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1907 Past and Present Biographies
E. L. Palmerland, but met always with some unforeseen reverses and lost all that he had purchased, but he was not discouraged by these obstacles in his way and he pushed ahead with the same courage and industry that had always characterized him in his work, so that before his death, which occurred February 4, 1894, he had bought a home in the northwestern part of the city, which he enjoyed for a few years and where his wife is still living. It was in 1866 that he was married to Sarah Jane Jones, born October 16, 1841, in Champaign county, Illinois. Her parents, Jonathan and Charlotte (Bishop) Jones, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter a native of Ohio, came to Iowa and settled in Greene county in 1853, being one of the earliest families to locate in this county, where they owned one hundred and sixty acres of land. Both of these worthy people have since died. Mrs. Palmer is still living in Jefferson and can relate manv pioneer experiences which are intensely interesting. She says that when they first came to this county the timber had been entirely burned off and what little there was, was a second growth. They lived in a log house, with brush and bark roof and clapboard doors. The winters then were much more severe than now, and when they awoke in the morning the snow was often ankle deep in their rooms. It was no uncommon thing for her mother to have to thaw out the bread that would freeze while they were eating their meal and their coffee often froze in the saucer. Her father went all the way to Rock Rapids, below the point where Des Moines now stands, and here he purchased their groceries, bringing back buckwheat which had never been bolted, but which they enjoyed as well as though it had been refined as it is today. The wolves were numerous in this part of the country and would often chase their dog into the house and steal his meal. Des Moines then had only about fifteen houses, and Jefferson was unthought of. Herds of elk were numerous and for several days at a time a bunch of three or four hundred would be in sight. The wild ducks and geese without numbers furnished them their meat. These good people had a family of ten children, four of whom died in infancy. The six living are: E. L., the subject of this sketch; Anna, the wife of Hugh Banks, of Lexington, Nebraska; Amanda, the wife of Grant Van Kirk of Jefferson, Iowa; Clara, the wife of Ward Quackenbush, of Jefferson; Sarah, who married A. D. Quackenbush, and resides in Jefferson; and Stella, who married William Coop. E. L. Palmer was reared to manhood upon his father’s farm, where he divided his time between the studies in the district school and the duties in the fields, but his educational advantages were limited, and at the age of ten years he started out to make his own way in the world. With the knowledge he had gained of agriculture, he naturally sought employment in that line and worked on a farm for some time. He was later employed in a brick and the yard, where he learned to run an engine, and for three years ran the hoisting engine on the Northwestern Railroad. The following five years he worked for the county, putting in cement work for bridges. The next three years he traveled over Iowa, taking pictures of farm dwellings, an enterprise which proved to be a financial success. It is not often that in youth we realize how well we are building for the future. When a boy he had done considerable hunting and trapping, but always for his own amusement. However, he knew the value of hides and furs, and in 1902 he decided to make use of the knowledge he had gained so early in life. Accordingly he engaged in buying furs in season, and was soon persuaded to buy hides. In connection with this he found that people had no way of disposing of their old iron and rags, and he began buying up all that were offered. The farmers of the county brought him their eggs and produce and he found a ready market for these, so that little by little, he has built up an extensive business in all of these lines. Mr. Palmer has always given his support to the men and measures of the republican party and though he has never sought its oflices or honors he has always aided in its campaigns. He is a devoted member of the Christian church. In 1889 he was married to Miss Etta Watt, a native of Greene county and a daughter of Levi and Mary (Barr) Watt, whose sketches appear in another part of this volume. This union was blessed with four children: Stella Marie, Levi, Irvin and Ross. When we read of the hardships that his parents had to undergo and the hard work incident to their pioneer life, we realize that E. L. Palmer had an inheritance made up of pluck, courage and enterprise. He had in addition the talent of always seeing an opportunity when it presented itself and in making the most of it. He has never put off till tomorrow what he could do well today, and in consequence has accomplished much during his life. He is a loyal friend and indulgent husband and father and a staunch citizen. |
Transcribed from "Past and Present of Greene County, Iowa Together With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Prominent and Leading Citizens and Illustrious Dead," by E. B. Stillman assisted by an Advisory Board consisting of Paul E. Stillman, Gillum S. Toliver, Benjamin F. Osborn, Mahlon Head, P. A. Smith and Lee B. Kinsey, Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1907.  Site Terms, Conditions & Disclaimer |