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CONTAINING 


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il  Full  Page  Portraits  and  Biographical  Sketches  of  Prominent 


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and  Representative  Citizens  of  the  County, 

TOGETHER    WITH 

PORTRAITS    AND    BIOGRAPHIES    OF  ALL    THE    GOVERNORS   OF  IOWA, 
OF  THE  PRESIDENTS.  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


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CHICAGO: 

CHAPMAN   BR0THEE8, 
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HAVE  completed  our  labors  in  writing  and  compiling  the   Portrait  and  Bio- 
graphical Album  of  this  county,  and  wish,  in  presenting  it  to  our  patrons,  to  speak 
briefly  of  the  importance  of  local  works  of  this  nature.     It  is  certainly  the   duty 
of  the  present  to  commemorate  the  past,  to  perpetuate  the  names  of  the  pioneers, 
to  furnish  a  record  of  their  early  settlement,  and  to  relate  the  story  of  their  progress. 
_  The  civilization  of  our  day,  tlie  enlightenment  of  the  age,  and  this  solemn  duty  which 
men  of  the  present  time  owe  to  their  ancestors,  to  themselves  and   to  their  posterity, 
demand  that  a  record  of  their  lives  and  deeds  should  be  made.     In  local  history  is  found  a  power 
to  instruct  man  by  precedent,  to  enliven  the  mental  faculties,  and  to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a  safe 
vessel  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the   people  who  contributed  to  raise  this  region  from  its 
prniiitive  state  may  be  preserved.  Surely  and  rapidly  the  noble  men,  who  in  their  vigor  and  prime 
came   early  to  the   county  and   claimed    tire    virgin    soil   as    their  heritage,  are  passing    to  their 
graves.     The  number  reuiaining  who   can    relate    the    history  of  the    first    days  of  settlement   is 
becoming  small  indeed,  so  that  an  actual  necessity  e.xists  for  the  collection  and  preservation  of  his- 
torical matter  without  delay,  before  the  settlers  of  the  wilderness  are  cut  down  by  time.     Not  only 
is  it  of  the  greatest  importance  to  render  history  of  pioneer  times  full  and  accurate,  but  it  is  also  essen- 
7^   tial  that  the  history  of  the  county,  from  its  settlement  to  the  present  day,  should  be  treated  ihrougli  its  various 
i'S   phases,  so  that  a  record,  complete  and  impartial,  may  be  handed  down  to  the  future.     The  present  the  age 
C  of  progress,  is  reviewed,  standing  out  in  bold  relief  over  the  quiet,  unostentatious  olden  times;  it  is  abnlliant 
E   record,  which  is  destined  to  live  in  the    future;  the  good  works  of  men,  their  magnificent  enterprises,  theii 
[g  lives,  whether  commercial  or  military,  do  not  sink  into  oblivion,  but,  on  the  contrary,  grow  brighter  with  age, 
^  and  contribute  to  build  up  a  record  which  carries  with  it  precedents  and  principles  that  will  Le  advanced  and 
E  observed  when  the  acts  of  soulless  men  will  be  forgotten  and  their  very  names  hidden  in  obscurity. 
:  In  the    preparation   of  the   personal    sketches   contained  in  this   volume,  unusual  care  and  pains  were 

:  taken  to  have  them  accurate,  even  in  the  smallest  detail.  Indeed,  nothing  was  jiassed  lightly  over  or  treated 
;  indifferently  ;  and  we  flatter  ourselves  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  accurate  works  of  its  nature  ever  published. 
■  As  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  this  woik,  we   present  the   portraits  of  numerous   represent- 

:  ative  citizens.  It  has  been  our  aim  to  have  the  prominent  men  of  to-day,  as  well  as  the  pioneers,  represented 
in  this  department;  and  we  congratulate  ourselves  on  the  uniformly  high  character  of  the  gentlemen  whose 
portraits  we  present.  They  are  in  the  strictest  sense  representative  men,  and  are  selected  from  all  the  call- 
iljE  ings  and  professions  worthy  to  be  given.  There  are  others,  it  is  true,  who  claim  equal  prominence  with 
^  those  given;  but  of  course  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  give  portraits  of  all  the  leading  men  and  pioneers 
i^  of  the  county.  We  are  under  great  obligation  to  many  of  the  noble  and  generous  people  of  this  county 
\ri  for  kindly  and  material  assistance  in   the  preparation  of  this  Album. 


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FIRST  PRESIDENT. 


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I  HE  Father  of  our  Country  was 
&Vborn  in  Westmorland  Co.,  Va., 
a  Feb.  22,  1732.  His  parents 
I  were  Augustine  and  Mary 
(Ball)  Washington.  The  family 
to  which  he  belonged  has  not 
been  satisfactorily  traced  in 
England.  His  great-grand- 
father, John  Washington,  em- 
igrated to  Virginia  about  1657, 
and  became  a  prosperous 
planter.  He  had  two  sons, 
Lawrence  and  John.  The 
former  married  Mildred  Warner 
and  had  three  children,  John, 
Augustine  and  Mildred.  Augus- 
tine, the  father  of  George,  first 
married  Jane  Butler,  who  bore 
him  four  children,  two  of  whom, 
Lawrence  and  Augustine,  reached 
maturity.  Of  six  children  by  his 
second  marriage,  George  was  the 
eldest,  the  others  being  Betty, 
Samuel,  John  Augustine,  Charles 
and  Mildred. 
Augustine  Washington,  the  father  of  George,  died 
in  1743,  leaving  a  large  landed- property.  To  his 
eldest  son,  Lawrence,  he  bequeathed  an  estate  on 
the  Patomac,  afterwards  known  as  Mount  Vernon, 
and  to  George  he  left  the  parental  residence.  George 
received  only  sucli  education  as  the  neighborhood 
schools  afforded,  save  for  a  short  time  after  he  left 
sclioul,  when  he  received  private  instruction  in 
mathematics.      His    spelling  was   rather   defective. 


U,l 


I 


Remarkable  stories  are  told  of  his  great  physical 
strength  and  development  at  an  early  age.  He  was 
an  acknowledged  leader  among  his  companions,  and 
was  early  noted  for  that  nobleness  of  character,  fair- 
ness and  veracity  which  characterized  his  whole  life. 

When  George  was  1 4  years  ol  d  he  had  a  desire  to  go  to 
sea,  and  a  midshipman's  warrant  was  secured  for  liim, 
but  through  the  opposition  of  his  mother  the  idea  was 
abandoned.  Two  years  later  he  was  appointed 
surveyor  to  the  immense  estate  of  Lord  Fairfax.  In 
this  business  he  spent  three  years  in  a  rough  frontier 
life,  gaining  experience  which  afterwards  proved  very 
essential  to  him.  In  1751,  though  only  19  years  of 
age,  he  was  appointed  adjutant  with  the  rank  of 
major  in  the  Virginia  militia,  then  being  trained  for 
active  service  against  the  French  and  Indians.  Soon 
after  this  he  sailed  to  the  West  Indies  with  his  brother 
Lawrence,  who  went  there  to  restore  his  health  They 
soon  returned,  and  in  the  summer  of  1752  Lawrence 
died,  leaving  a  large  fortune  to  an  infant  daughter 
who  did  not  long  survive  him.  On  her  demise  the 
estate  of  Mount  Vernon  was  given  to  George, 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Robert  Dinwiddle,  as  Lieuten-    

ant-Governor  of  Virginia,  in  1752,  the  militia  was  ^ilj 
reorganized,  and  the  province  divided  into  four  mill-  .fflj. 
tary  districts,  of  which  the  northern  was  assigned  to 
Washington  as  adjutant  general.  Shortly  after  this 
a  very  perilous  mission  was  assigned  him  and  ac- 
cepted, which  others  had  refused.  This  was  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  French  post  near  Lake  Erie  in  North- 
western Pennsylvania.  The  distance  to  be  traversed 
was  between  500  and  600  miles.  Winter  was  at  hand, 
and  the  journey  was  to  be  made  without  military 
escort,  through  a  territory  occupied  by  Indians.     ~" 


ii 


trip  was  a  perilous  one,  and  several  limes  he  came  near 
losing  his  life,  yet  he  returned  in  safely  and  furnished 
a  full  and  useful  report  of  his  expedition.  A  regiment 
of  300  men  was  raised  in  Virginia  and  put  in  com- 
mand of  Col.  Joshua  Fry,  and  Major  Washington  was 
commissioned  lieutenant-colonel.  Active  war  was 
then  liegun  against  the  French  and  Indians,  in  which 
Washington  took  a  most  imjxirtant  part.  In  the 
memorable  event  of  July  g,  1755,  known  as  Brad- 
dock's  defeat,  Washington  was  almost  the  only  officer 
of  distinction  who  escaped  from  the  calamities  of  the 
day  with  life  and  honor.  The  other  aids  of  Braddock 
were  disabled  early  in  the  action,  and  Washington 
alone  was  left  in  that  capacity  on  the  field.  In  a  letter 
to  his  brother  he  says:  "I  had  four  bullets  through 
my  coat,  and  two  horses  shot  under  me,  yet  I  escaped 
unhurt,  though  death  was  levelin"  my  companions 
on  every  side."  An  Indian  sharpshooter  said  he  was 
not  born  to  be  killed  by  a  bullet,  for  he  had  taken 
direct  aim  at  him  seventeen  times,  and  failed  to  hit 
him. 

.\fter  having  been  five  years  in  the  military  service, 
and  vainly  sought  promotion  in  the  royal  army,  he 
look  advantage  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Duquesne  and  the 
expulsion  of  the  French  from  the  valley  of  the  Ohio, 
to  resign  his  conmrission.  .Soon  after  he  entered  the 
Legislature,  where,  although  not  a  leader,  he  look  an 
a<;tive  and  im|)ortant  part.  January  17,  1759,  he 
married  Mrs.  Martha  (Dandridge)  Custis,  the  wealthy 
widow  of  John  Parke  C'ustis. 

When  the  British  Parliament  had  closed  the  port 
of  Boston,  the  cry  went  up  throughout  the  provinces 
that  "The  cause  of  Boston  is  the  cause  of  us  all." 
It  was  then,  at  the  suggestion  of  Virginia,  that  a  Con- 
gress of  all  the  colonies  was  called  to  meet  at  Phila- 
delphia.Sept.  5,  1774,10  secure  tlieir  common  liberties, 
peaceably  if  possible.  To  this  Congress  Col.  Wash- 
ington w:;s  sent  as  a  delegate.  On  May  10,  1775,  the 
(Congress  re-assemliled,  when  the  hostile  intentions  of 
England  were  plainly  apparent.  The  battles  of  Con- 
cord and  Lexington  had  been  fought,  .\mong  the 
first  acts  of  this  Congress  was  the  election  of  a  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  colonial  forces.  This  high  and 
responsible  office  was  conferred  upon  Washington, 
wiio  was  still  a  member  of  the  Congress.  He  accepted 
it  on  June  19,  but  upon  the  express  condition  that  he 
receive  no  salary.  He  would  keep  an  exact  account 
of  expenses  and  expect  Congress  lo  pay  them  and 
nothing  more.  It  is  not  the  object  of  this  sketch  to 
trace  the  military  acts  of  Washington,  to  whom  the 
fortunes  and  lii)erties  of  the  people  of  this  country 
were  so  long  confided.  The  war  was  conducted  by 
him  under  ever)  possible  disadvantage,  and  while  his 
forces  often  met  with  reverses,  yet  he  overcame  every 
obstacle,  and  after  seven  years  of  heroic  devotion 
and  matchless  skill  he  gained  liberty  for  the  greatest 
nation  of  earth.  On  Dec.  23,  1783,  Washington,  in 
La  parting  address  of  surpassing  beauty,  resigned  his 


commission  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  to 
to  the  Continental  Congress  sitting  at  Annaixilis.  He 
retired  immediately  to  Mount  Vernon  and  resumed 
his  occupation  as  a  farmer  and  planter,  shunning  all 
conneclion  with  public  lile. 

In    February, 1 789,  \Vashington  was   unanimously 
elected  President.     In  his  presidential  career  he  was 
subject   to   the  peculiar  trials    incidental    to    a    new 
government ;   trials  from  lack  of  confidence  on  the  part 
of  other  governments;  trials  from  want  of   harmony 
between  the  different  sections  of  our  own  country; 
trials  from  the  impoverished  condition  of  the  country,  S 
owing  to  the  war  and  want  of  credit;  trials  from    the  3 
beginnings  of  party  strife.     He  was  no  jiartisan.    His 
clear  judgment  could  discern  the  golden  mean;  and  *''^' 
while  perhaps  this  alone  kept    our  government  from 
sinl<iiig   at    the  very   outset,  it  left  him  exposed  to 
attacks  from  both  sides,  which  were  often   bitter  and 
very  annoying. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  first  term  he  was  unani- 
mously re-elected.  At  the  end  of  this  term  many 
were  anxious  that  he  be  re-elected,  but  he  absolutely 
refused  a  third  nomination.  On  the  fourth  of  March, 
1797,  at  the  expiraton  of  his  second  term  as  Presi- 
dent, he  returned  to  his  home,  hoping  to  pass  there 
his  few  remaining  yeais  free  from  the  annoyances  of 
public  life.  Later  in  the  year,  however,  his  repose 
seemed  fikely  to  be  interru[)ted  by  war  with  France. 
.At  the  prospect  of  such  a  war  he  was  again  urged  to 
take  command  of  the  armies.  He  chose  his  sub- 
ordinate officers  and  left  to  them  the  charge  of  mat- 
ters in  the  field,  which  he  superinler.ded  from  his 
home.  In  accepting  the  command  he  nuule  the 
reservation  that  he  was  not  to  be  in  the  field  until 
it  was  necessary.  In  the  midst  of  these  preparations 
his  life  was  suddenly  cut  off.  December  12,  he  took 
a  seveie  cold  from  a  ride  in  the  rain,  which,  settling 
in  his  throat,  produced  inflammation,  and  terminated 
fatally  on  the  night  of  the  fourteenth.  On  the  eigh- 
teenth his  body  was  borne  wi'h  military  honors  to  its 
final  resting  place,  and  interred  in  the  family  vault  at 
Mount  Vernon. 

Of  the  character  of  Washington  it  is  impossible  to 
speak  but  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect  and  ad- 
miration. The  more  we  see  of  the  operations  of 
our  government,  and  the  more  deeply  we  feel  the 
difficulty  of  uniting  all  opinions  in  a  common  interest, 
the  more  highly  we  must  estimate  the  force  of  his  tal- 
ent and  cliararter.  which  have  been  able  to  challenge 
the  reverence  of  aH  parties,  and  principles,  and  na- 
tions, and  lo  win  a  fame  as  extended  as  the  limits 
of  the  globe,  and  which  we  cannot  but  believe  will 
be  as  lasting  as  the  existence  of  man. 

The  person  of  Washington  was  unusally  tali,  erect 
and  well   proportioned.     His  muscular   strength  was 
great.     His  features  were  of  a  beautiful   symmetr\'. 
He  commanded  respect  without  any  appearance  of  J 
haughtiness,  and  ever  serious  without  being  dull. 


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SECOND  PRESIDENT. 


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f^l  OHN  ADAMS,  the  second 
&-  President  and  the  tirst  Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  in  Braintree  ( now 
■^i£,  Quincy  ),Mass.,  and  about  ten 
^^'  miles  from  Boston,  Oct.  19, 
1735.  His  great-grandfather,  Henry 
Adams,  emigrated  from  England 
about  1640,  with  a  family  of  eight 
sons,  and  settled  at  Braintree.  The 
parents  of  John  were  John  and 
Susannah  (Boylston)  Adams.  His 
father  was  a  farmer  of  limited 
means,  to  which  he  added  the  bus- 
iness of  shoemaking.  He  gave  his 
eldest  son,  John,  a  classical  educa- 
tion at  Harvard  College.  John 
graduated  in  1755,  and  at  once  took  charge  of  the 
school  in  AVorcester,  Mass.  This  he  found  but  a 
"school  of  ;iffliction,"  from  which  he  endeavored  to 
gain  relief  by  devoting  himself,  in  addition,  to  the 
study  of  law.  For  this  purTX)se  he  placed  himself 
under  the  tuition  of  the  only  lawyer  in  the  town.  He 
had  tliought  seriously  of  the  clerical  profession 
but  seems  to  have  been  turned  from  this  liy  what  he 
termed  "  the  frightful  engines  of  ecclesiastical  coun- 
cils, of  diabolical  malice,  and  Calvanistic  good  nature,'" 
of  the  operations  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness  in 
his  native  town.  He  was  well  fitted  for  the  legal 
profession,  possessing  a  clear,  sonorous  voice,  being 
ready  and  fluent  of  speech,  and  having  quick  percep- 
tive [xjwers.  He  gradually  gained  practice,  and  in 
1764  married  Abigail  Smith,  a  daughter  of  a  minister, 
and  a  lady  of  suj^erior  intelligence.  Shortly  after  his 
marriage,  (1765),  the  attempt  of  Parliamentary  taxa- 
tion turned  him  from  law  to  politics.  He  took  initial 
steps  toward  holding  a  town  meeting,  and  the  resolu- 


tions he  offered  on  the  subject  became  very  populai  | 
throughout  the  Province,  and  were  adopted  word  foi^^ 
word  by  over  forty  different  towns.  He  moved  to  Bos- 
ton in  1768,  and  became  one  of  the  most  courageous  |i 
and  prominent  advocatesof  the   popular  cause,   andlT 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court  (the  Leg- 
lislature)  in  1770. 

Mr.  Adams  was  chosen  one  of  the  first  delegates || 
from  Massachusetts  to  the  first  Continental  Congress,! 
which  met  in  1774.  Here  he  distinguished  himself 
by  his  capacity  for  business  and  for  debate,  and  ad- 
vocated the  movement  for  independence  against  the 
majority  of  the  members.  In  May,  1776,  he  moved 
and  carried  a  resolution  in  Congress  that  the  Colonies'- 
should   assume   the  duties  of  self-government.     He  | 


was  a  prominent  member  of  the  committee  of  fiveiipEij] 
appointed  June  11,  to  prepare  a  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence.    This  article  was  drawn  by  Jefferson,  but 
on  Adams  devolved  the  task  of  battling  it   through 
Congress  in  a  three  days  debate. 

On  the  day  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence T     jj 
was  passed,  while   his  soul  was  yet  warm  with  the  N  -B, 


glow  of  excited  feeling,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his  wite, 
which,  as  we  read  it  now,  seems  to  have  been  dictated 
by  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  "Yesterday,"  he  says,  "the 
greatest  question  was  decided  that  ever  was  debated 
in  America;  and  greater,  perhaps,  never  was  or  willU^^ 
be  decided  among  men.  A  resolution  was  passed  nlj] 
without  one  dissenting  colony,  '  that  these  United  "^^ 
States  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  inde- 
pendent states.'  The  day  is  passed.  The  fourth  of 
July,  1776,  will  be  a  memorable  epoch  in  the  histor\' 
of  America.  I  am  apt  to  believe  it  will  be  celebrated 
by  succeeding  generations,  as  the  great  anniversar)' 
festival.  It  ought  to  be  commemorated  aS  the  day  of 
deliverance  by  solemn  acts  of  devotion  to  Almighty 
God.     It  ought  to  be  solemnized  with  pomp,  showi 


24 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


11 


games,  sports,  guns,  bells,  bonfires,  and  illuminations 
from  one  end  of  the  continent  to  the  other,  from  this 
time  forward  for  ever.  Vou  will  think  me  trans^x)rted 
with  enthusiasm,  but  1  am  not.  I  am  well  aware  of 
the  toil,  and  blood  and  treasure,  that  it  will  cost  to 
maintain  this  declaration,  and  su[)i)ort  and  defend 
these  States;  yet,  through  all  the  gloom,  I  can  see  the 
rays  of  light  and  glory.  I  can  see  that  the  end  is 
wurth  more  than  all  the  means;  and  that  posterity 
will  triumijh,  although  you  and  I  may  rue,  which  I 
hope  we  shall  not." 

In  November,  1777,  Mr.  Adams  was  appointed  a 
delegate  to  France  and  to  co-operate  with  Bemjamin 
Franklin  and  Arthur  l,ee,  who  were  then  in  Paris,  in 
the  endeavor  to  obtain  assistance  in  arms  and  money 
from  the  French  Government.  This  was  a  severe  trial 
to  his  patriotism,  as  it  separated  him  from  his  home, 
compelled  him  to  cross  the  ocean  in  winter,  and  ex- 
posed him  to  great  peril  of  capture  by  tlie  British  cruis- 
ers, who  were  seeking  him.  He  left  France  June  17, 
1779.  in  September  of  the  same  year  he  was  again 
chosen  to  go  to  Paris,  and  there  hold  iiimself  in  readi- 
ness to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  and  of  commerce 
with  Great  Britian,  as  soon  as  the  British  Cabinet 
might  be  found  willing  to  listen  to  such  pioiwsels.  He 
sailed  for  France  in  November,  from  there  he  went  to 
H  )llan(l,  where  he  negotiated  important  loans  and 
formed  important  commercial  treaties 

Finally  a  treaty  of  peace  with  England  was  signed 
Jan.  21,  1783.  The  re-action  from  the  excitement, 
toil  and  anxiety  through  which  Mr.  Adams  had  passed 
tlirew  him  into  a  fevei.  After  suffering  from  a  con- 
tinued fever  and  becoming  feeble  and  emaciated  he 
was  advised  to  goto  England  to  drink  the  waters  of 
Bath.  While  in  England,  still  drooping anddespond- 
ing,  he  received  disjjatches  from  his  own  government 
urging  the  necessity  of  his  going  to  Amsterdam  to 
negotiate  another  loan.  It  was  winter,  his  health  was 
delicate,  yet  he  immediately  set  out,  and  through 
storm,  on  sea,  on  horseback  and  foot, he  made  thetri]). 
February  24,  1785  ('ongress  apix)inted  Mr.  Adams 
envoy  to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  Here  he  met  face 
to  face  the  King  of  England,  who  had  so  long  re- 
garded him  as  a  traitor.  As  England  did  not 
condescend  to  ap|)oint  a  minister  to  the  United 
Slates,  and  as  Mr.  .Adams  felt  that  he  was  accom- 
plishing l)ut  little,  he  sought  |iennission  to  return  to 
^lis  own  country,  where  he  arrived  in  June,  1788. 

When  Washington  was  first  chosen  President,  John 
Adams,  rendered  illustiious  by  his  sii^nal  services  at 
Jaliome  and  abroad,  was  chosen  Vice  President,  .\gain 
at  the  second  election  of  Washington  as  President, 
Adams  was  chosen  Vice  President.  In  1796,  Wash- 
ington retired  from  public  life,  and  Mr.  Adams  was 
elected  President,though  not  without  much  opposition. 
Serving  in  this  office  four  years,he  was  succeeded  by 
J^Mr.  Jefferson,  his  opponent  in  ixalitics. 

While   Mr.  Adams  was  Vice  President  the   great 


French  Revolution  shook  the  continent  of  Europe,  • 
and  it  was  upon  this  \m\x\X  which  he  was  at  issue  with  : 
the  majority  of  his  countrymen  led  by  Mr.  Jefferson.  ; 
Mr.  Adams  felt  no  syin|)alhy  with  the  F'rench  people  : 
in  tlieir  struggle,  for  he  had  no  conlidence  in  their  : 
IX)wer  of  self-government,  and  he  utterly  abhored  the  : 
classof  atheist  philosoiihers  who  he  claimed  caused  it.  : 
On  theotlier  hand  Jefferson's  sympathies  were  strongly  : 
enlisled  in  behalf  of  the  French  people.  Hence  or-  \ 
iginated  the  alienation  between  these  distinguished  ; 
men,  and  two  powerful  [)arties  were  thus  soon  organ-  : 
ized,  Adams  at  the  head  of  the  one  whose  sympathies 
were  witli  F^ngland  and  Jefferson  led  the  other  in 
sym[)athy  with  France. 

The  world  has  seldom  seen  a  spectacle  of  more 
moral  beauty  and  grandeur,  than  was  presented  by  the 
old  age  of  Mr.  Adams.  The  violence  of  party  feeling 
had  died  away,  and  he  had  begun  to  receive  that  just 
appreciation  which,  to  most  men,  is  not  accorded  till 
after  death.  No  one  could  look  u[)on  his  venerable 
form,  and  think  of  what  he  had  done  and  suffered, 
and  liow  he  had  given  ui)  all  the  prime  and  strength 
of  his  life  to  the  public  good,  without  the  deepest 
emotion  of  gratitude  and  respect.  It  was  his  peculiar 
good  fortune  to  witness  the  complete  success  of  the 
institution  which  he  had  been  so  active  in  creating  and 
supporting.  In  1824,  his  cup  of  happiness  was  filled 
to  the  brim,  by  seeing  his  son  elevated  to  the  highest 
station  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  which  completed  the  half 
century  since  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, arrived,  and  there  were  but  three  of  the 
signers  of  that  immortal  instrument  left  upon  the 
earth  to  hail  its  morning  light.  And,  as  it  is 
well  known,  on  that  day  two  of  these  finished  their 
earthly  pilgrimsge,  a  coincidence  so  remarkable  as 
to  seem  miraculous.  For  a  few  days  before  Mr. 
Adams  had  been  rapidly  failing,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  fourth  he  found  hmnself  too  weak  to  rise  from 
his  bed.  On  being  requested  to  name  a  toast  for  the 
customary  celebration  of  the  day,  he  exclaimed  "  In- 
dependence FOREVER."  When  the  day  was  ushered 
in,  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  firing  of  cannons, 
he  was  asked  by  one  of  his  rttendants  if  he  knew 
what  day  it  was?  He  replied,  "O  yes;  it  is  the  glor- 
ious fourih  of  July — God  bless  it — God  bless  you  all." 
In  the  course  of  the  day  he  said,  "It  is  a  great  and 
glorious  day."  The  last  words  he  uttered  were, 
"Jefferson  survives."  But  he  had,  at  one  o'clock,  re- 
signed his  S]:>iiit  into  the  hands  of  his  God. 

The  jiersonal  appearance  and  manners  of  Mr. 
Adams  were  not  particularly  pre]X)ssessing.  His  face, 
as  his  jiortrait  manifests.was  intellectual  ard  expres- 
sive, but  his  figure  was  low  and  ungraceful,  and  his 
manners  were  frequently  abrupt  and  uncourteous. 
He  had  neither  the  lofty  dignity  of  Washington,  nor 
the  engaging  elegance  and  gracefulness  which  marked 
the  manners  and  address  of  Jefferson. 


^T^-t^TZ^ 


"~HHEa  ■ — 


(bcLcLc'.cijg 


xxxx  zxxrzzxxTxrxu  ncr  K 


THIRD  PRESIDENT. 


^P.rlcidjia, 


HOMAS  JEFFERSON  was 

^  born  April  2,  1743,  at  Shad- 
^vvell,  Albermarle  county,  Va. 
His  parents  were  Peter  and 
jane  (  Randolph)  Jefferson, 
tiie  former  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  the  latter  born  in  Lon- 
don. To  them  were  born  six 
daughters  and  two  sons,  of 
whom  Thomas  was  the  elder. 
When  14  years  of  age  his 
father  died.  He  received  a 
most  liberal  education,  hav- 
been  kept  diligently  at  school 
from  the  time  he  was  five  years  of 
age.  In  1760  he  entered  William 
and  Mary  College.  Williamsburg  was  then  the  seat 
of  the  Colonial  Court,  and  it  was  the  obode  of  fashion 
and  splendor.  Young  Jefferson,  who  was  then  17 
years  old,  lived  somewhat  expensively,  keeping  fine 
horses,  and  mucli  caressed  by  gay  society,  yet  he 
was  earnestly  devoted  to  his  studies,  and  irreproacha- 
able  in  his  morals.  It  is  strange,  however,  under 
such  influences,that  he  was  not  ruined.  In  the  sec- 
ond year  of  his  college  course,  moved  by  some  un- 
explained inward  impulse,  he  discarded  his  horses, 
society,  and  even  his  favorite  violin,  to  which  he  had 
previously  given  much  time.  He  often  devoted  fifteen 
hours  a  day  to  haid  study,  allowing  himself  for  e.\- 
ercise  only  a  run  in  the  evening  twilight  of  a  mile  out 
ofthe  city  and  back  again.  He  thus  attained  very 
high  intellectual  culture,  alike  excellence  in  philoso- 
phy and  the  languages.  The  most  difficult  Latin  and 
Greek  authors  he  read  with  facility.  A  more  finished 
scholar  has  seldom  gone  forth  from  college  halls;  and 


there  was  not  to  be  found,  perhaps,  in  all  Virginia,  a 
more  pureminded,  upright,  gentlemanly  young  man. 

Immediately  upon  leaving  college  he  began  the 
study  of  law.  For  the  short  time  he  continued  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  he  rose  rapidly  and  distin- 
guished himself  by  his  energy  and  accuteness  as  a 
lawyer.  But  the  times  called  for  greater  action. 
The  policy  of  England  had  awakened  the  spirit  of 
resistance  of  the  American  Colonies,  and  the  enlarged 
views  which  Jefferson  had  ever  entertained,  soon  led 
him  into  active  political  life.  In  1769  he  was  chosen 
a  member  of  the  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses.  In 
1772  he  married  Mrs.  Martha  Skelton,  a  very  beauti- 
ful, wealthy  and  highly  accomplished  young  widow. 

Upon  Mr.  Jefferson's  large  estate  at  Shadwell,  there 
was  a  majestic  swell  of  land,  called  Monticello,  which 
commanded  a  prospect  of  wonderful  extent  and 
beauty.  This  spot  Mr.  Jefferson  selected  for  his  new 
home;  and  here  he  reared  a  mansion  of  modest  yet 
elegant  architecture,  which,  next  to  Mount  Vernon, 
became  the  most  distinguished  resort  in  our  land. 

In  1775  he  was  sent  to  the  Cclonial  Congress, 
where,  though  a  silent  member,  his  abilities  as  a 
writer  and  a  reasoner  soon  become  known,  and  he 
was  placed  w\yow  a  number  of  important  committees, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  one  appointed  for  the  draw- 
ing up  of  a  declaration  of  independence.  This  com- 
mittee consisted  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  John  Adams, 
Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger  Sherman  and  Robert  R. 
Livingston.  Jefferson,  as  chairman,  was  appointed 
to  draw  up  the  paper.  Franklin  and  Adams  suggested 
a  few  verbal  changes  before  it  was  submitted  to  Con- 
gress. On  June  28,  a  few  slight  changes  were  made 
in  it  by  Congress,  and  it  was  passed  and  signed  July 
4,  1776.     What  must  have  been  the  feelings  of  that 


m 


m 

I 

f 

1 


0 


it 


m. 


man — what  the  emotions  that  swelled  his  breast — 
who  was  charged  with  the  preparation  of  that  Dec- 
laration, which,  while  it  made  known  the  wrongs  of 
America,  was  also  to  publish  her  to  the  world,  free, 
soverign  and  independent.  It  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable papers  ever  written  ;  and  did  no  other  effort 
of  tlie  mind  of  its  author  exist,  that  alone  would  be 
sufficient  to  stamp  his  name  with  immortality. 

In  1779  Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  successor  to 
Patrick  Henry,  ;.s  (Governor  of  Virginia.  At  one  time 
the  British  officer,  Tarleton,  sent  a  secret  expedition  to 
Moniicello,  to  capture  the  Governor.  Scarcely  five 
minutes  elapsed  after  the  hurried  escape  of  Mr.  Jef- 
ferson and  his  family,  ere  his  mansion  was  in  posses- 
sion of  the  British  troops.  His  wife's  health,  never 
very  good,  was  much  injured  .by  this  excitement,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1782  she  died. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1783. 
Two  years  later  he  was  appointed  Minister  Plenipo- 
tentiary to  France.  Returning  to  the  United  States 
in  September,  1789,  he  became  Secretary  of  State 
in  Washington's  cabinet.  This  position  he  resigned 
Jan.  I,  1794.  In  1797,  he  was  chosen  Vice  Presi- 
dent, and  four  years  later  was  elected  President  over 
Mr.  Adams,  with  Aaron  Burr  as  Vice  President.  In 
1804  he  was  re-elected  with  wonderful  unanimity, 
and  George  Clinton,  Vice  President. 

The  early  part  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  second  adminstra- 
tion  was  disturbed  by  an  event  which  threatened  the 
tranquility  and  peace  of  the  Union;  this  was  the  con- 
spiracy of  Aaron  Burr.  Defeated  in  the  late  election 
to  the  Vice  Presidency,  and  led  on  by  an  unprincipled 
ambition,  this  extraordinary  man  formed  the  plan  of  a 
military  expedition  into  the  Spanish  territories  on  our 
southwestern  frontier,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  there 
a  new  republic.  This  has  been  generally  supposed 
was  a  mere  pretext ;  and  although  it  has  not  been 
generally  known  what  his  real  plans  were,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  they  were  of  a  far  more  dangerous 
character. 

In  1809,  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  term  for 
which  Mr.  Jefferson  had  been  elected,  he  determined 
to  retire  from  political  life.  For  a  period  of  nearly 
forty  years,  he  had  been  continually  before  the  pub- 
lic, and  all  that  time  had  iieen  employed  in  offices  of 
the  greatest  trust  and  responsibility.  Having  thus  de- 
voted the  best  part  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  his 
country,  he  now  felt  desirous  of  that  rest  which  his 
declining  years  required,  and  uiX)n  the  organization  of 
the  new  administration,  in  March,  1809,  he  bid  fare- 
well forever  to  public  life,  and  retired  to  Monticello. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  profuse  in  his  hospitality.  Whole 
families  came  in  their  coaches  with  their  horses, — 
fathers  and  mothers,  boys  and  girls,  babies  and 
nurses, — and  remained  three  and  even  six  months. 
Life  at  Monticello,  for  years,  resembled  that  at  a 
fashionable  watering-place. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  being  the  fiftieth  anniver. 


toS: 


sary  of  the  Declaration  of  American  Independence,; 
great  preparations  were   made   in    every  pait   of  theS 
Union  for  its  celebration,  as  the  nation's  jubilee,  and 
the  citizens  of  Washington,  to  add  to  the  solemnity 
of  tlie  occasion,  invited  Mr.  Jefferson,  as.  the  framer,g 
and  one  of  the  few  surviving  signers    of  the  Declara-g 
tion,  to  participate  in  their  testivities.      But  an  ill-5 
ness,  whicli  had  been  of  several  weeks  duration,  and 
had  been   continually   increasing,  compelled    him 
decline  the  invitation.  g- 

On   the  second  of  July,  the   disease   under  wliic 'iSc 
he   was   laboring   left    him,  but   in  such  a    reduced;; 
state    that  his    medical    attendants,   entertained    noa 
hope  of  his  recovery.  From  this  time  he  was  perfectly  H 
sensible  that  his  last  hour  was  at  hand.     On  the  ne.\t«  }^ 
d;iy,  wiiich  was  Monday,  he  asked   of  those  around  5 
him,  the  day  of  the  month,  and  on   being  told  it  wasp. 
the  third  of  July,  he  expres.ied  the  earnest  wisii  thate' 
he  might  be  permitted  to  breathe  tie  airof  the  fiftietii  h;! 
anniversary.   His  prayer  was  heard — that  day,  wh(jse  j 
dawn  was  hailed  with  such  rapture  through  our  land,  j;  J 
burst  upon  his  eyes,  and  then    they  were  closed  for-cH 
ever.     And  what  a   noble  consummation  of  a  noble  «:;{ 
life!  To  die  on  that  day, — the  birthday  of  a  nation,- -SpfJ 
the  day  which  his  own  name  and   his  own   act   had  S: 
rendered  glorious;   to  die  amidst  the  rejoicings  and  ^ 
festivities  of  a  whole  nation,  who   looked   up  to  him, 
as  the  author,  under  God,  of  their  greatest  blessings, 
was  all  that  was  wanting  to  fill  up  the  record  his  life,  ^f 

Almost  at  the  same  hour  of  his  death,  the  kin 
dred  s])irit  of  the  venerable  Adams,  as  if  to  bear  t; 
him  company,  left  the  scene  of  his  earthly  honors,  gj 
Hand  in  hand  they  had  stood  forth,  tlie  cham])ions  of  g; 

--  ...  ...  ...  ..  ^: 


'  1 


ate  struggle  of  the  Revolution,  they  had  cheered  and  b,; 
animated  their  desponding  countrymen;  for  half  a  an 
century  they  had  labored  together  for  tne  good  of 
the  country;  and  now  hand  in  hand  they  depart. 
In  their  lives  they  had  been  united  in  the  same  great 
cause  of  liberty,  and  in  their  deaths  they  were  not 
divided. 

In  person  Mr.  Jefferson  was  tall  and   thin,   ratiier  s; 
above  six  feet  in  height,  but  well  formed;  his   eyes 
were  light,  his  hair  originally  red,  in  after  life   became 
white  and  silvery ;    his  complexion  was  f;iir,   his  fore^ji 
head  broad,  and  his  whole  countenance  intelligent  and 
thoughtful.     He  possessed  great  fortitude  of  mind   as 
well  as  personal  courage;  and  his  command  of  tem- 
per was  such  that  his  oldest  and  most  intimate  friends 
never   recollected  to   have    seen  him    in  a   passion.  Hifh 
His  manners,  though  dignified,  were  simple  and  un-  gi} 
affected,  and  his  hospitality  was  so  unbounded  that  || 
all  found  at  his  house  a  ready  welcome.     In  conver-  i 
sation  he  was  fluent,  eloquent  and  enthusiastic ;  and  i 
his  language  was  remarkably  pure  and  correct.     He  I 
was  a  finished  classical  scholar,  and  in  his  writings  is  j 
discernable  the  care  with  which  he  formed   his  style  ] 
upon  the  best  models  of  antiquity.  1 


HIHP 


% 


'O^yu^-^     ^0{  cc^t  f  o^. 


FOURTH  PRESIDENT. 


AMES    MADISON,    "Father 
%  of  the  Constitution,"  and  fourth 
President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  Afarch  i6,  1757,  and 
died  at  his   home  in  Virginia, 
■   June  28,   1836.     The  name  of 
James  Madison  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  most  of  the  important 
events  in  that  heroic  period  of  our 
,,    country  during  whicli  the  founda- 
tions of   this   great    republic   were 
laid.  He  was  the  last  of  the  founders 
of  the   Constitution   of  the    United 
States  to.  be   called    to   his    eternal 
reward. 

The  Madison  family  were  among 
the  early  emigrants  to  the  New  World, 
landing  upon  the  shores  of  the  Chesa- 
peake but  15  years  after  the  settle- 
ment of  Jamestown.  The  father  of 
James  Madison  was  an  opulent 
planter,  residing  uixin  a  very  fine  es- 
tate called  "Montpelier,"  Orange  Co., 
Va.  The  mansion  was  situated  in 
the  midst  of  scenery  Iiighly  pictur- 
esque and  romantic,  on  the  west  side 
of  South-west  Mountain,  at  the  foot  of 
Blue  Ridge.  It  was  but  25  miles  from  tiie  home  of 
Jefferson  at  Monticello.  The  closest  ]jersonaI  and 
political  attachment  existed  between  these  illustrious 
men,  from  their  early  youth  until  death. 

The  early  education  of  Mr.  Madison  was  conducted 
mostly  at  home  under  a  private  tutor.  At  the  age  of 
18  he  was  sent  to  Princeton  College,  in  New  Jersey. 
Here  he  applied  himself  to  study  with  the  most  ini- 


priQES  npDisoi]. 


prudent  zeal;  allowing  himself,  for  months,  but  three 
hours'  sleep  out  of  the  24.  His  health  thus  became  so 
seriously  impaired  that  he  never  recovered  any  vigor 
of  constitution.  He  graduated  in  177  i,  with  a  feeble 
body,  with  a  character  of  utmost  purity,  and  with  a 
mind  highly  disciplined  and  richly  stored  with  learning 
which  embellished  and  gave  proficiency  to  his  subsf  ' 
quent  career. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  commenced  the  study  of 
law  and  a  course  of  extensive  and  systematic  reading. 
This  educational  course,  the  spirit  of  the  times  in 
which  he  lived,  and  the  society  with  which  he  asso- 
ciated, all  combined  to  inspire  him  with  a  strong 
love  of  liberty,  and  to  train  him  for  his  life-work  of 
a  statesman.  Being  naturally  of  a  religious  turn  of 
mind,  and  his  frail  health  leading  him  to  think  that 
his  life  was  not  to  be  long,  he  ditected  especial  atten- 
tion to  theological  studies.  Endowed  with  a  mind 
singularly  free  from  passion  and  prejudice,  and  with 
almost  unequalled  powers  of  reasoning,  he  weighed 
all  the  arguments  for  and  against  revealed  religion, 
until  his  faith  became  so  established  as  never  to 
be  shaken. 

In  the  spring  of  1776,  when  26  years  of  age,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Convention,  to 
frame  the  constitution  of  the  State.  The  next  year 
(1777),  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  General  .Assembly. 
He  refused  to  treat  the  whisky-lovir.g  voters,  and 
consequently  lost  his  election  ;  but  those  who  had 
witnessed  the  talent,  energy  and  public  spirit  of  the 
modest  young  man,  enlisted  themselves  in  his  behalf, 
and  he  was  appointed  to  the    Executive  Council. 

Both  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were 
Governors  of  Virginia  wliile  Mr.  Madison  remained 
member  of  the  Council ;    and  tiieir  appreciation  of  his 


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intellectual,  social  and  moral  worth,  contribute<i  not 
a  little  to  his  subsequent  eminence.  In  the  year 
1780,  he  was  elected  a  meml)er  of  the  Continental 
Congress.  Here  he  met  the  most  illustrious  men  in 
our  land,  and  he  was  immediately  assigned  to  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  positions  among  them. 

For  three  years  Mr.  Madison  continued  in  Con- 
gress, one  of  its  most  active  and  influential  members. 
In  the  year  1784,  his  term  having  expired,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Legislature. 

No  man  felt  more  deeply  than  Mr.  Madison  the 
utter  inefficiency  of  the  old  confederacy,  with  no  na- 
tional government,  with  no  power  to  form  treaties 
which  would  be  binding,  or  to  enforce  law.  There 
was  not  any  State  more  prominent  than  Virginia  in 
the  declaration,  that  an  efficient  national  government 
must  be  formed.  In  January,  1786,  Mr.  Madison 
carried  a  resolution  through  the  General  Assembly  of 
Virginia,  inviting  the  other  States  to  appoint  commis- 
sioners to  meet  in  convention  at  AnnapoHs  to  discuss 
this  subject.  Five  States  only  were  represented.  The 
convention,  however,  issued  another  call,  drawn  up 
by  Mr.  Madison,  urging  all  the  States  to  send  their 
delegates  to  Philadelpliia,  in  May,  1787,  to  draft 
a  Constitution  for  the  United  States,  to  take  the  place 
of  that  Confederate  League.  The  delegates  met  at 
the  time  a[)poinled.  Every  State  but  Rhode  Island 
was  represented.  George  Washington  was  chosen 
president  of  the  convention;  and  the  present  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States  was  tlien  and  there  formed. 
There  was,  perliaps,  no  mind  and  no  pen  more  ac- 
tive in  framing  this  immortal  document  than  the  mind 
and  the  pen  of  James  Madison. 

The  Constitution,  adopted  by  a  vote  81  to  79,  was 
to  be  presented  to  the  several  States  for  acceptance. 
But  grave  solicitude  was  felt.  Should  it  be  rejected 
we  should  be  left  but  a  conglomeration  of  independent 
States,  with  but  little  power  at  liome  and  little  respect 
abroad.  Mr.  Madison  was  selected  by  the  conven- 
tion to  draw  up  an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  expounding  the  principles  of  the  Constitution, 
and  urging  its  adoption.  There  was  great  opposition 
to  it  at  first,  but  it  at  length  triumphed  over  all,  and 
went  into  effect  in  1789. 

Mr.  Madison  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  first  Congress,  and  soon  became  the 
avowed  leader  of  the  Republican  party.  While  in 
New  York  attending  Congress,  he  met  Mrs.  Todd,  a 
young  widow  of  remarkable  jx)wer  of  fascination, 
whom  he  married.  She  was  in  person  and  character 
queenly,  and  probably  no  lady  has  thus  far  occujMed 
so  prominent  a  position  in  the  very  peculiar  society 
which  has  constituted  our  republican  court  as  Mrs. 
Madison. 

Mr.  Madison  served  as  Secretary  of  State  under 
Jefferson,  and  at  the  close  of  his  administration 
was  chosen  President.  At  this  time  the  encroach- 
ments of  England  had  brought  us  to  the  verge  of  war. 

2 


British  orders  in  council  destioyed  our  commerce,  and  ; 
our  flag  was  ex[)osed  to  constant  insult.  Mr.  Madison  ; 
was  a  man  of  peace.  Scholarly  in  his  taste,  retiring  2i 
in  his  disi)Osition,  war  had  no  charms  for  him.  But  the  E| 
meekest  spirit  can  be  roused.  It  makes  one's  blood  | 
boil,  even  now,  to  think  of  an  American  sliip  brought  s 
to,  ujion  the  ocean,  by  the  guns  of  an  English  cruiser.  B; 
A  young  lieutenant  steps  on  board  and  orders  the  g; 
crew  to  be  paraded  before  him.  With  great  nonchal-  j 
ance  he  selects  any  number  whom  he  may  please  to  £ 
designate  as  British  subjects ;  orders  them  down  the  S  | 
ship's  side  into  his  boat;  and  iilacesthem  on  the  gun-  E 
deck  of  his  man-of-war,  to  fight,  by  comi)ulsion,  the  B 
battles  of  England.  This  right  of  search  and  im-'^^ 
pressment,  no  efforts  of  our  Government  could  induce  Si 
the  British  cabinet  to  relin(piish.  3;  J 

On  the  1 8th  of  June,  18 12,  President  Madison  gave  £;i 
his  approval  to  an  act  of  Congress  declaring  war  5 
against  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding  the  hitler  : 
hostility  of  the  Federal  party  to  the  war,  the  country  : 
in  general  approved;  and  Mr.  Madison,  on  the  4th  : 
of  March,  18 13,  was  re-elected  by  a  large  majority,  E 
and  entered  upon  his  second  term  of  office.  Tliis  is  ; 
not  the  place  to  describe  the  various  adventures  of  : 
this  war  on  the  land  and  on  the  water.  Our  infant  : 
navy  then  laid  the  foundations  of  its  renown  in  grap-  » 
pling  with  the  most  formidable  ])owcr  which  ever  s 
swept  the  seas.  The  contest  commenced  in  earnest  c 
liy  the  appearance  of  a  British  fleet,  early  in  Februaiy,  F 
1813,  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  declaring  nearly  the  whole  f, 
coast  of  the  United  States  under  blockade. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  offered  liis  services  as  me 
ditator.  America  accepted ;  England  refused.  A  Brit- 
ish force  of  five  thousand  men  landed  on  the  banks 
of  the  Patuxet  River,  near  its  entrance  into  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  and  marched  raj'idly,  by  way  of  Bladens- 
burg,  upon  Washington.  E 

The  straggling  little  city  of  Washington  was  thrown  S 
into  consternation.  The  cannon  of  the  brief  conflict  I 
at  Bladensburg  echoed  through  the  streets  of  the  | 
metropolis.  The  whole  populaticn  fled  from  the  city.  5 
The  President,  leaving  Mrs.  Madison  in  the  White  § 
House,  with  her  carriage  drawn  up  at  the  door  to  | 
await  his  speedy  return,  hurried  to  meet  the  officers  | 
in  a  council  of  war.  He  met  our  troops  utterly  routed,  c' 
and  he  could  not  go  back  without  danger  of  being  gj 
captured.  But  few  hours  elapsed  ere  the  Presidential  5| 
Mansion,  the  Capitol,  and  all  the  public  buildings  in  §. 
Washington  were  in  flames.  B! 

The  war  closed  after  two  years  of  fighting,  and  on  g; 
Feb.  13,  1815,  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Ghent. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  18 17,  his  second  term  of 
office  expired,  and  he  resigned  the  Presidential  chair 
to  his  friend,  James  Monroe.  He  retired  to  his  beau- 
tiful home  at  Montpelier,  and  there  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  On  June  28,  1S36,  then  at  the 
age  of  85  years,  he  fell  asleep  in  death.  Mrs.  Madi- 
son died  July  12,  1849. 


^tjglj^:::::^::^^si 


AMES    MONROE,   the  fifth 
President  of  The  United  States, 
was  born  in  Westmoreland  Co., 
Va.,  April  28,  1758.    His  early 
life  was  passed  at  the  place  of 
nativity.   His  ancestors  had  for 
many  years    resided  in   the  prov- 
ince in  which  he  was  born.    When, 
at  17  years  of  age,  in  the   process 
of  completing   his    education    at 
William  and  Mary  College,  the  Co- 
lonial Congress  assembled  at  Phila- 
delphia to  deliberate  upon  the  un- 
just   and    manifold    oppressions    of 
Great  Britian,  declared  the  separa- 
tion of  the   Colonies,  and  promul- 
gated the  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence. Had  he  been  born  ten  years  before  it  is  highly 
probable  that  he  would  have  been  one  of  the  signers 
of  that  celebrated  instrument.     At   this  time  he  left 
school  and  enlisted  among  the  patriots. 

He  joined  the  army  when  everything  looked   hope- 
less and  gloomy.     The  number  of  deserters  increased 
from  day  to  day.     The  invading  armies  came  pouring 
in ;  and  the  tories  not  only  favored  the  cause  of  the 
mother  country,  but  disheartened  the    new  recruits, 
who  were  sufficiently  terrified  at  the  prospect  of  con- 
::C  tending  with  an  enemy  whom  they  had  been   taught 
to  deem  invincible.     To  such  brave  spirits   as   James 
5  Monroe,  who  went  right  onward,  undismayed  through 
S  difficulty  and  danger,  the    United  States  owe   their 
I  political  emancipation.     The  young  cadet  joined  the 
ranks,  and  espoused  the  cause  of  his  injured  country, 
with  a  firm  determination  to  live  or  die  with  her  strife 


for  liberty.  Firmly  yet  sadly  he  shared  in  the  mel- 
ancholy retreat  from  Harleam  Heights  and  White 
Plains,  and  accompanied  the  dispirited  army  as  it  fled 
before  its  foes  through  New  Jersey.  In  four  months 
after  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  patriots 
had  been  beaten  in  seven  battles.  At  the  battle  of 
Trenton  he  led  the  vanguard,  and,  in  the  actof  charg- 
ing upon  the  enemy  he  received  a  wound  in  the  left 
shoulder. 

As  a  reward  for  his  bravery,  Mr.  Monroe  was  pro- 
moted a  captain  of  infantry;  and,  having  recovered 
from  his  wound,  he  rejoined  the  army.  He,  however, 
receded  from  the  line  of  promotion,  by  becoming  an 
officer  in  the  staff  of  Lord  Steding.  During  the  cam- 
paigns of  1777  and  1778,  in  the  actions  of  P.randy- 
wine,  Germantown  and  Monmouth,  he  continued 
aid-de-camp;  but  becoming  desirous  to  regain  his 
position  in  the  army,  he  exerted  himself  to  collect  a 
regiment  for  the  Virginia  line.  This  scheme  failed 
owing  to  the  exhausted  condition  of  the  State.  Upon 
this  failure  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  at 
that  period  Governor,  and  pursued,  with  considerable 
ardor,  the  study  of  common  law.  He  did  not,  however, 
entirely  lay  aside  the  knapsack  for  the  green  bag; 
but  on  the  invasions  of  the  enemy,  served  as  a  volun- 
teer, during  the  two  years  of  his  legal  pursuits. 

In  1782,  he  was  elected  from  King  George  county, 
a  member  of  the  Leglislature  of  Virginia,  and  by  that 
body  he  was  elevated  to  a  seat  in  the  Executive 
Council.  He  was  thus  honored  with  the  confidence 
of  his  fellow  citizens  at  2^  years  of  age  ;  and  having 
at  this  early  period  displayed  some  of  that  ability 
and  aptitude  for  legislation,  which  were  afterwards 
employed  with  unremittingenergy  for  the  public  good, 


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be  was  in  the  succeeding  year  chosen    a  member  of 
ihe  Congress  of  the  Uniu-d  States. 

Deeply  as  Mr.  Monroe  felt  the  imperfections  of  the  old 
■Conlcderacy,  he  was  opposed  to  the  new  Constitution, 
•ihiiiking,  with  many  others  of  the  Republican  parly, 
that  it  gave  too  nnich  power  to  the  Central  Government, 
and  not  enough  to  the  individual  States.  Still  he  re- 
tained the" esteem  of  his  friends  who  were  its  warm 
supporters,  and  who,  notwithstanding  his  opposition 
secured  its  adoption.  In  1789,  he  became  a  member 
of  the  United  States  Senate;  which  office  he  held  for 
four  years.  Every  month  the  line  of  distinction  be- 
tween the  two  great  parties  which  divided  the  nation, 
the  Federal  and  the  Republican,  was  growing  more 
distinct.  The  two  prominent  ideas  which  now  sep- 
arated them  were,  that  the  Republican  paity  was  in 
sympathy  vvith  France,  and  also  in  favor  of  such  a 
strict  construction  of  the  Constitution  as  to  give  the 
Central  Government  as  little  power,  and  the  State 
Clovernmentsas  much  i)ovver,  as  the  Constitution  would 
warrant.  The  Federalists  sympathized  with  England, 
and  were  in  favor  of  a  liberal  construction  of  the  Con- 
stitution, which  would  give  as  much  power  to  the 
Central  Government  as  that  document  could  possibly 
authorize. 

Tlie  leading  Federalists  and  Republicans  were 
alike  noble  men,  consecrating  all  their  energies  to  the 
good  of  the  nation.  Two  more  honest  men  or  more 
pure  patriots  than  Jolm  Adams  the  Federalist,  and 
James  Monroe  the  Reiiublican,  never  breathed.  In 
building  up  this  majestic  nation,  which  is  destined 
to  eclipse  alKjrecian  and  Assyrian  greatness,  the  com- 
bination of  their  antagonism  was  needed  to  create  the 
light  eipiilibrium.  And  yet  each  in  his  day  was  de- 
nounced as  almost  a  demon. 

Washington  was  then  President.  England  had  es- 
poused the  cause  of  the  Bourbons  against  the  princi- 
ples (if  the  French  Revolution.  All  Europe  was  drawn 
into  the  conflict.  We  were  feeble  and  far  away. 
Washington  issued  a  proclamation  of  neutrality  be- 
tween these  contending  powers.  France  had  helped 
us  in  the  struggle  for  ovir  lilierties.  All  the  despotisms 
of  Europe  were  now  combined  to  prevent  the  French 
from  escaping  from  a  tyranny  a  thousand-fold  worse 
than  that  which  we  had  endured.  Col.  Monroe,  more 
magnanimous  than  prudent,  was  anxious  that,  at 
whatever  hazard,  we  should  help  our  old  allies  in 
their  extremity.  It  was  the  impulse  of  a  generous 
and  noble  nature.  He  violently  opposed  the  Pres- 
ident's ]5roclamation  as  ungrateful  and  wanting  in 
magnanimity. 

Washington,  who  could  appreciate  such  a  character, 
developed  his  calm,  serene,  almost  divine  greatness, 
by  aiipointing  that  very  James  Monroe,  who  was  de- 
nouncing the  policy  of  the  Government,  as  the  minister 
of  that  Government  to  the  Republic  of  France.  Mr. 
Monroe  was  welcomed  by  the  National  Convention 
in  France  with  the  most  enthusiastic  demonstrations. 


Shortly  after  his  return  to  this  country,  Mr.  Mon- 
roe was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  held  the 
office  for  three  \eais.  He  was  again  sent  to  trance  to 
co-operate  with  Chancellor  Livingston  in  obtaining 
the  vast  territory  then  known  as  the  Province  of 
Louisiana,  which  France  had  but  shortly  before  ob- 
tained from  S|)ain.  Their  united  efforts  were  suc- 
cessful. For  the  comparatively  small  sum  of  fifteen 
millions  of  dollars,  the  entire  territory  of  Orleans  and 
district  of  Louisiana  were  added  to  the  United  States. 
This  was  probably  the  largest  transfer  of  real  estate 
which  was  ever  made  in  all  the  history  of  tiie  world. 

From  France  Mr.  Monroe  went  to  England  to  ob- 
tain from  that  country  some  reiogniiion  of  our 
rights  as  neutrals,  and  to  remonstrate  against  those 
odious  impressments  of  our  seamen.  but  Eng- 
land was  unrelenting.  He  again  returned  to  Eng- 
land on  the  same  mission,  but  could  receive  no 
redress.  He  returned  to  his  home  and  was  again 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia.  This  he  soon  resigned 
to  accept  the  position  of  Secretary  of  State  under 
Madison.  While  in  this  office  war  witii  England  was 
declared,  the  Secretary  of  War  resigned,  and  during 
these  trying  times,  the  duties  of  the  War  De|jartment 
were  also  put  upon  him.  He  was  truly  the  armor- 
bearer  of  President  Madison,  and  the  most  efficient 
business  man  in  his  cabinet.  Lfpoii  the  return  ol 
peace  he  resigned  the  Department  of  War,  but  con- 
tinued in  the  office  of  Secretary  of  Stale  until  the  ex- 
piration of  Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  At  the  elec- 
tion held  the  previous  autumn  Mr  Monroe  himself  had 
been  chosen  President  with  but  Hale  opposition,  and 
upon  March  4,  18^7,  was  inaugurated.  Four  years 
later  he  was  elected  for  a  second  term. 

Among  the  important  measures  of  his  Presidency 
were  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the  United  States;  the 
Missouri  Compromise,  and  the    "  Monroe  doctrine.'' 

This  famous  doctrine,  since  known  as  the  "Monroe 
doctrine,"  was  enunciated  by  him  in  1S23.  .At  that 
time  the  L'^niled  States  had  recognized  the  independ- 
ence of  the  .'^outh  American  st;ites,  and  did  not  wish 
to  have  European  powers  longer  attem[)ting  to  sub- 
due portions  of  the  American  Continent.  The  doctrine 
is  as  follows:  "That  we  shoukl  consider  any;iltempt 
on  the  part  of  European  powers  to  extend  their  sys- 
tem to  any  portion  of  this  hemisphere  as  dangerous 
to  our  peace  and  safety,"  and  "that  we  could  not 
view  any  interposition  for  the  purpose  of  oppressing 
or  controlling  American  governments  or  provinces  in 
any  other  light  than  as  a  manifest;iti(ni  by  European 
powers  of  an  unfriendly  disposition  toward  the  United 
States."'  This  doctrine  imniedialelv  affected  the  course 
of  foreign  governments,  and  has  become  the  approved 
sentiment  of  the  United  States. 

At  the  end  of  his  second  term  Mr  Monroe  retired 
to  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  lived  unlil  1830, 
when  he  went  to  New  York  to  live  with  his  son-ii)- 
law.     In  that  city  he  died, on  the  4th  of  July,  1831. 


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OHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  the 
sixth  President  of  the  United 
SStates,  was   born  in  the  rural 
home  of  his   honored   father, 
John  Adams,  in  Qaincy,  Mass., 
on  the  nth  cf  July,  1767.   His 
mother,  a  woman  of  exahed 
worth,  watched  overliis  childhood 
during   the   almost    constant    ab- 
sence of  his  father.      When   but 
eight  years  of  age,  he   stood  wuh 
his  mother  on  an  eminence,  listen- 
ing to  the  booming  of  the  great  bat- 
tle on  Bunker's  Hill,  and  gazing  on 
upon  the  smoke  and  flames  billow- 
ing up  from    the    conflagration. of 
Charlestown. 

When  but  eleven  years  old  he 
took  a  tearful  adieu  of  his  mother, 
to  sail  with  his  fat ner  for  Europe, 
through  a  fleet  of  hostile  British  cruisers.  The  bright, 
animated  boy  spent  a  year  and  a  half  in  Pans,  where 
his  father  was  associated  with  Frankhn  and  Lee  as 
minister  plenipotentiary.  His  intelligence  attracted 
the  notice  of  these  distinguished  men,  and  he  received 
from  them  flattering  m.uks  of  attention. 

Mr.  John  Adams  had  scarcely  returned  to  this 
country,  in  1779,  ere  he  was  again  sent  abroad.  Again 
John  Ouincv  accompanied  his  father.  At  Pans  he 
applied  himself  with  great  diligence,  for  six  months, 
to  study;  then  accompained  his  father  to  Holland, 
where  he  entered,  first  a  school  in  Amsterdam,  then 
the  University  at  Leyden.  About  a  year  from  this 
time  in  1781,  when  the  manly  hoy  was  but  fourteen 
years  of  age,  he  was  selected  by  Mr.  Dana,  our  min- 
ister to  the  Russian  court,  as  his  private  secretary. 

In  this  school  of  incessant  labor  and  of  enobling 
culture  he  spent  fourteen  months,  and  then  returned 
to  Holland  thiough  Sweden,  Denmark,  Hamburg  and 
Bremen.  This  long  journev  he  took  alone,  in  the 
winter,  when  in  his  sixteenth  year.  Again  he  resumed 
his  studies,  under  a  priv.nte  tutor,  at  Hague.   Thence, 


m 

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in   the  spring  of  1782,  he  accompanied  his    father  to 
Paris,  travehng    leisurely,  and  forming    acquaintance ^^_^ 
with  the  most  distinguished  men    on    the    Conimei.t;  D     H 
•  '  "     ■  - '^  - -intings,  H^ 


examining  arcnitectural  remains,  galleries  of  pan 
and  all  renowned  works   of  art.     At    Paris    he    again 
became  associated  with  the   iriost  illustrious  men   of 
all  lands  in  the  contemplations  of  the  loftiest  temporal 
themes  which  can  engross  the  human   mind.       After 
a  short  visit  to  England  he   returned  to   Pans,   and 
consecrated  all  his  energies  to  study  until  May,   1785,      _.j 
when  he  returned  to  America.     'l"o  a  brilliant  young  W  D 
man  of  eighteen,  who  had  seen  much  of  the  worid,  B  Yj^ 
and  who  was  familiar  wiih  the    etiipiette  of  courts,  a 
residence  with  his  father  in  London,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances,  must   have    been  extremely  attractive; 
but  with  judgment  very  rare  in  one  of  his  age,  he  pve-l^-zr' 
ferred  to  return  to  America  to  complete  his  education  ^    3 


in  an  .American  college.      He  wished  then    to  study 


law,  that  with  an  honorable   profession,  he  might   be 
able  to  obtain  an  independent  support. 

Upon  leaving  Harvard  College,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
he  studied  law  for  three  years.  In  June,  1794,  be- 
ing then  but  twenty- seven  years  of  age,  he  was  ap 
pointed  by  Washington,  resident  minister  at  th( 
Netherlands.  Sailing  from  Boston  in  July,  he  reached 
London  in  October,  where  he  was  immediately  admit 
ted  to  the  deliberations  of  Messrs.  Jay  and  Pmckney^ 
assisUngthem  in  negoriatihg  a  commercial  treaty  witl 
Great  Brilian.  After  thus  spending  a  fonmght  ij 
London,  he   proceeded  to  the  Hague 

In  July,  1797,  he  left  the  Hague  to  go  to  Portugal  a| 
minister  plenipotentiary.      On   his   way  to  Portugal; 
upon  arriving  in  London,  he   met   with   despatches 
direcringhim'^to  the  court  of  Berlin,  but   requestin- 
him  to  remain  in  London  until  he  should  receive  hi 
instructions.      While  waiting  he  was  mairied  to  an 
American  lady  to  whom  he  had  been   previously  en 
gaged,— Miss   Louisa   Catherine    Johnson,  daughte 
of  Mr.  Joshua  Johnson,  American  consul  in  London 
a  lady  endownd  with  that   beauty  and  those  accom 
plishment  which  eminently  fitted  her  to  move  in  th' 
elevated  sphere  for  which  she  was  destined. 


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He  reached  Berlin  with  his  wife  in  November,  1797  ; 
where  he  remained  until  July,  1799,  when,  having  ful- 
filled all  the  purixises  of  his  mission,  lie  solicited  his 
recall. 

Soon  after  his  return,  in  1802,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  Senate  of  Massachusetts,  from  Boston,  and  then 
was  elected  Senator  of  the  United  States  for  six  years, 
from  the  4th  of   March,   1804.      His   reputation,  his 

J  a  ability  and  his  experience,  placed  him  immediately 
dL  among  the  most  prominent  and  influential  members 
..  _^  of  tliat  body.  Especially  did  he  sustain  the  Govern- 
ment in  its  measures  of  resistance  to  the  encroach- 
ments of  England,  destroying  our  commerce  and  in- 
sulting our  flag.  There  was  no  man  in  America  more 
familiar  with  the  arrogance  of  the  British  court  upon 
M^j  these  points,  and  no  one  more  resolved  to  present 
a  firm  resistance. 

In  1809,  Madison  succeeded  Jefferson  in  the  Pres- 
idential chair,  and  he  immediately  nominated  John 
Quincy  .\dams  minister  to  St.  Petersijurg.  Resign- 
ing his  professorship  in  Harvard  College,  he  embarked 
at  Boston,  in  August,  1809. 

While  in  Russia,  Mr.  Adams  was  an  intense  stu- 
dent. He  devoted  his  attention  to  the  language  and 
history  of  Russia;  to  the  Chinese  trade;  to  the 
European  system  of  weights,  measures,  and  coins  ;  to 
the  climate  and  astronomical  observations  ;  while  he 
Kept  up  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  Greek  and 
Latin  classics.  In  all  the  universities  of  Eurojie,  a 
more  accomplished  scholar  could  scarcely  be  found. 
All  through  life  the  Bible  constituted  an  important 
part  of  his  studies.  It  was  his  rule  to  read  five 
chapters  every  day. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  18 17,  Mr.  Monroe  took  the 
Presidential  chair,  and  immediately  api>ointed  Mr. 
Adams  Secretary  of  State.  Taking  leave  of  his  num- 
erous friends  in  public  and  private  life  in  Europe,  he 
''  sailed  in  June,  1819,  for  the  United  States.  On  the 
1 8th  of  August,  he  again  crossed  the  threshold  of  his 
home  in  Quincy.  During  the  eight  yearsof  -Mr.  Mon- 
roe's administration,  Mr.  Adams  continued  Secretary 
of  State. 

Some  time  before  the  close  of  Mr.  Monroe's  second 
term  of  office,  new  candidates  began  to  be  presented 
for  the  Presidency.  The  friends  of  Mr.  Adams  brought 
forward  his  name.  It  was  an  exciting  campaign. 
Party  spirit  was  never  more  bitter.  Two  hundred  and 
Slsixty  electoral  votes  were  cast.  Andrew  Jackson  re- 
ceived ninety-nine;  John  Quincy  Adams,  eighty-four; 
William  H.  Crawford,  forty-one;  Henry  Clay,  thirty- 
seven.  As  there  was  no  clioice  by  the  people,  the 
question  went  to  the  House  of  Representatives.  Mr. 
Clay  gave  the  vote  of  Kentucky  to  Mr.  .\dams,  and 
he  was  elected. 

The  friends  of  all  the  disappointed  candidates  now 
combined  in  a  venomous  and  persistent  assault  upon 
Mr.  Adams.  There  is  nothing  more  disgraceful  in 
the  past  history  of  our  country  than  the  abuse  which 

F5 


was  poured  in  one  uninterrupted  stream,  upon  this 
high-minded,  upright,  patriotic  man.  'I'here  never  was 
an  administration  more  pure  in  principles,  more  con- 
scientiously devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  the  coun- 
try, than  that  of  John  Quincy  Adams;  and  never,  per- 
haps, was  there  an  administration  more  unscrupu- 
lously and  outrageously  assailed. 

Mr  Adams  was,  to  a  very  remarkable  degree,  ab- 
stemious and  temperate  in  his  habits;  always  rising 
early,  and  taking  ninth  exercise.  \\  lien  at  his  home  in 
Quincy,  he  has  been  known  to  walk,  before  breakfast, 
seven  miles  to  Boston.  In  Washington,  it  was  said 
that  he  was  the  first  man  up  in  the  city,  lighting  his 
own  fire  and  applying  himself  to  worli  in  iiis  library 
often  long  before  dawn. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1829,  Mr.  Adams  retired 
from  the  Presidency,  and  was  succeeded  by  .\ndrew 
Jackson.  John  C.  Calhoun  was  elected  \ice  Presi- 
dent. The  slavery  question  now  began  to  assume 
ixjrtentous  magnitude.  Mr.  Adams  returned  to 
Quincy  and  to  his  studies,  which  he  pursued  with  un- 
abated zeal.  But  he  was  not  long  permitted  to  re- 
main in  retirement.  In  November,  1830,  he  was 
elected  representative  to  Congress.  For  seventeen 
years,  until  his  death,  he  occupied  the  post  as  repre- 
sentarive,  towering  abcive  all  his  peers,  ever  ready  to 
do  brave  battle' for  freedom,  and  winning  the  title  of 
"the  old  man  eloquent."  Ujxjn  taking  his  seat  in 
the  House,  he  announced  that  he  should  hold  him- 
self bound  to  no  party.  Probably  there  never  was  a 
member  more  devoted  to  his  duties.  He  was  usually 
the  first  in  his  place  in  the  morning,  and  the  last  to 
leave  his  seat  in  the  evening.  Not  a  measure  could 
be  brought  forward  and  escape  his  scrutiny.  The 
battle  which  Mr.  .\danis  fought,  almost  singly,  against 
ihe  proslavery  jiarty  in  the  Government,  was  sublime 
in  Its  moral  dating  and  heroism.  For  persisting  in 
presenting  petitions  for  the  abolition  of  slavery,  he 
was  threatened  with  indictment  by  the  grand  jury, 
with  expulsion  from  the  House,  with  assassination : 
but  no  threats  could  intimidate  him,  and  his  final 
triumph  was  complete. 

It  has  been  said  of  President  Adams,  that  when  liis 
body  was  bent  and  his  hair  silvered  liy  the  lapse  ot 
fourscore  years,  yielding  to  the  sim|ile  faith  of  a  little 
child,  he  was  accustomed  to  repeat  every  night,  before 
he  slejjt,  the  prajer  which  his  mother  taught  him  in 
his  infant  years. 

On  the  2ist  of  February,  1848,  he  rose  on  the  flour 
of  Congress,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  to  address  the 
speaker.  Suddenly  he  fell,  again  stricken  by  paraly- 
sis, and  was  caught  in  the  arms  of  those  around  him. 
For  a  time  he  was  senseless,  as  he  was  conveyed  to 
the  sofa  in  the  rotunda.  With  reviving  conscious- 
ness, he  opened  his  eyes,  looked  calmly  around  and 
said  "  T/iis  is  the  end  of  earth  .-"then  after  a  moment's 
pause  he  added,  "/«///  content"  These  were  the 
last   words  of    the    grand    "Old    Man    Eloquent." 


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SEVENTH  PRESlnENT. 


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NDREW     JACKSON,     the 
seventh    President    of     the 
jj'*  United    States,  was  born   in 
Waxhavv  settlement,  N.    C, 
March  15,  1767,  a  few  days 
after  his  father's  death.    His 
parents  were  poor  emigrants 
from    Ireland,  and  took  up 
their  abode  in  Waxhaw  set- 
tlement, where  they  lived  in 
deepest  poverty. 
Andrew,  or  Andy,  as  he  was 
universally  called,  grew  up  a  very 
rough,  rude,  turbulent  boy.      His 
features  were  coarse,  his  form  un- 
gainly;   and  there  was  but  very 
little  in  his  character,    made  visible,  which   was  at- 
tractive. 

When  only  thirteen  years  old  he  joined  the  volun- 
teers of  Carolina  against  the  British  invasion.  In 
1781,  he  and  his  brother  Robert  were  captured  and 
imprisoned  for  a  time  at  Camden.  A  British  officer 
ordered  him  to  brush  his  mud-spattered  boots.  "  I  am 
a  prisoner  of  war,  not  your  servant,"  was  the  reply  of 
the  dauntless  boy. 

The  brute  drew  his  sword,  and  aimed  a  des])erate 
^  blow  at  the  head  of  the  helpless  young  prisoner. 
Andrew  raised  his  hand,  and  thus  received  two  fear- 
ful gashes, — one  on  the  hand  and  the  other  upon  the 
head.  The  officer  then  turned  to  his  brother  Robert 
with  the  same  demand.  He  also  refused,  and  re- 
ceived a  blow  from  the  keen-edged  sabre,  which  quite 
disabled  him,  and  which  probably  soon  after  caused 
his  death.  They  suffered  much  other  ill-treatment,  and 
l|  were  finally  stricken  with  the  small-pox.  Their 
mother  was  successful  in    obtaining   their  exchange, 

lift 


and  took  her  sick  boys  home.  After  a  long  illness 
Andrew  recovered,  and  the  death  of  liis  mother  soon 
left  him  entirely  friendless. 

Andrew  supported  himself  in  various  ways,  such  as 
working  at  the  saddler's  trade,  teaching  school  and 
clerking  in  a  general  store,  until  1784,  when  he 
entered  a  law  office  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  He,  however, 
gave  more  attention  to  the  wild  amusements  of  the 
times  than  to  his  studies.  In  1788,  he  was  appointed 
solicitor  for  the  western  district  of  North  Carolina,  of 
which  Tennessee  was  then  a  part.  This  involved 
many  long  and  tedious  journeys  amid  dangers  of 
every  kind,  but  Andrew  Jackson  never  knew  fear,  liirs 
and  the  Indians  had  no  desire  to  repeat  a  skirmish 
with  the  Sharp  Knife. 

In  179 1,  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  to  a  woman  who 
supposed  lierself  divorced  from  her  former  husband. 
Great  was  the  surprise  of  both  parties,  two  years  later, 
to  find  that  the  conditions  of  the  divorce  had  just  been 
definitely  settled  by  the  first  husband.  The  marriage 
ceremony  was  performed  a  second  time,  but  the  occur- 
rence was  often  used  by  his  enemies  to  bring  Mr. 
Jackson  into  disfavor. 

During  these  years  he  worked  hard  at  his  profes- 
sion, and  frequently  had  one  or  more  duels  on  hand, 
one  of  which,  when  he  killed  Dickenson,  was  espec- 
ially disgraceful. 

In  January,  1796,  the  Territory  of  Tennessee  then 
containing  nearly  eighty  thousand  inhabitants,  the 
people  met  in  convention  at  Knowille  to  frame  a  con- 
stitution. Five  were  sent  from  each  of  tlie  eleven 
counties.  Andrew  Jackson  was  one  of  the  delegates. 
The  new  State  was  entitled  to  but  one  nieml  cr  in 
the  Narional  House  of  Representatives.  Andrew  Jack- 
son was  chosen  that  member.  Mounting  his  liorsehe 
rode  to  Philedelphia,  where  Congress   then    held  its 


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44 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 


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sessions, — a  distance  of  about  eight  hundred    miles. 

Jackson  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Demo- 
cratic ijurty.  Jefferson  was  liis  idol.  He  admired 
Bonaparte,  loved  France  and  hated  England.  As  Mr. 
Jackson  took  his  seat.  Gen.  W'ashington,  whose 
second  term  of  otfice  was  then  expiring,  delivered  his 
last  speech  to  Congress.  A  committee  drew  up  a 
complimentary  address  in  reply.  Andrew  Jackson 
did  not  approve  of  tlie  address,  and  was  one  of  the 
twelve  who  voted  against  it.  He  was  not  willing  to 
say  that  Gen.  Washington's  adminstration  had  been 
"  wise,  firm  and  patriotic." 

Mr.  Jackson  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1797,  but  soon  resigned  and  returned  home. 
Soon  after  he  was  chosen  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  his  State,  which  position  he  held  for  si.K  years. 

When  the  war  of  181 2  with  Great  Britian  com- 
menced, Madison  occupied  the  Presidential  chair. 
Aaron  B  irr  sent  word  to  the  President  that  there  was 
an  unknown  man  in  the  West,  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
would  do  credit  to  a  commission  if  one  were  con- 
ferred u[X)n  him.  Just  at  that  time  Gen.  Jackson 
offeied  his  services  and  those  of  twenty-five  hundred 
volunteers.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and  the  troops 
were  assembled  at   Nashville. 

As  the  British  were  hourly  expected  to  make  an  at- 
tack upon  New  Orleans,  where  (ien.  Wilkinson  was 
in  command,  he  was  ordered  to  descend  the  river 
with  fifteen  hundred  troops  to  aid  W'ilkinson.  The 
expedition  reached  Natchez;  and  afteradelay  of  sev- 
eral weeks  there,  without  accomplishing  anything, 
the  men  were  ordered  back  to  their  homes.  But  the 
energy  Gen.  Jackson  had  displayed,  and  his  entire 
devotion  to  the  comrfort  of  his  soldiers,  won  him 
golden  opinions ;  and  he  bticame  the  most  popular 
man  in  the  State.  It  was  in  this  expedition  that  his 
toughness  gave  him  the  nickname  of  "  Old  Hickory." 

Soon  after  this,  while  attempting  to  horsewhij)  Col. 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  for  a  remark  that  gentleman 
made  about  his  taking  a  ])art  as  second  in  a  duel,  in 
which  a  younger  brother  of  Benton's  was  engaged, 
he  received  two  severe  pistol  wounds.  While  he  was 
iingering  \\\in\~\  a  bed  of  suffering  news  came  that  the 
Indians,  who  had  combined  under  Tecumseh  from 
Florida  to  the  Lakes,  to  exterminate  the  white  set- 
tlers, were  committing  the  most  awful  ravages.  De- 
cisive action  became  necessary.  Gen.  Jackson,  with 
his  fractured  bone  just  beginning  to  heal,  his  arm  in 
a  sling,  and  unable  to  mount  his  horse  without  assis- 
tance, gave  his  amazing  energies  to  the  raising  of  an 
army  to  rendezvous  at  Fayettesville,  Alabama. 

The  Creek  Indians  had  established  a  strong  fort  on 
one  of  the  bends  of  the  TallaDoosa  River,  near  the  cen- 
ter of  .Mabania,  about  fifty  miles  below  Fort  Strother. 
With  an  army  of  two  thousand  men,  Gen.  Jackson 
traversed  the  pathless  wilderness  in  a  march  of  eleven 
days.  He  reached  their  fort,  called  Tohopeka  or 
JHorse-shoe,  on  t'le  27th  of  Marcii.  1814.     The  bend 


of  the  river  enclosed  nearly  one  hundred  acres  of 
tangled  forest  and  wild  ravine.  Across  the  narrow 
neck  the  Indians  had  constructed  a  formidable  brea.st- 
work  of  logs  and  brush.  Here  nine  hundred  warriors, 
with  an  ample  suplyof  arms  were  assembled. 

The  fort  was  stormed.  The  fight  was  utterly  des- 
perate. Not  an  Indian  would  accept  of  quarter.  When 
bleeding  and  dying,  they  would  fight  tiiose  who  en- 
deavored to  spare  their  lives.  From  ten  in  the  morn- 
ing until  dark,  the  battle  raged.  The  carnage  was 
awful  and  revolting.  Some  threw  themselves  into  the 
river;  but  the  unerring  bullet  struck  their  heads  as 
they  swam.  Nearly  everyone  of  the  nine  hundred  war- 
rios  were  killed  .\  few  probably,  in  the  night,  swam 
the  river  and  escaped.  This  ended  the  war.  The 
power  of  the  Creeks  was  broken  forever.  This  bold 
plunge  into  the  wilderness,  with  itsterriftic  slaughter, 
so  appalled  the  savages,  that  the  haggard  remnants 
of  the  bands  came  to  the  camp,  begging  for  peace. 

This  closing  of  the  Creek  war  enabled  us  to  con- 
centrate all  our  militia  upon  the  British,  who  were  the 
allies  of  the  Indians  No  man  of  less  resolute  will 
tlian  Gen.  Jackson  could  have  conducted  this  Indian 
campaign  to  so  successful  an  issue  Immediately  he 
was  appointed  major-general. 

Late  in  August,  with  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men,  on  a  rushing  march,  Gen.  Jackson  came  to 
Mobile.  A  British  fleet  came  from  Pensacola,  landed 
a  force  upon  the  beach,  anchored  near  the  little  fort, 
and  from  both  ship  and  shore  commenced  a  furious 
assault.  The  battle  was  long  and  doubtful.  At  length 
one  of  the  ships  was  blown  up    and  the  rest  retired. 

Garrisoning  Mobile,  where  he  had  taken  his  little 
army,  he  moved  his  troops  to  New  Orleans, 
And  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  which  soon  ensued, 
was  in  reality  a  very  arduous  campaign.  This  won 
for  Gen.  Jackson  an  imperishable  name.  Here  his 
troops,  which  numbered  about  four  thousand  men, 
won  a  signal  victory  over  the  British  army  of  about 
nine  thousand.  His  loss  was  but  thirteen,  while  the 
loss  of  the  British  was  two  thousand  six  hundred. 

The  name  of  Gen.  Jackson  soon  began  to  be  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  the  Presidency,  but,  in  1824, 
he  was  defeated  by  Mr.  Adams.  He  was,  however, 
successful  in  the  election  of  1828,  and  was  re-elected 
for  a  second  term  in  1832.  In  1829,  just  before  he 
assumed  the  reins  of  the  government,  he  met  with 
the  most  terrible  affliction  of  his  life  in  the  death  of 
his  wife,  whom  he  had  loved  with  a  devotion  which  has 
perhaps  never  been  surpassed.  From  tlie  shock  of 
her  death  he  never  recovered. 

His  administration  was  one  of  the  most  memorable 
in  the  annals  of  our  country';  applauded  by  one  party, 
condemned  by  the  other.  No  man  had  more  bitter 
enemies  or  warmer  friends.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
two  terms  of  office  he  retired  to  the  Hermitage,  where 
he  died  lune  8,  1845.  The  last  years  of  Mr.  Jack- 
son's  life  were   that   of  a   devoted  Christian    man. 


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Ei^PPHf-'EHl 


EIGHTH  jp RESIDENT. 


ARTIN  VAN  BUREN,  the 
eighth      President     of     the 
United  States,  was  born  at 
Kinderhook,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  5, 
1782.     He  died  at  the  same 
place,  July    24,    1862.       His 
body   rests  in   the  cemetery 
at  Kinderhook.     Above  it  is 
a  plain  granite    shaft  fifteen  feet 
high,  bearing  a  simple  inscription 
about  half  way  up   on   one    face. 
1™         The  lot  is  unfenced,  unbordered 
or  unbounded  by  shrub  or  flower. 

There  is  but  little  in  the  life  of  Martin  Van  Buren 
of  romantic  interest.  He  fought  no  battles,  engaged 
in  no  wild  adventures.  Though  his  life  was  stormy  in 
political  and  intellectual  conflicts,  and  he  gained  many 
signal  victories,  his  days  passed  uneventful  in  those 
incidents  which  give  zest  to  biography.  His  an- 
cestors, as  his  name  indicates,  were  of  Dutch  origin, 
and  were  among  the  earliest  emigrants  from  Holland 
to  the  banks  of  the  Hudson.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
residing  in  the  old  town  of  Kinderhook.  His  mother, 
also  of  Dutch  lineage,  was  a  woman  of  superior  intel- 
ligence and  exemplary  piety. 

He  was  decidedly  a  precocious  boy,  developing  un- 
usual activity,  vigor  and  strength  of  mind.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen,  he  had  finished  his  academic  studies 
in  his  native  village,  and  commenced  the  study  of 
law.  As  he  had  not  a  collegiate  education,  seven 
years  of  study  in  a  law-office  were  required  of  him 
before  he  could  be  admitted  to  the  bar.  Inspired  with 
a  lofty  ambition,  and  conscious  of  his  powers,  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  with  indefatigable  industry.  After 
spending  six  years  in  an  office  in  his    native  village. 


m 


he  went  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and  prosecuted  his 
studies  for  the  seventh  year. 

In  1803,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  then  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  his  native  vil- 
lage. The  great  conflict  between  the  Federal  and 
Republican  party  was  then  at  its  height.  Mr.  Van 
Buren  was  from  the  beginning  a  politician.  He  had, 
perhaps,  imbibed  that  spirit  while  listening  to  the 
many  discussions  which  had  been  carried  on  in  his 
father's  hotel.  He  was  in  cordial  sympathy  with 
Jefferson,  and  earnestly  and  eloquently  espoused  the 
cause  of  State  Rights;  though  at  that  time  the  Fed- 
eral party  held  the  supremacy  both  in  his  town 
and  State. 

His  success  and  increasing  ruputation  led  li'm, 
after  six  years  of  practice,  to  remove  to  Hudson,  tlie 
county  seat  of  his  county.  Here  he  spent  seven  years, 
constantly  gaining  strength  by  contending  in  the 
courts  with  some  of  the  ablest  men  who  have  adorned 
the  bar  of  his  State. 

Just  before  leaving  Kinderhook  for  Hudson,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  married  a  lady  alike  distinguished  for 
beauty  and  accomplisjiments.  After  twelve  short 
years  she  sank  into  the  grave,  the  victim  of  consump- 
tion, leaving  her  husband  and  four  sons  to  weep  over 
her  loss.  For  twenty-five  years,  i\Ir.  Van  Buren  was 
an  earnest,  successful,  assiduous  lawyer.  The  record 
of  those  years  is  barren  in  items  of  [)ublic  interest. 
In  t8i  2,  when  thirty  years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  State  Senate,  and  L'ave  his  strenuous  support  to 
Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  In  1815,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Attorney-General,  and  the  next  year  moved 
to  Albany,  the  capital  of  the  State. 

While  he  was  acknowledged  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  leaders  of  the  Democratic   party,   he   had 


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MARTIN  VAN  SURE M. 


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the  moral  courage  to  avow  that  true  democracy  did 
not  require  that  "  universal  suffrage"  which  admits 
the  vile,  the  degraded,  the  ignorant,  to  the  right  of 
governing  the  State.  In  true  consistency  with  his 
democratic  principles,  he  contended  that,  while  the 
path  leading  to  the  privilege  of  voting  should  be  open 
to  every  man  without  distinction,  no  one  should  be 
invested  with  that  sacred  prerogative,  unless  he  were 
in  some  degree  qualified  for  it  by  intelligence,  virtue 
and  some  property  interests  in  the  welfare  of  the 
State. 

In  182  I  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Senate;  and  in  the  same  year,  he  took  a  seat 
in  the  convention  to  revise  the  constitution  of  his 
native  State.  His  course  in  this  convention  secured 
the  approval  of  men  of  all  parties.  No  one  could 
doubt  the  singleness  of  his  endeavors  to  promote  the 
interests  of  all  classes  in  the  community.  In  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,   he   rose  at   once  to  a 

E^  conspicuous  position  as  an  active  and  usefullegislator. 
I         In  1827,  John  Quincy  Adams   being   then   in  the 

Presidential  chair,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  re-elected  to 

the  Senate.  He  had  been  from  the  beginning  a  de- 
termined opposer  of  the  Administration,  adopting  the 
"State  Rights"  view  in  opposition  to  what  was 
deemed  the  Federal  proclivities  of  Mr.  Adams. 

Soon  after  this,  in  1828,  he  was  chosen  Governorof 

the  State  of  New  York,  and  accordingly  resigned  his 

seat  in  the  Senate.      Probably  no  one  in   the   United 

States  contributed  so  much  towards  ejecting  John  Q. 

Adams  from  the  Presidential  chair,  and  placing  in  it 

M  Andrew  Jackson,  as  did  Martin  Van  Buren.  Whether 
entitled  to  the  reputation  or  not,  he  certainly  was  re- 
garded throughout  the  United  States  as  one  of  the 
most  skillful,  sagacious  and  cunning  of  politicians. 
It  was  supposed  that  no  one  knew  so  well  as  he  how 
to  touch  the  secret  spiings  of  action;  how  to  pull  all 
the  wires  to  put  his  machinery  in  motion;  and  how  to 
organize  a  political  army  which  would,  secretly  and 
stealthily  accomplish  the  most  gigantic  results.  By 
these  powers  it  is  said  tiiat  he  outv/itted  Mr.  Adams, 
Mr.  Clay,  Mr.  Webster,  and  secured  results  which 
itw  thought  then  could  be  accomplislied. 

When  .\ndrew  Jackson  was  elected  President  he 
appointed  .Mr.  Van  Buren  Secretary  of  State.  This 
jxjsition  he  resigned  in  1831,  and  was  inmiediately 
appointed  Minister  to  England,  where  he  went  the 
same  autumn.  The  Senate,  however,  when  it  met, 
refused    to    ratify  the   nomination,    and  he  returned 


ii 
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home,  apparently  untroubled ;  was  nominated  Vice 
President  in  the  place  of  Calhoun,  at  the  re-election 
of  President  Jackson ;  and  with  smiles  for  all  and 
frowns  for  none,  he  took  his  place  at  the  head  of  that 
Senate  which  had  refused  to  confirm  his  nomination 
as  ambassador. 

His  rejection  by  the  Senate  roused  all  the  zeal  of 
President  Jackson  in  behalf  of  his  repudiated  favor- 
ite ;  and  this,  probably  more  than  any  other  cause, 
secured  his  elevation  to  the  chair  of  the  Chief  FLxecu- 
tive.  On  the  20th  of  May,  1836,  Mr.  Van  Buren  re- 
ceived the  Democratic  nomination  to  succeed  Gen. 
Jackson  as  President  of  the  United  States.  He  was 
elected  by  a  handsome  majority,  to  the  delight  of  the 
retiring  President.  "  Leaving  New  York  out  of  the 
canvass,"  says  Mr.  Parton,  "the  election  of  Mr.  \'an 
Buren  to  the  Presidency  was  as  much  the  act  of  Gen. 
Jackson  as  though  the  Constitution  had  conferred 
upon  him  the  power  to  appoint  a  successor." 

His  administration  was  filled  with  exciting  events. 
The  insurrection  in  Canada,  which  threatened  to  in- 
volve this  country  in  war  with  England,  the  agitation 
of  the  slavery  question,  and  finally  the  great  commer- 
cial panic  which  spread  over  the  country,  all  were 
trials  to  his  wisdom.  The  financial  distress  was  at- 
tributed to  the  management  of  the  Democratic  party, 
and  brought  the  President  into  such  disfavor  that  lie 
failed  of  re-election. 

With  the  exception  of  being  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "Free  Soil"  Democrats,  in  1848, 
Mr.  Van  Buren  lived  quietly  upon  his  estate  until 
his  death. 

He  had  ever  been  a  prudent  man,  of  frugal  habits, 
and  living  within  his  income,  had  now  fortunately  a 
competence  for  his  declining  years.  His  unblemished 
character,  his  commanding  abilities,  his  unquestioned 
patriotism,  and  the  distinguished  positions  which  he 
had  occupied  in  the  government  of  our  country,  se- 
cured to  him  not  only  the  homage  of  his  party,  but 
the  respect  ot  the  whole  community.  It  was  on  the 
4th  of  March,  1841,  that  Mr.  Van  Buren  retired  from 
the  presidency.  From  his  fine  estate  at  Lindenwald, 
he  still  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  the  politics 
of  the  country.  From  this  time  until  liis  deatli,  on 
the  24th  of  July,  1S62,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  he 
resided  at  Lindenwald,  a  gentleman  of  leisure,  of 
culture  and  of  wealth;  enjoying  in  a  healthy  old 
age,  probably  far  more  happiness  than  he  had  before 
experienced  amid  the  stormy  scenes  of  his  active  life. 


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ILLIAM  HENRY  HARRI- 
SON, the  ninth    President  of 
the   United  States,  was  born 
at  Berkeley,  Va.,  Feb.  9,  1773. 
His  father,    Benjamin    Harri- 
son, was  in  comparatively  op- 
ulent circumstances,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  of  his  day.      He  was  an 
intimate    friend    of     George 
Washington,  w  as  early  elected 
a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress,    and  was    conspicuous 
among  the  patriots  of  Virginia  in 
resisting  the  encroachments  of  the 
British  crown.     In  the  celebrated 
Congress  of  1775,  Benjamin  Har- 
rison   and    John    Hancock    were 
both  candidates  for  the  ofiice  of 
s[ieaker. 

Mr  Harrison  was  subsequently 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia,  and 
was  twice  re-elected.  His  son, 
William  Henry,  of  course  enjoyed 
Jn  childhood  all  the  advantages  which  wealth  and 
intellectual  and  cultivated  society  could  give.  Hav- 
ing received  a  thorough  comn.on-school  education,  he 
entered  Hampden  Sidney  College,  where  he  graduated 
with  honor  soon  after  the  death  of  his  father.  He 
then  repaired  to  Philadeliiliia  to  study  medicine  under 
the  instructions  of  Dr.  Rush  and  the  guardianship  of 
Robert  Morris,  both  of  whom  were,  with  his  father, 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian  troubles,  and  not- 
withstanding the  remonstrances  of  his  friends,  he 
abandoned  his  medical  studies  and  entered  the  army, 
having  obtained  a  commission  of  Ensign  from  Presi-   I 


dent  Washington.  He  was  then  but  19  years  old. 
From  that  time  he  passed  gradually  upward  in  rank 
until  he  became  aid  to  General  Wayne,  after  whose 
death  he  resigned  his  commission.  He  was  then  ap- 
pointed Secretary  of  the  North-western  Territory.  This 
Territory  was  then  entitled  to  but  one  member  in 
Congress  and  Capt.  Harrison  was  chosen  to  fill  that 
position. 

In  the  spring  of  1800  the  North-western  Territory 
was  divided  by  Congress  into  two  portions.  The 
eastern  portion,  comprising  the  region  now  embraced 
in  the  State  of  Ohio,  was  called  "  The  Territory 
north-west  of  the  Ohio."  The  western  portion,  which 
included  what  is  now  called  Indiana,  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin,  was  called  the  "Indiana  Territory."  Wil- 
liam Henry  Harrison,  then  2.7  years  of  age,  was  ajv 
ixjinted  by  John  Adams,  Governor  of  the  Indiana 
Territory,  and  immediately  after,  also  Governor  of 
Upper  Louisiana.  He  was  thus  ruler  over  almost  as 
extensive  a  realm  as  any  sovereign  uix)n  the  globe.  He 
was  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and  was  in- 
vested with  powers  nearly  dictatorial  over  the  now 
rapidly  increasing  white  population.  The  ability  and 
fidelity  with  which  he  discharged  these  responsible 
duties  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  was  four 
times  apix)inted  to  this  office — first  by  John  Adams, 
twice  by  Thomas  JefTerson  and  afterwards  by  Presi- 
dent Madison. 

When  he  began  his  adminstration  there  were  but 
three  white  settlements  in  that  almost  boundless  region, 
now  crowded  with  cities  and  resounding  witli  all  the 
tumult  of  wealth  and  traffic.  One  of  these  settlements 
was  on  the  Ohio,  nearly  opposite  Louisville;  one  at 
Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  and  the  third  a  French 
settlement. 

The  vast  wilderness  over  which  Gov.  Harrison 
reigned  was  filled  with  many  tribes  of  Indians.  About 


n 


11 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


THTf  re 

1  3io 


the  year  1806,  two  extraordinary  men,  twin  brothers, 
of  the  Shawnese  tribe,  rose  among  them.  One  of 
these  was  called  Tecmuseh,  or  "  Tlie  Crouching 
I'.inlher;"  the  other,  Olliwaclieca,  or  "The  Prophet." 
Tecuuiseh  was  not  only  an  Indian  warrior,  but  a  man 
of  great  sagacity,  far-ieaching  foresiglit  and  indomit- 
able perseverance  in  any  enterprise  m  wliich  he  might 
engage.  He  was  inspired  witiithe  highest  enthusiasm, 
and  had  long  regarded  witii  dread  and  with  hatred 
the  encroachment  ot  the  whites  upon  the  hunting- 
grounds  of  his  fathers.  His  brotlier,  the  Prophet,  was 
an  orator,  who  could  sway  the  feelings  of  the  untutored 
Indian  as  the  gale  tossed  the  tree -tops  beneath  which 
they  dwelt. 

But  the  Prophet  was  not  merely  an  orator :  he  was, 
iii  the  superstitious  minds  of  the  Indians,  invested 
with  the  superhuman  dignity  of  a  medicine-man  or  a 
magician.  Willi  an  eathasiasm  unsurpassed  by  Peter 
the  Hermit  rousing  Europe  to  the  crusades,  he  went 
from  trilie  to  tribe,  assuming  that  he  was  specially  sent 
liy  the  Great  Spirit. 

Gov.  Harrison  made  many  attempts  to  conciliate 
the  Indians,  but  at  last  the  war  came,  and  at  Tippe- 
canoe the  Indians  were  routed  with  great  slaughter. 
October  2iS,  1812,  his  army  began  its  inarch.  When 
near  the  Prophet's  town  three  Indians  of  rank  made 
I  their  appearance  and  inquired  why  Gov.  Harrison  was 
approaching  them  in  so  hostile  an  attitude.     After  a 

I  short  conference,  arrangements  were  made  forameet- 
^  ing  the  next  day,  to  agree  upon  terms  of  [leace. 

But  Gov.   Harrison  was  too  well  acquainted   with 

II  the  Indian  character  to  be  deceived  by  such  protes- 
tations .Selecting  a  favorable  spot  for  his  night's  en- 
campment, he  took  every  precaution  against  surprise 
His  troops  were  jx)sted  in  a  hollow  square,  and  slept 
upon  their  arms. 

The  troops  threw  themselves  upon  the  ground  for 
St;  but  every  man  had  his  accourtremeius  on,  his 
oaded  musket  by  his  side, and  his  bayonet  fixed.  The 
wakeful  Governor,  between  three  and  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  had  risen,  and  was  sitting  in  conversa- 
tion with  his  aids  by  the  embers  of  a  waning  fire.  It 
was  a  chill,  cloudy  morning  with  a  drizzling  rain.  In 
the  darkness,  the  Indians  had  crept  as  near  as  possi- 
ble, and  just  then,  with  a  savage  yell,  rushed,  with  all 
the  desi)eration  which  superstition  and  passion  most 
highly  inflamed  could  give,  upon  the  left  flank  of  the 
ittle  army.  The  savages  had  been  amply  provided 
'  I  vith  guns  and  ammunition  by  the  English.  Their 
}  var-whoop  was  accompained  by  a  shower  of  bullets. 
1"  The  camp-fires  were  instantly  extinguished,  as  the 
!  light  aided  the  Indians  in  their  aim.  With  hide- 
j  ous  yells,  the  Indian  bands  rushed  on,  not  doubting  a 
jlpeedy  and  an  entire  victory.  But  Gen.  Harrison's 
1  roops  stood  as  immovable  as  the  rocks  around  them 
}  mtil  day  dawned  :  they  then  made  a  simultaneous 
jiharge  with  the  bayonet,  and  swept  every  thing  be- 
fore   them,    and    completely    routing    the    foe. 


Gov.  Harrison  now  had  all  his  energies  tasked 
to  the  utmost.  The  British  descending  from  the  Can - 
adas,  were  ot  themselves  a  very  formidable  force  ;  but 
with  their  savage  allies,  rushing  like  wolves  from  the 
forest,  searching  out  every  remote  farm-house,  burn- 
ing, [jlu.idering,  scalping,  torturing,  the  wide  frontier 
was  plunged  into  a  stale  of  consternation  which  even 
the  most  vivid  imagination  can  but  faintly  conceive. 
The  war-whoop  was  resounding  everywhere  in  the 
forest.  The  horizon  was  illuminated  with  the  conflagra- 
tion of  the  cabins  of  the  settlers.  Gen  Hull  had  made 
tiie  ignominious  surrender  of  his  forces  at  Detroit. 
Under  these  despairing  circumstances.  Gov.  Harrison 
was  appointed  by  President  Madison  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  North-western  army,  with  orders  to  retake 
Detroit,  and  to  protect  the  frontiers. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  place  a  man  in  a  situation 
demanding  more  energy,  sagacity  and  courage;  but 
General  Harrison  was  found  equal  to  the  position, 
and  nobly  and  triumphantly  did  he  meet  all  the  re- 
sponsibilities. 

He  won  the  love  of  liis  soldiers  by  always  sharing 
with  them  tlieir  fatigue.  His  whole  baggage,  while 
pursuing  the  foe  up  the  Thames,  was  carried  in  a 
valise;  and  his  bedding  consi.-,ted  of  a  single  blanket 
lashed  over  his  saddle  Tliirty-five  British  officers, 
his  prisoners  of  war,  supped  with  him  after  the  battle. 
The  only  fare  he  could  give  them  was  beef  roasted 
before  the  fire,  without  bread  or  salt. 

In  1816,  Gen.  Harrison  was  chosen  a  member  of 
the  National  House  of  Representatives,  to  represent 
the  District  of  Ohio.  1  n  Congress  he  proved  an 
active  member;  and  whenever  he  spoke,  it  was  with 
force  of  reason  and  [wwerof  eloquence,  wiiich  arrested 
the  attention  of  all  the  members. 

In  iStg,  Harrison  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
Ohio;  and  in  1824,  as  one  of  the  presidential  electors 
of  that  State,  he  gave  his  vote  for  Henry  Clay.  The 
same  year  he  was  chosen  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

In  1836,  the  friends  of  Gen.  Harrison  brought  hiin 
forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  against 
Van  Buren,  but  he  was  defeated.  At  the  close  of 
Mr.  Van  Buren's  term,  he  was  re -nominated  by  his 
party,  and  Mr.  Harrison  was  unanimou.sly  nominated 
by  the  Whigs,  with  John  Tyler  for  the  Vice  Presidency. 
The  contest  was  very  animated.  Gen  Jackson  gave 
all  his  influence  to  prevent  Harrison's  election  ;  but 
his  triumph  was  signal. 

The  cabinet  which  he  formed,  with  Daniel  Webster 
at  its  head  as  Secretary  of  State,  was  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  with  which  anv  President  iiad  ever  been 
surrounded.  Never  were  tlie  prospects  of  an  admin- 
istration more  flattering,  or  the  hopes  of  the  country 
more  sanguine.  In  the  midst  of  these  bright  and 
joyous  prospects.  Gen.  Harrison  was  seized  by  a 
pleurisy-fever  and  after  a  few  days  of  violent  sick- 
ness, died  on  tiie  4th  of  April ;  just  one  month  after 
his  inauguration  as  President  of  the  United  States. 


lAr^r^P^'i^ 


(Sv^=^-'7^„'.^r-.'.'-. 


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ii 


OHN    TYLER,     the    tenth 
Presidentof  the  United  States. 
He  was  born  in  Charles-city 
Co.,  Va.,  March  29, 1790.   He 
was  tlie   favored  child    of  af- 
fluence and  high    social    po- 
^        sition.     At  the    early  age   of 
twelve,  John  entered  William 
and   Mary  College  and  grad- 
uated with  much  honor  when 
but  seventeen  years  old.  After 
graduating,  he  devoted   liim- 
self  with    great    assiduity  to    the 
study    of    law,    partly   with    his 
father   and   partly  with   Edmund 
Randolph,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished lawyers  of  Virginia. 

At  nineteen  years  of  age,  ne 
commenced  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  was  rapid  and  aston- 
ishing. It  is  said  that  three 
months  had  not  elapsed  ere  there 
was  scarcely  a  case  on  the  dock- 
I  et  of  the  court  in  which   he  was 

not  retained.  When  but  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he 
was  almost  unanimously  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  State 
Legislature.  He  connected  himself  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  warmly  advocated  the  measures  of 
Jefferson  and  Madison.  For  five  successive  years  he 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  receiving  nearly  the 
unanimous  vote  or  his  county. 

When  but  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  Here  he  acted  earnestly  and 
ably  with  the  Democratic  party,  opposing  a  national 
bank,  internal  improvements  by  the  General  Govern- 


ment, a  protective  tariff,  and  advocatmg  a  strict  con- 
struction of  the  Constitution,  and  the  most  careful 
vigilance  over  State  rights.  His  labors  in  Congress 
were  so  arduous  that  before  the  close  of  his  second 
term  he  found  it  necessary  to  resign  and  retire  to  his 
estate  in  Charles-city  Co.,  to  recruit  his  health.  He, 
however,  soon  after  consented  to  take  his  seat  in  the 
State  Legislature,  where  his  influence  was  powerful 
in  promoting  public  works  of  great  utility.  With  a 
reputation  thus  canstantly  increasing,  he  was  chosen 
by  a  very  large  majority  of  votes.  Governor  of  his 
native  State.  His  administration  was  signally  a  suc- 
cessful one.     His  popularity  secured  his  re-election 

John  Randolph,  a  brilliant,  ewatic,  half-crazed 
man,  then  represented  Virginia  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.  A  portion  of  the  Democratic  party 
was  displeased  with  Mr.  Randolph's  wayward  course, 
and  brought  forward  John  Tyler  as  his  op|X)nent, 
considering  him  the  only  man  in  Virginia  of  sufficient 
popularity  to  succeed  against  the  renowned  orator  of 
Roanoke.     Mr.  Tyler  was  the  victor. 

In  accordance  with  his  professions,  upon  taking  his 
seat  in  the  Senate,  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  opposi- 
tion. He  opposed  the  tariff;  he  spoke  against  and 
voted  against  the  bank  as  unconstitutional ;  he  stren- 
uously opposed  all  restrictions  upon  slavery,  resist- 
ing all  projects  of  internal  improvements  by  the  Gen- 
eral Government,  and  avowed  his  sympathy  with  Mr. 
Calhoun's  view  of  nullification  ;  he  declared  that  Gen. 
Jackson,  by  his  opposition  to  the  nullifiers,  had 
abandoned  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party. 
Such  was  Mr.  Tyler's  record  in  Congress, — a  record 
in  perfect  accordance  with  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  avowed. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  resumed  the  practice  of 
his  profession.     There  was  a  split  in  the   Democratic 


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party.  His  friends  still  regarded  him  as  a  true  Jef- 
fersonian,  gave  him  a  dinner,  and  showered  compli- 
ments upon  him.  He  had  now  attained  the  age  of 
forty-six.  His  career  had  been  very  brilliant,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  devotion  to  public  business,  his  pri- 
vate affairs  had  fallen  into  some  disorder;  and  it  was 
not  without  satisfaction  that  he  resumed  the  practice 
of  law,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  culture  of  his  plan- 
tation. Soon* after  this  he  removed  to  Williamsburg, 
for  the  better  education  of  his  children  ;  and  he  again 
took  his  seat  in  the  Legi-.lature  of  Virginia. 

By  the  Southern  Whigs,  he  was  sent  to  the  national 
convention  at  Harrisburg  to  nominate  a  President  in 
1839.  The  m.iioiity  of  votes  were  given  to  Gen.  Har- 
rison, a  genuine  \V'hig,  much  to  the  disap[X)intn)ent  ot 
the  .South,  who  wished  for  Henry  Clay.  To  concili- 
ate the  Southern  Whigs  and  to  secure  their  vote,  the 
convention  then  nominated  John  Tyler  for  Vice  Pres- 
ident. It  was  well  known  that  he  was  not  in  sympa- 
thy with  the  Whig  party  in  the  No:th:  but  the  Vice 
President  has  but  very  little  power  in  the  Govern- 
ment, his  main  and  almost  only  duty  being  to  pre- 
side over  the  meetings  of  the  Senate.  Thus  it  hap- 
pened that  a  Whig  President,  and,  in  reality,  a 
Democratic  Vice  President  were  chosen. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Tyler  was  inaugurated  Vice  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  In  one  short  month  from 
that  time.  President  Harri.5on  died,  and  Mr.  Tyler 
thus  found  himself,  to  his  own  surprise  and  that  of 
the  whole  Nation,  an  occupant  of  the  Presidential 
chair.  This  was  a  new  test  of  the  stability  of  our 
institutions,  as  it  vvas  the  first  time  in  the  histoiy  of  our 
country  that  such  an  event  had  occured.  Mr.  Tyler 
was  at  home  in  ^Villiamsburg  when  he  received  the 
une.xpected  tidings  of  tlie  death  of  President  Harri- 
son. He  hastened  to  Washington,  and  on  the  6th  of 
April  was  inaugurated  to  the  high  and  resixmsible 
office.  He  was  placed  in  a  position  of  exceeding 
delicacy  and  difficulty.  All  his  long  life  he  had  been 
opposed  to  the  main  principles  of  the  party  which  had 
brought  him  into  power.  He  had  ever  been  a  con- 
sistent, honest  man,  with  an  unblemished  record. 
Gen.  Harrison  had  selected  a  Whig  cabinet.  Should 
he  retain  them,  and  thus  surround  himself  with  coun- 
sellors whose  views  were  antagonistic  to  his  own?  or, 
on  the  other  hand,  should  he  turn  against  the  party 
which  had  elected  him  and  select  a  cabinet  in  har- 
mony with  himself,  and  which  would  oppose  all  those 
views  which  the  Whigs  deemed  essential  to  the  inib- 
lic  welfare.'  This  was  his  fearful  dilemma.  He  in- 
vited the  caliinet  which  President  Harrison  had 
selected  to  retain  their  seats.  He  reccommended  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  that  God  would  guide  and 
bless  us. 

The  Whigs  carried  through  Congress  a  bill  for  the 
incorporation  of  a  fiscal  bank  of  the  United  States. 
The  President,  after  ten  days' delay,  returned  it  with 
his  veto.       Hs>   suggested,   however,  that  he  would 


approve  of  a  bill  drawn  up  upon  such  a  plan  as  he 
pro|)osed.  Such  a  bill  was  accordingly  prepared,  and 
privately  ;:ubmitted  to  him.  He  gave  it  his  ajjproval. 
It  -Aas  passed  without  alteration,  ar.d  he  sent  it  back 
with  his  veto.  Here  commenced  the  open  rupture. 
It  is  said  that  Mr.  Tyler  was  provoked  to  this  meas- 
ure by  a  published  letter  from  the  Hon.  John  -M. 
iiotts,  a  distinguished  Virginia  Whig,  who  severely 
touched  the  pride  of  the  President. 

The  opposition  now  exuliingly  received  the  Presi- 
dent into  their  arms.  The  party  which  elected  him 
denounced  hinr  bitterly.  K\\  the  members  of  his 
cabinet,  exce|>ting  Mr.  Webster,  resigned.  The  Whigs 
of  Congress,  both  the  Senate  and  the  House,  held  a 
meeting  and  issued  an  address  to  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  proclaiming  that  all  political  alliance 
between  the  \Vhigs  and  President  'I")ler  w^eie  at 
an  end. 

Still  the  President  attempted  to  conciliate.  He 
appointed  a  new  cabinet  of  distinguished  Whigs  and 
Conservatives,  carefully  leaving  out  all  strong  party 
men.  Mr.  Webster  soon  found  it  necessary  to  resign, 
forced  out  by  the  pressure  of  his  Whig  friends.  Thus 
the  four  years  of  Mr.  Tyler's  unfortunate  administra- 
tion passed  sadly  away.  JNo  one  was  satisfied.  Tlie 
land  was  filled  with  murmurs  and  vitu]ieration.  Whigs 
and  Democrats  alike  assailed  him.  More  and  more, 
however,  he  brought  himself  into  svmpathy  with  his 
old  friends,  the  Democi-ats,  until  at  the  close  of  his  term, 
he  gave  his  whole  influence  to  the  support  of  Mr. 
Polk,  the  Democratic  candidate  for  his  successor. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  he  retired  from  the 
harassments  of  office,  tothe  regret  of  neither  party,  and 
probably  to  his  own  unspeakable  relief  His  first  wife. 
Miss  Letitia  Christian,  died  in  Washington,  in  1842; 
and  in  June,  r844,  President  Tyler  was  again  married, 
at  New  York,  to  Miss  Julia  Gardiner,  a  young  lady  of 
many  personal  and  intellectual  accomplishments. 

The  remainder  of  his  days  Mr.  Tyler  passed  mainly 
in  retirement  at  his  beautiful  home, — Sherwood  For- 
est, Charles  city  Co.,  Va.  A  polished  gentleman  in 
his  manners,  richly  furnished  with  tnformation  from 
books  and  experience  in  the  world,  and  possessing 
brilliant  powers  of  conversation,  his  family  circle  was 
the  scene  of  unusual  attractions.  \\\(\\  sufficient 
means  for  the  exercise  of  a  generous  hospitality,  he 
might  have  enjoyed  a  serene  old  age  with  the  few 
friends  who  gathered  around  him,  were  it  not  for  the 
storms  of  civil  war  which  his  own  principles  and 
policy  had  heljied  to  introduce. 

When  the  great  Rebellion  rose,  which  the  State- 
rights  and  nullifying  doctrines  of  Mr.  John  C.  Cal- 
houn had  inaugurated,  President  Tyler  renounced  his 
allegiance  to  the  United  States,  and  joined  the  Confed- 
erates. He  was  chosen  a  member  of  their  Congress; 
and  while  engaged  in  active  measures  to  destroy,  by 
force  of  arms,  the  Government  over  which  he  had 
once  presided,   he   was  taken   sick  and  soon   died. 


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AMES  K.  POLK,  the  eleventh 

a  President  of  the  United  States, 

was  born  in  Mecklenburg  Co., 

N.  C,  Nov.  2,  1795.     His  par- 

gg).  ents  were    Samuel    and    Jane 

(Knox)  Polk,  the  former  a  son 

of  Col.  Thomas  Polk,  who  located 

at  the  above  place,  as  one  of  the 

first  pioneers,  in  1735. 

In  the  year  1S06,  with  his  wife 
and  cliildren,  and  soon  after  fol- 
lowed by  most  of  tlie  members  of 
the  Polk  famly,  Samuel  Polk  emi- 
grated some  two  or  three  hundred 
miles  farther  west,  to  the  rich  valley 
of  the  Duck  River.  Here  in  the 
midst  of  the  wilderness,  in  a  region 
which  was  subsequently  called  Mau- 
ry Co  ,  they  reared  their  log  huts, 
and  established  their  homes.  In  the 
hard  toil  of  a  new  farm  in  the  wil- 
derness, James  K.  Polk  siient  the 
early  \ears  of  his  childhood  and 
youth.  His  father,  adding  the  pur- 
suit of  a  surveyor  to  that  of  a  farmer, 
,    '-  '  gradually  increased  in  wealth  until 

t);  he  became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  region.  His 
i];C mother  was  a  superior  woman,  of  strong  commc^n 
"'  :  sense  and  earnest  piety. 

'.  Very  early  in  life,  James  developed  a  taste  for 
; reading  and  e.^pressed  the  strongest  desire  to  obtain 
~a  liberal  education.  His  mother's  training  had  made 
:him  methodical  in  his  habits,  had  taught  him  punct- 
uality and  industry,  and  had  inspired  him  with  lofty 
: principles  of  morality.  His  health  was  frail ;  and  his 
father,  fearing  that  he  might  not  be  able-  to  endure  a 


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sedentary  life,  got  a  situation  for  him  behind  the 
counter,  hoping  to  fit  him  for  commercial  pursuits. 

This  .was  to  James  a  bitter  disappointment.  He 
had  no  taste  for  these  duties,  and  his  daily  tasks 
were  irksome  in  the  extreme.  He  remained  in  this 
uncongenial  occupation  but  a  few  weeks,  when  at  his 
earnest  solicitation  his  father  removed  him,  and  made 
arrangements  for  him  to  prosecute  his  studies.  Soon 
after  he  sent  him  to  Murfreesboro  Academy.  \Vith 
ardor  which  could  scarcely  be  surpassed,  he  pressed 
forward  in  his  studies,  and  in  less  than  two  and  a  half 
years,  in  the  autumn  of  1815,  entered  the  sophomore 
class  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel 
Hill.  Here  he  was  one  of  the  most  exemplary  of 
scholars,  punctual  in  every  exercise,  never  allowing 
himself  to  be  absent  from  a  recitation  or  a  religious 
service. 

He  graduated  in  1818,  with  the  highest  honors,  be- 
ing deemed  the  best  scholar  of  his  class,  both  in 
mathematics  and  the  classics.  He  was  then  twenty- 
three  years  of  age.  Mr.  Polk's  health  was  at  this 
time  much  impaired  by  the  assiduity  with  which  he 
had  prosecuted  his  studies.  After  a  short  season  of 
relaxation  he  went  to  Nashville,  and  entered  the 
office  of  Felix  Grundy,  to  study  law.  Here  Mr.  Polk 
renewed  his  acquaintance  with  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
resided  on  his  plantation,  the  Hermitage,  but  a  few 
miles  from  Nashville.  They  had  probably  been 
slightly  acquainted  betbre. 

Mr.  Polk's  father  was  a  Jeffersonian  Republican, 
and  James  K.  Polk  ever  adhered  to  the  same  politi- 
cal faith.  He  was  a  popular  public  speaker,  and  was 
constantly  called  upon  to  address  the  meetings  of  his 
party  friends.  His  skill  as  a  speaker  was  such  that 
he  was  popularly  called  the  Napoleon  of  the  stump. 
He  was  a  man  of  unblemished   morals,   genial  and 


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JA'JEZ  K.  POLK. 


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:ourteoiis  ia  his  bearing,  and  with  that  sympathetic 
nature  in  the  joys  and  griefs  of  others  \vhich  ever  gave 
him  troops  of  friends.  In  1823,  Mr.  Polk  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee.  Here  he  gave  his 
strong  influence  towards  the  election  of  his  friend, 
Mr.  Jackson,  to  the  Presidency  of  the  United   States. 

In  January,  1824,  Mr.  Polk  married  Miss  Sarah 
Childress,  of  Rutherford  Co.,  Tenn.  His  bride  was 
altogether  worthy  of  him, — a  lady  of  beauty  and  cul- 
ture. In  the  fall  of  1825,  Mr.  Polk  was  chosen  a 
member  of  Congress.  The  satisfaction  which  he  gave 
to  his  constituents  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that 
for  fourteen  successive  years,  until  1839,  he  was  con- 
tinued in  that  office.  He  then  voluntarily  withdrew, 
only  that  he  might  accept  the  (iuliernatorial  chair 
of  Tennessee.  In  Congress  he  was  a  laborious 
member,  a  frequent  and  a  popular  speaker.  He  was 
always  in  his  seat,  always  courteous;  and  whenever 
he  spoke  it  was  always  to  the  point,  and  without  any 
ambitious  rhetorical  display. 

During  five  sessions  of  Congress,  Mr.  Polk  was 
Speaker  of  the  House  Strong  passions  were  roused, 
and  stormy  scenes  were  witnessed  ;  but  Mr.  Polk  per- 
formed his  arduous  duties  to  a  very  general  satisfac- 
tion, and  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  him  was 
passed  by  the  House  as  he  withdrew  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1839. 

In  accordance  with  Southern  usage,  Mr.  Polk,  as  a 
candidate  for  Governor,  canvassed  the  State.  He  was 
elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  on  the  14th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1839,  took  the  oath  of  office  at  Nashville.  In  1841, 
his  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  was  again  the  can- 
didate of  the  Democratic  party,  but  was  defeated. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  Mr.  Polk  was  inaugur- 
ated President  of  the  United  States.  The  verdict  of 
the  country  in  favor  of  the  annexalionof  Texas,  exerted 
its  influence  upon  Congress  ;  and  the  last  act  of  the 
administration  of  President  Tyler  was  to  affix  his  sig- 
nature to  a  joint  resolution  of  Congress,  passed  on  the 
3d  of  March,  approving  of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to 
the  American  Union.  As  Mexico  still  claimed  Texas 
as  one  of  her  provinces,  the  Mexican  minister, 
Almonte,  immediately  demanded  his  passports  and 
left  the  country,  declaring  the  act  of  the  annexation 
to  be  an  act  hostile  to  Mexico. 

In  his  first  message,  President  Polk  urged  that 
Texas  should  immediately,  by  act  of  Congress,  be  re- 
ceived into  the  Union  on  the  same  footing  with  the 
^.other  States.  In  the  meantime,  Gen,  Taylor  was  sent 


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with  an  army  into  Texas  to  hold  the  country.    He  was  : 
sent  first  to  Nueces,  which  the  Mexicans  said  was  the  3^ 
western  boundary  of  Texas.  Then  he  was  sent  nearly 
two  hundred  miles  further  west,  to  the    Rio   Grande, 
where  he  erected   batteries  which  commanded    the 
Mexican  city  of  Matamoras,  which  was   situated   onHj: 
the  western  banks. 

The  anticipated  collision  soon  took  place,  and  war 
was  declared  against  Mexico  by  President  Polk.    The 
war  was  pushed  forward  by  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
with  great  vigor.     Gen.  Taylor,  whose  army  was  first  p 
called  one  of  "observation,"  then   of  "occui)ation 
then  of  "invasion, "was  sent  forward  to  Monterey.  TheS^J 
feeble  Mexicans,  in  every  encounter,  were  hopelessly 
and  awfully   slaughtered.       The    day  of    judgementSt 
alone  can  reveal  the  misery  which  this  war  caused. 
It  v/as  by  the  ingenuity  of   Mr.    Polk's   administration  Bt 
that  the  war  was  brought  on.  cj; 

'To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils."    Mexico  wasp 
prostrate  before  us.     Her  capital  was  in  our  hands. 
We  now  consented  to  peace  upon  the  condition  that 
Mexico  should  surrender  10  us,  in  addition  to  Texas,^| 
all  of  New  Mexico,  and  all  of  Upper  and  Lower  Cal- 
ifornia.    This  new  demand  embraced,  exclusive  of|| 
Texas,  eight  hundred  thousand  square  miles.      This 
was  an  extent  of  territory  equal  to  nine  States  of  the?|ti 
size  of  New  York.  Thus  slavery  was  securing  eighteen 
majestic  States  to  be  added  to  the  Union.   There  were  j| 
some  Americans  who  thought  it  all  rijjhi :    there  were  %\ 

.         11;  I 

Others  who  thought  it  all  wrong.     In   the   prosecution  ifi 
of  this  war,  we  expended  twenty  thousand   lives  and  ji: 
more  than   a  hundred  million    of  dollars.      Of  this 
money  fifteen  millions  were  paid  to  Mexico. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1849,  Mr.  Polk  retired  from  ft 
office,  having  served  one  term.  The  next  day  was  % 
Sunday.  On  the  5th,  Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated 
as  his  successor.  Mr.  Polk  rode  to  the  Capitol  in  the 
same  carriage  with  Gen.  Taylor;  and  the  same  even- 
ing, with  Mrs.  Polk,  he  commenced  his  return  to 
Tennessee.  He  was  then  but  fifty-four  years  of  age. 
He  had  ever  been  strictly  temperate  in  all  his  habits, 
and  his  health  was  good  With  an  ample  fortune, 
a  choice  library,  a  cultivated  mind,  and  domestic  ties 
of  the  dearest  nature,  it  seemed  as  though  long  years 
of  tranquility  and  Iia[)i)iness  were  before  him.  But  the 
cholera — that  fearful  scourge — was  then  sweeping  up 
the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi.  This  he  contracted, 
and  died  on  the  15th  of  June,  1849,  in  the  fifty-fourth  Bjii 

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year  of  his  age,  greatly  mourned  by  his  countrymen,    '^ 


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TWELFTH  PRESIDENT. 


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ACHARY  TAYLOR,  iwelfth 
President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  on  the  24th  of  Nov., 
1 7  84,  in  Orange  Co.,  Va.  His 
3«  lather,  Colonel  Taylor,  was 
a  Virginian  of  note,  and  a  dis- 
»)  tinguished  patriot  and  soldier  of 
the  Revolution.  When  Zachary 
was  an  infant,  his  father  with  his 
wife  and  two  children,  emigrated 
to  Kentuck) ,  where  he  settled  in 
the  pathless  wilderness,  a  few 
miles  from  Louisville.  \\\  this  front- 
ier home,  away  from  civilization  and 
all  its  refinements,  young  Zachary 
could  enjoy  but  few  social  and  educational  advan- 
tages. When  six  years  of  age  he  attended  a  common 
school,  and  was  then  regarded  as  a  bright,  active  boy, 
rather  remarkable  for  bbintness  and  decision  of  char- 
acter He  was  strong,  feailess  and  self-reliant,  and 
manifested  a  strong  desire  to  enter  tlie  army  to  fight 
the  Indians  who  were  ravaging  the  frontiers.  There 
is  little  to  be  recorded  of  the  uneventful  years  of  his 
childhood  on  his  father's  large  but  lonely  plantation. 
In  1808,  his  father  succeeded  in  obtaining  for  him 
the  commission  of  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
army ;  and  he  joined  the  troops  which  were  stationed 
at  New  Orleans  under  Gen.  Wilkinson.  Soon  after 
this  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Smith,  a  young  lady 
from  one  of  the  first  families  of  Maryland. 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  of  war  with  Eng- 
land, in  18 1 2,  Capt.  Taylor  (for  he  had  then  been 
promoted  to  that  rank)  was  put  in  command  of  Fort 
Harrison,  on-  the  Wabash,  about  fifty  miles  above 
Vincennes.  This  fort  had  been  built  in  the  wilder- 
ness by  Gen.  Harrison,on  his  march  to  Tippecanoe. 
It  was  one  of  the  first  points  of  attack  by  the  Indians, 
led  by  Tecumseh.     Its  garrison  consisted  of  a  broken 


company  of  infantry  numbering   fifty  men,    many  of!j 
whom  were  sick. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  1812,  the  Indians,  stealthily.S^ 
and  in  large  numbers,  moved  upon  the  fort 


Their 


n 


approach  was  first  indicated  by  the  murder  of  two 
soldiers  just  outside  of  the  stockade.  Capt.  Taylor 
made  every  possible  preparation  to  meet  the  ant'xi- 
pated  assault.  On  the  4th  of  September,  a  band  of 
forty  painted  and  plumed  savages  came  to  the  fort, 
waving  a  white  flag,  and  informed  Capt.  Taylor  that 
in  the  morning  their  chief  would  come  to  have  a  talk  \  \ 
with  him.  It  was  evident  that  their  object  was  merely  , l'*^  " 
to  ascertain  the  state  of  things  at  the  fort,  and  Capt.  '1'^^ 
Taylor,  well  versed  in  the  wiles  of  the  savages,  kept  .<r,\^^ 
them  at  a  distance.  IIJT'r 


i 
1 

mm 


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\ 
\ 
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il 


11 

1  he  sun  went  down  ;  the  savages  disai)peared,  the  }  } 
garrison  slept  upon  their  arms.  One  liour  before 
midnight  the  war  whoop  burst  from  a  thousand  lips 
in  the  forest  around,  followed  by  the  discharge  of 
musketry,  and  the  rush  of  the  foe.  Every  man,  sick 
and  well,  sprang  to  his  post.  Every  man  knew  that 
defeat  was  not  merely  death,  but  in  the  case  of  cap-  "fiTTi 
ture,  death  by  the  most  agonizing  and  prolonged  tor-  llJiL 
ture.  No  pen  can  describe,  no  immagination  can 
conceive  the  scenes  which  ensued.  The  savages  suc- 
ceeded in  setting  fire  to  one  of  the  block-houses- 
Until  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  this  awful  conflict 
continued.  The  savages  tiien,  baffled  at  every  jx)int, 
and  gnashing  their  teeth  with  rage,  retired.  Capt. 
Taylor,  for  this  gallant  defence,  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  major  by  brevet. 

Until  the  close  of  the  war,  MajorTaylor  was  placed 
in  such  situations  that  he  saw  but  little  more  of  active 
service.  He  was  sent  far  away  into  the  depths  of  the 
v\ilderness,  to  Fort  Crawford,  on  Fox  River,  which 
empties  into  Green  Bay.  Here  there  was  but  little 
to  be  done  but  to  wear  away  the  tedious  hours  as  one 
best  could.    There  were  no  books,  no  society,  no  in- 


«xixinxiiji 


iSiuL    64 


ZACHAHY  TAYLOR. 


I 


tellectual  stimulus.  Thus  with  him  the  uneventful 
years  rolled  on.  Gradually  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
colonel.  In  the  Black-Hawk  war,  which  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  that  renowned  chieftain,  Col.  Taylor 
took  a  subordinate  but  a  brave  and  efficient  part. 

For  twenty-four  years  Col.  Taylor  was  engaged  in 
the  defence  of  the  frontiers,  in  scenes  so  remote,  and  in 
employments  so  obscure,  that  his  name  was  unknown 
beyond  the  limits  of  liis  own  immediate  ac(iuaintance. 
In  the  year  1836,  he  was  sent  to  Florida  to  compel 
the  Seminole  Indians  to  vacate  that  region  and  re- 
tire beyond  tlie  Mississippi,  as  their  chiefs  by  treaty, 
had  promised  they  should  do.  The  services  rendered 
here  secured  for  Col.  Taylor  the  higli  appreciation  of 
the  Government ;  and  as  a  reward,  he  was  elevated 
to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general  by  brevet ;  and  soon 
after,  in  May,  1838,  was  appointed  to  the  chief  com- 
mand of  the  United  States  troops  in  Florida. 

After  two  years  of  such  wearisome  employment 
amidst  the  everglades  of  the  peninsula,  Gen.  Taylor 
obtained,  at  his  own  request,  a  change  of  command, 
and  was  stationed  over  tiie  Department  of  the  South- 
west. This  field  embraced  Louisiana,  Mississippi, 
Alabama  and  Georgia.  Establishing  his  headquarters 
at  Fort  Jessup,  in  Louisiana,  he  removed  his  family 
to  a  plantation  which  he  purchased,  near  Baton  Rogue. 
Here  he  remained  for  five  years,  buried,  as  it  were, 
from  the  world,  hut  faithfully  discharging  every  duty 
imposed  upon  him. 

In  1846,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent  to  guard  the  land 
between  the  Nueces  and  Rio  (irande,  the  latter  river 
being  the  boundary  of  Texas,  which  was  then  claimed 
by  the  United  States.  Soon  the  war  with  Me.xico 
was  brought  on,  and  at  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la 
Palma,  Gen.  Taylor  won  brilliant  victories  over  the 
Mexicans.  The  rank  of  major-general  by  brevet 
3^  I  was  then  conferred  upon  Gen.  Taylor,  and  his  name 
"""  was  received  with  enthusiasm  almost  everywhere  in 
the  Nation.  Then  came  the  battles  of  Monterey  and 
Buena  Vista  in  which  he  won  signal  victories  over 
forces  much  larger  than  he  commanded. 

His  careless  habits  of  dress  and  his  unaffected 
simplicity,  secured  for  Gen.  Taylor  among  his  troops, 
Xht  sobriquet  of  "Old  Rough  and  Ready.' 

Tlie  tidings  of  the  brilliant  victory  of  Buena  Vista 
spread  the  wildest  enthusiasm  over  the  country.  The 
name  of  Gen.  Taylor  was  on  every  one's  lips.  The 
[Whig  party  decided  to  take  advantage  of  tliis  wonder- 
ul  popularity  in  bringing  forward  the  unpolished,  un- 
ettered,  honest  soldier  as  their  candidate  for  the 
Presidency.  Gen.  Taylor  was  astonished  at  the  an- 
nouncement, and  for  a  time  would  not  listen  to  it;  de- 
!  daring  that  he  was  not  at  all  (jualified  for  such  an 
Hofifice.  So  little  interest  had  he  taken  in  politics  that, 
"or  forty  years,  he  had  not  cast  a  vote.  It  was  not 
without  chagrin  that  several  distinguished  statesmen 
Kdwho  had  been  long  years  in  the  public  service  found 
their  claims  set  aside  in  behalf  of  one  whose   name 


had  never  been  heard  of,  save  in  connection  wi'h  I'alu  ;  ^ 
Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Monterey  and  Buena  ;  ^ 
Vista.  It  is  said  that  Daniel  \Veljster,  in  his  haste  re-  :  - 
marked,  "  It  is  a  nomination  not  fit  to  be  made."  :  h] 

Gen.  Taylor  was  not  an  elocjiicnt  s[)e.iker  nor  a  fine  ;  3 
writer  His  friends  took  possession  of  him,  and  pre-  ;  : 
pared  such  few  communications  as  it  was  needful  :  .[ 
should  be  presented  to  the  [lulilic.  rhepo[)iilarity  of  :  li 
the  successful  warrior  swept  the  land.  He  was  tri-  -_% 
uinphantly  elected  over  two  op|X)sing  candidates, —  z'h 
Gen.  Cass  and  Ex-President  Martin  Van  Buren.  Sifi 
Though  he  selected  an  excellent  caliinet,  the  good  'i^-\ 
old  man  found  himself  in  a  very  uncongenial  jxisition, 
and  was,  at  times,  sorely  perplexed  and  harassed. 
His  mental  sufferings  were  very  severe,  and  probably 
tended  to  hasten  his  death.  The  \)ro-slavery  party  % 
was  pushing  its  claims  with  tireless  energy,  expedi- 
tions were  fitting  out  to  capture  Cuba  ;  California  was 
pleading  for  admission  to  the  Union,  while  slavery 
stood  at  tlie  door  to  bar  her  out.  (ien.  Taylor  found 
the  political  conflicts  in  Washington  to  be  far  more 
trying  to  the  nerves  than  battles  with  Mexicans  or 
Indians* 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  troubles.  Gen.  Taylor, 
after  he  had  occupied  the  Presidential  chair  but  little 
over  a  year,  took  cold,  and  after  a  brief  sickness  of 
but  little  over  five  days,  died  on  the  9th  of  July,  1850. 
His  last  words  were,  "I  am  not  ;ifiaid  to  die.  I  am 
ready.  1  have  endeavored  to  do  my  duty."  He  died 
universally  respected  and  beloved.  An  honest,  un- 
pretending man,  he  had  been  steadily  growing  in  the  k 
affections  of  the  people ;  and  the  Nation  bitterly  la- 
mented his  deatli. 

Gen.  Scott,  who  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
Gen.  Taylor,  gave  the  following  graphic  and  truthful 
description  of  his  character: — "  ^\'ith  a  good  store  of 
common  sense.  Gen.  Taylor's  mind  had  not  been  en- 
larged and  refreshed  by  reading,  or  much  converse 
with  the  world.  Rigidity  of  ideas  was  the  conse- 
quence. The  frontiers  and  small  military  posts  had 
been  his  home.  Hence  he  was  quite  ignorant  for  his  t 
rank,  and  quite  bigoted  in  his  ignomnce.  His  sim- 
plicity was  child-like,  and  with  innumerable  preju- 
dices, amusing  and  incorrigible,  well  suited  to  the 
tender  age.  Thus,  if  a  man,  however  respectable, 
chanced  to  wear  a  coat  of  an  unusual  color,  or  his  hat 
a  little  on  one  side  of  his  head;  or  an  officer  to  leave 
a  corner  of  his  handkerchief  dangling  from  an  out- 
side pocket,^n  any  such  case,  this  critic  held  the 
offender  to  be  a  coxcomb  (perhaps  something  worse), 
whom  he  would  not,  to  use  his  oft  repeated  phrase, 
'touch  with  a  pair  of  tongs.' 

"Any  allusion  to  literature  beyond  good  old  Dil- 
worth's  spelling-book,  on  the  part  of  one  wearing  a 
sword,  was  evidence,  with  the  same  judge,  of  utter 
unfitness  for  heavy  marchings  and  combats.  In  short, 
few  men  have  ever  had  a  more  comfortable,  labor- 
saving  contempt   for  learning  of  every  kind." 


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llr^f^ir^kL^kcJHciSgg; 


THIRTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


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ILLARD  FILLMORE,  thir- 
teentli  President  of  the  United 
States,    was  born  at  Summer 
Hill,  Cayuga  Co.,   N.  Y  .,  on 
the  7th  of  January,  1800.   His 
*^    father  was  a  farmer,  and  ow- 
mg  to  misfortune,  in  humlile  cir- 
(  umstances.     Of  his  mother,   the 
duighter  of  Dr.  Abiathar  Millard, 
of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  it    has   been 
said  that  she  possessed  an  intellect 
of  very  high  order,  united  with  much 
lersonal  loveliness,  sweetness  of  dis- 
position, graceful  manners  and   ex- 
quisite sensibilities.      She   died   in 
Y       183T  ;  having  hved  to  see  her  son  a 
'         young  man   of  distinguished    prom- 
ise, though  she  was  not  permitted  to  witness  the  high 
dignity  which  he  finally  attained. 

In  consequence  of  the  secluded  home  and  limited 
means  of  his  father,  Millard  enjoyed  but  slerder  ad- 
vantages for  education  in  his  eariy  years.  The  com- 
mon schools,  which  he  occasionally  attended  were 
very  imperfect  mstitutions;  and  books  were  scarce 
and  expensive.  There  was  nothing  then  in  his  char- 
acter to  indicate  the  brilliant  career  upon  which  he 
was  about  to  enter.  He  was  a  plain  farmer's  boy, 
intelligent,  good-looking,  kind-hearted.  The  sacred 
influences  of  home  had  taught  him  to  revere  the  Bible, 
and  had  laid  the  foundations  of  an  upright  character. 
When  fourteen  years  of  age,  his  father  sent  hmi 
some  hundred  miles  from  home,  to  the  then  wilds  of 
Livingston  County,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  clothier. 
Near  the  mill  there  was  a  small  villiage,  where  some 


enterprising  man  had  commenced  the  collection  of  a  G  H 
village  library.  This  proved  an  inestimable  blessingrjUJi 
to  young  Fillmore,  His  evenings  were  spent  in  read- 
ing. Soon  every  leisure  moment  was  occupied  v.ith 
books.  His  thirst  for  knowledge  became  insatiate; 
and  the  selections  which  he  made  were  continually 
more  elevating  and  instructive.  He  read  historyJ-^-g 
biography,  oratory,  and  thus  gradually  there  was  en-J^i 
kindled  in  his  heart  a  desire  lo  be  something  mora 
than  a  mere  worker  with  his  hands;  and  he  was  be- 
coming, almost  unknown  to  himself,  a  well-informed 
educated  man. 

The  young  clothier  had   now  attained   the   age 


nineteen  years,  and  was  of  fine   personal    appcaranc.l 
and  of  gentlemanly  demeanor.     It  so  happened    tha  \ 
there  was  a  gentleman  ni  the  neighborhood  cf  amplj| 
pecuniary  means  and  of  benevolence,— Judge  Walte  llj^ 
Wood,— who  was  struck  witli   the  prepossessing    apj^S 
pearance  uf  young  Fillmore.     He  made  his  acquaint 
ance,  and  was  so  much  impressed  with  his  ability  ancp 


1^" 


\ 

I 


attainments    that  he   advised    him    to    abandon    liijllTiji 
trade  and  devote  himself  to  the  study  of  the  law.  Tli,  r  •-  'It 
young  man  replied,  that  he  had  no  means  of  his  owil  : 
no  friends  to  help  him  and  that  his  previous  educ;  L 
tion  had  been  very  imperfect.     But  Judge  Wood  haS 
so  much  confidence  in  him  that  he  kindly  off"ered  to 
take  him  into  his  own  office,  and  to  loan   hnn  sue' 
money  as  he  needed.     Most  gratefully  the    generou 
offer  was  accepted. 

There  is  in  many  minds  a  strange   delusion    abo 
a  collegiate  education.     A  young  man  is  supposed  t 
be  liberally  educated  if  he  has  graduated  at  some  col 
lege.     But  many  a  boy  loiters  through  university  hallf 
and  then  enters  a  law  office,  who  is  by  no  means  ai 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


mm 


m 


mi 


well  prepared  to  prosecute  his  legal  studies  as  was 
Millard  Fillmore  when  he  graduated  at  the  clothing- 
mill  at  the  end  of  four  years  of  manual  labor,  during 
which  every  leisure  moment  had  been  devoted  to  in- 
tense mental  culture. 

In  1823,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  He  then 
went  to  the  vilhige  of  Aurora,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.  In  this  secluded,  peaceful  region, 
his  practice  of  course  was  limited,  and  there  was  no 
opportunity  for  a  sudden  rise  in  fortune  or  in  fame. 
Here,  in  the  year  1826,  he  married  a  lady  of  great 
moral  worth,  and  one  capable  of  adorning  any  station 
she  might  be  called  to  fill, — Miss  Abigail   Powers. 

His  elevation  of  character,  his  untiring  industry, 
his  legal  acquirements,  and  his  skill  as  an  advocate, 
gradually  attracted  attention  ;  and  he  was  invited  to 
enter  into  partnership  under  highly  advantageous 
circumstances,  with  an  ^Ider  member  of  the  bar  in 
Buffalo.  Just  before  removing  to  Buffalo,  in  1829, 
he  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Assembly,  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  as  a  representative  from  Erie 
County.  Though  he  had  never  taken  a  very  active 
part  in  [lolitics,  his  vote  and  his  sympathies  were  with 
the  Whig  party.  The  State  was  then  Democratic, 
and  he  found  himself  in  a  helpless  minority  in  the 
Legislature  ,  still  the  testimony  comes  from  all  parties, 
that  liis  courtesy,  ability  and  integrity,  won,  to  a  very 
unusual  degne  the  respect  of  his  associates. 

In  the  autumn  of  1832,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in 
the  United  States  Congress  He  entered  that  troubled 
arena  in  some  of  tiie  most  tumultuous  hours  of  our 
national  history.  The  great  conflict  respecting  tlie 
national  bank  and  the  removal  of  the  deposits,  was 
then  raging. 

His  term  of  two  years  closed  ;  and  he  returned  to 
his  profession,  which  he  pursued  with  increasing  rep-* 
utation  and  success.  After  a  lapse  of  two  years 
he  again  became  a  candidate  for  Congress ;  was  re- 
elected, and  took  his  seat  in  1837.  His  past  expe- 
rience as  a  representative  gave  hnn  strength  and 
confidence.  The  first  term  of  service  in  Congress  to 
any  man  can  be  but  little  more  than  an  introduction. 
He  was  now  prepared  for  active  duty.  All  his  ener- 
gies were  brought  to  bear  upon  the  public  good.  Every 
measure  received  his  impress. 

Mr.  Fillmore  was  now  a  man  of  wide  repute,  and 
his  popularity  filled  the  State,  and  in  the  year  1847, 
he   was  elected  Comptroller   of    the   State. 


Mr.  Fillmore  had  attained  the  age  of  forty-seven 
years.  His  labors  at  the  bar,  in  the  Legislature,  in 
Congress  and  as  Comptroller,  had  given  him  very  con- 
siderable fame.  The  Whigs  were  casting  about  to 
find  suitable  candidates  for  President  and  Vice-Presi- 
dent at  the  approaching  election.  Far  away,  on  tiie 
waters  of  tiie  Rio  Grande,  there  was  a  rough  old 
soldier,  wlio  had  fought  one  or  two  successful  battles 
with  the  Mexicans,  which  had  caused  liis  name  to  be 
proclaimed  in  tiumpet-tones  all  over  the  land.  But 
it  was  necessary  to  associate  wilh  liini  on  the  same 
ticket  so.ne  man  of  reputation  as  a  statesman. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  considerations,  tiio 
namesofZachary  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore  l)ccame 
the  rallying-cry  of  the  Whigs,  as  their  candidates  for 
President  and  Vice-Peesident.  The  Whig  ticket  was 
signally  triumphant.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1849, 
Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated  President,  and  Millard 
Filluiore  Vice-President,  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1850,  President  Taylor,  but 
about  one  year  and  four  months  after  his  inaugura- 
tion, was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  died.  By  the  Con- 
stitution, Vice-President  Fillmore  thus  became  Presi- 
dent. He  appointed  a  very  able  cabinet,  of  which 
the  illustrious  Daniel  Webster  was  Secretary  of  State. 

Mr.  Fillniore  had  very  serious  difficulties  to  contend 
with,  since  the  opposition  had  a  majority  in  both 
Houses.  He  did  everything  in  his  power  to  conciliate 
the  South;  but  the  pro-slavery  party  in  the  South  felt 
the  inadequacyof  all  measuresof  transient  conciliation. 
The  jjopulation  of  tiie  free  States  was  so  rapidly  in- 
creasing over  that  of  the  slave  States  that  it  was  in- 
evitable that  the  power  of  the  Government  should 
soon  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  free  States.  The 
famous  compromise  measures  were  adopted  under  Mr. 
Fillmcre's  adminstration,  and  the  Japan  Expedition 
was  sent  out.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1853,  Mr  Fill- 
more, having  served  one  term,  retired. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Fillmore  was  nominated  for  the  Pres- 
idency by  the  "  Know  Nothing  "  party,  but  was  beaten 
by  Mr.  Buchanan.  After  that  Mr.  Fillmore  lived  in 
retirement.  During  the  terrible  conflict  of  civil  war, 
he  was  mostly  silent.  It  was  generally  supposed  that 
his  sympathies  were  rather  with  those  who  were  en- 
deavoring to  overthrow  our  institutions.  President 
Fillmore  kept  aloof  from  the  conflict,  witlioiit  any 
cordial  words  of  cheer  to  the  one  party  or  the  other. 
He  was  thus  forgotten  by  both.  He  lived  to  a  ripe 
old  age,  and  died  in  Buffalo.  N.  Y.,  March  8,    1874. 


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FOURTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


^"  FRANKLIN  PIERCE. '4 


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RANKLIN     PIERCE,   the 
fourteenth    President  of  the 
■  United  States,  was  born  in 
Hillsborough,    N.    H.,    Nov. 
23,  1804.     His  father  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,   who, 
with   his   own    strong    arm, 
hewed   out  a   home   in    the 
wilderness.     He  was  a  man 
of    inflexible    integrity;     of 
strong,  though    uncultivated 
mind,  and  an  uncompromis- 
ing Democrat.      The    mother  of 
Franklin  Pierce  was  all  that  a  son 
could  desire, — an  intelligent,  pru- 
dent, affectionate.  Christian  wom- 
an.    Franklin  was  the  sixth  of  eight  children. 

Franklin  was  a  very  bright  and  handsome  boy,  gen- 
erous, warm-hearted  and  brave.  He  won  alike  the 
love  of  old  and  young.  The  boys  on  the  play  ground 
loved  him.  His  teachers  loved  him.  The  neighbors 
looked  upon  him  with  pride  and  affection.  He  was 
by  instinct  a  gentleman;  always  speakingkind  words, 
doing  kind  deeds,  with  a  peculiar  unstudied  tact 
which  taught  him  what  was  agreeable.  Without  de- 
veloping any  precocity  of  genius,  or  any  unnatural 
devotion  to  books,  he  was  a  good  scholar ;  in  body, 
in  mind,  in  affections,  a  finely-developed  boy. 

When  siocteen  years  of  age,  in  the  year  1820,  he 
entered  Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick,  Me  He  was 
one  of  the  most  jiopular  young  men  in  the  college. 
The  purity  of  his  moral  character,  the  unvarying 
courtesy  of  his  demeanor,  his  rank  as  a  scholar,   and 


nature,    rendered 
There  was  something  very  peculiarly   winning  in   hi  I 
address,  and  it  was  evidently  not  in  the  slightest  de| 
gree  studied :    it    was  the   simple  outgushing  of  hii 
own  magnanimous  and  loving  nature. 

Upon  graduating,  in  the  year  1824,  Franklin  Pierc^ 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of   Judgejj 
Woodbury,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  (j( 
the  State,  and  a  man  of  great    private   worth 
eminent    social  qualities    of   the    young    lawyer,    hi^ 
father's  prominence  as  a  public  man,  and  the  brillian'^ 
political  career  into  which  Judge  Woodbury  was  en- 
tering, all  tended  to  entice  Mr.  Pierce  into  the   faci| 
nating  yet  perilous  path  of  political  life.      With    al  jji 
the  ardor  of  his  nature  he  espoused  the  cause  of  Ger  [ 
Jackson  for  the   Presidency.      He  commenced   th  JJ|fJ 
practice  of  law  in  Hillsborough,  and  was  soon  electei^g 
to  represent  the  town  in  the  State  Legislature.     Herd 
he  served  for  four  yeais.     The  last  two  years  he  wa 
chosen  speaker  of  the  house  by  a  very  large  vote. 

In  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.      Without  taking  an  activ| 
part  in  debates,  he  was  faithful  and  laborious  in  dut)| 
and  ever  rising  in  the  estimation  of  those  with  whon 
he  was  associatad. 

In  1837,  being  then  but  thirty-three  years  of  agel 
he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States'-, 
taking  his  seat  just  as  Mr:  Van  Buren  commencedj 
his  administration.  He  was  the  youngest  member ii] 
the  Senate.  In  the  year  1834.  he  married  Miss  Jand 
Means  Appleton,  a  lady  of  rare  beauty  and  accom- 
plishments, and  one  admirably  fitted  to  adorn  everl 
station  with  wliich  her  husband  was  honored,    Of  thCh 


miiin  r  rx  X  nii  it  jfrrfi  i  ixxij 


g<SJ3T[j1  T^JDJl.t  jjj^^  nxxxj  xxixrij:;gij 


iiBiiiitiXxmcjjrxxiixxii  ■ 
i  I  ixim^^mntixjrxrrxi  * . 


72 


FRANKLIN  FIERCE. 


HH 


three  sons  who  were  born  to  them,  all  now  sleep  with 
their  parents  in  the  grave.- 

In  the  year  1838,  Mr.  Pierce,  with  growing  fame 
and  increasing  business  as  a  lawyer,  took  up  his 
residence  in  Concord,  the  capital  of  New  Hampshire. 
President  Polk,  upon  his  accession  to  office,  appointed 
Mr.  Pierce  attorney-general  of  the  United  States;  but 
the  offer  was  declined,  in  consequence  of  numerous 
professional  engagements  at  home,  and  theprecariuos 
state  of  Mrs.  Pierce's  health.  He  also,  about  the 
same  time  declined  the  nomination  for  governor  by  the 
Democratic  party.  The  war  with  Mexico  called  Mr. 
Pierce  in  the  army.  Receiving  the  appointment  of 
brigadier-general,  he  embarked,  with  a  portion  of  his 
troops,  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  on  the  27th  of  May,  1847. 
He  took  an  important  part  in  this  war,  proving  him- 
self a  brave  and  true  soldier. 

When  Gen.  Pierce  reached  his  home  in  his  native 
State,  he  was  received  enthusiastically  by  the  advo- 
cates of  the  Mexican  war,  and  coldly  by  his  oppo- 
nents. He  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
very  frequently  taking  an  active  part  in  political  ques- 
tions, giving  his  cordial  support  to  the  pro-slavery 
wing  of  the    Democratic    party.      The   compromise 

f'  measures  met  cordially  with  his  approval;  and  he 
strenuously  advocated  the  enforcement  of  the  infa- 
mous fugitive-slave  law,  which  so  shocked  the  religious 
sensibilities  of  the  North.  He  thus  became  distin- 
guished as  a  "  Northern  man  with  Southern  principles.'' 
The  strong  partisans  of  slavery  in  the  South  conse- 
quently regarded  him  as  a  man  whom  they  could 
safely  trust  in  office  to  carry  Out  their  plans. 

On  the  1 2th  of  June,  1852,  the  Democratic  conven- 
tion met  in  Baltimore  to  nominate  a  candidate  for  the 
Presidency.  For  four  days  they  continued  in  session, 
and  in  thirty-live  ballotings  no  one  had  obtained  a 
two-thirds  vote.  Not  a  vote  thus  far  had  been  thrown 
for  Gen.  Pierce.  Then  the  Virginia  delegation 
brought  forward  his  name.  There  were  fourteen 
more  ballotings,  during  which  Gen.  Pierce  constantly 
gained  strength,  until,  at  the  forty-ninth  ballot,  he 
received  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  votes,  and  all 
5  other  candidates  eleven.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  was 
the  Whig  candidate.  Gen.  Pierce  was  chosen  with 
great  unanimity.  Only  four  States— Vermont,  Mas- 
sachusetts, Kentucky  and  Tennessee  —  cast  their 
electoral  votes  against  him  Gen.  Franklin  Pierce 
was  therefore  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States  on   the  4th  of  March,    1853. 


tor'.dcTi 


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His  administration  proved  one  of  the  most  stormy  our 
country  had  ever  experienced.  The  controversy  lie- 
tween  slavery  and  freedom  was  then  approaching  iis  ; 
culminating  point.  It  became  evident  that  there  was  3 
an  "irrepressible  conflict  "  between  them,  and  that  ''\ 
this  Nation  could  not  long  exist  "  half  slave  and  half  \ 
free."  President  Pierce,  during  the  whole  of  his  ad-  5' 
ministration,  did  every  thing  he  could  to  conciliate  \. 
the  South  ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  conflict  every 
year  grew  more  violent,  and  threats  of  the  dissolution 
of  the  Union  were  liorne  to  the  North  on  every  South- 
ern breeze. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  President 
Pierce  approached  the  close  of  his  four-years"  term 
of  office.  The  North  had  become  thoroughly  ;ilicn- 
ated  from  him.  The  anti-slavery  sentin.er.t,  goaded 
by  great  outrages,  had  been  rapidly  increasing;  all 
the  intellectual  ability  and  social  worth  of  President 
Pierce  were  forgotten  in  deep  reprehension  of  his  ad- 
ministrative acts.  The  slaveholders  of  the  South,  also, 
unmindful  of  the  fidelity  with  which  he  had  advo- 
cated those  measures  of  Government  which  they  ap- 
proved, and  perhaps,  also,  feeling  that  he  had 
rendered  himself  so  unpopular  as  no  longer  to  be 
able  acceptably  to  serve  them,  ungratefully  dropped  5 
him,  and  nominated  James  Buchanan  to  succeed  him. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1857,  President  Pierce  re- 
tired to  his  home  in  Concord.  Of  three  children,  two 
had  died,  and  his  only  surviving  child  had  been 
killed  before  his  eyes  by  a  railroad  accident ,  and  his 
wife,  one  of  the  most  estimable  and  accomplished  of  :  -J^ 
ladies,  was  rapidly  sinking  in  consumi>tion.  The  :  \ 
hour  of  dreadful  gloom  soon  came,  and  he  was  left  "  ' 
alone  in  the  world,  without  wife  or  child. 

When  the  terrible  Rebellion  burst  forth,  which  di-  :  ' 
vided  our  country  into  two  parties,  and  two  only,  Mr.  :  ,jj 
Pierce  remained  steadfast  in  the  principles  which  he  3:  N 
had  always  cherished,  and  gave  his  sympathies  to  'v^ 
that  pro-slavery  party  with  which  he  had  ever  been  =iW 
allied.  He  declined  to  do  anything,  either  by  voice  S'lji 
or  pen,  to  strengthen  the  hand  of  the  National  Gov-  =:;|i- 
ernment.     He  continued  to  reside  in    Concord    until  St 

H      t) 

the  tune  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  October,  j'l 
1869.  He  was  one  of  the  most  genial  and  social  of  Jij^ 
men,  an  honored  coniuiunicant  of  the  Episcopal  3i;i 
Church,  and  one  of  the  kindest' of  neighbors.  Gen-  ^i 
erous  to  a  fault,  he  contributed  liberally  for  the  al-  5  | 
leviation  of  suffering  and  want,  and  many  of  his  towns-  \-^ 
people  were  often  gladened  by  his   material    bounty.  ' 


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^.^TTtfiJ    (2^^0uO-v>i^i:C<P7^^'^'<^Z:^ 


AMES  BUCHANAN,  the  fif- 
.  teenth  President  of  the  United 
States,  was  born  in  a  small 
frontier  town,  at  the  foot  of  the 
eastern  ridge  of  the  Allegha- 
nies,  in  Franklin  Co.,  Penn,,  on 
the  23d  of  April,  1791.  The  place 
where  the  humble  cabin  of  his 
father  stood  was  called  Stony 
Batter.  It  was  a  wild  and  ro- 
mantic spot  in  a  gorge  of  the  moun- 
tains, with  towering  summits  rising 
grandly  all  around.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland ; 
a  poor  man,  who  had  emigrated  in 
j  1783,  with  little  property  save  his 
own  strong  arms.  Five  years  afterwards  he  married 
Elizabeth  Spear,  the  daughter  of  a  respectable  farmer, 
and,  with  his  young  bride,  plunged  into  the  wilder- 
ness, staked  his  claim,  reared  his  log-hut,  opened  a 
clearing  with  his  axe,  and  settled  down  there  to  per- 
form his  obscure  part  in  the  drama  of  life.  In  this  se- 
cluded home,  where  James  was  born,  he  remained 
for  eight  years,  enjoying  but  few  social  or  intellectual 
advantages.  When  James  was  eight  years  of  age,  his 
father  removed  to  the  village  of  Mercersburg,  where 
his  son  was  placed  at  school,  and  commenced  a 
course  of  study  in  English,  Latin  and  Greek.  His 
progress  was  rapid,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  he 
entered  Dickinson  College,  at  Carlisle.  Here  he  de- 
veloped remarkable  talent,  and  took  his  stand  among 
the  first  scholars  in  the  institution.  His  application 
to  study  was  intense,  and  yet  his  native  powers    en- 


abled him  to  master  the  most  abstruse  subjects  with 
facility. 

In  the  year  1S09,  he  graduated  with  tlie  liighest 
honors  of  his  class.  He  was  then  eighteen  years  of 
age;  tall  and  graceful,  vigorous  in  health,  fond  of 
athletic  sport,  an  unerring  shot,  and  enhvened  with  _  ^ - 
an  exuberant  flow  of  animal  spirits.  He  immediately  Q  U 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  city  of  Lancaster, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1S12,  when  he  was 
but  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Very  rapidly  he  rose 
in  his  profession,  and  at  once  took  undisputed  stand  'hj  |t| 
with  the  ablest  lawyers  of  the  State.  When  but  jif 
twenty-si.x  years  of  age,  unaided  by  counsel,  he  suc- 
cessfully defended  before  the  State  Senate  ore  of  the 
judges  of  the  State,  who  was  tried  upon  articles  of 
impeachment.  At  the  age  of  thirty  it  was  generally 
admitted  that  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar;  and 
there  was  no  lawyer  in  the  State  wlio  had  a  more  lu- 
crative practice. 

In  1820,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  run  as  a 
candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  elected,  and  for 
ten  years  he  remained  a  member  of  tlie  Lower  House. 
During  the  vacations  of  Congress,  lie  occasionall/ 
tried  some  important  case.  In  1S31,  he  retired 
altogether  from  the  toils  of  his  profession,  having  ac- 
quired an  ample  fortune. 

Gen.  Jackson,  iqion  his  elevation  to  ihe  Presidency, 
appointed  Mr.  Buchanan  minister  to  Russia.  The 
duties  of  his  mission  he  jjcrformcd  with  ability,  which 
gave  satisfaction  to  all  parties.  Upon  his  return,  in 
1833,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate.  He  there  met,  as  his  associates,  Webster, 
Clay,  Wright  and  Calhoun.  He  advocated  the  meas- 
ures proposed  by  President  Jackson,  of  making  repri- 


m 


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1  rri  I'M  ■  1  g'yxifYk'yyi 


76 


JAMES  Bl/CHANAN. 


sals  against  France,  to  enforce  the  payment  of  our 
claims  against  that  country;  and  defended  the  course 
of  the  President  in  his  Uiiprecedented  and  wholesale 
removal  from  office  of  those  who  were  not  the  sup- 
jwrters  of  his  administration.  Upon  this  (question  he 
was  brought  into  direct  collision  with  Henry  Clay. 
He  also,  with  voice  and  vote,  advocated  expunging 
from  the  journal  of  tlie  Si;nate  the  vote  of  censure 
against  Gen.  Jackson  for  removing  the  deposits. 
Earnestly  he  opposed  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  and  urged  the  prohibition  of  the 
circulation  of  anti-slavery  documents  by  the  United 
States  mails. 

As  to  petitions  on  tlie  subject  of  slavery,  he  advo- 
cated that  they  should  be  respectfully  received;  and 
that  tlie  reply  should  be  returned,  that  Congress  had 
no  power  to  legislate  U|)on  the  subject.  "  Congress," 
said  he,  "  might  as  well  undertake  to  interfere  with 
slavery  under  a  foreign  government  as  in  any  of  the 
States  where  it  now  exists." 

Upon  Mr.  Polk's  accession  to  the  Presidency,  Mr. 
Buchanan  became  Secretary  of  State,  and  as  such, 
took  his  share  of  the  responsibility  in  the  conduct  of 
the  Mexican  War.  Mr.  Polk  assumed  that  crossing 
the  Nueces  by  the  American  troops  into  the  disputed 
territory  was  not  wrong,  but  for  the  Mexicans  to  cross 
the  Rio  Grande  into  that  territory  was  a  declaration 
of  war.  No  candid  man  can  read  with  pleasure  the 
account  of  the  coarse  our  Government  pursued  in  that 
movement 

Mr.  Buchanan  identified  himself  thoroughly  with 
the  party  devoted  to  the  pi-rpetuation  and  extension 
of  slavery,  and  brought  all  the  energies  of  his  mind 
to  bear  agdinst  the  VVilmot  Proviso.  He  gave  his 
cordial  approval  to  the  compromise  measures  of  1050, 
which  included  the  fugiiive-slave  law.  Mr.  Pierce, 
upon  his  election  to  the  Presidency,  honored  Mr. 
iT  Buchanan  with  the  mission  to  England. 
3  In  the  year  1856,  a  national  Democratic  conven- 
tion nominated  Mr.  Buchanan  for  the  Presidency.  The 
political  conflict  was  one  of  the  most  severe  in  which 
our  country  has  ever  engaged.  All  the  friends  of 
slavery  were  on  one  side;  all  the  advocates  of  its  re- 
striction and  final  abolition,  on  the  other.  Mr.  Fre- 
mont, the  candidate  of  the  enemies  of  slavery,  re- 
ceived 114  electoral  votes.  Mr.  Buchanan  received 
174,  and  was  elected.  The  jwpular  vote  stood 
r, 340,618,  for  Fremont,  1,224,750  for  Buchanan.  On 
March   4th,    1857,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  inaugurated. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  far  advanced  in  life.  Only  four 
ears  were  wanting  to  fill  up  his  threescore  years  and 
ten.  His  own  friends,  those  with  whom  he  had  been 
allied  in  political  princi|)les  and  action  for  years,  were 
seeking  the  destruction  ol  the  Government,  that  they 
might  rear  upon  the  ruins  of  our  free  institutions  a 
nation  whose  corner-stone  should  be  human  slavery. 
In  this  emergency,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  hopelessly  be- 
wildered     He  could  not,  with  his  long-avowed  prin- 


ciples, consistently  oppose  the  State-rights  party  in 
their  assumptions.  As  President  of  the  United  States, 
bound  by  his  oath  faithfully  to  administer  the  laws, 
he  could  not,  without  perjury  of  the  grossest  kind, 
unite  with  those  endeavoring  to  overthrow  the  repub- 
lic.     He  therefore  did  nothing. 

The  opponents  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration 
nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  as  their  standard  bearer 
in  the  next  Presidential  canvass.  The  pro-slaverv 
party  declared,  that  if  he  were  elected,  and  the  con- 
trol of  the  Government  were  thus  taken  from  their 
hands,  they  would  secede  from  the  Union,  taking 
with  them,  as  they  retired,  the  National  Capitol  at 
Washington,  and  the  lion's  share  of  the  territory  of 
the  United  States. 

Mr.  Buchanan's  sympathy  with  the  pro-slavery 
party  was  such,  that  he  had  been  willing  to  offer  them 
far  more  than  they  had  ventured  to  claim.  All  the 
South  had  professed  to  ask  of  the  North  was  non- 
intervention upon  the  subject  of  slavery.  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan had  been  ready  to  offer  them  the  active  co- 
operation of  the  Government  to  defend  and  extend 
the  institution. 

As  the  storm  increased  in  violence,  the  slaveholders 
claiming  the  right  to  secede,  and  Mr.  Buchanan  avow- 
ing that  Congress  had  no  power  to  prevent  it,  one  of 
the  most  pitiable  exhibitions  of  governmental  im- 
becility was  exhibited  the  world  has  ever  seen.  He 
declared  that  Congress  had  no  power  to  enforce  its 
laws  in  any  State  which  had  withdrawn,  or  which 
was  attempting  to  withdraw  from  the  Union.  This 
was  not  the  doctrine  of  Andrew  Jackson,  when,  with 
his  hand  upon  his  sword-hilt,  he  exclaimed,  "The 
Union  must  and  shall  be  preserved!" 

South  Carolina  seceded  in  December,  i860;  nearly 
three  months  before  the  inauguration  of  President 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Buchanan  looked  on  in  listless  despair. 
The  rebel  flag  was  raised  in  Charleston:  Fort  Sumpter 
was  besieged ;  our  forts,  navy-yards  and  arsenals 
were  seized;  our  depots  of  military  stores  were  plun- 
dered ;  and  our  custom-houses  and  post-offices  were 
appropriated  by  the  rebels. 

The  energy  of  the  rebels,  and  the  imbecility  of  our 
Executive,  were  alike  marvelous.  The  Nation  looked 
on  in  agony,  waiting  for  the  slow  weeks  to  glide  away, 
and  close  the  administration,  so  terrible  in  its  weak- 
ness At  length  the  long-looked-for  hour  of  deliver- 
ance came,  when  Abraham  Lincoln  was  to  receive  the 
scepter. 

The  administration  of  President  Buchanan  was 
certainly  the  most  calamitous  our  country  has  ex- 
perienced. His  best  friends  cannot  recall  it  with 
pleasure.  And  still  more  deplorable  it  is  for  his  fame, 
that  in  that  dreadful  conflict  which  rolled  its  billows 
of  flame  and  blood  over  our  whole  land,  no  word  came 
from  his  lips  to  indicate  his  wish  that  our  country's 
banner  should  triumph  over  the  flag  of  the  rebellion. 
He  died  at  his  Wheatland   retreat,   June    i,    1868. 


fc??-g^^-vl 


■r.'^'fe 


py/^6L^' Uy-^ 


ABRAHAM  > 


iwismm 


Ji^.t±Sl 


BRAHAM  LINCOLN,  the 
sixteenth  President  of  the 
^United  States,  was  born  in 
Hardin  Co.,  Ky.,  Feb.  12, 
1 809.  About  the  year  1 7  80,  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Abraham 
Lincohi  left  Virginia  with  his 
J  family  and  moved  into  the  then 
wilds  of  Kentucky.  Only  two  years 
after  this  emigration,  still  a  young 
man,  while  working  one  day  in  a 
'  field,  was  stealthily  approached  by 
an  Indian  and  shot  dead.  His  widow 
was  left  in  extreme  poverty  with  five 
little  children,  three  boys  and  two 
girls.  Thomas,  the  youngest  of  the 
boys,  was  four  years  of  age  at  his 
father's  death.  This  Thomas  was 
the  father  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  the 
President  of  the  United  States 
J  whose  name  must  henceforth  forever  be  enrolled 
with  the  most  prominent  in  the  annals  of  our  world. 
Of  course  no  record  has  been  kept  of  the  life 
of  one  so  lowly  as  Thomas  Lincoln.  He  was  among 
;  the  poorest  of  the  poor.  His  home  was  a  wretched 
log-cabin ;  his  food  the  coarsest  and  the  meanest. 
Education  he  had  none;  he  could  never  either  read 
or  write.  As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  do  anything  for 
himself,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  the  cabin  of  his 
starving  mother,  and  push  out  into  the  world,  a  friend- 
less, wandering  boy,  seeking  work.  He  hired  him- 
self out,  and  thus  spent  the  whole  of  his  youth  as  a 
laborer  in  the  fields  of  others. 

When  twenty-eight  years  of  age  he  buili  a'  log- 
cabin  of  his  own,  and  married  Nancy  Hanks,  the 
daughter  of  another  family  of  poor  Kentucky  emi- 
grants, who  had  also  come  from  Virginia.  Their 
second  child  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  The  mother  of  Abraham  was  a  noble 
woman,  gentle,  loving,  pensive,  created  to  adorn 
;  a  palace,  doomed  to  toil  and  pine,  and  die  in  a  hovel. 
"  All  that  I  am,  or  hope  to  be,"  exclaims  the  grate- 
ful son  "  I  owe  to  my  angel-mother. 

When  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  his  father  sold  his 


.  ^  i  LINCOLN.  >  ^ 


cabin  and  small  farm,  and  moved  to  Indiana.  Where 
two  years  later  his  mother  died. 

Abraham  soon  became  the  scribe  of  the  uneducated 
community  around  him.  He  could  not  have  had  a 
better  school  than  tliis  to  teach  him  to  put  thoughts 
into  words.  He  also  became  an  eager  reader.  The 
books  he  could  obtain  were  few ;  but  these  he  read 
and  re-read  until  they  were  almost  committed  to 
memory. 

As  the  years  rolled  on,  the  lot  of  this  lowly  family 
was  the  usual  lot  of  humanity.  Thi^re  weie  joys  and 
griefs,  weddings  and  funerals.  Abraham's  sister 
Sarah,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly  attached,  was  mar- 
ried when  a  child  of  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  and 
soon  died.  The  family  was  gradually  scattered.  Mr. 
Thomas  Lincoln  sold  out  liis  squatter's  claim  in  1830, 
and  emigrated  to  iVIacon  Co.,  111. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  then  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
With  vigorous  hands  he  aided  his  father  in  rearing 
another  log-cabin.  Abraham  worked  diligently  at  this 
until  he  saw  the  family  comfortably  settled,  and  their 
small  lot  of  enclosed  prairie  planted  with  corn,  when 
he  announced  to  his  father  his  intention  to  leave 
home,  and  to  go  out  into  the  world  and  seek  his  for- 
tune. Little  did  he  or  his  friends  imagine  how  bril- 
liant that  fortune  was  to  be.  He  saw  the  value  of 
education  and  was  intensely  earnest  to  improve  his 
mind  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  He  saw  the  ruin 
which  ardent  spirits  were  causing,  and  became 
strictly  temperate;  refusing  to  allow  a  drop  of  intoxi- 
cating liquor  to  pass  liis  lips.  And  he  had  read  in 
God's  word,  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the 
Lord  thy  God  in  vain  ;"  and  a  profane  expression  he 
was  never  heard  to  utter.  Religion  he  revered.  His 
morals  were  pure,  and  he  was  unconlaminated  by  a 
single  vice. 

Young  Abraham  worked  for  a  time  as  a  liired  laborer 
among  the  farmers.  Then  he  went  to  Springfield, 
where  he  was  employed  in  building  a  large  flat-boat. 
In  this  he  took  a  herd  of  swine,  floated  them  down 
the  Sangamon  to  the  Illinois,  and  thence  by  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  New  Orleans.  \\'hatcver  Abraham  I,in- 
coln  undertook,  he  performed  so  faithfully  as  to  give 
great  satisfaction  to  his  employers.      In  this  adven- 


n 


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ture  his  employers  were  so  well  pleased,  that  upon 
his  return  tney  placed  a  store  and  mill  under  his  care. 

In  1832,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  he 
enlisted  and  was  chosen  captain  of  a  company.  He 
returned  to  Sangamon  County,  and  although  only  23 
years  of  age,  was  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature,  but 
was  defeated.  He  soon  after  received  from  Andrew 
Jackson  the  appointmentof  Postmaster  of  New  Salem, 
His  only  post-office  was  his  hat.  All  the  letters  he 
received  he  carried  there  ready  to  deliver  to  those 
he  chanced  to  meet.  He  studied  surveying,  and  soon 
made  this  his  business.  In  1834  he  again  became  a 
candidate  for  the  Legislature,  and  was  elected.  Mr. 
Stuart,  of  Springfield,  advised  him  to  study  law.  He 
walked  from  New  Salem  to  Springfield,  borrowed  of 
Mr.  Stuart  a  load  of  books,  carried  them  back  and 
beg.-m  his  legal  studies.  When  the  Legislature  as- 
sembled he  trudged  on  foot  with  his  pack  on  his  back 
one  hundred  uiiles  to  Vandalia,  then  the  capital.  In 
1836  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature.  Here  it 
was  he  first  met  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  In  1839  he  re- 
moved to  Springfield  and  began  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  with  the  jury  was  so  great  that  he  was 
soon  engaged  in  almost  every  noted  case  in  the  circuit. 

In  1854  ihe  great  discussion  began  between  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  Mr,  Douglas,  on  the  slavery  question. 
In  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  in  Illinois, 
in  1856,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  at  once  became 
one  of  the  leaders  in  that  party.  Mr.  Lincoln's 
speeches  in  opposition  to  Senator  Douglas  in  the  con- 
test in  1858  for  a  seat  in  the  Senate,  form  a  most 
notable  part  of  his  history.  The  issue  was  on  the 
ilavery  question,  and  he  took  the  broad  ground  of 
.he  Declaration  of  Independence,  that  all  men  are 
created  equal.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  defeated  in  this  con- 
test, but  won  a  far  higher  prize. 

The  great  Republican  Convention  met  at  Chicago 
on  the  i6lh  ot  June,  r86o.  The  delegates  and 
strangers  who  crowded  the  city  amounted  to  twenty- 
five  thousand.  An  immense  building  called  "The 
Wigwam,"  was  reared  to  accommodate  the  Conven- 
tion. There  were  eleven  candidates  for  whom  votes 
were  thrown.  William  H.  Seward,  a  man  whose  fame 
as  a  statesman  had  long  filled  the  land,  was  the  most 
orominent.  It  was  generally  su[)posed  he  would  be 
the  nominee  Abraham  Lincoln,  however,  received 
the  nomination  on  the  third  ballot.  Little  did  he  then 
dream  of  the  weary  years  of  toil  and  care,  and  the 
bloody  death,  to  which  that  nomination  doomed  him: 
and  aslittle  did  he  dream  that  he  was  to  render  services 
to  his  country,  which  would  fix  upon  him  the  eyes  of 
the  whole  civilized  world,  and  which  would  give  him 
a  place  in  the  affections  of  his  countrymen,  second 
only,  if  second,  to  that  of  Washington. 

Election  day  came  and  Mr.  Lincoln  received  180 
electoral  votes  out  of  203  cast,  and  was,  therefore, 
constitutionally  elected  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  tirade  of  abuse  that  vas  poured  ujx>n  this    good 


and  merciful  man,  especially  by  the  slaveholders,  was; 
greater  than  upon  any  other  man  ever  elected  to  this; 
high  [xjsition.  In  Feijruary,  1861,  Mr.  Lincoln  started; 
for  Washington,  stopiiing  in  all  the  large  cities  on  his; 
way  making  speeches.  The  wiiole  journey  was  froughl; 
with  much  danger.  Many  of  the  Southern  States  had  1 
already  seceded,  and  several  attempts  at  assassination  \ 
were  afterwards  brought  to  light.  A  gang  in  Balti- 
more liad  arranged,  iqxin  his  arrival  to"  get  up  a  row," 
and  in  the  confusion  to  make  sure  of  his  death  with 
revolvers  and  hand-grenades.  A  detective  unravelled 
the  plot.  A  secret  and  special  train  was  provided  to 
take  him  from  Harrisburg,  through  Baltimore,  at  an 
unexpected  hour  of  the  night.  The  train  started  at 
half-past  ten  ;  and  to  prevent  any  possible  communi- 
cation on  the  part  ot  the  Secessionists  with  their  Con- 
federate gang  in  Baltimore,  as  soon  as  the  train  had 
started  the  telegraph-wires  were  cut.  Mr.  Lincobi 
reached  Washington  in  safety  and  was  inaugurated, 
although  great   anxiety  was  felt  by  all  loyal  people. 

In  the  selection  of  his  cabinet  Mr.  Lincoln  gave 
to  Mr.  Seward  the  Department  of  State,  and  to  other 
prominent  opponents  before  the  convention  he  gave 
important  positions. 

During  no  other  administration  have  the  duties 
devolving  upon  the  President  been  so  manifold,  and 
the  responsibilities  so  great,  as  those  which  fell  to 
the  lot  of  President  Lincoln.  Knowing  this,  and 
feeling  his  own  weakness  and  inability  to  meet,  and  in 
his  own  strength  to  cope  with,  the  difficulties,  he 
learned  early  to  seek  Divine  wisdom  and  guidance  in 
determining  his  plans,  and  Divine  comfort  in  all  his 
trials,  both  personal  and  national.  Contrary  to  his 
own  estimate  of  himself,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  one  of  the 
most  courageous  of  men.  He  went  directly  into  the 
rebel  capital  just  as  the  retreating  foe  was  leaving, 
with  no  guard  but  a  few  sailors.  From  the  time  he 
had  left  Springfield,  in  i86r,  however,  plans  had  been 
made  for  his  assassination, and  he  at  last  fell  a  victim 
to  one  of  them.  April  14,  1865,  he,  with  Gen.  Grant, 
was  urgently  invited  to  attend  Fords'  Theater.  It 
was  announced  that  they  would  Le  present.  Gen. 
Grant,  however,  left  the  city.  President  Lincoln,  feel- 
ing, witli  his  characteristic  kindliness  of  heart,  that 
it  would  be  a  disa[ipointment  if  he  should  fail  them, 
very  reluctantly  consented  to  go.  While  listening  to 
the  play  an  actor  by  the  name  of  John  Wilkes  Booth 
entered  the  box  where  the  President  and  family  were 
seated,  and  fired  a  bullet  into  his  brains.  He  died  the 
next  morning  at  seven  o'clock. 

Never  before,  in  the  history  of  the  world  was  a  nation 
plunged  into  such  deep  grief  by  the  death  of  its  ruler. 
Strong  men  met  in  the  streets  and  wept  in  speechless 
anguish.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  a  nation  was 
in  tears.  His  was  a  life  which  will  filly  become  a 
model.  His  name  as  the  savior  of  his  country  will 
live  with  that  of  Washington's,  its  father;  his  country- 
men being  unable  to  decide   which  is   the  greater. 


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ij-: 


NDREW  JOHNSON,  seven- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
'States.  The  early  life  of 
Andrew  Johnson  contains  but 
^  the  record  of  poverty,  destitu- 
tion and  friendlessness.  He 
'/  was  born  December  29,  1808, 
in  Raleigh,  N.  C.  His  parents, 
belonging  to  the  class  of  the 
"poor  whites  "  of  the  South,  were 
in  such  circumstances,  that  they 
could  not  confer  even  the  slight- 
est advantages  of  education  upon 
their  child.  When  Andrew  was  five 
years  of  age,  his  father  accidentally 
lost  his  life  while  herorically  endeavoring  to  save  a 
friend  from  drowning.  Until  ten  years  of  age,  Andrew 
was  a  ragged  boy  about  the  streets,  supported  by  the 
labor  of  his  mother,  who  obtained  her  living  with 
her  own  hands. 

He  then,  having  never  attended  a  school  one  day, 
and  being  unable  either  to  read  or  write,  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  tailor  in  his  native  town.  A  gentleman 
was  in  the  habit  of  going  to  the  tailor's  shop  occasion- 
ally, and  reading  to  the  boys  at  work  there.  He  often 
read  from  the  speeches  of  distinguished  British  states- 
men. Andrew,  who  was  endowed  with  a  mind  of  more 
than  ordinary  native  ability,  became  much  interested 
in  these  speeches ;  his  ambition  was  roused,  and  he 
was  inspired  with  a  strong  desire  to  learn  to  read. 

He  accordingly  applied  himself  to  the  alphabet,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  some  of  his  fellow-workmen, 
learned  his  letters.  He  then  called  upon  the  gentle- 
man to  borrow  the  book  of  speeches.      The  owner, 

•-mmnTTTTYTrrTr-r-m.-TT-.yTinrT. 


pleased  with  his  zeal,  not  only  gave  him  the  book, 
but  assisted  him  in  learning  to  combine  the  letters 
into  words.  Under  such  difficulties  he  pressed  on- 
ward laboriously,  spending  usually  ten  or  twelve  hours 
at  work  in  the  shop,  and  then  robbing  himself  of  rest 
and  recreation  to  devote  such  time  as  he  could  to 
reading. 

He  went  to  Tennessee  in  1826,  and  located  at 
Greenville,  where  he  married  a  young  lady  who  pos- 
sessed some  education.  Under  her  instructions  he 
learned  to  write  and  cipher.  He  became  prominent 
in  the  village  debating  society,  and  a  favorite  with 
the  students  of  Greenville  College.  In  1828,  he  or- 
ganized a  working  man's  party,  which  elected  him 
alderman,  and  in  1830  elected  him  mayor,  which 
position  he  held  three  years. 

He  now  began  to  take  a  lively  interest  in  political 
affairs  ;  identifying  himself  with  the  working-classes, 
to  which  he  belonged.  In  1835,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  Tennes- 
see. He  was  then  just  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 
He  became  a  very  active  member  of  the  legislature, 
gave  his  adhesion  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  in 
1840  "stumped  the  State,"  advocating  Martin  Van 
Buren's  claims  to  the  Presidency,  in  opposition  to  those 
of  Gen.  Harrison.  In  this  campaign  he  acquired  much 
readiness  as  a  speaker,  and  extended  and  increased 
his  reputation. 

In  1841,  he  was  elected  State  Senator;  in  1843,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  Congress,  and  by  successive 
elections,  held  that  important  post  for  ten  years.  In 
1853,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tennessee,  and 
was  re-elected  in  1855.  In  all  these  resjwnsible  posi- 
tions, he  discharged  his  duties  with  distinguished  abiK 


84 


ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


m 


ity,  and  proved  himself  the  warm  friend  of  the  work- 
ing classes.  In  1857,  Mr.  Johnson  was  elected 
United  St-ates  .Senator. 

Years  before,  in  1845,  he  had  warmly  advocated 
the  annexation  of  Texas,  stating  however,  as  his 
reason,  that  he  thought  this  annexation  would  prob- 
ably prove  "  to  be  the  gateway  out  of  which  the  sable 
sons  of  Africa  are  to  pass  from  bondage  to  freedom, 
and  become  merged  in  a  population  congenial  to 
themselves."  In  1850,  he  also  supported  the  com- 
promise measures,  the  two  essential  features  of  which 
were,  that  the  white  people  of  the  Territories  should 
be  permitted  to  decide  for  themselves  whether  they 
would  enslave  the  colored  people  or  not,  and  that 
the  free  States  of  the  North  should  return  to  the 
South  jjersons  who  attempted  to  escape  from  slavery. 
Mr.  Johnson  was  never  ashamed  of  his  lowly  origin: 
on  the  contrary,  he  often  took  pride  in  avowing  that 
he  owed  his  distinction  to  his  own  exertions.  "Sir,'" 
said  he  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  "  I  do  not  forget 
that  I  am  a  mechanic ;  neither  do  I  forget  that  Adam 
was  a  tailor  and  sewed  fig-leaves,  and  that  our  Sav- 
ior was  the  son  of  a  carpenter." 

In  the  Charleston-Baltimore  convention  of  i860,  he 
was  the  choice  of  the  Tennessee  Democrats  for   the 
Presidency.  In  186 1,  when  the  purpose  of  the  South- 
ern Democracy  became  apparent,  he  took  a   decided 
stand  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  held  that  "  slavery 
uuist  lie  held  subordinate  to  the  Union  at   whatever 
cost."     He  returned  to   Tennessee,   and    repeatedly 
imperiled  his  own   life    to  protect   the   Unionists   of 
Tennesee.      Tennessee    having    seceded    from    the 
=j=|i  Union,  President  Lincoln,  on  March  4th,    1862,   ap- 
n]  pointed  him  Military  Governor  of  the  State,   and   he 
3'  established    the   most   stringent  military  rule.      His 
numerous  proclamations  attracted  wide  attention.    In 

1864,  he  was  elected  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States,  and  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  April   15, 

1865,  became  President.  In  a  speech  two  days  later 
he  said,  "  The  American  people  must  be  taught,  if 
they  do  not  already  feel,  that  treason  is  a  crime  and 
must  be  punished ;  that  the  Government  will  not 
always  bear  with  its  enemies ;  that  it  is  strong  not 
only  to  protect,  but  to  punish.  *  *  The  people 
must  understand  that  it  (treason)  is  the  blackest  of 
crimes,  and  will  surely  be  punished."  Yet  his  whole 
administration,  the  history  of  which  is  so  well  known, 
was  in  utter  inconsistency  with,  and  the  most  violent 


opiX)sition  to,  the  principles  laid  down  in  that  speech. 

In  his  loose  policy  of  reconstruction  and  general 
amnesty,  he  was  opposed  by  Congress ;  and  he  char- 
acterized Congress  as  a  new  rebellion,  and  lawlessly 
defied  it,  in  everything  jxjssible,  to  the  utmost.  In 
the  beginning  of  1868,  on  account  of  "high  crimes 
and  misdemeanors,"  the  principal  of  which  was  the 
removal- of  Secretary  Stanton,  in  violation  of  the  Ten- 
ure of  Office  Act,  articles  of  impeachment  were  pre- 
ferred against  him,  and  the    trial    began    March   23. 

It  was  very  tedious,  continuing  for  nearly  three 
months.  A  test  article  of  the  impeachment  was  at 
length  submitted  to  the  court  for  its  action.  It  was 
certain  that  as  the  court  voted  upon  that  article  so 
would  it  vote  upon  all.  Thirty-four  voices  pronounced 
the  President  guilty.  As  a  two-thirds  vote  was  neces- 
sary to  his  condemnation,  he  was  pronounced  ac- 
quitted, notwithstanding  the  great  majority  against 
him.  The  change  of  one  vote  from  the  not  guilty 
side  would  have  sustained  the  impeachment. 

The  President,  for  the  remainder  of  his  term,  was 
but  little  regarded.  He  continued,  though  impotently, 
his  conflict  with  Congress.  His  own  party  did  not 
think  it  expedient  to  renominate  him  for  the  Presi- 
dency. The  Nation  rallied,  with  enthusiasm  unpar- 
alleled since  the  days  of  Washington,  around  the  name 
of  Gen.  Grant.  Andrew  Johnson  was  forgotten. 
The  bullet  of  the  assassin  introduced  him  to  the 
President's  chair.  Notwithstanding  this,  never  was 
there  presented  to  a  man  a  better  opportunity  to  im- 
mortalize his  name,  and  to  win  the  gratitude  of  a 
nation.  He  failed  utterly.  He  retired  to  his  home 
in  Gree«ville,  Tenn.,  taking  no  very  active  part  in 
politics  until  1875.  On  Jan.  26,  after  an  exciting 
struggle,  he  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  of  Ten- 
nessee,«United  States  Senator  in  the  forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, and  took  his  seat  in  that  body,  at  the  special 
session  convened  by  President  Grant,  on  the  jtli  of 
March.  On  the  27th  of  July,  1875,  the  ex-President 
made  a  visit  to  his  daughter's  home,  near  Carter 
Station,  Tenn.  When  he  started  on  his  journey,  he  was 
apparently  in  his  usual  vigorous  health,  but  on  reach- 
ing the  residence  of  his  child  the  following  day,  was 
stricken  with  paralysis,  rendering  him  unconscious. 
He  rallied  occasionally,  but  finally  passed  away  at 
2  A.  M.,  July  31,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  fun- 
eral was  attended  at  Geenville,  on  the  3d  of  -August, 
with  every  demonstration  of  respect. 


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LYSSES  S.  GRANT,  the 
eighteenth  President  of  the 
^"United  States,  was  born  on 
the  29th  of  April,  1822,  of 
Christian  parents,  in  a  humble 
home,  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio.  Shortly  after 
his  father  moved  to  George- 
town, Brown  Co.,  O.  In  this  re- 
mote frontier  hamlet,  Ulysses 
received  a  common-school  edu- 
cation. At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, in  the  year  1839,  he  entered 
the  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point.  Here  he  was  regarded  as  a 
solid,  sensible  young  man  of  fair  abilities,  and  of 
sturdy,  honest  character.  He  took  respectable  rank 
as  a  scholar.  In  June,  1843,  he  graduated,  about  the 
middle  in  his  class,  and  was  sent  as  lieutenant  of  in- 
fantry to  one  of  the  distant  military  posts  in  the  Mis- 
souri Territory.  Two  years  he  past  in  these  dreary 
solitudes,  watching  the  vagabond  and  exasperating 
Indians. 

The  war  with  Mexico  came.  Lieut.  Grant  was 
sent  with  his  regiment  to  Corpus  Christi.  His  first 
battle  was  at  Palo  Alto.  There  was  no  chance  here 
for  the  eiriiibition  of  either  skill  or  heroism,  nor  at 
Resaca  de  la  Palma,  his  second  battle.  At  the  battle 
of  Monterey,  his  third  engagement,  it  is  said  that 
he  performed  a  signal  service  of  daring  and  skillful 
horsemanship.  His  brigade  had  exhausted  its  am- 
munition. A  messenger  must  be  sent  for  more,  along 
a  route  exposed  to  the  bullets  of  the  foe.  Lieut. 
Grant,  adopting  an  expedient  learned  of  the  Indians, 
grasped  the  mane  of  his  horse,  and  hanging  upon  one 
;  side  of  the  animal,  ran  the  gauntlet  in  entire  safety. 


From  Monterey  he  was  sent,  with  the  fourth  infantry, 
to  aid  Gen.  Scott,  at  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz.  In 
preparation  for  the  march  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  he 
was  appointed  quartermaster  of  his  regiment.  At  the 
battle  of  Molino  del  Rey,  he  was  promoted  to  a 
first  lieutenancy,  and  was  brevetted  captain  at  Cha- 
pultepec. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.  Grant  re- 
turned with  his  regiment  to  New  York,  and  was  again 
sent  to  one  of  the  military  posts  on  the  frontier.  The 
discovery  of  gold  in  California  causing  an  immense 
tide  of  emigration  to  flow  to  the  Pacific  shores,  Capt. 
Grant  was  sent  with  a  battalion  to  Fort  Dallas,  in 
Oregon,  for  the  protection  of  the  interests  of  the  im- 
migrants. Life  was  wearisome  in  those  wilds.  Capt. 
Grant  resigned  his  commission  and  returned  to  the 
States;  and  having  married,  entered  upon  the  cultiva- 
tion of  a  small  farm  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  had  but 
little  skill  as  a  farmer.  Finding  his  toil  not  re- 
munerative, he  turned  to  mercantile  life,  entering  into 
the  leather  business,  with  a  younger  brother,  at  Ga- 
lena, 111.  This  was  in  the  year  i860.  As  the  tidings 
of  the  rebels  firing  on  Fort  Sumpter  reached  the  ears 
of  Capt.  Grant  in  his  counting-room,  he  said, — 
"  Uncle  Sam  has  educated  me  for  the  army ;  though 
I  have  served  him  through  one  war,  I  do  not  feel  that 
I  have  yet  repaid  the  debt.  I  am  still  ready  to  discharge 
my  obligations.  I  shall  therefore  buckle  on  my  sword 
and  see  Uncle  Sam  through  this  war  too." 

He  went  into  the  streets,  raised  s.  company  of  vol- 
unteers, and  led  them  as  their  captain  to  Springfield, 
the  capital  of  the  State,  where  their  services  were 
offered  to  Gov.  Yates.  The  Governor,  impressed  by 
the  zeal  and  straightforward  executive  ability  of  Capt. 
Grant,  gave  him  a  desk  in  his  office,  to  assist  in  the 
volunteer  organization  that  was  being  formed  in  the 
State  in  behalf  of  the  Government.      On  the   15th  of 


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[/LVSSBS  S.  GRANT. 


June,  1 86 1,  Capt.  Grant  received  a  commission  as 
Colonel  of  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers. His  merits  as  a  West  Point  graduate,  who 
had  served  for  15  years  in  the  regular  army,  were  such 
that  lie  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier- 
General  and  was  placed  in  command  at  Cairo.  The 
rebels  raised  their  banner  at  Paducah,  near  the  moutli 
of  the  Tennessee  River.  Scarcely  had  its  folds  ap- 
peared in  the  breeze  ere  Gen.  Grant  was  there.  Tlie 
rebels  fled.  Their  banner  fell,  and  the  star  and 
Stripes  were  unfurled  in  its  stead. 

He  entered  the  service  with  great  determination 
and  immediately  began  active  duty.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning, and  until  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Richmond 
he  was  ever  pushing  the  enemy  with  great  vigor  and 
effectiveness.  At  Belmont,  a  few  days  later,  he  sur- 
prised and  routed  the  rebels,  then  at  Fort  Henry 
won  another  victory.  Then  came  the  brilliant  fight 
at  Fort  Donelson.  The  nation  was  electrified  by  the 
victory,  and  the  brave  leader  of  the  boys  in  blue  was 
immediately  made  a  Major-General,  and  the  military 
district  of  Tennessee  was  assigned  to  him. 

Like  all  great  captains,  Gen.  Grant  knew  well  how 
to  secure  the  results  of  victory.  He  immediately 
pushed  on  to  the  enemies'  lines.  Then  came  the 
terrible  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth,  and  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  Gen.  Pemberton  made  an 
unconditional  surrender  of  the  city  with  over  thirty 
thousand  men  and  one-hundred  and  seventy-two  can- 
non. The  fall  of  Vicksburg  was  by  far  the  most 
severe  blow  which  the  rebels  had  thus  far  encountered, 
and  opened  up  the  Mississippi  from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf. 

Gen.  Grant  was  next  ordered  to  co-operate  with 
Gen.  Banks  in  a  movement  upon  Texas,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  thrown  from 
his  horse,  and  received  severe  injuries,  from  which  he 
was  laid  up  for  months.  He  then  rushed  to  the  aid 
of  Gens.  Rosecrans  and  Thomas  at  Chattanooga,  and 
by  a  wonderful  series  of  strategic  and  technical  meas- 
ures put  the  Union  Army  in  fighting  condition.  Then 
followed  the  bloody  battles  at  Chattanooga,  Lookout 
Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge,  in  which  the  rebels 
were  routed  with  great  loss.  This  won  for  him  un- 
bounded praise  in  the  North.  On  the  4th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1864,  Congress  revived  the  grade  of  lieutenant- 
general,  and  the  rank  was  conferred  on  Gen.  Grant. 
He  repaired  to  Washington  to  receive  his  credentials 
and  enter  upon  the  duties  of  his  new  office. 


Gen.  Grant  decided  as  soon  as  he  took  charge  oi%\ 
the  army  to  concentrate  the  widely-dispersed  National  p  J 
troops  for  an  attack    ujxjn  Richmond,   the   nominal; 
capital  of  the  Rebellion,  and   endeavor  there  to   de-; 
stroy  the  rebel  armies  which  would  be  jiromptly  as-Ji.} 
sembled  from  all  quarters  for  its  defence.  The  whole  J-' 
continent  seenv^d  to  tremble  under  the  tpampofthesel"' 
majestic  armies,  rushing  to  the  decisive  battle  field.  St  | 
Steamers  were  crowded  with  troops.     Railway  trains |fi 
were  burdened  with  closely  packed  thousands.     Hisa""! 
plans  were  comprehensive  and  involved  a  series   ofSj^i 
campaigns,  which  were  executed  with  remarkable  en-:  ^ 
ergy  and  ability,  and  were  consummated  at  the  sur-; 
render  of  Lee,  April  9,   1865.  tA 

The  war  was  ended.  The  Union  was  saved.  The  ail 
almost  unanimous  voice  of  the  Nation  declared  Gen.  "h 
Grant  to  be  the  most  promment  instrument. in  its  sal-3?i 
vation.  The  eminent  services  he  had  thus  rendered  ;;;i 
the  country  brought  him  conspicuously  forward  as  the  3=1 
Republican  candidate  for  the  Presidential  chair.  %\ 

At  the  Republican    Convention    held  at    Chicago,  ;-k 
May  21,  1 868,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  the  : 
Presidency,  and  at  the  autumn  election  received    a  ; 
majority  of  the  ]X)pular  vote,  and    214   out   of  294: 
electoral  votes.  : 

The  National  Convention  of  the  Republican  party  : 
which  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the5tli  of  June,  1872,  : 
placed  Gen.  Grant  in  nomination  for  a  second  term  : 
by  a  unanimous  vote.  The  selection  was  emphati-  • 
cally  indorsed  by  the  people  five  months  later,  292  ; 
electoral  votes  being   cast    for  him.  3 

Soon  after  the  close  of  his  second  term.  Gen.  Grant  : 
started  upon  his  famous  trip  around  the  world.  He  : 
visited  almost  every  country  of  the  civilized  world,  : 
and  was  everywhere  received  with  such  ovations  ; 
and  demonstrations  of  respect  and  honor,  private  '■ 
as  well  as  public  and  official,  as  were  never  befoic 
bestowed  upon  any  citizen  of  Ijie  United   States. 

He  was  the  most  prominent  candidate  before  the  S 
Republican  National  Convention  in  1880  for  a  re-  3 
nomination  for  President.  He  went  to  New  York  and 
embarked  in  the  brokerage  business  under  the  firm 
nameof  Grant  &  Ward.  The  latter  proved  a  villain, 
wrecked  Grant's  fortune,  and  for  larceny  was  sent  to 
the  penitentiary.  The  General  was  attacked  with 
cancer  in  the  throat,  but  suffered  in  his  stoic-like 
manner,  never  complaining.  He  was  re-instated  as  t 
General  of  the  Army  and  retired  by  Congress.  The  3 
cancer  soon  finished  its  deadly  work,  and  July  23,  : 
1885,  tlie  nation  went  in  mourning  over  the  death  of  ; 
the  illustrious  General.  E 


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Si? 


NINETEENTH  ^RESIDENT. 


UTHERFORl)  B.  HAYES, 
the  nineteentli  President  of 
^"^  the  United  States,  was  born  in 
Delaware,  O.,  Oct.  4,  1822,  al- 
most three  months  after  the 
death  of  his  father,  Rutherford 
Hayes.  His  ancestry  on  both 
the  paternal  and  maternal  sides, 
was  of  the  most  honorable  char- 
acter. It  can  be  traced,  it  is  said, 
as  far  back  as  1280,  when  Hayes  and 
Rutherford  were  two  Scottish  chief- 
tains, fighting  side  by  side  with 
Baliol,  William  Wallace  and  Robert 
Bruce.  Both  families  belonged  to  the 
nobility,  owned  extensive  estates, 
and  had  a  large  following.  Misfor- 
tune overtaking  the  family,  George  Hayes  left  Scot- 
land in  1680,  and  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.  His  son 
George  was  born  in  Windsor,  and  remained  there 
during  his  life.  Daniel  Hayes,  son  of  the  latter,  mar- 
ried Sarah  Lee,  and  lived  from  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage until  his  death  in  Simsbury,  Conn.  Ezekiel, 
son  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  1724,  and  was  a  manufac- 
turer of  scythes  at  Bradford,  Conn.  Rutherford  Hayes, 
son  of  Ezekiel  and  grandfather  of  President  Hayes,  was 
born  in  New  Haven,  in  August,  1756.  He  was  a  farmer, 
blacksmith  and  tavern-keeper.  He  emigrated  to 
Vermont  at  an  unknown  date,  settling  in  Brattleboro, 
where  he  established  a  hotel.  Here  his  son  Ruth- 
erford Hayes,   the  father  of  President  Hayes,  was 


born.  He  was  married,  in  September,  18 13,  to  Sophia 
Birchard,  of  Wilmington,  Vt.,  whose  ancestors  emi- 
grated thither  from  Connecticut,  they  having  been 
among  the  wealthiest  and  best  famlies  of  Norwich. 
Her  ancestry  on  the  male  side  are  traced  back  to 
1635,  to  John  Birchard,  one  of  the  principal  founders 
of  Norwich.  Both  of  her  grandfathers  were  soldiers 
in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  father  of  President  Hayes  was  an  industrious, 
frugal  and  opened-hearted  man.  He  was  of  a  me- 
chanical turn,  and  could  mend  a  plow,  knit  a  stock- 
ing, or  do  almost  anything  else  that  he  choose  to 
undertake.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Church,  active 
in  all  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  town,  and  con- 
ducted his  business  on  Christian  principles.  After 
the  close  of  the  war  of  181 2,  for  reasons  inexplicable 
to  his  neighbors,  he  resolved  to  emigrate  to   Ohio. 

The  journey  from  Vermont  to  Ohio  in  that  day, 
when  there  were  no  canals,  steamers,  nor  railways, 
was  a  very  serious  affair.  A  tour  of  inspection  was 
first  made,  occupying  four  months.  Mr.  Hayes  deter- 
mined to  move  to  Delaware,  where  the  family  arrived 
in  1817.  He  died  July  22,  1822,  a  victim  of  malarial 
fever,  less  than  three  months  before  the  birth  of  the 
son,  of  whom  we  now  write.  Mrs.  Hayes,  in  her  sore  be- 
reavement, found  the  support  she  so  much  needed-in 
her  brother  Sardis,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
household  from  the  day  of  its  departure  from  Ver~ 
mont,  and  in  an  orphan  girl  whom  she  had  adopted 
some  time  before  as  an  act  of  charity. 

Mrs.  Hayes  at  this  period  was  very  weak,  and  the 


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RUTHERFORD  B.  HA  YES. 


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subject  of  this  sketch  was  so  feeble  at  birth  that  he 
was  not  expected  to  live  beyond  a  month  or  two  at 
most.  As  the  months  went  by  he  grew  weaker  and 
weaker,  so  that  the  neighbors  were  in  the  habit  of  in- 
.  [Hiring  from  time  to  time  "if  Mrs.  Hayes' baby  died 
last  night."  On  one  occasion  a  neigiibor,  who  was  on 
familiar  terms  with  the  family,  after  alluding  to  the 
i)oy's  big  head,  and  the  mother's  assiduous  care  of 
him,  said  in  a  bantering  way,  "  That's  right !  Stick  to 
him.  You  have  got  him  along  so  far,  and  I  shouldn't 
^^i  wonder  if  he  would  really  come  to  something  yet." 

"You  need  not  laugh,"  said  Mrs.  Hayes.  "You 
wait  and  see.  You  can't  tell  but  I  shall  make  him 
President  of  the  United  States  yet."  The  boy  lived, 
in  spite  of  the  universal  predictions  of  his  speedy 
death;  and  when,  in  1825,  his  older  brother  was 
drowned,  he  became,  if  possible,  still  dearer  to  his 
mother. 

The  boy  was  seven  years  old  before  he  went  to 
school.  His  education,  however,  was  not  neglected. 
He  probably  learned  as  much  from  his  mother  and 
sister  as  he  would  have  done  at  school.  His  sports 
were  almost  wholly  within  doors,  his  playmates  being 
his  sister  and  her  associates.  These  circumstances 
tended,  no  doubt,  to  foster  that  gentleness  of  dispo- 
W  re.  sition,  and  that  delicate  consideration  for  the  feelings 
IM^l  of  others,  which  are  marked  traits  of  his  character. 


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His  uncle  Sardis  Bircliard  took  the  deepest  interest 
in  liis  education  ;  and  as   the   boy's   health    had  im- 
proved, and    he  was   making   good  progress  in   his 
studies,  he  proposed  to  send  him  to  college.  His  pre- 
paration commenced  with  a   tutor  at  home;    bat  he 
was  afterwards  sent  for  one  year  to  a  jjrofessor  in  the 
^.|  Wesleyan  University,  in  Middletown,  Conn.     He  en- 
1  tered  Kenyon  College  in  1838,  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
and  was  graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class  in   1842. 
Immediately    after  his   graduation    he   began    the 
'WTf  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Tliomas  Sparrow,   Esq., 
ft     H    in  Columbus.     Finding   his  opportunities  for  study  in 
'^  ~'^  Columbus  somewhat  limited,  he  determined  to  enter 
the  Law  School  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,   where  he  re- 
mained two  years. 

In  1845,  after  graduatmg  at  the  Law  School,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  shortly 
afterward  went  into  practice  as  an  attorney-at-law 
iT  W'  with  Ralph  P.  Buckland,  of  Fremont.  Here  he  re- 
H  [H  mained  three  years,  acquiring  but  a  limited  practice, 
and  apparently  unambitious  of  distinction  in  his  pro- 
fession. 

In  1849  he  moved  to  Cincmnati,  where  his  ambi- 
[iStion  found  a  new  stimulus.     For  several  years,  how- 
ever, his  progress  was  slow.  Two  events,  occurring  at 
this  period,  had  a  powerful  influence  upon  his  subse- 
^^^i|uent  life.      One  of  these  was  his  marrage  with  Miss 
i8™l  ^'^"^y  y^9X<t  Webb,  daughter  of  Dr.   James    Webb,  of 
[Hj!|}  Chilicothe;  the  other  was  his  introduction  to  the  Cin- 
ig^j^cinnati  Literary  Club,  a  body  embracing  among  its 
I  Ski    members  stich  men  as  Chief  Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase, 
I 

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I, 


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Gen.  John  Pope,  Gov.  Edward  F.  Noyes,  and  many 
others  hardly  less  distinguished  in  after  life.  The 
marriage  was  a  fortunate  one  in  every  respect,  as 
everybody  knows.  Not  one  of  all  the  wives  of  our 
Presidents  was  more  universally  admired,  reverenced 
and  beloved  than  was  Mrs.  Hayes,  and  no  one  did 
more  than  she  toreflect  honor  upon  American  woman- 
hood. The  Literary  Cluu  brought  Mr.  Hayes  into 
constant  association  with  )oung  men  of  high  char- 
acter and  noble  aims,  and  lured  him  to  display  the 
qualities  so  long  hidden  by  his  bashfulness  and 
modesty. 

In  1856  he  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  Judge  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas;  but  he  declined  to  ac- 
cept the  nomination.  Two  years  later,  the  office  of 
city  solicitor  becoming  vacant,  the  City  Council 
elected  him  for  the  unexpired  term. 

In  1S61,  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he  was  at 
the  zenith  of  his  professional  life.  His  rank  at  the 
bar  was  among  the  the  first.  But  the  news  of  the 
attack  on  Fort  Sumpter  found  him  eager  to  take  up 
arms  for  the  defense  of  his  country. 

His  military  record  was  bright  ai'd  illustrious.  In 
October,  1861,  he  was  made  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and 
in  August,  1862,  promoted  Colonel  of  the  79th  Ohio 
regiment,  but  he  refused  to  leave  his  old  coniracK^ 
and  go  among  strangers.  Subsequently,  however,  lie 
was  made  Colonel  of  his  old  regiment.  At  the  battle 
of  South  Mountain  he  received  a  wound,  and  whih; 
faint  and  bleeding  displayed  courage  and  fortitude 
that  won  admiration  from  all. 

Col.  Hayes  was  detached  from  his    regiment,  after 
his  recovery,  to  act  as  Brigadier-General,  and    i)laced    ; 
in  command  of  the   celebrated    Kanawha   division, 
and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  in  the  battles 
of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek,  he  was 
promoted  Brigadier-General.     He  was  also  brevetted 
Major-General,  "for gallant  and  distinguished  services 
during  the  campaigns  of  1864,  in  West  Virginia."    In    -.1 
the  course  of  his  arduous   services,  four  horses  were    §|1 
shot  from  under  him,  and  he  was  wounded  four  times.    B;-; } 

In  1864,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  to  Congress,  from    K;fi 
the  Second  Ohio  District,  which  had  long  been  Dem- 
ocratic.    He  was  not  present  during   the    campaign, 
and  after  his  election  was  importuned    to    resign    his    - 
commission  in  the  army  ;  but  he  finally  declared,    "  I    ; 
shall  never  come  to  Washington  until  I  can  come  by    |;P 
the  way  of  Richmond."  He  was  re-elected  in  1866.        -J^ 

In  1867,  Gen  Hayes  was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio,    '- 
over  Hon.  .\llen  G.    Thurman,  a  popular  Democrat,    j  lj 
In  1869  was  re-elected  over   George    H.    Pendleton.    Sk 
He  was  elected  Governor  for  the  third  term  in   187,. 

In  1876  he  was  the  standard  bearer  of  the  Repul- 
lican  Party  in  the  Presidential  contest,   and  after  a    _ 
hard  long  contest  was  chosen  President,  and  was  in    - 
auRurated  Monday,  March  5,   1875.     He  served  his    gfijj 
full  term,  not,  however,  with  satisfaction  to  his  party.    "  " 
but  his  admin vstration  was  an  averaete  on?  ; 


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AilES  A,  CiARl'IELD,  twen- 
tieth President  of  the  United 
States,    was    born    Nov.    ig, 
1831,  in  the  woods  of  Orange, 
Cuyahoga  Co.,  O      His    par- 
ents were  Abram  and    EHza 
(Ballou)    Garfield,   both   of  New 
England  ancestry  and  from  fami- 
lies well  known  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  that  section  of  our  coun- 
try, but  had  moved  to  the  Western 
Reserve,  in  Ohio,  early  in  its  settle- 
ment. 

The  house  in  which  James  A.  was 
born  was    not  unlike  the  houses  of 
poor  Ohio  farmers  of  that  day.      It 
was  about  20  x  30  feet,  built  of  logs,  with  the  spaces  be- 
tween  the  logs  filled  with  clay.     His  father  was  a 
hard  working  farmer,   and    he  soon    had    his   fields 
cleared,  an   orchard  planted,  and  a  log  barn  built. 
The  household  comprised  the  father  and  mother  and 
their  four  children — Mehetabel,  Tliomas,   Mary  and 
James.     In  May,  1823,  the  father,  from  a  cold  con- 
tracted in  helping  to  put  out  a  forest  fire,  died.     At 
this  time  James  was  about  eighteen  months  old,  and 
Thomas  about  ten  years  old.     No  one,  perhaps,  can 
tell  how  much  James  was  indebted   to  his  biother's 
toil  and  self-sacrifice  during  the  twenty  years    suc- 
[:E  ceeding   his    father's   death,    but    undoubtedly   very 
much.     He  now  lives  in  Michigan,  and  the  two  sis- 
ters live  in  .Solon,  O.,  near  their  birthplace. 
■      The  early  educational  advantages  young  Garfield 
enjoyed  were  very  limited,  yet  he  made  the  most  of 
them.     He  labored  at  farm  work  for  others,  did  car- 
l^enter  work,  chopped  wood,   or   did    anything  that 
:  would    bring  in  a  few  dollars    to    aid    his    widowed 
r  mother  in  her  struggles -to  keep  the  little   family  to- 


gether. Nor  was  Gen.  Garfield  ever  ashamed  of  his 
origin,  and  he  never  forgot  the  friends  of  his  strug- 
gling childhood,  youth  and  manhood,  neither  did  the\ 
ever  forget  him.  When  in  the  highest  seats  of  honor, 
the  humblest  fiiend  of  his  boyhood  was  as  kindly 
greeted  as  ever.  The  poorest  laborer  was  sure  of  the 
sympathy  of  one  who  had  known  all  the  bitterness 
of  want  and  the  sweetness  of  bread  earned  by  the 
sweat  of  the  brow.  He  was  ever  the  simple,  plain, 
modest  gentleman. 

The  highest  ambition   of  young  Garfield  until   he 
was  about  sixteen  years  old  was  to  be  a  captain  of 
a  vessel  on  Lake  Erie.     He  was  anxious  to  go  aboard 
a  vessel,  which  his  mother  strongly  opposed.     She 
finally  consented  to  his  going  to  Cleveland,  with  the 
understanding,  however,  that  he  should  try  to  obtain 
some  other  kind  of  employment.     He  walked  all  tlie 
way  to  Cleveland.    This  was  his  first  visit  to  the  city. 
After  making  many  applications  for  work,  and  trying 
to  get   aboard  a   lake  vessel,  and  not  meeting  with 
success,  he  engaged  as  a  driver  for  his  cousin,  Amos 
Letcher,  on  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Canal.     He  re- 
mained at  this  work  but  a  short  time  when  he  went 
home,    and  attended   the   seminary    at   Chester   for 
about  three  years,  when  he  entered  Hiram  and   the 
Eclectic  Institute,   teaching  a  few   terms  of  school  in 
the  meantime,  and  doing  other  work.     This   school 
was  started  by  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in    1850,  of 
which  church  he  was   then  a  member.     He  became 
janitor  and  bell-ringer  in  order  to  help  pay  his  way. 
He  then  became  both  teacher  and  jjupil.     He  soon 
"  exhausted  Hiram  "  and  needed  more  ;  hence,  in  the 
fall  of  1854,  he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1856,  taking  one  of  the  highest  hon- 
ors of  his  class.     He  afterwards  returned  to  Hiram 
College  as  its  President.     As  above  stated,  he   early 
united    with    the   Christian   or   Diciples    Church    at 
Hiram,  and  was  ever  after  a.  devoted,  zealous  mem- 
ber, often  preaching  in  its  (lulpit  and    places  where 
he  happened  to  be.     Dr.  Noah  Porter,  President  of 
Yale  College,  says  of  him  in  reference  to  his  religion  : 


m 


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JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


"  President  Garfield  was  more  than  a  man  of 
strong  moral  and  religions  convictions.  His  whole 
history,  from  boyhood  to  the  last,  shows  that  duty  to 
man  and  to  God,  and  devotion  to  Christ  and  life  and 
faith  and  spiritual  commission  were  controlling  springs 
of  his  being,  and  to  a  more  than  usual  degree.  In 
my  judgment  there  is  no  more  interesting  feature  of 
his  character  than  his  loyal  allegiance  to  the  body  of 
Christians  in  which  he  was  trained,  and  the  fervent 
sympathy  which  he  ever  sliowed  in  their  Christian 
communion.  Not  many  of  the  few  'wise  and  mighty 
and  noble  who  are  called'  show  a  similar  loyalty  to 
the  less  stately  and  cultured  Christian  comnninions 
in  which  they  have  been  reared.  Too  often  it  is  true 
that  as  they  step  upward  in  social  and  political  sig- 
nificance they  step  upward  from  one  degree  to 
another  in  some  of  the  many  types  of  fashionable 
Christianity.  President  Garfield  adhered  to  the 
church  of  his  mother,  the  church  in  which  he  was 
trained,  and  in  wlrich  he  served  as  a  pillar  and  an 
evangelist,  and  yet  with  the  largest  and  most  unsec- 
larian  charity  for  all  'who  loveour  Lord  in  sincerity.'" 

Mr.  Garfield  was  united  in  marriage  witli  Miss 
Lucretia  Rudolph,  Nov.  ir,  1858,  who  proved  lierself 
worthy  as  the  wife  of  one  whom  all  the  world  loved  and 
mourned.  To  them  were  burn  seven  children,  five  of 
whom  are  still  living,  four  boys  and  one  girl. 

Mr.  (iarfieldmade  his  first  political  speeches  in  1856, 
in  Hiram  and  the  neighboring  villages,  and  three 
years  later  he  began  to  speak  at  county  mass-meet- 
ings, and  became  tlie  favorite  speaker  wherever  he 
was.  During  this  year  he  was  elected  to  tiie  Ohio 
Senate.  He  also  began  to  study  law  at  Cleveland, 
and  in  i86i  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  The  great 
Rebellion  broke  out  in  the  early  part  of  this  year, 
and  Mr.  Garfield  at  once  resolved  to  fight  as  he  had 
talked,  and  enlisted  to  defend  the  old  flag.  He  re- 
ceived iiis  commission  as  Lieut. -Colonel  of  the  Forty- 
second  Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  Aug. 
14,  1 861.  He  was  immediately  put  into  active  ser- 
vice, and  before  he  had  ever  seen  a  gun  fired  in  action, 
was  placed  in  command  of  four  regiments  of  infantry 
and  eight  companies  of  cavalry,  charged  with  the 
work  of  driving  out  of  his  native  State  the  officer 
(Humphrey  Marshall)  reputed  to  be  the  ablest  of 
those,  not  educated  to  war  whom  Kentucky  had  given 
to  the  Rebellion.  This  work  was  bravely  and  speed- 
ily accomplished,  although  against  great  odds.  Pres- 
ident Lincoln,  on  his  success  commissioned  him 
Brigadier-General,  Jan.  ro,  1862;  and  as  "he  had 
been  the  youngest  man  in  the  Ohio  Senate  two  years 
before,  so  now  he  was  the  youngest  General  in  the 
army."  He  was  with  Gen.  Buell's  army  at  Shiloh, 
in  its  operations  around  Corinth  and  its  marcli  through 
Alabama.  He  was  then  detailed  as  a  meinberof  the 
General  Couit-Martial  for  the  trial  of  Gen.  Fitz-John 
Porter.  He  was  tlien  ordered  to  report  to  Gen.  Rose- 
crans,  and  was  assigned  to  the  "  Chief  of  Staff." 

The  military  history  of  Gen.  Garfield  closed  with 


his  brilliant  services  at  Chickamauga,  where  he  won   ;:{} 
the  stars  of  the  Major-General. 

Without  an  effort  on  his    part   Gen.  Garfield  was 
elected  to  Congress  in    the   fall  of  1862    from   the 
Nineteenth   District  of  Ohio.     This  section  of  Ohio 
had  been  represented   in  Congress    for   sixty  years 
mainly  by  two  men — Elisha  \Vliittlesey  and  Joshua 
R.  Giddings.     It  was  not  without  a  struggle   that  he 
resigned  his  place  in  the  army.     At  the  time  he  en-   „ 
tered  Congress  he  was  the  youngest  member  in  that   %.\ 
body.      There     he      remained    by    successive    re-    R^iJ 
elections  until  he  was  elected    President   in    1880. 
Of  his  labors  in  Congress  Senator  Hoar  says  :    "  Since 
the  year  1864  you  cannot  think  of  a  question  which 
has  been  debated  in  Congress,  or  discussed  before  a 
tribunel  of  the  American  people,  in  regard  to  which 
you  will  not  find,  if  you  wish  instruction,  the  argu-   ;^' 
ment  on  one   side   stated,   in  almost   every  instance   :■ 
belter  than  by  anybody  else,  in  some  speech  made  in   J^;} 
the  House  of  Representatives  or  on  the   hustings  by   I' 
Mr.  Garfield."  S 

Upon  Jan.  14,  1880,  Gen.  Garfield  was  elected  to  : 
the  U.  S.  Senate,  and  on  the  eighth  of  June,  of  the  : 
same  year,  was  nominated  as  the  candidate  of  his  = 
party  for  President  at  the  great  Chicago  Convention.  ; 
He  was  elected  in  the  following  November,  and  on  : 
March  4,  1881,  was  inaugurated.  Probably  no  ad-  : 
ministration  ever  opened  its  existence  under  brighter  : 
auspices  than  that  of  President  Garfield,  and  every 
day  it  grew  in  favor  with  the  people,  and  by  the  first 
of  July  he  had  completed  all  the  initiatory  and  pre- 
liminary work  of  his  administration  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  leave  the  city  to  meet  his  friends  at  Williams 
College.  While  on  his  way  and  at  tlie  depot,  in  com- 
pany with  Secretary  Blaine,  a  man  stepped  behind 
liim,  drew  a  revolver,  and  fired  directly  at  his  back. 
The  President  tottered  and  fell,  and  as  he  did  so  the 
assassin  fired  a  second  shot,  the  bullet  cutting  the 
left  coat  sleeve  of  his  victim,  but  in.licting  no  further 
injury.  It  has  been  very  truthfully  said  that  this  was 
"  the  shot  that  was  heard  round  the  world  "  Never 
before  in  the  history  of  the  Nation  had  anything  oc- 
curred which  so  nearly  froze  the  blood  of  the  people 
for  the  moment,  as  this  awful  deed.  He  was  smit- 
ten on  the  brightest,  gladdest  day  of  all  his  life,  and 
was  at  the  summit  of  his  power  and  hope.  For  eighty 
days,  all  during  tlie  hot  months  of  July  and  August, 
he  lingered  and  suffered.  He,  however,  remained 
master  of  himself  till  the  last,  and  by  his  magnificent  »= 
bearing  was  teaching  the  country  and  the  world  the  at 
noblest  of  human  lessons — how  to  live  grandly  in  the  S.> 
very  clutch  of  death.  Great  in  life,  he  was  surpass-  J; 
ingly  great  in  death.  He  passed  serenely  away  Sept.  S; 
19,  1883,  at  Elberon,  N.  J  ,  on  the  very  bank  of  the  jlijy 
ocean,  where  he  had  been  taken  shortly  previous.  The  :i}i 
world  wept  at  his  death,  as  it  never  had  done  on  the 
death  of  any  other  man  who  had  ever  lived  upon  it.  j^i 
The  murderer  was  duly  tried,  found  guilty  and  exe-  sM 
cuted,  in  one  year  after  he  committed  the  foul  deed.    \t\ 


Nc^rf.r'r'fn 


CSHHHSS 


-:1 


I 


TWEJSTY.FIRST  PRESIDENT. 


HESTER      A.      ARTHUR, 

p  twenty-first    Preskl^iu   of  the 

United   States    was    born    in 

Franklin  Cour  ty,  Vermont,  on 

the  fifth  of  Ociober,  1830,  and  is 

the  oldest   of  a   family    of  two 

sons  and    five   daughters.     His 

father  was  the  Rev,  Dr.  William 

Arthur,  aBaptistd'.rgyman, who 

emigrated  to  tb.s  country  from 

the  county  Antam,   Ireland,    in 

his  1 8th  year,  and  died  in  1875,  in 

Newton  ville,   near    Albany,   after  a 

long  and  successful  ministry. 

Young  Arthur  was  educated  at 
Union  College,  S<  henectady,  where 
he  excelled  in  all  his  studies.  Af- 
ter his  graduation  he  taught  school 
in  Vermont  for  two  years,  and  at 
the  expiration  cf  that  time  came  to 
New  York,  with  $500  in  his  jxjcket, 
and  entered  the  office  of  ex-Judge 
E.  D.  Culver  as  student.  After 
being  admitted  to  the  bar  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  intimate  friend  and  room-mate, 
Henry  D.  Gardiner,  with  the  intention  of  practicing 
in  the  West,  and  for  three  months  they  roamed  about 
in  the  Western  States  in  search  of  an  eligible  site, 
but  in  the  end  returned  to  New  York,  where  they 
hung  out  their  shingle,  and  entered  upon  a  success- 
ful career  almost  from  the  start.  General  Arthur 
soon  afterward  married  the  daughter  of  Lieutenant 


Herndon,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who  was  lost  at 
sea.  Congress  voted  a  gold  medal  to  his  widow  in 
recognition  of  the  bravery  he  displayed  on  that  occa- 
sion. Mrs.  Arthur  died  shortly  before  Mr.  Arthur's 
nomination  to  the  Vice  Presidency,  leaving  two 
children. 

Gen.  Arthur  obtained  considerable  legal  celebrity 
in  his  first  great  case,  the  famous  Lemmon  suit, 
brought  to  recover  possession  of  eight  slaves  who  had 
been  declared  free  by  Judge  Paine,  of  the  Superior 
Court  of  New  York  City.  It  was  in  1852  that  Jon, 
athan  Lemmon,  of  Virginia,  went  to  New  York  with 
his  slaves,  intending  to  ship  them  to  Texas,  when 
they  were  discovered  and  freed.  The  Judge  decided 
that  they  could  not  be  held  by  the  owner  under  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law.  A  howl  of  rage  went  up  from 
the  South,  and  the  Virginia  Legislature  authorized  the 
Attorney  General  of  that  State  to  assist  in  an  appeal. 
Wm.  M.  Evarts  and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  employed 
to  represent  the  People,  and  they  won  their  case, 
which  then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States.  Charles  O'Conor  here  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  slave-holders,  but  he  too  was  beaten  by  Messrs. 
Evarts  and  Arthur,  and  a  long  step  was  taken  toward 
the  emancipation  of  the  black  race. 

Another  great  service  was  rendered  by  General 
Arthur  in  the  same  cause  in  1856.  Lizzie  Jennings, 
a  respectable  colored  woman,  was  put  off  a  Fourth 
Avenue  car  with  violence  after  she  had  paid  her  fare, 
General  Arthur  sued  on  her  behalf,  and  secured  a 
verdict  of  $500  damages.  The  next  day  the  compa- 
ny issued  an  order  to  admit  colored  persons  to  ride 
on  their  cars,  and  the  other  car  companies  iiuickly 


KXrXTtJXTTTn 


III 


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Ml 


lOO 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


followed  their  example.  Before  that  the  Sixth  Ave- 
nue Coin|)any  ran  a  few  special  cars  for  colored  per- 
sons and  the  other  lines  refused  to  let  them  ride  at  all. 

General  Arthur  was  a  delegate  to  the  Convention 
at  Saratoga  that  founded  the  Republican  party. 
Previous  to  tlie  war  he  was  Judge-Advocate  of  the 
Second  Brigade  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  Gov- 
ernor Morgan,  of  that  State,  appointed  hmi  Engineer- 
in-Chief  of  his  staff.  In  i86i,  he  was  made  Insjjcc- 
tor  General,  and  soon  afterward  became  Quartermas- 
ter-General. In  each  of  these  offices  he  rendered 
great  service  to  the  Government  during  the  war.  At 
the  end  of  Governor  Morgan's  term  he  resumed  the 
practice  of  the  law,  forming  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Ransom,  and  then  Mr.  Phelps,  the  District  Attorney 
of  New  Yoik,  was  added  to  the  firm.  The  legal  prac- 
tice of  this  well-known  firm  was  very  large  and  lucra- 
tive, each  of  tlie  gentlemen  composing  it  were  able 
lawyers,  and  possessed  a  splendid  local  reputation,  if 
not  indeed  one  of  national  extent. 

He  always  took  a  leading  part  in  State  and  city 
politics.  He  was  appointed  Collector  of  the  Port  of 
New  York  by  President  Grant,  Nov.  21  1872,  to  suc- 
ceed Thomas  Murphy,  and  held  the  office  until  July, 
20,  1878,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Collector  Merritt. 

Mr.  Arthur  was  nominated  on  the  Presidential 
ticket,  witli  Gen.  James  A.  Garfield,  at  the  famous 
National  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago  in 
June,  iSSo.  This  was  perhaps  the  greatest  political 
convention  that  ever  assembled  on  thecontinent.  It 
was  com[X)sed  of  the  leading  politicians  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  all  able  men,  and  each  stood  firm  and 
fought  vigorously  and  with  signal  tenacity  for  their 
respective  candidates  that  were  before  the  conven- 
tion for  the  nomination.  Finally  Gen.  Garfield  re- 
ceived the  nomination  for  President  and  Gen.  Arthur 
for  Vice-President.  The  campaign  which  followed 
was  one  of  the  most  animated  known  in  the  history  of 
our  country.  Gen.  Hancock,  the  standard-bearer  uf 
the  Democratic  party,  was  a  popular  man,  and  his 
party  made  a  valiant  fight  for  his  election. 

Finally  the  election  came  and  the  country's  choice 
was  Garfield  and  Arthur.  They  were  inaugurated 
March  4,  188 r,  as  President  and  Vice-President. 
A  few  months  only  had  passed  ere  the  newly  chosen 
President  was  the  victim  of  the  assassin's  bullet.  Then 
came  terrible  weeks  of  suffering, — ^those  moments  of 
anxious  suspense,  when  the  hearts  of  all  civilized  na- 


1 

1 

1 


tions  were  throbbing  in  unison,  longing  for  the  re-  : 
covery  of  the  noble,  the  good  President.  The  remark-  % 
able  patience  that  he  manifested  during  those  hours  jf  | 
and  weeks,  and  even  months,  of  the  most  terrible  suf-  % 
fdring  man  has  often  been  called  upon  to  endure,  was  %\ 
seemingly  more  than  human.  It  was  certainly  God-  J'j 
like.  During  all  this  period  of  deepest  anxiety  Mr.  §l| 
Arthur's  every  move  was  watched,  and  be  it  said  to  his  sf } 
credit  that  his  every  action  displayed  only  an  earnest  S^J 
desire  that  the  suffering  Garfield  might  recover,  to 
serve  the  remainder  of  the  term  he  had  so  auspi-  3j  \ 
ciously  begun.  Not  a  selfish  feeling  was  manifested  3:] 
in  deed  or  look  of  this  man,  even  though  the  most  p  J 
honored  )X)sition  in  the  world  was  at  any  moment  3!-!' 
likely  to  fall  to  him.  3] 

At  last  God  in  his  mercy  relieved  President  Gar-  3 
field  from  further  suffering,  and  the  world,  as    never  : 
before  in   its    history  over  the  death  of    any  other  : 
man,  wept  at  his  bier.     Then  it  became   the  duty  of  -. 
the  Vice  President  to  assume   the  responsibilities  of  3 
the  high  office,  and  he  took  the  oath  in    New  York,  3 
Sept.  20,  1881.     The  position  was  an    embarrassing  ; 
one  to  him,  made  doubly  so  from   the  facts  that  all  3; 
eyes  were  on  him,  anxious  to  know  what  he  would  do, 
what  policy  he  would  pursue,  and  who  he  would  se-  ^j; 
lect  as  advisers.    The  duties  of  the  office  had  been  5r' 
greatly  neglected  during  the  President's  long  illness,  3[ 
and  many  important  measures  were  to  be  immediately  5| 
decided  by  him ;  and  still  farther  to  embarrass  him  he  5" 
did  not  fail  to  realize  under  what  circumstances  he  3t 
became  President,  and  knew  the  feelings  of  many  on  Ei 
this  point.  Under  these  trying  circumstances  President  q? 
Arthur  took  the  reins  of  the  Government  in  Iiis  own 
hands ;  and,  as  embarrassing  as  were  the  condition  of 
affairs,  he  happily   surprised  the   nation,   acting  so 
wisely    that   but    few   criticised    his   administration,    p 
He  served    the  nation   well  and  faithfully,  until  the   p 
close  of  his  administration,  March  4,  1885,  and  was   gl 
a  popular  candidate  before  his   party  for  a  second     '' 
term.     His  name  was  ably  presented  before  the  con-   3'! 
vention    at   Chicago,  and   was  received   with  great   at} 
favor,  and  doubtless  but  for  the  personal  popularity    %\ 
of  one  of  the  opposing  candidates,  he  would  have   p 
been   selected   as  the   standard-bearer  of  his   party   S|' 
for  another  campaign.     He  retired  to  private  life  car- 
rying with  him  the  best  wishes  of  the  American  peo- 
ple, whom  he   had  served  in  a  manner  satisfactory 
to  them  and  with  credit  to  himself.   ' 


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TWENTY-SECOND  PRESIDENT. 


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TEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVE- 
LAND,the  twenty- second  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States,  was 
born  in  1837,  in  the  obscure 
town  of  Caldwell,  Essex  Co., 
N.  J.,  and  in  a  little  two-and-a- 
half-story  white  house  which  is  stiU 
standing,  characteristically  to  mark 
the  humble  birth-place  of  one  of 
America's  great  men  in  striking  con- 
trast with  the  Old  World,  where  all 
men  high  in  office  must  be  high  in 
origin  and  born  in  the  cradle  of 
wealth.  When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  three  years  of  age,  his 
father,  who  was  a  Presbyterian  min- 
ister, with  a  large  family  and  a  small  salary,  moved, 
by  way  of  the  Hudson  River  and  Erie  Canal,  to 
Fayetteville,  in  search  of  an  increased  income  and  a 
larger  field  of  work.  Fayetteville  was  then  the  most 
straggling  of  country  villages,  about  five  miles  from 
Pompey  Hill,  where  Governor  Seymour  was  born. 

At  the  last  mentioned  place  young  Grover  com- 
menced going  to  school  in  the  "  good,  old-fashioned 
way,"  and  presumably  distinguished  himself  after  the 
manner  of  all  village  boys,  in  doing  the  things  he 
ought  not  to  do.  Such  is  the  distinguishing  trait  of 
all  geniuses  and  independent  thinkers.  When  he 
arrived  at  the  age  of  14  years,  he  had  outgrown  the 
capacity  of  the  village  school  and  expressed  a  most 


emphatic  desire  to  be  sent  to  an  academy.  To  this 
his  father  decidedly  objected.  Academies  in  those 
days  cost  money;  besides,  his  father  wanted  him  to 
become  self-supporting  by  the  quickest  possible 
means,  and  this  at  that  time  in  Fayetteville  seemed 
to  be  a  position  in  a  country  store,  where  his  father 
and  the  large  family  on  his  hands  had  considerable 
influence.  Grover  was  to  be  paid  $50  for  his  services 
the  first  year,  and  if  he  proved  trustworthy  he  was  to 
receive  $100  the  second  year.  Here  the  lad  com- 
menced his  career  as  salesman,  and  in  two  years  he 
had  earned  so  good  a  reputation  for  trustworthiness 
that  his  employers  desired  to  retain  him  for  an  in- 
definite length  of  time.  Otherwise  he.  did  not  ex- 
hibit as  yet  any  particular  "  flashes  of  genius  "  or 
eccentricities  of  talent.  He  was  simply  a  good  boy. 
But  instead  of  remaining  with  this  firm  in  Fayette- 
ville, he  went  with  the  family  in  their  removal  to 
Clinton,  where  he  had  an  opportunity  of  attending  a 
high  school.  Here  he  industriously  pursued  his 
studies  until  the  family  removed  with  him  to  a  point 
on  Black  River  known  as  the  "  Holland  Patent,"  a 
village  of  500  or  600  people,  15  miles  north  of  Utica, 
N.  Y.  At  this  place  his  father  died,  after  preaching 
but  three  Sundays.  This  event  broke  up  the  family, 
and  Grover  set  out  for  New  York  City  to  accept,  at  a 
small  salary,  the  position  of  "  under-teacher  "  in  an 
asylum  for  the  blind.  He  taught  faithfully  for  two 
years,  and  although  he  obtained  a  good  reputation  in 
this  capacity,  he  concluded  that  teaching  was  not  his 


ti  rm  vrtTtm 


M      104 


J?.    GROVER   CLEVELAND. 


calling  for  life,  and,  reversing  the  traditional  order, 
ne  left  the  city  to  seek  his  fortune,  instead  of  going 
to  a  city.  He  first  thought  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as 
there  was  some  charm  in  that  name  for  him;  but 
before  proceeding  to  that  place  he  went  to  Buffalo  to 
ask  the  advice  of  Iris  uncle,  Lewis  F.  Allan,  a  noted 
stock-breeder  of  that  place.  The  latter  did  not 
speak  entluisiastically.  "What  is  it  you  want  to  do, 
my  boy?"  he  asked.  "Well,  sir,  I  want  to  study 
law,"  was  the  reply.  "  Good  gracious !  "  remarked 
the  old  gentleman  ;  "do  you,  indeed  ?  What  ever  put 
I  that  into  your  head.?  How  much  money  have  you 
^^1  got-''"    "Well,  sir,  to  tell  the  truth,   I  haven't  got 

lUB,  After  a  long  consultation,  his  uncle  offered  him  a 
place  temporarily  as  assistant  herd-keeper,  at  $50  a 
year,  wiiile  he  could  "  look  around."  One  day  soon 
afterward  he  boldly  walked  into  the  office  of  Rogers, 
Bowen  &  Rogers,  of  Buffalo,  and  told  them  what  he 
wanted.  A  number  of  young  men  were  already  en- 
gaged in  the  office,  but  Grover's  persistency  won,  and 
he  was  finally  permitted  to  come  as  an  office  boy  and 
have  the  use  of  the  law  library,  for  the  nominal  sum 
of  $3  or  $4  a  week.  Out  of  this  he  had  to  pay  for 
his  board  and  washing.  The  walk  to  and  from  his 
uncle's  was  a  long  and  rugged  one;  and,  although 
the  first  winter  was  a  memorably  severe  one,  his 
shoes  were  out  of  repair  and  his  overcoat— he  had 
none — yet  he  was  nevertheless  prompt  and  regular. 
On  the  first  day  of  his  service  here,  his  senior  em- 
ployer threw  down  a  copy  of  Blackstone  before  him 
with  a  bang  that  made  the  dust  fly,  saying  "That's 
where  they  all  begin."  A  titter  ran  around  the  little 
circle  of  clerks  and  students,  as  they  thought  that 
was  enough  to  scare  young  Grover  out  of  his  plans  ; 
but  in  due  time  he  mastered  that  cumbersome  volume. 
Then,  as  ever  afterward,  however,  Mr.  Cleveland 
exhibited  a  talent  for  executiveness  rather  than  for 
chasing  principles  through  all  their  metaphysical 
possibilities.  "  Let  us  quit  talking  and  go  and  do 
it,"  was  practically  his  motto. 

The  first  public  office  to  which  Mr.  Cleveland  was 
elected  was  that  of  Sheriff  of  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
which  Buffalo  is  situated;  and  in  such  capacity  it  fell 
to  his  duty  to  inflict  capital  punishment  upon  two 
criminals.  Li  1881  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  the 
City  of  Buff^ilo,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  with  es- 
pecial reference  to  the  bringing  about  certain  reforms 


ll 


in  the  administration  of  the  municipal  affairs  of  that  %-, 

city.     In   this  office,  as  well  as  that  of  Sheriff,  his  |:i 

performance  of  duty  has  generally  been  considered  Sji 

fair,  with  possibly  a  few  exceptions  which   were  fer-  alii 

reted  out  and  magnified  during  the  last  Presidential  :  H 

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campaign.     As  a  specimen  of  his  plain  language  in  : 

a  veto  message,  we  quote  from  one  vetoing  an  iniqui-  ; 

tous  street-cleaning  contract:    "This  is  a  time  for  g 
plain  speech,  and  my  objection  to  your  action  shall 

lie  plainly  staled.     I  regard  it  as  the  culmination  of  §; 

a  mos   bare-faced,  impudent  and  shameless  scheme  ; 

to  betray  tlie  interests  of  the  people  and  to  worse  : 

than  squander  the  people's  money."    The  New  York  ; 

Sun  afterward  very  highly  commended   Mr.  Cleve-  3 

land's  administration  as  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  and  there-  : 

upon  recommended  him  for  Governor  of  the  Empire  ; 

State.     To  the  latter  office  be  was  elected  in    1882,  ; 

and  his    administration   of  the  affairs  of  State  was  : 

generally   satisfactory.     The   mistakes   he    made,  if  ; 

any,  were  made  very  public  throughout  the  nation  \  (j 

after  he  was  nominated  for  President  of  the  United  ;  1 

States.     For  this  high  office  he  was  nominated  July  jjji 

II,  1884,  by  the  National  Democratic  Convention  at  S;! 

Chicago,  when  other  competitors  were  Thomas  F.  3p 

Bayard,  Roswell  P.  Flower,  Thomas  A.   Hendricks,  gg 


was  elected  by  the  people,  by  a  majority  of  about  a 


Beniamin  F.  Butler,  Allen  G.  Thurman,  etc.:  and  he    ssti 

:';  I 

thousand,  over  the  brilliant  and  long-tried  Repub-  Sti 

lican  statesman,  James  G.  Blaine.     President  Cleve-  rin 

land  resigned  his  office  as  Governor  of  New  York  in  Jh 

January,  18S5,  in  order  to  prepare  for  his  duties  as  rj 

the  Chief  Executive  of  the  United  States,  in  which  \:]\ 

} 

1 


capacity  his  term  commenced  at  noon  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1885.     For  his  Cabinet  officers  he  selected 

the  following  gentlemen:      For  Secretary  of  State,  ;:} 

Thomas  F.  Bayard,  of   Delaware;  Secretary  of  the  jii} 

Treasury,  Daniel  Manning,  of  New  York ;  Secretary  H?) 

of  War,   William  C.    Endicott,    of    Massachusetts;  3i} 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  William  C.  Wliitney,  of  New 

York;  Secretary  of  the  Literior,  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar,  of  ;;[ 

Mississippi;  Postmaster-General,  William  F.  Vilas,  5i} 

of  Wisconsin;  .\ttorney-General,  K.  H.  Garland,  of  Ji} 

Arkansas.  KJ 

The  silver  question  precipitated  a  controversy  be-    »=} 

tween  those  who  were  in  favor  of  the  continuance  of   :n 

"  - 1 
silver  coinage  and  those   who   were   opposed,    Mr.    V'\ 

Cleveland  answering  for  the  latter,  even  before  his    i?  1 

inauguration. 


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NSEL  BRIGGS,  the  first 
gentleman  chosen  to  fill  the 
iiuliernatorial  chair  of  Iowa 
after  its  organization  as  a 
State,  was  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, and  was  Ijom  Feb.  3, 
l«0lj.  His  parents,  wlio  likewise 
were  New  Englanders,  were  Ben- 
jamin and  f^lecta  Briggs.  The 
lyhood  of  our  subject  was 
passed  in  his  native  State,  and  in  at- 
tendance upon  the  common  schools 
he  received  a  fair  education  which 
was  subsequent!}'  improved  by  a 
terni  at  Norwich  Academy.  When 
a  young  man  he  removed  with  his 
parents  to  C'aml)ridge,  (iuenisey  Co..  Ohio,  where 
young  Briggs  engaged  in  the  work  of  establishing 
stage  lines.  lie  also  here  embarked  in  political 
affairs  and  as  a  Whig  run  for  the  office  of  County 
Auditor  but  was  defeated  by  .lohn  Ferguson,  a 
Jackson  Democrat. 

After  remaining  in  Ohio  for  six  years,  the  glow- 
ing accounts  of  the  fair  fields  and  the  fertile  prairies 
of  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  led  him  westward  across 
the  Father  of  Waters.  He  had  previouslj'  united 
his  fortunes  in  life  with  Nancy  M.  Dunlap,  daugh- 
ter of  Major  IJunlap,  an  officer  in  the  War  of  1812. 
Even  prior  to  tliis  marriage  he  had  chosen  a  wife, 
a  lady  who  was  born  on  the  same  day  and  j'ear  as 
himself,  but  of  whom  he  was  soon  bereft.  He 
brought  with  him  to  Iowa  his  little  family  and  lo- 
cated at  Andrew,  in  Jackson  County.     Seeing  the 


opportunity  here  for  resuming  his  former  business, 
he  began  opening  up  stage  lines,  frequentlj'  driving 
the  old  stage  coach  himself.  He  made  several  con- 
tracts with  the  Postofflce  Department  for  carrying 
the  United  States  mails  weekly  between  Dubuque 
and  Davenport,  l)ul)uque  and  Iowa  City  and  other 
routes,  thus  opening  up  and  carrying  on  a  very  im- 
portant enterprise.  Politically,  Gov.  Briggs  was  a 
Democrat,  and  on  coming  to  Iowa  identified  him- 
self with  that  party.  In  1842  he  was  chosen  a 
member  of  the  Territorial  House  of  Representatives 
from  Jackson  Count}',  and  subsequently  was  elected 
Sheriff  of  the  same  county.  He  had  taken  a  lead- 
ing part  in  public  affairs,  and  upon  the  formation  of 
the  .State  Government  in  184(3,  he  became  a  prom- 
inent candidate  for  Governor,  and  though  his  com- 
petitors in  his  own  party  were  distinguished  and 
well-known  citizens,  Mr.  Briggs  received  the  nom- 
ination. The  convention  was  held  in  Iowa  City, 
on  Thursday,  Sept.  24,  1840,  and  assembled  to 
nominate  State  officers  and  two  Congi-essmen.  It 
was  called  to  order  by  F.  D.  Mills,  of  Des  Moines 
County.  William  Thompson,  of  Henrj'  County, 
presided,  and  J.  T.  Fales,  of  Dul)uque,  was  Secre- 
tary. The  vote  for  Governor  in  the  convention 
stood:  Briggs,  sixty-two;  Jesse  Williams,  thirty- 
two,  and  Willi.am  Thomitson,  thirty-one.  The  two 
latter  withdrew,  and  Briggs  was  then  diosen  by  ac- 
clamation. Elisha  Cutler,  Jr.,  of  Van  Buren  Coun- 
tj',  was  nominated  for  Secretary  of  State ;  Joseph 
T.  Fales,  f>f  Linn,  for  Auditor,  and  Morgan  Reno, 
of  .Johnson,  for  Treasurer.  S.  C.  Hastings  and 
Sheperd  Leffler  were  nominated  for  Congress.     The 


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elpotion  wn^;  liolil  Oct.  28.  1846,  the  entire  Deiiio- 
cvatio  ticket  liein"'  sncfcssful.  Urigifs  received 
7.fi20  votes  itnd  his  coinpctitor.  Thomas  McKiiiifht. 
the  Whig  caiuliilnlc.  7,379,  giving  Briggs  a  major- 
ity of  247. 

The  principal  (piestioii  l)etween  the  two  leading 
parties,  the  Democratic  and  the  Whig,  at  this  period, 
ivas  that  of  the  h.inking  system.  It  is  related  that 
1  short  time  ])rior  to  the  meeting  of  the  conven- 
{ion  which  nominated  Mr.  Briggs,  that  in  offering 
I  toast  at  a  l)an(inet,  he  struck  the  key-note  which 
fliade  him  the  jiopular  man  of  the  hour.  He  said, 
"No  banks  l)Ut  earth  ruid  they  well  tilled."  This 
was  at  once  caught  up  liy  liis  party  and  it  did  mcjre 
to  secure  him  the  nomination  than  anj'thing  else. 
His  administration  was  one  void  of  any  special  in- 
terest. He  labored  in  harmonious  accord  with  his 
party,  yet  frequently  exhibited  an  independence  of 
principle,  characteristic  of  his  nature.  The  ]Mis- 
souri  liounchiry  question  which  caused  a  great  deal 
of  excited  controversy  at  this  period,  and  even  a 
determination  to  resort  to  arms,  was  handled  liy 
him  with  great  ability. 

On  his  election  as  Executive  of  the  State,  Gov. 
Briggs  sold  out  his  mail  contract,  but  after  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  service  he  continued  his 
residence  in  .laekson  County.  In  1870  he  removed 
to  Council  Bluffs.  He  had  visited  the  western 
part  of  the  State  l)efore  the  flaj^  of  railroads  in  that 
section,  making  the  trip  l\y  carriage.  On  the  occa- 
sion he  enrolled  himself  .as  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  town  of  Florence  on  the  Nebraska  side  of  the 
river  and  six  miles  above  Council  Bluffs,  and  which 
for  a  time  was  a  vigoious  rival  of  Omaha.  Dur- 
ing the  mining  excitement,  in  1860,  he  made  a  trij) 
to  Colorado,  and  tluee  years  later,  in  company 
with  ills  son  .lolui  and  a  large  party,  went  to 
Montana,    where    he     remained     until     the     year 


I  si;."),    when    he    returned     to    hi-    liomc   in     Iowa. 

.\s  al)ove  stated,  fiov.  Briggs  was  twice  married, 
iiis  first  wife  being  his  comi)auiou  for  a  brief  time 
only.  His  second  wife  Imre  him  eight  (liildnn.  :dl 
of  whom  died  in  infancy  save  two.  and  of  tliese  hit- 
ter, Ansel,  Jr.,  died  May  l.i.  18(17,  aged  twenty- 
live  j'ears.  .John  S.  Briggs,  the  r>nly  -nrvivor  of 
the  family,  is  editor  of  the  Idalin  Hi-rdhl.  pnlili>iieil 
at  Blackfoot,  Idaho  Territory.  Mr>.  l)rigg>  die(l 
Dec.  :50,  1847.  while  her  hu-liaiid  w:i>  (oixcnioi-  of 
the  State.  She  was  a  devoted  Christian  lady,  a 
strict  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Churcji,  ami  a 
woman  of  strong  domestic  tastes.  She  wa>  higlilv 
educated,  anil  endowed  by  nature  witii  that 
womanly  tact  and  grace  which  eualiled  lier  toadorn 
the  high  position  her  husband  li;\d  att.MiiuMl. 
She  dis|3ensed  a  l)ouuteous  hos])itality,  tliongh  her 
home  w;is  in  a  log  house,  .and  was  highly  esteemed 
and  admired  l)y  all  who  met  her. 

(iov.  Briggs  went  in  and  out  among  his  ])eople 
for  many  ^-ears  after  his  retirement  from  the  execu- 
tive ofiice,  and  even  after  his  return  from  the  .Mon 
tana  expedition.  He  was  admired  for  his  able 
services  rendered  .so  unselfishly  during  the  pioneer 
period  of  the  now  great  and  populous  State.  His 
last  illness,  ulceration  of  the  stomach,  was  of  brief 
duration,  lasting  only  five  weeks,  indeed  only  three 
days  before  his  death  he  was  alile  to  be  out.  Ills 
demise  occurred  at  the  residence  of  his  son,  John 
S.  Briggs,  in  Omaha,  Neb.,  at  half-past  three  of  the 
morning  of  Maj'  5,  1881.  His  death  Wiu;  greatly 
mourned  all  over  the  State.  I'pon  the  following 
day,  (iov.  (iear  issued  a  proclamation  reciting  his 
services  to  the  State,  ordering  half-honr  giui>  to  lie 
fired  .ind  the  national  flag  on  the  State  caiiitol  ti 
be  put  at  half-mast  during  the  day  upon  which 
the  funeral  was  held,  which  was  the  following  Sun- 
day succeeding  his  death. 


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GOVERNORS  OP^  IOWA. 


-6^ 


'^'^^^'^t^V^^k^^T^'*^'^^ 


TEPHEN  HEMPSTEAD,  sec- 
ond Governor  of  Iowa,  is  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  where, 
at  New  London,  he  was  born 
Oct.  1,  1812.  He  resided  in 
that  State  with  his  parents 
until  1828,  when  the  family 
came  West,  locating  upon  a  farm 
near  Saint  Louis.  This  was  the 
home  of  joung  Stephen  until  1830, 
when  he  went  to  Galena,  lU.,  where 
he  served  in  the  capacit>-  of  a  clerk 
in  a  commission  house  for  a  time. 
He  was  there  during  the  exciting 
period  of  the  Black  Hawk  troubles, 
and  was  an  officer  in  an  artillery 
lompany  which  had  been  organized  for  the  protec- 
tion of  (Jalena.  After  the  defeat  of  Black  Hawk 
Mud  tlif  consequent  termination  of  Indian  troubles, 
he  entered  the  Illinois  College  at  .Jacksonville, 
wliere  he  remained  for  about  two  years.  On  ac- 
count of  difficulties  which  lie  got  into  about 
sectarianism  and  abolitionism,  he  left  the  college 
and  ivturned  to  Missouri.  He  shortly  afterward 
entered  the  office  of  Charles  S.  Hempstead,  a  prom- 
inent lawyer  of  (Jalena.  and  began  the  stud}'  of  the 
profession  in  which  he  afterward  became  quite  pro- 


ficient. In  1836  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  all 
the  courts  of  the  Territorj'  of  Wisconsin,  which  at 
the  time  embraced  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  and  the 
same  year  located  at  Dubuque,  being  the  first  law- 
yer who  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  that 
place. 

As  might  be  expected  in  a  territory  but  thinly 
populated,  but  one  which  was  rapidly  settling  up, 
the  services  of  an  able  attorney  would  be  in  de- 
mand in  order  to  draft  the  laws.  L'pon  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Territorial  Government  of  Iowa  in 
1838,  he  was,  with  Gen.  Warner  Lewis,  elected  to 
represent  the  northern  portion  of  the  Territor3'  in 
the  Legislative  Council,  which  assembled  in  Bur- 
lington that  year.  He  was  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee .Judiciary,  and  at  the  second  session  vf  that 
body  was  elected  its  President.  He  was  again 
elected  a  member  of  the  Council,  in  1845,  over 
which  he  also  presided.  In  1844  he  was  elected 
one  of  the  delegates  of  Dubuque  County,  f(jr  the 
first  convention  to  frame  a  constitution  for  the 
State.  In  1848,  in  company  with  .Judge  Cnarles 
Mason  and  W.  G.  Woodward,  he  was  appointed 
bj'  the  Legislature  Commissioner  to  revise  the  laws 
of  the  State,  which  revision,  with  a  few  amend, 
ments,  was  adopted  as  the  code  of  Iowa  in  1851. 

In  1850  Mr.  Hempstead  was  elected  Governor  of 


^SS 


m 


-  ^n  s  X  J  rxixxi  rmcxEm ; 


l^'b' .'  ii'^TTT  t'iri  I'si  \  i  vi  '-w  i  ti  w  rt '4  '■'  i 


-■icragat'     -fi^s-! -ss=. 


116 


STEPHEN   HKMPSTEAD. 


mi 
m 


pi    iniijlit  rec-eive  the  oath  prescribed  by  the  Constitu 


the  State,  and  served  with  !i))ility  for  four  3'ears, 
that  being  tiie  full  term  iiiider  tiie  Constitution  at 
the  time.  lie  ipceivcd  i;i,4?<G  votes  against  11,- 
403  cast  fi)i-  Ills  (i|)j)(m('nt,  James  L.  'rhonn)son. 
After  the  vote  had  l)ecn  canvassed  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  inform  the  (Jovernor-elect  that 
the  two  Houses  of  the  Legislature  were  ready  to  re- 
ceive   him    in  joint  cf)nvention,   in  order  that  he 


lion.  Gov.  Hempstead,  accompanied  by  the  retir- 
ing Executive,  Gov.  Briggs,  the  Judges  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  and  the  olficers  of  State,  entered  the 
hall  of  the  House  where  the  Governor-elect  deliv- 
ered liis  inaugural  message,  after  which  the  oath 
was  administered  by  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Su- 
preme Court.  This  was  an  important  period  in  the 
history'  of  the  State,  being  at  a  time  when  the  pub- 
lic affairs  were  assuming  definite  shape,  and  indeed 
it  was  what  might  be  termed  the  formative  period. 
The  session  of  the  Legislature  passed  many  imjiort- 
ant  acts  which  were  approved  by  the  Governor,  and 
during  his  term  there  were  fifty-two  new  counties 
formed.  Gov.  llemiistead  in  his  message  to  the 
Fourth    General    Assembly     in   December,    1852, 

Ijj     stated  that  among  other  things,  the   population  of 

^  the  State  according  to  the  Federal  census  was  192,- 
214,  and  that  the  State  census  showed  an  increase 
for  one  year  of  37,780.  He  also  stated  that  the  re- 
sources of  the  State  for  the  coming  two  years 
"would  l)e  sufticient  to  cancel  all  that  part  of  funded 

Wf   debt  which  was  [)ayable  at  its  option. 

W  Among  the  numerous  counties  organized  was  one 
named  Buncombe,  which  received  its  name  in  the 
following  way :  Tiie  Legislature  was  comi)Osed  of  a 
large  majority  fav(jring  stringent  corporation  laws 
and  the  liability  of  individual  stockholders  for  cor- 
parate  debts.  This  sentiment,  on  account  of  the 
agitation  of  railroad  enterprises  then  being  inaugu- 
Ijrated.  brought  a  large  number  of  jnominent  men 
to  the  capital.  To  have  an  effect  upon  the  Legis- 
lature, they  organized  M  "lobby  I^egislature"  and 
elected  as  (Joveruor,  Verplank  Van  Antwerp,  who 
i  delivered  to  the  self-constituted  body  a  lengthy 
gj  message  in  wliich  he  siiai'i)ly  criticized  the  regular 
General  Assenilily.  Some  of  the  members  of  the 
latter  were  in  the  hal)it  of  making  long  and  useful 
speeches  much  to  the  hindrance  of  business.     To 


Uicsi'  he  especially  referred,  charging  them  with 
speaking  for  "'Buncombe,"  and  recommended  tli:ii 
as  a  la.sting  memorial  a  county  should  be  called  li_\ 
that  name.  This  suggestion  was  readily  seized  on 
by  the  Lcgislnture,  and  the  county  of  Buncombe 
was  created  with  few  dissenting  voices.  However, 
the  General  Assembly,  in  1  KOi,  changed  the  name 
to  Lj'on,  in  licmor  of  Gen.  Nathaniel  Lyon  who  was 
killed  in  the  early  part  of  the  Civil  \\':\v. 

The  season  of  I80I  was  one  of  great  (li^:^ppoint- 
ment  to  the  pioneers  of  Iowa,  and  much  suffering 
was  the  result  of  the  bad  season  of  that  year.  By 
the  year  1854,  the  State  had  fully  recovered  from 
the  depression  thus  produced,  and  that  year  as  well 
as  the  following,  the  emigration  from  tlie  East  was 
unju'ecedented.  The  prairies  of  Illinois  were  liucil 
day  after  daj'  with  a  continuous  caravan  of  oiii- 
grants  pushing  on  toward  Iowa.  Huring  a  single 
month  1743  wagons  bound  for  Iowa  passed  through 
Peoria.  So  remarkable  had  been  the  influx  of  pe(»- 
ple  into  the  State,  that  in  an  issue  of  the  Burling- 
ton Teleyrajjh  appeared  the  following  statement: 
"Twenty  thousand  emigrants  have  passed  througli 
the  city  within  the  last  thirty  days,  and  they  aic 
still  crossing  the  Mississippi  at  the  rate  of  (iOO  a  day." 

At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  which 
occurred  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  IHTil.  (miv. 
Hempstead  returned  to  his  old  home  .it  Dulviupie. 
In  1H55  he  w.as  elected  Countj'  Judge  of  Dubuque 
County,  and  so  acceptably  did  he  serve  the  people 
that  for  twelve  years  he  w.<is chosen  to  fill  that  posi- 
tion. .  Under  his  administration  the  jirincipal 
county  building,  including  the  jail.  po<irhouse,  as 
well  as  some  valuable  bridges,  were  erected. 
Owing  to  ill-health  he  was  compelled  to  retire  from 
l)ublic  life,  passing  the  remainder  of  his  d;iy>  in 
(piietude  and  repose  at  Dubuque.  There  lie  lived 
until  Feb.  Ui,  1883.  when,  at  his  home,  the  light  of 
his  long  and  eventful  life  went  out.  The  record 
lie  has  made,  which  was  an  honoralile  and  distin- 
guished one,  was  closed,  and  Iowa  was  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  one  of  her  most  distinguished 
pioneer  citizens.  He  had  been  an  unusually  useful 
man  of  the  State  and  his  services,  which  were  able 
and  wist',  were  rendered  in  that  unselfish  sjjirit 
whicli  distinguished  so  many  of  the  early  residents 
of  this  now  prosperous  State. 


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AMES  AV.  ORBIKS.  the 
third  geiitleinuii  tu  fill  the 
Kxeoutive  Chair  of  tlie  .State 
of  Iowa,  was  bom  in  tlie 
town  of  Deering,  Hillsbor- 
ough Co.,  N.  H.,  Oct.  20, 
j9  181G.  His  parents,  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Wilson)  Grimes,  were 
also  natives  ()f  the  same  town. 
The  former  was  born  on  the  1  Ith 
of  August,  1772,  and  the  mother 
March  IS),  177;3.  They  l)ecaine  the 
l>arents  of  eight  children,  of  whom 
.Tames  was  the  youngest  and  lie- 
came  one  of  the  most  distinguislied 
citizens  of  Iowa.  He  attended  the 
!i !  district  scho"()ls,  and  in  early  cliildhood  evinced  an 
unusual  taste  for  learning.  Besides  attending  the 
jij  district  schools,  the  village  pastor  instructed  him 
} :  !  in  Greek  and  Latin.  After  completing  his  prepar- 
}:  :  ations  for  college,  which  he  did  at  Hampton  Acad- 
emy, he  entered  Dartmouth  College,  in  Augu.st, 
i  18;32,  which  was  in  the  sixteenth  year  of  his  age. 
{  j  He  was  a  hard  student,  advanced  rapidly,  and  in 
February,  183.5,  bid  adieu  to  the  college  halls,  and 
}  !  with  .lames  Walker,  of  Peterborough.  N.  H.,  he  be- 
™  gan  the  study  of  his  chosen  profession. 


Feeling  that  his  native  State  afforded  too  limited 
advantages,  and,  in  fact,  being  of  a  rather  advent- 
urous disposition,  as  well  as  ambitious,  he  desired 
broader  fields  in  which  to  carve  for  himself  a  fort- 
une. He  accordingly  left  the  home  that  had 
sheltered  him  during  his  boyhood  days,  and  turn- 
ing his  face  Westward  proceeded  until  he  had 
crossed  the  great  Father  of  Waters.  It  was  in 
1836,  and  young  Grimes  was  indeed  3'oung  to  thus 
take  upon  himself  such  responsiliilities;  but  pos- 
sessing business  tact,  determination  and  tenacity, 
as  well  as  an  excellent  [jrofessional  training,  he  de- 
termined to  open  an  office  in  the  then  new  town  of 
Burlington,  Iowa.  Here  he  hung  out  his  shingle, 
and  ere  long  had  established  a  reputation  Avhich 
extended  far  lieyond  the  confines  of  the  little  city. 

In  April,  1837,  he  was  appointed  City  Solicitor, 
and  entering  upon  the  duties  of  that  office  he 
assisted  in  drawing  up  the  first  police  laws  of  that 
town.  In  1838  he  was  appointed  .lustice  of  the 
Peace,  and  became  a  law  jiartner  of  William  W. 
Chapman.  United  States  Disti'ict  Attorney  for 
Wisconsin  Territory.  In  the  early  part  of  the  year 
1.S41  he  formetl  a  ])artnershi|)  with  Henry  W.Starr, 
Es(|..  which  continued  twelve  years.  This  firm 
sto<i(l  at  the  head  of  the  legal  profession  in  Iowa. 
Mr.  (i rimes  was  widely-  known  as  a  counselor  with 


il|j:J 


ST     ^ 


120 


JAMES  W.  GRIMES. 


1 


mm 


WM 


.superior  knowlprlgc  of  the  law,  and  with  a  clear 
sense  of  truth  and  justice,  lie  was  chosen  one  of 
the  Representatives  of  l)es  Moines  Countj'  in  the 
first  Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa, 
which  convened  .at  Hurliiifrton,  Nov.  12.  18.38;  in 
the  sixth,  at  Iowa  City,  Dec.  4,  1 843 ;  and  in  the 
fourth  rieneral  Assembly  of  the  State,  at  Iowa  City, 
Dec.  6.  18.52.  He  early  took  front  rank  among  the 
public  men  of  Iowa.  lie  was  Chairman  of  the 
Judiciary  Ccmimittee  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  first  Legislative  Asseml)h'  of  the  Ter- 
ritory, and  all  laws  for  the  new  Territor}'  passed 
through  his  liniids. 

Mr.  (Jrinies  had  l)econiP  prominently  identified 
with  the  Wiiig  i)arty,  and  being  distinguished  as  an 
able  lawyer,  as  well  as  a  fair-minded,  conscientious 
man,  he  was  a  i)roininent  candidate  for  (Governor 
before  the  convention  which  met  in  February,  1854. 
It  was  the  largest  convention  of  that  party  ever 
held  in  bjwa  and  the  last.  He  was  chosen  as  a  nom- 
inee for  (iovernor.  was  duly  elected,  and  in  Decem- 
ber, 18.04,  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office.  Shortly 
after  his  election  it  was  pro|)osed  that  he  should  go 
to  the  United  States  Senate,  but  he  gave  his  ad- 
mirers to  understand  that  he  was  determined  to  fill 
the  term  of  office  for  which  he  had  been  chosen. 
This  he  did,  serving  the  full  term  to  the  entire  sat- 
isfaction of  all  parties.  He  wtis  a  faithful  party 
leader,  and  so  able  were  his  services  that,  while  at 
the  time  of  his  election  as  (iovernor  Democracy 
reigned  supreme  in  the  .State  anil  its  representatives 
in  Congress  were  allied  to  the  slave  power,  he 
turned  the  .State  over  to  the  Republican  partj'. 

His  term  of  office  expired  Jan.  14,  1858,  when 
he  retired  from  the  ICxecutive  Chair,  only,  how- 
ever, to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  a  United 
States  Senator.  I'lxHi  the  4th  of  March  of  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  took  his  seat  in  the  Senate  and  was 
placed  upon  the  Committee  on  Xaval  Affairs,  upon 
which  he  remained  duiing  hi>  Senatorial  career, 
serving  as  Chairman  of  that  important  c(jmmittee 
from  December,  1804.  .Tau.  1(!.  1804,  Mr.  Grimes 
wa.s  again  chosen  to  represent  Iowa  in  the  Senate 
lit  the  United  States,  receiving  all  but  six  of  the 
vote.>  of  the  (ieneral  As.sembly  in  joint  convention. 

His  counsel  was  often  sought  in  matters  of  gi'eat 
mimient.  and  in  cases  of  jjeculiar  difficulty.     Al- 


ways ready  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  State,  he 
gave,  unsolicited,  land  worth  |i(),00()  to  the  Congre- 
gational College,  at  Griunell.  It  constitutes  the 
"  Grimes  foundation,"  and  '•  is  to  be  applied  to  the 
establishment  and  maintenance  in  Iowa  College, 
forever,  of  four  scholarships,  to  be  awarded  by  tln' 
Trustees,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  faculty.  \- 
the  best  scholars,  and  the  most  promising,  in  any 
department,  who  may  need  and  seek  such  aid.  and 
without  anj'  regard  to  the  religious  tenets  or  opin- 
ions entertained  by  any  ]ierson  seeking  either  of 
said  scholarships."  These  terms  wei'e  imposed  by 
Mr.  Grimes,  and  assumed  July  2(1.  IH05,  by  the 
Trustees.  He  received  the  honorary  degree  of 
LL.D.  in  1865  from  Dartmouth  College,  and  also 
from  Iowa  College.  He  also  aided  in  founding  a 
public  library  in  Burlington,  donating  ^5,000.  which 
was  expended  in  the  purchase  of  costly  books,  and 
subsequently  sent  from  Europe  250  volumes  in  the 
(German  language,  and  also  contributed  000  vol- 
umes of  public  documents. 

In  January,  180y,  he  made  a  donation  of  %5,0()0 
to  Dartmouth  College,  and  i^l.HOdto  the  "Social 
Friend,"  a  literary  society  of  which  he  was  a  mem- 
ber when  in  college. 

His  health  failing,  Mr.  Grimes  sailed  for  Europe, 
April  14,  180y,  remaining  abroad  two  years, 
reaching  home  Sept.  22,  1871,  apparently  in  im- 
proved health  and  spirits.  In  November  he  cele- 
brated his  silver  wedding,  and  spent  the  closing 
months  of  his  life  with  his  family.  He  voted  at 
the  city  election,  Feb.  5.  1872,  and  was  suddenly- 
attacked  with  severe  pains  in  the  region  of  the 
heart,  and  died  after  a  few  short  hours  of  intense 
suffering. 

Senator  Grimes  w.as  united  in  marriage  at  Bur- 
lington, la.,  Nov.  9,  1840,  with  Miss  .Sarah  Elizabeth 
Neally.  Mr.  Grimes  stood  in  the  foremost  ranks 
among  the  men  of  his  time,  not  only  in  the  State 
but  of  the  nation.  The  young  attorney  who  left 
the  gi'anite  hills  of  New  Ilamjishire  for  the  fertile 
prairies  of  the  West,  distinguished  himself  ln)th  as 
an  attorney  jind  a  statesman.  His  jiersonal  history 
is  SI)  insei^arably  interwoven  in  that  of  the  history 
of  the  Strife  that  a  sketch  of  his  life  is  indeed  but  a 
record  of  the  history  of  his  adopted  State  during 
the  years  of  his  manhood  and  vigor. 


m 


J 


^^ALPH  P.  LOWE,  the  fourth 


Governor  <:)f  the  State  of 
Iowa,  was  born  in  Ohio  in 
the  j'ear  1808,  and  like  many 
^>thers  of  the  distinguished 
men  of  Iowa,  eanie  within  her 
borders  in  early  jiioneer 
times.  He  was  a  young  man 
but  a  little  over  thiity  years 
of  age  when  he  crossed  the  great 
Father  of  Waters,  settling  ui)on  its 
western  bank  at  the  then  small  vill- 
age of  Muscatine.  He  at  once 
identified  himself  with  the  interests 
of  the  growing  city,  and  ere  long 
became  quite  prominent  in  local 
affairs  and  of  recognized  ability  in 
questions  of  pulilic  iJolicy.  He  was  shortl}'  after- 
ward chosen  as  a  representative  from  Muscatine 
County  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1H44, 
which  framed  the  Constitution  which  was  rejected 
by  the  i)eople. 

After  tills  Constitutional  convention,  j\lr.  Lowe 
took  no  further  part  in  public  matters  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  He  removed  to  Lee  County  about 
1849  or  ';j(>,  where  he  l)ecame  District  Judge  as  a 
successor  to  George  II.  Williams,  who  was  after- 
ward famous  as  President  (Grant's  Attorney  Gen- 
eral. He  was  District  Judge  five  years,  from  18.52 
to  1857,  being  succeeded  l\y  Judge  Claggett.  In 
the  summer  of  1857  he  was  nominated  bj'  the  lie- 
publicans  for  Governor  of  Iowa,  with  Oran  Faville 
for  Lieuteuaut-Govemor.     The  Democracy  put  in 


the  field  Benjamin  M.  Samuels  for  Governor  and 
George  Gillaspj'  for  Lieutenant-Governor.  There 
was  a  third  ticket  in  the  field,  supported  by  the 
American  or  "'Know-Nothing"  part^',  and  liearing 
the  names  of  T.  F.  Henry  and  Easton  Morris. 
The  election  was  held  in  October,  1857,  and  gave 
Mr.  Lowe  38,498  votes,  against  36,088  for  Mr. 
Samuels,  and  1,006  for  Mr.  Henr}-. 

Hitherto  the  term  of  office  had  been  four  years, 
but  Ijj'  an  amendment  to  the  Constitution  this  was 
now  reduced  to  two.  Gov.  Lowe  was  inaug- 
urated Jan.  14,  1858,  and  at  once  sent  his  first 
message  to  the  Legislature.  Among  the  measures 
passed  by  this  Legislature  were  bills  to  incorporate 
the  State  Bank  of  Iowa ;  to  provide  for  an  agi-icult- 
ural  college;  to  authorize  the  business  of  banking; 
disposing  of  the  land  grant  made  by  Congress  to 
the  Des  Moines  A'alley  Railroad;  to  provide  for 
the  erection  of  an  institution  ft)r  the  education  of 
the  blind,  and  to  provide  tor  taking  a  State  census. 

No  events  of  importance  occurred  during  the 
admiuistration  of  Gov.  Lowe,  but  it  was  not  a 
period  of  uninterrupted  [jrosperity.  The  Governor 
said  in  his  biennial  message  of  Jan.  10,  1860, 
reviewing  tiie  preceeding  two  years :  "  The  period 
that  has  elapsed  since  the  last  biennial  session  has 
lieen  one  of  great  disturbing  causes,  and  of  anxious 
solicitude  to  all  classes  of  our  fellow-citizens.  The 
first  year  of  this  period  was  visited  « itli  liea\y  and 
continuous  rains,  which  reduced  the  measure  of 
our  field  crops  Itelow  one-half  of  the  usual  iHX>duct, 
whilst  the  financial  revulsion  which  commenced 
upon  the  Atlantic  coast  in  the  autumn  of  1857,  did 


tllt:i    123 


RALPH  p.  LOWE. 


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not  ri'.-ich  its  eliiiiax  for  evil  in  our  borders  until 
tlif  yv.w  just  past." 

lie  referred  at  leiiglli  to  liie  elaiiu  of  the  State 
Mjiaiiist  the  I''ederal  (iovernnient,  and  said  that  he 
had  appealed  in  vain  to  the  Seeretary  of  the  Inte- 
rior for  the  payment  of  the  ;')  per  cent  upon  the 
luilitary  land  warrants  that  the  State  is  justly  en- 
titled to,  wliieii  then  approximated  to  a  million  of 
dollars.  The  payment  of  this  fund,  he  said,  "is 
not  a  mere  fa^or  which  is  asked  of  the  General 
(iovernnient,  but  a  subsisting  right  which  could  be 
enforced  in  a  court  of  justice,  were  there  a  tribunal 
of  thi.s  kind  clothed  with  the  requisite  jurisdiction." 

The  subject  of  tlie  l)es  Moines  River  grant  re- 
ceived from  the  (iovernor  si>ecial  attention,  and  he 
gave  a  history  of  the  operations  of  the  .State  author- 
ities in  reference  to  obtaining  the  residue  of  the 
lands  to  which  the  State  was  entitled,  and  other  in- 
formation as  to  the  progress  of  the  work.  He  also 
remarked  "  that  under  the  act  authorizing  the  Gov- 
ernor to  rai.se  a  company  of  mounted  men  for  de- 
fense and  protection  oi  our  frontier,  approved 
Feb.  y,  IKjH,  a  company  of  thirty  such  men,  known 
as  the  Frontier  Guards,  armed  and  equipped  as  re- 
quired, w'cre  organized  and  mustered  into  service 
inider  the  command  of  Capt.  Henrj'  B.  Martin,  of 
Webster  City,  about  the  1st  of  March  then  follow- 
ing, and  were  divided  into  two  companies,  one 
stationed  on  the  Little  Sioux  River,  the  otlier  at 
.Sjnrit  Lake.  Their  presence  afforded  security  and 
gave  quiet  to  the  settlements  in  that  region,  and 
after  a  .service  of  four  months  they  were  disbanded. 

"  Late  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  however,  gi-eat 


alarm  and  consternation  was  again  felt  in  the 
region  of  Spirit  Lake  and  Sioux  River  settlemenl-. 
produced  by  the  ajjpearance  of  large  nundiers  of 
Indians  vn  the  border,  whose  bearing  was  insolent 
and  menacing,  and  who  were  charged  with  clan- 
destinely running  off  the  stock  of  the  settler-. 
The  most  urgent  appeals  came  from  these  settkM>. 
invoking  again  the  protection  of  the  State.  Frcjui 
representations  made  of  the  imminence  of  their 
danger  and  the  losses  akeady  sustained,  the  Gov- 
ernor summoned  into  the  field  once  more  the 
frontier  guards.  After  a  service  of  four  or  five 
months  they  were  again  discharged,  and  paid  in  tin- 
manner  prescribed  in  the  act  under  which  they  were 
called  out." 

Gov.  Lowe  was  beaten  for  the  reiioniiuatiun 
by  Hon.  S.  J.  Kirkwood,  who  was  consi<lere(l 
much  the  stronger  man.  To  compensate  lain  for 
his  defeat  for  the  second  term,  Ciov.  Lowe 
was  apjjointed  one  of  the  three  Judges  under  the 
new  Constitution.  He  drew  the  short  term,  which 
expired  in  1861,  but  was  returned  and  served,  all 
told,  eight  years.  He  then  returned  to  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  gradually  working  into  a  claim  busi- 
ness at  Washington,  to  which  city  he  removed 
about  1874.  In  that  city  he  died,  on  Saturday. 
Dec.  22,  1883.  He  had  a  large  famil}'.  Carletou, 
one  of  his  sons,  was  an  officer  in  the  Third  Iowa 
Cavalry  during  the  war. 

Gov.  Lowe  was  a  man  of  detail,  accurate  and 
industrious.  In  private  and  public  life  he  wa,- 
liure,  upright  and  honest.  In  religious  faith  lie 
was  inclined  to  be  a  Spii'itualist. 


TT?j7m'.'.tl-1' ■■■■■■».■  v.':Hin""l'fJi-Kl'.; 
itmaxx  Hiimuiil'  txmru  ,Ht 


UK  fifth  ( Jovi'i'iKir  of  Iowa 
was  Samuel  .1.  Kirkwood. 
He  was  liorii  in  Hartford 
County,  Md.,  on  his  father's 
farm,  Dee.  20,  1«13.  His 
fatlier  was  twice  married, 
first  to  a  lady  named  Coulson, 
wlm  Ijecame  the  mother  of  two 
sons.  After  the  death  of  tliis 
companion,  the  elder  Kirkwood 
was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  Alexander,  who  liore  him 
three  children,  all  of  whom  were 
%f  sons.  Of  this  little  family  Samuel 
I  was  the  youngest,  and  when  ten 
j'ears  of  age  was  sent  t(j  Washington  City  to  at- 
tend a  school  taught  by  John  McLeod,  a  relative  of 
the  family.  Here  he  remained  for  four  3'ears,  giv- 
ing diligent  .attention  to  his  studies,  at  the  close  of 
which  time  he  entered  a  drug  store  at  AVashington 
as  clerk.  In  this  capacity  he  continued  with  the 
exception  of  eighteen  months,  until  he  reached  his 
majority.  During  the  interval  referred  to,  young 
Kirkwood  was  living  the  life  of  a  pedagogue  in 
York  County.  Pa. 

In  the  year  1«35.  Samuel  fpiit  Washington  and 
eume  westward  to  Richland  Connty,  Ohio,  llis 
father  and  Ijrother  had  preceded  him  from  Mai_y- 
land,  locating  upon  a  timljeretl  farm  in  the  Buckeye 
State.  Here  Samuel  lent  them  valuaf)le  assistance 
in  clearing  the  farm.  He  was  aml)itious  to  enter 
the  legal  profession,  and  iu  the  yeai'  1841,  an  oppor- 


tunity was  affordt'd  liim  to  enter  the  oflice  of 
Thomas  W.  Bartley,  afterward  (iovernor  of  Ohio. 
The  following  two  years  lie  gave  diligent  a|)plica- 
tion  to  his  books,  and  iu  184:5,  was  admitted  to 
practice  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  Ohio.  He  was 
then  fortunate  enough  to  form  an  association  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  with  his  former  pre- 
ceptor, which  relations  continued  for  eight  years. 

From  184.1  to  1849  he  served  as  Prosecuting 
Attorney  of  his  county.  In  184!)  he  w.as  elected 
as  a  Democrat  to  represent  his  county  and  district 
in  the  Constitutional  Convention.  In  18.")1  Mr. 
Bartley,  his  partner,  having  been  elected  to  the 
Supreme  Judiciary  of  the  State,  Kirkwood  formed 
a  partnershii>  with  liarnalias  Barns,  with  whom  he 
continued  to  practice  until  the  spring  of  1855,' 
when  he  removed  to  the  West. 

Up  to  18.54  ]Mr.  Kirkwood  had  acted  witli  the 
Democratic  party.  But  the  measures  proposed  and 
sustained  that  year  liy  the  Democracy  in  Congi'ess, 
concenti.ited  in  what  was  known  as  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  Act,  drove  him  with  hosts  of  anti-slavery 
Democrats  out  of  the  party.  He  was  besouglit  l)y 
the  ojiposition  in  the  "Richland  District"  to  be- 
come their  candidate  for  Congress.  l)ut  <lei-lined. 
In  18;'),)  he  came  to  Iowa  and  settled  two  miles 
northwest  of  Iow;i  City,  entering  into  a  partnership 
with  his  In-other-in-law.  Kzckiel  Clark,  in  tiie  mill- 
ing business,  .-md  kept  aloof  from  piilijic  affairs. 
He  could  not  long  conceal  his  record  and  al)ilities 
from  his  neighbors,  however,  and  in  18.1t;  he  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate  from  the  district  com- 


■'■■  '< -I'lUi'V- •■■■•■''■•  ■I- '■■■ ' 


nnutiuuinxiui-ixnumxiJ 


tTEoSxo  nocuuzu  nn  oinx 


KJIIliatLIUi 


;.i^y^c 


128 


SAMUEL  J.  KIRKAVOOD. 


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posed  of  the  counties  of  Io\v:i  and  .lohuson,  and 
served  in  the  last  session  of  the  Legislature  lield  at 
Iowa  City  and  the   lirst  one  held  at  I)es  Moines. 

In  l.s.V.)  Mr.  Khkw<ji)d  was  made  the  standard- 
licarer  of  the  Re|)ul)lieans  of  Iowa,  and  though  he 
liad  as  able  and  popular  a  eompetitor  as  Gen.  A. 
t'.  Dodge,  he  was  elected  (iovernor  of  Iowa  by  a 
niaji>rity  iif  (ivcr  .i.OOl).  lie  was  inaugurated  .Tan. 
11,  ISOO.  IJefore  the  expiration  of  his  first  term 
eanie  the  great  Civil  War.  As  ( Iovernor,  during 
the  darkest  days  <if  the  Rel)ellion.  he  performed  an 
exceedingly  important  duty.  He  secured  a  prompt 
response  by  volunteers  to  all  recpiisitions  by  the 
Federal  Government  on  the  State  for  troops,  so 
that  during  his  (iovernorship  no  "draft"  took 
place  in  Iowa,  and  no  regiment,  except  the  first, 
enlisted  for  less  than  three  years.  At  the  same 
time  he  maintained  the  State's  financial  credit. 
The  Legislature,  at  its  extra  .se.ssi()U  in  IfSlJl, 
authorized  the  .sale  of  $800,000  in  bonds,  to  assist 
in  arming  and  equipping  troojjs.  So  frugall}-  was 
this  work  done,  that  but  *300,000  of  the  bonds 
were  sold,  and  the  remaining  $.J00,000  not  having 
been  required,  the  bonds  representing  this  amount 
were  destroyed  by  order  of  the  succeeding  Legis- 
lature. 

In  Octoljer,  18Gl,Gov.  Kirkwood  was,  with  com- 
[laratively  little  opposition,  re-elected — an  honor 
accorded  for  the  first  time  in  the  historj-  of  the 
State.  His  majority  was  about  18,000.  During 
his  second  term  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Lincoln  to  l)e  ^linister  to  Denmark,  but  he  declined 
to  enter  upon  his  diplomatic  duties  until  the  expir- 
ation of  his  term  as  Governor.  Tlie  position  was 
kept  open  for  him  until  that  time,  but,  when  it 
came,  pressing  private  business  compelled  a  declin- 
ation of  the  ottice  altogether. 

In  January,  1  86(5,  he  was  a  prominent  canditlati^ 
before  the  Legislature  for  United  Stales  .Senator. 
Senator  Harlan  had  resigned  the  Senatorsliip  upon 


his  appoinlnicnl  to  the  oliicc  of  Scrrclaiy  of  llic 
Interior  liy  President  l.incohi.  just  before  his 
death,  liut  had  withdrawn  from  the  ealiinet  soon 
after  the  accession  of  Mr.  .Johnson  to  the  Presi- 
dency. In  this  wajMt  hap|»ened  that  tiie  Legisla- 
ture had  two  terms  of  United  States  Senator  to  lill, 
a  .short  term  of  two  years,  to  fill  Harlan's  luiexpired 
term,  and  a  long  term  of  six  years  to  immediately 
succeed  this;  and  Harlan  had  now  Ijecome  a  candi- 
date for  his  own  successorship,  to  which  Kirkwood 
also  aspired.  Ultimately,  Kirkwood  was  elected 
for  the  first  and  Harlan  for  the  .second  term.  Dur- 
ing his  brief  Senatorial  service,  Kirkwood  did  not 
hesitate  to  measure  swords  witli  Senator  Snmner, 
whose  natural  egotism  had  begotten  in  liini  .-ui  ar- 
rogant and  dictatorial  manner,  borne  witli  liuiidily 
until  then  by  his  colleagues,  in  deferenee  to  his 
long  experience  and  eminent  ability,  but  unpalata- 
ble to  an  independent  Western  Senator  like  Kirk- 
wood. 

At  the  close  of  his  Senatorial  term.  .March  1, 
1867,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  which  a  few 
years  later  he  relinquished  to  accei)t  the  Presidcnc\- 
of  the  Iowa  City  Savings  B.ank.  In  187.')  he  was 
again  elected  Governor,  and  was  inaugurated  Jan. 
i;i,  187(i.  He  served  but  little  over  a  j'ear,  as 
early  in  1877  he  was  chosen  United  States  Senator. 
He  filled  this  position  four  years,  resigning  to  be- 
come Secretary  of  the  Interior  in  President  Gar- 
field's Cabinet.  In  this  office  he  was  succeeded, 
Ai)ril  17,  1882,  by  Henry  ]M.  Teller,  of  Colorado. 

(iov.  Kirkwood  returned  to  Iowa  Cit^',  his  home, 
where  he  still  resides,  being  now  advanced  in  yeai-s. 
He  was  married  in  1843,  to  Miss  Jane  Clark,  a  na- 
tive of  Oluo. 

In  1880  Mr.  Kirkwood  was  tionunated  for  Con- 
grt'ss  l)y  the  Repulilicans  of  his  district.  Consider- 
.-dile  interest  was  manifested  in  the  content.  a>  lioth 
the  Labor  and  Democratic  parties  had  i)oi)uhir  can- 
didates in  the  lield. 


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1 I- 


ILLIAM  M.  STONE,  the 
sixth  Governor  of  Iowa,  was 
born  Oct.  14,  1827.  His 
parents,  Truman  and  La- 
vina  (North)  Stone,  who 
were  of  English  ancestry, 
lOved  to  Lewis  County,  N. 
.,  when  William  was  but  a 
illiam's  gTandfather,  Aaron 
the  second  war  with  En- 
gland. When  our  subject  Avas  six  years 
of  age  his  i)arents  moved  into  Ohio,  lo- 
cating in  Coshocton  County.  Like  many 
other  self-made  men,  William  M.  had  few 
advantages.  He  never  attended  a  school 
of  any  kind  more  than  twelve  months. 
In  boyhood  he  was  for  two  seasons  a  team-driver 
on  the  Ohio  Canal.  At  seventeen  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  the  ehairmaker's  trade,  and  he  followed 
that  business  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  reading  law  meantime  during  his  spai-e  hours, 
wherever  he  happened  to  be.  He  commenced  at 
Coshocton,  with  James  Mathews,  who  afterward 
became  his  father-in-law;  continued  his  reading 
with  Gen.  Lucius  V.  Pierce,  of  Aki'on,  and  finished 
with  Ezra  B.  Taylor,  of  Ravenna.  He  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  August,  1851,  by  Peter  Hitchcock 
and  Rufus  P.  Ranney,  Supreme  Judges-  holding  a 
terra  of  court  at  Ravenna, 


After  practicing  three  years  at  Coshocton  with 
his  old  preceptor,  James  Mathews,  he,  in  November, 
18.54,  settled  in  Knoxville,  which  has  remained  his 
home  since.  The  year  after  locating  here  Mr. 
Stone  purchased  the  Knoxville  Journal,  and  was 
one  of  the  prime  movers  in  forming  the  Repulilican 
partj-  in  Iowa,  being  the  first  editor  to  suggest  a 
State  Convention,  which  met  Feb.  22,  1856,  and 
completed  the  organization.  In  the  autumn  of  the 
same  year  he  was  a  Presidential  elector  on  the  Re- 
publican ticket. 

In  April,  1857,  Mr.  Stone  was  chosen  Judge  of 
the  Eleventh  Judicial  District.  He  was  elected 
Judge  of  the  Sixth  Judicial  District  when  the  new 
Constitution  went  into  operation  in  1.S58,  and  was 
serving  on  the  bench  when  tiie  American  flag  was 
stricken  down  at  Fort  Suintei-.  At  that  time, 
April,  1861,  he  was  holding  court  in  Fairfield, 
Jefferson  County,  and  when  the  news  came  of  the 
insult  to  the  old  flag  he  immediately  adjourned 
court  and  prei)ared  for  what  he  believed  to  be  more 
important  duties — duties  to  his  country. 

In  May  he  enlisted  as  a  private;  was  made  Cap- 
tain of  Co.  B,  Third  Iowa  Inf.,  and  was  subse- 
quently promoted  to  Major.  With  that  regiment 
he  was  at  the  battle  of  Blue  Mill,  Mo.,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1861,  where  he  was  wounded.  At  Shiloh,  the 
following  spring,  he  commanded  the  regiment  and 
was  taken  prisoner,     By  order  of  Jefferson  Davis 


mm 


^ 


ULgijTTXMiJLimaxxr  i 


:iuxziTXXi  I 


132 


WILLIAM  M.  STONE. 


iPll 


\MM 


he  vvas  paroled  for  the  time  of  forty  (l:iys.  with 
orders  to  repair  to  Washington,  and  if  possible 
secure  an  agreement  for  :i  eartel  for  a  general  ex- 
ehange  of  pi'isoiiei>.  and  to  retnru  as  a  prisoner  if 
he  did  not  sueeeed.  Failing  t(;  secure  tliat  result 
within  the  period  specified,  he  returueil  to  Kich- 
uioud  and  h;id  hi^  |iai'ole  exleuded  fifteen  days;  re- 
])airing  again  to  \\'a>hington.  he  etfeeteil  iii>  imr- 
jiose  and  was  exchanged. 

In  Augu.st,  If^fi'i.  lie  was  appointed  liy  Gov. 
Kirkwood  Colonel  of  the  Twenty -second  Iowa 
Infantry,  which  rendezvoused  and  organized  at 
Camp  Pope.  Iowa  City,  the  same  iinmth.  The 
regiment  vvas  occui)ied  f(jr  several  months  in  guard- 
ing supply  stores  .-uid  tile  railro.ad,  and  escorting 
sup|ily  tr.-nn>  to  the  Army  of  the  Sonthea.st  Mis- 
souri until  .Ian.  27.  18(;;3,  when  it  received  orders 
to  join  the  ;irmy  under  (len.  Davidson,  at  West 
riinus.  .Mo.  .Mlcr  a  niarcli  of  five  days  it  reached 
its  de>tinatiou.  and  was  brigaded  with  the  Twenty- 
first  and  Twenty-third  Iowa  regiments,  Col.  Stone 
commanding,  and  was  designated  the  First  Brigade, 
l'"ii>t  Division,  Army  of  Southeast  .Missouri.  April 
1  found  Col.  Stone  at  Miliiken's  liend.  La.,  to  assist 
(irantintiie  capture  of  ^'lcksburg.  He  was  now 
in  immediate  command  of  his  regiment,  which 
irmed  a  part  of  a  brigade  under  Col.  C.  L.  Harris, 
of  the  I<;ieventh  Wisconsin.  In  the  advance  upon 
Fort  Gibson  Col.  Harris  was  taken  sick,  and  Col. 
Stone  was  again  in  charge  of  a  brigade.  In  the 
battle  of  Port  Gibson  the  Colonel  and  his  com- 
mand distinguished  themselves,  and  were  successful. 


The  lirigade  was  in  the  reserve  at  (  hamiiion  llilj-. 
and  in  active  skirmish  at  Hlack  Kiver. 

<  )u  the  evening  of  May  21  {  ol.  Stone  rcciived 
j  (Jen.  (iranl'>  order  for  a  gcn<M';d  a»ault  on  the 
j  enemy's  lines  at  10  A.  .M.  on  the  2211.  In  this 
chai'ge.  which  w.as  unsiu'ccssfnl.  Col.  Stone  «.is 
again  wounded,  receiving  a  guu>hot  in  the  left 
forearm.  Col.  .Stone  commanded  a  i)rigade  until 
the  last  of  August,  when,  being  oi'dered  to  the  (!ulf 
Department,  he  roigned.  He  had  beeume  \ery 
popular  with  the  peojile  of  Iowa. 

He  was  nominated  in  a  Repidilican  couNcnlinn, 
held  ;it  l)es  Moines  in  .luue.  ISi;;!,  and  w.-i.s  elected 
l)y  a  very  large  majority.  He  was  breveted  Brig- 
adier-General in  IsilU.  during  his  first  year  a-  (iov- 
ernor.  He  was  inaugurated  .Ian.  II.  1  sr,  f,  anil  w,-is 
re-elected  in  186.5,  his  four  years  in  ollice  closing 
Jan.  l(j,  18G8.  His  majority  in  1S(;;5  was  ue;irly 
30,000,  and  in  IsO.")  about  1(;..")()().  His  dimiui>hed 
vote  in  18lj.j  was  due  to  the  fact  that  he  was  very 
strongly  committed  in  favor  of  negi'o  suffrage. 

Gov.  .Stone  made  a  very  energetic  and  eflicient 
Executive.  Since  the  expiration  of  his  guliernatoriid 
term  he  has  sought  to  cscajie  the  iiul)lic  notice,  ami 
has  given  his  time  to  his  private  business  interest-. 
He  is  in  partnership  with  Hon.  U.  B.  A>res,  of 
Kuoxville.  in  legal  iiractice. 

lie  was  elected  to  the  General  Assembly  in  ls77. 
and  .served  one  term. 

In  M.ay,  1857,  he  married  Miss  Carloaet  Mathews, 
a  native  of  Ohio,  then  residing  in  Knoxville.  They 
have  one  sou — William  A. 


\Sr^. 


EiiSksHa" 


m?^w^m 


GOVERNORS  OF  lOAVA. 


**J5i^fc^' 


r ofo..@S><!}i5)..o*o.. 


AMUEL  MERRILL,  Governor 
from  1868  to  1872,  was  born 
in  Oxford  County.  Maine. 
Aug.  7.  1 822.  He  is  a  de- 
scendant on  his  mother's,  side 
of  Peter  Hill,  who  came  from 
England  and  settled  in  Maine 
in  1653.  From  this  ancestry  have 
sprung  most  of  the  Hills  in  Ameri- 
ca. On  his  father's  side  he  is  a  de- 
eendant  of  Nathaniel  Merrill,  who 
came  from  England  in  l(i.")(),and  lo- 
cated in  Massachusetts.  Nathaniel 
had  a  son,  Daniel,  who  in  turn  had 
a  son  named  .John,  and  he  in  turn 
Ijegat  a  son  called  Thomas.  The 
latter  was  born  Dec.  18,  1708.  On  the  4tli  of  Aug- 
ust. 1728.  was  born  to  him  a  son,  Samuel,  who  was 
m.arried  and  had  a  family  of  twelve  children,  one  of 
whom,  Abel,  was  taken  by  his  father  to  Bosttm  in 
17."»().  Aliel  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Page,  who 
had  five  children,  one  of  whom,  Abel,  Jr.,  was  the 
father  of  our  subject.  He  married  Abigail  Hill 
June  25,  1809,  and  to  them  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren, Samuel  being  the  youngest  but  one.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  Samuel  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Buxton,  Maine,  the  native  place  of  his  mother, 
where  his  time  was  employed  in  turns  in  teaching 
and  attending  school  until  he  attained  his  majority. 
Having  determined  to  make  teaching  a  profession, 
and  feeling  that  the  .South  offered  better  opportu- 
nities, he  immediately  set  out  for  that  section.     He 


remained,  however,  Init  a  short  time,  as  he  saj's  '■  he 
was  born  too  far  North."  .Suspicion  having  been 
raised  as  to  his  abolition  (ii'inciiiles  and  finding  the 
element  not  altogether  congenial,  he  soon  abandoned 
the  sunny  South  and  went  to  the  old  Granite  State, 
where  the  next  several  years  were  spent  in  farming. 
In  1847  he  moved  t(j  Tain  worth,  N.  H.,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  company  with 
a  brother,  in  which  lie  was  cpiite  successful.  Not 
being  satisfied  with  tlie  limited  resources  of  North- 
ern New  England  he  determined  t(»  try  his  good 
fortune  on  the  broad  [)rairies  of  the  feitile  West. 

It  was  in  the  year  185U  that  Mr.  Merrill  turned 
his  face  toward  the  setting  sun,  finding  a  desirable 
location  near  McGregor,  Iowa,  where  lie  estalilislied 
a  branch  house  of  the  ohl  firm.  The  popuhition  in- 
creased, as  also  did  their  trade,  and  their  house  be- 
came one  of  the  most  extensive  wholesale  estalilish- 
inents  on  the  Upper  Mississipi)i.  During  all  these 
j'ears  of  business  Mr.  Merrill  took  an  active  part  in 
politics.  In  lS54he  was  chosen  on  the  alxilition 
ticket  to  the  Legislature  of  New  llami)siiire.  The 
following  year  he  was  again  returned  to  the  Legis- 
lature, and  doubtless  had  lie  remained  in  that  State 
would  have  risen  still  higher.  Incoming  to  Iowa 
his  experience  and  altility  were  demaiide<l  by  his 
neighbors,  and  he  was  here  called  into  pulilic  serv- 
ice. He  was  sent  to  the  Legislatuic.  and  tiiough 
assembled  with  the  most  distingui>hcd  men  of  his 
time,  took  a  leading  \Kwi  in  the  important  services 
demanded  of  that  body.  The  Legislature  was  con- 
vened in  an  extra  session  of   1«61,   to  provide  for 


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136 


SAMUEL  MKRRILL. 


.  '^  A, 


till'  exigencies  of  tlie  Rel)elliou.  and  in  its  fleliber- 
;itiiJii>  .Air.  Merrill  took  an  netive  part. 

in  the  >iiimrier  nf  18G2.  Mr.  Merrill  wascoinmis- 
^iiiiiiil  (  (iluiicl  (if  ilie  21st  Iowa  Infantry,  and  ini- 
iiieili;itely  went  tn  llic  tVdiit.  At  the  time  .M.'irma- 
iliikc  was  nienacini;  the  I  niun  forces  in  Misxnu'i. 
\\lii<'li  called  for  iJidiiiiil  :iclion  on  tlic  ]i:ii't  of  the 
I'nion  (;eueral>.  (  i>l.  .Merrill  \v:i-  |)laced  in  coni- 
uiand.  with  ilet:ichnienl>  of  the  ■Jl.^l  Iowa  and  ll'.ith 
lllinoi>.  a  [Kirtion  of  the  •id  Iowa  Cavalry  and  two 
pieces  of  arlilliTv.  with  orders  to  make  a  forccfl 
march  to  Sprini;lield.  he  lieing  at  the  time  eighty 
miles  distant.  (In  the  morning  of  Jan.  11.  18G3. 
lie  came  acro>>  a  hoily  of  Confederates  who  were 
advanc-ing  in  hea\y  force.  I mme(Uate  preparations 
for  liattle  were  made  liy  Col.  .Merrill,  and  after  brisk- 
ly firing  for  an  hour,  the  enemy  fell  back.  Merrill 
then  moved  in  the  direction  of  Ilartville.  wheie  he 
found  the  enemy  in  force  under  Marmaduke,  being 
aliont  eight  tho\isand  strong,  while  Merrill  had  but 
one-tenth  of  that  number.  A  hot  struggle  ensued 
in  which  the  ■rwenty-ttrst  distinguished  itself.  'Ihe 
Confederate  loss  was  several  officers  and  three  hun- 
di-e(l  men  killed  and  woinided,  while  the  I'nion  lo.ss 
was  'nut  se\  en  killed  and  si.xty-foiu'  wounded.  The 
following  winter  the  regiment  performed  active 
service,  taking  part  in  the  campaign  of  Mcksburg. 
It  fought  under  McClei-nand  at  Port  (iibson.  and 
while  making  the  famous  charge  of  Black  River 
Bridge.  Col.  .Menill  was  severely  wounded  through 
the  hip.  lie  was  laid  up  fnmi  the  17th  of  May  to 
,Iann:iry.  when  he  again  joined  his  regiment  in 
Texas,  anil  in  .lunc.  IsCil,  on  account  of  suffering 
fidui  his  wound,  resigned  and  returned  to  Me- 
(iregor.  In  IsCT  .Mr.  Merrill  was  chosen  (iov- 
ernor  of  the  Stati'.  being  elected  n|)on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket,  lie  .served  w  itii  siuh  .satisfaction,  that 
in  IMd'.l  he  w;is  i\'-uominated  and  accordingly 
elected. 

I'nder  the  administration  of  (uiv.  Merrill, 
the  movement  foi-  Ilu'  erection  of  the  new  State 
House  was  inanguiat(  il.  The  Thirteenth  (Jeneial 
Assembly  pro\i(Ied  I'm-  tlic  building  at  a  cost  of 
$1, ;')()(). 000,  and  made  an  apprc^piiation  with  uhich 
to  begin  the  work  of  xI.'iO.ikki.  \\\\\\  this  >nm  the 
work  was  begun,  and  No\.  •_'."i.  ls7l.  the  i-orner 
Stone  was  laid  in  the  presence  of  citizens  fiom  all 


parts  f>f  the  State.  On  this  occasion  the  trovernor  : 
delivered  the  address.  It  was  an  historical  view  of  5 
the  incidents  culminating  in  the  labors  of  the  d.ay.  E 
It,  was  rei)lete  with  historical  facts,  .showed  patient  : 
research,  was  logical  and  argumentative,  and  at  times  : 
eloiiuent  with  the  fire  and  genius  of  .\merican  pa-  : 
triotisni.  ft  i>  a  paper  worthy  of  the  occasion.  ; 
.•ind  does  justice  to  the  head  and  heart  that  con- 
ceived it. 

IJuring  the  guljcrnatorial  career  of  (rov.  .Mer- 
rill, extending  through  two  terms, "  from  .lanu- 
ar}'.  l)S().s,  to  .lanuary.  1M72.  he  was  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  discharge  of  his  oftieial  duties,  and 
probably  no  incumbent  of  that  office  ever  devoted 
himself  more  earnestly  to  the  public  good,  stand- 
ing by  the  side  of  Gov.  Fairchild,  of  Wisconsin. 
The  two  were  instrumental  in  placing  the  slack- 
water  navigation  between  the  Mississippi  and  the 
Lakes  in  the  waj'  of  ultimate  and  certain  success. 
The  (Governor  treated  this  subject  to  great  length 
and  with  marked  ability  in  his  message  to  the  Thir- 
teenth (4eiieral  Assembly,  and  so  earnest  was  he  in 
behalf  of  this  improvement,  that  he  again  discussed 
it  in  his  message  to  the  Fourteenth  General  Assem- 
bly. In  the  instigation  of  the  work  the  Governors 
of  the  different  States  interested,  called  conventions, 
and  through  the  deliberations  of  these  assemblies 
the  aid  of  the  General  Government  was  secureil. 

j  Samuel  Merrill  was  first  married  to  Catherine 
Th(mias,  who  died  in  1847,  fourteen  months  after 
their  marriage.  In  January,  liSr)l,he  was  iniited 
in   marriage  with    a   Miss  Hill,  of  Buxton,   Maine. 

I   She  becanie  the  mother   of  four   children,  three  of 

1  whom  died  young,  the  eldest  living  to  be  onl}'  two 
and  a  half  years  old. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  public  service  he  re- 
turned to  IMctiregor,  but  shortly  afterward  removed 
to  Des  Moines,  where  he  is  now  residing,  and  is 
President  of  the  Citizens'  National  Bank. 

Thus  bricfiy  have  been  pointed  out  the  leading 
fcatini--  in  the  life  of  one  of  Iowa's  most  i)i-omi- 
ncnl  citizens,  and  one  who  has  made  an  honorable 
record  both  in  public  [lositions  and  (irivate  enter- 
[iiiscs.  lie  is  highly  esteemed  in  the  city  where  he 
resides  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  tin-  faithful  rep- 
resentatives of  tlie  sous  of  New  England.      In  stat- 

j   ure  he  is  fully  six  feet  high  anil  finely  proportioned. 


W. 


&y//////4 


'  YRUS  CLAY  CARPENTER, 

[[  Governor  of  Iowa  fvom  1872 
to  1875,  inclusive,  was  born 
in  Susquehanna  County,  Pa., 
Nov.  24,  1829.  He  was  left 
an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  his 
mother  dying  when  he  was  at 
the  age  of  ten  years,  and  his  father  two 
years  later.  He  was  left  in  destitute 
circumstances,  and  went  first  to  learn 
ft^W  ag  the  trade  of  a  clothier,  which,  however, 
'he  abandoned  after  a  few  months,  and 
engaged  with  a  farmer,  giving  a  term 
in  the  winter,  however,  to  attendance 
upon  the  district  school.  Wlien  eighteen 
lie  began  teaching  school,  and  the  fol- 
lowing four  j'ears  divided  his  time  between  teach- 
ing and  attending  the  acadeni}'  at  Hartford.  At 
the  conclusion  of  this  period  he  went  to  Ohio, 
where  he  engaged  as  a  teacher  for  a  year  and  a 
half,  spending  the  summer  at  farm  work. 

In  the  year  1854  Mr.  Carpenter  came  further 
westward,  visiting  many  points  in  Illinois  and 
Iowa,  arriving  at  Des  Moines,  then  a  village  of 
some  1,200  inhabitants.  This  place,  however,  not 
offering  a  favorable  location,  he  proceeded  on  his 
journej',  arriving  in  Fort  Dodge  June  28,  1854. 
Owing  to  his  being  without  funds  he  was  compelled 
to  travel  on  foot,  in  which  way  the  journey  to  Fort 
Dodge  was  made,  with  his  entire  worldly  posses- 
sions in  a  carpet-sack  which  he  caiTied  in  his  hand. 
He  soon  found  employment  at  Fort  Dodge,  as  as- 
sistant to  a  Government  survej'or.     This  work  be- 


ing completed,  young  Carpenter  assisted  his  land- 
lord in  cutting  iiay,  but  soon  secured  another 
position  as  a  surve^-ur's  assistant.  In  the  early 
part  of  the  following  January-  he  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school  at  Fort  Dodge,  but  in  the  spring  was 
employed  to  take  charge  of  a  set  of  surveyors  in 
surveying  the  counties  of  Emmet   and    Kossuth. 

On  his  return  to  Fort  Dodge  he  f<jund  the  land- 
office,  which  had  been  established  at  that  place, 
was  about  to  open  for  the  sale  of  land.  Being 
familiar  with  the  country  and  the  location  of  the 
best  land,  he  opened  a  private  land-office,  and 
found  constant  and  jjrofitable  employment  for  the 
following  three  years,  in  platting  and  surveying 
lands  for  those  seeking  homes.  During  this  period 
he  became  extensively  known,  and,  being  an  active 
Republican,  he  was  chosen  as  a  standard-bearer  for 
his  section  of  the  State.  He  was  elected  to  the 
Legislature  in  the  autumn  of  1857.  In  18G1,  on 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  he  volunteered 
and  was  assigned  to  duty  as  Commissary  of  Sub- 
sistence, much  of  the  time  being  Chief  Commissar3- 
of  the  left  wing  of  the  16th  Army  Corps.  In  1864 
he  was  promoted  Lieutenant-Colonel  and  assigned 
t(j  duty  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Logan,  as  Chief  Com- 
missary of  the  loth  Army  Corps.  He  continued  in 
the  service  until  the  close  of  the  war.  and  in 
August,  18G5,  was  mustered  out. 

Upon  the  close  of  his  service  to  his  country  he 
returned  to  his  home  at  Fort  Dodge,  but,  owing  to 
so  many  changes  which  had  taken  place,  and  such 
an  influx  of  enterprising  men  into  the  city,  he 
found  his  once  prosperous  business  in  the  hands  of 


rrxmpTTTrTjTi 


I  10 


CYRUS  CLAY  CARPKXTER. 


if- 
I 


iLL-r.", 


iitliiTS.  lie  tiiiiH'il  liis  iittcntiun  to  the  iiii|iiuv('- 
iiifiit  of  :i  pitMT  (if  l;iii<l,  where  he  lemaiiied  until 
hi.s  eh'cticpii,  ill  tlic  Miituiini  of  18CG,  a.-<  Reg'isster  of 
the  St.ilr  l,.inil-()lli<e,  I  le  w!is  rc-clecteil  ill  IS^GS, 
:iii(l  refu.-ed  Die  iioiiiiiiMtiou  ill  1X70.  This  position 
tookhini  to  l)es  Moines,  liut  iu  1870  he  returned 
to  I''ort  Doiliii'.  l)urin<f  the  summer  of  the  follow- 
ing 3e:ir  he  w:is  nominated  liy  the  Re|)ul)lic:in  party 
for  Governor.  He  was  electeil,  and  inaugurated  as 
Cliief  Executive  of  Iowa  Jan.  11,  is7i'.  In  1873 
lie  was  renominated  by  his  party,  and  October  14 
of  that  year  was  re-elected,  his  inauguration  taking 
lil.ice  .Tan.  27,  ls7-l.  Gov.  Carpenter  was  an  able, 
popular  and  faithful  Executive,  and  was  regarded 
.IS  one  of  the  most  honest,  prominent  and  unselfish 
ollicials  the  State  ever  had.  Phiiii,  unassuming, 
modest,  he  won  his  pulilic  ])osition  more  through 
the  enthusia.vm  of  his  friends  than  by  any  personal 
eftoit  or  desire  of  his  own.  Everywhere,  at  all 
times  and  upon  all  occasions,  he  demonstrated  that 
the  conlidQuce  of  his  friends  was  justified.    He  took 

T:-!'     ail  active  iiart  in  the  great  (piestion  of   monopolies 
.•iiid  traii.-portation  evils,  whicii  during  his  adminis- 

T       Ir.itioii  were  so   prominent,  d(jing  much  to  secure 

H      wise  legi.slatioii  in  these  respects. 

rajl         Gov.  C  arpeiiter  has  been   regarded  as  a  public 

!|||    speaker  of    more    than   ordinary   ability,  and    has 
upon  iiKiiiv  occasions  been  the   orat(_)r,  and    ahvay> 
ji       appreciated  by  the  people. 

At  the  exi)iration  of  his  second  term  as  Governor 
Mr.  (  ar|)ciiter  was  appointed  Second  Comptroller 
of  the  United  States  Treasury,  which  position  he 
rc,~inued  after  a  service  of  fifteen  months.  This 
step  was  ail  evidence  of  liis  unselfishness,  as  it  was 
taken  because  another  Bureau  officer  was  to  be  dis- 
missed, as  it  was  held  that  Iowa  had  more  heads  of 
iliiri'aiis  than  she  was  entitled  to,  and  his  resigning 
an  ollice  of  the  higher  grade  saved  the  itositicm  to 
another.  In  1''^''<1  he  was  elected  to  Congre.ss,  and 
.served  with  ability,  and  iu  the  Tweiilictli  General 
W  Assembly  of  Iowa  lie  represente<l  Webster  County. 
Gov.  Carpenter  was  married,  in  ^[arcli,  1804,  to 
Miss  Su>aii  nurlvliolder,  of  Fort  Dodge.  No  chil- 
dren have  lieeii  born  to  them,  but,  ihcy  have  re.-ired 
a  niece  of  Mrs.  Carpenter's. 

