~ WILLIAM HASSON, b. 13 Dec 1828 ~ Related Surnames - HASSON, ROBINSON, HOLLIS, YOUNG, McCURLEY, HATHAWAY, COOK, CAMPBELL, CROW, MILLHEIM, OSBORN, The June of 1855 first found the subject of this sketch treading the soil of Jackson County. He was then a young man twenty-eight years of age, having been born Dec. 13, 1828, near the banks of the Ohio River, in Columbiana County, the Buckeye State. His has been a varied and interesting experience. He was a soldier in the Mexican War, spending eighteen months in the service and has since that time had a large and varied business experience, in which he has been uniformly prosperous. He is now numbered among the wealthy men of Van Buren Township, and is esteemed one of her most useful and worthy citizens. The first recollections of our subject are of the "beautiful water," which flowed past his boyhood's home. His parents, William and Matilda (Robinson) Hasson, were married in Columbiana County, Ohio, and soon afterward settled near Wellsville, on a farm, where they spent the remainder of their lives. The father was born in Cumberland County, Pa., and departed this life in the year of 1875, at the age of seventy-five years. The mother, a native of New York State, was born near Saratoga Springs, and survived her husband a number of years, dying in 1884, at the age of eighty-four. Their family consisted of ten children, four sons and six daughters, of whom our subject was the third son and child. William Hasson, Sr., during his early manhood served as a soldier in the War of 1812. He became one of the leading farmers of Columbiana County, Ohio, and at the time of his death left a good property. Our subject received very good educational advantages, attending first the public schools of his native county, and later the academy at Calcutta, Ohio, for some time. He remained a member of the parental household until 1846, then started for the West for the purpose of recruiting from a severe attack of mumps. He sojourned a few months in Keokuk, Iowa, and in the spring of 1847 started for home. Upon arriving at St. Louis, numbers of young men were entering the army as volunteers for the Mexican War, and young Hasson also enlisted in Company A, which was called the O'Fallon Cadets of the St. Louis Legion, belonging to Col. Easton's Battalion. They started across the plains, via Leavenworth and Santa Fe, and spent the winter of 1847-48 at Linata, a few miles below Albuquerque, N.M. In the spring following they marched for Chihuahua, but the war closing soon afterward our subject received his honorable discharge in October following, without seeing any battles. Once more returning to his native State young Hasson, desirous of more knowledge, entered the graded school at Palestine, Ohio, of which he continued a student until reaching his majority. Soon afterward he set out for California, going by water as far as St. Joseph, Mo., and thence crossing the plains with a company equipped with nine yoke of oxen, a number of cows, and other necessary accompaniments of such an expedition. They proceeded north to Council Bluffs, which was then about the size of the present village of Van Buren, traveling on the north side of the Platte river. They were known as the "American Eagle Company," of which Mr. Hasson had been appointed captain. They met with Indians in the way who stole two of their horses, but aside from this had no particular accident. Arriving in California they halted first at Nevada, and our subject engaged in placer mining two years. He was very successful financially, but suffered from a broken leg. While sojourning ! with one Mr. Hatfield he was persuaded by the latter to officiate as Deputy Sheriff and recover the horses which had been lost by him. In his duties as Sheriff of Placer County Mr. Hasson became very popular among the men of that region, and as an officer was expected to treat the boys whenever meeting them. Upon one occasion he paid out $60 in this manner. He became the owner of several mines and claims, made money freely and also spent a great deal. He returned to Iowa from California in the year of 1855, and established himself in this county. Since 1863 he has been quite extensively engaged in the live-stock business, confining his operations principally to this county. At one time he was in partnership with Messrs. Emery, Zack & DeGroat in buying and shipping cattle and swine. His extensive farming interests have absorbed most of his time and attention, he consequently having little time to devote to political matters, but he keeps himself posted upon the march of events, and uniformly votes the Democratic ticket. In 1853 Mr. Hasson made the acquaintance of his first wife, Miss Maria Hollis, to whom he was married in the fall of 1853, in Placer County, California. She was the daughter of George Hollis, who came to this country as early as 1835. Of this union there were born two children, a son and daughter, the former dying in Michigan when four years old. The daughter is now the wife of James Young, and resides at the homestead in Columbiana County, Ohio, and is the mother of three children. Mr. and Mrs. Hasson returned from California by the water route, starting on the steamer "Golden Gate," which met with an accident 220 miles from Panama, sinking after a few hours. The passengers were taken off by another vessel, and all saved. Mrs. Hasson later invested in lands in Jackson and Clinton counties, Iowa, and in 1857 established a store at Sterling, where his wife died on the 28th of April, that year. Our subject contracted a second marriage, in 1858, with Miss Ann McCurley, of Sterling. This lady was born near Hamilton, Lower Canada, and by her union with Mr. Hasson became the mother of five children, the eldest of whom, a daughter, Melissa, is now the wife of E. Hathaway, the mother of two children, and a resident of Crawford County, this State. Minerva, Mrs. A.W. Cook, is the mother of three children, and lives in Clinton County; Susan M. married John Campbell and resides in Story County; Ida L. V. is the wife of James Crow, of Bennington, Kan., and mother of two children; Theresa, Mrs. Nathan Millheim, is the mother of one child and a resident of Clinton County, Iowa. Mrs. Ann Hasson departed this life at her home March 20, in 1880. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married, Nov. 1, 1887, was formerly Mrs. A.L. Smith, daugher of Samuel Osborn. This lady was born in Tioga County, N.Y., May 1, 1836. Of her marriage with Mr. Smith there was born one child, a daughter, Flora, who is now the wife of Fred Heisig, of Sioux County, and the mother of four children. The home farm of Mr. Hasson and wife is situated on section 16, Van Buren Township, and is among the handsomest farm residences in the county, where he is extensively engaged in farming. He makes a specialty of breeding thoroughbred Scotch red swine. ("Portrait and Biographical Album of Jackson County, Iowa", originally published in 1889, by the Chapman Brothers, of Chicago, Illinois.)