Full text of "Biographical history of Shelby and Audubon counties, Iowa. Containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Harrison, with accompanying biographies of each; portraits and biographies of the governors of the state; engravings of prominent citizens in Shelby and Audubon counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families. A concise history of the counties, and the cities and townships"

■v-i ^

^KfHlCAL fl fi%

-OIE 1 -

SHELBY AND AUDUBON COUNTIES, IOWA,

Containing Portraits of all the Presidents of the United States from Washington
to Harrison, with accompanying Biogbaphu Portraits and Biog

phif.s of th bnoe8 of the s'latf. j engravings of psominent

Citizens in Shelby and • riss, with Personal

Histories of many of the Early Settlers
Leading Families. A I Bistoby

of the Counties, and the
Cities and Tow

W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS,

113 Adams Street, Chicago.
1889.

CONTENTS

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED

STATES.

George Washington 9

John Adams 14

Thomas Jefferson 20

James Madison 26

James Monroe 32

John Quincy Adams 38

Andrew Jackson 47

Martin Van Bnren S3

William Henry Harrison 56

JohnTvler 60

James K. Polk 64

Zachary Taylor 63

Millard Fillmore 72

Franklin Pierce 76

James Buchanan 80

Abraham Lincoln 84

Andrew Johnson 93

Ulysses S. Grant 96

Rutherford B. Hayes 102

James A. Garfield 109

Chester A. Arthur i 113

Grover Cleveland 117

Benjamin Harrison 120

HISTORY OF IOWA.

Aboriginal.. 123

Caucasian

Pioneer Life 133

Louisiana Territory 137

Iowa Territory 139

State Organization and Subse-
quent History 141

Patriotism 146

Iowa Since the War Ill

State Institutions 151

Educational 154

Statistical 157

Physical Features 158

Geology r 158

Climate 163

Census of Iowa. . .
Territorial Officers.

Officers .165

GOVERNORS OF IOWA

Robert Lucas 171

John Chambers 173

James Clarke.

Ansel Briggs 179

Stephen Hempstead

James W. Grimes. . . 187

Ralph P. Lowe 191

Samuel J. Kirkwood 195

William M. Stone 199

Samuel Merrill.... 203

) C. Carpenter . 207

Joshua G. Newbold 211

John H. Gear.... 215

Buren U.Sherman. .219
William Larrabee 223

^■■j. cffr fe

l7isfloi^Y op Shelby (§oun*py.

CHAPTER I.

Introductory 229

Geology, Topography and Natural History.. 280

CHAPTER II.

Early Settlement — The Mormons 232

County Government 235

Organization of Townships 236

First Events 238

CHAPTER 111.

Official Vote of Shelby County 241

County Officers 241

County-Seat History 245

CHAPTER IV.
The Great Civil War 249

CHAPTER V.
The Newspaper Press 251

CHAPTER VI.

Various Things 254

Population in 1885, by Townships 254

Valuation of Property

Agricultural Society 254

Medical Society 255

School Population 255

CONTENTS.

The Marriage Record

Farmers' Mutual Insurance Companv 256

The County Poor Farm "

The County Jail 356

i of 'Latter-Day Saints 257

Elkhorn— Postoffice and ( ollege 857

Then and Now

LLLAGEfi

Itau

slbyville

Manteno

Present Towns axd Villages 2

Harlan 26Q

.Shelby

Irwin 277

Defiance 379

Village ol

Panama

Portsmouth

Village of Westphalia

Kirkman 290

Corley

Botna

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

ott,8.D

621

F. D

Allen,!). \V . r .51

n.H.K 56^

All.-

. 616

nentrout, Philip

.hi 486

410

■

V.O

1.1

ry, A. .1

i . 504

Bifiel

U., P 344

1 i ley

.... 46 1

R . 490

Bradford, Bruce 'ill

Brindley, ,]

:., J. F

Brommenschenkel, P

Broomhall, Thoa 624

1 553

Brown, .lapheth

. :l. K C

Buckman, A. N

Bullard. J

Burke, J. T 413

Burwell, John

.1. T

Byero, 11. W 373

T.J

I, Alex

pbell, M.K

.
.
urn, J. W

447

Clark, J. M. B
i I

er. J. O

Collins. David 510

40'J

Thomas

Cooper, W. E

Craig, II. W ....

597

Croft, G. 8 .844

• W

Crouch, Frank

a. y\

Curtis, K. .1

44(1

Custer, Henry

r. Henry

I).

Samuel

•. , Daniel

imand, R. P

im. Thomas 584

Davis, W. 3 815

id 826

\\ II . .
Dighton, B. B

•lily, 0. II

Dunham, Fletcher

Dunlap, J. M 434

Edwa

Eil«

a .

■ I

Fav, KG

E P. . .

Fish, I. J

Daniel. .

.•it

Fountain. Piersou

Ii. .1. W

CONTENT*.

Gallagher, Thos...

imon, Warren

Gardner, ,l"te|ih

land, B.J

Geiger, J. W

Gibbs, ' ;

Gil more, J. P.

Gingery, Lewis

Giab David

, Fred

Graves, C. E

Graves, Z. H

Gregg, A. E

en, D \\

■it. A. .1

■i-

■ ibrie, .1. 11

II.

Hall, David

Hall, J.]

Bamdorf, Henry

Hammer, Peter

Hammes

Bandy, Wm 483

liarlord, T. N

Harrod, II

Bavens, Sirs M. M

Bawkins, James

Bawley, George 452

Hawley, Pierce 472

Heck, G. E

/<Heese, J. C

in. G.C

li snricksoo, II. N

Henry, 0. T

H-rkenrath, Peter 489

Higgins, John 479

Hinl

Holcomb, H. C 405

Holcomb, H. C

Holcc mb, O. E

Hon, Jesse

Hoover, E. E

Howlett, Sr., Wm 309

Howlett, Jr.. Wm

Hummert, J. B

Iokes,G. W 580

Irwin, Ebenezer

Irwin, E. W

Irwin. D. S 570

Ive 430

Jackson, Alfred 472

lohn

Jacobson, Lorens 459

j -imps, George

James, Robert 571

vis, L. 1

Jenson, L. C

Jenson, Petei

Johnson, Alouzo

Johnson. Christian

Johnson, Win

Johnson, W.J 6»4

Jorgenson, James 424

aagh, T. A

■nes, Willson

liner, Earl

ney, M. T

Kellogg, Lewis

Kerr, L. M

, diaries

Kite, li. W 608

Wm 448

Kohl, E. V 41G

Kohl, G.D 416

Kohl, 8. F 415

Kortb, Jacob

Korlh, P.J

Korth, Peter 598

Kostelecky, < barlea 516

Kuiii, j.ii

Kuhl, MP

Lamphere, John 009

Langent'eld, John

506

m, N

LawBon, J. E

Ledwich, Thomas

Lee, Henry

Leinen, Constant!

Leinen, Matthias 610

Leytham, Richard

Leytham, Thomas 481

Linn, J B 520

Linn, 8. B

Loehr, P. W 457

Long, T. A 554

Lorge, John . 581

Lorge, .NJ 581

Louis, J. II 421

eke, II II

; , N.W 331

Madsen, .John 582

M 488

Mansfield, J.C 446

Martinson. Peter 54 1

Maxwell, Alex 418

McCoid, G. W 597

McCoid, Thomas 596

McCord, Alex

McCuskey, II.

McDonald, Thomas :J0S

McDowell, Luke

McDowell, Oliver

a, Win

McGorrisk,W. B

.Mcintosh,.!. A 307

McKeever, Anthony 345

McKeig, Wesley

ughton.F.J

Meier, 0. W

•

Miller, F. A 590

Miller, G. H

Miller, J. J

414

ih ■

Miller, T. J

Miller, W.F

Mills, J. S 861

Mitchell, Thos

in, Jap 510

Morgan, J. W

.Morris, 1). E

Muck, R. W

Muldoon, II. W 561

Murfield, D. P 414

ilman, Daniel

, Eliab Oil

.1. II ...

Neil', Oscar

Newl M

New

Nichols, II. G .

Nicolls, B

Nieman, H.A

Obrecht, Martin

Olson, T. B

Panian, John

Pattee, A- J

Patterson, G. K . 343

Paulk, C. II

Panlk, J. W 410

Panp, George

Penniston, Edmund 520

Perry, J. P 544

Peters, Wm

Petei

Pieffer, J. M 509

Pinney, Harmon

Plumb, Francis

Plumb, Valentine

Poling, Martin

Pomeroy, John 502

Pomeroy, 11. M 8»6

Pool, 3. G

Porter, Robert 618

Potter, H. C 457

Potter, John

Potter, J. S

Potts, G. W

Pratt, J. M

Pratt, 8. K

Pritcbard, A

Pulver, Barman

Ptilver, M 533

CONTENTS.

Ralston, J. N 603

Ramsay, J. O 438

Ramsay, 8. J 457

Redfield, C.C 302

Reed.C.A 497

Reynolds, Miles 408

Riley, A. K 465

Roberts, fm 424

Roberts, Benj 526

Robinson, Charles 453

Robertson, J. M 532

Roland, J 482

Rorabaugh, A. P 329

Hnundy, N. J 509

Roundy, Sarah 471

Koundy, W 310

Runnells, H.J 576

Ryan, T.J 565

Salter, J. W 558

is, O. W. M 545

nders, C. A 428

Schafer, Philip 423

Schiltz, John 470

uboe, A. A 395

i uettgen, A 504

tt, Wesley ... 322

nore, Monroe 607

Sheller, D. B 333

■ tt, Lewis 505

Sidener, 8. A 576

Silliman, S P 162

Slates, Samuel 458

Smith, Caleb 543

Smith, Harrison 382

Smith, J. W 405

Smith, T. H 314

Smith, W.J 407

Snyder, H. L 492

Snyder, H. M 615

Sontag, Theodore 622

Sorenson, J. P 373

Stanley, J. L 454

Starr, G. W 604

Steen, Robert 313

Stephens, J. R 366

Stephenson, G. R 605

Sunderland, L. D 336

Swain, J. B 580

Swift, C. F 57!)

Swinehart, George 525

Terrill, Dwight 335

Teske, Charles 479

Theile, Frank 589

Thomas, Wiu 408

Tingle, A. 11 477

Trotter, M. W 437

Truman, Mrs. H. A 374

Vandeburg, J. D 604

Vering, Ferdinand 423

Vogt, Nicholas 547

Wadkins, Wm 541

Walmer, G. W 483

Walters, D. B 501

Walters, Jacob 502

Warner, A. B 375

Watterbury, Daniel 440

Watterbury, Edward S46

Watterbury, Lewis 421

Watterbury, Stephen 435

Westrope, T. R 313

Wheeler, W. W 396

Wilcox, A. C 553

Wilfong, Andrew 401

Will, Peter 367

Williams, G. M 48U

Williamson, C 491

Willson, W. L 325

Wilson, Daniel 417

Wilson, John 4*4

Winters, Mrs. A. G. M 305

Wooster, J. C 567

Wright. J. T 415

Wyland, C. J 295

Wyland, D. M 346

Wyland, J 827

Wyland, O. P 371

Wyland, T.J 356

Wyland, Wm 325

Wyland, W. W 394

Yackey, Joseph 501

Yoder, Stephen 376

» >*^

POI^I^AITS.

Armentrout, Philip 628

Bnughn, W. L 404

Bosley, Jacob 574

Brindley, J 464

•n, Japheth 549

Burke, J. T 412

Campbell, W. C 468

Clark, J. M 613

Cleveland, W. F

Collins, B. A 303

Cooper, D. C 442

( u!lisou,G. W

Eokars, Geo 432

Fisb, E. F 584

Gregg, A. E 493

Keairnes, Willson 522

Keller, Geo. F 486

Kidd, Charles 5' 4

Kite, R. W

Kuhl, J H 426

Larson, M 507

Ledwich, Thos 890

Loehr, Fred

McCord, Alex

Miller, J. J

Olson, T. B 450

Penniston, Edmund .VJS

Perry, J. P 544

Porter, Robert 619

Rouudy, W 311

Ryan, T. J

Sunderland, L. D 388

Sunderland, Mrs. Mary E 339

Tingle, A. H 476

Walters, D. B 500

Watterburv, Lewis 420

Wheeler, W. W 397

Wyland, C.J 294

Wyland, D. M

Wyland, O. P 370

Wyland, Wm 324

CONTENTS.

History of Audubon Gounty.

CHAPTER I.

I NTRODUCTORY 637

Geology, Topography and General Features. 038

CHAPTER II.

Early Settlement and Organization 639

First Events 641

Organization 643

CHAPTER III.
Count? Government 645

CHAPTER IV.

Election Returns — County, State and Na-
tional 651

Liquor Prohibitory Amendment 654

CHAPTER V.

Special Events and Other Matters 655

Special Events 655

Assessed Valuation of Property in 1888 656

Marriage Record 656

Population, by Townships, in 1886 656

Population at Various Dates 656

CHAPTER VI.
The Newspaper Press 657

CHAPTER VII.

Various Things 662

Educational

Audubon County Soldiers 663

Railroads, the Squatters, etc 663

Stock-raising

Agricultural Society 665

CHAPTER VIII.

Towns and Villages 667

Record of Village Plats 667

Audubon 668

Exira 675

Brayton 680

Gray 081

Ross 683

Kimballtun 683

CHAPTER IX.

Crime in Shelby and Audubon Counties 085

The Jellerson Murder and Subsequent Lynch-
ing 686

Polk City Murderers Captured and Lynched . 689

Crooked Creek Outlaws 692

Murder of C. H. Kleva 693

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Allen, A. E 794

Allen, F. D 714

Andrews, H. F 701

Armstrong, A. F 798

Bagley, Charles 728

Baker, Luke 716

Baker, Robert 795

Bartlett, H. M 730

Bartlett, Washington 805

Busham, J. H 757

Bauer, Valentine 771

Beason, Silas 802

Beers, Bradley 779

Beers, L. A 771

Bell, J. T 715

Bickelhaupt, Philip 776

Bilharz, Emil 713

Bonwell, J. C 807

Bradley, F. P 804

Brookfield, B. C 814

Brown, I. N 780

Burnside, Wilson 722

Cameron, John 821

Cameron, W. G 817

Carpenter, R. C 806

Carpenter, R. M 713

Carper, M. L 751

Carper, R. N 755

Clark, Wm. J 789

Cloughly, J. F 799

Cloughly, Wm 824

Colee, C. A. W 770

Conklin, Henry 782

Conrad, Joseph 777

Consigny, J. F 697

Cotton, G. E 707

Cousins, E. B 703

Crane, W. A 724

Creveling, R. J 740

Cunningham, Bernard 731

Curtis, Joseph 779

Curtis, Wm 762

Davidson, R. H 822

Davis, Wm. E 739

Detwiler, A. N 80!.

Doak, J. B 723

Donaldson, S. F 786

Dubois, G. M 757

Eddy, A. J 752

Fancher, Amos 784

Ferguson, David 732

Fiscus, Elias 788

Fiscu3, Wilson 823

Foreman, B. G 783

Frahm, J. H 751

WNTS.

Francisco, 0. 15 820

Freeman, E. J

Gardner, S.M 810

Gar'' 775

Garromte, Prank

It, Kichard 735

Gifford, M. K

G. W C 797

Graves, D. D

Gray, George 800

an, H.J 795

;ga,J. M 758

Hall, James

look, I. P CH'i

Hamlin, Nathaniel

Hanna, It. W 717

•!., H. V

Hardenbrook, George

Hays, Samuel

in, Robert

idricku, D. W

I'. M

HciiSley, J. J

1,. M

Urn, ley. U„i . K 777

Hicks, J. A 749

Hill, Jacob H

lea

Holliday, James 756

Holmes, J. I) 711

Houston, A. B

B.F

Huffman, F. I'.....

Hutchinson, J.J

0. F 739

tan, John 714

Jeffries, G. C 781

Jen:

Jenkins, J. T

len, Jesper

Jobnston, Wm 811

Jordan, Samuel 783

Kilworth, T. H 762

Lacy, R. II 787

Lancelot, W. J 819

Lass, D. G 723

is, Joseph us 765

Littlefleld, A. F 727

Luse, J. F 754

Mallorv, Wm 728

n,"G. S. D 768

McAnulty, D. A 781

tin, George 801

lure, Wm. H 824

idden, Joseph 725

McLachlin, G.J 813

■ ughlin, F.R

■ran, Wm. 791

Miller, Robert

Morev, N. L 788

Myers, T. F 797

Nash, John

Nash, John A

Newell. Ji

roll, Wm. J 812

Oelke. August 7(14

Overholtzer, J. A

Phelps, B. S 70 1

Poulson, W. M

731

1,1. W

olds. J. M

iy, John

Roberts, A. II 710

0. 11. P 764

Rodgers, A. F

Ross, G. M

Russell, G. B

.Sampson, C. H 742

Sanborn, A. L 735

Wm. H 729

Seyller, Lawrence 784

Shaugur, D. E 761

Shingledecker, Jerome 724

Sibsou. Richard 818

Sickles, Wm. W 763

Sizer, Robert 7ti9

Smith, Charles

nil I. L 760

Steere, R. A 698

Strahl, M. P

Stuart, Wm. G

Swaney, Wm. L 816

Taylor, M. D

Teakle, Amos 774

Thomas, Isaac

Thornisch, J. P

Van Gorder, Charles

VanGorder, H.W

Vail, 0. II 899

Walker, Thomas

Walker, Wm

ker, Wm. J

.up, V. A

Wev. 717

Wbitted, P. I

730

Willo

Winters, Thorn.: 712

man, F. P

Witthauer, Otto 720

Wood.i.;. w

Y.
Young, Edgar

-&**&-

Be<m?s<ttue,

Hamlin, Mrs. Margaret.

Walker, William

.706 I Walker, Mrs. Nancy J .

.747

GEORGE W \SHTNOTON.

EORGE WASHING-
TON, the "Father of
his Country" and its
first President, 1789-
'97, was born Febru-
ary 22, 173-', in Wash-
ington Parish, West-
moreland County, \ irginia
His father, Augustine Wash-
ington, first married Jane But-
ler, who bore him foui chil-
dren, and March 6, 1730, he
married Mai y Bail. Of six
children by his second mar-
riage, George was the eldest,
the others being Betty, Samuel, John, Au-
gustine, Charles and Mildred, of whom the
youngest died in infancy. Little is known
of the early years of Washington, beyond
the fact that, the house in which he was
born was burned during his early child-
hood, and that his father thereupon moved
to another farm, inherited from his paternal
ancestors, situated in Stafford County, on
the north bank of the Rappahannock, where
he acted as agent of the Principio tron
Works in the immediate vicinity, and died
there in 1743.

From earliest childhood George devel-
oped a noble character. He had a vigorous
constitution, a fine form, and great bodily
strength. His education was somewhat de-

fective, being confined to th< ntary

branches taught him by his mother and at.

_ hboring school. He developed, how-
■ ndness for mathematics, and en-

1 in that branch the instructions of a
private teacher. On leaving school he re-
sided for some time at Mount Vernon with
his half brother, Lawrence, who acted as
his guardian, and who had married ad 1

ighbor at Belvoir on the Poto-
mac, the wealthy William F?i< some
time president of the executive council of
the colony. Both Fairfax and his son-in-law,
Lawrence Washington, had served with dis-
tinction in 1740 as officers of an American
battalion at the siege of Car and
were friends and correspondents of Admnal
Vernon, for whom the latter's resident
the Potomac has been named. George's
inclinations were for a similar career, and a
midshipman's warrant was procured for
him, probably through the influence of the
Admiral ; but through the opposition of his
mother the project was abandoned. The
family connection with the Fairfaxes, how-
ever, opened another career for the young
man, who, at the age of sixteen, was ap-
pointed surveyor to the immense estates of
the eccentric Lord Fairfax, who was then
on a visit at Belvoir, and who shortly after-
ward established his baronial residence at
Greenway Court, in the Shenandoah Valley.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

Three years were passed by young Wash-
ington in a rough frontier life, gaining ex-
perience which afterward proved very es-
sential to him.

In 1751, when the Virginia militia were
put under training with a view to active
service against France, Washington, though
only nineteen years of age, was appointed
Adjutant with the rank of Major. In Sep-
tember of that year the failing health of
Lawrence Washington rendered it neces-
sary for him to seek a warmer climate, and
George accompanied him in a voyage to
Ba3 >adoes. They returned early in 175?.
and Lawrence shortly afterward died, leav-
ing hi ; large property to an infant daughter.
In his will George was named one of the
executors and as eventual heir to Mount
Vernon, and by the death of the infant niece
soon succeeded to that estate.

On the arrival of Robert Dinwiddie as
Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia in 1752
:ilitia was reorganized, and the prov-
ince divided into four districts. Washing-
ton was commissioned by Dinwiddie Adju-
< General of the Northern District in
1753, and in November <>f that year a most
taut as well as hazardous mission was
red him. This was to proceed to the
idian posts recently established on
French Creek, near Lake Erie, to demand
in the name of the King of England the
withdrawal of the French from a territory-
claimed by \ irginia. This enterprise had
declined by more than one officer,
it involved a journey through an ex-
trusive and almost unexplored wilderness
in the occupancy of savage Indian tribes,
either hostile to tin- Fnglish, or of doubtful
hment. Major Washington, however,
accepted the commission with alacrity ; and,
mpanied by Captain Gist, he reached
Fort Le Boeuf on French Creek, delivered
his dispatches and received reply, which, of
lite refusal to surrender the
This reply was of such a character

as to induce the Assembly of Virginia to
authorize the executive to raise a regiment
of 300 men for the purpose of maintaining
the asserted rights of the British crown
over the territory claimed. As Washing-
ton declined to be a candidate for that post,
the command of this regiment was given to
Colonel Joshua Fry, and Major Washing-
ton, at his own request, was commissioned
Lieutenant-Colonel. On the march to Ohio,
news was received that a party previously
sent to build a fort at the confluence of the
Monongahela with the Ohio had been
-driven back by a considerable French force,
which had completed the work there be-
gun, and named it Fort Duquesne, in honor
of the Marquis Duquesne, then Governor
of Canada. This was the beginning of the
great " French and Indian war,'' which con-
tinued seven years. On the death of Colonel
Fry, Washington succeeded to the com-
mand of the regiment, and so well did he
fulfill his trust that the Virginia Assembly
commissioned him as Commander-in-Chief
of all the forces raised in the colony.

,\ cessation of all Indian hostility on the
frontier having followed the expulsion of
the French from the Ohio, the object of
lington was accomplished and he re-
signed his commission as Commander-in-
Chief of the Virginia forces. He then pro-
:d to Williamsburg to take his seat in
the General Assembly, of which he had
been elected a member.

January 17, 1759, Washington ma:
Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Custis, a young
and beautiful widow of great wealth, and de-
voted himself for the ensuing fifteen years
to the quiet pursuits of agriculture, inter-
rupted only by his annual attendance in
winter upon the Colonial Legislature at
Williamsburg, until summoned by his
country to enter upon that other arena in
which his fame was to become world wide.

It is unnecessary here to trace the details
of the struggle upon the question of local

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

self-government, which, after ten years, cul-
minated by act of Parliament of the port of
Boston. It was at the instance of Virginia
that a congress of all the colonies was called
to meet at Philadelphia September 5, 1774,
to secure their common liberties — if possible
by peaceful means. To this Congress
Colonel Washington was sent as a dele-
gate. On dissolving in October, it recom-
mended the colonies to send deputies to
another Congress the following spring. In
the meantime several of the colonies felt
impelled to raise local forces to repel in-
sults and aggressions on the part of British
troops, so that on the assembling of the next
Congress, May 10, 1775, the war prepara-
tions of the mother country were unmis-
takable. The battles of Concord and Lex-
ington had been fought. Among the earliest
acts, therefore, of the Congress was the
selection of a commander-in-chief of the
colonial forces. This office was unani-
mously conferred upon Washington, still a
member of the Congress. He accepted it
on June 19, but on the express condition he
should receive no salary.

He immediately repaired to the vicinity
of Boston, against which point the British
ministry had concentrated their forces. As
early as April General Gage had 3,000
troops in and around this proscribed city.
During the fall and winter the British policy
clearly indicated a purpose to divide pub-
lic sentiment and to build up a British party
in the colonies. Those who sided with the
ministry were stigmatized by the patriots
as " Tories," while the patriots took to them-
selves the name of " Whigs."

As early as 1776 the leading men had
come to the conclusion that there was no
hope except in separation and indepen-
dence. In May of that year Washington
wrote from the head of the army in New
York : " A reconciliation with Great Brit-
ain is impossible When I took

command of the army, I abhorred the idea

of independence ; but I am now fully satis-
fied that nothing else will save us."

It is not the object of this sketch to trace
the military acts of the patriot hero, to
whose hands the fortunes and liberties of
the United States were confided during the
seven years' bloody struggle that ensued
until the treaty of 1783, in which England
acknowledged the independence of each of
the thirteen States, and negotiated with
them, jointly, as separate sovereignties. The
merits of Washington as a military chief-
tain have been considerably discussed, espe-
cially by writers in his own country. Dur-
ing the war he was most bitterly assailed
for incompetency, and great efforts were
made to displace him ; but he never for a
moment lost the confidence of either the
Congress or the people. December 4, 1783,
the great commander took leave of his offi-
cers in most affectionate and patriotic terms,
and went to Annapolis, Maryland, where
the Congress of the States was in session,
and to that body, when peace and order
prevailed everywhere, resigned his com-
mission and retired to Mount Vernon.

It was in 1788 that Washington was called
to the chief magistracy of the nation. He
received every electoral vote cast in all the
colleges of the States voting for the office
of President. The 4th of March, 1789, was
the time appointed for the Government of
the United States to begin its operations,
but several weeks elapsed before quorums
of both the newly constituted houses of the
Congress were assembled. The city of New
York was the place where the Congress
then met. April 16 Washington left his
home to enter upon the discharge of his
new duties. He set out with a purpose of
traveling privately, and without attracting
any public attention ; but this was impossi-
ble. Everywhere on his way he was met
with thronging crowds, eager to see the
man whom they regarded as the chief de-
fender of their liberties, and everywhere

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

he was hailed with those public manifesta-
tions of joy, regard and love which spring
spontaneously from the hearts of an affec-
tionate and grateful people. His reception
in New York was marked by a grandeur
and an enthusiasm never before witnessed
in that metropolis. The inauguration took
place April 30, in the presence of an immense
multitude which had assembled to witness
the new and imposing ceremony. The oath
of office was administered by Robert R.
Livingston, Chancellor of the State. When
this sacred pledge was given, he retired
with the other officials into the Senate
chamber, where he delivered his inaugural
address to both houses of the newly con-
stituted Congress in joint assembly.

In the manifold details of his civil ad-
ministration, Washington proved himself
equal to the requirements ol his position.
The greater portion of the first session of
the first Congress was occupied in passing
the necessary statutes for putting the new
organization into complete operation. In
the discussions brought up in the course of
this legislation the nature and character of
the new system came under general review.
On no one of them did any decided antago-
nism of opinion arise. All held it to be a
limited government, clothed only with spe-
cific powers conferred by delegation from
the States. There was no change in the
name of the legislative department ; it still
remained " the Congress of the United
States of America." There was no change
in the original flag of the country, and none
in the seal, which still remains with the
Grecian escutcheon borne by the eagle,
with other emblems, under the great and
expressive motto, " E Pluribus Unum."

The first division of parties arose upon
the manner of construing the powers dele-
gated, and they were first styled " strict
constructionists" and " latitudinarian con- |
structionists." The former were for con-
fining the action of the Government strictly

within its specific and limited sphere, while
the others were for enlarging its powers by
inference and implication. Hamilton and
Jefferson, both members of the first cabinet,
were regarded as the chief leaders, respect
ively, of these rising antagonistic parties,
which have existed, under different names
from that day to this. Washington was re-
garded as holding a neutral position between
them, though, by mature deliberation, he
vetoed the first apportionment bill, in 1790,
passed by the party headed by Hamilton,
which was based upon a principle construct-
ively leading to centralization or consoli-
dation. This was the first exercise of the
veto power under the present Constitution.
It created considerable excitement at the
time. Another bill was soon passed in pur-
suance of Mr. Jefferson's views, which has
been adhered to in principle in every ap-
portionment act passed since.

At the second session of the new Con-
gress, Washington announced the gratify-
ing fact of " the accession of North Caro-
lina" to the Constitution of 1787, and June
1 of the same year he announced by special
message the like " accession of the State of
Rhode Island," with his congratulations on
the happy event which " united under the
general Government" all the States which
were originally confederated.

In 1792, at the second Presidential elec-
tion, Washington was desirous to retire;
but he yielded to the general wish of the
country, and was again chosen President
by the unanimous vote of every electoral
college. At the third election, 1796, he was
again most urgently entreated to consent to
remain in the executive chair. This he
positively refused. In September, before
the election, he gave to his countrymen his
memorable Farewell Address, which in lan-
guage, sentiment and patriotism was a fit
and crowning glory of his illustrious life.
After March 4, 1797, he again retired to
Mount Vernon for peace, quiet and repose.

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

His administration for the two terms had
been successful beyond the expectation and
hopes of even the most sanguine of his
friends. The finances of the country were
no longer in an embarrassed condition, the
public credit was fully restored, life was
given to every department of industry, the
workings of the new system in allowing
Congress to raise revenue from duties on
imports proved to be not only harmonious
in its federal action, but astonishing in its
results upon the commerce and trade of all
the States. The exports from the Union
increased from $19,000,000 to over $56,000,-
000 per annum, while the imports increased
in about the same proportion. Three new
members had been added to the Union. The
progress of the States in their new career
under their new organization thus far was
exceedingly encouraging, not only to the
friends of libertv within their own limits,
but to their sympathizing allies in all climes
and countries.

Ol the call again made on this illustrious

chief to quit his repose at Mount Vernon
and take command of all the United States
forces, with the rank of Lieutenant-General,
when war was threatened with France in
1798, nothing need here be stated, except to
note the fact as an unmistakable testimo-
nial of the high regard in which he was still
held by his countrymen, of all shades of po-
litical opinion. He patriotically accepted
this trust, but a treaty of peace put a stop
to all action under it. He again retired to
Mount Vernon, where, after a short and
severe illness, he died December 14, 1799,
in the sixty-eighth year of his age. The
whole country was filled with gloom by this
sad intelligence. Men of all parties in poli-
tics and creeds in religion, in every State
in the Union, united with Congress in " pay-
ins: honor to the man, first in war, first in
peace, and first in the hearts of his country-
men."

His remains were deposited in a family
vault on the banks of the Potomac at Mount
Vernon, where they still lie entombed.

-^*iZ5"

PRESIDENTS OF THE UN/TED STATES.

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OHN ADAxMS, the second
President of the United
States, 1797 to 1 80 1, was
born in the present town
of Quincy, then a portion
of Braintree, Massachu-
setts, October 30, 1735. His
father was a farmer of mod-
erate means, a worthy and
industrious man. He was
a deacon in the church, and
was very desirous of giving
his son a collegiate educa-
tion, hoping that he would
become a minister of the
gospel. But, as up to this
time, the age of fourteen, he had been only
a play-boy in the fields and forests, he had
no taste for books, he chose farming. On
being set to work, however, by his father
out in the field, the very first day con-
verted the boy into a lover of books.

Accordingly, at the age of sixteen he
entered Harvard College, and graduated in
1755, at the age of twenty, highly esteemed
for integrity, energy and ability. Thus,
having no capital but his education, he
started out into the stormy world at a time
of great political excitement, as France and
England weref then engaged in their great
seven-years struggle for the mastery over
the New World. The fire of patriotism

seized young Adams, and for a time he
studied over the question whether he
should take to the law, to politics or the
army. He wrote a remarkable letter to a
friend, making prophecies concerning the
future greatness of this country which have
since been more than fulfilled. For two
years he taught school and studied law,
wasting no odd moments, and at the early
age of twenty-two years he opened a law
office in his native town. His inherited
powers of mind and untiring devotion to
his profession caused him to rise rapidly
in public esteem.

In October, 1764, Mr. Adams married
Miss Abigail Smith, daughter of a clergy-
man at Weymouth and a lad)- of rare per-
sonal and intellectual endowments, who
afterward contributed much to her hus-
band's celebrity.

Soon the oppression of the British in
America reached its climax. The Boston
merchants employed an attorney by the
name of James Otis to argue the legality of
oppressive tax law before the Superior
Court. Adams heard the argument, and
afterward wrote to a friend concerning the
ability displayed, as follows : " Otis was a
flame of fire. With a promptitude of
classical allusion, a depth of research, a
rapid summary of historical events and
dates, a profusion of legal authorities and a

JOHN A0A/tfS.

prophetic glance into futurity, he hurried
away all before him. American independence
was then and there born. Every man of an
immensely crowded audience appeared to
me to go away, as I did, ready to take up
arms."

Soon Mr. Adams wrote an essay to be
read before the literary club of his town,
upon the state of affairs, which was so able
as to attract public attention. It was pub-
lished in American journals, republished
in England, and was pronounced by the
friends of the colonists there as " one of the
very best productions ever seen from North
America."

The memorable Stamp Act was now
issued, and Adams entered with all the
ardor of his soul into political life in order
to resist it. He drew up a series of reso-
lutions remonstrating against the act, which
were adopted at a public meeting of the
citizens of Braintree, and which were sub-
sequently adopted, word for word, by more
than forty towns in the State. Popular
commotion prevented the landing of the
Stamp Act papers, and the English author-
ities then closed the courts. The town of
Boston therefore appointed Jeremy Grid-
ley, James Otis and John Adams to argue a
petition before the Governor and council
for the re-opening of the courts; and while
the two first mentioned attorneys based
their argument upon the distress caused to
the people by the measure, Adams boldly
claimed that the Stamp Act was a violation
both of the English Constitution and the
charter of the Provinces. It is said that
this was the first direct denial of the un-
limited right of Parliament over the colo-
nies. Soon after this the Stamp Act was
repealed.

Directly Mr. Adams was employed to
defend Ansell Nickerson, who had killed an
Englishman in the act of impressing him
(Nickerson) into the King's service, and his
client was acquitted, the court thus estab-

lishing the principle that the infamous
royal prerogative of impressment could
have no existence in the colonial code.
But in 1770 Messrs. Adams and Josiah
Quincy defended a party of British soldiers
who had been arrested for murder when
they had been only obeying Governmental
orders ; and when reproached for thus ap-
parently deserting the cause of popular
liberty, Mr. Adams replied that he would a
thousandfold rather live under the domina-
tion of the worst of England's kings than
under that of a lawless mob. Next, after
serving a term as a member of the Colonial
Legislature from Boston, Mr. Adams, find-
ing his health affected by too great labor,
retired to his native home at Braintree.

The year 1774 soon arrived, with its fa-
mous Boston " Tea Party," the first open
act of rebellion. Adams was sent to the
Congress at Philadelphia ; and when the
Attorney-General announced that Great
Britain had " determined on her system,
and that her power to execute it was irre-
sistible," Adams replied : " I know that
Great Britain has determined on her sys-
tem, and that very determination deter-
mines me on mine. You know that I have
been constant in my opposition to her
measures. The die is now cast. I have
passed the Rubicon. Sink or swim, live or
die, with my country, is my unalterable
determination." The rumor beginning to
prevail at Philadelphia that the Congress
had independence in view, Adams foresaw
that it was too soon to declare it openly.
He advised every one to remain quiet in
that respect; and as soon as it became ap-
parent that he himself was for independ-
ence, he was advised to hide himself, which
he did.

The next year the great Revolutionary
war opened in earnest, and Mrs. Adams,
residing near Boston, kept her husband ad-
vised by letter of all the events transpiring
in her vicinity. The battle of Bunker Hill

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

came on. Congress had to do something
immediately. The first thing was to
choose a commander-in-chief for the — we
can't say " army " — the fighting men of the
colonies. The New England delegation
was almost unanimous in favor of appoint-
ing General Ward, then at the head of the
Massachusetts forces, but Mr. Adams urged
the appointment of George Washington,
then almost unknown outside of his own
State. He was appointed without oppo-
sition. Mr. Adams offered the resolution,
which was adopted, annulling all the royal
authority in the colonies. Having thus
prepared the way, a few weeks later, viz.,
June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee, of Vir-
ginia, who a few months before had declared
that the British Government would aban-
don its oppressive measures, now offered
the memorable resolution, seconded by
Adams, " that these United States are, and
of right ought to be, free and independent."
Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, -Sherman and
Livingston were then appointed a commit-
tee to draught a declaration of independ-
ence. Mr. Jefferson desired Mr. Adams
to draw up Ihe bold document, but the
latter persuaded Mr. Jefferson to perform
that responsible task. The Declaration
drawn up, Mr. Adams became its foremost
defender on the floor of Congress. It was
signed by all the fifty-five members present,
and the next day Mr. Adams wrote to his
wife how great a deed was done, and how
proud he was of it. Mr. Adams continued
to be the leading man of Congress, and
the leading advocate of American inde-
pendence. Above all other Americans,
he was considered by every one the prin-
cipal shining mark for British vengeance.
Thus circumstanced, he was appointed to
the most dangerous task of crossing the
ocean in winter, exposed to capture by the
British, who knew of his mission, which
was to visit Paris and solicit the co-opera-
tion of the French. Besides, to take him-

self away from the country of which he
was the most prominent defender, at that
critical time, was an act of the greatest self-
sacrifice. Sure enough, while crossing the
sea, he had two very narrow escapes from
capture ; and the transit was otherwise a
stormy and eventful one. During the-
summer of 1779 he returned home, but was
immediately dispatched back to France, to
be in readiness there to negotiate terms of
peace and commerce with Great Britain as
soon as the latter power was read} - for such
business. But as Dr. Franklin was more
popular than heat the court of France, Mr.
Adams repaired to Holland, where he was
far more successful as a diplomatist.

The treaty of peace between the United
States and England was finally signed at
Paris, January 21, 1783; and the re-action
from so great excitement as Mr. Adams had
so long been experiencing threw him into
a dangerous fever. Before he fully re-
covered he was in London, whence he was
dispatched again to Amsterdam to negoti-
ate another loan. Compliance with this
order undermined his physical constitution
for life.

In 1785 Mr. Adams was appointed envoy
to the court of St. James, to meet face to
face the very king who had regarded him
as an arch traitor! Accordingly he re-
paired thither, where he did actually meet
and converse with George III.! After a
residence there for about three years, he
obtained permission to return to America.
While in London he wrote and published
an able work, in three volumes, entitled:
" A Defense of the American Constitution."

The Articles of Confederation proving
inefficient, as Adams had prophesied, a
carefully draughted Constitution was
adopted in 1789, when George Washington
was elected President of the new nation,
and Adams Vice-President. Congress met
for a time in New York, but was removed
to Philadelphia for ten years, until suitable

JOHN ADAMS.

buildings should be erected at the new
capital in the District of Columbia. Mr.
Adams then moved his family to Phila-
delphia. Toward the close of his term of
office the French Revolution culminated,
when Adams and Washington rather
sympathized with England, and Jefferson
with France. The Presidential election of
1796 resulted in giving Mr. Adams the first
place by a small majority, and Mr. Jeffer-
son the second place.

Mr. Adams's administration was consci-
entious, patriotic and able. The period
was a turbulent one, and even an archangel
could not have reconciled the hostile par-
ties. Partisanism with reference to Eng-
land and France was bitter, and for four
ytars Mr. Adams struggled through almost
a constant tempest of assaults. In fact, he
was not truly a popular man, and his cha-
grin at not receiving a re-election was so
great that he did not even remain at Phila-
delphia to witness the inauguration of Mr.
Jefferson, his successor. The friendly
intimacy between these two men was
interrupted for about thirteen years of their
life. Adams finally made the first advances
toward a restoration of their mutual friend-
ship, which were gratefully accepted by
Jefferson.

Mr. Adams was glad of "his opportunity
to retire to private lite, where he could rest
his mind and enjoy the comforts of home.
By a thousand bitter experiences he found
the path of public duty a thorny one. For
twenty-six years his service of the public
was as arduous, self-sacrificing and devoted
as ever fell to the lot of man. In one im-
portant sense he was as much the " Father
of his Country " as was Washington in
another sense. During these long years of
anxiety and toil, in which he was laying.
broad and deep, the foundations of the

greatest nation the sun ever shone upon, he
received from his impoverished country a
meager support. The only privilege he
carried with him into his retirement was
that of franking his letters.

Although taking no active part in public
affairs, both himself and his son, John
Quincy, nobly supported the policy of Mr.
Jefferson in resisting the encroachments of
England, who persisted in searching
American ships on the high seas and
dragging from them any sailors that might
be designated by any pert lieutenant as
British subjects. Even for this noble sup-
port Mr. Adams was maligned by thou-
sands of bitter enemies ! On this occasion,
for the first time since his retirement, he
broke silence and drew up a very able
paper, exposing the atrocity of the British
pretensions.

Mr. Adams outlived nearly all his famil3'.
Though his physical frame began to give
way many years before his death, his mental
powers retained their strength and vigor to
the last. In his ninetieth year he was
gladdened by the popular elevation of his
son to the Presidential office, the highest in
the gift of the people. A few months more
passed away and the 4th of July, 1826,
arrived. The people, unaware of the near
approach of the end of two great lives —
that of Adams and Jefferson — were making
unusual preparations for a national holiday.
Mr. Adams lay upon his couch, listening to
the ringing of bells, the waftures of martial
music and the roar of cannon, with silent
emotion. Only four days before, he had
given for a public toast, " Independence
forever." About two o'clock in the after-
! noon he said, "And Jefferson still survives."
But he was mistaken by an hour or so;
and in a few minutes he had breathed his
last.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

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jHOMAS JEFFER-
son, the third Presi-
dent of the United
States, i8oi-'q, was
born April 2, 1743,
the eldest child of
his parents, Peter
and Jane (Randolph) Jef-
ferson, near Charlottes-
ville, Albemarle Count}',
Virginia, upon the slopes
of the Blue Ridge. When
he • was fourteen years of
age, his father died, leav-
ing a widow and eight
children. She was a beau-
tiful and accomplished
lady, a good letter-writer, with a fund of
humor, and an admirable housekeeper. His
parents belonged to the Church of England,
and are said to be of Welch origin. But
little is known of them, however.

Thomas was naturally of a serious turn
of mind, apt to learn, and a favorite at
school, his choice studies being mathemat-
ics and the classics. At the age of seven-
teen he entered William and Mary College,
in an advanced class, and lived in rather an
expensive style, consequently being much
caressed by gay society. That he was not
ruined, is proof of his stamina of character.
But during his second year he discarded

society, his horses and even his favorite
violin, and devoted thenceforward fifteen
hours a day to hard stud} - , becoming ex-
traordinarily proficient in Latin and Greek
authors.

On leaving college, before he was twenty-
one, he commenced the study of law, and
pursued it diligently until he was well
qualified for practice, upon which he
entered in 1767. By this time he was also
versed in French, Spanish, Italian and An-
glo-Saxon, and in the criticism of the fine
arts. Being very polite and polished in his
manners, he won the friendship of all whom
he met. Though able with his pen, he was
not fluent in public speech.

In 1769 he was chosen a member of the
Virginia Legislature, and was the largest
slave-holding member of that body. He
introduced a bill empowering slave-holders
to manumit their slaves, but it was rejected
by an overwhelming vote.

In 1770 Mr. Jefferson met with a great
loss ; his house at Shadwell was burned,
and his valuable library of 2,000 volumes
was consumed. But he was wealthy
enough to replace the most of it, as from
his 5,000 acres tilled by slaves and his
practice at the bar his income amounted to
about $5,000 a year.

In 1772 he married Mrs. Martha Skelton,
a beautiful, wealthy and accomplished

€-^2tf7Z^

THOMAS JEFFERSON.

young widow, who owned 40,000 acres of
land and 130 slave?; yet he labored assidu-
ously for the abolition of slavery. For his
new home he selected a majestic rise of
land upon his large estate at Shad well,
called Monticello, whereon he erected a
mansion of modest yet elegant architecture.
Here he lived in luxury, indulging his taste
in magnificent, high-blooded horses.

At this period the British Government
gradually became more insolent and op-
pressive toward the American colonies,
and Mr. Jefferson was ever one of the most
foremost to resist its encroachments. From
time to time he drew up resolutions of re-
monstrance, which were finally adopted,
thus proving his ability as a statesman and
as a leader. By the vear 1774 he became
quite busy, both with voice and pen, in de-
fending the right of the colonies to defend
themselves. His pamphlet entitled : " A
Summary View of the Rights of British
America," attracted much attention in Eng-
land. The following year he, in company
with George Washington, served as an ex-
ecutive committee in measures to defend
by arms the State of Virginia. As a Mem-
ber of the Congress, he was not a speech-
maker, yet in conversation and upon
committees he was so frank and decisive
that "he always made a favorable impression.
But as late as the autumn of 1775 he re-
mained in hopes of reconciliation with the
parent country.

At length, however, the hour arrived for
draughting the " Declaration of Indepen-
dence," and this responsible task was de-
volved upon Jefferson. Franklin, and
Adams suggested a few verbal corrections
before it was submitted to Congress, which
was June 28, 1776, only six days before it
was adopted. During the three days of
the fiery ordeal of criticism through which
it passed in Congress, Mr. Jefferson opened
not his lips. John Adams was the main
champion of the Declaration on the floor

of Congress. The signing of this document
was one of the most solemn and momentous
occasions ever attended to by man. Prayer
and silence reigned throughout the hall,
and each signer realized that if American
independence was not finally sustained by
arms he was doomed to the scaffold.

After the colonies became independent
States, Jefferson resigned for a time his seat
in Congress in order to aid in organizing
the government of Virginia, of which State
he was chosen Governor in 1779, when he
was thirty-six years of age. At this time
the British had possession of Georgia and
were invading South Carolina, and at one
time a British officer, Tarleton, sent a
secret expedition to Monticello to capture
the Governor. Five minutes after Mr.
Jefferson escaped with his family, his man-
sion was in possession of the enemy ! The
British troops also destroyed his valuable
plantation on the James River. " Had they
carried off the slaves," said Jefferson, with
characteristic magnanimity, " to give them
freedom, they would have done right."

The year 1781 was a gloomy one for the
Virginia Governor. While confined to his
secluded home in the forest by a sick and
dying wife, a party arose against him
throughout the State, severely criticising
his course as Governor. Being very sensi-
tive to reproach, this touched him to the
quick, and the heap of troubles then sur-
rounding him nearly crushed him. He re-
solved, in despair, to retire from public life
for the rest of his days. For weeks Mr.
Jefferson sat lovingly, but with a crushed
heart, at the bedside of his sick wife, during
which time unfeeling letters were sent to
him, accusing him of weakness and unfaith-
fulness to duty. All this, after he had lost
so much property and at the same time
done so much for his country ! After her
death he actually fainted away, and re-
i mained so long insensible that it was feared
he never would recover ! Several weeks

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

passed before he could fully recover his
equilibrium. He was never married a
second time.

In the spring of 1782 the people of Eng-
land compelled their king to make to the
Americans overtures of peace, and in No-
vember following, Mr. Jefferson was reap-
pointed by Congress, unanimously and
without a single adverse remark, minister
plenipotentiary to negotiate a treat)'.

In March, 1784, Mr. Jefferson was ap-
pointed on a committee to draught a plan
for the government of the Northwestern
Territory. His slavery-prohibition clause
in that plan was stricken out by the pro-
slavery majority of the committee; but amid
all the controversies and wrangles of poli-
ticians, he made it a rule never to contra-
dict anybody or engage in any discussion
as a debater.

In company with Mr. Adams and Dr.
Franklin, Mr. Jefferson was appointed in
May, 1784, to act as minister plenipotentiary
in the negotiation of treaties of commerce
with foreign nations. Accordingly, he went
to Paris and satisfactorily accomplished his
mission. The suavity and high bearing of
his manner made all the French his friends;
and even Mrs. Adams at one time wrote
to her sister that he was " the chosen
of the earth." But all the honors that
he received, both at home and abroad,
seemed to make no change in the simplicity
of his republican tastes. On his return to
America, he found two parties respecting
the foreign commercial policy, Mr. Adams
sympathizing with that in favor of England
and himself favoring France.

On the inauguration of General Wash-
ington as President, Mr. Jefferson was
chosen by him for the office of Secretary of
State. At this time the rising storm of the
French Revolution became visible, and
Washington watched it with great anxiety.
His cabinet was divided in their views of
constitutional government as well as re-

garding the issues in France. General
Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, was
the leader of the so-called Federal party,
while Mr. Jefferson was the leader of the
Republican party. At the same time there
was a strong monarchical party in this
country, with which Mr. Adams sympa-
thized. Some important financial measures,
which were proposed by Hamilton and
finally adopted by the cabinet and approved
by Washington, were opposed by Mr.
Jefferson ; and his enemies then began to
reproach him with holding office under an
administration whose views he opposed.
The President poured oil on the troubled
waters. On his re-election to the Presi-
dency he desired Mr. Jefferson to remain
in the cabinet, but the latter sent in his
resignation at two different times, probably
because he was dissatisfied with some of
the measures of the Government. His
final one was not received until January 1,
1794, when General Washington parted
from him with great regret.

Jefferson then retired to his quiet home
at Monticello, to enjoy a good rest, not even
reading the newspapers lest the political
gossip should disquiet him. On the Presi-
dent's again calling him back to the office
of Secretary of State, he replied that no
circumstances would ever again tempt +iim
to engage in anything public! But, while
all Europe was ablaze with war, and France
in the throes of a bloody revolution and the
principal theater of the conflict, a new
Presidential election in this country came
on. John Adams was the Federal candi-
date and Mr. Jefferson became the Republi-
can candidate. The result of the election
was the promotion of the latter to the Vice-
Presidency, while the former was chosen
President. In this contest Mr. Jefferson
really did not desire to have either office,
he was "so weary" of part)' strife. He
loved the retirement of home more than
any other place on the earth.

THOMAS JEFFERSOtf.

But for four long years his Vice-Presi-
dency passed joylessly away, while the
partisan strife between Federalist and Re-
publican was ever growing hotter. The
former party split and the result of the
fourth general election was the elevation of
Mr. Jefferson to the Presidency ! with
Aaron Burr as Vice-President. These men
being at the head of a growing party, their
election was hailed everywhere with joy.
On the other hand, many of the Federalists
turned pale, as they believed what a portion
of the pulpit and the press had been preach-
ing — that Jefferson was a " scoffing atheist,"
a "Jacobin," the "incarnation of all evil,"
" breathing threatening and slaughter ! "

Mr. Jefferson's inaugural address con-
tained nothing but the noblest sentiments,
expressed in fine language, and his personal
behavior afterward exhibited the extreme
of American, democratic simplicity. His
disgust of European court etiquette grew
upon him with age. He believed that
General Washington was somewhat dis-
trustful of the ultimate success of a popular
Government, and that, imbued with a little
admiration of the forms of a monarchical
Government, he had instituted levees, birth-
days, pompous meetings with Congress,
etc. Jefferson was always polite, even to
slaves everywhere he met them, and carried
in his countenance the indications of an ac-
commodating disposition.