During  his  entire  life  Mr.  Carpenter  has  been  de- 
voted to  the   princiiiles   of    Ueform   and    the    best 


interests  of  all  clas.ses  of  citizens  who,  by  adoption 
or  by  birth-right,  are  entitled  to  a  home  upon  our 
soil  and  the  protection  of  our  laws,  under  the  gi-eat 
charter  of  ■•  Life,  Liberty  and  the  Pursuit  of  Hap- 
piness." In  an  addre.ss  in.l8o2  he  took  advanced 
views  upon  the  leading  subjects  of  public  interest, 
lie  had  already  laid  the  foundation  for  that  love  of 
freedom  which  afterwards  found  an  anijile  field  of 
labor  with  the  Republican  party.  There  was  noth- 
ing chimerical  in  his  views.  He  looked  at  cverj' 
strata  of  human  society,  and,  from  the  wants  of  the 
masses,  wisely  devined  duty  and  prophesied  destiny. 
He  would  have  the  people  of  a  free  Republic  edu- 
cated in  the  spirit  of  the  civilization  of  the  age. 
Instead  (>f  cultivating  a  tiiste  fi  .■  a  species  of  liter- 
.ature  tending  directly  to  degrade  the  mind  and 
dejjrave  the  heart,  thereby  leading  back  to  a  state 
of  superstition  and  consequent  barbarism,  he  would 
cultivate  principles  of  temperance,  industry  and 
economy  in  every  j-outhful  mind,  as  the  indispens- 
able iugTedients  of  good  citizens,  or  subjects  upon 
whose  banner  will  lie  inscribed  ].,iberty,  Eipi.alitj', 
Fraternity. 

Thus  earlj'  in  life  i\Ir.  Carpenter  saw  the  destined 
tendency  of  oin-  American  institutions,  and  the  ad- 
vancing civilization  of  the  age.  He  saw  it  in  the 
peace  congress,  whose  deliberations  have  made  the 
Rhine  thrice  immortal.  He  saw  it  in  the  [irospect- 
ive  railway,  which  he  believed  woukl  one  day 
unite  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  with  those  of  the 
Pacific — a  fact  realized  b}'  the  construction  of  the 
great  continent;d  railwaj'. 

It  was  thus  early  that  he  began  to  .study  the 
wants  of  the  world,  and  with  what  clearness  and 
directness  maj'  be  seen  by  the  correctness  of  his 
vision  and  the  accomplishment  of  what  he  consid- 
ered ail  inevit.able. necessity. 

Thus,  growing  up  into  manhood,  and  passing  on- 
ward in  the  rugged  pathway  of  time,  disci|ilined  in 
political  economj'  and  civil  ethics  in  the  stern 
.school  of  experience,  he  was  jirejjared  to  meet  every 
emergency  with  a  steady  hand;  to  bring  order  out 
of  discord,  and    insure  harmony  and    prosperit}'. 

(iov.  Carpenter  is  now  engaged  in  the  quiet  pur- 
suits of  farm  life,  residing  at  Fort  Dodge,  where 
he  is  highly  esteeme(l  as  one  of  her  purest  minded 
and  most  upright  citizens. 


EiH 


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■0^: 


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^1 


OSHUA  G.  NEWBOLD,  the 
ninth  Governor  of  Iowa,  is 
n  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
lie  conies  from  tliat  excellent 
stock  known  as  the  Friends, 
who  very  early  settled  in 
New  Jersey.  .loshna  G.  is  the 
son  of  Barzilla  and  Catherine 
(House)  Newbold,  and  was  born 
in  F.ij-ette  C'onnty,  May  12, 
l.s;50.  He  was  born  a  farmer's 
boy  and  was  reared  in  the  vigor- 
ous employment  of  farm  work. 
When  he  was  eight  years  of  age  the 
faniil)-  moved  to  Westmoreland 
County,  Fa.,  where,  in  the  common 
schools  and  in  a  select  school  or  academy,  young 
Xewbold  received  his  education.  When  sixteen 
years  of  age  he  accompanied  the  family  on  their  re- 
turn to  Fayette  County.  Here  for  the  following- 
eight  years  he  assisted  his  father  in  running  a  flour- 
ing-mill  as  well  as  devoting  much  of  his  time  to 
teaching  school.  When  about  nineteen  years  of 
age  our  suliject  began  the  study  of  medicine,  de- 
voting much  of  his  time  while  teaching  to  his  med- 
ical books.  He,  however,  abandoned  the  idea  of 
becoming  a  physician  and  turned  his  attention  to 
different  walks  in  life. 

In  the  month  of  March,  1854,  Mr.  Newbold  re- 
moved to  Iowa,  locating  on  a  farm,  now  partly  in 
the  corporation  of  Mount  Pleasant,  Henry  County. 


At  the  end  of  one  year  he  removed  to  Cedar 
Township,  Van  Buren  County,  there  merchandising 
and  farming  till  about  1860,  when  he  removed  to 
Ilillsboro,  Henry  County,  and  pursued  the  same 
callings. 

In  1802,  when  the  call  was  made  for  600,000  men 
to  finish  the  work  of  crushing  the  Rebellion,  Mr. 
Newbold  left  his  farm  in  the  hands  of  his  family 
and  his  store  in  charge  of  his  partner,  and  went  into 
the  army  as  Captain  of  Company  C,  25th  Regiment 
of  Iowa  Infantry.  He  served  nearly  three  years, 
resigning  just  before  the  war  closed,  on  account  of 
disability.  During  the  last  two  or  three  months  he 
served  at  the  South  he  filled  the  position  of  Judge 
Advocate,  with  headquarters  at  Woodville,  Ala. 

His  regiment  was  one  of  those  that  made  Iowa 
troops  famous.  It  arrived  at  Helena,  Ark.,  in 
November,  1862,  and  sailed  in  December  following 
on  the  expedition  against  Vicksburg  by  way  of 
Chickasaw  Bayou.  At  the  latter  place  was  its  first 
engagement.  Its  second  was  at  Arkansas  Post,  and 
there  it  suffered  severely,  losing  in  killed  and 
wounded  more  than  sixty. 

After  Loolvout  Mountain  it  joined  in  the  pursuit 
of  Bragg's  flying  forces  to  Ringgold,  where  it  en- 
gaged the  enemy  in  their  strong  works,  November 
27,  losing  twenty-nine  wounded.  The  following 
year  it  joined  Sherman  in  his  Atlanta  Campaign, 
then  on  the  famous  march  to  the  sea  and  through 
the  Carolinas. 

On  returning  to  Iowa  he  continaed  in  the  mer- 


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144 


JOSHUA  G.  NEAVBOLD. 


■ 


cantile  trade  at  Ilillsboro  for  tliroo  or  four  years, 
and  then  sold  out,  giving  thereafter  his  whole  at- 
tention to  agriculture,  stock-raising  and  stock-deal- 
ing, making  the  stt)ck  department  an  important 
factor  in  his  l)Usiness  for  several  years.  Mr.  New- 
bold  was  a  nienil)er  of  the  13th,  14th  and'  loth  Gen- 
eral Assemblies,  representing  Henry  County,  and 
was  Chairman  of  the  School  Committee  in  the  14th, 
and  of  the  committee  on  apjiropriations  in  the  15th 
General  Asseml)ly.  In  the  15th  (1874)  he  was  tem- 
porary Speaker  during  the  deadlock  in  organizing 
the  House.  In  1875  he  was  elected  Lieutenant 
(T(nernor  on  the  Repidilican  ticket  with  Samuel  .1. 
Kirkwood. 

His  Democratic  competitor  was  E.  D.  Woodward, 
who  received  93,0fi0  votes.  Mr.  Newbold  received 
134,1  <)<i,  or  a  majority  of  31,106.  Governor  Kirk- 
wood being  elected  United  States  Senator  during 
that  session,  Mr.  Newbold  became  Governor,  taking 
the  chair  Feb.  1,  1877,  and  vacating  it  for  Gov. 
Gear  in  January,  1878. 

Gov.  Newbold's  message  to  the  Legislature 
in  1878,  shows  jjainstakiug  care  and  a  clear,  busi- 
ness-like view  of  the  interests  of  the  State.  His 
I'ecommendatioiis  were  carefully  considered  and 
largely  adojjted.  The  State's  finances  were  then  in 
a  less  creditable  condition  than  ever  before  or 
since,  as  there  was  an  increasing  floating  debt,  then 
amounting  to  *340,><2(;.5(;,  more  than  §90,000  in 
excess  of  the  Constitutional  limitation.  Said  Gov. 
Newliold  in  his  message :  "  The  commonwealth 
ought  not  to  set  an  example  of  dilatoriness 
in  meeting  its  obligations.  Of  all  forms  of  indebt- 
edness, that  of  a  floating  character  is  the  most  ob- 
jectionable.    The  uncertainty  as  to  its  amount  will 


invarialily  enter  into  any  computation  made  by  jx-r- 
sons  contracting  with  the  State  for  supplies,  niati  r- 
ial  or  labor.  To  remove  the  present  dillicult\-.  aiid 
to  avert  its  recurrence,  I  look  upon  as  the  most  im- 
portant work  that  will  demand  yf>ur  attention." 

One  of  the  greatest  problems  before  statesmen  is 
that  of  equal  and  just  taxation.  The  following 
recommendation  shows  that  Gov.  Newbold  was 
abreast  with  foremost  thinkers,  for  it  jirojioses  a 
stej)  which  yearly  linds  more  favor  with  llic  people: 
"The  inequalities  of  the  personal-property  valu- 
ations of  the  several  counties  suggest  to  my  min<l 
the  propriety  of  so  adjusting  the  State's  levy  as  to 
require  the  counties  to  pay  into  the  State  ti-easiu-y 
only  the  tax  on  realty,  leaving  the  corresponding 
tax  on  personalty  in  the  county  treasury.  This 
would  rest  with  each  county  the  a<ljustment  of  its 
own  personal  propertj'  valuations,  without  fear  that 
they  might  be  so  high  as  to  work  injustice  to  itself 
in  comparison  with  other  counties." 

(tov.  Newbt)ld  has  always  affiliated  with  the 
Republican  party,  and  holds  to  its  great  cardinal 
doctrines,  having  once  embraced  them,  with  the 
same  sincerity  and  honesty  that  he  cherishes  his  re- 
ligious sentiments.  He  has  been  a  Chiistian  for 
something  like  twenty-five  years,  his  coiniection  be- 
ing with  the  Free-Will  Baptist  Church.  He  found 
his  wife,  Rachel  Farquhar.  in  Fayette  Count}',  Pa., 
their  union  taking  jjlace  on  the  2d  of  May.  1850. 
They  have  had  five  children  and  lost  two.  The 
names  of  the  living  are  Mary  Allene,  Emma 
Irene  and  tieorge  C. 

The  Governor  is  not  yet  an  old  man.  and  may 
serve  his  State  or  countj'  in  other  capacities  in  the 
coming  years. 


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GOVERNORS  OF  IOWA. 


147 


t@<5XGVV®>^@y^aj^»K:|^2tf«^^%^^ 


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«^?>  i»i. 


OHN  n.  GEAR,  the  teiitli 
gentleman  to  occiipj'  the 
Executive  Chair  of  Iowa,  is 
still  a  lesideut  of  Biirliiigton. 
He  is  a  native  of  the  Empire 
State,  where  in  the  city  of 
Ithica,  April  7,  I  y2.j,  he  was  born. 
Rev.  E.  (i.  Geai,  his  father,  was 
born  in  New  London,  C'oini.,  in 
17il2,  and  ))ecame  a  distinguished 
clergyman  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church.  His  family  had 
removed  with  him,  while  he  was 
still  joung,  to  Pittsfleld,  Mass.,  and 
in  the  J' ear  181G,  after  his  ordina- 
tion as  a  clerg3'man  of  the  Episco- 
pal Church,  he  went  to  New  York 
and  located  at  Onondaga  Hill  near 
.ff]  the  city  of  S3'racuse.  Shortly  after 
this  settlement,  the  young  minister 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Miranda  PL  Cook.  After  serving- 
various  congregations  in  Western 
New  York  for  many  j'ears,  he  de- 
termined to  become  a  pioneer  in 
Northern  Illinois,  which  at  the  time,  in  the  year 
183(j,  was  lieing  rapidly  settled  up.  He  found  a 
desirable  location  at  fialena  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1838,  when  he  received  the  appointment  as 
Chaplain  in  the  United  Stiites  army  while  located 
■it  Flirt  Snelling,  JNIinn.  He  lived  a  long  and  act- 
i  \  e  life,  doing  much  good,  quitting  his  labors  in 


the  year  1874,  at  the  advanced  age  of '  eighty-two 
years. 

The  only  son  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  G.  Gear 
was  J.  H.,  afterward  the  distingnished  Governor  of 
Iowa.  As  above  stated  the  birth  occurred  in  ]  82.5. 
In  1843,  when  still  a  young  man,  he  came  AYest  to 
Burlington,  where  he  has  since  continued  to  reside, 
her  most  distinguished  citizen.  Shortly  after  his 
arrival  in  the  j'oung  city,  he  embarked  in  his  mer- 
cantile career,  engaging  at  the  time  with  the  firm 
of  Bridgman  &  Bros.,  in  the  capacity  of  a  clerk. 
Remaining  with  this  firm  for  a  little  over  a  year, 
he  left  them  for  an  engagement  with  AY.  F.  Cool- 
Ijaugh,  who  at  one  time  was  President  of  the 
Fniijn  NiUional  Bank,  of  Chicago,  and  who  at  that 
early  period  was  the  leading  mercha^nt  of  Eastern 
Iowa.  He  served  Mr.  Coolbaugh  so  faithfully,  and 
with  such  marked  ability  for  the  following  five 
years,  that,  when  desirous  of  a  partner  in  his  busi- 
ness, the  wealthy  merchant  could  find  no  one  in 
whom  he  could  place  greater  confidence  and  with 
whom  he  could  trust  his  extensive  business  rela- 
tions that  pleased  him  better  than  the  3'oung  clerk. 
Accordingly  he  was  associated  as  a  partner  under 
the  firm  name  of  W.  F.  Coolbaugh  &  Co.  Under 
this  arrangement  the  firm  did  a  prosperous  busi- 
ness for  the  following  five  years,  when  Mr.  Gear 
purchased  the  entire  business,  which  he  carried  on 
with  marked  success  until  he  became  known  as  the 
oldest  wholesale  grocer  in  the  St.ate.  He  is  at  present, 
besides  filling  other  i)re)minent  business  relations. 
President  of  the  Rolling  Mill  Co.,  of  Galesburg. 


m 

Bill 


148 


JOHN  H.  GEAR. 


f.3 


f'j 


Mv.Gear  has  been  honored  by  his  fellow-citizens 
with  ijKiii}-  positions  of  trust.  In  1852  he  was 
elected  Alderniiin;  in  IMOS  was  elected  Maj'or 
over  A.  W.  Carpenter,  being  the  first  Republican 
up  to  tliat  time  who  had  been  elected  in  Burlington 
on  a  party  issue  In  ISC?  the  Burlington,  Cedar 
Uapiils  iV-  Minnesota  Railroad  Company  was  organ- 
ized, and  he  was  chosen  as  its  President.  His  ef- 
forts highly  coutributed  to  the  success  of  the  enter- 
prise, which  did  much  for  Burlington.  He  was 
also  active  in  promoting  the  Burlington  &  South- 
western Railway,  as  well  as  the  Burlington  &  North- 
ia^    western  narrow-gauge  road. 

B         He  lias  always  acted  with  tiic  Republican  party, 
y     and  in  Im71  was  noniinaled  and  elected   a  member 
y    of    the    House    of     Representatives    of    the     14th 
U    General  Assembly.      In  187;i  he  was  elected  to  the 
ly    loth    (General     As,-eml)ly.     The     Republican  cau- 
k    cus  of   the    House  nominated   him   for  Speaker  by 
^     acclamation,  and  after  a  contest  of  two  weeks  he 
wa.s  chosen  over  his  opixjiient,   J.   W.  Dixon.     He 
filled  the  [losition  of  Speaker  very   acceptably,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  session  all   the  members  of  the 
House,  inde[(en(lent  of   party  affiliations,  joined  in 
signing  their  names  t(ja  resolution  of  thanks,  which 
was  engraved  :ni<l    jiresented   to  him.     In  187.5  he 
was  the  third  time  nominated  to  the  Assembly  by 
the  Republican  [)arty.  and  while  his  countj"  gave  a 
large  Democratic    vote  he  was  .again   elected.     He 
was  also   again  nominated  for   Speaker   by  the  Re- 
publican caucus,   and  was  elected    l).y   a   handsome 
majority  over  his  competitor,  lion,   .lohn  Y.  Stone. 
He  is  the  <mly  man  in  the   State  who  ever  had  the 
honor  of   being  chosen  to  this   high  position   a  sec- 
ond time.      He   enjoys  the   reputation  of  being  an 
able  ])arliamentarian,  his  rulings  never  having  been 
!  appealed   from.     At   the    close    of   the   session    he 
again  received  the  imanimous  thanks  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  for  his  courtesy  and  imjjartiality, 
and  for  the  able  and  satisfactory  manner   in   which 
he  had  presided  over  that  l)ody. 

In  1H77  he  was  nominated  for  Governor  by  the 
Republican  convention  which  met  at  Des  Moines, 
June   2S.  and    at  the   election  held   the  following 

inst  79, .353 

ssup  and  38,- 

'2?,o  for  D.  P.  Stubbs.     His  plurality  over  Irish 


PI 


'^j^ipcj  «juue    z!^.   anil    ai   me    eieciioii    iicm    me 

1^  October  he  received   121, .')4(')  votes,  agair 
ji  for  John  P.  Irish,  10,039  for  Klias  Jessuj 


was  42,193.  He  was  inaugurated  Jan.  17,  1878, 
and  served  four  years,  being  re-elected  in  1879  by 
the  following  handsome  vote:  Gear.  157..i71: 
Trimble,  85,056;  Campltell,  45,439;  Dungan,  3,25si; 
Gear's  majority  over  all  competitors,  23,828.  His 
second  inauguration  occurred  in  Januarj'  of  the 
year  1880. 

Gov.  Gear's  business  habits  enabled  him  to  di.*- 
chargc  the  duties  of  his  ofliee  with  marked  al)ility. 
He  found  the  financial  condition  of  the  State  at  a 
low  ebb,  but  raised  Iowa's  credit  to  that  of  the 
best  of  our  States.  In  his  last  biennial  message  lie 
was  able  U>  report:  "The  warrants  out-standing. 
))ut  not  beai-ing  interest,  Sept.  30,  1881,  amounted 
to  ^22,093.74,  and  there  are  now  in  the  treasury 
simple  funds  to  meet  the  current  expenses  of  the 
State.  The  war  and  defense  debt  h.as  been  paid, 
except  the  warrants  for  $125,000  negotiated  by  the 
Executive,  Auditor  and  Treasurer,  under  the  law 
of  the  18th  General  Assembly,  and  1:2,500  of 
the  original  bonds  not  yet  jiresented  for  p.aj'- 
ment.  The  only  other  debt  owing  by  the  .State 
amounts  to  $245,435.19,  due  to  the  permanent 
school  fund,  a  jwrtion  of  which  is  made  irredeem- 
able by  the  Constitution.  These  facts  place  Iowa 
practically  among  the  States  which  have  no  debt, 
a  consideration  which  must  add  much  to  her  repu- 
tation. The  expenses  of  the  State  for  the  last  two 
years  are  less  than  those  of  any  other  jieriod  since 
1869,  .and  this  notwithstanding  the  f.act  that  the 
State  is  to-day  su.'^taining  several  institutions  not 
then  in  existence;  namely,  the  hospital  at  Inde- 
|iendence,  the  .additional  penitentiary,  the  Normal 
School  and  the  asylum  for  the  feeble-minded  chil- 
dren, besides  the  girl's  department  of  the  reform 
school.  The  State  also,  at  present,  m.akes  provision 
for  fish  culture,  for  a  useful  weather  service,  for 
sanitary  supervision  by  a  Board  of  Health,  for  en- 
couraging immigi'.ation  to  the  State,  for  the  inspec- 
tion of  coal  mines  by  a  State  Inspector,  and  liber- 
ally for  the  military  arm  of  the  Government." 

Gov.  Gear  is  now  in  the  sixty-first  ye.ar  of  his 
age,  and  is  in  the  full  vigor  of  both  his  mental  and 
physical  faculties.  He  was  married  in  1852  to 
Harriet  S.  Foot,  formerly  of  the  town  of  Middle- 
bury,  \'ermout,  by  whom  he  has  had  four  children, 
two  of  whom  are  living. 


iifii5"j!i"' 


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1 


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'  "1^  T iicjrfTCT 


i-NF;  of  the  most  distinguished 
gentlemen  who  was  ever 
honored  with  the  position 
of  Chief  Executive  of  the 
State  is  Buren  R.  Sherman, 
the  eleven  til  Governor  of 
Iowa,  who  is  a  native  of  New  York. 
It  was  in  the  town  of  Phelps,  in  On- 
tario County,  that  he  was  born  to  his 
parents,  Phineas  L.  and  Eveline 
(Robinson)  Sherman,  on  the  "iHth  of 
INIay,  1836,  and  was  the  third  son  of 
a  distinguished  family  of  children. 
His  parents  wei-e  likewise  natives  of  I 
the  Empire  State.  Buren  R.  attended  tlie  public 
schools  of  his  neighborhood,  but  was  suliscquently 
given  advantages  of  the  schools  at  Almira,  N.  Y.. 
where  he  acquired  a  very  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  English  branches.  His  father,  who  was  a  me- 
chanic, advised  him  at  the  close  of  his  studies  to 
apprentice  himself  to  learn  S(mie  trade.  He  ac- 
cordinglj-  made  such  arrangements  with  8.  Ayers,  of 
Almira,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  watchmaker.  In 
1855,  however,  he  left  this  position  and  joined  his 
family  on  their  removal  to  the  the))  new  State  of 
Iowa.  They  settled  upon  a  piece  of  unbj-nken  ]>i'ai- 
r'\r  land  on  what  is   now  Geneseo  To^mship,  Ta)na 


C'oimty,  his  father  having  previously  purchased 
land  from  the  Government.  Here  Buren  R.  labored 
diligently  in  developing  his  fatl)er's  fields,  devoting, 
however,  leisure  hours  which  he  was  gra))ted,  to  the 
study  of  law.  ■  Before  leaving  his  Eastern  home  he 
l)ad  decided  upon  that  pi'ofession  and  bega))  its 
study  while  yet  in  Al]ni)'a.  He  soon  secured  a  po- 
sition as  a  book-keeper  in  a,  neighboring  town,  and 
with  the  wages  earned  thoe,  materially  assisted  his 
father  i)i  the  development  of  their  home  farm.  In 
the  meantime  he  had  applied  himself  diligently  to 
the  study  of  his  books,  and  so  studious  had  he 
been  that  in  the  summer  of  1«.')0,  he  was  enabled 
to  pass  a  creditable  examination  and  to  l>e  admitted 
to  the  bar.  The  following  spring  the  yi>u))g  attor- 
ney moved  to  Mnton,  hung  out  his  shingle  and  be- 
gan the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  associated 
with  Hon.  William  Smyth,  for]ne]-ly  District  Judge, 
and  J.  C.  Traer,  under  the  fir)))  name  of  Smyth, 
Traer  &  Sherman.  The  new  firm  rapidly  grew  into 
prominence,  buildi]ig  tip  a  ])r()speiv)us  pi-actice, 
when  Mr.  Sherman  willxh-ew  to  tender  his  services 
to  the  Government  iii  defense  of  l)ci-  integrity  and 
hon<  )r. 

It  was  early  in  l)S(iI,  di]'cctly  after  the  encn)y  had 
assaulted  the  American  fl.ag  on  Sumter,  that  the 
V(.un<i-   attorney  enlisted  i)i  Co.  (;.  1  .Ith  lo'w.a   "\'ol. 


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Mi.ll  1  n  iwlTM 


iHHEKaH3 


I'lIltltllVurTTTTti'Illll 


IXXtXlXJXII  IX^  1 1.1 ' 


Mi    1 


52 


BFREN  R.  SIIEIOIAN. 


P^ 

I:il 

l;l 

[^^ 

Inf..  .iiid  iiniiiiHliately  went  to  the  front.  He 
entercfl  tlie  service  as  .Second  .Sergeant,  and  in 
Feliiuai'V.  1X'>2.  was  made  Second  Liciitcn.'int  of 
Company  K.  On  the  lith  of  April  folldwini^  he  was 
vciT  severcl\  wiiuihUmI  at  the  h.-iltic  of  Pittsburgh 
Landing,  and  uhilc  in  the  liospital  was  promoted  ti> 
the  ninii  of  Captaii].  lie  retnnied  to  his  cumpany 
while  \ct  iiliiiiicd  to  u.-e  hi>  crntclie>.  and  rcni.-uneil 
on  ilnty  till  tlu'  siinimev  of  ls(j;j,  when,  by  reason  of 
hi.s  wound,  he  was  compelleil  t<i  resign  and  return 
home.  .Soon  after  returning  from  the  army  lie  was 
elected  County  .ludge  of  Benton  County,  and  re- 
elected without  opposition  in  ist;.').  In  the  autumn 
of  IhiGtJ  he  resigned  his  judgeshiii  and  accepted  the 
W^\  otlici'  of  Clerk  of  the  District  Court,  to  which  he 
^^'  was  re-elected  in  18G><,  187(1  and  1872,  and  in 
Decemlier.  1 « 7  I.  resigned  in  order  to  accept  the 
ollice  of  Auditor  of  State,  to  whit-h  oflice  he  had 
been  elected  liy  a  majority  of  ■i.s,42.j  oxer  J.  ]\I. 
King,  the  ••anti-monopoly"  candidate.  In  l.s7(ihe 
was  renominated  and  received  .')(), 272  more  \otes 
than  W.  (Jrowneweg  (Democrat)  and  Leonard 
Hrowne  ((heenliack)  together.  In  ls7.s  he  was 
J  again  ch(_>sen  to  represent  the  Kepulilican  party 
ij  in  that  oHice,  and  this  time  received  a  major- 
j   itv    of    7,1(14    over    the    comi)ined    votes    of    Col. 


^J 


M 


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Eiboeck  (Democrat)  and  G.  V.  Swearenger  ((Jreen- 

liack).     In  the  six  years  that  he  held  this  otlice.  he 

jp^jil  was  untiring   in    his  faithful   applicatiim  to    routine 

work  and  devotion  to  his  .special  share  of  the  State's 

business.     He  retired  with  such  an  enviable    i^ecord 

i]    that    it   was  with   no  surprise   the    people  learned. 

I  June  27,  1881,  that  he  was  the  nominee  of   the  l{e- 

1  publican  party  for  Governor. 

i       The  campaign  was  an  exciting  one.  'rhe(;eneral 
i  Assembly  had  submitted  to  the  peoi)le  the   [jroliilii- 

J  tory  amendment  to   the  Constitution.     This,  while 

U    M    not  a   partisan  question,  became   uppermost   ii.    the 
'■  Ujlmind   of  the  public.     Mr.  Sherman   received  I'M,- 
;l  330  votes,  against  8;!. 244  t\)r  Kinne  and  28,1  12  for 
-_^_  .,  D.  M.  Clark,  oi'  a  i)luralitv  of  .")(). (isd  and    :i    inaior- 
ilHff    it}-  of  21.1)74.       In   1883  he  was  re-nonuuated    b^- 
the   Republicans,   as  well    as    L.  G.  Kinne  by  the 
Democrats.     'I'he     Xatiouid    party    offered     .1.    IS. 
Weaver.     During  the    campaign    these    candidates 
held   a  number    of   .ioint    discussions    at    different 
points  in  the  State.     At  the   election  the  vote  was: 


.Sherman.  1(54,182;  Kimie.  13:».()!)3:  Weaver.  23.- 
081);  Sherman's  plurality,  2u,089 ;  niajoritj'.  2,000. 
In  his  second  inaugural  Gov.  Sherman  .said: 

"  In  assuming,  for  the  second    time,  the   otlice  of 
Chief  Magistrate  for  the  State.    I    fully  ivali/.e    my 
urateful  oliligjitions  to  the  |)eople  of  Iowa,  through 
whose  generous  confidence  I  am  here.      I  ;im  aware 
of  the  dntio  and  i;rave   responsibilities  of  this  ex- 
alted  position,  and    as  well  what  is  expected  of  me 
therein.    As  in  the  pa.<t  I  have  given  my  undivided 
time  anil  -erions  attention  thereto,  .so   in  the  futin-c    | 
I  |)roniise  the   most  earnest   devotion    ami   untiring    I 
effort  in  the  faithful  performance  of  my  otliciid   re-    : 
(piiremcuts.      I  have  seen  the  .State  grow  frcnu    in- 
fancy to  mature  manhood,  and   each   year   one   of    j 
substantial  bettei'nu'ut  of  its  previous  i)osition.  j 

••  With  more  r;ulroads  than  any  State.  sav<'  two; 
with  a  .school  interest  the  grandest  and  strongest, 
which  commanils  the  support  and  confidence  of  all 

the  I pic,  and  a  population,  which    in    its  entirety 

is  su|)erior  to  any  other  in  the  sisterhood,  it  is 
not  strange  the  |)ridc  which  attaches  to  our  |)eople. 
When  we  remendicr  tli;it  the  rcsidts  of  onr  etforts  in 
the  direction  of  ii<iod  government  have  lieeii 
crowned  with  such  magnilicent  success,  .■uul  to-day 
we  have  a  State  in  most  perfect  ]ihysicnl  :ind  linaii- 
cial  condition,  no  wonder  our  hearts  swell  in  hmu'st 
pride  as  we  contemplate  the  i)ast  and  so  conlidently 
hope  for  tlu'  future.  A\'hat  we  may  become  ile- 
l)ends  on  our  own  efforts,  and  to  that  future  1  look 
with  earnest  and  abiding  confidence." 

(iov.  .Sherman's  term  of  t)ffiee  continued  until. l;ui. 
14,  188(),  when  he  was  succeeded  by  William  Larra- 
bee,  and  he  is  now,  tenijiorarily.  perhaps,  enjoyini; 
.•I  well-eai-ncd  I'est.  lb' h;is  liccn  :!  K'cpulilican  since 
the  org.-uiization  of  that  i)arty.  and  his  .services  as  a 
c;imp;dgn  spi'aker  have  been  for  many  years  in 
areat  demand.  As  an  oflicer  he  h;i<  been  .•d)le  to 
make  an  en\ialiU'  lecord.  Himself  honorable  and 
thorouiih,  his  managenu'iit  of  public  business  ha> 
been  of  the  sanu'  character,  and  such  as  has  coni- 
mended  him  to  the  approval  of   his   feilow-citi/.ens. 

He  w.as  married.  Au.u'.  20.  1 8(12.  to  Mi.->  Lena 
Kendall,  of  ^'intou.  Iowa,  a  young  lady  of  r;u-e  ac- 
coiiiplishmeuts  and  strength  of  character.  Their 
anion  has  been  hapjiy  in  every  respect.  They  have 
two  children— Leii;i  Kendall  and  Oscar  Kugeiie. 


Ihdjlcis^ 


ILLIAM    LARRABEE,   the 

present  able  Governor  of 
Iowa,  and  tlie  twelfth  gen- 
tleman selected  by  the 
people  as  the  Chief  JMagis- 
trate  of  the  great  Com- 
monwealth, is  a  native .  of 
Connecticut.  His  ancestors 
were  among  the  French  Huguenots  who 
came  to  America  earlj'  in  the  seventeenth 
century  and  located  in  Connecticut.  At 
that  time  they  bore  the  name  of  d'Larra- 
)ee.  Adam  Larrabee,  the  father  of  Will- 
iam,  was  born  March  14,  17S7,  and  was 
one  of  the  early  graduates  of  the  West 
Point  Military  Academy.  He  served  his 
country  during  the  War  of  181  "2,  with  distinction, 
holding  the  position  of  Second  Lieutenant,  to  which 
he  was  commissioned  JIarch  1,  1811.  He  was  pro- 
moted to  the  Captaincy  of  his  compan}-  Feb.  1, 
1814,  and  on  the  30th  of  the  following  March,  at 
the  battle  of  Lacole  Mills,  during  Gen.  Wilkinson's 
campaign  on  the  Saint  Lawrence  River,  he  was 
severelj'^  wounded  in  the  lung.  He  eventually  re- 
covered from  the  injur^r  and  was  united  in  mar- 
ri.ige  to  Hannah  (J.  Lester.  This  much  esteemed 
lady  w.as  l)orn  .lune  '^.  1 798,  and  died  on  the  1  .')th  of 
March.  1837.  Capt.  Larrabee  lived  to  an  ad- 
vanced age,  dying  in  1869,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two  years. 

As  above  mentioned,  AVilliam,  our  subject,  was 


1)orn  in  Connecticut,  the  town  of  Ledyard  being 
the  place  of  his  birth  an<l  .Ian.  20,  I.s.Sl',  the  date. 
He  was  the  seventii  child  in  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, ami  passed  the  early  years  i>f  his  life  upon  a 
rugged  New  England  farm,  enjojing  very  meager 
educational  advantages.  He  attended,  during  the 
winter  seasons,  the  neighlioring  district  schools 
until  he  reached  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  when, 
during  the  following  two  winters,  he  filled  the  posi- 
tion of  scho<jlmaster.  He  was  amliitious  to  do 
something  in  life  for  himself  that  would  bring  fort- 
une and  distinction,  but  in  making  his  jjlans  for  the 
future  he  was  embarrassed  1)3-  a  misfortune  which 
befell  him  when  fourteen  ye.ars  of  age.  In  l>eing 
trained  to  the  use  of  firearms  under  liis  father's 
direction,  an  accidental  discharge  resulted  in  the 
loss  of  the  sight  in  the  right  eye.  This  conse- 
quently unfitted  him  for  many  employments  usually 
sought  by  amliitious  j'oung  men.  The  family 
lived  near  the  seashore,  only  two  miles  away,  and 
in  that  neighborhood  it  w.as  the  custom  for  at  least 
one  son  In  each  family  to  go  upon  the  sea  as  a 
sailor.  The  two  eldest  brothers  of  our  subject  had 
chosen  this  occupation  while  the  thinl  remained  in 
charge  of  the  home  farm.  William  was  thus  left 
free  to  chose  f<)r  himself  and,  like  many  of  the 
youths  of  that  d.ay,  he  wisely  turned  hi>face  West- 
ward. The  year  18.53  found  him  on  tliis  journey 
toward  the  setting  sun,  stopping  only  when  he 
came  to  the  broad  and  fertile  prairies  of  tlic  new 
State  of  lywa.     He  first  joined  his  elder  ^ister.  Airs. 


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WILLIAM   LARRABEE. 


K.  H.  Williams,  who  was  at  that  time  living  at 
Garnavilld,  t  Inytim  County.  It  was  this  circum- 
stance whlih  led  the  young  l)oy  from  Connecticut 
to  select  his  future  home  in  the  northeastern  por- 
tion of  Iowa.  He  resunie<l  Ills  occupation  as  a 
pedagogue,  teaching,  however,  hut  one  winter, 
which  was  passed  at  Hardin.  The  following  three 
years  he  was  emioloyed  in  tlie  capacity  of  foreman 
on  the  (irand  ^lejuhiw  faiiii  of  his  hrotlier-in-law, 
.(udge  Williams. 

In  1H,')7  he  l)ought  a  one-third  interest  in  the 
Clermont  Mill>,  and  located  at  Clermont,  Fayette 
Couiitv.  lie  .soon  was  able  to  bu3'  the  othei-  two- 
thiid>.  .-uid  within  a  year  found  himself  sole  owner. 
He  operatiMl  this  null  until  l.sTlwhen  he  sohl  to 
S.  M.  Leach.  On  llie  breaking  out  of  the  war  he 
offered  to  enlist,  but  was  rejected  on  account  of 
the  lo,ss  of  his  right  eye.  Being  informed  he  might 
possibly  be  admitted  as  a  commissioned  officer,  he 
rai.sed  a  ccuipany  and  received  a  commission  as 
First  LicutiMiant.  but  was  again  rejected  for  the 
same  disaliility. 

Afti-i-  xlling  the  mill  Mr.  Larrabee  devoted  him- 
self to  faiining,  and  started  a  ]>riv.ate  bank  at  Cler- 
mont. He  also,  exi)eriinentally,  started  a  large 
nursery,  liut  this  resulted  only  in  confirming  the 
belief  tint  Xorthern  Iowa  has  too  rigorous  a  cli- 
mate for  fruit-raising. 

.Mr.  LnrvMbfc  did  iK>t  begin  his  political  career 
until  l.sdT.  He  was  reared  as  a  Whig  and  became 
a  liepnblican  on  the  organization  of  that  party. 
Wliile  interested  in  politics  he  generally  refused 
local  offices,  sciving  only  as  Treasurer  of  the 
^l■hool  Board  prior  to  1«(;7.  In  the  autumn  of 
that  year,  on  the  Republican  ticket,  he  was  elected 
to  represent  his  county  in  the  State  Senate.  To 
this  high  position  he  was  re-elected  from  time  to 
time,  .so  that  he  .served  a,s  Senator  continuously  foi- 
eighteen  years  before  being  promoted  to  the  high- 
est office  in  the  State.  He  was  so  popular  at  home 
tliat  he  was  generally  re-nominated  by  acclamation, 
and   for  some  years  the  Democrats  did   not  even 


make    nominations.       During   the    whole   eighteen 
years  Senator  Larrabee  was  a  member  of  the  prin- 
cijial  committee,  that  on  Ways  and  Means,  of  which 
he  was  generally  Chairman,  and  was  also  a  mendier 
ot  other  committees.     In  the  pursuit  of  the  duties 
thus  devolving   upon   him.  he    was  indefatigalilc 
It  is  said  that  he  never  missed   a  committee  mcii 
ing.     Not  ahine  in  this,  but  in  private  and  i)ublii 
business  of  all  kinds,  his  uniform  h.abit  is  that  oi 
close  aijplication  to  work.     Many  of  the  iniijortsint 
measures  passed  by  the  Legislature  owe  their  ex 
istence  or  present  form  to  him. 

He  was  a  candidate  for  the  gubernatorial  nouiiiui- 
tion  in  I8,si,  but  entered  the  contest  too  late,  a> 
(iov.  Sherman's  following  had  been  successfully 
,  organized.  In  1  ><H5  it  was  generally  conceded  be- 
fore the  meeting  of  the  convention  that  he  would 
be  nominated,  which  he  was,  and  his  election  fol- 
lowed as  a  matter  of  course.  He  was  inaugurated 
Jan.  1 4,  1 HM,  and  so  far  has  made  an  excellent 
(iovernor.  His  position  in  regard  to  the  licpior 
(juestion,  that  on  which  political  fortunes  are  made 
and  lo.st  in  Iowa,  is  that  the  majority  shoidd  rule. 
He  was  i)ersonally  in  favor  of  high  license,  but 
having  been  elected  Governor,  and  sworn  to  up- 
hold the  Constitution  and  execute  the  laws,  he  |iro- 
poscs  to  do  so. 

A  Senator  who  sat  beside  him  in  the  Senate  de- 
clares him  to  be  ''  a  man  of  the  broadest  compre- 
hension and  information,  an  extraordinarily  clear 
reasoner,  fair  and  conscientious  in  his  conclusions, 
and  of  Spartan  firmness  in  his  matured  judgment," 
and  says  that  '•  he  brings  the  practical  facts  and 
philosophy  of  human  nature,  the  science  and  his- 
tory of  law,  to  aid  in  his  decisions,  and  adheres  with 
the  earnestness  of  Jefferson  and  Sumner  to  the 
fundamental   principles  of    the   people's    rights." 

Gov.  Larrabee  was  married  Sept.  1 2, 1 86 1 ,  at  Cler- 
mont, to  Anna  M.  Appehnan,  daughter  of  Capt. 
(J.  A.  Ai)i)elman.  Gov.  Larrabee  h.as  seven  chil- 
dren— Charles,  Augusta,  Julia,  Anna,  William, 
Frederic  and  Helen. 


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;HE  time  has  arrived  when  it 
becomes  the  duty  of  the 
people  of  this  county  to  per- 
petuate the  iiumes  of  their 
pioneers,  to  furnish  a  record 
of  their  early  settlement, 
and  relate  the  story  of  their 
progress.  The  civilization  of  our 
day,  the  enlightenment  ot  the  age 
and  the  duly  that  men  of  the  pres- 
ent lime  owe  to  their  ancestors,  to 
themselves  and  to  their  posterity, 
demand  that  a  record  of  their  lives 
and  deeds  should  be  made.  In  bio- 
graphical history  is  found  a  power 
to  instruct  man  by  precedent,  to 
enliven  the  mental  faculties,  and 
to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a 
safe  vessel  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the 
people  who  contributed  to  raise  this  country  from  its 
primitive  state  may  be  preserved.  Surely  and  rapidly 
the  great  and  aged  men,  who  in  their  jirime  entered 
the  wilderness  and  claimed  the  virgin  soil  as  their 
heritage,  are  passing  to  their  graves.  The  number  re- 
maining who  can  relate  the  incidents  of  the  first  days 
of  settlement  is  becoming  small  indeed,  so  that  an 
actual  necessity  exists  for  tlie  collection  and  preser- 
vation of  events  without  delay,  before  all  the  early 
settlers  are  cut  down  by  the  scythe  of  Time. 

To  be  forgotten  has  been  the  great  dread  of  mankind 
from  remotest  ages.  All  will  be  t'orgotten  soon  enough, 
in  spite  of  their  best  works  and  the  most  earnest 
efforts  of  their  friends  to  perserve  the  memory  of 
their  lives.  The  means  employed  to  prevent  oblivion 
and  to  perpetuate  their  memory  has  been  in  propor- 
tion to  the  amount  of  intelligence  they  possessed. 
The  pyramids  of  Egypt  were  built  to  perpetuate  the 
names  and  deeds  of  their  great  rulers.  The  exhu- 
mations made  by  the  archeologists  of  Egypt  from 
buried  Memphis  indicate  a  desire  of  those   people 


to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  their  achievements 
The  erection  of  tlie  great  obelisks  were  for  tl'.e  same 
purpose.  CiMuing  down  to  a  later  period,  we  find  the 
Greeks  ami  Romans  erecting  m;iusoleums  and  monu- 
ments, and  carving  out  statues  to  chronicle  their 
great  achievements  and  carry  them  down  the  ages. 
It  is  also  evident  that  the  Mound-bu'lders,  in  piling 
up  their  g'eat  mounds  of  earth,  had  but  this  idea — - 
to  leave  so  ncthing  to  show  th.it  they  iiad  lived.  All 
tiiese  works,  though  many  ol  them  costly  in  the  ex- 
treme, give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  lives  and  charac 
ters  of  those  whose  memory  they  were  intended  to 
perpetuate,  and  scarcely  anything  of  the  masses  ot 
the  people  that  then  lived.  The  great  pyramids  and 
some  of  the  obelisks  remain  objects  only  of  c.uriosity ; 
the  mausoleums,  monuments  and  statues  are  crum- 
bling into  dust. 

It  was  left  to  modern  ages  to  establish  an  intelli- 
gent, undecaying,  immutable  method  of  perpetu.iting 
a  full  history — immutable  in  that  it  is  atmo-^t  un- 
limited in  extent  and  perpetual  in  its  action ;  and 
this  is  through  the  art  of  printing. 

To  the  present  generation,  however,  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  introduction  of  the  admirable  system 
of  local  biography.  By  this  system  every  man,  though 
he  has  not  achieved  what  the  world  calls  greatness, 
has  the  means  to  perpetuate  his  life,  his  history, 
through  the  coming  ages. 

The  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  all ;  nothing  of  the 
physical  mai>  is  left.  The  monument  which  his  chil- 
dren or  friends  may  erect  to  hii  memory  in  the  ceme- 
tery will  crumble  into  dust  and  pass  away;  but  his 
life,  his  achievements,  the  work  he  has  accomplished, 
which  otherwise  would  be  forgotten,  is  perpetuated 
by  a  record  of  this  kind. 

To  preserve  the  lineaments  of  our  companions  we 
engrave  their  portraits,  for  the  same  reason  we  col- 
lect the  attainable  facts  of  their  history.  Nor  do  we 
think  it  necessary,  as  we  speak  only  truth  of  them,  to 
wait  until  they  are  dead,  or  until  those  who  know 
them  are  gone:  to  do  this  we  are  asliamed  only  to 
publish  to  the  world  the  history  of  those  whose  lives 
are  unworthy  of  public  re<"ord. 


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A.  RUSSKLL.  Hon.  Robert 
A.  Russell,  a  piouiineut  and 
highly  respected  resident  of 
Ft.  Madison,  is  a  native  of 
Blount  County,  Tenn.,  born 
Dec.  12,  1S();3.  The  family 
is  an  old  and  influential  one. 
John  Russell,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  his 
grandfather,  William  Russell,  was 
born  in  Ireland,  whence  he  emi- 
grated to  America  and  made  his 
first  settlement  in  Virginia.  He 
afterward  removed  to  Blount  Coun- 
ty, Tenn.,  and  there  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  He  was  an  early  pioneer  of 
the  county,  and  did  much  toward  its  development 
and  progress. 

John  Russell  was  a  young  man  when  he  removed 
from  Virginia  to  Tennessee  with  his  parents.  He 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  followed  it  for 
some  years  after  attaining  manhood,  and  thereafter 
became  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
saddle-trees,  which  business  he  followed  success- 
fully until  his  death,  which  took  place  Oct.  3,  1815, 
at  the  age  of  forty-six  years.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Jane  JIcNutt,  a  native  of  Breckonridge, 
W.  Va.,  and  of  Scotch  ancestry-.  Of  this  union 
there  were  born  seven  children,  six  of  whom  lived 
to  become  men  and  women.     The  record   is  as  fol- 


lows: Hamilton,  the  eldest,  died  July  2.s,  1817;  he 
was  a  remarkably  intelligent  boy  for  that  age,  and 
was  a  fine  scholar,  being  conversant  with  Greek  and 
Latin,  and  well  up  in  the  sciences;  Robert  A.,  our 
subject;  Sibby  became  the  wife  of  Robert  Caldwell, 
and  settled  in  Boone  County,  Ind.,  where  her  death 
and  that  of  her  husband  occurred ;  Polly  married 
Rev.  Clayborn  Young;  they  also  settled  in  Boone 
County,  Ind.,  and  are  both  deceased;  Hance  H. 
married  Nancy  A.  Utter,  and  they  are  residing  at 
Ft.  Madison;  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  David 
Caldwell,  and  they  settled  in  Lamar  County,  Tex., 
where  they  still  live ;  John  Q.  married  Jane  Max- 
well, and  his  decease  occured  in  Paris,  Edgar  Co., 
111. 

Robert  A.  Russell  was  a  lad  of  only  twelve  years 
of  age  when  he  was  deprived  of  a  father's  care, 
and  the  bereaved  wife  and  mother  was  left  with  six 
small  children  to  provide  for.  She  had  some  prop- 
erty, consisting  of  a  small  farm  and  a  residence  in 
town.  One  of  the  last  requests  of  the  father  was 
that  his  children  should  be  educated  in  the  best 
possible  manner,  and  his  wife  religiously  strove  to 
carry  out  his  request.  Robert  A.  received  his  rudi- 
mentary education  at  the  village  academy,  and  iu 
later  years  attended  Western  and  Southern  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  taking  a  course  in  the  literary  de- 
partment. The  first  real  labor  in  which  he  engaged 
was  as  a  teacher  in  a  subscription  school  in  the 
town  of  Jasper,  about  1 50  miles  from  his  home.   He 


Ciu 


.^1 


170 


LEE  COUNTY. 


I  te 


here  taught  two  terms,  and  then  crossed  the  mount- 
ains to  Salem.  Franklin  County,  where  he  taught 
for  tlif  same  k-ngtii  of  time,  thereafter  engaging  in 
mercantile  pursuits  in  Winchester.  He  «as  only 
occupied  at  this,  however,  hut  a  short  time,  when 
lie  sold  out  and  removed  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Hnshville,  Schuyler  County,  where  he  resumed  his 
old  occupation  of  teaching,  and  remained  thus  en- 
gaged for  a  jM-riod  of  six  ^ears. 

In  IK.'i'.l  Mr.  Russell  came  to  lnwa,  Ihcu  a  Tcrri- 
inry.  He  iirst  located  at  VI.  .Madison,  which  was 
thcii  an  humble  liandet  of  about  :W0  or  400  in- 
habitants. The  dwellings  were  of  the  most  primi- 
live  description,  and  would  be  called  shanties  in 
tliese  days;  they  were  covered  with  clapboards, 
rived  by  hand  and  furnished  with  puncheon  floors. 
M  r.  liussell  also  became  a  pedagogue  in  this  new 
country,  and  the  school  building  was  of  the  same 
f^ ,  j-^n  character  .as  the  structures  around  it,  being  fur- 
T^r-  nished  with  puncheon  floor  and  benches  of  the 
B  H  same  material.  He  continued  as  a  teac-her  for  the 
p^i=fl  following  eight  or  ten  years,  and  many  of  the  gray- 
I  :  I  haired  farmers  of  to-day  were  then  his  jaipils.  I)nr- 
^i^  ing  the  julministration  of  President  Harrison  he 
was  .appointed  I'ostm.aster  and  served  two  years, 
in  IK  1(1  he  was  appointed  to  fill  the  olHces  of 
Trejisnrer,  Collector  and  Recorder,  and  when  his 
successor  was  elected  he  was  apponted  the  Deputy 
of  these  ofBccs.  In  1H47  he  was  .again  elected  to 
these  oflices,  the  duties  of  which  he  discharged  until 
lb.') I.  He  then  retired  for  ;(  time  from  political 
life,  and  eng.aged  in  the  insurance  bnsine.ss,  and 
was  also  elected  Collector  and  Treasurer  for  a  rail- 
r<»ad  company  which  contemplated  the  building  of 
|[j|i;;jp;  a  road  through  that  section  (jf  country. 
11'  Robert  A.  Russell  was  elected  County-  .ludge  in 
^j^  lKi;4,  which  ollice  he  held  for  two  terms.  Three 
^  Cr      years  later,  1 86(j-G7,  he  wiis  appointed   Assistant 

"■   W     Assessor  of  Internal  Revenue,  in  which  he  was  eu- 

1,1  *• 

11  H'^S^'^  ^^^'  t>"t'  year.  He  wsis  for  a  time  Secretary 
I  and  Treasurer  of  the  Ft.  Madison,  Keokuk  it 
\i\aB'.  lil'»*J"dield  Railroad,  but  the  road  was  not  built, 
owing  to  financial  stress  at  that  time.  For  a  time 
he  was  engaged  in  the  insurance  business,  repre- 
senting some  of  the  best  companies  in  the  I'nited 
States,  among  them  the  Ph(enix  and  Connecticut, 
of  Hartford,  and  llie  KquitMlilc  Life,  of  New  York. 


I 


I 


a 

1 

k 


3    M 

:  h 

-  f- 

:  I 
;;i 

:  [I 

-  >■ 
:  1 

! 


early  life  Sf , 
Church,  |} 


but  after  marri.age  was  a  devoted  member  of  the  K;, 
Presbyterian   Church,  and,  with   her   husband,  \vas  ! 
one  of  the  first  members  in  this  place.     For  thirty  :,[h 
consecutive  years  iVIr.  Russell  served  as  Superin-  M 


He  built  up  an  extensive  business,  having  trans- 
actions in  nujst  of  the  Western  and  Northwestern 
States,  and  was  one  of  the  most  valuable  agents  of 
the  business  in  this  part  of  the  couutr}'. 

Hon.  Robert  A.  Russell  was  married,  Aug.  l.i, 
1833,  to  Miss  Louise  D.  Spyker,  a  native  of  Abing-  ::J 
d(m,  Va.,  born  Oct.  23,  1«12.  Mrs.  Russell  was  a  lady  3;} 
remarkal)le  in  many  resiiects.  She  was  of  a  singu-  6;} 
larly  bright  and  amiable  disposition  and  deeply  re-  -jj 
ligious  in  character.  She  was  an  especial  favorite  g:J 
of  the  young,  and  exercised  a  great  influence  over  -=, 
those  who  came  under  her  control.  In  early  life  S^-^ 
she   became  a  member  of   the  Methodist 


ii 


1 

tendent  of  Suud.ay -schools,  and  his  history  in  con-  3:, 

nection  with   this  work   is   probably  the   most  re-  tt\ 

niarkable  of  that  of  any  man  in  this  State.     JMrs.  gEi 

Russell  departed  this  life  Nov.  2!),  1883,  lamented  ill 

by  all  who  knew  her.     Her  death  proved  an  almost  ::k 

irreparable    loss  to    her  church  and    the    religious  :  i|i 

coinuuinity. 

.ludge    Russell    synijiathized    entirely    with    tlic    . -h 

pious  labors  of  his  excellent  companion,  and   it   is     ^ 

prob.able    that  the  noble   work   which  she   .accom-  _:i 

plished  was  in  a  large  tneasurc  due  to  his  earnest  ::! 

sympathy  and  sujjport.     lie   has  lieen  an   Elder  in  Kji 

the  church  here  for  more  than  fifty  years,  and  was  Ki 

present  at  the  organization   of    the   first  Sunday-  i:i 

school  in  the  penitenti.ary,  in  which  institution   he  ^h 

had  charge  of  a  class  up  to  November,  1880.     He  ;;i 

is  also  a  regular  .attendant  of  the  Sunday-school  of  £;i 

his  church,  and  .assists  the  cause  liberally  and  cheer-  ";i 

fully    by   his    influence  and    the  more    substantial  gs^ 

means  at  his  command.     He  is  trnl^'    one  of  the  ||i 

I 
I 


pillars  of   the   Church    in    this   community,  whose 
place  it  will  be  dillicult  to  fill  when  he  shall  be  able  51)1} 

ii 


to  work  no  more. 


In  former  years  .Judge  Russell  atliliated  with  the  3;} 


ut  upon  the  abandonment  of  the  old  ^}J 
formation  of  the  Republican,  he 
cheerfully  endorsed  the  principles  of  the  latter,  and  S} 
assisted  in  the  part^-  orgjinization.  The  Russell  l]'. 
family  spring   from  excellent  stock,  and   are  noted  slj 

1 

1 
:! 


Whig  party 
p.arty   anil    tiu 


IS  being   people   of   culture,  education  aiul  retine- 


,-,nTTT7  ^, 


f,T^S^S?Hi 


ment.  An  elder  brother  of  the  Judge,  by  name 
\Villi;ini  Ilaiiiiltuii  Russell,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  years,  was  a  remariiabl}'  fine  sohnlar  for  one 
of  his  age,  and  had  taken  a  regiiliir  course  in  the 
sciences  and  languages.  He  was  a  youtii  of  great 
[ironiise,  and  everyone  who  knew  him  i)redicted 
for  him  a  liright  career.  The  cutting  down  of  this 
young  life  was  a  bitter  blow  to  the  family,  for  in 
this  3'outh  had  been  placed  great  htipcs  and  ex- 
pectations for  the  future. 

Socially  Judge  Russell  is  a  wiiolc-souled  and 
genial  gentleman,  witii  warm  synii)atliics,  ami  ipiick 
to  respond  to  the  calls  of  friendship  or  charity. 
His  many  excellent  qualities  of  heart  and  disposi- 
tion liave  endeared  him  to  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances  in  this  vicinity',  who  have  but 
one  report  to  make  of  him  and  that  is,  unani- 
mously-, that  he  is  one  of  the  most  highly  valued 
citizens  in  their  midst.  It  is  with  pleasure  that  the 
l)ublishers  of  this  work  present  a  portrait  of  the 
Judge  on  another  page,  knowing  that  it  will  be  ap- 
preciated by  hosts  of  friends. 


property,  and   is  now  living  retired  from  active 
business.  ^ 

Jlr.  and  Mrs.  Henzel  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren, Laura  and  Bertha,  and   have  a  pleasant  home 
on  the  corner  of  Tenth  and  Fulton  streets.    In  poli-nr 
tics  Jlr.  H.  is  a  Democrat,  and   in  other  respects  is  i 
fully  entitled  to  be  classed  as  an   intelligent  man 
and  a  good  citizen. 


jEORGE  HENZEL,  a  respected  resident  of 
in  partnership  with  his  brother 
engaged  in  the  publication  of  the 
Keokuk  Fost,  a  weekly  newspaper,  which  enjoys  a 
liljeral  circulation  and  is  steadily  increasing  its  sub- 
scription list.  Mr.  Henzel  is  a  native  of  the  Ger- 
man Empire,  and  emigrated  from  his  native  land 
to  the  United  States  in  1866.  Before  coming  to 
this  country  he  was  associated  with  a  mercantile 
house  for  the  space  of  seven  years  and  traveling  as 
a  salesman  through  Germany  and  Italy.  Upon 
coming  to  the  United  States  he  proceeded  to  St. 
Louis,  and  was  there  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits until  1886,  when  he  came  to  Keokuk  and  en- 
gaged in  his  present  business,  with  his  bi-other  as 
manager. 

(ieorge  Henzel  was  married  in  St.  Louis  in  1876, 
to  i\Iiss  Hattie  Frank,  daughter  of  George  P^'ank  of 
that  city,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  afterward  a 
resident  of  Nauvoo,  III.  In  18.'37  he  left  Nauvoo 
and  went  to  St.  Louis  to  engage  in  the  sale  of  for- 
eign li(|uors,   where   he    accumulated   considerable 


•i^feiJ- 


'^[t)lIN  K.  ('()()NEY,an  honored  |)ioneer  of  the 
Hawkeye  State,  ci'ossed  the  Father  of  Waters 
with  his  parents  when  lie  was  but  a  small 
lioy.  They  located  about  two  miles  east  of 
Franklin  Center,  where  his  father,  Dr.  Mathew 
Cooney,  purchased  a  trad  of  land,  and  engaged 
alternately  in  agricultural  [lursuits  and  the  practice 
of  his  [)rofession  until  his  death.  Our  subject  was 
born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio.  I"eb.  25,  18;50.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Miss  Nancy  L. 
Lewis;  she  was  a  Virginia  lady,  born  in  1798.  She 
shared  with  her  husband  all  the  vicissitudes  and 
changes  of  their  married  life,  and  i)receded  him  to 
the  better  land  two  weeks,  departing  this  life  in 
1859. 

Dr.  Mathew  C'(joney,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  A'irginia,  of  Irish  ancestry,  and  was  born 
in  1796.  He  received  a  good  education,  was  an  in- 
telligent man  and  an  cxtcMisive  reader,  and  emi- 
nently successful  in  his  profession.  The  parental 
household  consisted  of  ten  children,  four  of  whom 
died  in  infancy.  James  T.  was  the  eldest  son;  Har- 
riet A.  became  the  wife  of  George  Stout;  Mathew 
L.  married  Miss  Christine  Judy ;  Rebecca  married 
H.  Judy;  Asa  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years. 
The  subject  of  our  sketch  has  been  three  times 
married.  In  early  maniiood,  Fel).  24,  1853,  he  was 
united  with  Miss  Abigail  Jud}'.  The  date  of  her 
birth  was  June  2,  18;S4.  She  became  the  mother  of 
three  sons,  and  departed  this  life  May  20,  1861. 
Her  children  were  Mathew  T.,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  seven  3'ears;  John  A.,  born  April  2,  1.H58,  and 
Wilson  M.,  June  9,  1860.  Mr.  Cooney,  for  his  sec- 
ond wife,  married  Miss  .Mary  .1.  Simons,  who  onlj' 
lived  six  months  after  their  wedding.  His  third 
marriage   was  celebrated  Feb.    11,   1868,  at  which 


IS 


1      plXXlXlXTTTXXITl-IHXIUlJJ.Ji: 


>-Tz  J  zzY  xxaxzx  E 


i>-*if  ■i-ir«»y'TnTm'Tr^T*niiT"i  i 


i 


time  Jliss  Klleii  Livers  In'cairie  iiis  wife.  She  was 
Ijorii  in  Villi  IJiiiuii  County,  Iowa,  M:iy  25,  1843, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Benedict  I.  and  Elizabeth 
(Shelman)  Livers,  l)oth  natives  of  Kentucky.  Bene- 
dict Livers  was  born  July  l.'>,  1H15,  and  is  still  liv- 
ing 111  \'aii  Buien  County,  Iowa,  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Livers  was  born 
March  2.'),  1813.  and  departed  this  life  in  May, 
1864,  having  become  the  mother  of  ten  children, 
the  record  of  wholn  is  as  follows:  Mary,  born  Dec. 
•29,  1837,  died  in  1839;  Adam  was  born  M.ay  10, 
1839;  Guy  1).,  Feb.  27,  is  11;  Klleii,  May  25, 
1843;  Catharine,  June  4,  184G;  Maria,  Oct.  5, 
1848;  Sylvester,  .Tune  13,  1850;  Nancy  J.,  April 
29,  1852;  .lames  IL,  .luly  1,  1854;  Sarah  A.,  May 
18, 1850;  Adam.  Sylvester  and  Sarah  are  deceased. 
After  his  marriage  Mr.  Cooney  located  upon 
-nM,  Devil  Creek,  this  county,  where  he  resided  five 
^  3'ears.  lie  then  sold  out,  and  purchased  192  acres, 
which  constitute  the  present  line  homestead.  His 
children  by  the  last  marriage  have  been  five  in 
number,  two  of  whom  are  deceased,  and  the  rec- 
ord is  as  follows:  .lames  (i.,  born  Dec.  23,  IKOX; 
Ida  .1..  Marcii  0,  1H7I;  Henry  C,  .luiie  1.  1^72; 
Charles  B.,  born  Aug.  3,  1875,  died  Feb.  13,  1880; 
(ieorge  W.,  born  .lune  8,  1880,  died  .July  16  of 
the  same  year. 

In  addition  to  general  husbandry,  Mr.  Cooney  is 
giving  considerable  atteiiti(^ii  to  the  breeding  of 
fine  stock,  making  a  specialty  of  Poland-China 
swine.  The  homestead  is  finely  located  and  the 
land  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  Mr.  C.  has 
been  a  thorough-going  business  man  and  has  been 
prosperous  in  his  undertakings.  He  and  his  family 
are  members  in  good  standing  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  his  son  Wilson  is  C(mi|)leting  a  course 
of  ministerial  stud^'  at  the  Baptist  Theological  Sem- 
inary in  Morgan  I'ark,  III. 

Mr.  Cooney  is  greatly  interested  in  the  success 
of  various  societies  and  orders.  He  belongs  to  the 
A.  F.  it  A.  M.,  Blue  Lodge,  which  is  .lo[)pa  Lodge 
No.  136  at  Montrose,  and  his  Chapter  Lodge,  Pot- 
owonock  No.  28,  at  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa.  Mv.  C. 
Ims  been  a  Mason  since  1800,  having  filled  all  the 
offices  of  the  Blue  Lodge  in  the  town  of  West 
Point,  where  he  was  W.  M.  in  the  year  1801.  He 
enlisted  as  a  soldier  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Kebel- 
HHH' 


lion,  and  was  commissioned  Second  Lieutenant  of 
the  State  Militia,  Iowa  Regulars  of  Lee  County, 
holding  his  commission  until  tlie  close  of  the  war. 
He  was  called  to  the  field  on  the  southern  borders 
of  this  State  and  Northern  Missouri,  and  participa- 
ted in  the  engagement  at  Athens,  under  command 
of  Col.  Moore.  He  participated,  with  his  regiment, 
in  all  their  various  other  skirmishes  and  engage- 
ments, and  remained  in  the  militia  service  for  three 
years.  He  is  a  member  of  Tip  Best  Post  No.  75, 
G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  was  Commander  one  year 
and  is  still  Adjutant.  In  politics  Mr.  Cooney  affil- 
iates with  the  Democratic  party.  A  view  of  the 
homestead  is  shown  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

'if/OIlN  MATTERN,  a  wealthy  and  inducntial 
farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Franklin  Town- 
ship, owns  and  occupies  a  fine  homestead  on 
section  32.  He  came  to  Lee  County  in 
1 850,  and  located  in  this  township,  of  which  he  has 
lieen  a  resident  since  that  time,  and  is  well  and 
widely  known  throughout  this  section.  His  farm 
estate  consists  of  240  acres  of  prairie  and  104  acres 
of  tiinlier.  His  prairie  land  is  under  a  fine  state  of 
cultivation,  and  upon  it  is  a  comfortable  farm 
dwelling,  and  all  the  necessary  out-buildings  for 
the  storing  of  grain  and  the  shelter  of  stock. 

Mr.  Mattern  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  and  was  born 
Oct.  13,  1822,  being  reared  and  educated  in  his  na- 
tive land,  where  his  father  before  him  lived  and 
died.  At  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years  our  sub- 
ject emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  proceed- 
ing directlj'  westward  located  at  West  Point,  in 
Lee  County.  Here  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  car- 
penter, which  he  followed  for  ten  years,  and  then 
abandoned  it  to  become  a  fanner.  He  has  been 
greatly  prospered  in  his  agricultural  pursuits,  and 
is  now  extensively  engaged  in  the  loaning  of 
money. 

.lohu  Mattern  was  married  in  Quincy,  111.,  in 
1852,  to  Miss  Caroline  Schok,  a  native  of  Wurtem- 
berg,  born  on  the  7th  of  October,  1829.  Her  fa- 
ther was  also  a  native  of  Germany,  a  farmer  bj' 
occupation,  and  passed  his  entire  life  in  his  own 
country.     Mrs.   Mattern   lived  at  home  with  her 


I  zxxxxxu, 


_      _    rTrrTtiFiJiixsrtxifl  qi  ■ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


173„_^=^ 


parents  until  she  had  arrived  at  years  of  woman- 
liood,  and  then  came  to  the  United  States  with  an 
nncle,  whose  liouse  remained  her  home  until  her 
marriage. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  became  the  parents  of  ten  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  living,  the  record  being  as 
follows:  Lisetta  is  a  dressmaker  at  Keokuk,  Iowa; 
Laura,  the  widow  of  George  Cook,  lives  in  the 
same  city;  George  married  Miss  Kate  Meinhard, 
and  they  are  residents  of  Donnellson ;  John  is  at 
home ;  Maggie  and  Katie  are  at  Burlington ;  Reka 
received  an  education  in  the  college  at  Keokuk, 
and  is  engaged  in  teaching;  Clara,  Anna  R.  and 
Mattie  L.  are  at  home.  The  family  are  members 
of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  and  in  politics 
Mr.  Mattern  is  strongly  Democratic.  Mr.  M.,  in 
companj-  with  Henry  Albert,  is  the  owner  of  the 
elevator  at  Donnellson,  and  has  other  large  and 
valnal)le  interests  in  this  section. 


-*- 


^:kr^-^ 


:  :@1 


OIINSON  MEEK.  This  gentleman  was  the 
third  settler  in  what  is  now  Des  Moines 
Township,  and  the  oldest  one  now  living. 
lie  crossed  the  Mississippi  in  tiie  month  of 
November,  1856,  and  settled  u|)on  a  tract  of  land 
tviiich  constitutes  his  present  homestead.  At  the 
time  of  his  coming  here  not  a  furrow  had  been  bro- 
ken on  section  19,  and  he  was  among  the  first  men 
to  purchase  an  interest  in  what  was  known  as  the 
"half-breed  tract,"  then  undivided.  On  account 
of  a  flaw  in  the  title  he  was  obliged  to  pay  a  sec- 
ond time  for  a  portion  of  his  land,  but  amid  this 
and  many  other  discouragements  he  steadily 
[lushed  his  way  forward,  improved  and  cultivated 
his  laud,  and  in  due  time  met  with  the  rich  reward 
of  his  labors.  He  lived  economicallj^,  disbursed  his 
means  judiciously,  and  from  time  to  time  has  made 
additional  purchases  of  land,  until  he  is  now  the 
proud  possessor  of  616  acres,  embr.acing  a  body  of 
the  best  land  in  the  Ilawkeye  State,  all  l.ying  along 
the  Des  Moines  River,  and  most  of  it  in  the  first 
bottoms.  Most  of  his  land  is  improved,  and  he  has 
a  valuable  timber  tract. 

As  soon  as  he  found  it  practicable  INIr.  JMeek  es- 


tablished a  nurserj'  upon  a  small  scale,  from  seed 
which  he  had  brought  with  him  upon  coming  here.  ^^S 
He  also  grafted  extensively  throughout  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  thus  obtained  a  remarkable  degree  of  _iMilh 
skill  in  this  brancli  of  the  business.  He  has  re- 
cently made  great  improvements  upon  his  farm  by 
the  ei'ection  of  various  necessary  out-buildings,  and 
his  homestead  forms  one  of  the  most  attractive 
spots  in  the  landscape  of  Lee  count}'.  He  has  a  fine 
residence,  good  barns,  costly  farm  implements  and 
machinery,  and  all  the  requisites  of  a  first-class 
farmer  and  stock-grower.  He  has  assisted  mater- 
ially in  the  building  up  of  this  portion  of  the  coun- 


try, and   his  name   is  an  honored  one  throughout    W  W 
this  section  of  the  county.     He  has  been  liberal  in  _1m_J1 


m 
1 


his  ideas,  and  generous  in  his  contribution  to  and 
support  of  all  measures  which  were  calculated  for 
the  welfare  of  the  community,  socially,  morally  and 
religiousl}-. 

Mr.  Meek  is  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  born  in  II .^ 

Brooke   County,  near   the   Ohio   River,   March   3,    !}    W 


180.5.  His  father,  William  Meek,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  removing  from  there  to  West  Vir- 
ginia with  his  parents  wlieu  a  child  of  two  years 
old,  and  there  remained  until  he  had  attained  to 
years  of  manhood.  He  then  went  back  to  his  na- 
tive county,  an<l  was  there  married  to  Miss  Eliza- 
beth .Johnson.  Her  parents  were  of  English  and 
German  descent,  possessing  all  the  sturdy  attri- 
butes of  the  two  races  combined. 

Johnson  Meek  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  five  IJ| 
sons  and  three  daughtei-s.  His  parents  were  of 
Irish  descent,  and  of  their  family,  three  sons  and 
all  the  daughters  are  still  living.  The  two  who  are 
deceased  lived  to  an  advanced  age.  Johnson  Meek 
was  reared  partly  in  his  native  county  and  partly 
in  Ohio.  He  was  married,  Ai)ril  15,  18-2'J,  to  Miss 
Mary  Kean,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  Au- 
gust, 1814,  and  was  of  Scotch  and  German  parent-  ^^^ 
age.  She  became  the  wife  of  our  subject  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  years,  removed  with  him  to  Iowa, 
and  there  departed  tliis  life  in  Des  Jloines  Town- 
ship, April  7,  1.S44.  She  had  become  the  mother  of 
two  children,  who  still  survive  her:  Zantippe  be- 
came the  wife  of  Thomas  A.  Smith,  who  died  in 
1884;  she  is  now  a  resident  of  Eureka,  Ark. ;  Ar-  '^ra 
miuta  is  the  widow  of  Marvin   Tccl;  she  lives   in     ^^ 


tLlniiiilXiZJa 


"SO'HTFT^ 


rii-mimrxiiniiiiimn-n  C^KTSn  min xrrm rxnnixruitm  ; 


174 


LEE  COUNTY. 


,^      San  Lorenzo,  Cal.,  and  is  the  mother  of  three  chil- 

I       flrei). 

jg  Mr.  Meek  was  the  secuiul   time  niiuried,  .Inn.  2  1, 

"~  1K.')0,  in  I)es  Moines  Township.  U>  Mrs.  I'riscilla  K. 
(Ilearn)  McBride,  daughter  uf  Saiiiiicl  ami  .lant- 
(Kwinjf)  Ilt-arn.  Ilcr  parents  were  reared  and  mar- 
ried in  Montgomery  Count}-,  Ohio.  They  came  to 
Iowa  in  183.'3.  locating  in  Lee  County,  and  were  the 
pM  first  white  settlers  in  Ues  Moines  Township.  The 
family  then  consisted  of  five  children,  of  whom 
Mrs.  M.  was  the  eldest  but  one.  She  was  l)oru  in 
Wiishington  Townsliip,  Montgomery  Co.,  Oliio, 
Oct.  ."5,  181 1).  Upon  lirst  c(jming  here  her  family 
encountered  all  the  hardships  and  privations  inci- 
dent to  the  early  pioneer.  They  found  nothing  but 
wild  .■miinals  and  Indian.s,  and  their  home  was  often 
\  i>iicd  by  the  latter,  of  whom  they  succeeded  in 
making  friends  instead  of  enemies.  They  iin- 
l)roved  and  enltivated  their  land,  and  after  many 
years  of  toil  and  hardship  began  to  enjoy  the  fruit 
of  their  labors.  The  parents  lived  to  see  a  pros- 
p^i  perous  eivilization  around  thenu  and  smiling  farms 
jl'  which  had  been  evolved  from  a  wilderness.  They 
watched  with  the  greatest  interest  the  tide  of  emi- 
gration, and  assisted  by  every  means  in  their  power 
in  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  their  county 
and  community.  The  father  departed  this  life  in 
1872,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty  years;  the 
mother  in  184."),  at  the  age  of  sixty-three. 

.Mrs.  Meek  remained  with  her  parents  until  her 
marriage  to  Robert  L.  McHride.  They  were 
married  in  .Missouri,  and  lived  there  most  <jf  the 
tinu'  afterwaril  until  her  husband's  death.  Of  her 
union  with  -Mr.  .Meek  she  became  the  mother  of  six 
children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased:  Jane  A.  be- 
c.'ime  the  wife  of  .Iose|)li  Rayn,  and  they  reside  on 
a  part  of  the  old  homestead;  Otto  15.  married  Miss 
Martha  Sullivan,  and  they  live  in  Adair  Count}', 
Mo.;  Hlauche  re?ides  at  home,  as  also  <loes  K.  B., 
ami  they  both  a^sist  in  the  duties  of  the  household 
and  faiin.  .Mar}-  L.,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of 
Richard  HriuUerhoft',  and  left  one  child,  which  is 
still  living;   ICarnesl  is  also  ileceased. 

The  excelli'Ut  trails  of  character  of  .Mr.  .Meek 
were  recognized  in  his  early  life,  ,ind  he  was  soon 
called  upon  to  till  the  prominent  olliccs  of  his  town- 
ship, all   of   which   he   ha.^  held  with  great  credit  to 


mm 


himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  townsmen.  Politi- 
cally he  tuis  been  identified  with  the  National 
(ireenback  and  Democratic  parties,  and  while 
strong  in  his  convictions  he  is  always  willing  to  lis- 
ten to  argument  and  reason,  and  i)ossesses  the 
manly  quality  of  being  willing  to  be  convinced. 
He  is  fully  entitled  to  be  termed  an  honest  man 
and  a  good  citizen,  and  as  one  of  the  little  band  of 
pioneers,  who  are  fast  p.issing  away,  he  is  viewed 
with  peculiar  reverence  and  respect. 


ERMAN  WELSING,  who  is  transacting  a 
prosperous  insurance  business  at  Ft.  Madi- 
son, is  a  fine  representative  of  that  stanch 
WJ)  German  element  which  has  done  so  much 
toward  the  development  of  the  industrial  interests 
of  the  great  West,  lie  is  a  native  of  Mnnster, 
Westphalia,  (iermany,  born  April  23,  182!t,  and  his 
parents  were  Kmricli  and  Anna  (H.iake)  Welsing, 
natives  of  the  same  town  and  Province. 

The  household  of  the  parents  of  our  subject  con- 
sisted of  five  children,  of  whom  Herman  was  tlir 
only  one  who  came  to  the  United  States.  Ileal- 
tended  school  in  his  boyhood  days  until  nineteen 
years  of  age,  and  received  an  excellent  education 
in  his  native  language,  besides  the  dead  and  mod- 
ernn  languages.  He  was  enterprising  and  amlii- 
tious,  having  a  thoughtfid  care  for  the  future  and 
a  great  desire  to  see  the  New  World.  This  was  in 
opposition  to  the  wishes  of  his  parents,  .as  his  fa- 
ther desired  him  to  learn  a  trade,  and  he  was  placed 
in  an  agricultural  school  to  learn  the  art  of  farm- 
ing. In  18.")  I  he  entered  the  Prussian  army, 
served  one  year  as  a  volunteer,  and  thereafter  was 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  two  years. 

Mr.  Welsing,  however,  had  not  given  up  his 
original  intention,  and  in  1 8.>.3  set  sail  for  America. 
He  arrived  in  New  York  City  on  June  1,  and 
remained  there  for  one  season.  He  then  went  to 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  engaged  in  a  sawmill,  but  in 
the  spring  of  18.")7  he  set  his  face  westward,  cross- 
ing the  Mississippi  and  coming  into  Lee  County. 
He  soon  afterward,  however,  went  to  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  and  became  a  clerk  in  a  store,  remaining 
there  until  the  fall  of  the  year,  when  he  returned 


3E 


?a 


■13 


to  West  Point,  Lee  County,  .ind  became  engaged 
in  mercantile  pursuits,  in  which  he  was  success- 
fully occupied  until  187G.  He  then  removed  to 
Ft.  Madison,  having'  been  elected  County'  Treas- 
urer of  Lee  Count}',  and  assumeil  the  duties  of  his 
office.  He  was  re-elected  the  following  year,  and 
since  that  time  has  been  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business.  He  is  now  the  representative  of  eight  of 
the  best  and  most  substantial  companies  in  the 
United  States,  and  is  said  to  be  the  only  agent  rep- 
resenting the  ^Etna  and  North  American  Company 
at  the  same  time.  He  confines  his  attention  exclu- 
sively to  fire  insurance.  In  the  fall  of  ISGO  Mr. 
Welsing  returned  to  his  native  land,  and  visited  his 
parents  for  the  last  time,  his  father  departing  this 
life  in  1863,  and  the  mother  in  1868. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  M.  Benjamin  in  1863.  Mrs.  W.  is  a  native 
of  Louisiana,  born  in  New  Orleans  Jan.  13,  1846, 
and  by  her  union  with  Mr.  Welsing  has  become  the 
mother  of  seven  children— August,  Anna,  Theresa, 
Enirich,  William,  Ida  and  Louisa.  They  occupy 
a  handsome  home  in  the  city  of  Ft.  Madison,  which 
is  the  resort  of  a  large  number  of  the  cultured  peo- 
ple of  the  place. 

In  politics  our  subject  affiliates  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  east  his  first  vote  for  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  for  President.  Mr.  W.  was  Postmaster  at 
West  Point  under  President  Johnson,  and  has  also 
been  the  incumbent  of  various  other  local  offices. 
Religiously  he  is  an  adherent  of  the  Catholic  faith. 


VILLIAM  C.  STRIPE,  one  of  the  projectors 
and  organizers  of  the  Keokuk  Water  Works, 
is  now  Superintendent,  and  fills  the  duties 
of  his  responsible  position  with  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  To  Mr.  Stripe 
the  citizens  of  Keokuk  are  largely  indebted  for  his 
energetic  and  persistent  efforts  in  establishing  this 
much  needed  improvement,  which  is  almost  indis- 
pensable to  the  health  and  convenience  of  the  den- 
izens of  a  modern  city,  and  his  work  in  connection 
with  this  will  stand  as  an  enduring  monument  of 
his  worth  as  a  citizen  and  his  value  as  a  member  of 
the  commnnit}-. 

Mr.  Stripe   is  one  of  the  early   settlers  of   Lee 


County,  having  come  to  luwa  in  1S40  while  it  was 
yet  a  Territory.  lie  was  born  in  Woolwich,  En- 
gland, on  the  18th  of  January,  1812.  His  father, 
William  Stripe,  was  a  surveyor  and  civil  engineer, 
and  transmitted  to  his  sons  in  a  marked  degree 
those  natural  talents  which  made  him  .1  man  of 
note  in  his  native  England.  The  maiden  name  of 
our  subject's  mother  was  Miss  Priscilla  Culver,  and 
she  was  the  daughter  of  Rev.  William  Culver,  a 
Baptist  minister  who  was  distinguished  for  his  fine 
talents  and  extensive  learning. 

William  C.  Stripe  of  this  biography,  was  edu- 
cated in  the  city  of  Liverpool,  continuing  in  school 
until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age.  In  1840  he  set 
sail  for  the  United  States,  embarking  at  Liverpool 
upon  the  "  John  Ta3'lor,"  a  large  vessel,  this  being 
its  first  voyage,  and  proving  a  very  unfortunate 
one.  They  encountered  a  terrific  storm,  during 
which  the  vessel  was  driven  to  land  and  wrecked 
upon  the  Island  of  Cuba.  Most  of  the  crew,  how- 
ever, escaped  with  their  lives,  being  taken  up  by 
another  vessel,  Ijy  which  our  subject  was  landed  in 
New  Orleans  iu  the  month  of  October.  In  Decem- 
ber he  came  to  Keokuk,  accompanied  by  his  wife, 
they  having  buried  their  three  children  in  Liver- 
pool. The  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Eliza 
Payne,  and  to  whom  our  subject  was  married  in 
1831,  died  in  Ft.  Madison  in  1842. 

In  1851  Mr.  Stripe  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness, becoming  "  mine  host  "  of  what  was  known 
as  the  St.  Charles.  This  he  sold  out  at  the  expira- 
tion of  one  year,  and  took  charge  of  the  real-estate 
business  of  Judge  Charles  Mason,  which  composed 
two-fifths  of  the  Half-Breed  Tract,  including  the 
city  of  Keokuk.  He  was  afterward  api^ointed 
United  States  Assessor,  which  office  he  filled  ac- 
ceptably for  a  period  of  eleven  years  and  until  the 
office  was  abolished. 

In  the  meantime  the  necessity  fur  a  water  works 
system  in  the  city  of  Keokuk  had  long  forced  itself 
upon  the  attention  of  her  prominent  citizens,  but 
none  seemed  to  possess  the  knowledge  and  genius 
sufficient  to  plan  and  carry  through  so  gigantic  an 
enterprise.  Mr.  Stripe  at  last  came  to  the  front 
with  his  plans  and  specifications,  which  at  once 
found  favor  with  those  in  authority,  and  the  work 
was  placed  under  way.     He  superintended  it  from 


1^1 


m 
1 


"S 


Vnixiiitiiixtitii  I  Ji  1 1 1  tt » 1 1  kT'tT^.n' 


riizmzxTxxirz-ii  ^^T^rs 


ixuxaroxtx. 


176 


LEE  COUNTY. 


m 


the  first  iiiid  has  continued  its  watchful  guardian 
until  the  present,  his  entire  understanding  of  the 
business  constituting  him  pc'rhai)s  the  best  incum- 
bent of  the  position  that  could  be  found.  Besides 
Superintendent  he  is  also  Secretary  and  chief  engi- 
neer, and  with  all  these  res])onsibilities  upon  his 
shoulders  carries  a  level  head  and  is  ready  for  any 
emergency.  In  noticing  the  operations  of  this 
magnificent  system,  the  ordinary  citizen  can 
scarcely  conceive  of  the  tact,  talent  and  knowledge 
necessary  for  the  carrying  on  of  nil  its  |i;uls  in  the 
uniform  and  systematic  m.-mner  whicli  is  so  indis- 
pensable to  its  success. 

^\'illiam  V.  Slri|n'  und  Miss  Kli/.a  Anderson  were 
united  in  marriage  at  Ft.  Madison  in  ISl'.K  Mrs. 
.Stripe  is  the  daughter  of  William  Anderson,  Esq., 
of  Ft.  Madison,  who  was  the  first  Warden  of  the 
State  Penitentiary  at  Ft.  Madison.  Of  this  union 
there  have  l)een  born  eleven  children,  of  wlK)m  the 
following  are  living:  Frederick  II.,  George  M., 
Frank,  Lida,  Harriet  F.  and  Mary.  i\Ir.  Stripe  has 
served  as  member  of  the  City  Council  of  Keokuk 
P  one  year.  au<l  has  also  been  Assessor  of  Mic  city. 
With  his  family  he  occupies  a  handsome  home  on 
Seventh  street,  and  enjoys  the  friendship  and  es- 
teem of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  !ic(|UMiMta/;ces 


ii 


#^ 


m 


LEXANDFH    W.    ANDERSON,    of     Van 
IJuren  Townsiiip,  is  successfully  prosecut- 
ing his  calling  as  a  farmer  on  his  fine  tract 
^  of  Ian<l,  located  on  section   12.     lie  is  a 

native  of  Greenbrier  County,  W.  Va.,  his  birth 
taking  place  July  13,  ls;!9,  and  came  to  Iowa  witii 
his  parents  when  he  was  a  youth  of  fourteen  years 
old.  They  made  their  first  location  in  this  town- 
ship, and  the  subject  of  our  sketch  has  been  a  resi- 
dent here  since  that  time,  watching  the  growth  and 
development  of  his  adopted  State,  and  contribut- 
ing as  he  had  opi>ortunity  to  its  advanceinent  and 
progress. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  .lob  juid  Esther 
(Parkins)  Anderson,  l)oth  natives  of  Honnie  Scot- 
land. Their  family  consisted  of  eight  children: 
John  I).;  A.  W.,  of  our  sketch;  Mary  J.,  who  died 
at  the  age  of    four  years   in    Virgiida;    Ann    i:ii/a, 


William,  Silas,  Emily  and  Vii'ginia.  Job  Ander- 
son departed  this  life  in  1865;  the  mother  still  sur- 
vives. 

Mr.  Anderson  is  the  owner  of  150  acres  of  some 
of  the  finest  farming  land  in  this  section.  He  has 
a  comfortable  farm  dwelling  and  good  bai'ns  and 
outhouses.  He  is  still  unmarried,  is  Democratic  in 
politics,  and  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  tlie 
Baptist  Church. 

■^ACOB  AVIEGNER,  a  general  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  of  Franklin  Township,  owns  and 
occupies  a  valuable  farm  of  271)  acres  on 
section  22,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  highly 
improved  and  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation. 
The  family'  of  our  subject  occupy  a  comfortable 
farm  dwelling,  and  he  lias  a  fine  barn,  good  out- 
houses, costly  farm  machinery,  and  all  the  appli- 
ances for  carrying  on  agriculture  in  a  first-class 
manner. 

The  subject  of  this  history  is  a  native  of  Lee 
County,  and  was  born  in  Franklin  Township  June 
11,  18'19.  His  father,  Peter  Wiegner,  was  a  pio- 
neer settler  of  the  Ilawkeye  State,  to  which  he  emi- 
grated from  his  native  Germany  at  an  early  period  ^ 
in  the  history  of  this  section.  He  made  his  first 
location  in  Franklin  Township,  and  in  the  estaljlish- 
inent  of  a  home  experienced  many  hardships  and 
privations.  He  had  come  to  stay,  however,  and 
was  undaunted  in  the  resolution  to  allow  no  diflJ- 
culties  to  overcome  him.  In  due  time  he  was  re- 
warded for  his  fatigue  and  toils  by  the  picture  of 
a  beautiful  farm  around  him  which  he  had  elimin- 
ated from  the  seemingly  barren  prairie. 

Jacob  Wiegner  during  his  earlier  years  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  and  received  a  good  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Lee  County.  He  was 
married  in  this  township,  Nov.  25,  1875,  to  Miss 
Charlotte  F.  Rauscher,  a  native  of  Franklin  Town- 
ship, l)oni  on  the  (Uh  of  April,  1851.  Her  father. 
Christian  Rauscher,  now  deceased,  was  engaged  in 
the  joint  occupations  of  a  merchant  and  bl.acksmith, 
:uid  was  a  man  of  energy  and  industiy.  Mrs. 
Wiegner  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
her  marriage,  and  has  become  the  mother  of  five 


I 


V^5S^^^^ 


:|  children,  one  of  whom,  an  infant  unnamed,  is  de- 
ceased. The  living  are  Anna  H.,  Clara  A.,  Media 
D.  and  Simon  V. 

Mr.  AViegner  is  prominent  in  local  affairs  of  his 
vicinitj'^,  and  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  the 
progress  of  his  count}'  and  State.  He  affiliates 
with  the  democratic  party,  and  is  the  encourager 
of  education,  morality  and  religion. 


H.  KREBILL,  a  highly  esteemed  farmer  of 
Franklin  Township,  is  the  possessor  of  a 
comfortable  homestead  located  on  section 
20.  His  property  consists  of  eighty  acres  of  good 
farming  land,  and  he  occupies  a  comfortable  farm 
dwelling,  and  has  a  good  barn  and  all  the  necessary 
outhouses.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the  Hawk- 
eye  State  since  1857,  and  has  established  for  him- 
self a  reputation  as  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citi- 
zen. 

Mr.  Krebill  was  born  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio, 
Feb.  1,  1,S49.  His  father,  Jacob  Krebill,  was  a 
farmer,  of  German  ancestry  and  parentage,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents  when  a 
lad  of  twelve  j"ears  old.  They  located  in  Ashland 
County,  Ohio,  where  their  son,  Jacob,  after  attain- 
ing to  years  of  manhood,  was  married  to  Miss 
Eliza  A.  Strickland,  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State. 
After  the  birth  of  four  children,  Jacob  Krebill 
came  with  his  family  to  Lee  County,  and  located 
in  Franklin  Township,  upon  the  site  of  their  pres- 
ent home.  The  father  afterward  changed  his  loca- 
tion, going  into  another  part  of  the  township,  and 
is  still  living,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  with 
his  wife,  who  is  sixty  years  old. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  with  his  par- 
ents until  he  became  of  age.  He  was  married  in 
this  township  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Rings,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  Franklin  Township,  the  date  of 
her  birth  being  Feb.  10,  1852.  She  died  at  the 
home  of  her  husband  on  the  29th  of  August,  1882, 
and  had  become  the  mother  of  six  children,  three 
of  whom  are  deceased;  the  living  are  Albert,  Ed- 
win and  Clara,  who  are  at  home  with  their  father. 
The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Krebill  occurred  in 
this  township,  Aug.  iiO,  1883,  when  he  was  wedded 


1?: 

13: 

i-x 


to  Miss  Elizabeth  Rings,  a  cousin  of  his  first  wife. 
The  present  Mrs.  K.  was  also  born  and  reared  in 
Franklin  Township,  and  is  the  mother  of  two  chil- 
dren— Charlotte  and  Otto. 

Mr.  K.  has  been  prominent  in  his  township  since 
coming  here,  his  habits  of  industry  and  strictly 
honorable  dealings  securing  for  him  at  once  the 
confidence  of  his  felh^w  townsmen.  He  has  held 
the  various  offices  in  this  locality,  and  has  been 
Township  Trustee  for  two  terms.  He  was  also 
Township  Clerk  for  the  same  length  of  time.  In 
politics  he  is  a  conscientious  Democrat,  and  uni- 
formly votes  in  support  of  the  princi[)les  of  that 
party.  The  family  are  connected  with  the  Men- 
nonite  Church,  and  Mr.  K.  has  been  Superintend- 
ent of  the  Sunday-school  f(jr  many  years. 

-j>t>»-i!t^ -^i^^i^^^s-f- 
^/EREMY  G.  ANDERSON,  a  prominent  and 
successful  farmer  of  Montrose  Township,  is 
pleasantl}'  located  on  section  13.  He  is  a 
native  of  Lee  Count}',  born  March  3,  184G, 
five  months  after  the  death  of  his  father,  Jeremiah 
G.  Anderson,  Sr.  His  mother  was  Miss  Eliza 
Hampton  before  her  marriage,  and  both  the  parents 
of  our  suliject  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  The 
father's  death  took  place  in  September,  1845,  and 
it  is  supposed  that  he  was  poisoned  by  the  Mor- 
mons. He  was  then  living  across  the  river  from 
Nauvoo,  and  was  greatly  opposed  to  the  faith  of 
the  Latter-Day  Saints.  His  three  brothers  living 
in  the  same  vicinity,  died  within  two  weeks  of 
each  other,  in  1840.  Mrs.  Eliza  Anderson,  the 
mother  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  1819,  survived 
her  husband  forty-one  j'ears,  and  died  Aug.  27, 
188G.  By  her  union  with  Mr.  Anderson  she  be- 
came the  mother  of  three  children:  William  H. 
died  at  Pike's  Peak  in  about  1861;  Sarah  J.  was 
married  to  George  B.  Katlin,  and  Jeremy,  the 
youngest,  is  the  subject  of  our  sketch. 

Mr.  Anderson  remained  with  his  mother  during 
his  childhood  years,  and  after  attaining  to  manhood 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Liberty  Kite,  the 
wedding  occurring  Nov.  3,  1867.  Mrs.  Anderson 
is  the  daughter  of  John  and  Angeline  (Graham) 
Kite,  and  was   born   Aug.  20,    1850.     Her   parents 


1 


II 

if  i 


■^ 


BSi 


178 


LEE  COUNTY. 


Hiic  natives  of  Kentucky,  and  are  still  living  in 
Sumniitville,  Iowa.  The  household  circle  of  Mr. 
:iiiil  .Mrs.  Anderson  includes  eight  children:  .John 
II..  born  in  IBCH;  J.  C,  May  2.'.,  KS72;  Jeremy  (i. 
inlH7:i;  Clara,  in  1H76;  Italph,  Aug.  3,  1877  :  Ray- 
mond, March  11,  1880;  Karl  L.  :ni(l  Sarah  K., 
twins,  were  born  Feb.  "28,  188(1. 

Mr.  Anderson  is  the  possessor  of  I '.it;  acres  of 
finely  cultivated  land.  He  has  a  handsome  farm 
dwelling,  with  good  barns  and  outhouses  (a  view 
of  which  is  shown  in  this  work),  all  the  necessary 
farm  machinery  and  implements,  and  everything 
requiretl  to  carry  on  agriculture  in  a  first-class 
manner.  He  is  a  man  of  good  standing  in  his 
community,  and  belongs  to  .Toppa  Lodge  No.  i;!C, 
at  Montrose,  is  a  Good  Templar,  and  also  member 
of  the  Eastern  .Star  Chapter  at  Montrose.  Politi- 
cally he  is  an  uncompromising  Democrat,  and  uni- 
formly casts  his  vote  in  support  of  the  ijrinciples  of 
his  party. 


2"2.     He  has  operated  this  tract  of  land  for  the  past 
four  years,  and  is  emulating  the  virtues  of  his  par- 
ent to  a  marked  degree.     The  std)ject  of   our  his- 
tory is  a  native  of  Lee  County,  his   birth   having 
occurred  in  Franklin  Township  on  the  22d  of  No- 
^=1   veniber,    l.sr)7.      His   father,   Peter    Wiegner,  fol- 
^■'^^    lowed  agricultural  pursuits  the  greater  part  of  his 
life,  but  is  now  retired  from  active  labor  and   is 
living  in  Northwest  Kansas.     He  was  a  native  of 
the  German  Empire,  and  born  in   the  kingdom  of 
w^    Bavaria.     He  emigrated  to  the  I  iii ted  .States  at  the 
Jj    age  of  eleven  years,  and   after  reaching  the  shores 
of  the  New  World    proceeded    directly  westward 
across  the  Father  of  Waters  to  Iowa.      (See  sketch 
of  his  brother,  Adam  Wiegner,  on  another  page  in 
this  volume.) 

•John  P.  Wiegner  was  reared  by  his  parents  at 
home,  received  a  fair  education  in  the  public 
schools,  and  remained  an  inmate  of  his  father's 
household  until  his  marriage,  which  took  place  Oct. 
31,  1878,  Miss  Susan   G.  X'ogt  becoming  his  wife. 


Mrs.  W.  is  a:  native  of  Lee  County,  and  was  born 
Aug.  3,  1855.  She  is  of  German  ancestry  and 
parentage,  her  father  i-raigrating  to  the  United 
States  and  settling  in  Iowa  at  an  early  period  in 
its  history.  She  remained  with  her  parents  until 
her  marriage  in  Franklin  Township.  Her  father 
was  a  shoemaker,  and  both  parents  are  still  living 
in  this  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  have  had  born 
to  them  two  children,  Carrie  and  Henry,  the  former 
of  whom  is  deceased.  Mr.  W.  is  Democratic  in 
politics,  and  in  all  respects  is  fulfilling  the  duties 
of  a  good  citizen. 


3lq 


-€-*-&- 


-^ 


ANIEL  KENNEDY,  decea.sed,  who  was 
one  of  the  highly  respected  pioneers  of 
Jackson  Township,  came  to  Lee  County  in 
the  fall  of  1850,  and  was  a  resident  of  this 
vicinity  from  that  time  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1 875.  He  was  a  native  of  Nashville,  Tenn., 
born  in  1813,  and  when  a  j'outh  of  fifteen  years 
removed  from  his  native  State  with  his  parents  into 
Southern  Illinois,  where  he  remained  with  the  ex- 
ception of  eighteen  months  until  making  his  final 
settlement  in  the  Hawkcye  State.  Upon  first  com- 
ing into  the  State  he  wr.s  accompanied  bj'  his  wife 
and  four  children,  and  they  first  located  in  Keokuk, 
where  they  remained  one  winter,  and  the  follow- 
ing spring  settled  in  Jackson  Township. 

Mr.  Kennedy  was  married  in  Illinois  to  Miss 
Mary  Douglas,  a  native  of  that  State,  and  they  be- 
came the  [larents  of  three  children — Mar}'  J.,  Har- 
riet E.  and  William  A.  The  two  latter  are  de- 
ceased. Mrs.  Mary  Kennedy  departed  this  life  in 
Missouri  in  1847.  The  second  marriage  of  Mr. 
Kennedy  was  with  Miss  Martha  Short,  also  of  Illi- 
nnis.  who  by  her  union  with  our  subject  became 
the  mother  of  two  children — Margaret  A.  and 
James  A.  The  former  became  the  wife  of  Charles 
E.  McCartj-,  and  departed  this  life  Feb.  12,  1887; 
James  married  Miss  Maggie  Carter,  and  lives  in 
Missouri.     Mrs.  Martha  Kennedy  died  in  1852. 

Miss  Mary  J.  Kennedy,  the  only  surviving  mem- 
ber of  the  first  family  of  chihlren,  was  born  in  Illi- 
nois in  1839.  She  is  the  owner  of  fifty-five  acres 
of  good  land  in  Jackson  Township  and  occupies  a 

CC 


S?i 


5^1 


I 


#%>, 


i 


comfortable  homestead.  She  is  promineatly  con- 
nected with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
highly  respected  in  her  community. 

Diiniel  Kennedy  was  well  known  in  this  locality 
as  an  honest  and  upright  man,  the  friend  of  good 
order,  morality  and  education,  and  whenever  op- 
portunity' occurred,  contributed  of  his  time  and 
means  to  promote  the  welfare  of  his  county  and 
township.  He  was  greatly  beloved  by  his  house- 
hold, and  enjoyed  the  respect  and  confidence  of  a 
large  circle  of  friends. 


ON.  JOSEPH  M.  CASEY,  of  Ft.  Madison, 
is  a  native  of  Adair  County,  Ky.,  and  comes 
from  an  old  and  influential  family.  The 
date  of  his  birth  was  March  25,  1827.  His 
grandfather.  Col.  William  Casey,  was  a  native  of 
Virginia,  and  removed  to  Kentucky  when  a  young 
man,  being  among  the  early  settlers  there,  and  be- 
came noted  as  a  pioneer  and  Indian-flghter.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  courage,  and  became  prominent 
in  the  politics  of  that  section.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Kentucky  State  Senate  for  a  jjeriod  of  twelve 
years,  and  in  1808  was  one  of  the  presidential 
electors  to  serve  after  the  nomination  of  .James 
Madison.  The  wife  of  Col.  Casey  was  a  Miss 
Montgomery,  also  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  re- 
moved with  her  parents  to  Kentuckj-  at  a  very 
early  day  in  the  history  of  that  section.  Her  father 
was  killed  by  the  Indians,  and  she  had  several 
brothers,  all  of  whom  are  supposed  to  have  been 
killed  in  the  French  aud  Indian  and  the  Revolu- 
tionary Wars. 

Green  Case^',  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  the 
first  white  child  born  in  Adair  County,  Ky.,  and  in 
early  manhood  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Jane  Patterson,  a  native  of  Rockingham  County, 
Va.  In  1836  they  removed  from  Kentucky  to 
Illinois,  locating  in  Sangamon  County.  The  father 
afterward  made  a  journey  into  tiie  Territory'  of 
Iowa,  and  made  a  claim  adjoining  what  afterward 
became  the  town  plat  of  West  Point.  He  then  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Illinois  and  sold  his  property, 
preparatory  to  a  removal  across  the  Mississippi. 
Before  the  completion  of  his  arrangements,  how- 


ever, he  was  taken  fatally  ill  and  died,  leaving  his 
family  in  moderate  circumstances.  The  year  fol- 
lowing the  mother,  accompanied  by  four  of  her 
children  (her  eldest  daughter  having  previously' 
married),  removed  to  Iowa  and  settled  on  the 
claim  which  had  been  made  by  her  husband.  There 
she  reared  her  children,  superintended  the  cultiva- 
tion of  her  farm,  established  a  comfortable  home- 
stead, and  remained  upon  it  until  her  death.  The 
grandmother  of  our  subject  also  died  at  West 
Point,  after  having  attained  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-five  years. 

Green  and  Jane  (Patterson)  Casey  became  the 
parents  of  six  children,  five  of  whom  attained  their 
majorit}':  John  A.  died  in  Kansas;  Mary  A.,  in 
Lee  County,  Iowa;  Margaret  J.  became  the  wife 
of  Alfred  U.  Stone,  aud  died  in  Pekin,  III. ;  Will- 
iam P.  now  resides  in  Crawford  County,  Kan.,  and 
Joseph  M.,  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  was  the 
youngest  of  the  family. 

Joseph  M.  Casey  was  but  eleven  years  of  age 
when  his  mother  settled  in  Lee  Couut>'  with  her 
family.  During  his  boyhood  and  youth  he  suffered 
much  from  asthma,  but  his  elder  brothers  were 
very  kind  aud  considerate,  and  favored  him  with 
the  lightest  work.  He  received  a  good  education 
in  the  common  schools  and  the  academy  at  West 
Point,  his  tutor  at  the  latter  institution  being  Rev. 
.John  Mark  Fulton,  a  Presbyterian  divine.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen  years  our  subject  commenced  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  John  F.  Kinney, 
then  a  prominent  attorney  of  Lee  County,  and 
afterward  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Ct)urt  of  [owa. 
He  also  at  intervals  received  instruction  from  Cy- 
rus Walker,  one  of  the  ablest  jurists  from  Illinois, 
and  being  a  diligent  student  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  at  the  early  age  of  twenty  years. 

In  July,  1847,  Mr.  Casey  went  to  Keokuk  County 
to  look  about  for  a  permanent  location.  His  in- 
telligence, studious  habits  and  worthy  ambition 
had  secured  him  many  warm,  friends,  and  they 
urged  him  to  locate  in  L-incaster,  then  the  county 
seat  of  Keokuk  County,  and  promised  to  elect  him 
to  the  position  of  Prosecuting  Attorney.  He  told 
them  he  would  have  to  return  to  Lee  County  for 
a  short  time  at  least,  whereupon  they  requested 
him  to  leave  one  shirt  with  them  so  that  they  could 


TT! 


I'tWrtT'j   1 1 1  >  1 1 1 


V.      7^ 


182 


LEE  COUNTY. 


claim  him  for  a  citizen.  This  he  did.  visited  Lee 
County,  returned  to  Keokuk  County,  and  in  tiie 
Auijiist  follo\vin<r  reoeived  the  nomination  for  the 
office  which  had  been  promised  him,  and  was  tri- 
umphantly elected.  .\t  the  expiration  of  his  term 
he  was  re-elected,  nnd  held  tlie  ofliee  for  alifxit  six 
years. 

While  at  Laiiiaster  .Judge  Casey  was  associated 
with  several  young  men.  wiio  like  liimself  were 
striving  to  make  their  mark  in  the  world.  Among 
them  may  bo  mentioned  M.  M.  Crocker,  afterward 
a  General  in  the  late  Civil  War;  (ien.  .James  A. 
Williamson,  occup3'ing  the  same  high  position,  and 
now  a  resident  of  Washington,  D.  C,  whei'c  he  has 
held  important  positions;  K.  L.  Burton,  now  .Judge 
of  Ottumwa,  Iowa;  E.  .S.  .Sampson,  afterward  .Judge 
and  Congressman;  George  D.  Wordon  and  Cyrus 
H.  .Mackey. 

In  18.0;)  the  county  .seat  of  IveokiUi  County  w:is 
removed  from  Lancaster  to  Sigourncy,  and  as  Mr. 
Casey  was  that  fall  elected  County  .Judge,  he  re- 
moved to  .Sigourney  and  performed  the  duties  of 
his  office  satisfactorily  until  April,  1861.  He  was 
in  the  meantime  also  editor  of  the  loira  Democrat 
for  a  period  of  two  3'ears.  Desiring,  however,  to 
make  Ft.  Madison  his  permanent  home,  he  removed 
thither,  arriving  April  12  of  the  same  year,  leaving 
a  lucrative  practice  and  many  true  friends.  Dur- 
ing the  Civil  War  there  was  but  little  professional 
business  to  eugage  his  attention,  and  he  accord- 
ingly occupied  himself  as  editor  of  the  Ft.  .Madison 
Plaindealer,  being  thus  engaged  for  three  years, 
and  since  then  has  giveu  his  whole  attention  to  the 
practice  of  law. 

Politically  Judge  Casey  has  ahvaj's  been  an  un- 
compromising Democrat,  casting  his  first  vote  for 
Gen.  Cass,  but  although  he  has  firmly  adhered  to 
a!id  advocated  the  principles  of  his  party,  he  has 
never  l)een  so  biased  liy  jiolitical  prejudice  as  not 
to  allow  those  who  differed  from  hiui  the  peaceful 
enjoyment  of  their  opinions,  recognizing  the  fact 
that  men  m.iy  honestly  dilTer  in  their  views,  and 
that  each  is  liable  to  be  right  or  mistaken.  As  a 
consequence  of  llii>  liberal  and  sensible  spirit. 
Judge  Casey  has  many  personal  friends  among 
men  with  whose  political  views  he  is  at  variance. 
His  ability   1=   universally   recognized,  and  he   has 


been  called  to  many  important  positions  since  he 
became  a  citizen  of  Lee  Countj".  He  has  been 
twice  elected  Maj'or  of  Ft.  Madison;  has  repre- 
sented his  District  in  the  Lower  House  of  the  Iowa 
State  Legislature  in  the  Eighteenth  General  Assem- 
bly', and  was  a  member  of  the  Senate  in  the  Twenty- 
first  General  A.ssembly.  He  has  alwaj-s  taken  an 
active  interest  in  educational  matters,  doing  cv- 
ciything  in  his  power  to  establish  and  maintain  the 
public  school  system  in  his  locality,  and  for  four 
years  vvas  President  of  the  Board  of  Education. 

Personally  .Tudge  Casey  is  courteous,  affable  and 
obliging.  He  has  decided  mathematical  genius, 
and  is  what  might  be  called  a  master  of  numbers. 
In  argument  he  is  not  often  excelled,  and  as  an  ad- 
vocate before  the  Supreme  Court  his  efforts  have 
been  styled  Ijy  eminent  jurists  as  models  of  logical 
strength  and  literary  merit.  Socially  he  is  connected 
with  Claypole  Lodge  No.  l."5,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  JL,  Poto- 
wonok  Chapter  No.  28,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Damascus 
Commaudery  No.  .i,  K.  T.,  and  has  been  honored 
with  the  highest  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  order.  He 
is  also  a  member  in  high  standing  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

As  an  .attorney  the  aim  of  Judge  Casey  has  al- 
wa^'s  been  to  put  forth  his  best  efforts  for  his 
clients,  and  he  resolved  at  the  commencement  of 
his  practice  to  never  resort  to  deception  or  dishon- 
esty. To  these  principles  he  has  so  closelj'  adhered 
that  Courts  and  juries  never  have  occasion  to  ques- 
tion the  sincerity  of  his  arguments,  and  it  has  be- 
come a  common  sa3Mng  that,  '■  For  safe  counsel  and 
honest  advice,  go  to  Judge  Casey." 

The  marriage  of  Joseph  M.  Casey  and  Mrs.  Sarah 
Jane  (Ward)  Hollinsworth  was  celebrated  in  1854. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Casey  were  Thomas  and  Nancy 
Ward,  and  her  birth  occurred  in  Wayne  County, 
Ohio,  in  1832.  She  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Hol- 
linsworth in  18.50,  and  his  decease  occurred  in 
1851.  Of  this  marriage  w.as  l)orn  one  child,  a  son, 
who  is  now  better  known  .as  Albert  E.  Casey.  Of 
her  union  with  Judge  Casej'  five  children  have  been 
born,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  living  .are 
.Sabert  M. ;  Belle  V.,  now  the  wife  of  William  S. 
Hamilton,  an  attorney  of  Lincoln,  Neb.;  Joseph  M., 
Jr.,  and  .Sarah. 

In  November,  hsyij,  Judge  Casej'  was  elected 
Judge  of  the  First  Judicial  District  (by  a  flattering 


Es 


.K333H5}, 


-3HSt?ESE^ 


mMM 


LEE  COUNTY 


\i 

33!: 


vote  far  in  excess  of  his  party  strengtli),  composed 
of  the  counties  of  Des  Moines  and  Lee.  The  ca- 
reer of  Judge  Case}-  affords  a  striking  example  of 
what  a  young  man  with  abundant  ambition  maj-  ac- 
complish. A  position  which  has  been  attained 
through  earnest  effort  is  universally  considered  of 
more  value  than  one  into  which  the  young  man  has 
fallen  without  any  exertions  of  his  own.  It  is  al- 
ways interesting  to  watch  the  career  of  an  aspir- 
ing youth,  and  his  success  furnishes  th«  best  incen- 
tive in  the  world  to  those  who  are  ambitious  to  ex- 
cel. The  accompanying  portrait  of  Judge  Casey 
will  be  looked  upon  with  interest  by  those  who 
have  known  him  so  long  and  so  well,  and  who  give 
their  full  meed  of  praise  to  a  worthy  and  honored 
citizen. 


ACOB    KREBILL,  a  successful  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  of  Franklin  Township,  is  pleas- 
antlj'  located  on  section  27.     He  has  been  a 
J    resident  of  the  Hawkej'e  State  since  1857, 
:  and  in  that  time  has  distinguished  himself  as  a  citi- 
zen worth}'  of  the  highest  esteem.     Mr.  Krebill  was 
born  in  Prussia,  on  the  28th  of   November,    1822. 
His  father,  Frederick  Krebill,  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation, and  emigrated  to  the  United  States   with 
his    family,    locating   in    Ashland    County,    Ohio, 
2   where  he  remained  until  his  death  (see  sketch  of 
-   Peter  Krebill). 

The  subject  of  this  historj-  was  a  lad  of  ten  j'ears 
old  when  his  father  settled  in  Ashland  Count}', 
:  Ohio,  and  he  was  there  reared  and  educated,  and 
:  assisted  his  parents  in  the  duties  around  the  home- 
;  stead.  He  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
:  the  death  of  his  father,  and  was  afterward  married 
;  in  Vermillion  Township,  April  7,  1846,  to  Miss 
Eliza  A.  Strickland,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
Ashland  County,  of  which  her  parents  were  among 
;  the  early  pioneers.  They  were  natives  respectively 
;  of  New  Jersey  and  Virginia,  and  removed  to  Ash- 
;;  land  County.  Ohio,  before  their  marriage.  They 
:  remained  there  after  this  event  until  the  close  of 
:  their  lives.  They  were  most  worthy  and  excellent 
:  people,  and  their  children  received  careful  home 
;  training  and  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools. 
;        Mr.    and  Mrs.    Krebill   became    the    parents    of 


eleven  children,  four  of  whom  are  deceased.  The 
record  is  as  follows:  Fred  H.  was  the  eldest  son 
(see  sketch  in  another  part  of  this  work)  ;  Amanda 
is  the  wife  of  Theodore  Krebill,  of  JlcPherson 
County;  Joseph  married  Miss  Selma  "Weber,  and 
occupies  a  part  of  the  homestead;  Nancy  is  the 
wife  of  George  Sybe,  of  Reno  County,  Kan. ;  Char- 
lotte is  the  wife  of  VM  Weber,  and  lives  in  Mc- 
Pherson  County,  Kan.;  William  and  Emma  are  at 
home.  These  children  all  received  a  good  educa- 
tion, and  were  carefully  reared  by  their  parents. 
After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Krebill  continued  farm- 
ing in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  until  coming  to  Iowa. 
He  has  been  enterprising  and  industrious,  and  is 
the  owner  of  2.50  acres  of  land,  most  of  it  under  a 
good  state  of  cultivation.  He  has  a  fine  assort- 
ment of  live-stock,  comprising  some  of  the  best 
breeds  known.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Mennonite  Church,  of  which  Mr.  Krebill  has  been 
an  Elder  for  a  period  of  twenty  years.  He  has 
held  the  various  offices  of  his  township,  and  in  pol- 
itics uniformly  votes  the  Democratic  ticket. 


FiHr^Hj 


*- 


«^*lf-<- 


J~  N  ANIEL  H.  ANN  ABLE,  a  dealer  in  cloth- 
)ll  ing  and  gents'  furnishing  goods  at  Keokuk, 
<^   is  one  of  the  leading  merchants  in  his  line 
"  in   the    city.       He    came  here  from  New 

Albany,  Ind.,  in  1852,  and  has  made  this  his  home 
until  the  present  time,  meeting  with  signal  success 
in  his  business  ventures.  Mr.  Annable  was  boru 
near  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.  He  received  a  good  com- 
mon-school  education,   and  at  the  age  of  fifteen 


ill 
ii 


'^'^11 


years  began  his  mercantile  career  by  entering  a  [i 
store  as  clerk  for  one  Thomas  Farsey,  of  Salem,  <l 
Ind.,  and  remained  with  that  gentleman  until  his  ■^L 
removal  to  this  State.  is 

On  our  subject's  coming  to  Keokuk,  he  embarked 
in  the  dry-goods  business  for  himself  on  the  cor-  ] 
ner  of  Third  and  Main  streets,  and  there  carried  on 
his  mercantile  pursuits  for  a  time,  when  he  traded 
his  stock  of  goods  for  a  tract  of  land.  The  land 
for  which  he  traded  was  a  "squatter's"  claim,  and 
he  finally  lost  it,  and  with  it  all  he  had.  He  was 
not  to  be  discouraged  by  the  loss  of  all  his  posses- 
sions, however,  anti  again  went   back  to  clerking 


t4 


■tTirrxittTmxrmrnmrTJi 


I XX  ntn  1  rrxixxxm  nxixt: 


1H4 


LEE  COUNTY. 


this  time  for  Mr.  S.  S.  Hillinff.  He  romained  with 
the  l.iftcr  geiitlerpun  one  yf;ir.  when  he  took  charge 
of  ii  clothing-  business  for  sonx'  [Kirtics  living  in 
New  Vorii.  jiftcr  wliich  lie  derived  for  otiier  parties 
in  Keolvuk.  Alioiil  thi>  time  in  lii.-  llfeV  history 
tiie  bte  Civil  \\  nr  In-oke  ont  .-ind  onr  snbject  re- 
ceived .•!  permit  as  a  trade  store-keeper.  At  Nat- 
chez he  lost  lii>  stock  of  goods,  and  in  f.-ict  liis  en- 
tire outfit.  \>\  lire.  This  v.-as  the  second  time  tiiat 
our  subject  had  lost  all  liis  earnings,  but.  returning 
to  Keokuk,  he  went  to  clerking  again  asan  employe 
of  Oscai-  Kiser.  a  ilealer  in  dry-goods,  remaining 
uitli  tlii>  gentleman  for  a  term  of  eleven  years, 
"lien  lie  pMi'chascd  an  interest  in  the  stock  of 
merchandise  owned  liy  Sam  Sample,  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  Harry  Knltou.  This  relationship 
w!is  terminated  Mt  the  expiration  of  a  fen  months 
by  Ml.  .\nn;dile  purchasing  the  interest  of  Mr. 
liilioii.  lie  has  since  conducteti  the  business 
alone.  Hi,-  stock  is  a  large  and  well  selected  one. 
and  with  many  ye.ars  of  experience  and  fair  and 
honest  dealing,  he  h.ns  made  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  establisheil  a  good  and  paying  trade. 

.Air.  Ann.able  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Irvin  in 
I  H7.'3.  Ilcf  father  .'ind  mother  died  in  Keokuk,  and 
left  foiii-  children  besides  Mrs.  .Aini.-ible.  Mr.  An- 
ii.Mble  has  served  two  terms  as  Aldcinian  of  the 
city  of  Iveokuk.  lie  is  a  Kepubli("in  in  politics. 
Mild  ji.is  a  line  residence  on  High  street  between 
Kightli  and  Ninth. 


^^^   of    Ft.    .M.-idison,    and    the    so 
l^Ql  .b'seph  M.  and  .Sarah    .J.    Case 


ijp^  AHEIiT  .M.  CASEY  is  an   ••ittoiney    at    law 

m  of  .Judge 
isey.  He  was 
born  at  Sigourney,  Keokuk  Co.,  Iowa,  Aug. 
2«.  I.SoS,  :iud  when  a  child  three  years  old  re- 
moved with  his  parents  to  Ft.  .Madison,  of  which 
city  he  has  been  a  resident  since  that  lime.  His 
priin.iry  ednc.ilioii  was  received  in  tho  jjublie 
scliotils  of  the  city,  and  after  a  course  in  the  I-'t. 
Madison  .■\ca<lemy.  he  commenced  the  study  of  law 
under  the  instruction  of  his  eminent  father.  He 
was  admittetl  to  the  bar  .May  1,  issii.  luiil  became 
associated  in  partnership  with  his  father,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Casey  .V-  Cjisey.      He  was  admitted  to 


practice   in    the    Supreme    Court  of  Iowa  and  the 

riiitcd  states  C  irciiit  Court,  and  bids  f;iir  to  eniu- 
l.'itc  the  example  of  his  illustrious  [larcnt.  He  is 
Ociuocr.-itic  in  politics,  is  popular  in  his  vicinity  as 
a  jurist  and  an  .•itlorriev.  and  has  held  the  office  of 
City  Ch-rk  of  l-'t.  .Madiscni  since  .March.  IX.si.  So- 
cially he  is  a  Knight  Templar,  a  member  of  the  I. 
().  ().  !■'.  and  K.  of  1'. 


LMEU  [).  SKA  MANS,    one    of    the   young- 
^      and    enterprising-    farmers   and   breeders  of 

Short-horn   cittle  of  .Mnrion  Township,  was 

born  in  this  county  on  the  1  1  lli  of  .lanuary,  1)S()2. 
He  is  the  only  child  of  David  and  Lydia  (Deha- 
ven)  .Seamans.  David  Seamans  was  a  native  of 
New  York,  and  first  saw  light  near  Fish  Lake.  He 
<'ame  to  this  countj'  about  1  .S40,  while  yet  a  single 
man.  and  settling  on  a  farm  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  Later  on  in  life  he  became  a  preacher  of 
the  Word,  and  was  one  of  the  recognized  ministers 
of  prominence  in  the  Baptist  Church.  For  many 
years  he  acted  in  the  capacity  of  a  pedagogue,  and 
during  the  same  time  was  occii|iicd  in  farming.  lie 
(lied  111  .Vpril.  1875,  leaving  a  wife  and  child,  to- 
gether with  many  relatives  and  friends  to  mourn 
their  loss.  Mrs  Seamans  survives  her  husband, 
ami  with  our  subject  is  engaged  in  cairying  (.>n  the 
farm  in  .Marion  Townshii). 

Elmer  Seamans  was  reared  to  manlnwd  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm.  He  received  a  good  education  iu  the 
common  schools,  and  after  the  death  of  his  father 
took  full  charge  of  the  old  homestead,  which  kc  has 
successfully  conducted  until  the  present  tirne.  He 
has  taken  great  interest  in  the  bi'ceding  of  Short- 
horn cattle,  in  which  he  has  met  with  signal  suc- 
I  cess.  His  breed  are  of  the  well-known  family  of 
•'(iolden  Drop."  They  originated  in  Kentucky, 
and  were  brought  to  this  county  by  Harvey  Lusk. 
!Max,  the  bull,  is  a  thoroughbred  of  deep  fed  color, 
and  thiee  years  old.  The  dam.  Lady  Washington, 
is  also  a  thoroughbred,  iu  ci)lor  a  deep,  rich  red, 
and  both  are  as  handsome  bovines  as  are  to  be 
found  within  the  boundaries  of  the  State.  They  are 
registered  iu  the  State  Herd  Hook,  and  in  addition 
to  these  onr  subject  has  iiumerous  other  fine  cattle 


on  his  place.  His  attention  has  also  been  given  to 
the  breeding-  of  Pulancl-C'hina  hogs,  and  liis  breed 
is  from  tlie  Oluo  herd  brought  to  this  county  by 
ffSJohn  Blaclvford.  The  liorses  to  be  found  on  the 
farm  of  our  subject  are  of  tlie  Clyde  and  Norman 
stiR'k,  and  are  much  above  the  average.  Mr.  Sea- 
mans  is  mimarried,  and  he  and  his  mother  are  the 
nly  occTipanls  of  the  faim.  Jlrs.  Seamans  is  a 
member  of  tlie  Baptist  Church,  tii  which  denomina- 
tion she  has  belonged  for  upward  of  thirty  years. 


•~^/\- -~<jLeiirE-J@^4 


*•^^a/^IcRI»\*■  ./x^rv. 


i.Ta 


F.  DLJRFKK  has  been  a  resi<lcnt  of  the  city 

of   Keokuk  for  nearly  forty   years,   his   first 

arrival    here    being    in    1850.      During  this 

time  he  lias  been  thoroughly  identified  with 

lithe    interests    of    the    Gate  City,    has   watched  its 

licorowth  with  pleasure  and  satisfaction,  and  has  con- 

iffitributed  materially  to   its   business  and   industrial 

lac 

Mi  interests.     Me  is  now  engaged  as  an   undertaker  at 

Ma  No.  717  Johnson  street,  and  carries  a  tine  and  taste- 
ijiful  stock  of  his  line  of  goods.  He  understands 
lit  thoroughly  all  the  details  of  the  business,  and  is 
Q^Ki'iii ployed  by  the  best  class  of  citizens. 

Mr.    Durfee  is  a  native  of  Waj'ne  County,  Ohio, 
and  was  born  Oct.    20,    1835.     His    i)arents    were 
anies  and  Cynthia  E.  (.Soules)   Durfee,  natives  of 
New  York  State.     His  father  followed   the   milling 
business  until  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  when  he  lo- 
cated upon  a  farm  in  Ohio;  thence  went  to   Illinois 
in    18;{7,    and    purchased    a    large  farm  in  Adams 
}=S County,  being  one  of  the  most  extensive   agiicult- 
pur^srjj  in  that  section  of  the  country.     He  departed 
this  life  in  I  «44.  and  his    wife,    who   had    been    the 
JS  lifelong   partner   of  his  joys  and  sorrows,  followed 
}i  S  him  to  the  bettei'  worhl  two   years   later,    in    1  •S4(i. 
C Their  family  consisted  of  nineteei'  children,  eleven 
f  of  whom  are  stil"  living. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  Hfteenth  child 

iof  his  parents'  family,  and  until  twelve  years  of  age 

remained     at     home     and     attended    the    common 

schools.      He    tlieii    went  to   i^tuincw  and  attended 

school  there  for  four  years.      From    there    he   came 

:  ■  to  Keokuk  in  |.S50,   and   served    an   a[)prenticeship 

■  at  gnnsmithing,   which  he  foll</wed  for  three  years. 

He     then     liecame    engagefi    as    ;i    couti'acldr    and 


1 


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1 
1 
I 
I 
I. 

1* 

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1 
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builder,  and  was  thus  occupied  until  1871,  employ- 
ing sometimes  as  manj'  as  forty  men.  After 
abandoning  this  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business 
for  four  years,  after  which  he  resumed  his  former 
business  until  188(),  and  tiien  established  the  busi- 
ness in  which  he  is  now  engaged. 

Mr.  Durfee  was  married  in  1851)  to  Miss  Marga- 
ret .1.  Beeby,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  of  their 
union  have  been  born  eight  children,  two  of  whom 
are  still  living — Mai-i(jn  F.  and  Maggie  C.  Mr.  I), 
and  his  wife  are  connected  with  the  Church  of  the 
Latter-Day  Saints,  of  which  he  is  an  Elder.  In 
politics  he  is  inde])endent,  and  belongs  to  the  Le- 
gion of  Honor  of  Iowa  and  the  Triple  Alliance  of 
Missouri.  He  is  (me  of  the  representative  men  of 
the  city  and  highly  respected  foi-  his  ipialities  as  a 
business  man,  citizen,  neighbor  and  friend. 

-j»S^  ^-^A  1^1^—^  ««=«^-> 

ITDGE  IIENliV  BANK,  a  resident  of  Ke..- 
kuk,  was  the  first  Judge  to  preside  over  the 
Superior  Court  which  was  organized  in 
/  1K83.  In  Ai)ril  of  the  same  year  he  was 
elected  Judge  of  that  court,  and  at  once  assumed 
the  duties  of  his  office,  and  is  now  serving  his 
fourth  year.  Encomiums  upon  the  ability  of  Judge 
Bank  are  not  neces.sar3',  his  record  as  a  Judge  dur- 
ing the  past  four  years  being  all  that  is  needed  to 
show  the  high  ordei'  of  ability  he  pcj.ssesses. 

Henry  Bank  was  born  in  the  Kingdom  of  Han- 
over, Germany,  Oct.  '23,  1843,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents  when  he  was  but  six 
years  old.  He  was  educated  in  early  manhood  in 
the  (Jerman  and  English  languages.  In  1 849  the 
parents  of  our  subject,  Henry  and  Julia  ((lalmacht) 
Bank,  settled  on  a  farm  in  Van  Buren  Township, 
this  <'o(uity,  where  they  are  still  living.  There 
were  seven  children  in  the  pai'ental  family.  Henry 
being  the  thiid  in  oi'der  of  birth.  He  remained  on 
the  old  homestead  with  his  parents  until  matur- 
ity, when  he  became  engaged  in  a  sawmill,  and  w:is 
occupied  ill  that  business  and  the  lumber  trade 
from  isiis  until  1874. 

During  the  latter-named  year  our  subject  was 
elected    Recorder  of    Deeds  for  Lee  ('ouTity,  which 


J   ,[;cauccjrxxxx»ici3uLrrxiTxrrxixr5j 


ir«h^>«T/  iiiiriiixit»iii.innijT»»« 


""-'•'xixzar: 


»ixj*-i  1  ni  lie 


JMv3  i"i-i  irrrxi 1 1  ri  i irxirii  ixxrioxz 


lllbrfll 


186 


LEE  COUNTY. 


m 


I 
I 


position  ho  acceptahlj-  filled  from  1875  to  1877. 
After  this  he  entered  the  hnv  office  of  Spragne  and 
Gibbon,  and  read  law  until  1878,  when  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar.  He  continued  to  remain  with 
his  preceptors  until  the  removal  of  Mr.  (Jibbon  to 
Chicago,  and  then  practiced  with  Mr.  Sprague  until 
the  spring  of  1«81.  During  that  j'ear  he  was 
elected  Police  Magistrate  of  the  cit}^  of  Keokuk, 
and  after  its  abolishment  and  the  establishment  of 
the  Superior  Court,  in  1883,  he  was  elected  Judge 
of  the   same,  which  position  he  now  so  acceptably 

fills. 

The  marriage  of  .ludge  Bank  was  celebrated  in 
l.sC'.i.  Mrs.  IJ.  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  and  has 
borne  our  subject  two  sons  and  four  daughters. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  liank  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  and  socially  the  Judge  holds  fellowship 
witli  Lodge  No.  in;,  1.  O.  O.  F. 


\1  ACOB  WEBEIi,  of  Charleston  Township,  is 
pleasantly  located  on  section  22,  and  is  one 
of  the  prosperous  and  enterprising  (German 
J  farmers  of  this  section,  who  have  been 
closely  identified  with  its  agricultural  and  indus- 
trial interests.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born 
in  (Jermany,  Dec.  24,  181;!.  and  came  to  the  United 
[States  with  his  parents  when  an  infant  of  eighteen 
months.  After  arriving  in  this  country  they  pro- 
ceeded directly  West  to  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  and 
located  in  Charleston  Tuunship,  where  the  father 
still  resides.  The  wife  and  mother  departed  this 
life  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  about  the  year  184.5. 

Jacob  AVeber  lived  at  home  with  his  parents  until 
he  was  twentj'  years  old,  and  then,  at  the  breaking 
out  of  the  late  Civil  War,  became  a  soldier  of  the 
Union,  enlisting  in  the  3d  Iowa  Cavalry,  and 
MTved  for  one  and  a  half  years.  At  a  skirmish 
iirnr  Memphis.  Tenn.,  at  a  i)lace  called  White  Sta- 
tion, he  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  rebels  and  held 
six  months  at  Andersonville  Prison,  uv  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  After  his  honorable  discharge 
from  the  service  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Lee 
County,. and  prepared  to  establish  himself  there  for 
the  future.  He  began  his  preparations  by  the  cele- 
bration of  a    ver}-    important  event,  viz.,  his  mar- 


I 


riage  with  Miss  Katie  Wagner,  which  occurred  in  ; 
Franklin  Township  in  18G6.  Of  this  union  there  5 
was  born  one  child,  Katie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  : 
three  months,  and  his  young  wife  departed  this  life  - 
a  short  time  later,  in  1 868. 

The  second  wife  of  Mr.  Weber,  to  whom  he  was  ; 
married  in  Franklin  Township  in  186!),  was  Miss  - 
Barbara  Simon,  a  native  of  the  last-named  town- 
ship. Of  this  marriage  there  have  been  born  seven 
children,  two  of  whom,  Johnnie  and  Hannah,  are  de- 
ceased. The  living  are  August,  John,  Katie,  Mar- 
tin and  George.  The  parents  are  connected  with 
the  Evangelical  Church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Weber 
is  independent. 

Mr.  Weber  is  the  proprietor  of  113  acres  of  val- 
uable land,  all  of  which  is  tillable  and  most  of  it 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  has  erected 
a  fine  set  of  farm  buildings,  which  comprise  a  hand- 
some residence,  good  barns,  stables  and  out-build-  ,  .^^ 
ings,  and  all  the  conveniences  for  the  storing  of 
grain  and  the  shelter  of  stock.  He- is  classed  among 
the  enterprising  and  energetic  residents  of  this  sec-  j  0 
tion,  and  has  amply  filled  his  quota  toward  the  de- 
velopment of  its  resources. 


R.  W.  BERTRAM,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Keokuk,  has 
his  office  at  No.  616  Main  street,  and  re- 
sides at  No.  924  Concert  street.  He  is  a 
native  of  Prussia,  Germany,  and  was  born  Feb.  26, 
1828.  His  parents,  Chris  F.  and  Pauline  (Sayda- 
witz)  Bertram,  were  also  natives  of  that  country. 
He  was  Surgeon  General  in  the  Prussian  army  for 
nine  years,  and  died  in  18.58,  in  his  native  land. 
His  widow  survived  him  two  years,  her  death  tak- 
ing  place  there  in  1K60.  Their  children  were  six  in  eIji 
number,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living,  and  all  resid- 
ing in  their  native  land   with  the  exception  of  the 

Doctor.  BE  I 

gt-.i 
Dr.  Bertram  was  educated    in  the  colleges  of   his  HHi 

BEi 

native  land,  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  B[ 

in  about  184;').  graduating  in  184',).  After  receiv-  3i 
ing  his  diploma  he  foUoweil  the  practice  of  his  pro-  3' 
fession  until  1851,  in  the  land  of  his  nativity,  and  ^'■ 
then,  coming  to   this   euuntry.  located  at  New  Or-  S 


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leans.  There  he  continued  in  practice,  and  was  a 
physician  in  the  Cliarity  Hospital  in  1853,  at  the 
time  the  yellow  fever  was  so  severe  in  that  city. 
His  skill  was  recognized,  and  he  was  chosen  City 
Physician,  continuing  to  reside  at  New  Orleans 
until  1858,  when  he  went  to  St.  Joseph,  Mo.  There 
he  also  continued  in  practice  and  met  with  success, 
and  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  Civil  War  be- 
came vSurgeon  and  Medical  Director  on  behalf  of 
the  Union,  and  at  various  times  had  different  hos- 
pitals under  his  charge. 

In  1872  Dr.  Bertram  became  United  States  Con- 
sul for  Montevideo,  S.  A.,  but  the  following  year, 
in  1873,  resigned  the  otfiee  at  a  great  sacrifice.  IJe- 
turning  to  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  he  remained  there  for 
awhile,  and  then  came  to  Keokuk,  this  county,  in 
187G,  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion, since  which  time  he  has  followed  the  same, 
and  is  now  United  States  Examining  Surgeon  at 
that  place.  He  is  a  member  of  the  State  Medical 
Societ3%  and  also  of  the  Keokuk  Medical  Society, 
and  socially  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Honor. 
Dr.  Bertram  was  married  in  1854,  to  Miss  W.  Shoe- 
nam,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  their  union  h.as 
been  blest  by  the  birth  of  one  child,  Pauline.  She 
graduated  in  Europe,  in  1871.  In  politics  Dr.  B. 
votes  with  the  Democratic  part_v. 


ylLLIAM  T.  RANKIN  is  a  prosperous  and 
prominent  attorney  of  law  at  Keokuk,  of 
which  city  he  is  a  native,  and  was  born 
June  '2!^,  1855.  He  is  the  son  of  J.  W.  and  Sara 
(Thomasson)  Rankin,  and  received  his  primary  ed- 
ucation in  the  i)ublic  schools  of  Keokuk,  afterward 
taking  a  course  at  Monmouth  College,  Monmouth, 
111.,  whence  he  graduated  in  1874.  He  then  en- 
tered the  Columbia  Law  School  of  New  York  City, 
which  he  attended  one  year,  then  returned  to  Keo- 
kuk, and  pursued  his  law  studies  under  the  in- 
struction of  the  firm  of  Hagerman  <fe  McCrary,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  September,  1871),  since 
which  time  he  has  practiced  continuously,  and  was 
associated  in  partnership  with  J.  F.  Smith  for  about 
one  year.  He  then  received  the  appointment  of 
Assistant  United  Stales  Attorney,  which  position  he 


still  holds.  In  1880  he  became  associated  in  part- 
nership with  F.  T.  Hughes,  and  the  firm  is  trans- 
acting a  successful  and  growing  business. 

Mr.  Rankin  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Ilattie  G.  Morrison,  in  November,  1877.  Mrs. 
Rankin  is  the  daughter  of  David  H.  and  Harriet 
Morrison,  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  the  date  of  her 
birth  was  Sept  8,  1857.  Of  her  union  with  our  sub- 
ject tliere  have  been  born  ftmr  children — Louise, 
Lida,  Edith  and  (4reta. 

Mr.  Rankin  has  served  as  City  Solicitor  one 
year,  and  is  attorney  for  the  Lee  County  Building 
Association,  and  Keokuk  &  Western  Railroad  Com- 
pany, lie  is  also  employed  as  counsel  for  several 
other  leading  corporations  of  Lee  County.  He  is 
Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  good  standing 
of  the  Presbyteriau  Church  of  Keokuk,  and  con- 
tributes of  his  means  and  influence  to  every  good 
work  .and  purpose.  He  is  one  of  tke  esteemed  citi- 
zens of  Lee  County,  and  as  an  attorney  and  coun- 
selor holds  a  high  position  in  the  profession  in  this 
section  of  Iowa. 


OSCAR  PROUTY,  a  highly  respected  resident 
of  Jackson  Township,  is  a  native  of  the 
^^  Hawkeyc  State,  and  was  born  in  Jefferson 
County,  Oct.  29,  1841.  His  parents  were  Nathan- 
iel D.  and  Sarah  A.  (Mitten)  Prouty,  natives  re- 
spectively of  Vermont  and  Maryland.  They  were 
married  in  Jefferson  County,  Iowa,  whence  they  re- 
moved to  Lee  County  in  about  1845,  and  became 
residents  of  Jackson  Township.  Here  Nathaniel  D. 
Prouty  engaged  in  farming  pursuits,  and  also  op- 
erated the  ferry  between  Alexandria  and  Keokuk 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  died  in  Jackson  Town- 
ship in  the  spring  of  1872;  the  mother  still  sur- 
vives. The  parental  family  included  fourteen 
children,  four  sons  and  ten  daugliters,  of  whom 
Oscar  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth.  Only  two 
sons  and  three  daughters  are  now  living. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  a  child  of  about 
three  years  old  when  his  parents  removed  from  Jef- 
ferson to  Lee  County.  He  received  careful  train- 
ing at  the  hands  of  his  parents,  and  was  educated 
in    the   common  schools.     During  his  early    years 


?5 


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Cjlu 


.  ^VI'T^  tgixmxn: 


188 


LEE  COUNTY. 


he  assisted  in  the  labors  around  the  homestead  and 
ill  ninning  the  ferry  with  his  father.  He  was 
trained  to  haliits  of  indiistrv  and  economy,  and  at 
an  early  age  began  Ic^  la^'  hi!>  plans  for  the  future. 
He  finally  purchased  140  acres  of  land  in  Jackson 
Township  in  IHGf),  which  he  has  occupied  since 
that  time.  This  ho  has  continuously  cultivated  and 
improved,  and  has  now  one  of  the  most  valuable 
homesteads  in  this  section,  a  view  of  which  is  shown 
on  another  page. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Prouty  and  Miss  Sarah  E. 
I'arkhurst   took   place   Oct.  29,   1867,  in    Jackson 
Township.     Mrs.  P.  was  born  in   ftlarietta,  Ohio, 
Oct.  17,  1848,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Moses  and 
ah  J.  (Armstrong)   Parkhurst,  natives  respect- 
ively  of  Massacimsetts  and   Ohio.     They  crossed 
the  Mississippi  into  the  Hawkeye  .State  in  1849,  and 
came  into  Lee  Count}',  first  settling  in  Keokuk  and 
i    afterward   removing  to  Jackson   Townshi]),  where 
il  they  remained  the  balance  of  their  lives.     To  our 
siil)jecl  and  wife  have   been   born  four  children — 
Sfi    May,  Il.arr}'  D.,  Maude  L.  and  Bertha  J. 
n]::  j]        Mr.  Prouty  has  taken  an  intelligent  interest  in 


m 
I 

lis:: 


M 


II 


mm 


local  matters,  and  held  the  various  minor  offices  of 
his  townshij).  lie  is  Republican  in  politics,  liberal 
ill  liis  religious  views,  and  is  known  throughout  this 
vicinity  as  a  straightforward  business  man  and  a 
good  citizen. 


I 

w 


"ifJOllN  J.  SEAIJOLD  is  a  resident  of  Jackson 
Township,  where  he  was  born  May  3,  1850, 
and  has  always  lived   in   this   vicinity,   en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.    He  received 
a  limited  education,  bnt  was  trained   to  habits  of 
industry  and  sobriety,  and   is  the  proprietor  of  a 
comfortable  homestead,  consisting  of  120  acres  of 
iLgood  land,  pleasantly  located  on  section   1.5.     The 
]}  parents  of  our  subject  were  George  and   Margaret 
J  (Luber)   Seabold.   natives  of  Germany,  who  emi- 
i«3 grated  from  their  native  country,  and  after  arriv- 
ing in  the  I'nited  States  proceeded  directly  to  Lee 
County,  Iowa,  settling  in  Jackson  Township,  where 
the    father   engaged    in    farming    until    his    death, 
whicli  occurred  in  1874.    The  mother  still  survives, 
;«3aii(l    lives    in    .lackson    Township.      They  were    the 


parents   of   three   children — Conrad,   Condra   and 
John  J. 

The  subject  of  (lur  sketch  was  married  in  Mis- 
souri, March  9,  1882,  to  Miss  Christine,  daughter 
of  (ieorge  and  Kate  Arnold,  and  a  native  of  Wnr- 
temberg,  German}-,  born  Jan.  2,  18G0.  Her  parents 
emigrated  to  America  when  she  was  a  child  of  live 
years  old,  and  she  received  her  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  this  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
.Seabold  have  become  the  parents  of  three  children 
— Anna  C,  George  J.  and  Kate  A.  The}'  are  mem- 
bers in  good  standing  of  the  Evangelical  Church, 
and  in  politics  Mr.  S.  is  strongly  Democratic. 


/  OIIN  TWEEDY,  who  is  the  possessor  of  1 60 
acres  of  fine  farming  land  on  section  22, 
Montrose  Township,  came  to  the  Hawkeye 
State  in  1857.  He  conducts  his  farming  op- 
erations skillfully  and  intelligently,  and  has  been 
prosperous,  having  secured  a  competency.  Mr. 
Tweedy  was  born  in  Ohio,  Jan.  1.5,  1822,  and  is  the 
son  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Morrison)  Tweedy, 
natives  of  County  Down,  in  the  North  of  Ireland. 
They  were  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  and  emigrated 
from  their  native  country  to  the  United  States  in 
1817,  making  their  first  location  in  Butler  County, 
Ohio.  There  they  established  a  home  and  passed  the 
remainder  of  their  lives,  the  mother  dying  in  1846, 
and  the  father  in  1872.  The  |)arental  household 
included  the  following  children :  Ellen,  now  de- 
ceased, was  born  in  1810;  Andrew  died  in  1886, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years;  Grissella  married 
a  Mr.  Kent;  the  fourth  child,  John,  is  the  subjeet 
of  our  sketch;  Jane,  now  Mrs.  Wilson,  lives  in  In- 
diana; Nathan  died  in  1853;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife 
of  Mr.  F.  Harsman. 

The  marri.age  of  John  Tweed}'  and  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Norris  was  celebrated  in  the  Buckeye  State 
Oct.  4,  1849.  Mrs.  Tweedy  is  a  native  of  Ohio, 
born  Jan.  27,  1823,  her  parents  being  James  and 
Barbara  (West)  Norris,  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
James  Norris  died  in  1855;  his  wife  had  preceded 
him  to  the  better  laud  three  years  previously,  her 
decease  occurring  in  1852.  Their  family  consisted 
of  the  following-named  childicn:     Thomas,  Henry 


aii 


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CARRIAGE    FACTORY 


□     CARRIAGE    FACTORY  OF  5.T.W0RLEV  &  SON  ,  COR.  JOHNSON  and  y'liST! 

KEOKU  K  ,    IOWA  . 


—5" 


^^sg^_ ^ ,^ 


gd '  rij^^  .riri  ri-r^;  rLH  H  ri  g 


LEE  COUNTY. 


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1; 

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i;: 


(deceased),  John,  Henry  (2d),  James,  Jacob,  Rich- 
ard, Nanc}-,  Mary,  Hannah  and  Elizabeth. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tweedy  have  been  born  eight 
children,  the  record  of  whom  is  as  follows :  Barbara 
Ann  became  the  wife  of  William  lawyer;  Robert 
married  Miss  Armathia  Newbury;  Alice  is  the  wife 
of  William  Phelps;  Talitha  and  Hannah  are  un- 
married; Marj-  became  the  wife  of  William  Moon; 
the  two  youngest  were  John  F.  and  Lottie  L.  Our 
subject  and  wife  are  the  proud  grandparents  of 
thirteen  children. 

Mr.  Tweedy  and  family  occupy  a  tine  farm  resi- 
dence, and  the  buildings  around  it  correspond  with 
the  general  apperance  of  the  farm  and  its  improve- 
ments. He  is  giving  considerable  attention  to  the 
breeding  of  fine  stock,  and  has  two  thoroughbred 
Short-horns  which  are  very  valuable.  His  farm  ma- 
chinery and  appliances  for  stock-breeding  are  of 
a  first-class  character,  and  everything  in  and  about 
tlie  place  denotes  the  superintendence  of  an  exper- 
ienced and  intelligent  man.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tweedj' 
are  members  in  good  standing  of  the  United  Pres- 
byterian Cluircli  of  Summitville,  and  in  politics 
Mr.  T.  is  a  reliable  Republican. 

■^OHN  G.  BOYD,  a  prominent  and  successful 
farmer  of  Montrose  Township,  owns  and  oc- 
cupies a  fine  homestead  on  section  15.  Mr. 
Boyd  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was  born  in 
Brown  County,  March  18,  1846,  his  parents  being 
John  R.  and  Elizabeth  (Wardlow)  Boyd,  both  na- 
tives of  Ohio.  John  R.  Boyd  was  born  in  1817, 
and  departed  this  life  in  1881,  in  Iowa;  he  was  a 
prominent  man  in  his  locality,  was  a  member  of 
the  Christian  Church,  and  belonged  to  the  L  O.  O.  F. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Boj'd  was  born  in  1822,  and  is  still 
living.  Their  liousehold  circle  included  six  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Samuel  L.  married  Miss  Forman ; 
Martha  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Canada;  Lydia 
married  Mr.  Hurley ;  the  next  son  was  the  subject 
of  our  sketch ;  his  30unger  brother,  Zack,  married 
Miss  Mary  Colvin;  Hattie  died  in  liS.')4. 

John  (i.  Bo3'd  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Amanda  Colvin,  Oct.  2,  1870.  Mrs.  Boyd  is  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky,  born   in   18.»2,  and  the  daughter 


of  William  and  Kate  (Van  Arsdale)  Colvin,  also 
natives  of  Kentucky.     Mr.  and  Mrs.    Boyd  have 
no  children.    Mr.  Boyd  came  to  Iowa  in  1864.    His 
farm  embraces  230  acres  of  land,  all  improved  and 
under  a  good  state  of  cultivation.     He  is  a  promi- 
nent man  in  his  community,  and   is  regarded  with  i; 
the  highest  esteem  by  his  neighbors  and  acquaint- 
ances.    He  is  a  member  in   good  standing  of  the    E 
Christian  Church ;  is  Republican  in  polities,  and  a  ."  W 
member  of  Joppa   Lodge   N().  136,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,     IP^ 
at  Montrose. 


#>#► 


lli 


EV.    FATHER    CHARLES    F.    HUNDT, 

priest  of   St.    Mar3''s   Catholic   Church  at 


Keokuk,  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city 
^'^, since  June,  1886,  and  was  a  resident  of  Ft. 
Madison  for  the  past  eighteen  years,  and  during 
this  period  of  an  upright  life  and  blameless  char- 
acter has  earned  for  himself  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  all  by  whom  he  is  known.  He  was  born  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  Empire  of  Germany,  Oct.  14, 
1855,  and  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  Henry 
and  Catharine  (Stolz)  Ilundt,  in  1868,  when  a 
youth  of  thirteen  years.  They  landed  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  and  immediatelj'  proceeded  west  to 
Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  where  they  located  permanently 
and  still  live. 

The  subject  of  this  history  commenced  attending 
school  in  his  native  country  when  six  years  of  age, 
and  continued  until  his  departure  for  America. 
After  arriving  in  Ft.  Madison  he  entered  the  pub- 
lic school,  and  afterward  took  a  classical  course  in 
the  college  at  (^uincy,  111.,  from  which  he  graduated 
after  five  years"  study  with  the  degrees  of  B.  A. 
and  A.  M.  He  then  entered  the  Theological  Sem- 
inar}'  at  Milwaukee,  and  sjicnt  another  five  years 
exclusively  devoted  to  learning.  Thence  he  re- 
turned to  Ft.  Madison,  and  was  |)laeed  in  charge  of 
the  congregation  of  St.  IVLary's.  He  afterward  was 
removed  to  Neola  in  Pottawattamie  County,  where 
he  continued  until  June  12, 1886,  and  then  returned 
to  his  present  charge.  This  parish  includes  sixty 
families  and  an  average  of  300  persons.  He  has 
filled  tlie  duties  of  his  responsible  positi(jn  satisfac- 
torily and  worthily,  and  although  still  a  young  man 


nl!l 


arxxximixji 


J 


ltXSZXJKIZTI.1l 


rHHHi 


3CXU 


iiiTixiiii'mimiixiHitxxr'  E 


T»Jt1ITH*~»TlTyt»lax«««"'*'^T*i 


TT»-»  t  »■*■»■«■■  ■ry^rlr^j-rryrii  I 


192 


LEE  COUNTY. 


tiffij-  has  esUiblislied  for  himself  a  fine  rc|)utation  hoth  as 
a  priest  and  scholar. 

A    lithographic   view    of   St.    Mar3-'s   Church   is 
"'  shown  on  other  page  of  this  work. 


PH 


R.  .lOllN  .M.  ANDKKSOX   is   the    pioneer 

physiciiin    of    tiic    (Mil    School     In    Liiui 

Cinuity.  and  was  the  first  physician  of  this 

kiml  to  make  a  permanent    location    in   the 

villao'e    of    MoiitroM'.      lie    ci'ossed    tlir    l'":ither  of 

Waters  in  ls;i;i,  while   Iowa   was  yet  a    Territory, 


i]   and  with  his  |)arents  came  lirst   to   I)nliu(|ue.     Mis 

jjjt?;|j) I  father,   not   heing  satisfied   with   the  outlook,  went 

1    liack   to   Illinois,   and    reni;iined    there    until    1  !^;36. 


Then  he   retraced    his    steps 


located    in    Xan 


iT  Biiren    Comity,  Iowa,   and    in  l«4(j  came  to  Mont- 
}1   rose,  which  he  maile  his  home  until  lii>  death. 


W'^ 


Dr.  John  M.  Anderson  is  a  native  of  Monlgom- 
y  ery  County,  Ky.,  the  date  of  his  liirth  lieiug  .luly 
II.  ISIS.  His  parents  were  William  and  Francis 
(Anderstm)  .\ndcrson.  The  father  was  horn  in 
I7:mi,  and  depMi-tcd  thi>  life  in  .Montrose,  in  ISC;}. 
His  wife,  horn  in  17!)(l,  survived  her  husliand 
twelve  years,  dying  in  1S7.").  The  parental  house- 
hold consi>tcd  of  live  children,  of  whom  the  record 
^^1  is  as  follows:  Henry  B.  was  a  scjidier  in  the  Mexican 
War  and  died  in  the  army:  B.  F.  died  in  Ft.  Madi- 
son, Iowa,  .some  years  ago;  .lohu,  the  ^ullject  of  our 
sketch,  was  the  second  son;  I.  N.  is  deceased,  and 
his  remains  are  interred  at  Keokuk:  H.  B.  went 
into    the    late    war    and    has   not   lieeu    heard  from 

^^  The  marriage  of  .lohn  .\I.  Anderson  and  Miss 
Klccta  Miles  was  celebrated  on  New  Year's  Day, 
184:5.  Mrs.  A.  was  born  Oct.  s.  isil),  and  is  the 
daughter  of  David  S.  and  Klecta  Miles,  a  promi- 
nent family  in  N'lMinont,  who  left  their  native  State 
and  emigrated  to  Iowa  at  an  early  date  in  its  his- 
tory. Of  this  union  four  children  have  been  born, 
the  record  being  as  follows :  Flora  J.  became  the 
wife  of  C.  M.  Horn,  who  is  now  deceased;  Lillie  C. 
married  L,  V.  Crane,  and  he  is  also  deceased ;  Jose- 
I    phine  and  Frank  1'.  are   unmarried.     These  young 


peoi)le  are  well  educated,  being  graduates  of  Mont- 
rose public  schools. 

Dr.  Anderson  received  his  primary  education  at 
t^uincy,  III.,  and  while  a  young  man  engaged  in 
teaching  in  Van  Buren  County,  Iowa.  He  re- 
mained thus  occupied  for  two  j"ears,  and  in  ls;'7 
engaged  in  the  studj'  of  medicine  in  the  office  of 
Dr.  Miles,  of  Vermont,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
thri'e  years.  He  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his 
chosen  jjrofe.ssion  in  Van  Buren  County,  Iowa,  re- 
moving to  Lee  County  in  1844,  He  is  a  student 
of  the  regular  Allopathic  School,  and  in  his  profes- 
sional duties,  covering  a  [)eriod  of  forty-two  years 
in  this  localit}',  has  met  with  marked  success,  lie 
has  been  a  [)rominent  man  in  his  county,  and  is  now 
holding  the  position  of  Treasurer.  He  has  also 
served  as  a  mendier  of  the  Iowa  Legisl.atnre  for 
two  terms,  the  duties  of  which  oflicc  he  trans- 
acted with  great  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction 
to  all  concerned.  He  was  first  elected  on  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket,  and  was  his  own  successor  in  the  of- 
fice the  second  term  by  the  votes  of  both  parties. 

Dr.  Amlerson  has  been  Alayor  of  .Montrose  for 
eight  terms,  and  has  served  ,as  .histice  of  the  Peace 
for  fifteen  years.  The  educational  interests  of  this 
vicinity  have  received  material  aid  at  his  hands,  he 
having  served  as  ScIkmjI  Trustee  and  occupied 
other  important  positions  among  the  educational 
interests  of  Lee  County.  .Socially  he  is  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  received  .all  of  the  de- 
grees of  the  Subordinate  Lodge  of  that  order.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  A,  F.  &  A.  M.,  has  taken  the 
Royal  Arch  degrees,  and  filled  the  Chair  in  the 
East,  in  Blue  Lodge,  for  several  years.  Religiously 
he  is  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  politically  is  an  uncompromising  Dem- 
ocrat. 

When  Dr.  Anderson  first  came  into  the  Hawk- 
eye  .State,  it  was  a  Territory,  peo|iled  princijially 
bj"  wild  animals  and  Indians,  the  .Sacs  and  Fo.ves 
being  very  numerous.  He  witnessed  the  stabbing 
of  Keokuk  by  one  of  the  Blackhawk  tribe,  and 
dressed  his  wounds,  and  upon  more  than  one  oc- 
casion he  had  conversation  with  Black  Hawk,  the 
celebrated  chief.  The  experience  of  this  honored 
\  old  pioneer  would  fill  an  interesting  volume,  and 
the  changes  which  have  transpired   since   he   first 


ssssaasd 


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crossed  the  Father  of  Waters  have  been  witnessed 
by  him  with  intense  satisfaction  and  delight.  Not 
only  was  he  a  witness  of  the  development  and 
growth  of  the  Hawkeye  State,  but  he  assisted  nia- 
teriallj'  in  the  advance  of  civilization  in  this  sec- 
tion by  his  sensible  and  intelligent  advice  and  his 
more  material  aid  whenever  opportunity  afforded, 
and  as  one  of  the  band  of  choice  and  brave  spirits 
who  first  assisted  in  marking  out  a  path  for  civili- 
zation, he  is  held  in  peculiar  veneration  and  re- 
spect. 


E 


E\.  S.  F.  WIELAND,  Rector  of  .St.  James 
Catholic  Church  at  St.  Paul,  in  this  county, 
'i  W  is  a  native  of  Dungannon,  Columbiana  Co., 
lOhiii,  and  was  born  Oct.  1,  1842.  He  has 
been  finely  educated,  pursuing  his  studies  at  St. 
Mary's  College,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  St.  Charles  Col- 
lege near  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  St.  Francis  Seminary 
in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  completing  his  course  in  the 
latter.  His  first  charge  was  at  Lj'ous,  Clinton  Co., 
Iowa,  where  he  remained  six  and  one-half  years, 
and  the  next  was  at  Baur,  Marion  Count}',  this  State, 
In  April,  1884,  Rev.  Mr.  Wieland  came  to  .St.  Paul 
and  took  charge  of  his  present  church,  which  un- 
der his  ministrations  has  greatl}'  flourished.  Not 
only  has  he  succeeded  in  building  up  the  congrega- 
tion at  this  place,  but  he  has  also  assisted  in  build- 
ing and  furnishing  one  of  the  neatest  church  edi- 
fices in  the  count}'.  He  is  genial  and  courteous  in 
manner,  and  this,  together  with  his  talents  and 
learning,  have  made  bira  a  favorite  in  this  com- 
munitj',  where  he  is  highly  esteemed  by  all  classes, 
both  within  his  own  charge  and  among  the  other 
denominations. 


-— ^^-^^^^t^il^^^^- 


eHRISTlAN  ROCKEY,  of  Charleston  Town- 
ship,  has  been  a  resident  of  Lee  County 
since  1845,  in  which  year  he  came  to  this 
section  with  his  parents,  John  and  Elizal)eth 
Rockey.  They  were  natives  of  Germany,  who 
after  their  emigration  to  the  United  States,  settled 
first  in  Ohio,  and  thence  came  to  Iowa,  making 
their  home  in   Lee   County,    where   they    remained 


TxxxzxzKxiz: 


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until  their  lives  terminated.  Our  subject  was  born 
in  Montgomerj'  County,  Ohio,  in  October,  1841, 
and  after  coming  to  Iowa  lived  in  Lee  Count}'  un- 
til 1864.  He  then  went  to  McLean  County,  111., 
where  he  remained  for  one  year,  and  then  enlisted 
in  the  !(4th  Illinois  Infantry,  serving  one  year 
afterward  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Mr.  Rockey  then  returned  to  Lee  County,  and 
on  the  2.5tli  of  October,  1W6G,  was  married,  in  Har- 
rison Township,  his  wife's  birthplace,  to  Miss  Ju- 
lia Schweer,  who  was  born  Oct.  a,  1S44.  Her  par- 
ents were  Comad  and  Caroline  Schweer,  natives  of 
Germany,  who  emigrated  to  America  in  1830.  came 
into  Iowa  and  located  in  Harrison  Town.ship,  where 
they  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rockey  have  become  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  six  of  whom  survive — William.  Lizzie, 
Fi'ank,  Frederick.  Minnie  and  Otto;  Allie  died 
when  an  infant  five  months  old. 

Mr.  Rockey  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  takes 
an  active  interest  in  the  moral  and  educational 
welfare  of  his  community.  He  has  been  School 
Director  and  Road  Supervisor,  and  in  other  re- 
spects enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fel- 
low townsmen.  His  homestead  comprises  eighty 
acres,  with  a  good  residence,  barn  and  outhouses, 
and  he  and  his  family  are  surrounded  witli  all  the 
comforts  of  life. 


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HARLES  L.  BECKER,  of  Keokuk,  a  promi- 
nent  factor  in  the  business  community  of  the 
^/  city,  is  successfully  engaged  in  trade,  dealing 
in  hardware,  cutlery,  iron  and  wagon  material,  agri- 
cultural implements,  cement  and  plaster,  his  place 
of  business  lieing  located  on  Main  street.  Mr. 
Becker  is  a  native  of  the  (ierman  Empire,  and  was 
born  on  the  17th  of  February.  1836.  In  accordance 
with  the  laws  and  customs  of  his  native  country  he 
entered  school  at  an  early  age  and  remained  until 
fifteen  years  old.  He  then  sailed  for  America,  land- 
ing in  New  York  City,  whence  he  shortly  pro- 
ceeded to  Schenectady,  and  engaged  as  a  broom- 
maker  for  the  following  five  years.  In  l.s.'iO  he  de- 
cided to  try  his  fortunes  in  the  new  West,  and 
made  his  first  entrance  into  the  Gate  City.     He  en- 


liii 


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194 


LEE  COUNTY 


gajjefl  witli   tlif   linn   ul'   C'a(l\,  .Imio?  it  I'l'ck,  witli 
whom  lie  reniaiiipd  as  clerk   for  eighteen   months, 
gaining  the  approval  and  confidence  of  his  eniplo}'- 
ers.     He   was  then   sent  by   them   to   Alexandria. 
Mo.,  to  take  charge  of  their  branch  store  there,  and 
at  the  end  of  four  years  purchased  the  .stock  and 
continued   the  liusincss  on   his  own  account  until 
^^    .Marcii.  1881,  wiien  he  removed  hisstock  to  Keokuk, 
lO^    and  located  where  he  is  still  carrying  on  the  busi- 
il!  ;:jl!i  ne.-is.  The  building  which  he  occupies  is  four  stories 
ll|::illi  ill  hciirlif.  •JSvH.'j  feet  iu   area,  aud   built   of  brick, 
eellent  warerooni,  and  the  establish- 


I  ^liii  in  height,  28x8.i 
L  Hill  lie   lias  iui   excel 


began  to  lierd  .sheep,  and.  iu  fact,  employed  him- 
self at  whatever  he  could  liud  to  do  which  wfiuld 
assist  him  in  making  his  own  way  Mini  pniNiilintr 
for  himself. 

.Vfter  arriving  at  3'ears  of  manhood  .Mr.  llcll  w;is 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jane  Emerson,  their 
wedding  occurring  on  the  1st  of  May,  I8i57.  On 
the  24th  of  the  same  month  the  young  couple  em- 
barked upon  a  sailing-vessel  which  hail  just  been 
launched,  and  was  bound  for  (Quebec,  Canada. 
They  landed  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  thence  pro- 
ceeded   to    Portsmouth.   Ohio.       From    there   our 


nieiit  throughout  is  supplied  with  all  conveniences    ;   subject  came  westward  to  Morgan  Coiiiily.  III.,  and  |;i 

stopped  for  a  time  with  his  uncle,  John  Thompson.  55 } 

He  was  then  employed    bj'  him,  and    after  about  g.!ji 

three  years  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came   into  pi 


for  the  successful  transaction  of   wiiolesale  and 
tail  business. 

M r.  Becker  was  married  in  llsG.'),  to  .Miss  Delia 
Slaughter,  of  Keokuk,  who  was  born  in  Lee  County, 
and  by  Iht  union  with  our  subject  has  become  the 
niotlier  of  l»o  daughters — (iladius  and  S.ndie. 
They  occiiiiy  a    pleasant   and  attractive  home,  and 


Lee  County,  Iowa,  locating  in   Marion   Township.  p[ 

on  section   30.     Here  our  subject  rented  a  small  St 

farm  of  140  acres  for  a  time,  and  then   purchased  ;^[ 

it,  paying  $7  per  acre.     The  money  which  he  paid  :|i} 

3i> 


ij     riiey  occiiiiy  a    pleasant   ai 

u    our  suliject,  both  socially  and  as  a  business  man,  is   !   over  to  secure  possession  of  this  he  had   borrowe'.     a|} 
held   in   the  highest   respect   by  his  neighbors  and       and   paid  20  per  cent  interest.     I'poii  the  farm  was    3|} 

I  a.s.sociates.     Mr.  Becker,  be 

J  served   as  Councilman   of 


Mr.  Becker,  before  coming  to  Keokuk, 
Alexandria  for  twelve 
years,  and  was  JLayor  of  the  city  four  years.  Po- 
litically he  is  identified  with  the  Democratic  party, 
and  socially  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fialcriiity  and 
the  I.  ().  O.  F 


€-^ 


1 
1 


5':  I 


'\¥  OlIN   llICl,!,,  one  of  the  lioiioicd    pioneers  of 
PM  Lee  County,  is  also  one  of  the  oldest  resi- 

I     [!l|i    ,  dents  of  ^L•lrion  Township.      He  came  from 

(^yjl  Morgan  County,  111.,  to  this  section  in  the 
spring  of  1840,  and  at  once  identified  himself  with 
the  interests  vif  his  adopted  State.  He  ha-  built 
up  for  liimself  a  good  record  as  a  man  .iiid  citizen, 
iiiiil  is  one  of  the  most  valued  members  of  the  com- 
i  niunily.  Mr.  Bell  is  of  English  aneestiy  .-iiid  |)ar- 
yentage,  and  was  born  June  21,  ISl,").  lli>  parents 
were  John  and  Mary  (Chaniplin)  Bell,  who  were  in 
limited  circiimstanees  in  their  native  England,  and 
reared  their  son  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy. 
Hi-  early  advantages  for  an  education  were  ex- 
tremely limited,  as  he  was  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources  at  the  early  age  of   nine  years,  when  he 


<inall  log  house,  in  which  Mr.  Bell  and  his  family 
resided    for   seven    years.       They    endured    many 
privations  and  hardships,  being  compelled  to  travel 
long  distances  to  mill  in  order  to  obtain  necessary 
provisions.      But  our  subject  was  prospered   in   his 
labors,  and  in  due  time  found  himself  on  the  high 
road  to  prosperit}'.     As  his  profits  accumulated   he    j:} 
[lurchased  more  land,  and  finally  became  the  owner    S':\ 
of   1,000  acres,  a  large  part  of  which   he   has  now    S 
divided   up  among  his  three   children:    Isaac  was    a 
one  of  the   pioneers  of  Cedar  Township,  and   still    | 
resides  there;    Robert  remains   on  the   homestead    | 
with    his   [(areiits;  William   resides  in   Donnellson,    Sj 
ami  nuns  :i  farm  in  Franklin  Township.  | 

.\lr.  Bell  and  his  wife  liavi'  lived  together  for  a  j; 
period  of  forty-nine  years,  and  both  are  still  active  5| 
and  in  good  health.  When  they  first  I'aiiie  here  | 
Indians  were  iiunierous  and  often  [la.sseil  in  close  9j 
proximity  to  their  cabin  home,  but  never  injured  a 
or  molested  them.  At  the  time  of  their  niarri.age  i 
they  had  only  money  enough  to  bring  them  to  the  I 
Fnited  States,  and  our  subject  presents  a  line  illus 
Iratioii  of  wliat  may  be  .Mceoinplished  by 


aud  indust 


ry. 


Hi 


1 

3;i 

resolution     5i] 

til 


now    in   possessii^n    of  a   fine     jtjj 


EmforxxTOXTlUrTTirT-ririJii  i  ,m  i 


1    competency  for  his  old  age.      He   has  retained    240     gjli 

^ ni 


jV£j±i'?^m. 


LEE  COUNTY. 


acres  of  his  land,  and  the  present  snf)stantial  family 
residence,  wliicli  was  luiilt  of  brick  thirty-eialit 
years  ago,  is  still  in  a  good  state  of  |)reservati<)n. 

Mr.  Bell  has  been  prominently  connected  with 
the  affairs  of  his  township  since  its  oi'ganization, 
and  assisted  in  Imilding  the  first  school-honse ; 
Monroe  Reid.  mow  a  resident  of  Keoknk,and  known 
as  Col.  Reid  of  West  Point,  was  the  first  teacher 
emploj'ed  in  that  primitive  strnctnre.  This  also 
served  as  a  voting-place  and  for  the  holding  of  re- 
ligious services,  and  camp-meetings  were  held  in 
the  woods,  being  attended  by  everybody  from  the 
surrounding  country  who  could  get  there.  In  pol- 
itics our  subject,  formerly  an  old-line  Whig,  now 
affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party. 


0'^  .OAI-I  BAILP^Y,  one  of  the  largest  land-own- 
/  ers  of  Des  Moines  Townsiiip,  occupies  a  fine 
.,  homestead  near  the  village  of  Yineennes  on 

section  21.  He  located  in  this  township  in  Octo- 
ber, 1851,  making  his  first  settlement  on  section  33. 
His  first  purchase  was  424  acres,  which  he  occupied 
for  man}'  years.  lie  removed  from  this  in  1883, 
settling  upon  his  present  homestead,  where  he  has 
erected  a  fine  dwelling-house,  one  of  tlie  best  in 
the  township,  has  excellent  barns  and  out-buildings, 
costly  farm  implements  and  machinery,  and  all  the 
appliances  of  a  first-class  agriculturist  and  stock- 
grower.  Before  coming  to  this  township  he  had 
been  a  resident  of  Clark  County,  Mo.,  one  j'ear. 
His  landed  possessions  in  Lee  County  now  comprise 
about  7(10  acres,  most  of  which  is  improved.  He 
also  owns  in  Clark  Countj\  Mo.,  l.l.jO  acres;  the 
most  of  this  is  also  under  good  cultivation.  He 
has  considerable  fine  stock,  but  makes  the  growing 
of  corn  a  specialty.  He  feeds  annually  from  100  to 
800  head  of  cattle,  and  exhibits  some  of  the  finest 
fat  stock  in  this  part  of  the  Hawkey e  State. 

Mr.  Bailey  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Pickaway'  County,  Feb.  18,  1811). 
His  father,  Robert  Bailey,  was  a  native  of  Yirginia 
and  a  farmer   liy   occupation,  and    was  married  in 

^^   his  native  State  to  Miss  Maria  Coonrod.  also  born 

ip; 

ijl  and    reared   in    Yirginia.     After   the  birth  of  four 

I  :ii4 

ijS  children   tlie^'    went   to  (Jhio.  and   afterward   there 


were  .added  to  the  family  circle  nine  more  little 
ones,  eleven  of  whom  grew  to  years  of  maturity. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  only  one  j'ear  old 
when  the  family,  then  six  in  number,  went  to  Knox 
County,  Ind..  and  settled  eighteen  miles  north  of 
\'inccnnes,  on  the  Wai)ash  River,  in  a  new  house 
built  in  the  midst  of  the  timiier.  They  lived  there 
for  some  years,  making  improvements  and  clear- 
ing the  land  about  them.  After  a  time  young 
Noah,  being  of  an  ambitious  and  adventurous  turn 
of  mind,  felt  anxious  to  start  out  for  himself  and 
see  something  of  the  world.  He  consequently  pro- 
ceeded to  St.  Louis,  and  in  course  of  time  was 
joined  there  l)y  his  father  and  mother.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  been  married  and  become  the 
father  of  two  children.  In  the  month  of  July, 
184i»,  the  cholera  epidemic  attacked  the  family'  of 
.Mr.  Bailej'  with  fatal  results.  At  that  time  he  lost 
bis  wife,  father,  and  two  small  children,  Samuel  M. 
and  .lames  A.  There  also  died  two  young  men 
who  were  in  his  employ,  Edward  Conor  and  Levi 
Adams.  These  all  died  within  the  space  of  nine 
days.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Bailey  had  departed  this 
life  about  four  years  previous!}'.  The  maiden  name 
of  Mis.  Noah  Bailey  was  Emily  J.  Fulks;  she  was 
a  native  of  Tennessee,  born  and  reared  in  Monroe 
County,  her  parents  being  natives  of  South  Caro- 
lina. 

The  calamity  which  had  visited  JMr.  Bailey  left 
him  in  an  almost  desperate  frame  of  mind,  and  he 
felt  that  he  could  no  longer  remain  in  tlie  vicinity 
which  constantly  reminded  him  of  those  whom  he 
had  lost  by  death.  He  consequent!}'  removed  from 
there  and  went  into  St.  Franeisville,  Clark  Co.,  Mo. 
In  due  time  he  was  there  married  to  Miss  Harriet 
A.  Lyles.  who  was  l)orn  in  Alabama,  and  when  a 
young  child  removed  with  her  parents  to  Indiana, 
wlience  they  went  to  Missouri.  Sirs.  Harriet  Bai- 
ley became  the  uK^tlier  of  nine  children,  and  de- 
jwrted  this  life  in  Des  Moines  Township,  May  31, 
187;").  Before  the  deatli  of  the  mother,  six  of  her 
children  had  ])assed  to  the  land  beyond,  those  re- 
maining being  William  E.,  Moore  R.  and  J.  T. 

After  his  second  inaniagc  IMr.  Bailey  went  over 
the  plains  to  Nevada,  where  he  was  engaged  for 
some  time  in  the  cattle  business.  He  was  married 
tlie  third    time   at  Pioche,  Lincoln  Co.,  Nev.,  Dec. 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


15,  1875.  to  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  (Fulks)  Sowders,  a  sis- 
ter of  lii>  rn>l  wife,  also  born  in  Monroe  County, 
I'lini..  .lime  12,  1.S40.  Her  parents  were  .John  and 
Maitii.i  ('riiouii)sun)  Kiilivs,  wlio  were  married  in 
Monroe  Conntj',  and  died  in  Missouri.  Mrs.  S,ii;di 
!•;.  liailey  was  reared  fnjm  childiiood  in  St.  J^ouis 
County.  Mo.,  and  was  there  married  to  her  first 
husband,  Jacob  Sowders,  who  was  a  native  of  In- 
diana, but  reared  mainly  in  Crawford  Count}',  Mo. 
He  was  a  farmer  ]>}•  oeeupatidu.  ami  of  tlieir  union 
there  were  born  four  ehildren,  one  of  whom  is  de- 
ceased. The  living  are  .Sarah  E.,  .Mattie  S.  and  Ln- 
cinda.  By  her  marriage  with  Mr.  Bailey  there  was 
liorn  one  chilil.  Emma  E. 

.Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bailey  are  iiighly  res|)ected  in  tlieir 
eomnmnity,  and  members  in  good  .standing  of  the 
•Methodist  Episcopal  Churcii.  In  politics  Mr.  Bai- 
ley is  strongly  Republican,  and  uniformly  casts  his 
vote  in  support  of  the  principles  of  that  party. 


«- 


-^ 


1/  OX.  HENin  HOFFMAN  TRIMBLE  is  of 
i-emote  (Jerman  descent,  his  parents,  .lohn 
and  Elizabeth  (Hoffman)  Trimble,  having 
Teuti^nic  blood  in  their  veins.  His  grand- 
father was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  During  his 
boyhood  his  father,  who  was  a  carpenter  and  farmer, 
lived  successively  in  Rush,  Shelliy  and  Decatur 
Counties,  Ind.,  where  Heiny  farmed  until  sixteen 
years  old.  He  received  his  educali(jii  in  Franklin 
College,  in  the  State  University  at  Bloomington, 
and  at  Asbnry  Universit}-  in  Greencastle,  gradu- 
ating from  the  last-named  institution  .lul}-  21,  1H47. 
He  defraj-ed  his  own  expenses  bj-  teaching  and 
other  work.  From  college  he  went  directly  into 
the  Mexican  War,  serving  one  year  in  the  5th  Indi- 
ana Volunteers,  .lanu-s  Lane,  Colonel.  On  his  re- 
turn he  rea<I  law,  fust  with  Eden  II.  Davis,  of 
Shelbyville,  then  with  Hon.  Thomas  A.  Hendricks. 
His  father  came  to  Iowa  in  1848,  and  he  followed 
a  year  later,  going  to  Bloomfield,  Davis  County, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  April  29,  1850,  by 
Hon.  .1.  F.  Kinney  at  Keosauqna.  He  was  County 
Attorney  from  1851  to  1855,  and  State  Senator 
from  1855  to  185U,  being  at  the  last  session  held  at 
Iowa  City  and   the  first   held    at    l)cs    .Moines.      Li 


July,  1861,  he  entered  the  array  as  Lieutenant 
Colonel  of  the  3d  Iowa  Cavahy,  and  served  until 
the  Itth  of  .September,  1863,  when  he  was  dis- 
rliaigcd  on  .account  of  a  wound  in  the  f.aee,  re- 
ceived at  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge. 

In  October,  1862.  Col.  Trimble  was  elected  Dis- 
trict Judge  of  the  Seccmd  District,  and  served  four 
years.  Judge  Trimble  was  President  of  the  St. 
Louis  (k  Cedar  Rapids  Railwaj'  Companj',  during  the 
building  of  the  road  north  to  Ottumwa,  and  also  as- 
sisted in  the  building  of  the  Burlington  &  South- 
western. Judge  Trimble  has  a  National  as  well  as  a 
State  reputation  as  a  Democratic  politician.  He  was 
twice  a  candidate  for  the  Supreme  Court,  once  be- 
fore the  Legislature,  and  once  before  the  people,  in 
1863.  He  w.as  a  candidate  for  Congress  in  the 
First  District  against  Gen.  Curtis,  reducing  the 
[  usual  Republican  majoritj'  more  than  l,-2()()  votes, 
and  in  1872  ran  for  the  same  office  against  William 
Loughridge,  and  ran  5,000  votes  ahe.-vd  of  Horace 
Orcelcy,  presidential  candidate. 

.hulge  Trimble  has  been  President  of  the  State 
Bar  Association,  and  was  the  Democratic  candidate 
for  (iovernor  in  1879,  against  John  IL  Gear,  Re- 
publican. The  Judge  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  a  believer  in  Christianity,  although 
not  belonging  to  an}-  church.  He  was  married  at 
Shelbyville,  Ind.,  April  5,  1849,  to  Miss  Emma  M. 
Carruthers,  a  native  of  Wheeling,  W.  Va.  They 
have  five  children,  all  living.  P.almer,  the  eldest, 
being  now  assistant  attorney  of  the  railroads  of 
which  the  Judge  is  the  general  attorney.  Since 
1881  the  Judge  has  been  wcn'king  for  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  Ai  (:^uinc3'  Railroad.  He  is  now  gen- 
eral attoi'ney  of  what  are  called  its  Keokuk  roads, 
having  his  homo  and  headquarters  in  Keokuk, 
Iowa.  The  following  estimate  of  the  judicial  abil- 
ity of  Judge  Trimble  was  written  by  a  member  of 
the  Iowa  bar: 

••.ludge  Trimble  stands  in  the  very  first  rank  of 
the  Iowa  l)ar.  He  has  l)een  highly  successful  in  the 
|)ractice,  and  has  fully  earned  his  success  by  his  in- 
dustry and  ability.  Li  the  service  of  his  clients  he 
is  an  untiring  worker,  never  ceasing  the  investiga- 
tion of  a  case  until  he  feels  that  he  full}'  under- 
stands every  proposition  of  law  and  fact  involved. 
His   mind    is   eminently   practical  in  the  best  sense 


Ur'■-l■-lcj.^J 


=  1 

i  \ 

nm 

m 


=HHH1  trir-^H'i-'r^'T]         _„_. 


U»  I  I  IT-fTTTTi 


lg7^'r^rJ,:iHr-'Hr-''r^r^r-'rJr-l 


LEE  COUNTY. 


pp^ 


h: 


i 


of  that  term.  By  this  it  is  not  meant  that  he  cither 
neglects  or  undervalues  the  science  or  the  theory 
of  the  law,  but  that  he  carefully  considers  and  cor- 
rectly estimates  all  the  elements  that  maj-  have  a 
bearing  upon  the  fate  of  his  case,  both  tlieoretical, 
and  also  such  as  are  often  called  practical  as  distin- 
guished from  theoretical.  Me  has  an  unerring 
judgment  as  to  the  true  position  to  take  in  a  case, 
and  as  to  the  real  value  in  the  minds  of  Courts  and 
juries  of  the  various  positions  talcen  b^-  himself  and 
his  adversaries.  This,  of  course,  is  greatly  aided 
by  careful  and  thorough-going  preparation. 

"He  is  an  eloquent  speaker.  His  manner  is  not 
such  as  superficial  observers  ordinarily  suppose  ac- 
companies and  constitutes  eloquence.  It  is  quiet 
and  unassuming,  but  effective.  His  eloquence  is 
of  the  kind  that  directs  the  minds  of  his  hearers 
not  to  himself  but  to  his  subject  or  his  case.  Tiiey 
are  not  so  apt  to  remark  upon  the  fineness  or  the 
eloquence  of  his  speech,  as  upon  the  justice  of  his 
case.  Thus,  upon  one  occasion,  when  his  adversa- 
ry's address  had  been  elaborate  and  higlily  orna- 
mented, one  of  the  jury  after  a  verdict  had  been 
rendered  in  favor  of  Judge  Trimble's  client,  said: 
■That  young  man  made  much  the  finer  speech,  but 
the  old  fellow  was  right.'  This  is  the  highest  trib- 
ute that  can  be  paid  to  eloquence.  It  has  alread}- 
been  stated  that  he  does  not  neglect  the  theorj-  of 
the  law.  AVhenever  he  meets  an  important  legal 
question  that  does  not  seem  to  be  settled,  or  upon 
which  there  is  a  conflict  of  authorit3'  or  that  he 
does  not  fully  understand,  he  is  not  content  to 
leave  the  question  until  he  has  mastered  it,  even 
although  the  case  in  which  it  arose  is  at  an  end. 
His  investigation  of  such  a  question,  too,  is  often 
much  broader  tlian  the  case  in  hand  requires.  He 
first  diligently  collects  all  the  authorities  he  can 
find  on  the  subject,  noting  carefully  wherein  they 
agree  and  wherein  thej'  differ.  He  then  carefully 
weighs  them,  not  merely-  relying  upon  the  words  in 
which  the  rules  are  stated,  but  in  the  light  of  the 
fundamental  underlying  principles.  Before  he  has 
done  with  it  he  usually  has  obtained  a  masterful 
grasp  of  the  subject.  He  then  puts  aw.iy  his  brief  of 
the  principles  and  authorities  governing  the  sub- 
ject, for  use  whenever  it  comes  up  again. 

"He  is  thus  constantly  a  student,  and  his  practice 


thus  becomes  a  steady  progress  in  the  mastery  of  M 
legal  principles.     His  mass  of  briefs,  properly  in-  li 
dexed  for  reference,  would  be  a  valuable  possession 
for  any  lawyer.   It  is  out  of  this  laborious,  thorough 

and   careful   investigation- that  he  derives  his  ex- E 

=  if 

haustive  knowledge  of  the  law,  and  his  readiness  ' 
and    clearness    in    stating    his    propositions  to  the  iM 
Court,    and    in   distinguishing  the   principles    ap- 
plicable  to  the    case   from   others    not   applicable 
but  claimed  to  be  so.     This  is  one  great  element  of 
his  admitted  success.'" 


-©--K-4- 


^<ttl:^> 


-KH--6*- 


■        71! 


AVID  BKKLKlv.  a  well-known  resident  of 
ij   Franklin  Township,  is  an  honored  pioneer 


fi\ 


in 


of  this  section  and  a  representative  farmer 
of  Lee  County,  of  which  he  has  been  a 
resident  for  the  last  half  centurj'.  He  has  been  an 
interested  spectator  of  remarkable  changes  along  it^^j 
tlie  Mississippi  \'alley,  and  has  aided  materi.ally  in 
the  development  of  this  section  of  country,  not 
only  Ijy  his  own  example  of  energetic  industry,  but 
by  being  willing  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  his 
brother  pioneers  in  their  struggles  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  homes  in  tlie  wilderness. 

]\Ir.  Beeler  was  born  in  Montgomery  County, 
Ind.,  !?ept.  11,  1823.  His  father,  Isaac  Beeler,  was 
of  Swiss  ancestry',  but  a  native  of  Tennessee,  de- 
scended from  progenitors  who  came  to  the  United  \  n 
States  more  than  100  years  .ago.  Isaac  Beeler,  Sr., 
the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  AVar,  and  lived  to  an  advanced  age; 
he  was  connected  with  the  command  of  Gen.  Har- 
rison, of  Indiana,  and  was  with  the  old  hero  at  the 
battle  of  Tippecanoe.  His  son,  Isaac,  Jr.,  served 
as  a  private  in  the  War  of  1812.  Neither  the 
father  nor  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  received 
any  serious  wounds  from  the  enemj-  during  their 
military  career,  the  latter  dying  peacefully  at  his 
home  in  Tennessee. 

Isaac  Beeler,  Jr.,  w.as  reared  and  educated  in  his 
native  State  of  Tennessee,  and  there  married  Miss 
Jane  Hughes,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  his  own 
locality.  After  the  birth  of  one  child  they  re- 
moved to  Indiana  and  located  in  Montgomery 
Count}',  where  were  born  to  them   ten  additional 


r.|    QqISI .TTTTTTTTTTJTITTTT..., 

lanirxirmxrrmrxuiixi;  ^>t-^  I .■..■;..■. 

1  f^**|"^k^  .rtTTir  TTTW  ■  ■*■■  ■■■■  ■■  ■■  W^VW^t 


tes 


if^m 


^JJifi 


198 


LEE  COUNTY. 


lii! 
I 


11 


li 


cliildren,  ami  where  they  remained  until  1836.  In 
tliat  yc!U-  the  father  decided  to  cross  the  Missis- 
sipiti,  1111(1  .accordingly,  with  his  f.amily,  ni.ade  the 
trip  ill  .siifcty,  and  hjcated  in  Iowa  on  the  site  of 
what  is  now  Harrison  Township.  The  land  was 
wild  iuiil  miiiiiiii-fivcd,  and  the  little  home  in  the 
wilderness  was  siirroiiiided  on  all  sides  b}"  Indians 
Mud  wild  animals.  'I'licy  were  prepared,  however,  for 
all  the  emergencies  of  the  enterprise,  and  resolved 
to  establish  here  a  periiiaiient  home,  wh.'itcver  the 
diflicnlties  might  be.  They  improved  the  land, 
and  in  time  were  rewarded  l)y  the  picture  of  smiling 
fields  and  growing  giniii.  Here  the  parents  re- 
mained the  balance  of  tiieir  lives,  and  were  peace- 
fully laid  to  rest  in  a  lot  on  the  old  homestead. 
Isaac  Heelei  had  become  the  owner  of  1,100  acres 
of  land.  During  the  existence  of  the  Whig  party 
he  was  an  adherent  of  its  princi|)les,  and  when  this 
party  w.-is  abandoned  he  associated  himself  with 
liie  Kepiiblicans. 

David  Heeler  was  the  seveiiUi  i^liild  of  his  par- 
ents' f.'imily,  and  remained  with  them  until  his  mar- 
riage, which  took  |)laee  in  Henry  County,  Iowa, 
.lunc  10,  IH;')!,  his  bride  being  Miss  Mary  J.  Har- 
ness, a  native  of  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The 
father  of  Mis.  Heeler,  .lohn  A.  Harness,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  and  came  to  Iowa  in  1845, 
when  his  daughter,  .Alary  J.,  was  a  child  of  twelve 
years  old.  They  located  in  Lee  County,  thence 
removing  to  Henry  County,  where  they  lived  for 
mail}'  years,  and  rinally  reuKJved  to  Van  Hureii 
County,  w'here  the  lives  of  the  parents  terminated. 
,Iohn  A.  Harness  was  an  industrious  and  energetic' 
man,  and  was  higiily  respected  in  his  loiality  for 
his  excellent  traits  of  character.  Mrs.  H.  remained 
with  her  parents  until  her  marriage,  receiving  care- 
ful home  training.  I5y  her  iiiiion  with  our  subject 
she  has  become  the  mother  of  six  children,  the 
3 record  of  whom  is  as  follows:  Amanila  .1.  is  the 
1  wife  of  F.  ■]".  McKeehan,  a  farmer  of  I'owell  County, 
I  Neb. ;  .1.  .1.  lives  in  the  village  of  Doiiiicllson; 
Hattie  K.  is  the  wife  of  O.  L.  I'owell,  of  Marion 
Towiishii),  Lee  County;  Ida  is  at  home  assisting 
her  parents;  Anna  is  the  wife  of  Abel  Slaughter,  a 
farmer  of  Franklin  Town.ship;  1).  F.  is  the  manager 
of  his  father's  homestead. 

Mr.  ISeeler  is  the   possesst)r   of  nearly   100   acres 


of  land  in  Franklin  and  Harrison  Townships,  most 
of  which  is  under  cultiv.ation.  lie  is  a  valued  citi- 
zen, and  takes  an  interest  in  everything  pertaining 
to  the  welfare  of  his  community.     In  politics  he  is  Siii 

3i  1 

strongly  Republican,  and   uniformly  ctists  his  vote  Sj:i 
in  sup|)ort  of  the  jiriiiciples  of  that  party.  Siii 


->-^=»!^»-^Gi^-^'ff5.^-<J- 


RS.  MARGARKT  BRINKMAN,  the  widow  g 
of  Frederick  Brinkman,  is  a  highly  es- 
teemed lad}',  and  a  resident  of  Keokuk. 
Her  husband  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  emigrated  to  America  with  his  mother  when 
but  a  child  of  four  years  old,  his  father  having  died 
in  his  n.ative  land.  She  proceeded  westward,  and 
crossed  the  Mississippi,  making  her  first  location  in 
the  Gate  City,  and  here  her  son  was  educated. 
Upon  leaving  school  he  went  to  St.  Louis  and 
learned  the  hatter's  trade,  and  after  completing  his 
apprenticeship  and  making  a  short  sojourn  in 
(^uincy,  HI.,  engaged  with  his  brother,  John  W., 
ill  general  merchandising  at  Keokuk.  After  a  time 
their  stock  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  Mr.  Brink- 
man  became  a  clerk  for  Speicsperger  &  Co.,  where 
he  remained  for  fifteen  j-ears.  In  IS.SO  he  went 
into  business  for  himself,  becoming  associated  in 
|)artneiship  with  Frank  Slienk,  and  they  carried  on  ^{ 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  Brinkman  &  Shenk  jj? 
until  188(1,.  when  they  dissolved  partnership  by  'M 
mutual  consent,  and  the  decease  of  Mr.  Brinkman  \f.[ 
occurred  M.ay  1.5  of  that  j'ear.  He  was  an  excel- 
lent business  man,  an  affectionate  husliand,  a  kind 
father  and  a  good  citizen.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  in 
politics  was  strongly  Republican. 

Mrs.  Margaret  Brinkman  is  the  daughter  of 
Frederick  and  Kunigunda  (Luber)  Breitenstein, 
natives  of  (Terinany,  who  emigrated  to  America 
in  1844,  and  settled  at  Keokuk,  where  Mrs.  B.  was  ^ 
born,  Sept.  .'),  1848.  They  engaged  in  farming  in 
Harrison  Township,  Lee  County,  and  remained 
there  until  ISMG.  The  decease  of  the  mother  oc- 
curred in  is.s;!;  lier  death  was  occasioned  by  be- 
ing thrown  from  a  wag(^(n.  The  parental  family 
consisted  of  eleven  children,  nine  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing,  as   follows:   Klizabetli,    .Mrs.   Tiuiiip.    lives   in 


;m 


i'¥^. 


h 


\yftjyyu     v-d'-t^^'y'i>y^:r' 


Missouri;  Margaret  resides  in  Keokuk;  Henry,  in 
Lee  County  ;  Fred  and  Herman,  in  Louisville,  Neb. ; 
Dan,  in  Lincoln,  Neb. ;  Flora,  Alice  and  George,  in 
Keokuk.  Mrs.  Brinkman  became  the  mother  of 
four  children — Walter,  Carrie,  Arthur  and  Carlisle. 
They  occupy  a  comfortable  residence  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Tenth  and  Bank  streets. 


ill-- 

m 
m 


••o*o.-@;>>,A^..o4o.. 


«        IfclLLlAM    M 
LJf    prosperous 
'^7\y      a  gentlemai 


nl 


ILLIAM  M.  BASSETT,  a  popular  and 
s  merchant  of  Charleston,  Iowa, 
tleman  of  enterprise  and  energy,  is 
conducting  his  business  in  a  straightforward  and 
honorable  manner,  aud  enjoys  a  large  and  steadily 
increasing  patronage.  He  came  to  Iowa  while  it 
was  still  a  Territory,  and  has  been  a  resident  of 
Lee  Count}'  since  the  fall  of  1854.  During  this 
lung  period  of  years  he  has  built  up  a  good  reputa- 
tion as  a  business  man  and  a  citizen,  and  is  classed 
among  the  valued  members  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Bassett  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  State,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Lewis  County,  Aug.  23,  1820.  He 
is  the  son  of  Nathan  and  Rhoda  (Merry)  Bassett, 
natives  respectively  of  Martha's  Vineyard  and 
Connecticut.  The}'  settled  in  the  .State  of  New 
York  soon  after  their  marriage,  and  remained  there 
the  balance  of  their  lives.  Nathan  Bassett  was 
a  carpenter  by  occupation  and  also  engaged  in 
hotel-keeping.  He  and  his  wife  became  the  par- 
ents of  six  children,  five  sons  and  one  daughter, 
William  being  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 

William  Bassett  of  our  sketch  received  his  early 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  the  Empire 
State.  He  was  a  bright,  ambitious  boy,  devoted 
to  his  studies  and  anxious  to  excel.  At  an  earl}' 
age  he  became  fitted  for  a  teacher,  and  followed 
this  profession  for  a  period  of  five  years  in  the  State 
of  New  York.  In  the  fall  of  1 843  he  crossed  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  came  into  Mahaska  County,  Iowa,  where 
he  resided  for  two  years,  thence  removed  to  Van 
Buren  Count}',  and  remained  there  for  about  eight 
years,  still  pursuing  his  occupation  as  a  teacher. 
In  the  fall  of  is.ii  he  came  into  Lee  County,  and 
l)urchasing  a  farm  in  Charleston  Township,  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  for  twenty-one  years 
or  until  the  fall  of  187;'),  when  he  rented   his  farm. 


and  purchasing  a  stock  of  goods  established  his 
present  business  in  the  village  of  Charleston.  His 
stock  consists  of  a  large  assortment  of  general 
merchandise,  and  his  trade  extends  throughout  the 
county.  His  farm  comprises  263  acres,  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  uudergood  cultivation.  It  is  supplied 
with  a  good  set  of  farm  buildings  aud  all  the  appli- 
ances for  the  prosecution  of  agriculture  after  the 
most  approved  methods. 

The  marriage  of  William  M.  Bassett  and  Miss 
Eliza  Chantry  was  celebrated  in  Van  Buren 
County,  Iowa,  on  New  Year's  Day,  1845.  Mrs.  B. 
is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  came  to  Van  Bu- 
ren County,  Iowa,  with  her  parents,  in  the  spring 
of  1837.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Han- 
nah (Passmore)  Chantry,  natives  respectively  of 
England  an<l  Pennsylvania,  who  were  among  the 
early  pioneers  of  this  section.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B. 
have  become  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of 
whom  one,  John,  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
months;  those  living  are  Constantine  S.,  Thomas 
N.,  Malvina,  How.ard  E.,  Lewis  A.,  George  M., 
Chris  E.  and  Annette. 

Mr.  Bassett  has  been  prominent  in  the  affairs  of 
his  township  and  actively  interested  in  everything 
pertaining  to  its  welfare.  He  has  been  connected 
with  the  School  Board,  and  was  appointed  Post- 
master under  President  Hayes  in  1870,  which  office 
he  held  for  ten  years.  He  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  was  connected  with  the  Congregational 
and  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches  for  about 
twenty  years,  but  at  the  present  time  is  not  a  mem- 
ber of  any  religious  denomination. 


^yp«lRNST  BURSTER,  an  energetic  and  enter- 
lU]  prising  citizen  of  Ft.  Madison,  and  the  man- 
/|L-j:  ager  of  Concordia  Brewery,  is  fulfilling  the 
duties  of  his  position  with  much  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  He  is  a  native 
of  Ft.  Madison,  and  was  born  Nov.  27,  18G3.  His 
father,  Anton  Burstei-,  was  born  in  Wurtemberg, 
Germany,  Oct.  20,  1825,  and  received  his  early  ed- 
ucation in  his  native  country,  remaining  at  school 
most  of  the  time  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age. 
His  father,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  an 


:^i 


*^^-" 


•202 


LEE  COUNTY. 


m 


architect,  and  under  his  instruction  Anton  Burster 
also  hecaiiie  at  adej)!  at  tliat  profession.  At  the 
rtge  of  twenty-two  years  he  emigrated  to  America' 
and  procee<li'd  directly  to  Cliicago,  from  there  to 
St.  Louis,  thence  to  New  Orleans,  and  after  a  brief 
sojourn  in  the  C're.scent  City,  came  to  Ft.  Madison 
in  1H.')1.  [le  here  liecame  a  contractor  aTid  builder, 
and  followed  his  occupation  successfully  until  186.i, 
when  he  erected  a  brewery  and  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  lager  beer,  lie  was  thus  occupied 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  .Ian.  2r,,  IftHo.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  industry,  and  promi- 
nent in  the  p\d)lic  affairs  of  this  locality.  He  was 
a  mcTuber  of  the  City  Council  for  many  years,  and 
ranked  among  the  best  citizens  here. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in  Ft. 
Madison.  Dec.  10,  18.53.  His  mother,  before  her 
marri.ige.  was  Miss  Augusta  Henneberg,  a  native 
of  Anhall-Heruburg.  Of  this  union  there  were 
born  nine  I'hiidren,  six  of  whom  are  living,  as  fol- 
lows— Adolpli.  Otto.  .lulius.  Louise,  Ernst  .and 
Emma. 

Since  llie  death  of  his  father  Mr.  Burster  has  sat- 
isfactorily niaiiaged  the  extensive  business  inter- 
ests of  his  mother,  with  whom  he  has  always  lived. 
He  is  unniMiiicd.  lie  possesses  rare  business  tal- 
ents, ami  his  friends  predict  for  him  a  jxisition  of 
importance  among  the  industrial  interests  of  this 
locality.  A  portrait  of  Anton  Burster,  father  of 
our  subject.  a|)i)e.ars  on  another  page  of  this  book. 


11 


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/^^  EO RG E  TRU MP, 

il  Gjw?  ^'*"    '*^    Cluirlesto 
^^i|!    comfoi'table  home 


=!»SEOR(tE  trump,  a   respected  (Jernian  citi- 
eston    Township,    occupies   a 
estead  on  .section  l,and  by 
his  habits  of  industrj-,  economy  and   straightfor- 
ward  d  I'M  ling,  has  earned  the  respect  and  esteem 
'>{  the   community  in  which  he  lives.     Mr.  Trump 
«:i<  born  in  (Jcrinany  in   l.sit;,  and  came  to  Amer- 
i.:i  wlicu  ;i   young  man  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
^■^  proceeiliug    directly'     westward    to     Lee    County, 
Iowa.      He  nnidc   his   first   location   in   Charleston 
Township,    and    upon  llic    tiieory     that     a     rolling 
stone  gathers  no  moss,  has   contimied   to   live   here 
since  that  time,  and   has  been  prosi^ered  in  his  un- 
dertakings.     His  farm  consists  of  ninetv-nine  acres 


of  good  land,  upon  which  he  has  erected  a  com- 
fortable residence  and  a  good  barn  and  out-build- 
ings. 

Mr.  Trum))  wa>  married  in  Montrose  Township  to 
Miss  Catherine  Seyb,  a  native  of  his  own  country, 
who  was  bt)rn  in  1K2I,  and  emigrated  to  America 
with  her  parents  when  a  young  girl  fourteen  years  of 
age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trump  have  become  the  parents  | 
of  nine  children — Jacob,  Mary,  (^eorge,  Christine,  | 
Dorothea  E.,  Chester  T.,  Henry  A.,  Peter  E.  and  | 
Michael.  Mary  became  the  wife  of  Jacob  Best,  «, 
and  died  in  Charleston  Township  in  January,  1884;  J: 

Sir  I 

Dorothea  E.  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Fischer,  and  resides  |<y 
in  Charleston  Township;  she  is  the  mother  of  one 
child.  Bertha  M.     Mr.  T.  is  Republican  in  politics, 
and  religiously  he  and  his  wife  are  connected  with 
the  Evangelical  Church. 


•ye*- 


'J^i^ 


W^ 


^fJOIIN  WARE,  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  Cedar  Township,  and  a  highly 
respected  citizen,  is  (me  of  the  early  settlers 
of  the  Ilawkeye  State.  He  crossed  the  Mis- 
sissippi while  a  mere  youth,  with  his  parents,  and  set-  |f| 
tied  in  Iowa  when  it  was  yet  a  Territorv,  and  in  l^} 
watching  the  remarkable  growth  and  development 
of  this  section  of  country  has  identifie<l  himself 
thoroughly  with  its  interests  and  materially'  assisted 
in  bringing  it  to  its  present  condition.' 

The  subject  of  this  history  is  of  English  birth  ||{ 
and  parentage,  born  in  Yorkshire.  Feb.  3,  1830. 
His  father,  James  Ware,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
shire  as  his  son,  the  date  of  his  birth  having  been 
Nov.  3.  1799.  At  the  age  of  seven  years  James 
Ware  commenced  the  duties  of  life  as  a  coal  miner, 
and  remained  in  the  mines  until  1843,  when  ill- 
health  compelled  him  to  abandon  this  occupation. 
He  then  purchased  a  small  stock  of  goods  and  en- 
gaged in  peddling  for  the  two  following  years. 
But  he  was  not  satisfied  with  his  ccjndition  or  pros- 
pects in  his  own  country,  .and  resolved  to  emigrate 
to  the  United  States,  which  seemed  the  "land  of 
promise"  for  the  enterprising  and  energetic  3'oung  51} 
man.  Accordingly,  in  the  month  of  Februarj',  : 
184.5,  he  set  sail  from  London,  accompanied  by  his  : 
wife  and  four  children,  and  landed  at  New  Orleans  ^ 


;Kj ixyliiinl  ESJJH  \ 


rT-»  7  T  TT  T  m  ixii  t  rxj  I 


IH2HHE.- 


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11 


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rMirrTiVrirL  rTTiVTrTrMrixxrnarUiFrriaai 


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after  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks  and  four  days. 
Quite  a  part3'  of  Englishmen  had  come  over  at  the 
same  time  under  the  auspices  of  the  Englisii  Mu- 
tual and  Emigrant  Societ3',  and  thej-  all  left  New 
Orleans  and,  striking  camp  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  sent 
out  a  committee  of  three  to  select  a  suitable  loca- 
tion for  settlement.  This  committee  selected  the 
east  half  of  section  32  and  west  half  of  33  in  Cedar 
Township.  Here  the  Ware  family  settled,  and  in 
due  time  the  sons  purchased  land,  and  the  parents 
lived  with  them  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  the 
father  dying  Feb.  12,  1853,  and  the  mother  surviv- 
ing him  until  186S,  when  she  too  passed  to  the  si- 
lent land.  The  latter,  before  her  marriage,  was 
MLss  Ann  Wilson,  and  her  birthplace  was  in  York- 
shire, near  that  of  her  husband.  The  parental 
household  consisted  of  four  children,  as  follows : 
William,  the  eldest  son,  went  to  California  in  1852, 
and  died  there  eleven  j^ears  later;  Charlotte  mar- 
ried Mr.  Atkinson,  of  Cedar  Township,  and  is  now 
deceased ;  John,  our  subject,  was  the  third  child ; 
Isaac  lives  in  Van  Buren  County,  Iowa. 

John  Ware  at  the  age  of  nine  years  went  into  a 
coal  mine,  and  was  engaged  in  drawing  the  loaded 
cars  to  and  from  the  shaft  until  old  enough  and 
strong  enough  to  work  as  a  miner.  At  this  latter 
occupation  he  received  the  munificent  salary  of 
twenty-eight  cents  a  day,  and,  it  may  be  supposed, 
was  joyous  with  hope  at  the  prospect  of  a  different 
life  in  a  new  country.  He  was  fifteen  years  of  age 
when  he  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  and  for 
the  first  two  years  after  reaching  this  section  he 
lived  with  his  uncle,  John  Ware.  He  then  en- 
gaged with  a  Mr.  Maloy  who  was  carrying  on  a 
sheep  farm.  At  this  labor  he  received  $G  per 
month  for  six  months,  and  then  worked  for  one 
year,  at  the  close  of  which  he  received  $100.  The 
second  year  his  salary  was  increased  by  $44.  He 
remained  with  this  gentleman  nearly  three  years, 
and  being  economical  and  industi'ious,  and  saving  of 
his  earnings  whatever  he  could,  he  soon  found  him- 
self possessed  of  sufficient  means  to  become  a  real- 
estate  proprietor,  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  un- 
improved land  in  Franklin  Township.  He  at  once 
commenced  the  improvement  of  his  purchase, 
which  he  sold  at  a  good  profit,  and  in  March,  1853, 
purchased  the  homestead  which   he   now   occupies: 


it  consists  of  195  acres,  all  tillable  and  under  a  good 
state  of  cultivation.  He  has  a  fine  farm  dwelling, 
good  barns  and  out-buildings,  valuable  farm  ma- 
chinery and  implements,  and  all  appliances  of  a 
first-class  agriculturist.  Besides  the  home  farm  he 
has  twenty  acres  of  valuable  timber  in  Van  Buren 
Conntj'. 

John  Ware  and  Miss  Jane  Lightfoot  were  united 
in  marriage  in  Harrison  Township,  Fel).  21,  1856. 
Mrs.  W.  was  a  native  of  Manchester,  England,  and 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Lightfoot,  of  English 
birth  and  parentage,  who  emigrated  from  their  na- 
tive Country  to  the  United  States,  and  settled  in 
Lee  Count}'  at  an  early  period  in  its  history.  By 
her  union  with  our  subject  Mrs.  Ware  became  the 
mother  of  five  children,  as  follows:  Mar^'  A.,  Mrs. 
Kennedy,  is  a  resident  of  Polk  County,  Iowa;  J. 
Berry  lives  in  Harrison  Township ;  J.  Frank  is  a 
resident  of  Kansas;  W.  Chase  and  Alice  J.  are  at 
home.  Mrs  W.  departed  this  life  July  5,  1875. 
Mr.  AV^are  was  married  the  second  time,  Sept.  20, 
1879,  to  Mrs.  Albertine  Taylor.-  This  lady  was 
born  in  Salem,  Henry  Co.,  Iowa,  Feb.  27,  1849. 
Her  first  husband  was  John  Q.  Baugher:  he  died 
Dec.  3,  1875.  Of  this  union  there  were  born  three 
children — Margaret,  John  L.  and  Rosana. 

Mr.  Ware  has  been  for  many  years  prominently 
connected  with  the  affairs  of  this  township,  and 
has  taken  great  satisfaction  in  witnessing  its  prog- 
ress financially  and  educationally.  He  has  been 
the  stanch  friend  of  sobriety  and  morality,  and  has 
contributed  generously  of  his  time  and  means  for 
the  promotion  of  every  worthy  enterprise.  He  has 
been  connected  with  the  School  Board,  and  promi- 
nently identified  with  all  measures  tending  to  cult- 
ure and  education.  He  is  a  striking  example  of  the 
self-made  man,  having  begun  at  the  foot  of  the  lad- 
der, with  indifferent  prospects  before  him, .but  by 
his  own  persevering  industr}'  has  climbed  up  step 
by  step,  and  is  now  enjoj'ing  the  well-merited  re- 
ward of  his  early  endeavors.  To  such  men  as  Mr. 
Ware  is  due  the  rapid  growth  of  the  wide  West 
and  the  march  of  her  industrial  and  agricultural 
interests.  For  his  earlier  labors  and  his  efforts  in 
behalf  of  his  community,  he  is  now  enjoj'ing  the  es- 
teem and  confidence  of  his  townsmen  and  the  fruits 
of  a  well-earned  competency. 


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204 


LEE  COUNTY. 


GRACE  C.  SARGENT,  an  honored  pioneer 
of  tho  Ilawki'ye  State,  and  one  of  the  lead- 
ing farmers  of  Des  Moiiie.s  Township,  owns 
and  occupies  a  fine  homestead  on  section 
."if.  He  crossed  the  Father  of  Waters  in  1839,  and 
came  into  this  section  while  the  prosperous  com- 
monwealth of  the  present  day  was  but  a  Territory', 
liiiiily  po|)ulatod  and  abounding  in  wild  animals 
and  Indians.  The  changes  which  he  has  witnessed 
would  (ill  a  volume,  and  he  has  watched  with 
great  satisfaction  the  progress  and  advancement  of 
his  adopted  State. 

-Mr.  Sargent  is  a  native  of  the  old  Granite  .State, 
his  birth  taking  place  Sept.  14,  1834.  His  father, 
Nicholas  .Sargent,  was  a  native  of  Essex  County, 
.Mass..  of  American  parentage  and  New  England 
descent.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  was 
married  in  the  county  of  his  birtli  to  Miss  Eriam 
.Sawyer,  a  native  of  New  Hami)shire,  and  also  of 
New  lOngland  parentage  and  descent.  After  their 
marriage  they  located  on  a  small  farm  in  Essex 
County.  .Mass.,  wlience  they  removed  to  New 
Ilainpsiiire,  where  the  father  engaged  in  farming 
and  lumbering,  which  he  pursued  while  a  resident 
of  New  Hampshire,  or  until  183,').  The  parental 
I'auiily  now  included  twelve  children,  and  they  all 
c-ame  overland  West  with  teams.  They  were  de- 
tained for  a  time  in  Indiana  on  account  of  the 
sickness  of  some  of  the  members  of  the  family,  and 
early  in  the  following  spring  they  went  into  Ray 
("ounty,  .Mo.,  where  they  settled  on  a  small  tract  of 
1m  ml.  which  they  occupied  for  three  years.  Thence 
tiiey  lenioved  to  Clark  County,  Mo.,  living  there 
one  year,  but  on  account  of  political  trouble  and 
the  agitation  of  the  slave  question  (Mr.  Sargent 
being  totally  opposed  to  the  peculiar  institution), 
were  obliged  and  also  determined  to  leave  the 
borders  of  a  pro-slavery  region. 
3  On  leaving  Missouri  Mr.  Sargent  came  into  Lee 
1  County,  Iowa,  and  settled  on  a  "squatter's"  claim 
I  of  KJO  acres  in  what  is  now  Des  Moines  Township. 
I  It  was  then  a  desolate  region,  wild  and  unbroken, 
and  was  located  in  what  was  known  as  the  "  half- 
l)reed  tract"  on  the  second  bottom  of  the  Des 
.Moines  Kivcr.  The  land  had  not  yet  come  into 
market,  and  il  was  (piestionable  for  some  time  as 
to  who  w<]iilil  become  the  actual  owner.     But  the 


JbiJ^LUM 


|:^.^p;;p^^a§ 


father  and  his  sons  began  the  improvement  of  the 
land  and  were  successful  from  the  first  in  their 
operations.  It  needed  a  vast  amount  of  determin- 
ation to  be  able  to  endure  the  privations  and  to 
engage  in  what  almost  seemed  a  hopeless  task,  but 
they  had  come  to  stay  and  there  was  no  thought  of 
abandoning  their  first  project.  They  soon  began 
to  realize  the  reward  of  their  labors  in  the  picture 
of  smiling  fields  and  growing  grain.  The  soil 
yielded  plentifully,  and  although  the  business  of 
marketing  consumed  much  time  and  was  exceed- 
ingly laborious,  they  soon  found  themselves  pos- 
sessed of  su/Hcient  means  to  add  to  their  landed 
possessions.  Their  further  purchases  consisted 
mostly  in  prairie  land  lying  along  the  Des  Moines 
River,  which  was  of  excellent  quality  and  exceed- 
inglj-  fertile.  They  finallj'  became  jiossessed  of 
about  1,.500  acres,  which  has  been  kej)!  in  the  fam- 
ily until  this  time. 

Nicholas  .Sargent  departed  this  life  Jul3'  23, 
187'J,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years 
and  three  mouths.  He  was  a  man  greatly  respected 
by  his  neighbors  and  acquaintances,  and  possessed 
of  generous  imjiulses  and  high  morality.  Upon 
coming  here  he  identified  himself  with  the  interests 
of  his  adopted  State,  and  did  much  toward  the 
development  of  this  section  of  the  country.  He 
always  took  an  intelligent  interest  in  politics  and 
cast  his  vote  uniformly'  with  the  Republican  party. 
The  faithful  wife  and  mother  survived  her  husband 
about  six  years,  departing  this  life  April  5,  1885, 
at  the  home  of  her  son,  our  subject,  having  arrived 
at  the  .age  of  eighty-seven  and  one-half  years.  She 
was  a  dutiful  mother,  an  affectionate  wife,  and 
deeply  mourned  bj'  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

Horace  Sargent  was  the  youngest  but  two  of  his 
parents'  family  of  thirteen  children.  He  was  but  a 
child  when  his  (larents  crossed  the  Father  of  Waters 
and  located  in  the  new  land  which  has  since  been 
affectionately  designated  as  the  "  Hawkeye  State." 
He  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was  tw-enty- 
four  years  of  age  and  was  then  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Adeline  D.  Washburn,  in  Des  Moines 
Township,  in  18a8.  Mrs.  Sargent  is  a  native  of 
the  Province  of  (Quebec,  Canada,  born  at  Lands- 
down,  in  1 830.  She  was  but  a  small  child  when 
her  parents  removed   to  the   Province  of  Ontario, 


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;  and  lived  at  home  until  she  became  a  young  woman. 

:  She  then  came  to  the  United  States  with  an  elder 
sister,  and  they  located  in  Iowa,  where  she  passed 
the  remainder  of  her  life,  her  death  occurring 
April   10,   1883.      She   became  the   mother  of  six 

;  children,  three  of  whom  are  deceased.  The  living 
are,  Orson  G..  who  married  Alta  M.  Newberry, 
and  is  engaged  in  agriculture  in  Des  Moines  Town- 
ship; Edwinne  B.  and  Edwin  are  twins;  the  former 
remains  with  her  father  at  home  and  during  school 
sessions  pursues  her  studies;  Edwin  is  attending 
the  law  school  at  Iowa  Citj'  preparatory  to  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  The  deceased  are 
Frances  and  Frank  (twins),  who  died  in  infancy, 
and  Charles,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one  year. 

Soon  after  his  marriage,  the  subject  of  this  notice 
began  to  cultivate  a  part  of  his  father's  farm,  upon 
which  he  has  lived  ever  since,  lie  isalsotiie  owner 
(if  C40  acres  of  land,  most  of  which  is  improved. 
In  addition  to  iiis  farming  pursuits  he  is  extensively 
engaged  in  the  breeding  of  fine  stock,  in  which  he 
has  been  remarkably  successful.  He  is  a  leading 
citizen  of  his  township  and  has  filled  most  of  the 
local  offices  within  the  gift  of  his  townsmen.     Po- 

-  litically    he  affiliates    with   the    Republican   party, 

E  and  is  a  man  wiiose  opinions  are  highly  valued  in 
all  matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. 

'F_^  ON.  ABSALOM  ANDERSON,  a  prominent 
and  successful  farmer  of  Harrison  Town- 
ship, owns  and  occupies  a  tine  homestead 
on  section  17.  He  is  a  native  of  Mar^dand, 
and  was  born  in  Anne  Arundel  Countj-,  Sept.  14, 
1809.  His  parents  were  Joshua  and  Sarah  Ander- 
son, natives  of  the  same  State  as  their  son.  The 
birth  of  Joshua  Anderson  occurred  on  the  29th  of 
March,  177;j.  When  a  3'oung  child  lie  removed 
with  his  parents  from  his  native  State  to  Ohio, 
which  afterward  remained  his  home,  and  where  he 
departed  this  life  March  5.  18.59.  Mrs.  Sarah  An- 
derson was  born  March  22,  1785,  and  died  in  Ohio, 
Feb.  1,  1879.  She  was  a  most  excellent  lady,  and 
an  active  member  of  the  Christian  Ciuirch.  They 
lived  upon  a  farm  their  entire  life,  and  became  the 
|i.iients  (^if  ten  children,  of  whom  tlie  record  is  as 


follows:  William  married  Miss  Riley;  Absalom, 
our  subject,  was  the  second  son ;  Elizabeth,  now 
deceased,  became  the  wife  of  Uriah  Campbell:  "^ 
Henrietta,  now  Mrs.  McVay,  lives  in  Morgan 
County,  Ohio;  Robert  married  Miss  Bateman,  and 
they  are  both  deceased;  Joshua  married  Miss 
Cochren,  and  they  are  residents  of  Missouri ;  Maria, 
Mrs.  Taylor,  also  lives  in  Missouri ;  John  first  mar- 
ried Miss  Botts,  and  after  her  decease  married  JMiss 
Schrake ;  Thomas  was  married  in  early  manhood, 
and  Jlaranda  became  Mrs".  Campbell. 

Absalom  Anderson  and  Miss  Flora  Sissna  were 
united  in  marriage  Nov.  13,  1834,  and  became  the 
parents  of  seven  children:  Thomas  J.  married  Miss 
Robinson;  William  H.  was  a  soldier  in  Co.  B,  3d 
Iowa  Vol.  Cav.,  and  died  of  a  congestive  chill 
while  in  the  army,  at  Helena,  Ark.;  George  N., 
also  a  member  of  the  same  companj',  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge;  Robert  C,  a  member  of 
Co.  A,  19th  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  served  three  years  in 
the  army,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  was  honor- 
ably discharged,  and  returned  safely  home;  Oren 
J.  is  unmarried ;  Mary  J.  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Claypole,  of  Muskingum  County,  Ohio;  Hugh  T. 
died  in  infancy.  The  faithful  wife  and  mother 
departed  this  life  July  18,  1849. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  the  second  time,  June 
23,  1850,  to  Miss  Emeline  Coleman.  Of  this  mar- 
riao-e  there  were  born  two  children :  Ira  married 
Miss  Carver  and  lives  in  Harrison  Township;  Dorr, 
while  in  the  employ  of  Hoyt  ife  Co.  of  Chicago, 
died  of  quick  c<msumption.  The  mother  of  these 
children,  Mrs.  Emeline  Anderson,  died  Sept.  17. 
18G9. 

The  third  wife  of  .Mr.  Anderson  was  Mrs.  May 
N.  Manhard,  to  whom  he  was  married  Nov.  Hi, 
1871.  She  was  the  widow  of  Peter  Manhard,  a 
native  of  Maryland,  by  whom  she  became  the 
mother  of  three  children:  Elinora,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  eight  months;  Mary,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
eleven  months,  and  Eugene,  who  married  Miss 
Missouri  Jackson,  and  lives  in  Van  Buren  County. 
Iowa.  Of  the  last  marriage  of  our  subject  there 
have  been  no  children. 

The  younger  days  of  Mr.  Anderson  were  passed 
uiion  his  father's  farm.  He  graduated  from  the 
common  schools  after  reaching  the  Single  Rule  of 


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in  in  Pike's  Arithmetic.  After  attaining  his  ma- 
jority, he  worlvcd  in  a  tobacco  factorj*  in  Ohio  for 
three  3'ears,  at  the  end  of  wliich  time  the  man  with 
ivhfini  he  was  in  partnersliii) absconded,  taking  with 
him  the  assets  of  the  concern.  Mr.  Anderson  suf- 
f<Ted  considerable  loss  from  tliis  affair,  and  resolved 
to  seek  his  future  fortunes  in  the  West.  He  crossed 
the  Father  of  Waters  in  1H41,  and  coming  into 
Iowa  while  it  was  still  a  'ronitory,  purchased  1(!0 
acres  of  huid,  to  which  he  has  since  added  until  he 
is  now  the  owner  of  440  acres,  which  constitutes 
one  of  the  most  valuable  farm  estates  in  this  lo- 
cality'. 

Froui  the  lime  of  coming  here,  .Mr.  Anderson 
has  been  prominently  identified  with  public  matters, 
being  at  once  acknowledged  as  a  leader  on  .account 
of  his  decided  views,  force  of  character,  and 
straightforward  methods  of  doing  business,  lie 
served  eighteen  3'ears  .is  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
Harrison  Township,  and  there  was  seldom  an  ap- 
peal from  his  de<'isions.  He  was  elected  to  the 
Iowa  Legislature  in  1874,  has  been  County  Super- 
visor one  term  and  School  Director  for  a  period  of 
twenty-live  years,  lie  is  a  straight  Republican  in 
politics  and  uniformly  casts  his  vote  in  support  of 
the  principles  of  that  party.  Mrs.  Anderson  is 
prominently  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  They  occupy  a  tine  dwelling,  and  Mr. 
Anderson  has  a  good  barn  and  all  the  outhouses 
necessary  for  the  storing  of  grain  and  the  shelter 
of  stock.  He  has  a  v;duable  assortment  of  farm 
implements  and  machinery,  and  the  estate  is  fur- 
nished with  all  the  appliances  for  the  carrying  on 
of  .agriculture  and  stock-raising  in  a  first-class 
manner.  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  Director  in  the  Farm- 
er's and  Tr.ider's  Hank  of  Bonui)arte,  in  \'an  Buren 
C'fiunty;  also  a  heavy  stockholder  of  the  same. 


eHAKLES  BROWN,  Su.,  one  of  the  honored 
pioneers  of  Lee  County,  came  to  this  sec- 
tion of  country  before  Iowa  had  been  ad- 
mitted into  the  Union  as  a  State,  and  has  conse- 
quently witnessed  remarkable  changes.  He  was 
one  among  those  brave  si)irits  who  courageously 
made  a  settlement   in  the  wilderness,  and  by  slow 


degrees  opened  up  a  farm  and  established  a  home- 
stead. He  is  now  the  possessor  of  450  acres  of 
finely  cultivated  laud,  .S20  in  .Montrose  Townshi)), 
and  occupies  a  comfoitalile  two-stor^'  farm  resi- 
dence, has  good  barns  and  out-lmildings,  valuable 
farm  machinery,  and  everything  retpiired  for  the 
prosecution  of  agriculture  and  stock-raising  in  a 
first-class  manner. 

Mr.  Brown  is  a  native  of  Penusylv.ania,  born  in 
Fayette  County,  Dec.  28,  IS^G,  and  is  the  son  of 
Richard  and  Sarah  ((iaus)  Brown,  both  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  Richnrd  Brown  was  born  .June  23, 
1799,  and  departed  this  life  March  2,  18C,.t,  in 
Iowa;  Mrs.  Sar.ah  (!.  Brown,  born  in  ISO.!,  pic- 
ceeded  her  husband  to  the  better  land  thirteen 
j'ears,  her  death  occurring  in  January,  18.t2.  The}- 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Josiah, 
born  Jan.  15,  1821;  Orplm,  Oct.  5,  1822;  Richard 
and  Ephraim,  twins,  Aug.  29,  1824;  Charles,  the 
subject  of  our  sketch,  Dec.  28,  182G;  Jonathan  J.. 
March  (5,  1829;  Francis  A..  April  24,  1830;  Rich- 
ard G.,  Sept.  17,  1832;  Le  Roy,  April  24,  1834; 
Rufus  R.,  Oct.  12,  183(;;  Martha  R.,  Feb.  12,  1839. 
Of  these  children  but  five  are  now  living. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  united  in  nuir- 
riage  with  Miss  Sarah  Parks,  March  26,  1850.  Mrs. 
Brown  was  born  March  20,  1833,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  Frederick  and  I^ucy  (Dean)  Parks,  na- 
tives of  Putnam  County,  N.  Y.  They  emigrated 
from  their  native  State  to  Iowa  in  1844.  and  re- 
mained here  until  the  close  of  their  lives,  Mr.  Parks 
dying  in  1872,  and  his  wife  nine  years  later,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1881.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  John  Bar- 
ber; ?>ederick  was  a  soldier,  and  died  in  the  army; 
Jerome  was  killed  in  .Montrose;  Luc}-  m.arried  Will- 
iam Jones. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Brown  departed  this  life  Nov.  l.'i, 
1881,  and  her  remains  are  interred  in  Montro^e 
Cemetery.  She  h.ad  been  connected  with  the 
church  of  the  Latter-Day  Saints  for  a  number  of 
years.  Of  her  union  with  Mr.  Brown  there  were 
the  following  children:  (ieorge  E.,  born  Jan.  15, 
1851,  m.arried  Miss  Wealthy  Reeves,  and  lives  in 
Reno  County.  Kan.;  Sarah  N.,  born  Oct.  23,  1852. 
became  the  wife  of  L.  Schouley,  and  also  lives  in 
Reno    County,    Kan.;    Charles,  Jr.,  bom    .Inly    2, 


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1855,  married  Miss  Mary  Scott;  Frederick,  born 
Oct.  18,  1857,  chose  fur  his  life  partner  Miss  Ar- 
cena  Andrews;  Mary  B.,  born  Aug.  27,  1859,  died 
.luly  19,  1879;  Le  Roy  was  born  Jan.  -li.  1861.  and 
ni.arried  Miss  Ada  Martin;  Richard,  born  March 
7,  1867;  Addie,  Nov.  11,  1869;  Minnie  E.,  Feb.  1, 
1875;  two  children  died  in  infancy  unnamed. 

Mr.  Brown  came  to  Iowa  in  1844,  making  his 
first  location  at  Ft.  Madison,  where  he  remained 
one  year.  He  then  removed  to  Mahaska  County, 
lived  there  one  year,  and  then  returned  to  Lee 
County,  where  his  father  purchased  land.  He  was 
for  a  time  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  in 
1850  crossed  the  plains  and  the  Rock}^  Mountains 
with  an  ox-team  to  California,  where  he  engaged 
in  mining  along  the  Yulia  River.  He  was  quite 
successful  in  his  search  for  the  yellow  ore,  and  in 
the  space  of  one  year  became  the  [tossessor  of 
ij!l,360,  and,  being  (^uite  satisfied  with  his  expe- 
rience in  those  regions,  concluded  to  retrace  his 
steps  homeward.  He  returned  by  the  Nicaragua 
route,  coming  across  that  hike  a  distance  of  sixty- 
five  miles  in  a  canoe,  and  making  the  trip  in  twelve 
hours'  time.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  to  Cali- 
fornia twice,  once  in  1877,  when  he  remained  three 
months,  and  again  in  1883,  visiting  friends  there. 
With  the  exception  of  his  wanderings  in  the  West 
he  has  been  a  resident  of  Lee  County  since  1844. 

Richard  Brown,  the  father  of  our  subject,  fol- 
lowed farming  pursuits  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
then  became  engaged  as  a  stock-dealer.  He  pur- 
chased cattle  and  sheep  in  Ohio  and  drove  them 
to  the  Philadelphia  market.  On  -.account  of  the 
decrease  in  the  price  of  stock,  he  lost  a  small  fort- 
une, and  then  determined  to  cross  the  Mississippi 
and  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  \\'est.  Here  he  also 
met  with  losses  and  other  difficulties,  and,  after  re- 
siding in  various  parts  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  he  be- 
came discouraged  and  started  back  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. When  he  had  proceeded  as  far  as  the  point 
on  the  bluffs  about  opposite  to  Nauvoo,  then  tlie 
prosperous  city  of  the  Latter-Da}'  Saints,  he  was 
induced  to  purchase  from  m  Mormon  a  claim  of 
16(1  acres.  This  land  was  located  about  five  miles 
from  Nauvoo,  and  Mr.  Brown  at  once  set  to  work 
to  make  improvements  upon  his  ()roperty.  It  oc- 
cured   to   him  tiiat  n    pnblic-hou.se   was   the   thing- 


most  needed  then  in  that  locality,  and  he  accord- 
ingly erected  the  building  which  was  known  as 
Brown's  Tavern,  and  which  afterward  became  so 
famous  in  the  West.  His  fortunes  now  began  to 
mend.  He  proved  a  success  as  "  mine  host,"  was 
straightforward  in  his  dealings,  and  courteous  and 
obliging  in  his  manners,  and  his  house  became  the 
favorite  resort  of  travelers  in  that  section.  There 
he  remained  until  I860,  n  period  of  seventeen 
years,  and  accumulated  a  competency.  He  de- 
parted this  life  after  his  retirement  from  active 
business,  in  1865. 

Charles  Brown,  Sr.,  the  subject  of  this  biography, 
is  a  prominent  man  in  his  community,  and  held  in 
the  highest  respect.  He  is  greatl}-  interested  in 
educational  and  chuich  matters,  has  been  connected 
with  the  Baptist  Church  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  is  Superintendent  of  the  Sabbath-school.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for 
two  terms,  and  was  once  arrested  by  Judge  Drum- 
mond,  of  Chicago,  for  contempt  of  Court,  because 
the  County  Board  refused  to  levy  a  tax  for  the 
payment  of  interest  on  railway  bonds;  so  the  body 
proceeded  to  levy  the  tax,  and  IMr.  Brown  was  re- 
leased from  the  hands  of  the  Government  officers. 
He  has  been  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  his  town- 
ship and  county,  and  in  politics  uniformly  cists  his 
vote  in  support  of  the  principles  of  the  Democratic 
party. 

RTHUR  C.  CATTERMOLE,  a  highly  re- 
spected resident  of  Ft.  Madison,  after  a 
useful  and  busy  life,  is  now  siiending  his 
later  years  retired  from  active  labor  and 
enjoying  the  comforts  of  a  pleasant  home,  sur- 
rounded b}-  a  large  number  of  warm  friends.  Our 
subject  is  a  native  of  London,  England,  and  was 
born  July  31,  1829.  His  father,  James  C.  Cat- 
terinole,  was  born  in  Suffolk,  England,  and  his 
grandfather,  a  native  of  the  same  shire,  was  en- 
oau-ed  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  his  native  coun- 
try  the  greater  part  of  his  life. 

.James  Cattermole,  in  the  spring  of  1832,  left  his 
native  country  and  set  sail  for  the  United  States. 
After  a  safe  voyage  he  landed  ujjon  American 
shores,  and  proceeded  directly  to  Cincinnati,  Oliio, 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


where  he  located  and  remained  for  four  years. 
Thence  he  removed  to  Hancock  County,  111.,  and 
en{,'age(l  in  farming  until  18.51,  when  he  crossed  the 
Mississippi  into  Ft.  Madison,  and  made  his  final  lo- 
cation, remaining  there  until  his  death  in  18C2, 
after  he  had  arrived  at  the  .advanced  age  of  eighty- 
one  years.  Wlicn  !i  young  man  he  was  married  in 
his  native  England  to  Miss  Naomi  Tillett,  also  of 
Suffolk  County.  .She  came  to  the  United  States 
witii  her  iuisband,  accompanied  him  westward  to  Ft. 
Madison,  and  preceded  him  to  the  better  land  in 
I. Hill,  at  the  .age  of  seventy-five  years.  She  was  a 
11^^  I  most  worthy  Christian  lady,  a  faitiiful  wife,  mother 
fjT'Jir'  and  friend,  and  iironiiucntl}-  cimnected  witli  the 
U  Hl^  Epi.seopal  Chuixii. 

Tlie  parental  family  of  our  subject  consisted  of 
nine  children,  of  whom  five  are  still  living.  The 
eldest  is  Dr.  .James  Cattermole,  of  London,  On- 
tario, Canada;  George  is  a  merchant  of  La  Harpe, 
111.;  Emma  is  the  widow  of  Phillip  Aspinall,of  De- 
troit, Mich.;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Ileiuy  Catter- 
mole, now  of  Ft.  Madison  ;  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  the  youngest  child. 

Mr.  Cattermole  of  this  l)iograpliy  w.as  in  tiie  third 
year  of  liis  age  when  he  came  to  America  with  his 
|);irents,  and  in  Ills  seventh  year  when  they  moved 
to  Hancock  County,  111.  There  he  grew  to  man- 
Ij  liood  and  assisted  liis  father  in  the  improvement  of 
ills  farm,  renuiining  with  his  parents  initil  within 
one  year  of  their  removal  to  Ft.  Madison,  during 
which  time  lie  w.as  emjjloyed  as  a  clerk  for  Peter 
Miller  of  this  cit^y  until  1H52.  He  then  went  to 
Alexandria,  Mo.,  where  he  took  charge  of  the 
wholesjile  and  retail  (hy -goods  and  grocery  store  of 
Thomas  Fitzpatrick  until  I.s.tD.  He  then  returned 
to  Ft.  Madison,  and  in  partnership  with  his  cousin, 
Ilenr}'  Cattermole,  engaged  in  the  groceiy  trade 
and  pork-packing  business,  under  the  firm  name  of 
H.  &  A.  C.  Cattermole,  which  eontiiuied  until 
I  871.  Our  subject  then  purchased  the  interest  of 
his  partner  and  continued  the  business  alone.  After 
«!la  few  j-ears  he  disjjosed  of  his  grocery  stock,  and 
contiuned  the  pork-p.acking  successfully  until  1882, 
wiien  lie  also  abandoned  tills.  lie  then  became  in- 
terested in  real  estjvte,  and  also  a  stockholder  of  the 
(Jerman-American  B.ank  of  Ft.  Madison,  of  which 
institution    he    is   iii)\v    one   of   tin;   Directors,   and 


which  he  has  assisted  in  bringing  to  its  present  solid 
position  among  the  banking  institutions  of  the 
State. 

The  marriage  of  Arthur  C.  Cattemnile  and  Miss 
Carrie  Wilson  was  celebrated  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
Nov.  1 1 ,  1 8G9.  Mrs.  C.  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary  Wilson,  of 
Scottish  parentage  and  descent.  Their  family  (con- 
sisted of  twelve  children,  three  onl_y  t)f  whom  are 
now  living:  The  eldest.  Mar}',  is  tiie  widow  of 
James  L.  Brown,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  Flizabeth  is 
the  wife  of  Capt.  T.  II.  Orifllth,  of  .St.  Louis,  Mo.; 
Mrs.  C.  vviis  the  youngest  of  the  household. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  are  regular  attendants  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  of  which  the  latter  is  a  member  in 
good  standing.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 
two  children,  Robert  W.  and  Charles  A.,  the  latter 
of  whom  died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  They  oc- 
cupy a  pleas.ant  residence  on  Third  street,  and  are 
surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the 
luxuries  of  life.  Mrs.  C.  is  a  lady  of  kindly  Chris- 
tian character,  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  her 
community.  Mr.  C.  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and 
in  all  respects  is  fulfilling  the  duties  of  a  good  citi- 
zen, casting  his  infiuence  as  opportunity  occurs  to 
[iromote  the  cause  of  nionility  and  education. 


7A.MF:s  McQUADE,  of  Keokuk,  has  a  snug 
little  homestead  in  the  Second  Ward,  con- 
sisting of  fifteen  acres  of  land  devoted  to 
small  fruits  and  orcharding,  and  a  handsome 
residence,  furnislied  with  .all  the  appliances  of  con- 
venience and  comfort.  Mr.  Mctjuade  is  a  native 
of  Scotland,  and  was  bofn  Dec.  .'51,  18.'3;i,  his  par- 
ents being  Samuel  and  Ellen  (Walker)  Mcl^uade, 
of  Scottish  ancestry  and  parentage,  who  spent  their 
entire  lives  in  their  native  country,  and  are  there 
biu'ied.  Their  family'  comprised  seven  children, 
five  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  .James  was 
the  second  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  reared  i)y  his 
parents  in  bis  native  Scotland,  and  at  the  .age  of 
seventeen  years  emigrated  to  this  country,  making 
his  first  k)eation  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y.  He  re- 
moved from  tliere  to  Keokuk  in  March,  18,57,  and 
was  subsi'i|Meiitly  ('niplo3e(l  on  the  Des  Moines  \'al- 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


ley  Railroad  for  twenty-eight  years,  in  different  ca- 
pacities. He  was  for  twelve  years  in  the  machine- 
shops,  and  for  several  years  was  night  despatcher. 
After  leaving  the  railroad  he  located  upon  his  pres- 
ent homestead,  a  view  of  which  is  shown  in  this 
work,  and  has  since  been  employed  as  a  horticidt- 
urist. 

Mr.  McQuade  was  married  in  Newburg,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  15,  1850,  to  Miss  Louisa  Palmer,  daughter  of 
Solomon  and  Margaret  (Williamson)  Palmer.  jNIrs. 
McQ.  was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  Oct. 
16,  1833.  and  by  her  marriage  with  our  subject  has 
become  the  mother  of  eight  children,  whom  we 
briefly  record  as  follows :  John  S.  is  engaged  in 
gardening  at  Keokuk;  Samuel  Edward  is  a  fireman 
on  the  St.  L.,  K.  &  N.  R.  R. ;  Alice  died  in  Keo- 
kuk in  1880,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years;  two  died 
in  infancy ;  James,  Charles  and  Robert  are  at 
home. 

Politically  Mr.  McQuade  is  a  stanch  Republican, 
and  socially  is  connected  with  Eagle  Lodge  No.  12, 
A.  E.  &  A.  M.  He  is  an  intelligent  and  thorough 
business  man,  and  very  successful  in  his  present  pur- 
suits. 


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<^7AMES  W.  NEWBERRY  is  an  honored  pio- 
neer of  Des  Moines  Township,  and  an  exten- 
sive landed  proprietor,  general  farmer  and 
stock-grower.  He  is  the  owner  of  1,117 
broad  acres  of  land,  and  occupies  a  fine  farm  es- 
tate on  section  8.  He  came  to  Iowa  when  a  young 
man  in  1838,  accompanied  by  his  parents,  and  has 
witnessed  remarkable  changes  since  his  advent, 
having  alwaj's  thoroughly  identified  himself  with 
the  interests  of  his  adopted  State.  He  has  assisted 
materially  in  the  development  of  this  section  of 
country,  and  because  of  this  is  held  in  the  highest 
esteem  by  his  county  and  community.  A  part  of 
his  land,  312  acres,  lies  in  Scotland  County',  Mo. 
It  is  mostly  improved,  as  is  also  his  land  in  this 
township. 

James  W.  Newberrj'  is  the  fourth  child  of  his 
parents'  family,  and  was  born  in  Orange  County, 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  'J,  1817.  He  was  therefore  nearly 
twenty-one  j^ears  of  age  when  he  arrived  with  his 


parents  in  this  county,  and  soon  afterward  com- 
menced life  on  his  own  accouiit.  About  his  first 
business  was  to  secure  unto  himself  a  life  partner, 
and  he  was  shortly  afterward  married  to  Edith  A. 
Benedict,  a  native  of  Canada  West,  born  in  Sep- 
tember, 1830.  The}'  were  married  in  Des  Moines 
Township,  her  parents  having  emigrated  to  Iowa 
when  she  was  only  fourteen  3'ears  of  age.  Her 
father,  Ezra  A.  Benedict,  was  a  farmer  l)y  occupa- 
tion, and  upon  first  coming  to  the  United  States 
crossed  the  Mississippi  and  located  on  a  part  of  the 
old  "half-breed"  tract,  in  Des  Moines  Township. 
The  maiden  name  of  her  mother  was  Edith  Parish. 
The  country  was  comparatively  unsettled  at  the 
time  they  located  here,  and  very  little  of  the  land 
was  improved.  They  cultivated  it  for  a  time,  then 
removed  to  Missouri,  and  afterward  left  there  and 
went  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  where  they  remained  until 
their  decease,  both  living  to  an  advanced  age.  ilrs. 
Newberrj'  remained  at  home  vvith  her  parents  until 
her  marriage,  and  by  lier  union  with  the  subject  of 
our  sketch  became  the  mother  of  ten  children, 
three  of  whom  are  deceased.  The  record  is  as  fol- 
lows :  Washington  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Ellen  E.  Washburne,  and  is  occupied  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  Des  Moines  Township;  West 
W.  married  Miss  Sarah  E.  Case,  and  also  lives  in 
this  township;  Armantha  became  the  wife  of  Rob- 
ert M.  Tweedy;  Ella  D.  married  Nels  C.  Nelson; 
these  two  also  reside  in  Des  Moines  Township; 
Alta  M.  married  Orson  G.  Sargent,  and  they  live 
on  the  old  Sargent  homestead ;  Fred  D.  and  Charles 
D.  (twins)  reside  at  home.  The  deceased  are  Smith 
B.,  Moline,  and  an  infant  unnamed. 

Shortly  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Newberry  located 
upon  his  present  homestead  (a  view  of  which  is 
shown  on  another  page),  which  has  been  his  perma- 
nent residence  since  that  time.  He  commenced  with 
limited  means,  but  possessed  a  rich  fund  of  determi- 
nation and  industry,  and  has  slowly  and  surely 
made  his  way  to  the  top  of  the  ladder.  He  lived 
economically,  disbursed  his  means  wisely  and  judi- 
ciouslj',  was  remarkably  successful  in  all  his  under- 
takings, and  "is  now  reaping  the  rich  reward  of  his 
earlier  toils.  He  has  attended  strictly  to  business, 
and  has  done  whatever  he  could  toward  advancing 
the  educational  and  moral  interests  of  his  commu- 


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212 


LEE  COUNTY. 


iiitj'.  He  has  never  dabbled  in  politics,  although 
he  has  pronounced  views  upon  political  matters  in 
<,'ciicral,  and  uniformly  casts  his  vote  with  the  Re- 
publican party. 

Religiously  .Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Ncwlicrry  adlicrc  to  the 
faith  of  the  Latter- Day  Saints,  and  .Mr.  N.  Iia>  held 
the  otiicc  of  Klder  in  his  church  for  a  number  of 
j-ears.  This  class  of  Latter-Day  Saints  are  termed 
.loscphites.  and  are  a  distinct  body  and  separate 
from  the  Utah  Mormon  Church.  They  are  a  law- 
abiding  class  of  jieoplc,  and  do  not  lu'licNc  in  ;i 
plurality  of  wives. 


.1.  WKESS,  of  KeokuU.  is  probalily  one  t)f 
>  the  most  remarkable  men  in  many  respects 
in  the  llawkeye  State.  He  is  one  of  the 
old  iMndniaiks  in  this  vicinity,  a  bntchei-  by  occu- 
pation, and  est:d)lislied  himself  in  bn>iness  in  1860, 
Pou  the  corner  which  ho  now  occupies.  No.  1  7  .South 
I'onrth  street,     lie  (•:ime  to  Keokuk  in  llS4!),arriv- 


inj;i>nthc  1  .'ilh  of  .May,   in   company    with    his   fa- 
K     Ti    tiler's  family,  the  elder  Weess  being  also  a  butcher 
ri==,   by  occupation,  and  has  remained  a  resident  of  the 
(iate  (.'ity  since  that  time. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  native  of  Holland, 

liorn  in  ispt,  andtlie   son    of  John   ('.    and    .Mary 

[jiuJijI   ( \^  ^''''''l.V )  ^Veess.  natives  respectively  of  (icrmany 

m   and   Holland.     His   father  engaged  in  his  old-time 

1     occupation  after  coming  here,  which  he  prosecuted 


il^^l  successfully  and  with  profit,  and  retired  from  act- 
W  I  ive  business  two  years  before  his  death,  which  oc- 
c-iiiicd  in  isst.  'I'he  mother  is  still  living  in  I'rai- 
ly  ji  rie  City,  Iowa.  Their  family  consisted  of  eleven 
!l*~r^j  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living,  the  subject 
J  hi  of  this  history  being  the  eldest;  Chris  C.  is  a 
g^Scjresident  of  California;  Mar^-,  Mrs.  Mnrry.und  l.i/a. 
.Mrs.  Newer,  of  Monroe  County,  Iowa. 

F.  .1.  Weess,  from  the  time  he  was  a  lad  ten  years 
old,  has  presented  a  remarkable  example  of  energy 
and  industiy.  In  his  boyhood  d.ays  he  was  never 
Idle,  l)eing  constantly  occupied  in  some  useful 
work  or  study.  His  education  was  obtaine(l  jjrin- 
cipally  ill  the  evening  after  the  labors  of  the  day 
were  over,  and    lu>  advanced  to  manhood  with  the 


qualities  of  a  thorough  business  man  fully  de- 
veloped. He  remained  under  the  parental  loof  un- 
til he  attained  to  years  of  manhood,  and  established 
himself  in  business  as  a  butcher,  as  mentioned 
above.  He  has  been  remarkably  successful  in  all 
his  business  undertakings,  and  has  accumulated  a 
valuable  [iroperty.  The  principal  onterpri.ses  of  the 
city  have  received  largely  of  his  support  and  en- 
couragement, and  he  has  been  an  important  factor 
among  its  industrial  interests.  He  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Central  Stove  Works,  the  Commercial  Banks, 
the  Watei-  Works  and  the  Building  Association. 
His  beautiful  dwelling,  built  in  188(1,  is  the  finest 
in  the  city,  and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  ii28,0()(). 
It  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Morgan 
streets,  and  is  a  resort  of  the  best  elements  of  so- 
ciet}-  of  the  Gate  City. 

In  addition  to  his  city  (iroperty,  Mr.  Weess  is  the 
owner  of  three  farms,  two  in  Madison  County  and 
one  in  Wooillmry  County,  near  Sioux  City.  Both 
arc  improved  and  under  a  good  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. His  city  jtroperty,  aside  from  that  already 
mentioned,  includes  the  store  on  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Main  and  Fourth  streets,  another  in  tlii' 
same  block  on  Main  street,  and  a  third  on  Main 
between  Third  and  Fourth  streets,  and  a  half  block 
of  four  buildings  on  another  prominent  street, 
three  lots  on  Fulton  street,  with  buildings  upon 
each,  three  lots  on  the  corner  of  Ninth  and  Cedar 
streets,  two  at  the  corner  of  Eighteenth  and  Ex- 
change streets,  two  at  the  intersection  of  Twelfth  and 
Bank  streets,  two  at  the  corner  of  Third  and  Mor- 
gan, besides  several  other  pieces  of  [jroperty. 

Mr.  Frank  J.  Weess  and  Miss  Louisa  Lorentzen 
were  united  in  marriage  F"eb.  14.  IKtil.  Mrs. 
Weess  is  a  native  of  (Germany,  and  the  daughter  of 
Rev.  P.  Lorentzen.  of  (ierman  i)arentage  and  an- 
cestry. Of  this  marriage  there  have  been  born 
seven  children,  five  of  whom  are  living  and  nameil 
as  follows:  Emma,  ,Iohn  C,  Mamie,  Frankie  and 
Ariiot  S.  Mr.  Weess  is  Republican  in  politics,  and 
with  his  family  belongs  to  the  United  Presbyterian 
Chiircli  in  this  city,  of  which  he  is  an  active  mem- 
ber and  Trustee. 

Xotwilhstanding  his  large  business  interests,  Mr. 
^^'eess  has  never  been  on  the  lailioad  further  tli.aii 
Itiiiliiiytoii.      He    is  noted  all  over  the  State  for  his 


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}j;[S  excessive  industry,  his  honesty,  and  his  upright 
}3fi  dealings  with  his  fellow-men.  He  has  greatly 
|?S  aided  in  establishing  and  building  up  the  indus- 
}|S  trial  interests  of  the  ({ate  City,  and  is  universally 
};ji  respected  for  his  upright  moral  character,  true 
charity  and  kindness  of  heart.  He  has  made  for 
himself  a  position  in  this  community  as  a  man 
whose  place  it  will  be  exceedingl3-  difficult  to  fill 
when  he  shall  have  been  gathered  to  his  fathers, 
and  his  character  will  be  held  up  as  an  exam- 
ple t<j  future  generations  long  after  even  his 
children  shall  have  ceased  the  battle  of  life.  This 
should  be  his  abundant  reward  for  the  labors  of  a 
long  and  useful  lifetime,  during  which  he  has 
shrunk  from  no  duty  and  evaded  no  responsibility 
as  a  citizen,  husband,  father  and  friend. 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


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DWARD  S.  CARTER,  manager  of  the 
Moody  estate,  and  of  the  business  firm  of 
^  Carter  &  Moody,  exclusive  wholesale  deal- 
ers in  hats,  caps,  furs,  etc.,  at  221  Main  street, 
Keokuk,  Iowa,  can  appropriately  be  ranked  among 
the  leading  business  men,  who  by  persistent  effort 
and  a  mastery  of  the  details  of  their  line,  have  kept 
J|t  the  Gate  City  fully  to  the  front  as  a  commercial 
}ij  center.  Mr.  Carter  has  been  identified  with  the  hat 
\ls  trade  in  Keokuk  for  twenty  years  and  is  an  expert 
I "  

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in  his  line.  For  years  he  did  the  principal  retail 
trade  of  the  city,  and  since  1879  has  done  an  ex- 
clusive wholesale  business,  which  has  grown  to  be 
now  the  largest  done  by  any  house  in  this  trade 
outside  the  cities  of  Chicago  or  St.  Louis.  The 
firm  of  Carter  &  Moody  is  represented  by  a  corps 
of  efficient  traveling  salesmen  on  the  road,  and 
their  business  house  is  owned  by  them  and  acknowl- 
13S  edged  to  be  one  of  the  handsomest  trade  houses  in 
lip   Keokuk. 

lis  Mr.  Carter  was  born  in  Lock  Haven,  Clinton  Co., 
Pa.,  July  27,  1846,  and  was  a  resident  of  that 
ii;i6  State  until  1857,  when  he  came  West,  locating  in 
\ii  the  city  of  Keokuk  in  the  spring  of  18()0.  He 
ifs  commenced  his  business  career  as  an  apprentice  in 
i.^;   the  composing-room   of  the  Daily  Gate  City  office, 

I  jS 

ijJB    but  that  business  not  proving  to  his  taste  he  aband- 
liip   oned   it  for  merchandising,   which  he  has  followed 


industriously  for  twenty -five  years.  Mr.  Carter's 
"hobb)-"  outside  of  hats  is  art,  and  as  an  artist  and 
art  critic  his  name  stands  deservedly  high,  as  he  has 
been  a  close  student  of  painting  and  drawing  since 
he  was  twelve  3'ears  of  age,  his  first  instructor  be- 
ing William  Winter,  of  New  York  Citj',  who  gave 
him  his  first  drawing-book.  Since  then  he  has  worked 
and  associated  with  Eaton,  Elkins,  Upp,  Anderson 
and  other  noted  painters,  and  his  Intcli  string  is  al- 
ways out  to  any  of  the  craft  visiting  Keokuk.  At 
his  home  he  has  a  large  collection  of  paintings 
whose  value  runs  up  into  the  thousands. 

Mr.  Carter  was  married,  in  186'J,  to  Miss  Mary 
F.  Moody,  only  daughter  of  B.  F.  Moody,  Esq., 
who  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  wholesale  boot- 
and-shoe  business  of  the  Gate  City.  He  was  born 
in  Center  Lincoln ville.  Me.,  Dec.  12,  1824,  and 
emigrated  to  Indiana  in  about  the  year  1846.  On 
the  11th  of  April,  1847,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Anna  M.  Porter,  of  Greenville,  Ind.,  and  in  the 
spring  of  18.")4  the}'  came  to  Keokuk,  where  iMr. 
Moodj'  decided  upon  the  experiment  of  a  whole- 
■sale  boot-and-shoe  house.  He  was  successful  in 
his  undertaking,  and  at  his  death,  in  September, 
1864,  left  an  estate  of  over  $100,000,  the  greater 
portion  of  which  he  accumulated  in  a  period  of  ten 
years.  He  by  will  left  this  estate  in  almost  equal 
portions  to  his  wife,  Anna  M.  Moody,  and  his  son 
and  daughter,  Arthur  II.  Moody  and  Mary  F. 
Moody,  who  still  survive  him.  He  was  at  one  time 
President  and  principal  stockholder  of  the  old  State 
Bank  of  Iowa,  and  considered  one  of  the  best  col- 
lectors in  this  section.  He  was  possessed  of  great 
executive  ability,  and  being  a  good  judge  of  hu- 
man nature  was  remarkably  successful  in  his  deal- 
ings with  the  various  characters  which  at  that  day 
he  came  into  contact  with,  and  was  obliged  to  man- 
age with  discretion  and  judgment. 

Mr.  Carter,  besides  his  extensive  business,  is  con- 
nected with  many  of  the  substantial  interests  in 
this  city,  being  a  stockholder  in  the  Keokuk  Opera 
House,  and  also  in  the  Keokuk  Loan  and  Building 
Association,  and  the  Keokuk  Libraiy  Association. 
He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  (irand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  and  during  the  war  served  as  a  I'niou 
soldier  in  the  45th  Iowa  Infantrj'.  The  union  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carter  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  "f 


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11 


LEE  COUNTY. 


three  chiMien— Frank  R,  Kdward  F.  and  Anna  M. 
riiov  occupy  a  liaiidsonic  mul  conveniejit  home, 
where  they  enjoy  nil  the  c(jinforts  and  many  of  liie 
hixnries  of  life. 


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RS.  LEVO  ALLIJAICII.  This  lady  is  a 
hiifhly  respected  resident  of  C'haileston 
Township,  and  the  widow  of  Allery  All- 
liaugh,  who  departed  this  life  Jan.  15, 
51  rs.  A.  owns  and  occupies  a  comfortable 
homestead  on  section  8,  and  since  the  death  of  her 
husband  has  carried  on  the  business  of  the  farm  in 
a  wise  and  judicious  manner.  She  is  a  native  of 
Delaware,  born  July  4,  1827,  and  the  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Mllen  (MeC'abe)  Campbell,  natives  of 
the  same  Slate.  The}-  were  reared  and  married  in 
Delaware,  and  afterward  removed  to  Preble  County, 
()hi(j,  where  the  father  died.  The  motiier  of  our 
subject  still  survives,  and  resides  in  Kansas,  having 
attained  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 
The  jjarental  household  included  nine  cliildren,  of 
whom  Mrs.  A.  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth. 

Mi's.  Allbaugh  was  only  nine  months  old  when 
her  i)arents  removed  from  Delaware  to  Preble 
County,  Ohio.  She  received  careful  home  training 
and  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools,  and  re- 
mained with  her  parents  until  her  marriage,  which 
occurred  in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  Oct.  !),  184G. 
llcr  husband,  Allery,  was  a  son  of  Stephen  and 
Nancy  (Potters)  Allljaugli,  natives  of  Pennsylva- 
liia.  and  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Pa.,  Feb.  20, 
IS  IS.  They  remained  in  Preble  County  after  their 
iiiMniage  for  about  eight  years,  during  which  time 
.Mr.  Allbaugh  was  engaged  in  hotel-keeping  and 
mercantile  pursuits.  In  1S51  they  removed  to 
Iowa  and  located  in  Keokuk,  wliere  the\'  remained 
for  two  years.  .Mr.  A.  then  purchased  eiglity-one 
acres  of  laml  in  Cliarleston  Township,  and  became 
occupied  in  .agrieulluial  pursuits.  He  subsequently 
a<l(led  twelve  acres  to  his  first  purchase,  and  upon 
tlii.s  homestead  remained  until  his  death. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allbaugh  were 
born  nine  children,  of  whom  live  are  deceased,  viz., 
Nancy  E.,  Stephen,  William  II.,  Jlary  F.  and   Ed- 


ward. Those  surviving  are:  Hubburt  H.,  George 
M.,  Dona  C.  and  Allery.  Nanc}'  was  the  wife  of 
Dr.  John  Bcucler,  and  died  in  Central  City,  Iowa: 
Hubburt  married  !Miss  Prudence  (Jeorge.  and  died 
in  Athens,  Mo.;  George  married  Miss  Saddle  Pauc 
and  resides  in  Plattsville.  Iowa;  Dona  is  liie  wife 
of  Dr.  Albert  Leach,  and  lives  in  Athens,  Mo. 


^ ^-*-^- 


:  a 

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]AMES  B.  HAZEN,  a   prosperous   farmer  of 
I     Pleasant  Hidge  Township,  is  one  of  tlie  most 

extensive  landed  proprietors  of  Lee  County. 

The  family  homestead  consists  of  260  acres, 
and  aside  from  this  he  owns  240  acres  in  Wasliing- 
ton  Township,  which  includes  ten  acres  of  valuable 
timber,  and  he  also  owns  ninety-three  acres  in  Polk 
County.  He  ismaini}'  engaged  in  agricultural  i)ur- 
suits,  but  is  also  largely  interested  in  the  breeding 
of  high-grade  stock. 

Mr.  Ilazen  is  a  native  of  Beaver  County,  Pa.,  and 
was  born  May  25,  1827.  lie  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Caldwell)  Hazen,  and  was  reared  to 
farming  pursuits,  remaining  with  his  parents  until 
his  marriage  with  Miss  Emily  Severns,  w-hich  took 
place  in  1848.  Mrs.  Hazen  was  born  in  the  same 
county  as  her  husband.  After  his  marriage  Mr. 
Ilazen  followed  farming  until  186G,  when  he  sold 
out,  and  crossed  the  Mississippi  for  the  purpose  of 
establishing  a  permanent  home.  He  had  previously 
made  a  brief  visit  to  the  State  and  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  his  present  farm.  After  coming  here  the 
second  time  he  set  himself  industriously  to  work  to 
improve  and  cultivate  his  possessions,  and  in  due 
time  was  amply  rewarded  for  his  labors.  He  added 
to  his  first  purchase  as  his  means  permitted,  and  has 
now  become  one  of  the  most  important  farmers  in 
this  section  of  the  country. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ilazen  have  become  the  parents  of 
five  children,  of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows:  ; 
Susanna  was  the  eldest;  John  S.  married,  becoming  ; 
the  father  of  a  son,  and  died  at  the  age  of  thirt\--  : 
two  years;  Eliza,  now  Mrs.  B.  F.  Kennedy,  is  a  E 
resident  of  Polk  County;  Samuel  resides  in  Wash-  : 
ington  Township;  DeWitt  Ilervey  is  at  home.  The  E 
family  residence  is  a  beautiful  building,  equipped  ; 
with  all  the  appliances  of  cultivated  tastes  and  am-    E 


r3 


ii 


I 


rl 


hJiAlljLjJuih  J 


cat: 


t^ehShheh: 


^' S  pie  means,  including  fine  barns  and  all  the  necessary 
out-biiildings  f<^>r  the  storing  of  grain  and  shelter  of 
stock.  The  farming  implements  and  machinery  are 
of  first-class  description,  and  IMr.  Hazen  is  in  all 
respects  the  possessor  of  a  model  homestead.  He 
is  Democratic  in  politics,  has  filled  the  office  of 
Township  Trustee  for  several  years,  and  is  promi- 
nently connected  with  the  Baptist  Church. 


■>«eee/®^>* 


^4— «-^<S/zr2ro»'' 


BENJAMIN  W.  DROLLINGER.  This  gen- 
tleman is  successfully  occupied  as  a  general 
farmer  and  stock-raiser,  to  which  he  also 
adds  the  growing  of  fine  vegetables.  His 
property  is  located  on  section  12,  and  consists  of 
200  acres  of  land  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation. 
The  subject  of  our  history  is  a  native  of  Indiana, 
and  was  born  Dec.  4,  1830.  His  father,  Samuel 
Drollinger,  was  the  son  of  Phillip  D.,  of  German 
ancestry  and  parentage,  and  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  the  early  history  of  this  country, 
becoming  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
He  made  his  home  in  New  Jersey  during  the  earlier 
part  of  his  life,  and  afterward  removed  to  Indiana, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  j'ears. 

Samuel  Drollinger  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  lived 
there  until  he  attained  to  j^ears  of  manhood,  being 
reared  by  his  parents  and  receiving  a  fair  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Rachel  Cook,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
Kentucky,  and  was  of  German  and  Scottish  parent- 
age and  descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drollinger  lived  in 
Ohio  for  some  years  after  their  mai'riage,  and  thence 
removed  to  Northern  Indiana,  where  the}'  settled 
on  what  is  now  known  as  Grand  Prairie,  where  the 
subject  of  our  sketch,  Benjamin  W.,  was  born. 
Later,  in  1833,  the  famil}'  removed  to  Clay  Count}', 
Mo.,  locating  at  Cameron  Station,  where  the  death 
of  the  father  occurred  the  following  year.  Mrs. 
Rachel  Drollinger  is  still  living,  and  resides  with 
her  eldest  daughter,  Mrs.  Clarissa  J.  Moore,  at 
Payson  City,  Utah,  and  has  arrived  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-eight  j'ears. 

After  the  death  of  his  father,  Benjamin  W.  Drol- 
lingei-  remained  with  his  mother  until  lie  was  thir- 


teen years  of  age,  and  then  set  out  to  earn  his  own 
living.  He  was  an  iiuUistrious  boy,  brigiit  and 
quick  to  learn,  and  made  friends  wherever  he  went, 
lie  was  variously  employed  at  whatever  he  could 
find  to  do  for  the  following  five  years,  and  then 
began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  plasterer,  under  the 
instruction  of  James  Kent,  which  was  completed 
with  the  uncle  of  the  latter,  Josiah  Kent.  Young 
Benjamin  during  this  period  enjoyed  the  confi- 
dence of  his  emploj'er,  and  was  often  intrusted  by 
him  witli  important  business.  He  was  not  satisfied, 
however,  with  his  trade,  and  after  a  few  years 
abandoned  it  and  began  to  farm  upon  his  own  ac- 
count. 

Mr.  Drollinger  was  married  in  Jefferson  Town- 
ship, Dec.  14,  18.)i),  to  Miss  Susan  L.,  daughter  of 
George  and  Rebecca  (Wallace)  Wilson  (see  sketch 
of  (icorge  Wilson).  Mrs.  Drollinger  was  born  in 
Hancock  County,  at  what  is  now  Nauvoo,  111.,  Jan. 
13,  1834,  and  came  with  her  parents  to  Iowa  when 
but  a  small  child.  She  was  the  eldest  daughter 
and  second  child  in  the  familj',  and  is  the  oldest 
now  living.  ]Mr.  and  Jlrs.  Drollinger  are  the  i)ar- 
ents  of  seven  children,  as  follows:  George  married 
Jliss  Clara  L.  Doughertj',  and  lives  in  Clark 
County,  Mo.,  upon  a  farm ;  Burrel  P.  married  Miss 
Laura  O.  Dougherty,  and  is  carrying  on  a  farm  in 
Clark  County,  Mo. ;  Emma,  the  wife  of  Frank 
Holmes,  lives  with  her  husband  on  a  farm  in  Jeffer- 
son Township:  Frances  E.  is  a  teacher,  and  resides 
with  her  parents  at  home ;  Mary  is  the  wife  of 
Levi  P.  Conley;  Benjamin  and  Annie  are  at  home. 

Shortly  after  their  maniage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drol- 
linger settled  upon  their  present  homestead.  Be- 
sides this  land  Mr.  Drollinger  is  the  owner  of  200 
acres  on  section  20  in  Jefferson  Township,  one-half 
of  which  is  finely  cultivated  and  the  balance  in 
pasture.  He  also  owns  .J40  acres  of  laud  in  Clark 
County,  Mo.  In  his  management  and  methods, 
IMr.  Drollinger  is  a  fine  illustration  of  the  progres- 
sive farmer.  His  farm  machinery  and  implements 
are  of  the  latest  and  most  improved  pattern,  and 
the  homestead  is  supplied  with  everything  needful 
for  comfort,  utility  and  beauty. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drollinger  are  members  in  good 
standing  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  and  in 
polities  Mr.  Drollinger  is  strongly  Democratic.     He 


^ri^ttixzzir 


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SJi^' 


I  ii"HT  rn-i  rrnxi  uminrrm  r 


■2 1 C. 


jj:k  county. 


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takes  ail  active  interest  rn  the  general  welfare  of 

liiii  <i>iiiiiiimit.v.  lias  servcil  on  the,  School  Board, 
ami  ill  tjthi-i-  ways  perfornied  the  duties  of  a  ifood 
citi/.fii. 

-^>!^-i»!^  ^^^i^>^5«^*<5<f• 
lL].lA.M  J.  HEIIKHNS,  of  Harrison  Town- 
ship, is  pleasantly  situated  on  section  22, 
where  he  has  100  acres  of  finely  cultivated 
land,  and  is  engaged  in  tlie  lireeding  of  good  iiorses. 
He  conies  from  a  finely  educated  family,  wiK>  were 
natives  of  the  Kni|)ire  of  (ierinaiiy,  liis  parents 
having  cinlgraled  to  this  country  in  l.S4(i.  Mr.  15eh- 
rens  is  a  native  of  Harrison  Townshii),  Lee  Count3S 
his  liirth  occurring  .lune  21,  1  sCiO.  lie  is  the  son 
of  Ucniy  and  Johanna  (Ikirgdorf)  Uciircns.  His 
father  was  born  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  May 
22,  1H22,  and  after  coming  to  this  country,  de- 
parted this  life  April  (!,  1«72,  at  the  age  of  fifty 
3' ears. 

Henry  Hchrens  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  (Jcr- 
inany  and  attended  the  sciiools  of  his  native  empire, 
in  which  he  developed  a  leniarkahle  fondness  for 
books,  and  attained  a  fine  fun<l  of  general  inform- 
ation. After  reaching  tiie  United  Slates  he  re- 
niainrd  in  New  York  City  to  attend  upon  two 
brothel's  who  were  stricken  with  cholera  while  on 
the  voyage,  and  who  died  after  leaving  the  ship. 
After  this  sad  circumstance  Mr.  Behrens  returned 
at  once  to  tierman}',  where  he  remained  for  three 
5,  attending  to  the  property'  in  possession  of 
family.  At  the  expiration  of  tliis  time  he  re- 
einl)arked  for  tiie  New  World,  and  after  a  safe 
voyage  located  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  wiiere  he  pur- 
chased pidpi'rty  and  remained  for  about  four  years. 
He  then  sold  out,  and  coining  to  Iowa  located  in 
Hairison  Township,  and  after  having  disposed  of 
his  St.  Louis  pro|(erty,  here  purchased  400  acres  of 
land.  It  was  unimproved,  and  he  at  once  set  to 
work  to  cultivate  the  land  a4id  establish  a  home. 
His  first  residence  was  a  log  cabin,  24x36  feet  in 
dimensions,  and  in  tills  he  kept  ■•  l)aciielor's  hall" 
for  tiirec  years. 

Mr.  Behrens  was  married,  .bin.  !),  18a4,  his  wife 
being  a  native  of  his  own  country,  and  ten  years 
his  junior,  the  date  of  iier  birth  having  been  Aug. 
y,  1833.     .She  came  to   America   in    1  s.JO,  when  a 


jj    fa     years,  at 
LS,    the  fami 


=  s 


maiden  of   seventeen  j'eai-s  old.     Of  their  union   ; 
there    were   born    eleven    children,    of    whom    the   : 
record  is  as  follows:  Henry  died  in  infancy;  ("hris, 
for  his  first  wife,  married  Miss  Henrietta  Abel,  who 
died  after  a  few   ^ears,  and   he  then    married   her 
sister,  MissTillie  Abel;  August  H.  died  in  infancy- ; 
Henry  J.  married   Miss  Ella   Linn,  of  Des  Moines   ;  riJ 
County',  Iowa;    William   .1.,   our   suliject.  was   the   :./\\. 
fifth   in  order  of  birth;  Charles  (first)  died    in   in-   ;  fq 
fancy;  A.  C.  is  engaged   in   mercantile   pursuits   in    :  i' 


:K! 


h^ 


D.-illas  County,  Mo.;  the  others  are  Hannah,  II.  C. 
Martha  E.  and  FretVdie  E. 

Henry  Behrens  was  remarkably   fond  of  horses,   ^K 

and    kept  uimmi    his  farm  a  number   of    the  finest  H^i 

SI 

s])eciiiiens  to    be  found   in  this   vicinity.      He  was   3;h 

N-  H 

greatly  prospered   in  his  agricultural  and    business   fi-K 

enterprises,  and   at  the  time  of   his  death  w.as  the   iA 

owner  of  ."lOO  acres  of  land.    He  was  public  spirited    3" 

3; 
and  liberal,  and  contributed  largely  to  the  building   J; 

of  school-houses  and  the  support  of  the  cause  of  5: 
education.  He  was  greatly  respected  and  beloved  J 
in  this  vicinitj',  an<l  widel3-known  for  his  benevo-  J 
lence  and  kindness  of  heart.  In  politics  he  was  a  5 
stanch  Democrat,  although  a  strong  anti-slavery  C 
man,  and  greatly  opposed  to  human  bondage.  g: 

William  .).  Behrens  is  a  representative  man  of  h 
tliis  township,  and  in  religious  and  [lolitical  faith 
folhjws  closely  in  the  footsteps  of  his  honored 
father,  being  Democratic  in  politics  and  a  loyal  ad- 
herent of  the  Evangelical  Church.  He  is  highly 
esteemed  in  his  community,  and  is  the  eneourager 
and  supporter  of  ever^'  good  work  and  purpose. 
In  addition  to  his  beautiful  homestead  in  Harrison 
Township  he  also  owns  100  acres  of  land  in  Seward 
County,  Kan.  ■ 


••^;»i>-.-^£^i^^<5<-<^«f-. 


RS.  MARY  NAGEL,  proprietress  of  the  « 
prosjserous  and  extensive  brewery  locatetl  B 
on  Fourteenth  street,  between  Main  and  ? 
Blondeau,  Keokuk,  owns  and  occupies  a  fine  ;; 
residence  on  the  latter  street  at  No.  1416,  which  3m 
she  erected  in  1880.  Since  the  death  of  her  hus-  j 
band  Mrs.  Nagel  has  conducted  the  business  sue-  Jc 
cessfully,  and  is  a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  in-  p 
telligence  and  business  talent.  s 


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The  subject  of  our  sketch  comes  from  an  old 
family  of  excellent  German  ancestiy,  her  jiarents 
being  John  \).  and  Connie  (Brakel)  J\Ia3'bauer,  na- 
tives of  (iermany.  The^'  spent  their  entire  lives 
in  their  native  land,  the  father  carrying  on  a  suc- 
cessful business  as  a  blacksmith  and  wagon  manu- 
facturer. Me  departed  this  life  in  1S47,  two  years 
after  the  decease  of  his  faithful  and  affectionate 
wife.  The  parental  lioiisehold  consisted  of  six 
children,  only  three  of  whona  are  living:  John  is  a 
resident  of  Johnson  County,  Iowa;  George  lives 
in  Linn  County,  and  Mary,  Mrs.  Nagel,  in  Keokuk. 

Miss  Mary  Maybaiier  was  united  in  marriage 
with  John  Nagel  in  1853,  at  Keokuk.  He  was  a 
native  of  the  same  countrj'  as  herself,  and  came  to 
America  in  the  same  year  as  his  wife,  18r)2.  After 
their  marriage  they  located  upon  a  farm  in  Charles- 
ton Township,  Lee  County,  of  which  Mr.  Nagel 
had  become  the  possessor,  which  consisted  of  120 
acres  and  had  but  very  few  improvements.  Here 
they  established  a  comfortable  home,  but  after  four 
years  sold  the  farm  and  moved  into  Keokuk,  where 
for  three  years  Mr.  N.  was  variously  engaged,  after 
which  he  became  connected  with  the  brewery  busi- 
ness, which  he  followed  for  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  Their  household  included  seven  children, 
three  of  whom  are  deceased.  The  living  are:  Eliz- 
abeth, Mrs.  Loeffler,  of  St.  Louis,  who  is  the  mother 
of  three  children — Charles,  Edward  and  Dora; 
John  is  manager  of  the  brewery  in  Keokuk,  and 
associated  with  him  is  his  younger  brother,  Charles; 
Amelia,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  now  Mrs. 
Wooley,  lives  in  Keokuk.  The  husband  of  our 
subject  departed  this  life  in  1872.  He  was  an  ex- 
cellent business  man  and  a  good  citizen.  In  poli- 
tics he  voted  the  straight  Republican  ticket,  and 
socially  belonged  to  the  Druids.  He  was  also  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Brewers'  Association. 

^^^NTON    WIGGENJOST.      Tlie  subject  of 

fi^fiJj     this  brief  history-    is  a  fine   representative 

ll    of  that  prosperous  and  enterprising  (ier- 

man  element  which  has  assisted  so  materi- 

H  ally  in   the  development  of  the   resources  of   this 

S  section  of  countr}".      He  was   born    in   (ierman}'  in 

iXxiiYttiai 


LEE  COUNTY 


.^»^r>-^ts^ 


«^*i^-*>iff*tf-» 


182.').  and  is  the  son  of  Barney  and  Mary  Wiggen-  M 
jost.  He  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1851,  '•  W—-- 
an<l  from  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  three  years  afterward,  JRHi'^ 
came  into  Lee  Countj'.  He  has  been  engaged  in  iSrejl^ 
agricultural  pursuits  a  greater  part  of  his  life,  and  'P^rV'a 
was  also  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  brick  for   li 

about  twenty-five  years.      He  located  in  Ft.  Madi-  ^■■ 

son  after  first  coming  to  the  county,  and  remained 
there  about  three  years,  then  removed  to  Washing- 
ton Township,  of  which  he  has  been  a  resident 
since  that  time.  He  is  the  owner  of  550  acres  in 
this  county,  which  includes  the  flue  estate  in  Wash- 
ington Township  upon  wliich  he  resides. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  in  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  in  1851,  to  Miss  Katie  Cook,  a  native 
of  his  own  country,  born  about  1828.  They  have 
becimie  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  of  whom 
only  four  survive,  as  follows :  Theresa  is  the  wife 
of  Henr^-  Cramer,  of  Washington  Township;  Jo- 
seph married  Anna  Buescher,  and  also  resides  in 
this  township:  Frank  and  Sidonia  are  at  home. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wiggenjost  are  connected  with  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  in  politics  our  subject  uni- 
formly casts  his  vote  with  the  Democratic  party. 
He  is  a  straightforward  business  man,  honest  and 
upright  in  his  ilealings  with  his  fellow-men,  and  in 
all  respects  is  entitled  to  rank  among  the  first  citi- 
zens of  Lee  County. 


I  RS.  ADITHEA  A.  HEFFLEMAN.  a  highly 
respected  resident  of  Jackson  Township,  J 
is  a  native  of  Harrison  County,  Ind.,  and 
was  born  Dec.  10,  1819.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  (ieorge  and  Sarah  (King)  Borden, 
natives  resjjectively  of  Virginia  and  Tennessee. 
After  their  marriage  they  located  in  Harrison 
County,  Ind.,  where  the  death  of  (Tcorge  Borden 
occurred  in  18.')5.  His  wife,  tlie  mother  of  our 
subject,  survived  liini  nineteen  years,  and  died  in 
Jefferson  County,  Ky.,  in  1854.  They  were  the 
parents  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Ileffle- 
man  was  the  tenth  in  order  of  birth. 

The  subject  of  this  history  remained  a  member 
of  her  parents'  household  until  she  was  twenty-two 
j'ears  of  age,  receiving  careful  parental  training  and 


KXIXXAHXiZn 


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Ezxxmczni 


218 


LEE  COUNTY. 


a  fair  education  in  the  pnblic  schools.  She  was  first 
marriefl  to  'oliii  W.  Miller,  and  tliej'  located  in 
Hullitt  t'omily,  Ky.  Mr.  Miller  was  occupied  in 
boating  on  the  Oliio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  own- 
ing and  c-oininanding  his  own  boats,  and  after  a 
nuinlicr  of  years  spent  in  Kentucky  they  removed 
to  Clark  County,  Mo.,  in  l.s(;;3.  wiiere  he  engaged 
ill  rniiiiiiig.  Mr.  Miller  departed  tiiis  life  on  tiie 
(ill)  of  May,  ISflfi.  lie  was  a  niemlier  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternit}-,  and  also  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
They  lia<l  no  children. 

Mrs.  Aditliea  A.  Miller,  on  the  llh  of  August, 
IH(!7,  became  the  wife  of  James  S.  Walker.  After 
their  marriage  they  settled  in  Lee  County,  and 
!\Ir.  Walker  followed  farming  pursuits  in  Jackson 
Townsliii)  until  IK^ili,  when  he  rested  from  his 
eartlily  labors.  The  subject  of  this  biography  was 
married  liie  tliird  time,  Dec.  10,  18S2,  to  Henry 
IK'lllrmaii,  and  continued  to  reside  in  J.ackson 
Township.  .Mr.  II.  died  June  1.'),  1  H.SI).  During 
his  re>idenee  in  \au  Huren  County  he  was  the  sec- 
onil  SheritT  of  that  county,  and  was  Deputy  Sheriff 
iiiidir  the  first  Sheriff.  He  had  been  twice  pre- 
viously married,  and  reared  three  children,  two  by 
his  liisl  and  one  liy  his  second  marriage;  only  one 
xiii  Is  now  living,  in  Custer  County,  Neb.  Mr. 
llellleniau  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  man  in 
the  early  settlement  of  Iowa,  and  was  highly  re- 
spected liy  llie  citizens  of  Lee  County. 

Mrs.  II.  lias  a  life  lease  of  thirty-seven  acres  of 
the  home  farm  and  residence  in  Jaciison  Township, 
and  is  the  owner  of  sixty-three  acres  in  Mis.souri. 
She  is  a  lady  of  intelligence  and  good  business  ca- 
pacity, and  enjoys  tlie  friendship  of  a  lai'ge  circle 
of  accpiaintances.  She  has  a  plea.saut  and  com- 
fortable home,  and  a  fair  share  of  the  good  tilings 
of  life.  A  view  of  the  home  i)lace  is  shown  on  an- 
other page. 

VILLIA.M    J.  ADAMS,  an  honored  pioneer 
of  Iowa,  crossed  the  Mississii)|)i  before  the 
Territory  had   become  a  State,  making  the 
1  journey  from  Tennessee.    The  country  at  that  time 
was  wild  and  mostly  uncultivated,  but  Mr.  Adams 
I  possessed    the    true    pioneer  spirit,   and    "came  to 
stay."    He  w:is  pre|iared  to  meet  and  overcome  the 


ditHeuIties  which  beset  the  early  settler.     How  well  :  \ 

he  succeeded  his  present  position  fidl3-  indicates.  ;  i, 

The  subject  of  tliis  biography  was  born  Nov.  IS,  ~  \ 

l(S2y,  in  Weakley  County',  Teiin.,  and  remained  at  E  ij 

home  until  he  attained  to  years  of  manhood.     He  :  ■■'. 

was  united   in  marriage  with   Miss  Rebecca  Gore,  :  -ij 

the   wedding  taking    place  Sept.    IS,  18.')1.     Mrs.  :   '■! 

Adams  is  a  native  of  Union  County,  111.,  born  Nov.  :  nl 

.i,    1832,  and   is  the   daughter  of  Joshua   D.  and  i  aj 

Mar}-  (Petterson)   Gore,  botli   natives  of  Johnson  :  .; 

County,  S.  C.     From  there  they  removed   to  Lee  E  'i 

County,  Iowa,   in   the  spring  of   1842,  and  made  :   .; 

their  home  here  for  two  years,  thence  removing  to  5  4 

MeDonough  County,    111.,   where   they   lived    one  E  aj 

year,  and  then  returned  to  Lee  County,  wlicre  they  :  ij 

spent  the  remainder  of  their  days.    The  mother  de-  ^  1: 

parted  this  life  Feb.  7,  1879;  her  husband  survived  :   i^ 

her  four  years,  dying  in  1883.    The  record  of  their  .  ^! 

family  is  as  follows:     Nancj' J.  w.as  born  in   1828;  :  n' 

E.  E.,  Dec.  28,  1830;  Rebecca,  Nov.  5,  1832;  Mar-  : 

tha,   Aug.   25,   1835;  Owen  P.,  Feb.  20,  1837;  Jo-  ; 

siah    P.,    Jan.   20,    1841;  Thomas,   July    8,    1843;  : 

Mary  Ann,  Jan.   7,  1845;  Sarah  A.,  Jan.  !),  1848;  ; 
Susan  A.,  Oct.  23,  1850;  John  F.,  July  18,  1853. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  have  been 
born  the  following:  Joshua  T.,  Sept.  20,  1852; 
Alice  A.,  May  22,  1854;  Nancy  J.,  Nov.  28,  1855; 
.Mary  E.,  Feb.  28,  1858;  Lucy  M.,  Nov.  25.  185'.t; 
William  K.,  Oct.  30,  18U3;  Owen,  Sept.  22,  18(;7: 
Effie,  Maicli  27,  1870;  Frank,  May  24,  1873.  Five 
of  tlie  children  are  yet  living. 

After  coming  to  Iowa  INIr.  Adams  located  upmi 
a  tract  of  laud  on  section  25,  in  Montrose  Town- 
ship.    His   neighbors   were   few    and  far  between, 

and  the  first  few  years  of  his  labors  were  passed  in  z-^ 

companitive   solitude.     He  set  himself   about  the  t  i^ 

inipiovemeut  of   his   land,  working  as  well   as  lie  F  jl 

could  with  the  limited  conveniences  at  hand,  niid  ;  n 

in  due  time  reaped  the  reward  of  his  labors  in    tlie  :  ;;;■ 

picture  before  him  of  smiling  fields  and   growing  :  ft"' 

grain.     He  became  prosperous,  established  a  com-  E  " 

fortablc   homestead,  and   is  now  enjoying  all  the  ~  'fi 

comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.     Heside  ~%l 

liis   farm  estate  he  has  three  town  lots  in  (ialland,  E  HJ 

this    county.      His    children    have    been    carefully  E  t] 

reared  and  well  educated,  and  tlie  family  are  meiii-  E    J 

bers  in  oood  standing  of  the  Christian  C'liiirch.    I'o-  •     1 

.-  .    ^  ^  ii^ 


E^li 
c  r:i 


litically  Mr.  Adams  is  an  uncompromising  Demo- 
crat, and  uniformly  casts  his  vote  in  support  of  tlie 
principles  of  that  party.  As  a  citizen  he  is  held  in 
high  esteem,  and  has  always  occupied  a  prominent 
position  in  Lee  County. 


•5K-~«> 


■^fl  OHN  C.  ATLEE,  an  honored  pioneer  of 
Lee  County,  and  a  prominent  resident  of  Ft. 
Madison,  is  one  of  its  most  valued  and  rep- 
resentative citizens.  He  is  in  every  way  a 
man  of  note  in  his  locality,  and  the  founder  of  the 
most  extensive  business  now  being  carried  on  at 
Ft.  JLidison.  In  all  enterprises  tending  to  build 
up  the  interests  of  Lee  County  he  has  been  inti- 
mately' identified,  socially,  morally  and  financially, 
and  has  aided  greatly  in  its  development  and  pros- 
perity. 

Mr.  Atlee  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maryland, 
the  date  of  his  birth  being  March  22,  1.S1G.  He  is 
the  son  of  Samuel  J.  and  Martha  (Strickler)  Atlee, 
both  natives  of  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  His  mother 
died  while  he  was  an  infant,  leaving  five  children  be- 
side himself — AVilliam  A.,  Samuel,  Jacob  S.,  Isaac 
and  Sarah — all  of  whom  are  now  deceased  save 
the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The  father  in  due  time 
contracted  a  second  marriage,  taking  for  his  wife 
Miss  Rachel  Strickland,  and  of  this  union  eight 
children  were  born,  two  of  whom  died  in  childhood 
and  the  remaining  six  attained  their  majorit3^ 
They  were  as  follows:  Cornelia,  Edward,  Samuel, 
George,  Julia  and  Joseph  B. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  a  few  days 
old  when  his  mother  yielded  up  her  life,  and  he 
was  thus  left  to  the  care  of  his  grandmother,  Mrs. 
Strickler,  who,  with  her  husband,  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  He  remained 
with  her  until  her  death,  which  occurred  when  he 
was  only  twelve  years  old.  He  then  made  his  home 
for  a  short  time  with  an  uncle,  Henrj-  Strickler,  and 
afterward  with  an  elder  brother,  William  A.  Atlee. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  was  apprenticed  to 
his  bruther,  Jacolj  S.,  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade, 
and  was  thus  employed  nearlj'  two  years,  at  which 
time  his  brother  retired  from  the  business.  Our 
subject  then  proceeded  to  Philadelphia  tu  complete 


his  trade  under  the  instruction  of  Joshua  Colter, 
and  worked  on  Gerard  Square  one  year.  Then, 
with  a  cash  capital  of  twelve  and  one-half  cents,  he 
left  Philadelphia  and  proceeded  to  New  York  City, 
where  he  followed  his  trade  for  about  nine  months. 
At  the  expiration  of  this  time,  in  the  fall  of  1835, 
he  went  by  sea  to  Mobile,  Ala.,  and  the  following 
spring  by  Lake  Pontchartrain,  La.,  to  New  Orleans. 
He  did  not  like  the  South  as  well  as  he  had  antici- 
pated, and  leaving  the  Crescent  Citj'  he  went  up 
the  Mississippi  River  as  far  as  Vicksburg,  thence  to 
Louisville  and  Cincinnati;  then  back  to  St.  Louis, 
where  to  his  surprise  he  received  word  from  his 
brother  Isaac,  of  whom  he  hail  heard  nothing  for  .,.  .  - 
three  years.  His  Ijrother  had  left  the  city,  however,  h  Q 
and  John  C.  went  up  the  river  to  Quincy,and  there  "^ 
learned  that  his  brother  was  at  Ft.  ^Madison.  He 
accordingly  set  out  on  horseback,  and  soon  met  the 
tnijther  he  was  in  search  of,  whom  he  found  en- 
gaged in  carpenter  work.  He  remained  here  a  few 
months,  and  was  so  favorabl}'  impressed  with  the 
young  town  and  its  vicinity  that  he  determined  to 
make  this  locality  his  future  home.  This  was  in 
the  year  18. 'J 7. 

Mr.  Atlee  had  in  the  meantime  made  arrange- 
ments for  the  establishment  of  domestic  ties,  and 
going  back  to  Quincy  was  there  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Emeline  S.  Brooks,  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  the  wedding  taking  place  in  Quincy, 
111.,  in  1838.  Immediately  after  their  marriage  the 
young  couple  came  to  Ft.  Madison,  where  the  hus- 
band established  himself  at  his  trade,  which  he  suc- 
cessfully pursued  for  six  years.  At  the  expiration 
of  this  time,  by  the  exercise  of  unremitting  indus- 
try and  economy,  he  had  saved  sufficient  from  his 
hard  earnings  to  purchase  a  farm,  and  selected  a 
tract  of  400  acres  on  Little  Cedar  Creek,  twenty- 
four  miles  from  Ft.  Madison.  Their  nearest  neigh- 
bors were  quite  a  distance  away,  and  his  wife  did 
not  see  another  woman  for  the  space  of  three 
months.  He  employed  himself  continuously  in  the 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  farm  for  several 
years,  and  experienced  many  hardships  and  priva- 
tions. There  was  no  money  in  circulation,  and 
although  his  crops  were  large,  he  realized  but  little 
cash  profit  from  them. 

In  1852  Mr.  Atlee  sold  his  farm,  returned  to  Ft. 


m 


I II X II  i-ixxuu-tiii  ixixi  rx_i 
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222 


LEK  COUNTY. 


in; 


Madison,  and  bpcamo  nssooiated  with  his  brother  in 
the  liiinhor  trade,  which  they  carried  on  for  two 
years  anil  then  dissolved.  In  IM.">4  he  went  into 
partnership  with  Nathaniel  Heiinett.  and  they 
erected  a  steam  sawmill,  with  a  capacity  of  20,000 
feet  of  lumber  daily.  The  following  year  they  ad- 
mitted Augustus  Kr.'ibcr  a.s  a  partner,  continuing 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  Atlee,  Bennett  & 
Kraber.  lint  tlie  firm  became  involved  in  debt,  and 
the  financial  crisis  of  l.s.')(i-o7  proved  very  di.sas- 
trous  to  them.  Messrs.  Kraber  and  Bennett  be- 
came much  discouiaged.  but  Mr.  Atlee  would  har- 
bor no  such  word  as  "  fail."  He  accordingly  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  his  partners,  and  although  it 
involved  a  delit  of  ^r(0,n()0,  he  determined  to  per- 
severe, lie  had  a  large  stock  of  lumber  on  hand, 
for  which  he  could  secure  no  cash,  but  was  obliged 
to  excha\ige  it  for  hogs,  cattle  and  horses,  and  with 
these  he  in  turn  purchased  more  logs,  and  also 
made  payments  on  his  notes  of  indebtedness.  In 
the  meantime  there  had  been  additions  to  his  do- 
mestic circle,  and  he  now  had  a  sou  who  was  nearly 
a  young  man  grown,  lie  now  associated  this  son, 
Samuel  Ity  name,  with  him  in  business,  the  firm  title 
becoming  S.  &  J.  C.  Atlee.  Occasionally  the^-  were 
compelled  to  borrow  money,  and  also  obliged  to 
pay  IT)  to  20  per  cent  interest.  However.  Iiy  close 
attention  to  business,  strict  integrity  and  excellent 
management,  they  succeeded  in  clearing  themselves 
of  debt,  and  now  no  m,an  can  say  he  ever  lost  a 
cent  by  John  C.  Atlee. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  man  of  surprising 
resolution  and  perseverance.  The  more  opposition 
and  disaster  crowded  upon  him  the  more  he  deter- 
mined to  succeed.  In  1)^.")M  the  boiler  of  their  mill 
exploded,  killing  four  men  and  blowing  the  build- 
ing to  atoms.  .Mr.  Atlcc  a,ssisted  in  burying  the 
dead,  and  tiien  commenced  re-building  his  mill, 
n  putting    evcrytiiing    in    running   operation    again, 

lich  continued  until    May  ^5,  1H()(),  when  the  new 

{   mill  was  destroyed  by  fire.   In  just  six  weeks  it  was 

re-built  on  a  much  larger  scale.     The  second   mill 

liad  a  capacity  of    10,01)0  feet  of   lumber   per  day. 


|^S$ 


ib^j^a  but  this  proved  too  slow  for  Mr.  Atlee,  and  after  the 

building  of  the  tiiird  mill  he  finally  tore  it  down  and 

erected   the    present   one,  which  has  a  capacity  of 

'f  120,000  feet  of  lumber.  150,000  shingles  and  28,- 


000  lath  per  day  of  ten  hours.  This  mill  is  one  if 
the  largest  in  Lee  County,  and  in  connection  with 
it  is  also  a  planing-mill  and  a  manufactory  of  sash, 
doors,  blinds,  lioxes.  and  all  kinds  of  carpenter 
work.  The  firm  continues  as  it  began,  operated 
solely  l)y  Mr.  Atlee  and  his  son.  They  give  em- 
ployment to  :{00  hands,  some  of  whom  have  served 
them  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  a  re- 
niarkalile  harmony  prevails  among  all  the  emjjloyes 
tlirotighout  the  works,  and  the  heads  of  the  firm 
are  held  in  the  liighest  respect  and  esteem. 

On  the  3d  of  July,  1S7.5,  a  furious  hurricane  un- 
roofed the  residence  of  Mr.  Atlee  and  otherwise  in- 
jured it.  He  w.os  absent  from  home  at  the  time, 
but  knew  that  his  home  was  in  the  pathway  of  the 
storm,  and  when  he  came  in  sight  of  the  rijins  and 
found  that  his  family  was  safe,  he  swung  his  hat 
and  shouted  •'  All  right;  we  will  try  it  again."  He 
went  to  work  the  same  d.ay,  drew  his  plans,  and  re- 
Iniilt  on  a  larger  scale  than  before.  The  same  storm 
played  all  sorts  of  tricks  at  the  mill  yard,  damaging 
the  property  to  the  extent  of  §.i,000.  But  none  of 
these  things  discouraged  the  proprietor.  On  the 
conti'ary  they  only  seemed  to  whet  his  appetite  for 
further  struggles,  and  he  gloried  in  triumphing,  as 
it  were,  over  the  elements,  and  over  disasters  that 
would  have  appalled  most  men.  In  short  it  would 
seem  that  nothing  but  the  grim  Destroyer  himself 
will  ever  be  able  to  conquer  J.  C.  Atlee.  His  ex- 
cellent wife  saj's,  "We  never  cry  over  our  misfort- 
unes." Mrs.  Atlee  seems  to  have  been  peculiarly 
fitted  for  the  wife  of  such  a  man  as  her  husband. 
.She  has  never  failed  to  greet  him  upon  his  arrival 
for  his  meals  since  the  date  of  their  marriage,  and 
has  never  been  out  of  hearing  of  the  mill  whistle. 
She  has  become  the  mother  of  five  children,  one  of 
w-hom  died  in  childhood.  The  four  living  are  Sam- 
uel; Martha,  now  the  wife  of  Peter  Okell;  Will- 
iam, and  Maggie,  who  became  the  wife  of  George 
Hanchett. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Atlee  affiliated  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  l)ut  in  l.Si')G  he  considered  he  had  rea- 
son to  change  his  political  opinions,  and  upon  the 
organization  of  the  Repupliean  part^'  about  that 
time,  he  cordially  indorsed  its  principles,  and  has 
been  its  firm  supporter  ever  since.  He  has  steadily 
declined  becoming  a  candidate  for  any  office,  and 


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refused   the  position  of  County  Sheriff,  which  was 
tendered  him  bj*  appointment. 

As  a  worth)'  and  honored  representative  of  the 
county,  the  publishers  are  pleased  to  present  the 
portrait  of  Mr.  Atlee  on  another  page  of  this  Al- 
bum, also  a  view  of  his  residence. 


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^;  AMES  P.  TURNER,  a  prominent  and  highly 
respected  farmer  of  Jackson  Township,  is 
located  on  section  29,  and  carrying  on  the 
(^^'  peaceful  pursuits  of  agriculture  in  an  intel- 
legent  and  profitable  manner.  He  is  a  native  of 
Scioto  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born  April  28,  1836, 
his  parents  being  John  G.  and  Elizabeth  (Smith) 
Turner,  natives  respectivelj'  of  Marj'land  and  Ken- 
tucky. They  settled  in  the  State  of  Ohio  after  their 
marriage,  and  afterward  removed  across  the  river 
into  Kentucky  whence,  in  about  1853,  they  came 
to  Lee  County,  Iowa,  and  located  in  Jackson  Town- 
ship. Here  thej'  established  a  permanent  home 
and  remained  until  the  close  of  their  lives.  The 
household  circle  included  ten  children,  six  boys 
and  four  girls,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the  fifth  in 
order  of  birth. 

Mr.  Turner  of  this  history  was  a  youth  of  fifteen 
years  when  he  came  to  Iowa  with  his  parents.  About 
this  time  the  Rebellion  began  to  assume  alarming 
proportions,  and  3'oung  Turner,  fired  with  a  spirit  of 
j'outhful  patriotism,  determined  to  become  a  soldier 
and  aid  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  He  en- 
listed in  the  1st  Iowa  Cavalry,  June  13,  1861,  and 
served  until  March  14,  1866,  or  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  went  in  as  Corporal  and  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  Second  Lieutenant.  He 
shared  with  his  regiment  all  the  dangers,  hardships 
and  privations  of  war,  and  came  out  of  them  un- 
harmed. After  he  was  mustered  out  he  returned 
to  Lee  County,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  has  been  thus  occupied  the  greater  part  of  his 
life.  He  is  the  owner  of  185  acres  of  land,  most 
of  which  is  tillable  and  under  a  good  state  of  culti- 
vation. He  has  a  good  farm  residence,  and  all  the 
improvements  and  appliances  of  a  first-class  farm 
estate. 

Mr.  Turner   was   married   in  Van   Buren   Town- 


ship, Dec.  12,  1867,  to  Miss  Frances  J.,  daughter  of 
Charles  J.  and  Eliza  (Heath)  Wright,  natives  of 
England.  They  emigrated  from  their  native  coun- 
try to  America  in  1848,  first  settling  in  Pittsburgh, 
Pa.  They  crossed  the  Father  of  Waters  and  came 
into  Keokuk,  Iowa,  about  eleven  years  later.  They 
fiuallj'  made  their  home  in  Jackson  Township, 
where  the  father  departed  this  life  in  1879;  the 
mother  still  survives.  Their  household  included 
twelve  children,  five  sons  and  seven  daughters. 
Mrs.  Turner  was  the  fifth  of  her  parents'  family,  and 
was  born  near  London,  Elngland,  Jan.  14,  1848. 
By  her  union  with  our  subject  she  has  become  the 
mother  of  four  children :  Charles  G.,  who  died  in 
infancy;  James  F.,  Nellie  G.  and  John  D. 

Mr.  Turner  has  served  as  Assessor  of  Jackson 
Township  for  about  ten  years,  and  has  held  other 
minor  offices.  He  is  Republican  in  politics  and 
takes  an  active  interest  in  all  matters  pertaining  to 
the  welfare  of  his  community  and  the  progress  of 
morality  and  education.  He  is  a  straightforward 
business  man,  reliable  and  temperate,  and  in  all  re- 
spects a  valued  member  of  the  community.  A 
view  of  his  residence  is  shown  on  another  page. 

gg^JiJC^; :  .0- 

•^  AMES  H.  ANDERSON,  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  at- 
tornej'  at  law,  occupies  a  high  position  in  his 
profession  in  the  Hawkeje  State,  of  which 
he  has  been  a  resident  since  1856.  He  re- 
ceived his  primary  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Keokuk,  and  thereafter  for  a  time  remained  with 
his  father  upon  the  farm  in  Clark  County,  Mo. 
He  has  been  a  man  of  varied  experiences.  He  was 
studious  in  his  youth  and  keenly  observant,  and 
made  the  most  of  his  opportunities,  and  the  posi- 
tion which  he  now  occupies  has  been  secured  mainly 
by  his  own  enterprise,  industry,  and  the  improve- 
ment of  the  talents  which  nature  bestowed  upon 
him. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  at  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  May  30,  1842,  and  his  parents  were  Robert 
James  and  Mary  J.  (Whitney)  Anderson.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen  years,  accompanied  by  his  father 
and  his  father's  brother,  they  started  West,  crossed 
the    Father    of    Waters    and    located    at    Keokuk. 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


After  a  time  he  was  joinerl  by  his  father's  family, 
and  in  ISfiO  removed  njion  ;i  fiirni.  Tlie  following 
year  the  nutos  of  war  lieii;an  t(»  sound  tin-oughout 
the  land,  and  at  tho  lirst  call  for  troops  he  deter- 
mined to  become  a  soldier  for  the  Union.  He  ac- 
cordingly enlisted.  May  25,  l«Gl.and  became  a 
member  of  the  Northeastern  Missouri  Volunteers, 
_^  under  the  command  of  Col.  Woodi'ard,  and  served 
with  his  reginiout  until  October  of  that  year,  when 
he  was  taken  [irisoner  by  the  rebels  in  Missouri  and 
paroled.  The  next  year  he  went  into  active  service 
in  the  Missouri  State  Ouards,  witli  wh<mi  he  re- 
mained  during  lM->.  In  the  following  spring  he 
h  returned  to  Keokuk,  and  Iti  1 863  he  crossed  the 
"^  plains  to  Coh>rado,  driving  an  ox-teani,  and  re- 
turned to  Keokuk  in  the  spring  of  1SC4. 

In  that  same  year  Mr.  A.  re-enlisted  and  was 
mustered  into  service  in  Company  C,  4.5th  Iowa,  as 
a  private,  serving  in  Tennessee  during  the  summer, 
He  received  his  discharge  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  and 
returning  to  Keokuk  cominenceil  reading  law  under 
the  instruction  of  Hon.  J.  H.  Craig.  He  continued 
liis  studies  for  two  years  thereafter,  and  was  admit- 
ted to  the  bar  in  l.S(!(),  at  Keosauqua,  Iowa.  The 
following  year  he  became  associated  in  partnership 
with  Robert  H.  Gilmore,  the  firm  existing  until  the 
time  of  Mr.  (iilniore's  death,  in  l.s.si.  Mr.  Ander- 
son then  became  associated  with  his  brother,  Joseph 
<i.,  until  1885,  since  which  time  he  has  carried  on 
his  professional  business  alone. 

In  March.  1H()8,  James  H.  Anderson  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna,  daughter  of  Lewis  and 
Ann  (Harper)  Uigus.  Mrs.  Anderson  was  born  in 
Hrookville.  Ind.,  .May  2,  1  IS  IG,  and  of  their  union 
have  been  Ixirn  live  children,  two  of  whom  died  in 
early  fhildhood.  The  three  living  are  Kdwin  G., 
horn  ill  ls72;  Hessic.  in  1«7H,  and  David  F.,  in 
1882. 

Mr.  Aiuleison  has  been  actively  engaged  in  the 
duties  of  ills  profession  since  18()7,  and  has  taken  a 
hearty  interest  in  all  public  enterprises,  or  what- 
ever might  become  of  lieiiefit  to  his  county  or  com- 
munity. He  has  aided  materially  in  the  industrial 
interests  of  this  section,  and  has  contributed  cheer- 
fully of  his  time  and  money  to  the  liringing  about 
of  various  public  iinpioveinents.  lie  has  erected 
ten  buildings,  which  are  among  the   handsomest   in 


the  city,  and  mainly  to  his  efforts  is  due  the  build- 
ing of  the  driveway  around  the  city,  the  building 
of  the  North  vo:u\,  the  water- works,  the  street  rail- 
way, and  the  instituti<m  of  the  public  park.  He  is 
the  President  of  the  Keokuk  street  railway,  and  a 
Director  in  the  Opera  House  Company.  He  was 
also  \'ice  President  and  Oeneral  .Manager  of  the 
Keokuk  &  Northwestern  Railway  during  the  build- 
ing of  that  road,  and  was  for  many  years  a  Director 
of  the  .St.  Louis,  Keokuk  it  Northwestern  Railroad. 
He  was  President  of  the  Water- Works  Compan}' 
during  the  construction  of  their  works,  and  for 
many  years  was  a  Director  in  the  State  National 
Bank,  also  a  Director  of  the  Keokuk  Northern  Line 
Packet  C(mipany. 

In  politics  Mr.  Anderson  formerly-  voted  the  Re- 
publican ticket,  but  in  1868  he  considered  he  had 
reason  to  change  his  political  views,  and  since  that 
time  has  usually  supported  the  principles  and  voted 
for  the  candidates  of  the  Democratic  party.  Al- 
though prominent  in  local  politics  he  has  steadily 
declined  to  become  a  candidate  for  any  office. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Mr.  Anderson  has  added 
greatly'  to  the  progress  and  development  of  Lee 
County,  and  especially  of  its  largest  cit3'.  It  is  by 
the  efforts  of  such  men  as  he  that  Iowa  has  attained 
to  her  present  proud  position  amcmg  the  States 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  record  of  their 
lives  will  stand  in  these  monuments  of  wood  and 
iron  long  aftei'  their  projector  has  passed  awaj'. 

IIARLKS  WHITLOCK.  a  highly  esteemed 
citizen  of  West  Point,  has  been  a  resident 
of  the  Hawlceye  State  for  the  space  of  thirty 
years,  and  from  the  time  ()f  coming  here  has  en- 
joyed, in  a  marked  degree,  the  highest  respect  of 
his  fellow-townsmen.  He  is  extensively  and  suc- 
cessfully eng.aged  in  the  handling  of  lumber  and 
grain  and  in  the  keeping  and  sale  of  bees  and 
honey. 

Mr.  Whitlock  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  of  (ier- 
many,  and  was  born  in  the  Kingdom  of  Prussia  on 
the  r>th  of  March,  1834.  He  was  the  fifth  of  a 
family  of  six  children,  and  when  a  child  of  two 
years    old    came  with    his  parents  to   the    United 


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States.  After  reaching  American  shores  they  pro- 
ceeded directly  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  the}-  re- 
mained for  a  short  time,  then  crossed  the  ^lissis- 
sippi  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  iind  a  little  later  came  into 
Van  Buren  Coiintj',  Iowa,  and  located  in  Farming- 
t(m.  There  they  established  a  i)ermanent  home,  and 
the  father  engaged  in  his  former  occupation  as  a 
millwright.  He  also  became  engaged  as  a  miller, 
and  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  Prussia 
especially,  made  this  his  business,  but  resumed  as 
a  millwright  after  coming  to  this  country.  He 
erected  a  giistmill  and  sawmill  near  Farmingtou, 
which  he  operated  successfully  with  the  assistance 
of  his  sons  for  a  number  of  years.  Frederick  Whit- 
lock,  the  father  of  our  subject,  departed  this  life 
near  Farm  ington,  about  1848;  the  mother  survived 
him  for  twenty-eight  years,  dying  in  187G.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Caroline  Schultz,  and  of  their 
family  of  six  children,  all  are  living  except  two 
daughters. 

Charles  Whitlock  remained  with  his  mother's 
family  three  years  after  his  father's  death,  and  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years  began  an  apprenticeship 
at  the  cabinet-maker's  trade,  under  the  instruction 
of  his  elder  brother,  Fred  W.  He  subsequently 
turned  his  attention  to  carpentering,  in  connection 
with  which  he  took  uj)  painting,  and  after  he  came 
to  West  P<jiut,  followed  the  two  occupations  until 
1878,  when  he  abandoned  mechanical  labors  and 
engaged  in  the  lumber  trade.  To  this,  a  few  years 
later,  he  added  the  buying  and  selling  of  grain. 
About  the  year  186.5  he  became  interested  in  bee- 
keeping, and  since  that  time  has  frequently  had  on 
hand  1.50  swarms.  He  seems  to  be  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  handling  and  care  of  the  useful  lit- 
tle insects,  and  has  made  their  habits  an  interesting 
study  for  years.  His  experience  has  been  of  much 
value  to  others  similarly  engaged,  and  he  is  now 
President  of  the  West  Point  Beekeeper's  Associa- 
tion, which  was  organized  in  1884,  and  of  which  lie 
was  the  first  President.  Mr.  Whitlock  has  been 
prosperous  in  his  various  branches  of  business,  and 
owns  valuable  real  estate  within  the  limits  of  West 
Point,  including  thirteen  lots,  some  of  them  being 
supplied  with  good  buildings. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Whitlock  took  place  in 
1 8.58,  when  he  was  united   with   JNUss   Anna    Wur- 


ster,  an  Ohio  lady  who  came  here  with  her  parents 
when  a  child.  She  remained  the  companion  of  her 
husband  onlj-  five  short  years,  and  was  the  mother 
of  one  child,  Henry  W.,  who  is  now  salesman  in  a 
hardware  establishment  in  Chicago,  111.  He  is  a 
bright  and  promising  young  man,  and  good  things 
are  expected  of  him  in  the  future. 

The  second  wife  of  Mr.  Whitlock,  to  whom  he 
was  married  Dec.  24,  1864,  was  Miss  Barbara 
Strohm,  a  native  of  CJermany,  who  came  to  this 
country  when  five  years  old.  Of  this  union  there 
have  been  born  six  children,  one  of  whom  is  de- 
ceased. This  little  one  met  a  painful  death  by 
falling  into  a  tub  of  scalding  water,  when  three  and 
a  half  years  old.  The  remainder  are — Emma,  Liz- 
zie, Edward  C,  Clara  and  John,  all  at  home.  The 
family  occupy  a  handsome  dwelling,  surrounded 
by  all  the  comforts  of  life  and  many  of  its  luxu- 
ries. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whitltick  are  members  of  the 
German  Methodist  Church,  of  which  Mr.  Whitlock 
is  Steward,  Trustee  and  .Sunday-school  Superintend- 
ent. He  is  President  of  the  .Sund.ay-school  Asso- 
ciation of  this  township,  which  holds  its  meetings 
annually.  He  has  long  been  prominently  identified 
with  public  affairs  in  this  vicinity,  and  h.as  con- 
tributed of  his  time  and  means  to  the  support  of 
ever}'  worthy  object.  He  is  a  Director  of  the  Fair 
Association  at  West  Point,  and  his  opinions  are  al- 
ways solicited  in  regard  to  the  various  enterprises 
of  the  cominunit}'.  In  politics  he  unif<jrmly  votes 
to  uphold  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party. 


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^I^^^^ICHOLAS  BLOM,  manufacturer  of  soap  and 
I  ///  concentrated  lye,  came  to  Keokuk  in  1856, 
li\/^  and  since  that  time  has  been  a  resident  of 
the  Gate  City.  He  was  born  in  Holland,  Nov.  11, 
1831,  and  educated  in  the  language  of  his  native 
country.  When  twenty-four  years  of  age  he  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States,  landing  in  the  citj*  of 
New  York,  whence  he  at  once  proceeded  westward 
to  Michigan,  where  he  was  engaged  in  fishing  for 
two  months,  and  then  coming  to  Iowa,  was  em- 
ployed upon  a  farm.  In  1864  he  engaged  with  his 
brother,  William  Blom,  a  soap  manufacturer,  with 
whom   he  remained  thirteen  years,  and  then   pur- 


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chased  the  business,  which  he  has  since  that  time 
operated  in  his  own  interests.  The  products  of 
his  manufacture  are  chiefly  for  laundry  purposes, 
and  from  the  good  quality  of  this  and  his  fair  deal- 
ing as  »  business  man,  he  has  built  up  a  good  trade, 
disposing  of  his  soaps  mostly  to  the  jobbing  trade, 

■  ■^j.    and  averaging  8.000    pounds   weekly.      Mr.    Blom 
HH     and  his  son,  with  the  assistance  of  an  employe,  do 

|[ip^  most  of  the  work,  the  former  going  upon  the  road 
himself  to  introduce  the  jjrodiicts  (»f  his  manufact- 
\ire.  The  factory  is  25x75  feet  in  area,  with  a 
basement,  and  is  built  of  brick. 

Mr.  Blom  was  married  in  Keokuk  in  IHCl,  to 
Miss  Christina  Bauer,  who  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
many. She  died  at  their  home  in  Keokuk  in  Feb- 
ruarj',  1884,  leaving  one  sou,  Peter,  win*  is  the  as- 
sistant of  his  father  in  the  business.  Mr.  Blom  be- 
gan life  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  having  only  §1 
in  his  pocket  when  he  landed  in  Michigan,  and  by 

B-  the  exercise  of  industry  and  perseverance  has  ac- 
cumulated consideralile  means,  and  has  a  good  rc.«i- 
praj'  dence,  together  with  a  small  tract  of  ten  acres  of 
land  near  the  city  limits,  lie  and  his  son  are 
menil)ors  of  the  (iernian  Methodist  Episcn]ial 
Church,  and  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  their  neigh- 
bors and  associates. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Peter  and  Dirkc 
j   Blom,   who  came  to  Ke(»kuk   in    1857.     The   par- 
ental   family  consisted   of  si.\  children:  Nicholas, 
]   William.   .John,   Isaac;  Katie  became  the   wife  of 
.lohn  Kiewitt,  and  lives   in  Omaha,  Neb.;  Engelje 
lives  in  Amsterdam,  Holland;  all  the   boys  reside 
p^'  in  Lee  County. 
I 


II 


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ENRY  FETT,  a  prosperous  German  farmer 
of    Lee    County,   occupies   a    comfortable 
homestead  in  Van  Biiren  Townslii]),  on  sec- 
tion 22.     lie  is  a  native  of  Darmstadt,  Ger- 
many,  and    was    born    in    isii).     At    the    age    of 
eighteen    he  came    to    America,    landing   at    New 
York,  and  thence  proceeded   to  Ohio,  locating  in 
"S^ci  Butler  County,  where  he  remained  until  1854.    He 
J  then  decided  to  visit  the  land  beyond   the  Missis- 
[  sippi,  ami  setting  his   face   westward   crossed   the 
^     Father  of  Watere  and  came  into  Lee  C'ounty,  where 


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he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  and  commenced  its 
improvement  and  cultivation.  He  was  prosperous 
in  the  pursuit  of  his  calling,  became  highly  re- 
spected, and  identified  himself  thoroughly  with  the 
interests  of  the  communitj',  contributing  of  his 
means  and  influence  as  opportunity  occurred  to  ad- 
vance its  welfare,  morally,  intellectually  and  finan- 
cially. 


