J.N. Boggs the subject of this sketch is a son of the noted clergyman, Reverend John Boggs, whose history is given in detail in the preceeding sketch. He was born in New Jersey in the year 1832, was reared on a farm in Hamilton county, Ohio, and moved to Bartholomew county, Indiana, but later returned to Ohio. It is a well established fact that ministers are much like flocks of birds migrating from one place to another, never remaining any length of time in one location. Mr. Boggs received but a meager education in the country schools owing to his family moving to Bartholomew county in advance of even subscription schools. The scholars of today can never realize that in olden times children walked miles over fields to some small building answering the double purpose of church and school house. Many of those scholars are today holding some of the greatest and loftiest positions that can be accorded to men and women.

Mr. Boggs was married in the year 1854, in Bartholomew county to Elizabeth A. Low and they began their first housekeeping in a very primitive way, taking their wedding journey in a "prairie schooner" enroute to Appanoose county, Iowa, and consequently were for many years a little in advance of the towns and cities of the plains. Wayne county, Iowa, adjoined Appanoose and they made their home in the two counties until the spring of 1876, when they were attracted by stories of homes to be gotten by simply selecting one of their choice - the cost of the land office papers was the only price. In company with their seven children born in Iowa they came to Kansas and settled in Elk township. Mr. Boggs purchased the relinquishment of David Brosseau, where a home had been started and a few acres of sod had been broken, homesteaded the land and bought the Antoine Brosseau farm adjoining, thus owning a half section of land which he has since divided with his children and is practically retired from farming.

Mr. Boggs served in company D, sixteenth Iowa infantry, and although he has been practically disabled ever since he has never drawn a pension. Mrs. Boggs was called from her earthly home leaving seven children, viz: Aquilla, deceased in 1881 at the age of twenty-six years, unmarried. Freeman, an electric street car conductor at Houston, Texas. Joseph, a carpenter who resides in California. Allen, a farmer of Elk township. Kate, wife of A.M. Shriver, a farmer of Elk township. Joshua, owns a fruit ranch in California. Blanche is her father's house-keeper. Pinkney died in Iowa.

Mr. Boggs had the misfortune to lose a good frame residence by fire in 1893, which was replaced in the autumn of that year by a six-room dwelling which narrowly escaped the same fate by a stroke of lightning in October, 1902. Miss Boggs raises a great number of chickens, hatching from two to three hundred annually, which is a profitable investment of one's labor and care for the little broods of downy puff balls. She is a devoted daughter, bestowing much of her time to the care of her father, brightening his declining years, smoothing the tangles from his path. Politically, Mr. Boggs is a Republican. His family are members of the Christian church and active workers, while on a visit to Bartholomew county, Indiana in 1857 Mr. Boggs connected himself with the Baptist church and upon his return to Wayne county, Iowa, was one of seven, five females and two males, who organized a Baptist congregation in a private residence. Mr. Boggs was elected clerk and served in that capacity until uniting with the Christian church several years later.