George H. Dutton, an enterprising farmer of Milo township, Delaware county, is
a native of Aurelius township, Washington county, Ohio.
He comes, however, of Virginia ancestry, his parents and
grandparents on both sides having been natives of the “old Dominion”. His grandparents moved to Ohio at an early date and the childhood
of our subject’s parents, Hanson and Elizabeth James, were there married and
there resided for a short time after their marriage. They moved, however, to Ohio and settled in Washington county,
where they afterwards lived and died.
They always
resided on the farm
and passed their lives in agricultural pursuits. They had ten children, all of whom became
grown, and of whom the subject of this notice is the eighth in point of age. The others were—Martha, now
the widow of Church Tuttle -; John J., deceased; Margaret, the wife of David
Reed; Jane, the wife of Jacob Gray; Smith W.; Susan, the wife of Charles Grubb;
Archibald, Leonard and Patterson. All
of these who are living reside in Washington county, Ohio. The subject of this notice was born February
23, 1834. He was reared in his native county, growing
up on his father's farm. The
advantages of the
common schools of the locality where he spent his youth were
his. He remained with his parents until he was twenty-three years old. January 10, 1855, he married, and in the spring of
1856 he came to Iowa, locating in Delaware county. He possessed but limited means then, but
what he had he invested in a tract of
forty acres of land on Buck creek in Union township, settled on it and went to
work. He returned to Ohio after a few
years and remained in his native state about
three years, coming again to
Iowa at the end of that time; and, after
renting for a few seasons, purchased, in 1868, the tract of land where he now
lives, consisting of one hundred
and and sixty
acres, locating there at that date and residing there since. Mr. Dutton afterwards added forty acres more to
his homestead by purchase, making him a farm of two hundred acres, lying in
sections 34 and 35, Milo
township. He
has followed farming and stock-raising all his life and, considering the fact
that he began with nothing, it may fairly be said that he has met with more than ordinary
success. He has his place in a fine state of cultivation, and
well stocked with
improved grades of
horses, cattle and hogs.
He was among the first to introduce Poland China hogs
into Delaware county, and the improvements which
he has suggested and himself effected in
the raising of swine have been marked and the cause of favorable comment from
his fellow-citizens. Mr. Dutton has shown
great zeal in all matters relating to the farming interests of Delaware county and has stood among the
foremost at all times for everything which he has believed to be for the good of that
interest. He is a public-spirited man
and a capable man of business. He
has held nearly all the offices of a local nature in
his township, never refusing to serve the public when called on
and always quitting the positions he has been called to with credit to
himself and satisfaction to his neighbors and fellow-citizens. In politics he is a republican and
sometimes takes an active part in political matters in his part of the
county. He is also a member of the Ancient Order of
United Workmen and in that benevolent association gives free play to the social side of his nature.
Mr. Dutton
has a comfortable home, and, surrounded by his children, most of whom remain with him, his is a splendid picture of country
life. Mr. Dutton married, as we have
noted, more than thirty-five years ago. His wife bore the maiden name of
Elizabeth Ellison and was a native of Washington county, Ohio, born January
28, 1836.
Her parents, George and Abigail (Paine) Ellison, came to Ohio at an early day and there
afterwards lived and died. The father was a native of Ireland, the mother of New Jersey.
Mr. and
Mrs. Dutton have had born to them eight children. Their eldest two, a daughter
and son, Mary A. and Hanson, are now deceased; Charles, who married Georgie Harrington, of Dubuque, Iowa, is a physician, residing in Minneapolis, Minn; Celia is the wife of Elmer K.
Stanberry, of Milo township, Delaware county;
Edward, Finley, Eva and Abby still reside with their parents.
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