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Mr.  Fett  occui)ies  a  fine  dwelling,  built  of  brick,    t  ,^ 

;  n. 

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two  stories  in  height,  2(;  x  3()  feet  in  dimensions, 
with  comfortable  barns  and  outhouses  for  the  stor- 
ing of  grain  and  the  shelter  of  stock,  and  in  addi- 
tion to  the  ordinar3'  duties  of  the  farm  is  con- 
templating the  breeding  of  flue  stock  another  year. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Eliz.abeth  Ball  in  1842.  Of  this  union 
there  were  born  eight  children,  one  of  whom  died 
in  iufancy.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Fett  departed  this  life 
in  18(J2,  in  Ohio,  and  subsequently  Mr.  Fett  was 
married  to  Miss  Catherine  Eckard,  bj'  whom  he 
has  had  ten  children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter  be- 
ing deceased.  Mr.  F.  is  a  member  in  good  stand- 
ing of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  in  politics  casts 
his  vote  for  the  best  man,  irrespective  of  [larty. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Fett  came  to  this  country-  in 
18;?7,  when  Martin  Van  Biiren  was  President.  The3- 
were  descended  from  excellent  families,  and  were 
fair  i-epreseutatives  of  the  native  worth  and  in- 
tegrity of  the  children  of  the  "  Fatherland." 


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^  ON ATHAN  L.  PEA.SE,  an  early  settler  of 
I  Cedar  Township,  is  an  extensive  farmer  and 
highly  esteemed  citizen,  carrying  on  agi'i- 
iltural  operations  on  section  IG.  He 
crossed  the  Mississippi  at  an  early  period  in  the 
histoiy  of  Iowa,  and  since  coming  here  has  marked 
with  undiminished  interest  the  advance  of  civiliza-  5,^: 
tion  in  the  beautiful  country  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. No  man  who  lias  an  intelligent  Interest  in 
the  progress  and  development  of  his  surroundings 
can  refrain  from  rendering  his  best  assistance  to  the 
industrial. or  agriculluial  interests  of  his  section, and 
Mr.  Pease  has  performed  his  part  in  this  line  of 
duty  in  a  very  creditable  manner,  and   now  stands 


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as  one  of  the  valued  landmarks'  between  the  past 
and  the  present. 

Mr.  Pease  is  a  native  of  Washington  County, 
Pa.,  born  in  the  township  of  Norstran,  Feb.  18, 
1826.  His  father,  Andrew  Pease,  and  his  grand- 
father, Nicholas  Pease,  removed  to  Pennsylvania 
from  Maryland  when  the  father  of  our  subject  was 
a  youth  fourteen  years  old.  They  were  among  the 
early  settlers  of  that  region,  and  purchased  a  tract 
of  timber  land  in  Washington  County,  and  cleared 
a  farm  from  the  wilderness.  Nicholas  Pease  was 
the  father  of  two  sons,  and  at  his  death  the  property 
was  divided  between  them.  Andrew  Pease  was 
twice  married,  his  wife  having  been"  Miss  Mary 
Engle,  who  became  the  mother  of  nine  children. 
The  maiden  name  of  the  secund  wife  and  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  was  Mary  Blakeney,  a  native  of  the 
North  of  Ireland.  By  her  marriage  with  Andrew 
Pease  she  became  the  mother  of  five  children,  of 
whom  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  youngest 
child. 

Jonathan  L.  Pease  was  reared  on  the  farm  uf  his 
father,  and  at  the  death  of  the  latter,  he  and  his 
brother,  Boyd  E.,  purchased  the  interest  of  the 
other  heirs  and  lived  upon  the  homestead  until 
1855.  Jonathan  L.  then  sold  out,  and  turning  his 
face  westward  came  into  Lee  Count}',  Iowa,  and 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  16  in 
Cedar  Township.  Only  forty  acres  of  this  was 
broken  and  fenced,  but  a  log  cabin  had  been  built 
upon  it.  He  here  commenced  his  career  as  a. 
Hawkeye  farmer,  and  since  that  time  has  added  to 
his  first  purchase  until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  346 
acres,  all  in  one  bodj'  and  tillable.  He  has  brought 
the  most  of  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  it 
is  furnished  with  fine  buildings,  costl}'  farm  im- 
plements and  machinery,  and  all  the  necessary  ap- 
pliances for  carrying  on  agriculture  in  the  most 
modern  and  approved  style. 

The  marriage  of  Jonathan  L.  Pease  and  jNIiss 
Sarah  J.  Ilerron  was  celebrated  in  Washington 
County,  Pa.,  Nov.  6,  1851.  Mrs.  Pease  was  born 
April  22,  1823,  and  b}'  her  union  with  our  subject 
has  become  the  mother  of  nine  children,  three  of 
whom  are  deceased.  The  record  is  as  follows: 
Emerj'  H.  and  James  M.  are  merchants  at  Mr.. 
Hamill,  Iowa;   Lizzie  Etta  is  the   wife  of  .lames   P. 


Braiden,  of  Valley  County,  Neb. ;  Forest  B.  M., 
Linnie  F.  and  Charles  H.  are  at  home;  Minnie,  the 
twin  sister  of  Linnie  F.,died  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years;  Albert  died  when  one  year  old;  Joseph  A., 
the  youngest  child,  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pease  and  two  daughters  are  mem- 
bers of  the  .Sharon  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr. 
Pease  has  been  connected  with  the  United  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  was  for  a  time  an  Elder. 

Mr.  Pease  is  an  intelligent  and  observant  man, 
well  read,  and  possessing  a  valuable  fund  of  in- 
formation upon  all  important  matters  of  the  day. 
He  has  been  a  prominent  man  in  his  township  since 
coming  here,  and  his  councils  have  been  sought 
upon  matters  of  common  interest.  He  has  fulfilled 
his  duties  as  a  father  and  citizen  creditably  and 
conscientiously,  and  as  a  business  man  has  been 
one  of  the  valued  factors  of  his  community.  He 
is  genial  and  kindly  in  his  disposition,  and  pos- 
sesses the  confidence  and  esteem  of  a  large  circle 
of  friends. 


ILLIAM  A.  DONNELL,  a  wealthy  and 
representative  citizen  of  Charleston  Town- 
ship, crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came  into 
Iowa  while  it  was  yet  a  Territory,  in  the  spring'  of 
1839.  He  occupies  a  fine  estate  of  280  acres  on 
section  5,  and  is  one  of  the  largest  property  hold- 
ers in  this  vicinity,  having  thirty  acres  of  valuable 
land  on  section  33  in  Franklin  Township,  ten  lots 
in  one  part  of  Donnellson  Village,  and  six  lots  in 
block  1 3  of  the  village  plat.  He  is  also  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Agricultural  Society  of  the  county, 
and  his  farm  is  stocked  with  valuable  specimens  of 
high-grade  cattle  and  Clj'desdale  horses,  his  stallion, 
"  Lion,"  being  a  registered  animal  of  high  pedigree 
and  great  value. 

Mr.  Donnell  came  to  the  count}'  poor  in'  purse, 
but  with  a  rich  fund  of  resolution  and  energy,  and 
industriously  set  himself  to  work,  determined  to 
carve  out  his  fortune  and  make  for  himself  the 
charactei'  of  a  man  among  men.  It  may  not  be 
too  much  to  say  that  he  has  succeeded  even  beyond 
his  expectations,  and   is  now  one  of  the  prominent 


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landmarks  of  this  section,  having  assisted  in  the 
progress  of  its  industrial  interests,  and    by  his  ex- 
ample encouraged  others  to  du  likewise. 
-         .Mr.  Donncll  vv.is  born  near  (ireensboro,  (iuilford 

W  Co..  N.  C,  on  the  21st  of  March,  ISlC.  His  father, 
floorge  Donnell,  w.is  a  fanner  of  North  Carolina, 
of  c-xcellent  Sc-ottish  ancestrj',  and  was  married  in 
his  native  county  to  Miss  Dilley  Paislej-,  a  native 
of  the  same  {•f)untv  and  State,  and  of  Scotch-Ger- 
man extraction.  After  the  birth  of  four  children 
the  i)arents  removed  from  their  native  State  to 
Kentucky,  where  they  only  remained  a  few  days, 
thence  journe3'iiig  to  Illinois,  and  locating  in  Bond 
Count}-  about  the  year  1821.  The  country  was 
new  and  unbroken,  and  they  settled  upon  a  tract 
of  wild  land,  whicii  they  immediately  set  about  im- 
proving and  cultivating,  and  remained  there  the 
remainder  of  their  lives.  The  father  died  about 
18;)7;  the  mother  had  preceded  him  to  the  better 
land  two  3'enrs  previously,  in  18.55.  They  were 
most  excellent  people,  and   prominently  connected 

^Eji]   with  the  Cumberland  Presbyteiiau  Church. 

William  A.  Donnell  received  his  education  in  the 
pioneer    log  .vhool-hou.se.   with  its   huge  chimne}' 

DJ  D  and  fircpl.ace,  greased  paper  for  window-panes,  and 
,^_^-  puncheons  for  door.  He  remained  under  the  par- 
ental roof  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  .age,  when 
he  began  his  apprenticeship  as  a  tanner  and  currier 
under  the  instruction  of  Thomas  White,  of  Green- 
ville, III.  After  two  years  he  worked  as  a  ionrney- 
man,  and  was  then  appointed  to  the  management 
of  a  shop  for  the  firm  of  Harrison  Bros.,  of  Alton, 
111.  He  afterward  changed  his  occupation,  and 
was  engaged  as  a  hog  I)uyer  for  a  packing  com- 
pany at  Alton,  in  which  he  continued  for  some 
time,  or  until  1838,  after  which  he  crossed  the 
Mississippi  and  came  into  Iowa. 

Mr.  Donnell,  in  early  youth,  developed  shrewd 
(q  talents  as  a  man  of  business,   and   by  saving  his 
}  earnings  was  soon   enabled  to  start  in   business  on 
q  his  own  hook.      .Vfter  coming  into  Lee   County  he 
purchased  a  drove  of  cattle,  which   he  fed    for  a 
time  and  then  disposed   of  at  a  good   profit.     His 
(lualities  of  industry  and  enterprise  attracted   gen- 
eral attention,  luid  secured  for  him  a  circle  of  warm 
friends   and    admirers.     He    was    studious    m    his 
habits,  and  improved  his  leisure   time  iu   the  per- 


^ 


Ssssisss 


^^sss, 


.Rfi 


usal  of  instructive  books,  at  the  same  time  keeping   ::(i 
an  r)bservant  eye  on   what  was  going   on    around    :  [i 
him.     Three  years  after  coming  into  the  county  he 
was  so  far  advanced   iu   the  good  opinions  of  the    Ei 
l)e<»ple  of  this  locality  that  he  was  selected  b}-  the   Sti 

1 


State  Senate,  then  convened  at  Iowa  Cit}',  to  serve  i- 
as  Sergeant-at-Arms,  and  very  soon  afterward  was  fin 
ai)pointed  Deput}-  Sheriff,  under  Sheriff  Hawkins  se 
Taylor,  now  a  resident  of  W.ishington,  D.  C.  He  C^ 
retained  this  position  until  the  end  of  the  term,  5; 
and  afterward,  during  the  war,  w.as  Supervis(,>r  of  Sj 
his  township,  and  continued  .serving  during  the  3 
years  1872-73-74.  S; 

Mr.  Donnell  has  always  been  a  sympathizer  with  E^ 
the  Republican  part}',  and  has  taken  a  deep  interest  S' 
in  the  political  affairs  of  his  locality,  as  well  as  its  ji 
progress  in  agricultural  and  industrial  matters.  He  ;' 
was  instrumental  iu  locating  the  County  Fair  at  5 
this  point,  and  assisted  in  platting  the  village,  which  ; 
includes  an  area  of  fifty  acres.  There  is  scarcely  =  "j- 
any  imjiortant  enterprise  with  which  Mr.  Donnell  S' 0 
has  not  been  identified,  and  his  liberal  and  pui)lic  s^  5: 
spirit  has  had  much  to  do  witli  liio  rapid  develop-  El 
ment  of  this  section.  ;  ~^ 

Mr.  Donnell  was  married    in   Charleston  Town-    : 
shii)  to   Miss  Kalista   Hamilton,  a  native   of  New    " 
York  State,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Huron  County 
Dec.    12,   1823.      Her    f.ither,   William    Hamilton,    - 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  came  to  Iowa  at 
an  early  period  in  its  history,  making  his  first  loca- 
tion in  Charleston,  and  remaining  in  this  township 
until  the  close  of  his  life.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donnell 
became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  one  of  whom 
is  deceased.     The  record  is  as   follows:  Dilly  J.  is 
the  wife  of  J.  K.  McClen,  of  Kansas;  Laura  M.  is    \^ 
the  wife  of  Dr.  J.  B.  Carrey,  of  Dounellson,   111. ;    '  ^ 
George  W.,  a  resident  of  Dounellson,  is  a  miller  by 
occupation,  and  married  Miss  Mary  Coles,  of  Prim- 
rose; Philena  H.  is  the  wife  of  G.  W.  Holmes,  of   ^ 
Newton,  Kan.;    Mr.   H.    is  engaged   in   real-estate 
business;  Ida  is  the  wife  of  William  T.  Benjamin,    j 
a  blacksmith  of  Donnellson;  .lohn  K.  married  Miss 
Ola  Rigg,  and  is  .-i  resident  of  Schuyler  County, 
111.;  Thomas  H.  is  manager  of  the  homestead;  he 
married   Miss  Emma   .1.  Spilke}-.  of  Bond  County, 
111.;  Charles  died   at    the  age  of  two  years.      Mrs. 
Donnell   departed    this   life    -Ian.    17.    1887,  at    the 


I 
I 

I 
1 
1 


Mtr'.r'r'r'r'r'a 


Vr'Hr'r'r-'rJ. 


^M 


riESiDENCEor   J.  K.CooNCY,  Scc.4,  Montrose  Township. 


— ^^I^i®|€i- 


<•  ^ «'  t  '■-«• 


it.  jjij,       viJt;.. ; 


w         ^:'-       ''^^ 


r  -ri-SBSf 


'"  '    **?">^Pri-.?r,'»»"M 


,"\Lii  jlnceof  James  P. Turner, Sec.  29.,  Jackson  Township. 


|cU:^/:i,cijij:::r'>r-'rf.l=^ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


231 


residence  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Dr.  Carrey,  in 
Donnellson,  Montgomery  Co.,  111.  The  family  are 
prominently  connected  with  the  Cumherland  Pres- 
liyterian  Church,  and  in  politics  Jlr.  Donnell  is 
solidly-  Republican. 


■€-^^B « 


T.  LYNCH,  an  enterprising  resident  of  the 
|,  v.ate  Citj',  is  prosperously  engaged   in  the 
sale  of  flour  and  feed,  his  store  being  lo- 
cated   at    the    intersection    of    Main  and    Twelfth 
streets.     Mr.  Lynch  is  a  native  of  Lee  County,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Keoiiuk  Nov.  30,  1857.     His  par- 
ents were  James  and  Susan  (Ardray)  Lynch,  natives 
respectively  of  West  Virginia  and  Indiana.    James 
J^yuch  emigrated   to   Iowa    from    his  native  State 
in  1830,  making  his  first  location  in  Keokuk,  which 
was  then  a  city  of  very  small  proportions.     He  was 
an    educated    and    intelligent   man,   and    held   the 
offices  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  City  Marshal,  Su- 
pervisor,  Constable,   and  also  served   as  a   police 
officer.     During  the   war  he   enlisted  as  a   Union 
§    soldier  in  Co.  C,  3d  Iowa  "\'ol.  Cav.,  being  mustered 
in  as  a  private  and  holding  a  Captain's  commission 
at  the  close.     The  parental  faniil}'  consisted  of  six 
children,  all  of  whom  are  living:  Morgau  A.  served 
as  a  private  in  Company  C ;  Maria  married  C.  W. 
Taylor;  Matilda  became  the  wife  of  A.  J.  Sm^th; 
Charles  A.  married  Miss  Peirson,  of  Des  Moines; 
F.  T.  was  the  next  in  order  of  birth:  Harry  mar- 
ried jNIiss  Jennie  Clark,  of  Des  Moines. 
]        The  subject  of   our  sketch  attended   the   public 
;;    school  until* he  was  eleven  jears  old,  and  was  then 
I    engaged    as    driver    for    the  delivery-wagon   of  a 
;    grocery    store.     He  then  went  into   the    Wells   & 
:    Yennewine    Flour    Mills,    and  was  afterward   em- 
:    ployed  on  a  farm.     He  was  then  emploj'ed  by   Dr. 
:    S.  F.   Baker,  and  assisted  in  the  preparation   and 
;    packing  of   medicine.     After  this  he   was   engaged 
;    with  the  M.  <fe  D.  P.   White  Bag  Factory.     After 
:    this  he  was  engaged  with   (ieorge   D.   Robinson    in 
:    learning    the    manufacture    of   trunks.     He  subse- 
"    (pieutly  worked  in  a  brickyard,  a  fruit  canning  es- 
tablishment, a  hide   and   leather  store,   and  subse- 
_    quently  visited  the   State    of   Mississippi,  where  he 
ri'tiiaiiied   five  mouths  on  the   levee.      He  then    be- 


came engaged  as  overseer  on  a  cotton  plantation, 
after  which  he  came  north  to  Keokuk,  then  went  to 
Missouri,  where  he  was  employed  on  the  farm  of  E. 
D.  Richie,  thence  back  to  Keokuk,  as  shipping 
clerk  in  the  Comstock  Stove  Works,  and  from 
there  to  the  wholesale  tinware  department  of  the 
same  house,  where  he  was  engaged  as  shipping 
clerk  for  five  years.  In  1885  he  purchased  the 
Keokuk  pork  store,  which  he  sold  out  the  following 
year,  and  in  June  of  the  same  purchased  the  flour 
and  feed  store  of  Bower  Bros.,  which  he  has  since 
operated  successfully. 

The  marriage  of  F.  T.  Lynch  and  Miss  Annie 
Stobbart  was  solemnized  April  28,  1880,  in  Keo- 
kuk. IMrs.  L^'neh  is  a  native  of  Wales,  and  the 
daughter  of  William  J.  Stobbart,  who  was  born  in 
England,  and  emigrating  to  the  United  States,  set- 
tled in  Creston,  Iowa.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lynch  are 
the  parents  of  three  children — Mabel  A.,  Gertrude 
and  Oscar.  Mr.  Lynch  is  independent  in  politics, 
a  member  of  the  Triple  Alliance,  and  has  an  intel- 
ligent interest  in  all  local  and  general  matters. 
The  family  occupy  a  comfortable  dwelling  at  No. 
1524  Concert  street,  and  enjo}'  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances. 


f^_^ENRY  E.  ALTON,  of  Keokuk,  of  the  firm 
of  Alton  Bros.,  is  successfully  engaged  with 
his  partner   in  conducting  one   of  the   best 

iv^  livery  stables  in  the  Gate  City.  Their  es- 
tal>lishment  is  located  at  Nos.  825  and  S29  Main 
street,  and  their  outfit  consists  of  about  twenty-five 
fine  driving  animals  and  a  choice  selection  of  con- 
vej'ances.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  native  of 
Illinois,  born  in  1857,  and  the  son  of  Henry  and 
Elizabeth  (Marsh)  Alton,  natives  of  the  Empire 
State.  After  leaving  New  York  State,  Henry  Al- 
ton became  engaged  in  agriculture  on  the  prairies 
of  Illinois,  and  afterward  for  a  short  time  was  en- 
gaged in  the  livery  business.  He  disposed  of  his 
interests  there  in  1.S72,  and  came  to  Keokuk,  where 
he  established  the  business  which  is  now  carried  on 
by  his  two  sons,  and  which  he  continued  until  his 
death,     which    occurred    in    1881.       The    parental 


m 
m 


m 


m  LV'^Fatrrrm] 


M232 


LEE  COUNTY. 


household  included  seven  children,  as  follows:  Lu- 
oretia,  now  Mrs.  Gilchrist,  is  a  resident  of  Keokuk; 
Thomas  is  the  second  son  of  tlie  family  i  Mary. 
Mrs.  Wells,  is  a  resident  of  Keokuk;  the  next  -.vas 
Henry,  our  subject;  Maggie  married  Mr.  Kerr,  and 
Nellie  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  Robinson,  b(jth  of  Keokuk; 
Birdie,  the  youngest,  lives  witii  her  mother  in  this 
city. 


Henry  K.  Alton  of  our  sketch   received   a  guod 
1 1  education  in  the   public   schools,  and  remained   at 
I  home  until  his  father's  death.     Then,  in.  company 
!    (1  with  his  brother  Thomai,  he  purchased  the  inter- 
^^! est  of  the  heirs  in  the  livery   Inisiness  whicii  their 
^  t    father  had    established,  ami    they  have   maintained 
jy^-^1  its  old-time  popularity  and  success.     Their  courte- 
ous demeanor  and  straightforward  methods  of   do- 
ing  business,   have   constituted    them   one   of  the 
most  popular  firms  in  the  (late  City. 

Mr.  Alton  was  married  in  IMS.i  to  Miss  Minnie 
''  Swartz,  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  an<l  of  their  union  a 
daughter  has  been  born — Laurie  M.  The3-  occupy 
P^ja  handsome  residence  at  Is'o.  lOO'J  Exchange  street, 
and  are  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  and  many 
of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Mr.  Alton  is  Rejiublican 
in  politics,  and  is  fully  entitled  to  be  classed  as  a 
valued  citizen. 


■-vv\. -\taiiC©^5 


mi 


.®J.gWWa»^- 


AKK  \y.  HOWKX,  a  prominent  grocer  and 
hotel-keeper  of  Montrose,  is  conducting  a 
prosperous  J>usiness,  the  stock  in  his  store 
consisting  of  a  large  assortment  of  grocer- 
ies, provisions,  glass  and  queensware.  The  busi- 
ness was  established  in  1860,  and  Mr.  Boweu,  by 
the  exercise  of  vigilance  and  honorable  dealing, 
has  built  up  a  tine  trade,  his  sales  some  years  ag- 
gregating the  large  sum  of  j^l  l,li>(). 


ii^BTSept.  -i.j.  I«0.').  and  departed  this  life  Sept.  4.  l>^:,'.\ 
1  ^n  in  Montrose,  l(jwa.  He  was  an  enterprising  busi- 
afr^.'Jiess  man,   possessing  a  fair  education,  and  was  en- 

:aged  in  the  hotel  business  in  this  town.  He  was 
m  adherent  of  the  .Society  of  Friends,  and  Repub- 

iean  in  polities.      In  earl^-  manhood  he  was   united 


hg  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  .lohn  and  Aim 
1 1  (Laubaugh)  Uowen,  natives  of  Chester  County,  Pa. 
I  I  John  Bowen  was  of  .Scotch-Irish   parentage,    liorit- 


in  marriage  with  Miss  Ann  Laubaugh,  a  daughter 
of  .John  and  .Sarah  (Naylor)  Laubaugh,  her  birth 
occurring  April  11,  18i;3.  .lohn  Laubaugii  w:is  a 
native  of  Chester  County,  Pa.,  and  his  decease  oc- 
curred some  j'ears  ago:  the  excellent  wife  and 
mother  had  preceded  him  to  the  better  laud  alioul 
the  year  1S18.  The  household  consisted  of  four 
children,  of  whom  Henrj-  and  Mary  died  in  in- 
fancy; Catherine  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  George 
Fetters,  and  Ann  married  Mr.  Bowen,  father  of  the 
subject  of  our  sketch.  She  was  reared  in  tlie  Pres- 
bj'teriaii  faith. 

John  IJowen  came  to  the  Territory  of  Iowa  in 
1842.  Upon  his  first  visit  he  onl3'  remained  aliout 
two  months  and  then  returned  East.  In  1^4.)  he 
again  turned  his  steps  westward,  and  decided  to  lo- 
cate in  Lee  Count\'.  His  wife  accompanied  him. 
and  they  lived  in  the  old  barracks  or  block-house 
whit^h  was  built  for  the  protection  of  the  whites 
against  the  Indians,  and  there  their  last  two  chil- 
dren were  born.  The  record  of  the  family  is  as 
follows:  John  L.,  born  Feb.  5,  1832,  in  Chester 
County,  Pa.,  was  fatally'  stabbed  at  Niipoleon,  in 
February,  18,08;  Thirza,  born  Feb.  6,  183.5,  in  Penn- 
sylvania, died  Jan.  31,  1887,  in  Montrose,  Iowa; 
HoUen  was  born  June  5,  1838,  in  Penns^'lvania,  and 
died  Aug.  21,  18G6,  at  Cairo,  111.;  Amanda  M., 
born  .Sept.  28,  1843,  in  Pennsylvania,  died  at  Nau 
voo.  111.,  Dec.  20,  1845;  Emma,  born  May  23, 
18')1,  i.s  now  Mrs.  Magoun;  Park  W.,  born  Dec.  o, 
18.53,  at  Montrose,  Iowa. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  was  the  youngest 
child  of  his  parents'  family.  He  remained  under 
the  parental  roof  and  grew  to  j'ears  of  manhood, 
and  Nov.  23,  1880,  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Lena  L.  Reeves.  Mrs.  Bowen  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Mary  (Daggett)  Reeves.  The 
former  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  1830,  and  the 
latter.  l)orii  in  1834,  came  from  the  Province  of 
New  Brunswick,  N.  S. ;  they  are  now  residents  of 
.Montrose  Township.  Their  household  consisted  of 
three  ehildien ;  Lena,  Mrs.  Bowen,  is  their  eldest 
child;  Adelaide  became  the  wife  of  C.  I).  Lertler, 
now  of  Maryville,  Mo. ;  George  M.  is  unmarried. 
The  date  of  Mrs.  Bowen's  birth  was  Oct.  6,  ISafi. 
She  came  West  with  her  parents  and  resided  with 
them  until  her  marriage.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bowen  are 


^^> 

^ 


SI 


the  parents  of  two  children,  George  T.  and  Bessie. 
Mr.  Bowen  has  been   remarkahl}'  prosperous    in 
his  business,  which  was  established  in  18!S0.     He  is 
I  a   straightforward    business    man,    courteous    and 
I  obliging   to  his  customers,  and  has  built  up  a  fine 
trade.     In   politics   he  is  strongly  Republican,  and 
sociallj'  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  a 
I  member  of  Joppa  Lodge  No.  136,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
at  Montrose,  and  is  also  connected  with    the  East- 
ern  Star,   Martha  Chapter  No.  5.     He  is  fulfilling 
all  the  ol)ligations  of  a  good   citizen  and   accumu- 
lating a  competenc}'. 


i 


'• '  -^s^ 


RfS.  CATHARINE  PECH.STEIN,  of  Keo- 
kuk, is  a  highly  respected  lady,  whose 
name  is  familiar  among  the  old-time  resi- 
dents of  the  city.  .She  is  of  excellent  Ger- 
man ancestry,  the  daughter  of  Adam  and  Margaret 
(Marklin)  Kirchner,  who  were  natives  of  Bavaria, 
emigrated  to  America  in  1847,  and  settled  at 
Charleston,  Lee  Countj',  in  the  pioneer  days. 
There,  her  father  purchased  a  farm  of  thirty  acres, 
to  which  he  subsequently  added  until  he  became 
the  possessor  of  300  acres,  upon  which  he  is  still 
living  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years. 
The  faithful  wife  and  mother  departed  this  life  the 
year  following  their  settlement  here,  her  decease 
occurring  in  1848.  The  household  cu-cle  included 
six  children,  of  whom  one  is  deceased.  John  is  a 
resident  of  Lee  County-  and  engaged  in  farming; 
Barbara,  Jlrs.  Kirchiier,  lives  in  Clark  County, 
Mo. ;  Catharine  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  George 
is  engaged  in  farming  in  this  county ;  Andrew  is  in 
Keokuk. 

Miss  Catharine  Kirchner  was  married  at  Keokuk 
to  Mr.  Conrad  Pechstein  in  1858.  Mr.  Pechstein 
was  a  native  of  Bavaria,  and  born  Oct.  ID,  1828. 
He  became  a  soldier  in  the  German  army,  enlisting 
in  the  cavahy  service,  and  was  a  soldier  for  some 
years.  He  subsequently  served  an  apprenticeship 
at  the'  baker's  trade,  which  he  followed  until  com- 
ing to  America  in  1852.  Upon  arriving  in  the 
United  States  he  proceeded  to  Keokuk,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  brewery  business  for  the  following 
nine  \ears.     Then,  in  company  with  Mr.  Nagle,  he 


purchased  the  Keokuk  Brewery,  and  continued  the 
business  until  his  death,  which  occurred  April  24, 
1873.  Their  family  consisted  of  five  children,  one 
of  whom,  Conrad  J.,  died  in  infancy;  Henry  is  en- 
gaged in  brewing;  their  only  daughter  was  named 
Lizzie;  George  is  also  engaged  in  the  brewery 
business  with  his  brother;  John  W.  is  engaged  in 
the  drug  business  in  Keokuk. 

Mr.  Pechstein  was  Republican  in  polities  and  a 
member  of  the  Order  of  Druids.  Since  the  death 
of  her  husband  Mrs.  Pechstein  has  managed  the 
propertj'  judiciously  and  successfully.  She  pur- 
chased her  present  home  in  1874,  and  is  the  owner 
of  three  lots  and  another  dwelling.  Her  home  is 
at  No.  1322  Blondeau  street,  and  is  surrounded 
with  evidences  of  a  cultivated  taste  and  ample 
means.  Her  son  bids  fair  to  succeed  to  the  busi- 
ness capacities  of  his  father,  and  the  family  are 
held  in  the  highest  respect  by  the  community. 


■►-j»t^- 


m^ 


'^Wi^-.' 


iH 


LVIN  J.  COLE,  M.  D.,  an  ex-surgeon  of 
the  United  States  Arm}',  is  a  skillful  and 
experienced  practitioner,  and  holds  a  high 
position  among  his  brethren  in  the  profes- 
sion in  this  part  of  the  Hawkeye  State.  Dr.  Cole 
was  born  at  Ovid,  Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y..  on  the  8th  of 
November,  1837.  He  is  a  son  of  Nelson  and  Huldah 
(Carpenter)  Cole,  the  former  a  native  of  Cornwall, 
Conn.,  and  the  mother  of  Weedsport.  N.  Y.  The 
family  removed  to  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  in  May, 
1850,  where  the  father  died  in  186(;.  The  mother 
is  still  living  in  that  cit}'.  The  household  circle  in- 
cluded seven  children,  of  whom  five  are  still  living: 
Emily  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  A.  C.  Roberts ;  Henry  re- 
sides at  Sheboygan,  .Mich.;  Nelson  is  deceased;  Al- 
vin  J.;  Alanson  and  Benjamin  are  at  Ann  Arbor; 
C<arc)line  is  deceased. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  received  his  primary 
education  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  graduated  from  the 
University  in  the  class  of  185',)-()0;  previous  to 
this  he  was  for  three  years  in  the  literary  de|>art- 
ment.  He  entered  the  United  States  service  in  the 
first  3'ear  of  the  Rel)ellion,  and  in  less  than  a  year 
thereafter   was  commi-ssioned  Assistant  .Surgeon  of 


M 


m 

m 


1 


I 


234 


LEE  COUNTY. 


ii 


the  14th  Regiment,  Mich.  Vol.  Inf.  Reserved  un- 
til nearly  the  close  of  the  war.  and  was  mustered 
out  at  Fa^'etteville,  X.  ('.  Rctuniinji;  to  Michigan 
he  conimeuced  practice  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  followed 
iiig  profession  tliere  until  1872,  when  he  came  to 
Ft.  Miidisoii. 

\)r.  Cole  was  appointed  United  (States  E.xaniining 
Surgeon  for  pensions  in  1«77,  and  has  retained  the 
position  since  that  time,  lie  is  n  gentleman  of 
strong  force  of  character  and  decided  views,  and  is 
actively  interested  in  everything  that  pertains  to 
the  pultlic  welfare,  lie  is  a  dose  student  and  ex- 
tensive reader,  and  has  always  aimed  to  e.xcel.  P<j- 
litically  he  is  a  stanch  advocate  of  the  principles  of 
the  Democratic  l)arty,  with  wliicli  lie  uniformly 
casts  his  vote. 

--^ oX>-®v>-v®-<>*«> v^ 

IIARLKS  l-Kli;i)KlCK,  of  Ft.  .Madison,  is 
a  fine  representative  of  that  stanch,  reliable 
and  enterprising  (ierman  element  which  has 
ilone  so  much  toward  the  settlement  and  develop- 
ment of  the  Hawkeye  State.  He  came  to  America 
in  1.H40.  and  three  years  there.aftcr  located  in  the 
Territory  of  Iowa,  being  one  of  its  pioneer  set- 
tlers, lie  has  seen  great  things  in  his  day,  and 
watched  the  progress  and  advancement  of  his 
adopted  .State  with  the  unselfish  interest  of  a  good 
citizen  .and  permanent  resident,  and  has  contributed 
his  (|Uota  toward  bringing  about  the  present  degree 
of  civilization  and  prosperity. 

Mr.  Friedrick  is  a  native  of  Haden,  (Germany, 
and  his  birth  occurred  Sept.  Hi,  1«1'J.  He  entered 
the  schools  of  his  native  land  at  the  early  .age  of 
si\  years  and  remained  as  a  pupil  for  seven  years 
thereafter,  when  lie  started  out  for  himself,  and 
found  employment  in  a  French  cutlery  shop,  his 
wages  amounting  to  about  81  per  week.  He  con- 
tinued thus  employed  for  three  years,  and  then  en- 
gaged in  butchering,  receiving  about  the  same 
wages  and  his  board  until  nineteen  years  of  age. 
He  then  determined  to  seek  in  the  New  World  for 
something  better  than  he  had  yet  known,  and  in 
the  month  of  .March,  1840,  set  sail  from  Havre  de 
(irace,  and  after  a  prosperous  voyage  of  thirty 
days,   landed   in   New   York  City.     From  there  he 


I 


proceeded  directly  to  Ohio,  locating  in  Chillicothe. 
where  he  engaged  in  butchering,  receiving  for  liL- 
first  3'ear's  labor  ^■l')  and  his  lioard.  He  reinaiued 
there  for  three  years,  and  then  started  for  the  Ter- 
ritoiy  of  Iowa,  via  the  Ohio  and  the  .Mississippi 
Rivers.  He  landed  at  Ft.  .Madison,  which  was 
then  only  a  small  town,  and  .set  up  business  on  his 
own  account  as  a  butcher  and  dealer  in  provisions. 
He  was  successful  in  his  undertaking,  and  contin-  : 
lied  it  for  sixteen  years.  Afterward,  during  the 
winter  season,  he  engaged  in  packing  pork,  and 
carried  on  farming  the  remainder  of  the  year,  until 
1878,  at  which  time  his  slaughter-house  was  de- 
stroyed by  a  cyclone.  He  then  abandoned  the 
butchering  business,  and  since  that  time  was  en- 
gaged exclusively  in  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1882,  when  he  rented  his  farm,  and  now  lives  re- 
tired from  the  active  duties  of  life. 

Charles  Friedrick  and  Miss  Luaniia  Kinsley  were 
married  in  1845.  Mrs.  h\  is  a  native  of  Germany, 
born  Oct.  28,  1824,  and  came  to  America  with  her 
parents  at  the  earh'  age  of  seven  j'ears.  Of  this 
union  six  children  were  born,  the  record  of  whom 
is  as  follows:  Joseph  lives  in  Urbana,  Ohio;  L.  W. 
is  a  resident  of  F^t.  Madison;  Annie  became  the 
wife  of  Lou  Hinsy,  and  lives  in  Ft.  Madison,  as 
also  does  William';  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Ad- 
rick,  of  Ft.  Madison;  Charles  .T.  lives  on  the  home- 
stead farm. 

In  earl}'  life  Mr.  Friedrick  was  a  member  of  the   ; 
Whig   party,  but  considers  that  he  had  reason  to  ^ 
change  his  political  views,  and   he   now  votes   the   ■ 
straight  Democratic  ticket.  In  the  course  of  his  e;i- 
reer  as  a  prominent  business  man,  he  has  made  ex- 
tensive acquaintances  in   the  surrounding  country 
and  is  exceedingly- popular.      He  once   sold   a    <h\'j. 
to  Jo-seph  Smith,  the  famous  Mormon  Prophet  of 
Nauvoo.     As    Mr.  .Smith   did    not  paj'  him  in  full   [ 
for  the  'log,  Mr.  Friedrick  called  upon  him  for  the  : 
balance  of  the  money,  and  had  the  honor  of  dining 
with  the  Prophet  and  twelve  Apostles. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Friedrick,  Jacob  and  Annie  : 
Kinsley,  emigrated  to  America  in  1881,  making  : 
their  first  settlement  in  Pennsylvania,  thence  com-  .- 
ing  to  Ft.  Madison.  From  tliere  they  removed  : 
to  \  .-111  Uureii  Ctiunty,  where  they  lived  for  ii 
lime  and  then  returned  to  Ft.  Madison,    which   re- 


^^^^H 


ij^j^^i.1 


;xi  rxxi  xxTrrzxErmrm  L 


HHWH  s  m^sme  U  smBmR.  H  % 


K^^^JjJt 


"''gxJ5!^25 


:  mained  their  home  until  their  decease.     The  father 

i  departed  this    life    in    November.    1884,    and    the 

i  mother  in  Fehriiar}-,  1885.    Tiiey  were  both  eighty- 

i  three  jears  old  at  the  time  of  their  death,  and  had 

;  |E  lived  together  in  peace  and   harnii>ny  for   the  long 

{ i^  term  of  nearlj'  sixty-five  years. 


lj;ILLIAM  PRANGER,  a  prominent  and  val- 
W/VI/     "^*^  citizen  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  carrying  on 
successfully  one  of  the  finest  livery'  stables 
:;   in  the  citj^.     He  thoroughlj'  understands  his  busi- 
:   ness.  is  courteous  and  obliging  to  his  large  circle 
5   of  patrons,  and  is  meeting  with  success  in  his  call- 
's  ing.     Mr.   Pranger    is  a  native    of   Germany,    his 
j^;   birth  taking  place  at  Hanover,  Jan.   3,   1850.     His 
i?5   father,   Bernard    Henry   Pranger,  was  a   native  of 
liS   the  same  Province  as  his  son,  and   a  carpenter  by 
1 :-  S    trade.     He  was  a  man  of  great  energy  of  character, 
i;:    industrious  and  amliitious,  and  was  not  contented 
iSS   either  with  his  condition  or  his  prospects  in  his  na- 
1  |S   tive  country.     He  therefore  concluded  to  emigrate 
ass    to  America,  which  for  over  a  century  has  been  the 
'iJjS   promised   land   for  the  energetic  and  enterprising 
a;>   man.     Accordingly,  in   1852,  he  set  sail   with  his 
"1?:   wife  and  six  children  for  the  New  World.     After  a 
V;   prosperous  voyage  they  landed  in  New  York  City, 
"iL;   where  the}'   tarried  but  a  short  time,  thence  pro- 
!|ic   coeding  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  they  located  and 
for   the  first  three   years.      They  then 

tract  of 
lit:  lantt  ni  >\  asuingion  iownsuip.  The  only  iniprove- 
il-  ment  upon  the  place  was  a  log  cabin,  and  into  this 
j|=;  the  family  moved  and  made  themselves  as  com- 
||ls  fortable  as  possible.  The  father  began  to  improve 
tj:  the  farm,  and  in  the  course  of  time  had  a  number 
Wii  of  acres  under  good  cultivation.  He  met  with 
many  difficulties  and  discouragements,  but  he  was 
not  a  man  to  give  up  and  he  i)uslied  right  on,  mak- 
ing the  best  of  circumstances.  He  lived  to  see  his 
family  comfortal)l>'  established  in  a  good  home, 
and  departed  this  life  in  1872.  The  household 
\y'-  circle  included  the  following:  Nicholas,  who  lives 
M-u  111  n  ii^uiiiguuu  Township:  Ben,  in  Ft.  Madison; 
Jj?  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  third  son:  Theo- 
ilore  also  resides  in  Ft.  Madison :  Mary  is  the  wife 


Y^s  remained 

Jrs   came  into  Lee  County  and  purchased  a 

iiti   land  in  Washington  Township 


of  Stephen  Myers,  and  they  live  in  Burlington; 
Annie  married  Herman  Schultz,  and  lives  in  Ft. 
JNLadison. 

William  Pranger  was  a  child  of  two  years  old 
when  his  parents  emigrated  to  America,  and  five  E 
years  of  age  when  the}'  came  into  Lee  County. 
He  is  thus  fully  entitled  to  be  called  a  pioneer  set- 
tler. At  an  early  age  he  began  to  assist  his  pai-- 
ents  in  the  lighter  duties  around  the  homestead, 
and  when  but  a  boy  of  twelve  years  went  nut  to 
work.  He  received  from  ^10  to  $1.')  per  montli, 
and  was  naturall}'  liright  and  industrious,  making- 
friends  wherever  he  went.  As  he  grew  older  his 
wages  were  increased,  but  he  lived  econoiuically, 
saved  what  he  could  of  his  earnings,  and  in  lf<G!) 
c*>mmeneed  business  for  himself  by  opening  a  res- 
taurant at  Ft.  Madison.  Seven  years  later  he  pur- 
chased the  half  interest  of  William  Pritchard,  who 
was  carrying  on  a  livery  stable,  and  finally  pui- 
chased  the  interest  of  liis  partner  and  conducted 
the  business  alone.  He  has  been  successful  from  TI  fji 
the  beginning  and  keeps  some  of  the  best  animals  . "  " 
and  vehicles  to  be  found  in  the  city. 

The  marriage  of  William  Pranger  and  Miss  Kate 
Bentledge  was  celebrated  Sept.  20,  187C.  Mrs. 
Pranger  is  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  an  amiable 
and  intelligent  lady,  and  of  this  union  there  have 
been  born  three  children:  Mary,  known  as^Lamie; 
Eddie  B.,  the  eldest,  was  born  Sept.  i),  1877,  and 
died  March  22,  1879;  Robert  died  when  five  years  ||;  | 
of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pranger  are  members  in  mM 
good  standing  of  St.  Joseph's  Church. 


m 


J-/ILLIAM  BRANDES,  of  Ft.  Madison,  a 
pioneer  of  Lee  Count}'  of  1850,  has  now 
been  a  respected  resident  of  this  section  ^ 
for  the  larger  part  of  forty  years.  He  is  a  native 
of  Brunswick,  Germany,  the  date  of  his  birth  being- 
April  4,  1819.  His  childhood  years  were  jjassed 
under  the  parental  roof  and  in  attendance  at  the 
public  schools,  after  which  he  learned  the  shoe- 
maker's trade,  which  he  followed  in  his  native 
country  until  1845.  Not  being  satisfied  with  his 
condition  or  prospects  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  he 
decided  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States.     He  ac- 


^ 


■  ■  11  "-1.1  LXAAXi  rrrxTXA  ^  1 1  rr 


inii! 


Sin  a 


ii 


n 


mm 


236 


LEE  COUNTY. 


c-ordingly  set  sail,  and  after  a  prosperous  voyage 
lanrU'd  in  New  Orleans,  thence  proceeding  to  St. 
Lonis,  -Mo.,  wiiere  he  rem-iinod  for  three  months, 
and  .'ifterward  went  to  •juincy.  111.,  where  he 
staid  until  the  following  year,  when  he  crossed 
the  Mississippi  and  c-inie  to  Ft.  Madison,  where  he 
had  friends,  lie  was  pleased  with  the  locality  and 
concluded  to  remain  here,  liut  soon  afterward, 
however,  was  induced  to  change  liis  plans  and  be- 
come a  soldier  in  the  I'nitcd  States  army,  tliis 
country  then  being  at  war  with  jNIexico.  His  regi- 
ment was  first  commanded  by  (ion.  Taylor  at 
Monterey,  and  was  then  transferred  to  the  command 
of  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  at  Vera  Cruz,  and  our  sub- 
ject participated  in  all  the  engagements  of  that 
campaign.  At  the  termination  of  the  war  he  was 
mustered  oiit  at  St.  Louis,  and  remained  in  that 
city  until  1H.50,  after  which  he  removed  to  Ft. 
Madison  and  followed  his  trade  for  the  following 
ten  years,  when  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  wori<  at 
the  bench  on  account  of  impaired  health. 

From  this  time  until  18(i4  Mr.  Brandes  was  in 
the  employ  of  a  produce  firm,  and  was  then  ap- 
pointed watchman  of  the  Mound  Cit^'  Nav}^  Yards 
on  the  Ohio  River,  which  position  he  retained  for 
three  years.  He  then  returned  to  Ft.  Madison  and 
then  started  for  Germany,  remaining  one  year  and 
nine  months.  On  his  return  he  engaged  with  the 
firm  by  whom  he  was  formerly  emi)loyed,  remain- 
ing with  them  this  time  for  the  space  of  seven  j'ears, 
and  since  then  has  been  night  watchman  in  the  city. 
Possessing  the  characteristics  of  his  countrymen  he 
has  been  industrious  and  economical,  and  saved  his 
earnings,  and  is  now  in  possession  of  a  comfortable 
and  pleasant  two-story  brick  residence,  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  city,  which  was  erected  in  1884,  at 
a  cost  of  $1,800. 

Mr.  Brandes  obtained  his  naturalization  papers  as 
soon  as  possible  after  coming  to  the  United  States, 
and  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his 
adopted  country.  For  a  few  years  he  affiliated  with 
the  Democratic  party,  but  during  the  war  consid- 
ered that  he  had  reason  to  change  his  opinions,  and 
is  now  a  stanch  liepublican. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  in  1848, 
in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  to  Miss  Christine  Olendorf,  of 
Germany,  who  emigrated  to  the    United   States   in 


■'i 


1847.  She  did  not  long  remain  the  companion  of 
her  luisband,  her  death  occurring  in  1853.  Of  this 
marriage  there  were  no  children.  The  second  mar- 
riage of  .Mr.  Brandes  occcurred  in  18."),5,  when  he 
was  united  to  Miss  Johanna  Pinkepank,  who  is  a 
native  of  his  own  countr}'.  and  came  to  America  in 
18.54.  Of  this  union  there  are  five  children  liv- 
ing: Minnie  is  the  wife  of  Conrad  Hoyer,  and 
resides  in  Lee  County ;  Charles;  Louise  is  the  wife 
of  Mr.  (Jus  Buckolz;  the  others  are  Willie  and 
Henry  ;  two  daughters,  Sophia  and  Lena,  died  when 
twenty-two  jears  of  age.  Mr.  Brandes  belongs  to 
the  Lutheran  Church,  and  is  greatl3'  respected  b^' 
his  fellow-townsmen. 


"irWl 


liiSiyjsiiiK.'iJi^i 


ENRY'  SHINSTOCK,  a  well-to-do  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  of  Marion  Township,  was 
born  in  the  Empire  of  Germany,  April  4, 
1 833,  on  a  farm.  His  father,  Casper  Shin- 
stock,  was  a  farmer  by  calling,  and  followed  his  vo- 
cation in  the  ■'  faderland."  The  mother  of  our 
subject,  Anna  Shinstock,  was  also  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, and  slie  and  her  good  husband  continued  to 
live  in  that  countr}'  until  their  death.  Fourteen 
children  were  born  to  them,  nine  of  whom  lived  to 
attain  the  age  of  maturity. 

Henry  Shinstock  lived  on  his  father's  farm  and 
assisted  in  the  maintenance  of  the  family'  until  he 
was  his  own  man.     He  then,  hoping   to   better  his 
financial  condition  in  the  free  Republic  beyond  the 
ocean,  emigrated  to  this  country  and  disembarked 
at  New  Orleans.     From  th.at  city  he   went  to  St.  P 
Louis,  Mo.,  where  he   remained    for   about   three 
years,  working  the  major  portion  of  the  time  in  a 
brick3'ard.     With  money   which  he  had  saved  by 
days'  labor  he  purchased  a  team  of  horses,  that  is, 
he  paid  half  cash  and  went  in  debt  for  the  remain- 
der.     He,    however,    followed   teaming   there  for 
awhile,  and  then  disposing  of   his   team  by  sale,  ; 
came  to   Ft.  Madison,  this  State.     Here  he   ran  a  k 
brickyard,  but  this  being  at  the  same  time  the  late  gjj 
Civil  War  was  in  progress,  the  business  proved  un- 
profitable.    He  then  engaged  in  farming  on  rented 
land  in  Marion  Township,  which  he  followed  in  this 
manner  for  four  years.     At  the  expiration  of   this 


LEE  COUNTY. 


237 


li  s 


time  he  had  the  snug  little  sum  of  $700.  He  then 
bought  a  farm  for  iil,300.  and  paying  his  *700 
down,  went  in  delit  for  the  balance.  The  place 
consisted  of  100  acres,  and  (^nr  subject  went  to 
work  with  all  the  energy  he  could  bring  to  l)ear  to 
clear  his  place  of  indebtedness.  He  soon  did  so, 
adding  to  the  same  from  time  to  time,  and  now 
has  335  acres  of  choice  land,  which  is  located  in 
the  garden  spot  of  Lee  County.  He  has  erected  a 
good  brick  residence,  substantial  barn  and  out- 
buildings, and  is  now  enabled  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of 
a  laborious  and  successful  past.  He  h.as  dealt  ex- 
tensively in  the  raising  of  cattle,  and  out  of  this 
branch  of  his  calling  has  made  a  portion  of  his 
money.  His  horses  are  of  the  Clydesdale  breed, 
of  which  he  has  some  fine  specimens  on  his  place. 

Mr.  Shinstock  was  married  to  Miss  Katie  H. 
Holznekempfe,  in  1860.  She  was  born  in  German}', 
whence  our  subject  went  after  and  married  her. 
Eleven  children  have  been  born  to  them,  five  sons 
and  six  daughters,  namely,  Casper,  Henry,  Anna, 
.Theodore,  Peter,  Theresa,  Christ,  Mary,  Katie,  Liz- 
zie and  Maggie.  Mr.  Shinstock  and  his  wife,  to- 
gether with  his  children,  are  members  of  the  St. 
James  Catholic  Church  of  St.  Paul.  In  politics 
Mr.  Shinstock  votes  the  Democratic  ticket. 

A  view  of  the  handsome  residence  and  surround- 
ings of  Mr.  Shinstock  is  shown  on  another  page. 

\lp— ^TREDERICK    BALL,    a  prosperous  German 
i^Js)    farmer   of   Charleston   Township,   having  a 
_i  comfortable   homestead   on   section   9,   was 

born  Nov.  11,  1827,  and  remained  a  resident  of  his 
native  Germany  until  1848.  In  the  spring  of  that 
year,  not  being  satisfied  with  his  prospects  in  his 
native  land,  he  decided  to  emigrate  to  the  United 
States.  After  arriving  upon  American  shores  he 
proceeded  to  New  Jersey,  where  he  was  engaged 
as  a  baker  for  two  years.  He  then  went  to  New 
York  City,  remaining  there  until  1855;  thence  went 
to  Hamilton,  Ohio,  and  after  a  sojourn  of  two 
months,  set  his  face  for  the  farther  West,  and,  cross- 
ing the  Father  of  Waters,  landed  in  Lee  County. 
His  first  location  was  made  in  Franklin  Township, 
which  continued  his  home  for   the  four  years   fol- 


lowing. In  the  fall  of  1859  he  came  to  Charleston 
Township,  rented  land  for  three  years,  and  then 
purchased  his  present  homestead.  It  consists  of  312 
acres,  all  in  one  body,  and  is  highly  impi'oved  and 
valuable.  He  has  a  good  farm  residence,  a  substan- 
tial liarn  and  all  necessary  out-liuildings.  and  is 
passing  his  d.ays  in  peace  and  comft>rt,  occupied 
with  the  various  pursuits  of  the  farm. 

Mr.  Ball  was  married,  in  Franklin  Township,  to 
Miss  Margaret  Whertvine,  also  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, and  <^if  this  union  there  were  born  eleven 
children,  four  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Those 
surviving  are — John,  P'rederick,  Mary,  Barbara, 
Jacob.  Henry  and  Peter.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  are 
members  in  good  standing  of  the  German  Lutheran 
Chni-ch,  and  in  politics  Mr.  B.  is  a  conscientious 
Democrat.  He  has  been  enterprising  and  industri- 
ous, upright  and  honorable  in  his  transactions,  and 
enjoys  the  respect  of  his  neighbors  and  acquaint- 
ances. 

-^ €-i-^ ^^ 

OBERT  E.  HILL,  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
stock-grower,  occupies  a  fine  tract  of  land 
on  section  12,  in  Harrison  Township,  and 
S!is  carrying  on  the  different  branches  of  his 
business  intelligently  and  profltabl}-.  Mr.  Hill  is  a 
native  of  Wayne  County,  Ind.,  born  June  26,  1840, 
and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Zilphia  (HoUowell) 
Hill,  natives  respective!}-,  of  Ohio  and  North  Caro- 
lina. William  Hill  was  born  Oct.  5,  1804,  and  wasi 
reared  on  a  farm,  receiving  his  eariy  education  in 
the  common  schools.  After  attaining  his  majority 
he  emigrated  to  Indiana  and  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  at  Richmond,  being  thus  occupied  for  the 
following  four  j'ears.  He  then  abandoned  that 
business  and  resolved  to  become  a  farmer.  He 
ci-ossed  the  Father  of  Waters  in  1 843,  and  purchased 
forty  acres  of  land  in  Lee  County,  Iowa.  To  this 
he  added  another  forty  acres,  upon  which  he  es- 
tablished a  homestead  and  remained  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  F"eb.  1,  1869.  He  had  been  reared 
in  the  (Quaker  faith,  and  clung  to  his  early  religion 
throughout  his  lifetime.  He  was  Repub'iean  in 
politics,  was  a  good  man,  and  highly  esteemed  in 
his  communit}'. 

William  Hill  was  married  to  Miss  Zilphia  Hoi- 


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lowcll  <m  tlic  20Th  of  December,  1H.51.  the  wedding 
occurring  in  Hifliniond,  Ind.  The  piuents  of  Mrs. 
Hill,  Exuin  and  Ckriiej'  (Fort)  Ilollowell,  were  n!i- 
tives  of  North  Carolina,  and  their  daughter  was 
l)orn  March  20,  18n7.  The  family  of  William  Hill 
consisted  of  six  children,  as  follows:  Susanna  be- 
came the  wife  of  Benjamin  Cook;  Julia  A.  mar- 
ried John  McGreer;  Patience  died  at  the  age  of 
two  years;  Edmund  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war, 
and  died  in  the  hospital  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn. ; 
the  fifth  child  was  Robert  E.,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch;  Elizabeth  l)ecamc  the  wife  of  Jesse  Mc- 
Millan. 

Robert  E.  Hill  ivas  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Miiry  .McMillan,  Feb.  1),  \XM.  .Mrs.  Hill  is  a  na- 
tive of  J>ee  County,  and  her  birth  took  ijlacc  Oct. 
.11,  l«ll.  Her  parents  were  Amos  and  Hannah 
(.\i'mitage)  .McMillan,  natives  of  I'enns^'lvania. 
The  mother  is  now  deceased,  but  the  father  is  still 
living.  They  were  the  jiareiits  of  seven  children, 
three  of  whom  are  married  and  established  in 
homes  of  their  own.  Robert  E.  Hill  and  his  wife 
have  become  the  parents  of  four  children — diaries 
E.,  Samuel  H.,  Lanora  and  I'etie  Roy. 

The  homestead  of  Mr.  Hill  comprises  a  beautiful 
furiu  dwelling  and  700  acres  of  land.  He  has  been 
successful  in  his  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock- 
raising,  and  has  a  herd  of  some  of  the  finest  cattle 
to  be  found  in  the  Mississi|)pi  Vallej'.  He  is  a 
gentleman  of  energy-  and  enterprise,  and  his  farm 
estate  will  bear  comparison  with  anything  of  the 
kind  in  Lee  County.  Mr.  Mill  is  held  in  high  re- 
spect by  the  community  of  which  he  is  a  member, 
and  in  politics  is  a  conscientious  Republican. 

R.  P.  J.  PAYNE,  a  prominent  and  popular 
member  of  the  medical  profession  of  the 
Gate  City,  is  a  native  of  Frankford,  Pike 
Co.,  Mo.,  and  was  born  on  the  3d  of  July, 
He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  O.  B.  and  Elizabeth 
(Payne)  Payne,  natives  of  Connecticut.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  departed  this  life  in  1856. 
and  Dr.  O.  B.  Payne,  the  father,  is  a  resident  of 
Ferndale,  Cal..  and  retired  from  the  active  duties 
of  life.     He  has  been  prominent  in  liis  i)rofession, 


a  member  of  the  Clark  .Medical  Society,  and  dur- 
ing the  war,  Surgeon-in-Chicf  of  the  3d  Division 
of  the  17th  Army  Corps.  He  has  also  been  con- 
nected with  the  State  Medical  Society  of  Missouri 
and  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  repii- 
sented  his  county  in  the  (ieneral  Assembly  of  Mis- 
souri. He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  organized  in  Nortii- 
westeru  Missouri,  the  order  called  the  Knights  ol 
Malta.  During  the  war.  Dr.  Payne,  the  elder,  w;i.-- 
also  connected  with  the  Kith  Mi.ssouri  Lifantry,  a> 
chief  medical  ofllcer  in  the  regiment,  and  whcrevci 
he  was  located,  whether  in  military  or  civil  life,  wa.-? 
tacitlj'  .acknowledged  ,as  a  foremost  man  and  a 
leader  among  his  fellows.  In  IMSd  he  wiis  ap- 
pointed a  delegate  from  California  to  the  President- 
ial Convention,  and  w.as  instructed  to  cast  his  vote 
for  Gen.  Grant. 

The  parental  family  of  our  sulijecl  included  six 
children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters:  P.  J.  is 
the  eldest  child  in  the  family;  George  A.,  an  editor, 
is  a  resident  of  California;  Henry  C.  is  foreman  of 
a  printing-office  in  Omaha,  Neb.;  Florence  married 
S.  JL  Mitchell,  a  farmer  of  California;  Alice  A. 
became  the  wife  of  James  Groves,  a  commission 
merchant  of  Ferndale,  Cal. ;  Isabel  married  Frank 
Turnej',  an  architect,  and  lives  in  California. 

The  subject  of  our  biography  spent  most  of  his 
3'ounger  (lays  in  his  native  State,  and  received  :i 
fair  education  in  the  public  schools.  After  arriving 
at  years  of  manhood,  he  made  quite  an  extensive 
tour  of  the  Northwest,  spending  two  years  in  travel, 
and  upon  returning  home  entered  upon  the  study 
of  medicine  at  St.  Francisville,  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  his  father.  He  went  into  the  iirmj'  with 
the  latter,  and  assisted  him  as  surgeon  in  his  duties 
among  the  wounded  soldiers,  which  proved  a  valua- 
ble experience.  Previous  to  this,  however,  he  had 
attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Keokuk  College 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and  also  graduated 
from  the  medical  department  of  the  Iowa  Stale 
University. 

After  the  resignation  of  liis  father  as  a  surgeon 
in  the  army,  our  subject  was  commissioned  surgeon 
of  the  lOth  Missouri  Infantry,  and  remained  in  tlie 
service  of  the  Government  until  the  close  of  the 
war.      He  then  returned  to  .Missouri,  :ind  located  at 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


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241 


11 


Luiay,  in  Clark  County,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  until  the  spring  of  18S1,  when 
he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  here, 
in  which  he  has  been  continuously  engaged  since 
that  time,  his  office  being  located  at  No.  12  South 
Third  street. 

Dr.  Payne  and  Miss  Frances  A.  Ochiltree  were 
united  in  marriage  in  1808.  Mrs.  Payne  is  a  native 
of  Vineennes,  Ind.,  and  daughter  of  G.  M.  Ochil- 
tree, who  was  County  Clerk  of  Clark  Count}%  Mo. 
Of  this  union  there  have  been  born  two  children — 
Benjamina  O.  and  Winnifred.  The  Doctor  and  his 
family  occupy  a  pleasant  residence  at  No.  708  Des 
Moines  street.  They  are  held  in  high  esteem  by 
the  best  class  of  residents,  and  the  Doctor  has  an 
extensive  pr.actice,  not  only  in  this  locality,  but  is 
often  called  as  consulting  ph3'sician  to  his  native 
State  of  Missouri.  He  is  Republican  in  politics, 
belongs  to  the  Keokuk  Medical  Society,  and  was 
formerly  a  member  of  the  Clark  County  (Mo.) 
Medical  Society.  He  is  a  member  in  good  standing 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,and  stands  high  among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  profession  in  this  locality. 


THOMAS  EVANS,  oecupjnng  a  prominent 
position  among  the  industrial  interests  of 
Keokuk,  is  a  native  of  Chester  County,  En- 
gland, and  was  born  March  G,  1823.  He  is  the  son 
of  John  and  Margaret  (Jones)  Evans,  natives  of 
the  same  country  as  their  sou,  and  of  English  an- 
cestrj'  and  parentage.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  the  fifth  of  a  famil}'  of  six  children  who  gath- 
ered around  the  parental  hearthstone,  and  from  his 
earlier  years  was  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and 
honesty.  When  he  became  of  suitable  age  he 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  seven  years  at  boiler- 
making  and  ship-building,  and  followed  this  joint 
occupation  until  1850,  when  he  left  his  native  coun- 
try and  emigrated  to  America.  His  first  location 
after  arriving  here  was  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y., 
where  he  became  foreman  in  a  boiler  works  estab- 
lishment, remaining  there  for  one  year.  He  then 
went  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  secured  the  posi- 
tion of  foreman  in  the  shops  of  the  New  York  & 
Erie   Railroad,  located  at  Susquehanna,  and  oecu- 


In  the  winter  of  i 
I 

G  he   started  westward  across  the  Mississippi  to 


pied  this  position  for  five  years 
18. 

Iowa,  and  locating  in  Keokuk,  formed  a  partnership 
with  Richard  Holloway  for  the  purpose  of  manu- 
facturing boilers.  They  operated  together  about 
two  years,  when  they  closed  out  the  business,  and  jjll 
Ml-.  Evans,  going  to  St.  Louis,  engaged  as  a  Gov- 
ernment employe  for  the  manufacture  of  gun-boats 
for  a  year,  and  then  returning  to  Keokuk,  entered 
the  shops  which  are  now  owned  by  the  Chicago, 
Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railway.  Of  these  he  was 
foreman  from  18G3  to  1884,  when  he  was  obliged 
to  abandon  the  business  of  a  machinist  on  account 
of  ill-health,  and  is  now  retired  from  active  labor. 

Mr.  Evans,  in  early  manhood,  was  married  in 
Susquehanna,  Pa.,  to  Miss  Catharine  Anderson,  a 
native  of  his  own  country,  who  bore  him  three 
children :  Jennie  L.  is  the  wife  of  Peter  Lamb, 
and  resides  in  Bloomington,  111.;  William  P.,  pos- 
sessed of  the  genius  of  his  father,  is  a  skilled  ma- 
chinist, employed  in  the  shops  of  the  C,  R.  I.  &  P. 
R.  R.  at  Keokuk;  Laura  L.  died  in  infancy.  Mrs. 
Catharine  Evans  died  in  Susquehanna,  Pa.,  April 
19,  1855.  The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Evans  took 
place  at  Ma3'svi]le,  Ky.,  where  he  was  united  with 
Miss  Sarah  Bullen,  also  a  native  of  England,  and  of 
this  union  there  was  born  one  child,  John  J.  S., 
who  died  when  less  than  two  years  old. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  have  a  pleasant  home  in 
Keokuk,  and  are  surrounded  by  all  of  the  comforts 
and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Mr.  E.  is  inde- 
pendent in  politics,  and  socially  is  a  member  in 
good  standing  of  Eagle  Lodge  No.  12,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  A  lithographic  portrait  of  Mr.  Evans  is 
shown  on  the  opposite  page. 


^^EORGE  WILSON,  a  pioneer  settler  of  Jef- 
[||  __  ferson  Township,  is  an  industrious  and  fairi}' 
^^(  successful  farmer,  occupying  a  comfortable 
homestead  on  section  2.  He  came  to  Lee  County 
in  1833,  and  has  been  an  interested  witness  of  the 
marvelous  development  of  a  rich  section  of  country. 
He  crossed  the  Mississippi  River  from  Hancock 
County,  111.,  and  entered  a  tract  of  land  which  had 
then  not  even  been  surveyed.     Tliis  he  islowly  im- 


:  ijnuurm: 


•242 


LEE  COUNTY. 


T 


proved  and  cultivated,  and  when  it  came  into  mar- 
ket secured  his  title  from  the  Oovernment.  The 
farming  implements  of  that  period  were  of  the 
rudest  description,  ami  it  took  abundant  toil  to  ac- 
complish even  small  results.  Hut  Mr.  Wilson  per- 
severed in  his  undertakina  :ini1  rmally  established 
a  comfortable  home. 

The  father  of  oursuliject.  Hugh  Wil.sou,  was  born 
[lear  Lexington,  Ky.,and  after  arriving  at  years  of 
manhood  went  down  to  Tennessee  and  settled  at  a 
point  on  tlie  Cumberland  River,  where  in  due  time 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  .Susan  Stiles. 
His  bride  was  born  and  reared  in  Tennessee,  and 
was  of  German  and  Irish  descent  and  parentage. 
After  their  marriage  they  removed  to  Indiana,  set- 
tling near  the  Wabash  River,  whence,  after  a  time 
they  proceeded  to  C'liristian  County,  Ky.,  and  later 
crossed  the  Mississippi  and  went  into  Missouri,  then 
proceeded  South  to  Arkansas;  after  a  time  they  re- 
turned to  Missouri,  and  n  little  later  went  to  Schuy- 
ler County,  III.,  where  they  settled  near  the  county 
seat.  Rushvilie,  and  Hugh  AVilson  hewed  the  logs 
for  the  first  court-house  that  was  built  in  the  Latter- 
named  county. 

In  1H;51  Hugh  Wilson,  with  his  f.<imily,  removed 
from  Illinois,  and  the  third  time  crossed  the  F.ither 
of  Waters,  settling  in  what  is  now  Jefferson  Town- 
ship. Here  they  im])roved  a  farm  which  was  located 
in  the  first  bottoms  of  the  Mississippi,  and  known 
as  Sand  Prairie.  They  labored  industriously  and 
watched  with  unab.nted  interest  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  the  Hawkeye  State.  Upon  this  farm 
the  parents  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  and 
only  one  of  their  children  is  left  to  perpetuate  their 
name,  George  Wilson  lieing  the  only  surviving  mem- 
ber of  a  family  of  six  sons  and  three  daughters. 
The  parents  departed  this  life  some  j^ears  before  the 
breaking  out  of  the  late  Rcl)ellion. 

George  Wilson  remained  with  his  parents  through 
the  various  changes  of  location  which  occurred  un- 
til they  came  to   Iowa.     He  was  born  in   J.ackson 
County,  Tenn.,  July  '22,  180!),  and  after  arriving  at 
years   of    manhood    was    married   near    Rushvilie, 
22q  Schuyler  Co.,  III.,  to  .Miss  Rebecca  Wallace,  of  Jack- 
son County,  Tenn..  wlio  was  born   in   ISTi.     Her 
I   father   was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and    removed 
I     from  Tennessee  to  Illinois,  where  he  died  many  years 


ago.     The  mother  survived  him  several  years,  and  »  i 
died  in  Jefferson  Township,  this  State.    They  were  ~ 
most  excellent  and  worthy  people,  .-ind  reared  their  gi 


1 


children  lo  upright  and  honorable  lives. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  became  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  the  following  are  living:  .Susan 
is  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Drollingcr,  a  farmer  of 
Jefferson  Township;  Eliza  A.  married  Henry 
Mitchell,  and  they  also  live  on  a  farm  in  this  town- 
shii) ;  ( leorge  married  Miss  Lucy  Steward,  and  man- 
ages his  father's  homestead;  Hannah  is  the  wife  of 
.lolin  Ilatton,  a  farmer  of  Cass  County,  .Mo. 

Mr.  Wilscm  is  the  owner  of  4-tO   .acres  of  land,  ^ 
mostly  improved.     He  has  been  quite  extensively  S 
engaged    in  stock-raising,  and   is  in  all  respects    a 
straightforward  and  honest  citizen.     He    and    his  -   , 
wife  are  members  in  good  standing  of  the  Method-  pHl 
ist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  polities  Mr.  W.   is  an 
nnc(jm promising  Democrat. 


^^  APT.  ASA  B.   WOODWARD,  pilot  of  the 
[if^    steamboat  ''Sam  Atlee,"  has  his  headquar-   t, 
'^^f''  ters  at  Ft.  Madison,  and  is  considered  one  of  c 
its  worthy  and  excellent  citizens.     He  was  born  in    ! 
Lancaster,  Fairfield  Co.,  Ohio,  Sept.  3,  1836,  and  is   ^ 
the  son    of   John   Mason  and  Elizabeth  (Wilson)    : 
Woodward,  both  natives  of  the  Buckeye  State.    His 
father  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  a  skilled  me- 
chanic, who  died  in  New   Corydon,  Jay   Co.,  lud.    : 
The  mother  still  survives,  and  resides  at  Lancaster, 
.it  the  advanced  age    of   seventy-six  years.     The   : 
parental  household   consisted   of  six  children,  two   ^ 
sons  and  four  daughters. 

The  subject,  of  this  biography  was  the  eldest  son 
of  his  i)arcnts"  family.  He  grew  to  manhood  under 
the  parental  roof  and  received  a  good  education  in 
the  common  schools.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  years, 
in  185.'),  he  set  his  face  westward  to  the  Father  ot 
Waters,  boarded  a  steamer,  and  went  up  the  river  : 
to  St.  Paul,  where  he  engaged  to  return  with  a  raft 
of  lumber.  This  novel  occupation  being  quite  a 
change  from  the  labors  of  his  former  life,  proved 
quite  an  attraction  to  him,  and  he  followed  the  river 
for  the  next  six  vears,  or  until  1861,  aud  the  break- 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


243 


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II 

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ing  out  of  the  late  Civil  War.  He  then  decided 
to  become  a  volunteer  soldier,  and  enlisted  as  a 
member  of  Company  A,  1st  Iowa  Regiment,  in 
which  he  served  three  months,  that  being  the  term 
of  enlistment.  He  then  continued  in  the  service  as 
wagon-master,  and  subsequently  had  charge  of  the 
Provost  Marshal's  stables  at  Memphis,  under  Gen. 
E.  B.  Washburn.  He  remained  in  the  service  until 
the  close  of  the  war  and  then  resumed  his  former 
life  on  the  Mississippi.  Since  that  time  he  has  either 
served  as  Pilot  or  Captain,  and  is  well  fitted  for  his 
peculiar  duty. 

Capt.  Woodward  was  married  in  1862  to  Miss 
Jemima  C.  Gibson,  and  thej'  have  become  the  par- 
ents of  two  children.  Rend  and  Ruth.  Capt.  Wood- 
ward located  at  Ft.  Madison  in  18G9,  and  has  made 
this  citj-  his  residence  since  that  time.  Religiouslj' 
he  is  connected  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
socially  witli  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Politically  he  is 
strongly  Republican,  and  uniforml}'  casts  his  vote 
in  support  of  the  principles  of  that  part\'.  He  is  a 
good  citizen,  and  the  family  are  highly  respected 
in  their  community. 


-«- 


AVID  C.  MARSH,  a  prominent  resident 
of  Washington  Township,  owns  and  occu- 
pies a  valuable  farm  estate  pleasantly  lo- 
cated on  section  2.  He  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  the  Hawkeye  State  for  nearlj'  forty-seven 
years,  coming  here  several  years  before  it  was  ad- 
mitted into  the  Union  as  a  State,  .ind  has  witnessed 
with  admiring  interest  the  wonderful  changes  which 
have  taken  place,  and  the  rapid  march  of  civiliza- 
tion and  progress.  Since  coming  here  he  has  made 
the  interests  of  his  adopted  State  his  own,  has  re- 
joiced in  her  prosperity,  and  has  aided  to  the  best 
of  his  al)ilitjf  in  bringing  about  her  present  pros- 
perous condition. 

David  C.  Marsh  is  a  native  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
and  was  born  Jan.  7,  181G.  His  parents  were  Will- 
iam and  Lodika  (Knight)  Marsh,  the  history  of 
whom  will  be  found  in  another  part  of  this  volume 
in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  I.  L.  Marsh.  The 
subject  of  this  history  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of 


eight  children,  and  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  his 
birthplace  until  five  j^ears  old,  when  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Preble  County.  He  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
and  then,  in  the  fall  of  1 839,  resolved  to  cross  the 
Father  of  Waters  and  seek  his  fortune  in  the  farther 
West.  He  had  already  formed  domestic  ties,  and 
was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  child  when  he 
came  into  Lee  County.  He  entered  160  acres  of 
land  on  sections  2  and  11,  locating  his  dwelling  on 
the  former  section,  and  has  resided  here  since  that 
time.  Although  never  having  served  an  apprentice- 
ship at  any  trade,  he  occupied  his  spare  time  when 
a  j'outh  in  making  chairs,  and  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen years  bought  his  time  of  his  father  and  carried 
on  the  chair  business  on  his  own  account.  After 
coming  to  Iowa  he  turned  his  attention  exclusivel}' 
to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  prospered  in  his 
farming  operations  and  business  transactions,  and 
added  to  his  possessions  from  time  to  time  until  he 
became  the  owner  of  469  acres  of  valuable  land  in 
Washington  Township.  The  most  of  this  is  finely 
improved  and  cultivated,  and  his  residence,  which 
he  built  in  1873,  is  a  fine  brick  structure,  finished 
and  furnished  after  the  most  modern  and  improved 
style.  He  has  good  barns  and  out-buildings,  valu- 
able farm  machinery,  and  everything  pertaining  to 
a  first-class  agriculturist  and  stock-raiser. 

Mr.  Marsh  was  married  in  Preble  County,  Ohio, 
Jan.  21,  1838,  to  Catharine,  daughter  of  William 
and  Elcindia  (Roach)  Mincer,  natives  of  Virginia, 
and  of  German  and  English  ancestry.  After  their 
marriage  they  removed  from  Virginia  to  Darke 
County,  Ohio,  where  the  decease  of  the  mother  oc- 
curred a  few  years  later.  After  the  death  of  his 
wife,  William  Mincer  left  Ohio  and  came  to  Iowa 
in  the  fall  of  1853,  settling  in  Mahaska  County', 
where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  his  life.  The 
parental  household  included  thirteen  children,  of 
whom  Mrs.  Marsh  of  our  sketch  was  the  fifth  in 
order  of  birth.  She  was  born  in  Frederick  County, 
Va.,  Dec.  9,  1822,  and  by  her  union  with  our  sub- 
ject has  become  the  mother  of  three  children,  as 
follows:  William  married  Miss  Eveline  Rice,  who 
died  in  Washington  Township,  and  he  afterward 
married  Miss  Elcindia  Mincer,  and  still  resides 
here;  Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Thomsen,  of 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


Jasper  County,  Iowa;  Martha  J.  married  George 
Thompson,  aiirl  resides  in  Wasliington  Township. 

^[r.  Miirsh  is  hoiil  in  iiigii  osteem  by  his  fellow 
townsmen,  :in<l  has  held  tiie  minor  offices  of  the 
township.  He  and  iiis  wife,  with  their  son  Will- 
iam and  daughter  Martha,  are  connected  with  the 
Christian  Church,  and  Mary  with  the  Methodist. 
.Mr.  .Marsh  is  Democratic  in  politics,  is  the  friend 
of  law  and  order,  and  in  all  respects  is  fultillinii  the 
obligations  of  a  goofl  citizen. 


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ON.  CHARLES  DOEKR,  Postmaster  of  Ft. 

Madison,   is  .-i    fine   representative  of   that 

stiinch  German  element  which  has  done  so 

much  to  aid  in  the  development  of  the  great 

West.     He  was  born  in  the  Duchy  of  Nassau,  Ger- 

^  many,  Jan.  13,  1831,  his  parents  being  Phillip  and 
Catherine  (Tresbach)  Doerr.  The  father  was  a 
stonemason  and  st(  >ne-cutter  by  trade,  remarkably 
skillful  as  a  mechanic,  and  was  engaged  on  Govern- 
ment work,  being  ,'in  authority  on  I'iver  improve- 
ments, such  as  barracks,  (piays,  canal  locks,  etc.  In 
iHol  the  familj',  consisting  of  the  parents  and  two 
children,  Charles  and  Jannette  (the  latter  the  wife 
of  George  Authes,  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.),  emigra- 
ted to  the  United  States,  landing  in  New  York 
City  on  the  21st  of  March.  The  father  and  son 
worked  at  their  trade  about  six  months  in  that 
city,  and  then  removed  to  Bennington  County,  Vt., 
remaining  there  for  one  year,  where  the  death  of 
the  mother  occurred  in  18.t2,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
four  years.  The  following  year  the  surviving  mem- 
lici-s  of  the  famil}'  started  westward,  locating  first 
ill  Illinois, and  the  father  and  son  engaged  in  build- 
ing railroad  bridges,  and  in  other  heavy  masonry 

pjin  Illinois  and  Missouri.  In  18.5.5  they  came  to  Ft. 
Madison,  where  the  father  pursued  his  trade  for 
many  j'cars.  He  is  now  retired  from  the  active 
duties  of  life,  and  although  at  the  advanced  age  of 
seventy-nine  years,  is  still  hale  and  hearty,  his 
physical  and  intellectual  powers  having  been  re- 
tained to  a  remarkable  degree. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  received   a  good 
education   in  llic  coinnioii  schools,  and    Ic.iined  the 


trade  of  a  stonemason  and  stone-cutting  under  the 
instruction  of  his  father  before  he  left  his  native 
country.  In  18.57  he  became  desirous  of  changing 
his  occupation.  His  studious  habits  had  fitted  him 
for  other  duties,  and  he  engaged  as  a  copyist  in  the 
oftice  of  the  Recorder  of  Lee  County,  and  two 
years  thereafter  became  Deputy  County  Clerk,  lie 
possessed  more  than  ordinarj'  ability  and  had  ma<le 
the  most  of  his  opportunities,  and  steadil}'  grew  in 
favor  with  the  public,  and  in  18G2  was  elected 
County  Clerk,  serving  several  terms.  He  then  be- 
came interested  in  real  estate,  and  acted  as  Notaiy 
Public.  In  the  fall  of  1866  he  was  again  elected 
County  Clerk,  and  re-elected  in  1868,  serving  the 
people  of  Lee  County  in  this  capacity  until  1871. 
He  then  ])urchased  the  Ft.  Madison  ferry,  and  oper- 
ated the  same  for  a  period  of  six  years,  after  which 
he  established  a  real-estate  and  brokerage  business 
at  Ft.  Madison. 

Mr.  Doerr,  however,  could  not  evade  the  de- 
mands of  his  fellow-citizens  that  he  should  serve  in 
a  public  capacity,  and  in  1883  he  was  solicited  to 
become  a  candidate  as  their  next  member  for  the 
State  Legislature.  He  finally  assented  to  this  and 
was  elected,  representing  his  district  in  the  Twen- 
tieth General  Assembly.  In  October,  1885,  he  was 
appointed  Postmaster  of  Ft.  Madison  by  President 
Cleveland,  and  the  appointment  was  confirmed  by 
the  United  States  .Senate  without  opposition,  Jan. 
12,  188C. 

Mr.  Doerr  became  a  citizen  of  the  United  States 
in  June,  18.56,  and  since  that  time  has  been  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  has  fre- 
quently been  a  delegate  to  county,  district  and 
State  conventions,  and  in  1864  was  an  alternate 
delegate  to  the  National  Democratic  Convention 
held  at  Chicago.  In  1872  he  was  the  candidate  of 
his  party  for  Secretary  of  State,  but  as  the  party  in 
Iowa  was  largely  in  the  minority,  he  was  defeated, 
together  with  the  balance  of  the  ticket. 

Mr.  Doerr  has  been  identified  with  every  good 
work  and  purpose,  and  has  materially  aided  the 
business  and  educational  interests  of  Lee  County. 
He  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Evangel- 
ical Lutheran  Church;  has  been  connected  with  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  since  18,54,  and  was  initiated  into  the 
mysteries  of  Ancient  Free  Masonry  in  1«(!2.    He  is 


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now  a  member  of  Claypole  Lodge  No.  13,  A.  F. 
<fe  A.  M.,  Potowonok  Chapter  No.  28,  R.  A.  M., 
and  Damascus  Commandcry  No.  5,  K.  T.  Mr. 
Uiierr  was  Secretary  of  the  F't.  Madison,  Farming- 
ton  &  Western  Railway,  and  when  it  was  merged 
into  the  Burlington  A'  Southwestern,  he  retained  the 
same  position  until  the  road  was  completed,  and 
afterward  of  the  Ft.  Madison  &  Northwestern  Rail- 
way. He  has  been  mostly  successful  in  his  busi- 
ness enterprises,  and  has  erected  several  fine  busi- 
ness blocks  and  residences  in  the  city. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Catherine  Magerkurth,  Aug.  20,  18u7. 
Mrs.  Doerr  is  a  native  of  Rhenish  Bavaria,  born 
April  30,  1837.  She  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  with  her  uncle,  J.  J.  Wiegner,  with  whom 
she  resided  until  her  marriage.  Of  the  union  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doerr  nine  children  have  been  born, 
of  whom  the  eldest  died  at  the  age  of  three  and 
one-half  years;  the  living  are  Carl  P.,  Nettie  H., 
Edward  F.,  Phillip  O.,  Albert  N.,  Cuno  W.,  Elsie 
D.  and  Kittie  M,  In  1881,  Mr.  Doerr,  accompan- 
ied by  his  wife,  took  a  trip  to  Europe,  visiting  their 
native  country  and  also  Switzerland  and  France. 
They  occupy  a  beautiful  residence  in  Ft.  Madison, 
and  are  surrounded  by  the  comforts  and  luxuries 
of  life.  They  are  highly  esteemed  in  the  commu- 
nity, and  in  all  respects  are  fultilling  the  obligations 
tievolviug  upon  citizens  of  prominence  and  influ- 
ence. 

_>, — •.oto..(§^>•^^..o♦o.. — <,.-_ 

R.  GEORGE  F.  JENKINS,  President  of 
the  faculty  of  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgons,  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  is  a  gentle- 
man who  stands  high  in  the  profession  in 
this  locality,  and  as  a  citizen  is  a  valued  factor  in 
the  community.  He  is  a  native  of  Clark  County, 
Mo.,  and  was  born  July  15,  1842,  his  parents  being 
Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Rambo)  Jenkins,  natives  of 
Lancaster  Couutj',  Pa.  His  great-grandfather,  Da- 
vid Jenkins,  came  from  ^Vales  and  settled  in  Lan- 
caster County,  Pa.,  in  the  year  1700,  lieing  among 
the  earliest  pioneers  of  that  section.  He  was  largely- 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  iron,  and  the  busi- 
ness continued  in  the  Jenkins  family  for  more  than 
a   century   thereafter.     Then,  George  Jenkins,  tlie 


son  of  David  A.  and  grandfather  of  our  subject,  by 
becoming  security  for  debts  and  being  otherwise 
involved,  lost  the  property  which  had  descended  to 
him,  and  the  family  thereafter,  in  pursuit  of  differ- 
ent locations,  was  widely  scattered.  Robert,  one 
of  his  sons,  and  the  father  of  George  F.  of  our 
sketch,  went  to  Missouri  and  purchased  1,000  aci'es 
of  land,  upon  which  he  remained  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1 85().  The  mother  had  died  ten 
years  previously.  She  was  one  of  the  descendants 
of  a  Swedish  colony  who  settled  in  Pennsylvania  at 
an  early  date,  and  with  her  husband  was  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Robert  Jenkins  was  successful  as  an  agriculturist 
in  this  section,  and  a  prominent  man,  possessing 
great  force  of  character,  and  being  placed  in  im- 
portant positions  which  required  the  exercise  of 
wise  judgment  and  forethought.  His  family  in- 
cluded four  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  the 
record  is  as  follows:  William,  a  resident  of  Clark 
County,  Mo.,  is  engaged  in  the  stock  business,  and 
is  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  that  section ;  Mag- 
gie J.  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Lapsley,  who  has  oc- 
cupied the  position  of  Circuit  Clerk  for  the  past 
twelve  years;  they  reside  in  Missouri;  Cassie  E., 
twin  sister  of  Mrs.  Lapsley,  married  Dr.  Lynn, 
and  is  now  a  resident  of  Granger,  Mo. ;  Dr.  George 
F.  was  the  next  in  order  of  birth ;  Robert  E.  is  an 
attorney  at  law  in  Chicago,  and  for  many  years  was 
assignee  in  bankruptcy  cases;  James  A.,  a  resident 
of  Clark  Count}',  Mo.,  is  extensively  engaged  in 
farming  pursuits. 

The  earlier  years  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
were  spent  upon  the  farm  and  in  attendance  at  the 
district  schools.  At  the  conclusion  of  his  primary 
studies  he  entered  the  High  School  of  the  county, 
where  he  remained  until  he  was  eighteen  j'ears  old, 
and  from  there  went  into  the  Jones  Commercial 
College  of  St.  Louis,  where  he  graduated,  and 
taught  mathematics  in  the  college  for  four  months 
subsequently.  In  the  winter  of  1864  he  visited 
relatives  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1865  crossed  the 
plains  to  California  with  a  mule-team,  being  four  . 
months  on  the  road.  After  arriving  there  he  spent 
some  time  in  traveling  over  the  country,  and  then 
coninienced  the  study  of  medicine  in  Toland  Medi- 
cal  College  at  San    Francisco.     After  completing 


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this  course  he  boarded  the  steamer  '•  Golden  Gate," 
and  returned  home  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  and 
New  York.  After  reaching  his  native  county  he 
continued  ills  medical  studies  under  the  tutorship 
of  Dr.  R.  fS.  McKee  of  Clark  County,  witli  whom 
he  remained  until  the  following  fall,  in  the  mean- 
time engaged  in  practice.  He  then  took  a  course 
of  lectures  in  St.  Louis,  at  the  Missouri  Medical 
College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  spring  of 
1867.  He  then  came  to  Keokuk  and  c(jntinued  his 
practice  successfully. 

In  January  following  IJr.  Jenkins  opened  an 
office  up  the  river  at  Sandusky,  the  headquarters 
for  the  contractors  of  the  Government  canal,  at 
which  place  he  had  an  extensive  practice  for  three 
years.  In  January,  1871,  he  re-opened  hisottice  in 
Keokuk,  and  has  practiced  here  continuously  since 
that  time.  He  is  connected  with  the  principal  medi. 
cal  associations  of  this  section.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Keokuk  Medical  Society  and  President  in 
1881 ;  has  been  a  member  of  the  Iowa  State  Medi- 
cal Society  since  1809,  and  was  Chairman  of  the 
section  of  medicine  at  the  last  meeting  of  this  so- 
ciety, and  has  also  served  on  various  other  impor- 
tant committees.  The  Doctor  became  a  member 
of  the  American  Medical  Association  in  1872,  and 
for  three  years  was  Lecturer  on  the  diseases  of  chil- 
dren in  the  Keokuk  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons. Since- 1882  he  has  been  Professor  of  the 
Principles  and  Practice  of  Medicine,  Medical  Clin- 
ics, Physical  Diagnosis  and  Diseases  of  Children, 
and  in  1885  was  unanimously  elected  President  of 
tiie  faculty,  which  position  he  still  holds.  He  has 
been  President  of  the  Board  of  Health  for  the  cit}', 
and  has  been  largely  interested  in  the  important  mat- 
ters connected  with  its  general  welfare.  The  Doctor 
is  also  a  member  of  the  ])resent  School  Board  of 
Keokuk.  He  is  tlie  friend  and  supporter  of  every 
measure  calculated  to  elevate  tlie  standard  of  edu- 
cation and  moralitj',  and  was  largely  instrumental 
in  the  establishment  of  the  St.  Joseph  Hospital,  be- 
ing at  present  chief  of  the  medical  staff  <)f  that  in- 
stitution. He  possesses  the  pen  of  a  ready  writer, 
and  has  frequently  contributed  to  the  medical  lit- 
erature of  the  day.  He  is  the  Medical  E.xaininer 
for  the  Penn  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  also 
the  Connecticut  Mutual  Life  and  Travelers'  Insur- 
ance Company. 

,5SS55 


Dr.  George  F.  Jenkins  and  Miss  Lottie  E.  Van  f 

\\'agenen  were  united    in   marriage   in    December,  ' 
1M70.     Mrs.  Jenkins  is  the  daughter  of   K.  I).  Van 
Wagenen,  a  prominent  Government  contractor  of 
Fulton,  Oswego  Co..  N.  Y.  Of  this  union  there  have 
been  born  four  children— Marcia   L.,  Florence   E., . 
George  V.  and   Katie  E.     The   family  residence  is  [ 
pleasantly   located  at  the   corner  of   Seventh  and  ■ 
High  streets,  and  its  inmates  are  surrounded  by  all  ■ 
the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.    Po- ; 
litically  Dr.  Jenkins  affiliates  with  the   Democratic  : 
party,  and  socially  is  a  member  of  the    lioyal  Ar-  ■ 
canum,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and   the  A.  0.  U.  W. 
Dr.  .1.  and  his  wife  are  prominently  connected  witli 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  their  home  is  the  re- 
sort of  the  refined  and  cultured  people  of  the  Gate 
City.  j 


\YfACKSON  TOWNSEND,  of  Ft.  Madison, 
Deputj'  Warden  of  the  Iowa  State  Peniten- 
tiary', is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born  in 
Greenup  Count}',  April  2(i,  1854,  and  is  a 
son  of  Benjamin  F.  and  Lncinda  (Barney)  Town- 
send,  also  natives  of  Kentuck}'.  The  familj'  re- 
moved from  their  native  State  to  Missouri,  and  lo- 
cated in  Clark  County,  thence  removing  to  Adair 
County,  where  they  remained  until  after  the  close 
of  the  late  Civil  War;  thej'  then  returned  to  Clark 
County,  and  from  there,  in  1  808,  came  into  Iowa,  and 
located  in  Farmington,  ^'an  Buren  County,  where 
the  parents  of  our  subject  still  reside.  The  li<  msehold 
circle  included  five  children,  of  whom  one  sou  died 
in  infancy;  four  are  still  living. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  w.-is  the  eldest  child  of 
his  parents'  family.  During  his  early  childhood  he 
attended  the  common  schools  in  winter,  and  in 
summer  assisted  in.  the  lighter  duties  about  the 
homestead.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until 
twenty  years  of  age,  and  then  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Burlington  &  Southern  Railroad  Company 
as  conductor,  in  which  i)osition  he  remained  for 
two  and  one-half  years,  and  soon  afterward,  in 
1.S77,  became  a  guard  in  the  luwa  State  Peniten- 
tiary, which  jjosition  he  held  for  the  following 
four  years.  So  satisfactory  had  the  connection  of 
Mr.  Townsend  been  in  this  latter  capacit}',   that   he 


II 


LEE  COUNTY. 


was  promoted  to  a  more  important  position, 
namely,  tliat  of  Deputy  Warden,  under  Warden 
E.  C.  McMillan,  and  was  retained  bj'  his  successor, 
Warden  G.  W.  Crosby.  Mr.  Townsend  is  now 
the  oldest  prison  official  serving  in  this  State. 

■Jackson  Townsend  was  united  in  marrriage  with 
Miss  Ella  Mulvihill  in  1878.  Mrs.  Townsend  is  the 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  Mulvihill,  and  was 
born  in  .Sanduskj',  Ohio,  June  30,  185.5.  The^-  oc- 
cupj"  a  pleasant  home,  and  are  surrounded  bj'  all  the 
comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Mr. 
Townsend  has  proved  himself  one  of  the  most  ef- 
ficient officers  who  has  ever  occupied  the  responsible 
position  of  Deputj'  Warden,  and  is  a  general  favorite 
about  the  institution.  As  a  citizen  he  is  highly  re- 
spected, and  is  fulfilling  all  the  obligations  of  a 
man  of  prominence  and  influence. 


AATD  L.  HOUSER,  a  highly  esteemed  resi- 
le dent  of  Cedar  Township,  owns  and  occu- 


pies a  valuable  farm  estate  on  sections  33 
and  34.  He  came  to  the  Hawke}'e  State 
at  an  early  day,  and  has  watched  the  development 
of  this  section  of  country  with  unabated  interest 
since  coming  here,  and  has  contributed  his  share 
as  a  good  citizen  toward  its  progress  and  prosperity'. 
(,)ur  subject  was  born  in  Lewistown,  Mifflin  Co., 
Pa.,  Dec.  3,  1839.  His  father.  Bernard  Houser, 
was  born  near  Huntingdon,  Pa.,  and  his  grandfather, 
.John  Houser,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  who  emi- 
grated to  this  country  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania 
at  an  earl}-  period  in  its  history.  He  was  a  farmer 
bj-  occupation,  and  after  becoming  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  near 
the  site  of  his  first  location.  His  wife,  the  grand- 
mother of  our  subject,  was  of  German  i)arentage 
and  ancestry,  and  the  fruit  of  their  union  was  tw(j 
sons  and  one  daughter,  who  were  named  :  Bernard. 
William  and  Marj'  A.  The  latter  became  JIi'S. 
Spencer,  and  located  with  her  husband  in  Pennsyl- 
vania; William  became  a  resident  <if  Bedford,  Pa., 
was  married,  and  there  reared  his  family. 

Bernard  Houser.  the  father  of  our  subject,  learned 
the  trade  of  raolder  at  Bellefonte,  Pa.,  and  after 
doing  journeyman's   work  for  fifteen    years,  estab- 


m 


lished   a  foundry'   at  Berlin,  Somerset  County,  i: 
partnership  with  Dr.   Burkey.     They  operated  tO' 
gether  until  1855,  when  they  sold  out,  and  Bernard^ 
Houser   came   to   Iowa,  locating    in  Warren,  Lee 
County,  and   making  a  purchase  of  wild  land   r 
Harrison  Township.     Here  he  commenced  his  ca- 
reer as  a  farmer  and   erected  a  log  cabin   for  thi 
shelter  of  his  family.     He  was  prospered  in  his  la- 
bors, and  in  due  time  the  log  cabin  was  succeeded 
bj'  a  more  pretentious  frame  dwelling.    He  was  en 
gaged  in  the  cultivation  of  his  farm  until  the  notes ! 
of  war  began  to   sound  throughout   the   land,  and 
then,  laying  aside   personal   interests  and   business 
matters,  he  gave  his  sons  to  the  service  of  his  country, 
rented    his    farm,  and    removed   to   Warren    upon 
property  which  he  owned  there,  and  remained  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  on   the  23d  of  August, 
i863.     The    mother  of   our  subject,  Mrs.   Elinore 
(Logan)   Houser,  was  a   native   of    Penns3'lvania, 
born  near  McConnellsburg,  Fidton  County,  and  was 
the  daughter  of  Gaun  and   Belle  (Coffee)  Logan, 
of    Irish  ancesti'y    and   parentage.     Of  this  union 
there   were   eight  children,  viz.,  William,  Isabella, 
David  L.,  .John  P.,  Mary   Ellen,  Laura,  and  .Tames 
and  Samuel,  twins. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  a  lad  of  six  years 
old  when  his  parents  removed  from  his  native  town 
to  Berlin,  Pa.  There  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
molder,  but  as  he  disliked  his  trade,  his  father 
purchased  a  farm  in  Fulton  County,  and  placed  our 
subject  and  his  elder  brother  upon  it  to  work.  [^ 
David  L.  remained  here  until  the  fall  of  1855,  when  W  IjT 
all  the  family  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came  into.fiJl, 
the  Hawkeye  State.  Our  subject  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  the  following  six  years,  and  after  the  call  for 
troops  he  enlisted  in  September,  1861.  in  Co.  D, 
14th  Iowa  ^'ol.  Inf.,  and  served  as  a  Union  soldier 
until  peace  was  declared  between  the  contending 
armies.  He  was  at  the  battle  of  F't.  Donelson, 
Sliiluli,  Corinth,  Pleasant  Hill,  Oldtown  Creek,  and 
various  other  engagements  and  skirmishes.  At  the 
battle  of  Shiloh  he  was  incapacitated  b}-  physical 
disabilitj',  but  afterward  recovered,  and  received 
his  final  discharge  with  his  comrades  at  the  close  of 
the  war  and  draws  a  pension  on  account  of  his 
wounds. 

After  his  return  fi-oni    the   army,  in   November, 


m 


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;^|^BNI^@ 


248 


LEE  COUNTY. 


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1864,  Mr.  riouser  purchased  the  place  he  now  owns 
and  occupies.  It  was  liiit  a  tract  of  wild  land  and 
he  secured  it  on  time.  One  of  his  first  duties  was 
the  erection  of  a  cabiu,  in  which  he  moved  after  his 
niarriaii^fc,  and  cng.iyed  industriously'  in  tlie  iniprovc- 
nient  and  cultivation  of  his  pros|)ectivc  farm.  lie 
had  manj-  dilficulties  to  contend  witli,  jjut  he  perse- 
vered through  them  all  and  was  prospered  in  his  la- 
bors. On  the  11th  of  .lanuary,  18G;'),  he  secured 
to  himself  a  helpmeet  in  the  person  of  Miss  Malvina 
Saxe,  and  they  set  uji  housekeeping  in  the  log  cabin 
which,  although  luunble,  was  theirs  and  was  "home." 
Mrs.  Ilouser  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  State,  and 
born  in  (ireeulicld,  Saratoga  County,  Nov.  1.3,  1841. 
Her  parents  wt'rc  Heuusalacr  and  Hannah  (Creal) 
Saxe,  also  natives  of  New  York  Slate.  She  received 
a  fair  education  in  the  public  schools  and  was  care- 
fully trained  at  home  by  wise  and  judicious  parents. 
Her  father  was  a  wull-educated  man  and  was  jointly 

J  engaged  as  a  farmer  and  school  tcaciier.  He  crossed 
the  ;\Iississii)pi  in  184  1,  ami  coming  into  Leo  County, 
locatid  in  Harrison  Township  upon  a  farm,  where 
his  life  terniin:ited  two  years  later. 

After  his  marriage  .Mr.  llouscr  continued  his 
farming  operations  and  added  to  his  possessions  .as 
his  means  justified.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  240 
acres,  finely  imi)roved  and  very  valuable.  The 
hiuiible  logcaliin  was  long  ago  abandoned  foracom- 
modious  and  comfortable  franuMlwelling,  and  nt)w, 
in  the  enjoyment  of  a   cc)m[)elency,  he    is  reaping 

'■i    the  leward  of  his  earlier  toils  and  struggles. 

JMr.  Ilouser  has  been  a  prominent  man  in  his 
community  since  the  time  of  coming  here,  .and  has 
contributed  of  his  tinu'  and  means  to  the  aid  of 
every  woithy  object.  He  has  served  as  a  member 
of  the  School  Board  and  in  other  ways  has  materi- 
ally assisted  the  cause  of  education.  He  has  been 
the  friend  of  morality  and  good  order,  and  served 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  in  all  things  has  ful- 
filled, to  the  best  of  his  ability,  the  obligations  of 
a  good  citizen. 

lAIr.  and  Mrs.  Hous(!r  are  the  parents  of  three 
children— Gilbert  L.,  Nettie  and  Paulina  May.  The 
homestead  of  the  family  is  surrounded  by  every- 
thing necessary  to  comfort  anil  convenience.  The 
farm  is  .supi)lic(|  u  ith  a  good  biirn  and  all  the  neces- 
sary  apjilianccs   lor  the   storing   of   grain   and   the 


shelter  of  stock ;  the  farm  implements  and  machin- 
ery are  of  first-cl.ass  description,  and  altogether  the 
homestead  presents  one  of  the  finest  points  of  at- 
traction in  the  landscape  of  Lee  County.  Mr. 
Ilouser  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  G.  A. 
U.,  Miles  M.King  Post,  at  Farmington,  and  with  his 
wife  and  son  is  prominently  connected  with  the 
Christian  Church. 

OIIN  llorGlI.  The  subject  of  this  biog- 
raphy, one  of  the  most  highly  respected 
residents  of  Cedar  Township,  is  extensively 
^^)J  engaged  as  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  and  also 
operates  a  flourishing  creamery.  He  is  a  valued 
factor  in  the  liusiness  and  industrial  interests  (f 
this  section,  with  which  he  has  been  identified  for  a 
long  period  of  years.  In  addition  to  the  various 
branches  of  business  above  mentioned  he  has  a 
large  sum  of  money  invested  in  general  merchan- 
dise, the  trade  in  which  yields  him  a  handsome 
income. 

Mr.  Hough  is  a  native  of  Henry  County,  Inil., 
and  was  born  Aug.  12,  183S).  His  father,  Isaiah 
Hough,  of  North  Carolina,  was  born  March  h,  1812, 
and  his  grandfather,  Ira  Hough,  also  a  native  of 
the  same  State,  removed  from  North  Carolina  in 
1820  to  Henry  County,  Ind.,  making  the  entire 
journey  overland  by  teams.  He  purchased  a  tract 
of  tind)er  land,  improved  a  farm  from  the  wilder- 
ness, and  established  a  comfortable  home,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  Is.aiah,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  a  young  boy  when  the  removal 
was  made  from  North  Caroliiux  to  Indiana.  He  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  the  latter  State,  and  was 
there  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Marshall,  a  native 
of  his  own  State,  born  Jnl^'  24,  1811  (secsketch  of 
Evan  Marshall.) 

After  marriage  Isaiah  Hough  purchased  land  in 
Henry  County',  Ind.,  and  for  several  years  was 
engaged  in  farming  pursuits.  In  1840  he  sold  his 
possessions  and,  accompanied  by  his  family,  started 
on  an  overland  journey-  to  Iowa.  They  carried 
with  them  their  household  goods  and  utensils,  and 
camped  and  cooked  by  the  wayside.  On  their 
arrival  in  the  llawkeyc  Slate,  which  was  then  in  its 


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RESIDENCE        OF  IVIILWARD       H   .   R  0  G  E  R5  ,  5  EC     1  5  .    G  R  EEN     BAY    TP 


RESrOENCE      OF        JACOB      FANKH  0U5ER  , SEC  .  17.  JACKSON    Tp  , 


Residence     of    CHRISTIAN      M  E  RTENS  ,5ec.  19  .  M  A  rion   tp 


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infancy,  they  proceeded  to  Henry  County,  where 
Mr.  Hough  rented  land  for  one  year.  He  then  pur- 
chasen  a  tract  of  unimproved  land  in  Lee  County, 
which  was  located  in  Cedar  Township  on  section 
12,  and  commenced  the  improvement  and  cultiva- 
tion of  his  purchase.  The  family  moved  into  a 
vacant  house  close  by,  whe;e  they  lived  for  one 
year,  and  then  went  into  a  house  of  their  own 
which,  in  the  meantime,  had  been  built  upon  the 
new  farm.  Mr.  Hough  hewed  the  frame  for  his 
house  and  barn,  and  split  clapboards  to  cover  the 
barn  and  shaved  oak  shingles  to  cover  the  house. 
He  was  a  natural  mechanic,  and  without  serving  an 
apprenticeship,  did  a  great  deal  of  carpenter  work 
about  the  homestead.  The  structures  which  he 
built  at  this  time  were  considered  quite  elegant, 
being  the  best  in  the  locality  at  that  early  day. 
After  an  industrious  and  busy  life  Mr.  Hough 
departed  from  the  scene  of  his  earthly  labors  on 
the  26th  of  July,  1849.  The  wife  of  his  youth  still 
survives  him,  and  lives  with  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
AVagner,  of  .Saline  County,  Neb.  The  parental 
household  consisted  of  six  children,  live  of  whom 
are  still  living. 

John  Hough  of  this  sketch  was  the  third  child  of 
his  parents,  and  was  a  lad  of  seven  years  old  when 
they  came  to  Iowa.  He  was  but  ten  years  old  when 
his  father  died,  and  he  continued  to  live  with  his 
mother  until  his  marriage,  after  which  his  mother 
lived  with  him  for  about  twenty  years.  Thus  it  will 
be  seen  be  literally  "  grew  up  with  the  country,"  and 
while  assisting  in  the  improvements  around  his 
own  homestead  he  was  an  interested  observer  of  the 
growth  and  prosperity  of  the  country  around  him. 
He  now  owns  and  occupies  the  old  homestead  of 
2t)0  acres  upon  which  his  father  settled  when  first 
coming  into  the  Territory.  Great  improvements 
have  been  brought  about  upon  it  since  that  time ; 
the  frame  house  and  barn  have  given  place  to 
a  fine  farm  residence,  and  the  barn  of  to-day  shel- 
ters a  herd  of  fine  stock,  valuable  horses  and  costly 
farm  implements. 

Mr.  Hough  has  been  full  of  enterprise  and  energy, 
and  whenever  his  busy  mind  has  conceived  a  pro- 
ject which  he  believed  to  be  pleasurable  or  profit- 
able, lie  lias  at  once  set  about  the  execution  of 
it,  almost  invariably  with  happy  results.     In   ItSisi 


tion  on  his  farm,  but  soon  afterward  sold  this,  and  i' 

the  same  year  put  up  another  building,  and  contin- 
ued his  trade  in  general  merchandise,  to  which  he 
has  added  the  l)uying  and  selling  of  grain  and 
stock. 

The  marriage  of  John  Hough  and  Miss  Mary 
Frazier  was  celebrated  at  Salem,  Iowa,  in  18.57. 
Mrs.  H.  was  born  in  Henry  County,  Iowa,  and 
is  the  daughter  of  Elihu  and  Orpha  (Pidgeon) 
Frazier,  the  former  of  whom  was  a  native  of  Indi- 
ana, and  one  of  the  pioneer.^  of  Henry  County,  Iowa. 
Our  subject  and  wife  have  become  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  as  follows:  Edwin  is  the  oldest; 
Ida  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Clawson,  and  lives  in 
Cedar  Township;  the  others  are  Frank.  Dilla,  Nel- 
lie, Arthur  and  Claude. 

Religiously  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  were  brought  up  in 
the  .Society  of  Friends,  and  have  remained  loyal  to 
the  faith  of  their  parents.  Mr.  H.  is  Republican 
in  politics,  and  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the 
political  and  general  affairs  of  his  adopted  .State. 
He  was  the  first  Postmaster  of  Houghton,  and  gave 
the  right  of  way  to  the  K.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.,  besides  a 
subscription  of  1.500  in  cash.  He  has  always  been 
a  public-spirited  man,  ready  and  willing  to  contrib- 
ute of  his  time  and  means  for  the  i)iomotioii 
of  every  worthy  enterprise  or  whatever  would  be  of 
benefit  to  his  country  and  community. 


H 


fiiiii 


—jt^- 


<^^- 


\f/AMES  C.  HAVLS,  Mayor  of  Keokuk  and 
attorney  at  law,  is  one  of  its  most  prosper- 
ous and  influential  citizens.  He  is  a  native 
/  of  this  city,  and  was  born  Sept.  2,  1857,  his 
parents  being  C.  F.  and  C'arrie  T.  Davis,  prominent 
residents  of  this  part  of  the  Hawkeye  State.  James  ^ 
C.  received  his  early  education  in  the  iiublic  schools 
of  Keokuk,  and  after  graduating  from  these  en- 
tered Hellmuth  College,  of  London,  Canada.  In 
1875  he  commenced  reading  law  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  F.  T.  Loniax,  and  also  that  of  Messrs.  Gil- 
more  &  Anderson,  jirominent  attorneys  of  the  city, 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  the  following  year,  a 
few  days  before  his  twentieth  liirthday.  In  18.S1 
he  was  elected   City   Atloriie_y   of  Keokuk,  served 


1  T-rfwT^trry 


252 


LEE  COUNTY. 


3th 


wm 


this  term,  and  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term. 
Three  j'cars  thereafter  he  associated  iiimself  in  part- 
nership with  Anderson  Bros.,  and  tiiey  ojjcrated 
under  the  firm  name  of  Anderson  Bros,  (fe  Davis, 
which  was  succeeded  by  tiie  present  firm  of  Ander- 
son, Davis  ik  Hagerman.  They  have  htiilt  up  an 
extensive  practice,  and  are  one  of  the  most  popular 
I.TW  firms  in  Lee  County. 

.lames  C.  Davis  and  Miss  Clara  Belle  Muoar  were 
united  in  marriage  Dec.  10,  1S«4.  Mrs.  Davis  is 
the  (laughter  of  .Judge  1).  Jlooar,  and  of  hei-  union 
with  Mr.  Davis  there  h.as  been  born  one  son,  whom 
they  have  named  Daniel  Mooar.  Mr.  Davis  is  a 
prominent  memlter  of  the  Kpisco|ial  Church,  to  the 
support  of  which  he  contributes  liberally  and  cheer- 
fully. He  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  man  and  a  citi- 
zen, and  is  filling  with  satisfaction  tlie  highest  po- 
sition in  the  gift  of   his  fellow-townsmen. 

Politically  Mr.  Davis  is  strongly  Repubiicau.  He 
was  elected  .M.ayor  in  1885,  by  a  majority  of  .'JOO, 
and  the  following  year  was  re-elected  by  a  majority 
of  over  yOO.  He  was  the  first  City  Attorney  born 
in  Keokuk,  and  is  the  first  native  citizen  to  hold  the 
oflice  of  Mayor. 

ALMON  McNeill,  of  Washington  Town- 
s  the  owner  of  a    fine  farm   of  277 


most  of  which  is  finely  cultivated, 
and  pleasantly  located  on  section  2.  He  has 
l)een  a  resident  of  this  section  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  and  during  that  time  has  secured  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  his  fellow-townsmen.  All  his 
life  he  has  been  enterprising,  industrious  .and  frugal, 
and  is  now  enjoying,  as  he  h.as  merited,  the  good 
things  of  life. 

Salmon  MciSeill  is  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence 
a  (Jonnty,  N.  V.,  and  was  born  Api'il  23,  182H.  His 
I  parents  were  John  and  Laura  (North)  McNeill,  na- 
tives of  \'ermont,  and  of  Scijtch  and  li'Ish  ancestry. 
After  their  marriage  they  located  in  St.  Lawrence 
County-,  and  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  that 
region.  Tliey  remained  tlicrc  until  1H5(),  and  tiien 
John  McNeill,  feeling  perhaps,  like  Daniel  Boone, 
the  pressure  of  too  many  neighbors  and  the  want 
of  more  room,  resolved  to  cross  the  Mississippi  into 


the  wide  West.      He  came  into  Lee  County,  lown,  J 
and  settled  in  Washington  Townsliip,  only  surviving 
the  change,  however,  one  year,  his  deiith  nccuniiig 
in  18.j1.     Mrs.  Laura  McNeill  survived  her  husband 
several  years,  and  departed  this  life  in  Is.'iT.in  .Ma- 
haska County,  Iowa.    The  parental  famil}- consisted  8!'} 
of  three  sons  and  six  daughters,  of  whom  the  sul 
ject  of  onv  sketch  was  the  seventh  child.  jth 

Salmon  McNeill  received  careful   home   traininff  Hi  i 

at  the  hands  of  his  parents,  and  a  fair  education  jti 

in  the  public  schools.    He  followed  his  [tareuts  dur-  -_  -[ 

ing  the  various  removals  of  their  earlier  life,  first  ~-  n 

to  Ohio,  and  finally  to  Iowa,  being  twenty-two  years  §' 

of  age  upon  their  arrival  here.    He  was  reared  u|)on  : 

a  farm,  and  has  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pur-  ■ 

suits  all  his  lifetime.     After  the  death  of  his  father,  : 

he  went  with  his  mother  to  Mahaska  County,  where  : 

he  remained  about  five  years,  thence  went  to  Marion  s 

County,  remaining  there  until  1 86.5.      He  then  re-  § 

turned  to  Lee  Count}',  and  made  his  final  settlement  a 

in  Washington  Township.  g 

Mr.  McNeill  was  married  first  in  Mahaska  County,  a 

Iowa,  to  Miss  Aggie   Bedwell,  a  native  of  Indiana,  a 

who  remained  his  companion  for  about  three  years,  3 

and  died  in  Marion   County,  Iowa,  in   1859.     His  3 

second  wife,  to  whom  he  w.as  married  in  the  Last-  a 

named  county,  was  Miss  Rebecca  .Sanders,  of  Ten-  g 

nes.see,  who  bore  him  three  children,  two  of  whom  B 

survive — Thomas,  who  resides  in  Washington  Town-  3 

ship,  and  Martha  A.,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Darling,  fi 

of  the  same  township.     Mrs.  Rebecca  McNeill  de-  | 

parted  this  life  in  Washington  Tc)wnship  in  18(j,t.  : 

The   third  marriage  of    Mr.  McNeill    was    with  j 

Mrs.  Marj'  J.  (Mc(ireer)  Hicks,  and  took  place  in  ; 

.letferson  County,  Iowa,  June  17,  1866.  Robert  §| 
Hicks,  the  first  husband  of  Mrs.  McNeill,  died  in 
Little  Rock,  Ark.,  iji  1864;  he  enlisted  as  a  soldier 
of  the  Union  in  the  33d  Iowa  Cavahy,  and  yielded 
up  his  life  in  the  service  of  his  country.  Of  this 
union  there  were  born  five  children — Louisa,  James, 
Sarah,  John  and  Jennie.  Mrs.  Mary  J.  JMcXeill  is 
a  native  of  Indiana.     Her  parents  were  Alexander 

and  Jane  (Livingston)  McGreer,  natives  of  North  3^ 

and  South  Carolina  respectively.     After  their  mar-  " 

riage  they  located  in  Darke  County,  Ind.,  and  from  i; 

there    removed    t(^  Fayette    County,  whence    they  p 

ciossed  the  .Mississippi  and  came  into  Lee  County,  ; 


i 


LEE  COUNTY. 


settling  in  Harrison  Township  in  about  1837.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  bj'  occupation,  and  spent  his 
last  da3-s  in  Farmiugton,  Van  Buren  County.  The 
mother  died  in  Harrison  Township.  Tiieir  family 
consisted  of  eight  children,  two  sons  and  six  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  Mrs.  McNeill  of  our  sketch  was  the 
seventh  child. 

Mr.  McNeill  and  his  present  wife  are  the  parents 
of  two  children — Aggie  and  George.  They  occupy 
a  handsome  farm  residence,  replete  with  all  the  com- 
forts and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Mr.  Mc- 
Neill has  occupied  a  prominent  positic)n  in  the 
township,  has  been  Road  Supervisor  and  member 
of  the  School  Board,  and  is  always  actively  inter- 
ested in  whatever  pertains  to  the  welfare  of  his 
community.  He  and  his  wife  are  connected  with 
the  Baptist  Church,  to  the  support  of  which  they 
contribute  cheerfully  and  liberally.  In  politics  Mr. 
McNeill  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party. 

-^ ^^ ^ 

eONRAD  EBERLING,  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  a 
fine  representative  of  that  enterprising  and 
persevering  German  element  which  has 
done  so  much  toward  the  development  of  this 
country,  and  especially  that  section  west  of  the 
Mississippi.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Brunswick, 
German  J',  and  was  born  Dec.  15,  1825.  His  fa- 
ther, Conrad  Eberling,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  the 
same  country,  of  pure  German  ancestry  and  par- 
entage, and  before  the  day  of  railroads,  was  em- 
plo^'ed  in  teaming  between  the  different  large  cities 
of  Germany.  He  was  a  man  of  great  energy  of 
character,  of  large  and  powerful  build  physically, 
and  died  in  the  prime  of  life,  in  1840,  at  the  age  of 
fort,y-one  years. 

Conrad  E.  of  this  sketch,  in  accordance  with  the 
laws  and  customs  of  his  native  country,  was  placed 
in  school  at  an  early  age,  and  pursued  his  studies 
until  his  father's  death.  He  then  served  three 
years  at  the  stone  cutter's  trade,  at  which  he  worked 
until  1852,  when  he  resolved  to  emigrate  to  Amer- 
ica, and  seek  an  improvement  in  his  prospects  and 
fortunes.  He  set  sail  from  Bremen  on  the  15  th  of 
September  of  the  }'ear  mentioned,  and  after  a  long 
and    tedious   voyage  lauded  at  New  Orleans  on  the 


TTZTZXTZZX 


^ 

xrcczzz 

:::::::::::::::;::;::::;:::::;:. 

***'*** 

********* 

7th  of  November  following.  From  there  he  pro- 
ceeded up  the  river  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  spent  the 
winter,  and  in  the  spring  of  1853  came  to  Ft.  Madi- 
son, and  was  employed  at  his  trade  continuously  un- 
til 1876.  He  had  been  industrious  and  economical, 
and  saved  his  earnings,  and  now  found  himself  pos- 
sessed of  sufficient  means  to  engage  in  business. 
He  accordingly  purchased  a  stock  of  groceries  and 
provisions,  and  by  his  wise  management  and 
straightforward  dealing  soon  built  up  an  extensive 
and  profitable  patronage,  and  is  now  ranked  among 
the  leaders  in  this  department  of  business  in  this 
section. 

A  month  previous  to  his  departure  from  his  na- 
tive land,  in  August,  1852,  Mr.  Eberling  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Hannah  Berues,  a  native  of  his  own 
Province,  and  the  journey  to  the  United  States 
constituted  the  bridal  tour  of  the  young  pair. 
They  became  the  parents  of  five  children,  as  fol- 
lows: Hannah,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife  of  George 
Geyler,  and  lives  in  Jersey  City,  N.  J.;  Christ  is  1} 
the  eldest  son;  Anna  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Ruhes, 
and  lives  in  Pueblo,  Col. ;  Louis  and  Vena  are  at 
home  with  their  i)arents.  They  occupy  a  pleasant 
homestead,  rei>lete  with  all  the  comforts  and  many 
of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  are  con- 
nected with  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  in  politics 
the  subject  of  our  sketch  uniformly  casts  his  vote 
with  the  Democratic  party. 


-^cCjZ'S-^-" 


^-^W^nnrt- 


R.  EVAN  MARSHALL,  a  resident  of  Ce- 
vi^  dar  Township,  and  an  Iowa  pioneer  of 
1845,  is  one  of  the  most  honored  residents 
of  this  section.  He  is  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  born  in  Surry  County,  May  25,  1821. 
His  father,  John  Marshall,  and  his  grandfather. 
William  Marshall,  were  alst)  natives  of  the  same 
State,  the  latter  being  of  Irish  parentage.  He  re- 
moved from  the  place  of  his  birth  to  Hendricks 
County,  Ind.,  and  there  spent  the  last  years  of  his 
life. 

John  Marshall,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
reared  un  a  farm  in  his  native  county,  but  being 
a  natural  mechanic,  was  not  very  greatly  interested 


fijmi 


II 


in  agricultural  pursuits.  After  his  marriage  he  set 
up  a  cabinet-shop,  and  for  several  years  was  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  and  otiier 
tine  work.  In  tiie  fall  of  1JS2I  he  started  with  his 
wife  and  five  children  for  the  State  of  Indiana, 
making  the  entire  journey  overland  by  teams.  He 
carried  with  him  ^iU  in  cash,  and  after  burrowing 
^C>0  more,  entered  eighty  acres  of  timber  land  in 
Henry  Countj',  and  commenced  farming.  One  of 
his  first  duties  was  the  erection  of  a  log  cabin,  in 
which  he  established  his  family  comfortably.  Wild 
game  was  abundant,  including  deer,  bear  and  tur- 
keys, and  these  luxuries  assisted  materially  in  keep- 
ing the  larder  supplied  against  want.  Breadstuffs 
were  scarce,  and  he  gave  a  day's  work  nt  splitting 
rails  for  a  bushel  of  corn. 

There  was  not  a  mill  within  twenty  miles,  and 
no  public  roads  had  yet  been  laid  out.  But  amid 
all  the  dilliculties  that  surrounded  them  they  made 
no  complaint,  but  kept  the  main  object  in  view  of 
securing  a  living,  and  providing  as  far  as  possible, 
for  the  future.  By  the  exercise  of  incessant  in- 
dustry, they  soon  had  100  acres  cleared,  while  at 
the  same  time,  the  country  around  them  was  being 
slowly  settled  up,  and  the  development  of  its  re- 
sources made  a  surety.  .Tohn  Marshall,  however, 
believed  that  he  could  l)etter  himself  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  accordingly,  in  1,S45, 
he  disposed  of  his  interests  in  Indiana,  and  came  to 
Henry  County,  afterward  to  Lee,  and  purchased 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  11,  in  Cedar  Town- 
ship, upon  which  he  .settled  and  remained  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1847. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Annie  Ilobson.  She  was  born  in  Surry  County, 
N.  C,  and  accompanied  her  husband  in  all  his 
journeyings,  bearing  cheerfully  the  hardships  and 
privations  incident  to  the  life  of  the  pioneer 
settler.  She  died  on  the  old  homestead  in  Cedar 
Town.ship,  March  14,  1883,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety  years.  Both  parents  were  members  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  their  children  remain  loyal 
to  the  same  faith. 

])i:  Marshall  of  this  sketch  was  the  third  son  and 
fifth  child  of  his  parents,  and  was  an  infant  of  six 
months  old  when  his  parents  removed  from  North 
Carolina  to  liidi;ui:i.      lie   was  reared    In   manhood 


in  the  latter  State,  assisting  In  the  duties  of  the 
farm,  and  obtained  his  early  education  in  the  pio- 
neer school.  At  the  early  age  of  fourteen  years  he 
commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  but  his  father 
discouraged  the  idea,  and  he  subsequently  for  a 
time  abandoned  it,  so  that  after  his  marriage  he  bl- 
eated upon  a  farm  and  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  In  184a,  father  and  son,  with  their  two 
families,  started  for  Iowa  and  located  in  Cedar 
Township,  upon  the  farm  which  the  Doctor  now 
owns  and  occupies.  While  pursuing  his  duties 
upon  the  homestead,  the  subject  of  our  sketch, 
still  adhering  to  his  early  inclinations,  obtained 
some  of  the  best  medical  works  of  the  day,  and 
proceeded  with  his  studies.  He  commenced  prac- 
tice in  his  own  family,  and  was  so  successful  that 
he  was  called  upon  to  jn-actice  outside,  and  as  time 
passed  on,  his  studies,  reading  and  practice  won  for 
him  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  skillful  physician. 
From  the  treatment  of  the  simple  diseases  he  took 
in  hand  more  complex  ones,  and  has  been  remark- 
ablj'  successful  with  dangerous  and  complicated 
cases. 

Oct.  21,  1841,  Dr.  Marshall  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Guliehua  Bond.  Mrs.  Marshall 
was  a  native  of  his  own  State,  and  only  survived 
her  marriage  with  our  subject  for  the  short  space 
of  five  years,  dying  in  184G.  Of  this  marriage 
there  were  born  two  children :  Elizabeth,  Mrs. 
Compt(m,  of  Jasper  County,  Iowa,  and  Anna  J., 
Mrs.  Bond,  who  lives  in  Indiana.  Dr.  Marshall 
was  married  the  second  time,  in  1848,  to  Miss 
Rachel  Tulvert,  also  of  North  Carolina,  who  died 
in  18G().  Of  this  union  there  were  born  five  chil- 
dren: Emma;  Mrs.  Mary  T.  Taylor,  of  Henry 
County;  Abbie,  a  teacher  in  Wayne  County,  Ind. ; 
William  J.,  at  home,  and  John  C,  of  Salem,  Iowa. 

The  third  marriage  of  Dr.  Marshall  was  with 
Miss  Margaret  Newbe3-,  of  Indiana,  who  h;is  be- 
come the  mother  of  one  child,  a  daughter,  Ililla. 
They  occupy  a  pleasant  homestead,  replete  with  all 
the  comforts  of  life  and  many  of  its  luxuries. 
The  Doctor  has  been  a  prominent  man  in  this  lo- 
cality, and  actively  interested  in  its  general  and 
political  matters.  In  early  years  he  was  a  member 
of  the  \N'liig  party,  and  later,  a  fervent  Abl>liti(lni^t. 
Upon  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  he 


g!^ 


sssssss 


ssss 


^^^ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


w 

^: 

I: 
V---. 

m 


cordially  endorsed  its  principles,  and  cast  his  first 
presidential  vote  for  James  G.  Birney,  who  was  one 
of  the  most  prominent  anti-slavery  men  of  his  time. 


^-^ 


iw^ 


lEV.  GEORGE  D.  STEWART,  Pastor  of  the 
Union  Presbyterian  Church  of  Ft.  Madison, 
is  a  native  of  Montgomery  Conntj^  Pa., 
5 and  was  born  Sept.  30,  1S2G.  His  father, 
Artemus  Stewart,  was  a  native  of  Philadelphia  and 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  in  addition  to  his  ag- 
ricultural transactions  was  also  a  dealer  in  real  es- 
tate. He  was  a  prominent  man  in  his  locality,  and 
served  as  County  Treasurer  and  also  as  Sheriff  of 
Montgomery  County.  He  was  a  resident  of  that 
countj'  the  greater  part  of  his  lifetime,  and  died 
there  in  September,  18C6,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  Eliza 
(Dillion)  Stewart,  was  a  native  of  Montgomery 
CountJ^  Pa.,  born  in  1792,  and  is  still  living,  in  the 
full  possession  of  all  her  faculties. 
.  The  parental  family  of  our  subject  included 
eight  children,  of  whom  George  D.  was  the  eld- 
est son  and  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  He  re- 
ceived his  early  education  at  Lawrenceville  High 
School  in  New  Jersey,  subsequently  graduating  at 
Lafaj'ette  College,  Easton,  Pa.,  and  afterward  en- 
tered on  a  course  of  instruction  at  Princeton  Theo- 
logical Seminar3-,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1849.  He  was  a  close  student,  an  extensive  reader, 
and  ambitious  to  excel,  and  after  the  completion  of 
his  studies  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  parish  at  Con- 
quest, Caj'uga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  two 
years,  then  was  removed  to  Bath,  Steuben  County, 
where  he  remained  for  eight  years,  and  in  1859 
crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came  to  Iowa.  He  at 
once  took  charge  of  the  church  at  West  Point, 
where  he  remained  for  four  years,  was  afterward 
stationed  at  Burlington  for  six  and  a  half  j'ears, 
thence  transferred  to  Omaha,  Neb.,  for.  the  same 
period,  and  in  April,  1877,  came  to  Ft.  Madison, 
and  has  remained  here  since  that  time.  He  has 
been  a  most  worthy  and  efficient  pastor,  and  a  wise 
nianiiger  of  church  finances.  Under  his  manage- 
ment the  church  building  at  Conquest  was  put  in 
good  repair,  a  church   built  at  West  Point,  the  one 


at  Bath  enlarged  and  im|)rovcd,  and  the  one  at 
Burlington  reconstructed  and  greatij-  altered  for 
the  better,  and  since  having  charge  of  the  Ft.  Mad- 
ison congregation  the  present  edifice  has  been 
erected.  It  cost  ^1.5,000,  and  when  the  building 
was  dedicated  the  society  had  paid  up  all  their  in- 
debtedness. A  prominent  feature  of  Mr.  Stewart's 
connection  with  church  societies  has  been  the  fact 
that  he  has  always  strenuously  opposed  getting 
deeply  into  debt,  and  the  present  condition  of  the 
society  at  Ft.  Madison  is  almost  entirely  due  to  his 
efforts  in  this  direction. 

Rev.  George  D.  Stewart  and  Miss  Emily,  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  J.  C.  Walker,  were  united  in  marriage  at 
F't.  Madison  in  18G4.  Of  this  union  there  have  been 
born  three  children — George  B.,  Anna  and  Miriam. 
Mr.  Stewart  has  been  prominent  in  all  matters  tend- 
ing to  the  welfare  of  the  community,  morally',  so- 
cially' and  religiously,  and  is  the  center  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends  who  comprise  the  best  class  of  peo- 
ple in  the  city  of  Ft.  Madison. 

"^OHN  SEABOLD,  a  prosperous  farmer  of 
Jackson  Township,  is  successfully  prosecut- 
ing his  vocation  on  section  17.  He  is  a 
(^^7/  native  of  Germany,  and  was  born  May  2G, 
1830,  his  parents  being  Conrad  and  Elizabeth  Sea- 
bold,  also  of  German  nativity  and  ancestry.  Con- 
rad Seabold  died  in  his  native  country,  and  the 
mother  afterward  emigrated  to  America,  and  be- 
came a  resident  of  Jackson  Township,  where  she 
spent  the  remainder  of  her  days.  They  were  the 
parents  of  two  sons,  George,  who  died  in  Jackson 
Township,  and  the  subject  of  our  sketch. 

After  the  death  of  his  father,  John  Seabold,  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  years,  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  mother  and  brother.  They  pro- 
ceeded directly  to  Iowa,  and  coming  into  Lee 
Count}-,  located  in  Jackson  Township,  and  here 
our  subject  has  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits since  that  time,  with  the  exception  of  two 
years.  His  present  homestead  comprises  1.50  acres 
of  valuable  land,  upon  which  he  has  erected  a  good 
farm  dwelling  and  all  the  necessary  barns  and  out- 
houses.     He  has  been  industrious  and  prudent,  and 


ill 


Hi! 


2o(; 


LEE  COUNTY. 


PI 

V. 
h 


las  received  an  ample  reward  for  his  labors  in  the 
possession  uf  :i    comfortable  home  iiikI    tlie  good 
'     tilings  of  till.-  life. 

.Mr.  Scabold  was  married,  in  .Jackson  Township, 
to  Mi.ss  Coiidia  Ileifner.  a  native  of  his  own  coun- 
|l     try,   who  emigrated   to   America  with  her  parents 
"     wlieii  a  child  two  years  old.     Mr.  and   Mrs.   S.   be- 
_,  came  the  parents  of   seven   children,   as   follows: 
Margaret    is    the    eldest:    Leonard    married     Miss 
Wciide,  and    resides  in  Keokuk;  Elizalieth  became 
the  wife  of  Alfred  Wilkins.  of  .Jackson  Township; 
Mary  was  married  to  William  Wright,  also  of  Jack- 
son   Township;    .John.    Adam    and    (George  are  at 
lionic. 

Mr.  Seabold  siittered  a  great  loss  in  the  death  of 
his  wife,  which  occurred  Oct.  1(5,  1871.  She  was 
an  earnest  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
with  which  Mr.  S.  is  also  connected.  He  hast.aken 
an  intelligent  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  coninni- 
nity,  and  enjoys  in  a  marked  degree  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow  townsmen. 


trade. 
City, 


AVID  15.  IIAMILL,  of  the  firm  of  S. 
llaniill  it  Co.,  wholesale  grocers  of  Keo- 
kuk, Iowa,  is,  with  his  partners,  conduct- 
ing a  thriving  and  constantly  increasing 
This  firm  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  (iate 
and  bj'  its  straightforward  methods  of 
doing  business  has  secured  the  esteem  and  confi- 
dence of  the  business  portion  of  the  community. 
Our  subject  was  born  in  I'ittsburgh,  Pa.,  in  March. 
1843,  being  tjie  eldest  son  of  Smith  and  Nancy 
(McCandless)  Ham  ill,  uf  Keokuk.  Our  subject 
came  west  to  Keokuk  with  his  parents  when  a 
child  three  years  of  age,  and  he  received  a  good 
education  in  the  common  schools.  He  then  entered 
"  Monmouth  College  in  Illinois,  and  then  took  a  posi- 
tion in  his  father's  store,  where  he  continued  until 
3  1864,  when,  the  war  being  in  progress,  he  enlisted 
in  Co.  C,  45tli  Iowa  \'ol.  Inf.,  and  upon  the  muster- 
ing of  the  company  was  made  its  First  Lieutenant, 
holding  his  commission  until  ho  was  mustered  out. 
He  then  returned  to  Keokuk,  re-entered  his  father's 
store,  and  was  soon  taken  in  as  a  partner,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  assist- 


ing  to  conduct  their  extensive  and  lucrative  trade. 
.Mr.  Ilamill  was  married,  in  1870,  to  Miss  Louise 
.M.  Sullivan,  of  Evansville,  Ind.,  a  lady  of  fine  edu- 
cation and  excellent  family.  Of  this  union  there 
have  been  born  two  children — Louise  I),  and  Emily 
N.  Mr.  Hamill  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  First 
Westminster  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  he  is  a 
Deacon  and  Secretary.  He  took  a  partial  course 
of  lectures  at  the  Keokuk  Medical  College,  but 
concluded  to  engage  in  mercantile  pursuits,  and  is  S  } 
considered  one  of  the  successful  business  men  of 
Keokuk. 

e 


EORGE  R.  N UN N,  a  highly  esteemed  citi- 
zen, and  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of 
the  Gate  City,  has  been  a  resident  here  since 
1S.')7,  since  which  time  he  established  the  business 
in  which  he  is  still  engaged,  being  a  manufacturer 
of  stairs,  balusters,  railings,  wood  mantels,  and  all 
the  useful  and  ornamental  work  pertaining  to  this 
branch  of  industry.  The  business  is  located  at  No. 
314  South  F'ourth  street,  and  is  one  of  the  impor- 
tant manufactories  of  the  city. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  native  of  the 
Emerald  Isle,  born  in  1.S31,  and  came  to  America 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  3'ears.  After  reaching 
American  shores,  he  proceeded  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  for  ten  years,  engaged  at  the 
business  which  he  still  follows,  and  at  which  he  was 
then  serving  his  first  apprenticeship.  His  parents 
were  Rev.  Nathaniel  and  Charlotte  (Robinson) 
Nunn,  both  natives  of  Ireland.  Nathaniel  Nnnn 
w.as  a  Baptist  clergyman,  and  came  with  his  family 
to  America  in  1848.  He  settled  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  became  eng.aged  in  missionary 
work,  and  where  he  is  still  living  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-four  years,  and  still  occasionally 
engages  in  his  former  pious  office.  'I'he  wife  and 
mother  departed  this  life  in  1850.  The  parental 
household  consisted  of  five  children — Annie,  George 
R.,  Phillip.  Nathaniel  and  Charlotte.  (The  latter  is 
a  lady  of  fine  literary  tastes  and  more  than  ordin.ary 
ability,  being  the  author  of  several  works,  among 
them  one  entitled  "Ada  Greenwood,"  and  another 
called  "  Golden  Sunbeams.")  Phillip  was  a  police- 
man of  Cincinnati,  and  during  the  late  war  enlisted 


in  the  service.  He  went  South  with  his  regiment 
and  was  wounded  at  New  Hope,  (in.,  and  taiien 
prisoner  at  Port  Republic,  Va..  remaining  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy  for  ttie  space  of  eight  months, 
but  was  finally  exchanged.  He  held  the  rank  of 
First  Sergeant,  and  was  afterward  promoted  Second 
J>ieutenant.  In  Cincinnati  he  was  accounted  one 
of  the  most  efficient  of  the  police  force,  and  is  now 
retired  on  account  of  wounds  received  in  the  tun- 
nel of  the  jail  in  Cincinnati  during  the  riot  of 
1884. 

George  R.  Nunn  received  a  classical  education 
in  his  native  land.  He  worked  at  his  trade  in  Cin- 
cinnati until  coming  to  Keokuk  in  the  fall  of 
18.57,  when  he  established  his  present  business, 
which  he  carried  on  until  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Rebellion,  when  he  resolved  to  become  a 
soldier  in  the  service  of  his  adopted  countrj'.  He 
accordingly  enlisted  in  Co.  H.,  Sixth  Iowa  Vol. 
Inf.,  remaining  in  the  service  nearly  three  and 
one-half  years.  He  was  mustered  in  as  Second 
Lieutenant,  promoted  First  Lieutenant,  and  was 
afterward  commissioned  Captain  of  his  company. 
p  He  was  engaged  with  his  regiment  in  all  the  cam- 
paigns of  Gen.  Sherman  up  to  the  time  of  his 
march  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea,  and  was  wounded 
in  the  leg  at  the  battle  of  Missionary  Ridge.  He 
received  an  honorable  discharge,  and  returned  to 
Keokuk  in  1864,  where  he  resumed  his  former 
business,  adding  to  it  the  manufacture  of  furniture, 
which  he  carried  cm  for  three  years,  but  afterward 
abandoned.  • 

Mr.  Nunn  was  married  in  1859.  to  Miss  Mar3' 
Gorman,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  two  children — George  L.  and  Lottie  G. 
Mrs.  Nunn  departed  th'is  life  in  1865.  For  his 
second  wife  Mr.  Nunn  chose  a  sister  of  the  first, 
Ijg  !Miss  Kate  Gorman,  to  whom  he  was  married  in 
1867.  Of  this  union  were  born  four  children,  two 
of  whom  survive — Mollie  and  Iowa.  Mrs.  Kate 
Nunn  died  in  1875,  and  Mr.  Nunn  married  his 
present  wife  in  1877.  Her  maiden  name  was  Miss 
Louise   Wenzel,  and   she   is  a    native    of    Illinois. 

Ws  Mrs.  Nunn  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  hair 
5  goods  of  all  descriptions,  and  is  carrying  on  a 
P  thriving  business  at  No.  418  Main  street,  in  which 

Jj:is  she  employ's  three    women,  and   displays  some    of 


the  finest  work  in  her  line  to  be  found  in  the  city. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nunn  occupy  a  fine  residence  at 
the  corner  of  Seventh  and  B.ank  streets,  and  own 
several  houses  in  tlic  city  which  are  occupied  by 
tenants.  He  gives  employment  usuallj'  to  about  j 
four  men,  and  ships  goods  into  the  States  of 
Neliraska,  Kansas,  Missouri  and  Illinois.  Mr.  N.  is 
one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  the  cit}',  and  is 
fulfilling  all  the  obligations  of  a  good  citizen. 


iHOMAS  H.  HOWELL,  of  Jackson  Town- 
ship, is  pleasantly  located  on  section  13, 
where  he  has  a  valuable  farm  estate  consist- 
ing of  240  acres  of  land,  a  comfortable  dwelling- 
house,  good  barns  and  outhouses,  and  all  the  appli- 
ances of  a  first-class  farmer.  He  is  a  gentleman 
of  excellent  education,  an  extensive  reader,  and 
possessed  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence.  He 
has  been  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  this  section 
since  first  coming  here,  and  has  occupied  many  of 
his  winter  seasons  teaching  in  his  own  school  dis- 
trict. Through  his  wise  supervision  of  educational 
matters  in  this  vicinity,  the  schools  here  have  at- 
tained to  a  flourishing  condition,  and  he  has  intro- 
duced many  new  and  excellent  features  pertaining 
to  the  general  management  of  school  affairs  and 
pupils. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  was  born  July  13,  1834.  His  parents  were 
Thomas  and  H.annah  (Hopkins)  Howell,  of  W^elsh 
parentage  and  ancestry,  who  emigrated  to  America 
from  their  native  land  in  1853.  After  reaching  the 
shores  of  the  New  World  they  proceeded  directly 
westward,  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  made  their 
first  location  ni  Keokuk,  Iowa.  They  afterward  re- 
moved into  Jackson  Township,  established  a  home, 
and  here  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  Their 
family  consisted  of  two  sons  and  four  daughters,  of 
whom  the  subject  of  our  sketch  is  the  youngest 
child. 

Thomas  H.  Howell,  during  his  boyhood  days,  re- 
mained at  home  and  attended  the  schools  of  his  na- 
tive countrj'.  He  was  nineteen  years  old  when  he 
came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents,  and 
after  they  located  in  Keokuk  he  was  employed  in  a 


m 


258 


LEE  COUNTY. 


n 


E 


I'  I 


y 


sawmill  for  about  four  years.  He  luul  been  reared 
to  h.-ibit-i  of  industry  and  economy,  and  after  he 
began  to  work  for  liiniself  he  saved  his  earnings, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  the  time  mentioned  found 
liiniself  the  possessor  of  means  sufficient  to  purchase 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Jackson  Township.  He 
added  to  his  landed  possessions  as  his  means  ac- 
cumulated, and  was  prospered  in  his  agricultural 
pursuits. 

.Mr.  Howell  was  married  in  St.  Francisvillc,  Mo., 
July  24,  IH.Oe,  to  Miss  Clarissa  James,  daughter  of 
Francis  and  Adeline  (Wilcox)  .lames,  of  Ohio. 
Mrs.  Howell  was  the  sixth  of  a  family  of  seven 
children.  She  was  born  in  Ravenna.  Portage  Co., 
Ohio,  Dec.  13,  IHSO,  and  by  her  union  with  our 
subject  has  become  the  mother  of  seven  children, 
whose  history  we  briefly  record  as  follows:  Han- 
nah, the  eldest  daughter,  became  the  wife  of  George 
McCandless,  and  resides  in  Keokuk;  Elizabeth 
married  William  Leake,  of  Jackson  Township; 
Winslow,  Alice  E.  and  Adeline  are  at  home  with 
their  parents;  Alfred  and  Delia  are  deceased. 

.Mr.  H.  has  held  the  various  school  offices  of  his 
township.  He  was  Secretary  of  the  School  Board 
of  this  township  for  twelve  years,  and  the  first 
Township  Clerk  elected  outside  of  Keokuk.  Po- 
litically he  is  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Republican 
party. 


R.  JOEL  C.  AVALKER,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  inHuential  citizens  of  Ft. 
Madison,  at  which  place  he  arrived  Dec. 
30,  1836,  was  an  early  pioneer  of  the 
llawkeye  State,  and  'has  been  largely  connected 
with  the  public  affairs  of  this  county  ever  since. 
He  has  attained  to  eminence  in  his  profession,  in 
which  he  has  tjiken  great  pride  anil  given  to  it  his 
closest  attention.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  education 
and  possessed  of  a  remarkable  memory ;  in  fact,  he 
is  classed  as  a  walking  encyclopedia  on  account  of 
his  extensive  knowledge  upon  general  subjects, 
which  has  been  the  result  of  extensive  reading  and 
keen  observation.  There  are  few  subjects  upon 
which  he  has  not  some  information  and  opinion, 
and  his  life  is  a  remarkable  exanii)le  <>f  what  an  in- 
dustrious student  may  accoinplisli. 

Joel  C.  Walker,  M.  D..  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 


was  liorii  in  Springtield,  Feb.  7,  IHlo.  His  father, 
also  .loel  C.,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  his 
grandfather,  Samuel  Walker,  was  born  in  Chester 
County-,  Pa.  His  great-grandfather,  John  Walker, 
was  a  unlive  of  Scotland,  who  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica and  made  his  first  location  in  Chester  County, 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers.  He  re- 
mained there  until  his  death,  and  his  son,  Samuel 
Walker,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  soon  after- 
ward removed  to  \'irginia,  settling  in  Rockbridge 
County.  He  purchased  a  tract  of  land  two  miles 
from  the  famous  Natural  Bridge,  and  this  he  im- 
proved and  cultivated,  and  there  estalilished  a 
homestead,  upon  which  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  days.  Five  of  his  sons  were  soldiers  in  the 
Revolutionary  War. 

Joel  Walker,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  next 
to  the  youngest  of  a  large  family,  and  was  reared 
upon  the  farm,  being  educated  at  Richmond.  He 
adopted  the  profession  of  a  civil  engineer,  and  was 
for  ten  years  engaged  as  survej'or  in  A'irginia.  In 
1803  he  removed  to  Ohio,  locating  on  Beaver 
Creek,  six  miles  east  of  Springfield,  which  town 
then  contained  about  fifty  inhabitants.  Joel 
Walker  purchased  Government  land,  part  timber 
and  part  prairie,  built  a  log  cabin,  and  when  not 
engaged  in  survej'ing  occupied  himself  in  the 
improvement  of  his  land.  In  1824  he  sold  his 
farm  and  removed  to  Fayette  Count}',  where  he 
became  the  owner  of  2,000  acres  on  the  north  fork 
of  Point  River.  He  was  often  called  upon  to  do 
surveying  in  tbe  country'  around  him,  and  remained 
a  resident  of  Fayette  County  until  his  decease, 
which  occurred  in  1833,  at  the  age  of  sixty -eight 
years.  He  had  surveyed  large  tracts  of  land  for 
the  Government  in  Ohio,  Virginia  and  Kentucky, 
and  was  considered  especially  skillful  and  correct. 
He  was  married  in  earl}'  niiinliood  to  Miss  Marga- 
ret Armstrong,  the  daughter  of  Archibald  Arm- 
strong, a  native  of  Virginia  and  of  Scotch  ancestry. 
She  departed  this  life  Sept.  20,  182.i.  She  was  a 
lad}'  of  fine  education,  highly  accomplished,  and 
well  fitted  to  become  the  helpmeet  of  such  a  man 
as  Joel  Walker. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  received  his  first  in- 
struction under  the  parental  roof,  his  father  espe- 
cially giving  him  careful  training.     In  later  yeai'she 


uii-^-jMamai^ 


attended  a  select  school  at  Spriugfield,  Ohio,  and 
began  the  stLul>'  of  mediehie  at  Circleville,  Ohio, 
at  the  age  of  twentj-  j'ears.  He  entered  the  offiee 
of  Drs.  Olds  and  Gibson,  who  were  among  the 
eminent  physicians  at  that  time,  and  from  whom  he 
i-eoeived  valuable  instruction.  In  183o  he  entered 
Jefferson  College  at  Philadelphia,  and  in  the  fall  of 
that  year  went  to  Illinois,  spending  a  few  weeks 
there,  then  proceeded  to  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  lo- 
cating on  the  present  site  of  Ft.  Madison,  where  he 
commenced  the  practice  of  medicine.  He  prac- 
ticed here  until  1842,  and  was  then  appointed 
Clerk  of  the  United  States  District  Conrt,  which 
position  he  held  for  the  following  five  years.  He 
then  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  and  siteculated 
in  lands,  and  was  also  interested  in  internal  im- 
provements. In  1802  he  was  appointed  Collector 
of  Internal  Revenue  by  President  Lincoln,  and 
served  in  this  capacity  until  1867.  Since  1879  he 
has  been  special  land  agent,  and  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  settling  the  swamp  land  difficulty  in  the 
State  of  Illinois.  These  varied  occupations  proved 
a  rich  experience  for  him,  giving  him  valuable 
knowledge  of  land  laws  and  title  deeds. 

Dr.  Walker  was  married,  Oct.  10,  1838,  to  Miss 
Martha  Maria  Stewart,  who  was  born  in  St.  Louis 
County,  !\Io.,  Jan.  20,  1820..  Her  father  was  Dr. 
Abraham  Stewart,  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  a  sur- 
geon in  the  LTnited  States  Armj'.  The  family  are 
still  in  possession  of  letters  written  by  him  in  1810, 
one  being  from  Chickasaw  Bluffs.  He  spent  the 
last  years  of  his  life  at  Hannibal,  Mo.,  and  his  de- 
cease occuixed  in  1834.  In  early  manhood  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Emily  Aj'res.  Her 
birth  occurred  in  the  fort  on  the  present  site  of 
Marietta,  Ohio,  and  her  parents  were  members  of 
the  colony  from  Connecticut  who  settled  in  Ohio 
while  it  was  yet  a  Territory.  In  183.5  Mrs.  Stew- 
art came  with  her  famil3'  to  Lee  County,  arriving 
hereon  the  11th  of  October.  They  settled  two 
miles  from  Ft.  Madison,  and  there  remained  until 
the  death  of  the  wife  and  mother,  which  occurred 
July  18,  1879,  at  the  good  old  age  of  eighty-four 
years  and  six  months. 

Dr.  Walker  and  his  wife  have  become  the  parents 
of  three  children — Emily  W.  Stewart,  Margaret  A. 
and  Buffom  S.     Margaret  lives  in  Washington  City, 


forts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Dr.  Walkei" 
has  retired  from  active  business  and  is  living  in 
the  enjoyment  of  the  competency  which  he  securecj 
in  the  days  of  his  manl3'  vigor  and  strength, 
is  an  Elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  was  aj 
charter  member  t)f  the  society  upon  its  organiza-  ' 
tion  at  Ft.  Madison.  Before  the  agitation  of  the 
slavery  question  he  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  but 
always  an  anti-slaverj'  man.  He  considered  finally 
that  he  had  good  reason  to  change  his  political 
views,  and  upon  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
party  he  heartily  indorsed  the  principles  which  it 
advocated,  and  has  since  cast  the  weight  of  his  in- 
fluence with  this  party.  He  has  alwaj's  been  a 
strong  temperance  man,  and  has  taken  deep  inter- 
est in  the  reforms  inaugurated  in  this  direction 
during  the  last  fifty  years.  He  is  one  of  the  land- 
marks of  the  county,  with  whose  interests  he  has 
generously  identified  himself  since  becoming  a  resi- 
dent of  this  locality,  and  he  is  held  in  that  rever- 
ential respect  which  is  with  one  accord  extended 
generally  to  the  valued  pioneers  of  the  Hawkeye 
State. 


M 


BSALOM  J.  RICHARDSON,  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Madison  Township,  came  to 
this  section  at  an  early  period  in  its  history, 
and  has  watched  with  deep  and  intelligent 


M 


m 


interest  its  growth  and  prosperity,  which  has  steadily  |}     [j 
increased  with  the  lapse  of  years,  and  has  afforded  to  -H— DC 


ii 

lii 


the  gaze  of  the  pioneer  a  series  of  changes  as  re- 
markable as  they  have  been  pleasing.  Mr.  Richard- 
son, in  common  with  his  brother  pioneers,  from  the 
time  of  his  coming  here  has  identified  himself  inti- 
mately with  its  interests  and  prosperity,  and  has^|Q>jp 
rejoiced  at  every  step  of  the  fulfillment  of  its  early  Hh^ 
promises. 

The  subject  of  this  history  is  a  native  of  the 
Buckeye  State,  having  been  born  in  Hamilton 
County',  three  miles  from  the  town  of  Jliami, 
March  15,  1826.  His  father,  David  Richardson, 
was  a  native  of  Philadel|)hia,  Pa.,  as  also  was  his 
gi-andfather,  Joseph  Richardson.  The  latter  was 
descended    from  Scottish  ancestry,    Mho    came  to 


■262 


LEE  COUNTY. 


m 


Aincrica  with  William  Penii,  being  among  the  first 
settlers  of  the  Keystone  State.  .loseph  Richardson 
was  engaged  in  inercjintile  pursuits  in  Philadelpliia 
until  IKOT.  when  he  rcniovtMl  tu  Hamilton  Connty. 
Ohio,  and  w;is  anionii  llic  pioneers  of  that  State. 
He  piirehased  a  traet  of  timber  land.  ini|n-oved  a 
farn)  from  the  wilderness,  established  a  eonifortabie 
home,  and  remained  there  until  iiis  death.  His 
son  David,  the  fathei-  of  our  subject,  was  fourteen 
years  of  age  wlien  lie  removed  with  Ins  parents 
from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio.  He  grew  to  luanliood 
in  the  latter  State  .■md  there  married  JHss  .Jemima 
Foster,  a  lady  whose  native  place  was  Baltimore. 
.Md.  David  Hiclianlxm  purchased  a  tract  of  tim- 
ber land  near  the  town  of  Miami,  and  built  a  log 
cabin,  into  which  he  removed  witli  his  bride  and 
his  household  belongings,  and  in  wliieh  the  sul)ject 
of  our  sketch  was  born.  They  lived  there  until 
1K3G,  when  Absalom  .1.  of  our  sketch  was  a  lad 
of  ten  years  old.  They  then  sold  out,  and  remov- 
ing to  Indiana,  purchased  a  tract  of  [Jartly  improved 
land  in  Hancock  County,  where  they  carried  on 
farming  operations  until  March,  1  !S4(!,  when  they 
again  sold  out  and  started  farther  westward.  They 
made  the  journey  overl;iud  witii  their  lionsehold 
goods  to  the  eastern  banks  of  the  ^^ssi8sippi,  camp- 
ing and  cooking  l)_y  the  way,  and  cro.ssed  the  Father 
of  Waters  on  a  ferry-boat. 

After  arriving  in  Lee  County,  David  Richardson 
purchased  a  tract  of  land  on  section  tj,  of  Madison 
Township.  Here,  he  ;ind  his  family  went  through 
many  of  their  former  e.xijeriences  in  building  up  a 
farm  from  the  uncultivated  soil.  There  was  a  log 
cabin  on  the  place  and  seventy-five  acres  h.ad  been 
partially  improved.  Tliey  proceeded  industriously 
with  the  further  cultivation  of  the  land,  and  I'e- 
mained  upon  this  farm  until  the  death  of  the  father, 
which  occurreil  in  l.si;:i.  The  wife  and  mother 
soon  followed  her  husb;uid  to  the  other  .shore,  living 
H  only  until  the  following  year.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  eight  children,  six  of  whom  grew  to  mature 
years :  Esther  A.  became  tlie  wife  of  James  Inger- 
soll,  and  died  in  1h.'(4;  Angeline  married  . I  oh  n 
Barckley.  and  lives  in  Rawlins  County,  Kan.; 
Absalom. I.  was  the  next  in  order  of  birth  ;    .Malachi 

D.  went  to  California   in  \i^!J2,  and    was  killed    by 

Indians  two  years  later:   .Samuel  F.  lives  in  Green 


1 


Bay  Township,  this  county;  Elinore  is  the  wife  of 
William  1'.  Hyter,  of  Barton  County,  Kan. 

Mr.  Richardson  of  our  sketch  w.as  eleven  j'ears 
old  when  his  parents  moved  toLidianaand  nineteen 
when  he  came  to  Ft.  Madison.  He  made  his  home 
with  his  parents  until  1S.">2,  and  then,  accompanied 
by  his  biotlier  .M;d;iclii  .-md  others,  started  with  ox- 
teams  across  the  plains  to  California.  After  travel- 
ing four  months  they  reached  Marysville.  Cal. ; 
where  Mr.  Richardson  went  into  tlie  mines,  and 
was  engaged  in  digging  for  the  [)recious  metals  six 
mouths.  He  then  took  up  a  tract  of  Oovernment 
land  and  engaged  in  farming  for  two  years.  In  the 
spring  of  1H55  he  started  homeward,  via  the  Isth- 
mus and  New  York,  whence  he  proceeded  to  the 
home  of  his  parents  in  Iowa.  He  soon  afterward 
took  charge  of  his  father's  farm,  which  he  owned 
until  recently,  when  he  disposed  of  it  by  sale. 
Among  the  farm  produce  which  he  first  marketed 
was  a  load  of  watermelons,  the  first  -'fruit"  of  the 
kind  cultiv.'ited  in   this   section. 

The  farm  of  Mr.  Richardson  was  a  fine  estate  con- 
sisting of  ;i2()  acres,  200  in  meadow  and  cultivated 
land,  and  the  remainder  in  i)asture  and  timber.  It 
w.as  supplied  with  a  comfortable  farm  dwelling,  good 
barns  and  out-buildings,  and  all  the  necessary  ap- 
l)liances  for  carr^'ing  on  agriculture  by  the  most 
.•i|)proved  methods.  He  had  costl3'  farm  machinery, 
all  the  various  implements  of  modern  invention, 
and  everything  about  the  homestead  was  indicative 
of  wise  and  judicious  management.  It  formed  an 
attractive  spot  in  the  landscape  of  Lee  County,  and 
was  observed  with  interest  by  the  traveler  passing 
through  this  section. 

The  marriage  of  Absalom  J.  Richardson  and 
Miss  Su.san  Bnllai'd  was  celelnated  March  23,  185G. 
Mrs  R.  was  a  native  of  Morgan  Connty,  111.,  and 
the  daughter  of  Theophilus  and  Lucy  (Armstrong) 
Bullard,  a  sketch  of  whom  apjiears  on  another  i)age 
in  this  volume.  The  following  children  were  born 
of  this  union:  Edward  married  Frances  R.  Bullard, 
the  daughter  i^if  Alexander  Bullard  of  this  connty; 
Helen,  Milton,  Absalom,  Theophilus,  Eineline, 
Caroline  and  (Jeorge.  The  three  last  namecl  are 
deceased. 

Mrs.  Richardson  died  at  their  residence  Aug.  IG, 
IHHO,  of  c(msumplion.  after  a  long  illness.      Mr.  R. 


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is  prominently  connected  with  the  Btiptist  Cliurch, 

and  in  politics  is  a  Democrat. 
jjiE        It  is  with  jileasure  we  present  the  portraits  of  Mr. 
"  ■"    and  Mrs.  Richardson  in  connection  with  this  sketch. 


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eHARLES  F.  LYPj  is  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Lye  &  King,  of  Keokuk,  retailers  and 
jobbers  in  dry  goods,  and  occupies  .1  promi- 
nent position  among  the  l)usiness  men  of  the  (iate 
City.  He  is  a  native  of  Hastings.  England,  born 
March  4,  1840,  and  is  the  son  of  Robert  and  Eliza- 
beth (Pope)  Lye,  also  natives  of  the  same  country. 
Robert  Lye  was  a  dry-goods  merchant  in  earlier 
3'ears,  and  later  a  dealer  in  china  ware.  He  re- 
tired from  active  business  in  1.S72.  The  wife  and 
mother  departed  this  life  in  18.i.i.  Their  family 
consisted  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are  living, 
the  record  l)eing  as  follows:  Robert  is  in  New- 
Zealand;  Ellen,  Mrs.  Wheeler,  is  in  Brighton,  En- 
gland; the  third  child  was  Charles  F.,  (jur  subject; 
Mary  J.  is  in  London ;  Francis  E.,  in  Brighton,  and 
Archibald  R.,  in  Lewis,  England. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  with  his  par- 
ents during  his  3-ounger  years,  and  received  a  good 
education  in  the  primary  schools,  which  was  sup- 
plemented by  attendance  at  the  Bank  Street  Col- 
lege of  Hastings,  from  which  he  graduated  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  years.  He  was  then  apprenticed  to 
Mr.  Andrews,  of  Newmarket,  Cambridge,  to  learn 
the  dry-goods  business.  Here  he  remained  for  six 
years,  then  went  to  London,  and  was  engaged  as  a 
clerk.  He  was  employed  in  the  dry -goods  trade  for 
four  years,  and  then  enlisted  in  the  British  army. 
He  was  i)romoted  Sergeant,  and  served  eight  years, 
six  years  of  this  time  being  sjient  in  India  and 
China.  He  was  tiiere  in  the  siege  and  capture  of 
Takoo  Forts,  and  was  wounded  in  that  engagement. 
He  then  returned  with  his  regiment  to  f]ngland, 
subsequently  went  to  Ireland,  and  was  afterward 
stationed  at  Londonderr}'.  The  state  of  his  health 
now  necessitated  his  being  sent  to  the  hospital,  and 
he  secured  his  discharge  on  .account  of  disability. 

After  his  discharge  from  the  array  Mr.  Lye  en- 
gaged as  clerk  in  the  dr3'-goods  business  at  Hast- 
ings, and  was  thus   occupied   for   three   years.     In 


1870  he  determined  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  Newt 
World  and  came  to  the  United   States,  making  hisg^^q 
first  settlement  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.    Here  he 
engaged  as  clerk  in  the  drj'-goods    business,  and 
remained  for  two  j'ears.     In  1878  he  came  to  Keo-R 
kuk,  and  accepted  a  position  with  the  firm   of  Ir- 
win, Phillips  &   Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  three 
years,  and  was  afterward  c<:)nnected  with  John  Zerr 
in  the  dry-goods  business.    Mr.  Lye  established  his 
present  business  in  1882,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Eighth  streets.     The  following  year  he  associated 
himself  in    partnership    with  Mr.  King.     They  are 
doing  an  extensive  business,  and  give  employment 
to  six  clerks. 

Mr.  Lye  was  married  in  1879,  to  Miss  A.  E 
King,  d.aughter  of  the  late  James  King,  of  Dear- 
born County,  Ind.  Of  this  union  there  has  been 
born  one  child — Emma  E.  They  occupy  a  hand- 
some residence  on  Fulton  street,  and  their  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances  includes  the  best  citizens 
of  Keokuk.  Mr.  Lj'e  is  a  straightforward  business 
man,  highly  respected  in  his  community,  and  a  val- 
uable factor  among  the  l)usiness  interests  of  Lee 
County. 


iOBERT  BARR,  a  highly  esteemed  citizen  of 
Ft.  Madison,  and  an  honored  pioneer  of 
the  Hawkeye  State,  crossed  the  Mississippi 
)and  came  to  Iowa  two  years  after  its  ad- 
mission into  the  Union  as  a  State.  lie  is  a  native 
of  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  and  was  born  July 
10,  1807.  His  parents,  William  and  Elizabeth 
(Bell)  Barr,  were  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  fourth  in  a  fam- 
ily of  eight  children.  His  father  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  and  his  early  3'ears  were  spent  under 
the  parental  roof,  after  which  he  worked  at  tanning 
and  the  saddlery  trade. 

After  arriving  at  years  of  manhood,  Mr.  Barr 
was  married  in  1832,  to  Mi.ss  Nancy  Braden,  a  na- 
tive of  his  own  county,  the  date  of  her  birth  be- 
ing .Tan.  23,  1814.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barr  made  the 
journey  from  their  native  State  to  Iowa  via  the 
Ohio  and  Jlississippi  Rivers.  While  passing  thiough 
the  city  of  Cincinnati,  they,  for  the  first  time  in 
their  lives,  were  treated  to  the  sight  of  telegraph 


Vi 


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1  i_i_i  III  i>rt 


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264 


LEE  COUNTY. 


polps,  this  city  l)ein<i  thPii  the  western  tcnnimis  of 
the  few  telcgiJipli  linen  which  iiad  i)pen  laid.  After 
Br-st  comini"-  into  Iowa,  they  located  :it  West  I'oinl. 
Lee  Connty,  and  soon  afterward  purchased  land  at 
Pleasant  Kidg:^-.  where  Mr.  Harr  was  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  until  \HH:i.  He  was  pros|)ered 
in  his  underUiking.  heconiing  the  owner  of  241)  acres 
of  valuable  land,  which  he  sold  In  the  year  last 
mentioned,  and  removed  to  Kt.  Madison,  where  he 
now  lives,  retired  from  active  labor. 

The  family  of  our  subject  and  wife  consisted  of 
nine  children,  of  wiiom  the  record  is  as  follows: 
William  enlisted  in  the  1st  Iowa  Cavalry,  in  1862, 
and  died  in  the  service  at  St.  Louis,  in  September, 
IH6;^;  Benjamin  F'.  was  a  member  of  the  same  regi- 
ment, and  died  in  the  same  month  and  year  as  his 
brother,  at  Memi)his,  Tenn. ;  the  next  child  was  a 
daughter — Klizalieth;  .Martha  J.  died  in  18.^0;  the 
remainder  are.  Mar}-  L..  (Jeorge  W.,  Margaret  C, 
Nancy  and  Robert  J. 

Mr.  Barr  has  been  a  prominent  man  in  his  com- 
munity and  contributed  of  his  time  and  means  to 
the  aid  of  everything  calculated  to  benefit  his 
adopted  count}'.  He  has  served  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace  for  several  years,  casts  his  vote  with  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  religiously  is  connected  with 
the  Kpiscopal  Church. 


^YJAMES  WILSON,  of  Jefter.son  Township,  is 
successfully  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
on  section  l.and  has  obtained  considerable 
repiitaliou  .<is  a  breeder  of  fine  stock  and  a 
business  man  of  more  than  oidiiiary  integrity.  He 
was  lioru  Fell.  i;>,  1847.  His  father,  Thomas  Wil- 
son, was  a  native  uf  Kentucky,  and  was  reared  to 
manhood  in  his  native  county.  At  this  period  in 
the  history  of  the  latter,  his  father,  Hugh  Wilson, 
with  his  wife  and  eight  children,  of  whom  Thomas 
was  one  of  the  youngest,  gathered  together  their 
household  goods  and  st^irted  to  cross  the  Missis- 
sippi. They  came  into  Iowa  and  made  their  first 
location  in  Jefferson  Township,  on  the  farm  which 
now  constitutes  the  honn'stead  of  James  Wilson, 
the  sulijcct  of   this   narrative.     They  arrived  here 


-  ^ 


in  1 8;5;?,  having  previously  lived  for  a  brief  timeg; 
in  the  States  of  Indiana.  Illinois  and  Missouri. |ti 
They  weic  among  the  first  settlers  of  .Jefferson: 
Township,  and  seemed  (Jovernment  land  on  what:  '^-^ 
was  known  as  the  "  half-breed  "  tract.  This  lay:  Hj 
along  the  first  bottoms  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and:  '- 
is  now  called  Sand  Prairie.  A  fort  had  already:  h 
been  built  at  what  was  then  Madison,  as  a  protec-:  W 
tion  against  the  savages,  but  as  hostilities  had  then: 
ceased  for  a  time  they  had  no  trouble  witii  the  In-: 
dians.  They  proceeded  with  tiie  impiovement  of;  [^ 
their  property  unmolested,  erected  the  primitive^ 
log  cabin,  and  lived  contentedly,  occupied  in  the|;  .;. 
cultivation  of  the  soil  and  with  the  hope  of  some-;  []■ 
thing  better  in  the  future.  In  due  time  they  re-;  Ij 
ceived  the  reward  of  their  labors  in  the  establish-;  l' 
ment  of  a  comfortable  home,  and  the  substitution  :\[- 
of  smiling  and  productive  fields  for  wild  and  un-:  ^' 
broken  prairie.  Here  the  parents  remained  until:  ."^ 
the  death  of  the  father,  which  occurred  on  the  2dS':[| 
of  April,  1870,  when  he  was  about  sixty-seven:  ij 
years  of  age.  The  mother  still  survives,  and  resides;  f[ 
with  her  son  Thomas.  The  household  circle  em-SrJ 
braced  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whomS-^ 

,  ^  L 

are  living.  :[ 

James  Wilson  was  educated  in  the  public  schools;;} 
of  Jefferson  Township,  and  remained  with  his  i)ar-E  [[^ 
ents  until  his  marriage,  which  took  place  in  Ft.  t  IJ 
Madison,  Oct.  6,  1871,  the  maiden  of  his  choice E\[ 
being  Miss  Hannah  E.  Arnold.  Mrs.  Wilson  isaEi]; 
native  of  Clark  County,  Mo.,  and  was  born  ins  ? 
1849.  Her  father,  Granville  Arnold,  iii  early  lifeg:} 
was  a  mechanic,  but  afterward  engaged  in  mercan-;  n 
tile  pursuits,  and  in  his  later  days  was  occupied:^ 
again  with  his  trade  and  with  farming  pur.suits.  Sr!} 
Mrs.  W.  was  carefully  trained,  and  received  a  good  Si  ^ 
education  in  tlie  public  schools,  remaining  at  home;;  i, 
until  iier  uiarri.age.  Her  parents  are  now  deceased.;  } 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Wilson  became  the  parents;  ^ 
of  five  children,  two  of  whom,  Ada  A.  and  an  in-?  i 
fant  unnamed,  are  deceased.     The  living  are  Clay-j  ^ 

borne  E.,  Rhoda  E.  and  Savburt.     Since  their  mar-;  a 

^  'h 

riage   Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  have  lived  on  the  old;  n 

'■'  K 

homestead  with  their  brother  Thomas,  who  is  part;  H 

owner.  It  comprises  242^  acres,  half  of  which  is;  n 
under  good  cultivation.  Mrs.  W.  is  a  member  in;  i 
good  standing  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,:   ii 


and  the  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  reliable  Demo- 
crat, voting  conscientiously  to  uphold  the  principles 
of  his  party. 

j8tv^  ICIIAKL  WEIL,  an  iiiipuitant  member  of 
II      l\\    ^^^  business  element  of  Keokuk,  is  an  ex- 
I       (^  tensive  dealer  in  pelts,  wool,  tallow,  iron, 
*  rags,    etc.,   his   warehouses   being  at  Nos. 

100  and  102  Main  street,  at  the  corner  of  First  street. 
The  business  was  established  in  ltS77,  and  is  pros- 
perous and  steadil}^  increasing.  Mr.  Weil  is  a  na- 
tive of  Pontiac,  Mich.,  born  in  1854,  and  the  son 
of  Moses  and  Rosa  (Gauz)  Weil,  natives  of  Aus- 
tria. They  emigrated  from  their  native  countrj' 
to  America  in  1846,  and  proceeded  directly  to  Pon- 
tiac, Mich.,  being  among  the  early  settlers  there, 
whence  they  afterward  removed  to  Ann  Arbor. 
From  there  the  elder  Weil  went  to  Chicago,  111., 
and  for  thirty^nine  years  was  an  active  partner  of 
the  firm  of  Jacob  Weil  &  Bros.,  who  were  exten- 
sively engaged  in  leather,  sheepskin  and  wool  man- 
ufactures. The  wife  and  mother  departed  this  life 
in  18.58.  The  pai'ental  household  consisted  of  four 
children,  of  whom  only  two  are  living — Michael, 
our  subject,  and  Emanuel  K.,  of  Cliicago,  with  the 
firm  of  J.  Weil  it  Bros. 

After  the  decease  of  his  first  wife,  Mo.ses  Weil 
was  a  second  time  married,  to  Miss  Therese  Led- 
erer,  a  native  of  Austria.  They  had  a  family  of 
five  children,  as  follows:  Rosa,  now  Mrs.  Eisen- 
drath.  of  Chicago;  Simon,  and  Fannie,  now  Mrs. 
Teller,  also  of  Chicago;  .Iuse|)h,  of  Streator.  111. ; 
Sarah,  now  in  Chicago  with  her  mother.  Tlie  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  died  in  1885. 

Michael  Weil  attended  school  at  Ann  Arbor  dui-- 
iug  his  earlier  years,  and  subsequently  received  ad- 
ditional instruction  in  the  iiuMic  scliools  of  Chi- 
cago. He  also  attended  the  (iernian  pulilic  school. 
He  was  a  bright  and  studious  boy,  fond  <if  his 
books,  and  ambitious  to  excel.  His  eduivition  wm.s 
completetl  by  a  course  at  Bryant  iV  Stratton's  Col- 
lege, and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  went  into 
his  father's  store,  where  lie  reniMJneil  one  year.  Mn<l 
was  then  sent  to  New  York  City  to  a  branch  estab- 
lishment, also   conducted    by    his   fatiier,   and    was 


there  three  years.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  en- 
gaged in  the  boot-and-shoe  business,  which  he  sold 
after  two  years  and  returned  to  Michigan,  being  a 
dealer  in  wool,  pelts  and  tallow  at  Ann  Arbor  for 
six  mouths,  after  which  he  went  to  California,  re- 
turning East  in  a  short  time,  and  soon  thereafter, 
in  187tj,  came  to  Keokuk,  arriving  here  on  the  28th 
of  June.  He  soon  afterward  established  his  pres- 
ent business,  which  he  has  continued  till  the  present 
time.  He  is  a  thorough-going  business  man,  has 
built  up  a  valuable  trade,  and  by  his  straightfor- 
ward business  methods  and  courteous  demeanor 
has  secured  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  i^atrons. 

Michael  Weil  and  Miss  Emmie  Klein  were  united 
in  marriage  in  1878,  in  Keokuk,  and  have  become 
the  parents  of  two  children — Edith  R.  and  .Sidney 
M.  Mr.  Weil  is  Republican  in  politics;  socially  he 
belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternitj%  also  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.  and  the  B.  B.  The  family  occupy  a  fine 
residence  on  Blondeau  street,  and  are  highly  re- 
spected, members  of  the  communit3-. 


• — €^l 


m 


JBMI 


i  OBERT  J.  BARK,  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Lee  County,  and  was  born  July  10, 
1851.  His  parents  were  Robert  and  Nancy 
(Bradeu)  Barr,  and  he  remained  with  them 
during  childhood  and  early  youth,  receiving  a  good 
education  in  tlie  public  schools  at  Ft.  Madison.  He 
then  taught  school  in  the  winters,  and  in  the  summer 
season  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  being 
thus  occupied  for  five  years,  or  until  about  1879. 
He  then  removed  to  Ft.  Madison,  and  became  a 
guard  in  the  penitentiary,  which  position  he  occupied 
for  three  years.  In  the  meantime  he  had  been  ap- 
pointed Deputy  Treasurer  of  Lee  County,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  two  years  and  four  months. 
He  then  became  agent  at  F't.  Madison  for  the  Ft. 
Madison  ik  Northwestern  Railroad  Company,  hav- 
ing charge  of  the  station  here  until  June,  1884. 
He  then  engaged  in  the  insurance  business,  estab- 
lishing a  permanent  office,  an<l  has  charge  of  an  ex- 
tensive territory'.  He  is  now  the  representative  of 
thirty-three  companies,  having  transactions  in  both 
lire  and  life  insurance.    In  .lune,  188(1,  he  was  made 


W 


i 


tixiajLAXi: 


iiriTiTtzTijti; 


.bujd 


aijsignee  of  the  Republican-Herald,  which  he  edited 
and  piiblislied  until  Oct.  1.5,  l«.s6. 

The  in.arriage  of  R<jl)eit  J.  Hjiit  imd  Miss  Anna 
M.  Caldwell  was  celebrated  .Ian.  1.  1  ><«().  Mrs. 
Ban-  is  a  native  of  Wasliinglim  County,  Pa.,  and 
the  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  Caldwell. 

In  politics  Mr.  Barr  is  strongly  Republican,  and 
socially  belongs  to  the  F.  &  A.  M.  and  K.  of  1'.  of 
Ft.  Madison,  Iowa.  Mr.  Barr  was  recently  elected 
1)3'  the  voters  of  the  Second  Ward  as  an  Independ- 
ent Alderman  to  represent  tlieni  in  the  Cit}'  Coun- 
cil. He  is  also  a  member  of  Company  F,  2d  Regi- 
ment, lo'va  National  Guards. 


■«-^^-XXt>k^-^ 


C.   CARTER.     The  gentleman  whose  name 
heads  this  biography  occupies  a  prominent 
(xwition  among  the   industrial  interests  of 
the  (iate  City,  and   is  liighly  respected  for 
his  straightforward  business  (jualities,  no  less  than 
for   his    excellent   personal  character.      For   many 
years  he  has  been  tlie  head  of  the  firm  of  8.  C.  &■. 
.S.  Carter,  dealers  in  lumber,  doors,  sash,  blinds,  and 
hi  Uj"  everything  pertaining  to  their  line  of  trade.     The 
l3__nL  otlice  of  tile  company  is  located  at  the  intersection 
of  South  Fourth  and  Des  Moines  streets,  and  their 
transactions  extend  over  a   wide  area  of  territoi'y 
both  east  and  west  of  the  Mississippi. 

Mr.  Carter  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  was 
born  in  Berksliire  Dec.  11,  1S12.     He  is  the  .son  of 
William  and  Lucretia   (Jones)  Carter,  also  natives 
of  the  Bay  State.    The  boyhood  days  of  Mr.  Carter 
were  passed  mostly  in  .school,  and  his  vacations  were 
employed  with  his  father  in  the  building  business. 
nil  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty- 
^^  three  3'ears  of  age,  and  then,  in  companj'  with  his 
'■  il"~pr  brothers,  Charles  and  William   P.,  and   Mr.   Henry 
!I_J3„W.   Porter,   engaged   as  a  buildpr  and    contractor, 
he  firm  operating  under  the  style  and  title  of  Por- 
er.  Carter  &  Co.     They  continued  in  business  for 
Uthrec  years,  when  Mr.  Carter  disposed  of  his  inter- 
ests therein,  and  going  to  Winsted,  Conn.,  became 
engaged  with  a  Mr.  (4ilbert  in  the  manufacture  of 
locks,  in  which  this   firm    became  successful   and 
uilt  up  an  extensive  trade.     Mr.  Carter  then  ha\  - 
itni;-    a    desii-e    to    ^^■t•    sonietliiu"-    of     lb,,     western 


country,  started  toward  the  Mississippi,  but  made 
his  first  location  in  Painesvillc,  Ohio,  where  foi' 
two  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
sash,  doors  ami  blinds,  lie  then  started  westward 
again  in  l.S;j4,  ;ind  coming  into  the  Ilawkej-e  Slate, 
located  in  Keokuk,  where,  with  his  brother,  he 
became  extensively  engaged  in  the  lumber  business 
and  manufacture  of  doors,  sash,  l)linds,  etc.  They 
established  a  profitable  trade,  and  contiinicd  until 
186H,  when  the  contents  of  their  mill  and  yard 
were  destroyed  by  lire,  entailing  heavy  loss.  They, 
however,  recovered  them-selves  in  due  time.  All 
their  previous  transactions  had  been  conducted  in 
that  straightforward  and  honorable  manner  which 
secured  them  hosts  of  friends,  and  they  soon 
became  re-established  and  successful,  their  eraplo3'es 
averaging  twent^'-five  men  all  the  time,  and  at  some 
seasons  aggregating  fortj".  This  of  course  necessi- 
tates the  employment  of  a  number  of  teams,  and 
the  lumber-yard  of  the  Carters  is  now  one  of  the 
most  popular  and  prosperous  in  this  locality. 

The  marriage  of  S.  C.  Carter  and  Miss  Mary  A. 
(iibbs  took  place  in  Blandford,  Mass.,  in  .lul^', 
1H4-2.  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Carter  died  in  18-45,  and  Mr. 
Carter  married  for  his  second  wife,  Miss  Mina 
AVood worth,  of  Painesvillc,  Ohio,  their  union  tak- 
ing place  ill  18.o2.  Mrs.  Carter  is  a  most  excellent 
Christian  lad}'  (jf  amiable  and  admirable  character, 
earnestly  devoti^d  to  works  of  charity' and  kindness. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  are  prominently  connected 
with  the  Congregational  Church.  The}'  have  no 
children  of  their  own,  but  supplied  the  place  of 
parents  to  a  little  boy  and  girl  whom  the}'  adopted 
in  earl}'  childhood.  The  former  was  named  Annie 
Cliilds,  and  became  an  inmate  of  Mr.  Carter's  home 
at  the  age  of  five  years,  in  18,0.5.  She  remained 
with  them  until  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Ballinger,  now 
of  Washington  City,  in  187(1,  but  only  live<l  until 
the  year  following  her  marriage.  The  boy,  William 
Hardway,  adopted  at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  is 
now  ill  the  office  of  Mr.  Carter  as  general  manager 
of  the  liiisiness.  Both  children  were  given  the 
name  of  their  adopted  parents. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carter  occupy  a  handsome  home  in 
Keokuk,  surrounded  by  all  the  appliances  of  culti- 
v;ited  tastes  and  ample  means,  and  are  the  center  of 
a   large   circle   of   \v;uiii  friends,    who   comprise   the 


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best  people  of  the  Gate  City.  Politically  Mv. 
Carter  affiliates  witli  the  Republican  party,  and 
iiiiifi)rnil3'  casts  his  vote  in  support  of  its  [irinciples. 

^s^  T.  WOKLEY  c\r  SON,  of  K(;okuiv,  are  well 
^^^  known  in  this  locality  as  successful  and 
lll/^j  skillful  manufacturers  of  all  kinds  of  road 
vehicles,  carriages,  buggies,  tipriug  wagons, 
etc.  Tlie  business  house  (a  view  of  which  appears 
on  another  page),  is  located  at  tiie  intersection  of 
Johnson  and  Seventh  streets.  The  head  of  the  firm 
long  years  ago  established  a  reputation  for  ui)right- 
ness  of  character  and  honest}'  in  business  trans- 
actions, and  the  residents  of  the  Gate  City  with 
whom  he  is  best  acquainted,  entertain  for  him  the 
highest  respect. 

S.  T.  Worley  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was  bi>rn 
.Ian.  r.i,  1  s;)-2,  his  parents  l)eing  Jacob  and  Elizabeth 
(Truitt)  Worley,  natives  of  Oliio  and  Kentuckj' re- 
spectively'. Jacob  Worley  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, and  pursued  this  calling  the  latter  j'ears  of 
his  life  near  Portsmouth,  Scioto  Co.,  Ohio,  where 
lie  was  [iroprietor  of  a  large  estate  and  one  of  the 
prominent  men  of  that  section.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  War  of  1812,  and  at  the  close  of  his  military 
service  returned  to  his  farm  pursuits  in  the  vicinity 
of  his  birthplace.  He  and  his  wife  were  connected 
with  the  iMethodist  Episcopal  Churcli,  of  which  he 
was  Class-Leader  and  Exhorter  f()r  many  years. 
After  a  life  tilled  with  generous  cliaritiesand  kindly 
deeds,  he  folded  his  hands  for  his  final  rest  on  the 
2d  of  April,  184G.  The  mother  survived  him  for 
the  long  term  of  thirty  years,  and  departed  this  life 
in  1876.  Their  family  included  six  children,  of 
whom  four  are  still  living:  Eveline,  Mrs.  Bunall, 
lives  in  Ottumwa,  Iowa;  Anne,  Mrs.  Neach,  resides 
in  Missouri;  S.  T.  is  the  subject  of  our  slietch; 
Lydia,  Mrs.  Hall,  lives  in  (^uincj-.  111. 

The  subject  of  this  biographj-  remained  with  his 
parents  on  the  farm  until  he  was  sixteen  years  old, 
in  the  meantime  receiving  a  good  edncation  in  the 
pnl)lic  schools.  He  then  went  to  I'drtsmouth,  Ohio, 
and  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  and  one-half 
years  at  the  blacksmith  trade,  and  for  two  and  a  half 
ycnrs  succeeding  workeil  as  a   journeyman,  i>art  of 


the  time  in  Ohio  and  the  balance  in  New  York 
State.  He  then  began  to  learn  engineering  on  the 
steamers  of  tiie  Mississippi,  and  after  three  and  one- 
half  years  thus  occupied,  returned  to  Portsmouth, 
Ohio,  and  became  engaged  in  his  (_)ld-time  occupa- 
tion, lilacksmithing,  t<>  which  he  also  added  the 
manufacture  of  wagons.  He  pursued  this  joint 
calling  for  the  following  six  years,  in  the  meantime 
having  establislicd  a  juofitable  jjusiness,  which  he 
then  sold  out  witli  the  intention  of  migrating  fur- 
ther westward.  He  entered  the  Prairie  State,  and 
locating  in  (^uinc}-,  engaged  in  tiie  same  business 
which  he  had  latterly*  pursued  in  Ohio.  About  this 
time  the  Rebellion  began  to  assume  alarming  propor- 
tions, and  Mr.  Worley  resolved  to  liecoiue  a  soldier 
of  the  Union  and  contribute  his  humble  efforts  to 
aid  in  its  preservation.  He  went  into  the  army  as 
a  iirivate,  and  the  same  year  (1862)  was  commis- 
sioned as  Lieutenant,  which  rank  he  held  until  the 
following  April,  when  he  was  tendered  a  Captain's 
commission,  and  remained  in  the  service  as  C'ap- 
tain  of  Co.  A,  ll'Jth  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  until  he  was 
mustered  out  in  February,  1865. 

Capt.  AVorley  participated  in  tlie  engagements  vf 
that  campaign,  and  was  in  the  battles  at  (Queen's 
Hill,  Miss.,  Jackson,  Ft.  Derusa  on  the  Red  River, 
Pleasant  Hill,  La.,  and  in  many  other  general  en- 
gagements and  skirmishes,  from  which  he  escaped 
without  any  serious  wounds.  At  the  close  of  his 
military  career  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Illinois, 
and  desiring  to  establish  a  future  home  beyond  liie 
Mississippi,  sold  out  his  business  in  Quincy,  and 
came  into  Iowa,  locating  in  Keokuk,  where  he  es- 
tablished his  present  business  and  in  which  he  has 
been  continuously  engaged  since  that  time.  The 
present  fine  building  was  erected  in  18.So.  It  is  of 
brick,  and  consists  of  two  stories  and  basement,  and 
covers  an  area  of  .50x80  feet.  Tlie  firm  employ 
from  ten  to  twelve  workmen,  and  their  goods  are 
shipped  to  different   parts  of  this  and  other  States. 

Mr.  Worle}'  was  the  first  time  married  in  1853, 
to  Miss  Caroline  Pile,  of  Ohio,  daughter  of  Jere- 
miah and  Philomelia  Pile.  Of  this  union  there  were 
lioni  two  children — Laura  E.  and  Charles  M.  Mrs. 
Caroline  Worley  died  in  1856.  The  second  wife 
of  our  subject  was  Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Hicks,  to 
wiicnn  he  was  married   in   1858,     Siie  is  a  daughter 


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of  James  and  Sarah  Hicks,  and  a  most  excellent 
Christian  lady.  Of  this  union  there  are  seven  chil- 
dren living:  William  II.  is  connected  in  business 
with  his  father;  Knima  S.  is  a  graduate  of  the  High 
School  of  Keokuk ;  the  others  are  Ida  S.,  James  H., 
Harry  F.,  Grace  and  Mary. 

Mr.  Worley  owns  and  occupies  a  fine  residence 
at  the  intersection  of  Orleans  and  Twenty-second 
streets,  and  he  and  his  family  are  held  in  high  es- 
teem by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 
They  are  prominently  connected  with  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Cliuich,  of  which  Mr.  \V.  has  been 
Trustee  and  Superintendent  of  the  Sabbath-school 
for  many  years.  He  is  a  member  in  good  standing 
of  the  G.  A.  11.,  and  in  all  respects  is  a  representa- 
tive citizen,  who  has  aided  materially  tiie  industrial 
interests  of  his  adopted  city,  and  has  always  cast 
his  inrtuence  in  favor  of  sobriety,  religion  and  mor- 
ality. 


CARL  T.  ORAMM,  a  rising  young 
ractitionerof  the  Gate  Citj-,  and  a  gentle- 
CfiJ^^  man  of  more  than  ordinai'y  intelligence 
^'^^  and  ability,  is  a  fine  student,  and  well 
read  in  the  intricacies  of  his  profession.  He 
is  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  his  birth  taking 
place  Jan.  4,  1HG2,  and  is  the  son  of  Rev.  William 
(iramm,  a  native  of  Berlin,  German^-,  who,  years 
ago,  became  famous  as  an  author  of  rare  merit  and 
iiigh  literary  attainments.  Rev.  AVilliam  Gramm 
in  his  early  youth  emigrated  to  America.  He  after- 
ward be(;aine  tiie  author  of  several  publications  in 
German,  and  is  now  considered  (me  of  the  ablest 
writers  in  his  language  in  this  country.  He  is  the 
father  of  two  children — Emily,  now  Mrs.  Baer,  of 
Ohio,  and  Dr.  Carl  T.,  the  subject  of  our  sketcii. 
Dr.  (iramm  entered  the  freshman  class  of  Central 
Wesleyan  College  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  and 
graduated  four  years  later  at  Lj'ons,  Iowa.  He 
then  commenced  tlie  study  of  dentistry,  locating  in 
I'eoria,  111.,  afterward  was  a  resident  successively 
of  Chicago,  Davenport,  and  Spirit  Lake,  Iowa, 
^  where  he  )-emaincd  two  years,  and  thence  came  to 
Keokuk  in  1<S85.  He  has  built  up  a  line  practice 
and  bids  fair  to  rank  among  the  first  in   his  pro- 


posed of  literarj-  and  i)rofessional  works,  and  he 
avails  himself  of  every  opi)ortunity  to  gain  the  best 
information  relating  to  the  intricacies  of  his  pro- 
fessicm.  He  is  ambitious  to  excel,  which  fact  is 
ajipreciatcd  by  the  widening  circle  of  his  friends 
and  patrons,  and  we  predict  for  him  a  bright  and 
enviable  career. 


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OUS  JUllXSON,  a  |)rogressive  farmer  of 
Pleasant  Ridge  Township,  who  owns  and  oc- 
cupies a  comfortable  homestead  on  section 
30,  has  been  a  resident  of  the  Hawkej'e 
State  since  IHoo,  and  has  noted  with  deep  interest 
its  remarkable  development  and  progress,  and  has 
contributed,  as  opportunity  afforded,  to  the  best 
interests  of  his  adopted  county.  Our  subject  was 
born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  May  IG,  1833,  and 
is  the  son  of  Seth  and  Lovina  (Adams)  Johnson, 
who  with  their  family  removed  to  Huron  County, 
Ohio,  when  their  sou  John  was  a  child  one  year  old. 
There  he  grew  to  manh(jod  under  the  parental 
roof,  assisting  in  the  duties  around  the  homestead, 
and  received  a  fair  education  in  the  common 
schools.  In  1855  he  came  with  his  father's  family 
to  Iowa,  ami  has  been  a  resident  of  Lee  Countj' 
since  that  time. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married,  on  tlie  Uth  of  .lanu- 
ary,  185C,  to  Miss  Mahala  Canfield,  of  Buffalo,  N. 
Y.,  who  subsequently  went  to  Erie  County,  Ohio, 
in  which  place  the  marriage  of  herself  and  our  sub- 
ject was  celebrated.  After  liis  nianiage  Mr.  John- 
son returned  to  Iowa,  and  engaged  in  farming  in 
Pleasant  Ridge  Township.  Two  years  later  he  pur- 
chased seventy  acres  of  his  present  homestead, 
upon  which  they  settled,  and  he  occupied  himself 
in  its  improvement  and  cultivation  until  the  out- 
break of  the  late  war,  wiien  lie  enlisted  in  the 
Lnited  States  .service,  as  a  private  of  Co.  I,  30th 
Iowa  Vol.  Inf.  The  following  year  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  5th  Regiment,  N'eteran  Ke.serve  Corps, 
with  which  he  remained  until  the  close  of  tiie  war. 
He  was  a  brave  and  faithful  soldier,  and  partici- 
pated   with    his  comrades  in  various  engagements, 

battles  of  Haines'  Bluff 


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and  Arkansas  Post.  He  escaped  without  injury, 
aud  was  mustered  out  of  service  .July  4,  1865,  at 
Indianapolis. 

jMr.  and  Mrs.  .Johnson  have  become  the  parents 
of  seven  children:  Pha'be;  Elmer,  who  died  in 
1883,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years;  KUet;  Hubert 
and  Ehert,  twins;  and  A'erona  and  Verna,  also 
twins.  In  politics  Mr.  .Johnson  affiliates  with  the 
Republican  party,  and  in  religion  is  prominently 
connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Cluirch. 
He  is  held  in  high  esteem  in  his  community,  and  in 
all  respects  is  fulfilling  the  obligations  of  a  good 
citizen. 


ACOB  OHLER,  of  Donnellson,  is  successfully 
carrj'ing  on  a  livery  business  but  recently  es- 
tablished, but  which  in  the  course  of  a  few 
months  has  increased  to  goodly  proportions. 
Mr.  Ohler  is  a  fair  representative  of  that  energetic 
and  persevering  element  which  has  aided  so  materi- 
ally' in  the  development  of  this  section,  and  of  which 
some  of  our  best  citizens  are  composed.  He  is  a 
native  of  Bavaria,  and  was  born  Dec.  18,  1854. 
His  father,  George  J.  Ohler,  was  an  enterprising 
German  farmer  who  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
in  1868,  with  his  family,  consisting  of  three  chil- 
dren— Adam,  Fred  and  .Jact)b.  They  located  in 
New  York  City,  where  the  father  soon  became  en- 
gaged as  foreman  in  a  distillery,  which  position  he 
occupied  for  the  succeeding  twenty-one  months, 
and  then  turned  his  face  further  westward.  Cross- 
ing the  Father  of  Waters  with  his  family,  he  came 
into  Lee  County,  and  establishing  himself  in  Frank- 
lin Center,  remained  there  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  Dec.  10,  187.3.  The  maiden  name  of  the 
mother  was  Elizabeth  Kirchner,  and  she  departed 
this  life  in  her  native  land,  in  1857. 

Soon  after  coming  to  this  country,  .lacob  Ohler 
left  the  parental  roof  to  earn  his  own  living.  He 
was  an  industrious  and  ambitious  boy,  willing  to 
work  at  whatever  his  hands  could  find  to  do.  The 
first  three  years  he  was  emploj'ed  on  the  farm  of 
Mr.  Fred  Haffner,  well  known  in  this  vicinity,  and 
during  the  winter  season  attended  school,  by  this 
means  securing  a  good  education,  as  he  was  natur- 
.ally  studious  and  fond  of  liis  books.     lie  was  mar- 


ried in  Franklin  Township,  Oct.  ■22,  1876,  to  Miss 
Cora  Sell,  a  native  of  his  own  country,  born  April 
12,  1858.  She  came  to  the  United  States  with  her 
parents,  Casper  and  Cora  (Cramer)  Sell,  when  a 
child  four  years  of  age,  and  they  settled  in  Charles- 
ton, Lee  County.  Her  parents  are  still  living  in 
Charleston  Township  on  a  farm.  Of  the  union 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ohler  have  been  born  two  children^ 
Emma  S.  and  (Tcorge  C. 

A  part  of  the  time  since  his  marriage  Mr.  Ohler 
was  successfully  engaged  in  the  wine  and  li(iuor 
trade,  and  has  accumulated  quite  a  comfortable 
property,  which  consists  of  his  residence  and  si.x 
lots,  one  of  which  is  devoted  to  his  livery  business, 
and  equipped  with  stables  and  all  the  appliances 
necessary  to  the  successful  prosecution  of  his  call- 
■ing.  lie  keeps  a  fine  assortment  of  horses  and 
vehicles,  and  is  bound  to  succeed.  In  politics  he  is 
a  solid  Democrat,  with  which  party  he  uniformly 
casts  his  vote.  In  all  respects  he  is  a  worthy  citi- 
zen, and  enjo}^s  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends. 


-,^>>- 


#># 


\i]  F.  DAUGHP2KTY,  a  prominent  wholesale 
liquor  dealer  and  wholesale  agent  for  the 
Anahauser  Busch  Brewing  Association  of 
[^^)J)  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  the  P.  Best  Brewing- 
Company,  of  iMilwaukee,  Wis.,  is  located  at  No. 
211  .Johnson  street,  Keokuk,  where  he  is  conduct- 
ing a  flourishing  and  lucrative  business.  Mr. 
Daugherty  was  born  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  Sept.  1 6, 
1835,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Sarah  (Linn) 
Daugherty,  natives  of  Maryland  and  Ohio  respect- 
ively. The  father  of  our  subject  went  to  Ohio  at 
an  early  d.ay,  and  there  served  an  apprenticeship  at 
the  hatter's  trade.  He  was  there  married  to  Miss 
Sarah  Linn,  and  then  moved  to  Indiana,  where  he 
acted  in  the  capacity  of  "mine  host,"  and  also  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  liats  until  1841.  Dur- 
ing that  year  .lames  Daugherty  with  his  family 
eame  overland  to  Iowa,  and  took  up  his  residence 
at  Keokuk.  He  erected  a  small  dwelling  on  .lolni- 
son  street,  and  Itefore  moving  into  it  domiciled  in 
a  log  cabin  with  a  single  room.  When  his  own 
residence    was   comijleted.   he    uiomhI    into   il,   and 


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followed  building  and  teaming  of  all  kinds  for 
about  five  years.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he 
had  saved  a  little  money,  and  he  embarked  in  the 
mercantile  and  rcal-e.state  business,  which  was  his 
avocation  until  liis  demise,  which  took  place  in 
18,52.  The  wife  and  mother  is  still  living,  in  the 
seventy-first  yeai'  of  her  age.  The  parental  family 
consisted  of  eight  children,  five  of  whom  survive, 
uamel}',  James  F.,i>ur  subject;  David  C.,i)f  Idaho; 
Frank  iM.,  of  WashingtdU  Territory;  Alexander, 
of  the  same  place,  and  Lemuel,  of  Keokuk. 

.lames  F.  Daugheity  received  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Keokuk,  and  when  seventeen  years 
of  age  engaged  in  the  baking  and  coufeetionary 
i]  business.  The  first  enterprise  of  our  subject  was 
begun  in  1858,  and  continued  with  no  small  degree 
of  success  until  18C0.  Abandoning  the  latter  busi- 
ness he  embarked  in  the  dry-goods  enterprise  at 
Croton,  this  county,  and  after  conducting  it  for 
awhile,  sold  out  and  returned  to  Keokuk,  and  at 
once  entered   uiion  the  same   kind  of   business   in 


which  he  is  engaged  at  the  ))resent  time.  This  he 
continued  until  July,  18(il,  when  he  recruited  a 
company  for  the  .^th  Reg.,  Iowa  \'ol.  Inf.  This 
company,  however,  together  with  a  company  that 
^g=-|  the  brother  of  our  subject  had  raised,  went  to  the 
"^  ^       irsenal  at  .St.  I.ouis,  forming  .a  nucleus,  and  formed 


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the  lOth  Missouri  Infantry,  and  our  subject  was 
commissioned  Captain  of  Co.  H,  Idtli  .Mo.  \'ol.  Inf., 
in    18(;i.     He  was  in   the  service  twelve   months, 

Til"^"  and   was  mustered  out  at  .St.  Louis,  in  July,  18(;2. 

J»_W^  Me  was  engaged  in  all  the  skirmi.shes  around  Cor- 
inth, and  also  participated  in  the  capture  of  that 
pl.K'c.  After  his  return  home  and  remaining  a 
shorl  lime,  he  accepted  the  position  of  suttler  in 
the  same  regiment,  which  he  contiinied  to  hold  un- 
til the  eai)ture  of  X'ieUsburg. 

Keturning  from  Nicksbiug  to  Keokuk,  during 
the  winter,  he,  the  following  spring,  took  an  o.\- 
train  loaded  with  general  merchandise  to  \'irginia 
City,  M.  T.  He  was  on  the  route  si.\  months,  and 
arriving  at  that  pl.-ice  opened  a  general  store,  en- 
giiged  in  mining,  and  there  remained  until  18GG, 
when  he  disposed  of  his  stock  and  returned  home, 
having  met  with  considerable  success  in  his  adven- 
ture. His  jouiney  homeward  was  made  by  stage, 
vi.i  Salt  Lake,  Denver  and  Le.iv  en  worth,  where  he 


5^ 


m 

took  the  railroad  to  Keokuk.     Shortly  after  his  ar-    gt  [ 
rival  at  the  latter  place,  he  engaged  in  steamboat-    a|li 
ing,  running  from    .St.  Louis   to   Dubuque   and    Ft. 
Heulon  on  the  Missouri  River.     He,  however,  suc;- 
ceeded  in  getting  his  boat  only  within  Km  miles  of 
Ft.  Benton,  and  w.as  c<)m|>elled  to  haul  his  freight 
and  passengers  by  ox-trains  from   Corr    Island   on 
the   Missouri  River,   to  Ft.    Benton,  and   brought 
back  from  there  a    load    of    passengers   in    rough 
boats,  but  the  weather  wjis  terribly  cold,  and   the    jl 
river  becoming  frozen,  his  boat  was  frozen   in  the    ;; 
river,   near  Yankton,  Dak.,  and   was  sunk   by  the    S; 
ice  the  next  spring,  entailing  a  total  loss.     Return-    B'ij 
ing  to  Keokuk  our  subject  was  appointed   Deputy    Si: 
('it3'   Clerk,  and  held  that   ollice  for  a  short  time, 
and  has  also  lieen   elected   to  the   Council    of  that 
city    and    appointed    Deputy   County    Clei'k.      He 
commeuced  the  business  in  which  he   is  at  present 
engaged,  in   I.sti8,  and   by  strict  attention  to  the 
same  has  built  up  a  flourishing  and  profitable  trade. 
Mr.    Daugherty    was  married   in   18.J.5,  to   Miss 
Caroline  Langford,  a  native  of   Keokuk,  and    the 
first    white    girl  born  in  the  cit}\     Two  children 
were  born  of  their  union,  James  and  Alice,  the  lat- 
ter   of  whom    is    now    Mrs.    Lawver,    (jf  Omaha. 
Mrs.   Daugherty  died    in    18(58,    and    our    subject 
formed  a  second   matrimonial  alliance.   Miss  Mary 
Caldwell,  a  native  of  this   State,  being  the  other 
contracting    part}-.     She    bore    him   two  children, 
ICmma  and  Frank,  and  departed  this  life  in   1870. 
Our  subject  was  married  a  third   time.   Miss  Del- 
phene  Ressler,  a  native  of  Missouri,  being  his  pres- 
ent wife,  and  of  the  latter  union  five  children  have 
been   born — Maude  and  Myrtle  (twins),  Delphene, 
Ralph  and  Mabel.     Mr.  Daugherty  is  a   Democrat 
in  politics,  in  which  he  takes  no  little  interest.     He 
has  been  delegate  to  the  National  Convention,  and 
in  18G8  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  .Soldier's  and 
.Sailor's    Convention  at  New   York.     He  has  held 
the  chairmanship  of   many  iraportsint  committees, 
and  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  District  Con- 
gressional Committee  two  terms.     Mr.  Daugherty 
has  been  considerably  interested   in   real  estate   in 
Keokuk,  and   has  aided   in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
city    by    becoming  extensively'    interested    in    the 
erection    of    numerous   business    houses    and   resi- 
dences, and  has  a  tine  home  of  his  own  on  Seventh' 


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-1.1  MimiBinB  w'ty-r^  ■  L^rTTTTT-TT  WtTlITTTT    M  XXZ^dXX  *   CLU"  55? 


F^^^T^rUrTnt-irrrf  ^  riTTiTii  }  fr 


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a 


lp:e  county. 


^^ 


273 


:ind  Fulton  streets,  costing  about  $25,000.  It  is 
M  lieated  by  steam  and  lit  by  gas,  and  is  in  a  pleasant 
aia  location.  A  lithugraphic  view  of  Mr.  Daugherty's 
Ii3  residence  is  shown  on  another  page  of  this  woi'k. 


<'>s«-«iilliH«!-; 


-^~i<. 


ETEK  KREBILL,  a  successful  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  of  Franklin  Township,  is  ex- 
^  tensivelj'  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
oil  section  19.  He  comes  of  an  excellent 
family  whose  ancestry  was  widel}'  known  in  the 
Rhine  Province  of  Bavaria,  and  was  the  youngest 
son  of  Frederick  Krebill,  a  miller  by  occupation. 
He  remained  with  his  parents  until  his  marriage  to 
Miss  Anna  Risser,  a  native  of  his  own  countiy. 
There  were  born  to  them,  in  Germany,  seven  sons 
and  one  daughter,  the  latter  being  the  widow  of 
,Mr.    Eberly,  and  the  youngest  of  her  father's  fam- 

Peter  Krebill  was  a  little  lad  five  years  old  when 
he  came  to  America  with  his  father's  family.  After 
reaching  the  shores  of  the  New  World  they  pro- 
ceeded directly  to  Ashlaud  County,  Ohio,  where 
they  remained  for  a  number  of  years,  during  which 
time  the  subject  of  our  sketch  developed  into  man- 
hood, learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Magdaleua  Fox,  Feb.  15. 
1856.  Mrs.  Krebill  is  a  native  of  the  same  coun- 
tiy  as  her  husband,  and  was  born  April  0,  1833. 
She  was  tiie  eldest  of  a  family  of  live  children  of 
Casper  and  Margaret  (Kraupner)  Fox,  both  natives 
of  Bavaria.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, and  her  brothers  and  sisters  were  all  born  in 
the  Fatherland.  The  date  of  their  arrival  in  Ash- 
land County  was  1852,  and  the  parents  established 
a  permanent  home  there,  where  their  lives  termin- 
ated at  the  ages  of  seventy-seven  and  sixty-two  re- 
spectively. Mrs.  K.  was  educated  in  her  native 
country',  and  was  eighteen  years  old  when  her  fain- 
ilj'  removed  to  the  United  States.  She  remained 
with  them  until  her  marriage,  the  wedding  being 
celebrated  at  the  parental  homestead. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  K.  have  become  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows: 
Anna  liecariie  tlie  wife  of  Jacob  P.  Schowalter,  who 
is  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  McPhersou  County, 


Kan. ;  David  and  Henry  are  at  home ;  Margaret  is 
the  wife  of  August  Krebill,  a  farmer  of  Franklin 
Township;  Lena,  Samuel.  Peter,  John,  P>lward, 
Laura  and  Frederick  are  at  iiome. 

After  his  marriage  in  Ohio,  Jlr.  K.  operated  a 
sawmill  and  was  engaged  in  general  farming  until 
his  removal  West.  He  crossed  the  AHssissippi  in 
May,  1857,  and  coming  into  Lee  County,  settled 
in  Franklin  Township,  where  he  had  previously  pur- 
chased land.  His  homestead  consists  of  332  acres, 
all  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  finely  .stocked 
with  high-grade  cattle.  He  has  been  a  prominent 
man  in  his  community  since  coming  here,  and  has 
aided  materiallj'  in  the  development  of  this  section. 
He  has  held  the  various  offices  of  the  township,  and 
takes  an  interest  in  pnlilic  affairs.  Politically  he 
is  a  solid  Democrat,  and  religiously  the  family  is 
connected  with  the  Menuonite  Church. 

LFRED  DAVIS,  the  son  of  an  early  iiioneer 
of  Iowa  who  became  a  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful farmer,  was  born  in  this  county  on 
^'  the  23d  of  May,  1851.     His  parents   were 

William  and  Huldah  (Huff)  Davis,  a  sketch  of  whom 
will  be  found  in  another  part  of  this  work,  and  he 
was  the  eldest  son  of  a  farail3'  of  four  children.  He 
was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  Cedar  Townshiii, 
receiving  a  good  common-school  education,  but  was 
put  to  work  early  and  labored  faithfully-  until  he 
reached  his  majority,  assuming  manj'  responsibili- 
ties. The  year  following  he  was  married  to  Eliza- 
beth, the  daughter  of  John  Davis,  Esq.,  also  of  this 
county,  who  died  in  1874.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  D., 
Dinah  (Barker)  Davis,  died  when  the  wife  of  our 
subject  was  but  three  years  of  age.  She  was  the 
mother  of  five  children,  one  son  and  four  daughters. 
The  brother  of  Mrs.  D.  served  as  a  soldier  during 
the  late  war  in  the  Uth  Iowa  Cavalry  and  died  while 
in  the  service.  The  sisters  are  all  living.  The  par- 
ents of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  belonged  to  the  Society 
of  Friends. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alfred  Davis 
remained  on  his  father's  farm  in  Cedar  Township 
for  two  years,  when  our  subject  removed  to  hi.« 
present  homestead  on  section  5.     This  is  known  as 


n ;;  ii 


lH' 


LEE  COUNTY. 


the  Elislia  Hampton  fann.and  is  beautifiill}'  located 
in  till'  nurtliei-n  part  of  Lee  Count}',  in  Marion 
Township.  Tlie  siibi~tanti:il  l)rici<  dwelling  is  situ- 
ated on  an  elevation  and  conunands  a  tine  view  of 
llie  surrounding  country.  Mr.  Davis  has  a  good 
liarn  and  all  neees.sar}'  out-ljuiidings  for  tiie  shelter 
and  care  of  stock,  of  which  he  raises  high-grade 
Short-horn  cattle,  Poland-China  hogs  and  thorough- 
lire<l  Merino  sheep,  in  which  he  takes  great  interest, 
'['o  this  latter  industry  Mi-.  Davis  gives  especial  at- 
tention and  has  been  very  successful,  deriving  from 
it  a  liandsonie  income.  Mis  stock,  as  well  as  other 
products,  is  disposed  of  on  tlie  farm.  Mr.  and 
.Mrs.  Davis  have  become  the  parents  of  four  ciiii- 
dren — Arthur  Iv,  Ella  M.ay.  William. and  one  little 
daughter,  .Mary  J.,  who  is  now  deceased. 


I 


mm 


Tl 

PI 
m\ 

mm 


JOSEPH  KUICIIEL.  a  prosperous  and  enter- 
prising fruit-grower  of  .lackson  Towiisiiip,  is 
pleasantly  located  on  section  1:^,  and  ranks 
among  the  thriving  and  energetic  citizens  of 
this  section.  He  is  a  fine  rei)rcsentative  of  the 
(icrniMii  nationality,  and  possesses  the  stanch  and 
persevering  ([ualities  of  his  countrymen.  Our  sub- 
ject was  liorn  in  (Jermany  Jan.  21»,  l.s;J2,  his  par- 
ents being  .bihn  and  A.  Sybilla  (Hcil)  Krichel.  of 
(icrman  ancestry  and  parentage.  Tlie  father  died 
in  his  native  land;  the  mother  afterward  came  to 
America  and  resided  with  liei'  son  in  Jackson  Town- 
ship until  the  close  of  her  life,  Dec.  .'id,  l.s7;i.  siie 
was  born  Nov.  I,  1H()7. 

The  subject  of  our  skctcli  wms  the  only  child  u( 
his  parents,  and  when  a  young  man  twenty-three 
years  old.  left  his  native  land  and  came  to  America. 
In  his  native  country  he  had  been  engaged  princi- 
pally- at  basket-making  and  gardening,  which  latter 
occuijation  he  resumed  aftei-  coming  here,  (ipon 
reaching  American  shores  he  landed  in  New  Or- 
leans, and  located  on  HIack  Hiver.  La.,  following  his 
occupation  there  for  one  year,  and  then  retuined  to 
his  nati\t'  country  for  his  mother  an<l  to  be  m.-uried. 
In  the  spring  of  ISS;')?  he  crosM'd  the  Atlantic  again, 
bringing  Lack  with  him  bis  mother  and  his  bride. 
They  crossed  the  .Mississippi.  cuMiing  into  lowa,:ind 


Mr.  K.  engaged  in  gardening  upon  rented  land  for 
a  i>eriod  of  eight  jears.  He  then  purchased  twelve 
and  one-half  acres,  and  has  been  successfully  en- 
gaged in  gardening  and  fruit-raising  since  that 
time.  He  has  erected  a  good  dwelling-house,  and 
his  homestead  is  sui>plied  with  every  comfort  ami 
convenience.  He  has  forty-two  and  one-half  aci-es 
on  section  1 1 . 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Krichel  and  .Miss  Catharina 
Bienstein  was  celebrated  in  their  native  land  .Inly 
1,  18o(>.  Mrs.  K.  w.as  born  in  1830,  and  by  her 
union  with  our  subject  l)ecan)e  the  mother  of  seven 
children,  of  whom  the  two  eldest,  Sybilla  an<l  Cath- 
arine, are  deceased.  Those  surviving  are:  Peter. 
John  H.  W.,  Anna  ('..  Caroline  and  Julius  ('.  Mr. 
K.  has  been  prominently  connected  with  the  affairs 
of  his  townshii).  occupying  the  otticc  of  Trustee 
and  similar  i)ositions,  and  has  been  a  member  of 
the  School  Board  for  nine  years.  He  is  Demo- 
cratic in  polities,  and  a  member  of  the  .Masonic 
fraternity. 

A  view  of  Mr.  Krichel's  residence  is  shown  on 
.-mother  page  of  this  work. 


OHN  W.  SCHOtiOS,  one  of  Keokuk's  fore- 
most business  men,  and  the  pioneer  lumber 
dealer  of  the  place,  first  established  his  busi- 
'(^// ness  in  that  cit^'  in  1847,  and  has  conse- 
((uently  been  engaged  in  the  same  for  upward  of 
forty  years.  John  W.  Scroggs  was  born  in  Trumbull 
County,  Ohio,  Oct.  .">,  1811),  and  is  the  son  of  Aaron 
Scroggs,  a  farmer  by  occupation.  The  latter  was 
of  Scotch  ancestry,  as  likewise  was  his  wife,  Sarah 
(White)  .Scroggs,  and  thej-  were  both  born  in  the 
State  of  Penns^-lvania.  There  were  twelve  children 
in  the  parental  family,  and  eleven  of  the  number 
lived  to  attain  the  age  of  matuiity.  and  are  scat- 
tered throughout  the  ditterent  States  of  the  Union. 
John  W.  .Scroggs  was  the  third  son  and  fourth  in 
order  of  birth  of  his  parents'  children.  He  i)assed 
his  l)oyhood  da3-s  on  his  fathei-'s  farm,  receiving 
the  advantages  atfi)rded  by  the  common  schools, 
and  continued  to  make  the  parental  household  his 
home  until  be  was  twenty-one  years  old.  On 
becoming  his  own    man  he  started   out   to  do   for 


^1^, 


i>,Hr'r',PSJ 


himself,  and  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  for 
severnl  years.  In  the  fall  of  1S4.5  he  drifted  AVest, 
and  we  first  take  note  of  iiim  at  Keoivuiv  while  the 
State  was  yet  a  Territory.  On  locating  there  he 
immediately  embarked  in  liiniher  dealing,  on  a 
small  scale  it  is  true,  and  alst>  worked  at  his  trade. 
He  continued  working  at  the  latter  until  1)^4S, 
when  he  abandoned  it,  and  devoted  his  time  exclu- 
sively to  the  lumber  interests.  At  that  time  lum- 
ber was  scarce  and  prices  high,  and  Mr.  Scroggs 
did  an  excellent  business  and  made  money  rapidly. 
He  continued  to  meet  with  success  until  the  finan- 
cial crisis  of  1857,  when  he  lost  heavily.  However, 
by  g(jod  management  he  succeeded  in  paying  all 
liis  debts,  and  continued  in  his  business  while 
man}-,  not  onl^'  in  Keokuk,  but  throughout  the 
entire  countr}',  were  compelled  to  go  down. 

In  1865  Mr.  Scroggs  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Lizzie  Henderson,  of  Wooster,  Ohio, 
and  the}'  have  one  daughter,  Lizzie  L.  In  18(i7 
our  subject  was  elected  as  an  Alderman  of  the 
city  in  which  he  resides.  He  is  the  owner  of  a 
good  residence,  and  in  the  sun.set  of  life  is  enabled 
to  retire  from  active  labor  on  a  handsome  compe- 
tency. Politically'  Mr.  Scroggs  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. 

'JI^OHN  DOWNS,  M.  D.,  a  prominent  physician 
and  surgeon  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  a  native  of  the 
Buckej'e  State,  and  was  born  in  Highland 
County,  April  15,  1854.  His  father,  James 
Downs,  was  a  native  of  County  Limerick,  Ireland, 
and  emigrated  to  America  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  locating  first  neai'  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  was  employed  in  agricultural  jjursuits.  He 
removed  from  there  to  Lockport,  and  was  married 
at  the  latter  place  in  1852,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Miss  Mary  McKerney.  She  was  also  a  native 
of  his  own  county  in  Ireland,  and  soon  after  their 
marriage  they  removed  from  New  York  to  Ohio, 
and  established  themselves  upon  a  rented  faim  in 
Highland  County,  where  thej'  remained  until  18()2. 
They  then  decided  to  go  further  West,  and  cross- 
ing the  Mississippi  located  in  Ralls  County,  Mo., 
where  he  purchased  i)roperty  near  the  town  of 
Saverton,  and  remained   upon  this  propert}'  until 


his  decease,  which    occurred 
widow  and  six  children. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  eldest  child 
of  his  [tarents'  faniil}'.  The  3'ear  following  the 
death  of  his  father,  three  of  the  children  were  takei 
from  the  household  circle.  The  bereaved  mother 
bore  her  great  afflictions  with  resignation,  and 
determined  to  kee]i  the  remainder  of  the  familj' 
together,  succeeding  nobly  in  her  resolution.  In 
1.S68  she  was  married  the  second  time,  and  her  son 
.John,  our  subject,  remained  with  his  mother  and 
stepfather  until  twent}"  years  of  age.  The  latter 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  the  owner  of  a  tract  of 
land,  and  John  D.  assisted  in  the  duties  of  the  farm. 
At  the  age  above  mentioned  he  started  out  for 
himself,  worked  upon  a  farm  for  six  months  in 
Knox  County,  Mo.,  and  in  the  winter  following 
attended  the  high  school  at  Edina.  He  continued 
his  studies  for  the  following  nine  months,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  term  went  to  live  with  Dr.  O'Brien 
at  Edina,  and  there  took  up  the  study  of  medicine. 
At  the  same  time  he  earned  money  b^'  teaching 
school,  and  improved  every  opportunity  to  culti- 
vate his  mind  and  keep  himself  supplied  with  good 
and  instructive  books.  He  taught  in  the  cit}',  and 
also  had  charge  of  Dr.  O'Brien's  office  in  his 
absence.  He  made  good  progress  in  his  studies, 
and  found  excellent  friends  who  encouraged  his 
efforts  to  perfect  himself  in  his  future  calling.  In 
the  winter  of  187(!-77  he  entered  Rush  Medical 
College,  at  Chicago,  where  he  remained  until 
spring,  receiving  valuable  instruction  in  that  insti 
tution.  He  then  returned  to  Edina,  still  closely 
pursuing  his  studies  until  the  fall  of  1877,  when  he 
entered  the  Keokuk  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  spring 
of  1878.  He  then  returned  to  Ediiia  and  com- 
menced practice,  remaining  there  until  the  summer  ''^ 
t)f  1882,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
Ft.  Madison,  and  has  built  up  an  extensive  and 
valuable  business.  He  stands  high  in  his  profession 
here,  and  has  hosts  of  friends  and  pations. 

Dr.  Downs  was  married,  Oct.  IG.  I.s.sS,  to  Miss 
Caroline  Schwartz,  a  native  of  Lee  County,  Iowa, 
and  daughter  of  John  (i.  and  Catherine  .Schwartz. 
Of  this  union  two  children  have  been  born,  John 
Charles  and   James  Leo.    Mr.  and  Mrs.  Downs  are 


111 


y 


^1 

it- 

11 


H 


LEE  COUNTY. 


eanifsl  adherents  of  the  Catholic  faitli,  and  pn^uii- 
iK-nt  members  of  St.  Joseph's  Church  in  this  city. 
He  is  also  a  member  in  good  standing  of  St. 
Joseph's  Benevolent  Society,  and  is  prominent  in 
every  good  work  and  purpose  in  his  community. 
He  is  interested  in  educational  matters,  and  the 
especial  encourager  of  young  men  who  are  seeking 
to  perfect  themselves  in  the  i)rofessions. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Downs  occupy  a  pleasant  home. 
Everything  in  and  about  it  is  indicative  of  culti- 
vated and  refined  tastes,  and  it  forms  one  of  the 
pleasant  resorts  for  the  educated  and  cultured 
people  of  Ft.  Madison.  Dr.  Downs  is  a  striking 
example  of  what  perseverance  will  accomplish 
under  great  difliculties,  and  what  a  determined 
spirit  may  overcome  in  the  face  of  opposition. 


yU.LlAM   l)h 
Lee  County 
^  „       is  now  pursi 


ILLIAM  DKROSKAR,  an  early  settler  of 
ty  and  a  veteran  of  three  wars, 
suing  the  ])eaceful  occupation  of 
a  farmer  on  section  29  in  Cedar  Township.  He 
was  born  three  miles  from  Lexington,  Ky.,  Aug. 
12,  181.5,  and  is  the  son  of  I'eter  Derosear,  a  native 
of  Canada,  as  was  also  the  grandfather,  Joseph  Dero- 
sear, and  of  French  ancestry.  The  father  of  our 
subject  came  to  the  States  when  a  young  man,  and 
engaged  extensively  in  the  buying  and  selling  of 
horses  in  Kentucky.  These  he  purchased  in  Can- 
ada and  shipped  to  the  States,  meeting  with  success 
in  his  business  transactions.  He  was  married  in 
Kentucky,  and  his  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject, 
died  soon  afterward.  He  then  returned  to  his  na- 
tive Canada  and  settled  in  the  parish  of  Lenora, 
District  of  Montreal,  where  he  died. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  but  three   years 
old  when  he  was    deprived  of  the  affectionate   care 
of  his  mother.     He  went  to  Canada  with  his  father, 
remaining  there  until    he  was  seventeen,    when  he 
^  started  out  to  battle  for  himself,  and  going  toward 

[  fln  the  southwest  crossed  the  Mississippi  into  St.  Louis. 
I  ^B  Ht' was  without  means,  and  availed  himself  of  the 
^^^  first  opi)ortnnity  that  afforded  to  obtain  a  liveli- 
hood; a  hunting  expedition  was  then  being  formed, 
and  he  became  one  of  a  party  of  eighty  men  to 
go  up  the   Missouri  River.     While  encami)e(l  on  a 


bvancli  of  the  "  Big  Muddy"  they  were  attackt-il 
by  Indians,  and  thirty-three  of  their  number  killod  : 
the  remainder  were  pursued  for  some  distance, 
barely  escaping  with  their  lives.  They  at  once  re- 
turned to  St.  Louis  and  applied  to  the  Oovernment 
for  troops  with  which  to  pursue  their  vengeful  foe. 
A  company  was  formed,  and  our  subject  returned 
with  them  to  the  scene  of  the  massacre,  where  they 
engaged  with  their  enemies  and  drove  them  across 
the  river,  after  which  they  evinced  no  disposition 
to  return.  The  wild  life  of  the  West  was  especially 
suited  to  the  disposition  of  our  young  adventurer, 
and  he  subsequently  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  in  183G  visited  California.  lie  only  spent  a 
few  weeks  there,  however,  and  returning  eastward 
became  identified  with  the  exploring  expedition 
of  Gen.  Fremont  through  the  (iolden  State,  in  which 
he  was  engaged  nine  months,  and  in  that  time 
traveled  over  the  greater  portion  of  California. 
He  left  the  command  of  Fi'emont.it  Mexico  Ridge, 
and  returned  to  St  Louis. 

During  these  wanderings,  Mr.  Derosear  had 
traversed  the  soil  of  every  Territory  in  the  L'nited 
States,  and  penetrated  into  man3'  places  where  the 
foot  of  the  white  man  had  never  before  been  placed. 
He  had  many  hairljreadth  escapes  from  death  by 
Indians  and  wild  animals,  and  these  experiences 
served  to  develop  in  him  his  natural  qualities  of 
courage  and  endurance.  After  his  return  to  St. 
Louis  he,  in  com  pan  j'  with  others,  purchased  tiat- 
boats,  and  by  means  of  this  transpoi'tatiun  became 
extensively  engaged  in  bringing  wood  into  the 
city  from  twelve  miles  above.  The  spirit  of  ad- 
venture, however,  was  not  easily  quelled,  and  in 
1846,  during  the  progress  of  the  Mexican  War,  he 
enlisted  as  a  soldier,  in  which  he  served  seven 
months.  Being  satisfied  with  this  experience,  he 
obtained  his  discharge,  and  going  to  New  Orleans 
engaged  in  steamboating  on  the  Mississippi.  He 
was  thus  occupied  for  three  years  following,  and 
then  began  to  feel  that  he  would  be  glad  to  estab- 
lish himself  in  a  permanent  home.  He  accordingly 
came  up  the  river  into  Iowa,  and  purchasing  a 
tract  of  wild  land  in  Lee  County,  settled  upon  it 
and  remained  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  late 
Civil  War.  He  then  enlisted  .as  a  soldier  of  the 
Union  in  Co.   C,  37th   Iowa    \'ol.    Inf.,    with  which 


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he  served  in  the  Department  of  the  Southwest, 
doing  garrison  and  picket  duty,  and  continued 
with  the  array  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  then 
returned  to  his  farm,  and  has  engaged  in  the  peace- 
ful occupation  of  agriculture,  in  which  he  will 
l)robably  be  content  to  renuiiii  until  his  earthly 
labors  are  ended. 

Mr.  Derosear  was  married  in  1^4."),  to  Miss  fSarah 
Ann  Bristow,  an  English  lady,  by  whom  he  has  be- 
come the  father  of  fifteen  children,  thirteen  of 
whom  are  living:  Sarah,  William,  Jane  and  David, 
twins,  John,  Mary  E..  Alice,  Isaac,  Clara,  James, 
Zei)h3r,  Charlotte  and  Albert  B.  C. ;  those  deceased 
are  Isabel  and  Mary  Jane.  Mi-s.  D.  was  born  in 
London,  April  8,  1828,  the  daughter  of  James 
and  Jane  (Arnold)  Bristow,  and  was  but  an  infant 
when  her  father  died ;  lier  mother,  afterward  Mrs. 
W'illiam  Bateman,  came  to  America  in  about  184i3. 
They  crossed  the  Mississippi,  came  into  Lee  Count}', 
and  settled  in  Cedar  Township,  where  her  mother 
and  step-father  remained  until  the  close  of  their 
lives. 

\¥|AMES  CAMERON,  a  gentleman  occupying 
an  important  position  among  the  business 
and  industrial  interests  of  the  Gate  City,  is 
an  extensive  dealer  in  wood  and  coal,  fence 
posts  and  kindling  wood,  and  a  contractor  for  stone 
and  tile  work.  His  present  business  was  established 
in  1880,  and  he  has  operated  it  successfully  un- 
til the  present  time,  with  a  generous  and  steadily 
increasing  patronage. 

Mr.  Cameron  is  a  native  of  Canada,  born  on  the 
loth  of  jMaj',  1840,  and  the  son  of  Duncan  and 
Bridget  (Phillips)  Cameron,  natives  of  Scotland 
and  Ireland  respectively.  They  emigrated  from 
their  native  countries  in  early  3'outh,  and  were  mar- 
ried in  1838.  Duncan  Cameron  lived  only  four 
years  after  his  marriage,  dying  in  1842,  two  years 
after  tiie  birth  of  his  son,  the  subject  of  our  sketch. 
The  mother  remained  in  Canada  until  184G,  and 
then,  with  her  second  husband,  removed  to  Detroit, 
Mich.  This  gentleman  was  James  Nolan,  and  they 
were  married  in  1843.  In  1848  they  removed  from 
Detroit  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  then  to  Clark  County, 
Mo.,  where  the  mother  died  in  1871.       Mr.    Nolan 


survived  her  two  years,  dying  in  1 873  in  Keokuk. 
By  her  marriage  with  Mr.  Cameron  the  mother  of 
our  sul)ject  had  three  cliildren,  one  C)f  whom  died 
in  infancy;  his  l)rother  Hugh  is  now  a  resident  of 
Montro.se,  and  in  addition  to  farming  pursuits,  is  p^^^'}' 
emploj'ed  as  a  section  boss  on  the  Burlington  & 
Southwestern  Railroad.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nolan  became 
the  parents  of  three  children,  of  whom  only  two 
are  living:  Marj'  A.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Hammond,  of  Macomb,  111.,  and  whose  husband 
died  in  1880,  leaving  her  with  two  children — Fan- 
nie and  J.  Kay;  Mrs.  H.  is  now  residing  in  Keokuk, 
and  is  book-keeper  for  her  lirother.  Rose,  now 
Mrs.  Rodgerson,  of  Moline,  who  has  two  sons — 
Frank  and   Wallace. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  received  a  limited  edu- 
cation in  the  private  schools  at  Keokuk,  which  he 
;itten<led  until  he  was  sixteen  j^ears  old.  He  was 
then  alternately  engaged  in  a  hotel  and  in  the 
cabins  of  steamboats  until  the  spi'ing  of  1859, 
when  he  determined  to  seek  his  fortunes  among  the 
gold  mines  of  California.  In  company  with  others, 
he  crossed  the  plains  with  an  ox-team,  carrying  a 
nuning  outfit,  the  journey  occupying  six  months. 
He  remained  there  five  }'ears,  and  returned  home 
on  horseback  in  1864,  this  trip  occupying  three 
months.  While  in  the  mines  he  employed  five  or 
six  men,  and  succeeded  in  accumulating  a  valu- 
able sack  of  the  yellow  ore. 

After  returning  from  California,  Mr.  Cameron 
purchased  160  acres  of  improved  land  in  Clark 
County,  Mo.,  and  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  stock-raising  for  the  following  three 
years.  He  then  sold  out  and  went  into  the  Indian 
Territory  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  Agent  Rich- 
ardson in  establishing  an  agency  on  the  AVashita 
River.  This  accomplished,  he  returned  to  Keokuk, 
and  was  engaged  in  the  quarry  and  pork  house  of  '^ 
Messrs.  Patterson  &  Timberman  for  five  years. 
He  remained  with  this  firm  until  1880,  and  then 
established  himself  in  business  on  the  corner  of 
Seventh  and  Blondeau  streets,  which  site  was  after- 
ward sold  to  the  Government  for  the  erection  of  a 
court-house  and  post-office.  Mr.  Cameron  then 
purchased  ground  at  the  corner  of  Seventh  and 
Johnston  streets,  taking  three  lots,  and  erecting  up- 
on the  same  a  building  55x24  feet  in  dimensions, 


liiii 


ft&i^i: 


•LLXXXXXXX3X3f 


■27  s 


LEE  COUNTY. 


PH 


fireproof,  and  where  he  now  has  his  f)ffiee  and  coal- 


out  his  lifetime.     After  leaving  Indiana  he  spent;  1} 
y:inl.     lie   cm|)loy,s  five   teamsters   :iii(l  ten    other       ^ino  year  in  Warren  C'cnmtv.  111.,  and  after  crossinga|;i 

:  a 
26,  Harrison  Townsliii).    I'pon  this  tract  of  land  l>e^  ] 


men  for  miscellaneous  work. 

Mr.  Cameron  was  married  in  l.s72  to  Miss  Mary 
Feoney,  a  lady  born  in  Kentucky  but  reared  in 
Iowa,  and  the  dauglitcr  of  Marcus  Feeuey,  Esq. 
Tlieir  household  includes  four  ciiildren — William 
W.,  (Jeorge,  James  and  .bihn.  The  family  resi- 
dence is  replete  with  all  the  comforts  of  life,  and 
tliey  are  surrounded  by  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances.  Mr.  Cameron  occupies  a  prom- 
inent position  among  the  business  men  of  his 
community  and  enjoys  the  confidence  of  his  fel- 
hiw-cilizcns.  He  was  Street  Supervisor  in  188,3, 
ami  has  been  honored  wilii  other  important  posi- 
tions in  the  city.  He  is  a  stockiiolder  in  the 
cutlery  works  and  also  in  tiie  Loan  and  Building- 
Association.  Politically  he  afliliates  with  the 
Democratic  party,  ami  is  an  honored  member  of 
the  I.  ().  ().  F. 


'■  ]()HX  McGUIOKR,  an  honored  pioneer  of  Lee 
County,  crossed  tiie  F'ather  of  Waters  with 
his  parents  in  the  spring  of  18;i7,  wlien  he 
was  a  child  of  six  years  old,  and  since  that 
time  has  been  a  resident  of  this  locality.  The  pres- 
ent proud  commonwealth  of  Iowa  was  then  a  wild 
Territory,  and  it  was  eleven  years  before  its  admis- 
sion into  the  I'nion  as  a  State.  In  the  long  3'ears 
whicli  liave  elapsed  since  that  time  Mr.  McGreer 
lias  noted  witii  deep  interest  the  remarkable  changes 
wliich  liave  transpired,  and  has  materially  aided  in 
the  development  of  this  section. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  born  in  F'ayette 
County,  Ind.,  Feb.  l.'i,  18.31,  his  parents  being  Al- 
e.Kaudcr  an<l  .Jane  (Livingston)  McGreer,  natives 
respectively  of  Soulli  and  North  Carolina.  Alex- 
ander McGreer  removed  from  his  native  State  to 
Indiana  when  he  was  a  youth  of  eighteen  years,  and 
was  there  married  to  llie  maiden  of  his  choice,  who 
remained  iiis  f;iitiiful  companion  until  March  17, 
!«;")."),  when  she  departed  this  life  in  Lee  County, 
Iowa,  lie  survived  her  twenty  years,  and  died  on 
the  1st  of  Marcli,  187.").  lie  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, and  continued   ids  chosen   pursuit  through- 


the   Mississippi  took  u|)  a  cl;iim  on  sections  2,j  and  S 


w 


)arental    houseliold  consisted  ofE  J 
.Martiia    l)ecame  the  wifefe  } 


established  a  liome,  whicli  now  remains  mi  possessions  L[ 
of  his   son.     Tlie 
tiie    following   children: 

of  Amos  Hinkel  (whose  biograi)liy  appears  in  thisgj 
work),  and  departed  this  life  in  184!);  IClizabethS  iji 
married  .lohn  .lulmson;  (ieorge  married  Miss:  [H 
Louisa  Wileoxen;  .lohn.  our  subject,  was  the  fourth:  ^; 
in  order  of  birth;  Nancy  II.  l)ecame  tiie  wife  of:  ^j' 
N.  Harlan,  and  Jane  married  R.  Micks,  who  died  in:  '■ 
the  army;' she  was  subsequently  married  to  Mr.  Mc-E  / 
Neill;  Maria  was  liorn  in  Iowa,  and  married  Jabe/.:  i 
Ruby,  of  Xnn  Buren  County.  :  ,- 

.lohn  McGreer  was  married  on  tlie  2.otli  ofE  r 
March,  1858,  to  Miss  Julia  A.  Hill,  of  Wayne:  n; 
County,  Ind.,  born  Oct.  18,  ls33.  Mrs.  McGreer:  {; 
was  the  daughter  of  William  and  Zilpah  (Hollowell):  -i] 
Hill,  natives  respectively  of  Ohio  and  North  Caro-;:^ 
lina.  William  Hill  was  born  Oct.  b,  1804,  and  de-?:l| 
parted  this  life  on  the  1st  of  February,  1.S71,  inj  Ij 
Lee  County.  He  crossed  the  Mississii)pi  while:  i 
Iowa  was  yet  a  Territory',  in  the  fall  of  1843,  and: 
located  in  Harrison  Township,  where  he  carried  on: 
the  business  of  a  farmer  and  merchant.  Mrs.  Zil 
pah  Hill  was  born  March  20,  1807;  she  still  sur-C  -m 
vives,  and  has  never  remarried.  Tiieir  family  con-E  fu 
sisted  of  six  children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased  :Eij 
Susan  P.  became  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Cook;  Mrs.:  h, 
McGreer  was  the  second  child;  Patience  died  atE  n 
the  age  of  three  years;  Edward  was  a  soldier  in:  h 
the  late  war,  and  died  at  Chattanooga,  Teiin.,  and: 
Fjlizabeth  became  the  wife  of  Jesse  McMillan.  g 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jolin  McGreer  are  the  parents  f)fS  [i 
two  children — Anna  J.,  born  Jan.  14,  1859,  andHji 
Mary  L.,  Sept.  22,  18C2.  They  were  educated  at: in. 
the  school  at  Primrose  in  this  county.  The  familj-S  i 
liomestead  consists  of  340  acres  of  valuable  land, 
and  beside  the  ordinary  duties  of  the  farm  Mr.E  "^ 
Mcfireer  is  engaged  in  the  breeding  of  horses,  cat 
tie  and  hogs.  The  farm  dwelling  is  a  tine  two-p; 
story  structure,  and  the  barn,  erected  in  1884,  is  a 
model  of  convenience  for  the  piiri)oses  to  which  itt  > 
is  a<lapted.  It  occupies  an  area  of  48.\7G  feet,  am" 
is  designed  in  the  latest  improved  style.     Mr.  Mc 


C  I, 

:  ;ii 


[tiiixi-ixgx  1  ' " " " ^  Ti .  i  ^^^^:^ 


r^HH  r'rJPW- 


!^^= 


:  Greer  has  a  valuable  assortment  of  farm  machinerj' 
:  and  all  the  implements  necessary'  for  the  carr3'iug 
on  of  agriculture  after  the  most  improved  methods. 
-  The  family  are  regular  attendants  of  the  Presbj'- 
:  terian  Church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  McGreer  is  in- 
dependent, aiming  to  cast  his  vote  for  the  best 
;  men.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  matters 
;  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his  community,  and  is 
:  fully  entitled  to  be  classed  as  an  honest  man  and  a 
:  good  citizen. 

OL.  GP:0KG  E  W.  CROSLE  Y,  Warden  of  the 
Iowa  State  Penitentiary  at  Ft.  Madison,  is 
a  native  of  Ohio,  having  been  born  in 
Huron  C'ount3-,  March  4,  1831).  His  father,  George 
H.  Crosley,  was  born  in  Lehigh  County,  Pa.,  in  the 
j-ear  1800,  but  when  a  child  of  two  years  of  age, 
the  family  removed  to  Franklin  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  became  a  dealer  in 
horses,  purchasing  in  Ohio  and  selling  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.  It  was  upon  one  of  those  trips  that  he 
made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Lucy  Fry,  of  Wash- 
ington Couutj',  Pa.,  who  became  his  wife  Jul}^  18, 
1826.  In  the  meantime  he  had  also  been  a  mail- 
carrier  during  the  progress  of  the  War  of  1812. 
After  his  marriage  he  carried  on  an  extensive 
business  as  contractor  and  liuildcr,  and  superin- 
tended the  erection  of  manj'  im|)t)rtant  public 
buildings  in  Ohio. 

(jcorge  II.  Crosley,  in  184o,  turned  his  face 
westward  and  journeyed  to  the  prairies  of  Illiuois, 
making  his  first  location  in  Kendall  County,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  pursuits  until  1 8.">(i.  He  then 
crossed  the  Mississippi,  came  into  the  Hawkeye  State, 
and  locate<l  in  Washington,  Washington  Count}-. 
One  year  later  he  purchased  240  acres  of  land  in 
Story  County,  which  he  improved  and  cultivated, 
and  which  now  constitutes  the  site  of  the  citj-  of 
Ames.  Jlr.  Crosley  had  returned  tu  Washington, 
D.  C.,  in  1862,  and  about  that  time  occurred  the 
decease  of  the  faithful  wife  and  mother.  The 
household  circle  had  been  brightened  by  the  birth 
of  seven  children,  all  living  at  tlie  time  of  their 
mother's  death,  but  two  are  since  deceased.  In  due 
time  Mr.  Crosley  contracted  a  second  marriage,  the 


second  wife  dying  in  1869,  since  which  time  he  has 
resided  with  his  children,  and  although  now  in  the 
eight}- -seventh  year  of  his  age,  is  still  hale  and 
heart}-  and  appears  many  years  younger. 

George  W.  Crosley  was  the  youngest  child  of  his 
parents'  family.  He  received  his  rudimentary  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  and  studied  one 
year  at  an  academy.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  j-ear.s 
he  became  clerk  in  a  drug-store,  remaining  thus 
occupied  until  the  spring  of  1857,  when  he  came  to 
Iowa  and  joined  the  family  at  Washington.  He 
assisted  his  father  in  opening  up  the  farm  in  Story 
County,  which  then  adjoined  the  tract  since  occu- 
pied by  the  [owa  State  AgTicultural  College  and 
Farm,  at  Ames.  His  farm  life,  however,  did  not 
continue  very  long,  as  in  the  course  of  two  years 
Mr.  C.  sold  his  farm  and  the  family  removed 
to  Nevada,  the  county  seat  of  Story  County,  where 
the  father  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  and  his 
son,  George  W.,  returned  to  Washington  County, 
becoming  clerk  in  the  general  store  of  his  brother. 
Some  years  after  Mi-.  Crosley  sold  the  farm  it 
became  the  site  of  the  city  of  Ames. 

In  April,  1861,  when  the  news  of  the  attack  on 
Fort  Sumter  reached  Washington,  the  patriotism  of 
}-oung  Crosley  was  aroused  to  such  a  pitch  that  he 
immediately  quit  the  store,  and  on  the  following 
day  he  w-as  on  his  way  to  Story  County,  where  he 
assisted  in  raising  a  company  of  soldiers.  He 
enlisted  as  a  private,  but  upon  being  mustered  into 
service  he  was  tendered  the  rank  of  First  Sergeant 
of  Co.  E,  3d  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and  June  26,  1861, 
was  elected  First  Lieutenant,  which  rank  he  held 
until  March  8,  1863,  when  he  was  promoted  to  that 
of  Major.  After  serving  three  years,  the  term  of 
enlistment,  he  entered  the  First  N'eteran  Corps, 
under  the  command  of  (ieu.  Hancock,  and  here 
also  was  given  the  rank  of  Majoi-,  being  the  only 
commissioned  field  officer  from  the  State  of  Iowa 
in  that  corps.  Maj.  Crosley  resigned  his  com- 
mission May  11,  1865,  but  was  subsequently 
breveted  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Colonel  for  meri- 
torious services  on  the  field  of  battle.  During  his 
career  as  a  soldier  he  participated  in  sixteen  gen- 
eral engagements,  including  the  sieges  of  Vieks- 
burg  and  Corinth.  At  the  battle  of  Shiioh,  at  the 
close  of  the  first  day's  fight,  out  of  the  twenty-six 


^  '^i^n-nxirtxmrxiTmii-rx-i 


TTTTTTT»-l-<nrT»TTTT»T»iryyi 


m 


ii 


officers  who  went  into  the  field  but  six  remained, 
and  Lieut.  Crosley  found  himself  the  ranking  officer, 
and  as  such  assumed  comnian<l  during  the  remain- 
der of  the  battle.  On  the  12th  of  July,  1803,  he 
was  struck  by  a  piece  of  shell  in  the  right  gioin. 
The  wound  at  first  was  supposed  to  be  a  slight  one, 
but  it  proved  to  be  of  such  a  nature  as  to  disable 
him  for  life. 

Upon  leaving  the  service  Col.  Crosley  proceeded 
to  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.,  to  join  his  wife, 
whom  he  had  married  there  in  1864,  while  on  a 
veteran  furlough.  She  was  formerly  ]\Iiss  Edna 
M.  Risdon,  and  was  born  in  said  county  in  1837. 
The  following  September,  isef),  Col.  Crosley  de- 
cided to  establish  for  himself  and  family  a  home 
beyond  the  Mississippi.  He  accordingly  crossed 
the  Father  of  Waters,  and  came  into  the  Hawkeye 
State,  making  his  first  location  in  AVebster  City, 
where  he  engaged  in  a  general  mercantile  business. 
After  a  residence  of  four  years  he  was  appointed 
Postmaster,  and  in  1870  closed  out  his  business, 
although  continuing  to  serve  as  Postmaster  until 
February,  1872.  He  then  engaged  as  a  traveling 
salesman,  representing  the  firms  of  O.  H.  Peckham 
<fe  Co.,  Dozier,  Weil  &  Co.,  and  John  S.  Dunham,  of 
St.  Louis.  His  dealings  were  mostly  with  jobbers 
in  large  cities,  for  which  he  received  a  lucrative 
salary'.  Col.  Crosley  considered  the  societ}'  of  his 
wife  and  children  of  more  account  than  dollars  and 
cents,  and  so  gave  up  his  position  and  engaged  in 
the  drug  business  at  Webster  Cit3'.  He  had  always 
enjf)yed  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  and  in  1 879  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Hamil- 
ton Count}'.  He  was  re-elected  to  this  office  in 
1881,  and  was  tendered  the  nomination  the  third 
time  by  acclamation,  but  declined  to  become  a 
candidate. 

The  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Iowa  on 
joint  ballot  elected  Col.  Crosley  to  his  present 
responsible  position,  and  he  assumed  the  duties 
of  his  office  April  1,  1.S84,  being  the  successor  of 
K.  C.  McMillin.  At  the  close  of  his  first  term. 
Col.  C'roslej'  was  re-elected  without  opposition, 
gSI  and  has  proved  himself  peculiarly  fitted  for  the 
difficult  ,nnd  often  dangerous  position  of  Peni- 
y  tentiary  Warden. 

Thus    we  have  a  brief  outline  of    the    life  and 


services  of  one  of  Iowa's  most  worthy  citizens, 
and  one  who  has  proven  himself  well  fitted  for 
the  responsible  duties  which  have  devolved  upon 
liim.  As  a  soldier  he  was  always  to  be  found 
in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and  proved  himself 
a  highly  efficient  officer.  As  a  citizen  he  has 
been  lo3'al  and  patriotic,  and  as  a  husband  and 
father,  kind,  indulgent  and  affectionate.  The  only 
secret  society  with  which  he  has  been  connected  is 
the  (i.  A.  R.  In  1881,  while  attending  the  Repub- 
lican State  Convention,  he  met  twelve  of  the  sur- 
viving members  of  the  3d  Reg.,  Iowa  \'o\.  Inf., 
who,  like  himself,  were  there  as  delegates  from 
their  respective  counties.  They  organized  a  Regi- 
mental Society,  of  which  Col.  Crosley  was  chosen 
Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  served  as  such  until 
August,  1885,  since  which  time  he  has  been  its 
Vice-President.  The  society  meets  biennially,  and 
the  members  thereof  experience  such  pleasure  in 
these  re- unions  as  can  only  be  appreciated  by  old 
soldiers  in  recalling  the  hardships  ,as  well  as  the 
more  pleasant  features  of  the  service. 

Col.  and  Mrs.  Crosley  have  become  the  parents 
of  four  children,  one  of  whom  is  deceased,  Cliarles 
C,  who  died  in  the  tenth  year  of  his  .age.  The 
three  living  are  George  R.,  Lottie  E.  and  \'arick 
C.  In  i)olitics  Col.  Croslej'  has  alw.ajs  been  a 
stanch  Republican.  It  is  with  pleasure  that  the 
publishers  of  this  work  present  the  portrait  of  Col. 
Crosley,  as  being  that  of  an  honored  and  worthy 
citizen. 


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^^AVT.  CHARLES  P.  GILLESPIE,  of  the 
|l(  ^  steamer  "Colonel  Patterson,"  is  an  esteemed 
^^iJ/J  resident  of  the  Gate  City,  and  a  property- 
holder  within  its  limits.  He  came  to  this  city  when 
it  was  a  village  of  humble  proportions,  and  has 
been  an  interested  witness  of  the  many  changes  and 
improvements  which  have  taken  place  during  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century.  Capt.  Gillespie  is  a  na- 
tive of  Mrginia,  and  was  born  Dec.  22,  1812,  his 
parents  being  John  and  Sarepta  (Medsker)  Gilles- 
pie, natives  of  the  same  State.  The  father  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade,  and  came  to  Keokuk  in  1848, 
where  he  successfuUj'  pursued  his  occupation  and 
resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred    in    KS')!!. 


.^llf^f^tt,: 


■    IIIJIUH 


,  UrrmrxT,  -. 


LEE  COUNTY. 


He  was  a  man  of  decided  views,  and  a  stanch  ad- 
iierent  of  the  Democratic  party.  His  wife  survived 
him  fifteen  j-ears,  dying  in  1871. 

The  parental  household  of  our  subject  included 
ten  children,  four  of  whom  are  deceased.  The  liv- 
ing are  Henrjr  C.,  Albert,  and  Capt.  Charles  P.,  of 
Keokuk ;  Frances,  Mrs.  Tahuan,  lives  in  Areola, 
Monona  Co.,  Iowa;  Maria,  Mrs.  Hughell,  is  in 
Sparta,  Tenn. ;  Rachel,  Mrs.  McCarty,  resides  in 
Keokuk. 

The  3'ounger  daj's  of  Capt.  Gillespie  were  spent 
in  Keokuk,  mostly  in  attendance  at  the  common 
schools.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  became  pilot 
on  the  ferry-boats  of  the  Mississippi,  and  seven 
years  later,  as  Captain,  made  the  run  from  Vicks- 
burg  to  the  source  of  the  Mississijipi.  He  has  been 
continuously  connected  with  river  boats  from  the 
first,  and  was  pilot  over  the  rapids  at  Keokuk  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  also  superintended  the  build- 
ing of  barges,  flatboats,  and  the  steamer  of  which 
he  is  now  the  Captain.  He  is  a  popular  man  along 
the  river,  and  is  highl3-  esteemed  likewise  on  terra 
firma,  at  his  home  in  Keokuk. 

Capt.  Gillespie  was  married  in  186;"),  to  Miss  An- 
nie, daughter  of  Jacob  Breitenstine,  of  Keokuk, 
and  of  this  marriage  there  was  born  one  child,  a 
daughter,  Elice.  Mrs.  Annie  Gillespie  died  in  1874. 
Capt.  G.  was  the  second  time  married,  in  1880, 
when  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Martin  Berg,  be- 
came his  wife.  He  has  a  handsome  residence  at 
the  corner  of  Third  and  Orleans  streets,  and  is  ful- 
filling to  the  best  of  his  ability  the  obligations  of  a 
good  citizen. 


-i^- 


NDREW  J ACOBSON,  general  farmer  and 
stock-raiser,  occupying  a  comfortable  home- 
stead on  section  27,  has  been  a  resident 
[^  of   the    Hawkeye   State    since    186"2.     On 

coming  into  the  State  he  loc.lted  in  Des  Moines 
Township,  but  subsequently  purchased  his  present 
farm,  which  consists  of  177  acres,  the  most  of  it 
under  good  cultivation.  He  occupies  a  good  farm 
residence,  has  iexcellent  barns  and  out-buildings, 
and  is  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  and  many  of 
the  luxuries  of  life. 


ii 


Mr.  Jaeobson  is  a  native  of  a  far-off  country, K 
having  been  born  near  the   borders  of  the   North  i ',       _ 
Sea  in  the  Kingdom  of  Norway,  Jan.  29,  1842.  His 
father,  .Jacob  Jaeobson,  a  native  of  the  same  coun- 
try, was  a  sea  captain,  and  his  mother,  Karen  Dan- 
ielson,  was  also  a  native  of  the  same  country,  her  i 
birthplace  being  near  that  of  her  husband,  and  they 
both  were  there  reared  to  years  of  maturity.     The 
father  departed  this  life   in    1868;  the  mother  yet 
survives,  and  is  living  in  her  native  countrj-. 

Andrew  Jaeobson  was  the  third  of  a  famil}'  of 
six  children,  of  whom  four  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  and  two  still  remain  in  their  native  Norway. 
Our  subject  was  only  fourteen  years  of  age  when 
he  went  to  sea,  and  followed  the  fortunes  of  a  sailor 
for  seven  years  following.  He  then,  in  1862,  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States,  and  made  his  first  lo- 
cation in  La  Salle  County,  111.  He  commenced  work 
as  a  farm  laborer,  and  since  that  time  has  followed 
agricultural  pursuits,  with  the  exception  of  one  year 
which  he  spent  in  Chicago  working  upon  the 
famous  crib,  which  now  supplies  the  city  with  water. 
He  was  one  of  the  five  men  who  were  aboard  the 
crib  when  it  was  launched  from  the  shore,  and  was 
engaged  upon  it  for  nine  months.  It  was  forty- 
two  feet  high,  and  when  it  was  launched  it  required 
men  of  nerve  to  remain  upon  the  top  of  it,  and  of 
these  Mr.  Jaeobson  was  the  leader,  by  request  of 
the  Superintendent  of  the  works.  He  soon  after- 
ward left  Chicago  and  came  West,  and  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Lee  Countj',  in  the 
village  of  Montrose,  Feb.  24,  1866,  to  Miss  Anna 
Munson,  who  was  born  Jan.  26,  1842,  and  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Des  Moines  Township.  Her 
parents  were  of  Norweigan  birth,  who  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  after  their  marriage.  Thej-  came 
into  Iowa  and  were  early  settlers  of  Lee  County. 
Both  departed  this  life  in  Des  Moines  Township, 
greatly  respected  bj'  all  who  knew  them,  and  leav- 
ing behind  them  records  of  worthy  lives  and  kindly 
deeds. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew  Jaeobson  have  become  the 
parents  of  twelve  children,  eiglit  living,  as  follows: 
Caroline,  Jacob,  Lewis,  Malinda,  Elwood,  Benja- 
min, Andrew  and  Noletta.  The  deceased  were 
Taminia,  Caroline,  and  two  infants  unnamed.     Mr. 


ii 

J 


ii 


-ill  ttrr  n  r  ni: 


(SKSETS'Sj! 


ma. 


tjtxnmn  i 


284 


LEE  COUNTY. 


and  Mi-s.  Jacobson  are  connected  with  the  Society 
of  PVit-nds,  and  in  politics  Mr.  .1.  is  strongly  Re- 
publican. He  is  highly  esteemed  in  bis  community, 
and  has  been  honororl  with  various  local  ollices  of 
his  townshi|>. 

70IIN  KIN(;,  a  well-to-do  and  prosperous 
farmer  residing  on  section  23,  Cedar  Town- 
ship, was  born  three  miles  south  of  Wlieel- 
^^  ing,  \V.  \:i.,  Feb.  II,  1  .s:5G.  His  f.ather, 
.b)hn  King,  was  a  native  of  (iernnuiy,  and  his  grand- 
f.-ither,  also  named  John,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
country,  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood  and  be- 
came a  Benedict.  The  latter  came  to  America 
with  his  wife  iind  three  children  about  1800,  and 
settled  in  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  on  a  farm, 
and  there  lived  until  his  death.  Of  their  eleven 
children  born  in  that  State,  ten  grew  to  attain  the 
age  of  maturity  and  to  become  the  heads  of  fam- 
ilies. The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  to  man- 
hood in  Pennsylvania,  .and  subsequently  settling 
near  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  there  rented  and  cultivat- 
ed a  tract  of  land,  meeting  with  partial  success.  In 
\x:iH  he  returned  to  Westmoreland  County,  and 
renting  m  f:iiiii,  was  occupied  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  death,  which  took  place  two  years 
later,  in  1841).  The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's 
mother  was  Rachel  Cramer,  and  her  demise  oc- 
curred five  months  previous  to  that  of  her  husband. 
She  left  eight  children  to  mourn  their  loss. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  four  years  old 
when  his  parents  died,  and  being  orphaned  at  that 
early  age,  he  was  bound  out  to  a  farmer  of  West- 
moreland Country.  James  Hayes  by  name,  and  was 
exceedingly  fortunate  in  obtaining  n  home  with  that 
geutleuian.  for  he  remembers  him  as  one  just  in  his 
^  dealings  .and  possessing  a  kind  heart.  In  1843  Mv. 
King  came  to  this  county  with  his  adopted  father, 
who  located  in  Franklin  Township.  Thei-e  our  sub- 
ject grcu  to  manhood  on  a  faiiii  :ni(l  in  llie  home 
of  .Mr.  Hayes.     He  continued  to  live  with  him  until 

D  his  death,  when  he   tooic  charge  of  the   farm    for 
Mrs.  H.ayes,  .and  successfully  coMducted  it   until  he 

3  was  twenty-four  years  old. 

At  that  age  in  life  Mr.  King  joined   the  army   of 


-   ^ 

a!:tl 


,5s::Qsss;:[iMS 


Benedicts,  and  settled  in  Knox  County,  Mo.,  where  ||ji 
he  cultivated  rented  land    for  four  years.     After 
that    he    returned    to    I^ee    Coimty.    and    was    a  ai; 
renter  for  two  years  in  Cedar  Township,  and  then  H' 
bought  the  place  he   now   owns.      It  was   but  little 
improved  at  the  time  he  bought  it,  and  he  now  has  H; 
all  the  land  under  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation  ai 
and   good   buildings  on   the   i)lace,   together    with  %. 
fruit  and  shade  trees.     His  marriage  took  place  in  at 
18.5i),  and  the   lady   chosen  as   his  life  companion  h 


was  Miss  Eliza  J.  Cade.     She  was  born  in  Ohio  in 


1843,  and  has  borne  our  subject  ten  children — Julia  ; 
A.,  Minerva  E.,  Adelia  V.,  John  R.,  James  K.,  3. 
Charles  W.,  Horace  M.,  Jesse  L.,  Daisy  J.  and  a! 
Daniel  (!.     In  politics  Mr.  King  is  a  Democrat.  2 


1 

n 
1 

1 
1 
I 


-i>- 


-^k^m^- 


-- E> 


USTON  R.  McCABF],  a  prominent  farmer 
of  West  Point  Township,  occupies  a  valua- 
ble homestead  on  section  1,  and  is  success- 
fully engaged  in  agriculture  and  stock - 
growing.  He  is  in  possession  of  the  old  homestead, 
which  was  established  by  his  father,  Author  Mc- 
Cabe,  in  1843.  The  latter  crossed  the  Mississippi 
while  Iowa,  was  j'et  a  Territory,  and  improved  a 
farm  from  the  wilderness.  This  tr.act  of  land  is 
now  one  of  the  most  valuable  in  Lee  County,  and  j 
invariably  attracts  the  eye  of  the  traveler  through 
this  section.  Here  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was 
born,  Jan.  8,  18.54,  and  reared  to  manhood,  and  it 
has  remained  his  home  continuously  since  he  first 
opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day. 

Autiior  McCabe,  the  father  of  ftur  subject,  was 
born  and  reared  in  Sussex  County,  Del.,  and  at  the 
age    of    nineteen   years  set  out   on    foot   with   his 
cousin,  Josiah  C'ampbell,  for  Oiiio.      He   located   in  B 
Preble  County,  and  was  there  married  a  year  later  h 
to  .Miss   Lydia  Crist,  who  remained   his  com|)aniou   : 
tV)r    oidy    one    year.     He    afterward    married    her   ' 
younger  sister  Susanna,  and   they  became  the  p.n-- 
ents   of  eleven   children,  one  of  whom  died   at  the   : 
.age  of  nine  nionths,  and  the  otheie  grew  to  years  of  : 
maturity. 

Huston   R.  McC.abe  was   the  youngest  of  seven  r 
sons.     His  mother    is   yet   living,   in   Washington  : 


:r 


r^SHHHS  Fr^'r^'r^.^^ 


T(>wn.ship,  Lee  County,  with  her  (laughter,  Mrs. 
Elhi  llazen,  at  the  age  of  about  sixty -eight  years. 
Mr.  McCabe  was  married  in  Washington  Township, 
Jan.  23.  1878,  to  Miss  Carrie  Mills,  a  native  of  the 
same  township,  born  Nov.  8,  1 8G0.  She  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Washington  Township,  and  by  her 
nuirriage  with  our  subject  has  become  the  mother 
of  two  children — Eddie  E.  (deceased)  and  Willie  R. 
Since  his  marriage  Mr.  McCabe  has  operated  the 
homestead,  of  which  he  now  owns  two  shares.  He 
also  owns  lOo  acres  of  improved  land  in  another 
pait  of  this  township.  He  and  his  wife  are  consist- 
ent members  of  the  Blethodist  Episcop.al  Church,  of 
which  he  is  Trustee  and  .Steward.  In  politics  he  is 
a  solid  Republican,  and  is  fulfilling  all  the  obliga- 
tions of  a  good  citizen. 


-^ ^-^^ — 

R.  H.  T.  CLEAVER,  a  prominent  and  pop- 
ular member  of  the  medical  profession  of 
the  Hawkeye  State,  and  a  resident  of  Keo- 
kuk, is  a  native  of  Centerville,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  Pa.,  where  he  was  born  Eeb.  17,  1822. 
He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Annie  (Vale)  Cleaver, 
natives  of  York  County,  Pa.,  who  before  their  mar- 
riage, removed  to  AVashington  County,  and  that 
same  3'ear,  1814,  united  their  fortunes  for  life. 
John  Cleaver  was  an  industrious  and  energetic 
man,  and  after  his  marriage  became  interested  in 
various  departments  of  business,  and  while  carry- 
ing on  a  farm,  was  also  engaged  as  a  tanner  and  in 
manufacturing  boots  and  shoes.  He  also  became 
extensivelj'  engaged  as  a  drover  and  cattle  dealer, 
buying  in  the  West  and  disposing  of  his  stock  in 
the  Eastern  markets.  He  became  a  prominent  man 
in  his  locality,  and  took  an  active  and  intelligent 
interest  in  public  matters.  He  identified  hiuist^lf 
with  the  Whig  party,  was  a  strong  Abolitionist,  and 
he  and  his  wife  both  belonge,d  to  the  Society'  of 
Friends.  He  retired  from  active  business  a  num- 
ber of  years  before  his  death,  making  his  home  in 
Centerville,  Pa.,  and  folded  his  hands  for  his  final 
rest  in  18C(i.  The  wife  and  mother  survived  him 
eight  years,  dj'ing  in  1874. 

The  grandfather  and  great-grandfatiu'r  of    our 
subject,  both  named  Peter,  were  natives  of  Penn- 


sylvania, and  descended  from  ancestry  who  came 
from  the  north  of  England  to  this  country  in  about 
1718.  The  grandfather's  family  consisted  of  nine 
children,  all  of  whom  except  himself  lived  to  be 
over  seventy-five  years  of  age ;  he  died  at  seventy- 
two.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  Dr.  Cleaver  at- 
tained to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years, and  the 
last  living  brother  of  his  mother,  Eli  A'ale,  lived  to 
be  ninety-one  years  old.  He  was  a  resident  of 
Clarkson,  Columbiana  Co.,  Ohio.  The  parents  of 
our  subject  had  a  family  of  ten  children,  five  of 
whom  are  now  living:  Amos  G.,  now  seventy-one 
years  old,  is  a  resident  of  Centerville,  Washington 
Co.,  Pa. ;  Dr.  H.  T.  of  our  sketch,  is  the  second  son 
now  living,  and  is  past  sixty-four  years  old ;  Han- 
nah B.,  Mrs.  Richardson,  of  Columbiana  Count}', 
Ohio,  is  sixty-two;  Seth  B.,  a  resident  of  Richland, 
Keokuk  Co.,  Iowa,  is  fifty-six;  John  I.,  of  Belle- 
ville, Washington  Co.,  Pa.,  is  forty-six.  There  was 
a  grand  reunion  of  the  family  in  Ohio  in  1885.  at 
which  were  gathered  the  representatives  of  three 
generations,  and  the  occasion  was  a  memorable  one 
in  the  history  of  that  viciuit}-. 

The  younger  years  of  Dr.  Cleaver  of  our  sketch, 
were  spent  on  the  farm  and  in  the  tanyard  and  in 
attendance  every  alternate  week  in  the  winter  at 
school.  He  and  his  three  older  brothers  were  de- 
pended upon  to  thresh  the  grain,  which  thej'  ac- 
complished b}-  riding  the  horses  who  tramped  it 
out.  This  emplo}'ed  two  one  week,  and  the  other 
two  the  following  week,  the  time  being  evenly  di- 
vided for  each  between  the  threshing  and  the 
school.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  our  subject  left 
home  to  attend  school  at  New  Lisbon,  Columbiana 
Count}',  which  was  under  the  auspices  of  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends.  He  graduated  from  this  institu- 
tion in  1841,  his  tutor  in  Latin  and  Greek  having 
been  the  famous  Clement  C.  Vallandigham,  who  be- 
came so  prominent  in  the  political  history  of  that 
section  during  the  late  war.  After  he  graduated, 
young  Cleaver  remained  in  New  Lisbon,  and  en- 
tered upon  the  study  of  medicine,  under  the  in- 
struction of  Dr.  T.  Green,  with  whom  he  remained 
for  the  following  three  years.  He  then  became 
associated  in  partnership  with  his  preceptor,  and 
practiced  with  him  until  184(1,  when  Dr.  Green  re- 
moved to  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  after  which  Dr.  Cleaver 


Bl 


continued  his  practice  alone  in  the  same  locality 
until  l.st!S.  He  tiien  sold  out  and  resolved  to  seek 
his  fortune  beyond  the  Mississippi.  He  accord- 
in;,dy  c:iine  into  Iowa,  located  at  Wapello,  Louisa 
County,  and  practiced  tliere  until  18G2. 

liic  Doctor's  abilities  as  a  practitioner,  and  his 
value  as  a  citizen  were  at  once  recognized  by  the 
residents  of  this  section,  and  he  soon  became  a 
leader  in  local  and  general  politics.  After  fdling 
other  important  positions  lie  whs  elected  a  member 
of  tiie  State  Senate,  serving  from  1854  to  1858, 
\vi(h  great  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  all 
concerned.  After  his  retirement  from  this  office 
he  came  to  Keokuk,  and  in  18G2  took  chargo  of  the 
Estis  House  Government  Hospitid.  Tliis  was  dur- 
ing the  progress  of  the  late  war,  and  he  was  ap- 
pointed Surgeon  in  the  hospital  until  the  close  of 
the  courtict.  I ' u(h'r  liis  supervision  were  eight  or 
ten  assistant  surgeons,  and  liis  management  of  the 
s  was  conducted  with  marked  alillit}' 


::-[l 


— ^  hosi)ital  affairs 
H   and  success. 


At  the  same  time  (1 802)  Dr.  Cleaver  accepted 
the  Chair  in  tlie  College  of  I'hysicians  &  Surgeons, 
as  Professor  of  Obstetrics  and  Diseases  of  Women. 
}     W  In  18G5  he  was  elected  Vice-President  of  the  col- 
li^ lege  and  held  that  position  until  1881,  when  he  was 
elected  Dean  of  the  Faculty.     About  liiis  time  he 
als(j  served  as  City  Treasurer.     He  has  held  a  high 
l)osition  in  the  medical  profession   of  this  locality 
since  his  coming  here,  was   President  of  the   Iowa 
^  State    Medical   Societ}'    from    18G1    to  18C3,  and 
afterward  in  1872.     In  1878  he  was  one  of  the  five 
delegates  sent  from  the  Medical  Association  to  the 
British  and  Foreign  Medical  Association   at   Bath, 
England.     His  brother  delegates   were  Dr.  Marion 
Sims,  of  New  York;  Prof.  Pancost,  of  Philadelphia; 
Prof.  Angear,  of  Chicago,  and  Dr.  Daily,  of  Pitts- 
burgh.    They  spent  five  months  in  England  and 
N__N_on  tiie  continent,  visiting  the  medical  institutions 


Cleaver  is  quite  extensively  interested  in  the  vari- 
ous enterprises  which  have  sprung  up  in  the  (Jato 
City,  and  have  rendered  her  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant towns  on  the  Mississippi  River.  He  is  a 
stockholder  in  the  Keokuk  National  Bank,  the 
Water  Works,  the  Building  and  Loan  and  the  Li- 
brary Associations,  and  to  every  enteri)rise  whicli 
iias  had  for  its  object  the  growth  and  <levelopnu'nt 
of  the  resources  of  this  section,  Dr.  Cleaver  h;i> 
been  a  warm  and  generous  supporter. 

In  early  manhood  Dr.  Cleaver  was  married  and 
became  tiie  father  of  five  children.  His  present 
wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  Jul}'.  18(j8,  was 
Miss  Clarissa  Bracken,  a  native  of  Brownville,  Fay- 
ette Co.,  Pa.  Of  his  children  the  record  is  as  fol- 
lows: Laura,  Mrs.  Lauder,  of  Muscatine,  Iowa,  has 
one  child — Frank;  Mvn.  Dr.  Scroggs,  of  Keokuk, 
has  two  sons — Cleaver  and  Joseph;  Mary  G.,  Jlrs. 
Ilain,  is  a  resident  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  another 
daughter,  Mrs.  C.  S.  Whitney',  of  (Jmaha,  Neb.,  has 
one  child — Adelaide;  H.  T.  Cleaver,  Jr.,  a  gradu- 
ate of  LaGrange  College,  Missouri,  is  now  con- 
nected witii  the  Keokuk  Candy  and  Cracker  Fac- 
tory. 

Dr.  Cleaver  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  has 
been  connected  with  this  party  since  its  organiza- 
tion. He  and  his  wife  are  members  in  good  stand- 
ing of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  and  their  hand- 
some residence  at  No.  227  North  Fifth  street  is 
the  resort  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances, comprising  the  most  finely  cultivated  people 
of  the  Gate  City. 


of  Scotland,  tJerman}-,  Holland,  Belgium,  Prussia, 

tiirougli  Switzerland,  over  the  Aljjs  into  Savoy  and 

."down  to  the   city   of  Geneva,  during  which   time 

they  gained  a  fund  of  valuable  information  which 

|i;g^<q  has  proved  of  great  benefit  to  the  profession  in  this 

1  country.     Dr.  C.  is  now   serving  his  fourth   term 

I  as  Piesident  of  tiie  Keokuk  City  Medical  Society. 


Aside  from 


duties   of   his    i»rofession.    Dr. 


^/^'/////////^ 


ii 


l^ft  ANLIUS  8.    CHAMBERLAIN,  City    As 
///      iW   *^*®*^''  of  f"^-  Madis(ju,  is  a  native  of  Gene- 
I       IS  see  County,  N.  Y.,  born  in  Attica  Sept.  29, 
*  182.').     His    father,    Joseiih    Chamberlain, 

was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  his  grandfather, 
John  Chamlieriain,  a  native  of  the  same  State,  spent 
hi  entire  life  and  ceased  his  earthly  labors  within 
the  cipufines  of  tlie  Bay  State.  Jose|)h  Chamber- 
lain, the  father  of  our  subject,  in  early  life  learned 
the  trade  of  a  brick  and  stone  mason.  From  a  his- 
tory of  the  town  of  Steuben,  N.    Y.,   we  learn   that 


m 


.Jw 


5  i/^Hr-rlVKI' 


LEE  COUNTY. 


I: 
1;., 

i.la 
I 

i 


ni.: 

i: 

I 

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1 
I 
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i 


the  father  of  our  subject  was  the  first  settler  in  the 
town  of  Coliocton,  Steuben  County,  and  that  his 
(laugliter.  Calista,  was  tlie  first  child  liorn  in  the 
township  of  Cohoeton.  He  entered  a  tract  of  wild 
land  and  erected  the  first  cabin  in  the  township 
of  Cohoeton.  He  cleared  a  farm  and  remained 
tliere  a  few  years,  then  removed  to  Genesee  County, 
and  kept  liotel  in  the  town  of  Bethany  until  lisScS. 
He  then  went  to  Chautauqua  Countj%  and  engaged 
in  the  same  business  at  Leona,  and  from  there  re- 
turned to  Genesee  County,  purchased  a  farm  in  the 
township  of  Bethany,  and  engaged  in  farming  for 
a  few  years,  thence  removed  to  Michigan  and  set- 
tled in  Genesee  County,  purchasing  an  improved 
farm,  upon  which  he  remained  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1854. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,* before  her  marriage, 
was  Miss  Orpha  Shepard,  of  Massachusetts,  and  by 
her  union  with  Joseph  Chamberlain  she  became  the 
mother  of  seven  children,  of  whom  Manlius  8.  was 
the  sixth  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  reared  to 
habits  of  industr}',  and  as  soon  as  old  enough  as- 
sisted in  the  lighter  labors  of  the  farm  and  attend- 
ed the  district  schools.  He  remained  with  his  par- 
ents until  his  marriage,  then  purchased  a  farm  in 
Genesee  County,  Mich.,  wheie  he  remained  until 
1 85.S,  and  then,  changing  his  occupation,  went  to  Ft. 
Madison,  and  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  mer- 
cantile establishment  of  E.  G.  ^^'ilson,  with  whom 
he  remained  for  ten  years,  and  then  set  u]i  in  busi- 
ness for  himself.  He  carried  on  mercantile  pur- 
suits for  eight  j'ears,  and  since  then  has  been  var- 
iously employed,  and  represents  six  different  com- 
panies as  insurance  agent. 

AVherever  he  has  been  the  natural  genius  and 
talents  of  JMr.  Chamberlain  have  won  for  him  the 
highest  approval,  and  he  has  uniformly  been  ten- 
dered positions  of  trust  and  responsibilitj'.  He  has 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  City  Clerk,  and 
has  held  his  present  position  as  City  Assessor  for 
the  p.ast  five  ^-ears.  He  possesses  detective  quali- 
ties of  a  high  order,  and  was  detailed  upon  deli- 
cate and  important  business  connected  witli  the 
Graser  murder  case,  discovered  the  murderer,  and 
received  the  proffered  award  of  #200  from  the 
Governor  of  Iowa  and  $.'500  from  the  brother  of 
the  murdered  man.     The  murderer  is  now  serving 


a   life  sentence  in    the   State   Penitentiary   at  Ft. 
Madison. 

Manlius  S.  Chamberlain  and  Miss  Harriet  Ball 
were  united  in  marriage  in  November,  1848.  Mrs. 
C.  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and  was  born  Aug.  28, 
1828.  There  are  four  children  living,  viz:  Au- 
gusta, the  wife  of  Bayard  T.  Wise,  of  Ft.  Madison; 
Edwin  M.,  Jay  and  Carrie.  The3'  occupy  a  pleas- 
ant home  on  Fifth  street,  and  are  surrounded  by 
hosts  of  friends  and   well-wishers. 


'iriji 


^g^rw^ 


\fp^  LISHA  B.  KELLOGG  is  a  carpenter  and 
mer  combined,  and  occupies  a  comfort- 
le  homestead  in  Van  Buren  Township, 
this  county,  where  he  is  engaged  partly  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits  and  follows  the  carpenter's  trade  at 
his  convenience.  Mr.  Kellogg  is  a  native  of  the 
Empire  State,  born  in  the  town  of  Austerlitz,  Co- 
lumbia County,  May  24,  1818,  and  is  the  son  of 
Elisha  and  Olive  (Mallory)  Kellogg,  natives  of 
New  York  and  Connecticut  respectively.  Elisha 
Kellogg  was  born  Aug.  4,  1779,  and  departed  this 
life  in  18C6,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-eight 
years.  The  wife  of  his  youth  did  not  long  remain 
his  companion,  but  yielded  up  her  life  in  1824. 
He  was  married  the  second  time  to  Eunice  Dewey, 
who  died  in  1855.  Of  the  first  marriage  of  Elisha 
Kellogg,  Sr.,  there  were  born  eight  children,  namely : 
Dennis,  James  D.,  Olive,  Benjamin,  Elisha  B.,Lucy 
A.,  Eliakim  M.  and  Harriett. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  Jan.  21, 
1851,  to  Miss  Berenice  C.  Underwood.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  Arch  and  Rhoda  (Chapin)  Under- 
wood, natives  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  born  in 
1821.  Her  father  died  in  1851,  and  the  mother  in 
18G0,  leaving  a  faniilj'  of  eight  children — I'aul 
Chapin,  Phylinda,  Almeda,  Mercy,  Henry  W., 
Berenice  C,  James  and  John.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Elisha  B.  Kellogg  have  become  the  parents  of  three 
children :  Berenice  E.  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Richey ; 
Mary  A.  died  at  tiie  age  of  three  years;  and 
Charles  B.  M.  died  in  18G4,  at  the  age  of  two  and 
one-half  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  K.  occupy  a  comfortable  residence, 
surrounded  by  all  the  couiforts  <>f    life.     They  eu- 


•«rrTa„njLiJjia/A.mxxxjLjrtxiT: 


Sini 


l^^^V^w 

& 

.  1  i  .7T:  .■  i  —-:,n;..ri:;!:rrT:rT,.n. ■;;:■. 
•■■V'.'.'^r'y- r :■■ 

^ 

lijjjjjjuutxiiiirxiraxm 

•288 


LEE  COUNTY. 


Ip^  JV  is  a  iiienilicr  of 

Im    my^   hee  County,  an 


joj'  the  friendship  f)f  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances, 
.mil  swc  nicnil)crs  in  good  standing  of  the  Pres- 
hvterian  Churcii.  Soon  after  coining  here,  in  April. 
IHoH,  tiic  good  (iiialities  of  Mr.  Kellogg  received 
ample  recognition,  and  lie  became  one  of  the 
leaders  of  his  community.  lie  lias  held  the  various 
town.ship  o(flces,  having  lieeu  Clerk  for  a  number 
if  yeai-s,  and  Director  and  Secretary  of  the  School 
Hoard.  Toliticaliy  he  atliliates  with  the  Kei)ublican 
party,  and  uniformly  casts  his  vote  in  support  of 
its  principles. 

<5— :k- ►  >9  <-^     -:=:—€► 

:pX  liO''"- -'^'ll^'  A-  ^^ll'i'H.  of  Ft.  Madison, 
tlic  educational  element  of 
md  has  attained  to  eminence 
\  in  his  profession.  He  is  a  native  of  the 
Kingdom  of  IJavaria,  and  was  born  Sept.  '■),  18-20. 
lie  was  educated  for  a  teacher  in  his  native  land, 
and  before  emigrating  to  the  I'nited  States  had  en- 
tered the  Normal  College  and  was  receiving  the 
most  careful  instruction  from  eminent  and  experi- 
enced tutors.  On  account  of  failing  health,  how- 
ever, his  physician  advised  him  to  abandon  his 
studies  and  go  to  America,  which  advice  he  con- 
cluded to  follow,  and  after  a  prosperous  voj-age 
landed  at  New  Orleans,  Dec.  22,  1  S4(;.  He  at  once 
proceeded  to  Scioto  County,  Ohio,  wiicre  he  had 
relatives  living.  In  the  fall  of  1847  he  commenced 
teaching  in  Pike  County,  having  under  his  instruc- 
tion classes  in  (Jerman  and  music,  and  was  thus  oc- 
cupied f(n'  a  period  of  six  years,  when  he  came  to 
Iowa,  making  his  first  location  at  Keokuk.  Here 
he  engaged  as  clerk  and  book-kcejjer  of  a  hotel  for 
two  j'cars,  having  also  the  principal  management  of 
the  house.  He  .afterward  came  to  Ft.  Madison, 
and  received  the  appointment  of  Deputy  Clerk  of 
L  the  county,  under  Itobert  McFarland.  Treasurer 
and  Recorder.  Prof.  Smith  is  a  fine  ]5eiiinan  and 
kept  the  records  of  the  county  until  |S(;i. 

The  Late  Civil  \Var  was  now  in  progress,  and  Mr. 
.Smith,  laying  aside  personal  interests,  resolved  to 
proffer  his  services  for  the  preservation  of  the 
rnioii.  lie  recruited  a  company  of  forty-seven 
men,  known  as  Fremont  Iluzzars.  which  afterw-ard 
became  tiie  ."it h    Iowa    ('av;ilr\-.      With    these    Prof. 


i'r. 


Smith  entered  the  service,  and  when  the  regiment 
was  organized  he  was  commissioned  Second  Lieu- 
tenant, serving  as  such  for  two  years,  when,  on  ac- 
count of  injuries  received,  he  obtained  an  honora- 
l)le  discharge.  He  had  participated  in  various  bat- 
tles, among  them  those  of  Ft.  Donelson,  O'liien 
River,  Clarksville,  Tenn.,  and  various  minor  en- 
gagements. At  the  close  of  liis  military  service 
Prof.  Smith  returned  to  Vt.  Madison,  and  engaged 
as  a  teacher  in  the  public  scliools,  and  has  been  thus  ^^ 
occupied  since  that  time.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest 
teachers  in  the  State,  and  has  made  for  himself  .an 
excellent  record,  both  as  a  gentleman  of  culture 
and  a  valuable  instructor. 

Prof.  Smith  w.as  married,  in  l.S;")7,  to  Miss  Jo- 
anna W.  D.,  daughter  of  Cliristian  and  Caroline 
Rhoda.  Mrs.  Smitii  is  a  native  of  the  same  coun- 
try as  her  husband,  and  came  to  the  United  States  ; 
when  a  young  girl.  Of  their  union  have  been  born  : 
seven  children;  William  H.,  a  stenographer  in  Clii-  : 
cago;  Ida  A.,  who  lives  at  home;  Adelia  C,  the  z] 
wife  of  Ilenrj'  Martin,  of  Chicago,  III. ;  Walter  S.,  g 
a  student  at  Eliot  Business  College,  at  Burlington;  Bi 
Phillip  \'iele  is  connected  with  the  Iowa  Farming  Bii 
Implement  Company,  and  two  young  sons,  Charlie  gl 
and  Henry,  are  with  their  [)areiits  at  home.  Pi 
Smitli  is  connected  witii  the  Lutheran  Cliiireli,  and  §f. 
socially  is  a  member  of  the  (I.  A.  R. 


1 
1 
1 
I 

1 

1 
1 
1 
1 

t.  m 
1 

I 
I 


(1 


of  5 


OBERT    DOANF,    an    honored    pioneer 
Cedar  Township,  and   one  of  its  most  re- 
spected citizens,  is  th6  owner  of  a  tine  farm 

He    came 


i 


El 


^^  estate  located  on  section  10. 
here  at  an  early  day  when  there  was  the  greatest 
need  for  strong  hands  and  brave  hearts,  and  per- 
formed the  duties  that  devolved  upon  iiim  most 
manfully  and  courageously.  In  his  ple.a.sant  Inune 
of  to-day,  surrounded  by  a  large  coinpau}-  of  warm  §} 
and  sympathizing  friends,  he  is  enjoying  the  fruits 
of  his  early  toil,  and  presents  a  picture  of  well- 
earned  peace  and  contentment. 

The  birthplace  of  Mr.  Doaue  was  Chatham  §|' 
Countv,  N.  C,  and  the  date  thereof  Aug.  14,  I.S13.  ij 
Ilis  fatlier,  Jesse  Doaiie,  was  a  native  of  the  same  hM^ 
State,  and  his  yraiidf.-ither,  John    Doane,  was   from 


^r'^'^'^'^r'^i 


T-  rmrrxxP-  : 


LEE  COUNTY. 


291 


Pennsylvania.  His  great-grandfather,  .Joseph 
Doane,  was  of  English  descent  and  parentage,  and 
came  to  America  as  a  member  of  William  I'cnn's 
colony,  and  settled  in  Bucks  C'ountj%  Pa.  He  was 
a  raemlier  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  the  sev- 
eral generations  of  the  family  since  that  time  have 
adhered  loyally  to  the  religious  faith  of  their  fa- 
thers. .John  Doane  moved  to  North  Carolina  be- 
fore the  Revolutionary  War,  and  settled  in  Chat- 
ham County  upon  a  tract  of  timber  land.  He 
I'leared  t\  farm  from  the  wilderness,  established  a 
permanent  home,  and  remained  there  until  his 
ileath.  His  son,  Jesse,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  reared  in  his  native  county  and  was  there  mar- 
ried. In  18:^7  he  sold  his  possessions  and,  remov- 
ing to  Tennessee,  settled  near  Ivnoxville,  where  he 
purchased  an  improved  farm,  upon  which  he  passed 
the  remnant  of  his  days.  In  early  manhood  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Whiner}',  a  na- 
tive of  North  Carolina.  She  went  with  her  hus- 
band to  Tennessee  and  died  there  in  18.58  or  1859. 
The  parental  household  consisted  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth. 

Robert  Doane  was  reared  on  the  farm  of  his  par- 
ents, and  remained  with  them  until  he  had  attained 
to  years  of  manhood.  He  was  a  thoughtful  and 
ambitious  j'outh,  and  as  years  progressed  developed 
those  characteristics  which  have  since  made  a  suc- 
cess of  his  life.  He  was  independent  and  self-re- 
liant, and  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  started 
out  to  seek  his  fortune.  He  journeyed  northwest 
to  Morgan  Count}%  Ind.,  and  leased  a  tract  of  land, 
which  he  cultivated  for  the  space  of  eleven  years, 
with  fair  success.  In  1 847  he  crossed  the  Father 
of  Waters,  making  his  journey  to  the  river  with  a 
span  of  horses  and  a  carriage.  After  arriving  upon 
the  soil  of  Iowa  he  purchased  land  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  10,  in  Cedar  Township,  and 
made  preparations  to  receive  his  family.  One  of 
his  first  duties  was  the  building  of  a  log  cabin,  and 
he  made  such  improvements  as  he  could  during 
this  j-ear.  The  following  spring  he  commenced  to 
put  in  his  crops,  and  as  time  progressed  received 
the  reward  of  his  labors  in  the  smiling  meadows 
and  flelds  of  growing  gi-ain.  He  added  to  his  pos- 
sessions as  his  means  permitted,  and   is   now   the 


proprietor  of  212  acres,  all  in  one  liodj'  and  under 
improvement.  He  also  has  ten  acres  of  timber  in 
Henry  County. 

The  marriage  of  Robert  Doane  and  Miss  liaciiel 
Doane  was  celebrated  in  Orange  County',  Ind., 
.Tune  12,  1838.  Mrs.  Doane  was  the  daughter  of 
David  and  Ruth  (Atkinson)  Doane,  natives  of 
North  Carolina.  Her  father  came  to  Cedar  Town- 
ship in  1  S49,  and  improved  a  farm  on  section  15, 
establishing  a  comfortable  homestead,  upon  which 
he  remained  until  his  death.  Mrs.  Rachel  Doane 
was  born  in  Orange  County,  Ind.,  Sept.  3,  1821. 
and  came  to  this  section  with  her  husband,  but 
only  lived  a  little  over  four  3-ears  after  coming 
here,  her  death  occurring  March  20,  1852. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doane  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children:  David  lives  in  Cedar  Township;  Mary  A., 
the  wife  of  John  Meadows,  also  lives  in  this  town- 
ship; Eleazer,  now  deceased,  was  born  April  24, 
1840;  he  served  in  the  late  war,  in  the  19th  Iowa 
Infantrj',  and  marched  to  the  scene  of  action  with 
his  regiment.  He  displayed  more  than  ordinary 
aptitude  for  the  duties  of  his  position,  and  was  soon 
afterward  returned  to  the  State  of  Iowa  as  recruit- 
ing officer.  He  raised  a  company,  and  was  then 
transferred  to  the  8th  Cavalry  with  a  Captain's 
commission.  He  participated  in  many  important 
engagements,  and  in  1864  was  taken  prisoner  and 
confined  in  the  rebel  prison  at  Charleston,  where 
he  remained  for  nine  months  and  was  then  paroled. 
After  an  honorable  discharge  he  returned  home, 
and  settled  in  Cedar  Township  for  a  few  years,  go- 
ing thence  to  Osborne  County',  Kan.  There  he 
purchased  a  tract  of  land  and  successfull3'  engaged 
in  farming  pursuits.  He  was  cut  down  in  the 
prime  of  life,  his  decease  occurring  Oct.  0,  188{;, 
at  the  age  of  forty-six  years.  By  this  sad  event 
ten  children  were  rendered  fatherless.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  wife  was  Amelia  Cahill,  and  she  was  a 
native  of  Ohio.  She  still  survives  and  resides  in 
Osborne  County,  Kan.  Ithamar  was  born  Aug.  10, 
1841;  he  was  also  a  soldier,  and  enlisted  with  his 
brother  in  the  same  regiment;  shortly  afterward  he 
was  taken  sick,  sent  home  on  a  furlough,  and  died 
one  week  after  his  return.  Tiie  three  children  buiii 
subsequently  died  young. 

Mr.  Doane  has  been  a  man  devoted   to  the   wel- 


1^1 


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292 


LEE  COUNTY. 


fjire  of  his  eliildren,  and  lli(>.sf  wlio  lived  until  of 
[iruper  age  received  a  good  education.  lie  is  an 
intelligent  and  well-read  man,  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  public  affairs,  contributing  as  his  time 
and  means  permit  to  the  success  of  every  worthy 
object  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his  community, 
and  is  in  all  respects  fulfilling  the  obligations  of  a 
good  citizen.  He  reniains  loyal  to  the  religious 
faith  of  his  ancestors,  and  is  connected  with  the 
Society  of  Friends.  The  homestead  of  Mr.  Doane 
is  a  model  one  in  every  respect,  consisting  of  a 
haildsonii'  f;irni  dwelling,  a  good  liani.  an<l  all 
necessary  and  convenient  oiithonscs. 


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KRKMI.MI  F.  HUNT,  a  retired  farmer  of 
C'h:ulcston  Township,  is  in  possession  of  a 
eomfoi'lable  homestead  on  section  0,  and  in 
the  sunset  of  life  is  enjoying  the  frnits  of 
the  toil  of  earlier  years  and  the  respect  and  confl- 
<lence  of  his  fellow  townsmen.  The  subject  of  this 
history  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in  North- 
boro,  Feb.  21,  l!S()().  AVhen  a  child  (jf  six  months 
old  his  parents  removed  from  his  native  town  to 
Palmer,  Mass.,  where  he  lived  until  he  attained  his 
majority.  His  fatlicr  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade, 
ami  during  the  winter  months  our  subject  .assisted 
him  in  the  shop.  After  becoming  of  age  lie  was 
engaged  in  farming  and  other  occupations,  and  at 
times  was  employed  in  the  dj-eing  business  in  Hart- 
ford, Conn.,  Lynn,  Mass.,  and  other  prominent 
towns  in  the  Bay  fState. 

Tiie  early  education  of   Mr.  Hunt   w.as  obtained 

in  the  public  schools  of  Palmer,  and  in  later  ^-ears 

he  was  sent  to  .school  iii  Maine,  and  in  A]idover,  in 

his  native  .State.     In  the  fall  of  IHSiS  he  turned  his 

face   westward,  came  into   Lee  County,  Iowa,  and 

purchas^l  a  claim  in  what  is  now  .section  (),Charles- 

}  ton  Townsliip.    Heing  still  a  single  ni.an  he  Iioarded 

;  with  a  family  near,  and  split  rails   during   tiie   tirst 

winlei-.      In   the  spring  he   returned  to  his  Eastern 

home,  and    remained    there   during   the    following 

5  summer;  then,  in  the  fall  of   l.s.'i'.),  returned  to  Lee 

County  with  a  team  of  horses  and  sucii  articles  as 

•^  he  could    nut    readily    |)ro(nre  in  the  m^w  country. 

lie  now  set  al)out  the  improvement  and  cultivation 


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of  his  purchase,  and  added  to  his  acreage  as  time 
and  means  permitted.  He  was  prospered  in  his  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  and  business  transactions,  and 
became  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  this  section. 

Mr.   Hunt  is  a   man  of  large   benevolence,  and 
from  the  time  of  coming  here  has  identilied   him- 
self with  the  interests  of  his  adopted  county,  and 
has  always  been  willing  to  contribute  of   his  time 
and  means  for  the  promotion  of  every  worthy  en- 
terprise.    He  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  Christian  re-   5fH 
ligion,  and  polir-ically  uniformly  casts  his  vote  with    ~'n 
the  Repuijlican  party.     Mr.  H.   has  never  married, 
and  consequentlj'  has  had  much  time  to  devote  to 
public  matters,  in  which  he  has  always  taken  an  act-   SEi 
ive  interest.     He  has  been  an  intelligent  reader,  is 
well  informed,  and  can  relate  hosts  of  interesting 
incidents  connected  with  the  pioneer  days  when  he 
first  became  a  resident  of  the  Hawkeye  State. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  John  and  Huldah 
(Allen)  Hunt,  natives  of  Massachusetts,  where  they 
spent  their  entire  lives,  both  dying  in  the  town  of 
Palmer.  Their  household  circle  included  eleven 
children,  of  whom  Jeremiah  F.  is  the  only  surviv- 
ing member. 


-^-^ 


DWARl)  H.  THOMAS,  late  editor  and  i)ro- 
prietor  of  the  West  Point  Appeal,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Louisa  County,  Iowa,  and  was  born 
.Sept.  14,  1841.  His  father,  William  H.  R.  Thoni.as, 
of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  came  to  Louisa  County,  Iowa, 
at  an  early  period  in  its  history,  in  183G,  and  served 
as  Sheriff  of  that  county  for  twelve  j'ears.  In  1850 
he  crossed  the  plains  to  California,  where  he  died. 
In  early  manhood,  in  the  fall  of  183G,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Marj'  R.  E.agans,  at  Wapello,  Iowa. 
She  was  born  at  Connersville,  Ind.,  and  came  to 
Iowa  in  I'S.iO.  That,  same  year  she  was  married  to 
the  f.atiicr  of  our  subject,  and  is  still  living.  Of 
this  union  there  were  born  three  children — Edward 
H.,  Cicero  15.  and  Louisa.  Cicero  15.  was  a  soldier 
in  the  late  war  and  a  mcmlier  of  Co.  F.,  IDth  Iowa 
\'ol.  Inf.;  he  w-as  killed  in  battle  at  Spanish  Fort,  g] 
Ala..  Ai)ril  s,  ISlio. 

Edw.ard  H.   Tiionia>   received   a   common-school 
education,  and  in  the  ye;ir  18,53  entered  the   ollice 


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of  the  Intelligencer  at  Wapello,  Iowa,  where  he 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  four  years  at  the  print- 
ing business,  at  which  he  was  occupied  until  Aug. 
8,  18G2,  when,  with  his  brother  Cicero  B.,  he  en- 
listed in  Co.  F.,  19th  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  un- 
til the  close  of  the  war.  He  participated  in  about 
twenty -five  battles  and  skirmishes,  being  on  duty 
with  his  regiment  constantly  from  the  time  it  left 
Iowa  until  its  return  in  18G5.  He  was  captured  at 
the  battle  of  Sterling  Farm,  La.,  on  the  2'Jth  of 
September,  1863,  and  taken  by  the  Confederates 
to  the  prison  pen  near  Tyler,  Tex.,  where  he  was  held 
for  nearly  three  months.  He  was  finally  exchanged, 
and  with  his  regiment  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge at  Davenport,  Iowa. 

After  his  return  from  the  army  Mr.  Thomas  re- 
sumed the  printing  buisness,  which  he  followed  un- 
til 1867,  and  then  became  pilot  and  master  of  a 
steamer  on  the  Mississippi  River,  at  which  he  was 
employed  for  tiie  following  eight  years.  He  then 
resumed  his  early  occupation,  and  became  the  pub- 
lisher of  various  newspapers  iu  different  parts  of  the 
country.  He  is  a  thorough-going  business  man, 
an  expert  •practical  printer,  and  a  journalist  of 
marked  ability. 


is 


eHARLE.S  O.  BAKER,  M.  D.,  a  rising  physi- 
cian of  Ft.  Madison,  is  attaining  an  enviable 
position  among  his  brethren  of  the  profes- 
sion in  this  vicinity  as  a  close  student,  an  extensive 
reader,  and  a  man  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
intricacies  of  his  profession.  Aside  from  his  evi- 
dent skill  as  a  practitioner,  his  genial  qualities  and 
courteous  demeanor  have  secured  for  him  the  friend- 
ship and  patronage  of  a  large  proportion  of  the 
intelligent  people  of  the  Gem  City. 

Dr.  Baker  is  a  native  of  the  P^mpire  State,  and 
was  born  in  Chenango  County,  June  8,  18-19.  His 
father,  Andrew  Baker,  was  born  in  Steuben  Conntj', 
the  same  State,  in  1804,  and  his  grandfather  was 
also  named  Andrew  Baker.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  a  graduate  of  the  Medical  College  of  Ge- 
neva, N.  Y.,  and  practiced  in  Norwich,  Chenango 
County,  for  many  years,  where  his  life  terminated 
in   December,  1K63.     His  wife   w.as  Miss  Ruth   K. 


293 


Marshall.  She  preceded  him  to  the  better  land  in 
.about  isr)4.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Charles  O.  was  the  sixth  in  order  of 
l)irth. 

Dr.  Bak«r  of  this  history  received  his  primary 
education  in  the  district  schools  of  his  native  State, 
and  was  carefully  trained  by  his  parents  at  home. 
After  his  father's  death  he  went  to  live  with  an  un- 
cle, C.  T.  Baker,  M.  D.,  iu  Michigan,  where  he  pur- 
sued his  school  studies,  and  in  due  time  graduated 
from  tlie  Decatur  High  School  in  ^'an  Burcn  County. 
He  then  entered  an  advanced  class,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  study  of  Greek  and  Latin  for  one 
year,  and  then  entered  the  University  of  Michigan 
at  Ann  Arbor,  from  the  classical  department  of 
which  he  graduated  with  the  degree  of  B.  A.  and 
later  that  of  M.  A.  Soon  afterward  he  entered  the 
medical  department  of  the  same  institution,  gradu- 
ating from  this  also  with  honors,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1878  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profe.ssion 
in  Keokuk,  coming  thence  in  the  fall  of  that  year 
to  Ft.  Madison,  where  he  has  since  pursued  his  pro- 
fessional duties  witli  unqualified  success. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Baker  and  Miss  Mary  J. 
Armstrong  was  celebrated  on  the  2;')th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1879.  Mrs.  B.  is  the  daughter  of  Bennett  and 
Eliza  J.  (Vance)  Armstrong.  Of  this  union  there 
has  been  born  one  child,  Charles  A.  Tlie  Doctor 
and  his  wife  are  highly  esteemed  members  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  and  their  pleasant  home  is  the 
resort  of  the  most  cultivated  people  in  the  Gem 
City. 


OBERT  S.  RANSON,  editor  of  the  Keo-, 
kuk  Democrat,  a  daily  and  weekly,  is  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Warwick  &  Ranson, 
and  with  his  partners  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  CI  inducting  one  of  the  best  journals  of 
Southern  Iowa.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Cynthi- 
ana,  Kj'.,  -Jan.  16,  1854.  His  parents,  Thomas  and 
Ellen  (Neeley)  Ranson,  two  years  later  came  to 
Keokuk,  where  they  iiermanently  located.  They 
were  of  Irish  birtli  and  parentage,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  iu  tlieir  ^-outh.  The  father  departed 
this  life  iu  Keokuk  on  the  2.5th  of  August,  1870. 
Upon  first  coming  here    he  engaged  in  mercantile 


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294 


LEE  COUNTY. 


pursuits,  which  he  followed  for  several  yeai-s,  and       Legislature,  helping  to  frame  it?  laws.     HeisPresi- 


thcn  eugjigcd  iu  liiiiikiiig  with  Alc.v.  Barclay,  under 
the  tirni  name  of  Alex.  Harday  ct  Co.,  succeeding 
to  the  liusiuess  of  (ioorgc  C.  Anderson  iV   Co. 

After  arriving  at  suitable  years,  our  subject  l)c- 
gan  to  do  l)usiuess  on  his  own  account,  and  was 
variously  occupied.  For  several  years  he  was 
clerli  on  a  stcauilioat  iu  tlic  employ  of  the  Keo- 
1  kuU  Northern  l-iiic  Packet  Company,  and  after- 
ward engaged  with  the  Keokuk  it  l)es  Moines  Rail- 
road Co.,  before  it  passed  into  control  of  the  C.  R. 
1.  iV  W  Co.,  and  continued  on  the  road  with  the 
latter  coriioration  for  seven  years  as  Sui)erintend- 
ent's  clerk,  and  iu  other  positions  of  respousibilitj'. 
lie  cMlcrccl  upon  his  present  line  of  work  in  the 
summer  of  IK^O,  being  first  connected  with  the 
Oatf  City,  as  amusement  and  sporting  editor  and 
general  writer,  in  which  he  vvas  engaged  for  several 
years.  He  is  a  talented  and  able  journalist,  and 
has  Itecome  one  of  the  lights  of  the  editorial  pro- 
fession in  tliis  locality. 

Onrsnliject  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mis.s 
Kuinia  S.  Cunningham,  of  Keokuk,  on  the  2oth  of 
December,  1883.  They  are  valued  members  of 
the  cultured  society  of  the  (late  City,  and  our 
subject  has  before  him  the  prospect  of  a  bright  and 
successful  future. 


.^.MITH  IJAMILL,  of  the  tirui   of  S.    llamill 
&  Co.,  wh(jle.sale  grocers  of  Keokuk,  is  the 
oldest  continuous  grocery   dealer    iu    the 
Gate  City,     llis  present  business   was  es- 
tablished iu  the  spring  of  1  S,")2,  when   he   started   a 
small    r('t;iil   trade,    which    Inter    vvas    merged    into 
the  wholesale,  and  is  now  operating  extensively    in 
the  latter  business.      Mr.  llamill   came    to   Keokuk 
in  lH4(i,  the  same  year  that  Iowm  w.as  admitted  into 
the  I'uion  .as  a  State,     lie  was   born   iu    Lawrence 
County,  Pa.,  .lul}-  2:5,  IHl.'t,  his  father   being  John 
llamill.  a  well-to-do  farmer  of  the  Ke3'stone   State. 
lie  rem.aincd  with  his  parents   until   manhood,   and 
then,  crossing  the   Mississi|ipi,    located   in    Keokuk, 

H  where  he  has  since  resided  and  become  uroi entiy 

y  idenlilied  with  its  business  interests, 

.Mr.  llamill  was  a  member  of  the  first  Iowa  State 


dent  of  the  Iowa  State  In>ui:u)ee  Company,  lie- 
sides  h(»lding  positions  of  trust  iu  other  promiueni 
institutions  of  the  city.  Religiously  he  i.~  con- 
nected with  the  United  Presbyterian  Cliurrh,  of 
Keokuk,  and  is  an  Elder  in  the  same. 


AMUKL  E.  CAREY  is  senior  memlier  of 
the  firm  of  Samuel  E.  Carey  A-  Co.,  im- 
porters and  dealers  in  glass  and  (pieeus- 
ware.  located  at  No.  310  Main  street, 
Keokuk,  and  doing  a  thriving  and  lucrative  tiade. 
When  Mr.  Carey  established  his  business  at  this 
point  in  August,  18.^3,  it  was  the  first  of  the  kind 
in  the  State  of  Iowa,  and  his  traus.actious  have  ex- 
tended throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  West. 
He  has  been  a  straightforward  business  man.  system- 
atic and  prompt  to  meet  his  obligations,  and  is  ac- 
counted one  of  the  valued  factors  of  the  business 
community. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  liorn  in  Bni-k.- 
Count}-,  Pa.,  Jan.  Iti,  1824,  and  completed  his  edu- 
cation at  Woodward  College,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
His  mercantile  experience  began  when  he  was  a 
^dutli  of  eighteen  years,  at  which  time  he  started  iu 
business  on  his  own  account  in  Lancaster,  K3'.,  as  a 
retail  dealer  in  general  merchandise,  in  which  place 
he  operated  until  his  removal  to  the  (iate  Citj'. 
He  established  his  business  here  .as  both  whole- 
sale and  retail,  and  has  had  men  upon  the  road  for 
the  last  twenty-tive  years,  his  trade  reaching  into 
the  States  of  Missouri,  Illinois,  Nebraska  and  Kan- 
sas. He  began  business  in  a  small  frame  building 
which  stood  upon  the  ground  now  occupieil  by  his 
present  handsome  ar.d  commodious  business  block, 
which  was  built  by  the  Comstock  Stove  Works,  and 
covers  an  Mica  of  20x1 4t)  feet,  with  four  stories 
and  liasement,  all  of  which  is  occui)ied  liy  the  firm 
of.Sjuuuel  E.  Care}'  A-    Co. 

Mr.  Carey  has  contributed  his  full  (piotn  toward 
the  business  and  industrial  interests  of  this  section, 
has  been  lil)eral  and  public-siiirited,  and  warndy 
iutel'ested  iu  the  prosperity  of  the  (Jate  City.  He 
is  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  Keokuk  National 
iiank,  and  is-  \' ice-President   of    the   Huildii'g  and 


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Hr--VJ^^'_l/l-Jj,jja 


Loan  Association.  He  has  been  connected  with 
the  Iowa  State  Insurance  Company  as  Director  an<l 
Treasurer  for  a  perioil  of  twenty  years,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  School  Board  for  seventeen  years. 
He  is  President  of  the  Keokuk  Liltrary  Association, 
and  was  first  President  of  the  Okl  Settlers'  As- 
sociation. He  is  also  a  member  of  Westminster 
Presbj'terian  Church,  and  has  been  an  Elder  for 
many  years. 

Mr.  Carey  was  married  in  1853  to  Miss  Lucy 
Garfield,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  they  have 
liecome  the  parents  of  two  children:  Lucy,  the 
wife  of  Dr.  Bacon,  of  Biddeford,  Me.,  and  Janie, 
who  is  at  home  with  her  parents. 

LEXANDER    BULLARD,     a     successful 
farmer  and  stock-grower  of  Jefferson  Town- 
ship,  owns  and   occupies  a  fine  estate  on 
^jf'  section  2.    He  is  the  possessor  of  87ti  acres 

of  land,  most  of  which  is  on  the  first  bottoms 
of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  a  large  portion  of 
it  in  the  old  "half-breed"  tract.  It  consists  prin- 
cipall^"  of  the  quality  of  soil  which  produces  in 
abundance  all  kinds  of  vegetables  and  cereals 
grown  in  this  climate.  He  has  one  of  the  best 
locations  for  general  farming  purposes  in  the  count}', 
and  as  a  stock-raiser  makes  a  specialty  of  Norman 
horses.  He  is  half  owner  of  two  valuable  horses 
well  known  in  this  section  of  country,  and  regis- 
tered as  follows:  Leon  Gambetta  was  foaled  in 
France  in  1879,  and  weighs  1,900  pounds;  he  is 
recorded  in  N.  II.  S.  B.  2825,  and  was  imported  b}' 
A.  C.  Lawrej'  of  Bloomington,  111.,  in  1884.  Prince 
Albert  weighs  1,680  pounds,  was  foaled  in  France 
in  1881,  and  is  recorded  in  N.  H.  S.  B.  2833.  He  is 
a  dark  steel-graj-,  of  beautiful  proportions,  and  was 
obtained  at  a  great  price.  Both  horses  are  of  kindly 
disposition  and  fine  stjde  of  movement.  Mr.  Bul- 
lard  has  been  at  great  pains  to  improve  the  breed 
of  horses  in  his  locality  and  has  competed  success- 
fully at  the  fairs  of  this  and  other  counties. 
Besides  his  horses  he  exhibits  some  fine  specimens 
of  thoroughbred  cattle  and  hogs. 

Mr.  Bullard  is  a  native  of  Putnam  Countv,  Ind., 
and  was  born  on  Christmas  Day,  1835.     His  father, 


James  Bullard,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  a  native 
of  ^■irginia  and  of  Southern  parentage.  He  was 
mairied  in  his  native  county  of  Grayson  to  Miss 
Kittie  Wilson,  a  native  i>f  the  same  county,  and  also 
of  Southern  i)arcntage  and  ilescent.  After  their 
marriage  and  the  birth  of  one  child,  now  Mrs. 
Mary  Mitchell,  of  Jefferson  Township,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  B.  removed  from  N'irginia  to  Indiana,  and 
two  months  later  their  first  son  and  second  child, 
our  subject,  first  saw  the  light.  In  the  fall  of  1837 
the  little  family  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came 
into  Lee  Count}'.  Iowa,  making  the  journey  across 
the  wild  prairie  with  teams.  They  at  once  settled 
upon  a  farm  of  260  aci'es  in  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
two  and  a  half  miles  fi'om  Ft.  Madison.  Two 
years  after  their  removal  the  faithful  wife  and 
affectionate  mother  was  called  to  leave  her  loved 
ones,  and  yielded  up  her  life  in  the  fall  of  1839. 
She  was  a  sincere  Christian,  a  good  neighbor,  and 
gi-eatly  beloved  by  all  who  knew  her.  The  father 
survived  her  about  twelve  years,  dying  in  1851,  at 
his  home  in  Jefferson  Township. 

Thus,  by  the  death  of  his  parents,  Alexander 
Bullard,  his  two  brothers  and  one  sister  were  left  in 
lonely  orphanage.  Alexander  was  fifteen  years  old 
at  that  time  and  accepted  such  employment  as  he 
could  find  in  order  to  obtain  a  livelihood.  He 
continued  following  farm  pursuits  until  he  was 
twenty-four  jears  of  age.  He  had  been  prospered 
in  his  labors,  was  industrious  and  economical,  and 
now  felt  justified  in  forming  domestic  ties  of  his 
own.  He  was  accordinglj'  married  at  the  home  of 
the  bride's  parents  in  Jefferson  Township,  to  Miss 
Martha  A.  l)t)dsou.  Mrs.  Bullard  is  tiie  daughter 
of  Daniel  and  Rebecca  (Jestus)  Dodson.  The 
Dodsons  were  originally  from  North  Carolina,  and 
the  Jestus  famii}'  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
They  came  to  Iowa  before  their  marriage,  and 
settled  in  Jefferson  Township,  where  Mr.  Dodson 
and  Rebecca  Jestus  were  married  in  1839,  and  there 
the  mother  died  some  years  later.  Mrs.  Bullard  was 
born  Sept.  15,  1840;  her  father  is  still  living,  and 
is  a  resident  of  Pawnee,  Kan.,  having  .arrived  at 
the  advanced  age  of  seventy-one  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  have  become  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  one  of  whom.  James,  the  eldest,  died  at 
the  age  of  three  years.    The  living  are  :  Frances  R., 


m 


11 


PI 
iifp 

m 

mi 

lii 


the  wife  of  Edward  Richardson:  l.aiini  K.,  the  wife 
of  Kr.-mcis  llarsliinaii,  lives  with  iier  iiiisliaml  on  a 
farm  in  .lefterson  Township;  Alexander,  Mary, 
^iicretia,  W'iiliani,  Roy  and  Arcliic  are  at  hi^nie. 
'I'lie  family  are  members  of  the  Jlelliodist  I'rotesl- 
.'iMt  (iuireh,  in  whieh  denomination  Mr.  B.  is  promi- 
nent .as  a  Trustee.  He  is  highly  respected  in  his  town- 
shij)  for  his  sound  judcfmentand  intelligence,  and  has 
held  the  minor  oflices  in  the  gift  of  his  townsmen. 
He  is  a  reliable  Democrat,  and  casts  his  vote  in 
support  of  the  principles  of  the  part3'  of  his  clioice. 
The  two  brothers  and  the  sister  of  Mr.  Bullard  are 
all  living  in  comfortable  homes  in  Jefferson 
Townshi]).  A  lithographic  view  of  the  resideiu'e 
and  stock  of  Mr.  Bullard  is  shown  elsewhere  in  this 
work. 


