John W. Blackford (4 March 1837 – 10 April 1916) was an American politician. Blackford was born near

Dillsburg, Pennsylvania Dillsburg is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,643 as of the 2020 census. Geography Dillsburg is surrounded by Carroll Township in northwestern York County. According to the United States Census Bureau, ...

, as were his grandfather Joseph and father Aaron, on 4 March 1837. His family had lived in the area since Martin Blackford emigrated from Scotland in 1751. John Blackford's mother was of Dutch descent. He was educated in country schools and the York County Academy. Blackford subsequently taught school, then moved to

Van Buren County, Iowa Van Buren County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census the population was 7,203, making it the state's tenth-least populous county. The county seat is Keosauqu ...

, in 1864. In Iowa, he raised

Poland China The Poland China is an American breed of domestic pig. It was first bred in Warren County in Ohio, in the American Midwest. Its origins lie in a small number of pigs of Chinese type bought in 1816, which were cross-bred with a variety of breeds o ...

pigs and

Hereford cattle The Hereford is a British breed of beef cattle originally from Herefordshire in the West Midlands of England. It has spread to many countries – there are more than five million purebred Hereford cattle in over fifty nations worldwide. The bre ...

. Blackford served as president of the American Poland China Record Association from 1903 to 1904, and became treasurer of the organization thereafter. From 1906, he lived in Hillsboro, and was president of the Hillsboro Savings Bank. He served one term in the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

, as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

legislator for

District 20 A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

, then located in Henry County, from 1913 to 1915. Blackford died on 10 April 1916 in Hillsboro. His son Aaron Vale Blackford later served in both houses of the

Iowa General Assembly The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Repres ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackford, John People from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania 1837 births 1916 deaths People from Van Buren County, Iowa Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives 20th-century American politicians People from Henry County, Iowa Farmers from Iowa American people of Scottish descent American people of Dutch descent American bank presidents Schoolteachers from Pennsylvania 19th-century American educators