Joseph Headlee, the oldest living settler of Valley Township, is descended from an old American family, who came to Pennsylvania from England in an early day. Joshua Headlee, the grandfather of Joseph, was a pioneer settler in Greene County, Pennsylvania, and was the father of four children: Elisha, Thomas, Amos and Susan. The father moved to Indiana about 1830, settling in Rushville, where he bought a farm and remained twelve years. In 1840 he settled in Lee County, Iowa, where he died at the age of eighty years. He was an industrious and honorable man, and was respected by the community in which he lived. His son, Elisha, the father of our subject, was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, and in early life became a farmer, but like most American farmers was accustomed to the use of tools, and could do almost any kind of work. He was married in his native State to Dorothea Johns, daughter of James Johns, of Greene County, and of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Mr. Johns was a wealthy farmer of Greene County, and was a member of the Methodist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Headlee were the parents of eight children: George, Joseph, James, Jackson, William, Sarah J., Nancy A. and Dorothea. The father moved to Indiana with his father and their family, and settled on a farm near Rushville, where they remained until 1840, when they came to Iowa.

Joshua Headlee, the subject of this sketch, was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, December 17, 1826, and was but eight years of age when his father moved to Indiana, and about fifteen years old when they came to Lee County, Iowa, then a wilderness. He became accustomed to all the vicissitudes and hardships of pioneer life, and was brought up on a farm. In 1852 he came to Pottawattamie County, settling in Valley Township, which was then unnamed, and the whole country was a wilderness. There was one store at Council Bluffs, and Omaha was still in the "State of Nature."

Joshua Lewins settled in Knox Township about six months before Mr. Headlee. Joshua Headlee and his son, George, and Wash Lewins were the three first settlers in Knox Township; Mr. Headlee preceded Mr. Lewins about two weeks.

The Indians frequently visited Mr. Headlee's log cabin, which was built on Jim Creek, Knox County, where he lived about two years. Deer, elk and smaller game furnished these families with plenty of meat during the winters, which were long and cold.

The first season after leaving Jim Creek, Mr. Headlee plowed up eighty acres of land on the farm now owned by William Pierce. He settled on his present farm in 1855, which contains 160 acres, and which is now in a fine state of cultivation.

He has lived to see the whole of Pottawattamie County thickly settled, with a population of 140,000, in a radius of five miles from Omaha.

He is truly an old pioneer citizen, has brought up a large family of children, and has the reputation of always being interested in every good work and cause. The first school was established in 1856, at a place called New Town, two miles from the present site of Avoca, in a log schoolhouse, where preaching was also held by John Wilson, a Methodist Episcopal minister. Mr. Headlee always went to Council Bluffs to market, a distance of thirty-five miles.

He was married in Lee County, to Esther Lewis, daughter of Hugh and Phoebe (Bailey) Lewis. The father was a native of Kentucky, of Irish descent, and was an early pioneer of Johnson County, Indiana. He died in that State, and is remembered as an honorable and upright citizen. They were the parents of nine children: Jacob, George, Levina, John, Esther, Prudence J., the remainder dying in infancy.

Mr. and Mrs. Headlee have had eleven children: William, deceased in infancy; Sarah, Martha, Mary, who died at the age of fourteen; Andrew, Maggie, Alice, Frances, Abraham, Joseph and James.

Sarah A. is now the wife of Lewis Mark, of Avoca, and they have eight children, viz.: Nettie V., Rosie M., Lillie M., Martha B., John W., Phoebe E., Joseph A. and Lewis M.;

Martha J. married David Cleamens, and they have two children living, Clara G. and Holley A.;

Frances married Milo Miles, of Avoca, and they have three children--Altha B., William F. and Stella.;

Andrew married Mary Charleston, and is now a farmer in Woodbury County, Iowa;

Maggie married Eleck Kinraman, also a farmer in Woodbury County, they have two children--Dorothy E. and Maynard A.,;

Alice married Joel Jones, and they have two children--James and an infant unnamed.