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Hardin County, Iowa Biographies
D. S. De Witt
D. S. De Witt, a well known farmer of Union township, was born in Hardin county, this state, on the 6th of October, 1871, a son of Seymour and Sarah De Witt, both natives of the Dominion of Canada. In 1868 they removed to Hardin county, Iowa, where the father became a substantial farmer, owning eight hundred acres of land. Both are now living at New Providence in the enjoyment of rest and leisure. Their religious faith is that of the Friends church. To them were born nine children, but the subject of this review and a brother are the only ones living in Madison county.
D. S. De Witt attended the district schools of Hardin county and the high school at New Providence. After completing his formal education he returned home and farmed with his father until he was twenty-seven years of age, when he began his independent business career and in addition to cultivating the soil he dealt in farm land to some extent. In 1902 he removed to Madison county and purchased the Kennedy farm in Union township, later buying the Butler Bird farm. His holdings comprise two hundred and forty acres and in addition to general farming he feeds a number of cattle and hogs each year, thus deriving a good income from both phases of his work.
Mr. De Witt married Miss Minnie Mitchel, who was born in Hardin county, and they have four children, Rodney, Ruth, Louise and Alice. Mr. De Witt has been a democrat for twenty years and is most loyal to that party. His religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is an energetic and able farmer and the excellent condition of everything about his place testifies to the care which he bestows upon it. He has built two barns upon the property and has made many other improvements. In his work he uses the latest machinery and is always willing to apply the results of experiments along the line of scientific agriculture. It is a matter of just pride to him that his prosperity is due to his own efforts and good management.
(History of Madison County, Iowa, Vol. 2, 1915)
Submitted by Cathy Danielson
Alexander Wiley McDonald
Through his long connection with agricultural interests, Alexander Wiley McDonald, now living retired in Eldora, Hardin County, not only carefully conducted his farm, but so managed its affairs that he acquired thereby a position among the substantial residents of the community. Moreover, he is entitled to representation in this volume because he has lived a consistent and upright life in the vicinity of which this history deals for over a half century, and his mind bears the impress of its early historical annals and from the pioneer days down to the present he has been an interested and active witness of its mind.
Mr. McDonald was born in Richland County, Ohio, Sept. 17, 1832 and he is the son of Alexander and Cydimirise (McManima) McDonald. The parents of the former came from Scotland and those of the latter from Ireland.
The subject lived on a farm during his childhood, and from the age of nine to fifteen he worked at such odd jobs as a boy could get to do. The parents being poor, the children were compelled to help make the living. In 1845 they moved to Van Wert, Ohio. At the age of 15 the son, Alexander Wiley, entered a general store and he continued at such work for seven years or until he was twenty two years old.
On April 15, 1855 he was united in marriage with Lucy Stage, daughter of Luke D. & Barbara A. (Rule) Stage and born in Seneca County, Ohio. Soon after their marriage they came West to Iowa City and on Oct. 8, 1855 arrived at Eldora, Hardin County, they being among the very earliest settlers here, the city then consisted of several rude shanties, but no good houses. He cut the shingles for the first house, built by Mr. Moir. For the first few years Mr.. McDonald was compelled to work very hard and undergo many hardships, working at whatever he could get to do. He was accustomed to take a piece of corn pone in his pocket for his dinner, walking often many miles to and from his work, eating only his frozen bread, if it happened to be in the winter time. There was then no railroad nearer than Davenport, most of the goods consumed here coming by wagon from Iowa City and building material was hauled from Muscatine. For two or three years he clerked in stores, working in this capacity for J.Q. Patterson, also for Wilcox & Company. When he first came here he had only fifty six dollars in money, and he lived very economically until 1860. Wildcat money caused serious losses about this period.
