Warren Hough, a prominent merchant, of Crescent City, and a hotel-keeper there, was born in Hazel Dell Township, this county, April 24, 1849, a son of Samuel M. and Jane (Allen) Hough, natives of New York State. Samuel M. Hough was born in Williamstown, Oswego County, New York, January 6, 1818, a son of Joel (a farmer) and Sarah (Stillson) Hough, natives of Connecticut and of English origin, who married young and emigrated to New York State. Samuel was reared to farm life until he was married, January 1, 1840, when he began to work at the blacksmith's trade. His wife, Jane, who was sixteen years of age at the time of marriage, was born in Williamstown, April 15, 1824, a daughter of Zoeth and Elizabeth (Bradley) Allen, natives respectively of Vermont and Connecticut. Zoeth Allen was a farmer and carpenter. He had nine children: Russell, Lyman, Truman, Morris, Samuel, Abigail, Abger, Huldah (deceased), Riley, residing in Hazel Dell Township. Their parents removed to Lee County, Iowa, in 1841, upon a rented farm, and Mrs. Hough died there in October the next year. In 1846 Mr. Hough came to Pottawattamie County and took up eighty acres of perfectly wild land, made some improvements, sold it, spent a short time in Crawford County, this State, and then bought forty acres of land and considerable property in Crescent City, including the residence now occupied by his widow.

Being a blacksmith, he erected a shop and commenced business, in connection with farming, which he followed until he died, November 9, 1881. He was an industrious and successful man, having at the time of his death a large amount of town property and 200 acres of land. He had ten children, as follows: Mortimer and Byron, both deceased; Esther, now the wife of H. H. Terry, of Crescent City; Adelaide, deceased; Russell, now residing in York Township; Warren, the subject of this sketch; Marcellus, residing in Crescent City; Herbert, in Council Bluffs; and Denver, a resident of Crescent City.

Mr. Warren Hough started out in life for himself at the age of twenty-three years. Purchasing forty acres of wild land in section 27, Crescent Township, he afterward added sixty acres more, on sections 27 and 28. On this farm he has made all the improvements himself. He followed farming until 1884, when he moved unto Crescent City and opened a hotel, which he still conducts. In 1886 he bought a stock of groceries and agricultural implements, and since then has been running a store in the sale of this class of goods. In April, 1886, he was appointed Postmaster, and continued in office until 1889. He is a live and energetic man in business, social and political circles; is a stockholder in the State Savings Bank, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, being one of the founders. For the last four years he has also dealt in grain and livestock.

Mr. Hough is an intelligent and reliable Democrat. He has been Township Clerk and is now Justice of the Peace, and a member of the Board of Education. He is a member of lodge No. 49, I. O. O. F., of Council Bluffs, and of the Mutual Protective Association, lodge No. 1, of Crescent City.

He was married November 28, 1872, to Miss Rebecca, daughter of L. K. and Betsy (Meyer) Dunkle, who was born in Pennsylvania October 19, 1855, and they have had five children, named as follows: Walter, born November 10, 1873; an infant daughter, deceased, was the next in order of birth; the next, Hattie, also died in infancy; the next, an infant son, also deceased; and Lee, born June 30, 1889. Mrs. Hough is a member of the German Reformed Church.