This thrifty and well to do farmer is one of the venerable men who has settled in the reservation country. His estate of one-quarter section lies two and one-half miles north from Westlake and is well improved and provided with good, large residence and splendid outbuildings.
John S. Unzicker was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on May 21, 1829, being the son of John and Barbara (Unzicker) Unzicker. The father was born in Germany, came to the United States in 1829 and died the same year. The mother was born in Germany in 1808.
Our subject was reared by his grandmother and commenced the battle of life for himself when he was ten years old. He was taken to Ohio when four and there educated. He learned the cooper trade but when he was nineteen he went to Lee County, Iowa, and farmed there and in Illinois. When twenty-seven Mr. Unzicker went to Hickory County, Missouri, broke the wild sod and settled to farming. At the breaking out of the war he returned to Davis County, Iowa, then to Lee County, and finally went to Clark County, Missouri, was also in Cass County. He was in McPherson County and then in Linn, and in 1886 he came to Whitman County, Washington. At the date of the opening of the reservation he came hither and settled on his present place. This was in the fall of 1895 and since then he has labored faithfully in farming and raising stock.
In Henry County, Iowa, on September 21, 1856, Mr. Unzicker married Miss Mary, daughter of John F. and Magdelene (King) Miller. The father was a miller and farmer, born in Germany in 1801, came to the United States when a young man on a contract to work out his passage money after he got here, which he did. He died in 1871. The mother was also born in Germany. Mrs. Unzicker was born in Ohio, in 1839 and has the following brothers and sisters, Gideon, John. Isaac, Samuel, Joseph. Charles, Lydia, Sarah. Barbara. Mr. Unzicker was an only child. The following named children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Unzicker, Lydia, Gideon, William, Lavina, Samuel, Barbara, Emma. Ella, Charles, Clara.
Our subject and his wife are members of the Mennonite Church. Mr. Unzicker is a member of the school board, is road overseer and has always been an advocate of good schools and progression generally.
Back to: Nez Perce Biographies
Source: An Illustrated History of Northern Idaho, Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903