe, and the former town was thirty miles distant. The post-office was located there, and it took twenty-five cents to get a letter. He was one of the first County Commissioners of Jasper County, having been elected in 1846, and in 1848, with L. W. Babbitt. He was elected to represent Marion, Jasper and Polk Counties in the State Legislature. He was afterward elected County Judge, but resigned, and later was appointed by the Governor one of the Commissioners to locate the county seat of Dallas County, Iowa. Mr. Gifford also ran for State Senator on the Democratic ticket, but was defeated by the opposing party. He was the recipient of various township offices, all of which he held with satisfaction to the people and with credit to himself. Some time later he located on a small farm near Otley, Iowa, and finally made his home in Knoxville, Marion County.
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