Peter W. Jury, a pioneer of Allen county, is a native of England. He was born in Devonshire, May 11, 1846, a son of John and Thomasin (Metters) Jury, also natives of England. The father had been a soldier in the English army, and in 1851 immigrated to America with his family, and settled in Woodford county, Illinois. He was engaged in farming, and died suddenly from sunstroke, July 8, 1854. Peter W. Jury attended the public schools and assisted with the farm work, and on August 22, 1862, when a little over sixteen years old, he enlisted in Company F, Seventy-Seventh Regiment, Illinois infantry. His regiment was attached to the army of Tennessee, and he saw service at the siege of Vicksburg, and after that his regiment was attached to the army operating in the South and Southwest, and campaigned through Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. They were in the campaign up the Red river and later his regiment was sent to New Orleans, where it was reorganized and did provost guard duty until the Spring of 1865, when they were sent to Fort Morgan and from there to Mobile, Ala., where they were located when the war ended. Mr. Jury was discharged July 10, 1865 and returned to his Illinois home, and attended school for a while, when he engaged in farming until July 5, 1871 when he started for Kansas with his family in a "prairie schooner." They drove the entire distance and reached Iola August 7, 1871. He bought school land in Elm township, and that place is still in his possession. When he came to Allen county, the country was wild and unbroken, and here he engaged in general farming and stock raising. He was very successful in raising horses, mules, cattle and hogs, and remained on his farm until 1903, when he moved to La Harpe and practically retired from farming. Mr. Jury has been a life-long Democrat and has taken an active part in local politics. He has been a member of the Democratic Central Committee for thirty years, and has served as secretary and treasurer of that organization. He has been a delegate to several county, judicial, congressional and State conventions, and was an attendant at the National Democratic convention, held in Kansas City, Mo., in 1900. He has served as city assessor, street commissioner and mayor of La Harpe, and on January 14, 1914, was appointed postmaster of La Harpe, and is now serving in that capacity. Mr. Jury was married April 15, 1869, to Miss Averill Adelia, daughter of Avery and Nancy (Warner) Thatcher, natives of New York, and early settlers in Livingston county, Illinois. Mrs. Jury was born near Ticonderoga, N. Y., and received her early education in the public schools of New York, and later graduated from the Illinois State Normal School with the degree of Bachelor of Science, and taught for a few years prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Jury have been born ten children: Laura, married F. E. Wood, assistant cashier of the First National Bank, La Harpe. Kans.; Claude, real estate dealer, Gas City, Kans.; Robert, resides at home; William, student at the State Normal School, Pittsburg, Kans.; Averill, married R. L. Riggs, Gas City, Kans.; Judson, in the employ of the Standard Oil Company in Oklahoma; Albin E., farmer, New Mexico; Peter T., teacher, Houston, Tex.; Lucy, assistant postmaster, La Harpe, and Addie May, who died in infancy. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Jury is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.