JOHN H. GOULD, an enterprising and well-known early settler of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and an ex-soldier of the late war, located in Waveland Township in 1866, when all this part of the state of new and wild.

Mr. Gould was born in Vermont, January 15, 1811, son of Joseph and Susan (Haskin) Gould, natives of the Mohawk Valley, New York. Both the Haskins and Gould's were Dutch. Grandfather Haskins was a soldier in the War of 1812. Joseph Gould and wife reared a family of four daughters and three sons. The mother was a Methodist, and in that faith reared her children. The father was a farmer all his life and in his political views was a Democrat. His death occurred in Vermont.

John H., although reared on a farm, in early life showed himself to be a natural mechanic; could lay stone or brick, plaster, handle the broad-ax, and, in fact, could turn his hand to anything he chose. His education was obtained in the common schools of Vermont. For a time he was in New York State working on the Erie Canal, employed by Mr. Comstock, a prominent canal owner. He was in New York City during the great cholera epidemic in 1833. In 1835 he removed to Bureau County, Illinois, becoming one of the pioneer settlers of that place. This was before the Black hawk War. Mr. Gould was married in Bureau County, January 29, 1846 to Martha Prunk, who was born in Virginia, daughter of Daniel and Catherine Prunk. Mr. Prunk also settled in Bureau County before the Indian War. During the great Rebellion, Mr. Gould served nine or ten months in the Ninety-Third Illinois Infantry, Company E, his regiment being stationed in Missouri and other parts of the South. He was in several skirmishes but not battles.

Mr. Gould resided in Bureau County, Illinois until 1866 when he came to Pottawattamie County, Iowa and bought land which was partly improved and on which a log house had been built. He is now the owner of 214 acres of well-improved land on Section 11, Waveland Township. He has a comfortable house and other buildings on his farm.

Mr. Gould has five children: Mary Magdaline Johnson, a widow who resides with her father. Before her marriage she was a successful teacher. George W., of Willow Lake, South Dakota; Daniel W., resident of Portland, Oregon, Addison who lives in Omaha, Nebraska; and Emma Catherine wife of S. Solomon, Waveland Township, Pottawattamie County. They lost one child, Madison, who died at the age of eighteen months. The great loss of Mr. Gould's life was in the death of his beloved wife, January 14, 1889. She was a devoted and loving wife and mother and a true Christian. Her church relations were with the Methodist. Mr. Gould is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church having been connected with it thirty-three years. His mother was a worthy member of the same for seventy-six years. Mr. Gould has served as Sabbath school superintendent and is a zealous Christian worker.

His political views are in harmony with Democratic principles. He has ever been interested in educational matters and has served the public as a member of the school board. He is associated with the G.A.R., Worthington Post, No. 9, Griswold, Iowa. Although past eighty he is a well preserved man. As an honored and upright citizen he has the respect of all who know him.

Contributed by: Darlene Vergamini