HENRY A. TERRY, nurseryman near Crescent City, was born in Cortland County, New York, July 12, 1826, a son of Otis and Cynthia (Ruggles) Terry, natives of Wolcester, Massachusetts, and of Irish and Scotch origin. They were reared in their native county and married in 1816. A few years later they removed to New York, in which State they resided in several places, in Otsego, Cortland and Broome counties. Mr. Terry was generally a farmer, but at times he devoted his attention chiefly to vegetable gardening. In 1836 he moved to Oakland County. Michigan, and next to Livingston County, same State, purchased a farm and resided upon it until 1844, and then moved to Knox County, IlIinois, and lived there some two years. In 1846 he moved to Decatur County, Iowa, in 1848; to Pottawattamie County, in 1853 or 1854, to Utah, where he died, in December, 1887, at the advanced age of ninety-three years. In that Territory he raised a great variety of fruit, on a fine large fruit-farm about twelve miles from Salt Lake City. He was a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, as was also his wife, who died in Decatur County, Iowa, in 1847, at the age of fifty-three years. Three of their five children are still living: Otis L. and Charles A., who reside in Utah, the latter a minister of the Church of Latter-Day Saints; Henry A. was the third in order of birth; and Oris M. and Edwin D. are deceased.

Henry A. was reared to farm life and attained his knowledge of the business world by observation. He left his parents at Nauvoo, at the age of twenty years, striking out in the world for himself. He followed farming at Garden Grove, this State, until 1847; taught school in the winter of 1846¬'47, and thus earned the first money he could call his own. In the fall of the latter year he came to Pottawattamie County and located on Honey Creek, in what is now Rockford Township and taught school during the ensuing winter.

In September,.1848, he married, and the next spring he moved to Crescent City and engaged in mercantile business, in the first store in the town and the second in the county. After running that about three years he sold it and went to New Haven, Connecticut, for two years. Then he came to Council Bluffs, at that time called Kanesville, and engaged in the seed and grain business in company with J. E. Johnson, and remained in that relation until1857. Moving then to Crescent City, he continued in the same business until 1860, when he sold out, having commenced the nursery business in 1856 and establishing one of the first nurseries and now the oldest one in the county. In nursery and orchard he has 100 acres. He takes great pride in his vocation, making discoveries, etc., being one of the State experimental station directors. Of the home place there are 140 acres, and in pasture some sixty acres. When he purchased that place it was entirely wild prairie.

On national questions he is a Democrat. Has held various township offices: been Trustee for sixteen years, and Township Treasurer for the Board of Education.

In September, 1848, he married Rachel T. Sirrine, who had come to the county that year. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1824, and died July 12, 1873. Her parents were Eliphaz and Amarilla (Sanford) Gillett. By this marriage there were six children, as follows: Henry S., now the oldest resident native of this township, being born here September 2, 1849; Mary 0., deceased, wife of John P. Williams, of South Omaha: she was born December 26, 1852, and died October, 1886; Rachel A., born April 8, 1860, now the wife of William Nusum, near Woodbine, Harrison County; Charles T., born August 29, 1862, died March 3, 1864; Fannie M., born March 8, 1865, is now Mrs. Christian Markesan, of Council Bluffs; and Adelaide, born March 6, 1868, died the next day.

For his present wife Mr. Terry married, October 15, 1873, Esther J. Hough, who was born November 5, 1844, in Montrose, Lee County, Iowa, daughter of S. M. and Eliza. J. (Allen) Hough, and by this union there have also been six children, as follows: Florence B., born July 18, 1874; Grace I., February 17, 1876; Clara M., March 29, 1878, and died July 15, 1879; Myrtle C., born June 13, 1880, and died March 20, 1885; Howard A., born September 28, 1882; Otis M., born May 14, 1885, and died September 7, 1886.