William Converse, a prominent farmer of Valley Township, descended form an old American family, of English descent, who settled in Vermont in early day. The grandfather of our subject, a farmer in Plattsburg, that State, was the father of seven children, the sons being Erastus, William, Chase, Jesse and John, and the daughters, Polly and Jemina. Erastus, the father of William, went to Pennsylvania, and was there married to Elizabeth Van Wermer, and they had six children: John, William, George B., Henry B., Erastus and a daughter who died in infancy. George B. and Erastus served in the Union Army four years, and George died in the service.

In 1842 the father brought his family to Iowa, settling on a claim where the land was not yet surveyed, in what is now Green Township, Iowa County. This State was then an entirely new country, and he had to go seventy miles for his groceries, the family having to rely upon their own productions for most of their supplies, which consisted mainly of corn bread and buckwheat cakes, with wild game and fish. For five years they were without beef, pork, coffee, sugar and milk. Tea they made of "red-root" (Ceanothus Americanus). The corn they ground with a hand mill. Their clothing was mostly made of buckskin. They lived in a log cabin, with no sawed timber except the doors and window casings, which were made from their dry goods boxes, that they had brought from Pennsylvania, and their floors were of puncheon. But they had a comfortable home and were content. There were no schools, churches, roads, courts, lawyers, or even a justice of the peace, and but one doctor, who lived nine miles distant. The people were healthy, happy and peaceable; their habits were simple, and they were friendly and hospitable, helping each other for miles around. Mr. Converse lived to the age of forty-three years, dying from exhaustion brought on by riding seventy miles on horseback without a saddle, for a doctor for his sick son. His widow is still living, at the age of eighty years, with her son William. When she first came to Iowa, the Sac and Fox Indians were very numerous but friendly, and Keokuk, the celebrated chief, used to come to their cabin, and frequently partook of their hospitality.

William Converse, the subject of this sketch, was born in Rockdale Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, and was but nine years of age when his parents came to Iowa. He was brought up in the wilderness, and received no education when a boy, as the nearest school at the time of his father's death was twenty-two miles, and he never had the benefit of but six months' schooling. When his father died his brother, two years his senior, and himself were the support of the family, and at the age of fourteen he did a man's work. He learned from his father and the Indians to hunt, and the meat for the family was procured in this way. He often, when hunting with the Indians, partook of their hospitality, and describes their cooking as being clean and orderly.

After his marriage Mr. Converse settled in what is now Greene Township, Iowa County, where he lived twenty-nine years, and where he owned a farm of 226 acres. He sold this place, and in 1871 came to Pottawattamie County, settling on his present farm of 320 acres in Valley Township. It was wild land when he purchased it nineteen years ago, but he has since converted it into a fine cultivated farm, to which he has since added until he now owns 400 acres. Mr. Converse set out all his shade and fruit trees; also has many good buildings, and a splendid orchard of 300 bearing trees, and a good vineyard.

Politically he is a Republican, but is an independent thinker, and liberal in all his views, voting for the man instead of the politician. He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance, and is president of the Anti-Horse-Thief Society, which office he has held for seventeen years. He has also been a member of the Masons, Odd Fellows and Good Templars orders. He is a strong temperance man, and has subscribed liberally for the cause. He has taken an active part in the cause of education and the good of the schools, and has served as School Director for years, and also as a president of the School Board. Mr. Converse stands high in his community as an upright and honorable man, is always found on the side of reform and in defense of the right. He has the honor of being one of the founders of the great and wealthy State of Iowa, as he has been with her from the beginning, endured all the hardships and privation allotted to her eldest sons, and has been equal to all the vicissitudes of life in her borders.

Mr. Converse was married at the age of nineteen, to Miss Jane C. Henry, then aged fifteen years, daughter of Williamson A. and Sarah (Richardson) Henry. The father was originally from Kentucky, but went to Ohio, and finally settled in Johnson County, Iowa, between 1835 and 1842. They were the parents of seven children: Nancy, Jane, Rebecca, Fannie, Mary A., William A. and Franklin P. Mr. Henry was a soldier in the Black Hawk War; was one of the pioneers of Iowa State and city, and assisted in drawing the stone for the State University. He kept a tavern in Iowa City for many years, and lived to the age of fifty-five years.

To Mr. and Mrs. William Converse have been born six children: John, Charles, Mary, Ella, Emma and Clara. Mrs. Converse is a member of the Baptist Church. William Converse has practiced medicine for forty years, and for the last twenty-five years has had a large practice. He is now living on his own farm, and is dealing in imported Clydesdale and French draft horses, high-grade mares, high-grade red polled cattle and purebred Poland China swine.