ON.  JOHN  VAN  VALKENBURC;,  senior 
member  of  the  law  firm  of  Xnn  Valkenburg 
\-  Ilaniilton.  of  Ft.  ^Mailison,  Iowa,  isagen- 
^)  tlem.'ui  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  a  Canadian 
b}'  birth.  He  was  born  at  St  (leorge,  Ontario, 
April  10,  1>^32,  and  located  at  Ft.  Madison  in  1 «;").!. 
\\lien  our  subject  was  but  a  lad  his  parents  re- 
moved from  his  native  Canada  to  the  United  States, 
crossing  the  Father  of  Waters  and  locating  in  Iowa 
in  184G,  the  same  year  in  which  it  was  admitted 
into  the  Union  as  a  State.  The  ])rairies  of  this  now 
rich  and  powerful  comniouwcalth  at  that  time  were 
almost  withcjut  habitation.  These  pioneers  wei'e 
not  burdened  with  means,  but  they  had  a  rich  fund 
of  determination,  and  were  industrious  by  habit  and 
principle.  In  the  course  of  time  they  were  en- 
aliled  to  acquire  a  small  tract  of  land,  upon  which 
they  erected  an  humble  home,  where  they  reared 
their  family  as  best  they  could  with  the  limited 
educational  facilities  at  hand,  public  schools  at  that 
time  not  b<-ing  numerous  or  eiisily  accessible. 

Each  evening  within  tliat  humble  home  upon  the 
broad  prairie  might  have  been  seen  young  Van 
Valkenburg,  after  the  day's  labor  had  been  per- 
formed, in  front  of  a  log  fireplace,  struggling  with 
^  the  elementary  branches  of  education.  He  jjursued 
his  course  of  study  almost  unaiiled  for  sever.al 
years,  in  the  meantime  assisting  his  father  upon  the 
farm,  and  from  his  small  earnings  saved    wlialcver 


1^ 


he  could,  until  by  the  severest  toil  and  closest  econ- 
omy he  had  accumulated  sufHcient  funds  witii 
which  to  enter  upon  a  collegiate  course. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  our  subject  en- 
tered the  prejiaratory  school  of  Prof.  Howe,  of 
Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  and  pursued  a  course  of  studj' 
there  for  the  following  three  years.  He  then  StR 
spent  one  year  at  Oberlin  College,  Ohio,  then 
went  to  Galesburg,  111.,  and  completed  his  educa- 
tion in  Knox  College.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
time  he  was  elected  Principal  of  tlie  State  Normal 
School  of  Iowa,  in  which  position  he  served  one 
year,  but  declined  the  appointment  for  the  succeed- 
ing term,  as  his  training  and  tastes  inclined  him  to 
the  profession  of  the  law.  He  now  proceeded  to 
Chicago,  III.,  and  engaged  in  the  stud}-  of  law  in 
the  office  of  (^oudy,  Waite  &  Jamieson,  the  lead- 
ing attorneys  of  the  Northwest,  where  he  remained 
for  one  year,  thence  returned  to  his  h(jme  in  his 
adopted  State,  and  completed  his  professional  stud- 
ies with  the  distinguished  firm  of  Miller  &  Beck,  of 
Ft.  Madison.  He  was  soon  afterward  admitted  to 
the  bar.  His  natural  endowments,  literary  culture 
and  thorough  knowle<lge  of  the  law,  soon  procured 
for  him  a  profitable  and  extensive  practice  in  the 
State  and  F^ederal  courts,  which  he  retains  to  this 
daj'.  He  has  alwaj's  been  interested  in  political  mat- 
ters, and  casts  his  vote  uniformly  with  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  was  a  Congressional  elector  and 
Presidential  elector  at  large,  in  lt<7G  and  1 S80. 
He  was  candidate  for  Congress  in  1874,  and  after 
147  ballots  was  defeated  bj'  only  one  vote,  George 
W.  McCrary  being  the  successful  candidate.  Mr. 
\:m  \'alkenburg  was  never  an  office-seeker,  but 
has  many  times  been  honored  with  important  ]K>si- 
tions  of  trust,  and  has  been  especially  noted  as  be- 
ing free  from  acrimony  and  partisan  bitterness. 

Mr.  \'an  A'alkenburg  has  been  a  verj'  prominent 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  in  the  West.  He  was 
initiated  into  the  mysteries  Jan.  22,  1868,  in  Ft. 
Madison  Lodge  No.  157,  of  which  he  is  still  a  mem- 
ber. In  1880  he  w.as  elected  Grand  Master  of  the 
order  in  Iowa,  and  in  June  following  was  elected 
(irand  Representative  to  the  Sovereign  (Jrand 
Lodge,  taking  his  seat  in  September,  ltS83,  in  the 
S.  {;.  L.  at  Providence,  R.  I.  He  was  re-elected 
(iraiid    Representative   without    opposition,  by  the  jli} 


ii 


li 


Odd  Fellows  of  Iowa  in  June,  1884.  Preceding 
this  he  had  been  knighted  as  a  charter  memlier 
of  C4era  City  Lodge  No.  21,  of  Ft.  Madison,  and 
was  its  first  Vice  Chancellor.  He  was  elected 
Grand  Chancellor  from  the  floor  in  1875,  and  re- 
elected two  years  later.  He  has  been  an  iutlueii- 
tial  and  efficient  member  of  the  Supreme  Lodge  of 
the  World  for  seven  consecutive  sessions,  having 
first  taken  his  seat  at  the  memorable  session  in  1876, 
at  Independence  Hall,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Van  Valkenburg  is  an  ardent  advocate  of 
the  principles,  practices  and  usages  of  Pj'thianism, 
and  by  his  consistent  life  and  writings,  and  elo- 
quent tongue,  has  lieen  instrumental  in  working  up 
a  strong  and  powerful  organization  in  his  State, 
which  to-day  carries  the  banner  as  the  most  pros- 
perous jurisdiction  in  the  Union.  His  speeches 
and  essays  are  embellished  with  poetic  eloquence, 
and  he  is  i-egarded  as  one  of  the  leading  orators  of 
his  State.  His  prolific  and  versatile  pen  has  been  the 
means  of  adding  many  folios  to  Pythian  literature, 
being  the  author  of  "The  Knights  of  Pythias  Com- 
plete Manual  and  Text  Book,"  "Jewels  of  Pythian 
Knighthood,"  "Official  Digest  of  the  Laws,  Decis- 
ions and  Proceedings  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  K.  of  P., 
of  Iowa,"  besides  numerous  lectures  and  essa3's.  He 
has  been  welcomed  not  only  by  the  press,  but  by  emi- 
nent scholars,  as  a  writer  of  acknowledged  ability.  As 
a  lawyer  Mr.  Van  ^'alkenburg  is  a  strong  advocate, 
possessed  of  sound  judgment  and  peculiar  argu- 
mentative powers.  As  a  citizen  he  is  liberal  and 
enterprising,  making  the  interests  of  his  community 
those  of  his  own,  and  assisting,  both  by  his  influ- 
ence and  more  sul)Stantial  means,  every  wortliy 
public  enterprise,  moral,  religious  or  educational. 

Hon.  John  Van  ^'alkenburg  and  Miss  Mary  J. 
Douglass  were  married  July  3,  1861,  in  Ft.  Madi- 
son, Iowa.  Mrs.  Van  V.  is  a  native  of  this  cit3',  born 
in  1838,  on  the  same  block  where  she  now  lives. 
Of  this  union  there  have  been  born  three  children 
— Edwin  D.,  Clement  L.  and  Joel  W. 

The  career  of  Mr.  Van  Valkenburg  is  a  striking 
example  of  what  determination  and  perseverance 
may  accomplish  in  the  midst  of  difficulties.  The 
char.acter  and  disposition  of  the  studious  boy  pur- 
suing his  studies  b3'  the  winter  firelight  in  the 
lonely    cabin    of  the   [irairie,  alnmst  unmistakaldj' 


foretold  his  future  career,  and  well  fitted  him  for 
those  duties  in  later  life  which  he  could  not  well 
have  assumed  under  anj'  other  circumstances.  He 
has  noblj'  worked  his  way  from  obscurity  to  promi- 
nence, and  receives  ample  reward  in  the  esteem  of 
his  fellow-citizens.  The  famil}*  occupy  a  fine  dwell- 
ing, surrounded  by  all  the  evidences  of  cultivated 
tastes  and  ample  means,  and  the  homestead  is  one 
of  the  handsomest  spots  in  the  cit^-  of  Ft.  Madison. 

ETER  HAUBERT,  one  of  the  prosperous 
l)usiness  men  of  the  (Jate  City,  is  success- 
fully conducting  a  meat-market  at  No.  1124 
Main  street.  He  is  a  native  of  Montrose, 
this  county,  and  was  born  Jan.  19,  1854,  his  parents 
being  Peter  and  Catharine  (Gerard)  Hauljert, 
natives  of  Germany,  who  emigrated  from  their 
native  land  in  1848,  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and 
came  directly  to  Iowa  two  years  after  its  admission 
into  the  Union  as  a  State.  Peter  Haubert  was  a 
brewer  by  occupation,  and  followed  this  business 
for  some  time  after  coming  to  Iowa,  having  first 
settled  in  Keokuk.  From  here  he  went  to  Mont- 
rose, where  he  was  engaged  for  a  time  in  a  distil- 
lerj-,  then  returned  to  Keokuk  and  erected  a 
In-evvery,  which  he  sold  out  in  1860.  He  returned 
to  Montrose  and  engaged  in  hotel-keeping  for  the 
following  sixteen  years,  after  which  he  came  back 
to  Keokuk,  and  is  still  engaged  in  the  same  busi- 
ness, his  hotel  being  located  at  the  intersection  of 
Second  and  Johnson  streets.  The  parental  family 
consisted  of  nine  children,  as  follows:  Catharine, 
Peter  Christine,  Carrie,  John,  Joseph,  Henry, 
Charles  and  Bertha,  all  residents  of  Keokuk.  Mr. 
Haubert,  the  elder,  is  an  enterprising  business  man, 
and  enjoys  the  cordial  esteem  and  confidence  of  his 
fellow-townsmen.  He  was  Road  Su|)ervisor  and 
Alderman  at  Montrose,  and  politically  affiliates 
with  the  Democratic  party. 

Peter  Haubert,  the  subject  of  this  biography, 
attended  school  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  went  to  Burlington,  and  served  an  ap- 
prenticeship of  two  years  at  the  butcher's  trade. 
From  there  lie  went  to  Ft.  Madison,  remaining  also 
twi)  years;  thence  to  Montrose,  and  opened  a  meat- 


i 


w 


1 


m 


nrmi-i'i  i  v» 


21)8 


LEE  COUNTY. 


market,  in  the  business  of  wliich  he  was  engajjed 
until  1H81.  Hi'  then  (lisi)osed  of  his  interests  there 
and  Ciiine  ti)  Keoi<ui<,  wliere  he  now  has  two  sho])s, 
and  is  doing  a  Uiriving  and  steadily  increasing 
liiisiness. 

Tliomas  Ilaiiberl  was  married  in  liS7'.),  to  Miss 
Isadora  Neiise,  a  native  of  Montrose,  and  daughter 
of  Henry  Neuse.  Of  this  union  there  have  been 
born  t«'(j  children — Isadora  Pauline  and  Frankie. 
Politically  Mr.  llaiibert,  like  his  father,  is  a  stanch 
adherent  of  the  Democratic  part}',  and  socially  he 
belongs  to  the  A.  V.  it  A.   M. 


/p^jEORCl':  n.  CURTIS  is  a  successful  agriciil 
'f[  (=^  iirist  of  Montrose  Township,  where  he  owi 
^Jsi   a  fine  farm  of  •22;>  acres.     He  is  a  n.ative  < 


,^^EOR(;i':  n.  CURTIS  is  a  successful  agrlcult- 

.'US 

_  ve  of 
Livingston  County,  N.  Y.,  the  date  of  his  birtli 
being  May  12,  1.S31.  His  parents  were  Daniel  and 
Emily  (Woodford)  Curtis,  natives  of  the  same  State 
as  their  son.  Daniel  Curtis  was  born  in  1803,  and 
his  wife  in  1X05;  tliey  were  married  in  1828,  and 
moved  to  Ohio  in  18;34,  and  the  same  year  moved 
to  Genesee  County,  Mich.,  and  in  1856  came  to  Lee 
County.  Both  died  in  Iowa  in  tin-  year  18.59. 
They  became  the  parents  of  si.x  children,  viz., 
(ieorgo  D.,  Charles  H.,  Charlotte  W.,  Lucretia  F., 
Edward  R.  and  Rupert  M. 
(ieorge  D.  Curtis  remained  with  his  parents  dur- 

IjT  ing  his  youthful  years,  and  came  with  them  from 
i  Michigan  to  Iowa  in  1  «.'>(;.  He  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Mary  F.  Wollfit,  in  January,  1855. 
Mrs.  Curtis  is  a  native  of  England,  born  Dee.  13, 
1H32,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Williaui  and  Hannah 
(Skins)  Wolltil,  of  English  ancestry  and  parentage. 
Her  father  (lied  in  l.sT'.i,  but  her  mother  is  .still  liv- 
ing. The  parental  household  included  six  ehildicM 
— .Mary  F.,  Betsey,  .lohn,  Thomas,  Harriet  and 
William;  the  latter  died  in  infancy. 

The  household  circle  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Georu-e 
Curtis  has  inelude<l  eight  children,  as  follows: 
llani.'l  I,.,  b(,ni  .\uv.  11,  1855,  died  Oct.  22,  1»71, 
when  sixteen  years  old;  Wiiliani  1).  was  bi>rn  May 
15.  185!);  Clara  W.,  lioru  .Inly  211,  iMdl,  only  lived 
two  mouths;  Edward  T.  was  born  Nov.  7,  IS(;3; 
Charles  H.,  Dec.  24,  1805;  Mary  A.,  .June  10,  l.-SOS; 


Samuel  L.,  April  1 3, 1870 ;  (ieorge  D.,  June  15, 1873. 
The  subject  of  our  sketch  came  to  Iowa  in  185G, 
making  his  first  location  in  Montrose  Township,  and 
has  been  a  resident  of  Lee  County  since  that  time. 
\\^lien  a  young  man  he  learned  the  trade  of  harness- 
making,  and  followed  this  calling  three  years  in 
(ienesee  County  and  Lapeer,  Mich., to  which  place  his 
father  moved  from  Ohio  in  1834,  thence  coming  to 
Lee  County.  Beside  the  ordinary  duties  of  the 
farm,  Mr.  Curtis  is  quite  extensively  eng.aged  in 
the  breeding  of  Poland-China  hogs.  He  has  a  com- 
fortable farm  dwelling,  a  good  barn,  and  all  the 
necessary  outhouses,  and  the  homestead  is  a  model 
one  in  every  respect.  Its  proprietoi'  has  enjoyed 
in  a  marked  degree  the  confidence  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  and  has  held  the  office  of  Township  Trus- 
tee for  two  terms  in  Des  Moiues  Township.  He 
has  alw.'13'S  been  an  active  temper.ance  man,  and  is 
a  niend)er  in  good  standing  of  the  New-School 
Presbyterian  Church,  with  which  he  has  been  con- 
nected for  thirt3'-one  years.  In  politics  he  uniformly 
easts  his  vote  in  support  of  the  principles  of  the 
lir|iul)lic;in  pai-ty. 


:i 


-^--'i 


m. 


7OSIAH  HEMINGWAY,  Postmaster  at  Gal- 
land,  is  also  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  is  the  possessor  of  a  fine  homestead  in 
Montrose  'I'ownship,  located  on  section  25. 
He  came  to  Iowa  in  1845,  one  year  previous  to  its 
adnnssion  into  the  Union  as  a  .State,  and  hasconse- 
(piently  witnessed  many  and  remarkable  changes, 
and  with  other  brave  pioneers  of  that  day,  eontrib-  jj: 
uled  his  share  toward  the  development  of  the 
country,  lie  oi)ene(l  a  farm,  established  a  home- 
stead, and  is  now  one  of  tiie  substanti.il  and  highly 
respected  citizens  of  Lee  County. 

The  snl)ject  of  our  sketch  is  the  son  of  .loliu  anil 
Maiy  (Seeley)  Hemingway,  natives  of  Canada, 
born  at  Tt>ronto,  where  they  attained  to  3'ears  of 
maturity,  and  were  there  married,  and  in  1845  came 
to  Iowa,  making  their  first  location  in  N.ashville, 
Lee  C'ounty.  There  they  purchased  ICd  acres  of 
land,  established  a  home  and  spent  the  remainder 
of  their  days.     .John  Hemingway  departed  this  life    Jri 


k^^^yjyt 


in  February,  1H78;  his  wife,  Mrs.  Mary  S.  Heming- 
way, survived  him  three  years,  and  died  in  1881. 
Of  their  union  there  were  born  the  following' 
children :  Miranda  became  the  wife  of  James  Mar- 
shall ;  Mary  was  married  to  Alfred  Pettit,  and  Har- 
riet, who  married  Mr.  Anderson,  is  now  deceased. 
Three  children  died  in  infancy. 

Josiah  Heniingwa}'  spent  his  earlier  years  under 
the  parental  roof,  and  received  a  fair  education  in 
the  common  schools.  In  enrlj-  manhood  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  Gore,  their 
union  taking  place  in  February,  IS.tG.  Mrs.  H.  was 
born  in  Hancock  County,  111.,  in  1834,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  J.  D.  and  Mar}-  (Peterson)  (iore,  both 
natives  of  Tennessee.  Mr.  Hemingway  has  fol- 
lowed agricultural  pursuits  all  his  life.  Besides 
the  homestead  he  has  17,')  acres  of  land  at  or  near 
Burnside,  Hancock  Co.,  111.,  and  thirty  acres 
separate  from  the  homestead  in  Lee  County,  Iowa. 
In  addition  to  his  duties  as  Postmaster  lie  is  also 
Station  Agent  at  (Jallaud.  While  working  upon 
the  farm  he  met  with  an  accident  by  which  he  lost 
his  left  arm,  having  been  caught  in  the  gearing  of 
a  threshing-machine,  and  he  is  practically  unfitted 
for  hard  labor. 

In  1852  Mr.  Hemingway  crossed  the  Rocky 
Mountains  with  an  ox-team,  and  engaged  for  eight- 
een months  mining  in  California.  He  returned 
home  by  way  of  the  Isthmus;  was  thereafter  mar- 
ried, and  settled  jjermanentl}'  upon  his  farm.  He 
is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  is  ampl}'  entitled  to 
be  termed  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citizen. 


'i^m- 


,APT,  THOMAS  WATERHOUSE,  of  Mt. 
Haniill,  is  one  of  the  prominent  business 
J'  men  of  this  section,  and  engageil  in  general 
merchandising,  wliicli  he  is  conducting  successfuUj' 
Mud  profltabl}'.  He  established  his  present  business 
in  Ajjril,  1881,  and  was  the  first  merchant  in  the 
place.  He  erected  the  first  store  Ijuilding  in  Mt. 
llamill,  which  was  a  one-stor^'  structure,  20x.S(t  feet 
in  dimensions,  and  tlie  following  j'ear  jiut  up  an- 
other, 20x.oO  feet,  and  two  stories;  this  latter,  with 
its  stock,  was  destroyed  b}'  fire  on  the  13th  of  April, 
ISS.").     He    then    purchased    another  [building,   to 


which  he  put  an  addition.  The  Captain  is  a  straight- 
forw.ard  business  man,  and  by  his  geni.al  .and  cour- 
teous manner  has  built  up  an  extensive  patronage. 
Capt.  Thomas  Waterhonse  was  born  in  Cheshire, 
England,  Feb.  24,  181',),  and  is  the  son  of  James  f^ 
and  Martha  VVaterhouse,  both  of  whom  died  in 
1 825,  when  their  son  was  l)ut  six  years  of  age.  He 
was  then  taken  care  of  by  his  elder  brother  James, 
and  at  the  age  of  seven  years  commenced  to  work 
in  a  woolen-mill,  where  he  remained  until  he  was 
seventeen.  He  learned  to  weave,  and  afterward  ac- 
quired the  trade  of  "  dresser,"  and  sewed  for  three 
years  following.  Then,  in  1839,  at  the  age  of 
tnenty  years,  he  resolved  to  emigrate  to  America. 
He  accordingly  set  sail  from  Liveri)ool  on  the  21st 
of  February  on  the  good  ship  "  Cambridge,''  and 
after  a  prosperous  voyage  landed  in  New  YorkCitj' 
on  the  7th  of  April  following.  He  soon  afterward 
obtained  emplo3'nient  as  "dresser"  in  a  cotton  fac- 
tory at  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  one 
year,  then  went  to  Auburn  for  twenty  months,  and 
was  thereafter  employed  at  his  trade  as  dresser  and 
weaver  until  1844.  He  then  went  to  Boston  and 
engaged  with  the  firm  of  Baldwin  &  Parks,  and  as- 
sisted in  erecting  looms  in  various  manufactories 
in  the  New  England  States  for  the  following  two 
years.  During  this  time  his  duties  led  him  into  all 
the  princip.al  manufacturing  districts  in  New  En- 
gland, and  he  obtained  a  valuable  experience  in 
this  department  of  business. 

About  this  time  the  country  along  the  Mississippi 
Valley  was  attracti 
people  on  account 
and  the  inducement: 

enterprising  emigrant.  Young  Waterhonse  resolved 
to  cast  his  fortunes  with  the  great  caravan  which 
was  moving  westward,  and  in  1846  found  himself  in 
the  j'oung  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  located  near  the 
town  of  Utica,  Winnebago  County,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  claim  of  Government  land,  upon  which  he 
erected  a  frame  house,  planted  an  orchard,  and  in 
the  course  of  time  made  other  valuable  improve- 
ments. In  l^i.5()  he  sold  out  at  a  good  profit,  went 
to  Missouri,  and  purchased  KiO  acres  of  partly  im- 
proved land  in  St.  Louis  County,  where  he  remained 
until  the  war  broke  out. 

In  April,  18G1,  our  subject  became  a  member  of 


w 


ing  much  attention  from  Eastern     t     H 

of  its  prospects  for   the  future   [^=Si 

nts  it  held  out  to  the  young  and     wW^l 


il 

JMpj 


* 


1 


1 XJX  m  rnrTrTTTir:riiTTrTTTrTT<  1 1 


-r-rTTTtntjriT-T-rrT-TfwTtTiTrT- 


t '  ■iim 


302 


LEK  COUNTV. 


the  Home  Guards,  and  in  August  of  the  same  3'eai- 
he  was  commissioned,  in  oonipiiny  with  six  others, 
as  the  bearer  of  despateiu's  to  Alliens,  Mo.  He  was 
captni-ed  hy  tlie  rebels  at  Fairmont,  Mo.,  taiven  to 
their  camp,  and  tiied  and  convioted  for  taking  up 
arms  iigainst  the  State  of  Missouri.  Tlie  party  had 
appropriated  to  their  use  some  liorses  belonging  to 
the  rebel  commander,  Martin  Greene,  and  for  this 
otfense  our  .subject  was  held  to  appear  before  a 
higher  tribunal,  and  was  taken  on  the  march  with 
the  retreating  rebels,  many  <<(  whom  were  his  old 
neighbors.  When  they  stopped  at  night  near  the 
eastern  liank  of  the  Missouri  River,  Mr.  Water- 
house  and  the  three  others  were  confined  in  a  small 
building,  with  a  sentinel  at  the  door  to  prevent  their 
escape.  In  the  night,  however,  he  and  one  of  his 
comrades  (the  other  two  being  asleep)  escaped 
thiongh  the  window,  and  hid  in  the  hazel  bushes 
1^^  near  by  until  the  rebels  started  out  of  camp  in  the 
morning  and  marched  aw.ay.  Mr.  Waterhouse  and 
his  companion  then  started  to  join  their  comrades 
at  Mason  City.  They  kept  their  eyes  open  and  fled 
to  cornfields  upon  the  approach  of  danger.  They 
slept  in  straw-st.acks  at  night,  and  confiscated  what- 
ever they  could  find  to  eat  in  the  fields  during  their 
journej'.  At  one  time  they  boarded  a  railroad 
train,  but  having  no  money  to  pay  their  fare  were 
soon  put  off.  They  finally  reached  Mason  City  in 
safety. 

The  Home  (uiards  were  then  organized  .as  the 
21st  Missouri  Infantry,  and  were  mustered  into 
service  at  Canton,  Mo.,  Feb.  2,  1862.  Mr.  Water- 
house  was  made  Orderly  .  Sergeant,  participating 
with  his  comrades  in  the  fortunes  of  w.ar  for  the  fol- 
lowing three  years;  he  was  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh, 
Corinth  .and  Inka.  In  .M:uch,  1H(J2,  he  was  returned 
t(.>  .Missouri  .as  a  recruiting  ofHcer,  and  after  a  month 
returned  to  the  scene  of  conflict  with  his  company. 
In  December,  1  «t;.!,  he  was  transferred  to  the  tilth 
United  States  Infantr}',  and  commissioned  Captain 
of  Comi)any  1).  in  which  position  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  linving  made  a  brave  and 
courageous  record.  While  a  captive  in  the  hands 
of  the  Confederates  he  was  proffered  an  officer's 
commission  if  he  would  join  the  rebel  army,  but 
he  indignantly  refused.  He  was  wounded  three 
times  in  the  service  and  is  now  a  pensioner.    At  the 


close  of  his  militarj'  career,  in  the  summer  of  1865, 
Capt.  Waterhotise  returned  home  to  Missouri  and 
engaged  in  farming  until  1881 ,  and  shortly  after- 
ward disposed  of  his  farm  |)roperty  and  established 
his  i)resent  business  in  Mt.  Ilamill. 

Capt.  ^Vaterhouse  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  H. 
Kirker,  Oct.  2;»,  1.S4(;.  Mrs.  W.  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  of  her  union  with  our  subject 
were  liorn  five  children,  the  record  of  whom  is  as 
follows:  Sarah  is  the  wife  of  David  Day, and  lives 
in  Eaton.  Col.;  Emma  F.  is  with  liei'  sister  Sarah: 
.Mary  became  the  wife  of  .lames  F.  Day,  and  lives 
in  Mianu  Count}',  Kan.;  Callie  is  the  wife  of  Coon 
Goodwin,  of  Eaton,  Col.;  Frank  is  with  his  brother 
.at  the  latter-named  place.  The  second  wife  of 
Capt.  U'atcrhouse,  to  whom  he  was  married  .luuc 
21t,  188.5.  was  Mrs.  Sarah  Leenian,  of  Birmingham, 
England,  who  came  to  America  in  ls47.and  by  her 
first  nuirriage  had  two  children — William  and  Anna. 

As  a  prominent  citizen  of  the  county,  and  a  rep- 
resentative business  man,  the  publishers  of  this 
Ai.BiM  are  ple.ased  to  present  in  their  galax}-  of 
portraits  that  of  Capt.  M^aterhouse. 


■-^t^- 


sJl!^ 


<^*c^- 


ILBEUT  COMSTOCK,of  Keokuk,  .Secretary 
of  the  Central  Stove  Works,  has  been  an 
^^41  honored  citizen  of  the  (iate  City  since  1849, 
and  in  a  residence  of  over  thirty-five  years  has  ma- 
terially aided  the  industrial  interests  of  this  sec- 
tion. He  has  been  a  gentleman  of  unbounded  per- 
severance and  energy,  and  from  the  beginning 
manfully  invaded  the  wide  field  of  operation  pre- 
sented to  him,  the  results  of  which  can  scarcely  be 
detailed  within  the  brief  columns  of  a  biograph}'. 

The  subject  of  this  narrative  received  his  first 
impressions  of  life  among  the  New  England  hills, 
and  is  the  son  of  Isaac  .and  Corinda  (Cooper) 
Comstock,  natives  of  Massachusett-,  in  which  State 
also  occurred  the  birth  of  their  son.  Isaac  Corn- 
stock  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  years  at  the  close  followed  agri- 
cultural pursuits  during  his  lifetime.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  force  of  character,  was  an  extensive 
reader,  and  prominent  in  the  councils  of  his  State 


and  section.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Legislature,  and  held  the  important  offices 
of  his  own  eoiinty  and  township.  Both  parents 
were  connected  with  the  Congregational  Church, 
;lj  in  which  the  father  of  our  subject  was  one  of  the 
leading  pillars.  The  parental  household  0(jnsisted 
of  thirteen  children,  all  of  whom  lived  ti^  3'ears  of 
maturity,  but  ten  are  ni)w  deceased :  William  II.  is 
a  resident  of  Chiekopee,  Mass. ;  Elvira,  Mrs.  E.  H. 
Parish,  is  a  resident  of  Hinsdale,  Mass. ;  the  third 
remaining  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Isaac 
Comstock  departed  this  life  in  1 840,  and  Corinda, 
his  wife,  survived  him  thirty-four  years,  and  folded 
her  hands  for  her  final  rest  in  1880. 

(iilbert  Comstock  remained  upon  his  father's 
farm  until  he  was  sixteen  3'ears  old,  receiving  his 
primary  education  in  the  public  schools.  He  then 
attended  Lennox  Acadeni}',  and  after  a  thorough 
course  in  this  institution,  started  out  into  the  busi- 
ness world  for  himself.  He  then  went  to  N3'aek  on 
the  Hudson  River  and  served  an  app;enticeship  at 
the  manufacture  of  stoves  with  Richard  P.  Eells, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  three  3"ears.  He  was 
an  enterprising  and  ambitious  3'oung  man,  and  not 
being  quite  satisfied  with  his  condition  and  pros- 
pects in  the  East,  he  resolved  to  cross  the  Missis- 
sippi and  test  the  reports  which  were  then  coming 
from  the  3'oung  and  rapidl3-  growing  State  of  Iowa. 
His  first  objective  point  was  Keokuk,  where  he  ar- 
rived in  the  fall  of  1849,  and  engaged  as  a  retail 
dealer  in  stoves  and  tinware.  He  had  associated 
with  him  his  next  elder  brother,  Theodore,  and 
they  operated  under  the  firm  name  of  Comstock  & 
Bro.  To  their  retail  trade  they  added  a  jobbing 
business,  and  continued  operations  here  until  1865, 
operating  over  a  large  extent  of  territory.  In  due 
time  they  commenced  the  manufacture  of  stoves; 
the  firm  was  re-organized,  and  the  business  finall3- 
extended  throughout  the  South  and  Northwest,  for 
which  their  goods  were  especially  manufactured, 
their  output  being  about  1.5,000  stoves  annually, 
in  the  manufacture  of  which  they  frequently  em- 
ployed a  force  of  ninety  to  100  men,  being  one  of 
the  most  important  manufactories  in  this  section. 

The  marriage  of  Gilbert  Comstock  and  Miss 
Helen  M.  Graham  was  celebrated  in  1854.  in  the 
eit3-  of  Keokuk.     Mrs.  Comstock  is  a  daughter  of 


William  C.  Graham,  of  Keokuk.  They  occupy  a 
handsome  residence  at  No.  116  Concert  street,  and 
their  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances  com- 
prises the  most  cultured  people  of  the  Gate  City. 
Mr.  Comstock  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  with  B 
his  wife  is  connected  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  i 
He  is  highl3'  esteemed  in  social  as  well  as  business 
circles,  and  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  impor- 
tant factors  of  the  business  commuuit3'  in  having 
established  an  institution  which  is  at  once  of  incal- 
culable benefit,  both  to  the  State  at  large  and  to 
the  large  number  of  men  who  are  given  employ- 
ment, and  by  this  means  provided  with  the  neces- 
saries of  life. 


'^'vxr. .  •'X^jUJi^/©^^'** 


®fg!/OT7»v.'v^/v^• 


ENRY  SCHARFENBERG.  The  gentleman 
whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  sketch 
occupies  a  prominent  position  among  the 
industrial  interests  of  the  Gate  City,  being 
a  first-class  manufacturer  of  saddlery,  harness,  etc., 
in  which  he  is  a  retail  dealer.  He  is  located  at 
No.  721  Main  street,  and  is  doing  a  prosperous 
and  steadily  increasing  business.  Our  subject  is  a 
native  of  Prussia,  and  was  born  ,Ian.  15,  1842. 
His  parents  were  Henry  and  Wilhelmina  Scharfen- 
berg.  His  father  was  a  weaver  by  trade,  and  fol- 
lowed this  calling  all  his  life,  dying  in  1850.  The 
parental  household  consisted  of  ten  children,  of 
whom  only  two  are  living — Antonetta  and  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biograph3'. 

Henry  Scharfenberg  began  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  land  at  the  earl3'  age 
of  six  3'ears,  and  pursued  his  studies  continuouslj- 
for  the  space  of  eight  3-ears  thereafter.  He  was  an 
ambitious  bo3'  and  intensely  interested  in  the  ac- 
counts coming  from  the  New  ^Vorld  as  regarded 
the  inducements  held  out  to  the  enterprising  emi- 
grant. He  therefore  determined  to  seek  his  fort- 
une there,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  left  the 
parental  roof  to  come  to  America.  After  reach- 
ing New  Orleans  he  proceeded  to  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
where  he  engaged  to  learn  the  saddlery  and  har- 
ness business,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  of  five 
years.  He  then  worked  one  year  as  journe3'man, 
and   in  1863  came  to  Keokuk   and    purchased   the 


BHE 


;)04 


LEE  COUNTY. 


E 


Opi! 
m 

Hi 


saddlery  and  harness  business  of  Peter  Bowder- 
wine,  which  wa;^  located  on  Main  street,  between 
Seventh  and  Kif,dith.  nnd  has  since  continued  the 
business  at  the  same  i)iace.  He  employs  from  one 
to  five  men,  and  is  the  largest  manufacturer  of  this 
line  of  goods  in  the  (iate  City.  He  put  up  his  new 
building  in  1872.  It  is  a  two-story  brick,  2(>x.'.o 
feet,  and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  fully  ii3,0()(). 

Mr.  Scharfenborg  was  married  in  1802  to  Miss 
Krnestine  Sehwarner,  a  native  of  his  own  country, 
and  daughter  of  Casper  .Sehwarner,  of  Germany. 
Their  union  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  four 
children— Emmie,  Mina  (deceased),  Harry  and 
Aimer.  Thej'  occujiy  a  handsome  residence  .at  No. 
Ill;}  Concert  street,  which  Mr.  .Scharfenberg  put 
up  iu  1877.  and  the  homestead  is  surrounded  by 
all  the  evidences  of  a  cultivated  taste  and  ample 
means.  During  his  residence  here  of  nearly  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  he  has  established  himself  iu  the 
confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens,  and  has  occupied 
an  important  position  among  tlic  business  and  so- 
cial elements  of  the  city.  He  is  Republican  in  pol- 
itics, liberal  minded  .and  public  spirited,  and  con- 
tributes cheerfully  of  his  time  and  means  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  every  worthy  object  jiertaining  t(» 
the  welfare  of  his  communitj'. 

.Mr.  Scharfenberg  belonged  to  the  State  Militia 
of  Missouri  during  his  residence  in  that  State,  and 
served  two  months  in  the  1  Ith  Regiment  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  guard,  under  command  of  Col.  Curtis. 
A  lithographic  view  of  the  cottage  and  business 
block  of  Mr.  Scharfenberg  is  shown  on  another 
IMVge  of  this  work. 


-<*1^>* 


-*-*+-e»- 


KNKV  .IKFFKRSON,  the  -honest  miller" 
of  \\'est  Point,  is  a  successful  dealer  in 
tlour  and  grain,  and  since  188;^,  as  the 
successor  of  .Mr.  Valentine,  has  done  an 
excellent  and  steadily  increasing  trade.  The  mill 
was  erected  l)y  Hibbard  <fe  .Scliulte  in  18.t1),  who  at 
different  times  leo.sed  it  to  various  other  parties. 
It  has  a  grinding  capacity  of  150  bushels  per  day. 
and  the  business  of  Mr.  Jefferson  is  principally 
from  regular  customers.  Our  subject  located  in 
West  Point  in  1857,  and  assisted   in  building  the 


mill  which  he  now  operates,  having  been  a  practi- 
cal engineer  since  a  young  man.  He  was  employed 
in  the  mill  much  of  the  time  since  it  has  been  built, 
and  has  managed  its  various  departments  with  skill 
and  good  judgment. 

Henrv  .left'erson  is  of  English  descent  and  i)ar- 
cntage,  and  was  born  in  Yorkshire.  England.  .Ian. 
20.  182!).  He  comes  from  a  good  family,  and  both 
his  i)arents  siient  their  lives  in  their  native  country 
and  died  in  Vuikshire.  Soon  after  attaining  his 
majority.  Henry  .(efferson  emigrated  to  the  I'nited 
States,  arriving  here  in  18,')2.  He  located  at  Pitts- 
burgh. Pa.,  and  although  without  friends,  relatives 
or  intlnence,  soon  obtained  a  good  position  as 
fireman  in  a  lai'ge  tlouring-mill.  of  which  he  after- 
ward became  engineer.  After  leaving  Pennsylva- 
nia he  went  into  Illinois,  and  operated  a  niiil  at 
Georgetown,  McDonough  County,  afterward  cross- 
ing the  Mississippi  and  settling  in  West  Point 
Township  in  1857. 

Four  years  later  the  rebellion  of  the  Southern 
States  began  to  assume  alarming  proportions,  and 
Mr.  Jeft'erson,  having  become  deeply  interested  in 
the  welfare  of  his  ado|)ted  country,  enlisted  as  a 
soldier  of  the  Union  at  Burlington,  Iowa,  becom- 
ing a  member  of  the  1st  Iowa  Cavalrj',  of  the 
Western  Division.  With  his  regiment  he  |)nrtici- 
pated  in  their  manj-  engagements  and  skirmishes, 
being  in  the  battles  of  Perry  Grove  and  Little 
Rock,  Ark.,  and  at  .lohnstown.  Mo.,  wheie  he  was 
wounded  by  two  riHe-halls,  and  at  the  same  place 
had  his  horse  shot  from  under  him.  As  the  animal 
fell  Mr.  Jefferson's  left  leg  was  caught  beneath  it, 
which  resulted  in  a  painful  injur}-,  and  necessitated 
his  confinement  in  the  hospital  for  two  months. 
At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he  rejoined  his  regi- 
ment iind  remained  with  his  comrades  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge 
at  Davenport,  Iowa.  He  then  returned  to  the 
scenes  of  his  former  peaceful  labors  in  West  Point, 
where  he  has  remained  since  that  time. 

Mr.  .Feft'er.sou  was  married,  Nov.  17,  1870,  to 
.Miss  Mary  A.  Walters,  of  Pennsylvania,  where  she 
was  born  iu  the  year  1830.  She  came  to  Iow:i 
with  licr  parents  in  1857,  and  they  located  upon  h 
farm.  They  are  still  living  and  reside  at  Dover, 
iu   this  county.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jefferson  have   be- 


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come  the  parents  of  two  children — Gustavus  W. 
and  William  H.  Jlr.  Jefferson  is  connected  with 
the  Baptist  Church  and  his  wife  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal.  He  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  so- 
cially is  Senior  Vice-Coniniander  of  tlie  (i.  A.  R., 
Lodge  No.  34.5. 

II.  KELLO(iG,of  the  firm  of  Kellogg  Bros., 
of  Keokuk,  is  one  of  the  enterprising  busi- 
ness men  of  the  Gate  Cit^',  and  in  con- 
nectit)n  with  his  partner  is  prosperouslj-  engaged 
in  carrying  on  a  livery,  sale  and  feed  stable,  located 
at  No.  120  South  Third  street.  The  subject  of  this 
biograiihy  is  a  native  Hawke^'e,  and  was  born  in 
Decatur  County,  March  8,  1854.  He  is  the  son  of 
Charles  L.  and  Susan  L.  (Crippin)  Kellogg,  na- 
tives respectively'  of  New  York  and  Ohio. 

Charles  L.  Kellogg  emigrated  from  his  native 
St;ite  to  Ohio  in  1850,  and  engaged  in  fishing  and 
farming.  Five  3'ears  later  he  crossed  the  Mississippi 
and  came  into  Decatur  County,  Iowa,  where  he 
located  upon  a  farm,  and  was  engaged  in  agi'i- 
culture  and  stock-raising  and  shipping.  In  1808 
circumstances  arose  which  induced  him  to  re- 
turn eastward,  and  he  made  his  home  in  East 
Tennessee  for  the  following  four  years.  He  then 
retraced  his  steps  to  the  Hawke^ye  State,  and  in 
1878  settled  near  Keokuk,  where  he  engaged  in 
fnrming  until  his  decease,  which  occurred  in  1884. 
The  parental  household  consisted  of  seven  children, 
viz:  Fi"ed  H.,  Bird  C,  Lucy  L.,  Eugenia,  Susan  B., 
(irant  P.,  and  the  siil>ject  of  our  sketch. 

Mr.  Kellogg  of  this  notice  remained  with  liis 
father's  familj'  through  all  their  journeyiugs,  in  the 
meantime  receiving  a  good  education  in  the  public 
schools,  and  assisting  in  the  various  duties  around 
the  home.  After  going  to  Tennessee  with  his  par- 
ents he  was  engaged  as  clerk  and  student  alter- 
nately, and  was  appointed  by  Lawrence  Spears, 
County  Director,  as  one  of  the  fortunate  ap])lieants 
to  attend  the  East  Tennessee  University,  a  uiili- 
tar^'  school  locatetl  at  Knoxville.  He  received 
valuable  instruction  in  tliis  institution  for  tiie  s|)ace 
of  two  years,  and  after  his  graduation  went  to 
•  ^uincy,  111.,  where  he  was  induced  to   go  into   the 


dairy  business,  which  he  followed  with  fair  success 
for  the  succeeding  four  years.  He  then  crossed 
the  Father  of  Waters,  and  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  near  the  city  of  Keokuk,  where  he  con- 
tinued for  two  j-ears,  and  then,  in  company  with 
his  brother.  Bird  C,  engaged  in  his  present  busi- 
ness. 

The  livery  outfit  of  Kellogg  Bros,  is  exceeded 
by  none  in  the  city.  They  keep  about  fifteen  head 
of  valuable  horses,  and  their  vehicles  are  stylish 
and  comfortal)le.  Their  straightforward  methods 
of  doing  business  have  won  them  the  patronage  of 
tlie  best  people  in  the  city,  and  they  are  on  the 
high  road  to  a  competency. 

Mr.  Kellogg  was  married  in  1870  to  Miss  E.  R. 
Slee,  daughter  of  Frank  and  Martha  Slee,  of  (^uincy, 
111.,  and  the  household  has  been  brightened  by  the 
birth  of  three  children — Bryan,  Charles  and  Freddie. 
The3"  occupy  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  323  South 
Fourth  street,  and  enjo^*  the  friendship  of  a  large 
circle  of  acquaintances.  In  polities  Mr.  Kellogg  is 
Republican,  and  as  a  citizen  he  is  activelj^  inter- 
ested in  every  good  work  and  purpose  calculated 
to  be  of  benefit  to  his  community.  He  has  con- 
sideraljle  property,  being  the  possessor  of  six  lots 
in  Chicago,  111.,  and  1,250  acres  of  land  in  East 
Tennessee. 


/^Jft  ICHAEL  McDERMOTT  Js  SONS,  of  Keo- 
kuk, are  extensive  dealers  in  hard,  soft 
and  smithing  coal,  and  carrj'ing  on  a  suc- 
cessful and  steadily  increasing  trade.  Our 
subject  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  was  born  Sept. 
1,  1812.  His  parents  were  Solomon  and  Mary 
(Clark)  McDermott,  also  natives  of  Ireland,  to 
whom  was  born  a  family  of  eight  children,  of  whom 
the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  seventh  son. 

Michael  McDermott  remained  with  his  parents 
during  his  earlier  years,  and  in  1839  determined  to 
seek  ins  fortune  in  America.  He  accordingly 
sailed  for  the  United  States,  and  after  a  prosperous 
vo^'age  landed  in  New  York  City,  afterward  set- 
tling in  Ulster  County,  in  the  Empire  State.  He 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cement  on  the  Del- 
aware and  Hudson  Canal,  and  remained  in  the 
State  for  about   five   years.      In    1844    he    went   to 


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New  Orleans  and  engaged  in  the  sacking  of  grain, 
residing  in  that  locality  for  fmir  years.  He  then 
came  up  the  river  to  Keokuk,  and  eiigaf,'cd  in  such 
employineiit  as  he  could  obtain,  working  industii- 
ously,  and  saving  his  earning.^,  and  finally  accum- 
ulating sufficient  means  to  set  up  in  business  for 
himself,  which  he  eslal)lished  on  the  levee  in  1878, 
jind  in  wliicli  he  has  since  continued  with  gratify- 
ing results. 

Mr.  McDennott  was  )narried  in  .New  Orleans  in 
183'J.  Of  this  marriage  five  children  were  born, 
of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows:  Marj',  Mrs.  Con- 
nelly, is  a  resident  of  St  Louis;  Ellen,  Mrs.  Rooney, 
lives  at  Savannali.  Ind.  Tcr. ;  the  third  child  was 
Charles;  Frances,  Mrs.  Farrell,  also  resides  at 
Savannah,  Lid.  Ter. ;  Edward  is  tiie  youngest  son. 
He  and  his  brother  diaries  are  associated  witli 
their  father  in  business.  Tiiey  emplo}'  about  four 
men  upon  an  average. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  McDennott  is  at  Nt).  2(1.'5 
Fulton  street,  adjoining  which  are  two  other 
dwellings,  of  whidi  he  is  tiic  owner.  He  is  a  faith- 
ful adherent  of  the  Catholic  faitli  of  his  fathers, 
and,  with  his  two  s<ins.  niiiforinly  votes  with  the 
Democratic  party. 


-«- 

ILLIAM  H.  ORISWOLD,  .lu.,  a  leading 
farmer  and  stock-grower  of  Jefferson 
'^^'  Township,  owns  ;ind  occupies  200  acres  of 
land  on  section  20.  The  lionicstead  consists  of  a 
good  brick  residence  with  basement,  and  the  build- 
ing is  finished  and  furnished  in  excellent  style.  He 
has  good  barns  and  outhouses,  valuable  farm 
machinery  and  implements,  and  all  the  a[)pliances 
for  carrying  on  agriculture  and  stock-growing  in  a 
first-class  manner.  Mr.  (iriswi  >ld  makes  a  specialty  of 
Clydesdale  horses,  of  which  he  lias  some  of  the  finest 
specimens  to  be  found  in  the  Hawkeye  State,  and  all 
his  farm  operations  and  business  transactions  are 
conducted  with  the  method  and  despatch  which 
are  the  sure  forerunners  of  success. 

AL\  Griswold  came  to  Lee  County  in  tiie  spring 
of  LH.51,  from  Nauvoo,  111.,  wiiere  lie  had  located  a 
short  time  previunsly.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Em- 
pire State,  born   in  Wayne   County,  Aug.   (i,    1 82i). 


His  father,  William  H.  Griswold,  Sr.,  was  a  native 
of  Herkimer  Countj%  the  same  State,  of  English  S|} 
descent  and  New  England  parentage.  In  early 
manhood  he  was  married  in  \\'ayne  County,  N. 
Y.,  to  Miss  Sallie  Onderdonk,  of  Rockland  County, 
who  came  with  her  parents  to  Wayne  County  in  her 
girlhood.  After  the  birth  of  eight  children  in  the  ffi 
latter-named  county,  where  the  father  had  been 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  they  resolved  to 
change  their  location  and  seek  a  home  liev(jnd  the 
Mississippi.  The^'  accordingly  came  into  Iowa 
and  located  in  Jefferson  Township,  Lee  County, 
upon  a  good  fai'in.  A  few  years  later  ^\'illialn  H. 
(Jriswold,  Sr.,  was  elected  to  represent  this  c<»unty 
in  the  State  Legislature  which  then  convened  at 
Iowa  City.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
ollice  ho  returned  to  the  farm  and  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  while,  at  the  same  time,  he  Wiis 
pidminentl_v  connected  with  the  general  and  polit- 
ical affairs  of  his  community.  He  served  as  Justice 
of  the  Peace  and  Deputy'  Sheriff  and  filled  other 
important  jiositioiis  in  the  county.  He  departed 
this  life  March  14,  L'^8.5,  at  the  advanced  ;ige  of 
eighty-one  years.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  is  }-et  living  on  the  old  iioinestcad.  Her 
birth  occurred  on  the  22d  of  March,  isio,  mid  she 
is  conscquenth'  now  seventy-seven  years  old.  She 
and  her  husband  were  active  members  of  the  Epis- 
copal C'hurch,  and  the  latter,  in  his  political  beliefs, 
was  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Democratic  p;irty. 

William    II.    (iriswold,    Jr.,    remained    with    his 
parents  until  he    was   twentj-two   years    old.     He 
received  his  early  education  in  his  native  county, 
came  West   with   his   parents   before  his  marriage, 
and  engaged   in  farming  on  his  own  account.     He 
w.as    married     in    November,    1S.')4,    in    Jefferson 
Townshiii,  to  iSIiss  Sybilla   Oberly,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  Eaton,   I'a.      She  received  her  educa- 
tion in  her  native  town,  and  when  a  yoinig  woman  B: 
came  with  her  parents  to  Ft.  Madison.      Her  father 
Andrew  Oberly,  now  deceased,  was  formerly  a  tan-  §i 
ner,    but    during    the    last   years    of    his    life    was 
engaged  in  farming.      Mrs.  Griswold  dejiarted   this 
life  at   lier    home    in  Jefferson   Township.   .lune   2, 
1(^7;$.   She  iiad  become  the  mother  of  four  ehildren, 
three  of  whom  aie  living:   Willard  is  at  home  with  ► 
his  father;  Sallie  is  the  wife  of  J.acob  Arwarter.  and  ; 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


they  live  in  Jefferson  Township;  Oberly  is  at  home; 
Anna  was  fatall3'  burned  when  two  years  of  age 
from  a  newspaper  having  been  lighted  by  a  candle. 
The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Griswold  occurred 
in  Jefferson  Township  on  the  6th  of  May,  1S84, 
with  Miss  Lizzie  Glancy.  She  was  born  in  Cler- 
mont County,  Ohio,  July  6,  183(j,  and  came  with 
her  parents  when  a  young  woman  to  Lee  County. 
Her  father,  Augustus  C.  Glane^',  now  deceased, 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  departed  this  life 
in  Jefferson  Township  Aug.  21,  1S85.  Her  mother 
is  yet  living  at  an  advanced  age.  Of  this  marriage 
theie  lias  been  born  one  child.  Mrs.  G.  is  a  meni- 
lier  in  good  standing  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Polit- 
ically Mr.  (iriswold  is  a  liberal  Democrat,  a  gentle- 
man of  sterling  M'orth  of  character,  and  highly 
respected  in  his  community. 


J  ^-•I'-p- 


-^ 


K.  WILLIAM  A.  GEOUXtK,  editor  and 
proprietor  of  the  Keokuk  Constitiitioi),  is 
conducting  one  of  the  finest  journals  in  the 
State  of  Iowa,  and  in  all  respects  is  on  the 
high  way  to  prosperity,  and  a  name  and  rei)utati(m 
which  will  be  remembered  after  he  has  laid  down 
his  facile  pen  and  his  place  is  taken  \>y  another  gen- 
eration. The  sul)ject  of  this  liistor^'.  a  native  of 
the  Hawkeye  State,  was  born  in  the  village  of 
Bonaparte,  on  the  Des  Moines  River,  in  Van  Buren 
Count}',  Jan.  (J,  18.5.5.  His  father,  Dr.  Oliver  (t. 
George,  was  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  that 
locality,  a  graduate  of  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
and  a  gentleman  highl}'  esteemed  socially  as  well 
as  professionally'.  He  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
Count}',  Pa.,  in  1820,  and  after  arriving  at  years  of 
manhood  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nannie 
Powers,  a  cousin  of  Hiram  Powers,  the  noted 
sculptor.  Mrs.  Nannie  George  was  born  in  Wind- 
ham County,  Vt.,  and  came  from  old  Revolutionary 
stock.  She  was  a  lady  of  fine  character  and  iiolile 
principles,  and  a  fit  companion  for  a  man  [lossessed 
of  the  talents  of  her  husband.  After  their  marriage 
the}'  located  in  Olne}',  111.,  and  in  18.51  came  to 
Bonaparte,  Iowa,  where  Dr.  (ieorge,  Sr.,  practiced 
his  profession,  and  departed  this  life  in-IH74.  The 
mother  is  still  liying,  making  her  iiome  in  Keokuk. 


William  A.  George,  of  this  sketch,  at  the  com- 
pletion of  a  literary  course  of  study,  began  reading 
medicine  under  the  instruction  of  his  father,  and 
after  m.aking  suitable  progress  entered  Bellevue 
Medical  College  in  New  York  City,  from  which  he 
graduated,  taking  the  honors  of  his  class.  His 
diploma  is  from  one  of  the  few  colleges  in  the 
United  States  which  is  recognized  bj'  European  au- 
thorities. Dr.  George,  however,  never  entered  pri- 
vate practice,  but  turned  his  attention  to  literar}' 
pursuits,  which  indeed  seems  to  be  the  field  best 
adapted  to  his  talents  and  genius,  and  he  is  now 
considered  one  of  the  most  brilliant  journalists  of 
Iowa.  He  is  also  a  successful  business  man,  and  as 
a  citizen  has  contributed  materially  to  the  credit 
and  intelligence  of  his  community. 

Dr.  George  was  married  in  Hannibal,  Mo.,  on  the 
1.5th  of  September,  1886,  to  Miss  Lucy  Munger,  of 
that  city.  Bishop  Burgess,  of  (.^uincy,  officiating. 
The  parents  of  Mi's.  G.,  now  deceased,  were  of  an 
old  and  prominent  Vermont  family,  and  her  broth- 
ers are  among  the  foremost  citizens  of  Hanniljal. 
The  many  and  flattering  notices  of  the  marriage  of 
Dr.  George  by  his  brother  journalists  throughout 
the  State,  testify  to  his  popularity  and  the  esteem 
in  which  himself  and  his  accomplished  and  talented 
lady  are  held.  Mrs.  G.  is  a  lady  of  fine  education, 
and  most  worthy  and    lovable  traits   of  character. 

e~  APT.  THEODORE  DEAMUDE,  a  respected 
resident  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  a  native  of  this 
town,  and  was  born  Sept.  27,  1842.  His 
father,  Jonathan  Deamude,  was  born  in  Licking 
County,  Ohio,  and  was  of  French  descent.  He  was 
raised  in  the  county  of  his  birth,  served  an  appren- 
ticeship at  the  lil.acksmith  trade,  and  remained  a 
resident  of  the  above-named  county  until  1836. 
He  then  set  his  face  westward,  journej'ing  overland 
with  teams.  He  was  yet  unmarried,  and  made  his 
first  location  at  Danville,  111.,  where  he  remained 
for.^jiie  year,  and  then  came  to  that  jiart  of  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin  which  is  now  the  State  of 
Iowa.  He  located  upon  the  site  of  Ft.  Madisou 
and  remained  there  one  year,  engaged  at  his  trade. 
He  then  opened  a  shop  on  his  own  accounl,  and 


iC^aos 


LEE  COUNTY. 


continued  in  business  until  1854.  Jn  the  meantime 
he  made  a  claim  three  miles  below  the  [)resent  site 
of  the  town,  abandoned  blaeUsmithing,  and  adopted 
the  pursuit  of  agriculture,  wliicli  lie  followed  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  Ilis  decease  uccuired  April 
•20,  1871. 

Jonathan  Deamude  wa?  lu.-irried  in  cnrly  man- 
hood to  Mi.ss  Sophia  Keliu.s,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, and  they  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  seven  of  whom  grew  to  years  of  ma- 
turity. One  son,  Cornelius,  was  drowned  at  the 
age  of  eight  years;  Mary  .1.  became  the  wife  of 
Thomas  Bell,  of  Ft.  Madison ;  Sophia  m;uried 
Lloyd  Iviinliall,  and  lives  in  Sacramento,  Cal. ; 
Katie  became  the  vvife  of  Jefferson  McKaig,  who  is 
no"  deceased ;  Margaret  married  John  Marshall, 
and  they  live  on  the  old  homestead;  Carrie  and 
.Jessie  are  at  home  with  their  mother. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch,  in  his  earlier  years, 
assisted  in  the  work  of  the  farm  and  attended  the 
district  schools,  lie  remained  under  the  |)arent:d 
roof  until  his  father's  death,  and  then  look  charge 
of  the  farm  and  <ji)erated  it  until  the  spring  of 
1881,  when  he  removed  to  Ft.  Madi.son,  and  was 
engaged  in  various  pursuits  until  1884.  lie  then 
engaged  with  the  Ft.  Madison  I'acket  Compan}'  to 
Uike  charge  of  their  ferr^-boat,  plying  between 
Ft.  Madison  and  Appanoose,  until  188.').  In  Febru- 
ary of  the  following  year  he  purchased  the  boat 
and  operates  it  on  his  own  account.  He  is  a  gen- 
eral favorite  with  river  men  and  the  citizens  of  his 
vicinity.  Always  obliging  and  accommodating,  he 
is  building  uj)  a  |)rosperous  business,  the  rcs<ilt  of 
industry  and  merit. 


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AMlI/roN  M.  liI.A(  K.  <if  .lack.son  Town- 
ship, is  industriously  engaged  in  faiining 
pursuits  on  section  18.  He  has  been  a 
resident  of  Lee  County  since  1842.  coming 
into  low.'i  while  it  was  yet  a  Territory',  and.  in  com- 
mon with  the  pioneer  .settlers  of  that  i)eriod,  en- 
countering all  the  didiculties  and  privations  of  a 
pioneerlife.  Ills  homestead  consists  of  l-JO  acres  of 
land,   linely    improved    and    inlti\  ateil.  and    in    the 


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sunset  of   life   he  is  peacefully  enjoying  the  fruits 
of  his  early  toil  and  industry. 

Mr.  Black  is  a  native  f>f  Kentucky,  and  was  born 
March  28,  1810,  his  parents  being  James  and  Nancy 
(Clark)  Black,  natives  respectively  of    Ireland   and    ;  i 
I'enn.-^ylvania,  both  of  Irish  parentage  and  ancestry'. 
Their  family  consisted  of  four  sons  and  four  daugh-   p 
tors,  Hamilton  M.  being  the  sixth  child.     Our  sub-    ^ 
ject  w^as  a  lad  of  si.x  3'ears  old  when  his  parents  re-   S 
moved   from  Kentucky  to   Indiana  and  settle<l    in    : 
Floyd  Count3'.   He  remained  under  the  parental  roof   5 
until    1841,  and   then   started    for  the  farther  West.    : 
In    cr<.issing   the    .State    of    Illinois  he   remained    in    :: 
Warsaw  for  five  months,  and  then,  in  the  spring  of    ; 
1842,  crossed  the  Mississippi  with  his  wife  and  two    : 
children,  and   coming   into  l.,ee  County,  located  in   3! 
Jackson  Townshi|),  purch.asing  a  tract  of  land  which   : 
is   embiaced    in    the   present  homestea<l.     At  that   : 
time  this  section  w.as  comparatively   new^   and   un-   : 
cultivated,   and    Mr.    Black,   in   common    with    his    ;  H 
brother  pioneers,  set  about  the  improvement  of  his 
land  and  the  establishment   of  a   permanent   home. 
He    was    eminently    successful    in   his    undertaking, 
and  ere  long  received   his  reward   in  the  pii'lure  of 
smiling   fields  and  growing  grain  around    him,  with 
fat  farm  stock,  a  comfortable  dwelling-house,  good    fi 
barns   and   outhouses,  and  all   the  appliances  of  a    ;■: 
first-class  modern  farm  estate. 

The  marriage  of  Hamilton  .M.  lilack  and  .Miss  Mar 
tha  .1.  llollis  was  celebrated  in  Floyd  Comity,  Ind.,  ^jij 
on  the  stii  of  .June,  18.>7.  Mrs.  Black  w.as  the 
daughter  of  Lewis  and  Ilaney  (Trueman)  Hollis,  ^i 
natives  of  Mrginia,  and  i)arents  of  a  family  of  nine  El; 
children,  of  whom  the  wife  of  our  subject  was  the  : 
next  to  the  eldest  born.  Her  l)irth  took  place  near 
I.,ouisville,  Ky.,  May  17,  18111.  Slut  was  reared 
under  the  jiareiital  roof,  received  a  fair  education 
in  the  common  schools,  and  lived  in  her  father's 
hou.se  until  her  marriage.  By  her  union  with  our  ^.\ 
subject  she  has  become  the  mother  of  ten  children.  pE 
whose  history  briefly  is  as  follows:  Lewis  C.  died 
Aug.  24.  18,52,  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years;  .lames 
F.  married  Miss  Sarah  J.  Laypt)rt,  and  died  Aug. 
18,  1880,  leaving  his  widow  and  two  children — 
William  and  Hester;  Mary  J.  is  the  wife  of  O.  C. 
Sage,  and  resides  in  Clark  County,  Mo. ;  Sarah  A. 
is  the  wife  of   Capl.    I'homas  O'Bleneso,  of  Alexan- 


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^^'^a^l^^SSfeiJlSK^g'^  j^iiiffi; 


Residence  OF  James  lvirQuADE,Wii.LiAM  St.,Keokuk. 


^> 


lu;^;^^:- 


ResidenceofOscar  Prouty,  Sec. 28.Jackson  Township. 


II 


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1^: 


LEE  COUNTY, 


ail 


dria.  Mo. ;  Henry  H.  married  Miss  Carrie  Parsons, 

and  is  a  physician  of  Page  County,  Iowa;  William 
N.  is  First  Lieutenant  of  Co.  R,  24^1  U.  S.  Lif. ; 
Caroline  E.  married  John  Haiseh,  and  resides  in 
Page  Count}-,  Iowa;  Ellen  A.  died  .hine  4,  1«H(), 
at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years;  Olive  E.  and  Fran- 
ces R.  are  at  home  with  their  parents,  the  latter  be- 
ing engaged  as  teacher  in  the  public  schools. 

Mr.  Black  has  been  Townshiii  Trustee  for  a  num- 
ber of   years,  and  has  lieen  prominent  in  matters' 
pertaining  to  the  general  welfare  of  hisconiinunity. 
He  was  a  strong  admirer  (jf  Henr}'  Clay;  he  is  now 
a  stanch  Republican. 


-*4^- 


-^ 


ILWARD  H.  ROGERS,  one  of  the  prosper- 
ous and  influential  farmers  of  Lee  County, 
owns  and  occupies  a  fine  homestead  in  Green 
Bay  Township,  where  he  has  distinguished 
himself  as  a  worthy  and  energetic  citizen,  and  en- 
jt>ys  tiie  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  people  of  his 
township.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth  Rogers,  natives  of  England,  where 
they  were  married  and  where  the  father  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits.  They  remained  in  their  native 
Elngland  until  the  fall  of  1  8.32,  and  then  emigrated 
to  the  I'nited  .States.  They  remained  in  New  York 
City  during  that  winter,  and  the  following  spring 
went  to  Delaware  Countj',  Ohio,  the  father  living 
only  a  few  months  after  their  arrival  there,  his 
death  taking  place  in  .September,  1833.  The  mother 
survived  her  husband  forty-nine  j'ears.  departing 
this  life  in  (ireen  Baj'  Township,  Lee  Count}',  at  the 
residence  of  her  son,  Milward  IL,  .lune  23,  1882, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-one  years.  She  had 
passed  a  very  eventful  life,  and  had  traveled  much 
on  the  continent  of  Europe  and  also  through  the 
United  States.  She  was  a  lady  of  tine  mental  cul- 
ture, her  husband  being  also  well  educated. 

The  parental  household  included  ten  children, 
of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  third 
in  order  of  birth.  He  was  born  in  the  city  of  Lou- 
don, England,  March  19,  18111,  and  attended  the 
conunou  schools  of  his  native  city  until  twelve 
years  of  age,  which  completed  his  education.  His 
-  parents  then  came  to  America.     He  was  reared  to 


farming  pursuits,  and  engaged  in  agi-ieulture  on  his 
own  account  soon  after  coming  to  this  county,  in 
1840.  His  first  purchase  of  land  was  forty  acres 
on  section  13,  in  Green  Bay  Township,  of  which  he 
took  possession  in  1 843.  He  also  purchased  the 
spot  of  ground  known  .as  Rogers  Isl-uid,  which  con- 
tained aliout  32.5  acres,  from  which  he  cut  the  tim- 
l)er  and  sold  wood  to  the  steamers  plying  on  the 
Mississippi  River  for  about  seven  years,  and  then  J 
sold  the  island.  He  has  since  lieen  quite  extensively 
engaged  in  the  buynig  and  selling  of  land,  in  which 
transactions  he  has  been  remarkably  successful. 
His  homestead  includes  UOO  acres,  and  the  family 
residence  is  a  fine  brick  structure,  both  tasteful  and 
convenient,  being  the  first  of  a  series  of  buildings 
which  are  complete  in  all  their  appointments  and 
admiiably  adapted  to  the  purposes  of  a  first-class 
farmer.  Mr.  Rogers  keeps  about  sixty  head  of 
cattle  and  twenty  head  of  horses  and  mules.  Every- 
thing about  the  premises  is  "ship-shape,"  and  in  \^^ 
good  order,  and  the  farm,  with  its  appurtenances,  t  Dj 
forms  one  of  the  most  attractive  spots  in  this  .Iw  N. 
locality.  A  view  of  it  will  be  found  on  another 
page. 

Mr.  Rogers  was  married  inCireen  Bay  Township, 
March  24,  1842,  to  Miss  .Susan,  the  daughter  of 
Shepherd  and  Ann  (McDaniel)  .lohnson.  The  par- 
ents of  Mrs.  R.  were  natives  of  Long  Island  and 
Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  after  their  marriage 
settled  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio.  They  crossed 
the  Mississippi  in  1840,  and  located  in  Green  Bay 
Township,  this  county,  vvhere  the  father  died  two 
weeks  after  tlieir  arrival,  Se|)t.  I'J,  1x40.  The  mother 
only  survived  about  four  years,  dying  also  in  Cireen 
Bay  Township,  at  the  residence  of  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Rogers,  April  23,  1844.  Of  their  sis  children, 
.Susan,  Mrs.  Rogers,  was  the  second,  and  born  in 
Whitewater  Township,  Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio,  (Jet. 
21,  181il.  She  came  to  Lee  County  with  her  par- 
ents on  the  19th  of  June,  1840.  By  her  marriage 
with  our  subject  she  became  the  mother  of  eight 
children,  of  whom  only  four  survive — Milward 
H.,  Jr.,  Johnson,  (ieorge  E.  and  Arthur.  The  de- 
ceased are  Milward  S.,  Monroe,  Rebecca  A.  and 
Thomas.  Milward  H.  married  Miss  .Sarah  E.  Fry, 
and  resides  in  New  Boston,  III.;  .Johnson  married 
Miss  Mary  J.  Graham,  and  they  live  on  one  of  his 


312 


LEE  COUNTY, 


father's  farm.?  in  this  towiij-hip;  (ieorge  E.  married 
Miss  Corfleliii  M.  Vogt.aml  tiiey  reside  on  a  portion 
of  tlie  homestead;  Arthur  married  Mis>  Ida  Marsh, 
and  they  likewise  live  on  a  portion  of  tiie  home 
farm;  Monroe  married  Miss  Ann  Berry,  ami  dieil 
In  (ireen  Bay  Township,  Aug.  2,  I.hTO. 
.^=,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rogers  are  worthy  iiiemlier.>  of  tiie 
m3  Christian  Cliurcii.  in  wiiieh  our  subjeet  lui.s  been 
Elder  sinee  the  summer  uf  \><-lx.  lie  was  elected 
Drain  Commissioner  and  served  twoyear?,  and  has 
also  served  as  Township  Supervis(jr.  Me  was  made 
.lustiee  of  tlie  Peace  about  tlie  year  l.sr)2.  an<l  lias 
iield  tlie  ottiee  most  of  tiic  time  since.  Politically 
lie  is  an  uneompromisini;-  i)enn)crat.  Mr.  Rogers 
lias  witnessed  many  changes  in  the  IlawUeye  State 
during  tlie  last  forty  years,  ami  has  contributed  his 
full  share  toward  her  advancement  and  prospei-ity. 
Ill"  has  set  a  good  exam|)le  of  thrift  and  industry, 
and  is  a  liright  illustration  of  what  can  be  accom- 
plisheil  by  the  exercise  of  resolution  and  persever- 
.'ince. 

•5- ■  ^^^'t^^^^xC'*?- * 


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H.IId.lA.M    BALidN(;EU,   attorney    at    law, 
and     President    of    the   Keokuk    Canning 
Works,  is  also  manager  of  the  same  and 
Presiiient  of  the  Western   Packers'  Canned  (!oods 
Association.   Mr.  Ballinger  is  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
born  in  1H44,  and  the  son  of  Frank  and  .lane  (Ad- 
ams) Ballinger,  also  natives  of  the  same  State.   The 
former  was  one  of  the   leading  attorneys   of  that 
*ectit>n,  and   .Indge   of  the  Circuit  Court  for  some 
year>.      lie  removed  from  his  native  State  to  Iowa 
in    1  «.■).'!.  an<l   located  near   Keokuk,  where   he  re- 
mained  until   his   death,  which   occurred   in    1870. 
The   mother  of  our  snbjeet   departed  this  life  in 
1866.     Of  their  family  of  thirteen  children,  seven 
are  now  living,  the  record  of   whom  is  as  follows: 
n Frank    M.,    of    I^ee   County,    is   a    prominent  and 
wealth}' farmer,  and  the  proprietor  of    1, ;')()()   acres 
of  land  ;   Wcbstei'  is   a   leading  attorney  of   Como, 
Col.;  William    lives   in    Keokuk,  Iowa;  .Jennie    B., 
now  Mrs.  Rowell,  is  a  resident  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.; 
yj^jj'Pt  Madison  A.  is  an  attorney  of   Washington,  D.  C; 
Lucy    is   in   Kansas  City;  Adams  is  a   prominent 
railroad  attorney,  and  a  resident  of  Gallatin,  Mo. 
William  Ballinger,  of  our  sketch,  durin;j-  his  ear- 


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lier  years  lived  in  llarrodsburg,  Ky.,  afterward 
removing  with  hi>  parents  to  the  Ilawkeye  State, 
and  remaining  with  iheni  until  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age.  He  received  his  piimary  edncalion 
in  the  public  schools,  and  afterward  giailuated  from 
the  college  at  Lexington,  K}'.  At  the  time  his 
stu<lies  were  completed  the  late  Civil  War  wa,-  in 
l)rogress,  an<l  in  1862  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  1  lUh 
Iowa  \'ol.  Inf.  He  went  in  as  a  private,  then  be- 
.cann'  a  non-commissioned  otHcer,  then  Lieutenant, 
and  remained  in  the  service  three  years,  participat- 
ing in  all  the  engagements  of  his  regiment,  ami 
enduring  with  true  soldierly  fortitude  all  tiie  vicis- 
sitinU's  of  war.  lie  was  at  the  siege  and  capture  of 
^■icksbul•g,  and  at  the  sieges  of  Mobile  and  other 
iiiil)ortant  fortifications,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war 
received  an  lionoralile  discharge. 

,\fter  his  return  from  the  arm}'  .Mr.  HuUiiiger  re- 
sumed part  of  a  course  of  stnd\'  which  had  been  in- 
terrupted thereby,  and  in  addition  comineneed  in 
earnest  the  study  of  law  under  the  instruction  of  his 
father,  ne.ar  Keokuk.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  18()<S,  and  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession  in  Keokuk  since  that  time.  He  was 
appointed  to  his  present  position  in  1 S84,  and  is 
the  largest  stockholder  in  the  concern. 

In  1870  Mr.  Ballinger  was  iiiiiteil  in  marriage 
witli  Miss  Ellen,  daughter  of  William  A.  Conn,  of 
Ohio,  and  of  their  union  have  been  born  four  chil- 
dren— Mamie,  Ella,  Willie  and  Lees.  Mr.  B.  and 
his  family  are  established  in  a  pleasant  home  at  No. 
223  Morgan  street,  and  their  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances  embraces  the  best  and  most  highly 
cultivated  people  of  the  (i.ate  City.  In  politics 
Mr.  B.  is  strongly  Repuliliean,  and  socially  is  a 
valued  member  of  tlie  (i.  A,  R. 


-^-:>'^^^VHi^:5<^^ 


PUBLISKY,  of  West  Point  Township, 
is  an  important  factor  among  the  industrial 
interests  of  his  community,  being  a  general 
merchant  and  broom  manufacturer,  and  is  located 
on  the  south  side  of  the  public  square.  He  estab- 
lished his  business  at  this  place  in  1872,  dealing 
then  mostly  in  brooms,  to  which  he  afterward  add- 
ed general  merchandise,  and  since  .Januarv,  \x^''i, 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


has  operated  successfully  in  his  joint  business. 
The  produce  of  his  manufacture  is  considered  to  be 
the  best  of  its  kind  in  tliis  locality,  from  the  fact 
that  he  obtains  the  highest  market  price.  He  is 
upright  and  straightforward  in  his  business  trausac- 
ions,  and  h.as  gained  a  large  circle  of  patrons  and 
friends. 

Mr.  Publisky  is  a  native  of  Austria,  and  was 
born  Sept.  4, 1851.  His  parents  came  to  the  United 
States  when  he  was  a  child  three  years  of  age,  first 
settling  in  New  York  whence,  in  1870,  they  crossed 
the  Mississippi,  and  coming  into  Iowa,  located  at 
West  Point,  which  has  remained  their  home  since 
that  time.  They  are  both  living,  the  father  having 
attained  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  and  the 
mother  ten  years  his  junior.  Their  household  in- 
cluded six  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  He  was 
educated  in  New  York  State,  and  completed  his 
studies  in  the  Business  College  of  Bryant  &  Strat- 
ton,  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  where  he  afterward  made 
his  first  venture  in  business  and  met  with  success. 

Mr.  Publisky  was  married,  Feb.  14,  1878,  in 
West  Point,  to  Miss  Louisa,  daughter  of  William 
Torley  (see  sketch).  INIrs.  P.  was  born  and  reared 
in  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  by  her  union  with  our 
subject  has  become  tlie  mother  of  five  children — 
William,  Eliuora,  Louisa,  Orville  and  Leon. 

Mr.  P.  has  been  a  prominent  man  in  his  township, 
having  served  as  Constable  for  some  years,  and  was 
delegate  from  his  county  to  the  State  Convention 
and  the  sole  delegate  of  his  township  to  the  County 
Convention,  these  bodies  being  called  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  Democracy,  of  which  Mr.  P.  is  a  loyal 
adherent. 

EV.  WILLIAM  HENRY   WILLIAMS  was 

born  at  Argyle,  Washington  Co.,  N.  \'., 
■lls\\\       Nov.  18,  1803.     He  descended  from  godly 

Puritan  ancestry,  and  at  the  age  of  thir- 
teen united  with  the  Associate  Reformed  Presby- 
terian Church  in  .Salem,  N.  Y.  After  studyhig 
three  years  in  Columbia  College,  New  Y'ork,  he 
removed  to  Dickenson  College,  Carlisle,  Pa.,  in 
order  to  enjo.y  the  high  privilege  of  pursuing  his 
senior    studies   under    the   eminent    Dr.    .loim    M. 


Mason,  then  President  of  that  institution.  Here 
lie  graduated  at  twenty  years  of  age,  receiving 
next  to  the  highest  honor;  in  the  class  of  1823. 

Mr.  Williams  pursued  his  theological  studies 
under  tlie  beloved  and  revered  Dr.  Archibald 
Alexander,  at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  where  after  a  full 
course  lie  was  regularly  graduated  in  1820.  After 
spending  some  two  ye-Avs  in  the  State  of  Georgia, 
in  missionary  work  extending  over  a  field  of  nine 
counties,  he  accepted  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
Third  Presbyterian  Cluirch  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  was  ordained  and  installed  bj'  the  Presltytery 
of  Albany  Dec.  "J,  1828.  But  so  great  was  his  love 
for  missionary'  work,  that  after  two  years  of  pastoral 
labor  there,  in  which  he  greatly  endeared  himself 
to  his  people,  he  relinquished  a  city  pastorate,  and 
chose  the  fatigues  and  privations  of  pioneer  work 
in  the  South.  In  a  history  of  this  church,  written 
years  afterward,  he  is  spoken  of  as  "The  beloved 
Williams,  whose  influence  over  the  j'oung  was 
equally  powerful  and  salutiuy.  and  under  whose 
ministry  the  church  received  signal  tokens  of 
divine  favor." 

Going  to  Alabama  as  a  missionary  of  the  Ameri- 
can Sunday-School  I'nion,  Mr.  W.  was  soon  called 
to  be  the  first  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Cluirch  in 
Tuscaloosa,  a  relation  which  he  held  from  1831  to 
1830.  He  not  oiil}-  perfornied  the  duties  of  this 
office  most  acceptably,  Imt  traveled  thousands  of 
miles  during  liis  stay  there,  doing  missionary  work, 
and  imiiartiug  a  knowledge  of  the  (Josjiel  in  the 
then  destitute  portions  of  Tuscaloosa  County  and 
the  counties  adjacent. 

During  this  pastorate,  our  subject  was  married, 
June  20,  1832,  to  Miss  Abby  L.  Wiiite,  daughter 
of  Hon.  Phineas  White,  of  Putney,  Vt.  At  the 
urgent  solicitation  of  the  citizens  of  Tuscaloosa, 
then  the  capital  of  the  State,  he  established,  and 
for  eight  years  conducted  a  Seminary  for  Young 
Ladies,  long  known  as  the  "Alabama  P'emale  Insti- 
tute," which  proved  an  ornament  and  a  blessing  to 
the  town.  One  who  well  knew  him,  and  liis  work 
ill  those  long,  past  days,  wrote  from  Alabama  sot>n 
after  his  death  as  follows:  "To  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion in  this  State,  Mr.  Williams  gave  an  impulse 
tliat  is  felt  to  this  day."  But  wliile  warmly  ;iltaclii(l 
to   the    people   of  the   South,  lie   so   <leprecated    the 


314 


LEE  COUNTY. 


influence  of  slavery  upon  the  white  race,  that  he 
\va.<  unwilling  to  rear  a  farail}'  in  a  social  atniu- 
s|)hcre  destitute  of  a  proper  recognition  of  the 
nobleness  of  toil. 

In  the  autumn  of  1841,  Mr.  William^  tKcepted 
a  call  to  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  .lackson- 
yille,  111.,  where  he  remaineil  for  seven  years. 
Here  again  his  finished  scholarship,  and  his  experi- 
ence as  an  educator,  together  with  the  pressing 
needs  of  the  Jacksonville  Female  Academy,  led 
him  to  accept  the  principalshii)  of  that  institution, 
a  position  which  he  most  satisfactorily  filled  for 
five  years.  But  the  Macedonian  crj-  of  Iowa  to 
the  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  had  reached  his 
ear,  and  his  ardent  and  generous  nature  made  quick 
response.  He  accordingly  removed  to  Keokuk  in 
the  fall  of  184H,  mid  for  the  third  time  prosecuted 
tlie  double  work  of  preaching  and  teacliing.  As 
stated  supply  of  tlie  First  I'resljyterian  Church  in 
Keokuk,  and  as  principal  of  a  .Seminary  for  Young 
J.,adies.  his  influence  for  good  was  most  efficient 
and  salutary.  After  about  eight  years,  the  coming 
of  his  brother.  Uev.  Charles  A.  Williams,  having 
relieved  liim  of  the  necessity  of  longer  superintend- 
ing the  school,  he  was  at  liberty  to  devote  himself 
to  that  which  was  more  distinctively  missionary 
Work — the  establishment  of  .Sabbath-schools  and 
the  oi-ganizing  and  supplying  of  new  churches. 
The  forniei-  he  did  as  agent  of  the  American  Sun- 
day-School  Union,  and  the  latter  as    Presbyterial 

the  I'resby- 
more  than 

twenty  counties.  From  conviction,  and  by  tempera- 
ment, he  was  a  worker.  Activity  was  liis  element, 
usefulness  his  happiness.  He  was  ever  cheerful  and 
indefatigable.  To  him  to  love,  and  be  loved,  by 
his  fellow. beings,  and  to  laboi-  for  their  ui)lifting, 
was  that  which  gave  to  life  its  highest  value,  its 
only  completeness,  and  to  these  ends  he  gave  liini- 
self  with  a  self-forgetfulness  rarely  to  be  witnessed, 
with  tireless  assiduity  and  unflagging  ardor. 

As  a  citizen  of  Keokuk,  Mr.  W.  was  public 
spirited,  and  ))rouipl  .and  generous  in  his  aid  of 
ever^-  enterprise  which,  in  ids  view,  promised  to 
advance  the  prosi)erity  of  the  city.  Positive  in  his 
convictions,  and  intense  in  his  feelings,  scrupu- 
lously accurate  in  his  dealings,  and  punctual   in   his 


hj  M     missionary  for  territory  embraced  by  t 
Jr._R,    tery  of  Keokuk,  then    e.vtending  over 


habits,  he  had  little  patience  with  indolence  and 
inefficienc3',  and  j'et  so  generous  and  tender  were 
his  .sympathies,  that  he  welcomed  every  fellow- 
being  to  the  embrace  of  his  loving  nature,  and 
greeted  and  treated  all  with  a  gentleness  andi-ordi- 
ality  that  were  delightful.  Deeply  pious,  and  tiior- 
oughly  polished,  impartially-  considerate  and  atten- 
tive to  all  his  flock,  he  was  a  model  pastor,  and 
was  greatly  beloved.  Delighting  to  feed  the  Master's 
sheep,  he  cared  even  more  tenderly  for  the  laml)s. 
Ilis  last  i)nl>lic  labors  in  Keokuk  were  ministering 
in  the  hospitals  during  the  war,  as  aid  to  his 
brother,  then  Militar}'  Chaplain  at  this  point. 

Finding  at  length  that  the  incessant  labors  and 
extended  traveling  connected  with  the  work  ol 
Presbyterial  missionarj',  were  rapidl3'  and  seriously 
exhausting  his  physical  powers,  and  feeling  that  his 
u.sefulness  might  be  prolonged  by  his  occupancy 
of  a  more  quiet  sphere,  he  concluded  to  give  up 
his  beautiful  home  in  Keokuk  and  accept  a  call  to 
take  charge  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
village  of  Peiry,  111.  In  the  autumn  of  1K()4  he 
moved  his  family  to  that  place,  and  there  labored 
zealously  and  successfully  for  six  years. 

The  intirmities  of  advancing  years,  however,  and 
the  hope  that  the  climate  of  western  North  Caro- 
lina might  save  the  life  of  a  beloved  son,  Theo- 
dore S.  Williams,  ensign  in  the  United  States 
Navy,  already  in  the  first  stages  of  consumption, 
led  to  the  removal  of  our  subject  to  that  mountain 
region  in  the  summer  of  187<i.  Locating  at  llen- 
dersonville,  Henderson  County,  a  high  and  healthy 
plateau,  he  continued  to  reside  there  until  his 
death.  Impaired  ej'esight  and  failing  health  pre- 
\ented  him  from  any  longer  engaging  in  i-egular 
ministerial  work;  but  whether  .assisting  in  social 
meetings  and  special  services,  whether  as  a  volun- 
tary Sunday-school  missionary  or  Bible  distributor 
in  those  destitute  mountain  regions,  or  ministering 
tenderly  at  the  bedside  of  the  sick  and  dying,  and 
in  the  house  of  mourning,  it  was,  to  the  end,  his 
delight  and  his  life  to  be  always  aboiniding  in  the 
work  of  the  Lord.  This  labor  of  love  continued 
for  six  ye.ars.  Having  passed  his  threescore  years 
and  ten.  and  having  led  an  intensely  and  sometimes 
doubly  active  life,  his  decline  was  at  the  last  some- 
what  rapid,   and    in   acccadaucc    with    his    oft   ex- 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


pressed  wish,  soon  after  he  ceaseil  to  lalior  lie  was 
ealled  to  his  rest.  He  died  Dee.  21.  ISTC,  aged 
seventy-three.  His  memor3'  cannot  cease  to  be 
cherished  by  many  in  Lee  County  who  will  forever 
thank  (iod  for  the  iiiflnence  of  his  example  and  his 
preaching.  His  widow  and  six  children  survive 
him ;  two  of  the  latter  are  residents  of  this  county, 
L.  E.  Williams.  Esq.,  of  Keokuk,  and  Chaplain  C. 
F.  Williams,  of  Ft.  Madison. 

ONA.S  RICE,  one  of  the  h<jnored  pioneers 
of  the  Hawkeye  State,  is  a  resident  of  Wash- 
ington Ti  iwnship,  and  is  located  on  the  ht>nie- 
stead  of  his  father,  which  consists  of  ;iH.5 
acres  of  v.ilual)le  land  laying  on  section  .5.  He  was 
born  Nov.  iH,  1823,  and  is  a  native  of  Hubbards- 
ton,  Worcester  Co.,  Mass.,  where  he  lived  until 
al)Out  four  years  old.  His  parents  then  removed 
to  Templetou,  and  his  life  thereafter,  until  he  was 
sixteen  years  old,  was  spent  mostly  among  the  New 
England  hills.  Then,  in  1839,  he  accompanied  his 
father's  family  to  Iowa  and  to  Lee  Count}',  where 
they  settled  in  AVashington  Township.  Here  his 
father  purchased  a  claim  embracing  a  quarter  sec- 
tion of  land,  which  constitutes  our  subject's  present 
homestead,  and  upon  which  he  has  continuously 
lived  since  that  time,  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. 

Iowa  was  still  a  Territory  when  the  father  of 
.lonas  Rice  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  selected  this 
township  for  his  location.  The  land  was  wild  and 
unimproved,  and  neighbors  were  few  and  far  be- 
tween. They  were  prepared,  however,  for  any  and 
every  emergency,  and  set  about  the  improvement 
and  cultivation  of  their  land  with  a  courageous 
perseverance  which  met  with  abundant  success. 
Jonas  Rice  was  reared  to  habits  of  industry  and 
economy,  and  w.as  fully  prepared  to  .assume  the 
charge  of  the  property  which  his  father  had  ac- 
cumulated, when  the  latter  folded  his  hands  for  his 
final  rest. 

In  addition  to  general  farming  pursuits  Mr.  Rice 
has  been,  to  a  considerable  extent,  engaged  in  the 
breeding  of  fine  stock.  He  h.as  a  herd  of  about 
sixty-tive  head   of  cattle,  six   valuable    horses,  and 


fattens  al)out  twcuty-ftvc  head  of  hogs  annually. 
The  proceeds  from  these  yield  him  a  handsome  in- 
come. He  is  also  engaged  in  dairying,  making  a 
specialty  of  cheese. 

.lonas  Hice  and  Miss  Harriett  N.  Cowles  were 
united  in  marriage  at  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  June  14, 
184!).  Mrs.  Rice  was  born  in  Cattaraugus  County, 
N.  v.,  Oct.  22,  182H,  and  by  her  union  with  our 
subject  has  become  the  mother  of  six  children: 
Hattie  A.  is  the  wife  of  William  Beubow,  and  re- 
sides in  Washington  Township;  Phiebe  L.  married 
Ml-.  Ira  Dow,  als<i  of  Washington  Township;  Ida 
L.  became  the  wife  of  G.  H.  Colvin,  of  Washing- 
ton Townshii);  the  others  are  Oscar  J..  John  G. 
.^ud  Edward  .1. 

Our  subject  and  wife  are  prominently  connected 
with  tlie  Christian  Church,  and  |)olitically  Mr.  Rice 
is  a  stanch  Republican  and  an  earnest  temperance 
worker.  He  is  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  the  pro- 
hibition movement  in  this  locality,  and  is  the  earn- 
est supporter  of  sobriety  and  good  order.  He  was 
a  strong  L'nion  man  during  the  war,  and  althougli 
not  serving  in  the  field,  contributed  generously  of 
his  means  in  assisting  to  support  the  cause  and  by 
his  influence  in  keeping  alive  the  sentiments  of  pat- 
riotism. As  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  this 
section,  he  is  held  in  peculiar  reverence,  and  his  ex- 
cellent personal  traits  of  character  have  secured  foi- 
him  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances. 


<if/ACOB    FANKHOUSER,  of  Jackson  Town- 
ship, is  the  owner  of   100  acres  of  valuable 
land  on  section  17,  upon  which  he  has  made 
I    good  improvements  and  established  a  com- 
fortable homestead.     He  is  of  Swiss  parentage  and 
!   ancestry,  the  son   of   Daniel   and   Mary   (Whaley) 
Fankhouser,  and  born  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean  dur- 
ing  the    passage    of  his  parents  from  their  native 
Switzerland  to  America,  M.ay  .5,1819.  They  landed 
in   Amboy,  N.  J.,  then  came  across  the  country  to 
I   Ohio,  locating  in   Monroe    County,    on    the    Ohio 
River,  and  in  that  vicinitj' the  subject  of  our  sketch 
renin iaed  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  old,  eu- 
'   gaged   in  the  occupation  of  farming.      His  parents' 


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LEK  COUNTY. 


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*     Henry    Ilii-sc;  J^(jiii.sa  iiiairiefl  John  White;  Lizzii 
aiKl  Caroline  are  deceased;  Lottie  was  the   wife   o 


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family  consisted  of  fifteen  cliildrcM.  ten  hoys  and 
live  gills,  some  of  whom  are  now  decea.sed.  and  the 
lialanee  settled  In  Ohio.  The  parents  are  deceased. 
In  ISl.i  Air.  F.  of  our  sketch  turned  his  face  to- 
ward the  farther  West,  and  crossed  the  Mississippi 
into  Chariton  County,  Mo.,  where  he  lived  for  the 
following  four  years,  coming  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  in 
1^  the  year  1847.  He  located  in  that  vicinity,  and  re- 
mained a  resident  there  for  nearly  sixteen  years, 
engaged  in  farming  and  dairying.  In  IHOS  he 
came  into  .Jackson  Townshii),  and  i>urchased  the 
homestead  upon  which  he  has  since  resided,  a 
view  of  which  Is  sho*vn  on  another  page. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  in  Mon- 
roe County,  Ohio,  Aug.  ."),  1841,  to  Miss  Anna 
I'.urgenthall,  a  native  of  his  own  country,  who  came 
with  her  parents  to  the  I'nited  States  In  182(1. 
They  became  the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  the 
record  of  whom  is  as  follows:  Mary  is  the   wife   of 

ie 
f 
William  Lui)ton,  and  died,  leaving  two  children- 
Ilanv  ;in<l  .Mamie;  Pauline  is  also  deceased;  Ma- 
lissa  is  the  wife  of  Edward  IJreitenstein ;  Julia  mar- 
ried .lohn  Beadles;  the  others  are  Millie,  David, 
Addle,  Lyda  and  Lucy.  The  wife  of  our  subject 
departed  this  life  July  16,  1886.  .She  was  a  mem- 
ber in  good  standing  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
as  is  also  Mr.  F.  He  Is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  in  all  respects  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citi- 
zen. 


lj(^_^  ON.  PATRICK  GIBBONS,  Postmaster  of 
the  city  of  Keokuk,  and  a  gentleman  known 
far  and  wide  for  what  he  has  done  in  the 
past  as  regards  the  upbuilding  of  the  city, 
is  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  where  he  first  saw 
light  June  20,  1832.  While  yet  a  resident  of  the 
land  of  the  shamrock  he  attended  the  private 
schools,  receiving  a  primary  education,  and  supple- 
mented the  same  by  an  academical  course  at  Lon- 
donderry. In  18,50  he  sailed  for  the  United  States, 
and  that  same  year  took  up  his  residence  at  Lib- 
erty, Ind.,  and  about  eighteen  mouths  hater  went  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.     There  he  accepted  the  position 


as  manager  for 


the  wholesale 


liquor 


house  of  S.  S.  Boyle,  and   held  the  position   until   r 
18.")7.     At  the  e.\pirati(jn  of  this   time   he   started    ■: 
West,  seeking  newer   fields    in    which    to   obtain  a 
competency.  Crossing  the  Mississippi  River  he  ter- 
minated his  journe}'  at  Keokuk. 

Mr.  (ilbbons  on  lirst  locating  at  Keokuk  engaged 
in  the  wholesale  liquor  business,  and  was  thus  occu- 
pied until  18(57,  when  for  twelve  years  he  retired 
from  active  labor.  We  next  hear  of  him  visiting 
the  mountains  of  California,  where  his  time  was  oc- 
cupied in  pleasure  for  aljout  two  years  and  then, 
after  spending  two  3ears  in  Indiana,  where  his  chil- 
dren were  attending  school,  he  once  more  returned 
to  the  cit}'  of  his  adoption,  Keokuk.  Mr.  (ribbons 
was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  in  18G9,  and 
while  there  was  one  of  the  prominent  supporters 
for  the  State  Ca|)itol,  and  was  also  projector  of  the 
bill  for  damage  to  baggage  during  transportation, 
as  well  as  many  other  bills  of  interest  to  the  travel- 
ing public  and  to  the  citizens  of  the  State.  He 
served  on  the  committee  on  federal  relations, 
schools  and  inter-national  affairs. 

In  1882  our  subject  embarked  in  the  stove  busi- 
ness, next  door  to  the  post-office,  and  w.as  thus  en- 
gaged when  he  was  appointed,  under  President 
Cleveland's  administration,  Postm.ister  of  the  city. 
Mr.  (ill>l)ons  was  one  of  the  first  to  organize  a  pub- 
lic llbr.'iry  at  Keokuk,  and  was  also  a  Director  of 
that  institution.  He  was  likewise  one  of  the  cor- 
porators of  the  water- works.  In  18G7  he  erected 
on  Main  and  Sixth  streets  a  block  known  as  the 
Oibbons  Opera  House,  and  the  post-oltice  is  located 
in  this  block.  Mr.  Gibbons  has  for  years  beeu  an 
extensive  ojjerator  in  city  property  at  Keokuk,  and 
to  him  is  attributable  in  no  small  measure  the  suc- 
cess, or  rather  the  advancement,  which  the  city  has 
made  during  the  last  twenty  years. 

Patrick  Gib])ons  was  married  to  Miss  Celestine  Le- 
Faivre,  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1802.  She  is  a  native  of 
St.  Louis,  and  has  borne  our  subject  seven  children 
— John  A.,  Cecelia  A.,  Mary  Celestine,  Louisa,  Pat- 
rick Henry,  William  F.  and  Charles.  John  is  a 
physician;  Cecelia  became  Mrs.  Agnew,  and  is  a 
resident  of  Keokuk.  In  politics  Mr.  (iiblioiis  is  a 
Democ-rat.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  their  residence  Is 
pleasantly  located  at  No.  81 1  Exchange  street.  Mr. 


rjHi-'riji 


LEE  COUNTY. 


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(TJbbons  is  not  onlj'  one  of  the  substantial  and  solid 
men  of  Keokuk  and  Lee  County,  but  is  a  liberal 
giver  to  all  benevolent  objects.  He  is  universally 
respected  by  all  who  know  him,  and  is  capable  of 
holding  any  office  within  the  gift  of  the  people  of 
his  county.  What  he  possesses  of  this  world's 
goods  he  has  made  through  liis  own  energy'  and 
perseverance,  and  not  as  the  reci|)ient  of  any 
legacy. 

OHN  T.  PERKINS,  a  prominent  and  es- 
teemed resident  of  the  Gate  City,  is  carry- 
ing on  the  business  of  an  undertaker  at  No. 
2.0  Third  street,  Keokuk.  Mr.  Perkins  is  a 
native  of  Kentuckj-,  and  was  born  Oct.  V-i,  1842, 
his  parents  being  William  B.  and  Sarah  A.  (Mc- 
Clahan)  Perkins,  both  natives  of  Bracken  County, 
Ky.  The  jjaternal  grandfather  of  our  suliject, 
Henry  \.  Perkins,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  an 
extensive  farmer,  and  raised  large  quantities  of  to- 
bacco in  his  native  .State.  He  afterward  went  to 
Louisville,  Ky.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  medicines,  and  died  in  about  IHoD.  The 
maternal  grandfather  of  our  suliject  was  Elijah  Me- 
Clahan,  a  native  of  Vu-ginia,  who  was  als(t  engaged 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  tobacco  plant.  He  and  his 
wife  became  the  parents  of  a  large  family,  who  af- 
terward constituted  some  of  the  worthiest  and 
most  wealth}'  residents  of  the  State  of  Kentuckj'. 
He  departed  from  the  scene  of  his  earthly  laburs  in 
1835,  and  his  memory  was  held  in  respectful  re- 
membrance bj'  all  with  whinn  he  had  been  a.s.so- 
ciated. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  William  B.  I'erkins, 
was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  where  he  remained 
until  he  attained  his  majorit}'.  He  then  went  to 
Brookville,  the  county  seat  of  Bracken  County, 
and  was  there  engaged  in  the  coopering  business 
until  after  his  marriage,  wheii  he  removed  to  Lewis 
County,  and  in  addition  to  his  former  occupation, 
became  connected  with  an  undertaking  establish- 
ment. He  is  still  living,  but  now  carrying  on  his 
business  alone.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  in 
good  standing  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  politi- 
cally ilr.  Perkins  casts  his  vote  with  the  Democratic 
party.     Their  household  consisted   of  eleven  chil- 


dren, six  of  whom  are  deceased.     The  living  are : 
John  T. ;  Elizabeth,  who  married  Thomas  Furman,  _ 
of    Mason  County,  Ky.;    William  .L,  who  is  with    | 
his  brother,  our  subject,  in  Keokuk;  Eliza,  who  lives 
in    Kentucky,  and    \'inceut  H.,  connected    with 
Government  store  at  Paris,  Ky. 

John  T.  Perkins  was  the  second  child  of  thefam-  ^^j 
ily,  and  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age,  attending  school  in  the  winter 
season  and  working  on  the  farm  in  summer.  In 
1863  he  set  his  face  westward,  crossed  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  located  in  Keokuk.  He  made  his  home 
with  his  uncle,  ^'.  T.  Perkins,  and  engaged  with 
him  in  the  undertaking  business,  which  he  pursued 
for  six  years  following.  He  then  withdrew  from 
his  uncle's  establishment,  and  associated  himself  in 
partnership  with  J.  W.  Johnson,  the  firm  becoming 
J.  W.  Johnson  &  Co.  They  located  on  Third  street 
and  continued  in  partnership  for  nine  years,  or  until 
I STO,  when  Mr.  Johnson  was  accidentally  killed.  Mr. 
Perkins  then  jiurchased  the  business  from  the  heirs 
and  has  since  operated  alone,  and  is  doing  the  largest 
business  of  his  kind  in  the  city. 

John  T.  Perkins  and  Miss  Henrietta  Brown  were 
united  in  marriage  June  1,  1871,  at  Keokuk.  Mrs. 
Perkins  is  a  native  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  the 
daughter  of  Jeremiah  Brown,  of  Kentucky.  They 
have  become  the  parents  of  two  daughters — Lillie 
M.  and  Grace  L.  The  family  occupies  a  beautiful 
residence  at  No.  (5-28  Franklin  street,  which  was 
erecte<l  in  1885.  Politically  Mr.  Perkins  affiliates 
with  the  Democratic  party,  and  socially  belongs  to 
the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  and  L  O.  O.  F.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder of  the  Keokuk  City  Opera  House,  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  company.  In  connection  with  his 
brother  William  J.,  he  became  proprietor  of  his 
present  business  property  in  1876.  He  is  a  straight- 
forward business  man  and  held  in  the  highest  es- 
teem by  his  fellow-townsmen. 

^-i— * — t><s«-<i<i»>-fe>o — *— K» 

R.  B.  F.  BAILEY,  homeopathic  physician, 
is  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Keokuk, 
and  as  a  practitioner  occupies  a  high  posi- 
tion. He  has  always  been  a  close  student 
and  an  extensive  reader,  and  is  credited  with  an  in- 
timate  knowledge   of  the   duties  of  his  profession. 


318 


m 
IP 

lii 


LEE  COUNTY. 


Dr.  Haik-y  i-  a  n.itive  uf  Miciiigaii,  .-iinl  «;is  liorii 
in  the  town  of  Troy,  Oaklaiul  County,  Oct.  2o. 
1h:j(I.  lie  iji  a  son  of  B.  F.  an<l  Maria  (Hunting- 
ton) Bailey,  his  inotiier  having  been  a  dangiiter  of 
Judge  .lohn  Huntington,  of  \'ermont.  .Mrs.  Maria 
Bailey-  was  also  l)orn  in  Vermont,  and  departed  this 
life  in  .Michig.an,  May  1.5,  l«GK.  B.  V.  Bailey,  Sr., 
was  horn  in  Conneeticut.  and  survived  his  wife  sev- 
enteen years,  de|)arting  this  life  in  IS.S;').  He  was 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business  and  farming,  and 
the  parental  family  consisted  of  three  sons:  Moers 
H.,  a  civil  engineer;  Dr.  B.  K  .,  our  subject,  and 
yi  William  M.,  wlio  is  a  physician  .at  Detroit,  Mich. 
The  younger  years  of  our  subject,  after  he  had 
pas.sed  his  eiglith  liirthday,  wei'e  spent  in  tlie  woods 
of  Michigan  with  his  parents,  three  miles  fioni  any 
neighbor,  where  the^'  lived  until  the  beginning  of 
the  year  184o.  His  early  schooling  was  obtained 
from  his  excellent  mother,  and  at  the  date  above 
mentioned  he  went  to  Eaton  Rapids,  where  he  at- 
tended school  during  the  winter  months  and  in  the 
suiiiuici'  assisted  in  the  worU  about  his  father's 
foundry  and  mill.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  years, 
with  the  sum  of  $3  in  his  pocket,  he  started  to  Oli- 
vet, Mich.,  to  attend  college.  He  studied  during 
three  sessions  of  nine  months  each,  and  during  the 
tiiree  months'  vacation  kept  books  for  his  father, 
lie  also  attended  college  at  Albion  for  one  year, 
but  was  obliged  to  abandon  his  studies  for  a  time 
on  account  of  failing  health.  He  then  went  home, 
and  in  1856  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  un- 
der the  instruction  of  Dr.  W.  W.  Collins,  at  Eaton 
Kapids.  During  the  winter  of  18o7-.5H  he  at- 
ten<lcd  lectures  .at  New  York  Cit}',  and  supple- 
mented the  instruction  here  received  by  attendance 
upon  two  courses  of  lectures  at  the  Western  Home- 
opathic College  (;f  Cleveland,  Ohio,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  February,  isou. 
.  Dr.  Bailey  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Bellevue,  Mich.,  where  he  remained  three 
years.  From  there  tie  went  to  lousing,  and  in 
1870  founded  the  Homeopathic  College  in  that  city, 
and  lectured  in  the  college  upon  the  subject  of 
Theory  and  I'r.actice  and  An;itomy  for  the  space  of 
four  years.  From  Lansing  he  removed  to  Detroit, 
and  wasapi)ointed  by  the  .State  Medical  College  to 
lecture   on    Theory   and  Practice,  which  he   contin- 


ued for  anothci'  foui'  years,  and  then  returning  to 
Lansing  remained  there  until  May,  188.").  He  was 
President  of  the  Medical  Society  of  Michigan  in 
1871  and  1873-75,  and  was  the  author  of  the  bill 
which  provided  for  the  establishment  of  the  home- 
opathic department  in  the  Cniversity  of  .Michigan 
at  Ann  Arbor. 

Dr.  Bailey  came  to  Keokuk  in  1885,  and  at  once 
engaged  in  practice  in  this  eitj".  His  talents  and 
ability  obtained  read}'  recognition,  and  his  future 
jiromises  to  be  eminently  successful.  He  w.as  mar- 
ri(Hl  in  18(!1,  to  .Miss  Mary  .1.  Goodale,  .ind  by  his 
union  with  this  ladj'  became  the.father  of  one  child, 
a  daughter,  Frankie  J.  Mrs.  Mary  Bailey  departed 
this  life  in  187;i.  In  1884  Dr.  Bailey  married  for 
his  second  wife.  Miss  Emma  Smith,  of  Lansing, 
.Mich. 

Politically  the  Doctor  is  a  Jeffersonian  Demo- 
crat. He  belongs  to  the  State  Medical  .Society  of 
Michigan  and  the  American  Homeopathic  Associa- 
tion, and  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  a 
liberal-minded  citizen,  and  always  ready  to  con- 
tribute of  his  time  and  means  for  the  promotion 
of  worthy  objects. 


^3= 


7~r 


T~7 


--i^- 


%        ISILLIAM    E\\ 
W^     ilucting  his 


:   1 

Br' 


ILIJAM  EWERS,  a  highly  res|)ected  Oer- 
)f  Keokuk,  is  successfully  con- 
well-appointed  meat-markets 
at  1122  Main  street  and  on  Fourth  street  between 
Main  .and  .Iohnstt)n,  and  is  one  of  the  straightfor- 
ward business  men  of  the  Gate  Cit}'.  He  emi- 
grated from  his  native  country  in  1854,  and  for  a 
time  was  engaged  in  Baltimore,  Mil.,  in  the  butch- 
ering business,  thence  came  to  Keokuk  in  the  fol- 
lowing year.  He  first  opened  a  shop  on  the  levee, 
removed  from  there  to  Twelfth  street,  and  tinally, 
.as  his  business  prospects  enlarged,  removed  to  his 
present  quarters  in  1878.  Besides  liis  two  sons  he 
employs  two  other  men,  ami  deals  in  only  the  lirst 
(pialit^v  of  meats. 

The  father  of  our  subject  w.as  a  farmer  in  his  na- 
tive land,  ill  which  he  passed  his  entire  life.  The 
parental  household  consisted  of  twelve  children,  of 
whom  the  subject  of  our  sketch    was    the   third    in 


^^SZZ 


scsss 


LEE  COUNTY. 


321 


;e 


order  of  birth.  In  accordance  with  the  laws  of  his 
counti-y  he  was  placed  in  school  at  the  early  age  of 
six  3'ears,  and  remained  until  he  was  fourteen.  He 
then  served  a  three  j^ears'  apprenticeship  at  his 
trade,  and  was  engaged  in  traveling  the  succeeding 
three  years,  when  he  entered  the  army,  remaining 
in  the  military  service  from  1850  to  1853.  Four 
years  later  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Annie  Arnold,  he  having  in  the  meantime  become 
a  resident  of  the  United  States.  Their  marriage 
took  place  in  Keokuk,  of  which  city  Mrs.  E.  was  at 
that  time  a  resident.  She  only  remained  the  com- 
panion of  her  husband  about  nine  years,  her  de- 
cease occuring  Aug.  30,  1866.  She  became  the 
mother  of  three  children,  all  living,  as  follows: 
Annie,  Mrs.  Walzam,  is  a  resident  of  Warsaw,  Han- 
cock Co.,  111. ;  William  and  Amelia  are  living  with 
their  father  at  home. 

Mr.  Ewers  was  married  a  second  time,  Maj^  28, 
1867,  to  Miss  Annie  Paffer,  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  of  this  union  there  have  been  born  nine  chil- 
dren, viz.,  Frank,  George,  Pauline,  Pulaski,  Albert, 
Mary,  Katie,  Robert  and  Lawrence.  They  occupy 
a  comfortable  dwelling  located  on  Main  street,  be- 
tween Eleventh  and  Twelfth,  and  rank  among  the 
highly  respected  residents  of  the  Gate  City.  In 
politics  Mr.  Ewers  uniformly  votes  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  and  religiously  he  and  bis  family  are 
loyal  adherents  of  the  Catholic  faith. 


-^**^ 


..o*o.-fcj^<^-o4o~ 


APT.  RUFUS  GOODNOUGH,  an  honored 
resident  of  Montrose,  and  an  experienced 
and  skillful  pilot  of  the  Mississippi  River,  is 
a  native  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  and  was  born  on 
Christmas  Daj',  1816.  He  is  the  son  of  Asa  and 
Elizabeth  (Brown)  Goodnough,  natives  respectively 
of  Vermont  and  Ohio.  They  were  the  parents  of 
two  children — Rufus,  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  and 
William. 

Capt.  Goodnough  turned  his  face  westward  in 
1828,  crossing  the  river  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he 
embarked  on  the  steamer  "  Warrior,"  and  came  up 
the  river  as  far  as  Galena.  The  country  at  that  time 
was  wild  and  uncultivated,  and  he  well  remembers 
the  solitude   of  the  lonely  scenery  along  the  banks 


of  the  Mississippi  upon  which  now  stand  flourishing 
cities,  before  which  are  anchored  the  proud  and 
beautiful  modern  craft  that  now  navigate  the  Father 
of  Waters.  During  the  Texan  troubles,  in  1835, 
he  went  to  the  Lone  Star  State,  remaining  about 
seven  years,  and  afterward  returned  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he  engaged  as  a  pilot  on  the  Upper  Missis- 
sippi, oceupj'ing  this  difficult  and  responsible  posi- 
tion for  the  next  twenty  years.  This  included  the 
date  at  which  Ft.  Sumter  was  fired  upon  by  the 
rebels,  and  he  resolved  to  enter  the  service  of  his 
country.  With  the  assistance  of  Capt.  Gallend  he 
raised  a  company  of  volunteers,  which  became  Co. 
H,  6th  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  appointed  First 
Lieutenant.  He  resigned  his  commission  in  the 
winter  of  that  same  year,  and  coming  home  pro- 
ceeded to  raise  another  company,  enlisting  his  men 
in  the  30th  Iowa  Regiment,  in  which  company  he 
served  as  Captain  until  April  9,  1863.  At  this 
time,  on  account  of  ill-health,  being  afflicted  with 
asthma  and  bronchitis,  he  resigned  and  received  an 
honorable  discharge.  During  his  itiilitary  career 
he  participated  in  the  engagements  at  Arkansas  Post 
and  Chickasaw  and  Mississippi  Bayou.  He  was 
never  wounded  while  in  battle,  but  on  account  of 
impaired  health  is  drawing  a  small  pension  from  the 
Government. 

Capt.  Goodnough  was  married  in  October,  1855, 
to  Mrs.  Nancie  (Pierce)  Hardisshell,  an  Arkansas 
lady.  She  remained  the  companion  of  her  husband 
for  a  period  of  twenty-three  years,  and  departed 
this  life  April  1,  1878.  Of  this  union  there  were 
no  children.  He  was  the  second  time  married  in 
1880,  the  ladj'  of  his  choice  being  Mrs.  Lovina 
Wallace,  widow  of  John  Wallace,  and  born  in  Iowa; 
in  1840.  Of  this  union  there  has  been  one  child,  a 
daughter,  Fannie  R.,  the  date  of  whose  birth  was 
Aug.  21,  1881. 

Capt.  Goodnough  is  represented  in  many  of  the 
societies  and  orders  of  the  present  day,  and  is  a 
great  favorite  among  his  brethren  of  the  different 
fraternities.  He  became  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  in  1856,  and  has  filled  the  various  offices  of 
the  Blue  Lodge.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Royal  Arch 
and  Council  degrees;  is  a  member  of  Joppa  Lodge 
No.  136,  at  Montrose,  Iowa,  and  the  Royal  Arch 
and  Council  degrees  in  the  Potowonock  Lodge  at 


ii 


m 


K 


-rurtxnr: 


iBfeii 


m 


Ft.  Madison.  Iowa.  He  is  also  connected  with  the 
Cascade  Lodge  No.  6fi.  f.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Montrose, 
and  is  a  (iood  Templar.  Besides  this,  he  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Labor  Lodge  at  Mon- 
trose, and  of  the  Tip  Best  Post  G.  A.  R.,  at  Mon- 
trose. He  also  lu-longs  to  the  .Sir  Knights  of  the 
Palm  and  Shell,  and  the  Cliaptej-  of  the  Eastern 
Star.  C'ai)t.  (Joodnough  is  a  member  in  good 
standing  of  llio  Lpiscopal  C'liiirfh  of  Montrose,  to 
the  support  of  which  he  contril)utes  liberally  and 
cheerfully.  Besides  his  river  interests  he  is  the 
possessor  of  real  estate  inside  the  city  limits  of 
Montrose,  and  occupies  a  handsome  and  comforta- 
ble home.  As  a  river  man  he  is  exceedingly'  popu- 
lar, and  as  a  townsman  is  held  in  high  respect  bj' 
his  fellow-citizens.  The  ))ortrait  of  Capt.  Good- 
nough.  which  accompanies  this  sketch,  will  be 
viewed  with  pleasure  by  his  many  friends. 


^-i-L^- 


■ip^.OBERT  McHENRY,  deceased,  was  an  early 
llj^  settler  in  this  part  of  the  Hawkeye  State, 
i^\Vi  coming  here  while  it  was  still  a  Territory, 
^^anil  during  a  residence  of  over  forty  years 
built  up  for  himself  a  name  which  will  remain  im- 
perishiible  in  the  memory  of  the  passing  as  well  as 
the  rising  generation  for  long  years  to  come.  He 
was  a  man  of  noble  impulses  and  kindly  deeds, 
and  left  the  impress  of  a  worthy  ch.aracter  upon 
those  with  wiioni  he  came  in  contact.  He  came  of 
stanch  Irish  ancestry,  and  inherited  from  his  fore- 
fathers those  generous  qualities  for  which  the  Celtic 
race  have  so  long  been  celebrated.  He  was  a  man 
slow  to  anger,  generous  to  the  faults  of  others,  and 

I ;:  I     throughout  his  life  endeavored  to  set  an  example 

^TtM     worthy  of  iniiUition. 

The  subject  of  our  history  was  born  in  County 
Antrim,  Ireland.  Aug.  h.  181.5.  His  father,  Daniel 
McHenry,  vras  of  Scottish  parentage  and  descent. 
He  emigrated  to  Ireland,  settling  in  County  Antrim 
for  a  few  years,  thence  coming  to  the  ITnited  States, 
and  died  here  only  a  short  time  after   his  arrival. 

^^S'n  His  son  Robert,  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  w.is  a 
youth  of  seventeen  years  when  he  came  to  this 
country,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  and  located 
in  New  York  City.   He  was  soon  afterward  appreu- 


ticed  to  learn  the  trade  of  stone-cutting  and  mar- 
ble-dressing, and  afterward  vtent  to  Philadelphia, 
remaining  there  until  1840.  when  he  decided  to 
seek  his  fortunes  beyond  the  Mississippi.  He  came 
into  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  and  located  at  Ft.  Mad- 
ison, being  among  its  earliest  settlers.  He  at  once 
commenced  to  work  at  his  trade,  and  was  the  con- 
tr.actor  for  building  the  walls  and  stonework  of  the 
Iowa  Penitentiary.  He  became  very  successful  in 
his  operations  in  this  line,  in  which  he  was  contin- 
uousl.v  engaged  until  within  a  few  years  of  his  death, 
when,  on  account  of  ill-health,  he  retired  from  act- 
ive labor. 

In  1871  Mr.  McHenry  went  to  California  upon  a 
visit  to  his  sons,  and  upon  his  return  in  the  fall 
of  the  year,  removed  to  his  farm  in  Xan  Buren 
County,  whence,  after  a  residence  of  two  years  he 
returned  to  Ft.  Madison,  and  folded  his  hands  for 
his  final  rest  on  the  1st  of  August,  1  87;").  He  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
which  he  had  been  an  elder  for  thirty-four  years. 

Mr.  ^McHenry  was  twice  married,  the  first  time 
to  Miss  Isabella  McLain,  a  native  of  his  own  coun- 
try, and  also  of  Scottish  ancestry.  She  became  the 
mother  of  five  children,  .and  dep.arted  this  life  in 
18.52.  Of  her  children,  Daniel,  Robert  and  Alexan- 
der were  born  in  Ft.  Madison;  the  two  older  ones 
live  in  California,  and  Alexander  in  Oregon.  The 
daughters  were  Isabella  and  Letitia;  the  former  be- 
came the  wife  of  H.  B.  Thompson,  of  Lincoln,  Neb., 
and  Letitia  married  George  Kemper,  of  Burlington. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  McHenry  occurred 
on  the  2.5th  of  December,  18,57,  when  he  was  wed- 
ded to  Miss  Letitia  McLain,  a  native  of  County 
Tyrone,  Ireland,  born  Aug.  8,  1829.  Iler  f.ather, 
Allen  McLain,  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  went 
with  his  parents  when  young  to  Ireland.  He  was 
there  married,  and  remained  there  until  1834,  when 
he  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Phil- 
.adelphia,  where  he  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life. 
The  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  McLain  was  Ann  Neil,  a 
native  of  Irel.and,  of  Scotch  parentage.  She  died 
in  her  native  country  in  1832. 

Mrs.  McHenry  lived  in  Philadelphia  until  1850, 
and  then  removed  west  to  Ft.  Madison.  .She  has 
one  child  living,  a  daughter,  Vallie.  Charles  B., 
the  only  son,  died  at  four  years  of  age.     Mrs.  Mc- 


ill 

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Henry  is  prominentl}'  connected  with  the  Presb}"- 
terian  Church,  of  which  she  has  been  a  member  for 
many  j^ears. 

From  an  obituary  notice  of  Mr.  McHenry,  writ- 
ten by  a  friend,  and  published  a  few  days  after  his 
death  in  the  Ft.  Madison  Plaindealer,  we  make  the 
following- extract :  ■•  He  was  a  man  of  strong  re- 
ligious faith,  strict  morals,  more  than  average  intel- 
ligence, and  sound  judgment;  was  industrious,  pru- 
dent and  benevolent,  a  kind  and  loving  husband  and 
father,  a  true  friend,  and  a  just  citizen  in  all  re- 
spects." These  words,  from  one  who  knew  him  in- 
timately, are  more  forcible  than  anything  which 
could  be  written  by  the  pea  of  the  general  biogra- 
pher, and  without  doubt  are  a  most  truthful  de- 
lineation of  his  character. 


"iflAMES  H.  BACON  is  well  known  through- 
out Lee  County  as  the  proprietor  of  the 
beautiful  Baj-  View  Farm,  and  one  of  the 
finest  herd  of  Short-horns  in  the  Hawkeye 
State,  familiarlj'  known  as  the  Bay  View  herd.  He 
occupies  a  part  of  the  homestead  established  bj'  his 
father  before  hini,  which  constitutes  one  of  the 
prettiest  spots  in  the  landscape  of  this  section,  and 
in  the  prosecution  of  his  agricutural  pursuits  and 
stock  breeding,  has  been  remarkabh'  successful, 
the  result  of  wise  judgment  and  ample  means. 

James  H.  Bacon  is  a  native  of  the  Prairie  State, 
having  been  born  in  Macomb,  June  13,  1849.  His 
father,  James  H.  Bacon,  was  a  native  of  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  and  his  birth  occurred  July  19,  1816.  His 
grandfather,  Joseph  Bacon,  was  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  a  farmer  by  profession  and  training, 
making  of  this  honorable  calling  a  matter  of  pride 
and  skill,  and  becoming  remarkably  successful. 
After  leaving  his  native  State  he  went  to  Tennessee, 
where  he  still  followed  agricultural  pursuits,  and 
thence  removed  to  Illinois,  becoming  an  earlj'  set- 
tler of  McDonough  Count}'.  He  purchased  a  tract 
of  land  from  the  Government,  from  which  he  im- 
proved a  farm,  and  gave  a  portion  of  the  land  for 
the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Tennessee,  naming 
the  town  after  his  native  State.  His  farm  joined 
the  corporation,  and  he  made  his  home  there   until 


his  de.ath.  He  was  a  large-hearted,  liberal-minded 
man,  and  thoroughly  identified  himself  with  the  in- 
terests of  his  adopted  count}',  giving  of  his  means 
to  every  good  jjurpose  calculated  for  the  benefit 
of  the  community.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  now 
owns  a  part  of  that  old  homestead. 

James  H.  Bacon,  the  father  of  our  subject,  as- 
sisted his  parents  around  the  homestead  and  availed 
himself  of  the  very  limited  opportunities  for  an 
education.  He  was  a  bright  and  studious  boy, 
however,  keenly  observant,  and  obtained  such  books 
as  he  could  for  study  by  the  evening  fireside,  after 
the  close  of  his  day's  labors.  As  he  passed  from 
boyhood  and  began  to  do  for  himself,  he  split  rails 
for  the  munificent  salar}'  of  twenty-five  cents  a  daj', 
and  emploj'ed  his  evenings  in  study.  He  was  in- 
clined to  the  medical  profession,  and  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Lester  at 
Nashville,  with  whom  he  remained  until  competent 
to  enter  upon  his  practice.  In  1 840  he  returned 
to  Illinois,  and  engaged  in  practice  until  1851, 
when  he  removed  to  Ft.  Madison,  and  followed  the 
duties  of  his  profession  there  for  about  ten  years. 
He  was  remarkably  successful  and  popular,  and  ac- 
cumulated considerable  means.  He  then  engaged 
in  banking,  and  was  thus  occupied  until  failing 
health  compelled  him  to  retire.  At  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  June  20,  1882,  he  was 
the  owner  of  2,500  acres  of  land  in  Lee  County. 
Most  of  it  he  had  entered  from  the  Government, 
and  had  also  purchased  tax  titles,  and  while  attend- 
ing personallj'  to  the  banking  business,  he  em- 
ployed men  to  improve  his  farms. 

In  early  manhood,  James  H.  Bacon,  Sr.,  was 
married  to  Miss  .Sarah  Coffman,  who  died  on 
Christmas  Day.  1878.  In  addition  to  his  other 
duties,  Mr.  Bacon,  who  was  of  a  deeply  religious 
turn  of  mind,  was  closely  connected  with  the 
Christian  Church,  and  was  a  preacher  in  that  de- 
nomination for  many  years.  He  is  well  remem- 
bered in  this  county  as  a  man  of  great  force  of 
character,  with  peculiarly  clear  and  intelligent 
views  upon  all  subjects.  He  was  a  deep  thinker, 
and  had  the  rare  gift  of  expressing  himself  in  an 
impressive  and  pleasing  manner. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  a  child  of  only 
two  years  old  when  he  came  to  Ft.   Madison   with 


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ya^jj'jtj'j': 


his  parents.  He  received  careful  parental  training 
at  home,  and  his  primary  education  in  the  city 
schools.  At  the  a<re  of  fourteen  years  he  entered 
Abingdon  College. at  Abingdon.  III.,  and  graduated 
from  that  institution  in  1m7().  His  first  business 
venture  consisted  of  a  stock  of  hardware,  which 
he  opened  at  Kt.  Madison,  and  at  which  he  con- 
tinued for  eighteen  months,  when  he  sold  out  to 
engage  in  tlie  grocery  business  at  Burlington,  Iowa. 
This  he  abandoned  after  eighteen  months,  and 
then  returned  to  Ft.  Madison,  settling  on  a  tract 
of  land  which  i.=i  now  known  as  Bay  View  Farm. 
The  farm  contains  1,320  acres,  and  is  located  eight 
miles  northeast  of  Ft.  Madison.  His  operations 
are  chiefly  among  the  Short-horn  cattle,  and  Ham- 
bletonian  and  Clydesdale  horses.  His  herd  of 
ijhort-horns  numbers  about  100  head.  They  are 
thoroughbred,  and  for  lieauty  and  symmetry  will 
compare  with  any  iierd  of  cattle  west  of  tiie  Mis- 
sissippi. Upon  the  farm  stands  a  handsome  resi- 
dence, with  first-cl.ass  barns  and  out-buildings,  and 
all  the  appliances  necessary  for  the  carrying  on  of 
agriculture  and  stock-breeding  in  a  first-class  man- 
ner. The  stables  for  horses  and  cattle  are  cleanly 
and  well  ventilated,  and  finely  calculated  for  the 
uses  to  which  they  are  adapted.  Bay  View  Farm 
is  visited  bj'  people  from  far  and  near,  who  come 
to  admire  its  natural  beauty  of  location,  and  the 
system  and  order  with  which  its  simplest  oper- 
ations are  conducted.  It  is  a  model  in  every  way, 
and  rctlects  great  credit  upon  its  owner,  who  is 
likewise  its  main  head  and  superintendent. 

James  II.  Bacon  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Lizzie  JI.  Case,  May  10,  1871.  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Mourton  and  Louise  (Cumming)  Case,  a 
sketch  of  whom  is  given  in  another  part  of  this 
volume.  Mrs.  Bacon  is  an  intelligent  and  highly 
accomplished  lady,  and  has  become  the  mother  of 
two  children,  a  son  and  daughter,  James  M.,  born 
July  «.  1H72,  and  Alpha,  Jan.  1,  1874.  Mrs.  Bacon 
is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  of  Ft.  Madison.  Mr.  Bacon  i)oliticall3', 
aHiliates  with  the  Democratic  party,  and  casts  his 
vote  to  uphold  the  principles  of  that  part}-.  He  is, 
in  .all  respects,  a  vahied  citizen  of  the  Hawkeye 
Estate,  and  has  materially  aided  its  industrial  inter- 
ests as  well  as  its  progress  educationally. 

Ek^PH.      _    ._. , 


ERMAN  BRINCK.  a  highly  respected  citi- 
zen of  West  Point,  is  successfully  engaged 
in  general  merchandising,  and  since  his  es- 
tablishment here  in  18.50  has  commanded 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-townsmen. 
He  has  a  good  underst.-uiding  of  blacksmithing.  and 
in  18.')8,  in  partnership  with  another  man,  was  en- 
g.aged  in  the  drug  business.  He  was  unfortunate, 
however,  in  his  selection  f>f  a  partner,  by  whose 
unserupulousness  he  met  with  great  loss.  He  was 
not  discouraged,  however,  but  gathered  up  his 
broken  fortune  in  the  best  manner  he  could,  again 
started  at  the  fot>t  of  the  ladder,  and  is  now  mak- 
ing good  strides  toward  the  top. 

The  marriage  of  Herman  Brinck  and  Miss  Mar- 
garet Dingman  was  celebrated  in  18,iS(.  Two  years 
later,  with  a  small  capital  of  $1,.500,  he  purchased 
a  stock  of  general  merchandise.  In  1804  he  secured 
possession  of  the  West  Point  Flour  Mills,  which  he 
successf  nil}'  operated,  and  the  following  year  estab- 
lished a  pork-pncking  business,  wliich  he  carried  on 
profitably,  and  a  year  later  established  the  brewery 
at  this  place,  and  did  a  business  of  $125,000 
j'early.  At  this  time,  owing  to  the  changes  brought 
about  by  the  building  of  the  B.  &  S.  W.  R.  R., 
contiguous  to  this  vicinity,  business  of  all  kinds  re- 
ceived a  great  set-back,  and  ;Mr.  Brinck  suffered  a 
great  loss  in  common  with  his  neighbors,  and  it 
finally  became  necessarj'  for  him  to  abandon  all  his 
projects  except  his  trade  in  merchandise.  The 
failure  to  have  this  road  built  through  West  Point 
was  the  greatest  disaster  that  ever  occurred  to  the 
people  of  this  vicinity.  Before  this  the  village  had 
ever}'  indication  of  becoming  one  of  the  foremost 
business  points  in  the  county,  but  now,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  men  of  grent  energy  and  enter- 
prise, its  progress  is  practieall}'  at  a  standstill.  Mr. 
Brinck  bore  his  disasters  with  manly  cour.age,  in 
due  time  recovering  from  the  effects  of  them,  and 
by  his  straightforward  business  methods  h.as  se- 
cured a  large  circle  of  friends  and  patrons.  He 
carries  about  ?<  12.000  stock,  from  which  he  receives 
:i  fine  income. 

Mr.  Brinck  is  a  native  of  the  German  Empire, 
and  was  born  in  the  little  Kingdom  of  Hanover, 
Sept.  13,  1832.  He  was  a  child  of  eighteen  months 
when  his  parents  emigrated   to  the   United  States, 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


first  locating  in  New  York  City,  and  comparatively 
without  means.  The  first  money  they  secured  was 
iSil  given  them  for  a  small  pair  of  wooden  shoes 
belonging  tu  their  son,  our  subject.  These  were 
subsequently  purchased  by  a  gentleman  who  wished 
to  preserve  them  as  curiosities.  Later,  the  father 
secured  work,  and  the  mother  became  engaged  in 
cooking  for  railroad  men,  and  thej'  thus  earned 
enough  money  to  get  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  where  in 
due  time  the  father  started  tlie  third  match  factor^' 
in  the  United  States.  He  gave  it  the  name  of 
Locofoco  in  honor  of  one  of  the  political  factions 
of  that  time.  He  was  thus  occupied  for  four  years 
with  success,  and  secured  enough  capital  to  cross 
the  Mississippi  and  establish  a  similar  factory  at 
St.  Louis,  Mo.  This  was  in  18.39.  When  they  had 
got  within  thirty  miles  of  their  destination,  the 
l)oat  caught  fire  and  burned  up,  and  the  father, 
with  |;-1:,000  in  gold  on  his  person,  was  drowned ; 
the  treasure  went  to  the  bottom,  and  was  never  re- 
covered. In  connection  with  this  catastrophe  the 
f.amily  lost  all  their  belongings,  both  clothing  and 
furniture,  the  mother  and  two  children  barely  es- 
caping with  their  lives,  the  mother's  clothes  having 
already  taken  fire  as  she  was  being  rescued  and 
taken  onto  another  boat.  The  steamer  destroyed 
was  the  "  McNevel,"  and  accounts  of  the  disaster 
were  widely  published  in  papers  of  the  East. 

The  stricken  and  widowed  mother  and  her  two 
children  were  landed  in  St.  Louis  entirely  destitute. 
Mrs.  Brinck  was  compelled  to  put  our  subject  in  an 
orphan  asylum,  and  obliged  to  earn  her  own  living 
bj'  washing.  Her  bereaved  condition  and  worthy 
character  soon  obtained  for  her  friends  and  helpers, 
and  in  due  time  she  recovered  from  the  terrible 
disaster  of  her  lifetime.  She  was  finally  married  to 
Mr.  D'Lampe,  a  blacksmith  by  occupation.  They 
removed  near  Hanover,  111.,  and  our  subject  was 
taken  from  the  asylum  and  joined  his  mother  and 
stepfather  at  their  new  home. 

After  a  time  the  familj'  returned  to  their  na- 
tive countrj-,  where  they  remained  for  a  period 
of  three  years.  They  then  set  sail  again  for 
America,  and  returning  to  Illinois,  settled  at  t^nincy , 
where  thej'  remained  for  three  years,  and  then 
went  to  Dubuque  County,  Iowa.  After  our  sub- 
ject  had  attjiiued  his  majority,  he  came  into  West 


M 


Point,  and  two  years  later  was  joined  by  his  mother 
and  stepfather,  who  remained  there  until  their 
death. 

Mr.  Brinck  was  married  at  West  Point,  Jul3^  5, 
1859,  to  Miss  Margaret  Dingman,  who  is  a  nativer^SSj; 
of  this  place,  born  in  1843.  She  was  reared  and 
educated  here,  and  lived  in  the  vieinit}'  until  her 
marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brinck  have  become  the 
parents  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom  one  is  de- 
ceased :  Theodore  is  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  his  fa- 
ther's store;  Henry  is  a  book-keeper  in  the  whole- 
sale house  of  Lesem  &  Co.,  at  Quincy,  111.;  Mary 
is  engaged  in  the  millinerj'  business  in  her  father's 
store;  Elizabeth  is  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  with  rela- 
tives; those  at  home  are,  Anna,  Louisa,  Rosa,  Ber- 
nard, Josephine,  William,  Alice  and  Edward. 

The  family  is  connected  with  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church.  Mr.  Brinck  has  been  a  prominent 
man  in  this  vicinity,  and  takes  a  lively  interest  in 
all  matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  his  township  and 
count}'.  He  has  been  Mayor  of  the  citj-  for  two 
years,  and  President  of  the  District  Fair,  which  em- 
braces four  counties.  He  is  always  willing  to  con- 
tribute of  his  time  and  means  for  the  promotion  of 
everj'  worth}'  object,  and  in  all  respects  is  ful- 
filling the  duties  of  a  good  citizen. 


HI 
Mi 


^^^  VON  DER  HAAR,  a  successful  blacksmith 
III  ,-— ,  and  carriage-maker  of  West  Point  Town- 
^^ijj  ship,  is  a  native  of  Hanover,  born  Jan.  4, 
1  s43,  and  came  to  the  United  States  when  a  young 
man,  iu  181)6.  After  reaching  American  shores  he 
remained  for  a  brief  time  in  Chicago,  then  pro- 
ceeded westward,  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came 
into  Ft.  Madison,  arriving  here  on  the  3d  of  No- 
vember. In  the  December  following  he  started  in 
business  as  a  blacksmith  and  carriage-maker,  and  l^ 

successful  from  the  start.  His  father  and 
grandfather  before  him  were  expert  in  the  same 
calling,  and  their  mechanical  skill  seems  to  have  de- 
scended to  their  representative  in  a  remarkable  de- 
gree. He  had  two  uncles  also,  who  followed  black- 
smithing,  one  of  them  especially  being  celebrated 
as  possessing  more  skill  at  his  trade  than  anj'  man  in 
that  section. 
The  parents  of  Mr,  Von  der  Haar  spent  their  entire 


I    was 


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lives  in  their  native  countrj',  and  were  there  laid  to 
their  final  rest.  Our  subject  received  his  early  in- 
struction in  blacksmithing  under  the  tuition  of  his 
father,  and  when  he  had  determined  to  emigrate  to 
the  United  States  he  set  out  unattended  by  either 
relatives  or  friends.  In  1 HGT  he  was  married,  in 
Iowa  County,  Wis.,  on  the  9th  of  February,  to 
Miss  Christina  Lambert,  of  (ialena,  III.,  and  born 
in  1850.  Her  father,  a  merchant,  was  of  (ierman 
parentage  and  descent,  and  came  to  this  countrj' 
when  a  j'oung  man,  before  his  marriage.  After 
this  event  he  made  his  home  in  Gal-ena  for  some 
j'ears,  and  then  removed  to  Wisconsin. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Von  der  Haar  are  the  jjarents  of 
eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  as  fol- 
lows: Joseph,  Henry,  William,  Adeline,  Bennett, 
Margaret,  George  and  Mary.  Mr.  V.  is  the  owner 
of  valuable  property,  which  includes  twenty-four 
lots,  most  of  them  being  supplied  with  good  build- 
ings. His  business  is  conducted  with  discretion 
and  judgment,  and  the  i)roducts  of  his  shops  are 
second  to  none  in  the  Ilawkeye  State.  He  is  a 
prominent  man  in  his  community  and  a  ^'illage 
Trustee.  Politically  he  casts  his  vote  with  the 
Democratic  party,  and  the  various  members  of  the 
family  are  connected  with  the  Catholic  Church. 


^'SHQ'^f^^ 


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RANKLIN  HAKSHMAN  began  mercantile 
™^j  life  in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  but  is  now  a 
jt^  prosperous  and  successful  farmer,  occupy- 
ing a  fine  tract  of  land  in  Montrose  Township 
on  section  10.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State, 
having  been  born  in  Butler  County  on  the  80th  of 
October,  1823.  His  parents  were  John  and  Susanna 
(Pence)  llarshman,  natives  of  Rockingham  County, 
Va.  The  father,  born  in  1791,  departed  this  life 
May  7,  1850,  in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  to  which 
place  he  had  emigrated  from  his  native  State  in 
I  early  manhood.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
highly  respected  in  his  community,  and  a  member 
in  good  standing  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  Mrs. 
Susanna  llarshman  was  born  June  19,  1798,  and 
married  in  1820;  she  became  the  mother  of  five 
children,  and  died  April    1,  1804,  having  survived 


H^MM 


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her  husband  fourteen  years.  The  record  of  their 
children  is  as  follows:  Rebecca  J.  became  the  wife 
of  Arthur  Duflield;  F'ranklin.  of  our  sketch,  was 
the  second  child;  Daniel  W.  married  Mary  J. 
Curry,  and  is  now  deceased;  William  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Clawser,  and  is  living  in  Missouri;  Mary 
A.  died  in  infancy. 

Franklin  llarshman  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Elizabeth  Tweedy  in  1851.  Mrs.  H.  was  born 
in  Butler  County,  Ohio,  March  15,  1830,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Morrison) 
Tweedy,  natives  of  County  Down,  Ireland.  The 
former  was  born  in  1790,  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  and  located  in  Butler  County,  Ohio,  where 
he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life,  his  death  occur- 
ring in  1870.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Tweedy  was  born  in 
1787,  and  preceded  her  husband  to  the  better  land 
twenty -seven  years,  dying  in  1843,  after  having 
become  the  mother  of  nine  children,  as  follows: 
Elinore,  Andrew,  Jane,  Marj',  Grizella,  John, 
Jane,  Nathan  and  Elizabeth;  Jane  and  Marj'  are 
deceased. 

Mrs.  llarshman  was  the  youngest  member  of  her 
parents'  family,  and  bj'  her  union  with  the  subject 
of  our  sketch  has  become  the  mother  of  five  chil- 
dren:  John  D..  born  Dec.  21,  1852,  married  Miss 
Mar}'  Elizabeth  Bliss  in  1877,  and  became  the 
father  of  four  children — Willie  died  at  the  age  of 
seven  months;  Fletcher  G.  was  born  Sept.  7,  1880; 
Clifl'ord,  born  Feb.  7,  1883,  died  Sept.  24,  1885; 
and  an  infant  died  unnamed.  Robert  T.,  born  Oct. 
25,  1854,  is  now  living  in  South  America;  Iluldah 
was  born  Aug.  10,  1861,  and  is  a  graduate  of  Penn 
College  at  Oskaloosa ;  Frank  X.,  born  Aug.  17,1 863 ; 
William  D.,  now  a  resident  of  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  was 
born  Feb.  13,  1866. 

The  homestead  of  Mr.  llarshman  consists  of  160 
acres  of  highly  cultivated  land,  a  fine  farm  dwell- 
ing, good  barns  and  outhouses,  equipped  with  all 
the  conveniences  for  the  raising  of  stock  and  the 
storing  of  grain.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
Hawkeye  State  since  1855,  removing  his  family 
here  the  following  year.  Besides  the  ordinary 
duties  of  the  farm,  he  is  largelj'  interested  in  stock 
breeding,  and  has  shipped  many  cars  of  cattle  and 
hogs  to  the  Eastern  markets.  He  has  a  number  of 
thoroughbred  horses,  .nnd  exhibits  some  of  the  fin- 


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est  colts  from  Hambletonian  stock  to  be  found  in 
this  section  of  the  countiy. 

Mr.  Harshmaii  has  been  a  prominent  man  in  his 
community,  and  has  held  various  offices  of  the 
township.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
in  good  standing,  and  has  attained  to  tlie  Com- 
raandery,  having  held  the  various  offices  of  the  in- 
tervening lodges.  As  a  man  and  a  citizen,  he  is 
faithfullj'  performing  his  duties  in  life,  and  enjoys 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

yW.  .JAMIESON,  Superintendent  of  the 
City  Schools  of  Keokuk,  is  descended  from 
an  ancient  Scottish  family,  although  of 
Penusylvauia  parentage.  He  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton Count}',  Pa.,  Oct.  11,  1824,  and  is  the  son  of 
Robert  and  Jeane  (Hill)  Jamieson,  natives  of  Wyo- 
ming, Pa.  His  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
a  large  landed  proprietor,  and  in  addition  to  his 
agricultural  pursuits,  was  interested  in  the  breeding 
of  fine  horses  and  sheep.  The  parents  of  our  sub- 
ject departed  this  life  in  1*^32  and  1H29,  respect- 
ively. They  were  most  worthy  and  excellent 
people,  and  members  of  the  Associated  Synod  of 
North  America.  Their  familj-  of  five  children 
received  careful  home  training  and  a  fair  education 
in  the  public  schools. 

Supt.  Jamieson  remained  on  his  father's  farm 
until  he  was  twelve  years  old,  receiving  his  primary 
education  in  the  district  school.  He  then  pursued 
his  studies  in  the  Classical  School  at  Wheeling,  W. 
A'a.,  where  he  remained  for  two  years,  and  then 
entered  Washington  College,  Pa.,  from  which  insti- 
tution he  graduated  in  1S51.  In  the  meantime  he 
also  engaged  in  teaching,  and  after  his  graduation 
became  preceptor  of  the  Monongahela  Academ}'  at 
Morgantown,  W.  Xa..,  which  position  he  occupied 
for  three  years.  It  now  seemed  advisable  to  change 
his  occupation  and  he  became  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising and  the  purchase  and  sale  of  wool,  which 
business  he  followed  for  three  years  in  Washington 
County,  Pa. 

Prof.  Jamieson,  however,  seemed  admirably 
adapted  as  an  instructor  and  educator,  and  in  April, 
1858,  he  crossed  the  Mississippi,  came  into  Keokuk, 


and  organized  the  Keokuk  Classical  School  of  this 
city,  where  he  occupied  the  position  of  teacher  and 
manager  continuously  for  ten  years.  During  this 
time  he  had  become  deeply  interested  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  cit}-  schools,  and 
developed  a  remarkable  aptitude  as  an  instructor 
and  leading  spirit.  He  was  appointed  Superintend- 
ent of  the  city  schools  July  1,  1868,  and  has  held 
the  position  since  that  time,  having  been  also 
appointed  Secretary  of  the  City  School  Board  April 
1,  1879.  He  is  possessed  of  excellent  judgment, 
and  fulfills  the  duties  of  his  responsible  position 
with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  all  con- 
cerned. 

The  marriage  of  Prof.  Jamieson  with  Miss  Mary 
McCall  Stewart  was  celebrated  in  Washington 
County,  Pa.,  in  1851.  Mrs  J.  is  the  daughter  of 
William  Stewart,  of  West  Virginia,  and  a  ladj'  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  be  the  companion  of  a  gentle- 
man possessing  the  talents  and  the  cultivation  of 
our  subject.  Prof.  Jamieson  occupies  a  fine  dwell- 
ing at  the  corner  of  Eighth  and  Blondeau  streets, 
which  he  erected  in  1863.  The  homestead  is  replete 
with  the  appliances  of  refinement  and  cultivation, 
and  is  the  resort  of  the  best  people  in  the  city. 
The  Professor  and  his  wife  are  members  in  good 
standing  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  in  politics 
our  subject  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party. 


^#^ 


-v— 


^ 


m 


R.    ¥.    W.    WYMAN,  a  successful  practic- 
fi  ing  physician   of  Keokuk,   is  a  native  of 
the  Hawkeye  State,  and  was  born  in  Bona 
parte  in  1848.     He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  R.  H. 
and  Susan  (Moore)  Wyman,  natives  of  New  York 
and   Pennsylvania  respectively.     Dr.  W3'man,  Sr., 
emigrated  from   his  native  State  in  1842,  and  set- 
tled in  Bonaparte,  Iowa,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
practice   of  his  profession.     He  was  a  graduate  of 
the  Philadelphia  Medical   College,  and  after  com- 
ing  West  became  a  member  of  the  State  Medical 
and  'the  Keokuk  Medical  Societies.     He   removed 
from   Bonaparte  to  Keokuk  in  1851,  and  became  a 
prominent  resident  of  the  city.     He  was  Alderman 
of    the    First   and   Third   Wards,  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fr9,ternitj>-  ajid  of  the  I.  ().  ().  F,     He  was 


.3-28 


lep:  county. 


1, 


also  Treasurer  of  the  Damascus  Commanderj'  of 
Keokuk.  In  company  with  Dr.  John  F.  Sanford, 
he  established  an  eye  and  ear  infirmary  in  this 
city,  and  obtained  considerable  reputation  for  his 
skill  in  these  specialties.  His  death  occurred  in 
February,  1881.  The  parental  household  consisted 
of  four  children,  all  of  whom  are  living:  Jessie  H., 
now  Mrs.  Carver,  is  a  resident  of  Chicago;  Laura, 
Mrs.  Maxwell,  lives  in  San  Francisco,  Cal. ;  Mamie, 
Mrs.  Williams,  is  in  Chicago,  as  is  also  tlie  mother 
of  our  subject. 

Dr.  Wynian  of  our  sketch  received  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  citj'  schools  of  Keokuk,  and  later  at- 
tended the  college  at  Notre  Dame,  Ind.,  where  he 
took  a  three  years' course  and  graduated  in  1879. 
He  then  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Keokuk, 
and  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  in- 
struction of  his  father.  He  subsequently  entered 
upon  a  course  at  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons, from  which  he  graduated  in  1870,  when  he 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which 
he  has  been  continuously  engaged  since  that  time. 
He  has  been  County  Physician  for  the  last  six 
years,  is  a  member  of  the  Keokuk  Medical  Society, 
and  also  belongs  to  the  Druids.  His  office  is  lo- 
cated at  No.  10  Third  street,  and  after  a  success- 
ful practice  of  ten  years  he  has  gained  the  full  con- 
fidence and  esteem  of  his  communitj'. 

Dr.  Wyman  uniformly  casts  his  vote  with  the 
Democratic  party,  and  is  thoroughly  interested  in 
everj^  question  pertaining  tr)  the  welfare  of  his  lo- 
cality. He  is  esteemed  by  all  as  an  intelligent  and 
valuable  citizen,  and  enjoys  the  resjiect  and  esteem 
of  his  fellow  practitioners. 


liil 


m 


^^^ERHARD  SANDERS,  a  successful  farmer 
jll  g-p  and  cattle  dealer  of  Marion  Township,  is 
^^5)  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  intelligent 
residents  of  this  section,  and  in  his  department  of 
the  business  world  has  uniformlj'  met  with  success. 
He  is  one  of  the  factors  of  that  useful  element 
which  has  contributed  so  much  to  the  development 
and  prosperity  of  the  Great  West,  having  been  born 
in  the  Empire  of  (iermany,  and  descended  frimi  a 
line  of  excellent  ancestry.    He  lii-st  opened  his  eyes 


_    .  ^ 

to  the  light  in  1840,  and  in  accordance  with  the  z,\ 
laws  and  customs  of  his  native  land,  was  placed  in  E  j; 
school  at  the  early  age  of  six  years,  and  continued  :;} 
until  fourteen.  He  was  then  employed  upon  a  farm, 
following  agricultural  pursuits  for  three  years  in  his 
native  countr3\  When  seventeen  years  old,  not 
being  satisfied  with  his  condition  or  prospects  in 
the  land  of  his  birth,  he  resolved  to  emigrate  to  the 
New  World.  He  accordingly  boarded  a  sailing- 
vessel,  and  after  a  prosperous  voyage  landed  in  the 
city  of  New  Orleans.  From  this  place  he  came  to 
Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  and  thence  to  Marion  Township, 
where  he  resumed  his  old-time  occupation  on  a  ^|j{ 
farm,  and  followed  this  for  nine  years. 

Upon  arriving  in  Marion  Township,  in  1857,  j 
Mr.  Sanders  was  in  debt  to  the  extent  of  ^'S6,  which 
he  borrowed  from  a  friend  in  Ciermanj'  before  sail- 
ing for  the  United  States.  This  debt  he  paid  in 
full,  and  in  18ij8,  after  having  worked  industriously 
and  saved  his  earnings,  he  found  himself  with  suffi- 
cient means  to  purchase  a  small  tract  of  land.  He 
secured  thirty-five  acres,  and  began  farming  on  his 
own  account,  applying  himself  diligently  to  the 
improvement  and  cultivation  of  his  land,  and  was  B| 
rewarded  with  success.  As  his  means  accumulated 
he  added  to  his  first  purchase,  and  is  now  the 
owner  of  280  acres,  all  finelj'  improved  and  in  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  This  is  situated  on  sec- 
tion 7,  and  with  its  handsome  farm  residence,  good 
barns  and  out-buildings,  and  tasteful  surroundings, 
forms  one  of  the  prettiest  spots  in  the  landscape  of 
Lee  Count3'.  A  portion  of  his  land  is  devoted  to 
pasture,  and  he  fattens  from  tw(j  to  three  carloads 
of  cattle  annually.  Of  these  he  now  has  a  herd  of 
forty  head,  and  exhibits  some  of  the  finest  animals  Ep 
in  this  section.  He  has  also  been  very  success- 
ful in  raising  hogs,  and  although  the  cholera  has 
raged  among  the  farmers  around  him  his  animals 
have  happily  escaped  the  scourge  for  the  past  seven 
3-ears,  owing  probably  to  the  good  cai'e  taken  of 
them  and  their  cleanly  surroundings. 

Besides  the  barns  and  cattle-sheds  on  the  farm 
of  Mr.  Sanders,  he  has  a  costly  and  valuable  wind 
pump  for  hoisting  water  for  his  stock  and  for  other 
farm  purposes.  He  is  the  principal  stock  shipper 
of  his  township,  and  the  pri>ceeds  of  his  operations 
in  this  branili  of  agriculture  yield  him  a  han<lsome 


.iJL  HKH»*1 


cSi 


income.  He  has  not  been  without  his  drawVjacks, 
having  for  a  period  of  eight  years  been  in  feeble 
health,  but  finall}'  regained  his  strength  and  pros- 
pered as  before. 

The  marriage  of  Gerhard  Sanders  and  Miss  Mary 
Huchton  was  celebrated  in  St.  Paul,  this  count}', 
in  1866.  Mrs.  Sanders  is  the  daughter  of  Christ 
Huchton,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  J^ee  County, 
and  was  born  in  this  count}"  in  1852.  She  is  a  lady 
of  rare  virtue,  greatly  esteemed  in  the  community, 
as  au  excellent  wife,  mother,  neighbor  and  friend. 
Of  her  union  with  our  subject  there  were  born  eight 
children,  six  boys  and  two  girls — Maggie,  John, 
Mary,  Joseph,  Henry,  William,  Barney  and  Christ. 
Mr.  Sanders  and  his  family  are  members  of  St, 
James'  Catholic  Church  at  St.  Paul.  In  politics  he 
votes  the  Democratic  ticket.  A  lithographic  view 
of  Mr.  Sanders'  residence  is  shown  on  another  page 
of  this  volume. 

^ ^^-^-^^^ 


'■■s 


H.  NICHOLS,  a  popular  contractor  and 
builder,  of  Keokuk,  comes  of  warm-hearted 
rish  stock,  although  a  native  of  the  Key- 
stone State.  The  date  of  his  birth  was  Oct.  5,  1831, 
and  he  is  the  son  of  James  and  Sarah  (Hamilton) 
Nichols,  natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  who  emigra- 
ted to  America  in  1831,  and  settled  in  Pennsylva- 
nia. James  Nichols  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  all  his 
life,  which  terminated  in  1884.  The  wife  and 
mother  had  preceded  him  to  the  better  laud  in 
1882.  Their  family  consisted  of  four  children — 
William  H.,  John,  James  and  Mary  J.  The  three 
last  named  live  in  Pennsylvania. 

William  H.  Nichols  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  in  the 
meantime  receiving  a  practical  education  and  as- 
sisting in  the  labors  of  the  farm.  He  then  left 
home  and  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years 
at  the  carpenter  and  joiner  trade,  in  Greensburg, 
Westmoreland  Co.,  Pa.,  and  then,  turning  his  steps 
westward,  he  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came  inco 
Keokuk,  where  he  located  and  determined  to  estab- 
lish a  permanent  home.  He  was  skillful  as  a  me- 
chanic, and  soon   established  a  business  which  has 


now  grown  to  extensive  proportions,  and  gives  em- 
ployment to  from  six  to  twelve  men. 

Soon  after  coming  to  the  Gate  City  the  evident 
talent  and  enterprise  of  Mr.  Nichols  obtained  ready 
recognition,  and  he  was  marked  out  as  one  fitted  top 
become  a  leader  in  the  community.  He  has  been  i 
actively  interested  in  every  W(jrk  and  purpose  cai 
culated  to  benefit  his  city  or  county.  He  is  serving' 
his  second  term  as  Alderman  of  the  Third  Ward, 
and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Lee  County  Loan  and 
Building  Association.  Socially  he  is  a  member  in 
good  standing  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  with  which  he  has 
been  connected  since  1854,  being  now  the  Treasurer 
and  Past  Grand,  and  has  held  all  the  offices  of  the 
lodge  in  this  city.  He  was  one  of  the  principal  or- 
ganizers of  the  Chatham  Square  Metliodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  his  name  occupies  a  prominent 
position  on  the  corner-stone  of  that  church,  which 
was  erected  in  1854. 

Mr.  Nichols  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Julia  E.  Johnston,  in  1854.  This  lady  is  a  native 
of  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  and  the  daughter  of 
William  and  Julia  Johnston,  natives  of  the  same 
State.  Of  this  marriage  there  have  been  born  five 
children,  two  living — William  J.,  who  is  Collector 
for  the  ^\'ater  \Vorks  of  Sioux  City,  and  Joseph  C 
Jennie  E.,  James  and  John  died  in  infancj'.  Mrs. 
Nichols  is  also  connected  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  is  a  lady  highly  esteemed  in  the 
communit}-.  The}'  occupy  a  handsome  residence 
at  No.  1022  High  street,  and  the  business  office  of 
Mr.  Nichols  is  located  on  Seventh  street,  between 
]Main  and  Johnston. 


M 


m 
m 


-^3- 


If/OSEPH  A.  ]MILES.  au  early  pioneer  of 
Iowa,  crossed  the  Mississippi  while  this  State  H^ 
was  yet  a  Territory,  and  has  been  a  resident 
of  Lee  County,  and  Charleston  Township, 
since  that  time.  During  a  period  of  forty-seven  years 
he  has  watched  with  unabated  interest  the  changes 
which  have  been  going  on  around  him,  and  in  com- 
mon with  the  other  early  settlers  of  this  region  has 
marveled  at  its  growth  and  rejoiced  at  its  prosper- 
ity. In  common  also  with  others  who  came  here 
at  that  time,  he  lias  materially  assisted  in   bringing 


about  this  present  prosperous  cfimlitic^n  of  agricult- 
ure an<l  the  iiKlustrles.  aud  as  such  has  been  au 
inportaiit  laiiduiaiii  in  the   history  of  tiiis  section. 

Mr.  Miles  is  a  native  of  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  aud 
was  born  .lime  i),  IH20.  his  parents  being  Silas  and 
.Martlia  (Harrington)  Miles,  natives  of  Massaolui- 
setts.  After  tlieir  marriage  they  removed  to  Erie 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  were  engaged  in  fnrniing  pursuits  and 
sheep-raising,  and  lived  there  until  tlie  fall  of  183-1. 
They  then  proceeded  fuilher  westward  to  Morgan 
County,  111.,  wliere  they  lived  for  two  years,  and 
then,  crossing  tlie  Mississip|)i,  purcli.ased  a  claim  in 
Charleston  Townsliip.  Lee  County,  upon  whicli 
they  settled  in  llie  spring  of  1m;J'.).  Tiii>  became 
their  permanent  home,  and  they  remained  liere  the 
balance  o!  their  liNc?.  Tlie  niotiier  deiiarled  this 
life  Jan.  27,  l.Soo,  and  the  father  survived  lier 
twelve  3'ears,  passing  to  his  linal  rest  on  tiie  4th  of 
March,  IBO.J,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eigiity -three 
years.  The  parental  household  consisted  of  eight 
children,  six  sons  and  two  daughters. 

The  subject  of  our  sl<etcli  was  the  si.xth  cliild  of 
his  parents'  family.  He  was  leared  to  farming  pur- 
suits, and  reniained  with  ids  parents  during  tlieir 
O  removals  to  Iliinoi>  and  Iowa.  He  settled  with 
r^^^^^  them  upon  tlie  luunestead  in  Chai'leston  Township, 
of  which  he  has  been  a  resident  since  that  time, 
and  has  licen  conlinuousl3'  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  Since  casting  his  first  vote  he  has  at- 
tended cver^'  election  where  he  was  entitled  to  a 
ballot,  and  lias  not  once  missed  the  oiiportunily  of 
casting  his  vote  in  support  of  the  principles  of  the 
Democratic  i)arty. 

The  homestead  of  .Mr.  .Miles  consists  of  160 
acres,  120  of  which  are  in  a  tillable  condition.  He 
make*  a  si)ecialty  of  the  breeding  of  fine  horses 
and  sheep,  and  exhibits  .some  of  the  finest  animals 
q  PJ  in  the  Ilawkeye  State.  He  has  been  prominently 
H-J^Ict connected  with  the  affairs  of  his  township  and 
}  county,  and  in  the  spring  of  1880  was  appointed 
I  Superintendent  of  the  County  Poor  Farm,  of 
"which  institution  he  has  had  <-liarge  during  the  last 
six  years.  In  this  time  he  has  brought  about  sub- 
^S&CTStiintial  ini|)rovemeiits  in  the  management  of  the 
farm  and  the  construction  of  the  buildings.  He 
has  also  held  various  other  offices  of  importance  in 
his  township,  and  has  been    .Supervisor   and    Con- 


stable for  six  years;  he  was  elected  .lustice  of  the 
Peace  but  would  not  qualify.  He  was  School 
Director  of  this  township  for  twenty  years.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  last  Grand  .huy  which 
assembled  at  Ft.  Madison  -ft-hen  the  state  was  a 
Territoiy,  over  forty  years  ago. 

The  marriage  of  Joseph  A.  Miles  and  .Miss 
Clarissa,  daughter  of  Phineas  and  Clarissa  (Hamil- 
ton) Young,  was  celebrated  in  Scott  County,  III., 
Jan.  27.  1842.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  M.  were  na- 
tives vf  .Massachusetts,  and  after  their  marriage 
settled  in  the  State  of  New  York.  Her  father,  a 
brother  of  Brigham  Young,  in  former  years  was  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  Church,  but  in  18;J2  he 
and  his  wife  united  with  the  Mormon  Church,  of 
which  the  father  became  an  Elder  and  an  impor- 
tant man  among  the  councils  of  the  Latter-Day 
Saints.  The  mother  ni  Mrs.  Miles  died  when  the 
latter  was  a  child  of  seven  years  old,  in  1833,  in 
Kirkland,  Ohio.  Her  father  afterward  removed  to 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  died  there  in  Se()tember,  1879. 
The  parental  household  consisted  of  five  children, 
one  son  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  Jlrs.  Miles 
was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth,  .she  is  a  native  of 
()ntaiii>  County.  N.  Y..  and  was  born  Oct.  13, 
1820. 

Our  subject  and  wife  have  become  the  parents  of 
six  children,  as  follows:  Avries  II.  married  Miss 
Jane  Huntington,  who  is  now  deceased;  he  resides 
in  New  lioston,  I.,ee  Count}';  Hai'riet  is  the  wife  of 
Z.  T.  Lyons,  and  lives  in  Jefferson  Township; 
Phineas  (i.  married  Miss  Sarah  Sluty,  and  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Kansas;  Fannie  is  the  wife  of  C.  W.  Holmes, 
of  Keosauqua,  Van  Hureu  Co.,  Iowa;  Joseph  mar- 
ried Mi.ss  Julia  Walirer,  and  lives  in  Charleston 
Township;  Susie  married  John  Hopp.  of  Charleston 
Township. 

When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miles  began  housekeeping 
in  Iowa  they  had  just  .seventy  cents  in  cash  and  a 
limited  assortment  of  household  goods.  They  had 
been  reared,  however,  to  habits  of  industry  and 
economy,  and  were  not  dismayed  by  their  cir- 
cumscribed possessions,  but  bravely  set  to  work  to 
improve  the  farm  and  establish  a  comfortable  home. 
They  "  pulled  together, "  courageously'  met  and 
overcame  the  difficulties  which  surrounded  them, 
and    in  due    time   received    their    reward.     Seven 


r^^^t, 


years  previous  to  the  late  Civil  War,  Mr.  Miles  was 
engaged  in  keeping  a  public-house  upon  the  site  of 
his  present  homestead,  where  verj'  often  as  many 
as  fortj-  guests  at  one  time  obtained  *'  rest,  shelter 
and  food,  "  and  many  of  them  are  still  living,  and 
often  refer  with  pleasure  to  the  hospitable  landlord 
and  his  lady  who  presided  with  such  genuine  kind- 
ness and  courtes}'  over  the  affairs  of  that  quiet, 
comfortable  inn. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miles  are  liberal  in  their  religious 
belief,  and  their  pleasant  home  is  the  resort  of  the 
best  people  of  this  vicinity'.  During  their  long 
residence  here  they  have  endeared  themselves  to  a 
large  circle  of  friends,  and  are  widely  known 
throughout  this  section  for  their  true  courtesy, 
genial  hospitalitj',  and  many  other  worthy  traits  of 
character.  Aurong  the  band  of  honored  pioneers 
who  assisted  to  mark  out  the  path  of  a  future  civ- 
ilization, Joseph  Miles  and  his  wife  occupy  a  prom- 
inent and  enviable  position. 


m 


4  5 
lie 

1:1: 

\i 
1; 


li 

u;;5 


MICHAEL  Kl 
of  Pleasant 


m 


KILBRIDE,  an  extensive  farmer 
it  Ridge  Township,  who  is  com- 
rtably  located  on  section  27,  and  carry- 
*  ing  on  the  peaceful  occupation  of  a  farmer, 

is  a  native  of  Zanesville,  Ohio,  and  was  born  Aug. 
21,  1842.  His  father,  Michael  Kilbride,  was  of 
Irish  nativity  and  parentage,  and  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  when  a  j'oung  man.  On  reaching 
American  shores  he  remained  for  a  brief  time  in 
New  York  City,  and  then  proceeded  to  Zanesville, 
Ohio.  While  stopping  in  the  Empire  City,  he  was 
united  in  man-iage  with  Miss  Bridget  Salmon,  a  na- 
tive of  his  own  countrj',  who  accompanied  him  to 
Zanesville,  where  the^'  lived  until  the  year  1845. 
They  then  removed  to  Cincinnati,  and  two  3'ears 
later  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  coming  into  Lee 
Count3',  located  upon  a  tract  of  land  in  Pleasant 
Ridge  Township,  where  they  remained  until  his 
decease,  which  occurred  in  1884.  after  he  was 
seventy-two  j'ears  old.  Mrs.  K.  is  still  living 
(1886),  and  is  seventy-four  years  of  age.  The 
parental  household  included  the  following  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  3'et  living:  .John  is  in 
California:  the    second    son    was    Michael:    Turns 


is  in  Arizona;  James  is  in  Missouri;  Timothy 
died  in  the  last  mentioned  State  in  Februarj',  1S8.5, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years;  Andrew  and  Owen 
are  in  Colorado;  Rose  Anne  is  the  wife  of  Delplios 
Hallock,  of  Lee  County. 

Michael  Kilbride,  Jr.,  came  with  his  father's 
family  to  Iowa  when  he  was  a  child  of  five  years 
old.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was 
twenty-two,  and  then  went  over  the  plains  to  Cali- 
fornia with  a  team  of  cattle.  He  engaged  in  min- 
ing for  the  space  of  nine  years,  and  when  he  was 
ready  to  return,  was  transported  hither  by  steam- 
quite  an  improvement  on  the  former  method  of 
travel.  He  now  has  charge  of  the  homestead  of 
IGO  acres  which  is  owned  by  his  mother,  the  affairs 
of  which  he  is  conducting  in  a  successful  and  credit- 
able manner. 

eHARLES  S.  PRICE,  of  Ft.  Madison,  of  the 
firm  of  C.  S.  Price  <fe  Co.,  with  his  partners 
is  successfully  engaged  as  a  dealer  in  agri- 
cultural implements,  buggies  and  heavy  hardware. 
He  is  a  highly  esteemed  citizen  and  a  straightfor- 
ward business  man,  and  a  gentleman  who  is  giving 
material  aid  to  the  industrial  interests  of  his  com- 
munity. Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Austria,  born 
in  1848,  and  tiie  son  of  Edward  and  Erta  (Good- 
field)  Price,  natives  of  the  same  countr}'  as  their 
son,  where  they  were  united  in  marriage  in  1824. 
They  became  the  parents  of  four  children,  and 
twenty  years  later  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
making  their  first  location  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa. 
There  they  remained  for  ten  years,  and  then  removed 
to  Minnesota,  settling  in  Mendota,  where  the  father 
departed  this  life  in  1S60,  leaving  his  widow,  three 
sons  and  one  daughter.  The  mother  subsequently 
married  again,  and  soon  after  this  event  the  subject 
of  our  sketch,  although  but  thirteen  years  old,  left 
his  home,  and  since  that  time  has  "  paddled  his  own 
canoe."  He  first  boarded  a  steambf)at  on  the  Upper 
Mississippi,  where  he  was  employed  until  after  the 
outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  and  in  18(33  enlisted  in  tlie 
United  States  service,  and  was  mustered  in  as  ;i 
bugler  in  the  'i'Jtli  Minnesota  Cavalry.  He  serve<l 
until  1 86t),  and  tlien  received  an  honorable  dischar";e 


mil 


CirM 


.J 


In 


m 


with  liis  corprades.  His  service  in  the  army  was 
rather  etijoyable  than  otherwise,  as  he  possessed 
many  agreeable  traits  of  character  and  was  the  pet 
of  his  regiment. 

After  his  return  from  the  army,  j'oung  Price 
again  engaged  in  steam  boating  on  the  Mississippi, 
and  in  the  course  of  time  had  accumulated  a  snug- 
little  sum  of  money.  In  the  fail  of  IKGH  he  came 
to  Ft.  Madison,  and  established  himself  as  a  barber, 
having  learned  the  trade  while  on  the  river.  He 
was  thus  occupied  until  1884,  when  he  established 
his  present  business,  and  two  years  later  associated 
himself  in  partnership  with   Mr.  C   K.   Kern. 

Mr.  Price  was  nuirried  in  1871,  to  Miss  Lena 
Soechtig,  of  Ft.  Madison.  Mrs.  Price  was  born  in 
1854,  and  is  a  lady  of  great  energy  of  character, 
and  with  more  than  ordinary  talent  for  business. 
She  is  a  manufacturer  of  and  dealer  in  theatrical  and 
masquerade  goods,  and,  as  Madame  Price,  carries 
on  the  largest  business  of  the  kind  in  the  State.  By 
her  union  witli  our  subject  she  has  become  the 
mother  of  two  cliildren — Etta  and  Charles.  They 
(iccuity  a  pleasant  residence,  and  are  surrounded 
liy  all  the  evidences  of  cultivation  and  refinement. 
Mr.  Price  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  member  oi  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  also  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P.,  and  is 
connected  with  the  Luthei-an  Church. 


,>^E0K(;K  LAYTON,  a  highly  respected  and 
'll  '^  successful  farm'er  of  Des  Moines  Township, 

^^iJi  is  the  possessor  of  a  fine  estate  of  360  acres 
located  fin  section  22.  It  is  well  stocked  and  mostly 
under  a  good  state  of  cultivation,  and  presents  one 
of  the  i)rettiest  spots  in  the  landscape  of  the  county. 
Our  subject  is  a  native  of  the  i)roud  old  common- 
wealth of  Ohio,  and  was  born  in  Pike  County,  Nov. 
25,  1830.  His  father,  James  Lay  ton,  was  a  native 
of  the  same  county  and  State,  and  a  farmer  by  oc- 
(Hipa4,ion.  He  was  married  in  his  native  county  in 
early  manhood  to  Miss  Filizabeth  Cartwright,  a 
Virginia  lady,  whose  parents  removed  to  Pike 
County  at  an  early  day,  and  there  passed  the  re- 
mainiler  of  their  lives.  They  reared  a  family  of 
eight  children,   three  sons    and    five   daughters,  of 


whom  the  subject  of  onr  sketch  was  the  youngest  j 
but  two.     He  was  a  lail  of  onl}'  eleven  years  of  age  j 
when  he   was   bereaved  of   both   parents,  and    his  =; 
home  was  afterward  among  strangers.     His  parents  5:; 
were    both    from  excellent  old   families,  men  and  3 
women   who  had  lived   honorable   lives,  and  have  5 
transmitted    to  their   descendants   those   qualities  5f 
which    would   serve    them    well    thn^ugh    life,  and  Jt 
which  were  strongly  inherited  l>y  the  subject  of  our  zi\ 
sketch.  ': 

After  the  death  of  his  parents,  George  Layton  : 
was  compelled  to  look  out  for  himself,  and  he  was  ; 
engaged  industriously  at  whatever  his  hands  could  i 
find  to  do,  working  priiicijially   upon  the   farn)s   in  E 
his  immediate  neighborhood  and  on  the  Ohio  River  ; 
with    fiatboats.      At  the  age  of   sixteen  years  he  vi 
went  to  Scioto  County.  Ohio,  where  he  lived  until  ■ 
his  marriage.     The  maiden  of  his  choice  was  Miss  : 
Sarah  A.  Smith,  the  daughter  of  James  and  Susan  3| 
(Thomas)   Smith,  natives  of    Ohio  and    Kentucky  En 
respectively.    The  wedding  occurred  Feb.  2t),  1850.  ; 
The  parents  of  the  bride   were  married   in   Lewis  j 
County,    K_y.,  and  settled  ii[)on  a  farm   at    Sandy  i. 
Spring,  Adams  Co.,  Ohio,   where  they  were  early  & 
l)ioneers,  and  kept  the  post-oflice  for  the  early  set-  Si:  i 
tiers  for  some  time  after  their  arrival  there.     Thence  :  ;i 
they   proceeded  to  Iowa,  in    185G,  and  thereafter  ^j 
lived  for  a  time  in  Missouri,  but  are  now  making  :  ^ 
their  home   with   their  daughter,  Mrs.  La3'ton,  of  ; 
this  n(jtice.     The  father  is  eighty-five  years  of  age  K 
and  the  mother  eighty-two. 

Mrs.  Layton  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Ohio, 
Feb.  4,  1831.  She  was  reared  and  educated  there, 
and  remained  with  her  parents  until  her  marriage. 
By  her  union  with  our  subject  she  has  become  the 
mother  of  five  children,  one  of  wh<mi,  William, 
died  at  the  age  of  seven  months.  The  living  are, 
James,  who  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Lee,  and  is 
residing  on  a  farm  in  Des  Moines  Township ;  Charles, 
India  .-ind  (ieorge  are  at  h<.)me  with  their  parents. 
India  is  an  accomplished  and  finely  educated  young 
lady,  and  (Jeorge  is  operating  the  homestead  for 
his  father. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Layton  settled  := 
upon  a  farm  in  Adams  County,  where  they  remained  :' 
for  four  years.  They  crossed  the  Mississippi  in  : 
1  850.  and  made  their  first  settlement  in  Lee  County.  3|{ 

rh 


LEE  COUNTY. 


335 


and  have  consequently  been  residents  of  the  Hawk- 
eye  State  for  a  period  of  thirty  years.  In  that 
time  the3'  have  witnessed  manj-  remarkable  and  in- 
teresting changes,  and  have  assisted  by  everj'  means 
within  their  power  in  the  progress  and  welfare  of 
their  adopted  county  and  township.  They  are  the 
stanch  friends  of  education  and  morality,  and  have 
lent  their  influence,  accompanied  by  their  means, 
to  every  good  work  and  purpose.  Mrs.  Layton 
was  reared  a  Presbyterian,  and  Jlr.  L.,  although 
he  does  not  meddle  much  with  politics,  still  has  his 
decided  opinions,  and  uniformly  votes  the  straight 
Republican  ticket.  They  are  posessors  of  one  of 
the  most  comfortable  homesteads  in  Lee  County, 
and  are  enjoying  the  fruits  of  their  early  toil,  as 
well  as  the  esteem  and  friendship  of  a  large  circle 
of  acquaintances. 


^'•^y\/\^^\^JlQJ2/^§-^^-< 


>tt^^^7nnr»^-VK^~ 


"^OHN  E.  CRAIG,  of  the  law  firm  of ,  Craig, 

McCrary  &  Craig,  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  is  one  of 

the  most  prominent  attorne3'S  of  Lee  County, 

and  stands  high  in  his  profession.     He  is  a 

native  of  Claysville,  Washington  Co.,  Pa.,  and  was 

born  March   14,    1853.     His  father,  Alexander  K. 

Craig,  a  native  of  the  same  county  and  State,  and 

a  farmer  by  occupation,  still  resides  near  the  place 

of  his  birth,  and  is  still  strong  and  active.     He  was 

born  in  1828,  and  was  married  in  earl}'  manhood  to 

Miss  Sarah  McLain,  who  is  three  years  the  junior 

of  her  husband,  having  been  born  in  1831,  and  is 

still  living.    The  household  included  seven  children, 

of  whom  two  are  deceased. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  the  second  child  of 
his  parents'  family,  and  his  earl}'  life  was  spent 
upon  the  farm.  He  was  a  bright  and  studious  bo}' 
and  improved  every  opportunity  afforded  him  to 
obtain  an  education.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  ho 
|§  commenced  teaching,  and  was  occupied  with  that 
and  farming  alternately  for  the  following  four 
years.  In  the  meantime  he  had  pursued  his  studies 
as  closelj'  as  possible,  and  had  thus  become  fitted 
for  admission  into  the  Washington  and  Jefferson 
College,  at  Washington,  Pa.,  from  which  he  gi'ad- 
"c  uated  in  1877.  He  then  resumed  teaching,  and  was 
employed    in   Lebanon  Academy,  near  Pittsburgh, 


until  1 878.  But  he  was  not  quite  satisfied  with  his 
condition  or  prospects  in  his  native  State,  and  con- 
eluded  to  cross  the  Mississippi  and  seek  his  fortune 
in  the  West.  He  accordingly  came  to  Iowa,  and 
began  reading  law  in  the  oftice  of  his  uncle,  John 
H.  Craig,  of  Keokuk,  and  in  1879  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.  The  following  year  he  became  associated 
in  partnership  with  his  preceptor,  with  whom  he  has 
continued  to  this  date.  The  firm  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  in  this  section  of  the  State,  and  is  trans- 
acting an  extensive  and  prosperous  business. 

.lohn  E.  Craig  was  united  in  marriage  with  iliss 
Fame  S.,  daughter  of  Moses  and  Susanna  Coulter. 
She  was  born  in  Allegheny  County,  Pa.,  but  at  the 
date  of  her  marriage  was  a  resident  of  Washington 
County.  Of  this  marriage  has  been  born  one  son, 
Moses  Coulter.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  are  members  in 
good  standing  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Keokuk,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Craig  uniformly  casts 
his  vote  with  the  Democratic  party.  He  has  always 
taken  a  great  interest  in  educational  matters  and 
has  Iteen  a  member  of  the  School  Bcjard  for  three 
j'ears.  He  is  an  able  "stump"  speaker,  and  was 
one  of  the  representatives  of  his  county  in  the 
Twenty-first  General  Assembly  of  the  Iowa  State 
Legislature.  He  is  a  man  of  broad,  liberal  views 
and  generous  impulses,  always  ready  to  aid  in  any 
enterprise  which  tends  to  the  welfare  and  advance- 
ment of  his  county  and  community.  The  family 
occupy  a  pleasant  home,  and  are  surrounded  by  all 
those  elements  of  life  which  are  the  outgrowth  of 
culture,  refinement,  and  a  high  morality. 


=il/OSEPH  G.  ANDERSON.  A.  M.,  a  promi- 
nent and  popular  attorney  of  Keokuk,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  born  in  Cincinnati,  Aug.  30, 
1 848.  He  is  the  son  of  Robert  .James  and 
.Mary  Jane  (Whitney)  Anderson,  and  came  with 
his  parents  to  the  Hawkeye  State  in  1857.  They 
made  their  first  location  in  Keokuk  and  here  he  re- 
ceived his  earl}'  education.  From  1860  to  1867  he 
lived  on  a  farm  in  Clark  County,  Mo.  Afterward 
he  entered  the  State  University  of  Missouri  at  Col- 
umbia, in  1867,  taking  a  full  classical  course,  and. 
graduating  from  there  in  1873,  having  been  admit- 


siiiaaiSfiG^^fe' 


m 


336 


LEE  COUNTY. 


B 


H^ 


ted  to  the  bar  two  years  previovislj',  in  1871.  He 
commenced  the  practice  of  iiis  profession  at  Keo- 
kuk, and  has  been  associated  in  partnership  with 
several  of  the  leading  attorneys  of  the  city.  He  is 
at  present  a  member  of  the  law  firm  which  does 
business  under  the  title  of  Anderson,  Davis  k  Ha- 
garman.  He  h.as  confined  ids  attention  principally  to 
^  chancery  cases,  otherwise  following  a  general  prac- 
tice, with  the  exception  of  criminal  cases.  He 
is  a  Repul)lican  in  politics  and  lias  lieen  iirouiinent 
in  tlie  local  councils  of  his  party,  having  been  a 
delegate  several  limes  to  various  important  conven- 
tions. He  has  steadily  declined  to  become  the  in- 
eundjent  of  any  oflice,  but  has  occupied  the  posi- 
tion of  City  Attorney  for  two  years. 

Mr.  ;Vndcrson's  education  has  l)ecn  acquired 
mainly  by  his  own  efforts.  He  was  remarkably 
studious  and  industrious,  and  taught  school  for 
some  time  in  order  to  obtain  funds  to  purchase 
books  and  to  complete  his  full  course  of  study.  He 
has  occupied  a  position  as  teacher  in  the  State  Tni- 
versity  of  Missouri,  and  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession has  met  with  fine  success,  the  firm  of  which 
he  is  a  member  being  the  most  i)opular  and  success- 
ful in  the  city.  Mr.  Anderson  has  invet.ted  largely 
of  his  means  in  real  estate  in  Keokuk. 

The  nianiage  of  Mr.  Anderson  and  Miss  Emily 
Tondinson  was  celebrated  .Sept.  22,  1876.  Mrs.  A. 
is  the  daughter  of  \V.  E.  Tomlinson,  of  Burlington, 
and  was  born  in  Kentucky',  Oct.  .^I,  1856.  Of  this 
union  there  have  l)een  horn  five  children,  as  fol- 
1  lows:  Joseph  H..  Enuly  1'.,  .lames  T.,  JNIary  and 
William  E. 

iSIr.  Anderson  has  a  genuine  love  for  learning, 
and  even  andd  the  iliitio  of  his  profession  gives 
time  to  the  study  of  logical  and  metaphysical  sub- 
jects, and  has  been  the  author  of  some  articles  writ- 
ten for  the  '•Journal  of  Speculative  Philosoph3\" 
He  was  for  many  years  connected  with  the  Keokuk 
Law  .School  as  Professor  of  Code  Tleadings,  Law  of 
Corporations,  etc.  He  is  a  niendier  of  the  Ameri- 
can Bar  Association,  and  h.as  been  connected  with 
every  important  law  case  tried  at  Keokuk  for  the 
last  ten  years.  His  firm  is  counsel  for  all  the  im- 
portant corporations  in  the  city,  and  has  built  up 
an  extensive  and  popular  business. 

Mr.  Anderson  occupies  a  fine  residence  in  one  of 

X 


1 


the  [jleasantest  parts  of  the  city,  and  his  home,  \ 
within  and  without,  bears  evidence  of  refinement  ; 
and  ample  means.  .Socially  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  oc-  2 
cup3-  an  enviable  position,  and  re[)resent  the  culture 
and  breeding  of  the  first-class  residents  of  Keokuk. 


R.  F.  M.  TATE,  a  prominent  resident  and 
skillful  jihysician  of  Keokuk,  is  a  native  of 
Indiana,    and    was    born    Dec.    21,    1830. 
His  parents  were  James  and  Sarah   (Dnr- 
yea)    Tate,   natives  respectively   of  Harrison  and   ^ 
Mason  Counties,  Ky.     .lames  Tate  removed   from 
his  native  .State  to  Indiana  in   1830,  where  he  re-   p 
mained  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1849, 
when  he  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came  into  the   Ei 
Hawkeye    .State,  locating    on    a    farm    in    Monroe    : 
County,  near  Albia.     Four  j-ears  later  he   moved    ; 
into  the  town,  and  prosecuted  a  general  merchandise 
business  until  his  death,  which  occurred   in   1866. 
The  wife  and  mother  survived  him  four  ^ears,  dy- 
ing in  1870.     They  had  a  family  of  eight  children, 
all  of  whom  lived  to  be  men  and    women,  but  five 
are  since  deceased.     Those  living  are:   F.  M.,  the 
subject  of  our  sketch;  Sarah,  now  Mrs.  Sneer,  of 
.I:isper  County,  111.,  and  Thomas  B.,  of  Alliia.  this 
State. 

Dr.  Tate  of  our  notice  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm,  and  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools.  He  came  with  his  father's  family  to  Iowa, 
and  as  preparatory  to  the  study  of  medicine,  pur- 
sued a  course  of  study  in  a  select  school  at  Albia, 
In  1855  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  under 
the  instruction  of  Dr.  Sherwood,  of  Cincinnati, 
and  pursuing  his  studies  in  the  Eclectic  Col- 
lege of  Medicine  of  that  city,  graduated  in  1857. 
He  subsequently  graduated  also  from  the  Eclectic 
Medical  Institute  of  Cincinnati.  During  these  two 
years  he  received  clinical  instruction  at  the  Com- 
mercial Hospital  of  Cincinnati. 

After  the  completion  of  his  college  C(jurse,  Dr. 
Tate  entered  into  partnership  with  Dr.  ^^'illiam 
Sherwood,  which  relation  continued  one  year, 
and  Dr.  Tate  then  returned  to  Iowa,  and  located 
at  Farniington,  A' an  Buren  Countj%  where  he  en- 
gaged continuously  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 


LEE  COUNTY. 


337 


for  the  followins'  thirteen  years.  In  1872  he  came 
to  Keokuk,  where  he  has  since  been  located,  and 
has  become  an  honored  member  of  the  profession 
in  this  localit3^ 

Dr,  Tate  was  married  to  his  present  wife  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1858.  She  was  formerly  JMiss  Eliza  S., 
daughter  of  Gen.  William  and  Josephine  E.  (Sim- 
mons) Carhartt,  of  Roscoe,  Ohio.  Their  union  has 
been  blest  by  the  birth  of  two  children — Thomas 
C.  and  Frederick  F.  The  former  is  a  civil  engi- 
neer at  Peru,  Ind. ;  Frederick  F.  is  at  home  with 
his  parents.  The  Doctor  and  his  family  reside  at 
No.  1206  Blondeau  street,  and  enjo3'  the  friend- 
ship and  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances, 
and  as  a  citizen  he  contributes  materially  to  the 
social  and  moral  interests  of  the  eomniunit3'. 

-^ ^-^ — 


ylLSON  BULLARD,  a  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  of  Jefferson  Township,  owns 
and  occupies  a  fine  estate  on  section  14, 
and  is  extensively  engaged  in  agricultural  [lursuits 
and  stock  growing.  His  farm  is  finely  improved 
and  adapted  to  the  growth  of  all  kinds  of  cereals 
and  vegetables,  and  is  well  stocked  with  finely  bred 
animals.  It  is  supplied  with  a  comfortable  farm 
residence,  a  good  barn,  and  all  the  necessaiy  out- 
buildings for  the  shelter  of  stock  and  the  storing 
of  grain,  and  taken  all  together  it  constitutes  one 
of  the  finest  spots  in  the  landscape  of  this  county. 
Mr.  Bullard  is  a  native  of  Jefferson  Township,  and 
was  born  Aug.  19,  1838.  (For  parental  history  see 
sketch  of  Alex  Bullard). 

The  early  life  of  our  subject  was  spent  at  home 
on  his  father's  farm  and  in  attendance  at  the  pio- 
neer schools.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he  was 
deprived  of  a  father's  support  b^-  death,  and  at  that 
early  period  in  life  started  out  to  battle  for  himself. 
He  employed  himself  at  whatever  his  hands  could 
find  to  do,  and  soon  began  to  cultivate  the  soil 
upon  his  own  account.  He  was  successful  in  his 
undertaking,  and  March  15,  1850,  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Gertrude  A.  Wallace,  who  was 
also  born  and  reared  in  Lee  County.  The  parents 
of  Mrs.  Bullard  ai-e  both  now  deceased.  Her  fa- 
ther was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  a  man  highly 

'i 


esteemed  in  his  vicinity.  Of  this  union  there 
were  born  two  children:  Oracle  G.  is  fhe  vvife  of 
Barnard  Rebo,  and  lives  in  Hitchcock  County,  Neb., 
upon  a  farm;  Deborah  is  deceased.  Mrs.  Ger- 
trude Bullard  died  at  her  home  in  Jefferson  Town- 
ship in  1871.  She  was  an  estiinaVile  Christian  lady, 
and  highly  esteemed  bv  all  who  knew  iier,  as  a  lov- 
ing wife,  an  affectionate  mother,  and  a  kind  neigh- 
bor. She  was  connected  with  the  Baptist  Church, 
and  a  regular  attendant  upon  its  services. 

On  the  17th  day  of  October,  1870,  Mr.  Bullard 
was  the  second  time  married,  to  Miss  Sophia  Mar- 
shall, a  native  of  Lee  County,  Iowa.  She  was  born 
at  Montrose,  Feb.  1  o,  1853,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
William  and  Roxyllaiiia  (Overton)  IMarshall,  na- 
tives respectively  of  Mrginia  and  Indiana.  When 
Mr.  Marshall  was  eleven  years  old,  his  father  re- 
moved from  Virginia  to  Washington  County,  Ind., 
and  there  his  son,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Bullard,  was 
reared  to  manhood,  and  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Overton,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  the  same 
county  and  State.  Afterward  the  family,  consist- 
ing of  the  parents  and  three  children,  came  into 
Iowa  and  settled  on  a  new  farm  near  Montrose,  in 
the  spring  of  i  843.  Very  little  of  the  land  was 
improved,  but  they  occupied  their  time  industri- 
ously, and  after  the  lapse  oi  a  few  years  effected  a 
remarkable  improvement  in  its  condition.  Mrs. 
Marshall  died  in  Jefferson  Township  in  1860;  Mr. 
Marsliall  is  living  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Bullard. 
The  latter  was  the  j'oungest  but  one  of  a  familj'  of 
seven  children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters.  She 
remained  at  home,  and  after  the  death  of  her 
mother,  when  she  was  only  a  child  of  seven  years 
old,  had  the  principal  care  of  her  father's  house- 
hold. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bullard  became  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  four  of  whom  are  deceased,  viz., 
John  S.,  and  three  infants  who  died  unnamed. 
Those  remaining  are  Lottie,  Pearl  M.  and  Bessie  B. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Bullard  began  farming 
operations  in  Jefferson  Township,  making  his  first 
purchase  of  land  in  about  1854,  and  which  com- 
prises a  part  of  his  present  homestead.  It  lies 
along  the  first  bottom  of  the  Mississippi  River  in 
the  "half-breed  "  tract.  Here  he  has  pursued  the 
even  tenor  of  his  way,  rendering  kindly  acts  to  his 
neighbors  as   opportunitj-  afforded,  and  in  all  re- 


n 


fiiii 


PCUXXJiaXTTT* 


spects  fulfilling  the  obligations  of  a  good  citizen. 
IIo  has  nc^er  aspired  to  oflice,  but  on  the  con- 
tiar3-  has  been  content  to  quietly  and  unobtrusively 
attend  to  the  affairs  of  his  farm,  although  he  has 
decided  views  upon  politics  and  matters  in  gen- 
eral. Me  is  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Democratic 
party,  and  uniformly  casts  his  vote  in  support  of 
its  principles. 


eHARLKS  V.  LYE  is  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Lye  &  King,  of  Keokuk,  retailers  and 
jobl)ers  in  dry  goods,  and  occupies  a  promi- 
nent position  among  the  business  men  of  the  (iate 
Citj'.  lie  is  a  native  of  Hastings,  England,  born 
March  4,  1 840,  and  is  the  son  of  Robert  and  Eliza- 
beth (Pope)  Lye,  also  natives  of  the  same  countr}'. 
Robert  Lye  was  a  dry-goods  merchant  in  earlier 
years,  and  later  a  dealer  in  china  vvare.  He  re- 
tired from  active  business  in  l.s72.  The  wife  and 
mother  departed  this  life  in  185.5.  Their  family 
consisted  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are  living, 
the  record  l)eing  as  follows:  Roliert  is  in  New 
Zealand;  Kllen,  Mrs.  Wheeler,  is  in  lirighton,  En- 
gland; tiie  tliird  child  was  Charles  F.,  our  subject; 
Mary  .).  is  in  London;  Francis  E.,  in  Hrightoii,  and 
Archibald  R.,  in  Lewis,  England. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  with  his  par- 
ents during  his  3'ounger  years,  and  received  a  good 
education  in  the  primary  schools,  which  was  sup- 
plemented liy  .attendance  at  the  Bank  Street  Col- 
lege of  Hastings,  from  which  he  graduated  at  the 
age  of  I'ouiteen  years.  lie  was  then  apprenticed  to 
Mr.  Andrews,  of  Newmarket,  Cambridge,  to  learn 
the  dry-goods  business.  Here  he  remained  for  six 
years,  then  went  t(j  London,  and  was  engaged  as  a 
clerk.  He  was  employed  in  tlie  dry -goods  trade  for 
four  3'ears,  and  then  enlisted  in  the  Hritish  army. 
He  was  promoted  Sergeant,  and  served  eight  years, 
six  years  of  this  time  being  spent  in  India  and 
China.  He  was  there  in  the  siege  and  cai)ture  of 
Takoo  Forts,  ami  was  wounded  in  that  engagement. 
He  then  returned  with  his  regiment  to  England, 
subsecpiently  went  to  Ireland,  and  was  afterward 
stationed  at  Londonderry.     The  state  of  his  health 


now  necessitated  his  being  sent  to  the  hospital,  and 
he  secured  his  discharge  on  account  of  disability. 

After  his  discharge  from  the  army  Mr.  Lye  en- 
gaged as  clerk  in  the  dry-goods  business  at  Hast- 
ings, and  w.as  thus  occupied  for  three  years.  In 
1870  he  determined  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  New- 
World  and  came  to  the  United  States,  making  his 
first  settlement  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.  Here  he 
engaged  as  clerk  in  the  drj'-goods  business,  and 
remained  for  two  3'ears.  In  1878  he  came  to  Keo- 
kuk, and  accepted  a  position  with  the  firm  of  Ir- 
win, Phillips  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  three 
years,  and  was  afterward  connected  with  John  Zerr 
in  the  dry-goods  business.  Mr.  Lye  established  his 
present  business  in  1 882,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Eighth  streets.  The  following  3'ear  he  associated 
himself  in  partnership  with  Mr.  King.  They  are 
doing  an  extensive  business,  and  give  emploj'ment 
to  six  clerks. 

Mr.  Lye  was  married  in  1880,  to  Miss  A.  E. 
King,  daughter  of  the  late  James  King,  of  Dear- 
horn  County,  Ind.  Of  this  union  there  has  been 
born  one  child — Emma  E.  They  occup3'  a  hand- 
some residence  on  Fulton  street,  and  their  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances  includes  the  best  citizens 
of  Keokuk.  Mr.  L3'e  is  a  straightforward  business 
man,  highly  respected  in  his  community,  and  a  val- 
uable factor  among  the  business  interests  of  Lee 
County. 


%J^>Ji 


l^ftrf^ 


eHARLES  HUBENTHAL,  Deputy  Sheriff  of 
Lee  County,  Iowa,  who  resides  at  Keokuk, 
is  a  native  of  Hesse-Cassel,  German3',  and 
was  born  June  25,  1832.  He  entered  school  at  the 
age  of  six  3-ears,  and  continued  his  studies  until  the 
age  of  twelve.  He  then  came  to  America  with  his 
uncle,  Adam  Williams,  his  father  and  mother  both 
having  died  when  he  was  quite  young.  They  landed 
in  New  York  City,  and  thence  proceeded  to  Texas, 
arriving  there  during  the  cholera  scourge.  The  un- 
cle and  all  of  his  famil3-  were  stricken  witli  this  ter- 
rible disease,  which  resulted  fatally  in  each  case, 
and  our  subject  was  thus  left  in  a  strange  land 
without  friends  or   means.      He  was  taken  to  New 


IQQ    ^BIJXDXI 


York  City  b}^  his  neighbors,  and  became  an  appren 
tice  to  learn  the  butcher's  trade,  which  he  mastered 
.   .  in  all  its  details,  and  soon  began  doing  business  in 
li:  this  line  on  his  own  account. 

:j  ;       From  the  Empire  City  our  subject  removed  to 
],:  Pittsburgh,  and   then  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he 
;-:  remaiued  until   1850,   and    in   April   of  that  year 
Ij;"  came  to  Keokuk  and  engaged    with   two  different 
.;j;:  firms  in  this  city,  his  former  employers  being  both 
];  :  now  deceased.     Four  years  later  he   embarked   in 
}]'  ;  the   business  here  on  his  own  account,  opening  a 
.v;  meat-market  on  Main  street  and  another  on  Fourth 
]: ':  street.     These  soon  became  the  principal  shops  of 
^i;:  the  kind  in  Keokuk,  and  he  carried  on  a   prosper- 
,^;  :  ous  and  lucrative  business  until   1861.     He    then 
Ij  :  went  to  California  and  opened  a  market  in  Sacra- 
f:  mento,    which    he    continued    until    the    following 
i:;  year,  when  the  gold  and  silver  excitement  attracted 
'?;■  -  him  to  the  mining  regions.     After  working  in   the 
mines   at    Virginia    City    he    went    into    Nevada, 
.^  locating  in  Clifton  during  its  early  settlement,  and 
'  -  afterward  started  a  butcher  shop,  in  which  he  car- 
:  :  ried  on  business  successfully  for  about  five  years. 
I  ;  He  then  went  to  Montana,  where  he  followed  the 
!  :  same,  carrying  on  a   wholesale  and   retail  business 
:  :  and  coining  money.     In  the  winter  of  1868  he  re- 
',  ;  turned  to  Keokuk,  and  continued   his  meat-market 
;  -  until  1881,  when  he  sold  out,  and  forming  a  partner- 
'  :  ship  with  James  Welch,  engaged  in   the  ice  busi- 
ness, running  four   wagons   and   employing  about 
twelve  men  during  the  summer  months.     This  he 
followed   until   the  death  of  his  partner,  when  he 
sold  out  his  interest  in  the  business  and  invested  in 
a  dr3'-brick  machine. 

Mr.  Hubenthal  was  married,  in  1856,  to  Miss 
Anna  Arnold,  of  Keokuk,  who  is  a  native  of  his 
own  country,  and  emigiated  to  America  with  her 
parents  when  a  little  girl.  They  have  become  the 
parents  of  one  child— Anna  Amelia,  now  twelve 
years  of  age.  Mr.  Hubenthal  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  public  matters  since  coming  to  this 
State,  and  keeps  himself  well  informed  upon  the  ! 
current  events  of  the  day.  He  has  served  as  Alder- 
man in  the  Fifth  Ward  for  two  terms,  and  is  a  gen- 
tleman whose  judgment  is  uniformly  consulted  in 
^  regard  to  matters  of  importance.  Politically  he  is 
I  a  Democrat,  and  east  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 


Franklin  Pierce.  He  was  appointed  Deputy  Sheriff 
in  1885,  and  assumed  the  duties  of  his  office  in 
January,  1886. 


^^APT.  RALPH  R.  TELLER,  a  successful 
\vl  JJl  ^'■'"*"o'''^^^'"  ^^  Jackson  Township  and  the 
^^/  suburbs  of  Keokuk,  is  a  native  of  New  York 
City,  born  Jan.  29,  1827,  and  is  the  sou  of  Luke 
and  Julia  A.  (Remson)  Teller,  natives  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  in  which  they  lived  after  their  mar- 
ri.age,  and  became  the  parents  of  nine  children. 
They  were  most  worthy  and  excellent  people, 
highly  respected  by  the  community  in  which  they 
lived,  and  reared  their  family  to  habits  of  industry 
and  economy,  giving  them  such  education  as  the 
schools  of  that  period  afforded. 

When  he  arrived  at  suitable  years  our  subject 
learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker  in  his  native  city, 
and  followed  his  occupation  there  until  he  was 
twenty-two  years  old.  In  1859  he  came  into  the 
young  State  of  Iowa,  and  made  his  home  alternately 
in  Iowa  and  Missouri  for  the  following  ten  years, 
■when  he  decided  to  settle  in  Jackson  Township, 
this  county.  Two  years  thereafter,  when  the  notes 
of  Civil  War  began  to  sound  throughout  the  land, 
he  identified  himself  with  the  thousands  who  were 
volunteering  their  services  in  support  of  the  Union, 
enlisting  in  April,  1861,  in  the  2d  Iowa  Infantry, 
in  which  he  served  for  two  and  one-half  years.  He 
went  in  as  a  private,  and  was  promoted  First  Lieu- 
tenant of  the  60th  Regiment  of  Colored  Infantry, 
in  which  capacity  he  served  until  the  following 
year,  when  he  was  tendered  a  Captain's  commis- 
sion for  meritorious  services  while  fightiuo-  the  en- 
emy in  Arkansas.  He  retained  his  commission  un- 
til the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  mustered  out  on 
the  2d  of  November,  1865. 

After  his  return  from  the  army  Capt.  Teller  re- 
turned to  Jackson  Township,  where  he  lived  for 
one  year,  and  then  went  South  into  Arkansas,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  farming  for  a  period  of  seven 
years.  He  then  sold  out  and  returned  to  Jackson 
Township,  which  has  remained  his  home  since  that 
time.     He  has  nine  and  three-fourths  acres  of  valu- 


'  irXXXjrtmvrtif] 


able  hind,  which  is  highlj'  cultivated  and  devoted 
exclusively  to  the  ciiltiirc  of  berries,  apples  and 
peaches. 

IJnIph  H.  Teller  and  Miss  Nancy  A.  Trimble 
were  united  in  marriage  in  .Sandusky,  Lee  Co.,  Iowa, 
Sept.  21.  1871,  and  have  become  the  parents  of  four 
children,  three  of  wlioin  died  in  infancy,  William 
T.  being-  the  only  survivor.  C'apt.  Teller  is  in  all 
respects  a  thorough  l)usiness  man  and  a  good  citi- 
zen, and  in  politics  classes  himself  among  the  Inde- 
pendents, although  strongly'  in  sympathy  with  the 
Republican  party.  Socially  lie  is  connected  with 
Torrence  I'ost  No.  2.  ft.  A.  H. 

f  Ijr      As  a  representative  and  esteemed  citizen  of  this 

U-Rco 


Wm 

in 


m 

lii 


unty  we  present  the   jwrtrait  of  C'apt.  Teller  in 
connection  with  this  personal  history. 


ii 


/OSKl'H     A.    LUPTON,    a    prominent    and 

highly  I'espected   farmer  of  .lackson  Town- 
ship,  owns  and  occupies  a  valuable  home- 
stead pleasantly  located  on  section  19.     It 
consists  of   440  acres  of  finely  cultivated  land,  a 
q  HJ  IwTidsome    farm    dwelling,    good    barns   and    out- 
^     -  houses,  and  all  the  necessary  appliances  for  the  stor- 
inif  of  grain,  the  slielter  of  stock,  and  the  carrying- 
on  of  agriculture  after  the  most  improved  methods. 
He  lias  valualile  farm    machiuerv   and    implements, 
and  all  the  aijpliaiiees  of  a  lirst-class  modern  farm 
estate. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  is  a  native  of  the 
Huckeye  State,  and  was  born  in  Highland  County, 
July  12,  1.S27.  lie  is  the  son  of  David  and  Ruth 
(Adams)  Lupton,  natives  of  Virginia,  where  they 
were  married,  and  settled  for  a  time,  afterward  re- 
moving to  Highland  County,  Ohio.  They  removed 
from  this  latter  State  in  1844,  crossed  the  Missis- 
lippi  into  Lee  County,  Iowa,  were  residents  of 
veokukand  .Jackson  Township  for  a  time,  and  then 


•emovcd   to  rnionville.  Mo.,  where  their  lives  ter- 
minated.    The  parental  family  consisted  of  eleven 
children,  of    whom   our  subjetrt  was  the  fourth   in 
^Jjorder  of  l)irtli. 

Ml'-  Lupton  w:is  about  seventeen  years  old  when 

I  this  parents  came  to  Lee  County,  in  1S44.     He  had 

received  excellent  liome  training  and  a  fair  educa- 


tion  in  the  public  schools.  During  his  youthful 
years  he  a.ssisted  his  parents  in  the  duties  around 
the  homestead,  and  has  been  eng.aged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits  all  his  life.  He  was  married  in  Jack- 
son Township,  Feb.  26,  1852,  to  Miss  Annie, 
daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Slayter)  Lancaster, 
who  were  of  English  descent  and  parentage.  They 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1847,  and  com- 
ing directly  to  Lee  County.  Iowa,  settled  in  J.ack- 
son  Township,  where  the  death  of  John  Lancaster 
occurred  Sept.  29,  IB.'iO.  His  wife  survived  him  un- 
til May  .'),  18.50,  and  came  to  her  death  by  a  rail- 
road accident  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  while  on 
a  journey  to  California.  John  Lancaster  wa-s  a 
wholesale  butcher  and  cattle  dealer  in  Liverpool. 

Mrs.  Lupton,  wife  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Liverpool,  England,  June  14,  183.5,  and  by  her 
marriage  Ims  become  the  mother  of  ten  <'hildren: 
\\^illiam  and  .loseph  are  deceased,  the  former  was 
married  to  Miss  Fankhouser,  located  in  Jackson 
Township,  and  died  there  in  March,  1879,  leaving 
two  children — Horace  and  Mamie;  the  others  are 
John  C,  David  A.,  .S.ar.ah  E.,  Louis  E.  (in  Califor- 
nia), Mary  B.,  Annie  R.,  Asa  F.  and  Charles  N. 

M)-.  Lupton  has  taken  an  intelligent  interest  in 
the  affairs  of  his  adopted  countj'.  and  acted  as 
Board  Supervisor  of  his  townshij).  He  is  Repub- 
lican in  |)olitics,  and  with  his  wife  is  prominently 
connected  with  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In  18(;i 
Mr.  L.  went  to  California,  accompanied  by  his  fam- 
ily, where  they  remained  i\ve  years,  anil  were  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  imrsuits,  the  climate  of  that 
region  and  the  change  in  condition  and  location 
proving  of  great  benefit  to  them,  and  a  most  val- 
uable experience. 


-rz*- 


'i^i- 


ENRY  DANIEL  McCONN,  a  highly  re- 
spected citizen  and  successful  banker  of 
Ft.  Madison,  is  C^ashier  of  the  (^erman- 
American  Bank,  the  duties  of  which  position 
he  is  trans.acting  with  ability'  and  success.  Mr. 
McConn  is  a  native  of  Ft.  Madison,  born  March  7, 
1849,  and  is  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Caroline  (Cat- 
termole)  McConn.  He  received  his  primary  educa- 
tion ill  the    pultlic  schools  of   his  native    place,  and 

~rf^  |iii»»iiit.iitiirmi-.i»iiiiiinl  iXITTi    . 


u 


i 


eiitficil  the  St.  l^ouis  Uiiiveisit}'  of  St.  Jjuiiis,  Mo.. 
fi'oiii  which  he  graduated  with  honors  in  18(!4.    His 
i^studies  had  materiallj'  impared  his  health,  and  after 
jigthese   were  completed  be  entered  the  tlonring-mill 
in  whieh  his  father  was  engaged,  and  there  became 
recuperated  and  was  prei)ared  to  enter  upon  a  com- 
mercial course  in  the  Business  College  of  Burling- 
ton, Iowa.     He  then  entered   the  banking-house  of 
EJ.  H.  Bacon,  and  when  this   was  merged   into  the 
:Ft.    Madison    National   Bank,  he  became  Assistant 
i'aCashier.     This  was  succeeded   by  the  Bank  of  Ft. 
Madison,  of  which  he  was  chosen  Cashier,  and  from 
which  he  withdrew  to  organize  a  German-American 
.Bank,  with  which  he  has  since  been  connected. 

The  marriage  of  Henry  Daniel  ISrcConn  and  Miss 
Marie  Louise  Chauvin  was  celebrated  in  the  spring 
of  1.S77.    Of  this  union  there  have  been  born  three 
children,  of  whom  Mary  C.  died  at  the  age  of  six 
■■Eyears;  the  two  remaining  are  Eugene  C.  and  Julia 
llowse.     Mr.   and    Mrs.    McConn    occupj'    a    high 
position  in  the  community,  and  their  home  is  replete 
witli  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of 
Elife. 
ir:;:      Mr.    McConn    is    Democi'atic    in    politics,    and 
OE socially  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.     He  gives 
<losc  attention  to  his  business,  is  honorable  and  up- 
right in  his  transactions,  and  is  rapidlj-  accumulating 
a  competency  for  the  future.     Although  not  con- 
pjljEnected    with    any  religious    denomination,  he   is  a 
"^   "stanch    friend  of    morality  and   education,  and   by 
ins   means  and   influence   assists   in  the  support  of 
lit  every  good  work  and  purpose  tending  to  the  wel- 

1  lEfare  of  his  city  and  county. 

lap  -^ 


i  ^  C.  ARMENTROUT,  M.  D.,  of  Keokuk,  Pro- 
fessor of  Physiology,  Histolog}',  and  Diseases 
of  the  Nervous  System  in  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  is  a  native  of  the 
Ilawkej-e  State,  born  in  Cedar  County,  Sept.  25, 
I'Sol.  He  is  the  son  of  Joseph  C.  and  Maiy  (Long) 
Armcntrout,  natives  of  ^'irginia.  The  father  was 
I'ngaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  during  his  younger 
years,  but  in  1850  came  to  Iowa,  located  in  Cedar 
County,  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  is  still  living, 
and  has  all  his  life  been  a  prominent  man  wherever 


his  lot  has  been  cast.  Soon  after  coming  into  Ce- 
dar County  he  was  appointed  Postmaster,  and  has 
held  other  important  offices  in  this  locality.  He  and 
his  excellent  wife  are  members  in  good  standing  of 
the  .Alethodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  the  support  of 
which  they  have  contributed  liberally  and  cheer- 
fully, and  in  which  Mr.  A.  has  been  Class-Leader 
and  Superintendent  of  the  Sabbath-school.  They 
have  been  the  parents  of  a  family  of  eight  children, 
of  whom  two  are  deceased,  and  of  the  living 
the  record  is  as  follows:  J.  C,  the  subject  of 
our  sketch,  was  the  eldest  child;  Mary  became 
the  wife  of  John  Rorick,  and  resides  in  Cedar 
County ;  Ella  V.  married  Ira  Miller,  a  resident  of 
Cedar  Rapids;  Rosa  B.,  now  Mrs.  Marshall  Butter- 
field,  is  a  resident  of  Milton,  AInscatine  County; 
her  husband  is  an  attorney  and  a  graduate  of  the 
State  University  of  Iowa;  George  is  a  student  of 
medicine  in  Keokuk  Medical  College ;  Amanda  B. 
is  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Cedar  County. 
The  younger  days  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
were  occupied  in  attending  the  public  schools  and 
assisting  in  the  lighter  duties  around  the  home- 
stead. He  pursued  his  studies  during  the  winter 
seasons  until  he  was  nineteen  j^ears  old,  when  he 
attended  the  school  at  Montrose  for  two  winters. 
He  then  taught  in  Benton  County  one  term,  and 
afterward  entered  McClain's  Academy  at  Iowa  City, 
where  he  remained  one  term,  taught  school  for  two 
terms  in  Cedar  County,  took  a  brief  course  of 
study  at  Wilton  Academy  in  Muscatine  County, 
and  then  entered  the  State  University  at  Iowa  City, 
remaining  there  two  terms,  when  he  was  proffered 
the  position  as  Principal  of  McClain's  Academy, 
which  he  held  for  the  following  three  j'ears,  having 
charge  of  from  300  to  500  students.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  this  time  he  commenced  the  study  of 
medicine  under  the  insti'uetion  of  Prof.  G.  O.  Mor- 
gridge,  M.  D.,  of  Muscatine,  and  subsequently 
spent  one  summer  with  Prof.  Middleton,  of  Daven- 
port, in  his  ofHce  and  in  the  hospital  at  that  place,  in 
the  meantime  teaching  and  lecturing  throughout  the 
State,  and  before  Teachers'  Institutes  on  phj'siology. 
He  continued  under  the  instruction  of  Prof.  Moi'- 
gridge  until  he  entered  the  medical  department  of 
the  Iowa  State  Unversity,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1883.  He  was  a  close  student  and  made  the  most 


n 


ii! 


M      344 


LEE  COUNTY, 


of  his  opportnnitics,  aud  became  a  writer  of  consid- 
erable note.  While  yet  a  student  he  became  the 
author  of  a  work  entitled,  "  Outlines  in  Anatomy, 
Physiology  and  Hygiene,"  which  was  published  in 
1881,  and  was  received  with  great  favor.  He  com- 
menced the  i)ractiee  of  his  profession  in  Iowa  City, 
where  he  remained  for  one  year,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1884  went  to  South  Bend,  Ind.  Here  he  en- 
joyed a  fine  practice  from  the  start,  and  the  follow- 
ing summer  was  proffered  his  present  position, 
which  he  accepted,  aud  removed  to  the  Gate  City 
in  October,  1 8K.5. 

Dr.  Aruientrout  was  married  in  1883,  to  Miss 
Esther  Vinall,  a  native  of  Davenport,  Iowa,  and 
daughter  of  Henry  Vinall,  Esq.  The  Doctor,  bj-  a 
former  marri.-ige,  has  one  son  living — Coral  R.  Dr. 
Armentrout  stands  high  in  his  profession  in  this 
city,  and  as  a  member  of  the  community  is  highly 
esteemed  for  his  social  and  intellectual  endow- 
ments, and  is  a  member  of  the  Keokuk  Medical 
Association.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  city,  educa- 
tionally and  religiously,  and  with  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  Chatham  .Square  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  Keokuk.  Mrs.  A.  is  a  teacher  in  the 
Sabbath-school,  and  the  Doctor  has  served  as  Su- 
perintendent in  other  localities  for  a  number  of 
years.  Their  pleasant  home  is  situated  at  No.  (JOG 
North  Fourth  street,  and  they  have  gathered  about 
them  a  circle  comprising  the  best  and  most  cultured 
people  of  the  city. 


fclLLIAM  B.    FREDERICK,    a    highly    re- 
s|>ected  and    well  educated  citizen   of  Ft. 


Madison,  is  a  luttive  of  Lee  County,  born 
in  the  town  where  he  now  resides,  on  the  17th  of 
March.  1  «,')(>.  He  is  the  third  son  of  Charles  and 
Rosanna  Frederick  (see  sketch  in  another  part  of 
this  volume.)  He  was  but  two  years  old  wiicn  his 
parents  removed  to  the  farm  in  Madison  Township, 
and  they  lived  there  until  he  was  fourteen  j-ears 
old.  He  then  returned  to  the  city  of  which  he 
has  since  been  a  resident.  He  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools,  and  soon  after  his  re- 
turn to  the  city  engaged  as  a   clerk    in  a  grocery 


store,  where  he  remained  for  six  years,  and  then 
set  up  business  on  his  own  account  in  the  same  line 
of  merchandise.  He  has  been  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness since  that  time,  with  the  exception  of  three 
months,  and  has  prospered. 

Mr.  Frederick  was  married,  .June  10,  1880,  to 
Miss  Fannie  Anderscm,  a  native  of  Montrose,  Lee 
County-.  Her  parents  were  Benjamin  and  Louise 
(Davis)  Anderson,  and  she  remained  with  them 
until  her  marriage,  receiving  a  good  education. 
Mrs.  Frederick,  in  earlier  years,  was  a  popular  and 
successful  teacher  in  the  ]iublic  schools  of  Ft. 
Madison. 

Mr.  Frederick  is  independent  in  politics,  and 
while  not  connected  with  any  church  organiza- 
tion, is  a  stanch  friend  of  morality  and  good  order, 
and  the  encourager  of  every  good  work  and  pur- 
pose, to  which  lie  zealously  contributes  by  his  in- 
fluence and  means. 


~v\/v -MAac/©-^ 


»*.@|>a/^3f7r9>*  •  ./v^^ 


\f/AMES  McNAMARA,  who  is  prominent 
among  the  Inisiness  men  of  Keokuk,  is  an 
extensive  dealer  in  coal,  lime,  cement,  plaster 
paris,  sewer  pipe,  land  tile,  fire  brick,  mixed 
paints,  alabastine,  etc.,  and  is  located  at  Nos.  426 
and  42.S  .lohnson  street.  He  is  also  a  very  prom- 
inent coutr.ictor.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  the 
Emerald  Isle,  and  was  born  in  Count}'  Clare,  near 
the  Lakes  of  Inchiquin  about  seven  miles  from 
Ennis,  in  April,  1830,  his  parents  being  James  and 
Mary  (Barrett)  McNaniara.  natives  of  the  same 
country  and  locality.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  and  not  being  satisfied  with  his  condi- 
tion or  prospects  in  his  native  country,  resolved  to 
emigrate  to  America.  Accordingly,  in  1852,  he 
left  his  native  land,  and  after  a  safe  voyage,  landed 
in  New  York  City,  whence  he  proceeded  to  Indiana, 
and  remained  in  that  State  for  five  years.  Thence 
he  came  with  his  family  to  Keokuk,  and  eng.aged 
in  the  grocery  business  with  his  son,  .lohn  li,,  until 
his  decease,  which  occurred  in  18U'J.  The  wife  and 
mother  had  preceded  liini  three  3'ears,  dying  in 
186G.  He  was  a  stanch  supiiorter  of  the  Democratic 
party,  and  with  his  wife  adhered  to  the  Catholic 
faith  of  their  fathers.     Their  household   included 


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ten  chilflren,  of  whom  nine  are  still  living:  Bridget, 
Mrs.  McNainara,  resides  in  Indiana;  Patrick  is 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Keolvuk;  Nora, 
now  Mrs.  Murphy,  resides  in  I>uuisville,  Ky. ; 
Michael  is  a  resident  of  Keokuk,  as  also  are  James, 
Maggie,  Mary,  and  John,  who  is  Clerk  of  the  District 
Court;  Annie  lives  in  Missouri. 

The  younger  years  of  Mr.  McNamiira  were  spent 
upon  his  father's  farm  and  in  attendance  at  the 
c<jmnK)n  schools.  At  the  early  age  of  eighteen 
years,  he  left  the  parental  roof  and  his  native  land 
and  set  sail  for  the  New  World.  Aftei'  a  prosperous 
voyage  he  landed  in  Boston,  and  for  a  time  was 
employed  on  a  farm,  lie  then  set  his  face  west- 
ward, going  to  New  Alliany,  Ind.,  and  after  he  had 
attained  to  years  of  manhood,  engaged  in  contract- 
ing and  building,  having  under  his  charge  from  100 
to  150  men.  In  1857  he  came  to  Keokuk  and 
pursued  the  sarne  occuijation  for  two  years,  when 
he  went  to  St.  Louis,  engaged  there  in  the  same 
business,  and  remained  until  1861.  Me  then  re- 
turned to  Keokuk,  and  during  the  building  of  the 
(iovernment  canal  in  this  section,  took  a  contract 
for  120,000,  which  involved  the  employment  of  100 
men.  When  this  wa  completed,  he  still  continued 
as  a  contractor  and  builder,  in  which  he  was  very 
successful,  and  accumulated  sutticient  means  to 
establish  his  present  business,  in  which  he  became 
engaged  in  187().  His  business  otlice  is  located  in 
the  building  which  he  eretted  in  1 882,  and  besides 
his  own  handsome  residence,  he  owns  three  other 
dwelling-houses  wiiich  are  occupied  by  tenants. 

Mr.  McNamara  was  married  in  1855,  to  Miss 
Anne,  the  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Bridget  Morau, 
of  Bedford,  Ind.  Of  this  union  there  have  been 
born  six  children,  of  whom  the  following  are  living: 
Cornelius,  Frank,  John  and  Charles.  The  three 
first-named  are  associated  with  their  father  in  his 
business,  and  Charles  is  connected  with  the  hard- 
ware firm  of  A.  Weber  &  Co.  The  family  residence 
is  located  at  No.  812  Bank  street,  where  its  inmates 
enjoj'  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of 
life.  The  family  is  connected  with  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  and  politicallj'  Mr.  McNamara 
casts  his  vote  with  the  Democratic  party.  He  is 
one  of  the  prominent  and  substantial  l)usiness  men 
of  Keokuk  and  takes  a  livelj'  interest  in  everj'thing 


that  pertains  to  the  welfare  of  the  Gate  City. 
F'ormerly  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors, and  is  now  one  of  the  Park  Commissioners, 
and  contributes  cheerfully  and  liberally  to  every 
good  work  and  purpose  in  his  vicinity. 


ICHAKD  E.  GRIFFIS,  a  highly  esteemed 
resident  and  farmer  of  Cedar  Township, 
was  born  in  Kentucky,  Oct.  10,  18;3t).  His 
^©;  father,  William  GrifHs,  was  also  a  native  of 
the  same  State,  and  his  grandfather  was  a  native 
of  Wales,  who  came  to  America  with  his  parents 
at  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  this  coun- 
try, and  located  in  Kentucky.  They  removed 
from  this  State  to  Indiana  in  about  1836,  settling 
in  Clay  County,  on  a  tract  of  timber  land.  There 
were  few  inhabitants  in  the  region  at  that  day,  but 
those  hardy  pioneers  were  brave  and  persevering, 
and  in  due  time  cleared  a  farm  and  established  a 
home  in  the  wilderness.  There  they  lived  until 
1859,  then  sold  out,  and  sought  a  home  farther 
West,  beyond  the  Father  of  Waters.  Coming  into 
Iowa,  they  purchased  a  farm  in  Jasper  County,  and 
here  the  grandparents  of  our  subject  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  their  lives. 

William  Griffls,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
roared  in  Kentucky,  and  removed  from  his  native 
State  with  his  parents  to  Indiana.  The  renK)val 
was  accomplished  by  means  of  four  horses  and  a 
wagon.  In  the  latter  they  loaded  their  household 
effects,  and  during  the  journey  camped  and  cooked 
by  the  wayside.  They  built  a  hig  liijuse  upon  a 
tract  of  timber  land  in  Clay  County,  and  became 
the  possessors  of  a  large  acreage.  The  log  cabin 
in  due  time  was  replaced  by  a  substantial  frame 
house,  and  they  were  prospered  in  their  labors  of 
clearing  the  land  and  tilling  the  soil.  In  1851,  ac- 
companied bj-  his  family,  William  Griftis  started 
on  an  overland  journey  to  Missouri.  He  only  re- 
uuiined  in  that  State,  however,  for  one  year,  and 
then  coming  into  Lee  County,  Iowa,  rented  a 
farm  in  Washington  Township,  upon  which  he  con- 
tinued one  year,  and  then  purchased  a  tract  of 
land  and  began  its    improvenient    and    <-ultivation, 


m 


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M 


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remaining-  here  until  two   years   before   his   death,   |   of  Mrs.  Griffls,  was  a  native  of  the  same  State   ii^\ 


which  occurred  in  Neliraslia. 

In  early  manhood  William  Grittis  w;is  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Uutli  Klsen,  a  native  of  Kcn- 
tiu;ky.  She  accompanied  her  husband  through  all 
his  wanderings  and  shared  in  iiis  toils  and  anxieties. 
She  finally  came  with  hiui  to  this  county,  and  died 
in  .Jefferson  Townsliij).  Of  their  union  there  were 
born  six  children,  as  follows:  Ilezekiah  lives  in 
Crystal  City,  Dak. ;  the  second  son  is  the  subject  of 
our  sketch,  and  following  came  his  brother  James; 
.bihn  lives  in  Pottawattamie  County,  Iowa;  Mary 
A.,  the  wife  of  .John  15ullard,  lives  in  AVayne 
County,  Iowa;  the  youngest  child  died  in  infancy. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  but  three  years 
old  when  his  parents  removed  from  his  native 
State  to  Indiana,  and  sixteen  when  thej'  came  to 
Lee  County.  He  was  reared  to  farming  pursuits 
and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  his 
marriage.  He  then  rented  a  farm  in  A\'ashington 
Township,  where  he  remained  for  two  years,  and 
then  purchased  a  farm  in  Wayne  County,  which  he 
occupied  three  years,  then  returned  and  settled  on 
the  old  homestead  in  Lee  County,  which  he  oper- 
ated until  1.S07.  He  then  purchased  his  present 
homestead.  It  was  a  tract  of  wild  and  unimproved 
land  when  he  took  possession  of  it,  but  through 
the  exercise  of  ceaseless  industry  he  has  brought 
it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  supplied  it 
with  valuable  farm  liuildings.  The  homestead  con- 
sists of  IGO  acres,  and  Mr.  (Triffls  also  has  a  finely 
improved  farm  of  181  acres  in    Marion  Township. 

Hichard  K.  GrifHs  and  Miss  Mary  .Sawyer  were 
united  in  marriage  on  the  .^th  of  August,  1860. 
Mrs.  G.  was  a  native  of  this  county,  her  birth  oc- 
curring in  Washington  Township,  Aug.  7,  1H41. 
Her  father,  .Tohn  Sawyer,  was  a  New  Englander, 
born  in  Wendell,  Franklin  Co.,  Mass.,  where  he  was 
reared  and  married,  and  there  remained  until  l«;i2. 
He  then  went  to  Ohio  with  his  familj',  remaining 
in  that  State  four  years,  and  from  tliere  went  into 
the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  settling  on  the  Black- 
hawk  Purchase,  and  soon  thereafter  in.ade  a  claim 
in  Washington  Towjisliip,  this  county.  The  laud 
-  was  not  then  even  surveyed,  but  wiieii  it  came 
into  market  he  located  U)k»ii  il  and  remained  there 
until  his  de:itli.      .Mrs.  .Ipininja  Sawyer,   the  niotliei- 


her  husband,  and  coming  West  with  iiim.  departedj 
this  life  in   Washington   Township   in    1.S.H4.     Th 
parental  househohl  consisted  of  six  children,  as  fol 
lows:   Franklin  is    in    Texas;   Ashel    is    deceased 
William  C.  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in   isiil,  and  die 
while  in  the,  service  in  October  of  the  same  year 
Sarah  M.,  the  wife    of    Hezekiah    tirillis,    lives    inm 
Custer  City,   Dak.;   Martha  .1.,   now   Mrs.    llaniill.''"''' 
lives  in  Mt.  Ilamill;  A'athaniel  (i.  is  in  Kansas.       =  {} 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Griffls  of  our  sketch  became  lii 
parents  of  three  children — Sylvester,  Kilith  an 
Herbert.  Mrs.  Griffls  died  Feb.  -J,  Is.sT. 
familj'  is  highlj'  respected  in  this  community,  and; 
Mr.  G.  is  faithfully  fulfilling  the  obligations  of  ar 
good  citizen.  Politically  he  affiliates  witli  thej;3 
Democratic  party,  and  is  the  friend  of  good  order;  J 
education,  morality  and   religion. 


4 

':  [I 


-^€-^^- 


R.  T.  J.  MAX\\KLL,  of  Keokuk,  Iowa 
has  been  a  resident  of  the  Gate  City  sine 
1882,  and  during  this  comparatively  lu'ie 
j)eriod  has  taken  rank  among  the  first  o 
his  profession  in  this  vicinity.  He  is  a  native  officii 
Ohio,  born  in  New  Athens,  Harrison  County,  or 
the  Oth  of  March,  1837.  His  parents  were  Johi£|K 
and  Jane  (Orr)  Maxwell,  natives  respectively'  ofiei 
West  \'irginia  and  Pennsylvania. 

Thomas  Maxwell,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject^; 
removed  from  his  native  .State  to  Ohio  in  1804,  an 
there  engaged  in  farming  pursuits.  There  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  was  reared,  and  was  engage 
with  his  father  upon  the  farm  until  he  attained  Uit 
years  of  maturity,  when  he  became  a  skilled  me 
chanic,  and  w.as  engaged  in  the  building  of  mills  an 
other  important  structures  until  1842.  He  the 
crossed  the  Misssissippi  to  look  over  the  conn 
try,  and  l)eing  pleased  with  the  prospect,  renH)vef^ 
his  family  here  in  1844,  and  located  in  Washingtor 
County.  Here  he  pursued  his  building  operations  ii{| 
and  around  Crawfordsville  until  he  ceased  from  hi| 
earthly  labors  in  18(;y.  The  wife  of  his  youth  surflE 
vived  him  sixteen  years,  dying  in  188;').  They  wer 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  one  of  whom  died  i 
infancy.   The  others  lived  to  mat  ure  years,  anil  six  oj 


these  latter  are  still  living :  Mary,  Mrs.  Allen,  and 
ZipporaU,  Mrs.  Walker,  are  residents  of  Kansas; 
the  fourth  child  was  T.  J.,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch ;  Emma,  Mrs.  McCall,  and  Elizabeth,  Mrs. 
Anderson,  are  in  Washington,  Iowa;  Rachel  A.,  Mrs. 
Brook,  is  in  Kansas. 

Dr.  Maxwell  of  our  sketch  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  early  years  obtaining  a  primary  education 
in  the  district  schools.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  years 
he  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  store,  and  a  part  of  the 
time  attended  the  academy  at  C'rawfordsville.  He 
then  engaged  in  the  furniture  business  for  about 
one  year,  after  which  he  sold  out,  and  for  the  same 
length  of  time  was  occupied  in  teaching  school. 
lie  had  been  studious  and  ambitious,  and  now  de- 
cided to  take  up  the  study  of  medicine.  He  ac- 
coidingly  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Miles,  of  C'raw- 
fordsville, and  remained  for  three  years  under  the 
instruction  of  this  eminent  physician,  in  the  mean- 
time being  a  close  student  of  the  best  medical 
works  extant.  He  then  entered  the  Keokuk  Col- 
lege of,  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1861,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  chosen  profession  in  Richmond,  Washington  Co., 
I(jwa.  After  a  year's  practice,  the  war  then  being 
in  progress,  he  was  commissioned  Assistant  Surgeon 
of  the  3d  I(.)wa  Cavalry,  and  joined  his  regiment  at 
Helena,  Ark.  He  participated  with  his  regiment 
in  its  various  battles  and  marches,  and  in  .July, 
1865,  was  commissioned  Surgeon  of  the  i;i8th 
1'.  S.  C.  T.,  and  was  stationed  at  Atlanta  until  Jan- 
uar}'  of  the  following  year,  when  he  was  mustered 
out  with  his  regiment  and  returned  to  his  home  at 
Crawfordsville.  From  this  latter  place  Dr.  Max- 
well removed  to  Washington,  Iowa,  thence  to 
Olena,  Henderson  Co.,  111.,  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1878,  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
surgery.  From  there  he  removed  to  Biggsville  in 
the  .same  count}-,  practicing  in  that  vicinit}'  for 
four  years,  and  then  re-crossed  the  Mississippi  and 
located  in  the  Ciate  City. 

Dr.  Maxwell  was  married,  in  1866,  at  Crawfords- 
ville, Washington  Co.,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  S. 
Riley,  of  Ohio.  The  household  circle  consists  of 
foui'  children  living — .lohn  R.,  Mabel  ('.,  .Maude  B. 
and  Helen  .].;  two,  Ralph  S.  and  Nellie  (i.,  having 
died  in  infancy.     Their  hiind^ome  home  is  located 


at  No.   727  Ninth  street,  and  is  the  resort  of  th( 
most  highly  cultivated  people   of   the    city.     Th( 
Doctor  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  ol 
the  G.  A.  R.     He  occupies  a  high  position  among 
his  professional  brethren  of   the   city ;   he    belongfc 
to  the  City  Medical  .Society,  the  Illinois  Medic; 
Society,  the  Iowa  Medical  Society,  and  the  Ameri 
can  Medical  Association.     He   is  Surgeon  on   thci 
staff  of  the  St.  Joseph  Hospital,  and  Professor  of 
Anatomy  at  the  College   of   Physicians  and    Sur- 
geons of  Keokuk,  also  local  surgeon  for  the  C.  R. 
I.  &  P.  R.  R.  Co. 


i 


of   the  honored 


f^EYTON    DAWSON,    one 
Jl  pioneers  of   Lee  County,  is  a  resident  of 
Cedar  Township,  and  as  a  fine  representative 
of  that  brave  and  courageous  baud   who 
first  ventured  into  the  country  beyond  the  Missis 
sippi  with  the  determination  to  establish  a  home,  is' 
held  iji  deep  veneration  and  respect.     Not  alone 
for  this,  however,  is  Mr.   Dawson  thus   esteemed, 
but  for   his   excellent  personal  traits  of  character 
which  have  gained  for  him  the  reputation  of  ai 
honest  man  and  good  citizen. 

Mr.  Dawson  is  a  native  of  Shelby  County,  Ky.Jjp^ 
born  on  the  ;Jth  of  March,  181 'J.  His  father,  Elijah  jj 
Dawson,  and  his  grandfather,  John  B.  Dawson,  jj  [ 
were  both  natives  of  ^'irginia,  and  the  latter,  a  boy  | 
with  CTCorge  Washington.  He  also  served  as  s 
soldier  under  the  Father  of  his  Country,  and  during 
the  last  years  of  his  life  enjoyed  the  benefits  of 
pension  from  his  Goverinuent.  John  B.  Dawso: 
removed  from  his  native  State  to  Kentucky  '•  |  ^  .^ 
about  1816,  and  settled  in  Shelby  County,  where  h«  0  ;i 
lived  for  sixteen  years.  Then,  in  1832,  he  removed  VM^ 
to  Illinois  and  located  near  .Jacksonville,  where  h4|3p 
passed  the  last  years  of  his  life,  and  was  buried 
with  military  honors,  the  trtiops  of  that  military 
post  being  then  under  the  command  of  Gen.  J.  J. 
Harding. 

Elijah  Dawson,  the  father  of    our  subject,   was 
reared  in  bis  native  State  of  Virginia,  and  when 
young  man  went  to  Prince  William  County  as  over- 
seer  on    ft   plantation   lielonging   to  a   Mr.  (ieorge,!; 
whose  grand-daughter,  Miss  Anna  Colvin,  he  nfter-. 


ii 


ward  married.  In  1815  he  removed  to  Kentucky 
with  his  wife  and  two  children,  and  leased  land  in 
Shelby  County.  The  whole  distance,  700  miles 
through  the  wilderness,  was  made  with  teams,  and 
after  a  residence  of  about  seventeen  years  in  Ken- 
tucky, Elijah  Dawson  once  more  iniUed  up  stakes, 
and  repeating  his  former  experiment  set  out  over- 
land for  Illinois.  They  cooked  and  camped  by  the 
wayside  as  before,  and  settled  up<jn  Morgan  County 
as  their  first  location,  Mr.  1).  purchasing  land  about 
five  miles  from  Jacksonville.  His  purchase  was 
unimproved,  and  he  at  once  set  about  establishing 
his  famil3'  comfortably  in  a  liy  no  means  modern 
dwelling,  and  then  beg.aii  to  prepare  the  soil  for  the 
first  croi).  Here  they  lived  until  the  farm  was 
brought  to  a  good  condition  and  saleable,  and  then 
Elijah  Dawson  solil  his  second  homestead,  and 
probably  with  the  desire  of  Daniel  Boone  for  "more 
room"  determined  to  cross  tlie  Father  of  Waters 
and  establish  himself  beyond  the  Mississip|)i.  This 
journey,  like  the  others,  was  made  overland  with 
teams,  accompanied  by  his  family  and  household 
possessions.  Thej-  stopped  foi-  one  year  in  West 
Point,  and  afterward  removed  to  the  present  site  of 
Summitville,  being  the  first  to  make  a  settlement 
in  that  region.  Their  cabin  stood  on  the  ])rairie  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  wiiere  the  town  now 
stands.  Mr.  D.  purchased  a  claim  of  300  acres  on 
the  "half-breed"  tract,  built  a  double  log  iiouse, 
and  remained  there  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  September.  1 84.5. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  before  her  marriage, 
was  Miss  Anna  Colvin,  of  Prince  William  County, 
Va.  She  remained  the  faithful  companion  of  her 
husband  in  all  his  wanderings  and  removals,  and 
fulfilled  the  duties  of  a  pioneer's  wife  with  courage 
and  patience,  .she  crossed  the  Mississippi  with  her 
husliand  and  cliildren,  and  juissed  her  last  da3-s  on 
the  old  homestead  near  Summitville.  She  and  her 
husband  were  separated  bj'  death  for  on  I}- the  short 
space  of  twenty-f(jur  hours,  after  which  she  followed 
him  to  the  better  land.  The  day  following  the 
death  of  the  mother,  the  devoted  household  experi- 
TjTTJi^q  enced  a  third  attiiction  in  the  death  of  a  sister, 
Eliza  E.,  an  interesting  little  girl  of  eleven  years 
old.     The  three  were  buried  in  tme  grave. 

Peyton  Uawson  of  our  sketch  was  the  fourth  child 


of  his  parents,  and  was  twelve  years  old  when  the 
family  removed  from  Kentucky  to  Illinois.  He  re- 
members all  the  interesting  incidents  connected  with 
the  overland  journej',  and  entered  into  the  spirit  of 
the  adventure  with  boyish  enthusiasm.  He  assisted 
his  father  in  the  duties  around  the  homestead,  and 
as  his  mother  was  in  ill-health  for  nearlj'  three 
years,  he  was  largely  (jccupied  in  household  duties. 
He  came  to  Iowa  with  his   parents,  and  after  they  SIH 

had  been   here  one  year  he  was  married  and  com-  Hu 

"1 1 
menced  life  on  his  own  account.     He  purchased  a  Be  i 

claim   of   200  .icres  of   land  which  is  now  included  fiti 

Ctl 
in  the  County  Farm  in  Jackson  Township.     There  K?i 

.  .       StP 

was  a  great  deal  of   uncertainty  in  coimection  with 

these   claims   in   the  half-breed   tract,  and   Mr.  D. 

hatl  purchased  his  claim  of  a  Mormon  from  Nauvoo, 

by  whom  he  was  assured  that  the  title  was  perfect. 

He  learned,  however,  before  he  moved  upon  it  that 

it  was  to  be  "jumped."    He  called  his  neighbors  to 

his  assistance,  and   put  up  a  log  cabin  in  a  liurry 

and  moved  into  it.     After  living  there  two   weeks 

two    men    called    upon  him    and    ordered   liim    to 

leave,  but  he  took  down  his  gun  and  made  the  same  S|} 

suKtcestion  to   them,   w-hich  they    followed    uncon-  | 

ditionally.  The  following  week  a  companj'  of  eighty  g 

men  came  to  his  place,  and,  halting  a  short  distance    Ij 

awaj',  sent  a  delegation  C)f  twelve  to  parley  with  the    i 

occupant  of  the  new  cabin.     When  they  f(jund  that    i 

he  would   not   be  bullied  but   would  fight  to   the 

death,  they  retreated,  and  he  afterward    "held  the 

fort"  unmolested.  n 

Two  years  later  Mr.  Dawson  sold  his  eight}'  acres  '^ 

and   build   a   double  log  house   on   the   spot  now 

occupied  by  the  county  house.     This  he  occupied 

one  year,  then  sold  out  and  removed  to  Jefferson 

County,  and  after  a  year  spent  at  the  latter  place 

came  into  Lee  County.     Then,  after  the  death  of 

his  parents,  he  purch.ased   the   old  homestead   and 

occupied  it  until  18;jl,  when  he  sold  this  also,  and 

two  years  later  purchased  the  farm  which  he  now 

owns  and   occupies.     Mr.   Dawson   possessed    con-  ||; 

siderable   of  the  adventurous  spirit  of  his  father, 

and  seemed  to  delight  in  taking  up  a  piece  of  wild 

land  and  oi)eiiing  up  a  farm  out  of  the  wilderness. 

His  last  purchase  was  also  wild  prairie,  upon  which 

he   erected   a  small   frame   house,  which  has  since 

given  place  to  a  commodious  farm  residence.     The  B 


'i^saae£2ii 


RESIDENCE     OF       J05EPH    KRICHEL,    5EC5.    11    &  12. JACKSON    TP. 


BUSINESS  HOUSE    AND      RESIDENCE      OF     HENRY    SCHAR  F  EN  B  ERG  ,  KEO  KUK  .10  WA   . 


REHIDENCE     OF      HENRY     GARVE  R  IC  H  ,  SEC  .  17.    DES  MOINES   TP. 


homestead  is  now  supplied  with  good  barns  and 
outhouses,  amply  suitable  for  the  storing  of  grain 
and  the  shelter  of  stock.  He  is  the  possessor  of  17(5 
acres  of  finely  improved  hind  and  pasture,  and  be- 
sides this  owns  forty  acres  of  valuable  timber  in 
Van  Buren  t'ounty. 

Mr.  Dawson  was  marrieil  in  1)S42,  to  Miss  Ellen 
A.  Stoddard,  a  native  of  Xew  Hampshire.  Mrs. 
Ellen  Dawson  f>nlv  lived  five  years  after  her  mar- 
riage, and  l)ee;nne  the  nxjther  of  three  children,  one 
son  and  two  daughters:  Eliza  E.  became  the  wife 
of  James  Kennedy,  the  present  Assessor  of  Cedar 
Township;  Martha  A.  and  E.  P.  are  deceased.  The 
second  wife  of  Mr.  Dawson,  to  whom  he  was  mar- 
ried in  1S48,  was  Miss  Sarah  Sartore,  of  New  York. 
She  was  born  in  Alleganj^  County,  N.  Y.,  Jan. 
26,  1826,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Zebulon  and 
Nancy  A.  (Hoglan)  Sartore,  both  natives  of  New 
Jersey'.  They  emigrated  from  their  native  State 
to  Iowa  in  1845,  and  located  in  Summitville,  where 
Mr.  S.  purchased  a  tract  of  land  and  improved 
a  farm,  upon  which  he  lived  until  1851,  and  then 
sold  out  and  removed  to  Clarke  County,  where 
both  parents  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 

By  the  second  marriage  of  our  subject  have  been 
born  the  following :  Wesley  lives  in  Henry  County, 
Iowa;  Linsej'  M.,  in  Cedar  Township;  the  next  was 
a  daughter,  Lucinda  J. ;  Commodore  and  Isadore 
were  twins,  and  the  two  youngest  are  William  Sher- 
man and  ^linnie  Bell.  IMr.  and  Mrs.  Dawson  are 
prominently  connected  with  the  Christian  Church, 
and  Mr.  D.,  who  cast  his  first  vote  for  Gen.,  Harri- 
son for  President,  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party. 


ylLLIAM  TORLEY,  a  highly  esteemed  citi- 
zen of  West  Point,  is  successfully  engaged 
as  a  dealer  in  boots,  shoes,  leather  and  gro- 
ceries. He  came  to  this  localitj-  in  1872,  at  once 
establishing  himself  in  business  as  a  general  mer- 
|a  chant,  and  afterward  confined  his  operations  to  his 
■^  present  line  of  goods.  He  had  had  a  ripe  experience 
in  trade,  having  been  for  twenty-two  years  clerk 
for  A.  (i.  Adams,  the  well-known  boot-and-shoe 
merchant  of    Burlington,  Iowa.     After  leaving  the 


'^ 


351 

service  of  this  house  he  spent  four  months  as  a 
traveling  salesman,  and  became  one  of  the  most 
popular  men  on  the  route. 

'J'he  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  native  of  the  Em- 
pire of  Germany,  born  in  Prussia,  Jan.  2,  1831. 
His  father,  who  all  his  lifetime  w;is  eng,aged  in 
farming  i)ursuits,  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1848, 
and  is  still  living,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  at 
Oquawka.  111.  His  son,  our  subject,  came  with  the  J 
balance  of  the  family,  and  they  all  first  settled  in 
Des  Moines  County,  Iowa.  They  were  located  on 
a  farm  near  Burlington  until  1850,  wiien  the  father 
went  across  tlie  phiins  to  the  mining  regions  of 
California,  and  was  there  engaged  three  years  with 
fair  success.  He  then  returned  and  retired  from 
active  labor,  and  is  now  living  with  his  children. 

Mr.  Torley  is  the  owner  of  six  lots  and  one  good 
building  beside  his  store.  He  has  pursued  a 
straightforward  course,  and  his  business  has  been 
conducted  with  system  and  good  order.  He  was 
married  in  1854,  to  Miss  Maggie  Bishop,  of  Bur- 
lington, a  lady  of  German  parentage  and  descent. 
Of  this  union  there  have  been  born  eight  children, 
six  now  living:  Matilda  and  Louisa  are  married, 
and  Julia,  Emma,  Libbie  and  May  are  at  home 
with  their  parents.  The  deceased  are  Etta  and  an 
infant  unnamed..  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Torley  are  mem- 
bers in  good  standing  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Politically  Mr.  T.  is  solidly  Republican, 
and  has  been  Village  Trustee  for  two  terms. 


HOMAS  DOBSON,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Lee  Count}',  came  to  this  section  in  the 
fall  of  1855,  from  Quebec,  Canada,  to  which 
he  had  emigrated  from  his  native  England  nine 
weeks  before.  He  first  settled  with  his  family  in 
West  Point  Township,  where  they  lived  until  1870, 
and  then  removed  to  Washington  Township,  which 
has  since  been  their  home.  The  farm  estate  of  Mr. 
D.  comprises  120  acres,  pleasantly  located  on  section 
17,  eighty  of  which  is  tillable  and  under  a  good 
state  of  cultivation. 

Thomas  Dobson  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
County,  England.  Aug.  8,  1820,  .-ind  is  the  son  of 
Isaac    and     Hannah    (Garner)    Dobson.       He    was 


n 


0 


BN 


5:;j 


mm 


leared  on  a  farm   in   his  native  country,  and  was 
there    married,  April   22,  1855.  to  Miss   Elizabeth 
Campbell,  a    native  of    Y<>rkr*hire,  who  was   born 
Sept.  2;3.  1«;30.     They  became  the   parents  of  four 
children,  of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows:    Eliza- 
lieth  died  in  Washington  Township,  Sept.  .').  1K77; 
ThomnsC.  married  Miss  Amanda  Mills,  and  resides 
ill    Washington   Township;    Mary  J.   is  a  teacher;   | 
Kdward    W.     married    Miss    Libbie     I'atten,    and    1 
resides    in     Albuquerfpie,  N.   M.      Mr.    and    Mrs.    ! 
I),    are    connected    with    the    Methodist    Church, 
and    politically  our   subject  uniformly   votes  with 
the  Republican  party. 

Dnrinii  their  passage  to  America  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dobson  met  with  a  thrilling  adventure  and  a  mir- 
aculous escape  from  death.  The  vessel,  containing 
over  700  passengers,  was  shipwrecked  near  the  banks 
of  Newfoundlaiul,  and  those  who  were  on  board 
liarely  escaped  with  their  lives.  The  vessel  became 
a  total  wreck  and,  with  many  others,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
1).  were  taken  into  lifeboats,  and  landed  in  Quebec 
nearly  destitute,  having  lost  all  their  clothing  and 
money.  Through  the  aid  of  friends,  Mr.  1).  obtained 
sufficient  means  to  reach  this  section,  and  thus,  as  it 
will  be  seen,  commenced  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder 
ill  common  with  many  of  the  other  early  settlers  of 
this  region.  He  was  not  by  any  means  dismayed  at 
the  disaster  which  had  overtaken  him,  but  put  to 
good  use  his  natural  talents  of  energy  and  industry, 
and   ill  due  time  was  rewarded  with  success. 


^^-»^- 


-<J- 


present  position  by  the  exercise  of  his  own   indns-a 

try,  the  circumstances  which  suri-ouiidetl  iiis  youth; 

com|)clling  him  to  make  his  own  way  in  tlic   world.: 

Dr.  Ingersoll  was   born  in  Ogdeii,   Monroe  Co.,: 

>.'.  Y.,  Sept.  26,  1823,  and  is  the  sou   of  Theodore: 

S.  and  I>ydia  (Brewer)  Ingersoll,  natives  of  Massa-^}; 

chusetts.     His   f;ither  in  early  life  was  engaged    in 

the  shoe  business,  and  subsequently  in  agricultural §;;} 

pursuits,  and  during  the  last  thirt\'  years  of  his  lifeE  i 

"  - 1 
was  occupied   in  the  jewelry   business  at  OI)erlin;;i 

and  at  Elyria,  Ohio.     He  was  induced  to  emigrates  i 

to  Oberlin    in    conipany  with   a    colony    w^liich    had:  ^i 

been  formed  for   the   purpose  of  settling   up   that:  ji 

section,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  Oberlin -jti 

College,  which  h.as  since  obtained  such  a  wide  repu-;ii\ 

tation  as  an  institution  of  learning.     For  the  estab-ar-n 

lishment  of  this,  he  gave  of  his  means  liberally',  butHlii 

in   the  crisis  of   1837  lost  the   greater   part  of  hisiii 

property,  and  his  son,  our  subject,  was  consequently  31;  i 

thrown  ui)on  his  own  resources.  aln 

The  parental  fainilv consisted  of  six  children,  tive;-! 

■  ;n 

of  whom  are  still   living' — Harriet  N.,  Timothy  D.,:ii 

William  15.,  W.  Willshire  and  the  subject  of  thisSji 

narrative.  Sli 

Luman   C.  Ingersoll   was  naturally  studious  and^Ei 

ambitious,  and  notwithstanding  his  father's  reverseCEi 

of  fortune,    determined    to  pursue   his   education.:^! 

:;i 
After  the  completion  of  his  primary  studies  he  en-p^i 

tered  Oberlin  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in^B 

184(;.     After  spending  a  few  years  in  general  edu-5ci 

cational  pursuits,  he   entered   the  dental   office   ofgs} 

his  brother  at  Oberlin,   where  he  remained   untilll} 

1853,  and  was  then  in  the  employ  of  Robinson  <feg'" 

Ambler,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  for  the  space  of  six 

months.     He  then  engaged  in  business  for  himself 

in  that  city,  following  the  practice  of  his  profession 

there  for  ttve  years,  after  which  he  sold  out  and 

came  to  Keokuk.     Of  the  dentists  who  were  here 


R.  LUMAN  C.  IN(;ERS0LL,  of  Keokuk, 
Iowa,. is  one  of  the  leading  dentists  of  the 
Mississii)pi  Valley,  and  in  ever}'  respect 
has  mastered  the  science  which  admits  of   I   at  the  time  of  his  coming,  he  is   the  only   one   re-6|} 


so  much  skill.  He  is  not  only  highly  educated  in 
the  profession  of  dentistry,  but  has  been  student 
of  a  wide  range  of  subjects,  and  possesses  literary 
attainments  of  more  than  an  ordinary'  degree.  In 
his  studies  jind  practice  he  has  taken  rank  above 
mere  mechanical  dentistry,  and  has  made  of  it  an 
art  ill  .st'cking  to  preserve  the  symmetry  of  the  face 
:inil  the  tones  of  the  voice.     He  has  arrived  at  his 


an 


mainnig.    and    has    closely    followed  this  i)usuiess, 
in  tiie  meantime  securing  every  valuable  workbear-3|} 
ing  upon  the  subject,  and  all  the  appliances   which 
would  assist  him  to  excel.     In  addition  to  his  ex 
tensive  reading,  he  has  become  the  author  of  many; 
valuable  articles  pertaining  to  this  branch  of  sur-g 
gery,   and    luis    recently   published  a   book   called; 
"  Dental  Science,  or  Dent'il    .Materia  Medica,  Deii-r'^ 


„..,...,, ^AfUUL^s^ pasggg, 


t^^^^^i^ 


LEE  COUNTY, 


tal  Physiology,  Dental  Pathology  and  Therapeu- 
tics." 

Dr.  lugersoll  is  a  member  of  the  State  Dental 
Society,  and  was  President  for  three  years.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  American  Dental  Associiition. 
He  received  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  from 
Oberlin  College  in  IKGO.  In  1882  he  was  elected 
Dean  of  the  Dental  Department  of  the  State  Uni- 
versity of  Iowa,  at  Iowa  City,  which  position  he 
still  holds.  As  a  citizen  he  has  been  actively  in- 
terested in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of 
his  communit}',  and  has  contributed  of  his  time 
and  means  to  advance  its  industrial  interests.  For 
two  years  he  was  President  of  the  Library  Asso- 
ciation, and  lie  is  a  Director  of  the  Keokuk  Stove 
Works,  which  are  prominently  located  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Twelfth  and  Johnston  streets.  He  has  ac- 
cumulated considerable  property. 

Dr.  Luuian  C.  Ingersoll  and  Miss  Maria  Porter 
were  united  in  marriage  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
in  April,  1 8.50.  Mrs.  lugersoll  is  a  highlj'  accom- 
plished lad}-  and  the  daughter  of  Judge  T.  H.  Por- 
ter of  Cattaraugus  County,  N.  Y.,  who  for  many 
3'ears  served  the  State  in  the  Legislative  Depart- 
ment, serving  also  one  term  in  the  United  States 
Congress.  The  Doctor  and  his  lady  occupy  a  beau- 
tiful residence  at  the  intersection  of  Seventh  and 
Orleans  streets,  whicli  is  one  of  the  finest  dwellings 
in  this  sectiou,  with  beautifully  ornamented  grounds 
and  all  the  appliances  of  cultivated  taste  and  am- 
ple means. 

Dr.  Ingersoll  and  his  wife  are  the  center  of  a 
large  cii'cle  of  friends  and  acquaintances,  who  com- 
prise the  most  highlj'  cultivated  people  of  the  Gate 
City.  His  long  residence  here  has  made  his  name 
a  familiar  one  throughout  this  section,  and  his 
genial  disposition,  kindly  manners  and  straightfor- 
ward business  methods  have  attained  for  him  a 
standing  second  to  that  of  no  man  in  the  State. 
He  is  a  liright  example  of  what  a  worthy  ambition 
and  steady  perseverance  will  accomplish.  His 
worldlj-  possessions  have  been  the  legitimate  re- 
sult of  honest  labor,  whicli  has  been  conducted  b}' 
more  than  ordinary  intelligence  and  researcii.  To 
aid  him  in  going  through  college  he  taught  and 
studied  at  tiie  same  time,  giving  special  lessons  in 
those   branches  in   which   he    was   most  proficient. 


He  has  been  paid  the  high  compliment  of  an  invi 
tation  to  prepare  a  paper  for  the  Dental  and   Ora  i? 
Section  of  the  Intei-national  Medical  Congress  whicir 
meets  at  Washington  City  in  September,  1887,  and 
has  consented  t<j  do  so. 


ill 


VOHN  B.  KIEL,  a  successful  hardware  mer- 
chant  of    Montrose,    is    a    native    of    Lee 
County,  and  was  born   in   December,  1845. 
He    is    the    son    of   George    and   Charlotte 
(Trump)  Kiel,  natives   of  Germany,  who  came  toj 
America   and    located    at    P't.   Madison,    Iowa,    in' 
about  183G.     George  Kiel  was  a  piano  and  organ 
maker  by  trade,  and  manufactured  the  first  musical 
instrument  in  the  State  of  Iowa,  in   the  year  1838 
The  date  of  his  birth  was  1 803,  and  he  died  in  Ft 
Madison    in     18(51.     The  mother,    Mrs.    Charlotte 
Kiel,  was  born  in  (iermany  in  1823,  and  is  still  liv- 
ing  at    Montrose.     The    parental   household    eon-  }    P 
sisted  of  four  children — John  B.,  George  AV.,  Adol-r''^  -" 
phus  E.  and  Edith  M.  D. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  uutil  manhood,  receiving  a  fair  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  Ft.  Madison.  On  the 


m 


14th  of  December,  1870,  he  was  united  in  marriage  l[^S 
with  Miss  Mary  Wilson.     Mrs.  Kiel  is  a  native  of|: 
Iowa,  born  in  Lee  County,  July  28,  1848,  and  is  ai  i 
daughter  of  Joim  and  Rebecca  S.  Wilson,  the  for-  i  \ 
mer  of  whom  died  when    Mrs.  K.   was  about  sixlMsl 
months  old.     She  was  about  seven   j-ears  of   age! 
when  her  mother  came  to  Montrose,  and  remainecii 
at  home  until  her  marriage.  Of  her  union  with  oui*!! 
subject  there  have  been  no  children. 

At  tiie  age  of  eigiiteen  years  Mr.  Kiel  learnec 
the  tinner's  trade   in  Ft.  Madison,  and  three  ^-ear^jjip 
later,  in  186G,  he  set  uji  in  business  under  the  namd 
and  style  of  Miller  &  Kiel,  at  Montrose.  In  January, 
18(i9,    our   subject  purchased    the  interest    of   his  I 
partner  and  assumed  the  management  of  the  busi- 
ness.    In  connection  with  his  tin  stock  he  added 
stoves,    hardware,    and    everything    pertaining   to  I 
that  line.      He  has  been  prosperous  in  his  undertak- 
ing and  is  one  of  the  representative  business  men 
of  Montrose. 

Mr.  Kiel  is  popular  uuiong    his  associates,  and'^ 


^' -* 


i3 


socially  is  connected  with  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  belong- 
ing to  .loppa  lAxXge  No.  i;:!G,  at  Montrose,  of  which 
he  has  been  Woi-shipful  Master  for  several  terms. 
He  is  also  P.  11.  P.  of  Potowoiiok  Chapter  No. 
2^,   R.  A.   M.,   at  Ft.    Madison,  and  a  nienil)er  of 

Damascus  C iiiamUMy   No.  .">.  K.  '!".,  at  Keokuk, 

and  was  a  charter  nicmher  of  Cascade  Lodge  No. 
GO.  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Iiaving  also  occupied  the  chair  in 
that  order.  In  .idditioii  to  these,  he  also  belongs  to 
the  K.  of  P..  Aluvipetuck  !,odge  Nt).  115,  at  .Mont- 
rose, of  which  he  was  First  P.ist  Chancellor,  and 
also  a  nienilicr  of  M;iilh.-i  Cliaptel-  No.  ;'),  ().  K.  S., 
at  Jlonlrosc. 

Mr.  Kiel  is  a  incnilier  of  tlie  Kpiscopal  Cluu-ch, 
and  lias  been  Supcrintrndciil  of  tlic  Siibliath-school 
for  ten  years,  lie  was  the  Mayor  of  .Montrose  in 
1873,  has  held  the  odicc  of  City  Recorder,  and  also 
tliat  of  City  'rre:i>incr  for  fourteen  years,  lie  is 
most  intimately  idenlilied  witli  the  interests  of 
Montiose  Townshii),  not  only  from  an  industrial 
point  of  view,  but  because  he  has  been  the  warm 
I  supporter  of  every  movement  tending  to  her  wel- 
I    fare,  whether  morally,  religiously  or  educationally. 


ON.  A.  II.  EVANS,  of  ilu'   lumber  firm    of 
Evans  ct  Sheppard,  located  on  B   and    Rail- 
road streets,  Keokuk,  tiist  came  to  this  cit3' 
in   1877,  and  with  his  present  partner  pur- 
chased a  retail  grocery  store  on  Main  street.    Thej- 
continued    in    the    business    for   about  two  3'ears, 
when  the_v  disjwsed  of  the  same,  ;ind  embarked    in 
the  enterprise  in  which  they  arc  at  present  engaged, 
and  in  which  they  have  met  with  far  more  than  or- 
dinary success. 

A.  II.  Evans  was  born  in  New  .Jersey,  in  1840, 
and  is  the  son  of  Lewis  S.  and  Elizabeth  (Hart) 
3  Evans,  also  natives  of  the  same  State.  The  father 
was  a  school  teacher  by  profession,  and  also  p.assed 
a  portion  of  his  years  m  merchandising.  He  de- 
parted this  life  in  KSf."),  and  the  demise  of  the 
mother  of  our  subject  occurred  in  18(!7.  The  par- 
ental family  comprised  tliiee  children,  of  whom  A. 
II.  is  the  oul}'  one  who  survives.  His  father  died 
when  he  was  about  live  years  old,  and  on  reaching 
the  .age   of  ten  years  he  left  the  home  and  went  to 

K 

1^ 


work  on  a  farm,  receiving  as  remuneration  for  his 

services  his  board  and  clothes,  and  three  months' 
schooling  each  j'ear  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of 
age.  Arriving  at  this  age  he  apprenticed  himself 
to  learn  the  cabinet  business,  which  he  mastereil. 
and  at  which  he  labored  until  the  breaking  out  of 
the  late  Civil  War.^  At  the  first  call  for  75,0(iii 
men  our  subject  enlisted.  He  served  out  his  term 
of  eidistment,  three  months,  and  returning  home 
re-enliste  1  in  the  yth  New  Jersey  Regiment,  and 
served  through  the  war,  coming  back  home  when 
the  terrible  conflict  was  ended,  in  1Mb,  a  CaiJtain. 
He  was  engaged  in  the  following  battles:  Roanoke 
Island,  N.  C. :  Newburn;  Drury's  Bluff;  Cold  Har- 
bor; siege  of  Pittsburg,  and  was  taken  prisoner  at 
Wise's  Fork,  and  after  four  days  made  his  escape, 
returning  to  the  Union  lines  after  an  absence  of 
twelve  da3's,  which  was  accorapli.shed  by  hiding 
during  the  da.ytime  and  traveling  under  cover  of 
darkness  at  night. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Evans  settled  in 
Arkansas,  and  was  engaged  in  raising  cotton  and 
mcicli.indising,  and  also  in  lumbering.  He  has 
been  in  comi)an3'  with  his  present  partner  since 
18G5.  Tlic\'  were  in  business  in  Arkansas  from 
l^G;-)  to  1877,  when  thej'  sold  most  of  their  interests 
there  and  c.-ime  to  Keokuk,  and  have  since,  with 
tha  exce|)tion  of  two  years,  conducted  the  business 
in  whieh  they  are  at  present  engaged.  They  have 
in  their  employ  in  the  busy  part  of  the  season  from 
twent}'  to  forty-five  men. 

While  a  resident  of  Arkansas  Mr.  Evans  was  a 
member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  at  Little 
Rock,  and  in  18G7  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Sen- 
ate. At  the  present  writing  he  is  Alderm.Tn  froni 
the  Third  Ward,  and  is  also  one  of  the  Directors  of 
the  Loan  and  Building  Association  at  Keokuk.  He 
is  a  Repulilican  in  politics,  and  socially  is  ;i  niem- 
bei-  of  the  Masonic  fraternity-.  Mr.  Evans  was 
united  in  marri.age  with  Miss  R.  M.  Sheppard,  a  na- 
tive of  New  Jersey,  and  daughter  of  William  K. 
.Sheppard,  in  1869.  Their  union  has  been  product- 
ive of  live  children — Mabel,  Louis  S.,  Elizabeth  II., 
George  C.  and  James  R. ;  the  last  named  is  de- 
ceased. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  are  both  members  of  the 
Presbyterian    Church.     He  has  taken  a  deep  inter- 


:  1 


^^^^': 


4!      s^HSa        fcaSsaia  ^ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


est  in  the  affairs  of  State  and  nation,  and  is  one  of 
the  foremost  citizens  of  the  city  in  which  he  lives. 
His  residence  is  on  the  corner  of  Seventh  and 
Franlvlin  streets,  where,  surrounded  by  his  happy 
children  and  loving  wife,  he  is  enjoying  the  pleas- 
ures of  life. 

^OHN  MITCHELL,  a  prosperous  and  enter- 
prising fanner  residing  on  section  10,  Wash- 
ington Township,  owns  and  occupies  a  com- 
fortable homestead  which  he  has  acquired  by 
the  exercise  of  his  native  industry  and  the  stanch 
perseverance  of  the  warm-hearted  Celtic  race.  The 
subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  and 
was  born  Maj'  13,  1823.  His  earl}'  life  was  spent 
on  a  farm,  and  then  from  the  age  of  fourteen  until 
nearly  twenty-one,  he  was  engaged  as  a  weaver  of 
linen.  Not  being  satisfied  with  his  condition  or  his 
prospects  in  his  native  country,  he  then  decided  to 
emigrate  to  America,  the  western  part  of  which 
was  holding  out  rare  inducements  to  the  young 
and  enterprising  emigrant.  He  accordingly  set 
sail  from  Portrush,  and  after  a  prosperous  voyage 
landed  in  New  York  City  and  obtained  emplojnnent 
as  a  carpet  weaver,  which  he  followed  for  the  suc- 
ceeding thirteen  months.  He  then  went  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  was  similarly'  <KCupied  until  the  spring 
of  1851,  when  he  turned  his  steps  westward,  and 
crossing  the  Mississippi,  came  into  Van  Buren 
County,  Iowa,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  and 
■located  for  one  year.  He  then  sold  out,  and  the 
J  following  spring  came  into  Lee  County  and  settled 
:  in  Washington  Township.  Here  he  provided  com- 
fortably for  his  wife  and  child,  and  then  started  on 
an  overland  trip  to  California.  He  spent  about 
four  years  in  the  mines,  met  with  fair  success,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1856  returned  to  Ins  family  in 
|E  Washington  Township.  He  then  purchased  the 
!  homestead  which  he  has  since  occupied,  and  has 
;  been  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
■  and  stock-raising.  The  homestead  comin-ises  213 
acres,  finely  cultivated,  a  handsome  brick  residence, 
good  barns  and  out-buildings,  valuable  farm  imple- 
ments and  machinery,  and  all  the  appliances  neces- 
sary for  the  carrying  on  (.)f  agriculture  and  stock- 
raising  after  the  most  approved  methods. 


Mr.  Mitchell  wns  married  in  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
.July  3,  1849,  to  Miss  Jane  Brewster,  a  native  of 
his  own  country,  liorn  Nov.  25,  1830.  Of  this 
union  there  have  been  liorn  seven  children,  of 
whom  the  record  is  as  folhjws :  Two  died  in  infancj' ; 
John  married  Miss  ^lary  Shay,  who  died  in  Jeflfer- 
son  Township;  Martha  is  the  wife  of  James  McAlis- 
ter;  Charles  and  John  are  residents  of  Leadville, 
Col. ;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Alvin  L.  Murphy,  and 
resides  in  Denmark  Township,  this  county;  Maggie 
is  at  home  with  her  parents.  Mr.  Mitchell  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  com- 
munity, and  has  held  some  of  the  minor  township 
offices.  The  parents,  with  their  two  daughters, 
■Martha  and  Mary,  are  connected  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  politically  Mr.  Mitchell  affiliates 
with  the  Republican  party. 


^^^  HARLE.S  KLINGLER,  an  industrious  and 
[1  enterprising  German  farmer  of    Charleston 

^^^J  Township,  is  comfortably  located  on  section 
10,  and  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  honest  labors. 
The  date  of  his  birth  was  Oct.  16,  1830,  and  he  re-  ..  . . 
raained  in  his  native  Germany  until  he  wasaj'oung  [  m 
man  twenty-two  years  of  age,  and  his  mind  oc- 
cupicd  with  plans  for  the  future.  Not  being  satis- 
fied with  his  condition  or  his  prospects  in  his  na- 
tive land,  he  set  sail  for  America,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1852  established  himself  in  Erie  Count}',  N.  Y., 
where  he  remained  for  about  nine  ye.nrs.  Thence 
he  removed  to  Lake  Count}',  111.,  and  purchased  a 
farm,  which  he  occuiiicd  and  cultivated  for  about 
six  years.  He  then  sold  out,  crossed  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  came  into  the  Hawkeye  State.  He  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  102  acres  located  on  section  10, 
in  Charleston  Township,  Lee  County,  where  he  es- 
tablished a  home  and  has  since  remained.  In  due 
time  he  added  to  his  first  purchase,  and  now  has  142 
acres  of  tillable  land,  the  most  of  it  under  a  good 
state  of  cultivation. 

During  his  residence  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  Mr. 
Klingler  was  married,  June  9,  1853,  to  Miss  Sallie 
M.  Reinhart,  a  native  of  France,  who  was  born 
Oct.  8,  1835.  She  was  about  six  years  old  when 
she  came    to    America   with   her   parents,   and  re- 


wSi'S^^ 

ra1= 


M,  356 


LEE  COUNTY, 


i 


m 

'1 


mained  with  tlu^iii  until  her  inarriage.  Mr.  .nid 
Mrs.  K.  arc  the  parents  of  eight  chihhen,  the  liricf 
history  of  whom  is  jus  follows:  Keinhart  mariieil 
Miss  Christine  Theroflf,  and  resides  in  Franklin 
Township ;Sallie  is  the  wife  of  Jacob  Renty.  of 
Charleston  Township:  Magdalena,  Mrs.  George 
Weber,  resides  in  the  latter-named  township;  the 
remaining  children  are  Charles,  (leorge,  Albert, 
Lucy  and  John. 

Mr.  Klingler  has  lieen    (piite    prominent    in    the 

I  public    affairs    of    his    townsiiii),    having    held    the 

oflices  of  Road  Supervisor,  T(jwnship  Trustee,  and 

.other  minor  positions.     He  and  his  wife  are  mem- 

h   bers  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church,    and    politi- 

S^]c-ally  Mr.  K.  affiliates  with  the  Democratic    party. 

HOM  AS  HARTLEY,  of  Montrose  Town.ship, 
is  head  engineer  of  the  (iovernment  Ouard, 
or  I'pper  Lock,  (jn  the  Des  Moines  liapids 
Covernment  Canal,  a  position  requiring  the  exer- 
cise  of   large    experience    and    a  cool    head.      Mr. 
sU  Hartley   is  considered  peculiarly  well  qualified  for 
3  this  res]ionsible  position.     The  subject  of  this  biog- 
raphy is  the  son  of  George  and   Elizabeth    (Moat) 
Hartley,  natives  of  Yorkshire,  England,  where  thej- 
were  married.     They  came   to    America    in    1833, 
proceeding  at  once  to  Wheeling,  W.  \'a.,  where  the 
died  three  j'cars    later,    in    183G.     George 
was  a  brewer  by  occupation,  and  survived 
thirty-two  years,  dying    in    1868.     They 
were  the  parents  of  eight  children — Charles,  Will- 
iam, Ann,  Moses,  Thomas,  John,  George  and  Henry. 
Thomas  Hartley  is  tlie  fifth  child  of  his  parents' 
family,  and  w.as  born  April  12,  182^.    He  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  he  arrived  at  years  of 
manhood,  and  was  united  in   marriage   with    Miss 
nn  Goss.     Mrs.  Hartley  was  born    in    183G.     Of 
;heir  union  has  been  born  one  child,  Charles,  who 
i  narried  Miss  Mary  Mathena,  and  is  now   engaged 
as  a  machinist  in  Burlington,  Iowa. 

Thomas  Hartley  came  to  the  Hawkeye  State   in 

^^^^11854  and  located  in  Keokuk.     He  had  learned  the 

ade  of  machinist  and  also  that  of  engineering,  in 

Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  in  1847.     He  took  charge  of  the 

Upper    Lock   as  head    engineer  in  1  H7it,  and  since 


that  time  has  thus  been  continuously  engaged.  He 
occupies  a  comfortable  homestead  and  enjoys  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow  townsmen.  In  politics  he  af- 
filiates witli  the  Republican  party. 


""""7"^^/^^^^^"° 


APT.  GKORtiE  E.  DAVIS,  of  Ft.  Madison, 
is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Davis.  Dodd  A' 
Co.,  dealers  in  real  estate,  loans  and  insur- 
ance. The  firm  is  transacting  a  profital)le  business, 
and  its  members  are  composed  of  some  of  the  best 
men  of  Ft.  Madison.  Capt.  Davis  is  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  Ijorn  in  Worcester  County,  Sept. 
6,  18311.  His  parents  were  George  and  Nancy  H. 
(White)  Davis,  also  natives  of  the  Bay  State,  where 
thej'  passed  their  entire  lives.  The  household  con- 
sisted of  four  children,  of  whom  two  only  are  liv- 
ing, Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Robert  Schakley,  of  Bos- 
ton, Mass.,  and  George  E.,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch.  Capt.  Davis  was  deprived  of  a  mother's 
care  at  an  early  age,  and  when  a  lad  of  thirteen 
years  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  He  was 
without  money,  but  he  determined  to  obtain  a  good 
education,  and  after  a  primary  course  in  the  public 
schools,  he  entered  an  academy  and  attended  three 
terms,  during  which  time  he  took  care  of  the  build- 
ings and  sawed  wood  to  pay  for  his  tuition  and  did 
"chores"  for  a  farmer  to  paj'  his  board. 

After  comiileting  his  education,  young  Davis  be- 
came employed  in  a  chair  manufactory.  In  May, 
1861,  he  responded  to  the  call  for  troops  by  enlist- 
ing in  the  United  States  service,  and  was  mustered 
into  Co.  G.  21st  Mass.  Vol.  Inf.  He  was  soon 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  Orderly  Sergeant,  after- 
ward to  Sergeant  Major,  and  in  April,  1863,  was 
commissioned  First  Lieutenant.  In  January,  1864, 
he  w.as  commissioned  Adjutant,  and  held  this  rank 
until  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  from  the 
service,  and  was  then  breveted  Captain.  He  en- 
dured with  his  regiment  bravely  and  courageouslv 
the  vicissitudes  of  war,  and  participated  in  the  bat- 
.tles  of  Roanoke  Island,  Newbern,  Camden,  Bull 
Run,  Chantilly,  South  Mountain,  Antietam,  Freder- 
icksburg, the  siege  of  Knoxville,  Lenoirs,  Camp- 
bell, Strawberry  Plains,  the  Wilderness,  the  perilous 
crossing  of  the  .James  River  and  the  seige  of  Peters- 


w. 


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Sbnrg,  which  consumed  the  time  from  June    1 7  to 

}i|July  30.     On  the  latter  date   he  was  wounded  at 

[igthe  explosion  of  a  mine  in  front  of  Petersburg,  and 

[; Eon  account  of  the  injuries  received   was  honoralily 

disciiarged  from  the  service. 

At  the  close  of  his  military  career,  Capt.  Davis 
eturned  to  Massachusetts.  His  wounds  remained 
for  a  long  time  unhealed,  and  he  was  onlj'  able  to 
do  very  light  work,  but  was  variously  employed 
las  he  was  able,  and  at  the  expiration  of  five  j^ears 
resumed  his  former  employment  in  a  chair  manu- 
ifactory.  In  1877  he  came  West,  making  his  loca- 
ion  at  Ft.  Madison,  and  for  seven  years  thereafter 
was  occupied  as  foreman  in  the  Ft.  Madison  chair 
manufactory,  after  which  he  became  engaged  in 
his  present  business. 

While  home  on  a  furlough  in  February,  1 864, 
jCapt.  Davis  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Helen  M.  Puffer,  a  native  of  his  own  State,  born  in 
A\'orcester  County.  The  household  circle  includes 
three  children — Winnefred,  Herl)ert  and  Ethel. 
Capt.  Davis  is  held  in  high  regard  by  his  fellow- 
townsmen  on  account  of  his  straight  business  tran- 
sactions, and  his  genial  social  disposition.  Politi- 
cally he  is  a  stanch  supixirter  of  the  Rei)iil)liean 
party,  and  socially  is  a  Royal  Ai-ch  Mason,  and  has 
been  connected  with  the  G.  A.  R.  since  1  S68.  He 
is  enterprising  and  liberal  minded,  and  contributes 
cheerfully  of  his  means  to  the  support  of  any 
measure  calculated  to  be  for  the  general  welfare  of 
his  community.  Capt.  Davis  was  elected  and  com- 
|nmissioned  Captain  of  Co.  F,  '2d  Regiment,  I.  N. 
i?(T.,  March  5,   1887. 


«.^t^^.-i»»^ 


"^it-.*^*;-* 


F/rn  JOHNSON.     The  subjei't  of  the  fol- 
lowing history  is  one  of  the  most  honored 
residents  of  the   Hawkeye   State,  and  has 
been  favorably'  known   in  this  secti<ni  for 
Emore   than  thirty  years.     He  first  opened  his  eyes 
sto  the  light  among  the  rugged  New  England  hills, 
having  been  born  in  Middletown,  Conn.,  on  the  sth 
of  August,  1798.     He  is  tiie  son  of  Daniel  and  Lu- 
Ecretia  (Prout)  Johnson,  natives  of  the  same  State 
Sas   their  son.  wliere  they  remained  until  after  their 
In  aliout  l.SO-2  the  familv  removed  to  New 


Hampshire,  and  ten  years  later  to  Oneida  County, 
N.  V.  Thej'  afterward  went  into  Herkimer  County, 
where  the  lives  of  the  parents  terminated,  the  fa- 
ther having  arrived  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninet}'- 
four  years,  and  the  nu)ther  at  eightj'-eight  years. 
The  household  circle  included  six  children,  all  of 
whom  grew  to  years  of  maturity,  but  are  all  now 
deceased  except  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  wlio  was 
the  eldest  of  the  family. 

Seth  Johnson  assisted  his  father  in  opening  up 
a  farm  in  the  woods  of  Herkimer  County,  and  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  until  his  marriage, 
which  took  place  Sept.  9,  1821.  The  maiden  of  his 
choice  was  Miss  Lavina  A.  Adams,  of  Oneida 
County,  N.  Y.,  who  was  born  March  1(3,  1804. 
After  their  marriage  they  resided  in  Herkimer,  Jef- 
ferson and  Oneida  Counties,  where  Mr.  .Johnson 
was  variously  engaged  uutil  the  year  1834.  He 
then  removed  to  Huron  County,  Ohio,  and  there 
they  resided  until  1854,  at  which  time  they  crossed 
the  Mississippi  and  came  into  the  Hawkej'e  .State. 
Mr.  Johnson  had  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  in 
Jasper  C<junty,  and  here  they  settled  for  a  time, 
and  then  removed  into  Lee  County,  locating  upon 
a  tract  of  240  acres  which  Mr.  Johnson  had  also 
previouslj-  i)urchased.  There  they  established  a 
homestead  and  remained  permanently.  For  many 
years  they  were  industriously'  employed  in  beauti- 
fying and  improving  their  farm,  until  it  became  a 
point  of  attraction  for  all  travelers  through  that 
section.  The  proprietors  of  the  farm  also  became 
prominent  in  their  locality,  and  highly  esteemed 
on  account  of  their  admirable  traits  t)f  character. 
They  proved  kind  neighbors  and  excellent  friends, 
and  assisted  materially  in  the  progress  of  moralitj' 
and  religion. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  became  the  pai-ents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  the  record  is  .as  follows :  Daniel 
died  in  infancy;  Reuben  A.  is  a  farmer  of  Custer 
County,  Neb.;  Natlianiel  II.  served  as  a  soldier  of 
the  Union  in  the  13th  Iowa  Regiment,  and  yielded 
up  his  life  at  the  liattlc  of  Shiloh,  April  7,  1862; 
Seth,  Jr.,  died  in  Ohio;  Robert  left  home  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one  yeai-s  for  California,  and  is  supposed 
to  have  died  there ;  .John  is  a  resident  of  Lee 
County,  Iowa ;  Lucretia  became  the  wife  of  Lewis 
Keeler,  of  this  count}' ;   Rosella  married   Benjamin 


F.  BaiT,  who  was  a  solilicr  in  llif  Kir.-t  Iowa  Cav- 
alry, and  (lied  at  Moinphis,  Teiin. ;  she  resides  with 
her  parents;  ClKiuncy  is  operating  a  farm  in  Lee 
County;  Nelson  resides  at  Ft.  Madison. 

.Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  lived  together  as- 
husband  and  wife  f(jr  the  long  period  of  sixty -five 
years,  and  are  l)Oth  in  good  health  and  enjoying 
the  fruits  of  tiieir  early  labors.  They  are  sincere 
Christians,  and  for  long  years  have  been  connected 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  the  sup- 
port of  which  they  have  contributed  liberally  and 
(■heerfidly.     Mr.    .1.    has    uniformly    cast   his  vote 

MM}    with    the    Kepul)lican    party    since  the  election  of 
Franklin  Pierce.     He  has  been  active  in  the  affairs 

— — .    of  his  township,  and  much  interested   in   the   cause 

|;-:  I    of  education. 


-•->-<?< 


■>•»■ '  'V 


77th   Pa.  \iil.  Inf..  and    served    until   the  close   of  E 

the  war.      He  participated  with  his  comrades  in  all  5 

the   i)rincipai    battles;  was  at  Shiloh,  the  siege  of  St 

Corinth,  the  battles  of  Stone  River.  Liberty  Gap,  ||; 

Perrvville,   Chattanooga   and    Lookout    Mountain, 

and  joining  the  command  of  Gen.  Sherman,  was  in 

all  the  important  battles  of  the  Atlanta  campaign,  ^  fii 

including  the  siege  and  caj)ture  of  the  latter  citj',  5  KI 

and  the   battles   of  Franklin  and   Nashville  which  :  iJ 

followed.     Ho    bears    an    honorable    sear    from    a  :    ' 

wound  received  at  Stone   River.     Mr.  Spreen  had  :   . 

;  1 

veteranized   in    Feliruary.  ls(;4.  and  was  promoted  c  1 

Sergeant  Major  of  the  regiment,  and  after  the  close  Elf 

of  the  war  went  to  Texas  with  his  regiment,  remain-  :  '. 


n,|j^^  KNRY  C.  SPRKEN,  a  highly  esteemed  citi- 
Ir^i  zcn  of   Ft.  Madison,  is  a  native  of  Prussia, 
born   in   the   Province  of   Westphalia,  Sept. 
13.   1«4;5.     His   father,  Charles    L.  Spreen, 
was  a   native    of  the  same  Province,  a  weaver  by 
trade,  and  followed  that   (jccupation   in    his   native 
country  until  1H,t9,  when,  accompanie<l  l>y  his  wife, 
he   emigrated   to  the  Fnited  States,  where  his  chil- 
dren had  previously  located.     He  settled   in   Pitts- 
liiirgh.  Pa.,  where   he   spent   his   last  days,  I'etired 
from  active  labor,  in   the  society  of  his  children. 
"Tg— kt   Of  these  the  household  circle  included  seven,  two 
C     H    of   whom  died   in  (iermany  and  the  rcTuaining  five 
came  to  America:      Frank  W.  is  a  wholesale  grocer    i 
of  Pittsburgh,    Pa.,'  Frederick,  a  merchant  tailor, 
died  there  in   I)ecend>er,  18«.5;   Henry  C,  our  sub- 
ject, was  the  fifth    in   order  of   birth;   \\'ilhelmina, 
now  .Mrs.  Mi  hlnian.  lives  in  Pittslairgh,  and    Dora, 
Mrs.  Lampe,  is  deceased. 

The  subject  <  f  our  sketch  attended  school  in  his 
native  country  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age, 
and  soon  afterward  set  sail  for  America,  embarking 
at  liremen  August  1.  and  lauded  in  New  York 
City  on  the  17th  of  September  following.  He 
joined  a  brothei'  at  Pittsburgh,  and  remained  in  his 
employ  as  clerk  for  three  jears  folkjwing,  or  until 
about  the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war. 
He  then  enlisted  as  a  soldier  of  the  Union  in  Co.  B, 


ing  in  service  until  December  of  the  foUowin 
year,  and  was  mustered  f)ut  .Ian.  1(1,  1866.  He  had  S:ji 
perhaps,  not  been  conspicuous  for  an3'  brilliant  ac-  ^'') 
tion  during  his  long  term  of  service,  but  he  had  : 
faithfully  and  patiently  performed  all  the  duties  of  -: 
a  soldier,  and  received  an  honorable  discharge  at 
the  close. 

After  Mr.  Spreen  had  once  more  l)ecome  a  civil- 
ian he  returned  to  Pittsburgh,  and  was  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits  for  the  following  nine  years. 
He  then  disposed  of  his  interests  in  the  East,  ||;} 
crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  came  into  Ft.  ftLadison,  E;} 
where  he  decided  to  locate  permanently,  and  has 
remained  here  since  that  time.  The  marriage  of 
Henr^v  C.  Spreen  and  AHss  Sophie  \'oight  w.as  cele- 
brated on  the  4th  of  September,  1KG7.  Mrs.  S.  is 
a  native  of  the  same  Province  as  her  husband,  and 
came  to  this  country  before  her  marriage. 

Mr.  Spreen  is  a  prominent  man  among  his  coun- 
trymen in  this  vicinity.  He  is  a  member  of  Ger- 
mania  Loilge  No.  509,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.,  of  Pitts- 
burg, and  Potowonok  Chapter  No.  28,  Ft.  Madi- 
son, R.  A.  C.  He  also  belongs  to  -Damascus  Com- 
manderj'  No.  .5.  Keokuk,  Humboldt  Lodge  No.  42, 
K.  of  P.,  and  was  ?'irst  (irand  Chancellor,  and  is 
now  Past  (irand  of  Concordia  Lodge  No.  133, 
L  ().  ().  F.  He  also  belongs  to  the  A.  O.  W.  D.  of 
Druids,  No.  2tS,  of  Burlington;  V.  A.  S.  fraternity 
of  Coleguim,  No.  .51,  Ft.  Madison;  and  James  B. 
Sami)le  Post  No.  171,  G.  A.  R.,  and  was  Com- 
mander of  Will  Adams  Post,  the  first  one  organized 
here. 

Mr.  Spreen  was  reared   in  the  Lutheran  Church, 


i^sssss 


M^w™W 


fei 


iiv 


lii 


I 


-      I  rt.iimt-  — 


MHr'r'.^'a 


ii 


and  adheres  loyally  to  the  religious  faith  of  his  par- 
ents. He  is  a  straightforward  business  man,  honest 
and  upright  in  his  transactions,  the  friend  of  law 
and  order,  and  is  fulfilling  with  credit  all  the  obli- 
gations of  a  good  citizen.  A  view  of  the  fine  three- 
story  brick  business  house  of  Mr.  Spreen  is  pre- 
sented on  another  page. 


iV5t 


(^  J/7ILLIAM  H.  TURNER,  M.  D.,  a  prominent 
tizen  and  physician  of  Jackson  Township, 
he  proi)rietor  of  a  fine  homestead  con- 
sisting of  l.o7  acres  of  valuable  land,  a  handsome 
brick  dwelling-house,  good  barns  and  outhouses, 
and  everything  necessary  for  the  comfort  and  con- 
venience of  himself  and  family.  This  property  is 
pleasantly  located  on  section  28,  and  in  his  char- 
acter, both  as  physician  and  farmer,  Dr.  Turner  is 
widely  and  favorably  known  throughout  this 
section. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Scioto  Count}',  Ohio, 
and  was  born  Sept.  10,  1834.  His  parents  were 
John  G.  and  Elizabeth  C.  (Smith)  Turner,  natives 
respectively  of  Maryland  and  Kentucky.  They 
were  married  in  Adams  County,  Ohio,  and  settled 
in  Bracken  County,  Ky.,  where  they  lived  for  about 
three  years,  and  thence  removed  to  Scioto  County, 
Ohio,  which  remained  their  home  ft)r  several  years, 
when  they  returned  to  Kentuckj'  and  located  in 
Lewis  County.  From  there,  in  18.52,  they  crossed 
the  Father  of  AVaters,  and  came  into  Lee  County, 
Iowa,  locating  in  Jackson  Township,  where  the 
father  died  in  1863.  The  mother  afterward 
removed  to  Keokuk,  where  her  decease  occurred 
in  about  18i!7. 

The  parental  familj*  of  our  subject  included  ten 
children,  six  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom 
William  H.  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  biith.  He 
was  eighteen  years  of  age  n-hen  he  came  to  Lee 
County  with  his  parents.  Before  coming  to  Iowa 
he  was  employed  as  a  pilot  on  the  Ohio  River,  and 
while  in  that  capacitj^  improved  all  his  leisure 
moments  in  study,  and  by  that  means  mostly, 
obtained  his  elementarj-  education ;  he  afterward 
attended  college  at  Ma^'sviUe,  Ky.  Before  coming 
West  he  had  taken  up  the  stud}'  of  medicine,  which 


he  pursued  after  coming  to  Iowa  under  the  in- 
struction of  John  F.  Sandford,  M.  D.,  of  Keokuk, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  about  four  years.  At 
the  expiration  of  this  time  he  began  to  practice, 
and  finally  located  in  Keokuk,  remaining  there^for 
about  three  j-ears,  and  subsequentl}-  removed  into 
Jackson  Township,  where  he  has  since  lived  upon 
his  farm. 

During  the  progress  of  the  late  Civil  War,  Dr. 
Turner  was  commissioned  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the 
2d  Iowa  Infantry,  and  remained  in  the  service  from 
the  summer  of  1861  until  the  close  of  the  war  in 
1805.  He  then  returned  to  Jackson  Township  and 
resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  whicli  ho 
has  alternated  by  the  supervision  of  his  farm  and 
engaging  in  its  lighter  pursuits.  The  Doctor  is  a 
graduate  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
.nt  Keokuk,  and  also  of  the  Iowa  Medical  College, 
receiving  his  diploma  from  the  former  in  1856. 
During  President  Arthur's  administration  he  was 
appointed  Medical  Examiner  on  the  Board  at 
Keokuk,  and  held  that  position  until  a  new  board 
was  organized  under  the  Cleveland  administration. 

Dr.  Turner  was  married  in  Jackson  Township, 
March  26,  1866,  to  Miss  Ruth  M.  Chambers,  of 
Marietta,  Ohio.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 
four  children:  L.  Jean,  William  D.,  Mary  E.  and 
Donna  E. ;  the  latter  died  at  the  age  of  six  years. 
The  Doctor  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his  county  and 
townshi]),  and  contributes  of  his  time  and  means 
to  the  support  and  encouragement  of  every  worthy 
enterprise.  He  is  an  intelligent  phjsician,  and  takes 
great  pleasure  in  the  prosecution  of  his  agricultural 
])ursuits  and  all  the  business  pertaining  thereto. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  and  his  wife 
are  lioth  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  A  portrait  of  Dr.  Turner  appeal's  in  con- 
nection with  this  sketch. 


/^  APT.  WILLIAM  SAMPLE,  who  was  -an  hon- 
(l(  °^^^  pioneer  of  Ft.  Madison,  was  a  native 

^^7  of  Westnioi-eland  County,  Pa.,  born  near 
Greensburg,  Sept.  23,  1786.  His  father,  David 
.Sample,  was  devoted  to  the  practice  of  law  in  West- 


wzxmj  nTTxirxTTrxxxTTTro:  ux» 


362 


LEE  COUNTY. 


Bi;| 

m 


nioreland  County,  P.i.,  wln'iv  he  was  an  early  set- 
tler, and  in  the  cciurse  of  a  long  and  busy  life  at- 
tained to  a  position  of  high  standing  in  his  profes- 
sion. He  died  at  Greensburg  in  that  county  while 
attending  a  session  of  eourt. 

William  Sample  was  a  brigiil  and  ambitious  boy, 
studious  and  more  than  ordinarily  intelligent,  and 
excessively  fond  of  iiis  liooks.  At  an  early  age  he 
had  attained  a  good  education,  and  when  onl^' 
twelve  years  old  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of 
a  printer  in  (ireensbnrg,  at  which  he  served  for 
seven  years  continuously'.  He  tiien  went  to  Pitts- 
burgh, and  became  employed  in  a  printing-oflice 
there,  and  subsequently  established  the  Washing- 
ton Reporter  in  Little  Washington  in  the  year  1808. 
His  daughter,  Mrs.  Malconi,  of  Ft.  Madison,  has 
in  her  possession  tlie  files  of  the  paper  which  he 
published  the  first  and  second  3'ears.  They  are 
carefully  bound,  and  preserved  with  the  greatest 
care  as  relics  of  nearly  a  century  gone.  Young 
Sample  remained  connected  with  this  paper  until 
18.33.  He  had  become  greatly  interested  in  politi- 
cal aflfairs,  and  during  the  War  of  1812  left  his 
business  in  cliarge  of  his  foreman,  and  recruited  a 
company  of  which  he  became  Captain,  and  was  en- 
gaged with  it  in  active  service  for  three  months. 
He  sold  out  his  paper  in  1833.  He  had  been 
prominently  connected  with  the  affairs  of  the 
county  and  served  as  Clerk  of  the  District  Court 
for  the  space  of  twelve  years.  He  became  intim- 
ately acquainted  with  Henry  Clay,  and  for  many 
years  was  in  perfect  accord  witii  the  political  views 
of  the  illustrious  statesman,  and  ranked  among  the 
first  Abolitionists  in  that  section. 

Capt.  Sample  visited  the  Territory  of  Iowa  in 
1831),  making  the  entire  journey  here  and  the  re- 
turn trip  to  Pennsylvania  on  horseback.  He  was 
gi-eatly  pleased  witii  the  prospects  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  the  following  year  returned  to  the 
Territory,  accompanied  by  his  family.  They  set- 
tled at  Benton's  Fort,  in  Van  Buren  County, 
whence  they  removed  in  1 842  to  Ft.  Madison,  and 
purciiased  a  farm  in  W.asiiington  Township.  Upon 
this  tliey  remained  for  the  following  eight  years 
engiiged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  thence  re- 
moved to  the  city  of  Ft.  Madison,  Capt.  Sample 
'^  having   received    the    appointment  of  Postmaster 


>5^^sj- 


from  President  Filmore.  His  lieaith  at  tiiis  time 
was  in  a  precarious  condition,  and  lie  soon  retired 
from  the  duties  of  office  an<l  folded  his  hands  for 
his  final  rest  on  tlie  1,5th  day  of  January-,  18G2. 

i-"or  his  first  wife  Capt.  AVilliam  Sample  married 
-Miss  Margaret,  daughter  of  Hugh  Workman,  of 
Washingt(m,  Pa.,  and  of  this  union  there  were  born 
nine  children,  of  whom  only  one  is  now  living, 
Margaret,  who  becaTiie  the  wife  of  .1.  \).  Sanford, 
of  Van  Buren  County,  and  is  now  living  with  her 
son,  S.  S.  Sanford.  in  Salt  Lake  City.  Capt.  Sample 
for  his  second  wife  was  united  with  Miss  Jane  Blaine. 
She  was  a  native  of  Carlisle,  Pa.,  and  daughter  of 
.James  and  Margaret  (Lj'ons)  Blaine,  the  grand- 
parents of  Hon.  J.  G.  Blaine,  and  was  horn  in  the 
first  year  of  the  present  century.  Of  this  union 
there  were  born  five  children,  of  whom  two  are  liv- 
ing, viz.,  Eliza  Ewing,  widow  of  Frank  Malcolm, 
and  now  living  in  Ft.  Madison,  and  Mar}',  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  James  B.  Mason,  of  Davenport. 

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^i^  DWARD  MUMM,  Deputy  Recorder  of  Lee 
»]  County,  is  one  of  its  most  efficient  oflBcers, 
l^^^  and  makes  his  present  home  in  Keokuk.  He 
was  born  in  Holland  on  the  1 7th  of  March,  1826,  and 
received  a  fair  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
his  native  country.  After  he  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority he  set  out  for  the  United  States,  accompan- 
ied by  his  wife,  mother  and  two  sisters.  He  had 
been  married  a  short  time  before  leaving  Holland, 
and  after  reaching  the  shores  of  the  New  World 
proceeded  directly  westward  with  his  family,  and 
came  to  Keokuk  on  the  1st  of  November,  1849. 
His  wife  died  the  following  year,  leaving  one  child 
— Mary. 

After  coming  to  Keokuk  Mr.  Jlumm  engaged  as 
book-keeper  for  the  firm  of  Deming  it  Walcot, 
with  whom  he  remained  two  years.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  the  same  capacity  with  James  E.  Burke, 
and  while  in  the  employ  of  the  latter  was  ap- 
pointed Deputy  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  Lee 
County,  which  position  he  occupied  for  a  period  of 
eight  years.  At  the  same  time  he  also  served  as 
Deputy  Clerk  of  the  United  States  District  Court. 
After  being  relieved  from  the  duties  of  these  posi- 

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363 


tions  and  becoming  well  posted  in  local  matters  he 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  law,  which  profession  he 
followed  for  the  ensuing  five  years.  In  1808  he  ac- 
cepted the  position  as  book-keeper  in  the  Keokuk 
Savings'  Bank,  which  he  held  for  five  years.  He 
was  appointed  Deputy  Auditor  of  Lee  County,  re- 
maining in  this  position  four  years,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  which  time  he  was  appointed  to  his  present 
office,  assuming  its  duties  on  the  1st -of  July,  1883. 
In  1870  he  was  appointed  Commissioner  of  Emi- 
gration for  the  State  of  Iowa,  under  Gov.  Merrill. 
He  served  four  years  as  a  member  of  the  City 
Council  of  Keokuk,  and  has  in  all  respects  been  one 
of  the  most  worthy  and  valued  citizens  of  his  com- 
munity. His  industry  and  energy  have  been  pro- 
verbial, and  he  has  taken  pride  in  keeping  himself 
well  informed  as  regards  all  matters  of  public  inter- 
est and  legal  questions. 

Mr.  Mumm  was  married  to  his  present  wife, 
formerly  Miss  Elizabeth  Zwart,  of  Keokuk,  in 
1851.  Mrs.  M.  is  a  native  of  the  same  country  as 
her  husband,  and  thej'^  have  become  the  parents  of 
five  children — Edward  J.,  Augustine,  Cecelia,  Fran- 
cis and  Bernard.  All  the  members  of  the  family 
belong  to  St.  Francis  de  Sales  Church,  of  Keokuk. 

JOSEPH  KARHOFF,  who  is  engaged  in  gen- 
eral merchandise  at  the  village  of  Houghton, 
this  county,  is  worthily  performing  his  part 
as  a  useful  factor  among  the  business  inter- 
ests of  this  section,  and  is  a  representative  of  that 
valuable  German  element  which  has  aided  materially 
in  developing  the  resources  of  the  West.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  native  of  the  German  Province  of  Hanover, 
and  was  born  on  the  6th  of  .January',  1840,  his  par- 
ents being  William  and  Catharine  Karhoff,  also  of 
Cierman  ancestry  and  parentage. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  years  Joseph  Karhoff  was 
apprentii'ed  to  learn  the  tailor's  trade,  at  which  he 
served  three  years.  In  August,  1857,  he  received 
the  necessary  credentials  from  the  Imperial  Govern- 
ment allowing  him  to  leave  his  native  land  and 
come  to  America.  He  accordingl3'  set  sail  from 
Bremen,  and  after  a  lengthy  voyage  of  nine  weeks 
landed  in  New  Orleans.    He  had  an  uncle  living  in 


ii 


Lee  County,  Iowa,  and  from  the  Crescent  City  he  ij^B 
proceeded  directly  to  this  vicinitj'.  He  remained  ihH 
with  his  uncle  on  the  farm  of  the  latter  for  one  iim^ 
year,  thence  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  was  there  em- 
ployed at  his  trade  for  eighteen  months,  and  thence  fj 
went  to  Illinois,  where  he  spent  a  few  months  in  the 
town  of  Hanover,  then  recrossed  the  Mississippi 
into  St.  Louis,  and  remained  there  until  18G1,  when 
he  went  back  to  Illinois  and  stayed  in  Jersej'^ville 
until  August  of  that  same  year. 

About  the  time  when  many  volunteers  were  join- 
ing the  United  States  Army  to  assist  in  the  preserv- 
ation of  a  threatened  Union  Mr.  Karhoft',  deeply 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  his  adopted  country, 
resolved  to  unite  with  the  balance  of  the  loyal 
North,  and  proffered  his  humble  assistance  as  a  sol- 
dier. He  returned  to  St.  Louis  and  enlisted  in  Co. 
D,  17th  Mo.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  marched  with  his  com- 
rades to  the  scene  of  conflict.  He  was  in  fourteen 
regular  engagements,  besides  various  skirmishes, 
sorties  and  dangerous  marches,  and  was  at  the  bat- 
tles of  Pea  Ridge,  Arkansas  Post,  the  siege  and 
capture  of  Vicksburg  and  Jackson,  was  at  Mission 
Ridge  and  Lookout  Mountain,  or  the  "  battle 
above  the  clouds,"  finally  going  to  Chattanooga, 
where  his  regiment,  under  the  command  of  (ien. 
Sherman,  participated  in  his  famous  march  south- 
westward.  At  the  battle  of  Kennesaw  Mountain, 
he  was  wounded  by  a  rifle  ball  in  the  left  thigh  and 
taken  to  the  hospital  at  Jeffersonville,  Ind ;  thence 
was  removed  to  St.  Louis,  and  at  the  expiration  of 
his  term  of  service  received  an  honorable  discharge. 
He  was  also  injured  at  ^^icksburg  and  during  a  night 
march  to  Young's  Point,  being  wounded  in  the  right 
shoulder.  This,  although  not  considered  serious  at 
first,  began  to  trouble  him  shortly  after  his  arrival 
home.  For  two  3'ears  he  was  unable  to  work,  and 
has  partially  lost  the  use  of  his  arm.  On  account 
of  this  wound  he  now  receives  a  jjension  of  $16  per 
month. 

As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  do  business  Mr.  Kar- 
hoff commenced  to  work  at  his  trade.  He  did  not 
follow  this  very  long,  however,  but  purchased  a 
team,  went  up  to  St.  Paul,  Iowa,  and  engaged  in 
buying  butter,  eggs  and  rags.  He  sold  his  butter 
and  eggs  at  Keokuk,  and  realized  a  handsome  profit 
from  his  speculations.     In  1880  he  opened  a  store 


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in  the  southwest  corner  of  Cedar  Township,  from 
wliicii  he  iciiKived  in  1881  to  his  present  location 
in  Iloiifiiiton.  lie  carries  a  general  stock  of  all  the 
commodities  that  can  be  made  available  around  the 
homestead,  and  receives  a  good  income  from  his 
business  transactii  ms. 

.Iosei)li  Kariioff  and  Miss  Mar_v  Hesse  were  mar- 
ried at  Ft.  Madison  on  the  23d  of  May,  1871,  by 
Rev.  Ivather  Aloysius  Meis,  in  St.  Mary's  Church. 
Mrs.  K.  is  a  native  of  the  same  country  as  her  hus- 
l)and,  and  the  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Theresa 
(Steffensmeyer)  Hesse.  She  came  to  America  with 
her  parents  at  the  age  of  six  years  (in  1850),  and 
they  located  at  Ft.  Madison,  where  Mrs.  K.  was 
reared  and  ('(bicated. 

Our  subject  and  wife  have  become  the  parents  of 
six  children,  two  of  whom,  Willie  and  Clara  L.,  died 
in  infancy;  the  living  are  Theresa,  Josie,  Stephen 
and  Katie.  iMr.  Karhoff  has  a  pleasant  home,  and 
his  family  is  surrouniled  liy  all  the  comforts  and 
many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  They  are  connected 
with  the  St.  .James'  Catholic  Church,  and  are  highly 
respected  in  their  community.  JJuring  the  latter 
years  of  tlieir  lives  Mr.  Karhoff's  parents  resided 
with  liim.  The  father  departed  this  life  in  18(1!); 
the  niotluM-  survived  him  thirteen  years,  dying  in 
1H«2,  and  tiieir  remains  are  interred  in  the  cemetery 
at  St.  Paul. 


ENHV  .H"1)Y  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneers 
of  West  I'oint  Township,  having  crossed 
the  Mississippi  at  an  early  period  in  the  his- 
tor3'  of  the  Hawkeye  State,  and  while  it 
was  yet  a  Territory,  in  1834.  During  that  time  he 
has  been  an  interested  witness  of  the  remarkable 
ji  changes  which  have  taken  place  along  the  Missis- 
gsippi  ^'alley.  From  the  time  of  his  coming  here 
I  Mr.  Judy  has  identified  himself  with  the  interests 
gof  this  community-,  and  has  aided  materially  in  de- 
veloping the  natural  resources  of  this  section.  He 
h.as  led  an  li()norMblc  and  upright  life,  and  enjoys 
in  a  marked  degree  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
his  fellow-citizens. 

Mr.  Judy    was    born    in    Montgomery    County, 
(Jhio,  .Ian.  21.  1S17.      His   father,  John   Judy,   was 


of  Pennsylvanian  birth,  and  American  ancestry  f(n- 

several  generations.     He  was  Itorn    on  the    '2d    of 

June.  1793,  and  his  birthplace  is  supposed  to  have 

been  in  Center  County,  Pa.     He  removed  from  his 

native  State  to  Montgomerj'  County  when  a  young 

man,  and  was  among  the    early    settlers   of    Ohio. 

He  was  there  married  to  Miss  F^lizabeth   Moj'er,    a 

native  of  Rockingham    County,    ^'a.,  of    German   ji } 

■*  I 
parentage  and  ancestry.     After  marriage  they   es-    SF  j 

tablished  themselves  upon  a  tract  of  land  in  Ohio 
in  Montgomery  Count}',  and  j)ursued  the  occupa-  3,: 
tion  of  agriculture  during  their  lifetime.  They  S 
were  most  worthy  people  and  highly  resi)eeted  in  j 
that  section  of  the  State.  8i^ 

Henry  Judy  was  the  second  of  a  family  of  six 
children  b(jrn  to  his  parents.  Three  of  these  died 
in  Ohio,  and  the  parents  afterward,  in  the  fall  of 
182'),  with  the  three  children  remaining,  removed 
from  Ohio  t()  Sangamon  County,  111.,  locating  near 
what  afterward  became  the  city  of  Springfield.  At 
that  early  period  the  prairies  of  Illinois  were  com- 
paratively uncultivated,  and  Mr.  Judy  and  his 
family  settled  upon  a  tract  of    wild    land. 


ai; 


out    of    3t 

af  1 

which  in  due  time  the\'  improved  alarm,  which  be-    HEn 

Siili 
came  quite  valuable,  but  the}-  finally  liecame  desir-    Ki 

ous  of  crossing  the  Father  of  Waters,  and   in    1  8;!4    gp 
Mr.  Judy  came  into  Lee  County,' and  purchased   a 
claim  of  1(10  acres  on  what  is  now  the  west  end   of 
the  city  of  Ft.  Madison.     He  then  returned  home 
to  Illinois,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  year  came  liack  to 
Lee  County,  accompanied  by  his  son  Henry,    our 
subject.     They  remained  there  through  that  winter, 
and  in  the  spring  were  joined  by  the  balance  of  the    ^''■ 
family.     They  establishetl  themselves   comfortably    :^: 
upon    the  tract  of  land  before  mentioned,   where 
they  remained  for  four  years,  then  sold  out,   coming 
to  West   Point  Township,   and  located  themselves 
upon  the  present  homestead  on  section  32.  This  laud 
w,as  alst)  unimproved,  but  the  male  members  of  the 
family  industriously  set  themselves  to  work  to  cul- 
tivate the  land  and  supply  it  with  fences,  outhouses,    3|{ 
and  such  improvements  as  were  necessary  for  their 
comfort  and  profit.      In  due  time  they  received  the 
reward  of  their  labors  in  the  smiling  fields  around 
them  and  the  enjoyment  of  a  comfortable  home. 

Heiu'j-  Judy  remained  under  the  parental    roof    g|] 
and  jtassed  his  earlj-  years    in    attendance  at    the    "  i* 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


pioneer  schools  and  assisting  in  the  labors  of  the 
farm.  He  was  married,  Jan.  8,  184;>,  in  West 
Point  Township,  to  Miss  Rebecca  D.  Cooney,  a 
3-oiing  maiden  of  fourteen  years.  Mrs.  Judy  was 
a  native  of  Indiana,  and  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Mat- 
hew  Cooney,  who  came  to  Iowa  and  settled  in 
AVest  Point  Township.  Mrs.  Rebecca  Judy  be- 
came the  mother  of  four  children,  and  departed 
this  life  Sept.  (J,  \^oO.  Of  her  children,  Mathew 
J.  died  in  infancy;  Mary  became  the  wife  of  Henry 
Ilorton,  who  resides  in  West  Point;  Emily  married 
James  Ballard,  Jr.,  and  died  in  I88G;  Henry  II. 
married  Ann  Wilson,  and  is  a  farmer  on  section 
o'.i.  of  West  Point  Township. 

The  second  wife  of  Henry  Judy  was  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Emmett,  to  whom  he  was  married  July  J, 
1851.  She  is  a  native  of  Henry  County,  Ind.,  and 
was  born  Aug.  0,  1833.  Her  father  was  a  distant 
relative  of  the  famous  Irish  orator  and  patriot, 
Robert  Emmett,  who  was  executed  during  the 
troubles  of  his  time.  The  grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Judj'  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  wlio  emigrated  to 
this  country  at  an  early  period  in  its  history,  and 
settled  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  maiden  name 
of  the  mother  of  Mrs.  J.  was  Nancy  Dukes,  who 
came  from  a  prominent  Southern  family,  who  re- 
moved to  Indiana,  where  she  was  married  to 
George  Emmett,  and  with  her  husband  came  to 
Iowa  in  1839,  and  settled  in  West  Point  Township. 
Here  they  jiassed  the  remainder  of  their  lives  and 
folded  their  hands  for  their  final  rest. 

Of  the  second  marriage  of  our  subject  have  been 
born  ten  children,  five  of  whom  are  living.  The 
record  is  as  follows :  (^eorge  W.  married  Lucinda 
Ann  Hart,  and  they  reside  in  Jefferson  Township, 
near  Viele,  upon  a  farm;  John  was  married,  and  be- 
came the  father  of  four  children,  and  now  resides 
on  the  old  homestead;  Martha  E.  is  at  home;  Will- 
iam S.  is  attending  school  at  Denmariv  Academy', 
and  James  G.  is  assisting  in  the  management  of  the 
farm.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  have  occupied  tlieir  pres- 
ent homestead  continuously  since  their  marriage. 
Mr.  J.  has  been  fairly  successful  in  his  farming  and 
other  enterprises,  and  is  the  owner  of  290  acres  of 
land,  about  half  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  In 
1850,  in  company  with  his  brotlier  George,  he 
erected  a  sawmill  in  this  vicinity,  which  has  been 


in  operation  most  of  the  time  since  and  yields  a 
fair  income.  Politically  Mr.  J.  is  a  solid  Repub- 
lican, and  religiously  is  connected  with  the  Baptist 
Church.  He  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow- 
townsmen,  and  considered  one  of  the  importantpl 
factors  of  a  first-class  comniunit3'. 


r>>- 


••o*o-(«^X®-o*<"- 


R.  J.  C.  HUGHES,  of  Keokuk,  Iowa, 
occupies  a  promminent  position  in  the 
medical  fraternity  of  this  section,  being  a 
skilled  surgeon  and  a  valued  citizen.  His 
birthplace  was  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  and  the  date 
thereof  March  4,  1849.  He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  J.  C. 
and  Amanda  T.  (McGugin)  Hughes,  natives  of 
Washington  County,  Pa.  The  former  was  born  in 
April,  1821,  and  removed  to  Mt.  A'ernon,  Ohio, 
twenty-four  years  later,  where  he  was  married  in 
1848.  After  this  event  he  removed  to  Iowa,  and 
settled  in  Keokuk  in  1850.  He  received  his  medical 
education  at  Jefferson  College,  Cannonsburg,  Pa., 
and  afterward  graduated  at  the  University  of  Mary- 
land, in  Baltimore. 

After  coming  to  Keokuk  Dr.  Hughes  associated 
liimself  with  the  Faculty  of  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,  then  the  medical  department  of  the 
Iowa  State  University,  and  was  Demonstrator  of 
Anatomy  and  afterward  Professor  of  Anatomy, 
following  which  he  became  Professor  of  Surgery 
and  Dean  of  the  Faculty,  in  which  position  he 
remained  until  his  decease,  which  occurred  in  1881 
He  was  twice  President  of  the  State  ISIedical  Society- 
was  Associate  Editor  of  tiie  Iowa  Medical  Journal, 
and  one  of  the  representatives  of  the  American 
Medical  Association  to  the  international  meeting  of 
that  body  in  Europe  in  18()().  He  was  also  Surgeon- 
General  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  and  President  of  the  1^ 
Board  of  Medical  Examiners  of  the  State  during 
the  war.  His  widow  is  still  living  in  Keokuk.  Their 
household  included  four  children. 