The political principles of the Jeffersoni-
an party now swept the country, and Mr.
Jefferson himself swayed an influence which
was never exceeded even by Washington.
Under his administration, in 1803, the Lou-
isiana purchase was made, for $15,000,000,
the " Louisiana Territory " purchased com-
prising all the land west of the Mississippi
to the Pacific Ocean.

The year 1804 witnessed another severe
loss in his family. His highly accomplished
and most beloved daughter Maria sickened
and died, causing as great grief in the

stricken parent as it was possible for him to
survive with any degree of sanity.

The same year he was re-elected to the
Presidency, with George Clinton as Vice-
President. During his second term our
relations with England became more com-
plicated, and on June 22, 1807, near Hamp-
ton Roads, the United States frigate
Chesapeake was fired upon by the Brit-
ish man-of-war Leopard, and was made
to surrender. Three men were killed and
ten wounded. Jefferson demanded repara-
tion. England grew insolent. It became
evident that war was determined upon by
the latter power. More than 1,200 Ameri-
cans were forced into the British service
upon the high seas. Before any satisfactory
solution was reached, Mr. Jefferson's
Presidential term closed. Amid all these
public excitements he thought constantly
of the welfare of his family, and longed
for the time when he could return home
to remain. There, at Monticello, his sub-
sequent life was very similar to that of
Washington at Mt. Vernon. His hospi-
talitv toward his numerous friends, indul-
gence of his slaves, and misfortunes to his
property, etc., finally involved him in debt.
For years his home resembled a fashion-
able watering-place. During the summer,
thirty-seven house servants were required !
It was presided over by his daughter, Mrs.
Randolph.

Mr. Jefferson did much for the establish-
ment of the University at Charlottesville,
making it unsectarian, in keeping with the
spirit of American institutions, but poverty
and the feebleness of old age prevented
him from doing what he would. He even
went so far as to petition the Legislature
for permission to dispose of some of his
possessions by lottery, in order to raise the
necessary funds for home expenses. It was
granted ; but before the plan was carried
out, Mr. Jefferson died, July 4, 1826, at
12:50 P. M.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

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AMES MADISON, the

fourth President of the
United States, iSoa-'i7,
was born at Port Con-
way, Prince George
County, Virginia, March
16, 175 1 . His father,
Colonel James Madison, was
a wealthy planter, residing
upon a very fine estate
called " Montpelier," only
twenty-five miles from the
home of Thomas Jefferson
at Monticello. The closest
personal and political at-
tachment existed between
these illustrious men from their early youth
until death.

James was the eldest of a family of seven
children, four sons and three daughters, all
of whom attained maturity. His early edu-
cation was conducted mostly at home,
under a private tutor. Being naturally in-
tellectual in his tastes, he consecrated him-
self with unusual vigor to study. At a very
earl)' age he made considerable proficiency
in the Greek, Latin, French and Spanish
languages. In 1769 he entered Princeton
College, New Jersey, of which the illus-
trious Dr. Weatherspoon was then Presi-
dent. He graduated in 1771, with a char-

acter of the utmost purity, and a mind
highly disciplined and stored with all the
learning which embellished and gave effi-
ciency to his subsequent career. After
graduating he pursued a course of reading
for several months, under the guidance of
President Weatherspoon, and in 1772 re-
turned to Virginia, where he continued in
incessant study for two years, nominally
directed to the law, but really including
extended researches in theology, philoso-
phy and general literature.

The Church of England was the estab-
lished church in Virginia, invested with all
the prerogatives and immunities which it
enjoyed in the fatherland, and other de-
nominations labored under serious disabili-
ties, the enforcement of which was rightly
or wrongly characterized by them as per-
secution. Madison took a prominent stand
in behalf of the removal of all disabilities,
repeatedly appeared in the court of his own
count)' to defend the Baptist nonconform-
ists, and was elected from Orange County to
the Virginia Convention in the spring of
1766, when he signalized the beginning of
his public career by procuring the passage
of an amendment to the Declaration of
Rights as prepared by George Mason, sub-
stituting for " toleration" a more emphatic
assertion of religious libertv.

/ Ox^^ t& ao^^r s^-

JAMES MAD/SON.

In 1776 he was elected a member of the
Virginia Convention to frame the Constitu-
tion of the State. Like Jefferson, he took
but little part in the public debates. His
main strength lay in his conversational in-
fluence and in his pen. In November, 1777,
he was chosen a member of the Council of
State, and in March, 1780, took his seat in
the Continental Congress, where he first
gained prominence through his energetic
opposition to the issue of paper money by
the States. He continued in Congress three
vears, one of its most active and influential
members.

In 1784 Mr. Madison was elected a mem-
ber of the Virginia Legislature. He ren-
dered important service by promoting and
participating in that revision of the statutes
which effectually abolished the remnants of
the feudal system subsistent up to that
time in the form of entails, primogeniture,
and State support given the Anglican
Church ; and his " Memorial and Remon-
strance" against a general assessment for
the support of religion is one of the ablest
papers which emanated from his pen. It
settled the question of the entire separation
of church and State in Virginia.

Mr. Jefferson says of him, in allusion to
the study and experience through which he
had already passed :

" Trained in these successive schools, he
acquired a habit of self-possession which
placed at ready command the rich resources
of his luminous and discriminating mind and
of his extensive information, and rendered
him the first of every assembly of which he
afterward became a member. Never wan-
dering from his subject into vain declama-
tion, but pursuing it closely in language
pure, classical and copious, soothing al-
ways the feelings of his adversaries by civili-
ties and softness of expression, he rose to the
eminent station which he held in the great
National Convention of 17S7 ; and in that of
Virginia, which followed, he sustained the

new Constitution in all its parts, bearing off
the palm against the logic of George Mason
and the fervid declamation of Patrick
Henr3 T . With these consummate powers
were united a pure and spotless virtue
which no calumny has ever attempted to
sully. Of the power and polish of his pen,
and of the wisdom of his administration in
the highest office of the nation, I need say
nothing. They have spoken, and will for-
ever speak, for themselves."

In January, 1786, Mr. Madison took the
initiative in proposing a meeting of State,
Commissioners to devise measures for more
satisfactory commercial relations between
the States. A meeting was held at An-
napolis to discuss this subject, and but five
States were represented. The convention
issued another call, drawn up by Mr. Madi-
son, urging all the States to send their dele-
gates to Philadelphia, in May, 1787, to
draught a Constitution for the United
States. The delegates met at the time ap-
pointed, every State except Rhode Island
being represented. George Washington
was chosen president of the convention,
and the present Constitution of the United
States was then and there formed. There
was no mind and no pen more active in
framing: this immortal document than the
mind and pen of James Madison. He was,
perhaps, its ablest advocate in the pages of
the Federalist.

Mr. Madison was a member of the first
four Congresses, i789-'97, in which he main-
tained a moderate opposition to Hamilton's
financial policy. He declined the mission
to France and the Secretaryship of State,
and, gradually identifying himself with the
Republican party, became from 1792 its
avowed leader. In 1796 he was its choice
for the Presidency as successor to Wash-
ington. Mr. Jefferson wrote: "There is
not another person in the United States
with whom, being placed at the helm of our
affairs, my mind would be so completely at

3°

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

rest for the fortune of our political bark."
But Mr. Madison declined to be a candi-
date. His term in Congress had expired,
and he returned from New York to his
beautiful retreat at Montpelier.

In 1794 Mr. Madison married a young
widow of remarkable powers of fascination
— Mrs. Todd. Her maiden name was Doro-
thy Paine. She was born in 1767, in Vir-
ginia, of Quaker parents, and had been
educated in the strictest rules of that sect.
When but eighteen years of age she married
a young lawyer and moved to Philadelphia,
where she was introduced to brilliant scenes
of fashionable life. She speedily laid aside
the dress and address of the Quakeress, and
became one of the most fascinating ladies
of the republican court. In New York,
after the death of her husband, she was the
belle of the season and was surrounded with
admirers. Mr. Madison won the prize.
She proved an invaluable helpmate. In
Washington she was the life of society.
If there was any diffident, timid young
girl just making her appearance, she
found in Mrs. Madison an encouraging-
friend.

During the stormy administration of John
Adams Madison remained in private life,
but was the author of the celebrated " Reso-
lutions of 1798," adopted by the Virginia
Legislature, in condemnation of the Alien
and Sedition laws, as well as of the " report"
in which he defended those resolutions,
which is, by many, considered his ablest
State paper.

The storm passed away ; the Alien and
Sedition laws were repealed, John Adams
lost his re-election, and in 1801 Thomas Jef-
ferson was chosen President. The great re-
action in public sentiment which seated
Jefferson in the presidential chair was large-
ly owing to the writings of Madison, who
was consequently well entitled to the post
of Secretary of State. With great ability
he discharged the duties of this responsible

office during the eight years of Mr. Jeffer-
son's administration.

As Mr. Jefferson was a widower, and
neither of his daughters could be often with
him, Mrs. Madison usually presided over
the festivities of the White House; and as
her husband succeeded Mr. Jefferson, hold-
ing his office for two terms, this remarkable
woman was the mistress of the presidential
mansion for sixteen years.

Mr. Madison being entirely engrossed by
the cares of his office, all the duties of so-
cial life devolved upon his accomplished
wife. Never were such responsibilities
more ably discharged. The most bitter
foes of her husband and of the administra-
tion were received with the frankly prof-
fered hand and the cordial smile of wel-
come; and the influence of this gentle
woman in allaying the bitterness of party
rancor became a great and salutary power
in the nation.

As the term of Mr. Jefferson's Presidency
drew near its close, party strife was roused
to the utmost to elect his successor. It was
a death-grapple between the two great
parties, the Federal and Republican. Mr.
Madison was chosen President by an elec-
toral vote of 122 to 53, and was inaugurated
March 4, 1809, at a critical period, when
the relations of the United States with Great
Britain were becoming embittered, and his
first term was passed in diplomatic quarrels,
aggravated by the act of non-intercourse of
May, 1 8 10, and finally resulting in a decla-
ration of war.

On the 18th of June, 1812, President
Madison gave his approval to an act of
Congress declaring war against Great Brit-
ain. Notwithstanding the bitter hostility
of the Federal party to the war, the country
in general approved; and in the autumn
Madison was re-elected to the Presidencv
by 128 electoral votes to 89 in favor of
George Clinton.

March 4, 1817, Madison yielded the Presi-

JAMES MADISON.

dency to his Secretary of State and inti-
mate friend, James Monroe, and retired to
his ancestral estate at Montpelier, where he
passed the evening of his days surrounded
by attached friends and enjoying the
merited respect of the whole nation. He
took pleasure in promoting agriculture, as
president of the county society, and in
watching the development of the University
of Virginia, of which he was long rector and
visitor. In extreme old age he sat in 1829
as a member of the convention called to re-
form the Virginia Constitution, where his
appearance was hailed with the most gen-
uine interest and satisfaction, though he
was too infirm to participate in the active
work of revision. Small in stature, slender
and delicate in form, with a countenance
full of intelligence, and expressive alike of
mildness and dignity, he attracted the atten-
tion of all who attended the convention,
and was treated with the utmost deference.
He seldom addressed the assembly, though
he always appeared self-possessed, and
watched with unflagging interest the prog-
ress of every measure. Though the con-
vention sat sixteen weeks, he spoke only
twice ; but when he did speak, the whole
house paused to listen. His voice was
feeble though his enunciation was very dis-
tinct. One of the reporters, Mr. Stansbury,
relates the following anecdote of Mr. Madi-
son's last speech:

" The next day, as there was a great call
for it, and the report had not been returned
for publication, I sent my son with a re-
spectful note, requesting the manuscript.
My son was a lad of sixteen, whom I had
taken with me to act as amanuensis. On
delivering my note, he was received with
the utmost politeness, and requested to
come up into Mr. Madison's room and wait
while his eye ran over the paper, as com-
pany had prevented his attending to it. He
did so, and Mr. Madison sat down to correct
the report. The lad stood near him so that
8

his eye fell on the paper. Coming to a
certain sentence in the speech, Mr. Madison
erased a word and substituted another ; but
hesitated, and not feeling satisfied with the
second word, drew his pen through it also.
My son was young, ignorant of the world,
and unconscious of the solecism of which he
was about to be guilty, when, in all simplic-
ity, he suggested a word. Probably no
other person then living would have taken
such a liberty. But the sage, instead of
regarding such an intrusion with a frown,
raised his eyes to the boy's face with a
pleased surprise, and said, ' Thank you, sir ;
it is the very word,' and immediately in-
serted it. I saw him the next day, and he
mentioned the circumstance, with a compli-
ment on the young critic."

Mr. Madison died at Montpelier, June 28,
1836, at the advanced age of eighty-five.
While not possessing the highest order of
talent, and deficient in oratorical powers,
he was pre-eminently a statesman, of a well-
balanced mind. His attainments were solid,
his knowledge copious, his judgment gener-
ally sound, his powers of analysis and logi-
cal statement rarely surpassed, his language
and literary style correct and polished, his
conversation witty, his temperament san-
guine and trusfful, his integrity unques-
tioned, his manners simple, courteous and
winning. By these rare qualities he con-
ciliated the esteem not only of friends, but
of political opponents, in a greater degree
than any American statesman in the present
century.

Mrs. Madison survived her husband thir-
teen years, and died July 12, 1849, in the
eighty-second year of her age. She was one
of the most remarkable women our coun-
try has produced. Even now she is ad-
miringly remembered in Washington as
" Dolly Madison," and it is fitting that her
memory should descend to posterity in
company with thatof the companion of
her life.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

,V»-;><**-,'-^©;i

'AMES MONROE, the fifth
President of the United
States, 1817— '25, was born
in Westmoreland Count v
Virginia, April 28, 1758,
He was a son of Spence
Monroe, and a descendant
of a Scottish cavalier fam-
ily. Like all his predeces-
sors thus far in the Presi-
dential chair, he enjoyed all
the advantages of educa-
tion which the country
could then afford. He was
early sent to a fine classical
school, and at the age of six-
teen entered William and Mar}- College..
In 1776, when he had been in college but
two years, the Declaration of Independence
was adopted, and our feeble militia, with-
out arms, amunition or clothing, were strug-
gling against the trained armies of England.
James Monroe left college, hastened to
General Washington's headquarters at New
York and enrolled himself as a cadet in the
army.

At Trenton Lieutenant Monroe so dis-
tinguished himself, receiving a wound in his
shoulder, that he was promoted to a Cap-
taincy. Upon recovering from his wound,
he was invited to act as aide to Lord Ster-
ling, and in that capacity he took an active
part in the battles of Brandy wine, Ger-
mantown and Monmouth. At Germantown

he stood by the side of Lafayette when the
French Marquis received his wound. Gen-
eral Washington, who had formed a high
idea of young Monroe's ability, sent him to
Virginia to raise a new regiment, of which
he was to be Colonel; but so exhausted was
Virginia at that time that the effort proved
unsuccessful. He, however, received his
commission.

Finding no opportunity to enter the army
as a commissioned officer, he returned to his
original plan of studying law, and entered
the office of Thomas Jefferson, who was
then Governor of Virginia. He developed
a very noble character, frank, manly and
sincere. Mr. Jefferson said of him:

"James Monroe is so perfectly honest
that if his soul were turned inside out there
would not be found a spot on it."

In 1782 he was elected to the Assembly
of Virginia, and was also appointed a mem-
ber of the Executive Council. The next
year he was chosen delegate to the Conti-
nental Congress for a term of three years.
He was present at Annapolis when Wash-
ington surrendered his commission of Com-
mander-in-chief.

With Washington, Jefferson and Madison
he felt deeply the inefficiency of the old
Articles of Confederation, and urged the
formation of a new Constitution, which
should invest the Central Government with
something like national power. Influenced
by these views, he introduced a resolution

JAMES MONROE.

that Congress should be empowered to
regulate trade, and to lay an impost duty
of five per cent. The resolution was refer-
red to a committee of which he was chair-
man. The report and the discussion which
rose upon it led to the convention of five
States at Annapolis, and the consequent
general convention at Philadelphia, which,
in 1787, drafted the Constitution of the
United States.

At this time there was a controversy be-
tween New York and Massachusetts in
reference to their boundaries. The high
esteem in which Colonel Monroe was held
is indicated by the fact that he was ap-
pointed one of the judges to decide the
controversy. While in New York attend-
ing Congress, he married Miss Kortright,
a young lady distinguished alike for her
beauty and accomplishments. For nearly
fifty years this happy union remained un-
broken. In London and in Paris, as in her
own country, Mrs. Monroe won admiration
and affection by the loveliness of her per-
son, the brilliancy of her intellect, and the
amiability of her character.

Returning to Virginia, Colonel Monroe
commenced the practice of law at Freder-
icksburg. He was very soon elected to a
seat in the State Legislature, and the next
year he was chosen a member of the Vir-
ginia convention which was assembled to
decide upon the acceptance or rejection of
the Constitution which had been drawn up
at Philadelphia, and was now submitte
to the several States. Deeply as he felt
the imperfections of the old Confederacy,
he was opposed to the new Constitution,
thinking, with many others of the Republi-
can party, that it gave too much power to
the Central Government, and not enough
to the individual States.

In 1789 he became a member of the
United States Senate, which office he held
acceptably to his constituents, and with
honor to himself for four years.

Having opposed the Constitution as not
leaving enough power with the States, he,
of course, became more and more identi-
fied with the Republican party. Thus he
found himself in cordial co-operation with
Jefferson and Madison. The great Repub-
lican party became the dominant power
which ruled the land.

George Washington was then President.
England had espoused the cause of the
Bourbons against the principles of the
French Revolution. President Washing-
ton issued a proclamation of neutrality be-
tween these contending powers. France
had helped us in the struggle for our lib-
erties. All the despotisms of Europe were
now combined to prevent the French
from escaping from tyranny a thousandfold
worse than that which we had endured.
Colonel Monroe, more magnanimous than
prudent, was anxious that we should help
our old allies in their extremity. He vio-
lently opposed the President's procla-
mation as ungrateful and wanting in
magnanimity.

Washington, who could appreciate such
a character, developed his calm, serene,
almost divine greatness by appointing that
very James Monroe, who was denouncing
the policy of the Government, as the Minis-
ter of that Government to the republic of
France. He was directed hy Washington
to express to the French people our warm-
est sympathy, communicating to them cor-
responding resolves approved by the Pres-
ident, and adopted by both houses of
Congress.

Mr. Monroe was welcomed by the Na-
tional Convention in France with the most
enthusiastic demonstrations of respect and
affection. He was publicly introduced to
that body, and received the embrace of the
President, Merlin de Donay, after having
been addressed in a speech glowing with
congratulations, and with expressions of
desire that harmony might ever exist be-

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

tween the two nations. The flags of the
two republics were intertwined in the hall
of the convention. Mr. Monroe presented
the American colors, and received those of
France in return. The course which he
pursued in Paris was so annoying to Eng-
land and to the friends of England in
this country that, near the close of Wash-
ington's administration, Mr. Monroe, was
recalled.

After his return Colonel Monroe wrote a
book of 400 pages, entitled " A View of the
Conduct of the Executive in Foreign Af-
fairs." In this work he very ably advo-
cated his side of the question; but, with
the magnanimity of the man, he recorded a
warm tribute to the patriotism, ability- and
spotless integrity of John Jay, between
whom and himself there was intense antag-
onism ; and in subsequent years he ex-
pressed in warmest terms his perfect
veneration for the character of George
Washington.

Shortly after his return to this country
Colonel Monroe was elected Governor of
Virginia, and held that office for three
yt» -s. the pcri"<l limited by the Constitu-
tion. In 1802 he was an Envoy to France,
and to Spain in 1805, and was Minister to
England in 1803. In 1806 he returned to
his quiet home in Virginia, and with his
wife and children and an ample competence
from his paternal estate, enjoyed a few years
of domestic repose.

In 1809 Mr. Jefferson's second term of
office expired, and many of the Republican
party were anxious to nominate James
Monroe as his successor. The majority
were in favor of Mr. Madison. Mr. Mon-
roe withdrew his name and was soon after
chosen a second time Governor of Virginia.
He soon resigned that office to accept the
position of Secretary of State, offered him
by President Madison. The correspond-
ence which he then carried on with the
British Government demonstrated that

there was no hope of any peaceful adjust-
ment of our difficulties with the cabinet of
St. James. War was consequently declared
in June, 1812. Immediately after the sack
of Washington the Secretary of War re-
signed, and Mr. Monroe, at the earnest
request of Mr. Madison, assumed the ad-
ditional duties of the War Department,
without resigning his position as Secretary
of State. It has been confidently stated,
that, had Mr. Monroe's energies been in the
War Department a few months earlier, the
disaster at Washington would not have
occurred.

The duties now devolving upon Mr. Mon-
roe were extremely arduous. Ten thou-
sand men, picked from the veteran armies
of England, were sent with a powerful fleet
to New Orleans to acquire possession of
the mouths of the Mississippi. Our finan-
ces were in the most deplorable condition.
The treasury was exhausted and our credit
gone. And yet it was necessary to make
the most rigorous preparations to meet the
foe. In this crisis James Monroe, the Sec-
retary of War, with virtue unsurpassed in
Greek or Roman story, stepped forward
and pledged his own individual credit as
subsidiary to that of the nation, and thus
succeeded in placing the city of New Or-
leans in such a posture of defense, that it
was enabled successfully to repel the in-
vader.

Mr. Monroe was truly the armor-bearer
of President Madison, and the most efficient
business man in his cabinet. His energy
in the double capacity' of Secretary, both
of State and War, pervaded all the depart-
ments of the country. He proposed to
increase the army to 100.000 men, a meas-
ure which he deemed absolutely necessary
to save us from ignominious defeat, but
which, at the same time, he knew would
render his name so unpopular as to preclude
the possibility of his being a successful can-
didate for the Presidency.

JAMBS MONROE.

7,1

The happy result of the conference at
Ghent in securing peace rendered the in-
crease of the army unnecessary; but it is not
too much to say that James Monroe placed
in the hands of Andrew Jackson the
weapon with which to beat oft the foe at
New Orleans. Upon the return of peace
Mr. Monroe resigned the department of
war, devoting himself entirely to the duties
of Secretary of State. These he continued
to discharge until the close of President
Madison's administration, with zeal which
was never abated, and with an ardor of
self-devotion which made him almost for-
getful of the claims of fortune, health or
life.

Mr. Madison's second term expired in
March, 1817, and Mr. Monroe succeeded
to the Presidency. He was a candidate of
the Republican party, now taking the name
of the Democratic Republican. In 1821 he
was re-elected, with scarcely an)' opposition.
Out of 232 electoral votes, he received 231.
The slavery question, which subsequently
assumed such formidable dimensions, now
began to make its appearance. The State
of Missouri, which had been carved out of
that immense territory which we had pur-
chased of France, applied for admission to
the Union, with a slavery Constitution.
There were not a few who foresaw the
evils impending. After the debate of a
week it was decided that Missouri could
not be admitted into the Union with slav-
ery. This important question was at length
settled by a compromise proposed by
Henry Clay.

The famous "Monroe Doctrine," of which
so much has been said, originated in this
way: In 1823 it was rumored that the
Holy Alliance was about to interfere to
prevent the establishment of Republican
liberty in the European colonies of South
America. President Monroe wrote to his
old friend Thomas Jefferson for advice in
the emergency. In his reply under date of

October 24, Mr. Jefferson writes upon the
supposition that our attempt to resist this
European movement might lead to war:

" Its object is to introduce and establish
the American system of keeping out of our
land all foreign powers; of never permitting
those of Europe to intermeddle with the
affairs of our nation. It is to maintain our
own principle, not to depart from it."

December 2, 1823, President Monroe
sent a message to Congress, declaring it to
be the policy of this Government not to
entangle ourselves with the broils of Eu-
rope, and not to allow Europe to interfere
with the affairs of nations on the American
continent; and the doctrine was announced,
that any attempt on the part of the Euro-
pean powers " to extend their system to
any portion of this hemisphere would be
regarded by the United States as danger-
ous to our peace and safety."

March 4, 1825, Mr. Monroe surrendered
the presidential chair to his Secretary of
State, John Quincy Adams, and retired,
with the universal respect of the nation,
to his private residence at Oak Hill, Lou-
doun County, Virginia. His time had been
so entirely consecrated to his country, that
he had neglected his pecuniary interests,
and was deeply involved in debt. The
welfare of his country had ever been up-
permost in his mind.

For man}- years Mrs. Monroe was in such
feeble health that she rarely appeared in
public. In 1830 Mr. Monroe took up his
residence with his son-in-law in New York,
where he died on the 4th of July, 1831.
The citizens of New York conducted his
obsequies with pageants more imposing
than had ever been witnessed there before.
Our country will ever cherish his mem-
ory with pride, gratefully enrolling his
name in the list of its benefactors, pronounc-
ing him the worthy successor of the illus-
trious men who had preceded him in the
presidential chair.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UN IT ED STATES.

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OHN QUINCY ADAMS,
the sixth President of the
United States, i825-'9,
was born in the rural
home of his honored
father, John Adams, in
Q u i n c y , Massachusetts,
July 11,1767. Hismother,
a woman of exalted worth,
watched over his childhood
during the almost constant
absence of his father. He
commenced his education
at the village school, giving
at an early period indica-
tions of superior mental en-
dowments.

When eleven years of age he sailed with
his father for Europe, where the latter was
associated with Franklin and Lee as Minister
Plenipotentiary. The intelligence of John
Quincy attracted the attention of these men
and received from them flattering marks of
attention. Mr. Adams had scarcely returned
to this country in 1779 ere he was again
sent abroad, and John Quincy again accom-
panied him. On this voyage he commenced
a diary, which practice he continued, with
but few interruptions, until his death. He
journeved with his father from Ferrol, in
Spain, to Paris. Here he applied himself
for six months to study; then accompanied

his father to Holland, where he entered,
first a school in Amsterdam, and then the
University of Leyden. In 1781, when only
fourteen years of age, he was selected by
Mr. Dana, our Minister to the Russian
court, as his private secretary. In this
school of incessant labor he spent fourteen
months, and then returned alone to Holland
through Sweden, Denmark, Hamburg and
Bremen. Again he resumed his studies
under a private tutor, at The Hague.

In the spring of 1782 he accompanied his
father to Paris, forming acquaintance with
the most distinguished men on the Conti-
nent. After a short visit to England, he re-
turned to Paris and studied until May,
1785, when he returned to America, leav-
ing his father an embassador at the court
of St. James. In 1786 he entered the jun-
ior class in Harvard University, and grad-
uated with the second honor of his class.
The oration he delivered on this occasion,
the " Importance of Public Faith to the
Well-being of a Community." was pub-
lished — an event very rare in this or any
other land.

Upon leaving college at the age of twenty
he studied law three years with the Hon.
Theophilus Parsons in Newburyport. In
1790 he opened a law office in Boston. The
profession was crowded with able men, and
the fees were small. The first year he had

3, 5. M

Oyvy^i

JOHN $UINCr ADAMS.

no clients, but not a moment was lost. The
second year passed away, still no clients,
and still he was dependent upon his parents
for support. Anxiously he awaited the
third year. The reward now came. Cli-
ents began to enter his office, and before
the end of the year he was so crowded
with business that all solicitude respecting
a support was at an end.

When Great Britain commenced war
against France, in 1793, Mr. Adams wrote
some articles, urging entire neutrality on
the part of the United States. The view
was not a popular one. Many felt that as
France had helped us, we were bound to
help France. But President Washington
coincided with Mr. Adams, and issued his
proclamation of neutrality. His writings
at this time in the Boston journals gave
him so high a reputation, that in June,
1794, he was appointed by Washington
resident Minister at the Netherlands. In
July, 1797, he left The Hague to go to Port-
ugal as Minister Plenipotentiary. Wash-
ington at this time wrote to his father, John
Adams:

" Without intending to compliment the
father or the mother, or to censure any
others, I give it as my decided opinion,
that Mr. Adams is the most valuable char-
acter we have abroad; and there remains
no doubt in my mind that he will prove the
ablest of our diplomatic corps."

On his way to Portugal, upon his arrival
in London, he met with dispatches direct-
ing him to the court of Berlin, but request-
ing him to remain in London until he should
receive instructions. While waiting he
was married to Miss Louisa Catherine John-
son, to whom he had been previously en-
gaged. Miss Johnson was a daughter of
Mr. Joshua Johnson, American Consul
in London, and was a lady endowed with
that beauty and those accomplishments
which fitted her to move in the elevated
sphere for which she was destined.

In July, 1799, having fulfilled all the pur-
poses of his mission, Mr. Adams returned.
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 March 4, 1804. His reputation,
his ability and his experience, placed him
immediately among the most prominent
and influential members of that body. He
sustained the Government in its measures
of resistance to the encroachments of Eng-
land, destroying our commerce and insult-
ing our flag. There was no man in America
more familiar with the arrogance of the
British court upon these points, and no
one more resolved to present a firm resist-
ance. This course, so truly patriotic, and
which scarcely a voice will now be found
to condemn, alienated him from the Fed-
eral party dominant in Boston, and sub-
jected him to censure.

In 1805 Mr. Adams was chosen professor
of rhetoric in Harvard College. His lect-
ures at this place were subsequently pub-
lished. In 1809 he was sent as Minister to
Russia. He was one of the commissioners
that negotiated the treaty of peace with
Great Britain, signed December 24, 18 14,
and he was appointed Minister to the court
of St. James in 181 5. In 1817 he became
Secretary of State in Mr. Monroe's cabinet
in which position he remained eight years.
Few will now contradict the assertion that
the duties of that office were never more
ably discharged. Probably the most im-
portant measure which Mr. Adams con-
ducted was the purchase of Florida from
Spain for $5,000,000.

The campaign of 1824 was an exciting
one. Four candidates were in the field.
Of the 260 electoral votes that were cast,
Andrew Jackson received ninety-nine; John
Quincy Adams, eighty-four; William H.
Crawford, forty-one, and Henry Clay,
thirty-seven. As there was no choice by
the people, the question went to the House

PRESIDENTS OF THE UN/TED STATES.

of Representatives. Mr. Clay gave the
vote of Kentucky to Mr. Adams, and he
was elected.

The friends of all disappointed candidates
now combined in a venomous assault upon
Mr. Adams. There is nothing more dis-
graceful in the past history of our country
than the abuse which was poured in one
uninterrupted stream upon this high-
minded, upright, patriotic man. There was
never an administration more pure in prin-
ciples, more conscientiously devoted to the
best interests of the country, than that of
John Quincy Adams; and never, perhaps,
was there an administration more unscru-
pulously assailed. Mr. Adams took his seat
in the presidential chair resolved not to
know any partisanship, but only to con-
sult for the interests of the whole Republic,

He refused to dismiss any man from of-
fice for his political views. If he was a faith-
ful officer that was enough. Bitter must
have been his disappointment to find that the
Nation could not appreciate such conduct.

Mr. Adams, in his public manners, was
cold and repulsive; though with his per-
sonal friends he was at times very genial.
This chilling address very seriously de-
tracted from his popularity. No one can
read an impartial record of his administra-
tion without admitting that a more noble
example of uncompromising dignity can
scarcely be found. It was stated publicly
that Mr. Adams' administration was to be
put down, " though it be as pure as the an-
gels which stand at the right hand of the
throne of God." Many of the active par-
ticipants in these scenes lived to regret the
course they pursued. Some years after,
Warren R. Davis, of South Carolina, turn-
ing to Mr. Adams, then a member of the
House of Representatives, said:

" Well do I remember the enthusiastic
zeal with which we reproached the admin-
istration of that gentleman, and the ardor
and vehemence with which we labored to

bring in another. For the share I had in
these transactions, and it was not a small
one, I hope God will forgive me, for I shall
never forgive myself."

March 4, 1829, Mr. Adams retired from
the Presidency and was succeeded by An-
drew Jackson, the latter receiving 168 out
of 261 electoral votes. John C. Calhoun
was elected Vice-President. The slavery
question now began to assume pretentious
magnitude. Mr. Adams returned to
Quincy, and pursued his studies with una-
bated zeal. But he was not long permitted
to remain in retirement. In November,
1830, he was elected to Congress. In this
he recognized the principle that it is honor-
able for the General of yesterday to act as
Corporal to-day, if by so doing he can ren-
der service to his country. Deep as are
our obligations to John Quincy Adams for
his services as embassador, as Secretary of
State and as President; in his capacity as
legislator in the House of Representa-
tives, he conferred benefits upon our land
which eclipsed all the rest, and which can
never be over-estimated.

For seventeen years, until his death, he
occupied the post of Representative, tow-
ering above all his peers, ever ready to do
brave battle for freedom, and winning the
title of "the old man eloquent." Upon
taking his seat in the House he announced
that he should hold himself bound to no
party. 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 escape his scrutiny. The battle
which he fought, almost singly, against the
pro-slavery party in the Government, was
sublime in its moral daring 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 assassina-
tion; but no threats could intimidate him,
and his final triumph was complete.

JOHN SLUINCr ADAMS.

On one occasion Mr. Adams presented a
petition, signed by several women, against
the annexation of Texas for the purpose of
cutting it up into slave States. Mr. How-
ard, of Maryland, said that these women
discredited not only themselves, but their
section of the country, by turning from
their domestic duties to the conflicts of po-
litical life.

"Are women," exclaimed Mr. Adams,
" to have no opinions or actions on subjects
rHating to the general welfare? Where
did the g^... et his principle? Did

he find it in sacred history, — in the language
of Miriam, the prophetess, in one of the
noblest and sublime songs of triumph that
ever met the human eye or ear? Did the
gentleman never hear of Deborah, to whom
the children of Israel came up for judg-
ment ? Mas he forgotten the deed of Jael,
who slew the dreaded enemy of her coun-
try ? Has he forgotten Esther, who, by her
petition saved her people and her coun-
try?

" To go from sacred history to profane,
does the gentleman there find it ' discredita-
ble ' for women to take an interest in politi-
cal affairs ? Has he forgotten the Spartan
mother, who said to her son when going
out to battle, ' My son, come back to me
with thy shield, or upon thy shield ? ' Does
he remember Cloelia and her hundred com-
panions, who swam across the river under
a shower of darts, escaping from Porsena ?
Has he forgotten Cornelia, the mother of
the Gracchi ? Does he not remember Por-
tia, the wife of Brutus and the daughter of
Cato?

" To come to later periods, what says the
history of our Anglo-Saxon ancestors?
To say nothing of Boadicea, the British
heroine in the time of the Caesars, what
name is more illustrious than that of Eliza-
beth ? Or, if he will go to the continent,
will he not find i z names of Maria Theresa
of Hungary, of the two Catherines of

Prussia, and of Isabella of Castile, the pa-
troness of Columbus ? Did she bring ' dis-
credit ' on her sex by mingling in politics ? "

In this glowing strain Mr. Adams si-
lenced and overwhelmed his antagonists.

In January, 1842, Mr. Adams presented
a petition from forty-five citizens of Haver-
hill, Massachusetts, praying for a peaceable
dissolution of the Union. The pro-slavery
party in Congress, who were then plotting
the destruction of the Government, were
aroused to a pretense of commotion such as
even our stormy hall of legislation has
rarely witnessed. They met in caucus, and,
finding that they probably would not be
able to expel Mr. Adams from the House
drew up a series of resolutions, which, if
adopted, would inflict upon him disgrace,
equivalent to expulsion. Mr. Adams had
presented the petition, which was most re-
spectfully worded, and had moved that it be
referred to a committee instructed to re-
port an answer, showing the reason why
the prayer ought not to be granted.

It was the 25th of January. The whole
body of the pro-slavery party came crowd-
ing together in the House, prepared to
crush Mr. Adams forever. One of the num-
ber, Thomas F. Marshall, of Kentucky, was
appointed to read the resolutions, which
accused Mr. Adams of high treason, of
having insulted the Government, and of
meriting expulsion; but for which deserved
punishment, the House, in its great mercy,
would substitute its severest censure. With
the assumption of a very solemn and mag-
isterial air, there being breathless silence in
the audience, Mr. Marshall hurled the care-
fully prepared anathemas at his victim.
Mr. Adams stood alone, the whole pro-slav-
ery party against him.

As soon as the resolutions were read,
every eye being fixed upon him, that bold
old man, whose scattered locks were whit-
ened by seventy-five years, casting a wither-
ing glance in the direction of his assailants,

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

in a clear, shrill tone, tremulous with sup-
pressed emotion, said:

" In reply to this audacious, atrocious
charge of high treason, I call for the read-
ing of the first paragraph of the Declaration
of Independence. Read it ! Read it! and
see what that says of the rights of a people
to reform, to change, and to dissolve their
Government.'

The attitude, the manner, the tone, the
words; the venerable old man, with flash-
ing eye and flushed cheek, and whose very
form seemed to expand under the inspiration
of the occasion — all presented a scene over-
flowing in its sublimity. There was breath-
less silence as that paragraph was read, in
defense of whose principles our fathers had
pledged their lives, their fortunes and their
sacred honor. It was a proud hour to Mr.
Adams as they were all compelled to listen
to the words:

" That, to secure these rights, govern-
ments are instituted among men, deriving
their just powers from the consent of the
governed; and that whenever any form of
government becomes destructive of those
ends, it is the right of the people to alter or
abolish it, and to institute new government,
laying its foundations on such principles
and organizing its powers in such form
as shall seem most likely to effect their
safety and happiness."

That one sentence routed and baffled the

foe. The heroic old man looked around
upon the audience, and thundered out"
" Read that again ! " It was again read.
Then in a few fiery, logical words he stated
his defense in terms which even prejudiced
minds could not resist. His discomfited
assailants made several attempts to rally.
After a conflict of eleven days they gave
up vanquished and their resolution was ig-
nominiously laid upon the table.

In January, 1846, when seventy-eight
years of age, he took part in the great de-
bate on the Oregon question, displaying
intellectual vigor, and an extent and accu-
racy of acquaintance with the subject that
excited great admiration.

On the 2istof February, 1848, he rose on
the floor of Congress with a paper in his
hand to address the Speaker. Suddenly
he fell, stricken by paralysis, and was caught
in the arms of those around him. For a
time he was senseless and was conveyed
to a sofa in the rotunda. With reviving
consciousness he opened his eyes, looked
calmly around and said, " This is the end of
earth." Then after a moment's pause, he
added, " / am content." These were his last
words, and he soon breathed his last, in the
apartment beneath the dome of the capitol
— the theater of his labors and his triumphs.
In the language of hymnology, he " died at
his post;" he " ceased at once to work and
live."

ANDREW JACKSON.

sa^-

iNDREW JACKSON,
the seventh President
of the United States,
i829-'37, was born at
the Waxhaw Settle.
eoans=M(ji^^f ment, Union Coun-
ty, North Carolina,
His parents

March 16, 1767
were Scotch-Irish, natives of
Carrickfergus, who came to
America in 1765, and settled
on Twelve-Mile Creek, a trib-
utary of the Catawba. His
father, who was a poor farm
laborer, died shortly before An-
drew's birth, when his mother removed to
Waxhaw, where some relatives resided.

Few particulars of the childhood of Jack-
son have been preserved. His education
was of the most limited kind, and he showed
no fondness for books. He grew up to be a
tall, lank boy, with coarse hair and freck-
led cheeks, with bare feet dangling from
trousers too short for him, very fond of ath-
letic sports, running, boxing and wrestling.
He was generous to the younger and
weaker boys, but very irascible and over-
bearing with his equals and superiors. He
was profane — a vice in which he surpassed
all other men. The character of his mother

he revered; and it was not until after her
death that his predominant vices gained
full strength.

In 1780, at the age of thirteen, Andrew,
or Andy, as he was called, with his brother
Robert, volunteered to serve in the Revo-
lutionary forces under General Sumter, and
was a witness of the latter's defeat at Hang-
ing Rock. In the following year the
brothers were made prisoners, and confined
in Camden, experiencing brutal treatment
from their captors, and being spectators of
General Green's defeat at Hobkirk Hill.
Through their mother's exertions the boys
were exchanged while suffering from small-
pox. In two days Robert was dead, and
Andy apparently dying. The strength of
his constitution triumphed, and he regained
health and vigor.

As he was getting better, his mother
heard the cry of anguish from the prison-
ers whom the British held in Charleston,
among whom were the sons of her sisters.
She hastened to their relief, was attacked
by fever, died and was buried where her
grave could never be found. Thus Andrew
Jackson, when fourteen years of age, was
left alone in the world, without father,
mother, sister or brother, and without one
dollar which he could call his own. He

4 8

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

soon entered a saddler's shop, and labored
diligently for six months. But gradually,
as health returned, he became more and
more a wild, reckless, lawless boy. He
gambled, drank and was regarded as about
the worst character that could be found.

He now turned schoolmaster. He could
teach the alphabet, perhaps the multiplica-
tion table; and as he was a very bold boy,
it is possible he might have ventured to
teach a little writing. But he soon began to
think of a profession and decided to study
law. With a very slender purse, and on
the back of a very fine horse, he set out
for Salisbury, North Carolina, where he
entered the law office of Mr. McCay.
Here he remained two years, professedly
studying law. He is still remembered in
traditions of Salisbury, which say:

" Andrew Jackson was the most roaring,
rollicking, horse-racing, card-playing, mis-
chievous fellow that ever lived in Salisbury.
He did not trouble the law-books much."

Andrew was now. at the age of twenty,
a tall young man, being over six feet in
height. He was slender, remarkably grace-
ful and dignified in his manners, an exquis-
ite horseman, and developed, amidst his
loathesome profanity and multiform vices, a
vein of rare magnanimity. His temper was
fiery in the extreme; but it was said of him
that no man knew better than Andrew
Jackson when to get angry and when not.

In 1786 he was admitted to the bar, and
two years later removed to Nashville,
in what was then the western district of
North Carolina, with the appointment of so-
licitor, or public prosecutor. It was an of-
fice of little honor, small emolument and
great peril. Few men could be found to
accept it.

And now Andrew Jackson commenced
vigorously to practice law. It was an im-
portant part of his business to collect debts.
It required nerve. During the first seven
years of his residence in those wilds he

traversed the almost pathless forest between
Nashville and Jonesborough, a distance of
200 miles, twenty-two times. Hostile In-
dians were constantly on the watch, and a
man was liable at any moment to be shot
down in his own field. Andrew Jackson
was just the man for this service — a wild,
daring, rough backwoodsman. Daily he
made hair-breadth escapes. He seemed to
bear a charmed life. Boldly, alone or with
few companions, he traversed the forests,
encountering all perils and triumphing
over all.

In 1790 Tennessee became a Territory,
and Jackson was appointed, by President
Washington, United States Attorney for
the new district. In 1791 he married Mrs.
Rachel Robards (daughter of Colonel John
Donelson), whom he supposed to have been
divorced in that year by an act of the Leg-
islature of Virginia. Two years after this
Mr. and Mrs. Jackson learned, to their
great surprise, that Mr. Robards had just
obtained a divorce in one of the courts of
Kentucky, and that the act of the Virginia
Legislature was not final, but conditional.
To remedy the irregularity as much as pos-
sible, a new license was obtained and the
marriage ceremony was again performed.

It proved to be a marriage of rare felic-
ity. Probably there never was a more
affectionate union. However rough Mr.
Jackson might have been abroad, he was
always gentle and tender at home; and
through all the vicissitudes of their lives, he
treated Mrs. Jackson with the most chival-
ric attention.

Under the circumstances it was not un-
natural that the facts in the case of this
marriage were so misrepresented by oppo-
nents in the political campaigns a quarter
or a century later as to become the basis
of serious charges against Jackson's moral-
ity which, however, have been satisfactorily
attested by abundant evidence.

Jackson was untiring in his duties as

Ay DREW JACKSON.

United States Attorney, which demanded
frequent journeys through the wilderness
and exposed him to Indian hostilities. He
acquired considerable property in land, and
obtained such influence as to be chosen
a member of the convention which framed
the Constitution for the new State of Ten-
nessee, in 1796, and in that year was elected
its first Representative in Congress. Albert
Gallatin thus describes the first appearance
of the Hon. Andrew Jackson in the House:

"A tall, lank, uncouth-looking personage,
with locks of hair hanging over his face and
a cue down his back, tied with an eel skin;
his dress singular, his manners and deport-
ment those of a rough backwoodsman."

Jackson was an earnest advocate of the
Democratic party. Jefferson was his idol.
He admired Bonaparte, loved France and
hated England. As Mr. Jackson took his
seat, General Washington, whose second
term of office was just expiring, delivered
his last speech to Congress. A committee
drew up a complimentary address in reply.
Andrew Jackson did not approve the ad-
dress and was one of twelve who voted
against it.

Tennessee had fitted out an expedition
against the Indians, contrary to the policy
of the Government. A resolution was intro-
duced that the National Government
should pay the expenses. Jackson advo-
cated it and it was carried. This rendered
him very popular in Tennessee. A va-
cancy chanced soon after to occur in the
Senate, and Andrew Jackson was chosen
United States Senator by the State of Ten-
nessee. John Adams was then President
and Thomas Jefferson, Vice-President.

In 1798 Mr. Jackson returned to Tennes-
see, and resigned his seat in the Senate.
Soon after he was chosen Judge of the Su-
preme Court of that State, with a salary of
$600. This office he held six years. It is
said that his decisions, though sometimes
ungrammatical, were generally right. He

did not enjoy his seat upon the bench, and
renounced the dignity in 1804. About
this time he was chosen Major-General of
militia, and lost the title of judge in that of
General.

When he retired from the Senate Cham-
ber, he decided to try his fortune through
trade. He purchased a stock of goods in
Philadelphia and sent them to Nashville,
where he opened a store. He lived about
thirteen miles from Nashville, on a tract of
land of several thousand acres, mostly un-
cultivated. He used a small block-house
for a store, from a narrow window of
which he sold goods to the Indians. As he
had an assistant his office as judge did not
materially interfere with his business.

As to slavery, born in the midst of it, the
idea never seemed to enter his mind that it
could be wrong. He eventually became
an extensive slave owner, but he was one of
the most humane and gentle of masters.

In 1804 Mr. Jackson withdrew from pol-
itics and settled on a plantation which he
called the Hermitage, near Nashville. He
set up a cotton-gin, formed a partnership
and traded in New Orleans, making the
voyage on flatboats. Through his hot tem-
per he became involved in several quarrels
and " affairs of honor," during this period,
in one of which he was severely wounded,
but had the misfortune to kill his opponent,
Charles Dickinson. For a time this affair
greatly injured General Jackson's popular-
ity. The verdict then was, and continues
to be, that General Jackson was outra-
geously wrong. If he subsequently felt any
remorse he never revealed it to anyone.

In 1805 Aaron Burr had visited Nash-
ville and been a guest of Jackson, with
whom he corresponded on the subject of a
war with Spain, which was anticipated and
desired by them, as well as by the people
of the Southwest generally.

Burr repeated his visit in September,
1806, when he engaged in the celebrated

5°

PREJIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

combinations which led to his trial for trea-
son. He was warmly received by Jackson,
at whose instance a public ball was given
in his honor at Nashville, and contracted
with the latter for boats and provisions.
Early in 1807, when Burr had been pro-
claimed a traitor by President Jefferson,
volunteer forces for the Federal service
were organized at Nashville under Jack-
son's command; but his energy and activ-
ity did not shield him from suspicions of
connivance in the supposed treason. He
was summoned to Richmond as a witness
in Burr's trial, but was not called to the
stand, probably because he was out-spoken
in his partisanship.

On the outbreak of the war with Great
Britain in 1812, Jackson tendered his serv-
ices, and in January, 181 3, embarked for
New Orleans at the head of the Tennessee
contingent. In March he received an or-
der to disband his forces; but in Septem-
ber he again took the field, in the Creek
war, and in conjunction with his former
partner, Colonel Coffee, inflicted upon the
Indians the memorable defeat at Talladega,
Emuckfaw and Tallapoosa.

In May, 1814, Jackson, who had now ac-
quired a national reputation, was appointed
a Major-General of the United States army,
and commenced a campaign against the
British in Florida. He conducted the de-
fense at Mobile, September 15, seized upon
Pensacola, November 6, and immediately
transported the bulk of his troops to New
Orleans, then threatened by a powerful
naval force. Martial law was declared in
Louisiana, the State militia was called to
arms, engagements with the British were
fought December 23 and 28, and after re-en-
forcements had been received on both sides
<he famous victory of January 8, 18 15,
crowned Jackson's fame as a soldier, and
made him the typical American hero of
the first half of the nineteenth century.

In 1817-18 Jackson conducted the war

against the Seminoles of Florida, during
which he seized upon Pensacola and exe-
cuted by courtmartial two British subjects,

Arbuthnot and Ambrister acts which

might easily have involved the United
States in war both with Spain and Great
Britain. Fortunately the peril was averted
by the cession of Florida to the United
States; and Jackson, who had escaped a
trial for the irregularity of his conduct
only through a division of opinion in Mon-
roe's cabinet, was appointed in 1821 Gov-
ernor of the new Territory. Soon after he
declined the appointment of minister to
Mexico.

In 1823 Jackson was elected to the United
States Senate, and nominated by the Ten-
nessee Legislature for the Presidency. This
candidacy, though a matter of surprise, and
even merrvment, speedily became popular,
and in 1824, when the stormy electoral can-
vas resulted in the choice of John Quincy
Adams by the House of Representatives,
General Jackson received the largest popu-
lar vote among the four candidates.

In 1828 Jackson was triumphantly elected
President over Adams after a campaign of
unparalleled bitterness. He was inaugu-
rated March 4, 1829, and at once removed
from office all the incumbents belonging to
the opposite party — a procedure new to
American politics, but which naturally be-
came a precedent.

His first term was characterized by quar-
rels between the Vice-President, Calhoun,
and the Secretary of State, Van Buren, at-
tended by a cabinet crisis originating in
scandals connected with the name of Mrs.
General Eaton, wife of the Secretary of
War; by the beginning of his war upon the
United States Bank, and by his vigorous
action against the partisans of Calhoun,
who, in South Carolina, threatened to
nullify the acts of Congress, establishing a
protective tariff.

In the Presidential campaign of 1832

ANDREW yACKSON.

