Elisha Tobey

TOBEY, KNIGHT, BUTLER, WHITCOMB

Posted By: Diane Wilson (email)
Date: 5/26/2004 at 13:59:57

Elisha Tobey is a native of the Bay State, born near New Bedford, April 22, 1821. His younger days were spent in school and on the farm. When sixteen years of age he engaged to learn the painter’s trade, serving four years, when he started on a whaling voyage. He sailed around the world and returned to his home after an absence of thirty-one months, after which he resumed his trade.
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In 1854 he came to Iowa and purchased land in Jones county, four miles from Monticello. In the fall of 1855 he returned to Massachusetts; worked at his trade in North Bridgewater one year, and then went to New Bedford, where he lived one year. In 1857 he returned to Iowa and lived in Monticello township four years, when he went to Alamakee county, where he had traded for land. He lived there two years, and then went to Bowen’s Prairie, where he lived one year. He then bought a farm in Delaware county, where he lived until 1871, when he came to Butler county and bought 320 acres of land on section 11, Washington township. In 1879 he rebuilt the house in which he now lives. In 1880 he built a barn 32x60 feet, with a stone basement, and a shed 20x98.
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He was married in 1845 to Miss Jane F. Knight. She had two children – Elisha and Mary. Mrs. Tobey was born in Hull, Massachusetts, February 22, 1812, and died April 7, 1852. He married for his second wife, Miss Love D. Butler, in the fall of 1852, by whom he had eight children – George H., Tristram P., Abby J., Charles S., William E., Franklin J., Zenas W. and Ella T. One child died when quite young. Mrs. Tobey was born at Martha’s Vineyard, June 10, 1825, and died February 22, 1868. His third wife was Lydia S. Whitcomb, a native of New Hampshire.
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Source: History of Butler and Bremer Counties, Iowa
Union Publishing Co., Springfield, IL, 1883
Page 729