Dr.  J.  C.  Hughes,  Jr.,  was  the  oldest  child  of  his 
father's  family ;  he  received  his  primary  education 
in  the  public  schools,  and  in  later  years  attended 
the  State  University  at  Iowa  City.  He  entered 
upon  the  study  of  medicine  in  18(!8,  and  graduated 
in  1871,  receiving  his  diploma  in  that   year  from 


m 


;H 


M,     366 


LEE  COUNTY. 


the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  Dr. 
Hughes  was  elected  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy  in 
the  Keokuk  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
in  1871,  and  occupied  that  position  for  the  four 
years  following.  He  then  succeeded  to  the  Profes- 
sorship of  Anatomy,  and  during  one  year  of  this 
time  attended  the  Iniversity  of  Edinburgh  in  Scot- 
land, serving  under  Lister  and  Spencer,  two  of 
the  most  prominent  surgeons  of  Scotland,  and  w.is 
also  one  of  the  House  Surgeons  in  the  Royal  In- 
firmary. Ipon  his  return  to  Keokuk  he  resumed 
the  chair  which  had  been  tilled  while  he  was  absent 
by  Dr.  North.  He  continued  to  hold  this  position 
until  1881,  when  he  was  elected  Surgeon  to  fill  the 
place  made  vacant  by  his  father's  death.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  made  Dean  of  the  College  and 
Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Faculty.  He  makes 
a  specialty  of  surgery,  and  is  considered  one  of  the 
most  skillful  young  surgeons  of  the  Mississippi 
A'alley. 

In  1880  Dr.  Hughes  was  united  in  marriage  with 
iMiss  Lillie  Withrow,  of  Midway,  Ky.,  and  daugh- 
ter of  John  S.  Withrow.  Of  this  union  there  has 
been  born  one  son,  Joseph  C.  Their  residence  is 
located  on  Seventh  street,  adjacent  to  the  college, 
and  thej'  are  the  center  of  a  large  circle  of  warm 
friends  and  acquaintances.  Politically  Dr.  II. 
affiliates  with  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Sttite  Medical,  and  the  Keokuk  Medical 
Societies,  also  the  American  Medical  Association. 
Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 


c 


APT.  ENOCH   HINKLEY,    of   Keokuk,  is 
junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Hinkley  &  Dun- 
lap,  who  arc  prospeiously  engaged   as  com- 
mission merchants,  and  wliolesale  dealers  in  flour, 
l)aper  bags,  twines,  etc.,  and  also  transacting  a  profit- 
able business  in  anthracite  and  liituminous  coal.   The 
business  of  the  company,  which  is  located  at  Nos. 
17  and   19   South  Second  street,  was  purchased  by 
'JSiq  the   present  firm   in  l«8f),  having  been  established 
by  Mr.  D.  P.  White  several  years  ago. 

Capt.  Hinkley  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maine, 

AMmi     the  date  of  iiis  l)irtli  lieing  Sept.  ■_',  1  S2t,  .■uul  is  the 


son  of    Hon.   Josiah  and    Sabra  (Works)  Hinkley. 
both  also  natives  of  the   above  State.     The  father 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  cleared  320  acres   J.; 
of  a  heavy  growth  of   beech,  hemlock  and    maple,    § 
and    upon   the   homestead    thus  established  lie  re-    ; 
niained    until  the  close  of  his  life.     He   was  twice    ; 
married,  and  became  the  father  of   nine  children,   p} 
five  by  the  first,  and  four  b>'  the  second  marriage.    : 
He  was  a   man   of  great    force    of  character  and    ;.: 
decided  views,  and   held   a  prominent    position  in    E§|i 
his   localitj-,  most  of  the  time  being  the  incumbent 
of  some  office.      He  served  one  term  in  the  Legis- 
lature and  as  County  Clerk,  and  in  his  town  occu- 
pied   the    office    of   .Selectman    aTid    other    minor    at 
positions.    He  took  a  deep  interest  in  public  affairs, 
and  contributed  generously  of  his  time  and  means 
to  promote  the  educational  and    moral   interests  of    i'- 
his  community.     He  donated  generously  to  objects 
of  charitj',  and   at   his   death,  which   occurred  in 
1877,   was  lamented   bj'  all  who  knew  him.     The 
mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs.  Sabra  Hinkley,  died  in 
1832. 

Pviioch  Hinkley  remained  on  the  parental  home- 
stead until  he  was  twent^'-five  years  old,  in  the 
meantime  having  received  careful  training,  and  a 
good  education  in  the  public  schools.  In  1K49  he 
determined  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  wide  West, 
and  going  to  Illinois,  located  at  Leland,  La  Salle 
County,  where  he  remained  one  year, 
crossed  the  Father  of  Waters  and  went  over  to  i^^ 
Alexandria  in  Missouri,  where  he  engage<l  in  the 
commission  business,  in  the  employ  of  H.  E.  Hill  |E 
<fe  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  four  j'cars.  He  P^ 
was  then  admitted  into  partnership  with  the  firm,  g; 
which  retained  its  former  name,  and  continued  ;: 
with  them  until  1870.  Mr.  Hinkle}'  remained  in  |i 
Alexandria  until  1880,  and  then  came  to  Keokuk, 
where  lie  purchased  a  half  interest  in  a  steamer, 
which  plied  between  Alexandria  and  Keokuk,  and 
of  vvhicii  he  assumed  the  management  for  the  fol- 
lowing tliree  years,  after  which  he  disposed  of  his 
interest  therein  and  gave  his  attention  to  the  busi- 
ness in  which  he  is  now  engaged. 

In  185-lCapt.  Hinkley  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Elvira  A.  Fellows,  of  Pennsj-lvania,  and 
daughter  of  Asa  and  Susanna  Fellows,  also  natives 
of  tiic  Keystone  St.:ite.      Their  union    was    lilest  b}' 


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II 


LEE  COUNTY. 


the  birth  of  four  children,  of  whom  the  oldest,  a 
son,  Oto,  is  now  a  young  man  and  book-keeper 
for  the  firm  of  Ilinklej' &  Dunlap;  the  second  child 
is  a  daughter,  Ina.  The  family  residence  is  pleas- 
antly located  at  No.  317  Second  Street  North,  and 
is  the  abode  of  refinement  and  cultivated  tastes. 
In  politics  Mr.  Hinkley  conscientiously  casts  his 
vote  with  the  Democratic  partj',  and  socially  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 


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,,...  JM(JS  HENKLE,  a  prosperous  farmer,  who 
@/lI||  occupies  a  fine  homestead  on  section  3  in 
\'an  Buren  Township,  has  been  a  resident 
of  the  Hawkeye  State  since  1836,  and  is 
fully  entitled  to  be  classed  among  the  honored  pio- 
neers. He  has  watched  with  interest  the  remark- 
able growth  and  development  of  this  section  of 
country,  and  has  aided  materially  in  the  changes 
which  have  been  brought  about,  and  which  have 
substituted  smiling  fields  and  civilization  for  the 
bleak  prairies  and  untrodden  forests. 

Amos  Henkle  is  a  native  of  Pendleton  County, 
Va.,  and  was  born  June  15,  1817.  His  parents 
were  Abraham  and  Mary  (Harper)  Henkle,  both 
natives  of  Virginia,  but  descended  from  the  Ger- 
man. Abraham  Henkle  was  born  Nov.  7,  1784, 
and  died  in  Taylor  County,  Iowa,  in  1873.  Mrs. 
Mary  H.  Henkle  was  born  in  the  same  j'ear  as  her 
husband,  and  survived  him  ten  years,  also  dying  in 
Taylor  County,  in  1883.  They  were  the  parents 
of  eleven  children — Sidney,  Josiali,  Zebediah,  Mar- 
garet, Amos,  Miles,  Henry,  Moses,  Abraham  (who 
died  in  infancy),  Sallie  and  Mary  A. 

The  marriage  of  Amos  Henkle  and  Miss  Martha 
McGreer  occurred  Feb.  21,  1839.  Mrs.  Henkle 
was  a  native  of  Fayette  County,  Ind.,  and  was 
born  Feb.  13,  1821 ;  she  died  Nov.  20,  1848,  hav- 
ing become  the  mother  of  three  children:  Anna  be- 
come the  wife  of  John  Warner;  John  married  Miss 
Melissa  Simons;  one  child  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
Henkle  for  his  second  wife  married  Miss  Sarah 
McGreer,  and  of  this  union  there  have  been  born 
three  children :  Mary  J.  became  the  wife  of  Butler 
Chapman ;  Albert  mai'ried  Miss  Seward;  the  third 
and  youngest  child  was  named  Washington  Lincoln. 


Mr.  Henkle  is  the  owner  of  585  acres  of  land  in 
Lee  County,  200  of  which  is  under  good  culti- 
vation. He  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  breeding 
of  graded  stock,  and  has  a  herd  of  ninety-three 
head  of  cattle.  In  the  year  1859  he  constructed  a 
fish-pond,  and  placed  therein  a  good  supply  of  the 
finny  tribe.  He  now  has  fish  twenty-six  inches  long, 
and  a  cat-fish  which  weighs  four  pounds. 

The  homestead  of  Mr.  Henkle  forms  an  attract- 
ive feature  of  the  landscape  in  this  section  of 
country.  He  has  a  fine  dwelling,  good  barn,  and 
all  the  conveniences  of  agriculture  and  stock-grow- 
ing. He  has  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the 
moral  and  educational  welfare  of  his  community, 
having  held  the  various  township  offices.  He  has 
been  connected  with  the  School  Board  and  served 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Politically  he  affiliates 
with  the  Democratic  party. 


^  ^'~*~#"" 


j  ]  SAAC  L.  MARSH,  a  prosperous  and  influential 
farmer  of  Washington  Township,  is  the  pro- 
/ll  prietor  of  a  valuable  homestead  finely  located 
on  section  2.  He  is  a  native  of  Preble  County, 
Ohio,  and  was  boru  Dec.  23,  1817,  his  parents  be- 
ing AVilliam  and  Lodica  (Knight)  Marsh,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Massachusetts  respectively. 
After  their  marriage  they  located  in  Preble  County, 
Ohio,  whence  they  removed  to  Lee  County,  Iowa, 
in  the  fall  of  1839,  settling  in  Washington  Town- 
ship. They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  and 
speut  the  remainder  of  their  lives  in   Lee    County. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  brought  up  oil  a 
farm,  and  lived  in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  until  his 
marriage.  He  accompanied  his  (parents  to  Iowa 
and  entered  160  acres  of  land  in  Washington 
Township,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  stock 
raising,  and  still  owns  and  occupies  his  first  pur- 
chase. He  improved  and  cultivated  his  land, 
erected  a  good  farm  dwelling,  and  has  been  re- 
markably prosperous.  One  hundred  acres  of  the 
present  homestead  is  in  a  tillable  condition,  and  the 
balance  is  devoted  mostly  to  pasturage. 

Mr.  Marsh  was  married  in  Preble  County,  Ohio 
July  27,  1836,  to  Miss  Martha  A.    William; 
was  born  pear   Cincinnati,    Ohii>,    pec,    16, 


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Her  parents  were  Samuel  and  Haimali  (Tliorp) 
Williams,  and  tliey  died  while  the  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject was  a  young  child.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marsh  have 
become  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  six  sons  and 
live  daughters,  whose  liistory  in  brief  is  as  follows: 
llebecca  is  t-tic  wife  of  Amos  Sniff,  and  resides  in 
Nebraska;  Eurena  K.,  the  wife  of  Ephraini  Snift', 
died  in  Washington  Tnsvnslii|)  Jan.  8,  IHU:);  Jasper 
married  Miss  Xaucy  .Saunders,  and  resides  in 
Poweshiek  County,  Iowa;  Wesley  married  Miss 
Mary  Groat,  and  resides  in  Des  Jloines  County, 
Iowa;  Uansom  married  Mi,ss  Sarah  J.  McGriff,  and 
resides  in  Nebraska;  Monroe  married  Miss  Alice 
Pitman,  and  lives  in  Pleasant  Ridge  Townsliip; 
Maria  Louise  was  the  wife  of  Irvin  Saunders,  and 
died  in  Poweshiek  County,  Iowa;  Martha  married 
William  ().  Liddie,  and  resides  in  Washington 
Township;  Edward,  Joseph  and  JMary  Belle  are  at 
home. 

Mr.  Marsh  has  been  prominentlj-  identified  with 
the  affairs  of  his  community,  and  has  held  the  var- 
ious offices  in  the  township.  He  and  his  wife,  with 
Josoi)h,  Mary  B.,  Martlia  and  Jasper,  are  members 
of  the  Ciiristian  Church.  In  politics  Mr.  Marsh  is 
a  Democrat  and  a  strong  temperance  man. 

During  the  war  Jasper  N.,  the  son  of  our  sub- 
ject, enlisted  in  Co.  F,  IGth  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
veteranized  two  years  later,  in  1864.  He  was  taken 
prisoner  near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  and  for  nearly  nine 
months  experienced  the  horrors  of  Andersonville 
Prison.  Another  son,  Wesley  H.,  was  a  member  of 
Co.  M,  Dth  Iowa  Vol.  Cav.,  served  his  term  of  enlist- 
ment, and  received  an  honorable  discharge  in  Jul^', 
1803.  Amos  Sniff,  the  husband  of  the  daughter, 
Ueljecca  J.,  was  a  member  of  Co.  I,  ICth  Iowa  Vol- 
unteers; he  was  taken  prisoner  near  Atlanta,  Ga., 
and  also  held  a  captive  for  about  nine  months  in 
Andeisonville.  Ephraim  Sniff,  who  married  p]urena 
E.,  enlisted  in  tlie  same  regiment  as  his  brother,  re- 
mained in  service  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and 
returned  home  unliarmed ;  he  afterward  went  to 
Kansas  and  died  there. 

Saniuel  M.  Marsh,  a  liruliier  of  Isaac  I,,  of  tiiis 
biograpiiy,  was  a  Sergeant  of  Co.  I,  .^Olii  Iowa  Vol. 
Inf.;  he  enlisted  Aug.  22,  l.S(j2,and  was  disciiarged 
June  5,  18G5.  He  returncil  home  shortly  after- 
ward, and  died  of  consiiniiil  ion  {■'cb.  22,  I  S77,  leav- 


ing  a  widow  and    four    children — William,    Ellen,  Sjji 
Vandale  and  Martha.     These  cluldren,  witli  the  ex- 
ception of  the  eldest,  have   made   their   liome   with 
our  subject  since  the  deatii    of   their    fallier,   and 
have  received  the  kindest  of  care. 

The  Marsh  family  are  of  excellent  parentage  and 
ancestry,  and  are  widely  known  tlironghout  this 
section  for  their  straightforward  business  transac- 
tions, their  moral,  social  and  religious  worth,  and 
the  material  aid  which  the3-  have  rendered  to  the 
industrial  and  agricultural  interests  of  this  section. 
The  _younger  members  of  the  family  have  been 
carefully  trained  and  well  educated,  and  possess  in 
a  marked  degree,  the  worthy  characteristics  of  their 
progenitors,  and  there  is  no  doubt  they  will  \>er- 
petuate  the  family  name  in  tlie  same  maimer  l)y  £!;} 
wliich  they  have  been  brought  to  their  present  E|[ 
honorable  and  prominent  position  among  the  best 
citizens  of  the  Hawkeye  State. 


OHN  FOWLER,  a  highly  respected  resident 
of  Jackson  Township,  is  pleasantly  located 
on  section  1,  and  successfully  engaged  in 
"eneral   farming.     He    is  of   English    birth 

O  o  c 

and  parentage,  and  was  born  in  February,  1  s;j2. 
His  parents  were  John  and  Harriet  (Hammond) 
Fowler,  also  natives  of  England,  where  the  mother 
died  when  our  subject  was  a  young  boy.  After 
llie  deatli  of  the  mother  his  father  came  to  America,  & 
and  [jroceeding  directly  to  Iowa,  settled  in  Jackson  ;j|i 
Township,  where  he  still  resides,  and  is  now  eighty- 
two  j'ears  of  age. 

John  Fowler  of  our  sketch  was  the  second  of  his 
parents'  family  of  three  children,  and  was  fifteen 
j'ears  old  when  his  father  emigrated  to  the  llnitcd 
States.  He  crossed  the  Mississippi,  accompanied 
by  his  father,  but  parted  company  with  the  latter 
and  went  to  Keokuk,  where  his  earlier  days  were 
spent,  and  where,  when  lie  arrived  at  years  of  man- 
hood, he  became  engaged  in  operating  a  sawmill  at 
Sandusky.  He  was  afterward  occupied  at  farming 
and  butchering,  and  during  the  construction  of  the 
Goverinnent  Canal,  cstablishe<l  a  liutcher  shop  in 
that  vicinity,  which  he  carried  on  i)roHtably  until 
this  work  was  comjjleted. 

In  Ihc  spring  of    IS(;2   .U)iin    Fowler  came   into  §! 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


Jackson  Township,  and  located  upon  a  rented  farm, 
which  lie  carried  on  for  about  four  years  and  then 
purchased.  It  consists  of  200  acres,  all  exceptnig 
lifty  of  which  is  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  He 
has  greatly  iini)r(jved  its  condition  since  he  became 
its  possessor,  and  has  now  a  good  house  built  of 
stone  and  concrete,  and  all  the  necessary  implements 
and  machinerj-  for  prosecuting  agriculture  after  the 
most  imprt)ved  methods.  He  is  also  engaged  in 
breeding  tiioroughbred  Short-horns. 

The  marriage  of  John  Fowler  and  Miss  Esther 
A.  MeCord  took  place  Oct.  24,  1860.  Mrs.  F.  was 
born  in  Preble  Couuty,  Ohio,  Feb.  lit,  1.S43,  and  is 
the  daughter  of  Joseph  S.  and  Martha  McCord, 
natives  of  the  same  State.  Mr.  and  ilrs.  Fowler 
have  become  the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom 
one,  James  W.,  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years. 
Those  surviving  are :  Edwin  McCord,  John  C,  Hat- 
tic  H.,  Ida  and  Lillie. 

\Vheu  Mr.  Fowler  first  came  to  the  couuty  he  had 
but  verj'  little  means,  and  what  he  now  has  is  the 
result  of  his  own  industry'  and  energy.  He  has 
been  identified  with  the  temperance  movement  in 
his  vicinity.  In  politics  he  is  independent,  and 
votes  for  the  man  he  believes  to  be  right,  irrespect- 
ive of  party. 

A  view  of  the  home  farm  and  fine  stock  of  ]SIr. 
Fowler  is  shown  on  another  page  of  this  work. 


'  W.  HOBBS  is  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of 
the  Keokuk  Stove  Works,  and  has  the  entire 
management  of  the  business.  He  is  v.ell 
(^jl/  fitted  for  this  responsible  position,  both  by 
education  and  natural  aliilities,  and  is  an  important 
factor  among  the  industrial  interests  of  the  Gate 
Citj'.  Mr.  Hobbs  is  a  native  of  the  Buckej'e  State, 
having  been  born  in  Mt.  ^'ernon,  in  the  year  1S43. 
He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Annie  (Shipley)  Hobbs, 
natives  of  Burgettstown,  Washington  Co.,  Pa.  His 
father,  John  Hobbs,  was  a  farmer  hy  occupation 
until  1858.  Eight  years  prior  to  this  he  cro.ssed 
the  Mississippi  and  came  into  Iowa:  he  invested  in 
50,000  acres  of  land  in  the  counties  of  Appanoose, 
Wayne,  Decatur,  Ringgold,  Union,  Adair,  (iuthrie 
and  Carroll,  aad  improved  lands  in  Illinois.     He 


finally  settled  in  the  latter  State,  at  Nauvoo,  where 
the  latter  daj's  of  his  life  were  passed  in  retirement 
from  active  labor.  He  departed  this  life  in  1871. 
The  companion  of  his  youth  had  passed  to  her  final 
rest  seventeen  years  previouslj',  in  1854.  They 
were  devoted  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  to  the  support,  of  which  they  contril)uted 
liberallj'  and  cheerfully.  John  Hobbs  was  a  man 
universally  respected,  not  only  on  account  of  his 
ready  kindness  and  sympath3'  for  all  creatures,  but 
for  his  straightforward  and  upright  course  during 
a  long  and  eventful  life. 

The  subject  of  this  history-  was  tlie  youngest  son 
of  a  family  of  ten  children,  of  whom  four  are  now 
deceased.     The  record   is  as  follows:  Milton  is  a 
resident  of  Arnold,  Custer  Co.,  Neb.,  where   he   is  lE^ 
engaged  in  farming;  Amanda,  now  Mrs.  Randolph,  i| 
is  a  resident  of  Ft.  Worth,  Tex.;  Leonard  is  en-  NJ 
gaged  in   fanning  in  Hancock  County,  111. ;  Ethe- 
linda,    Mrs.    Larison,    resides    in    Malvern,    Iowa; 
JNIaria,  Mrs.    Lacroix,  is  a   resident  of  Appanoose 
County.  Iowa. 

Mr.  Hoblis  attended  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity' at  Delan'are,  Ohio,  but  on  account  of  ill-health 
was  obliged  to  abandon  his  studies  while  in  the 
Junior  Class.  After  leaving  college  he  went  to 
C'arthage,  111.,  and  Itecanie  Deputy  in  the  oflice  of 
the  County  Clerk,  which  position  he  occupied  for 
four  j'ears.  He  then  came  to  Keokuk,  in  1868,  and 
was  appointed  Cashier  of  the  Commercial  Bank, 
with  which  he  was  coiniected  for  eight  3-ears.  He 
then  engaged  in  the  loan  and  brokerage  business, 
and  in  April,  1884,  became  interested  in  the  Keokuk 
Stove  Works,  as  before  mentioned. 

The  firm  of  which  Mr.  Hobbs  is  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  gives  employment  to  about  sixty-tive 
men  in  this  city.  They  have  a  branch  house  at 
Minneapolis  and  another  at  Kansas  City,  and  from  "■"^KiST 
three  to  seven  men  are  continuously  on  the  road  in  C  H 
the  interests  of  the  liusiness.  They  put  out  12,000 
stoves  annually,  and  even  then  are  not  able  to 
supply  their  trade,  being  oliliged  to  purchase 
largely  from  the  I-]ast.  The  works  extend  over 
half  a  block,  and  for  their  storage  house,  they 
occupy  the  old  Virginia  Tobacco  Works  building 
on  the  levee.  In  liSSI!  they  put  up  a  brick  building 
for  offices  and  .storage,  at  a  c(.>st  of  ^s,000. 


iiii 


.1.  W.  Iliilihs  .iinl  Mis>  Sue  Somerville  were 
uiiiU'fl  ill  iii:inia<^e  in  IJSOT.  Mrs.  Ilobhs  i*  :i  native 
of  Indiana,  and  the  daughter  of  James  Sijinervilh' 

M-  of  Pennsylvania.  By  her  union  with  our  subject 
she  has  l)econie  tiie  mother  of  four  children  :  John 
r.,  a  cadet  at  the  United  States  IMilltary  Academy 
at  West  Point.  N.  V. ;  Jessie  R.,  Ilallie  8.  and 
Hevcrly  are  at  lioine  with  their  parents.  The 
family  residence  is  located  at  No.  718  Exchange 
street,  and  in  all  its  surroundings  gives  evidence 
of  refined  taste  and  ample  means.  Mr.  llobbs  has 
i!  I  been  a  i)rominent  man  in  his  coniiiiunity,  as  a 
^^  member  of  the  City  Council,  and  with  his  wife  is 
hj  R    connected  in  membersiiip  with  St.  John's  Ki)iscopal 

f^  J}L  Church,  and  takes  a  i)rominent  part  in  its  councils. 
^  lb'  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  socially  is  a  mem- 
lur  of  the  Masonic  fraternit}'. 

?RANlv    llEKli,  a  successful  merchant  of  Ft. 


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Madison,  is  a  native  of  the  I'rovince  of 
Westphalia,  Prussia,  and  was  born  March 
20,  183!).  His  father,  Lawrence  lleer,  a  native  of 
the  same  country  and  Province,  was  reai-ed  on  a 
farm,  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  our 
subject  was  a  youth  si.vteen  years  old,  when  he  re- 
solved to  emigrate  to  America.  He  set  sail  from 
lircmcn  March  '23,  18.t."),  aecompaniod  liy  his  wife 
and  six  children,  and  landed  in  New  Orleans  on  the 
Kith  of  May  following.  They  came  directly  to  Ft. 
Madison,  and  here  the  father  remained  a  resident 
until  his  death.  lie  was  a  worthy  man  and  a  good 
citizen,  and  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  friends 
whom  he  had  made  in  the  New  World. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  the  second  child 
of  the  parental  family,  and  received  a  good  educa- 
tion in  his  native  country.  lie  was  an  ambitious 
lad  and  resolved  to  become  a  man  among  men. 
i  After  coming  to  this  country,  although  he  did  not 
I  regularly  attend  school,  he  pursued  his  studies  in 
English  as  time  and  opportunity  afforded,  and  has  be- 
come one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  well-informed 
citizens  of  this  locality.  He  has  been  keenly  observ- 
ant of  what  was  going  on  around  him  and  has 
availed  himself  of  every  opportunity  to  gain  valu- 
able  iiifonn.ilioii.      With    very  little  instruction  he 


has  obtained  an  excellent  English  education,  and  is 
a  striking  example  of  what  perseverance  and  energy 
may  accomplish. 

Upon  first  coming  to  Ft.  Madison  Mr.  Ileer  was 
employed  in  a  T)rick3'ard  at  a  salary  of  ^H  a  montii. 
He  was  thus  occupied  for  one  season,  and  then  en- 
gaged as  a  molder  in  a  foundry,  serving  an  .ip- 
prenticeship  of  two  years,  and  followed  his  trade 
for  seven  years  thereafter.  He  then  abandoned  his 
trade  and  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  country 
produce  until  1870,  when  he  purchased  a  stock  of 
drj- -goods  and  turned  his  whole  attention  to  this 
department  of  trade.  After  he  had  become  fully 
established  and  there  was  a  prospect  of  prosperity 
and  success,  his  store  and  dwelling-house  were  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  entailing  a  loss  of  $13,000.  This 
disaster  occurred  on  the  1st  of  February,  1885.  He 
was  not  dismayed  or  discouraged,  how^ever,  but  im- 
mediately set  about  repairing  the  catastrophe.  He 
purchased  the  building  he  now  occupies,  put  in  an- 
other stock  of  goods,  and  in  the  course  of  time  was 
upon  his  feet  again,  and  is  now  on  the  high  road  to 
a  competency.  He  has  been  straightforward  in  his 
business  transactions,  and  enjoj's  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  his  fellow-townsmen. 

Mr.  Ileer  was  married  in  1868  to  Miss  Wilhel- 
mina  Schoeling,  a  native  of  his  own  Province,  who 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents  be- 
fore her  marriage.  Of  this  union  there  have  been 
born  six  children,  viz.,  George,  Frank,  Theresa, 
jMary,  Margaret  and  Mena.  The  family  are  con- 
nected with  St.  Marj^'s  Catholic  Church,  and  in 
politics  Mr.  Heer  is  a  conscientious  Democrat.  Mr. 
Heer  was  elected  Alderman  of  the  Fourth  Ward, 
and  also  served  two  terms  on  the  School  Board. 


-^■^t^  - 


l^iCf— 


ARON  JOHNSON,  a  native  of  the   Buck- 
eye State,  was  an  early  pioneer  of  Ft.  Mad- 
ison, coming  here   before  it  li;id  even  at- 
tained to  the  dignity  of  a  village.     In  that 
time   lie    has    witnessed    remarkable    and    pleasing 
changes,  and  has  contributed  materially  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  this  locality.     He  unselfishl}'  identi- 
li('<l  liiinself  with   the  interests   of  the   conimniiily 


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from  the  beginning,  and  is  now  counted  among  its 
most  highly  respected  and  vahied  citizens. 

The  birthplace  of  Mr.  Johnson  was  nenr  W:ish- 
iiigton,  Fayette  Co.,  Ohio,  and  the  date,  March  30, 
1816.  His  father,  Isaac  Johnson,  was  born  in  A'ir- 
ginia.  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  River,  and  his 
grand f;ither,  Arthur  Johnson,  was  also  a  native  of 
Mrginia,  and  of  English  descent.  He  was  a  sol- 
ilier  in  the  Revolutionary  AVar,  and  after  the  ter- 
mination of  the  conflict  removed  to  Ohio,  and  was 
one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  that  Territory,  settling 
there  in  1804.  He  made  his  location  in  Fayette 
County,  and  a  few  years  later  removed  to  Indiana. 
Thence  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  spent  his  last  da3^s 
in  Grand  View,  Edgar  County. 

Isaac  Johnson,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
about  ten  years  old  when  his  parents  removed  from 
Virginia  to  Ohio.  He  was  also  a  soldier  in  the 
War  of  1812,  having  enlisted  at  two  different  times. 
He  was  married  in  Ohio  and  remained  a  resident 
of  P'ayette  County,  that  State,  until  1820.  He  then 
started,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  for  the 
farther  West,  their  outfit  consisting  of  four  horses 
and  a  wagon,  and  thej'  camped  and  cooked  by  the 
way.  They  stopped  for  a  time  in  Indiana,  and  on 
the  21st  of  March  started  for  Illinois.  The  father 
in  the  meantime,  had  traded  one  span  of  horses 
for  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  then,  with  oxen,  horses 
and  wagon,  they  made  their  way  overland.  They 
made  settlement  in  Edgar  County,  upon  land  which 
iiad  been  survej^ed  Ijut  was  not  yet  in  the  market. 
Mr.  Johnson  made  his  claim,  built  a  small  log  cabin, 
into  which  the  family  moved  and  made  themselves 
as  comfortable  as  possil)le,  and  then  he  commenced 
l)reaking  the  land.  Although  it  was  rather  late  in 
the  season,  he  put  in  a  crop  on  the  upturned  sod, 
and  raised  sufficient  grain  and  provisions  to  last 
until  another  season.  In  the  fall  he  sowed  some 
wheat  and  put  up  a  hewed-log  house,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  his  land  came  into  market.  His  loca- 
tion then  became  section  14,  and  he  afterward  en- 
tered more  land  as  fast  as  he  could  raise  the  money. 
With  the  exception  of  one  family  that  had  come 
with  them,  these  courageous  pioneers  seemed  quite 
isolated  from  the  balance  of  mankind,  there  being 
no  white  familj-  within  fifteen  miles.  Indians,  to 
be  sure,  were  plenty,  and  the  smoke  of  their  camp 


fires  could  often  be  seen  three  or  four  miles  away. 
Thej-  were  obliged  to  have  their  milling  done  in 
Indiana,  which  was  forty  miles  distant.  Wild 
game  was  plenty,  especially  deer,  and  the  father 
was  enabled  to  keep  his  family  well  supplied  with 
venison;  they  also  obtained  honey  in  great  abund- 
ance, and  lived  full}'  as  well  as  many  people  who 
were  surrounded  by  more  of  the  modern  luxuries 
of  life.  Mr.  Johnson  resided  on  this  land  until 
1836,  and  brought  his  farm  to  a  good  state  of  cul- 
tivation. But  he  was  of  an  ambitious  and  advent- 
urous turn,  and  now  decided  to  cross  the  Missis- 
sippi to  see  what  lay  beyond,  and  what  were  the 
prospects  for  the  emigrant  thei'e.  He  according!}' 
started  out  and  went  into  Texas;  this  was  during 
the  struggles  upon  the  frontier,  and  he  joined  the 
"  Regulars  "  and  did  good  service  in  assisting  fam- 
ilies to  escape  to  places  of  safety,  and  in  removing 
their  household  goods.  He  was  near  the  scene  of 
Santa  Anna's  capture  at  the  time  the  noted  Gen- 
eral was  taken,  and  witnessed  many  other  stirring 
and  thrilling  events  during  the  few  months  of  his 
stay  in  that  region.  In  the  fall  of  the  year  he  re- 
turned to  his  home,  sold  his  farm,  and  determined 
to  go  into  Iowa.  He  accordingly  started  overland 
with  his  famil}',  and  crossed  the  Father  of  Waters, 
making  his  first  location  in  Lee  County,  in  what  is 
now  AVashingtou  Township.  There  he  purchased 
a  claim  upon  which  was  a  log  cabin,  into  which  the 
family  removed.  The  wife  and  mother  did  not 
long  survive  this  removal,  dying  the  following 
spring,  and  the  same  year  Mr.  Johnson  removed  to 
Ft.  Madison  and  made  a  location  diagonally  aci'oss 
from  what  is  now  the  southeast  corner  of  Upper 
Park.  He  purchased  a  lot  and  built  a  house,  re- 
mained there  for  a  few  years,  and  then  removed  to 
his  farm  in  Washington  Township. 

In  the  fall  of  1849  Isaac  Johnson,  accompanied 
by  two  sons,  started  for  California.  The}'  made 
the  trip  down  the  Mississippi  River  to  New  Orleans, 
thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  (irande,  and  from 
there  up  that  river  ten  miles,  where  they  purchased 
ponies  and  completed  the  trip  overland  to  the 
Golden  State.  Here  they  entered  the  mines  and 
were  employed  in  digging  for  the  precious  metal 
until  18.50.  The  father  then  returned  to  Ft.  Mad- 
ison, where  he  settle<l  down  ;iiid  ivniaineil   for  sev- 


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374 


LEE  COUNTY. 


cral  years,  the  two  sons  remaining  in  California. 
He  afterward  removed  to  Osceola  and  ifiimined 
until  liis  death,  in  1871. 

Isaac  .lolmson  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife, 
the  motiicr  of  our  subje(;t,  boina-  Miss  Sarah  Kerns, 
a  native  of  Fayette  County,  Ohio.  The  parental 
liniiscliold  consisted  of  ten  children,  live  of  whom 
grew  to  j'ears  of  maturity.  Mrs.  Johnson  carefully 
trained  her  family  and  was  a  good  example  of  the 
faithful  wife  and  mother.  She  departed  this  life 
^in  February,  18;57,  deeply  lamented  by  her  affec- 
tionate family.  Mr.  Johnson's  second  marriage 
was  with  Miss  Delilah  Wilson,  and  their  eight  chil- 
dren lived  to  become  men  and  women. 

Aaron  Johnson,  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  was 
but  five  years  old  when  his  parents  removed  from 
( >liio  to  Illinois.  He  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  lie  had  attained  to  years  of  manhood,  .as- 
sisting his  father  in  clearing  the  farm,  and  obtain- 
ing a  limited  education  in  the  pioneer  schools.  He 
came  to  Lee  County,  Iowa,  with  his  father  in  the 
fall  of  l.S3(;.  The  boundaries  of  this  State  were 
tlu'u  included  in  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  and  it 
was  ten  yeais  before  it  was  admitted  into  the 
Union  as  a  State.     In   the    winter  of  1830-37  Mr. 

I    Johnson  assisted  his  father  in  getting  out  rails  and 

[    limtier  for  fencing,  and  in  the  following  spring  he 
I      purchased  a  part  of  the  lot  which  he  now  owns  and 
illn     occupies,  and  upon  it  erected  a  small  frame  house. 
^^     That  same  j'ear  also,  he  commenced   to  learn   the 
trade  of  carpenter  and  joiner,    which   he   followed 
-M^    for  ten  years  afterward.     He  had  been  married  in 
the  meantime,  and  in  1849  located  u[)on  the  farm 
of  his  falhcr-in-law,  and  afterward  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  this,  and  subsequentlj'  bought  the  balance 
of   the  farm,  making  a  total  of  220  acres,  and   for 
|y    twenty  years  afterward  devoted  the  greater  part  of 
his  time  to  agricultural  pursuits.     He  then  left  his 

3  children    in  charge  of   the  farm,  removed    to    Ft. 

[    Madison,  and  erected  the  line  brick  residence  which 

j    he  now  occupies. 

The  marriage  of  Aaron  .Johnson  and  Miss  Mary 
Wilson  was  celebrated  in  March,  1842.     Mrs.  John-    ' 
son  was  a  native  of  Windsor  County,  \t.,  and  was   I 
born  in  1«10.     After  being  the  faithful  companion 
of  her  husband  for  thirty -seven  years,  she  departed 
this  life  Nov.  7,  l.s7:i.     Of  liiis  uuion  there   were   : 


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born  four  children,  of  whom  the  record  is  as  fol- 
lows: Edward,  the  eldest  son.  occupies  the  home 
farm  in  Washington  Township;  Albert  died  in  in- 
fancy; Ellen  M.  is  the  wife  of  A.  D.  Shepard.  of 
Ft.  Madison;  George  lives  near  Albany,  Tex. 

As  one  of  the  valued  old  landmarks,  Mr.  .lohn- 
son  is  reg.arded  with  great  veneration  and  resided, 
beiug  also  entitled  to  this  on  account  of  his  excel- 
lent qualities  of  character,  which  have  obtained  for 
him  a  high  place  among  the  substantial  men  of  Lee 
County'.  He  was  enterprising  and  ambitious  as  a 
young  man,  and  labored  industriously  for  the  good 
of  his  famil}',  while  at  the  same  time  he  was  always 
willing  to  contribute  of  his  time  and  means  to  any 
good  work  or  purpose  instituted  in  his  community. 
As  a  business  man  and  a  citizen,  he  has  done  his 
share  toward  the  building  up  of  the  business  inter- 
ests and  the  social  status  of  this  vicinitj'. 


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[(OSEPH  R.  TEWKSBURY,  photographer,  is 
one  of  the  most  skillful  artists  of  Ft.  Madi- 
son, and  is  carrying  on  a  successful  business. 
(j^J^  He  is  a  native  of  the  Old  Granite  State,  hav- 
ing been  born  near  Concord,  May  17,  1831.  He  is 
a  son  of  William  and  Content  (Chapman)  Tewks- 
bury,  natives  of  New  Hampshire  and  New  York 
respectively.  The  great-grandparents  of  our  sub- 
ject came  from  Tewksbury,  England.  While  Jo- 
seph R.  was  yet  an  infant  his  parents  removed  to 
Livingston  County,  N.  Y.,  where  our  subject  re- 
ceived a  good  common-school  education  and  devel- 
oped into  manhood.  He  then  went  to  New  York 
Citj',  became  an  exjiert  stenographer,  and  subse- 
quently kept  books  for  a  wholesale  grocer3-  in  Roch- 
ester. Not  being  quite  satisfied  with  his  condi- 
tion or  prospects  in  the  East,  he  joined  a  company 
who  were  about  to  emigrate  to  Kansas,  and  they 
arrived  there  in  time  to  vote  at  the  election  of  the 
first  Territorial  officers.  There  was  too  much  dis- 
turbance, however,  in  th.at  portion  of  the  Union  to 
suit  Mr.  Tewksbury,  and  he  accordingly  retraced  his 
steps  lis  far  as  the  Mississippi  River  and  located  at 
Keokuk,  where  he  served  for  a  time  as  local  editor 
and  financier  of  a  newspaper. 

In   the   winter  of    I  8.j.j    Mr.  Tewksbiuy  enlereil 


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the  employ  of  the  C,  B.  <fr  Q.  R.  R.  Co..  ami  in  the 
following  spring  became  their  general  Western 
.agent  at  Keokuk.  In  this  capaeitj'  he  sold  the  first 
railroad  ticket  in  Keokuk.  He  was  connected  with 
this  company'  for  about  six  j'ears,  bnt  the  confine- 
ment indoors  becoming  injurious  to  his  health,  he 
decided  to  obtain  more  active  occupation,  and  con- 
sequently' became  engaged  in  nursery  and  fruit- 
growing at  Hamilton,  111.  In  1.SG4  an  excellent  po- 
sition was  proffered  him  by  a  railroad  company  at 
Omaha,  and  he  went  thither  to  accept.  Upon  his 
arrival,  however,  he  found  a  large  number  of  the 
people  greatly  excited  in  regard  to  the  discovery  of 
gold  and  silver  in  Idaho  and  Montana,  and  so  in- 
stead of  accepting  the. situation  offered  him  he  con- 
cluded to  join  the  general  rush  westward.  He  had 
considerable  money  with  him,  and  being  a  shrewd 
financier  was  alwaj^s  ready  to  avail  himself  of  an 
opportunitj'  to  make  more.  He  therefore,  instead 
of  buying  a  ticket  across  the  plains,  purchased  two 
span  of  mules  and  a  wagon,  and  started  (.)ut  with 
his  own  conveyance,  at  the  same  time  carrying  with 
him  five  passengers,  each  of  whom  paid  him  i^lOO  in 
advance.  They  headed  for  Virginia  City,  Mont., 
and  also  visited  Idaho.  Mr.  Tewksbury  was  pleased 
with  this  section  of  country  and  concluded  to  lo- 
cate here.  He  turned  about  to  go  East  for  his  fam- 
ilj-,  but  on  his  way  back  found  that  the  Indians 
were  verj^  troublesome,  and  therefore  concluded  to 
remain  in  the  f^ast. 

Mr.  Tewksbury'  now  bought  a  twelve  years' 
lease  on  a  fruit  farm  in  Southern  Illinois,  and 
made  a  purchase  of  land.  This  he  sold  out  in  Au- 
gust, 1866,  and  visited  New  York  Citj',  investigat- 
ing a  patent  right.  In  the  space  of  three  months 
he  found  his  cash  account  increased  by  several 
thousand  dollars,  and  he  then  became  .Secretary 
and  Financial  Agent  for  a  Joint  Stock  Manfactur- 
ing  Comp.any,  with  a  capital  stock  of  #300,000,  and 
held  this  position  two  years.  In  the  winter  of 
1868-69  Mr.  T.  returned  to  Iowa,  located  at  Farm- 
ington,  and  engaged  in  the  clock,  jewelry  and  pho- 
tograph business.  He  operated  this  until  1876, 
when,  leaving  an  assistant  in  charge  of  his  business 
at  Farmington,  Mr.  T.  went  to  Ft.  Madison  and  es- 
tablished his  present  business.  Everything  worked 
successfully,  and  he  then   sold  out  his  business  at 


Farmington.  Besides  his  property  in  Ft.  Madison 
he  owns  a  i)hotograph  galler}'  at  Nauvoo.  111.,  and 
is  accumulating  a  comijetency. 

Joseph  R.  Tewksbury  and  ^liss  E.  C.  Crubb 
were  united  in  marriage  May  27,  1856,  in  Farming- 
ton,  Iowa.  Mrs.  T.  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  having 
been  born  at  McConnellsville,  Morgan  County,  in 
18:M.  Her  father,  Walter  W.  Grubb,  came  to 
Iowa  in  1841,  and  was  for  many  years  Postmaster 
at  Farmington.  Of  this  union  there  were  born  two 
children,  twin  girls,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy; 
the  one  living  is  Carrie,  now  the  wife  of  L.  C. 
Pike,  a  wholesale  boot-and-shoe  dealer  of  Chicago, 
111. 

Mr.  Tewksbury  is  a  gentleman  of  more  than  or- 
dinary intelligence,  and  wherever  he  has  been  was 
at  once  recognized  as  a  man  fitted  to  become  a 
leader  in  the  community.  He  has  had  a  large  ex- 
perience in  business  matters,  and  has  met  with  ver3' 
fair  success  in  the  various  enterprises  in  which  he 
has  been  engaged.  He  has  declined  some  respon- 
sible positions,  among  them  that  of  General  Ticket 
Agent  of  the  Keokuk  &  Des  Moines  A^nllej-  Railway-. 
He  is  extremely  gentlemanly  and  courteous  in  his 
demeanor,  and  appears  to  be  eminently  fitted  for 
the  peculiar  and  delicate  business  in  which  he  is 
now  engaged.  As  an  artist  he  is  a  gentleman  of 
fine  tastes  and  original  ideas,  and  his  gallery  is  fit- 
ted up  in  an  exceedingly  elegant  manner,  and  is  the 
resort  of  the  best  class  of  citizens  in  Ft.  Madison. 

vf,  OSHUA  HARLAN,  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
influential  resident  of  Cedar  Township,  is  a 
native  of  Darke  Countj',  Ohio,  and  was  born 
^m)  July  23,  1838.  His  father,  Nathan  Harlan, 
of  Barren  Count}',  Ky.,  was  born  Jan.  25,  1799, 
and  his  grandfather,  .Tames  Harlan,  first  opened  his 
e3'es  to  the  light  of  day  in  the  vicinity  of  Phil;i- 
delphia.  Pa.  His  great-grandfather,  Aaron  Harlan, 
was  conscripted  during  the  progress  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  and  wounded  in  the  ■•  regulation 
battle."  His  buildings  and  property  were  de- 
stroyed by  the  British,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  able 
after  being  wounded,  he  tied  to  South  Carolina  and 
spent  the  last  yeai-s  of  his  life  in  Chatham  Countj'. 


James  Harlan,  tlie  son  of  the  latter,  and  the  grand- 
{■Mhi'v  i<{  <iiir  siiliject.  was  not  then  old  enough  to 
be  coiisciiptcd,  but  he  volunteered  and  was  en- 
wao-ed  in  one  bnttle,  iiftcr  wliieli  he  went  to  South 
Carolin;i  with  his  f:ither,  ;uid  lived  with  iiiin  until 
his  marriage.  The  maiden  of  liis  choiee  was  Miss 
Edie  Howard,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  after  their 
marriage  the}'  removed  to  Kentucky  in  the  fall  of 
171I8,  and  were  among  the  early  pioneei's  of  Bar- 
ren County.  Tiiey  set  up  liousckoeping,  :ind  strug- 
gled with  all  the  ditheulties  and  jjdvations  inci- 
dent to  the  life  of  the  early  settler.  They  had  lo- 
!^^  eated  ujion  a  tract  of  timberland,  and  while  pre- 
paring to  put  in  the  crops  Mr.  Harlan  was  obliged 
to  tr;ivel  sixty  miles  to  buy  corn  and  provisions 
for  his  family.  They  remained  there  until  1818, 
;nid  iiinde  considerable  headway  toward  clearing 
the  farm.  They  then  sold  out  and  removed  to 
Darke  County,  Ohio,  and   purchased    460   acres  of 

Kiieavy  timber.  They  went  through  the  same  pro- 
cess as  bef(n-e,  built  a  log  cabin,  and  by  slow  de- 
grees prepared  acre  after  acre  for  the  putting  in  of 
crops.  Here  James  Harlan  established  a  perma- 
nent iiomc,  and  remained  until  his  death. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Nathan  Harlan,  had 
preceded  his  parents  to  Ohio  with  an  elder  brother, 
and  had  built  a  cm  bin  upon  what  afterward  became 
the  family  homestead.  Tliey  rived  boards  to  cover 
the  roof,  and  the  Hoor  was  made  of  puncheons,  and 
by  the  time  the  family  arrived  tiie  two  dutiful 
sons  had  four  acres  of  tlie  land  cleared  and  read}' 
to  put  in  a  crop.  Nathan  lived  with  his  parents 
until  1821,  and  then,  at  tlie  age  of  twenty-two 
years,  was  married  and  settled  upon  land  adjoining 
that,  of  his  father,  who  had  presented  him  with  fifty 
acres.  To  this  he  adiled  fifty  more  by  purchase, 
and  entered  eighty  acres  of  (lovernment  land. 
The  young  cou|)le  commenced  liousekeeping  in  a 
dwelling  built  of  rails  and  covered  witli  rived 
boards.  In  due  time,  as  their  circumstances  im- 
proved, a  log  house  was  put  up,  whicii  they  occu- 
pied until  bs,')!,  and  about  this  time  Nathan  Har- 
!  Ian  feeling,  perhaps,  like  Daniel  Boone,  that  "the 
3  neighbors  were  getting  too  thick,"  determined  to 
move  to  a  country  where  there  was  nn>re  room, 
and  iiceordingly,  with  liis  f;imily  and  an  outfit  con- 
sisting of  four  horses,  and  two  wagons,  started  West 


across  the  Mississippi.  They  carried  their  house-  g 
iiold  goods  and  provisions  with  them,  and  camped 
and  cooked  by  the  wayside.  There  was  plenty  of 
wild  game  idong  tiie  route,  and  they  had  man}'  a 
feast  which  might  well  be  envied  by  many  of  the 
denizens  of  the  now  populous  cities  of  that  region. 

After  crossing  the  Father  of  Waters,  Nathan 
Harlan  purchased  a  farm  in  Jefferson  Township, 
Hemy  County.  Upon  this  he  and  his  family  lived 
for  two  3'ears,  and  then  sold  out  and  purchased  a 
f:irtn  in  Harrisburg  Township.  The  place  which 
lie  now  owns  and  occujiies  is  in  the  same  township 
on  section  1,  and  he  still  owns  the  farm  on  which 
he  first  located  on  section  2.  The  home  farm  con- 
tains 240  acres,  finely  improved,  and  is  now  under 
tlie  management  of  his  3'oungest  son.  The  maiden 
name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  was  Sallie  An- 
derson, and  her  marriage  with  Natlian  Harlan  oc- 
curred in  1821.  Mrs.  Harlan  was  a  native  of 
Christian  County,  Ky.,  and  departed  this  life  in 
1  839,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight  years. 

Nathan  Harlan  was  married  the  second  time  in 
1841,  to  Miss  Isabella  I'olly,  of  (Jreene  County, 
Ohio,  and  she  died  on  the  1st  of  J.anuary,  1884. 
The  children  of  Nathan  Harlan  by  his  first  marriage 
were :  George,  now  in  Clarke  County,  Iowa ;  David, 
of  Reno,  Neb. ;  Joshua,  the  subject  of  our  sketch ; 
Anna,  Mrs.  (iarretson,  wiio  lives  in  Des  Jloines, 
Iowa.  Of  the  second  marriage  there  were  born 
seven  cliildreu,  tlie  record  of  whom  is  as  follows: 
Enos  lives  in  Winfield,  Kan.;  Hiram  and  Hufus  in 
Warsaw,  111. ;  Elisha  in  .Sumner  County,  Kan. ; 
Whitson  K.  and  Miriam  are  at  home;  Howard  lives 
in  Van  Buren  County.  ]Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harlan  are 
connected  with  the  Christian  Church,  with  which 
Mr.  Harlan  was  connected  in  1814,  and  of  which 
he  has  been  Deacon  for  manj'  years.  \Vhile  the 
Whig  party  was  in  existence  it  remained  the  party 
of  his  choice,  politieall}',  but  since  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  old  by  the  substitution  of  the  new  Ke- 
pnblican  party,  he  has  cordially  endorsed  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  latter,  with  which  he  >iniformly  casts 
his  vote. 

Joshua  Harlan  of  this  sketch  was  a  lad  of  thir- 
teen years  old  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  tm 
their  overland  journey  to  Iowa,  of  which  he  has 
been  a  resident  since  that  time.     His  mother  hav- 


!r'«s 


ing  died  when  he  was  an  infant,  he  was  reared  by 
an  elder  sister,  and  after  her  marriage  continued- to 
live  with  her  until  coming  to  [owa,  when  he  was 
taken  into  the  household  of  liis  brother  Nathaniel, 
where  he  remained  one  year.  He  then  returned  to 
his  sister  for  tw(_i  years,  and  after  that  made  his 
home  with  an  uncle  until  he  was  twent^'-four  years 
of  age.  This  uncle  some  time  previously  had  en- 
tered eighty  acres  of  land  in  Clarke  County,  Iowa, 
and  our  subject  was  employed  l)_y  him  at  a  salary 
of  110  per  month,  and  in  due  time  became  the  pos- 
sessor of  this  land.  He  never  occupied  it,  however, 
but  four  years  later  sold,  and  purchased  forty  acres 
in  Van  Buren  County.  After  his  marriage  he  pur- 
chased lOO  acres  in  Cedar  Township,  a  small  part 
of  which  was  improved.  Upon  this  he  built  a  good 
house,  where  he  and  his  wife  lived  for  two  3'ears, 
and  then,  in  lb!66,  purchased  the  present  home- 
stead, and  now  has  200  acres  in  all. 

Mr.  Harlan  was  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and 
economy,  and  now,  established  in  a  comfortable 
home,  and  surrounded  by  the  good  things  of  life, 
he  is  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  earlier  toils.  He 
has  a  handsome  dwelling,  good  barns  and  out- 
houses, and  all  the  appliances  for  a  first-class  mod- 
ern farm  estate.  The  grounds  around  the  resi- 
dence are  beautified  bj'  handsome  shade  trees,  and 
in  the  rear  are  orchards  of  fine  fruit.  It  forms  one 
of  the  handsomest  locations  in  Lee  County,  and  in- 
variablj'  attracts  the  eye  of  the  traveler  through 
this  section. 

The  marriage  of  Joshua  Harlan  and  Miss  Martha 
E.  Fender  was  celebrated  Sept.  4,  186.3.  Mrs.  Har- 
lan is  a  native  of  Wayne  Count}',  Ind.,  and  was 
born  Dec.  22,  1H44.  Her  father,  Gabriel  Fender, 
was  also  a  native  of  the  afore-mentioned  county 
and  State,  and  her  grandfather,  Henry  Fender,  a 
native  of  South  Carolina,  was  a  soldier  of  the  Rev- 
olutionary War,  who  at  the  close  of  his  military 
services,  emigrated  from  his  native  State  to  Indi- 
ana, and  located  in  Wayne  County,  where  he  spent 
the  last  years  of  his  life.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Har- 
lan died  when  she  was  eight  years  old.  Her  mother 
was  Miss  Sarah  McMahon  before  her  marriage,  and 
did  not  long  survive  her  husband.  Mrs.  Harlan 
was  reared  by  her  elder  sisters,  and  came  to  Iowa 
in  1H55  with  her  brother  and  brother-in-law. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harlan  of  our  sketch  have  become  p 
the  parents  of  three  children — Flora  B.,  Laura  M. 
and  Mabel  L.     Flora  15.  Harlan  became  the  wife  of 
Loxey  Holmes,  and  lives  in  Harrisl)urg  Township, 
Van  Buren  County;  Laurn  M.  married  Mr.  Aaron ^ 
Ilildebrand,  a    resident  of  Cedar  Township,    Van 
Buren  County.     The  parents  are  connected   with  ^ 
the  Christian   Chureii,  and    Mr.  Harlan   is   Repub 
lican  in  politics. 


-^ ^^-^ ^ 

lr70HN  W.  BONNELL,  an  honored  pioneer 
of  Ft.  Madison,  came  to  Iowa  while  it  was 
yet  a  Territory,'  and  for  the  space  of  over 
forty  years  has  been  an  interested  witness  of 
the  important  changes  whicli  liave  taken  place  along 
the  Mississippi  Valley.  His  birthplace  was  in  Essex 
County,  N.  J.,  and  the  date  thereof  July  14,  1812. 
His  father  was  Sylvanus  Bonnell,  a  native  of  the 
same  State,  and  his  grandfather,  John  Bonnell,  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  a  native  of  New  Jerse}', 
who  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  the  State  which 
was  the  birthplace  of  his  son  and  his  grandson,  our 
subject.  Sylvanus  Bonnell  was,  what  might  be 
termed,  a  natural  mechanic.  He  was  the  inventor 
and  patentee  of  the  circular  saw,  which  has  come 
into  such  general  use  in  this  countiy ,  and  in  company 
with  a  brother-in-law,  Foster  Day,  built  and  oper- 
ated the  sawmills  near  Elizaliethtown.  Thej'  also 
manufactured  veneering,  and  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject adhered  closely  to  his  peculiar  branch  of 
business  until  his  death  in  New  Jersey,  in  1824. 
In  early  manhood  he  was  married  to  Miss  Nancy 
Bonnell,  who  departed  this  life  at  Springfield,  Essex 
Co.,  N.  J.,  in  1824  or  1825. 

John  W.  Bonnell,  of  this  sketch,  was  only  twelve 
years  old  when  he  was  deprived  by  de.ath  of  the 
protecting  care  of  a  father.  The  bereaved  mother 
kept  her  young  family  together  until  they  were 
married  and  established  in  homes  of  their  own. 
John  W.aud  his  bi'Other  Harvey  became  extensivelj' 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cider  vinegar  at 
Springfield,  N.  J.,  until  1843,  and  then  crossed  the 
intervening  States  into  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  and 
located   at  Ft.  Madison.     They  were  accompanied 


il;iB 


LEE  COUNTY. 


liV  tlli^  li;il;ilic(:  nf  tllc  liousfhdld.  .•mil  \\w  five 
bi'otliers  engageil  in  iiiercaiililo  pursuits  t'nr  alioiit 
tliree  years,  when' they  sold  oiit  and  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  wild  land  near  Dover,  and  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  stock-raising,  and  speculated 
considerably  in  land.  The  brothers  ojierated  thus 
in  Lee  Countj'  for  some  j'ears,  then  dissolved  part- 
nership, and  three  sought  other  localities,  while 
John  W.  and  his  brother  William  have  continued 
operating  together  until  the  present  time.  They 
have  been  reniarkalily  successful  in  their  under- 
takings, and  arc  now  the  possessors  of  three  farms 
of  200  acres  each,  which  they  lease  to  other  parties. 
William  makes  his  home  with  his  brother  Harvey 
in  l)o\er,  this  count}'.  .I(»hn  W.  lived  on  a  farm 
until  IS7(i,  when  he  came  to  Ft.  Madison  and  liuilt 
his  present  residence.  It  is  beautifully  situated  on 
the  bluffs,  overlooking  the  cit}',  and  commanding 
an  e.xtensive  view  up  and  down  the  Father  of 
Waters  and  across  to  Illinois. 

John  W.  Bounell  and  JMiss  A.  Rosanna  Hoover 
were  united  in  marriage  near  Dover,  Oct.  0,  1857. 
JMrs.  B.  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  born  Aug. 
11,  1833,  and  the  daughter  of  John  and  Barbara 
Hoover,  who  settled  near  Dover  at  an  early  day  in 
the  history  of  this  section.  Of  this  union  there 
was  born  one  son,  Arthur  F.,  who  died  in  infancy. 
Mrs.  Rosanna  Bonnell  died  Sept.  9,  1858.  The 
second  wife  of  Mr.  Bonnell  was  Miss  Eliza  M.  Pit^ 
man,  to  whom  he  was  mairied  May  27,  1803.  This 
lady  is  a  native  of  Lee  County,  and  was  born  July 
l',),  1839.  ■  Her  father,  Lewis  Pitman,  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  and  her  grandfather,  Richard  Pitman, 
of  Tennessee,  was  of  English  ancestry  and  parent- 
age. Her  great-grandfather,  Alex  Pitman,  was  born 
in  England,  and  emigrated  to  this  country  when  a 
young  man. 

Lewis  Pitman  was  born  in  Laurel  County,  Ky., 
June  11,  1794,  and  was  reared  in  his  native  State. 
In  1 835  he  removed  with  ox-teams  to  Lee  County, 
Iowa,  which  was  then  a  wilderness,  and  included  in 
the  Territory  of  Wisconsin.  He  was  accompanied 
by  his  family,  and  they  camped  and  cooked  by  the 
wayside  and  took  shelter  under  the  cover  of  their 
wagon  at  night.  Lewis  I'itnian  made  a  claim  in 
what  is  now  West  Point  Township,  built  a  mill,  and 
established  a  homestead,  upon   which  he  remained 


is(;2. 


"« s 


iiiilil  his  (Icalh.  uhii-h  occurcil  Feli.  21 
was  married,  when  a  young  man.  tv  Miss  Permelia  3n} 
Warren,  of  Fast  Tennessee,  who  was  born  Aug.  30, 
1804.  She  survived  her  husband  initil  1875, 
dei)arting  this  life  on  the  29th  of  December  of  that 
year,  after  having  become  the  mother  of  eleven 
children.  She  left  behind  her  a  record  of  womanly 
virtues  and  kind  deeds,  ami  at  her  death  was 
mourned  li_v  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

Of  the  union  of  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  B.  there  have  been 
born  four  children,  old}"  one  of  whom  is  living. 
Bertram  L.  Mrs.  B.  is  i)rominently  connected  with 
the  Methodist  Church,  and  Mr.  Bonnell,  politically, 
affiliates  with  the  Rei)ublican  part}-.  He  has  been 
an  imi)ortant  factor  in  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  this  section  of  the  country,  and  has  aided 
materially  in  bringing  it  to  its  present  position. 
As  one  of  that  honored  band,  who  are  passing  awaj' 
one  b}'  one,  he  is  viewed  with  peculiar  reverence 
and  respect  as  the  representative  of  almost  a  l)y- 
gone  age.  He  is  still  a  hale  and  hearty  ol<l  gentle- 
man, with  much  of  the  industry  and  energy  of  his 
early  manhood,  and  affords  a  worthy  examjile, 
which  many  a  yoiinger  man  might  follow  with  good 
results. 

'^  OSEPH  G.  BERSTLER,  a  highly  respected 
citizen  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  Clerk  of  the  Iowa 
State  Penitentiar}',  and  is  fulfilling  the  du. 
ties  of  his  position  with  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  Our  subject  is  a 
native  of  Chester  County,  Pa.,  and  the  date-  of  his 
birth  was  July  4,  1832.  His  father,  John  Berstler, 
was  born  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  and  was  a 
schoolmate  of  James  Buchanan,  but  they  never 
agreed  upon  political  questions.  He  was  a  paper- 
maker  by  trade,  and  in  early  manhood  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Anne  Strain,  a  native  of  the 
same  State  and  county  as  her  husband.  They  re- 
moved from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio  in  1834,  being 
among  the  first  settlers  of  Ouernsey  County,  from 
which  they  afterward  removed  to  Belmont  County, 
where  the  mother  died  in  1858. 

There  were  nine  children  in  the  parental  family, 
seven  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  liv- 
iu"-.     Five  of  the  sons  enlisted  in  the  I'liitcd  States 


service,  remaining  in  tlie  army  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  and  all  returned  home  in  safety.  One  of 
the  daughters,  Mary  A.,  became  the  wife  of  Robert 
Mack,  and  lives  in  Guernsey  Countj-,  Ohio;  Eliza 
J.,  Mrs.  Thomas  Burris,  is  a  resident  of  Texas 
County,  Mo. ;  the  next  in  order  of  birth  was  our 
subject,  Joseph  G.;  John  M.  was  a  private  in  the 
■2d  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  is  now  engaged  in  farming 
in  Keokuk  CouiUy,  Iowa;  Francis  M.  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  30th  Ohio  Infantry,  and  is  now  in 
Guernsey  County;  Oliver  H.  is  a  resident  of  Iowa 
County,  Iowa;  George  H.  was  in  the  65th  Ohio  In- 
fantry, and  resides  in  Belmont  County,  Ohio;  .Sam- 
uel C.  was  a  member  of  the  28th  Iowa  Regiment, 
and  is  Guard  in  the  penitentiary;  Anson  L.  resides 
in  Iowa  County.  The  father  removed  to  Iowa  in 
1861,  locating  in  Iowa  County,  where  he  remained 
until  the  close  of  his  life,  in  1882,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-four  years. 

Joseph  G.  Berstler  was  brought  up  to  the  trade 
of  a  wool  manufacturer  in  Ohio,  and  afterward 
pui'sued  the  same  occupation  one  j-ear  in  Massachu- 
setts, lie  came  to  Iowa  in  1855,  and  located  at 
Cedar  Rapids,  engaging  at  his  trade  until  1857.  He 
then  went  to  Iowa  County,  and  followed  farming 
for  the  next  four  years.  At  the  outbreak  of  the 
■M  Rebellion  in  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  service 
iis  Fourth  Sergeant  of  Co.  I.,  13th  Iowa  Vol.  Inf. 
In  1863  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Orderly 
Sergeant,  and  two  years  later  to  Second  Lieutenant, 
with  which  rank  he  was  mustered  out  in  1865.  He 
participated  in  all  the  engagements  of  his  company, 
and  at  the  battle  of  Atlanta  received  a  gunshot 
wound  in  the  head  that  disabled  him  for  some  time. 
He  was  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg,  and  went  with  Sherman  through  the  Atlanta 
campaign  and  the  march  to  the  sea. 

After  his  return  from  the  army  Mr  Berstler  re- 
turned to  Iowa,  and  followed  farming  until  1869. 
il  He  was  then  elected  Auditor  of  Iowa  County, 
'|e  when  ho  filled  .in  unexpired  term  and  by  re-election 
1^  served  a  full  term.     He  afterward  served  two  full 


m 


terms.     He  was  afterward  Clerk  in  the  office  of  the 


jt  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  for 
:E  eight  months,  and  was  appointed  to  his  present  po- 
sition  in  1884. 


Mr.  Bei-stler  was  married,  Jan.  1,  1857,  at  Cedar 


Rapids,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Plummer,  of  Bangor,  Me. 
Of  this  union  there  were  born  seven  children,  one 
of  whom  died  at  the  age  of  six  vears.  The  living 
are   Annie   L.,   Jennie   E.,   Wallace  F.,  Charles  S.. 


Ellen  C.   and   John.     Mrs.   Berstler  departed   this  r 

1 
\ 


life  iu  March,  1883.  .In  politics  Mr.  B.  is  strongly 
Republican.  He  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  and  a 
member  of  Social  Lodge  No.  231,  and  of  Jerusalem 
Chapter  No.  72,  R.  A.  M.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
John  Dillon  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Marengo. 

l/OHN  G.  KENNEDY,  a  pioneer  resident  of 
Ft.  Madison,  is  the  only  man  living  in  this 
vicinity  who  was  here  at  the  time  he  made 
his  first  settlement  in  Lee  County,  in  1836. 
He  is  possessed  of  a  rich  and  peculiar  experience, 
and  the  changes  which  he  has  witnessed  since  his 
first  arrival  here  have  been  as  remarkable  as  they 
are  pleasing.  The  country  was  wild  and  unsettled 
at  that  time,  and  only  wild  animals  and  Indians 
roamed  over  the  plains  and  through  the  forests. 
Here  and  there,  to  be  sure,  was  the  cabin  of  a  lonely 
but  adventurous  settler,  but  thej-  were  few  and  far 
between,  and  it  required  a  courageous  spirit  to 
decide  upon  making  a  location  in  such  a  wild  region, 
and  wait  for  the  slow  advance  of  civilization.  The 
pioneers  of  the  olden  time,  however,  were  made  of 
stern  stuff,  and  John  G.  Kennedy  was  a  fine  example 
of  the  men  of  that  day.  He  came  here  to  stay,  and 
had  no  thought  of  going  back  after  he  had  once 
put  his  hand  to  the  plow. 

.John  G.  Kennedy-  was  a  native  of  Granville 
County,  N.  C.  and  his  birth  occurred  April  17, 
1812.  His  father,  John  Kennedy,  was  born  in  the 
same  county,  and  his  grandfather,  James  Kennedy, 
was  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  emigrated  with  his 
parents  to  America  when  a  small  child.  They 
made  their  first  location  in  Granville  County,  N. 
C,  being  early  settlers  in  that  locality.  Their  son 
James  grew  to  manhood  there,  was  married  in  that 
county,  and  remained  there  all  his  lifetime.  John 
Kennedy,  the  father  of  our  subject,  became  a  soldier 
iu  the  War  of  1812.  He  was  united  iu  marriage 
with  Miss  Elizabeth  Mangi-um,  a  lady  of  English 
parentage    and    nativity,    who    emigrated    to    this 


m 


mi 


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M    382 


LEE  COUNTY. 


country  with  her  parents,  lived  with  her  husband 
in  Granville  County,  and  died  there  in  about  1816. 
The  parental  family  fonsisted  of  nine  children,  and 
soon  after  the  death  of  the  wife  and  mother,  John 
Kennedy- sold  liis  farm  and  started  with  four  horses 

^  "°     and    a    wagon,  accompanied   by  his  children,   for 
Tennessee.     lie    purchased    a  farm    in   Henderson 

JHiH  County,  and  engaged  in  the  culture  of  cotton, 
tobacco,  grain  and  potatoes,  and  was  thus  engaged 
for  the  remainder  of  his  life.  His  decease  occured 
in  about  the  year   1 84(i. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  j'oungest  child 
of  his  father's  family,  his  brothers  and  sisters  being 
as  follows:  Sylvia,  Jemima,  William,  James,  Mary. 
Elizabeth,  Lucy,  Alfred  F.  John  G.  was  but  four 
years  old  when  he  was  deprived  of  the  affectionate 
care  of  his  mother,  and  seven  years  old  when  his 
father  removed  to  Tennessee.  He  remained  with 
his  father  until  the  age  of  seventeen,  when  he 
engaged  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade  at  Lexington, 
where  he  served  for  three  years.  In  1 833  he  set 
his  face  westward,  going  into  Illinois,  and  making 
his  first  location  at  Rushville,  Schuyler  County, 
where  he  commenced  to  work  at  his  trade.     In  the 


Pj  C     spring  of  ISSr)  he  went  tci  Galena,  making  the  trip 
ri^=T  via   the   Mississippi  River.     The  boat  touched  at 
Burlington,  and  during  the    few    moments  of    its 
delay  there  he,  with  others,  went  ashore  and  assisted 
in  raising  the  first  frame  house  erected  in  that  now 
thriving  and    ])rosperous    city.     He    remained    at 
Galena  two  months,  then  returned  to  Rushville,  and 
lived  there  until  the  following  ^ear,  when  he  set  out 
to  cross    the  Mississiijpi,  and  on    the    12th    day  of 
April  found  himself  at  Ft.  Madison,  where  he  soon 
found  employment   at  liis  trade.     He  pursued  this 
for  some  years,  and  in  1852   started  for  California, 
via  the  Mississippi  River  and   Isthmus  of  Panama. 
He    entered    the    mining    regions  there    and     was 
'noccnpied    for   a   time,    thence    proceeded    to    San 
t  Francisco,  and   was  again  emphjyed    at   his   trade 
[until    18.')4.     Then,  longing   for   the   sight  of    old 
friends    and    old    associations,  he   returned  to  Ft. 
Madison  and  settled   down,  resuming   his  former 
^^^joccupation. 

When  Mr.  Kennedy  first  came  to  Ft.  Madison 
there  were  onl^-  a  few  cabins  in  the  town,  in  fact  it 
Tiad  hardly  assumed   the  dignity  of   a  village.     It 


must  seem  to  him  like  the  dream  of  a  night  when 
he  compares  the  scenes  of  that  time  with  those  of 
the  present.  He  has  been  a  useful  man  in  his  com- 
munity and  has  assisted  b3'  every  means  in  his 
power  toward  advancing  its  interests,  concluding 
rightlj'  that  the  interests  of  the  community  were 
also  identified  with  those  f,f  each  iiKli\idual  mem- 
ber. He  enjoys  the  highest  respect  and  esteem  of 
his  fellow-citizens. 

Mr.  Kennedy  was  married,  Jan.  10,  1837,  to  Miss 
May  C.  Vance.  ]Mrs.  Keiniedy  is  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  was  horn  July  20,  1817.  Her  father 
was  Andrew  Vance,  a  well-known  pioneer  of  Han- 
cock County,  111.  Of  this  union  have  been  born 
seven  children.  The  record  is  as  follows :  Lucretia. 
now  deceased,  w.as  born  Sept.  16,  1838;  Eliza  J., 
born  Aug.  27,  1841,  is  the  wife  of  A.  Johnson,  and 
lives  in  Sacrnmento;  George  J.,  born  Sept.  12, 
1844,  is  a  resident  of  Ft.  Madison:  Emma  A.,  born 
Nov.  12,  1847,  is  the  wife  of  Dennis  Morrison,  of 
Ft.  Madison  ;  Katie  E.  is  deceased ;  Mary  E.  became 
the  wife  of  F.  Morse  and  lives  in  Nebraska  City; 
Thomas  B.  was  born  July  29,  18.59,  and  lives  in 
Ft:  JIadison.  The  faithful  wife  and  mother  de- 
parted this  life  June  18,   1880. 

In  politics  Mr.  Kennedj'  always  votes  with  the 
Democratic  party.  He  has  been  a  man  of  prom- 
inence in  his  communitj-,  and  has  held  the  various 
offices  of  trust  within  the  gift  of  his  fellow  towns- 
men, among  others  holding  the  position  of  Deputy 
Sheriff.  Constable  and  City  Marshal.  In  present- 
ing the  )3ortrait  of  this  veteran  pioneer,  which  we 
do  in  this  connection,  we  know  it  will  be  ai^preciated 
as  that  of  the  features  of  one  uf  the  grand  old  men 
who  did  S(i  much  in  the  early  history  of  this  section 
toward  its  development. 


-^<><-^ 


— ;js~^ 


C.  DAVIS,  one  of  the  earlier  residents  of 
f<  Ft.  Madison,  is  a  native  of  Frankfort,  Ky., 
and  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  July 
30.  1846.  Mis  fatiier,  William  H.  Davis, 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  his  grandfather,  William 
Davis,  was  also  for  many  years  a  resident  of  the 
latter  State,  spending  bis  last  d.ays  at  Fostoria, 
where  his  remains  were  finally  laid  to  rest.  Will- 
iam H.  Davis  grew  to   manhood   in  Ohio,  and  was 


Ji^^: 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


383  _Bi 


thei'e  iiiairied  to  Mis'-  Margaret  Davis.  He  re- 
ceived a  good  education  in  the  public  schools,  and 
entered  upon  the  studj'  of  medicine,  graduating  at 
the  Cincinnati  Medical  College,  and  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Dublin  and  Bell 
Point,  in  Franklin  County.  Ohio.  From  there  he 
took  a  trip  .South  and  bejond  the  Gulf  into  Cen- 
tral America,  returning  to  the  United  .States  in 
about  two  3ears,  and  to  his  old  home  in  Ohio. 
Thence  he  removed  to  Kentucky  in  1K44,  remained 
there  three  years,  returned  once  more  to  Ohio,  and 
in  18.55  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came  into  the 
Hawkej'c  State.  He  made  his  first  location  at  Ft. 
Madison,  where  he  practiced  for  one  j'ear,  and  then 
became  interested  in  railroad  matters.  Thereafter 
he  assumed  the  management  of  a  hotel,  and  was 
thus  occupied  until  1861.  At  the  breaking  out  of 
the  late  Civil  War  he  resolved  to  lay  aside  his  per- 
sonal interests  and  business  matters  and  become  a 
soldier  of  the  Union.  He  accordingly  enlisted  in 
the  21st  Missouri  Regiment  as  Assistant  Surgeon, 
and  was  engaged  with  his  regiment  at  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  after  which  he  was  transferred  to  the  18th 
Missouri,  and  remained  as  Acting  Surgeon  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  July '27, 1862.  His  remains 
are  buried  at  Corinth,  Miss. 

The  p.irental  household  included  six  children, 
five  of  whom  grew  to  maturit3^  The  subject  of 
our  sketch  was  the  eldest  child,  and  was  nine  years 
old  when  his  parents  removed  to  Iowa.  At  the  age 
uf  fourteen  years  he  started  out  for  himself,  and 
engaged  as  a  second  clerk  on  the  steamer  Pomroy. 
He  was  thus  occupied  for  four  seasons,  and  in  De- 
cember, 1864,  while  the  Civil  War  was  in  progress, 
he  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  147th  111.  Vol.  Inf.  The  regi- 
ment first  proceeded  to  Nashville,  thence  to  Ameri- 
cus,  Ga.,  and  from  there  to  Savannah,  where  they 
remained  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  Mr. 
Davis  received  an  honorable  discharge. 

Upon  his  return  home  from  the  armj'  Mr.  Davis 
engaged  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  a  Chicago  no- 
tion house,  and  was  thus  occupied  for  a  space  of 
four  years.  He  then  engaged  as  clerk  on  a  river 
steamer,  the  Little  Eagle,  which  plied  between 
Stillwater,  Minn.,  and  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  followed 
the  river  each  season  until  the  fall  of  1 884,  when  he 
decided  to  make  a  permanent  location  upon    terra 


firma,  and  in  January-,  IHHo,  established  a  boot  and 
shoe  store,  in  which  business  he  has  since  been  en- 
gaged. 

The  marriage  of  B.  C.  Davis  and  Miss  Lizzie 
Brown  took  place  Jan.  30,  1879.  Mrs.  Davis  is 
the  daughter  of  Daniel  T.  and  Maria  (Foster) 
Brown,  and  of  her  union  with  our  subject  three 
children  have  been  born — Daniel  C,  Bessie  Lee 
and  Frank.  Mr.  Davis  is  a  prominent  member  of 
Ft.  Madison  Lodge  No.  157,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  of  the 
A.  O.  H.  No.  162;  Star  Lodge  No.  154,  A.  O.  U. 
W.,  and  James  B.  Sample  Post,  G.  A.  R.  He  is 
popular  among  his  comrades  and  a  man  generally 
respected  in  the  community.  He  is  building  up  a 
good  business,  and  by  his  genial  and  obliging  man- 
ners securing  first-class  patronage. 

Mr.  Davis  has  two  brothers  living — Charles  J.,  a 
resident  of  Beloit,  Kan.,  and  engaged  as  a  telegraph 
operator;  and  H.  Lee,  a  dentist,  who  is  a  resident 
of  Pemberville,  Ohio.  William  H.,  a  younger 
brother,  was  brutally  murdered  at  Pine  Bluff,  Ark., 
Feb.  21,  1879. 


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ENJAMIN  MILES,  of  Cedar  Township,  is 
Superintendent  of   White's  Manual    Labor 


Institute,  and  is  fulfilling  the  duties  of  this 
important  position  with  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  This  institution 
is  one  of  the  most  important  in  the  Hawkeye  State, 
and  destined  to  accomplish  a  vast  amount  of  good. 
An  interesting  history  of  it  will  be  found  on  an- 
other page  of  this  work. 

Superintendent  Miles  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
was  born  in  Newton  Township,  Miami  County, 
Nov.  3,  1819.  His  father,  William  Miles,  was  a  na- 
tive of  South  Carolina,  born  in  the  Newberry  Dis- 
trict, and  his  grandfather,  David  Miles,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania;  his  great-grandfather, 
AVilliam  Miles,  a  native  of  Wiltshire,  England, 
emigrated  to  the  United  States,  accompanied  by 
two  brothers,  and  purchased  a  part  of  the  land  now 
included  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  Jonas  was  a 
merchant,  and  Thomas  a  ship  captain,  who  engaged 
in  merchant  trade  among  a  fleet  of  vessels.     Will- 


384 


LEE  COUNTY. 


iam  Miles  finall}'  settlerl  in  South  Carolina,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  His  son  David, 
the  giandfflther  of  our  siiliject.  removed  from  South 
Carolniii  to  Ohio  in  l«();i,  being  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Miami  Countj'.  He  purchased  a  tract 
of  timber  land,  cleared  a  farm  from  the  wilderness, 
and  established  a  home,  where  he  remained  until 
his  death.  His  son  William,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  nineteen  years  old  when  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Oliio  and  settled  in  Newton  Township. 
He  remained  with  them  until  his  marriage,  and  then 
purchased  a  tract  of  timber  land  adjoining  the  farm 
of  his  father,  which  he  cleared,  cultivated,  built  a 
comfortable  dwelling  and  out-buildings  upon  it, 
and  remained  there  the  l)alance  of  his  lifetime, 
with  the  exception  t)f  the  last  two  3'ears,  which  were 
spent  about  a  mile  distant.  His  wife,  before  her 
marriage,  was  Miss  Mary  I'earson  of  South  Caro- 
lina, and  of  English  descent.  Her  grandfatiier  was 
Ma  native  of  Standing  Stone,  England,  whence  he 
emigi-ated  to  America  and  settled  in  South  Caro- 
liua.  The  mother  of  our  subject  died  at  the  home 
of  her  daughter  in  Cedar  County,  Iowa,  in  about 
1877.  The  |)areutal  household  included  eleven 
children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  mature  j'ears.  The 
parents  weie  leared  iu  the  Friends'  Church,  and 
during  their  entire  lives  remained  loyal  to  the  re- 
ligion of  their  forefiithers. 

Benjamin  Miles  of  this  sketch  was  the  fifth  child 
of  his  parents'  family,  and  was  reared  on  the  farm, 
being  educated  in  the  Society  schools.  He  made 
his  home  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-two 
years  of  age,  and  then  rented  a  farm  near  the  par- 
entiil  homestead,  which  he  cultivated  for  six  j'ears. 
His  father  then  gave  him  forty  acres  of  heavy  tim- 
ber land,  and  he  purchased  fortj-  more  of  his 
brotiier.  He  t)uilt  a  house,  cleared  sixty  iicres,  and 
remained  ujion  it  until  l.s.tG.  In  the  meantime  he 
had  added  to  iiis  landed  possessions,  until  at  this 
date  he  was  the  owner  of  200  acres.  He  now  sold 
out,  and  determined  to  seek  the  countrj'  beyond 
the  Mississippi.  He  accordingly  crossed  the  P'ather 
of  Waters  and  located  in  Springdale  Township, 
Cedar  County,  purchasing  a  farm  there,  which  he 
occupied  until  1  son.  From  there  he  went  to  the 
town  of  West  Branch,  in  the  same  county,  and  in 
January,  1873,  he  and  his  wife  decided  to  abandon 


the  business  and  pursuits  of  farm  life  in  order  to 
become  connected  with  the  Government  school  at 
the  Osage  Reservation,  in  the  Indian  Territory. 
.Mr.  Miles  was  proffered  the  position  of  Superin- 
tendent, and  Mrs.  M.,  of  Matron,  which  positions 
they  held  in  this  institution  for  three  years.  They 
then  returned  home  for  a  brief  rest,  and  in  1S78  re- 
turneil  to  tiie  Reservation,  and  were  employed 
there  foi'  another  three  years.  Mr.  Miles  as  .Supei'- 
intendent,  and  Mrs.  M.  occupying  her  former  po- 
sition as  Matron.  At  the  expiration  of  tiiis  time 
they  returned  to  Cedar  County,  and  in  lanuary, 
1H8;3,  Mr.  Miles  established  an  Indian  School  at 
West  Branch,  Cedar  County,  anil  after  getting  this 
fairly  up(ni  its  feet,  moved  the  institution  tn  thi^ 
pl.ace  the  following  year.  Mr.  Miles  establisiieil 
the  Indian  School  at  "West  Branch  as  a  Government 
institution,  but  in  l!-i8;3  he  deemed  it.advisable  to 
make  a  change,  and  accordingly  arranged  with  the 
Trustees  of  White's  Manual  Labor  Institute  t.. 
transfer  the  school  there,  and  it  was  done,  with  ex- 
cellent results. 

Mr.  Miles  has  been  twice  married,  the  first  time 
on  the  21st  of  September,  1841,  to  !Miss  Prudenc. 
J<mcs,  a  imtive  of  Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  ami 
daughter  of  .lohn  .lones,  of  Georgia,  and  of  En- 
glish descent  and  parentage,  liut  living  in  Ohio  :ii 
the  time  of  Mr.  M.'s  marri.age.  .Mrs.  Prudence 
Miles,  after  remaining  the  companion  of  her  hus- 
band for  fifteen  years,  departed  this  life  on  tbr 
2.')th  of  .lanuary,  18.t(;.  Of  this  marriage  there  wen 
born  three  children:  Is.aiic  N.,  who  is  associated 
with  his  father  in  the  school;  Laban  .1.,  an  Indian 
Agent  of  Ai'kansas  City,  Kan.,  and  Laura  E.,  wiio 
became  the  wife  of  H.  J.  Minthorn,  of  Newberg, 
Ore.;  they  are  connected  with  the  Pacific  .\cademy 
as  Superintendent  .and  Matron,  resi)ectively. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Miles  was  witli  Mis- 
Eli/.nlieth  R.  Bean,  and  took  place  Jan.  14,  18.'i.s 
Mrs.  Miles  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  born  in 
Str.«ifford  County,  Dec.  6,  1827.  Her  father.  .Tolm 
Bean,  was  a  native  of  the  same  county,  .as  also  wn- 
hei-  grandfather,  Joel  Bean.  The  latter  was  m 
farmer  of  Strafford  Count}',  where  he  spent  tin' 
last  years  of  his  life.  His  son  John,  the  father  ot 
Mrs.  Miles,  remained  there  until  1854.  ami  then 
made  bis  home  with  his  son  until   his  deatli.     John 


T^'rJ,^  rJ^(^ 


F??Wi|- 


|P£SE£f 


LEE  COUNTY. 


Bean,  in  earl}'  inanhoufl.  was  united  in  marriajie 
with  Miss  K;iizabeth  Hill,  a  native  of  Alton.  .She 
now  lives  with  her  son  in  San  Jose,  Cal. 

Benjamin  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Miles  have  beeonie 
the  |)arfnts  of  two  children — Mar}'  K.,  n  Principal 
of  the  Alanual  Labor  Listitute,  and  Benjamin  C, 
who  is  now  teacher  in  the  Pacific  Academy  at  New- 
lierg,  Ore.  The  family  are  all  connected  with  the 
Society  of  Friends.  Mrs.  Miles  is  a  highly  educa- 
ted and  acct)niplished  lady,  with  fine  literary  tastes, 
and  a  great  favoi-ite  among  the  cultured  people  of 
Cedar  Townshii).  She  is  peculiarly  fitted  for  the 
difiicult  and  responsible  position,  and  fully  adapted 
to  be  the  coinpaiuon  of  her  husband  in  his  labors 
.as  a  tutor,  educator  and  superintendent.  Their 
children  have  been  carefully  trained  and  finel}'  ed- 
ucated, and  bid  f;iir  to  do  honor  to  their  gifted 
parents.  Mr.  Miles  is  singularly  unassuming  in  his 
manner,  a  genial  c<inipainou  and  fine  conversation- 
alist. Both  ih'.  and  Jlrs.  M.  have  great  responsi- 
bilities, and  it  would  l)e  dilHcult  to  find  a  lady  and 
gentleman  l)etter  fitted  for  their  self-imposed  tasks. 

JOIIN  A.  HENZEL,  editor  and  publisher  of  the 
Keokuk  Post,  is  conducting  his  paper  with 
abilitj'  and  success.  The  Post  occupies  a 
prominent  place  among  the  German  news- 
papers of  this  section,  and  is  highlj'  valued  among 
the  class  of  population  for  which  it  is  especially  in- 
tended. Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Darmstadt, 
capital  of  the  Grand  Duch}'  of  Hesse,  and  was  born 
July  i,  1 840,  his  parents  being  John  A.  and  Catha- 
rine (Gassenberger)  Henzel,  of  German  ancestrj- 
and  nativit}'.  John  Henzel,  Sr.,  was  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits  during  his  entire  life  and  died 
in  1852.  The  wife  survived  her  husband  two  3'ears. 
They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and 
John  Ik'uzel  took  a  deep  interest  in  both  the  re- 
ligions and  political  affairs  of  his  native  country. 
The\'  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  five 
now  living  and  in  the  United  States.  They  are 
Fred,  Wilhelniina,  Caroline,  John  A.  and  George. 

The  subject  of  this  biograph}'  was  placed  in 
school  at  the  earl}'  age  of  six  years,  and  pursued 
his  studies  uninterruptedly  until   he    was    fourteen. 


zfxnromnxxi 


He  was  an  ambitious  boy,  with  an  eye  to  the  future, 
and  soon  after  leaving  school  set  sail  for  the  United 
States.  After  reaching  Americau  shores  he  pro- 
ceeded to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  remained  one 
year,  and  then  going  to  St.  Charles,  engaged  to 
serve  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  at  the  print- 
er's trade.  After  becoming  a  journeyman  he  re- 
turned to  St.  Louis  and  worked  two  years,  and 
then  songlit  rest  and  recreation  in  a  pleasure  tour 
throughout  the  States  of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Missouri, 
Kaiisas,  Nebraska  and  Colorado,  finally  locating  in 
Nebraska  City,  where  he  purchased  and  published 
the  Xe/jraska  Staats  ZeituiKj  for  five  years.  He 
then  sold  out,  and  returned  to  St.  Louis  and  en- 
gaged in  the  newspaper  business  for  the  ten  years 
following,  when  he  purchased  the  Alton  BantiPr  at 
Alton,  Madison  Co.,  111.,  and  removing  there  con- 
ducted his  paper  for  three  years.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  this  time  he  .sold  out,  and  in  1866  came  to 
Keokidc,  purchasing  the  Post,  the  only  German  pa- 
per in  the  county. 

Mr.  Henzel  was  married  in  Alton,  111.,  in  18,H4, 
to  Miss  Anna,  daughter  of  August  Luetke,  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  and  of  their  union  has  been  born 
one  child,  a  son,  Eugene  T.  Socially  Mr.  H.  is  a 
member  of  Germania  Lodge  No.  299,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
at  Alton,  111. 


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7^ RANK  HA(iERMAN,  of  the  law  firm  of 
Anderson,  Davis  &  Hagermau,  Keokuk, 
/1|,  ^^  Iowa,  is  considered  one  of  the  brightest  at- 
torneys among  the  younger  members  of  the  bar  in 
this  city.  He  is  the  sou  of  B.  F.  and  AnnS.  Hager- 
mau, and  was  born  in  Clark  County,  Mo.,  April 
27,  18.')7.  His  family  removed  to  Keokuk  when 
he  was  a  child  of  seven  years,  and  he  was  educated 
in  tiie  public  schools  of  the  city,  graduating  from 
the  High  School  department  in  1874.  He  then 
con)menced  the  study  of  law  under  the  instruction 
of  P.  P.  Lomax,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  two 
years  later,  in  August,  1876,  before  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  old.  He  immediately  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  doing  business  alone  for 
the  following  three  years.  He  was  then  admitted 
to  partnership  in  the  firm   of    llagernian,    JlcCrary 


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&  Hageruian.  and  continued  with  them  until  Feb- 
ruary, 1886,  when  he  became  a  member  of  the  firni^ 
the  name  of  which    is  given   above. 

Mr.  Hagerman  has  served  as  City  Attorney  for 
two  years,  and  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  Although 
having  been  in  practice  for  some  years  he  does  not 
relax  in  his  study  of  his  profession,  and  takes  pride 
in  striving  to  excel.  There  is  apparently  an  ex- 
ceptionall}"  bright  career  before  him.  His  studious 
habits  and  close  application  liave  won  for  him  the 
respect  and  admiration  of  the  profession  in  this 
county,  and  he  ma}'  with  reason  aspire  to  almost 
anj'  position  within  the  gift  of  the  people  of  this 
section. 

Feb.  22,  1887,  occurred  the  happiest  event  in 
the  life  of  our  subject,  his  marriage.  The  ladj' 
whose  affection  he  gained  and  who  consented  to  ac- 
company him  thrtiugh  life  was  Miss  Ella  C'omstock, 
the  highly  accomplished  and  intelligent  daughter  of 
F.  J.  Comstoek,  of  the  extensive  furniture  firm  of 
Burrell,  C'omstock  ifc  Co.,  of  St.  Louis.  The  cere- 
mony was  performed  at  the  residence  of  the  bride's 
parents,  3447  Lafayette  avenue.  Rev.  Dr.  Boyd  of 
the  Second  Baptist  Church  officiating. 

-^ #>#. ^ 


RS.  LOTTIE  W.  REED,  widow  of  .lames  K. 
Reed,  owns  and  occupies  a  pleasant  home- 
stead on  section  25,  in  Montrose  Township, 
and  since  the  decease  of  her  husband  has 
conducted  her  landed  interests  in  a  judicious  and 
praiseworthy  manner.  She  is  the  possessor  of  eighty 
acres  of  finely  cultivated  laud,  which  she  leases,  and 
has  a  handsome  farm  dwelling,  good  barns  and  out- 
houses, and  a  tine  selection  of  stock. 

Mrs.  Reed  is  a  native  of  Michigan,  and  was  born 
in  Flint,  Genesee  County,  April  18,  183C.  Her 
parents  were  Daniel  and  Emily  (Woodford)  Curtis, 
natives  of  New  York.  The  former  was  born  in 
1802,  passed  his  childhood  and  youth  in  his  native 
State,  and  after  his  marriage  emigrated  to  the  State 
of  Michigan,  living  there  until  18o0,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Iowa,  where  he  resided  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  at  the  age  of  flfty-six  years.  Tlie 
mother,  born  in  1801,  departed  this  life  four  days 
before  the  death  of  her  husband.      Of    Iheir   union 


there  were  born  six  children — George  D.,  Charles  . 
II.,  Lottie  W.,  Lucretia,  Edward  R.  and  RubertM.  E 
The  youngest  died  some  years  ago.  : 

Mrs.    Reed    has   been    twice    married;     first    to  : 
Lewis   Adams,   Dec.   12,   1861.      .Mr.  Adams  was  a   : 
native  of  \'irginia,  and  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  Co.  E 
A,  30th  Iowa  \"ol.  Inf.,  in  August,  1862,  for  three  : 
years,  or  during  the  war.     He   participated   in    all  : 
the  engagements  of  his  regiment,  and  at  Oquawka 
Junction  received  wounds  which  proved  fatal,  and 
he  died  in  the  arm}'  in  November,  1863.     Previon- 
to  this   he   was  at  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  had   j 
been  promoted  Orderly  Sergeant.     He  was  a  brave  j 
and  courageous  soldier,  and  endured  the  hardships 
of  war  without  murmuring  or  complaint.   He  never  ' 
saw  his  wife  after  the   day   of  his   enlistment,   and 
after  his  departure  for  the  field  a  son   was  born. 
Clarence  H.,  who  never  saw  his  father,  the  date  "( 
his  birth  being  Dec.  20,  1862.     He  is  still  living. 

Mrs.  Lottie  W.  Adams'  second  marriage  w.i- 
with  James  K.  Reed,  and  was  solemnized  April  10, 
1871.  Mr.  Reed  was  a  native  of  Preble  Count}',  Ohio, 
born  Oct.  22,  1836,  and  was  a  son  of  Robert  and 
Sarah  (Kennedy)  Reed.  He  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation, and  in  1852  left  his  native  State  for  the 
farther  West.  He  came  into  Iowa,  purchased  land 
and  established  a  homestead,  and  departed  this  life 
Jan.  15,  1876,  after  having  been  married  to  the 
subject  of  our  sketch  only  five  years.  Of  their  un- 
ion was  born  one  child,  Robert,  the  date  of  whose 
birth  was  Feb.  16,  1875. 

Mrs.  Reed  is  a  well  educated  and  highly  re- 
spected lady  ;  she  enjoys  the  esteem  of  a  large  circle 
of  friends  and  acquaintances,  and  is  a  member  in 
good  standing  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr. 
Reed  was  a  Republican  in  politics. 

^OHN  W.  BEN  BOW,  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  suc- 
cessfully engaged  as  a  grain   dealer  at  this 
point,  and  comprises  one   of   tlie   im|)ortant 
factors  of  the  business   community.     He   is 
of  English  descent  and  parentage,  and  was  born   in 
Staffordshire,  near  Dudley.  July  16.  1S31.     His  fa- 
ther, William  Benbow,  was  ;i   native   of  Hereford- 
shire in  the  ?auie  country,  and  was  reared  to  farm- 


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ing  pursuits.  He  remained  in  his  native  shire  one 
year  after  marriage,  then  removed  to  Staffordshire, 
and  engaged  as  a  dealer  in  malt  liquors,  eider  and 
porter  for  the  following  six  years.  He  then  pur- 
chased a  stock  of  groceries  and  carried  on  this 
branch  of  the  business  until  1840,  but  not  being 
satisfied  with  his  condition  or  his  prospects  in  his 
native  country',  resolved  to  emigrate  to  the  New 
World.  Accordingly,  with  his  wife  and  four  chil- 
dren, he  set  sail  from  Liverpool  in  April,  and  after 
a  voyage  of  five  weeks  landed  at  New  York  City 
in  June.  After  a  few  da3^s  spent  in  the  latter  city 
they  started  via  the  Hudson  River,  Erie  Canal  and 
Lake,  to  Cleveland,  thence  \)y  the  Ohio  Canal  to 
Pcn-tsmouth,  and  from  there  by  the  Ohio  and  Mis- 
sissippi Rivers  to  Nauvoo,  III.,  where  they  decided 
to  locate.  Mr.  Benbow  purchased  a  tract  of  wild 
land  and  engaged  in  farming  until  1843.  He  then 
disposed  of  his  proi)erty,  proceeded  north  to  Ra- 
cine, Wis.,  and  purchased  240  acres  of  wild  land  at 
Yorkville,  and  set  about  its  improvement  and  cul- 
tivation. 

Mr.  Benbow  remained  at  the  latter-named  place 
for  about  eleven  years,  then  sold  out  and  started 
on  the  lake  for  Chicago,  going  thence  by  rail  to 
La  Salle,  111.,  from  there  by  the  river  to  St.  Louis, 
and  at  that  point  purchased  a  wagon,  vvhich  he 
loaded  with  groceries  and  a  quantit}"  of  furnishing 
goods,  and  started  up  along  the  Missouri  River  to 
St.  Joseph.  There,  he  purchased  twenty  yoke  of 
o.xen,  and  proceeded  overland  to  Salt  Lake  City, 
where  he  purchased  320  acres  of  land,  upon  which 
he  farmed  for  two  years  and  then,  in  185(j,  re- 
turned East,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  one  son  and 
Judge  Kinne.  They  came  into  Iowa,  purchasing  a 
farm  near  Denmark,  upon  which  Mr.  Benbow  set- 
tled with  his  family  and  which  they  occupied  until 
1873.  He  then  sold  out  and  removed  to  Ft.  Mad- 
ison, where  the3'  remaine<l  for  two  years,  then  went 
to  Clarke  County,  Iowa,  and  remained  there  two 
years  with  a  son,  whence  they  returned  to  Ft.  Mad- 
ison and  spent  a  period  <jf  two  years,  since  which 
time  Mr.  Benbow  made  his  home  with  his  children, 
and  died  at  Mt.  Pleasant  on  the  I'.lth  of  December, 
I8bG,  aged  eightj'-four  years. 

In  early  manhooil  .Mr.  Benliow  was  united  in  nnir- 
riage   with  Miss  Ann  Bagley,  of  .Slatiordshire,  En- 


gland, who  came  with  her  husband  to  this  country, 
accompanied  him  faithfull}'  in  all  his  various  wan- 
derings, and  died  in  Ft.  Madison,  Aug.  26,  1879. 
Their  family-  consisted  of  five  children,  four  born 
in  England  and  one  in  Hancock  Couut3',  111.  The 
subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  eldest;  Louisa,  the 
wife  of  Cornelius  Scott,  lives  three  miles  from 
Salem,  Henry  Co..  Iowa;  Ann,  a  daughter,  died 
near  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah ;  Marian  H.  is  the  wife 
of  William  H.  Bell,  and  lives  in  Burlington,  Iowa; 
Edmund  B.  lives  near  Osceola,  Clarke  Co.,  Iowa. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  a  child  of  nine 
years  old  when  his  parents  emigrated  to  America. 
He  accompanied  them  to  Hancock  County,  111., 
and  assisted  in  the  improvement  of  the  farm  there, 
and  when  they  removed  to  Racine  Countj%  Wis., 
he  drove  the  stock  across  the  prairies  of  Illinois, 
which  at  that  time  were  inhabited  principally  bj- 
wild  animals,  and  occasionally  upon  the  lonely 
scene  would  appear  the  forms  of  a  scattering  troop 
of  wild  Indians.  He  made  the  overland  journej' 
to  Salt  Lake,  driving  six  yoke  of  oxen,  and  when 
his  father  returned  eastward,  in  18.56,  our  subject 
remained  behind  to  dispose  of  his  stock,  lauds  and 
farm  machinery,  which  he  did  to  good  advantage, 
and  the  following  year  returned  to  his  father,  and 
assisted  him  during  the  harvest  season.  He  then 
purchased  a  farm  five  miles  south  of  New  London, 
Henr^'  Co.,  Iowa,  and  engaged  in  its  improvement 
and  cultivation  until  the  spring  of  18.59,  when  he 
removed  to  Des  Moines  Count}-,  and  settling  five 
miles  north  of  Burlington,  took  charge  of  the  farm 
of  his  brother-in-law  and  superintended  the  ini- 
IM'ovements  going  on.  Here  he  remained  for  about 
foui-  years,  and  in  1863  returned  to  Lee  County 
and  rented  a  farm  in  Pleasant  Ridge  Township. 
He  operated  this  the  following  three  3^ears,  and  in 
l.sOU  purchased  a  farm  in  Washington  Township, 
where  he  lived  until  1872.  He  then  concluded  to 
change  his  occupation,  and  coming  to  Ft.  Madison. 
jKirchased  the  Union  Warehouse,  and  has  beensuc- 
cessfuUj-  engaged  in  the  buying  and  shipping  of 
grain  since  that  time.  He  is  still  in  possession  of 
his  last  purchase  of  land,  upon  which  his  son  is 
carrying  on  farming. 

Mr.  Benbow  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  M.  Cole, 
April   28,  1854,      Mrs.  Benbow  is  a  native  of  Lon- 


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ii 


don,  England,  bom  in  August,  1836,  and  the  daugh- 
ter of  William  ;iiul  Sarah  ((;<«lin)  Cole,  also  of 
Knglish  ancestry  and  parentage.  Of  this  union 
there  have  been  born  seven  cliildreii — Williaui  II.. 
Ray  F.,  Henrietta  M.  (the  wife  of  J.  B.  Williams, 
Jr.),  Edmund  C.  Alfred  .].,  John  L.  and  All)ert  U. 
The3'  occupy  a  comfortable  home,  and  enjoy  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  a  large  number  of  friends 
and  acquaintances.  Mr.  Henbow  is  a  straightfor- 
ward business  man,  Republican  in  politics,  and  re- 
ligiousl}'  he  and  his  wife  are  connected  with  the 
Episcopal  Church. 

Vf?  AMES  E.  BRICKER,  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  one 

of  the  oldest  settlers  of  Lee  County,  and  is 

regarded  with  that  i)eculiar  veneration  and 

respect  which  is  tacitly  accorded  the  honored 

pioneers  of  the  liawkeye  State.     Mr.   Bricker  is  a 

native  of  Johnson  County,  Tenn.,  and   the  date  of 

his  birth  was  July  25,  1 832.  His  father,  Ira  Bricker, 

was  a  native  of  the  same  State,  and  his  grandfather, 

David  Bricker,  of  Virginia,  was  an  early  pioneer  of 

East  Tennessee,  where  he  spent  the  last  years  of 

his  life. 

Ira  Bricker,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  reared 
to  manhood  in  his  native  State  and  learned  the 
trade  of  cabinet-maker.  He  lived  in  Tennessee  until 
1837,  in  the  meantime  iiaving  married  and  become 
the  father  of  three  chihhcn.  Then,  not  being  quite 
satisfied  with  his  condition  and  prospects  in  Tennes- 
see, he  set  out  for  Indiana,  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  children,  making  tlie  journey  with  horses 
and  wagon.  T1k'3-  were  equipped  with  their  house- 
hold goods  and  kitchen  utensils,  and  camped  and 
cooked  by  the  wayside.  They  spent  that  winter  in 
Indiana,  and  in  the  spring  determined  to  move  into 
the  liawkeye  State.  Tliey  accoi-dingly  started  on 
I  a  boat,  via  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  and 
I  landed  at  Ft.  Madison  on  the  7th  of  April.  Here, 
after  having  established  his  family-  comfortably, 
he  worked  at  liis  trade,  and  two  jears  later  was  su 
k|  well  prospered  that  he  purciiased  a  town  lot,  upon 
whicli  he  built  a  liouse  and  removed  into  it  with 
his  family.  Here  lie  passed  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  his  decease    occurring    In    1872.       The    niaiileu 


name  of  his  wife,  the  mother  of  oui'  subject,  was 
Sarah  Riddle,  also  a  native  of  Tennessee.  She  pre- 
ceded her  husband  to  the  better  laud  in  1847,  ami 
died  in  Ft.  Madison.  The  parental  family  consisted 
of  seven  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Thomas  L.  is  in  Ilenr}-  County.  Mo.;  John  S.  died 
in  Ft.  Madison  in  l»So8;  Mary  became  the  wife  of 
John  Whitaker,  and  lives  near  Columbus.  Neb.; 
Sophia  married  William  Stillwttll,  and  died  in  Ft. 
Madison;  Louisa  is  the  wife  of  Uavid  Scott,  and 
lives  in  Green  Bay  Township,  this  county.  The 
other  children  of  the  family  died  in  childhood. 


E? 


James  E.  Bricker  of  this  sketch  w.as   the  eldest  KL 

child  of  his  parents,  and   was   but   four   years   old  C 

when  they  removed   from  Tennessee    to    Indiana.  W; 

Young  as  he  w.as  then,  he  still   remembers  all   the  ! 

incidents  of  the  overland  journej'  and  the  scenes  E'i 

along  the  route,  which  he  viewed  with  childish  in-  ['; 

terest.     Ft.  Madison  was  then  a  small  village  of  log  C; 

and   frauic   houses,  and  Mr.    B.    has  watched   with  p 

interest   the  growth  and  develoi)ment  of  the  city  E 

which  h.as  been  his  home  for  the  greater  part  of  his  E;} 

life.     After  .attaining  a  proper  age  he  learned   the  »|;} 

trade  of  cabinet-maker  under  the  instruction  of  his  " 

father,  but  <  nl}'  pursued  it  a  few  j-ears,  choosing  i 

instead  the  trade  of  a   uulhvright,  which   he  after-  :  'A 
ward  learned  thorougiily.  serving  an  apprenticoslii|i 
of  four  years,  and  whicli  he   has  followed   since   lie 
was  twenty  years  oi  age,  with  the  exception  of  one 
year.     He  attained  great  skill  in  this  department  of  Bf 

business,  and  has  assisted  in  putting  in  the  inachiu-  t'^ 
ery  of  many  importiint  structures  in  Lea  County. 


lames  E.  Bricker  and  Miss  Jane  Foster  were  united  3 


in  marriage  in  Ft.  Madison  in  November,  1857. 
Mrs.  B.  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the  daughter  of 
Abiier  and  Mary  (Wallingsford)  Foster,  natives 
respectively  of  Virginia  and  Maryland.  The  grand- 
father of  Mrs.  B.,  Seth  Foster  by  name,  was  also 
a  native  of  Virginia,  of  excellent  Scottish  ancestiy.  f■^ 
He  removed  from  his  native  Stale  to  Kentucky  " 
after  the  Revolutionary  Wnv.  and  afterward  to 
Oliio,  where  he  s|)ent  a  few  years,  after  whicli  he 
returned  to  Kentucky  and  passed  the  remainder  of 
ills  thu>.  His  son.  Abiier  Foster,  the  father  of  Mrs. 
B.,  was  a  young  man  when  his  parents  removed  to 
Ohio,  and  settled  in  Adani>  County  at  an  earlj' 
[jiiiod    in    tlie   lii.stuiy    i>(   that    section.      He   lived  t' 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


391 


there  until  1 844,  and  then  came  to  the  Territory  of 
Iowa,  via  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  making 
liis  first  location  three  miles  from  Ft.  Madison.  lie 
only  lived  two  years  after  coming  here,  his  death 
occurring  in  1S4G.  The  parental  familj'  consisted 
of  ten  children,  all  of  wlioni  were  living  at  the 
time  of  their  father's  death.  Eight  years  after- 
\vard  Abt<alom  Foster  purchased  a  farm  in  Appa- 
noose County,  and  the  mother  of  Mrs.  B.  spent  the 
last  j-ears  of  her  life  with  this  son. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bricker  tliere  were 
born  five  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancj'; 
Clarence  A.  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years ;  those 
living  are  Viola  S.,  who  married  William  Hayes,  of 
Jefferson  Township,  and  Florence  A.,  who  is  at  home 
with  her  parents.  Mr.  Bricker  has  been  prospered  in 
his  business  as  a  millwright,  and  has  become  one  of 
the  landed  proprietors  of  Lee  County.  Li  1868  he 
purchased  a  farm  of  240  acres  in  Jefferson  Town- 
ship, which  under  his  management,  has  ))ecome 
verj'  valuable;  it  is  occupied  by  tenants,  lie  has 
ijeen  a  straightforward  business  man,  and  from  the 
time  of  coming  here  has  generously  identified  him- 
self witli  the  interests  and  welfare  of  his  adopted 
home.  He  has  contributed  of  his  time  and  means 
to  the  promotion  of  every  worthy  object,  and  is 
held  in  high  esteem  bj'  an  extensive  circle  of 
acquaintances  throughout  this  section  of  the  State. 
He  occupies  a  pleasant  home  in  Ft.  Madison,  and  is 
in  the  enjoyment  of  all  the  comforts  and  many  of 
the  luxuries  of  life. 


%JJ  is  the  St 


^^^  HARLES  HU8SEY,  a  prominent  and  enter- 
j'oung  farmer  of  Marion  Township, 
second  sou  of  Christopher  and  Rachel 
R.  Hussey.  He  was  born  in  Highland  County, 
Ohio,  March  11,  1844,  and  when  al)out  eleven 
years  of  age,  accompanied  his  parents  to  Henry 
Count3',  Iowa,  and  there  lived  until  he  attained  to 
man's  estate,  receiving  a  fair  educaticjii  in  the  com- 
mon schools. 

In  1801,  almost  at  the  beginning  o!  the  late 
Civil  War,  our  subject  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  Otli 
Iowa  \ol.  Inf.,  and  served  his  country  faitiifully 
and  well  for  four  years.     He  particip.ated  in  Lwent}  - 


eight  battles  and  skirmishes,  a  few  of  the  more 
important  ones  being  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Memphis, 
siege  of  Vicksbnrg,  Jackson,  Miss.,  Chattanooga 
and  others,  and  was  with  Sherman  in  his  never-t(.'- 
be-forgotten  march  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea.  He 
was  mustered  out  of  the  service  in  July,  18(lo,  at 
Davenport,  Iowa.  He  had  bek)nged  to  the  2d 
Brigade,  1st  Division,  l.ith  Army  Corps,  and 
participated  in  every  battle  in  which  his  regiment 
was  engaged.  At  the  battle  of  Shiloli  he  was  in 
Gen.  Sherman's  division. 

After  receiving  his  discharge,  our  subject  returned 
to  Henrj'  Count}',  Iowa,  and  lived  there  until  his 
parents"  removal  to  Marion  Township,  tliLs  county, 
when  he  accompanied  them.  He  has  not  as  j'et 
joined  the  army  of  Benedicts,  and  claims  to  have 
j  found  peace,  pleasure  and  happiness  in  single 
blessedness. 


TLLIAM  D.  GRIPTITH,  [deceased,  was 
formerlj'  a  prominent  merchant  of  Vin- 
cennes,  Iowa,  and  also  interested  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  was  a  native  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  born  April  22,  182o.  His  father.  Duty  Grif- 
titli,  was  a  native  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  was 
married  in  his  native  State  to  Miss  Barbara  Over- 
acker.  They  subsequently-  settled  near  Cleveland, 
where  they  became  the  parents  of  twelve  children, 
of  whom  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  young- 
est but  one.  They  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  and 
their  lives  terminated  in  Des  .Moines  Township, 
whither  they  had  removed  a  good  many  years  pre- 
viously. The  mother  died  at  the  age  of  seventy 
3'ears,  in  about  18rj2.  The  father  survived  lier 
twent}'  years,  and  made  his  home  witii  his  son,  the 
subject  of  our  sketch,  finally  passing  away  in  1872, 
at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 

Duty  (irifflth  was  a  native  of  Berksliire,  Mass., 
born  in  1782,  and  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote 
for  Thomas  Jeffeison.  He  heard  Martin  Van 
Buren  deliver  his  maiden  speech  at  the  bar,  and 
lemoved  to  New  York  State  in  tile  early  settlement 
of  that  r,ection  of  tlie  country.  Thence  lie  pioceeded 
lo  Ohio  before  that  Territory  had  become  a  State, 
and  a  few  years  latei'  laboriously  made  his  way  to 
liuliann    with    teams,   tlienee    lo   Illinois,  where   he 


m 


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392 


lp:e  county. 


(CixiETr 


Iti^^lfXitt 


assisted  in  breaking  the  soil  of  that  new  State,  and 
then,  not  yet  satisfied  with  his  experience  as  a 
pioneer,  crossed  the  Father  of  Waters  Miid  landed 
uijon  the  soil  of  Iowa.  He  was  a  niiin  of  great 
force  of  character  and  remarkably  kind  and  aniiahle 
in  his  disposition.  ■•  None  knew  him  luit  to  love 
him.  none  named  him  but  to  praise."  Ili.s  last 
Piesidential  vote  was  cast  for  U.  S.  Grant.  From 
early  manhood  he  had  been  connected  with  the  J^at- 
ter-I)ny  Saints,  and  remained  faithfnl  in  his  adhesion 
to  tiiat  religions  sect  until  his  latest  breath,  lie 
passed  away,  having-  enjoyed  the  respect  of  the 
whole  community  and  having  been  a  good  citizen. 
fninUing  all  the  duties  of  life. 

William  1).  (irifflth,  although  :\  native  of  the 
Buckeye  Stale,  was  educated  principally  in  Illinois, 
to  which  State  he  had  come  with  his  parents  in 
early  youlii.  He  was  ambitious  and  adventuious, 
and  in  llSoO  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  the  plains, 
and  proceeded  to  the  mining  regions  of  California. 
He  subsequently  purchased  a  farm  about  ten  miles 
from  Stockton,  Cal.,  and  was  engaged  in  agiicult- 
nral  pursuits  for  about  ten  years.  He  then 
journeyed  eastward  and  tarried  for  a  time  in  Iowa. 
'Thence  he  proceeded  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  where  lie 
was  married,  June  12,  18U2,  to  Miss  Ellen  Ilolman. 
a  native  of  Keene,  N.  H.,  born  Oct.  27,  1843,  and 
the  daughter  of  Oliver  and  Caroline  (Reddington) 
Ilolman,  natives  of  the  same  State.  Ilei'  parents 
were  born  and  leaicd  near  the  town  of  Keene,  and 
were  there  mairicd.  The  household  circle  included 
the  following  children  :  K.  D.,  wh(j  resides  in  New 
York  City,  and  is  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits; 
Klsie,  who  lives  in  Chicago,  111. ;  Louisa  was  the 
third  child;  Henry  lives  in  M.acon,  Oa. ;  Mrs.  (irif- 
fith  was  the  youngest  child  of  her  parents'  family. 
Her  father  was  a  glass  manufacturer,  and  when  she 
was  tifteen  years  of  age,  lu^r  pai-ents  emigrated  to 
Iowa. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  (iriflith  re- 
mained three  years  on  the  farm  of  his  father.  .Mi'. 
(i.  established  a  storfe  in  V'incennes,  Iowa,  and  Si, 
Francisville,  Mo.,  linally  consolidating  his  business 
br-Hf-g  jit  Vincennes,  where  he  remained  until  his  death, 
engaged  in  general  merchandise.  He  was  strongly 
Itepublican  in  politics,  and  was  the  Postmaster  of 
\  iiiceinies  for  twelve  years.      Ht  became  a  member 


mm 


ii 


of  the  Church  of  the  Latter- Day  .Saints  a  short  time 
before  his  death,  and  Mrs.  (J.  is  a  member  of  the 
.same  organization,  earnestly  and  actively  engaged 
in  its  support  and  success.  Mr.  (iriflith  was  highly 
esteemed  in  his  comnuinity,  and  held  various  otiices 
of  trust  in  his  township,  serving  as  Notary  I'ublic 
f(jr  fifteen  years  with  great  credit  to  himself  and 
satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  He  was  alwaj's 
interested  in  educational  matters  and  everything 
pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  his  cominunity  and 
county. 

Mrs.  (iriftith  was  the  worthy  helpmeet  of  such  a 
man  .as  her  husband,  and  since  his  decease  has 
carried  f)n  the  affairs  'of  the  homestead  with  more 
than  ordinary  ability.  She  has  one  child  living,  a 
son.  Ferdinand  W.,  engaged  in  the  lumber  business 
at  Lincoln,  Neb.,  for  the  Arm  of  Howell  Bros. 
He  is  a  bright  and  promising  young  man,  possessing 
marked  business  ability.  Mrs.  Orifiith  is  the  pro- 
priett)r  of  twenty  acres  of  improved  land,  all  under 
a  good  state  of  cultivation.  She  ciccupies  a  sub- 
stantial farm  dwelling  and  has  good  barns  and  out- 
houses. The  homestead  is  one  c>f  the  finest  in  this 
section  of  the  country,  and  is  replete  with  all  of 
the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

.^ ^^ ^ 


^^       jMLLlAM    W.   ALLEN   is    a    leading  land- 
owner   ;ind    stock-grower    of    l)es  Moines 


r/ 


*4?\^  Township,  owning  and  occupying  a  fine 
estate  of  297  acres  on  section  7.  Mr.  Allen  is  a 
native  of  Mason  County,  Ky.,  born  Feb.  17,  1843. 
His  father,  \V.  S.  Allen,  was  born  in  Mason  Countj-, 
Ivy.  The  maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Elsie 
l!ond;she  was  a  Kentucky  lady,  born  and  reared  in 
the  same  county  as  her  son  and  of  Welsh  descent. 
She  became  the  mother  of  seven  children,  of  whom 
our  subject  was  the  third  in  order  of  liiith.  His 
p:ireiits  set  out  for  the  State  of  Iowa  in  186(1.  and 
made  their  first  location  on  the  tract  of  land  which 
i>  now  occupied  by  tiieii'  son,  the  sidiject  of  our 
sketih.  It  was  only  paitly  improved  when  it  came 
into  their  possession,  but  they  sucitessfuUy  culti- 
vated the  land,  established  a  comfortable  home, 
and  remained  upon  it  the  balance  of  their  lives. 
The  lather  departed  this  life  in  the  fall  of  IbCJ;  the 


'I 
II 

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=  :'il 

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«-iTrifrF^-»-»T-nrT  U  rrri"  rri  i  Vh  uj. 


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11 


LEE  COUNTY. 


393 


mother  survived  him  seven  years,  d^'ing  in  1872. 
She  was  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  her  husband  politically, 
was  a  conscientious  Democrat. 

When  the  parents  of  William  Allen  emigrated 
to  the  Hawkeye  State  he  harl  not  yet  attained  his 
majority.  Me  remained  under  the  parental  roof, 
receiving  careful  training  at  the  hands  of  both 
father  and  mother,  and  a  fair  training  in  the  com- 
mon schools.  He  was  married  in  Clark  County, 
Mo.,  March  29,  1866,  to  Miss  Eliza  Cherry,  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  born  near  Columbus,  and  of  American 
parentage.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  emigrated  to  Missouri  in  the  fall  of  1856.  They 
both  still  reside  in  that  State,  making  their  home 
at  Alexandria,  Clark  County,  and  have  succeeded 
in  their  farming  operations,  and  are  now  living 
in  comparative  ease  and  comfort.  Mrs.  Allen 
remained  at  home  with  her  parents  until  her  mar- 
riage, receiving  her  education  in  the  public  schools. 
Of  her  union  with  Mr.  Allen  five  children  have 
been  born,  namely,  Thomas  C,  at  home;  Alice, 
Ollie,  Anna  (deceased)  and  Bertha. 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  his  father,  William 
Allen  took  charge  of  the  homestead,  and  has  since 
conducted  its  operations  in  a  successful  manner.  He 
has  also  added  118  acres  to  the  original  tract,  and 
it  nov^f  constitutes  one  of  the  finest  bodies  of  land 
in  Lee  County.  As  a  citizen,  Mr.  Allen  enjoys  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  his  townsmen,  and  has 
filled  the  offices  of  Assessor  and  Township  Clerk 
two  terms.  He  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  Mrs. 
Allen  is  a  membei'  in  good  standing  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church. 


4±^B ^^ 

ylLLIAM  DAVIS,  a  pioneer  settler  of  the 
llawkeye  State,  came  to  this  part  of  the 
country  while  Iowa  was  still  a  Territory, 
and  while  watching  the  rapid  and  remarkable  de- 
velopment of  this  section  identified  himself  with  all 
its  interests  and  assisted  his  brother  pioneers  in 
marking  out  a  path  for  the  advance  of  civilization. 
Mr.  Davis  i?  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  was  born  in 
a  log  cabin  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  the  village 
of    Economy    in    Wayne   County,    on    the    ITth    of 


September,  1820.  His  father.  John  Davis,  and  his 
grandfather,  William  Davis,  were  natives  of  North 
Carolina.  .John  Davis  removed  from  his  native 
State  to  Indiana  in  about  1814  or  181.').  William 
Davis,  the  grandfather,  spent  the  last  days  of  hisCtS 
life  with  his  children,  and  died  at  the  home  of  his  }: 
daughter  in  Ohio.  He  was  a  remarkable  man  in 
many  respects,  the  humane  element  in  his  character 
being  largely  developed.  He  was  bitterly  opposed 
to  human  bondage,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  property  in  behalf  of  colored  people  who  were 
illegally  held  in  bondage,  defending  their  rights  in 
the  courts. 

.John  Davis,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  reared 
in  his  native  State,  and  when  a  young  man  came 
north  and  worked  at  the  hatter's  trade  in  Ohio  and 
Indiana.  He  then  returned  to  North  Carolina,  and 
was  married  in  about  1814  or  181.0.  He  returned 
to  Indiana  with  his  bride  while  it  was  yet  a  Terri- 
I  tory,  and  was  among  the  earliest  settlers.  He 
bought  a  tract  of  timber  land,  built  a  log  cabin, 
cleared  a  few  acres,  and  remained  there  until  1833, 
when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Henrj'  County, 
Ind.  He  there  purchased  a  partly  improved  farm, 
and  lived  upon  it  for  several  years,  and  after  he  had 
made  considei'able  improvement  in  its  condition 
sold  this  also,  and  going  into  Wabash  County  pur- 
chased another  tract  of  timber  land,  and  went 
through  the  same  laborious  process  as  he  had  with 
the  other  two.  This  last  constituted  his  home  dur- 
ing the  latter  years  of  his  life,  and  he  died  there  at 
the  advanced  age  of -nearly  ninety-four  years. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Ruth  Hadley,  a  native  of  the  same  State  as  her 
husband.  After  their  m.arriage  she  i-emoved  with 
him  to  Indiana,  where  they  reared  their  family, 
carefully  trained  their  children  at  home,  and  gave 
them  such  advantages  as  the  pioneer  schools  af-  ^| 
forded.  The  faithfid  wife  and  mother  departed 
this  life  about  the  year  1824,  while  ovir  subject  was 
a  child  three  or  four  years  of  age. 

William  Davis  was  the  third  child  and  second 
son  of  his  parents'  family.  He  was  thirteen  years 
old  when  they  removed  to  Henry  County.  Ind., 
and  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty  year.* 
of  age.  He  then  commenced  to  work  at  the  car- 
penter's trade,  was  married,  and   three  years  after 


in 


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I 


rrrT-w-wT-wTT^TTT^r-r^rrrrri 


TTi  n  1  IXTTUXIXI'  1  11  iTixxxix 


3UxmiEtI, 


LEE  COUNTY. 


A 

^ 


if 

1 

mm 


Mdauglite 
.lohii  II 

H 

! 
il 


that  event  started  with  his  wife  to  establish  a  home 
i)e3'ond  the  Mississippi.  They  accimipanied  a 
friend,  .lohii  .Marshall,  and  made  the  trip  overland 
with  a  double  team  of  horsi's,  taking  with  them 
their  hou.sehold  goods  and  eainpingand  cooking  by 
the  wayside.  They  drove  two  cows  and  .Mr.  Davis 
had  ^iW)  in  i^ash.  He  located  upon  rented  land  in 
Henry  County,  where  he  remained  for  two  years, 
in  the  meantime  entering  Hid  acres,  eighty  on  sec- 
tion Vi  of  Cedar  Township,  and  another  eighty  on 
section  11.  In  1H48  he  settled  ni)(iu  the  first  men- 
tioned tr.ut.  l)uilt  a  small  frame  house,  and  lived 
there  until  1H.')2,  al  which  time  he  stild  it  and 
moved  to  the  place  which  he  now  owns  and  occu- 
pies on  section  1 1.  The  present  homestead  is  finely 
improved  ami  cultivated,  witii  a  good  set  of  build- 
ings and  all  the  appliances  for  carrying  on  agricult- 
ure after  the  most  approved  methods. 

Mr.  Davis  was  married  in  I.S42  to  Mis.s  lluldah, 
laughter  of  Ira  Hough,  of  Indiana  (see  sketch  of 
ough).  Mrs.  lluldah  Davis  leniained  the 
faithful  eom[)anion  of  her  husband  for  tlie  space  of 
si.xteen  years,  and  departed  this  life  in  1S;1S.  He 
was  mai'ried  the  second  time  in  lWr>.  to  .Miss  Beu- 
iali  (Jray,  a  native  of  Randoli)h  County,  Jnd.,  who 
was  born  Sept.  (!,  1 840.  Her  father,  Absalom  (iray, 
was  a  native  of  Guilford  County,  N.  C.,  .ind  her 
grandfather,  James  Gray,  of  English  birth  and  par- 
entage, was  a  soldier  in  the  Uevolution.ary  War. 
He  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  Wayne  County. 
[■'  Absalom  Gr.ay  was  a  young  bo3'  when  his  sisters 
removed  from  North  Carolina  tti  Ohio,  and  three 
years  later  to  Indiana.  Me  grew  to  manhood  in 
the  latter  State,  and  after  his  jnarriage  settled  in 
Handoli)h  Count}',  where  he  remained  until  184.3. 
Then,  with  his  wife  and  eight  children,  he  started 
for  the  Territory  of  Iowa.  The^'  located  in  Henry 
County,  established  a  comfortable  home,  and  there 
a  the  fatlier  died  in  187.S.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Da- 
I  vis,  whose  maiden  name  was  .Mary  Pickett,  was  a 
I  native  of  Orange  County,  N.  C,  and  was  born 
Feb.  1.  ISO,").  She  is  still  living,  and  m.-dio  her 
honu-  with  h(-r  daughter,  .Mrs.  Davis. 

Of   the   lir>l marriage   of   .Mr.    Davis   there    were 

seven    children,  three   now   living:   .Melinda,   Mrs. 

Hinshaw.    of    Cedar     Township;     Elizabeth.    .Mrs. 

Clark,   .also    of    Cedar    Tuwnship,  ami    .-iLlfred,   of 

ii     


Marion  Townshij).  By  the  second  marriage  there 
is  one  child,  Macy  S..  whu  lives  on  section  11  of 
Cedar  Towiislu|).  Religiously  .Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Davis 
are  connected  with  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  Mr. 
Davis  is  a  Prohibition  Republican  in  politico,  lie 
is  a  gentleman  of  strictly  temperate  habit>.  never 
having  used  spirituous  liquors  in  any  form,  and 
.abandoned  the  use  of  tobacco  fourteen  years  ago. 
He  is  the  friend  of  morality  and  good  order, 
straightforward  in  his  busines:^  methods,  and  in  all 
respects  is  fulfilling  the  duties  of  a  good  citizen. 


-*- 


.M.  COt)K,  a  gentleman  prominent  among 
the  industrial  enterprises  of  Keokuk,  is  suc- 
cessfully carrying  on  the  manufacture  of 
harness  and  saddlery  goods  and  everything  per- 
taining to  this  department  of  business.  Mr.  C(jok 
is  a  native  of  Knox  County,  Mo.,  and  was  born 
Jan.  11,  1852.  His  parents  were  Richard  V.  and  ;  K 
Margaret  A.  (Waugh)  Cook,  natives  of  Maryland  ;; 
and  Virginia,  respectively.  Richard  \'.  Cook  re-  z-. 
moved  from  his  native  .SUite  to  Missouri  in  1833,  ;; 
being  among  the  early  settlers  of  that  section.  He  5  i 
became  proprietor  of  a  farm  of  320  acres  and  was  ; ! 
the  owner  of  four  slaves.  He  carried  on  agricidt-  ;; 
iiral  pursuits  and  was  also  engaged  in  the  bujing  :; 
and  selling  of  stock,  and  accumulated  a  good  prop- 
erty. He  departed  this  life  in  18S4  at  the  age  of 
seventy  years.  He  was  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic part}',  and  he  and  his  wife  belonged  to  the 
Catholic  Church.  The  mother  passed  away  from 
earth  two  years  prior  to  her  husband,  in  1882. 
After  first  settling  upon  his  purchase  in  Missouri 
Richard  Cook  erected  a  log  house  in  which  the  B|j 
family  lived  for  eighteen  years,  and  then  put  up  a 
line  frame  house.  The  father  was  a  man  highly 
respected  in  his  community,  .'ind  led  a  strictly  hon- 
orable and  upright  life. 

The  parental  household  included  thirteen  ehil-  Sri 
dren,  of  whom  eight  are  still  living.  The  record  is  Bj 
as  follows:  Richard  H,  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Ij 
.Missouri;  Mary  E.,  now  Mrs.  Cody,  married  a  far-  a; 
mcr  of  Adair  County,  Mo.;  William  F.  is  the  m 
County  .ludgeof  Kno.x  County,  .Mo.;  Clement  i^  a  ^ 
farmer  of  thai  .State;   Dennis,  who  was  a  traveling   ; 


salesman  for  the  .St.  Joe  Milling  Company,  departed 
this  life  Oct.  14,  1886;  the  next  son  was  the  sub-' 
ject  of  our  sketch;  Andrew  L.,  of  Keokuk,  is  em- 
ployed as  a  clerk  b}-  W.  G.  Davis;  America  J.  mar- 
ried Mr.  Miller,  a  farmer  of  Missouri;  Thomas  J. 
is  engaged  in  harness-making  at  Canton,  Mo. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  with  his  par- 
ents and  attended  school  until  the  age  of  seventeen 
years.  He  then  commenced  working  on  the  farm, 
and  was  thus  occupied  for  the  following  Ave  years, 
where  he  concluded  to  change  his  pursuits,  and  go- 
ing to  Edina,  Mo.,  served  an  apprenticeship  of  one 
year  at  harness-making,  and  in  1874  came  to  Keo- 
kuk. Here  he  completed  his  apprenticeship,  and 
after  three  years'  service  commenced  to  work  as  a 
journej'man,  and  in  liS77  returned  to  Edina,  spend- 
ing two  years,  whence  he  came  back  to  Keokuk  and 
established  the  business  in  which  he  has  since  been 
occupied.  He  is  conducting  a  thriving  and  pros- 
perous trade,  and  a  large  jmrt  of  the  time  gives 
emploj'ment  to  eight  men.  The  goods  of  Mr. 
Cook's  manufacture  will  bear  comparison  with  any- 
thing of  the  kind  west  of  the  3Iississippi. 

In  1878  C.  M.  Cook  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Helen  B.  Griffey,  of  Keokuk,  and  the 
daughter  of  Jonathan  C.  Griffey.  Of  this  union 
there  have  been  born  four  children — Lawrence  B., 
Charles  C,  Beulah  V.  and  Ethel  L.  They  occupj- 
a  handsome  residence  at  No.  1314  Orleans  street. 
Mr.  Cook  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  is  one  of 
the  representative  men  of  the  Gate  City. 


E 


M.  INGERSOLL,  a  prominent  and  popular 
business  man  of  Keokuk,  is  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising at  No.  1229  Main  street,  and 
deals  in  groceries,  feed  and  wood.  He  is  doing  a 
prosperous  and  increasing  business,  and  both  as  a 
business  man  and  a  citizen  is  a  general  favorite 
among  his  neighbors  and  t(jwnsmeu.  Our  subject 
is  a  native  of  Nauvoo,  111.,  and  was  liorn  March  5, 
1837.  His  parents  were  William  and  Hannah 
(Moore)  Ingersoll,  of  New  Jersey  and  Ohio,  respect- 
ively. They  came  to  Iowa  in  is;3(j,  when  our  sub- 
?  ject  was  an  infant  three  weeks  old,  making  their 
;  first  settlement  in  Des  Moines  County,  abciut  twelve 


miles  from  Burlington.  This  State  was  then  a  Ter- 
ritory and  remained  so  for  ten  years  thereafter,  and 
the  country  was  inhabited  principally  by  wild  ani- 
mals and   Indians. 

^\'illiam  Ingersoll  was  a  courageous  and  enter- 
prising man,  and  after  arriving  here  set  about  pick- 
ing up  a  load  of  furs  and  other  goods  from  the  na- 
tives, and  loading  them  upon  a  wagon,  started  with 
an  ox-team  overland  to  Chicago.  He  was  gone 
nearly  all  winter,  his  family  in  the  meantime  being 
at  Nauvoo.  Upon  his  return  he  went  to  his 
claim  of  IGO  acres  of  Government  lanil,  upon  whicii 
he  erected  a  log  house  and  commenced  the  improve- 
ment of  his  purchase.  He  was  of  a  speculative 
turn  of  mind,  and  began  to  deal  in  land  and  doing 
whatever  else  he  could  to  turn  an  honest  penny. 
He  remained  in  this  locality  for  ten  j'ears,  and  in 
184(j  purchased  a  small  farm  west  of  Keokuk,  to 
which  he  removed  with  his  family',  and  the}'  re- 
sided there  until  18.50.  He  then  started  across  the 
plains  for  California,  and  entered  the  mines  in 
search  of  gold,  where  he  was  accidentally  killed  in 
1S.51. 

William  Ingersoll  had  been  a  prominent  man  in 
liis  community,  and  was  second  in  command  of  the 
train  which  crossed  the  plains,  the  members  of  the 
company  being  made  up  from  residents  of  Jeffei'- 
son  Count}',  Iowa.  During  their  journey,  while 
encamped  ne.ar  Humboldt  River,  a  party  of  Indians 
came  marching  up  with  the  intention  of  stampeding 
the  cattle  and  murdering  the  men.  Capt.  Walker, 
first  in  command,  ordered  his  men  out  to  meet  the 
enemy.  Upon  coming  within  gunsliot  they  fired 
upon  the  Indians  and  uniformly  retreated  in  order 
to  escape  the  arrows  fired  by  their  enemies.  Mr. 
Ingersoll  assured  tlie  Captain  that  this  policy  was 
a  great  mistake  antl  that  the  train  would  fall  into 
the  iiauds  of  the  foe  by  pursuing  this  course.  The 
Captain  replied,  "  Uncle  Billie,  if  you  know  more 
about  the  Indians  than  I  do,  take  charge.  "  "  Un- 
cle Billie  '■  did  as  requested  and  ordered  a  charge 
without  retreat,  which  routed  the  Indians  into  the 
Humboldt  River,  wliere  they  were  nearly  extermin- 
ated. This  journey  across  the  plains  occupied 
about  five  months.  At  his  death  the  family  of 
William  Ingersoll  consisted  of  a  wife  and  eight 
chiklren.     The  mother  still  survives,  and  is  living 


ii 


in 


il 


M 


396 


LEE  COUNTY. 


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ill 


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ii1 


at  Council  Orove,  Kan.  -lane,  tlic  eldest  rtaiighter. 
is  now  Mis.  Stnlts.  of  Keokuk:  the  next  child  was 
William  11.:  Mary  E.  is  now  Mrs.  Reed,  of  Council 
Grove.  Kan.;  K.  M..  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  was 
the  next  in  order  of  birth:  Emmie  A.  is  now  Mrs. 
\&n  Deventer,  of  Kansas:  then  followed  Alain  T.. 
and  Joseph  M.,  who  is  in  Kansas:  Sarah  C,  Mrs. 
Roberts,  lives  in  Nebraska. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  with  his 
widowed  mother  until  he  w.as  twenty-five  j'ears  old, 
in  the  meantime  receiving  a  good  education  and 
assisting  in  the  care  of  the  household.  In  1858  he 
went  to  Kansas,  and  engaged  in  farming  until  the 
fall  of  18();i.  He  then  returned  to  Keokuk  and 
was  employed  as  traveling  salesman  for  about  five 
months.  lie  afterward  traveled  for  the  Gate  City, 
a  Republican  paper,  for  one  season.  He  then  be- 
came employed  in  a  grocery  house  as  clerk,  and  at 
the  commencement  of  the  war  he  was  one  of  an  in- 
dependent organization  wh(j  did  good  service  in 
driving  out  rebels  from  Kansas  and  preventing 
them  from  coming  across  the  Missouri  River.  In 
1864  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  4.Tth  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
was  honorably  discharged  at  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  enlistment.  He  then  returned  to  Keokuk. 
was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  for  a  short 
time,  and  then,  in  1866,  became  interested  indairj'- 
ing  for  thirteen  years,  and  was  very  successful. 
After  aliandoning  this  he  engaged  in  the  real-estate 
business,  which  he  has  continued  to  this  time  in 
connection  with  his  merchandising. 

Mr.  Ingersoll  is  Re[iubliean  in  politics  and  takes 
a  deep  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  State  and  nation. 
He  is  a  prominent  man  in  Ills  party,  and  has  served 
frequently  as  a  delegate  to  the  various  County  Con- 
ventions. He  is  the  supporter  and  encourager  of 
education,  and  has  served  as  School  Director.  So- 
cially he  l)elongs  to  the  Iowa  Legion  of  Honor:  he 
jgis  a  stockholder  in  the  Loan  and  Building  Associa- 
tion. He  is  a  memlier  in  good  standing  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  ftir  two  years  was 
SuperinliMident  of  the  I'nion  Sahbath-school  at 
Pleasant  (irovo,  Des  .Moines Township,  which  under 
^his  management  Ijccame  very  flourishing,  with  a 
membership  of  about  fifty-five  scliolarsand  teachers. 

The  marriage  of  K.  M.  Ingersoll  and  Mrs.  Mary 
A.  Seymour,  of  Keokuk,   was  celebrated    in    1865. 


and  of  this  union  there  have  been  born  four  chil- 
dren— Edgar  L..  who  is  now  a  young  man.  and  as- 
sociated with  his  father  in  the  grocery  business; 
Lucj'  C.  Ida  M.  and  Walter  .\.  Mrs.  Ingersoll  is 
connected  with  the  Congregational  Church.  Mr. 
I.  is  a  thorctugh-going  business  man  and  the  posses- 
sor of  a  large  amount  of  property.  He  has  two 
farms  in  Jackson  and  Montrose  Townships,  this 
county,  and  some  propertj'  withiu  the  city  limits. 
He  also  owns  land  in  Juneau  Countj',  Wis.  He 
has  all  his  life  been  enteri)rising,  ambitious  and  in- 
dustrious, and  has  added  materially  to  the  business 
interests  of  Lee  Countj'. 


\*^^  ANIEL  SLATTERY,  a  prosperous  farmer 
]^  of  Montrose  Townshii),  occupies  a  com- 
fortable homestead  on  section  8.  Besides 
the  ordinary  duties  of  agriculture  he  is 
considerably  interested  in  the  breeding  of  fine 
stock,  and  has  some  fine  specimens  of  thoroughbred 
Clydesdale  horses,  Short-horn  and  Durham  cattle 
and  Poland-China  hogs.  His  farm  is  all  improved 
and  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation,  and  he  is  a 
representative  farmer  and  citizen  of  this  section. 

The  subject  of  tliis  sketch  is  a  native  of  Lee 
County,  born  at  Viele,  Jan.  7,  18.59.  His  parents 
were  Daniel  and  Ellen  (Welch)  Slattery,  natives  of 
Ireland.  Daniel  Slattery,  Sr.,  was  born  in  County 
Kerry,  June  22,  1822,  and  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  landing  at  New  York  City  in  the  year 
1845.  He  was  eng.aged  at  public  work  until  1860, 
when  he  came  west  to  Iowa,  and  here  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land.  He  at  once  set  about  its  cul- 
tivation and  improvement,  and  added  to  his 
acreage  as  his  means  permitted.  He  soon  after- 
ward purchased  fifty-five  acres  more,  and  subse- 
quently added  forty,  and  before  his  death  had  es- 
tablished a  comfortable  home,  and  was  in  possession 
of  175  acres  of  finely  improved  land.  Here  he 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  d.aj's,  his  decease  oc- 
curring April  27,  1885.  He  was  a  conscientious 
adlierentof  the  Catholic  faith,  and  in  polities  voted 
the  Democratic  ticket. 

Daniel  Slattery.  Sr..  was  married  in  1844,  to  Miss 
Ellen  Welch,  who  was  born  March  22,  1822.  also 


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y.r^.^r'Hgl 

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^^s 


LEE  COUNTY. 


in  County  Kerry,  the  birthplace  of  her  hiisliand. 
Her  parents  dierl  when  she  was  but  a  child, and  she 
made  her  home  among  relatives  and  friends  until 
her  marriage.  The  parental  household  consisted  of 
eight  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy  and 
were  both  named  John,  one  having  died  before  the 
other  was  born.  Mary,  the  eld.est  daughter,  died 
when  a  young  lady  twenty-three  j-ears  of  age ;  the 
next  two  were  Charles,  and  Catharine  (now  Mrs.. 
Lepper^ ;  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  tlie  young- 
est child.  The  Slattery  family  for  several  genera- 
tions were  intensely  loyal  to  the  faith  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church. 

Mr.  Slattery  of  our  sketch  is  a  gentleman  of 
enterprise  and  industry,  and  has  met  with  suc- 
cess in  the  diflferent  branches  of  his  calling.  He 
attends  strictly  to  his  own  affairs,  is  upright  and 
honorable  in  his  transactions,  and  is  highly  re- 
spected by  his  townsmen.  He  is  Democratic  in 
politics,  and  uniformly  casts  his  vote  in  support  of 
the  principles  of  that  party. 


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Vi 


HE 


in 


/AMES  C.  PARROTT.  one  of  the  early  pio- 
neers of  Lee  County,  came  to  this  vicinity 
m  September,  1834,  in  company  with  a  de- 
tachment of  United  States  troops  known  as 
the  1st  United  States  Dragoons,  Mountain  Men,  who 
were  stationed  at  Ft.  Des  Moines,  which  is  now 
Montrose,  in  this  county.  At  the  expiratif>n  of  his 
term  of  service,  three  years  later,  our  subject  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business  at  Ft.  Madison,  inaug- 
urating the  first  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the 
city,  which  was  then  a  town  in  embryo,  and  the 
ti'ading  principally  carried  on  with  roving  tribes  of 
the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians. 

Mr.  Parrott  continued  in  business  at  that  point 
for  about  four  years,  and  until  the  first  land  sales, 
which  found  many  without  money.  The  squatters 
sold  out  as  best  they  could,  and  left  the  country. 
Mr.  P.  remained  in  Ft.  Madison  until  1852.  at 
which  time  he  came  to  Keokuk  and  engaged  as  a 
clerk  in  the  mercantile  establishment  of  A.  Walcot 
&  Co.,  continuing  until  the  firm  sold  out.  He  then 
became  partner  with  the  head  of  the  late  firm,  and 


they  carried  on  business  until  the  financial  crasli  of 
1857.  Oui-  sulijcct  then  carried  on  Inisiness  alone 
until  isdi,  and  the  Ineaking  out  of  the  late  war.  ^h^^ 
He  then  commenced  recruiting  a  company,  of  which 
he  was  selected  Cai)t:iin.  and  went  into  camp  at  Bur- 
lington. They  were  afterward  attached  to  the  7th 
Iowa  Infantry,  and  went  to  the  front  earl}'  in  Au- 
gust, the  first  campaign  of  Capt.  Parrott  lieing  from 
St.  Louis  to  fronton,  and  Cape  (jirardeau,  JIo.  The3' 
then  proceeded  by  steamer  to  Cairo,  and  in  No- 
vember proceeded  down  the  river  by  steamer,  and 
made  an  attack  on  the  enemy  at  Belmont,  Mo., 
wliich  was  one  of  the  first  battles  of  the  war,  and  at 
which  Gen.  (Jrant  was  present  as  commander. 
Here  Capt.  Parivjtt  was  disabled  for  several  months 
l)y  a  gunshot  wound,  but  rejoined  his  regiment 
tile  following  Uecembcr,  and  soon  afterward  was 
promoted  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  regiment.  He 
afterward  participated  in  the  fight  at  Ft.  Donel- 
son  and  Pittsburgh  Landing,  was  in  the  two  days' 
blood}'  fight  at  Shiloh;  afterward  at  Corinth  and 
luka,  Miss.,  and  in  1864  joined  in  the  siege  and 
capture  of  Atlanta.  Thence  he  went  with  Sher- 
man's army  on  the  march  to  the  sea,  going  through 
the  Carolinas,  and  being  present  at  the  final  surren- 
der of  .Tohnson  at  Rolla,  Mo.,  whence  the  troops 
went  to  Washington  City,  flhere  the  grand  re- 
view took  place,  and  thence  to  Louisville,  Ky., 
where  the  regiment  was  mustered  out.  Lieut.  Col. 
Parrott  then  returned  to  Keokuk,  and  was  ap- 
pointed route  agent  on  the  Des  Moines  Valley 
Railroad,  which  position  he  held  until  :\Iarch, 
l.S(i7.  He  was  then  appointed  Postmaster  at  Keo- 
kuk, which  i)osition  he  occupied  for  the  following 
twelve  years.  After  retiring  from  this  office  he 
was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  has  served  as 
such  since  that  time,  and  is  also  engaged  in  life  and 
fire  insurance. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  born  in  Easton, 
Talbot  Co.,  Md..  on  the  21st  of  May,  1811.  His 
father,  Thomas  Parrott.  was  extensively  engaged 
as  a  dealer  in  wood  and  lumber,  and  agent  for  a 
line  of  iinckets  which  ran  from  P^aston  to  Baltimore. 
His  death  occurred  at  the  former  place  in  1832. 
The  mother,  formerly  Miss  Elizabeth  Corner,  also 
a  native  of  Maryland,  was  of  excellent  Irish  and 
English  ancestry ;  she  departed  this  life  at  Easton, 


ill 


iciTxiJtlrxjry 


H9H 


LEE  COUNTY. 


in  1816.-  The  parental  family  includofl  six  .hil- 
(Iren.  two  diUighters  and  four  sons. 

The  youth  rvnd  boyhood  of  James  C.  Parrotl  wuw 
passed  in  his  native  State,  where  his  education  was 
conducted,  first  in  private  schools,  and  later  at 
Kaston  Academy.  His  mercantile  experience  lie- 
jran  when  lie  was  a  boy  of  fourteen  years  old,  and 
continued  four  years  from  tiiat  time,  in  Easton, 
Md.  He  then  went  to  Baltimore  and  engaged  as  a 
-hi|)piug  clerk  in  a  wholesale  grocery,  at  which  he 
|l!|Hjl!j  was  employed  until  ls;!l.  He  then  joined  an  ex- 
|ij-:  |l  ploring  expeditior,  to  Wheeling,  W.  V.,  and  finally 
landed  in  Cincinnati,  where  he  remained  two 
months,  and  in  February,  1834,  enlisted  in  the  1st 
United  States  Dragoons,  at  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  and 
proceeded  with  his  company  to  Jefferson  Barracks, 
St.  Louis,  Mo.  Here  the  ti'oops  were  ordered  to 
the  Uocky  .M(juntains,  and  afterward  went  to 
Ft.  (libsou  and  into  the  Indian  Territory,  thence 
to  Ft.  Des  Moines  on  the  Missi.ssippi  River,  arriv- 
ing there  in  September,  1(S34,  which  brings  our 
subject  up  to  about  the  time  when  he  became  a 
resident  of  Keokuk,  lie  has  been  the  hero  of 
many  thrilling  scenes,  and  has  learned  much  and 
made  good  use  of  his  wide  exi)erleuces. 

C'ol.  Farrott  was  married  in  the  city  of  Ft.  Mad- 
ison, Sept.  I,  L.s;3,H,  to  Miss  Henrietta  Buckhalt'r,  a 
most  amial)le  and  excellent  lady  of  good  family. 
Of  this  union  there  were  born  eight  children,  of 
whom  five  survive:  T.  J.  is  a  resident  of  Ne- 
braska; Betty  became  the  wife  of  Frank  L.  Brown, 
and  li'"  ;s  in  Keokuk;  Robert  C.  is  connected  with 
the  Canada  Tacific  Railroad;  William  fi.  is  con- 
ductor on  the  Rock  Island  Divisii^n  of  the  C,  R.  L 
cV-  P.  R.  R.,  his  residence  being  in  Keokuk;  Clara 
L.  became  the  wife  of  Frank  .1.  Warren,  and  resides 
in  San  Francisco.  Cai. 


RANCIS  II.  SKMFLE,  attorney  at  law  of 
)i  Keokuk,  and  successfully  engaged  in  insur- 
ance, is  n  liighl>'  respected  resident  of  the 
(late  City,  and  a  useful  and  \alued  citizen.  Mr. 
Semple  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  born 
in  Bradford  County  on  the  North  Pennsylvania 
Canal,  his  father  being  one  of  the  contractors  and 


.■I  memlier  of  the  firm  familiarly  known  as  SiMnple. 
\\'agner  Sz  Co.  He  was  also  an  attorney  at  law. 
.and  familiar  to  a  remarkable  degree  with  all  kinds 
of  legal  business.  After  arriving  at  years  of  man- 
hood Francis  iSemi)lc,  Sr.,  determined  to  make  his 
home  in  the  \Yest,  and  accordingly  emigrated  to 
Iowa  in  about  1845,  making  his  first  location  in 
Franklin  Township,  this  county.  Here  he  built 
up  a  good  practice  and  became  the  possessor  of  a 
fine  farm,  fi'om  which  he  removed  to  Ft.  Madison 
in  1H74,  where  ho  died  in  July  of  the  following 
j^ear.  The  parental  family  consisted  of  four  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  one  daughter,  and  our  subject, 
Francis  LL,  is  the  only  surviving  member  left  to 
pei'petnate  the  family  name. 

Mr.  Semple  of  our  sketch  passed  his  boyhood  on 
his  father's  farm  near  the  town  of  F"ranklin,  and  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  the  Civil  War  being 
then  in  progress,  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  Co.  E,  19th 
Iowa  \'(il.  Inf.,  serving  as  private  for  a  term  of 
three  years.  He  p.articip.ated  with  his  comrades  in 
the  siege  and  capture  of  ^'icksburg■,  the  engage- 
ments at  Springfield,  Mo.,  at  Spanish  Fort  and  the 
capture  of  Mobile.  His  regiment  planted  the  first 
I'nion  fiag  on  the  Rio  (ir.ande  River,  and  our  sub- 
ject after  serving  bravely  and  faithfully  his  allotted 
time,  received  his  honor.able  discharge  at  the  close, 
and  was  mustered  (uit  in  July.  ISd,"),  at  Davenport, 
Iowa. 

After  he  became  a  civilian  once  more  ]Mr.  .Sem- 
ple returned  to  the  family  homestead,  and  in  due 
time  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Kate  Wal- 
ters, of  Franklin  Township.  Mrs.  Semple  was  born 
in  Venango  County,  Pa.,  and  came  with  her  par- 
ents to  Lee  County,  Iowa,  in  1 855,  where  they 
settled,  and  established  a  home,  and  lived  to  see 
the  march  of  progress  and  the  country  around 
them  transformed  into  lieautiful  farms.  After  his 
marriage  Mr.  Semple  began  the  studj'  of  law  with 
his  father,  and  was  .admitted  to  the  bar  at  F't.  Mad- 
ison in  December,  1869.  He  then  located  on  the 
farm  with  his  father  until  1874,  when  the  family 
removed  to  Ft.  Mailison.  There  Mr.  Semple 
opened  an  office  and  gave  his  whole  attention  t( 
the  |)racticc  of  his  profession.  In  March,  1881,  he 
removed  to  Keokuk,  and  added  to  his  law  pr.actiee 
the    business    of   insurance.       He    now    represents 


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-;  twelve  of  the  most  reliable  companies  in  the  United 
'^^  States.  He  made  rapid  strides  in  his  profession, 
and  in  the  summer  of  1886  was  nominated  for  the 
District  Judgeship  by  the  Republicans,  without 
solicitation  on  his  part,  but  the  district  being 
5  strongly  Democratic,  he  was  defeated,  although  by 
a  small  majority.  lie  is  a  close  student,  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  intricacies  of  his  profession, 
and  considered  a  safe  counselor  and  adviser  in  legal 
matters. 


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YMAN  W.  BUELL.  The  late  Lyman  W. 
Buell  was  an  honored  resident  of  the  Hawk- 
eye  State  for  a  period  of  thirty  years,  and 
was  successfully  engaged  as  a  farmer  of  Jackson 
Township,  where  he  owned  and  occupied  a  com- 
fortable homestead  on  section  1.  He  was  promi- 
nently identified  with  every  reform  and  good  work 
of  his  community. 

Mr.  Buell  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  among 
the  rugged  hills  of  New  England,  being  a  native  of 
Watertown,  Conn.  He  was  born  July  28,  1832, 
and  died  Jan.  15,  1887.  He  received  careful  home 
training,  and  his  primary'  education  was  received  in 

3  the  public  schools,  afterward  attending  the  High 
School  at  "Watertown  for  a  period  of  six  months. 
He   was  the  son  of  Augustus  and  Margaret  (War- 

j  ner)  Buell,  natives  of  the  same  State  as  their  son. 

I  They  were  reared  and  married  in  Connecticut  and 

:  spent  their  entire  lives  there.  Tiie  family  consisted 
of  five  sous,  who  all  lived  to  years  of  manhood. 
Only  one,  however,  is  now  living,  \Villiam  A.  Buell, 
of  Litchfield,  Conn. 

The  subject  of  our  sketcii  was  the  second  son  of 
his  parents,  and  was  deprived  of  a  father's  care  at 
the  age  of  nine  j'ears.  He  then  went  to  live  witii 
.an  uncle  upon  a  farm,  where  lie  i-emained  until  he 
was  eighteen  years  ok4,  and  then  learned  the  da- 
guerreotype business,  which  he  followed  for  several 
years,  until  he  left  Connecticut  and  went  to  the 
State  of  New  York.  He  remained  in  the  latter 
State  about  one  3'ear,  and  then  removed  West  to 
Keokuk,  Iowa.  He  was  iiccompanied  by  his  two 
brothers  and  the  young  lady  who  afterward  became 
liis  wife,  and  they  settled  in  Keokuk,  where  he  fol- 
lowed his  former  business  until  the  breaking  out  of 


the  Rebelliou,  when  he  followed  the  army  with  his 
artist's  apparatus,  and  was  engaged  in  taking  pic- 
tures at  Memphis,  Little  Rock,  and  other  points  in 
the  South.  In  the  meantime  he  liad  availed  him- 
self of  the  various  improvements  which  were  con-  R 
stantly  being  made  in  connection  with  his  art,  and 
as  the  old  process  gave  way  to  that  of  photogra- 
phy, he  abandoned  the  former  and  perfected  him- 
self in  the  latter  in  all  its  details.  At  the  close  of 
the  war  he  returned  East,  where  he  remained  OJie 
year,  visiting  among  old  friends  and  acquaintances, 
after  which  he  again  crossed  the  Mississippi.  He  then 
decided  to  change  his  occupation,  and  accordingly 
purchased  seventy-five  acres  of  land  in  Jackson 
Township,  Lee  County,  upon  which  he  settled  and 
resided  until  his  death.  He  was  successful  in  his 
farming  operations,  and  aside  from  the  homestead 
became  the  joint  possessor  with  his  son-in-law  of  a 
large  tract  of  land  in  Lucas  County,  Iowa,  whicli  is 
operated  as  a  stock  farm.  The  home  farm  is  highly 
cultivated  and  supplied  with  a  fine  residence  and 
all  necessary  and  convenient  out-buildings.  He 
conducted  his  agricultural  operations  wisely  and 
judiciously,  and  was  reckoned  among  the  enterpris- 
ing business  men  of  his  locality. 

Mr.  Buell  was  married,  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  Jan.  'J, 
1855,  to  Miss  Nancy  H.  Doolittle,  a  native  of  New 
England,  and  the  daughter  of  Elezer  and  Ruth  A. 
(Riggs)  Doolittle,  natives  of  Connecticut.  Her  fa- 
ther is  the  oldest  surviving  Mason  in  the  State  of 
Connecticut;  her  mother  is  deceased.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  B.  liecame  the  parents  of  two  children,^  both 
daughters:  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  J.  F.  Smith, 
an  attorney  of  Keokuk ;  Hortense  married  Francis 
Williamson,  and  resides  in  Montrose  Township, 
within  a  stone's  throw  of  her  old  home.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Buell  have  an  adopted  son,  Robert  A.  Buell, 
who  resides  at  home  and  is  now  carrying  on  the 
farm. 

Mr.  Buell  filled  the  office  of  Assessor  of  Jack- 
son Township  for  three  terms,  and  was  Census- 
taker  in  1880.  He  was  Republican  in  politics,  and 
in  .all  respects  fulfilled  the  obligations  of  a  good 
citizen.  He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordin.iry  in- 
telligence and  enterprise,  and  w.as  known  as  a  kind- 
hearted  man  and  one  whose  ever3'day  life  was  pure. 
He  was  conspicucnis  .among  Siuid.ay-school  workers 


Wi"' 


402 


LEE  COUNTY. 


during  the  last  3'ears  of  his  life,  and  during  the 
red-ribbon  temperance  movement  was  thoroughly 
identified  with  it,  and  in  fact  was  always  an  active 
worker  for  and  a  stanch  advocate  of  temperance 
and  morality.  Oiiu  of  his  most  striking  as  well  as 
commanding  characteristics  was  his  love  for  young 
people,  and  his  desii'e  to  contribute  to  their  mental 
and  moral  development.  lie  was  never  more 
happy  then  when  in  the  midst  of  a  throng  of  young 
persons,  talking  to  and  instructing  them  in  the  paths 
of  rectitude,  and  in  leading  their  minds  to  higher 
planes  of  thought.  He  was  always  a  leader  in 
the  literary  societies  of  his  community,  and  in  the 
little  village  where  he  resided,  and  was  President 
of  the  society  at  Sandusky  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
The  circumstances  of  that  sad  event  are  briefly  re- 
lated as  follows:  He  had  just  finished  a  most  fervid 
and  eloquent  address  to  his  society  and  taken  his 
seat,  when,  in  a  few  moments  he  suddenlj'  threw  his 
head  back  and  breathed  his  last,  passing  away  in 
the  arms  of  his  old  neighbors  and  friends,  on  the 
15th  of  January,  of  the  present  year.  He  is  cer- 
tainly sadlj'  missed  by  the  community  that  had 
grown  up  to  love  and  respect  him.  He  was  a  most 
fluent  and  pleasant  speaker,  and  being  a  man  of 
unusual  good  judgment  and  ability  his  argument 
always  carried  great  weight  with  his  audience. 
He  was  a  kind  and  indulgent  father  and  husband, 
as  well  as  a  most  estimable  citizen. 

Mrs.  Buell  has  been  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  since  she  was  eighteen  years  of  age. 
Her  husband  was  also  a  consistent  Christian  and  a 
regular  attendant  of  the  church,  and  in  presenting 
his  portrait,  which  we  do  in  this  connection,  we 
give  the  features  of  one  of  the  best  men,  in  all  that 
goes  to  make  up  a  good  man,  known  in  the  history 
of  the  county. 


eHlHSTOPIIKR    IIUSSEY,   Sn.,   one  of   the 
substantial    farmers    of    Marion    Township, 
and  an  old  resident  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  was 

born  in  Highland  County,  Ohio,  July  26,  1816.  His 
father,  also  Christoiiher  llussey,  was  born  in  llan- 
dolph  County,  N.  C,  and  emigrated  to  Ohio  at  an 
early  day.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  whose  maiden 
name    was   Kachel    Jackson,   was   also  a    native  of 


North  Carolina,  and  by  her  union  with  Mr.  Hnsse}' 
became  the  mother  of  two  children,  a  son  and  daugh- 
ter; the  latter  died  some  fifteen  j'ears'  ago.  The 
father  departed  this  life  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty  yeai-s,  at  the  home  of  our  subject. 

Christopher  llussey,  Sr.,  was  reared  to  manhood 
on  a  farm.  He  was  married,  in  1 836,  to  Rachel  R. 
Jloberly,  of  Highland  County,  Ohio,  and  after  this 
event  he  settled  on  a  farm,  and  followed  his  calling 
in  Highland  County  until  1819.  He  then  removed 
with  his  family-  to  Henry  County,  Iowa,  and  loca- 
ted on  a  farm  near  the  village  ot  Lowell.  There 
he  continued  to  follow  his  calling  of  a  farmer  until 
1875,  when  he  removed  to  the  farm  ou  which  he  is 
at  present  residing  in  Marion  Township.  His  place 
is  a  model  one,  well  improved,  with  a  good  barn 
and  numerous  substantial  out-buildings.  He  has 
240  acres  of  choice  land  in  one  bodj',  and  has  made 
a  success  in  his  calling.  He  has  dealt  quite  exten- 
sively in  cattle  and  hog  raising. 

The  children  of  our  subject  are  eleven  in  number, 
three  sons  and  eight  daughters;  five  of  them  are 
married,  have  families  of  their  own,  and  are  doing 
well  in  life.  Mr.  Hussey  is  a  member  of  the 
Protestant  Methodist  Church,  and  Mrs.  Hussey  of 
the  Cumberland  Presbyterian. 


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^  HARLES  C.  KASTEN,  of  Ft.  Madison,  is 
(l(  proprietor  of  the  Kasten  House,  one  of  the 

^^^'  most  popular  and  prosperous  hotelrics  of  this 
section.  He  is  a  native  of  German^',  and  was  born 
near  the  castle  of  the  Duchess  of  Braunschweig, 
JMarch  G,  1842.  His  parents  were  Christian  and 
Johanna  (Moehle)  Kasten,  both  natives  of  the  same 
Province  and  still  residents  there.  The  subject  of 
our  sketch,  in  accordance  with  the  laws  and  customs 
of  his  native  country,  was  placed  in  school  at  ;i 
very  earl}'  age  and  remained  until  he  was  fifteen. 
He  was  then  apprenticed  to  learn  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  the  city  of  Wolfenbuttel,  a  historic  town 
eight  miles  south  of  Brunswick  on  the  Ocker  River. 
This  town  is  celebrated  for  its  fine  churches,  its 
two  old  castles,  its  excellent  schools,  and  a  library 
containing  300,000  volumes  and  10,000  manu- 
scripts, including  among  them  much  of  the  hand- 


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writing  of  Martin  Luther.  In  that  citj'  Mr.  K.  re- 
mained for  the  space  of  tliree  .years.  He  was  then  in- 
duced by  circumstances  to  change  his  plans,  and 
abandoning  mercantile  pursuits  engaged  as  steward 
on  the  North  German  Liuyd,  a  steamer  pl3'ing  be- 
tween Bremen  and  New  York  City.  In  this  capacity 
lie  continued  until  November,  1 86 1 ,  in  the  meantime 
crossing  the  ocean  thirty-seven  times.  He  finally 
resigned  his  position  upon  making  his  last  voyage 
to  New  York,  and  from  that  city  proceeded  to 
Chicago  and  soon  afterward  to  Milwaukee.  The 
late  Civil  War  was  then  in  progress,  and  he  had 
only  been  in  America  six  weeks  when  he  enlisted 
as  a  soldier  in  Co.  A,  18th  "Wis.  Vol.  Inf.  After 
serving  out  the  time  of  his  enlistment  he  veteran- 
ized in  October,  1  864,  became  a  member  of  Co.  B, 
35th  Wis.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  being  mustered  out  at  Brownsville,  Tex., 
on  the  r2th  of  April,  1866.  During  his  militarj' 
service  he  participated  in  seventeen  regular  engage- 
ments, being  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  the  siege  and 
capture  of  "\Mcksburg,  the  battle  of  Corinth,  Cham- 
pion Hills,  Jackson,  Miss.,  was  with  Sherman  at 
Chattanooga,  and  in  the  17th  Army  Coi'ps  under 
Gen.  McPherson.  At  the  battle  of  Atlanta  several 
members  of  his  regiment  were  taken  prisoner,  but 
Mr.  Kasten  fortunately  escaped,  and  was  afterward 
at  the  battle  of  Spanish  Fort  and  in  Mobile  at  the 
time  of  the  terrible  explosion  there.  At  the  close 
of  the  war  he  was  with  the  ti'oops  stationed  at 
Brownsville,  Tex.,  for  the  pi'otection  of  the  fron- 
tier. He  was  mustered  in  as  Corporal,  when  he 
veteranized,  and  at  the  time  of  his  discharge  from 
the  service  had  been  Regimental  Commissary  Ser- 
geant. 

After  receiving  his  honorable  discharge  from  the 
army  iNIr.  Kasten  came  to  Ft.  Madison  and  engaged 
with  his  uncle  in  the  management  of  the  Kasten 
House,  having  sole  charge  of  the  hotel  for  three 
months.  He  then  went  to  St.  Louis  and  became 
steward  of  the  famous  Lindell  Hotel,  which  position 
he  held  until  the  building  was  destro^'ed  by  fire  a 
few  months  later.  He  then  returned  to  Ft.  Madison, 
again  assumed  charge  of  the  Kasten  House,  and 
conducted  it  on  his  own  account  for  the  five  years 
following.  In  May,  1872,  he  leased  the  Metropoli- 
tan House  for  two  and  a  half  3'ears,  then  sold  out 


and  opened  a  restaurant.  He  disposed  of  this  busi- 
ness not  hmg  afterward  to  engage  in  fire  insurance, 
which  he  has  successfully  followed  since  that  time, 
and  afterward  added  life  insurance.  He  now  repre- 
sents seven  of  the  best  fire  and  life  insurance  com- 
panies in  the  United  States,  the  latter  of  which  in- 
cludes accident  and  sickness,  and  is  also  general 
agent  of  Iowa  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Insurance  Company. 
Mr.  Kasten  was  married  on  the  16th  of  January. 
1 867,  to  Miss  Dora  Henrietta  Kasten,  a  native  of  the 
same  country  as  himself  and  born  five  miles  from 
his  birthplace.  She  came  to  America  when  a  child 
three  years  old  with  her  jjarents,  Charles  and  Dora 
(Elsraann)  Kasten.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  K.  of  our  sketch 
are  the  pai-ents  of  six  children :  Charles,  who  man- 
ages the  hotel  for  his  father;  Dora  and  Amelia, 
twins;  Christina,  Adolph  and  Henry.  They  have 
a  handsome  home  and  are  surrounded  by  all  of  the 
comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Mr.  K. 
is  a  thorough-going  business  man,  honest  and  up- 
right in  his  transactions,  and  enjoys  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens.  He  is  a  member 
of  James  B.  Sample  Post  No.  170,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Ft. 
Madison. 


bEONARD  EOFF.  This  highly  esteemed  resi- 
dent of  Washington  Township  owns  and 
occupies  a  fine  farm  estate  on  section  9. 
He  has  been  a  resident  of  Lee  County  since  the 
spring  of  1841,  to  which  he  removed  from  Wash- 
ington County,  Ohio.  Mr.  Eoff  was  born  in  Pike 
County,  Pa.,  March  23,  1810,  and  is  the  son  of 
Jacob  and  Sarah  (Towney)  Eoff.  When  about  six 
years  old  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Washing- 
ton County,  Ohio,  and  remained  there  until  their 
removal  across  the  Father  of  Waters  to  the  Terri- 
tory of  Iowa.  While  living  in  Ohio  our  subject 
was  engaged  for  several  years  as  a  trader  along  the 
Ohio  River  between  Marietta  and  New  Orleans, 
and  with  the  exception  of  that  period,  he  has  been 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  the  greater  part  of 
his  life. 

Mr.  Eoff  was  married  in  Washington  County, 
Ohio,  Sept.  20,  1840,  to  Miss  Hannah  M.,  daughter 
of  William  and  .Sarah  (Mechman)  Williamson, 
both  natives  of   Virginia,  wiio  died  in   Ohio   when 


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Mrs.  Eoff  was  twenty-five  years  old.  .Airs.  P^off  is 
a  native  of  tiu'  aforesaid  county.  l»iiii  .hily  l>. 
1812.  Of  this  union  thcie  liavebeen  fniir  children, 
as  follows:  Sarah,  l)orn  Dec.  0,  184a,  died  in  Wash- 
ington Township  Fcli.  1,  18«-2,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
nine  3'ears;  William  S.  married  Miss  Rebecca  Lou- 
ther,  and  resides  in  Washington  Township:  Mary 
is  the  wife  of  Walter  L.  Gamage,  and  resides  in  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Iowa. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  member  in  good 
standing  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  politically 
is  a  staiH'h  Republican.  His  homestead  consists  of 
200  acres  of  finely  improved  land,  supplied  with  a 
comfortable  farm  dwelling,  good  barns  and  out- 
buildings, and  all  the  appliances  of  a  first-class 
agriculturist. 

H.  A.  T.  WEISMANN  has  been  an  honored 
jjl   resident  of    the  Gate  City   since    1JS.5G,  a 


period  of  thirty-one  years,  and  in  that  time 
has  built  up  for  himself  a  reputation  as  a 
citizen  and  a  physician  which  is  second  to  none  in 
the  State.  lie  is  a  fine  representative  of  that  stanch 
German  element  which  has  so  materially  aided  in 
developing  the  resources  of  the  New  World,  and 
his  character  is  in  keeping  with  those  qualities  of 
honesty  and  integrity  which  almost  invariably  dis- 
tinguish his  country-men. 

Dr.  Weismann  was  born  in  the  Kingdom  of 
Wurtemberg,  Germany,  on  the  24th  of  June,  1833, 
:uid  is  the  son  of  John  G.  and  Fredrica  F'.  (Rut- 
hardt)  Weismann,  natives  of  the  same  country,  and 
uf  pure  German  ancestry.  John  G.  Weismann  was 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  all  his  life  in  his  na- 
tive conntrj',  and  died  there  in  1834.  The  mother 
survived  him  for  ten  years,  her  decease  occurring 
in  1  844.  The  household  circle  included  eight  chil- 
dren, only  two  of  whom  are  living — A.  T.,  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch,  and  his  brother  Charles,  who  is 
still  in  (iermanj-. 

In  confoi-mity  with  the  laws  anil  customs  of  the 
Fatherland  Dr.  Weismann  was  placed  in  school  at 
the  tender  age  of  six  years,  and  pursued  his  studies 
continuously  until  he  was  fourteen.  During  this 
time  he  w.as  also  a  i)upil  of  the  famous  Latin  School 


of  that  section,  and  became  highlj'  proficient.  After 
liis  studies  here  were  completed  he  became  an  ap- 
prentice to  learn  the  drug  business,  at  which  he 
served  four  years,  and  was  afterward  engagerl  in  a 
drug-store  at  Baden,  in  the  meantime  attending  a  §[ 
course  of  lectures  in  the  I'ni versify  of  Heidelberg, 
remaining  untler  the  instruction  of  the  tutors  of 
that  institution  fur  two  years. 

After  eonn)k'ting  his  studies,  young  Weismann, 
filled  with  the  worth}'  amliition  of  youth  and  desir- 
ing to  see  something  of  the  world  and  avail  himself 
of  the  opportunities  pioffered  the  enterprising  emi- 
grant to  the  L'nited  States,  set  sail  from  his  native 
country,  and  after  a  prosperous  voyage,  arrived  in 
New  Orleans  on  the  2d  of  February,  18.»3.  From 
there  he  proceeded  to  Cincinnati,  and  engaged  as 
clerk  in  a  drug-store  for  two  years,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  which  time  he  had  become  the  proprietor  of 
the  business.  He  carried  this  on  for  another  year, 
then  sold  out,  and  crossing  the  Mississippi,  came 
into  the  Ilawkeye  .State.  He  located  in  Keokuk, 
and  opened  a  drug-store  on  Second  street,  between 
Main  and  Johnston,  which  he  operated  until  1859, 
when  he  moved  his  stock  to  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Eighth  streets,  continuing  there  until  18{;3.  He 
then  took  a  course  of  medical  instruction  at  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  from  which  he 
gmduated  the  following  year,  receiving  his  diploma 
and  being  admitted  to  practice. 

Dr.  Weismann  was  married,  in  1854,  to  Miss  Bina 
Stuckert,  a  native  <)f  Baden,  and  daughter  of  the 
Rev.  George  Stuckert.  They  have  become  the 
parents  of  ten  children,  eight  of  whom  are  living, 
viz.,  Adolphe,  Bina,  Charles,  George,  May,  Ida,  An- 
nie and  Edwin.  Adolphe  married  Miss  Christine 
Mittenmeir,  and  they  have  three  children — Albert, 
Oscar  and  Frank,  the  latter  twins;  Bina  became  the 
wife  of  Edwin  Townsend,  and  they  have  one  child 
— Ralph;  Charles  married  Miss  Kate  Hubinger, and 
they  have  two  children — Arthur  and  Charles; 
George  married  Miss  Kate  Schott;  May  became 
the  wife  of  A.  Noeleke,  and  Id.i  married  William 
H.  Grupe. 

Dr.  AVeismanu  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  so- 
cially belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Druids  and 
the  Knights  of  Honor.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Keokuk  ^Medical  Society.     He  has  great  taste  for 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


music,  and  belongs  to  the  Concordia  Singing  So- 
ciety. The  IJoctor  has  been  President  of  the 
Board  of  Health,  and  takes  a  generous  interest  in 
everything  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  of  this  vicin- 
ity. As  a  iirofessional  man  lie  is  greatly  respected 
by  the  fraternity,  and  as  a  citizen  commands  an 
cnvial)le  position. 


COL.  WILLIAM  PATTERSON.  Among  the 
citizens  of  Keokuk  who  have  attained  pronii- 
^^  nence  through  their  course  of  action  in  the 
past,  both  as  citizens,  soldiers,  business  men  and 
agriculturists,  and  who  are  enabled  to  pass  the  sun- 
set of  life  in  peace  and  quiet,  retired  from  active 
labor  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  handsome  compe- 
tency obtained  by  honest  endeavor,  we  take  [jleas- 
ure  in  presenting  a  few  facts  connected  with  the 
life  of  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  bio- 
graphical notice. 

Col.  Patterson  is  a  native  of  Wythe  County, 
Xa.,  and  was  born  March  9,  1802.  His  parents 
were  Joseph  and  Jane  (Walker)  Patterson,  natives 
of  Virginia.  The  father  was  born  in  Rockbridge 
County,  that  State,  in  .1767,  and  was  brought  up 
t)n  a  farm.  His  father,  our  subject's  grandfather, 
was  born  in  Bonnie  Scotland,  and  on  attaining  to 
the  age  of  maturit}'  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Virginia,  where  he  contin- 
ued to  live,  working  at  his  vocation,  during  the  re- 
maining years  of  his  life.  He  had  a  familj^  of  five 
children,  and  Joseph  Patterson  when  lie  attained 
the  age  of  manhood  received  a  small  piece  of  land 
on  which  he  located,  lived  and  labored  until  l.SOO. 
He  then  sold  his  pl.ace  for  £2,2(1(1  and.  moving  to 
Adair  County,  Ky.,  purchased  a  large  improved 
farm,  aud  there  lived  until  1829.  During  that 
year  he,  in  company  with  his  son  William,  our  sub- 
ject, went  to  Marion  Comity,  Mo.,  near  Hannibal 
and  Palmyra,  and  there  our  subject's  father  con- 
tinued to  live  until  his  removal  to  Keokuk,  where 
he  died  in  1  .s.')0,  at  the  residence  of  our  subject. 
The  mother  passed  to  the  home  beyond  while  a 
resident  of  Kentucky,  in  1810.  The  parental  fam- 
ily consisted  of  eleven  children,  William  being  the 
eighth  in  order  of  birth. 

When   William    Patterson   was  about  four  years 


of  age  his  father,  as  stated,  moved  to  Kentucky,  { 
and  it  was  there  that  William  was  brought  up  and  [ 
received  the  advantages  of  a  common-school  educa-  '^• 
tion.     In  1822  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 


Eleanor  Johnson,  a  native  of  Maryland.  From  that  rr 
date  until  1829  he  took  charge  of  his  father's  farm 
in  Kentuck}',  which  he  conducted  with  more  than 
ordinary  success.  It  was  during  the  year  1829 
that  he,  in  company  with  his  wife  and  four  chil- 
dren, moved  to  Marion  County,  Mo.  After  a  resi- 
<lenee  there  of  three  3'ears  he  settled  on  a  farm  which 
he  had  ])urchased  in  Sangamon  County,  111.  There  he 
continued  to  reside  until  1837,  when  he  came  to 
Iowa,  and  located  at  West  Point,  this  count}'. 
There  he  and  two  brothers-in-law  i)urchased  the 
town  site  of  West  Point,  all 
farms  adjoining  the  town  site. 

improved  the  site,  and  our  subject  remained  a  resi- 
dent there  until  1840,  when  he  disposed  of  the  ma- 
jor portion  of  his  interests  in  that  localitv  and 
moved  to  Keokuk.  "DT  S 

On  taking  up  his  residence  in  Keokuk,  Col.  Pat-  Ji_3. 
terson  engaged  in  pork   cutting  and   packing  and 
also  in  merchandising.     The  latter  business  he  con- 
tinued for  a  number  of  years,   when  he  withdrew 


three   locating   on  [r^^T, 
They  sold  lots  and    ^  ;y 

111! 

Ni 


from  it,  but  kept  on   the   pork-packing  enterprise     i    hj 

until  1882.     He  was  the  first  one  to  engage  in  that  ' ^ 

business  at  Keokuk,  and  for  over  thirty  years  there 
has  never  been  a  3'ear  that  he  has  not  packed  from 
5,000  to  30,000  hogs.  He  gives  employment  to  as 
high  as  seventy-five  men.  and  the  result  of  his 
steady  perseverance  and  good  management  is  seen 
in  the  large  and  lucrative  business  which  he  has 
built  up,  which  not  only  affords  him  and  his  part- 
ner a  handsome  income,  but  adds  an  important  in- 
terest to  the  trade  of  the  city.  He  built  an  exten- 
sive packing- house  at  the  end  of  Fourth  street  in 
1853. 

In  1850  Col.  Patterson  purchased  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Patterson  House,  and  also  built  the 
stone  house  on  the  levee,  which  is  now  the  Wabash 
Railroad  depot.  He  was  the  first  instigator  of 
building  a  Presbyterian  Church,  and  contributed 
*o,000  for  the  erection  of  the  same.  He  has  also 
subscribed  liberally  toward  all  the  roads,  and  proba- 
bly has  done  more  than  any  other  one  man  to  de- 
velop the  city  of  Keokuk,     He   was  President  of 


5?^^ 


•106 


LEE  COUNTY. 


the  Northwestern  Raih-oad  running  from  Keokuk 
to  Mt.  Pleasant,  and  has  been  three  times  elected 
Mayor  of   Keokuk,  first  in  I860,  then  in  1805  and 

.    again  in  1866.     lie  was  also  Alderman   for  three 

RKi     years  in  that  city.     In  1838  he  was  elected  a  nieni- 

^n]    ber  of  the  first  Legislature  of  the  Territorj-  of  Iowa, 

HHI    and  has  been  several  times  elected  to    the    Upper 

iK      and  Lower  House  of  that  body.    He  was  a  member 

of  the  Constitutional  Convention  which    convened 

in  Iowa  City  in  18.')7,  and  has  been  Postmaster  of 

Keokuk   seven   years,    holding   that   office    under 

Pierce  and  Buchanan's  administrations. 

In  the  church  of  his  adoption  Col.  Patterson  has 
been  a  leading  member  for  fifty-eight  years.  He 
was  the  first  Elder  of  the  Old-School  Prcsl)3'terian 
Church,  which  was  the  first  in  Iowa,  having  been 
organized  in  1837,  having  been  chosen  to  that  of- 
fice while  a  resident  of  West  Point,  in  1837.  He 
was  one  of  the  chief  movers  and  most  liberal  do- 

nors  to  the  erection  of  Westminster  Church  in  this 

city,  which  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  church  edi- 

fices  in  the  State. 

In  1839,  a  controversy  having  arisen  between 
the  citizens  of  Clark  County.  JMo.,  in  regard  to  the 
extension  of  the  northern  boundary  of  that  State, 
the  people  of  Iowa  resisted  the  claim,  and  deter- 
mined that  the  boundary  line  should  follow  the 
J)cs  Moines  River  to  its  mouth.  The  Sheriff  of 
Clark  Count}-,  in  undertaking  to  serve  legal  pro- 
cesses for  the  collection  of  taxes   over   this   Terri- 

lory,  was  arrested    by    the    Sheriff   of  \'an  Ruren 

County,  liiis  State,  and  lodged   in  jail.     Thu  con- 
test grew  so  hot  that  war  butween  the  contending 
parties  seemed  imminent,   and    Col.  Patterson  was 
commissioned  Colonel  of  Militia  by  Gov.  Lucas,  of 
Iowa,  and  authorized  to  raise  a  regiment  of  troops. 
In  accordance  with  the  Governor's  ordinance  '"Gen- 
jjj  DT   eral    Order    No   1,"  the    company   was  raised  and 
jl  ,H|„  ordered  forward,  but  the  matter  was  amicably  ar- 
ranged   without   the  shedding  of   blood,  and   the 
boundary   line   established  in  accoidance  with  the 
«3  claim   of  Iowa.     It  is  not  saying  too  much,  but  is 
simply  stating  plain  facts,   when  we  assert  in  this 
n.jX^iq  notice  that  the  settlement  of  the  difficulty  referred 

1}  to  was  duo  in  a  great  measure  to  the  inlkience   and 
}   energetic  action  of  Col.  Patterson. 
^      'I'he  wife  of  our  subject  was  a  daughter  of   Will- 


iam and  Ann  Johnson,  natives  of  Maryland,  and- 
bore  her  husband  eleven  children,  eight  of  whom 
are  yet  living:  Mary  A.,  Mrs.  Creel,  of  Keokuk,  is  a 
widow,    her    husband    d^'ing    in    1882;   she   is  the 
mother  of  six  children — Mary  E.,  Abbie,  Edwin  E., 
Joseph  P.,  Margaret  and  John;  Louisa  became  Mrs. 
JIarshall,  and  has  borne  her  husband  six  children — 
Robert     M.,    William    P.,  Albert  T.,   Chapiu    II., 
M.aude  M.  and  Saburt  T. ;  William  A.  is  a  resident 
of  Keokuk ;  he  is  married,  and  has  three  children — 
Mar}',  William  A.  and  Lizzie  S. ;  Joseph  C.  and  Sa- 
biu't  are  both  living  in  Keokuk:  Margaret  E.,  now 
Mrs.  Starkweather,  of  Keokuk,  has  four  children — 
Essie,  Eleanor,  Samuel  D.  and  Kate  S. ;  M.  Eleanor 
and  Thomas  B.  are   both    single    and    residing   at 
home.     The   good   wife  and   mother  departed  this 
life  April  2,   1880,  on  the  fift3'-eighth  anniversary 
of  their  wedding,  mourned  by   a   host  of  relatives 
and    friends.     On  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their 
marriage  Col.  Patterson  and  wife   telcbrated   their 
golden  wedding  with  a  large    number    of   friends, 
five    of    whom   were  present  on  the  occasion  lift}' 
years  before.     Two  great-gi-andchildren  also  par- 
ticipated in  the  festivities.     Col.  Patterson  is  one 
of  the  most  prominent,  as  well  as  influential  and 
st)lid  men  C)f  Keokuk  and,  as  stated,  has  (b  ne  much 
toward  its  advancement,  as  well  as  for  the  prosper- 
ity of  the  country  surrounding  it. 


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1'J  SAAC  DICKINS,  deceased,  was  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  farmers  of  Marion  Township, 
J  and  b}'  his  industry'  and  economy  secured  for 
himself  and  family  a  comfortable  home,  with  a 
generous  share  of  the  good  things  of  life.  After 
building  up  a  worthy  record  as  a  citizen,  neighbor 
and  friend,  he  departed  from  the  scene  of  his  earthly 
labors  at  his  home,  in  Marion  Township,  in  May, 
1 886,  having  arrived  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
two  years. 

The  subject  of  this  brief  history'  was  born  in 
England,  Jan.  14,  181-1.  He  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools,  and  was  reared  to 
farming  pursuits.  After  arriving  at  years  of  man- 
hood in  his  native  countr>',  he  was  married  and 
set  out  for  the  New  \\\>rhl,  arriving   in  New  York 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


.City  ill  1852.  He  became  a  resident  of  this  county 
the  same  year,  and  located  on  a  farm  in  Marion 
Township,  which  he  had  purchased  and  which  con- 
sisted of  U)4  acres.  Upon  this  he  built  a  good 
briclv  dwelling,  and  in  1867  was  married  to  his 
second  wife,  wiio  was  Miss  Lockey  Darby,  a  native 
(if  Ohio,  and  descended  from  an  excellent  family. 
She  came  with  her  parents  to  Lee  Count}'  when  a 
maiden  of  sixteen  years.  By  her  marriage  with 
our  subject  she  became  the  mother  of  five  children, 
three  boys  and  two  girls,  viz.:  Hannah  B.,  William 
L.,  Isaac  N.,  Charles  B.  and  Daisy  L. 

Mr.  Dickins  was  uniformly  prosperous  in  his 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  an  excellent  financier. 
At  his  death  he  left  a  fine  estate  to  his  widow 
and  children.  Upon  the  farm  is  a  fine  residence, 
with  good  barns  and  out-bnildiugs,  and  it  is  well 
stocked  with  sheep,  horses,  cattle  and  hogs.  He 
commenced  life  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  and 
made  his  way  solely  by  the  excercise  of  his  own 
industry  and  resolution.  He  was  a  kind  husband 
and  father,  a  generous  neighbor,  and  in  all  respects 
fulfilled  the  obligations  of  a  good  citizen.  He 
was  brought  up  in  the  Church  of  England,  and 
throughout  his  life  kept  in  view  the  principles  in 
which  he  had  been  trained  by  excellent  parents. 
His  name  is  held  in  kindlj'  remembrance  by  all 
who  knew  him.  Mrs.  Dickins  is  a  lady  of  excellent 
judgment  and  worthy  character,  and  since  the 
death  of  her  husliaud  has  managed  the  farm  in 
a  capable  manner,  with  the  assistance  of  her  two 
boys. 


^•^•i^- 


-4- 


ETER  KELLEY,  a  prosperous  and  enter- 
prising farmer  of  Cedar  Township,  is 
T  pleasantly  located  on  section  35.  He  is 
a  gentleman  who  has  risen  by  his  own  ex- 
ertions to  his  present  position.  He  began  life  a 
poor  boy  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  but  possessed 
a  rich  fund  of  determination  and  perseverance, 
and  progressed  slowly  but  surel}',  and  is  novy  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  large  share  of  the  good  things 
of  this  life. 

Mr.  Kelley  comes  from  good  old    hish  ancestiy, 
and  possesses  in  a  marked  degree  the  generous  and 


warm-hearted  disposition  of  the  Celtic  race.  He 
was  born  in  Comity  Louth,  Ireland,  in  July,  1824, 
and  is  the  son  <if  Bernard  and  Mary  (Kennon) 
Kelley,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  their  native 
Ireland,  and  are  both  now  deceased.  Bernard 
Kellej'  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  the  record 
of  the  parental  household  is  as  follows :  Two 
brothers,  Bernard  and  Patrick,  came  to  America, 
enlisted  as  soldiers,  and  yielded  up  their  lives  in 
the  service  of  the  Union.  Bernard  w.as  killed  at 
Murfreesboro,  on  the  first  day  of  the  memorable 
battle  at  that  place.  Patrick  was  in  the  South 
during  the  war,  and  it  is  supposed  that  he  was 
killed  in  the  army.  A  sister,  Ann,  came  to  America, 
and  settled  in  Edina,  Knox  Co.,  Mo.,  as  the  wife  of 
Peter  Connell. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  grew  to  manhood  in 
his  native  country,  and  lived  with  his  parents  until 
he  was  twenty-one  years  old.  On  the  1st  of  Janu- 
ary, 1850,  he  set  sail  from  Liverpool  for  the  United 
States,  and  after  a  long  and  tedious  voyage,  landed 
in  New  Orleans  upon  the  9th  of  the  following 
]\Iarch.  From  the  Crescent  City  he  proceeded  to 
Ohio,  having  friends  in  Xenia,  Greene  County.  At 
the  end  of  his  journey  he  found  himself  possessed 
of  a  half-crown,  or  sixty-two  and  one-half  cents. 
His  friends,  however,  secured  employment  for  him, 
and  his  first  work  in  America  was  as  a  repair  hand 
on  a  section  of  the  Cincinnati  &  Columbus  Rail- 
road. He  was  thus  engaged  for  nearlj'  three  years. 
He  had  saved  his  earnings  in  the  meantime,  and  had 
sent  money  to  the  old  country  so  that  his  two 
brothers  and  sisters  could  come  over  to  America. 
In  1853  he  resolved  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the 
country  beyond  the  Mississippi.  He  accordingly 
started  westward,  and  coming  into  the  Hawkeye 
State,  engaged  as  a  farm  laborer  in  Lee  County. 
He  worked  in  this  capacity  for  the  following  nine 
years,  and  then  found  himself  possessed  of  sutHcient 
means  to  purchase  forty  acres  of  land,  which  now 
constitutes  a  part  of  his  present  homestead.  His 
first  purchase  was  neither  fenced  nor  supplied  with 
any  building,  and  one  of  his  first  duties  was  the 
erection  of  a  small  house,  into  which  he  moved  his 
family,  and  then  commenced  the  improvement  and 
cultivation  of  his  land.  He  prospered  in  his  labors, 
and  added  to  his  first  purchase  as  time  progressed. 


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He  is  now  the  possessor  of  185  acres,  finely  culti- 
vated, and  has  a  good  set  of  frame  Ijiiildings. 

Mr.  Kellcy  waj*  married  in  18.'>S,  to  Miss  Margaret 
Deviue,  a  native  of  C'onnty  ICerry.  Ireland.  Their 
union  has  Ijcen  lile.st  by  the  birth  of  seven  children, 
of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows:  Bernard  is  a 
student  in  Hahnemann  Medical  College  of  Cliicago; 
Mary  is  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools;  John  is 
clerl<ing  for  a  general  merchant  at  Pilot  (hove,  this 
county;  ilaggie,  the  wife  of  Henry  Meierotto, 
lives  at  Pilot  Grove;  James,  Sarah  E.  and  Willie 
are  at  home. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  K.  were  natives  of  County 
Kerry,  Ireland,  and  her  mother  came  to  America 
ill  1871  or  1872,  locating  at  Burlington.  The 
father  died  in  Ireland.  JMrs.  K.  is  the  seventh 
daughter  of  a  family  of  seven  children,  all  girls. 
Jlr.  Kelley  is  a  self-made  and  self-educated  man, 
and  an  extensive  reader.  He  keeps  himself  well 
posted  on  current  events,  and  as  a  conversational- 
ist is  verj'  interesting. 


^RANCIS    SEMPLE,  deceased,    formerly    a 

Phighlj'  respected  resident  of   Lee  County, 
was  born  near  the  "  Blue  Juniata  "   in  Mif- 
flin Count}',  Pa.,  twelve  miles  from  Lewistown,  the 
ctmnty  seat,  in  1807,  and  is  of' Scotch-Irish  parent- 
age and  ancestry.     His  progenitors  emigrated  from 
their  native  country  to    the    United    States   at  an 
early  day,  and  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  one  of 
a  family  of  six  children  l)orn  to    his   parents,    and 
even  in  his  early  years,  having  been    a    witness    of 
the  evils  of  spirituous  liquors,  learned  to  be  a  I'ro- 
hibitionisl,  and  expressed  his  views  upon  every  oc- 
casion,  and  sought  to  cast  the   whole  weight  of  his 
q  R     influence  in  opposition  to  the  beverage  which  '-makes 
"-''*^  men  mad."      In  early  youth  he   learned  the    trade 
of   a   stonemason    and    bricklayer,    and    having   a 
brother  who  had  devoted  himself  tv  the  profession 
of  law,  he  availed  him.self  of  the  advantages  offered 
„^^,    liy  the  perusal  of  books  treating  of    the  profession, 
^■iii'^n  '*■"''  after  the  space  of  eighteen  months  had  gained 
^^^  I  a  good  insight  into  its  intricacies,  and  in  the  politi- 
l|  cal  excitement   which   (X'curred  about    that  period, 
<1elivered  his  maiden  speech,    which    w.as    received 


with  great  admiration  and  at  once  made  him  pop- 
ular. 

The  winter  following,  the  lirother  mentioned  was 
made  Collector  of  Tolls  on  the  Pennsylvania  Canal, 
at  Lewistown,  and  in  the  following  summer  bids  for 
an  important  caaial  contract  were  let  to  Semple, 
W.agoner  <fe  Co.,  the  first  mentioned  party  lieing  the 
subject  of  our  sketch.  The  contract  was  accepted, 
the  move  affecting  the  whole  after  life  of  our  sub- 
ject. He  went  to  Bradfonl  County,  Pa.,  in  the  fall 
of  1836,  and  remained  there  the  following  nine 
years,  spending  the  best  i)art  of  his  life  and  losing 
a  large  amount  of  money,  in  connection  with  can;il 
contracts. 

Mr.  Sehiple  came  to  the  Territory  of  Iowa  in 
September,  184.').  and  made  his  first  settlement 
near  what  is  now  Franklin  Station,  on  the  C,  B.  it 
K.  C.  R.  R.,  having  half  a  dollar  and  a  five-franc 
piece  after  reaching  here.  When  passing  through 
Keokuk  lie  iiad  taken  occasion  to  ascertain  the 
number  of  lawyers  in  that  vicinit}-,  and  found  there 
were  about  twent^'-eight,  being  nearly  three  times 
as  many  as  could  be  comfortably  supported.  He 
then  resolved  to  abandon  the  profession  of  law, 
and  soon  afterward  resumed  his  trade  as  builder. 
He  had  been  accompanied  on  this  trip  l)y  iiis  fam- 
ily and  his  aged  mothe/,  whose  remains  now  lie  in 
the  burying-ground  near  the  old  Everhart  Farm. 
B}-  slow  degrees  he  succeeded  in  establishing  a 
comfortable  lioine.  and  it  becoming  known  by  the 
array  of  books  which  were  placed  upon  the  shelves 
of  his  study,  that  he  had  given  much  attention  to 
the  legal  profession,  he  was  often  called  upon  to 
settle  matters  of  dispute,  and  to  transact  other  legal 
business,  which  he  accomplished  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  satisf.action  to  all  concerned.  In  due  time 
he  invested  in  land  and  made  additional  purchases 
fr(jm  time  to  time,  and  at  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  .July,  1875,  left  a  comfortalile  farm  homestead, 
which  is  under  cultivation  andcpiite  valuable.  F.  H. 
Semple,  the  son  of  our  subject,  was  born  at  the  head 
of  the  "  Ulster  Meadows,  "  opposite  Sheshecpiin,  in 
Bradford  County,  Pa.,  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Susquehanna  River.  He  came  to  Iowa  with  his 
father  when  a  3'oiing  lad,  is  now  married,  and  has 
four  living  children :  Eliza,  Mrs.  Paxton,  died  in 
Nebraska    in   June,    188.');   two    sons    entered    the 


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army  in  1862.  F.  H.  retunietl  unharmed  at  the 
close  of  thi'  conflict,  but  the  remains  of  William 
II.  lie  in  the  Soldier's  Cemetery  at  St.  Louis,  he 
having  died  at  of  acute  pneumonia  at  St.  Louis,  on 
the  1 -tth  of  .Tannar)-.  1863.  Alexander  was  killed 
in  Pennsylvania  by  juni|)ing  friim  tlie  ears  while  in 
motion. 

An  old  experienced  lawyer  of  Lee  County,  who 
knew  the  deceased  in  his  lifetime  intimately  and 
well,  and  who  practiced  at  the  bar  thirty  years  or 
more  with  hini,  gives  this  testimony  concerning 
him:  "I  regarded  him  as  the  soid  of  honor  in  all 
law  and  business  affairs.  He  was  not  as  well  read 
in  the  law  as  some  others  I  have  met  at  the  bar,  but 
I  question  if  I  ever  met  in  Iowa  one  lawyer  who 
possessed  more  natural  gifts  of  oratory.  In  jury 
trials  he  was  a  power  that  all  lawyers  feared.  Nat- 
urally of  a  Ijenevolent  and  S3'mpathetic  turn  of 
mind,  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  '  half-breed ' 
troubles  of  Lee  County,  in  behalf  of  the  former 
settlers,  and  in  the  long  legal  struggle  of  Lee 
County  against  the  railroad  bond  taxation,  he  was 
the  leading  lawyer  of  the  State  in  defending 
against  them.  He  was  also  a  bold  advocate  of 
all  moral  reforms,  and  frequentlj'  advocated  tem- 
perance and  anti-slavery  doctrines,  when  but  few 
yet  sympathized  with  him  in  his  views.  An  ar- 
dent Republican,  he  was  twice  nominated  by  the 
Republicans  of  Lee  County  for  public  positions; 
first  for  Count}'  Judge  and  next  for  the  Legisla- 
ture, but  his  party  being  in  a  hopeless  minoritj'  in 
the  county  he  failed  of  election,  though  he  received 
an  honorable  vote  each  time.  Taken  all  in  all  he 
was  a  very  good  and  noble-hearted  man." 

NDREW  WYLLIE,  a  leading  citizen  and 
successful  farmer  of  Lee  County,  is  pleas- 
antlj'  situated  on  section  3,  Des  Moines 
Township,  where  he  has  resided  for  the 
last  eight  years,  and  carried  on  the  i)ursuit  of  farm- 
ing in  a  successful  manner.  Mr.  AVyllie  is  a  native 
of  "  bonnie  Scotland,"  and  was  born  April  22, 
1840.  He  comes  of  good  Scottish  ancestry,  his 
father  before  iiim  being  a  native  of  tiie  same  coun- 
try, and   was  there  married    in   early  manhood  to 


Jane  Lowrey,  also  a  native  of  Scotland.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  four  children,  two  sons  and 
two  daughters,  of  whom  the  sulijcct  of  our  sketch 
is  the  un\y  one  living.  The  mother  and  two  of 
the  children  departed  this  life  in  their  native  land, 
the  father,  with  the  remaining  two,  Andrew  and  his  H 
sister,  Jennette,  coming  to  the  United  States  in 
1845.  They  at  once  proceeded  to  Iowa,  and  lo- 
cated on  an  unimproved  tract  of  land  in  Des 
Moines  Township.  The  settlers'  title  proved  to  be 
of  no  account,  and  the  land  at  one  time  was  lost  to 
the  famil_v,  being  a  part  of  the  "half-breed  tract." 
The  father,  however,  remained  upon  it  until  his 
death,  in  1840. 

After  the  death  of  his  father,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  made  his  home  with  his  uncle  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  they  having  still  retained  posses- 
sion of  the  tract  of  land  upon  which  the  father  first 
settled.  At  that  time  young  Andrew  set  out  on 
his  own  account.  No  legacy  had  been  bequeathed 
him,  and  he  had  nothing  but  his  honest  hands  and 
his  resolute  character  ^vith  which  to  begin  the  bat- 
tle of  life.  These  qualities  served  him  abundantl}-. 
however.  He  prospered  in  his  undertaking,  saved 
his  mone}',  and  in  1878  was  enabled  to  purchase 
and  obtain  a  clear  title  to  the  land  upon  which  his 
father  had  first  located  and  which  he  has  since  oc- 
cupied. He  has  made  gieat  improvements  in  its 
condition,  and  his  landed  possessions  now  comj)rise 
390  acres,  he  having  obtained  additional  acres  as 
his  means  justified,  ills  land  is  now  divided  into 
two  lots  on  different  sections,  all  well  improved 
and  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Wyllie  and  Miss  Fannie 
Ogle  was  celebrated  in  1K6.5,  in  Jackson  Township. 
Mrs.  AVyllie  is  a  native  of  this  township,  born  in 
December,  1844.  Her  parents  settled  in  Missouri 
when  she  was  onlj'  a  child,  and  she  was  there  reared 
to  womanhood.  Her  father  was  a  \'irginian.  and  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  but  in  later  3-ears  devoted  his 
attention  chiefly  to  farming.  The  maiden  name  of 
iier  mother  was  Elizabeth  Oreen,  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee, of  Southern  parentage.  She  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Missouri  before  her  marriage.  Her  parents 
were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Lee  County.  Her 
father  died  in  1)S77;  the  mother  still  survives,  and 
makes  her  home  witii  her  daughter,   Mrs.    Mahala 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


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Scoveru,  of  Des  Moines  Township.  Of  the  union 
of  Mr.  and  Jlrs.  Wyllie  have  been  born  eight  ehil- 
flren,  six  daiigiiters  and  two  sons,  of  whom  one  son 
and  four  daugiiters  are  now  deceased,  namely, 
.lames,  Addie,  Arrabana,  Mamie  and  an  infant  un- 
named.    Tiic  living  are  Fanny,  Albert  and  Pearl. 

The  family  are  highly  respected  in  this  county, 
and  Mr.  Wyllie  is  considered  one  of  the  valuable 
business  men  of  the  community.  He  has  been 
greatly  prospered  in  both  his  agricultural  and  stock- 
breeding  operations,  and  has  accumulated  a  com- 
petency. He  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  in  all 
respects  is  fulfilling  the  duties  of  a  good  citizen. 

A  view  of  Mr.  Wyllie's  fine  farm  residence  and 
surriiundiugs,  together  with  his  stock,  is  shown  in 
comiection  with  this  sketch. 


-€-*-? 


AMES  BULLAIU),  Si;.,  of  Jefferson  Town- 
ship, is  the  possessor  of  a  beautiful  home- 
stead, which  is  very  finely  located  on  sec- 

tion   1.     His  farm   comprises  300    acres   of 

H  Rj  highly  cultivated  land,  and  is  stocked  with  high- 
rM=i]  grade  cattle  and  horses,  the  breeding  of  which  he 
jjIliji  makes  a  specialty.  Of  the  latter  he  has  fine  speci- 
ijllijn  mens  of  the  Morgan  and  Norman  stock,  which 
jj  j-;  I  p  include  two  magniticant  stallions,  '•  Louis  Oscar  " 
mm  =1'"^  ■■''•  I'uke,  Jr."  and  are  from  the  best  breeds  of 
these' crosses,  the  former  being  the  only  registered 
animal  of  this  description  in  the  United  States. 
With  these  Mr.  B.  has  carried  off  nearly  all  of  the 
(irst  prizes  at  the  various  fairs  in  this  section  where 
the^'  have  been  exhibited.  His  tine  licrd  of  cattle 
includes  two  thoroughbred  Sluirt-liorus  of  great 
beauty  and  value. 
Ii  The  homestead  of  our  subject  lies   on    the  tust 

-^—  bottomsof  the  Mississippi,  and  is  admirably  ad.'ipted 
to  the  raising  of  all  kinds  of  cereals  and  vegetables. 
It  is  all  under  good  cultivation  txcept  a  few  acres 
of  pasture  and  timber.  Its  proprietor  has  been  one 
of  the  most  progressive  citizens  of  the  county,  and 
^■tii^'n  '^'*  example  of  enterprise  and  industry  has  been  a 
stimulant  for  many  of  his  neigliliors  to  push  ahead 
and  contribute,  in  a  like  manner,  to  the  develop- 
luciil  of   the    .igi  k-ultMr:il  interests  (.>t'    tlieii' coMnty. 


a 


Mr.  Bullard  is  a  native  of  Jacksonville,  Morgan 
Co.,  111.,  and  was  born  May  2'2,  182.T.  His  father. 
Theophilus  Bullard,  came  from  Virginia  parentage, 
and  traced  his  ancestry  back  to  families  of  England, 
Ireland  and  Germany,  who  combined  to  produce  a 
race  with  many  admirable  traits  of  character.  After 
arriving  at  j'ears  of  manhood,  he  went  to  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  and  was  there  married  to  Miss  Lucy  Arm- 
strong, a  ladj'  of  Mrginia  birth  and  parent.age. 
His  grandfathers,  on  both  sides  of  the  house,  were 
soldiers  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  were  named 
James  Bullard  and  Thomas  Armstrong,  .lames 
Bullard  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  after  the 
close  of  the  war  came  West  to  Illinois,  and  located 
in  Brown  County,  where  his  life  terminated. 
Thomas  Armstrong  was  a  master  mechanic,  and 
was  prominently  known  as  a  man  of  unusual  skill 
in  his  calling,  and  erected  many  important  iron 
furnaces  and  forges  near  the  place  of  his  residence 
in  Tennessee. 

Theophilus  Bullard,  after  his  marriage,  engaged 
at  his  trade  as  a  millwright,  in  which  he  had  become 
proficient  under  the  instruction  of  Benjamin  Hen- 
son,  of  Grayson  County,  \'a.  After  the  birth  of 
their  first  child,  a  daughter,  Jane,  they  went  to 
Morgan  County,  111.,  where  he  built  his  first  grist- 
mill on  the  Morvestar  Creek,  which  is  supposed  to 
be  one  of  the  first  mills  in  the  State  of  Illinois;  tlii> 
was  in  1824.  It  was  there  our  subject  was  born 
and  reared,  and  his  father  became  a  volunteer  in 
tiie  Blackhawk  War,  and  served  as  a  soldier  during 
the  Indian  troubles.  After  being  discharged  from 
the  army  he  left  Illinois  with  his  family,  crossed 
the  Mississippi,  and  came  to  Hurlington,  Iowa,  arriv- 
ing March  12,  1834.  He  soon  began  the  acquisi- 
tion of  land  in  the  Blackhawk  Purchase,  and  soon 
became  the  possessor  of  five  farms  in  that  locality. 
He  was  a  man  of  nioie  than  ordinary  ability  and 
intelligence,  and  assisted  in  the  first  local  survey 
of  this  part  of  the  county.  He  was  the  first  Justice 
of  the  Peace  in  this  section,  while  Iowa  was  yet  a 
Territory,  and  held  the  office  for  twenty-five  years. 
He  was  always  interested  in  ever3thing  pertaining 
to  the  welfare  and  development  of  his  adopted 
county,  and  was  a  leader  in  every  worthy  enter- 
prise. He  assisted  in  the  organization  of  .lefterson 
Townsiiip,  anil  his  coMinuiiiity  involuntarily  lookcil 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


to   him  at  the  inauguration   of   every  enterprise 
tending  to  its  development  and  prosperity. 

Theophilus  Bullard  was  born  March  13,  1798. 
His  parents  both  died  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Brown  County,  111.,  where  they  settled  in  1833. 
Theophilus  B.  settled  in  Madison  Township  in  1836. 
The  mother  survived  this  removal  nine  years,  her 
decease  occuring  in  1845.  The  parents  were  most 
excellent  and  W()rtli3'  people,  and  carefully  trained 
their  children  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy. 
Their  son,  our  subject,  was  the  second  child  of  the 
family,  and  was  reared  and  educated,  remaining  at 
home  until  his  marriage.  This  interesting  event 
occurred  in  Jefferson  Township,  the  maiden  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Sarah  A.  Wallace,  a  native  of 
Northumberland  County,  Pa.,  who  was  born  June 
1,  1834.  She  came  with  her  parents  to  Iowa  when 
a  young  lady,  and  remained  with  them  until  her 
marriage  to  Air.  Bullard.  Of  this  union  there  were 
born  seven  children,  two  only  of  whom  are  living, 
a  son,  Robert  Rolla,  a  promising  young  man,  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  farming,  and  Eugene  G.,  who 
assists  in  the  management  of  the  homestead. 
Theophilus  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years; 
Frances  died  when  live  years  of  age,  and  Joseph 
when  one  year  old;  two  infants  died  unnamed. 
These  children  were  stricken  down  by  measles  and 
scarlet  fever,  and  their  loss  was  a  terrible  blow  to 
the  bereaved  parents. 

Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Bullard  departed  this  life  June 
25,  1884,  at  the  home  of  her  husband.  She  was  a 
lady  greatly  beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
her,  for  her  intelligence  and  charming  social  traits, 
and  was  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  with  which  the  remaining  members  of  her 
family  are  connected.  Politically  Mr.  Bullard  is  a 
reliable  Democrat,  and  uniformly  casts  his  vote  in 
snpport  of  the  principles  of  his  party. 

|p55)  DWARD  A.  GIBBS  is  one  of  the  honored 
jW]  pioneers  of  the  Hawkeye  State,  coming 
ji' — ^  witliin  its  boundaries  while  it  was  yet  a  Ter- 
ritory. He  came  here  in  the  year  1839,  and  located 
in  Ft.  Madison,  which  has  been  his  home  now  for  a 
!    period    of    forty-seven   j^ears.     His    journey     was 


made  from  the  far  East,  he  having  been  born  in 
Connecticut  in  1811,  and  he  started  out  when  a 
j'onng  man  for  the  western  wilds. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Ashley  Gibbs,  was 
also  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  in  New  London,  r 
and  the  grandfather,  Herman  Gibbs,  was  a  nativeti 
of  the  same  State,  but  his  birthplace  was  in  Groton. 
He  there  married  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Stoddard,  and 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  da3's  in  that  section. 
His  son,  Ashley  Gibbs,  the  father  of  Edward  A., 
was  a  ship-builder  by  trade,  and  also  a  sailor  liy 
occupation.  He  loved  the  sea,  and  early  in  life 
was  promoted  Captain  of  a  merchant  vessel,  of 
which  he  eventually  became  part  owner.  In  181 G 
he  abandoned  the  sea  and  determined  to  settle 
down  finally  upon  terra  firma,  but  not  in  his  native 
State.  He  wished  to  see  something  more  of  the 
world,  and  accordingly  emigrated  to  Ohio,  where 
he  located  in  Jackson  County  and  worked  as  car- 
penter and  joiner. 

The  first  year  of  his  labor  in  the  latter- named 
State,  Ashley  Gibbs  erected  the  first  jail  in  Ross 
County,  which  was  located  at  Chillicothe.  It  was 
built  of  large  square  hewn  timber,  placed  on  end, 
and  supported  by  heavy  iron  bars  crossways,  and 
proved  an  effectual  means  against  the  escape  of 
culprits  of  all  kinds.  In  1823  the  elder  Gibbs 
removed  to  Gallipolis,  and  remained  there  about 
six  or  seven  years.  Thence  he  went  to  Chester, 
Meigs  Countj',  and  was  employed  as  contractor 
and  builder  for  some  years.  There  are  still  many 
buildings  in  existence  whicli  were  erected  by  him 
and  stand  as  monuments  to  his  skill  and  handiwork. 
He  finally  returned  to  Gallipolis,  removing  from 
there  to  Miller's  Bottom,  on  the  Ohio  River  below 
Gallipolis,  where  his  last  days  were  spent,  and 
his  remains  were  finally  laid  to  rest.  The  maiden 
name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  w.as  Parnell 
Roberts.  She  was  a  n.ative  of  the  same  State  .ind 
eountj'  as  her  husband,  and  was  well  fitted  to 
become  the  helpmate  of  a  good  man.  She  remained 
faithful  to  him  througii  all  his  wanderings,  and 
departed  this  life  in  1870  or  1871. 

Edward  A.  Gibbs  was  but  a  boy  of  six  or  seven 
years  when  his  parents  removed  from  Connecticut 
to  Ohio.  They  were  early  pioneers  of  the  Buckeye 
State,  and  endured  all  tlie  vicissitudes  of  settlers  in 


IH^l 


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KJlCLIPXIxii 


LEE  COUNTY. 


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a  new  country.  Free  f^eliools  were  tln'U  unknown, 
l)Ut  a  suliscriplion  school  vvas  here  and  there  estah- 
lisheil  for  six  months  in  the  year,  and  during  the 
days  of  his  boyiiood  our  subject  availed  himself 
of  the  instruction  thus  given,  until  he  was  about 
nineteen  years  of  age.  When  his  parents  removed 
to  Meigs  County,  he  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  general 
store  at  Chester,  where  he  remained  for  six  years. 
lie  then  went  to  Athens  County,  Ohio,  and  was 
engaged  in  a  similar  manner  in  the  store  of  Col. 
William  Stewart,  and  also  occupied  himself  in  gain- 
iiii;  the  affections  of  the  daughter  of  his  employer, 
who  afterward  became  his  wife,  lie  remained 
there  also  six  years,  and  then  associated  himself  in 
partnership  in  the  same  business  for  two  or  three 
years  at  Coolville,  Athens  Co..  Ohio,  and  was  thus 
occupied  until  1839,  when  he  resolved  to  go  fur- 
ther West,  and  started  for  Iowa,  via  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Rivers  to  Keokuk,  thence  on  foot  to 
.Montrose,  and  from  there  procured  a  ride  to  Ft. 
.Madison,  arriving  at  that  place  in  October,  1839. 
^^1  lie  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  appearance  of  the 
countrv,  although  it  was  still  unsettled,  and  located 
a  claim  in  Pleasant  Ridge  Township,  Lee  County. 
The  only  improvement  upon  his  land  was  a  claim 
l)ole  cabin,  fourteen  feet  square,  but  hardly  fit  for 
habitation.  His  wife  had  accompanied  him  upon 
his  travels  and  there  they  spent  the  winter.  In  the 
spring  Mr.  Gibbs  erected  a  substantial  and  com- 
modious hewed  log  house,  which  vvas  considered 
(piite  an  inii)osing  structure  at  that  da^',  and  was 
liiiished  off  quite  handsomely',  being  chinked  and 
daubed  with  mud.  He  then  commenced  the  im- 
provement of  his  land  in  earnest,  and  was  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  for  the  following  ten  years. 
At  the  end  of  this  time,  wishing  for  a  change  of 
occupation,  Mr.  Oibbs  disp<jsed  of  his  landed  inter- 
ests, and  removing  to  West  Point,  this  county,  en- 
gaged at  his  old  business  of  clerking  until  the 
election  of  President  Filiuore,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  of  the  village.  He  afterward 
became  iissociated  in  partnership  with  his  brother- 
j  in-law  and  w.as  occupied  in  mercantile  pursuits 
■~  until  l«.i(;.  He  tlien  disposed  of  his  interest  to  his 
brother-in-law,  and  going  to  the  mouth  of  the  Chip- 
pewa River,  in  Minnesota,  look  chai'ge  of  the  gen- 
eral merchandise  establislmicul   uf   Kua]>p,  Stout  it 


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Co.,  which  [losition  he  liciil  for  two  years,  and 
thence  went  to  IJubnciue,  Iowa,  and  was  employed 
in  their  lumber-yard.  In  UsCc;  he  cMme  to  Ft. 
Madison,  and  purchased  a  lumber-yard  for  hlMi-cif. 
which  had  been  established  here  for  about  two 
3'ears.  In  this  undertaking  he  was  joined  by  .bihn  5, 
H.  Knapp,  and  the  two  together  operated  the  busi- 
ness until  1884,  when  Mr.  Oibbs  purchased  the 
interest  of  his  partner,  and  since  that  time  has  been 
running  the  business  alone. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Edward  A.  (;ibl)s  and  Miss 
Emeline  Stewart  was  celebrated    in  Ohio   in    1837. 
Mrs.  Gibbs  was  born  in  Ohio.  Feb.   14,  1X17.     Her 
father.  Col.  William  Stewart,  was  also  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  her   grandfather,    Uaniel    Stewart,   was 
boi-n  in  New  Jersey,  and  emigrated  to  the  Buckeye   jt 
State  at  a  very  early  date  in  its  history.      William 
Steward  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1(^12,  and  was 
commissioned    Colonel.     He    was    reared     upon-  a 
farm,  but  in  middle  life  changed  his   occupation  to 
that   of   a  contractor  and   builder,   in    connection 
with  farming,  in  which  he  was  remarkably  skillful    J  ■{ 
and  successful,  and  superintended  the  erection  of  a    '  ^ 
few  buildings  in  that  section  of  the  country,  among 
them  being  the  University  at   Athens,  Ohio.     Still   jilji 
later  he  engaged  in  merchandising  and  milling,  and    ;  ij 
in  the  spring  of  1839  crossed  the  Mississippi  and    s^fl 
entered  land  in  Lee  County,  Iowa.     Here  he  also   ?'^ 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  until  his  retirement 
from  active  business.     His  last  days  were  passed 
at  the  home  of  his  son-in-law,  our  subject,  and   he 
departed  this  life  April  1,  1882,  at  the  ripe  old  age 
of  ninety-two  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  A.  (iibbs  became  the  i)ar- 
ents  of  five  children,  the  record  of  whom  is  as  fol- 
lows: William  A.  is  a  resident  of  Chicago,  111.; 
Mary  L.  became    the  wife  of  ^\■illiam  II.   Bonnell, 

h':  u 

and  died  in  August,  188(j;  Charles  became  a  soldier  ;a 

during  the  late  Civil  AVar,  enlisting  June  19.  18(i2.  E-" 

in  the  19tli  Iowa  Infantry,  and  nas  wH)unded  at  the  5  (ij 

battle  of   Prairie  Grove,  from  the  eft'ects  of  which  2 A.' 

he  died   Jan.   7,    1863;  his  remains   were  brought  ;;" 

home    and    deposited    in    Ft.    Madison  Cemetery ;  S 

Julia  S.  is  the  wife  of   Robert  E.  Smith,  and  lives  a 

at  Ft.  Madison;  Lewis  II.  .nnd   Edward  A.  are  :it  ^ 

home.  z-^, 

Tlie  family  .Mre  highl3'  respected  in  the  conimun-  -U 


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415 


ity  where  they  have  so  long  been  residents,  and 
Mr.  Gibbs  has  contributed  greatly  to  the  jn-ogress 
and  welfare  of  his  county  and  township.  He  is 
liberal  minded  and  generous,  and  has  alwa^'s  taken 
a  great  interest  in  the  training  of  the  young,  labor- 
ing faithfully  in  tlie  Sunday-school  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  and  his  amiable 
lady  have  long  been  members  in  good  standing. 
He  is  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  and  conscien- 
tiously casts  his  vote  with  the  Republican  party.  He 
has  been  the  encourager  and  promoter  of  every 
good  work  and  purpose,  and  when  he  shall  have 
been  gathered  to  his  fathers  it  will  be  difficult  to  fill 
his  place.  This,  in  a  world  of  good  and  generous 
men,  is  much  to  say,  but  Mr.  Gibbs  is  fullj'  entitled 
to  whatever  can  be  said  of  the  honest  man  and 
good  citizen. 


=^^^^-<m>-is>^ 


H 


^OHN  A.  SARGENT,  a  general  farmer  and 
stock-raiser,  is  successfully  operating  his 
fine  farm  in  Des  Moines  Township,  which  is 
located  on  section  32.  He  is  the  seventh  of 
a  family  of  thirteen  children,  wliose  parents  were 
Nicholas  and  Merriam  (Sawyer)  Sargent.  (See 
sketch  of  H.  C.  Sargent,  Sr.,  for  parental  history). 
The  following  interesting  bit  of  family  history  we 
take  from  an  issue  of  the  Salisbury  (Mass.)  17/- 
Inger  (1870):  "Wednesday  night  the  Riverside 
Lodge  of  this  village  made  public  their  installation 
of  officers  in  Sargent  Hall,  after  which  friends  and 
invited  guests  partook  of  a  bountiful  supper.  The 
Sargents  are  a  numerous  family  in  this  town,  and 
are  large  owners  of  real  and  personal  estate.  Will- 
iam Sargent,  one  of  the  twelve  men  who  settled  in 
Ipswich,  in  1633, -subsequently  went  to  Newbury, 
and  thence  to  Amesburj'  in  1G43,  where  he  died  in 
about  1675,  aged  seventy-three.  He  was  the 
founder  of  the  family  name  m  this  town.  It  has 
been  the  custom  to  have  a  quiet  family  reunion 
each  year.  On  the  15th  a  dinner  party  was  given 
at  the  residence  of  John  1'.  Sargent,  where  were  as- 
assembled  twelve  persons,  whose  united  ages 
amounted  to  853  years,  an  average  of  upward  of 
seventy-one  years.  The  occasion  was  a  reunion 
of  the  children  of  Christopher  Sargent,  who  died 
is  many  years  ago.     Thej'  were  as  follows:  Nicholas, 


aged  80;  C3^rus,  78;  .John  P.,  66;  Benjamin  F'., 
74,  jind  their  sister,  Mrs.  Jane  Stickney,  74. 
Stei)hen,  another  brother,  died  in  Utah  last  year  at 
the  age  of  sixty-eight,  the  only  death  in  the  circle 
of  children  for  more  than  fifty  years.  Nicholas  is 
a  resident  of  Iowa,  all  the  rest  residing  here  in 
Merrimac.  There  were  also  present  Merriam,  wife 
of  Nicholas,  aged  80;  Hanna  M.,  wife  of  Cyrus,  63; 
Caroline  P.,  wife  of  John  P.,  57;  Jnlia,  wife  of 
Benjamin  F.,  54;  Patten  Sargent  of  Merrimacport, 
a  cousin,  83 ;  Mrs.  Anna  Whittier,  an  aunt,  80,  and 
Mrs.  Hannah  P.  Sargent,  also  an  aunt,  75. 

"Mr.  Nicholas  Sargent,  above  mentioned,  came 
into  possession  of  some  land  in  Millsfield,  Coos  Co., 
N.  H.,  and  there  he  took  up  his  residence  when  a 
young  man.  In  1836  he  was  attacked  with  tlie 
'  Western  fever,'  and  procuring  four  horses  and 
suitable  carriages,  he  started  for  the  West,  taking 
with  him  his  wife  and  twelve  children.  They  were 
five  months  reaching  Missouri,  having  been  de- 
tained two  months  in  Illinois  by  sickness.  After 
his  departure  for  the  West  twenty  years  elapsed  be- 
fore any  of  the  relatives  he  had  left  behind  heard 
anything  from  or  of  him.  One  evening,  about  twenty 
years  ago,  a  man  ai)plied  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Jane 
Stickney  for  lotlging  for  the  night.  She  told  him 
she  did  not  take  in  strangers  to  lodge,  but  he 
pressed  his  request  with  great  earnestness,  until  she 
finally  told  him  she  could  not  and  would  not  take 
him  in.  '  Well,'  said  he,  '  that  settles  the  matter ; 
but  I  should  scarcely  have  thought  j^ou  would  have 
refused  a  night's  lodging  to  your  own  brother.' 
'  My  own  brother ! '  exclaimed  the  good  lady ; 
'what,  Nicholas.''  And  sure  enough  Nicholas  it 
was.  It  ajipeared  that  he  met  with  financial  re- 
verses in  Missouri,  and  after  a  few  years'  residence 
there  he  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  purchased  land  in 
Lee  County,  ten  miles  from  Keokuk,  and  from  that 
time  prospered,  securing  a  competency  before  he 
got  ready  to  advise  his  relatives  of  his  wiiere- 
ab<nits  and  circumstances.  He  and  his  five  sons 
have  1,700  acres  of  land,  1,000  of  it  being  the  rich 
'bottom  '  along  the  Des  Moines  River.  They  raise 
annually  from  8,000  to  10,000  bushels  of  corn,  and 
large  quantities  of  hay,  all  of  which  they  feed  out, 
frequently  buying  more,  their  business  being  rais- 
ing, buying  and  selling  neat  stock  and  swine. 


^rxlIHInxullmn_m^^TXi^i 


416 


LEE  COUNTY. 


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•■  Mr.  .-iikI  Mrs.  .Sai'i^cnt  arc  liotli  hale  and  vigor- 
ous, and  slio,  not  witlistanding  her  ciylily  years,  still 
plies  her  kiiiltinj>-  needles  as  hnsily  as  ever.  They 
made  the  juurney  hero  four  weeks  aj^o,  being-  a  lit- 
tle over  two  da^'s  and  nights  on  the  road;  the  trij), 
with  sleeping-c.ars,  cte.,  forming  a  pleasing  contrast 
to  their  wearisome  journey  of  forty  3'ears  ago,  when 
they  sought  a  home  in  the  (tlien)  far  West  of  Mis- 
souri." 

.lohn  A.  Sargent  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire, 
bo?n  April  21,  I,s3l,  and  was  but  a  child  when,  in 
l.s.'XI,  his  parents  st;u-ted  for  the  great  West.  They 
brought  with  them  the  whole  family,  and  after 
ci'ossing  the  Mississippi  made  their  first  location  in 
Missouri,  whence  the^'  came  four  3'ears  later  to 
Jowa.  Here  Mr.  Sargent  grew  to  manhood,  assist- 
ing in  the  labors  of  his  father's  farm  and  receiving 
a  limited  education  in  the  pioneer  schools.  He  was 
married,  Feb.  2G,  1854,  to  Miss  Ursula  Stark- 
weather, a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  was  born 
Sept.  14,  1833.  Mrs.  Sargent  is  the  daughter  of 
Leonard  and  10m ily  (Ilosmer)  Starkweather,  who 
were  natives  of  New  Kngland,  and  removed  to 
Pennsylvania  after  a  short  residence  in  Michigan. 
They  came  into  Lee  County  in  1846,  and  settled 
upon  a  tract  of  unimproved  land  consisting  of  320 
acres.  They  endured  .all  the  hardships  of  the  early 
pioneers  and  shared  in  their  successes,  improved 
the  farm,  cultivated  the  land,  and  lived  to  see  smil- 
ing fields  where  once  had  been  a  desolate  wilder- 
ness. The  faithful  wife  and  mother  departed  this 
life  in  Des  Moines  Township,  in  January,  1883,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  Her  husband  yet 
survives  her;  he  is  seventy-eight  years  old,  and  re- 
sides with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Sargent. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sargent  loca- 
ted upon  a  tract  of  land  and  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  He  became  possessor  of  the  in-esent 
homestead  in  1851).  It  consists  of  280  acres,  finely 
cultivated,  with  a  handsome  dwelling  and  conve- 
nient b.arns  and  outhouses  ujion  it,  a  view  of  which 
is  given  in  this  work.  In  addition  to  this  he  has 
forty  acres  in  another  part  of  the  township,  and 
040  acres  in  Menard  County,  Tex.,  which  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  tracts  of  land  in  the  Lone 
Star  State.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  his 
farming  operations,  and    in  is.si  purchased  a  store 


in  ^'incennes.  which  is  now  operated  successfullj- 
by  his  eldest  son,  H.  ('..  .Ir.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sargent 
have  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  of  whom  tw^o 
arc  deceased.  They  are  as  follows:  Nettie,  Hen- 
rietta (deceased).  Horace  C,  John  II.  (deceased), 
(i.  Lincoln,  Lebe:iu  AV.,  Lawrence  and  Earnest  K. 
Mr.  Sargent  has  performed  in  a  creditable  man- 
ner all  the  duties  and  obligations  of  life.  He  has 
alwaj's  been  interested  in  the  welfare  of  his  commu- 
nity, and  has  held  the  office  of  Constable  in  his 
township.  He  is  Rei)ublican  in  polities,  tirni  and 
decided  in  his  opinions,  but  never  an  offensive  par- 
tisan. He  is  held  in  high  respect  by  his  neighbors 
and  acquaintances,  .and  fully  merits  the  title  of  "an 
honest  man  and  a  good  citizen."  Socially  he  is  a 
member  of  Amber  Lodge  No.  448,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of 
Vincennes,  Iowa,  also  of  the  A.  H.  T.  A.,  which 
meets  at  the  same  place. 

EDWARD  WALSMITH,  of  the  firm  of  Narr- 
ley  &  AValsmith,  of  Keokuk,  is  eng.aged  with 
his  partner  in  carrying  on  a  first-class  meat- 
market  at  No.  612  Main  street.  Mr.  AValsmith 
comes  of  an  excellent  family  of  stanch  German  an- 
cestry, and  was  born  in  the  Fatherland  Aug.  4, 
1840.  His  father  was  George  AYalsmith,  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  who  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
in  1852,  and  settled  in  Keokuk.  He  only  lived 
five  years  after  coming  to  this  country,  djing  in 
1857.  He  was  the  father  of  seven  children,  only 
three  of  whom  are  living:  Robert,  a  resident  of 
Keokuk;  Anthony,  of  Des  Moines,  and  Edward, 
the  subject  of  our  sketc-h. 

Edward  Walsmith  remained  with  his  parents  and 
attended  school  until  he  was  twelve  years  old.  He 
then  left  home  to  learn  the  butcher's  trade,  .at 
which  he  served  three  years,  and  was  then  engaged 
as  a  journeyman  until  1863.  At  this  time  he 
opened  a  shoj)  in  Keokuk  and  carried  on  business 
for  one  year.  He  then  closed  out  and  became  an 
employe  in  the  pork  house  of  Patterson  Si  Timlier- 
mau,  with  whom  he  was  engaged  in  the  winter 
seasons,  and  in  the  summer  was  engaged  in  butch- 
ering. In  the  year  1867  he  as.sociated  himself  in 
partnership  with  Mr.  Narrley,  .and  they  have  been 


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ill  business  together  since  that  time.  They  are 
both  straightforward  business  men  and  occupy  a 
leading  position  among  the  business  interests  of  the 
Gate  City.  Mr.  Walsmith  began  at  the  foot  of 
the  ladder,  and  has  accumulated  his  possessions 
solely  through  the  exercise  of  his  own  industry  and 
enterprise. 

Mr.  Walsmith  was  married  in  October,  18G2,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Luzren,  a  native  of  his  own  country, 
by  whom  he  has  become  the  father  uf  four  chil- 
dren— P^mmie,  Lena,  Odellia  and  Kosa.  They  have 
a  comfortable  home  at  No.  1113  Franklin  street, 
and  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  a  large  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances.  Mr.  Walsmitli  is  the 
possessor  of  a  moderate  amount  of  city  property, 
and  with  his  wife  is  a  member  in  good  stan<ling  of 
the  Lutheran  Church.  He  also  belongs  to  the  So- 
ciety of  Druids,  the  L  O.  O.  F.,  the  Knights  of 
Honor  and  the  Arcanum.  Politically  he  affiliates 
with  the  Republican  party,  in  support  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  which  he  uniformly  casts  his  vote. 

)HOMA,S  V.  W[LSON,  brother  of  James,  and 
third  child  of  Thomas  Wilson,  is  a  native  of 
Jefferson  Township,  and  was  born  Feb.  1.5, 
1849.  He  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  and 
during  his  boyhood  attended  school  winters  and 
assisted  in  the  duties  around  the  homestead  during 
the  summer  seasons.  From  earlj'  childhood  he  was 
trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy,  and  in 
early  3'outh  began  to  save  his  earnings  and  to  have 
a  care  for  the  future.  In  1870  he  and  his  brother 
James  became  partners,  and  have  successfully  man- 
aged the  affairs  of  tlie  homestead  since  that  time. 
He  is  the  possessor  of  a  good  two-story  lirick  house, 
has  a  good  barn,  and  is  surrounded  by  the  com- 
forts of  life. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  married,  in  Ft.  Madison,  Oct. 
■2o,  1872,  to  Miss  Henrietta,  daughter  of  .John 
and  Henrietta  (Eppers)  Slagenbush.  of  German 
ancestry  and  parentage,  and  who  remained  in 
their  native  country  until  after  their  marriage. 
They  then  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and 
after  arriving  in  the  New  World  set  their  faces 
westward,  and  came  into  Iowa,  locating  in  Jefferson 


Township,  this  county,  after  a  short  time  spent  in 
the  city  of  St.  Louis.  They  became  residents  of 
the  llawkeye  State  in  1851,  located  uiion  a  tract  of 
land,  and  engaged  in  farming,  and  established  a 
comfortable  home,  where  they  remained  until  their 
death.  Mrs.  Wilson  was  born  in  Germ.any  Feb.  3, 
18.52,  and  was  little  more  than  an  infant  when  her 
parents  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  By  her 
union  with  our  subject  she  has  become  the  mother 
of  six  children,  as  follows:  William  A.,  \'alley  L., 
Ethel  O.,  Genevra  S.,  Thomas  C.  and  OIlie  A. 

In  politics  the  subject  of  our  sketch  is  strongly 
Democratic.  He  enjo3's  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  his  fellow-townsmen,  who  have  conferred  upon 
him  the  minor  offices  within  their  gift.  Mrs.  W. 
was  reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith,  and  still  ad- 
heres to  the  religion  of  her  parents. 


^- 


^^% 


/^\  HRISTIAN  MERTENS,  a  successful  farmer, 
l(  ^  stock-trader  and  shipper  of  Marion  Town- 


r 

^^('  ship,  is  pleasantly  located  on  section  1 9,  and 
constitutes  one  of  the  important  factors  of  the  agri- 
cultural and  industrial  community.  Mr.  Mertens 
is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  was  born  on  the  12th 
of  February,  1830.  His  father,  Peter  Mertens,  was 
a  practical  miller,  and  in  early  life  was  married  to 
Miss  Anna  M.  Colman.  In  184(5  they  emigrated 
to  America,  embarking  on  the  sailing-vessel  "Sha- 
ron," bound  for  New  Orleans.  The  voyage  occu- 
pied seven  weeks,  and  from  the  Crescent  City  they 
proceeded  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  after  a  short  st.ay 
there  located  on  a  farm  near  Manchester,  which 
they  occupied  five  years  and  where  the  father  died. 
In  the  fall  of  1851  the  mother,  witii  her  little  fam- 
ily, removed  to  Lee  County,  Iowa,  locating  in  Ma- 
rion Township. 

Our  subject,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  as- 
sumed the  responsibility  of  caring  for  the  family 
until  he  reached  his  majority.  He  then  purchased 
a  farm  of  120  acres  in  Marion  Township,  where  the 
family  settled,  and  he  began  his  careei-  as  a  general 
farmer  and  raiser  of  hogs  and  cattle  for  the  market. 
In  this  latter  department  he  was  especially  success- 
ful, this,  indeed,  constituting  the  foundations  of 
his  present  possessions.     He  enlarged  his  capacities 


m 


ui^^iJmmEinsis^ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


as  time  passed  on,  and  in  addition  to  laising  stock 
began  to  buy  and  siiip  to  the  Cliicugo  market.  In 
1 8(54  lie  purcluised  the  present  homestead  on  sec- 
tion lit.  This  includes  280  acres  of  choice  land  in 
a  fine  state  of  cultivation,  upon  which  is  a  sulistan- 
tial  farm  residence,  a  good  barn,  and  all  other  out- 
buildings required  by  a  first-class  agriculturist. 

Mr.  JMertens  was  married,  in  1853,  to  Miss  Chris- 
tina Schlangen,  of  this  county,  and  they  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  eleven  children,  four  sons  and 
seven  daughters,  all  living.  Mr.  M.  and  his  family 
are  worthy  members  of  the  Catholic  Church  of  St. 
Paul,  of  which  lie  is  one  of  the  most  liberal  support- 
ers, lie  is  a  man  of  note  in  his  community  and  is 
held  in  high  regard  for  his  persevering  industry, 
which  lias  acc(>m|ilishe(l  such  great  things  for  him, 
and  his  honest  and  straightforward  methods  of  do- 
ing business.  A  view  of  the  fine  farm  residence  of 
-Mr.  .Mertens  will  be  found  on  another  page. 


— W  ^v^ajg^/®-^/. 


i-^^i/^aTryv* '\/^/^^ 


ILLIAM  COYNE,  deceased,  was  a  pioneer 
settler  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  and  well 
^'^  and  favorably  known  throughout  this  sec- 
tion for  over  forty  years.  He  came  to  Lee  County 
in  1S42  and  located  in  Ft.  Madison,  which  was 
then  a  small  village;  he  then  went  to  Missouri  and 
remained  ten  years,  and  from  there  went  to  Wash- 
ington, I).  C,  securing  a  position  in  the  Sixth  Au- 
ditor's oftiee,  returning  to  Lee  County,  Iowa,  in 
1  .s(;7,  and  remained  a  resident  of  .lefferson  Town- 
ship until  his  death.  While  at  Ft.  Madison,  on  the 
(Ith  of  September,  1813,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Lavinia,  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Sus- 
anna (Ritter)  Oberly,  who  were  born,  reared  and 
married  in  Northampton  County,  Pa.  They  were 
of  Swiss  ancestry,  who  came  to  the  United  States 
with  the  Penn  Colony  in  the  early  history  of  this 
couiitiy,  and  |)urchased  land  of  William  Penn  near 
Philadelphia. 

Anthony  Oberl}',  the  great-grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Coyne,  after  emigrating  to  this  country  lived  and 
died  in  Pennsylvania,  as  did  also  his  son  John,  the 
grandfather  of  Mrs.  C.  Her  father,  Andrew  Oberly, 
was  born  .July  20,  1799.  He  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation, and  ill  1810  removed  from  I'enns^lvania 


to  Iowa,  stopping  a  short  time  in  Burlington,  and  gl 
then  locating  in  Lee  County.  He  lived  at  Ft.  §1 
Madis(jii  f(«-  two  years,  and  then  jiurchased  160 
acres  from  the  Mormons  in  what  was  then  the  half- 
breed  tract.  He  improved  and  cultivated  his  land, 
and  remained  upon  it  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred April  C,  1864,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
3'ears,  one  mouth  and  three  da3's.  His  wife,  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  C.  of  our  sketch,  survived  him 
eight  years,  and  died  at  her  home  in  Jefferson 
Township  .Jan.  2.5,  1872,  aged  sevent3'-six  years 
and  six  months.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  she  was  connected 
with  the  Lutherans.  He  was  strongly  Democratic 
in  politics,  and  a  man  of  decided  views  and  o|iiii- 
ions. 

Mrs.  Lavinia  Coyne,  by  her  marriage  with  our 
subject  has  become  the  mother  of  four  children,  of 
whom  the  record  is  as  foUows:  William  married 
Miss  Nella  Hawkins,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
Keokuk ;  they  are  now  in  Sacramento,  Cal.,  Mr.  C. 
being  successfully  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
and  they  have  two  children — William  K.  and 
Frank  H. ;  Mary  E.,  a  successful  teacher  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  is  now  living  at  home ;  Franklin  mar- 
ried Miss  Eliza  C.  Cale,  and  is  engaged  in  farming 
for  his  mother  on  the  old  homestead;  Andrew  mar- 
ried Miss  ^VUie  M.  Walker,  and  is  a  farmer  of  Jef- 
ferson Township. 

William  Coyne  of  this  sketch  was  a  native  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  was  born  March  29,  1817. 
He  was  of  Irish  ancestry  and  parentage,  and  his  fa- 
ther died  in  Philadelphia  when  he  was  but  an. infant. 
Ill  due  time  his  mother  contracted  asecond  marriage, 
and  our  subject  was  reared  by  his  stepfather,  James 
Glasgow, a  (Quaker  and  an  early  settler  of  Philadel- 
phia. He  remained  with  his  mother  and  stepfather 
until  he  was  of  age,  in  the  meantime  learning  of  the 
latter  the  trade  of  plasterer  and  glazier.  He  then  left 
the  parental  roof,  and  going  West  tt)  Illinois,  located 
in  Adams  County,  where  he  remained  until  1842, 
and  became  a  |)rominent  citizen  of  that  localit3'. 
He  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  under  James  Jasper  of 
Adams  County.  He  came  to  Ft.  Madison  in  1842, 
where  he  remained  for  three  3'ears,  .and  then  went 
to  Missouri,  settling  in  Siiringfield,  and  lived  there 
ten   years.     Here,    also,    his    intelligence,  force  of 


character,  aud  general  excellent  qualities,  received 
ready  acknowledgement,  and  he  became  promi- 
nently connected  witli  the  affairs  of  his  locality. 
He  was  appointed  by  President  Buchanan  Sixth  Au- 
ditor of  the  Post-OfHce  Department,  which  position 
he  occupied  for  four  years,  and  when  the  war  broke 
out  he  joined  .the  Confederate  army  and  fought  for 
what  he  believed  to  be  the  right  until  the  termina- 
tion of  the  conflict.  He  then  returned  to  Lee 
County  and  to  lais  home  in  Jefferson  Townsliip, 
where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life,  dying  in 
September,  1875. 

Mr.  Coyne  was  reared  in  the  Catholic  faith,  to 
which  he  remained  loyal  until  the  end  of  his  days, 
and  politically  was  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Mrs.  Coyne,  who  survives  her  hus- 
band, is  a  lady  highly  esteemed  in  her  community, 
and  a  prominent  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 
Her  homestead  is  pleasantly  located,  and  comprises 
a  handsome  farm  dwelling,  with  barns  and  out- 
buildings, and  IGO  acres  of  valuable  land.  She  is 
also  the  possessor  of  IGO  acres  of  timber  in  another 
part  of  the  county. 


|t^  R.  R.  M.  PARKER,  homeopathic  physician 
and  surgeon,  and  a  representative  citizen 
of  Montrose  Village,  is  a  native  of  the  Em- 
pire State,  born  in  Madison  Count^',  March 
21,  1818.  He  is  the  son  of  Leonard  C.  and  Betsy 
T.  (Bennet)  Parker,  both  natives  of  Massachusetts, 
who  passed  their  lives  in  their  native  State  and 
tliere  died  at  a  ripe  old  age  many  years  ago. 
Leonard  C.  Parker  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  he  aud  his  excellent  wife  became  the  parents 
of  ten  children,  whom  the^^  carefully  trained  and 
to  whom  they  gave  the  best  advantages  within 
their  power.  They  were  named  as  follows :  Har- 
vey, Jane,  Elizabeth,  R.  M.  (our  subject),  William, 
Sophia,  Sarah,  Jamnes,  Caroline  and  Allaseba. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  remained  under 
the  parental  roof,  receiving  careful  home  training 
and  a  fair  education  in  the  common  schools,  and 
assisted  his  parents  in  tlie  duties  around  the  home- 
stead until  his  marriage  with  Miss  Angelina  Swan, 
in  1863.     Mrs.  Parker  was  a  native  of  Ohio,   born 


in  1830,  and  after  being  the  companion  of  her  hus- 
band for  fifteen  years  departed  this  life  in  Hancock 
County,  111.,  in  1878,  leaving  two  children,  a  son 
and  daughter,  James  W.  and  Bessie  O. 

Dr.  Parker  received  his  primary  education  in 
New  York  State,  and  coninieneed  reading  medicine 
in  1838,  entering  u|)on  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion in  184.0.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the  dis- 
eases of  women  and  children,  and  is  the  only  prac- 
titioner of  the  kind  in  this  vicinity.  He  claims  to 
be  a  resident  of  Hancock  County,  111.,  but  his  prac- 
tice while  there  became  so  large  that  he  was  obliged 
to  effect  a  removal  in  order  to  be  more  centrally 
located.  In  addition  to  his  professional  duties  he 
has  always  had  a  taste  for  agriculture  and  horticult 
ure.  He  went  to  Nauvoo,  111.,  in  18GG,  where  he 
purchased  1 30  acres  of  land,  which  is  now  within 
the  city  limits  and  very  valuable.  He  has  a  fine 
residence,  two  stories  in  height,  and  built  of  brick, 
which  was  once  the  property  of  Brigham  Young. 
Upon  this  farm  is  a  vineyard  of  forty  acres,  and 
he  also  carries  on  grape  culture  on  another  five 
acres. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  has  been  a  prominent 
man  in  this  locality  for  many  years.  He  is  an  ex- 
tensive reader  and  has  made  the  most  of  his  oppor- 
tunities. In  18G7  he  became  a  member  of  tlie  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.  at  Nauvoo,  Ijelonging  to  Reclamation 
Lodge  No  54,  and  has  filled  the  various  offices  of 
this  lodge  with  the  exception  of  Master.  His  wife 
was  an  earnest  and  conscientious  memljer  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  witli  which  the  Doctor  is  also 
connected,  and  to  the  support  of  which  he  contrib- 
utes to  the  extent  of  his  means.  In  politics  he  uni- 
formly easts  his  vote  in  support  of  the  principles  of 
the  Repulilican  party.  Tlie  portrait  of  Dr.  Parker, 
which  accompanies  tiiis  sketch,  will,  it  is  hoped,  be 
regarded  as  a  faithful  likeness  of  an  honored  citizen. 


^j^^.  D.  HARTLEY,  deceased,  was  a  prominent 
I  IJIJ  and  highly  esteemed  resident  of  Cedar 
li\J^  Township,  and  l)y  his  excellent  traits  of 
character  and  genial  disposition  iiad  gathered 
around  him  a  large  circle  of  friends  who  hoUl  his 
name  in    kindly  remembrance.     Our   subject    was 


422 


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in 


nil 


LEE  COUNTY.. 


mM 


Ixjiii  in  Washington  County,  I'a.,  Dec.  1,  1H15,  and 
was  the  son  of  Tlioniiis  and  Harliara  (I, an)  Hartley, 
botii  natives  of  Biiciis  County,  I'a.  Thomas  Hart- 
ley was  a  shoemaker  l)y  trade,  and  followed  this 
occupation  in  I'ennsylvania  until  his  removal  to 
Kandolpii  County,  hid.,  where  he  was  employed  in 
a  similar  manner  until  the  last  years  of  his  life. 

Norton  I).  Hartley  was  but  two  years  old  when 
his  parents  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Indiana. 
They  were  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  that  region, 
and  located  near  Lawrenceburg  upon  a  fai'm,  which 
they  occupied  for  some  years  and  then  removed  to 
Randolph  County.  The  boy  was  reared  to  farm 
pursuits,  and  after  the  lapse  of  several  j'ears  left 
his  home  for  Preble  County,  Ohio,  where  he  pur- 
chased and  settled  upon  an  improved  farm,  which 
he  occupied  until  1H48.  He  then  returned  to  In- 
diana, and  purchasing  a  farm  in  Morgan  C^ount^', 
carried  on  farming  pursuits  there  for  the  following 
six  years,  and  then  selling  out,  crossed  the  Father 
of  Waters,  and  coming  into  Iowa  by  way  of  Keo- 
kuk, proceeded  from  there  by  wagon  to  Cedar 
Township.  There  he  rented  land  for  two  j'ears  of 
the  White  Labor  Institute,  and  subsequently  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  on  section  2.  He  occupied 
this  also  about  six  years,  then  sold  it,  and  pur- 
chased another  tract  of  land  on  section  1  of  the 
same  township.  This  consisted  of  eighty  acres, 
and  upon  it  he  remained  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  IS'ov.  11,  1870. 

Mr.  llartlej'  was  married,  April  20,  1837,  to 
Miss  Deborah  A.  Jones,  a  native  of  Preble  County, 
Ohio,  who  was  born  Jan.  20,  1820.  Her  father, 
William  Jones,  was  a  native  of  Georgia,  born  in 
17'JH,  and  the  son  of  George  and  Lydia  (Hobson) 
Jones.  William  Jones  was  six  years  old  when  his 
parents  removed  from  Georgia  to  Preble  County, 
Ohio,  and  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  that 
region.  There  he  grew  to  manhood,  married,  and 
settled  on  a  farm,  where  he  passed  the  remainder  of 
his  days.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Deb- 
orah A.  Conaroe,  a  native  of  Nevy  Jersey,  born  in 
1802.  Her  parents  removed  to  Butler  County, 
^and  she  remained  with  them  until  her  marriage,  and 
died  in  Preble  County,  Ohio. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartley  became  the  parents  of 
twelve  children,  ten  of  whom  are  yet  living:    Will- 


iam .1.  and  Thomas  C.  live  in  Cherokee  County, 
Kan.;  .lohn  is  in  Des  Jloines.  Iowa;  (JeorgeN.,  in 
Fountain  City,  Iiul.;  Lydia  Caroline  became  the 
wife  of  Evan  Mendenhall,  and  resides  in  Wichita. 
K.an. ;  Lindley  M.  lives  in  Cedar  Townshij);  Susan 
D.  II.  is  married  and  resides  in  Kenosha  County, 
Wis.;  David  Alvin  is  in  Cedar  Township;  Charles 
K.,  in  Osceola  County,  Iowa;  and  Daniel  N.  is  a 
student  at  Union  Park  Seminary,  Chicago;  one  son 
died  in  infancy;  Elizabeth  was  born  June  28,  1839, 
married  a  Mr.  Smith,  and  died  in  Cherokee  County, 
Kan.,  July  18,  1881. 

Mrs.  Hartley  is  a  niembei'  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  and  a  lady  held  in  the  highest  esteem  in 
the  communit}'.  Her  husband  was  reare<l  in  the 
same  faith,  and  was  Republican  in  polities.  The 
homestead  is  one  of  the  most  pleasantly  located  in 
this  vicinit}',  and  since  the  death  of  her  husband 
Mrs.  Hartley  has  conducted  its  affairs  in  a  highly 
creditable  manner.  Her  children  have  been  care- 
fully trained  and  well  educated,  and  in  all  respects 
she  is  fulfilling  faithfully  the  duties  of  a  careful  and 
judicious  manager  of  her  household,  and  as  a  mem- 
ber of  societj-  is  surrounded  bj-  a  large;  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances. 

ECTOR  JANSE,  a  prominent  dairyman  and 
farmer  of  Washington  Township,  is  the 
owner  of  a  comfortable  homestead  on  sec- 
tion 27.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
Hawkeye  .State  since  18G7,  and  during  a  period  of 
nearl}'  twentj'  years  has  become  one  of  the  solid 
and  respected  citizens  of  the  township.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  native  of  Holland,  and  was  horn  Oct.  23, 
1833.  His  father,  John  Janse,  was  .also  of  Holland 
parentage  and  ancestry,  and  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  with  his  family  in  185G.  The}'  set- 
tled first  in  Boston,  Mass.,  where  the  parents  sub- 
sequently died  and  were  there  buried. 

The  subject  of  this  history  remained  in  Boston 
for  ten  years  after  the  death  of  his  parents.  He 
was  the  youngest  but  one  of  five  children,  three 
sons  and  two  daughters,  and  was  twent3'-three  years 
old  when  he  landed  in  the  United  States.  He  was 
married  in  Boston  in  Is.'iS,  to  Miss  Mar\-  Floliill.  a 


HI-   . 

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LEE  COUNTY. 


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1 31 

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native  of  his  own  country,  born  in  IBSS,  and  who 
came  to  the  United  States  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
j'ears  with  her  parents.  They  also  settled  in 
Boston  and  remained  there  until  their  death.  Mrs. 
.Janse  remained  with  her  parents  until  her  mar- 
riage. She  and  her  husband  are  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased,  viz., 
Katie  and  Velie.  The  living  are,  Cynthia,  Mare- 
nus,  John,  Edward  C,  Katheriue,  William,  Anna 
J.,  Mary  L.  and  Phillip  Velie. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Janse  remained  iu  Boston  for  some 
time  after  their  marriage,  Mr.  Janse  being  employed 
in  a  rope  factory  for  seven  years.  He  then  deter- 
mined to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  wild  West,  and 
accordingly  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came  into 
Lee  County,  which  has  since  been  his  home.  They 
first  located  in  Keokuk,  from  which  they  removed 
to  Washington  Township.  Mr.  Janse  is  now  the 
possessor  of  206  acres  of  finely  cultivated  land,  and 
besides  the  ordinary  duties  of  agi-iculture  has  a 
dairj'  of  twenty-five  milch  cows.  He  has  a  profit- 
able milk  trade  with  the  people  of  Ft.  Madison, 
and  is  considered  one  of  the  solid  and  substantial 
business  men  of  this  locality.  He  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  he  and  Mrs.  Janse  are  con- 
nected with  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


•'\n/\,~^t£j2JlflSi®^i 


*/^^gi/^^r^r^^^ '  vw*. 


^ 

CL 


DWARD    DENMIRE,    a   highly    respected 

farmer    of  Montrose    Township,  who    owns 

^  and  occupies  a  fine  estate  located  on  section 


I  '5 

'J 


"2.5,  is  the  son  of  Peter  and  Nancy  (Smith)  Den- 
mire.  His  mother  was  a  native  of  Hamburg,  Ger- 
many, and  came  to  the  United  States  when  a  small 
girl.  She  married  Mr.  Denm ire  in  Ohio,  and  be- 
came the  mother  of  three  children :  F^dward,  the 
subject  of  our  sketch;  Benjamin,  who  married  Miss 
Eliza  Smith ;  and  Eliza,  now  the  wife  of  E.  P. 
Smith. 

Edward  Denmire  was  born  March  4,  1820,  and 
was  the  eldest  child  of  his  father's  family,  remain- 
ing under  the  parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  to 
years  of  manhood.  He  was  married,  Dec.  31,  1851, 
to  Miss  Emily  Kyle.  Mrs.  Denmire  was  born  in 
Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  Jan.  2,  1820,  and  of  her 
union  with  our  subject  there  have   been   born    two 


I  mXTITXIXir 


children,  a  son  and  daughter,  Altha  E.  and  Law- 
rence E.  Mr.  Denmire  came  to  Iowa  in  1853, 
making  his  location  in  Montrose  Township,  where 
he  remained  until  the  Rebellion  necessitated  the 
call  for  troops  to  aid  in  the  preservation  of  the 
Union.  He  at  once  began  to  arrange  for  respond- 
ing to  the  call,  and  in  due  time  enlisted  as  a  soldier, 
becoming  a  member  of  Co.  D,  30th  Iowa  Vol.  Inf., 
entering  the  service  as  wagoner.  He  remained 
in  the  service  three  years,  carried  the  musket  some 
months,  and  participated  in  several  general  engage- 
ments. He  was  at  Vlcksburg,  Arkansas  Post, 
Chattanooga,  and  all  the  battles  and  skirmishes  of 
the  Western  Army  until  Sherman  started  to  the 
sea.  He  was  taken  prisoner  near  Cave  Springs, 
Ga.,  about  fifteen  miles  from  Rome,  and  was 
held  five  months  and  eighteen  days  atCahaba,  Dal- 
las Co.,  Ala.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  the 
war  terminated,  and  he  was  mustered  out,  with  his 
regiment,  at  Davenport,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Denmire  and  his  companions  suffered  severely 
during  their  imprisonment.  Their  rations  consisted 
of  a  pint  of  corn  meal  per  day,  ground  with  the 
cob,  and  all  the  meat  they  saw  during  their  tedious 
imprisonment  was  upon  three  occasions;  once  a  half 
pound  of  beef  was  divided  up  among  five  men;  at 
another  time  one  hog  ear  was  divided  among  the 
same  number,  and  at  another  time  a  part  of  a  hog's 
nose  furnished  a  luxury  to  the  five  men.  They 
were  confined  in  a  cotton  house,  and  at  one  time 
they  raised  a  mutiny,  captured  the  sixteen  men  who 
stood  as  guard,  and  held  the  position  for  four  hours, 
when  they  were  obliged  to  surrender.  They  were 
then  starved  more  than  usual  for  six  days  in  re- 
turn for  their  insubordination.  Mr.  Denmire  still 
preserves  an  old  spoon  as  a  relic  of  those  days.  It 
was  carved  out  of  wood  by  one  of  the  boys  in  tlie 
prison  and  was  esteemed  quite  a  luxury. 

After  his  return  from  the  army,  Mr.  Denmire  re- 
turned to  Iowa,  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  is  now  the  possessor  of  224  acres  of 
finely  cultivated  land,  upon  which  he  has  erected  a 
fine  dwelling-house  and  good  barns.  The  home- 
stead is  replete  with  all  the  appliances  that  consti- 
tute a  first-class  modern  farm  estate,  and  its  in- 
mates are  among  the  most  highly  resjiected  citizens 
of  Lee  County.     Mrs.  Denmire  is  a  member  of  the 


ilHE 


11 


m 


LEE  COUNTY. 


iiii 


Christian  Church,  and  Mr.  I),  in  politics  is  Repub- 
lican. Mr.  Denmire  has  lieen  a  member  in  good 
standing-  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  I\I.  for  twenty-live 
years.  As  a  business  man  he  is  considered  one  of 
the  most  thorough-going  and  straightforward  in  his 
community.  As  a  neighbor  and  citizen,  he  is  highly 
esteemed  and  respected  by  all  who  coine  in  contact 
with  him. 


GARRETT  FUEKER,  one  of  tlie  oldest  set- 
tlers of  Marion  Township,  came  to  Iowa  in 
the  summer  of  18.37,  and  has  been  an  inter- 
ested witness  of  the  remarkable  changes  which  have 
occurred  since  that  early  time.  Iowa  remained 
a  Territory  nine  years  after  our  subject  crossed  the 
Mississippi,  and  in  common  with  the  other  pioneers 
he  has  been  materially  interested  in  its  development 
and  growth,  and  has  assisted  in  bringing  it  to  its 
present  proud  position  among  the  .States  west  of  the 
Mississippi. 

Mr.  Fueker  was  born  in  Germany,  June  ItJ,  1811, 
and  at  the  age  of  seven  years  was  placed  in  school, 
where  he  continued  until  fifteen.  He  then  went  to 
work  on  the  farm  of  his  father,  Barnard  Fueker, 
and  was  thus  eugaged  until  twenty-six  years  old, 
when  he  emigrated  t(j  America,  landing  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  From  there  he  proceeded  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  thence  to  Ft.  Madison,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  time  with  his  brother,  and  fi'om  there 
went  to  Galena,  111.,  and  for  a  period  of  eight  years 
following  was  employed  in  the  lead  mines.  He 
then  returned  to  Lee  County,  Iowa,  and  com- 
menced farming  upon  .'iOO  acres  of  land,  for  which 
lie  contr.'icted  to  pay  with  borrowed  money  at  75 
per  cent  interest.  Money  at  that  time  was  almost 
impossible  to  obtain,  but  in  spite  of  this  ruinous  in- 
terest he  went  to  work  and  pulled  through  in 
safety.  His  first  house  was  a  small  log  cabin,  which 
he  occupied  with  his  family  for  several  years. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  1846,  to  Miss  Aldine 
Moorehousc,  who  only  lived  a  short  time  after  their 
marriage.  His  second  wife  was  Miss  Elizabeth 
Sanders,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  18G0.  Of  this 
union  there  were  Ixjrn  six  children,  four  now  de- 
ceased.    The  two  liviu<;-  are  Elizabeth,  llie  wife  of 


.Iiilm   lA'mmaes,  of  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa,  ami    Henry,  ; 
.•it  home  with  his  parents.  ; 

In  connection  with  general  farming  our  subject  j, 
has  been  successful  .as  a  stock-raiser,  and  sells  large  Ji 
numbers  of  cattle  and  hogs  a]nnially.  In  conmum 
with  most  German  farmers  he  i)rides  himself  upon  31 
his  good  horses,  which  are  well  fed  ami  well  eared  3t- 
for.  lie  still  owns  his  original  .JDit  acres,  which  he  :[: 
purchased  against  such  odds  when  coming  to  this  5i 
countj',  and  has  a  fine  competenc}'  for  his  old  age.  3f: 

Mr.  Fueker  h.as  been  a  liberal-minded  citizen,  a[ 
and  the  encourager  and  snp|)orter  of  every  meas-  'l 
ure  tending  to  the  welfare  of  his  eoniinunit}'.  He  i\ 
is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Catholic  S 
Church,  and  contributed  ^1,01)0  toward  the  erection  « 
of  the  church  edifice  in  St.  Paul.  Although  now  S! 
nearly  seventy-six  years  of  age,  he  is  hale  and 
hearty,  and  is  in  full  possession  of  his  mental  fac- 
ulties, as  well  as  sight  and  hearing.  He  has  never 
laid  .aside  his  early  habits  of  industry  and  economy, 
and  still  busies  himself  with  the  lighter  duties 
around  the  farm. 


►>C<tf-»'^!^" 


^^NTOINE  .1.  LkFAIVRE,  a  successful  horti- 
0fu  culturist  of  Jackson  Township,  is  pleas- 
li  an tly  located  on  section  19.  He  has  been 
a  resident  of  this  section  since  1875,  and 
is  principally  eng.aged  in  the  culture  of  the  finer 
fruits  and  vegetables.  The  subject  of  this  histor3' 
is  the  son  of  Antoine  and  I'elagie  (Premain) 
LeFaivre,  natives  respectively  of  Canada  and  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  of  French  ancestrj-  and  parentage. 
Our  subject  was  the  only  son  of  his  parents,  and 
was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Nov.  8, 1841,  which  re-  |j 
mained  his  home  until  he  w.as  twenty-two  years  of 
age.  His  education  was  mostly  obtained  in  the 
Academy  of  the  Christian  Brothers  at  .St.  Louis,  S 
and  after  completing  his  studies  he  engaged  in  the 
commission  business  in  that  city  for  about  one  year. 
In  December,  18(53,  Mr.  LeFaivre  came  to  Keo- 
kuk, and  eugaged  in  the  queensware  trade  with 
Samuel  E.  Carey,  under  the  firm  name  of  Carey  & 
LeFaivre.  They  carried  on  business  in  partner- 
shijj  for  ten  j-ears,  and  then  Mr.  LeFaivre  sold  out 
liis  interest  to  his  partner  and  assiinie(l    ciiarge    l)f 


1 1 

s 

Hf 


(ribbon's  Opera  House  until  l.sTo.  He  then  pur- 
chased fifty-live  iioies  of  land  in  Jackson  Township, 
and  turned  his  attention  to  gardening.  On  the  6th 
of  August,  1884,  his  house  with  its  entire  contents 
was  destroyed  b}'  Are,  and  was  only  partially  in- 
sured. He  was  not  discouraged,  however,  by  this 
calauiit}',  and  had  plent}'  of  friends  to  assist  him. 
He  at  once  rebuilt  and  resumed  his  business  as  soon 
as  possible.  He  now  occupies  a  fine  modern  dwell- 
ing, and  is  surrounded  I13'  all  the  comforts  of  life. 
Antoine  LeFaivre  was  married  in  Keokuk,  Iowa, 
to  Miss  Mary  C.  Burke,  a  native  of  Marietta,  Ohio, 
and  the  daughter  of  James  E.  and  Jlargaret  Burke, 
and  of  this  union  there  were  born  five  children: 
The  three  eldest  are  deceased,  those  surviving 
being  Burke  and  Margaret.  The  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject departed  this  life  on  the  Gth  of  March,  187G. 
She  was  an  earnest  adherent  of  the  Catholic  faith, 
and  a  lady  greatly  respected  for  excellent  traits  of 
character.  Mr.  LeFaivre  has  been  prosperous  in 
the  management  of  his  business,  and  the  products 
of  his  garden  are  the  finest  in  this  vicinity.  He  is  a 
quiet  and  unostentatious  citizen,  attending  strictly 
to  his  own  affairs,  and  in  politics  uniformly  casts 
his  vote  with  the  Republican  party. 

-^ #.-#^ ^  _ 

VILLIAM  J.  MILLER,  a  prosperous  farmer 
of  Charleston  Township,  who  owns  and 
occupies  a  comfortable  homestead  on  sec- 
tion 17,  came  with  his  parents  to  Iowa  and  settled 
in  Lee  County,  in  18,52,  and  in  a  residence  of  over 
thirty  years  has  established  himself  in  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  his  fellow-townsmen. 

Mr.  Miller  was  burn  in  Fulton  County,  111.,  Nov. 
8,  183G,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Lucinda 
(James)  Miller,  natives  of  Kentuck}'.  After  their 
marriage  thej'  removed  from  their  native  State  to 
Indiana,  settling  in  Scotland  County,  whence  they 
removed  to  Fulton  Count3',  111.,  in  about  18i5.j,  and 
seventeen  years  later  cr(jssed  the  Mississippi,  and 
came  into  Lee  County,  Iowa,  and  settled  in  Jeffer- 
son Township,  whence  they  removed  two  years 
later  to  Montrose,  where  .John  .Miller  departed  this 
life  in  1854.     His  wife,  the  mother  of  our   subject. 


survived  him  eight  years,  dying  in  Van  Buren 
Township,  in  1862.  The  parental  household  in- 
cluded eight  children,  of  whom  the  record  is  as  fol- 
lows: Elizabeth,  INIary,  Esther  and  Hannah  are  de- 
ceased;  Martin  is  a  farmer  of  Harrison  Township; 
George  resides  in  Charleston  Township;  Sarah  is 
the  wife  of  John  Van  Pa]),  and  resides  in  Keokuk ; 
William  J.  is  our  subject. 

Mr.  Miller  has  been  continuously  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  His  homestead  comprises 
eightj'  acres,  of  which  he  is  part  owner  with  his 
brother  George.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  is  Democratic  in  politics,  is  a  law-abiding 
citizen,  and  takes  an  active  and  intelligent  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  his  community. 

•^  )*.1LLIAM  FULTON,  senior  member  of  the 
\^//  ^''"  ^^  Fulton  &  Fulton,  attorneys  at  law 
W^  and  dealers  in  real  estate,  at  Keokuk,  is  a 
native  of  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  born  near 
West  Newton  on  the  4th  of  June,  1829.  His  par- 
ents were  William  and  Nancy  (Peairs)  Fulton.  The 
former  was  a  native  of  Westmoreland  County,  Pa., 
and  traced  his  ancestors  back  to  Ireland,  his  grand- 
father being  Abraham  Fulton,  from  whom  descended 
Robert  Fulton,  the  father  of  William,  Sr.,  who 
served  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  conflict  retired  to  Westmoreland  County, 
and  there  died  in  1851.  The  parental  household 
included  six  children,  three  of  whom  grew  to  years 
of  maturity,  and  of  whom  our  subject  is  the 
eldest  living.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  who  be- 
fore her  marriage  was  Miss  Nancy  Peairs,  was  born 
in  17'Jl,  and  departed  this  life  in  1882,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years. 

William  Fulton,  our  subject,  pursued  his  primary 
studies  in  the  common  schools,  and  later  attended 
Washington  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1854.  He  then  went  to  the  State  of  Louisiana, 
and  after  two  years  spent  there  as  a  teacher  came 
to  Keokuk  and  completed  his  law  studies  with  the 
firm  of  Ilornish  &  Lomax.  He  was  admitted  to 
practice  in  1 858,  and  to  a  partnership  with  his  pre- 
ceptor  (:S[r.   Ilornish),  which  lasted  for  six  years. 


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426 


LEE  COUNTY. 


11 


Since  that  time  he  has  beeu  mostly  engaged  in  the 
purchase  and  sale  of  real  estsite  and  in  fire  insurance, 
representing  about  fifteen  of  the  most  relial)k' com- 
panies in  the  countr3-.  lie  has  served  as  Alderman 
of  the  city  for  two  j'ears,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
School  I5oard  four  years,  lie  is  a  charter  member 
of  the  Keokuk  Library  Association,  in  which  body 
he  has  served  as  Secretary,  Treasurer  and  Director. 
He  is  actively  interested  in  all  measures  for  pro- 
moting the  welfare  of  his  adopted  city,  and  in  all 
respects  is  a  self-sacrificing  and  conscientious  citizen. 
Mr.  Fulton  was  married  in  June,  186.5,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Dalzcll,  of  IMttsburgh,  Pa.,  and  their  four 
children  are :  Nannie  Peairs,  Robert  Dalzell,  ,Iamcs 
Mc(,^ueen  and  Mnry  E.  The  famil}'  oceup}'  a  pleasant 
and  attractive  liome,  and  enjoy  the  association  and 
friendship  of  the  cultured  people  of  the  city.  The 
entire  family  are  members  of  the  Presljyterian 
Church,  in  which  our  subject  has  been  an  Elder 
six  years  and  Deacon  twelve  years.  Socially  Mr. 
F.  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 


^<?=^EORGE  HOTT,  the  subject  of  this  biog- 
III  (-— ,  raphy,  an  honored  pioneer  of  the  Hawkeye 
^^ijj  State,  crossed  the  Mississippi  from  his  na- 
tive State  of  Ohio  at  an  early  day,  1840,  and  came 
into  Iowa  while  it  was  yet  a  Territory.  The 
changes  which  lie  has  witnessed  since  that  time 
would  make  a  most  interesting  volume  could  the}' 
be  related  by  our  subject,  as  he  is  a  man  possessed 
of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence,  and  has  been 
keenly  observant  all  his  life  (;f  what  was  going  on 
around  him. 

Mr.  Hott  vvas  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio, 
F'eb.  23,  1812.  His  father,  Peter  Hott,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  and  removed  from  his  native  State 
to  Ohio  at  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  that 
section.  He  was  possessed  of  limited  means,  but  a 
large  fund  of  industry  and  ambition,  and  after  go- 
ing into  Ohio,  he  cleared  quite  an  extent  of  land 
bj'  leasing,  and  in  the  course  of  his  life  built  twen- 
ty-two log  houses,  in  wliich  lie  lived  while  perform- 
ing the  leases.  lie  departed  from  tlie  scenes  of  his 
earthly  labors  at  the  age  of  ubnut  sixty  years. 

The  parental  family  of  uiir  subject  consisted  ol 


eleven  children,  and  as  soon  as  George  Hott  was 
large  enough  to  be  of  assistance,  he  was  put  to  work, 
and  aided  in  liurning  brush,  rolling  logs,  clearinu 
land  and  building  fences.  At  the  age  of  seven 
teen  ^-ears,  desiring  to  change  his  occupation  and 
see  something  <>f  the  world,  iie  engaged  as  a  i.i 
borer  on  the  Ohio  it  Erie  Canal,  winch  was  then  in 
process  of  construction.  He  was  paid  ijH>  [ni 
month,  and  was  thus  occupied  for  the  greater  i>:iil 
of  three  3'ears.  He  then  returned  to  his  old  lionn'. 
and  engaged  in  farming  for  the  same  wages,  and 
continued  a  resident  <>f  that  section  until  1840.  in 
the  meantime  he  had  formed  domestic  ties,  ami 
had  a  familj'  consisting  of  a  wife  and  four  ciiildn  n. 
He  also  made  a  lease  for  seven  years,  and  carried 
on  coopering,  bj'  which  means  he  was  afterwm  I 
able  to  go  to  Iowa.  He  now  resolved  to  change 
his  location,  and  accordingly,  with  his  family, 
started  for  the  Territory  of  Iowa.  They  were 
equipped  with  two  horses,  and  a  wagon  loaded  with 
their  household  goods.  They  cooked  and  camped 
by  the  wayside,  and  after  four  weeks  of  travel 
landed  in  Lee  County.  Thej-  located  in  Harrison 
Township,  and  set  up  housekeeping  in  a  humble 
log  cabin,  wliich  was  .also  occupied  bj' another  fam- 
ily of  the  name  of  Reesman.  There  they  spent  the 
following  winter,  and  in  the  spring  Mr.  Hott  pur- 
chased eiglity  acres  of  land  in  Harrison  Township, 
upon  which  he  erected  a  hewed-log  house. 

Upon  leaving  Ohio  Mr.  Hott  had  less  than  !fi300 
in  cash.  After  building  his  house  in  Iowa,  the 
famil}'  met  with  a  great  affliction  in  the  death  of 
the  wife  and  mother,  which  compelled  them  to 
abandon  their  idea  of  establishing  a  home  at  that 
time.  Mr.  Hott  engaged  at  coopering  in  Van  Bu- 
ren  Count}-  during  one  winter,  .and  then  purchased 
the  place  which  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  Upon 
it  there  vvas  a  small  log  cabin,  and  twenty-six  acres 
were  fenced.  In  .lanuary,  1K42,  he  moved  into 
the  log  cabin  with  his  little  family,  and  commenced 
the  improvement  of  his  land.  They  occupied  this 
a  few  years,  when  Mr.  Hott  secured  a  desirable 
tract  of  forty  acres  adjoining,  iqjon  wliich  he  built 
a  more  substantial  house,  into  which  they  removed 
from  the  old  ^n^Q  and  remained  tliere  until  1868. 
They  were  prospered  in  their  labors,  and  Mr.  Hott 
subsequentlj'  erected   a  good  set   of   frame   l)uild- 


:r 


ings.  He  has  since  purchased  additional  land,  until 
lie  is  now  the  possessor  of  414  acres.  His  farming 
operations  have  been  conducted  in  a  sj'stematic 
manner,  and  for  a  long  period  of  j'enrs  he  has  been 
accounted  one  v{  the  most  intelligent  and  success- 
ful agriculturists  of  this  section. 

The  first  wife  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was 
Mif^s   .lane   Dean,  of    Pickaway   Count}-,   Ohio,  to 
whom  he  was   married  in   1832.     .She  became   the 
mother    of   seven    children — Isaac,    Peter,    Aaron, 
Henr_y,  and  three  unnamed.     All  except  Peter  are 
deceased.     Mrs.    Ilott   died    in    1841.     Peter  was 
born  in  Pickaway   County,   Ohio,  Sept.   29,    1834. 
He  was  a  little  lad  of  six   years   when  he   came  to 
Iowa  with  his    parents,  and   lived    with  his  father 
until  his  marriage  with  .Miss  Mar}-  Harlan,  of  Darke 
Count}-,  Ohio,  which  occurred   .Jan.  18,    185.5,  and 
by  this  marriage  there   were   three   children.     His 
wife  only  lived  ten  years  after  her  marriage,  dy- 
ing March  6,  1 865.     He    was   married   the  second 
time,  Dec.  7,  181)5,  to  Miss  Anna  Lane,  a  native  of 
Highland  County,  Ohio,  born  Sept.  26,    1845,   and 
the  (laughter  of  .lacob  and  Charlotte   (Cule)  Lane. 
Of  the  second  marriage  one  child  was  liorn,  Isaac 
Henry.     Peter  Hott  is  a  successful  farmer  and  the 
only  child  of  our  subject  now  living.     He   is  emi- 
nently a  "  chip  of  the  old  block,"  and  possesses  in 
a  marked   tlegree  many  of  the  worthy  characteris- 
tics of  his  sire.     He   is  a   thorough-going  business 
man,   energetic  and   wide-awake,  and    whatever  he 
undertakes  is  sure  to  be  done  well.      He  is  a  highly 
esteemed  resident  of  the  Hawkeye  State,  and  pos- 
sesses one  of  the  finest  farm  estates  in  this  section. 
The  second  marriage  of  Mr.   George   Hott  was 
,  with  Mrs.  .lane  M^arren,  daughter  of  .Tohn  lluddle- 
>on  and  widow  of  William  AVarren,  and  took  place 
in  .January.  1842.     Of  this  mairiage  there  were  no 
children.      Mrs.    Hott    died    Feb.    27,    1.S84.     She 
came  to  Lee  County  with  her  first  husband  in  1834, 
while  this  section   was  a  part  of  the   Tenitory   of 
Wisconsin,  and  they  made  their  location  before  the 
laud  was  surveyed,  on  what  was  afterward  sections 
6,  7  and  8  of  Cedar  Township.     Mrs.  Hott  was  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  with  which 
our  sul)ject  has  been  connected  for  many  years. 

Till'  history  of  Mr.  Hott  is  a  striking  illustration 
of  what  an  abundance  of  energy  and  perseverance 


may  accomplish.  The  advantages  of  his  childhood  | 
were  exceedingly  meager,  but  this  fact  would  not  [ 
be  suspected  in  conversing  with  the  present  intelli- 
gent proprietor  of  one  of  the  finest  homesteads  in 
Lee  County. 


.'rt 


EV.    FATHER   MOBRLS   HOWARD,   late 
Priest  of  St.  Francis'  Church,  Keokuk,  came 
to  this  city  in  1878.     He  was  born   in  Ire- 
laud    on  the  4th   of   January,  1813,  and 
emigi-ated    to    America   in  1836,  landing   at  New 
York  City.     There  lie  entered  a  theological  col- 
lege,  and   prosecuted    his  studies  for  six  months, 
when  he  left  school  and  went  to  work  in  the  mines  at 
Pottsville,  Pa.,  at  $8  per  week,  being  thus  occupied 
until  the  winter  of  1837.     He  then  left  and  was 
employed  elsewhere,  and  in  due  time  re-entered  col- 
lege but  was  not  admitted  to  the  priesthood.  After 
this    we  find   him   at  Mobile,  Ala.,  where  he  was 
made  the  overseer  of  negroes.     After  six  months 
he  went  into  Perry  County,  Mo.,  and  entered   St. 
\^incent's  College  at  Cape  Girardeau  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, where  he  remained  from    July,   1838,  until 
October,  1841.    Then,  on  account  of  failing  health, 
he  went  South  and  remained  until  July,  1842,  his 
health  in  the  meantime  becoming  very  much  better. 
He  then  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  on  the  23d 
of  October,  1842,  was  ordained  priest  by  Bishop 
Purcell.     His  first  station   was   at  Doylestown    in 
Wayne    County,    Ohio,    where   he   remained   until 
1846.  Thence  he  went  to  Tiffin,  Ohio,  and  in  May, 
1850,  removed  to  Springfield,  whence  he  went  to 
Galesburg,  111.,  in  1864.     He  remained  there  until 
August,    1877,   removed  thence  to  St.  Augustine, 
and  in  May,  1878,  came  to  Keokuk  and  took  charge 
of  St.  Francis'  Church,  where  he  remained  until  his 
death.     He  was  well  fitted   for  the  responsibilities 
connected  with  this  charge  and  highly    esteemed 
both  in  his  own  parish  and  outside. 


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L.  CONNABLK,  a  retired  merchant  and 
capitalist,  residing  at  Keokuk,  and  a  self- 
made  man  in  every  respect  the  word  implies, 
is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  born  in 
1811.  The  parents  of  our  subject.  Ezra  and  Nahbie 


LEE  COUNTY. 


(.Stephens)  Coniiiible,  were  likewise  lioni  in  Massa- 
chusetts. The  fiither  w:is  a  farmer  I)y  occiipalion, 
and  departed  this  life  in  1X40.     Mis  good  wife  pro- 

M.    ceded   him  to  the  land  <>f   the  hereafter   in   ISi;!. 
Tile  parents  iiad  two  cliildren,  llic  siihjcet  of   this 
"    slvctcli  lieing  the  j'oungest. 

A.  L.  Connable  remained  on  ins  f:itlier'.s  farm 
until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  set  out 
to  do  for  himself,  by  engaging  his  services  to  an 
author  and  publisher  of  a  grammar,  and  for  a 
year  was  occupied  in  canvassing  for  that  work  in 
Ohio.  We  next  hear  of  him  at  Eaton,  Preble 
County,  Ohio,  engaged  in  mail  contracting,  in 
which  business  he  continued  for  about  four  years, 
furnishing  horses,  stage-coaches,  etc.,  and  taking 
c<jntracts  for  the  carrying  of  the  mail  over  different 
routes. 

In  1.S42  our  subject  disposed  of  his  personal 
property,  ctmsisting  of  horses,   coaches,   etc.,  and 

M  abandoning  the  mail  contract  business,  purcliased 
a  large  number  of  sheep.  Starting  with  3,000 
head,  he  drove  them  through  the  country  to  the 
then  Territory  of  Iowa,  being  on  the  route  fort^'-six 
days.  Arriving  in  this  State  he  settled  in  Jefferson 
County,  where  he  purchased  600  acrgs  of  land,  and 
at  once  began  the  improvement  of  the  same,  and 
for  seven  years  kept  his  sheep  and  cultivated  his 
land.  He  then  disposed  of  his  farm  and  all  his  per- 
sonal property',  and  moving  to  Keokuk  took  some 
large  contracts  on  the  Des  Moines  River,  for  im- 
proving the  same.  He  was  thus  engaged  for  about 
two  years,  having  in  his  employ  from  seventy-five 
to  100  men. 

In  1849  Mr.  Connable  embarked  in  the  wholesale 
grocery  business,  together  with  that  of  dealing  in 
iron  on  the  levee  in  Keolcuk.     This  enterprise   he 
continued   for  about  fifteen  years,    meeting  with 
signal  success,  which  was  brought  about,  undoubt- 
edly, by  energetic  endeavor  and  close  attention  to 
n  business.     At  the  expiration  of  this  time  Mr.  Con- 
}  nnble  engaged  in  p.-icking  pork  and  beef.   He  erected 
"  a  packing-house  on  Fifth  street  and  slaughtered  from 
;50,000  to  40,000  hogs  and  3,000  beeves  per  annum. 
This  latter  business  he  continued  for  about  seven 
years  when  he  sold  out,  having  accumulated  a  suf- 
ficiency in  vvhich  to  pass  the  remaining  years  of  his 
life  in  peace  and  quiet,  retired  from  active    labor. 


Mr.  Connable  is  a  gentleman  who  has  never  | 
soiiglit  office,  yet,  while  residing  in  .Icffcrsc)n  County,  = 
he  was  elected  Supervisor,  and  has  also  served  in  «: 
the  same  capacity  while  a  resident  of  Keokuk.  He  ? 
has  spent  over  *10(),00(i  in  tiie  erection  of  build-  : 
ings  in  his  adopted  city  and  has  done  much  towiird  : 
its  advancement  and  prosperity.  In  1856  he  erected  3 
his  present  residence,  whieii  is  located  on  Concert  ; 
street,  between  Second  and  Third.  In  politics  he  E 
votes  the  Democratic  ticket,  and  religiously  belongs  :' 
to  the  Unitarian  Church.  He  has  always  been  a  E" 
supporter  of  every  laudable  enterprise  that  was  H 
calculated  to  advance  the  interest  of  his  city  or  the  5; 
prosperity  of  the  people.  : 

Mr.  Connable  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  II.  Fin-  \ 
ney  in  1849.  She  was  a  native  of  Baltimore,  and  : 
the  daughter  of  Lewis  H.  F'inim'.  They  have  :• 
become  the  parents  of  three  children,  all  sons:  » 
Albert  E.  married  Miss  Rose  Franklin,  of  Keokuk,  | 
and  the3'  have  three  children — Saddle,  Lulu  and  E; 
Franklin ;  the  family  reside  in  Hancock  County.  J; 
HI.,  where  the  father  is  extensively  engaged  in  farm- 
ing; Edwin  H.  is  farming  on  600  acres  of  land  in 
Clark  County,  Mo.;  Howard  L.  is  living  in  Keokuk, 
and  formerly  was  engaged  in  the  clothing  business. 
The  wife  and  mother  departed  this  life  in  Januaiy, 
1885.  She  was  a  sincere  Christian  woman,  a  loving 
wife  and  kind  mother,  and  was  respected  by  all 
who  knew  her.  Mr.  Connal)le  is  one  of  the  fore- 
most citizens  of  Keokuk,  and  respected  and  honored 
for  his  straightforward  dealings  with  his  fellow- 
man  and  his  strict  integrity. 

APT.  ROBERT  S.  OWEN  is  one  of  the  pio- 
neer boatmen  of  the  Mississippi,  having 
plied  the  rapids  between  Keokuk  and  Mont- 
rose for  the  last  thirty-nine  years,  and  is  part 
owner  of  the  steamboat  "Park  Bluff,"  belonging  to 
the  Des  Moines  Rapids  Towing  Company,  and  the 
steamer  "  Prescott."  He  also  has  an  interest  in 
other  river  craft,  and  among  the  members  of  his 
calling  occupies  a  prominent  and  enviable  position. 
He  is  skillful  and  popular,  and  is  well  and  favor- 
ably known  for  miles  up  and  down  the  river. 

Capt.  Owen  is  a  native  of   Indiana, and  was  born 


): 


g^™^^^^gSJSSl 


^Y'n^Sn  ^gc 


LEE  COUNTY. 


\: 

132 


at  Point  Commerce,  Greene  County,  Oct.  9,  1830. 
He  is  tlie  son  of  EpJiraim  and  Mary  (Kern)  Owen, 
natives  of  Ohio  and  New  Jersey  respectively. 
Epliraiin  Owen  removed  from  his  native  State  to 
Iowa  while  it  was  yet  a  Territory,  in  1839,  and  in 
that  3'ear  his  life  terminated,  at  tlie  age  of  fifty 
3'ears.  lie  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  con- 
nected with  the  church  of  the  Latter-Day  Saints. 
His  wife  came  with  him  to  this  State,  and  survived 
him  until  1845  or  1846.  She  was  reared  in  the 
faith  of  tlie  Christian  Church,  Ijut  after  her  mar- 
riage went  with  her  husband  to  tlie  church  of  his 
choice. 

The  parental  family  of  our  subject  consisted  of 
two  sons  and  three  daughters,  the  record  of  whom 
is  as  follows:  Robert  S.,  our  subject;  Camara  O. 
went  to  Utah  Territory,  and  died  there  in  1 865 ; 
Ferniina  V.  became  the  wife  of  George  Powers; 
Persilla  died  in  about  1840,  in  the  spring  of  the 
year;  Ephraim  F.,  also  a  steamboat  Captain  and 
pilot  on  the  lower  Mississippi,  was  married  in  18G7, 
to  Miss  Marj'  Barnett,  of  Mobile,  Ala. ;  he  died  in 
St.  Louis  on  the  18th  day  of  September,  1867,  of 
yellow  fever.  He  had  started  from  St.  Louis  in 
command  of  the  steamer  "  Bee,"  belonging  to  the 
Mississippi  Valley  Transportation  Company,  made 
his  trip  in  safety,  and  was  stricken  with  the  plague 
in  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  and  brought  to  St.  Louis. 
His  first  trip  up  the  river  as  pilot  was  to  St.  Paul 
in  1854,  and  he  followed  the  Upper  Mississippi  as 
pilot  until  1863,  when  he  went  below  and  followed 
the  Lower  Mississippi  trade  for  the  following  two 
years,  then  purchased  an  interest  in  the  steamer 
"  War  Eagle,"  running  her  as  Captain 'one  year. 
He  then  became  employed  by  the  above-named 
transportation  company,  and  secured  a  life  insur- 
ance to  the  extent  of  $5,000,  which  after  his  death 
was  paid  to  his  widow. 

Capt.  Owen  of  this  sketch  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Eliza  A.  Peck,  Nov.  5,  1856.  Mrs. 
Owen  is  a  native  of  South  Adams,  Mass.,  born  June 
11,  1835.  Her  parents  were  Cyrus  and  Ruth  T. 
(Hoxie)  Peck,  natives  of  New  York  and  Massachu- 
setts respectively,  and  she  was  their  only  child. 
Her  father  was  born  Feb.  21,  1804,  and  departed 
this  life  Nov.  12,  1858,  in  Hancock  County,  111. 
Mrs.  Peck  died  Oct.  28,  1835,  in  Massachusetts. 


Of  the  union  of  Capt.  and  Mrs.  Owen  there 
been  only  one  child,  a  son,  Zack,  born  Aug. 
1857.  He  has  received  a  fine  education,  and  is  an 
intelligent  and  successful  business  man.  Mrs. 
Owen  is  a  highly  cultivated  lad3',  and  of  remark- 
ably attractive  personal  appearance.  She  comes  of 
an  excellent  family,  and  is  a  cousin  of  the  late  II. 
M.  Hoxie,  of  St.  Louis.  Capt.  Owen  and  his  fam- 
ily occupy  a  fine  residence  in  Montrose,  and  are 
surrounded  by  the  evidences  of  a  refined  and  cul- 
tivated taste. 

Besides  his  town  property,  Capt.  Owen  is  the 
proprietor  of  350  acres  of  land  in  Montrose  Town- 
ship. He  is  a  gentleman  of  jjleasing  manners,  a 
great  favorite  among  river  men,  and  highlj'  es- 
teemed in  the  town  where  he  makes  his  home.  He 
is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F., 
Cascade  Lodge  No.  66,  and  also  belongs  to  the  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  Joppa  Lodge  No.  136,  at  Montrose, 
and  to  Potowonok  Chapter;  also  Damascus  Com- 
mandery  No.  5,  at  Keokuk,  the  Eastern  Star,  and 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  No.  115.  He  casts  his  vote 
uniformly  in  support  of  the  principles  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in 
all  matters  of  local  and  general  importance. 

Capt.  Owen  is  a  thorough  business  man,  and  is 
President  of  the  Des  Moines  Rapids  Towing  Com- 
pany, the  members  of  said  company  being,  R.  S. 
Owen  and  Capt.  Samuel  Speake,  of  Nauvoo,  F.  A. 
Whitnej',  of  Sandusk}',  Iowa,  and  Thomas  Peel,  of 
Burlington. 


EY.  ALOYSIUS  MEIS,  pastor  of  St.  Mary's 
Church,  of  Ft.    Madison,   is   an    esteemed 


■^ 


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m 


resident  of  the  city,  and  occupies  a  prom- 
inent position  as  a  minister  of  the  Catholic 
faith.  Father  Meis  -is  a  native  of  Westphalia, 
Prussia,  and  was  born  in  December,  1833.  He  is 
the  son  of  Henry  and  Margaret  (Happe)  Meis,  and 
his  father  departed  this  life  before  the.  birth  of  his 
sou,  our  subject.  The  parental  family  consisted  of 
four  children,  all  of  whom  came  to  the  United 
States.  The  eldest  son,  Barney,  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  and  died  in  Dubuque  County,  Iowa, 
some  years  since.  Ferdinand  resides  near  Dj'ers- 
ville,  Duliuque  County,  and  is  engaged  in  agricuit- 


432 


LEE  COUNTY. 


P^ 


SB 


Pi] 


B 


ural  pursuits;  Frmik  is  also  carrying  mi  f.anniiii^  in 
the  same  lucality.  The  youngest  son.  Aloysius,  is 
the  subject  of  our  si<etch. 

In  due  time  after  the  death  of  her  hiislitnid,  tlic 
mother  of  our  subject  contracted  a  sec(jnd  inar- 
riaae,  about  l»;iti,  becoming  the  wife  of  ^Villi!lm 
Pape,  and  by  this  marriage  tliere  were  boni  four 
sons,  namely,  Conrad,  who  resides  in  Duhuciue 
Cnunty,  Iowa;  Henry,  whose  home  is  in  Carroll 
County;  Herman,  a  merchant  of  Carroll  City,  Iowa, 
and  William,  who  is  .■!  priest  in  the  Catholic  Church 
stationed  at  New  Vienna,  Dubuque  County. 

The  family  came  to  the  United  States  in  l.s4'.i, 
landing  at  New  Orleans.  an<l  soon  afterwiird  settled 
in  Duljuijue  County.  Iowa.  There  the  mother  died 
in  IsOo,  atthe  age  of  sixty-two  years,  and  the 
step-father  died  at  the  same  place.  The  subject  of 
our  sketch,  in  early  youth,  was  emi^loyed  upon  a 
farm  and  went  to  Kentucky.  He  was  a  bright  and 
aml)itious  lad  of  studious  habits,  and  determined 
to  secnire  an  education.  He  made  the  most  of  his 
opi)ortunities.  and  in  due  time  entered  St.  Thomas 
College,  near  B.-irdstown,  Ky.,  and  in  1M55  gradu- 
ated fnjm  there  and  entered  upon  a  course  of  study 
in  the  college  of  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.,  where  he 
received  the  instructions  which  fitted  him  for  the 
position  of  a  priest  in  the  Catholic  Church.  He 
was  ordained  in  1863,  his  first  charge  being  at 
Lyons,  Iowa,  where  he  remained  for  nearly  two 
3-ears,  and  then  wiis  located  atDubuiiue  until  1871. 
During  this  time  he  was  instrumental  In  the  build- 
ing of  St.  M.-iry's  Church,  which  is  a  beautiful  edi- 
fice costing  a  sum  of  over  $70,000. 

Father  Meis  came  to  Ft.  Madison  in  Feliruar^-, 
1871.  At  that  time  the  parish  consisted  of  about 
200  families,  and  their  new  church  edifice  was  beina- 
constructed.  Father  Meis  materially  assisted  in 
securing  the  means  recjuisite  to  its  completion,  its 
total  cost  being  about  |i40,0()().  It  was  demolished 
by  a  wind  storm  .July  .3,  187G,  and  was  re- 
paired at  a  cost  of  !S;-20,()()(l,  which  has  now  been 
nearly  paid  and  the  church  almost  out  of  debt.  In 
connection  with  this  church  is  a  school  in  which  are 
employed  live  teachers  and  four  sisters,  and  which 
has  an  attendance  of  over  .'500  pupils.  There  is 
also  in  connection  with  this  parish  a  fine  parsonage 
and  a  home  for  th(>  sisters. 


Father  Meis  has  been  a  diligent  Inliorcr  for  the 
good  of  his  church,  and  is  eminently  litteil  for  lii~ 
life  work.  He  is  a  man  of  line  educalioii  and  ex- 
tensive reading,  and  is  hel<l  in  liiuli  esteem  in  the 
cit}' of  Ft.  Madison.  A  lithographic  view  of  M. 
Marv's  Church  is  shown  in  this  connection. 


\lr*>5i(^  AVID  T.  McCULLOCH,  a  resident  of  H.sr- 
iv  rison  Townshi]),  who  owns  and  occupies  a 
fine  homestead  on  section  2L  is  a  native 
of  South  Carolina,  and  was  born  in  180(1. 
His  parents  were  Robert  and  Sarah  (Thompson) 
MeCuUoch,  natives  of  the  same  State  as  their  son. 
Robert  McCulloch  was  born  in  1770,  reared  in  his 
native  State,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksniilli, 
which  he  followed  principally  during  the  reniaindcr 
of  his  life.  He  emigrated  from  his  native  State  in 
1836,  and  located  in  Lee  County,  where  he  died  in 
April,  18.54.  Mrs.  Sarah  McCulloch  was  born  in 
1768,  and  departed  this  life  in  September,  18,52. 
.She  had  become  the  mother  of  five  children,  and 
with  her  husband,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church.  The  record  of  their  children  is  as  follows: 
John,  the  eldest  son,  m.arried  Miss  Jones;  David 
T.,  of  our  sketch,  is  a  bachelor;  William  married 
Miss  Johnson;  E.  S.  m.arried  Mi,ss  Minerva  Paisley; 
Mary  became  Mrs.  McGuire.  Of  this  family  only 
two  are  now  living— AVilliam,  who  resides  in  Ore- 
gon, and  David  T. 

Mr.  McCulloch  of  our  sketch  is  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  Iowa,  having  crossed  the  Mississippi  with 
his  i)arents  in  1836,  when  he  was  thirty  years  old. 
His  father,  after  removing  from  South  Carolina, 
located  for  a  time  in  Tennessee,  thence  after  a  time 
went  to  Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  eight  years. 
In  the  meantime  David  T.  and  his  brother  Exum 
and  their  father  were  engaged  as  soldiers  in  the 
Llackhawk  War  for  a  period  of  three  mouths,  dur- 
ing which  time,  among  other  engagements  and 
skirmishes,  they  participated  in  the  battle  of  Bad 
Axe,  Wis.  Thej'  remained  in  Illinois  until  I8;i6, 
thence  removed  to  Lee  Count}-,  Iowa. 

After  coming  into  the  young  Territory  l)a\id 
MoCullocli  Hi;ide  a  claim  In   Harrison  Township  on 


:■  1 
;;  1 

I! 


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31- 1 

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.ttxttttt      . 


LEE  COUNTY. 


section  24,  the  land  not  yet  having  come  into  the 
market.  Finally,  when  the  land-office  was  opened, 
he  [mrchased  IGO  acres.  The  present  homestead 
consists  of  13G  acres,  which  is  improved  and  under 
a  good  state  of  cultivation.  Mr.  McCulloch  has 
been  a  good  citizen  and  a  friend  of  morality  and 
religion.  He  received  his  earlj'  educ<Ttii)n  in  the 
common  schools,  and  made  the  most  of  his  oppor- 
tunities. He  has  lieen  a  member  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presb3'terian  Church  for  forty  3'ears,  and 
during  that  long  i)eriod  has  made  many  valuable 
contributions  to  the  support  of  the  church  of  his 
choice.  Political!}'  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  and 
uniformly  casts  his  vote  in  support  of  the  princi- 
ples of  that  party. 


■^f/OHN  HOLDEFER,  a  respected  citizen  of 
Harrison  Township,  is  carrying  on  the  joint 
business  of  blacksmithing  and  farming,  and 
is  comfortably'  situated  on  section  .36.  Mr. 
Holdefer  is  a  native  of  the  Kingdom  of  Bavaria, 
and  was  born  Jan.  13,  1815.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-two 
j'ears,  unaccompanied  by  any  friend  or  relative, 
lauding  in  New  York  Cit}',  and  traveled  over  the 
greater  part  of  the  United  States  in  the  three  years 
following.  In  1840  he  landed  in  Ft.  Madison, 
Iowa,  and  thence  removed  to  Franklin,  Lee  County, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  four  years,  and 
then  moved  onto  a  farm  on  the  prairie,  alternately 
pursuing  his  tr.ide  and  cultivating  his  land  for  a 
period  of  eight  3'ears.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
time  he  parted  with  his  first  purchase,  and  selected 
eight}'  acres  further  north,  upon  which  he  remained 
for  a  few  3'ears,  and  then  purchased  160  acres  on 
section  36  of  Harrison  Township,  where  he  has 
since  remained,  and  upon  which  he  established  his 
present  homestead. 

lilr.  Holdefer  has  been  twice  married,  the  first 
time  in  Pittsburgh,  in  1839,  to  Miss  Mar}'  Weigel, 
who  became  the  mother  of  eleven  children,  and 
depaited  this  life  in  1862.  Their  children  were 
named  Jacob,  John,  Lucinda,  (ieorge,  Elizabeth, 
Daniel,  Phillip,  Charlie,  Henrj',  Phctbe  and  Mar}-. 
The  latter  died  at  the  age  of  two  j'ears.     Daniel 


For  his  second  wife  Mr.  }  1 


and  Ph(jebe  are  married. 

Holdefer,  in  1865,  married  Mrs.  F.   Rhoda,  widow  Djl} 

of  Fred  Rhoda.     The  present   Mrs.   Holdefer  is  a  "^^S^ 

native  of  Wurtemberg,  and  was  born  in  1805.     Mr. 

Holdefer  is  connected  with  the  Evangelical  Luth-  p 

eran  Church,  but  takes  no  part  wliatever  in  politics 

He  is  a  straightforward  business  man,  and  held  in  ■'*' 

respect  by  his  neighbors  and  acquaintances. 


-^kttt^^^'^ 


I'^^^^ACHARY  T.  BELL,  a  prominent  and  re- 
spected farmer  of  Cedar  Township,  is 
pleasantl}'  located  on  section  I G,  where  he  is 


pi 


following  the  peaceful  pursuit  of  agriculture  sys- 
tematically and  industriously,  and  is  meeting  with 
success.  Mr.  Bell  comes  from  an  excellent  family, 
and  is  a  native  of  Huntingdon  Count}',  Pa.  The 
town  of  his  birth  was  Ennisville,  and  the  date 
thereof  June  16,  1848.  His  father,  Hon.  David 
Stewart  Bell,  was  a  native  of  the  same  State,  but 
born  in  MifHin  County,  on  the  banks  of  the  Juniata 
River,  Nov.  15,  1811.  His  grandfather,  David  Bell. 
is  believed  to  haye  been  a  native  also  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  his  birth  occurred  in  1 769.  He  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life 
in  the  Keystone  State.  When  Hon.  David  Stewart 
Bell,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  still  a  youth,  he 
engaged  as  clerk  in  the  general  village  store  of  the 
town  of  McYey,  and  afterward  went  into  business 
of  the  same  description  himself.  He  was  ambitious, 
and  at  an  early  age  had  partially  marked  out  a  fu- 
ture for  himself.  He  was  not  satisfied  with  his 
condition  or  his  prospects  in  his  native  State  and  in 
the  fall  of  1837  he  started  West,  and  after  reach- 
ing Illinois,  spent  the  winter  in  Joliet. 

In  the  following  spring  (1838)  Mr.  Bell  crossed 
the  Father  of  Waters,  came  into  the  Territory  of 
Iowa,  and  located  at  Ft.  Madison.  He  there  re- 
sumed his  former  occupation  as  clerk,  and  that 
same  year  attended  the  first  land  sale  at  Burling- 
ton and  made  a  purchase  <  m  sections  8  and  9,  Cedar 
Township.  Meanwhile  he  continued  his  duties  as 
clerk,  and  was  gradually  working  himself  into  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community.  He  was 
at  iince  recognized  .as  a  young  man  of  more  than 
ordinary  ability,  and   in  due   time    wa-s    appointed 


^ 


nil 


^'B 


inxixi  ^PP 


'  TxrxxxxiE 


^m 


Deputy  Clerk  of  Lee  County'  by  John  H.  Lyon,  the 
chief  iind  first  Clerk  of  the  cDuiity.  The  duties  of 
this  position  he  fulfilled  with  credit  to  himself  ;ind 
s;itisfacti(jn  to  all  c<^neerned,  and  paved  tiie  way  to 
rise  still  Jiigiier. 

Hon.  David  S.  Bell  .and  Miss  Sarah  Stewart 
Ki'igell  were  united  in  marriage  in  Ft.  Mailison  on 
the  1st  of  .lanuary,  l.s  tO.  Mrs.  Bell  was  a  native  of 
Dauphin  County,  Pa.,  her  birth  oeeurring  Sept.  22, 
ISI'J.  After  marriage  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Bell  remained 
in  Ft.  Madison  until  the  folhming  year,  then  re- 
turned to  Knnisville,  Pa.,  where  Mr.  B.  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits  for  the  following  seven  3'ears. 
During  this  time  the  country  lying  around  the  tract 
of  laud  which  he  had  purchased  in  Iowa  w.as  being 
slowly  improved  and  develoiied,  and  in  1848,  hav- 
ing sold  his  liusiness  in  Ennisville  Mr.  B.  resolved 
to  return  to  Iowa  and  .settle  upon  his  claim.  Ac- 
cordingly, accompanied  by  his  family',  he  once 
more  came  into  Lee  County  and  made  preparations 
for  the  establishment  of  a  permanent  home.  One 
of  his  first  duties  was  the  con>truction  of  a  dwell- 
ing, which  was  built  of  logs.  Into  this  the  fan)ilv 
moved,  and  it  remained  their  home  for  about  three 
3'ears,  giving  i)lace  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  to 
a  commodious  brick  residence.  Mr.  Bell  was  suc- 
cessful in  his  farming  operations,  and  added  t<j  his 
first  jmrchase  as  time  passed  bj*.  He  finally  be- 
came the  possessor  of  480  acres,  nearly  all  of  which 
was  finely  improved.  He  remained  upon  this  farm 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  was  gathered  to  his 
final  rest  on  the  12th  of  .lanuary,  1878. 

Mr.  Bell  was  a  man  highly-  esteemed  in  his  com- 
munity, and  always  ready  to  .assist  in  the  promo- 
tion of  ever>'  worthy-  object.  His  judgment  and 
opinions  were  eagerl3-  sought,  and  his  advice  con- 
sidered safe  to  follow.  He  was  decided  in  his 
views,  but  lirm  and  temperate  in  the  expression  of 
them,  and  made  no  enemies  of  those  who  differed  • 
from  him  in  opinion.  He  held  the  various  offices 
of  his  township,  and  in  1870  rejiresented  his  county 
in  the  Iowa  Legislature.  During  his  earl^'  man- 
hooil  he  belonged  to  the  Whig  party,  but  latterly 
affiliated  with  the  Democracy.  Mrs.  Sarah  Stewart 
Bell  was  the  fit  companion  of  her  husband  in  his 
early  toils  and  struggles,  ^jympatliizing  with  his 
worthy  and)ilions  and  rejoicing  in  his  successes. 


The  household  circle  consisted  of  seven  children, 
as  follows:  Helen,  born  ii]  Iowa  Oct.  .io,  islo,  died 
in  Pennsylvania,  in  >Iay,  184;i;  Benjamin  .V..  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  March  18,  1812,  died  May  11, 
1843;  Agnes  S.  became  the  wife  of  Isaac  Reeves, 
and  lives  in  .Salem;  Thomas  A.  resides  on  the  old 
homestead ;  Zaehar3' T.,  our  subject,  was  the  next 
in  order  of  Ijirtli;  Lucretia  C,  born  April  27,  18.51, 
died  in  l.sii.j;  the  ^youngest  child,  a  daughter,  died 
in  infancy.  The  faithful  wife  and  mother  departed 
this  life  in  February,  187.j.  Mr.  Bell  was  the  sec- 
ond time  married,  to  Sarah  A.  Coleman,  in  the  fall 
of  1873.     She  now  resides  in  Nebraska. 

Zachary  T.  Bell  was  the  fifth  child  and  third  son 
of  his  parents'  familj',  and  was  but  four  months  old 
when  they  came  to  Iowa.  His  early  3'ears  were 
passed  in  attendance  at  the  pioneer  schools  and  as- 
sisting in  the  lighter  duties  around  the  homestead. 
With  his  brothers  and  sisters  he  received  careful 
training  from  his  excellent  parents,  and  remained 
under  the  [jaiental  roof  until  his  marriage.  The 
maiden  of  his  choice  was  Sarah  .S.  Alexander,  of 
Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  with  whom  he  w.as  united 
March  27,  1873.  Mrs.  Bell  was  Vxirn  May  28,  1  84(;, 
and  was  the  daughter  of  John  and  Hannah  (Rob- 
ertson) Alexander,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  They 
remained  in  their  native  .State  until  after  their  mar- 
riage. In  1851  Mr.  Alexander  crossed  the  Missis- 
sijjpi  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  permanent 
home  in  the  Hawkeye  .State.  He  made  the  entire 
journe3-  on  horseback,  selected  his  location,  re- 
turned East  in  the  same  manner  in  which  he  had 
come,  and  the  following  j-ear  set  his  face  westward, 
this  time  accompanied  b3'  his  famil3-.  His  farm  Lay 
in  Cedar  Township,  and  after  his  final  return  he  set 
himself  industriously  to  improve  and  cultivate  his 
land.  He  was  successful  in  his  farming  operations 
and  remained  a  resident  of  the  Hawke3'e  State  un- 
til his  death.  About  187.5  ]Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alexander 
moved  to  Wayne  Count3',  Iowa,  where  his  widow 
still  resides.  John  Alexander  folded  his  hands  for 
his  final  rest  on  the  12th  of  October,  188(!,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-two  3'ears. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bell  settled 
upon  a  part  of  the  homestead  which  Mr.  B.  now 
owns  and  occupies.  They  have  become  the  ymr- 
ents  of  four  children — Aiuia  J.,  Charles  E.,  Hugh  i 


:  f\ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


■i.;ii: 

:li;3 


435 


1 


e) 


I 
I 

i; 

l; 
t; 
t; 

Vt 

i; 
i; 

i; 
i; 


T.  and  James  Oscar.  The  homestead  is  a  model  one 
hi  every  respect,  and  its  inmates  are  surrounded 
by  all  of  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of 
life.  Mr.  Bell  is  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citizen, 
having  an  intelligent  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the 
community  and  the  indorser  of  ever_v  good  "vork 
and  purpose.  Religiously  he  is  inclined  to  the 
Presbyterian  faith,  and  politically  uniformly  casts 
his  vote  in  support  of  the  principles  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Socially  Mr.  Bell  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  Salem  Lodge  No.  17.  Mrs. 
Bell  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

-^ ^#- ^^ 


^k^  OURTON  CASE,  a  prominent  and  esteemed 
ill      iW   '^''''^®"  *^^  ^^-  Madison,  has  been  a  resident 
jjl       1^  of  Lee  County  for   the   past   thirt}'    3'ears, 
^  and  in  that  time  has  witnessed  remarkable 

and  pleasing  changes,  and  having  been  intimately 
identified  with  the  interests  of  his  city  and  com- 
munity, he  has  done  what  he  could  toward  their 
development  and  progress.  Mr.  Case  is  a  native 
of  Connecticut,  and  was  born  March  12,  1827. 
His  parents  were  Pinney  and  Lovina  (IMoore)  Case. 
natives  of  New  England.  The  father  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  in  1836  the  family'  removed 
from  Connecticut  to  Ohio,  and  were  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Wayne  Count}',  that  State.  I'hey 
afterward  removed  to  Franklin  Countj',  where  the 
death  of  the  father  occurred  at  the  age  of  sevent}'- 
seven  years.  The  companion  of  his  married  life 
still  survives,  her  home  now  being  in  Ft.  Madison. 
She  was  born  in  1808,  and  has  consequently  arrived 
at  the  good  old  age  of  seventy-nine  j'ears.  She 
and  her  husband  were  the  parents  of  but  two  chil- 
dren, a  daughter  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  and  Monrtou,  the  subject  of  our  sketch. 

Mourton  Case  received  his  early  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Connecticut,  and  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  years  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  dry-goods 
store,  which  occupation  he  followed  until  December, 
18.55.  He  then  abandoned  it  on  account  of  failing- 
health,  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  came  into  Iowa, 
settling  at  Ft.  Madison,  where  he  established  him- 
self in  the  grocerj'  busiiiess,  which  he  has  continued 
until  the  present  time,    with   the  exception   of   the 


year  1864,  during  which  he  was  not  engaged  in  any 
business.  Mr.  Case  was  the  pioneer  grocer  of  Ft. 
Madison,  and  has  for  several  years  been  extensive- 
ly engaged  in  tlK'  wood  and  coal  trade.  He  is  the 
possessor  uf  a  line  farm  of  400  acres  in  Green  Bay 
Township,  and  is  largely  interested  in  the  breeding 
of  Short-horn  cattle.  He  is  Democratic  in  his  be- 
lief and  princii)les,  although  he  takes  no  active  part 
in  politics.  Mr.  Case  has  always  been  deeply  inter- 
ested in  educational  matters,  and  the  friend  and 
supporter  of  whatever  affected  the  interests  of  his 
city  and  community'.  .Socially  he  is  connected  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  is  a  Knight 
Templar. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Case  occurred  in  1849, 
at  Columbus,  Ohio,  when  he  was  wedded  to  Miss 
Maria  L.  Cumming,  a  native  of  New  York.  She 
became  the  mother  of  four  children,  and  departed 
this  life  at  Ft.  Madison  in  1.S71.  Their  family  were  : 
Lizzie  M.,  who  became  the  wife  of  James  H.  Bacon; 
Frank  Eddie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years; 
Edward  M.  and  Robert  M.  Mr.  Case  was  a 
second  time  married,  in  1873,  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Jane  (Eads)  Lawrence.  JMrs.  Case  was  born  in 
Indiana,  in  1838,  and  of  her  union  with  our  sub- 
ject has  become  the  mother  of  one  daughter,  Maria 
Louise,  born  in  November,  1874.  The  family  oc- 
cup}-  a  pleasant  homestead  in  Ft.  Madison,  and  are 
highly'  respected  members  of  the  community. 


lERNARD  B.  HESSE,  one  of  the  leading 
\Yir>^  clothiers  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  a  fine  example 
/^)  |l'  of  the  self-made  man.  He  has  made  of 
himself  a  man  among  men  in  one  of  the 
most  intelligent  communities  of  the  llawkeye  State. 
Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  born  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Field,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  July  l;j, 
1842.  His  father,  Francis  Hesse,  was  a  native  of 
the  same  village,  born  Jan.  19,  1812.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  parochial  schools,  and  after  he  had 
grown  to  manhood,  engaged  in  the  flour  and  lin- 
seed oil  business  until  1853,  when  he  emigrated  to 
America,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  six  children. 
After  reaching  the  shores  of  the  New  World  he 
proceeded  directl}'  West  and    via   the    Mississippi 


LEK  COUNTY. 