About 1857 Mr. McDonald bought fifteen acres of land a mile east of Eldora. Very soon afterwards he bought forty acres near the first tract. By 1861 or 1862 he was able to buy twenty five acres more between the first two tracts, thus joining them together. Prices for farm products were very low, and although the price of land was low too, it was very difficult to get money enough to buy land. His land had a scant supply of timber on it and required an infinite amount of labor to improve it. But he was a man of indomitable energy and courage and he persevered until he had a fine farm and a good home and ever afterwards devoted himself to agricultural pursuits, becoming in due course of time one of the leading farmers of the community. As he prospered he bought more land, finally owning in his home farm one hundred and ninety nine acres. His place was under excellent improvements and a high state of cultivation. He is also the owner of forty acres of land south of Eldora.
On his farm east of Eldora is a large bed of clay used in making sewer pipe, it being among the big beds of valuable clay in Iowa.
Mr. McDonald is a Democrat and he has always taken quite an active part in political affairs. He was township assessor, city councilman for two terms and was a member of the Eldora School board for about twelve years, filling all the positions in a variable and creditable manner. Although a democrat in this strongly Republican county, he made a good race for sheriff, gaining a much larger vote than was expected. He has lived in Eldora ever since coming here, even when farming actively, and he has taken much interest in the growth of the town.
Four children, two dying in infancy, were born to Mr. & Mrs. McDonald; the living are, Ellen Mary now the wife of H.E. Bateson, well known abstractor of titles in Eldora, a complete sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. They have four children, Hazel M., Donald M, Gladys M., and Rexford R. George W. McDonald, the second child of the subject lives in Eldora and operates his father's farm.
Mrs. McDonald was called to rest on February 15, 1900. She was an excellent woman and had a host of friends.
Mr. McDonald talks very interestingly of the pioneer days here, and he is a man whom everybody speaks well of, his life having been singularly free from faults and he has done much for the general good of this vicinity.
[History of Hardin County, Iowa, 1913, submitted by Melissa Stuchlik]
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Transcriber's Notes: Alexander Wiley McDonald died on January 7, 1918. Lucy Stage McDonald was born on April 19, 1838 in Ohio.
Melissa Stuchlik

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All data on this website is Copyright by Genealogy Trails with full rights reserved for original submitters.



Hardin County, Iowa Biographies D. S. De Witt D. S. De Witt, a well known farmer of Union township, was born in Hardin county, this state, on the 6th of October, 1871, a son of Seymour and Sarah De Witt, both natives of the Dominion of Canada. In 1868 they removed to Hardin county, Iowa, where the father became a substantial farmer, owning eight hundred acres of land. Both are now living at New Providence in the enjoyment of rest and leisure. Their religious faith is that of the Friends church. To them were born nine children, but the subject of this review and a brother are the only ones living in Madison county. D. S. De Witt attended the district schools of Hardin county and the high school at New Providence. After completing his formal education he returned home and farmed with his father until he was twenty-seven years of age, when he began his independent business career and in addition to cultivating the soil he dealt in farm land to some extent. In 1902 he removed to Madison county and purchased the Kennedy farm in Union township, later buying the Butler Bird farm. His holdings comprise two hundred and forty acres and in addition to general farming he feeds a number of cattle and hogs each year, thus deriving a good income from both phases of his work. Mr. De Witt married Miss Minnie Mitchel, who was born in Hardin county, and they have four children, Rodney, Ruth, Louise and Alice. Mr. De Witt has been a democrat for twenty years and is most loyal to that party. His religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is an energetic and able farmer and the excellent condition of everything about his place testifies to the care which he bestows upon it. He has built two barns upon the property and has made many other improvements. In his work he uses the latest machinery and is always willing to apply the results of experiments along the line of scientific agriculture. It is a matter of just pride to him that his prosperity is due to his own efforts and good management. (History of Madison County, Iowa, Vol. 2, 1915) Submitted by Cathy Danielson Alexander Wiley McDonald Through his long connection with agricultural interests, Alexander Wiley McDonald, now living retired in Eldora, Hardin County, not only