William Frost
Highland Twp.

Highland Twp. -- William Frost, a native of Northamptonshire, England, was born on Jan. 1, 1816. His parents, Thomas and Hannah (Hitchcock) Frost, reared a family of six children, of whom William was the second son. He attended school until his eleventh year, when he came with his parents to America. They located in Lambertsville, N.J., where our subject attended school and learned the boot and shoe trade. In 1839 he came West and located in Fulton County, Ill. He was married on April 12, 1839, to Prudence B. Seward. She was born in Chautauqua County, N.Y., and was a daughter of Anson and Finetta Seward, nee Cousins. Mr. Frost followed his trade after marriage until 1846, then engaged in farming. During this time he made boots and shoes for the first party who went to California from that county. In May, 1850, he came to Iowa, and settled on a farm in Fayette County; remained there until 1856, when he bought his present farm on section 30, Highland Township. It contains 126 acres of rich and fertile land, highly cultivated. Mr. and Mrs. Frost have had a family of ten children, five living-- John, who married Marie McMullen; Sarah J., now Mrs. David Wenrick; Polly A., wife of Chas. Wattles; Ducina, now Mrs. Henry Corbin, and Marion, who married Henrietta L. Hotchkiss. Mrs. Wm. Frost is a member of the United Bretheren church. Mr. Frost is a Democrat in politics, and one of the popular men of the county.

source: History of Clayton County, Iowa, 1882, p. 840
transcribed by Sally Scarff and Marlene Chaney