John H. Quigley, a well known and representative agriculturist of Dallas county, was born at Oyster Bay, New York, July 15, 1854. He was a son of James and Margaret (Gillen) Quigley, both natives of Ireland, the father born in County Kilkenny in 1831. He came to the United States in the year 1850 and located at Oyster Bay, Long Island, where he worked as a farm hand. The tide of emigration was then moving westward and thither he went with his wife and his family of two children. He was the assistant railroad agent at Chillicothe, Missouri, and remained in that position for four years. In 1864 he removed to Iowa, locating at Independence, where he lived for one year when he again engaged in railroading, which he followed for the four succeeding years. He had early been trained in the duties of the farm and felt that along this line lay his best success. Accordingly he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Dallas county, near Adel, which he occupied until 1893, when he retired from active work and removed into Adel. Seven years later he took up his abode in Perry where he died June 27, 1905. In his political relations he was a stalwart democrat and in religion was a Catholic.

John H. Quigley was reared under the parental roof, acquiring his education in the common schools and his practical training in the odd jobs which he did during his summer vacations. At the age of twenty-one he began his life career as an agriculturist. Determining not to go into debt, he decided to rent land until he acquired capital enough to pay cash for a farm of his own. This task took him five or six years, but at the end of that time he was able to purchase eighty acres near Adel. By the same thrift and industry which had brought him to his first state of independence he was able later to add the forty acres adjoining to his original purchase. He worked hard to bring this farm to a condition where it would yield him large returns in crops. In the year 1895 he removed to Nevada, Missouri, where he had purchased two hundred and forty acres. Here he lived until he had improved the land to his own satisfaction, a task which took him five years. He then returned to Dallas county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres near Redfield, in Colfax township, where he made his home for three years. He was offered a price which he felt well. repaid him for the labor expended upon this piece of land and he accordingly sold it and purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Colfax township near Adel. Here he resided until March, 1907, when he removed to his present farm of two hundred and thirty acres on section 19, Union township. With the same energy with which he had token hold of his former purchases he went to work to improve the place which has since been his home. He has always been strictly up-to-date in his farming, has made use of all modern implements and of scientific methods. On this account he has never been a heavy loser, for he has carefully forecast the results of his harvests. In 1875 Mr. Quigley was united in wedlock to Miss Nora Maher of Dallas county, a daughter of Patrick Maher, a well known farmer who lives near Adel. To this union has been born two children: James and Fred, who are both at home. Mr. Quigley is independent in his political relations, reserving the right to vote for the best candidates and not for the party. He is one of the well known agriculturists of this county, yet his prosperity is not the outcome of propitious circumstances, but the honest reward of labor, good management, ambition and energy, without which no man can win prosperity. What praise is too great for that man who has entered the list against poverty, obscurity and lack of education and has come off conquerer in the strife?