5»

Jackson received 219 out of 288 electoral
votes, his competitor being Mr. Clay, while
Mr. Wirt, on an Anti-Masonic platform,
received the vote of Vermont alone. In
1833 President Jackson removed the Gov-
ernment deposits from the United States
bank, thereby incurring a vote of censure
from the Senate, which was, however, ex-
punged four years later. During this second
term of office the Cherokees, Choctaws and
Creeks were removed, not without diffi-
culty, from Georgia, Alabama and Missis-
sippi, to the Indian Territory; the National
debt was extinguished; Arkansas and
Michigan were admitted as States to the
Union; the Seminole war was renewed; the
anti-slavery agitation first acquired impor-
tance; the Mormon delusion, which had
organized in 1829, attained considerable
proportions in Ohio and Missouri, and the
country experienced its greatest pecuniary
panic.

Railroads with locomotive propulsion
were introduced into America during Jack-
son's first term, and had become an impor-
tant element of national life before the
close of his second term. For many rea-
sons, therefore, the administration of Presi-
dent Jackson formed an era in American
history, political, social and industrial.
He succeeded in effecting the election of

his friend Van Buren as his successor, re-
tired from the Presidency March 4, 1837;
and led a tranquil life at the Hermitage
until his death, which occurred June 8,

1845.

During his closing years he was a pro-
fessed Christian and a member of the Pres-
byterian church. No American of this
century has been the subject of such oppo-
site judgments. He was loved and hated
with equal vehemence during his life, but
at the present distance of time from his
career, while opinions still vary as to the
merits of his public acts, few of his country-
men will question that he was a warm-
hearted, brave, patriotic, honest and sincere
man. If his distinguishing qualities were
not such as constitute statesmanship, in the
highest sense, he at least never pretended
to other merits than such as were written
to his credit on the page of American his-
tory — not attempting to disguise the de-
merits which were equally legible. The
majority of his countrymen accepted and
honored him, in spite of all that calumny
as well as truth could allege against him.
His faults may therefore be truly said to
have been those of his time; his magnifi-
cent virtues may also, with the same jus-
tice, be considered as typical of a state of
society which has nearly passed away.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

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ARTIN VAN BU-
REN, the eighth
President of the
United States, 1837-
'41, was born at Kin-
derhook, New York,
December 5, 1782.
His ancestors were of Dutch
origin, and were among the
earliest emigrants from Hol-
land to the banks of the
Hudson. His father was a
tavern-keeper, as well as a
farmer, and a very decided
Democrat.
Martin commenced the study
of law at the age of fourteen, and took an
active part in politics before he had reached
the age of twenty. In 1803 he commenced
the practice of law in his native village.
In 1809 he removed to Hudson, the shire
town of his county, where he spent seven
years, gaining strength by contending in
the courts with some of the ablest men
who have adorned the bar of his State.
The heroic example of John Ouincy Adams
in retaining in office every faithful man,
without regard to his political preferences,
had been thoroughly repudiated by Gen-
eral Jackson. The unfortunate principle
was now fully established, that " to the
victor belong the spoils." Still, this prin-
ciple, to which Mr. Van Buren gave his ad-

herence, was not devoid of inconveniences.
When, subsequently, he attained power
which placed vast patronage in his hands,
he was heard to say : " I prefer an office
that has no patronage. When I give a man
an office I offend his disappointed competi-
tors and their friends. Nor am I certain of
gaining a friend in the man I appoint, for,
in all probability, he expected something
better."

In 18 12 Mr. Van Buren was elected to
the State Senate. In 1 8 1 5 he was appointed
Attorney-General, and in 1816 to the Senate
a second time. In 1818 there was a great
split in the Democratic party in New York,
and Mr. Van Buren took the lead in or-
ganizing that portion of the party called
the Albany Regency, which is said to have
swayed the destinies of the State for a
quarter of a century.

In 1 82 1 he was chosen a member of the
convention for revising the State Constitu-
tion, in which he advocated an extension of
the franchise, but opposed universal suf-
frage, and also favored the proposal that
colored persons, in order to vote, should
have freehold property to the amount of
$250. In this year he was also elected to
the United States Senate, and at the con-
clusion of his term, in 1827, was re-elected,
but resigned the following year, having
been chosen Governor of the State. In
March, 1829, he was appointed Secretary of

O 7 7/^^c i^^jIi^c^c^

MARTIN VAN BUR EN.

State by President Jackson, but resigned
in April, 1831, and during the recess of
Congress was appointed minister to Eng-
land, whither he proceeded in September,
but the Senate, when convened in Decem-
ber, refused to ratify the appointment.

In May, 1832, Mr. Van Buren was nomi-
nated as the Democratic candidate for Vice-
President, and elected in the following
November. May 26, 1836, he received the
nomination to succeed General Jackson as
President, and received 170 electoral votes,
out of 283.

Scarcely had he taken his seat in the
Presidential chair when a financial panic
swept over the land. Many attributed
this to the war which General Jackson had
waged on the banks, and to his endeavor to
secure an almost exxlusive specie currency.
Nearly every bank in the country was com-
pelled to suspend specie payment, and ruin
pervaded all our great cities. Not less than
254 houses failed in New York in one week.
All public works were brought to a stand,
and there was a general state of dismay.
President Van Buren urged the adoption of
the independent treasury system, which
was twice passed in the Senate and defeated
in the House, but finally became a law near
the close of his administration.

Another important measure was the pass-
age of a pre-emption law, giving actual set-
tlers the preference in the purchase of
public lands. The question of slavery, also,
now began to assume great prominence in
national politics, and after an elaborate
anti-slavery speech by Mr. Slade, of Ver-
mont, in the House of Representatives, the
Southern members withdrew for a separate
consultation, at which Mr. Rhett, of South
Carolina, proposed to declare it expedient
that the Union should be dissolved ; but
the matter was tided over by the passage
of a resolution that no petitions or papers
relating to slavery should be in any way
considered or acted upon.

In the Presidential election of 1840 Mr.
Van Buren was nominated, without opposi-
tion, as the Democratic candidate, William
H. Harrison being the candidate of the
Whig party. The Democrats carried only
seven States, and out of 294 electoral votes
only sixty were for Mr. Van Buren, the re-
maining 234 being for his opponent. The
Whig popular majority, however, was not
large, the elections in many of the States
being very close.

March 4, 1841, 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.
In 1844 he was again proposed as the
Democratic candidate for the Presidency,
and a majority of the delegates of the
nominating convention were in his favor ;
but, owing to his opposition to the pro-
posed annexation of Texas, he could not
secure the requisite two-thirds vote. His
name was at length withdrawn by his
friends, and Mr. Polk received the nomina-
tion, and was elected.

In 1848 Mr. Cass was the regular Demo-
cratic candidate. A schism, however,
sprang up in the party, upon the question
of the permission of slavery in the newly-
acquired territory, and a portion of the
party, taking the name of " Free-Soilers,"
nominated Mr. Van Buren. They drew
away sufficient votes to secure the election
of General Taylor, the Whig candidate.
After this Mr. Van Buren retired to his es-
tate at Kinderhook, where the remainder
of his life was passed, with the exception of
a European tour in 1853. He died at
Kinderhook, July 24, 1862, at the age of
eighty years.

Martin Van Buren was a great and good
man, and no one will question his right to
a high position among those who have
been the successors of Washington in the
faithful occupancy of the Presidential
chair.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

JJflM HENRY HflRRISDN, ,

Virginia,
deuce of

ILLIAM HENRY
HARRISON, the
ninth President of
the United States,
i 84 i, was born
February 9, 1773,
in Charles Countv,
at Berkeley, the resi-
his father, Governor
Benjamin Harrison. He studied
at Hampden, Sidney College,
with a view of entering the med-
ical profession. After graduation
he went to Philadelphia to study
medicine under the instruction of
Dr. Rush.
George Washington was then President
A the United States. The Indians were
committing fearful ravages on our North-
western frontier. Young Harrison, either
lured by the love of adventure, or moved
by the sufferings of families exposed to the
most horrible outrages, abandoned his med-
ical studies and entered the army, having
obtained a commission of ensign from Pres-
ident Washington. The first duty assigned
him was to take a train of pack-horses
bound to Fort Hamilton, on the Miami
River, about forty miles from Fort Wash-
ington. He was soon promoted to the

rank of Lieutenant, and joined the army
which Washington had placed under the
command of General Wayne to prosecute
more vigorously the war with the In-
dians. Lieutenant Harrison received great
commendation from his commanding offi-
cer, and was promoted to the rank of
Captain, and placed in command at Fort
Washington, now Cincinnati, Ohio.

About this time he married a daughter
of John Cleves Symmes, one of the fron-
tiersmen who had established a thriving
settlement on the bank of the Maumee.

In 1797 Captain Harrison resigned his
commission in the army and was appointed
Secretary of the Northwest Territory, and
ex-officio Lieutenant-Governor, General St.
Clair being then Governor of the Territory.
At that time the law in reference to the
disposal of the public lands was such that
no one could purchase in tracts less than
4,000 acres. Captain Harrison, in the
face of violent opposition, succeeded in
obtaining so much of a modification of
this unjust law that the land was sold in
alternate tracts of 640 and 320 acres. The
Northwest Territory was then entitled
to one delegate in Congress, and Cap-
tain Harrison was chosen to fill that of-
fice. In 1800 he was appointed Governor

-6s &s9os

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON.

of Indiana Territory and soon after of
Upper Louisiana. He was also Superin-
tendent of Indian Affairs, and so well did he
fulfill these duties that he was four times
appointed to this office. During his admin-
istration he effected thirteen treaties with
the Indians, by which the United States
acquired 60,000,000 acres of land. In 1804
he obtained a cession from the Indians of
all the land between the Illinois River and
the Mississippi.

In 18 12 he was made Major-General of
Kentucky militia and Brigadier-General
in the army, with the command of the
Northwest frontier. In 1813 he was made
Major-General, and as such won much re-
nown by the defense of Fort Meigs, and the
battle of the Thames, Octobers, 1813. In
1 8 14 he left the army and was employed in
Indian affairs by the Government.

In 18 16 General Harrison was chosen a
member of the National House of Repre-
sentatives to represent the district of Ohio.
In the contest which preceded his election
he was accused of corruption in respect to
the commissariat of the army. Immedi-
ately upon taking his seat, he called for an
investigation of the charge. A committee
was appointed, and his vindication was
triumphant. A high compliment was paid
to his patriotism, disinterestedness and
devotion to the public service. For these
services a gold medal was presented to him
with the thanks of Congress.

In 1 8 19 he was elected to the Senate of
Ohio, and in 1824, as one of the Presiden-
tial electors of that State, he gave his vote
to Henry Clay. In the same year he was
elected to the Senate of the United States.
In 1828 he was appointed by President
Adams minister plenipotentiary to Colom-
bia, but was recalled by General Jackson
immediately after the inauguration of the
latter.

Upon his return to the United States,
General Harrison retired to his farm at

North Bend, Hamilton County, Ohio, six-
teen miles below Cincinnati, where for
twelve years he was clerk of the County
Court. He once owned a distillery, but
perceiving the sad effects of whisky upon
the surrounding population, he promptly
abandoned his business at great pecuniary
sacrifice.

In 1836 General Harrison was brought
forward as a candidate for the Presidency.
Van Buren was the administration candi-
date; the opposite party could not unite,
and four candidates were brought forward.
General Harrison received seventy-three
electoral votes without an)' general concert
among his friends. The Democratic party
triumphed and Mr. Van Buren was chosen
President. In 1839 General Harrison was
again nominated for the Presidency by the
Whigs, at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Mr.
Van Buren being the Democratic candi-
date. General Harrison received 234 elec-
toral votes against sixty for his opponent.
This election is memorable chiefly for the
then extraordinary means employed during
the canvass for popular votes. Mass meet-
ings and processions were introduced, and
the watchwords " log cabin " and " hard
cider " were effectually used by the Whigs,
and aroused a popular enthusiasm.

A vast concourse of people attended his
inauguration. His address on that occasion
was in accordance with his antecedents, and
gave great satisfaction. A short time after he
took his seat, he was seized by a pleurisy-
fever, and after a few days of violent sick-
ness, died April 4, just one short month after
his inauguration. His death was universally
regarded as one of the greatest of National
calamities. Never, since the death of
Washington, were there, throughout one
land, such demonstrations of sorrow. Not
one single spot can be found to sully his
fame; and through all ages Americans will
pronounce with love and reverence the
name of William Henry Harrison.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

H233H2HHHHHE£p

'^^ ^S^f^ ^^S^ ^ ^ !^^

OHN TYLER, the tenth
President of the United
States, was born in
Charles City County,
Virginia, March 29, 1790.
His father, Judge John
Tyler, possessed large
landed estates in Virginia,
and was one of the most
distinguished men of his
day, filling the offices of
Speaker of the House of
Delegates, Judge of the Su-
preme Court and Governor
of the State.

L t the early age of twelve
young John entered William and Marx
College, and graduated with honor when
but seventeen years old. He then closely
applied himself to the study of law, and at
nineteen years of age commenced the prac-
tice of his profession. When only twenty-
one he was elected to a seat in the State
Legislature. He acted with the Demo-
cratic party and advocated the measures of
Jefferson and Madison. For five years he
was elected to the Legislature, receiving
nearly the unanimous vote of his count v.

When but twenty-six years of age he was
elected a member of Congress. He advo-
cated a strict construction of the Constitu-
tion and the most careful vigilance over

State rights. He was soon compelled to
resign his seat in Congress, owing to ill
health, but afterward took his seat in the
State Legislature, where he exerted a
powerful influence in promoting public
works of great utility.

In 1825 Mr. Tyler was chosen Governor
of his State — a high honor, for Virginia
had many able men as competitors for
the prize. His administration was signally
a successful one. He urged forward inter-
nal improvements and strove to remove
sectional jealousies. His popularity secured
his re-election. In 1827 he was elected
United States Senator, and upon taking his
seat joined the ranks of the opposition. He
opposed the tariff, voted against the bank
as unconstitutional, opposed all restrictions
upon slavery, resisted all projects of inter-
nal improvements by the General Govern-
ment, avowed his sympathy with Mr. Cal-
houn's views of nullification, and declared
that General Jackson, by his opposition to
the nullifiers, had abandoned the principles
of the Democratic part}'. Such was Mr.
Tyler's record in Congress.

This hostility to Jackson caused Mr.
Tyler's retirement from the Senate, after
his election to a second term. He soon
after removed to Williamsburg for the
better education of his children, and again
took his seat in the Legislature.

JOHN TYLER.

In 1839 he was sent to the National Con-
vention at Harrisburg to nominate a Presi-
dent. General Harrison received a majority
of votes, much to the disappointment of the
South, who had wished for Henry Clay.
In order to conciliate the Southern Whigs,
John Tyler was nominated for Vice-Presi-
dent. Harrison and Tyler were inaugu-
rated March 4, 1841. In one short month
from that time President Harrison died,
and Mr. Tyler, to his own surprise as well
as that of the nation, found himself an
occupant of the Presidential chair. His
position was an exceedingly difficult one,
as he was opposed to the main principles of
the party which had brought him into
power. General Harrison had selected a
Whig cabinet. Should he retain them, and
thus surround himself with councilors
whose views were antagonistic to his own?
or should he turn against the party that
had elected him, and select a cabinet in
harmony with himself? This was his fear-
ful dilemma.

President Tyler deserves more charity
than he has received. He issued an address
to the people, which gave general satisfac-
tion. He retained the cabinet General
Harrison had selected. His veto of a bill
chartering a new national bank led to an
open quarrel with the party which elected
him, and to a resignation of the entire
cabinet, except Daniel Webster, Secretary
of State.

President Tyler attempted to conciliate.
He appointed a new cabinet, leaving out all
strong party men, but the Whig members
of Congress were not satisfied, and they
published a manifesto September 13, break-
ing off all political relations. The Demo-
crats had a majority in the House ; the
Whigs in the Senate. Mr. Webster soon
found it necessary to resign, being forced
out by the pressure of his Whig friends.

April 12, 1844, President Tyler concluded,
through Mr. Calhoun, a treaty for the an-

nexation ot Texas, which was rejected by
the Senate ; but he effected his object in the
closing days of his administration by the
passage of the joint resolution of March 1
1845.

He was nominated for the Presidency by
an informal Democratic Convention, held
at Baltimore in May, 1844, but soon with-
drew from the canvass, perceiving that he
had not gained the confidence of the Demo-
crats at large.

Mr. Tyler's administration was particu-
larly unfortunate. No one was satisfied.
Whigs and Democrats alike assailed him.
Situated as he was, it is more than can
be expected of human nature that he
should, in all cases, have acted in the wisest
manner ; but it will probably be the verdict
of all candid men, in a careful review of his
career, that John Tyler was placed in a
position of such difficulty that he could not
pursue any course which would not expose
him to severe censure and denunciation.

In 18 1 3 Mr. Tyler married Letitia Chris-
tian, who bore him three sons and three
daughters, and died in Washington in 1842.
June 26, 1844, he contracted a second mar-
riage with Miss Julia Gardner, of New
York. He lived in almost complete retire-
ment from politics until February, 1S61,
when he was a member of the abortive
" peace convention," held at Washington,
and was chosen its President. Soon after
he renounced his allegiance to the United
States and was elected to the Confederate
Congress. He died at Richmond, January
17, 1862, after a short illness.

Unfortunately for his memory the name
of John Tyler must forever be associated
with all the misery of that terrible Re-
bellion, whose cause he openly espoused.
It is with sorrow that history records that
a President of the United States died while
defending the flag of rebellion, which was
arrayed against the national banner in
deadly warfare.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

'AMES KNOX POLK,
the eleventh President of
the United States, 1845-
'49, was born in Meck-
lenburg Count} - , North
Carolina, November 2,
1795. He was the eldest
son of a family of six sons
and four daughters, and was
• a grand-nephew of Colonel
Thomas Polk, celebrated in
connection with the Meck-
lenburg Declaration of In-
dependence.

In 1806 his father, Samuel
Polk, emigrated with his fam-
ily two or three hundred miles west to the
valley of the Duck River. He was a sur-
veyor as well as farmer, and gradually in-
creased in wealth until he became one of
the leading men of the region.

In the common schools James rapidly be-
came proficient in all the common branches
of an English education. In 1813 he was
sent to Murfreesboro Academy, and in the
autumn of 181 5 entered the sophomore class
in the University of North Carolina, at
Chapel Hill, graduating in 1818. After a
short season of recreation he went to Nash-
ville and entered the law office of Felix
Grundy. As soon as he had his finished

legal studies and been admitted to the bar,
he returned to Columbia, the shire town of
Maury County, and opened an office.

James K. Polk ever adhered to the polit-
ical faith of his father, which was that of
a Jeffersonian Republican. In 1823 lie was
elected to the Legislature of Tennessee. As
a " strict constructionist," he did not think
that the Constitution empowered the Gen-
eral Government to carry on a system of
internal improvements in the States, but
deemed it important that it should have
that power, and wished the Constitution
amended that it might be conferred. Sub-
sequently, however, he became alarmed lest
the General Government become so strong
as to undertake to interfere with slavery.
He therefore gave all his influence to
strengthen the State governments, and to
check the growth of the central power.

In January, 1824. Mr. Polk married Miss
Mary Childress, of Rutherford County, Ten-
nessee. Had some one then whispered to
him that he was destined to become Presi-
dent of the United States, and that he must
select for his companion one who would
adorn that distinguished station, he could
not have made a more fitting choice. She
was truly a lady of rare beauty and culture.

In the fall of 1825 Mr. Polk was chosen
a member of Congress, and was continu-

<3 / £>— -~_ t-^? 'DCL

rJS±

JAMES K. POLK.

ously re-elected until 1839. He then with-
drew, only that he might accept the
gubernatorial chair of his native State.
He was a warm friend of General Jackson,
who had been defeated in the electoral
contest by John Quincy Adams. This
latter gentleman had just taken his seat in
the Presidential chair when Mr. Polk took
his seat in the House of Representatives.
He immediately united himself with the
opponents of Mr. Adams, and was soon
regarded as the leader of the Jackson party
in the House.

The four years of Mr. Adams' adminis-
tration passed away, and General Jackson
took the Presidential chair. Mr. Polk had
now become a man of great influence in
Congress, and was chairman of its most
important committee — that of Ways and
Means. Eloquently he sustained General
Jackson in all his measures — in his hostility
to internal improvements, to the banks, and
to the tariff. Eight years of General Jack-
son's administration passed away, and the
powers he had wielded passed into the
hands of Martin Van Buren ; and still Mr.
Polk remained in the House, the advocate
of that type of Democracy which those
distinguished men upheld.

During five sessions of Congress Mr.
Polk was speaker of the House. He per-
formed his arduous duties to general satis-
faction, and a unanimous vote of thanks to
him was passed by the House as he with-
drew, March 4, 1839. He was elected
Governor by a large majority, and took
the oath of office at Nashville, October 14,
1839. He was a candidate for re-election
in 1841, but was defeated. In the mean-
time a wonderful revolution had swept
over the country. "W. H. Harrison,the Whig
candidate, had been called to the Presiden-
tial chair, and in Tennessee the Whig ticket
had been carried by over 12,000 majority.
Under these circumstances Mr. Polk's suc-
cess was hopeless. Still he canvassed the

State with his Whig competitor, Mr. Jones,
traveling in the most friendly manner to-
gether, often in the same carriage, and at
one time sleeping in the same bed. Mr.
Jones was elected by 3.000 majority.

And now the question of the annexation
of Texas to our country agitated the whole
land. When this question became national
Mr. Polk, as the avowed champion of an-
nexation, became the Presidential candidate
of the pro-slavery wing of the Democratic
party, and George M. Dallas their candi-
date for the Vice-Presidency. They were
elected by a large majority, and' were in-
augurated March 4, 1845.

President Polk formed an able cabinet,
consisting of James Buchanan, Robert J.
Walker, William L. Marcv, Georare Ban-
croft, Cave Johnson and John Y. Mason.
The Oregon boundary question was settled,
the Department of the Interior was created,
the low tariff ot 1846 was carried, the
financial system of the Government was
reorganized, the Mexican war was con-
ducted, which resulted in the acquisition of
California and New Mexico, and had far-
reaching consequences upon the later fort-
unes of the republic. Peace was made.
We had wrested from Mexico territory
equal to four times the empire of France,
and five times that of Spain. In the prose-
cution of this war we expended 20,000
lives and more than $100,000,000. Of this
money $15,000,000 were paid to Mexico.

Declining to seek a renomination, Mr.
Polk retired from the Presidency March 4,
1849, when he was succeeded by General
Zachary Taylor. He retired to Nashville,
and died there June 19, 1849, m the fifty-
fourth year of his age. His funeral was at-
tended the following day, in Nashville, with
every demonstration of respect. He left
no children. Without being possessed of
extraordinary talent, Mr. Polk was a capable
administrator of public affairs, and irre-
proachable in private life.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

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ACHARY TAY-
LOR, the twelfth
President of the
United States,
iS4Q-'5o, was born
in Orange Count)',
Virginia, Septem-
ber 24, 1784. His father,
Richard Taylor, was Colo-
nel of a Virginia regiment
in the Revolutionary war,
and removed to Kentucky
in 1785 ; purchased a large
plantation near Louisville
and became an influential cit-
izen ; was a member of the convention that
framed the Constitution of Kentucky; served
in both branches of the Legislature ; was
Collector of the port of Louisville under
President Washington ; as a Presidential
elector, voted for Jefferson, Madison, Mon-
roe and Clay; died January 19,1829.

Zachary remained on his father's planta-
tion until 1808, in which year (May 3) he
was appointed First Lieutenant in the
Seventh Infantry, to fill a vacancy oc-
casioned by the death of his elder brother,
Hancock. Up to this point he had received
but a limited education.

Joining his regiment at New Orleans, he

was attacked with yellow fever, with nearly
fatal termination. In November, 1810, he
was promoted to Captain, and in the sum-
mer of 181 2 he was in command of Fort
Harrison, on the left bank of the Wabash
River, near the present site of Terre Haute,
his successful defense of which with but a
handful of men against a large force of
Indians which had attacked him was one of
the first marked military achievements of
the war. He was then brevetted Major,
and in 1814 promoted to the full rank.

During the remainder of the war Taylor
was actively employed on the Western
frontier. In the peace organization of 18 1 5
he was retained as Captain, but soon after
resigned and settled near Louisville. In
May, 1816, however, he re-entered the army
as Major of the Third Infantry ; became
Lieutenant-Colonel of the Eighth Infantry
in 1 8 19, and in 1832 attained the Colonelcy
of the First Infantry, of which he had been
Lieutenant-Colonel since 1821. On different
occasions he had been called to Washington
as member of a military board for organiz-
ing the militia of the Union, and to aid the
Government with his knowledge in the
organization of the Indian Bureau, having
for many years discharged the duties of
Indian agent over large tracts of Western

Ccy-

ZACHAIiT TATLGR.

country. He served through the Black
Hawk war in 1832, and in 1837 was ordered
to take command in Florida, then the scene
of war with the Indians.

In 1846 he was transferred to the com-
mand of the Army of the Southwest, from
which he was relieved the same year at his
own request. Subsequently he was sta-
tioned on the Arkansas frontier at Forts
Gibbon, Smith and Jesup, which latter work
had been built under his direction in 1822.

May 28, 1845, he received a dispatch from
the Secretary of War informing him of the
receipt of information by the President
" that Texas would shortly accede to the
terms of annexation," in which event he
was instructed to defend and protect her
from "foreign invasion and Indian incur-
sions." He proceeded, upon the annexation
of Texas, with about 1,500 men to Corpus
Chnsti, where his force was increased to
some 4,000.

Taylor was brevetted Major-General May
28, and a month later, June 29, 1S46, his full
commission to that grade was issued. After
needed rest and reinforcement, he advanced
in September on Monterey, which city ca-
pitulated after three-days stubborn resist-
ance. Here he took up his winter quarters.
The plan for the invasion of Mexico, by
way of Vera Cruz, with General Scott in
command, was now determined upon by
the Govenrment, and at the moment Taylor
was about to resume active operations, he
received orders to send the larger part of
his force to reinforce the army of General
Scott at Vera Cruz. Though subsequently
reinforced by raw recruits, yet after pro-
viding a garrison for Monterey and Saltillo
he had but about 5,300 effective troops, of
which but 500 or 600 were regulars. In
this weakened condition, however, he was
destined to achieve his greatest victory.
Confidently relying upon his strength at
Vera Cruz to resist the enemy for a long
time, Santa Anna directed his entire army

against Taylor to overwhelm him, and then
to return to oppose the advance of Scott's
more formidable invasion. The battle of
Buena Vista was fought February 22 and
23, 1847. Taylor received the thanks of
Congress and a gold medal, and " Old
Rough and Ready," the sobriquet given.
him in the army, became a household word.
He remained in quiet possession of the
Rio Grande Valley until November, when
he returned to the United States.

In the Whig convention which met at
Philadelphiajune 7, 1848, Taylor was nomi-
nated on the fourth ballot as candidate of
the Whig party for President, over Henry
Clay, General Scott and Daniel Webster.
In November Taylor received a majority
of electoral votes, and a popular vote of
1,360,752, against 1,219,962 for Cass and
Butler, and 291,342 for Van Buren and
Adams. General Taylor was inaugurated
March 4, 1849.

The free and slave States being then equal
in number, the struggle for supremacy on
the part of the leaders in Congress was
violent and bitter. In the summer of 1849
California adopted in convention a Consti-
tution prohibiting slavery within its borders.
Taylor advocated the immediate admission
of California with her Constitution, and the
postponement of the question as to the other
Territories until they could hold conven-
tions and decide for themselves whether
slavery should exist within their borders.
This policy ultimately prevailed through
the celebrated " Compromise Measures" of
Henry Clay ; but not during the life of the
brave soldier and patriot statesman. July
5 he was taken suddenly ill with a bilious
fever, which proved fatal, his death occur-
ring July 9, 1850. One of his daughters
married Colonel W. W. S. Bliss, his Adju-
tant-General and Chief of Staff in Florida
and Mexico, and Private Secretary during
his Presidency. Another daughter was
married to Jefferson Davis.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

ILLARD FILL-
MORE, the thir-
j||a; teenth President
of the United
States, i850-'3, was
born in Summer
Hill, Cayuga
County, New York, Janu-
ary 7, 1800. He was of
New England ancestry, and
his educational advantages
were limited. He early
learned the clothiers' trade,
but spent all his leisure time
in study. At nineteen years
of age he was induced by
Judge Walter Wood to abandon his trade
and commence the study of law. Upon
learning that the young man was entirely
destitute of means, he took him into his
own office and loaned him such money as
he needed. That he might not be heavilv
burdened with debt, young Fillmore taught
school during the winter months, and in
various other ways helped himself along.
At the age of twenty-three he was ad-
mitted to the Court of Common Pleas, and
commenced the practice of his profession
in the village of Aurora, situated on the

eastern bank of the Cayuga Lake. In 1825
he married Miss Abigail Powers, daughter
of Rev. Lemuel Powers, a lady of great
moral worth. In 1825 he took his seat in
the House of Assembly of his native State,
as Representative from Erie County,
whither he had recently moved.

Though he had never taken a very
active part in politics his vote and his sym-
pathies were with the Whig party. The
State was then Democratic, but his cour-
tesy, ability and integrity won the respect
of his associates. In 1832 he was elected
to a seat in the United States Congress.
At the close of his term he returned to his
law practice, and in two years more he was
again elected to Congress.

He now began to have a national reputa-
tion. His labors were very arduous. To
draft resolutions in the committee room,
and then to defend them against the most
skillful opponents on the floor of the House
requires readiness of mind, mental resources
and skill in debate such as few possess.
Weary with these exhausting labors, and
pressed by the claims of his private affairs,
Mr. Fillmore wrote a letter to his constitu-
ents and declined to be a candidate for re-
election. Notwithstanding this cemmuni-

MILLARD FILLMORE.

cation his friends met in convention and
renominated him by acclamation. Though
gratified by this proof of their appreciation
of his labors he adhered to his resolve and
returned to his home.

In 1847 Mr. Fillmore was elected to the
important office of comptroller of the State.
In entering upon the very responsible duties
which this situation demanded, it was nec-
essary for him to abandon his profession,
and he removed to the city of Albany. In
this year, also, the Whigs were looking
around to find suitable candidates for the
President and Vice-President at the ap-
proaching election, and the names of Zach-
ary Taylor and Millard Fillmore became
the rallying cry of the Whigs. On the 4th
of March, 1849, General Taylor was inaug-
urated President and Millard Fillmore
Vice-President of the United States.

The great question of slavery had as-
sumed enormous proportions, and perme-
ated every subject that was brought before
Congress. It was evident that the strength
of our institutions was to be severely tried.
July 9, 1850, President Taylor died, and, by
the Constitution, Vice-President Fillmore
became President of the United States.
The agitated condition of the country
brought questions of great delicacy before
him. He was bound by his oath of office
to execute the laws of the United States.
One of these laws was understood to be,
that if a slave, escaping from bondage,
should reach a free State, the United States
was bound to do its utmost to capture him
and return him to his master. Most Chris-
tian men loathed this law. President Fill-
more felt bound by his oath rigidly to see
it enforced. Slavery was organizing armies
to invade Cuba as it had invaded Texas,
and annex it to the United States. Presi-
dent Fillmore gave all the influence of his
exalted station against the atrocious enter-
prise.

Mr. Fillmore had serious difficulties to

contend with, since the opposition had a
majority in both Houses. He did every-
thing in his power to conciliate the South,
but the pro-slavery party in that section
felt the inadequency of all measures of tran-
sient conciliation. The population of the
free States was so rapidly increasing over
that of the slave States, that it was inevita-
ble that the power of the Government
should soon pass into the hands of the free
States. The famous compromise measures
were adopted under Mr. Fillmore's admin-
istration, and the Japan expedition was
sent out.

March 4, 1853, having served one term,
President Fillmore retired from office. He
then took a long tour through the South,
where he met with quite an enthusiastic
reception. In a speech at Vicksburg, al-
luding to the rapid growth of the country,
he said:

" Canada is knocking for admission, and
Mexico would be glad to come in, and
without saying whether it would be right
or wrong, we stand with open arms to re-
ceive them; for it is the manifest destiny of
this Government to embrace the whole
North American Continent."

In 1855 Mr. Fillmore went to Europe
where he was received with those marked
attentions which his position and character
merited. Returning to this country in
1856 he was nominated for the Presidency
by the "Know-Nothing" party. Mr. Bu-
chanan, the Democratic candidate was
the successful competitor. Mr. Fillmore
ever afterward lived in retirement. Dur-
ing the conflict of civil war he was mostly
silent. It was generally supposed, how-
ever, that his sympathy was with the South-
ern Confederacy. He kept aloof from the
conflict without any words of cheer to the
one party or the other. For this reason
he was forgotten by both. He died of
paralysis, in Buffalo, New York, March 8,
1874.

7 6

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

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*ANKLIN PIERCE,
the fourteenth Presi-
dent of the United
States, was born in
Hillsborough, New-
Hampshire, Novem-
ber 23, 1804. His
father, Governor
Benjamin Pierce, was a Rev-
olutionary soldier, a man of
rigid integrity ; was for sev-
eral vears in the State Legis-
lature, a member of the Gov-
ernor's council and a General
of the militia.
Franklin was the sixth of eight children.
As a boy he listened eagerly to the argu-
ments of his father, enforced by strong and
ready utterance and earnest gesture. It
was in the days of intense political excite-
ment, when, all over the New England
States, Federalists and Democrats were ar-
rayed so fiercely against each other.

In 1820 he entered Bowdoin College, at
Brunswick, Maine, and graduated in 1824,
and commenced the study of law in the
office of Judge Woodbury, a very distin-
guished lawyer, and in 1827 was admitted
to the bar. He practiced with great success
in Hillsborough and Concord. He served

in the State Legislature four years, the last
two of which he was chosen Speaker of the
House by a very large vote.

In 1833 he was elected a member of Con-
gress. In 1837 he was elected to the United
States Senate, just as Mr. Van Buren com-
menced his administration.

In 1834 he married Miss Jane Means
Appleton, a lady admirably fitted to adorn
every station with which her husband was
honored. Three sons born to them all
found an early grave.

Upon his accession to office, President
Polk appointed Mr. Pierce Attorney-Gen-
eral of the United States, but the offer was
declined in consequence of numerous pro-
fessional engagements at home and the
precarious state of Mrs. Pierce's health.
About the same time he also declined the
nomination for Governor by the Demo-
cratic party.

The war with Mexico called Mr. Pierce
into the army. Receiving the appointment
of Brigadier-General, he embarked with a
portion of his troops at Newport, Rhode
Island, May 27, 1847. He served during
this war, and distinguished himself bv his
bravery, skill and excellent judgment.
When he reached his home in his native
State he was enthusiastically received by

FRANKLIN PIERCE.

the advocates of the war, and coldly by its
opponents. He resumed the practice of His
profession, frequently taking an active part
in political questions, and giving his sup-
port to the pro-slavery wing of the Demo-
cratic party.

June 12, 1852, the Democratic convention
met in Baltimore to nominate a candidate
for the Presidency. For four days they
continued in session, and in thirty-five bal-
lotings no one had received the requisite
two-thirds vote. Not a vote had been
thrown thus far for General Pierce. Then
the Virginia delegation brought forward
his name. There were fourteen more bal-
lotings, during which General Pierce
gained strength, until, at the forty-ninth
ballot, he received 282 votes, and all other
candidates eleven. General Winfield Scott
was the Whig candidate. General Pierce
was elected with great unanimity. Only
four States — Vermont, Massachusetts, Ken-
tucky and Tennessee — cast their electoral
votes against him. March 4, 1853, he was
inaugurated President of the United States,
and William R. King, Vice-President.

President Pierce's cabinet consisted of
William S. Marcy, James Guthrie, Jefferson
Davis, James C. Dobbin, Robert McClel-
land, James Campbell and Caleb dishing.

At the demand of slavery the Missouri
Compromise was repealed, and all the Ter-
ritories of the Union were thrown open to
slaver) 7 . The Territory of Kansas, west of
Missouri, was settled by emigrants mainly
from the North. According to law, they
were about to meet and decide whether
slavery or freedom should be the law of
that realm. Slavery in Missouri and
other Southern States rallied her armed
legions, inarched them into Kansas, took
possession of the polls, drove away the
citizens, deposited their own votes by
handfuls, went through the farce of count-
ing them, and then declared that, by an
overwhelming majority, slavery was estab-

lished in Kansas. These facts nobody
denied, and yet President Pierce's adminis-
tration felt bound to respect the decision
obtained by such votes. The citizens of
Kansas, the majority of whom were free-
State men, met in convention and adopted
the following resolve :

"Resolved, That the body of men who,
for the past two months, have been passing
laws for the people of our Territory,
moved, counseled and dictated to by the
demagogues of other States, are to us a
foreign body, representing only the lawless
invaders who elected them, and not the
people of this Territory ; that we repudiate
their action as the monstrous consummation
of an act of violence, usurpation and fraud
unparalleled in the history of the Union."

The free-State people of Kansas also sent
a petition to the General Government, im-
ploring its protection, hi reply the Presi-
dent issued a proclamation, declaring that
Legislature thus created must be recog-
nized as the legitimate Legislature of Kan-
sas, and that its laws were binding upon
the people, and that, if necessary, the whole
force of the Governmental arm would be
put forth to inforce those laws.

James Buchanan succeeded him in the
Presidency, and, March 4, 1857, President
Pierce retired to his home in Concord,
New Hampshire. When the Rebellion
burst forth Mr. Pierce remained steadfast
to the principles he had always cherished,
and gave his sympathies to the pro-slavery
party, with which he had ever been allied.
He declined to do anything, either by
voice or pen, to strengthen the hands of
the National Government. He resided in
Concord until his death, which occurred in
October, 1869. He was one of the most
genial and social of men, generous to
a fault, and contributed liberally of his
moderate means for the alleviation of suf-
fering and want. He was an honored
communicant of the Episcopal church.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

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'AMES BUCHANAN, the
fifteenth President of the
United States, 1857— '61,
was born in Franklin
County, Pennsylvania,
A p r i 1 23, 1 791. The
place where his father's
cabin stood was called
Stony Batter, and it was
situated in a wild, romantic
spot, in a gorge of mount-
ains, with towering sum-
mits rising all around. He
was of Irish ancestry, his
father having emigrated in-
1783, with very little prop-
erty, save his own strong arms.

James remained in his secluded home for
eight years enjoying very few social or
intellectual advantages. His parents were
industrious, frugal, prosperous and intelli-
gent. In 1799 his father removed to Mer-
cersburg, where James was placed in
school and commenced a course in English,
Greek and Latin. His progress was rapid
and in 1801 he entered Dickinson College
at Carlisle. Here he took his stand among
the first scholars in the institution, and was
able to master the most abstruse subjects
with facility. In 1809 he graduated with
the highest honors in his class.

He was then eighteen years of age, tall,

graceful and in vigorous health, fond of
athletic sports, an unerring shot and en-
livened with an exuberant flow of animal
spirits. He immediately commenced the
study of law in the city of Lancaster, and
was admitted to the bar in 1812. He rose
very rapidly in his profession and at once
took undisputed stand with the ablest law-
yers of the State. When but twenty-six
years of age, unaided by counsel, he suc-
cessfully defended before the State Senate
one 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 who had
a more extensive or lucrative practice.

In 1S12, just after Mr. Buchanan had
entered upon the practice of the law, our
second war with England occurred. With
all his powers he sustained the Govern-
ment, eloquently urging the rigorous pros-
ecution of the war; and even cnlisHng as, a
private soldier to assist in repelling the
British, who had sacked Washington and
were threatening Baltimore. He was at
that time a Federalist, but when the Con-
stitution was adopted by both parties,
Jefferson truly said, " We are all Federal-
ists: we are all Republicans."

The opposition of the Federalists to the
war with England, and the alien and sedi-

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yAMES BUCHANAX.

tion laws of John Adams, brought the party
into dispute, and the name of Federalist
became a reproach. Mr. Buchanan almost
immediately upon entering Congress began
to incline more and more to the Repub-
licans. In the stormy Presidential election
of 1824, in which Jackson, Clay, Crawford
and John Ouincy Adams were candidates,
Mr. Buchanan espoused the cause of Gen-
eral Jackson and unrelentingly opposed the
administration of Mr. Adams.

Upon his elevation to the Presidency,
General Jackson appointed Mr. Buchanan,
minister to Russia. 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 measures proposed by Presi-
dent Jackson of making reprisals against
France, and defended the course of the Pres-
ident in his unprecedented and wholesale
removals from office of those who were not
the supporters of his administration. Upon
this question he was brought into direct col-
lision with Henry Clay. In the discussion
of the question respecting the admission of
Michigan and Arkansas into the Union, Mr.
Buchanan defined his position by saying:

" The older I grow, the more I am in-
clined to be what is called a State-rights
man."

M. de Tocqueville, in his renowned work
upon " Democracy in America," foresaw
the trouble which was inevitable from the
doctrine of State sovereignty as held by
Calhoun and Buchanan. He was con-
vinced that the National Government was
losing that strength which was essential
to its own existence, and that the States
were assuming powers which threatened
the perpetuity of the Union. Mr. Buchanan
received the book in the Senate and de-
clared the fears of De Tocqueville to be
groundless, and yet he lived to sit in the
Presidential chair and see State after State,
in accordance with his own views of State

rights, breaking from the Union, thus
crumbling our Republic into ruins; while
the unhappy old man folded his arms in
despair, declaring that the National Consti-
tution invested him with no power to arrest
the destruction.

Upon Mr. Polk's accession to the Presi-
dency, Mr. Buchanan became Secretary of
State, and as such took his share of the
responsibility in the conduct of the Mexi-
can war. At the close of Mr. Polk's ad-
ministration, Mr. Buchanan retired to pri-
vate life; but his intelligence, and his great
ability as a statesman, enabled him to exert
a powerful influence in National affairs.

Mr. Pierce, upon his election to the
Presidency, honored Mr. Buchanan with
the mission to England. In the year 1856
the National Democratic convention nomi-
nated Mr. Buchanan for the Presidency.
The political conflict was one of the most
severe in which our country has ever en-
gaged. On the 4th of March, 1857, Mr.
Buchanan was inaugurated President. His
cabinet were Lewis Cass, Howell Cobb,
J. B. Floyd, Isaac Toucey, Jacob Thomp-
son, A. V. Brown and J. S. Black.

The disruption of the Democratic party,
in consequence of the manner in which the
issue of the nationality of slavery was
pressed by the Southern wing, occurred a.t
the National convention, held at Charleston
in April, i860, for the nomination of Mr.
Buchanan's successor, when the majority
of Southern delegates withdrew upon the
passage of a resolution declaring that the
constitutional status of slavery should be
determined by the Supreme Court.

In the next Presidential canvass Abra-
ham Lincoln was nominated by the oppo-
nents of Mr. Buchanan's administration.
Mr. Buchanan remained in Washington
long enough to see his successor installed
and then retired to his home in Wheatland.
He died June 1, 1868, aged seventy-seven
years.

« 4

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

BRAHAM LIN-
COLN, the sixteenth
P r es i d e n t o f the
United States, i86i-'5,
was born February
12, 1809, in Larue
(then Hardin) Count)',
;kv, in a cabin on Nolan
three miles west of
isville. His parents
Thomas a n d Nancy
Lincoln. Of his an-
and early years the little
known may best be
given in his own language : " My
parents were both born in Virginia, of un-
distinguished families — second families, per-
haps I should say. My mother, who died
ill my tenth year, was of a family of the
name of Hanks, some of whom now remain
in Adams, and others in Macon County,
Illinois. My paterna' grandfather, Abra-
ham Lincoln, emigrated from Rockbridge
County, Virginia, to Kentucky in 1781 or
1782, where, a year or two later, he was
killed by Indians — not in battle, but by
stealth, when he was laboring to open a
farm in the forest. His ancestors, who were
Quakers, went to Virginia from Berks
County, Pennsylvania. An effort to iden-

tify them with the New England family of
the same name ended in nothing more defi-
nite than a similarity of Christian names in
both families, such as Enoch, Levi, Mor-
decai, Solomon, Abraham and the like.
My father, at the death of his father, was
but six years of age, and he grew up, liter-
all}', without education. He removed from
Kentucky to what is now Spencer County,
Indiana, in my eighth year. We reached
our new home about the time the State came
into the Union. It was a wild region, with
bears and other wild animals still in the
woods. There I grew to manhood.

" There were some schools, so called, but
no qualification was ever required of a
teacher beyond ' readin', writin', and cipher-
in' to the rule of three.' If a straggler, sup-
posed to understand Latin, happened to-
sojourn in the neighborhood, he was looked
upon as a wizard. There was absolutely
nothing to excite ambition for education.
Of course, when I came of age I did not
know much. Still, somehow, I could read,
write and cipher to the rule of three, and
that was all. I have not been to school
since. The little advance I now have upon
this store of education 1 have picked up
from time to time under the pressure of
necessity. I was raised to farm-work, which

eL _^V^3Z«--->-i_-c c :

r-fcLs

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

I continued till I was twenty-two. At
twenty-one I came to Illinois and passed
the first year in Macon County. Then I got
to New Salem, at that time in Sangamon,
now in Menard County, where I remained
a year as a sort of clerk in a store.

" Then came the Black Hawk war, and I
was elected a Captain of volunteers — a suc-
cess which gave me more pleasure than any
I have had since. I went the campaign,
was elated ; ran for the Legislature the
same year (1832) and was beaten, the only
time I have ever been beaten by the people.
The next and three succeeding biennial
elections I was elected to the Legislature,
and was never a candidate afterward.

" During this legislative period I had
studied law, and removed to Springfield to
practice it. In 1846 I was elected to the
Lower House of Congress ; was not a can-
didate for re-election. From 1849 t° 1854,
inclusive, I practiced the law more assid-
uously than ever before. Always a Whig
in politics, and generally on the Whig elec-
toral tickets, making active canvasses, I was
losing interest in politics, when the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise roused me
again. What I have done since is pretty
well known."

The early residence of Lincoln in Indi-
ana was sixteen miles north of the Ohio
River, on Little Pigeon Creek, one and a
half miles east of Gentryville, within the
present township of Carter. Here his
mother died October 5, 1818, and the next
year his father married Mrs. Sally (Bush)
Johnston, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. She
was an affectionate foster-parent, to whom
Abraham was indebted for his first encour-
agement to study. He became an eager
reader, and the few books owned in the
vicinity were many times perused. He
worked frequently for the neighbors as a
farm laborer ; was for some time clerk in a
store at Gentryville ; and became famous
throughout that region for his athletic

powers, his fondness for argument, his in-
exhaustible fund of humerous anecdote, as
well as for mock oratory and the composi-
tion of rude satirical verses. In 1828 he
made a trading voyage to New Orleans as
" bow-hand " on a flatboat ; removed to
Illinois in 1830; helped his father build a
log house and clear a farm on the north
fork of Sangamon River, ten miles west of
Decatur, and was for some time employed
in splitting rails for the fences — a fact which
was prominently brought forward for a
political purpose thirty years later.

In the spring of 1851 he, with two of his
relatives, was hired to build a flatboat on
the Sangamon River and navigate it to
New Orleans. The boat "stuck" on a
mill-dam, and was got off with great labor
through an ingenious mechanical device
which some years later led to Lincoln's
taking out a patent for "an improved
method for lifting vessels over shoals."
This voyage was memorable for another
reason — -the sight of slaves chained, mal-
treated and flogged at New Orleans was
the origin of his deep convictions upon the
slavery question.

Returning from this voyage he became a
resident for several years at New Salem, a
recently settled village on the Sangamon,
where he was successively a clerk, grocer,
surveyor and postmaster, and acted as pilot
to the first steamboat that ascended the
Sangamon. Here he studied law, inter-
ested himself in local politics after his
return from the Black Hawk war, and
became known as an effective "stump-
speaker." The subject of his first political
speech was the improvement of the channel
of the Sangamon, and the chief ground on
which he announced himself (1832) a candi-
date for the Legislature was his advocacy
of this popular measure, on which subject
his practical experience made him the high-
est authority.

Elected to the Legislature in 1834 as a

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

" Henry Clay Whig," he rapidly acquired
that command of language and that homely
but forcible rhetoric which, added to his
intimate knowledge of the people from
which he sprang, made him more than a
match in debate for his few well-educated
opponents.

Admitted to the bar in 1837 he soon
established himself at Springfield, where
the State capital was located in 1839,
largely through his influence; became a
successful pleader in the State, Circuit and
District Courts ; married in 1842 a lady be-
longing to a prominent family in Lexington,
Kentucky ; took an active part in the Pres-
idential campaigns of 1840 and 1844 as
candidate for elector on the Harrison and
Clay tickets, and in 1846 was elected to the
United States House of Representatives
over the celebrated Peter Cartwright.
During his single term in Congress he did
not attain any prominence.

He voted for the reception of anti-slavery
petitions for the abolition of the slave trade
in the District of Columbia and for the
Wilmot proviso; but was chiefly remem-
bered for the stand he took against the
Mexican war. For several years there-
after he took comparatively little interest
in politics, but gained a leading position at
the Springfield bar. Two or three non-
political lectures and an eulogy on Henry
Clay (1852) added nothing to his reputation.

In 1854 the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise by the Kansas-Nebraska act
aroused Lincoln from his indifference, and
in attacking that measure he had the im-
mense advantage of knowing perfectly well
the motives and the record of its author,
Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois, then popu-
larly designated as the " Little Giant." The
latter came to Springfield in October, 1854,
on the occasion of the State Fair, to vindi-
cate his policy in the Senate, and the " Anti-
Nebraska" Whigs, remembering that Lin-
coln had often measured his strength with

Douglas in the Illinois Legislature and be-
fore the Springfield Courts, engaged him
to improvise a reply. This speech, in the
opinion of those who heard it, was one of
the greatest efforts of Lincoln's life ; cer-
tainly the most effective in his whole career.
It took the audience by storm, and from
that moment it was felt that Douglas had
met his match. Lincoln was accordingly
selected as the Anti-Nebraska candidate for
the United States Senate in place of General
Shields, whose term expired March 4, 1855,
and led to several ballots ; but Trumbull
was ultimately chosen.

The second conflict on the soil of Kan-
sas, which Lincoln had predicted, soon be-
gan. The result was the disruption of the
Whig and the formation of the Republican
party. At the Bloomington State Conven-
tion in 1856, where the new part)' first
assumed form in Illinois, Lincoln made an
impressive address, in which for the first
time he took distinctive ground against
slavery in itself.

At the National Republican Convention
at Philadelphia, June 17, after the nomi-
nation of Fremont, Lincoln was put for-
ward by the Illinois delegation for the
Vice-Presidency, and received on the first
ballot no votes against 259 for William L
Dayton. He took a prominent part in the
canvass, being on the electoral ticket.

