On coming to manhood, Mr. Mead accepted the political issues of the Whig party, and became a partisan of the Henry Clay school. He continued to act with that party until 1856. when he became a Republican, uniting himself with the party which then came into existence. He was prominent in public life in his native county, and in 1844 was elected Assessor of Harmony Township, and was reelected ten consecutive years. In 1850 he was appointed Deputy United States Marshal for Clarke Co., Ohio, under the administration of President Taylor. In 1872 he supported Horace Greeley for President in 1884 he was an ardent supporter of James G. Blaine. In I873 he was elected Coroner of Whiteside County and served out the term. In the spring of 1881 he was elected Justice of the Peace and still holds the incumbency. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity and belongs to Lodge No. 257 at Morrison.
Mr. Mead was unifed in marriage at Harmony, Clarke Co., Ohio, Sept. 30, 1847, to Harriet Newlove. She was born April 3, 1830, in Harmony, and is the daughter of Laybourn and Elizabeth Newlove. Following is the record of the children ofMr. and Mrs. Mead: Elizabeth was born Sept. 2, 1848 and died Aug. 12, 1862, Rilla S., born Nov. 12, 1851, died Dec.25, 1879, M.Inman born Feb.25, 1856, is the manager of his father's farm in Union Grove Township. Ellen, born May 17, 1860, died Feb. 14, 1882. Harriet and Eliza, twins, were born April 5, 1863.
Mr. Mead's portrait is presented here. Its claim to a place in the records of Whiteside County are clearly m anifest from the foregoing account of his relations to the community in whose interests he has so faithfully labored.
Portraits & Biographical Pg 223
Meril Mead, Justice of the Peace and insurance agent at Morrison, was born Dec. 18, 1820, in Springfield, Clarke Co., Ohio. Allen Mead, his father, was born Feb. 20, 1793, in Saratoga Co., N. Y., and was but a youth when the second war with Great Britain occurred. He entered the United States army and was in the command of Gen. Van Rensselaer. At the battle of Queenstown, his regiment was attached to the forces under Winfield Scott, then a Lieutenant in the regular army of the United States. During the last 28 years of his life be was a minister of the Free Will Baptist Church and resided at various places in the pursuit of his calling. He died at Wolf Lake, Noble Co., Ind., Jan. 20, 1849. Sally 1 (Scarlett) Mead, his mother, was born Feb. 25,1797, in Addison Co., Vt., and died at Wolf Lake, Sept. 11, 1864. They had ten children, five of whom are yet living. The eldest, Alfred, resides at Tremont, Clarke Co., Ohio. Mr. Mead is the next in order of birth. Ephraim is a farmer in Indiana. Sophronia married Washington Scott, and resides in Michigan. Sarah, wife of Jefferson Scott, lives in Warsaw, Ind. . Mr. Mead received .a good education in his native I State, completing his studies at Springfield, where he took a thorough course of instruction in advanced English branches. On leaving school he engaged in teaching, of which he made a business for 15 years. In 1855 he came to Whiteside County and interested '" himself in the purchase, improvement and sale of lands in the township of Ustick. While there he officiated seven years as Justice of the Peace. After a business career of nine years in Ustick Township he removed in 1865, to Morrison, and purchased 80 acres of land, of which sixteen acres lay within the corporation, upon which he built his residence. The remainder of the 80 acres is situated east of the city. Mr. Mead is also the owner of a business building in the city. He is the owner of 160 acres of land in Sioux and Hancock Counties, Iowa, and 60 acres in Du Page Co., ILL, lying I4 miles southwest of Chicago, on the line of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. He owns, besides the estate enumerated, 153 acres in Union Grove Township. He is a stockholder and director of the First National Bank at Morrison, and is a stockholder in the First National Bank at Kearney, Neb. In his relations as an insurance agent he represents the Orient of Hartford and the Royal of Liverpool (fire insurance). In life insurance he operates in the interests of the Northwestern Mutual, of Milwaukee, Wis. He is also dealing in real estate and acting in the capacity of Pension Agent.
