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William F. Lackey

William F. Lackey, also deserves recognition in this volume as one of the early settlers of the county. He was born in Franklin County, Vt., December 20, 1819, and is a son of Willis and Dorothea (Hogle) Lackey. His paternal grandfather, after having served in Washington's army for five years, drew a pension for a long time before his death. About 1798 he emigrated from Kentucky to Vermont where he spent the remainder of his life. Willis Lackey was born in Vermont and on reaching manhood crossed the line into Canada, where he married Miss Hogle, who was born about 1790. Her parents emigrated from New York to Canada, about the time of the Revolutionary War. The young couple settled in Franklin County, Vt., where Mr. Lackey devoted himself to farming. His death occurred in Canada in 1854, and his wife, who long survived him, died in Brush Creek in 1882. He was a lifelong supporter of the Democratic party and a worthy citizen. She was reared in the faith of the Episcopal Church, but subsequently united with the Christian Church. In their family were eleven children, eight of whom lived to mature years, while six yet abide, namely: William F.; Mrs. Elizabeth McGlinn of California; Mrs. Charity Wheeland, of this county; Melvin, a wagon manufacturer of Brush Creek; Frederick J., who is living in Jasper County, Mo.; and Mrs. Sarah Durkee, of Canada.

William Lackey, our subject, suffered some disadvantage from being the eldest of a large family, as his services were in consequence needed upon the farm and his educational advantages thus limited. He remained under the parental roof until twenty years of age, but deciding to try some other business in life he bought his time of his father and apprenticed himself to the blacksmith's trade, serving a term of three years, after which he followed that pursuit as an employee for nearly fifteen years. In Franklin County, Vt. he led to the marriage altar on the 1st of January 1843, Miss Sarah Hooper, who was born near Plattsburg, N. Y., May 26, 1820, and is one of twelve children, nine of whom are still living. When about six months old her parents removed to Franklin County, Vt. Her grandfather Hooper came to this country from England, locating in Maine, where her father, John W., was born. He married Miss Polly Hall.

Mr. and Mrs. Lackey began their domestic life upon a farm in his native country, where they continued to reside until 1856, when he loaded his family and household effects into a wagon and started for Iowa. The journey was completed at the end of six weeks. Instead of camping out at night, they remained at hotels and were thus able to drive later and start earlier. On reaching their destination Mr. Lackey purchased one hundred and eighty acres of land which he improved, transforming it into a good farm. The first spring he built a barn in which they lived for a year and a half, at the end of which time they removed into a house which he had just completed. Giving himself assiduously to his work, he soon had a most excellent farm and is still the owner of two hundred and fifty-five acres of valuable land, beside town property, eighty acres lying within and adjoining the corporate limits of Brush Creek. Mr. Lackey may truly be called a self-made man for what he has, has been acquired through his own efforts. In his earlier years he affiliated with the Democratic party but on the rise of the Republican party joined its ranks and has since been one of its supporters. He was a member of the County Board of Supervisors from Putnam Township for two years, and has been Trustee of both Putnam and Fairfield Townships. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Church, in which he has been a Trustee for many years and upon the School Board he has also served. Thirty-four years have passed since he came to the county and during that time he has done nothing to forfeit the esteem and confidence accorded him.