In 1858 Lincoln was unanimously nomi-
nated by the Republican State Convention
as its candidate for the United States Senate
in place of Douglas, and in his speech of
acceptance used the celebrated illustration
of a "house divided against itself" on the
slavery question, which was, perhaps, the
cause of his defeat. The great debate car-
ried on at all the principal towns of Illinois
between Lincoln and Douglas as rival Sena-
torial candidates resulted at the time in the
election of the latter ; but being widely cir-
culated as a campaign document, it fixed
the attention of the country upon the

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

former, as the clearest and most convinc-
ing exponent of Republican doctrine.

Early in 1859 he began to be named in
Illinois as a suitable Republican candidate
for the Presidential campaign of the ensu-
ing year, and a political address delivered
at the Cooper Institute, New York, Febru-
ary 27, i860, followed by similar speeches
at New Haven, Hartford and elsewhere in
New England, first made him known to the
Eastern States in the light by which he had
long been regarded at home. By the Re-
publican State Convention, which met at
Decatur, Illinois, May 9 and 10, Lincoln
was unanimously endorsed for the Presi-
dency. It was on this occasion that two
rails, said to have been split by his hands
thirty years before, were brought into the
convention, and the incident contributed
much to his popularity. The National
Republican Convention at Chicago, after
spirited efforts made in favor of Seward,
Chase and Bates, nominated Lincoln for
the Presidency, with Hannibal Hamlin
for Vice-President, at the same time adopt-
ing a vigorous anti-slavery platform.

The Democratic part)' having been dis-
organized and presenting two candidates,
Douglas and Breckenridge, and the rem-
nant of the " American" party having put
forward John Bell, of Tennessee, the Re-
publican victory was an easy one, Lincoln
being elected November 6 by a large plu-
rality, comprehending nearly all the North-
ern States, but none of the Southern. The
secession of South Carolina and the Gulf
States was the immediate result, followed
a few months later by that of the border
slave States and the outbreak of the great
civil war.

The life of Abraham Lincoln became
thenceforth merged in the history of his
country. None of the details of the vast
conflict which filled the remainder of Lin-
coln's life can here be given. Narrowly
escaping assassination by avoiding Balti-

more on his way to the capital, he reached
Washington February 23, and was inaugu-
rated President of the United States March
4, 1861.

In his inaugural address he said: " I hold,
that in contemplation of universal law and
the Constitution the Union of these States is
perpetual. Perpetuity is implied if not ex-
pressed in the fundamental laws of all na-
tional governments. It is safe to assert
that no government proper ever had a pro-
vision in its organic law for its own termi-
nation. I therefore consider that in view
of the Constitution and the laws, the Union
is unbroken, and to the extent of my ability
I shall take care, as the Constitution en-
joins upon me, that the laws of the United
States be extended in all the States. In
doing this there need be no bloodshed or vio-
lence, and there shall be none unless it be
forced upon the national authority. The
power conferred to me will be used to hold,
occupy and possess the property and places
belonging to the Government, and to col-
lect the duties and imports, but beyond
what may be necessary for these objects
there will be no invasion, no using of force
against or among the people anywhere. In
your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-country-
men, is the momentous issue of civil war.
The Government will not assail you. You
can have no conflict without being your-
selves the aggressors. You have no oath
registered in heaven to destroy the Gov-
ernment, while I shall have the most sol-
emn one to preserve, protect and defend
it."

He called to his cabinet his principal
rivals for the Presidential nomination —
Seward, Chase, Cameron and Bates; se-
cured the co-operation of the Union Demo-
crats, headed by Douglas; called out 75,000
militia from the several States upon the first
tidings of the bombardment of Fort Sumter,
April 15; proclaimed a blockade of the
Southern posts April 19; called an extra

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

session of Congress for July 4, from which
he asked and obtained 400,000 men and
$400,000,000 for the war; placed McClellan
at the. head of the Federal army on General
Scott's resignation, October 31; appointed
Edwin M. Stanton Secretary of War, Jan-
uary 14, 1862, and September 22, 1862,
issued a proclamation declaring the free-
dom of all slaves in the States and parts of
States then in rebellion from and after
January I, 1863. This was the crowning
act of Lincoln's career — the act by which
he will be chiefly known through all future
time — and it decided the war.

October 16, 1863, President Lincoln called
for 300,000 volunteers to replace those
whose term of enlistment had expired ;
made a celebrated and touching, though
brief, address at the dedication of the
Gettysburg military cemetery, November
19, 1863; commissioned Ulysses S. Grant
Lieutenant-General and Commander-in-
Chief of the armies of the United States,
March 9,. 1864; was re-elected President in
November of the same year, by a large
majority over General McClellan, with
Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, as Vice-
President; delivered a very remarkable ad-
dress at his second inauguration, March 4,
1865; visited the army before Richmond the
same month; entered the capital of the Con-
federacy the day after its fall, and upon the
surrender of General Robert E. Lee's army,
April 9, was actively engaged in devising
generous plans for the reconstruction of the
Union, when, on the evening of Good Fri-
day, April 14, he was shot in his box at
Ford's Theatre, Washington, byJohnWilkes
Booth, a fanatical actor, and expired early
on the following morning, April 15. Al-
most simultaneously a murderous attack
was made upon William H. Seward, Secre-
tary of State.

At noon on the 15th of April Andrew

Johnson assumed the Presidency, and active
measures were taken which resulted in the
death of Booth and the execution of his
principal accomplices.

The funeral of President Lincoln was
conducted with unexampled solemnity and
magnificence. Impressive services were
held in Washington, after which the sad
procession proceeded over the same route
he had traveled four years before, from
Springfield to Washington. In Philadel-
phia his body la)' in state in Independence
Hall, in which he had declared before his
first inauguration " that I would sooner be
assassinated than to give up the principles
of the Declaration of Independence." He
was buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery, near
Springfield, Illinois, on May 4, where a
monument emblematic of the emancipation
of the slaves and the restoration of the
Union mark his resting place.

The leaders and citizens of the expiring
Confederacy expressed genuine indignation
at the murder of a generous political adver-
sarv. Foreign nations took part in mourn-
ing the death of a statesman who had proved
himself a true representative of American
nationality. The freedmen of the South
almost worshiped the memory of their de-
liverer ; and the general sentiment of the
great Nation he had saved awarded him a
place in its affections, second only to that
held by Washington.

The characteristics of Abraham Lincoln
have been familiarly known throughout the
civilized world. His tall, gaunt, ungainly
figure, homely countenance, and his shrewd
mother-wit, shown in his celebrated con-
versations overflowing in humorous and
pointed anecdote, combined with an accu-
rate, intuitive appreciation of the questions
of the time, are recognized as forming the
best type of a period of American history
now rapidly passing away.

THE

TILD-

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ANDREW JOHNSON.

KjgHE iicSgpgjEaaasjagaaH E

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NDREWJOHNSON,
the seventeenth Presi-
dent of the United
States, 1865— '9, w a s
born at Raleigh,
North Carolina, Dc-
cember 29, 1808.
His father died when
he was four years old, and in
his eleventh year he was ap-
prenticed to a tailor. He nev-
er attended school, and did
not learn to read until late in
his apprenticeship, when he
suddenly acquired a passion for
obtaining knowledge, and devoted
all his spare time to reading.

After working two years as a journey-
man tailor at Lauren's Court-House, South
Carolina, he removed, in 1826, to Green-
ville, Tennessee, where he worked at his
trade and married. Under his wife's in-
structions he made rapid progress in his
education, and manifested such an intelli-
gent interest in local politics as to be
elected as " workingmen's candidate " al-
derman, in 1828, and mayor in 1830, being
twice re-elected to each office.

During this period he cultivated his tal-
ents as a public speaker by taking part in a

debating society, consisting largely of stu-
dents of Greenville College. In 1835, and
again in 1839, ne was chosen to the lower
house of the Legislature, as a Democrat.
In 1 84 1 he was elected State Senator, and
in 1843, Representative in Congress, being
re-elected four successive periods, until
1853, when he was chosen Governor of
Tennessee. In Congress he supported the
administrations of Tyler and Polk in their
chief measures, especially the annexation
of Texas, the adjustment of the Oregon
boundary, the Mexican war, and the tariff
of 1846.

In 1855 Mr. Johnson was re-elected Gov-
ernor, and in 1857 entered the United
States Senate, where he was conspicuous
as an advocate of retrenchment and of the
Homestead bill, and as an opponent of the
Pacific Railroad. He was supported by the
Tennessee delegation to the Democratic
convention in i860 for the Presidential
nomination, and lent his influence to the
Breckenridge wing of that party.

When the election of Lincoln had
brought about the first attempt at secession
in December, i860, Johnson took in the
Senate a firm attitude for the Union, and
in Ma)', 1861, on returning to Tennessee,
he was in imminent peril of suffering from

PRESIDENTS OF THE UN I TED STATES.

popular violence for his loyalty to the " old
flag." He was the leader of the Loyalists'
convention of East Tennessee, and during
the following winter was very active in or-
ganizing relief for the destitute loyal refu-
gees from that region, his own family being
among those compelled to leave.

By his course in this crisis Johnson came
prominently before the Northern public,
and when in March, 1862, he was appointed
by President Lincoln military Governor of
Tennessee, with the rank of Brigadier-Gen-
eral, he increased in popularity by the vig-
orous and successful manner in which he
labored to restore order, protect Union
men and punish marauders. On the ap-
proach of the Presidential campaign of 1864,
the termination of the war being plainly
foreseen, and several Southern States being
partially reconstructed, it was felt that the
Vice-Presidency should be given to a South-
ern man of conspicuous loyalty, and Gov-
ernor Johnson was elected on the same
platform and ticket as President Lincoln;
and on the assassination of the latter suc-
ceeded to the Presidency, April 15, 1865.
In a public 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 Gov-
ernment will not always bear with its ene-
mies; that it is strong, not only to protect,
but to punish. In our peaceful history
treason has been almost unknown. The
people must understand that it is the black-
est of crimes, and will be punished." He
then added the ominous sentence: " In re-
gard to my future course, I make no prom-
ises, no pledges." President Johnson re-
tained the cabinet of Lincoln, and exhibited
considerable severity toward traitors in his
earlier acts and speeches, but he soon inaug-
urated a policy of reconstruction, proclaim-
ing a general amnesty to the late Confeder-
ates, and successively establishing provis-
ional Governments in the Southern States.

These States accordingly claimed represen-
tation in Congress in the following Decem-
ber, and the momentous question of what
should be the policy of the victorious Union
toward its late armed opponents was forced
upon that body.

Two considerations impelled the Repub-
lican majority to reject the policy of Presi.
dent Johnson: First, an apprehension that
the chief magistrate intended to undo the re-
sults of the war in regard to slavery ; and, sec-
ond, the sullen attitude of the South, which
seemed to be plotting to regain the policy
which arms had lost. The credentials of the
Southern members elect were laid on the
table, a civil rights bill and a bill extending
the sphere of the Freedmen's Bureau were
passed over the executive veto, and the two
highest branches of the Government were
soon in open antagonism. The action of
Congress was characterized by the Presi-
dent as a " new rebellion." In July the
cabinet was reconstructed, Messrs. Randall,
Stanbury and Browning taking the places
of Messrs. Denison, Speed and Harlan, and
an unsuccessful attempt was made by
means of a general convention in Philadel-
phia to form a new party on the basis of the
administration policy.

In an excursion to Chicago for the pur-
pose of laying a corner-stone of the mdnu-
■ ment to Stephen A. Douglas, President
Johnson, accompanied by several members
of the cabinet, passed through Philadelphia.
New York and Albany, in each of which
cities, and in other places along the route,
he made speeches justifying and explaining
his own policy, and violently denouncing
the action of Congress.

August 12. 1867, President Johnson re-
moved the Secretary of War, replacing
him by General Grant. Secretary Stanton
retired under protest, based upon the ten-
ure-of-office act which had been passed the
preceding March. The President then is-
sued a proclamation declaring the insurrec-

A NDRE W JOHNSON.

tion at an end, and that " peace, order, tran-
quility and civil authority existed in and
throughout the United States." Another
proclamation enjoined obedience to the
Constitution and the laws, and an amnesty
was published September 7, relieving nearly
all the participants in the late Rebellion
from the disabilities thereby incurred, on
condition of taking the oath to support the
Constitution and the laws.

In December Congress refused to confirm
the removal of Secretary Stanton, who
thereupon resumed the exercise of his of-
fice; but February 21, 1868, President
Johnson again attempted to remove him,
appointing General Lorenzo Thomas in his
place. Stanton refused to vacate his post,
and was sustained by the Senate.

February 24 the House of Representa-
tives voted to impeach the President for
" high crime and misdemeanors," and March
5 presented eleven articles of impeachment
on the ground of his resistance to the exe-
cution of the acts of Congress, alleging, in
addition to the offense lately committed,
his public expressions of contempt for Con-
gress, in " certain intemperate, inflamma-
tory and scandalous harangues" pronounced
in August and September, 1866, and there-
after declaring that the Thirty-ninth Con-
gress of the United States was not a
competent legislative body, and denying
its power to propose Constitutional amend-
ments. March 23 the impeachment trial
began, the President appearing by counsel,
and resulted in acquittal, the vote lacking

one of the two-thirds vote required for
conviction.

The remainder of President Johnson's
term of office was passed without any such
conflicts as might have been anticipated.
He failed to obtain a nomination for re-
election by the Democratic party, though
receiving sixty-five votes on the first ballot.
July 4 and December 25 new proclamations
of pardon to the participants in the late
Rebellion were issuer 1 , but were of little
effect. On the accession of General Grant
to the Presidency, March 4, 1869, Johnson
returned to Greenville, Tennessee. Unsuc-
cessful in 1870 and 1872 as a candidate re-
spectively for United States Senator and
Representative, he was finally elected to the
Senate in 1875, and took his seat in the extra
session of March, in which his speeches
were comparatively temperate. He died
July 31, 1875, and was buried at Green-
ville.

President Johnson's administration was a
peculiarly unfortunate one. That he should
so soon become involved in bitter feud with
the Republican majority in Congress was
certainly a surprising and deplorable inci-
dent; yet, in reviewing the circumstances
after a lapse of so many years, it is easy to
find ample room for a charitable judgment
of both the parties in the heated contro-
versy, since it cannot be doubted that any
President, even Lincoln himself, had he
lived, must have sacrificed a large portion
of his popularity in carrying out any pos-
sible scheme of reconstruction.

tf>

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

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m^ssmmmssmsm

LYSSES SIMPSON
GRANT, the eight-
eenth President of the
United States, 1869-'/;,
was born April 27, 1822,
at Point Pleasant,
^ Clermont County,
Ohio. His lather was of Scotch
descent, and a dealer in leather.
At the age of seventeen he en-
tered the Military Academy at
West Point, and four years later
graduated twenty-first in a class
(il thirty-nine, receiving the
commission of Brevet Second
Lieutenant. He was assigned
to the Fourth Infantry and re-
mained in the army eleven years. He was
engaged in every battle of the Mexican war
except that of Buena Vista, and received
two brevets for gallantry.

In 1848 Mr. Grant married J ulia,daughter
of Frederick Dent, a prominent merchant of
St. Louis, and in 1854, having reached the
grade of Captain, he resigned his commis-
sion in the army. For several years he Fol-
lowed farming near St. Louis, but unsuc-
cessfully ; and in i860 he entered the leather
trade with his father at Galena, Illinois.

When the civil war broke out in 1861,
Grant was thirty-nine years of age, but en-
tirely unknown to public men and without

any personal acquaintance with great affairs.
President Lincoln's first call for troops was
made on the 15th of April, and on the 19th
Grant was drilling a company of volunteers
at Galena. He also offered his services to
the Adjutant-General of the army, but re-
ceived no reply. The Governor of Illinois,
however, employed him in the organization
oi volunteer troops, and at the end of live
weeks he was appointed Colonel of the
Twenty-first Infantry. He took command
of his regiment in June, and reported first
to General Pope in Missouri. I lis superior
knowledge of military life rather surprised
his superior officers, who had never before
even heard of him, and they were thus led
to place him on the road to rapid advance-
ment. August 7 he was commissioned a
Brigadier-General of volunteers, the ap-
pointment having been made without his
knowledge. He had been unanimously
recommended by the Congressmen from
Illinois, not one of whom had been his
personal acquaintance. For a few weeks
he was occupied in watching the move-
ments of partisan forces in Missouri.

September 1 he was placed in command
of the District of Southeast Missouri, with
headquarters at Cairo, and on the 6th, with-
out orders, he seized Paducah, at the mouth
of the Tennessee River, and commanding
the navigation both of that stream and 0/

^v^?

ULrSSES S. GRANT.

the Ohio. This stroke secured Kentucky
to the Union ; for the State Legislature,
which had until then affected to be neutral,
at once declared in favor of the Govern-
ment. In November following, according
to orders, he made a demonstration about
eighteen miles below Cairo, preventing the
crossing of hostile troops into Missouri ;
but in order to accomplish this purpose he
had to do some fighting, and that, too, with
only 3,000 raw recruits, against 7,000 Con-
federates. Grant carried off two pieces of
artillery and 200 prisoners.

After repeated applications to General
Halleck, his immediate superior, he was
allowed, in February, 1862, to move up the
Tennessee River against Fort Henry, in
conjunction with a naval force. The gun-
boats silenced the fort, and Grant immedi-
ately made preparations to attack Fort
Donelson, about twelve miles distant, on
the Cumberland River. Without waiting
for orders he moved his troops there, and
with 15,000 men began the siege. The
fort, garrisoned with 21,000 men, was a
strong one, but after hard fighting on three
successive days Grant forced an " Uncon-
ditional Surrender " (an alliteration upon
the initials of his name). The prize he capt-
ured consisted of sixty-five cannon, 17,600
small arms and 14,623 soldiers. About 4,-
000 of the garrison had escaped in the night,
and 2,500 were killed or wounded. Grant's
entire loss was less than 2,000. This was the
first important success won by the national
troops during the war, and its strategic re-
sults were marked, as the entire States of
Kentucky and Tennessee at once fell into the
National hands. Our hero was made a
Major-General of Volunteers and placed in
command of the District of West Ten-
nessee.

In March, 1862, he was ordered to move
up the Tennessee River toward Corinth,
where the Confederates were concentrat-
ing a large army ; but he was directed not

to attack. His forces, now numbering 38,-
000, were accordingly encamped near Shi-
loh, or Pittsburg Landing, to await the
arrival of General Buell with 40,000 more;
but April 6 the Confederates came out from
Corinth 50,000 strong and attacked Grant
violently, hoping to overwhelm him before
Buell could arrive ; 5,000 of his troops were
beyond supporting distance, so that he was
largely outnumbered and forced back to the 1
river, where, however, he held out until
dark, when the head of Buell's column
came upon the field. The next day the
Confederates were driven back to Corinth,
nineteen miles. The loss was heavy on
both sides; Grant, being senior in rank to
Buell, commanded on both days. Two
days afterward Halleck arrived at the front
and assumed command of the army, Grant
remaining at the head of the right wing and
the reserve. On May 30 Corinth was
evacuated by the Confederates. In July
Halleck was made General-in-Chief, and
Grant succeeded him in command of the
Department of the Tennessee. September
19 the battle of Iuka was fought, where,
owing to Rosecrans's fault, only an incom-
plete victory was obtained.

Next, Grant, with 30,000 men, moved
down into Mississippi and threatened Vicks-
burg, while Sherman, with 40,000 men, was
sent by way of the river to attack that place
in front ; but, owing to Colonel Murphy's
surrendering Holly Springs to the Con-
federates, Grant was so weakened that he
had to retire to Corinth, and then Sherman
failed to sustain his intended attack.

In January, 1863, General Grant took
command in person of all the troops in the
Mississippi Valley, and spent several months
in fruitless attempts to compel the surrender
or evacuation of Vicksburg; but July 4,
following, the place surrendered, with 31,-
600 men and 172 cannon, and the Mississippi
River thus fell permanently into the hands
of the Government. Grant was made a

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

Major-General in the regular army, and in
October following he was placed in com-
mand of the Division of the Mississippi.
The same month he went to Chattanooga
and saved the Army of the Cumberland
from starvation, and drove Bragg from that
part of the country. This victory over-
threw the last important hostile force west
of the Alleghanies and opened the way for
the National armies into Georgia and Sher-
man's march to the sea.

The remarkable series of successes which
Grant had now achieved pointed him out
as the appropriate leader of the National
armies, and accordingly, in February, 1864,
the rank of Lieutenant-General was created
for him by Congress, and on March 17 he
assumed command of the armies of the
United States. Planning the grand final
campaign, he sent Sherman into Georgia,
Sigel into the valley of Virginia, and Butler
to capture Richmond, while he fought his
own way from the Rapidan to the James.
The costly but victorious battles of the
Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna and
Cold Harbor were fought, more for the
purpose of annihilating Lee than to capture
any particular point. In June, 1864, the
siege of Richmond was begun. Sherman,
meanwhile, was marching and fighting daily
in Georgia and steadily advancing toward
Atlanta ; but Sigel had been defeated in the
valley of Virginia, and was superseded by
Hunter. Lee sent Early to threaten the Na-
tional capital ; whereupon Grant gathered
up a force which he placed under Sheridan,
and that commander rapidly drove Early,
in a succession of battles, through the valley
of Virginia and destroyed his army as an
organized force. The siege of Richmond
went on, and Grant made numerous attacks,
but was only partially successful. The
people of the North grew impatient, and
even the Government advised him to
abandon the attempt to take Richmond or
crush the Confederacy in that way ; but he

never wavered. He resolved to " fight it
out on that line, if it took all summer."

By September Sherman had made his
way to Atlanta, and Grant then sent him
on his famous " march lo the sea," a route
which the chief had designed six months
before. He made Sherman's success possi-
ble, not only by holding Lee in front of
Richmond, but also by sending reinforce-
ments to Thomas, who then drew off and
defeated the only army which could have
confronted Sherman. Thus the latter was
left unopposed, and, with Thomas and Sheri-
dan, was used in the furtherance of Grant's
plans. Each executed his part in the great
design and contributed his share to the re-
sult at which Grant was aiming. Sherman
finally reached Savannah, Schofield beat
the enemy at Franklin, Thomas at Nash-
ville, and Sheridan wherever he met him ;
and all this while General Grant was hold-
ing Lee, with the principal Confederate
army, near Richmond, as it were chained
and helpless. Then Schofield was brought
from the West, and Fort Fisher and Wil-
mington were captured on the sea-coast, so
as to afford him a foothold ; from here he
was sent into the interior of North Caro-
lina, and Sherman was ordered to move
northward to join him. When all this was
effected, and Sheridan could find no one else
to fight in the Shenandoah Valley, Grant
brought the cavalry leader to the front of
Richmond, and, making a last effort, drove
Lee from his entrenchments and captured
Richmond.

At the beginning of the final campaign
Lee had collected 73,000 fighting men in
the lines at Richmond, besides the local
militia and the gunboat crews, amounting
to 5,000 more. Including Sheridan's force
Grant had 1 10,000 men in the works before
Petersburg and Richmond. Petersburg fell
on the 2d of April, and Richmond on the
3d, and Lee fled in the direction of Lynch-
burg. Grant pursued with remorseless

ULYSSES S. GRANT.

energy, only stopping to strike fresh blows,
and Lee at last found himself not only out-
fought but also out-marched and out-gen-
eraled. Being completely surrounded, he
surrendered on the 9th of April, 1865, at
Appomattox Court-House, in the open field,
with 27,000 men, all that remained of his
army. This act virtually ended the war.
Thus, in ten days Grant had captured
Petersburg and Richmond, fought, by his
subordinates, the battles of Five Forks and
Sailor's Creek, besides numerous smaller
ones, captured 20,000 men in actual battle,
and received the surrender of 27,000 more
at Appomattox, absolutely annihilating an
army of 70,000 soldiers.

General Grant returned at once to Wash-
ington to superintend the disbandment of
the armies, but this pleasurable work was
scarcely begun when President Lincoln was
assassinated. It had doubtless been in-
tended to inflict the same fate upon Grant ;
but he, fortunately, on account of leaving
Washington early in the evening, declined
an invitation to accompany the President
to the theater where the murder was com-
mitted. This event made Andrew Johnson
President, but left Grant by far the most
conspicuous figure in the public life of the
countrv. He became the object of an en-
thusiasm greater than had ever been known
in America. Every possible honor was
heaped upon him ; the grade of General
was created for him by Congress; houses
were presented to him by citizens; towns
were illuminated on his entrance into them ;
and, to cap the climax, when he made his
tour around the world, "all nations did him
honor" as they had never before honored
a foreigner.

The General, as Commander-in-Chief,
was placed in an embarrassing position by
the opposition of President Johnson to the
measures of Congress ; but he directly man-
ifested his characteristic loyalty by obeying
Congress rather than the disaffected Presi-

dent, although for a short time he had
served in his cabinet as Secretary of War.

Of course, everybody thought of General
Grant as the next President of the United
States, and he was accordingly elected as
such in 1868 "by a large majority," and
four years later re-elected by a much larger
majority — the most overwhelming ever
given by the people of this country. His first
administration was distinguished by a ces-
sation of the strifes which sprang from the
war, by a large reduction of the National
debt, and by a settlement of the difficulties
with England which had grown out of the
depredations committed by privateers fit-
ted out in England during the war. This
last settlement was made by the famous
"Geneva arbitration." which saved to this
Government $1 5,000,000, but, more than all,
prevented a war with England. "Let us
have peace," was Grant's motto. And this
is the most appropriate place to remark
that above all Presidents whom this Gov-
ernment has ever had, General Grant was
the most non-partisan. He regarded the
Executive office as purely and exclusively
executive of the laws of Congress, irrespect-
ive of " politics." But every great man
has jealous, bitter enemies, a fact Grant
was well aware of.

After the close of his Presidency, our
General made his famous tour around the
world, already referred to, and soon after-
ward, in company with Ferdinand Ward,
of New York City, he engaged in banking
and stock brokerage, which business was
made disastrous to Grant, as well as to him-
self, by his rascality. By this time an in-
curable cancer of the tongue developed
itself in the person of the afflicted ex-
President, which ended his unrequited life
July 23, 1885. Thus passed away from
earth's turmoils the man, the General, who
was as truly the " father of this regenerated
country" as was Washington the father of
the infant nation.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

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UTHERFORD BIRCH-
ARD HAYES, the nine-
teenth President of
the United States,
1877— 'Si, was born in
Delaware, Ohio, Oc-
tober 4, 1822. His
ancestry can be traced as far
back as 1280, when Hayes and
Rutherford were two Scottish
chieftains fighting side by side
with Baliol, William Wallace
and Robert Bruce. Both fami-
lies belonged to the nobility,
owned extensive estates and had
a large following. The Haves
family had, for a coat of-arms, a
shield, barred and surmounted by a flying
eagle. There was a circle of stars about
the eagle and above the shield, while on a
scroll underneath the shield was inscribed
the motto, " Recte." Misfortune overtaking
the family, George Hayes left Scotland in
1680, and settled in Windsor, Connecticut.
He was an industrious worker in wood and
iron, having a mechanical genius and a cul-
tivated mind. His son George was born
in Windsor and remained there during his
life.

Daniel Hayes, son of the latter, married
Sarah Lee, and lived in Salisbury, Con-

necticut. Ezekiel, son of Daniel, was born
in 1724, and was a manufacturer of scythes
at Bradford, Connecticut. Rutherford
Hayes, son of Ezekiel and grandfather of
President Hayes, was born in New Haven,
in August, 1756. He was a famous black-
smith and tavern-keeper. He immigrated to
Vermont at an unknown date, settling in
Brattleboro where he established a hotel.
Here his son Rutherford, father of Presi-
dent Hayes, was born. In September, 18 13,
he married Sophia Birchard, of Wilming-
ton, Vermont, whose ancestry on the male
side is traced back to 1635, to John Birch-
ard, one of the principal founders of Nor-
wich. " Both of her grandfathers were
soldiers in the Revolutionary war.

The father of President Hayes was of a
mechanical turn, and could mend a plow,
knit a stocking, or do almost anything that
he might undertake. He was prosperous
in business, a member of the church and
active in all the benevolent enterprises of
the town. After the close of the war of 1812
he immigrated to Ohio, and purchased a
farm near the present town of Delaware.
His family then consisted of his wife and
two children, and an orphan girl whom he
had adopted.

It was in 1 8 1 7 that the family arrived at
Delaware. Instead of settling upon his

RUTHERFORD B. HATES.

105

farm, Mr. Hayes concluded to enter into
business in the village. He purchased an
interest in a distillery, a business then as re-
spectable as it was profitable. His capital
and recognized ability assured him the
highest social position in the community.
He died July 22, 1822, less than three
months before the birth of the son that was
destined to fill the office of President of the
United States.

Mrs. Hayes at this period was very weak,
and the 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
inquiring from time to time " if Mrs.
Hayes's baby died last night." On one oc-
casion a neighbor, who was on friendly
terms with the family, after alluding to the
boy's big head and the mother's assiduous
care of him, said to her, in a bantering way,
"That's right! Stick to him. You have
got him along so far, and I shouldn't won-
der 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 elder brother was drowned, he
became, if possible, still dearer to his mother.
He was seven years old before he was
placed in school. His education, however,
was not neglected. His sports were almost
wholly within doors, his playmates being
his sister and her associates. These circum-
stances tended, no doubt, to foster that
gentleness of disposition and that delicate
consideration for the feelings of others
which are marked traits of his character.
At school he was ardently devoted to his
studies, obedient to the teacher, and care-
ful to avoid the quarrels in which many of
his schoolmates were involved. He was

always waiting at the school-house door
when it opened in the morning, and never
late in returning to his seat at recess. His
sister Fannie was his constant companion,
and their affection for each other excited
the admiration of their friends.

In 1838 young Hayes entered Kenyon
College and graduated in 1842. He then
began the study of law in the office of
Thomas Sparrow at Columbus. His health
was now well established, his figure robust,
his mind vigorous and alert. In a short
time he determined to enter the law school
at Cambridge, Massachusetts, where for
two years he pursued his studies with great
diligence.

In 1845 he was admitted to the bar at
Marietta, Ohio, and shortly afterward went
into practice as an attorney-at-law with
Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont. Here he
remained three years, acquiring but limited
practice, and apparently unambitious of
distinction in his profession. His bachelor
uncle, Sardis Birchard, who had always
manifested great interest in his nephew and
rendered him assistance in boyhood, was
now a wealthy banker, and it was under-
stood that the young man would be his
heir. It is possible that this expectation
may have made Mr. Hayes more indifferent
to the attainment of wealth than he would
otherwise have been, but he was led into no
extravagance or vices on this account.

In 1849 ne removed to Cincinnati where
his ambition found new stimulus. Two
events occurring at this period had a pow-
erful influence upon his subsequent life.
One of them was his marriage to Miss
Lucy Ware Webb, daughter of Dr. James
Webb, of Cincinnati; the other was his
introduction to the Cincinnati Literary
Club, a body embracing such men as Chief
Justice Salmon P. Chase, General John
Pope and Governor Edward F. Noyes.
The marriage was a fortunate one as every-
body knows. Not one of all the wives of

io6

PRESIDENTS OF THE UXITED STATES.

our Presidents was more universally ad-
mired, reverenced and beloved than is Mrs.
Hayes, and no one has done more than she
to reflect honor upon American woman-
hood.

In 1856 Mr. Hayes was nominated to the
office of Judge of the Court of Common
Pleas, but declined to accept the nomina-
tion. Two years later he was chosen to the
office of City Solicitor.

In 1861, when the Rebellion broke out,
he was eager to take up arms in the defense
of his country. His military life was
bright and illustrious. June 7, 1861, he
was appointed Major of the Twenty-third
Ohio Infantry. In July the regiment was
sent to Virginia. October 15, 1861, he was
made Lieutenant-Colonel of his regiment,
and in August, 1862, was promoted Colonel
of the Seventy-ninth Ohio Regiment, but
refused to leave his old comrades. I [e was
wounded at the battle of South Mountain,
and suffered severely, being unable to enter
upon active duty for several weeks. No-
vember 30, 1862, he rejoined his regiment .is
its Colonel, having been promoted Octo-
ber 15.

December 25, 1862, he was placed in com-
mand of the Kanawha division, and for
meritorious service in several battles was
promoted Brigadier-General. He was also
brevetted Major-General for distinguished

He was wounded four
horses were shot from

services in 1864.
times, and five
under him.

Mr. Hayes was first a Whig in politics,
and was among the first to unite with the
Free-Soil and Republican parties. In 1864
he was elected to Congress from the Sec-
ond Ohio District, which had always been
Democratic, receiving a majority of 3,098.
In 1866 he was renominated for Congress
and was a second time elected. In 1867 he
was elected Governor over Allen G. Thur-
man, the Democratic candidate, and re-
elected in [869. In 1874 Sardis Birchard
died, leaving his large estate to General
1 laves.

In 1S76 he was nominated for the Presi-
dency. His letter of acceptance excited
the admiration of the whole country. He
resigned the office of Governor and retired
to his home in Fremont to await the result
of the canvass. After a hard, long contest
he was inaugurated March 5, 1877. His
Presidency was characterized by compro-
mises with all parties, in order to please as
many as possible. The close of his Presi-
dential term in 18S1 was the close of his
public life, and since then he has remained
at his home in Fremont, Ohio, in Jefferso-
nian retirement from public notice, in strik-
ing contrast with most others of the world's
notables.

JAMES A. (iAKFIELD.

109

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AMES A. GARFIELD,
twentieth President of
the United States, 1881,
was born November 19,
1 83 1, in the wild woods
f Cuyahoga County,
Ohio. His parents were
Abram and Eliza (Ballou)
Garfield, who were of New
England ancestry. T h e
senior Garfield was an in-
dustrious farmer, as the
rapid improvements which
appeared on his place at-
tested. The residence was
the familiar pioneer log cabin,
and the household comprised the parents
and their children — Mehetable, Thomas,
Mar)' and James A. In May, 1833, the
father died, and the care of the house-
hold consequently devolved upon young
Thomas, to whom James was greatly in-
debted for the educational and other ad-
vantages he enjoyed. He now lives in
Michigan, and the two sisters live in Solon,
Ohio, near their birthplace.

As the subject of our sketch grew up, he,
too, was industrious, both in mental and
physical labor. He worked upon the farm,
or at carpentering, or chopped wood, or at
any other odd job that would aid in support
of the family, and in the meantime made the

most of his books. Ever afterward he was
never ashamed of his humble origin, nor for-
got the friends of his youth. The poorest
laborer was sure of his sympathy, and he
always exhibited the character of a modest
gentleman.

Until he was about sixteen years of age,
James's highest ambition was to be a lake
captain. To this his mother was strongly
opposed, but she finally consented to his
going to Cleveland to carry out his long-
cherished design, with the understanding,
however, that he should try to obtain some
other kind of employment. He walked all
the way to Cleveland, and this was his first
visit to the city. After making many ap-
plications for work, including labor on
board a lake vessel, but all in vain, he
finally engaged as a driver for his cousin,
Amos Letcher, on the Ohio & Pennsyl-
vania Canal. In a short time, however, he
quit this and returned home. He then at-
tended the seminary at Chester for about
three years, and next he entered Hiram In-
stitute, a school started in 1850 by the
Disciples of Christ, of which church he was
a member. In order to pay his way he
assumed the duties of janitor, and at times
taught school. He soon completed the cur-
riculum there, and then entered Williams
College, at which he graduated in 1856,
taking one of the highest honors of his class.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

Afterward he returned to Hiram as Presi-
dent. In his youthful and therefore zealous
piety, he exercised his talents occasionally
as a preacher of the Gospel. He was a
man of strong moral and religious convic-
tions, and as soon as he began to look into
politics, he saw innumerable points that
could be improved. He also studied law,
and was admitted to the bar in 1S59.
November ii. 1S58, Mr. Garfield married
Miss Lucretia Rudolph, who ever after-
ward proved a worthy consort in all the
stages of her husband's career. They had
seven children, five of whom are still Living.

It was in 1S59 that Garfield made his
first political speeches, in Hiram and the
neighboring villages, and three years later
he began to speak at county mass-meetings,
being received everywhere with popular
favor. He was elected to the State Senate
tli i s year, taking Ms seat in January, i860.

On the breaking out of tin- war of the
Rebellion in 1801, Mr. Garfield resolved to
fight as he had talked, and accordingly he
enlisted to defend the old Hag, receiving
his commission as Lieutenant-Colonel of the
Forty-second Regiment of the Ohio Volun-
teer Infantry, August 14, that year. He
was immediately thrown into active mt\ i> e,
and before he had ever seen a gun fired in
action he was placed in command of four
regiments of infantry and eight companies
of cavalry, charged with the work ol driv-
ing the Confederates, headed l>v Humphrey
Marshall, from his native State, Kentucky.
This task was speedily accomplished, al-
though against great odds. On account of
his success, President Lincoln commissioned
him Brigadier-General, January 11, 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 General Buell's army at Shi-
loh, also in its operations around Corinth
and its march through Alabama. Next, he
was detailed as a member of the general

court-martial for the trial of General Fitz-
John Porter, and then ordered to report to
General Rosecrans, when he was assigned
to the position of Chief of Staff. His mili-
tary history closed with his brilliant ser-
vices at Chickamauga, where he won the
stars of Major-General.

In the fall of 1862, without any effort on
his part, he was elected as a Representative
to Congress, from that section of Ohio
which had been represented for sixty years
mainly by two men — Elisha Whittlesey and
Joshua R. Giddings. Again, he was the
youngest member of that body, and con-
tinued there by successive re-elections, as
Representative or Senator, until he was
elected President in 1880. During his life
in Congress he compiled and published by
ii^ speeches, there and elsewhere, more
information on the issues of the day, espe-
cially on one side, than any other member.

June 8, 1880, at the National Republican
Convention held in Chicago, General Gar-
field was nominated for the Presidency, in
preference to the old war-horses, Blaine
and Grant ; and although many of the Re-
publican party felt sore over the failure ot
their respective heroes to obtain the nomi-
nation, General Garfield was elected by a
fair popular majority. He was duly in-
augurated, but on July 2 following, before
he had fairly got started in his administra-
tion, he was fatally shot by a half-demented
assassin. After very painful and protracted
suffering, he died September 19, 1881, la-
mented by all the American people. Never
before in the history of this country had
anything occurred which so nearly froze
the blood of the Nation, for the moment, as
the awful act of Guiteau, the murderer.
He was duly tried, convicted and put to
death on the gallows.

The lamented Garfield was succeeded by
the Y ice-President, General Arthur, who
seemed to endeavor to carry out the policy
inaugurated by his predecessor.

tsL\

CHESTER A. ARTHUR.

HESTER ALLEN
ARTHUR, the twen-
ty-first Chief Execu-
tive of this growing
republic, 1 88 1-*5, was
born in Franklin
County, Vermont,
October 5, 1830, the eldest of a
family of two sons and five
daughters. His father, Rev.
Dr. William Arthur, a Baptist
clergyman, immigrated to this
country from County Antrim,
Ireland, in his eighteenth year,
and died in 1875, in Newton-
ville, near Albany, New York,
after serving many years as a successful
minister. Chester A. was educated at that
old, conservative institution, Union Col-
lege, at Schenectady, New York, where he
excelled in all his studies. He graduated
there, with honor, and then struck out in
life for himself by teaching school for about
two years in his native State.

At the expiration of that time young
Arthur, with $500 in his purse, went to the
city of New York and entered the law office
of ex-Judge E. D. Culver as a student. In
due time he was admitted to the bar, when
he formed a partnership with his intimate

friend and old room-mate, Henry D. Gar.
diner, with the intention of practicing law
at some point in the West; but after spend-
ing about three months in the Western
States, in search of an eligible place, they
returned to New York City, leased a room,
exhibited a sign of their business and al-
most immediately enjoyed a paying patron-
age.

At this stage of his career Mr. Arthur's
business prospects were so encouraging
that he concluded to take a wife, and ac-
cordingly he married the daughter of Lieu-
tenant Herndon, of the United States Navy,
who had been lost at sea. To the widow
of the latter Congress voted a gold medal,
in recognition of the Lieutenant's bravery
during the occasion in which he lost his
life. Mrs. Artnur died shortly before her
husband's nomination to the Vice-Presi-
dency, leaving two children.

Mr. Arthur obtained considerable celeb-
rity as an attorney in the famous Lemmon
suit, which was brought to recover posses-
sion of eight slaves, who had been declared
free by the Superior Court of New York
City. The noted Charles O'Conor, who
was nominated by the " Straight Demo-
crats" in 1872 for the United States Presi-
dency, was retained by Jonathan G. Lem-

i'4

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

mon, of Virginia, to recover the negroes,
but he lost the suit. In this case, however,
Mr. Arthur was assisted by William M.
Evarts, now United States Senator. Soon
afterward, in 1856, a respectable colored
woman was ejected from a street car in
New York City. Mr. Arthur sued the car
company in her behalf and recovered $500
damages. Immediately afterward all the
car companies in the city issued orders to
their employes to admit colored persons
upon their cars.

Mr. Arthur's political doctrines, as well
as his practice as a lawyer, raised him to
prominence in the party of freedom; and
accordingly he was sent as a delegate to
the first National Republican Convention.
Soon afterward he was appointed Judge
Advocate for the Second Brigade of the
State of New York, and then Engineer-in-
Chief on Governor Morgan's staff. In 1861,
the first year of the war, he was made In-
spector-General, and next, Quartermaster-
General, in both which offices he rendered
great service to the Government. Alter
the close of Governor Morgan's term he
resinned the practice of law, forming first a
partnership with Mr. Ransom, and subse-
quently adding Mr. Phelps to the firm.
Each of these gentlemen were able lawyers.

November 21, 1872, General Arthur was
appointed Collector of the Port of New
York by President Grant, and he held the
office until July 20, 1878.

The next event of prominence in General
Arthur's career was his nomination to the
Vice-Presidency of the United States, under
the influence of Roscoe Conkling, at the
National Republican Convention held at
Chicago in June, 1880, when James A. Gar-
field was placed at the head of the ticket.
Both the convention and the campaign that
followed were noisy and exciting. The
friends of Grant, constituting nearly half

the convention, were exceedingly persist-
ent, and were sorely disappointed over
their defeat. At the head of the Demo-
cratic ticket was placed a very strong and
popular man ; yet Garfield and Arthur were
elected by a respectable plurality of the
popular vote. The 4th of March following,
these gentlemen were accordingly inaugu-
rated ; but within four months the assassin's
bullet made a fatal wound in the person of
General Garfield, whose life terminated
September 19, 1881, when General Arthur,
ex officio, was obliged to take the chief
reins of government. Some misgivings
were entertained by many in this event, as
Mr. Arthur was thought to represent espe
cially the Grant and Conkling wing of the
Republican party ; but President Arthur
had both the ability and trie good sense to
allay all fears, and he gave the restless,
critical American people as good an ad-
ministration as they had ever been blessed
with. Neither selfishness nor low parti-
sanism ever characterized any feature of
his public service. He ever maintained a
high sense of every individual right as well
as of the Nation's honor. Indeed, he stood
so high that his successor, President Cleve-
land, though of opposing politics, expressed
a wish in his inaugural address that he
could only satisfy the people with as good
an administration.

But the day of civil service reform had
come in so far, and the corresponding re-
action against " third-termism" had en-
croached so far even upon "second-term"
service, that the Republican party saw fit
in 1884 to nominate another man for Presi-
dent. Only by this means was General
Arthur's tenure of office closed at Wash-
ington. On his retirement from the Presi-
dency, March, 1SS5, he engaged in the
practice of law at New York City, where he
died November I s , 1886.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

117

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ROVER CLEVE-
LAND, the twenty-
second President of the
United States, 1885—,
was born in Caldwell,
Essex County, New
Jersey, March 1 8,
The house in which he
was born, a small two-story
wooden building, is still stand-
ng. It was the parsonage of
the Presbyterian church, of
w h i c h his father, Richard
Cleveland, at the time was
pastor. The family is of New
England origin, and for two centuries has
contributed to the professions and to busi-
ness, men who have reflected honor on the
name. Aaron Cleveland, Grover Cleve-
land's great-great-grandfather, was born in
Massachusetts, but subsequently moved to
Philadelphia, where he became an intimate
friend of Benjamin Franklin, at whose
house he died. He left a large family of
children, who in time married and settled
in different parts of New England. A
grandson was one of the small American
force that fought the British at Bunker
Hill. He served with gallantry through-
out the Revolution and was honorably
discharged at its close as a Lieutenant in
the Continental army. Another grandson,
William Cleveland (a son of a second Aaron

Cleveland, who was distinguished as a
writer and member of the Connecticut
Legislature) was Grover Cleveland's grand-
father. William Cleveland became a silver-
smith in Norwich, Connecticut. He ac-
quired by industry some property and sent
his son, Richard Cleveland, the father of
Grover Cleveland, to Yale College, where
he graduated in 1824. During a year spent
in teaching at Baltimore, Maryland, after
graduation, he met and fell in love with a
Miss Annie Neale, daughter of a wealthy
Baltimore book publisher, of Irish birth.
He was earning his own way in the world
at the time and was unable to marry; but
in three years he completed a course of
preparation for the ministry, secured a
church in Windham, Connecticut, and
married Annie Neale. Subsequently he
moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, where he
preached for nearly two years, when he
was summoned to Caldwell, New Jersey,
where was born Grover Cleveland.

When he was three years old the family
moved to Fayetteville, Onondaga County,
New York. Here Grover Cleveland lived
until he was fourteen years old, the rugged,
healthful life of a country boy. His frank,
generous manner made him a favorite
among his companions, and their respect
was won by the good qualities in the germ
which his manhood developed. He at-
tended the district school of the village and

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

was for a short time at the academy. His
lather, however, believed that boys should
be taught to labor at an early age, and be-
fore he had completed the course of study
at the academy he began to work in the
village store at $50 for the first year, and the
promise of $100 for the second year. His
work was well done and the promised in-
crease of pay was granted the second year.

Meanwhile his father and family had
moved to Clinton, the seat of Hamilton
College, where his father acted as agent to
the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions,
preaching in the churches of the vicinity.
Hither Grover came at his father's request
shortly after the beginning of his second
year at the Fayetteville store, and resumed
his studies at the Clinton Academy. After
three years spent in this town, the Rev.
Richard Cleveland was called to the vil-
lage church of Holland Patent. He had
preached here only a month when he was
suddenly stricken down and died without
an hour's warning. The death of the father
left the family in straitened circumstances,
as Richard Cleveland had spent all his
salary of $1,000 per year, which was not
required for the necessary expenses of liv-
ing, upon the education of his children, of
whom there were nine, Grover being the
fifth. Grover was hoping to enter Hamil-
ton College, but the death of his father
made it necessary for him to earn his own
livelihood. For the first year (i853-'4) he
acted as assistant teacher and bookkeeper in
the Institution for the Blind in New York
City, of which the late Augustus Schell was
for many years the patron. In the winter
of 1854 he returned to Holland Patent
where the generous people of that place,
Fayetteville and Clinton, had purchased a
home for his mother, and in the following
spring, borrowing $25, he set out for the
West to earn his living.

Reaching Buffalo he paid a hasty visit to
an uncle, Lewis F. Allen, a well-known

stock farmer, living at Black Rock, a lew
miles distant. He communicated his plans
to Mr. Allen, who discouraged the idea of
the West, and finally induced the enthusi-
astic boy of seventeen to remain with him
and help him prepare a catalogue of blooded
short-horn cattle, known as " Allen's Amer-
ican Herd Book," a publication familiar to
all breeders of cattle. In August, 1855, he
entered the law office of Rogers, Bowen
& Rogers, at Buffalo, and after serving a
few months without pay, was paid $4 a
week — an amount barely sufficient to meet
the necessary expenses of his board in the
family of a fellow-student in Buffalo, with
whom he took lodgings. Life at this time
with Grover Cleveland was a stern battle
with the world. He took his breakfast by
candle-light with the drovers, and went at
once to the office where the whole day was
spent in work and study. Usually lie re-
turned again at night to resume reading
which had been interrupted by the duties
of the day. Gradually his employers came
to recognize the ability, trustworthiness
and capacity for hard work in their young
employe, and by the time he was admitted
to the bar (1859) ne stood high in their con-
fidence. A year later he was made confi-
dential and managing clerk, and in the
course of three years more his salary had
been raised to $1,000. In 1863 he was ap-
pointed assistant district attorney of Erie
County by the district attorney, the Hon.
C. C. Torrance.

Since his first vote had been cast in 1858
he had been a staunch Democrat, and until
he was chosen Governor he always made
it his duty, rain or shine, to stand at the
polls and give out ballots to Democratic
voters. During the first year of his term
as assistant district attorney, the Democrats
desired especially to carry the Board of Su-
pervisors. The old Second Ward in which
he lived was Republican- ordinarily by 250
majority, but at the urgent request of the

GRO VER CL E VELA ND.

119

party Grover Cleveland consented to be
the Democratic candidate for Supervisor,
and came within thirteen votes of an elec-
tion. The three years spent in the district
attorney's office were devoted to assiduous
labor and the extension of his professional
attainments. He then formed a law part-
nership with the late Isaac V. Vanderpoel,
ex-State Treasurer, under the firm name
of Vanderpoel & Cleveland. Here the bulk
of the work devolved on Cleveland's shoul-
ders, and he soon won a good standing at
the bar of Erie County. In 1869 Mr.
Cleveland formed a partnership with ex-
Senator A. P. Laning and ex-Assistant
United States District Attorney Oscar Fol-
som, under the firm name of Laning, Cleve-
land & Folsom. During these years he
began to earn a moderate professional in-
come; but the larger portion of it was sent
to his mother and sisters at Holland Patent
to whose support he had contributed ever
since i860. He served as sheriff of Erie
County, i870-'4, and then resumed the
practice of law, associating himself with the
Hon. Lyman K. Bass andWilson S. Bissell.

The firm was strong and popular, and soon
commanded a large and lucrative practice.
Ill health forced the retirement of Mr. Bass
in 1879, a "d the firm became Cleveland &
Bissell. In 1 88 1 Mr. George J. Sicard was
added* to the firm.

In the autumn election of 1881 he was
elected mayor of Buffalo by a majority of
over 3,500 — the largest majority ever given
a candidate for mayor— and the Democratic
city ticket was successful, although the
Republicans carried Buffalo by over 1,000
majority for their State ticket. Grover
Cleveland's administration as mayor fully
justified the confidence reposed in him hy
the people of Buffalo, evidenced by the
great vote he received.

