Dobson - John - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Inter-State Pub. Co., 1886.

John Dobson, one of the pioneers of East Waterloo Township, was born on a farm in Ireland, January 8, 1810. At the age of twenty-two years he left his native country and immigrated to America landing at Quebec. He remained near Lake Champlain nearly four years, when he came to Ohio, locating in Fairfield County, where he followed agricultural pursuits about fifteen years. He then spent two years in Montgomery County, Indiana, and in July, 1854, he removed with his family to Black Hawk County, Iowa, and at once settled on his present farm, which at that time was unbroken prairie. He made a tent of his wagon cover in which his family lived till he had built his log house, and commenced to improve his farm. After living in his log house nine years he built a better residence, where he still lives. His first purchase was eighty acres of prairie and twenty-three acres of timbered land, and by his untiring industry and economy he was enabled to add to his original purchase till he owned 300 acres. He has at present 183 acres of finely cultivated land, and his barns and outbuildings are well arranged. He was married before leaving Ireland to Miss Ann Webster, by whom he had four children, of whom three are yet living-Thomas, William and Elizabeth, wife of E.P. Streeter. Mr. Dobson married for his second wife Miss Emily Good, a native of Tennessee, and to this union have been born seven children-Amos, Alice, John, Wesley, Abram, Eunice and Francis. John is at home with his parents and has the management of the farm. The two younger brothers are at school. Mr. Dobson, when he landed in America, had but one sovereign in his pocket, but with owing to his good management and temperate habits he is to-day comfortably settled in life. In politics Mr. Dobson affiliates with the Republican party.