History of Guthrie and Adair Counties, Iowa
Springfield, Ill: Continental Hist. Co., 1884.
Town of Orient
Transcribed by Bobbi Pohl
John C. Hoffstatter, a son of William and Mahala (Collins) Hoffstatter, was
born on the 28th of May, 1837, in Wayne county, Ohio. In 1843 he went to
Michigan, where he remained until 1863, when he came to Illinois. In 1869 re
removed to Iowa and located in Orient township, Adair county. When the town of
Orient was first started, he came to this place and established his present
wagon and repair shop. He resides with his mother four miles northwest of the
village. He was married in Michigan in 1863 to Eunesa E. Wood. They had one
child--Myrtie E. She resides with her grandmother, and is one of the efficient
teachers in the Orient township schools. Mrs. John Hoffstatter died in this
township in 1874. His mother, Mrs. William Hoffstatter, was born in Summit
county, Ohio, on the 20th of July, 1815. Her father died in Michigan in 1841,
and her mother died in Ohio in 1851. She moved to Michigan in the fall of 1849,
where she remained about eighteen years, after which time she moved to Illinois,
and two years later came to Iowa, settling in this county upon section 5, Orient
township. Her maiden name was Mahala Collins, and in 1834 she was married to
William Hoffstatter, in Ohio. They have had eleven children--John C., Mary A,
William C., Jane A., Jacob W., Sylvia A. and Alice M., living; and Mathew,
Sarah, Francis M. and James, dead. Mrs. Hoffstatter owns eighty acres of
improved land, and has an orchard of about four acres. Her husband was killed by
a mower while at work in some hay. She is a prominent member of the Baptist
church.
George W. Lewis, a native of New York, was born on the 24th of August, 1849,
and is the son of James and Maria (Cornell) Lewis, natives of New York. His
father died in 1868, in New York, and his mother now lives on the old homestead.
George received a common-school education, and on coming to Ohio [sic] in 1882,
he began the blacksmithing business in Fontanelle, and there remained until
February, 1884, when he moved to Orient, where he has now a flourishing
business. He was married in February, 1874, in New York, to Alida Doolittle.
They have been blessed with two children, one of whom, Bertha A., is living; the
other Forest B., is dead. Mr Lewis was East at the time of his child's death.
Mrs. Lewis was unable to do any work for six years previous to their removal to
this county, but since coming to this place she has been in perfect health, and
is one of those women who try to make people happy.
James Peat - The lumber business is represented by James Peat, who established the
business in 1880, who carries a large stock of lumber. He also makes a specialty
of barb wire and all kinds of building hardware, wagons, etc., and commands a
large trade. James Peat came to Adair county in 1871. For over twenty years he
practiced law at the Cincinnati bar, but he became quite deaf and was obliged to
abandon his chosen profession, which accounts for his residence in this county.
He was a graduate of the Cincinnati college, and at Norwalk, Ohio, was a school
and classmate of General McPherson, who was killed at Atlanta in May, 1864. They
left the institute the same day, the general going to West Point and Mr. Peat to
the college of Cincinnati. Both gentlemen strapped their books together. The
general picked up Mr. Peat's books and threw them into his own trunk, and gave
Mr. Peat his, who still retains them. Mr. Peat was born in Hamilton county,
Ohio, on the 10th of November, 1826. He is the son of John and Harriet (Connor)
Peat, with whom he came to Cincinnati. He remained there until 1871, when he
came to this county. He was married in September, 1848, to Miss Augusta
Jennings. They have three children all married--John, Myra and Augusta.
Frederick and an infant are dead. Mr. Peat owns one hundred and sixty acres of
land on section 7, Orient ownship, which is one of the best improved farms in
the twonship. Mr. Peat is one of the most prominent men in this township, and
has been successful as a farmer and in the law profession.
John Peat, hardware merchant, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, February 9, 1852,
his parents being James and Augusta (Jennings) Peat--the former a native of Ohio
and the latter a native of Connecticut. John came to Orient township, Adair
county, Iowa, in 1871, and settled on section 7, where he followed farming for
about five years, then removing to Greenfield and engaging in the livery
business, which he followed for about five years. He then removed to his farm on
section 5, in Orient township, which he had previously purchased, and remained
there about two years, when he came to the town of Orient and engaged in his
present business. He was married in June, 1877, in Wisconsin, to Mary M. Milner,
and they have two children--James M. and Gracie M. He has a farm well watered of
one hundred and forty-seven acres in section 5, nearly all improved, and has a
three-acre orchard. Mrs. Peat was a daughter of James and Carrie Milner, who
reside in Grant county, Wisconsin, at present. In politics Mr. Peat is a
greenbacker.
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