The Democratic State Convention met
at Syracuse, September 22, 1882, and nomi-
nated Grover Cleveland for Governor
on the third ballot and Cleveland was
elected by 192,000 majority. In the fall of
1 884 he was elected President of the United
States by about 1,000 popular majority,
in New York State, and he was accordingly
inaugurated the 4th of March following.

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

BENJAMIN HAI^ISON. " |gp

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[ENJAMIN HARRISON,
the twenty-third Presi-
dent of the United States,
1889, was born at North
Bend, Hamilton County,
Ohio, in the house of hie
grandfather, William Hen-
ry Harrison (who was the
ninth President of this
country), August 20th,
1833. He is a descendant
of one of the historical
families of this country, as
also of England. The
head of the family was a
Major-General Harrison
who was devoted to the cause of Oliver
Cromwell. It became the duty of this Har-
rison to participate in the trial of Charles 1.
and afterward to sign the death warrant of
the king, which subsequently cost him his
life. His enemies succeeding to power, he
was condemned and executed October 13th,
1660. His descendants came to America,
and the first mention made in history of the
Harrison family as representative in public
affairs, is that of Benjamin Harrison, great-
grandfather of our present President, who
was a member of the Continental Congress,
177-1-5-6, and one of the original signers of

the Declaration of Independence, and three
times Governor of Virginia. His son, Will-
iam Henry Harrison, made a brilliant mili-
tary record, was Governor of the Northwest
Territory, and the ninth President of the
United States.

The subject of this sketch at an early age
became a student at Farmers College, where
he remained two years, at the end of which
time he entered Miami University, at Ox-
ford, Ohio. Upon graduation from 6aid seat
of learning he entered, as a student, the of-
fice of Stover & Gwyne, a notable law firm at
Cincinnati, Ohio, where he applied himself
closely to the study of his chosen profession,
and here laid the foundation for the honora-
ble and famous career before him. He spent
two years with the firm in Cincinnati, at the
expiration of which time he received the
only inheritance of his life, which was a lot
left him by an aunt, which he sold for $800.
This sum he deemed sufficient to justify him
in marrying the lady of his choice, and to
whom he was then engaged, a daughter of
Dr. Scott, then Principal of a female school
at Oxford, Ohio.

After marriage he located at Indianapolis,
Indiana, where he began the practice of law.
Meeting with slight encouragement he made
but little the first year, but applied himself

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REN J A MIX HARRISON.

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closely to his business, and by perseverance,
honorable dealing and an upright life, suc-
ceeded in building up an extensive practice and
took a leading position in the legal profession.

In 1860 he was nominated for the position
of Supreme Court Reporter for the State of
Indiana, and then began his experience as a
stump speaker. He canvassed the State
thoroughly and was elected.

In 1862 his patriotism caused him to
abandon a civil office and to offer his country
his services in a military capacity. He or-
ganized the Seventieth Indiana Infantry and
was chosen its Colonel. Although his regi-
ment was composed of raw material, and be
practically void of military schooling, he at
once mastered military tactics and drilled his
men, so that when he with his regiment was
assigned to Gen. Sherman's command it wa6
known as one of the best drilled organ-
izations of the army. He was especially
distinguished for bravery at the battles of
Resacca and Peach Tree Creek. For his
bravery and efficiency at the last named bat-
tle he was made a Brigadier-General, Gen-
eral Hooker speaking of him in the most
complimentary terms.

While General Harrison was actively en-
gaged in the field the Supreme Court declared
the office of Supreme Court Reporter vacant,
and another person was elected to fill the
position. From the time of leaving Indiana
with Ins regiment for the front, until the fall
of 1864, General Harrison had taken no leave
of absence. But having been nominated
that year for the same office that he vacated
in order to serve his country where he could
do the greatest good, he got a thirty-day leave
of absence, and during that time canvassed
the State and was elected for another term as
Supreme Court Reporter. He then started
to rejoin his command, then with General
Sherman in the South, but was stricken down

with fever and after a very trying siege, made
his way to the front, and participated in the
closing scenes and incidents of the war.

In 1868 General Harrison declined a re-
election as Reporter, and applied himself to
the practice of his profession. He was a
candidate for Governor of Indiana on the
Republican ticket in 1876. Although de-
feated, the brilliant campaign brought him
to public notice and gave him a National
reputation as an able and formidable debater
and he was much sought in the Eastern
States as a public speaker. He took an act-
ive part in the Presidential campaign of
1880, and was elected to the United States
Senate, where he served six years, and was
known as one of the strongest debaters, as
well as one of the ablest men and best law-
yers. When his term expired in the Senate
he resumed his law practice at Indianapolis,
becoming the head of one of the strongest
law firms in the State of Indiana.

Sometime prior to the opening of the
Presidential campaign of 1888, the two great
political parties (Republican and Democratic)
drew the line of political battle on the ques-
tion of tariff, which became the leading issue
and the rallying watchword during the mem-
orable campaign. The Republicans appealed
to the people for their voice as to a tariff to
protect home industries, while the Democrats
wanted a tariff for revenue only. The Re-
publican convention assembled in Chicago in
June and selected Mr. Harrison as their
standard bearer on a platform of principles,
among other important clauses being that of
protection, which he cordially indorsed in
accepting the nomination. November 6,
1888, after a heated canvass, General Harri-
son was elected, defeating Grover Cleveland,
who was again the nominee of the Demo-
cratic party. He was inaugurated and as-
sumed the duties of his office March 4, 1889.

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IOWA STATE HOUSE AT DES MOINES.

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HISTORY OF IOWA.

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HISTORY OF IOWA.

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ABORIGINAL.

HIE race or races who
occupied this beau-
tiful prairie country
before the advent of
the whites from Eu-
rope had no litera-
ture, and therefore
have left us no history of
:mselves. Not even tra-
ions, to an}- extent, have
;n handed down to us.
:nce, about all we know
the Indians, previous to
cplorations by the whites,
derived from mounds
a few simple relics.
The mounds were erected
by a people generally denominated Mound
Builders, but whether they were a distinct
race from the Indians is an unsettled ques-
tion. Prof. Alex. Winchell, of the Michigan
State University, as well as a number of
other investigators, is of the opinion that
those who built mounds, mined copper and
iron, made elaborate implements of war,
agriculture and domestic economy, and
built houses and substantial villages, etc.,
were no other than the ancestors of the
present Indians, who, like the ancient
Greeks and Romans, were more skilled in

the arts of life than their successors during
the middle ages. Most people have their
periods of decline, as well as those of prog-
ress. The Persians, Hindoos and Chinese,
although so long in existence as distinct
nations, have been forages in a state of de-
cay. Spain and Italy do not improve,
while Germany, Russia and the United
States have now their turn in enjoying a
rapid rise. Similarly, the Indians have long
been on the decline in the practical arts of
life. Even since the recent davs of Feni-
more Cooper, the " noble " red men have
degenerated into savages, despite the close
contact of the highest order of civilization.

Nearly all modern authorities unite in
the opinion that the American continent
was first peopled from Eastern Asia, either
by immigration across Behring's Strait or
by shipwrecks of sailors from the Kamt-
schatkan and Japanese coast. If mankind
originated at the north pole, and subse-
quently occupied an Atlantic continent,
now submerged, it is possible that the
American Indians are relics of polar or
Atlantic races.

The ancient race which built the towns
and cities of Mexico and the Western
United States is called the Aztec, and even
of them is scarcely anything known save

HISTORY OF IOWA.

what can be learned from their buried
structures. The few inscriptions that are
found seem to be meaningless.

Indian mounds are found throughout
the United States east of the Rocky
Mountains, but are far more abundant in
some places than others. In this State
they abound near the principal rivers.
They vary in size from a few to hundreds
of feet in diameter, and from three to fifteen
or more feet in height. They are generallv
round, or nearly so, but in a few notable
exceptions they bear a rude resemblance in
their outline to the figure of some* animal.
Their contents are limited, both in quantity
and variety, and consist mainly of human
bones, stone implements, tobacco pipes,
beads, etc. The stone implements are axes,
skinning knives, pestles and mortars, arrow
points, etc. The human bones arc often
found in a mass as if a number of corpses had
been buried together, and indicate that their
possessors were interred in a sitting posture.
Judge Samuel Murdock, of Elkader, this
State, who has made this subject a special
study for many years, is of the opinion that
these remains are not of subjects who were
inhumed as corpses, but of persons who,
under the influence of a savage religion,
voluntarily sacrificed themselves by under-
going a burial when alive.

CAUCAS] W

The first member of this race to discover
the Mississippi River was Ferdinand De
Soto, a Spaniard, who explored the region
of the Lower Mississippi in I54i,butcame
no farther north than the 35th parallel.
He founded no settlements, nor was he ever
followed by others of his country to make
settlements, and hence Spain lost her title
to the country which she had earned by
discovery through her subject, De Soto.
At a subsequent period a Frenchman re-
discovered the realm, took possession of it
in tnc name of France, and his fellow

countrymen soon followed and effected
actual settlements. Accordingly, in 1682,
France claimed the countrv, and, accord-
ing to the usage of European nations,
earned a proper title to the same. The re-
sult was a collision between those two na-
tions, success finally crowning the efforts of
France.

In a grand council of Indians, on the
shore of Lake Superior, they told the
Frenchmen glowing stories of the " Father
01 Waters " and of the adjacent country,
and in 1669 Jacques Marquette, a zealous
and shrewd Jesuit missionary, became in-
spired with the idea of visiting this re-
gion, in the interests of civilization. After
studying the language and customs of
the Illinois Indians until 1673, he made prep-
arations for the journey, in which he was
to be accompanied by Louis Jolict, an agent
of the French. Government. The Indians,
who had gathered in large numbers to wit-
ness his departure, endeavored to dissuade
him from the undertaking, representing that
the Indians of the Mississippi Valley were
cruel and bloodthirsty. The great river
itself, they said, was the abode of terrible
monsters which could swallow men, canoes
and all. But the shrewd missionary, already
aware of Indian extravagance in descrip-
tion, set out upon the contemplated jour-
nev May 13. With the aid of two Miami
guides he proceeded to the Wisconsin
River, and down that stream to the Mis-
sissippi. Floating down the latter he dis-
covered, on the 25th of June, traces of
Indians on the west bank, and landed.
This was at a point a little above the mouth
of the Des Moines River, and thus a Euro-
pean first trod the soil of Iowa. After re-
maining a short time and becoming ac-
quainted with the red man as he then and
there exhibited himself, he proceeded down
to the mouth of the Illinois, thence up
that river and by Lake Michigan to the
French settlements.

HISTORT OF IOWA.

•25

Nine years later, in 1682, Rene Robert
Cavelier La Salle descended the Missis-
sippi to the Gulf of Mexico, and in the name
of the King of France took formal posses-
sion of all the Mississippi Valley, naming it
Louisiana, in honor of his king, Louis XIV.
The river itself he named Colbert, in honor
of the French minister. Soon afterward
the Government of France began to en-
courage the establishment ol a line of trad-
ing posts and missionary stations through-
out the West from Canada to Louisiana,
and this policy was maintained with par-
tial success for about seventy-five years.
Christian zeal animated both France and
England in missionary enterprise, the
former in the interests of Catholicism and
the latter in favor of Protestantism. Hence
their haste to pre-occupy the land and prose-
lyte the aborigines; but this ugly rivalry dis-
gusted the Indians and they refused to be
converted to either branch of Christianity.
The traders also persisted in importing
whisky, which canceled nearly every civ-
ilizinsr influence that could be brought to
bear upon the savages. Another character-
istic of Indian nature was to listen atten-
tively to all that the missionary said, pre-
tending to believe all he preached, and then
offer in turn his theory of the world, of re-
ligion, etc.; and, not being listened to with
the same degree of attention and pretense
of belief, would depart from the white
man's presence in disgust. This was his
idea of the golden rule.

Comparatively few Indians were perma-
nently located within the present bounds
of the State of Iowa. Favorite hunting
grounds were resorted to by certain bands
tor a time, and afterward by others, subject
to the varying fortunes of their little wars.
The tribes were principally the Illinois,
lowas, Dakotas, Sioux, Pottawatomies and
finally the Sacs and Foxes.

In 1765 the Miami confederacy was com-
posed of four tribes, whose total number

of warriors was estimated at only 1,050
men. Of these about 250 were Twightwees,
or Miamis proper; 300 VVeas, or Ouiate-
nons; 300 Piankeshaws and 200 Shockeys;
but their headquarters were along the
Maumee River, in Indiana and Ohio.

From 1688 to 1697 the wars in which
France and England were engaged re-
tarded the growth ol their American colo-
nies. The efforts made by France to
connect Canada and the Gulf of Mexico by
a chain of trading posts and colonies nat-
urally excited the jealousy of England and
gradually laid the foundation for a struggle
at arms. The crisis came and the contest
obtained the name of the French and Indian
war, the French and Indians combining
against the English. The war was termi-
nated in 1763 by a treaty at Paris, by which
France ceded to Great Britain all of North
America east of the Mississippi, except the
island on which New Orleans is situated.
The preceding autumn France ceded to
Spain all the country west of that river.

In 1765 the total number of French fami-
lies within the limits of the Northwest Ter-
ritory did not probably exceed 600. These
were in settlements about Detroit, along
the river Wabash and the neighborhood of
Fort Chartres on the Mississippi. The
colonial policy of the British Government
opposed any measures which might
strengthen settlements in the interior of
this country, lest they should become self-
supporting and consequently independent
of the mother country. Hence the settle-
ment of the Northwest was still further
retarded. That short-sighted policy con-
sisted mainly in holding the lands in the
possession of the Government, and not
allowing it to be subdivided and sold to
those who would become settlers. After
the establishment of American indepen-
dence, and especially under the administra-
tion of Thomas Jefferson, both as Governor
of Virginia and President of the United

!26

HISTORY OF IOWA.

States, subdivision of land and giving it to
actual settlers rapidly peopled this portion
of the Union, so that the Northwest Terri-
tory was formed and even subdivided into
other Territories and States before the
year 1820.

For more than 100 years after Marquette
and Joliet trod the virgin soil of Iowa and
admired its fertile plains, not a single settle-
ment was made or attempted ; not even a
trading-post was established. During this
time the Illinois Indians, once a powerful
tribe, gave up the entire possession of this
" Beautiful Land," as Iowa was then called, |
to the Sacs and Foxes. In 1803, when
Louisiana was purchased by the United
States, the Sacs, Foxes and Iowas pos-
sessed this entire State, and the two for-
mer tribes occupied also most of the State
of Illinois. The four most important towns
of the Sacs were along the Mississippi, two
on the east side, one near the mouth of the
Upper Iowa and one at the head of the
Des Moines Rapids, near the present site
of Montrose. Those of the Foxes were —
one on the west side of the Mississippi just
above Davenport, one about twelve miles
from the river back of the Dubuque lead
mines and one on Turkey River. The
principal village of the Iowas was on the
Des Moines River, in Van Buren County,
where lowaville now stands. Here the last
great battle between the Sacs and Foxes
and the Iowas was fought, in which Black
Hawk, then a young man, commanded the
attacking forces.

The Sioux had the northern portion of
this State and Southern Minnesota. They
were a fierce and war-like nation, who often
disputed possessions with their rivals in
savage and bloody warfare; but finally a
boundary line was established between
them by the Government of the United
States, in a treaty held at Prairie du Chien
in 1S25. This, however, became the occa-
sion of an increased number of quarrels be-

tween the tribes, as each trespassed, or was
thought to trespass, upon the other's side of
the line. In 1830, therefore, the Govern-
ment created a forty-mile neutral strip of
land between them, which policy proved to
be more successful in the interests of peace.

Soon after the acquisition of Louisiana by
our Government, the latter adopted meas-
ures for the exploration of the new terri-
tory, having in view the conciliation of the
numerous tribes of Indians by whom it was
possessed, and also the selection of proper
sites for military posts and trading stations.

The Army of the West, General Wilkin-
son commanding, had its headquarters at
St. Louis. From this post Captains Lewis
and Clarke, in 1805, were detailed with a
sufficient force to explore the Missouri
River to its source, and Lieutenant Zebulon
M. Pike to ascend to the head of the Missis-
sippi. August 20 the latter arrived within
the present limits of Iowa, at the foot of the
Des Moines Rapids, where he met William
Ewing, who had just been appointed Indian
Agent at this point, a French interpreter,
four chiefs and fifteen Sac and Fox war-
riors. At the head of the rapids, where
Montrose now is, Pike held a council with
the Indians, merely for the purpose of stat-
ing to them that the President of the United
States wished to inquire into the needs ol
the red man, with a view of suggesting
remedies.

On the 23d he reached what is supposed
from his description to be the site of Bur-
lington, which place he designated for a
post ; but the station, probably by some
mistake, was afterward placed at Fort Madi-
son. After accidentally separating from his
men and losing his way, suffering at one
time for six days for want of food, and after
many other mishaps Lieutenant Pike over-
took the remainder of the party at the point
now occupied by Dubuque, who had gone
on up the river hoping to overtake him. At
that point Pike was cordially received by

DISTORT OF IOWA.

127

Julien Dubuque, a Frenchman who held a
mining claim under a grant from Spain, but J
was not disposed to publish the wealth of
his possessions. Having an old field-piece
with him, however, he fired a salute in
honor of the first visit of an agent from the
United States to that part of the country,
and Pike pursued his way up the river.

At what was afterward Fort Snelling,
Minnesota, Lieutenant Pike held a council
with the Sioux September 23, and obtained
from them a grant of 100,000 acres of land.
January 8 following (1806) he arrived at a
trading post on Lake De Sable, belonging
to the Northwestern Fur Company, whose
field of operations at that time included this
State. Pike returned to St. Louis the fol-
lowing spring, after making a successful
expedition.

Before this country could be opened for
settlement by the whites, it was necessary
that Indian title should be extinguished and
the aboriginal owners removed. When the
Government assumed control of the country
by virtue of the Louisiana purchase, nearly
the whole State was in possession of the
Sacs and Foxes, at whose head stood the
rising Black Hawk. November 3, 1804, a
treaty was concluded with these tribes by
which they ceded to the United States the
Illinois side of the great river, in consider-
ation of $2,234 worth of goods then de-
livered, and an annuity of $1,000 to be paid
in goods at cost ; but Black Hawk always
maintained that the chiefs who entered into
that compact acted without authority, and
that therefore the treaty was not binding.

The first fort erected on Iowa soil was at
Fort Madison. A short time previously a
military post was fixed at what is now
Warsaw, Illinois, and named Fort Edwards.
These enterprises caused mistrust among
the Indians. Indeed, Fort Madison was
located in violation of the treaty of 1804.
The Indians sent delegations to the whites
at these forts to learn what they were do-

ing, and what they intended. On being
" informed " that those structures were
merely trading-posts, they were incredu-
lous and became more and more suspicious.
Black Hawk therefore led a party to the
vicinity of Fort Madison and attempted its
destruction, but a premature attack by him
caused his failure.

In 18 1 2, when war was declared between
this country and Great Britain, Black Hawk
and his band allied themselves to the British,
partly because they were dazzled by their
specious promises, but mostly, perhaps, be-
cause they had been deceived by the Amer-
icans. Black Hawk said plainly that the
latter fact was the cause. A portion of the
Sacs and Foxes, however, headed by Keo-
kuk ("watchful fox"), could not be per-
suaded into hostilities against the United
States, being disposed to abide by the
treaty of 1804. The Indians were there-
fore divided into the "war" and the
" peace " parties. Black Hawk says he
was informed, after he had gone to the war,
that his people, left on the west side of the
river, would be defenseless against the
United States forces in case they were at-
tacked ; and, having all the old men, the
women and the children on their hands to
provide for, a council was held, and it was
determined to have the latter go to St.
Louis and place themselves under the
" American" chief stationed there. Ac-
cordingly they went down, and were re-
ceived as the " friendly band " of Sacs and
Foxes, and were provided for and sent up
the Missouri River.

On Black Hawk's return from the British
army, he says that Keokuk was introduced
to him as the war chief of the braves then
in the village. On inquiry as to how he
became chief, there were given him the
particulars of his having killed a Sioux in
battle, which fact placed him among the
warriors, and of his having headed an ex-
pedition in defense of their village at Peoria.

128

HISTORY OF IOWA.

In person Keokuk was tall and of portly
bearing, and in speech he was an orator.
He did not master the English language,
however, and his interpreters were never
able to do him justice. He was a friend of
our Government, and always endeavored
to persuade the Indians that it was useless
to attack a nation so powerful as that "of
the United States.

The treaty of 1804 was renewed in 18 16,
which Black Hawk himself signed; but he
afterward held that he was deceived, and
that that treaty was not even yet binding.
But there was no further serious trouble
with the Indians until the noted " Black
Hawk war" of 1832, all of which took place
in Illinois and Wisconsin, with the expected
result — the defeat and capture of the great
chief, and the final, effectual and permanent
repulsion of all hostile Indians to the west
of the great Mississippi. Black Hawk died
October 3, 1838, at his home in this State,
and was buried there ; but his remains were
afterward placed in the museum of the His-
torical Society, where they were accident-
ally destroyed by fire.

More or less affecting the territory now
included within the State of Iowa, fifteen
treaties with the Indians have been made,
an outline of which is here given. In 1804,
when the whites agreed not to settle west
of the Mississippi on Indian lands. In 181 5,
with the Sioux, ratifying peace with Great
Britain and the United States; with the
Sacs, a treaty of a similar nature, and also
ratifying that of 1804, the Indians agreeing
not to join their brethren who, under Black
Hawk, had aided the British ; with the
Foxes, ratifying the treaty of 1804; the In-
dians agreeing to deliver up all their
prisoners; and with the Iowas, a treaty of
friendship. In 1816, with the Sacs of Rock
River, ratifying the treaty of 1804. In 1824,
with the Sacs and Foxes, the latter relin-
quishing all their lands in Missouri; and
that portion of the southeast corner of

Iowa known as the " half-breed tract " was
set off to the half-breeds. In 1825, placing
a boundary line between the Sacs and Foxes
on the south and the Sioux on the north.
In 1830, when that line was widened to
forty miles. Also, in the same year, with
several tribes, who ceded a large portion of
their possessions in the western part of the
State. In 1832, with the Winnebagoes, ex-
changing lands with them and providing a
school, larm, etc., for them. Also, in the
same year, the "Black Hawk purchase"
was made, of about 6,000,000 acres, along
the west side of the Mississippi from the
southern line of the State to the mouth of
the Iowa River. In 1836, with the Sacs and
Foxes, ceding Keokuk's reserve to the
United States. In 1837, with the same,
when another slice of territory, comprising
1,250000 acres, joining west of the forego-
ing tract, was obtained. Also, in the same
year, when these Indians gave up all their
lands allowed them under former treaties;
and finally, in 1842, when they relinquished
their title to all their lands west of the
Mississippi.

Before the whole of Iowa fell into the
hands of the United States Government
sundry white settlers had, under the Spanish
and French Governments, obtained and oc-
cupied several important claims within our
boundaries, which it may be well to notice
in brief. September 22, 1788, Julien Du-
buque, before mentioned, obtained a lease
of lands from the Fox Indians, at the point
now occupied by the city named after him.
This tract contained valuable lead ore, and
Dubuque followed mining. His claims,
however, as well as those to whom he after-
ward conveyed title, were litigated for
many years, with the final result of dis-
appointing the purchasers. In 1799 Louis
Honori obtained a tract of land about three
miles square where Montrose is now sit-
uated, and his title, standing through all
the treaties and being finally confirmed by

HISTORY OF IOWA.

129

the Supreme Court of the United States, is
the oldest legal title held by a white man
in the State of Iowa. A tract of 5,860 acres
in Clayton County was granted by the
Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Louisiana
in 1795 to Basil Girard, whose title was
made valid some time after the preceding
case was settled.

Other early settlers were : Mr. Johnson,
an agent of the American Fur Company,
who had a trading-post below Burlington.
Le Moliere, a French trader, had, in 1820,
a station at what is now Sandusky, in Lee
County, six miles above Keokuk. During
the same year Dr. Samuel C. Muir, a sur-
geon of the United States army, built a
cabin where the city of Keokuk now stands.
His marriage and subsequent life were so
romantic that we give the following bnet
sketch :

While stationed at a military post on the
Upper Mississippi, the post was visited by
a beautiful Indian maiden — whose native
name unfortunately has not been preserved
— who, in her dreams, had seen a white
brave unmoor his canoe, paddle it across
the river and come directly to her lodge.
She felt assured, according to the super-
stitious belief of her race, that in her dreams
she had seen her future husband, and had
come to the fort to find him. Meeting Dr.
Muir she instantly recognized him as the
hero of her dream, which, with childlike
innocence and simplicity, she related to
him. Her dream was, indeed, prophetic.
Charmed with Sophia's beauty, innocence
and devotion, the Doctor honorably mar-
ried her, but after a while the sneers and
gibes of his brother officers — less honorable
than he, perhaps— made him feel ashamed
of his dark-skinned wife, and when his regi-
ment was ordered down the river to Belle-
fontaine, it is said that he embraced the
opportunity to rid himself of her, and left
her, never expecting to see her again, and
little dreaming that she would have the

courage to follow him. But, with her in-
fant child, this intrepid wife and mother
started alone in her canoe, and after many
days of weary labor and a lonely journey of
900 miles, she at last reached him. She
afterward remarked, when speaking of this
toilsome journey down the river in search
of her husband, " When I got there I was
all perished away — so thin !" The Doctor,
touched by such unexampled devotion,
took her to his heart, and ever after until
his death treated her with marked respect.
She always presided at his table with grace
and dignity, but never abandoned her na-
tive style of dress. In i8io-'20 he was
stationed at Fort Edward, now Warsaw,
but the senseless ridicule of some of his
brother officers on account of his Indian
wife induced him to resign his commission.
He then built a cabin as above stated,
where Keokuk is now situated, and made
a claim to some land. This claim he leased
to Otis Reynolds and John Culver, of St.
Louis, and went to La Pointe (afterward
Galena), where he practiced his profession
for ten years, when he returned to Keokuk.
His Indian wife bore to him four children —
Louise, James, Mary and Sophia. Dr.
Muir died suddenly of cholera in 1832, but
left his property in such a condition that it
was soon wasted in vexatious litigation, and
his brave and faithful wife, left friendless
and penniless, became discouraged, and,
with her two younger children, disap-
peared. It is said she returned to her peo-
ple on the Upper Missouri.

The gentleman who had leased Dr.
Muir's claim at Keokuk subsequently em-
ployed as their agent Moses Stillwell, who
arrived with his family in 1828, and took
possession. His brothers-in-law, Amos and
Valencourt Van Ansdal, came with him
and settled near. Mr. Stillwell's daughter
Margaret (afterward Mrs. Ford) was born
in 183 1, at the foot of the rapids, called by
the Indians Puckashetuck. She was prob-

iy>

HISTORT OF IOWA.

ably the first white American child born in
Iowa.

In 1829 Dr. Isaac Gallaud made a settle-
ment on the Lower Rapids, at what is now
Nashville. The same year James S. Lang-
worthy, who had been engaged in lead-
mining at Galena since 1824, commenced
lead-mining in the vicinity of Dubuque. A
few others afterward came to that point as
miners, and they soon found it necessary to
hold a council and adopt some regulations
for their government and protection. The)'
met in 1830 on the bank of the river, by the
side of an old cottonwood drift log, at what
is now the Jones Street Levee in Dubuque,
and elected a committee, consisting of J. L.
Langworthy, H. F. Lander, James Mc-
Phetres, Samuel Scales and E. M. Wren,
who drafted a set of rules, which were
adopted by this, the first " Legislature" of
Iowa. They elected Dr. Jarote as their
officer to choose arbitrators for the settle-
ment of difficulties that might arise. These
settlers, however, were intruders upon In-
dian territory, and were driven off in 1832
by our Government, Colonel Zachary Tay-
lor commanding the troops. The Indians
returned and were encouraged to operate
the rich mines opened by the late white
occupants.

But in June of the same year the troops
were ordered to the east side of the Missis-
sippi to assist in the annihilation of the
very Indians whose rights they had been
protecting on the west side !

Immediately after the close of the Black
Hawk war and the negotiations of the treaty
in September, 1832, by which the Sacs and
Foxes ceded the tract known as the " Black
Hawk Purchase," the settlers, supposing
that now they had a right to re-enter the
territory, returned and took possession of
their claims, built cabins, erected furnaces
and prepared large quantities of lead for
market. But the prospects of the hardy
and enterprising settlers and miners were

again ruthlessly interfered with by the
Government, on the ground that the treaty
with the Indians would not go into force
until June 1, 1833, although they had with-
drawn from the vicinity of the settlement.
Colonel Taylor was again ordered by the
War Department to remove the miners,
and in January, 1833, troops were again
sent from Prairie du Chien to Dubuque for
that purpose. This was a serious and per-
haps unnecessary hardship imposed upon
the miners. They were compelled to aban-
don their cabins and homes in mid-winter.
This, too, was only out of respect for forms;
for the purchase had been made, and the
Indians had retired. After the lapse of
fifty years, no very satisfactory reason for
this rigorous action of the Government can
be given. But the orders had been given,
and there was no alternative but to obey.
Many of the settlers re-crossed the river,
and did not return ; a few, however, re-
moved to an island near the east bank of
the river, built rude cabins of poles, in
which to store their lead until spring, when
they could float the fruits of their labor to
St. Louis for sale, and where they could re-
main until the treaty went into force, when
they could return. Among these were the
Langworthy brothers, who had on hand
about 300,000 pounds of lead.

No sooner had the miners left than Lieu-
tenant Covington, who had been placed in
command at Dubuque by Colonel Taylor,
ordered some of the cabins of the settlers to
be torn down, and wagons and other prop-
erty to be destroyed. This wanton and
inexcusable action on the part of a subordi-
nate, clothed with a little brief authority,
was sternly rebuked by Colonel Taylor, and
Covington was superseded by Lieutenant
George Wilson, who pursued a just and
friendly course with the pioneers, that were
only waiting for the time when they could
repossess their claims.

The treaty went formally into effect June,

HISTORY OF IOWA.

>3'

1833, the troops were withdrawn, and the
Langworthy brothers and a few others at
once returned and resumed possession of
their homes and claims. From this time
must date the first permanent settlement of
this portion of Iowa. John P. Sheldon was
appointed superintendent of the mines by
the Government, and a system of permits
to miners and licenses to smelters was
adopted, similar to that which had been
in operation at Galena since 1825, under
Lieutenant Martin Thomas and Captain
Thomas C. Legate. Substantially the primi-
tive law enacted by the miners assembled
around that old Cottonwood drift log in
1830, was adopted and enforced by the
United States Government, except that
miners were required to sell their mineral
to licensed smelters, and the smelter was
required to give bonds for the payment of
6 per cent, of all lead manufactured to the
Government

About 500 people arrived in the mining
district in 1833, after the Indian title was
fully extinguished, of whom 150 were from
Galena. In the same year Mr. Langworthy
assisted in building the first school-house in
Iowa, and thus was formed the nucleus of
the populous and thriving city of Dubuque.
Mr. Langworthy lived to see the naked
prairie on which he first settled become the
site of a city of 15,000 inhabitants, the small
school-house which he aided in construct-
ing replaced by three substantial edifices,
wherein 2,000 children were being trained,
churches erected in every part of the city,
and railroads connecting the wilderness
which he first explored with all the eastern
world. He died suddenly on the 13th of
March, 1865, while on a trip over the Du-
buque & Southern Railroad, at Monticello,
and the evening train brought the news of
his death and his remains.

Lucius H. Langworthy, his brother, was
one of the most worthy, gifted and influ-
ential of the old settlers of this section of
11

Iowa. He died greatly lamented by many
friends, in June, 1865.

The name Dubuque was given to the
settlement by the miners, at a meeting held
in 1834.

Soon after the close of the Black Hawk
war in 1832, Zachariah Hawkins, Benjamin
Jennings, Aaron White, Augustine Horton,
Samuel Gooch, Daniel Thompson and Peter
Williams made claims at Fort Madison. In
1833 General John H. Knapp and Colonel
Nathaniel Knapp purchased these claims,
and in the summer of 1835 they laid out the
town of " Fort Madison." Lots were ex-
posed for sale early in 1836. The town was
subsequently re-surveyed and platted by
the United States Government. The popu-
lation rapidly increased, and in less than
two years the beautiful location was cov-
ered by a flourishing town, containing
nearly 600 inhabitants, with a large pro-
portion of enterprising merchants, mechan-
ics and manufacturers.

In the fall of 1832 Simpson S. White
erected a cabin on the site of Burlington,
seventy-nine miles below Rock Island.
During the war parties had looked long-
ingly upon the " Flint Hills" from the op-
posite side of the river, and White was
soon followed by others. David Tothers
made a claim on the prairie about three
miles back from the river, at a place since
known as the farm of Judge Morgan. The
following winter the settlers were driven
off by the military from Rock Island, as
intruders upon the rights of the Indians.
White's cabin was burned by the soldiers.
He returned to Illinois, where he remained
during the winter, and in the following
summer, as soon as the Indian title was ex-
tinguished, returned and rebuilt his cabin.
White was joined by his brother-in-law,
Doolittle, and they laid out the town of
Burlington in 1834, on a beautiful area of
sloping eminences and gentle declivities,
enclosed within a natural amphitheater

>3^

HISTORY OF IOWA.

formed by the surrounding hills, which
were crowned with luxuriant forests and
presented the most picturesque scenery.
The same autumn witnessed the opening of
the first dry-goods stores by Dr. W. R. Ross
and Major Jeremiah Smith, each well sup-
plied with Western merchandise. Such
was the beginning of Burlington, which in
less than four years became the seat of
government for the Territory of Wisconsin,
and in three years more contained a popu-
lation of 1,400 persons.

Immediately after the treaty with the
Sacs and Foxes, in September, 1832, Colonel
George Davenport made the first claim on
the site of the present thriving city of
Davenport. As early as 1827, Colonel
Davenport had established a flat-boat ferry,
which ran between the island and the main
shore of Iowa, by which he carried on a
trade with the Indians west of the Missis-
sippi. In 1833 Captain Benjamin W. Clark
moved from Illinois, and laid the founda-
tion of the town of Buffalo, in Scott County,
which was the first actual settlement within
the limits of that county.

The first settlers of Davenport were An-
toine Le Claire, Colonel George Davenport,
Major Thomas Smith, Major William Gor-
don, Philip Hambough, Alexander W. Mc-
Gregor, Levi S. Colton, Captain James May
and others.

A settlement was made in Clayton County
in the spring of 1832, on Turkey River, by
Robert Hatfield and William W. Wayman.
No further settlement was made in this pari
of the State until 1836.

The first settlers of Muscatine County
were Benjamin Nye, John Vanater and G.
VY. Kasey, all of whom came in 1834. E.
E. Fay, William St. John. N. Fullington,
II. Rcece, Jonas Pcttibone, R. P. Lowe,
Stephen Whicher, Abijah Whitney, J. E.
Fletcher, W. D. Abernethy and Alexis
Smith were also early settlers of Musca-
tine.

As early as 1824 a French trader named
Hart had established a trading-post, and
built a cabin on the bluffs above the large
spring now known as " Mynster Spring,"
within the limits of the present city of
Council Bluffs, and had probably been there
some time, as the post was known to the
employes of the American Fur Company
as " La Cote de Hart," or " Hart's Bluff."
In 1827 an agent of the American Fur
Company, Francis Guittar, with others,
encamped in the timber at the foot of the
bluffs, about on the present location of
Broadway, and afterward settled there. In
1839 a block house was built on the bluff in
the east part of the city. The Pottawat-
omie Indians occupied this part of the
State until i846~'7, when they relinquished
the territory and removed to Kansas. Billy
Caldwell was then principal chief. There
were no white settlers in that part of the
State except Indian traders, until the arri-
val of the Mormons under the lead of Brig-
ham Young. These people on their way
westward halted for the winter of i846-'7,
on the west bank of the Missouri River,
about five miles above Omaha, at a place
now called Florence. Some of them had
reached the eastern bank of the river the
spring before in season to plant a crop. In
the spring of 1847 Brigham Young and a
portion of the colony pursued their journey
to Salt Lake, but a large portion of them
returned to the Iowa side and settled mainly
within the present limits of Pottawatomie
County. The principal settlement of this
strange community was at a place first
called " Miller's Hollow," on Indian Creek,
and afterward named Kanesyille, in honor
of Colonel Thomas L. Kane, of Pennsyl-
vania, who visited them soon afterward.
The Mormon settlement extended over
the county and into neighboring counties,
wherever timber and water furnished de-
sirable locations. Orson Hyde, priest, law-
yer and editor, was installed as president

HISTORY OF IOWA.

'33

of the Quorum of Twelve, and all that part
of the State remained under Mormon con-
trol for several years. In 1847 the}' raised
a battalion numbering 500 men for the
Mexican war. In 1848 Hyde started a
paper called the Frontier Guardian, at
Kanesville. In 1849, after many of the
faithful had left to join Brigham Young at
Salt Lake, the Mormons in this section of
Iowa numbered 6,552, and in 1850, 7,828;
but they were not all within the limits of
Pottawatomie County. This county was
organized in 1848, all the first officials be-
ing Mormons. In 1852 the order was pro-
mulgated that all the true believers should
gather together at Salt Lake. Gentiles
flocked in, and in a few years nearly all
the first settlers were gone.

May 9, 1843, Captain James Allen, with
a small detachment of troops on board the
steamer lone, arrived at the site of the
present capital of the State, Des Moines.
This was the first steamer to ascend the Des
Moines River to this point. The troops
and stores were landed at what is now the
foot of Court avenue, and the Captain re-
turned in the steamer to Fort Sanford to
arrange for bringing up more soldiers and
supplies. In due time the}' too arrived,
and a fort was built near the mouth of Rac-
coon Fork, at its confluence with the Des
Moines, and named "Fort Des Moines."
Soon after the arrival of the troops, a trad-
ing-post was established on the east side of
the river by two noted Indian traders
named Ewing, from Ohio. Among the
first settlers in this part of Iowa were Ben-
jamin Bryant, J. B. Scott, James Drake
(gunsmith), John Sturtevant, Robert Kin-
zie, Alexander Turner, Peter Newcomer
and others.

PIONEER LIFE.

Most of the early settlers of Iowa came
from older States, as Pennsylvania, New
York and Ohio, where their prospects for

even a competency were very poor. They
found those States good — to emigrate from.
Their entire stock of furniture, implements
and family necessities were easily stored
in one wagon, and sometimes a cart was
their only vehicle.

After arriving and selecting a suitable
location, the next thing to do was to build
a log cabin, a description of which may be
interesting to many of our younger readers,
as in some sections these old-time struct-
ures are no more to be seen. Trees of
uniform size were chosen and cut into logs
of the desired length, generally twelve to
fifteen feet, and hauled to the spot selected
for the future dwelling. On an appointed
day the few neighbors who were available
would assemble and have a " house-raising."
Each end of every log was saddled and
notched so that they would lie as close down
as possible; the next day the proprietor,
would proceed to "chink" and "daub"
the cabin, to keep out the rain, wind and
cold. The house had to be re-daubed ev-
ery fall, as the rains of the intervening time
would wash out a great part of the mortar.
The usual height of the house was seven or
eight feet. The gables were formed by
shortening the logs gradually at each end
of the building near the top. The roof was
made by laying very straight small logs or
stout poles suitable distances apart, and on
these were laid the clapboards, somewhat
like shingling, generally about two and a
half feet to the weather. These clapboards
were fastened to their place by " weight-
poles " corresponding in place with the
joists just described, and these again were
held in their place by " runs" or " knees "
which were chunks of wood about eighteen
or twenty inches long fitted between them
near the ends. Clapboards were made
from the nicest oaks in the vicinity, by
chopping or sawing them into four-foot
blocks and riving these with a frow, which
was a simple blade fixed at right angles to

'34

HIS TORT OF IOWA.

its handles. This was driven into the
blocks of wood by a mallet. As the frow
was wrenched down through the wood,
the latter was turned alternately over from
side to side, one end being held by a forked
piece of timber.

The chimney to the Western pioneer's
cabin was made by leaving in the original
building a large open place in one wall, or
by cutting one after the structure was up,
and by building on the outside, from the
ground up, a stone column, or a column of
sticks and mud, the sticks being laid up
cob house fashion. The fire-place thus made
was often large enough to receive fire- wood
six to eight feet long. Sometimes this
wood, especially the " back-log," would be
nearly as large as a saw-log. The more
rapidly the pioneer could burn up the wood
in his vicinity the sooner he had his little
farm cleared and ready for cultivation.
For a window, a piece about two feet long
was cut out of one of the wall logs, and the
hole closed, sometimes by glass but gener-
ally with greased paper. Even greased deer-
hide was sometimes used. Adoorwav was
cut through one of the walls if a saw was to
be had; otherwise the door would be left
by shortened logs in the original building.
The door was made by pinning clapboards
to two or three wood bars, and was hung
upon wooden hinges. A wooden latch,
with catch, then finished the door, and the
latch was raised by any one on the outside
by pulling a leather string. For security
at night this latch-string was drawn in, but
for friends and neighbors, and even stran-
gers, the " latch-string was always hanging
out," as a welcome. In the interior over
the fire-place would be a shelf called "the
mantel," on which stood a candlestick or
lamp, some cooking and table ware, possi-
bly an old clock, and other articles; in the
fire-place would be the crane, sometimes of
iron, sometimes of wood; on it the pots were
hung for cooking; over the door, in forked

cleats, hung the ever-trustful rifle and pow-
der-horn; in one corner stood the larger bed
for the " old folks," and under it the
trundle-bed for the children; in another
stood the old-fashioned spinning-wheel,
with a smaller one by its side; in another the
heavy table, the only table, of course, there
was in the house; in the remaining was a
rude cupboard holding the tableware,
which consisted of a few cups and saucers,
and blue-edged plates, standing singly on
their edges against the back, to make the
display of table-furniture more conspicu-
ous; while around the room were scattered
a few splint-bottom or Windsor chairs, and
two or three stools.

These simple cabins were inhabited by a
kind and true-hearted people. They were
strangers to mock modesty, and the traveler
seeking lodging for the night, or desirous
of spending a few days in the community,
if willing to accept the rude offering, was
always welcome, although how they were
disposed of at night the reader might not
easily imagine; for, as described, a single
room was made to answer for kitchen,
dining-room, sitting-room, bed-room and
parlor, and many families consisted of six
or eight members.

The bed was very often made by fixing a
post in the floor about six feet from one
wall and four feet from the adjoining wall,
and fastening a stick to this post about
two feet above the floor, on each of two
sides, so that the other end of each of the
two sticks could be fastened in the oppo-
site wall; clapboards were laid across these,
and thus the bed was made complete.
Guests were given this bed, while the fam-
ily disposed of themselves in another cor-
ner of the room or in the loft. When
several guests were on hand at once they
were sometimes kept over night in the fol-
lowing manner: When bedtime came the
men were requested to step out of doors
while the women spread out a broad bed

HIS TORT OF IOWA.

135

upon the mid floor, and put themselves
to bed in the center; the signal was given,
and the men came in and each husband took
his place in bed next his own wife, and
single men outside beyond them again.
They were generally so crowded that they
had to lie "spoon " fashion, and whenever
anyone wished to turn over he would say
"spoon," and the whole company of sleep-
ers would turn over at once. This was the
only way they could all keep in bed.

To witness the various processes of cook-
ing in those days would alike surprise and
amuse those who have grown up since
cooking stoves and ranges came into use.
Kettles were hung over the large fire, sus-
pended with pot-hooks, iron or wooden,
on the crane, or on poles, one end of which
would rest upon a chain. The long-hand-
led frying pan was used for cooking meat.
It was either held over the blaze by hand
or set down upon coals drawn out upon
the hearth. This pan was also used for
baking pancakes, also call flapjacks, batter-
cakes, etc. A better article for this, how-
ever, was the cast-iron spider, or Dutch
skillet. The best thing for baking bread
in those days, and possibly even in these
latter days, was the flat-bottomed bake
kettle, of greater depth, with closely fitting
cast-iron cover, and commonly known as the
Dutch oven. With coals over and under it,
bread and biscuits would be quickly and
nicely baked. Turkey and spare-ribs were
sometimes roasted before the fire, sus-
pended by a string, a dish being placed
underneath to catch the drippings.

Hominy and samp were very much used.
The hominy, however, was generally hulled
corn — boiled corn from which the hull or
bran had been taken by hot lye, hence
sometimes called lye hominy. True hom-
iny and samp were made of pounded corn.
A popular method of making this, as well
as real meal for bread, was to cut out or
burn a large hole in the top of a huge

stump, in the shape of a mortar, and pound-
ing the corn in this by a maul or beetle
suspended by a swing pole like a well-
sweep. This and the wellsweep consisted
of a pole twenty to thirty feet long fixed in
an upright fork so that it could be worked
" teeter " fashion. It was a rapid and sim-
ple way of drawing water. When the samp
was sufficiently pounded it was taken
out, the bran floated off, and the delicious
grain boiled like rice.

The chief articles of diet in an early day
were corn bread, hominy or samp, venison,
pork, honey, pumpkin (dried pumpkin for
more than half the year), turkey, prairie
chicken, squirrel and some other game,
with a few additional vegetables a portion
of the year. Wheat bread, tea, coffee and
fruit were luxuries not to be indulged in
except on special occasions, as when visit-
ors were present.

Besides cooking in the manner described,
the women had many other arduous duties
to perform, one of the chief of which was
spinning. The big wheel was used for
spinning vain and the little wheel for spin-
ning flax. These stringed instruments fur-
nished the principal music for the family,
and were operated by our mothers and
grandmothers with great skill, attained
without pecuniary expense, and with far
less practice than is necessary for the girls
of our period to acquire a skillful use of
their costly and elegant instruments. But
those wheels, indispensable a few years ago,
are all now superseded by the mighty fac-
tories which overspread the country, fur-
nishing cloth of all kinds at an expense ten
times less than would be incurred now by
the old system.

The traveler always found a welcome at
the pioneer's cabin. It was never full.
Although there might be already a guest
for every puncheon, there was still " room
for one more," and a wider circle would be
made for the new-comer at the big fire. If

136

HISTORY OF IOWA.

the stranger was in search of land, he was
doubly welcome, and his host would vol-
unteer to show him all the " first rate claims
in this neck of the woods," going with him
for days, showing the corners and advan-
tages of every " Congress tract " within a
dozen miles of his own cabin.

To his neighbors the pioneer was equally
liberal. If a deer was killed, the choicest
bits were sent to his nearest neighbor, a
half-dozen miles away perhaps. When a
pig was butchered, the same custom pre-
vailed. If a new-comer came in too late
for " cropping," the neighbors would sup-
ply his table with just the same luxuries
they themselves enjoyed, and in as liberal
quantity, until a crop could be raised.
When a new-comer had located his claim,
the neighbors for miles around would
assemble at the site of the proposed cabin
and aid himin " gittm " it up. One party
with axes would cut down the trees and
hew the logs; another with teams would
haul the logs to the ground; another party
would " raise " the cabin; while several
of the old men would rive the clap-boards
for the roof. By night the little forest
domicile would be up and ready lor a
" house-warming," which was the dedica-
tory occupation of the house, when music
and dancing and festivity would be enjoyed
at full height. The next day the new-comer
would be as well situated as his neighbors.

An instance of primitive hospitable man-
ners will be in place here. A traveling
Methodist preacher arrived in a distant
neighborhood to fill an appointment. The
house where services were to be held did not
belong to a church member, but no matter
for that. Boards were collected from all
quarters with which to make temporary
seats, one of the neighbors volunteering to
lead off in the work, while the man of the
house, with the faithful rifle on his shoulder,
sallied forth in quest of meat, for this truly
was a " ground hog " case, the preacher

coming and no meat in the house. The
host ceased not to chase until he found the
meat, in the shape of a deer; returning he
sent a boy out after it, with directions on
what " pint " to find it. After services,
which had been listened to with rapt atten-
tion by all the audience, mine host said to
his wife, " Old woman, I reckon this 'ere
preacher is pretty hungry and you must
git him a bite to eat." " What shall I get
him?" asked the wife, who had not seen
the deer, " thar's nuthen in the house to
eat." " Why, look thar," returned he,
" thar's a deer, and thar's plenty of corn in
the field; you git some corn and grate it
while I skin the deer, and we'll have a
good supper for him." It is needless to add
that yenison and corn bread made a sup-
per fit for any pioneer preacher, and was
thankfully eaten.

Fires set out by Indians or settlers some-
times purposely and sometimes permitted
through carelessness, would visit the prai-
rie every autumn, and sometimes the for-
ests, either in autumn or spring, and settlers
could not always succeed in defending
themselves against the destroying element.
Many interesting incidents are related.
Often a fire was started to bewilder game,
or to bare a piece of ground for the early
grazing of stock the ensuing spring, and it
would get away under a wind and soon
be beyond control. Violent winds would
often arise and drive the flames, with such
rapidity that riders on the fleetest steeds
could scarcely escape. On the approach
of a prairie fire the farmer would immedi-
ately set about " cutting off supplies " for
the devouring enemy by a " back fire."
Thus by startitjg a small fire near the bare
ground about his premises, and keeping it
under control next his property, he would
burn off a strip around him and prevent the
attack of the on-coming flames. A few
furrows or a ditch around the farm were
in some degrees a protection.

HISTORY OF IOWA.

137

An original prairie of tall and exuberant
grass on fire, especially at night, was a mag-
nificent spectacle, enjoyed only by the
pioneer. Here is an instance where the
frontiersman, proverbially deprived of the
sights and pleasures of an old community,
is privileged far beyond the people of the
present day in this country. One could
scarcely tire of beholding the scene, as its
awe-inspiring features seemed constantly to
increase, and the whole panorama unceas-
ingly changed like the dissolving views of
a magic lantern, or like the aurora borealis.
Language cannot convey, words cannot
express, the faintest idea of the splendor
and grandeur of such a conflagration at
night. It was as if the pale queen of night,
disdaining to take her accustomed place in
the heavens, had dispatched myriads upon
myriads of messengers to light their torches
at the altar of the setting sun until all had
flashed into one long and continuous blaze.
One instance has been described as follows:

" Soon the fires began to kindle wider
and rise higher from the long grass; the
gentle breeze increased to stronger currents,
and soon formed the small, flickering blaze
into fierce torrent flames, which curled up
and leaped along in resistless splendor; and
like quickly raising the dark curtain from
the luminous stage, the scenes before me
were suddenly changed, as if by a magi-
cian's wand, into one boundless amphithea-
ter, blazing from earth to heaven and
sweeping the horizon round, — columns of
lurid flames sportively mounting up to the
zenith, and dark clouds of crimson smoke
curling away and aloft till they nearly ob-
scured stars and moon, while the rushing,
crashing sounds, like roaring cataracts,
minsfled with distant thunders, were almost
deafening; danger, death, glared all around;
it screamed for victims; yet, notwithstand-
ing the imminent peril of prairie fires, one
is loth, irresolute, almost unable to with-
draw or seek refuge.

