My Genealogy Hound

Josephus H. Bland was born where he now lives, July 13, 1833, the son of Isaac and Nancy (Floyd) Bland, natives of Kentucky. The father came to this county in 1828, and entered and bought 520 acres, which included the 300 now owned by our subject. He helped lay out the city of Canton. He died in 1840, and the mother afterward married G. K. Biggs, an old resident of Clark County; her death occurred in 1847. Our subject, the eldest child of two sons and two daughters, was reared on the farm, and attended common schools. When sixteen years old he went to California, and spent two years in the gold mines with success, and in 1852 returned home and bought some more land. February 22, 1855, Mary C. (Duncan) Early became his wife. He has been a successful farmer and stock raiser ever since, and he has from 160 to 170 acres of the best bottom land under cultivation. In 1856-57 he ran a saw mill on his place, but abandoned it. His children are Nancy E., the wife of John Granstaff; William I.; Elizabeth J.; Josephus H., Jr., and Robert M. His wife has one son by her first marriage, John D. Early, of Kansas. Our subject has always been a Democrat, and in 1886 was persuaded to become candidate for tax collector, but finally withdrew. For thirty years he has been a Master Mason, and his entire family are members of the Baptist Church. He organized the school of his district just after the war, and has been a director ever since. He is a progressive man as is shown by the fact that he used the first twine binder in this part of the county.