CALEB KIMBALL of Section 3, Garner Township, came to this county in 1852 and has since made it his home. He was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, March 20, 1838, the son of Caleb Kimball of Marblehead, Massachusetts, who served in the Revolutionary War and later he and his son, Thomas Kimball, both served in the War of 1812. The subject's mother was Margaret (Richie) Kimball, a native of Loudoun County, Virginia, and of German descent. The parents were married in Loudoun County and afterward settled in Greene County, Pennsylvania. When Caleb was twelve years of age his mother died, leaving eight children, two sons and six daughters of whom Caleb was the fifth son, his only brother dying at the age of two years.

In 1846 the father moved from Pennsylvania to Dubuque, Iowa, which was then a territory and Dubuque could not boast of a brick house, most of the residences being log cabins. He remained here three years, and then engaged at the carpenter's trade near where Dyersville now stands, the country being new and wild and containing no railroads. He soon sold his land to Judge James Dyer, to found a colony for people from Somersetshire, England. He then removed to Delaware County where he lived until his death.

Caleb, our subject, worked on the farm in his youth, and in the fall of 1852, in company with Lemuel Barrett and family, he started on a journey to California, but decided to spend the winter in camp near council Bluffs. He afterward changed his mind and bought some Mormon claims near this place, and became a resident of this county. He brought land in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, in 1861; but this was never improved, and was sold in 1866, when he bought eight acres of Haleman & Rauhn, N.P. Dodge acting as agent; this was first improved by Isaac Cooper. Mr. Kimball has lived on his farm for twenty-four years and has made many improvements; it is located eight miles east of the city of Council Bluffs. He works at the carpenter's trade most of the time, having received his first lessons in that trade in his youth, taught him by his father. He is a thorough mechanic, as all his work in Harrison, Monona and this county will show.

Mr. Kimball was married December 12, 1856 to Miss Frances Nixon of Council Bluffs the daughter of William and Eliza (Collins) Nixon. Both were natives of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and came here in 1853, where they resided until their death. Mr. and Mrs. Kimball have eleven children, namely: John W. residing in Neola, Iowa; Eliza wife of T.J. Nusun of Harrison County near Woodbine; Margaret wife of J.E. Jefferys residing in Washington Township; Moses N. at Sacramento, California, in the real estate and loan business; Ella wife of John Dial of Garner Township; Minnie the widow of Martin Lee residing in the same township; Fanny at home; Caleb, Thomas J., Mary C., and Hugh L. They have lost three children by death: Benjamin F. the seventh child at two years of age; George at two years of age; and Grace also at two years of age. Mr. Kimball's son, Moses N., has received a good education, first in Pottawattamie County, then in California and lastly at the Bainbridge Business College, Stockton, California. The great loss of Mr. Kimball's life was in the death of his beloved wife who died August 27, 1883.