LOUISIANA TERRITORY.

As before mentioned, although De Soto,
a Spaniard, first took possession of the Mis-
sissippi Valley for his Government, Spain
did not establish her title to it by following
up the proclamation with immediate settle-
ments, and the country fell into the hands
of France, by whose agent it was named
" Louisiana."

By the treaty of Utrecht, France ceded
to England her possessions in Hudson's
Bav. Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, but
retained Canada and Louisiana. In 171 1
this province was placed in the hands of a
governor-general, with headquarters at
Mobile, for the purpose of applying a new
policy for the settlement and development
of the country. The very next year ano-
ther change was made, placing all this ter-
ritory in the hands of Anthony Crozat, a
wealthy merchant of Paris, but this scheme
also failed, as Spain continued to obstruct
the efforts of any Frenchman to establish
trade, by closing the ports against him. In
1 7 1 7 John Law appeared on the scene with
his famous " Mississippi Company," as the
Louisiana branch of the Bank of France ;
and as his roseate scheme promised to do
much in raising crippled France upon a
surer footing, extended powers and privi-
leges were granted him. He was to be
practically a viceroy, and the life of his
charter was fixed at twenty-five years. But
in 1720, when the " Mississippi bubble" was
at the height of its splendor, it suddenly
collapsed, leaving the mother country in a
far worse condition than before.

Heretofore Louisiana had been a sub-
ordinate dependence, under the jurisdiction
of the Governor-General of Canada. Early
in 1723 the province of Louisiana was
erected into an independent Government,
and it was divided into nine districts, for
civil and military purposes.

Characteristic of human nature, the peo-
ple were more excited with prospects of

138

HISTORY OF IOWA.

finding enormous wealth ready at hand, if
they should continue to scour the country,
which they did in places as far west as the
Rocky Mountains, to the neglect of their
agricultural and domestic interests. A habit
of roaming became fixed. At the same time
their exposed condition was a constant
temptation to Indian rapine, and the Nat-
chez tribe in 1723 made a general assault
upon the whites. At first they were re-
pulsed, but about five years afterward,
aided by the Chickasaws and others, they
fell upon the French village of St. Catha-
rine and massacred the whole male popu-
lation. Two soldiers, who happened to be
in the woods, alone escaped to New Or-
leans, to bear the news. The colonies on
the Yazoo and the Washita suffered the
same fate. Maddened by these outrages,
the whites turned upon the Natchez and in
the course of three years exterminated
them. They were probably the most in-
telligent tribe of Indians north of Mexico.

During the fifteen years from 1717 to
1732 the province increased in population
from 700 to 5,000, and in prosperity to a
wonderful degree. It remained under royal
governors until 1764. the end of the French
dominion. Most of this time the Indians
were troublesome, and in 1754 began the
long "French and Indian war" with Eng-
land, which resulted in favor of the latter,
that Government obtaining all of New
France, Canada, and the eastern half of
Louisiana. This province did not suffer
by being the scene of battle, but did suffer
a great deal from a flood of irredeemable
paper money. In the meantime the western
portion, or residue, of this province was
secretly promised to Spain ; but before
either of the foreign powers had opportu-
nity to rejoice long in their western posses-
sions, a new power on earth, the United
States, took independent possession of all
the country except Louisiana and Florida,
which it has maintained ever since. During

the seventy years of French control the
province of Louisiana increased in popula-
tion from a few destitute fishermen to a
flourishing colony of 13,540.

St. Louis, Missouri, was started in 1764.

Don O'Reilly, the new Governor of Loui-
siana in 1764, ruled with a despotic hand,
yet for the general advantage of the peo-
ple. His successor, Don Antonio Maria
Bucarelly, was mild, and he was succeeded
January 1, 1777, by Don Bernard de Gal-
vez, who was the last Governor. He sym-
pathized with American independence. The
British, with 140 troops and 1,400 Indians,
invaded Upper Louisiana from the north
by way of the Straits of Mackinaw, and in-
vested St. Louis, Missouri, in 1780, but
were driven off. When the Indians saw
that they were led to fight " Americans" as
well as Spaniards, they found that they had
been deceived, and withdrew from the
British army, and thus General George R.
Clark, in behalf of the Americans, easily
defended St. Louis, and also all the new
settlements in this western country.

After the Revolutionary war the country
began again to prosper. Governor Galvez,
by a census, ascertained that Louisiana had
in 1785 a population of about. 33,000, exclu-
sive of Indians.

In the summer of the latter year Don
Estavan Miro became Governor pro tern, of
the Spanish possessions in this country, and
was afterward confirmed as such by the
king. During his administration a vain
attempt was made b}- the Catholics to
establish the inquisition at New Orleans.
He was succeeded in 1792 by Baron de
Carondelet, and during his term the Spanish
colonies grew so rapidly that their Govern-
ment became jealous of the United States
and sought to exclude all interference from
them in domestic affairs ; but all efforts in
this direction were ended in 1795 by the
treaty of Madrid, which, after some delay
and trouble, was fully carried out in 1798.

HISTORY OF IOWA.

'39

Under the leadership of Livingston and
Monroe, the United States Government,
after various propositions had been dis-
cussed by the respective powers, succeeded
in effecting, in 1803, a purchase of the whole
of Louisiana from France for $11,250,000,
and all this country west of the great river
consisted of the " Territory of Orleans "
(now the State of Louisiana) and the " Dis-
trict of Louisiana " (now the States of Ar-
kansas, Missouri and Iowa, and westward
indefinitely). The latter was annexed to the
Territory of Indiana for one year, and in
1805 it was erected into a separate Terri-
tory, of the second class, the legislative
power being vested in the Governor and
judges. Before the close of the year it was
made a Territory of the first class, under
the name of the " Territory of Louisiana,"
the Government being administered by the
Governor and judges. The first Governor
wasjames Wilkinson, and he was succeeded
near the close of 1806 by Colonel Meri-
weather Lewis, the seat of Government be-
ing at St. Louis ; and during his adminis-
tration the Territory was divided into six
judicial districts or large counties — St.
Charles, St. Louis, St. Genevieve, Cape
Girardeau, New Madrid and Arkansas. In
1810 the population of Louisiana Territory
was 21,000, five-sevenths of whom were in
Arkansas.

In 1812 the State of Louisiana was ad-
mitted into the Union, and then it was
deemed expedient to change the name of
the Territory. It was accordingly given
the name of " Missouri Territory," which it
retained until the admission of the State of
Missouri in 1821.

IOWA TERRITORY.

Although the " Northwestern Territory"
— carved out of Virginia and now divided
into the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan and Wisconsin — never included

Iowa, this State was in 1834 incorporated
12

into the "Territory of Michigan," and thus
became subject to the ordinance of 1787;
and two years later it was made a part of
" Wisconsin Territory," and two years still
later, in 1838, the "Territory of Iowa"
was formed independently, with sixteen
counties and a population of 23,000.

In 1833, at Dubuque, a postoffice was
established, and some time prior to 1834
one or two justices of the peace had been
appointed. In 1834 the Territorial Legis-
lature of Michigan created two counties
west of the Mississippi — Dubuque and Des
Moines — separated by a line drawn west-
ward from the foot of Rock Island. These
counties were partially organized. John
King was appointed " Chief Justice" of Du-
buque County, and Isaac Leffler, of Bur-
lington, of Des Moines County. Two
associate justices in each county were ap-
pointed by the Governor. In October,
1835, General George W. Jones, of Du-
buque, was elected a delegate to Congress.
April 20, 1836, through the efforts of Gen-
eral Jones, Congress passed a bill creating
the Territory of Wisconsin, which went
into operation July 4, that year. Iowa was
then included in that Territory, of which
General Henry Dodge was appointed Gov-
ernor. The census of 1836 showed a popu-
lation in Iowa of 10,531, of which 6,257
were in Des Moines County and 4,274 in
Dubuque County.

Ths first Legislature assembled at Bel-
mont, Wisconsin, October 25, 1836; the
second at Burlington, Iowa, November 9,
1837 ; and the third, also at the latter place,
June 1, 1838.

As earl}' as 1837 the people of Iowa be-
gan to petition Congress for a separate
Territorial organization, which was granted
June 12 following. Ex-Governor Lucas, of
Ohio, was appointed by President Van Bu-
ren to be the first Governor of the new
Territory. Immediately upon his arrival
he issued a proclamation for the election of

140

HISTOFtr OF IOWA.

members of the first Territorial Legislature,
to take place September 10. The following
were elected :

Council. — Jesse B. Brown, J. Keith, E.
A. M. Swazey, Arthur Ingram, Robert
Ralston. George Hepner. Jesse J. Payne,
D. B. Hughes, James M. Clark. Charles
Whittlesey, Jonathan W. Parker, Warner
Lewis, Stephen Hempstead.

House. — Wm. Patterson, Hawkins Tay-
lor, Calvin J. Price, James Brierly, James
Hall, Gideon S. Bailey, Samuel Parker,
James W. Grimes, George Temple, Van B.
Delashmutt, Thomas Blair, George II.
Beeler, Wm. G. Coop. Wm. H. Wallace,
Asbury B. Porter, John Frierson, Wm. L.
Toole, Levi Thornton, S. C. Hastings,
Robert G. Roberts, Laurel Summers,
Jabez A. Burchard, Jr., Chauncey Swan.
Andrew Barikson, Thomas Cox and Har-
din Nowlin.

At the session of the above Legislature
Wm. W. Chapman was elected delegate
to Congress. As the latter body had given
the Governor unlimited veto power, and
as Governor Lucas was disposed to exer-
cise it arbitrarily, the independent " I lawk-
eyes " grew impatient under his administra-
tion, and. afterhaving a stormy session For
a time, they had Congress to limit the veto
power. Great excitement also prevailed,
both in the Legislature and among the
people, concerning the question of the lot a
tion ol the seat of Government for the
State. Asilicy knew nothing concerning
the great future development and extent of
the State, tlicv had no correct idea where
the geographical center would or should
be. The Black I lawk purchase, which was
that strip o! land next the Mississippi, in
the southeastern part of the State, was the
full extent and horizon of their idea of the
new commonwealth. Hence they thought
fii-t only of Burlington or Mount Pleasant
as the capital. Indeed, at that time, the
Indians had possession of the rest of Iowa.

But a few of the more shrewd foresaw
that a more central location would soon be
further to the north at least, if not west,
and a point in Johnson County was ulti-
mately decided upon.

Commissioners, appointed by the Gov-
ernor, selected the exact site, laid out a sec-
tion of land into a town, sold lots and
proceeded to erect the public buildings.
The capitol was commenced in 1840 and
Iowa City became thenceforward the capi-
tal of the State. The fourth Legislative
Assembly met at this place December 6,
1841. but not in the new capitol building,
as it was not yet ready. Being somewhat
difficult to raise the necessary funds, the
building was not completed for several
years. The early Territorial Legislatures
of Iowa laid the foundation for a very just
and liberal Government, far in advance of
what had ever been done before by any
State.

About this time a conflict arose between
this Territory and Missouri concerning the
boundary line between them. There was
a difference of a strip eight or ten miles
wide, extending from the Mississippi to the
Missouri rivers, which each claimed. Mis-
souri officers, attempting to collect taxes
within the disputed territory, were arrested
and confined in jail by Iowa sheriffs, and
the respective Governors called out the
militia, preparing for bloodshed. About
1,200 Iowa men enlisted, and 500 were act-
ually armed and encamped in Van Buren
County, ready to defend their Territory,
when three prominent and able men were
sent to Missouri as envoys plenipotentiary
to effect, if possible, a peaceable adjustment
of the difficulty. Upon their arrival, they
found that the county commissioners of
Clark County, Missouri, had rescinded their
order for the collection of the taxes, and that
Governor Boggs had dispatched messen-
gers to the Governor of Iowa proposing to
submit an agreed case to the Supreme

HISTORT OF IOWA.

141

Court of the United States for the set t le-
nient of the boundary question. This prop-
osition was declined; but afterward, upon
petition ol Iowa and Missouri, Congress
authorized a suit to settle the controversy.
The suit was duly instituted, and resulted
in the decision that Iowa had only asserted
" the truth of history," and she knew where
the rapids of the Des Moines River were
located. Thus ended the Missouri war.
" There was much good sense," says Hon.
C. C. Nourse, "in the basis upon which
peace was secured, to-wit: ' If Missourians
did not know where the rapids of the river
Des Moines were located, that was no suffi-
cient reason for killing them off with powder
and lead; and if we did know a little more of
history and geography than they did we
ought not to be shot for our learning. We
commend our mutual forbearance to older
and greater people.' " Under an order
from the Supreme Court of the United
States commissioners surveyed and estab-
lished the boundary. The expenses of the
war, on the part of Iowa, were never paid,
either by the United States or the Territo-
rial Government.

STATE ORGANIZATION AND SUBSEQUENT
HISTORY.

The population having become, by the
year 1844, sufficient to justify the formation
of a State Government, the Territorial Leg-
islature of Iowa passed an act, approved
February 12, that year, submitting to the
people the question of the formation of a
State Constitution and providing for the
election of delegates to a convention to be
called together for that purpose. The
people voted upon this at their township
elections in the following April, giving the
measure a large majority. The elected
delegates assembled in convention at Iowa
City, October 7, 1844, and completed their
work by November 1. Hon. Shepherd
Leffler, the President of this convention,

was instructed to transact a certified copy
of the proposed Constitution to the Dele-
gate in Congress, to be submitted by him
to that body at the earliest practicable day.
It also provided that it should be submitted,
together with any conditions or changes
that might be made by Congress, to the
people of the Territory, for their approval
or rejection, at the township election in
April, 1845.

The Constitution, as thus prepared, fixed
the boundaries of the State very differently
from what were finally agreed upon.

May 4, 1846,3 second convention met at
Iowa City, and on the 18th of the same
month another Constitution, prescribing the
boundaries as they now are, was adopted.
This was accepted by the people, August
3, by a vote of 9,492 to 9,036. The new
Constitution was approved by Congress,
and Iowa was admitted as a sovereign
State in the American Union, December
28, 1846. The people of the State, antici-
pating favorable action by Congress, held
an election for State officers October 26
which resulted in Ansel Briggs being de-
clared Governor; Elisha Cutler, Jr., Secre-
tary of State; Joseph T. Fales, Auditor;
Morgan Reno, Treasurer; and members of
the Senate and House of Representatives.

The act of Congress which admitted
Iowa gave her the 16th section of every
township of land in the State, or its equiv-
alent, for the support of schools; also
seventy-two sections of land for the pur-
pose of a university; also five sections of
land for the completion of her public build-
ings; also the salt springs within her limits,
not exceeding twelve in number, with sec-
tions of land adjoining each; also, in con-
sideration that her public lands should be
exempt from taxation by the State, she
gave to the State five per cent, of the net
proceeds of the sale of public lands within
the State. Thus provided for as a bride
with her marriage portion, Iowa com-

'42

HISTORY OF IOWA.

menced " housekeeping " upon her own
account.

A majority of the Constitutional Conven-
tion of 1846 were of the Democratic party;
and the instrument contains some of the
peculiar tenets of the party at that day.
All banks of issue were prohibited within
the State. The State was prohibited from
becoming a stockholder in any corporation
for pecuniary profit, and the General As-
sembly could only provide for private cor-
porations by general statutes. The Consti-
tution also limited the State's indebtedness
to §100,000. It required the General As-
sembly to provide public schools through-
out the State for at least three months in
the year. Six months* previous residence
ol any white male citizen of the United
States constituted him an elector.

At the time oi organization as a State,
Iowa had a population of 116,651, as appears
by the census of 1847. There were twenty-
seven organized counties in the State, and
the settlements were rapidly pushing to-
ward the Missouri River.

The tirst General Assembly was com-
posed of nineteen Senators and forty Rep-
resentatives. It assembled at Iowa Citv,
November 30. 1S46, about a month before
the State was admitted into the Union.

The most important business transacted
was the passage ol a bill authorizing a loan
ol $50,000 for means to run the State Gov-
ernment ami pay the expenses of the Con-
stitutional conventions. The great excite-
ment of the session, However, was the
attempt to choose United States Senators.
The Whigs had a majority of two in the
House, and the Democrats a majority "1
one in the Senate. After repeated attempts
to control these majorities for caucus nom-
inees and frequent sessions of a joint con-
vention for purposes of an election, the
attempt was abandoned. A school law was
passed at this session for the organization
of public schools in the State.

At the first session also arose the ques-
tion of the re-location of the capital. The
western boundary of the State, as now
determined, left Iowa City too far toward
the eastern and southern boundary of the
State; this was conceded. Congress had
appropriated five sections of land for the
erection of public buildings, and toward the
close of the session a bill was introduced
providing for the re-location of the seat of
Government, involving to some extent the
location of the State University, which had
already been discussed. This bill gave rise
to much discussion and parliamentary ma-
neuvering, almost purely sectional in its
character. It provided for the appointment
of three commissioners, who were author-
ized to make a location as near the geo-
graphical center of the State as a healthy
and eligible site could be obtained; to select
the five sections of land donated by Con-
gress; to survey and plat into town lots not
exceeding one section of the land so se-
lected, etc. Soon after, by " An act to
locate and establish a State University,''
approved February 25, 1847. the unfinished
public buildings at Iowa City, together
with ten acres of land on which they were
situated, were granted for the use of the
University, reserving their use, however,
li\ the General Assembly and the State
officers, until other provisions were made
by law.

When the report of the commissioners,
showing their financial operations, had
been read in the House of Representa-
tives, at the next session, and while it was
under consideration, an indignant member,
afterward known as the eccentric Judge
McFarland, moved to refer the report to a
select committee of five, with instructions
to report " how much of said city of Mon-
roe was under water, and how much was
burned." The report was referred with-
out the instructions, but Monroe City never
became ili>- ^-.^ "i Government Bv an

HISTORY OF IOWA.

•43

act approved January 15, 1849, the law by
which the location had been made was re-
pealed and the new town was vacated, the
money paid by purchasers of lots being re-
funded to them. This, of course, retained
the seat of Government at Iowa City, and
precluded for the time the occupation of
the building and grounds by the University.

After the adjournment of the first Gen-
eral Assembly, the Governor appointed
Joseph Williams, Chief Justice, and George
Green and John F. Kinney, Judges of the
Supreme Court. Thev were afterward
elected by the second General Assembly,
and constituted the Supreme Court until
1855, with the exception that Kinney re-
signed in January, 1854, and J. C. Hall, of
Burlington, was appointed in his place.

At this session Charles Mason, William
G. Woodward and Stephen Hempstead
were appointed commissioners to prepare a
code of laws for the State. Their work
was finished in 1850 and was adopted by
the General Assembly. This " code " con-
tained among other provisions a code of
civil practice, superseding the old common-
law forms of actions and writs, and it was
admirable for its simplicity and method. It
remained in force until 1863, when it was
superseded by the more complicated and
metaphysical system of the revision of that
year.

The first Representatives in Congress
were S. Clinton Hastings, of Muscatine,
and Shepherd Leffler, of Des Moines
County. The second General Assembly
elected to the United States Senate Au-
gustus Ceesar Dodge and George W. Jones.
The State government, after the first ses-
sion, was under the control of Democratic
administrations till 1855. The electoral vote
of the State was cast for Lewis Cass in 1848,
and for Franklin Pierce in 1852. The popu-
lar vote shows that the Free-Soil element
of the State during this period very nearly
held the balance of power, and that up to

1854 it acted in the State elections to some
extent with the Democratic party. In 1858
Lewis Cass received 12,093 votes, Zachary
Taylor 11,034, and Martin Van Buren, the
Free-Soil candidate, 1,226 votes, being 167
less than a majority for Cass. In 1852
Pierce received 17,762 votes, Scott 15,855,
and Hale, Free-Soil, 1,606, being for Pierce
301 votes more than a majority.

The question of the permanent location
of the seat of government was not settled,
and in 185 1 bills were introduced for the
removal of the capital to Pella and to Fort
Des Moines. The latter appeared to have
the support of the majority, but was finally
lost in the House on the question of order-
ing it to its third reading.

At the next session, in 1853, a bill was
introduced in the Senate for the removal of
the seat of government to Fort Des Moines,
and on first vote was just barely defeated.
At the next session, however, the effort was
more successful, and January 15, 1855, a
bill re-locating the capital within two miles
of the Raccoon Fork of the Des Moines,
and for the appointment of commissioners,
was approved by Governor Grimes. The
site was selected in 1856, in accordance
with the provisions of this act, the land
being donated to the State by citizens and
property-holders of Des Moines. An asso-
ciation of citizens erected a building for a
temporary capitol, and leased it to the State
at a nominal rent.

The passage by Congress of the act or-
ganizing the Territories of Kansas and Ne-
braska, arM the provision it contained abro-
gating that portion of the Missouri bill that
prohibited slavery and involuntary servi-
tude north of 36 30' was the beginning of
a political revolution in the Northern States,
and in none was it more marked than in the
State of Iowa. Iowa was the " first free
child born of the Missouri Compromise,"
and has always resented the destruction oi
her foster parent.

'44

HISIORT OF IOWA.

The year 1856 marked a new era in the his-
tory o( Iowa. In 1854 the Chicago & Rock
Island Railroad had been completed to the
east bank of the Mississippi River, opposite
Davenport. In the same year the corner-
stone of a railroad bridge that was to be the
first to span the " Father of Waters," was
laid with appropriate ceremonies at this
point. St. Louis had resolved that the
enterprise was unconstitutional, and by
writs of injunction made an unsuccessful
effort to prevent its completion. Twenty
years later in her history, St. Louis re-
pented her folly, and made atonement for
her sin In* imitating Iowa's example. Jan-
uary I, 1856, this railroad was completed to
Iowa Citv. In the meantime, two Othe/
railroads had reached the east bank of the
Mississippi -one opposite Burlington, and
one opposite Dubuque ami these were be-
ing extended into the interior of the State.
Indeed, lour other lines of railroads had
been projected across the State from the
Mississippi to the Missouri, having eastern
connections.

May 15, 1856, Congress passed an act
granting to the State, to aid in the con-
struction of railroads, the public lands in
alternate sections, six miles on either side
ol the proposed Lines. An extra session of
the General Assembly was called in July ol
this year, that disposed of the grant to the
several companies thai proposed to com-
plete these enterprises. The population of
Iowa was now 500,000. Public attention
had been called to the necessity of a rail-
road across the continent. The •position "I
Iowa, in the very heart and center ol t lit-
republic, on the route of this great high-
way of the continent, began to attract atten-
tion. Cities and towns sprang up through
the State as if by magic. Capital began to |
pour into the State, and had it been em-
ployed in developing the vast coal measures
and establishing manufactories, or if it had
been expended in improving the lands, and

in building houses and barns, it would have
been well. But all were in haste to get
rich, and the spirit of speculation ruled the
hour.

In the meantime, every effort was made
to help the speedy completion of the rail-
roads. Nearly everv county and city on
the Mississippi, and many in the interior,
voted large corporate subscriptions to the
stock of the railroad companies, and issued
their negotiable bonds for the amount.
Thus enormous count)' and city debts were
incurred, the payment of which these mu-
nicipalities tried to avoid, upon the plea
that they had exceeded the constitutional
limitation of their powers. The Supreme
Court of the United States held these bonds
to be valid, and the courts by mandamus
compelled the city and counts authorities
to lew taxes to pay the judgments re-
covered upon them. These debts are not
all paid, even to this day ; but the worst is
over, and the incubus is in the course of
ultimate extinction. The most valuable
lessons are those learned in the school of
experience, and accordingly the corpora-
tions of Iowa have ever since been noted
lor economy.

In 1856 the popular vote was as follows:
Fremont, 43,954; Buchanan, 36,170, and
Fillmore, 9,180. This was 1,296 less than a
majority for Fremont. The following year
an election was held, after an exciting cam-
paign, for State officers, resulting in a ma-
jority of 1,406 for Ralph P. Lowe, the Re-
publican nominee. The Legislature was
largely Republican in both branches.

One of the most injurious results to the
State, arising from the spirit of speculation
prevalent in 1856, was the purchase and
entry of great bodies of Government land
within the State by non-residents. This
land was held for speculation and placed
beyond the reach of actual settlers for many
years. From no other one cause has Iowa
suffered so much as from the short-sighted

HISTORY OF IOWA.

policy of the Federal Government in selling
lands within her borders. The money
thus obtained by the Federal Government
has been comparatively inconsiderable.
The value of this magnificent public do-
main to the United States was not in the
few thousands of dollars she might exact
from the hardy settlers, or that she might
obtain from the speculator who hoped to
profit by the settlers' labors in improving
the country. Statesmen should have taken
a broader and more comprehensive view of
national economy, and a view more in har-
mony with the divine economy that had
prepared these vast fertile plains of the
West for the " homes of men and the seats
of empire." It was here that new States
were to be builded up. that should be the
future strength of the nation against foreign
invasion or home revolt. A single regi-
ment of Iowa soldiers during the dark days
of the Rebellion was worth more to the
nation than all the money she ever exacted
from the toil and sweat of Iowa's early
settlers. Could the statesmen of forty
years ago have looked forward to this day,
when Iowa pays her $1,000,000 annually
into the treasury of the nation for the ex-
tinction of the national debt, they would
have realized that the founding of new
States was a greater enterprise than the re-
tailing of public lands.

In January, 1857, another Constitutional
Convention assembled at Iowa City, which
framed the present State Constitution. One
of the most pressing demands for this con-
vention grew out of the prohibition of
banks under the old Constitution. The
practical result of this prohibition was to
flood the State with every species of " wild-
cat " currency.

The new Constitution made ample pro-
visions for home banks under the super-
vision of our own laws. The limitation of
the State debt was enlarged to $250,000,
and the corporate indebtedness of the cities

and counties was also limited to 5 percent,
upon the valuation of their taxable property.
The judges of the Supreme Court were to
be elected by the popular vote. The per-
manent seat of government was fixed at
Des Moines, and the State University lo-
cated at Iowa City. The qualifications of
electors remained the same as under the old
Constitution, but the schedule provided for
a vote of the people upon a separate propo-
sition to strike the word " white" out of the
suffrage clause, which, had it prevailed,
would have resulted in conferring the right
of suffrage without distinction of color.
Since the early organization of Iowa there
had been upon the statute book a law pro-
viding that no negro, mulatto nor Indian
should be a competent witness in any suit
or proceeding to whicli a white man was a
party. The General Assembly of 1856— '7
repealed this law, and the new Constitution
contained a clause forbidding such disquali-
fication in the future. It also provided for
the education of "all youth of the State"
through a system of common schools. This
Constitution was adopted at the ensuing
election by a vote of 40,31 r to 38,681.

October 19, 1857, Governor Grimes issued
a proclamation declaring the city of Des
Moines to be the capital of the State of Iowa.
The removal of the archives and offices was
commenced at once and continued through
the fall. It was an undertaking of no
small magnitude; there was not a mile of
railroad to facilitate the work, and the
season was unusually disagreeable. Rain,
snow and o*fier accompaniments increased
the difficulties; and it was not until Decem-
ber that the last of the effects, — the safe of
the State Treasurer, loaded on two large
" bob sleds " drawn by ten yokes of oxen,
— was deposited in the new capitol. It is
not imprudent now to remark that during
this passage over hills and prairies, across
rivers, through bottom lands and timber,
the safes belonging to the several depart-

146

HISTORY OF IOWA.

ments contained large sums of money,
mostly individual funds, however. Thus
Iowa City ceased to be the capital of the
State, after four Territorial Legislatures,
six State Legislatures and three Constitu-
tional Conventions had held their sessions
there. By the exchange, the old capitol at
Iowa City became the seat of the university,
and, except the rooms occupied by the
United States District Court, passed under
the immediate and direct control of the
trustees of that institution. Des Moines
was now the permanent seat of govern-
ment, made so by the fundamental law of
the State, and January 11, 1858, the Sev-
enth General Assembly convened at the
new capitol. The citizens' association,
which built this temporary building, bor-
rowed the money of James D. Eads, Super-
intendent of Public Instruction, and leased
it to the State. In 1864 the State pur-
chased the building. At the session of the
General Assembly in 1858, James W.
Grimes was elected United States Senator
as successor to George W. Jones.

During the years i858-'6o, the Sioux
Indians became troublesome in the north-
western part of the State. They made fre-
quent raids for the purpose of plunder, and
on several occasions murdered whole fami-
lies of settlers. In 1861 several companies
of militia were ordered to that portion of
the State, to hunt down and expel the
thieves. No battles were fought. The
Indians fled as soon as they ascertained
that systematic measures had been adopted
for their punishment.

PATRIOTISM.

The Presidential campaign of i860 was
the most remarkable and exciting of all in
the history of Iowa. The fact that civil
war might be inaugurated and was threat-
ened, in case Mr. Lincoln was elected, was
well understood and duly considered. The
people of Iowa indulged in no feeling of

hatred or ill-will toward the people of any
State or section of the Union. There was,
however, on the part of the majority, a
cool determination to consider and decide
upon our national relations to this institu-
tion of slavery, uninfluenced by any threat
of violence or civil war. The popular vote
of Iowa gave Mr. Lincoln 70,409; Stephen
A. Douglas, 55,011; Breckenridge, 1,048.

The General Assembly of the State ot
Iowa, as early as 185 1, had by joint resolu-
tion declared that the State of Iowa was
" bound to maintain the union of these
States by all the means in her power." The
same year the State furnished a block of
marble for the Washington monument at the
national capital, and by order of the Gen-
eral Assemblv there was inscribed upon its
enduring surface the following: " Iowa:
Her affections, like the rivers of her borders,
How to an inseparable Union." The time
was now approaching in her history when
these declarations of attachment and fidelity
to the nation were to be put to a practical
test.

The declaration of Mr. Buchanan's last
annual message, that the nation possessed
no constitutional power to coerce a seced-
ing State, was received by a great majority
of our citizens with humiliation and dis-
trust. Anxiouslv they awaited theexpiring
hours of his administration, and looked to
the incoming President as to an expected
deliverer that should rescue the nation
from the hands of traitors, and the control
of those whose non-resistance invited her
destruction. The tiring upon the national
flag at Sumter aroused a burning indigna-
tion throughout the loyal States of the re-
public, and nowhere was it more intense
than in Iowa; and when the proclamation
of the President was published, April 15,
1861, calling for 75,000 citizen soldiers to
" maintain the honor, the integrity, and
the existence of our national Union, and
the perpetuity of popular government,"

HISTORY OF IOWA.

'47

the good people of Iowa were more
than willing to respond to the call. Party
lines gave way, and for a while, at least,
part}' spirit was hushed, and the cause of
our common country was supreme in the
affections of the people. Peculiarly fort-
unate were the citizens of Iowa at this
crisis, in having a truly representative
man, Samuel J. Kirkwood, as executive
of the State.

Within thirty days after the date of the
President's call for troops, the first Iowa
regiment was mustered into the service of
the United States, a second regiment was
in camp ready for the service, and the
General Assembly of the State was con-
vened in special session, and had by joint
resolution solemnly pledged every resource
of men and money to the national cause.

The Constitution of Iowa limited the
State debt to $250,000, except debts con-
tracted to " repel invasion, suppress insur-
rection, or defend the State in war." The
General Assembly authorized a loan of
$800,000 for a war and defense fund, to be
expended in organizing, arming, equipping
and subsisting the militia of the State to
meet the present and future requisitions of
the President. Those in power looked to
the spirit rather than to the letter of the
Constitution, and acted upon the theory
that to preserve the nation was to pre-
serve the State, and that to prevent in-
vasion was the most effectual means of
repelling it. A few, however, in both
branches of the General Assembly were
more careful of the letter of the Constitu-
tion. Three votes in the Senate and sev-
enteen in the House were cast against
the loan bill. These bonds were at 7 per
cent, interest. Only $300,000 were ever
issued, and they were purchased and held
chiefly by our own citizens. At this crisis
James W. Grimes and James Harlan were
in the United States Senate, and General
Samuel R. Curtis and General Vandeverin

the House of Representatives. During the
first year of the war, Iowa furnished sixteen
regiments of infantry, six of cavalry and
three batteries, — in all, 22,000 soldiers.
Iowa had no refuse population to enlist as
" food for powder." Her cities contained
none of that element found about the pur-
lieus of vice in the great centers of popu-
lation. Her contribution to the armies of
the republic was a genuine offering of
manhood and patriotism. From her fields,
her workshops, her counting-houses, her
offices, and the halls of her schools and
colleges, she contributed the best muscle,
sinew and brain of an industrious, enter-
prising and educated people. The first
regiment of Iowa soldiers fought the bat-
tle of Wilson's Creek after their term of
enlistment had expired, and after they were
entitled to a discharge. They were citi-
zen soldiers, each of whom had a personal
interest in the struggle. It was to them no
question of enlistment, of bounty or of pay.
When the gallant General Lyon placed
himself at their head, and told them that
the honor of Iowa and of the nation was in
their hands, he addressed men who knew
what the appeal meant, and to whom such
an appeal was never made in vain.

At the fall election of 1861, party spirit
had revived; and the contest for the control
of the State administration was warm and
earnest. Dissensions arose in both parties
but the election resulted in a majority of
16,600 votes for Kirkwood, who was thus
retained as Governor of Iowa. In 1863
the Republicans elected their candidate
for Governor, William M. Stone, by a ma-
jority of 29,000.

Meanwhile the General Assembly had
passed a law authorizing the " soldiers'
vote," that is, citizens of the State in the
volunteer military service of the United
States, whether within or without the limits
of the State, were authorized to open a poll
on the day of the election, and to make re-

148

ti/STORT OF IOWA.

turn of their votes to the proper civil au-
thorities. In the Presidental contest of
1864 the popular vote at home was as
follows: Lincoln, 72,122; McClellan, 47,-
703. The soldier vote returned was: Lin-
coln, 16,844; McClellan, 1,883.

The General Assembly did all in its
power to encourage enlistment and to pro-
tect the soldiers in the field and their fami-
lies at home. Statutes were enacted sus-
pending all suits against soldiers in the
service, and all writs of execution or attach-
ment against their propertv; and county
boards of supervisois were authorized to
vote bounties for enlistments, and pecuni-
ary aid to the families of those in the serv-
ice. The spirits of our people rose and
fell, according to the success of the Union
armies. One day the bells rung out with
joy for the surrender of Yicksburg, and
again the air seemed full of heaviness be-
cause ul our defeats on the Peninsula; but
through all these dark and trying days, the
faith of the great majority never wavered.

The Emancipation Proclamation of the
President was to them an inspiration of a
new hope.

In the Adjutant's department at Des
Moines are preserved the shot-riddled col-
ors and standards of Iowa's regiments.
Upon them, by special authority, were
inscribed from time to time during the war
the names of the battle-fields upon which
these regiments gained distinction. These
names constitute the geographical nomen-
clature of two-thirds of the territory latch-
in rebellion. From the Des Moines River
to the Gulf, from the Mississippi to the
Atlantic, in the Mountains of West Virginia
and in the valley of the Shenandoah, the
Iowa soldier made his presence known and
felt, and maintained the honor of the State,
and the cause of the nation. They were
with Lyon at Wilson's Creek; with Tuttle
at Donelson. They fought with Sigel and
with Curtis at Pea Ridge; with Crocker

at Champion Hills; with Reid at Shiloh.
They were with Grant at the surrender of
Vicksburg. They fought above the clouds
with Hooker at Lookout Mountain. The}'
were with Sherman in his march to the sea,
and were ready for battle when Johnston
surrendered. They were with Sheridan in
the valley of the Shenandoah, and were in
the veteran ranks of the nation's deliverers
that stacked their arms in the national cap-
itol at the close of the war.

The State furnished to the armies of the
republic, during the war, over 70,000 men,
and 20,000 of these perished in battle or
from diseases contracted in the service.

We append here a brief notice of each
regiment :

The First Regiment was organized under
the President's first call for three-months
volunteers, with John Francis Bates, of Du
buque, as Colonel. It comprised various
independent military companies that had
been organized before the war, who ten-
dered their services even before the break-
ing out of hostilities. They were mustered
in May 14, and first saw service under
General Lyon in Missouri.

Second Infantry; Samuel R. Curtis, of
Keokuk, Colonel. This was the first three-
years regiment, and made a most distin-
guished record throughout the South, go
ing with Sherman to the sea, returning
through the Carolines, etc. After the
battle at Fort Donelson, the unenthusiastic
General Halleck pronounced this regiment
" the bravest of the brave.''

Third Infantry ; Nelson G. Williams, of
Dubuque County, Colonel. Veteranized
in 1864, but before the new officers received
their commissions the regiment fought itself
out of existence at the battle of Atlanta !

Fourth Infantry ; G. M. Dodge, of Coun-
cil Bluffs, Colonel. Engaged in the prin-
cipal battles of the South.

Fifth Infantry ; William H. Worthington,
of Keokuk, Colonel ; 180 veteranized in

HISTORY OF IOWA.

149

1864 and were transferred to the Fifth
Cavalry.

Sixth Infantry ; John A. McDowell, of
Keokuk, Colonel. Engaged faithfully in
many of the prominent battles.

Seventh Infantry ; J. G. Lauman, of Bur-
lington, Colonel. It lost 227 at the single
battle of Belmont.

Eighth Infantry ; Frederick Steele, of the
regular army, Colonel. Most of this com-
mand suffered in rebel prisons for eight
months. Was on duty in Alabama nearly
a year after the collapse of the Rebellion.

Ninth Infantry ; William Vandever, of
Dubuque, Colonel. Was in almost every
Southern State, traveling altogether 10,000
miles; marched more than 4,000 miles!

Tenth Infantry ; Nicholas Persczel, of
Davenport, Colonel. Fought mainly in
Mississippi ; losing half its number at the
battle of Champion Hills alone!

Eleventh Infantry ; A. M. Hare, of Mus-
catine, Colonel. Served mainly in the in-
terior of the South, doing as valiant service
as any other regiment.

Twelfth Infantry ; J. J. Wood, of Maquo-
keta, Colonel. In rebel prisons eight
months. Veteranized January 4, 1864, a
larger proportion of the men re-enlisting
than from any other Iowa regiment. Served
for several months after the close of the
war.

Thirteenth Infantry; M. M. Crocker, of
Des Moines, Colonel. Fought in the South-
ern interior and made the famous round
with Sherman to the sea, being the first to
enter Columbia, South Carolina, where se-
cession had its rise.

Fourteenth Infantry ; William T. Shaw,
of Anamosa, Colonel. Nearly all captured
at Shiloh, but were released after a few
months. Engaged in some of the severest
contests.

Fifteenth Infantry; Hugh T. Reid, of
Keokuk, Colonel. Served three and a half
years in the heart of the Rebellion.

Sixteenth Infantry ; Alex. Chambers, of
the regular army, Colonel. Bravely served
throughout the South.

Seventeenth Infantry; John W. Rankin,
of Keokuk, Colonel. Served in the in-
terior of the South.

Eighteenth Infantry ; John Edwards, of
Chariton, Colonel. Much of its time was
spent in garrison duty.

Nineteenth Infantry ; Benjamin Crabb,
of Washington, Colonel. Served mainly in
Mississippi. Were prisoners of war about
ten months.

Twentieth Infantry, comprising five com-
panies each from Scott and Linn counties,
who vied with each other in patriotism;
William M. Dye, of Marion, Colonel. En-
gaged mainly on the Gulf coast.

Twenty-first Infantry ; ex-Governor Sam-
uel Merrill, Colonel. Distinguished in val-
iant service throughout the South. See
Twenty-third Regiment.

Twenty-second Infantry ; William M.
Stone, of Knoxville, since Governor of the
State, was Colonel. Did excellent service,
all the way from Mississippi to old Virginia.

Twenty-third Infantry ; William Dewey,
of Fremont County, Colonel. Its services
were mainly in Mississippi. At Black River
but a few minutes were required in carry-
ing the rebel works, but those few minutes
were fought with fearful loss to the troops.
The Twenty-first also participated in this
daring assault, and immediately after the
victory was gained General Lawler passed
down the line and joyfully seized every man
by the hand, so great was his emotion.

Twenty-fourth Infantry ; the " Iowa
Temperance Regiment," was raised by
Eber C. Byam, of Linn County. Engaged
mainly in the Lower Mississippi Valley.

Twenty-fifth Infantry ; George A. Stone,
of Mt. Pleasant, Colonel. "To the sea."

Twenty-sixth Infantrj^ ; Milo Smith, of
Clinton, Colonel. Took part in many great
battles.

'So

HISTORY OF IOWA.

Twenty-seventh Infantry; James I. Gil-
bert, of Lansing, Colonel. On duty all the
way from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.

Twenty-eighth Infantry ; William E.
Miller, of Iowa City, Colonel. Service, in
the region of the Lower Mississippi.

Twenty-ninth Infantry ; Thomas H. Ben-
ton, Jr., of Council Bluffs, Colonel. Sta-
tioned in Arkansas.

Thirtieth Infantry ; Charles B. Abbott,
of Louisa County, Colonel. In the thickest
of the war, coming home loaded with
honors.

Thirty-first Infantry ; William Smyth, of
Marion, Colonel. Returned from its many
hard-fought battles in the interior of the
South with only 370 men out of 1,000 en-
listed.

Thirty -second Infantry; John Scott, of
Nevada, Colonel. Engaged in a number of
battles.

Thirty-third Infantry; Samuel A.Rice,
a popular politician of Central Iowa, Colo-
nel. Served from Arkansas to Alabama.

Thirty-fourth Infantry: George W.Clark,
of Indianola, Colonel. Traveled 15,000
miles in its service !

Thirty-fifth Infantry ; S. G. Hill, of Mus-
catine, Colonel. Served bravely in a dozen
battles, and traveled 10,000 miles.

Thirty-sixth Infantry ; Charles W. Kitt-
redge, of Ottumwa, Colonel. Suffered a
great deal from sickness— small-pox, measles,
malaria, etc.

Thirty-seventh Infantry, the " Gray-
Beard Regiment," being composed of men
over forty-five years of age, and was the
only one of its kind in the war. Garrison
and post duty.

Thirty-eighth Infantry; D. H. Hughes,
of Decorah, Colonel. Most unfortunate of
all in respect of sickness, 300 dying during j
the firs^ two years.

Thirty-ninth Infantry; H. J. B. Cum-
mings, of Winterset, Colonel. One of the
most distinguished regiments in the field.

Fortieth Infantry ; John A. Garrett, oi
Newton, Colonel.

Forty-first Infantry was not completed,
and the three companies raised for it were
attached to the Seventh Cavalry.

There were no regiments numbered
Forty-second or Forty-third.

Forty-fourth Infantry for 100 days;
Stephen H. Henderson, Colonel. Garrison
duty in Tennessee.

Forty-fifth Infantry, lor 100 days; A. H.
Bereman, of Mt. Pleasant, Colonel. Garri-
son duty in Tennessee.

Forty-sixth Infantry, for 100 days; D. B.
Henderson, of Clermont, Colonel. Garri-
son duty in Tennessee.

Forty-seventh Infantry, for 100 days;
James P. Sanford, of Oskaloosa, Colonel.
Stationed at the sickly place of Helena,
Arkansas.

Forty-eighth Infantry (battalion), for 100
days; O. H. P. Scott, of Farmington, Lieu-
tenant-Colonel. Guarded prisoners on Rock
Island.

First Cavalry ; Fitz Henry Warren, of
Burlington, Colonel. Served for three
years, mainly along the Lower Mississippi.

Second Cavalry ; W. L. Elliott, a Cap-
tain in the Third Cavalry of the regular
army, Colonel. Fought faithfully in many
important battles in Tennessee and Missis-
sippi.

Third Cavalry ; Cyrus Bussey, of Broom-
field, Colonel. Distinguished in war.

Fourth Cavalry; A. B. Porter, of Mt.
Pleasant, Colonel. Participated with zeal
and judgment in the hottest of battles in
Tennessee and Mississippi.

Fifth Cavalry, only in part an Iowa regi-
ment ; William W. Lowe, of the regular
army, Colonel. Distinguished in the hotly
contested battles of Tennessee and vicinity.

Sixth Cavalry; D. S. Wilson, of Du-
buque, Colonel. Served against the In-
dians.

Seventh Cavalry; S. W. Summers, of

HISTORY OF IOWA.

15'

Served against

the

Ottumwa, Colonel.
Indians.

Eighth Cavalry ; Joseph B. Dorr, of Du-
buque, Colonel. Served faithfully in guard-
ing Sherman's communications, etc.

Ninth Cavalry; M. M. Trumbull, of
Cedar Falls, Colonel. Scouting, guard and
garrison duties in Arkansas.

First Battery of Light Artillery ; C. H.
Fletcher, of Burlington, Captain. Served
in Arkansas and Tennessee.

Second Battery; Nelson 1. Spoor, of
Council Bluffs, Captain. Engaged at Farm-
ington, Corinth and other places.

Third Battery; M. M. Hayden, of Du-
buque, Captain. Engaged at Pea Ridge,
and in other important battles.

Fourth Battery; on duty must of the
time in Louisiana.

Iowa Regiment of Colored Troops ; John
G. Hudson, of Missouri, Colonel. Garrison
duty at St. Louis and elsewhere.

Northern Border Brigade ; James A.
Sawyer, of Sioux City, Colonel. Protected
the Northwestern frontier.

Southern Border Brigade ; protected the
southern border of the State.

The following promotions were made bv
the United States Government from Iowa
regiments: To the rank of Major-General
— Samuel R.Curtis, Frederick Steele, Frank
J. Herron and Grenville M. Dodge ; to that
of Brigadier-General — Jacob G. Lauman,
James M. Tuttle, W. L. Elliott, Fitz Henry
Warren, Charles L. Matthies, William Yan-
dever, M. M. Crocker, Hugh T. Reid,
Samuel A. Rice, John M. Corse, Cyrus
Bussey, Edward Hatch, Elliott W. Rice,
William W. Belknap, John Edwards, James
A. Williamson, James I. Gilbert and Thomas
J. McKean ; Corse, Hatch, Belknap, Elliott
and Vandever were brevetted Major-
Generals ; brevetted Brigadier-Generals —
William T. Clark, Edward F. Winslow, S.
G. Hill, Thomas H. Benton, S. S. Glasgow,
Clark R. Weaver, Francis M. Drake,

George A. Stone, Datus E. Coon, George
W. Clark, Herman H. Heath, J. M. Hed-
rick and W. W. Lowe.

IOWA SINCE THE WAR.

The two principal events of political in-
terest in this State since the war have been
the popular contests concerning woman
suffrage and the liquor traffic. In the
popular elections the people gave a ma-
jority against the former measure, but in
favor of prohibiting the sale or manufact-
ure of intoxicating liquors.

A list of State officers to date is given on
a subsequent page. The last vote for
Governor, October 9, 1883, stood as fol-
lows: For Buren R. Sherman, Republican,
164,141 ; L. G. Kinne, Democrat, 140,032,
and James B. Weaver, National Green-
back, 23,093.

STATE INSTITUTIONS.

The present capitol building is a beauti-
ful specimen of modern architecture. Its
dimensions are, in general, 246 x 364 feet,
with a dome and spire extending up to a
height of 275 feet. In 1870 the General
Assembly made an appropriation, and pro-
vided for the appointment of a board of com-
missioners to commence the work of build-
ing. Thev were duly appointed and pro-
ceeded to work, laying the corner-stone with
appropriate ceremonies, November 23,1871.
The structure is not yet completed. When
finished it will have cost about $3,500,000.

The State University, at Iowa City, was
established therein 1858, immediately after
the removal of the capital to Des Moines.
As had already been planned, it occupied
the old capitol building. As early as Janu-
ary, 1849, two branches of the university
were established — one at Fairfield and one
at Dubuque. At Fairfield, the board of
directors organized and erected a building
at a cost of $2,500. This was nearly de-
stroyed by a hurricane the following year,

IS2

HISTORY OF IOWA.

but was rebuilt more substantially by the
citizens of Fairfield. This branch never
received any aid from the State, and Janu-
ary 24, 1853, at the request of the board,
the General Assembly terminated its rela-
tion to the State. The branch at Dubuque
had only a nominal existence

By act of Congress, approved July 20,
1840, two entire townships of land were
set apart in this State for the support of a
university. The Legislature of this State
placed the management of this institution
in the hands of a board of fifteen trustees,
five to be chosen (by the Legislature) every
two 3 F ears, the superintendent of public
instruction to be president of the board.
This board was also to appoint seven trus-
tees for each of the three normal schools, to
be simultaneously established — one each
at Andrew, Oskaloosa and Mt. Pleasant.
One was never started at the last-named
place, and after a feeble existence for a
short time the other two were discontin-
ued. The university itself was closed dur-
ing i859-'6o, for want of funds.

The law department was established in
June, 1868, and soon afterward the Iowa
Law School at Des Moines, which had been
in successful operation for three years, was
transferred to Iowa City and merged in the
department. The medical department was
established in 1869; and in 1S74 a chair of
military instruction was added.

Since April 11, 1870, the government of
the university has been in the hands of a
board of regents. The present faculty
comprises forty-two professors, and the
attendance 560 students.

The State Normal School is located at
Cedar Falls, and was opened in 1876. It
has now a faculty of nine members, with an
attendance of 301 pupils.

The State Agricultural College is located
at Ames, in Story County, being established
by t he legislative act of March 23, 1858.
In 1862 Congress granted to Iowa 240,000

acres of land for the endowment of schools
of agriculture and the mechanic arts. The
main building was completed in 1S68, and
the institution opened the following year.
Tuition is free to pupils from the State
over sixteen years of age. The college
farm comprises 860 acres, of which a major
portion is in cultivation. Professors, twen-
ty-two; scholars, 319.

The Deaf and Dumb Institute was estab-
lished in 1855, at Iowa City, but was after-
ward removed to Council Bluffs, to a tract
of ninety acres of land two miles south of
that city. In October, 1870, the main build-
ing and one wing were completed and
occupied. In February, 1877, fire destroyed
the main building and east wing, and dur-
ing the summer following a tornado par-
tiallv demolished the west wing. It is at
present. (1885) manned with fifteen teachers,
and attended by 292 pupils.

