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

[page 444-445]

   J. A. RISLEY, one of Cherokee's active business men, was born in East
   Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut, April 22, 1830.  His father,
   JOSHUA RISLEY, was a native of the same State, born in October, 1800.
   His father was TIMOTHY RISLEY, of English descent, and his great-
   grandfather was one of twenty who originally bought the township of
   Hartford.  The mother of our subject was BETSEY CRANE, a native of
   East Windsor, Connecticut, and a daughter of RUFUS CRANE; she was the
   mother of thirteen children, ten of whom lived to maturity, and is
   herself living at the ripe old age of seventy-nine years.  The CRANE
   family were of English ancestry.  Mr. RISLEY is the oldest of his
   family, and his early years were spent in attending school at East
   Windsor Hill Academy.  His father was a carriage and plow-maker by
   trade, and he worked at that business and went to school until the
   fall of 1855.  He then removed to Wisconsin and worked at his trade
   at Platteville, where he remained until the following July.  He was
   then married to Miss SARAH NYE, and after his marriage he went to
   Minnesota, where he prempted 160 acres of land near Plainview.  In
   April of the following year he returned to Platteville, and soon
   after went to Rockford, Illinois, at which place he remained two
   years.  He then returned to Platteville, Wisconsin, where he remained
   till the spring of 1864, then returned to the home of his childhood
   in Connecticut, remaining there six years.  In the month of June, 1870,
   he came to Cherokee, Iowa, and in company with his brother-in-law built
   a store.  He sold his interest in that property that same year and went
   to Sergeant Bluff, Woodbury County, Iowa; there he engaged in the live-
   stock business, and at the same time kept the City Hotel at Sergeant
   Bluff, where he remained seven years.  In the spring of 1876 he came
   back to Cherokee, and again formed a partnership with Mr. NYE in the
   general mercantile trade, which continued four years.  August 8, 1878,
   Mrs. RISLEY died; she was a devoted Christian, a member of the Metho-
   dist Episcopal Chruch.  In 1880, Mr. RISLEY married for his second
   wife Mrs. STOWE, whose maiden name was LIZZIE M. AMDON.  The same
   year he was employed in M. VANDERCOOK'S store.  The latter gentle-
   man was in poor health, and Mr. RISLEY assisted in the charge of the
   business until August, 1882, when Mr. VANDERCOOK died, and Mr. RISLEY
   was appointed by Mrs. VANDERCOOK to assist in settling up the business
   and take charge of the estate.  Politically Mr. RISELY is conservative,
   but is a stanch Prohibitionist.  He has held a great number of local
   offices, in his native State as well as in Wisconsin and Iowa; he was
   assessor three years in Woodbury County, Iowa, and also served there
   as justice of the peace.  He is a consistent member of the Congre-
   gational Church of Cherokee, Iowa, in which he holds the office of
   deacon and trustee.  He is an honored member of the Masonic fraternity,
   having attained the title of Sir Knight in Crusade Commandrey, No. 39,
   and holds the position of recorder.  He is connected with Speculative
   Lodge, No. 307, A.F. & A.M., and Burning Bush Chapter, No. 90, R.A.M.
   He is an officer of the chapter also, and keeps the lodge records in
   an excellent manner.  He is also financial manager of the Ancient Order
   United Workmen.  He owns a good residence in Husford's Addition, and
   other city real estate.  Mr. RISLEY is an obliging gentlman, and a
   very accurate, methodical business man, who believes that "order is
   the first law of Heaven!"

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