W. C. Van Pelt is the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he has made his home since 1880. It is situated on sections 14 and 15, Lewis township, and a beautiful grove in front of the house adds to its value and attractive appearance. The farm is indeed well kept in every particular, indicating the careful supervision and progressive methods of the owner, who though now well advanced in years still gives personal supervision to his agricultural interests.

He was born in Brunswick, Rensselaer County, New York, in June, 1839, his parents being Daniel N. and Malissa C. (Gardner) Van Pelt. The father's birth occurred in the same house in which our subject first opened his eyes to the light of day, while the mother was a native of western New York. In the paternal line the ancestors came from Holland, ,three brothers settling on Manhattan Island during an early period in the colonization of the new world. After the capture of the city by the British during the Revolutionary war the family scattered. Christopher Van Pelt, the grandfather of our subject, owned and operated the farm on which Daniel N. and W. C. Van Pelt were born. It was a tract of land of several hundred acres, which upon his death passed into possession of Daniel N. Van Pelt and his brother. On leaving that farm the former removed to Lansingburg, New York, where he remained for several years and then purchased a farm upon which he continued to reside until his demise. His political allegiance was given to the democracy, while his wife in religious faith was a Presbyterian. In their family were five children: W. C., of this review; Eugene A., still living in Rensselaer county, New York; Sarah Elizabeth, who died when twenty-one months old; Stephen H., who died when a year old; and Frank N., who departed this life in Ionia, Michigan.

The public-school system of the Empire state afforded W. C. Van Pelt his early educational privileges and when eighteen years of age he entered the Lansingburg Academy, in which he completed his education. He then started out in life on his own account, being first employed in a general store. He removed from Lansingburg to Albany, where he became bookkeeper in a commission house, filling that position until 1879, when he took up his abode upon his father-in-law's farm. The following year, however, he came to Pottawattamie county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, of which one hundred and twenty acres had been placed under cultivation. He has here made his home for twenty-seven years, has erected all the barns and outbuildings upon the place and now has one of the attractive farms of the township, its beauty being greatly enhanced by the fine grove of trees which surrounds the dwelling. He exercises much care and judgment in the cultivation of the fields and therefore annually gathers good harvests.

It was in February, 1876, that Mr. Van Pelt was united in marriage to Miss Kate Van Vorhees, a daughter of John and Anna Elizabeth Van Vorhees, of Saratoga county, New York. They now have a daughter, Carrie, who is the wife of W. H. Plummer, living upon a farm adjoining her father's place on the east. Unto this marriage has been born a daughter, Eva Plummer.

Mr. Van Pelt is connected with the Christian Science church, while his wife holds membership in the Baptist church. He cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln and supported the party for a number of years but is now independent in politics. He has served as township clerk and for several years has been secretary of the school board, being the incumbent in the position at the present time. During his residence in Pottawattamie county he has so lived as to merit in high degree the respect and confidence of his fellowmen and both he and his wife enjoy the warm friendship of the great majority of those with whom they have come in contact.