River  to  Keokuk,  while  the  river  wns  frozen,  and 
from  there  wont  t<i  Ft.  Madison.  I  lore  lie  first 
engjiiied  in  chui)|)ing  wood  on  tlie  Ijliiffs,  :uh1  then 
engaged  as  clerk  on  a  steamboat  on  the  Mississippi 
River,  lie  did  nul  long  snrvive  his  removal  to 
this  country-,  bnt  died  in  the  spring  of  IH.'js.  leav- 
ing a  widow  and  six  children. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of   tlic    following 
children  :   Mary  became  the  wife  of  Ignatins  West- 


t     [t,   in  tlii 

|J;ho.f. 


m 


P 

t     '}r   phalen,  and  lives  in  Ft.  Madison  :  Ottemyer  also  lives 

y     '^  intliiscity;  (lertrnde  manied    Tlieodijre    Wester- 

the  next  son  was  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  and 

his  two  younger  brothers,  Frank  R.  and  John,  both 

live  in  Ft.  Madison.     In  early  manhood,  in  his  na- 

W^  t've  land,  the  father  of  our  subject,  Francis  Hesse, 
was  married  to  Miss  "Francesca  Hesse,  a  native  of 
the  same  place  as  her  husband,  who  was  born 
.March  4,  ISOIJ.  She  survived  him  twenty  years, 
dying  .March  1,  1.S78. 

Bernard  B.  Hesse  was  eleven  years  old  when  he 
came  to  America  with  his  parents,  and  located  with 
them  at  Ft.  Madison.  In  early  years  he  assisted 
his  father  in  chopping  wood,  and  was  variously 
em|)loycd  until  nearl}'  thirteen  years  old,  when  he 
commenced  to  learn  tiie  tailor's  trade.  He  served 
foui'  years  for  his  board  and  clothes,  and  afterward 
worked  here  as  "jour"  for  six  months.  He  then 
went  to  St.  Louis,  working  there  as  "jour"  for  two 
years,  and  afterward  became  cutter  in  one  of  the 
-.J  tirst-class  shops  of  the  city,  after  which  he    became 

}  ij  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  J.  H.  McAl[)ine,  of  St. 
^ — ^  Louis.  He  remainccl  in  the  latter  city  until  1868, 
and  tlien  assf)ciate(l  himself  in  partnership  at  Ft. 
.Ma<lison,  doing  business  under  tlie  lirm  name  of 
Hesse  &  Sand,  as  a  retail  clothier  foi'  ten  j'ears,  three 
months  and  five  days.  He  then  sold  iiis  interest  in  the 
business  on  his  own  account,  and  soon  afterward 
purchased  the  building  which  he  now  owns  and  oc- 
cupies, and  which  is  located  on  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  Pine  and  Second  streets.  In  1880  he  changed 
yhis  location  U)  his  present  quarters,  at  first  oc- 
cupying only  the  ground  tlofir.  He  now  has' three 
rooms  on  the  ground  tloor  and  two  above,  and  is 
doing  a  thriving  business. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hesse  and  Miss  Amelia 
Xabers  occurred  Aug.  9,  1870.  Mrs.  H.  was  born 
in    Ft.    Madison,   and    is   the    daughter  of    Theo- 


dore and  Catharine  Nabers,  natives  of  Germany  . 
Of  this  union  three  sons  have  been  born — Bernard  - 
B.,  Frank  II.  and  .1.  Clement.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H. 
arc  mcnii)ers  in  good  standing  of  St.  Joseph's 
Church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  II.  uniformly  votes  the 
Democratic  ticket. 

Mr.  Hesse  is  a  striking  example  of  what  a 
young  man  of  energy  may  accomplish.  He  started 
out  without  means  and  has  arisen  to  his  present 
position  solely  by  his  own  exertions.  He  has  a 
comfortable  home  and  a  good  business  and  enjoys 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow -citizens.  A 
view  of  the  fine  store  vf  Mr.  Hesse  is  shown  on  an- 
other page. 


¥ 


^  f^ILLIAM  BLOM,  who  is  prosperously  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  in  the  city  of 
Keokuk,  deals  in  Hour,  soaps  and  lye,  hav- 
ing commenced  a  modest  retail  trade  which  has  now 
developed  into  an  extensive  wholesale  business, 
and  is  located  at  Nos.  27  and  29  Main  street.  Our 
subject  was  born  in  the  village  of  Mydrecht,  Hol- 
land, on  the  l.'ith  of  November,  1834.  He  at- 
tended school  until  eleven  years  of  age,  and  re- 
mained in  his  native  country  until  he  was  twenty- 
one,  when  lie  boarded  a  sailing-vessel,  accompa- 
nied by  his  p.irents,  and  after  a  prosperous  voyage 
landed  on  the  shores  of  the  New  World  at  the  city 
of  New  Orleans.  Thence  the^'  proceeded  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  and  afterward  to  Keokuk,  arriving  here 
on  the  17th  of  June,  l.S;)7.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, Peter  Bloni,  followed  a  seafaring  life,  and  was 
married  to  Miss  Disked  Vanderhelm ;  both  died  in 
Keokuk. 

After  arriving  in  this  count}'  William  Blom  be- 
gan sawing  wood,  carrying  brick  and  mortar,  and 
employed  himself  at  whatever  his  hands  could  find 
to  do.  In  due  time  he  became  a  clerk  in  the  store 
of  C.  Obertop,  where  he  continued  for  twenty-two 
months,  and  then  became  yard  man  in  the  Patter- 
son House  at  $2  per  week,  being  thus  emploj'ed 
four    mouths.     He  then  became  clerk  in  a  retail 


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2 


LEE  COUNTY. 


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groceiy  store  at  the  same  wages,  and  afterward  en- 
gaged with  Kellogg,  Biegle  ife  Co.  for  the  next 
three  years.  Notwithstanding  these  small  wages 
he  had  now  saved  $80,  which  he  invested  in  a  soap 
factory,  becoming  a  partner  of  the  same,  and  at 
the  death  of  the  other  member  of  the  firm  assumed 
full  charge  of  the  business.  He  operated  this  a 
number  of  j'ears,  and  in  the  meantime  built  a  small 
grocery  store,  which  afforded  good  headquarters 
for  his  soap  business.  He  was  soon  obliged,  to  in- 
crease his  facilities  for  manufacturing.  In  addition 
to  his  arduous  labors  at  home,  he  was  his  own  trav- 
eling salesman,  and  introduced  his  goods  in  vari- 
ous places,  at  the  same  time  taking  orders  for  hams 
and  other  meats  for  different  firms.  In  this  way 
i^radually  worked  into  the  provision  business, 
and  finally  abandoned  the  retail  grocery.  He  also 
engaged  in  pork  packing,  which  he  continued  for 
several  years,  and  which  yielded  him  a  handsome 
income.  He  purchased  the  building  in  which  he 
now  operates  in  1881.  It  c(^vers  an  area  of  40x70 
feet,  is  four  stories  in  height  with  a  basement,  and 
he  has  added  a  smoke  house  with  a  capacity  of  100,- 
000  pounds  of  meat.  This  enables  him  to  smoke 
anj'  ordinary  amount  of  meat  on  short  notice.  In 
1870  Mr.  Blom  disposed  of  his  soap  factory  to  his 
brother  Nicholas,  by  whom  it  is  still  conducted, 
.and  the  product  of  which  our  subject  handles  ex- 
tensively. 

Mr.  Blom  was  married  on  the  3d  of  April,  1862, 
to  Miss  Carrie  Teloft',  of  .Sweden.     The}-  have  no 
children.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blom  are  worth3'  members 
of  the  Chatham  .Square  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
■with   which    our   subject  has    been    connected  for 
3c  twenty  years,  and  served  as  Trustee  and  Stevvard 
■  for  the  last  fifteen,  and  Superintendent  of  the  .Sab- 
;  bath-school  for  five.    He  has  also  been  a  member  of 
:  the  City  Council.     He  was  one  of  the  originators 
;  of  the  Mississippi  River  Rapids  Bluff  Pork  Associa- 
;;  tion,  and  is  now  Trustee  and  Treasurer. 
c      The  residence  of  Mr.  Blom  is  a  fine,  substantial 
p  structure  located  at  No.  611   Grand  avenue,  where 
"  he  is  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  of  life,  and  en- 
joys, as  a  just  reward  of  his  labors,   the  fruits   of 
early   industry  and   economy.     He   provided   wTih 
filial  care  for  his  parents  during  their  lifetime,  and 
enabled  them  to  pass  their  declining  days  in   peace 


and  comfort.  He  has  fulfilled  all  the  obligations 
of  a  good  citizen,  and  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem 
by  both  social  anfl  liusiness  acquaintances. 


— Jv- 


(a  «l 


'if/  AMES  H.  DUFFUS,  editor  .and  proprietor  of 
the  Ft.  Madison  Plaindea/cr,  which  he  is 
conducting  with  signal  ability  and  success, 
is  a  native  of  Aberdeenshire,  Scotland,  and 
his  birth  occurred  May  24,  1840.  His  father, 
James  Duffus,  was  born  in  the  same  country  as  his 
son,  in  1816,  was  reared  upon  a  farm,  and  followed 
agricultural  i)ursuits  until  18.54.  In  April  of  that 
year  he  started  with  his  famil}'  for  America.  They 
set  sail  from  Aberdeen,  landing  at  (Quebec,  thence 
proceeded  directly  to  Ohio.  They  had  relatives  in 
Ashland  County,  and  located  there,  remainiug, 
however,  but  one  year.  In  the  meantime  Mr. 
Duffus  had  visited  the  Ilawkeye  State,  and  being 
charmed  with  the  appearance  of  the  country,  pui-- 
chased  a  farm  in  Union  Township,  Poweshiek 
County,  and  in  April  of  the  following  year  moved 
there  with  his  family.  He  cultivated  and  improved 
his  land  and  established  a  comfortable  home.  In 
1868,  however,  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  .Alal- 
com,  the  same  county,  and  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  for  one  year.  He  then  resumed  farming 
upon  another  tract  of  land  which  he  had  purchased 
near  Malcom,  continuing  there  one  year,  then  re- 
turned to  M.alcom  .and  kept  a  public-house  there 
for  several  years.  He  subsequently  retired  from 
active  business,  and  is  now  living  at  Des  Moines. 

When  Mr.  Duffus  removed  from  Ohio  to  Iowa  lie 
made  the  trip  via  railroad  to  Rock  Island,  thence 
by  river  to  Davenport,  and  from  there  overland  to 
Poweshiek  Count}'.  The  land  he  purchased  was 
totally  unimproved,  and  he  marketed  grain  and 
provisions  to  Iowa  City,  a  distance  of  sixty  miles, 
and  in  the  winter  seasons  transported  merchandise 
on  his  return  trips. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Ann  Auelimae;  she  was  a  native  of  the  same 
country  and  shire  as  her  husband.  The  family  cir- 
cle included  seven  children,  all  of  whom  were  born 
in  Scotland,  and  of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows: 


^j] 


izxxxxzzzzn  ^ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


Margaret  liefiiiiie  tlie  wife  of  M.  Daly,  ami  tliev 
live  in  Neligh.  Neli. ;  Jane  married  Maliloii  Wol- 
verton,  who  was  a  soldier  in  (lie  Mexican  War  and 
raised  a  company  f<n'  tiie  late  war,  Imt  was  taken 
fatall}'  ill  and  died  at  his  home  in  Montezuma  be- 
fore engaging  in  any  scrviee;  she  was  married  the 
second  time,  to  .1.  W.  I'ligli,  who  was  a  soldier  of 
the  I'nion,  and  died  at  his  home  in  Malcom,  Iowa; 
Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  A.  M.  Hardin,  and 
lives  in  Deadwood,  Dak;  the  sniiject  of  our  sketch 
was  the  fourth  child;  Alexander  lives  in  Des 
Moines;  Mar}'  A.  married  B.  S.  James,  and  is  a 
resident  of  Buena  Vista  County,  Iowa;  Isabella  be- 
came the  wife  of  Marcus  Green,  and  they  live  in 
Des  Moines. 

James  H.  Duff  us  was  a  lad  of  nine  years  old 
when  he  came  to  America  with  his  parents.  He  re- 
ceived his  early  education  in  the  district  schools  and 
assisted  in  the  lighter  duties  of  the  farm.  During 
the  progress  of  the  late  Civil  AVar  he  became  a 
soldier  of  the  Union,  enlisting  in  May,  18G4,  in  Co. 
B,  4Cth  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge. 

After  his  return  from  the  army  Mr.  Duffus  at- 
tended college  at  Grinnell,  Iowa,  and  afterward 
taught  school  for  several  terms.  In  1H()7  he  started 
a  harness-shop  in  Malcom,  which,  however,  he  op- 
erated for  only  a  few  months  when  he  sold  out,  and 
the  following  year  opened  a  drug-store  in  the  same 
place,  and  was  occupied  with  this  for  Ave  years.  In 
the  meantime  he  established  the  Malcom  Gazette, 
the  lirst  paper  ever  published  there,  and  with  the 
exce])tion  of  two  years,  conducted  it  for  thirteen 
years.  In  the  meantime  he  had  also  engaged  in  the 
sale  of  hardware  and  farm  machinery.  He  disposed 
of  his  hardware  interests  in  1880,  but  continued  his 
operations  in  agricultural  implements  and  carriages. 
The  tornado  of  188-2  destroyed  his  storehouse  and 
completely  demolished  two  dwelling-houses  which 
he  owned.  From  this  disaster  he  suffered  "more 
than  any  one  man  in  the  State.  He  was  the  owner 
of  the  amphitheatre  at  the  fair  grounds,  which  was 
also  destroyed,  together  with  a  fine  business  block. 

In  188;i  Mr.  Duffus  disposed  of  his  property  in 
Malcom  and  removed  to  Des  Moines,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  half  interest  in  the  Iowa  Homestead,  the 
agricultural   paper  of   the   State,  and   in  October  of 


the  same  year  jjurchased  the  remaining  interest.  In 
January,  l.s.si,  lie  purchased  the  loim  Cnpital,  a. 
daily  and  weekly  pa[)er,  and  conducted  it  until  the 
following  year,  when,  on  account  of  ill-health,  he 
was  obliged  to  abandon  flie  business  and  dispose 
of  his  interest  in  it.  He  then  came  to  Ft.  Madi- 
son, purchasing  the  Ft.  Madison  Academ}'  property 
and  a  business  block  on  Front  street,  corner  of 
Pine,  and  at  the  same  time  also  the  Plaindealet;  a 
daily  and  weekly  publication.  He  now  entered 
with  energy  upon  the  business  of  building  up  and 
improving  his  paper,  and  has  been  remarkably  suc- 
cessful in  his  management  of  it,  it  having  become 
one  of  the  leading  journals  of  this  section. 

James  II.  Duffus  and  Miss  Mary  E.  Carroll  were 
united  in  marriage  Feb.  1,5,  1870.  Mrs.  Duffus  is 
a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Keene,  Coshocton  County, 
Aug.  24,  1851.  Her  father,  George  Carroll,  was  a 
native  of  Ireland,  possessing  the  warm  and  enthu- 
siastic nature  peculiar  to  the  sons  of  Erin,  and  her 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Barton,  was 
also  a  native  of  Ireland,  but  of  Scotch  parentage. 
The}'  were  married  in  Ohio,  and  came  to  Iowa  in 
1885,  settling  in  Poweshiek  County,  where  the 
father  died  the  following  January.  Her  mother 
was  married  the  second  time,  to  John  Gwin,  who  is 
now  deceased.  Mrs.  Mary  Gwin  still  survives,  and 
lives  with  her  son  in  Poweshiek  County. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duffus  have  been 
born  three  children — Arietta  O.,  Harry  C.  and  Ma- 
rie Ethel.  Mr.  Duffus  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
A.  F.  it  A.  M.,  having  taken  all  the  degrees  from 
Blue  Lodge  to  Consistor}'.  He  is  also  connected 
with  the  1.  O.  O.  F.  and  K.  of  P.  In  politics  he 
uiiiforndy  casts  his  vote  with  the  Republican  party. 

REDERICK  LANG,  dealer  in  general  mer- 
chandise at  Franklin  Village,  lias  been  a 
resident  of  the  Hawkeye  State  since  1 850, 
and  established  his  present  business  in  l.S7.'5.  By 
the  exercise  of  energy  and  economy  he  has  been 
successful,  and  enjoys  in  a  marked  degree  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  his  fellow-townsmen.  Mr. 
Lang,  was  born  in  Rhine  Province,  Bavaria,  May 
12,  1833.     His  father,  A'aleutine  Lang,  was  a  farmer 


l^HHr'PKli 


LEE  COUNTY. 


441 


ii 


l)y  occupation,  anrl  passed  his  whole  life  h\  his  na- 
tive land. 

Our  subject  remained  with  his  parents  until  he 
was  about  eighteen  years  tild,  and  then,  in  com- 
pany with  friends  if  the  familj^,  emigrated  to  the 
United  States.  After  reaching  the  shores  of  the 
New  World,  they  proceeded  directly  westward, 
crossed  the  Father  of  Waters,  and  located  in  Lee 
County,  coming  into  Franklin  Township  in  the  fall 
of  1850.  Here  young  Lang  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  the  following  three  years,  and  then  became 
an  engineer.  He  was  thus  occupied  for  several 
years,  and  during  this  time  gained  valuable  knowl- 
edge in  respect  to  the  transaction  of  business.  He 
then  established  his  present  store,  in  which  he  has 
since  been  engaged.  He  carries  a  good  stock  and 
has  made  a  comfortable  living,  although  the  busi- 
ness is  such  that  there  is  not  much  of  a  field  for  en- 
larging it. 

Mr.  Lang  was  married  in  Franklin  Township,  Dec. 
29,  185G,  to  Miss  Katie  Armkneeth.  Mrs.  Lang 
is  a  native  of  the  same  country  as  her  husband, 
having  been  born  in  Bavaria,  May  7,  1837.  She 
came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents  when  a 
young  girl.  Her  father  was  a  farmer,  and  they 
settled  in  Franklin  Township,  afterward  removing 
to  the  village,  where  the  mother  died  in  1883.  Her 
father  is  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lang  li.ave  be- 
come the  parents  of  two  children :  Mary  F.,  the 
wife  of  Phillip  Seyb,  resides  on  a  farm  with  her 
husband,  in  Franklin;  Katie  is  the  wife  of  Chris 
Trump,  the  Deputy  Sheriff  of  Ft.  Madison. 

Mr.  Lang  is  highly  esteemed  in  his  community, 
and  he  and  his  excellent  lady  are  members  in  good 
standing  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church.  He 
has  held  the  minor  offices  of  his  township,  and  is 
always  interested  in  m.atters  pertaining  to  the  pub- 
lie  welfare.     In  politics  he  is  strongly  Democratic. 

^ONAS  W.  GOODRICFL  one  of  the  honored 
pioneers  of  Lee  Count}',  comes  of  good  old 
New  Jersey  stock,  his  ancestry  for  many 
generations  having  homes  in  the  northeast- 
ern portion  of  the  United  States.  They  were  mostly 
farmers  by  occupation,  and  during  long,  honorable 


and  peaceful  lives  built  up  for  themselves  a  reputa- 
tion in  that  sectit)n  second  to  none  of  any  family 
in  the  country.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  Sheldon  fJoodrich,  was  a  very  early  settler 
of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  where  he  spent  the  greater  jjart 
of  his  life,  and  died  in  the  ninety-eighth  year  of  his 
age.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  married  in 
early  life,  and  he  and  his  good  wife  lived  to  be  a 
mutual  comfort  .and  support  to  each  other  for  the 
space  of  over  half  a  century,  the  wife  attaining  to 
the  same  advanced  .age  as  her  husband.  Their  son, 
Sheldon,  the  father  of  our  subject,  w.as  a  native  of 
New  Jersey,  of  Scottish  descent. 

Sheldon  Goodrich  remained  in  his  native  State 
until  he  became  a  j'oung  man,  and  then  went  to  Caj'- 
uga  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Phoebe  Ward,  whose  history  is  connected  with  one 
of  the  first  families  of  New  England.  Her  father 
removed  from  New  Jersey  to  N;w  York  at  an 
early  period  in  the  history  of  the  latter  State,  and 
secured  640  acres  of  land  in  Cayuga  County,  which 
he  improved  and  cultivated,  and  at  his  death  gave 
to  each  of  his  children  a  good  farm.-  He  had  only 
one  son,  Hiram,  who  was  a  private  in  the  AVar  of 
1812.  The  family  had  been  prominent  in  the 
political  questions  of  that  period,  and  were  well 
known  in  social  and  wealthy  circles. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  born  in  1777, 
and  were  reared  and  married  in  Cayuga  County, 
N.  Y.  The}'  were  stricken  down  in  the  prime  of 
life,  the  mother  dj'ing  at  the  age  of  thirty-six,  and 
the  father  in  1803,  when  his  son,  the  subject  of  this 
history,  was  a  child  two  years  of  age.  Sheldon 
Goodrich  was  a  skilled  mechanic,  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  and  highly  esteemed  for  his  many  manly  and 
social  qualities. 

Jonas  W.  Goodrich  of  this  sketch  was  born  M.ay 
20,  1801,  and  after  the  death  of  his  father  was 
taken  to  live  at  the  home  of  his  uncle.  Smith  Ward. 
This  gentleman  was  [irominent  in  business  and  poli- 
tics, and  held  manj'  of  the  offices  in  his  locality. 
He  was  a  wide-awake  business  man,  and  when  quite 
young  became  an  extensive  contractor  on  the  Wel- 
land  Canal,  being  the  first  to  take  the  contract  of 
that  portion  of  the  canal  known  as  the  "  deep  cut." 
Young  Goodrich  was  soon  initiated  int(j  business 
methods  and  proved  a  very  apt  pupil,     ^\■hile  still 


^1 


asa 


m 


under  age  he  was  trusted  to  superintend  the  work 
for  his  uncle,  sometimes  having  chnige  of  more 
than  200  men.  He  devoted  some  of  his  time  to 
farming  in  Seneca  County,  N.  Y.,  from  which  he 
afterward  removed  to  Lyons,  Wayne  County,  and 
while  there,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years,  was 
married  to  ^liss  Eliza l)cth  Ely,  of  the  latter-named 
county.  After  their  marriage  Mr.  O.  ojjened  a 
store  in  Lyons  on  the  banks  of  the  Erie  Canal,  and 
was  engaged  in  a  grocery  trade  and  general  com- 
mission business,  also  operating  extensively  in 
grain.  He  remained  here  for  thirty  years  and 
accumulated  quite  a  little  fortune. 

In  1846  Mr.  Goodrich  sold  out  his  business  in 
L^'ons  .and  t<]()k  a  contract  on  the  New  York  &  Erie 
Kailroad;  then  .sold  his  interest  in  that,  and  in  1847 
took  a  contract  on  the  Erie  Canal,  after  the  com- 
pletion of  which,  in  1852,  he  started  for  the  West 
and  made  his  first  stopping-place  at  Centralia,  111. 
There  he  contracted  with  David  Brigham  &  Robert 
Law,  now  of  Chicago,  to  build  forty-four  miles  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  running  through  the  south- 
ern portion  of  the  State.  After  the  completion  of  this, 
in  1 855,  he  cro.ssed  the  Mississippi  and  came  into 
Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  he  engaged  in  real  estate  busi- 
ness for  the  following  four  years.  This  was  a  period 
when  speculation  ran  high,  and  many  n  man  parted 
with  a  greater  part  of  his  possessions.  Mr.  (lood- 
rich,  however,  passed  safely  through,  and  if  he  did 
not  gain  iihicIi,  was  satisfied  to  know  that  he  had 
not  lost. 

In  IMo',)  Mr.  (ioodrich  removed  from  Keokuk 
and  settled  upon  a  farm  in  .Jefferson  Township 
which  has  remained  his  home  since  that  time.  It 
includes  240  acres  of  valuable  land  which  is  all  im- 
proved, and  he  also  owns  200  acres  on  the  Des 
Moines  River,  in  this  county.  His  wife,  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Goodrich,  departed  this  life  on  the  9th 
of  Novemlier,  1839,  leaving  two  children,  one  of 
whom,  Melvin,  died  in  Keokuk  in  18()8:  Smith  E. 
now  lives  in  C'orry,  Pa. 

Mr.  Goodrich  was  married   the  second  time  at 

Lyons,  N.   Y.,  to   Miss  Sarah  Veaumont,  a  lady  of 

Sg  English  parentage,  and  of  this  mari-iage  there  were 

born  eight   cliildren,  four  of  whom  are  deceased; 

the  living  are  Elliot,  Mary  A.,  Willard  and  Charles. 

fiwSmThe  latter  operates  his  father's  farm.     The  family 


oecupj'  a  comfortable  farm  dwelling  and  are  sur- 
rounded by  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  lux- 
uries of  life.  Mr.  Goodrich  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  affairs  of  his  community,  and 
has  always  been  willing  to  contilbute  of  his  time 
and  means  for  the  promotion  of  every  worthj' 
object.  He  has  held  the  odicc  of  Toivnship  Super- 
visor for  five  years  and  also  other  import.ant  posi- 
tions in  this  locality.  He  is  an  uncompromising 
Jacksoni.nn  Democrat,  and  in  all  resix'cts  an  honest 
man  and  a  good  citizen. 

The  character  of  Mr.  (Joodrich  <as  a  pioneer, 
prominent  citizen  and  public  man,  is  such  as  to 
demand  his  portrait  in  this  Aiium,  and  accordingly 
it  is  here  given,  as  a  most  appropriate  .accompani- 
ment to  this  brief  sketch. 


^p«)  DWARD  JOHNSTONE,  of  Ke 
l^      was  born  in  Kingston,  on  the 
't'—^/  Westmoreland  Co.,  I'a,   July  4, 


^  DWARD  JOHNSTONE,  of  Keokuk,    Iowa. 

Loyalhanna. 
1815.      Tlir 

paternal  ancestors  of  our  subject  w-ere  originally 
from  Annandale,  Scotland,  and  the  first  of  his  ini- 
medi.ite  family  who  immigrated  to  Ireland  was  Rob- 
ert Johnstone.  This  was  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne, 
or  King  William.  The  name  was  always  spelled  in 
Scotland  with  a  final  "  e,"  but  in  Ireland,  as  time 
passed,  it  was  gradually  dropped,  though  sometimes 
retained.  Alexander  Johnstone,  the  father  of  thf 
subject  of  this  notice,  was  born  in  Country  Kerman- 
augh,  Ireland,  in  .Inly,  1772.  an<l  immigrated  to 
the  United  States  with  the  intention  of  making  il 
his  future  home,  in  179G.  Our  svibject's  mother, 
Elizabeth  Ereanic,  was  born  in  Franklin  County, 
Pa.,  in  November,  1781,  and  Imth  of  her  parents 
were  from  the  North  of  Ireland. 

The  parental  family  of  our  subject  included  ten 
sons  and  two  daughters.  The  two  eldest  sons  were 
educated  at  AVe.st  Point,  and  served  in  the  regular 
army;  another  son,  William  F.  Johnstone,  was  the 
third  Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  under  the  con- 
stitution of  1838;  another  son.  James  Johnstone,  a 
scholar  and  poet,  served  through  the  Mexican 
War,  and  was  one  of  the  first  literar}'  men  of  West- 
ern Pennsylvania ;  Col.  John  W.  Johnstone,  another 
brother,  served   as  a  Captain  of  infantrj'  through 


i 


the  Mexican  War,   and  in  the  late  Civil  War   was 
nj  5  Colonel  of  the  14th  Regiment,  three  mouths'  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers,   and   Lieutenant  Colonel  and 
}|jS  Colonel  of  the  93d  Regiment,  of  the   three  years' 
M  service.     The  youngest  son  in  the  family,  Richard, 
j;§  was  a  volunteer  in  the  Mexican  AVar.     Before  the 
close  of  the  war  he  was  appointed  a  Lieutenant  in 
the  regular  army,  and  was  killed  at  the  head  of  his 
company,  while  storming  the  enem^^'s  works,  at  the 
C  battle  of  Molino  del  Rey. 

The  physical  stature  of  the  brothers  of  our  sub- 
ject was  remarkable,  varying  in  height  from  six  feet 
to  six  feet  four  inches,  and  in  weight  from  200  to 
:§  250  pounds.  The  father,  Alexander  Johnstone,  lived 
igfar  beyond  the  period  allotted  to  man,  dying  July 
15,  1872,  in  the  one  hundredth  j'ear  of  his  age.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  oldest  Free  Mason 
in  the  United  States,  having  been  initiated  sevent}' 
years  previous  to  his  demise,  in  Ireland. 

The  publie  life  of  Edward  Johnstone  is  almost 

;  contemporary  with  the  settlement  of  Iowa.     Before 

Iowa  was  a  State,  or  even  a  Territory  separated 

j  from  Wisconsin,  he  began  his  career  at  the  capital, 

and  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  has  been 

;  intimately    connected    with   the    progress   of    the 

:  country.     Of  his  influence  in  his  own   immediate 

county   and  city  it   is  hardly   necessary  for  us  to 

;  speak,   as    his   character   and    talents   are    so    well 

3  known,  and  his  qualities  displayed    in    social    life 

;  are  no  less  familiar  to  his  fellow-citizens.     In  early 

<  manhood  he  studied  law  in  Greensburg,  his  native 

;  State,  and  in  1837  was  admitted  to  the  bar.    During 

that  same  year  he  moved  West,  locating  at  Mineial 

;  Point,   Wis.,  where  he  remained  only  during  that 

fall.  He  then  went  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  served 

i£  as  Clerk  in  the  Territorial  Legislature  during  the 

session  of  1837-38.     During  that  time  he  was  also 

;  appointed  one  of  the  three  commissioners  to  collect 

■  testimony-  with  regard  to  the  titles  to  the  half-breed 

•  land,  and  report  the  same  to  the  district  court.    To 

|p  facilitate  the  performance  of  this  duty,  he  moved  to 

in 

is  Montrose  in  the  spring  of  1838,  and  there  remained 

I  until  January,  1839.  He  then  went  to  Ft  .Madison, 

-  having   been  employed  by  the  St.  Louis  claimants 

of   half-breed  land,  and   instituted  proceedings  in 

connection  with  Gen.  Hugh  T.  Reid  for  the  division 

of  said  land,  which  resulted  in  the  "Decree   Title" 


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by  which  the  lands  are  now  held.  In  the  summer 
of  1839  Mr.  Johnstone  was  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature, and  for  two  successive  terms  was  Speaker  of 
the  House.  In  1 840  he  was  elected  to  the  Council, 
and  was  United  States  District  Attorney  under 
President  Polk's  administration. 

In  1851  Mr.  Johnstone  was  elected  Judge  of  Lee 
County,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  four  years. 
He  was  elected  to  the  Constitutional  Convention 
in  1857,  on  the  same  ticket  with  Col.  William  Pat- 
terson, and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  delibera- 
tions of  that  body.  In  18G8  Judge  Johnstone  re- 
moved to  Keokuk,  where  he  took  charge,  as  cashier, 
of  the  Keokuk  Savings  Bank,  in  which  position  he 
still  remains.  As  a  financier,  he  possesses  a  high 
order  of  talent,  as  his  success  in  business  for  the 
last  twenty  years  abundantly  shows.  He  is  carefid 
and  accurate  in  his  judgment,  and  has  a  habit  of 
looking  at  a  subject  thoroughly  and  on  all  sides. 
As  a  lawyer  and  statesman  he  displays  more  than 
ordinary  abilitj'.  He  has  never  been  what  may  be 
termed  an  off-hand  speaker,  either  in  court  or 
the  Legislature.  He  is  naturally  too  cautious  to 
allow  himself  to  rush  into  speechmaking  unprepared. 
Hence  his  speeches  always  evince  thorough  prepara- 
tion and  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  his  subject, 
and  often  blaze  and  sparkle  with  the  rhetorical 
flights  of  eloquence.  Being  a  man  of  literary 
culture  and  extensive  reading,  his  speeches  and 
pleas  have  often  been  garnished  with  gems  of 
imagination  and  quotations  from  poets.  Judge 
Johnstone  has  always  responded  liberally  to  the 
many  and  oft  repeated  calls  for  charity,  and  what- 
ever is  calculated  to  improve  the  city  in  which  he 
lives,  or  for  the  good  of  the  people,  our  subject  is 
always  found  among  those  championing  that  cause. 

Judge  Johnstone  is  a  man  of  stalwart  proportions, 
being  six  feet  four  inches  in  height,  and  weighs  250 
pounds,  and  has  not  varied  ten  pounds  from  the 
weight  mentioned  during  the  last  twenty  years.  His 
stature  and  appearance  would  single  him  out  among 
a  thousand  as  a  man  of  mark.  In  manners  and  con- 
versation he  is  one  of  the  most  affalile  and  friendly 
of  men,  carrying  in  his  beaming  countenance  the 
insignia  of  a  warm  and  genial  nature.  He  is  a  good 
writer,  clear,  forcible  and  fluent,  and  has  a  faculty 
for  making  and  holding  friends,  which  is  most  re- 


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HO      444 


LEE  COUNTV. 


iinli! 


niai-kable.  This  is  known  by  the  friendship  of  the 
people  for  liiin,  notwitiistaniling  the  litigations  in- 
volving their  interests,  in  which  he  has  so  long  and 
often  been  eugaj>:e<l.  Throiiiih  all  the  coniplieations 
and  dillieulties  res[)ecting  the  half-breed  lands,  in 
which  he  took,  from  the  first,  a  leading  part,  he 
seems  never  to  have  incurred  the  ill-will  of  the 
people;  but,  on  the  contrary,  pursued  such  a  course 
as  to  preserve  their  friendship,  and  ni:ike  them  warm 
supporters  of  him  at  the  polls. 

Judge  . Johnstone  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
\'.  Uicliards,  in  Ai>ril,  l>i4;i,  in  St.  Louis  County, 
Mo.,  and  of  this  union  four  children  are  yet  living, 
namely,  Alexander  Edward,  Mar3'  JNIillburn,  Ed- 
ward Richards  and  Hugo  Richards,  all  of  whom  are 
residing  in  Keokuk. 

♦.J»S>-J»!^  *^)^■«5<-.<5<f- 
^:NRY  R.  ALTER,  deceased,  was  one  of  the 
most    wealthy    and    successful    farmers    of 
West  Point  Township,  and  uuiversall}-  re- 
spected for  his  honest  and  upright  character 
and  straightforward  dealings  with   his  fellow-men. 
lie  was  a  native  of  Washington  County,  Pa.,   his 
3=1  birth  occuiTing  Jan.  20,  ISlo,  and  was  the  second 
son  and  fifth  child  of   llenrj-  and  Elizabeth  (Rein- 
hard)  Alter,  who  were  of  German   parentage   and 
aucestrj'.    His  mother  died  at  the  age  of  forty-nine 
years,    in    1835:    his  father  was  married  a  second 
time.  ;ind  departed  this  life  in  Tuscarawas  County, 
Ohio. 

Li  1840  Mr.  Alter  removed  from  the  place  of 
his  birth  into  Beaver  Count}-,  Pa.,  where  he  became 
ipiite  extensively  engaged  in  the  oil  business,  but 
liaviug  ;iu  opportunity  to  dispose  of  his  interests 
at  a  good  jjrofit,  he  sold  out  and  resolved  to  seek  a 
home  beyond  the  Mississiiipi.  It  was  not  until 
1865,  however,  that  lie  finally  established  himself 
in  Lee  County.  He  purchased  a  good  farm  in  West 
Point  Township,  and  subsequently  became  the  pro- 
l>i-ietor  of  800  acres,  most  of  which  lie  on  section  3. 
It  is  nearl_y  all  jirairie  laud,  and  the  greater  part  of 
g|it  improved.  Mr.  Alter  was  remarkably  successful 
in  his  agricultural  pursuits,  and  during  the  latter 
|):irt  of  his  life  was  extensively  engaged  in  the  buy- 
ing and  selling  of  cattle. 


iniii 
li! 


The  subject  of  our  sketch,  in  early  manhood, 
was  iii;uried  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Weirich,  ami  <)f  this 
union  lliere  were  born  two  children — Henry  II. 
and  Frances  E.  The  mother  of  these  children  died 
in  1.S41.  She  was  of  (German  descent,  and  was 
reared  and  educated  in  AVashington  County,  Pa. 
In  1842  Mr.  Alter  was  married  a  .second  time,  to 
Miss  Marj-  Anna  Ilazen,  of  Beaver  County,  Pa. 
Of  this  marriage  there  were  born  six  children,  one 
of  whom,  Samuel  II.,  is  deceased.  The  living  are 
Christmas  E..  Eliza  A.  and  Luzetta  (twins),  Jo- 
sephus  and  David  R.  The  mother  of  these  cliildreu 
died  in  Reaver  Countj',  Nov.  10,  18o9. 

Mr.  Alter  was  married  the  third  time,  to  Mrs. 
Nancy  (Dean)  McCreary,  daughter  of  Noah  and 
Elizabeth  (Emery)  Uean,  natives  respectively  of 
Huntingdon  and  Mercer  Counties,  Pa.  They  spent 
their  entire  lives  on  a  farm,  and  died  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  that  part  of  Lawrence  County  which  was 
formerly  a  part  of  Mercer  Count}'.  The  father  de- 
parted this  life  in  1 870,  at  the  age  of  sixty -six  years ; 
the  mother  survived  him  fourteen  years,  dying  on 
the  7th  of  October,  1884,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
over  eight3'-three  years.  Thej-  were  most  worthy 
and  excellent  people,  highly  esteemed  in  their 
c(jmmunity,  and  were  prominently  connected  with 
the  Baptist  Church,  Mr.  Dean  was  a  very  suc- 
cessful man  in  his  .agricultural  and  l)nsiness  pursuits, 
and  accumulated  a  large  property.  He  was  a  solid 
Republican  politically,  a  nian  of  great  foi'ce  of 
character,  and  used  his  influence  in  support  of 
whatever  he  believed  the  truth  and  right. 

Mrs.  Nancy  Alter  was  born  ujion  the  homestead 
of  her  parents  in  what  is  now  Lawrence  County, 
Pa.,  Ma3'  12,  1832.  She  received  a  good  educatitm 
in  tlie  public  schools  and  remained  with  her  parents 
until  she  was  \uiited  in  marriage  with  Mr.  I'earson 
McCrear^-,  who  died  in  Lawrence  County,  leaving 
his  widow  with  two  children,  one  of  wliom,  William 
N.,  is  now  deceased.  The  other  son,  Willis  P.,  was 
married  to  Aliss  Mary  B.  Green,  and  is  practicing 
law  in  Hastings,  Neb.  She  was  united  in  mar- 
ri.age  with  .Mr.  Alter  Oct.  6,  18.51).  and  by  this  last 
union  became  the  mother  of  five  children,  of  whom 
the  record  is  as  follows:  Lizzie  A.  is  the  wife  of 
Fred  Davis,  and  they  live  near  Earned,  Kan.,  on  a 
farm,  tliey  are  both  semi-nuites — they  can  talk  but 


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are  deaf;  Mr.  Davis  lost  his  hearing  at  the  age  of 
seven  years  from  scarlet  fever;  his  wife  became 
(leaf  at  the  age  of  five  years  from  spotted  fever. 
They  were  both  well  educated  at  the  Ucaf  and 
Dumb  Institute  at  Iowa  City  and  were  also  in  the 
school  at  Council  Bluffs.  Elmer  T.  is  married  to 
Nettie  L.  Martin,  and  manages  the  homestead  for  his 
mother.  Emma  L.  and  Eva  L.,  twins,  are  flnel3' 
educated  and  reside  at  home;  Minnie  R.  is  attend- 
ing .school  at  Danville,  Iowa.  Mr.  Alter  was  killed 
by  a  horse  on  the  20th  of  August,  1885. 

A  large  part  of  the  members  of  the  family  are 
connected  with  the  Baptist  Church,  and  are  well 
known  thioughout  Lee  County,  and  held  in  the 
highest  esteem.  They  occupy  a  fine  dwelling,  and 
the  land  is  supplied  with  all  the  appliances  for  car- 
rying on  agriculture  in  a  first-class  manner.  It  is 
beautifully  located,  and  forms  one  of  the  pleasantest 
spots  in  the  landscape  of  Lee  County. 


^^^ 


ylLLIAM  T.  HUMES  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton County,  Pa.,  June  18,  1834.  lie  en- 
joj-ed  the  advantages  of  a  good  common- 
sciiool  education  and  remained  in  his  native  State 
until  twent}'  years  of  age,  when  he  drifted  west- 
ward, first  coming  to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  where 
he  was  employed  as  a  salesman  in  the  store  of 
Babbitt  &  Ross,  and  subsequently  in  the  registry 
department  of  the  Government  Land-OtHce.  He 
then  took  a  trip  through  the  territories  of  Nevada, 
Oregon,  New  Mexico  and  Central  America,  and 
finallj'  returned  to  Iowa. 


ENDLETON    BURTON    MARCEV,    de- 
ceased,  was  a  highly  esteemed  resident  of 
Ft.  JIadison,  and  departed   tliis  life   Nov. 
1."),  1.S81,  deeply  lamented  by  all  who  had 
enjoyed   the  honor  of  his  fricndsliiii  and  acquaint- 
ance,  for   he    had    fuUilled   all    the  obligations  of  a 
good  citizen.      The  sul)ject  of  this  notice  was  burn 
in  Washington,  D.  C,  April  2.s,    1812.      lllsfatiicr, 
Thomas  Marcey,  was  a  native  of  .ALaryland,and  en- 
gaged the  greater  part  of  his   life  as  a    contr.actor 


and  builder.  He  removed  from  his  native  town  to 
Washington  when  the  latter  was  an  embryo  city,  [i 
and  purchased  property  within  the  corporate  limits. 
He  also  secured  possession  of  a  farm  seven  miles 
out,  and  transacted  with  ability  the  joint  busiuessesp 
of  farmer,  contractor  and  builder,  until  he  retired  J 
from  active  labor,  at  an  advanced  age.  He  lived 
to  see  remarkable  changes  transpiring  around  him,'^ 
and  folded  his  liands  for  his  final  rest  In  the  capi- 
tal city,  where  his  remains  are  buried.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  wife  was  Elizabeth  Richie,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  the 
subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  j'oungest. 

Pendleton  B.  Marcey  was  reared  by  his  i»arents, 
and  received  a  fair  education  in  the  common 
schools.  In  earl^-  life  lie  learned  the  cabinet-mak- 
er's trade  in  Washington,  and  lived  there  until 
1831,  when  he  went  to  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  worked 
as  a  journeyman  for  two  years,  then  proceeded  to 
Columbus,  Ohio,  and  snccessfuUy  engaged  in  the 
furniture  business  on  his  own  account  for  the  fol- 
lowing nine  years.  In  1842,  hearing  much  of  the 
glowing  reports  that  came  from  the  country  be- 
yond the  Mississippi,  he  concluded  to  emigrate 
thither.  He  accordingly  started  via  canal  to  Ports- 
mouth, and  thence  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Rivers  to  Ft.  Madison,  which  journey  consumed 
one  month's  time.  He  arrived  here  in  the  fall  of 
the  year  before  mentioned,  first  opened  a  furniture 
store,  and  after  a  few  years  engaged  in  the  dry- 
goods  business.  In  1.S59  Mr.  Marcey  went  into 
Davis  County,  Iowa,  and,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Deake,  laid  out  the  town  of  Deakesvllle,  and  remov- 
ing his  stock  of  goods  thither,  added  to  it  such  ar- 
ticles as  were  necessary,  and  established  a  store, 
which  he  operated  for  about  eight  years  continu- 
ously. Then,  on  account  of  failing  health,  he  re- 
turned to  Ft.  Madison  and  lived  In  retirement  un- 
til his  death. 

Pendleton  lUuton  Marcey  and  Mrs.  Jane  Jones 
were  united  in  marriage  March  7,  1830.  Mrs.  Mar- 
cey was  born  in  Belmont  County,  W.  ^'a.  Her  fa- 
ther, John  Jamieson,  was  of  Irish  birth  and  parent- 
age, and  came  to  America  when  a  youth,  .settling 
in  Virginia,  and  was  engaged  in  farming  i)ursuits 
until  his  death.  He  w;is  inairied  in  early  manhood 
to  Miss  Ann   Overtush.  a    laily    wiiose   birthplace 


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446 


LEE  COUNTY. 


was  Holland,  and  who  came  over  to  this  country 
when  a  small  child. 

Mrs.  Marcey,  when  a  iiijuden  of  sixteen  years,  was 
united  in  marriage  with  John  Jones,  a  native  of 
Bristol,  Wales,  who  died  of  yellow  fever  a  short 
time  after  their  marriage.  Of  this  union  there  was 
born  one  child,  Mary,  who  is  now  the  wife  of 
John  Beard,  and  lives  in  Carthage,  Mo.  Mrs.  Mar- 
cey is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  of  Ft.  Madison,  and  owns  and  occu- 
pies a  pleasant  home  on  Fifth  street.  She  is  a  lady 
of  many  excellent  traits  of  character,  and  is  highly 
esteemed  in  the  communitj-  where  she  has  so  long- 
been  a  resident. 


ia 


mm 


f]  AMES  KENNEDY,  a  highly  respected  citi- 
zen of  Cedar  Township,  occupies  the  posi- 
tion of  Assessor,  and  in  this,  as  well  as  other 
duties  pertaining  to  a  good  citizen,  is  fulfill- 
ing his  obligations  with  credit  and  fidelity.  Mr.  K. 
was  born  in  Marion  Township,  Lee  Co.,  Iowa, 
April  1  2,  1  f<44,  and  is  the  son  of  Josiah  and  Julia 
Kennedy.  He  was  but  two  wcelvs  old  wiien  iiis  pa- 
rents came  to  Cedar  Township,  and  he  has  been  a 
resident  hero  since  that  time.  He  received  careful 
liome  training  and  a  fair  education  in  the  subscrip- 
tion schools.  Tiie  youthful  students  of  those  days  pe- 
rused their  l)ooks  and  recited  their  lessons  under 
the  instruction  of  a  teai-iier  in  a  private  house,  and 
our  subject,  in  common  witii  most  of  tiie  boys  of 
that  pericjd  and  section  of  country,  was  carefully 
trained  to  liabits  of  industry  and  economy,  and 
when  not  engaged  at  his  lessons,  assisted  his  par- 
ents in  the  duties  around  tiie  homestead.  At  the 
close  of  iiis  primary  course  of  study  lie  entered 
Howe's  Seminary  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  and  emerged 
from  tliis  institution  prepared  to  talve  up  the  duties 
of  a  pedagogue. 

At  this  period,  the  Civil  War  being  in  progress, 
our  subject  only  taught  a  few  terms,  and  then  en- 
listed as  a  soldier  in  Co.  E,  4.itli  Iowa  \ol.  Inf., 
;ind  was  soon  thereafter  made  Orderly  Sergeant. 
He  then  received  a  recruiting  commission  from 
(ien.  Balier,  and  raised  a  company  of  tliirly-one 
men,   liim.^elf    c'nli>tiug    as    a    private    willi    Uieni. 


The3^   were  attached  to  the  16th  Army  Corps  and 

operated  mostly  in  the  Southwest.  The  regiment 
was  discharged  at  Keokuk  in  September,  lf(G4,  Mr. 
Kennedy  returning  home  in  ill-health,  and  was  un- 
fitted for  .active  labor  for  several  montlis  afterward. 
In  the  spring  of  the  following  year  he  engaged  in 
farming,  and  in  1870  located  upon  the  homestead 
which  he  now  owns  and  occupies,  on  section  29, 
adjoining  his  father's  farm  in  Cedar  Township. 

The  marriage  of  James  Kennedj'  and  Miss  Eliza 
E.  Dawson  was  celebrated  on  Julj'  4,  1872.  Mrs. 
K.  is  a  native  of  Lee  County,  born  at  Summitville, 
and  the  daughter  of  Pej'ton  and  Ellen  (^Stoddard) 
Dawson,  who  settled  in  Lee  County  at  an  early  ;  a 
day.  Of  this  union  there  have  been  born  seven  ; 
children — May,  Bessie,  Jessie,  Viola,  AVillie,  James  ; 
and  Dwight.  Mr.  Kennedy  is  Republican  in  politics,  E 
has  served  fifteen  3'ears  as  Assessor  of  his  town-  ; 
ship,  is  President  of  the  District  School  Board,  and  t 
for  long  years  has  been  a  iirominent  man  in  tiie  nf-  £ 
fairs  of  his  community. 


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^  OSEPH  UOANE,  a  resident  of  Cedar  Town 
ship,  has  contributed  his  full  quota  toward  the  ^^ 
development  of  the  resources  of  the  Hawk- 
eye  State.     He  was  born  in  Orange  Count}", 
Ind.,  March  27,  1820,  and  is  a  descendant  of  Joseph 
Doane,  a  native  of  England,  who  came  to  America 
with  the  Peun  Colony,  settling   in  Pennsylvania  in 
the  colonial  days.     David  Doane,  the  father  of  our  || 
subject,  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  State,  North 
Carolina,  whither  his  i)arents  had  removed   before 
his  birth,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  ap- 
prenticed himself  to  learn  the  trade  of  fuller.     He 
served  for  two  years,  and  wlien  his  parents  removed 
to  Indiana  he  accompanied  them.   He  had  no  means  Bj 
of  his  own,  and  engaged  at  whatever  employment  c; 
he  could   procure,  sometimes  as  a  carpenter,  and  at  ^ 
other  times  at  his  former  trade.     He  saved  what- 
ever he  could  of  his  earnings,  so  tliat  in  the  course  hf 
of   time    lie  was   enabled   to  put  up  a  small  fulling 
mill,  wiiii'li  lie  operated  for  a   few   years,  and   then  SiiK 
built  another  and  a  hiryer  one  at   I'aoli,  the  county  ah 

S-'i 

seal  of  Orange  County,  which  lie  operated  two  sea-  ii\ 
sons,  and  then  solil  out  and   purchased  a   tract  of;;;i 


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\fWK9M  y-r^i  » fHf  I'll  ■  '■'  vtfg-rynrT-rT  L  »»»^in«  U>Twt»TTT  l^j 


V.r^r^^^',^ 


V^i'r'^d^i 


:  rrTiLJilijixiziyii-iTVrTrrifiixixrjiriSxrr; 


LEE  COUNTY 


timber  land  at  White  Lick.  Here  he  erected  a 
hewed-lt)"  house,  and  was  alternatelj'  employed  at 
the  carpenter's  trade,  inillwrighting  and  the  im- 
provement uf  his  hiiu).  lie  built  a  number  uf  card- 
ing-mills  in  that  county,  and  in  the  course  of  time, 
with  the  assistance  of  his  sons,  had  120  acres  of  his 
land  under  o()od  cultivation. 

David  Doanc  remained  in  possession  oi  the  above 
property  until  1)->4(I,  in  the  meantime  having-  visited 
tiie  Territory  of  Iowa,  and  decided  upon  locating 
in  that  State.  His  first  visit  was  in  I.s-iS,  when  he 
came  into  Lee  County,  and  entered  lliO  acres  of 
land  in  Cedar  Township,  on  section  1.5,  wiiere,  in 
18.50,  he  permanently  settled,  and  remained  until 
his  death  in  18G2.  In  earl>'  manhood  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  iliss  Knth  Atkinson,  who  remained 
his  faithful  companion  through  all  his  labors,  and 
survived  hini  for  a  period  of  thirteen  j'ears,  de- 
parting this  life  in  Iowa,  in  1875.  The3'  were  the 
parents  of  fourteen  children,  of  whom  the  subject 
of  our  sketch  was  the  first-born. 

Joseph  Doaue  was  reared  in  Morgan  County, 
Ind.,  remaining  under  the  parental  roof  until  he 
had  attained  to  years  of  manhood.  He  received 
careful  training  at  the  hands  of  his  parents,  and  a 
good  education  in  the  district  schools,  from  which 
he  graduated  at  an  earlj'  age,  and  began  to  assist 
his  parents  in  the  duties  on  the  farm.  He  remained 
with  them  until  his  marriage,  and  then  took  a  part 
of  the  farm  which  was  unimproved  and  began  to 
clear  and  cultivate  it.  He  subsequently  purchased 
ten  acres  of  his  father,  upon  which  stood  a  hewed- 
log  house,  which  he  occupied  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  then  resolved  to  cross  the  Mississippi 
and  seek  his  fortunes  further  westward.  He  came 
into  Iowa  in  1848,  the  journej-  l)eing  made  over- 
laud  with  three  horses  and  a  wagon.  They  were 
equipped  with  their  household  goods  and  cooking 
utensils,  and  camped  b}'  the  wayside.  After  com- 
ing into  Lee  Countj*  he  moved  his  family'  into  a 
rented  cabin.  He  was  soon  afterward  taken  ill,  and 
remained  disabled  during  all  that  winter.  In  the 
meantime  his  funds  were  nearly  exhausted,  and  he 
was  forced  to  abandon  his  plans  for  the  purchase 
and  improvement  of  a  farm.  He  cultivated  rented 
land  for  five  years  thereafter,  in  the  meantime 
working    at   his    trade  as  a  carpenter  and   for  his 


neighbors  at  harvesting.  His  first  purchase  was  the 
north  oue-half  of  section  1.5,  which  he  improved 
and  still  owns.  In  1873  he  removed  to  his  father's 
old  home,  which  he  has  occupied  since  that  time, 
having  purchased  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs.       r 

The  marriage  of  .Joseph  Doaue  and  Miss  Rebecca  i 
HauHuer  took  place  Dee.  -i,  1840.  Mrs.  D.  is  a  na- 
tive of  Highland  County,  Ohio,  born  Jan.  1.5,  1821. 
Her  father,  .Jonathan  Hammer,  was  a  native  of 
Tennessee,  and  removed  from  his  native-  State  to 
Ohio  at  an  early  day.  He  afterward  went  to  Ham- 
ilton County,  Ind.,  where  he  and  his  wife  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  daj's. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doaue  have  become  the  parents  of 
the  following-named  children :  Matilda  is  the  wife 
of  .Jeremiah  Oj'ler,  and  lives  in  Gentry  Countj', 
Mo.;  Susanna,  Mrs.  Collins,  lives  in  Grundj- 
Count}',  Mo.;  J.  Franklin  was  the  next  in  order  of 
birth;  Jane  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  Henry,  of 
Gentrj'  County,  Mo.,  and  Joseph  is  a  resident  of 
Cedar  Township;  Lydia  married  David  Hixon,  and 
is  now  deceased;  Levi  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  3'ears;  Thomlis  at  eighteen,  and  Amos  at 
twenty-one.  Religiously  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doane  are 
connected  with  the  Society-  of  Friends,  and  in  poli 
tics  Mr.  D.  is  a  stanch  Republican.  He  is  a  sup 
porter  of  temperance  and  good  order,  and  is  fulfill 
ing  his  various  obligations  in  life  as  becomes  a  wise 
father,  a  judicious  friend  and  a  good  citizen. 


;^5'^«-ii)ll>-te>^ 


=^  AMUEL  DOYLE,  Jr.,  a  native  of  the 
Prairie  State,  is  one  of  the  prominent  rep- 
resentatives of  the  Ft.  Madison  lumber  in- 
terests, and  is  successfully  engaged  in  a 
prosperous  and  increasing- business.  Mr.  Doyle  was 
born  in  Plymouth,  Hancock  Co.,  111.,  Aug.  25,  1841. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Cincin- 
nati and  Dayton,  Ohio,  as  his  parents  resided  in 
these  cities  during  his  boyhood.  In  18;57  he  came 
with  the  family  to  Ft.  Madison,  and  so(m  became 
engaged  as  clerk  in  a  grocery  store.  He  was  an 
ambitious  and  enterprising  young  man,  strictly 
honest,  and  made  friends  among  the  best  class  of 
people  wherever  he  wei't. 

In  l.'^lil  Mr.  Doyle  enlisted  a.-  a    >oldier    of    the 
L  niuu  in  Co.  K,  19th  Iowa  \'ol,  Inf.,  but    wa>    re- 


tii 


jectcd  \>y  the  exiuniniiig  Ijoiud  of  pliysicians.  He 
was  determined,  lunvevcr,  to  serve  his  country  in 
some  capiicity  during  the  wsir,  :ind  accordingly  en- 
tered tiie  employ  of  the  (jovcrnment  as  carpenter, 
working  several  niontlis  at  Nashville,  Tenn.  llis 
health  failed,  however,  and  (ihysicians  advised  him 
to  return  North.  There  was  no  other  course  for 
him  to  pursue,  so  lie  returned  to  Iowa,  and  liecorn- 
ing  a  member  of  the  firm  of  George  L.  Coleman  k 
Co.,  engaged  with  them  in  the  grain  business. 
They  were  also  agents  for  steamboat  lines  and  rail- 
road companies,  ami  the  firm  continued  their  oper- 
ations until  18G9,  when  they  disolved  partnership, 
and  Samuel  Doyle  became  book-keeper  for  the  firm 
of  Soule,  Davis  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  one 
yeas.  He  then  returned  to  the  grain  trade,  and 
three  years  later  engaged  with  a  lumber  company 
as  book-keeper  and  traveling  salesman,  for  the  firm 
of  John  AVilson  and  S.  &  J.  C.  Atlee,  with  whom 
he  continued  until  187.5.  He  then  became  book- 
keeper for  Weston  &  Co.,  and  in  1878  was  ap- 
pointed Superintendent  of  the  business. 

In  liSHl  the  Ft.  Madison  Lumber  Company  was 
incorporated,  Mr.  Doyle  taking$10,000  stock  there- 
in. He  was  also  chosen  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of 
the  company,  and  has  been  (5eneral  Superintendent 
of  the  business  since  that  time.  The  company  now 
has  a  capital  stock  of  «!i:!0,00().  In  1883  Mr.  Doyle 
|iurchased  the  sawmill  property  on  the  levee,  which 
he  lebuiltata  cost  of  $22,000,  and  equipped  with  all 
necessarj^  machinery,  its  cajjacity  being  40,000  feet 
of  lumber,  100,000  shingles  and  20,000  l.-ith  daily. 

The  marriage  of  Samuel  Doyle  and  Miss  Jennie 
H.  Bates  took  place  in  January,  1807.  She  lived 
onl}'  two  and  a  half  years  after  her  marriage,  her 
death  occurring  July  23,  1801).  Mr.  Doyle  was 
married  a  second  time,  to  Miss  Sierra  Nevada, 
daughter  of  John  Wilson,  Oct.  2,  1872.  This  lady 
died  Oct.  7,  188;),  leaving  one  son,  Charles  S.  She 
was  an  earnest  Christian,  and  from  the  date  of  her 
marriage  to  the  Sabbath  prior  to  her  death  sang 
in  the  choir  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr. 
Doyle  is  also  a  member  of  the  same  church,  having 
been  connected  with  it  for  over  twenty  years.  He 
has  been  a  teacher  in  the  prison  Sabbath-school 
since  its  organization,  and  was  for  ten  years  its  As- 
sistant Superintendent. 


Mr.  D.  has  contributed  liberidly  and  cheerfully 
to  every  good  work  and  purpose  in  his  community, 
and  is  one  of  its  most  liighly  esteemed  citizens. 
Espeeiallj'  has  he  materially  aided  the  industrial  in- 
terests of  Lee  County  by  the  erection  of  his  mills 
and  the  giving  of  eniplo3inent  to  those  who  needed 
it.  In  this  respect  he  i>as  been  one  of  the  most 
valued  factors  in  the  business  circles  of  Ft.  Mad- 
ison. 

eHAKI^ES  STAHL,  a  respected  citizen  of 
Keokuk,  is  successfully  conducting  the  busi- 
ness of  a  meat-market  at  No.  1020  Main 
street,  and  is  a  line  representative  of  that  enterpris- 
ing German  element  which  has  so  largely  entered 
into  the  industrial  interests  of  the  West.  Mr.  Stahl 
was  born  in  Germany  Feb.  3,  1842,  and  is  the  son 
of  Peter  and  Catharine  (Schumacher)  Stahl,  of 
German  ancestry  and  nativitj'.  Peter  Stahl  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  also  engaged  largely 
in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  fine  wines.  He  was 
a  prominent  man  in  his  native  country,  and  for  a 
period  of  years  was  an  official  of  the  Empire  and 
collector  for  the  King.  He  spent  his  entire  life  in 
his  native  land,  and  died  in  1880,  aged  seventy -nine 
years.  His  faithful  wife  and  the  mother  of  his 
children  preceded  him  to  the  unknown  country 
thirty-four  years,  her  death  occurring  in  1840. 
They  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  of  whom 
the  i-ecord  is  as  follows:  Barbara,  Mrs.  Dull,  lives 
in  Germany;  Joseph  also  remains  in  his  native 
land ;  our  subject  and  Catharine  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  she  is  a  Sister  in  the  Convent  of  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y. 

Charles  Stahl^  ctniforming  to  the  customs  and 
laws  of  his  native  country',  commenced  to  attend 
the  public  schools  at  the  early  age  of  six  years,  and 
remained  as  a  pupil  continuously  for  eight  years 
afterward.  lie  was  .an  ambitious  and  studious  boy, 
and  for  four  years  after  leaving  the  day  schools, 
pursued  his  studies  evenings  and  Sundays,  and 
was  employed  by  his  father  on  the  homestead  until 
he  attained  his  majority.  He  then  went  into  the 
arm}',  serving  .as  a  soldier  for  six  years,  and  was 
promoted  Corporal. 

After  leaving  the  army,  in   ISO.s,  Mr.  Stahl    de- 


tji-n 


■^•^  rlcl'dj^i 


termined  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  New  World, 
lie  aecordinglj^  set  sail  from  Bremen,  and  after  a 
prosperous  voyage,  lauded  in  New  York  City, 
wheuee  he  went  to  Williamsburg,  and  soon  after- 
ij  3  ward  proceeded  westward,  crossed  the  Mississippi, 
and  came  into  Keokuk.  He  worked  for  a  short 
time  as  a  butcher,  and  in  the  fall  of  1871  went  into 
))usiness  for  himself,  and  has  continued  until  the 
present  time.  He  is  skillful  in  his  operations  as  a 
butcher,  and  transacts  his  business  in  a  straightfor- 
ward manner.  He  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  is 
held  in  high  respect  by  his  fellow-townsmen. 

Mr.  Staiil  was  married  in  1869  to  Miss  Helena 
Korz,  a  native  of  the  Fatherland,  who  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1868.  Of  their  union  have  been 
born  live  children — George,  Albert,  Louisa,  Josie 
and  Pauline.  They  occupy  a  comfortable  home, 
and  have  gathered  around   tliem  a  large   circle  of 


friends. 


^-^^^^^^^^^7<^^- 


B.  NEWBERRY  is  a  fine  representative 
of  the  pioneer  element  of  the  Hawkeye 
Hi  .State,  who  came  here  at  an  early  day 
and  assisted,  with  others,  in  opening  the 
wa^'  for  a  grand  civilization.  He  has  seen  great 
changes  in  his  time,  and  his  experiences  would  fill 
a  volume.  He  has  contributed  largely  to  the 
growth  and  development  of  this  section  of  country, 
and  is  regarded  with  that  peculiar  veneration  and 
respect  which  is  accorded  the  little  band  of  pioneers 
who  are  now  fast  passing  away. 

Mr.  Newberry  settled  in  Des  Moines  Township 
in  1838,  making  his  first  location  on  section  5,  upon 
which  he  has  remained  since  tliat  time.  He  is  a 
native  of  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  b(jrn  March  1, 
1810.  His  father,  James  A.  Newberry,  was  a  native 
of  the  same  State  and  county,  and  engaged  all  his 
life  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He- was  married  in 
early  manhood  to  Miss  Mary  Smith,  whu,  like  iier 
luisband,  was  born  and  reared  in  New  York  State. 
Both  families  came  of  excellent  stock,  and  were 
early  settlers  of  the  Empire  State.  Their  marriage 
was  celebrated  in  Orange  Count}',  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  four  children,  tlie  subject  of  our 
sketch  being  tiie  tinrd  in  order  uf  birtli. 

A.  I).  Xewl)erry  ivas  a  child  of  only  five  years  of 


age  when  his  parents  left  their  native  State  and 
county,  and  went  into  Pennsylvania.  There  another 
child  was  born,  and  subsequently  the  family  re- 
moved to  Lorain  Countj',  Ohio,  wiiere  they  lived 
for  a  few  years,  thence  turned  their  faces  westward, 
crossed  the  Mississippi,  went  into  Mis.souri,  and(}|J 
located  in  Clay  County,  on  a  tract  of  new  and  un 
improved  land.  They  remained  there  for  only  two 
years,  removing  to  Caldwell  County,  the  same  Jl 
State,  where  they  located  upon  another  new  farm, 
and  from  there  removed  into  Iowa,  and  located 
upon  the  land  which  now  constitutes  the  family 
homestead.  Here  the  children  were  reared  to  years 
of  maturity',  and  the  father  afterward  went  to  Mills 
County,  Iowa,  where  he  died  in  1883,  at  the  age  of 
ninety  years.  In  1838  tiie  family  made  their  home 
in  Hancock  County,  111.,  and  there  the  mother  de- 
parted this  life  at  an  advanced  age,  in  1842. 

After  becoming  of  age,  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
began  farming  operations  on  his  own  account.  He 
was  married  in  this  township,  on  New  Year's  Day, 
1842,  to  Miss  Eliza  Duty,  a  native  of  Newbury, 
Vt.,  who  was  born  Oct.  24,  1824.  She  came  with 
her  parents  to  Iowa  in  about  1839,  and  they  located 
in  Des  Moines  Township.  The  name  of  her  father 
was  Israel  Duty,  and  the  name  of  her  mother, 
Mehitable  Saw3'er.  They  were  both  natives  of 
Vermont,  and  became  very  successful  in  their  farm- 
ing operations  in  the  West.  The  father  died  in 
Missouri,  near  Peaksville.  and  the  nn)ther  is  still 
living  at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newberry  have 
been  born  three  children,  one  of  whom  is  deceased ; 
Orson  O.  married  Miss  V.  H.  Gray,  a  native  of 
JNlissouri,  and  they  occup3'  part  of  the  Newberry 
homestead,  and  have  three  children — Rosa,  Bessie 
and  Ollie;  Charles  is  married  and  lives  at  Montrose; 
he  is  owner  and  manager  of  the  steamboat  Hope, 
on  tlie  Mississippi  River;  his  wife's  maiden  name 
was  Miss  Jennie  Bellany,  and  tiiey  have  one  child. 
Ell  la.      Rosaline  is  deceased. 

Mr.  Newberry  is  the  proprietoi-  of  1 ,800  acres  of 
land,  lying  in  what  is  known  as  String  Prairie,  and 
belonging  to  the  old  "half-breed"  tract.  Apart 
of  this  land  is  under  good  cultivation,  and  besides 
his  .agricultural  interests,  Mr.  Newberry  is  largely 
engaged    in    stock-raising,  in   which    he   has    iieen 


H 


in 

oil 


•■T5 


LEE  COUNTY. 


¥ 


uniforuily  successful.  He  makes  a  specialty  of 
mules  and  horses.  He  is  a  man  of  prominence  in 
iiis  eomniiinitv,  has  held  the  minor  ofliccs  of  his 
tounship,  and  in  politics  is  a  relial)le  Republican. 
A  view  of  the  fine  farm  residence  and  sin-round- 
ings  of  Mr.  Newberry  is  shown  in  connection  with 
this  sketch. 


-^»t^ 


■>^*c-v> 


AMES  \\.  FKOW,  ;i  liiglily  respected  resi- 
dent of  Ft.  iladison,  is  a  native  of  Juniata 
County',  Pa.,  and  was  born  .Tan.  20,  182X. 
llis  father  was  James  P'row,  a  native  of  the 
same  Stale,  and  our  subject  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  during  his  earlier  3'ears,  receiving 
cMrcful  training  from  his  parents  and  the  first  rudi- 
ments of  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  At 
llieageof  twenty-one  years  he  commenced  teach- 
ing, following  this  profession  during  the  winter 
monliis  for  twelve  years,  and  in  summer  was  vari- 
ously occu|)ied,  much  of  tiie  time  as  a  mechanic. 
Ill  ISoT  lie  started  for  tiic  West,  and  coiiiiug  into 
Ibe  llawUcye  State,  h)caled  at  \\'est  I'oint  in  Lee 
County,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  the  county  since 
tliat  time. 

From  the  time  of  Mr.  Frow's  coming,  his  (inalifi- 
cations  as  a  leader  obtained  read}' recognition,  lie 
was  siMjii  made  Secretary  of  the  Lee  County  Agri- 
cultural Association,  and  in  IH64  was  appointed 
Assistant  Ti'easurer  of  the  count}',  which  jMjsition 
he  held  for  four  yearS,  and  was  then  elected  first 
Recorder  of  Deeds  under  the  present  law,  which 
office  he  held  for  two  years.  He  then  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits,  in  which  he  has  been  occupied 
until  the  present  time.  Me  was  aiipointed  Post- 
master of  Ft.  Madison  in  1  «7(;,  by  President  (i  rant, 
which  office  lie  iield  for  a  peritid  of  eight  years, 
with  great  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  all. 
He  was  for  eighteen  years  agent  of  tiie  American 
Express  Company,  the  only  company  repiesented 
in  this  city  during  that  time. 

Mr.  Frow  was  married  on  the  l.Hh  of  .March,  1«52. 
to  Miss  Susan  Davis,  of  Miami  County,  Ohio.  Of 
this  marriage  there  were  born  three  children :  Eliz- 
alieth,  the  wife  of  (J.  \V.  lionnell,  who  lives  in  Lin- 
coln County,  N'eb. ;    Kninia     I.,    and    Otto    II.      Mr. 


and  Mrs.  Frow  arc  prominently  connected  with  the 
Baptijt  Church,  of  which  Mr.  Krow  has  been  Clerk 
and  Trustee,  and  is  at  present  Trea?urei'. 


-•-^^^ 


-^3- 


OHN    DOWNEY,  of  Charleston  Township, 
is  finely   located  on   section   21,  and   has  a 
good  farm,  consisting  of  280  acres,  supplied 
with  a  good  residence,  barn')  and  out-build- 
!    ings.   and  everj'thing  necessary    foi'  comfort   and 
I   convenience.      .Mr.  Downey  has  been  a  resident  of 
!    Lee   County   since    the  spring  of   1857.  ;ind   in  a 
I    residence  of  thirty  years  has  built  up  for  him.self  a 
re[)utation  as  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citizen. 
The  subject  of  this  history  comes  of  e.\cellent 
[    Irish  ancestry  and  parentage,  and  possesses  all   the 
I    warm  and    generous  qualities  of    the  Celtic  r.ace. 
He  was  born  near  Belfast,  in  18;3'l,  aTid  at  the  age 
:   of  t went}'  years  set  sail  for  the  New  AVorld.     After 
reaching  the  Unitetl  States,  he  lived  in  the  State  of 
New  York  for  about  two  years,  then  went  to  Ohio, 
and  soon  afterward  cro.s.sed  the  Missi.-^sippi  into  the 
Hawkeye  State,  .settling  in   Lee  County,  of    which 
he    has   since  lieen   a    resident,    and    coutinuousl}' 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.    After  first  coming 
to  Lee  County  he   located    in  Montrose  Township, 
I   of  which  he  was  a  resident  for  ten  3'ears,  and  in 
18(i7  came   into  Charleston  Townshii),  and   estab- 
lished a  permanent  home. 

In  early  manhood  Mr.  Downey  was  married  in 
Montrose  Township,  in  March,  18.VJ,  to  Mi.«s  Ann 
J.  Tate,  of  Belmont  County,  Ohio.  Of  this  union 
there  were  born  four  children  :  Isabella  is  the  wife  of 
Edward  McManus,  of  Charleston  Towii.-.hip:  Will- 
iam T.  resides  at  home;  the  others  were  Elizabeth 
and  .lane.  .Mrs.  Ann  .1.  Downey  departed  thi.--  life 
in  the  fall  of  18(i'.t,  in  Charleston  Township.  .Mr. 
Downey  was  married  the  second  time,  in  .lackson 
Township,  Oct.  1(),  1873,  to  Miss  Ruhamah  Cheno- 
weth  of  Jackson  Township,  born  Oct.  4,  1845.  Of 
this  union  there  have  been  born  five  children — 
Albertie,  Webster  J..  Mary  M.,  Robert  R.  and 
Bessie  M. 

Mr.  Downev  w.-is  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in   lx7ii.  wliich  office   he   li:is  held  until  the  pre>ent 


^'■^-^cSi 


LEE  COUNTY. 


time.  He  has  been  Township  Trustee,  and  in  1886 
was  Chairman  of  the  Lee  County  Democratic  Central 
Committee,  being  identified,  politicallj',  witli  the 
members  of  this  party.  He  has  always  taken  an 
active  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  county  and  com- 
munity, and  in  all  respects  is  one  of  its  best  citizens. 


,AUL  M.  MATIIEW-S,  a  well-to-do  farmer 
of  Lee  Count}",  occupies  a  fine  estate  in 
^'an  Buren  Township,  located  on  section  2. 
He  comes  of  stanch  old  Pennsylvania  stoclv, 
lumself  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  the 
date  of  his  birth  being  March  29,  1842.  His  parents 
were  Paul  and  Nancy  (Spear)  Mathews.  Paul 
Mathews  was  born  March  16,  1811,  came  to  Iowa 
when  in  the  prime  of  life,  was  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  and  died  in  this  State  Jul}*  15,  1884. 
Mrs.  Nancy  S.  Mathews  was  born  Maj^  18,  1816, 
and  preceded  her  husband  to  the  land  beyond,  dy- 
ing July  17,  1873.  They  were  both  earnest,  active 
members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
in  politics  Paul  Mathews  was  strongly  Republican. 
The  parental  household  included  eleven  children, 
whose  record  is  as  follows :  Jane  became  the  wife 
of  Thomas  Moore ;  James  was  a  soldier  in  the  late 
Civil  War,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Polk's 
Plantation,  Arkansas,  May  25,  1863;  Boyd  died  in 
Missouri  about  fifteen  years  ago;  Paul  M.,  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch,  was  the  fourth  child ;  John  was 
a  soldier  and  died  in  the  army;  Isabelle  and  Eliza 
died  at  the  ages  of  two  and  five  years  respectively ; 
William  P.  married  Miss  Martha  J.  Herron ;  Albert 
L.  married  Miss  Carrie  DeLamater;  Edward  C. 
married  Miss  Pauline  McCord ;  Cora  E.  became  the 
wife  of  G.  T.  Powell. 

Paul  M.  Mathews  and  Miss  Aurilla  Powell  were 
united  in  marriage  Feb.  4,  1870.  Mrs.  Mathews 
was  born  Nov.  18,  1840,  in  Franklin  Count}',  Ohio, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Nancy  (Mc- 
Craekeii)  Powell,  natives  of  Ohio  and  Pennsylva- 
nia respectively.  George  W.  Powell  was  born  in 
1815,  and  departed  this  life  May  5,  1883.  Mrs. 
Nancy  Powell  was  born  in  181'j.  and  is  still  living. 
They  became  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  ten  of 
whom  survive,  the  record  being  as  follows :  Clarissa 
is    now    .Mrs.   Gesse;  Maitlia  S.  is  -Mrs.  Newby  ;  .Fo- 


seph  T.  married  Miss  Clara  Miller;  David  L.  mar- 
ried Miss  Ara  L.  Overton ;  Aurilla  J.  is  the  wife  of 
our  subject;  John  W.  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah 
Overton;  William  L.  married  Miss  Julia  Court- 
wright;  George   T.   married  Miss  Cora  Mathews  ;r 


Nancy   O.   died   when   a  little  over  two  years  old; 
Oliver  married  Miss  Hattie   Beeler;   Laura   A, 
came  the  wife  of  Dr.  Todd. 

Of  the  marriage  of  Paul  M.  and  Mrs.  Aui'elia  P. 
Mathews  eight  children  were  lioni,  one  deceased. 
The  living  are  Charles  B.,  born  in  1S72;  Floyd  M., 
in  1873;  .Jessie  P.,  in  1874;  Nancy  L.,  in  ls7(!; 
Emma  and  Paul  E.,  twins,  were  born  Julj'  3,  1880, 
the  latter  died  in  1883;  Mar}'  A.  was  born  .June  17. 
1SS3,  and  George  W.,  June  13,  1885. 

The  second  year  after  the  outbreak  of  the  late 
war  Mr.  Mathews  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  Co.  B.  3d 
Iowa  Vol.  Cav.,  at  Keokuk,  .as  private,  and  served 
three  years.  He  participated  in  several  general  en- 
gagements, am(mg  them  the  seige  of  ^'icksbnrg. 
He  was  never  wounded,  but  his  health  was  seri- 
ously impaired  by  exposure  and  hardships.  His 
regiment  went  to  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  and  while  at 
Memphis  it  participated  in  several  engagements. 
He  performed  all  the  duties  of  a  soldier  in  a  faith- 
ful manner,  and  received  an  hi>nor.able  discharge  at 
the  close  of  the  war,  being  mustered  out  at  Daven- 
port on  the  2 1st  of  August,  1865. 

Paul  M.  Mathews  first  arrived  in  Iowa  in  1851, 
and  has  since  been,  with  the  exception  of  his  mili- 
tary service,  prosperousl}'  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  has  200  acres  of  finely  cultivated 
land,  all  in  one  liody,  and  is  giving  considerable 
attention  to  the  breeding  of  high-grade  cattle  and 
sheep.  He  has  been  a  man  of  influence  in  his  com- 
munity, and  has  been  honored  with  the  various  of- 
fices in  his  township.  He  is  a  member  in  good 
standing  of  G.  A.  R.  Post  No.  152,  at  Farmington.  l!^ 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  his  wife  is  con- 
nected in  membership  with  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church. 

ON.  JOHN  D.  M.  IIA.MILTON,  of  Ft.  Mad- 
ison, junior  member  of  the  law  firm  of  ^'an 
Valkenburg   it    Hamilton,  and  an  old    and 
highly  respected  citizen,  having  lived  here 
neiuly  all  his  lifetime,  is  one  of  those  persevering; 


0^ 


"KSKJ*? 


WnTTirmTT< 


!iiul  energetic  characters,  who,  commencing  at  the 
loot  of  the  ladder,  has  risen  to  eminence.  He  lias 
l)een  a  close  student  and  an  extensive  reader,  and 
takes  (irst  rank  among  the  members  of  the  profes- 
sion ill  the  llawkeye  State,  lie  is  a  native  of 
IVnnsylvaiila,  horn  in  Pittslnirgh,  July  18,  1851, 
and  is  the  s(ni  of  Hon.  John  S.  Hamilton,  who  was 
al>o  born  in  the  Smoky  City  and  was  there  reared 
ti)  manhiiiid.  He  was  a  lawj-er  by  profession  and 
liecame  a  prominent  Democratic  politician,  at  one 
time  representing  Allegiieny  County  in  the  State 
Legislature,  an<l  was  a  man  |)rominent  in  all  public 
matters  in  his  locality.  He  came  to  Iowa  in  18.')1, 
and  settled  at  Ft.  Madison,  wiiere  he  was  .at  once 
recognized  as  one  fitted  by  nature  to  become  a 
leader  among  his  fellow-men.  Four  years  after 
coming  iiere  he  was  elected  a  mcmlier  of  the  Iowa 
State  Lcgislatuie,  and  introduced  some  of  the  most 
important  measures  of  that  session.  He  was  acci- 
dentally killed  while  making  a  speech  at  a  Demo- 
cratic rally,  by  the  premature  explosion  of  a  cannon, 
lie  was  a  member  of  the  lAIasonic  fraternity,  and 
lii>  dentil  was  dee|ily  lamented  liy  all  \vlio  knew 
him.  His  wife,  Sarah  (Miller)  Hamilton,  w;is  also 
a  native  of  Pittsburgh,  and  a  daughter  of  John  D. 
Miller,  a  (lioneer  of  Lee  County.  B}'  her  marriage 
with  Mr.  Hamilton  she  became  the  mother  of  four 
cliildren,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the  eldest; 
James  M.  is  a  [iracticing  attornej-  at  Oxford,  Neb.; 
Lizzie,  now  Mrs.  Harrison,  is  a  resident  of  Ft.  Mad- 
ison, and  William  S.  is  practicing  law  at  Lincoln, 
Neb.  After  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Ham- 
ilton was  united  in  marriage  with  Isaiah  Hale,  of 
Ft.  Madison. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  but,  an  infant 
when  his  parents  emigrated  to  Lee  County.  He 
received  his  primaiy  education  in  the  schools  of 
Ft.  Madison,  and  took  a  literary  course  in  Knox 
College  at  (Jalesburg.  He  afterward  entei'ed  the 
law  department  of  the  Washington  I'niversity  of 
St.  Louis,  from  which  he  graduated  in  187;j,  soon 
afterward  becoming  associated  with  his  present 
partner,  and  has  since  given  his  close  jittention  to 
the  practice  of  his  in-ofcssion.  He  commenced  life 
without  means,  but  by  close  attention  to  business 
and  a  sti;iightforw!ird  course,  secured  a  large  pat- 
roii.'tgc,  and  is  now  the  pos-^essor  of  some  propertj". 


Mr.  Hamilton,  following  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
honored  father,  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  dni*- 
ing  the  various  campaigns  has  materially  assisted 
the  cause  by  making  stump  speeches.  For  four 
years  he  was  City  Attorney  of  Ft.  Madison,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  in  1878.  He  was 
Pre>idential  Elector  for  the  First  District  of  Iowa 
in  18S0,  and  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Jjherraau,  a 
member  of  the  commission  to  locate  and  build  the 
Southwestern  Hospital  for  the  Insane.  They  sel-  p 
ectcd  a  site  at  Clarinda,  Iowa,  and  the  building  is  B^ 
now  in  process  of  coii>tructioii.  Be 

In  188G  Mr.  Il.amilton  was  Chairman  of  the  Com-  §c 
inittee  on  Resolutions  at  the  State  Democratic  Con- 
vention, and  at  the  convention  of  his   Senatorial 
District  was  tendered  the  nomination  for  State  Sen- 
ator almost  unanimously,  but  respectfully  declined 
to  accept.     On  the  7th  of  March,  1887,  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton was   elected   Mayor  of   Ft.   Madison,  for  the 
term  of  tw^o  years,  bj-  a  large  majority.     Socially, 
he  became  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  ;!: 
in  1874,  as  a  member  of  the  Gem  City  Lodge  No.  ;;; 
21,  in  which  he  has  passed  all  the  Chairs,  and  in  Siii 
1884  was  Grand  Chancellor  of  the  State.     During  :ii 
his  term  of  office,  1,500  members   were   added    to  ~z\\ 
the  order,  and  in  connection  with  tins,  he  made  the  !;!; 
most  brilliant   record  known  to  the   order  at  this  :Ei 
point.     He  is  also  a   member  of   F^mporia   Lodge  KEi 
No.  31,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  is  at  present  Noble  ci: 
Grand. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  married  in  1878,  to  ^Miss  Mary 
M.   Rice,  of  Keokuk,  and  ilauglitcr   of  .1.   M.   and  Siti 
Katie  Rice.     Of  this  marriage  has  been   born   one  Sijd 
son — Hale   Rice.     The^-  occupy  a   beautiful  home  s^ 
in  F"t.  Madison  and  are  the  center  of  a  large  circle  ]| 
of  warm  friends,  iiumberiiig  among  their  acquaint-  J 
ances  the  most  higiily  cultivated  peojile  of  the  city.  5| 


»-*-^- 


-^ 


/OHN  RIX,  D.  S.,  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  not  only  p| 
a  skillful  iir.actilioucr  of  dental  surgery,  but  sj 


a    highly  esteemed 
and 


an 


1    prominent   citizen,  ;•"} 


has   been    a   resident   of   thi>  citv  since  C^, 
July,  187  1.     Our   subject    is  a   native    of   (,)nebec,  2|J 
Canada,  and    was   born   in    Coiiiptou.  .Ian.   1,  18;iy. 
His  parents  w<u-e  (iiiy  Carleton  and  Martha  Rebecca 


tiddriria 


t^ss 


LEE  COUNTY. 


■1")5 


(Gates)  Rix,  natives  of  New  Hampshire  and  Ver- 
[  moiit  respectively.      His  paternal  grandfatlier,  Na- 
thaniel Rix,  was  one  uf  the  must  prominent  cdtizens 
I  of  the  Old  (iranite  State.     For  fourteen  years  he 
I  was  an  honored  member  of  the  State  Legislature. 
(tU3'  C'arleton  Rix,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
I  finely  educated,  and  a  man   of  extensive   reading 
and  retentive  memorj',  and  onlj'  a  short  time  before 
his  death    delivered    a   series    of    lectures  on  Self- 
I  Culture,    which    were    afterward     published    and 
widely   circulated.     The    companitin   of   his   early 
I  youth  still  survives,  making  her  home  at  Dowagiac, 
I  Mich.,  whither  they  had  removed.     She  retains  her 
mental  faculties  to  a  remarkable  degree,  clings  to 
her  early  habits  of  industry,  and  is  never  so  happy 
I  as  when  engaged  in  some  useful  employment. 

The   subject  of   this   biography   remained  with 
I  his  parents  until  he  had  attained  to  years  of  man- 
hood, receiving  a  good  common-school  education, 
and  assisting  in  the  lighter  duties  of  the  homestead. 
Aug.  28,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  4th  :Mich.  Vol. 
Cav.,  and  was  at  once  appointed  Lieutenant.     This 
regiment  was  engaged  in  the  capture  of  Jefferson 
Davis,  and  Mr.  Rix  has  now  in  his  possession  a 
I  revolver  taken  from  Gen.  Johnson,  a  staff  officer  of 
the  Confederate  leader.     Our  subject  served  with 
his  regiment  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  with  his 
I  comrades   was  mustered  out  at   Nashville,  July   1 , 
1805. 

Mr.  Rix  returned  to  Michigan  at  the  close  of  his 

I  military  career  and   decided  upon  becoming  a  deu- 

jtist.     For  a  time  he  conducted  his  studies  unaided, 

I  and  then  took  a  course  at  the  University  of  Mich- 

;  igan,  receiving  the  necessary  instruction  which  en- 

labled  him  to  commence  practice.    His  first  location 

was  in  Dowagiac,  but  in    1874   he   removed  to  F't. 

Madison,  where   he   has  since  remained.     Here   he 

I  has  carried  <;in  the  practice  of  his   profession  with 

i  great  credit  to  himself  and   satisfaction  to  a  large 

i  number  of  patrons.     He  is  scientific  and  skillfid  in 

his  calling,  and  stands  high  in  the  profession  in  Lee 

I  County. 

John   Rix  was  married  to  Miss  Marie  E.  Hazlit, 

in   1867,  and  of  this   union  there  has  been  born  a 

I  daughter,  Lottie.     Mr.  Rix  is  a  cliarter  member  of 

j  Stella  Lodge  No.  440,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he 

j  is  Master,  and  he  is  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the 

a 


ablest  men  in  the  State  filling  this  position,  lie  is 
also  a  member  of  Potowonok  Chapter  No.  2.s,  R. 
A.  1\L,  I  if  which  he  has  been  High  Priest,  and  he  is 
also  a  member  of  Damascus  Commandery  No.  5, 
Knights  Templar. 


jAMES  EWING,  a  wealthy  and  prosperous 
farmer  of  Montrose  Township,  is  finelj-  lo- 
cated on  section  6,  the  home  of  his  father 
^^^J  before  him.  Mr.  Ewing  is  unmarried,  and 
is  enjoying  the  latter  days  of  his  life  retired  from 
active  labor,  in  the  companionship  of  his  sister, 
Miss  M.  J.  Ewing.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, born  in  Beaver  County,  Sept.  22,  1840. 
His  parents  were  William  and  Frances  (Johnson) 
Ewing,  natives  of  the  same  county  and  State- 
William  Ewing  was  born  July  4,  1802,  removed 
from  his  native  State  in  earlj-  manhood  to  Iowa, 
and  died  at  or  near  Keokuk  in  184.S.  His  wife  was 
his  junior  b}'  three  years,  born  in  July,  180.5,  and 
was  the  daughter  of  Robert  and  Jennie  (Reed) 
Johnson.  She  survived  her  husband  thirty-four 
years,  dying  in  Montrose  Township,  March  31, 
1882.  These  excellent  people  were  members  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church,  and  carefully  trained 
their  family  of  seven  children,  giving  them  all  a  good 
education  and  leaving  them  comfortably  settled  in 
life.  The  record  of  the  family  is  as  follows :  Ma- 
linda  was  drowned  in  her  twentieth  year ;  Robert 
was  unmarried,  and  died  in  18.54;  Margaret  Jane 
is  living  with  her  brother,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch ;  Ann  Eliza  became  the  wife  of  Robert 
Hamilton,  and  lives  in  this  county ;  James,  of  this 
notice,  was  the  youngest  son. 

The  homestead  of  James  Ewing  and  his  sister  con- 
sists of  11)7  acres  i>f  land,  all  under  fence,  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  highly  improved  and  cultivated. 
Besides  his  agricultural  pursuits  he  is  largely  in- 
terested in  the  breeding  of  fine  cattle,  of  which  he 
has  a  herd  of  thirty  head  of  as  fine  animals  as  are 
to  be  found  in  Lee  County.  He  also  makes  a  spe- 
cialty of  Poland-China  hogs,  which  he  disposes  of  to 
the  farmers  of  this  locality  for  breeding  purposes. 

George  W.  Ewing  died  of  consumption  in  1864, 
in  the    nineteenth    year   of    his   age.     A    younger 


Tiinr 


Six. 


brother,  Walter  L.,  became  a  TTnion  solrlier  in  1863, 
enlisting  in  Co.  H,  ;3d  Iowa  Vol.  C'av.  Through 
fatigue  and  privation,  and  llie  utiier  liardships  inci- 
dent to  the  life  of  a  soldier,  his  health  failed,  and 
he  eanie  home  to  die,  passing  away  in  March,  1866, 
in  the  twentieth  jear  of  his  age.  Miss  .Alargaret  .1. 
Kwing  is  an  intelligent  and  cultivated  lady,  and  a 
L,  member  in  good  standing  of  the  United  Presbyte- 
rian Church.  She  is  highly  respected  in  the  com- 
inunitj',  and  with  her  brother  .lames,  by  their  up- 
right and  useful  lives  are  doing  honor  to  the  mem- 
il!i£in  '"'^  '^^  thaiv  excellent  i)arcnts.  Mr.  Ewing  in  poli- 
i^&!l  tics  is  a  conscientious  Republican,  and  uniformly 
casts  his  vote  in  support  of  the  principles  of  that 
party. 

— r- -i^m- -"^^^ 


ENRY  (;AR\'ERICH,  a  highly  respected 
farmer  and  stock-raiser,  is  operating  suc- 
cessfully on  his  fine  estate  on  section  17, 
l)es  Moines  Township.  Mr.  Garverich  is  a 
native  of  l)aui)hin  County,  Pa.,  and  was  born  April 
IG,  1.H34.  His  father,  (ieorge  flarverich,  was  a 
native  of  the  same  State  and  county,  and  pursued 
the  occupation  of  farming;  he  is  still  living  and  a 
resident  of  his  native  county.  His  wife,  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  died  in  about  1840,  at  the  age  of 
forty-seven  years.  She  had  become  the  mother 
of  eight  children,  of  whom  Henry  was  the  3'oung- 
est.  Three  sons  and  two  daughters  are  yet  living. 
The  eldest  son  after  he  had  attained  the  age  of 
forty-seven  years  was  thrown  from  a  wagon  and 
killed. 

Henry  ( Jarverich  remained  under  the  parental  roof 
until  he  had  attained  to  ^ears  of  manhood,  receiv- 
ing careful  iionie  training  and  an  excellent  educa- 
tion in  the  i)ublic  schools.  Before  the  breaking 
out  of  the  late  Civil  War  he  had  been  living  upon 
land  belonging  to  his  fathe-  which  was  being  culti- 
vated by  an  elder  brother,  but  during  the  war  he 
Jjdetermined  to  become  a  soldier  of  the  Union,  and 
accordingly  enlisted  Aug.  20,  1864,  in  Co.  H,  201st 
Pa.  Vol.  Inf.,  commanded  by  Capt.  B.  F.  Ashen- 
felter,  of  Dauphin  County.  The  regiment  was  de- 
tailed to  special  duty  around  Alexandria,  Orange, 
and  along  the  railroad — in  fact  our  subject  was 
upon  special  duty  the  most  of  the  time,  and  did  not 

.Bgggg 


m 


receive  any  wounds  during  his  service.  He  wa> 
honorably  discharged  at  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  June  2(i. 
1865,  and  immediately  returned  to  his  old  home, 
soon  thereafter  setting  his  face  westward  with  the 
view  of  establishing  a  permanent  home  beyond  tiic 
Mississippi.  He  came  into  Lee  County,  Iowa,  and 
decided  to  make  his  final  location  here.  He  pur- 
chased land  some  time  afterward,  and  was  prospereil 
in  his  undertaking.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  32ii 
broad  acres,  240  of  whicii  are  in  a  good  state  of  cul- 
tivation, and  has  a  fine  dwelling,  good  barns  and 
outhou.scs,  and  all  the  appliances  of  a  first-clas- 
farmer  and  stock-grower.  He  is  held  in  high  re- 
spect by  his  neighbors  and  acquaintances,  and  ha-^ 
abundant  reason  to  feel  that  he  has  made  a  success 
of  life. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  (iarvcrieh  was  celebrated  at 
his  present  home,  which  had  been  the  birthplace  of 
his  bride,  Miss  Janetta  Sargent,  and  at  that  time 
belonged  to  her  maternal  grandfather,  Leonard 
Starkweather.  Their  wedding  took  place  April  29, 
1869.  The  birth  of  Mrs.  Garverich  occurred  Oct. 
8,  1850,  and  her  parents  were  John  A.  and  (h-sula 
Sargent  (see  sketch).  vShe  was  reared  and  educat- 
ed in  her  native  township  and  well  fitted  for  the 
future  duties  of  life.  ]Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garverich  have 
become  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely,  Minnie 
J.,  (4eorge  H.,  Nellie  I.,  F.  E.,  Ola  JI.  and  Cecil 
Ray,  all  at  home.  The  family  are  highly  respected 
in  the  communit3'  and  are  stanch  friends  of  educa- 
cation  and  moralit3'. 

Mr.  G.  enjoys  in  a  marked  degree  the  esteem 
and  confidence  of  his  townsmen,  and  for  six  years 
h.as  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  has  occupied 
other  important  otHces  in  the  local  concerns  of  the 
township.  He  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  uniformly  casts  his  vote  in  support  of  its  prin- 
ciples. He  is  in  all  respects  an  h(jnest  man  and  a 
good  citizen,  and  is  fulfilling  the  obligations  of  life 
with  credit  and  fidelity. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  George  (iarverich, 
more  familiarly  known  as  "  Grandpap  Garverich,  " 
recently  reached  his  eighty-ninth  birthday.  The 
occasion  was  made  one  of  general  rejoicing,  and 
from  the  Morning  Call,  a  daily  paper  published  in 
Hamburg,  Pa.,  we  glean  the  following  facts  in  re- 
gard to  the  festivities:      Farlj-  in   the    evening    his 


Lssss^ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


house  at  1223  Derry  street,  was  entererl  b}-  a  large 
number  of  liis  old  friends,  together  with  his  chil- 
dren, grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren,  and 
he  was  made  the  victim  of  a  genuine  surprise  party. 
He  was  notified  that  a  "  few  visitors  "  wished  to  see 
him,  and  on  going  down  to  the  parlor  found  scores 
of  guests  who  had  come  to  congratulate  him  upon  his 
accession  of  nearly  fourscore  j'ears  and  ten.  In 
their  effort  to  make  "  grandpap  "  young  again,  thej' 
succeeded  admirably,  and  many  a  pleasant  jest 
went  around  as  the  company  refreshed  themselves 
at  a  table  groaning  with  all  the  delicacies  of  the 
season.  It  was  an  occasion  long  to  be  remembered, 
and  illustrates  in  a  marked  manner  the  esteem 
in  which  this  worthy  old  gentleman  is  held  bj'  the 
friends  who  have  known  him,  some  of  them  for 
half  a  century. 

In  connection  with  this  sketch  is  a  well  executed 
view  of  the  fine  homestead  of  Henry  (xarverich, 
which  invariablj-  attracts  the  attention  of  the  pass- 
ing traveler. 


/OSEPH  B.  ATLEE,  foreman  of  the  S.  &  J. 

I  C.  Atlee  Lumber  Company,  is  a  native  of 
Penns3'lvania,  born  in  Dauphin  Count}', 
Sept.  1,  18;57,  When  he  was  but  four  years 
old,  the  famil}'  removed  to  Lancaster  County,  and 
there  .Toseph  B.  was  educated  in  the  common  school, 
and  afterward  served  an  apprenticeship  to  the  trade 
of  house  carpenter,  at  which  he  worked  for  a  short 
time  in  his  own  neighborhood,  and  then  entered 
the  employ  of  Marsh  Bros.,  manufacturers  of  the 
Marsh  Harvester,  and  assisted  in  making  the  first 
pattern  for  the  iron  work  of  that  machine,  which 
has  become  so  celebrated  throughout  the  United 
.States.  Mr.  Atlee  remained  with  the  Marsh  Har- 
vester Company  until  ISGG,  and  then  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Harrisburg  Cotton  Company,  re- 
maining for  a  period  of  ten  years  as  foreman  of 
their  repair  shops. 

Mr.  Atlee,  now  considering  that  he  was  entitled 

to   a    vacation,   concluded    to  make  a  visit  to  the 

West.      Its  broad  fields  and  generous   promises  to 

]  the  man  of  enterprise  and  perseverance  proved  an 

irresistible  uttr.ictiou,  and  he  was  desirous  of  trying 


his  fortune  there.  .So,  bidding  adieu  to  old  friends 
and  associates,  he  .set  his  face  toward  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  and  soon  found  himself  in  the  Hawkeye 
State.  He  was  provided  with  excellent  recom- 
mendations, and  was  personally  known  to  some  of 
the  residents  of  this  section,  and  at  once  entered 
the  emjjloy  of  the  S.  &  .T.  C.  Atlee  Company,  and 
has  now  been  with  the  firm  for  ten  j'ears.  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  say  that  Mr.  Atlee  is  a  man 
highly  skilled  in  his  calling,  as  the  position  which 
he  occupies  could  be  filled  satisfactorily  by  none 
other.  As  a  superintendent,  having  large  numbers 
of  men  under  bis  charge,  he  is  a  success,  possessing 
that  wise  judgment  without  which  no  man  in 
authority  can  succeed. 

In  early  manhood  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was 
married  to  Miss  Susan  Waltman,  the  wedding 
being  celebrated  in  1860.  (Jf  this  union  there  was 
one  son,  Walter  S.,  and  the  mother  departed  this 
life  in  1880.  Mr.  Atlee  was  a  second  time  married,  to 
Mrs.  Lucy  Hawley,  a  native  of  Lee  County,  Iowa, 
and  the  daughter  of  Col.  William  Stewart,  a  resident 
of  Ft.  Madison.  By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Atlee 
had  become  the  mother  of  twf)  children,  Estella 
and  Hosea. 

Mr.  Atlee  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  the 
general  welfare  of  his  comnnmity,  and  fulfills  all 
the  obligations  of  an  honest  man  and  good  citizen. 
In  politics  he  is  strongly  Republican,  and  uniformly 
casts  his  vote  in  support  of  the  principles  of  that 
part}'.  While  generally  interested  in  the  success 
of  those  principles  which  will  result  in  the  best  good 
to  his  country  and  community,  he  takes  no 
active  part  in  politics.  He  cast  his  firsfPresidential 
vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  Socially  Jlr.  Atlee 
stands  high  in  his  community,  and  is  a  member  in 
good  standing  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 


,^s^  HAPLEY  MOORE,  a  pioneer  settler  of  the 
Hawkeye  State,  crossed  the  Mississippi 
while  Iowa  was  still  a  Territory,  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  this  section  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  since.  He  owns  and  occupies  a 
fine  homestead  in  Charleston  Township,  on  section 
22,  and   is  passing  the  later  years  of  his  life  in  the 


1 


PHI 


ii 


iii 


s^&i- 


PI 


m 


mm 

m 


458 


LKE  COUNTY. 


enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  early  industry.  IMr. 
Moore  is  ii  native  of  Kentucky,  and  w:is  Ikhii  in 
Lincoln  ('..nnty,  ^I;iy  10,  18-20.  lie  is  the  son 
of  Cforge  and  Hlioda  (Klhnore)  Moore,  natives  of 
the  same  State  as  their  son,  and  who,  in  1  s'M,  emi- 
grated from  tlieii'  native  State  to  Iowa,  locating  in 
Charleslim  T<)wnshii),  Lee  County,  where  the}' 
lived  the  remainder  of  their  days.  They  were 
among  the  earliest  settlers  of  this  region,  and  bore 
with  Courage  anil  |)atience  the  privations  and  ditli- 
cidties  of  a  pioneer  life.  The}-  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  four  sons  and  five  daughters,  of 
whom  the  suliject  of  our  sketch  was  the  fourth  in 
order  of  liirth. 

Sh.'ipley  iMoore  was  a  lad  of  seven  years  old  when 
ills  parents  removed  from  Kentuck}-  to  the  Terri- 
tory of  Iowa,  arriving  here  in  June,  1836.  He  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  until  he  was  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  and  then,  in  1852,  embarked 
on  a  sailing-vessel  from  New  Orleans,  via  the  Nic- 
aragua route,  to  California.  After  passing  the 
(•olden  (iate  he  entered  the  mines,  and  for  twenty 
years  was  emplo.yed  in  digging  for  the  yellow  ore. 
He  was  successful  in  his  Tenture,  and  when  he  re- 
turned to  Lee  County  purch.ased  the  old  homestead 
of  his  father  in  Charleston  Township,  upon  which 
he  settled  and  has  since  remained.  It  consists  of 
120  acres  of  valuable  land,  eighty  of  which  are  in 
good,  tillable  condition.  It  is  supplied  with  a  com- 
fortable frame  dwelling,  good  barn  and  outhouses, 
and  everything  which  pertains  to  a  first-class  farm 
estate. 

Ml-.  .Moore  w.as  married  in  Charleston  Township, 
Nov.  ;'»,  1871,  to  Mrs.  Malvina  Frikle,  the  daugh- 
ter of  (ieorge  and  Katie  (Hauk)  Ililer,  natives  of 
Ohio.  They  came  to  Iowa  in  1858,  and  settled  in 
Charleston  Township,  this  county,  where  thej'  have 
since  resided.  They  had  a  family  of  nine  children, 
two  sons  and  seven  daughters,  of  whom  Mrs. 
.Moore  was  the  eldest.  She  was  born  in  Brown 
County,  Ohio,  Jan.  5,  1841,  and  when  a  young  lady 
was  married  to  William  Frikle,  who  died  in 
Charleston,  Iowa,  June  28,  1S(;7.  By  this  marriage 
she  became  the  mother  of  four  children,  the  brief 
history  of  whom  is  as  follows:  Frank  married 
Miss  Ada  Bety,  and  resides  in  (iuthrie  Count}', 
low-a;  Minnie    is    the    wife   of    William    Allen,  of 


Charleston,   Iowa;  Chris  W.  and    Clara  are   with 

llieir  mother. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  M(n>re  are  connected  with  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  M.  is  a  stanch  Ke- 
puldiciii.  Their  union  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of 
two  children — Lnla  and  f  Jeorge  A.  Their  pleasant 
home  is  replete  with  all  the  comforts  and  many  of 
the  luxuries  of  life,  and  they  enjoy  in  a  marked 
degree  the  esteem  and  friendship  of  a  large  circle 
<)f  acquaintances. 

-^>> ••o♦o.■t'Q^><v®••o♦o. *<-- 


■^  AMES  M.  CALF,  a  highly  rcspecteil  citizen, 
is  engaged  in  general  f.arming  and  stock- 
raising  on  section  2,  West  I'oint  Township. 
He  has  been  a  resident  of  the  county  for  .-i 
period  of  thirty-eight  years,  and  in  that  time  has 
established  for  himself  a  reputation  as  an  honest 
man  and  a  good  citizen.  He  has  been  successful 
in  his  business  enterprises,  and  has  borne  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  development  and  progress  of 
this  locality. 

Mr.  Cale  was  born  in  Preble  Count}',  Ohio,  March 
1,  1830.  His  father,  Ceorge  Cale,  was  a  native  of 
Virginia,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  came  to 
Ohio  before  his  marriage.  His  wife  was  Mi.ss  Hen- 
rietta McCabe,  of  Preble  County,  Ohio,  and  they 
remained  in  that  locality  until  the  death  of  George 
Cale,  after  which  the  mother,  with  her  children, 
crossed  the  Mississippi  and  settled  in  West  Point 
Township,  removing  to  Pleasant  Ridge  Township 
in  about  1848.  The  household  included  six  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  the  oldest  of  his 
parents'  family,  and  was  a  lad  of  nine  years  when 
his  mother  came  to  Iowa  with  her  five  sons,  one 
child  having  died  in  Ohio.  He  grew  to  years  of 
maturity  on  the  farm  in  Pleasant  Ridge  Township. 
During  the  progress  of  the  late  w-ar  three  of  the 
sons  enlisted  in  the  army,  one  for  five  years  and 
the  others  three  years  each.  William  died  of  camp 
fever  shortly  after  his  return  home  on  a  furlough; 
Erastus  is  a  farmer  in  Pottawattamie  County,  Iowa; 
Freeling  H.  returned  from  the  army,  and  died  two 
years  later  of  consumption  contracti^d  through  ex- 
posure   while   in   the   .service;  John,  the   eldest,    a 


sS^ 


tSr'r'r'r' 


l^ 


farmer  by  occupation,  was  married,  and  died  in 
West  Point  Township  in  1861. 

James  M.  Cale  was  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
and  lived  at  home  with  his  mother  until  his  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Clarinda  Vanhyning.  which  took 
place  April  19,  1860.  Mrs.  Cale  is  a  native  of 
Ohio,  born  in  Summit  County,  June  31,  1832,  and 
is  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Vanhyning,  who  came 
to  Iowa  in  1845,  and  with  his  family  settled  in  Lee 
County.  He  only  lived  three  years  thereafter,  dy- 
ing of  cholera.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Affa  (Miller) 
Vanhyning,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut.  She 
came  with  her  parents  to  Iowa,  and  survived  her 
husband  until  Jan.  16,  1881,  her  death  occurring 
in  West  Point  Township  at  the  advanced  age  of 
nearly  eight3'-four  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cale  are  the  parents  of  one  child, 
William,  who  resides  at  home.  The  liomestead 
consists  of  150  acres,  and  is  all  improved.  Mr. 
Cale  has  been  a  successful  farmer  and  business  man, 
and  enjoys  a  handsome  income  from  his  various 
transactions  as  a  farmer  and  stock-grower.  He  and 
his  wife  are  members  in  good  standing  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  of  which  Mr.  Cale  is  now 
Steward,  and  has  been  Superintendent  of  the  Sab- 
bath-school for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  a  first- 
class  Eepublican  in  politics,  and  has  held  tlie  minor 
offices  of  the  township. 

eOL.  JAMES  BLAINE  SAMPLE,  whose  life 
ended  nearly  twenty  years  ago,  and  whose  re- 
mains were  laid  to  rest  with  military  honors 
by  the  G.  A.  K.  in  the  cemetery  at  Ft.  Madison,  on 
the  30th  of  March,  1868,  was  the  son  of  William  and 
Jane  (Blaine)  Sample,  and  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton, Pa.,  Nov.  13,  1834.  He  came  to  Iowa  with 
his  father's  family  in  1840.  He  received  a  liberal 
education,  and  upon  the  completion  of  his  studies, 
when  nearly  seventeen  years  of  age,  up  to  the  time 
of  his  enlistment  in  the  army,  had  been  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  in  the  Des  Moines  Vallej',  in 
company  with  Hon.  Edwin  Manning,  of  Keosauqua. 
In  personal  characteristics  our  subject  was  amia- 
ble and  above  reproach,  and  by  his  upright  and 
Christian  deportment  won  the  confidence   and   es- 


m 


teem  of  his  fellow-citizens.  In  private  life  he  en- 
deared himself,  not  only  to  his  own  family,  but  to 
all  l)y  whom  he  was  known.  When  the  war  broke 
out,  in  April,  1861,  he  was  among  the  first  to  sig- 
nify his  intention  of  enlisting  in  the  volunteer  p; 
service,  and  was  largely  instrumental  in  tlie  organ- 
ization of  Co.  D,  7th  Iowa  ^^ol.  Inf.,  by  wliom  he 
was  esteemed  as  a  model  officer  and  noble  man.  lt\ 
tlieir  engagement  at  the  battle  of  Belmont,  Mo., 
Lieut.  Sample  had  command  of  his  company,  .and 
with  his  own  hands  captured  a  beautiful  rebel  Hag, 
in  doing  which  it  was  said  he  went  up  the  flag-staff 
to  the  halyards  like  a  cat.  AVhen  in  the  act  of 
pulling  it  down  there  were  not  less  than  100  guns 
pointed  at  him,  and  in  order  to  secure  the  flag  as  a 
trophy  he  wrapped  it  around  his  body,  thus  making 
a  target  of  himself  while  running  a  gauntlet  of 
rebel  fire  for  a  distance  of  nearly  half  a  mile.  In 
mentioning  this  circumstance  afterward  he  re- 
marked, "  How  one  man  got  through  there  witliout 
a  shot  is  more  than  I  can  understand."  This  flag 
is  preserved  by  his  family  as  a  precious  memento, 
being  now  in  possession  of  his  sister,  Mrs.  Malcolm. 

Col.  Sample  was  successively  the  honored  and 
trusted  staff  officer  of  some  of  the  most  efficient  ..  ..■ 
Generals  commanding,  and  served  as  Adjutant  p  } 
General  with  rank  of  Major,  displaying  upon  var- 
ious  occasions  a  degree  of  patriotism  seldom  sur- 
passed by  any  of  the  brave  men  who  have  made 
the  military  annals  of  Iowa  immortal.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  strife  of  twenty-one  ensanguined  bat- 
tle-fields, from  that  of  Belmont,  Nov.  7,  1861,  to 
that  of  Blakely,  near  Mobile,  April  9, 1865.  He  was 
twice  wounded  severely,  once  at  the  taking  of  Ft. 
Uonelson,  and  once  at  Henderson  Hill  on  the  Red 
River.  Gen.  Mower  in  his  official  reports  of  this 
expedition  speaks  of  Lieut.  Sample  in  most  compli- 
mentary terms.  In  succession  his  commissimis 
ranked  from  Lieutenant  to  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
After  a  protracted  illness,  accompanied  by  much 
suffering,  at  Montgomery,  Ala.,  he  died  on  board 
the  steamer  "Jewess,"  March  24,  1868,  while  pass- 
ing down  the  Alabama  River. 

Though  comparatively  a  young  man,  the  life  of 
Col.  Sample,  measured  by  experience  and  by  his- 
torical record,  was  a  long  and  eventful  one,  and  he 
has  left  as  a  precious  legacy  to  tlu)Se  who  mourned 


[LJLIJLI  trill  . 


his  loss,  an  unsullied  uanie,  bf>th  as  a  soldier  and 
a  gentleman,  lie  was  pionipt,  reticent,  lirave  an<l 
modest,  relnclMul  to  speak  of  his  personal  exper- 
iences and  the  dangers  he  liad  passed  thiwigli,  even 
to  his  most  intimate  friends. 

A  full,  rich  iiuliiro.  f|-cc  In  trust, 
'rrulliliil.  :uiil  almost  slcnily  Just ; 
Impulsivi'.  canicst,  proiupt  to  :u-t, 
Aiul  uiakc  liis  generous  thought  a  fact. 

His  comrades  in  Ft.  Madison  have  honored  his 
name  by  giving  that  of  .lames  H.  Sample  to  their 
Post  of  the  (r.  A.  H. 

Frank  Malcolm,  brother-in-law  of  Col.  Sample, 
went  into  the  late  war  as  a  recruit,  in  January, 
1864,  joining  Company  1),  of  the  7th  Iowa  Regi- 
ment, with  which  he  continued  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  having  passed  througli  all  the  hardships 
and  perils  of  Sherman's  famous  march  from  Atlanta 
to  the  sea.  He  had  been  a  merchant  the  greater  part 
of  his  life,  was  a  good  accountant  and  book-keeper, 
and  made  a  faithful  soldier  in  everj^  position  of 
trust  in  which  he  was  placed  in  the  service,  only  re- 
turning iioine  when  the  war  was  over  and  all  mus- 
tered out  of  service.  Mrs.  Malcolm,  a  highly  re- 
spected lady  of  Ft.  Madison,  and  sister  of  Col.  Sam- 
ple, is  the  possessor  of  Grandfather  Blaine's  clock, 
a  majestic  piece  of  furniture,  at  least  100  years  old, 
which  still  keeps  as  good  time  as  ever.  It  stands 
about  eight  feet  high,  and  is  a  valuable  relic  of 
days  gone  liy.  This  estimable  lady  is  to  be  com- 
mended for  her  devotion  to  the  memory  of  her 
loved  ones  who  have  already  finished  life's  labors. 
Accompanying  this  sketch  is  a  fine  lithographic 
portrait  of  Col.  Sample,  which  we  know  will  be  rec- 
ognized with  pleasure  by  the  old-time  friends  and 
acquaintances  of  this  brave  defender  of  his  coun- 
try's honor  and  integrity. 


^w^-^tecc®^® 


l/gJ-^/^?^^»^~•w~» 


KS.  ELIZA  EWING  MALCOLM,  a  highly 
esteemed  resident  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  well 
known  in  this  vicinity  as  a  lady  of  rare 
musical  talent,  and  somewhat  of  an  artist, 

■~  combined  with  literary  tastes  and  kindly   Christian 
ohaf.'ictcr.     Slio  is  descended  on   both   sides  of  her 
house  from  famous  and    talented    families,  and   is 
"    own  cousin  to  Hon.  James  <i.  Blaine,  the   late  Re- 


publican candidate  for  the  I'resideney  of  tlie  United 
States. 

Mrs.  Malcolm  was  born  Feb.  3,  18;)3,  and  came 
to  Iowa  with  her  parents  when  seven  years  of  age. 
She  received  her  primary  education  in  the  i)ublic 
schools,  and  afterward  attended  W.ashington  Sem- 
inary. At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  site  com- 
menced teaching  in  Ft.  Madison,  an<l  was  thus  oc- 
cupied until  l.S.'jC),  in  whicii  year  site  was  united  in 
marriage  witii  Mr.  Frank  .Malcolin,  a  native  of 
Rush  County.  Iml..  hut  of  N'irginia  parentage.  He 
was  for  many  years  engaged  in  mercantile  jiur- 
suits  and  departed  this  life  .Ian.  KS,  1884.  With 
his  wife  he  was  connected  with  the  I'resbj'terian 
Church,  and  was  a  gentleman  higlily  respected  in 
the  community,  both  on  acccount  of  his  straight- 
forward business  methf)ds  and  his  high  personal 
character. 

Mrs.  Malcolm  uf  our  sketch  is  a  native  of  Little 
Washington,  Washington  Co.,  Pa.,  and  the  daughter 
of  Capt.  William  and  Jane  (Blaine)  Sample  (see 
sketch  of  William  Sample  elsewhere  in  this  book). 
She  lias  inherited  the  talents  of  her  ancestors  to  a 
large  degree,  is  finely  educated,  an  extensive  read- 
er, and  i)0ssesses  the  command  of  language  and 
the  use  of  the  pen  to  an  extraordinary  degree.  For 
many  years  she  has  been  one  of  the  brightest  lights 
in  the  social  circles  of  this  city,  and  is  the  favorite 
of  both  young  and  old  among  the  people  who  have 
known  her  so  long  and  so  well.  She  occupies  a 
prominent  positiim  as  a  literaiy  genius  of  the  West, 
and  her  written  thoughts  have  been  perused  by 
hundreds  of  readers  with   both  profit  and   delight. 

Mrs.  Malcolm  occupies  a  pleasant  homestead  in 
Ft.  Madison,  and  is  the  center  of  a  circle  of  the 
most  cultured  people  in  this  vicinity. 


an 

5-1 


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T~T 


0-^  IIARLES  MARTIN,  a  successful  general 
merchant  of  West  Point  Township,  is  one  of 
the  leading  business  men  of  Lee  Countj-, 
and  is  doing  an  extensive  and  steadily  increasing 
trade.  He  became  established  in  his  present  (juar- 
ters  in  186,5,  and  .started  out  with  a  moderate  stock 
of  goods.     This  he  has  steadily  added   to,  as  his 


r.£rVc;r'ri^ 


trade  extended,  aud  his  establishment  is  now 
eqiiip|ied  with  all  the  necessaries  of  ordinal-}'  do- 
mestic life.  He  commenced  near  the  foot  of  the 
ladder,  and  b}'  persevering  industry  and  economy, 
assisted  b}-  his  natural  good  judgment,  has  slowly 
but  surely  climbed  up  to  success.  In  1875  he 
erected  a  new  store  building,  which  is  built  of 
brick,  and  as  a  business  house  is  handsome  and  com- 
modious. He  carries  a  stock  of  general  merchan- 
dise, and  his  annual  receipts  bear  a  flattering  com- 
parison with  those  of  other  houses  in  this  line  and 
localit}". 

j\Ir.  Martin  was  born  in  the  Kingdom  of  Prussia, 
Oct.  20,  1839.  His  father,  Henrj-  Martin,  a  sur- 
geon, was  descended  from  pure  German  ancestry, 
and  in  earl}"  manhood  was  married  to  Miss  Anna 
Geib,  a  native  of  his  own  Province.  After  the 
birth  of  nine  children,  they  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  aud  proceeding  directly  westward,  crossed 
the  Father  of  Waters  and  came  into  Lee  County, 
locating  not  far  from  the  village  of  West  Point, 
where  the  father  died,  and  was  followed  by  the 
mother  a  few  weeks  later,  in  1855.  The  mother's 
death  was  soon  followed  by  that  of  her  eldest  son, 
all  being  the  victims  of  tj'phoid  fever.  The  re- 
maining members  of  the  family  were  now  obliged 
to  look  out  for  themselves,  aud  most  of  them  set- 
tled down  in  West  Point  Township. 

Charles  Martin  was  the  youngest  child  in  the 
family,  and  received  a  good  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  country.  After  the  death  of 
his  parents  he  was  emploj'ed  as  a  clerk  bj'  W.  K. 
Stewart,  of  West  Point  Village,  who  was  then  ex- 
tensively engaged  as  a  dr3'-goods  merchant.  He 
remained  with  Mr.  Stewart  for  ten  j'ears  and  made 
for  himself  a  good  record.  He  then  established 
himself  in  business  on  his  own  account,  and  pre- 
sents a  striking  example  of  what  ma}'  be  accom- 
plished b\'  persevering  energy  and  an  upright  course. 

Mr.  Martin  was  married,  Nov.  1,  18G0,  at  the 
home  of  the  bride's  parents  in  Marion  Township, 
to  Miss  E.  L.  Jarrett,  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
who  was  born  Aug.  10,  1837.  She  was  of  Southern 
parentage,  and  her  father  and  mother  came  to  Iowa 
in  18.J0.  Her  father  died  in  1883,  at  the  ad  vauced 
age  of  eighty-four  years;  the  mother  is  yet  living 
and  is  over  eighty. 


'rrmtill  III  I xjJiqxjIJLXJ 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased:  Nettie  is  the 
wife  of  E.  T.  Alter,  a  farmer  of  West  Point  Town-  B^ggg^ 
ship;  Hattie  married  W.  H.  Smith,  a  stenographer 
for  an  iron  and  ore  firm  of  Chicago;  Edward  is  a 
clerk  in  his  father's  store;  William  is  attending 
school  at  the  Business  College  in  Ft.  Madison;  } 
Emma  is  with  her  parents  at  home.  The  deceased" 
are  Ina  and  George.  The  children  of  Mr.  Martin 
are  well  educated,  and  have  received  careful  home 
training.  The  family  are  highly  respected  aud  are 
connected  by  membership  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Mr.  ilartin  enjoys  the  confidence  of  his 
townsmen  to  a  marked  degree,  and  has  held  the  va- 
rious offices  of  the  township.  He  is  interested  in 
all  matters  connected  with  the  public  welfare,  and 
has  served  as  Secretary  of  the  Agricultural  Society 
of  Lee  County. 


#^ 


^^^  AMUEL  DOYLE,  Sk.,  deceased,  formerly 
^^^    an  honored  resident  of  Ft.  Madison,  was  a 

lil/l|  native  of  Kentucky,  born  near  Covington, 
Jul}'  4,  1803.     His  parents  died   when  he 

was  a  lad  of  eight  or  ten 

bound  out  to  learn  the  tailor 

ing  a  young  man,  crossed  the  umo  ixivci  lu  i^iiium-  ih 

nati  aud   engaged  in  the  business  of   a  merchant   '"' 


tailor.     In  1826   he  was  united  in  marriage  with 


Miss   Abigail  Burt,   who   was  born    in   Cincinnati  jj|[i^| 
in  1812.  l-^J 

Samuel  Doyle  turned  his  face  toward  the  farther 
West  in  1839,  aud  sought  the  prairies  of  Illinois.  ^- 
His  fli'st  location  was  in  Plymouth,  Hancock  Count}  , 


where  he  purchased  400  acres  of  laud  aud  also  a 
saw  and  grist  mill.  He  disposed  of  the  product  of 
his  mill  to  the  Mormous,  who  at  that  time  were 
established  at  Nauvoo,  and  were  a  flourishing  and 
wealthy  community.  The  county  at  large  was  gen- 
erally settled  by  the  followers  of  the  Mormon 
Prophet.  Several  years  later,  in  1842,  while  still  a 
resident  of  Plymouth,  Mr.  Doyle  purchased  lots  in 
Ft.  Madison,  and  in  this  manner  became  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  city.  He  eventually  sold  his  prop- 
erty in  Illinois,  sojourned  for  one  year  in  St.  Louis, 
and  then  returned  to  the  olil  camping-groum 


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Cincinnati.  This  proved  an  unfortunate  move,  as 
about  that  time  Cincinnati  was  visited  by  that 
dreaded  disease,  tiie  cholera,  and  Mi:  Do3ie  was 
attacked  bj'  the  plague,  whicii  so  affected  his  eye- 
sight as  in  after  years  to  cause  total  blindness. 

In  1849  Mr.  Doyle  removed  to  Dayton,  Ohio, 
and  later  to  Winuetka,  111.  Thence  after  four 
years  he  proceeded  to  Ft.  Madison.  He  was  now 
in  feeble  health  and  his  finances  were  greatly 
reduced.  He  still  had,  however,  about  $2,000  cash, 
beside  some  property',  and  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness. He  was  an  earnest  Christian,  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  departed  this  life 
July  27,  1884.  Mrs.  Doyle  survives  her  husband, 
and  continues  to  reside  in  Ft.  Madison.  She  is  a 
Christian  lady  of  high  character,  greatl3'  respected 
bj'  all  who  know  her.  .She  and  her  husband  became 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  three  of  whom  are 
deceased;  the  survivers  are,  John  V.  B.,  Julia  A., 
.Samuel,  Jr.,  James  E.  and  Nanej'. 


^^  ICHARD  .SHADWELL,  a  highly  respected 
citizen  of  West  Point  Township,  is  a  dealer 
in  fine  wines,  liquors,  etc.,  and  established  his 

^present  business  July  3, 1880.  He  has  built 
up  a  prosperous  and  thriving  trade,  and  is  considered 
an  honorable  and  straightforward  business  man.  Mr. 
Shadweil  is  of  English  hirth  and  parentage,  and  was 
born  in  Wiltshire,  England,  Jan.  20,  1850.  His 
father,  John  Shadweil,  is  still  living  in  Great 
Cheverell,  Wiltshire,  and  is  a  blacksmith  by  occu- 
pation. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  the  second  of  a 
family  of  four  children  born  to  his  parents.  The 
eldest  is  in  Australia;  the  third  is  in  New  Zealand, 
and  the  youngest  is  at  home  in  England.  Richard 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  country, 
and  was  about  twenty-one  years  of  .age  when  he 
came  to  the  I'nited  States.  He  located  in  Ohio  fur 
a  short  time,  and  afterward  went  to  Kansas,  and 
traveled  over  nearly  every  portion  of  the  State. 
He  finally  returned  eastward  to  Iowa,  and  deciding 
that  this  was  about  as  fine  a  location  as  any  which 
he  could  secure,  he  concluded  to  settle  here.  He 
first  beeanie  engaged  in   running  a  gristmill  at  this 


point,  where  he  remained  for  one  year,  and  then     \\ 

established  his  present  business.     He  owns  property   3 
in  Kansas,  which  yields  him  a  handsome  income. 
He  is  still  unmarried,  and  in  politics  is  a  conscien- 
tious Democrat. 


#># 


s: 


R.  PASCHAL  DAVIS,  an  honored  citizen  gt 
and  esteemed  physician  of  Keokuk,  has  C- 
been  a  resident  of  the  Gate  City  since  ;'; 
18G0.  He  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  Bi: 
born  on  the  28th  of  July,  1837,  his  parents  being  s!f 
Paschal  and  Mary  (Carlisle)  Davis,  also  natives  of  ;; 
the  Old  Dominion,  where  the  father  was  engaged  : 
in  agricultural  pui'suits.  He  subsequently  removed  ; 
from  his  native  State,  and  is  now  living  in  retire-  = 
ment  in  Shelby  County,  Mo.  The  partner  and  g^ 
companion  of  his  married  life  died  in  1876.  Their 
family  consisted  of  four  sous  and  two  daughters,  of 
whom,  the  record  is  as  follows :  Paschal  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch ;  John  E.  is  a  resident  of  Shelby 
County,  Mo.;  Phoebe  A.,  now  Mrs.  Broughton,  re- 
sides in  Paris,  Mo. ;  James  C.  is  a  resident  of  Cali- 
fornia, and  Christopher  L.,  in  Henry  County,  Mo. 
Frances  F.,  who  married  John  Turner,  is  deceased. 
The  younger  years  of  Dr.  Davis  were  passed 
upon  the  farm  of  his  father  and  in  receiving  in- 
struction at  the  common  schools.  The  family  came 
to  Missouri  in  1854  or  1855,  remaining  one  year 
on  the  farm,  and  our  subject  was  then  sent  to  the 
Shelby  High  School,  thence  to  Palmyra,  and  at- 
tended a  course  of  study  at  St.  Paul's  College  one 
year.  He  then  came  to  Keokuk,  and  after  two  a 
courses  of  instruction  in  the  College  of  Physicians  g 
and  Surgeons,  under  D.  L.  McGugin,  graduated  on  B] 
the  lOth  of  February,  and  received  his  diploma.  | 
About  this  time  the  (iovernment  Hospital  was  r. 
established  at  Keokuk,  and  Dr.  Davis  received  the  g; 
appointment  as  Medical  Cadet,  which  position  he  & 
occupied  for  eighteen  months,  and  since  tiiat  time  Bj 
has  been  engaged  in  general  practice.  He  ofticiated  a 
as  City  and  Township  Physician  for  the  county  k 
poor  from  iMO.i  to  the  present  time,  with  the 
exception  of  two  years.  He  stands  high  in  his  pro- 
fession and  liclongs  U>  the  Keokuk  Medical  Associ- 
ation,     lie  has  charge  of  tlie  small-pox    liosi)ital  of  B|;i 


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'"i.n.^ 


Stock-Farm  or  S  .F.  RiCHARDS0N,5Ec.a.,  Green  Bay  Township. 


-i-^i- 


Residenceof  Henry  Schinstock,  Sec.9,  MarionTownship. 


LEE  COUNTY. 


467 


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tfie  city  when  necessity  requires;  was  a  member  of 
tlie  Board  of  Health  for  a  mimljer  of  years,  and  in 
187G  President  of  the  same.  In  1865  he  estab- 
lished a  quarantine  cholera  hospital  south  of  the 
city  on  what  is  called  the  Nassau  Slough.  He  has 
been  identified  with  all  public  matters  tending  to 
the  welfiire  of  the  comnninit}',  and  has  contributed 
generouslj'  of  his  time  and  means  for  the  promotion 
of  ever}'  good  object. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Davis  and  Miss  Catharine 
Shepherd,  of  Keokuk,  was  celebrated  Oct.  3,  1861, 
and  I  if  this  union  there  have  been  born  two  chil- 
dren, daughters — Annie  Belle,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  years,  and  Lizzie  F.,  who  is  tinelj'  educated 
and  a  graduate  of  the  class  of  '83,  in  the  Keokuk 
High  School.  They  occupy  a  handsome  residence 
at  No.  1003  Blondeau  street,  which  is  the  resort  of 
the  cultured  and  educated  people  of  the  city. 

Politically  Dr.  Davis  is  an  uncompromising  Demo- 
crat, and  deeply  interested  in  local  and  general 
matters.  He  is  an  extensive  I'eader  and  a  man  of 
decided  views,  and  his  endorsement  of  anything 
affecting  the  welfare  of  his  community  is  usually 
safe  to  follow. 


RICHARDSON,  a  prosperous 
reen  Bay  Township,  and  whose 
>iven  on  the  opposite  page,  is 
pleasantly  located  on  section  8,  and  con- 
ducting the  affairs  of  his  farm  estate  intelligently' 
and  in  a  straightforward  business  manner.  He  is  a 
native  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born 
Feb.  G,  1833.  His  parents,  David  and  Jemime 
(Foster)  Richardson,  were  born  in  New  Jersey  and 
Maryland  respectively,  and  when  single  removed 
to  Ohio  with  their  parents,  and  settled  in  Hamilton 
County,  near  Cincinnati,  where  they  became  ac- 
quainted and  married.  They  then  removed  to  Han- 
cock Count}',  Ind.,  and  lived  until  1846,  when  they 
crossed  the  Mississippi  and  located  in  Lee  County, 
upon  a  farm  near  Ft.  Madison,  and  engaged  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits.  There  the}'  remained  the  bal- 
ance of  their  lives,  faithfully  performing  uU  tiie  du- 
ties devolving  upon  them  and  enjoying  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  frienils. 
Their  family  consisted  of  six  children,  three  sons 


■  I  J-.iiizmim' 


and  three  daughters,  of  whom  our  subject,  Samuel 
P.,  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  Two  sons  and 
two  daughters  are  still  living. 

Mr.  Richardson  of  this  biography  was  a  lad  of 
four  years  old  when  his  parents  lemoved  from  Ohio 
to  Indiana,  and  thirteen  years  old  when  they 
crossed  the  Father  of  Waters  and  came  into  this 
county  in  1846.  He  received  careful  home  train- 
ing and  a  fair  education  in  the  common  schools, 
and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  when,  wishing  to  see  something 
moi-e  of  the  Western  country,  he  contracted  to  go 
across  the  plains,  having  in  charge  a  large  drove  of 
cattle.  He  was  absent  about  one  year,  and  being 
satisfied  with  his  experience  among  the  farther 
western  wilds,  returned  to  Lee  County,  and  settlnig 
upon  a  tract  of  land  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  He  had  been  trained  to  habits  of  industry 
and  economy,  and  became  very  successful  in  his 
agi'icultural  pursuits  and  business  transactions.  Be- 
sides his  farming  operations  Mr.  Richardson  is  en- 
gaged in  breeding  thoroughbred  Short-horn  cat- 
tle, and  high-grade  Clydesdale  and  Hambletonian 
horses.  He  is  now  the  possessor  of  200  acres  of 
valuable  land,  has  a  fine  brick  farm  residence,  ex- 
cellent barns  and  out-buildings,  and  is  enjoying  in 
a  large  measure  the  good  things  of  this  life. 

Mr.  Richardson  was  married  in  Green  Bay  Town- 
ship, Sept.  21,  1850,  to  Miss  Caroline  Hyter, 
daughter  of  Abraham  and  Nancy  A.  (Phares)  Hy- 
ter, natives  of  Maryland  and  New  Jersey  respect- 
ively. They  settled  in  Green  Bay  Township  in 
1845,  and  remained  there  until  the  close  of  their 
lives.  The  parental  family  included  eight  children, 
of  whom  ilrs.  Richardson  was  the  youngest.  She 
was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  Oct.  1,  1833, 
and  remained  with  her  parents  until  her  marriage 
to  our  subject.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Samuel  F.  Richard- 
son became  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom 
five  are  living,  and  residing  with  their  parents,  viz., 
Roscoe  A.,  Alice,  Ida,  Caroline  and  Samuel  C. 
The  deceased  are  Angeline,  Clara,  William  F.  and 
Clement  C. 

Mr.  Richardson  enjoys  the  respect  and  confi- 
dence of  his  fellow-townsmen,  and  has  lield  the 
offices  of  Trustee  and  School  Director.  He  is 
Democratic  in  politics,  and  always  t:d<es  an  iuterest 


P 


M 


LEE  COUNTY. 


in  the  affairs  of  his  commuuity  and  the  country  at 
large.  Mrs.  Richaidsoii  is  prominently  connected 
with  the  Christian  C'liiiich  at  "  Lost  Creek,"  and  is 
a  lady  held  in  tlic  highest  raspect  by  a  large  circle 
of  friends  and  acquaintances.  A  lithographic  view 
of  the  handsome  residence,  farm  huildiugs,  and  fine 
stock  of  Mr.  Hicliardsun,  is  shown  elsewhere  in  this 
work. 

A.  MORRISON,  of  the  firm  of  Morrison 
Bros.,  one  of  the  most  poi)uIar  and  pros- 
perous business  houses  of  Ft.  Madison,  is 
a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  and  was  born 
in  New  Holland,  Ross  County,  Oct.  o,  1839.  His 
father,  Samuel  D.  Morrison,  was  a  native  of  New 
York,  born  in  Orange  County,  and  when  quite 
young  removed  fi'om  his  native  .State  with  his 
parents  to  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  He 
served  an  apiireuticeship  at  blacksmitliing  at  Chil- 
licothe,  and  worked  as  a  journeyman  in  Cincinnati, 
and  other  important  Ohio  towns.  He  finally  located 
in  Frankfort.  Ross  County,  where  he  established 
business  for  himself,  and  was  thus  occupied  until 
184«,  wlieu  he  came  to  Ft.  Madison,  making  the  trip 
Liy  canal  from  Chillicothe  to  Portsmouth,  thence  by 
the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers  to  St.  Louis,  thence 
to  Alton,  where  he  spent  the  winter,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1849  came  to  Ft.  Aladisou.  Here  he 
worked  at  his  trade  for  a  year,  and  then  went  to 
Augusta,  Des  Moines  County,  and  opened  a  shop. 
Li  the  spring  of  18.55  he  returned  to  Ft.  Madison, 
and  commenced  the  manufacture  of  plows.  His 
business  was  inaugurated  on  a  small  scale  in  a  one- 
story  brick  building,  and  lu'  liml  one  man  only  as 
his  assistant.  He  was  occiiincd  in  this  manner  un- 
til the  breaking  out  of  the  late  Civil  War,  and  in 
18G2  the  shop  was  closed  luitil  the  Union  army 
came  out  victorious  and  peace  was  restored. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  and  the  return  home 
of  the  soldiers,  Mr.  Morrison  again  opened  his  shop, 
and  his  first  plows  were  shipped  in  18(;G.  From 
that  time  the  business  gradually  increased,  Mr. 
Morrison  taking  an  active  part  in  its  management 
until  within  a  few  years  before  his  death,  which 
oceured  in  August,  1  .ss  1 ,   When  a  young  man  ho  had 


become  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Maria  Blackef , 

a  native  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  and  of  this  union 
there  were  born  four  children:  William  W .  was  a 
member  of  Co.  I,  2d  Iowa  \'ul.  Lif.,  and  ilicd  in  the 
service  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  St.  Louis,  in  the  fall 
of  1861,  at  the  age  of  twent}--four  years:  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch  is  the  second  son ;  the  next  was 
.loscph  B. ;  Samuel  I),  died  at  Portland,  Ore.,  in 
December,  18.s.'),  when  thirty-four  j'ears  of  age. 

I).  A.  Morrison  at  an  earlj*  age  engaged  with  his 
f.'itlier  at  work  in  the  blacksmith-shop,  and  was  thus 
emploj-ed  until  1802.  The  war  was  then  in  prog- 
ress, and  he  determined  to  become  a  soldier  of  the 
Union.  According!}',  in  that  >'ear  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  1),  7th  Iowa  Vol.  Lif.,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  received  the  aii[)ointment  of 
Acting  C^uartermaster  Sergeant,  and  participated 
with  his  regiment  in  the  march  from  Chattanooga 
to  Atlanta,  thence  to  the  sea,  through  the  Carolinas, 
and  via  Richmond  to  Washington,  and  was  there 
at  the  final  grand  review.  He  received  his  discharge 
in  June,  ISGTj,  returned  home,  and  engaged  in  pait- 
nership  with  his  father,  under  the  firm  name  of  S. 
1).  Morrison  &  Sons,  and  commenced  the  manufact- 
ure of  plows.  The  work  was  done  by  the  father, 
two  sons  and  three  other  men,  and  the  business  in- 
creased lapidly,  becoming  very  profitable.  It  is 
now  one  of  the  important  industries  of  Lee  County, 
and  gives  employment  to  100  men.  The  shops 
cover  an  area  of  150  to  "250  feet,  and  in  connection 
with  these  they  have  a  commodious  storehouse. 
The  principal  articles  of  manufacture  are  walking 
sulkies,  gang  plows  and  cultivators.  These  goods 
now  obtain  a  readj-  market  in  all  the  Western  and 
Southwestern  States. 

The  marriage  of  D.  A.  Morrison  and  Miss  Knnna 
Kennedy  was  celebrated  Oct.- 29,  18G8.  Mrs.  Mor- 
rison was  born  at  Ft.  Jladison,  and  is  the  daughter 
of  John  (i.  and  Mary  (\'ance)  Kennedj-.  Of  this 
union  liave  been  born  three  children — Maude  K., 
Ivl.  Iv.  anil  Don  D.  Politically  Mr.  Morrison  uni- 
formly casts  his  vote  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  socially  he  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of 
James  Sample  Po.st,  G.  A.  R.  The  family  occupy 
one  of  the  handsomest  homes  within  the  citj'  limits 
of  Ft.  Madison.  They  are  highly  respe(;ted  within 
their  community  and  are  valued  citizens,  not  only 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


;  as  having  added  largely'  to  the  industrial  interests 
;  of  Ft.  Madison,  but  as   intelligent   and   cultivated 
il  members  of  society. 


I 


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3  <«        J^ILLIAM  BEARD.     This  gentleman  ranks 
3   \/jJ//    ^^"^^S   ^'^'^    honort'd     pioneers    of    Cedar 
H     VTxP      Township,  and   is  held   in  tiie   highest  es- 
:  teem  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances 
S  in  this  section,  where  he  has  lived  for  the  greater 
H  part  of  forty  3'ears.     He  came  here  when  the  coun- 
:  try  was  comparativelj'  wild  and  unljroken  and,  put- 
5  ting  his  shoulder  to  the  wheel,  in  common  with  his 
;  brother   pioneers,  aided  materially  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  soil  and  in  the  onward  march  of  civili- 
ja  zation.    lie  has  watched  with  unabated  interest  the 
g  remarkable  changes   along  the   Mississippi  Valley 
since  he  first   viewed  with  admiration  the  majesty 
o£  the  Father  of  Waters,  and    the  undoubted  re- 
sources of  the  country  along  its  valley.     He  has 
rejoiced  in   its   prosperity  as  a  father  rejoices  over 
the  health  and  strength  of  a  favorite  child. 

Mr.  Beard  is  of  English  birth  and  parentage,  a 
native  of  Parish  Lambeth,  Surrey  County,  En- 
gland, and  was  born  on  the  29th  of  July,  1819.  He 
is  the  son  of  AVilliam  and  Marj"  (Wilson)  Beard, 
who  spent  their  lives  in  their  native  England. 
Their  son  William  was  but  one  year  old  when  he 
j  was  bereft  of  the  tender  care  of  his  mother,  and 
I  five  years  later  he  was  fully  orphaned  b}^  the  death 
!  of  his  father.  He  then  went  to  live  with  his  pater- 
nal grandmother,  and  two  years  later  she  also  died. 
He  was  then  placed  in  the  care  of  his  uncle, 
I  Thomas  Beard,  who  provided  a  good  home  for  the 
lonely  boy,  and  exercised  over  him  a  father's  care. 
With  his  uncle  he  remained  until  he  was  seventeen 
years  of  age.  He  was  now  desirous  of  starting  out 
to  battle  for  himself,  and  going  to  London  boarded 
a  whaling- vessel,  the  "  Folkstone,"  owned  by  Ma- 
jorah  Banks  and  commanded  by  Capt.  Andrew 
Bliss.  His  first  trip  occupied  thirty-three  months, 
and  the  next  was  made  on  the  vessel  •'  Fawn,"  and 
embraced  a  cruise  of  forty  months.  Young  Beard 
now  became  satisfied  with  his  experience  as  a 
sailor,  and  after  reaching  terra  firma  decided  to 
change  his  occupation.     He  was  first  engaged  as  a 


clerk  in  an  establishment  foV  the  manufacture  of 
enameled  leather,  which  position  he  occupied  until 
lH4r),  and  then  embarked  for  America.  He  set  sail 
from  London  in  April,  and  landed  at  New  Orleans 
in  Jlay.  From  the  Crescent  City  he  proceeded  di- 
rectly to  St.  Louis,  thence  to  Keokuk,  and  soon 
afterward  came  into  Cedar  Township,  Lee  County, 
rented  land  and  engaged  in  furniiug.  He  was  thus 
occupied  for  one  season,  then  went  to  St.  Louis  and 
engaged  in  steamboating  for  the  following  t\v 
years.  He  then  became  engaged  in  that  city  with 
the  firm  of  (iatz  &  McCune,  as  a  workman  in  their 
machine-shops  remaining  two^'cars,  and  then  clerked 
for  Wilson  &  Robertson,  dealers  in  and  manufactur- 
ers of  hydraulic  presses  and  patent  lead  pipe. 

Li  1.S48  Mr.  Beard  returned  to  Cedar  Township 
and  resolved  to  settle  down  permanently  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  purchased  fifty  acres  of  land 
on  section  29,  which  forms  a  part  of  his  present 
homestead.  Twenty  acres  of  this  were  broken  and 
fenced,  and  there  was  a  log  cabin  upon  it,  which 
was  covered  with  clapboards.  Into  this  he  removed 
with  his  family,  where  they  made  themselves  as 
comfortable  as  possible.  He  industriously  set  him- 
self to  work  to  improve  and  cultivate  his  little 
farm,  and  as  time  passed  by  added  to  his  acreage 
until  he  is  now  the  possessor  of  150  acres,  all  under 
a  good  state  of  cultivation.  The  log  cabin  has  been 
replaced  by  a  substantial  frame  residence,  and 
the  homestead  is  beautified  by  ornamental  shade 
trees.  He  has  a  good  barn,  valuable  farm  imple- 
ments and  machinery,  and  everything  necessary  for 
the  carrying  on  of  agriculture  after  the  latest  and 
most  improved  methods. 

William  Beard  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  Bristow,  Oct.  2.3,  1847.  She  is  a  native  of 
London,  England,  horn  in  Thames  street  on  the  1st 
of  March,  1829.  Her  father,  James  Bristow,  was  of 
English  birth  and  parentage,  and  was  engaged  as  a 
wholesale  fish  merchant  with  the  firm  of  Linn,  (iib- 
son  <fe  Co.,  of  London.  He  died  when  his  daugh- 
ter, the  wife  of  our  subject,  was  a  babe  of  ten 
months  old.  The  maiden  name  of  tiie  mother  of 
Mrs.  Beard  was  Jane  Arnold,  and  she  was  a  native 
of  Oxfordshire.  England.  In  due  time  after  the 
death  of  her  first  husband  she  was  married  to  Will- 
iam Bateman.    They  came  to  America  in  184  4,  and 


settled  in  Cedar  Township,  wlieie  Mr.  Bateman  pur- 
chased an  Improved  farm  on  section  32.  They  aft- 
erward removed  tu  Van  Huron  County,  tlience  to 
Farmington,  where  he  spent  the  last  j'ears  of  his 
life.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Beard,  died  in 
Cedar  Township  in  IBIJT. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beard  huvt^  become  tlie  parents  of 
twelve  children,  as  follows:  Mary  J.,  William  S., 
Elizabeth,  Emma,  Jessie,  Ciiarlesand  Henry  (twins), 
Fremont  I.,.,  Annie,  Arnold,  Thomas  B.  and  Rosa 
Belle.  This  fine  family  of  children  are  all  living, 
have  received  careful  home  training  and  good  edu- 
cations, and  are  an  honor  to  their  proud  parents. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beard  are  members  in  good  standing 
of  the  Christian  Church,  and  politically  Mr.  Beard 
afliliatcs  with  the  Republican  part3\ 


MZI  MORRISON,  the  subject  of  this  his- 
tory, occupies  a  prominent  position  among 
the  business  interests  of  Ft.  Madison  as  a 
dealer  in  coal,  wood  and  flour.     He  is  an 
■pr-CT-    energetic  and   straightforward   business  man,    up- 
Iq  H     right  in  his  dealings,  and  enjoys  in  a  marked  degree 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-townsmen. 
Our  subject  comes  of  e.xcellent  Pennsylvania  stock, 
and  was  born  in  Beaver,  Pa.,  Aug.  29,  1843.     His 
father,  Joseph  Morrison,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
town  and  county,  and  was   reared    to   agricultural 
pursuits  in  his  native  place.     He  was  married  there 
in  early  manhood  and  remained  a   citizen    of   that 
locality  until  1848,  when,  accompanied  by  his  fam- 
ily, he  started  for  the  State  of  Iowa,  via   the    Ohio 
and  Mississippi  Rivers  irom  Pittsburgh.     He    first 
located    in    Summitville,    Lee    County,   and    then 
moved  upon  a  farm  which  he  rented  for  one    year. 
From  there  lie  removed    to   Charleston,   where   he 
[  rented  land  for  a  time,  and    afterward  purchased  a 
[   farm,  upon  which  he  lived  until    1868,   thence    re- 
;   moved    to  Scotland    County,    Mo.,    where    he    re- 
mained until  his  retirement  from  active  labor.     He 
now  lives  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Spencer,  in 
Warren  County,  k)wa.     The  maiden  name  of  his 
wife  was  Eliza  McClure,  a  native  of  his  own  State. 
She  accompanied  him  on  his  journey  West,  and  de- 
parted this  life  while  they  were  in   Charleston. 


Amzi  Morrison  was  a  lad  of  five  years  old 
wlicn  he  came  to  Lee  Countj'  with  his  parents. 
Here  he  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm,  and  re- 
ceived a  fair  education  in  the  district  schools.  Ilr 
remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age,  and  in  isfifi  came  to  Ft.  Madison  .iml 
has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  since  that  time.  He 
was  an  enterjH'ising  and  energetic  j'oung  num. 
anxious  to  "  hoe  his  own  row, "  and  took  pride  in 
accomplishing,  unaided,  what  man j' others  failed  to 
do  with  the  assistance  of  friends  and  relatives.  For 
many  years  he  was  engaged  in  draying,  and  in  188,5 
established  his  present  business.  He  has  been 
prominent  in  the  local  affairs  of  the  vicinity,  and 
has  served  as  Citj'  Marshal  and  Constable. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Morrison  and  Miss  Marga- 
ret J.  Huffman  took  place  in  1805.  Mrs.  M.  is  a 
Virginian  lady,  and  of  her  marriage  with  our  subject 
there  have  been  born  five  children,  as  follows: 
Nancy  J.,  Enoch  A.,  Minerva  J.,  Cora  B.  and 
Burdie  A.  They  occupy  a  pleasant  home,  and  are 
surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  of  life.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  M.  are  connected  with  the  Baptist  Church. 
Mr.  Morrison  is  a  member  of  Ft.  Madison  Lodge 
No.  157,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Gem  City  Lodge  No.  21, 
K.  of  P.,  also  of  Camp  No.  G,  Triple  Alliance.  He 
is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  conscientiously  casts 
liis  vote  in  support  of  the  principles  of  that   party. 

^T^jOBERT  E.  SMITH  (deceased),  late  of  Ft. 
jL^  Madison,  and  occupying  the  position  of 
ttUV  head  book-keeper  for  Knapp,  Stout  ife 
^^Compau}',  departed  this  life  Jan.  13,  1887, 
in  that  city.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  native  of  Rounds, 
England,  and  was  born  Oct.  0,  183JS.  His  paients 
were  Thomas  and  Mary  (Ekins)  Smith,  both  natives 
of  the  same  countrj',  who  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1848,  and  settled  at  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa.  Their 
son  received  a  fair  education  in  the  common 
schools,  and  in  1860  commenced  business  for  him- 
self as  clerk  on  river  boats,  following  this  for  about 
ten  years.  He  then  became  associated  with  E.  A. 
(iibbs  in  the  lumber  tr.ade,  remaining  with  him 
until  July,  1885,  when  he  entered  upon  tlie  duties 
of  the  position  he  occupied  until  his  death. 


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MddjjiitA 


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Ir'r'r'r'r'r'r'; 


LEE  COUNTY. 


The  inaniage  of  Robert  E.  Smith  and  Miss  Julia 
S.,  daughter  of  Edward  A.  and  Emeline  Gibbs,  was 
celebrated  Sept.  30,  1866.  Mrs.  Smith  was  born  in 
Lee  County,  Oct.  27,  1844,  and  by  her  marriage 
with  our  subject  became  the  mother  of  one  daugh- 
ter, Valhe  M. 

Mr.  Smith  was  of  a  pleasant  and  genial  disposi- 
tion, and  highly  esteemed  among  his  friends  and 
acquaintances.  He  was  Treasurer  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  with  which  he  was  connected  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  Secretary  of  Stella  Lodge  No.  440, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  also  a  member  of  Potowonok 
Chapter  No.  28,  E.  A.  M.,  and  Damascus  Com- 
mandery  No.  5,  K.  T. 


EV.  ELIJAH  WILLIAMSON,  one  of  the 
most  honored  residents  of  Montrose  Town- 
lAs  'A\  ship,  owning  and  occupying  a  comfortable 
^©)  homestead  on  section  36,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  the  Hawkeye  State  since  1856.  He  made 
his  first  location  in  Van  Buren  County,  where  he 
purchased  200  acres  of  land,  and  in  18511  removed 
from  there  to  Lee  County.  Here  he  is  the  pro- 
prietoi'  of  forty-seven  acres,  finely  improved,  upon 
which  he  is  spending  his  later  days,  practically  re- 
tired from  active  labor,  though  he  officiates  as  a 
minister  of  the  Gospel  every  Sabbath. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  native  of  Hert- 
ford County,  N.  C,  and  was  born  May  2,  1804. 
His  parents,  Francis  and  Elizabeth  (Worrell)  Will- 
iamson, were  natives  respectively  of  Southampton 
County,  Va.,  and  Hertford  County,  N.  C.  Their 
household  consisted  of  seven  children,  namely, 
Elijah,  James,  Francis,  John,  Benjamin,  Daniel  and 
Mary  E.  Our  subject  and  his  sister  Mary  E.,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Ornian  Bryant,  are  the  only 
ones  living.  Elijah  remained  with  his  parents  dur- 
ing his  earlier  years,  receiving  careful  home  train- 
ing, and  a  good  education  in  the  subscription 
schools,  which  was  supplemented  by  attendance 
several  terms  at  a  select  school  in  the  city  of  Mur- 
freesboro,  N.  C. 

After  reaching  manhood  Mr.  Williamson  was 
united  in  marriage,  June  15,  1823,  with  Miss 
Charlotte  Keene.  who  was  a  native  of   Nansemond 


County,  Va.,  and  was  born  Feb.  15,  1796.  ShelJ 
remained  the  faithful  and  affectionate  comp.inion  ( 
of  her  husb.and  thirty-one  years,  and  departed  this  flH|{ 
life  Jan.  3,  1 854,  deeply  lamented  by  her  family  ||Hj 
and  a  large  circle  of  friends.  She  was  an  amiableE 
and  worthy  lady,  and  a  member  oi  the  New 
Light  Christian  Church.     Of  the  four  children  born 

of  this  union,  two  died  in  childhood.  Those  surviv-   C 

I 


ing  are,  Elislia  T.,  a  druggist  in  Montrose,  and  Mary 
E.,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  A.  Hiller,  a  far- 
mer of  Van  Buren  County.  Mr.  Williamson  con- 
tracted a  second  m.arriage,  Nov.  14,  1854,  with 
Miss  Susannah  Sample,  a  native  of  Frederick 
Count}',  Va.,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  M.ay  11, 
1813.  Of  this  marriage  there  have  been  no  chil- 
dren. 

The  greater  part  of  the  life  of  our  subject  has 
been  spent  in  the  Christian  ministry.  He  com- 
menced his  ministerial  labors  when  but  eighteen 
years  of  age,  was  ordained  in  1832,  and  has  occu- 
pied the  pulpit  for  the  last  fifty-six  ^-eais,  his  labors 
having  been  mostly  confined  to  the  Christian 
Church.  During  the  war  lie  was  a  stanch  Union  man, 
and  no  prayers  were  m<jre  fervent  than  his  in  be- 
half of  the  success  of  the  Union  troops  and  the  aboli- 
tion of  slavery.  The  existence  of  the  Latter  in  his 
native  State  w.is  the  chief  cause  of  his  removal  from 
there,  together  with  the  law  which  had  recently  been 
passed  and  which  infringed  upon  the  right  of  free 
speech  wherever  it  conflicted  with  the  institution 
of  slavery,  cutting  him  off  from  the  safe  expression 
of  views  antagonistic  to  the  peculiar  institution.  H  hi 
In  politics  he  was  early  identified  with  the  Whig  [f^^i 
party,  his  first  Presidential  vote  being  cast  for 
Henry  Clay.  Since  the  organization  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  he  has  cordially  endorsed  its  principles, 
voting  twice  for  the  inimortal  Lincoln,  and  prob- 
ably no  man  or  Christian  minister  in  all  this  liroad 
country  was  Ijetter  pleased  than  Mr.  Williamson 
when  Lincoln  with  his  Emancipation  Proclamation 
struck  the  shackles  from  4,000,000  slaves. 

After  leaving  his  native  State  Mr.  Williamson 
first  located  in  Darke  County,  (^hio,  where  he 
served  as  a  Christian  minister  for  twenty-three 
years  without  compensation,  in  the  meantime  labor- 
ing with  his  hands  for  his  subsistence.  In  1856  he 
came  into  this  State,  settling  in  Van  Buren   County, 


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474 


LEE  COUNTY. 


ii 


whence  lie  reinoverl,  ill  1H;')',I,  to  Lee  County.  Al- 
though, as  before  stated,  he  has  declined  receivinji' 
remuneration  for  his  pious  services,  he  states  in  his 
quaint  way,  "  That  Piovideiiee  has  amply  provided  " 
forhiin.  He  has  always  been  industrious  and  frugal, 
and  fiuni  iiis  earnings  has  secured  a  comfortable 
home.  To  each  of  his  two  children  lie  has  pre- 
sented $1,700,  and  still  has  quite  a  generous  sum  at 
his  disposal. 

Ill  early  manhuod  Mr.  Williamson  was  strong 
and  robust,  but  in  185'J  was  attacked  with  a  chronic 
ailment,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  has  never  fully 
recovered.  He  has  taught  and  preached  in  this  lo- 
calit}'  for  twenty-seven  years,  and  aided  by  every 
means  in  his  [lower  the  progress  of  religion,  mor- 
ality and  temperance,  and  now  in  his  closing  days, 
surrounded  by  his  grandchildren  and  his  gi-eat- 
grandchildren,  who  tender  him  the  most  affection- 
,ate  attention,  he  is  slowly  and  happily  descending 
the  sunset  hill  of  life.  His  grandson,  with  the 
amiable  and  loving  wife  of  the  latter,  carefully  look 
after  his  every  want,  and  he  in  turn  regards  them 
with  the  paternal  love  of  the  old  patriarch  who 
realizes  that  tlie  sands  of  life  are  nearly  run  out. 
They  together  constitute  a  happy  household,  and 
now  at  the  advanced  age  of  eightj^-three  years,  with 
his  mental  faculties  unimpaired,  and  happy  in  the 
companionship  of  his  aged  wife,  he  is  quietly  await- 
ing the  summons  which  shall  transplant  his  soul  to 
realms  of  eternal  happiness. 

The  accompanying  portrait  of  Mr.  Williamson  we 
know  will  be  hooked  upon  with  pleasure  by  the 
scores  of  friends  among  whom  he  has  walked  for 
the  last  half  century,  and  whose  familiar  lines  they 
have  always  been  pleased  to  gaze  upon. 


•■>S^>«^>t^ 


Vf*tf-»'^5<f-- 


!J^E0R(4P:  SCHAEFER,  residing   at  Keokuk 
is   Deputy   Treasurer    of    Lee  County,  and 
[las  his  ofiice  in  that  city.     He  is  a  native  of 
(Germany,  and  was  born  Oct.  9,  1833,  in  the  village 
of  Seckbach,  near  Frankfort  on  the  Main.     He  en- 
tered the  coniinon  schools    of    his    native    country 
when  six  years  of  age,    and  continued    his    studies 
there  until  he  was  twelve    years    old,  when    he  set 
psailforthe    L'nited    .States,    in    company    with    his 


father  and  mother.  Arriving  in  Xew  York  City  in 
.lune  of  the  same  year,  they  went  immediately  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  In  l!S.'i(;,  when  in  his  twent\ 
third  year,  our  subject  came  to  Keokuk,  this  couiity. 
and  located.  Soon  afterward  he  engaged  in  the 
cigar  and  tobacco  business,  and  was  thus  occupicl 
for  some  years,  meeting  with  sign.al  success. 

In  April,  I  Sill,  Mr.  Schaefer  enlisted  in  the  Isl 
Regiment,  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  with  the  rank  of  Ser- 
geant. He  was  City  Collector  for  the  years  of 
1 877-78-70,  .and  also  served  as  a  member  of  the 
City  Council  of  Keokuk  for  six  years.  He  w:i- 
also  on  the  Board  of  School  Directors  one  year. 
Mr.  Schaefer  was  apjiointed  Deputy  Treasurer  of 
Lee  County,  Jan.  1,  188G,  and  h.is  filled  that  office 
with  honor  to  himself  and  entire  satisfaction  to  all. 

In  I.So7  Mr.  S.  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  A'enthur,  of  Keokuk.  She  died  in  1885, 
leaving  five  children:  Emma,  Mrs.  William  Heller; 
Amelia,  (ieorge,  Albert  and  Herman.  Our  subject 
was  married  the  second  time,  in  October,  1886,  at 
which  time  ]\Irs.  W.  Laehm  became  his  wife.  Mr. 
Schaefer  is  a  member  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  German 
Lutheran,  and  is  one  of  the  well-known  and  re- 
spected citizens  of  the  city  of  his  adoption. 

^—^ -i^^- •^^- 


ENRY  REITZ,  who  is  located  on  a  tine 
homestead  on  section  1.5,  in  \an  Bnren 
Township,  is  carrying  on  farming  operations 
in  a  highly  creditable  and  successful  man- 
ner, and  is  one  of  the  highly  respected  citizens  of 
Lee  County'.  Mr.  Reitz  was  born  in  Williamsburg, 
L.  I.,  in  November,  1854,  and  is  the  sou  of 
Conrad  and  Frances  (Gurmer)  Reitz,  both  natives 
of  (ierniany,  who  came  to  America  before  their 
marriage,  the  father  in  1 846,  and  the  mother  in 
1H.52.  They  are  both  living  and  are  residents  of 
Franklin  Township,  Lee  County.  The  parental 
household  consisted  of  eleven  children,  of  whom 
the  subject  of  fiur  sketch  is  the  eldest;  Katie  is  de- 
ceased ;  Sopiiy  R.  became  the  wife  of  A.  C.  Rncliol/. ; 
the  others  are  Fred  M.,  Conrad  J.,  Maiy  A.,  Charlie, 
Adam,  Magdalena,  Wilhelmina  and  Matilda. 

Mr.  Reitz  came  to  Iowa  in  18C7,  and  kicated  at 
Ft.  .Madison,   where  he  remained  one   month,   and 


LiCfr^sUi^H 


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H5EE'  " 


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tl 


then  came  tu  Franklin.  Here  he  lived  for  several 
years,  and  in  187(j  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
]\Iatilda  Vornkahl,  the  wedding  taking  place  on  the 
(;th  of  August.  Mrs.  Reitz  is  a  native  of  Lee 
C'ount3-,  and  was  born  in  Harrison  Township  Aug. 
21,  1854.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Henry  and  Wil- 
lielniina  Vornkahl,  her  mother  having  been  Miss 
(i  raves  ljef<.)re  her  marriage.  The  parents  of  Mrs. 
Reitz  were  natives  of  Hanover,  Germany,  and  their 
family  consisted  of  ten  children,  as  follows: 
Louise,  Sophia,  Emma  and  Julia  (twins),  Frederick, 
Matilda,  Eleanor,  Martha  and  Magdalena  (twins), 
and  Wilhelmina. 

Mr.  and  Jlrs.  Henry  Reitz  have  become  the  par- 
ents of  five  children,  of  whom  one  died  in  in- 
fancy; those  living  are  Eleanor  W.,  Fred  William, 
Emma  M.  and  Oliver  L.  C.  Mr.  Reitz  has  26U 
acres  of  finely  cultivated  land,  all  in  one  body.  In 
18JjO  he  erected  a  beautiful  farm  dwelling  at  a  cost 
of  $3,000,  and  his  barns  and  out-buildings  corre- 
spond in  every  respect  with  the  residence.  He  is  a 
man  of  influence  in  his  community,  and  has  held  the 
uUices  of  Road  Supervisor  and  Treasurer  of  the 
School  Board.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a 
member  in  good  standing  of  the  Evangelical 
Church. 

-^ €-*^ ^— 

\\l  F.  SMITH,  attorney  at  law,  Keokuk,  and 
also  connected  with  the  firm  of  J.  F.  &  N. 
M.  Smith,  dealers  in  real  estate  and  abstract- 
ors of  titles,  is  one  of  the  promising  j-oung 
l)rofessional  men  of  Keokuk.  Mr.  Smith  was  born 
on  a  farm  near  Lebanon,  Warren  Co.,  Ohio,  Oct.  7, 
1848.  His  father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
was  M.  D.  Smith,  a  native  of  New  Jersey;  his  death 
took  place  in  Ohio.  Our  subject's  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Minerva  A.  James,  was  born  near 
Cannonsliurg,  Pa.,  and  is  still  living.  She  became 
the  mother  of  two  sons  and  one  daughter — E.  A.,  a 
resident  of  Washington  Territor}-,  J.  F.  and  Nan- 
nie M. 

J.  F.  Smith  came  to  Keokuk  in  the  spring  of 
1857,  and  located  on  a  farm  near  Charleston,  this 
county.  There  he  lived  with  his  grandfather  until 
18(14,  engaged  the  while  in  farm  labor,  and  during 
that  year  removed  to  Kei>kuk.     It  wa.s  in  that  cit}' 


LEE  COUNTY 


that  our  subject  began  to  do  for  himself  as  an  er- 
rand boy,  and  was  occupied  in  clerical  work  for  [ 
about  eight  years,  gaining  quite  a  knowledge  of  "jmb^ 
mercantile  business.  H^  \ 

In  1872  Jlr.  Smith  became  interested  in  real-es- ■JSBMJ 
tate  business.  While  thus  engaged  he  read  law  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1876,  since  which  time 
he  has  given  considerable  attention  to  that  profes- 
sion. In  1875  he  formed  a  partnership  with  N.  M. 
Smith  in  the  real-estate  business,  which  connection 
still  exists. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  the  fall  of  187'J  to 
Margaret,  the  daughter  of  L.  W.  Buell,  an  earlj' 
settler  of  this  county.  Mrs.  Smith  was  born  in 
this  county,  and  bj'  her  marriage  with  our  subject 
three  children  have  been  born — Ralph  B..  Marga- 
ret A.  and  Ruth  R. 


PI 


AJ.  WILLIAM  B.  COLLINS,  of  Keokuk, 
is  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Lee 
County  bar,  and  has  built  up  an  extensive 
practice,  having  been  located  here  for  a 
period  jof  forty-five  years.  He  has  also  established 
a  reputatitm  as  a  man  of  fine  talent  and  great  busi- 
ness energ}',  and  as  a  citizen  his  value  cannot  be 
over-estimated.  His  birth  occurred  Aug.  22, 1841, 
and  he  was  only  two  years  of  age  when  his  parents, 
Dr.  F.  M.  and  Harriet  E.  (Sullivan)  Collins,  re- 
moved from  their  native  State,  Indiana,  across  the 
Mississippi.  Dr.  Collins  was  a  physician  and  sur- 
geon, and  an  eminent  member  of  his  profession. 
He  was  born  in  Chester  County,  Ind.,  his  parents 
being  natives  of  Kentuckj'.  He  was  married  to 
the  mother  of  our  subject  in  1 838,  and  thej-  be- 
came the  parents  of  two  children,  both  sons,  Will- 
iam B.  of  our  sketch,  and  J.  A.  M.  They  came  to 
Keokuk  in  1843,  while  Iowa  was  yet  a  Territory, 
and  Dr.  Collins  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  February, 
1880.  The  wife  and  mother  had  preceded  her  hus- 
band to  the  better  land  in  1855.  They  occupied  a 
high  position  among  the  best  residents  of  the  Gate 
City. 

Maj.   Collins  of  our  sketch  passed   his  youth  in 
the  city  of  Keokuk,  aiid  received  his  primary  edu- 


1^^ 


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cation  iu  the  public  schools.  He  subsequently  at- 
tended the  Academy  of  Charlotte  ville  and  took  a 
college  course  of  two  years  in  New  York,  where  he 
prosecuted  his  studies  vigorously,  having  in  view 
the  profession  of  law.  Upon  his  return  to  Keokuk, 
the  late  Civil   War  being  then   in   progress,  he  en- 

.  _  .  listed  as  a  soldier  in  Co.  F,  7th  Mo.  Vol.  Inf.,  serv- 
dhi     ing  iu  the   ariuj'  over  three  years.     His  regiment 

[j^^i]  belonged  to  the  3d  Division,  17th  Army  Corps, 
commanded  by  Gen.  Mel'herson,  and  our  subject 
took  part  in  the  siege  and  capture  of  Vicksburg, 
Gen.  Grant  being  in  command  of  the  forces  which 
concentrated  at  that  point.  Upon  the  retreat  to 
Memphis  he  engaged  with  his  comrades  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Thompson  Hills,  and  was  afterward  at  the 
battle  of  .Jackson,  Miss.,  Champion  Hills,  Black 
River  Bridge,  and  the  various  other  engagements 
of  the  campaign,  and  finally  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  was 
mustered  out  with  his  regiment,  retiring  with  the 
rank  of  Major,  after  having  served  as  Orderly  Ser- 


m 
mi 


ij  h    geaut,  First  Lieutenant  and  Captain, 
jp^      Maj.  Collins,  at  the  ckise  of  his   military  career, 
"'      returned    to  Keokuk,  and  entered  the  law  office  of 
the  firm  of  Rankin  &  McCrary,  the  members  of  the 
lirm  l)eing  .lolni   \V.  Rankin  and  Hon.  George   \V. 
McCrurv,  where  he  read  law  for  two  and  one-half 
years,   after  which   lie   was  admitted    to    the  bar. 
opened  an  ofHce  of  his  own,  and  began  the  practice 
of    Ills    profession    in    February,    18G7.       He    w.as 
elected  City  Attorney-  in  1.S72,  and  soon  became  a 
leader  in  the  public  affairs  of  tlie  young  and  rapidly 
gi-owing  city.     In  addition  to  his  profession  he  has 
^^  been  largely  interested  in  the  various  business  en- 
terprises of  the  city.     He  was  one  of   the  four  men 
who  established  and  is  President  of  the  Pickle  Fac- 
tory Company,  and  also  a  huge  stockholder  of   the 
Keokuk  Canning  Company.     He  has  been  the  sup- 
porter of  every  worthy  enterprise  in  this  vicinity 
since  he  became  identified  with  the  interests  of  Lee 
ounty. 

Mr.  Collins  was  married,  Oct.  4,  1.S70,  to  Miss  C. 
Idl';.  Copelin,  a  lad3'  of  line  education  and  rare  ac- 
complishments, and  the  third  daughter  of  -lohu  R. 
L'opclin,  Esq.,  of  Keokuk.     Their  unit)n  has  been 
lest  by  the  birth  of  six  ciiildren,  five  sous  and  one 
laugliter — William  C,  John   .M.,  .Joseph  .S..  Harry 
{.,  Carrie  L.  and   Aithiir  \N".     Tlie  family  occupy 


31 


a  handsome  residence,  and  are  surrounded  by  all 
the  appliances  of  refined  and  cultivated  tastes. 
The}'  enjoy  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances,  composed  of  c; 
the  best  society  of  the  Gate  City.  The  Major  is  a  Ia 
prominent  member  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church, 
to  the  support  of  which  he  contributes  cheerfully 
and  liberally. 


^11  L\'IN  S.  HIATT,  a  prosperous  and  suc- 
@^l  cessful  agriculturist  of  Harrison  Township, 
owns  and  occupies  a  fine  homestead  on  sec- 
tion 2.  Mr.  Hiatt  is  a  native  of  Indiana  and 
was  born  on  the  (Jth  of  .January,  lH4o.  His  father, 
Daniel  W.  Hiatt,  was  from  Guilford  County,  N.  C, 
which  was  also  the  birthplace  of  his  grandfather, 
Isaac;  Hiatt.  There  the  latter  was  reared  and  ed- 
ucated, and  was  there  also  married  in  early  man- 
hood. He  removed  from  his  native  State  to  Ohio, 
where  he  was  an  early  pioneer,  and  locating  at 
Dayton,  engaged  in  teaching,  which  became  his 
lifelong  occupation.  In  1843  he  crossed  the  Mis- 
sissippi, and  coming  into  Iowa,  located  in  Henry 
Count}',  where  he  f(jllowed  his  profession  and 
where  his  life  terminated.  His  remains  were  laid 
to  rest  in  tiie  cemetery  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 

Daniel  W.  Hiatt,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
but  a  child  when  his  parents  removed  from  North 
Carolina  to  Ohio.  Under  the  instruction  of  his 
father  he  obtained  a  good  education,  and  before 
his  marriage  was  occupied  as  a  teacher.  After 
this  event  he  engaged  iu  farming  upon  rented  land 
until  the  fall  of  1843,  when,  with  his  wife  and  one 
child,  he  started  overland  for  the  Territory  of 
Iowa.  Their  outfit  consisted  of  a  team  of  horses 
and  a  wagon,  which  contained  their  household 
goods,  and  they  camped  and  cooked  by  the  way- 
side. After  reaching  the  western  bank  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, he  located  upon  a  tract  of  rented  land  iu 
Henry  County,  where  he  remained  for  two  or  three 
years,  and  then  entered  a  claim  on  section  2  of 
what  is  now  Harrison  Township.  He  l)uilt  a  board 
house,  into  which  the  family  removed,  and  which 
remained  his  home  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
Jan.  24,  18,5ii.  The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of 
our  subject    w:is    Mary    Hampton,  and  she  was  the 


:  1 
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daughter  of  Alu-aham  and  Rebecca  Hampton  (see 
sketch  of  Abraham  Hampton).  (She  is  still  living, 
and  resides  in  Birmingham,  Van  Bureu  Co.,  Iowa. 
The  parental  household  consisted  of  seven  children, 
three  of  whom  died  in  earl}'  youth.  Alvin  S.,  our 
subject,  was  the  eldest  child;  Caroline  L.  is  de- 
ceased; Margaret  is  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Wolf,  of 
Birmingham,  Iowa;  Laura  E.  is  the  wife  of  James 
Corry,  of  Birmingham. 

Alvin  S.  Hiatt  was  but  an  infant  when  his  par- 
ents came  to  Iowa.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm, 
and  educated  in  the  pioneer  schools,  and  was  but 
sixteen  years  old  when  his  father  died.  Being  the 
eldest  son,  the  care  of  the  farm  devolved  upon  him^. 
and  with  the  exception  of  one  year,  he  has  re- 
mained upon  the  homestead  since  that  time.  He 
was  married  on  the  18th  of  October,  1876,  to  Miss 
Catharine  A.  Dawson,  a  native  of  Wolf  Island, 
Canada,  and  daughter  of  John  and  Rachel  (Knight) 
Dawson,  who  were  born  in  the  Dominion.  Of  this 
union  there  are  four  children — Orlando  L.,  Harold 
D.,  Blanche  O.  and  Mabel  I.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  II.  are 
members  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church, 
and    in   politics  Mr.  Hiatt  is  strongly  Republican. 


I  ICE  H.  BELL,  a  well-known  and  respected 
citizen  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  whose  portrait  is 
shown_on^the  opposite  page,  is  an  attorney 
^and  Justice  of  the  Peace,  having  been 
elected  to  this  office  in  the  fall  of  1884,  and  re- 
elected in  188G.  Mr.  Bell  came  to  Keokuk  in  1880, 
and  commenced  the  study  of  law  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  John  H.  Craig,  being  admitted  to  the  bar 
two  years  later,  in  1882.  He  is  yet  young  in  the 
profession,  and  there  is  every  prospect  that  he  will 
succeed  and  become  a  bright  light  among  his  pro- 
fessional brethren. 

Mr.  Bell  is  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  and  was 
born  in  Marshall  County,  Sept.  7,  1859.  His  fa- 
ther, James  R.  Bell,  is  a  native  of  Washington 
County,  Pa.,  and  removed  from  his  native  State 
when  a  young  man  to  West  \'irginia.  He  was 
there  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  C.  Will- 
iams, who  was  a  native  of  Frederick  County,  Md. 
After  the  death  of  his  father,  in  1805,  James  R.  Bell 


returned  to  Pennsylvania,  ijurchased  the  old  home- 
stead, and  resided  in  the  place  of  his  birth  until  his 
demise,  which  occurred  Nov.  30,  1886.  The  par- 
ental family  consisted  of  ttve  children:  Samuel  M.  is 
a  station  agent  and  telegraph  operator  at  West  Alex- 
andria, Pa. ;  the  second  son  is  the  subject  of  our 
sketch;  William  B.  was  brakeman  on  a  railroad 
train,  and  was  killed  Jan.  15,  1884,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years;  John  G.  is  station  agent  and 
telegraph  operator  in  Pennsylvania;  Mary  M.  re- 
sides at  West  Alexandria,  the  same  State. 

Rice  H.  Bell  remained  with  his  parents  on  the 
farm  during  his  youth  and  received  his  primary 
education  in  the  public  schools.  He  then  en- 
tered the  AVest  Alexandria  Academy,  where  he 
took  a  full  course,  and  subsequently  attended 
Washington  and  Jefferson  College,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1880.  Mr.  Bell  has  made  steady  pro- 
gress since  he  first  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  He  is  strongly  Republican  in  politics 
and  is  ready  and  willing  at  all  times  to  labor  for 
the  welfare  of  his  party  and  its  principles.  He  is  at 
present  Chairman  of  the  County  Central  Committee 
and  is  becoming  prominent  in  the  local  politics  of 
this  section.  He  is  one  of  the  Directtus  of  the 
Central  Stove  Works.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of 
the  K.  of  P. 

Mr.  Bell  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
E.  Culbertson,  in  August,  1883.  Mrs.  Bell  is  the 
daughter  of  James  and  Emily  B.  Culbertson,  of 
Stark  County,  111.,  and  was  born  in  that  county  in 
August,  1859.  Bj'  her  luiion  with  Mr.  Bell  she  has 
become  the  mother  of  two  children,  James  Rice  and 
Plessie  B. 

«  arc  ..^i^SSSSSSSW^-—  3« 


m 
i 


LOIS  WEBER,  of  Keokuk,  is  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  A.  Weber  &  Co.,  one  of 
the  substantial  hardware  houses  of  the  Gate 
City.     Mr.  Weber  has  been  a   resident  of 
Keokuk  for  a  i)eriod  of  nearly  thirty  years.     H 
mercantile  experience  began  in  early  life,  when 
entered  the  hardware  store  of  H.  Buel  &  Co 
whom  he  remained  as  clerk  for  about  seven 
In  1868  he  associated  himself   in   partncrshij 
James   Neill,   and    under   the  style   of   A. 
it  Co.  they  engaged  in  the  hardware  trade,  aiul 


-mirxxAiniTixinrTxlxJixiT 


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the  exercise  of  energy,  industry  and  close  applica- 
tion to  business,  built  up  a  large  and  flourishing 
jtatronage.  At  the  expiration  of  two  years  Mr. 
Weber  purchased  the  interest  of  his  partner,  and 
after  continuing  the  business  for  four  months,  took 
in  as  partner  Mr.  C.  K.  Primean,  the  firm  name 
iieing  then  Weber  it  Primean,  and  the}'  conducted 
the  business  jointly  for  two  3'ears  following. 

The  firm  of  Weber  &  Primean  did  not  prosper, 
and  the  financial  crisis  of  1873  aided  its  downfall. 
Mr.  Weber  believed  that  by  purchasing  the  inter- 
est of  his  partner  :md  with  tlie  financial  assistance 
of  his  wife,  he  would  be  alile  to  weather  the  com- 
ing storm,  and  this  he  could  have  accomplished 
had  not  some  over-anxious  creditors  thrown  him 
into  bankruptcy.  He  made  a  satisfactory  compro- 
mise with  the  majority  of  them,  and  resumed  his 
business  with  an  honest  purpose  to  amend  his  fort- 
unes and  regain  his  former  standing'in  the  business 
community.  His  credit  had  remained  unimpaired 
among  those  who  knew  him  best,  and  he  was  freely 
proffered  any  assistance  wliich  he  might  need.  He 
recovered  from  his  disaster  in  due  time  and  paid 
the  portion  of  the  debt  which  had  been  remitted 
and  canceled  in  the  court  of  bankruptcy.  The 
manner  in  which  the  trade  received  this  action  on 
the  part  of  Mr.  Weber  is  shown  by  the  many  let- 
ters he  received,  a  few  uf  which  we  give  below. 

.St.  Loris,  April  20,  188.5. 
Ai.(jis  Wkbkk,  Es(^,  Keokuk,  Iowa: 

Dear  Sir — Your  esteemed  favor  of  the  16th  in- 
closing us  a  draft  for  §  received  in  settle- 
ment of  old  account.  It  is  indeed  refreshing  to 
receive  such  a  letter  as  yours  in  this,  the  nine- 
teenth century,  and  leads  us  to  believe  the  world 
is  not  quite  so  l»ad  as  some  people  endeavor  to 
make  us  believe.  To  tell  you  the  truth  we  have 
not  language  .at  our  command  to  express  our  opin- 
ion in  regard  to  this  transaction.  We  feel  like  hav- 
ing your  letter  published  in  every  paper  in  St. 
Louis,  as  most  assuredly  it  goes  to  show  there  is 
one  honest  man  at  least  in  America.  If  we  can 
serve  you  in  any  way,  command  us. 
Yours  truly, 

L.  M.  RiMiSKV  Miu.  Co. 

Per  Rumsey,  Sec. 

Nkw  Yokk,  April  I'O,  f88;"). 
Ml!.  Alois  A\ici!i;it,  Keokuk,  Iowa: 

Dear  >>ir — We  are  duly  in  receipt  of  your  valued 
favor  of   IGth  iust.  endorsing  draft,  for   which  we 


beg  to  extend  to  yon  our  best  thanks.  AVe  cci 
tainly  very  much  appreciate  your  obedience  i^ 
the  higher  law  which  has  influenced  your  actioii>. 
and  to  convey  to  you  our  estimate  of  worth  of 
char.acter  we  beg  leave  to  say  that  we  shall  esteem 
it  a  pleasure  if  we  can  in  any  wa>-  contribute  to 
your  worthy  success  in  life,  and  as  the  only  way 
that  now  presents  itself,  we  beg  to  advise  that  3'our 
credit  is  A  1  with  our  house. 

A'ery  truly  j-onrs, 

Ai.i'i.M'.i)  FiKi.i)  &  Co. 

RivEi;Tf>N,  CoNx.,  May  5,  18iS5. 
Ai.oi.s  \\'ki'.i:i;.  Ksi^.,  Keokuk,  Iowa: 

Dear  Sir — In  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  ^our 
check  fo:  §  we  wish  to  congratulate  the  world 

oil  its  possession  of  an  honest  man.  Your  example 
will  be  to  us  an  incentive  to  do  always  the  siiuare 
thing  in  our  dealings  with  our  fellow-men.  We 
desire  to  congratulate  j-ou  on  your  success  in  luisi- 
ness  and  also  upon  the  real  satisfaction  you  must 
have  ill  doing  the  almost  unheard-of  thing  that  you 
have  done,  viz.,  paying  a  debt  from  which  you 
were  legally-  free.  The  God  of  heaven  and  eartli 
has  blest  you  with  a  good  and  honest  heart,  .aud 
your  reward  is  certain. 

Y'ours  truly, 

£.\(iHi  Scythe  Co. 

L.  A.  Cook,  Sec'y. 

GosiiKN,  N.  Y.,  M.'iy  1.  I880. 
Alois  Wkheu,  Es(j.,    Keokuk,  Iowa: 

Dear  Sir — Yours  of  23d  ult.  was  duly  received 
and  draft  applied  as  specified.  Localities,  of  course, 
differ,  and  yours  may  be  filled  with  jii.st  such  men 
as  you  have  shown  yourself  to  be  in  this  transac- 
tion, but  out  here  j-ou  would  be  decidedly  lone- 
some. Please  accept  our  congratulations  on  your 
improved  circumstances,  which  vve  doubt  not,  have 
been  largely  brought  about  by  the  ap]>lie:ition  of 
the  principles  you  have  exhibited  in  tliis  matter  in 
:ill  your  business  affairs. 

Tiiankiug  you  for  the  draft,  we  are, 

Very  trul}'  yours, 

RlUKH   EXOIXK  Co. 

Mr.  Weber  has  built  up  a  business  extending 
tliroughout  the  .States  of  Iowa,  Illinois  and  Mis- 
souri. He  has  associated  with  himself  .John  Cos- 
grove,  as  partner,  also  his  nephew,  Carl  Weber,  and 
these  constitute  a  strong  and  active  firm.  The 
business  is  now  well  established  and  widely  known 
.as  one  of  the  most  reliable  houses  of  its  kind  In  this 
section  of  the  Ilawkeye  State. 

Mr.  Weber  w;is  married  in  1860,  to  .Miss  Anna 
King,  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  who   was  reared  and  cd 


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481 


ented  in  St.  Louis.     Of  this  union  there  hns  been 
boin  one  child — a  son,  Frank  J. 

Mr.  Weber  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  was  born 
Feb.  12,  1834.  He  came  to  America  at  the  age  uf 
twenty  years,  and  his  business  successes  have  been 
tlio  result  of  his  own  perseverance  amid  ditiiculties 
which  would  have  dismaj'ed  most  men.  Although 
taking  a  general  and  intelligent  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  his  community,  he  has  been  so  absorbed 
in  attending  to  his  own  business  that  he  has  never 
iiad  time  for  oflice-seeking  or  its  emoluments,  and 
has  lived  the  unostentatious  life  of  a  private  citizen, 
doing  kind  acts  as  he  had  opportunity  and  casting 
his  influence  in  favor  of  temperance,  sobrietj',  law 
and  order,  and  has  thus  fulfilled  all  the  obligations 
of  a  good  citizen.  In  national  politics  Mr.  W. 
votes  the  Democratic  ticket;  in  local  politics  he 
votes  for  the  man.  Mr.  Weber  is  a  member  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church. 


.^Sf*^- 


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<^*ei— 


^,  ROF.  CHANDLER  H.  PEIRCE,  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Penmanship  Department 
of  the  Keokuk  City  Schools,  is  a  prominent 
man  in  his  profession,  and  the  author  of 
several  valuable  works,  among  which  are  "  Peirce's 
§  Progressive  System  of  Practical  Penmanship,  with 
S  Methods  of  Instruction,"  and  "Peirce's  Philosoph- 
ical Treatise  of  Penmanship,"  Xoh.  1  and  2 ;  also 
"  Peirce's  Celebrated  Tracing'  Exercises."  He  is 
also  proprietor  of  Pierce's  Business  College  at 
Keokuk. 

Prof.  Peirce  is  a  native  of  South  Charleston, 
Ohio,  and  the  date  of  his  birth  was  June  13,  1847. 
Jle  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Miriam  (Chandler) 
Peirce,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  ai»d  Ohio  respect- 
ively. His  grandfather,  Jonathan  Peirce,  came 
from  Westchester,  Pa.,  to  Ohit>  in  the  pioneer  days, 
and  became  the  owner  of  3,000  acres  of  laud  located 
in  Clarke  C'ounty.  Upon  a  portion  of  this  he  car- 
5  ried  on  an  extensive  farming  business  and  was  a 
man  of  great  prominence  in  his  county.  His  three 
sons  were  flnel3^  educated,  and  after  completing 
their  studies  returned  to  the  farm.  There  the 
'-  father  departed  this  life  in  1848. 


Jacob  Peirce  became  a  dealer  in  fine  stock,  and 
was  thus  engaged  until  188U,  when  he  removed 
with  his  wife  to  Denver,  Col.,  to  escape  her  annual 
attacks  of  asthma.  During  the  war  he  served 
as  a  soldier  of  the  I'nion,  enlisting  in  the  4th 
Ohio  Cavalry,  of  which  he  was  a  commissioned 
officer.  He  was  an  efficient  soldier  and  never 
swerved  from  dutj-.  His  whole  life  has  been  de- 
voted to  good  works  and  he  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  chinx-hes,  schools,  and  the  upbuilding 
of  every  institution  calculated  for  the  good  of  the 
community,  morally,  intellectually  or  socially.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  were  reared  in  the  (Quaker  faith,  and 
remained  loyal  to  their  church  until  they  were 
sep.irated  from  it  by  lemoval  to  a  locality  where  it 
had  no  organization,  when  they  united  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Their  family  con- 
sisted of  seven  children,  of  whom  only  four  are 
living:  Susan  D.,  now  Mrs.  Blessing,  of  South 
Charleston,  Ohio;  Prof.  C.  H.  of  our  sketch;  Frank, 
of  San  Diego,  Cal.,  who  is  engaged  in  real  estate 
and  insurance,  and  William,  of  Denver,  Col.,  who 
has  been  Assistant  State  Auditor  since  1878. 

The  subject  oi  oiu'  sketch  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  until  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  re- 
ceived his  pi'imary  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  town  and  assisted  in  the  lighter  labors 
of  the  farm.  He  then  started  out  to  do  for  himself, 
first  proceeding  to  Camp  Nelson,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  Government  work,  driving  a  team  and 
hauling  supplies  from  Camp  Nelson  to  Cumberland 
Gap,  Tenn.  The  novelty  of  this  employment  soon 
wore  off  and  he  returned  home  and  re-entered 
school.  At  this  time  the  Rebellion  began  to  assume 
alarming  proportions,  and  oui-  subject,  although  only 
sixteen  years  of  age,  determined  to  enlist  as  a  sol- 
dier. After  seven  unsuccessful  efforts  he  was  finally 
admitted  into  Co.  D.,  the  old  44th  Ohio  \ol.  Inf., 
re-enlisted  as  the  8th  Ohio  Cavalry,  and  remained 
in  the  service  three  years.  He  was  taken  [)risoner 
at  Beverly,  W.  Va.,  and  confined  in  Libby  Prison 
at  Richmond,  where  he  remained  two  months,  and 
during  this  time  was  book-keeper  for  the  rebel  gov- 
ernment. He  was  finally  paroled  and  received  a 
furlough  of  sixty  days,  after  which  he  rejoined  his 
regiment  and  was  commissioned  Clerk  of  the  com- 
[lany  in  the  service    of  the  Colonel  and  Adjutant- 


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482 


LEE  COUNTY. 


General.  Yonng  Peirce  participated  in  the  Lynch- 
burg campaiiiii  and  in  the  fighting  along  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley,  where  daily  skirmishing  became  the 
pastime.  During  his  service  he  was  detailed  as 
clerk  at  Ch.arleston.  W.  Va.,  for  Maj.  Gen.  Meigs, 
with  whom  he  remained  four  months,  or  until 
nearly  the  close  of  the  war.  finallj'  rejoining  his 
regiment  at  Beverly,  W.  Va.,  and  with  his  comrades 
was  mustered  out  of  service  at  Clnrksburg.  W.  \';i., 
in  July,  18().'). 

At  the  close  of  his  iiiiliUuv  career,  Prof.  Peirce 
returned  home  and  entered  the  Southwestern  Nor- 
mal School  at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  remained  there  foui- 
years,  and    graduated    in     1869,    after   which     he 
attended  a  three   months'  course  in  the  Eastman 
Business  College  .at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  graduat- 
ing in  the  Penmanship  Department,  and  developing 
a  remarkable  aptitude  in  this  branch  of  instruction. 
He  also  taught  jienmanship  in  the  National  Normal 
School  for  four  years,  in  tlie  meantime  also  having 
charge  of   a  set  of  books  for  the  wholesale  book 
establishment  of  Messrs.  Holbrook  it  Co.     During 
intervals  of  his  early  school  life  he  employed  his 
time  teaching  in  the  district  schools.   In  1871  Prof. 
Peirce  decided   to  change  the  scene  of  his  opera- 
tions, and  crossing  the  Father  of  Waters,  came   to 
Keokuk,  which  has  remained  his   permanent   home 
since  that  time.  His  evident  talents  obtained  read3' 
recognition,  and  he  was  soon  engaged   as  Superin- 
tendent of  Penmanship  in  the  Keokuk  City  Schools 
and  also  established  a  Normal  Penmanship   Insti- 
tute.    In  18«2  he   purcii.ased  the  business  college 
previously   conducted  by   William  H.  Miller,  now- 
deceased.     This    he    luas    established  upon    a  sure 
footing,  and  its  friends  and  patrons  represent  many 
of  the  States  both  east  and  west  of  the  Mississippi. 
Prof.  Peirce    was  the  first  person   tt)  introduce 
pennianslii|)  .as  a  science  in  tlie  public  schools  of  the 
(xate    City,    and    thousands    of    joung    men    and 
women    now    hold    lucrative    ])ositions   iis   gradu- 
ates .and  experts  in  this  fine  art,  under   his  instruc- 
tion.    The   business  college  of    which    he    is  pro- 
prietor aggreg.ates  an  attendance  of  .j,()00  students. 
^ffi£^   ''^^  Professor  possesses  fine  literary  tastes  and  is  an 
author  of  no  ordinary  al)ility.     He   contributes  to 
various  journals  and  has  l>een  a  writer   for  the  city 
press  for  ten  years  past.      He  is  KepLiblican  in  poli- 


tics,  and   a   member   of  the  order  of  Knights   of? 
Pythias.  ; 

The  marriage  of  Prof.  C.  H.  Peirce  and  Miss  Ada 
C,  daughter  of  the  late  David  Crawford,   of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  was  celebrated  in  1871.     Mrs.  I'eirce 
is  a  refined  and  accomplished  lady,  and  in  every 
way  the  fit  comp.anion  of  her  husband  in  his  edu- 
cational and  literary  pursuits.     The}-  are  connected 
with  the  Episcopal   Church,  and    the  center  of   a 
large  circle  of  admiring  friends.  They  have  Ijecome  3 
the  parents  of  three  sons — C.   Harry,  Don  K.  and  E^ 
Allyn  Burrell.     They  occupy  tlic  resilience  at  N<>.  E 
41C    High    street,  and    move    among    the    highest: 
social  circles  of  the  Gate  City. 


HRISTIAN  PETERS, 'an  enterprising  and 
successful  (Tcrman  farmer,  owns  and  occu- 
pies a  v.aluable  homestead  on  section  28, 
Jackson  Township.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Lee 
County  since  1853,  and  during  a  period  of  over 
thirty  years  has  established  for  himself  a  reputation 
as  a  straightforw-.ard  business  man  and  a  valued 
citizen. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Brunswick, 
Germany,  Feb.  1,5,  1815,  and  is  the  son  of  Henry 
Peters,  of  Gerinan  ancestry- and  parentage.  Henry 
Peters  died  wheu  our  suljject  w.as  fifteen;  his 
Tnother  departed  this  life  when  he  was  seven  years 
of  age.  Christian  Peters  was  reared  and  ed  ucated 
in  his  native  country,  and  came  to  the  United  States  pn 
in  1845,  landing  at  Galveston,  Tex..  .Ian.  1,  184(). 
After  coming  here  he  served  as  a  soldier  in  a  Ger- 
man company  of  Texas  ^'olunteers  in  the  Jlexi- 
can  War,  and  after  this  was  ended  located  in  New- 
Orleans  for  a  short  time,  subsequently  going  U)  St, 
Louis,  and  froirf  tliere  to  (iuincy.  111.  After  living 
there  a  few  years,  until  1853,  he  came  into  Lee 
County,  Iowa,  and  became  engaged  in  ti^arning  in 
the  city  of  Keokuk  for  the  following  twelve  years. 
He  then  settled  upon  a  tr.act  of  land  in  Jackson 
Townshii),  on  section  28,  and  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  He  was  industrious  and  economi- 
cal, and  in  due  time  became  the  owner  of  1  '.15  acres, 
which  he  has  imprftved  and  cultivated,  and  supi^lied 
with  a  Lfood  set  of  farm  buildings. 


HirntrfTlt,liiTxcro'  {  fifififi  J 


^^^^^7-1^^/^^ 


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11 


» 


Mr.  Peters  was  married  in  Qninej^  111.,  Oct., 
2?>,  18.52,  to  Miss  Hannah  Renter,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, born  Oct.  .'i,  18,30.  She  is  the  danghter 
of  Arthnr  and  Mary  Renter.  They  emigrated  to 
Quincy,  111.,  in  1S,tG,  where  the  father  died.  The 
mother  died  in  Denver,  Col.  Mrs,  P,  came  to  the 
United  States  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  settled 
in  St,  Lonis,  Mo,,  and  afterward  went  to  Qnincy, 
111,,  where  she  met  and  married  Mr,  Peters, 

Mr.  and  Mrs,  Peters  have  become  tlie  parents 
of  ten  children,  six  of  whom  are  living,  as  follows: 
Henry  married  Kate  Wende,  and  resides  in  Jack- 
son Township;  Louisa  is  the  wife  of  George  O, 
Bleness;  Charley,  Katie,  Willie  and  Hannah  are  at 
home  with  their  parents.  Our  subject  and  wife 
are  connected  with  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  in 
politics  Mr,  P,  iniiformly  casts  his  vote  with  the 
Reimblican  party. 


<f]ESSE  WATSON  MOORMAN,  M.  I)„  a 
prominent  member  of  the  medical  profes- 
sion of  Ft.  Madison,  whose  portrait  is  shown 
oil  the  opposite  page,  is  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensive practitioners  of  Lee  County,  a  gentleman 
who  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  details  and 
the  intricacies  of  his  calling.  He  h.is  been  an  ex- 
tensive reader,  and  besides  having  faithfully  pur- 
sued his  regular  medical  studies,  he  has  not  wholly 
been  confined  to  books,  but  has  been  the  originator 
of  many  excellent  theories  and  ideas,  and  has  suc- 
cessfully introduced  them  into  his  practice. 

Dr.  Moorman  is  a  native  of  Greene  County, 
Ohio,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  April  10,  1828. 
His  father,  Charles  Moorman,  was  born  in  Camp- 
bell County,  Ya.,  and  his  grandfather,  Thomas 
Moorman,  was  a  native  of  the  .same  county.  His 
great-grandfather,  Micajah  Moorman,  was  a  native 
of  either  Virginia  or  North  Carolina,  a  member  of 
the  Society  of  Friends,  and  a  descendant  from  pure 
Scotch  aneesti-y.  He  spent  the  last  days  of  his  life 
in  Virginia.  Thomas  Moorman  was  a  Large  landed 
proprietor,  and  a  .slave-holder  until  the  time  when 
the  Friends  established  themselves  in  his  vicinity 
and  his  attention  was  called  to  the  theories  which 
they  advanced.     He   was  thus  induced  to  liberate 


m 


his  slaves,  and  in  1  sou    he  removed    from    that   h)- 
calitj-   to   Ohio,   making  his  first  location  in  High- 

M 

County,  and  was  among  the  pioneer  settlers  there.  MB 
He  purchased  1,000  .acres  of  land  in  the  wilderne.ss,E{: 
built  a  log  cabin,  and  in  due  time  cleared  a  good 
sized  tract  of  land.  He  was  an  expert  hunter  and 
was  engaged  in  trade,  which  he  followed  with  suc- 
cess. Both  he  and  his  wife  lived  to  a  good  old  age, 
his  decease  occurring  at  the  age  of  ninety-two,  and 
that  of  his  wife  at  ninety-nine  years. 

Charles  Moorman,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
twelve  years  old  when  his  parents   removed    from 
Virginia  to  Ohio.     He  assisted  his  father  in  clear-  fg-cr 
ing  the  farm,  remained  under  the  pai-ental  roof  lui-    b    } 


1^ 


u 


til  he  attained  to  years  of  manhood,  and  w:is 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Matilda  Watson,  a 
native  of  Virginia.  He  purchased  the  old  home- 
stead, which  was  located  in  Silver  Creek  Township, 
and  remained  there  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1880.  The  faithful  wife  .and  mother  had  pre- 
ceded him  to  the  better  land  ten  j'ears,  hei'  decease 
occurring  in  1870.  They  were  the  parents  of  thir- 
teen children,  eleven  of  whom  grew  to  become 
men  and  women 

■Jesse  Watsou  Moorman  was  the  sixth  child  of  hi 
parents.     As  soon  as  old  enough  to  be  of  assistance 
he   engaged   in   the  lighter  labors  of  the  farm,  re- 
ceiving careful  parental  training  and  a  very  limited 
school  education.     The  nearest  school-house    was 

one  and  a  half  miles  distant,  and  was  built  of  logs, 

light  being  admitted  by  means  of  greased  paper  in-  ]H^I}J 
stead  of  glass  window-panes.  The  school  was  car-  ^jt, 
ried  on  by  subscription,  and  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  only  attended  there  occasionally.  He  was 
naturally  studious,  however,  having  inherited  the 
love  of  learning  from  his  mother,  who  was  finely 
educated  and  a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  intelli-  ^ 
gence.  He  was  fond  of  reading  and  obtained  all 
the  books  that  he  could.  At  the  .age  of  sixteen  he 
commenced  reading  medicine  at  home.  Various 
things,  however,  hindered  him  from  launching  out 
upon  a  prr>fessional  career,  and  two  yeai's  later  he 
commenced  to  serve  an  aprenticeship  at  the  plas- 
terer's trade,  and  followed  that  trade  until  he  was 
twent_y-three  years  old.  There  seemed  now  to  lie 
a  partial  opening  for  gratifying  his  early 


u 


and  he  was  adiiiittcfl  ti>  .-iliidy  in  the  office  of  Dr. 
Rush,  at  Washinutoii,  Fayette  County,  lie  >tn(l- 
iefl  witli  him  for  two  and  a  lialf  years,  in  the  mean- 
time «-oii<ini>:  at  intervals  at  iiis  trade  in  order  to 
obtain  money  to  pay  iiis  expenses.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  this  lime  he  returned  home  and  pursued  his 
studies  ahnie.  He  coninieneed  to  praetiec  in  l>^n'> 
at  Brooi<vilie,  in  wliat  is  now  Newton  County,  Ind. 
He  remained  tiiei'e  for  two  and  one-half  years,  when 
his  health  l)(\!>an  to  fail,  and  he  suffered  total  blind- 
ness for  six  weeks,  with  the  gravest  a,p|)rehensions 
for  the  futuie.  He  went  to  an  eye  and  ear  infirmary, 
first  at  Xenia,  Ohio,  from  there  to  Wilmington, 
thence  to  Cincinnati,  where  his  eyesight  was  par- 
tially restored  by  the  treatment  of  Prof.  Howe,  of 
that  city. 

In  18.58  Dr.  Moorman  located  at  Port  William, 
Clinton  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  three  years. 
He  then  removed  to  Leeslnirg,  and  from  there  to 
South  Bend,  where  he  remained  a  year,  then  re- 
turned to  Leesburg,  thence,  m  1870,  to  Washing- 
ton County,  Iowa.  After  three  years  spent  in  that 
county  he  came  to  West  Point,  Lee  County,  and 
in  1878  to  Ft.  Madison,  where  he  permanently  lo- 
cated, and  h.as  built  up  a  prosperous  and  popular 
practice. 

Dr.  Moorman's  first  wife  was  Miss  Lucy  Yeo- 
man, a  native  of  Ohio,  who  was  born  in  Faj-ette 
Countj'.  She  went  with  her  husband  to  Newton 
Countj',  Ind.,  and  died  there  in  i8.')7.  He  married 
his  i)resent  wife  at  West  Point  in  18()4.  The 
maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Moorman  was  Anna  Trevitt. 
She  is  an  English  lady,  and  was  born  in  Birming- 
ham, of  F^nglish  parentage.  Dr.  Moorman  has 
three  daughters:  Elizabeth  A.  M.,  now  the  wife  of 
John  Ilynes,  of  Fayette  County,  Ohio;  Genevra, 
a  resident  of  Florida,  and  Kittle,  wife  of  George 
Smith,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Dr.  Moorman  was  reared  to  principles  of  the  St)- 
ciety  of  Friends,  but  is  not  connected   in   member- 
ship with  any  church.     He   is,  however,  in  all  re- 
spects, the  friend  of  morality,  reform  and  good  or- 
der, and  the   supporter  of  every  good  work  and 
^purpose  tending  to  elevate  the  social  and  intellect- 
[  ual  condition  of  his  community  and  county.     He 
[  has  not  identified   himself  with  either  of  the  great 
Apolitical  parties,  but  casts  his  vote  and  influence  for 


the  men  whom  he  con.siders  have  the  best  reeonl. 
.\fter  111'  h.id  first  entered  upon  the  practice  of  iii- 
profession  Dr.  .Moorman  entered  the  Cincinnati 
Eclectic  Medical  Institute,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated with  honors  in  I  8.t;).  He  received  there  .-i 
thorough  course  of  insfruction.  an<l  this,  supple- 
mented by  his  natur.-dly  studious  habits  and  thoi - 
ongh  ;ip|ilicMtiou  •■iiid  practice,  has  i-onstitutcd  him 
one  of  the  most  reliable  physicians  of  Lee  County. 
He  takes  genuine  pride  in  his  profession,  .'Uid  his 
aim  has  .-dways  ln'cn  to  excel.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  .Moor- 
man occup3-  one  of  the  iileasantest  homes  in  Ft. 
Madison,  and,  .socially  as  well  .as  professionally, 
Dr.  Moormnn  holds  ,'ui  enviable  position  inhiscom- 
nninit\'. 

-^^3 ^ 


E 


i)])WAHD  C.  MATHEWS,  a  young  and  en- 
terprising farmer  of  Franklin  Township,  is 
pleasantly  located  on  the  homestead  of  his 
father,  which  consists  of  328  acres,  of  which  our 
subject  po.ssesses  a  one-seventh  interest,  and  also  an 
undivided  interest  in  property  in  the  village  of  La- 
crew.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Franklin  Town- 
ship, whei-e  he  was  born  .Tulj'  16,  18.57.  His  father. 
Paul  A.  Mathews,  was  a  Pennsylvania  farmer,  born 
and  reared  in  Washington  Count}'.  He  was  there 
married  to  Miss  Nancy  Spears,  of  his  own  locality. 
and  after  the  birth  of  six  children,  they  started  to 
Iowa  in  18;)1,  via  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  River>. 
They  located  in  Lee  County,  and  secured  the  half 
section  of  land  which  their  son,  our  subject,  is  now 
in  po.ssossion  of.  Very  little  of  the  land  was  im- 
proved, and  Paul  Mathews  gave  his  entire  atten- 
tion to  tlu^  cultivation  of  his  farm  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  comfoitable  home  fc>r  his  fannly.  He 
was  successful  in  his  undertaking  and  accumulated 
a  competency.  Besides  the  growing  of  grain  he 
was  coiisideralily  interested  in  stock-raising,  and 
the  farm  was  always  supplied  with  a  herd  of  fine 
cattle.  The  companion  of  his  early  years  and  the 
mother  of  his  children  dcp.arted  this  life  on  the 
17th  of  duly,  1873.  He  survived  his  wife  for 
eleven  years,  dying  in  1884. 

Edward  C.  Mathews  wa-  the  youngest  but  one 
of  twelve  cluldren.  His  earlier  years  were  occu- 
pied in  attendance  at  the  common  schools    during 


the  winters  and  assisting  in  tlic  lighter  labors 
aroiiud  the  farm  in  the  siuiimer  season  until  he  be- 
came of  age.  On  the  22fl  of  March,  1883,  he  was 
married  at  the  home  of  the  bride  in  Marion  Town- 
ship, to  Miss  Paulina,  a  daughter  of  Uobert  and 
.Sarah  (Wolf)  McCord.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  M. 
settled  in  Marion  Township  in  IS.ifi,  where  the  fa- 
ther died  in  1X74,  and  the  mother  twelve  j-ears 
later,  in  1 886.  They  were  highly  respected  in  their 
coramunitj',  the  father  having  been  for  manj'  years 
engaged  as  a  local  preacher.  Mrs.  M.  was  born  in 
Marion  Township,  Aug.  3,  1«G1.  She  was  reared  at 
home  and  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and 
received  careful  training  by  wise  and  judicious 
parents.  Of  her  union  with  our  subject  there  have 
been  born  two  children,  one  of  whom  is  deceased. 
The  homestead  of  Mr.  Mathews  is  a  model  one  in 
every  respect,  and  replete  with  everything  tending 
to  secure  enjo3'ment  and  hajipiness. 


-♦-Ttl-I^ 


-<3~ 


^.(NUREW  HAMPTON,  a  promnient  and 
(fi^lOl  prosperous  farmer  of  Harrison  Township, 
is  the  possessor  of  a  tine  homestead  pleas- 
antly located  on  section  1.  He  is  a  native 
of  Warren  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born  near 
Waynesville,  July  17,  1823.  His  father.  Abraham 
Hampton,  was  a  native  of  Penns3lvania,  and  born 
Oct.  20,1789.  His  grandfather,  Jacob  Hampton, 
was  a  New  Jersey  farmer,  wlio  emigrated  to  Ohio 
.before  the  War  of  1812,  and  became  one  of  the 
early  pioneers  of  Warren  County.  He  purchased 
a  tract  of  timl)er  land,  and  with  the  assistance  of 
his  sons,  cleared  a  farm  frcmi  tlii'  wilderness.  After 
a  number  of  years  lie  disposed  of  this  property  and 
removed  to  Indiana,  being  somewhat  like  Daniel 
Boone,  opposed  to  the  too  close  proximity  of 
neighbors.  He  was  also  a  pioneer  of  the  Hoosier 
State  while  it  was  a  Territory,  and  i)urchased  a 
tract  of  wild  land,  wliicli  he  imiir(_ivt'd  ami  culti- 
vated, and  ui)on  wliich  he  remained  until  his  death. 
Aliraham  Hampton,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  Ijut  a  mere  child  wiien  his  parents  removed 
from  New  Jersey  to  West  N'irginia,  where  his 
childhood   days  were   passed.     He   went   with  the 


family  to  Ohio  and  thereafter  to  Indiana.  In  the 
meantime,  however,  he  had  grown  to  manhood, 
married,  and  become  the  father  of  live  children. 
The  trip  was  made  overland  with  horses  and  wag- 
ons, and  a  carriage  for  the  more  delicate  members 
of  the  train.  They  carried  their  household  goods 
and  camped  and  cooked  by  the  wayside.  Abraliaiu 
also  purchased  a  tract  of  timljer,  cleared  a  farm, 
and  established  a  homestead,  which  in  due  time 
was  found  to  be  located  in  New  Garden  Township, 
Wayne  County.  He  subsequently  sold  his  lirst 
purchase  and  bought  another  in  the  same  locality, 
where  he  lived  until  1847,  and  then  decided  to 
make  the  couutrj*  west  of  the  Mississippi  the  scene 
of  his  future  operations.  Accordingly,  in  1847,  1  H 
he  disposed  of  his  Indiana  farm,  and  started  for  -'^*-*- 
lowa,  this  journey,  like  the  previous  one,  being 
made  overland  with  teams. 

After  crossing  the  Father  of  Waters,  the  father 
of  our  subject  located  in  Marion  Township,  pur- 
chasing for  the  third  time,  a  tract  of  unimproved 
land,  and  here  he  immediately  made  prei)arations 
to  establish  a  home.  He  was  possessed  of  consider- 
able means,  and  at  once  erected  a  frame  house  for 
the  comfort  and  accommodation  of  his  family.  They 
remained  here  for  many  3'ears,  and  after  his  chil- 
dren were  married  and  esfaiblished  in  homes  of 
tlieir  own  he  still  spent  his  summers  upon  the  old 
homestead,  but  at  the  approach  of  cold  weather 
retired  to  some  one  of  the  homes  of  his  children, 
and  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son-in-law,  Lewis 
Taylor,  in  Cedar  Township,  on  the  23d  of  Jlarch, 
1876,  a  good  old  man  full  of  years  and  honors. 

Abraham  Hampton,  in  earl}'  manhood,  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Rebecca  Harlan,  the  wedding  taking 
place  on  the  24th  of  December,  1818.  The  wife 
of  his  youth  survives  him.  and  is  in  the  enjoyment 


i 


Iffy 

11 


I 


I 

I 

I 
lii 

n 


iii. 


of  good  healtii,  retaining  lier  mental  faculties  to  a  }^M 
remarkable  degi-ee,  and  often  recalling  incidents  of 
the  early  days  when,  as  the  wife  of  a  pioneer,  she 
was  obliged  to  exercise  great  ingenuity  in  order  to 
keep  the  family  machinery  in  motion.  She  is  a  na- 
tive of  Rowan  C<mnty,  N.  C,  born  Aug.  3(»,  1792, 
and  is  consequently  (18«6)  in  the  ninety-fifth  year 
of  her  age.  She  became  the  mother  of  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows:  Joini.  the 
fust-born,    <lied    in    Marion    Township,    April    11, 


1 


n^irrrrijuxixtrj 


1850;  Mary  became  the  wife  of  Daniel  W.  Hiatt, 
aiul  lives  in  Van  Buien,  Iowa;  Klwood  is  a  resident 
of  Henry  County,  tliis  Stato;  Andrew,  our  subject, 
was  the  next  in  order  of  birth  ;  Hannah  was  married 
to  Samuel  Stephenson,  and  lives  in  Harrison  Town- 
shii>;  Margaret  V)ecanio  tiie  wife  of  Lewis  Taylor, 
of  Cedar  T(iwnshi[);  Elizabeth  is  the  widow  of 
Abijali  Lupton.  and  lives  in  Richmond,  Ind.;.lona- 
than  and  Rebecca  .1.  are  residents  of  Pilot  CJrove, 
Marion  Township. 

Andrew  Hampton  of  our  sl<etch  came  to  Iowa  in 
l,s4r),  and  entered  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Harrison 
Township,  then  returned  to  Indiana  for  four  months, 
after  whicli  he  returned  to  tlie  Hawkeye  State  per- 
manently. His  early  years  were  passed  upon  his 
fatiier's  farm,  and  lie  received  a  fair  education  in 
the  district  schools.  After  attaining  to  j'ears  of 
manhood  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Rachel  M.  Rich,  on  the  20th  of  May,  1847.  i\Irs. 
Hampton  was  born  in  Indiana  Sept.  28,  1820,  and 
was  the  daughter  of  >.'athan  and  Mary  (Crampton) 
Rich,  natives  respectively  of  North  Carolina  and 
Mrginia.  Her  father  was  born  .lune  0,  1800,  and 
died  in  the  prime  of  life  on  the  24th  of  July,  1838. 
The  mother,  born  Feb.  2,  180G,  departed  this  life 
(Jet.  11,  1833,  in  Judian.i.  The_y  were  the  parents 
of  five  children,  and  the  record  is  as  follows:  The 
eldest  son,  Samuel,  lived  to  the  age  of  manhood, 
and  was  married  to  Miss  Deadem  Emerson ;  Rachel 
M.,  the  wife  of  our  subject,  was  second  in  order 
■'  of  birth;  jMerrickdied  when  live  years  old;  Judith 
A.,  born  Dec.  22,  1830,  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years;  Susanna,  now  Mrs.  W.  B.  Williams, 
lives  in  Richmond,  Ind.  It  will  be  seen  that  the 
children  of  this  family  were  deprived  of  both  father 
and  mother  at  an  early  age. 

Of  the  union  of  Andrew  Hampton  and  his   wife. 


q  }  Rachel,  there  have  been  born  six  children,  whose 
history  we  brietly  sketch  as  follows:  Abraham  Lee 
married  Miss  Flora  F.  Lee,  and  both  are  deceased, 
his  death  occurring  Nov.  2G,  1878,  ;iiul  tiiat  of  his 
wife  two  years  before,  on  the  8th  of  September, 
1870.  This  son  was  a  practical  printer  and  teacher 
nof  the  public  schools  at  Bonaparte.  He  founded 
I  the  Gentry  Cutinty  (Jhraiiick'  at  Alltaiiy,  ilo.   After 


1  the  death  of  hi.-  wife  he   mergei 
""  -    Brooklield   (rftxeWe,  which  he   w;is  soon  obliged 


the  stock  in  the 
to 


abandon  on  account  of  failing  health,  and  returns  1 
to  his  father's  house,  where  his  life  soon  terminatcil. 
He  was  highly  esteemed  for  his  upright  characdi 
and  honorable  conduct  in  all  the  relations  of  life. 
and  his  death  was  felt  to  be  an  irreparable  loss  to 
the  entire  community.  Appropriate  resolutions 
were  p.assed  In'  the  different  lodges  with  which  he 
was  connected. 

Tliougli  eallcil   home  in  Mian's  early  piime. 

In  the  .-piingtime  of  life".*  brightest  joy. 
Thou  hast  gainoil  :i  far  lovelier  dime, 

Ne'er  eiuHng  Itliss  time  eamiot  destroy. 
Let  us  ever  remember  thee,  then. 

As  clothed  in  perennial  youth. 
In  luansions  not  builOed  by  men. 

But  eternal  and  lasting  as  truth. 

Mary  I).  Hampton  became  the  wife  of  A.  H. 
Jeffrey'.  Dorrence,  born  Jan.  22.  1853,  died  in 
CapeCiirardeau  County,  Mo.,  Oct.  28, 1870.  He  was 
educated  at  Mt.  Rleasant,  was  a  bright  and  promis- 
ing boy,  and  commenced  teaching  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years.  Two  years  later  he  entered  the 
oflice  of  the  Denison  Meview,  in  Crawford  County, 
Iowa,  where,  after  an  apprenticeship  of  one  year 
at  the  printer's  tr.ade,  he  obtained  a  situation  in  the 
Sentinel  oflice  at  Iowa  Falls,  Hardin  County,  at 
journeyman's  wages.  He  subsequently  purchased 
a  half  interest  in  this  tiflice,  which  he  sold  in  the 
spring  of  1875,  and  removed  to  Jackson,  Mo.,  and 
assumed  control  of  the  Cash  Book  which,  under  his 
management,  became  a  journal  of  great  influence 
and  popularity,  and  was  considered  one  of  the 
leading  papers  of  Southeastern  Missouri.  He  was 
married  at  Iowa  Falls  to  5Iiss  Leah  A.  Jones,  who 
still  survives.  He  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Samuel  R.  Hampton 
married  Miss  Flora  Gill,  of  Cedar  Township;  An- 
nie E.  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  months;  the 
youngest  child  was  named  Anna  D. 

Andrew  Hampton  is  the  possessor  of  182  acres 
of  tinely  cultivated  land,  upon  which  he  erected  % 
handsome  dwelling-house  in  1873.  His  Ijarns,  out- 
houses :ind  farming  implements  are  of  first-class 
description,  and  everything  arciuiid  the  homestead 
indicates  the  exercise  of  :i  wise  juilgment  and 
am|)le  me;ins.  He  has  been  a  prominent  man  in 
his  township  since  his  first  arrival  here,  having 
been    .\ssessor  and   .lustice   of   the   Pea<e   for   four 


InteriorView.St.Josephs  Catholic  Church,  Fort  Madison.  Father   DeCailly,  Priest. 


r^H^EHHKJ 


I  Hr'r^HHr'HariaA^ 


^^^-^^H^'TJJi^T^;^ 


E^g 


LEE  COUNTY. 


years,  and  has  gained  much  distinction  in  the  latter 
oHioc,  his  decisions  never  being  reversed  by  a 
liigher  court.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union 
League  during  the  war,  is  Republican  in  politics, 
and  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  in  which  he  was  a  teacher  of  the 
Sabbatii-sehool  for  a  number  of  3'ears.  JNIrs.  Hamp- 
ton was  reared  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  and 
adheres  to  her  early  faith. 


EV.  FATHER  LOUIS  DeCAILLY  is  pas- 
tor of  8t.  Joseph's  Church,  Ft.  Madison, 
and  is  a  prominent  light  in  the  church  of 
^§)  his  choice  in  Lee  County,  and  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  Hawkeye  .State.  He  is  a  gentleman  of 
extensive  reading,  well  educated,  and  has  served 
faitlifully  and  well  the  charge  over  which  he  has 
been  appointed  by  his  Bishop.  Father  DeCailly  is 
a  native  of  Lyons,  France,  born  March  3,  1832, 
and  resided  in  his  native  country  until  1847.  He 
then  came  to  the  United  States,  and  proceeded  at 
once  westward,  making  his  first  location  at  Dubuque, 
Iowa.  He  had  already  been  studying  for  the 
jniesthood,  and  was  ordained  as  priest  in  his  native 
city  three  years  thereafter  by  Right  Rev.  Fran- 
zouie,  the  exiled  Archbishop  of  Turin. 

The  newly  appointed  priest  at  once  returned  to 
the  United  States,  first  visiting  Iowa  City,  which 
was  about  the  time  of  the  passage  of  the  bill  for  re- 
moving the  capital  of  the  State  to  Des  Moines. 
Father  DeCailly  then  went  to  Des  Moines  a  little 
after  New  Year's,  l8oi>.  There  he  found  but  two 
Catholic  families,  but  emigration  was  then  rapidly 
increasing  the  population  of  the  towns,  and  before 
long  several  families  of  the  Catholic  faith  had  ar- 
rived, so  that  in  a  few  months  Father  DeCailly  was 
enabled  to  purchase  a  small  area  of  ground,  which 
now  constitutes  the  property  of  St.  Ambrose 
Church  in  that  city.  For  this  he  paid  $000,  and 
it  has  iacrea.sed  in  value  until  it  is  now  estimated 
to  be  worth  >;.jl),000.  Father  DeCailly  remained 
in  Des  Moines  but  six  months,  and  was  then  em- 
l)loj'ed  as  a  teacher  in  the  Theological  .Seminar}' 
near  Dubuque,  where  at  that  time  the  present  Bish- 
o[)  Cosgrove  was  then  a  student.  The  seminary 
was  discontinued,  however,  after  a  time,  and  Father   I 


DeCailly  went  to  Northern  Iowa,  being  placed  in 
charge  of  nearly  all  the  territory  from  McGregor 
north  to  the  State  line  and  west  to  Ft.  Dodge.  He 
was  instrumental  in  the  erection  of  at  least  five 
churches  in  that  vicinity,  l)oth  for  English  and 
Germans,  and  often  engaged  in  carpenter  work 
himself.  Upon  the  present  site  of  Forest  City  he 
baptised  at  one  time  thirty-two  children,  the  people 
not  having  seen  a  priest  for  sixteen  years.  In  18.58 
he  returned  to  Dubuque,  and  was  appointed  pastor 
of  St.  Anthony's  Church  at  Davenport,  where  he 
officiated  f(^r  six  mouths,  and  was  then  located  at 
St.  Peter's.  Keokuk,  for  ten  years,  in  the  meantime 
establishing  schools  and  erecting  buildings  and  ac- 
complishing great  good  among  his  people. 

In  1868,  on  account  of  failing  health.  Father 
DeCailly  went  to  Ohio,  and  was  appointed  b}*  Bish- 
op S.  H.  Roscranz,  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  Church, 
Lancaster,  Ohio.  Six  years  afterward  he  was  placed 
in  charge  of  the  large  Catholic  congregation  of 
Newark,  Ohio,  and  after  ten  years  of  hard  labor  he 
sought  a  smaller  congregation  in  the  State  of  his 
first  choice.  He  then  came  to  Iowa,  in  1884,  being 
most  kindly  held  in  remembrance  by  the  citizens 
of  Lee  County.  He  was  api)ointed  pastor  of  St. 
Joseph's  Church  at  Ft.  Madison,  and  is  held  in  t"he 
highest  respect  b}'  not  only  the  members  of  his 
parish,  but  the  community  at  large.  He  is  genial 
and  kind  hearted,  and  is  interested  in  all  move- 
ments tending  to  the  welfare  of  the  city  and  Lee 
Count}'.  He  has  become  identified  with  the  inter- 
ests of  this  section,  and  was  appointed  Chaplain  in 
1885  for  that  year  of  the  Tri-State  Old  .Settlers' 
Association.  The  St.  Joseph's  Church  at  Ft.  Mad- 
ison has  connected  with  it  a  parochial  school  num- 
bering about  100  children,  taught  by  the  Sisters 
of  Mary,  and  a  lay  teacher  for  large  boys.  A 
view  of  the  interior  of  the  church  is  shown  in 
connection  with  this  sketch. 


fl 


I 


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ii 


'■^i 


^ 


J'/UDGE  J.  M.  LOVE,  Judge  of  the  Lnited 
.States  .Southern  District  Court,  of  Iowa, 
who  first  took  ui)  his  residence  at  Keokuk  in 
/  1850,  and  who  ha:s  constantly  been  identi- 
fied with  the  best  interests,  not  only  of  his  county, 
but  of  the  entire  State  since  that  time,  is  well  and 


Eiifi 


492 


LEE  COUNTY. 


|>i(iiiiineiitly  kii<;wii  everywhere  within  its  boiind- 
:mv.  Jiiilm'  Liive  was  born  in  Virginia,  March  -t, 
l.Slli.  11  is  parents  were  John  >S.  and  Mary  (Ver- 
million) l^ove,  also  natives  of  Virginia;  the  father 
was  a  mail  (Mjiitractor,  and  continued  to  reside  in 
his  native  State  until  his  death. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  remained  at  home  and 
attended  school  until  eighteen  3'ears  of  age.  When 
tiiirteen  years  old  he  moved  with  his  mother  and 
the  other  children  to  Ohio,  and  in  that  State,  after 
leaving  school,  he  engaged  in  civil  engineering.  He 
followed  that  business  about  four  years,  and  then 
'MM]  going  to  Zanesville,  Ohio,  entered  the  law  office  of 
Judge  Richard  Stillwell,  and  under  his  instruction 
continued  his  studies  until  he  graduated,  in  1840. 
The  young  lawyer  then,  went  to  Coshocton 
County',  Ohio,  and  there  hung  out  his  shingle  and 
entered  upon  tlie  practice  of  his  profession,  which 
he  continued  with  ordinary  success  until  11S4G. 
During  that  year  he  raised  a  comjjanj'  for  the 
Mexican  AVar.  The  companj'  joined  the  Sd  Ohio 
Regiment,  under  Col.  Samuel  R.  Curtis,  and  our 
suljject  was  elected  Captain  of  the  company  and 
serve<I  in  that-capacity  for  two  years.  Returning 
from  the  field  of  conflict  he,  in  1848,  again  resumed 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Ohio,  and  there  con- 
tinued a  resident  until  18.50. 

During  the  year  last  named  our  subject,  iioping 
to  lind  broader  fields  for  the  dis|)lay  of  his  legal 
ability,  and  with  an  eye  to  financial  success,  left 
Ohio  and  came  to  seek  a  home  west  of  the  mighty 
Father  of  Waters.  Arriving  in  this  State  he  set- 
tled in  Keokuk  and  immediately  began  tlie  practice 
of  law.  He  had  constantly,  ever  since  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  in  1840,  been  a  hard  student, 
and  the  consequence  was  that  after  he  settled  at 
Keokuk  he  soon  l)ecame  one  of  the  leading  niom- 
ber.s  of  the  Lee  County  l)iir.  In  18.V1  lie  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and  two  years  later,  in 
ijjj  18.55,  was  .appointed  Judge  of  the  I'nited  States 
I  Court  for  the  District  of  Iowa.    Continuing  in  that 

m    position  until  the  division  in  l.S8;3,  he  then  liecame 
Judge -for  the  Southern  District,  comprising  Coun- 
lasecgt-il  Blutt's  and  Des  Moines. 

.Judge  Love  was  married,  in  l,s4(;,  to  Jliss  .Mary 
Tliomasson,  and  by  this  union  had  four  cliihlren — 
William,  (Jeorge,  .Man   .ind  llcnrv.      Mrs.  Lovcdc- 


ii 


parted  this  life  in  1861,  and  the  Judge  was  a  sec- 
ond time  married.  Miss  Mary  Millburn  being  tiir 
other  contracting  party.  Of  this  latter  union  there 
have  also  been  born  four  children — Milburn.  Eliz- 
abeth, Sidnc}-  and  James. 

Politically-  Judge  Love  is  a  Democrat,  but  jxili- 
tics  never  interfere  with  him  in  the  faithful  dis- 
charge of  his  duties  as  a  conscientious,  straightfor- 
ward and  honorable  gentleman,  and  one  well  versed 
in  jurisprudence.  It  is  said  of  Judge  Love  that 
when  he  gives  a  decision  upon  a  question  in  contro- 
versy it  is  hardly  necessary  for  the  one  against 
whom  the  decision  may  be  given  to  ever  take  an 
appeal,  for  he  is  one  of  the  most  careful,  as  well  as 
learned  Judges  in  the  State.  This  is  not  simply 
the  assertion  of  a  biographical  writer,  but  can  be 
substantiated  by  any  who  choose  to  examine  the 
record  of  Judge  Love's  decisions  since  he  has  held 
the  position  of  which  he  is  now  the  incumbent. 


^/OSIAH  WHITE,  deceased,  was  well  known 
in  this  section  of  countr}-  as  a  philanthro- 
pist, and  was  the  founder  of  White's  Iowa 
Institute  for  Manual  Labor,  one  of  the  best 
institutions  ever  devised  for  the  benefit  of  home- 
less children.  Our  subject  was  a  native  of  New- 
Jersey,  and  was  born  at  Mt.  H0II3',  Burlington 
County,  March  4,  IT.si.  He  was  a  direct  descend- 
ant of  Thomas  White,  of  Cumberlandshire,  En- 
glanil,  whence  his  son,  Christopher,  and  wife,  Eliza- 
beth, came  to  America  in  1677,  locating  near  Salem. 
N.  J.  These  were  the  great-great-grandparents  of 
our  subject. 

Josiah  White  vvjw  quite  young  when  his  father 
dietl,  and  he  was  left  to  the  care  of  his  mother, 
from  whom  he  received  careful  iiome  training,  and 
who  kept  him  at  scliool  almost  continuously  initil 
he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  was  then  ai)pren- 
ticed  to  a  hardware  merchant  in  Philadelphia,  and 
for  his  services  was  to  receive  ^20  per  year.  He 
attended  to  his  duties  diligently,  and  in  less  than 
two  years'  time  had  the  principal  charge  of  the 
books.  He  hail  been  trained  to  habits  of  industry 
and  economy,  and  after  he  had  begun  to  work  I'oi' 
himself,  sa\ed  wlial  he  could   of   his  earninu's,  and 


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jyr^y^^ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


493 


iiE 


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13 


at  the  age  of  twenty-one  had  accumulated  sufficient 
means  to  commence  business  for  himself.  lie  pur- 
chased a  stock  of  hardware,  opened  a  store  in  Phil- 
adelphia, and  there  laid  the  basis  for  his  future 
fortune. 

In  1810  Mr.  White  jMirchased  the  water-power 
of  the  Schuylkill  River  at  the  falls,  and  constructed 
a  dam  and  locks  which  were  a  vast  improvement  to 
the  navigation  of  that  river.  He  attempted  to 
lease  the  power,  but  the  custom  so  general  now  was 
then  practically  unknown  in  the  United  States,  and 
there  seemed  to  be  a  jjrejudice  against  it,  .so  Mr. 
White  erected  a  large  mill  for  the  manufacture  of 
wire  and  a  smaller  one  for  that  of  nails.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  men  who  succeeded  in  introducing 
anthracite  coal  for  general  use,  and  was  the  fore- 
most in  building  canals  to  open  up  the  vast  fields 
of  coal  and  iron  to  the  markets  of  the  world.  His 
biographer,  Richard  Richardson,  says  of  him  :  "  As 
the  name  of  DeWitt  Clinton  stands  prominent  in 
New  York  in  connection  with  the  canal  system  of 
that  State,  so  will  the  name  of  Josiah  Wliite  stand 
conspicuous  in  the  same  direction  in  Pennsylvania." 

Josiah  White  departed  this  life  in  Philadelphia, 
Nov.  14,  18.00.  In  his  will  he  bequeathed  $20.- 
000  to  found  a  school  for  manual  labor  in  In- 
diana, which  is  now  established  and  doing  good 
■work.  It  is  located  near  Treaty,  in  Wabash  Count}'. 
This  good  and  benevolent  man  also  bequeathed  a 
like  sum  to  establish  a  similar  institution  in  Iowa. 
This  is  also  in  active  operation,  and  stands  as  a 
noble  monument  to  one  of  the  best  men  which  the 
present  age  has  produced.  (See  history  of  White's 
Iowa  Manual  Labor  Institute  on  another  page  in 
this  volume). 


-^    i  '^^'  »-^ 


(^^  AMUEL  G.    Y'OUNKIN,  an  honored  pio- 
^^^    neer  of  the  Hawkeye  State,  is  a  prominent 
i&jflfj  and   successful    farmer  and   stock- Ijreeder, 
and  occupies  a  fine  homestead  on  section  4, 
Montrose  Township.     He  came  to  the  State  of  Iowa 
when  it  was  in  its  infancy,  and  has  marked    its  de- 
velopment  and    progress    with    gr.atified     interest. 
He  has  also  aided  inateriall}'  in  the  opening  up  of 


this  section,  having  been  one  of  its  most  energetic 
and  enterprising  settlers.  His  own  early  example 
of  indn.str}'  and  economy  nol  only  stimulated  his 
neighbors  to  their  best  vxcrlions,  l)iit  he  has  given 
cheerfully  and  liljerally  of  his  time  and  means  for 
the  encouragement  of  every  good  work  and  pur- 
pose whose  object  has  been  to  advance  the  interests 
of  his  county  and  township,  lie  has  met  with  dif- 
ficulties and  discouragements  like  most  other  men, 
but  has  suffered  nothing  to  move  him  from  his  pur- 
pose of  becoming  a  man  am<.)ng  men  and  a  useful 
and  wortiiy  citizen.  That  he  has  succeeded  in  this 
is  clearly  indicated  by  the  esteem  in  which  he  is 
held  among  his  fellow-citizens. 

Tlie  birthplace  of  our  subject  was  Muskingum 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the 
light  Sept.  11,  1839.  His  parents  were  Joseph  and 
Susan  (Meek)  I'ounkin,  natives  of  Mrginia  and 
Ohio  respectively.  He  remained  at  home  during 
his  childhood  and  youth,  assisting  in  the  duties 
around  the  homestead,  and  receiving  a  fair  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  marringe  with  Miss 
Lucretia  Curtis,  Nov.  29,  1866.  His  bride  was  a 
native  of  Genesee  County,  Mich.,  and  was  born 
July  12,  1840.  Her  parents,  Daniel  and  Emily 
(Woodford)  Curtis,  were  natives  of  Vermont  and 
New  York  respectively.  Daniel  Curtis  was  born 
in  1804,  removed  to  Iowa  in  early  manhood,  and 
died  in  this  State  in  18,")9.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Emily 
Curtis,  was  born  in  1800,  came  to  Iowa  with  her 
husband,  and  departed  this  life  also  in  November, 
1859,  within  a  few  days  of  her  husband's  decease. 
The  parental  household  consisted  of  the  following 
children  :  George  D.,  who  married  Miss  Mary  Woll- 
fltt;  Charles  H.,  who  chose  for  his  life  partner.  Miss 
Mary  Irvine :  she  died,  and  he  subsequently  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Rankin:  Charlotte  W.  became  the 
wife  of  Lewis  Adams,  who  is  deceased,  and  she 
contracted  a  second  marriage  with  James  Reed,  and 
both  are  now  deceased;  the  next  ciiild  was  Lucre- 
tia, now  Mrs.  Younkin. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Younkin  liave  been 
born  four  children,  as  follows:  Henry  A..  l)orn 
Sept.  8,  1871,  died  March  16,  1872;  Cora  B.  was 
born  Oct.  5,  1876;  Samuel  C.  Sept.  11,  1878.  and 
Willia,  March  28,  1880.     The  family  homestead  is 


I 


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(jne  of  the  attractive  spots  of  Lee  C(junty.     Mr. 

^'uiinkiii  i,-  <|iiiU'  extensively  engaged  in  the  breed- 
ing i>i  liigh-gr.ule  slock,  consisting  of  Short-iiorn 
cattle  and  i'leiksiiire  liogs.  lie  occniiics  a  fine  farm 
dwelling,  lias  a  good  liarii,  and  everytliing  neces- 
sary for  the  convenient  storing  of  giain,  and  the 
shelter  of  stock.  The  family  are  held  in  high  respect 
in  their  coniniunity.  In  politics  Mr.  Vonnkin  is 
stronglv  Hei>nlilican.  and  has  lieen  honored  with 
the  varions  township  otliees.  Mrs.  Younkiu  is  aii 
earnest  and  active  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Chnrcli.  Her  brother,  Edward  R.  Cnrtis,  married 
Miss  Nancy  Ueed,  and  Rcnben  M.,  now  deceased, 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Hertz.  He  died  Sept. 
Id.  issil.  in  Lee  Conntv. 


■>}■- 


••®v><v®-''*<'-- 


US.  JOHANNA  MANG,  of  Keokuk,  is  a 
ii.ative  of  the  German  Empire,  and  came 
with  her  i)arents  to  the  United  States  in 
1848.  They  proceeded  directly  to  Iowa, 
and  settled  near  Franklin,  Jasper  Count}',  upon  a 
farm,  and  the  father  followed  agricultural  pursuits 
until  his  death,  in  18(53. 

The  subject- of  this  biography  is  a  daughter  of 
(leorge  and  Caroline  (Cramer)  Cramer,  whose 
iniiisehold  circle  included  three  children,  one  of 
whom  is  deceased,  and  besides  Jlrs.  Mang,  there  is  a 
brother  who  is  now  residing  in  Wisconsin.  Mrs. 
M.  resided  with  her  ])arents  until  she  was  nineteen 
years  of  age,  and  was  then  married  to  Jacob  Kraft, 
a  native  of  (ierinany,  and  son  of  John  and  Chris- 
tina Kr.'ift.  They  came  to  the  United  States  in 
l.s  ts,  ;ind  at  once  proceeded  westward,  crossed  the 
Mississippi,  and  settled  in  Keokuk,  where  they  re- 
mained until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1881. 
The  parental  family  consisted  of  six  children,  of 
whom  Jacob  was  the  youngest  but  one.  He  learned 
the  boot-and-shoe  trade,  and  followed  this  in  Keo- 
kuk until  his  decease,  which  occurred  in  1880,  one 
y(^ar  before  the  death  of  his  father.  Of  this  union 
there  were  born  four  children,  three  now  living, 
viz. :  Caroline,  now  Mrs.  Helten,  of  Des  Moines, 
who  lias  two  children — William  and  Johanna; 
George   married  Miss  Milda  Mentz,  and  they  have 


one  child,  Alvin,  and  are  residing  in  Keokuk;  Lou 
is  also  a  resident  of  Keokuk. 

In  due  time  after  the  death  of  her  first  husbaiul. 
Mrs.  Kraft  contracted  a  second  marriage,  with  .Mr. 
Gus  Mang,  also  a  native  of  the  Fatherland,  who 
came  to  America  in  1881.  and  is  by  trade  a  butcher. 
He  is  the  proinietor  of  a  saloon  at  No.  27  .South 
Fourth  street,  Keokuk.  Mrs.  Mang  owns  and  oc- 
cupies a  comfortable  residence  at  No.  1 1  4  Johnson 
street. 


■A 

H'-l 

-  ;i 


"SfjUDGE  JAME.S  B.  HOWELL,  founder  (.f  the 
■  Gate  City  of  Keokuk,  and  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  known  in  the  histor}'  of 
Iowa,  was  born  near  Morristown,  N.  J.,  Jidy 
4,  1816,  and  died  in  Keokuk,  Lee  Count}',  on  the 
morning  of  June  17,  1880.  The  puljlic  life  of 
Judge  Howell  presented  a  bright  example  of  in- 
tegrity of  purpose,  sound  judgment,  and  an  upi-ight 
and  honoral)le  course.  He  was  one  of  the  foremost 
men  in  kindling  patriotism  in  the  hearts  of  his  fel- 
low-men to  preserve  a  Union,  and  was  bitterly 
opposed  to  slavery  in  every  form,  He  took  .an 
active  part  in  political  affairs  during  the  late 
Rebellion,  and  cast  the  whole  weight  of  his  influence 
upon  the  side  of  union  and  liberty.  His  entire 
life,  socially  and  politically,  was  a  bi'ight  example  of 
what  may  be  accomplished  by  the  influence  of  a 
spotless  character  and  an  upright  life. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Elias  Howell,  settled 
in  Licking  County,  Ohio,  in  1810,  and  became  one 
of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  men  in  that 
county,  being  Sheriff  in  1826,  State  Senator  in 
1830,  and  Representative  to  Congress  in  18:i4. 
The  boyhood  of  his  son,  James  B.,  was  spent  upon 
the  farm,  but  after  the  removal  to  Newark  he 
attended  the  High  School  and  afterward  entered 
Miami  University,  fi-om  which  he  graduated  in 
1837,  and  selected  the  profession  of  law,  and  after 
studying  two  years  was  admitted  to  practice.  He 
first  located  in  Newark,  but  two  years  later,  on  ac- 
count of  failing  health,  determined  to  come  to  the 
Great  West,  with  the  hope  that  a  change  of  climate 
would  be  beneficial.  In  1841  he  came  into  Iowa, 
and  in  due  time  became  one  of  the  Whig  leaders  of 
the  Territory.    He  finally  drifted  from  the  practice 


JEh 


^: 


J7*c4<©i^ 


V}r\ 


.1':  '■■'. 


LEE  COUNTY. 


497 


of  law  into  politics,  and  in  184o  purchased  the  Des 
Moines  Valley  ]V7u'g,  which  he  transferred  to  Keo- 
kuk four  years  later  and  changed  its  name  to  Gate 
City,  through  which  he  endeavored  to  unite  the 
elements  of  opposition  to  the  pro-slavery  party. 
He  labored  faithfully  and  unremittingly  against 
opposition,  and  employed  all  his  time  and  strength 
working  for  the  right,  and  aided  in  the  transforma- 
tion of  Iowa  from  a  Democratic  to  an  overwhelm- 
ingly Republican  State.  In  1 H70,  his  long  and 
able  services  to  the  Republican  cause  were  recog- 
nized by  the  Legislature  of  Iowa,  which  elected  him 
to  the  United  States  Senate,  and  after  the  expiration 
of  his  term  the  President  selected  him  as  one  of  the 
three  commissioners  to  examine  and  report  upon 
claims  for  stores  and  supplies  taken  or  furnished 
for  the  use  of  the  army  in  insurrectionary  districts. 
Judge  Howell  filled  that  place  after  successive 
re-appointment.s  by  Presidents  ftr-ant  and  Hayes, 
until  the  commission  expired  by  limitation  of  law, 
on  the  10th  of  March,  1880,  a  few  months  before 
the  death  of  Judge  Howell. 

The  marriage  of  James  B.  Howell  and  Miss  Isa- 
bella Richards  took  place  at  Granville.  Ohio,  Nov. 
1,  1842.  After  the  birth  of  three  children,  Mrs. 
Isabella  R.  Howell  departed  this  life  in  Keosauqna. 
Their  daughter,  Mary,  who  was  the  wife  of  Frank 
E.  Wright,  was  a  noble  and  intelligent  lady,  whose 
memory  is  still  held  sacred  by  a  wide  circle  of 
friends  in  Keokuk  and  elsewhere.  She  died  Dec. 
23,  1874,  not  long  after  her  husband.  Her  two 
children,  James  Howell  and  Lena  Belle,  were  re- 
garded by  their  grandfather.  Judge  Howell,  with 
devoted  tenderness  and  affection. 

On  the  23d  of  October,  1850,  Judge  Howell  was 
married  to  his  second  wife,  Miss  Mary  Ann  Bowen, 
who  still  survives  and  mourns  him.  Of  this  union 
there  were  born — Jesse  B.,  business  man.ager  of  the 
Gate  City;  D.  L.,  now  a  Lieutenant  of  the  Regular 
Army ;  Frederick,  and  one  daughter,  Lida. 

The  following  estimate  of  his  character  was  writ- 
ten by  one  who  knew  him  well : 

"His  life  was  strong  and  serviceable,  yet  through 
the  greater  part  of  it  what  he  did  gave  little  indi- 
cation of  his  real  power  to  do.  Like  all  able  men 
he  was  more  than  he  ever  did.  He  was  a  strong 
editor — the  ablest  in  the  State — yet  he  did  not  care 


all  the  time  to  prove  it  by  his  work,  and  men  of 
far  less  ability  could  have  challenged  a  rivalry  of 
reputation  with  him  in  public  estimation  as  a 
journalist.  Devoted  to  his  editorial  work  when  in 
it,  he  was  always  more  than  a  journalist.  A  politi- 
cal leader  by  native  force,  l)y  acquirements  and  by 
sagacity,  he  cared  nothing  for  the  place  of  leader, 
and  was  often  only  the  associate  and  ally  of  men 
and  causes  which  he  really  led.  He  was  ambitious  and 
desired  office,  yet  through  all  his  active  life,  when 
the  pinch  came,  he  was  constantly  disposed  to  see 
in  another  rather  than  himself,  the  person  he  would 
force  himself  .and  his  party  to  take.  His  devotion 
to  the  party  he  thought  right  was  liis  dominant 
political  impulse  and  ambition,  and  made  himself 
abnegatory  in  his  relations,  not  to  party  work,  but 
to  partj'  rewards." 

<if]AMES  V.  CHURCH,  who  departed  tiiis  life 
on  the  12th  of  December,  1880,  became  a 
resident  of  the  Hawkeye  State  in  1857,  and 
(^jli  lived  here  imtil  his  death.  During  a  period 
of  nearly  thirty  years  passed  within  the  envirt)ns 
of  this  county  he  built  up  for  himself  a  reputation 
as  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citizen,  prompt  to 
meet  his  obligations,  and  careful  to  cast  his  influ- 
ence upon  the  side  of  truth  and  justice. 

Mr.  Church,  a  native  of  New  England,  was  born 
among  the  hills  of  Berkshire  County,  Mass.,  in 
1820.  His  parents  were  Arnold  and  Diantha 
(Pelton)  Church,  n.atives  respectively  of  Rhode 
Island  and  Massachusetts.  The  parental  household 
included  four  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy; Irene  became  the  wife  of  William  Hall,  of 
San  Francisco,  Cal. ;  .Tames  ^'.,  of  our  sketch,  was 
the  eldest  of  the  family,  and  never  married ;  Nancy 
is  the  widow  of  Asher  Miller,  who  was  born  in 
Connecticut  in  1811.  and  followed  farming  pur- 
suits; they  were  married  in  Hampden  County, 
Mass.,  came  to  Illinois  in  1858,  settling  in  La  Salle 
County,  where  they  lived  four  ye.ars,  and  then, 
crossing  the  Mississippi  came  into  Lee  County,  where 
Mr.  Miller  purchased  123  acres  of  land  in  Pleasant 
Ridge  Township.  They  remained  here  umil  the 
death  of  Mr.  M.,  whicii  occurre<l  in  ].s73.      He  left 


i98 


LKK  COUNTY. 


m 


m 


n  wife  .•111(1  two  cliililrcii,  .Imiiics  niid  W'illidin.  wlm 
reside  with  their  mother.  .Mrs.  ]\Iiller,  after  the 
death  of  her  husband,  sold  licr  lioiiiestead.  and  now 
resides  on  the  estate  of  her  deceased  brother,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  She  is  a  most  estiiunhle 
lady,  and  is  iionored  with  the  good-will  and  confi- 
dence of  a  large  eii-cle  of  acquaintances. 

James  X.  Church  was  bred  to  farm  life,  and  re- 
sided in  his  native  State  until  the  time  of  the  Cali- 
fornia gold  excitement,  when  he  went  to  the  Pacific 
.Slope  via  the  Isthmus,  where  he  remained  four 
years,  meeting  with  fair,  success  in  his  operations 
there.  He  then  returned  eastward,  and  settling  in 
Iowa  engaged  in  the  loaning  of  money.  Subse- 
quentlj',  by  foreclosing  a  moitgage,  he  became 
possessor  of  a  tract  of  Ininl  in  Pleasant  Ridge 
Township,  to  which  he  added  by  purchase  until  he 
became  the  possessor  of  nearly  600  acres.  He  was 
thrifty  and  energetic  in  his  business  life,  a  quiet, 
unobtrusive  man,  and  greatly  respected  for  his  ex- 
cellent personal  character.  In  politics  he  was  Re- 
pulilican,  easting  his  vote  thoughtfully-  and  con- 
scientiously, and  is  i)leasantly  remembered  by 
those  who  knew  him  for  his  genial  and  kindly  dis- 
position, which  was  slow  to  anger,  and  careful  in 
censuring  the  acts  of  men  whose  motives  he  could 
not  fully  understand. 

Tlie  portrait  of  Mr.  Church,  shown  on  an  accom- 
l)anying  page,  will  be  at  once  recognized  by  the 
friends  who  valued  him,  as  the  features  of  the  man 
who  for  so  many  years  went  in  and  out  among  the 
people  of  Pleasant  Ridge  as  one  of  their  most  val- 
ued citizens. 


--S- 


*^ 


ip^T  RANK  J.  SCHENK,  ,Ik.,  of  Keokuk,  is  pros- 
|— toj  perously  engaged  as  a  dealer  in  dry-goods 
(Hi  and  notions,  having  established  his  present 
msiness  in  1H«(!.  He  was  formerly  of  the  firm  of 
rinkman  &  .Sclienk.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of 
Hveokuk,  liis  birth  having  occurred  on  the  1st  of 
May,  1  8.58,  and  is  the  eldest  son  of  F.  J.  and  Louisa 
rt(Kamuf)  Scheiik,  who  became  residents  of  the  Gate 
}[Jity  over  thirty  years  ago  and  a  sketch  of  whom 
[tvill  be  found  on  the  following  page  of  this  Ai.iuiii. 
^    Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the  Catho- 


lir  .>cbool>  of  K<'oknk.  .iiid  bcg.-m  his  uutcmiiI  ih'  life 
as  a  clcii<  for  Thomas  (^regg,  witii  wiiom  he  re- 
mained eighteen  montlis,  and  after  occupying  vari- 
ous positions  with  other  firms,  during  which  time 
lie  gained  a  valuable  experience,  he  formed  a  jjart- 
nership  with  F.  Urinkman,  which  continued  four 
years  under  the  style  of  Hrinkman  and  .Schenk, 
and  then  our  subject  estalilislied  his  present  pros- 
perous and  lucrative  trade. 

Mr.  Schi'uk  was  married.  .Inly  10,  1  ,SS4,  to  Aliss 
Katie  Spieng,  of  Keokuk,  the  daughter  of  .lacob 
Sjjieng,  who  was  among  the  pioneer  residents  of  the 
(iate  City.  Of  this  union  there  has  been  born  one 
child,  a  dniighter — Mamie.  Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Schenk 
are  members  in  good  standing  of  St.  Mary's  Catho- 
lic Church,  and  number  among  their  friends  ant! 
associates  the  best  people  of  the  city. 

LBERT  II.  (tARRETSON  is  a  memlier  of 
the  firm  of  Garretson  &  Garretson,  of 
Keokuk,  attorneys  at  law  and  dealers  in 
real  estate.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  the 
llawkeye  State,  and  was  born  near  Salem,  Henry 
County,  Sept.  19,  1847.  His  father,  Joel  C.  (iar- 
retson,  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Henry 
County,  who  settled  there  in  1837,  nine  years  be- 
fore Iowa  w.as  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  State. 
He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  was  a  farmer  by 
occu]iation,  and  early  in  life  removed  from  his  na- 
tive .State  to  Highland  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was 
married  to  Mi.ss  Elizabeth  Goodson.  Mrs.  (J.  was 
a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the  ilaiighter  of  fieorge 
Goodson.  Of  this  union  there  were  born  six  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  living. 

Albert  II.  Garretson  passed  his  boyhood  on  his 
father's  f;u'in,  and  entered  upon  his  priniaiy  studies 
in  the  district  school.  After  becouiing  sulticiently 
advanced  he  entered  Whitticr  College  at  S;ilein, 
Iowa,  and  after  a  j-ear's  cour.se  returned  to  the  farm 
and  engaged  with  his  father  in  .agricultural  pur- 
suits an<l  stock-raising.  Being  ambitious  and  in- 
clined to  literary  tastes  he  commenced  the  study 
of  l;iw  in  ls7s,  and  afterward  took  a  full  course  in 
the  law  department  of  the  Iowa  State  ITuiversity, 
from  which  he   giaduMted   in    IS71I.      lie    then    dis- 


ISr'Hr'Hr^  iHZC 


LEE  COUNTY. 


posed  of  his  interests  on  the  farm,  and  opening  a 
law  olKce  in  Keokuk  began  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, being  joined  the  year  following  b3'  his 
brother,  John  G.,  and  they  have  operated  together 
since  tliat  time.  They  are  wide-awake,  enterpris- 
ing men,  and  in  addition  to  other  interests  are  sole 
owners  of  the  street  sprinkling  contracts  in  the  cit}\ 
Their  real-estate  transactions  include  abstracting 
and  convej'ancing,  and  they  also  buy  and  sell  on 
their  own  account. 

Albert  II.  Garretson  was  married  in  Uctober, 
IS71,  to  Miss  Emma  L.  Smith,  of  Henr}'  County, 
Iowa.  Of  this  union  there  were  born  four  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Arthur  G.  and  Earle  died  in  infanc3-; 
tliose  surviving  are  Henry  H.  and  Daisj'  G.  After 
their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  moved  to  the 
northern  part  of  Lee  County,  where  our  subject  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  stock-raising.  He  finajly  be- 
came connected  with  the  Grange  movement,  and 
was  prominently'  identified  with  the  <  rder  in  this 
count}'.  He  is  now  Secretary'  and  sU.iclvhulder  of 
the  Keokuk  Auction,  a  commission  association  of 
the  city,  banded  together  for  mutual  benefit  and 
protection,  and  has  been  identified  with  the  various 
movements  of  the  cit}'  calculated  to  increase  its 
standing  and  jwpularity  among  other  important 
towns  of  this  and  other  States. 

^RANK  SCMENK,  Sii.,  of  Keokuk,  is  one 
of  the  i>ioneer  shoemakers  (.>f  the  Gate  City, 
^  ~  and  although  advanced  in  years,  still  plies 
his  knife  and  hammer  with  the  diligence  and  energy 
which  were  characteristic  of  liis  earlier  da3s.  He 
is  a  native  of  the  Kmi)ire  of  German}',  his  birth  oc- 
curring in  Baden  on  the  9th  of  March,  1S27,  and 
received  a  good  education  ^n  the  sciiools  of  liis  na- 
tive countr}'.  He  also  sevved  his  apprenticeship 
there,  and  worked  as  a  "jour"  for  some  3'ears 
afterward.  He  then  emigrated  to  the.  Lnited  States, 
reaching  Keokuk  in  Is.jO.  Eive  years  later  he  was 
united  in  marriage,  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  witli  Miss 
Louisa  Kamuf,  who  was  of  German  nativit}',  and 
the}'  became  the  parents  of  eleven  eliildreu,  six 
sons  and  five  <laughters,  seven  of  wliom  still  sur- 
vive. 

.Mr.  Schcnk  lia:r  worked  failhf ull}' at  his  trade  for 


a  period  of  fort3'-two  years,  and  during  his  long 
residence  in  the  Gate  City  has  established  himself 
in  tlie  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  liini. 
He  has  been  strictly  upright  and  honorable  in  all 
his  dealings,  and  has  built  up  for  liimself  an  envia- 
ble record  as  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citizen. 
He  and  his  family  are  devoted  members  of  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  Church. 


z^^APT.    SAMUEL    SPEAKE,    a    resident    of 
|[  Nauvoo,   but   making  his  home   mostly   in 

^^k^'  Montrose  Milage,  is  one  of  the  most  skill- 
ful pilots  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  has  traversed 
the  '•  Father  of  Waters"  since  1854.  At  that  time 
he  entered  upon  his  responsible  duties  as  pilot 
through  the  rapids  between  Montrose  and  Keokuk, 
and  four  years  later  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  val- 
uable raft  which  he  floated  from  Stillwater  to  St. 
Louis.  He  worked  for  four  months  in  the  pineries 
of  Minnesota,  and  was  on  the  .St.  Croix  Lake  with 
Joseph  Hall,  the  commander  of  a  raft  from  .Still- 
water to  New  Boston  Bay,  where  they  were  obliged 
to  lay  up  on  account  of  higli  water.  In  the  3'ear 
1881  he  purchased  a  one-third  interest  with  R.  8. 
Owen  and  others,  in  the  packet  steamers  •'  Prescott " 
and  "  Park  Bluff."  The  "  Prescott  "  is  one  of  the 
finest  steamers  on  the  Father  of  Waters,  and  Capt. 
Speake  is  considered  one  of  the  foremost  pilots  now 
following  the  rapids.  He  has  been  a  thorough 
business  man,  owns  property  in  Montrose  and  Nau- 
voo,  and  is  a  general  favorite  among  rivei'  men,  , 
and  among  his  fellow-citizens  when  he  is  on  terra 
firma. 

Capt.  Speake  is  a  native  of  Marion  County,  Ky., 
and  the  date  of  his  birth  was  Oct.  i'J,  1 62d.  When 
he  was  a  lad  of  six  3^ears,  his  parents  moved  from 
Kentuck}'  to  Illinois,  and  he  received  a  very  lim- 
ited education  in  the  schools  of  the  Prairie  State, 
where  he  attendeil  one  week.  He  was  a  bright  and 
ambitious  bo}',  however,  keenl}'  observant  of  what 
was  going  on  around  him,  and  luiide  the  most  of 
his  opportunities.  At  the  early  age  of  eleven  years 
he  started  out  for  himself  and  decided  upon  his 
fntui'e  course,  which  was  to  follow  the  rivei'.  He 
was  first  engaged  as  cabin  bo^-,  and   clind^ed   up. 


Ihii 


inlili 


step  by  step,  to  his  present  responsible  position. 
Nov.  27,  1860,  Capt.  Speake  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Minerva  M.  DeLislc,  and  (jf  this 
union  there  are  three  children:  Lucia  A.,  who  mar- 
ried William  W()rthington,of  I^incohi,  Neb.;  Annie 
li.  and  Franiv;  the  latter  is  a  bright  little  boy  of 
eight  years. 


-*Tr<^ 


BKL  C.  ROBERTS.M.  D.,    editor   of   the 
Ft.  Madison  Democrat,  is  a  native    of   the 
//rii    Empire  State,  born  in  C^ueensburj'    Town- 
'''  ship,    Warren    County,    Jan.     15,     1830. 

His  father,  Jonathan  Roberts,  was  a  native  of  Co- 
lumbia County,  N.  Y.,  and  his  grandfather,  Philip 
Roberts,  was  a  native  of  the  same  State,  but  born  in 
Dutchess  County,  and  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Columbia  County  before  the  Revolutionary  War. 
He  there  gi-ew  to  manhood,  married,  and  reared 
his  family  there,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  da3's. 

Jonathan  Roberts,  the  father  of  our  subject,  re- 
moved to  Warren  County  when  a  young  man,  and 
purchased  a  farm  in  C^ueensbury  Township.  He 
lived  there  until  18;!2,  and  then  traded  his  land  for 
a  farm  in  Rensselaer  County,  upon  which  he  re- 
mained some  years,  then  returned  to  Columbia 
County  and  established  himself  upon  his  father's 
homestead.  After  a  few  jears  he  was  seized  with 
a  desire  to  see  something  of  the  western  country. 
He  first  proceeded  to  Michigan,  settling  in  Lenawee 
County  in  1 831).  The  trip  was  made  via  the  Firie 
Canal  to  Buffalo,  thence  by  lake  to  Toledo,  and 
then  by  rail  to  Adrain,  Mich.  He  purchased  a 
farm  in  Lenawee  County,  established  a  home,  and 
remained  there  until  the  close  of  his  life.  In  early 
manhood  he  was  married  to  Miss  Melita  Commins, 

liqa  native  of  New  York,  born  in  Nassau,  Rensselaer 
County.  The  parental  familj'  consisted  of  twelve 
children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  become  men  and 
women,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  being  the  fourth 
in  order  of  birth.     He  assisted    his    father  on   the 

gi  farm  during  the  summer  seasons  and  in  the  winters 
attended  the  public  schools. 

Dr.  Roberts  coninienced  the  stud3'  of  medicine 
in    184;),    in    llic   ollice    of    Dr.    .lohii    C'adnian,  at 


V,fid^ 


^£32 


W////////A 


Adrian,  Mich.  He  then  entered  the  medical  depart-  i  i 
ment  of  the  Michigan  University,  at  Ann  Harbor,  jii 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1853,  and  at  once 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Otsego, 
Allegan  County,  remaining  there  until  1859.  In 
the  spring  of  that  year  he  crossed  the  Mississippi 
and  came  to  Ft.  Madison,  and  has  been  contin- 
uously engaged  in  practice  here  since  that  time. 
He  became  editor  of  the  Plaindealer  that  same 
year,  and  in  1862  was  appointed  Contract  Surgeon 
at  the  United  States  Hospital  at  Keokuk,  and  held 
this  position  until  1863.  In  the  spring  of  this  year 
he  received  an  appointment  by  the  Governor  of 
Missouri  as  Surgeon  of  the  21st  Missouri  Infantry, 
and  went  to  the  field  with  the  regiment,  remain- 
ing with  them  until  1 860,  through  the  various  cam- 
paigns. He  was  jH-esent  at  the  battles  of  Tupelo, 
Miss.,  the  two  days'  fight  at  Nashville,  the  seige 
and  capture  of  Mobile,  and  many  other  minor  en- 
gagements, remaining  with  his  regiment  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  when  he  received  an.  honorable 
discharge. 

At  the  close  of  his  military  career  Dr.  Roberts 
returned  to  Ft.  Madison  and  resumed  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  He  wasalliicted  with  rheumatism, 
which  unfitted  him  for  hard  labor  connected  with 
his  i^rofcssional  duties,  and  he  accordingly  entered 
the  field  of  politics  and  was  placed  in  nomination 
for  Treasurer  of  Lee  County.  He  was  triumphantly 
elected  and  served  in  this  capacity  for  six  years. 
He  has  been  editor  of  tiie  Ft.  Madison  Ufmocrat 
since  the  paper  was  first  established,  and  has  con- 
ducted his  department  in  a  highly  crediUible  and 
successful  manner.  While  Contract  Surgeon  at 
Keokuk,  he  delivered  two  courses  of  lectures  at  the 
College  of  Phj'sicians  and  Surgeons,  his  subject  be- 
ing the  principles  and  practice  of  medicine.  These 
lectures  were  considered  of  more  than  ordinary 
merit  and  very  instructive. 

Dr.  Roberts  has  also  been  quite  an  extensive 
traveler,  hi  188U,  on  account  of  his  health  he 
crossed  the  ocean,  and  spent  six  months  traveling 
through  England,  Ireland,  Scotland,  (iorinany  and 
France.  Two  years  later  he  made  a  trip  around 
the  world,  st;irting  from  New  Y'ork  in  the  spring  of 
1882,  and  landing  at  San  Francisco  the  following 
September,  .-ind  during  this  lri|>  s;i\v   man}'   strange 


LEE  COUNTY. 


503 


sights  and  encountered  people  from  almost  all  parts 
of  the  world. 

Abel  C.  Roberts  and  Miss  Emily  A.  Cole  were 
united  in  marriage  March  2'J,  18.53.  Mrs.  Roberts 
is  a  native  of  Seneca  County,  N.  Y.,  where  she  was 
reared  and  received  an  excellent  education.  Of 
her  marriage  with  our  subject  have  been  born  three 
children — Frances  C,  Nelson  C.  and  Edward  M. 
The  family  occupj'  a  fine  residence  in  Ft.  Madison, 
and  are  highly  respected  members  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Dr.  Roberts  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of 
Claypole  Lodge  No.  13,  K.  of  P.,  he  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  K.  T.  and  I.  O.  O.  F.  lie  is  a  prom- 
inent member  of  his  profession,  and  belongs  to  the 
Keokuk  Medical  Society,  the  Rocky  Mountain  and 
the  American  Medical  Associations. 


•jl •-:^S^H 


ETER  KLOPFENSTEIN,  deceased,  late 
of  Pleasant  Ridge  Township,  during  the 
perio^  of  nearly  thirty  years  spent  in 
this  locality,  was  known  as  a  valuable  and 
highl}'  respected  citizen.  He  became  the  owner  of 
a  fine  farm  estate  on  section  13,  comprising  370 
acres,  the  larger  part  of  which  is  improved  and  un- 
der a  good  state  of  cultivation.  It  is  provided 
with  tvvo  farm  dwellings  and  all  the  necessary  barns 
and  out-buildings  for  the  storing  of  grain  and  the 
shelter  of  stock  and  farm  machinery.  The  accum- 
ulations of  Mr.  K.  were  the  result  of  his  own  en- 
ergy and  industry,  and  as  a  man  and  citizen  he  oc- 
cupied a  prominent  place  among  the  leading  resi- 
dents of  Lee  Count}'. 

On  the  30th  day  of  December,  18^6,  Mr.  Klop- 
fensteiu  met  with  an  accident  in  Burlington,  Iowa, 
being  thrown  from  the  railroad  track  by  an  engine 
on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  and  suffered  injuries  from 
which  he  died  on  the  2d  of  January,  18H7,  aged 
sixty-five  years,  six  months  and  twenty -seven  days. 
He  was  a  native  of  "fair  France,"  and  was  born  in  the 
Province  of  Alsaac,  .Tune  5,  1821.  He  was  the  son 
of  Christian  and  Barbara  Klopfenstein,  an<l  was  de- 
prived of  a  father's  care  when  a  little  lad  of  six 
years  old.  Five  years  afterward  the  mother,  ac- 
companied by  the  subject  of  tliis  sketch  and  an  only 


¥ 


1 


daughter,  Mary,  emigrated  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio.  Eleven  years  after-  I 
ward  they  came  to  Iowa,  and  established  a  home    i 
in  Jefferson  County,  where   the  life  of  the  mother 
terminated    in   ISOT,    at  the    age   of   seventy-two 
years.     Mary,  the  only  sister  of  our  subject,  became 
the  wife  of  Joseph  Roth,  and  is  now  deceased.  An- 
other son,  Nicholas,  came  to  the  United  States  two 
years  after  the  arrival  of  those-  above  mentioned,  Ji 
and  is  now  a  resident  of  Washington  Territory. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  came  to  Iowa  with 
his  mother  and  sister,  but  subsequently  returned  to 
Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1846,  and  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Baughman,  of 
Wayne  County.  Mrs.  K.  was  born  Dec.  15,  1823, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  David  and  Anna  (Garber) 
Baughman,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  K.  and 
his  wife  came  to  Iowa  in  1850,  settling  first  in  Jef- 
ferson County,  where  they  remained  for  five  years. 
They  then  came  into  Lee  County,  locating  near 
West  Point,  and  soon  afterward  Mr.  Klopfenstein 
purchased  240  acres  of  the  present  homestead, 
upon  which  they  settled  and  have  since  remained. 
Very  little  of  the  land  was  improved  at  that  time, 
but  with  characteristic  industry  and  energy  Mr.  K. 
set  liimself  to  work  to  increase  the  value  of  his  pos- 
sessions. He  was  prospered  in  his  undertakings, 
and  subsequently  added  130  acres  to  his  first  pur- 
chase, and  it  now  constitutes  one  of  the  finest 
farms  in  the  Hawkeye  State. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  K.  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  three  of  whomj  two  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter, died  in  infancy.  The  five  remaining  are  Anna, 
the  wife  of  William  Phmk,  of  Davis  County;  Da- 
vid, of  Denmark  Township;  Jonathan,  of  Pleasant 
Ridge  Township;  Katie  is  the  wife  of  Joseph 
Melcher,  of  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  Lizzie  M.,  at 
home.' 

Mr.  K.  became  prominent  in  the  counsels  of  his 
fellow-townsmen,  relating  to  matters  of  public  in- 
terest, and  occupied  the  office  of  Townsliip 
Trustee  for  two  j'ears.  Religiously  he  was  a  Men- 
nonite,  and  in  politics  affiliated  with  the  Demo- 
cratic part}'. 

In  the  portrait  of  Mr.  Klopfenstein,  which  is 
shown  in  connection  with  this  sketcii,  the  artist  has 
striven  to  faithfully  copy  the  lines  of  a  face  so  long    t^^ 


5i 


n 


H 


11 


I 


C^; 


m 


familiar  to  a  large  uiinilicr  of  lliu  residents  of  Lee 
Count3',  as  that  nf  a  man  universally  esteemed  for 
his  strong  and  upright  character,  and  the  intelli- 
gence which  constituted  him  a  valued  member  of 
the  community.  As  an  approijriate  accunipan\'ing 
portrait,  that  of  liis  wife  is  also  presented,  she  who 
remained  his  faitliful  and  affectionate  cc^nipimion 
until  they  were  separated  by  death. 


ai- 


♦-J>!^- 


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<^*t— 


M(  ILWAIN,  Rector  of 
St.  John's  Church,  Keokuk,  is  one  of  the 
oldest  resident  ministers  of  the  city,  and  is 


all   ways  has  distinguished  himself  by  his  industrv. 
self-sacrifice  and  talents. 

The  parochial  residence  is  an  unpretentious,  ouc- 
story  building,  comfortable,  but  by  no  mean>  I'lc- 
gant,  and  valued  at  the  mt)dest  sum  of  >!2.")ii.  It  i> 
situated  ou  an  alley  behind  two  churches,  witli  •■m 
inspiring  outlook  toward  the  sky.  The  rector  h;is 
spent  only  two  nights  in  Keokuk  outside  of  his 
residence,  having  a  remarkable  affection  for  his  3-ti 
home.     He  is  warmly  attached  to  his  humble  wig-  :> 

3 

wan),  and  during  the  last  sixteen  years  of  iiis   life  ; 
has  never  had  occasion  to  ask  for  a  cent  of  salary,  3|^i 
which  proves  in  how  high  an  estimation  he  is  held  i-i 
by   his   parishioners.      His   frugality  and  economy  3i;ii 
have  enabled  him  to  secure  a  competency,  and    h( 
has  given  cheerfully  of  his  means  to  all  worthy  en-  :.n 


^^^  widely  and   favorably   known   among    the       terprises   in   connection   with  religious  matters  and  5i;li 


cultured  people  of  Lee  County.  He  possesses  fine 
abilities,  is  of  commanding  presence  and  noble 
bearing,  and  both  mentally  and  physically  is  one 
of  the  brightest  ornaments  of  the  clerical  pi'ofession 
in  the  West. 

Mr.  Mcllwain  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and  was 
l)orii  in  Delaware  County  in  January,  1.S44.  In 
early  years  he  was  destined  for  the  ministry,  being 
carefully  educated  to  this  end,  and  took  a  full 
course  at  Harvard  College  and  also  at  the  General 
Theological  Seminary  of  New  York  City.  His  first 
charge  was  over  Trinity  Church  at  Woodbridge, 
N.  J.,  where  he  remained  two  ^ears,  and  in  May, 
1871,  came  to  Keokuk  as  pastor  of  St.  John's.  The 
fiW  average  term  of  his  predecessors  at  this  point  had 
been  about  two  years,  and  when  Mr.  Mcllwain 
took  charge  of  the  congregation  the  building  was 
very  much  dilapidated  and  the  society  depressed 
by  frequent  disappointments  and  failures.  Under 
his  ministrations  both  the  society  and  the  building- 
soon  began  t,o  improve.  The  old  church  was  reno- 
vated and  enlarged,  a  new  organ  put  in,  and  niany 
other  improvements  instituted.  The  society  soon 
began  to  increase  in  numbers,  and  the  refinement 
and  culture  of  the  cit\'  found  this  a  jjleasaut  resort 
for  an  intellectual  feast.  The  Mission  of  the  Holy 
^  Cross  was  soon  established,  and  has  grown  into  an 
independent  parish.  In  addition  U>  otiier  labors  in 
the  city  Mr.  .Mcllwain  has  held  occasional  services 
.■it  .Montrose,  Ft.  Madison  and  Canton,  Mo.,  and  in 


W 


those  which  are  calculated  to  be  of  material  lnMiclil 
to  society'  at  large. 


pILLIAM  11.  KRETSINGEU,  \ice  Presi- 
dent and  manager  of  the  Iowa  Farming 
Imjilement  Company,  w.as  an  early  settler 
of  Ft.  Madison,  and  has  been  largely  identified  with 
the  business  interests  of  Lee  County  since  his  first 
arrival  in  tliis  section  of  the  comitry.  He  is  a  gen- 
tleman of  more  than  ordinary  business  ability, 
genial  and  social  in  his  disposition,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  valued  citizens  of  Ft.  Madison  and  vi- 
cinity. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  native  of  Herki- 
mer County,  X.  Y.,  born  in  the  town  of  Fairfield, 
Julj'  10,  IHU;.  His  father,  (Tcorge  Kretsinger,  was 
a  native  of  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y..  and  his  grand- 
father, Jacob  Kretsinger,  who  was  born  in  (ier- 
many,  was  of  i)uie  Cierman  ancestry,  .and  emigrated 
to  America  when  a  young  man,  m.-iking  his  first  k)- 
calion  in  Sclmharie  County.  He  first  engaged  in 
agricidtural  pursuits,  and  later  in  trade.  He  spent 
the  last  years  of  his  life  in  Herkimer  County. 

(ieoige  Kretsinger,  the  father  of  our  suljject. 
went  from  Ids  native  county  to  Albany,  and  be- 
came a  clerk  there  in  .i  dry-goods  store.  After  a 
time  lie  removed  In  I'.iii  lield.  Herkimer  County, 
where  he  estMlilished  a  home,   ami    remained    there 


It 


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J     I  TTTTnXI 


I  IE  the    reitiainrler    of  his  life. 

I  :  wns  iinit(>d  in  itianiaoe  with  Miss  Catherine  Watev- 

u  ; 

L  :  man,  a   native   of    the  State  of    C'onneetituit,    and 

u  S  ilaui>hter  of  (Uaddino-   AVatevman,  who  was  also  a 


In  early  manhood  he 


M  native  of  Connecticut.  Her  parents' family  con- 
5  sisted  of  five  cliildren.  twci  of  whom  died  in  cnriy 
a  youth. 

I      The    subject    of    our    sketch    is  the  only   livini; 
§  member  of  his  family.     He  received  his  early  edn- 
1  cation  in  the  district  schools,  and  afterward  took  a 
§  course  at  Fairfield  Academy.    After  leaving  school 
he  liecame  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits   at  Fair- 
field, and  was  afterward  occupied  in  the  manufact- 
ure   of   farming-   implements  at  Clayville,  Oneida 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  was  thus  employed  for  about  seven 
years.     He  then  decided  to  seek  a   location    in   the 
JJlSgreat  West  for  the  scenes  of  his  future  operations, 
sand  went  to  Chicago,  111.,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
jsale  of  farming  implements  and  other  heavy  hard- 
Hware  until  1871.     He  then  came  to  Ft.  Madison, 
and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  farming  imple- 
iments  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  .Soule,  Kretsinger 
I  cfe  Co. 

In    1874    Mr.    Kretsinger    organized    the    Iowa 
:  Farming  Implement  Company,  and  was  appointed 
:its  Superintendent.     He  is  now  Vice  President  and 
§  manager  of  the   whole  concern.     The  works  give 
eniplo3'meut    to    1150   men,   and  they  manufacture 
^ha3'-forks,  rakes,  hoes,  cradles,  snaths,  etc.     The 
Ishops   are  furnished  with  all    modern    machinery, 
^;  jseveralof  which  are  the  invention  of  the  firm.  They 
I  i  jhave  instituted  great  improvements   in    farm    ma- 
jljehinery,  and   their  patterns  are  very  popular  .and 
have  been  largely  adopted  by  other  manufacturers. 


1 

1 

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u 

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1 

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ii 


Mr.  Kretsinger  was  first  married  to   Miss  Adelia 


Slie  bore  him  two  sous,  George  and  Fred,  and 
away  to  join  her  friends  upon  the  other 
Tbe  second  union  of  our  subject  was  with 


itgSherwood,  a  native  of  Newport,  Herkimer  Co.,  N. 

li  i passed 
iljshorc. 
1  i  J  Miss  Martha  Ramsdell,  a  native  of  Oswego  County, 

:  jN.  v.,  and  this  union  has  been  blest   by   the  birth 
i^iof  a  daugliter,  M.  Adelia. 
ilj      Politically  Mr.  K.  is   strongly    Republican    and 

■  luniformly    votes    with    that    party.     He   is  a  man 
i^jhighly  esteemed  in  his  community,  and   has  added 

';inaterially  to  the  industrial  interests  of  the  county. 
:He    occupies    a    pleasant    home    and    the    family 


arc  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  and  many 
of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Mr.  K.  has  identified  him- 
self with  the  interests  of  Lee  County,  and  has  con- 
tril)nted  liberally  and  cheerfully  to  every  measure 
calculated  to  advance  the  interests  of  his  commu- 
nity, morally,  socially  or  educationallj'. 

ORTOX  BUCK,  a  wealthy  and  influential 
farmer  of  Green  Bay  Township,  is  one  of 
the  most  extensive  landed  proprietors  of 
this  section,  being  the  owner  of  400  acres 
of  land  on  sections  19,  20  and  24.  He  came  to  the 
Hawkeye  State  when  it  was  in  its  infancy,  and  has 
watched  with  the  deepest  interest  its  growth  and 
ilevelopment,  aiding  materially  in  the  building  up 
of  his  township  and  eonntv. 

Mr.  Buck  was  born  in  Seneca  County,  N.  Y., 
Aug.  30,  180(j.  His  parents  were  William  .S.  and 
Berrentha  (York)  Buck,  natives  of  Connecticut, 
where  they  were  reared  and  married,  and  from 
which  they  afterward  removed,  first  to  Penn- 
sylvania, then  to  New  York,  and  subsequently  to 
Hamilton  County,  Ohio.  In  this  latter  State  they 
were  the  occupants  of  the  farm  of  Gen.  Harrison 
for  nearly  five  years,  in  the  meantime  carrjdng  on 
a  dairy.  William  Buck  afterward  purchased  a  farm 
on  the  Big  Miami  River,  in  the  western  part  of 
Ohio,  and  remained  there  for  sixteen  years.  He 
then  moved  into  Indiana,  and  located  in  Switzer- 
land County,  where  his  life  terminated,  in  1843,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  He  was 
drafted  to  help  capture  Lord  Cornwallis  and  his 
army  near  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  AVar,  but 
owing  to  an  accident  could  not  go.  He  was  a  man 
of  fine  intelligence  and  decided  views,  and  took  an 
active  part  in  education  and  politics,  affiliating  with 
the  Whig  partj'.  The  wife  and  mother  departed 
this  life  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  at  the  age  of 
sLxty-five  years.  Their  household  consisted  of 
eleven  sons  and  two  daughters,  three  sons  and  one 
daughter  now  living. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  a  lad  of  twelve 
years  old  when  his  parents  removed  from  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Ohio.  He  went  with  them  to  Indiana,  and 
in   early  manhood,  .Ian.   2(j,   1832,  was  united    iu 


U^l±X±l^  IXJ  1  Ul  j 


marriage  with  Miss  Rebecca  A.  Johnson,  a  native 
of  his  iiwii  townshi|)  mikI  (•ouiitv,  viz.,  Ulysses 
Township,  Seneca  Co.,  Ind.,  and  was  born  Feb.  (J. 
1812.  Her  parents  were  from  New  Jersey';  her 
father,  John  Johnson,  carrying  on  farming,  and  also 
working  as  a  carpenter.  The  maiden  name  of  her 
mother  was  Mary  A.  (iifford.  Siiurtly  after  their 
marriage  they  removed  t(j  and  located  in  Switzer- 
land County,  Ind.,  where  they  remained  for  about 
sixteen  years.  Mr.s.  Buck  was  reared  at  home,  and 
remained  with  her  parents  until  her  marriage.  By 
her  union  with  our  subject  she  liecame  the  mother 
of  nine  children,  three  of  whom  are  deceased,  viz., 
Warren  M.,  Ophelia  and  Huldah.  The  living  are: 
Amos,  Cymantha  E.,  Weltha  A.,  Adelbert  H.,  Hal- 
sey  J.  and  Emma  J. 

Upon  leaving  Indiana,  Mr.  Buck,  accompanied 
by  his  family,  took  passage  on  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi Rivers,  and  landed  at  Keokuk,  March  23,  1848, 
and  made  a  crop  about  two  miles  west  of  Montrose. 
He  located  upon  the  present  homestead  Dee.  2, 
1848.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  continuously 
engaged  in  the  improvement  and  cultivation  of  his 
farm,  has  been  successful  in  his  undertakings,  and 
has  accumulated  a  good  property.  He  has  been  a 
prominent  man  in  the  community  since  first  com- 
ing here,  his  rare  qualities  and  spirit  of  enterprise 
stamping  him  at  once  as  fitted  for  a  leader  among 
his  fellows.  He  has  held  many  of  the  local  offices 
of  the  township,  and  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the 
deliberations  of  her  citizens  in  all  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  public  welfare.  During  the  existence  of 
the  Whig  party  he  was  its  firm  adherent,  and  cast  his 
first  vote  for  John  C^.  Adams  as  President.  Upon 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  he  cheer- 
fully endorsed  its  princi])les,  and  since  that  time 
has  uniformly  east  his  vote  for  its  candidates.  Dur- 
ing the  war  he  was  a  strong  Union  man.  In  re- 
Sj  ligious  belief  the  family  are  Universalists. 


•■^^H-JSW^ 


<^5<?-nsf;^^- 


u 


city. 


ANIEL  McCONN,  one  of  the  iionored  pio- 
neers of  F't.  Madison,  is  one  of  its  most 
prominent  citizens,  and  has  been  largely 
identified  with  tiie  business  interests  of  the 

His  name  is  familiar  ail  over   Lee  County, 


and  he  is  one  of  the  landmarks  of  the  Hawkey e 
.State,  coming  here  at  a  time  when  the  country  was 
but  thinly  settled,  and  assisting,  with  others,  in 
m;irking  out  a  patli  for  the  advance  of  a  later  civ- 
ilization. 

Mr.  McConn  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  possesses 
all  the  sturdy  and  generous  attributes  of  tiie  sons 
of  Krin.  He  was  born  in  County  Down,  in  Jan- 
uary, 18i;j.  His  jwrents  were  Ncal  and  Ellen  Mc- 
Conn, and  he  remained  with  them  until  a  lad  of 
twelve  years  <>lil,  wlien  he  set  sail  for  Arherica  in 
company  witii  his  micle,  the  latter  having  com- 
mand of  the  vessel  in  which  the.y  sailed.  They 
landed  at  New  York  City,  where  our  young  emi- 
grant made  but  a  short  stop,  and  then  boarding  the 
same  vessel  proceeded  to  Norfolk,  \a.,  where  they 
loaded  with  cotton  and  proceeded  to  Bremen.  He 
followed  the  sea  for  three  years,  and  then  went  to 
Baltimore,  Md.,  stopping  there  with  his  brother, 
who  was  a  large  mill-owner  and  dealer  in  flour. 

Daniel  McConn  remained  in  Baltimore  for  the 
following  twelve  years,  then  proceeded  to  New 
Orleans,  and  engaged  in  boating  on  the  Mississippi 
River.  He  followed  the  river  between  St.  Louis 
smd  New  Orleans  until  the  fall  of  1836,  When  he 
w^as  stricken  down  with  yellow  fever,  from  which 
he  did  not  fully  recover  until  the  following  spring. 
He  then  followed  the  advice  of  his  physician  and 
came  up  the  river,  his  first  location  being  at  Galena. 
At  this  place  there  was  then  a  hotel  which  was 
nothing  more  than  a  double  log  cabin.  He  stopped 
here  a  few  days,  but  not  being  entirely  pleased 
with  the  outlook,  returned  to  8t.  Louis.  On  his 
way  there  he  met  a  land-owner  of  P^t.  Madison,  who 
induced  him  to  return  with  him  to  that  town. 

In  May  of  that  same  year,  Mr.  McConn  purchased 
a  stock  of  merchandise,  and  opened  a  store  in  Et. 
Madison,  building  up  a  business  which  continued 
thereafter  for  the  space  of  twentj'  years.  He  was 
greatly  prospered  in  his  undertakings,  his  genial 
and  obliging  manner  and  straightforward  transac- 
tions securing  him  hosts  of  friends  and  patrons. 
His  business  rapidly  increased,  and  in  due  time  he 
erected  a  large  warehouse  and  purchased  grain, 
pork,  and  other  country  produce,  shijiping  them  to 
St.  Louis  and  New  York.  He  was  thus  continually 
engaged  until  1878,  and   then  retired   from  active 


ii 


L  J  jm^!^^iS5 


I  iTJtTrxirxiin-  iirrxxTu  MiiTiirrrrU; 


txTxu-rrrxirmiTxxrxi 


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business,  having  secured  a  competency.  He  is  the 
owner  of  a  fine  farm  one  mile  from  tlie  town,  which 
is  carried  on  by  a  tenant. 

Daniel  McCoun  and  Miss  Caroline  Naomi  Catter- 
niole  were  married  in  1843.  Mrs.  McConn  was  a 
native  of  London,  England,  and  from  excellent 
early  training  and  natural  lialiits  and  disposition, 
was  well  calculated  to  become  the  jiartuer  of  such 
a  man  as  our  subject.  After  being  the  faithful 
companion  of  her  husband  for  the  space  of  thirty- 
three  years,  she  departed  this  life  in  March,  1876, 
deeply  lamented  by  her  family  and  a  large  circle 
of  friends  and  acquaintances.  Their  family  con- 
sisted of  the  following:  Laura  is  the  wife  of  A.  G. 
Adams,  and  they  live  in  Burlington,  Iowa;  Henry 
D.  is  Cashier  of  the  German-American  Bank  of  Ft. 
Madison  (see  sketch  in  another  part  of  this  work) ; 
Richard  is  a  resident  of  Leon,  this  .State;  Lizzie 
married  Mr.  J.  R.  Flannigan,  and  lives  in  Ft.  Mad- 
ison ;  John  D.  is  in  Kansas,  and  Hugh  is  in  Topeka, 
the  same  State. 

Mr.  McConu  is  not  connected  in  membership 
with  any  church,  but  has  all  his  lifetime  endeavored 
to  follow  the  precepts  of  the  Golden  Rule,  and  to 
do  unto  men  as  he  would  have  them  do  unto  him. 
His  forrn  is  a  familiar  one  upon  the  streets  of  Ft. 
Madison,  and  he  enjoys  the  highest  confidence  and 
esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens.  Although  strongly 
Democratic  in  politics,  he  alwa3's  votes  for  the  best 
men,  regardless  of  party. 


#># 


^/KLIX  T.  HUGHES,  attorney  at  law,  Keo- 
kuk, is  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  was  born  in 
St.  Clair  County,  Nov.  10,  1838.  His 
father,  Joshua  W.  Hughes,  is  a  native  of  Mrginia, 
a  blacksmith  and  farmer  by  occupation,  and  resides 
in  Scotland  County,  Mo.,  aged  seventy-nine  years. 
In  early  manhood  Joshua  W.  Hughes  vvas  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  Askins,  a  native  of 
Kentucky.  She  has  been  the  faithful  companion  of 
her  husband  for  over  fifty  years,  and  is  still  living, 
aged  seventy-eight  j'ears.  The  parental  family  con- 
sisted of  five  children,  of  whom  tiie  record  is  as 
follows :  William,  who  is  a  farmer  of  Indianola, 
Iowa;  John,   who  is  carrying  on  agricultural   pur- 


suits in  .Scotland  County,  Mo. ;  the  third  son  was  >  JH 
F.  T.,  our   subject;    Joshua,    an    attorney    at    M t.  i  MB 
Pleasant,  Iowa;  Martha,  the  only  daughter,  resides    HH|} 
with  her  parents.  flBt} 

The  early  life  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch  -- iiPf  •"■' 
passed  upon  the  farm  and  in  attendance  upon  the  [ 
common  schools.  He  also  took  a  course  at  the 
Academy  of  Troy,  Iowa,  and  for  several  years 
afterward  studiously  employed  his  time  in  the 
reading  of  law.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1806,  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Lancaster,  Mo.,  where  he  remained  thir- 
teen years.  He  then  came  to  Keokuk,  and  after 
a  time  became  associated  with  William  T.  Rankin 
of  that  city,  and  they  Iiave  since  operated  under 
the  firm  name  of  Hughes  &  Rankin. 

Mr.  Hughes  is  one  of  the  prominent  members  of 
the  profession  in  Lee  County.  He  has  been  the  at- 
torney of  the  Missouri,  Iowa  &  Nebraska  Railway 
Company  since  the  time  of  the  building  of  their 
road,  in  1871,  and  also  during  the  time  it  was  op- 
erated by  the  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific  Railway 
Company,  under  lease.  He  is  now  the  President 
and  General  Counsel  of  the  same  road,  under  its 
new  name,  the  Keokuk  &  Western.  Although  mak- 
ing railroad  law  a  specialty,  Mr.  Hughes  has  also  fol- 
lowed the  general  practice  of  his  profession,  and  oc- 
cupies a  worthy  position  among  his  legal  compeers 
in  this  State.  He  has  a  clear  head  for  business,  and 
as  an  advocate  and  counselor  ably  represents  the 
claims  of  his  patrons. 

The  marriage  of  Felix  T.  Hughes  and  Miss  Jean 
A.  Summerlin  was  celebrated  in  the  city  of  Mem- 
phis, Tenn,  Aug.  1,  1865.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren living — Greta,  Howard  R.,  Rupert  R.  and 
Felix  H. 

Politically  Mr.  Hughes  affiliates  with  the  Repub- 
lican party;  he  was  one  of  the  Greeley'  electors  for 
the  State  of  Missouri,  in  1872.  He  has  been  deeply 
interested  in  educational  matters,  and  served  for 
four  years  as  Superintendent  of  public  schools  for 
Schuyler  County,  Mo.  He  is  a  liberal-minded  citi- 
zen, and  has  generouslj'  contributed  of  his  influence 
and  means  to  encourage  every  work  and  purpose 
calculated  for  the  growth  and  advancement  of  his 
city  and  county.  At  his  present  residence.  No.  312 
North  Fifth  street,  he,  with  his  family,  is  enjoying 


the  (romforts  of  life,  and  the  confidence  of  his 
townsmen  and  the  people  among  whom  he  li!i>  Imill 
up  a  valuable  practice  in  Lee  County. 

As  a  representative  member  of  the  legal  pro- 
fession of  Lee  County,  the  publishers  of  this  Al- 
Br.M  lake  pleasure  in  jiresenting  the  poi'trait  of  Mr. 
Hughes  in  this  work. 


m 

Hi 


;fl 


ox.  IIORACK  WA.SHBL  RN.  The  subject 
of  this  biography  is  one  of  the  honored  old 
settlers  of  Des  Moines  Township,  where  he 
has  carried  on  farming  successfully  for  the 
last  thirt3'-flve  years,  and  is  consequently  one  of 
the  familiar  landmarks  in  this  section  of  the  Hawk- 
eye  State.  He  is  an  extensive  laud-owner,  having 
at  the  time  of  coming  here  purchased  900  acres, 
whicli  was  thou  wild  ,'ind  unbroken.  He  has  since 
that  time  been  actively-  engaged  in  its  cultivation 
and  improvement.  :uid  now  h.TS  3G0  acres  of  the 
finest  lanil  in  this  part  of  the  countrj',  the  larger 
part  of  wliich  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  Washburn  is  a  native  of  Canada  West,  and 
was  born  in  Leeds  Countj',  April  13,  \S\^.  His 
father,  Kbenezer  Washburn,  was  a  native  of  \'er- 
mont,  and  came  of  an  old  fa  mil}'  who  were  promi- 
nent in  the  earl}-  politics  of  the  United  States.  His 
f.ather  took  him  to  C'anada  when  a  bo}%-  and  .he  re- 
mained there  until  he  was  married  to  Miss  Hannah 
Sexton,  also  a  native  of  X'ermont,  of  German  de- 
scent and  New  England  parentage.  Thej-  remained 
three  years  in  Canada  after  their  marriage,  and 
until  aftei-  the  birth  of  their  son,  our  subject,  when 
the}'  came  back  to  the  United  States,  cro.ssed  the 
Mississippi,  and  settled  in  Lee  County,  Iowa,  where 
the  decease  of  tlie  father  occurred  in  Des  Moines 
Townslii|).  The  uiother  died  in  1845.  They  were 
most  excellent  and  worthy  people,  and  highly  re- 
'St  speeted  wherever  they  made  their  home. 

Honice  Washburn  c^ame  into  Iowa  in  1842.  mak- 
ing his  first  location  in  Charleston  Township,  this 
county,  but  shortly  thereafter  removed  into  Des 
Moines  Township,  which  he  lias  since  made  his 
home.  He  had  received  careful  training  from  his 
excellent  parents  and  iiad  acquiic  d  liabits  of  indus- 
try and  economy,  and  after  coming  here  set  him- 
self industriously  to  work  to  establish  a  home  and 


to  become  a  man  among  men.  His  efforts,  espe- 
cially as  regards  the  letter,  were  attended  with  suc- 
cess. One  of  his  first  ventures  was  the  erection  of 
a  sawmill,  with  a  grist  attachment.  This  he  had 
operated  only  a  short  time  when  it  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  and  involved  great  loss  to  Mr.  W.  He 
soon,  however,  recovered  from  this  disaster,  and 
then  turned  his  attention  to  the  pursuit  of  agri- 
culture, in  which  he  has  been  fairly  successful. 

Mr.  W.ashburn  was  married  at  Xauvoo.  111.,  to 
Miss  Caroline  Mott.  a  native  of  the  Dominion,  and 
of  the  same  county  as  himself.  She  remained  with 
her  parents  until  she  became  a  young  woman,  and 
came  vvith  them  to  Iowa.  She  became  the  mother 
of  six  children,  four  of  whom  survive — Lydia, 
(leorge,  Martha  and  Horace  M.;  the  deceased  are 
Tabor,  and  an  infant  unnamed.  The  faithful  wife 
and  mother  departed  this  life  at  her  home  in  this 
township,  in  about  18.56,  on  the  1 0th  of  March. 
Mr.  Washburn's  second  marriage  was  .solemnized 
with  Miss  Lydia  A.  Hutchinson,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  of  this  union  have  been  born  six  children — 
Caroline,  Sarah,  Esther,  Harry,  Clara  and  Maria; 
one  is  deceiised. 

In  politics  Mr.  Washburn  was  formerly  a  Repub- 
lican, but  considered  that  he  had  reason  to  change 
his  views,  and  now  casts  his  vote  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  He  has  represented  his  county  in  the 
.State  Legislature  for  one  term,  with  great  credit  to 
himself  and  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  The 
family  occupy  a  fine  homestead,  everything  in  and 
around  it  giving  evidence  of  taste,  culture  and  am- 
ple means.  Mr.  Washljurn  is  a  striking  example 
of  what  a  young  man  with  strong  hands  and  habits 
of  industry  may  .-iccomplish.  He  has  been  uiainly 
self-educated,  and  h.as  made  the  most  of  his  oppor- 
tunities in  life.  All  honor  is  due  him  for  what  he 
has  accomplished,  and  for  surmounting  dittieulties 
which  would  have  dismayed  many  a  man  with  less 
courage  and  determination. 

ylLLIAM  WILLIA:MS0N.  a  prosperous 
merchant  of  Urimi'ose  Vill.age,  in  Harrison 
Township,  has  been  n  resident  of  this  sec- 
tion for  over  twenty  years,  and  in  that  time  has 
built    up  for  himself  an  enviable  reputation  as  a 


LEE  COUNTY. 


611 


M 


good  citizen  and  a  practical  business  man.  His 
stock  consists  of  diy-go<.)ds,  groceries,  hardware, 
boots  and  shoes,  and  everything  pertaining  to  a 
general  dry-gouds  and  grocery  store.  lie  also  deals 
largely  in  country  produce,  and  has  built  up  a 
prosperous  trade  and  secured  a  large  circle  of 
friends  and  patrons. 

Mr.  Williamson  is  a  native  of  the  Buciieye  .State, 
having  been  born  in  Coshocton  County.  May  18, 
183."5.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Margaret  ^Cun- 
ningham)  Williamson,  natives  respectively  of  Coun- 
ties Antrim  and  Donegal,  Irelaud.  They  came 
to  the  L'nited  States  when  young  people,  and  were 
married  in  Pennsylvania.  "John  Williamson  met  his 
death  by  drowning,  while  crossing  .Sugar  Creeli,  in 
a  lumber  wagon.  There  also  perished  with  him  at 
the  same  time,  two  of  his  nephews.  The  wife  and 
mother  still  survives,  and  is  living  in  Harrison 
Township.  The  parental  household  included  thir- 
teen children,  as  foUows:  Sarah  J.,  Frank.  William 
of  our  sketch,  Nancj-,  .John,  Mathew,  Ebenezer, 
.Samuel,  Joseph,  James,  Margaret,  David  and  Lewis. 
Ten  of  these  are  still  living. 

Mr.  Williamson  of  our  sketch  was  married  in 
Lee  County,  Aug.  5,  1873,  to  Miss  Hattie  .Stinson. 
She  was  born  in  Linn  County,  Iowa,  in  1854,  and 
is  the  daughter  of  Robert  Stiuson,  a  native  of  New 
York  State,  who  died  in  1878.  Of  this  union  there 
has  been  born  one  child,  William. 

Mr.  Williamson  came  to  Iowa  in  186-i,  and  lo- 
cated in  Lee  County.  Nine  j'ears  later  he  removed  to 
Primrose,  and  engaged  in  niercantde  pursuits  in 
company  with  Mr.  Leazer.  He  subsequently  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  his  partner,  and  has  been  sole 
proprietor  since  that  time.  They  started  witli  a 
capitid  of  %1,800,  and  Mr.  Williamson  now  carries 
a  stock  valued  at  S3,000.  He  is  Republican  in 
politics,  and  in  all  respects  is  fulfilling  the  duties  of 
a  good  citizen. 


^-^^l^^^^Skk^^f^^ 


-«-v 


/^  HARLES  A.  WARWICK,  a  proprietor  of 
jlf^  the  Keokuk  Beinocmt,  and  business  mau- 
^^f^  ager  of  the  tirm  of  Warwick  <fe  Ransom,  suc- 
cessors to  Madden.  Kicliorn  i  IJechtold,  is  a  na- 
tive of    Butler   County,    Ohio,   and    came    to    tiie 


Hawkeye  State  in  1855.  His  birth  occurred  on  the 
25th  of  November,  1852,  his  parents  being  A.  S. 
and  .Sarah  (Smith)  Warwick,  who  settled  in  Xew 
Boston,  Lee  Count}'. 

The  subject  of  this  biograpliy  was  but  a  child 
tiiree  years  of  age  when  lie  came  with  his  parents 
to  Lee  County.  His  boyhood  was  passed  on  a  farm 
and  in  attendance  at  the  public  schools,  and  when 
fifteen  years  old  he  went  to  Des  Moines,  and  was 
emplo^'ed  in  a  grocery  store  for  four  years.  He 
then  returned  to  Ft.  Madison,  where  he  became 
shipping  clerk  for  the  prison  contractors,  which 
position  he  also  occupied  for  four  years.  In  May, 
187.5,  he  came  to  Keokuk,  and  was  employed  by 
the  Gat^  Citi/  office  as  traveling  and  city  solicitor, 
being  thus  occupied  for  a  few  years,  and  tiien 
became  city  editor,  and  later  took  the  responsible 
post  of  business  manager.  On  Aug.  1,  1886,  he 
retired  from  the  Gate  City  and  purchased  his 
present  business.  Under  his  judicious  man.age- 
meut  the  paper  has  become  one  of  the  leading 
journals  of  this  section  of  the  .State. 

The  marriage  of  Charles  A.  Warwick  and  Miss 
Eva  M.  Stranahan  was  celebrated  in  Louisville, 
Ky.,  on  the  5th  of  .September,  1879.  Of  this  union 
there  were  born  two  daughters — Virginia  E.  and 
Alice  M.  The  affectionate  wife  and  mother  de- 
parted this  life  three  short  years  after  her  mar- 
riage,'her  death  occuring  on  the  23d  of  May,  1882. 

Mr.  Warwick,  both  socially  and  as  a  business 
man,  iS  held  in  high  esteem  in  the  community.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  in  good 
standing  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  L  O.  O.  F. 


ON.  CONRAD  SCHWEER.  a  successful  and 
influential  farmer  of  Harrison  Township,  is  Ljzl 
the  possessor  of  a  fine  homestead  located 
_  on  section  27.  He  came  here  with  his  par- 
ents at  an  early  day,  and  by  the  exercise  of  industry 
and  perseverance,  coupled  with  a  worthy  ambition 
to  excel,  has  accumulated  a  tine  property,  and  oc- 
cupies an  enviable  position  as  one  of  the  leading 
men  uf  this  locality.  He  is  a  representative  of 
that  valuable  (ierman  element  which  lias  assisted  so 
materially  in  the  developiiieut  of  the  Hawkeye  State, 


I 


m 


and  which  comprises  a  large  proportion  of  its  most 
valued  citizens. 

The  subject  of  this  history  is  .the  son  of  Chris- 
toplier  and  Dora  (Hartnian)  Schweer,  both  natives 
of  the  (merman  Empire,  who  emigrated  to  America 
ill  1839,  landing  at  New  Orleans  on  the  4th  of 
March.  The  ocean  vo^'age  occupied  eleven  weeks 
and  three  days,  and  they  were  five  weeks  on  the 
journey  from  New  Orleans  to  Alexandria,  Mo. 
From  there  they  proceeded  to  what  was  then  the 
Territory  of  Iowa,  and  coming  into  Lee  County 
made  their  first  location  in  Harrison  Township. 
Christopher  Schweer,  in  his  own  country,  was  a 
skilled  artisan,  a  worker  in  fine  ivorj^,  but  after 
coming  to  this  section,  there  being  no  demand  for 
the  products  of  his  handiwork,  he  became  engaged 
in  farming  pursuits,  which  he  followed  until  the 
close  of  his  life.  His  death  occurred  on  the  7th  of 
August,  1886,  on  the  homestead  where  he  first  lo- 
cated, and  where  the  mother  of  his  children  folded 
her  hands  for  her  final  rest  twenty-four  years  before, 
after  having  been  a  loving  wife,  a  faithful  compan- 
ion and  friend. 

The  parental  family-  of  our  subject  consisted  of 
seven  children,  of  whom  Conrad  is  the  only  surviv- 
ing member.  He  had  obtained  a  liberal  education  in 
his  native  countr}-  after  an  uninterrupted  course  of 
seven  years'  study,  and  after  coming  to  the  United 
States  set  himself  industriously  at  the  task  of  ac- 
quiring the  same  proficiency  in  the  English  lan- 
guage. In  this  he  made  remarkable  progress.  He 
was  fond  of  his  books,  and  only  spent  his  time  over 
such  works  as  were  beneficial  and  instructive,  and 
the  result  is  that  he  is  possessed  of  an  excellent 
fund  of  knowledge,  which  has  rendered  him  one  of 
the  most  intelligent  men  in  his  localit}'. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years,  Conrad  .Schweer 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sophia  Klinder, 
their  union  taking  place  on  the  24th  of  June,  1852. 
Mrs.  8.  was  a  native  of  the  same  country  as  her 
husband,  and  came  to  America  in  1849,  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  years.  After  remaining  the  faithful 
companion  of  her  husband  for  twcnt^'-six  years,  she 
departed  this  life,  leaving  eight  children,  of  whom 
six  are  now  living.  Charles  married  Miss  Kate 
Leisy;  Mary  became  the  wife  of  F.  Vornkahl;  she 
was  the  niutlier  of  finii-  chiklren,    and    is    now    de- 


ceased;  Louis  married  Miss  Emma  Leisy;  Martli.-i 
became  the  wife  of  Adolphe  Leisy ;  Sophia  is  now 
Mrs.  Scheuerman;  Christopher  is  unmarried,  as  is 
also  Conrad,  the  youngest  child. 

"Sir.  Schweer  has  perf(jrmed  a  father's  first  and 
best  duty  toward  his  children  in  giving  them  all  a 
liberal  education,  both  in  German  and  English. 
The  homestead  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  county, 
and  besides  a  beautiful  farm  dwelling,  comprises 
760  acres  of  valuable  land.  Attached  to  it  are  good 
barns  and  outhouses,  costly  farm  machinery,  and 
all  the  implements  for  carrying  on  agriculture  after 
the  most  modern  and  approved  methods. 

Mr.  Schweer  has  represented  the  people  of  Lee 
County  in  the  Iowa  Legislature,  being  a  member  of 
the  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth  General  Assemblies. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  a  prominent 
member  of  the  P^vangelical  Lutheran  Church,  of 
which  he  has  served  as  Trustee  for  a  number  of 
years.  As  will  be  seen,  his  life  has  been  a  remark- 
ably busy  one,  and  in  addition  to  his  ordinary  ag- 
ricultural pursuits,  he  is  extensivel}'  engaged  in  the 
breeding  of  high-grade  Short-horn  cattle,  his  herd 
containing  some  of  the  finest  animals  to  be  found 
in  the  Hawkeye  State.  As  a  farmer  he  has  no 
superior,  and  as  a  factor  in  the  industrial  interests 
of  this  section,  he  occupies  a  position  which  could 
scarcely  be  filled  l)y  any  other  man. 


^i-^- 


\Y|ACOB  RENWALD,  Postmaster  of  Summit- 
ville,  in  Montrose  Township,  is  a  large  prop- 
erty owner,  and  is  carrying  on  a  general 
merchandising  business.  His  stock  in  trade 
consists  of  dry  goods,  groceries  and  provisions, 
hardware,  boots  and  shoes,  etc.,  and  he  is  doing  a 
thriving  and  prosperous  business.  The  history  of 
Mr.  Renwald  is  replete  with  interesting  details.  He 
is  a  man  of  culture  and  education,  an  extensive 
reader,  and  a  lover  of  the  fine  arts. 

Mr.  Renwald  is  a  native  of  (iermany,  born  in 
IJaden  in  IS.'il,  and  came  to  America  when  a  young 
man,  witli  his  mother,  in  l.s.').'!,  his  father  having 
departed  this  life  ten  years  previously,  on  the  17th 
of  May,  184;i.  .lohn  Renwald,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  Api'il  ."),  17117,  and   in  early  man- 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


hood  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Barbara 
Shaffer,  who  was  a  native  of  Germany.  Their  wed- 
ding occurred  in  1822,  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  five  children,  three  only  of  whom  lived  to 
maturity,  two  dying  in  infancy.  Arbogast,  born 
July  21,  1823,  died  Aug.  10.  187.5;  .lohn  was  born 
Dec.  27,  1827. 

Jacob  Renwald,  the  subject  of  this  biography, 
eleven  years  after  his  arrival  in  this  country,  look 
to  himself  a  life  partner  in  the  person  of  Miss 
Elizabeth  Sibert,  their  marriage  occurring  July  19, 
1864.  Mrs.  Renwald  was  born  on  the  banks  of 
the  River  Rhine,  in  Rhenish  Prussia,  Feb.  12,  1843, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  John  and  Catharine  (Neu- 
bauer)  Sibert,  both  natives  of  Germany.  They 
emigrated  to  the  United  States,  making  their  first 
location  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  the  mother  de- 
parted this  life  in  1856.  Mr.  Sibert  afterward  re- 
moved to  Iowa,  and  died  at  Keokuk  in  1867.  Their 
famil3'  consisted  of  three  children :  Catharine  be- 
came the  wife  of  George  Appelbanm,  of  this 
county,  and  died  in  1885;  Belzer  was  a  soldier  in 
the  late  war,  and  was  never  heard  from  afterward ; 
Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  our  subject. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Renwald  have  been 
born  thirteen  children,  as  follows:  Charles  F., 
May  19,  1865;  Catharine  A.,  May  9,  1866;  Theo- 
dore F.,  Sept.  11,  1867;  John  H.,  Jan.  31,  1869; 
George  W.,  June  4,  1870;  Louisa  M.,  Feb.  23, 
1872;  Mary  E.,  May  13,  1873;  Annie  E.,  Aug.  3, 
1874;  Jacob  A.,  May  11,  1876;  Edward  J.,  March 
19,  1878;  Elizabeth  L.,  July  25,  1879;  Paulina  F., 
Sept.  29,  1880;  Helena  F.,  Aug.  27,  1883. 

Mr.  Renwald  received  careful  home  training  and 
a  fine  education  in  the  schools  of  Aufenburg  and 
Freiburg,  in  Baden,  attending  continuously  for 
eight  years.  After  this  he  took  up  the  study  of 
medicine,  but  abandoned  it  after  about  three 
months'  reading.  After  coming  to  the  United 
States  he  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  located  in 
Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness for  two  years.  About  this  time  came  on  the 
financial  crisis  all  over  the  country,  when  many 
men  failed,  and  "  hard  times  "  set  in  in  good  earnest. 
Mr.  Renwald  found  himself  at  "  bed  rock,"  but  in 
1857  he  purchased  a  stock  of  goods,  went  to  Sum- 
mitvillo  and   emjayed    in    trade.      He    soon   had  a 


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prosperous  business  established.  For  some  time 
after  coming  here  he  had  hoped  and  expected  to 
be  able  to  return  to  the  Fatherland  and  resume  the 
study  of  medicine,  but  as  time  pi-ogressed  it  seemed 
best  to  abandon  this  idea,  and  instead  of  being  a  pro- 
fessional man,  he  is  one  of  the  foremost  merchants 
of  Montrose  Township.  His  gentlemanly  bearing 
and  courteous  demeanor  toward  those  with  whom 
he  comes  in  contact  has  won  for  him  a  large  circle 
of  patrons  and  friends,  and  he  is  rapidly  accumula- 
ting a  handsome  competency.  He  is  already  the 
possessor  of  valuable  village  property,  and  has  a 
fine  farm  of  1 80  acres.  Upon  this  is  a  choice  vine- 
yard, the  fruit  of  which  yields  him  a  handsome  in- 
come. 

