Welcome to
Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
|
|
|
|
Samuel
Reasner At
the time he settled upon his present farm in Palo Alto Township, Jasper County,
the subject of this sketch was surrounded by all the evidences of frontier life.
His nearest neighbor was two and one-half miles distant. Improvements there were none, and of cultivation not a trace
was to be seen. During the period covering about thirty years that has since
come and gone, he has witnessed the growth of the county, the prosperity of the
people and the gradual introduction first of the comforts, and later of the
luxuries of civilization. He is now the owner of two hundred and fifty-five
acres, upon which he has placed excellent improvements, including a neat
residence and a substantial barn. The town site of the thriving village of
Reasnor was platted on his farm and the place named in his honor, although for
suitable reasons the spelling
of the name was slightly
altered. A
native of Muskingum County, Ohio, Samuel Reasoner was born July 28, 1822, being
a son of Joseph and Mary (Paxton) Reasoner, natives respectively of Pennsylvania
and Virginia. His paternal
ancestors were of French and German extraction, while his maternal forefathers
are said to have been Irish. At the
age of eleven years he accompanied his parents to Indiana and was reared to
manhood in Grant County, of which he was a pioneer. His education was limited to
such knowledge as could be gained in the subscription schools, which were held
in rudely constructed log cabins, with seats made of oak slabs and writing desks
consisting of boards resting on pins in the walls; greased paper answered the
purpose of window panes, and the entire furnishings were of a crude character,
while the and the method of instruction was equally primitive. Not
feeling satisfied with the knowledge gained in the country schools, Mr.
Reasoner, at the age of eighteen, entered Muskingum College, at Concord, Ohio,
where he prosecuted his studies with diligence for a period of eighteen months.
He then taught school for a short time, after which he attended Hanover
College, in Jefferson County, IN, for one year.
In his youth he assisted his father in clearing the home farm, and later
cleared a farm, which he purchased in Grant County, IN, and upon which he
engaged in agricultural pursuits for a number of years. In
Indiana, August 15, 1844, Mr. Reasoner was united in marriage with Miss Mary J.
Parrill, a native of Ohio, and the daughter of Enoch and Esther
(Sappington) Parrill. Twelve children were born of this union, of whom
eight are now living, as follows; Joseph P., Henry M., William M., Robert A.,
Dorsey B.; Frances A., wife of T. J. Graffis; Mary E., who married William
Rissner; and Clara A., formerly a teacher in the public schools of Des
Moines, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Reasoner
are identified with the Presbyterian Church, and are a kind and worthy couple,
exemplifying in their lives the sincerity of their religious belief. In
1864, accompanied by his family, Mr. Reasoner emigrated to Jasper County, Iowa,
making the trip overland with a four-horse team and a wagon loaded with
household goods; also a mule team and a spring wagon, in which the family
traveled. About four weeks wore
consumed on the road, and reaching
Buena Vista Township; they sojourned there for a short time.
From there in the winter of 1864-05 they came to the farm, which they
have since occupied. Mr. Reasoner
has become prominently connected with the history of Palo Alto Township and has
served efficiently as its Trustee. He
is a Republican in his political preferences, and always rejoices in the
triumphs of his party. Mrs.
Reasoner's grandfather Sappington was a native of England, and his wife was of
Irish descent. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, IL, 1894, p. 213. |
|
|
