JOHN PLATT
John Platt,
deceased, owned and managed a nursery near Colesburg
for many years and was successful in that undertaking. He was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, September 9,
1829, a son
of John and Martha (Gettis) Platt. They had four
sons, of whom the subject of this review was the oldest. The father was a
native of Pennsylvania and the mother of County Down, Ireland.
Their
marriage occurred in the Keystone state about 1825. In 1843 the family removed
to Delaware county and
located in the Dickson settlement, where they resided until their deaths, the father
passing away in 1858 and the mother in 1880. Both were buried in the Dickson
settlement. The father was a farmer and stock-raiser and was a man of notable
public spirit. He deeded land for the schoolhouse to the public and also gave
land for the cemetery. Politically he was a democrat and for many years served acceptably
as justice of the peace.
John Platt,
Jr., received his early education in Delaware county and
then went to Dubuque, where he learned the printer's
trade, working on the old Miner's Express. He continued his connection with
that sheet later when it was known as the Herald. In 1854 he went to California and for twelve years edited the Downeyville Democrat of that state. In 1866 he returned to Delaware county and
started a nursery in the Dickson settlement which was known as the Colesburg Nursery. For many years he conducted that
enterprise and as he spared neither labor nor thought in an endeavor to improve
the stock grown and as he understood thoroughly the effect of different
varieties of soil, of heat, light and moisture, the trees grown in the Colesburg Nursery were fine specimens of nursery stock and
of such vitality that they grew well if given moderately favorable conditions
when set out by those who purchased them. The business of the nursery extended
over quite a large territory and those who patronized it once continued to do
so for years.
Mr. Platt
was married in August, 1867, at Platteville, Wisconsin, to Miss Mary Adna,
a daughter of John and Susan (Schnee) Adna, who passed away at Platteville, where they were laid
to rest. To Mr. and Mrs. Platt were born three children, namely: Ida, the widow
of Jeff Walters; Webster, mayor of Colesburg and
candidate for the office of county supervisor; and Mrs. Ellen Bowman.
Mr. Platt
was a democrat in politics and took an active interest in public affairs and
held a number of local offices, including that of township assessor. He was one
of the leaders in local democratic circles and did all in his power to advance
the interests of that party. Fraternally he was a member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He resided in
this county when wolves, bear and deer abounded and when Indians were very
numerous, and his reminiscences of the early days of the region were intensely
interesting and of great value, as they served to make real the life of the
pioneers to the generation of today who know this county only as a settled and
highly prosperous agricultural section.
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