The College for the Blind has been at Yin-
ton since 1862. Prof. Samuel Bacon, himself
blind, a fine scholar, who had founded the
Institution for the Blind, at Jacksonville,
Illinois, commenced as earl v as 1852 a school
of instruction at Keokuk. The next jreai
the institution was adopted \>y the State
and moved to IowaCitv, with Prof. Bacon
as principal. It was moved thence, in 1862,
to Vinton. The building was erected and
the college manned at vast expenditure of
money. It is said that SjSj.ooo were ex-
pended upon the building alone, and that it
required an outlav of 85. 000 a \ car to heat
it, while it had accommodations for 130 in-
mates. At present, however, they have
accommodations for more pupils, with an
attendance of 132. There are eleven teach-
ers. The annual legislative appropriation
is$S.ooo, besides $128 per year for each
pupil.

The first Iowa Hospital for the Insane
was established by an act of the Legislature
approved January 24, 1855. It is located at
Mt. Pleasant, where the building was com-

HISTORT OF IOWA.

'S3

pleted in 1861, at a cost of $258,555. Within
the first three months 100 patients were ad-
mitted, and before the close of October,
1877, an aggregate of 3,684 had been ad-
mitted. In April, 1876, a portion of the
building was destroyed by fire. At this in-
stitution there are now ninety-four superin-
tendents and assistants, in charge of 472
patients.

Another Hospital for the Insane, at Inde-
pendence, was opened May 1, 1873, in a
building which cost $88,1 14. The present
number of inmates is 580, in the care of 1 1 1
superintendents and employes.

The Soldiers' Orphans' Home is located at
Davenport. It was originated by Mrs. Annie
Wittenmeyer, during the late war, who
called a convention for the purpose at Mus-
catine, September 7, 1863, and uly 13 fol-
lowing the institution was opened in a brick
building at Lawrence, Van Buren Count)*.
It was sustained by voluntary contributions
until 1866, when the State took charge of
it. The Legislature provided at first for
three " homes." The one in Cedar Falls
was organized in 1865, an old hotel build-
ing being fitted up for it, and by the follow-
ing January there were ninety-six inmates.
In October, 1869, the Home was removed
to a large brick building about two miles
west of Cedar Falls, and was very prosper-
ous for several years; but in 1876 the Leg-
islature devoted this building to the State
Normal School, and the buildings and
grounds of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home
at Glenwood, Mills County, to an institution
for the support of feeble-minded children,
and also provided for the removal of the
soldiers' orphans at the Glenwood and
Cedar Falls homes to the institution at
Davenport. The latter has now in charge
169 orphans.

The Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children,
referred to above, is at Glenwood, estab-
lished by the Legislature in March, 1876.
The institution was opened September 1,

following, with a few pupils ; but now the
attendance is 215, in the care of four teach-
ers. This asylum is managed by three trus-
tees, one of whom must be a resident of that
county, Mills.

The first penitentiary was established in
1 84 1, near Fort Madison, its present loca-
tion. The cost of the original building was
$55,934, and its capacity was sufficient for
138 convicts. At present there are at this
prison 364 convicts, in charge of forty-three
employes.

The penitentiary at Anamosa was estab-
lished in i872-'3. It now has 239 convicts
and thirty-four employes.

The boys' reform school was permanently
located at Eldora, Hardin County, in 1872.
For the three years previous it was kept at
the building of the Iowa Manual Labor In-
stitute at Salem, Henry County. Only
boys between seven and sixteen years of
age are admitted. Credit of time for good
conduct is given, so that occasionally one
is discharged before he is of age. There
are now (1885) 201 pupils here.

The " girls' department " is at Mitchell-
ville, similarly managed. Inmates, eighty-
three.

The State Historical Society is in part
supported by the State, the Governor ap-
pointing nine of the eighteen curators.
This society was provided for in connection
with the University, by legislative act of
January 28, 1857, and it has published a
series of valuable collections, and a large
number of finely engraved portraits of
prominent and early settlers.

The State Agricultural Society is con-
ducted under the auspices of the State, and .
is one of the greatest promoters of the
welfare of the people among all the State
organizations. It holds an annual fair at
Des Moines, and its proceedings are also
published annually, at the expense of the
State.

The Fish-Hatching House has been sue-

J54

HISTORT OF IOWA.

cessfully carrying on its good work since
its establishment in 1874, near Anamosa.
Three fish commissioners are appointed,
one for each of the three districts into which
the State is for the purpose divided.

The State Board of Health, established
in 1880, has an advisory supervision, and to
a limited extent also a police supervision,
over the health of the people, — especially
with reference to the abatement of those
nuisances that are most calculated to pro-
mulgate dangerous and contagious diseases.
Their publications, which are made at the
expense of the State, should be studied bv
every citizen

EDUCATIONAL.

The germ of the free public school sys-
tem of Iowa, which now ranks second to
none in the United States, was planted by
the first settlers, and in no other public
measure have the people ever since taken
so deep an interest. They have expanded
and improved their original system until
now it is justly considered one of the most
complete, comprehensive and liberal in the
country.

Nor is this to be wondered at when it is
remembered that humble log school-houses
were built almost as soon as the log cabins
of the earliest settlers were occupied, and
schoolteachers were among the first im-
migrants to Iowa. Schools, therefore, the
people have had everywhere from the start,
and the school-houses, in their character and
accommodations, have kept fully abreast
with the times.

The first school-house within the limits
of Iowa was a log cabin at Dubuque, built by
J. L. Langworthy and a few other miners,
in the autumn of 1833. When it was com-
pleted George Cabbage was employed as
teacher during the winter of 1833-4, thirty-
five pupils attending his school. Barrett
Whittemore taught the next school term,
with twenty-five pupils in attendance. Mrs.
Caroline Dexter commenced teaching in

Dubuque in March, 1836. She was the first
female teacher there, and probably the first
in Iowa. In 1839 Thomas H. Benton, Jr.,
afterward for ten years Superintendent of
Public Instruction, opened an English and
classical school in Dubuque. The first tax
for the support of schools at Dubuque was
levied in 1840.

At Burlington a commodious log school-
house, built in 1834, was among the first
buildings erected. A Mr. Johnson taught
the first school in the winter of i834-'5.

In Muscatine Countv, the first school was
taught by George Bumgardner, in the
spring of 1837. In 1839 a 1°& school-house
was erected in Muscatine, which served for
a long time as school-house, church and
public hall.

The first school in Davenport was taught
in 1838. In Fairfield, Miss Clarissa Sawyer,
James F. Chambers and Mrs. Reed taught
school in 1839.

Johnson County was an entire wilderness
when Iowa City was located as the capital
of the Territory of Iowa, in May, 1839.
The first sale of lots took place August 18,
1839, an d before January 1, 1840, about
twenty families had settled within the limits
of the town. During the same year Jesse
Berry opened a school in a small frame
building he had erected on what is now
College street.

In Monroe County, the first settlement
was made in 1843, D Y Mr. J omi R- Gray,
about two miles from the present site of
Eddyville; and in the summer of 1844 a log
school-house was built by Gray. William
V. Beedle, C. Renfro, Joseph McMullen
and Willoughby Randolph, and the first
school was opened by Miss Urania Adams.
The building was occupied for school pur-
poses for nearly ten years.

About a year after the first cabin was
built at Oskaloosa, a log school-house was
built, in which school was opened by Sam-
uel W. Caldwell, in 1844.

HISTORr OF IOWA.

i5S

At Fort Des Moines, now the capital of
the State, the first school was taught bv
Lewis Whitten, Clerk of the District Court,
in the winter of 1846-'/, in one of the rooms
on " Coon Row," built for barracks.

The first school in Pottawattamie County
was opened by George Green, a Mormon,
at Council Point, prior to 1849; an d until
about 1854 nearly all the teachers in that
vicinity were Mormons.

The first school in Decorah was taught in
1855, by Cyrus C. Carpenter, since Gov-
ernor of the State. In Crawford County the
first school-house was built in Mason's
Grove, in 1856, and Morris McHenry first
occupied it as teacher.

During the first twenty years of the his-
tory of Iowa, the log school-house pre-
vailed, and in 1861 there were 893 of these
primitive structures in use for school pur-
poses in the State. Since that time they
have been gradually disappearing. In 1865
there were 796; in 1870, 336; and in 1875,
121.

In 1846, the year of Iowa's admission as
a State, there were 20,000 scholars out of
100,000 inhabitants. About 400 school dis-
tricts had been organized. In 1850 there
were 1,200, and in 1857 the number had in-
creased to 3,265.

In March, 1858, upon the recommenda-
tion of Hon. M. L. Fisher, then Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction, the seventh
General Assembly enacted that " each civil
township is declared a school district," and
provided that these should be divided into
sub-districts. This law went into force
March 20, 1858, and reduced the number of
school districts from about 3,500 to less than
900. This change of school organization
resulted in a very material reduction of the
expenditures for the compensation of dis-
trict secretaries and treasurers. An effort
was made for several years, from 1867 to
1872, to abolish the sub-district system.
Mr. Kissell, Superintendent, recommended

this in his report of January 1, 1872, and
Governor Merrill forcibly endorsed his
views in his annual message. But the
Legislature of that year provided for the
formation of independent districts from the
sub-districts of district townships.

The system of graded schools was in-
augurated in 1849, an d new schools, in
which more than one teacher is employed,
are universally graded.

Teachers' institutes were organized early
in the history of the State. The first offi-
cial mention of them occurs in the annual
report of Hon. Thomas H. Benton, Jr.,
made December 2, 1850, who said: "An
institution of this character was organized
a few years ago, composed of the teachers
of the mineral regions of Illinois, Wisconsin
and Iowa. An association of teachers has
also been formed in the county of Henry,
and an effort was made in October last to
organize a regular institute in the county
of Jones."

No legislation, however, was held until
March, 1858, when an act was passed au-
thorizing the holding of teachers' institutes
for periods not less than six working days,
whenever not less than thirty teachers
should desire. The superintendent was
authorized to expend not exceeding $100
for any one institute, to be paid out by the
county superintendent, as the institute may
direct, for teachers and lecturers, and $1,-
000 was appropriated to defray the expenses
of these institutes. Mr. Fisher at once
pushed the matter of holding institutes, and
December 6, 1858, he reported to the Board
of Education that institutes had been ap-
pointed in twenty counties within the pre-
ceding six months, and more would have
been held but the appropriation had been
exhausted. At the first session of the Board
of Education, commencing December 6,
1858, a code of school laws was enacted,
which retained the existing provisions for
teachers' institutes. In March, i860, the

156

HISTORY OF IOWA.

General Assembly amended the act of the
board by appropriating " a sum not ex-
ceeding $50 annually for one such institute,
held as provided by law in each county."
In 1865 the superintendent, Mr. Faville, re-
ported that " the provision made by the
State for the benefit of teachers' institutes
has never been so fully appreciated, both
by the people and the teachers, as during
the last two years." Under this law an in-
stitute is held annually in each county,
under the direction of the county superin-
tendent.

By an act approved March 19, 1874, nor-
mal institutes were established in each
county, to be held annually by the county
superintendent. This was regarded as a
very decided step in advance by Mr. Aber-
nethy, and in 1876 the General AssemMv
established the first permanent State Nor-
mal School at Cedar Falls, Black Hawk
County, appropriating the building and
property of the Soldiers' Orphans Home
at that place for that purpose. This school
is now " in the full tide of successful ex-
periment."

Funds for the support of the public
schools are derived in several ways. The
sixteenth section of every congressional
township was set apart by the General
Government lor school purposes, being
one thirty-sixth part of all the lands of the
State. The minimum price of these lands
was fixed at $1.25 per acre. Congress also
made an additional donation to the State of
500,000 acres, and an appropriation of 5
per cent, on all the sales of public lands to
the school fund. The State gives to this
fund the proceeds of the sales of all lands
which escheat to it ; the proceeds of all
fines for the violation of the liquor and
criminal laws. The money derived from
these sources constitutes the permanent
school fund of the State, which cannot be
diverted to any other purpose. The pen-
alties collected by the courts for fines and

forfeitures go to the school fund in tne
counties where collected. The proceeds
of the sale of lands and the 5 per cent, fund
go into the State Treasury, and the State
distributes these proceeds to the several
counties according to their request.

In 1844 there were in the State 4,339
school districts, containing 11,244 schools,
and employing 21,776 teachers. The aver-
age monthly pay of male teachers was
$32.50, and of female teachers $27.25. There
were 594,730 persons of school age, of whom
431,513 were enrolled in the public schools.
The average cost of tuition for each pupil
per month was $1.62. The expenditures
for all school purposes was $5,129,819.49.
The permanent school fund is now $3,547,-
123.82, on which the income for 1881 was
$234,622.40.

Besides the State University, Agricult-
ural College and Normal School, described
on preceding pages, ample provision for
higher education has been made by"the
different religious denominations, assisted
by local and individual beneficence. There
are, exclusive of State institutions, twenty-
three universities and colleges, and one
hundred and eleven academies and other
private schools for the higher branches.
All these are in active operation, and most
of them stand high.

Amity College, located at College
Springs, Page County, has eight instructors
and two hundred and forty-five students.

Burlington University, eight instructors
and forty-three pupils.

Callanan College, at Des Moines, has
eighteen in the faculty and one hundred
and twenty students enrolled.

Central University, at Pella, Marion
County, is under the auspices of the Baptist
church, and has eleven in the faculty and
one hundred and two students.

Coe College, at Cedar Rapids, has a
faculty of ten, and an attendance of one
hundred and ninety-nine.

HIS TORT OF IOWA.

'57

Cornell College, Methodist Episcopal, at
Mt. Vernon, Linn County, has eighteen
members of the faculty and four hundred
and seventy-nine scholars. This is a strong
institution.

Drake University, at Des Moines, has
thirty instructors and three hundred and
twenty-five pupils.

Griswold College, at Davenport, is under
the control of the Episcopal church, and
has seven instructors and seventy-five stu-
dents.

Iowa College, at Grinnell, is permanently
endowed. Has fourteen instructors and
three hundred and eighty-four students.

Iowa Wesleyan University (Methodist
Episcopal), at Mt. Pleasant, has six mem-
bers of the faculty and one hundred and
seventy-five students.

Luther College, at Decorah, Winneshiek
County, has a faculty of ten, and one hun-
dred and sixty-five pupils.

Oskaloosa College has a faculty of five,
and one hundred and thirty-five students.

Penn College, at Oskaloosa, has a faculty
of five members, and one hundred and forty
pupils in attendance.

Simpson Centenary College, at Indianola,
Warren County (Methodist Episcopal), has
a faculty of seven and an attendance of two
hundred.

Tabor College, at Tabor, Fremont
County, modeled after the Oberlin (Ohio)
College, has twelve members in the faculty
and an attendance of two hundred and ten
scholars.

University of Des Moines has five in-
structors and fifty pupils.

Upper Iowa University (Methodist Epis-
copal), located at Fayette, in Fayette
County, has eleven instructors and three
hundred and fifty students.

Whittier College, at Salem, Henry
County, is under the auspices of the
Friends. There are two instructors and
sixty pupils.

STATISTICAL.

When Wisconsin Territory was organ-
ized in 1836, the entire population of that
portion of the Territory now embraced in
the State of Iowa was 10,531. The Terri-
tory then embraced two counties, Dubuque
and Des Moines, erected by the Territory
of Michigan in 1834. Since then the
counties have increased to ninety-nine, and
the population in 1880 was 1,624,463. The
following table will show the population at
different periods since the erection of Iowa
Territory :

Year. Population

183S 22,589

1840 43. 1] 5

1844 75,152

1846 97>5 88

1847 116,651

1849 152.988

1S50 i9 l ,<£> 2

1851 204,774

1852 ...230,713

1854 326,013

1856 5' 9.055

Year Population

1859 638,775

i860 674,913

1S63 70',732

1865 750,699

1867 902,040

1869 1,040,819

1870 1, I9'.727

1873 1,251.333

1875 ' 366,000

1S80 1,624463

The most populous county is Dubuque —
42,997. Polk County has 42,395, and Scott,
41,270. Not only in population, but in
everything contributing to the growth and
greatness of a State, has Iowa made rapid
progress. In a little more than thirty-five
years its wild but beautiful prairies have
advanced from the home of the savage to a
highly civilized commonwealth.

The first railroad across the State was
completed to Council Bluffs in January,
1 87 1 . The completion of three others scon
followed. In 1854 there was not a mile of
railroad in Iowa. Within the succeeding
twenty years, 3,765 miles were built and
put in successful operation.

The present value of buildings for our
State institutions is as follows :

State Capitol $2,500,000

State University. 400,000
Agricultural Col.

and Farm 300,000

Inst, for the Blind 1 50,000
Institution for the

Deaf and Dumb 225,000

Institutions for the

Insane $1,149,000

Orphans' H.me.. 62,000

Penitentiaries 408,000

Normal School . . 50,000
Reform School.. 90,000

•58

HISTORY OF IOWA.

The State has never levied more than
two and one-half mills on the dollar for
State tax, and this is at present the consti-
tutional limit.

Iowa has no State debt. Whatever obli-
gations have been incurred in the past have
been promptly met and fully paid. Many
of the counties are in debt, but only four of
them to an amount exceeding $100,000 each.
The bonded debt of the counties amounts
in the aggregate to $2,592,222, and the float-
ing debt, $153,456; total, $2,745,678.

In the language of Judge C. C. Nourse,
we feel compelled to say : " The great ulti-
mate fact that America would demonstrate
is, the existence of a people capable of at-
taining and preserving a superior civiliza-
tion, with a government self-imposed, self-
administered and self-perpetuated. In this
age of wonderful progress, America can
exhibit nothing to the world of mankind
more wonderful or more glorious than her
new States — young empires, born of her
own enterprise and tutored at her own
political hearth-stone. Well may she say
to the monarchies of the Old World, who
look for evidence of her regal grandeur
and state, 'Behold, these are my jewels!*
and may she never blush to add, ' This one
in the center of the diadem is Iowa !' "

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

Iowa, in the highly figurative and ex-
pressive language of the aborigines, is said
to signify " The Beautiful Land," and was
applied by them to this magnificent section
of the country between the two great rivers.

The general shape of the State is that of
a rectangle, the northern and southern
boundaries being due east and west lines,
and its eastern and western boundaries de-
termined by southerly flowing rivers — the
Mississippi on the east and the Missouri
and the Big Sioux on the west. The width
ol the State from north to south is over 200
miles, being from the parallel of 43 30' to

that of 40 36', or merely three degrees;
but this does not include the small angle at
the southeast corner. The length of the
State from east to west is about 265 miles.
The area is 55,044 square miles, nearly all
of which is readily tillable and highly fer-
tile.

The State lies wholly within, and com-
prises a part of a vast plain, and there is no
mountainous or even hilly country within
its borders, excepting the bluffs of the larger
rivers. The highest point is near Spirit
Lake, and is but 1,200 feet above the lowest,
which is in the southeast corner, and is 444
feet above the level of the Gulf of Mexico.
The average descent per mile between these
two points is four feet, and that from Spirit
Lake to the northeast corner of the State,
at low-water mark of the Mississippi, is five
feet five inches.

It has been estimated that about seven-
eighths of Iowa was prairie when the white
race first settled here. It seems to be a set-
tled point in science that the annual fires of
the Indians, prevented this western country
from becoming heavily timbered.

GEOLOGY.

Geologists divide the soil of Iowa into
three general divisions, which not only
possess different physical characters, but
also differ in the mode of their origin.
These are drift, bluff and alluvial and be-
long respectively to the deposits bearing
the same names. The drift occupies a
much larger part of the surface of the State
than both the others. The bluff has the
next greatest area of surface.

All soil is disintegrated rock. The drift
deposit of Iowa was derived to a consider-
able extent from the rocks of Minnesota;
hut the greater part was derived from its
own rocks, much of which has been trans-
ported but a short distance. In Northern
and Northwestern Iowa the drift contains
more sand and eravel than elsewhere. In

HISTORY OF IOWA.

1 59

Southern Iowa the soil is frequently stiff
and clayey. The bluff soil is found only in
the western part of the State, and adjacent
to Missouri River. Although it contains
less than i per cent, of clay in its com-
position, it is in no respect inferior to the
best drift soil. The alluvial soil is that of
the flood plains of the river valleys, or bot-
tom lands. That which is periodically
flooded by the rivers is of little value for
agricultural purposes ; but a large part of
it is entirely above the reach of the highest
flood, and is very productive.

The stratified rocks of Iowa range from
the Azoic to the Mesozoic, inclusive ; but
the greater portion of the surface of the
State is occupied by those of the Palaeozoic
age. The table below will show each of
these formations in their order :

o
t

C/3 5'

a-
o

-3 OZX

3 £<W 3

o = 5 =

3 ?. P Q

o' o o ~

x a n ~
_ b -i a

£32?

P <X. » oT

-i p jq

n a 5 w

— q, rt p

n » S.3

7 » a
§ 3 oi

HOgZ

2 » P S"

S 3 C p
O p C -t

3 _*-»

Eg'p £

it ™ 3- n

» o » S

O 3 S"0
3 Q o» 3

C/3

~ 1 . o

re-

3 3 -I

3 a s:

— 't 3

3 O o

3 a"-

2 S3

3 2

on p
° C

ft p

— 5 3 c-3

» :»o-:
c£§^3
8 E.^ 2

X ps

C/3 3 W

- a

»S 3

;cao
2 3 £ 3

WW U» W i-* ih
O O O O O r ~n q*

www

>^r o o O

5 f -n O O O

Owen
O O O

(/>

•<

B
SO

C/1

B
H

B
01

The Sioux quartzite, in the azoic system,
is found exposed in natural ledges only
upon a few acres in the extreme northwest
corner of the State, upon the banks of the
Big Sioux River, for which reason the
specific name of Sioux quartzite has been
given them. It is an intensely hard rock,
breaks in splintery fracture, and of a color
varying, in different localities, from a light
to deep red. The process of metamorphism
has been so complete throughout the whole
formation that the rock is almost every-
where of uniform texture. The dip is four
or five degrees to the northward, and the
trend of the outcrop is eastward and west-
ward.

The Potsdam sandstone formation is ex-
posed only in a small portion of the north-
eastern part of the State. It is only to be
seen in the bases of the bluffs and steep
valley sides which border the river there.
It is nearly valueless for economic purposes.
No fossils have been discovered in this for-
mation in Iowa.

The Lower Magnesian limestone has but
little greater geographical extent in Iowa
than the Pots lam sandstone. It lacks a
uniformity of texture and stratification, ow-
ing to which it is not generally valuable for
building purposes.

The St. Peter's sandstone formation is
remarkably uniform in thickness through-
out its known geographical extent, and it
occupies a large portion of the northern
half of Allamakee County; immediately be-
neath the drift.

With the exception of the Trenton lime-
stone, all the limestones of both Upper and
Lower Silurian age in Iowa are magnesian
limestone. This formation occupies large
portions of Winneshiek and Allamakee
counties, and a small part of Clayton. The
greater part of it is useless for economic
purposes; but there are some compact,
even layers that furnish fine material for
window caps and sills.

i6o

HISTORY OF IOWA.

The Galena limestone is the upper for-
mation of the Trenton Group. It i» 150
miles long and seldom exceeds twelve miles
in width. It exhibits its greatest develop-
ment in Dubuque County. It is nearly a
pure dolomite with a slight admixture of
silicious matter; good blocks for dressing
are sometimes found near the top of the
bed, although it is usually unfit for such a
purpose. This formation is the source of
the lead ore of the Dubuque lead mines.
The lead region proper is confined to an
area of about fifteen miles square in the
vicinity of Dubuque. The ore occurs in
vertical fissures, which traverse the rock at
regular intervals from east to west ; some
is found in those which have a north and
south direction. This ore is mostly that
known as galena, or sulphuret of lead, very
small quantities only of the carbonate being
found with it.

The surface occupied by the Maquoketa
shales is more than 100 miles in length, but
is singularly long and narrow, seldom reach-
ing more than a mile or two in width. The
most northern exposure vet recognized is
in the western part of Winneshiek County,
while the most southerlv is in Jackson
County, in the bluffs of the Mississippi.
The formation is largely composed of bluish
and brownish shales, sometimes slightly
arenaceous, sometimes calcareous, which
weather into a tenacious clay upon the sur-
face, and the soil derived from it is usually
stiff and clayey.

The area occupied by the Niagara lime- \
stone is forty and fifty miles in width and
nearly 160 miles long from north to south.
This formation is entirely a magnesian lime-
stone, with a considerable portion of sili-
cious matter, in some places, in the form of
chert or coarse Hint. A large part of it
probably affords the best and greatest
amount of quarry rock in the State. The
quarries at Anamosa, Le Claire and Farley
are all opened in this formation

The area of surface occupied by the
Hamilton limestone and shales, is as great
as those by all the formations of both Upper
and Lower Silurian age in the State. Its
length is nearly 200 miles, and width from
forty to fifty. Portions of it are valuable
for economic purposes ; and, having a large
geographical extent in the State, is a very
important formation. Its value for the pro-
duction of hydraulic lime has been demon-
strated at Waverly, Bremer County. The
heavier and more uniform magnesian beds
furnish material for bridge piers and other
material requiring strength and durability.
A coral occurs near Iowa City, known as
■• Iowa City marble" and " bird's-eve mar-
ble."

Of the three groups of formations that
constitute the carboniferous, viz., the sub-
carboniferous, coal measures and Permian,
only the first two are found in Iowa.

The Subcarboniferous group occupies a
very large area of surface. Its eastern
border passes from the northeastern part of
Winnebago County, with considerable di-
rectness in a southeasterly direction to the
northern part of Washington County. It
then makes a broad and direct bend nearly
eastward, striking the Mississippi at Mus-
catine. The southern and western bound-
aries are to a considerable extent the same
as that which separates it from the real
field. From the southern part of Poca-
hontas County it passes southeast to Fort
Dodge, thence to Webster City, thence to
a point three or four miles northeast of El-
dora, in Hardin County, thence southward
to the middle of the north line of Jasper
County, thence southeastward to Sigour-
nev, in Keokuk County, thence to the north-
eastern corner of Jefferson County, thence
sweeping a few miles eastward to the south-
east corner of Van Buren County. Its arc
is about 250 miles long and from twenty to
fifty miles wide.

The most southerly exposure of the Kin-

HISTORY OF IOWA.

161

derhook beds is in Des Moines Count)',
near the mouth of Skunk River. The most
northerly now known is in the eastern part
of Pocahontas County, more than 200 miles
distant. The principal exposures of this
formation are along the bluffs which border
the Mississippi and Skunk rivers, where
they form the eastern and northern bound-
ary of Des Moines County ; along English
River, in Washington County ; along the
Iowa River, in Tama, Marshall, Hamlin
and Franklin counties, and along the Des
Moines River, in Humboldt County. This
formation has a considerable economic
value, particularly in the northern portion
of the region it occupies. In Pocahontas
and Humboldt counties it is invaluable, as
no other stone except a few boulders are
found here. At Iowa Falls the lower
division is very good for building purposes.
In Marshall County all the limestone to be
obtained comes from this formation, and
the quarries near Le Grand are very valu-
able. At this point some of the layers are
finely veined with peroxide of iron, and are
wrought into both useful and ornamental
objects. In Tama County the oolitic mem-
ber is well exposed, where it is manufact-
ured into lime. Upon exposure to atmos-
phere and frost it crumbles to pieces;
consequently it is not valuable for building
purposes.

The Burlington limestone is carried down
by the southerly dip of the Iowa rocks, so
that it is seen for the last time in this State
in the valley of Skunk River, near the
southern boundary of Des Moines County ;
it has been recognized in the northern part
of Washington County, which is the most
northerly point that it has been found ; but
it probably exists as far north as Marshall
County. Much valuable material is afforded
by this formation for economic purposes.
The upper division furnishes excellent com-
mon quarry rock. Geologists are attracted
by the great abundance and variety of its

fossils — crinoids — now known to be more
than 300.

The Keokuk limestone formation is to be
seen only in four counties : Lee, Van Buren,
Henry and Des Moines. In some localities
the upper silicious portion is known as the
Geode bed ; it is not recognizable in the
northern portion of the formation, nor in
connection with it where it is exposed,
about eighty miles below Keokuk. The
geodes of the Geode bed are more or less
masses of silex, usually hollow and lined
with crystals of quartz ; the outer crust is
rough and unsightly, but the crystals which
stud the interior are often very beautiful ;
they vary in size from the size of a walnut
to a foot in diameter. This formation is of
great economic value. Large quantities
of its stone have been used in the finest
structures in the State, among which are
the postoffices at Dubuque and Des Moines.
The principal quarries are along the banks
of the Mississippi, from Keokuk to Nauvoo.

The St. Louis limestone is the uppermost
of the subcarboniferous group in Iowa. It
occupies a small superficial area, consisting
of long, narrow strips, yet its extent is very
great. It is first seen resting on the Geode
division of the Keokuk limestone, near Keo-
kuk ; proceeding northward, it forms a
narrow border along the edge of the coal
fields in Lee, Des Moines, Henry, Jeffer-
son, Washington, Keokuk and Mahaska
counties ; it is then lost sight of until it
appears again in the banks of Boone River,
where it again passes out of view under the
Coal Measures, until it is next seen in the
banks of the Des Moines, near Fort Dodge.
As it exists in Iowa, it consists of three
tolerably distinct sub-divisions : The mag-
nesian, arenaceous and calcareous. The
upper division furnishes excellent material
for quicklime, and when quarries are well
opened, as in the northwestern part of Van
Buren County, large blocks are obtained.
The sandstone, or middle division, is of

1 62

HISTORY OF IOWA.

little value. The lower, or magnesian di-
vision, furnishes a valuable and durable
stone, exposures of which are found on Lick
Creek, in Van Buren County, and on Long
Creek, seven miles west of Burlington.

The Coal Measure group is properly
divided into three formations, viz.: The
Lower, Middle and Upper Coaj Measures,
each having a vertical thickness of about
200 feet. The Lower Coal Measures exist
eastward and northward of the Des Moines
River, and also occupy a large area west-
ward and southward of that river, but their
southerly dip passes them below the Middle
Coal Measures at no great distance from
the river. This formation possesses greater
economic value tnan any other in the whole
State. The clay that underlies almost every
bed of coal furnishes a large amount of ma-
terial for potter's use. The sandstone of
these measures is usually soft and unfit, but
in some places, as in Red Rock in Marion
County, blocks of large dimensions are ob-
tained, which make good building material,
samples of which can be seen in the State
Arsenal, at Des Moines.

The Upper Coal Measures occupy a
very large area, comprising thirteen whole
counties, in the southwestern part of the
State. By its northern and eastern bound-
aries it adjoins the area occupied by the
Middle Coal Measures.

The next strata in the geological series
are of the Cretaceous age. They are found
in the western half of the State, and do not
dip, as do all the other formations upon
which they rest, to the southward and west-
ward, but have a general dip of their own
to the north of westward, which, however,
is very slight. Although the actual ex-
posures of cretaceous rocks are few in Iowa,
there is reason to believe that nearly all the
western half of the State was originally
occupied by them ; but they have been
removed by denudation, which has taken
place at two separate periods.

The Nishnabotany sandstone has the most
easterly and southerly extent of the cre-
taceous deposits of Iowa, reaching the
southeastern part of Guthrie County and
the southern part of Montgomery County.
To the northward, it passes beneath the
Woodbury sandstones and shales, the latter
passing beneath the chalk)' beds. This
sandstone is, with few exceptions, valueless
for economic purposes.

The chalky beds rest upon the Wood-
bury sandstone and shales. They have not
been observed in Iowa except in the bluffs
which border the Big Sioux River in Wood-
bury and Plymouth counties. They are
composed almost entirely of calcareous ma-
terial, the upper portion of which is exten-
sively used for lime. No building material
can be obtained from these beds, and the
only value they possess, except lime, are
the marls, which at some time may be use-
ful on the soil of the adjacent region.

Extensive beds of peat exist in Northern
Middle Iowa, which, it is estimated, contain
the following areas: Cerro Gordo County,
1,500 acres; Worth, 2,000; Winnebago, 2,-
000; Hancock, 1,500; Wright, 500; Kos-
suth, 700; Dickinson, 80. Several other
counties contain peat beds, but the peat is
inferior to that in the northern part of the
State. The beds are of an average depth
of four feet. It is estimated that each acre
of these beds will furnish 250 tons of dry
fuel for each foot in depth. At present
this peat is not utilized ; but owing to its
great distance from the coal fields and the
absence of timber, the time is coming when
its value will be fully realized.

The only sulphate of the alkaline earths
of any economic value is gypsum, and it
may be found in the vicinity of Fort Dodge
in Webster County. The deposit occupies
a nearly central position in the county, the
Des Moines River running nearly centrally
through it, along the valley sides of which
the gypsum is seen in the form of ordinary

HISTORY OF IOWA.

163

rock cliff and ledges, and also occurring
abundantly in similar positions along both
sides of the valleys of the smaller streams
and of the numerous ravines coming into
the river valley. The most northerly known
limit of the deposit is at a point near the
mouth of Lizard Creek, a tributary of the
Des Moines River and almost adjoining the
town of Fort Dodge. The most southerly
point at which it has been exposed is about
six miles, by way of the river, from the
northerly point mentioned. The width of
the area is unknown, as the gypsum be-
comes lost beneath the overlying drift, as
one goes up the ravines and minor valleys.

On either side of the creeks and ravines
which come into the valley of the Des
Moines River, the gypsum is seen jutting
out from beneath the drift in the form of
ledges and bold quarry fronts, having al-
most the exact appearance of ordinary lime-
stone exposures, so horizontal and regular
its lines of stratification, and so similar in
color is it to some varieties of that rock.
The principal quarries now opened are on
Two Mile Creek, a couple of miles below
Fort Dodge.

Epsomite, or native Epsom salts, having
been discovered near Burlington, all the
sulphates of alkaline earths of natural origin
have been recognized in Iowa, all except
the sulphate of lime being in very small
quantity.

Sulphate of lime in the various forms of
fibrous gypsum, selenite and small, amor-
phous masses, has also been discovered in
various formations in different parts of the
State, including the Coal Measure shales
near Fort Dodge, where it exists in small
quantities, quite independently of the great
gypsum of deposit there. The quantity of
gypsum in these minor deposits is always
too small to be of an) 7 practical value,
usually occurring in shales and shaly clays,
associated with strata that contain more or
less sulphuret of iron. Gypsum has thus
is

been detected in the Coal Measures, the St.
Louis limestone, the Cretaceous strata, and
also in the dead caves of Dubuque.

Sulphate of strontia is found at Fort
Dodge.

CLIMATE.

The greatest objection to the climate of
this State is the prevalence of wind, which
is somewhat greater than in the States south
and east, but not so great as farther west.
The air is purer than either east or south,
as indicated by the bluer sky and conse-
quent deeper green vegetation, and is
therefore more bracing. By way of con-
trast, Northern Illinois has a whiter sky
and a consequent more yellowish green
vegetation.

The prevailing direction of the wind is
from the west.

Thunder-storms are somewhat more vio-
lent here than east or south, but not so
furious as toward the Rocky Mountains.
The greatest rainfall is in the southeastern
part of the State, and the least in the north-
western portion. The increase of timber
growth is increasing the amount of rain, as
well as distributing it more evenly through-
out the year. As elsewhere in the North-
western States, easterly winds bring rain
and snow, while westerly ones clear the sky.
While the highest temperature occurs here
in August, the month of July averages the
hottest, and January the coldest. The mean
temperature of April and October nearly
corresponds to the mean temperature of
the year, as well as to the seasons of spring
and fall, while that of summer and winter
is best represented by August and Decem-
ber. Indian summer is delightful and well
prolonged. Untimely frosts sometimes oc-
cur, but seldom severely enough to do
great injury. The wheat crop being a
staple product of this State, and not injured
at all by frost, this great resource of the
State continues intact.

164

HISTOfir OF WW A.

CENSUS OF IOWA.

COUNTIES.

Adair

Adams

Allamakee.. .
Appanoose . .

Audubon

Benton

Black Hawk.

Boone

Bremer

Buchanan . . .
Buena Vista..

Butler

Calhoun

Carroll

Cass

Cedar

Cerro Gordo.

Cherokee

Chickasaw. . .

Clarke

Clay

Clayton

Clinton

Crawford

Dallas

Davis

Decatur

Delaware

Des Moines..
Dickinson. . .

Dubuque

Eminett

Fayette

Floyd

Franklin

Fremont

Greene

Grundy

Guthrie

Hamilton.. . . ,

Hancock

Hardin

Harrison

Henry

Howard

Humboldt. . .

Ida

Iowa

Jackson

Jasper

Jefferson

Johnson

Jones

Keokuk

Kossuth

Lee

Linn

Louisa ,

Lucas

Lyon

Madison

Mahaska

Marion

Marshall

Mills

1850

777
3.'3'

672
'35

735

3,94

709

3,873

2,822

854
7,26^

9°5

i,759

12,988

i860.

10,84

825

1,244

8,707

822
7,210
1,280
9.9°4

4.(72
3,007
4,822

18,861

5.444

4,939

','79

5 989

5,482

338

984

1,533

12,237

",93i

454

8,496

8,244

4,232

4,9 '5
7,906

3,724

'47

281

1,612

'2,949
940

4.336

5,427

20,728

'8,938

383

5,244

'3,764

8,677

11,024

'9,6

180

31,164

io<;

'2,073

3,744

',309

5,o74

',374

793

3,058

1,699

179

5,440

3,621

iS,7oi

3,168

332

„ 43
8,029

'8,493
9,883
15,038
'7-573
'3,3o6

'3,27
416

29,232

18,947

'0,370

5,766

7.339
14,816
16813
6,015
4,48'

1870.

3,982

4,614

17,868

16,456

1,212

22,454
21,706

14.SS4
12,528

' 7.034
1,585

9.95'
1,602

2,45'
5,464

19.731
4-72S
1,96

10, 1S0
8,735
',523

27,77'

35-357
2.53°

12,019

"5.565
12,018

'7,432
27,256

',389
38,969

',392
'6,973
10,76s

4,738
".'74
4,627
6,399
7,061

6,°55

13,684

8,93'

21,463

6.2S2

2,596

226
16,664
22,619
22,116

17.839

24,89s
19.73'

'9434

3.35'

37,2io

18,852

p 2,877
10,388
221
13,884
22,508
24,436
17,576
8,718

1880.

COUNTIES.

11,199
II,l88

19.791
16,636

7.448

2 4 ,SS8

23 9'3
20,838
I4,oSi
'8,547

7.537
M.293

5-595
12,351
•6,943
'S937
1 1,461

8,240

'4,534
11,512

4.248

28,829

36,764
'-',413
18,746
16,468
'5.336
'7,952

33,099
1,901

42,997

i,55o

22,258

'4. ( '77
10,248

17.653
'2,725
12,6^9

14.S63
11,252

3,453
i7,SoS
16,649
20,826
10,837

6,341
4,382
19,221
23,771
25,962
'7,478

25,429
21,052
21,259

6,179
34,8.59
37.235
'3,146
'4,53°

1,968

17,225
25,201
25,111
23.752
'4.1.35

Mitchell

Monona

Monroe

Montgomery. . .
Muscatine... .

O'Brien

Osceola

Page

Palo Alto

Plymouth ....
Pocahontas. . . .

Polk

Pottawattamie. .

Poweshiek

Ringgold

Sac

Scott

Shelby

Sioux. . .

Story . .

Tama

Taylor

Union ,

Van Buren

Wapello

Warren

Washington. . .

Wayne

Webster

Winnebago. . . .

Winneshiek

Woodburv

Worth....

Wright

1850.

5,731

551

4,513

7,82S

6.5

5.986

8
204

12,270

8,471

961

4.957
340

546

Total 192,214

i860.

3,409

832

8,612

1,256

16,444

1870.

9,582
3,654

12,724
5,934

21,688

7'5

4,419
«32
14S

i°3

11,625

4.96S

5,668

2923
246

2.5,959
S18
n
4,05
5.2S5

3,590

2,012

17,081

14,518

10,281

'4,235
6,409

2,504

16S

13,942

1,119

756

653

9,975
1.336
2,199

1,446

27,8.57
16,893
15,581

5,691

1,411
38,509

2,549

570

11,651

16,131

6,989

5,986
17,672
22,346
17,980
18.952
11,287
10,484

1,562
23.57°

6,172

2.S92

2,392

674,913 1.191,792 1,624,463

1S80.

14,361
9,055

i3,7'9
•5.89S
23,168

4,'SS

2,219

19,667

4,'3"
8,567
3,7'3
42.395
39.846
18,936
1 2,085

8,77+
41,270
12,696

5,426
16.966
21,585
15.63S
14.9S0
17,042
25,282
19.578

20,375
16,127

•5950

4,9 '7

23-937

14.997

7.953

5,062

TERRITORIAL OFFICERS.

Governors. — Robert Lucas, 1838-41; John
Chamber, 1841-45 ; James Clark, 1S45.

Secretaries. — Wm. B. Conway, 1838, died
1839; James Clark, i839-'4i ; O. H. VY.
Stull, 1841-43; Samuel J. Burr. 1S43-45 ;
Jesse Williams, 1845.

Auditors. — Jesse Williams, 1840-43; Will-
iam L. Gilbert, 1843-45; Robert M. Secrest,

1845-

Treasurers. — Thornton Baylie, 1839-40;
Morgan Reno, 1840.

Judges- — Charles Mason, Chief Justice.
1838; Joseph Williams, 1838; Thomas S.
Wilson, 1838.

Presidents of Council. — Jesse B. Brown,
1838-49; Stephen Hempstead, i839-'40; M.
Bainridge, 1840-41; J. W. Parker, 1841-42;
John D. Elbert, 1842-43; Thomas Cox,

HISTORY OF IOWA.

16s

1 843-'44; S. Clinton Hasting, 1845; Stephen
Hempstead, i845-'46.

Speakers of tke House. — William H. Wal-
lace, i838-*39 ; Edward Johnson, 1839-40;
Thomas Cox, i840-'3i ; Warner Lewis,
1841-42; James M. Morgan, 1842-43; James
P. Carleton, 1843-44; James M. Morgan,
1845 ; George W. McLeary, 1845-46.

STATE OFFICERS.

Governors. — Ansel Briggs, i846-'5o;
Stephen Hempstead, i85o-'54; James W.
Grimes, i854-'58; Ralph P. Lowe, 1858-
'60; Samuel J. Kirkwood, i86o-'64 ; Will-
iam M. Stone, 1864- '68; Samuel Morrill,
i868-'72; Cyrus C. Carpenter, 1 872-76 ;
Samuel J. Kirkwood, i876-'77;J. G. New-
bold, 1877-78; John H. Gear, 1878-82 ;
Buren R. Sherman, i882-'86; William Lar-
rabee, 1886.

Lieutenatit-Governors. — Oran Faville,i858-
'60; Nicholas J. Rusch, i86o-'62; John R.
Needham, i862-'64; Enoch W. Eastman,
i864-'66; Benjamin F. Gue, i866-'68; John
Scott, 1868-70; M. M. Walden, i87o-'72 ;
H. C. Bulis, i872-'74; Joseph Dysart,
i874-'76; Joshua G. Newbold, i876-'78;
Frank T. Campbell, 1878-82; Orlando H.
Manning, 1882-85 ; John A. T. Hull, 1886.

This office was created by the new con-
stitution Sept. 3, 1857.

Secretaries of State. — Elisha Cutter, Jr.,
1846- '48; Joseph H. Bonney, i848-'5o;
George W. McCleary, i850-'56; Elijah
Sells, i856-'63; James Wright, iS63-'67;
Ed. Wright, 1867-73 ; Josiah T. Young,
1873-79; J- A - T - Hull, i879-'85; Franklin
D. Jackson, 1885.

Auditors of State. — Joseph T. Fales,
i846-'5o; William Pattee, i85o-'54; Andrew
J. Stevens, 1854— '55 ; John Pattee, 1855-59 \
Jonathan W. Cattell, i85g-'65 ; John A.
Elliott, 1865-71 ; John Russell, 1871-75 ;
Buren R. Sherman, 1875-81; Wm. V.
Lucas, 1881 ; John L. Brown, i882-'83; J.
W. Cattell, acting, 1885-86.

Treasurers of State. — Morgan Reno,
i846-'5o; Israel Kister, i85o-'52 ; Martin L.
Morris, 1852-59; John W. Jones, i85o-'63;
William H. Holmes, 1863-67; Samuel E.
Rankin, 1867-73 ; William Christy, 1873-
77 ; George W. Bemis, 1877-81 ; Edwin
H. Conger, 1881— '85 ; Voltaire Twombly,
1885.

Attorney-Generals. — David C. Cloud,
1853— '56 ; Samuel A. Rice, i856-'6o; Charles
C. Nourse, i86o-'64; Isaac L. Allen, 1865-
'66; Frederick E. Bissell, i866-'67; Henry
O'Connor, 1867-72; Marcena E. Cutts,
1872-76; John F. Mcjunkin, 1877-81 ;
Smith McPherson, 1881-85 ; A. J. Baker,
1885.

Adjutant-Generals. — Daniel S. Lee, 1851 —
'55; George W. McCleary, 1855-57; Eli-
jah Sells, 1857; Jesse Bowen, 1857— '61 ; Na-
thaniel Baker, 1861-77; John H. Looby,
1877-78; W. L, Alexander, i878-'84.

Registers of the State Land-Office. — Anson
Hart, 1855— *57 ; Theodore S. Parvin, 1857-
'59; Amos B. Miller, i859-'62 ; Edwin
Mitchell, i862-'63; Josiah A. Harvey,
i863-'67; Cyrus C. Carpenter, 1867-71;
Aaron Brown, 1871-75; David Secor,
1875-79; J- K. Powers, 1879-82.*

Superintendents of Public Instruction. —
James Harlan, i847-'48; Thos. H. Benton,
Jr., i848-'54; James D. Eads, 1854— '57 ,
Joseph C. Stone, 1857; Maturin L. Fisher,
1857— '58 : Oran Faville, 1S64-67; D.Frank-
lin Wells, 1867-68 ; A. S. Kissell, 1868-72;
Alonzo Abernethy, 1872-76; Carl W.
Van Coelen, i876-'82; John W. Akers,
1882-84.

This office was created in 1847 and abol-
ished in 1858, and the duties then devolved
upon the secretary of the Board of Educa-
tion; it was re-created March 23, 1864.

State Printers. — Garrett D. Palmer and
George Paul, i84q-'si ; William H. Merritt,
1851-53; William A. Hornish, 1853 ; Den-

*Office abolished January i, 18S3, and duties devolved
on the Secretary of State

i66

HISTORY OF IOWA.

nis A. Mahoney and Joseph B. Dorr, 1853-
'55 ; Peter Moriarty, 1855-57 ! John Tees-
dale, 1857— '61 ; Francis W. Palmer, 1861-
•69; Frank M. Mills, i86o-'7i ; G. W. Ed-
wards, 187 1— '73 ; Rich. P. Clarkson, 1873—
'79; Frank M. Mills, 1879-81 ; Geo. E.
Roberts, 1881.

State Binders. — William M. Coles, 1855-
'58; Frank M. Mills, i8s8-'67 ; James S.
Carter, 1867-71 ; J.J. Smart, 1871-75 ; H.
A. Perkins, 1875-79; Matt. Parrott, 1879-
'85; L. S. Merchant, 1885.

Secretaries of Board of Education. — T.
H. Benton, Jr., 1859— '63 : Oran Faville.
i863-'64.

This office was abolished March 23, 1864.

Presidents of the Senate. — Thomas Baker.
i846-'47; Thomas Hughes, 1847-48; John J.
Selman, 1848-49; Enos Lowe, 1 849- ' 5 1 ;
Win. E. Leffingwell, 185 1-'53 ; Maturn L.
Fisher. i853-*55 ; Wm. W. Hamilton, 1855-

'57-

Under the new Constitution the Lieuten-
ant-Governor is President of the Senate.

Speakers of the House. — Jesse B. Brown,
1846-48; Smilev H. Bonham, i848-'50;
George Temple, i85o-'52; James Grant,
i852-'54; Reuben Noble, i854-'56; Samuel
McFarland, i856-'57; Stephen B. Sheledy,
i857-'59; John Edwards, 1859— '61 : Rush
Clark, 1861-63; Jacob Butler, 1863-65; Ed.
Wright, i865-'67; John Russell, i867-'69;
Aylett R. Cotton, 1869-71 ; James Wilson,
1871-73; John H. Geer, 1873-77; John Y.
Stone, 1877-79; Lore Alford, i88o-'8i ; G.
R. Strublc, 1882-83; ffm. P. Wolf, 1884;
Albert Head, 1886.

Chief Justices of the Supreme Court. —
Charles Mason, 1847; Joseph Williams,
1847-48: S. Clinton Hastings, i848-'49;
Joseph Williams, 1 849-' 5 5 ; George G.
Wright, 1855-60; Ralph P. Lowe, i86o-'62;
Caleb Baldwin, i862-'64; George G.
Wright, 1864-66; Ralph P. Lowe, 1866-
'68; John F. Dillon, 1868-70; Chester C.

Cole, 1 870-7 1 ; James G. Day, i87i-'72;
Joseph M. Beck, 1872-74; W. E Miller,
1874-76 ; Chester C. Cole, 1876; Wm. H.
Seevers, i876-'77; James G. Day, 1877— '78;
James H. Rothrock, i878-'83 and '84;
Joseph M. Beck, i879-'8o and '85 ; Austin
Adams, i88o-'8i and '86; Wm. H. Seevers,
1882.

Associate Justices. — Joseph Williams, held
over from territorial government until a
successor was appointed ; Thomas S. Wil-
son, 1847; John F. Kinney, iS47-'54; George
Greene, 1 S47 -'55; Jonathan C. Hall, 1854-
'55 ; William G. Woodward, 1855 ; Norman
W. Isbell, 1855-56; Lacon D. Stockton,
1 856- '60; Caleb Baldwin, i86o-'64; Ralph
P. Lowe, i860: George G. Wright, i860;
John F. Dillon, i864-'7o; Chester C. Cole,
1864-77; Joseph M. Beck, 1868; W. E.
Miller, 1870; James G. Day, 1870.

['iiitcd States Senators. — Augustus C.
Dodge, 1 848-" 5 5 ; George W. Jones, 1848-
'59; James Harlan, 1855— '65 ; James W.
Grimes, 1859-69; Samuel J. Kirkwood,
1866; James Harlan, 1867-73; James B.
Howell, 1870; George G. Wright, 1871-
'77; William B. Allison, 1873-79; Samuel
J. Kirkwood, 1877-81; Wm. B. Allison,
i879-'85; James W. McDill, 1881 ; James
F. Wilson, 1883.

Present State Officers (1886). — Governor,
William Larrabee ; Secretary of State,
Frank D. Jackson ; Auditor of State, J. W.
Cattell, acting ; Treasurer, Voltaire Twom-
blv ; Superintendent Public Instruction,
John W. Akers ; Printer, George E. Rob-
erts ; Binder, L. S. Merchant ; Adjutant-
General, W. L. Alexander ■ Librarian, Mrs.
S. B. Maxwell.

