1890 Buchanan and Delaware Counties History pgs. 461-463
THOMAS J. PROWSE was born in Jo Daviess county Ill., October
12, 1843,
and is the second of a family of thirteen children, all boys, born to Thomas
and Elvina Prowse. Thomas, the
father of our subject, was born near Louisville, Ky., February
8, 1811,
and, after an eventful life, passed from earth October
29, 1869.
At the age of twenty-five years he went to Galena, Ill., during the lead-mining excitement,
and on landing there was the possessor of twenty-five cents in cash, a pair of pants,
a shirt and a pair of shoes, but he at once found employment by the month as an
ox-driver and in this capacity served until 1839. In December of this year he
went to Sangamon county, Ill., where he married Elvina Bradshaw, whose parents came from
Pennsylvania. He then returned
to Jo Daviess county and took up his abode on a tract of one hundred and
sixty acres of land, which he subsequently increased to four hundred and fifty
acres in his home place and at other places bought property, until
his realty reached one
thousand two hundred acres. The home place was finely improved and was kept under a state of high
cultivation. In 1850 Mr. Prowse, seized with the gold fever,
went to California overland and remained there about fifteen months, when he
returned to his home with the
intention of going back to California with a drove of horses
but the Indian scare was so great that he did not carry out his
project. In 1864 he went to Montana, and in 1865 returned to his home,
sold out his possessions, took his family to Montana, where he engaged in ranching until
his final trip with his family to California in the fall of 1868, where, as stated
above, he died in 1869, worth about $30,000.
Mrs. Elvina Prowse, born in Illinois, January 21,
1824, is
yet living in California and is about sixty-six years of
age. Her children were born in the following order- George O., born
March 24, 1842, died August 26, 1842; T. J., the subject of this sketch;
John H., twin of T. J.; William W., born May 28, 1845; James F., born October
25, 1847; Godfrey, born July 29, 1850; Charles, born May 28, 1852; Isaac
S., born October 4, 1854, died December 6, 1864; Andrew J., born November 12,
1856; George O., second of the name, born January 2, 1859; Eugene M., born
December 4, 1861; Henry S., born January 8, 1863; Granville S., born February
2, 1866. These children were all born in Illinois, with the exception of the last
named, who was born in Montana.
Thomas J.
Prowse is a self-made man, having himself made all he possesses, the paternal
estate being held together by will until the death of the mother. He has been
twice married, his first wife having been Sanora Spriggs, a native of California, and a daughter of John Spriggs of North Carolina. To this marriage were born two children,
viz. - Charles T., born in California, September
18, 1873,
and John G., born in the same state, August 23, 1875. Mrs. Prowse died September
14, 1877;
and November 21, 1878, Mr. Prowse took for his second
wife the widow of James Adams and the daughter of Eleazer
and Diadema Frentress.
By this union two children were added to the family of Mr. Prowse, viz. Eugene
H., born June 24, 1880, and Diadema
Elvina, born June 19, 1882, but who died January
16, 1883.
At the
death of his first wife, in 1877, Mr. Prowse sold the farm on which he was then
living in California, and returned to his native State of
Illinois, and here his second marriage took
place. Mrs. Adams at that time owned, in her own right, one hundred and thirty
acres of land in Honey Creek township, Delaware county, Iowa, on which the
couple now reside, and she is also owner of forty-seven acres of timber land in
Jo Daviess county, Ill. This Iowa property Mr. Prowse has not allowed to be
diminished, but has by judicious care added to it, and now owns, with his wife,
two hundred and thirty-five broad acres in one tract in Honey Creek township,
besides another body of eighty acres at another point. The home farm is nicely located,
and is well improved with all the buildings and every convenience required by
the model farmer, including, also, groves and other ornamental surroundings
that add beauty and comfort to the dwelling. Sixty acres of the home place are
under cultivation in mixed crops, while the balance is turned to pasture for
his graded stock or placed in timber.
In politics
Mr. Prowse is a democrat, and has served his party as well as his
fellow-citizens in various official positions, including that of justice of the
peace. As a candidate for sheriff, he lost his election by only one
hundred and eighty-five votes, in a county which usually carries a republican
majority of about 800. No comment is further needed to show the
popularity in which Mr. Prowse stands in his county. He is a worthy
member of the Masonic fraternity, Nazareth Commander, No. 83, Manchester, accepting him as one of its honored
Knights Templar. He is also a member of the A. O. U. W., and of the Grange and
Legion of Honor.
Back
to Biographies
Back to Main Page
Back to Iowa AHGP
Back to AHGP