Page 334

 

W. C. FLEMING

 

The home farm of W. C. Fleming is situated on section 17, Grant township, where a tract of three hundred and twenty acres of rich and productive land yields bountiful harvests in return for the care and labor which he bestows upon it.  There are few leisure hours in his life for he is always busily engaged in the improvement of his own farm or in the cultivation of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres belonging to his father-in-law.  Taylor county has numbered him among its residents since the year 1874.  At the time of his arrival he was a young man of twenty-five years, his birth having occurred in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, May 22, 1849.  His father, Samuel Fleming, was a native of the Keystone State, where he was reared and married, the lady of his choice being Miss Rebecca Bonsall, also a native of Pennsylvania.  In the year 1856 the father removed with his family to Illinois, settling in Stark county, near Toulon, where he opened up a new farm and reared his family. Later he removed to Toulon, where his last days were spent, his death occurring December 2, 1907.  He had long survived his wife, who passed away in 1866.

 

Taken to Illinois when a lad of seven summers, W. C. Fleming was reared in Stark county and his education was acquired in the public schools there.  Through the summer months he worked in the fields and gained practical knowledge of the best methods of tilling the soil in the cultivation of the cereals best adapted to climatic conditions in this part of the county.  He gave his father the benefit of his services until 1874, when he started out upon an independent business venture and coming to Taylor county invested in one hundred and twenty acres of land in Grant township.  It was a tract of raw prairie, upon which not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made, but with characteristic energy he used the breaking plow, harrowed and planted his land and in course of time opened up a farm which he continued to cultivate for a decade or until 1884, when he sold (page 335) that property and bought one hundred and sixty acres which he now owns.  He then bent his energies to the cultivation of that tract and extended its boundaries in 1894 by an additional purchase of eighty acres, while in 1907 he secured eighty acres more, thus becoming owner of the entire half section.  All is now well improved and valuable land.  He has built a large barn for hay and stock, horses and cattle, it being one of the substantial structures of this character in Grant township.  In connection with his farming he raises and feeds stock, fattening three carloads of hogs yearly for the market.  This brings him a good return and other departments of his business are also profitable for he annually gathers good crops.  The farm presents a neat and attractive appearance, indicating his careful supervision and progressive methods.  Its improvement constitutes a profitable business and like all successful business men Mr. Fleming is diligent and enterprising in the conduct of his affairs.

 

In 1879 Mr. Fleming was united in marriage to Miss Amy Chittenden, who was born in Cass county, Michigan, where she was reared and educated, a daughter of Thomas Chittenden, who came to Iowa from Illinois in 1876 and purchased the farm which he now owns and makes his place of residence.  He has reached the venerable age of eight-seven years, while his wife is eighty-three years.  They are one of the worthy and respected old couples of the county and are yet enjoying good health.  In 1882 Mr. Fleming took charge of and has since carried on the Chittenden farm, on which he resides, thus relieving his father-in-law of the arduous task of developing his fields.

 

Politically Mr. Fleming is a stanch democrat, and for one year served as township clerk, but has never sought nor desired office, preferring to give his time and attention to his farm and business interests.  His wife and her parents are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church and Mr. and Mrs. Fleming and Mr. and Mrs. Chittenden all enjoy the high esteem of those who know them.  He has been a resident of the county for thirty-five years and has seen remarkable changes since the time of his arrival, including the building of the railroads and the development of wild prairie land into productive farms, whereby this section of the state has been made to bloom and blossom as the rose.  At the time of his arrival it was open prairie but was rich in its possibilities, which have been improved by a class of progressive agriculturists of which Mr. Fleming is an excellent type.