Eugene A. Read
Eugene A. Read owns and cultivates a large farm in Franklin
township and by constant application has surrounded himself with
an enviable degree of prosperity. His two hundred acres lying on
section 6 constitute the farm upon which he was born on the 27th
of May, 1852, his parents being Charles B. And Caroline (Dawson)
Read, the former born in Massachusetts in 1823 and the latter in
Jefferson county, New York, February 23, 1828. The father was a
son of Charles Read, born in Massachusetts in 1795, he being the
son of Joseph, born in Massachusetts in 1750. Joseph Read was a
son of Thomas Read, who was born in England in 1727 and who died
in Oxford, Massachusetts, all being descendants of Thomas Read,
who passed away in Colchester, England, in 1616. Charles B. Read,
father of the subject of this review, was a resident of Illinois.
He married Caroline Dawson, of Algonquin, Illinois, in 1850. He
was a doctor by profession and enjoyed a good practice until his
death, which occurred in 1879. The mother came to Iowa, late in
the fall of 1851 with her parents, Alexander and Jane Dawson. The
latter preempted three hundred and twenty acres of land in
Allamakee county, Franklin township, section 6. Caroline (Dawson)
Read taught in the Allamakee county public schools for twenty
years. Her death occurred on March 3, 1876.
Eugene A. Read acquired his knowledge of agriculture upon his
mother’s farm in Franklin township and obtained his
education in the district schools. He laid aside his books at the
age of twelve and began chopping cordwood on the farm upon which
he now resides, hauling it afterward to Postville and selling it
in the markets of that city. After he attained his majority he
became a landowner and when his mother died he purchased the
homestead, whereon he has since resided. He finished the clearing
of this property and has now one of the finest and most highly
improved farms in this section of Allamakee county. Of his one
hundred acres, one hundred are principally in maple timber, and
he operates only part of the remainder, the rest being rented to
desirable tenants. The portion whereon he makes his home is
beautified with running water and woodlands and Mr. Read has
provided it with a comfortable residence, barns and outbuildings
so that his premises are among the most desirable in the
community. In addition to general farming he specializes in the
raising of a fine quality of corn and in the breeding of hogs,
making this a very remunerative department of his business.
On the 14th of February, 1891, Mr. Read was united in marriage to
Miss Myrtle Cutshaw, who was born in Lancaster, Grant county,
Wisconsin. She is a daughter of David and Adele (Herrington)
Cutshaw, the latter born in New York city, April 27, 1849. The
father passed away when Mrs. Read was only one year old and the
mother afterward married Albert Carson, now a resident of Austin,
Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Read have become the parents of four
children: Violet C., who was born January 4, 1892, and is now
attending the Southern Minnesota Normal College; Rosamond A.,
born October 2, 1895, who is a pupil in the Waukon high school;
Laverne L., who was born October 28, 1897, and died July 2, 1898;
and Opal Adele, whose birth occurred May 5, 1911.
Mr. Read is independent in his political views, voting according
to his personal convictions without regard to party lines.
Locally he is interested in the betterment of the community and
for a number of years rendered the township excellent service as
justice of the peace and school director. He is a man of many
sterling traits of character-able in business, progressive in
citizenship and at all time trustworthy and reliable.
-source: Past & Present of Allamakee County; by
Ellery M. Hancock; S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.; 1913
-transcribed by Diana Diedrich
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