USHER, Gilbert S.

USHER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/10/2021 at 23:39:59

Gilbert S. Usher
born Sept. 22, 1837, Ohio

Gilbert S. Usher, a prominent citizen of Battle Creek, a pioneer of Iowa,
and an ex-soldier of the late war, forms the subject of this article. Mr. Usher dates his birth in Ashtabula County, Ohio, September 22, 1837. The
Ushers in America are descended from two brothers, Joseph and Aaron Usher, of English and Scotch origin, who settled in Vermont at an early day and subsequently moved from there to New York. Seymour Usher, the father of Gilbert S., was born in Chenango County, New York, and the mother of our
subject, nee Maria Gardiner, was also a native of that State. Seymour Usher, when a boy, went with his parents to Ohio. Both he and his father were millwrights by trade, and the latter built some of the first mills in
Ashtabula County. In 1839 Seymour Usher and his family came to the Territory of Iowa and settled in Linn County, near Marion. He built the first mill on Little Spring Creek. In Linn County he and his good wife reared their family and spent the rest of their lives, his death occurring at the age of sixty-four years, and hers at sixty-three. Their family was composed of eight children, five sons and three daughters. Three of the sons served in
the late war, namely: Gilbert S.; David, who was a member of the Eighth Iowa Infantry, Company D, died in 1865; and Henry H., who served in the Twentieth Iowa Infantry, is a resident of Linn County, Iowa.
Gilbert S. Usher was reared on a pioneer farm and conned his lessons in one of the primitive log schoolhouses of Iowa. In July, 1862, in answer to Lincoln's call for "300,000 more," he enlisted in Company I, Twentieth
Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and during his service participated in many of the prominent engagements of the war, among which were those of Pine Grove, Vicksburg, Port Hudson, General Banks' expedition on the Rio Grande, Fort Morgan. Duvall's Bluffs and Mobile. He was honorably discharged at Mobile, Alabama, and was paid off at Clinton, Iowa. Returning to Linn County, Mr. Usher was engaged in a wagon and repair shop for several years. Then he turned his attention to farming there and remained in Linn and Benton counties until 1881. That year he came to Ida County and bought a tract of land in Grant Township and on it engaged in farming. He improved two of the best farms in Grant township - 373 acres. This land he now rents, he having retired from active life to a comfortable home in Battle Creek. When he was twenty-two years of age Mr. Usher was married in Linn County, Iowa, to
Amanda Marsh, a native of New York, and a daughter of Ellison B. and Huldy Marsh. They have ten children, four sons and six daughters, viz.: Mary E., Ada M., Ermie G., David E., Herbert M., Huldah Anna, Malvina Jane, Gilbert Nelson, Delia and Elsie M. Politically, Mr. Usher is identified with the Republican Party. He and his family are attendants at the Methodist Episcopal Church, he being one of the supporters of the same. Frank and genial with all he meets, few men in Battle Creek have more friends than he.
Source: Biographical History of Crawford, Ida, and Sac Counties, Iowa, 1893, p.339