Mr.  Renwald  received  his  commission  as  Post- 
master in  1864,  and  has  held  the  office  since  that 
time,  being  as  far  as  is  known,  the  oldest  Postmas- 
ter in  Lee  County.  He  was  appointed  Notary 
Public  in  1877,  which  office  he  still  holds.  He  has 
been  interested  in  every  question  calculated  to  ben- 
efit his  county  and  community,  and  has  especially 
encouraged  the  advancement  of  educational  inter- 
ests, having  served  on  the  School  Board  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  Religiously  he  is  loyal  to  the  Catho- 
lic faith  of  his  fathers,  and  in  politics  uniformly 
and  conscientiouslj'  casts  his  vote  with  the  Repub- 
lican party. 


SAAC  VAN  AUSDALL,  of  Jackson  Township, 
is  one  of  the  extensive  landed  proprietors  of 
Lee  County,  and  the  possessor  of  477  acres  on 
sections  2  and  35,  in  Ja<tkson  Township.  He  has 
been  a  resident  of  this  vicinity  since  1853,  and  for 
a  period  of  thirty-three  years  has  been  an  inter- 
ested witness  of  the  changes  and  improvements 
which  have  been  going  on  within  the  boundaries  of 
the  Hawkeye  State.  Mr.  Van  Ausdall  is  a  native 
of  Preble  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born  July  6,  1810, 
his  parents  lieing  Peter  and  Rachel  (Banta)  Van 
Ausdall,  natives  of  A'irginia,  who  removed  to  Ohio 
after  their  marriage.  Their  family  comprised  five 
sons  and  six  daughters. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  reared  in  his  na- 
tive .State,  and  wi\en  a  young  m.an  engaged  in  farm- 
ing until  1853.     He  then   determined   to   make  his 


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future  home  in  Iowa,  and  accordingly  crossed  the 
Mississippi,  and  pmriiascMl  hisiircsent  farm  in  Jacli- 
son  Townslii]),  iijjon  which  he  settled  and  has  since 
remained.  Since  coming  here  he  has  been  indns- 
triously  engaged  in  the  lniproV(Mnent  and  cultiva- 
tion of  his  land.  He  has  erected  a  cunifortable 
farm  dwelling,  good  barns  and  outhonses,  and  has 
all  the  appliances  for  carrying  on  agricnltnrc  in  a 
tirst-class  manner. 

Mr.  Van  Ausdall  was  married  in  I'reble  County, 
Ohio,  to  Miss  Kliza  Grafft,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, who  was  born  May  7,  1818.  They  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  eleven  of 
whcJm  survive:  Peter;  Martin  married  llettie 
Marshall,  and  they  reside  in  Montrose  Township; 
Rachel  A.  became  the  wife  of  II.  H.  Smith,  and 
lives  in  Clark  County,  Mo.:  Mary  F.  married  Lu- 
man  Hawkins,  and  their  home  is  in  Howard  County, 
Ind. ;  Maria  is  the  wife  of  Burnham  Carrick,  and 
they  live  in  Montrose  Township;  .Inlni  married  Ida 
Kerl)y,  and  they  reside  in  Saxton,  Mo.;  Ilattie  is 
the  wife  of  Roy  Brown,  and  lives  in  Adams  County, 
111.;  the  others  are  Isaac,  Jr.,  Harvey,  Lyd;i  iinil 
Lillie;  David  and  Caroline  are  deceased. 

Mr.  \'nn  Ausdall  is  busily  engaged  in  his  chosen 
calling,  and  is  the  friend  of  good  order,  murality 
and  education,  and  iu  politics  sympathizes  with  the 
(rreenback  parly.  Mrs.  Van  Ausdall  and  three  of 
her  daughters  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 

It  is  with  pleasure  that  the  publishers  of  this 
work  present  the  portrait  of  Mr.  Van  Ausdall  in 
connection  with  this  sketch,  as  being  that  of  a 
wortliy  and  honored  representative  of  Jackson 
Township. 

OHN  FRANCIS  KEMPKER,  foi  nicrly  pastor 
of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Keokuk,  but  now  hav- 
ing charge  of  Riverside  Parish,  Washington 
'o.,  Iowa,  is  the  son  of  Gerhard  11.  and 
Theresa  (Achelwilmes)  Kempker,  natives  respect- 
ively of  Kellinghausen  and  Swasdorf.  Hanover.  In 
the  early  spring  i>f  the  year  1848,  the  parents  of 
our  subject,  with  their  two  children,  Henry  :ind 
Theresa,  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  coming 
directly  to  Iowa,  via  New  Orleans,  and  settling  down 
in   Lee  County.      Foi    >oiiie  weeks   they  shared  the 


hospitable  roof  of  John  II.  Kempker.  on  Sugar 
Creek,  Marion  Township,  ami  when  .Mr.  K.  had  en- 
tered a  homestead  in  Pleasant  Uiilge  Piairie  he 
took  up  Ids  quarters  with  B.  Hellmnnn.  ne.ir  by, 
until  his  own  log  cabin  was  set  up.  The  family 
were  soon  comfortably  established  therein,  and  lie 
set  about  the  improvement  and  cultivation  of  his 
land,  out  of  which  he  soon  created  a  beautiful  farm, 
and  between  him  and  his  Yankee  neighbors  there 
sprang  up  a  deep  and  enduring  friendship,-which 
was  at  first  commenced  with  sign  language  between 
the  American  and  the  ■•plucky  Dutchman."  In 
1 856  Mr.  K.  sold  his  farm  in  Pleasant  Ridge  and 
purchased  the  Patterson  farm  adjoining  West  Point, 
in  order  to  secure  better  facilities  for  the  education 
of  his  chihlren,  whose  number  had  now  been  in- 
creased by  the  birth  of  John  F.,  Mary,  Margaret 
and  Bernard.  The}-  also  wished  to  be  nearer  a 
Catholic  Church,  of  which  they  were  devoted  mem- 
bers. 

John  F.  Kempker  lirst  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light 
on  the  18th  of  May,  1848,  and  some  weeks  later 
was  given  in  baptijin,  by  Father  J.  G.  Alleman,  the 
uanie  of  John  Francis.  His  first  school  days  were 
entered  upon  after  the  removal  of  the  faniil}'  to 
West  Point,  when  he  was  consigned  to  the  care  of 
Henr^'  Krebs,  a  teacher  of  elementary  branches  in 
the  Catholic  school  at  that  point,  whose  place  was 
successivelj'  filled  by  J.  Meyer.  T.  Smithurst,  and 
finally  the  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame.  In  the  autumn 
t)f  181)4  he  commenced  his  Latin  letters  under  the 
direction  of  the  pastor.  Father  Mathias  Michels, 
and  in  September,  1 8 (j.i,  entered  the  Seminary  of 
St.  Francis  near  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  as  a  candidate 
for  the  priesthood,  continuing  until  1872.  But 
from  18t)8  to  1872  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs  seri- 
ously threatened  his  existence,  twice  bringing  him 
to  the  brink  of  the  grave.  However,  the  pursuit 
of  his  studies  in  a  more  genial  climate,  first  at 
Bardstown  and  then  at  Cajjc  (^irardeau,  assisted  his 
naturally  strong  constitution,  and  he  rallied  from 
this  danger.  On  the  22d  of  December,  1872,  he 
was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  at  St.  Francis  Sem- 
inary by  Bishop  Henni,  of  Milwaukee,  for  the  Dio- 
cese of  Dubuque.  He  said  his  first  Mass  on  Christ- 
mas at  home,  and  after  a  vacation  of  three  months 
was  appointed  the  assistant  of  Rev.  H.  P.    .Mt-.Meii- 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


517 


omy  of  Council  Bluffs,  where  his  visits  to  the  out 
missions  extenrled  over  seven  eonntics.  After  he 
had  filled  his  eiiarge  acceptabl}-  from  Mareh  22. 
187;^.  till  .Jan.  22,  1874,  he  received  the  appoint- 
ment as  pastor  of  Mt.  Cavmel.  Carroll  City.  Arcadia 
and  Hillsdale,  all  in  Carroll  County.  Iowa.  In 
entering  npon  this  appointment  he  found  in  the 
county  about  12.5  Catholic  families  and  one  small 
church,  without  any  real  estate  property.  At  his 
departure  on  the  1st  of  November,  is?.'),  there 
were  over  300  families,  with  four  cluirches  and 
church  [iroiierty,  <jne  Catholic  school  and  a  two- 
story  parsonage. 

At  this  time  our  subject  was  called  tu  Lyons, 
where  he  gave  his  best  care  and  attention  to  the 
churches  at  Lyons  and  Sugar  Creek.  In  October, 
1877.  he  was  appointed  first  resident  pastor  of 
Garnavillo,  Clayton  Co..  Iowa,  where  he  built  a 
pari>ehial  residence  and  reduced  the  church  debt 
several  hundred  dollars.  Then,  in  .January,  1879, 
he  was  called  to  the  Bishop's  house  at  Dubuque, 
where  he  was  treated  with  marked  attention ;  but 
in  August  of  the  same  year,  at  his  request  to  be 
assigned  a  mission,  was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Jo- 
seph's, at  Ft.  Madisiin. 

Father  Kempker  found  this  parish  discouraged, 
with  a  debt  of  $!t60.  He  was,  however,  received 
with  such  confidence  and  enthusiasm  by  the  good 
people  of  old  .St.  Joseph's,  and  felt  so  happy  and 
strong  in  his  own  home  county',  that  during  his 
three  years'  pastorate  seveial  impi'ovenients  were 
made,  the  old  deJjt  was  liquidated,  and  a  fund  of 
nearly  *!2,000  on  hand  for  the  proposed  building 
of  a  new  church.  From  August,  1882,  until  the 
following  April,  he  w.as  the  pastor  of  Neola,  Potta- 
wattamie County,  where  he  built  a  frame  addition 
to  the  church;  then  for  six  months  was  pastor  of 
Brookl3Mi,  Victor,  Griunell  and  Searsboro,  in  that 
time  building  a  church  at  Brooklyn  and  another  at 
(irinncll.  In  September,  1883,  he  came  to  Keokuk 
as  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  Church.  For  the  spiritual 
advancement  of  his  charges  he  has  preached  every 
Sunday  and  labored  without  ceasing. 

In  addition  to  re-opening  the  school  at  Keokuk, 
under  charge  of  the  Dominican  Sisters,  and  Imild- 
iug  a  parochial  residence,  he  also,  actuated  b}'  the 
ove  of  study  and   desire  of  gaining  useful  knowl- 


edge, attended  the  regular  sessions  of  the  Keokuk  L 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  for  two 
complete  terms,  and  graduated  as  XI.  D.  Feb. 
24.  188ii.  The  following  winter  he  was  entrusted 
with  the  important  parish  of  St.  Mathias,  at  Musca- 
tine, in  the  absence  of  the  pastor  and  the  Bishop  at 
Rome,  and  upon  their  leturn  was  assigned  to  River- 
side, in  Washington  County.  His  entrance  here 
was  signalized  by  a  terrilile  burglary,  inflicted  upon 
himself.  Sleei)ing  for  a  few  nights  alone  in  his 
(piiet  Country  house,  in  the  dead  of  night,  Maj-  22, 
18sii,  three  villains  liroke  into  his  room,  knocked 
him  insensible  with  n  cluli.  and  robbed  him  of  his 
money,  w.ntcli  and  other  valuables.  He  recovered 
from  the  shock  in  time,  thankful  that  his  life  also 
was  not  taken. 

Father  Kempker  has  a  tine  education,  extending 
over  a  wide  range  of  subjects,  and  comprising  En- 
glish, German,  Latin,  (Treek,  French,  philosophy, 
theology.  stenogTapliy,  music,  double-eutrj-  book- 
keeping and  his  medical  studies.  His  practical  ex- 
perience has  also  taught  him  the  science  of  archi- 
tecture and  knowledge  of  building.  He  is  a  gen- 
tleman of  fine  address  and  polished  manners,  and  a 
stranger  would  at  once  be  impressed  by  the  singu- 
larlj'  fine  character  which  is  stamped  upon  his  fea- 
tures and  is  indicated  in  all  his  movements. 

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HILIP  SURRF;NA,  a  prosperous  and  enter- 
prising farmer,  is  carrying  on  agricultural 
operations  on  section  27,  Van  Buren  Town- 
ship. There  he  has  a  fine  homestead,  is  sur- 
rounded by  all  the  comforts  of  life,  and  is  fulfilling  his 
obligations  as  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citizen. 
Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Penn.sylvania.  and  was  born 
in  Venango  County  April  l."),  1825.  He  is  the  son  of 
Philip  and  Elizabeth  (Baker)  Surrena,  both  natives 
of  Westmoreland  County.  The  latter  deiiarted  this 
life  in  her  native  State  in  ISa'.!.  and  her  husband 
survived  her  ten  years,  dying  in  March,  1869, also  in 
Pennsylvania.  The  i)arental  household  consisted  of 
eleven  children — George,  Joseph,  William.  Richard, 
John.  Philip,  Catherine,  Ann,  Elizabeth,  Nancy 
and  Eve. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  came  to  the  Hawk- 


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eye  State  in  1870,  making  his  first  location  in  Lee 
County.  He  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits  all 
his  life,  and  carries  vn  his  fanning  operations  in  ii 
methodical  and  systematic  manner.  His  property 
consists  of  100  acres  of  land,  a  fine  dwelling,  good 
barns  and  outhouses  for  the  storing  of  grain  and  the 
slielter  of  stock,  good  farm  machinery,  and  all  the 
necessary  appliances  for  carrying  on  agriculture  in 
a  first-class  manner.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Nancy  Gilchrist  IJec.  27,  1853.  Mrs.  S. 
is  also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  Nov.  12,  1829, 
and  the  daughter  of  William  and  Keziah  ((; rimes) 
Gilchrist,  both  natives  of  Westmoreland  Count}-, 
Pa.  The  faithful  wife  and  mother  yielded  up  her 
lifeinl8G6;  the  father  still  survives.  Of  their  union 
were  born  eleven  children,  namely,  Mary  A.,  Nancy 
J.,  Keziah,  Elizabeth,  Martha,  Jemima,  James  G., 
William  H..  Robert  15.,  and  two  who  died  in  infancy 
unnamed. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Philii)  .Surrena  have  been  born 
seven  children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased.  Those 
living  are  Mary  E.,  wife  of  Warren  A.  Dresser; 
George  E.,  who  married  Miss  Camp;  the  remainder 
are  Elmer  E.,  Philip  P.  and  S3'lvester  H.  The  par- 
ents are  members  in  good  standing  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  S.  is  strongly  Re- 
publican. He  has  held  the  offices  of  School  Treas- 
urer and  Director  and  Road  Supervisor. 

ON.  JOSEPH  M.  BECK,  Chief  Justice  of 
Iowa,  and  a  resident  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  the 
oldest  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  one 
of  the  i)rominent  landmarks  of  the  Hawkeye 
State.  He  has  been  prominent  in  ever^'thing  that 
has  aided  in  her  development  and  progress  morally, 
intellectually  and  financially.  He  is  a  man  of  great 
force  of  character,  and  has  been  foremost  in  the 
important  questions  of  the  day  in  his  localitj'  for  the 
last  fort}'  years,  and  has  aided  greatly  in  shaping 
the  destinies  of  a  large  section  of  country  west  of 
the  Mississippi. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  native  of  Clermont 
County,  Ohio,  and  was  born  April  21,  1823.  His 
father,  Samuel  Beck,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
born  in  1780,  and  his  grandfather,  Jeremiah  Beck, 


was  a  native  of  London,  England,  and  of  an  old  and 
inlbiential  family.  He  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  when  a  young  man,  and  made  his  lirst  location 
in  Pennsylvania,  near  the  Maryland  State  line.  He 
there  made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Dinah  Merr}-- 
field,  who  became  his  wife.  After  their  marriage 
the  young  people  moved  to  Kentucky  and  were 
amojig  the  pioneer  settlers  of  that  State.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  four  sons  and  three  daughters, 
of  whom  Samuel  Beck,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
the  second  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  reared  on  the 
farm,  and  in  early  manhood  went  to  Clermont 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Hannah  Morris,  a  native  of  Harrison  County, 
Va.,  and  daughter  of  Rev.  Isaac  Morris,  a  Bap- 
tist clergyman  of  Welsh  nativity  and  descent.  She 
was  a  sister  of  Thomas  Morris,  a  United  States  Sen- 
ator of  Ohio.  Mrs.  Beck  departed  this  life  in  Indi- 
ana, in  1844,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  3^ears.  Her 
husband  afterward  came  to  Iowa  and  died  in  Lee 
County  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  j'ears.  The  pa- 
rental family  consisted  of  eight  children,  four  sons 
and  four  daughters,  of  whom  the  following  survive: 
Isaac  M.,  n  physician  of  Brown  County,  Ohio; 
Samuel  H.,  a  farmer  in  Kansas;  Joseph  M.,  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch ;  Ann,  who  became  the  wife  of  J. 
T.  Saunders,  of  Bushuell.  111. 

.Joseph  M.  Beck  remained  with  his  parents  upon 
the  farm  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  had 
been  a  studious  boy  and  closely  applied  himself  to 
his  Ijooks,  and  was  now  fitted  to  enter  Hanover  Col- 
lege at  Hanover,  Ind.,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1.S42.  He  then  became  engaged  as  a  teacher,  and 
taught  school  in  Kentucky  about  two  j'ears,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Indiana  and  entered  the  law 
office  of  Judge  Miles  C.  Eggleston,  of  .Madison,  and 
under  the  instruction  of  that  eminent  jurist  became 
qualified  for  admission  to  the  bar  in  the  summer  of 
184G.  During  the  winter,  however,  he  resumed 
teaching  in  Kentucky,  and  in  1847  set  his  face  west- 
ward and  came  to  Montrose,  Iowa,  where  he  com- 
menced the  practice  of  his  profession. 

In  September,  1  HoO,  Judge  Beck  came  to  Ft.  Mad- 
ison, and  has  resided  here  since  that  time.  His  tal- 
ents and  fine  education  at  once  obtained  ready  recog- 
nition, and  he  soon  became  one  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens.    Two  years  thereafter  he  was  elected  Maj'or 


r'r'r'r'r'r'r'rLz'Add 


LEE  COUNTY. 


521 


i* 


m 


of  the  city  and  Prosecuting  Attorney.  He  advanced 
steadily  step  bj-  step  in  his  profession,  and  the 
various  honors  which  had  been  heaped  upon  him 
culminated  at  last  in  his  election  in  1867  to  the 
Bench  of  the  .Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  which 
position  he  has  held  for  three  terms,  and  is  now 
serving  the  fourth.  He  has  served  more  years  in 
this  capacity  than  any  other  man  in  the  Hawke3'e 
State,  and  his  decisions  have  been  published  in 
forty-seven  volumes  of  Iowa  Reports. 

Judge  Beck  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  part}^  and  has  since  that  time  been  a 
firm  and  uncompromising  supporter  of  its  princi- 
ples. He  was  from  the  beginning  an  anti-slavery 
Whig,  and  taught  school  in  a  slave-holding  State  at 
a  time  when  the  advocacy  for  liberty  for  the  black 
man  was  extremely  perilous.  But  he  fearlessly  at- 
tacked the  "  peculiar  institution  "  and  courageously 
defended  the  rights  of  the  oppressed. 

As  a  citizen  Judge  Beck  has  been  liberal  minded 
and  enterprising.  He  has  contributed  of  his  means 
to  every  purpose  tending  toward  the  progress  and 
development  of  his  community,  and  his  influence 
has  been  apparent  in  all  public  enterprises.  He  was 
President  of  the  Ft.  Madison  branch  of  the  State 
Bank  and  was  oile  of  the  original  incorporators  of 
the  First  National  Bank  and  Director  during  its  ex- 
istence. He  was  President  of  the  Ft.  Madison, 
Farmington  &  Western  Railroad  Company,  and  was 
prime  mover  in  the  building  of  their  road,  which  is 
now  consolidated  with  the  Burlington  &  Southwest- 
ern. He  has  been  successful  in  his  business  under- 
takings and  is  the  possessor  of  a  considerable  amount 
of  real  estate.  Judge  Beck  has  always  taken  great 
interest  in  educational  matters,  is  strictly  temperate, 
and  a  friend  of  the  prohibition  movement.  He  is  a 
firm  believer  in  the  Christian  religion  and  has  been 
an  active  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  since  1843. 
He  was  for  many  years  Superintendent  of  the  Sab- 
bath-school of  his  church  and  f)rganized  the  prison 
Sabbath-school  of  the  Iowa  Penitentiarj'  at  Ft. 
Madison,  of  which  he  was  Superintendent  for  four- 
teen years. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Clai-a  C,  daughter  of  Dr.  William  Rine- 
hart,  June  15,  1854.  Mrs.  Beck  was  born  in  Union 
County,  Pa.,  Aug.  25,  1833,  and  by  her  union  with 


Judge  Beck  became  the  mother  of  three  children, 
one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  living  are 
William  J.  R.  and  Vallie  E.  Mrs.  Beck  died  July 
9,1885. 

Judge  Beck  and  his  family  occupy  an  elegant 
home,  and  are  surrounded  by  the  refinements  and 
comforts  of  life.  He  is  most  gentlemanly  and 
courteous  in  his  manners,  and  at  once  secures  the 
respect  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  His 
strictly  temperate  habits  and  manner  of  living  have 
preserved  his  constitution  and  physical  powers  to  a 
remarkable  degree.  He  has  been  a  man  of  wide  re- 
search and  extensive  reading,  and  there  are  few 
subjects  upon  which  he  cannot  treat  with  profit  and 
pleasure  to  those  who  are  listening. 


#-# 


-s- 


^REDERICK  W.  JASTER,  an  enterprising 
German  farmei'  of  Montrose  Township, 
settled  in  this  vicinity  at  the  close  of  the 
late  war,  and  has  established  himself  as  one  of  the 
worthy  residents  of  Lee  County.  Mr.  Jastcr  was 
born  in  Germany,  Sept.  17,  1836,  and  was  there 
reared  to  manhood  upon  a  farm.  Mv.  Jaster  is  the 
second  child  of  John  and  Louisa  (Schaak)  Jaster, 
natives  of  Germany.  The  former  was  twice  mar- 
ried, and  became  the  father  of  ten  children ;  he 
lived  and  died  in  his  native  country.  Mrs.  Jaster 
was  the  j'oungest  child  of  Peter  and  Margaretta 
( Akell)  Maurar,  also  natives  of  Germanj' ;  they 
were  the  parents  of  ten  children.  The  father  died 
in  his  native  land,  and  in  1852  the  mother  came 
to  this  countrj\  and  died  at  the  residence  of  her 
daughter  in  Montrose,  in  the  spring  of  1869.  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 

In  the  spring  of  1859  Mr.  Jaster  sailed  for  Amer- 
ica, arriving  here  in  the  month  of  June,  and  at  once 
proceeded  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  the  vicinity  of 
Ripon,  where  he  was  einploj-ed  as  a  farm  laborer 
until  the  l)reaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  became 
a  soldier  of  the  Union,  enlisting  in  Co.  D,  8th  Wis. 
Vol.  Inf.  He  engaged  with  his  regiment  in  the 
principal  b.attles  and  skirmishes  of  a  three  years' 
service.  At  the  battle  of  Corinth,  Miss.,  he  was 
wounded  in  the  right  foot  by  a  musket-ball.  Being 
enabled  to  reach  Keokuk,  Iowa,  he  was   placed 


m 


'TiriirirrmxxiriJimurj 


'•   ITTTTTT 


ill    522 


tEE  COUNTY. 


the  hospital  there  for  a  period  of  six  months,  after 
which  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  at  Madi- 
son, Wis.  lie  then  returned  tu  Lee  Connty  and 
settled  upon  Ur'  farm  in  Montrose  Township, 
which  In-  hail  |ni'viously  purchased,  and  which  cdu- 
stitntes  liis  present  homestead.  lie  has  made  great 
improvements  upon  this  since  it  came  intu  his  pos- 
session, and  it  is  now  supplied  with  a  set  of  good  frame 
huildinus  and  all  nn)dern  appliances.  He  subse- 
quently added  tu  his  first  purchase,  and  is  now  the 
owner  of  2G7  acres,  aljout  half  of  wliicli  is  undei-  a 
good  state  of  cultivation. 

After  his  enlistment  in  tiie  army  Mr.  Jaster  was 

f  married   at   Keokuk,    Iowa,   .Inly    IG,    1863,  being 
thou  upon  detached  service  and  stationed   in   Keo- 
kuk, where  he  remained  for  thirteen  months.     The 
lady  of  his  choice  was  Miss  Magdalena  Lenn,  a  na- 
tive of  his  own  country',  who  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  parents   in    1852.     Of  their  union 
-J-  there    have   been  born    four  children:     .John   and 
H    (ieorge  are  still  living;  Katie  and  a  babe  unnamed 
■S  died  in  infancy.      Mr.  and    Mrs.  .1.  are   connected 
M    with  the  Protestant  Church,  and  politically  Mr.  J. 
affiliates  with  tlie  Democratic   part}'.     As   a  repre- 
sentative citizen  of  his  township,  and  a  leading  ag- 
riculturist of  the  count}',  the  publishers  take  pleas- 
ure in  presenting  the  portrait  of   .Mr.  .Taster  in  this 
volume. 


^  li.  S.  K.  BAKER,  a  prominent  wholesale 
inannfactnrer  of  medicines  at  Keokuk, 
Iowa,  has  been  an  esteemed  resident  of  the 
Gate  City  for  the  past  eighteen  years.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  Pul.-iski,  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  in  1821, 
and  the  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Chloe  (Fitch)  Baker, 
natives  of  New  York  and  Vermont  respectively,  and 
fgof  German  ancestry.  Nathaniel  Baker  was  a  farmer 
1  by  occupation,  at  which  he  continued  until  sixty 
I  years  of  age,  when  he  retired  from  active  labor  and 
ppent  tiie  last  years  of  his  life  at  the  ht)nie  of  his 
daughter.   Mrs.    Ciiloe  Hamilton,    of    Berlin,  Wis. 


^^He  and  his  wife   were  most  excellent  and  worthy 
eoi>le,  and  transmitted  to  their  cliildren  those  qual- 
i  ities  which  have  constituted  them  citizens  deserving 
of  the  highest  respect  and  esteem. 


The  parental  familj-  consisted  of  four  children, 
and  the  record  is  as  follows:  Lucy,  now  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts, is  a  resident  of  Ashtabula.  Ohio;  her  husband 
was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  and  died  of  wound^ 
received  while  in  the  service;  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  was  the  second  child;  ^lary.  Mrs.  Balcom,  is 
a  resident  of  Waterloo,  Iowa;  Chloe.  .Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton, resides  in  Berlin,  Wis. 

Dr.  Bakciof  this  sketch  received  his  primary  edu- 
cation ill  the  public  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enteen years  engaged  in  fanning  for  live  years  fol- 
lowing. He  then  became  interested  in  mercantile 
pursuits  at  Berlin.  Wis.,  where  he  established  a  busi- 
nessanil  operated  there  for  six  years.  He  then  sold 
out  and  went  to  I<jwa  City,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  medicines.  Thence  he  removed  to 
Indianapolis,  and  spent  two  years  similarl}'  engaged, 
in  the  meantime  giving  close  attention  to  the  sci- 
ence and  compounding  of  chemicals  and  herbs. 

Dr.  B.aker  came  to  Keokuk  in  1868.  and  since  hi> 
removal  here  h.as  been  successfully  engaged  in  th<- 
manufacture  and  compounding  of  medicines.  Ilia 
name  has  become  widely  known  along  the  valley  of 
the  Mississippi  as  a  manufacturer.  He  has  a  large 
laboratory  in  the  city,  and  employs  about  seventy 
salesmen.  In  addition  to  the  duties  of  his  profes- 
sion he  also  bears  :in  important  part  in  the  industrial 
interests  of  his  locality.  He  is  interested  in  the 
Keokuk  City  Cutlery  Works,  and  was  formerly  Vice 
President  and  a  Director  of  the  Central  Stove  Works 
of  Keokuk,  with  which  he  was  identified  from  its 
commencement  until  be  transferred  his  interest  to 
his  son.  who  is  now  \'ice  President  of  the  same.  The 
Doctor  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Keokuk  National  Bank, 
and  was  connected  with  the  Keokuk  Canning  Works 
for  three  years.  Ho  has,  however,  recently  sold  out 
his  interest  in  this  latter  business. 

Dr.  Baker  and  Miss  Wealthy  G.  Buell  were  united 
in  m.arriage  at  Waukegan,  111.,  on  the  1  4th  of  Sejitem- 
ber,  1847.  Mrs.  Baker  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and 
daughter  of  Abel  Buell,  who  removed  to  Illinois  in 
about  1841.  Of  this  marriage  there  have  been  two 
children,  Eugene  .S.,  born  in  1850,  married  .Miss 
Elizabeth  Cochran,  a  native  of  Keokuk,  and  daugh- 
ter of  Isaac  K.  Cochran.  They  are  the  [larents  of 
three  sons — Ross  E.,  Jesse  and  M3'rle.  This  son  is 
connected  in  business  with  his  father,  the  ttriu  title 


^PH233  i/jHr'rLr'K 
ifrrTarxTTniiJxm-iJr'' 


,n  iTxirrTrrUxxxriiiT; 


m.*  I  i.ijnyu.1 » 1 1 T 1  PJ-f-;j 


bpino:S.  F.  J5aker  &  Son.     Clara  E.  Baker  was  born 
ill  liSG^,  and  remains  at  huine  with  her  parents. 

Dr.  Baker  is  a  gentleman  of  deeidecl  views  and 
i>reat  force  of  character,  and  has  been  a  prominent 
man  in  the  locality  nlierever  his  lot  has.  been  east. 
He  is  a  stanch  snp[Knter  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  while  in  Iowa  City  was  a  member  of  the  Cit^' 
C(.)Uiicil,  and  was  i)ioniiiienth-  connected  with  the 
Baptist  Chnicii,  of  wiiich  he  was  Deacmi  for  about 
fourteen  years.  lie  is  an  extensive  property  holder, 
has  dealt  largely  in  lands  in  Iowa,  Missouri  and 
Wisconsin,  and  in  this  city  owns  the  store  between 
P^ighth  and  Ninth  streets,  and  his  business  establish- 
ment on  the  corner  of  Eighth  and  Main,  in  addition 
to  the  barber  shop  and  livery  stable  adjoining.  He 
owns  and  occupies  a  tine  residence  on  Fulton  street, 
between  Fllighth  and  Ninth,  and  is  the  proprietor  of 
iither  valuable  residence  property  in  the  same  local- 
ity, lie  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  his  localit}',  and  has  always  been  willing  to  con- 
tribute of  his  time  and  means  for  the  promotion  of 
ever3'  worthy  object.  As  a  citizen  he  ranks  among 
the  first  in  the  Gate  City,  and  as  a  manufacturer  has 
no  superior  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

R.  SUTTON,  proprietor  of  the  Keokuk 
Brass  Foundry,  occupies  a  prominent  place 
among  the  successful  and  enterprising  busi- 
ness men  of  the  Gate  Cit3',  his  business  be- 
ing located  at  the  corner  of  .Sixth  and  Blondeau 
streets.  The  business  of  this  house  was  established 
in  187(3,  gives  employment  to  from  five  to  fifteen 
men,  and  is  an  important  factor  among  the  in- 
dustrial interests  of  Keokuk. 

Mr.  Sutton  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  and 
was  born  in  Cincinnati,  July  17,  1833.  He  is  the 
son  of  Tingley  and  Julia  A.  (Frost)  Sutton,  natives 
of  Ohio  and  New  Jersey  respectively.  Tingley 
■Sutton,  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  was  occupied  as 
a  builder  and  contractor,  and  the  parental  house- 
hold consisted  of  eight  children. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  our  subject  was  ap- 
[irenticed  to  learn  tlie  machinist  business,  serving 
at  his  trade  four  years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  this 


time  he  was  employed  by  the  Little  Miami  Rail- 
road, where  he  continued  for  the  following  five 
years.  He  then  determined  to  seek  his  fortunes  in 
the  farther  West,  and  accordingly  crossed  the  Mis- 
sissippi in  1  «5(;,  and  located  in  Keokuk.  He  finally 
l>ecaine  connected  with  the  C,  B.  &  C^.  R.  R.,  of 
which  he  was  master  mechanic  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  seemed  peculiarly  fitted  for  his  chosen 
vocation  and  became  athoroughl3'  skilled  mechanic. 

Mr.  Sutton  was  married  in  1858,  in  Keokuk,  to 
Miss  Sarah  J.  Knight,  a  native  of  Canada,  and 
daughter  of  .lohn  and  Rachel  Knight.  Of  this 
union  two  children  were  born — Ollie  .M.  and  Willie 
V.     Mrs.  Sutton  died  in  1880. 

Mr.  Sutton  has  l)nilt  up  a  large  and  prosperous 
business,  and  has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the 
finest  mechanics  in  tlie  Northwest.  The  house  manu- 
factures steam-heating  apparatus,  gas  and  |)lnml)er's 
materials,  steam-pipe  fittings,  wrought  iron  fencing 
and  castings,  and  every  variety  of  brass  goods  in 
their  line.  The  work  turned  out  of  this  establish- 
ment is  of  the  finest  description  and  will  bear  com-  _ 
parison  with  anything  of  its  kind  in  the  United  \W^ 
States.  Mr.  P.  -R.  Snttou  is  a  generous  and  liberal-  IH- l| 
minded  gentleman,  genial  and  obliging  to  all,  and  'J^'M 
ready  to  assist  in  any  good  cause  or  whatever  will  } 
be  of  benefit  to  his  cit}'  and  community.  He  is  in- 
dependent in  politics,  is  connected  with  the  Masonic 
f  raternity%  and  has  held  the  office  of  City  Inspector. 
Aside  from  his  foundry,  he  is  the  owner  of  a  fine 
residence  on  Grand  avenue,  and  is  a  stockholder  in 
a  Colorado  gold  mine. 


m 


(OHN  H.  CRAlti,  attorney  at  law,  and  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Craig,  McCrar}-  <te 
Craig,  Keokuk,  has  been  a  resident  of  Lee  ^ 
_  County  since  1857.  He  is  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  in  U'ashingtou  County 
July  31,  1824.  His  father.  Hugh  Craig,  w:us  a  na- 
tive of  the  same  county,  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  spent  all  his  life  in  his  native  county,  dying  at 
the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  He  was  a  rugged  and 
robust  man,  and  his  death  was  caused  by  an  acute 
attack  of  something  like  the  cholera,  from  which 
he  surteifed  for  tliirty-five  days.      His  death  occurred 


m 


I 


m 


in  1854,  and  he  was  the  first  of  the  family  tube  re- 
moved from  this  life.  The  mother  of  John  H. 
Craig  was  also  a  native  of  Washington  County,  Pa., 
^  and  departed  this  life  two  years  after  the  death  of 
uh]  her  husband,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  The  par- 
■^^  ental  household  cdhsisted  of  nine  children,  six  sons 
and  three  daughters,  of  whom  the  record  is  as  fol- 
lows :  William,  who  went  South  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  and  there  died  in  18.53  of  the 
yellow  fever;  Hugh  K.,  who  became  a  minister, 
and  preached  in  the  Baptist  Church  until  his  death, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years.  The  four  sons  now 
living  are,  John  H. ;  Alexander  K.,  a  farmer  in  his 
native  county;  Joseph,  a  farmer  of  Brown  Count}', 
Kan.,  and  Thomas  B.,  a  merchant  of  Washington 
County,  Pa.  Only  one  daughter  is  living,  the  eldest 
of  the  famil}',  Martha,  who  now  resides  with  her 
daughter  in  Kansas. 

The  early  years  of  Joini  H.  Craig  were  spent 
upon  the  farm,  assisting  in  the  lighter  duties  around 
the  homestead  and  receiving  a  good  education  in 
the  common  schools.  The  ordinary  studies  were 
supplemented  by  courses  in  chemistry,  philosophy, 
rhetoric  and  algebra.  He  afterwaril  studied  Latin 
under  the  instruction  of  the  pastor  of  his  church. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  Mr.  Craig  left  the  farm, 
taught  school  for  one  term,  and  then  attended  the 
West  Alexandria  Academy  for  a  period  of  four 
years  thereafter.  He  completed  the  academic 
course  in  1845,  and  was  then  engaged  in  teaching 
in  the  academy  for  a  year,  when  he  entered  the 
junior  class  of  Washington  College,  from  which  in- 
p^jjl  stitution  he  also  graduated  in  1848.  He  met  the 
expenses  of  this  collegiate  course  by  becoming  a 
tutor  of  Latin  and  Greek  in  the  college.    • 

In  the  spring  of  1849  Mr.  Craig  commenced  the 
study  of  law  with  the   Hon.  T.  M.  T.  McKennen, 
ex-Secretar^'   of   the  Interior   and    ex-member    of 
Congress.     He  had,  however,  confined  himself  so 
closely  to  his  studies  in  school  that  his  healtii  would 
not  permit  him   to  continue  them   further;  so,  in 
jij^^'ii'the  spring  of  1850  he  went  to  Natchez,  Miss.,  where 
[  |H|     he  devoted  his  time  to  literary  pursuits  and  teach- 
il-H.-  ing.     In  the  fall  of  1853,  his  health  being  perfectly 
restored,  he  returned  home.     The  following  year 
he  went  to    Wheeling,    W.  Va.,  and   resumed  liis 
!t,ri^"  I't""   studies.       The    death   of   his    father    occurred 


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about  that  time,  and  he  returned  home  to  settle  up  ; ;} 
the  estate.  He  afterward  entered  the  law  office  of  jlh 
Hon.  William  Montgomery,  pursued  his  studies  siS 
one  year  longer,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  £-;l 
1856.  He  then  took  a  tiying  trijj  to  the  West,  and 
in  the  fall  of  that  3'ear  "  stumped  "  the  western 
part  of  his  State  for  the  Democratic  party,  and  par- 
ticularly for  his  old  preceptor,  Hon.  William  Mont- 
gomery, who  was  then  a  candidate  for  Congress. 

After   the    death   of   his  mother  in   November, 
1856,  Mr.  Craig  concluded  to  seek  his  fortunes  in 
the   farther  West,  having  now  no  very  strong  ties 
to  bind  him  to  his  native  State.     Accordingly,  the 
following  spring   he  crossed   the  Mississippi,  came    E^ji 
into  the  Hawkeye  State,  and  stopped  in  Keokuk  to    jih 
visit  friends  there.      During  this  visit  he   was  in-    £ 
diiced  to  form  a   law  partnership  with  Judge  R.  P.    ^- 
Lowe  and  Gen.  John  W.  Webb,  but  as  Judge  Lowe    c 

was  that   fall  elected  Governor  the  firm  dissolved.    Es] 

c 

Mr.  Craig,  however,  continued  practice  there,  and 
has  been  associated  with  several  different  firms. 
He  has  also  been  attorney  for  the  Iowa  State  In- 
surance Company  since  1858,  having  made  a  special 
study  of  insurance  law.  The  first  important  case 
with  which  he  was  connected  was  that  of  Nash  and 
Redoubt,  for  the  murder  of  Harris(jn,  with  which 
Mr.  Craig  assisted  in  the  prosecution,  and  he  has 
been  connected  with  man}-  of  the  important  cases 
of  Lee  County  since  that  time. 

Politically  Mr.  Craig  has  been  a  stanch  supporter  bI; 
of  the  Democratic  party,  but  has  uniformly  declined 
to  become  a  candidate  for  any  office.  He  likes 
'•  stump  "  speaking,  as  he  considers  it  an  excellent 
drill  for  an  orator.  He  has  taken  a  deep  interest 
in  educational  matters,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Education  for  sixteen  years  and  President 
of  the  Board  for  ten  years.  Religiously  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  to  the  sup- 
port of  wliicii  he  contributes  cheerfully  and  liber- 
ally. 

John  H.  Craig  was  married,  in  1863,  to  Miss 
Alice  Read,  daughter  of  Daniel  Read,  LL.D.,  who 
was  at  that  time  Professor  in  the  State  University 
of  Wisconsin,  and  afterward  President  of  the  State 
University  of  Missouri,  and  spent  fifty-two  years  ;!; 
in  various  educational  institutions.  Mrs.  Craig  was 
born   in  Athens,  Ohio,  and   by  her   union    with  our 


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gubject  has  become   the  mother  of  four  children — 
Daniel  R.,  Bertha,  Theodore  and  Hugh.    Mr.  Craig 
and  his  family  occupj  one  of  the  pleasautest  home- 
steads in  the  city  of  Keokuk.      Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  are 
jjB    highly  esteemed  in  their  community,  and  are  prom- 
-    inent    members    in    the  social   circles  of  the  city. 
They    possess    refined    tastes    and    have    gathered 
around   them  a  cultured   circle    of   acquaintances. 
II    Mr.  Craig 'is  a  man   of   literary  tastes  and  attain- 
ments,  and    occupies   a   high   position  among   the 
attorneys  of  Lee  County. 


ENJAMIN  J.  MARSH,  a  highly  respected 
citizen  of  Washington  Township,  owns  and 
occupies  a  comfortable  homestead  on  section 
14,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  Lee  County 
since  1839,  thus  being  fully  entitled  to  be  classed 
among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  this  section.  He  is  a 
native  of  Preble  County,  Ohio,  and  was  born 
March  16,  1822,  being  the  fifth  of  a  family  of  eight 
children,  and  was  a  j^outh  of  seventeen  years  when, 
with  his  parents,  he  crossed  the  Father  of  Waters 
and  came  into  the  Territory  of  Iowa.  He  received 
careful  home  training  and  a  fair  education  in  the 
pioneer  schools.  He  engaged  considerably  in  the 
manufacture  of  split-bottomed  chairs,  but  the  most 
of  his  time  and  attention  has  been  given  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits. 

Mr.  Marsh  has  been  a  resident  of  Washington 
1  IS  Township  the  greater  part  of  the  time  since  coming  to 
\i&  Iowa.  He  has  twenty  acixs  of  finely  cultivated  land, 
\\S  and  is  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  of  life.  In 
early  manhood  he  was  married  in  Greenville,  Ohio, 
to  Miss  Tamson  Mincer,  also  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
who  became  the  mother  of  one  child,  a  daughter, 
Elizabeth,  who  married  Samuel  F.  Hays,  and  resides 
in  Washington  Township.  Mrs.  Tamson  Marsh 
died  in  Washington  Township  May  4,  1847. 

Mr.  Marsh,  for  his  second  wife,  married  Miss 
Martha,  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Maria  (Ashby) 
Lake,  their  wedding  occurring  Dec.  14,  1848.  The 
parents  of  Mrs.  Marsh  were  natives  of  Indiana,  and 
after  their  marriage  came  to  Lue  County,  settling 
in  Washington  Township  in  ia44.  There  they 
established  a  comfortable  home,  where  Elijah  Lake 


died  on  the  25th  of  January,  1857.  The  wife  and 
mother  afterward  went  to  Kansas,  and  died  there 
in  1871.  Their  family  consisted  of  ten  children, 
of  whom  Mrs.  M.  of  our  sketch  was  the  second  in 
order 'of  birth.  She  is  a  native  of  Dearborn  County. 
Ind.,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  Kept.  21,  1829. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marsh  became  the  parents  of  eleven 
children,  only  three  of  whom  lived  to  mature  years: 
Laura  V.  became  a  teacher,  in  the  duties  of  which 
she  was  occupied  for  seven  years  in  Washington 
Township,  and  died  June  4,  1886;  Cora  M.  died  in 
Washington  Townsiiip,  Aug.  20.  1H83;  Daniel  is 
the  only  surviving  child, 

Mr.  Marsh  has  been  prominent  in  the  public 
affairs  of  his  township  and  has  held  the  offices  of 
Ct)nstable  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a  long  term 
of  years.  There  have  been  few  important  measures 
deliberated  upon  by  the  citizens  of  his  locality  in 
which  his  opinion  has  not  been  consulted  and  his 
judgment  followed.  He  and  his  wife  and  son  are 
connected  with  the  Christian  Church,  as  were  also 
the  daughters  deceased.  In  politics  he  is  a  con- 
scientious Democrat,  and  uniformly  easts  his  vote 
in  support  of  the  jirincipies  of  that  party. 

^j^^EORGE  KIRCHNER,  a  prosperous  German 
(ll  (—J  farmer  of  Charleston  Township,  is  the 
^^jj  owner  of  a  good  farm  of  227  acres,  finely 
located  on  section  4.  He  has  a  substantial  and 
liandsome  dwelling-house,  a  good  barn,  and  all  the 
out-buildings  necessary  for  the  storing  of  grain  and 
the  shelter  of  stock.  He  has  valuable  farm  machin- 
ery and  implements,  and  in  short,  all  the  appliances 
for  prosecuting  agriculture  in  a  first-class  manner. 

Mr.  Kirchner  was  born  in  Germany  March  26, 
1839,  and  when  a  lad  eight  years  old  came  to 
America  with  his  parents.  Adam  and  Catharine 
Kirchner.  After  coming  to  this  country  in  1847 
they  proceeded  directly  westward,  came  into  the 
Hawkei^e  .State,  which  was  then  in  its  infancy,  and 
settled  in  Charleston  Township,  where  the  father 
still  lives.  The  wife  and  mother  died  the  ?ame 
year  in  which  they  came  to  this  country.  Their 
family    consisted    of    si.\    children — Henry     (,dt- 


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ceased).  Barbara,  John,  Catharine.  George  and  An- 
drew. 

Tlie  .subject  of  <jur  skuloli  reniaiiieii  ii|juii  tlie 
lomcstead  with  his  father  until  his  iuarriag:e,  which 
occurred  in  IsiKi.  He  tlien  purchased  the  farm 
wliicli  constitutes  his  pi'esent  homestead,  and  ha* 
remained  upon  it  continuousij'  since  that  time,  en- 
gaged in  tlie  peaceful  pursuits  of  an  agriculturist, 
attending  strictly  to  his  own  affairs,  and  building 
up  for  himself  the  reputation  of  an  honest  man  and 
a  good  citizen. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of  oui'  subject  was 
Katie  Speisz.  She  was  born  in  Ohio  Nov.  20,  184G, 
and  became  the  wife,  of  our  subject  April  20,  l<S(;U. 
Her  parents  were  Henry  and  Mary  (Kj'nian)  Speisz, 
both  natives  of  (icrmany.  They  emigrated  to 
America  before  their  marriiige,  coming  to  Ohio  in 
1842,  in  which  State  tiiey  were  married.  They 
how  reside  in  Franklin  Center.  Their  family  in- 
cluded eight  children — Katie,  Phillip,  Conrad, 
Maggie,  JJzzie.  Mary,  Henry  and  Annie. 

Our  subject  and  wife  have  become  tlie  parents 
yf  seven  children — Mary,  IjCna,  Lizzie.  Henry, 
Phillip  (deceased)  Katie  and  Charlie.  .Mi',  and 
.Mrs.  K.areci)nnccted  with  the  Evangelical  Church, 
ami  in  politics  Mr.  K.  is  a  conscientious  Democrat. 

L\IN  .1.  McCRARV,  attorney  at  law,  at 
Keokuk,  Iowa,  is  a  native  of  the  Hawkeye 
.State,  born  in  \an  Huren  County,  March 
20.  1.S44.  His  father.  Aimer  H.  McCr.ary, 
a  native  of  North  Carolina,  was  born  in  1814. 
Wliilt!  in  his  early  childhood  his  parents  removed 
from  his  native  State  to  Vanderburg  County,  Ind.. 
where  their  s<jn  grew  to  manhood  and  became  ac- 
customed to  farming  pursuits.  In  1834,  at  the  age 
of  twenty  years,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Nercissa  Mangiim,  a  native  of  Indiana,  wiio 
was  born  in  1817.  They  remained  in  the  latter- 
named  State  until  183.'),  or  one  year  after  their 
marri.'ige,  and  then  removed  to  McDonougli  County, 
111.,  whence,  after  a  year's  time,  they  crossed  the 
Mississippi  and  came  into  Iowa,  settling  in  \'aii 
IJureii  County  upon  a  farm,  and  were  engaged  in 
.•igricnUiiral  pnrsuils  until  .ilioul  1«78.     Tiie\-  liien 


went  to  Keosauqua.  uhorc  tliey  are  now  living,  re-  l" 

tired  from  the  active  duties  of  life.   They  celebrated  : 

the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their  wedding  in    iM.si.  ;, 

upon  which  interesting  occasion  there  were  present  y:^^ 


.•I  large  number  of    their  friends  and  acquaintances. 

with    quite    a   company    of   children    and    gi'ainl-  jh 

children.  5:} 

The  household   of   Abner   McCrarv  anil  wife  in-  -h 


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eluded  seven  children,  of  whom  six  are  now  living,  pi;i 
and  of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows:  William  M.  3t  i 
is  !i  merchant  doing  business  at  Council  Bluffs; 
Miirrictta  is  the  wife  of  W .  .J.  Carvin.  of  Kdgai. 
Neb.;  .lames  N.  is  a  resident  of  lliirlinglon.  Iowa; 
the  next  son  is  the  suliject  of  our  sketch;  Curti~ 
K.  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  at  Keosau- 
qua. Iowa;  Ira  C.  is  a  merchant  .-it  Doud's  .SUitiiiii. 
Iowa. 

Alvin.l.  McCrary  spent  his  childhood  days  upon 
his  father's  farm,  receiving  his  primary  education  . 
in  the  common  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  DEfi 
became  a  pupil  of  the  High  School.  He  subse- 
quently took  a  course  at  Oskaloosa  College,  and  in 
1  s(J2  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Des  : 
Moines,  Iowa.  This  was  during  the  progress  of  the  " 
late  Civil  War,  and  in  the  spring  of  1864  Mr.  Mc- 
Crary enlisted  in  Co.  F,  47th  Iowa  \'ol.  Inf.,  in 
which  he  served  five  months, and  was  mustered  out 
with  his  regiment.  He  then  returned  to  Des  Moines, 
and  soon  afterward  came  to  Keokuk.  He  had  for 
some  time  felt  a  strong  inclination  to  enter  the 
legal  profession,  and  accordingly  entered  the  law 
otiice  of  Rankin  &  McCrary,  and  commenced  the 
study  of  law  under  the  instruction  of  these  eminent 
attorneys.  He  applied  himself  with  diligence,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  18G6,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  continuously  practicing  in  the  various 
courts  of  Iowa,  and  also  the  United  .States  Courts 
and  in  the  .Supreme  Court, 


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the  old  law  firm  of  .Justice  .Samuel  F.  Miller,  of  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court,  in  direct  succession, 
the  present  firm  being  Craig,  JlcCrary  &  Craig. 
Mr.  McCrary  has  given  much  attention  to  commer- 
cial law.  .Hid  lectured  upon  this  subject  for  two 
years  in  the  Keokuk  Law  School.  The  degree  of 
A.  M.  was  conferred  upon  him  by  the  Central  Uni- 
versitN   of  Iowa. 


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IMr.  MeCrary  hns  heen  a  prominent  man  in  his 
<  communitj'  since  first  coming  into  Lee  County. 
He  lias  always  been  a  strong  advocate  of  the  prin- 
11  ciplesof  the  Republican  part)-,  and  h^'  his  voice  and 
vote  has  sought  to  promote  the  interests  of  the 
party  of  his  choice.  Although  he  has  steadily  de- 
clined to  become  a  candidate  for  any  political  office, 
he  has  been  connected  with  most  public  enterprises 
of  this  section  for  the  last  twenty  years.  He  is 
President  of  the  Central  Stove  Works,  organized 
the  Electric  Light  Company,  and  was  instrumental 
in  getting  it  under  headway;  he  assisted  in  the 
oVganization  of  the  Kookuk  Law  Library,  and  has 
been  connected  for  many  years  with  the  Keokuk 
Library  Association  as  Director.  All  these  have 
necessarily  involved  a  considerable  outlay  of  time, 
and  some  means,  but  Mr.  McCrary  has  contributed 
these  cheerfully,  and  is  willing  to  do  much  more 
for  the  advancement  of  the  moral  and  educational 
interests  of  his  county  and  community. 

Alvin  J.  McCrary  and  Miss  Annie  C.  Ford  were 
united  in  marriage  .June  24,  l)^i!«.  Mrs.  McCrarj' 
is  the  daughter  of  D.  W.  and  Caroline  M.  Ford, 
and  was  born  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  remaining 
i|  there  with  her  parents  until  the  date  of  her  mar- 
riage. JNIr.  and  Mi'S.  McCrary  have  become  the 
parents  of  two  daughters,  Grace  and  Inez.  The 
former  is  now  in  her  fourth  year  at  Elmira  College, 
N.  Y.  Their  plea.sant  home  bears  evidence  of 
•  cultured  tastes  and  ample  means,  and  is  one  of  the 
I  pleasant  resorts  of  the  society  people  of  Keokuk. 
!  Mr.  McCrary  is  prominently  connected  with  the 
Baptist  Church  of  this  city,  and  for  fifteen  years 
has  been  Superintendent  of  the  Sabl)ath-school. 

JHILETl'S  COWLES,   an    honored  pioneer 
)  of  Ft.  Madison,  crossed  the  Mississippi  and 
came  into  Iowa  in  l.sa«.      He  has  watched 
I  \        with  intense   interest  the  growth   and  de- 
velopment of  his  adopted  State,  and  has  witnessed 
changes  and  incidents  sufficient  to  form  a  large  vol- 
j  unie.     Mr.  Cowles  is  a  native  of  Otsego  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  was  born  on  the  10th  of  October,  1816. 
Isaiah  Cowles,  the  father  of  our  subject,  when  a 
iyqung  man  removed  from  Vermont  to  the  State  of 


New  York,  and  there  learned  the  trade  of  a  mill- 
wright. He  pursued  this  occupation  while  in  the  lat- 
ter State  and  after  coming  to  Iowa.  After  cross- 
ing the  Father  of  Waters  he  settled  in  Augusta, 
Ues  Moines  County,  where  he  spent  the  last  years 
of  his  life,  dying  on  the  1st  of  .Tune,  ISfiS.  In 
early  manhood  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Phoebe  Merriman,  a  native  of  his  own  State, 
who  was  born  Oct.  20,  178(5.  She  preceded  her 
husband  to  the  better  land  about  seven  years,  dy- 
ing at  the  home  of  her  son.  our  subject,  in  Ft. 
Madison,  Oct.  22,  1861. 

Philetus  was  the  third  child,  and  was  three 
j'cars  old  when  his  parents  removed  to  Allegany 
County.  Six  years  later  they  went  to  Hinsdale, 
Chautanqua  County,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
began  work  in  a  gristmill,  which  was  the  property 
of  his  father  and  uncle.  When  he  was  twent3'-tvvo 
>-ears  old  he  starte<l  West,  making  tiie  trip  by  wa- 
ter and  landing  at  Ft.  Madison,  this  county,  which 
was  then  a  part  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin. 
After  arriving  hei'e  he  engaged  as  car|)enter  and 
joiner,  and  followed  this  occupation  until  1863, 
then,  in  company  with  Mr.  Atlee,  engaged  in  oper- 
.ating  a  sawmill,  first  as  letail  salesman  in  the  lum- 
ber-yard, and  the  last  twelve  years  as  fireman  in 
the  shingle-mill.  Altogether  he  remained  with  Mr. 
Atlee  for  twenty-three  years,  an  excellent  recom- 
mendation foi-  V)oth  parties. 

In  e.arly  manhood  Mr.  Cowles  was  married,  Nov. 
(i.  18;i6,  to  Miss  .lane  Simmons,  a  native  of  Mont- 
gomery County,  N.  Y.,  born  Dec.  22,  181!).  Of 
this  union  there  was  born  one  child,  a  daughter. 
Melissa,  who  now  lives  with  her  father.  .Mrs.  Jane 
Cowles  departed  this  life  March  8.  1,S4I.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1842,  Mr.  Cowles  w.as  married  the  second  time, 
to  Miss  Diana  Freeman,  of  Waterford,  Caledonia 
Co.,  Vt.,  who  was  born  July  18,  1817.  Of  this  mar- 
riage there  were  born  seven  children,  who  are  re- 
corded as  follows:  Elijah  lives  in  Mebraska;  Calvin, 
in  Ft.  Madison;  Samuel,  in  Schoharie,  Ness  Co., 
Kan. ;  Alva  II.,  in  Ft.  Madison;  Jane,  the  wife  of  Asa 
Cowles,  in  Holt  County,  Neb.,  and  (ieorge  and 
Ella,  with  their  parents  at  home. 

.Mr.  Cowles  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  Em- 
pire Lodge  No.  31,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  always 
taken   a  great  interest  in  the  success  and  progress 


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of  the  order,  and  has  assisted  iti  organizing  lodges 
in  different  parts  of  the  county.  He  is  of  high 
moral  character,  conscientious  in  his  business  trans- 
actions, and  in  all  respects  an  honest  man  and  a 
good  citizen. 


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n 


lhi,A  ANNING  W.  STEVENS,  a  native  of  Litch- 
field County.  Conn.,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Lee  County  since  the  fall  of  1852.     He  is 
a  ijrosperous  and    intelligent   farmer,  and 
the  owner  of  a  fine  estate,  consisting  of  310  acres, 
and    a    fine    set  of   farm    buildings,  comprising   a 
handsome  residence,  which  has  been    beautified    l^y 
everything    which    a    cultivated    taste   and    ample 
means  could  afford,  also  good  barns  and  out-build- 
ings, pleasantly  located   in  Jackson  Township,  on 
section  12,  and  in variablj- attracts  the   ej'e  of   the 

I  traveler  through  this  region   as   presenting  one  of 
the  finest  views  in  the  landscape  of  I^ee  County. 

The  subject  of  this  biograpli_y  was  born  Dec.  30, 
1823,  and  is  the  son  of  Sanford  P.  and  Almeda 
(Collar)  Stevens,  natives  of  New  England.  The 
parental  household  comprised  seven  sons  and  two 
daughters,  of  whom  Manning  \V.  was  the  second  in 
order  of  birth.  He  was  reared  upon  liis  father's 
farm,  received  a  fair  education  in  the  public 
schools,  and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
he'  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to 
Berkshire  County,  JLass.,  and  was  engaged  as  a 
farm  laborer  for  his  uncle  ten  seasons  continuously. 
At  the  expiration  of  this  time  and  when  twenty- 
eight  years  old,  in  the  fall  of  1852,  he  came  into 
Lee  County,  Iowa,  and  after  six  weeks  spent  in 
Keokuk,  purchased  a  claim  in  Jackson  Township, 
where  he  has  been  a  resident  since  that  time.  Asso- 
ciated with  him  in  this  purchase  was  i\L\  L.  R. 
Mellby,  and  it  comprised  an  area  f)f  eighty  acres. 
[  They  immediately  set  about  its  improvement  and 
cultivation,  and  were  prospered  in  their  undertak- 
ings. To  this  purchase  Mr.  Stevens  sulisequently 
added  as  his  means  permitted  until  he  is  now  the 
possessor  of  one  of  the  finest  homesteads  in  this 
section. 

The  marriage  of  Manning  VV.  Stevens  and   Miss 
Julia  A.   Wadsworth  was.  celebrated  in   Berkshire 


mm 


\i^ 


County,  Mass..  Sept.  7,  1854.  Mrs.  S.  is  tlie  daugh- 
ter of  John  P.  and  Mary  N.  (Stoddard)  Wads- 
worth,  natives  of  New  England,  and  was  born  in 
Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  Sept.  7,  1832.  Her  union  with 
our  sul)ject  has  been  blest  by  th«  birth  of  seven 
children,  who  are  recorded  as  follows;  Edward  W. 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  in  Jackson  Town- 
ship; Mary  M.  is  a  competent  teacher,  of  several 
years'  standing;  Celia  L,  Charles  M.,  Arthur  S., 
Nellie  M.  and  Rosa  .1.  are  with  their  parents  at 
home. 

Mr.  .Stevens  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
his  community  in  a  marked  degree,  and  has  held 
the  various  minor  offices  of  his  township.  He  is 
Republican  in  politics,  and  takes  an  interest  in  the 
general  welfare  of  his  county  and  community.  He 
is  a  skillful  farmer,  a  straightforward  business  man, 
and  has  come  into  his  present  possessions  by  the 
exercise  of  his  own  industry  and  perseverance. 

(i^^HOMAS  SMITH,  of  Et.  Madison,  has  been  a 
f(l^^  highly  respected  resident  of  this  vicinity  for 
^^^  thirty-eight  years.  He  comes  of  a  cultured 
and  excellent  familj',  and  is  a  native  of  the  British 
Flmpire,  having  been  born  in  Northamptonshire, 
England,  Aug.  20,  1815.  He  is  the  son  of  Anthon3- 
and  Annie  (Eaton)  .Smith,  natives  of  the  same 
country,  and  from  whom  he  received  careful  train- 
ing in  those  principles  which  have  constituted  him 
a  man  among  men  and  an  influential  and  valued 
citizen. 

Thomas  Smith  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
shire,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  3'ears  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes.  He  was  am- 
bitious and  enterprising,  and  determined  to  seek 
his  fortunes  in  the  New  World  when  the  convenient 
time  should  arrive.  In  the  meantime  he  had  as- 
sumed domestic  ties,  and  in  the  month  of  May, 
1848,  he  set  sail  witii  his  family  from  Liverpool, 
and  after  a  prosperous  voj'age  landed  at  New 
York  City.  He  started  for  the  West  with  little 
delay,  crossed  the  Fathei-  of  Waters,  and  came 
directly  to  Et.  Madison,  arriving  here  on  the  29th 
of  June.  The  trip  from  New  York  had  been  a 
tedious  one,  for  they  started  out  on  the  Erie  Canal 


;.''^. .  .■.-■:iv^-J*"-i^ 


»".v  ■J^'iLi>A    1-^  '»' 


to  Buffalo,  by  the  Lakes  to  Chicago,  from  there  by 
caual  to  Peru,  and  completed  the  remainder  of  the 
journey  on  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers. 
Since  the  first  settlement  here,  Mr.  (Smith  has  been 
variously  engaged.  Among  his  first  ventures  he 
established  a  dair3^  and  supplied  the  boats  along 
the  river  night  and  da}'  with  milk,  in  which  business 
he  has  been  engaged  for  thirty-seven  j'ears,  and  has 
prospered. 

The  marriage  of  Thomas  fSmith  and  Miss  Mary 
Ekins  was  celebrated  in  Northamptonshire,  En- 
gland, June  21,  1837.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  native  of  the 
same  shire  as  her  husband,  and  has  remained  his 
faithful  companion  for  fifty  years.  Their  union 
has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  seven  children;  the 
living  are,  AValter,  Ekin,  Edwin,  Mary  and  Sidney. 
Charles  F.,  the  second  son,  departed  this  life  Aug. 
'20,  1861,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years;  he  was  a 
bright  and  promising  young  man,  greatly  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him,  and  his  death  was  a  severe 
blow  to  the  entire  family.  Robert  died  Jan.  13,  1887. 

Mr.  Smith  and  his  family  occupy  a  fine  home- 
stead, where  they  are  surrounded  bj'  all  the  com- 
forts and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Their 
children  have  been  carefullj'  reared  and  well  edu- 
cated, and  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  society. 
The  sons  are  remarkably  successful  as  business  men, 
and  enjoy  the  respect  and  esteem  of  their  fellow- 
townsmen  as  the  encouragers  of  every  good  work 
and  purpose  tending  to  the  welfare  of  the  city  and 
count}'. 

"^  OSEPH  A.  SMITH,  Cashier  of  the  Bank  of 
Ft.  Madison,  is  a  well-known  and  highly  es- 
teemed citizen  of  that  city  and  a  gentleman 
who  possesses  ample  means,  and  enjoys  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow-citizens.  He 
is  of  an  enterprising  disposition,  warm-hearted  and 
liberal,  and  has  contributed  in  a  generous  manner 
to  the  progress  and  advancement  of  the  business 
interests  of  this  city.  In  addition  to  this  he  is  highly 
educated,  and  possesses  the  happy  combination  of 
a  cultivated  mind  in  addition  to  the  wise  judgment 
and  solidity  essential  to  the  successful  business  man. 
Dr.  Smith  is  a  native  of  Westmoreland  County, 
Pa.,  having  been  born  in  Greensburg,  that  county. 


Feb.  27,  1821.  His  father,  Nathaniel  Ruggles 
Smith,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  born 
in  Roxbury,  near  Boston,  Oct.  15,  1874.  His  grand- 
father, Ralph  Smith,  was  also  a  native  of  the  same 
town.  We  learn  from  a  history  of  Roxbury  by 
Francis  S.  Drake,  that  the  ancestors  of  Mr.  Smith 
settled  in  Roxbury  previous  to  1640,  and  were 
among  the  early  settlers  there.  Ralph  Smith  is 
there  spoken  of  in  several  places  as  an  enterprising 
citizen,  prominent  in  all  public  matters,  and  his  son, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  is  mentioned  as  having 
delivered  the  oration  at  the  Fourth  of  Julj'  celebra- 
tion in  1812.  His  grandfather  was  enrolled  in 
the  Second  Cavalry  of  Roxbury  minute-men,  April 
9,  1775. 

Nathaniel  R.  Smith,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
received  the  most  careful  parental  training,  and 
after  a  primary  course  at  the  public  school  entered 
Harvard  University,  and  graduated  from  that  insti- 
tution with  honors,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the 
profession  of  a  teacher.  In  1822  he  removed  to 
Pittsburgh,  and  while  there  established  the  first 
literary  magazine  west  of  the  Alleghanj' Mountains; 
he  was  also  its  editor,  and  named  it  "  Hesperus." 
He  was  also  the  first  editor  of  the  Saturday  Eoen- 
ing  Visitor,  but  devoted  the  greater  part  of  his 
time  to  teaching.  He  was  thus  engaged  for  about 
twenty-five  years,  in  the  meantime  having  been 
married  and  become  the  father  of  a  family.  In 
1847  he  went  to  Kentucky  to  visit  a  daughter 
living  at  Danville,  in  that  State,  and  soon  afterward 
engaged  in  teaching  near  Harrodsburg.  He  re- 
mained there  about  five  years,  when  he  removed  to 
Farmington,  Iowa,  and  pursued  his  occupation  of 
teaching  until  his  death,  which  occurred  .Sept.  15, 
1859.  He  was  the  author  of  a  grammar  and 
spelling-book,  and  is  referred  to  in  notes  of  Kirk- 
ham's  Grammar,  as  being  a  distinguished  gram- 
marian. He  was  connected  in  membership  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  In  early  manhood  the  father 
of  our  subject  married  Miss  Margery  Smith,  a  na- 
tive of  the  North  of  Ireland,  born  May  12,  1788, 
who  came  to  this  country  with  her  parents  while  a 
young  child,  and  was  married  to  the  father  of  our 
subject  at  West  Newton,  Pa.  She  departed  this 
life  at  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Pollard,  in 
Ft.  Madison,  Feb.  26,  1871.     Of  this  union  there 


iH 


^1 


III 


I  rxraniiTnit  <  i  x 


534- 


LEE  COUNTY. 


li 


were  born  four  chiklrcii  who  grew  to  years  of  ma- 
turity: Sarah  married  T.  H.  .1.  Ayres,  now  de- 
ceased; our  subject  was  the  second  eliihl ;  .lames  W. 
\V.  lives  in  Ohio;  Rebecca  JS.,  now  Mrs.  Pollard, 
resides  in  Chicago,  and  is  a  lady  of  rare  attain- 
ments and  line  education.  She  possesses  consider- 
able literary  talent,  and  has  written  under  the  mim 
de  plume  of  "  Kate  Harrington."  She  is  now  ed- 
iting a  new  ])ublicMtion,  to  lie  ivuown  as  the  "Syn- 
thetic Sound  S^'steni,"  for  use  in   primarj'  schools. 

Joseph  A.  Smith  was  carefully  trained,  and 
received  his  early  education  principally  under  the 
instruction  of  his  gifted  father.  After  arriving  at 
suitable  age  he  entered  upon  a  course  of  study  at 
Center  College,  at  Danville,  Ky.,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three  began  the  study  of  medicine  at  Smith- 
field,  Ohio,  under  the  instruction  of  Prof.  Thomas 
AVood,  and  later  with  Dr.  Ayers,  of  Danville.  He 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Bloom- 
field,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  for  two  years,  when 
he  went  to  Berlin,  Holmes  Countj',  the  same  State, 
and  after  practicing  there  three  years,  started  for 
the  farther  West.  He  crossed  the  Mississippi  and 
came  into  Farmington,  Iowa,  located  there  and 
remained  until  1868.  During  this  time  he  entered 
into  partnership  with  George  Schramm,  and  en- 
gaged in  merchandising  and  pork-packing,  doing 
an  extensive  and  successful  business  for  a  period  of 
twelve  years,  when  he  was  solicited  to  go  to  Ft. 
Madison  as  the  contractor  for  convict  labor  in  the 
penitentiary.  For  various  reasons  he  now  con- 
cluded to  abandon  his  profession  for  a  time,  and  in 
company  with  others  became  one  of  the  stockholders 
of  the  Ft.  Madison  Lumber  Company,  also  of  the 
Ft.  Madison  Chair  Company  and  Ft.  Madison 
Paper  Company,  and  the  Iowa  Farming  Tool  Com- 
pany, and  one  of  the  original  stockholders  in 
the  Keokuk  State  National  Bank,  now  the  State 
Bank.  In  1871  he  associated  himself  in  partner- 
sliip  with  Charles  Brewster,  and  they  purchased 
the  bank  of  Ft.  Madison,  of  wiiich  Dr.  Smith  has 
been  Cashier  since  that  time. 

The  marriage  of  Joseph  A.  Smith  .and  Miss  Ellen 
E.  Laws  was  celebrated  Dec.  4,  1844.  Mrs.  Smith 
is  a  native  of  Barnesville.  Belmont  Co.,  Ohio, 
where  she  was  born  June  14,  1820.  She  is  the 
daughter   of    Panter   and     Mary    (Moore)     Laws, 


natives  of  Delaware,  who  i-emoved  to  Ohio  in  181  "i. 
and  were   among  the  e.arly  settlers  of  Barnesville. 
The  journey  was  made  overland  with  wagons,  ami 
they  met  witli    many  interesting    incidents    while   _ 
making  their   passage  over  the  AUeghanj'  Mount-  |' 
ains.     They    were  a  brave-hearted  pair,  and   bore  s 
cheerfully  the  fatigues  and  privations  incident  to  p 
the  emigration  and  the  life  of  the  eai-ly  pioneers.  : 
They  remained  all  their  lives  in  the  place  of  their 
first    selection,   and  after  their  labors  were    over, 
were  laid  to  rest  in  the  vicinity  of  their  home.  : 

IMrs.  Eleanore  Smitii  Kliart  is  the  only  daughter 
of  the  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Smith.     .She  was  adopted  ; 
bj-  them  in  earlj-  childhood,  and  since  that  time  has  & 
reigned  supreme  in  their  hearts  and  home.  \ 

She  was  married,  Nov.  .5,  1885,  to  Joseph  C.  c 
Ehart,  a  substantial  business  man  of  Ft.  Madison.  I 
The  home  prepared  for  her  was  but  a  step  from  \ 
the  old  homestead,  and  now  both  hearthstones  are  g 
gladdened  by  the  coo  of  the  fledgeling  that  has  g 
come  to  bear  his  grandsire's  name.  P 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are   prominent  members  of   " 
the    Presbyterian    Church    of    Ft.    Madison.     Dr.    - 
Smith  affiliated  with  the  old  Whig  party  previou> 
to  its  abandonment,  but  he  considers  th.nt  he  has 
since  had  reason  to  change  his   political  opinion>. 
and   is  now  a   member  of  the   Democratic  party. 
Dr.  Smith  and  familj'  occupy  .n  fine  homestead,  and    g 
are  surrounded  with  all  the  comforts  and  luxuries   S 
that  ample  means  .and  refined  tastes  can   supply. 
The  portrait  of  Dr.  Smith,  wiiich  accompanies  this 
sketch,   will    be    recognized    by    all   as  that    of   a 
worthy  and  honored  citizen. 

NOCH  C.  WILSON,  an  honored   pioneer  of 

Ft.  Madison,  when  a  young  man  crossed  tlie  B 

'J!  Father  of   Waters  for  the  jiurpose  of  estab-  f 

lishing  a  liorne  in  the  West.     He  was  liorn   in  Cal-  I 

vert  County,  Md.,  July  3,  1 820.     His  father,  George  = 

W.  M'ilson,  was  a  native   of    Virginia    and   settled  c 

in  Maryland  before  his  marriage.     He  was  a  black-  \ 

smith,  and  carried  on  his  trade  at  Ft.  Kepuljlic  un-  § 

til  1. S3 1,  and  then  emigrated   to    Illinois.     He    was  3 

accompaniiHl  by  his  family,  and  they  traveled  over-  3 

land  to  Pittsburgh,  thence  b}'  the  Ohio  and  Missis-  E 


j?S^T7^'r\ 


i:j?rJr^q 


r^^ 


Uii 


I  Hi: 


sippi  IJivers  to  Illinois.  They  settled  iieiir  Heards- 
tuwii  and  e'ngityed  in  farming,  and  there  the  mother 
died.  lie  sold  out  and  removed  to  Eau  Claire, 
Wis.,  in  18.">0.  and  tliere  spent  his  last  daj's  in  re- 
tirement. 

Enoch  (i.  \\iIson,  of  our  sl<etch,  was  the  second 
child  of  his  [larents.  and  was  eleven  jears  old  when 
they  removed  from  Maryland  to  Illinois?  In  the 
fall  of  l.s;j7  he  eame  to  Ft.  Madi.son  and  clerked  in 
a  saloon  for  one  year,  then  went  aboard  the  steamer 
"  Pizarro,"  commanded  b}-  Capt.  Harris.  After 
two  trii)s  he  was  taken  ill,  and  abandoned  the  river. 
lie  was  then  engaged  as  clerk  for  Peter  Miller,  Sr., 
of  Ft.  Madison,  with  wh(jm  he  remained  four  j'ears, 
and  after  serving  in  the  same  capacity  for  other 
prominent  merchants  of  this  city,  he,  in  1849,  be- 
came associated  in  business  with  Mr.  Little,  with 
whom  he  operated  for  the  following  eight  years. 
He  then  purchased  the  interest  of  his  partner  and 
continued  in  business  alone  until  l!S84.  He  carries 
a  general  stock  of  dry-goods,  groceries,  queens- 
ware,  and  everything  pertaining  to  the  needs  of  an 
ordinary  familj'.  He  has  conducted  his  business  in 
;i  straightforward  and  honest  manner,  and  has  se- 
cured a  profitable  patronage. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  married  in  1M50,  to  iliss  Mar^- 
A.  Reeves,  of  New  York,  and  of  their  union  have 
been  born  two  children — Eugenia  C  and  George 
H. ;  the  latter  died  at  the  age  of  two  and  one-half 
years. 


0^~  OL.  RICHARD  ROOT,  Sheriff  of  Lee  County, 
and  one  of  its  most  poiJular  and   high!}'   re- 
spected  citizens,  is  a   native  of    Marj'land, 

having  been  born  Jan.  27,  18;34.  He  is  the  son  of 
Bazil  and  Clementine  Root,  who  were  also  na- 
tives of  Mar^iand.  Bazil  Hoot  was  a  lawyer  by 
profession,  and  followed  his  vocation  in  the  citj' 
of  Baltimore.  He  was  appointed  Postmaster  of 
Leavenworth,  Kan.,  b}-  President  Buchanan,  but 
died  in  IS5S,  before  filling  the  duties  of  that 
otHce.  The  mother  died  at  the  home  of  her 
sou,  Daniel,  in  the  citj'  of  Chicago  in  1883. 
Daniel  is  engaged  in  business  on  the  l>oard  of 
Trade,  Chicago,  and  does  quite  an  extensive  com- 


u 


mission  business.  The  parental  union  was  blest  by 
the  birth  of  six  children ;  five  of  the  number,  all 
sons,  are  still  living.  Their  names  are,  Richard, 
Daniel,  John,  Howard  and  Zach. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  received   the   .■idvan- 
tages  afforded  by  the  common  schools  until  he  w.as 
sixteen  years  of  age,   living  the   while  under    the 
parental  roof.     He  then  engaged  in  the  coast  survey, 
on  the  coast  of  Florida  and  South  Carolina,  and  was 
thus  occupied  for  about   three   years.     Afterward 
he  went  to  Denver,  Col.,  with  a  supply  train,  from 
Leavenworth,  Kan.,   and   continued  a  resident  of 
Colorado  and  Kansas  until  the  first  shot  was  fired 
on  Sumter.     At  the  first  call   for  troops   our  sub-  jMd 
ject  immediately  responded.     He   went  to    Henry 
County,  Iowa,  in  18(il,and   there   enlisted   in  Co. 
K,  I'Jth  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  elected  First  Lieu- 
tenant  before  leaving   the   State.     The  regiment 
passed  through  the  State  of  Missouri  and  bivouacked 
at  Prairie  drove.  Ark.,  where  they  participated  in 
their  first  battle.     Here  the}-  lost  m.any  men,   and  ^nfln 
our  snliject,  with  eight  non-commissioned  officers,    j^Ji 
was  sent  back  to  Iowa  to  recruit  men  to  fill  up  the 
regiment.     It  was  about  this  time  that  Col.  Root 
received  a  commission   from   Gov.  Kirkwood.   of 
Iowa,  as  Captain  of  the  .sth  Iowa  Cav.,  and  he  again 
went  to   the  front,  and   soon   after  the   battle  of  rj|ppj; 
Murfreesboro     was     i)romoted    Major   and  given    jillliil 
charge  of  the  2d  Battalion  of  the  8tli   Cavalry,  and 
served  in  that  capacity  until  mustered  out.     After 
being  mustered  out,  our  subject  was  commissioned 
Colonel,  to  raise  a  brigade  of  colored  troops  from 
those  who  followed  Tien.  Sherman  in   his   famous 
march  from  Atlanta   to  the  sea  and  through   the 
Carolinas.     This  was  for  service  on   the    frontier, 
and  Col.  Root  succeeded  in  raising  the    brigade, 
which  he  .armed,  equipped  and  clothed.     Col.  Root! 
was    then    ordered    by   Secretary   Stanton   to  take 
charge  of  the  130th  Colored  Infantrv  and  move  to 
Brownsville,  Texas.     This  he  refused  to    do,   and 
the  regiment  was  mustered  out  at  Macon,  (ia. 

Returning  home  from  the  field  of  conflict.  Col. 
Root  opened  a  hotel  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  and  for 
three  years  acted  in  the  capacity  of  genial  "  mine 
host.  "  He  was  then  appointed  Deputy  I'nited 
States  ^larshal.  of  Iowa,  witli  headquarters  at  Keo- 
kuk, and  faithfidly    performed    the   iluties   of   that 


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ofHce  for  eight  years.     He  was  then  promoted  by 

President  Arthur  to  Unitefl  States  Marshal  of  the 
State  of  Iowa,  and  continued  to  hohl  the  position 
for  two  years,  when  he  resigned.  He  was  shortly 
afterward  elected  City  Marshrd  of  Keokuk,  and 
held  that  position  until  he  was  nominated  and 
elected  Sheriff  of  the  county,  which  position  he 
holds  at  the  present  writing  (1887). 

In  1853  Col.  Root  was  married  to  Miss  Angeline 
P.  Brockman,  who  is  a  native  of  (Georgia,  and  the 
daughter  of  Col.  Calvin  Brockman.  Their  house- 
hold has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  three  children 
yet  living,  the  record  being  as  follows:  Joseph  L. 
married  ]\Iiss  Julia  Harrison,  and  resides  in  Keo- 
kuk, where  he  is  general  agent  for  an  Iowa  coal  min- 
ing company;  Florence  L.  and  Dickie,  the  other 
two  children,  arc  attefiding  school  at  Chicago. 

Col.  Hoot  has  just  erected  a  fine  residence  on  the 
corner  of  Sixth  and  High  streets,  costing  upward 
of  li^i-'iOO.  It  is  a  pleasant  and  beautiful  home, 
and,  surrounded  by  his  happy  family  and  numerous 
friends,  he  is  passing  his  later  years  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  a  sufficiency  and  happiness.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican,  and  socially  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  and  the  I.  O.  ().  F. 


-^«-Jst^- 


— 1> 


•^ 


OERIAH    C.    CAMPBELL,  A.  M.,  Superin- 
/  tendent  of  the  Ft.  Madison  schools,  occupies 
^_ )  a  high  social    position    in    the   city   of  Ft. 

Madison,  and  as  an  educator  is  considered  without 
a  superior  in  this  portion  of  the  Hawkeye  State. 
Under  his  supervision  the  public  school  sj'stem  has 
attained  to  a  status  very  near  perfection.  Mr. 
Campbell  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in 
Mercer  County,  Feb.  23,  1844.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Elizabeth  (Grossman)  Campbell,  natives 
also  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  childhood  days  of  the  subject  of  this  biog- 
raphy were  jiassed  upon  his  father's  farm  and  in 
attendance  at  the  common  schools.  He  was  left  an 
orphan  at  the  age  of  ten  years  and  placed  under 
the  care  of  his  uncle,  who  acted  as  his  guardian. 
The  latter  not  approving  of  jiublic  schools,  caused 
the    education  of   his    nephew    to  be  comi)leted  in 


private  schools  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  and  Youngstown, 
Ohio.  He  was  a  bright  and  studious  boy,  greatly 
interested  in  his  studies  and  determined  to  excel. 
In  1862,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  entered 
Wilmington  College,  expecting  to  take  a  full  course 
and  graduate.  The  Rebellion,  however,  had  now  gcp 
assumed  alarming  proportions,  and  the  patriotic  gti 
heart  of  young  Campbell  constrained  him  to  enlist  p} 
in  the  Union  service,  which  he  accordingly  did,  and  gn 
was  mustered  into  the  8th  Ohio  Cavalry,  but  Se 
only  served  seven  months,  receiving  an  honorable 
discharge  on  account  of  physical  disabilit}'.  He 
then  returned  home  and  lived  with  relatives  at 
Brookfield,  Ohio,  until  18()4,  when  he  came  farther 
West,  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  took  charge  of 
a  milling  business  at  Jlontieello,  Iowa,  for  his  aunt, 
whose  husband  had  died  suddenlj',  leaving  his 
business  in  an  unsettled  condition.  Mr.  Campbell  p{ 
remained  there  about  eighteen  months,  then  re- 
turned eastward  to  Colchester,  111.,  where,  with  his 
brother  William,  he  engaged  in  coal-mining. 

Notwithstanding  his  somewhat  diversified  occupa- 
tions, young  Campbell  kept  one  object  steadily  in 
view,  namely,  that  of  improving  his  mind  by 
study,  and  reading  whenever  he  had  a  leisure  hour. 
After  his  arrival  in  Colchester  he  was  prolfered  the 
position  of  Superintendent  of  the  public  schools  ;il 
that  place,  and  the  following  year  went  to  Macomb, 
and  taught  three  terms  of  school  at  that  place.  He 
next  went  to  Monmouth,  111.,  and  taught  as  Princi- 
pal of  ward  schools  for  three  years,  and  as  Principal 
of  the  High  School  one  year,  at  the  end  of  wliicli 
time  the  latter  was  united  with  the  Monmouth  Col- 
lege. This  institution,  recognizing  the  learning  and 
abilitj'  of  Prof.  Campbell,  conferred  upon  him  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  From  Monmouth  he 
went  to  ISIattoon,  and  had  charge  of  the  schools 
there  until  1877.  He  then  crossed  the  Mississippi 
and  located  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where,  after  teaching 
in  ward  schools  for  two  years,  he  was  chosen 
Principal  of  the  High  School,  which  position  he  re- 
tained for  six  years.  He  then  vvent  to  Albia  as 
Superintendent  of  schools  tliere,  and  at  the  close  of 
one  year,  resigned  to  aecei)t  :i  like  position  in  the  : 
Academy  at  Denmark.  In  188G  he  resigned  there  Si 
to  accept  his  present  position  at  Ft.  Madison.  t' 

Since  coming  to  Iowa,  Superintendent  Campbell  E 


m 


LEE  COUNTY. 


has  taken  the  Post  Graduate  course  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois.  He  possesses  a  full  classical  educa- 
tion, and  has  given  great  attention  to  institute 
work,  having  been  the  conductor  of  institutes  in 
Lee  County  for  nine  consecutive  years.  He  is  a 
student  of  the  fine  arts  and  literature,  and  is  an 
author  of  no  oi'dinary  ability,  having  produced 
many  valuable  articles  on  education,  which  have 
been  published  in  the  leading  journals  devoted  to 
this  cause,  and  his  name  has  now  become  a  familiar 
one  among  the  leading  educators  of  the  West. 

Neriah  C.  Campbell  and  Miss  Louise  E.  Welch 
were  united  in  marriage  in  1864.  Mrs.  Campbell 
was  born  in  Carthage,  111.,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
James  E.  Welch,  who  is  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  in  Hancock  County,  111.  Of  this  union 
there  have  been  born  three  children:  Cora  I.,  now 
the  wife  of  Charles  E.  Atchinson,  a  prominent 
broker  and  dealer  in  real  estate  at  Albia,  Iowa; 
Myrtle  and  Gertrude,  who  are  at  home.  The  family 
<>ccup3'  a  leading  position  in  the  best  society  of 
Ft.  Madison,  and  their  home  gives  amisle  evidence 
of  high  education  and  cultivated  tastes.  Mr.  Camp- 
bell is  connected  in  membershii)  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  has  been  an  active  worker  in 
the  Sunday-school  for  many  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  I.  L. 
of  H.  Politically  his  inclinations  are  strongly  Re- 
publican, although  he  has  never  taken  a  very  active 
l)art  in  politics.  His  tastes  are  purely  educational, 
and  books  are  mainly  his  comfort  and  delight. 


,^sA  AMUEL  KLEIN,  an  esteemed  resident  of 
'^^    the  Gate  City,  is  engaged  with  his  son  as  a 
|ll/_j))  dealer  in  hides,  pelts,   tallow,  and  every- 
thing appertaining  to  their  line  of  business, 
the  headquarters  of  the  firm  being  located   at   the 
corner  of  Main  and  Flightli   streets.     The   firm  of 
Samuel  Klein  (fe  Son  established  its  business  in  1859, 
the  subject  of  our  sketch  having  come  to  this  city 
tiu-ee  j'ears  previously  from  Illinois. 

Samuel  Klein  is  a  native  of  (iermany  and  a  fine 
representative  of  that  element  which  lias  so  mate- 


■?B 


^xxxxzmcxx  X! 


n'njirt.r;~i~".".i!r.'ii:'5'. ii.i.'vri'rTnriT  I 


rially  assisted  in  the  development  of  the  industrial 
interests  west  of  the  Father  of  AVaters.  His  birth 
occurred  in  1830,  and  in  conformity  with  the  laws 
and  customs  of  his  native  Empire,  he  was  placed 
in  school  at  the  early  age  of  six  years,  and  pur- 
sued his  studies  continuously  until  fourteen.  He 
then  served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  tanning  busi- 
ness, and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  not  being  quite 
satisfied  with  his  condition  or  his  prospects,  set  sail 
for  the  New  World,  whose  western  fields  were  then 
holding  out  rare  indncements  to  the  young  and  en- 
terprising emigrant. 

After  landing  upon  American  shores,  Mr.  Klein 
proceeded  South  to  Columbus,  (ia.,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  for  one  year,  then 
came  to  Illinois,  and  locating  at  Pittsfleld,  was 
there  engaged  in  trade  until- coming  to  Keokuk  in 
1856.  He  carried  on  a  clothing  trade  one  year, 
then  purchased  a  grocer}'  stock,  and  in  due  time 
added  to  it  transactions  in  hide  and  leather,  pur- 
suing the  combined  trade  until  1865.  He  then  dis- 
posed of  his  grocer}-  stock  and  turned  his  attention 
exclusively  to  the  present  commodities.  The  firm 
now  occupies  a  fine  brick  block  which  Mr.  Klein 
erected  in  1872.  It  consists  of  two  stories  and 
basement,  and  occupies  an  area  of  lOxSO  feet. 
Besides  himself  and  his  son,  the  business  keeps  four 
other  men  employed  at  this  point  and  two  men  on 
the  road. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Klein  with  Mi>s  M.  Wolff, 
a  lady  of  German  parentage  and  nativity,  was  cel- 
ebrated in  1852.  Of  their  union  tiiere  were  born 
five  children,  all  living,  viz. :  Emmie,  now  Mrs. 
Weil,  of  Keokuk,  and  Louisa  W.,  Joseph  A.,  Mor- 
ris and  Carrie  unmarried.  Our  sul)ject  and  his 
family  occupy  a  handsome  residence  at  No.  1020 
Blondeau  street,  and  their  circle  of  warm  friends 
and  acquaintances  includes  the  best  people  of  the 
Gate  Cit}'. 

Mr.  Klein  has  been  a  prominent  man  in  the  af- 
fairs of  his  adopted  city  and  county,  and  has  been 
intrusted  with  important  positions.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Council  as  Alderman  and  Jl.ayor  of 
the  city  ^wo  tern,  and  is  also  a  Trustee  of  the  In- 
sane Asj'lum  at  .Alt.  I'leasant.  He  is  warml}'  inter- 
ested in  educational  matters,  and  contributes  of 
his  means  and    influence  to   ever}'  good    work  and 


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purpose  calculated  to  benefit  the  community  around 
him.  Socially,  he  is  President  of  District  No.  6  of 
the  1.  ().  15.  15.,  coiiiiirisiiii;:  the  States  of  Illinois, 
Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Iowa  and  Ne- 
braska. 


ill' 


11 


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1).  SIIKl'PAUI),  of  the  tirni  of  Evans  <t 
She|)p;n-d,  lumber  merchants  of  Keokuk,  is 
a  nativi'  of  New  .Jersey,  and  was  born  Dec. 
23,  1841.  He  is  the  son  of  William  K.  and  Sarah 
K.  (Fithian)  Sheppard,  natives  of  New  Jersey. 
William  K.  Shepiiard  was  a  farmer  l)_v  occupation, 
and  was  coutinLiously  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  death  in  ISMl.  The  parental  family 
consisted  of  ten  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  ma- 
ture years. 

The  subject  of  this  history  remained  at  home, 
attended  the  common  schools,  and  assisted  in  the 
labors  on  the  farm  until  lie  was  sixteen  years  of 
age.  lie  then  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith, 
and  followed  the  same  until  tile  lireaking  out  of 
the  war.  He  tlien  enlisted  as  a  soldier  of  the  Union 
in  Co.  F,  9th  N.  .1.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  remained  in  the 
service  for  four  years.  During  this  time  he  partici- 
pated in  all  the  engagements  of  his  regiment,  was 
in  the  battles  of  Roanoke,  Newberne,  and  the  two 
1  tattles  of  Kingston,  was  at  the  siege  of  Ft.  Darling 
and  in  many  other  engagements  and  skirmishes. 
He  enlisted  as  a  private  and  was  promoted  Second 
Lieutenant  Jan.  f*,  1803,  First  Lieutenant  May  11, 
1  .S(j4,and  Ca|)taiu  Feb.  28, 18G5.  He  was  wounded 
in  the  right  shoulder  at  Ft.  Darling  and  confined 
for  some  time  in  Chesapeake  Hospital,  near  Fortress 
Monroe. 

At  the  close  of  the  w;ir  Caj)!.  Shejtpard  was  mus- 
tered out  of  service  with  his  comrades,  and  went  to 
Arkansas  with  Mr.  A.  11.  Kvans,  his  present  part- 
ner, where  they  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  cot- 
ton and  in  merchandising  .and  the  lumber  business. 
They  remained  there  eleven  years,  and  then  dis- 
posing of  their  interests  in  that  section,  came  to 
Keokuk,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  for 
two  years,  after  which  they  established  their  pres- 
ent business. 

Capt.  Shei)|):ni|  isu  lliiprougli-g(jing  linsiness  man. 


courteous  in  his  manner  and  upright  in  his  deal- 
ings, and  has  been  successful  in  liis  undertakings. 
He  lias  taken  an  active  part  in  general  and  p(jlitical 
matters,  is  an  advocate  of  prohibition,  and  casts  his 
vote  with  the  Republican  party. 

L.  I).  Shepjiard  and  Miss  Anna  II.  Lawrence 
were  united  in  marriage  in  Pennsylvania  in  ls;7ii. 
Mrs.  Sheppard  is  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  the 
daughter  of  Rev.  Samuel  Lawrence.  Their  union 
has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  four  children — Helen 
M.,  Lawrence  D.,  Anna  L.  and  Edna  (4.  They  oc- 
cupy a  handsome  residence  at  No.  7 1 2  Franklin 
street,  and  enjov  the  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  ac- 
(luainlanccs.  The  Captain  and  Mrs.  Sheppard  arc 
prominently  connected  with  the  Presbyterian 
Ciuircli,  and  he  is  a  mem))er  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. 


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EWTON  E.  CLARK,  of  the  firm  of  Clark 
Bros.  &  Co.,  wholesale  dealers  in  leather, 
H\/^  saddlery  and  shoe  findings,  at  Keokuk,  with 
his  partners  is  transacting  an  extensive  and  profit- 
able business,  and  is  one  of  the  representative  fac- 
tors in  the  industrial  element  of  this  section.  The 
business  of  this  firm  was  established  in  the  spring 
of  1851,  by  .lames  Clark  and  A.  P.  Thom.-is,  under 
the  firm  name  of  A.  P.  Thomas  &  Co.  Mr.  Thomas 
dying  soon  afterward,  the  business  was  continued 
by  James  Clark  f<jr  the  space  of  a  year,  when  he 
took  in  as  partner  Mr.  William  Van  Nastiand,  and 
they  o|)erated  together  for  two  years.  Mr.  A^an 
Nastrand  then  retired,  and  the  firm  was  re-organ- 
ized by  two  brothers  of  our  subject,  who  continued 
the  business  several  years,  when  II.  H.  Clark  re- 
tired, and  the  present  firm  was  established  with  our 
subject  as  a  partner,  since  which  time  it  has  been 
known  as  Clark  Bros.  &  Co.  From  a  modest  be- 
ginning tliey  have  ni.ade  rapid  advances,  and  erected 
a  fine  brick  building  25x1011  feet  in  area,  and  three 
stories  in  lieight,  with  a  basement  under  the  whole. 
Their  transactions  extend  over  all  the  State  of  Iowa 
and  into  Illinois  and  Missouri.  They  carry  a  large 
and  well-selected  stock,  and  have  become  widely 
and  favorably  known  as  gentlemen  of  correct  busi- 
ness methods  and  valuable  citizens. 

Newton  E.  Clark  was  born  in  New  Jersey  on  the 


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8tli  of  November,  1839.  His  parents  were  Ephr.aim 
aiifl  Margaret  Clark,  of  New  .Jersey,  the  father 
being  a  tanner  1)}'  trade,  which  business  he  pur- 
sued fur  the  long  period  of  sixty-four  years.  The 
parental  family  consisted  of  eleven  children,  six 
sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  our  subject  was 
the  youngest  in  order  of  birth.  He  received  a  fair 
education  in  his  native  State,  and  when  a  3'outli  of 
eighteen  years  started  out  to  do  for  himself.  He 
practically  grew  up  in  the  leather  business,  having 
served  a  thorough  apprenticeship  with  his  father, 
and  obtained  a  valuable  knowledge  of  all  its  differ- 
ent departments.  After  coming  to  this  city  he  en- 
gaged as  clerk  for  several  years  with  his  brothers 
before  becoming  a  partner,  and  their  establishment 
is  the  oldest  one  of  the  kind  which  has  continued 
since  its  establishment  in  the  State  of  Iowa. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  married  in  1867, 
the  maiden  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Kate,  youngest 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Jones,  Esq.,  of  Keokuk,  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  live  children,  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.  In  their  pleasant  and  at- 
tractive home  they  are  surrounded  by  the  comforts 
and  refinements  of  life,  and  are  held  in  high  esteem 
bj'  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances  and  friends. 


L-^^HOMAS  S.  ESPY,  attorney  at  law  and  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace,  is  a  pioneer  citizen  of  Ft. 
Madison,  coming  here  in  1845,  when  it  was 
but  a  small  hamlet.  He  is  a  native  of  Crawford 
County,  Pa.,  and  was  born  March  26,  1814.  His 
father,  Patterson  Espy,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
State,  and  born  in  Faj^ette  County.  His  grand- 
father, also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  was 
born  in  Cumberland  County,  and  his  great-grand- 
father, Peter  Patterson  Espy,  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, and  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  settling 
in  Fayette  County,  Pa.,  where  he  sytent  the  last 
years  of  his  life,  dying  at  the  ripe  age  of  one 
hundred  and  one  years. 

The  grandfather  of  Thomas  S.  Espy  was  a  soldier 
during  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  after  the  ter- 
mination of  the  conflict  located  in  Crawford 
County,  Pa.,  being  among  the  early  settlers  there. 
He  was  a   man   of  great  energy  of  character,  and 


besides  engaging  in  agricultural  purs\iits  operated 
a  sawmill,  gristmill  and  a  distillery.  He  was 
pnmiinent  in  all  the  counsels  of  his  fellow-town.s- 
men,  and  served  for  many  years  as  Justice  of  tiie 
Pe.ace.  From  the  Hist  lie  was  a  leader  in  his  com- 
munity, and  his  deatii,  whicii  occurred  in  1 8;5-2, 
was  greatly  lamented.  His  brother,  Prof.  James  S. 
Espy,  was  highly  educated  and  a  bright  light  among 
professional  men.  A  sketch  of  this  gentleman  ap- 
jiears  in  Appleton's  Encyclopedia. 

Patterson  Espy,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
reared  upon  a  farm,  received  his  primary  education 
in  the  public  schools,  and  afterward  attended  Can- 
nonsburg  College.  After  graduating  from  there 
he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Crawford 
County,  and  there  spent  the  whole  of  his  life.  He 
was  married  in  early  manhood  to  Miss  Mercj'  Free- 
man, a  lady  who  was  born  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  of 
(.Quaker  parentage.  .She  departed  this  life  in  Craw- 
■ford  County  in  1862.  .She  was  a  lady  of  rare  in- 
telligence, a  wise  and  judicious  mother,  and  held  in 
great  respect  by  her  neighbors  and  acquaintances. 

Thomas  S.  Espj'  w.is  the  third  child  and  eldest 
son  of  his  parents.  He  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  and  graduated  at  Prof.  Gamhel's 
Academy,  at  Jamestown,  Pa.  He  also  took  a  course 
at  the  select  school  of  Rev.  Roberts,  at  Andovei', 
Ohio.  He  taught  one  term  when  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  and  then  went  to  Franklin,  Pii., 
and  entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  Alexander  M<'- 
Calment,  where  he  remained  two  and  a  half  years, 
was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in  due  time  became 
the  partner  of  Judge  McCalment,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  1845.  He  then  became  convinced 
that  there  was  a  broader  field  of  operations  beyond 
the  Mississippi,  in  which  he  could  .accomplish  more. 
He  accordingly  came  into  Iowa  and  spent  his  (irst 
summer  at  Iowa  City.  In  September  of  the  same 
year  he  came  to  Ft.  Madison,  opened  an  office,  and 
while  building  up  his  practice  here  purchased  a 
rtouring-mill.  the  first  one  in  the  vicinity,  to  which 
he  afterward  added  a  distillery,  and  he  superin- 
tended the  management  of  both  until  1.S56.  He 
then  :idmitted  partners  and  established  a  foundry. 
The  following  year  he  sold  the  mill  and  distillery, 
l)at  continued  the  foundry  until  IK.'iT.  In  the 
meantime  he  continued  the  practice  of  his  profes- 


540 


LEE  COUNTY. 


11:4 


sion  here  until  1 S63,  when  he  proceeded  to  .St.  Louis, 
engaged  in  practice, and  remained  there  until  insl, 
when  he  returned  to  Ft.  JLadison  and  re-npened 
an  oflice  here.  lie  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in  1884.  He  has  always  been  deepl}'  interested  in 
educational  matters,  and  has  been  one  of  the  School 
Directors  of  the  township.  He  afterward  served 
as  Alderman  and  Mayor  of  the  city,  and  in  1848 
was  elected  Senator  from  Lee  County. 

Mr.  P^spy  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Mar- 
tin \'an  Buren,  and  has  been  an  uncompromising 
Democrat  all  his  life.  He  was  married,  in  1.S40,  to 
Miss  Mary  A.  McBrise,  a  native  of  Erie  County, 
Pa.  Of  their  union  seven  children  have  been  born, 
three  of  whom  are  living:  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of 
Joseph  A.  Nunn,  lives  in  Washington  Township; 
Emmette  resides  in  Ft.  Madison,  and  William  G. 
in  St.  Louis. 

Mr.  Espy  is  a  prominent  man  in  his  community, 
hose  judgment  is  highlj^  valued,  and  whose 
|)inions  are  sought  ui)on  all  important  matters 
concerning  the  welfare  and  progiessof  the  conimu- 
uit3'.  He  is  liberal  minded  and  generous,  and  the 
j-^  ready  assistant  of  ever3thing  affecting  theadvance- 
M  ment,  morally  or  intellectually,  of  his  city  and 
county.  He  is  a  genuine  t.yi)e  of  the  men  who  have 
aided  in  bringing  the  Hawkeye  State  to  its  present 
position  among  the  wealthy  and  prosperous  States 
of  the  Union. 


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\f  8AAC  A.  MATTESON,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Lee  County,  came  to  this  vicinity  iii  the 
spring  of  1  H.54,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
county  since,  over  thirty  years.  During  this 
lapse  of  years  he  has  been  an  interested  witness  in 
the  rai)id  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  Ilawkeye 
State,  at  which  he  has  rejoiced  in  common  with  the 
balance  of  those  who  have  assisted  in  bringing  this 
section  to  its  present  condition.  He  is  the  owner 
of  a  fine  farm  estate,  including  180  acres  of  valua- 
ble laud  in  (Jreen  Bay  Township,  finely  located  on 
section  4,  and  is  now  living  in,the  enjoyment  of  the 

JPSSSS 


good  things  of  life,  earned  by  the  exercise  of  in- 
dustry and  a  judicious  investment  and  disburse- 
ment of  funds. 

Mr.  Matteson  is  a  native  of  (iruenwich,  R.  L, 
and  was  born  Ajn-il  14,  DS1!1.  His  parents  wore 
Greene  and  Sallie  (Fowler)  Matteson,  natives  of  the 
same  State,  where  tliey  were  married,  settled,  and 
spent  their  entire  lives.  (Greene  Matteson  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  and  the  parental  family  con- 
sisted of  eleven  children,  three  sons  and  eight 
daughters. 

Isaac  A.  Matteson  of  our  sketch  was  the  fourth 
child  of  his  parents'  family,  and  as  soon  as  he 
reached  suitable  years  he  was  emplo3'ed  in  the  cot- 
ton and  woolen  factory  of  his  native  town,  and  re- 
mained there  until  he  was  twenty-six  years  old. 
He  then  changed  his  occupation,  and  engaged  at 
carpenter  work  and  as  a  machinist  for  several 
years.  He  fiually  became  foreman  as  a  builder  of 
railroad  bridges,  which  he  followed  until  the  spring 
of  1853,  when  he  started  westward  to  Chicago.  111., 
and  was  engaged  one  year  at  that  p(_)int  in  the  con-  I 
struction  of  railroad  bridges.  The  following  spring 
he  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  purchased  the  farm 
in  this  count}'  which  constitutes  his  present  home- 
stead. Upon  this  he  has  remained  since  that  time, 
with  the  exception  of  three  years  passed  in  Ft. 
Madison.  His  first  purchase  comprised  230  acres, 
a  part  of  which  he  has  since  disposed  of. 

Mr.  Matteson  was  married  in  Smithfield,  H.  I., 
May  20,  1840,  to  Miss  Joan,  daughter  of  Benjamin 
and  Isabella  (Randall)  Gage,  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts and  Rhode  Island  respectivelj'.  Mr.  Gage  was 
a  painter  by  occupation,  and  the  family  included  a 
large  number  of  children.  Mrs.  Matteson  was  born 
in  Cranston,  R.  I.,  Oct.  22,  1818,  and  has  become 
the  mother  of  a  son,  Eugene  L.,  who  is  married, 
and  resides  in  Green  Bay  Township.  His  wife  was 
Miss  Eliza  Speaks,  of  Green  Bay  Township,  and 
they  have  a  son  and  daughter,  wlio  were  liorn  in 
Green  Bay  Township. 

Mr.  M.  of  our  sketch  is  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Supervisors  ot  Lee  Count}',  to  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed in  the  fall  of  1883,  and  was  thereafter 
elected  for  three  years.  He  has  also  served  as  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  for  manj'  years,  and  has  held  the 
other  minor  oHices  of  his  township.     Politically  he 


^^. 


attili.ites  with  tlie  Democratic  party,  •ind  takes  nil 
active  and  intelligent  interest  in  everytliing  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  of  his  township  and  conntj'. 

-^ 43~#- ^ 

THOMAS  H.  ALLYJs  owns  and  occupies  a 
snng  homestead  in  Jackson  Township,  on 
section  27,  and. is  at  present  engaged  in  hor- 
ticultural pursuits.  He  is  a  native  of  Groton,  New 
London  Co.,  Conn.,  and  was  born  Feb.  20,  1813,  his 
parents  being  James  and  Fannie  (Avery)  AUyn,  na- 
tives of  the  same  town  and  State  as  their  son.  There 
were  six  children  in  the  parental  household,  of 
whom  our  subject  was  the  3'oungest. 

Thomas  II.  Allj'n  continued  a  resident  of  his  na- 
tive town  until  he  was  about  eighteen  years  old. 
His  fatlier  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  fur- 
niture, which  business  yonng  Allyn  learned  and  fol- 
lowed for  some  time.  He  received  his  primaiy  ed- 
ucation in  the  common  schools,  and  later  attended 
a  grammar  school  for  several  terras.  He  then  left 
the  parental  roof,  and,  in  company  with  an  uncle, 
journeyed  to  the  southwest,  and  spent  three  years 
around  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  He  then  went  to 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  thence  to  Canada,  where  he  spent 
two  3'ears ;  afterward  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he 
became  clerk  in  a  canal  office,  and  from  there  to 
Portsmouth,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  for  six  years 
as  Collector  of  the  Port,  where  he  had  subsequently 
been  Inspector.  In  1846  he  set  his  face  westward, 
crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  coming  into  Keokuk, 
Iowa,  made  arrangements  to  engage  in  mercantile 
pursuits.  Circumstances,  however,  induced  him  to 
change  his  location,  and  going  to  Nauvoo,  111.,  he 
opened  a  store  for  the  sale  of  general  merchandise, 
which  he  conducted  during  that  season.  He  then 
returned  to  Keokuk,  and  the  following  winter 
opened  a  store  and  was  occupied  in  general  mer- 
chandising for  several  years  afterward.  He  finalh' 
sold  out,  and  in  company  with  Silas  Ilaight,  assumed 
charge  of  the  wharf  boat  for  three  years  following. 
In  1851,  in  companj-  with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr. 
Allyn  purchased  the  old  Laclede  House,  which  is 
now  known  as  the  Stanbergh  House,  and  operated 
as  "miue  host"  for  three  years.  He  then  became 
Deputy  in  the  post-offlce  under  Col.  Patterson,  was 


mail  agent  on  the  river  from  Keokuk  to  P 
St.  Louis,  and  subsequently  employed  as  clerk  on 
the  levee  for  about  three  years,  being  in  1857  ap- 
pointed Police  Magistrate  liy  Judge  Boyles.  He 
fiUed  the  vacanc}'  to  which  he  was  appointed  until 
the  time  of  the  regular  election,  when  he  was  re- 
placed in  his  position  by  the  votes  of  his  fellow- 
townsmen  for  another  term.  He  served  in  this  ca- 
pacit.v  for  two  terms,  and  in  the  fall  of  1859  was 
elected  Treasurer  and  Recorder  of  Lee  County. 

Mr.  All}'!!  occupied  this  last  position  for  four 
consecutive  years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  office,  in  1864,  went  South,  and  for  one  season 
engaged  as  a  speculator  in  cotton.  In  the  fall  of 
that  year  he  went  to  California,  and  after  his  re- 
turn the  year  following,  again  went  South,  and  en- 
gaged in  steamboating  on  the  Cumberland  River 
for  one  3^ear.  He  purchased  the  steamer  Wiiiond, 
which  traded  between  Gulf  ports  and  New  Orleans. 
He  then  came  to  Keokuk  and  engaged  in  the  whole- 
sale boot-and-shoe  trade  with  a  gentleman  of  that 
city,  the  style  and  title  of  the  firm  being  Walters, 
Allyn  <fe  Co.  He  operated  thus  for  one  year,  antl 
was  then  appointed  Deputy  Treasurer  of  Lee  County, 
which  position  he  acceptably  filled  for  the  space  of 
eight  years,  having  his  office  at  Keokuk.  He  then 
purchased  an  interest  in  a  marble-j^ard  on  the  Illi- 
nois side  of  the  river,  associating  himself  with  P.  J. 
Tallon,  and  they  operated  under  the  firm  title  of 
Tallon  &  Co.  for  two  years.  Mr.  Allyn  then  en- 
gaged as  a  dealer  in  real  estate  and  other  business 
of  a  like  nature  in  Keokuk,  and  in  the  winter  of 
1881  took  possession  of  his  farm  in  Jackson  Town- 
ship, upon  which  he  has  remained  since  that  time. 
This  he  has  operated  successfully,  making  the  finer 
fruits  a  specialty,  and  has  two  fine  orchards  contain- 
ing a-variety  of  choice  apple,  peach,  plum  and  other 
valuable  specimens  of  the  larger  fruits. 

Mr.  Allyn  was  married  at  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  Oct. 
22,  1842,  to  Miss  Mary  Turner,  a  native  of  that 
place,  born  Dec.  5,  1822.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
John  R.  Turner,  who  was  for  fifty  years  Clerk  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  and  Supreme  Court  of 
that  State.  He  w.as  also  Presi<lent  of  a  bank  at 
Portsmouth,  Ohio,  Mayor  of  the  city  several  times, 
and  also  Master  of  Chancery.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
intelligence  and  enterprise,  and  was  highly  esteemed 


mi 


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iT«rTTr^yxxxxtmtmnZ-XXl  ■ 


1 


and  respected  ])y  his  fellow-citizens.  lie  war^  a  sol- 
dier in  the  War  of  1812.  Mr.  and  Mrs;.  AUyn  have 
become  the  parents  of  one  child,  a  son,  Frank,  wlio 
is  an  attorney  at  law  at  Keokuk.  Mr.  Allj'n  is 
busilj'  engaged  in  liis  horticultural  pursuits,  is  a 
straightforward  business  man  and  highl}'  esteemed 
for  his  many  excellent  traits  of  character.  He  takes 
an  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare 
of  his  community,  and  in  polities  is  a  reliable  Dem- 
ocrat. 


mM 


IP 


EV.  FATHER  WILLIAM  JACOBY,  of  the 
German  (Catholic  Church  of  the  Assumption 
at  West  Point,  has  been  connected  with  this 
i) parish  since  1870,  and  has  fulfilled  the  du- 
ties of  his  high  office  in  a   worthy  and   acceptable 
manner.     Before    coming    to    West   Point,  Father 
.lacoby  was  first  detailed  for  missionary  work,  and 
subsequently'   took   charge  of    the  Church   of   the 
immaculate  Conception  at  Lansing,  Iowa,  a  position 
which  he  held  for  nine  years,  and  during  that  time 
helped  to  build  up  the  congregation  to  its  present 
prosperous  condition. 

Father  Jacob}-  was  born  .luiic  11,  1H35,  inthe 
cit}-  of  Ettelbruck,  Grand  Duchy  of  Luxemburg, 
where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  His  father, 
Peter,  and  his  mother,  Catharina  (Berg)  Jacob}-, 
were  of  pure  German  ancestrj',  spent  their  entire 
lives  in  their  native  land,  and  were  there  laid  to 
their  final  rest.  Pete)'  Jacoby  was  a  successful  shoe 
Tuerchant. 

Before  Father  Jacobj-  came  t»^)  this  country   be 

possessed  very  little  means  and  paid  his  expenses  in 

:  jl    college  by  giving  instruction  to  younger  students, 

MM\  and    was    for  seven   3'ears   Librarian   of  the  State 

Library  of    Luxemburg.     This  library    contained 

100,000  volumes.     He  completed  his  classical  and 

}  philosophical  studies  at  Luxemburg,  and  then  came 

}  to  this  country,  unattended  by  relatives  or  friends. 

■"His  isolated  condition  would  have  filled  many  a  man 
with  dismaj',  but  Father  Jacoljy  was  made  of  stern 
ivTijijjq stuff,  and  kept  his  high  aim  steadily  in  view.    That 
11  he  fully  succeeded  in  his  endeavors  his  present  po- 
}  sition  amply  testifies.     After   reaching  the  United 
— —^States  he  entered  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Mil- 


waukee, Wis.,  and  two  years  later,  in  1H68,  was  or- 
dained to  the  i^riestiiood  i)y  Bishop  Hennessey,  of 
Dubuque. 

Father  .lacoby  has  developed  remarkable  talent 
for  his  pious  vocation,  and  is  greatly  esteemed  ami 
beloved  by  those  who  have  the  honor  of  his  .ac- 
quaintance. Since  coming  to  West  Point  he  hn- 
increased  his  church  membership  very  materially. 
Their  house  of  worship  is  a  remarkably  elegant 
structure,  the  interior  especially  so.  At  the  high  altar 
is  an  oil  painting  from  one  ()f  the  m<n,sters  of  art,  and 
a  short  time  since,  through  the  earnest  efforts  of 
Father  Jacoby,  the  edifice  was  supplied  with  a  very 
fine  pipe  organ.  Through  his  efforts  also  there  has 
been  erected  one  of  the  finest  school-houses  in  the 
State.  It  is  located  in  West  Point,  and  is  an  orna- 
ment to  the  town  and  a  pride  to  the  congregation. 
About  1.^0  pupils  are  in  attendance  at  this  school, 
of  which  Father  Jacoby  is  Superintendent.  Father 
Jacoby  has  always  held  aloof  from  politics,  but  so- 
cially is  one  of  the  most  agreeable  and  companiona- 
ble of  men. 


^,1    J.  HAKDIX,  Chief  of  Police  of  the    city 
LiW    of  Keokuk,  is  also  engaged  in  an  extensive 


i)    livery  business,  his  headquarters  being  lo- 
(^  cated  on  Seventh  and  .Alain   streets,  at  Su- 

perior Court-room.  Mr.  Hardin  is  a  native  of  the 
Prairie  State,  and  was  born  in  Mclionough  County 
Feb.  10,  1844.  His  parents  were  H.  H.  and  Jane 
C.  (McCord)  Hardin,  natives  of  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee  respectively. 

The  father  of  our  subject  removed  from  his  na- 
tive State  to  Illinois  when  the  country  was  new 
and  comparatively  unsettled.  He  was  an  attorney 
bj'  profession,  l)ut  subsequently  took  up  the  study 
of  medicine,  and  practice<l  his  profession  in  Pike 
County,  111.,  afterward  in  Pike  County,  Mo.  He 
came  to  Keokuk  in  18.")1,  where  he  followed  his 
medical  practice.  He  attained  the  age  of  eighty- 
five  years,  and  passed  to  his  reward  in  1886.  The 
companion  of  his  earlier  years,  and  the  mother  of 
his  children,  departed  this  life  in  the  same  year  at 
the  age  of  seventy-four.  They  were  the  parents 
of  five  children,  of  whom  four  are  still  living:  The 
eldest  son,  John  L.,  is  a  resident  (_if  Ket>kuk;  A.  J., 
our  subject,  was   the  second   child    of  the   family ; 


II 


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Mary   E.,  Mi-s.  Hnngate,   resides  in    McDonough 

County,  111. ;  Harrison  B.  is  in  Keokuk. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  ciimo  to  this  city  with 
his  parents  at  the  early  age  of  seven  3-ears.  Heat- 
tended  school  in  the  winter  seasons  and  was  var- 
iously employed  during  the  summer  at  whatever 
he  could  find  to  do,  lieing  an  ambitious  boy,  and 
proud  to  earn  various  little  sums  of  money,  even 
at  that  early  age.  When  he  was  seventeen  yeais 
old  there  came  a  call  for  troops  to  assist  in  defend- 
ing a  threatened  liiion.  \\'itli  all  the  ardor  of 
youthful  patriotism  he  resolved  to  become  a  .sol- 
dier, and  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  od  Iowa  Vol.  Cal.,  and 
remained  in  the  service  for  three  j'ears  and  three 
months,  lie  was  engaged  with  his  regiment  in  the 
battles  of  Pea  Kidge,  Vickslnirg.  .Jackson,  Canton, 
and  all  the  various  battles  and  skirmishes  of  that 
eam|iaign.  He  endured  the  vicissitudes  of  war  with 
soldierl}'  courage  and  received  an  honorable  dis- 
ciiarge  at  the  close,  returning  home  without  even  a 
scratch. 

After  his  return  from  the  ai-my,  ilr.  Hardin 
serveil  an  appenticeship  at  the  blacksmith  trade  in 
Keokuk,  and  followed  this  for  seven  3-ears.  He 
then  accejited  a  position  on  the  police  force,  .and  in 
187!  was  appointed  Deputj'  Marshal.  Four  3'ears 
later  he  became  City  Marsh.1l,  which  office  he  re- 
signed iu  1.S82,  to  accept  a  position  with  the  I'nion 
Iron  &  Steele  Co.,  of  Chicago,  as  chief  of  their 
special  police  force.  At  the  expiration  of  the  year 
this  company  had  failed  in  business,  but  Mr.  Hardin 
remained  as  special  custodian  under  the  Tnited 
States  Marshal.  After  a  Receiver  was  appointed, 
Mr.  Hardin  was  selected  as  special  custodian  under 
the  Receiver,  which  position  he  occupied  until  he 
was  waited  upon  Ijy  a  delegation  from  the  Gate  Cit}', 
with  the  request  that  he  would  return  and  become 
a  candidate  for  the  office  of  City  Marshal.  He  ac- 
cordingly resigned  his  position,  returned  to  Keo- 
kuk, received  the  election,  and  held  the  position 
until  188;j,  when  he  declined  to  become  a  candi- 
date. He  engaged  in  the  livery  liusiness,  but  was 
again  urged  by  the  people  of  Keokuk  to  resume 
his  old  position  in  the  spring  of -1886,  and  after 
much  persuasion  he  assented,  his  last  election  being 
in    18.su. 

.Mr.  Hardin  was  married   in    l.sTG    to    .^Ii.ss    Kttle 


Hoppe,  a  la.dy  of  German  ancestry  and  parentage. 
She  only  remained  the  companion  of  her  husband 
until  the  following  year,  when  he  met  with  a  sore 
bereavement  in  her  death,  by  the  dread  disease 
consumption.  C)f  this  union  one  child  was  born, 
M,aliel  .]..  who  died  at  the  age  of  about  three  month.s. 
Mr.  Hardin  was  subsequently  married,  April  1.5, 
1 8)S.'>,  to  Mrs.  Mary  Haxell,  the  sister  of  his  former 
wife,  and  also  a  native  (jf  Germany.  Of  this  union 
there  were  liorn  twin  children,  daughters,  Mary  and 
Etta.     The  latter  died  when  three  weeks  old. 

Besides  his  peculiar  adaptabUit3-  to  the  position 
which  lie  has  filled  for  such  a  length  of  time,  Mr. 
Hai'din  is  also  a  successful  and  energetic  business 
man.  His  livery  outfit  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the 
city,  and  the  business  gives  employment  to  eight 
men.  He  has  been  prominently  connected  with 
the  Fire  Dep.artment  of  Keokuk,  and  in  1868  held 
the  position  of  Chief.  Politicallj-  he  is  strongly 
Republican,  and  socially  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O. 
P.,  G.  A.  R..  and  the  K.  of  P. 

Mr.  Hardin  and  his  family  reside  at  No.  2(i  North 
Tenth  street.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  cutlery 
wiirks  in  this  city,  and  is  an  important  f.actor  in 
the  industrial  interests  of  the  community.  He  is 
the  center  of  a  large  circle  of  admiring  friends  and 
acquaintances,  and  in  all  respects  is  fulfilling  the 
obligations  of  a  good  citizen. 


"^Jtf-rt^^tf-^ 


••^t^>*-^»^ 


,OYAL  B.  qUINTON,  a  highly  respected 
citizen  of  Denmark  Township,  is  one  of 
the  most  extensive  farmers  of  Lee  Count}-, 
and  has  met  with  remarkable  success  in 
the  various  departments  of  his  calling.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  having  been 
born  in  Ashtabula  County,  on  the  27th  of  August, 
1811).  His  father.  Samuel  (^uinton,  came  from  the 
Ohl  (ir.anite  State  in  1812,  but  three  years  later  re- 
turned for  the  purpose  of  being  united  in  marriage 
with  .Miss  Lucretia  Henry.  After  the  wedding, 
he  immediately  returueil  to  Ohio  with  his  bride, 
and  located  upon  a  farm  in  Ashtabula  County, 
where  they  remained  until  l.s."),").  and  then  crossing 
the  Father  of  \\aters,  came  into  Iowa  and  located 
in  I.ic  (  <«untv.      Here  they  established  a  home,  be- 


M 


I 


,.3 
544 


LEE  COUNTY. 


H 


came  among  the  highly  respected  residents  of  this 
vicinity,  and  here  they  folded  their  han<1s  for  tlieir 
final  rest. .  The  parental  household  included  seven 
children,  three  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 

Roj-al  E.  Qiiinton  was  the  eldest  child  of  his 
parents'  family.  He  remained  with  them  until  he 
attained  his  majority,  and  then,  his  capital  consist- 
ing of  an  English  sixpence  (which  he  still  retains), 
he  departed  from  the  parental  roof  to  seek  his 
fortune  through  the  exercise  of  his  ovvn  Industry. 
In  those  days  of  thinly  settled  communities,  it  was 
bj'  no  means  an  easy  task  to  secure  a  wage-paying- 
situation.  The  country  was  fidl  of  j'oung  men 
who  were  willing  to  work  for  a  consideration,  and 
only  a  few  inhabitants  had  use  for  or  could  afford 
to  keep  hired  help.  Young  (.^uinton,  however,  was 
not  easilj'  discouraged,  and  finally  succeeded  in 
hiring  out  to  a  farmer  sit  $12  per  month,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  year  had  his  monthly  stipend  increased  to 
$13.  He  remained  with  his  first  eniployer  for  some 
time  after  this,  and  then  for  two  successive  j-ears 
was  employed  by  another  party  at  the  same  wages. 
The  latter  was  a  dealer  in  live  stock,  and  became 
greatly  attached  to  his  "  hired  man,"  aud  took  him 
witli  iiiui  when  he  made  his  purchases  of  cattle,  and 
those  experiences,  no  doubt,  were  an  excellent 
schooling  for  our  subject,  who  possessed  great 
natural  abilities  and  improved  everj-  (jpportunity 
for  observation  in  the  dealings  of  men  with  men. 
This,  added  to  his  natural  talent  for  financiering, 
was  the  secret  of  his  future^  success. 

As  soon  as  young  (^uinton  had  saved  ^100,  he 
loaned  it  out  at  12  per  cent  interest  in  advance. 
He  held  a  moderate  sum  iu  reserve,  with  which  he 
purchased  a  good  saddle  horse,  and  b}'  subsequent 
trade  accumulated  a  little  more  mone\'.  He  always 
dressed  well,  Init  by  ;i  judicious  disbursement  of 
funds,  at  the  end  of  four  years  found  himself  the 
possessor  of  $53.0  in  cash.  In  common  with  many 
of  his  3oung  associates,  he  experienced  a  great  de- 
sire to  visit  the  country  beyond  the  Mississippi, 
i"  which  was  then  holding  out  rare  inducements  to 
the  young  and  enterprising   emigrant,     lie  had  a 


friend  in  this  vicinitv  who  was  engaged 


an  In- 


dian  trader  along   the  I'latte   River    country,   that 
being  300  miles  west  ut  any   while  settlement,  and 


he  cduchided  to  join  liiui 

0 


He  started  \ia  the  river 


from  Belleville,  Ohio,  but  when  he  arrived  at  lli' 
mouth  of  the  Missouri  there  were  no  boats  run- 
ning, and  the  best  he  could  do  was  to  go  to  Keo- 
kuk. After  arriving  there,  the  few  citizens  will 
whom  lie  first  became  acquainted  advised  him  I  ■ 
abandon  the  Platte  River  project  on  account  of  tin 
Mormon  outrages.  While  debating  upon  the  best 
course  to  pursue,  he  received  a  letter  informing 
him  of  the  death  of  his  friend,  the  trader.  He 
therefore  concluded  to  remain  in  Lee  County,  and 
soon  made  ."i  purchase  of  1  CO  acres  of  land  in  Pleas- 
ant Ridge  Township,  for  which  he  paid  ^GOO  in 
cash.  Upon  this  he  erected  a  house,  and  in  August, 
11S4G,  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  B.  Hornby,  a  na- 
tive of  Bremen,  Me.,  and  the  daughter  of  John 
Hornby,  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Lee  Count}'. 

Soon  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Ouinton  was  thrown 
from  a  horse,  and  so  severely  injured  that  he  was 
unable  for  a  long  time  to  pursue  his  farm  labors. 
He  accoidingly  sold  out  for  ^1,000,  and  after  a 
few  months  of  rest  aud  recuperation,  purchased  a 
farm  in  Franklin  Township,  selling  it  the  following 
year  for  double  the  purchase  price,  besides  dispos- 
ing of  the  growing  crop,  for  which  he' received  a 
promissory  note  due  in  five  years  and  drawing  10 
per  cent  interest.  The  parties  who  gave  the  note, 
however,  were  poor,  and  it  was  considered  worth- 
less. In  the  meantime  Mr.  (^.  made  a  visit  to  Ohio, 
and  upon  his  return  to  the  West,  settled  in  Den- 
mark Township.  The  year  before  the  m;iturit3'  of 
the  aforesaid  note  it  was  taken  up.  Mr.  Q.  receiv- 
ing live  stock  in  payment,  at  the  sale  of  which  he 
received  a  handsome  jirofit.  He  subsequeiith'  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  2()l(  acres  iu  Franklin  Townsiiip, 
and  in  due  time  sold  it  for  three  times  the  pui- 
chase  price. 

In  1852  Mr.  (}.  purchased  eiglrty  acres  of  his 
present  homestead,  to  which  he  has  subsequently 
added  until  he  is  now  the  possessor  of  X\b  .acres, 
all  in  one  body,  although  having  presented  to  his 
son  185  acres.  His  land  is  finelj'  improved  and  is 
equipped  with  hands(,)mc  and  substantial  farm  build- 
ings. Besides  the  culture  of  the  cereals,  he  is  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  stock  farming,  and  exhibits 
some  of  the  finest  animals  to  be  found  along  the 
Mississip|>i  Nallev. 

The  household  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  (^uintouhas  lieen 


■n;j^7^-^;?? 


brightened  by  the  birth  of  five  children,  of  whom 
the  record  is  as  follows :  Herbert  T.  is  located  on 
a  farm  at  Kingston,  Kan.;  Holland  B.  is  engaged  in 
agriculture  in  Denmark  Township;  Alfred  B.  is  a 
lawyer  in  Topeka,  Kan.,  and  Probate  Judge  of  the 
Circuit  Court;  Frank  C.  is  a  civil  engineer  in  the 
employ  of  tiie  A.,  T.  &  St.  F.  R.  R. ;  Eugene  S.  is  a 
lawyer  at  Topeka;  Nellie  E.  is  the  wife  of  Philander 
H.  Adams,  and  also  resides  at  Topeka. 

Mr.  (^ninton,  it  is  hardl3'  necessary  to  say,  is  a 
leading  citizen  of  Denmark  Township,  and  has  been 
prominent  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare 


on  the  track  of  the  Boston  (fe  Worcester  Railroad. 
Our  subject  then  returned  to  his  old  home  in 
Xew  Hampshiie  and,  rejecting  many  flattering 
propositions  held  out  to  him  as  inducements  to  re- 
main in  that  vicinity, he  determined  to  "Go  West." 
He  accordingly  left  the  Old  Granite  State,  in 
1836,  and  went  as  far  ;is  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  with  a  horse 

I   his  "01 
sht4i-  JLe 
bula,  Ohio.     Not  being  pleased   with   that  section 
of   country    he    went  soutii   into  Athens   County, 
where  he  located  and  remained  two  years,  eniploy- 


and  buggy.     He  then   loaded   his   vehicle  and 
faithful  animal  on  a  boat  and   proceeded  to  Asht 


of  this  vicinity.     He  is  a  striking  example  of   what    i    ing  mucii  of  his  time  in  traveling  about,  and  finally 


energy,  indui,try  and  economy  may  accomplish, 
and  the  young  man  of  to-day  who  feels  discouraged 
under  difflculties,  may  well  profit  by  the  example 
of  the  old  pioneers  who,  amid  dangers  as  well  as 
difficulties,  persevered  against  desperate  odds  and 
lived  to  tell  the  tale. 


jj^ILLlAM  DAVIS,  a  prominent  and  highly 
respected  citize;i  .of  'Washington  Town- 
ship, is  a  native  of  Canaan,  Grafton  Co., 
N.  H.,  and  was  born  Oct.  24,  1814.  He  was  reared 
on  a  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  left  the 
parental  roof  and  started  out  to  do  for  himself, 
first  going  to  Lebanon,  a  town  adjoining  liis  birth- 
place, where  he  engaged  as  a  farm  laborer  for  a 
year.  He  spent  the  following  winter  at  his  fnther's, 
and  in  the  spring  engaged  in  milling  for  a  short 
time,  and  then  resumed  agricidtural  pursuits  on  a 
farm  in  Lebanon.  He  then  returned  home,  where 
he  remained  for  three  years,  and  in  the  spring  of 
183;?  went  to  Boston,  where  he  was  employed  un- 
loading schooners  and  other  vessels  at  the  wharf  for 
about  two  months,  after  which  he  was  employed  by 
the  Boston  <k  Worcester  Railway  Company,  which 
is  now  known  as  the  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad. 
He  was  in  Boston  wheji  <  Jen.  Jackson  made  his  visit 
to  that  city,  and  when  the  old  war  vessel  "  Constitu- 
tion "  was  taken  into  the  dry  dock.  He  remained 
in  the  employ  of  this  company  for  about  three 
years,  and  assisted  in  putting  the  first  car  on  a  rail- 
road track  in  Massachusetts,  said  car  being  placed 


decided  to  crosss.the  Mississippi.  He  came  into 
Iowa,  his  first  stopping-place  being  in  Denmark, 
Lee  County,  where  he  engaged  as  a  farm  laborer 
with  "  Parson  Turner  "  f<jr  two  years. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Davis  had  entered  KJii  acres 
of  land  in  Washington  Township,  which  was  located 
on  section  5,  and  not  very  long  afterward  wa.s 
united  in  marriage  with  iliss  Hannah  Hunston,  a 
native  of  his  own  State.  The  young  couple  located 
upon  the  farm  in  ^Vashington  Township  about  the 
1st  of  September,  1840.  They  had  scai-celj'  be- 
come settled  in  their  new  home  when  the  3'oung 
wife  was  taken  ill  with  ;i  malignant  form  of  typhoid 
fever,  and  in  just  one  month  to  a  day  from  the 
time  they  were  married,  she  closed  her  eyes  forever 
t(^  the  scenes  of  earth,  her  death  taking  place  the 
same  hour  of  the  day  in  which  the  marriage  cere- 
mony was  performed,  Oct.  !),  1840.  Aliout  three 
weeks  after  the  death  of  hi^  wife  Mr.  Davis  re- 
turned to  the  old  home  in  New  Hampshire,  and 
remained  there  until  the  following  sjjring.  He  was 
then  married  to  Miss  Laura  Huston,  and  at  once 
retuiiied  to  Lee  Count}'  and  Washington  Town- 
ship, of  which  he  has  since  been  a  resident. 

The  homestead  of  Mr.  Davis  consists  of  oBd 
acres  of  valuable  land,  with  a  fine  set  of  frame 
buildings.  His  dwelling  is  iiaudsomely  finished 
and  furnished,  and  his  liarns  and  outhouses  are  ex- 
celled by  none  in  Lee  County.  The  estate  in  all 
respects  is  indicative  of  cultured  t.astes  and  ample 
means,  and  forms  one  of  the  attractions  in  the  land- 
sca]>c  of  Southeastern  Iowa. 

.Mr.  Davis  has  been  promineully  identified  with 
the  affairs  of   lliis  vicinity    since   coming   into   J,ee 


County.  He  possesses  great  force  of  character, 
aml)ition  and  enterprise,  and  while  tiirifty  and  ju- 
dicious in  the  management  of  his  own  business 
affairs,  has  also  contributed  of  lii>  time  and  means 
for  the  promotion  of  every  enterprise  calculated  to 
l)eiie(it  the  community  at  large.  He  enjoj's,  in  a 
marked  degree,  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the 
people  of  his  locality.  :ind  has  lichl  the  various 
offices  of  honor  and  trust.  He  lias  been  County 
.Supervisor  for  a  term  of  five  years,  and  was  greatl}' 
instrumental  in  leducing  the  heavj'  debt  which 
hung  over  Lee  County  during  the  earlier  period  of 
its  history.  At  this  time  he  was  intrusted  with  the 
niost  delicate  and  important  features  of  the  case, 
•and  carried  out  his  obligations  with  the  strictest 
lnmesty  and  integrity. 

.Mr.  Davis  li.as  been  quite  a  traveler,  and  since 
making  the  long  jo\irne3^  from  his  native  State  to 
Iowa   has  coniplcted   his  tour  of  the   continent   b}' 


nil 

m 


n   visits  to  California  and   Oregon,     lie   has  been   an 
extensive    reader,   and    keenly   observant    of    wliat 

was  going  on  around  him,  has  made  the  most  of  his 
ricli  experiences  in  life.  Upon  coming  here  he  was 
at  once  recognized  as  a  man  fitted  to  be  a  leader, 
whose  wise  and  judicious  counsels  it  would  be  safe 
to  follow.  lie  has  eminently  fulfilled  the  trust  im- 
posed in  liim,  and  there  is  no  man  in  tliis  section  of 
Iowa  wIki  is  lield  in  higher  respect. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Ebenezer  and  Han- 
nah (Scales)  Davis,  spent  their  entire  lives  in  (iraf- 
tou  County.  N.  II.,  occupied  in  the  peaceful  piw- 
suits  of  agricuit.iu-e.  The  family  circle  included 
eight  children,  of  whom  the  sul)ject  of  our  sketch 
w.as  the  3-oungest  liorn,  and  is  the  only  one  living. 
They  came  from  an  old  and  excellent  family  whose 
names,  throughout  New  England,  were  synony- 
mous wit;h  honesty,  integrity,  and  great  iiobility  of 
character. 

The  parents  of  .Mrs.  Davis  wei'e  .John  and  Zer- 
viah  (Field)  Huston,  natives  also  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. John  Huston  w.as  a  fai-mer  by  occupation, 
and  in  about  1844  emigrated  ^vc^st  to  Iowa  with  his 
family,  settling  in  Denmark  Township,  Lee  County, 
where  the  parents  passed  the  last  days  of  their 
lives.  .Mrs.  Davis  was  the  second  child  of  the 
family,  whicli  included  three  sons  and  four  dautjh- 
ters.      She  was  employed   as   a    teacher    in    Lowell, 

1^ 


Mass.,  and  after  coming  to  Iowa  taught  one  term  of 

school  in  Washington  Townshij). 

.Mr.  Davis  is  independent  in  politics,  and  his  re- 
ligion consists  in  l)eing  just  to  his  fellow-men,  and 
in  doing  as  he  would  be  done  by.  He  began  life 
at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  and  has  climbed  up  step 
by  step,  building  for  himself  not  only  a  character  of 
high  morality  and  .sound  principles,  but  also  meet- 
ing w^ith  remarkable  success  in  the  acquirement  of 
a  competency  for  his  later  days,  and  now  he  and 
his  amiable  .and  e.xcellent  partner  are  reaping  the 
reward  of  habits  uf  industry  and  goodly  lives,  and 
all  who  know  them  will  heartily  pra3'  that  their  last 
days  may  lie  their  liest. 


5!-'5 


''^■^vn.'^\ijiJlil*t§'^^^ 


..g|x2iOTTr*v- ■^/v^^ 


KANCIS  .M.  MYEHS.  of  Ft.  .Madison,  who 
)  is  prominently  engaged  in  the  grocer3' trade 
in  this  citj',  is  a  native  of  Green  Ba}-  Town- 
ship, born  Dec.  13,  18,J0.  His  father,  .Joseph  JIj'- 
ers,  was  a  |>it>neer  of  Ft.  Madison,  and  is  now  liv- 
ing in  this  city  retired  from  active  business.  He 
was  born  nine  miles  from  Gettysburg,  one  of  tlu^ 
famous  battle-fields  of  the  late  war,  in  Fenns.vlva- 
nia,  and  his  father,  Francis  H.  Myers,  was  a  native 
of  New  York,  of  (merman  ancestry-  and  parentage, 
and  a  tanner  and  cuirier  by  trade.  The  latter  re- 
moved from  New  Y'ork  to  Adams  County',  Pa., 
when  a  young  man,  and  purchased  a  farm,  ujion 
which  he  operated  until  1818.  He  then  removed 
to  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  purchased  another  farm, 
and  carried  on  the  occupation  of  farming  and  tan- 
ning until  his  retirement  from  the  .active  labors  of 
life.  He  was  married  in  earl}'  manhood  to  Miss 
Catherine  .Staub,  a  native  of  I'eiuisylvania.  She 
accompanied  her  husband  to  Ohio  and  died  in  Fair- 
field County.  'I'heir  fan)ily  included  ten  children, 
eight  of  whom  grew  to  mature  vears. 

.b>seph  Myers,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  the  fifth  chihl  of  his  parents'  family.  He  re- 
mained at  home  receiving  his  primary  education  in 
the  subscription  schools,  and  later  attended  JMari- 
etta  Institute,  after  which  he  took  a  course  at  Gran- 
ville Institute.  He  commenced  teaching  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  vears,  and  b^'  this  means  earned  money 
with   which  to  pursue  his  studies.     After  gradiiat- 


sti 


I 
I 
I 
I 

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-I 


3E! 


'  hi 


S5^ 


^sa 


p 


:iiiiT»[g;t-jH( 


1  T  t  TTT-f  i-TT  X  ri  TTTTjin  i 


LEE  COUNTY. 


ing  at  Gi'anville  he  continued  his  duties  as  an  in- 
structor in  Fairfield  and  Perry  Counties,  after  which, 
in  1837,  he  took  up  the  stiidj^  of  medicine  under 
the  instruction  of  Dr.  Brooks,  of  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio. 
The  year  following  he  took  a  course  of  lectures  at 
Rush  Medical  College.  Chicago,  111.,  and  subse- 
quentl.y  commenced  the  practice  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession at  Reading,  Perry  Co.,  Ohio.  He  practiced 
and  taught  school  alternately  until  1841,  and  then 
started  for  Ft.  Madison,  via  the  Ohi<^  and  Missis- 
sippi Rivers.  In  March  following  he  opened  a 
drag-store,  which  he  operated  for  a  period  of  nine 
years,  and  then  selling  out,  purchased  a  farm  in 
Green  Bay  Township,  and  followed  agricultural 
pui'suits  for  two  years.  He  now  couclnded  to 
abandon  farming,  and  returning  to  Ft.  Jladison 
opened  another  drug-store,  and  continued  this  un- 
Ig  til  187G.  He  then  sold  the  business  to  his  sons  and 
retired  from  active  labor. 

Joseph  Myers  was  married  on  the  2d  of  August, 
1841,  to  Miss  Louisa  Hoffman,  who  was  also  horn 
in  Adams  County,  Pa.,  followed  the  fortunes  of 
her  husband  to  the  West,  and  died  the  j^ear  follow- 
ing his  retirement  from  business  on  the  loth  of 
July  1877.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom,  Susannah  and  Joseph,  died  in 
infancj' ;  Justus  lives  in  Washington  Township; 
Maselon  M..  born  April  21,  1847,  died  Nov.  21, 
1882;  Francis,  our  subject,  was  the  fifth  child; 
Mary  T.  became  the  wife  of  Luther  Walsworth,  and 
lives  in  Austin,  Tex. ;  Alfred  A.  M.,  born  May  7, 
1856,  died  Jan.  11,  1884;  John  C.  B.  was  born 
Oct.  16,  1860,  and  lives  in  Ft.  Madison.  He  is 
Democratic  in  politics,  and  a  prominent  man  in  his 
vicinity. 

Francis   M.  Mj^ers  was  but  two  years   old   when 
his  parents  located  in  Ft.  Madison  the  second  time, 
and  he  here  grew  to  manhood  and  received  his  pri- 
mary education  in  the   city  schools.     At  quite   an 
early  age  he  began  to  clerk  in  his  father's  store,  and 
gained  an  excellent  insight  into  business  matters. 
In  1876  he  became  associated   in    partnership  with 
his  brother,  and  they  secured  the  father's  business 
;S  and  operated  it  until  the  following  year,  when  they 
1 5  sold  out,  and  Francis  M.  went   East  on    a    visit, 
f  spending  three  mouths.     He  then   returned   to   Ft. 
Madison,  remained  until  the  following    May,  then 


retraced  his  steps  eastward,  and  made  a  tour  of 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Ohio,  which  occupied 
the  greater  part  of  liis  time  until  JIarch,  1879, 
when  he  once  more  crossed  the  Father  of  Waters, 
and  in  company  with  his  brother  Maselon,  again 
became  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade  until  Novem- 
ber, 1882,  when  his  brother  Alfred  succeeded  Mase- 
lon, and  our  subject  and  this  brother  carried  on 
the  business  until  January,  1884,  when  Alfred  My- 
ers died,  and  since  that  time  Francis  M.  ha*  eon- 
ducted  the  business  alone. 

Mr.  Myers  is  straightforward  in  his  business 
transactions,  and  this,  in  coiniection  with  his  cour- 
teous demeanor  toward  all  with  whom  he  deals,  has 
secured  for  him  .an  extensive  and  prolitable  trade. 
He  is  still  a  young  man,  with  a  bright  future  before 
him,  and  has  the  confidence  and  good  wishes  of  a 
large  circle  of  friends.  He  is  connected  with  .St. 
Joseph's  Catholic  Church,  and  a  valued  member  of 
the  community,  of  whom  good  things  are  looked 
for  in  the  future. 

^ ^^ ^ 


ORITZ  TSCHOEPE,  of  Ft.  Madison,  en- 
gaged in  general  insurance,  is  conducting 
the  various  departments  of  his  business 
with  intelligence  and  success.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  Kingdom  of  Poland,  and  the  date  of 
his  birth  was  Oct.  13,  1841.  His  early  j'ears  were 
passed  in  the  town  of  Muensterberg,  with  his  par- 
ents, Anthony  and  Fredrica  Tschoe|ie.  The  former 
was  a  leather  merchant,  and  carried  on  an  exten- 
sive and  successful  business  until  the  outbreak  of 
the  Revolution  in  1848.  He  then  entered  the  Po- 
lish army,  receiving  a  Captain's  commission,  and 
served  during  the  war.  When  the  Russians  became 
victorious  he  escaped  to  the  United  States,  a  poor 
man,  his  property  having  been  confiscated  to  the 
Russian  Government,  .\fter  reaching  this  country 
he  settled  at  West  Bend,  Wi.<.,  and  engaged  in 
farming,  alone  for  six  years,  until  in  1854,  when  he 
sent  for  his  wife  and  daughter,  and  they  joined 
him  here.  The  mother  departed  this  life  in  1869. 
The  parental  family  consisted  of  three  children: 
Moritz,  our  subject;  Robert,  who  remains  in  his 
native  country ;  aud  Emelie,  who,  with  her    father, 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


resides  in  West  Hcnd.  The  latter  has  arrived  at 
the  iidvanced  age  of  eighty-six  ^-ears.  He  was 
prosperous  after  settling  in  America,  accuniulating 
a  handsome  property,  and  is  now  retired  from  act- 
ive labor. 

Morit/.  Tschoepe  received  a  good  common-school 
education,  which  was  supplemented  liy  an  attend- 
ance of  two  terms  at  Normal  Seminarj'.  He  after- 
ward learned  the  w.igon-maker's  trade  in  his  native 
Province.  In  l><Crl  he  received  a  pass  from  his 
[[::  |l  father  to  emigrate  to  tlie  I'liited  States,  and  m1- 
V  -  l_j  tiiouijh  rather  adverse  to  leaving  his  own  country, 
M.^  acceded  to  liie  wishes  of  his  parents  and  joined 
them  here.  The  following  ye.ar,  the  late  Civil  War 
being  in  progress,  he  enlisted  as  a  soldier  of  the 
L'nion,  Itecoming  a  raeml)er  of  Co.  C  24th  Wis. 
\'ol.  Inf.,  and  was  mustered  into  service  at  Milwau- 
kee on  the  lyth  of  August.  He  marched  with  his 
regiment  to  the  seat  of  war  and  w.is  engaged  with 
his  comrades  in  the  various  battles  and  skirmishes 
>(  the  campaign.     He  was  taken  prisoner  at  Stone 


1^3  I    River  the  following  December,  and  was  exchanged 


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the  .June  following.  He  participated  in  the  battles 
of  Perryville.  Cliiekamauga.  Missionary  liidge,  and 
all  the  important  engagements  until  after  the  siege 
of  Atlanta  when,  at  the  engagement  near  Franklin, 
Nov.  30,  1864,  he  received  a  wound  in  tiie  left  arm. 
At  various  times  during  his  connection  with  the 
army,  his  promotion  was  proposed,  but  as  he  could 
not  speak  English  Hneiitly,  he  felt  extremely  diffi- 
dent, and  declined  many  of  the  honors  sought  to 
be  conferred  upon  him,  only  accepting  the  rank  of 
Corporal. 

After  he  was  mustered  out  of  service,  Mr. 
Tschoepe  returned  to  his  parents  in  Wisconsin,  and 
after  his  wound  had  iicaled  resumed  liis  trade  of 
wagon-making.  In  .January,  lijGU,  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Margaret  Baltes,  of  Milwaukee,  the  sister 
of  one  of  his  comrades.  Mrs.  Tschoepe  was  born 
on  the  3d  of  February,  1848,  and  of  hei- union  with 
our  subject  has  become  the  mother  of  eight  chil- 
dren— Kddie,  Lizzie,  Willie,  Ervlne,  Sarah,  Arthur 
and  Hertha  (twins),  and  Frances. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  came  to  Iowa  about  three  3-ears 
after  their  marriage,  and  located  at  Hurlington, 
where  our  subject  worked  at  his  trade  until  l,s7i, 
but  was  then  obliged  to  abandon  it  on   account  of 


his  crippled  arm.  He  then  established  a  German 
book-store,  and  the  following  year  his  partner  ab- 
sconded with  some  of  the  funds.  Mr.  T.  then  sold 
out  the  business  and  engaged  in  insurance.  In 
1879  he  became  district  agent  for  Lee  County,  of 
the  Burlington  Insurance  Company,  and  removed 
to  Denmark,  so  as  to  be  near  the  center  of  his  field 
of  operations.  He  soon  developed  rare  talent  for 
this  branch  of  business,  and  as  time  progressed  ex- 
tended his  territory  so  that  he  is  now  the  repre- 
sententative  of  ten  comp.anies,  anicmg  them  the 
most  important  of  any  in  the  I'nitcd  States.  Mr. 
T.  located  in  Ft.  Madison  in  1880,  and  by  his  cor- 
rect business  methods  has  become  a  highlj'  esteemed 
and  valued  citizen.  He  owns  and  (iccu|)ies  a  hand- 
some hoine  near  the  city  limits.  Politically  he  is 
Republican,  and  socially  a  prominent  member  of 
the  a.  A.   R. 


^- 


^1-^ 


■^OHN  ML■^' AY,  a  carpenter  and  farmer  of  \'an 
Buren  Township,  is  pleasantly  situated  on  sec- 
tion 14,  where  he  owns  and  occupies  120  acres 
of  valuable  land.  Mr.  Mc\'a3-  is  a  native  of 
Highland  County,  Ohio,  and  the  date  of  his  birth 
was  March  19,  1822.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years 
his  parents  removed  to  Putnam  County,  Ind., 
where  he  remained  until  1847,  when  he  crossed  the 
Mississippi  and  came  into  the  3'oung  Hawkej'e 
.State,  locating  in  Marion  County,  which  remained 
his  home  for  twenty  years.  In  1867  he  remoxed 
to  Lee  County,  where  he  has  since  remained.  In 
Marion  County  Mr.  Mc\'ay  became  the  possessor 
of  160  acres  of  land,  which  he  sold  before  coming 
here.  He  has  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
the  greater  part  of  his  life,  but  being  a  natural 
mechanic,  has  employed  much  of  his  spare  time  in 
carpenter  work. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  is  the  son  of 
Jacob  and  Mary  (Reece)  McVay,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Tennessee  respectively.  .IacobMc\'ay 
was  born  in  1790,  and  departed  this  life  in  1879.  in 
Indiana.  Mrs.  Mary  Mc^'ay  was  born  in  1795, 
and  preceded  her  husband  to  the  better  land  in 
1 863.  Thej'  were  the  parents  of  fifteen  children, 
ail  but  one  of  whom  lived  to  mature  j'ears.     Thej' 


LEE  COUNTY. 


551 


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were  named  as  follows:  Madison.  Edmund  R., 
Elizabeth,  Mary,  -John,  Harriet  and  Harvey  (twins), 
I-)elilah,  Alfred,  Jacob,  Rachel,  Lydia  ¥^.  (who  died 
at  the  age  of  three  years),  Sarah  M.,  Catharina  and 
William  H. 

Aug.  25,  1844,  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  EIizal)eth  Wain.  She  remained  his  com- 
[)anion  for  only  ten  years,  her  death  occurring  in 
1>1.")4.  Of  this  union  there  were  born  three  chil- 
dren— J.acob  H.,  Adeline  and  Lydia  E.  Mr.  McVaj' 
"as  subsequently  married  to  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Wain) 
Arnold,  of  Ohio,  and  the}'  became  the  parents  of 
the  following  children :  Alice,  who  died  at  the  age 
(.>f  live  years;  Rancler  S. ;  Sarah,  deceased ;  Emma 
A.,  the  wife  of  Frank  Bodby,  of  Franklin  Town- 
shij);  Flora  M.,  Ada,  Edmund  R.,  and  Minnie, 
now  Mrs.  John  Walter. 

Mr.  Mc^'ay  is  highly  respected  in  his  community 
and  has  held  the  various  township  offices.  He  is 
Republican  in  politics  and  has  an  intelligent  inter- 
est in  local  and  general  matters.  He  and  his  wife 
arc  members  in  good  standing  of  the  ^Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  contribute  liberally  and 
cheerfuUj'  to  its  support.  He  is  at  present  Steward 
of  the  society,  and  has  much  influence  in  its  coun- 
cils and  deliberations. 

,Sh -HM-<Si)j(  ^:^  ^^ -H>+ •«- 

ENRY  R.  MILLER,  of  Keokuk,  is  Presi- 
dent, Treasurer,  Superintendent  and  (ieu- 
eral  Manager  of  the  Keokuk  Gas- Light  and 
Coke  Company,  with  which  he  became  con- 
nected in  1875,  He  is  thoroughlj'  skilled  in  all 
the  details  relating  thereto,  and  his  present  respon- 
sible position  is  abundant  evidence  of  his  work  and 
efticiency.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
was  born  in  Springfield  March  31,  183'J,  His  boy- 
hood was  passed  in  his  native  city,  where  he  had 
the  advantages  of  a  good  education  and  received 
earl}-  training  in  business  matters. 

In  1868  Mr.  Miller  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Elizabeth,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Judge  D. 
^Mooar,  a  prominent  and  wealthy  citizen  of  Keokuk, 
and  of  this  union  there  were  born  three  children — 
Daniel,  Bessie  and  Howard.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  are 
prominently   connected  with  St.  John's  Episcopal 


Church,  of  which  our  subject  has  been  Secretary 
of  the  ^'estry  since  1875.  Mr.  M.  is  a  prominent 
Mason,  being  the  Worshipful  Master  of  Hardin 
Lodge  No.  -29,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  High  I'riest  of  Gate 
City  Chapter  No.  7,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Eminent  Com- 
mander of  Diimascus  Commaudery  No.  5. 

ENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  ANDERSON,  de- 
ceased, one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Lee 
Count}',  was  a  native  of  Montgomery 
County,  Ky.,  his  Inrth  occurring  April  9, 
1815,  He  remained  in  Ills  native  count}' only  until 
the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and  then  started  out  to 
seek  his  fortunes  in  the  wide  West,  He  crossed  the 
Mississippi  River  to  the  present  site  of  Keokuk, 
and  starting  from  there  on  foot,  walked  up  past  the 
rapids  and  from  there  took  a  boat  for  Dubuque, 
He  there  engaged  in  mining  and  ship  carpentering, 
at  which  he  was  occupied  four  or  five  years.  He 
then  removed  to  Farmington,  Van  Buren  County, 
and  was  engaged  in  carpenter  work  until  1850,  He 
then  removed  to  Eddy  ville  and  opened  a  store  for 
the  sale  of  dry-goods.  The  followuig  year  his 
goods  were  nearly  destroyed  by  a  flood,  but  he  re- 
covered from  this  disaster  as  speedily  as  possible, 
purchased  more  stock,  saved  what  he  could  of  that 
which  was  damaged,  .and  continued  his  business  un- 
til 1854,  He  then  closed  out  and  went  to  Oska- 
loosa,  where  he  was  again  employed  at  his  trade 
until  185G,  after  which  he  went  to  Montrose  and 
remained  for  a  time  engaged  at  his  trade.  He  then 
went  down  to  St.  Louis  and  engaged  in  the  ship- 
yard there  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  Civil 
\Var.  He  was  then  also  employed  as  a  ship  car- 
penter and  general  mechanic  by  the  Government. 
He  ttnally  enlisted  in  the  ranks  and  marched  with 
the  regiment  into  Vicksburg,  and  was  continuously 
employed  at  his  trade  in  the  army  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  Thereafter  he  was  engaged  for  five  years 
as  ship  carpenter  for  Capt.  Campbell  on  the  Keith- 
burg  packet,  plying  between  Ft.  Madison  and  Dav- 
enport. 

Mr,  Anderson  was  married,  March  18,  1849,  to 
Miss  Louisa  Davis,  a  native  of  Cumberland,  Md., 
born  Oct.  -2,  1826,     She  was  the  daughter  of  Isaiah 


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Davis,  a  native  of  Annapolis,  Md..  .nnd  her  grnnd- 
father,  William  Jeremiah  Davis,  was  a  native  of 
■' Merrie  England,"  who  emifjrated  to  America,  first 
settling  in  Maryland,  thence  removing  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  finally  returning  to  the  first-named  State, 
where  he  departed  this  life  at  Cumberland.  lie 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
for  services  therein  rendered  was  awarded  a  jiension 
from  the  Government.  Isaiah  Davis,  the  father  of 
Mrs.  Anderson,  removed  from  Maryland  and  to 
Ohio  iu  1835,  and  located  at  Zancsville,  where  he 
remained  for  eleven  years.  He  then  crossed  the 
Mississippi  and  came  into  Jefferson  County,  Iowa, 
where  he  remained  three  years,  and  then,  in  the  fall 
of  1849,  went  to  Kirk ville. Wapello  County,where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  was  married 
in  early  manUof)d  to  Miss  Essa  Kuntz.  She  was 
of  German  parentage,  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
departed  this  life  in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  in  1841. 

In  1868  Mr.  Anderson  removed  his  family  to  Ft. 
Madison,  established  a  home  here  and  remained 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  2d  of  De- 
cember, 1882.  He  was  a  prominent  member  and 
one  of  the  organizers  of  Charleston  Lodge,  I.  O.  0. 
F.  He  was  interested  iu  several  lodges,  and  was 
for  a  time  Deputy  District  Master;  he  was  also  a 
member  of  Claypole  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Ft.  Mad- 
ison. 

Mr.  Anderson,  from  his  youth,  had  received 
careful  religious  training  from  a  deeply  pious 
mother.  This  lady  was  one  of  the  thirteen  persons 
who  organized  the  First  Methodist  Church  of  Iowa, 
llei-  son  faithfully  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  that 
honored  mother,  uniting  with  the  church  uf  her 
choice  in  early  manhood,  and  remaining  a  faithful 
adherent  to  its  doctrines  until  his  death. 

The  household  circle  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson 
included  seven  children,  three  of  whom  are  now 
deceased.  The  living  are  as  follows:  Attia  is  the 
wife  of  H.  J.  Buck,  and  lives  in  Washington  Town- 
ship; Roy  is  iu  Minnesota;  Fannie  married  Mr. 
W.  B.  Frederick,  and  Letitia  is  at  home.  The 
family  are  highly  respected  wherever  known,  and 
Mr.  Anderson,  as  a  man  and  a  citizen,  fulfilled  all 
the  obligations  of  life  faithfully  and  conscientiouslj', 
and  now  that  he  rests  from  his  labors,  is  held  in 
kindly  remembrance  by  all  who  knew  him. 


DAM  AVIEGNER,  Postmaster  of  Donnell 
son.    is    a  wealthy  and  retired  farmer,  en 
s   joying  the  accumulations  of  early  years  of  a^ 
industry  and   economy.     Mr.  W.  came  to  : 
Lee  County  in  May,  183H.  from  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  of  f 
which   place   he  had   been  a   resident  for  six  years. 
He  located  in  Ft.  Madison,  and  has  been  a  resident 
"f  Lee  County  since  that  time. 

The    subject    of    this    biography    is    a  native  of 
Worms,  German}',  and   was  born    Nov.  29,    1820, 
His  father,  Jacol)  Weigner,  was  a  highly'  respected 
farmer,  and  a  native  of  the  same  place  as  his   son,  ; 
where  he  was  reared,  and  married  to  Miss  Catharine  « 
S.  Koch,  a   native  of  the    same    place.     After    the  ; 
birth  of  six  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the  g 
eldest,  the  family  all  came   to   the  United  .States,  § 
landing  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  the  fall  of  1832.     The  g 
voyage  consumed  thirty-three  days.     The  mother  g 
only  survived  about  five  years  after  coming  to  this  Si; 
countrj',  dying  in  1837.     After  this  sad  event,  Ja- 
cob   Weigner,    with    his   six    motherless    children 
started  for  the  West.     They  crossed  the  Mississippi 
and    located    in   Ft.    Madison  for  a  short  time,  re- 
moving thence  to  Franldin  Township,  where  the  fa- 
ther took  up  a  tract  of  land  and  industriously   en-  ; 
gaged  in  its  improvement  and  cultivation.     Thej'  | 
remained  there   for  a  number  of  3-ears,  and  after-  : 
ward  went  to  Clarke  County,  where  the  father  de-  : 
parted  this  life  at  the  home  of  his  eldest  daughter,  : 
Mrs.    Catharine  Blum,  in  May,  1884,  when  nearly 
ninety-one  j'ears  old.     He  was  a  stanch   Democrat  gt 
in  politics,  and  religiouslj-  was  a  consistent  member 
of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  Adam  Wiegner  left  : 
the    parental   roof  and  engaged    in  the  employ  of  gjlj} 
Mr.  Chapman,  a.  farmer  of  Franklin  Township.    He 
invested    his    first   earnings   in  a  colt,  and  his  next 


venture  was  to  take  unto  himself  a  wife.  After  _ 
their  marriage  they  went  onto  the  farm  of  his  fa-  c 
ther,  where  the  bride  was  installed  as  house-  ^ 
keeper.  There  were  three  sons  in  the  family  at  |^ 
this  time,  between  whom  the  profits  were  divided.  ^ 
At  the  end  of  three  years"  hard  work,  Mr.  \Vieg-  : 
ner,  in  casting  up  his  assets  discovered  a  net  profit  :  j 
of  $25.  Money  was  scarce,  and  the  most  of  their  : 
produce  was  disposed  of  iu  exchange  for  something 
besides  money. 


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At  the  expiration  of  three  years  the  3'ouiig  couple 
removed  to  Ft.  Madisou  and  set  up  housekeeping 
for  themselves.  Their  kitchen  outfit  consisted  of  a 
skillet,  tea-kettle,  ooffee-])ot,  and  a  few  plates,  knives 
and  spoons,  and  Mi-.  AV.  manufactured  the  furni- 
ture out  of  split  timber.  Of  this  he  made  a  bench 
for  his  table,  which  was  supported  b^-  poles  inserted 
in  the  logs  of  their  cabin.  The  bedstead  consisted 
of  one  post  set  at  a  proper  distance  from  the  wall, 
near  one  corner  of  the  room,  a  side  and  end  of  the 
house  forming  the  balance  of  the  bedstead.  Their 
corn  was  ground  by  hand,  being  grated  on  a  [jiece 
of  tin  punched  full  of  holes  and  nailed  onto  a 
hoard,  and  somtimes  ground  by  a  horse-mill ;  the 
corn-cake  of  that  period,  Mr.  W.  says,  has  never 
been  excelled.  The  corn-cake  of  that  pioneer  day 
was  made  of  meal,  water  and  salt,  and  baked  in  a 
skillet,  upon  the  coals  of  the  large  fireplace.  It 
seemed  rather  tough  living  for  the  former  New 
Yorker,  but  it  was  all  that  the  young  couple  had  in 
the  way  of  bread  for  the  following  three  j'ears. 
Amid  these  and  other  difficulties  they  labored  in- 
dustriouslj'  and  pulled  together,  and  in  due  tmie 
found  themselves  possessed  of  a  comfortable  home. 
As  time  progressed  Mr.  Wiegner  became  a  man  of 
property  and  a  citizen  whose  influence  was  sensibly 
felt  in  his  comnuinity.  In  1855  he  built  a  large 
stone  mill  at  Franklin  Village,  which  was  then  the 
IE  largest  building  of  the  kind  in  the  county,  and  is 
E  still  standing,  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  al- 
though not  running. 

Mr.  Wiegner  has  been  twice  married.  On  July 
4,  1840,  he  was  wedded  to  Miss  Catharine  Coch,  a 
native  of  Bavaria,  who  was  born  in  1817.  She 
came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents  when  a 
young  ladj'  twenty -two  years  old.  Her  father,  Ja- 
cob Coch,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  upon 
coming  to  America  at  once  proceeded  westward  to 
Iowa,  locating  in  Franklin  Township,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
wife  was  Catharine  Hummel.  She  accompanied 
her  husband  in  all  his  wanderings,  and  also  died 
in  Franklin  Township.  Mrs.  Catherine  Weigner, 
after  remaining  the  companion  of  her  husband 
for  nineteen  years,  depai'ted  this  life  in  February, 
1879.  in  the  last  named  township.  She  had  beconjc 
the    mothei-    i>f    eight  childien.   six   of  whom  died 


innTim-»TTi  ■TTT'riri''"«T] 


ws 


young.  They  were  named  as  follows:  Jacob, 
Peter,  Charlie,  Ada,  Catharine  and  Mary.  The 
living  are  Philij)  and  Elizabeth,  wlio  are  botli  mar- 
ried. 

The  second  wife  of  Mr.  Weigner,  to  whom  he 
was  married  in  Clark  County,  Mo.,  in  1880,  was 
Mrs.  Agnes  (Gebauer)  Meissner,  a  native  of  his 
own  country,  born  on  the  6th  of  February,  1842. 
She  was  married  first  in  Prussia  to  Frank  Meissner, 
with  whom  she  came  to  the  United  States  in  1873. 
They  settled  in  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  theuce  went  to 
Clark  County,  Mo.,  where  Mr.  M.  died  July  8, 
1.S80.  Of  this  union  there  were  born  three  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom  died  before  the  death  of  its  fa- 
ther. Those  living  are:  Hedwig,  who  is  unmarried 
and  occupies  the  position  of  Assistant  Postmaster 
for  her  stepfathei-;  the  3'ounger  child,  Paul,  is  at 
home. 

Mr.  Wiegner  settled  in  Donnellson  in  the  winter 
of  1881.  His  farm  consists  of  320  acres,  and  he 
has  two  acres  of  valuable  land  in  the  village  limits. 
He  is  highly  respected  as  a  citizen,  has  filled  the 
various  offices  of  his  township,  and  been  intimatelj- 
identified  with  its  interests  since  first  coming  here 
He  has  given  his  influence  to  the  support  of  every 
good  object,  and  in  aU  respects  has  been  a  man 
among  men.  Politically  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat, 
and  religiously  is  prominently  connected  with  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  which  also  embraces 
the  several  members  of  his  family. 

K.  E.  E.  FULLER,  a  well-known  and  high- 
y  esteemed  resident  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  is 
>aged  in  the  drug  business  at  No.  600 
Main  street,  and  is  equii)|)cd  with  every- 
thing necessary  for  the  successful  prosecution  of 
this  line  of  trade.  Every  department  is  conduct- 
ed in  a  methodical  and  business-like  manner,  and 
the  establishment  is  one  of  liie  most  popular  of  its 
kind  in  the  (^ate  City. 

Dr.  Fuller  of  this  history  is  a  native  of  .Massa- 
chusetts, born  in  1.S22,  and  the  son  of  Dr.  James 
M.  anil  Lucy  (Stimpsou)  Fuller,  natives  of  New 
ILimpshire  and  Massacliusetts  respectively.  The 
father  of  our  subject  compU-ti-cl  liis  medica 


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under  the  instruction  f)f  Dr.  Mussy,  of  Dartinoutii, 
N.  II.,  and  continued  tlic  practice  of  his  profession 
until  he  was  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  In  tlie 
meantime  he  had  cr(»ssed  the  Mississippi,  and  iu  his 
later  days  made  his  lionic  in  Keokuk,  where  he 
died  at  the  residence  of  liis  son,  (4eorgo  S.,  in  18G!(. 
His  wife  had  preceded  him  to  the  better  land 
twenty  years  before,  her  death  occurring  in  Harri- 
son, Ohio,  in  1841).  They  had  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  are  still  living. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  was  the  second 
child  of  the  family,  and  lived  with  bis  parents  and 
attended  school  until  iu-  was  fifteen  years  (jf  age. 
He  was  a  studious  boy,  ambitious  to  excel,  and  at 
this  earlj'  age  had  become  competent  to  [lerform 
the  duties  of  a  teacher,  in  which  he  engaged,  also 
commencing  the  study  nf  medicine,  and  for  six 
j^ears  received  the  excellent  instruction  of  his  father, 
and  with  him  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine, 
and  continued  thus  engaged  for  six  years.  He  then 
became  interested  in  the  drug  business  at  Harrison, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  thus  occupied  until  1850,  when 
he  sold  out,  came  to  Keokuk,  and  associated  him- 
self with  Dr.  T.  Smith,  of  Cincinnati,  carrying  on 
the  drug  business  in  company  with  this  gentleman 
until  the  fall  of  1857.  Four  j'ears  later,  after  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war,  a  company  was  formed  of 
the  best  citizens  of  Keokuk,  named  the  City  liifie 
Company,  in  which  company  he  drilled  under 
Gen.  Belknap,  and  in  l.sdl  proceeded  to  the  scene 
of  conflict,  in  the  service  of  the  United  States. 
When  the  conflict  took  place  at  Athens,  Mo.,  the 
company  volunteered  its  services,  and  assisted  in 
driving  back  the  rebels.  Drs.  Fuller  and  McCiugin 
were  called  to  attend  the  wounded  soldiers  on  the 
field.  Soon  afterward  our  subject  was  tendered  a 
commission  as  Assistant  Surgeon,  and  continued  in 
this  capacity  while  in  the  military  service.  He  re- 
turned to  Keokuk  in  18G3,  on  account  of  failing 
health,  but  soon  afterward  resume  I  his  duties  as 
surgeon  at  the  Estis  House,  which  had  been  con- 
verted into  a  hospital.  He  was  afterward  assigned 
to  the  Medical  College  of  Keokuk,  still  holding  a 
ward  in  the  Estis  House  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he  engaged  in  gen- 
eral practice  for  a  short  time,  and  then  retired  and 
devoted  his  whole   attention   to  his  drug  business. 


.F!c 


\S33S 


i'^^t'^^^^^^^m 


The  Doctor  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  is  act- 
ively identified  with  everj-  project  tending  to  tlic 
welfare  of  his  community.  He  has  served  on  tln' 
School  Hoard  for  four  years,  and  socially  is  a  meui- 
lier  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  lias  been  intii  - 
ested  largelv  in  cit}'  property  and  lanils  in  Io\v:i. 
and  has  liecn  of  material  aid  in  the  <levelopniciit 
of  the  industrial  interests  of  this  section. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Fuller  and  Miss  Cecilia 
(ierard  was  celebrated  in  1H49.  Mrs.  F.  isanati\i' 
of  Ohio,  and  by  her  union  with  our  subject  has  ln'- 
come  the  mother  of  five  children,  the  record  ol 
whom  is  as  follows:  Charles  M.  is  associated  wiih 
his  fallier  in  the  drug  business;  David  (i.,  of  Chi- 
cago, is  engaged  in  the  wlKjIesale  giocery  trade 
with  the  firm  (jf  William  M.  Iloyt  Ac  Co.;  Frank 
M.  is  attending  Parsons'  College  at  Fairfield,  low.i ; 
Gertrude  and  I^ouisa  are  at  home.  The  Doctor, 
also  his  wife,  and  daughter  (Jertrude,  are  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church;  Louisa  is  connected 
with  the  Episcopalians.  The  family  residence  is 
pleasantly  located  on  Twelfth  and  Bloudeau,  and  is 
the  resort  of  the  cultured  and  educated  people  of 
this  vicinity. 


|Tp]yjEN.TAMIN  F.  (ilBBS.  a  highly  resp(>cted 
i^^sL  farmer  of  CJreen  Kay  Township,  who  owns 
|/M)1I!  and  occupies  a  fine  homestead  on  .section 
^^^y  19,  is  conducting  his  agricultural  operations 
with  intelligence  and  success,  and  enjoys  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens.  Mr.  Gibbs 
is  a  native  of  Indianapolis,  Ind.,and  was  born  Nov. 
18,  1823.  His  parents  were  George  W.  and  Keziah 
(McFall)  Gibbs,  natives  respectivel}'  of  Ohio  and 
Virginia.  They  lived  in  Ohio  for  a  few  years  after 
their  marriage,  and  thence  removed  to  Indianapo- 
lis, which  was  their  home  for  eight  years,  and  dur- 
ing which  time  George  Gibbs  was  engaged  in  haul- 
ing goods  from  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  to  Indianapolis, 
before  the  construction  of  raih'oads  between  those 
points.  His  father,  Justus  Gibbs,  was  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1812.  He  built  the  first  frame  house  in 
the  city  of  Cincinnati. 

(ieorge  Gibbs  afterward  returned  to  Ohio,  where 
he  lived  about  four  years,  and  then  coming  back  to 
Indiana   purchased  a  farm  iu  Scott  Count}',  which 


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he  occupied  six  years,  and  tlien  lost  all  his  prop- 
erty by  going  securit}'  for  friends.  He  then  uocu- 
pied  a  rented  farm  for  eighteen  months,  and  in  the 
fall  of  i^i'2  came  to  Jefferson  County,  Ii>wa,  where 
he  also  occu])ie<l  a  rented  faim  forahuut  live  years. 
AVnth  his  family  he  then  niove<l  to  Wapello  County, 
where  he  liought  a  farm  which  he af teiward  sold  to 
remove  into  Wa3'iie  County,  and  there  purchased  a 
homestead  upon  which  lie  lived  the  remainder  of 
daj's.  His  death  took  place  March  20,  1874.  His 
wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  had  died  in  Jeffer- 
son County,  Iowa,  Dec.  7,  184;i.  The  parental 
h()useh<ild  included  five  sons  and  tour  daughters. 

Beujauiin  F.  (iibbs  was  the  second  child  of  his 
parents,  and  remained  with  them  until  he  was  over 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  coming  with  them  to 
Iowa.  At  this  time  he  left  the  parental  roi.f  to 
commence  business  on  his  own  account,  and  while 
cultivating  a  piece  of  land  in  Van  Buren  County 
was  also  emijloyed  at  other  farm  labor  for  which 
he  received  wages.  In  about  1848  he  came  into 
Lee  Countj',  and  for  several  years  was  emploj'ed 
on  farms  b}'  the  month,  some  of  the  time  working 
for  the  mere  pittance  of  fifty  cents  a  da3'.  He  then 
rented  the  farm  which  he  afterward  i)urchased  and 
still  owns,  and  remained  as  a  tenant  for  two  years, 
when  he  was  enabled  to  call  it  his  own. 

Mr.  Gibbs,  it  will  thus  be  seen,  is  a  striking  illus- 
tration of  what  perseverance  and  industry  may  ac- 
complish. He  commenced  at  the  foot  of  the  lad- 
der, and  without  any  possessions  save  that  of  his 
own  resolution  and  economy,  he  has  risen  to  be  one 
of  the  first  landed  proprietors  of  this  section,  and 
is  now  the  owner  of  .'><)()  valuable  acres,  all  in 
(Treen  Bay  Township.  He  has  erected  two  sub- 
stantial farm-houses,  has  excellent  barns  and  other 
outbuildings,  valuable  farm  machiner3-  and  imple- 
ments, and  all  the  appliances  for  the  prosecution  of 
agricultui-e  and  the  raising  of  stock.  The  homestead 
presents  one  of  the  finest  locations  in  Lee  County, 
and  invariably  attracts  the  attention  of  the 
passer-by. 

Mr.  Gibbs  was  married  in  Van  Buren  County, 
Iowa,  Oct.  21,  185U,  to  Miss  Eliza,  daughter  of 
George  and  Hannah  (Putnam)  Claypoole,  natives 
respectively  of  Virginia  and  New  York.  After  their 
marriage    they    went  to   Knox  County,  Ind.,  where 


they   lived   for  a   time,  then   removed  to   Wabash 
County.  111.,  and  in    1839,  crossed   the   Father  of 
■\\'aters  and  located   in  Lee  County,  and  settled  on    j 
the  same  farm  where  they  passed  the   remainder  of 
their  lives.     The  mother  died    Dec.  Hi,  1850;  herr^ 
husband  survived  her  sixteen  years,  and  died  Oct  ''* 


16,  18GG.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  sons  and 
four  daughters,  of  whom  Mrs.  Gibli.>,  of  our  sketch, 
was  the  youngest  child.  .She  was  born  in  Wabash 
County,  Ill.,Sei)t.  lU,  1  s-J8,  and  remained  witli  her 
parents  until  her  marriage  with  our  subject,  receiv- 
ing careful  home  training  and  a  fair  education  in  the 
public  schools. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gibbs  have  become  the  parents  of  ]p 
five  children,  of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows: 
Adeline  is  the  wife  of  Francis  Drake,  of  Linn 
County,  Mo. ;  Warren  married  Caroline  Kamerer; 
after  her  death  he  married  Kmma  Garns;  George, 
Anna  and  Charles  are  at  home  with  their  parents. 
Mr.  Gilibs  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  his  community,  and  has  held  the 
minor  offices  of  the  township.  In  politics  he  is  Re- 
publican, and  uniformly  casts  his  vote  in  support 
of  the  principles  of  that  party. 


^^iEORGE  D.  RAND,  one  of  the  mo,-t  promi- 
III  (- —  nent  and  prosperous  citizens  of  Keokuk, 
^^jj  and  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Carson  tk 
Rand,  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  liunber  busi- 
ness, their  principal  ollice  being  located  on  Rail- 
road street.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  comes  from 
a  family  well  and  favorably  known  in  this  locality 
as  being  important  factors  in  the  industrial  inter- 
ests in  this  part  of  the  West.  They  are  straight- 
forward business  men  of  more  than  ordinary  good 
judgment,  and  in  the  various  branches  of  busi- 
ness which  they  represent  are  uniformly  successful 
and  popular. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  native  of  (^uiucy, 
111.,  born  Feb.  1),  IM'J.  and  the  son  of  E.  D.  and 
Sarah  (Proud)  Rand,  natives  of  Massachusetts  and 
Ohio  respectively.  K.  1).  Rand,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  has  been  engaged  in  the  lumber  business 
for  forty  years  at  Burlington.  Iowa,  and  manufact- 
ured lumber  in  Wisconsin  for  thirty -five  years.   He 


IsMe 


is  still  engaged  in  the  same  business,  a  hale  and 
hearty  old  gentleman,  and  is  President  of  the  Car- 
son-Rand Lumber  Company,  also  the  Rand  Lum- 
ber Company  of  Burlington,  and  the  Keithsburg  <k 
Illinois  Lumber  Company.  Of  his  familj-  of  six 
children,  two  by  his  first  wife  are   living:    (ieorge 

J-  D.,  our  subject,  and  Mary,  who  married  John  M. 
Shurfey,  Mce  President  of  the  Rand  Lumber  Com- 
pany of  liurlingtou.  \\\  liis  second  wife  there 
were  horn  four  chlldreu,  viz.,  E.  I)..  Jr.  ;C.  W.. 
of  the  firm  of  Wyman  k  Rand,  of  Burlington, 
dealers  in  furniture  and  carpets;  and  11.  S.,  of  the 
Burlington  Lumber  Comp.Tuy;  the  youngest  wa.s  a 
daughter,  Miss  Carrie. 

E.  D.  Rand,  all  his  lifetime,  has  been  i)rominent 
wherever  he  has  made  his  home  and  uniforml}-  rec- 
ognized as  one  fitted  for  a  le.ader.  He  has  repre- 
sented his  county  in  the  k)wa  J^egislature,  was  Presi- 
dent of  the  State  B.ank  of  Burlington  for  many 
years,  and  is  still  one  of  its  Directors ;  he  is  also  a  Di- 
rector of  the  Continental  National  Bank  of  Chicago, 
and  holds  the  .same  position  in  connection  with  the 
C,  B.  <fe  Q.  R.  R.  Co.  He  has  also  been  President 
of  the  Rock  Island  Insurance  Company  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley,  and  is  largely'  interested  in  the  pine 
lands  of  Wisconsin,  and  in  various  sawmills  in  that 
section  and  at  Burlington.  It  will  thus  be  seen 
that  the  father  of  our  subject  has  aided  materially 
in  the  industrial  interests  of  this  section  of  countr}-. 
His  enterprise  and  industry  have  rewarded  him  with 
capital,  which  he  has  disseminated  throughout  this 
the  develo[)uient  of  business  interests  and 
the  giving  of  employment  to  those  who  have  thus 
been  induced  to  make  a  residence  in  this  locality, 
and  form  meml)ers  of  a  populous  and  thriving  com- 
munity. The  more  people,  the  mow  necessity  for 
manufactures  and  produce,  and  thus,  .as  a  wheel 
within  a  wheel,  one  man  with  energy  and  enterprise 
jjmay  beconpe  almost  unlimited  in  usefulness. 

George  D.  Rand  remained  umler  the  i)arental  roof 
I  until  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  receiving  his  pri- 
mary education  ill  the  publi:-  schools,  and  complet- 
ing his  studies  in  the  Asbury  University  of  Oreen- 
castle.  Ind.  Then,  witli  the  energy  and  ambition 
of  a  wide-awake  young  man  desiring  to  see  some- 
thing of  the  world,  he  emigiated  West,  and  enter- 
ing the  mines  of  Colorado,  ilelved  in  tlie  earth   for 


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TtTTi    capital,  wl 
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the  shining  ore  until  the  year  I K62.  While  in  that 
State  he  became  the  owner  of  a  (piartz  mill,  in  the 
operation  of  which  he  employed  about  tiiirty  men. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  late  war  he  l;iid  aside  his 
persona!  plans  and  interests,  and  enter<Ml  tiie  unvy. 
where  he  served  as  Paymaster,  and  was  thus  occu- 
pied for  the  following  three  years.  He  then  re- 
signed this  position  and  went  South  to  Alabama, 
Iftcating  in  (ilend.ale,  where  he  engaged  in  tiie 
manufacture  of  lumber.  There  he  erected  two  saw- 
mills with  a  capacity  of  75,000  feet  per  day,  and 
gave  employment  to  1(10  men.  He  was  thus  en- 
gaged until  18S(),  when  he  disposed  of  his  interests 
in  .\labama,  and  coming  to  Keokuk  became  as.soci- 
ated  with  his  present  partners  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness. The  firm  have  built  up  an  extensive  trade, 
and  have  attained  to  great  popularity  as  gentlemen 
of  energy,  integrity,  and  strictly  honoralile  trnns- 
actions. 

Mr.  Rand,  like  his  father,  is  a  man  of  much  in- 
Huence  in  his  community,  and  h.as  filled  many  im- 
portant positions  in  the  management  of  its  affairs. 
He  was  Maj'or  of  the  city  in  1883,  is  a  stockholder 
and  Director  in  the  Keokuk  National  Bank,  and 
also  a  Director  in  the  Water  Works.  He  became  a 
large  property  holder  in  the  (late  City,  being  the 
owner  of  ten  houses  and  lots  \vithin  the  corpora- 
tion. 

George  1).  Rand  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Sarah  M.  McGaughej',  of  Indiana,  in  1862. 
They  occupy  a  handsome  residence  at  No.  1069 
Bank  street,  between  Tenth  and  Eleventh.  Mr.  R. 
is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  uniformly  casts  his 
vote  in  support  of  the  principles  of  that  party. 


\f/OHN  WILSON  is  an  honored  pioneer  of 
Lee  Comity,  and  largely  engaged  in  the 
lumlier  l>usiness  at  Ft.  Ma<lison.  He  located 
(^^|a/  here  in  Ls;}.").  and  has  been  an  interested 
witness  of  the  remarkable  changes  wliicli  have  been 
wrought  in  tlie  .State  since  that  time.  Mr.  Wilson 
has  materially  aided  in  the  industrial  interests  of 
this  .section,  and  from  the  first  has  been  un.selfishly 
identified  witli  llie  progress  and  advancement  of 
his  ailopted  .State.      As  a  member  of  the  little  liand 


»TriryTif.  X »_L1 1  ■  • 


of  pioneers  in  this  vicinity,  whose  number  is  grarl- 
ually  becoming  less,  he  is  regarded  with  that  pe- 
culiar veneration  and  respect  which  are  tacitly 
accorded  to  those  brave  spirits  wiio  planted  their 
homes  almost  in  the  wilderness,  and  marked  out  a 
tract  for  future  civilization. 


Pa..  .March  20,  18-20.  her  parents  also  being  natives  ' 
of  the  Keystone  State.  Immediately  after  his  mar-  | 
riage,  accompanied  by  his  bride,  Mr.  Wilson  re-  ' 
turned  to  Iowa,  and  settled  on  the  farm  near  Ft. 
Madison.     The  following   year   he    removed    intoC 


town,  where  he  has  since  resided.     He  followed  thet 
Mr.  Wilson  is  a  native  of   Penn.sylvauia,  born  in       occupation    of    farming   and   speculating  for  nine  1 


Lycoming  County,  Jan.  14,  1S14.  His  parents, 
Martin  and  Mary  (Lambert)  Wilson,  were  natives 
of  England,  of  old  and  highly  respected  families, 
and  came  to  the  United  States  before  their  marriage, 
locating  in  Pennsylvania,  where  they  were  among 
the  early  settlers.  Thej'  became  the  jjarents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  our  sketch  is  the 
youngest  but  one.  When  he  was  but  three  years  old 
he  was  deprived  of  a  father's  protection  by  death. 
His  mother  subsequently  married,  and  he  remained 
at  home  until  he  was  sixteen  j-ears  of  age. 

John  Wilson  now  started  out  to  do  for  himself,  and 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  3'ears  to  the  harness 
and  saddlery  trade.  He  then  worked  as  a  journeyman 
until  1 834,  when,  like  man}'  of  the  j'oung  men  in 
that  vicinitj',  he  determined  to  seek  the  great  West. 
He  journeyed  as  far  as  Rushville,  111.,  where  he 
stopped  for  about  one  year,  working  at  his  trade, 
and  then  set  out  again,  crossed  the  Father  of 
Abaters,  and  set  his  feet  upon  the  soil  of  Iowa.  He 
was  pleased  with  the  face  of  the  country  and  the 
prospects  of  rapid  and  successful  settlement,  and 
made  two  claims  of  land,  one  in  Jefferson  County, 
near  Skunk  River,  on  which  he  built  a  cabin,  and 
for  some  time  occupied  his  time  .alteruatelj'  in  im- 
proving his  claim  and  working  at  his  trade  across 
the  river  in  Illinois.  He  finally  traded  both  of  his 
claims  for  some  horses  and  cattle,  and  entered  upon 
a  new  field  of  business.  This  was  the  beginning  of 
speculation  which  he  continued  for  many  years.  He 
pursued  an  honorable  and  upright  course  in  his 
business  transactions,  becoming  a  favorite  among 
his  neighbors  and  acquaintances  in  that  section, 
and  Wilson's  Prairie  was  named  in  his  honor. 

After  remaining  in  the  West  several  j'ears,  in 
1840,  Mr.  Wilson,  feeling  a  strong  desire  to  revisit 
the  scenes  of  his  youth,  returned  to  his  native 
State,  and  while  there,  at  Salona,  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  J.,  daughter  of  George 
and  Jane  Leidy.     .She  was  born  in  Center  County, 


years  thereafter,  and  then  crossed  the  plains  to 
California.  In  those  days  it  required  100  days  to 
make  the  journey,  and  travelers  were  ol)liged  to 
sleep  in  the  open  air.  After  this  tedious  experience 
he  entered  the  mines  of  the  Golden  .State,  but  a 
few  months'  experience  there  satisfied  him,  and  he 
returned  home,  via  the  Isthmus,  and  joyfully  greeted 
his  famil\-  after  an  absence  of  one  year.  There  was 
but  little  money  in  circulation  at  this  time,  and  .Mr. 
Wilson  again  entered  the  field  of  speculation.  He 
first  traded  land  for  cattle,  exchanged  the  cattle  for 
lu;nber,  and  then  traded  the  himlier  for  more  cattle. 
He  continued  thus  operating  until  the  outbreak  of 
the  Rebellion,  and  then  shipped  live  stock  to  the 
Union  Army. 

Mr.  Wilson  has  been  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  since  18.52,  and  has  met  with  success.  He 
is  now  the  possessor  of  several  hundred  acres  of 
land.  200  being  in  \'an  Buren  County,  and  also 
owns  a  small  farm  in  Illinois,  besides  considerable 
property  within  the  city  limits  of  Ft.  Madison.  In 
politics  he  has  usually  voted  the  Republican  ticket, 
but  beyond  casting  his  vote  he  has  little  to  do  with 
the  exciting  political  questions  of  the  day.  He  is 
largely  independent  in  views,  and  endeavors  to  vote 
for  the  best  man,  often  without  regard  to  party. 
His  religious  views  are  in  accordance  with  the 
doctrines  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in 
practice  his  aim  is  to  strictly  follow  the  precepts  of 
the  Golden  Rule  and  do  unto  men  as  he  would  have 
them  do  unto  him. 

The  household  circle  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  in- 
cludes eight  children,  six  of  whom  have  attained 
their  majority.  The  record  is  as  follows:  Des 
Moines  L.  enlisted  in  Vo.  D,  7th  Iowa  Vol.  Inf., 
and  served  three  years.  At  the  battle  of  Shiloh  he 
was  wi.unded  by  a  piece  of  shell,  taken  prisoner 
and  retained  as  such  for  seven  months.  He  was 
finally  exchauged,  received  an  honorable  discharge, 
returned  home,  and  is  now  engaged  in  agricultural 


558 


LEE  COUNTY. 


M 


pursuits  in  Vau  Buren  Count}-.  Sophia  J.  became 
the  wife  of  C.  E.  ():itnian,  and  resides  at  Stockton, 
Ivan.;  Mary  Hello  ni.'irried  Fred  Smith,  and  departed 
this  life  at  the  age  of  tnenty-seven  ye.irs:  Sii-rra 
Nevada  l)ecanie  the  wife  of  Samuel  Doyle,  ami  died 
in  IK80;  Willinm  T.  resides  at  Ft.  Madison,  and 
Adel  is  Ihu  wife  of  E.  O.  Armstrong,  whose  home 
is  in  CouRcil  Bluffs.  The  Wilson  family  are  well 
known  and  higldy  respected  throughout  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  The  younger  members  have 
been  carefully  trained  and  well  educated,  and  bid 
fair  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  their  honored 
parents. 

-^ €-*^ — ^- 


ATllICK  Bl'UKE,  a  prosperous  farmer  of 
■  Lee  County,  occupying  a  comfortable 
homestead  on  section  25,  \'an  Buren 
Township,  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in 
County  Mayo  in  1881.  He  was  a  young  man  more 
than  ordinarily  bright  and  ambitious,  and  in  early 
youth,  being  dissatisfied  with  his  condition  and 
prospects  in  his  native  country,  resolved  to  emi- 
grate to  America,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years 
set  sail  from  Liverpool,  and  after  a  prosperous 
voj'age  landed  at  New  Orleans,  whence  he  went 
directly  to  t)hio.  He  there  became  an  .assistant 
on  a  farm,  changing  from  his  first  location  in  that 
State  to  Warren  County,  where  he  remained  until 
the  fall  of  1850.  He  then  resolved  to  see  the 
country  beyond  the  Mississippi,  and  crossing  the 
Father  of  Waters,  came  into  Iowa  and  located  in 
Lee  County,  where  he  cultivated  rented  land  for 
the  space  of  eight  years.  In  the  meantime  he  had 
labored  diligently,  saved  his  money,  and  purchased 
a  tract  of  land.  He  was  prospered  in  his  under- 
taking, and  added  to  his  first  purchase  until  he  is 
now  the  possessor  of  240  acres,  and  is  quite  exten- 
sively engaged  in  the  breeding  of  flue  stock. 

The  miii-riage  of  Patrick  Burke  and  Miss  Bridget 
McDonell  took  place  March  28,  18.')3.  Mrs.  Burke 
is  a  native  of  the  same  country  as  hei-  husband,  and 
was  born  in  1831.  She  came  to  America  the  same 
year  of  her  husband's  emigration,  and  located  in 
Warren  County,  Ohio,  with  her  parents.  The 
latter  were  James  and  Bridget  (Mowry)  McDonell, 
and  they  departed  this  life  forty  years  ago.     Their 


household  included  seven  children — Dominick, 
Mary,  Margaret.  Anthony.  Owen,  Job.  an<l  Bridget 
(Mrs.  Burke.) 

The  p.arents  of  our  subject  were  N'alentine  and 
Sarah  (Duffy)  Burke.  The  father  departed  this  gtt] 
life  in  1S4I1,  in  Ireland,  and  the  mother  in  1870.  in 
Ohio.  They  weic  the  iiarents  of  six  children — 
Eulick,  David,  M.ary  M.,  Ann,  I'atrick  and  Peter. 
After  tiie  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Burke  was  a 
second  time  uiarrieil,  to  Mr.  Welsh,  by  whom  she 
became  the  mother  uf  two  children — .lohn  aud 
Margaret.  Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Patrick  Burke  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  the 
record  is  as  follows:  Marj'  became  the  wife  of  D. 
Ford;  Sarah  is  the  wife  of  T.  Hayes;  \'alentine 
married  Miss  Margaret  Hayes:  Ann,  James.  Bridget 
:uid  Margaret  are  unmarried. 

Politically  Mr.  Burke  is  an  uncompromising  Dem- 
ocr.at.  Heligiously  he  is  connected  bj'  member- 
ship with  the  Catholic  Church  of  String  Prairie. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  R<iad  Supervisor,  and  in 
every  rcsjiect  is  worthily  fulfilling  the  obligations 
of  a  good  citizen. 


OHN  SCOTT,  a  [>rominent  and  successful 
farmer  of  \'an  Buren  Township,  is  pleasantly 
located  on  section  1 1 ,  and  in  the  pursuit  of 
his  vocation  is  meeting  with  success.  He 
comes  of  good  old  Pennsylvania  parentage,  and  was  gj; 
born  April  25,  1820.  His  parents  were  Henry  and 
Rachel  (Milleson)  Scott.  His  father  was  born 
Jan.  2'.i,  17i»5,  and  departed  this  life  Nov.  4,  1850, 
in  Lee  County,  Iowa.  The  date  of  the  mother's 
birth  was  Feb.  10,  1799,  and  her  decease  occurred 
in  Missouri  twenty-three  years  after  that  of  her 
husband,  June  2,  1873.  They  had  become  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom  the  record  is  as 
follows :  Abigail  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Price, 
and  is  living  in  Nodaway  County,  Mo.;  John  mar- 
ried ;Miss  Sarah  J.  May;  Cynthia,  Mrs.  J.  Price, 
died  in  1845;  James  M.  married  Miss  Margaret 
Finley;Mary  A.  became  the  wife  of  J.  N.  Jones; 
Sarah  married  Eli  Elrod,  and  is  now  deceased ; 
Melissa  became  the  wife  of  H.  Hampton,  and  is  | 
now  deceased  :  Minerva  J.  married  William  McCord, 


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he  rlied,  and  she  innrried  Mr.  Bailes  of  Nodnwaj- 
County,  Mo. ;  Tlieodure  J.  was  married  to  Miss 
Amanda  Kueff,  .and  lives  in  Nodaway  Countj',  Mo. 
.Tohn  Scott  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  and 
attended  the  common  schools  until  the  age  of  four- 
teen years,  when  the  family  moved  to  Indiana, 
making  their  first  location  in  Franklin  County,  where 
they  remained  for  about  eleven  years.  lu  April, 
1 844,  the}'  decided  to  go  further  West,  and  crossed 
the  Mississippi,  coming  into  Lee  County,  where 
they  located  and  have  since  remained.  Our  sub- 
ject came  into  possession  of  his  present  farm  in 
18G4,  and  has  made  many  improvements  since  he 
first  occujiied  it.  He  has  a  fine  brick  dwelling- 
house,  good  barns,  and  all  the  appliances  for  con- 
ducting agriculture  in  a  first-class  manner. 

The  marriage  of  John  Scott  and  Miss  Sarah  J. 
May  was  celebrated  Jan.  14,  1864.  Mrs.  Scott  was 
born  July  24,  183.3,  in  Edgar  County,  111.  Her 
pai'ents  were  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  (Seers)  May, 
natives  of  North  Carolina  and  Lincoln  County, 
Ky..  respectively.  Isaac  May  was  born  in  1802, 
and  departed  this  life  .Tan.  1.5,  18.50.  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth May  was  born  in  180!),  and  died  Nov.  17, 
1886.  Their  household  consisted  of  eight  children, 
the  record  of  whom  is  as  follows :  Eliza,  the  eld- 
est daughter,  became  the  wife  of  R.  Sanders;  Cath- 
erine was  married  to  .John  Snodderly ;  David  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Snodderly ;  Sarah  J.  is  the  wife  of 
our  subject;  William  married  Miss  Ann  Sanders; 
Isaac  N.  married  Miss  Lidia  Moore,  who  is  now 
deceased;  Jacob,  now  deceased,  married  Miss 
Rhoda  Pickard;  Mary  became  the  wife  of   William 

1  Helms. 

I  Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  have  been 
born  two  children,  a  son  and  daughter,  John  M., 
born  Oct.  28,  1805,  and  Ada  A.,  July  28,  1867. 
Mr.  Scott  is  the  possessor  of  160  acres  of  finely  cul- 
tivated land.  He  is  an  intelligent  and  well-in- 
formed gentleman,  and  has  held  the  office  of  Justice 
of  the  Peace  for  three  j-ears.  He  has  also  tilled 
other  prominent  positions  in  the  affairs  of  his  town- 
ship, and  has  been  Constable  and  Trustee.  He  is  a 
member  in  good  standing  of  the  A.  F.  cfe  A.  M., 
and  his  record  in  this  order  dates  back  over  thirty 
years,  and  he  now  belongs  to  Mt.  Maria  Lodge  No. 
27,  at  Farmiugton,  Iowa.     He  has  been  connected 


in  niembership  with  the  Baptist  Church  for  over 
twenty  years,  and  has  occupied  the  oHice  of  Deacon 
for  over  thirteen  years.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  and  as  a  friend,  neighbor  and  citizen 
is  held  in  the  highest  esteem. 


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APT.  WILLIAM  S.  MOORE,  residing  at 
Keokuk,  is  oue  of  the  old  steamboat  Captains 
'ho  plied  the  Mississippi,  Ohio  and  Illinois 
Rivers  for  many  years,  and  who  probablj'  has  a 
larger  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances  than  any 
other  citizen  of  Keokuk.  Capt.  Moore  was  born 
in  the  city  of  New  York,  Nov.  28,  1815.  In  1816 
his  parents  removed  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  the 
Captain  passed  his  boyhood  days.  His  parents 
were  Rufus  and  Clarissa  (.Stone)  Moore,  and  the 
father  died  on  his  way  from  New  York  to  St.  Louis. 
After  his  death  the  mother  and  son  continued  on 
their  journej'  to  St.  Louis,  and  made  that  their 
home  for  about  five  years.  They  then  crossed  the 
river  into  the  State  of  Illinois  and  lived  there  for 
five  years.  Their  next  removal  was  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  The  Captain  recollects  that,  though  a  lad  of 
only  ten  years,  while  living  in  Cincinnati  Gen. 
LaFayette  visited  that  citj",  and  he  had  the  pleasure 
of  looking  upon  his  pleasant  and  manly  French 
countenance. 

From  Cincinnati  the  mother  and  son  removed  to 
Pittsburgh,  and  when  our  sul)ject  was  but  twelve 
years  old  he  was  orphaned  by  the  death  of  his  be- 
loved mother.  He  went  to  Gallipolis,  where  he 
hired  to  learn  the  tinner's  trade  with  one  Hiram 
Fisher.  Having  served  an  apprenticeship  of  five 
years,  and  thoroughly  mastered  his  trade,  he  started 
out  as  a  "jour,"  and  we  next  take  note  of  him  at 
Springfield,  111.  There  he  worked  at  his  trade  for 
a  time,  when  he  procured  a  berth  on  a  steamboat. 
While  a  resident  of  the  State  he  claims  to  have  run 
the  first  locomotive  that  was  ever  brought  into  it, 
running  from  Springfield  to  Meredosia.  From 
Springfield  our  subject  again  returned  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  and  embarked  in  the  tin  and  stove  business,  and 
was  thus  occupied  at  that  place  until  he  was  burned 
out  in  1 848,  involving  a  loss  of  about  ^8,000. 

After  his  reverses  our  subject  engaged  in  steam- 


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boating  on  the  Mississippi,  Oliio  and  Missouri 
Rivers,  and  continued  to  follow  this  vocation  for 
about  five  years.  Al)andoning  the  river,  he,  in 
1855,  at  first  did  business  for  Briggs,  Beach  &  Co., 
dealers  in  tin  and  stoves  in  Keokuk.  He  worked 
for  them  awhile,  and  then  bought  out  a  remnant  of 
a  stock  of  goods  and  engaged  in  business  for  him- 
self. He  began  manufacturing  on  a  small  scale, 
working  at  the  bench  himself,  and  as  his  business 
increased  he  enlarged  his  stock.  He  manufactured 
all  kinds  of  tinware  and  copi)ei-  work,  shipping  his 
goods  throughout  Iowa,  Illinois,  Missouri,  Nebraska, 
and  several  other  States.  Mr.  Moore  is  an  ever^'-day 
man,  and  the  secret  of  his  success  in  business  is 
that  he  oversees  it  in  person.  He  is  active  and 
hearty  and  there  is  i)lenty  of  energy  and  fire  in  him 
yet. 

In  1837  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Johnston,  of  Springfield,  111.  She  was  born 
in  Ohio,  and  by  her  union  with  our  subject  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  four  children,  three  sons  and 
one  daughter — Edward  D.,  Dallas  G.,  Livingston 
and  Flora  E ;  the  latter  is  the  wife  of  F.  W.  King- 
man, book-keeper  and  treasurer  of  the  Iowa  Iron 
Works  at  Dubuque.  Mr.  Moore  helped  to  estab- 
lish the  fifth  lodge  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  instituted  in  the 
State  of  Illinois;  this  was  in  1840.  Politically  he 
is  a  Democrat,  and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  Martin  Van  Buren. 


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SAAC  McDANIEL,  of  Cedar  Township,  ranks 
among  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  Hawkeye 
State,  coming  here  when  the  land  was  wild  and 
unbroken,  and  when  only  here  and  there  could  be 
seen  the  humble  cabin  of  the  adventurous  emigrant. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Orange  County,  N.  C,  on  the 
8th  of  January,  1802.  His  father,  James  McDan- 
iel,  was  a  native  of  the  same  county  as  his  son,  and 
his  grandfather  was  born  in  the  North  of  Ireland, 
of  Scottish  ancestry.  He  came  to  America  l)efore 
the  Revolutionary  War,  in  which  he  served  as 
Colonel,  and  made  for  himself  a  gallant  record. 
Prior  to  this  he  had  settled  in  Orange  County,  N. 
C.     He  improved  a  farm  tliero,  and  after  the  close 


of  his  military  career  retired  to  his  estate  and  spent 
tlu'  icmainder  of  his  daj's.  In  early  manhood 
James  McDaniel,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
married  to  Miss  Charity,  the  daughter  of  Joseph 
Wells,  of  his  own  county  and  State.  She  was  reared 
in  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  she  and  her  husband 
are  buried  in  the  (Quaker  Cemetery  near  Rushville, 
Ind.,  whither  they  had  removed. 

Isaac  McDaniel  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on  his 
father's  farm  in  North  Carolina,  and  removed  with 
his  parents  to  Indiana.  He  was  married  in  this 
latter  State  on  the  5th  of  November,  1828,  to  Miss 
Frances  Edwards,  also  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
born  Jan.  26,  1811.  After  farming  seven  years  in 
Indiana,  he  sold  out,  loaded  his  household  goods  into 
a  wagon  and  started  for  Illinois.  He  located  in 
Morgan  County,  where  he  remained  until  the  spring 
of  1837,  then  gathered  up  his  goods  and  started  for 
Iowa.  After  two  weeks  of  slow  travel  they  landed 
in  Henry  County,  camping  near  Salem. 

At  this  early  day  the  land  in  this  vicinity  had 
not  even  been  surveyed,  and  a  white  man  was  sel- 
dom seen.  With  the  assistance  of  his  wife  Mr.  Mc- 
Daniel put  up  a  cabin  of  small  logs,  during  the 
building  of  which  they  lived  in  a  tent.  Their  lonely 
and  isolated  condition  and  the  uncertain  prospect 
for  the  future  would  seem  almost  appalling  to  the 
citizens  of  to-day,  surrounded  by  the  Comforts  and 
luxuries  which  the  old  jsioneers  have  assisted  to 
provide.  But  Mr.  McDaniel  was  made  of  stern 
stuff,  and  he  possessed  in  his  wife  a  helpmeet  e(iual 
tfi  everj'  emergency-.  With  heroic  determination 
they  persevered  through  every  difiiculty,  and  in 
due  time  reaped  the  reward  of  their  labors.  When 
the  land  in  that  vicinity  came  into  the  market  Mr. 
McDaniel  entered  160  acres  in  one  body  and  lo- 
cated forty  acres  in  another,  and  now,  after  a  space 
of  fifty  years,  still  occupies  his  original  purchase  of 
200  acres. 

Isaac  McDaniel  and  his  wif<!  have  become  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  the  record  of  whom  is  as 
follows:  Richard  lives  in  Norton  County,  K:in.; 
Junius  died  in  Cedar  Township;  Willi.am  lives  in 
Missouri ;  Clarissa,  Mrs,  Ileddlesen,  is  in  Jewell 
County,  Kan. ;  Nathan  lives  in  Cedar  Township, 
Iowa,;  Perry  is  in  Jewell  County,  Kan. ;  Kmily  J., 
Mrs.  Masden,  is  in  Norton  County,  Kan.;   Newton 


BEISh 


is  on  the  old  homestead;  Catharine,  Mrs.  Stedman, 
is  ill  Jewell  County,  Kan.;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McD.  uf 
this  si<eteli  liave  forty-five  grandchildren  and 
twenty-six  great-grandchildren.  The  wife  of  our 
subject  is  connected  with  the  Christian  Church,  and 
during  the  fifty  years  that  they  have  resided  in  this 
locality  tliey  have  surrounded  themselves  with  a 
large  circle  of  wairn  friends,  who,  appreciating  the 
dangers  and  the  difiiculties  througii  wliich  they  liavc 
Come  to  years  of  honor,  render  them  the  reverence 
and  the  homage  due  to  the  pioneers  of  half  a  cen- 
tury. 

f^  KNRY  CATTERMOLE,  President  of  tlie 
German-American  Bank  at  Ft.  Madison,  is 
a  native  of  Loudon,  England,  and  was  born 
Sept.  10,  1803.  His  parents,  William  and 
.Susan  (Thompson)  Cattermole,  reared  to  man  and 
womanhood  eight  children,  five  of  whom  came  to 
the  United  States.  The  father  died  in  Canada  and 
the  mother  at  Ft.  Madison.  Henry  Cattermole  and 
one  sister,  Betsey  Edwards,  are  the  only  surviving 
members  of  the  family,  and  both  are  living  at  Ft. 
Madison. 

At  an  early  :ige  our  subject  learned  the  trade  of 
a  butcher,  which  he  followed  with  success  in  his  na- 
tive countrj'  until  182,5,  when  he  came  to  this  coun- 
try with  the  determination  of  making  it  his  perma- 
nent home,  and  soon  after  landing  in  the  city  of 
New  York  went  to  Rochester,  that  State,  and  there 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  This  proved 
a  successful  enterprise,  but,  like  many  others,  he 
placed  too  much  confidence  in  false  friends  and  lost 
more  money  there  than  he  made. 

In  1830  Mr.  Cattermole  went  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  and  again  embarked  in  merchandising,  and 
there  continued  to  reside  for  upward  of  six  years. 
In  1832  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  liis  cousin, 
Elizabeth  Cattermole,  a  native  of  Suffolk  Couut3', 
England.  She  emigrated  to  the  United  States  with 
her  parents  the  year  of  her  marriage.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  James  and  Naomi  Cattermole,  and 
their  eldest  son,  James,  is  now  residing  in  Loudon, 
Canada,  where  lie  is  following  tlie  practice  of  medi- 
cine; Elizabeth,  wife  of  our  subject,  was  the  next 
in  order  of  birtii;   Emma  became  the  wife  of  I'hilli 


11 


lii 


Aspenwall,  who  is  now  deceased ;  George  is  a  mer- 
chant, and  living  in  Illinois,  and  Arthur  C.  resides 
at  Ft.  Madison.  Three  of  Mrs.  Cattermole's  broth- 
ers and  sisters  are  deceased — William,  Henry  and 
Caroline,  the  latter  of  whom  was  the  wife  of  Daniel 
McConn,  of  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa. 

In  183G  Mr.  Cattermole  of  this  notice  emigrated 
to  Illinois,  and  locating  at  Appanoose,  continued  in  ^ 
the  general  mercantile  business  until  1841.  Dur- 
ing that  year  he  ciijssed  the  Mississippi  and  be- 
came one  of  the  pioneers  of  Ft.  Madison.  He  at 
once  established  himself  in  the  general  mercantile 
business  there,  and  also  engaged  in  pork-packing, 
and  for  upward  of  thirty  years  met  with  far  more 
than  ordinary  success  in  conducting  his  business, 
when  he  sold  it  to  Arthur  Cattermole.  As  a  banker 
Mr.  Cattermole  has  been  known  since  1856,  at 
which  date  he  became  connected  with  the  banking- 
house  of  Knapp  (k  Eaton,  and  continued  in  that 
relation  until  1858,  when  the  bank  was  succeeded 
by  the  Ft.  JNIadisoii  branch  of  the  State  Bank  of 
Iowa.  Mr.  Cattermole  was  at  once  chosen  Director, 
and  served  as  such  until  1 865,  at  which  date  the 
bank  wound  up  its  career.  During  the  same  year 
the  Ft.  Madison  National  Bank  was  organized,  our  i|is^, 
subject  being  one  of  its  original  stockholders,  and 
serving  as  one  of  the  Directors  until  Jan.  30,  1872, 
when  its  charter  was  surrendered,  and  the  bank  of 
Ft.  Madison  was  incorporated  under  the  State  law. 
Mr.  Cattermole  became  one  of  the  original  stock- 
holders of  the  latter  institution,  and  subsequently-  jijiLJji 
sole  proprietor.  He  conducted  it  until  April  6,  "m^th 
1875,  when  he  sold  it  to  Charles  Brewster  and  .lo-  i[^  ^ 
seph  A.  Smith.  After  disposing  of  the  Bank  of  Ft. 
Madison,  he,  in  company  with  others,  in  1876  or- 
ganized the  German-American  Bank,  being  chosen  'jl 
its  first  President,  and  still  holds  the  position  | 
(1887).  fc 

Mr.  Cattermole  is  now  eighty-tiiree  years  of  age, 
but  is  a  well  preserved  gentleman,  and  is  entirely 
competent  to  attend  to  his  daily  duties  at  the  bank. 
He  has  always  given  close  attention  to  business, 
and  observed  strict  integrity  and  due  econ<jniy, 
to  which  is  attributable  his  success  iu  life.  He  may 
be  counted  among  tlie  subsUmtial  men  of  Lee 
County.  Prior  to  tlie  formation  of  the  Keimb- 
lic;in  p:iilv  he  wa>  .-1  Whig.  Iml  now  vo1c>  with  the 


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IM 


Democratic  party,  although  he  is  not  bound  by 
party  ties.  He  is  a  believer  in  the  relijiion  of  Jesus 
Christ,  .'ind,  although  not  a  member  of  any  church, 
usually  attends  the  Kpis(!opal. 

-,>> •.o*o.@{>-f4Q)..o*o.. .<.r— 


OHN  HYTER,  a  highly  respected  farmer  of 
Green  Bay  Township,  owns  and  occupies  a 
comfortable  homestead  on  section  (J.  He 
is  a  native  of  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  and 
was  born  May  1,  1820.  He  is  the  son  of  Abraham 
and  Nancy  A.  (Farris)  Hyter.  The  father  was 
born  Feb.  4.  1786,  near  Hagerstown,  Md. ;  his  wife 
was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  born  Dec.  11,  1790. 
They  both  went  to  Ohio  while  single,  and  it  was 
there  that  they  became  acquainted  and  married  in 
Harrison,  Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio.  He  was  a  black- 
smith bj'  trade,  and  for  several  years  did  a  thriving 
business — so  much  so  that  he  accumulated  two 
farms,  just  across  the  line  from  Harrison  in  Indiana. 
He  finally  disposed  of  his  two  farms,  coming  to 
this  county,  and  in  March,  1845,  entered  and 
settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  his  son,  Samuel 
Hyter,  at  Weaver,  in  Green  Bay  Township.  He 
was  a  man  of  some  means  and  purchased  320  acres. 
Abraham  Hyter  had  a  family  of  eight  children, 
six  of  whom  arc  now  living:  William  T.  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Barton  County,  Kan. ;  Barbara  A.  is  the 
wife  of  Dr.  Robert  Gilmore,  and  they  live  near 
Kansas  City,  Mo.;  John  is  our  subject;  Mary  is 
the  wife  of  Thomas  Davis,  and  they  live  in  Bloom- 
field,  Iowa;  Samuel  resides  on  the  old  home  farm, 
and  Caroline  is  the  wife  of  S.  F.  Richardson,  whose 
farm  joins  the  town  of  Weaver.  Mrs.  Hyter  died 
a  few  months  after  their  arrival  here,  in  the  fall  of 
1845,  and  his  death  took  place  in  January,  1866. 
Mrs.  Hyter  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat.  Our  sub- 
ject lived  in  his  native  county  until  1844,  and  was 
engaged  in  farming  pursuits.  He  then  crossed  the 
Mississippi  and  came  into  Lee  County,  settling  in 
(ireen  Bay  Township.  Six  years  later,  on  account 
of  the  illness  of  his  wife,  he  returned  with  her  to 
her  old  home  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  where 
they  remained  for  three  years,  during  wiiich  time 
Mr.   Hyter  was   variously   employed    until   her  le- 


covery.  He  then  returned  to  the  West  and  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land  in  Lee  County,  upon 
which  he  settled  and  has  since  lived. 

Mr.  Hyter  has  been  fairly  prospered  in  his  under- 
takings, and  is  now  the  owner  of  120  acres,  which 
he  has  brought  to  a  good  state  of  cultiv.ation.  He 
has  a  good,  substantial  farm  dwelling,  built  of  brick, 
suitable  barns  and  outhouses  for  the  storing  of 
grain  and  the  shelter  of  stock,  and  all  the  necessary 
appliances  for  carrying  on  agriculture  in  a  profit- 
able and  systematic  manner. 

In  early  manhood  Mr.  Hyter  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Louisa  L.  J^ooker,  of  Hamilton 
County,  Ohio,  their  wedding  being  celebrated 
Feb.  7,  1844.  Of  this  union  there  were  born  six 
children,  viz.:  Barbara  A.,  William  A.,  Clara,  Ed- 
win, Charles  R.  and  Arthur  F.  The  only  one  liv- 
ing is  William  A.  He  was  married,  Oct.  27,  l^Mi. 
to  Mrs.  Maggie  L.  Le  Suer,  widow  of  William  Le 
Suer.  Mrs.  Louisa  Hyter  died  in  (ireen  B.iy  Town- 
ship July  8,  1882. 

John  Ilyter  has  been  prominently  identified  with 
the  affairs  of  his  township,  and  has  held  various 
local  offices.  He  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  rc- 
ligiouslj'  is  connected  with  the  Christian  Church. 
He  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his 
community,  and  in  all  respects  is  fulfilling  the  obli- 
gations of  a  good  citizen. 


RS.  BARBARA  DICKEY,  Postmistress  of 
Dover,  Franklin  Township,  Lee  County, 
has  been  the  incumbent  of  her  present  of- 
fice since  the  death  of  her  husband,  whom 
she  succeeded  in  1864,  and  is  fulfilling  the  duties 
of  her  position  with  credit  to  herself  and  satisfac- 
tion to  all  concerned.  Edmund  Dickey,  deceased, 
was  a  native  of  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  and  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Marietta  May  22,  1813.  He 
was  reared  in  his  native  county  and  was  there  mar- 
ried to  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  then  Miss  Barbara 
Lindemuth.  Mrs.  D.  was  born  in  the  same  county 
as  her  husband,  and  in  the  same  year,  on  the  13th 
of  December. 

After     their   marriage   the\-   eanic    to  Iowa    and 
settled  in  Ft.  Madison,  where  he  followed  the  trade 


^1 

Sa  I  kiiJiiuiiii  '  iuuiilLixi  ilfH=ii .  ^^^ 


iSr'r'r'r'il 


nFFrVHT 


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of  a  tailor.  He  pursued  the  same  calling  in  the 
Hawke3'e  .State  for  the  following  eleven  years,  when 
they  came  to  Dover,  which  was  then  only  the  site 
of  the  present  village,  purchased  property,  and  es- 
tablished a  store.  Mr.  Dickey  instituted  a  post- 
office  that  same  year,  and  gave  it  the  name  of 
Dover,  taking  the  position  of  Postmaster,  which  he 
held  until  his  death,  which  occurrred  Sept.  4,  1864. 
INIr.  and  Mrs  Dickey  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  of  whom  three  are  deceased.  Those  re- 
maining are :  Susan,  the  eldest;  Georgiana,  the  wife 
of  J.  R.  AVarren,  and  the  mother  of  seven  children ; 
William  E.  owns  and  operates  150  acres  of  improved 
land  and  several  small  lots,  and  is  unmarried ;  Mar- 
garet E.  is  deceased ;  Mary  R.  and  Hattie  are  the 
proprietors  of  a  store  of  general  merchandise.  The 
family  are  well  known  and  highly  respected 
throughout  the  township,  and  are  prominently  con- 
nected with  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Edmund 
Dickey,  in  politics,  was  strongly  Republican.  His 
son  has  followed  closely  in  his  footsteps,  and 
uniformly  casts  his  vote  in  support  of  the  princi- 
ples of  that  party. 


W.  DODD  is  a  well-known  and  highly 
respected  citizen  of  Ft.  Madison,  and  de- 
serves especial  notice  as  one  of  the  enter- 
prising and  thorough  business  men  of  Lee  Co. 
He  was  born  on  a  farm  near  IVIarysville,  Union  Co., 
Ohio,  in  the  year  1847,  being  the  eldest  child  of 
Isaac  J.  and  Mary  Dodd,  who  are  now  residents  of 
Ft.  Madison.  He  was  but  five  years  old,  when,  in 
the  fall  of  1853,  the  familj'  immigrated  into  the 
State  of  Iowa,  and  settled  on  a  farm  near  Oska- 
loosa,  where  he  spent  his  boj'hood  da3's.  There  he 
received  a  good  literary  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  colleges,  and  subsequentlj'  studied  law 
in  the  ofHce  of  ex-Lieui.  Gov.  Hon.  John  R.  Need- 
ham.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  practiced 
in  the  legal  profession  for  nearly  five  years,  at 
Columbus  City,  Iowa.  In  January,  1873,  he  re- 
moved to  Ft.  Madison,  and  became  connected  witli 
a  leadiug  firm  of  wholesale  druggists  and  manu- 
facturing piiarmacists.  He  afterward  became  pro- 
prietor of  tlu!   Ft.   Madison  Plaindealer,  wliicii  he 


11 
\ 
\ 
\ 


edited  and  publislied  successfully  for  two  years. 
Being  a  worthy  member  and  great  lover  of  tlie  order 
of  Knights  of  Pythias,  he,  in  1877,  founded  the 
"Knight's  Sword  and  Helmet,"  a  monthly  journal 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  that  order.  In  this  en- 
terprise he  was  kindly  assisted  by  iiis  friend,  Hon. 
John  Van  Valkenburg,  who  occupied  the  editorial 
chair  one  year,  since  which  time  Mr.  Dodd  lias  ccm- 
tinued  alone,  and  the  journal  has  proved  a  remark- 
able success. 

Mr.  Dodd  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  in  January, 
1880,  founded  "The  New  Monitor,"  a  monthly 
journal  the  same  size  as  the  "  Knight's  Sword  and 
Helmet,"  and  devoted  to  the  interests  of  Odd  Fel- 
lowship. Although  having  more  business  than  any 
one  man  ought  to  attend  to,  Mr.  Dodd  became  as- 
sociated in  partnership  with  Capt.  George  E.  Davis, 
in  1885,  and  under  the  firm  style  of  Davis,  Dodd  & 
Co.,  is  carrying  on  aT7  extensive  real  estate,  loan 
and  insurance  business.  This  firm  also  publishes  l]^^ 
"  Nelson's  Pocket  Railway  Guide."  Thus  it  can  t^TliI 
be  seen  that  Mr.  Dodd  is  transacting  an  immense 
amount  of  business,  and  as  everything  he  undertakes 
is  well  done,  his  time  is  fully  occupied  by  hard 
work.  In  the  autumn  of  1874  Mr.  Dodd  became 
connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  as  a  member 
of  Gem  City  Lodge  No.  21,  and,  after  passing  all 
the  chairs  within  the  gift  of  that  lodge,  became  |l|p 
convinced  that  there  was  a  wide  field  of  labor  in 
this  dii'ection,  and  he  organized  (iolden  Cross 
Lodge  No.  Ill,  which  has  three  times,  unanimously, 
elected  him  as  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge. 
He  also  occupies  a  high  position  in  the  I'niform 
Rank  Knights  of  Pythias,  in  Iowa,  being  aid-de- 
camp to  the  Brig.adier  General,  with  the  rank  of 
Major.  He  is  a  member  of  Ft.  Madison  Lodge  No. 
157,  1.  O.  0.  F.,  and  has  passed  all  the  chairs  within 
its  gift,  and  is  now  Secretary  and  General  Manager 
of  the  Odd  Fellows'  Protective  and  Benefit  Associa- 
tion. 

Politically  Mr.  l)od<l  is  a  Republican,  and  was 
chosen  Presidential  Elector  in  187G  by  Gov. 
Samuel  J.  Kirkwood,  to  represent  the  First  Con- 
gressional District  of  Iowa  in  the  Electoral  College, 
and  by  that  college  was  chosen  messenger  to  con- 
vey the  vote  and  other  papers  of  the  college  to  the 
United  States  District  .Judge;  this  alone  was  a  great 


-g5^ 


mark  of  confidence,  especially  on  account  of  the 
closeness  of  the  electoral  vote  of  the  United  .States, 
at  that  general  election,  iinown  as  the  Hayes-Tilden 
contest,  and  although  not  a  politician,  he  is  a  warm 
supporter  of  the  party's  principles.  His  religious 
connection,  like  that  of  his  parents,  is  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  As  a  business  man  he  is 
prompt  in  the  fultillnient  of  every  obligation,  thus 
meriting  the  fullest  confidence  of  the  bankers  in 
his  cit}-,  and  all  others  with  whom  he  has  dealings. 
.Socially  he  is  courteous,  communicative  and  agree- 
able; always  pleasant  and  genial,  no  matter  what 
his  business  troubles  may  be. 

The  marriage  of  II.  ^V^  Dodd  and  Miss  Ada  M. 
Neal  was  celebrated  June  G,  1871.  Mrs.  Dodd  is 
a  daughter  of  Ur.  B.  G.  Neal,  of  Columbus  City, 
Iowa,  and  is  a  lady  of  fine  education  and  ac- 
complishments. The  household  circle  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dodd  includes  three  lovely  children — Fred, 
Neal  and  Ada.  Their  home  is  replete  with  the  ap- 
pliances of  cultivated  taste  and  refinement,  and 
their  circle  of  friends  includes  the  best  people  of 
Ft.  Madison  and  vicinitv. 


^M.Cfi'®^-' 


ja— >./.^^l<3rjrii»>. 


bEWLS  B.  KKELER,  a  iiiosperous  farmer  of 
Pleasant  Ridge  Townshij),  uwns  and  occu- 
l)ies  a  tine  homestead  on  section  ;>().  He 
has  lieen  a  resident  of  the  Ilawkeye  State  for  thirty 
years,  coming  here  when  a  young  man,  unmarried, 
and  has  watched  with  unaliated  interest  the  growth 
and  development  of  his  adopted  State,  and  has 
malerially  assisted  in  the  transformation  which  has 
taken  place  since  the  period  of  his  settlement  here. 
Mr.  Keeler  was  born  in  one  of  the  most  Ijeautiful 
localities  of  the  Buckeye  State  and  in  the  city  of 
Norwalk,  which  is  famous  in  that  vicinity  for  its 
fine  residences,  rows  of  shade  trees,  pleasant 
streets,  aud  the  fine  country  surrounding  it.  Nor- 
walk is  situated  in  Huron  County,  and  the  birth  of 
our  subject  occurred  on  the  24th  of  April,  1S30. 

The  i)areuts  of  our  subject  were  Lewis  and  Re- 
becca (Stei)liens)  Keeler,  natives  of  Connecticut, 
who  were  among  thi'  early  pioneers  of  Ilinon 
County.     They  maile   the  journey  from  Connecti- 


cut to  Ohio  with  an  ox-team,  and  settling  near 
Norwalk  established  a  home,  in  which  they  lived 
the  remainder  of  their  da^'s.  Their  farm  consisted 
of  16(1  acres,  now  valued  at  1125  per  acre.  Lewis 
Keeler  died  at  the  age  of  eightj'-fonr  years,  and 
his  wife,  Rebecca,  at  sixty-five.  Their  family  con- 
sisted of  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  grew  to 
years  of  maturity,  and  five  are  still  living,  viz., 
Emily.  Lewis  B.,  Jane,  Julius  and  Sylvia. 

Lt^wis  B.  Keeler  remained  under  the  parental 
ro(^f  for  several  years  after  he  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority, aud  was  engaged  in  farming  pursuits.  He 
came  to  Iowa  in  1S50,  and  was  soon  afterward 
married  to  Miss  Lueretia  Johnson.  The  lady  had 
been  a  playmate  of  his  boyhood  days,  and  their 
attachment  was  one  of  long  standing.  After  mar- 
riage they  returned  to  Ohio,  where  they  remained 
for  two  years,  and  in  Februarj',  18.')bi.  recrossed 
the  Father  of  Waters  and  established  themselves 
upon  a  farm  in  Lee  County. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war  Mr.  Keeler 
enlisted  as  a  .soldier  in  Co.  I,  oOth  Iowa  A'ol.  Inf., 
and  served  with  his  regiment  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  entered  the  service  as  Fifth  Sergeant  and 
was  mustered  out  as  First  Lieutenant.  His  regi- 
ment was  engaged  in  twenty-one  hard-fought 
battles,  and  Mr.  Keeler  participated  in  nineteen  of 
them,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  Chickasaw 
Bluffs,  Arkansas  Post,  the  siege  of  \'icksburg. 
Lookout  Mountain,  Missi(m  Ridge  and  Ringgold 
Hill.  lie  was  with  Gen.  Sherman  in  the  march 
from  Atlanta  to  the  sea,  and  discharged  his  duties 
as  a  soldier  in  a  praiseworthy  manner.  After  the 
close  of  the  war  Mr.  Keeler  returned  to  Lee  County 
and  resumed  his  farming  operations  in  Pleasant 
Ridge  Towushii).  He  is  now  the  po.sse.•-^or  of  112 
acres  of  land,  finely  improved,  aud  equipped  with  a 
good  dwelling  and  all  the  necessary  outhouses. 

The  union  of  JSIr.  and  Mrs.  Keeler  was  blest 
by  the  birth  of  six  ciiildren — Lovina,  Sylvia,  Frank, 
Polly,  Onia  and  Rosella.  Mr.  Keeler  is  Repub- 
lican in  politics  and  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  He 
enjoys,  to  a  marked  degree,  the  confidence  of  his 
fellow -townsmen,  and  has  occupied  various  impor- 
tant odices  within  their  gift.  He  was  Township 
Trustee  for  five  years,  and  in  religious  matters  is 
connected  with  the  Piesbyterian  Church. 


LEE  COUNTY. 


565 


■<^  MLLTAIM  D.  STEELE,  a  prominent  business 
\fj//  "i-i»  "f  Keolvulv,  is  a  nativo  of  Philadelphia, 
VW  I'a.,  the  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Dun- 
lap)  Steele,  and  was  born  Aug.  15,  1841.  He 
comes  of  excellent  Scotch-Irish  ancestry;  his  father 
was  a  native  of  Scotland  and  his  mother  of  the 
North  of  Ireland.  "William  Steele,  Sr.,  was  edu- 
cated in  his  native  land  for  a  Presbyterian  clergy- 
man, but  not  being  quite  satisfied  with  his  prospects 
there,  emigrated  to  America  and  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes,  first  in  Phila- 
delphia, whence  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  and 
from  there  to  Shelbyville,  Tenn.  From  this  latter 
place  he  came  ti)  Keokuk  in  the  fall  of  18.H,  re- 
mained until  the  following  spring,  and  then  went 
to  Clark  County,  Mo.,  where  he  j^nrchased  a  tract 
of  wild  land,  opened  up  a  farm,  and  established  a 
home,  remaining  there  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  March,  1858.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
came  to  America  when  a  small  child,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  William  Steele,  Sr.,  in  Philadelphia.  She 
survived  her  husband  eleven  years,  d3'ing  in  1869. 
The  parental  household  consisted  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  three  only  are  living:  William  ])., 
our  subject;  .John  McDonald,  of  Montana,  where 
he  has  a  cattle  ranche,  and  Annie,  now  Mrs.  J. 
Stone,  of  Browning,  Sullivan  Co.,  Mo. 

William  D.  Steele  remained  with  his  parents 
attending  school  until  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  commenced  working  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Misst)uri.  He  was  thus  employed 
the  following  five  years,  but  becoming  tired  of 
farming,  decided  to  change  his  occupation.  He  ac- 
cordingly came  to  Keokuk  and  obtained  employ- 
ment in  the  grocery  store  of  James  E.  Bruce,  with 
whom  he  remained  one  year.  He  then  set  up  in 
business  for  himself,  dealing  in  general  produce  for 
one  year,  and  afterward  in  the  retail  grocery  busi- 
ness. He  then  went  to  Natchez,  Miss.,  and  engaged 
in  the  hotel  business  there  for  one  j'ear.  He  then 
returned  to  Keokuk,  and  engaged  in  the  retail 
grocery  trade  with  Mr.  Bruce,  operating  under  the 
firm  name  of  Bruce  &  Steele.  In  1870  he  disposed 
of  his  interest  ty  his  partner,  who  became  associ- 
ated with  John  Purdew,  and  our  subject  engaged 
as  traveling  salesman  for  the  firm  of  Bruce  and 
Primeau  for  fifteen  months,  when  he  purchased  the 


interest  of  Mr.  Primeau,  and  the  business  was  oper- 
ated under  the  title  of  Bruce  &  Steele  for  two  years. 
Mr.  Bruce  then  disposed  of  his  interest  to  W.  M. 
Moore,  and  the  firm  became  Moore  &  Steele,  after 
which  the  whole  business  was  transferred  by  sale  to 
James  E.  Bruce.  Mr.  Steele  now  opened  a  whole- 
sale liquor  business  on  Main  street,  but  i-etired  from 
this  last  business  Nov.  10,  188(>. 

The  marriage  of  William  D.  Steele  and  .Miss 
Margaret  J.,  daughter  of  Maitin  Stafford,  was 
celebrated  in  Keokuk,  in  1870.  Of  this  union  have 
been  born  five  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy; those  living  are  Mary  E.,  William  J.  .nnd 
Charles  S.  They  now  occupy  the  old  Stafford 
homestead  at  No.  113  Blondeau  street,  and  Mr. 
Steele  has  his  office  at  No.  615  Main  street.  Mr.  S. 
is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  is  amply  entitled  to 
be  classed  among  the  representative  citizens  of 
Keokuk. 

,,...  NDREW  J.  BULLARD,  deceased,  formerly 
^(LM  a  well-known  resident  of  Madison  Town- 
.ship,  was  a  native  of  Burlington,  Iowa, 
and  the  son  of  Theophilusand  Lucy  (Arm- 
strong) Bullard.  At  the  time  of  his  birth  Iowa  was 
a  |)art  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  and  abont 
three  j'ears  thereafter  his  parents  removed  from 
Burlington  to  a  farm  in  Lee  County,  where  our 
subject  was  reared  to  manhood.  Their  farm  was 
comparatively  unimproved  and  uncultivated  when 
they  took  possession  of  it,  and  when  our  subject 
had  attained  to  a  suitable  age,  he  assisted  in  the 
lighter  duties  of  the  homestead,  and  during  a  few 
months  of  each  year  pursued  his  studies  in  the  pio- 
neer schools.  He  remained  with  his  parents  contin- 
uously until  they  ceased  their  earthly  labors,  and 
afterward  occupied  the  old  homestead  until  his 
death. 

Andrew  J.  Bullard  and  Miss  Amanda  Walker 
were  united  in  marriage  Dec.  8,  1859.  She  was 
bfirn  in  New  York,  Jan.  12.  1842,  and  departed 
this  life  April  24,  1869.  He  was  married  the  sec- 
ond time,  Nov.  20,  1-870,  to  Miss  Frances  M. 
Snivel}-,  of  Franklin  County,  Fa.,  born  April  3, 
184W,  and  the  daughter  of  Henry  H.  and  Sarah 
(Hershey)  Snively.     Mrs.   B.  was  a  child   of  three 


m 


566 


LKK  ("onNTY. 


:  1 
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^1 


m 


mm 


m 

mm 


years  old  when  her  pai'ents  came  to  Jowa,  and  she 
lived  with  them  until  her  marriage.  Of  her  union 
with  our  sul)j(X't  there  were  born  five  children — 
Charles  ('.,  John  A.,  Theophilus,  Daisy  M.  and 
Lucy. 

During  the  earlier  years  of  liis  life  Mr.  Bullard 
was  connected  with  th(>  Uaiitist  Church  but  later 
became  a  member  of  the  Protestant  ISIethodist.  He 
was  Democratic  in  jiolitics,  and  was  well  known 
throughout  tliis  vicinity  as  a  straightforward  busi- 
ness man,  and  lived  to  see  his  family  established  in 
a  comfortable  home.  The  old  homestead  is  occu- 
pied and  operated  by  Mrs.  Bullard  and  her  sons. 
It  consists  of  27-2  acres  of  finely  cultivated  land, 
is  supplied  with  a  comfortaVjle  farm  residence,  good 
barns  and  out-buildings,  and  stocked  with  choice 
domestic  animals. 


,*s^>  AMLIEL  TAYLOR  MARSHALL,  who  oc- 


^^^    cupies  a  hig 
lv^_-3)  sional  men  c 


gh  jKtsition  among  the  profes- 
of  the  Hawkeye  State,  is  next  to 
the  oldest  member  of  the  bar  of  Lee  County, 
and   during  a  long  experience  in  matters  requiring 
his  professional  services,  has  distinguished  himself 
by  his  ability,  learning  and   natural  genius.     Mr. 
Marshall  was   born   in  Butler   County,  Oliio,  Feb. 
26,  1816,  and  is   the   son    of   Gilbert   and    Mary 
(Hueston)   Marshall,  natives  of  Penns3'lvania  and 
yTVC  Virginia    respectively.       His    grandfather,    James 
U  HI    Marshall,  was  a  native  of  Washington  County,  Pa., 
and  a  man  of  great  energy  and  force  of  character, 
and   who   became   prominentl}^  identified    with  the 
agricultural  and  industrial  interests  of  that  section. 
He  was  a  farmer  b^'  occui)ation.     His  wife's  father 
was  a  pioneer  settler  of  the  Old  Dominion  and  was 
killed  b\'  the  Indians.     He  lived   in  a  block-house 
^at  the  time,  and  was  shot  while   attending  to   the 
drying    of   some  tobacco.     Gilbert    Marshall,    the 
father  of  our  subject,  had  a  family  of  ten  children, 
all  of  whom  lived  to  nmture  years  and  raised  fam- 
ilies of  their  own. 

.Samuel  T.  Marshall  of  our  sketch,  was  reared  on 
his  father's  farm,  which  was  in  sight  of  the  old  Ox- 
fonl  College,  and  received  the  advantages  of  the 
country  schools  of  his  neighborhood.     In  due  time 


he  entered  the  jireparatory  department  of  said  col- 
lege, where  he  took  a  full  classical  course,  and 
graduated  in  August,  1840.  He  wrote  the  first 
Constitution  and  By-Laws  of  the  Greek  Letter  So- 
ciety, called  the  "  Beta  Theta  Pi,"  being  one  of 
the  three  founders  of  the  society,  which  is  still  in 
existence  and  at  present  has  a  mendjership  of  over 
7,000.  About  this  time  young  Marsh.all  suddenly 
became  very  patriotic,  and  joined  the  little  armj' 
called  "  The  Patridts."  which  served  at  the  time  of 
the  Canadian  Rebellion.  For  his  zeal  and  activity 
he  was  commissioned  ]>ieutenant-Colonel,  and  is 
still  in  po.ssession  of  the  document  indicating  his 
soldierly  rank.  While  in  the  service,  he  and  one  of 
his  comrades  were  taken  by  the  enemy  and  thrown 
into  prison.  After  a  trial,  and  being  pronounced 
guilty  of  invasion,  they  were  sentenced  to  be  fined 
and  transported  to  "\'an  Dieman's  Land.  Jlr.  Mar- 
shall, (m  account  of  the  indifference  with  which  he 
viewed  the  situation,  was  set  free,  but  his  friend 
was  sent  into  banishment.  During  Ins  inijirison- 
ment  Mr.  Marshall  suffered  great  hardship  and  ex- 
posure, which  brought  on  severe  illness.  After 
reaching  home,  he  entered  the  law  otHce  of  Timo- 
thj'  Wiilker  at  Cincinnati.  After  one  session  there 
he  resumed  his  reading  in  the  office  of  Pettit  & 
Orth,  of  La  Fayette,  Ind.,  both  distinguished  jurists, 
where  he  completed  his  studies  and  returned  to  his 
home  in  Ohio  for  a  brief  season. 

Mr.  Marshall  came  to  Lee  County  in  December, 
1842,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  law  at  West 
Point,  then  the  county  seat,  where  he  continued 
until  l.s4(j,  when  he  removed  to  Keokuk.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  been  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Louisa  Patterson,  the  second  daughter  of  Col.  Will- 
iam Patterson,  of  Lee  County.  Mr.  Marshall 
claims  that  his  marriage  was  the  most  ])i'ofitable 
day's  work  which  he  ever  did  in  iiis  life.  Tlie 
union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  has  been  blest  by 
the  birth  of  ten  children,  six  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, six  of  whom  have  lived  to  mature  years,  and 
are  recorded  as  follows:  Robert  Mitchell  graduated 
at  Miami  College  in  1870,  has  been  Prosecuting 
Attornej'  for  the  past  four  ^-ears,  and  is  a  law  part- 
ner of  his  father's;  William  Patterson,  the  .second 
son,  was  obliged  to  leave  the  same  college  in  the 
junior  yeai- on  account  of  sickness;  he  afterward 


I 


Ill' 

'  Jl 

13: 
i| 
lis 

i| 

136 


'IB 
ill 


studied  law  witli  his  father,  and  is  now  in  the  of- 
fice of  the  latter.  Albert  Tom,  a  graduate  of  the 
High  School  of  Keokuk,  afterward  commenced  the 
study  of  law,  and  is  now  practicing,  having  his 
office  with  his  father;  he  is  now  County  Auditor 
for  the  south  half  of  Lee  County.  Chapin  Hall 
was  educated  at  Keokuk,  and  is  a  postal  clerk  on  the 
M.,  I.  &.  N.  R.  R. ;  he  has  been  in  Montana  Ter- 
ritory, where,  for  some  time,  he  operated  a  sheep 
ranch;  Maude  received  her  education  at  the  home 
schools,  and  being  studious  and  fond  of  her  books, 
is  well  versed  in  history,  mathematics  and  music; 
Sabret  Taylor,  sixteen  years  old,  is  yet  in  school  at 
Keokuk. 

Mr.  Marshall  has  never  been  a  political  aspirant, 
althougli  taking  a  lively  interest  in  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  public  welfare,  and  has  often  stumped 
the  county  in  behalf  of  candidates  whom  he  re- 
garded as  competent  to  fulfill  important  trusts.  He 
is  a  Democrat  of  the  Jeffersonian  type,  but  gives 
most  of  his  attention  to  his  law  practice  and  his 
clients. 


-^  ACOB  SCHOUTEN,  General  Superintendent 
of  the  firm  of  the  Keokuk  Cracker  and  Candy 
Company,  is  a  native  of  Holland,  born  Feb. 
11,  1 856,  and  is  tlie  son  of  Henry  and  Antonia 
Schoiiteu,  also  of  Holland  ancestry  and  parentage. 
They  emigrated  from  their  native  country  to  the 
Tuited  States  in  1867,  and  proceeding  westward, 
came  into  the  Hawkeye  State  and  settled  in  Keokuk, 
where  the  father  is  also  engaged  in  the  bakery  and 
confectionery  business.  The  parental  famil}'  con- 
sisted of  eleven  children,  of  whom  six  are  now  liv- 
ing— Jacob,  Martin,  Richard,  Delia  (Mrs.  Brigman), 
Nicholas  and  Maggie,  all  of  Keokuk. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  attended  school  in  his 
native  land  until  he  was  nine  years  of  age,  and  then 
went  into  the  bakery  to  work  with  his  father.  Af- 
ter coming  to  this  country  he  attended  Bailey's 
College  in  the  evenings  for  two  terms,  and  also  took 
an  additional  term  in  the  public  schools  of  Keokuk. 
He  was  an  industrious  student,  made  good  progress 
in  his  studies,  and  the  result  is  seen  in  his  intelli- 
gence and  the  fund  of  general  information  which  he 
possesses.     After  leaving   school  he  was  variously 


occupied  until  1871 ,  when  he  resumed  work  withK 
his  father  here  and  remained  with  him  for  the  fol 
lowing  nine  year.s.  He  then  went  into  business  for 
himself,  carrying  on  a  confectionery  and  ice-cream 
establishment  for  about  eigiiteen  months,  then  soldc 
out  and  engaged  with  William  Rudick  in  the  whole- 1 
sale  cracker  and  candy  business  at  the  corner  of 
Tenth  and  Johnston  streets.  Tiiey  continued  in 
partnership  for  two  and  a  half  years,  in  the  mean- 
time erecting  the  building  now  used  by  the  Keokuk 
Cracker  and  Cand^y  Company,  and  the  same  year 
(1883)  dissolved  partnership  and  disposed  of  their 
machinery.  This  building,  including  all  the  appli- 
ances, was  valued  at  112,000.  The  present  com- 
pany was  organized  in  September,  1883,  and  is  com- 
posed of  gentlemen  of  experience,  who  possess  am- 
ple capital  with  which  to  carry  on  the  business  in  a 
profitable  manner.  The  products  of  their  factory 
are  immensely  popular  throughout  the  Gate  City. 

Mr.  Schouten  was  married,  in  1884,  to  Miss 
Emma  C,  daughter  of  August  Burger.  By  a  for- 
mer marriage  Mr.  S.  became  tlie  father  of  two  chil- 
dren— Elviua  S.  and  Helen  M.  The3-  have  a  com- 
fortable home,  located  on  the  corner  of  Second  and 
Exchange  streets,  and  enjoy  the  confidence  and 
friendship  of  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances.  Mrs. 
S.  is  a  regular  attendant  of  the  German  Evangeli- 
cal Church,  with  which  she  is  connected  in  member- 
ship, and  Mr.  S.  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He 
uniformly  casts  his  vote  with  the  Democratic  part3', 
and  takes  an  active  and  intelligent  interest  in  local 
and  general  matters.  He  is  fulfilling  all  the  obli- 
gations of  a  good  citizen,  and.  in  company  with  his 
partners,  is  contributing  material  aid  to  the  indus- 
trial interests  of  the  (Jate  City. 

OHN  A.  McCORMlCK,  of  Ft.  Madison,  is 
Station  Agent  of  the  Ft.  M.  &  N.  R.  R.,  and 
is  filling  this  responsible  position  in  a  maimer 
satisfactory  to  all  concerned.  He  is  a  man 
oT^good  business  qualifications,  and  is  highly  re- 
spected in  this  locality,  lie  is  a  native  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  born  Oct.  20,  183'J,  and  is  the  son  of 
John  A.  and  Ann  E.  (^Fadley)  McCormick,  natives 
of  Virt^inia.  He  was  but  three  months  old  when  they 


I  la  izxi  iix  riri  ri  rr  XT  liiitx^i  X 


■ 


emigrated  to  Iowa.  After  a  residence  of  ten  years  at 
Muscatine  the  father  was  attacked  witli  tho  C'lili- 
fornia  fever,  and  after  due  preparation,  started 
across  the  plain.'*  for  the  •'  Ian<l  of  promise."  The 
transportation  was  m.-ido  with  ox-teams,  and  after  a 
long  and  tedious  journej'  he  arrived  at  his  destina- 
tion, and  entering  the  mines,  was  very  snceessful  in 
his  operations.  He  returned  to  Muscatine,  Iowa, 
in  185'2,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  meet- 
ing with  success,  remaining  there  until  his  decease, 
which  occurred  in  1863,  while  at  St.  Louis  on  busi- 
ness. His  wife  is  still  living,  and  resides  with  our 
subject.  The  parental  family'  consisted  of  nine 
children,  of  whom  .lohn  A.  was  the  second  and  onlj- 
survivor. 

Mr,  McCormick  was  reared  and  educated  in  Mus- 
catine, and  at  a  suitable  age  began  his  business  career. 
During  the  progress  of  the  war  he  enlisted  in  the 
.35th  Iowa  Infautr3',  becoming  a  member  of  Com- 
panj'  E,  and  served  as  a  soldier  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  was  at  the  siege  and  capture  of  Vicks- 
burg,  in  the  two  battles  at  Jackson,  Miss.;  at 
Hatchie  River,  and  participated  in  the  various 
other  engagements  and  skirmishes  of  his  regiment. 
In  the  spring  of  18G4  he  was  detailed  to  recruit  in 
Iowa,  being  absent  from  the  scenes  of  conflict  four 
or  five  weeks.  He  received  an  honorable  discharge 
with  his  regiment  in  August,  18G5. 

After  his  return  from  the  army  Mr.  McCormick 
settled  in  Muscatine  and  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  the 
office  of  the  lumber-yards,  where  he  was  employed 
for  six  months.  He  then  went  to  Chicago,  and 
was  employed  in  the  commission  business,  dealing 
in  country  produce,  and  remained  there  for  nine 
months.  He  then  returned  West  to  Burlington, 
Iowa,  and  became  shipping  clerk  at  that  point  for 
the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  which  position  he  occu- 
pied for  four  years,  and  finally  abandoned  it  to 
take  his  present  position,  which  he  has  held  since 
I  that  time,  with  the  exception  of  eighteen  months, 
I  during  which  he  was  in  the  emplOy  of  the  Morrison 
Bros.  Manufacturing  Company. 

John  A.  McCormick  and  Miss  Fannie  E.  .Sparks 
Si  were  united  in  marriage  in  September,  1862.     Mrs. 
1  McC.   is  a  native  of    Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  and  was 
U  born  in   September,  1838.     She  is  the  daughter  of 
Greene  and  Susan  (Hunt)   Sparks,  natives  of    the 


same  State.  She  was  reared  in  her  native  town, 
find  received  a  fair  education  at  the  common 
sciiools.  remaining  with  her  parents  until  her  mar- 
riage. Of  her  union  with  our  subject  there  has 
been  born  one  child,  a  son — Sullivan.  Mrs.  McC. 
is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Presbyterian 
C'lnnch.  They  occupy  a  pleasant  home  and  enjoy 
the  friendship  of  .i  large  circle  of  acquaintances. 


— s-- 


#-# 


R.  WALTON  BANCROFT,  an  old  and 
highly  respected  ph^-sician  of  the  Gate 
City,  is  a  native  of  the  Bay  State,  having 
been  born  in  Massachusetts  on  the  .5th  of 
August,  1828.  The  younger  years  of  our  subject 
were  passed  in  attendance  at  the  common  schools 
and  academy  in  his  native  place.  After  leaving 
school  he  was  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  his 
uncle  for  some  j'ears,  devoting  a  portion  of  his 
time,  however,  to  the  study  of  medicine.  His 
health  failing,  he  came  West,  and  resided  several 
years  in  Quincy  and  Warsaw,  111.  With  his  health 
restored,  he  again  engaged  in  his  favorite  studj'  of 
medicine,  spending  a  year  in  Chicago,  thence  going 
to  St.  Louis,  where  he  graduated  from  the  Homeo- 
l)athic  Medical  College  of  Missouri  in  1860. 

The  following  year  witnessed  the  outbreak  of 
the  Rebellion,  and  Dr.  Bancroft  with  hundreds  of 
others,  determined  to  liecome  a  soldier  of  the  Union. 
He  accordingly  enlisted  in  the  7th  Jlissouri  Cav- 
alry as  ?Mrst  Lieutenant,  but  was  compelled  to  re- 
sign after  one  year's  service  on  account  of  trouble 
with  his  eyes.  He  then  returned  to  New  England, 
where  he  remained  one  year,  a  victim  of  granular 
conjunctivities,  and  again  proceeded  westward.  He 
had  been  a  close  student  and  was  well  fitted  to 
enter  upon  the  practice  of  his  chosen  jirofession. 
He  now  located  at  Warsaw,  111.,  where  he  remained 
for  six  years,  building  up  a  good  practice  and  mak- 
ing many  friends.  Thence  he  went  to  La  Salle, 
111.,  from  there  to  Indianapolis,  and  two  ye.-irs  later 
came  into  Keokuk. 

Since  coming  to  this  city  Dr.  Bancroft  has  been 
in  active  practice  and  stands  high  among  his  pro- 
fessional brethren.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Hahne- 
mann Medical  Society  of  Iowa,  of  which  he   is  an 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


[:|  ex-President ;  the  Westeru    Academy    of  Homeop- 
1  athy;     the    American    Institute   of     Homeopathy; 
Americau  Obstetrical  Society,  and  is  an    honorary 
member  of  the  Indiana    .State   Homeopathic    Insti- 
Dr.  Bancroft  is  a  liberal  and  public-si)irited 
5  man,  who  rejoices  in    the   prosperity    of  his    com- 
munity and  extends  his  aid    to   all    worthy    enter- 
prises.    His  office  is    located    at    No.    olG^    Main 
street,  and  the  residence  of  the   family  is  at   (iU? 
High  street. 


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I 

};S  Il_^ON.  I).  F.  MILLER  settled  and  com- 
liS  lr^\  luenced  the  practice  of  law  in  Iowa  in 
April,  1839.  which  was  in  the  earl3'  terri- 
torial daj's  of  Iowa.  He  first  settled  at  Ft. 
5  ^ladison,  but  for  the  past  twenty-seven  3'ears  has 
''  "  resided  at  Keokuk,  and  has  practiced  law  in  Iowa 
;  longer  than  any  other  living  citizen.  He  was  born 
§  in  the  State  of  Maryland,  but  studied  law  at  Pitts- 
C  burgh,  Pa.,  commencing  its  study  Oct.  15,  1835, 
§  over  fifty  j-ears  ago.  .Several  years  since  Mr.  Mil- 
t  ler  wrote  in  versification  a  rather  extended  history 
G  of  the  leading  public  events,  modes  of  thought,  and 
E  manners  of  life  in  the  territorial  days  of  Iowa,  from 
:  which,  at  our  special  request,  he  has  permitted  us 
Z  to  have  copied  the  following  graphic  biographical 
B  sketch  of  the  the  four  first  resident  lawyers  of  Lee 
S  County,  Iowa.  It  will  doubtless  be  read  with 
:  curious  interest  hy  tlie  new  settlers  of  Lee  County: 

Ye  Pioneer  Lawyers  of  Lee  County,  Iowa. 


M 


I" 


"Twas  in  the  spring  of  eighteen  thirty-nine, 
I  well  remember  was  the  time, 
When  first  I  felt  Lee  County  clime: 
Saw  from  a  boat  its  lovely  shore, 
When  lawyers  here  were  only  four. 
But  they  were  skilled  in  legal  lore. 
And  for  impassioned  high  debate. 
Were  scarce  excelled  in  any  State. 

I  soon  thereafter  at  the  bar. 
Them  often  met;  sometimes  in  jar. 
Sometimes  before,  sometimes  behind. 
As  court  or  jury  seemed  inclined. 

'Tis  hard  t(j  place  their  names  in  rhyme. 
To  have  the  sound  in  measure  chime. 
But  yet  to  name  them  not  at  all. 
Would  show  ui'glecl  of  friendship's  call. 


P.  Viele,  lawyer,  scholar  grand. 
In  age  led  first  of  all  the  band ; 
In  3'ears  twoscore,  and  in  his  waj-. 
In  wit  and  words  as  bright  as  day. 
Held  court  and  jury  'neath  his  sway. 

He  was  by  culttu-e  much  refined, 
And  by  his  nature  much  inclined 
To  be  a  friend  in  word  and  deed, 
To  all  who  did  his  service  need. 

In  morals  he  was  strict  and  good, 

And  as  a  friend  the  foremost  stood 

In  social  life  to  S3'mpathize. 

Or  with  his  help  to  fraternize 

With  all  to  him  had  favor  shown, 

Or  long  as  neighljor  he  had  known. 

And  though  averse  to  social  strife. 

And  loving  quiet,  peaceful  life. 

Yet  when  aroused  by  sense  of  wrong. 

He  showed  resentment  swift  and  strong; 

And  by  his  words,  or  other  wa3-. 

Soon  made  the  foe  regret  the  day 

He  cross'd  the  line  of  honor's  bound. 

To  stir  his  thoughts,  or  feelings  wound. 

And  when  Old  Settler's  Council  held, 

To  oi'ganize  and  friendship  weld, 

He  was  selected  President. 

The  first  to  whom  that  honor  went. 

Next,  Henry  Eno,  close  in  rear 
Of  Yiele,  b3'  perhaps  a  year; 
Though  kind  and  careful  not  to  mar, 
B3'  thoughtless  words  the  peace  of  bar. 
Yet  when  arous'd  knew  how  to  fight 
In  war  of  words  for  client's  right. 

Though  he  knew  Coke  and  Blackstone  well, 

His  mind  was  most  inclined  to  dwell 

On  other  thoughts,  on  natural  laws, 

To  learn  the  origin  and  cause 

Of  human  life,  and  beings,  all. 

Which  move  on  earth's  terrestial  ball : 

To  stud3'  science  in  detail. 

From  insect  small  to  floundering  whale; 

To  know  why  seasons  come  and  go, 

Whj'  summer  yields  to  winter's  snow; 

Wh3'^  vegetation  thrives  in  soil. 

Or  man  is  doomed  to  live  bv'  toil; 

What  keeps  the  planets  in  their  course, 

Or  gives  the  earth  diurnal  force. 

These,  and  all  nature's  wide  domain. 

Would  oft  his  meditation  claim; 

Would  draw  his  mind  from  civil  laws. 

And  be  the  means,  the  often  cause. 

To  make  him  heedless  of  employ. 

And  dwarf  his  business  at  law. 

And  he  removed  to  farther  West, 


rxxTranrrxri  I  ixiii 


To  California,  then  the  best 
For  wealth  and  fame,  of  all  the  land 
Then  known  or  owned  h}'  Uncle  Sam ; 
And  soon  when  there  was  made  a  Judge. 
And  bade  farewell  to  lawyer's  drudge. 

Next  Alfred  Rich,  in  age  the  third. 
Gentle  in  thought,  and  true  in  word, 
Deep  in  the  knowledge  of  the  law. 
And  quick  to  see  or  seize  a  flaw, 
Was  held  in  years  at  twenty-six. 
As  near  as  I  the  time  can  fix. 

He  was  to  fell  consumption  prey, 
And  ere  full  manhood  pass'd  away; 
Pass'd  in  the  morning  of  his  sun, 
Pjre  half  its  course  of  fame  was  run; 
For  he  had  niin<l  of  high  degree, 
Witli  gentle  lieart  and  |)robit\". 
Which  would  in  time,  liad  he  been  spar'd 
'Til  years  his  talents  had  matur'd. 
Have  placed  him  high  in  niche  of  fame. 
With  greatly  honored  legal  name. 

Last,  Edward  Johnstone,  in  degree 

Of  years,  the  fourth,  was  twenty-three. 

With  nine  months  more  for  eompan}'. 

And  tliough  the  3'oungest  of  them  all, 

In  legal  fight,  gave  fail  for  fall. 

His  speech  was  nervous,  lucid,  strong 

In  classic  terms,  and  never  long; 

And  had  he  at  the  bar  reniain'd 

Lee  Count3-  might  jusllj'  have  claimed, 

Of  orators,  him  'niongst  the  best 

Of  all  the  speakers  in  the  West. 

As  writer  he  was  learn'd  and  terse, 
And  sometimes  turned  his  pen  to  verse. 
Where  sentiment  and  wit  combin'd, 
AVith  imager}'  of  thought  refin'd, 
Show'd  that  in  liim  the  muse  had  birtli. 
Though  few  her  visits  are  <in  earth; 
And  what  he  wrote  in  j-oung  man's  days, 
Was  frequent  theme  of  settler  praise. 

I  then  in  years  was  twenty-four, 

With  thereto  added  six  montlis  more. 

And  still  am  to  the  law  inclin'd. 

Though  they,  the  law,  long  since  resign'd ; 

A  part  because  of  death's  decree. 

The  rest,  b.y  choice  and  destinj'; 

And  when  I  count  tlie  long  years  o'er. 

Since  last  I  met  that  honor'd  four 

At  b.ir  of  court,  on  court-liouse  floor, 

I  feel  like  one  deserted,  lost, 

B}'  wreck  <^f  ship  on  ocean  tossed. 

Judge  Johnstone  and  .Mr.  Miller  alone  surv 
but  the  former  has  been  out  of  the  practice  of 
oi-  tliirtj'  years  or  more. 


ive, 
law 


UILLIAM  B.  HATTON,  a  prosperous  far- 
mer of  Montrose  Township,  is  the  possessor 
^J^'  of  240  acres  of  valuable  land  on  section 
16.  He  has  a  handsome  two-storj'  dwelling-house, 
to  which  he  is  adding  further  improvements,  a  fine 
liarn  .ind  all  necessary  outhouses,  costly  farm  im- 
plements and  ni.achinerv,  and  all  tiie  appliance^ 
for  carrying  on  agriculture  and  stock-breeding  in  a 
first-class  m.anner.  In  addition  to  the  cultivation 
of  his  land  he  is  extensively  eng.aged  in  the  breed- 
ing of  high-grade  Short-horn  cattle. 

Mr.  Hatton  is  a  native  of  Jackson  County,  Mo., 
and  the  date  of  his  birth  was  May  22,  1 84".).  He 
is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Sarah  (Walker)  Hatton, 
natives  of  Pennsjdvania.  Henrj'  Hatton  was  born 
in  181.'),  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Hatton  two  j'ears  later,  in 
1817.  They  removed  to  ]\Iissouri  in  1X48,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1863  to  Lee  County,  Iowa,  and  are  now- 
living  in  Montrose.  Their  household  included 
eight  children,  two  of  whom,  Minerva  and  Caro- 
line, died  in  infancy,  and  a  sou,  John,  died  at  the 
age  of  five  months;  Timothy  S.  niarried  Miss 
Mollie  Ingles,  and  is  now  living  in  Missouri;  James 
H.  married  Miss  Susan  Ingles,  and  they  are  also  in 
Missouri;  William  B.  of  oui'  sketch  is  the  next  in 
order  of  birth:  John  M.  married  Miss  Hannaii 
Wilson,  and  is  living  in  Missouri;  Mary  I.,  Mrs. 
A.  1).  Richards,  lives  in  New  London,  Iowa.- 

\\'il!iam  15.  Hatton  and  Miss  Mar}-  Finerty  were 
united  in  marri.age  June  it,  1877.  Mrs.  Hatton 
was  born  in  Allegheny  County,  Pa..  May  17.  18,53, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Timoth}-  and  Mary  (Malone) 
Finerty,  natives  of  Count}-  Galway,  Ireland. 
Timothy  Finerty  was  born  in  1803,  and  emigrated 
to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Iowa.  His  death 
occurred  June  lit,  1874,  and  his  lemains  were  in- 
terred at  Keokuk.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church,  and  a  farmer  liy  occupation.  Mrs. 
Mary  Finerty  w.as  born  -hine  1;").  IsiKi,  and  is  still 
living.  She  is  remarkably  active  and  intelligent, 
.although  now  at  the  advanced  age  of  over  seventy 
years.  Of  her  marriage  with  Mr.  Finerty  ten  eliil- 
dren  were  born,  of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows; 
Peter  married  M^ss  Jane  Shea,  and  lives  in  Lead- 
ville.  Col. ;  Michael  married  Miss  Kate  O'Dounell, 
and  lives  in  Denver;  Timothy  died  Oct.  10,  1878; 
he  was  married  to  Miss  May  tjlinu.     The  next  two 


r 


^i  died   in  infancy  unnamed;  Jobn   died  at  the   age 


1-:  of    eiglit   years;    Francis,    when    thi'ee   years    old; 

iJS  Mary  and   Willie  at  the  age  of  two  months. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willinni  P>.  Hatton  have  become 
the  parents  of  four  children:  Ida,  burn  June  3, 
1878,  died  Dec.  21.  l.s.Sd;  Henry  T.,  born  July  12, 
IsgO;  Peter,  Aug.  9,  lK.s;5;  William  E.,  born 
June  28,  18,S5,  died  May  1.5,  1  HSU.  Mrs.  Hattun 
is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  Mv.  II.  has  been  a  resident  of  the  Hawk- 
eye  State  since  ISGS,  coming  here  from  Missouri. 
He  has  been  prosperous  in  his  undertakings,  is  a 
thorough  business  man,  and  is  fulfilling  all  the  obli- 
gations of  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citizen.  Po- 
litically he  is  a  stanch  Democrat. 


■-*!^ 


^P^ 


i^ics- 


LIVER  BROOKS,  of  Denmai'k  Township,  is 
remembered  as  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of 
this  section,  having   made  a  settlement  here 
in  November.  1838.     He  was  born  among  the  New 
I   Hampshire  hills,  in  the  town  of  New  Ipswich,  Hills- 
;  boro    County,   May    14,    1810,  his    parents    being 
:  Stephen  and   Rachel   (Taylor)   Brooks,  natives    of 
'.    Massachusetts.     They  reared  a  family-  of  six  sons 
=  and  one  daughter,  of  whom  the  three  eldest  are 
i  now  deceased,  but  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty  years 
each,  and  four  yet  survive:  Rachel,  Mrs.  Davis,  of 
New  Hampshire ;  Harvey,  of  Gardner,  Mass. ;  Oliver 
and  Newton,  of  Chelsea,  Mass. 
~.       Our  subject  in  early  life  atHliated  with  the  Whig 
?  party,  was  next  a  Free-Soiler  and  later  a    Repub- 
•  lioan.    He  is  a  strong  temperance  man,  bitterly  op- 
posed to  the  sale  and  manufacture  of  intoxicating 
liquors.     He  has  never  confined  himself  to  party 
politics,  liut  believes  in  securing  the  best  men  for 
office.      In  religion  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church  since  attaining  his  majority, 
:(S  and  a  Deacon  for  over  forty  years,  and  Clerk  of  the 
church  since  1 H39. 
Mr.  Bi'ooks  was  one  of  the  original  Trustees  of  Deu- 
ijjjl  mark  Academy'  and   still  holds  the  position,  being 
the  only  one  living  of  the  lirst  Board,      lie  was  the 
first  Clerk  of  Denmark  Township,    which   position 


I    he  held  for  about  twenty  years,  and  was  also  first 
Assessor. 

Oliver  Brooks  was  next  to  the  youngest  of  his 
parents'  family,  and  was  reared  on  the  farm  and 
educated  in  the  district  school.  \\'lien  eighteen  P^ 
years  of  age  he  went  to  work  in  n  cotton  factory 
in  his  native  town,  where  he  continued  in  the  same 
business  for  ten  years.  He  was  married,  June  18, 
1835,  to  Miss  Eliza  Caroline  Fari-ar,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  Concord,  Mass.,  and  born  Oct.  21,  IHII. 
Her  parents  were  John  and  Calla  (Stearns)  Farrar. 
They  removed  to  Stoddard,  in  the  same  State,  when 
Mrs.  Brooks  was  but  three  years  old. 

After  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  located  in 
Lowell,  aiass.,  and  remained  there  three  yeai-s. 
Then,  on  account  of  failing  health,  Mr.  Brooks  was 
compelled  to  abandon  his  work  in  a  factory,  and  with 
his  family  started  for  the  A\'est.  They  proceeded 
by  rail  via  Boston  to  Stonington,  Conn.,;  thence  by  jl 
steamer  to  New  York  City,  from  there  by  rail  to  ]^M 
Piiiladelphia,  and  thence  crossed  the  AUeghanies  by 
rail  and  stage  to  Pittsburgh.  From  there  they 
traveled  by  the  Ohio  and  Mississipi  Rivers  to  Han- 
nibal, Mo.,  where  the  boat  was  frwzen  up  in  the 
ice.  They  disembarked  and  went  to  Palmyra,  and 
thence  by  team  to  Lee  County,  where  they  had  ac- 
quaintances living.  The  first  land  sale  of  this 
vicinity  took  place  after  their  arrival,  and  Mr. 
Brooks  entered  eighty  acres  of  their  present  farm. 
He  soon  erected  an  unpretentious  house  and  barn, 
and  took  possession  of  his  jnirchase.  He  taught 
school  the  following  winter  at  Denmark,  and  i)ry- 
ceeded  with  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  his 
farm,  being  prospered  in  his  business  and  farming 
operations.  As  time  passed  on  he  added  to  his 
landed  possessions,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  283 
acres,  with  the  best  of  improvements.  He  has  a 
fine  farm  dwelling,  good  barns  and  outhouses, 
oich.-irdj.  anil  choice  shrubbery,  and  all  the  appli- 
ances of  a  first-class  modern  agriculturist.  He  lias 
given  considerable  attention  to  dairying  antl  stock- 
raising,  his  cattle  being  mostly  of  the  Holstein 
lireed.  He  is  now  assisted  in  his  farming  opera- 
tion>  b^'  his  ne|>hew,  Frank  H.  Bowden.  who  has 
the  principal  charge  of  the  cattle  and  the  f:iriii. 
Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Brooks  never  had  children  of  their 

own,    but    have    served    as    father  and   mother  to 


I 


Biia 


572 


LEE  COUNTY. 


ii 


several  others.  Mrs.  Bowden,  a  sister  of  Mrs. 
Brooks,  was  left  a  widow  witli  four  small  children, 
and  was  taken  into  the  home  of  our  subject  with 
her  little  family,  where  they  have  been  kindlj' 
sheltered  and  eared  for  over  twenty-live  3'ears. 
Also  another  sister,  Mrs.  Bartlett,  made  her  home 
with  them  at  different  times.  She  has  been  a  widow 
three  times.  Rev.  Oliver  Emerson  being  her  last 
husb.and.  She  now  lives  at  Grinnell,  Iowa,  with  her 
son  Oliver  T.,  wlio  is  Principal  of  the  Academy  and 
College  at  Grinnell.  The  daughter,  Clara,  is  teacher 
in  the  gi-ammar  schools.  Mrs.  Bowden's  daughter 
Emogene  was  a  graduate  at  Denmark  Academy, 
and  commenced  teacliingschool  in  Chicago  in  1.^68, 
which  position  she  still  fills  to  the  satisfaction  of  all 
concerned. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  widely  and  favor- 
ably known  throughout  this  section  for  their  kindly 
deeds  and  truly  Christian  character,  and  have  built 
up  for  themselves  a  good  recf)rd  during  long  and 
useful  lives. 

AMEfS  F.*MARR,  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  success- 
fully engaged  as  a  contractor  and  builder, 
and    is  one  of  the  highly  esteemed  residents 

of  this  locality.     He  is  a  native  of   Terbet 

Township,  Cumlterl.tnd  Co.,  Pa.,  and  was  Ijorn  Nov. 
10,  1M20.  Lawrence  Marr,  his  father,  was  reared 
in  the  county  of  his  birth,  Northampton,  and  after  ■ 
his  marriage  removed  to  Cumberland  County,  be- 
ing among  its  earliest  settlers.  He  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days  in  the  vicinity  of  Milton,  dy- 
ing there  in  l^i40.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  be- 
fore her  marriage  was  Miss  Jane  Farrar,  of  Hunter- 
don County,  X.  .].,  and  the  daughter  of  James  Far- 
rar, of  Holland  tlescent.  The  [jareTital  family  con- 
sisted of  fourteen  children,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  being  the  youngest  born  of  the  three  now 
living. 

In  1S.51,  when  thirteen  years  of  age,  Mr.  Marr 
determined  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  farther  West. 
He  set  out  via  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers, 
and  landed  at  Ft.  Madison  on  the  lOth  of  ALiy. 
He  commenced  work  here  as  a  carpenter,  and  fol- 
lowed it  succes.sfully  for  tiuee  or  four  years  as  a 
journeyman,  and  then  associated  himself  with  Reu- 


ben Creps,  pursuing  this  business  with  his  partner 
for  thirty-one  years,  when  .Mr.  Creps  withdrew 
and  retired  from  active  business.  .Mr.  Marr  the 
formed  a  partnership  with  Andrew  S.  Oaylord  . 
with  whom  he  is  at  present  associated.  They  have 
been  engaged  upon  the  most  important  structures 
in  this  locality,  and  possess  an  enviable  reputation. 

Mr.  Marr  wa.-s  married,  in  1847,  to  Susan  Ilan- 
uau.  of  Wooster.  Ohio.  Mrs.  Marr  departed  this 
life  in  185.i,  leaving  a  s(ju,  James  B.  Marr,  who 
married  Miss  Agnes  ^\■|lite,  and  is  now  a  farmer  in 
Butler  County,  Neb.  Mr.  .Marr  was  married  the 
second  time,  in  l.S.5.5,  to  Miss  Rosa  una  Han  le^".  .She 
was  a  native  of  Bath  County,  Va.,  and  departed 
this  life  July  1,  1877,  at  the  age  of  flft^'-seven 
years. 

Our  subject's  third  marriage  took  place  in  187i), 
when  he  w;us  united  with  Miss  Hannah  Phares,  of 
Ft.  Madison,  who  was  b(>rn  Oct.  'ifi.  183(!.  Her  fa- 
ther was  a  surgeon  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  at 
the  termination  of  the  hidiau  troubles,  crossed  the 
Mi-ssissippi  at  what  is  now  Ft.  Madison,  in  1836, 
and  purchased  a  tract  of  land  which  is  now  the 
present  site  of  the  city.  Here,  in  company  with 
Joseph  Webster  .and  Mr.  Cutler,  he  laid  out  a  part 
of  the  city,  and  his  time  afterward,  until  his  death, 
was  mostly  employed  in  pursuits  of  like  character, 
during  which  he  practically  abandoned  his  profes- 
sion. He  did  not  long  survive  his  arrival  in  this 
section  and  was  stricken  down  in  the  prime  of  life 
in  1842,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight.  His  wife  had 
accompanied  him  to  the  West,  and  survived  him 
for  a  period  of  twenty-four  years,  dying  in  Ft. 
Madison  in  1870,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years. 

Mr.  Marr  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  socially 
is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  belonging  to  Lodge 
No.  157  at  Ft.  Madison.  His  home  is  pleasantly 
located,  and  he  numbers  among  his  friends  the  best 
citizens  of  Lee  County. 


•iJ>6J>->-j»i^ 


<e5<?-*«tf«tf- 


ABEZ  T.  CRANE,   a  highly   respected   and 
successful   farmer  of    Montrose    Township, 
owns  and  occupies  a  tine  homestead,  consist- 
ing of    IGO   acres  of  highly  cultivated  land 
and  a  handsome  brick  dwelling-house.     Li  addition 


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to  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  aoriculture  he  is  giving 
G  much  attention  to  the  lireeding  of  high-grade  cat- 
:  tie  and  swine,  and  in  liis  various  avocations  is 
z  meeting  with  success.  His  farm,  which  is  located  on 
5  section  24,  presents  one  of  the  prettiest  spots  in  the 
;  landscape  of  this  section,  and  is  invariably  observed 
with  admiring  eyes  l)y  tiie  traveler  through  Lee 
H    County. 

:  Jabez  T.  Crane  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State, 
;  having  been  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Jan.  11, 
;  1819.  His  parents  were  Obadiah  M.  and  Elizabeth 
:  (Shuler)  Crane,  natives  of  New  York.  The  father 
:  was  born  July  5,  1780,  and  departed  this  life  in 
H  Keokuk,  Iowa,  Feb.  5,  1852.  He  was  a  farmer  by 
:  occupation,  and  in  politics  an  old-line  Whig  and 
:  stanch  admirer  of  Henry  Clay.  George  Shuler, 
c  the  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born 
H  about  the  year  1722,  within  twent}'  miles  of  Vi- 
:  enna,  Austria,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  17.50. 
E  His  death  took  place  in  New  York  in  1819,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-seven  years.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Crane, 
our  subject's  mother,  was  born  Feb.  3,  1778,  and 
died  Dec.  17,  1843.  She  became  the  mother  of  ten 
children,  was  tenderly  devoted  to  her  family,  and 
was  an  earnest  Christian  woman,  being  an  active 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  record 
of  their  familj^  is  as  follows :  The  eldest  child  died 
in  infancy;  John  S.  m.arried  Adeline  Jones;  Phfebe, 
now  deceased,  became  the  wife  of  a  Mr.  Wilsey; 
Isaac  B.  was  married  to  Minerva  Laraway:  George 
C.  married  Rebecca  Baughman,  and  they  are  both 
now  deceased;  James  died  at  the  age  of  thirt^'-six 
years;  Frederick  married  Miss  Sallie  A.  Jacobs; 
Obadiah  M.  was  married  four  times;  his  first  wife 
was  Miss  Sarah  Durland,  the  second  Miss  Teresa 
Franklin,  the  third  Miss  Nanc}'  Branson,  and  his 
fourth  and  present  wife  was  Mrs.  Sophronia  Bliss; 
he  now  lives  in  California.  Mary  A.  is  the  widow 
of  R.  Durland,  and  resides  at  Flora,  111. ;  Elizabeth, 
the  youngest  member  of  the  family,  became  the 
wife  of  Dr.  Solomon  Jackson. 

Jabez  T.  Crane  i-emained  under  the  parental 
roof,  receiving  a  common-school  education  and  de- 
veloping into  manhood.  May  30,  1847,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  A.  Franklin,  a 
native  of  Jackson  County,  Ind.,  born  Aug.  28, 
1828.      Mrs.    Crane  was  the  daughter  of  Anderson 


and  Sally  (Keller)  Franklin,  natives  of  East  Ten- 
nessee. Her  mother  was  of  German  ancestry,  and 
departed  this  life  Aug.  19, 1880,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years,  having  been  born  in  the  first  year  of  this 
century.  Her  father  is  still  living;  the  date  of  his 
birth  was  1806.  Their  famil}'  consisted  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Teresa,  Mary  A..  Blueford,  Har- 
riet  S.  and  George  W. 

The  household  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crane  has  been 
blest  by  the  birth  of  nine  children:  Joiin  W.,  Le- 
roy  F.,  George  A.  and  Harriet  S.,  all  of  whom 
died  some  years  ago;  the  next  child,  a  son,  was 
named  Jabez  T.  Filsworth,  after  Col.  Elsworth  of 
war  fame;  E.  E.  is  named  after  Edward  liver- 
ett;  Benjamin  Otto  is  named  after  one  of  tliose 
present  at  the  death  of  Abraham  Lincoln;  the 
youngest  was  a  daughter  named  Addie  May. 

Jabez  T.  Crane  removed  from  Jackson  County, 
Ind.,  after  his  marriage,  and  located  in  St.  Charles 
County,  Mo.,  in  1849.  He  remained  there  two 
years  and  then  came  to  Iowa,  locating  in  Jlontrose 
Township,  Oct.  17,  18.51.  He  has  been  a  man  of 
prominence  in  his  commuuitj-  since  first  coming 
here  and  lias  held  the  various  township  offices.  His 
first  i)residential  vote  was  cast  for  Gen.  Harrison. 
Upon  the  abandonment  of  the  Whig  party  b^-  the 
formation  of  the  Republican  party,  he  cordially  en- 
dorsed the  principles  of  the  latter,  and  has  hetni  its 
stanch  adherent  since  that  time.  He  is  a  first-class 
farmer  and  stock-breeder,  a  thorough  business  man, 
and  a  good  citizen. 


K??PS1 


y 


i^ILLIAM  S.  IVINS,  of  Keokuk,  is  largely 
engaged  in  the  livery  business,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  prominent  among  those  simi- 
larly engaged  in  the  Gate  City.  He  was  the  pioneer 
liveryman  of  Lee  County,  and  has  proved  himself 
peculiarly  fitted  for  the  business.  Our  subject 
came  to  Keokuk  in  May,  1841,  from  Burlington 
County,  N.  J.  He  has  had  a  peculiar  experience 
in  life,  and  has  suffered  to  the  full  of  its  reverses. 
He  began  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  when  he  had 
hardly  passed  beyond  the  jjeriod  of  boyhood,  to 
mark  out  his  future  course.  He  had  been  trained 
to  hal)its  of  industry  and  economy,  and  after  com- 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


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ing  to  this  pity  accumulated  eonsicleinblc  means. 
In  the  grc-iil  Hiinncinl  crash  of  I.S;')7,  in  comnion 
with  hnmlroils  of  others,  he  became  lai-gely  in- 
volved, antl  on  account  of  the  great  dei)rfSsion  in 
value,  practically  lost  the  property  whicii  he  iiad 
aecunnilated  by  the  lal>ors  and  saving?  of  years. 

Tiie  following  year  Mr.  Ivins  began  running  an 
omnibus  line  for  his  sister,  and  in  due  time  pur- 
chased her  interest  in  the  business  and  oiierated  it 
on  his  own  .■iceouut,  and  not  long  thereafter  had  an 
income  of  $1,000  per  month.  This  enabled  iiim  to 
cancel  his  debts  and  go  on  with  his  business,  add- 
ing to  it  such  improvements  as  were  demanded  by 
this  age  of  progress  and  invention,  lie  now  has 
one  of  the  best  omnitnis  lines  in  the  State  of  Iowa. 
His  vehicles  are  always  in  fine  running  order,  and 
his  horses  are  first-class  roadsters.  He  also  runs  a 
line  of  hacks,  and  provides  tine  accommodations 
for  the  best  class  of  travelers.  His  livery  property 
now  consists  of  three  stables,  well  stocked  with 
horses,  buggies,  harness,  and  everything  appertain- 
ing to  his  line  of  business.  He  also  owns  a  good 
farm  of  320  acres  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
well  stocked  with  high-grade  cattle  of  the  Short- 
horn breed,  and  the  farm  is  equipped  with  a  fine 
set  of  frame  buildings  and  all  the  appliances  neces- 
sary' for  modern  agriculture  and  stock-raising. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ivins  have  become  the  |)arents  of 
three  children :  Eva  N.  is  the  wife  of  R.  Jones,  of 
Chicago;  Lizzie  G.  and  William  S.  are  at  home. 
Mr.  Ivins  owns  and  occupies  a  handsome  residence, 
and  the  family  are  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts 
and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  The  father  and 
mother  of  Mr.  Ivins  departed  this  life  in  1875  and 
1865  respectively. 


-<3=f4 


=H=^ 


'^/EREMIAH  M.  BRUMAGEM,  a  prominent 
and  successful  farmer,  is  carrying  on  the 
pursuit  of  agriculture  on  section  18,  Mont- 
rose Township.  He  has  been  a  resident  of 
the  Hawkeye  State  since  1868,  and  is  the  pos.sessor 
of  eighty  acres  of  finely-  cultivated  land,  a  good 
brick  dwelling-house,  comfortable  barns  and  out- 
houses for  the  shelter  of  stock  and  the  storage   of 


grain,  and  is  in  the  enjo^'ment  of  the  fruii-  •>( 
earlier  toil  and   industry. 

Mr.  I.rumagem  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Cler- 
mont County,  Aug.  29,  ix'M).  His  [Kireuts  were 
•lercmiah  :uid  Sarah  (Canada)  I5rnmagem,  natives 
of  Kentucky  and  Pennsylvania  respectivel}'.  The 
father  departed  this  life  when  his  son.  the  subject 
of  our  sketch,  was  but  a  small  lad.  in  1834.  His 
motlier  survived  her  husband  forty-four  years  and 
died  in  Ohio  in  1878.  Tlic  parental  family'  con- 
sisted of  seven  children,  of  whom  tiie  record  is  as 
follows:  One  child  died  in  infancy,  unnamed  ;  Elin- 
ore  is  now  Mrs.  Aldridge;  Tliom;is  married  i\Iiss 
Ella  John;  .lohn  K.  married  Miss  Mary  Temple, 
and  his  brother  William  also  marric(l  a  Miss  Tem- 
ple; .Mary  became  Mrs.  ^\'eaver;  Sarah,  the  j'oung- 
est  child,  died  of  consumption  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen years. 

Jeremiah  M.  Brumagem  remained  under  the  par- 
ental roof  until  he  attained  to  years  of  manhood. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  with 
Mrs.  Matilda  (Martin)  Brown,  Nov.  5,  18G8.  Mrs. 
Brumagem  is  a  native  of  Mrginia,  born  in  1 83.3, 
and  came  to  Iowa  with  her  parents  when  she  was 
but  a  small  child.  They  departed  this  life  over 
thirty  years  ago. 

The  household  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  included 
six  children,  as  follows:  Ella  became  the  wife  of 
Albert  I).  Thomas;  Charles  H.  married  Miss  Nora 
Kite;  Addie  married  Mr.  M.  H.  Frame;  Mabel  be- 
came the  wife  of  Mr.  John  Kite;  Mary  and  Will- 
iam .are  deceased.  The  union  of  Jlr.  and  Mrs. 
Brumagem  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three  chil- 
dren— Lizzie  M.,  Cora  L.  and  Harry  ^I. 

Mr.  Brumagem  came  to  Iowa  in  1868,  and  made 
his  first  location  in  JNIontrose  Township.  He  has 
been  a  prominent  man  in  the  community  since  com- 
ing here,  and  has  enjoyed  the  full  confidence  of 
his  fellow-citizens.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  for  two  years,  the  duties  of  which 
he  has  performed  with  credit  to  himself  and  satis- 
faction to  all  concerned.  He  also  occupied  official 
positions  in  his  native  State,  was  elected  Constable 
two  terms,  and  in  the  general  councils  which  are  al- 
ways called  together  in  every  community,  he  has 
been  a  man  whose  opinions  have  been  sought  and 
uniformly  respected.     He  has  always  been  educated 


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in  educational  matters,  receiving  good  advantages 
in  liis  youth,  and  pursued  his  primary-  studies  in 
the  common  schools,  afterward  attending  college. 
He  has  been  quite  a  traveler,  and  in  1861  crossed 
the  Rock}'  ^Mountains  and  for  five  years  was  en- 
gaged in  mining  in  Marysville,  Cal.,  and  met  with 
success,  although  he  was  exposed  to  many  hardships 
and  privations.  After  this  experience  he  concluded 
to  return  home,  and  made  the  journey  via  the  Isth- 
mus. 

Aside  from  the  ordinary  labors  on  the  farm,  Mr. 
Brumagem  is  Largely  interested  in  the  breeding  of 
high-grade  stock.  Short-horn  cattle,  Poland-China 
swine  and  Norman  horses.  He  also  has  some  fine 
specimens  of  English  draft  horses,  and  his  stock 
comprises  some  of  the  handsomest  animals  to  be 
found  in  this  section. 

As  a  farmer  and  business  man,  Mr.  Brumagem 
IS  one  of  the  model  citizens  of  Lee  County,  and  his 
farm  presents  one  of  the  most  attractive  spots  in 
Montrose  Township.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Universalist,  and  seeks  to  faithfullv  follow  the 
Golden  Rule.      In  politics  he  is  Democratic. 

-^ ^-^ -^ 


EV.  CHARLES  F.  WILLIAMS,  Chaplain 
of  the  Iowa  State  Penitentiary  at  Ft.  Madi- 
son, is  the  third  son  of  Rev.  William  H.  and 
J^Abbie  L.  (White)  Williams.  He  was  born 
in  Will  County,  111.,  Nov.  5,  1841,  and  came  with 
his  parents  to  Iowa  when  a  lad  of  seven  years  old. 
He  received  his  primarj'  education  in  the  common 
schools,  and  in  18.58  entered  Williams  College  in 
Massachusetts  for  the  purpose  of  taking  a  course  in  • 
the  classics,  and  graduated  from  this  institution  in 
1862.  He  then  taught  school  one  year  in  Massachu- 
setts and  two  years  in  New  York. 

In  1865  Mr.  Williams  returned  to  the  West, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  ministry,  first  in  Illinois, 
and  afterward  became  engaged  in  missionary  work 
in  Arkansas  and  Kansas.  In  1873  he  returned  to 
Lee  Countj',  and  took  charge  of  the  Ft.  Madison 
Academy,  and  in  May,  1875,  was  appointed  Chap- 
Iain  of  the  Penitentiary,  which  position  he  occupied 
until  Sept.  1,  1878.  He  then  took  charge  of  the 
parish  of  Wapello,  and   in  1879-80  occupied  the 


Chair  of  Natural  Sciences  at  Denmark  Academy. 
He  then  became  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  at  Mediapolis,  where  he  remained  until 
1884,  and  then  took  charge  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  Keokuk.  In  18«4-H5  he  was 
General  Secretary  and  City  Missionary  for  the  Y. 
M.  C.  A.  of  Keokidv,  and  was  afterward  General 
Agent  of  the  National  Non-Partisan  League  and 
State  Temperance  Alliance,  and  in  April,  1886,  was 
appointed  to  his  present  position. 

Rev.  Charles  F.  Williams  and  Miss  Mary  Elinore 
Libby  were  united  in  marriage  at  Perry,  111.,  March 
14,  1871.  Mrs.  Williams  is  the  daughter  of  L.  T. 
and  Elinore  (Cousins)  Libby,  and  was  born  in 
Perry,  111.,  Dec.  7.  1847.  Of  this  union  there  has 
been  born  a  son,  Charles  C.  Mr.  Williams  pos- 
sesses a  fine  education,  is  talented  and  studious, 
and  is  fulfilling  the  duties  of  his  position  with  credit 
to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  all  concerned. 


-4- 


B.  KING.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a 
member  of  the  prominent  dry -goods  firm  of 
Lye  &  King,  located  at  the  intersection  of 
^^  Main  and  Eighth  streets,  Keokuk.  He  is 
a  native  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  was  born  July  16, 
1839.  and  is  the  son  of  .Tames  and  Anuie  E.  (.Sar- 
gent) King,  natives  of  New  York,  where  the  father 
in  earlier  j'ears  was  engaged  in  agi'icultnral  pur- 
suits. He  settled  with  his  family  in  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  in  about  1842,  and  there  engaged  iu 
farming,  and  there  the  wife,  and  mother  departed 
this  life  in  1873.  After  the  death  of  his  wife  he 
came  to  Keokuk,  where  his  life  terminated  Feb. 
13,1885.  They  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  of 
whom  the  following  are  living:  James,  Maria, 
Rob  B.,  Albert  G.  and  Elizabeth. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  with  his  par- 
ents on  the  farm  until  twent3'-one  years  of  age,  in 
the  meantime  receiving  a  fair  education  at  the 
common  schools.  Soon  after  he  attained  his  ma- 
jority he  engaged  in  general  merchandising  at  Cold 
Spring,  Dearborn  Co..  Ind.,  and  at  the  same 
time  superintended  a  400-.acre  farm.  After  a  num- 
ber of  years  thus  spent  he  decided  to  go  farther 
West,  and  in  1883  came  to   Keokuk,  and  in  com- 


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panj'  with  ^rr.  Lyp  cnpraffcrl  in  the  dry -goods  l)usi- 
nesf.  Tlu'  honso  hns  Imiit  up  .-in  excellent  trade, 
and  is  well  kimwii  tliroiigiiout  tliis  section.  'It  is 
conducted  upon  thoiiiugh  liusiness  principles,  and 
the  members  <if  the  firm  :ire  noted  as  men  <>f  honesty 
and  integrity. 

R.  15.  King  vva>  unite<l  in  marriage  with  .Mis> 
Mary  .1.  Record  in  18G1.  :Mr>.  iving  is  a  native  of 
Dearborn  County,  ind..  and  the  d.nugliter  of 
Thomas  and  Ilann.'di  Record,  residents  of  the  same 
county.  Of  this  marriage  there  hnve  been  born  six 
children,  viz.,  Alice  A.,  Elmer  E..  Annie  L..  Eflic 
T..  Ida  M.  and  Roliert  E.  Alice  is  a  tencher  in 
Alexandria.  Mo.,  and  a  graduate  of  Morris  Hill 
College,  of  Indiana  ;  Elmer  and  Annie  are  engaged 
as  clerks  in  their  fnther's  stfire.  The  handsome 
familj- residence  is  situated  at  No.  stl6  Franklin 
street,  and  is  the  re.sort  of  many  of  the  finest  people 
in  the  city.  Mr.  King  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  of  which  he  is  a  Steward  and  was  formerly 
Superintendent  of  the  Sabl)ath-sc!iool.  He  has  con- 
tributed to  every  good  work  in  his  vicinity,  and 
is  recognized  by  all  as  a  most  valuable  citizen. 


RS.  ELIZABETH  HATCH,  an  amiable 
\i\  and  highly  respected  lady  of  Ft.  Madison, 
[fc  was  born  in  Maine,  on  the  18th  of  May, 
1804.  Her  father,  Andrew  Scott,  was  a 
native  of  Scotland,  and  during  the  progress  of  the 
Revolutionary  War  enlisted  in  the  navy  as  mid- 
shipman, and  was  subsequently  promoted  Lieuten- 
ant. He  was  captured  off  the  coast  of  France,  but 
was  finally  liberated,  and  assisted  others  to  escape, 
and  upon  his  return  to  England  was  greatly  hon- 
ored, and  was  given  the  freedom  of  all  English 
ships.  After  resuming  his  position  in  the  navy  his 
vessel  was  captured  by  an  American  privateer,  and 
he  and  his  men  taken  prisoners.  The  American 
Captain  took  him  to  his  home  in  Newburyport  and 
treated  him  with  gre.at  kindness.  It  was  near  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  Lieut.  Scott  was  so  well 
pleased  with  this  country  and  its  people  that  he  re- 
solved to  become  a  citizen  of  the  United  States. 
He  then  engaged  in   the  merchant  service  between 


the  United  States  and  the  East  Indies  as  commander 
of  a  vessel.  After  his  marriage  he  made  his  home 
ill  I'oithiiid.  Me.,  and  died  there  in    1  ><2.'i. 

.Mr>.  lOlizabctli    Hatch  was  reared   and   educated  5 
in  the  schools  of  her  native  city,  and  remained  with  jf 
lici'  piiients  until  her  marriage  to  Nathaniel  Hatch,: 
who  wa.s  a  native  of    Hnngor.  Me.,  born    in  August.  " 
I  so -2.      He   studied    I.Tw  nnd    was  admitted    t(^    the 
bar    before    he    had    fairly  att:iincd    m.'inliood 
1S74  he   st;irted    for   the  \\est,  crossed    the  Missis- 5- } 
sippi.   and   came   into  Ft.    Madison,  where   he   re-3{:} 


In  Bit} 


niained  until  his  iloath  in   ^Inrc 


I  «7S. 


3i  \ 

=1;' 


II 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hatch  became  the    parents  of  four  s'  } 
children — Edward.     May    E.,    Robert   and    Frank.  STf 
Kdward.  the  eldest,  was  born  at  Bangor,  Me.,  April  i 
21,  18'2'.).  and  engaged  as  a  soldier  in  the  late  war, 
serving  with  distinction,  and  is   now  a  IMajor  (jeu- 
eral   by  lire  vet.     He  was  a   lirave   and  courageous  q,:h 
soldier,  and  foremost  at   the   post  of  danger.     He  -"^ 
was   breveted  Major  (Tcneral  for  meritorious  serv-  i 
ices    at  the  battle  of   Nashville,   and    p.articipated 
with  his  command  in  the  various  imiiortant  engage- 
ments  of  the  war,  being  at  Shihih,  Corinth,  luka, 
Franklin  and  Nashville.     He  was  wounded  three  oi- 
four    times,  imce  very  dangerously,  at  Missionary' 
Ridge,  Tenn.     At  Nashville  Capt.  Hatch  command- 
ed the  2d   Iowa  Cavalry,  and  was  trusted  with  the 
important   duty   of  turning   Hood's    left  division. 
He  received   a  dangerous  gunshot  wound   through 
the  right  lung.     After  the  close  of  the  war  and  the 
re-organization  of  the  array.  Capt.  Hatch  w.is  com- 
missioned  Colonel,  and   served    for  a   time  in  the 
Regular  Army.     He   was   married  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  to   Miss   Eveline,  daughter  of  Dr.  Harrington, 
of  the   United   States   Navy.     Of  this  union  there 
have    been    born    two   children — Harrington    and 
Bessie.     Maj.  (Jen.   Edward   Hatch  and  his  family 
are  now  in  Wyoming  Territorj'. 

The  second  son  of  our  subject,  Robert,  was  born 
in  Bangor,  Me.,  Oct.  27,  1835.  He  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Ft.  Madison,  and  represents  the  lumber 
firm  of  Joy  &  Co.,  of  St.  Louis;  Frank,  the  young- 
est son,  born  in  Bangor,  May  15,  1837,  was  a  youth 
when  he  came  to  Muscatine  with  his  brother  Rob- 
ert, and  after  remaining  there  a  few  years  went  to 
LaCrosse,  Wis.,  .and  engaged  in  banking.  At  the 
first  call  for  volunteers  he  left  his  desk  and  enlisted 


i 


IJ  J^p-'rJ-CI 


P^^SSS 


tTT»minjui_xi.i-UHitxj^tJcxie^: 

ihf 


I 

ii|  as  a  soldier  in  a  Wisconsin  regiment,  and  with  his 

i|^  comrades   participated   in   the   first  battle   of   Bull 

I 
I 
I 


I 

i: 

i; 

Is 

1 
1 

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U31 

IE 

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Run,  where  he  was  twice  wounded.  After  he  re- 
turned from  the  arm^-  he  went  to  LaC'rosse  and  en- 
gaged in  newspaper  work.  He  lias  been  a  promin- 
ent resident  of  that  place,  and  served  as  City  Mar- 
shal. 

The  only  daughter  of  JMrs.  Hatch,  iMary  Eliza- 
beth, resides  with  her  mother  in  Ft.  Madison.    Mrs. 
H.  is  Unitarian    in  i-eligious   belief,  and   a  lady  i>{ 
most  excellent   traits   of  character.     She  has  now 
S    arrived  at  the  advanced   age  of  eighty-two  years, 
I    and   is   reveied  and  beloved   by   a   large   circle  of 
;C    friends  and  acquaintances. 


(JHN  BOLEV,  one  of  the  honored  pioneers 
of  the  Hawkeye  State,  came  to  this  vicinity" 
in  1H48.  He  is  the  owner  of  240  acres  of 
land  in  Franklin  Township,  which  constitutes 
[?i|  his  present  homestead,  and  also  has  fortj'  acres  in 
^f§  Charleston  Township.  With  the  exception  of  forty 
}fS  acres  of  timber,  his  laud  is  finely  improved.  The 
ij™  estate  lies  near  the  village  (^f  Donnellson.  The 
farm  is  now  under  the  managcnient  of  his  son 
Frank. 

Mr.  Bole^'  is  a  native  of  Boyle  County,  Ky.,  and 
was  born  March  29,  ISOV.  His  father,  Isaac  Boley, 
was  of  Pennsylvania  parentage  and  birth,  and  went 
to  Kentucky,  wliere  he  formed  a  matrimonial  alli- 
ance with  Miss  ^lar^'  Gemison,  of  that  State,  who 
was  descended  from  Scottish  ancestrj".  After  their 
marriage  and  the  birth  of  six  children,  they  re- 
moved to  Indiana,  and  located  in  Harrison  County. 
There  the  parents  remained  until  their  (le.atli  at  an 
advanced  age. 

John  Bolcy  remained  under  the  parental  roof, 
receiving  a  fair  education  in  the  pioneer  schools, 
and  after  arriving  at  years  of  manhood  was  mar- 
ried, on  the  l.'>th  of  September,  IHSI.  t.o  Miss  Eliz- 
abeth Walk,  a  native  of  Harrison  County,  Ind. 
Her  parents  were  natives  of  North  Carolina,  fi'om 
which  .State  they  removed  to  Indiana  and  k)eated 
in  Harrison  County,  where  their  lives  terminated. 
.Mr.  :ind  Mrs.  .lohn  Boley  have  become  the  parents 


ill 


i 

Hi    ; 


of  twelve  children,  four  of    whom    are    deceased. 
Of  those  living,  two  of   the    sons  and  all   of   the 
daughters  are  married,  and  are  named  as  follows:  ili???'s 
C.itharine,    Isaac,     JIary,    .James.    Martha,     Sarah, 
Nancy  and  Franklin ;  the  latter  is  unuiiirried. 

Our  subject  and  wife  came  to  Lee  County  in 
I?>48,  and  he  soon  after  purchased  his  present  home- 
stead, since  whiclj  time  he  has  industriously  labored 
to  improve  its  beauty  and  value,  in  which  he  has 
been  eminently  suecessful.  The  farm  is  now  pro- 
vided with  a  fine  dwelling,  a  good  barn,  and  all  the 
necessary  outhouses.  Everything  in  and  about  the 
homestead  denotes  the  abode  of  peace  and  com- 
fort. _ 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Boley  departed  this  life  .luly  29,    WW 
1884.     With    her   husband    she    was   a   consistent    W  "-, 
member  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,    iSf^' 
and  faithfully  performed  all  the  duties  of   a   wife   l^    i'^ 
and  mother.     Mr.  Boley  is  highly  respected  in  lii.- 
community,  and  in  politics  is  a  liberal  Democrat. 


A.    MORRI.SOX,  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  a  mem-  In] 
ber  <.)f  the  firm  of   Morrison   Bros.,  who  are 
engaged  in  the   m; 
implements.      He 


m 


anufactnre  of  agricultural  ^     ][ 

was    liorn    in   Frankfort,  ■.w  oL 

.    1842,  and    was   but  five  I^^' 


Ross  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug.    31 

years  of  iige  when  he  came  to  Ft.  SUdison  with 
his  parents.  He^was  reared  under  the  parental  roof, 
educateil  in  the  city  schools,  and  at  the  .age  of  six- 
teen years  commenced  to  clerk  in  a  stove  store. 

I'pon  the  breaking  out  of  the  w;ir  our  subject 
enlisted  in  Co.  U,  7th  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  in  May,  18G1.  pe| 
and  was  mustered  in  as  a  private.  He  performe<i  [j  ;  j] 
his  duties  as  a  soldier  in  a  faithful  manner,  and  jjjiiiil 
served  until  the  chjse  of  his  term  of  enlistment,  in  Ijl  -^  J 
September,  18G4.  .Soon  after  his  enlistment  he  wasj^c^ 
promoted  first  to  Third  Sergeant  and  later  to  First 
Sergeant,  and  in  .luly,  1862,  Second  Lieutenant,  p.,„ 
and  in  the  spring  of  1863  was  given  the  rank  of  t"j 
First  Lieutenant.  The  following  year  he  was  com- 
missioned Captain  of  Company  1).  and  was  after-  -^^^^ 
ward  breveted  Major  and  Lieutenant  Colonel.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Belmont,  Ft.  Henry, 
Ft.  Donelson,  Shiloh,  the  siege  of  Corinth,  luka,  r 
and    in   various   other  general   engagements,  in   all 


^s^ 


.w3 


inll 


numbering  twenty-eight.  His  regiment  was  iinallj- 
ordered  to  join  the  army  of  Oen.  Sherman,  at  Chat- 
tanooga, whence  tliey  marched  to  Atlanta,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  siege  and  capture  of  that  city.  Col. 
Morrison  serving  on  the  staff  of  (ien.  K.  W.  Rice, 
commander  of  tlie  1st  lirigade.  'id  Divisimi.  l.'ith 
Army  Coips. 

After  his  return  from  the  army,  Col.  Miirrisun 
was  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  live-stock, 
purchasing  in  the  West  and  shipping  U>  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  and  in  IKCi."),  in  partnership  with  his  father 
and  brother,  engaged  in  his  present  busine.ss,  at 
which  he  has  since  continued. 

Col.  Morrison  was  niai  iip<l.  in  May,  1  S(I8,  to  Miss 
Tama,  daughter  of  St('|)hen  D.and  Rebecca  (Cutler) 
Espy,  of  Ft.  JIadison.  Of  this  union  there  have 
been  born  seven  children — \'incent  E.,  William  J., 
Genevieve,  Mabel,  Maria.  Helen  and  Luella.  The 
Colonel  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  coimected 
with  James  B.  .Sample  P*)st,  G.  A.  R. 


-^-^^- 


-^ 


f^RANK  M.  BALLINGER,  a  highly  esteemed 
H^g]  citizen  of    Montrose  Township,  occupies  a 
_li  line  farm,  locitcd  on  section  UCi.     The  his- 

tory of  his  family  has  been  an  interesting  and  varied 
one.  His  father.  Judge  Frank  Ballinger,  Sr..  was  a 
native  of  Knox  Count}',  Ky.,  who  devoted  himself 
to  the  profession  of  law,  and  diu'ing  his  early  years 
practiced  in  the  courts  of  his  native  State  and  be- 
came eminent  as  a  jurist.  lie  was  a  friend  of  and  ] 
a  co-worker  with  Cassius  INF.  Cla^',  who  sought  to  ■ 
bring  about  the  gradual  emancii)ali(>n  of  slaverj'. 
The  life  of  Judge  Ballinger  w.as  frequently  threat- 
ened b3'  the  pro-slavery  men,  because  he  was  fear- 
less in  his  advocac}'  of  human  freedom.  Believing 
that  the  institution  of  slavery  was  wrong  within 
1^ itself,  and  desiring  to  educate  his  children  in  a  lo- 
ealit}'  not  subject  to  or  under  the  inrtueuce  of 
slavery,  he  decided  to  remove  with  his  family  to  the 
State  of  Iowa.  He  proceeded  westward,  crossed 
the  Mississippi,  and  located  in  Lee  County,  lovva. 
"ffjj'q  He  possessed  large  means  for  that  time,  and  here 
purchased  2,000  .acies  of  land,  situated  directly  on 
the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  between  Keokuk  and 
Montrose.     Here,  in  1856,  he  erected  a  line  man- 


ii 


sion  at  a  cost  of  113,000.  which    he  occupied  with    ; 
his  family  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

Judge  Ballinger,  when  but  a  lad,  served  as  a  sol- 
dier in  the  War  of  1S12,  as  a  drummer  boy.  He 
was  bright  an<l  auiliitious.  and  even  in  his  earliest 
years  gave  promise  of  the  position  in  life  to  which 
he  afterward  attained.  In  early  manhood  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jane  Adams,  a  Ken- 
tucky lady,  who  was  born  in  1813,  and  w.as  the 
sj'mijathizer  ot  her  husband  in  all  the  various  pur- 
suits and  difficulties  of  life,  and  departed  tliis  life  §j;i 
Nov.  23,  18(5.5.  Judge  Ballinger  survived  her  but  Sjii 
five  years,  his  death  occuring  Sept.  1.5,1870.  They  pi 
were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  live  of  whom  Ihi 
died  in  infancy.  The  remainder  grew  to  3' ears  of  Bt-l 
maturity',  and  the  record  is  as  follows:  John  tiled  sin 
in  infancy;  Randolph  A.  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-  pi 
three  years;  Cl-w  and  .leuuings  died  in  childhood;  Ki 
Susan  lived  until  about  the  age  of  twenty-two,  and 
died  at  her  parents'  home  in  Montrose  Township, 
in  1855  or  185G.  The  others  were  Frank  M.,  Web- 
ster, Sally.  William,  Jennie,  Madison,  Lucy  and 
Adams.  .Sall_y  became  the  wife  of  Isaac  Hollings- 
wortli,  and  is  now  deceased.  For  many  years 
.ludgc  liallinger  enjoyed  aii  income  of  $10,000  per 
year  from  his  [irofessional  duties.  He  presided  over 
the  Circuit  Court  for  eight  years,  in  Kentucky,  and 
was  promiuentlj'  known  as  a   lawyer  of    more  than 

ordinary    merit    throuarhont    that    section    of    the    Kf 

fit  I 
countiy.  wti 

Frank  M.  Ballinger,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Knox  County,  Ky.,  June  13,  1839.  He 
remained  with  his  parents  until  early  manhood,  re- 
ceiving careful  home  training  and  a  good  education 
in  select  schools,  and  after  coming  to  this  county 
his  father  employed  a  private  teacher.  He  was 
married,  Oct.  5,  1865,  to  Miss  Florence  A.  Fazio,  a 
lady  of  Spanish,  French  and  English  ancestry,  who 
w.as  born  in  W.ashington  City,  D.  C,  April  13,  1  842. 
Her  parents  were  Lewis  and  America  (Burch) 
Fazio,  the  former  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  and  the 
latter  of  Washington  City.  I).  C.  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  B.  attende(l  carefull}'  to  her  education,  which 
was  completed  in  the  schools  of  Washington  City, 
\).  C.  Their  household  consisted  of  three  daugh- 
ters— Florence ;  Ida,  now  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  g^iC 
Maj.    J.    H.    Butler,   of    the    Gth   Artillery,   U.   S.   |!} 

;■;  I 


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I 


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-^Jv- 


#>#► 


KZUixJLUTll 


army;  the  third  was  Marion  Francis.  They  were 
S  highly  cultured  people.  Mrs.  B.  is  connected  with 
!  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  is  highly  esteemed  in 
the  social  circles  of  the  community. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  Frank  M.  Hallin- 
ger,  Jr.,  entered  the  service  of  the  Government  as 
clerk  in  the  Treasury  Department,  and  occuiiied  this 
position  for  the  following  si.x  years,  or  until  July, 
1867.  He  finally  became  wearied  with  the  confine- 
ment necessitated  by  his  duties,  and  resolved  to  seek 
an  occuijation  which  would  secure  to  him  more 
outdoor  exercise,  and  accordingly,  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  his  father,  sought  the  Western  banks  of 
the  Father  of  ^Vaters  and  made  his  first  location  in 
Jefferson  Township.  He  has  been  successful  in  his 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  in  addition  to  general 
farming,  is  giving  much  attention  to  the  culture  of 
the  small  fruits  and  berries,  which  yields  him  a  fine 
income.  He  has  always  been  a  prominent  man  in 
his  community.  His  possessions  consist  of  665 
acres  of  land,  besides  the  fine  mansion  which  was 
erected  bj^  his  lamented  father. 

The  household  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ballinger  lias 
been  blest  lij'  the  birth  of  nine  children,  three  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  The  living  are  Frank,  Mir- 
iam, Ida,  Webster,  America  and  John. 


JOSKFH  LOEFFLER,  of  Ke<jkuk,  and  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Andrews  c\r  LoetHer, 
is  engaged  with  his  partner  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  all  kinds  of  machinery,  they  being 
proprietors  of  the  Western  Foundry  and  Machine 
Shops,  prominently  located  on  Fourth  street,  and 
having  their  office  at  No.  225.  Mr.  LoefHer  is  a 
fine  representative  of  that  valuable  German  element 
which  has  assisted  so  materially'  in  the  development 
of  the  business  interests  of  the  Havvkeye  State. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Baden,  March  14,  1834, 
and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Luidgard  (Wissert) 
Loeffler,  both  of  German  ancestry  and  nativit}'. 
William  Loettler  was  engaged  in  his  native  country 
as  a  manufacturer  in  copper  and  brass,  and  was  the 
inventor  of  the  brass  fire  hand-engine,  which  became 
celebrated  in  his  own  country,  and  numbers  of 
which  were  brought  to   the  United  States,  he  him- 


k 


self  having  sent  one  to  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  in  1848. 
lie  remained  in  his  native  country  during  his  entire 
life,  and  died  there  in  1878.  The  wife  and  mother 
followed  hei-  husliand  to  the  better  land  in  I.sko. 
William  Loelliei-  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  in- 
dustr}-,  and  accumulated  a  large  property,  being 
the  owner  of  a  valuable  foundry  and  several  farms. 
He  and  his  wife  were  prominent  members  of  the 
(ierman  Catholic  Church.  Their  household  included 
seven  children,  of  whom  Joseph  was  the  eldest. 
The  second  child  w.as  a  son,  William,  who  lives  in 
his  native  Germany,  as  also  does  Wilhelraine,  now 
Mrs.  Plank;  Annie,  Mi-s.  Brag,  is  a  resident  of  Au- 
burn, N.  Y. ;  Emily,  Mrs,  Schmidt,  is  in  Germany; 
Constantine  is  engaged  with  his  brother  Joseph  in  t  K 
the  machine-shop,  and  the  youngest  child,  Mary,  rj^= 
still  lives  in  her  native  laud.  IUp^ 

Joseph  Loeffler  received  a  thorough  education  in 
his  native  land,  and  after  this  was  completed  was 
engaged  in  his  father's  foundry  for  six  years  and 
learned  the  trade  of  a  coppersmith.  At  tiie  .age  of 
twenty  years  he  resolved  to  come  to  the  United 
States,  and  after  a  pi'osperous  voyage,  landed  at 
New  York  City,  whei'e  he  remained  for  six  weeks. 
He  then  went  to  Buffalo,  and  from  there  to  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  where  he  spent  two  months,  then  pro- 
ceeded southwest  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  re- 
mained until  the  following  year,  then  came  to 
Keokuk  and  engaged  in  the  Pennsylvania  Foundry, 
with  which  he  continued  for  eleven  years.  He  then 
went  into  the  Buckeye  Foundry,  and  remained 
there  for  eight  years,  in  tlie  meantime  accumulating 
sufficient  means  to  start  in  business  on  his  own 
account,  erecting  the  present  shop  and  foundry  in 
l«80,  atacost  of  *IO,000.  The  liuildings  cover 
an  area  of  four  and  a  half  good-sized  lots,  and  the 
firm  employs  from  ten  to  fifty-six  men.  Their 
manufactures  ai'e  of  first-class  descri|)tion,and  com- 
pare favorably  with  anything  of  the  kind  in  tlie 
United  States. 

