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Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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Biographical History of Cherokee County, Iowa
W. S. Dunbar & Co., Chigago - 1889

[page 508-509]

    CHARLES H. STEVENS is a member of the firm of C. H. STEVENS & Co.,
    successors to WILLIAM WHIPPLE, dealers in farm machinery, Cherokee,
    Iowa; this firm is among the largest in this line of goods in the
    county, and this, together with the fact that Mr. STEVENS was one
    of the early settlers in Sheridan Township, entitles him to a place
    in this work which treats of the representative men of the county.
    He is a native of the State of Wisconsin, born in La Fayette County,
    near Benton, August 8, 1846, and is the youngest of a family of twelve
    children, nine of whom are yet living.  The parents were WILLIAM and
    JANE (MANN) STEVENS, natives of England.  The father died in Grant
    County, Wisconsin, and the mother in Iowa County, Wisconsin, in 1868.
    CHARLES H. passed his boyhood in La Fayette and Iowa counties, Wis-
    consin, where his father was an early settler; there he attended the
    common schools and worked on his father's farm until he was eighteen
    years old; he then clerked in his brother's hotel for a period of
    four years.  May 20, 1869, he came to Cherokee County, and took up
    a homestead in Sheridan Township, consisting of eighty acres; he
    improved this and lived upon it for five years; when he sold out
    and purchased a half section of land in Tilden Township, upon which
    he lived for seven years; he then rented his farm and removed to
    Cherokee.  In February, 1885, he purchased an interest in the imple-
    ment business of WILLIAM WHIPPLE, after which the firm was known as
    STEVEN & WEST for eight months; then Mr. WEST sold to A. POLKINGHORN,
    and the firm name was changed to C. H. STEVENS & Co.  Their place of
    business is on Main street, west of the railroad track, and they have
    a two-story warehouse and office 40x60 feet, with additional shedding;
    they carry a full line of all sorts of agricultural implements, in-
    cluding the J. I. CASE threshing-machine, for which they have a large
    demand.  Mr. STEVENS was married to Miss ENA L. PORTER in 1875; she
    is a daughter of CHARLES M. PORTER, a native of the State of New York,
    and was born in Ohio, but was brought to Iowa when a small child.  By
    this union six children have been born: JOHN W., CORA D., HENRY E.,
    CHARELES E., ARTHUR BLAINE and ALBERT L.  While Mr. Stevens lived in
    the country he held numerous local offices, including that of presi-
    dent of the School Board, which he retained two years. He is an accept-
    able member of the I.O.O.F., Lodge No. 188, Cherokee, Iowa.  He com-
    menced life in this county on small means, but by prudent management
    he has come to be possessed of a good property; he owns a farm of 320
    acres, aside from his large business interests in Cherokee.

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