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Biographical History of Cherokee County, Iowa
W. S. Dunbar & Co., Chigago - 1889

[page 541-542]

    JOSEPH McCOUN, the subject of this biographical sketch, was born
    March 27, 1828, and is a son of ALEXANDER and MARGARET (TOWNSEND)
    McCOUN.  His father was a native of Kentucky, of Scotch ancestry,
    and his mother was born in Tennessee, of German origin.  JOSEPH
    is the second son of a family of seven children, and grew to man-
    hood in Indiana, receiving his education in the common schools.
    Of one school in particular he preserves a vivid recollection; it
    was a subscription school in his native State, taught by one of
    those Yankee school teachers, who in early days were famed as
    wielders of the birch.  This school was attended by many boys who
    have since become famous in the history of Indiana.  At the age
    of eight years our subject was bound out by his father and he
    remained with the man to whom he was bound for eight years.  On
    the day after the election of JAMES K. POLK, feeling the impulse
    of the spirit of freedom, he ran away, and expressed his deter-
    mination not to return to his master, and he had his own way.  Mr.
    McCOUN was married December 29, 1850, to Miss MARY LANE, of Howard
    County, Indiana.  After his marriage he learned the trade of wagon-
    making at Eagle Village, Indiana, and afterward followed that trade
    in that town.  In 1854 he removed to Iowa, and settled on the Iowa
    River, at Steamboat rock, building the first house in that town.
    While there he worked at the carpenter's trade, and in 1858 he went
    to Davis County, Iowa.  He bought a farm of eighty acres near Drakes-
    ville, which he lived upon and improved until the breaking out of
    the war.  He then went to Black Hawk County, Iowa, and worked on a
    farm, and dug wells.  He remained there until 1868, when he came to
    Cherokee County, and entered forty acres of land; he afterward home-
    steaded 160 acres.  This land he improved, building a house and barn,
    and setting out a grove.  He was prosperous in his efforts, and has
    added to his land until he now owns 360 acres of as good land as
    lies in Willow Township.  Mr. McCOUN'S residence, a commodious, two-
    story structure, is situated near the thriving village of Washta,
    which has sprung into existence as if by magic.  Since his residence
    in Cherokee County he has worked some at the carpenter's trade, having
    erected about thirty buildings.  He has not only seen the county grow
    from its infancy, but has aided directly in its development.  He has
    raised on an average 14,400 bushels of grain, 100 head of cattle, and
    150 head of hogs, annually.  He has lost much money of late years from
    the prevalence of the fatal hog cholera.  Mr. and Mrs. McCOUN are the
    parents of fifteen children, thirteen of whom lived to maturity:
    CHARITY, wife of JOHN GOOD; JAMES, who married CORNELIA WRIGHT, died
    in 1874; JOHN married CORNELIA (WRIGHT) McCOUN, widow of his brother
    JAMES; EDWARD married HANNAH JANE WICKHAM; STOCKTON, HANNAH,
    (deceased), ANTHA ALICE, wife of W. A. MAHAFY; ISAAC (deceased);
    WILLIAM married IDA COLLINS; JOSEPH, THOMAS SHERMAN, AARON, and
    MARGARET, who died in 1874.  The parents have given their children
    a good practical education.  STOCKTON McCOUN, through his own efforts,
    has gained a very liberal education.  Mr. McCOUN and his wife are
    worthy members of the Baptist Church.  Mr. McCOUN is a member of the
    Republican party, and has been ever since the election of FRANKLIN
    PIERCE to the presidency.

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