Joseph  Loeffler  and  Miss  Ellen  Hirstcin  were 
united  in  marriage  at  Ft.  Madison,  in  1858,  and  of 
their  union  there  have  been  born  four  children: 
Amelia;  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Frank,  of  Keokuk; 
Lena  and  William  X.  Mr.  L.  is  inde|)endent  in 
politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor. 
He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Conct)rdia  Msenner- 


I 


LEE  COUNTY. 


chor,  of  which  he  served  two  terms  as  President, 
and  was  re-elected  in  January.  1887.  for  the  third 
term.  Socially,  as  well  as  in  a  business  point  of 
view,  he  is  considered  :\  representative  citizen  of 
Lee  County. 

^^ .^^ ^ 


(ACOB  MENDENHALL  (deceased),  a  pio- 
neer of   Cedar  Township,  came   to  Iowa  in 
the  spring  of    liS38,  from   his  native  State, 
North    Carolinii,    in    the    meantime    having- 
spent    eighteen    niontiis    in     Indiana.       The    entire 
journey  from  the  far  Southeast  was  made  overland 
with  wagons,  one  of  which  was  drawn  b}'  four  yoke 
of   oxen,  and  the  other  by  a  team   of   horses.      Our 
subject   was  accom|)auied    by   liis   parents,  and   all 
their    earthly    possessions    were    packed     in     those 
wagons.     In  money  Mr.  .M.  possessed   about  ?0(iO. 
The  journey   occupied  about  six  weeks,  and  after 
arriving   in    Iowa   the^'   enjoyed  the  hospitality  of 
jjl   Lsaac   Pidgeon,  while  their  log  cidjin  was  in  jjrocess 
of  erection.   When  this  was  near  enough  completed 
for  occupancy  they  moved  into  it,  in  the  month  of 
.Inly.  This  building  was  constructed  of  peeled-hick- 
ory  logs,  and  covered  an  area  of   Ki.xDs  feet.     Mr. 
Mendenhall  entered  120  acres  of  land,  and  as  soon 
as  possible  engaged  in  breaking  the  sod  with  his  ox- 
teams,  his  eldest  child,  a  daughter  of  about  twelve 
jj  ijj'  years,   often   otliciating  as   driver.     As  there  were 
{     [j     no  stables  or  lots  in  which  to  coutiue  these  animals 
dni'ing  their  leisure  hours,  when  tormented  with  the 
heat  or  flies  the}'  would  wander  off  to  some  slough, 
and  wading  in,  proceed  to  rest  and  refresh  them- 
selves, and   persevered   in  this  often  against  the  ef- 
forts of  their  owner  to  get  them  to  the  plow  again. 
After  a  fevv  years   Mr.  Mendenhall  entered  the 
remaining  forty  acres  of  the   homestead    which  is 
J  now  owned  by  his  son  John.  He  e.xperienced  much 
}  difficult}'  in  getting  these   entries  made,  as  he   was 
^  compelled  to  go  on  horseback  to  Burlington,  a  dis- 
tance of  thirtj'-six  miles.     Upon  several   occasions 
he  journeyed  there  only  to  find  that  the  land-office 
was  not  to  be  opened   until   later.      He  made  seven 
trips  to  Burlington  and  one  to  Fairfield    before  the 
business  was  finality  completed. 


The  wife  of  -Lacol)  MendeuliMll.  before  her  mar- 
riage, was  Miss  Susanna  Moore,  a  woman  of  great 
energy  and  good  sense.  To  tliem  were  born  six 
children,  who  were  bright  and  healthy,  possessing 
all  the  good  qualities  of  their  parents.  The  little 
family  were  pursuing  their  waj'  with  courage  and 
hope  for  the  future,  when  they  were  visited  by  a 
calamity  which  materialh'  changed  the  prosjjects 
and  the  disposition  of  Jacob  Mendenhall.  The  wife 
and  four  children  were  attacked  with  intermittent 
fever,  aud  inside  of  ten  dajs  the  mother,  (me  son 
about  nine  years  of  age.  and  two  little  girls, 
younger,  looked  their  last  upon  the  scenes  of  earth, 
and  their  remains  were  laid  beneath  the  virgin  sod 
at  Salem.  The  child  next  to  the  youngest  also  suf- 
fered from  the  same  illness,  but  recovered.  It  was 
the  practice  of  physicians  in  those  days  to  use  des- 
perate remedies,  and  it  is  the  belief  of  some  that  the 
blisters  drawn  across  the  stomachs  of  all  these  victims 
was  the  cause  of  their  death.  Then  came  sad  and 
lonely  times  to  the  remaining  members  of  the  be- 
leaved  famil}'.  The  eldest  daughter,  Emily,  but 
fourteen  years  of  age,  was  compelled  to  act  as 
mother  and  housekeeper,  and  umst  bravely  .she  per- 
formcil  the  duties  which  were  thnsthru.st  upon  her  so 
early  in  life.  She  remained  with  her  father  several 
years,  and  when  her  filial  duties  could  be  dispensed 
with  was  united  in  marriage  with  Lewis  Thomas,  who 
came  to  Iowa  about  the  same  time  as  her  father.  Of 
her  two  younger  sisters,  Khoda  became  the  wife  of 
Laban  Pickard.  ar.d  Phiebe  married  Asa  liatliff'. 

The  second  marriage  of  Jacob  Mendenhall  took 
l)lace  two  years  and  three  months  after  the  death 
of  .Mrs.  .M.  He  was  this  time  united  with  Miss 
Kli/.abeth  Davis,  a  maiden  lady  of  great  excellence 
of  character,  although  pos.sessed  of  a  limited  edu- 
cation. She  had  assisted  to  support  her  widowed 
mother's  family,  and  became  a  faithful  wife  to  Ja- 
cob Mendenhall,  and  a  good  mother  to  his  children. 
She  understood  all  the  arts  of  the  day,  such  as  spin- 
ning and  weaving,  both  wool  and  flax,  and  cutting 
and  making  them  up  into  garments.  In  those  days. 
after  the  tax  for  one  year  had  been  paid,  the  family- 
made  one  of  their  first  duties  to  begin  and  save  to 
paj'  for  the  3' ear  that  was  coming,  although  per- 
haps the  sum  would  not  exceed  $5.  The  postage 
upon  a  letter  in  tho.se  days  was  twenty-five  cents, 


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aurl  must  be  paid  hy  the  recipient  before  he  eoiild 
obtain  the  message.  The  anumnt  required  was 
lianded  over  cheerfully  if  it  could  possibly  lie 
raised,  as  it  was  the  unly  means  of  commuiiicatiuu 
l>etweeu  long  separated  friends. 

The  first  chimney'  of  the  cabin  occupied  by  our 
subject  and  his  family  was  built  of  rocl<  past  the 
•■hips."  and  tlien  finished  by  boards  nailed  to- 
gether, which  reached  above  the  top  of  the  cabin. 
These  stood  upright  for  a  few  years,  but  fme  luck- 
less day  in  winter,  when  the  thr.ashers  were  at  Mr. 
Mendenhall's,  a  blizzard  came  on  which  blew  down 
the  chimney  and  caused  great  discomfort  on  ac- 
count of  the  cold  and  snow.  This,  however,  was 
only  one  among  the  many  difficulties  which  the 
pioneers  enct)untered,  and  for  which  they  were 
full}'  armed  h^'  courage  and  res<jlution  to  meet  and 
overcome. 

A  mail  route  from  Salem  to  Ft.  Madison  was 
soon  established,  but  the  nearest  gristmill  was  at 
Farmington,  a  distance  of  twentj'-two  miles.  Being 
far  away  from  any  s)jring  of  water  our  subject  was 
compelled  to  haul  water  one  mile  for  some  time, 
but  finallj'  dug  a  slough  well,  which  was  soon  fol- 
lowed by  three  more,  and  these  supplied  the  much 
needed  article.  Schools  were  scarce  and  so  far 
away  that  the  children  must  board  away  from  home 
in  order  to  attend  them.  Game,  such  as  wild  tur- 
key, was  plent}',  and  wolves  prowled  around  in 
packs  of  six,  eight  and  sometimes  even  ten.  Gro- 
ceries were  purchased  at  Ft.  Madison,  twenty-five 
miles  awaj-,  or  traded  for  with  dressed  pork,  wheat 
and  other  kinds  of  farm  produce.  People  in  those 
daj's  were  compelled  to  be  satisfied  with  the  com- 
forts of  life,  and  not  allow  themselves  to  crave  its 
luxuries.  But  the  enemy  which  the  pioneer  mostly 
dreaded  was  the  terrible  prairie  fire,  in  which  home 
and  stock  were  often  swept  aw.ay,  and  Mr.  Men- 
denhall  at  one  time  narrowly  escaped  this  loss. 

Of  the  second  marriage  of  Jacob  Mendenhall  there 
were  born  four  daughters  and  one  son,  all  living  at 
this  date  (1887),  and  named  as  follows :  .Susanna,  Sa- 
rah, John,  Mary  and  Hannah.  The  first  to  marry  was 
Sarah,  who  became  the  wife  of  Baskins  Wheat- 
Five  years  later,  on  the  26th  of  September,  1873, 
John  married  Miss  Jane  Blackledge.  a  school 
teacher  of  Hardin  County,  Iowa  ;  their  children  are 


.  tl^tTTTTIX.  ■  I  tTTTITTXDTXTT-j 


T rrrr tmiii 


mrrn  n.»..........«l»i  r-rrt 


Clyde.  Zulu,  Grace,  Silvia.  Belle  and  Mamie 
Louise.  Hannah  was  next  married.  Lewis  E.  Barker,  ^1j?S'r 
of  C'orydim,  Iowa,  becoming  her  husband:  Sue  be- 
come the  wife  <)f  .lohn  Manley.  f)f  Tennessee,  and 
Mary  married  J.  .1.  Carson,  a  hardware  merchant  of 
Mt.  Krie,  111. 


J.TCob  Mendenhall  departed  this  life  at  his  home  e 
in  Cedar  Township.  .Ian.  20,  l«7;l  His  wife  was 
crippled  by  a  fall  down  a  stairwaj^  while  still  in  the 
prime  of  life,  and  was  ever  afterward  a  great  suf- 
ferer, but  patiently  bore  her  trial?  until  .Tunc  7. 
l.sx.T,  when  her  sufferings  ceased  and  she  folded 
liei'  hands  for  her  final  rest. 

The  interesting  histciry  of  this  family  is  closely 
identified  with  tliat  of  Lee  County.  Jacob  Men- 
denhall. in  common  with  his  brother  pioneers,  as- 
sisted in  the  development  and  prosperity  of  this 
section  bj-  his  own  example  of  sterling  worth,  in- 
dustry and  honesty,  and  encouraged  a  class  of  citi- 
zens who  became  an  honor  to  the  county  and  their 
own  community.  In  this  brief  outline  of  his  life. 
much  of  course  has  been  passed  over,  for  were  his 
whole  minute  history  given  it  would  form  an  in- 
teresting volume.  He  was  in  all  respects  a  good  |^g] 
citizen,  and  his  name  is  held  in  kindly  remembrance 
bj-  a  large  circle  of  those  whose  parents  labored 
with  him,  and  to  whom  he  was  of  material  and 
neighborly  assistance  in  the  toils  and  struggles  in- 
cident to  the  settlement  of  a  new  country. 


0  G.  SAKGE. 
I  and  success 
_      Moines   To 


G.  SARGENT,  Sr.,  is  a  representative  man, 
successfull3'  engaged  in  farming  in  Des 
'ownship.  He  is  a  native  of  the 
Old  Ciranite  State,  born  in  Millfields  Township, 
May  21,  1835.  His  father,  Nicholas  Sargent,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
and  of  stanch  old  New  England  family.  He  grew 
to  manhood  and  was  married  in  his  native  State; 
his  wife  was  Miss  Mary  Ann  Sawyer,  who  was  born 
in  Essex  County,  Mass.  Shortly  after  their  mar- 
riage. Nicholas  Sargent  and  his  yung  wife  settled 
on  a  small  farm  in  Massachusetts,  whence,  a  few 
years   later  they  removed  to  the  lumber  regions  of    "^ 


■.i,\i..i..i-iirm 


iSSS 


>y^PLTiTinPtT»f  Oltli  ■  f  If'lMjfl 


I'l  ■  1  rki  1 1  ■  i)Ti|w^  nryrifyJ^'ifiiirT 


A 1 1  jii.ri;i  nxxvi  j  jllj,i  ^  ^  ^  m  ^  i  " 


LEE  COUNTY. 


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New  Hampshire,  where  Mr.  S.  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber liusine.«s.  His  iniiin  idea,  however,  for  sonif 
time,  had  been  to  acquire  sufficient  means  to  g<< 
West  and  est^ablish  a  home  beyond  the  Missis- 
sippi. He  was  fairly  successful  in  his  business 
in  the  hnnber  reuions,  luit  it  toolc  several  years  to 
accomplish  the  desired  end,  and  in  the  meantime 
there  had  been  born  to  tliem  a  family  of  twelve 
children,  and  it  was  not  until  after  the  birth  of 
these  that  he  found  hinisi'lf  able  to  undertake  the 
expedition  West.  They  made  their  first  location  in 
Clark  County,  Mo.  The  trip  had  been  laboriously 
accomplished  with  teams  and  wauons,  after  the 
manner  of  travel  and  transportation  in  tiiose  days. 
They  only  remained  in  Missouri  for  about  two 
years,  and  then  came  into  Lee  County,  settling  on 
what  was  known  as  the  "  half-tireed "  tract,  and 
which,  owing  to  the  schemes  of  speculators,  re- 
quired great  i)atieuce  on  the  part  of  the  settlers  to 
prove  their  claims  and  obtain  a  clear  title. 

Mr.  Sargent  ••  squatted  "  on  1 60  acres,  section 
34,  Des  Moines  Township,  commenced  farming 
with  the  four  oxen  which  he  had  brought  with  him, 
and  upon  which  was  the  main  dependence  of  the 
family.  During  a  severe  storm  three  of  these  ani- 
mals were  killed  by  lightning,  which  was  a  severe 
loss  to  the  family  at  that  time.  The  old  pioneers, 
however,  were  made  of  stern  stuff,  and  Mr.  .Sar- 
gent was  no  exception  to  this  rule,  so  he  made  the 
best  of  circumstances,  and  outlived  his  disa.ster  as 
philosophically  as  possible.  He  secured  other  ani- 
mals and  began  the  improvement  and  cultivation 
of  his  land,  and  was  quite  successful.  He  carefully 
hoarded  the  money  which  he  attained  by  the  sale 
of  his  croi)s,  and  was  soon  enabled  to  purchase  addi- 
tional acres,  and  continued  these  pnrch.ases  until  he 
became  the  owner  of  more  than  1,500  acres,  which 
principally  lay  along  the  first  bottoms  of  the  Des 
Moines  River,  and  is  now  occupied  by  his  sons. 

Of  all  the  land  which  Mr.  Sargent  purchased  he 
never  allowed  but  twenty'  acres  of  it  to  leave  the 
familj'  while  he  w.as  living.  He  was  strong  in  his 
affections,  and  became  greatly  attached  to  his 
friends  and  neighbors.  He  was  a  stanch  Union 
man  during  the  war,  and  gave  libcrall}'  of  his  means 
to  support  the  cause.  He  was  Republican  in  poli- 
tics,   and    declined   all    the    official    appointments 


which  were  almost  forced  upon  him.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sargent  were  identified  with  the  Morman 
Church  until  the  Joseph  Smith  trouble  at  Nauvoo, 
III.,  when  they  withdrew  from  that  association. 
Nicholas  Sargent  departed  this  life  .July  1.  1«78, 
and  the  mother  in  April,  ISHf). 

O.  (i.  Sargent  was  the  twelfth  of  his  parents' 
family  of  thirteen  children,  six  sons  and  seven 
daughters,  of  whom  five  sons  and  three  daughters 
are  yet  living.  He  was  l)ut  a  year  old  when  his 
l)arent>  cnmc  to  this  county,  and  he  remained  under 
the  jiarentnl  roof  until  he  was  twenty-one  jears  of 
age.  Three  years  previously,  however,  he  had  mar- 
ried, and  begun  farming  on  his  own  account.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  bride  was  Miss  Hannah  Smith, 
and  the^'  were  married  Sept.  1.  1861,  in  Des 
Moines  Township.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Sargent 
were  William  and  Mary  (McKee)  Smith,  both  na- 
tives of  Kentucky,  where  thej^  were  married  and 
whence  the^'  soon  removed  to  Indiana.  Thence 
they  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  came  into  Iowa, 
settling  in  Des  Moines  Township,  where  their 
daughter,  Mrs.  Sargent,  was  born  Aug.  24,  184L 
She  was  the  youngest  of  a  famil_y  of  nine  children, 
three  sons  and  six  daughters,  one  of  the  latter  only, 
beside  Mrs.  Sargent,  still  living.  The  father  of  the 
family  was  removed  bj'  death  when  Mrs.  Sargent 
was  a  young  girl  of  twelve  j'ears,  and  she  lost  her 
mother  in  the  fall  of  1863.  With  the  exception  of 
five  years  Jlrs.  S.  has  been  a  contmuous  resident 
of  this  township  since  she  was  born.  B3'  her  union 
with  our  subject  she  became  the  mother  of  five 
children,  onlj'  two  of  whom  are  now  living, 
namely:  Mamie,  born  May  21,  1871,  and  O.  G., 
Oct.  14,  1880.  The  deceased  are  Cyrus  C,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eight  years;  Fannie,  at  the  age 
of  six  years,  and  Adelbert,  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
months. 

Mr.  Sargent  settled  upon  his  present  farm  eight- 
een months  after  his  marriage.  It  now  contains 
205  acres,  and  with  the  exception  of  five  years 
spent  in  Keokuk,  this  has  remained  continuously 
his  home  since  his  first  settlement  upon  it.  He  owns 
considerable  property  in  Keokuk,  on  Eleventh  and 
Franklin  streets.  He  also  has  a  tract  of  120  acres 
iu  another  part  of  Des  Moines  Township,  eighty 
acres  of  which  are  in  timber.    He  is  considered  one 


p. 


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of  the  representative  lueii  of  this  section,  and  is  a 
niemljer  in  good  standing  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
Yates  City  Chapter  No.  7,  and  Eagle  Lodge  No. 
12,  both  of  Keokuk.  He  has  been  honored  with 
the  local  ofllces  of  his  towuship,  and  in  politics  is  a 
solid  Republican. 


■illACOB  HAFFNER  is  one  of  the  most  exten- 
sive landed  proprietors  in  Lee  County,  and 
for  many  long  years  has  been  successfully 
(^//  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  on  section 
20,  Franklin  Township.  He  is  a  native  of  this 
county,  and  was  born  in  West  Point  Township  on 
the  25th  of  September,  1840.  His  father  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  a  native  of  Germany,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1833,  when  a  young 
man.  After  reaching  American  shores  he  went  di- 
rectly to  Mansfield,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  for 
three  years,  and  then,  crossing  the  Father  of  Wa- 
ters, came  into  Iowa  while  it  was  yet  a  Territory. 
He  located  on  a  tract  of  unimproved  land  in  West 
Point  Township,  when  the  Indians  were  more  nu- 
merous than  the  whites,  and  at  once  set  about  the 
improvement  of  his  purchase,  soon  afterward  being 
married.  He  remained  here  until  1861,  when,  with 
his  family,  he  removed  to  Franklin  Township,  and 
located  on  a  prairie  farm  of  728  acres  on  section 
20.  This  was  partly  improved,  and  the  father  of 
our  subject  remained  upon  it  until  the  close  of  his 
life. 

We  here  briefly  sketch  the  history  of  Peter  Haff- 
ner,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  who  was  a  man 
of  great  force  of  character  and  prominent  in  his  own 
country.  He  was  a  German  Protestant  in  a  Jewish 
settlement,  and  during  his  early  life  was  possessed 
of  a  large  property,  but  through  the  connivance  of 
the  Hebrews,  lost  his  possessions  and  became  a 
poor  man.  He  finally  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  and  died  here.  His  son  Frederick,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  came  to  this  country  with  a  family 
by  the  name  of  Krebill,  who  paid  his  passage,  and 
for  whom  he  afterward  worked  one  yeav  and  six 
weeks,  which  they  considered  equivalent  to  the 
sum  of  *28,  the  amount  of  his  passage  money.  It 
will  be  easil}'  conjectured  that  at  this  rate  his  serv- 


i^ 


ices  were  rather  poorly  rewarded,  but  although  the  [  J^^ 
prospect  was  discouraging  at  the  outset,  young  i  sSSv 
Haffner  persevered,  and  fulfilled  his  agreement  to 
the  letter.  For  the  second  j^ear's  wages,  in  the  em- 
ployment of  another  party,  he  received  150,  which 
was  quite  an  improvement  on  the  former  salary 
While  with  his  latter  employer,  Mr.  Hildebrand 
his  father  was  derisively  spoken  of  as  a  man  who, 
with  little  provocation,  had  signed  away  his  birth- 
right. This  greatly  angered  Frederick,  and  he 
forthwith  severed  his  relations  with  the  Hilde- 
brands,  and  started  out  independently  for  the 
West.  He  was  prospered  in  his  undertakings,  but 
was  not  married  until  thirty-five  years  of  age.  The 
lady  of  his  choice  was  Miss  Barbara  M.  Faith,  a 
German  lady  who  came  to  the  United  States  and 
located  in  Iowa  at  the  age  of  tweutj'-four  years. 
She  is  still  living  with  her  youngest  daughter  on 
the  old  homestead.  Tlie  parental  family  consisted 
of  eight  children,  three  of  whom  are  deceased. 

Jacob  Haffner  is  the  eldest  living  child  of  the 
five  survivors  of  his  father's  family,  and  was  the 
second  in  order  of  birth.  Before  the  deatli  of  his 
father  the  latter  had  accumulated  a  fine  property 
and  become  noted  throughout  his  section  for  his 
energy,  enterprise  and  steady  perseverance.  He 
was  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Democratic  party,  and 
with  his  wife  belonged  to  the  Presb3'terian  Church, 
and  assisted  in  the  establishment  of  the  Presbyter- 
ian Theological  Seminary  at  Dubuque.  He  pos- 
sessed peculiar  views  in  regard  to  the  temperance 
question,  believing  in  low  license,  but  bitterly  op- 
posed to  the  excessive  use  of  intoxicating  drinks. 
He  was  also  opposed  to  secret  societies,  believing 
they  had  their  origin  among  wicked  men.  While 
in  West  Point  Township  he  was  located  only  one 
mile  north  of  the  si)ot  where  two  of  his  eountr^^- 
men  were  murdered  by  the  IMormons  in  1845.  His 
death  occurred  at  his  home  in  this  township  on  the 
27th  of  February,  1874.  In  spite  of  his  many  pe- 
culiar traits  of  character  as  judged  liy  some  peo- 
ple, lie  was  greatly  respected,  and  his  neighbors  had 
abundant  faith  in  his  honesty  and  integrity. 

Jacob  Haffner,  our  subject,  was  reared  on  his 
father's  farm,  and  received  a  fair  education  in  the 
district  schools.  After  iirriving  at  years  of  man- 
hood he  w.-is  married,  in  Franklin  Township,  to 


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Louisa  Vonikahl,  who  was  of  German  parentage 
and  ancestry.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Han- 
over, and  after  emigrating  to  this  countr}',  came  to 
Lee  County,  and  locating  in  Franklin  Township,  re- 
mained there  until  the  close  of  theii-  lives. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ilaffner  are  the  parents  of  five 
children — Orlie,  Clara,  Peter,  Louisa,  and  an  in- 
fant unnamed.  They  occupy  a  comfortable  farm 
dwelling,  and  Mr.  H.  has  good  barns  and  out- 
houses. The  homestead  comprises  eighty  acres  of 
land,  the  larger  part  uf  which  is  improved,  and  the 
balance  is  tiniJier.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  are  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  in  politics  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch  is  independent.  The  portraits  of 
the  father  and  mother  of  our  subject,  Frederick  and 
Maria  Haffner,  appear  in  connection  with  this 
sketch. 

■il/OHN  MENDENHALL,  a  leading  farmer  of 
Cedar  Township,  comes  from  excellent  an- 
cestry, and  possesses  in  a  marked  degree  the 
qualities  of  honor  and  honesty  which  distin-' 
guished  his  forefathers.  He  is  a  native  of  this 
county,  his  birth  having  occured  in  Cedar  Town- 
ship on  the  25th  of  June,  18.50.  His  father,  Jacob 
Mendenhall,  was  a  prominent  pioneer  of  the  county, 
and  an  extended  sketch  of  him  maj'  bo  found  else- 
where in  this  volume. 

John  Mendenhall  was  reared  on  the  home  farm, 
received  his  primary  education  in  the  district 
schools,  and  attended  A^^litt^er  College,  Salem,  two 
terms.  He  has  alwa3's  lived  on  the  old  homestead, 
and  was  never  sep.arated  from  his  parents  until  their 
death,  with  the  exception  of  three  years  which,  on 
account  of  ill-health,  he  spent  as  a  traveler  in  the 
employ  of  the  American  Tract  Society. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Mendenhall  and  Miss  Jen- 
nie Blackledge  occurred  at  Union,  PLirdin  Co., 
Iowa,  Sept.  29,  1874.  Mrs.  M.  is  a  n.ative  of 
Salem  Township,  Henry  Co.,  Iowa,  and  was  born 
Sept.  29,  18.53.  Her  father,  Charles  Blackledge, 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  at  an  early  day  crossed 
the  Mississippi  and  located  in  Salem  Township, 
where  he  still  lives.  In  early  manhood  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Hannah  Heard,  a  teacher,  and  a  native 


of  his  own  State,  who  departed  this  life  when  the  3 
subject  of  our  sketch  was  yet  an  infant. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  have  five  children — Clyde, 
Zula,  Gracie,  .Silvia  Bell  and  Mamie  Louise.  They 
are  connected  with  the  Friends'  Church,  and  in  poli- 
tics Mr.  M.  is  strongly  Republican. 


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'OSEPH  A.  NUNN,  a  resident  of  Washing 
ton  Township,  is  the  proprietor  of  100  acres  : 
of  good  land  where  he  has  a  comfortable  : 
dwelling  and  convenient  farm  buildings.  3 
He  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ind.,  March  12,  %{ 
1S41,  and  came  to  Iowa  with  his  parents  when  but  3'  i 
an  infant.  He  received  a  common-school  educa-  cifn 
tion,  and  grew  to  manhood  accustomed  to  niercan-  5 
tile  pursuits.  He  subsequently  engaged  in  insur-  j 
ance  and  for  two  years  was  the  partner  of  Charles 
E.  Babcock,  engaged  in  the  grain  trade. 

Mr.  Nunu  served  four  j'cars  as  Deputy'  Sheriff  of 
Lee  County,  and  was  then  elected  Sheriff,  holding 
this  position  two  terms.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
time  he  returned  to  the  insurance  business,  becom- 
ing State  Agent  for  the  Connecticut  Fire  of  Hart- 
ford. He  was  married  in  1866,  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
C,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Espy,  and  a  na- 
tive of  Franklin,  Pa.  Of  this  marriage  there  were 
born  ten  children,  as  follows:  John  E.,  Ralph  A., 
Mary  L.,  Emma  Josephine,  Thomas  E.,  Elizabeth 
C,  Joseph  A.,  Edgell,  May  L.,  Louis. 


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ETER  OKELL,  of  Ft.  Madison,  is  a  native 
of  Cheshire,  England,  born  Jan.  C,  18;M, 
and  the  son  of  Peter  and  Martha  (Corker) 
Okell,  also  natives  of  the  British  Empire. 
Our  subject  received  but  a  limited  education,  and 
when  only  eleven  years  of  age  went  on  board  a 
ship  as  a  sailor  boy.  He  learned  a  large  jiart  of  his 
duties  on  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  subsequently 
sailed  into  ports  in  East  India  and  Australia,  and 
finally  sailed  around  the  world.  He  was  a  bright 
and  .ambitious  lad,  and  the  general  favorite  of  the 
ship's  compau}-.  He  became  Third  Mate  of  the 
vessel   at  an  e:irly  age,  and  while  in  Australia  was 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


made  Master  of  :i  coasting  schoiinev.  He  followed 
the  sea  for  thirteen  years,  and  then,  while  at  New 
Orleans,  took  a  trip  up  the  Mississippi  River  to 
IJenraark,  Lee  Co.,  Iowa,  where  he  had  a  friend 
living.  lie  also  at  this  time  entered  some  land  in 
Cass  County  wliich,  however,  he  never  occupied. 

In  185.5  Mr.  Okell  made  a  voy.age  from  New 
York  to  Liverpool,  returned,  and  the  following  year 
repeated  it.  He  then  entered  the  emplo}'  of  Col. 
Gustave  Bracket,  who  was  engaged  in  the  nurserj' 
business  at  Denmark,  Iowa.  Three  3'ears  later  he 
went  to  Kansas  and  opened  up  a  farm,  but  as  this 
w.as  during  the  time  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  trouble 
he  onh'  remained  in  that  vicinity  one  year.  In  the 
meantime  he  was  afflicted  with  fever  and  ague,  and 
took  a  trip  to  Europe  for  his  health.  After  his  re- 
turn to  Lee  County  he  was  appointed  guard  in  the 
Iowa  State  Penitentiary  at  Ft.  IVIadison,  which 
position  he  occupied  about  one  j'ear,  fulfilling  its 
duties  with  great  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction 
to  all  concerned. 

Peter  Okell  and  Miss  Martha  D.  Atlee  were 
united  in  marriage  Jan.  29,  18G0.  Mrs.  Okell  is 
the  daughter  of  J.  C.  and  Emilj'  S.  (Brooks)  Atlee, 
and  was  born  at  Ft.  Madison  in  1840.  Soon  after 
their  marriage  Mr.  Okell  entered  the  employ  of  S. 
&  J.  C.  Atlee,  father  and  son,  who  are  now  carry- 
ing on  an  extensive  lumber  business  at  Ft.  Madi- 
son. He  remained  with  the  firm  until  about  18G2, 
and  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  Civil  War. 
He  then  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Navy,  was 
appointed  Ensign,  and  ordered  to  report  to  Commo- 
dore Penock.  He  was  soon  afterward  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant  and  made  the  Commodore's 
executive  otHeer.  Commodore  Pennock  was  sub- 
sequentlj'  transferred  to  another  command,  and 
Lieut.  Okell  became  the  executive  oflicer  of  Com- 
modore Livingston,  with  whom  he  remained  until 
the  close  of  the  war. 

After  his  return  from  the  naval  service  Mr.  Okell 
again  entered  the  employ  of  Messrs.  S.  &  J.  C.  At- 
lee. In  18G.5  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  and 
purchased  a  sawmill  at  Stillwater,  Minn.,  having 
charge  of  the  same  for  the  following  three  years, 
at  the  expiration  of  which  time  the  C(jmpany  sold 
out  and  dissolved  partnership.  The  two  Atlees, 
father  and  son,  then  became  associated  together  in 


business,  and  Mr.  Okell  has  since  that  time  been 
one  of  the  trusted  employes  of  the  firm. 

Of  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Okell  there 
have  been  born  five  children — Charles  L.,  Frank 
A.,  Emeline  B.,  .John  A.  and  Sadie  M.  Mr.  Okell 
has  given  each  of  his  children  a  fair  education  and 
caused  his  sons  to  learn  a  useful  trade,  thus  provid- 
ing them  with  something  substantial  with  wliich  to 
start  upon  the  voyage  of  life. 

Mr.  Okell  is  a  remarkably  intelligent  and  well  in- 
formed gentleman,  and  has  fuU^'  improved  his  large 
experience  in  life.  He  has  seen  many  strange 
sights  and  curious  people  in  his  journe3's  over  the 
face  of  the  globe,  .and  his  experiences  if  related 
would  fill  a  volume.  He  is  highly  esteemed  in  this 
vicinity  as  a  business  man  and  a  citizen.  He  is  a 
member  of  Stella  Lodge  No.  440,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.; 
Washington  Chapter  No.  17,  R.  A.  M.,at  Stillwater, 
Minn.,  .and  Dam.ascus  Commandery  No.  5,  Knights 
Templar  of  Keokuk,  Iowa.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  I.  0.  O.  F.,  and  is  at  present  commander  of 
James  B.  Sample  Post  No.  107,  G.  A.  R. 


'jfJAMES  W.  CAMPBELL,  a  resident  of  Ft. 
Madison,  is  a  native  of  Missouri,  and  was 
born  in  Lewis  County,  June  17,  1825.  His 
great-grandfather,  Robert  Campbell,  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1657,  making  the  voyage  as 
Captain  of  a  whaling-vessel.  He  settled  in  Con- 
necticut and  remained  there  until  his  death.  His 
son,  Moses,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
and  after  the  independence  of  the  colonies  was  es- 
tablished, settled  at  Utica,  N.  Y.  Isaac  R.  Camp- 
bell, the  father  of  our  subject,  remained  with  his 
parents  until  he  was  eighteen  years  old,  and  then 
started  out  with  the  intention  of  pursuing  a  sea- 
faring life.  Circumstances,  however,  induced  him 
to  change  his  pl.ans,  and  he  went  to  Pittsfield,  Mass., 
and  finally  engaged  as  a  laborer  on  the  Erie  Canal. 
From  there  he  went  to  Pennsylvania,  and  thence 
to  Wellsville,  Ohio.  After  a  time  he  shipped  as 
cook  on  a  keel-boat  on  the  Ohio  River,  which  oc- 
cupation he  followed  for  a  time,  and  then  became  a 
"jack  of  all  trades."  In  1823  he  married,  and 
settled  on  a  farm,  and  two  years  later  loaded  his 
household  goods  on  two  canoes  and  paddled  to  the 
present  site  of  Nauvoo,  where  he  engaged  in  keep^ 


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ing  a  board iug-house,  spending  a  part  of  each  year 
in  the  lead  mines  of  Galena.  Five  j'ears  later  he 
sold  out  his  property  at  Naiivoo,  and  came  to  J^ee 
County,  and  in  the  spring  of  the  following  year  re- 
moved to  the  present  site  of  Keokuk,  and  in  com- 
jiany  with  Dr.  S.  C.  Muir,  engaged  as  an  In- 
dian trader. 

In  1834  Mr.  Campbell  appealed  to  Hon.  Spaidd- 
ing,  the  Member  of  Congress  from  Pennsylvania, 
to  secure  tlie  passage  of  an  act  to  enable  half-breeds 
to  sell  their  lands,  and  two  years  later  organized 
the  St.  Louis  Land  Com|>Mny.  He  also  sold  a  part 
of  his  landed  interests  in  Keokuk,  which  consisted 
of  a  jiolato  patch  of  a  few  acres,  and  in  1838  sold 
his  remaining  interest  in  the  lialf-breed  tract  to  a 
man  named  Knight  and  Josepli  Smith,  the  Mormon 
I'rophet,  the  stipulated  price  being  |il  4,000.  They 
paid  him  12,000  down,  and  gave  their  notes  for  the 
balance.  He  toolv  no  mortgage  and  the  notes  were 
never  paid.  Mr.  C.  still  holds  them  as  souvenirs  of 
another  age.  At  this  time,  in  consequence  of  the 
anti-slavery  feeling  in  Iowa  and  the  agitation 
subsequent,  Mr.  Campbell  removed  to  St.  Francis- 
ville.  Mo. 

Our  subject,  in  his  younger  daj's,  devoted  his 
time  to  catching  fish  and  drifting  logs,  and  subse- 
(picntly  became  a  pilot  on  tlie  river.  This  latter 
business  seemed  one  for  wliich  he  was  peculiarly 
fitted,  and  he  became  verj-  skillful,  after  a  time  be- 
ing promoted  master  of  tlie  steamer  "  Badger 
State,  "  and  suljsequently  commanded  some  of  the 
(inest  Ijoats  plying  the  Father  of  Waters.  He  built 
and  commanded  the  steamer  '•  Rock  Island,  "  and 
after  abandoning  the  river  business  became  exten- 
sively engaged  trading  in  grain  from  the  years 
1872  to  1874,  during  which  he  built  several  ware- 
houses on  the  B.  cV:  S.  W.  R.  R.  in  Van  Buren,  Da- 
vis and  Appanoose  Counties. 

James  W.  Campbell  was  married  in  1849,  to 
Miss  Kliza  J.  Eversole,  and  of  this  union  there  have 
been  born  three  sons,  viz.,  J.  W.,  Jr.,  B.  H.  and  J.  R. 

ASHINGTON  G  ALLAND,  one  of  the  most 

prominent   lawyers    in    Lee    County,    and 

wliose  [tortrait  we  present  on  the  opposite 

)age,  is  a  resident  of  Montrose,  and   enjoying  an 


extensive  practice  in  that  locality.  He  is  a  close 
student,  well  read  in  his  profession,  of  whieli  lie  i.- 
an  able  representative.  He  is  the  son  of  Is.aac  ami 
Hannah  (Kinney)  (hilland,  natives  of  ]\Iarylaiiil 
and  Ohio,  respectively.  Isaac  Galland  was  Ihhii  in 
May,  1790,  while  his  parents  were  on  their  j()uriie\- 
by  wagon  from  K<jrf(ilk,  Va.,  to  Jlarietta,  Ohiu. 
After  a  residence  in  Ohio  of  several  3'ears  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  removed  West  and  became  one 
of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Lee  Cimnty,  and  one  of 
the  most  noted  men  of  those  early  days. 

He  made  his  first  settlement  on  the  Mississippi 
River  at  an  Indian  trading  establishment  at  the 
Lower  Yellow  Banks,  now  Oquawka,  Henderson  Ci  1.. 
111.,  aljout  the  spring  of  1820.  There  he  located 
and  remained  until  about  July,  1827,  when,  on  ac- 
count <if  threatened  hostility  by  the  Indians,  he  re- 
moved with  his  family  down  the  Mississippi  River, 
stopping  and  camping  over  night  on  what  is  now 
Iowa  soil,  at  a  point  near  the  present  location  ( if 
Atlee's  Mills,  and  two  or  three  hundred  yards  from 
the  monument  marking  the  place  of  his  burial  in 
the  cemetery  at  Ft.  Madison;  thence  to  Commerce, 
now  Nauvoo,  111.  There  he  left  his  family  wilii 
his  father-in-law,  Peter  Kinney,  crossed  the  river  lo 
the  point  near  (iuard  Jxtck,  now  ( ialland  Post-Offlce, 
Lee  County,  where,  with  the  aid  of  men  employed 
for  that  purpose,  he  cut  logs  and  built  houses  for 
the  accommodation  of  his  family  and  for  his  store 
or  trading-post.  To  these  he  removed  with  his 
family  and  his  stoclv  of  merchandise,  Sept.  24,  1827. 
He  was  a  strong  personal  friend  of  Dr.  Muir's,  who 
located  at  Keokuk  some  time  jirevious. 

Isaac  Galland  had  previously-  studied  and  prac- 
ticed medicine  in  Fulton  County,  III,  and  else- 
wliere  for  several  j-ears,  and  began  its  [jractice  in 
Lee  County  in  1827.  At  a  Later  date  he  prac- 
ticed medicine  successfully  as  well  as  accept- 
abl3'  in  Hancock  County,  111.,  and  in  Lee  County, 
Iowa.  He  enjo3'ed  to  a  remarkable  degree  the 
confidence  of  his  patrons.  He  was  especiallj'  suc- 
cessful in  his  treatment  of  diolora  and  prevent- 
ing the  spread  of  epidemics  tiirougli  the  county. 
"Dr.  (ialiaiid's  Family  Medicines,"  inscribed  on  a, 
wooden  case  about  twentj'  by  twelve  inclies  in  size, 
painted  red,  and  containing  tlio  usual  and  simple 
remedies  in  vogue  at  the  time  for  the  diseases  and 


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accidents  most  prevalent  or  common  among  the 
early  settlers  of  the  country,  was,  between  the  years 
1833  and  1.S39,  to  l)e  found  in  almost  every  cabin 
and  liome  of  settlers  within  a  radius  of  thirty  to 
fifty  miles  from  Ah-wi-pe-tuck,  both  in  Illinois  and 
Iowa.  It  constituted  a  very  important  part  of  the 
domestic  economy  of  every  household,  as  many  of 
the  surviving  pioneers  of  that  time  testify. 

Dr.  Galland  had  brought  his  wife  and  infant  son, 
Washington,  with  him,  and  established  a  home  at 
what  was  tiien  called  Ah-wi-pe-tiiclc,  a  name  sig- 
nifying the  head  of  the  rapids  or  cascades  on  the 
Mississippi  River  between  Keolcuk  and  Montrose. 
The  village  is  now  called  Galland  Post-Office,  and 
by  the  Government  worlvs  it  is  called  the  Guard 
Lock,  and  the  railway  station  adjacent  is  Nashville. 
The  wife  of  Isaac  Galland  died  at  his  home  March 
17,  1831.  8he  was  of  Holland  extraction,  and  her 
husband,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  of  Scotch 
descent.  Isaac  Galland  departed  this  life  Nov.  28, 
1858. 

Dr.  Isaac  Galland  was  prominently  identified 
with  the  early  history  and  settlement  of  tlie 
,"  half-breed  track  "  in  this  county,  as  one  of  the 
Trustees  and  the  General  Agent  of  "The  Des 
Moines  Land  Association,"  or  "  New  York  Com- 
pany," as  it  was  generally  called.  He  caused  to  be 
surveyed,  platted  and  named,  the  city  of  Keokuk; 
gave  the  names  to  its  principal  streets,  parks,  etc., 
and  while  he  "sowed  that  others  might  reap" 
largely,  neither  he  nor  his  associates  realized  the 
hopeful  anticipation  of  great  wealth  from  their  in- 
vestment, and  the  failure  in  this  regard  may  be 
reasonablj'  attributed  to  .n  natural  cause,  i.  e.,  mu- 
tual distrust  and  disagreement  among  themselves. 

Dr.  Galland  and  wife  became  the  parents  of  three 
children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancj^  unnamed. 
Eleanor,  who  was  born  at  Ah-wi-pe-tuck,  Feb.  4, 
1830,  was  undoubtedly  the  first  child  of  white  par- 
ents born  in  the  territorj^  now  called  Lee  County. 
She  became  the  wife  of  J.  Thornburg  and  lives 
near  Ottumwa,  Iowa.  She  has  by  a  former  hus- 
band, Capt.  Isaac  McPherson,  four  children  liv- 
ing. Washington,  the  subject  of  our  sketcli,  was 
boru  July  20,  1827,  either  near  Commerce,  Han- 
cock Co.,  111.,  or  at  Oquawka,  or  tlie  Lower  Yellow 
Banlts,  Henderson  Co.,  111.;  the  family  records  be- 


ing lost  or  destroyed,  Mr.  Galland  is  not  positive 
concerning  tlie  exact  place  of  his  birth.  He  grew 
to  manhood  on  tlie  river,  hunting,  fishing  and 
swimming  with  his  pl.aymates,  who  were,  often 
the  half-breeds  of  tiie  Sac  and  Fox  Indians. 
He  received  his  primary  education  in  company 
with  his  fellow  student,  Capt.  James  W.  Camp- 
bell, of  Ft.  Madison,  in  the  log  school-house, 
with  its  window-panes  of  greased  paper,  its  floor 
of  puncheon  and  its  desks  of  slabs,  siipi)orted  by 
poles  driven  into  the  logs.  His  first  teacher  was 
Benjamin  Jennings,  who  is  now  living  in  Oreo-on 
Territory  at  an  advanced  age.  The  incidents  of 
the  early  life  of  Mr.  Galland,  as  related  by  him, 
would  compose  an  interesting  volume. 

Mr.  Galland  commenced  the  study  of  law  at  his 
father's  house  under  the  instruction  of  Stephen  W. 
Powers,  a  talented  lawyer  from  Ohio,  who  made  his 
home  with  Dr.  Galland  at  Keokuk,  when  he  was 
but  a  boy,  and  took  a  course  of  reading  in  the  office 
of  Coleman  &  Simmons  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  re- 
turned to  Iowa  in  1856,  and  afterward  entered  the 
office  of  Rankin  &  Miller,  at  Keokuk,  and,  after  a 
thorough  course  of  study,  he  passed  examination 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  on  the  19th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1859.  He  was  afterward  admitted  to  the 
Federal  Courts,  and  has  practiced  in  the  States  of 
Illinois,  Missouri,  California  and  Iowa.  "  In  the 
meantime,"  he  says,  "  he  has  swam  in  luxury  at 
times  and  then  again  been  reduced  to  what  the 
coal  miner  would  call  bed  rock."  He  has  witnessed 
remarkable  changes  since  his  boyhood  days,  and 
the  comparison  between  the  scenes  amid  which  he 
passed  his  youth,  and  those  now  witnessed,  seems 
more  like  a  dream  of  the  night  than  solid  reality. 

Mr.  Galland  has  always  enjoyed  in  a  marked  de- 
gree the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-towns- 
men, and  they  liave  honored  him  with  the  various 
offices  within  their  gift.  In  addition  to  having 
filled  the  minor  offices  of  his  town  and  township, 
in  1803,  he  was  elected  as  a  member  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  Iowa,  and  served  one  term,  after 
which  he  was  renominated  by  the  Republicans,  but 
was  defeated  with  the  balance  of  his  ticket. 

When  only  nineteen  years  of  age  he  enlisted  in  Co. 
A,  3d  Rgt.  Missouri  Mounted  Volunteers,  in  the 
War  with    Mexico;  went    overland   to  Santa   Fe, 


PI 


■a 


IP 

il; 
i 
to 


thence  down  the  Rio  Grande  with  the  invading 
army  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Sterling  Price 
into  Old  JMexico,  where  he  served  until  the  close 
of  the  Wai-,  and  was  honcirablj^  discharged  at  In- 
dependence, Mo.,  on  the  return  of  his  regiment  to 
that  State. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Ivchclliou,  Mr.  (ialland, 
laying  aside  his  personal  and  business  interests,  de- 
cided to  devote  his  services  to  assist  in  the  preserv- 
ation of  the  Union.  He  raised  a  company  of  vol- 
unteers and  organized  them  as  Co.  H,  6th  Iowa 
Vol.  Inf.,  of  which  he  was  given  the  command  as 
Captain.  It  mustered  at  Camp  Warren,  near  Bur- 
lington, on  the  17th  day  of  July,  to  serve  for  three 
years  or  during  the  war.  On  account  of  ill-health, 
Capt.  (Jalland,  two  years  later,  was  obliged  to  re- 
sign his  commission.  He  had  been  captured  at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862,  and  was  held  a  prisoner  for 
seven  months.  This  tedious  confinement  and  the 
privations  which  he  endured,  the  lack  of  proper 
food  and  clothing,  brought  about  a  debility  from 
which  he  was  a  long  time  recovering. 

Mr.  Galland  was  initiated,  passed  and  raised  to  the 
sublime  degree  of  a  Master  Mason  in  Joppa  Lodge 
No.  136,  at  Montrose,  Iowa,  and   presided  in  the 


East  for  some  two  terras.  He  also  belonged  to  a 
lodge  in  Missouri.  He  took  an  active  part  in  re- 
organizing lodges  after  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
was  exalted  to  the  Royal  Ai'ch  Chapter  Degree  at 
Keokuk,  which  was  called  Gate  City  No.  7,  and 
also  became  a  Knight  Templar  of  Damascus  Cuni- 
manderj'  at  Keokuk.  He  has  now  demittcd  from 
all  these  secret  bodies;  he  holds  his  demits  and  is 
a  non-afliliatcd  member,  but  remaining  an  honor- 
ary life  member  of  >St.  John  Commandery,  K.  T.  h 
K.  M..  of  Springfield,  Mo.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  orders  of  K.  of  P.  and  (x.  A.  R. 

In  August,  1885,  Mr.  Galland  was  elected  Presi- 
dent of  the  Pioneers  and  Old  Settlers'  Association, 
and  re-elected  the  following  year.  He  has  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  this  office  with  great  credit 
to  himself,  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  members 
of  the  association,  and  has  been  chosen  to  deliver 
the  annual  address  on  several  occasions,  his  audi- 
ences usually  aggregating  12,000  people.  He  is  a 
gentleman  of  more  than  ordinary'  intelligence,  an 
extensive  reader  and  well  informed,  and  is  one  of 
the  leaders  in  every  worthy  enterprise  taken  in 
hand  by  his  community. 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


597 


INTTRODUQT^ORY. 


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•;^#- 


Breathes  there  the  man  with  soul  so  dead, 
Who  never  to  himself  hath  said, 
'This  is  my  own,  my  native  land." 


;F0RE  taking  up  the  history 
of  the  settlement  of  Lee 
County,  it  has  been  thought 
proper  to  give  a  brief  ae- 
connt  of  the  discovery,  and 
the  succession  of  govern- 
ments, of  which  the  terri- 
tory has  been  under,  that  is 
now  embraced  by  the  State  of  Iowa, 
and  of  which  this  county  forms  so  im- 
portant a  factor.  Passing  over  the 
Mound-Builders,  of  whom  we  know 
l)ut  little,  and  the  Indians,  of  whom 
it  has  been  the  general  disposition  of 
the  white  race  to  know  less,  the  first 
man  to  discover  and  set  his  foot  upon 
the  soil  of  Iowa  was  Father  Jacques 
Marquette,  who,  with  his  companions  on 
a  voyage  of  discovery,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
French  Government,  having  passed  through  Can- 
ada, left  the  southern  extremity  of  Green  Bay,  and 
in  their  frail  canoes  ascended  Fox  River  to  its  head- 
waters. From  there  they  carried  their  canoes 
across  to  the  Wisconsin  River,  launched  their  boats, 
and  floated  down  the  stream,  entering  the  Missis- 
sippi June  17,  1673.  Father  Marquette  continued 
his  sail  down  the  majestic  river,  with  joy  unsur- 
passed and  inexpressible   at  the  beautiful  country 


.iS 


lying  on  either  shore.  June  21,  he  made  a  landing 
on  the  west  bank,  where  he  discovered  a  trail,  made 
by  human  feet,  which  he  followed.  This  led  him 
across  a  beautiful  meadow  into  an  Indian  village 
on  the  Des  Moines  River,  some  six  miles  from  the 
present  site  of  the  city  of  Keokuk.  The  voyagers 
were  warmly  received  bj'  the  Indians,  who  regarded 
them  as  coming  from  a  new  world.  Father  Mar- 
quette remained  with  these  n.ative  children,  the 
mini  tribe,  whose  language  he  understood,  and  who 
treated  him  with  the  most  distinguished  kindness 
and  attention,  several  days,  and  then  bidding  them 
an  affectionate  farewell  he  took  his  departure,  pro- 
ceeding down  the  Mississippi  until  he  became  satis- 
fied of  its  flowing  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

Thus  Iowa,  the  "  Beautiful  Land,"  was  first  dis- 
covered. Over  100  years  passed  before  it  was  oc- 
cupied or  settled  by  the  white  man.  The  first  was 
a  French  adventurer  named  Julian  Dubuque,  who  is 
supposed  to  have  obtained  his  knowledge  of  this 
country  from  Father  Marquette.  Dubuque  made 
a  claim,  and  commenced  work  in  the  lead  mines, 
near  the  present  site  of  the  city  which  bears 
his  name,  in  1788.  This  was  the  first  settlement 
made  in  the  territorj'  now  occupied  by  the  State 
of  Iowa.  It  was  at  this  time  under  the  do- 
minion of  Spain.  For  a  century  France  claimed 
the  country  discovered  by  Marquette,  -when  it  was 


m 


■  ■'xnnrnjuu-xnn 


-  tunxxxi 


)98 


LEE  COUNTY. 


ICTXXtAJlTXa 


Si^ti 


ceded    to   Spain.     In    1801   it  was  ceded  back  to  judirial  purposes.  In  1 807  Iowa  was  organized  with   p[ 

France.     Jn  180;3,  Napoleon   Bonaparte,  then  First  1   the   Territory   of    Illinois,  and  so  remained  until  B|} 

Consul  of  Frnnce,  ceded  this  territory  to  the  United  '  >^'  •'    "Koh  ;f  f,.,.,„fwi  .i  i,o,-i  ..f  Af;^;;, >...-;  'r«....;f,>..,-    *!' 
States.     The  following  yenr  the  Ixiiuidary  line  be- 
tween  the  upper  :md   lower  territory  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi N'allcy  was  established.     The  lower  country 


was  called  the  Territory  of  New  tJrleaus,  and  the 
upper  the  District  of  Louisiana,  in  which  the  ter- 
ritory comprising  the  States  of  Arkansas,  ^Missouri, 
Iowa  and  Minnesota  was  contained,  and  which  was 
attached  fo  the  Territory  of  Indiana  for  political  and 


itory 
1812,  when  it  formed  a  jiart  of  IMissouri  Tprrlti>ry.  jh 
\\'lien,  in  1821,  Missouri  formed  one  in  tlie  grand  :  Jj 
galaxy  of  States,  this  territory  or  countrj'  was  left  :  j 
out  in  the  cold.  Subsequently,  in  1884,  it  formed  J:  J 
a  part  of  Michigan  Territory.  In  18:^0  the  Terri- 
tory of  Wisconsin  was  formed,  which  included 
Iowa.  .Inly  ;il,  18,38,  the  Territory  of  Iowa  was  a;| 
organized.  Dec.  28,  1846,  Iowa  was  admitted  intn  3^ 
the  Union.  3; 


~<»-  :==^-^$-4ii8H®>^ 


HEN  the  Indians  came  into 
this  country  is  not  known. 
5  Father  Marquette  found 
them  here  when  he  first  de- 
scended the  Mississippi,  in 
Ki?.!.  On  June  21  of  that 
year,  with  his  little  party,  he 
made  a  landing  on  the  western  b.ank  of 
the  Father  (^f  Waters,  near  the  mouth  of 
a  beautiful  stream  believed  to  have  been 
what  is  now  Sandusky  Creek,  where  they 
discovered  a  trail.  Following  it  a  short 
distance  they  came  upon  some  Indi.ins, 
who,  after  being  addressed  in  their  own 
language  by  Father  Jlarquette,  conducted 
him  ti>  their  village,  about  six  miles  from  where 
tlie^-  had  landed.  The  Indian  vilKige  was  on  the 
banks  of  the  Dcs  Moines  River,  about  six  miles 
west  from  Keokuk,  known  since  as  the  Shepherd 
Farm.     The  many  changes  which  have  taken  place 


since  th.it  time  leave  the  site  of  this   village   now  c 

about  one  mile  from  the  banks  of  the  river,  or  the  5 

water's  edge.    Marquette,  in  the  very  brief  account  Ei 

which  he  left  of  this  noted  voyage,  speaks  of  two  ; 

villages,  one  on  the  left  and  one  on  the  right  bank  =: 

of  the  river,  and   also  of  mounds  which  he  found  t: 

here.      He    raised    the    cross,    and    addressed    the  :' 

Indians  upon  the  Catholic  faith,  which  was  the  first  ti 

Christian  sermon  delivered  west  of  the  Mississii)pi.  jE 

and  soon  afterward  resumed  his  explorations.  3; 

Although  this  territory,  from  the  time  of  its  d is-  ;;|{; 

5:h. 


covery  by  Marquette,  was  claimed  first  b^'  France, 
then  ceded  to  Spain,  then  back  again  to  France,  and 
by   her   to   the  United    States,   various    tribes   of   :; 


Indians  held   possession   up  to  June  1,  1833.     At 

this  time  the  Black  Hawk  Purchase,  which  embraced  = 

the   territory   of  which  Lee  County  is  conijiosed,  3 

was  opened  up  to  settlement  by  the  whites.     Hith-  ;:i 

erto  it  h.id  been  .as  effectuallj'  barred  .against  occu-  ;i;[i 
pancy  by   Americans   as  though   it    were    under  a 


^^^^^^^^^^ 


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xrxm«rini-xm.zxnT  B 


Z55I 


£^ 


crr.rrr', 


^^ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


5Q0 


til 

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1  = 


iM 


1: ! 


Ill 

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KM 


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foreign  government.  For  many  years  prior  to  the 
advent  of  white  men  the  different  tribes  had  been 
from  time  to  time  at  war  with  each  otlier  for  |JOS- 
session. 

At  the  time  tlie  white  settlements  were  being 
made  on  the  eastern  bank.-;  of  the  Mississippi,  this 
part  of  the  country  was  in  possession  of  the  Sac 
and  Fox  tribes.  They  neither  toiled  nor  spun, 
but  subsisted  b}'  hunting  and  fishing  mainly,  and 
dwelt  in  tents  or  wigwams.  AVhile  they  held 
the  laud  they  improved  it  not.  The  arts  of  civil- 
ized husbandry  and  industry  were  unknown  to 
them.  The  soil,  so  prolific,  so  respondent  to  the 
hand  of  man,  was  never  turned  by  them  except  to 
bury  tlieir  dead  or  plant  a  little  maize.  It  was  not 
in  the  nature  of  divine  economy  that  this  country, 
so  rich,  so  fair,  and  so  productive,  should  Ije  for- 
ever barred  against  tlie  husbandman  and  artisan, 
against  development  and  civilization,  and  held  only 
for  hunting-grounds.  While  it  is  not  denied  that 
there  were  wrongs  committed  against  the  Indian, 
yet  it  was  for  him  to  cultivate  these  lands,  or  leave 
them  for  those  who  would,  ^^'hen  the  whites  com- 
menced to  make  their  settlement  in  the  territory 
now  embraced  by  this  county,  there  were  several 
Indian  villages,  or  camps,  the  principal  one  being 
at  what  is  now  known  as  Montrose,  and  presided 
over  by  Chief  ^\'apello.  There  were  Indians  also 
on  the  east  side  uf  the  river. 

The  first  white  settlers  here  established  trading- 
places,  their  principal  dealings  being  with  the  In- 
dians, supplying  them  with  such  goods  as  they 
wanted,  and  receiving  in  return  furs,  pelts,  wild 
game,  etc.  There  was  then  no  conflict  between 
the  two  races,  the  white  man  being  here  by  consent 
of  the  red.  Their  intercourse  with  each  other  was 
not  onlj'  friendly,  but  often  partook  of  a  social 
character.  The  whites  increased  in  numbers  on  the 
Indian  dominion,  while  peace  and  harmony  reigned 
until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
The  Sacs  and  Foxes,  of  which  Black  Hawk  was  one 
of  the  chiefs,  were  occupants  of.  the  lower  part  of 
the.  eastern  slope  of  Iowa,  and  it  was  from  Keokuk 
that  large  numbers  of  the  Indians  started  on  the  war 
path.  They  rendezvoused  at  Ft.  Madison,  crossed 
the  river  a  little  below  the  landing  at  the  (iresent 
site  oi  Pontoosuc,  Hancock  Co.,  111.,  and  nuirching 


through  that  State,  fought  the  two  principal  battles 
of  the  war  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Wisconsin, 
the  last  and  decisive  battle  being  fought  at  Bad 
Axe,  in  which  Black  Hawk  was  defeated  and  soon 
surrendered. 

This  was  the  last  conflict  between  the  red  and  white 
race  east  of  the  Mississippi.  A  council  was  soon  held, 
at  which  a  treaty  was  made,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  ced- 
ing to  the  United  States  a  tract  of  land  fifty  miles 
wide,  on  the  eastern  border  <A  Iowa,  from  the  north- 
ern boundary  of  Missouri  to  the  mouth  of  the  upper 
Iowa  River,  and  extending  to  the  Mississippi,  con- 
taining in  all  (1,000,000  acres,  and  which  was  after- 
ward known  as  the  Black  Hawk  Purchase.  From 
this  tract  there  was  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  Sac 
and  Fox  tribes  400  square  luiles  of  land  situated  on 
the  Iowa  River,  which  was  known  as  the  Keokuk 
Reserve.  This  was  held  by  the  Indians  until  1835, 
and  then  ceded  to  the  United  States. 

After  Black  Hawk's  return  from  prison  at  Fortress 
Monroe,  he  lived  among  his  people  at  the  reserva- 
tion on  the  Iowa  River,  with  his  fanul^-,  and  was  a 
frequent  visitor  at  Ft.  Madison,  Keokuk,  and  other 
parts  of  this  county.  When  the  Indians  of  this 
reservation  were  removed  further  up  the  Des 
Moines,  Black  Hawk  went  with  them,  and  re- 
mained there  until  his  death,  Oct.  3,  1838.  Clothed 
in  a  suit  which  had  been  presented  to  him  by 
President  Jackson,  he  was  buried  by  the  side  of 
a  large  spring  near  the  residence  of  James  Jordan, 
an  old  Indian  trader,  near  the  village  of  Eldon.  It 
was  reported  that  his  remains  were  afterwaril  stolen, 
but  subsequently  recovered,  and  tlie  skeleton  pre- 
sented to  his  people;  thej-  however,  with  Indian 
superstition,  refused  to  receive  them,  when  they 
were  deposited  in  the  museum  at  Burlington.  The 
building  was  subsequentlj'  destroyed  b}-  fire,  and 
witli  it  all  that  was  mortal  of  the  great  Sac  warrior. 


Half-Biocd  Tra«t. 

sHIS    tract    figured  quite  largely  in  the  early 
history   of  this  county,  occupying  that  por- 
tion  of  land   between   the  Des  Moines  and 
Mississippi    Rivers,    suutii    of  a  line  drawn  from  a 


I 


liHI 


TXXl  XXXXXZZ3ZX  XI  tX  XTI  i  I 


Kail  1 iTitk 


LEE  COUNTY. 


point  on  the  Des  Moines  about  one  mile  below 
Farmington,  east,  touching  the  lower  part  of  Ft. 
Madison,  to  the  Misssissippi,  comprising  an  area  of 
110,000  acres.  This  tract  was  established  by  a 
treaty  between  the  United  States  and  the  Sac  and 
Fox  tribes,  Aug.  4,  1824,  and  was  reserved  for  the 
half-breeds,  a  race  produced  by  the  intermarriages 
of  white  adventurers,  traiipers,  traders,  agents  of 
the  American  Fur  Company,  and  ufflcers  of  the 
Government  with  the  women  of  the  Sac  and  Fox 
na'^ions  long  before  actual  settlements  had  been 
made  in  the  Territory  of  Iowa.  There  weie  many 
respectable  people  among  them,  and  some  educated 
gentlemen.  B3'  this  treaty  the  half-breeds  could 
^  occupy  but  not  sell  the  land,  that  right  being  re- 
served to  the  United  States.  This  arrangement 
did  not  suit  the  adventurers  and  speculators  of 
that  day,  and  finally  Congress  was  induced  to  pass 
an  act  by  which  this  reversionary  right  was  relin- 
quished, and  the  half-breeds  acquired  the  lands  in 
fee  simple,  llpon  this,  speculators  rushed  in  to 
buy  lands  of  the  half-breeds,  often  securing  large 
tracts  for  a  blanket,  a  pony,  or  a  few  gallons  of 
whisky.  The  speculators,  however,  often  got  the 
worst  of  it,  for  the  Indians  were  apt  pupils,  aud 
began  claiming  ownership  to  lands  not  belonging 
to  them,  whicii  they  would  sell  to  the  speculators. 
There  were  no  authorized  surveys  or  established 
lines,  and  as  a  natural  sequence,  many  conflicts  and 
quarrels  arose. 

To  settle  these  and  establish  the  validity  of 
claims,  or  sell  them  for  the  benefit  of  the  rightful 
owner,  the  Legislature  of  Wisconsin  Territory,  un- 
der which  this  Territory  was  then  governed,  in 
1848  passed  an  act  providing  for  the  appointment 
of  three  Commissioners,  to  be  clothed  with  author- 
ity to  adjudicate  in  these  cases,  and  also  providing 
that  they  should  be  paid  *(!  per  day  each.  The 
^  men  chosen  were  Edward  Johnstone,  Thomas  S. 
AVilson  and  David  Brigham.  They  entered  upon 
their  duties,  but  the  next  session  of  the  Legislature 
repealed  the  act,  invalidating  all  that  had  been 
done,  and  depriving  the  Commissioners  of  their  sal- 
?^ij  aries.  The  act,  however,  authorized  the  Commis- 
sioners to  bring  action  against  the  owners  of  the 
Half-Brecd  Tract,  to  recover  pay  f(jr  tlieii-  salaries 
in  the  District  Court  of  Lee  County.     Two  judg- 


III 

iiii 


ments  were  obtained,  and  the  vvhole  tract  was  sold 
on  execution  to  H.  T.  Reid,  tlie  Sheriff  executing 
the  deed.  Mr.  Reid  sold  portions  of  this  land  to 
various  parties,  but  his  title  wa^  disi)uted  and  he 
became  involved  in  litigation.  Decisions  in  his  fa- 
vor, aud  tiio.-e  holding  under  him,  were  made  by 
the  District  aud  .Supreme  Courts.  It  finally  reached 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  Uniteil  States,  when 
these  decisions  were  reversed  in  tlie  case  <if  .loseph 
\Vebster,  plaintiff  in  error,  cs.  Hugh  T.  Reid,  and 
the  judgment  titles  failed.  Some  years  before  these 
judgment  titles  were  abrogated,  as  above,  another 
class  of  titles  was  brought  iuto  com[)etilion  with 
them,  and  in  the  conflict  between  tiie  two  the  final 
decision  was  obtained.  These  were  the  titles 
based  on  the  decree  of  partition  issued  by  the 
United  States  District  Court  for  the  Territory  of 
Iowa,  in  May,  1841.  John.stone  &  Reid.  then  law- 
partners  at  Ft.  Madison,  filed  the  petition  for  the 
decree  in  behalf  of  the  St.  Louis  claimants  of  half- 
breed  lands.  Francis  S.  Key,  distinguished  as  the 
anthor  of  the  "Star  Spangled  Banner,"  was  then 
attorney  for  the  New  York  Land  Company,  who 
held  large  interests  in  these  lands,  and  took  a 
leading  part  in  the  measure,  drawing  up  the  docu- 
ment which  was  presented  to  the  court.  •  The  plan 
of  partition  divided  the  tract  into  shares,  and  ar- 
ranged that  each  claimant  should  draw  his  propor- 
tion by  lot,  and  should  abide  by  the  result,  whatever 
it  miglit  be.  This  arrangement  was  subscribed  to, 
the  lots  drawn,  and  the  plat  of  the  same  filed  in  the 
Recorder's  office.  Upon  this  basis  the  titles  to  the  || 
laud  in  the  Half-Breed  Tract  are  held  at  the  pros 
ent  day. 

Keokiik'.s  Reserve. 


-  i 


II 


nN  1830  Keokuk  ceded  his  reserve  to  the 
United  States  for  $30,000  and  an  annuity  of 
/1\  $10,000  for  ten  consecutive  years,  and  he  and  ^ 
his  followers  turned  their  faces  toward  the  setting 
sun.  Oct.  21,  1837,  another  treaty  was  made  at 
Washington,  by  which  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  ceded 
to  the  Government  the  tract  of  land  adjoining  the 
Black  Hawk  Purchase  on  the  west.  This  tract  was 
conveyed  by  them  to  the  United  States  by  the 
treaty  of  1832,  and  contains  1,250,00(1  acres. 


^•^iy/////4^ 


LEE  COUNTY. 


Of  the  chiefs  who  used  to  be  here  and  with 
whom  the  early  settlers  were  the  best  acquainted, 
Black  Hawk,  Keokuk,  and  Wapelki  were  the  most 
noted.  Of  the  former  a  brief  aceeiuiit  has  been 
given.  They  were  ail  able  chiefs,  Black  Hawk  the 
better  ^^■arrior,  Keokuk  the  better  orator  and  dip- 
lomatist. Keokuk,  after  whom  the  principal  city  in 
Lee  County  is  named,  was  a  fine  specimen  of  the 
red  man.  tall,  straight,  and  of  commanding  presence. 
He  was  selected  by  the  (Tovernuient  to  distribute 
the  annuities  to  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  not  only  ou 
account  of  his  friendliness  to  the  United  States,  but 
for  his  influence  with  his  race.  He  was  by  nature 
endowed  with  the  elements  which  make  orators, 
and  is  entitled  to  rank  among  the  best  Indian 
orators  of  his  time.  It  was  unfortunate  for  him,  so 
far  ss  his  fame  among  the  white  people  is  con- 
cerned, that  he  never  had  an  interpreter  who  could 
properly  represent  him.  He  knew  that  Black  Hawk's 
war  against  the  whites  would  result  only  in  the  de- 


feat and  slaughter  of  his  people,  and  by  his  skill- 
ful management  he  succeeded  in  retaining  a  major- 
ity of  them  at  home.  He  died  in  Kansas  in  1 848 
from  the  effects  of  poison  administered  by  one  of 
his  tribe.  The  Indian  was  arrested,  confessed  his 
guilt,  and  was  shot.  Keokuk  left  a  son  of  consid- 
erable ability,  but  he  was  not  very  popular  with  his 
people.  Wapello,  an  Indian  of  strong  mind  and 
good  principles,  was  powerful  in  liis  tribe  and  a 
friend  of  the  whites.  He  was  the  successor  vf 
Black  Hawk  in  rank.  He  died  at  the  forks  of 
Skunk  River,  March  15,  1842,  and  his  remains 
were  taken  to  the  Indian  Agency  and  interred  near 
where  Agency  City  is  now  located.  The  rite  of  burial 
was  performed  as  the  sun  was  going  down,  with  the 
usual  Indian  ceremonies.  At  his  request,  his  re- 
mains were  placed  by  the  side  of  Gen.  Street's,  for 
whom  he  had  a  high  regard.  His  grave  was  subse- 
quently cared  for  b}'  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &. 
Quincy  Railroad  Company',  whose  road  passes  near  it. 


i 


I 


« — i»S 


piiiiLin. 


Moutrose    in    1790,    by     Loiii 

Ilonore    Tesson,  a    F"reiicliinan, 

and  was  the  second   settlement 

made  in  any  part  of  tlie  territory 

now   belonging  to   the  State  of 

m  Iowa.     The  claim  made   by  Tesson 

was  one  league  square,  and  was  a 

Spanish  grant. 

Tesson's  improvements  on  his  new 
iiome  were  considerable  for  those  days,  and  rather 
beyond  what  the  times  then  seemed  to  warrant,  for 
he  became  involved  in  debt,  and  his  claim,  witli  all 
its  improvements,  was  sold  in  1803,  under  the 
Spanish  law,  at  public  sale  at  the  door  of  the  par- 
ish church  in  St.  Louis,  to  satisfy  creditors  in  that 
town.  He  liad  erected  a  dwelling  and  farm  build- 
ings, a  trading-])ost,  set  out  an  orchard  and  made 
gardens,  all  of  which  he  had  surrounded  with  piclvet 
and  rail  fences.  Tesson's  creditor  who  became  the 
owner  of  his  claim  died  in  a  few  years,  and  in  the 
settlement  of  liis  estate  this  claim  with  its  improve- 
ments passed  into  tlio  possession  of  Thomas  F. 
Riddick  for  a  triHc.  France  and  Spain  in  their 
treaties  respected  this  grant,  and  upon  the  transfer 
by  France  of  the  Louisiana  territory  to  the  United 


States,  the  latter  Government  obligated  itself  to 
respect  it.  The  validity  of  this  grant  subse(pientlj- 
became  a  matter  of  dispute,  and  was  finally  brought 
before  Congress  for  adjustment,  when  a  commission 
was  appointed  to  determine  the  character  and  legal 
rights  of  the  claim.  They  reported  favorably,  but 
on  account  of  the  Indian  title  not  having  been  ex- 
tinguished, the  Recorder  of  Land  Titles  at  Little 
Rock,  Ark.,  refused  to  issue  a  settlement  right 
to  more  than  one  mile  square  of  the  original  Tesson 
grant.  This  title  was  issued  in  181(3,  and  the  action 
of  the  Recorder  was  sustained  by  the  Government. 

The  orchard  planted  by  Tesson,  in  after  3'ears 
furnished  fruit  to  tiie  pioneers  on  botii  sides  of  the  pK 
Mississippi,  and  provided  the  wa}-  for  tlieir  chil- 
dren to  get  their  first  taste  of  tliat  standard  fruit, 
the  apple.  It  also  became  one  of  tlie  landmarks 
of  the  country.  It  does  not  appear  that  Riddick 
ever  improved  or  occupied  his  possessions  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  next  settlement  in  Lee  County  nas,  treating 
the  establishment  of  Ft.  Madison  as  a  settlement, 
about  the  1st  of  January,  1805.  This  fort  was 
erected  by  Lieut.  Z.  M.  Pike,  who  subsequently  be- 
came (luite  distinguished  as  the  leader  of  Pike's 
Expedition,  and  for  the  ability  displayed  in  form- 
ing amicable  relations  with  the  Indians  of  the  North- 
western territoiy.  The  fort  was  named  in  honor  of 
President  Madison,  and  was  also  sometimes  called 
Le  Moine  Factiiiy.  A  trading-house  was  opened 
here    which    did   a  large  business  with  the  Indians 


§n 


^^ 


teas 


^m 


tS??T 


LEE  COUNTY. 


603 


Tesson  lived  on  his  grant  with  his  famil}'  until 
about  the  time  this  territory  came  into  the  possess- 
ion of  the  United  States  Government.  Aside  from 
those  who  took  up  their  abode  at  Ft.  Madison,  the 
next  settler  after  Tesson  was  a  French  trader  bj' 
the  name  of  Lemoliese,  who  located  in  1820  at 
what  is  now  .Sandusky.  His  improvements  con- 
sisted chiefly  of  a  log  cabin,  in  which  he  carried  on 
trading,  and  a  garden  patch  fr<;)m  which  he  drew 
his  supply  of  vegetables  and  corn!  The  place  bore 
his  name  for  many  years.  Maurice  Blondeau,  an- 
other Fi'enchman,  came  in  about  the  same  time,  and 
located  about  a  mile  above  on  the  river. 

The  next  improvement  in  what  is  now  Lee 
County,  was  the  erection  of  a  log  cabin,  during  the 
year  1820,  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  now  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Keokuk,  bj'  .Samuel  C.  Muir,  a  sur- 
geon in  the  United  States  Army ;  he  was  located 
at  Ft.  Edwards,  now  known  as  Warsaw,  111.,  and 
was  married  to  an  Indian  woman.  He  lived  in  his 
new  cabin  with  his  wife  and  children  for  a  short 
time,  and  then  leased  it  to  St.  Louis  parties  and 
moved  to  Galena,  at  which  place  and  in  Northern 
Missouri  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion. 

Dr.  Muir  being  regarded  as  the  founder  of  Keo- 
kuk, a  brief  sketch  of  him  may  be  of  interest.  He 
was  a  native  of  Scotland,  graduated  at  Edinburgh 
University,  and  soon  thereafter  emigrated  to  the 
United  States.  Upon  his  arrival  here  he  offered 
his  services  as  Surgeon  to  the  Government,  which 
were  accepted.  He  was  sent  to  the  frontier  among 
the  military  posts,  where  he  came  in  contact  with 
the  Indians.  He  soon  became  enamoured  with  a 
beautiful  young  squaw,  whom  he  married.  The 
Doctor  and  his  Indian  wife  lived  happily  together 
and  h.ad  several  children.  He  was  alwa3's  accompan- 
ied by  his  familj'  wherever  his  duties  caused  him  to 
go,  which  was  from  post  to  post.  This  was  at- 
tended often  with  great  inconvenience,  which  finally 
caused  him  to  make  the  provision  mentioned  above, 
that  his  family  might  have  a  permanent  home. 
While  stationed  at  Ft.  F^dwards  the  War  Depart- 
ment issued  orders  to  the  effect  that  all  officers 
■  and  attaches  of  the  army  should  at  once  abandon 
and  refuse  to  harbor  any  and  all  Indian  women 
around  military  posts.      Dr.  Muir  at  once  resigned 


his  positif)n  in  the  army,  which  was  finally  accepted. 
Many  flattering  inducements  were  offered  him  to 
abandon  his  wife  and  children,  but  this,  to  his 
credit  be  it  said,  he  refused  to  do,  and  taking  his 
family,  to  whom  he  was  greatly'  devoted,  he  bad 
adieu  to  his  companions  and  officers  and  left  the 
post.  After  several  years'  practice  in  the  northern 
I  and  northwestern  settlements  he  returned  with  his 
j  family  to  his  cabin  at  Keokuk,  Puek-e-she-tuck, 
as  it  was  then  called.  He  had  been  absent  ten 
years,  during  which  period  quite  a  change  had 
taken  place,  among  others  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany having  established  a  trading-post.  Dr.  Muir 
died  of  cholera  in  1832,  and  not  long  after  his  wife 
and  all  but  one  of  his  children  followed  him.  The 
one  left  was  a  daughter,  Louisa,  who  lived  to  a 
good  old  age. 

Some  years  elapsed  after  the  coming  of  Dr.  Muir 
before  another  settlement  was  made  in  Lee  County. 
In  the  fall  of  1827,  Moses  Stillwell,  a  carpenter  of 
St.  Louis,  with  his  wife,  four  children,  and  a  young- 
boy  bj'  the  name  of  Valencourt  A'anausdol,  who 
was  living  with  him,  embarked  on  board  of  an  old 
steamboat  at  St.  Louis,  bound  for  what  was  then 
called  the  Indian  Territory.  After  a  passage  of 
six  weeks  they  landed  at  the  present  site  of 
Quincy,  111.  At  this  point  they  took  an  ox-wagon 
and  went  to  Ft.  Edwards,  where  they  wintered. 
During  that  season  the  elder  Stillwell  crossed  the 
Mississippi,  to  the  present  site  of  Keokuk,  and 
put  up  two  cabins  near  the  foot  of  what  is  now 
Main  street.  Early  in  the  spring  he  moved  his 
family  over.  Further  up  he  fenced  in  some  ground, 
and  put  in  a  crop  of  corn  and  potatoes.  Two 
years  later  Stillwell  built  a  cabin  at  th(>  foot  of 
High  street,  which  he  occupied  until  his  death,  in 
1834. 

The  next  pioneer  of  Lee  County  was  Dr.  Isaac 
Galland  (see  biography  of  Washington  Galland), 
who  came  from  Illinois  in  1829,  and  settled  at 
what  is  now  known  as  Nashville.  He  was  a  man 
of  marked  ability,  and  left  his  impress  upon  the 
people  with  whom  he  dwelt.  He  died  at  Ft.  Mad- 
ison in  1858.  His  daughter  Eleanor  was  the  first 
white  child  born  in  Lee  County.  She  was  married 
to  a  Mr.  McPherson,  and  the  last  known  of  her  she 
was  living   at   Ottumwa.     Isaac    R.    Canqjbell,    a 


s^lf 


604 


LEE  COUNTY. 


friend  of  Dr.  Gallanrl,  who  moved  over  from  Nau- 
voo  in  1830,  and  became  a  neighbor  of  the  doctor, 
is  believed  to  have  been  the  fourth  settler  of  this 
county.  These  men,  and  especially'  Dr.  Gallaud, 
expected  Nashville  would  be  in  the  then  no  distant 
future  a  large  commercial  city.  Indeed  it  had 
great  promises. 

During  that  year  there  was  added  to  this  settle- 
ment the  Dedman  family,  lienjamin  Jennings,  who 
taught  the  first  school  iu  what  is  now  Lee  County, 
and  Samuel  Brierly,  whose  son  James  was  the  first 
Representative  of  the  county.  Mr.  Jennings  subse- 
quently moved  to  Oregon,  where  he  became  a  mil- 
lionaire.     Mr.   Campbell   remained   here   until   the 

jgsjl    following  spring,  and  then  moved  down  to  Keokuk. 

ilPill  His  son,  known  as  Capt.  .lames  W.  Campbell,  be- 
came an  active  and  ijroniinent  business  man  in  the 
county,  and  widely  known  on  the  Mississippi.  He 
is  now  living  .at  Ft.  Madison.  His  father  moved 
to  Missouri,  where  he  died  at  a  ripe  old  age. 

.Several  miles  up  the  beautiful  Des  Moines  River, 
iu  what  is  now  Des  Moines  Township,  amid  a  sea 
of  wild  flowers  of  every  hue,  John  Tolman,  in  1831, 
made  a  claim  and  erected  a  little  cabin  for  himself 
and  family.  This  primitive  home  was  located  near 
what  is  known  to-day  as  Noah  Bailey's  Place. 
Several  others  about  the  settlements  on  the  river 
at  this  period  engaged  in  trading  with  the  Indians, 
trapping,  Inmting  and  fishing,  among  whom  were 
Russell  Farnham,  Mark  Aldrich,  Moses  Stillwater, 
tr  Joshua  Palean,  Edward  Bushnell,  Paul  Bessette, 
H-    Baptiste  Neddeau  and  John  Shook. 

Shortly  after  the  termination  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  and  the  establishment  of  peace  with  the  In- 
dians, a  new  impetus  was  given  to  immigration. 
The  fame  of  the  eastern  slope  of  Iowa,  or  the  Black 
Hawk  Purchase,  for  the  fertility  of  its  ^oil  and  the 
beauty  of  its  l.indscape  had  extended  eastward  to 
the  Atlantic.  It  was  regarded  as  an  El  Dorado, 
and  people  were  in  a  fever  of  anxiety  to  make 
claims  here.  They  could  not  wait  for  the  Indians' 
rights  to  expire,  which  by  treaty  was  not  until  June 
}  1,  1833,  but  intruded  themselves  into  the  Indian 
SI  domain  without  as  much  as  saying  "  By  your 
leave,  Mr.  Indian."  They  would  often  be  re- 
moved by  United  States  soldiers,  but  this  did  not 
do  much  good,  for  as   soon   as  the  soldiers  were 


gone,  they  would  return  and  re-occupy  their  claims. 
They  wanted  to  maintain  for  themselves  the  bene- 
fit f)f  the  squatters'  right,  and  to  be  on  hand 
and  in  possession  when  the  land  did  come  into 
market.  A  might  think,  and  undoubtedly  did, 
that  if  he  did  not  take  up  the  land  B  would,  and 
oice  versa.  This  was  enterprise,  if  it  was  not 
honorable.  Honor,  however,  is  not  always  the 
most  acceptable  companion  for  enterprise,  and  it  is 
often  left  behind.  The  prevailing  principle  is, 
catch-who-catch-can.  Many  a  man  to-day  poor, 
would  be  a  millionaire,  had  it  not  been  that  he 
measured  his  actions  by  a  high  moral  and  consci- 
entious standard.  Yet  when  a  man  has  amassed  a 
fortune  by  ways  and  means  that  were  at  least  ques- 
tionable, or  that  he  would  not  want  applied  to  him- 
self, he  can  placate  his  conscience  by  some  charit- 
able or  church  endowment.  This  might  be  all  right 
were  there  not  another  record — above. 

Among  those  wiio  made  claims  to  lands  here  be- 
fore the  Indian  title  was  extinguished  was  Peter 
Williams,  who  was  then  called  a  muUen-leaf  doctor, 
as  he  made  some  pretensions  to  physics.  He  came 
in  during  or  soon  after  the  Black  Hawk  War,  in 
1832.  and  located  at  Ft.  Madison,  a  little  below  the 
old  fort,  and  put  up  a  cabin.  This  was  the  first 
settlement  made  here,  if  we  may  except  that  made 
at  the  time  the  fort  and  trading-post  was  estab- 
lished. The  mullen  doctor's  habitation  here  was 
not  destined  to  be  a  continuous,  or  a  peaceful  one, 
for  he  was  summarily  dealt  with.  Some  troops 
came  up  from  Ft.  Armstrong,  demolished  his  house, 
and  rolled  the  logs  into  the  river.  Peter  they  took 
prisoner,  and  placed  him  in  confinement  at  Com- 
merce (Nauvoo,  111.),  from  which  place  he  was  re- 
leased by  the  intercession  of  friends,  upon  his  giv- 
ing a  jjledge  that  he  would  not  again  cross  the  river 
while  the  Indians  had  rightful  possession  of  the 
lauds.  Williams  kept  his  pledge,  and  did  not  re- 
cross  the  Mi,ssi.ssippi  until  the  latter  part  of  1833, 
when  he  came  over  and  took  possession  of  his  old 
claim. 

Alxtut  the  same  time  there  came  Richard  Chen3% 
who  put  in  a  squatter's  right  near  the  present  site 
of  the  State  Penitentiary.  From  Isaac  R.  Camp- 
bell's "  remembrances  "  it  appears  that  these  two 
pioneers  did  uot  get  along  very  well  together,  and 


LEE  COUNTY. 


fov  a  time  a  small  war-clond  hung  over  the  settle- 
ment. A  (lisi)ute  arose  between  Peter  and  Richard 
in  regard  to  the  boiiudarj'  line,  which  became  quite 
hot.  Finally  Peter  sought  aid  from  Ft.  Des  Moines 
in  order  to  maintain  his  ground.  His  allies  came 
up,  and  fired  a  few  rounds  of  blank  cartridges  into 
Richard's  fortifications,  upon  which  he  made  an  un- 
conditional surrender,  promising  ever  thereafter  to 
respect  Peter's  domain. 

In  addition  to  the  above-named  persons,  there 
were  in  Ft.  Madison  at  this  time  .James  and  August 
Horton,  Zack.  Hawkins,  John  H.  and  Nathaniel 
Knapp,  and  Aaron  AVhite.  During  this  j'e.ar  (1833) 
the  settlement  at  Keokuk  was  increased  by  the  ar- 
rival of  .Tames  Bartlett  and  family  and  Forsyth  L. 
Morgan.  .Tames  Bartlett  died  the  following  year. 
His  son,  Henrj'  D.,  became  a  grocery  dealer  at 
Keokuk,  and  Forsyth  Morgan  became  a  farmer  in 
Van  Buren  Township.  There  were  other  settlers 
who  came  into  the  Black  Hawk  Purchase  during 
this  j'ear,  but  settled  on  the  north  side  of  Skunk 
River,  opposite  Denmark  Township.  Among  these 
were  John  Whitaker,  who  subsequently  moved  into 
Lee  County,  and  became'  a  resident  of  Ft.  Madison. 
John  Box,  who  subsequently  became  prominent  in 
the  early  political  history  of  the  county,  moved 
over  from  Illinois  in  the  latter  part  of  1833,  and 
took  up  a  claim  near  the  town  of  Ft.  Madison.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  first  Territorial  Legislature  of 
Wisconsin,  which  met  at  Belmont  in  1836.  Lee 
County  was  then  attached  to  Des  Moines. 

The  3'ear  1834  witnessed  several  additions  to  the 
settlements  of  Lee  Count_y.  Among  these  were 
Alex  Cruickshank  and  wife,  who  landed  at  Ft. 
Madison  in  March,  lie  was  a  native  of  Norway, 
but  came  here  from  the  Illinois  shore,  sailing  up 
from  the  present  site  of  Hamilton  in  a  little  canoe, 
using  a  blanket  for  a  sail.  After  [irospeeting,  he 
selected  a  claim  in  Pleasant,  Ridge  Township, 
erected  a  cabin,  and  when  the  spring  opened  he 
broke  ground  and  planted  a  corn  crop.  During 
this  year  he  burned  a  lime  kiln  near  the  "  Old  Or- 
chard," the  first  in  the  territory  now  occupied  by 
Lee  County,  and  probablj'  the  first  iu  the  Black 
Hawk  Purchase,  and  also  assisted  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  barracks  at  Ft.  Des  Moines  (Montrose). 


Ft.  Des  Moines  Barracks. 

r.DES  MOINES  BARRACKS  were  built  in 
1834,  under  the  supervision  of  Lieut.  Cross- 
man,  and  were  occupied  l)y  the  1st  of  No- 
vember of  th.at  year  by  three  companies  of  the  First 
United  States  Dragoons,  under  command  of  Lieut. 
Col.  Stephen  W.  Kearney.  A  Captain  of  one  of 
the  companies  was  Nathaniel  Boone,  a  son  of  the 
famous  Daniel  Boone,  of  Kentucky.  Col.  Kear- 
ney's quarters  wei'e  built  of  willow  logs  which  were 
brought  over  from  the  island.  They  were  scutched 
on  the  outside,  and  the  next  year  the  Colonel's 
quarters  presented  the  appearance  of  a  mound  cov- 
ered with  a  young  growth  of  trees.  pi  ti 

This  fort  was  used  by  the  troops  until  1 K37,  Ju_h 
when  they  were  transferred  to  Ft.  Leavenworth, 
Kan.  Col.  Kearney's  building  was  subsequently 
used  for  a  hotel,  and  was  known  as  the  River  House. 
The  landlord's  name  was  William  Coleman.  A 
Captain  of  one  of  the  companies  of  this  fort  was  E. 
V.  Sumner,  who  was  a  General  in  the  late  war  for 
the  Union.  Jesse  B.  Browne  was  another  Captain. 
They  were  all  verj'  clever  gentlemen,  and  quite 
popular  with  the  early  settlers.  At  this  fort  there 
were  at  different  times  many  men  who  in  after  life 
became  distinguished.  Among  these  were  Oen. 
Winfield  Scott,  Robert  E.  Lee  and  Jefferson  Davis. 
The  furniture  of  the  fort  afterward  came  into  the 
possession  of  J.  B.  Knight,  of  Keokuk.  There 
were  scmie  quaint  pieces,  even  for  a  fort,  and  in 
those  days,  might  be  regarded  as  rather  elegant 
and  costly. 

A.  W.  Harlan  was  another  settler  of  1834,  ^vho 
worked  on  the  barracks.  He  was  a  native  of  Indi- 
ana, an  athlete,  and  a  great  wrestler.  He  subse- 
quently improved  a  farm  in  Vim  Buren  Township. 
William  Skinner  also  came  in  1834,  locating  at  the 
•'  Point,"  or  Keokuk,  and  taking  up  his  habitation 
in  a  shantN'  belonging  to  Moses  Stillwell.  Skinner 
was  from  Pennsylvania,  originally.  He  came  from 
Cincinnati  by  water,  and  landed  at  Ft.  Edwards, 
where  he  remained  a  short  time,  and  then  securing 
a  couple  of  canoes,  he  lashed  them  together,  and 
with  his  family  and  liou.sehold  effects  on  board, 
paddled  over  to  Keokuk.  This  was  in  the  spring, 
and  when  he  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  i-apids.  he 
found  living  there  Moses  Stillwell  and  family,  Isaac 


:1b 


in 


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iil 


R.  Campbell  and  familj',  .Tames  Bartlettand  fanuly, 
Forsyth  L.  Morgan  and  Valencoiirt  \'anausdol. 

Mr.  Skinner  was  something  of  a  carpenter,  and  a 
handy  man  at  all  job.s,  and  his  coming-  to  Keoliuk 
was  very  opportune  for  him,  for  nut  long  after 
Lieut.  Grossman  came  up  from  St.  Louis  with  his 
men  to  build  the  l)es  Moines  barracks.  Skinner 
secured  a  contract  for  2(»,()i>()  clapboards  fur  the 
fort,  fur  which  he  received  ^''O  per  tlionsand.  These 
he  cut  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  wherever  he 
could  find  good  timber.  They  were  the  first  made 
in  the  county.  This  contract  finished,  he  was  liired 
at  a  salary  of  $(>0  per  montli  to  superintend  the 
erectinn  of  the  log  buildings.  Out  of  Crossman's 
force  there  was  not  one  who  knew  how  to  put  up  a 
cabin.  Mr.  Skinner  had  a  young  son,  who  also  was 
hired  at  a  good  salary  to  drive  the  ox -team.  When 
the  barracks  were  completed  Mr.  Skinner  had  laid 
by  a  nice  little  sum  of  mone3',  and  was  very  well 
equip])ed  for  the  improvement  of  a  claim,  which  he 
took  up  during  the  latter  |)art  of  thisj'ear  on  Sugar 
Creek.  I'ntil  he  could  erect  for  his  family'  a  cabin, 
they  lived  in  a  tepee  that  had  been  built  bj-  Black 
Hawk  for  use  during  the  sugar-making  season.  It 
Jjl  stood  on  the  east  bank  of  Sugar  Creek,  near  tiie 
-^  present  crossing  of  the  Burlington  &  Southwestern 
Railroad,  in  what  is  now  Franklin  Township.  This 
was  the  first  settlement  made  in  this  part  of  the 
county.  He  soon  after  built  a  house  ou  the  west 
l)ank  of  the  creek.  At  this  time,  and  during  the 
following  winter  he  had  no  neighbors  nearer  than 
Ft.  Madison. 

.lames  C.  Parrott,  another  of  the  settlers  who  re- 
mained a  resident  of  the  county,  came  up  with  the 
troops  to  Ft.  Des  Moines  in  1834,  as  First  Ser- 
geant. AVhen  the  Rebellion  broke  out  he  became 
Colonel  of  the  7th  Iowa  Infantry,  and  distinguished 
himself  as  a  brave  officer.  During  the  latter  part 
aof  this  year  (18;U),  .John  Cregg,  Samuel  Ross,  Jo- 
i  seph  White  and  Benjamin  Box  came  in  and  made 
claims  in  what  is  now  Washington  Township. 
What  is  now  Pleasant  Ridge  Township  was  settled 
this  year  by  Heiny  Helmau  and  .John  Rump.  They 
were  the  first  Germans  to  settle  in  the  county,  and 
they  and  two  brothers  by  the  name  of  Mittendorf 
were  the  only  (iermans  in  the  county  at  this  time. 
Denmark  Township   was  a   year   in  advance  of 


Pleasant  Ridge  in  its  settlement.  A  Tennessean 
by  the  name  of  .lohn  1\L  Forrest,  has  the   honor  of 

l)eing  the  lirst  .settler  iiere.  He  made  a  claim  on 
what  is  110W  section  2.").  He  was  by  profession  a 
surveyor.  The  climate  not  agreeing  with  him,  he 
moved  to  Arkansas  in  ls:{7. 

S])ace  would  not  permit,  nor  lias  it  been  (jur  pur- 
pose, to  follow  \\]>  in  iletnil  :dl  the  first  settlements 
in  the  different  p;irts  of  tiie  county.  We  have  given 
the  jirineipal  settlements  made  in  the  territory  now 
embraced  by  Lee  County  uj)  to  the  beginning  of 
183.T.  During  that  year  large  additions  were  made. 
As  soon  as  navigation  opened  iinil  the  roads  settled, 
the  people  from  the  East  and  South  started  for 
this  famed  country.  They  came  from  New  York, 
Penn.sylvania,  Ohio,  \'irgiuia,  Indiana  and  Ken- 
tucky. They  came  in  wagons,  and  by  boats  down 
the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi.  They  made  tlieir 
long,  weary  journejs, stimulated  by  the  bright  pros- 
pects that  laj'  before  them  in  tlie  fair  promised 
land  and  full  of  sanguine  hopes  for  the  future. 

The  first  marketable  product  raised  by  the 
farmers  to  any  extent  was  wheat,  and  for  the  first 
few  years  there  was  no  very  ready  sale  foi'  this,  as 
the  market  at  this  period  seemed  to  be  overstocked. 
The  settlers  lived  mostly  on  wild  game  and  corn 
meal,  which  they  pounded  out  in  hominy-blocks. 
Their  dress  was  much  in  keeping  with  their  food. 
Buckskin  breeches  and  hunting  shirts  usually  formed 
the  dress  of  the  pioneer.  I'p  to  18:3o  there  were 
no  mills  west  of  the  Mississippi.  During  this  year 
there  was  one  set  up  on  the  nortli  side  of  Skunk 
River,  in  Henry  Count}'.  Late  in  the  fall  of  this 
year  there  were  two  mills  set  up  within  the  limits 
of  this  county,  one  at  Augusta  and  the  other  at 
Ft.  Madison.  These  enterprising  men  were  John 
H.  Kuapp  and  Mr.  Moffatt.  They  were  great  bene- 
factors to  the  early  settlers  and  were  always  great- 
f  ully  remembered,  j'et  a  "  pone  "  cake  or  a  "  dodger," 
with  venison,  fowl  or  pork,  was  not  .an  unsavorj' 
dish  to  the  pioneer.  The  cabins  were  bnilt 
mostly  of  round  logs,  with  puncheon  floors,  if  they 
had  anj-  at  all.  As  many  of  the  old  settlers  were 
from  the  Southern  States,  outside  chimneys  were 
the  rule;  the  eastern  or  iiurthern  men  also  generally 
adopting  this  plan.  Wiien  anj'  pains  were  taken 
with    the   construction  of    these   cabins    the}'  were 


tJcJ.rJr'HM  tJi-'r^Hr' 


3fl 


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ximxriiiiirmir 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


rather  comfortable.  When  of  a  cold  night  the 
pioneers  would  gather  around  the  bright  tires  in 
those  great  stone  fireplaces,  free  and  unrestrained 
by  the  conventionalities  of  socictj',  with  happj' 
hearts  and  freedom  of  speech,  their  faces  radiant 
with  bright  hopes  for  the  future,  it  was  a  scene  that 
would  make  a  munarch  envious. 

Organization. 

EE  COUNTY  was  fir.st  orgauized  by  an  act 
of  the  Territorial  Legislature  of  Wisconsin, 
approved  Dec.  7,  183U.  The  boundaries  as 
defined  by  this  act  were  never  very  cleaily  estab- 
lished. The  boundary  lines  were  subsequently  re- 
established b}'  the  Territorial  Legislature  of  Iowa,  by 
an  act  approved  Jan.  23,  1839,  aud  have  not  been 
changed  since.  These  lines  located  the  county  in  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  State,  occupying  the  territory 
lying  immediately  between  the  Mississippi  and  Des 
Moines  Rivers.  The  origin  of  the  name  has  been 
a  matter  of  some  dispute,  but  the  best  authority 
credits  the  name  to  a  member  of  the  New  Yorli 
Land  Company. 

The  county  is  very  liberally  watered  aud  probal)ly 
one  of  the  best  drained  in  the  .State.  Nearly  three- 
fourths  of  it  is  Ijordered  by  the  Mississippi,  Des 
Moines  and  Skunk  Rivers.  In  the  interior  are 
seveial  streams,  meandering  in  different  direc- 
tions through  the  county — Des  Moines.  Sugar 
Creek,  Price's  Creek,  Sandusky  Creek,  French 
Creek,  and  Penitentiary,  Lost,  Mud,  Cedar  and  Big 
Devil's  Creeks.  Its  area  is  about  500  square  miles, 
imd  is  about  equall}'  divided  between  timlier  and 
|)rairie  lands.  The  lower  portion  of  the  count}-,  in 
many  parts,  is  quite  broken;  the  northern  or  north- 
western is  mostly  undulating,  with  a  rich  and  pro- 
ductive soil.  In  the  southern  part  and  that  border- 
ing on  the  Mississippi,  the  soil  is  light  and  sandy, 
which,  however,  of  late  years,  has  been  made  very 
productive  in  raising  tomatoes,  cucumbers  and  the 
water-melon.  In  fact,  this  is  becoming  one  of  the 
large  and  profitable  farming  industries  of  this  sec- 
tion of  >lie  county.  It  is  composed  of  alluvial  and 
drift  foiiiintion.  The  alluvial  bnttom  lands  are  the 
most    valuable    deiiosils.      These  were   al    one  time 


subject  to  overflow,  but  they  are  now  secured  from 
iiuuidation,  except  in  extraordinary  floods.  Some 
of  the  ridges  of  the  high  Ik  ittom  lands  are  covered  12^^ 
with  sand,  and  have  no  productive  soil.  The 
county  is  exceedingly  well  supplied  with  good 
building  stone,  the  principal  kinds  being  the 
magnesian  limestone,  Keokuk  and  Burlington  lime- 
stone, the  best  quarries  being  along  the  banks  of '^ 
the  Mississippi  and  Skunk  Rivers,  in  Denmark 
Township.  The  day  beds  furnish  an  excellent 
material  for  tile  and  brick,  and  fire-brick.  Probably 
no  county  in  the  State  is  better  supplied  with  all 
the  elements  of  material  wealth,  good  soil,  i)lenty 
of  timber  and  water,  and  an  abundance  of  building 
material.  No  county  at  least  in  the  State  is  better  CJ  W 
situated  commercially.    With  the  great  river  wash-  rSJ^-, 


a  IB 


ing  its  shores,  and  traversed  by  numerable  railroads 
the  facilities  for  transportation  are  unexcelled. 

Lee  County  has  been  a  rich  field  for  scientists 
and  collectors  of  curiosities,  and  there  are  many 
valuable  cabinets  here  and  elsewhere  which  have 
been  filled  from  collections  made  in  the  county. 
The  mounds,  whicli  were  numerous  in  Green  Bay 
Township,  furnished  a  prolific  field  for  collectors 
of  relics.  This  township  furnishes  evidences  of 
its  having  been  occupied  centuries  ago.  The  re- 
mains of  a  building  were  found  here.  It  was  in  a 
shape  of  a  cross,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
built  and  used  by  the  Jesuit  missionaries.  A  pe- 
culiar cross  was  found  in  these  ruins,  which  more  than 
anything  else  indicates  the  antiquity  of  this  build- 
ing. It  represented  the  crucified  Savior,  the  \'irgin  TT  ~J 
Mary  with  her  heart  pierced   with   seven   daggers,    {}jg({ 


four  angels,  a  ladder  and  a  palace.  On  the  reverse 
side  was  a  monogram,  and  the  words,  "To  all  the 
faithful  who  recite  the  Ave  Maria  before  this  holj' 
image,  an  indulgence  of  1,080  days  is  granted." 
Anuing  the  collections  made  in  the  county-  are  some  fe!^ 
very  fine  specimens  of  crinoids  and  gi-ades. 


m 

f 


Civil  Goveriiinent. 

)Y  the  provisions  of  the  several  acts  of  the 
f^    Legislature,  the  county  perfected  its  organ- 
ization and  started   its   political  machinery. 
The    first   term  of  the   District  Comt  was 
held   in  March,   1837,  with  .Judge  David   Irvin  on 


the  bench,  Joshua  Owens,  Sheriff,  and  John  H. 
Lines,  Clerk.  'I'iie  first  county  election  was  held  at 
Ft.  Madison  the  following  April.  The  first  meeting 
of  the  Board  of  .Supervisors  was  held  at  the  resi- 
dence of  J.  S.  Douglass,  Ft.  IMadison.  The  fhst 
order  of  this  board  was  that  J.  S.  Douglass  be 
licensed  to  keej)  a  public-house,  with  the  permission 
also  to  sell  spirituous  licpiors  in  the  town  of  Ft. 
INfadison.  By  this  it  would  .'ippoar  tliat  Jlr.  Doug- 
lass opened  the  first  tavern  in  the  eouiity,  at  least 
the  first  one  that  was  dignified  liy  being  opened  un- 
der authority  of  law. 

The  last  session  of  this  lioard  was  held  in  Febru- 
ary, liS;38.  The  Legislature  by  an  act  passed  in 
December,  1.S37,  pi-ovided  for  a  Board  of  County 
Commissioners,  instead  of  the  Supervisors,  to  take 
charge  of  the  municipal  affairs  of  the  county.  An 
election  was  held  in  ^Nlarch,  1 838,  at  which  time 
a  Board  of  Count}' Commissioners  and  other  county 
officers  were  elected.  This  board  consisted  of 
Stephen  H.  Graves,  S.  H.  Burtis  and  William  An- 
derson, and  held  its  first  meeting  Jlarch  2G,  1838. 
They  held  their  last  meeting  July  30,  1838. 

Under  the  Act  of  Congress  providing  for  the 
organization  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  which  was 
approved  .luuc  12,  1838,  the  Governor  was  author- 
ized to  order  an  election  for  territorial  and  eountj' 
affairs.  This  election  was  field  Sept.  10,  1838.  At 
this  time  the  po|ialation  of  tlie  county  was  2,839. 

InNovemljer,  1S3.S,  the  (iovernment  sale  of  the 
lands  in  the  Black  I  lawk  Purchase  commenced  at 
Burlington.  This  was  a  great  epoch,  not  onl}-  for 
the  people  of  this  county,  but  for  many  others. 
There  was  great  excitement  among  the  settlers, 
and  much  anxiety  less  they  should  not  have  money 
enough  to  secure  the  claims  upon  which  they  had 
toiled  so  hard.  Most  of  these  settlers  were  poor; 
many  of  them  had  come  to  tile  county  without 
anything  but  llieir  own  strong  arms  and  brave 
hearts,  and  had  worked  hard  to  lay  by  money  so 
that  when  tlie  lime  came  for  "bidding  in"  the 
(d  land  to  complete  their  titles  tlie}'  would  lie  ready. 
There  was  another  class  also  that  was  watcliing 
witli  a  vultui-e's  eye  the  time  when  these  sales 
would  be  made;  tliese  were  the  land-grabbers 
or  moiie3'-sharks  as  tlie}'  were  staled  then.  It 
fortunate    for    the     settlers    the    (iovenimeiil 


had  in  the  land-office  at  this  time,  two  such 
noble  men  as  (4ens.  Dodge  and  Wan  Antwerp. 
They  looked  after  the  interests  of  the  settlers  and 
protected  tliem  in  tlieir  rights  as  much  as  thcj' 
could.  Tiiere  were  thousands  of  people  at  this 
sale,  and  everyone  interested  in  one  wa}'  or  another. 
There  was  a  class  that  advocated  the  princilile  that 
the  settler  was  a  squatter  and  iiad  no  rights;  that  he 
ought  to  be  driven  from  the  lands  as  a  trespasser. 
These  men  were  careful,  however,  not  to  ventilate 
tlieir  Llioories  around  when  the  settlers  were  about 
tlieir  camps.  It  is  pleasing  to  recrird  that  the 
squatter's  rights  were  resi)ectcd,  and  that  all  the. 
settlers  who  had  the  means,  or  could  raise  them, 
secured  their  claims.  Much  of  this,  however,  was 
owing  to  their  united  action  and  a  sacred  compact 
to  stand  by  each  other.  They  were  at  Burlington 
in  force,  with  their  camp  outfits,  and  remained  un- 
til the  sale  was  over. 


After    delil)eratic)ii 
Franklin   Townsiiip. 
village   of  Franklin, 
a  town  laid  off.  ami 
toward     i)roviding 


III 


Tlic  Comity  Seat. 

T  first  the  seat  of  justice  was  located  at  Ft. 
Madison.  As  the  county  settled  up  the 
center  of  population  changed,  and  natur- 
ally toward  the  interior  of  the  county.  A 
movement  was  begun,  the  object  of  which  was  to 
move  the  Legislature  for  an  act  providing  for  a  re- 
location of  the  county  seat.  This  resulted  in  the 
passage  of  an  act  providing  for  a  commission  to  take 
action  in  the  matter.  They  were  instructed  t*) 
have  regard  to  the  future  as  well  as  the  present 
population,  and  also  the  geographical  center.  Sam- 
uel C.  Reid  and  James  L.  Scott,  two  of  tiie  Com- 
missioners, met  at  Ft.  Madison  in  March,  1840. 
they  made  the  location  in 
and  on  tlie  [iresent  site  of  the 
A  survey  was  ordered  made, 
other  arrangements  necessary 
for  a  .seat  of  justice.  The 
County  t'onimissioners  accepted  the  location  in 
good  f'aitii,  and  made  .-dl  lawful  arrangements  to 
carr}     out    tlic    purposes    of  the  act.     The  people, 


.R« 


^^^■mgjH 


1 
1 
I 
I 

11 
I 

i: 
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I: 


however,  were  not  satisfierl  with  the  location,  and 
at  the  next  session  of  the  Legislature  a  Ijill  was 
prepared  providing  for  a  reconsideration  of  the 
matter.  Another  act  was  passed  which  provided 
that  the  question  of  locating  the  county  seat  should 
be  left  for  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  county,  and 
that  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  for  any  i)lace 
should  determine  the  location  ;  that  if  no  such  re- 
sult was  had  then  another  election  should  be  held, 
at  which  the  people  should  vote  for  the  two  points 
securing  the  highest  number  of  votes  at  the  preced- 
ing election.  Before  an  election  was  held  the  town 
of  Ft.  Madison  passed  an  ordinance  for  the  api)ro- 
priation  of  18,000  for  the  erection  of  a  court-house 
and  jail,  provided  the  county  seat  should  be  lo- 
cated there.  This  sum  was  guaranteed  by  the  citi- 
zens. 

In  the  first  election  there  was  no  choice.  Ft. 
Madison,  Franklin  and  West  Point  having  been 
voted  for.  In  the  second  election  two  points  onlj- 
were  voted  for,  Ft.  Madison  and  Franklin,  and  the 
former  received  the  majority  and  was  declared  to 
be  the  future  county  seat.  The  site  having  been 
selected,  the  work  of  erecting  the  public  buildings 
was  proceeded  with.  They  were  completed  in  the  fall 
of  1842,  ata  cost  of  about  $2, 000.  So  far  the  people 
of  Ft.  Madison  were  successful,  but  the  contest  had 
not  ended.  A  combination  was  formed  by  the 
people  of  Franklin  and  West  Point,  and  the  Legis- 
lature was  petitioned  to  open  the  county  seat  ques- 
tion, which  it  did,  appointing  three  Commissioners 
from  Henry,  Van  Buren  and  Des  Moines  Counties, 
to  examiue  the  question  and  locate  the  county  seat 
at  such  place  as  in  their  judgment  would  be  to  the 
best  interest  of  all  the  people.  A  few  of  the  citi- 
zens of  West  Point  obligated  themselves  to  the 
amount  of  114,000  to  erect  a  good  court-house 
should  that  i)lace  be  selected,  and  the  building  was 
to  be  erected  on  the  public  square.  The  Commis- 
sioners finally  selected  West  Point  for  the  county 
seat.  The  people  of  that  place  made  good  their 
pledges  and  erected  a  good  court-house,  which 
resulted  disastrously  to  a  few  of  them,  lint  they 
had  their  waj',  which  was  some  satisfaction.  Peo- 
ple in  a  conrtict,  who  otherwise  would  not  donate  a 
dollar,  will  often  give  hundreds  of  dollars  to  carry 
their  puiut.     The  Ft.   Madison   pc(jple,  though   de- 


feated were^  not  subdued,  and  they  wiiited  their 
time.  An  effort  was  made  about  this  time  to  di- 
vide the  county.  The  scheme,  however,  was  de- 
feated by  a  majority  of  239  votes. 

In  184.5  the  county  seat  question  ;igain  came  be-p 
fore  the  people,  and  an  election  was  held  in  August  i  ^ 
of  that  year,  at  which  time  Ft.  Madison,  West  Point, 
Franklin,  Keokuk,  Montrose  and  Charleston  were 
voted  for.  There  being  no  choice,  another  elec- 
tion was  held  in  September,  the  votes  being  cast 
for  the  thi'ee  points  reaching  the  highest  numbei-  of 
votes  in  the  former  election,  which  were  Ft.  Madi- 
son, West  Point  and  Franklin.  The  result  of  this 
election  was  in  favor  of  Ft.  Madison,  and  the  good 
people  of  this  town  were  again  made  hajjpy.  The 
county  seat,  with  all  the  records  appertaining  to  it, 
again  took  up  its  march  for  a  final  resting-place, 
and  in  due  time  arrived  at  Ft.  Madison.  The 
court-house  at  West  Point  was  subsequently  used 
for  a  school-house. 

Ft.  Madison,  however,  had  to  divide  the  honors. 
The  Legislature  of  1847  passed  an  act  establishing 
a  court  with  concurrent  jurisdiction  at  Keokuk.  By 
this  act  parties  could  sue  in  either  the  Ft.  Madison 
or  Keokuk  courts,  but  all  criminal  cases  were 
made  triable  in  Ft.  IMadison,  except  those  arising 
in  Jackson,  Van  Buren,  Des  Moines,  Montrose  and 
Charleston  Townships,  which  were  tried  at  Keokuk. 
The  court-house  and  jail  at  Ft.  Madison  are  only 
fair;  they  are  constructed  of  brick  with  stone 
foundations.  The  county  buildings  at  Keokuk 
were  originally  used  for  a  medical  college,  and  were 
sold  to  the  county  for  $14,000. 

Toiiwsliip   Org'anizatioii. 

T  the  .lanuary  meeting  of  the  County  Com- 
missioners in  1841,  the  township  organ- 
ization was  adoi)ted,  the  names  selected 
for  the  varit>us  townshii)s.  and  boundaries 
established.  Five  years  subse(|uent  (184(;)  the 
count}'  was  under  the  jurisdiction  of  m  State 
government.  There  was  no  clashing,  honever, 
and  civil  and  political  matters  moved  on  un- 
disturbed   liy    the    change.       The  last    meeting  of 


mm 


the  County  Commissioners  was  held  in  August, 
1851.  Succeeding  this  system  was  the  County 
Court,  the  Judge  of  which  not  only  iiad  iurisdic- 
tion  in  [jrobatc  matters,  hut  possessed  all  the  powers 
heretofore  vested  in  the  Commissioners.  The 
County  Court  system  was  changed  in  1860,  and 
the  affairs  uf  the  county  were  placed  in  charge  of  a 
Board  of  Suiu'rvisurs,  each  civil  township  electing 
one  Supervisor.  In  1871  the  law  was  again  changed, 
providing  for  tiiree  Supervisors  onl3',  instead  of 
one  from  each  township,  'i'iie  county  matters  are 
adjusted  at  present  ]>y  tiiis  lioard,  which  meets  at 
Ft.  Madison. 


TIk'Ii  and  Mow. 

()  greater  contrast  could  he  given  in  any  one 
form  of  develoimient  than  that  presented 
in  the  department  of  education.  With  the 
first  school  taught  by  Herr^'man  .leimings,  at  Nash- 
ville, iu  18:50,  and  the  complete  system  of  instruc- 
li(in  had  iu  the  county'  to-day,  it  would  be  hard  to 
trace  any  likeness.  From  the  shanty  of  that  time 
to  the  elegant  buildings  of  today,  there  is  a  long  step ; 
in  the  mode  of  teaching  and  the  facilities  for  edu- 
cation, the  dilference  is  equally  as  great.  The  .sec- 
ond school  opened  in  the  county  was  at  Keokuk  in 
a  log  cabin  that  stood  near  the  river,  between  Main 
and  Blondeau  streets,  and  we  are  informed  it  was 
taught  by  Jesse  Creighton,  a  shoemaker.  It  seems 
that  the  Indians  had  spoiled  Jesse's  trade  in  teach- 
ing the  white  man  to  wear  moccasins,  and  being  of 
an  inventive  turn  of  mind  he  faced  about,  stuck 
his  awl  in  the  wall  and  took  up  the  ruler.  Pro- 
gressi(jn,  however,  is  one  of  the  principal  ingredients 
of  the  American  character,  and  iu  a  little  while  all 
this  was  changed.  A  well  established  system  of 
instruction  has  been  adopted,  good  buildings  have 
been  erected  in  every  part  of  the  county,  and  the 
best  of  teachers  secured.  There  are  also  colleges 
and  convents  that  are  widel3'  kmiwu  and  distin- 
guished as  educational  institutions. 

The  public  schools  and  institutions  of  learning  in 
Lee  County  have  had  a  very  marked  effect  upon 
her  people,  as  is  evichuiced  by  their  character  and 
attainments,  and  the  distinguished   positions   which 


many  of  her  citizens  have  held,  not  only  in  the 
civil  walks  of  life,  but  in  the  political  councils  of 
the  State  and  nation. 

The  press  also  of  the  county  has  been  conducted 
with  marked  ability,  and  has  had  no  inconsiderable 
iurtneiicc  iu  molding  the  public  sentiment  of  her 
people,  and  dir-ecting  her  destiny.  Many  news- 
papers have  been  started  in  the  countj',  strong  at 
first  in  the  hoiie  of  continuous  life,  but  which  to-day 
(piietly  sleep  in  the  journalistic  cemetery. 

The  lust  newspaper  to  present  itself  (vr  the 
good-will  of  the  people  of  Lee  County  was  the 
Western  Adoetiturer  in  the  year  18:36,  and  was  pub- 
lished by  Dr.  Isaac  Galland,  at  Montrose.  He 
struggled  with  the  enterprise  and  with  the  limited 
field  of  patronage  of  that  day  for  about  two  years, 
and  finding  it  not  a  ver}'  remunerative  one.  Mild 
out  his  project  to  James  (■.  Edwards,  who  moved 
the  ollice  to  Ft.  Madison  and  started  the  Ft.  Mad- 
ison Pcitriol.  As  the  population  increased  the  press 
multiplied,  and  became  one  of  the  potent  powers 
iu  advertising  the  interests  of  the  countN',  and  de- 
veloping its  resources. 

The  organization  of  political  parties  began  be- 
fore the  county  was  organized,  and  while  the  ter- 
ritory of  which  it  is  composed  was  a  part  of  JJes 
Moines  County.  The  onlj'  parties  then  known  to 
the  country  were  the  Whig  and  Democratic  parties. 
At  the  time  politics  were  introduced  here  Henry 
J.  Campbell  was  the  leading  exponent  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  and  Isaac  11.  Cami)bell,  of  the  Whig 
party.  From  the  first  the  Democrats  were  iu  the 
lead,  and  so  continued  until  during  the  Rebellion, 
when  for  a  time  the  Republicans  held  the  power. 
The  Democracy  here  was  much  after  the  old  Jack- 
sonian  kind,  and  if  it  is  at  all  diluted  at  the  present 
day,  it  is  so  slight  that  it  is  hardly  perceptible.  In 
local  issues,  however,  party  lines  were  often  disre- 
garded. 

In  religious  matters  the  people  of  the  ccninty 
have  been  very  zealous.  There  is  hardly  a  little 
hamlet  in  the  county  but  has  its  house  of  worship, 
or  .1    religious  organization. 

From  the  time  that  Father  Marquette  raised  the 
cross  by  the  beautiful  waters  of  the  Des  Moines,  and 
sent  forth  the  first  invo<-ation  to  the  Deit}-  from  thi> 
territory,  the  first  at  least  after  the  manner  of   the 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


Christian,  to  the  present  daj-.  what  a  change  there 
has  beenl  From  the  one  low  voice  ascending  in 
supplication  to  God  at  the  foot  of  that  cross  upon 
which  was  crucified  the  jiurest  and  most  sul)lime 
character  that  ever  dwelt  on  earth,  there  are  now 
thousands.  From  the  one  cross  then  erected  in  the 
lonelj'  wilderness,  remote  even  from  the  liorders  of 
Christianit3%  there  are  now  hundreds.  It  would 
not  seem  hard  now  for  the  people  to  attend  their 
devotions:  to  go  to  their  places  of  worship,  at- 
tracted thereto  bj'  their  elegant  church  edifices 
and  fine  music.  In  these  halcj'on  days  of  Chris- 
tianity it  would  seem  a  luxury  to  serve  the  Master, 
rather  than  a  cross.  But  how  was  it  with  the  good 
Father  Marquette  i  Let  those  who  in  the  present 
day  sit  in  the  soft  cushioned  pews  of  their  elegant 
churches,  or  kneel  at  the  altar  erected  around 
their  ow^n  happy  firesides,  surrounded  by  all  the 
refinements  of  the  present  civilization,  give  one 
thought  to  that  devout  man  who,  within  the  bor- 
ders of  this  county,  far  away  from  his  own  race, 
alone  amid  a  wild,  untutored  jieople,  sent  up  the 
first  offering  to  Heaven  from  the  foot  of  the  cross 
he  had  erected ;  and  who,  a  few  short  months  later, 
on  the  bank  of  another  stream  not  far  away  erected 
another  cross,  and  kneeling  down  by  it,  passed  to 
that  summerland  while  breathing  out  his  soul  to 
God. 

It  is  now  something  less  than  threescore  years 
and  ten  since  actual  settlement  began  here  by  the 
white  man,  and  still  later  when  the  red  men,  the 
nomads  of  the  forest  and  the  original  owners  of 
this  soil,  bid  adieu  to  the  home  of  their  fathers, 
and  turning  their  face  toward  the  setting  sun,  left 
this  land  forever. 

It  was  here  he  built  his  wigwam,  chased  the 
wild  game  through  forest  and  field ;  it  was  here  he 
floated  over  the  great  Father  of  Waters  and  moored 


his  canoe  upon  its  beautiful  banks.  These  days 
have  passed,  and  how  great  the  change  1  Where 
once  the  Indian  roamed  free  as  the  air,  there  now 
are  cultivated  farms;  where  once  rested  his  rude 
hut,  there  are  now  beautiful,  thriving  cities;  where 
once  was  heard  his  wild  whoop,  there  now  come 
and  go  the  sounds  of  civilization;  where  every- 
thing was  wild  and  crude,  and  science  and  mechan- 
ism unknown,  the  arts  and  industries  of  the  present 
century  are  fully  developed. 

Very  brief  indeed,  has  been  the  time  for  so  groat 
a  change;  yet  brief  though  it  be,  the  transforma- 
tion has  been  great.  The  foundation  of  all  this 
was  laid  by  the  pioneer,  and  the  superstructure  was 
completed  by  those  who  followed  him.  'I'here  arc 
manj',  however,  present  to-day  who  were  at  the  be- 
ginning, and  who  aided  in  the  process  of  develop- 
ment. They  can  take  a  retrospective  view  of  the 
past  and  have  a  vivid  comprehension  of  the  change 
that  has  been  wrought;  they  can  view  with  pride 
the  great  achievements  in  which  they  have  taken 
so  active  a  part. 

In  taking  the  horoscope  of  the  future,  we  are  as- 
sured that  development  will  not  stop  here.  The 
people  of  Lee  are  of  that  character  that  warrants 
this  prediction.  Unless  the}'  ignore  the  lessons  of 
the  past,  unless  thej'  forget  their  cunning,  then- 
march  will  be  onward  and  upward,  accomplishing 
more  in  the  coming  sixty  years  than  has  l)een  done 
in  the  past. 

So  fair  is  the  land  with  its  culture  and  civiliza- 
tion, so  beautiful  its  scenerj\  with  its  valleys  and 
hills,  its  groves  and  fields,  and  the  great  Mississipj)! 
ever  rolling  on  to  the  sea;  so  promising  the  future, 
with  so  much  to  make  life  pleasant,  that  the  citi- 
zen returning  home  from  his  travels  might  trul}^  say. 

Where'er  1  roam,  wliatcver  icalins  to  see, 
y\y  lieart  nutravi^ril  tuiidlv  ninis  tn  tlii'e. 


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NK  of  the  great  auxiliaries  in 
the  develdpmeiit  of  a  new 
country  as  well  as  in  tlie 
niainteiiaiiee  of  an  nhl  one, 
ni^.-^T,^!^--.^'' , 'V-.- i  is  till'  press.  In  either  of 
b^ii  A  rrs  '-^^  tiie.  two  conditions— in  a 
new  community  or  in  an  old  civiliza- 
tion— -its  power  is  potential.  If  it  is 
able,  conscientious,  then  the  greater 
is  its  sphere  of  usefulness.  In  this 
nineteenth  centur}'  it  is  the  great 
educator  of  the  masses,  the  promul- 
gator of  reform,  the  ventilator  of 
abuses,  and  the  medium  through 
whicli  the  daily  events  of  the  world  are  received. 
With  the  electFic  wires  now  Hasliing  the  news 
around  tlie  world,  the  daily  newspaper  has  become 
a  necessity  to  the  active  man,  and  indispensable  to 
the  man  of  business.  To  it  we  also  look  for  the 
champion  of  our  political  theories,  and  the  repre- 
sentative of  our  system  of  (iovernment.  It  is  the 
paladium  of  our  liberties,  doing  guard  duty  at  the 
outposts  of  freedom,  that  no  enemy  may  a])proach 
unawares  its  sacred  altar. 

The  second  paper  published  within  the  territory 
now  embraced  by  the  State  of  Iowa,  was  at  Mont- 
rose, within  the  borders  of  Lee   County,   and    was 


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edited  liy  Dr.  Isaac  Galland.  The  fii'st  newspaper 
was  (juliiished  by  William  C.  .loues,  at  Dubuque,  E  ;: 
and  was  called  liu'  Duljuipie  Visitor.  The  first  is- 
sue of  this  [japer  was  Jlay  11,  1S;5(;.  Dr.  (ialland's 
paper  came  out  .soon  after  this  and  was  called  the 
Western  Adventurer. 

Proljably  the  oldest  paper  pulilished  in  the  .State 
continuously,  is  the  Ft.  JNIadison  I'/uindealer,  al- 
though under  different  names,  but  willi  the  same 
plant  with  additions  and  inii)rovements.  It  was 
first  issued  in  1H41  at  Ft.  INIadi.son  as  the   Courier. 

The  editors  of  the  Lee  Count}'  press  liave  been, 
and  are  at  present,  men    of    unusual    ability   and  E 
strong  character  and    worth,  who  have  discharged  p 
their  duties  with  a  conscientiousness  and  a  consid 
eraticm   for  the  best   interests  of   the  county,  in   a  E; 
degree  highly  commenilable.     Except  to  mention   |j 
them  it  is  not  our  purpose  to  give  the  history  of   ;| 
papers  that  are  not  published  at  the  present  time.    ■' 
The-  Western   Adcenturer,  of    which  mention   has 
been  made,  was  sold  out  to  James  G.  Edwards,  and 
merged  into  the  Ft.  Madison  Patriot,  the  first  num- 
ber being  issued  at  that  place  March  28,  1838.      It 
was  this  paper   which  suggested  that   Hawkeye   be  |j|i 
the  cognomen  of  the  State.     It  was  a  twenty-eight- 
column  folio,  and  strong  in  the  Whig  faitii.     After 
the  Territory  of  Iowa  wasestalilislied.it  was  uKived 
to  Burlington,  then  tlie  capital. 


1 

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ii^a 


Tlie  Plaiiirtealer. 

?>HE  Ft.  Marlisuu  Daily  Flaindealer  is  the 
outgrowth  of  the  Courier,  the  first  issue  of 
which  appeared  July  24,  1841,  at  Ft.  Madi- 
son, by  R.  W.  Albright.  It  was  neutral  in  politics. 
The  first  issue  contained  a  description  of  the  towns 
in  the  county.  The  i)opulation  of  Ft.  Madison  at 
that  time  was  estimated  at  700 ;  that  of  Keokuk  at 
160.  In  December  of  that  year  W.  E.  Mason  pur- 
chased an  interest  in  the  paper,  when  the  name  was 
changed  to  the  Lee  County  Democrat,  muX  it  became 
an  organ  of  the  Democratic  party.  In  1842  Mason 
sold  his  interest  to  O.  S.  X.  Peck.  Soon  after  Mr. 
Albright  bought  out  Peck's  interest  and  became 
sole  proprietor.  In  1847  Mr.  Albright  sold  out  to 
George  II.  Williams,  who  changed  the  name  to  the 
loiL-a  Statesman.  Newspaper  life  did  not  seem  con- 
genial to  Mr.  Williams,  and  he  soon  sold  out  to  J. 
D.  Spaulding,  who  edited  it  until  1857,  when  Lewis 
V.  Taft  and  others  purchased  it,  and  the  name  was 
changed  to  the  Ft.  Madison  Plaindealer. 

Mr.  Taft  held  the  paper  for  four  years,  laboring 
for  the  interests  of  the  Democratic  party,  when  he 
sold  out  to  Messrs.  J.  D.  Storms,  B.  Grossman  and 
A.  .Stoddard.  This  firm  changed  several  times, 
when  in  July,  18.511,  W.  P.  Staub  purchased  the  en- 
tire plant.  For  about  two  years,  during  Mr. 
Staub's  proprietorship,  Dr.  A.  C.  Roberts  conduct- 
ed the  editorial  pages.  In  the  spring  of  1801  Mr. 
Staub,  in  connection  with  his  weekly,  issued  a 
daily,  called  the  Gem  City  Telegraph,  this  not 
being  a  financial  success,  .and  in  July,  1863,  Mr. 
Staub  sold  out  to  William  Caftrey,  with  the  condi- 
tion that  the  paper  was  to  continue  a  Democratic 
organ. 

Mr.  Caffrejf  took  possession  in  August,  but  did 
not  adhere  to  the  con<litions  of  the  purchase ;  on 
the  contrary,  he  changed  it  to  a  stanch  Republican 
journal.  To  the  principles  of  this  party  it  has  been 
attached  ever  since.  The  paper  passed  into  several 
hands,  and  was  finally  purchased  by  J.  (t.  Wilson, 
who  edited  it  awhile,  and  June  4,  1885,  it  became 
the  property  of  J.  H.  Duffus,  the  present  pro- 
prietor. At  this  time  it  was  a  six-column  quarto 
weekly.  Sejitember  1  of  that  year,  Mr.  Dujf  us  start- 
ed a  daily.  This  had  been  done  by  Mr.  Wilson,  liut 
the  enterprise  had  been  abandoned. 


moi-ning.  and  the  weekly  is 

issued  every  Thursday.  Mr.  Duffus  has  only  recent-' 
iy  come  from  Des  Moines,  and  has  invested  quite 
largely  in  real  estate  in  Ft.  Madison,  as  well  as  iuC 
newspaper  stock.  He  has  made  large  additions  to  i 
the  plant,  including  a  job  office  and  a  steam  power  J 
press.  The  Flaindealer  is  a  bright,  newsy  sheet,  | 
and  ably  conducted.  Mr.  Duffus  is  giving  his 
time  and  energies  to  his  iiaper,  and  has  materially 
increa.sed  its  circulation  and  influence.  It  is  now 
one  of  the  prominent  Republican  journals  of  the 
State.  The  advocacy  of  the  principles  of  the  Re- 
publican partly  and  its  interests,  are  the  editor's 
first  thoughts,  and  to  these  he  is  enthusiastically  de- 
voted. It  is  earnest  and  effective  in  its  efforts  to- 
ward the  building  up  of  Ft.  Madison,  and  increas- 
ing its  prosperity. 


^- 


-€-*-! 


The  Oat<>  City. 


u 


i^^^HLS  paper  was  started  under  the  name  of  the 
{((^^  Keokuk  Daily  Whig,  its  first  issue  appear- 
^^^  iug  March  2,  1854,  with  James  B.  Howell 
as  editor  and  proprietor.  It  was  a  Hve-column 
folio,  and  depended  for  its  news  from  the  outside 
world  upon  the  river  packets,  the  stage  coach  and 
the  pony  mail.  In  those  days  local  news  was  not 
a  marked  feature  in  journalism.  Railroads  at  that 
time  had  not  reached  Iowa,  though  the  railroad 
fever  was  here. 

After  the  first  year  of  publication  the  name  of 
the  paper  was  changed  to  that  which  it  now  bears, 
which  was  received  with  general  approbation,  the 
name  being  considered  very  suggestive.  Its  circu- 
lation as  well  as  its  advertising  list  at  that  time  was 
but  small  in  comparison  with  the  extensive  patron- 
age it  enjoys  to-day,  and  the  difference  between 
the  two  periods  in  regard  to  the  paper,  fairly  repi-e- 
sents  the  difference  in  Keokuk  then  and  now.  Dur- 
ing the  panic  of  1857,  the  Gate  Oil//  made  a  heroic 
struggle  to  weather  the  storm,  and  was  successful, 
passing  safely  into   port  without  missing  an  issue. 

The  associates  of  Mr.  Howell  in  editorial  work 
during   his   connection    with   the   paper,   were  Mr. 


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Cowles,  who  had  been  connected  with  the  Valley 
Wliif/.  and  who  subsequently  died  in  the  .South;  .1. 
K.  Brigg.s,  «ii<i  died  in  Washington  in  1.S73;  Will- 
iam Hiehards  and  S.  M.  (lark.  They  were  all  gen- 
tlemen of  education  ami  aliilily,  and  unusually  fine 
writers.  Of  the  latter  we  shall  speak  hereafter. 
During  the  period  above  referred  to.  .1.  AV.  Dcla- 
plain,  who  was  connected  with  the  W/'flbj  Win]/ 
from  its  first  issue,  in  March.  184U,  became  inter- 
ested in  the  paper,  and  was  business  manager. 

In  .Ma3'.  1  .s5ij,  the  paper  was  enlai-ged  to  a  six- 
column,  and  the  followin;;  year  to  a  seven-column 
folio,  keeping  up  with  the  growth  of  the  countr}'. 
In  April  the  paper  was  enlarged  by  lengthening 
the  columns.  In  1  i^.'ilt,  owing  to  causes  produced  l)y 
the  panic,  it  was  reduced  to  six  columns.  It  was 
not,  however,  the  character  of  its  managers  to  as- 
sume a  retrograde  movement  for  any  length  of 
time,  and  we  soon  find  the  Gate  City  again  enlarg- 
ing its  borders,  and  making  rapid  strides  forward. 
•It  continued  to  improve  its  office  and  enlarge  its 
size  until  March  4,  18i^3,  when  it  was  changed  to  a 
six-column  eight- page  paper,  its  present  stj'le.  The 
plant  is  now  a  very  complete  one,  liaving  a  C'ot- 
trell  &  Babcock  cylinder  press,  and  the  Uexter  cut-, 
ting,  pasting  and  folding  machine. 

The  Gat«  Vitij  is  the  onl}'  morning  paper  issued  at 
Ke<)kuk.  Its  circulation  is  large,  and  covers  a  wide 
expanse  of  territory.  The  Weekly  Gate  City  after 
many  changes  is  now  a  six-column,  twelve-p.age 
paper,  neatlj'  printed  and  ixhXy  edited,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  extensively  circulated  weeklies  west  of  the 
Mississippi. 

J.  B.  Howell  became  owner  of  the  Gate  City  in 
December,  18G0,  and  so  continued  until  1863,  when 
he  sold  an  interest  to  .1.  W.  Delaplain,  which  interest 
he  retained  until  18(5(;,  when  he  sold  back  again  his 
interest  to  Mr.  Howell.  Mr.  Howell  remained  pro- 
prietor until  he  was  elected  to  the  .Senate  of  the 
United  States,  in  1870,  when  .S.  M.  Clark  entered 
into  partner.ship  with  him,  and  became  editor-in- 
chief.  Prior  to  this,  however,  Jesse  B.,  son  of  James 
B.  Howell,  became  business  manager,  and  in  1879 
acquired  an  interest  in  the  paper.  James  B.  How- 
ell died  in  June,  1880,  and  his  interest  reverted  to 
his  son,  since  which  time  there  has  been  no  change 
either  in  the  ownership  or  management. 


To  Mr.  James  B.  Howell  is  due  the  credit  of 
fonnding  ami  laiildinii  up  the  Uati-  City.  His  im- 
personation was  felt  <jn  every  page  from  the  first 
issue  of  tiie  pai>er  until  he  withdrew  from  its 
actual  control  ami  took  his  seat  in  the  Sen- 
ale.  His  intluencc  was  potential  in  molding  and 
directing  the  public  sentiment  of  the  State,  and 
Iowa  is  largely  indebted  to  him  for  its  advanced 
position  of  to-day.  To  this  eminent  journalist  no 
better  successor  probably  could  have  been  found 
than  S.  M.  (I.ark,  who  became  connected  with  the 
paper  in  I  S(;4,  and  who  has  directed  its  editorial 
affairs  since  Mr.  Howell's  letircment.  He  has  also 
at  all  times  been  earnest  and  .-ilile  in  advocating 
measures  for  the  advancement  of  Keokuk,  and  of 
the  State,  and  is  enthusiastically  devoted  to  the 
principles  of  the  Heiuiblican  party,  of  which  he  is 
a  prominent  member. 

The  Gate  City,  through  its  able  management,  has 
become  one  of  the  leading  journals  of  the  State,  at 
all  times  taking  high  ground  in  matters  of  reform 
and  advancemenf.  It  has  been  an  effective  auxil- 
iary to  the  growth  of  the  city  of  Keokuk,  and  to  it 
she  owes  in  a  large  measure  her  present  commercial 
condition. 

Tin-    Keokuk  Constitution. 

HIS  paper  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  Keokuk 
Dispati-li,  the  first  issue  of  which  was  cast 
before  the  reading  world  May  20,  1848,  and 
through  a  series  of  developments  and  changing  of 
names  it  h.as  reached  its  present  commanding  po- 
sition as  a  commercial  paper  and  a  Democratic  or- 
gan. The  Democratic  party,  pi'ior  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Dispatch,  had  but  one  organ  in  the 
county,  the  Lee  County  Democrat,  published  at  Ft. 
Madison,  and  the  .advocates  of  this  party  deemeil 
it  very  essential  that  they  should  have  a  journal  to 
represent  their  principles;  hence  the  establishment  of 
the  Dispatch,  the  beginning  of  Democratic  journal- 
ism in  Keokuk,  and  what  might  be  called  the  Lake 
Itasca  of  the  Constitution.  It  was  started  under 
the  proprietorship  of  John  B.  Russell  and  Reu- 
ben L.  Doyle,  who  were  newspaper  men,  of  con- 
siderable culture,  and   writers  of  ability'.     Russell 


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sold  out  his  interest  to  Doyle  in  the  spring  of 
1849,  but  remained  with  the  Dispatch  as  associate 
editor  until  he  was  carried  off  to  another  world  b_v 
cholera,  in  July,  IhioO. 

There  were  many  changes  in  the  ownership  of  the 
paper,  when,  in  October,  1855,  it  came  into  the 
possession  of  D.  Reddington,  who  changed  the 
name  to  the  Saturda;/  Post.  Prior  to  this,  in  Jan- 
nary,  1855,  Mr.  Reddington  started  a  daily,  to 
which  he  gave  the  very  expressive,  if  not  euphoni- 
ous, name  of  JSFip  and  Tuck.  Thinking  perhaps  that 
the  name  of  his  venture  did  not  have  a  very  flow- 
ing sound,  and  probablj'  to  atone  in  some  degree 
for  the  indignity  he  had  put  upon  it,  he  changed 
the  name  the  following  Februarj'  to  the  Mornimj 
Glory.  It  must  have  been  this  feeling  that  caused 
the  change,  for  in  this  climate  the  plant  had  not 
yet  put  out  its  beautiful  blossoms  to  greet  the  eye. 
Reddington  sold  out  the  Morning  Glory  in  .Septem- 
ber to  A.  T.  Walling  and  Ur.  Hussey.  In  January, 
1858,  Mr.  Reddington  sold  out,  the  Post  t^j  Will- 
iam Rees  &  Sons,  who  published  it  until  1860. 

The  Morainy  Glory  was  consolidated  with  the 
Daily  limes,  a  paper  which  liad  been  started  in 
July,  1855,  soon  after  its  purchase  by  Walling  & 
Hussey.  Subsequently  thej'  sold  out  to  Charles  D. 
Kirli,  from  Luuisville.  Ky.,  who,  in  November, 
1857,  issued  the  first  number  of  the  Keoivuk  Daily 
Journal.  Mr.  Kirk  also  publislied  a  weekly.  The 
weekly  and  daily  Journal  was  sold  by  Jlr.  Kirk  to 
Newton,  Hussey  &  Givin.  This  firm  became  em- 
barrassed financially-,  in  May,  ISo'J,  and  the  paper 
jit  passed  int(j  tiic  hands  of  Charles  Smith,  who  con- 
ducted it  until  December,  IStil,  when  it  was  pur- 
chased by  Thomas  W.  Clagett  under  a  sale  of  fore- 
closure. Mr.  Clagett  changed  the  name  of  the 
paper  tu  the  Constitution^  and  under  his  judicious 
and  able  management  it  toolv  a  i)ositi(ju  as  one  of 
the  leading  Democratic  journals  of  the  State. 
Charles  Smith,  who  was  an  able  writer,  was  the  link 
which  connected  the  merging  journals  with  the 
Constitution,  and  was  retained  as  associate  editor. 
He  was  a  man  of  brains  and  [jossessed  of  many  at- 
tractive (lualities  and  accomplishments.  He  was 
modest  and  unassuming,  loved  his  friends,  and  pre- 
ferred to  bi-  wilii  them  r.-ifiior  tlian  with  the  public 
in  general. 


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For  about  ten  years  the  Constitution  was  con- 
tinued as  a   morning  paper,  when    its    publication 
was  changed  to  the  evening.     Judge  Clagett  died**^^^ 
in  April,  1876,  and  his  daughter.   Sue   H.  Clagett, 
conducted  the   pai)er  until  July  following,  when  itp 
was  purchased  by  John  Gibbons,  H.  W.  Clendenin," 
George  Smith  and  Thomas  Rees,  who  conducted  it 
under   the  firm  style  of  John  Gibbons  &  Co.,  Mr.^ 
Gibbons   assuming  editorial  charge.     Thomas  W. 
Eichelberger,  who   had    been   connected    with    the 
paper  from    1874,  as  citj'  editor,  retained  his  posi- 
tion.    He  was  a  witty  and    versatile  writer,  and  an 
amiable  and  pleasant  companion.     He  resigned  his 
position  on  the   Constitution  and   took  a  [ilace  on 
the  Toledo  Comniercial.     Subsequentlj'  he   became 
night  editor  of  the  Des  Moines  State  Reyister.   Soon  [ 
after  this   he   sickened  and  died.     His  demise  oc- 
curred April  4,  1880,  and  his  remains  were  buried 
in  the  little  cemetery  at  Bloomfield,  Iowa. 

In  April,  1877,  John  Gibbons  sold  his  interest  to 
the  other  members  of  the  firm,  which  became  Smith, 
Clendeniu  &  Rees,  Clendenin  taking  charge  of  the 
editorial  department.     John    Gibbons,   who    was  a 
lawj'er  by  profession,  went  to  Chicago,  and  entered 
upon  the   practice   of  his  profession,  and  achieved 
success.       In    June,    1881,    the     Constitution     was 
purchased    by  a   stock  company   which    had    been 
organized,  since  which  time  the  paper  has  been  en- 
larged and  many  improvements  made   in  all   the 
I   departments.     In   1884  the  new  Constitution  build- 
;    ing    was    completed.     It   stands    on    Sixth    street, 
j    between   Main  and   Bloudeau,  and   is  an  imposing 
structure.     It  is  oOx'JO  feet,  three  stories  and  base- 
ment,  and  constructed  of  brick  and   stone,  aud  is 
1    heated  )jy  steam. 

With  tiie    Constitution  lias   been   added    the  Tri- 

I   State   Printing  Company,  which  occupies  a   large 

!    portion   of   the   building,  and  where  ofHcial   books  l!i 

I   aud    blanks  for  the  States    of   Missouri,  Iowa  and 

,   Illinois  can  be  had,  and  the  largest  supply  of  goods 

carried  by  any  similar  establishment   in   Iowa.     A 

complete   job  office,  witli  book-binding,  is  also  one 

of  the  features  of  the  Constitution. 

When  the  Constitution  went  into  tiie  iiands  of 
tlie  stock  company,  the  editorial  and  business 
management  wa,s  placed  in  charge  of  Dr.  W.  A. 
George,    who    was    ably    assisted    by   his    brother, 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


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Byron  George.  It  has  a  large  and  constantly  in- 
creasing patronage,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  coni- 
niereial  papers  in  this  section  of  the  c-<»initry.  It  is 
condncted  under  a  thorough  system  and  by  men 
ivho  understand  journalism.  Its  circulation  is  not 
confined  to  Iowa,  but  is  extended  into  Illinuis  and 
Missouri.  With  its  increase  of  patronage,  caused  by 
its  able  management  and  its  aid  in  the  development 
of  the  resources  of  Keokuk,  and  its  strong  advocacy 
of  Democratic  principles,  it  has  also  come  to  the 
front  as  the  leading  organ  of  its  party  in  the  State. 

Keokuk    Deiiiocrilt. 

dr^^^HIS  journal  is  comparatively  a  new  enter- 
prise. It  was  established  .Jan.  1),  IfSfSJi,  by 
r.  R.  Nelson  Jc  Co.  It  was  started  as  a  five- 
column  folio,  and,  as  its  name  indicates,  Democratic 
in  politics.  In  Januar3-,  1.S84,  it  was  purch.ased  by 
a  stock  company-,  and  under  that  management  C. 
Maxwell  was  editor.  This  management  continued 
until  March,  If^SG,  when  the  paper  was  purchased 
by  Madden,  Eichorn  &  Bechtold,  who  held  it  for  a 
short  time,  and  then  sold  out  to  Charles  A.  War- 
wick and  Robert  S.  Ranson.  In  .September  they 
enlargeil  the  paper  to  a  seven-column  folio,  and 
made  it  independent  in  politics. 

Since  the  Democral  came  under  the  management 
of  the  above-named  gentlemen,  it  has  taken  on 
new  life  and  vitality'.  Its  circulation  has  been 
largelj'  increased,  and  it  is  dsaly  augmenting.  It 
has  also  a  good  job  ofHcc,  which  is  receiving  a 
liberal  patronage.  The  Demmrdt  is  a  bright  newsy 
paper,  issued  every  evening,  containing  the  news 
of  the  day,  full  of  local  matters  of  interest,  and  is 
an  ably  conducted  journal.  It  is  constantly  in- 
creasing in  popularity,  and  under  the  management 
of  its  live  and  energetic  owners  it  will  soon  take  a 
front  rank  among  the  leading  papers  of  the   State. 

Ft.    MiHlisoii    Dt-iiHX  r:it. 


H      )t^^,IiOMINENT  among  the  positive  and  lead- 
u  )l)  ing  Democratic  papers  of  the  State  of  Iowa 
to-day,  stands  the   Ft.  Madi.s<5n  DenKicmf, 
._      ^        which  was  founded  by  that  old  and  prom- 
inent citizen,  and  radical  disciple  of   the  party.  Dr. 
C.    Roberts,   on    the    aiuiiversar^'   day    of   our 


national  independence,  in  the  year  1869.     It  was  a 


six-column  folio,  and  located  on  Pine  street.  In 
1879  the  plant  was  moved  into  the  new  Imilding 
which  was  erected  for  it  on  the  corner  of  .Second 
and  Cedar  streets.  In  December,  1877,  the  paper 
was  changed  to  a  six-column  quarto. 

The  Dcmnrrat  is  now  conducted  by  Dr.  Roberts 
and  his  two  sons,  Nelson  C,  who  is  the  business 
manager,  ami  Edward  M.,  who  has  charge  of  the 
local  department.  The  circulation  is  about  ■2.400, 
and  the  paper  is  issued  every  Wednesday.  It  is 
printed  on  a  cylinder  press  which  is  operated  by 
steam.  A  good  job  department  is  one  of  the  feat- 
ures of  the  Democrat  office.  The  agricultural  de- 
partment of  the  paper  is  in  charge  of  W.  (4.  Kent, 
and  that  of  the  children,  of  Mrs.  E.  A.  Burklioldcr. 
Dr.  Roberts  gives  his  attention  particularly  to  the 
political  department,  in  which  he  feels  at  home. 

The  Democrat  is  well  edited  and  in  all  its  depart- 
ments well  C(jnducted.  It  is  an  attractive  paper, 
full  of  interesting  reading  matter,  and  has  an  eye 
always  to  the  windward  for  political  barges,  while 
the  interests  of  its  patrons  are  never  overlooked. 

Kepiiblicau  Herald. 

illE  Republican  Herald  was  established  Nov. 

(J.    1884,    by     .T.    II.     and   E.    II.     Hardin. 

It  was  a  five-column  quarto,  Republican  in 
politics,  and  was  called  the  Lee  CinitUji  Jiejniblican. 
In  November,  188,5,  it  was  consolidated  with  the 
Mt.  Pleasant  Herald,  a  Greenback  paper  which  had 
been  printed  in  Mt.  Pleasant  for  about  ten  j-ears, 
the  plant  of  which  was  brought  to  Ft.  Madison 
under  the  name  of  the  Lee  County  Bepvltlican- 
Herald,  and  enlarged  to  an  eight-column  folio.  In 
the  spring  of  1 886  it  became  independent  in  politics, 
with  .Joseph  Williams  .as  editor.  The  Republican- 
Herald  is  a  week!}'  paper  with  a  fair  circulation, 
well  condncted,  and  devoted  to  the  interest  of  Ft. 
Madison  ;nid  the  development  of  the  county. 
Keokuk  Post. 
^IIE  Post  is  the  outgrowth  of  the    Beubachter 

des    Wextens   (Western    Obserrer),    the    first 

(ierman  paper  established  in  Keokuk.  Its 
first  issue  was  in  1853,  when  it  was  published  by 
William  Kopp.  In  18r(7  lie  sold  out  to  Leopold 
^ladcr,  and  in  is.jw  Christ.  Mueller  became  pro- 
prietor.    iMlnmnd  Jaeger  succeeded  Mueller  in  the 


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proin'ietorship  of  the  paper,  aiul  soon  thereafter  it 
was  burned  down.  .Judge  Jaeger  was  followed  b}- 
Mr.  Rattick,  and  he,  after  a  brief  period,  sold  out 
to  .Jacob  AVholwend  &  Serth  in  18G2.  Subse- 
quently they  sold  out  to  Rinker  At  Althaus.  In 
1865  Mr.  Wholweiid  [lurchased  Rinker's  interest, 
and  the  firm  became  Wholwend  it  Althaus.  In 
18(19  Eniil  Bischof  lieeanie  sole  proprietor  of  this 
paper  and  conducted  it  until  1874,  when  he  sold  to 
Charles  Norman,  who  in  Februar}',  1877,  sold  to 
Adolph  Wulff.  During  these  various  ownerships 
the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  first  to  the  Keo- 
kuk Deutsrlip  Zeitung,  and  then  to  the  Keokuk 
Telegrajili. 

On  Jan.  1,  1886,  the  i)aper  was  purchased  b^' 
Hinzel  Bros.,  and  enlarged  to  a  seven-column 
quarto.  The^'  purchased  from  Bechtold  &  Son, 
who  had  it  from  Wulff,  who  had  conducted  it  four 
years.  The  name  was  changed  to  the  Keokuk 
Post,  and  it  was  made  a  pronounced  Democratic 
paper.  It  had  always  been  independent  in  politics, 
leaning,  however,  to  Democracy.  The  Post  has  a 
liberal  circulation,  is  ablj'  conducted,  and  is  the 
representative  of  the  German  people  in  this  section 
of  the  countr}'. 

West  Point  Appeal. 

ON  the  1st  of  October,  1881,  the  first  issue  of 
this  newsy  sheet  greeted  the  public  for  the 
first  time,  its  first  issue  being  made  October 
1.  It  was  started  b^'  Allison  Leadle3',  and  came 
forth  to  the  reading  people  of  Lee  County  as  a 
seven-column  folio,  independent  in  politics,  and 
liberal  in  religion.  Mr.  Leadley  conducted  the 
Appeal  about  one  3'ear,when  he  took  Arthur  How- 
ard in  as  a  partner.  This  arrangement  lasted 
about  one  year,  when  Leadley  sold  out  his  interest 
to  Albert  Webster.  This  firm  conducted  it  for  a 
time  and  then  sold  to  H.  W.  Wright,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded   by   H.   Johnson.       In    March,  1886,  E.  II. 


Thomas  purchased  the  office,  and  is  the  present  pro- 
prietor and  editor. 

A  job  department  is  connected  with  the  office  of 
the  Appi'al.  It  has  a  liberal  circulation;  is  a  bright, 
newsy  sheet  and  well  edited.  Its  editor  believes 
in  West  Point,  and  through  the  columns  of  his  paper 
never  fails  to  present  its  attractions  and  advantages 
in  the  most  favorable  light. 

Lee  County  Record. 

T  Donnellson  this  paper  was  started  bj'  Lew 
AValters  and  J.  M.  Banks,  Feb.  12, 
1886.  It  was  a  six-column  folio,  and  in- 
dependent in  politics,  and  was  continued 
by  this  firm  until  August  27,  when  it  was  purchased 
by  the  stock  association  of  which  John  Haffner  was 
President.  Lew  Walters  w.as  retained  as  editor  and 
manager. 

The  Record  is  run  in  the  interest  of  the  tax  payers' 
association  of  Lee  Countj\  During  the  last  elec- 
tion it  supported  the  claims  of  Mr.  Haffner,  who 
was  elected  Sujjervisor.  It  has  been  earnest  in  its 
labors  for  the  association  whose  interests  it  repre- 
sents. 

The  Knigiit'.s  Sworrt  and  Helmet, 

MONTHLY  magazine  bearing  the  above 
title  is  published  at  Ft.  Madison,  and  devot- 
ed almost  entirely  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
whose  cause  it  most  ably  advocates.  It  is 
published  by  the  Pythian  Printing  Company,  and 
is  in  its  tenth  volume.  H.  W.  Dodd  is  manager, 
and  is  an  experienced  newspaper  man.  Through 
his  skillful  management  this  magazine  has  secured 
a  large  circulation,  and  has  become  the  leading  ex- 
ponent of  this  order. 

The  iWb;) ('tor  is  another  magazine  which  is  under 
the  same  management,  and  similarly  conducted, 
but  is  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  Odd  Fellows' 
Order. 


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A&       ^v  ,^  ■M'^  sM^*-!  ^  — 


'AILROADS  form   one  of  tlie 
most,  im|iort:iiit  factoi's  in  the 
ileNi'lopuu'iit  of  a  new  coun- 
try, :in(l  are  indispensable  to 
till'  enjoyment  of  an  old   and 
well-estal)lisiied  State.      They 
haye  largely  aided  in  the  open- 
ing up  of   our  liroad   domains,  and 
•have  been  most  potential  in  the  ad- 
vancement    of     our     civilization. 
Sloxv,  indeed,  vvoukl  have  been   the 
development  of   this    country  had 
there  been    no  raihxiads   to   aid   the 
l)eople  with  their  rapid  transporta- 
tion.     It  is  now  sixty  years  since 
the  first    railroad    track    was   Laid    in    this    country. 
From  the  year  1827,  which  marks  an  epoch  in  the 
history  of  this  nation — -that   ye.ar    which    was    the 
Oenesis  of  our  railway   .system — improvements  in 
every  dep.Mrtment  of  railro.ading  have  gone  steadily 
on,  until  to-day  there  arc   about   l.')ij,0()0   miles  of 
^  railway  track  in  the  United  States,  extending  from 
ocean  to   ocean,   spanning  a   continent,   and    pene- 
yj  trating  every  State  and  Territory  in  the  Union. 

The  agitation  of  railroad  enterprises  in  J^ee 
County  began  at  an  early  date,  in  fact,  :d)out  as 
early  as  in  any  county  in  the  State,  the  first  pro- 
ject being  what  was  nicknamed  the  Ranrs-Ilorn, 
on  account  of  its  crooked  route.  'J'his  was  a  pro- 
posed road  running  from  Keokuk  to  J>ubuque,  and 


was  agitated  as  early  as    is.'jl.      It   was  supported  I 
hy  the  leading  politicians  and  newspapers  of  that  3 
day.     The  movers  and  advocates  of  this  railroad  c 
confidently    asserted    that    it    was  to  run  through  t! 
every  count}',  and  call  at  nearly  every  man's  door;  p 
hence  its  opponents  gave  it  the  name  of  the  "  Kam's- 
Horn."      Gen.    Thomas   J.    McKean,    of   Marion, 
Lum  County,  was  the  chief  engineer  of  this  road, 
but  was  honest  and  sincere  in  his  efforts,  and  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  political  or  speculative  part 
of    it.     This  pixiject,  hi>wever,  came    to    nothing. 
Railroad  agitation  still  went   on,  ami   in    Iis.tS   the 
mania  for  aiding  railroads  and  other  public  enter-  E 
prises  reached  the  county.      It  is  our  purpose  only   s 
to  briert}'  mention    the    railroads    of    the    count}",  b 
The  first  line  upon   which  actual   work   was  begun  5 
was  the 

KKOKIK,   OKS   MOINKS  ,li   MINNKSOTA    KAIl.KOAl). 


In  1  <S.').>  this  company  was  orgaiii/.ed.  Its  object  B' 
was  to  construct  a  road  from  Keokuk  up  the  Oes  K; 
Moines  \'alley  to  Ft.  Des  Moines,  and  thence  on  to  E' 
Minnesota.  A  survey  was  made  of  this  route  in  ;! 
l.S;",4,  and  in  1855  the  contract  was  let  for' its  con-  3|;J 
strnction,  and  work  commenced.  This  i)rogressed 
for  two  3'ears,  and  in  1857  the  line  was  completed 
to  Rentonsport.  Work  was  then  suspended  until 
181)0,  when  it  was  resumed,  and  the  track  was  ex- 
tended as  far  as  Eddyville.  In  1S(;4  it  waslinished 
to  Des  Moines.     This  gave  the  people  of  the  county    J 


m 


direct  conininnication   by  rail   witli  tlie   capital   of 
the  State,  and  opened  up  the  l)es  IMoines  ^'alley. 

KEOKUK,  JIT.    I'LEASANT  *  MUSCATINE    KAILliOAO. 

A  company  was  organized  for  the  construction 
of  this  road  in  1854.  W(.rlv  was  commenced  at 
Keokuk  in  18o5,  and  in  1S.')G  the  track  was  com- 
pleted as  far  as  Montrose.  The  citizens  of  Keokuk 
gave  liberal  aid  to  this  enterprise,  and  aid  was  also 
given  bj'  some  ()f  the  commercial  men  of  St.  Louis. 
The  completion  of  this  line  was  of  almost  incalcula- 
ble value  to  the  country  triliutary  to  the  Missis- 
sippi above  the  rapids. 

While  this  road  was  being  constructed  to  Mont- 
rose, the  citizens  of  Ft.  Madison  built  a  line  to 
Viele,  and  during  the  year  1857,  the  former  com- 
pany extended  their  track  to  that  place,  thus  con- 
necting by  rail  Keokuk  and  Ft.  Madison.  No 
further  work  was  done  on  this  road  until  it  passed 
into  the  possession  of  that  great  railway  company, 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quiney,  in  1869.  As 
j  soon  as  this  company  secured  the  road,  active  work 
began,  and  in  1870  the  line  was  completed  to  Bur- 
lington, thus  connecting  by  rail,  Keokuk  with  Bur- 
lington and  the  great  city  of  the  lakes. 

BURLINOTON  &  SOUTHWESTERN   RAILROAD. 

Another  railroad  enterprise  to  start,  in  which 
Keokuk  was  interested,  was  the  Burlington  &  South- 
western in  1869.  This  company  was  organized  at 
j  Burlington,  and  had  its  headquarters  there.  The 
\  construction  of  this  line  started  from  Viele,  using 
ij  the  track,  from  this  place  to  Burlington,  of  the  C, 
B.  &  Q.  Work  was  commenced  in  1870,  and  the 
track  was  completed  to  Farmington,  in  Van  15uren 
County,  the  following  spring. 

MISSOURI,   lOWA   A   NEBRASKA   RAILROAD. 

This  enterprise  was  first  started  by  E.  P.  Buell, 
of  Warsaw,  111.,  and  some  capitalists  of  Clark 
County,  Mo.,  in  1867.  In  18C8  Gen.  Drake  and 
his  associates  took  hold  of  the  road,  re-organizing 
the  compau}'  and  changing  the  route.  The  track 
was  completed  from  Alexandria,  Mo.,  to  Centerville, 
Iowa,  in  1874.  The  following  year  the  line  was 
extended  to  Keokuk. 

•      FT.   MADISON   i-   NORTHWESTERN  RAILROAD. 

This  is  a  narrow  gauge  road,  and  is  a  project  of 


ES3' 


the  people  of  Ft.  Madison.  The  C(>m[)any  was  or- 
ganized in  1871.  It  was  far-reaching  in  its  aims, 
its  objective  [loint  being  Council  liluffs,  via  West 
Point,  Biriniiighani,  Fiiirchild  and  Oskaloosa.  The 
purposes  of  this  comi)any  were  not  realized.  It 
was  completed  to  CoUett,  a  distance  of  forty-five 
miles  from  Ft.  Madison.  Collett  was  rjpached  about 
three  years  ago.  It  has  been  niucii  improved  of 
late  under  tlic  able  management  of  C.  A.  (iilchrist. 

sr.     LOllS,    KEOKl  K   ,(i    NORTHERN    RAILROAD. 

This  railroad  project  was  started  in  1872  by  E. 
P.  Buell,  of  ^^'aI■saw,  III.,  and  citizens  of  Alexan- 
dria, Mo.,  who  organized  a  company  for  the  pur- 
pose of  constructing  a  line  from  Alexandria  down 
the  west  bank  of  the  Mississipj)!,  to  a  point  oppo- 
site f^uiiicy,  111.  This  part  of  the  road  was  com- 
pleted in  1874.  Sulisequently  it  was  extended 
north  to  Keokuk,  and  south  to  St.  Louis.  It  is 
now  owned   by  the   C'iiicago,  Burlington  &  (^uincy. 

The  railroad  lines  in  Lee  County  as  now  operated, 
may  be  stated  as  follows:  The  Chicago,  Burling- 
ton &  (^iiincy — Burlington  branch;  the  Chicago, 
Rock  Island  it  Pacific — the  Keokuk  and  Des 
Moines  branch,  which  meets  the  main  line  at  Eldon  ; 
Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific — the  Clayton  branch, 
which  terminates  at  Keokuk;  the  St.  Louis,  Keokuk 
&  Northern,  running  from  Keokuk  to  St.  Louis, 
and  owned  by  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy, 
but  operated  as  an  independent  branch ;  the  Mis- 
souri, Iowa  &  Nebraslva,  running  from  Keokuk  to 
Humeston,  Iowa;  the  Toledo,  Peoria  &  Western, 
running  from  Keokuk  to  the  State  line  of  Indiana; 
Keokuk  &  Northwestern,  running  from  Keokuk 
to  Mt.  Pleasant;  Chicago,  Burlington  ife  Kansas 
City,  owned  by  the  Chicajjo,  Burlington  tt  (Quincy. 
This  road,  in  coming  into  Keokuk,  uses  the  main 
line  of  the  Keokuk  &  Northwestern  from  Donnell- 
son;  the  Ft.  Madison  it  Northwestern  Narrow 
Gauge,  which  runs  from  Ft.  Madison  westward 
through  West  Point,  terminating  at  Collett. 

The  Wabash  also  runs  a  train  into  KecjUuk.  With 
all  these  railroad  lines  in  operation,  Lee  County,  it 
will  be  admitted,  is  most  liberally  supi)lied  with 
transportation  facilities.  It  might  be  interesting 
to  our  patrons  to  state  that  .1.  H.  Tewksbury,  now 
an  honored  citizen  of  Ft.  Madison,  sold  the  first 
railroad  ticket  that  was  issued  at  Keokuk. 


LEE  COUNTY. 


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fe:g**;;;$*T-j;?Hp$;;;e&$:Ke**.is*$;:;$^**.;:*-?^.i.ir~*;:;^~- 


vx/^^ 


()  city  in  the  llawkeye  State, 
in  its  early  history, was  better 
iviiown  than  Keokuk.  It  is 
the  general  opinion  that  it 
was  first  settled  l)y  Dr.  Sam- 
'«  nel  C.  Muir,  a  surgeon  in 
^^  the  United  States  Army, 
in  1820,  a  brief  personal 
sketch  of  whom  will  be  found  in 
the  general  history  of  this  ai.iu  .\i. 
Dr.  Muir,  with  his  Indian  family, 
only  lived  here  for  a  few  j'ears, 
and  then  moved  into  the  north- 
ern settlements.  Some  time  inter- 
vened between  this  settlement  and 
the  next,  which  occurred  during 
the  winter  of  1827-28,  by  Moses 
Stillwell,  a  carijenter,  who  came 
up  from  St.  Louis  accompanied  bj'  his  family, 
and  a  boy  by  the  name  of  Valencourt  Vanausdol, 
who  is  still  living  here.  For  many  years  there 
was  no  fixed  name  to  distinguish  this  place.  It 
was  severally  called  "  Puck-e-she-tuck  Point," 
Foot  of  the  Rapids,  etc.  According  to  Dr.  Isaac 
Galhuul,  a  creditable  authority,  the  place  at  the 
Foot  of  the  Rapids  received  its  christening  at  a 
little  4th  of  July  celebration,  in  1829,  held  by  a 
few  steamboat  men,  whose  craft  was  lying  at  the 
foot  of  what  is  now  Miiin  street.  The  meeting 
was  presided  over  by  Col.  George  Davenport,  and 
during  the  festivities  the  name  of  Keokuk  was 
given   to  the  settlement,  in  honor  of  the   chief  of 


the  Sac  tribe,  who  had  always  been  friendly  to  the' 
white  people.  From  that  time  on  it  has  borne  this 
name. 

Some  time  prior  to  the  3^ear  1830,  the  American 
Fur  Company  had  established  a  trading-post  here. 
It  put  up  a  row  of  cabins  for  its  quarters,  which  in 
subsecpieut  years  was  rather  disrespectfully  nick- 
named Hat  Row.  Gathered  about  this  fur  com- 
pany's quarters  in  difl'erent  kinds  of  employment 
were  about  a  dozen  men  who,  with  those  herett>fore 
mentioned,  formed  the  population  at  Keokuk  up  to 
1831.  It  might  I )e  mentioned  that  all  of  the  em- 
ployes of  the  fur  companj-  iiad  Indian  women  for 
wives.  In  the  spring  of  1831,  Isaac  R.  Campbell 
moved  down  from  Nashvill<?  and  identified  himself 
with  the  town  by  engaging  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness with  Dr.  Muir.  After  the  Black  Hawk  War 
the  settlements  became  more  frequent,  and  in  a  few 
years  Keokuk  became  quite  a  little  village.  In  1837 
it  was  platted  by  Dr.  Galland.  Mr.  Campbell  sold 
out  what  he  called  his  potato  patch  upon  the  side 
of  the  hill,  during  the  spring  of  that  year,  to  Dr. 
Galland,  who  represented  the  New  York  Land 
Company.  The  town  was  laid  off  by  Mr.  Hraltle, 
an  engineer  who  came  over  from  Ft.  Edwards.  Dr. 
Galland  received  a  very  limited  education  when 
young,  but  was  a  man  of  strong  intellectual  power. 
This  he  used  to  such  good  advantage  that  he  be- 
came a  pretty  well  educated  man;  was  a  good  phy- 
sician and  a  fair  lawyer,  and  was  well  versed  in 
ancient  and  modern  history.  He  was  a  man  of  good 
presence,  gentle  and    polite,  full   of  adventure  and 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


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foiicl  of  travel.  When  quite  young  he  went  to  New 
Mexico,  and  was  there  seized  by  the  Spanish  au- 
thorities on  suspicion  of  having  some  evil  designs 
against  the  Government,  and  was  confined  for  one 
year  in  an  adobe  prison  at  Santa  Fe.  Upon  his  re- 
lease he  returned  to  the  United  States,  locating  for 
a  while  in  Indiana.  In  1854  he  went  to  California. 
Returning  in  1 855,  he  bought  a  residence  at  Ft. 
Madison,  where  he  lived  until  his  death.  He  was 
a  man  of  undaunted  courage,  and  a  pure  type  of 
the  frontiersman.  See  sketch  of  Washington  Gal- 
land. 

The  first  regular  hotel  was  opened  in  1840,  and 
known  as  the  Keokuk  House.  L.  B.  Fleak  was  the 
proprietor.  It  was  a  three-story  house,  constructed 
of  split  timber  and  weather-boarded,  and  provided 
with  green  cottonwood  partitions.  This  hostelry 
had  the  honor  at  one  time  (1841)  of  lodging  the 
Prince  De  Joinville  and  suite,  who  were  on  their  re- 
tui'n  from  Green  Bay,  where  they  had  been  in 
quest  of  the  lost  and  much  looked-for  Bourbon  heir 
to  the  throne  of  France. 

The  first  school  taught  here  was  in  1 8.33,  bj' 
Jesse  Creighton,  a  shoemaker  bj^  trade.  It  was  a 
private  school  and  his  pupils  numbered  eight. 

A  post-office  was  opened  in  1841,  in  the  hotel, 
■with  L.  B.  Fleak  as  Postmaster.  About  this  period 
the  population  was  estimated  at  150  souls. 

The  first  church  building  erected  was  by  the 
Catholic  society,  in  1838.  After  the  year  1842, 
emigration  came  in  quite  freely,  and  in  the  early 
part  of  the  year  1848  the  inhabitants  numbered 
upward  of  2,000.  Its  future  seemed  secure,  and 
the  people  thought  it  deserving  of  city  honors. 
Measures  were  accordingly  taken  to  this  end.  The 
town  was  incorporated  under  the  act  of  the  General 
Assemblj',  approved  Feb.  23,  1847.  The  first 
election  was  held  Jan.  3,  1848.  AVilliam  A.  Clark 
was  elected  Mayor,  and  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Council  was  held  January  10  following.  In  look- 
ing over  the  names  of  tlie  city  officials  from  the 
first  to  the  present  time,  we  find  the  names  of  Keo- 
kuk's best  citizens.  F^rom  them  there  could  be 
nothing  less  than  an  honest  and  able  Government, 
and  one  administered  in  the  interest  of  the  city. 
The  present  Mayor  is  James  C.  Davis. 

Keokuk    is  largely    a    manufacturing   city.     Its 


wholesale  trade  is  its  pride  and  the  envy  of  other 
cities.  The  pioneers  of  the  jobbing  trade  and  the 
manufacturing  enterprises,  were  public-spirited, 
far-seeing  men,  and  planned  much  better  than  they 
knew.  Their  successors  have  been  apt  scholars, 
and  these  branches  of  Inisiness  to-day  are  on  a 
solid  foundation,  extending  their  trade  into  Illin(;is, 
Missouri,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, Texas  and  the  Western  Territories.  The 
retail  trade,  also,  is  excellent,  and  some  of  the  retail 
stores  would  do  credit  to  any  city. 

The  next  important  enterprise  that  was  completed 
was  the  Keokuk  &  Hamilton  Bridge  across  the  Mis- 
sissippi. This  bound  still  closer  together  in  bonds 
of  commercial  interest  the  two  great  States  of  Illi- 
nois and  Iowa,  and  added  much  to  the  business  and 
growth  of  Keokuk.  It  was  completed  in  1871,  and 
the  first  train  passed  over  it  April  19  of  that  year. 
Aside  from  the  railroad  business,  the  wagon  traffic 
over  this  bridge  is  very  large. 

Following  the  above  in  impoytance  was  tlie  con- 
struction of  the  United  States  Canal  across  the  I)es 
Moines  Rapids.  This  canal  was  opened  for  navi- 
gation during  the  season  of  1877.  The  construction 
and  operation  of  this  canal  has  materially  aided 
Keokuk,  and  has  been  of  incalculable  benefit  to  the 
country  bordering  the  Mississippi  River. 

WATKR  WORKS. 

With  the  railroads,  and  such  grand  enterprises 
completed  as  the  Government  Canal  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi Bridge,  the  people  of  Keokuk  thought  thej' 
would  be  hazarding  their  reputation  for  progressive- 
ness  unless  they  went  to  work  and  constructed 
water  works  for  the  citj-.  Under  this  spirit  the 
Water  Works  Company  was  organized  in  April, 
1877,  with  a  capital  stock  of  *1 00,000,  and  plans 
furnished  by  W.  C.  Stripe,  an  eminent  engineer, 
were  adopted  by  the  City  Council.  Great  credit  is 
due  this  engineer  for  his  indomitable  energy  in 
pushing  through  his  plans,  as  well  as  to  the  citizens 
who  seconded  him.  The  system  known  as  the  Holly 
System  was  adopted,  the  efficiency  of  which  is  too 
well  known  to  need  any  comment.  The  works 
were  completed  in  the  summer  of  1878,  and  final 
tests  were  made  in  July  of  tiiat  year.  The  worjcs 
are  located  on  the  baiil<s  <>f  the  Mississip[)i,  from 
which  the   water  is   taken.     Tlie  filtcrci-  is  50x15 


nil 


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mi 


feet,  through  which  all  water  for  private  consump- 
tion passes. 

There  are  ten  miles  of  mains,  which  cover  the 
business  portions  of  the  city  and  nearly  all  of  the 
resident  portion.  The  hydrants  are  numerous  and 
conveniently  located.  The  pumping  machinery  is 
among  the  best  manufactured  by  the  Holly  Manu- 
facturing Conipany.  The  engine  is  of  a  compound 
type,  and  is  guaranteed  to  perform  a  duty  equal 
to  raising  .5(1,000,000  pounds  of  water  one  foot, 
with  tiie  use  of  100  pounds  of  coal.  The  cost  of 
the  works  was  about  $100,000. 

FIRE  DEl'ARTMEXT. 

A  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  was  organized  in 
1856.  About  this  time  the  Young  American  Fire 
C'ompanj^  was  also  organized,  and  embraced  many 
who  became  in  after  years  quite  noted  in  one 
way  or  ant>ther.  They  sent  to  Baltimore  and  bought 
one  hand-engine  which  they  called  Galler^^  and  to 
Boston  for  the  other,  to  which  the}'  applied  tiie 
name  Iloueyraan.  The  first  steam  engine  was 
purciiased  in  186G,  another  was  subsequently  pur- 
chased whicli  belonged  to  the  Rolla  Fire  Company, 
and  tlie  engine  was  christened  Rolla.  There  was 
also  another  company  organized,  the  Union  Fire 
Company  No.  3.  .Since  the  construction  of  the 
water  works,  Init  little   use  is  had  for  fire   engines. 

The  Fire  Department  consists  of  Chief  Engineer, 
Assistant,  and  twelve  ilinutemen.  It  is  a  paid  de- 
partment. Thej'  have  three  hose  houses  and  three 
teams  always  ready.  This  department  paj's  to  the 
Water  Works  Company  $75  per  annum  for  each 
hydrant. 

«—;;;-  — K>4><- -X— ?> 

Biiiikiu$>'. 

(^z^^HK  banking  facilities  of  Keokuk  are  excel- 
lent. The}'  are  conducted  by  men  of  expe- 
rience, who  hold  the  confidence  of  the  peo- 
ple. They  are  enterprising  and  liberally  disposed  to 
aid  all  public  enterprises  that  are  worthy.  The  bank- 
ing capital  employed  is  about  $400,000,  and  the 
average  deposits  are  about  |>900,000.  Dividends 
ai'e  paid  regularly. 

IllE    KKOKIK     SAVINfi.S    BAN'K. 

This  liank  was  organized  Jan.  2,  1808,  with  E<1- 


ward  Johnstone  as  the  first  President,  and  the  first 
Cashier  was  William  Thompson.  In  January,  1869, 
Johnstone  was  elected  Cashier  and  h;is  held  that 
position  ever  since.  In  March,  1869,  C.  F.  Davis 
was  chc)sen  President,  and  has  continually  been  re- 
elected from  that  time  on.  At  the  time  of  organi- 
zation the  capital  stock  .subscribed  was  $100,000, 
paid  up  capital  $50,00().  Jan.  1,  1886,  paid  up 
capital  was  $75,000;  on  .Inly  1  following  the  paiil 
up  capital  was  $100,000. 

The  immediate  care  and  management  of  this 
bank  devolves  upon  that  able  and  trustworthy 
financier,  Judge  Johnstone.  The  Savings  Bank  is 
one  of  the  old,  reliable  institutions  of  the  county, . 
and  has  won  the  confidence  of  the  people.  Its  of- 
ficers are  always  polite  and  nceommodating. 

KEOKIK     NATIONAL    HANK. 

This  bank  was  organized  June  15,  1872,  with  a 
capital  stock  of  $100,000.  The  first  President  was 
William  Patterson,  and  Kdwin  F.  Brownell  the  first 
Cashier.  William  Patterson  held  the  presidencj- 
until  1882,  when  he  retired  on  account  of  ill-health, 
and  S.  P.  Pond,  the  present  incumbent,  was  elected, 

STATE    ISANK    OK    IOWA. 

In  October,  1858,  this  bank  was  organized,  with 
Samuel  Miller,  President.  In  May,  1865,  it  was 
merged  into  the  State  National  Bank,  of  Keokuk, 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $150,000,  and  with  James 
F.  Cox,  President.  Mr.  Cox  died  in  1877,  and  A. 
Hosmer  was  elected  President.  At  the  expiration 
of  the  charter  the  bank  was  re-organized  as  a  private 
banking  institution.  This  was  in  May,  1885.  Mr. 
Hosmer  is  still  President.  The  directors  and  of- 
ficers of  this  bank  are  representative  citizens,  in 
whose  judgment  in  matters  pertaining  to  finance 
great  confidence  is  placed.  Mr.  Hosmer  is  the  pre- 
siding genius  of  the  bank. 

(()MMl;U(  lAI,     IIANK. 

This  bank  was  organized  in  l!S46  by  George  C. 
Anderson,  as  a  private  bank.  In  1872  it  was  in- 
corporated as  the  Commercial  Bank,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $50,000,  and  II.  F.  Bower,  President,  and 
J.  H.  Ilobbs,  Cashier.  In  1882  Mr.  Jaeger  liought 
out  the  concern,  and  it  is  still  owned  and  managed 
bj'  him. 


i\ 


BSi 


i;lc 


LEE  COUNTY. 


Mainifacturiiis"  Interests. 

ANUFAC'TOIilES    are    the  potent  factoi's 

that  contribute  to  the  development  of  a  city. 

If  a  town  does  not  have  these  industries  it 

has  no  solid  structure  upon  which  to  base 

its    prosperity.     A    town    niay    have    spasmodic 

E   booms,  to   use   a    modern    phrase,    occasioned    by 

[;   speculation  in  xeal  estate,  or  by  favorable  currents 

;   of  trade,  but  without  manufactories  to  sustain  it  it 

§   has  no  reliable  basis  of  growth.  The  West  has  paid 

E   tribute  to  the   Eastern  manufactories  since  its  set- 

E    tlement.     Each  year,  however,  sees  the  amount  re- 

S   duced,  with  a  corresponding  increase  of  the  manu- 

a   facturing  industries  in    the    West.     Capitalists   of 

S   the  West,  not  being  familiar  with   this   branch    of 

S   business,   have   alw.ays   been  a  little  shy  of  invest- 

=    ment  in  it.     Year  by  year,  however,  as  one  manu- 

S   factory  after  another  achieves  success,  this  shyness 

is    wearing  off.     Particularly   has   it  been  so  with 

Keokuk.  Since  the  beginning  of  the  present  decade 

her  business  men  have  been  giving  special  attention 

to  this  matter,  and  the  result  has  been  that  Keokuk 

is  now  the  leading  manufacturing  city  in  Iowa. 

The  Keokuk  Stove  Works  were  established  in 
1855,  and  the  company  was  re-organized  in  1884. 
It  was  established  by  J.  C.  Estes,  who  was  suc- 
j  ceeded  by  B.  A.  Williams,  and  then  by  the  Com- 
stock  Brothers  in  18(i2.  In  1875  the  company 
incorporated  with  a  capital  stock  of  $75,000.  Gil- 
bert Comstock,  President,  and  George  II.  Com- 
stock,  Secretary.  This  arrangement  continued  un- 
til 1884,  under  the  name  of  the  Comstock  Stove 
Works.  At  that  time  it  was  changed  to  the  Keo- 
i  kuk  Stove  Works. 

It  is  the  oldest  works  established  west  of  the 
Mississippi.  They  manufacture  all  kinds  of  cook 
stoves — coal  and  wood — coal  and  wood  heat- 
iP;  ing  stoves,  and  parlor  stoves.  They  wake  about 
150  varieties  of  cook  stoves,  ^and  about  140  differ- 
ent styles  of  heaters.  The  company  employ  about 
sixtj'  men!  and  their  sales  average  $125,000.  The 
iriC  output  is  about  12,000  stoves  yearly.  The  stoves 
;  manufactured  by  this  company  give  general  satis- 
i|  J  faction  and  are  very  pc^pular.  William  Burkett  is 
il  i  President,  and  .J.  W.  Hobbs  is  .Secretary  and  Treas- 
i;  urer  of  tiie  compan}'. 
i)::        Keokuk  Central    Stove    Works.     This  company: 


was  incorporated  in  May,  1884,  with  a  capital  stock 
of  *GO,000 ;  President,  A.  J.  McCreary ;  Secretary 
and  Manager,  Gilbert  Comstock,  and  A.  Hosmer, 
Treasurer.  In  18S5  the  capital  stock  was  increased 
to  |i75,00O.  It  manufactures  cooking,  parlor  and 
heating  stoves  for  both  wood  and  coal.  It  makes 
about  forty  different  varieties,  and  about  150  differ- 
ent sizes.  It  consumes  from  800  to  1,000  tons  of 
iron,  and  turns  out  about  12,000  stoves,  from  190,- 
000  to  $100,000  in  value  annually.  Their  market 
extends  as  far  as  Colorado  and  south  to  Texas. 
Their  iron  is  mostly  from  Ohio,  Missouri  and  Ala- 
bama. The  stoves  made  by  this  company  are  first- 
class  and  have  a  ready  market. 

The  Keokuk  Canning  Co.  was  incorporated  in 
1881,  with  a  capital  stock  of  *10,000,  which  was 
increased  to  $25,000  in  1883.  The  present  officers 
are  William  Ballinger,  President;  D.  P.  White, 
Vice  President;  H.  A.  Heaslip,  Secretary;  P.  II. 
Crowley,  Superintendent.  During  the  season,  which 
lasts  about  three  months,  it  cans  about  50,000 
twentj'-four-can  cases.  While  at  work  it  employs 
about  200  persons.  In  connection  with  the  above 
this  company  have  a  pickle  factory.  It  puts  up 
vegetables,  pickles,  catsups,  etc.,  which  is  an  indus- 
try that  is  growing  in  Keokuk. 

The  Keokuk  Pickle  Company,  which  was  incorpor- 
ated in  1881,  is  another  similar  manufactorj-,  which 
is  very  creditable  to  the  city.  Its  pickle  business  is 
quite  extensive,  and  it  also  puts  up  pigs-feet,  krout, 
and  manufactures  vinegar.  The  past  season  this 
company  put  up  17,000  barrels  of  pickles,  using 
50,000  bushels  of  cucumbers. 

The  raising  of  tomatoes  and  cucumbers  for  the 
canning  factories  here  has  become  quite  a  business. 
It  has  brought  into  availability  a  great  deal  of  land 
in  Jackson  Townsiiip,  that  otherwi.se  was  of  little 
value,  and  given  to  those  that  cultivate  it  a  profit- 
able employment. 

S.  C.  &  S.  Carter  are  large  dealers  in  and  mauu- 
f.acturers  of  lumber,  doors,  blinds,  sash,  moldings, 
packing-boxes,  and  all  kinds  of  woodwork  that  en- 
ters into  the  construction  of  a  house.  This  is  an 
old  and  reliable  house,  and  was  establisiied  in  1 854. 
They  employ  on  an  average  about  thirty  men. 

The  Bucke3'e  Foundry  and  Machine  Shop  was  es- 
tablished in  184!),  liy  S.  S-  Vail,  A.  Vail  and  S.  Ar- 


-^xx. 


'  TXTXI.IXXIXA  XXXI  rxxxxx 
1  iiiir: 


mil  ir-rr 


pT-Tj  :,, 


624 


m 

m 


LEE  COUNTY. 


initage.  The  st^ie  of  the  firm  has  changed  several 
times  since  that  date,  ami  the  business  is  now  car- 
ried on  l>y  ^MeElro}-  it  Arniitage.  Thoy  euiplo\- 
from  fifty  to  sixtj"  men,  iiKUitifacture  semi-i)ortalile 
and  stationary  engines,  .'iml  liut<liers'  tanking-  out- 
fits.    They  enjoj-  a  prosiicnjus  liusinecss. 

Keokuk  Cracker  and  Candy  Company.  This  is 
an  enterprise  that  is  very  creditable  U>  Ivccknk.  It 
was  established  in  August,  1H,S3.  The  machinery 
is  of  the  must  apiiruvcd  patterns,  and  the  building 
and  all  the  :uT;nigemcnts  are  admirably  adapted  for 
the  business.  It  was  estalilislied  by  .lames  W.  .Sum- 
mers, James  Fit/.llenry  and  M.  W.  McCoy. 

S.  T.  Wi  irley  tt  Son's  Carriage  Factory  is  another 
important  Keokuk  industry.  Mr.  Worley  estab- 
lished his  factorj'  in  ISGCi.  In  1S84  he  took  his  son, 
W.  H.,  into  partnership  with  him.  In  1885  they 
erected  their  large  new  brick  Imilding. 

The  Western  Foundry  and  Machine  .Shop,  liy  An- 
drews, Leottler  &  Co.,  was  established  in  1 872.  This 
firm  make  a  specialty  of  manufacturing  the  Andrews 
Patent  Brick  Press  and  Pulverizer,  and  also  do  all 
other  kinds  of  shop  and  machine  work.  The  An- 
drews Press  is  an  excellent  device  f(ir  making  brick, 
and  is  gaining  a  wide  reputation.  With  this  press 
it  is  claimed  that  18,000  brick  can  be  turned  out 
every  ten  hours,  and  this  has  been  established  by 
actual  working  tests.  The  machine  was  patented 
in  1882. 

The  Gate  City  Carriage  Factory  was  established  in 
1856,  by  Myers  &  Reeves.  The  latter  retired  in 
1861.  Thomas  Myers  was  burnt  out,  but  rebuilt  in 
186U. 

Keokuk  Windmill  and  Engine  Companj'.  This 
business  was  established  in  1881.  W.  H.  Aldrich  is 
President,  and  II.  M.  Laurie,  Secretary.  The  com- 
p.any  is  incorporated  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,- 
000.  They  manufacture  the  Aldrich  AVindmill,  and 
pumps  and  tanks. 

Tabor  &  Co.,  gang-saw  and  shingle  mills.  This 
is  an  extensive  establishment,  and  is  owned  and 
operated  bj'  men  who  have  done  much  toward  the 
building  up  of  this  trade  in  the  city,  and  are  well 
known  to  the  lumber  trade.  Their  mill  is  thor- 
oughly equipiifd  vvitii  tlic  latest  and  most  Mpiiroved 
machinery. 

The  Ilamblctiin  .Milling  (Omiiaiiy  was  organized 


IS 

as  the  successors  of  B.  F.  Hambleton  ik  Co.,  of  the  3:;i 

Imperial  Alills.  The  new  organization  madearevo-  Sr 

lution  in  the  tlonr  manufacturing  business  of  Keo-  KiiK 

"- 1 
kuk,  by    taking  out  the  old  machinery  and  putting  3kl 

in   the  roller  system.     Their  mill  now  has  all  the  S' i 

s.;  1 
latest  imiirovements.     It   has  thirteen  rollers,  and  c  i 

the   mill    is  cinwded   most  of  the  time  night  and  Sti 

day  to  meet  the  demands  of  their  trade.  JSl 

Avers  <S:   Decker  manufacture   barbed  wire  and  b;1 

Bfl 
eurry  combs.     They  first  established  their  business  fci 

at  Bushnell,  111.,  and  moved  to  Keokuk  in  1886.        S^l 

Cacy  &  Company's  i)ork-packing  establishment  jr'i 
is  one  of  the  largest  packing-houses  in  the  State.  It  Se} 
is  conducted  by  foreign  capital,  the  maiTi  house  be-  b;;} 
ing  at  Belfast,  Ireland.  A  large  portion  of  their  -_  \ 
trade  is  in  Eunjpe. 

Dr.  Baker  &  .Son,  manufacturei's  of  family  medi-  ~  ^ 
cine.  Keokuk  need  not  send  abroad  for  her  medi- 
cines, for  they  are  made  within  her  own  corporate  ;,  J 
limits.  Dr.  Baker  has  been  engaged  in  this  busi-  si  j 
ness  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  has  estab- 
lished a  reputation  for  his  medicines  that  extends 
f.ar  and  near.  His  medicines  have  been  thoroughly 
introduced  tliroughont  the  States  of  Iowa.  Illinois, 
Indiana,  Missouri,  Wisconsin,  Kansas  and  Ne- 
braska, and  have  given  general  satisfaction. 

Blom's  Soap  Factory  was  established  many  years 
ago,  and  the  product  made  is  well  known  to  the 
trade.  Blom's  Soaps" sell  readily  and  give  general 
.s.atisfaction. 

There  are  mauj'  other  manufacturing  industries  ;  { 
which  space  will  not  permit  to  mention  in  detail. 
According  to  the  best  estim.ate  the  goods  manu- 
f.actured  at  Keokuk  last  3'ear  amounted  to  about 
|!4,500,000,  which  is  an  excellent  showing  for  a 
town  of  her  size. 

KKOKI  K   Ol'KU.V   HOUSE. 

This  liuilding   is  of  recent  construction,  and   is 
the  finest  in  the  State.     In  its  design  and  finish  it  is 
elegant,  and  in  all  its  appointments  complete.     Its 
auditorium   is  commodious,  having  a  seating  ca-  s 
pacity    of    1,000    persons.     The    building    is   con-  ; 
structed  of  brick,  and  its  architecture  is  verj^  pleas-  : 
ing.     Tiie  auditorium   is  entered  from  the  ground  3 
tloor,  affording  easy  escape  in  case  of  fire.    Take  it  : 
altogether  it  is  a  monument  to  the  gr.and  t;rste  and  : 
I    enterprise  of  the  peoi)le  of  Keokuk.  tM 


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r'ririir'HrJ|. 


HAND   I'ARK. 


The  initiatory  steps  for  the  construction  of  this 
park  were  taken  in  1883,  by  the  purchase  of  tliirty- 
three  acres  of  ground  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
city.  Work  was  commenced  in  the  spring-  of  1884, 
and  has  been  continued  e'  er  since,  under  apropria- 
tions  annually  made  by  the  city.  The  last  apiiro- 
priation  (1880)  was  $.55,000.  The  Park  Commis- 
sioners are  (ieorge  ]).  Rand.  James  McNauiara  and 
Henry  Tiete. 

A  fine  artesian  well  was  completed  here  in  1885. 
It  has  a  depth  of  741  feet,  which  was  secured  at  a 
cost  of  11,880.  The  flow  is  250  gallons  per  min- 
ute. The  water,  w'hich  comes  out  with  great  foi'ce, 
is  strongly-  mineral.  Around  the  well  is  to  be  con- 
structed a  beautiful  fountain.  After  the  water  has 
been  through  the  park,  forming  lakes  and  creeks 
and  cascades,  it  is  carried  into  the  main  sewei'S  of 
the  city,  and  linall}'  empties  into  the  Mississippi 
below  the  town,  having  a  most  salutary  effect  in  a 
sanitary  point  of  view.  C^uite  a  collection  of  ani- 
mals and  birds  has  already  been  placed  in  the 
park.  It  was  named  in  h(mor  of  George  D.  Rand, 
a  prominent  citizen  of  the  cit}'.  The  location  is  a 
beautiful  one  and  very  picturesque,  being  also  one 
of  the  highest  points  in  the  city.  It  borders  the 
Great  Mississippi,  and  the  view  of  the  river  from 
the  high  bluft's  is  a  grand  one.  It  was  laid  out  with 
exceedingly  good  taste,  and  every  point  of  at- 
traction has  been  brought  out  to  the  best  advan- 
tage. The  flower  plats  are  already  large  and  con- 
tain a  great  variety  of  plants.  There  are  also  nu- 
merous shrubs  and  trees,  carriage-ways  ami  walks, 
and  pretty  little  lakes. 

Rand  Park  is  indeed  a  great  credit  to  the  enter- 
prise and  intelligence  of  the  citizens  of  Keokuk,  and 
is  unequaled  by  any  cit^'  in  the  State,  though  3'et 
far  fnmi  being  finished.  It  is  here  that  a  monument 
to  the  chief  Keokuk  is  being  erected.  There  are 
three  other  small  parks  in  the  city — Kilbourn,  Tri- 
angular and  Bluff. 

KKOKT'K   LIUKAnV   ASSOC  lATIOX. 

The  first  meeting  to  take'  into  consideration  the 
matter  of  establishing  a  public  library  and  reading 
room  for  the  city  was  held  Nov.  20,  180;).  There 
were  several  meetings  foUowinu;  this  and  it  was  de- 


^ 


iM)o,  10    oe   useci  lor   the  ^-f^ 
ing,  the  association  have    H  jH 
The  building   was  cuu]-  If^^ 


cided  to  make  a  stock  association,  witli  the  stock 
at  810  a  share,  and  that  as  so<m  .IS  $500  had  been 
subscribed  to  organize.  In  December,  180.i,  the 
following  named  officers  were  elected:  A.  ,J.  AVil- 
kinson.  President;  George  W.  McCrary,  Vice  Presl-^ 
dent;  George  C.  Thompson,  .Secretniy,  and  Howard  }| 
Tucker,  Treasurer. 

There  was  but  little  done  the  first  year,  Init  the 
second  some  progress  was  made.  The  lil)rarj'  was 
first  opened  for  the  delivery  of  books  in  June,  1801. 
The  total  value  of  the  library  at  this  time,  including 
books,  pictures  and  fixtures,  was  >;o,0()(i. 

Through  the  liberality  of  J.   L.    Rice,   deceased, 
who  left  a  legacy  of  §1 0,000,  to   be   used  for   the 
erection  of  a  library  buildin; 
now  very  fine   quai-teis. 

pleted  in  1883,  at  a  cost  of  $10,000,  the  ground 
having  been  purchased  for  §7,000.  The  building- 
is  constructed  of  brick,  and  is  attractive  in  its 
architecture.  The  association  has  about  7,000  vol- 
umes now,  with  a  good  museum  collection.  This 
is  an  institution  very  creditable  to  the  people,  and 
one  from  which  they  derive  great  benefit. 

liKi.Kiiors. 

From  the  erection  of  St.  .lohn's  Catholic  Church 
edifice  on  Blondean  street  in  1838,  and  the  hold- 
ing of  services  therein,  up  to  the  present  time,  relig- 
ious societies  have  increased  in  numbers  and  their 
buildings  have  improved  in  excellence  of  construc- 
tion and  architecture,  and  to-day  there  is  no  city 
in  the  State  that  can  equal  Keokuk  in  her  church 
edifices.  From  the  cabins,  in  which  services  were 
once  held  by  the  different  denominations,  elegant 
edifices  have  arisen,  their  graceful  spires  tapering 
toward  Heaven,  in  all  parts  of  the  city.  Where  at 
first  there  were  only  a  few  humble  worshipers,  they 
ma^'  be  now  counted  by  the  thousands.  'J"he  faith- 
ful entered  upon  their  work  with  a  faith  and  zeal 
that  knows  no  fatigue,  nor  recognizes  defeat,  and 
with  Christ  as  their  guide,  labored  in  increasing 
their  numbers  ;iud  solidifying  their  organizations. 

Ke(jkuk  has  n<nv  twenty -six  religious  organiza- 
tions, all  having  buildings,  and  most  of  them  in  a 
prosperous  condition.  Some  of  them  have  grand 
edifices,  such  as  would  do  credit  to  a  metropolis, 
and  especially  llie  two  that  luive  been   built  within 


icnA^m 


111 


1 
1 


the  last  two  years,  the  St.  Peter's  Catholic,  and  the 
St.  John's  Episcopal. 

KDICATIOXAI.. 

The  citizens  of  Keokuk  from  the  earliest  settle- 
ment have  evinced  a  desire  for  education,  and  from 
the  humble  followers  of  St.  Crispin,  Jesse  Creigh- 
ton,  who  left  his  trade  to  take  upon  himself  the  re- 
sponsibility of  instructing  the  youth  of  this  i)lace, 
they  have  been  enlarging  their  educational  facilit- 
ies and  improving  tlieir  methods  of  instruction.  A 
very  good  criterion  b}'  which  to  judge  of  a  city  is 
its  schools.  Nothing  better  indicates  the  genuine 
progress  of  a  town. 

Tiie  jiublic  sciiools  of  Keokuk  have  been  the 
model  for  many  of  the  towns  of  Iowa  to  pattern  ; 
aftei'.  The  general  man.<igement  of  these  schools 
is  in  charge  of  an  educational  board  whose  culture 
and  refinement,  as  also  their  business  e.xperience, 
have  peculiarly  fitted  them  for  this  important  duty. 
The  system  embraces  eight  primary-  or  grammar 
schools,  with  seven  grades,  uniform  in  each,  all 
culminating  in  the  High  Schools,  the  entire  course 
ic(piiiing  eleven  years  in  its  completion.  The 
grades,  however,  are  so  arranged  as  t<i  be  complete 
each  in  itself,  wiiicli  uniformh'  enables  tlie  pupils 
to  pursue  the  studies  of  their  grade  in  either  of  the 
schools  of  the  city.  The  curriculum  embraces  all  of 
the  higher  branches,  and  in  the  arts  and  sciences  is 
ei]nal  to  any  public  schools  of  the  State.  The  pri- 
vate schools  in  the  city  are:  St.  \'incent's,  con-  I 
ducted  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity;  St.  Mary's  and 
St.  Peter's,  Catholic ;  Peirce's  Commercial  College, 
;ind  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons. 

The  St.  Mncent  Acadeni}-  was  establisiied  in 
1H()7,  since  which  time  the  Sisters  have  made  great 
improvements  in  the  school.  They  have  now  a 
fine  building,  commodious  and  neatly  furnished. 
The  Academy  is  under  the  charge  of  the  Sisters  of 
Charity,  who  c:ime  from  Emmitsburg.  .Mil.  A 
pretty  little  chapel  is  one  of  the  attractive  features 
of  the  Acadeny. 

Tiie  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  was  first 
located  at  La  Porte,  liid.,  sometime  in  the  forties. 
It  was  transfi'rred  from  La  Porte  to  .Madison  in 
l^!4.s,  ;uid  incorporated  as  the  Madison  Medical 
College,  witii  a  br.inch  at  Rock  Island.  One  session 
was    held    at  Uock  Island,   and  one  at  Mailison  and 


Davenport,  when,  in  1850,  it  was  removed  to  Keo- 
kuk. Here  a  faculty  was  organized,  and  the  insti- 
tutioii  wa.s  styled  the  College  <jf  Physicians  and 
■Surgeons  of  the  Medical  Department  of  the  Iowa 
State  University.  In  1852  J.  C.  Ilugiies  be- 
came Dean,  and  continued  in  this  position  until  lie 
died,  Aug.  10,  1881.  He  was  succeeded  by  liis 
son,  J.  C.  Hughes,  Jr.,  who  is  the  [iresent  Dean. 
John  H.  Craig  succeeded  E.  J.  (iilbert  as  Presi- 
dent, and  holds  that  position  at  present.  The  ])rcs* 
ent  officers  of  the  faculty  are:  Ccorge  F.  Jenkins, 
President;  George  C.  Morgridge,  Vice  President; 
J.  C.  Hughes,  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  J.  A. 
Scroggs,  Secret:iry. 

This  institution  is  one  of  the  most  eminent  in 
the  West,  or  country,  and  embraces  in  its  Alumni 
representatives  from  every  State  in  the  Union,  num- 
bering since  the  college  came  here  2,500.  Their 
success  and  intlueiiceiii  the  profession  are  creditable 
alike  to  themselves  and  their  Alma  Mater.  The 
college  building  is  a  fine  substantial  structure,  and 
occupies  a  central  position  in  the  city.  The  college 
museum  presents  the  largest  and  most  extensive 
collection  in  the  State,  furnishing  each  department 
with  rare  and  valuable  collections  for  illustration. 
The  business  outlook  of  the  city  is  very  encourag- 
ing, and  its  remarkable  increase  within  the  last  few 
years  is  certainly  very  flattering.  In  all  the 
branches  of  industry  and  trade,  there  seems  to  be  a 
health}'  increase.  From  recent  statistics  it  is  shown 
that  the  four  banking  institutions  do  a  business  of 
over  |iG(J, (100,000;  in  regular  emplo3'ment  there 
are  upward  of  3,000  men,  with  capital  invested  of 
over  $4,000,000,  the  product  of  which  is*15,000,. 
000;  the  result  of  the  combination  of  labor  and 
capital. 

The  city  is  well  laid  out,  her  streets  are  wide,  and 
about  the  business  portion  there  is  a  very  fair  pave- 
ment. Tlirough  the  resilient  portions  there  is  a 
gooil  road  l)ed.  In  this  part  the  streets  are  orna- 
mented with  a  tine  growth  of  trees,  through  which 
may  be  seen  many  line  i-esidences.  The  heavy 
undulating  surface  of  the  land  on  which  the  city 
was  located  afforded  many  rare  sites  for  dwelling  lots 
wiiich  the  citizens  did  not  fail  to  embrace.  Th(jse 
;ire  considcreil  the  most  dcsirMlilo  whi<'li  coniinand 
a  view  of   tiic  Mississippi. 


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Keokuk  is  situated  upon  the  west  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  at  its  fonrtueiicc  with  the  Des 
!  Moiues,  in  the  sdutheast  curner  of  the  State,  nnd  is 
very  appropiiately  callefl  the"(iate  City."  Its 
population  at  the  present  time  may  he  justly  esti- 
mated at  10,000,  and  being  in  the  center  of  ;i  great 
and  exceedingly  productive  country,  abounding  in 
coal,  timber  and  the  best  kinds  of  Iniilding  stone,  it  is 
destined  to  move  on  in  its  growth,  developing  its 
resources,  and  increasing  its  population  year  by 
year.     The  beauty  of  its    location  can    hardlj'   be 


surpassed.  Resting  grandly  upon  an  elevated 
plateau  overhjoking  the  waters  of  the  great  Missis- 
sippi as  they  majestically  flow  onward  to  the'Gulf, 
the  graceful  sweo})  of  the  Ues  Moines,  as  it  mingles 
its  waters  with  the  other;  all  [around  far  reaching 
valleys  and  hills,  with  fertile  fields  and  pastoral 
scenes,  the  pretty  quiet  cottage,'the  spire;  pointing 
heavenward,  Keokuk  can,  without  fear,  challenge 
theeountr}'  to  reproduce  a  site  )nore  couimanding, 
more  picturesque,  more  beautiful. 


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OME  of  the  most  beautiful  of 
the  smaller  cities  of  the  coun- 
try rest  on  the  banks  of  the 
great  Father  of  Waters.  This 
1  city,  the  county  seat  of  Lee 
County,  is  located  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  Mississippi,  in 
Madison  Township.  At  this 
oint  the  great  river  flows  nearly 
it,  hence  the  city  looking  toward 
river  faces  the  south.  In  1805, 
United  States  Government  sent 
■oops  here  under  command  of 
'apt.  Z.  M.  Pike,  to  erect  a  fort, 
and  to  have  a  military  station  here, 
to  protect  the  eountrj'  as  much 
from  the  British  Government  as  from  the  Indians. 
The  troops  occupying  this  post  and  their  attaches 
may  be  called  the  first  settlers  in  this  section  of  the 
country.     The   name    is    supposed    to    have    Ijeen 


given  to  the  fort  in  honor  of  James  Madison,  then 
a  rising  statesman.  A  trading-post  was  establislied 
here  about  the  time  the  fort  was  erected.  To  this 
was  given  the  name  of  Le  Moine  Factory,  which 
was  stocked  with  goods,  mostly  such  as  would 
take  the  fancy  or  appetite  of  the  Indians,  for  which 
skins,  furs,  etc.,  were  received  in  exchange. 

The  erection  of  Ft.  Madison  angered  Black 
Hawk  and  his  followers,  who  considered  it  a  direct 
violation  of  the  treaty  of  1804,  and  they  accord- 
ingly undertook  t<j  destroy  it,  but  failed.  Subse- 
quently they  undertook  to  accomplish  bj-  treaehei-y 
what  they  had  failed  to  do  by  force.  Around  the 
fort  was  coustructed  a  stockade.  A  party  of  Indians 
would  come  to  the  fort  and  a  few  of  their  number 
would  ask  and  receive  permission  to  go  inside  of  the 
stockade,  leaving  their  arms  behind  them,  and 
amuse  the  soldiers  by  engaging  in  their  dances. 
They  pretended  to  have  great  friendship  for  the 
otHcers  and  soldiers,  and  soon  gained  their   conti- 


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I.EK  COUNTY. 


fleneo.  Aniungtliese  Indians  was  Qiiah-a-(iii;i-iii:i. 
a  (•imiiing  old  eliiof.  These  amusements  continued 
for  sonu'  time,  when  one  bright  da.y  severaliiundred 
Indians  (•anie  to  the  fort,  inanifestinu  great  frieiul- 
shij)  as  usual  for  the  sokliers.  Tlie  ohl  chief  told 
them  that  he  wanted  to  amuse  them  that  night  with 
a  grand  Indian  dance  lief  ore  the  principal  gate.  As 
soon  as  it  was  dark  a  large  number  of  them,  decor- 
ated in  their  costumes,  appeared  before  the  gate 
and  commenced  their  dancing.  • 

While  the^-  were  going  on  with  their  amusement 
a  young  s(|uaw  came  to  the  fort  and  asked  to  see 
one  of  the  ollicers  to  whom  she  was  much  attached. 
(She  appeared  very  much  cast  down,  and  when  asked 
the  cause  of  her  sorrow,  she  told  tlie  oflicer  that  her 
people  had  hostile  intentions  against  the  fort,  and 
this  cntcrtainnienl  they  were  giving  the  soldiers 
was  only  a  ruse  to  divert  their  attention  while  they 
attacked  and  destroyed  the  garrison.  Uponreceiv. 
ing  this  information  the  commander  had  a  six-pound 
cannon  loaded  with  grape  shot  and  stationed  so  as 
to  bear  on  the  entrance  to  the  stoc'kade.  He  then 
l)laccd  a  sentinel  at  the  gate  with  oidcrs  nt)t  to  let 
in  luit  one  Indian  at  a  time,  and  if  more  attempted, 
to  bar  the  g.-ite.  Cjuah-a-qua-ma  and  a  number  of 
his  followers  were  admitted  in  this  order,  while  the 
dancing  was  kept  up  with  fervor  outside.  At  length 
all  the  dancers,  during  one  of  their  rounds,  m.'ide  a 
sudden  rush  for  the  gate.  At  this  moment  the 
commander,  who  had  been  watching  their  move- 
ments closely,  uncovered  the  cannon  which,  with  its 
open  mouth,  was  presented  to  the  full  view  of  the 
conspiring  savages,  with  a  soldier  standing  by,  torch 
in  hand,  read3' to  touch  it  off.  The  commander  then 
madi'  known  to  the  chief  his  danger,  and  charged 
him  with  treachery.  The  Indians  beat  a  hasty  re- 
treat, and  the  old  chief  made  his  escape.  Some  of 
the  Indians  were  captured,  however,  ;uid  on  their 
persons  w'ere  found  concealed  weapons.  Those 
captives  confessed  to  the  plot,  and  expected  noth- 
ing but  death,  )nit  the  commander,  after  a  short  im- 
prisonment, liberated  them  with  a  warning  that  if 
they  attempted  such  a  thing  again  tiiey  wonlil  re- 
ceive the  severest  penalty. 

No  further  attempts  were  made  against  the  fort 
until  the  war  willi(;reat  Britain  b)-okc  out.  During 
that  wai-  the  I'oit  was  again  attacked  b\   the  Indians 


and  a  regular  siege  was  laid.  The  sutler's  store- 
house was  outside  the  stockade  behind  one  of  the 
block-houses.  A  few  of  the  Indians  got  behind  this 
block-house  and  fired  into  the  jiort  holes  of  the 
block-house  near  it,  wounding  some  of  the  soldiere. 
It  was  discovered  that  the  plan  of  the  Indians  was, 
th.at  when  the  wind  was  favonible  to  set  fire  to  the 
j  storehouse  and  thus  burn  the  fort,  and  the  soldiers 
determined  to  thwart  their  fiendish  purposes.  At 
night,  at  a  favorable  oitportnnitv-  when  the  wind 
was  in  the  right  direction,  a  soldier  was  sent  out 
and  he  applied  the  torch  to  the  storehouse,  which 
was  soon  lai  1  in  ashes.  The  Indians  next  tried  to 
set  the  block-houses  on  fire  by  throwing  ignited 
arrows,  but  the  fire  was  put  out  on  the  roofs  by  the 
.soldiers  with  improvised  squirt-guns  made  from 
their  muskets,  and  they  soon  abandoned  their  efforts 
and  withdrew  to  a  place  of  safety  and  held  a  coun- 
cil. The  result  of  the  council  was  a  demand  for 
the  surrender  of  the  fort,  which  was  refused.  Then 
the  chief,  who  could  speak  French,  asked  for  a 
pai'ley.  He  was  asked  b3-  a  j'oung  man  who  was 
there,  and  who  could  speak  French,  what  proposi- 
tions he  had  t(j  make.  The  chief,  from  behind  the 
bank  of  the  river  which  concealed  him,  began  to 
talk.  The  3'oung  man  called  out  to  him  that  he 
could  not  hear,  whereupon,  in  order  to  make  him- 
self heard,  the  chief  raised  himself  a  little  above 
the  bank,  when  the  young  man  fired  at  him  and  he 
fell  mortally  wounded.  I  Laving  lost  their  chief, 
the  Indians  abandoned  their  efforts  to  destroy  the 
garrison  and  left. 

About  a  year  later,  or  in  1812,  the  Indians  made 
another  attack  on  the  fort,  and  failing  to  capture  it 
by  force,  they  tried  to  reduce  it  b^'  a  regidar  siege, 
which  reduced  the  little  garrison  to  the  greatest  ex- 
tremity, leaving  them  nothing  but  potatoes  to  live 
on,  and  even  these  were  fast  being  exhausted. 
There  was  no  certainty  of  receiving  any  supplies, 
and  after  much  deliberation  it  was  decided  to 
abandon  the  fort.  A  trench  was  dug  from  one  of 
the  block-houses  to  the  river.  There  were  some 
boats  belonging  to  the  garrison,  which  were  secretly 
prepared  and  made  ready  for  use.  When  every- 
thing was  ready  the  fort  was  set  on  fire,  and  under 
cover  of  the  fire  they  made  their  escape,  and  the 
garrison    was    nearly  burned    to  the   ground  before 


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11 


11 


the  lurtiaus,  vvhu  were  encamped  there  in  a  largo 
body,  were  aware  of  their  departure. 

The  troops  made  a  landing  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  Mississippi,  the  present  site  of  AVarsaw,  much 
exhausted  with  fatigue  and  hunger.  About  this 
time  a  boat  was  seen  coming  up  the  river,  laden 
with  supplies.  This  revived  their  spirits,  and  after 
having  a,  good  substantial  meal  and  a  little  rest, 
they  resolved  to  retreat  no  further,  and  at  once 
commenced  the  erection  of  another  fort,  which  was 
called   Ft.  Edwards. 

The  first  settler  that  caine  in  hei'e  after  the  fort 
was  burned  and  abandoned  was  Peter  Williams, 
who  made  a  claim  and  set  up  a  cabin,  in  1832. 
This  was  before  the  countrj^  was  opened  to  settle- 
ment under  the  treaty  made  with  the  Indians,  and 
Peter  was  summarily  dealt  with  for  his  audacity. 
The  troops  came  up  from  Rock  Island  (then  Ft. 
Armstrong),  pitched  his  cabin  into  the  river  and 
carried  him  off  a  prisoner,  and  Ft.  Madison  was 
again  left  without  an  inhabitant.  Peter,  however, 
had  the  metal  of  a  pioneer  in  him,  for  no  sooner 
had  the  Indians'  title  to  the  land  expired  (June, 
1833),  when  he  returned,  took  possession  of  his  old 
claim,  and  erected  another  cabin.  His  second  house 
was  located  near  the  river,  between  what  is  now 
Walnut  and  Chestnut  streets. 

Williams  hardly  had  his  cabin  warmed  up  before 
he  was  joined  by  Richard  Chaney,  who  came  up 
from  Chaney  Creek,  111.,  where  he  had  lived  for  a 
while.  His  claim  covered  the  old  cornfield  which 
had  been  cultivated  by  the  soldiers  of  the  fort,  and 
was  near  the  penitentiary  site.  He  cleared  off  this 
ground,  and  in  1834  raised  a  crop  of  corn.  Au- 
gustus Horton  came  also  in  1 833,  and  entered  a  claim 
on  what  is  now  the  upper  part  of  the  city.  Later 
on  in  the  season,  John  II.  and  Nathaniel  Knapp 
came  in,  the  former  purchasing  Ilorton's  claim,  and 
the  latter  made  a  claim  and  put  up  a  cabin  just 
above  the  foot  of  Elm  street.  John  built  his  cabin 
on  the  site  of  the  old  fort. 

John  II.  Knapp,  after  he  finished  his  cabin,  or 
dwelling,  built  a  frame  house  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  near  by,  into  which  he  put  some  goods,  and 
commenced  trading  with  the  Indians,  receiving  also 
the  patronage  of  the  few  white  people  that  were 
here.     This,  after  the  trading-post  of  the  fort,  was 


the  first  store  opened  in  Ft.  Madison.  .John  was 
an  enterprising  man,  and  was  one  of  those  useful  __ 
fellows  that  it  is  good  to  have  about  in  a  new  settle- ^^^'''' 
ment.  The  following  year  he  cleared  some  six  acres 
of  ground,  about  where  Morrison's  plow  works  are 
now  situated,  and  planted  it  in  corn  and  vegetables, 
and  also  erected  a  mill  for  grinding  corn  and  buck- 
wheat. It  was  run  by  horse-power,  and  was  the 
first  mill  erected  in  this  section  of  the  country.  In 
October,  1835,  his  family  arrived,  which  consisted 
of  his  wife  and  three  children,  and  they  began 
housekeeping,  which  was  the  first  establishment  of 
the  kind  in  Ft.  Madison  presided  over  by  a  white 
woman.  With  Knapp's  family  came  his  son-in-law, 
Joseph  S.  Douglass,  his  wife  and  two  children.  That 
fall  the  Knapps  laid  off  the  town.  Except  around 
the  old  fort  and  some  other  clearings  the  town  site 
was  pretty  heavily  timbered. 

In  183G  there  were  several  additions  made  to  the 
new  settlement,  and  the  Knapps  had  a  lively  bus- 
iness in  real  estate  operations.  During  that  year 
two  very  respectable  frame  houses  were  erected  by 
John  H.  and  Nathaniel  Knapp.  They  were  put  up 
for  hotels,  and  were  called  the  Madison,  and  the 
Washington  House. 

Both  of  the  Knapps  were  stirring  business  men, 
.and  under  their  infiuence  the  town  was  growing 
quite  rapidly.  This  was  cheeked,  however,  in  a 
short  time  by  their  death.  John  H.  died  from 
natural  causes,  but  his  brother  was  murdered  at 
Bentonsport.  Among  others  who  had  come  in  was 
Jacob  Cutler,  who  opened  a  store  in  the  first  fi-ame 
house  built.    This  house  had  been  built  by  John 


Knapp. 

The  village  w.as  incorporated  in  1 838.  An  elec- 
tion was  held  the  first  Monday  in  May  of  the  year, 
when  Philip  A'iele  was  chosen  President,  Robert 
AVyman,  Recorder,  and  Herbert  Morris,  Joseph 
Skinner,  Charles  McDill,  John  A.  Drake  and  Isaac 
Atlee,  Trustees.  In  1 842,  the  Legislature  granted 
the  town  a  citj'  charter,  and  an  election  was  held 
April  4,  1842,  when  Isaac  R.  Atlee  was  chosen 
Mayor.  The  city  grew  rapidly  and  soon  became 
quite  an  important  river  town. 

The  first  regular  Postmaster  of  the  town  was 
James  Douglass,  who  was  appointed  in  1836.  Edwin 
Guthrie  was  the  first  man  here  clotlied  with  judicial 


h:H 


H 


LfiE  COUNTY. 


honor.  This  he  received  from  the  Governor  of 
the  Territory  of  Michigan  in  1835.  Stiuire  Guthrie 
was  quite  a  character,  a  man  of  integrity,  and  a 
sticliler  for  justice,  wliicli  he  meted  out  Lo  the  poor 
as  well  as  the  rich. 

The  first  lawyer  to  settle  in  Kt.  Madison  was  a 
young-  man  from  Kentucky,  by  the  name  of  Alfred 
Rich,  in  1837.  There  was  not  much  practice  about 
here  then  for  any  one,  much  less  for  a  stranger,  and 
he  opened  a  school  with  some  dozen  pupils.  '  He 
soon  after  tooli  charge  of  a  land  case  in  which  he 
greatly  distinguished  himself.  Subsequent!}-  he  was 
elected  to  the  Legislature  and  became  a  prominent 
man  in  the  State. 

The  first  marriage  celebrated  here  was  between 
Enoch  Gilbert  and  Augusta  Knapp,  in  the  winter 
of  1835-30.  The  first  birth  was  the  son  of  Joseph 
S.  and  Almeda  Douglass. 

Among  the  early  settlers  there  were  many  who 
held  the  faith  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  in 
Mai'ch,  1838,  a  congregation  of  this  denomination 
was  organized  with  seventeen  members,  and  with 
Rev.  J.  A.  Clark,  as  pastor.  Patriotism  here  was 
as  strong  a  factor  as  religion,  and  a  Fourth  of  July 
celebration  followed  the  Church  organization.  At 
this  celebration.  Black  Hawk  was  present,  and  was 
greatly  lionized.  He  met  with  the  white  people 
around  the  festive  board  and  seemed  to  enjoy  it. 
A  toast  was  given  in  his  honor,  to  which  he  re- 
sponded with  the  eloquence  of  an  Indian  orator. 

The  first  steam  flourmill  erected  at  Ft.  Madison 
was  in  February,  184."),  by  W.  Hauxhurst,  which, 
was  quite  an  improvement  on  Mr.  Knapp's  process, 
though  in  all  probabilitj'  the  latter's  mill  at  that 
time  received  the  greater  welcome.  This  mill 
ground  out  fiour  for  the  people  for  some  fourteen 
years,  and  then  it  was  converted  into  a  distillery  to 
grind  out  whisky.     Jt  was  burned  down   in   18G2. 

The  Iowa  Penitentiary  was  located  at  Ft.  Madi- 
son long  before  Iowa  w.as  admitted  as  a  St.ate.  It 
was  built  by  tlie  (ieneral  Ctoveinment  in  1841,  and 
I  tin'ough  its  contract  system  and  manufacturing,  is 
one  of  the  city's  most  prominent  institutions.  The 
labor  is  let  to  three  Ft.  Madison  firms :  The  Iowa 
Farming  Tool  Company,  the  Ft.  Madison  Chair 
Company,  and  Iluiskamp  Bros.,  manufacturers  of 
boots  and  shoes.      In  addition  to  the  convict  labor. 


these    contractors   have    outside    overflow    shops 
where  employment  is  given  to  about  20()  nicu. 
>[AMi  Arri  Kixii    iNTi:i;i:sis. 

The  manufacturing  interests  lead  all  otiiers  of 
Ft.  Madison,  and  are  unequaled  by  any  town  of  its 
size  in  the  State.  It  is  these  industries  that  iiave 
built  u))  the  city  and  kept  her  prosperous;  and  no 
city  or  place  in  Iowa  is  better  adapted  for  manu- 
factories tliau  this. 

Tlie  Morrison  Manufacturing  Compau}-  started 
its  business  in  a  small  way  in  1865.  It  did  not 
have  much  capital,  but  had  energy  and  persever- 
ance, and  a  determination  to  succeed.  Tliis  was  the 
next  best  thing  to  capital,  and  witliout  tliis  would 
not  be  of  much  advantage.  The  first  article  it 
made  was  tlie  plow,  and  in  order  to  sell  it  witli  all 
the  competition  in  this  line,  the  Morrisons  knew 
they  liad  to  make  a  good  one.  Later  on  the}-  pro- 
duced their  cultivator,  now  known  throughout  the 
West  as  the  Morrison  Clevis  Spring  Cultivator. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  all  the  culti- 
vators made  and  has  an  extensive  sale.  They  then 
brought  out  the  gang  plow  and  the  road  scraper. 
All  the  implements  made  by  this  firm  have  a  fine 
reputation,  but  none  of  them  are  so  extensively 
known  and  used  as  the  Morrison  plow. 

The  Iowa  Farming  Tool  Company  is  one  of  the 
important  industries  of  Ft.  Madison.  The  articles 
maiuifactured  by  this  companj'  are  too  numerous  to 
mention  in  detail.  The  principal  product  is  agri- 
cultural tools.  Their  goods  are  of  a  superior 
((uality  and  workmanship,  and  made  in  more  than 
.500  i).atterns,  and  in  sizes  adapted  to  every  climate 
and  Tnarket.  Many  of  the  articles  are  inventions  of 
their  own,  for  which  it  has  an  exclusive  sale. 

The  company  employ  some  200  hands.  Its  prod- 
uct in  steel  goods  is  some  G0,000  dozen,  and  in 
wood  20,000;  and  they  consume  annually  20,000 
tons  of  coal  and  400  tons  of  iron  and  steel,  with 
500,000  of  handles.  This  com])any's  goods  go 
into  many  of  the  St.ites  of  the  Union,  and  are 
shipped  to  Great  Britain,  France,  Germany,  Swit- 
zerland, and  the  South  American  States.  William 
Kretsinger  is  President  of  the  company. 

The  S.  ife  J.  C.  Atlee  Lumber  Company  is  one  of 
the  oldest  and  most  extensive  lumber  manufactur- 
ins  establishments    in    the    State.     The  mills    and 


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yards  are  located  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city  on 
the  banks  of  the  Mississippi.,  and  occupy  about 
forty  acres  of  ground.  Each  department  of  manu- 
facture is  separated  from  the  others;  the  sawmills, 
plauing-raills,  shingle-mills,  are  all  under  different 
roofs,  and  having  their  own  machinery,  including 
boilers  and  engines.  All  their  machinery  is  of  the 
most  improved  patterns  and  the  best  that  can  be 
secured.  They  employ  in  the  different  departments 
some  400  men.  The  daily  capacity  of  their  mills 
is  about  as  follows:  lumber,  125,000  feet;  shingles, 
140,000;  lath,  30,000.  They  have  recently  doubled 
the  capacit}'  of  their  planing-mills,  and  this  depart- 
ment has  a  capacity  now  of  over  100,000  feet  of 
dressed  lumber.  This  firm  owns  over  20,000  acres 
of  timber  lands,  cut  their  own  logs,  and  do  their 
own  rafting  with  their  own  steamboats. 

The  Ft.  Madison  Chair  Company  was  organized 
in  187G.  This  extensive  manufacturing  company 
is  one  which  greatly  redounds  to  the  credit  of  the 
city,  and  is  one  which  adds  largely  to  its  business. 
By  the  best  of  management  and  a  thorough  system 
of  business  it  has  achieved  success,  and  the  com- 
pany now  is  on  a  solid  financial  foundation.  It 
gives  employment  to  about  250  hands.  It  requires 
about  35,000  feet  of  flooring  to  earr_y  on  their 
work,  aside  from  their  warerooms.  It  consumes 
annually  about  2,000,000  feet  of  lumber,  and  its 
production  is  al)Out  300,000  chairs  during  the  year. 
The  machinery  is  the  best  made ;  the  goods  made 
are  first  class  and  equal  to  any  made  in  the  coun- 
try. The  trade  of  this  companj*  extends  into  all 
the  States  and  Territories  west  of  the  Mississippi 
and  to  the  Pacific  coast.  Joseph  A.  Smith  is  Presi- 
dent, J.  M.  Johnson,  Vice-President,  W.  E.  Harri- 
son, Superintendent,  and  J.  H.   Kinsley,  Secretary. 

Another  important  industry  of  the  city  is  the 
Hawkeye  Soap  Factor3'.  The  "  Anti-Monoixily  "  is 
the, leading  brand  of  soap  made  by  this  company. 
This  soap  is  very  popular  and  has  an  extensive 
sale.  It  is  a  vegetable  soap,  and  the  ingredients 
used  in  its  manufacture  are  pure.  The  company 
also  manufacture  a  full  assortment  of  toilet  and 
laundry  soaps. 

Huiskamp  Bros.'  Boot  &  Shoe  Factory  is  one  of 
the  industries  that  Ft.  Madison  may  well  be  proud 
of.     H.   J.  Huiskamp,  who  is  a  man  of  good  busi- 


ness qualifications,  has  the  management  of  the  con 
cern.     They    employ   about    175  hands,   many   of 
them  skillful  mechanics,  and   they  have  gained  an 
excellent  reputation  for  their  products  throughout   '■ 
the  West.   •  Their  shops  are  filled   with  the   latest 
and    most   approved    nnichinery,     and    this,    with 
skilled  workmen,  can   have   but  one   result — good  }  I 
work.     The  annual  sales  of  this  company  are  over" 
*800,000. 

Potowonok  Roller  Mills  were  established  in  18G8, 
and  have  been  improved  and  remodeled  from  time 
to  time  as  progress  was  made  in  this  department 
of  mechanics.  They  now  have  a  complete  roller 
system,  and  put  upon  the  market  as  good  a  quality 
of  flour  as  is  made  in  the  State.  The  Potowonok 
Mills  have  a  daily  capacity  of  300  barrels  of  flour, 
and  a  storage  capacity  of  50,000  bushels  of  wheat. 

The  Ft.  Madison  Paper  Company  is  a  late  addi- 
tion to  the  industries  of  the  city.  It  was  incorpor- 
ated in  1882,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000,  and 
with  some  of  the  best  men  in  the  citj'  as  incorpor- 
ators. The  officers,  which  have  been  retained  since 
the  organization  of  the  company,  are :  J.  B.  Mor- 
rison, President;  D.  A.  Morrison,  Secretary,  and 
Charles  Brewster,  Treasurer.  The  product  of  the 
mill  is  straw  wrapping-paper  of  a  superior  quality. 
This  companj'  gives  constant  employment  to  about 
forty  hands,  and  consumes  daily  eight  tons  of 
straw. 

There  are  several  other  manufacturing  industries, 
but  here  we  have  aimed  to  give  the  principal  ones. 
These  will  at  least  show  that  the  people  of  Ft. 
Madison  are  to  the  front  in  this  department  of  in- 
dustry. The  aggregate  product  of  her  manufact- 
ories will  amount  to  upward  of  $4,500,000. 

WIIOLKSAI.K  INTEKKSTS. 

Tlie  wholesale  trade  for  a  town  of  its  size  is  ex- 
ceedingly large.  Tiiere  are  several  first-class  houses  ^ 
dealing  in  lumber,  dry-goods,  groceries,  hardware, 
drugs,  etc.  The  aggregate  sales  in  this  department 
of  business  foot  up  to  over  $5,000,000,  whicii  will 
be  admitted  is  a  very  creditable  showing. 


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BAXKINC 


There  are  two  good  banks  in  Ft.  Madison,  which 
are  conducted  by  old  and  experienced  business 
men,  who  enjoy  the  confidence  of  the  people.     The 


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bank  of  Ft.  Madison  was  first  started  by  Knapp  & 
Eaton  about  thirty  years  ago,  as  a  private  bank. 
Wlieu  tlie  National  Banking  Law  was  instituted,  it 
was  organized  into  a  National  Bank.  It  relin- 
quislied  its  cliarter  as  a  National  Bank  in  1S7'2,  and 
was  organized  as  a  State  Bank  under  the  State 
Banking  Laws,  with  a  capital  stock  of  ii<50,000,  all 
paid  up,  and  with  the  privilege  of  increasing  its 
capital  stock  to  $200,000.  In  1876  Charles  Brew- 
ster and  Joseph  A.  Smith  bought  out  Henry  Catter- 
mole,  who  had'  purchased  from  the  founders,  and 
have  since  continued  the  business.  Charles  Brew- 
ster is  President,  Joseph  A.  Smith,  Vice-President, 
and  J.  W.  Albright,  Jr.,  Cashier. 

The  German-American  Bank  was  established  in 
1876  under  the  State  Banking  Laws,  by  Ilejiry 
Cattermole.  It  does  a  general  banking  business. 
Mr.  Cattermole  has  had  a  long  experience  in  this 
business  and  has  the  confidence  of  all  who  have 
had  dealings  vvith  him.  He  is  President  of  the 
bank,  and  is  ably  assisted  b}'  II.  D.  McConn,  who 
is  Cashier. 

i.iinrr. 
Ft.  Madison  is  well  lighted  with  gas,  which  is 
made  on  what  is  called  the  water-gas  process.  The 
buildings  are  all  of  brick,  and  substantial.  The 
capacity  of  the  works  is  100,000  feet  per  d&y,  with 
arrangements  for  doubling  this  if  necessary. 

WATKIt   WOUKS. 

Tlic  Ft.  Madison  Water  Company  was  organ- 
ized in  188,5.  The  works  were  completed  in 
the  fall  of  this  year.  They  are  constructed  in  what 
is  known  as  the  reservoir  plan.  The  reservoir  is 
on  the  bluff  (jverlooking  the  town,  with  an  eleva- 
tion of  171  feet  above  the  floor  of  the  engine- 
house.  It  has  an  immense  cap.acity.  and  when 
full  is  capable  of  maintaining  four  fire  streams 
through  a  one-inch  nozzle  at  a  height  of  100  feet  for 
thirty-six  hours.  The  water  is  taken  from  the 
Mississippi,  above  all  sewer.age,  and  far  enough  out 

ifl  into  the  channel  to  insure  j)ure  and  wholesome  wa- 
ter,  which  after  settling  in  the  reservoir  is  nearly 

„  equal  to  cistern  water,  K,  U.  Smith  is  President 
of  the  com  pan}'. 

I-IKK     I>l;rAl!TMENT. 

The  Fire  Department  since  the  establisluiicnl   of 


the  water  works  is  very  complete  and  effective. 
Each  ward  h.as  a  hose  company  handsomely  uni- 
formed, and  there  is  also  an  efficient  hook-aud-lad- 
der  company,  and  a  Silsby  engine,  which  now  there 
is  very  little  use  for.  The  fire  service  depends  al- 
together on  the  fire  hydrants,  of  which  there  are 
sixty-four,  which  are  ready  at  all  times  with  a  pres- 
sure available  at  a  moment's  notice.  This  gives  Ft. 
Madison  a  fire  protection  eipial,  in  proportion  to  its 
size,  to  any  city. 

PIBLK'   l.llUiAKV. 

This  society  was  organized  some  three  years 
ago,  and  though  in  its  infancy  it  makes  a  very 
good  present-ttion.  Tlie  library  now  contains  sev- 
eral hundred  choice  and  well-selected  books  and  a 
very  good  reading-room.  It  is  out  of  debt  and 
self-supporting.  Mrs.  J.  A.  Smith  is  President, 
and  Mrs.  E.  Malcolm,  Librarian. 

KOlCATIOXAr.. 

There  is  a  wide  difference  between  the  schools  of 
Ft.  Madison  of  to-daj'  and  the  one  taught  b3'  the 
j'oung  lawyer,  Alfred  Rich,  no  disparagement,  how- 
ever, to  that  ambitious  and  talented  man.  But 
the  city  now  has  a  well  organized  graded  S3'Stem 
of  instruction,  with  thoroughly  trained  teachers. 
The  schools  are  divided  into  eight  grades,  .and  a 
three-years'  High  School  course.  While  the  schools 
have  been  good,  the  school  buildings  have  been 
rather  inferior  until  within  the  past  year,  when  an 
elegant  brick  building  has  been  completed  at  a 
cost  of  Si 5,000,  with  all  modern  conveniences,  for 
the  High  School.  There  are  also  two  good  Catho- 
lic schools  conducted  by  the  Sisters,  one  in  English 
and  one  in  German. 

UKLKUOIS. 

The  people  of  Ft.  Madison  have  taken  an  ad- 
vanced position  in  religious  matters.  The  early 
settlers  here  were  an  exceptionally  religious  people. 
This  not  only  attracted  others  of  like  character,  but 
molded  and  gave  a  general  religious  tone  to  the 
population  .as  it  constantly  increased.  So  to-day 
the  city  is  distinguished  for  the  strength  and  pros- 
perity of  its  religious  societies,  as  much  as  for  the 
attractive  and  substantial  character  of  its  church 
edifices. 

The    Presbyterian    Cluiixh    was   the  first  church 


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orgainzed  in  the  county,  excejit  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  West  Point.  It  was  oi'ganized  in  the 
spring  uf  ls;iS,  with  a  goodly  number  of  members. 
fSubsequentlj'  the  societj'  divided  into  the  New  and 
the  Old  School  organizations.  In  1858  they  again 
luiited  and  have  so  continued  ever  since.  They 
erected  a  large,  fine  edifice,  which  they  still  occupy, 
and  are  under  a  prosperous  administration. 

The  Methodist  Cliurcli  was  organized  in  1841, 
at  which  time  it  was  a  charge.  The  following  year 
a  house  of  worship  was  erected,  and  in  1843  the 
society  was  set  off  .as  a  station.  In  181)0  the  build- 
ing was  remodeled  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  increas- 
ing membership. 

8t.  Mary's  Catholic  Church,  of  which  Father 
Meis  is  priest,  was  organized  here  in  1840  by 
J.  G.  Alleraan,  who  at  that  time  was  the  only 
priest  within  100  miles.  He  left  .an  excellent  repu- 
tation; he  was  generous,  kind-hearted,  willing  at  all 
times  to  give  his  last  copper  to  the  needy.  He 
erected  a  brick  house  for  worship,  sixteen  feet 
square,  which  was  about  the  first  brick  building 
put  ui).  A  few  years  later  a  larger  building  was 
erected,  as  the  church  was  increasing  very  rapidly 
in  numbers. 

The  new  church  edifice  is  a  grand  structure  and 
took  several  years  to  complete  it,  which  was  done 
at  a  cost  of  upward  of  $100,000.  It  has  three  large 
bells,  each  cc^sting  over  ^3,000,  and  an  organ  costing 
$4,000.  In  the  summer  of  1876  a  hurricane  passed 
over  the  town  and  so  injured  the  building  that  it 
required  over  |i30,000  to  repair  it.  A  view  of  this 
splendid  edifice  is  presented  in  this  work,  .-lecom- 
panied  by  the  residence  and  school. 

St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Cluirch,  over  which  Father 
Louis  De  Cailly  (see  biography)  presides,  is  one  of 
the  leading  religious  organizations  in  the  count3'. 
An  interior  view  of  this  splendid  structure  is  shown 
iu  this  work. 

The  Christian  Church  was  organized  in  1838  by 


a  few  members,  presided  over  by  Elder  John  Drake. 
A  eluMcli  edifice  was  erected  in  1853,  at  a  cost  of 
about  *;!,500.  Services  have  continued  pretty 
regularly  since,  and  the  congregation  has  nniintained 
its  organization. 

The  Ei)iscopal  Church  was  organized  in  1854, 
with  Rev.  William  Adderly  as  rector.  The  pres- 
ent church  edifice  was  erected  in   1857. 

The  B.iptist  Church  was  organized  in  1H58,  at 
the  residence  of  Charles  Brewster;  meetings  were 
held  in  private  families  for  some  ttme.  In  18G1 
a  church  edifice  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  $il3,00<i. 

The  C(jlored  Baptist  Church  was  organized  in 
1873  under  the  direction  of  Rev.  E.  C.  Catey. 
Subsequently  a  neat  little  house  of  worship  was 
erected. 

The  German  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Church 
w.as  organized  in  1851);  two  years  later  a  small 
building  was  erected.  In  1864  they  completed 
their  new  edifice  at  a  cost  of  $7,000.  This  church 
has  a  good  membership  and  is  jirosperons.  It 
man  tains  a  denominational  school. 

The  Evangelical  Lutheran  St.  Paul's  Church  was 
organized  iu  1872  by  Rev.  J.  G.  Oehlert,  with  eight- 
een members.  They  at  first  rented  a  building  to 
hold  their  services  in,  and  secured  the  Presbyterian 
Church  for  a  while.  In  1873  they  completed  their 
house  of  worship,  which  is  a  neat,  plain  building, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $1,500. 

We  have  thus  briefly  sketched  the  leading  inci- 
dents connected  with  the  territory  now  embraced 
by  the  city  of  F't.  Madison,  from  its  earliest  oecu- 
p.ation  by  the  white  men  to  the  present  time.  We 
find  now  a  successful  and  prosperous  comminiity  of 
over  6,000  souls,  possessed  of  happy  firesides  aii<l 
surrounded  with  the  culture  and  refinements  of  an 
advanced  civilization,  calmly  reposing  amid  its  tri- 
umphs above  the  great  Father  of  Waters,  which, 
still  as  ever,  bends  her  course  toward  the  sea. 


■=1 


adoption  of  township  gov- 
eniinents  is  an  admirable  sys- 
tem. B_v  it  each  township 
is  formed  into  a  little  munici- 
pality, with  its  governments, 
societies  and  local  institutions, 
which  serve  to  cement  friend- 
ships, bring  the  people  into 
closer  bonds  of  union,  and  edu- 
cate them  in  the  principles  of  self- 
government.  JMany  of  our  best 
and  most  liberal-minded  statesmen 
received  their  earliest  training  for 
the  great  work  of  their  life  in  these  miniature  gov- 
ernments. A  brief  history  of  each  township  will 
be  given  in  alphabetical  order,  with  sketches  of 
their  villages,  whicli  will  be  an  im|)ortant  feature 
of  this  work. 

CEI>AK   TOWNSHIP. 

iHlS  township  is  located  in  liu-  northwest 
quarter  of  the  county,  on  liie  line  of  the 
Keokuk  it  Northwestern  Railroad.  It  is 
watered  liy  Cedar  Creek,  wliicli  meanders  through 
the  northwest  corner,  and  a  brancli  of  SugarCreek, 


wuicn  heads  in  liicsoutiicrn  pcirlion,  and  rnnsxjut 
The  northwest  corner  is  pretty  well  timbered  and 

ightly  broken;  the  balance  of  the  township  is  roll- 
ing prairie,  with  occasional  spots  of  timber.  The 
land  is  rich  and  well  cultivated,  and  tliere  are 
many  very  excellent  farms  here,  provided  with 
splendid  farm  buildings.  The  Ft.  Madison  Narrow 
Gauge  also  runs  into  this  township,  entering  on 
section  24,  and  going  out  on  section  4.  The  Keo- 
kuk cfe  Northwestern  Road  runs  along  the  eastern 
line  of  the  township,  entering  on  section  36,  and 
passing  out  on  section  1. 

Cedar  Township  was  laitl  oft  and  sectionized  in 
1837,  and  the  lands  were  placed  in  market  in  1838- 
39.  The  first  families  to  settle  here  were  Paul 
Bratten,  the  Anderson  and  Warren  families,  and 
Isaac  Mc  Daniel.  The  first  school  held  here  was  in 
a  log  cabin  in  1837,  and  was  taught  by  Mr.  Hall. 
'I'he  first  church  society  organized  here  was  the 
Baptists,  in  1843.  A  church  building  was  erected 
that  year,  and  was  located  <m  section  (J.  Rev.  Mr. 
Sperry  was  the  pastor.  I'erry  McD.aniel  was  the 
first  child  Ijorn  in  the  township. 

There  are  several  little  hamlets  in  tlie  township, 
where  the  |)eople  get  their  mails  and  do  some  of 
their  trading.  Cottonwood  is  located  on  the  Nar- 
row Gauge  Road  on  section  1(1.  Tiiere  is  a  post- 
odice  here,  a  school,  and  some  trading  carried  on. 

Mt.  Ilamill  is  located  on  section  2.5,  on  the  Keo- 


^s 


kiik  &  Northwestern  Road.  It  lias  a  ])ost-oH1ec, 
two  stores,  a  graded  school,  and  a  population  of 
about  fifty  souls. 

Big  Mpund  is  on  section  3(l.  and  has  one  store 
and  a  post-oflice. 

The  township  is  provided  with  three  church  so- 
cieties— the  United  Presbyterian,  on  section  -25 ;  the 
(Quakers,  on  section  11,  and  the  Christians,  on  sec- 
tion 31).  They  are  all  in  a  fairly  jnosperous  condi- 
tion of  prosperity. 

The  most  interesting  institution  in  the  State  is 
White's  Iowa  Institute  of  Manual  Labor.  This 
institute  was  founded  by  Joshua  White,  a  wealthy 
benevolent  (Quaker  of  Philadelphia,  for  the  purpose 
of  providing  a  Christian  home  and  a  practical  edu- 
cation for  worthy  children,  without  regard  to  sex 
or  color,  that  were  not  otherwise  provided  for. 
To  this  end  Mr.  White  donated  820,000,  which 
was  to  be  controlled  by  the  3'early  meeting  of  the 
Orthodox  Friends,  and  to  be  managed  by  a  com- 
mittee elected  annually,  which  were  to  constitute  a 
legal  board.  Fourteen  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
good  farming  land  were  purchased,  and  a  large,  sub- 
stantial brick  building  erected.  It  was  for  a  time 
leased  to  the  State  for  a  reformatory  institution. 
In  1883,  however,  the  Trustees  arranged  with  Ben- 
jamin Miles  to  take  charge  of  the  institute. 

Mr.  Miles,  in  connection  with  his  talented  wife, 
had  previously  established  an  Indian  school  at 
West  Branch,  Cedar  County,  mostly  on  the  patron- 
age of  the  (Tovernment.  A  sketch  of  Mr.  Miles 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  present  year 
the  Oovernment  defra3^s  the  expenses  of  educating 
and  supporting  fifty-five  Indian  pupils.  The}^  are 
taught  the  common  English  branches,  farming,  and 
to  some  extent  are  instructed  in  mechanical  work. 
During  the  time  this  school  has  l)een  o|ieneil  the 
children  of  nine  different  tribes  of  Indians  have 
been  in  attendance  here.  The  land,  not  actually 
worked  by  the  students,  which  is  about  1,000  acres, 
is  leased  to  assist  in  defraying  the  expenses  of  the 
institute.  This  is  a  very  commendable  institution, 
and  one  which  should  receive  more  attention,  more 
praise  and  support  from  l)enevolent  societies  than  it 
does.  Mr.  Miles  is  entitled  to  great  credit  for  his 
kind  and  skillfid  management. 


CHAIJIvESTON    TOWNSHIP. 

UAULKSTON  is  one  of  the  center  lown- 
'^_  ships  (jf  ],ee  County,  and  in  its  topography 
has  no  sujierior  in  tliis  section.  The  sur- 
face is  mostly-  rolling  prairie,  which  is  interspersed 
with  tine  groves  of  timber.  It  is  watered  on  the  east 
!)}•  tributaries  to  Rig  Devil  Creek,  and  on  the  west 
bj-  Sugar  Creek  and  its  branches.  The  soil  is  rich 
and  well  adapted  for  the  cereals,  vegatables  <jr 
stock-raising.  The  township  is  well  improved  with 
good  farms  and  farm  buildings,  and  the  people  gen- 
erally are  industrious,  prosperous,  benevolent  and 
charitable.  It  has  about  1,000  inhabitants,  and  is 
steadily  growing. 

The  first  settler  was  John  Snyder,  who  came  in 
and  made  a  claim  in  1834.  The  land  was  taken 
up  quite  rapidly  after  a  settlement  was  started. 
The  township  has  good  transportation  facilities,  no 
part  of  it  being  more  than  four  miles  from  the  rail- 
road. The  Keokuk  &  Northwestern  traverses  the 
township  neaily  in  a  northwest  and  southeast  direc- 
tion!, elitering  at  the  extreme  southwest  point  and 
going  out  nearly  at  the  northwest  corner.  The 
Burlington  ct  Southwestern  runs  along  just  above 
the  northern  line  and  parallel  with  it. 

There  are  three  stations  in  the  township  on  the 
former  railroad,  where  the  people  get  their  mail, 
ship  grain  and  stock,  and  also  do  some  trading;  these 
are  Charleston,  New  Boston  and  Yeargerville. 


DES  MOINES  TOWNSHIP. 

\**K  KS  MOINES  TOWNSHIP  is  located  on  the 
)))  western  border  of  the  county,  on  the  Des 
Moines  River.  The  branches  of  Sugar 
Creek  run  southerlj'  through  the  town- 
ship, affording  good  drainage  facilities.  The  west- 
ern ptirtion  is  very  liberally  timbered  and  some- 
what broken,  as  also  is  the  northwestern  jiart. 
Along  the  Des  Moines  are  some  rich  and  beautiful 
valleys,  and  running  up  through  the  middle  of  the 
town  are  some  fine  prairies.  Its  first  settlers  were 
John  Phillips,  Johnson  Meeks,  James  and  Wllliiim 
Allen,  and  William  and  Robert  Mix. 

This  township  is  exceedingly    well    adapted    for 


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stock-raising,  and  there  are  some  very  fine  herds 
here.  The  valleys  are  also  rich  in  agricultiinil  i)ii)(l- 
iicts.  The  farms  are  well  improved,  with  many 
fine  dwelling-iionses  and  substantial  barns.  The 
population  are  mostly  native  born,  and  are  marked 
fur  Ihcir  intelligence,  industry  and  prosperity. 
Their  schuols  are  good  and  their  churches  are  well 
attended.  It  is  provided  with  go< id  railroad  facili- 
ties— the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  A-  Pacilic  Hailrtiad — 
on  which  are  three  stations.  A'incenues,  Hinsdale  and 
Belfast.  The  two  latter  are  but  small  places.  The 
population  i)f  the  township  nuinliers  about  1,000 
persons. 

\'incennes  is  a  pretty  little  hamlet  situated  in 
the  Des  Moines  A'alley  <m  the  C.  R.  I.  &  P.  R.  R., 
and  containing  about  200  inhabitants.  It  is  at  this 
place  that  the  peojile  of  the  township  get  their 
mails  mostly,  and  do  a  sliare  of  their  trading.  There 
are  three  stores  here,  one  or  two  shops,  a  good 
school  and  a  church.  There  are  some  prett}'  groves 
about  town,  vvhich  render  it  quite  attractive.  The 
peo|)le  are  sociable  and  the  society  is  good. 


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DENMARK. 

<»^/  MONG  tiie  first  settlers  of  this  township 
were  John  Whitaker,  Jolm  M.  Forest,  John 
O.  Smith,  John  Wren,  Daniel  JIcKeuzie, 
Ifcrden  Hatton,  Samuel  lloxiston,  E.  A. 
Hills,  Mr.  Moflfatt,  Edward  and  Cyrus  Fletcher, 
Timothy  Fox,  Curtis  Sheld  and  Louis  Eps,  in 
]  ,s;i,')-;i(;.  Tiicy  nearly  all  settled  together,  not  far 
from  the  center  of  liie  township,  to  which  place 
tliey  gave  the  name  of  Denmark.  The  following 
year  the^'  had  religious  services,  presided  over  bj- 
Rev.  William  Apthorp. 

Some  of  the  early  settlers  here  first  settled  on 
the  north  side  of  Skunk  River,  in  the  bottoms. 
Jolni  ().  Smith  canic  in  alienil  of  the  otlier  settlers, 
arriving  here  in  liS3;i,  and  locating  near  the  present 
site  of  Denmark.  Ilis  son  was  the  fn-st  child  l)orn 
here,  his  birth  occurring  in  August,  1833.  Joini 
Whitaker  erected  a  sawmill  in  183.'),  on  the  banks 
of  the  Skunk  River.     The  same    fall    Mr.    Moffatt 


completed  a  gristmill.     The  erection  of  these   two 
mills  created  great  joy  among  the  earl}'   settlers. 

Denmark  Townslii])  is  pleasantly  located,  and  is 
well  drained  and  watered  by  the  Skunk  River  and  its 
tributaries  in  the  northern  jiart  and  Lost  Creek  in 
the  southwestern.  Al)out  these  water  courses  it  is 
also  liberally  timbered. 

Denmark  \'illage  was  laid  ot'l  in  1830.  As  be- 
fore stated,  the  first  settlers  from  New  England 
located  about  this  town.  John  O.  Smith  located 
near  here  in  1833  and  subsequently  became  Post- 
master. It  was  named  Ijy  John  Edwards,  who  was 
on  a  visit  from  New  Hampshire.  A  school-house 
was  built  here  in  1 837,  and  a  school  opened  by 
Eliza  Houston. 

After  the  first  school  was  opened  a  church  society 
was  established,  and  soon  afterward  a  building 
was  erected. 

In  1848  the  IJaiitist  Church  was  organized.  They 
soon  afterward  erected  a  house  of  worship.  Their 
membership  increased  from  year  to  j'ear,  and  finally 
they  found  it  necessarj*  to  erect  a  larger  building, 
which  was  a  very  attractive  one  and  a  credit  to  the 
society  and  the  town. 

There  are  sever.al  stores  and  shops  in  the  village. 
One  of  the  leading  features  is  a  dairj-,  which  was 
first  organized  under  the  Denmark  Dairy  Associa- 
tion. The  farmers  at  a  very  early  day  turned  their  j 
attention  to  the  making  of  butter  and  cheese,  which 
subsequently  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  this 
factory.     Denmark  has  about  20(1   inhabitants. 


FKANKLIN   TOWNSHIP. 

^,'RANKLIN  is  a  full  C'ongressional  township,  I 
and  one  of  the   best   in   the   county.     The 
greater  portion  is  rolling  prairie  witb  .-i  rich 
and    productive    soil.     In    the    northwestern    part 
there  is  considerable  timber,  and  in  other  portions! 
there    are    o<'("isionally    beautiful    groves.       It    is! 
drained  by  the  main  branch  and  several  little  trib- 
utaries  of  Big  Devil  Creek,  and  also  by  a  small  I 
branch  of  Sugar  Creek.     This  township  is  very  lib- 1 
erally  supplied  with  transportation   facilities,  hav- 
ng  two  inqxirtant  lines  traversing  its  boundaries.! 


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Franklin  Township  is  noted  for  well-cultivated 
farms  and  good  Ijuildiugs,  and  for  the  enterprise 
and  intelligence  of  its  people.  Its  population  at 
present  numbers  about  1,300. 

The  Drst  settler  in  this  township  was  William 
Skinner,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  made  a  lo- 
cation on  the  edge  of  the  grove  in  the  southwest 
corner.  He  first  lived  in  a  caljin  formerly  used  by 
Black  Hawk  during  the  sugar-making  season,  which 
was  located  on  the  east  bank  of  Sugar  Creek.  He 
subsequently  erected  a  cabin  ou  the  west  bank  of 
the  creek.  At  the  time  he  located,  or  moved  with 
his  family  here,  which  was  in  December,  his  near- 
est neighbors  were  at  Ft.  Madison.  That  winter 
they  were  entirely  isolated  from  even  these.  The 
next  season,  however,  they  were  not  without  some 
closer  neighbors  and  companionship,  for  Henry  and 
Jacob  Abel  came  in  and  located  not  far  from  them. 
The  settlers  from  this  on  were  constantly  coming 
in,  taking  up  claims  and  imiwoving  their  homes, 
until  all  the  public  lands  were  disposed  of. 

Franklin  Township  is  well  provided  with  schools 
and  churches,  and  these  institutions  are  well  pat- 
ronized. It  has  two  thriving  little  villages  besides 
the  station  called  La  Crew  on  the  Keokuk  &  North- 
western, where  the  people  get  their  mail  and  do  a 
good  deal  of  their  trading. 

Dounellson. 

"JI^ONNELLSON  is  a  thriving  little  town  lo- 
I  )))  cated  at  the  crossing  of  the  two  railroads, 
(fiJ(^  the  Keokuk  it  Northwestern  and  the  Chi- 
^-'^  cago,  Burlington  <fe  Kansas  City,  near  the 
southwest  corner  of  Franklin  Township.  Its  loca- 
tion is  an  attractive  one,  and  it  is  in  the  heart  of  a 
rich  agricultural  country.  Surrounding  it  are 
some  verj'  prett}'  groves  which  add  to  its  appenr- 
ance. 

This  town  did  not  have  much  growth  until  after 
the  fair  grounds  were  located  here,  which  was  in 
1870.  Since  that  time  it  has  increased  slowly  but 
surely,  and  now  has  a  population  of  about  300. 
The  agricultural  meetings  here  have  been  very  suc- 
cessful, and  no  better  place  could  have  been  fixed 
upon  for  this  purpose,  as  it  is  accessible  b\-  rail  from 
all  parts  of  the  country. 

Dounellson  has  ipiite  a  number  of  good   stores, 


societies,  and  a  newspaper. 

the  growing  and  thrifty  towns  of  the  State. 

Fi-iUikliii. 

^RANKLIN  is  quite  an  old  town,  having  been 
laid  out  in  the  spring  of  1840.  The  town 
was  started  at  first  with  t"he  expectation 
that  the  county  seat  would  be  located  here,  and 
land  for  this  purpose  was  donated  by  Johnson 
Chapman,  John  Brown  and  Thomas  Douglass. 
The  Commissioners  appointed  by  the  Legislature 
chose  this  site,  and  it  was  accepteil  by  the  Count}' 
Commissioners.  But  there  was  dissatisf.action ; 
petitions  were  presented  to  the  Legislature,  and 
finall}'  another  act  was  passed  authorizing  an  elec- 
tion to  decide  the  question.  Two  elections  were 
held,  which  resulted  in  the  selection  of  Ft.  Madison. 

The  first  house  built  here  was  by  Thomas  Doug- 
lass, and  the  first  store  opened  was  by  William 
Tillman.  Two  flouring-mills  and  a  sawmill  were 
afterward  erected.  In  18G5  a  woolen  factory  was 
established  by  a  stock  company  known  as  the 
Franldin  Manufacturing  Company. 

A  Baptist  Church  was  organized  here  in  1842, 
which  partlj'  completed  a  church  building.  It  was 
subsequently  sold  to  the  Jlethodist  people,  who 
completed  it.  The  p]vangelical  Society  erected  a 
church  building  in  18.56.  They  did  not  prosper, 
and. their  building  was  subsequently  occupied  by 
the  Presliyterians.  In  1 868  the  Mennonites  com- 
pleted their  general  building,  which  served  the  pur- 
pose for  church,  school,  and  a  parsonage. 

In  1874  the  village  was  incorporated.  Prior  to 
this  a  good  two-story  school  building  had  been 
erected.  The  school  has  generally  been  conducted 
by  good  teachers,  and  the  citizens  have  taken  great 
pains  to  have  their  y.)uth  secure  a  good  education. 
In  addition  to  the  public  school  there  are  two  de- 
nominational schools.  Franklin  h.as  a  very  pleas- 
ant local  ion,  being  situated  on  a  rolling  prairie. 
Its  population  numbers  about  250,  and  is  largely 
German. 

There  are  two  other  towns  or  stations.  La  Crew, 
which  is  located  on  the  Keokuk  *  Jit.  Pleasant 
Railroad,  and  South  Franklin  on  the  Burlington  <fe 
Southwestern. 


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GBEEN  BAY  TOWNSHIP. 

REKN  BAY  TOWNSHIP  is  situated  in  the 
extreme  eastern  part  of  the  county,  aud  is  a 
sort  of  an  arm  tliat  is  formed  by  the  con- 
fluence of  Skunk  River  with  the  Mississippi.  About 
the  first  settlement  made  in  this  township  was  in 
l.S-i4,  by  Abraham  llyter  aud  family,  originally 
from  Pennsylvania,  but  of  German  descent.  This 
township,  from  its  location  and  character  of  the 
land,  did  not  attract  the  emigrant  verj'  much,  aud 
consequently  it  settled  up  very  slowly.  The  land 
bordering  the  rivers  is  low  and  marshy,  and  much 
of  that  in  the  interior  is  too  sandy  for  heavy  farm- 
ing. Of  late  years  it  has  been  made  quite  product- 
ive and  profitable  in  the  raising  of  melons,  espec- 
ially water-melons,  for  which  it  is  well  adapted. 
There  are  a  few  very  good  farms  in  the  township, 
and  some  fine  buildings. 

The  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quiuc3'  Railroad 
passes  thrc)Ugli  the  west  pai't  of  the  township.  On 
this  road  is  a  station  called  AV^ever,  at  which  place 
there  is  a  post-oftice  and  a  store  or  two. 

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HARRISON  TOWNSHIP. 

jI^ARRISON  TOWNSHIP  was  first  settled  i 
Ijl)!)  1835  b^-  Joseph  and  William  Howard,  Isaa 
i^^^  Renfrew  and  Isaac  and  C'retli  Beller.  Ther 
(^)  were  quite  a  number  of  settlers  following 
thein  in  1830,  among  whom  were  Conrad  Schweer, 
Daniel  T.  MeCulloch,  Stephen  Perkins  and  E.  S. 
MeCuUoch.  The  McCullochs  were  from  Tennessee, 
and  became  prominent  citizens  'v\  the  county.  E. 
S.  served  for  many  years  in  the  Legislature,  in  both 
branches,  and  was  an  influential  member. 

The  first  school-house  was  built  in  1 838,  on  sec- 
tion :J5,  and  was  taught  by  Joseph  Howard.  Mrs. 
Schweer  presented  to  the  township  its  first  native 
citizen  in  the  jjerson  of  Malinda  Schweer. 

The  oldest  settler  now  living  who  attended  the 
first  school  is  John  McGrew.  The  oldest  settler  is 
David  MeCulloch. 

After  a  few  of  the  pioneers  had  made  a  start 
here,  directing  emigration    this  way,  the  township 


became  an  attractive  location  for  settlers,  who 
moved  in  quite  freely,  soon  forming  a  prosperous 
settlement. 

Harrison  is  situated  in  the  westeiii  tier  of  town- 
ships, and  is  pretty  well  watered  by  tiie  Inanches 
of  Sugar  Creek,  which  run  southeasterly,  and  Lick 
Creek,  which  heads  in  the  southwest  part.  The 
southeast  and  southwest  portions  are  well  timbered, 
and  the  other  portions  of  the  township  are  mostly 
rolling  prairie. 

This  township  is  well  located  for  stock-raising  or 
for  planting;  the  farms  are  laid  off  nicel}'  and  are 
under  good  cultivation.  The  buildings  are  unusu- 
ally good,  and  the  people  are  intelligent  and  pro- 
gressive. The}-  have  good  schools  for  the  educa- 
tion of  their  children,  and  convenient  places  for 
worship.  At  present  there  are  about  900  inhabit- 
ants. The  Burlington  &  Southwestern  Railroad 
runs  west  through  the  lower  line  of  the  township, 
and  the  Keokuk  &  Northwestern  touches  the  north- 
western part,  giving  thereby  good  facilities  for 
shipping  and  travel.  On  the  former  road  there  is 
a  station,  Warren,  where  there  is  a  post-ofliee  and 
some  traffic  done.  There  is  also  another  town 
named  Primrose.  Primrose  is  a  pretty  little  ham- 
let located  on  section  23,  and  has  a  population  of 
about  175  souls.  It  was  laid  off  in  1 844,  by  George 
Perkins,  and  in  1845  a  post-office  was  established 
here.  There  are  some  prettj-  groves  about  the 
town  which  lend  attr.actKm  to  it,  especially  in  the 
summer  time.  It  has  a  good  school  Ijuilding  in 
which  there  is  a  good  graded  school.  There  are 
two  churches.  The  Presbyterian,  which  was  organ- 
ized at  an  early  day,  erected  in  1881  a  new  build- 
ing. The  German  Lutheran  Church  has  a  good 
congregation.  There  are  several  stores  and  sliops 
in  tlie  village,  and  a  gristmill,  whicii  w.as  started  in 
1870. 


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JACKSON  TOAVNSHIP. 

]T  is  our  purpose  to  onl^-  l)rielly  mention  this 
township,  as  its  history  has  been  pretty  fully 
detailed  in  that  of  Keokuk.  It  lies  in  the  ex- 
treme southeast  corner  of  the  county,  and  is  bor- 
dered on  all  but  tlic  north  siile   by  the  Des  Moines 


,'P^"  ] 


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and  the  Mississippi  Rivers.  Its  surface  along  the 
Mississippi  is  liill}'  and  sparsely  timbered.  In  the 
interior  there  are  rolling  prairies,  interspersed  with 
groves,  while  the  western  portion  is  well  timbered. 
Aside  from  the  two  rivers  mentione-d,  it  is  drained 
by  Sugar  Creoiv,  Price  Creek  and  some  other  little 
streams.  The  soil  is  light  and  sandj'  in  the  main, 
but  is  admirable  for  small  farming,  to  which  use  the 
people  are  ajjpljing  it  now  quite  extensively,  and 
are  finding  it  profitable.  A  ready  market  is  found 
I  at  Keokuk  in  the  large  establishments  there  for  all 
the  onions,  cucumbers  and  tomatoes  that  Jackson 
Township  can  raise. 


"tacfi/®-^^ 


^^4— ».^^^l/3OT»>- 


Sandusky. , 


l^s^  ANDUSKY  is 
!      ^^^     terest.      It  is 
i?    Ill//  )l)    situated  on  tl 


ANDUSKY  is  a  place  of  great  historic  in- 
now  a  little  town  or  landing, 
the  Mississippi,  in  this  town- 
ship. It  has  been  pretty  well  established 
that  it  was  here  that  the  good  Father  Marquette, 
with  his  part}',  made  his  first  landing,  June  21, 
1673,  from  which  place  he  took  the  trail  that  led 
him  to  the  Indian  village,  where  he  met  for  the  first 
time  the  Indians  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  who 
gave  him  such  a  hearty^  reception.  A  little  stream 
pnts  in  here,  which  is  called  Lemoliese  Creek.  It 
received  this  name  from  a  Frenchman,  who  came 
here  in  1820,  and  established  a  trading- post.  The 
place  was  first  known  to  the  white  people  as  Lem- 
oliese. Maurice  Blondeau  was  here  with  Lemo- 
liese. Blondeau  had  a  brother-in-law  whose  name 
was  Andrew  Santamount,  and  who  lived  with  his 
wife  a  few  miles  below  in  a  log-cabin.  Madame 
Santamount  had  a  son  by  her  first  husband,  whose 
name  was  Francis  Labesser,  wh<.i  it  is  said  was  uu- 
equaled  as  an  Indian  interpreter. 

This  log  house  where  Lemoliese  and  Blondeau 
lived  was  located  on  an  elevation  a  little  way  back 
from  the  river,  near  the  Sandusky  bridge,  and  was 
occupied  in  1831  by  the  Brierly  family,  one  meni- 
lier  of  which,  James,  son  of  Samuel,  subsequently 
became  the  first  Representative  from  this  district 
to  the  Territorial  Legislature. 


JEFFERSON   TOWNSHIP. 

■JEFFERSON  TOAVNSHII' lies  in  about  the 
middle,  north  and  south  of  the  eastern  part 
of  the  count}',  and  consequently  a  great 
portion  of  jts  eastern  border  rests  on  the 
Mississippi.  Big  Devil  Creek  with  its  three  branches 
meanders  in  a  southeasterly  course  through  it, 
which  affords  good  drainage  facilities  to  the  ara- 
ble land.  The  northern  and  western  portions  are 
very  liberally  timbered,  and  there  are  scattering 
bodies  of  timber  throughout  the  township.  A 
large  portion  of  the  land  is  rich  and  well  cultivated, 
and  there  are  many  farms  of  which  the  township 
can  be  justly  proud.  It  was  settled  pretty  early  in 
the  pioneer  day,  the  first  settler,  George  Williams, 
making  a  claim  in  1834  on  what  is  now  section  2. 
He  was  followed  in  1836  by  James  Ballard,  who 
located  near  him,  on  section  1.  Among  the  other 
early  settlers  were  Benjamin  Skyles,  W.  G.  Kent 
and  the  Reed  family.  The  township  has  at  present 
a  population  of  between  eight  and  nine  hundred. 

The  Chicago,  Burlington  <fe  Quincy  and  the  Bur- 
liugton  &  Southwestern  run  through  the  townsliip, 
forming  a  junction  at  Viele,  where  there  is  a  post- 
ofHce  and  a  store. 


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MADISON   TOWNSHIP. 

ADISON  is  a  triangular  shaped,  fractional 
part  of  a  Congressional  Township.  Five 
full  sections  of  land  would  probably  cover 
its  entire  area.  Yet  within  this  small  com- 
pass some  of  the  most  important  events  in  Lee 
County  have  transpired.  Rising  back  a  little  way 
from  the  river  are  high  bluffs,  and  extending  on 
from  these  the  land  is  considerably  broken.  In  the 
southern  part  and  around  the  bend  of  the  river 
there  is  quite  an  extensive  level  plain  or  valley. 
The  soil  is  very  productive,  and  there  are  some 
fine  and  M'cll  cultivated  farms  in  the  township.  It 
is  not  our  purpose  to  dwell  on  its  history,  as  the 
leading  features  will  be  found  in  the  chapter  on 
Ft.  Madison  City.  Most  of  the  early  pioneers  to 
the  New  Purchase   first  landed  jiere    upon    making 


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their  claims  in  the  different  parts  of  the  country. 
By  1840  the  land  was  taken  up  aud  most  of  it  was 
under  cultivation. 

Iowa  State  Penitent i:ir.v. 

IOWA'S  penitentiary  is  located  on  mu  elevated 
plat  of  ground  north  of  Ft.  Madi.'iDn.overlook- 
,  ing  the  ilississippi.  A  temporary  prison  was 
first  located  here  as  early  as  1 8;5!).  Some  years 
after  an  approprintion  of  ^58,(100  was  made  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  the  buildings.  Since  the  erec- 
tion of  this  building  several  improvements  and  ad- 
ditions have  been  made.  Tlie  buildings  are  of  sub- 
stantial structure  and  well  adapted  for  the  purposes 
for  which  they  were  erected.  After  passing  thi'ough 
the  gates,  a  visitor  would  think,  were  it  not  for  the 
prison  uniform  it  was  one  vast  manufacturing  estab- 
lishment. Theie  are  at  present  367  prisoners  here, 
the  average  number  beiiigabout  400.  The  cells,  cor- 
ridors, dining-hall,  kitchen,  and  everything  about 
the  prison  is  neat  and  clean.  The  court  is  orna- 
mented with  gr.a.ss  plats,  trees,  shrubs,  flowers  aud 
fountains,  aud  all  are  well  attended  to.  The  en- 
tire morale  of  the  penitentiary  shows  conclusively 
that  the  AVarden,  Col.  G.  W.  Crosley,  understands 
his  duties  and  is  willing  to  perform  them. 

The  Sunday  services  are  presided  over  by  Rev.  C. 
F.  Willinms,  and  are  held  every  Sunday  morning. 
Sunday-school  is  held  at  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, and  considerable  interest  is  manifested  in 
the  exercises  by  the  prisoners.  A  very  good  li- 
brary is  one  of  the  good  features  of  the  penitentiary. 

The  offlcei-s  are  G.  W.  Crosley,  Warden;  J. 
Townsend,  Deputy  Warden;  J.  G.  Herstler,  Clerk; 
C.  F.  Williams,  Chaplain ;  A.  W.  Hoffnieister,  Phy- 
sician; William  Moore,  Steward,  and  A.  Scherfs, 
Tui'nkey. 

MAUIOJS    T()WNSHI|». 

ARION  forms  one  of   the  northern  tiers  of 

townships.     It  is  ilrained  by  Sugar  Creek 

and  its  little  tributaries.     The  township  is 

mostly    undulating    prairie.       About    the 

streams  in  the  southern  portion  there  are  some  fine 


groves  of  timber  and  the  surface  is  a  little  more 
rolling.  It  is  one  of  the  best  agi'icultural  town- 
ships in  the  county.  'l"he  farms  .arc  well  laid  out, 
and  under  good  cnltivation,  and  tlie  farm-houses 
are  generally  well  constructed  and  attractive. 

Among  the  lirst  settlers  here  were,  Alex.  Cruick- 
shank,  Klias  Gverton,  Samuel  Paschal  and  the  May 
famil}'.  Tlie  first  child  was  born  at  Clay  Grove, 
aud  was  the  sou  of  Alex.  Cruicksh.ank.  A  store 
was  opened  at  this  place  in  1838.  The  first  school 
w.as  taught  in  Marion  Center  in  the 
18:;!)-40. 

After  a 


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winter  of  Sfi 
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■settlement  was  started,  and  tlie  beautiful  gii 
farming  lands  known  t<>  the  emigrants  were  thrown  ^' 
on  the  market,  the  population  increased  quite  rap-  ^Ci 
idly,  and  the  land  was  all  taken  in  a  few  3'ears.     It  Sf 

has  at  present  about  1,100  inhabitants.     There  are  Sin 

Si- ' 

two  small  towns  in  Marion,  Pilot  Grove  and  St.  gti 
Paul,  where  the  people  get  their  mails  and  do  p} 
a  little  trading.  |i 

1 
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310NTR0SE   TOWNSHII*. 

F  all  the  townships  in  Lee  County,  Montrose 
can  justl3'  claim  to  have  ))een  the  first  settled- 
This  was  in  1790,  a  full  account  of  which 
will  be  found  in  the  general  history.  The  pioneers, 
however,  of  our  day  arc  loth  to  recognize  this  as  a 
settlement.  It  is  too  far  back,  and  laj's  over  their 
d.ates  so  far  that  they  do  not  even  care  to  think  of 
it.   In  this  sketch  of  the  township  we  shall  not  refer  ct  J 

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to  the  early  settlements,  but  leave  that,  that  has 
not  already  been  referred  to  in  the  general  history, 
for  the  towns  of  Montrose  and  Nashville. 

Montrose  Township,  by  the  bend  in  the  Missis- 
sippi,  has    more   than    its    natural   width    in  river 
frontage.      It  is  all  pretty  well   timbered  except  a  ^[ 
section   which    runs    north  and  south  through  the 
center,  which  is  rolling  prairie. 


good  morals  prevail. 


•:i 

Ml:  ^ 

The    soil  is  quite  s;ti 
fertile  iind  easy  of  cultivation,  ami  there  are  some  ^'i^\\ 

very  choice  farms  in  the  township.     Some  of    the  a'n 

"  1 

best  of  the  early  settlers  located  in  the   township,  Ei 

"  h. 

the  result  of   which  has  been  that  good  society  and  cnh 


mimwiiimumimmuim'. 


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LEE  COUNTY. 


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Montrose. 

>HE  site  upon  which  this  beautiful  town  is 
located  was  long  known  in  histor.y  as  Ft. 
Dcs  Moines.  It  rests  on  an  elevated  plateau 
overlooking  the  Mississippi,  and  at  a  point  where 
there  is  a  bend  in  the  river.  In  this  sketch  it  is 
highly  proper  to  mention  the  name  of  that  lonely 
adventurer  who  came  to  dwell  here  on  the  banks 
of  this  beautiful  river.  His  name  was  Louis 
Honore  Tesson,  a  Frenchman,  who  located  here  in 
1796,  and  lived  here  with  his  family  for  several 
years.  He  held  a  Spanish  claim  of  a  mile  square. 
He  opened  a  trading-house  and  made  extensive  im- 
provements, at  least  for  those  days,  but  he  finally 
became  involved  in  debt,  his  property  was  seized, 
and  he  was  compelled  to  leave  the  country.  Upon 
this  farm  the  present  city  of  Montrose  rests. 

A  long  period  elapsed  before  another  settlement 
was  made  here ;  not,  indeed,  until  the  pioneer  era 
was  this  place  inhabited  again  by  other  than  the 
Indians.  The  first  settlement  made  here  was  in 
1832,  by  Capt.  .Tames  White,  who  was  soon  j<)ined  bj' 
Stephen  II.  Burtis,  Ezra  Overall,  Thomas  Taylor 
and  others. 

In  1834  the  Government  commenced  the  erection 
of  Ft.  Des  Moines,  which  gave  quite  an  impetus  to 
the  growth  of  this  settlement.  Work  commenced 
in  the  spring,  and  the  fort  was  ready  for  occupancy 
by  fall.  The  building  of  this  fort  brought  a  good 
many  men  here,  who  afterward  became  permanent 
settlers.  The  barracks  were  occupied  in  November, 
by  three  companies  of  the  1st  U.  S.  Dragoons, 
under  command  of  Lieut.  Col.  Kearney. 

The  troops  remained  here  until  the  spring  of 
1837,  when  they  w-ere  removed  to  Ft.  Leavenworth, 
Kan.  After  the  withdrawal  of  the  troops  the  site 
was  laid  out  and  platted  by  Daniel  W.  Kilbourne, 
and  named  ]\Iontrose. 

After  the  town  was  laid  off,  the  heirs  of  Thomas 
F.  Riddick  brought  suit  to  establish  their  title  to 
the  square  mile  originally  granted  to  Tesson,  which 
was  decided  in  their  favor.  Riddick  now  bought 
the  land  from  Tessou's  creditor,  Rabidoux.  The 
town  was  again  surveyed,  and  a  partition  made  be- 
tween the  heirs. 

The  first  store  oi)ened  here  was  in  183'.),  b}'  1). 
W.   and   Edward   Kilbourne.     For  some   time  the 


toun  had  a  rapid  gi-owth  and  up  to  the  completion 
of  tlie  Government  Canal.  Prior  to  that  time  ( 1  .s77) 
Montrose  was  an  important  river  town.  It  was  at 
the  head  of  the  Rapids,  where  at  all  timts  except 
in  high  water,  cargoes  were  discharged  and  carric<l 
over  the  Rapids  by  lighters.  This  l)rought  a  large 
revenue  to  the  town,  and  its  loss  was  deeply  felt. 

In  1857  the  town  was  incor|)orated,  and  .1.  M. 
Anderson  was  chosen  Mayor.  The  population  is 
estimated  at  present  at  about  800. 

There  are  four  churches  here,  the  societies  of 
which  have  regular  meetings ;  these  are  the  Method- 
ists, Episcopalians,  Catholics,  and  the  New  Church 
of  the  Latter-Daj'  Saints. 

From  the  earliest  settlement  attention  was  given 
to  public  schools,  which  resulted  in  having  good 
teachers,  and  a  good  system  of  education.  A 
good  three-story  brick  school  building  was  erected 
some  j^ears  ago  at  a  cost  of  $1.5,000,  and  the  most 
competent  teachers  secured.  This  plan  has  been 
carried  out  ever  since,  the  result  of  which  is  that 
Montrose  can  justl3f  feel  proud  of  her  educational 
advantages. 

NasliAlUe. 


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^ASHVILLE  is  a  little  village  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  about  midwaj'  of 
the  township,  and  in  the  outward  bend  of 
the  river.  Its  population  at  the  present  time  might, 
by  close  counting,  be  raised  to  a  hundred.  This 
town  is  a  forcible  illustration  of  man's  weakness, 
of  his  inabilit}'  to  control  the  elements  that  go  to 
make  up  this  world  of  ours;  also  that  advantageous  ^ra 
sites  do  not  always  make  cities.  It  was  the  object 
in  days  gone  by  of  gre.at  expectations,  of  dermas 
of  wealth,  power  and  grandeur  more  extravagant 
than  any  that  was  ever  woven  into  a  tale  by  Dick- 
ens. But  Nashville  has  historic  value  if  it  has  not 
a  large  population,  with  all  the  strife  and  conflict 
of  busy  trade. 

It  was  here  that  Dr.  Isaac  (ialland  first  located 
in  1829,  and  opened  his  trading-house.  It  was  here 
tliat  the  first  white  child,  within  the  territory  n(jw 
embraced  by  Lee  County,  was  born.  Her  name 
was  Eleanor  Galland.  It  was  this  year  that  the 
first  school  was  taught  by  UerrymaM  .Icnniiigs. 
Here,  also,  lived   James   Brierly,  the  first  Repre- 


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sentative  of  Lee  County.  In  1830,  Isaac  R.  Camp- 
licll  was  jiorsuailed  by  Dr.  (ialland  to  locate  here, 
who,  at  this  time,  expected  notliiny  else  tlian  it 
would  be  a  great  city.  Mr.  C'anjpbcll  rcinained 
until  spring,  and  then  moved  down  lu  the  ioot  of 
the  Rapids. 

This  town  was  known  to  Ihi'  Indians  by  the  name 
of  Ah-we-pe-tnel<,  and  the  country  around  here 
was  a  favorite  resort  for  them.  Black  Hawk,  Kco- 
ktd<,  Wapello,  Appanoose,  Pastapaho,  and  other 
(•iii(?fs,  were  frequent  visitors  to  Nashville,  and 
were  wont  to  indulge  in  their  sports  here  to  an  en- 
thusiastic degree.  But  time  has  ch.anged  all.  Those' 
Indians  have  gone  to  their  happy  hunting-grounds, 
and  the  old  settlers  have  i)assed  awa^'. 


PLEASANT   KIDGE   TOWNSIlir. 


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K:^^! 


LEASANT  RIIKIK  is  located  in  the  north- 
ern tier  of  townships.  The  first  settle- 
ments made  here  were  b}'  William  and 
Thomas  Clark,  Edward  Enslow,  John  and 
David  Burns  and  Thomas  Foggy,  in  1835.  In 
183G  several  more  families  moved  in  and  took  up 
claims.  In  1837  George  Berr^',  from  Virginia, 
joined  the  .settlement  and  opened  the  first  school 
here,  in  a  private  house.  In  1839  a  log  school 
building  was  erected  on  section  2(i.  Rev.  Mr.  Pitt- 
ner  preached  the  first  sermon.  The  Methodists 
were  the  first  to  oi-ganize  a  society  and  to  erect  a 
building.  Edward  Enslow  had  the  honor  to  jire- 
side  as  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

Pleasant  Ridge  is  drained  by  Lost  Creek  which 
heads  here,  a  branch  of  Sugar  Creek,  and  Prairie 
and  Sutton  Creeks,  which  empty  into  Skunk  River. 
The  ujjper  portion  is  well  timbered,  and  the  surface 
is  somewhat  broken,  while  the  southern  portion  is 
rolling  prairie  with  an  occasional  little  grove.  The 
township  is  under  good  cultivation,  having  many 
in(>  farms  and  iile.-isant  homes.  (Jood  sclutols  liave 
been  established,  as  well  as  places  of  woi'ship. 


VAN  BUREN   TOWNSHIP. 

'  Nt(((<^AN  BUREN  is  located  on  the  western  line 
of  the  county,  a  portion  of  it  bordering  the 
Des  Moines.  It  is  all  pretty  well  timbered, 
except  the  northeast  portion,  and  the  surface  is 
quite  rolling  and  often  rather  broken.  It  is  more 
particularly  ada]5ted  for  stock-raising,  though  there 
are  many  good  agricultural  farms  in  the  township. 
It  was  first  settled  by  Louis  D.  Kent,  Louis  Crow, 
Abraham  llenkle  and  J\Ir.  Haggard,  a  Christian 
preacher.  These  settlements  were  made  in  1 83.5. 
Eliza  llenkle,  granddaughter  of  Abraham  llenkle, 
was  the  first  child  born  in  the  township. 

At  the  time  of  the  settlement  here,  the  people 
were  very  much  isolated,  and  there  was  but  little 
interchange  of  social  life.  It  was  not  until  1843 
that  they  had  a  school  for  their  children,  and  this 
was  opened  by  Israel  Cameron.  During  that  year 
Daniel  Galland  settled  here,  and  was  the  first  Justice 
of  the  Peace.  The  township  has  been  [)retty  well 
settled  up  and  improved;  schools  have  been 
established,  and  church  societies  organized,  both  of 
which  the  people  take  a  lively  interest  in.  Their 
nearest  inland  stations  are  Warsaw  and  Belfast. 


<— 


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u 


AVASHINOTON  TOAVNSHIP. 

i^^ASniNGTON  TOWNSHIP  is  among  the 
oldest  settled  townships  in  the  county.     It 


is  very  liberally  timbered,  except  in  the 
center  and  the  northwest  portion.  'J'here  are  some 
very  fine  rolling  prairies  within  its  borders,  which 
are  under  good  cultivation.  Lost  Creek  and  several 
other  little  water  courses  drain  it  pretty  fairh'. 

About  the  first  settlement  made  here  was  in 
1834,  when  Joseph  White,  Samuel  Ross,  Benjamin 
Box,  Hiram  C.  Smith  and  John  Gregg  came  in  and 
took  up  claims.  Mr.  Ross  was  a  Kentuckian,  and 
a  gentleman  of  education  and  refinement.  In  1835 
quite  an  addition  w;is  made  to  this  settlement  by 
the  arrival  of  Philander  .lones,  from  New  York, 
\\'illiam  M.  Davis  and  wife,  Ohio,  the  Herring  fam- 


i^m 


ily,  Mrs.  Emily  Stew.ait,  Joseph  B.  Stewart,  John 
Sawyei-  and  otliers.  This  township  settled  up 
j  pretty  rapidly  after  this,  and  daring  the  long  years 
since  its  first  settlement  has  beconje  well  developed: 
There  are  some  very  beautiful  homes  within  its 
borders.  The  people  are  intelligent,  well  informed 
and  progressive.  They  iiavc  good  schools,  and  are 
very  attentive  in  their  religious  duties.  The  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quiucy  Railroad  runs  across  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  township,  and  the  Ft.  Madi- 
son &  Northwestern  across  the  southwest  corner. 
The  people  do  their  trading  and  get  their  mail 
princijjally  at  Ft.  Madison. 


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WEST  POINT    TOWNSHIP. 

^HIS  is  one  of  the   central   townships   of   the 
count}',  and  is  numbered  among    the    best. 
Its    topography   is  attractive,  and  it  is  ex- 
ceedingly well  adapted  for  agricultural  purposes,  or 
for  stock-raising.     It  is  liberally  watered  by  Sugar 
Creek  and   its    tributaries.    Along   these   streams 
there  are  fine  bodies  of  timber,  and  the  surface  in 
some    places  is  quite  broken;  there  are,  however, 
many  large  level  fields.     In  the  northern  portion  it 
II  is    mostly    rolling   prairie,    with    frequent    pretty 
groves  of  timber. 

Louis  Pitman,  from  Kentuckj',  with  his  wife  and 
seven  children,  moved  here  in  the  spring  of  18.3;") 
and  made  a  claim.  Here  he  lived  until  his  death, 
and  his  children  still  own  the  farm.  His  log  cabin 
is  still  standing.  He  with  his  entire  family  came 
;  with  an  ox-wagon  all  the  way  from  Kentnckj-. 
3!  Later  on  came  George  Herring,  R.  P.  Creel,  Will- 
3  iam  Patterson,  John  L.  Cotton,  John  Howell,  and 
;  several  others.  They  soon  had  here  quite  a  thriv- 
J  ing  settlement,  with  a  good  school  and  religious 
organizations.  It  has  now  a  prosperous  commu- 
§  nity  which  is  marked  for  its  progressive  spirit,  for 
J  its  intelligence  and  for  its  moral  tone.  Near  its 
5  northwestern  corner  is  the  pretty  town  of  AVest 
Point,  where  the  people  do  their  trading  exclus- 
ively. 


f^i^IIIS  lieautiful  little  village  was  first  laid  out 
by  Abraham  Hunsicker.  J.  L.  Cotton  opened 
a  small  store  here  in  the  latter  part  of  1835. 
The  place  was  then  called  "  Cotton  Town."  Early 
in  the  spring  of  ISoU  there  were  several  log  cabins 
put  up.  In  May,  William  Patterson  with  one  or 
two  others  bought  Hunsicker's  claim,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  lay  it  ofT  in  regular  blocks  and  lots,  and 
named  the  place  West  Point.  They  were  induced 
to  give  their  embryo  town  this  name  by  some  West 
Point  officers,  who  were  then  stationed  at  Ft.  Des 
Moines,  under  the  promise  from  them,. that  they 
would  become  real  estate  holders  in  their  new  en- 
terprise.    In  September  a  sale  of  lots  was  made. 

Almost  from  the  first  the  people  here  began  a 
struggle  for  the  county  seat,  which  was  maintained 
with  fervor  until  it  was  finally  located  at  Ft. 
Madison. 

West  Point  is  on  the  Ft.  Madison  Narrow  ttauge 
Railroad,  and  is  an  incorporated  town  and  has  a 
citj'  government.  Its  popul.ation  now  is  about  800. 
Its  location  is  a  beautiful  one;  lovely  groves  sur- 
round it,  which  form  a  pleasing  relief  to  the  rich, 
rolling  prairies.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  a  well  culti- 
vated country.  There  are  several  good  business 
houses  in  town  and  one  planing-mill. 

The  first  preacher  to  visit  this  town  was  Rev. 
Daniel  Cartwright,  a  distant  relative  of  Peter  Cart- 
wright.  He  was  of  the  Methodist  Church.  The  first 
ministei-  to  hold  regular  services  here  was  Rev. 
Alex.  Ewing,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman.  A  society 
was  organized  in  June,  1 837,  and  is  supposed  to  be 
the  oldest  Presbj'terian  organization  in  Iowa.  Their 
first  building  was  a  brick  structure  and  was  com- 
pleted in  1838.  They  subsequently  put  up  a  larger 
and  finer  one.  This  society  has  maintaineil  its 
organization  from  the  first  and  is  in  a  prosperous 
condition. 

The  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in  1839, 
by  Rev.  iNIr.  Jennison.  Meetings  were  held  in  a 
log  house.  In  1842  a  small  church  building  was 
erected,  which  was  used  until  1 855,  when  it  was  sold 
to  the  German  Methodists,  and  a  more  commodious 
edifice  erected.  It  had  at  one  time  150  members, 
but  it  has  not  been  able  to  maintain  tliis  number. 
It  is,  however,  in  a  very  fair  condition. 


1 


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1  1 
1     1 


W 


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1     I 
1     I 


nil 
ill 


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H 


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mill  1 1» 


The  Catholic  Church  was  organized  in  1842,  by 
Rev.  J.  G.  AUcmann  of  Ft.  Madison.  In  the  spring 
of  1843,  a  church  building  was  erected,  wliich  was 
used  as  a  place  of  \v(.)rship  for  about  ten  years, 
when  it  was  enlai-ged.  In  1859  the  church  com- 
pleted its  large,  fine  brick  cditice  at  a  cost  of  about 
;t;10,000.  A  fine  pipe  organ  was  subsequently  added. 
It  has  a  good  rich  tone  and  a  large  volume  of  sound. 
It  is  called  the  Church  of  the  Assumption,  and  is 
presided  over  by  Rev.  William  Jacoby,  a  very  tal- 
ented and  devout  priest.  There  are  some  very 
ine  oil  paintings  in  llie  church.  The  Assumi)tion  is 
a  real  gem  of  art,  and  was  brought  by  Father  Jacoby 
from  Europe.  The  Stations  of  the  Cross  are  also 
elegant  paintings  and  were  executed  by  a  master's 
hand. 

A    Catholic   school  is  attached    to    the    church, 
which  is  under  the  control  of  the  P'ranciscan  Slstei's. 


They  have  a  good,  large,  handsome  building,  and 
an  excellent  school ;af nil  English  course  is  taught, 
also  the  classics,  with  painting,  music  and  drawing. 

The  Mennonites  established  a  society  here  in  p] 
1845.  They  for  several  years  held  their  meetings 
iu  private  houses.  In  1850  thej'  succeeded -in 
erecting  a  log  building  south  of  the  town.  In  Hj 
18(>3  they  completed  their  new  building  in  town. 
There  is  also  a  Baptist  and  a  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Societj'  in  the  town. 

West  Point  has  always  been  liberally  disposed 
toward  educational  institutions,  and  has  from  the 
first  maintained  good  schools.  The  West  Point  ^ 
Academy  was  established  in  1842.  It  had  been 
incori)orated  by  the  Legislature  in  1839.  In  1842 
a  young  ladies'  school  was  opened.  The  public 
school  is  presided  over  by  good  teachers,  is  graded, 
and  affords  ^ood  educational  advantages. 


■HHl 


'?ii 


i 


i 


I?: 

1  La 


Adams,  John 23 

Adams,  John    Quincy 39 

Adams,  W.    J 218 

Allbaugh,  Mrs.   Levo 214 

Allen,  W.   W 392 

Allyn,  T.    H 541 

Alter,  Henry   R 444 

Alton,  H.  E 231 

Anderson,  Absalom 205 

Anderson,  A.   W 176 

Anderson,   B.  F 551 

Anderson,  J-   G 177 

Anderson,  James    H 223 

Anderson,  Joseph   G 335 

Anderson,  Dr.   J.   M 192 

Annable.  D.  H 183 

Armentrout,  Dr.   J.   C 343 

Arthur,  Chester  A 99 

Atlee,  Joseph  B 457 

Atlee,  J.  C 221 


B 


Bacon,   J-    H 323 

Bailey,  Dr.    Benj.    F 317 

Bailey,  Noah    19.S 

Baker,  C  O.,  M.   D 293 

Baker,  Dr.  S.    F 522 

Ball,    Frederick 237 

Ballinger,  Frank  M .--S?^ 

Ballinger,  William 312 

Bancroft,  Dr.  W 568 

Bank,  Judge  Henry 185 

Barr,   Robert 263 

Barr,  Robert  J    265 

Bassett,  W.   M 201 

Beard,  Wm 469 

Beck,   Hon.  J.   M    518 

Becker,  C.   L .  - 193 

Beeler,  David 197 

Behrens,  W  .    J 216 

Bell,  John ..194 


Bell,   Rice  H 479 

Bell,  Z.   T 433 

Benbow.  J.   W 386 

Berstler,  J.   G 378 

Bertram,   Dr.   W     186 

Black,   H.  M 308 

Blom,  N 225 

Blom,  Wm 436 

Boley,  John 577 

Bonnell,  J.  W 377 

Bowen,  P.  W 232 

Boyd,  J.   G 191 

Brandes,  Wm 235 

Bricker,  James  E 388 

Briggs,  Ansel Tin 

Brinck,  H 324 

Brinkman,  Mrs-   Margaret. .  -198 

Brooks,  Oliver 571 

Brown,  Charles,  Sr 206 

Brumagen,  J.   M 574 

Buchanan,  James 75 

Buck,  Morton 505 

Buell,   L.   W 401 

BuUard,  A 295 

BuUard,  A.   J 565 

Bullard,  James 412 

BuUard,  Wilson..  -   337 

Burke,  Patrick 558 

Burster,  Ernst 201 


\ 


Cale.  J.   M 458 

Cameron,  James 277 

Campbell.  J.  W 587 

Campbell.  N.   C 536 

Carey,  S.  E 294 

Carpenter,  Cyrus  Clay 139 

Carter,  E.   S 213 

Carter,  S.  C 266 

Case,  M 435 

Casey,  Hon.  J.   M 181 

Casey.  S.   M 184 

Cattermole,  A.   C 207 

Cattermole,  H 561 

Chamberlain,  M  .  S 286 

Church,  James  V 497 


Clark,  N-    E 538 

Cleaver,  Dr.   H.   T 283 

Cleveland,  S.    Grover 103 

Cole,  A.   J 233 

Collins,  Maj.  Wm.   B 475 

Comstock,  Gilbert 302 

Connable,  A.  L 427. 

Cook,   C.  M 394 

Cooney,  J.   K 171 

Cowles,  Philetus 529 

Coyne,  Wm 418 

Craig,  John   E 335 

Craig,   John   H .523 

Crane,  J.   T 572 

Crosley,  Col.  G.  W 281 

Curtis,  George  D 298 


D 


Datigherty.  J  ■   F 

Davis,  Alfred 

Davis,  B.  C 

Davis,  Capt.   George   E. 

Davis,  James  C 

Davis,  Dr.  Paschal 

Davis,  Wm 

Davis,  Wm 

Dawson,  Peyton 

Deamude,  Capt.  Theo... 

DeCaiily,  Rev.  Louis 

Denmire,   E 

Derosear,  Wm 

Dickey,  Mrs.    Barbara.. 

Dickins,  Isaac 

Doane,  Josepli   

Doane,  Robert 

Dobson,  Thomas 

Dodd,  H.  W  

Doerr,  Hon.   Charles 

Donnell,  W.   A 

Downey,  John 

Downs,  John 

Doyle,  Samuel,  Jr  

Doyle,  Samuel,  Sr   

DroUinger,  B.  W 

Duffus,  J.    H 

Durfee,  B.  K. 


.271 
.273 
.^82 
•356 
251 
.464 
•547 
•393 
■347 
•307 
.491 
•  423 
.276 
562 
406 
.446 
.288 

•35' 
.563 
.244 
.227 
■45" 
•275 
447 
•463 
.215 
■437 
.185 


Eberling,  Conratl 253 

Eoff,  Leonard 403 

Espey,  Thomas  S 539 

Evans,   Hon.  A.   H 354 

Evans,  Thomas 341 

Ewers,   Wm 318 

Ewing,  James 455 


Fankhouser,  Jacob 315 

Fett,    Henry 226 

Fillmore,  Millard 67 

Fowler,    John 368 

Frederick,  \V.   B... 344 

Friedrick,  Charles 234 

Frow  James  W 452 

Fueker,  Garrett 424 

Fuller,  E.   E.,M.   D 553 

Fulton,  William. 425 


n 


if 


I  1 

I      V 


G 


Galland,  Washington 588 

Garfield,  James  A 95 

Garretson,  A.    H 498 

Garverich,    Henry 456 

Gear,  John  H 147 

George,  Dr.   W.   A 307 

Gibbons,  Hon.  Patrick 316 

Gibbs,  B.    F 554 

Gibbs,  E.   A 413 

Gillespie,  Capt.  C.  P 28a 

Goodnough,  Capt.   R 3** 

Goodrich,  J.   W.    441 

liramm,    Dr.    Carl   T a68 

Grant,  Ulysses  S     87a 


^ 


H 


I    I 


m 


m 


IT 


ri^Si 


^1 


r 
i 


H 


H] 


n 


1 


liMii 


n 


PH 


ii 


SI! 


m 


Griffis,  R.   E 345 

Griffith,  Wm     D 39" 

Grimes,  James ii9 

Griswo'd,  W.  H 306 


H 


Haffncr.  Jacob 585 

Hagerman,  Frank 385 

HamiU,  D.   B 25O 

HamilU  S 394 

Hamilton,  Hon.  J.   D.  M....453 

Hampton,  A 487 

Hardin,  A.   J 542 

Harlan,  Joshua •••375 

Harrison,  Wm.   Henry 5» 

Harshman.   F 326 

Hartley,  N.   D 421 

Hartley,  Thomas 356 

Hatch,  Mrs-    E.. 576 

Haiton,  W.  B 57© 

Haubert,  Peter..    ag? 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B 91 

Hazon,  J.    B 214 

Heer,   Frank 372 

Hcffleman,  Mrs.  Adithca  A. .217 

Hemingway,  J 298 

Hempstead.  Stephen 115 

Henkle,  Amos 367 

Henzel,  George 171 

Henzel,  John   A 385 

Hesse,  B.    B 435 

Hiatt,  A.  S   476 

Hill.  R.  E 237 

Hinkley,  Capt.  E 366 

Hobbs,   J.  W 371 

Holdefer,  John. 433 

Hott,  George 426 

Hough,  John 248 

Houaer,  D.   L 247 

Howard,  Rev.    Father  M 427 

Howell,  Judge  James   B.    ...494 

Howell.  Thomas  H 257 

Hiibcnthal,  Charles 338 

Hughes,  F.  T 509 

Hughes.  Dr.    J.    C 365 

Humes,  W.    T 445 

Hundt,  Rev.  Charles  F 191 

Hunt,  J.    F 292 

Hussey,  Charles 391 

Hussey,  Chri-^topher,  Sr 402 

Hyier,  John    562 


1 


IngersoU,    E.   M 395 

Ingersoll,  Dr.    L.  C 352 

Ivins.  W.   S 573 


Jackson.  .-VRdrew 43 

Jacobson,  Andrew 383 


T»HTJi  gimiii 


toS 


*T»»rlir»Vyrt»T«'? 


3«SfSlTH 


":  TIIXXTOmT*  ' 


1  urrrrri  rxn  1 


INDEX. 


Jacoby,   Rev.    William 542 

Jamieson,  W.  W 327 

Janse,  Hector   422 

Jastcr,   Frederick  W 521 

Jefferson,   Henry 3O4 

Jefferson,  Thomas 27 

Jenkins,  Dr-   George  F 245 

Johnson,  Aaron 372 

Johnson,  Andrew 83 

Johnson,  John a68 

Johnson,  Seth 357 

Johnstone,   Edward 442 

Judy,  Henry 364 


Karhoff",  Joseph      363 

Kasten,  Charles  C 402 

Keeler.  L.  B 564 

Kelley,  Peter... 407 

Kellogg,  E.   B 287 

Kellogg,   F.    H •••305 

Kempker,  John  F 516 

Kennedy,  Daniel 178 

Kennedy,  James 446 

Kennedy,  John  G 381 

Kiel,   J.    B 353 

Kilbride,  M 333 

King,  John 284 

King,  R.    B 575 

Kircher,  George 527 

Kirkwood,  Samuel  J 127 

Klein,  Samuel 537 

Klingler,  Charles 355 

Klopfenstein,  Peter 503 

Krebill,  Jacob i8£ 

Krebill,  Peter    273 

Kfebill.  R.   H 177 

Kretsinger,  W.  H 504 

K  rich  el,  Joseph 274 


Lang.  Frederick •....438 

Larrabee,  Wm 155 

Layton,  George 334 

LeFaivre,  A.   J 424 

Lincoln,  Abraham 79 

Loeffler,  Joseph .579 

Love,  Judge  J  .  M 491 

Lowe,  Ralph  P 123 

Lupton,  Joseph  A 342 

Lye,  Charles  F 338 

Lynch,  F.  T 231 


M 


Madison,  James 31 

Malcolm,  Mrs.  E.  E 462 

Mang,  Mrs.  Johanna 494 

Marcey.  P.    B 445 

Marr,J.  F 572 

Marsh,  B.  J 527 

Marsh,  David  C 243 


Marsh,   Isaac   1 367 

Marshall,  X>r.  Evan 253 

Marshall,  S.    T    566 

Martin.  Charles 462 

Mattern,  John .172 

Matteson,  Isaac  A 540 

Mathews,   E.   C 486 

Mathews,  P.  M 453 

Maxwell,    T.  J.,  M.    D 346 

McCabe.    H.   R .-■284 

McConn,  D 506 

McConn,  H.  D 342 

McCormick,   J.    A 567 

McCrary,  A.  J 528 

McCuUochi  D.  T 432 

McDaniel,  Isaac 560 

McDermolt,  Michael  &  Sons. 305 

McGreer,  John 278 

McHenry,    Robt 322 

Mcllwain,  Rev.  R.    C 504 

McNamara,  James 344 

McNeill,  Salmon 952 

McQuade,  James 208 

McVay,  John 550 

Meek,   Johnson 173 

Meis,  .Aloysius.    . .'. 431 

Mendenhall,  Jacob 580 

Mendenhall,   John 586 

Merrill,  Samuel 135 

Mertens,  C ....417 

Miles,   Benjamin 383 

Miles,  J-    A 331 

Miller,  Hon.  D.  F... 569 

Miller,    Henry   R 551 

Miller,  William  J 425 

Mitchell,  John 355 

Monroe,  James 35 

Moore,  Shapley 457 

Moore,  Capt,  W.  S 559 

Moorman,  J-   W 485 

Morrison,  A 470 

Morrison,  D.  A 468 

Morrison.  J.   A..*. 577 

Mumm.  Edward 362 

Myers,  Francis  M 548 

N 

Nagel,  Mrs.  Mary ai6 

Newberry,  A.    R 45> 

Newberry,  James  W an 

Newbold.   Joshua  ('■ 143 

Nichols,  W.  H.. 331 

Nunn,  George  R 256 

Nunn,  J.  A 586 


o 


Ohlcr,  Jacob 271 

Okell,  Peter 586 

Owen,   Capt.  R.  S    428 


Parker,  Dr.  R.  M 421 


?a5???7 


Parrott,  J.   C 397 

Pattersfin,  Col.  William 405 

Payne,   Dr.   P.  J 238 

Pease,  J.  L 326 

Pechstein,  Mrs.  Catherine  .. -233 

Pcirce,  Prof.  C .  H 481 

Perkins,  John  T 317 

Peters,  Christian ..482 

Pierce,  Franklin 71 

Polk,  James  K.. 59 

Pranfier,  William   235 

Price,  C.   S 333 

Prouty,  Oscar 187 

Publisky,  F 312 


Q 


Quinton,  R.    B. 


R 


Rand,  George  D 555 

Rankin,  W.   T 187 

Ranson,  R.  S 293 

Reed,  Mrs.  Lottie  W 386 

Reitz,  Henry 474 

Richardson,  A.  J 361 

Richardson,  S.  F 467 

Renwald,  Jacob 512 

Rice,  lonas 315 

Rix,  John 454 

Roberts,  A.  C 500 

Rockey,   Christian 193 

Rogers,  Milward  H 311 

Root,  Col.  Richard    535 

Russell,  Robert  A 169 


Sample,  Col.  J.   B 461 

Sample,  Capt.  \V.. 361 

Sanders,  Gerhard 328 

Saraent.  H.   C 204 

Sargent,  J.   A 4ts 

Sargent,  O.   G.,  Sr ?8l 

Schaefer,  George 474 

Scharfenberg,  Henry 303 

Schenk,  F.,Sr 499 

Schenk,  F.,  Jr 498 

Schouten,  Jacob s67 

Schweer,  Hon.  Conrad 511 

Scott,  John 558 

Scroggs,   J.  W 274 

Seabold,  John an 

Seabold,  John  J 188 

Seamans.  E.   D 164 

Semple,  Francis 408 

Semple,  F    H 398 

Shadwell,  Richard 4*4 

Sheppard,  L.  D 538   j 

Sherman,   Buren  R xjt 


1 


INDEX. 


647 


'it 

l:t 
13C 


n':i 


\M 


=*» 


t 


I 


Shinstock,  H 236 

Slattery,  Daniel ...396 

Smith,  Joseph  A 533 

Smith,  I-  F 475 

Smith,  Prof.  John  A 288 

Smith,  Robert  E 470 

Smith,  Thomas 530 

Speake,  Capt.  Samuel 499 

Spreen,  Henry  C   358 

Stahl,  Charles 448 

Steele,  William  D 565 

Stevens,  M.  W 530 

Stewart,   Rev., Geo.    D 255 

Stone,  William  M 131 

Stripe,    W.   C 175 

Surrena,  Philip 517 

Sutton,  P.   R 523 

T 

Tate,  Dr    F.  M 336 


Taylor,  Zachary 63 

Teller,  Capt-    Ralph 341 

Tewksbury,  J.   R, 374 

Thomas,  E.  H 292 

Torley,  WjUiam 351 

Townsend,  J ..246 

Trimble,  Hon.  A.    H 196 

Trump,  George. 202 

Tschoepe,    Moritz 549 

Turner,   James  P 223 

Turner,  Dr-   W.    H 361 

Tweedy,  John    188 

Tyler,  John 55 

V 

Van   Ausdall,   Isaac  515 

Van  Valkenburg,  Hon.  John. 296 

Van  Euren,  Martin 47 

Von  der  Haar,  Gerhard 325 


w 

Walker,  Dr.  J.   C 258 

Walsmith,   E 416 

Ware,  John 202 

Warwick,  Chas-   A ...511 

Washburn,   Hon.   H 510 

Washington,  George 19 

Waterhouse,  Thomas 301 

Weber,    A 479 

Weber,  Jacob 186 

Weess,  Frank  J 212 

Weil,  M ichael 265 

Wei?mann,   Dr.    A.    T 404 

Welsing,    H •.174 

White,  Josiah 492 

Whitlock,  Charles 224 

Wiegner,   .A.dam 552 

Wiegner,  Jacob 176 

Wiegner,  John  P 178 


Wieland,  Rev.    S.   F ,93 

Wiggenjost,  Anton 217 

Williams,  Rev.  C.   F 575 

Williams,  Rev.  Wm.  H 313 

Williamson,  Rev.   E 473 

Williamson,  William 510 

Wilson,  Enoch  G 534 

Wilson,  George 241 

Wilson,    Jas 264 

Wilson,  John .556 

Wilson,  Thomas  V 417 

Woodward,  Capt.  Asa  B....  242 

Worley,  S.   T.  &  Son 267 

Wyllie,  Andrew 411 

Wyman,  F,  W.,  M.  D 327 


Vounkin,    S.   G. 


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Adams,  John 22 

Adams,  John  Quincy 38 

.Ajaderson  A 205 

Arthur,    Chester  A 98 

Atlee,  J.  C 220 

Bell,  Rice  H 478 

Eriggs,  Ansel ..no 

Buchanan,  James 74 

Buell,  L     W 400 

Burster,  Anton 200 

Carpenter,  Cyrus  Clay 138 

Casey,  J.  M    180 

Church,  James  V  496 

Cleveland,  S.  Grover. 102 

Crosley,  G.   W ......    .280 

Evans,  Thomas 240 


Fillmore,  Millard 66 

Galland,  Washington 589 

Garfield,  James  A .  94 

Gear,  John  H    146 

Goodrich,  J.  W 440 

Grant,  Ulysses  S 86 

Grimes,  James  W 1 18 

Haffner,  F   584 

Haffner,  Maria  B 584 

Harrison,  Wm.  H 50 

Hayes,  Rutherford   B ..   90 

Hempstead,  Stephen 114 

Hughes,  F.   T 508 

Jackson,  Andrew 42 

Jastiir,  F.   W..    520 

Jefferson,   Thomas... 26 


Johnson,  Andrew 82 

Kennedy,  J.   G 380 

Kirkwood,  Samuel 126 

Larrabee,   William 154 

Lincoln,  Abraham 78 

Lowe,  Ralph  P 122 

Khipfenstein,  Mrs-  E 502 

Klupfenstein,  Peter 502 

Madison,  James xo 

Merrill,  Samuel 134 

Monroe,  James. . 34 

Moorman,  Dr.   J.   W 484 

Newbold.  Joshua  G    142 

Parker,  M 420 

Pierce,   Franklin 70 

Polk,  James  K 58 


Richardson, -A..  J 260 

Richardson,  Mrs.  A.  J 260 

Richardson,  S.    F ..  466 

Russell,  Robert  A 168 

Sample,  Capt.   W 362 

Sherman,  Buren  R...    .   * 150 

Smith,  Joseph  A 532 

Stone,  Wm.    M 130 

Taylor,  Zachary 62 

Teller,  Capt.    Ralph    R 340 

Turner,   Dr.  W.    H    360 

Tyler,  John 54 

Van  Ausdall,  Isaac 514  ' 

Van   Buren,  Martin 46 

Washington,  George 18 

Waterhouse,  Thomas 300 

Williamson,  E 472 


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Anderson,  J.  G 390 

Atlee,  J.   C 221 

Bullard,  Alexander 290 

Cooney,  J.  K 230 

Daugherty,  J.  F.    390 

Fankhouser,  Jacob 250 

Fowler,  John 369 


Garverich.  Henry 350 

Heffleman,  Mrs.  A.   A 526 

Hesse,  B.  B 270 

Krichel,  Joseph 350 

McQuade,  James 310 

Mertens,  Christian 250 

Newberry,  A.  B 449 


Newberry,  J  .  W 209 

Prouty,  Oscar 310 

Richardson,  S.  F 466 

Rogers,  Milward  H 250 

Sanders,  Gerhard 329 

Sargent,  John  A 270 

Scharfenberg,  Henry 350 


Schinstock,  Henry.. .   466 

St.  Joseph's  Cath.  Ch 49° 

St.  Mary's  Cath.  Ch.  Keo....i89 
St.  Mary'sCath.  Ch.,  Fi.  M  .  430 

Spreen,  H.   C 526 

Turner,  J.  P 330 

Worley,  S.T.  &  Son   189 

Wyllie,    -Andrew 4^ 


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INDEX. 


■  i 


-     OOP 


INTRODUCTORY 

INDIAN  HISTORY 

Half-breed  Tract 
Keokuk  Reserve 

SETTLEMENT  AND  OR- 
GANIZATION 

Ft.  Des  Moines  Bar- 
racks 
Organization 
Civil  Government 
The  County  Seat 
Township  Organization 
Then  and  Now 

THE  PRESS 

The  Plaindealer 


597 

598 
599 
600 


602 

605 
607 
607 
608 
609 
610 

612 
613 


The  Gate  Citj-  613 
The  Keokuk  Constitu- 
tion 614 
Keokuk  Democrat  616 
Ft.  Madison  Democrat  616 
Republican-Herald  616 
Keokuk  Post  616 
West  Point  Appeal  617 
Lee  County  Record  617 
Knights'  Sword  and  Hel- 
met 617 

RAILROADS  618 
CITY  OF  KEOKUK  620 
CITY  OF  FT.  MADI- 
SON 627 
State  Penitentiarj'  640 


TOWNSHIP  HISTOR- 

IES 

634" 

Ced.ir 

634 

Charleston 

635 

Des  Moines 

635 

Denmark 

636 

Franklin 

636 

Green  Ba}' 

638 

Harrison 

638 

Jackson 

638 

Jefferson 

639 

Madison 

640 

Marion 

640 

Montrose 

640 

Pleasant  Ridge 

642 

Van  Buren 

642 

Washington 

642 

West  Point 

643 

KK], 


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