My Genealogy Hound

KOSKIOCO ELLIOTT, the present surveyor of Jasper county, who is familiarly known as “Kos” Elliott, was born in Athens county, Ohio, Oct. 25, 1843, removing from the old Ohio home at the age of fifteen with his father to Jasper county, near the post-office of Sherwood. Having returned to Ohio, he enlisted in 1864 in the One Hundred and Seventy-fourth Ohio, serving the residue of the war. He was married June 24, 1874, to L. L, Johns, a native of Mercer county, Ohio, her birthday occurring Feb. 28, 1843. They have but one child, whose name is Mary L. Elliott. Our subject is a member of the Grange and has been county surveyor for more than ten years, an office of no little responsibility and public service. Mr. Elliott resides upon the farm formerly owned by the father of Mrs. Elliott, Mr. A. L. Johns, who was a pioneer in Iowa, as his daughter attended school in a log school-house where the city of Des Moines, Iowa, now stands. Mrs. Elliott’s father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Johns, died on the home farm where she now lives and are buried in the cemetery nearby called “Hoosier Point Cemetery,” named from the point of timber near by the cemetery. Mr. Elliott’s father, John Elliott, was a native of Ireland, Kellybegs, County Donegall, “where they eat potatoes, skins and all,” who came to America in 1819, at the age of three years. His uncle, Charles Elliott, D. D., was for many years editor of the Western Christian Advocate and the Central Christian Advocate at another time, and later was president of the Wesleyan University of Iowa; also author of “Elliott on Slavery” and “History of the Great Secession of Methodism” in 1856, predicting the secedence of the Southern states at no distant day. There is only one copy of the book in the county, which is in Lincoln township library, established by James Haley, he having given one hundred and sixty acres of land for the purpose. Mr. Elliott’s farm of 150 acres is in sections 7 and 12, township 29, ranges 32 and 38, and has on it a small orchard besides other improvements.