Thomas Hall, farmer and stock-raiser, Maxwell, Iowa. Every community is bound to have among her citizens a few men of recognized influence and ability, who, by their systematic and careful thorough manner of work attain to a success which is justly deserved. Among this class is Mr. Hall, a man esteemed to be a prominent and substantial, as well as progressive farmer of Clay County. He was born in Kosciusko County, Ind., on January 5, 1850, and is the son of Thomas Hall, Sr., a native of Virginia, born in 1810, near Harper's Ferry. The elder Hall moved to Ohio with his father, John Hall, when but four years of age, or in 1814, and located in Ross County. There he attained his growth and married Miss Eliza Rosenbarger, also of Virginia birth, but who was reared in Ohio. They resided for several years in the last-named State, and then moved to Indiana, being among the first settlers of Kosciusko County. There the father tilled the soil until 1854, when he moved to Iowa, settled in Story County, and there his death occurred on February 22, 1879. His wife died on January 27, 1883. Thomas Hall, Jr., the youngest of a family of five sons and one daughter, all of whom lived to mature years and were married, was reared in Story County, and remained with his parents until twenty-nine years of age. On January 6, 1870, he married Miss Mary Ann MarsHall, a native of Pennsylvania, and the daughter of Andrew MarsHall, and afterward carried on the home place until the death of his parents. He then bought out the heirs, and is now the owner of 150 acres of fine land, the result of industry and perseverance. He has a good residence, barn and out-buildings and a small bearing orchard. In connection with farming he is also engaged in stock-raising, and is quite successful in this. Mr. and Mrs. Hall have one son, John Clinton, who was born August 1, 1880. They lost one son, Edmond J., who died on March 13, 1889, at the age of five years and six months. Mrs. Hall is a member of the Evangelical Church, and Mr. Hall is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Maxwell Lodge.
William Handsaker, a successful farmer and stock-raiser of Richland Township, is a native of Staffordshire, England, born in 1828, third of a family of four children born to John and Ellen (Billings) Handsaker. Of these children, the eldest, Ralph, is deceased, John is deceased, and James is now living in Northampton County, England. The father of these children died in 1860, and the mother about 1838. William Handsaker was reared to farm life in his native country, where he also received a limited education. He left school at the age of ten years to take care of his mother in what proved her last illness, and from the age of twelve to twenty-five years, he was employed as a farm laborer in England. In 1853 he came to America, and for the following year worked on a farm in New York, then came farther west, and spent one winter in Illinois. He came to this county in 1855, and purchased eighty acres where his house now stands, and worked out for a year or two before he was able to begin improvements on his place. By his energy, thrift and enterprise he has now accumulated a fine property. He has a farm of 400 acres lying in one body, and two tracts, one of 142 and the other of twenty acres, lying in this township. He paid $1.25 per acre for his first eighty acres, $700 for the second eighty, $1,100 for the next eighty, and so on up to $3,000 for 160 acres, and his farm will now bring $35 per acre. He has erected a neat and commodious residence, containing about twelve rooms, a large bank barn 46x46x29 feet, besides other valuable out-buildings, and his land is all fenced and cross-fenced. He keeps on an average 120 hogs, and about eighty head of