Biographical history of John Rodger Boulden, son of William Louis Boulden and Nancy Patterson, and his wife, Mary Miller. Published by Lewis Publishing Company as part of the history of Pottawatamie County in 1891.

John R. Boulden Family (Date Unknown) (Seated right to left) John Rodger Boulden, Maggier Mary Boulden, Mary Miller Boulden, Bemjamin Thurman Boulden Standing: Martha Curtis Boulden, Charles Walker Boulden, Catherine Ann Boulden, John Franklin Boulden, Eva Jane Boulden, Emma Florence Boulden George Worth Boulden (pictured on stand.)

John R(odger). Boulden, a farmer of Rockford Township, was born in Miami County Ohio, November 20, 1825 , the son of William L. and Nancy (Patterson) Boulden. The parents are natives respectively of Maryland and Delaware, and of Scotch and Irish ancestory. The father was born and brought up on a farm. On attaining the stature of manhood he drove a stage coach between Baltimore and Philadelphia. In 1811 he was detailed by the Government to take his team to Fort McHenry, where he was made wagon-master and was there during the bombardment. He served through the war 1812-1814. In 1817 he came Westward over the mountains by wagon to Wheeling, Virginia, where he placed his family on a flat-boat and floated down to Cincinnati while he with the horses came overland through Ohio to that point. In 1810, in Philadelphia, he had married the daughter of Joseph Patterson who had served in the Revolutionary War, and was engaged in thirty-two different battles. Out of 700 of the regiment he was one of only thirty-five who came out under command of General DeKalb who fell at the Battle of Camden. He had marched from Delaware to engage in the seige of Boston; he was also at the battle of Brandywine and hard-fought battles of the Revolution. After the war was over he returned to native home in Elktown, Delaware, where he died July 4, 1798. He was intimately acquainted with General Washington. At his death he left his wife five children, of whom Abraham, Jemima and Benjamin are dead, and Nancy was the wife of the late Mr. Boulden, and Sidanent was wife to Jerome Bonaparte. She was known as Lady Bonaparte in Baltimore where she survived the death of her husband for a short time.

John R. Boulden Company E. 147th Ohio Infantry National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Mr. William L(ouis) Boulden had but one sister, Rachel, who married Robert Moody, both of whom are now deceased. When he moved to Miami County be bought a tract of heavy timbered land there and and cleared and made many valuable improvements; and there he made his home until his death, September 18, 1830, leaving a wife and five children, namely: Lewis born in 1813, died in March, 1866; William H. born March 16, 1816, and died in October, 1857; Joseph P. born August 11, 1819, residing in Pottawattamie County; Mary Ann born September 7, 1822 and died a year afterwards; John R., the subject of this sketch; Maria, now the widow of Levi G. Brandon, born November 27, 1826 and now residing in Des Moines.

Mr. John R. Boulden, brought up in farm life, at the age of nineteen went to Piqua and learned the shoemaker' trade. At the age of twenty-four he married Mary Miller, daughter of Elias and Catherine (Moore) Miller) natives of New Jersey) who came to Ohio in 1803.

Mrs. Catherine Miller was a native of Kentucky and came to Ohio at an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Miller were of German and Irish extraction, and were the partes of nine children: Rebecca and Ellis, deceased; Lucretia, residing in Ohio; Hannah, wife of Solomon Winters and living in Indiana; Philetha, widow of Adam Schaeffer, in Piqua, Ohio; Philip, in the West; Mary, the wife of Mr. Boulden; John residing in Ohio; and Elias , in Lafayette, Indiana.

Mrs. (Mary) Boulden was born February 18, 1829, and brought up in farm life, and married at the age of twenty years. Mr. (John Rodger) Boulden remained in Miami County on a farm until 1871, when he moved by emigrant wagon to this State, being six weeks on the road. He purchased a quarter section of land in Wayne, County, but sold it and bought the present place of 125 acres of heavy timber land on secton 36 range 44, and here he hagan clearing and breaking and starting the many improvements essential to a complete home in the country.

He has a fine orchard of about six acres, besides a nice vineyard. He raises all the small fruits. The residence if beautiful and the locality healthful. During the period of nineteen years the family resident here with no sickness worth mentioning. Fifty acres of the place is cultivated to grain, while the reset remains in pasture and timber. Having learned the trade after he was married, Mr. Boulden has done a great deal of carpenter work in connection with farming; and also, for some years past has made about 1,000 bushels of charcoal per year. He is a live, energetic man.

Politically is a zealous Democrat, taking an active part in the interests of Democracy, and as such has enlisted in the services of his country in the One-Hundred and Forty-Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, at Piqua, being mustered in at Camp Dennison.

Being taken to Washington he was placed in the First Brigade, and General Derusa, in the Twenty-Second Army Corps, and fought in many hotty contested battles. He was advanced to the position of Sergeant, and was finally mustered out as such September 4, 1864 at Camp Dennison. He also enlisted in the Mexican War, but was held for orders at Cincinnati, Ohio in readiness for a call. He has also been connected with township in its various offices of which he ahs been Justice of the Peace for three terms. He is now officiating on the Board of Education, taking a leading part. He is a member of the Farmerss Alliance, of which he is president. He was elected to represent Miami County, Ohio in 1867 in legislature, with the overwhelming majority of 440, over a Republican majority of 1,600, being on the ticket with Allen G. Thurman when he ran for Governor of Ohio; and he was on the stand when Vallandigham made the famous speech for which he was taken captive and banished.

Mr. and Mrs. Boulden are the parents of twelve children: Charles W. born October 1, 1850 and now residing in Missouri Valley; John F. born February 19, 1852, at home; George W. born November 15, 1853 and is now living Seattle , Washington; Martha C. born June 15, 1855, is the wife of James Garrison in Los Angeles, California; Catherine A. born February 20 1862 is the wife of Charles Wiltfong in Council Bluffs; Eva, born June 16, 1865, is now Mrs. Richard Thornton, in Fremont, Nebraska; Benjamin Thurman, born August 20, 1868; Emma, born November 15, 1870; Maggie M. born January 15, 1877,. The last three at home. Aldezora, born May 10, 1857 died July 8, 1858. Joseph Orra, born September 10, 1859 died June 14, 1860. Louis E., born September 12, 1863 died March 16, 1865.

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