Biographical History of Pottawattmie Co., IA

JAMES KILLPACK, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Neola Township, was born in Leicestershire, England, September 6, 1830. His father, John Killpack, was a wheelwright and marble-cutter, and had a brother and sister, Martha and Fannie, who are now deceased. On attaining manhood Mr. John Killpack established himself in the mercantile business, including drugs, and continued therein ten or twelve years, and then was in the marble trade the remainder of his days. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Day, died some ten years previously, in 1841, leaving twelve children, as follows: John, born, October 2, 1824, died August 2, 1851; Mary Ann, born August 29, 1826, died October 21, 1847; Elizabeth, born November 6, 1828, resides in England; James, our subject, is the next; William J., born February 6, 1832, resides in Utah; Jonathan, born October 2, 1833, died July 1, 1890, in California; Charles, born February 7, 1835, died March 16, 1836; Rachel, born August 16, 1836, lives in England; David, born October 25, 1838, resides also in England; Emma and Edward are deceased.

James, the subject of this sketch, was brought up to the profession of his father. At the age of twenty-three years he left home and sailed on the International from Liverpool to New Orleans, being ten weeks on the voyage. Landing soon at Keokuk, he came thence by ox teams to Council Bluffs and went on to Utah, being eleven weeks in crossing the plains to that Territory. In Manti City, Utah, he was engaged in farming, but, the grasshoppers destroying his crops, he entered the Government Survey in 1855-’56. August 15, 1855, he married Miss Salina, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Harcott, natives of England, and born respectively in 1801 and 1806. They had seven children: Mary, Lucy, Rosa, Sarah, Louisa, William and Salina. This last mentioned was born December 15, 1839. Their father, a fashionable dyer, died at the age of forty-six years. Their mother afterward married Jacob Pochin, a native of England and a carpenter by trade, who came to America in 1851, to Nor Orleans, and thence to St. Louis and to Utah in 1851, and died there in August, 1854. The widow then returned to this county, and remained with her daughter in Hazel Dell Township until her death, March 19, 1870.

After his marriage Mr. Killpack returned to Council Bluffs in June, 1857, clerked in a grocery store, then followed the same business in St. Louis; afterward was engaged in a furniture and wagon establishment; next he moved to Maries County, Missouri, took up eighty acres of land; but the bushwackers were so bad that he returned again to Council Bluffs, by means of ox teams. Here he was in the employ of a grocery firm. April 7, 1864, he moved upon his farm in Boomer Township. A year afterward he purchased forty acres in the same township, where there were but few improvements. He added by further purchases until he had a total of 220 acres of good land, most of which was in meadow and pasture, and the premises were equipped with a good outfit of the usual appurtenances. Desiring to increase his facilities for raising live stock, he sold this place and purchased 320 acres of rough, improved land, prairie and hazel brush, and began anew. He put up a fine two-story frame house 18 x 36, with kitchen 16 x 15, porches, etc. In orchard and ornamental trees he has a total of about ten acres. Among his cattle the choice breeds are the Jersey and Red Poll. He has now 200 acres of fine land, mostly in Neola Township; eighty acres are in Boomer Township.

Mr. Killpack is a thorough-going Republican. Was once elected a Justice of the Peace, but would not serve, lest he might make an enemy. He has been a School Directory.

His children are: Emma E. born in Salt Lake, December 23, 1856, and now the wife of Moulder Clark, in Boomer Township; Rachel Alice, born in St. Louis, January 5, 1859, died December 2, 1863; Mary Ann, born September 7, 1861, died September 28 following; John James, born in Council Bluffs, May 20, 1863; William Henry, born in Boomer Township, July 9, 1865; Lucy Ann, born November 17, 1867, died April 3, 1874; Charles, born January, 1870, died in infancy; Louisa Alice, born in Boomer Township, May 17, 1871; Grace May, born also in Boomer, May 9, 1873; David Marion, born in Boomer, July 18, 1876, and George Franklin, born also in Boomer, January 27, 1880.

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