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HANNIBAL H. HOUSE

A. J. HOUSE

CHARLES ANDERSON

Photos  included in source book

The family of this name in Fayette county came from New York to the West many years ago—in fact, when Iowa was little more than a wilderness compared to its wonderful development in recent years. Abraham Jackson House, the founder of the western branch, was born in Herkimer county, New York, in 1834. His parents were A.J. and Rachel (Putnam) House, both born in Montgomery county, New York, where the father followed the occupation of carpenter and farmer. In 1852 A.J. House, with his entire family, came to Iowa and located in Fayette county in the northern part of Union township. They pre-empted land an embarked in farming with a log house for a residence. There the father lived until his death, a year later. His son remained on the home farm in Union township for a while and then returned to New York on a health trip. In 1859 he married Esther Shaffer, by whom he had nine children.

H.H. House, the eldest of these, was born in Union township, Fayette county, Iowa, in June, 1861, and received his education in the district schools. He has always followed farming and has prospered as the result of good management and much hard work. besides sixteen acres in Dover township, he bought the part where he now lives in 1901, first sixty-five acres, to which he added fifteen acres in 1905 by another purchase. In 1908 still another tract of eighty acres was added to his holdings and in all it will be seen that he owns considerable land. He is a general farmer and stock raiser, painstaking and prudent in all of his business affairs. In 1894 Mr. House married Effie, daughter of Charles Anderson, and has three children, Chauncey, Stella and Lydia. He is a Republican in politics and, with his family, a member of the United Evangelical church.

Charles Anderson, father of Mrs. H.H. House, was born in Rock county, Wisconsin, February 18, 1850. His parents were James and Marinda (Bell) Anderson, the former of Ohio and the latter of Indiana. About 1845 they removed to Wisconsin and located on government land in Rock county. In 1852 they came to West Union and opened a general store, which was operated about two years. The next move was to Colorado, where they ran a grist mill for some two years. They took up farming, which was followed until the father's death. He owned one hundred and sixty acres at the time of his death, in 1862. Charles was educated in Dover township and worked at farming until 1899 in Fayette and Winneshiek counties. He accumulated one hundred twenty-eight acres and engaged in general farming. In 1899 he came to Clermont and was there engaged in the restaurant business for three years. His next venture was the purchase of a small place near Clermont where he spent one winter and then returned home. Since then he has lived in retirement except the office of street commissioner, which he still holds. In 1871 he married Emma G. Learn, by whom he had seven children: Elmer, of Clermont; Herbert, of Montana; Effie Blanche, of Dover township; Lester, of Montana; Mertie, of Clermont township; Ruth, at home, and Beulah, at home. Mr. Anderson is a Democrat and in earlier years served for seven years on the board of trustees. He was also a member of the Clermont school board. The Houses and Andersons have long been one of the strong family connections in Fayette county and have held up their corners at all conjunctures calling for good men. They have been mostly successful in their ventures and stand high in the business community as men of integrity and honesty. They are quiet and unassuming in manners, but move steadily along to the accomplishment of whatever they undertake. Harry Anderson, a brother of Charles, was a member of Company G, Thirty-eighth Iowa Regiment, during the Civil war. 

~transcribed for the Fayette Co IAGenWeb Project by Mary Thiele Fobian