JOSHUA K. BOMGARDNER is a worthy and successful farmer living in Oneco Township. He was born in Cambria County, Pa., in 1837. His father, Joseph Bomgardner, was a native of Somerset County, that State, and lived with his parents until he became of age, working on the farm and otherwise being employed at hard labor to support himself and get ahead in the world. The first independent job of young Joseph was making rails, splitting them at thirty-seven cents a hundred, and taking his pay in iron ore which he converted into iron and then welded into chains. His occupation at this time was very varied. He was still young when he went to the mountains of Pennsyl-vania, and taking up a claim there, made a covering of spruce boughs wherewith to protect himself from the wild animals. The third years after leaving home he married Miss Catherine Kring, a daughter of German parents. Her father ran a still-house, and was also a farmer in Pennsylvania, and a prominent man of the township where he lived. Joseph Bomgardner threshed grain with the old-time “flail,” the only known method at that time of separating the wheat from the chaff. In the first year of his married life he began clearing a farm, twelve miles northeast of Johnstown, Pa., and Catherine, his wife, helped in the clearing, and when not thus engaged, spun and wove the clothes for the family, and was a noted midwife. They lived there until they came West. Mr. B. also ran a sawmill on his Pennsylvania farm. He had 125 acres of land cleared, and 100 acres of timber. This he sold at a sacrifice, and came to Buckeye Township, this county, and stopped with his brother Samuel who had preceded him three years before. Mr. Bomgardner also had a son who came to this county about eighteen months prior to the arrival of the father. On coming to this county, Joseph Bomgardner bought the farm which our subject now occupies, and where he spent the remainder of his life, dying on the 30th of July, 1880. On his journey from Johnstown here, he came via the canal to Pittsburgh, and then via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to Savanna, Ill., and from the latter-named place by team to Buckeye Township, this county. He was a devout Christian from boyhood; had been ordained a minister, and preached in private houses on his journey, and did much good to the people with whom he came in contact. Every Sunday during the latter days of his life, he always preached a sermon. He belonged to the United Brethren Church, as did also his wife, and was a Democrat in politics until Fremont ran for President on the Republican ticket, when he became a convert to the new party and continued so until his death. For some time he was Overseer of the Poor, and persons in indigent circumstances always aroused his pity and sympathy.

Joseph Bomgardner was an expert hunter and sportsman, and many a deer has fallen in this county, as well as in Pennsylvania, by his unerring aim. He sold the venison which he killed, and peddled sugar which he made from the sap of trees, until he had earned enough money to start in life. He never received one cent from his father or mother, and by his own efforts maintained a family of eight children, and of these our subject was the seventh.

Joshua K. Bomgardner always lived at home, never leaving it except for about four weeks, which were spent in Iowa. He was married to Miss Harriet Wohlford, of Pennsylvania, Nov. 25, 1860. Her father, John Wohlford, was a blacksmith, who came to this county about 1843. Mrs. Bomgardner was at the time of her marriage twenty-three years old, and continued the faithful and affectionate wife of our subject until June 6, 1866, the date of her demise. One child was the result of this marriage, Sarah Catherine, and she died March 4, 1880. He was married the second time, Feb. 6, 1868, to Miss Lucy Blaugh, of Ohio, who lived there until she was twenty-one years of age, and then moved to Illinois, in which State she was married. On her mother’s side her parents were English, but as far back as known her father’s folks were natives of Pennsylvania. Her mother was her father’s second wife, but he had his third wife when he died. Lucy Bomgardner was born May 27, 1846. Her father was a preacher as well as a carpenter and mason. He built his own house before he was married, and moved his bride into it. He by his three wives had nine children, all of whom are living but one.

Our subject is the father of four children, all of whom live at home. These are Ida M., Emma J., Moses M. and Mary F., who were borne to him by the second wife. Both heads of the family belong to the United Brethren Church, and fill offices in the same. He is a Class-Leader, and has been engaged in Sunday-school work since he was fourteen years old. Mr. Bomgardner was a Republican until St. John was nominated on the Prohibition ticket, since which time he has cast his lot, politically, with the party having temperance views. The family is one of the oldest and most prominent in this township, where Mr. Bomgardner has won a reputation as a sober and upright citizen.

The life of our subject has been full of hardships, and he has surmounted seeming impossibilities by dint of his determined character. Chicago was the nearest market for farm produce, and he got his wheat ground at Cedarville, hauling his flour and delivering it from house to house at Doddsville, Mineral Point and Galena. He peddled hundreds of bushels of potatoes, getting for them five cents a peck, which at this time seems a marvelously low price. Coming home from one of these trips our subject’s brother David was drowned near Winslow while trying to ford Honey Creek. Most marketing was done then by team, Mr. B. making six or seven trips a year. He camped out on these trips, there being no hotels or places of entertainment, and he was forced to subsist on such ac-commodations as his wagon afforded. Mr. Bomgardner is now living on the old homestead, which he bought from the heirs. His possessions here comprise 235 acres, and he also owns forty acres of timber in Wisconsin, besides 135 acres in Buckeye Town-ship, and about nine acres of bottom land. He rents his Buckeye farm.

Contributed by Carol Parrish - Portrait and Biographical Album of Stephenson County, Ill. (1888), p. 321-22