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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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David
H. Craven One of the most active, thoroughgoing and enterprising
farmers of Mariposa Township, Jasper County, is David H. Craven, whose success
lies very largely in the fact that he has always advocated doing well whatever
task presented itself and in not permitting the numerous paltry obstacles met in
the pathway of everyone to annoy or thwart him.
He believes in pushing ahead, employing twentieth-century ideas and
methods in all phases of agricultural work and in dealing with his neighbors and
acquaintances in a manner that will inspire confidence.
He does not want a man's dollar if thereby he makes an enemy.
Such men prove to be good citizens, good neighbors and good friends and
are indispensable to any community. Mr. Craven was born in this County and
Township, on the farm where he now has the good fortune to reside, for it is
indeed a pleasure and a privilege to be able to spend one's life on the
homestead. His birth occurred here
on July 10, 1869. He is the son of David P. and Julia E. (Bennett) Craven, the
father born at Ontario, Wayne County, New York, on October 17, 1841, and the
latter in the same state on June 15, 1844.
There they grew to maturity, received such education in the public
schools as the times afforded and upon reaching maturity were married.
They immigrated to Jasper County, Iowa, from their native state in 1864,
believing that the newer country of the Middle West would afford them better
opportunities for home building, and they accordingly established themselves in
Mariposa Township, the father later buying forty acres of the government at two
dollars and twenty-five cents per acre.
He subsequently purchased one hundred and sixty acres, and, prospering
through years of hard endeavor and good management, he finally became the owner
of five hundred and sixty acres of valuable land in Hickory Grove and Mariposa
Townships. He became one of the
leading farmers and influential citizens of his community and served his
Township as assessor, trustee and clerk in a most acceptable manner. He was
loyal to Democratic principles. He
played no inconspicuous part in the up-building of this locality, both in a
material and civic manner and he was highly esteemed by all who knew him. To David P.
Craven and wife five sons and three daughters were born, named as follows: James
E.; David H., of this review; John R. is living in Kellogg, this County; Thurman
P., Galen G., Mrs. Beatrice G. Pratt and Mrs. Mary Parmar, all live in the State
of New York; Mrs. Martha McCarthy lives in Emmetsburg, Iowa. David
H. Craven of this review began driving a team when ten years of age.
Being the son of a pioneer, his boyhood days saw much hard work and
little play. He found time, however, in the brief winter months to attend the
Barrett district school. When
twenty-one years of age he began renting the home place and here he has been
engaged in general farming and stock raising ever since, having subsequently
purchased four hundred and twenty-five acres of the same.
He is also the owner of three hundred and thirty-six acres south of the
home farm. He has placed all this
land under excellent improvements and keeps his fields well cultivated, using
up-to-date machinery. He has long been a large stock raiser, feeder and general
stock man, turning large numbers of cattle and hogs from his feed lots annually,
no small part of his income being derived from this source.
He has a substantial and convenient home and large, well-arranged
outbuildings; in fact, everything about his place denotes good management,
thrift and prosperity. Mr. Craven's father moved back to the state
of New York in the year 1892 and he owns three valuable farms there, but is now
living retired in the city of Ontario.
Politically, Mr. Craven is a Democrat and he has served as Township
clerk. Mr. Craven was married on January 10, 1906, to Jennie Nichols, a native of Scotland, the daughter of Robert Nichols and wife, and to this union three children have been born, Helen G., Grace Edna and Mary Evelyn. The Past and Present
of Jasper County, Iowa, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-in-Chief, 1912, B. F.
Bowden & Co., Indianapolis, IN, p. |
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