Pleasant Way Diggs

DIGGS, HILL, JACKSON, PEACOCK, WAY

Posted By: Kent Transier (email)
Date: 1/3/2010 at 09:57:45

A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1896

Pleasant Way Diggs, a member of a much respected family and one noted for longevity, maintains his residence on a farm on section 5, Madison township, Madison county, Iowa.

He was born in Randolph county, Indiana, September 9, 1822. Before proceeding to a sketch of his life, however, we wish to make brief reference to his ancestry.

William Diggs, his father, was born in South Carolina, December 17, 1793, and when a young man came North to Indiana and located in Randolph county, where he was subsequently married. He settled in the woods on the south side of the Big White river, built a cabin out of poles, and earnestly set about the work of improving a farm, which he succeeded in doing long before his death. He was the first white man to settle in that locality. There for sixty-two years he made his home and in 1878 came to Iowa, where he died at the advanced age of ninety-three. He was a man of many excellent traits of character, was a prominent member of the Friends’ Church, and enjoyed the goodwill and high esteem of all who knew him.

His father, also named William, was born in South Carolina, in early life settled on a frontier farm in that State, and there passed the rest of his life, being 101 years old at the time of his death. He was noted for his integrity and piety and was all his life a stanch Quaker. His father, Marshall Diggs, the great-grandfather of our subject, was born on the isle of Nantucket and was of English descent.

The mother of P. W. Diggs was before her marriage Miss Charlotte Way. She was born in North Carolina, and died in Randolph county, Indiana in her seventy-ninth year. She too was a devoted Christian and a member of the Friends’ Church. Of her father, Nathan Way, we record that while sitting under a tree he was killed by lightning, in the forty-second year of his age.

William and Charlotte Diggs were the parents of nine children, all of whom reached maturity. Fannie, their eldest, was the first white child born in Randolph county, Indiana. She became the wife of Matthew Hill, with whom she lived for many years. Her age at the time of death was seventy-seven years, seven months, and seventeen days. The others in order of birth are as follows: Annie, deceased; Eunice, deceased; P. W., whose name graces this article; Agnes, deceased; Joseph, Henry, Anthony, and Ruth.

We now come to the immediate subject of this sketch, Pleasant W. Diggs. He grew up on his native farm, as did all his brothers and sisters, an remained a member of the home circle until the time of his marriage, in 1844. Then he located in the woods in that same county, Randolph, about twelve miles west of Winchester, he and his wife going to housekeeping in a little cabin. There he improved a farm: he cleared the land, fenced it and erected substantial buildings, and there he made his home until 1869, when he sold out and came to Madison county, Iowa, locating upon the farm where he has since resided. This land was then all wild prairie. The first winter he and his family lived in a barn, but soon he erected buildings, planted trees, made fences and other improvements, and today he owns an excellent eighty acre farm. At one time he had 160 acres here, but disposed of all except eight acres.

Mr. Diggs was married September 12, 1844, to Miss Anna Peacock, a native of Wayne county, Indiana. Her father, Amos Peacock, was born on the isle of Nantucket, went to North Carolina with his parents, and from the latter State removed to Randolph county, Indiana, of which he was an early settler. He was a prominent member of the Society of Friends and was a man well known and greatly respected. Mr. and Mrs. Diggs are the parents of two children, a daughter and a son. The former, Abbie Jane, is the wife of Joseph Jackson. The son, Amos, named in honor of his grandfather, lives in Madison township, Madison county, Iowa. All the family have a membership in the Friends’ Church.

Mr. Diggs has always taken a somewhat active part in local affairs. He has served both as Township Trustee and Supervisor. Politically, his affiliations are with the Republican party.