carefully conducted his farm, but so managed its affairs that he acquired thereby a position among the substantial residents of the community. Moreover, he is entitled to representation in this volume because he has lived a consistent and upright life in the vicinity of which this history deals for over a half century, and his mind bears the impress of its early historical annals and from the pioneer days down to the present he has been an interested and active witness of its mind. Mr. McDonald was born in Richland County, Ohio, Sept. 17, 1832 and he is the son of Alexander and Cydimirise (McManima) McDonald. The parents of the former came from Scotland and those of the latter from Ireland. The subject lived on a farm during his childhood, and from the age of nine to fifteen he worked at such odd jobs as a boy could get to do. The parents being poor, the children were compelled to help make the living. In 1845 they moved to Van Wert, Ohio. At the age of 15 the son, Alexander Wiley, entered a general store and he continued at such work for seven years or until he was twenty two years old. On April 15, 1855 he was united in marriage with Lucy Stage, daughter of Luke D. & Barbara A. (Rule) Stage and born in Seneca County, Ohio. Soon after their marriage they came West to Iowa City and on Oct. 8, 1855 arrived at Eldora, Hardin County, they being among the very earliest settlers here, the city then consisted of several rude shanties, but no good houses. He cut the shingles for the first house, built by Mr. Moir. For the first few years Mr.. McDonald was compelled to work very hard and undergo many hardships, working at whatever he could get to do. He was accustomed to take a piece of corn pone in his pocket for his dinner, walking often many miles to and from his work, eating only his frozen bread, if it happened to be in the winter time. There was then no railroad nearer than Davenport, most of the goods consumed here coming by wagon from Iowa City and building material was hauled from Muscatine. For two or three years he clerked in stores, working in this capacity for J.Q. Patterson, also for Wilcox & Company. When he first came here he had only fifty six dollars in money, and he lived very economically until 1860. Wildcat money caused serious losses about this period. About 1857 Mr. McDonald bought fifteen acres of land a mile east of Eldora. Very soon afterwards he bought forty acres near the first tract. By 1861 or 1862 he was able to buy twenty five acres more between the first two tracts, thus joining them together. Prices for farm products were very low, and although the price of land was low too, it was very difficult to get money enough to buy land. His land had a scant supply of timber on it and required an infinite amount of labor to improve it. But he was a man of indomitable energy and courage and he persevered until he had a fine farm and a good home and ever afterwards devoted himself to agricultural pursuits, becoming in due course of time one of the leading farmers of the community. As he prospered he bought more land, finally owning in his home farm one hundred and ninety nine acres. His place was under excellent improvements and a high state of cultivation. He is also the owner of forty acres of land south of Eldora. On his farm east of Eldora is a large bed of clay used in making sewer pipe, it being among the big beds of valuable clay in Iowa. Mr. McDonald is a Democrat and he has always taken quite an active part in political affairs. He was township assessor, city councilman for two terms and was a member of the Eldora School board for about twelve years, filling all the positions in a variable and creditable manner. Although a democrat in this strongly Republican county, he made a good race for sheriff, gaining a much larger vote than was expected. He has lived in Eldora ever since coming here, even when farming actively, and he has taken much interest in the growth of the town. Four children, two dying in infancy, were born to Mr. & Mrs. McDonald; the living are, Ellen Mary now the wife of H.E. Bateson, well known abstractor of titles in Eldora, a complete sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. They have four children, Hazel M., Donald M, Gladys M., and Rexford R. George W. McDonald, the second child of the subject lives in Eldora and operates his father's farm. Mrs. McDonald was called to rest on February 15, 1900. She was an excellent woman and had a host of friends. Mr. McDonald talks very interestingly of the pioneer days here, and he is a man whom everybody speaks well of, his life having been singularly free from faults and he has done much for the general good of this vicinity. [History of Hardin County, Iowa, 1913, submitted by Melissa Stuchlik] ............................. Transcriber's Notes: Alexander Wiley McDonald died on January 7, 1918. Lucy Stage McDonald was born on April 19, 1838 in Ohio. Melissa Stuchlik Copyright © Genealogy Trails All data on this website is Copyright by Genealogy Trails with full rights reserved for original submitters.