My Genealogy Hound

SCHWEER, CONRAD, HON., far., Sec. 27; P. O. Primrose; son of Christopher and Dora Schweer; born Feb. 6, 1825, in Hanover, Germany; is the only one living of a family of seven children—four boys and three girls; in 1835, his father came to the United States, came up the Mississippi River above St. Louis, and purchased land in Lewis Co., Mo., where he remained till the spring of 1836, when he came into Lee Co., Iowa, and laid claim to a part of the land now owned by his son; returned to Missouri and remained till the spring of 1837, when he returned to his Iowa claim and commenced improving it; in June, 1838, he returned to Germany after his family, and Oct. 8, following, they shipped from Bremen to New Orleans on a sailing-vessel; arrived at Alexandria, Mo., March 4, 1839, and came with teams on to his claim; he brought several hundred fruit-trees from Germany, but the long voyage through the warm climate sprouted them to such an extent that the cold climate here caused most of them to die; he had a great many varieties of apple, pear and cherry trees and started a nursery, the first in the county; also raised the first fruit in the township; those times were hard when compared with what people complain of now; he had to haul wheat to Keokuk to market, sell it for twenty-five cents, and take most of it in trade at high figures; also to go forty to fifty miles to mill, running the risk of being drowned in crossing streams, or losing the way and perishing from cold. Mr. Conrad Schweer married Miss Sophia Klinder June 24, 1853; she was born Nov. 14, 1830, in Hanover, Germany; they have seven children — Charles, Mary, Louis, Martha, Sophia, Christopher and Conrad. His father is still living with him; he was born Oct. 27, 1795; his mother died Oct. 9, 1859. Mr. Schweer has served his county as a member of the Legislature in the House of Representatives in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth General Assemblies, also in many other positions in his township. He owns 693 acres of land, valued at $35 per acre. Member of Evangelical Lutheran Church; Democratic.