My Genealogy Hound

August Miller, who as a gardener is conducting an extensive and successful business at Creston, was born in Germany in 1846, his parents being also natives of that country, where they passed away during the early childhood of their son August, who is the elder of two brothers, the younger being Joseph Miller, a mechanic and cabinet-maker, who in 1868 came to the United States and is now living in Burlington, Iowa.

August Miller spent the first twenty-one years of his life in the land of his nativity and acquired his education in the common schools of his native village. He was reared on the farm, early becoming familiar with the duties and labors incident to the cultivation of the fields. On attaining his majority he resolved to seek a home and fortune in the new world and in 1867 crossed the Atlantic to the United States, settling in Burlington, Iowa, where he was employed for two years by a lumber firm. When the Burlington railroad was first built he worked for that road in the yards and continued with the line until 1870, when he came to Creston and assisted in whitewashing the first ten stalls of the Burlington roundhouse. He next went into the yards of the car repairing department, where he was employed for about nine years. He afterward bought a tract of land north of the city but within the city limits, and retiring from the field of railroad service turned his attention to gardening. About 1890 he began buying the Potter estate in Spaulding township in tracts of five and ten acres until at present he owns twenty-seven and a half acres in that township, including the pond which is located on the land. That little sheet of water was formerly used as a skating pond. There is also a large reservoir on the property used for irrigation. This land adjoins the city limits on the north. When he took up the work of gardening he lived in a house in the block north of his present residence, taking up his abode there in 1876. In 1901 he sold out and built on the block adjoining on the south, having a modern residence of eight rooms. Here he has five thousand feet of forcing houses and numerous hot bed sash in connection, for the propagation of plants. He has made a success in his gardening operations and is now well-to-do. His garden products come early upon the market and are of excellent variety, size and flavor, so that it is with no difficulty that he makes sales. In fact his patronage has steadily grown and from the business he now derives a very gratifying annual income.

In 1872 Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Anna Maria Schmidt, who was born in Germany in 1845 and came to the United States in 1868. They were married in Burlington and have become the parents of seven children: Clara, the wife of Nicholas Gent, a farmer of Oregon; George W., a mechanic, located in California; Catherine, also of California; John A., manager of his father’s place; T. Mary, a stenographer and bookkeeper in California; Joseph C., who is with his father; and Agnes, a candy-maker of California. The parents are members of the Catholic church. Mr. Miller votes with the democracy and is interested in community affairs bearing upon the welfare and progress of the city. Having long resided in this locality, he is widely and favorably known and has served as treasurer of Creston Old Settlers Association.