William Greenlee, 1881 Bio

GREENLEE, FURNAS, TALBOT, PATTY, STEWART

Posted By: Thom Carlson
Date: 10/29/2006 at 19:31:10

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The History of Iowa County, Iowa
Des Moines: Union Historical Company, Birdsall, Williams & Co., 1881.
p. 706

GREENLEE, WILLIAM -- Sec. 1, P.O. Luzerne. Was born near Point Pleasant, Virginia, November 28, 1812, and when nine years old went with his parents to Ohio, and two years after from there to Kentucky, where he lived until his majority. In 1832 he went to Miami county, Ohio, residing there for nine years. September 17, 1835, he married Esther Furnas, and the fall of 1845 he started for the West, coming to Johnson county, Iowa, and renting a farm two miles south of Iowa City, where he lived until the next fall. Then came to Iowa county and purchased land, now the farm on which he is living. The land, then wild and unbroken, is now one of the best farms in Iowa county, consisting of 340 acres. He was the first man that manufactured lumber in Iowa county, beginning with a whip-saw, and the saw that he used at that time he still preserves as a relic. He was also proprietor of the first saw mill in the county, the mill being a circular saw propelled by horse power, sawing about 1,000 feet per day. In 1860 he platted the town of Dayton, which at that time promised to be a place of some importance. At one time the Indians were so numerous they were an annoyance, and the government was petitioned for their removal. An agent was sent to remove them as peaceably as possible. Mr. Greenlee was employed to help remove them to Kansas, he being well acquainted with them greatly aided in a peaceable removal. He has had ten children: Robert (who died from the effects of a wound received in the battle of Battle Creek, Virginia, just at the expiration of his service), Nancy A. (wife of A.A. Talbot, of Carroll City, Iowa), Mary (wife of C.C. Furnas, of Luzerne, Iowa), Rachel (wife of Dr. J. Patty, of Carroll City, Iowa), William R. (of Belle Plaine), Henry, Columbus, Sadie (wife of John Stewart, of Carroll City, Iowa), Edward, and Flora.