Andrew R. Cox

COX

Posted By: Debbie Manos-McHenry (email)
Date: 5/21/2023 at 12:00:52

Andrew R. Cox

Andrew R. Cox, of St John’s township, came to the county in 1854, and a sketch of his life will doubtless be read with interest in this connection. He is a native of the Buckeye State, being born in Ohio, June 22,1827. His parents were Abraham and Lydia (Reel) Cox, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Ohio. They had a family of ten children- Martha A.; Isaac W.; a resident of this county; Jacob, a resident of this county; Hannah, Mrs. Crowder, of Indiana; Andrew, of this county; Mary, Mrs. Reel, of Indiana; Henry B.' of this county; Sarah M., Mrs. Gilkerson; Nancy and Elizabeth, who died in infancy.

The family moved to Indiana in 1827, locating in Putman County, where the father engaged in farming. Our subject’s early life was passed on the farm in that county; obtaining a common school education at a time when the public school system was not what it is today. The first attempt he made at business life was when he entered a grist mill, where he remained four years, during which time he learned much concerning the art of an "honest miller”. We next find him tilling the soil, which vocation he has followed ever since. In 1845 he went to Illinois, remained a year, and returned-to Indiana and bought the old home farm in Putman County, which he tilled until the spring of 1852, when he came to Iowa, locating in Rockford township Pottawattamie. County, where he lived upon his brother's farm, and was one of the organizers of Rockford Township. He bought a claim on Honey Creek consisting of two hundred and forty acres of deeded land, upon which he lived two years, and then came to this county, locating on section 13, of St John’s township, where he now has a landed estate of between four and five hundred acres. A quarter section of this land is under cultivation, while the balance is in pasture and timber land. He erected a rude log cabin, a half' mile from his present residence, in which the family lived for two years. Mr. Cox also helped organize St John's Township, and the first two elections were held at his house.

To acquaint the reader with our subject domestic life, it may be said he was married June 5, 1849, in Putnam County, Indiana, to Miss Barbara J. Deal, the daughter of John and Sarah (Barnett) Deal, natives of Kentucky and Tennessee respectively and of German descent.

This marriage union was blessed by the advent of seven children- George T born June 8, 1851; Peter R., July 21, 1853; Sarah (Mrs. Harsign), January 1, 1855; Lydia (Mrs. Moats), January 12, 1857, now living in Nebraska; Nancy (Mrs. Moats), January 27, 1858, now living in Nebraska; Mary (Mrs. William Jones), a resident of this county, November 30,1860; Ella (Mrs. Fox), February 25, 1868, now living in this county.

Upon coming to this county, our subject was one of the first settlers in the Boyer Valley, and his was the only house between St. John’s and where Logan now stands. His nearest trading point was Council Bluffs, and their principal diet was cornbread and catfish. Mr. and Mrs. Cox came to Iowa overland, the trip consuming just thirty days’ time. It was in the month of April, when the streams were swollen beyond their banks and had to be forded in the absence of bridges. The Wabash, Illinois and Mississippi Rivers were crossed by boat, while the prairie lands were all but impassable.

Source: https://ia800108.us.archive.org/25/items/historyofharriso00nati/historyofharriso00nati.pdf (page 808)