Friday, December 4, 2015

George J. DeHart - Friday's Feature

The following article was taken from a book found in the city library of Lake City, Iowa.  I failed to make a copy of the cover. The only title I have is The Biographical Record.  The ancestor featured here is my great-great grandfather and is related to me in this way.

George J. Dehart (2nd great grandfather)
       Emma Dehart Borden (daughter of George, my great g'ma)
            Nina Borden Wright (daughter of Emma, my grandmother)
                 Vern Wright (son of Nina, my father)
                        Margie Wright Tolsdorf (daughter of Vern, me)



                                         George J. Dehart

     George J. Dehart, one of the leading farmers of Calhoun township, whose home is on section 23, came to this state about 1874, and has made his home in Calhoun county since May, 1881.  He was born on the 10th of September, 1835, in Monroe county, West Virginia, of which county his father, Samuel Dehart, was also a native.  His paternal grandfather Abraham Dehart was born in France, and with two brothers came to the new world with General La Fayette, all of them aiding the colonies in their struggle for independence as soldiers in the Revolutionary war.  When peace was restored Abraham Dehart located in Monroe county, West Virginia, being one of the first settlers of that section.  There his son, Samuel , grew to manhood and married Sophia Spade, a native of Virginia and a daughter of John Spade, who was also a soldier of the Revolutionary war. [ I find this following part a little confusing. I think John Spade is the German but I am not sure who settled in Virginia, but was married in Maryland.] He was a German by birth, being one of the soldiers employed by the English in their efforts to subdue the colonies.  He was captured by the colonial forces and paroled, but remained with the American army, not caring to be exchanged.  Later he settled in Virginia, but was married in Maryland.  During his active business life Samuel Dehart followed farming and continued to make his home in West Virginia until called to his final rest in 1882.  His wife survived him some time and passed away in 1894.
     Upon the old home farm in West Virginia George J. Dehart passed his boyhood and youth, remaining with his father until grown.  He then worked by the month as a farm hand for a few years, and subsequently bought a farm in his native county, which he operated for several years.  In early life he entered the state militia, and rose to the rank of second lieutenant.  After the Civil war broke out he was induced to join the Confederate army and become a member of Company D, Twenty-seventh Virginia Infantry, which was first under the command of General Stonewall Jackson, and later under General Robert E. Lee.  During the first battle of Bull Run he received a gunshot wound, but was not disabled, and remained in the service for nearly three years.
     Mr. Dehart was first married in Greenbrier county, West Virginia, August 28, 1860 to Miss Sarah F. Skaggs, a daughter of David J. Skaggs.  She was born in Indiana, but was reared in West Virginia.  In 1869 Mr. Dehart removed to Alton, Illinois, where he engaged in farming for two years, and then spent a year and a half at Bloomington.  Coming to Iowa in 1874 he first located in Carroll county, where he engaged in farming one season, and then removed across the boundary line into Sac county where the following three years were passed.  At the end of the period he returned to Carroll county and made his home there until coming to Calhoun county in 1881, locating on a tract of eighty acres in Calhoun township, which he had purchased several years previously.  After building a small house upon the place he began to break the land and improve his farm, and subsequently added to it until he now has a quarter section.  Mr. Dehart has since enlarged and improved his residence, has erected convenient outbuildings, has set out fruit and shade trees, and made many other useful and valuable improvements.  He raises a good grade of stock, and although he started out in life with no capital he has steadily prospered through his own well directed efforts, being a good business man and a thorough and systematic farmer.

The rest of this article will be continued next week. This will tell us about his wives and children.  A few years ago, I located his grave in Dalhart, Texas.  When did he move to Texas and why did he move to Texas?  I wonder if I will ever find the answer.

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