Supreme Court. — William H. Seevers,
Chief Justice, Oskaloosa ; James G. Day,
Sidney, James H. Rothrock, Tipton. Joseph
M. Beck, Fort Madison, Austin Adams,
Dubuque, Judges; A. J. Baker, Attorney-
General.

- r

^S^-J^t^-J*!^

Qovertyors of |ou/a.

J^Stf-'

3P ^m

( ^CLAA-A^A ^OZsL^Zj^

cr><^^ ^9/uo^^d^d

ROBERT LUCAS.

■7i

y^f<^<^<^^^<^^^^^^a^^^^p^^^Jm^k^^M

OBERT LUCAS, the first
Governor of Iowa Ter-
ritory, was the fourth
son and ninth child of
William and Susan,
nah Lucas, and was
born April i, 1781,
in Jefferson Valley,
Shepherdstown, Jefferson
County, Virginia, a few miles
from Harper's Ferry, where his
ancestors settled before the Rev-
olution. His father, who was
descended from William Penn,
was born January 18, 1743, and
his mother, of Scotch extrac-
tion, was born October 8, 1745.
They were married about the
year 1760, and reared a family of six sons
and six daughters. His father, who had
served as a Captain in the Continental army
during the Revolutionary war, and had
distinguished himself at the battle of Bloody
Run, emigrated with his family to Scioto
County, Ohio, early in the present century.
At the time of this removal Robert was
a young man. He had obtained his educa-
tion chieflv in Virginia, from an old Scotch
schoolmaster named McMullen, who taught
him mathematics and surveying. The latter
afforded him remunerative employment im-
mediately upon his entrance into Ohio.

He was married at Portsmouth, Ohio,
April 3, 1 8 10, to Elizabeth Brown, who died
October 18, 1812, leaving an infant daugh-

ter, who afterward became Mrs. Minerva
E. B. Sumner. March 7, 18 16, he formed
a second matrimonial connection ; this time
with Friendly A. Sumner, who bore to him
four sons and three daughters.

The first public office held by Robert
Lucas was that of County Surveyor of Sci-
oto County, the commission from Governor
Edward Tiffin, of Ohio, appointing him such
being dated December 26, 1803. Decem-
ber 16, 1805, he was commissioned by
Governor Tiffin justice of the peace for
three years. His first military appointment
was that of Lieutenant of militia, by virtue
of which he was authorized to raise twenty
men to assist in filling Ohio's quota of 500
volunteers called for by the President in
view of possible difficulties with the Spanish.
He was subsequently promoted through
all the military grades to Major Gen-
eral of Ohio militia, which latter rank was
conferred upon him in 18 18.

He was a Brigadier-General on the
breaking out of the war of 18 12, and had
much to do with raising troops. He was
appointed a Captain in the regular army,
but before his commission reached him he
was already in active service, scouting,
spying, carrying a musket in the ranks and
in other useful capacities. After Hull's
surrender he was paroled and returned to
Ohio. He was in the course of time made
a Lieutenant-Colonel, and then a Colonel,
from which position he resigned.

He served in numerous civil offices in

i7i

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

Ohio, and at the time of his second marriage,
in 1816, he was and had been forsome time
a member of the Ohio Legislature, serving
successively for nineteen years in one or the
other branch, and in the course of his leg-
islative career presiding over first one
and then the other branch. In 1820 and
again in 1828, he was chosen one of the
Presidential electors of Ohio. In May,
1832, at Baltimore, Maryland, he presided
over the first Democratic National Con-
vention — that which nominated Andrew
Jackson for his second term as President,
and Martin Van Buren for Vice Presi-
dent. In 1832 he was elected Governor
of Ohio, and re-elected in 1834. He declined
a third nomination for the same office.

Under the act of Congress to divide tne
Territorv of Wisconsin and to establish the
territorial government of Iowa, approved
June 12, 1838, the subject of this sketch was
appointed Governor of the new Territory,
and he immediately accepted the responsi-
bilit v. A journey from the interior of Ohio
to the banks of the Upper Mississippi was
then a matter of weeks; so that, although
Governor Lucas set out from his home on
the 25th of July, delaying on his route
a few days at Cincinnati, to arrange for the
selection of the books for a territorial
library, it was not till nearly the middle of
August that he reached Burlington, then
the temporary seal of government.

The first official act of Lucas as Gov-
ernor of Iowa was to issue a proclamation
dated August 13, 1838, dividing the Terri-
tory into eight representative districts, ap-
portioning the members of the Council and
House of Representatives among the nine-
teen counties then composing the Terri-
tory, and appointing the second Monday
in September ensuing for the election of
members of the Legislative Assembly and
a delegate to Congress. His first message
to the Legislature, after its organization,
was dated November 12, 183S, and related

chiefly to a code of laws for the new com-
monwealth. He opposed imprisonment for
debt, favored the death penalty for murder
(executions to be in the presence of only
the Sheriff and a suitable number of wit-
nesses), and strenuously urged the organi-
zation of a liberal system of common
schools. The organization of the militia
was also one of his pet measures. There
was a broad difference between the views
of a majority of this Legislative Assembly
and the Governor, on many questions of
public policy, as well as points of authority.
This resulted in the sending to the Presi-
dent of a memorial, dated January 12, 1839,
signed by eight of the council and seven
of the Representatives, praying the re-
moval of Governor Lucas. In addition to
this, a memorial for the Governor's re-
moval was passed by both Houses, signed
in due form by their presiding officers, and
transmitted to the President. The charges
made were met by a protest signed by
eight Representatives, and as a result Gov-
ernor Lucas was allowed to remain in office
until the next change of administration.

In 1839 and '40 occurred the well-known
boundary dispute with Missouri, which
was finally settled in favor of Iowa, by the
Supreme Court of the United States. No-
vember 5, 1839, Governor Lucas announced
that the Territory had advanced in improve-
ment, wealth and population (which latter
was estimated at 50,000) without a parallel
in history, and recommended the necessary
legislation preparatory to the formation of
a State government. This was overruled
by the people, however. Among the latest
of Governor Lucas's acts was a proclama-
tion dated April 30, 1841, calling the Leg-
islature to assemble, for the first time, at
Iowa City, the new capitol.

March 25, 1S41, he was succeeded by
John Chambers. He lived a private life
near Iowa City until his death, February
7, 1853, at the age of seventy-one years.

JOHN CHAMBERS.

173

<&•»

5 kg ™*

araiw SOTViiff^

OHN CHAMBERS was
the second Governor of
Iowa Territory. He was
born October 6, 1780, at
Bromley Bridge, Somer-
set County, New Jersey.
His father, Rowland Cham-
bers, was born in Pennsyl-
vania, of Irish parentage.
According to a tradition in
the family, their remote
ancestors were Scotch, and
belonged to the clan Cam-
eron. Having refused to
join in the rebellion of 1645,
they migrated to Ireland,
where, by an act of Parliament, on their
own petition, they took the name of Cham-
bers. Rowland Chambers espoused with
enthusiasm the cause of American inde-
pendence, and was commissioned a Colonel
of New Jersey militia. At the close of the
war, reduced in circumstances, he immi-
grated to Kentucky and settled in Wash-
ington, then the seat of Mason County.
John, the youngest of seven children, was
then fourteen years old. A few days after
the family settled in their new home he
found employment in a dry-goods store,
and the following spring was sent to
Transylvania Seminary, at Lexington. He
returned home in less than a year. In 1797

he became deputy under Francis Taylor,
Clerk of the District Court. His duties
being light, he applied himself to the study
of law. In the spring of 1 800 he assumed
all the duties of the office in which he had
been employed, and in November following
he was licensed to practice law.

In 1803 Mr. Chambers, who had now
entered upon a career of uninterrupted
professional prosperity, was married to Miss
Margaret Taylor, of Hagerstown, Mary-
land. She lived but about three years, and
in 1807 he married Miss Hannah Taylor, a
sister of his first wife. Not long after he
engaged in the manufacture of bale rope
and bagging for the Southern market. In
this he incurred heavy losses.

In the campaign of 18 12 he served as
aid-de-camp to General Harrison, with the
rank of Major. In 181 5 Mr. Chambers was
sent to the Legislature, and in 1828 he went
to Congress to fill the unexpired term of
General Thomas Metcalfe. In 1830 and
1 83 1 he was again in the State Legislature.
In 1832 he lost his wife. She was a lady of
cultivated mind and elegant manners, and
had made his home a happy and attractive
one. The same year he was offered a seat
on the bench of the Supreme Court of
Kentucky, but this he declined. The same
office was tendered him in 1835, but before
the time for taking his seat, he was obliged

'74

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

to resign, out of consideration for his health.
From 1835 to 1839 he was in Congress,
making for himself a high reputation.

Between 181 5 and 1828 Mr. Chambers
was, for several years, the commonwealth's
attorney for the judicial district in which
he lived. He was during that period at the
zenith of his reputation as a lawyer and ad-
vocate. He met the giants of the Ken-
tucky bar in important civil and criminal
trials. His well-known high sense of honor,
and his contempt for professional chicanery,
commanded the respect of his legal com-
peers. His appearance and manner were
dignified, his tone calm and impressive,
and his language singularly direct and
vigorous.

He closed his congressional career in
1839 w 'th the purpose of resuming the
practice of law, but his old friend General
Harrison was nominated for the Presi-
dency and induced him to aid in the
personal canvass General Harrison made
through the country. He was urged by
President Harrison to accept some office
requiring his residence in Washington, but
this he declined, though he afterward ac-
cepted the appointment of Governor of
Iowa. He entered upon the duties of this
office May 13, 1841. His success in his
administration of the affairs of the Territory
was well attested by the approbation of the
people, and by the hearty commendation
of those in authority at Washington, espe-
cially for his management of Indian affairs.
During his term of office he found it neces-
sary on several occasions to suppress the
feuds of the red men. which he did with
such firmness and decision that quiet was
promptly restored where war seemed im-
minent. Governor Chambers was repeat-
edly called on to treat with the Indian tribes

for the purchase of their lands. In October,
1 84 1, he was commissioned jointly with
Hon. T. H. Crawford, Commissioner of In-
dian Affairs, and Governor Doty, of Wis-
consin, to hold a treaty with the Sacs and
Foxes, which, however, did not result in a
purchase. In September, 1842, being ap-
pointed sole Commissioner for the same
purpose, he succeeded fully in carrying out
the wishes of the Government. In 1843 he
held a treaty with the Winnebagoes, but in
this instance no result was reached.

In 1844, his term of office having expired,
he was re-appointed by President Tyler,
but was removed in 1845 by President
Polk. Shortly afterward, with greatly im-
paired health, he returned to Kentucky,
where, with skillful medical treatment and
entire relief from official cares, he partially
recovered. During the few remaining years
of his life Governor Chambers's recollec-
tions of Iowa were of the most agreeable
character. He spoke gratefully of the re-
ception extended to him by her people, and
often referred with great kindness to his
neighbors in Dcs Moines County.

His infirm health forbade his engaging in
any regular employment after his return to
Kentucky, but in 1849, at the solicitation of
the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, he ne-
gotiated jointly with Governor Ramsey, of
Minnesota, a successful treaty with the
Sioux Indians for the purchase of lands.
The latter years of Governor Chambers's
life were spent mostly with his children,
whose affection and respect were the chief
conditions of his happiness. During a visit
to his daughter in Paris. Kentucky, he was
taken sick at the house of his son-in-law, C.
S. Brent, and after a few weeks breathed
his last, September 21, 1852, in his seventv-
second year.

JAMBS CLARKE.

'75

^g<$M^

*&&^

HE third and last Ter-
ritorial Governor
was James Clarke.
Sometime in the
autumn of the year
1837, when the trees
were in the " sear
and yellow leaf," a printer
boy of slender form and
gentle appearance might
have been seen crossing
the laurel hills of his own
State. Behind him rolled
the waters of the " Blue
Juniata," on the banks of
which he had spent, in
merry glee, his youthful
days. He had heard and read of strange
countries that la)' far off toward the setting
sun, through which broad rivers run, and
spreading landscapes unfolded to human
eyes the most rare and magnificent beauty.
With his youthful gaze fixed upon that star
which never sets, he set forth into the wilds
of Wisconsin, a stranger in a strange land,
an adventurer seeking his own fortune, de-
pending upon his own exertions, with no
recommendation save an honest face and
genteel deportment. This young man was
James Clarke, who afterward became the
able, talented and popular Governor of
Iowa.

He remained in Wisconsin, working at
his trade as a printer, until after the organi-

zation of the Territory of Iowa, when he
removed to Burlington, where the first
Legislature of Iowa assembled. After the
death of Mr. Conway he was appointed by
President Van Buren, Secretary of the Ter-
ritory, which office he filled with great
credit to himself and satisfaction to the
people. During the time he held this office
he contributed by his kind, gentle and
amiable manner to soften the feelings of
hatred and distrust which at one time ex-
isted between leading men of the Territory.
Whoever had business at his office found
him a kind, gentle, quiet, amiable man, al-
ways read)' and willing to do whatever was
desired of him, regretting, at the same time,
that he could do no more. During the
time he was Secretary he performed a vast
amount of labor, but notwithstanding the
large amount of business he transacted, he
still found time to write for the press, and
contributed many valuable articles touch-
ing the future greatness of Iowa.

After he retired from the office of Secre-
tary he again returned to the printing trade,
and became the leading editor of the Bur-
lington Gazette. To the columns of this
paper he devoted his whole energies, and
by so doing made it the leading Democratic
paper of the Territory. In the early sum-
mer of 1845 President Polk removed Mr.
Chambers, and appointed Mr. Clarke to suc-
ceed him as Governor of Iowa. Previous
to his appointment he had been elected by

176

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

the people of his county a delegate to the
first convention which assembled to form a
Constitution for the State of Iowa. In this
convention he distinguished himself both
for his talent and personal demeanor, and
contributed to the pages of that Constitu-
tion some of the great elementary principles
which lie at the foundation of human rights.
And although that Constitution was de-
feated, he still had the satisfaction of seeing
their spirit and meaning transferred to
another, and still continued as the funda-
mental law of our State.

The first Legislature after he received
his appoint men! assembled at Iowa City,
on the first Monday of December, 1845.
His message to the Legislature alter its or-
ganization is a model of style and clearness.
He set forth the importance of an early ex-
tinguishment of the Indian title to all the
lands within the limits ol Iowa, and urged

the Legislature to memorialize Congress t<>

purchase a tract of land on the Upper Mis-
sissippi I'M ;i future home (or the Winne-
bagoes, and thus induce them to pari with
their title to a large tract of country known
as the " neutral ground," a recommendation
which tin' General Government soon after
acted upon and carried out.

January id, 1S40, the Legislature passed
once more an act for the purpose of elect-
ing delegates to frame a Constitution for
the Slate of Iowa. This time the friends of
a Slate government took it for granted
that the people of the Territory wanted a
Constitution, so the Legislature provided
that at the April election following the
passage of this act, the people of the Ter-
ritory should elect delegates to a conven-
tion. Accordingly, at the April election
delegates were elected, and the convention,
agreeable to said act, consisting of thirty-
two members instead of seventy as in the
previous convention, met at Iowa City, on
the first Monday ol May, [846, and altera

session of eighteen days produced a Con-
stitution which was immediately submitted,
adopted, and made the organic law of the
State of Iowa. After the result was known
the Governor issued his proclamation for a
general election to be held in November
following, atwhich Ansel Briggs, of Jack-
son Countv, was elected Governor of the
State.

This proclamation was the last public act
of James Clarke, for as soon as the new
Governor was qualified, he turned over to
him all the archives of his office, and re-
turned once more to the printing office.
Again he scattered through Iowa his beau-
tiful editorials through the columns of the
Burlington Gtictttr, until the name and
lame ol Iowa became known throughout
the length and breadth of the land. He
appeared at the capitol at the first session
of the Stale Legislature underthe new Con-
stitution, delivered tothat body an affecting
and interesting farewell address, then stood
back quietly during the whole of the ses-
sion, and gazed with indignation upon his
countenance at the dreadful strife, storms
and bitterness which was manifested during
the entire session.

This was the last time that Mr. Clarke
ever appeared at the Legislature. He died
soon after, at Burlington, of the cholera.
Thus closed the earthly career of a just and
noble man, cut oil in the prime of life ami
in the midst of an useful career. He was
married to a sister of General Dodge, and
this fact being known at the time of his ap-
pointment as Governor, drew upon the
Dodges the title of the " royal family." But
whatever might be said in this respect, the
appointment could not have been bestowed
upon a better man, or one more competent
to fill it. His history is without a stain or
reproach, and throughout his whole life no
man ever imputed aught against his char-
acter as a man and a citizen.

■J-'-l

^» ..'""■

ANSEL BRfGGS.

179

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»2aP? FrV fdcJria a^x jW '

iE first Governor of
Iowa under its State
organization, was
Ansel Briggs, who,
like his two imme-
diate successors, was
a son of that won-
derful nursery of progress,
New England. He was
the son of Benjamin Ingley
Briggs and Electa his wife,
and was born in Vermont,
February 3, 1806. His
boyhood was spent in his
native State, where, in the
common schools, he re-
ceived a fair education,
improved by a term spent at the academy
of Norwich. In his youth, about the year
1830, with his parents, he removed to
Cambridge, Guernsey Count)', Ohio, where
he engaged in the work of establishing
stage lines, and where, as a Whig, he com-
peted with John Ferguson, a Jackson
Democrat, for the office of county audi-
tor and was defeated. In his twenty-
fourth year he married a wife, born the
same day and year as himself, of whom he
was soon bereft. Before leaving Ohio he
married his second wife, Nancy M., daugh-
ter of Major Dunlap, an officer of the war
of 1812.

In 1836, removing from Ohio, he joined
that hardy band, so honored here to-day,
the pioneers of Iowa, and settled with his
family at Andrew, in Jackson County.
Here he resumed his former business of
opening stage lines, sometimes driving the
stage himself, and entering into contracts
with the postoffice department for carrying
the United States mails weekly between
Dubuque and Davenport, Dubuque and
Iowa City, and other routes.

On coming to Iowa he affiliated with the
Democrats, and on their ticket, in 1842,
was elected a member of the Territorial
House of Representatives from Jackson
County, and subsequently sheriff of the
same county. On the formation of the
State government, he at once became a
prominent candidate for Governor. His
competitors for the Democratic nomination
were Judge Jesse Williams and William
Thompson. The question above all others
dividing the parties in Iowa in that day was
that of banks, favored by the Whigs, and op-
posed by the Democrats. A short time be-
fore the nominating convention met, Briggs,
at a banquet, struck a responsive chord in
the popular heart by offering the toast, " No
banks but earth, and they well tilled," a
sententious appeal to the pride of the pro-
ducer and the prejudice of the partisan,
which was at once caught up as a party

i8o

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

cry, and did more to secure its author the
nomination for Governor than all else.

The convention was held at Iowa City
on Thursday, September 24, 1846, and as-
sembled to nominate State officers and two
Congressmen. It was called to order by
F. D. Mills, of Des Moines County. Will-
iam Thompson, of Henry County, presided,
and J. T. Fates, of Dubuque, was Secretary.
The vote for Governor in the convention
stood : Briggs, sixty-two ; Jesse Williams,
thirty-two; and William Thompson, thirty-
one. The two latter withdrew, and Bnggs
was then chosen by acclamation. Elisha
Cutler, Jr., of Van Buren County, was
nominated for Secretary of State; Joseph
T. Fales, of Linn, for Auditor, and Morgan
Reno, of Johnson, for Treasurer. S. C.
Hastings and Shepherd Leffler were nomi-
nated for Congress. The election was held
October 28, 1846, the entire Democratic-
ticket being successful. Briggs received
7,626 votes, and his competitor, Thomas
McKnight, the Whig candidate, 7,379, giv-
ing Briggs a majority of 247.

The administration ot Governor Briggs
was generally placid. Although avoiding
excitement and desirous of being in har-
monious accord with his party, when oc-
casion required he exhibited an independent
firmness not easily shaken. One perplex-
ing controversy bequeathed him by his
predecessors was the Missouri boundary
question, which had produced much dis-
quiet, and even a resort to arms on the part
of both Iowa and Missouri.

After the expiration of his four-years
term, Governor Briggs continued his resi-
dence in Jackson County, where he engaged
in commercial business, having sold out his
mail contracts when he became Governor.

By his second marriage he had eight
children, all of whom died in infancy save
two, and of these latter Ansel, Jr., died
May 15, 1867, aged twenty-five years.
John S. Briggs, the only survivor of the

family, is the editor of the Idaho Herald,
published at Blackfoot, Idaho Territory.
Mrs. Briggs died December 30, 1847, dur-
ing her husband's term as Governor. She
was an ardent Christian woman, adhering
to the Presbyterian faith, and very domestic
in her tastes. She was well educated and
endowed by nature with such womanly
tact and grace as to enable her to adorn the
high estate her husband had attained. She
dispensed (albeit in a log house, a form of
architecture in vogue in Iowa in that day,
as the mansion of the rich or the cabin of
the poor) a bounteous hospitality to the
stranger and a generous charity to the poor,
in which gracious ministrations she was al-
ways seconded by her benevolent husband.

In 1870 Governor Bnggs removed from
Andrew to Council Bluffs. He had visited
the western part of the State before rail-
roads had penetrated there, and made the
trip by carriage. On that occasion he en-
rolled himself as one of the founders of the
town of Florence, on the Nebraska side of
the Missouri River, six miles above Coun-
cil Bluffs, and which, for a time, disputed
with Omaha the honor of being the chief
town of Nebraska.

He made a trip to Colorado during the
mining excitement in i860. After return-
ing and spending some time at home, he
went to Montana in 1863, with his son John,
and a large party, remaining until 1865,
when he came back.

His last illness, ulceration of the stomach,
was only five weeks in duration. He was
able to be out three days before his death,
which occurred at the residence of his son,
John S. Briggs, in Omaha, May 5, 1881, at
halt past three in the morning. Governor
Gear issued a proclamation the next day,
reciting his services to the State, ordering
half-hour guns to be fired and the national
flag on the State capitol to be half-masted,
during the day of the funeral. He was
buried on Sunday succeeding his death.

STEPHEN HEMPSTEAD.

183

[HIS gentleman, the
second Governor of
the State, was born
at New London,
Connecticut, Octo-
ber 1, 1812, and
lived in that State
until the spring of 1828,
when his father's family
came West and settled on
a farm a few miles from
St. Louis, Missouri. Here
he remained until 1830,
when he entered as clerk
in a commission house in
Galena, Illinois, and dur-
ing the Black Hawk war he
was an officer in an artillery company or-
ganized for the protection of that place.

At the close of the war he entered as a
student of the Illinois College at Jackson-
ville, Illinois, remaining about two years,
leaving to commence the study of law
which he finished under Charles S. Hemp-
stead, Esq., then a prominent lawyer at
Galena. In 1836 he was admitted to prac-
tice his profession in the courts of the Ter-
ritory of Wisconsin, then embracing Iowa,
and in the same year located in Dubuque,
being the first lawyer who practiced in
that place. At the organization of the

Territorial Legislature in 1838 he was
elected to represent the northern portion
of the Territory in the Legislative Council,
of which he was chairman of the committee
on judiciarv, one of the important com-
mittees of the Council. At the second
session of that body he was elected presi-
dent thereof, was again elected a member
of the Council in 1845, which was held in
Iowa City, and was again president of the
same. In 1844 he was elected one of the
delegates to the first constitutional conven-
tion of the State of Iowa, and was chair-
man of the committee on incorporations.
In 1848, in connection with Hon. Charles
Mason and W. G. Woodward, he was ap-
pointed commissioner by the Legislature to
revise the laws of the State of Iowa, and
which revision, with a few amendments,
was adopted as the code of Iowa in 1851.
In 1850 he was elected Governor of the
State of Iowa, receiving 13,486 votes,
against 11,403 for James L. Thompson, 575
for William P. Clarke, and 1 1 scattering.

The vote was canvassed on the 4th of
December, and a committee was appointed
to inform the Governor elect that the two
Houses of the Legislature were ready to re-
ceive him in joint convention, in order that
he might receive the oath prescribed by
the Constitution. After receiving formal

,8 4

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

notification, Governor Hempstead, accom-
panied by Governor Briggs, the judges of
the Supreme Court and the officers of
State, entered the hall of the House, and
having been duly announced, the Governor
elect delivered his inaugural message, after
which the oath was administered by the
chief justice of the Supreme Court.

This session of the Legislature passed a
number of important acts which were
approved by Governor Hempstead, and
formed fifty-two new counties, most of
them having the same names and bound-
aries to-day. These new counties were :
Adair, Union, Adams, Cass, Montgomery,
Mills, Pottawattomie, Bremer, Butler,
Grundy, Hardin, Franklin, Wright, Risley,
Yell, Greene, Guthrie, Carroll, Fox, Sac,
Crawford, Shelby, Harrison, Monona, Ida,
Waukau, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Buena
Vista, Fayette, Cherokee, Plymouth, Alla-
makee, Chickasaw, Floyd, Cerro Gordo,
Hancock, Kossuth, Palo Alto. Clay, O'-
Brien, Sioux, Howard, Mitchell, Worth,
Winnebago, Winneshiek, Bancroft, Em-
mett, Dickinson, Osceola and Buncombe.
The last-named county was so called under
peculiar circumstances. The Legislature
was composed of a large majority favoring
stringent corporation laws, and the liability
of individual stockholders for corporate
debts. This sentiment, on account of the
agitation of railroad enterprises then begin-
ning, brought a large number ol prominent
men to the capital. To have an effect upon
the Legislature, they organized a " lobby
legislature," in which these questions were
ably discussed. They elected as Governor
Verplank Van Antwerp, who delivered to
this self-constituted body a lengthy mes-
sage in which he sharply criticised the
regular general assembly. Some of the
members of the latter were in the habit of
making long and useless speeches, much to
the hindrance of business. To these he
especially referred, charging them with

speaking "for buncombe," and recom-
mended that as their lasting memorial, a
county should be called by that name.
This suggestion was readily seized upon
by the Legislature, and the county of " Bun-
combe" was created with few dissenting
voices. By act of the General Assembly
approved September n, 1862, the name
was changed to " Lyon," in honor of Gen-
eral Nathaniel Lyon, who was killed in the
civil war.

Governor Hempstead's message to the
fourth General Assembly, December, 1852,
stated, among other things, that the popu-
lation of the State was by the federal cen-
sus 192,214, and that the State census
showed an increase for one year of 37,786.
He also stated that the resources of the
State for the coming two years would be
sufficient to cancel all that part of the funded
debt which was payable at its option.

By 1854 the State had fully recovered
from the depression produced by the bad
season of 1851, and in 1854 and 1855 the
immigration from the East was unprece-
dented. For miles and miles, day after day,
the prairies of Illinois were lined with cattle
ami wagons, pushing on toward Iowa. At
Peoria, one gentleman said that during a
single month 1,743 wagons passed through
that place, all for Iowa. The Burlington
Telegraph said: " Twenty thousand immi-
grants have passed through the city within
the last thirty days, and they are still cross-
ing the Mississippi at the rate of 600 a day."

Governor Hempstead's term expired in
the latter part of 1854, and he returned to
Dubuque, where the following year he was
elected county judge. This position he
held twelve years, and in 1867 he retired on
account of impaired health. He lived, how-
ever, till February 16, 1883, when at his
home in Dubuque he closed his record on
earth. He was a useful and active man,
and deserves a prominent place in the
esteem ol lowans.

Ct+-> ?

JAMBS W. CR/AfES.

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IE third to fill the of-
fice of Governor of
Iowa, and whose
name deserves a
foremost rank
among t h e m e n
whose personal his-
tory is interwoven insepar-
ably with that of the State,
was James Wilson Grimes.
He was born in the town
of Deering, Hillsborough
County, New Hampshire,
October 20, 18 16. His
parents — John Grimes,
born August 11, 1772, and
Elizabeth Wilson, born
March 19, 1773 — were natives of the same
town. Of a family of eight children born
to them, James was the youngest. In
early childhood he evinced a taste for
learning, attending the district school and
also studying Latin and Greek under the
instruction of the village pastor. He
completed his preparation for college
at Hampton Academy, and entered Dart-
mouth College in August, 1832, in the
sixteenth year of his age. Upon leaving
college in Februarv, 1835, he commenced
reading law with James Walker, Esq., in
Petersburgh, New Hampshire.

Being young and adventurous, and wish-
ing to carve a fortune for himself, he left

his native home in 1836 for the far West,
landing in Burlington, then a new town in
what was known as the " Black Hawk
Purchase." Here he opened an office and
soon established a reputation as a rising
lawyer. 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 justice of the peace, and be-
came a law partner of William W. Chap-
man, United States District Attorney for
Wisconsin Territory. In the early part of
the year 1841 he formed a partnership with
Henr}* W. Starr, Esq., which continued
twelve years. This firm stood at the head
of the legal profession in Iowa. Mr. Grimes
was widely known as a counselor of supe-
rior knowledge of the law, and with a clear
sense of truth and justice. He was chosen
one of the representatives of Des Moines
County in the first Legislative Assembly
of the Territory of Iowa, which convened
at Burlington, November 12, 1838; in the
sixth, at Iowa City, December 4, 1843 ; and
in the fourth General Assembly of the
State, at Iowa City, December 6, 1852.
He early took front rank among the pub-
lic men of Iowa. He was chairman of the
judiciary committee in the House of Rep-
resentatives of the first Legislative As-
sembly of the Territory, and all laws for the
new Territory passed through his hands.

:S8

COVE/tXORS OF IOWA.

He was married at Burlington, Novem-
ber 9, 1846, to Miss Elizabeth Sarah Neally.

In February, 1854, Mr. Grimes was nom-
inated by a convention of the Whig party
for Governor of the State. It was the
largest convention of that party ever held
in Iowa, and the last. He was elected, and
assumed the duties of the office in Decem-
ber, 1854. Soon after his election it was
proposed that he should be sent to the
United States Senate, but he made it4inder-
stood that he should fill the term of office
for which he had been chosen, and he
served his full term to the entire satisfac-
tion and acceptance of all parties. He was
a faithful leader in the political regenera-
tion of the State. He introduced liberal
measures to develop the resources of
the State, and to promote the interests
of all educational and humane establish-
ments. Up to the time of his election
as Governor, Democracy reigned supreme
in the Territory. The representatives in
Congress were allies of the slave power.
He, after being elected, gave his whole
soul to the work, and it may truly be said
that Governor Grimes made Iowa Repub-
lican and allied it with the loyal States.

January 14, 1858, he laid down his office,
only to be placed in another and greater
one ; for on the 25th he was nominated
by the Republican caucus for United
States Senator. He took his seat in the
Senate March 4, 1859, and was placed upon
the committee on naval allairs January 24,
1861, on which he remained during the
remainder of his senatorial career, serving
as chairman from December, 1864.

Mr. Grimes voted for the Pacific Rail
road bill on June 20, 1862, and for estab-
lishing the gauge of the road from the Mis-
souri River to the Pacific Ocean, at four
feet eight and a half inches, February 18,
1863.

Januarv 16, 1864, Mr. Grimes was again
chosen United States Senator from Iowa

for six years from March 4, 1865, receiving
the votes of all but six of the members of
the General Assembly in joint convention ;
128 out of 134. His council was often
sought in matters of great moment, and in
cases of peculiar difficulty. Always ready
to promote the welfare of the State, he
gave, unsolicited, land worth $6,000 to the
Congregational college at Grinnell. 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 the
trustees, on the recommendation of the fac-
ulty, to the best scholars, and the most
promising, in any department, who may
need and seek such aid, and without any
regard to the religious tenets or opinions
entertained by any person seeking either
of said scholarships." These terms were
imposed l>v Mr. Grimes and assumed July
20, 1865, 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 librarv in Burlington, donating
$5,000, which was expended in the purchase
of costlv books, and subsequently sent from
Europe 256 volumes in the German lan-
guage, and also contributed 600 volumes of
public documents.

In Januarv, 1S69, he made a donation of
$5,000 to Dartmouth College, and $1,000
to the " Social Friend," a literary society of
which he was a member when in college.

His health failing, Mr. Grimes sailed for
Europe April 14, 1869, remaining abroad
two years, reaching home September 22,
1871, apparently in improved health and
spirits. In November he celebrated his
silver wedding, and spent the closing
months of his lite with his family. He voted
at the city election February 3, 1872, was
suddenly attacked with severe pains in the
region of the heart, and died after a few
short hours of intense suffering.

*£ (f^Zi^

RALPH P. LOWE.

191

-IE fourth Governor
of the State, and
the seventh of Iowa
without reference to
the form of govern-
ment, was Ralph P.
Lowe. He was born
in Ohio in 1808, and lived
just three-fourths of a cent-
ury. He came to the
Territory of Iowa in 1839
or 1840, when he was a
little over thirty years old.
He settled in Muscatine,
where in a short time he
became prominent in local
affairs and of recognized
ability in questions of public policy. While
yet residing in that city, he represented
the county of Muscatine in the constitu-
tional convention of 1844 that framed the
rejected Constitution.

After this constitutional convention, Mr.
Lowe took no further part in public mat-
ters for a number of years. He removed
1o Lee County about 1849 or '50, where
he became district judge as a successor to
George H. Williams, who was afterward
famous as President Grant's Attorney Gen-
eral. He was district judge five years,
from 1852 to 1857, being succeeded by
Judge Claggett. In the summer of 1857

he was nominated by the Republicans for
Governor of Iowa, with Oran Faville for
Lieutenant-Governor. The Democracy
put in the field Benjamin M. Samuels for
Governor and George Gillaspv for Lieu-
tenant Governor. There was a third ticket
in the field, supported by the American or
" Know Nothing " party, and bearing 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. Henry.

Hitherto the term of office had been four
years, but by an amendment to the Consti-
tution this was now reduced to two. Gov-
ernor Lowe was inaugurated January 14,
1858, and at once sent his first message to
the Legislature. Among the measures
passed by this Legislature were bills to in-
corporate the State Bank of Iowa ; to pro-
vide for an agricultural college ; to author-
ize the business of banking ; disposing of
the land grant made by Congress to the
Des Moines Valley Railroad ; to provide
for the erection of an institution for the
education of the blind ; and to provide for
taking a State census.

No events of importance occurred dur-
ing the administration of Governor Lowe,
but it was not a period of uninterrupted
prosperity. The Governor said in his
biennial message of January 10, i860, re-

192

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

viewing the preceding two years: " The
period that has elapsed since the last
biennial session has been one of great dis-
turbing causes, and of anxious solicitude to
all classes of our fellow citizens. The first
year of this period was visited with heavy
and continuous rains, which reduced the
measure of our field crops below one-half
of the usual product, whilst the financial
revulsion which commenced upon the At-
lantic coast in the autumn of 1857 did not
reach its climax for evil in our borders until
the year just past."

He referred at length to the claim of the
State against the Federal Government,
and said that he had appealed in vain to
the Secretary of the Interior (or the pay-
ment of the 5 per cent, upon the military
land warrants that the State is justly en-
titled to, which then approximated to a
million of dollars. The payment of this
fund, he said, " is not a mere favor which
is asked of the General Government, but a
subsisting right which could be enforced in
a court of justice, was there a tribunal of
this kind clothed with the requisite juris-
diction."

The subject of the Dcs Moines River
grant received from the Governor special
attention, and he gave a history of the
operations of the State authorities in ref-
erence to obtaining the residue of the lands
to which the State was entitled, and other
information as to the progress of the work.
He also remarked " that under the act
authorizing the Governor to raise a com-
pany of mounted men for defense and pro-
tection of our frontier, approved Februarv
0. 1S38, a company of thirty such men,
known as the Frontier Guards, armed and
equipped as required, were organized and
mustered into service under the command
of Captain Henry B. Martin, of Webster
City, about the first of March then follow-
ing, and were divided into two companies,
one stationed on the Little Sioux River,

the other at Spirit Lake. Their presence
afforded security and gave quiet to the
settlements in that region, and after a ser-
vice of four months they were duly dis-
banded.

'• Late in the fall of the year, however,
great alarm and consternation was again
felt in the region of Spirit Lake and Sioux
River settlements, produced by the appear-
ance of large numbers of Indians on the
border, whose bearing was insolent and
menacing, and who were charged with
clandestinely running off the stock of the
settlers. The most urgent appeals came
from these settlers, invoking again the
protection of the State. From the repre-
sentations made of the imminence of their
danger and the losses already sustained,
the Governor summoned into the field once
more the frontier guards. After a service
of four or five months thev were again
discharged, and paid in the manner
prescribed in the act under which they
were called out."

Governor Lowe was beaten for the
renomination by I lonorable S. J. Kirkwood,
who was considered much the stronger
man. To compensate him for his defeat
for the second term. Governor Lowe was
appointed 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 practice of
law, gradually working into a claim busi-
ness at Washington, to which city he re-
moved about 1874. In that city he died, on
Saturday, December 22, 1883. He had a
large family. Carleton, one of his sons,
was an officer in the Third Iowa Cavalry
during the war.

Governor Lowe was a man of detail,
accurate and industrious. In private and
public life he was pure, upright and honest.
In religious faith he was inclined to be a
Spiritualist.

^VH^ix^

SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD.

195

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,.\MUEL JORDAN
KIRKWOOD, the
fifth Governor of the
State of Iowa, was born
December 20, 1813, in
Harford Count}', Mary-
land, on his father's
farm. His father was twice
married, first to a lady named
Coulson, by whom he had
two sons, and, after her
death, to Mary Alexander, by
whom he had three children,
all sons, the youngest of whom
is the subject of these notes. The
father of Governor Kirkwood was
a native of Maryland, his ancestors
having settled there previous to the Revo-
lution ; his mother was born in Scotland,
and both parents were strict members of
the Presbvterian church.

When ten years old young Kirkwood was
sent to Washington City to attend a school
taught by a relative named John McLeod.
He remained at school four years, when he
entered a drug store at Washington as
clerk, in which occupation he continued till
after attaining his majority, with the excep-
tion of about eighteen months spent in
teaching in York County, Pennsylvania.
In 1835 Samuel left Washington and set-
tled in Richland County, Ohio, where he
assisted his father and brother (who had re-

moved from Maryland there) in clearing a
farm. In 1841 he entered, as a student, the
law office of Thomas W. Bartley, afterward
Governor of Ohio, and in 1843 was admit-
ted to the bar by the Supreme Court of
Ohio. He then engaged in the practice
of law with his former preceptor, Mr.
Bartley, forming an association which con-
tinued for eight years.

From 1845 to 1849 he served as prose-
cuting attorney of his county. In 1849 he
was elected as a Democrat to represent his
county and district in the constitutional
convention. In 1851 Mr. Bartley, his part-
ner, having been elected to the supreme
judiciary of the State, Kirkwood formed a
partnership with Barnabas Barns, with
whom he continued to practice until the
spring of 1855, when he removed to the
West.

Up to 1854 Mr. Kirkwood had acted with
the Democratic party. But the measures
proposed and sustained that year by the
Democracy in Congress, concentrated in
what was known as the Kansas-Nebraska
act, drove him with hosts of anti-slavery
Democrats out of the part)'. He was be-
sought by the opposition in the " Richland
district " to become their candidate for
Congress, but declined. In 1855 he came
to Iowa and settled two miles northwest of
Iowa City, entering into a partnership with
his brother-in-law, Ezekiel Clark, in the

iq6

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

milling business, and kept aloof from pub-
lic affairs. He could not long conceal his
record and abilities from his neighbors,
however, and in 1856 he was elected to the
State Senate from the district composed of
the counties of Iowa and Johnson, and
served through the last session of the
Legislature held at Iowa City and the first
one held at Des Moines.

In 1859 Mr. Kirkwood was made the
standard-bearer of the Republicans of Iowa,
and though he had as able and popular a
competitor as General A. C. Dodge, he was
elected Governor of Iowa by a majority of
over 3,000. He was inaugurated January
11, i860. Before the expiration of his first
term came the great civil war. As Gov-
ernor, during the darkest days of the Rebell-
ion, he performed an exceedingly impor-
tant duty. He secured a prompt response
by volunteers to all requisitions by the
federal ( rovemment on the State for troops,
so that during his Governorship 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 ex-
tra session in 1 861, authorized the sale of
$800,000 in bonds, to assist in arming and
equipping troops. So frugally was this
work done, that but $300,000 of the bonds
were sold, and the remaining $500,000 not
having been required, the bonds represent-
ing this amount were destroyed by order
of the succeeding Legislature.

In October, 1861, Governor Kirkwood
was. with comparatively little opposition,
re-elected — an honor accorded for the first
time in the history of the State. His ma-
jority was about 18,000. During his second
term he was appointed by President Lin-
coln to be Minister to Denmark; but he
declined to enter upon his diplomatic duties
until the expiration of his term as Governor.
The position was kept open for him until
that time, but, when it came, pressing pri-

vate business compelled a declination ol
the office altogether.

In January, 1866, he was a prominent
candidate before the Legislature for United
States Senator. Senator Harlan had re-
signed the senatorship upon his appoint-
ment to the office of Secretary of the
Interior by President Lincoln, just before
his death, but had withdrawn from the
cabinet soon alter the accession of Mr.
Johnson to the Presidency. In this way
it happened that the Legislature had two
terms of United States Senator to fill, a
short term of two years, to fill Harlan's
unexpired term, and a long term of six
years, to immediately succeed this; and
Harlan had now become a candidate for
his own successorship, to which Kirkwood
also aspired. Ultimately, Kirkwood was
elected for the first and Harlan for the
second term. During his brief senatorial
service, Kirkwood did not hesitate to meas-
ure swords with Senator Sumner, whose
natural egotism had begotten in him an
arrogant and dictatorial manner, borne with
humbly until then by his colleagues, in
deference to his long experience and emi-
nent ability, but unpalatable to an inde-
pendent Western Senator like Kirkwood.

At the close of his senatorial term, March
4, 1867, he resumed the practice of law,
which a few years later he relinquished to
accept the presidency of the Iowa City
Savings Bank. In 1875 he was again elected
Governor, and was inaugurated January 13,
1876. He served but little over a year, as
early in 1877 he was chosen United States
Senator. He filled this position four years,
resigning to become Secretary of the In-
terior in President Garfield's cabinet. In
this office he was succeeded, April 17, 1882,
by Henry M. Teller, of Colorado.

Governor Kirkwood returned to Iowa
City, his home, where he still resides, being
now advanced in years. He was married
in 1843 to Miss JaneClark, a native of Ohio.

JiX o

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WILLI AM At. STONE.

199

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(HE subject of this brief
sketch was the ninth
to hold the position
of Governor of Iowa,
and the sixth to fill
the office under the
State organization.
He held the office four
years, from 1864 to 1868.

William Milo Stone was
born October 14, 1827,
a son of Truman and La-
vina (North) Stone. His
Teat-errandfather on both
sides of the family was in
the seven years' struggle
for independence. His
grand lather, Aaron Stone, was in the second
war with England. Truman Stone moved
to Lewis County, New York, when the son
was a year old, and six years later to Co-
shocton County, Ohio.

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 seven-
teen he was apprenticed to the chairmaker's
trade, and he followed that business until
twenty-three years of age, reading law

meantime during his spare hours, wher-
ever he happened to be. He commenced
at Coshocton, with James Mathews, who
afterward became his father-in-law ; con-
tinued his readings with General Lucius V.
Pierce, of Akron, and finished with Ezra B.
Taylor, of Ravenna. He was admitted to
the bar in August, 1851, by Peter Hitch-
cock and Rufus P. Ranney, supreme judges,
holding a term of court at Ravenna.

After practicing three years at Coshocton
with his old preceptor, James Mathews, he,
in November, 1854, settled in Knoxville,
which has remained his home since. The
year after locating here Mr. Stone pur-
chased the Knoxville Journal, and was one
of the prime movers in forming the Repub-
lican party in Iowa, being the first editor to
suggest a State convention, which met
February 22, 1856, and completed the or-
ganization. In the autumn of the same
year he was a Presidential elector on the
Republican 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 185S, and was serving on
the bench when the American flag was
stricken down at Fort Sumter. At that

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

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 prepared
for what he believed to be more important
duties — duties to his country.

In May he enlisted as a private; was
made Captain of Company B, Third Iowa
Infantry, and was subsequently promoted
to Major. With that regiment he was at
the battle of Blue Mills, Missouri, in Sep-
tember, 1 861, where he was wounded. At
Shiloh, the following spring, he commanded
the regiment and was taken prisoner. By
order of Jefferson Davis he was paroled for
the time of forty days, with orders to re-
pair to Washington, and if possible secure
an agreement for a cartel for a general ex-
change of prisoners, and to return as a
prisoner if he did not succeed. Failing to
secure that result within the period speci-
fied he returned to Richmond and had
his parol extended fifteen days; repairing
again to Washington, he effected his pur-
pose and was exchanged.

In August, 1862, he was appointed by
Governor Kirkwood Colonel of the Twen-
ty-second Iowa Infantry, which rendez-
voused and organized at Camp Pope, Iowa
City, in August, 1862. The regiment was
occupied for several months in guarding
supply stores and the railroad, and escorting
supply trains to the Army of the Southeast
Missouri until January 27, 1863, when it re-
ceived orders to join the army under Gen-
eral Davidson, at West Plains, Missouri.
After a march of five days it reached its
destination, and was brigaded with the
Twenty-first and Twenty-third Iowa regi
ments, Colonel Stone commanding, and was
designated the First Brigade, First Divis-
ion, Army of Southeast Missouri. April 1
found Colonel Stone at Milliken's Bend,
Louisiana, to assist Grant in the capture of
Vicksburg. He was now in immediate
command of his regiment, which formed a

part of a brigade under Colonel C. L.
Harris, of the Eleventh Wisconsin. In the
advance upon Port Gibson Colonel Harris
was taken sick, and Colonel 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 brigade was in the reserve
at Champion Hills, and in active skirmish
at Black River.

On the evening of May 21 Colonel Stone
received General Grant's order for a gen-
eral assault on the enemy's lines at 10 a. m.
on the 22d. In this charge, which was
unsuccessful, Colonel Stone was again
wounded, receiving a gunshot in his left
forearm. Colonel Stone commanded a
brigade until the last of August, when,
being ordered to the Gulf department, he
resigned. He had become very popular
with the people of Iowa, and they were
determined to make him Governor.

He was nominated in a Republican con-
vention held at Des Moines in June, 1863,
and was elected by a large majority. He
was brevetted Brigadier-General in 1864,
during his first year as Governor. He was
inaugurated January 14, 1864, and was re-
elected in 1865, his four years in office
closing January 16,1868. His majority in
1863 was nearly 30,000, and in 1865 about
16,500. His diminished vote in 1865 was
due to the fact that he was very strongly
committed in favor of negro suffrage.

Governor Stone made a very energetic
and efficient executive. Since the expira-
tion of his gubernatorial term he has sought
to escape the public notice, and has given
his time largely to his private business in-
terests. He is in partnership with Hon. O.
B. Ayres, of Knoxville, in legal practice.

He was elected to the General Assembly
in 1877, and served one term.

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

SAMUEL MERRILL.

203

OLONEL SAM-
UEL MERRILL, the

seventh Governor of
the State of Iowa, the
successor of Governor
Stone, is among the
men of the West who
have been called from
private life to places of trust on
account of their peculiar fitness
for office. He was born in the
town of Turner, Oxford County,
Maine, August 7, 1822. He is
of English ancestry, being a
descendant on his mother's side
of Peter Hill, who came from
the West of England and set-
tled in Saco, Maine (now known as Bidde-
ford), in 1653. From this ancestry have
sprung the most of the Hills of America.
On his father's side he is a descendant of
Nathaniel Merrill, who, with his brother
John, came from Salisbury, England, and
settled in Newburg, Massachusetts, in 1636.
Abel Merrill married Abigail Hill, June
25, 1809, in Buxton, Maine. They soon
moved to Turner, where they became the
parents of eight children, Samuel, the sub-
ject of this sketch, being next the youngest,
the fourth and youngest son in the family,
and in the eighth generation from his Pil-
grim fathers.
is

Samuel was married first to Catherine
Thorns, who died in 1847, but fourteen
months after their marriage. In January,
1 85 1, he was again married, his second wife
being a Miss Hill, of Buxton, Maine. To
this union there have been born four chil-
dren, three of whom died young, the eldest
living to be only two and a half years old.

At the age of sixteen he moved with his
parents to Buxton, where his time was
mostly engaged by turns in teaching and
in attending school until he attained his
majority. Having determined to make
teaching a profession, he set out for that
purpose toward the sunny South, but, as
he says, he was " born too far north " for
his political comfort. Suspicion having
been aroused as to his abolitionist pro-
clivities, and finding the elements not al-
together congenial, he soon abandoned the
land of chivalry for the old Granite State,
where he engaged for several years in
farming.

In 1847 he removed to Tamworth, New
Hampshire, where he embarked in mer-
cantile business in company with a brother.
In this, as in all his business enterprises, he
was quite successful. Not being satisfied
with the limited resources of Northern
New England, he determined to try his
good fortune on the broad prairies of the
new and more fertile West. Accordingly,

204

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

in 1856, he turned his face toward the set-
ting sun. He made a final settlement at
McGregor, Iowa, where he established a
branch house of the old firm.

During all these years of business Mr.
Merrill took an active but not a noisy part
in politics. In 1854 he was elected as an
Abolitionist to the New Hampshire Legis-
lature, at the same time General N. B.
Baker, ex-Adjutant General of Iowa, was
Governor of the same State. In 1855 he
was returned for a second term to the Leg-
islature. In Iowa he was equally fortunate
in securing the good will of those who
knew him. His neighbors and those who
had dealings with him found a man who
was honest in his business, fair in his deal-
ings, social in his relations, and benevolent
in his disposition. He took an active in-
terest in the prosperity of the town and
ever held an open hand to all needed chari-
ties. These traits of character had drawn
around him, though not realized or intended
by himself, a host of personal admirers.
This good will resulted in his being nomi-
nated for a seat in the State Legislature,
and he was the only one on his ticket that
was elected. The Legislature met in extra
session in 1861 to provide for the exigencies
of the Rebellion, and in its deliberations Mr.
Merrill rendered effective and unselfish
service.

He continued in business at McGregor
until the summer of 1862, when he was
commissioned as Colonel of the Twenty-
first Iowa Infantry, proceeding immediately
to Missouri, where active service awaited
him. Marmaduke was menacing the Union
forces in Central Missouri, which called for
prompt action on the part of the Union
Generals. Colonel Merrill was placed in
command of a detachment of the Twenty-
first Iowa, a detachment of the Ninety-ninth
Illinois, a portion of the Third Iowa Cavalry
and two pieces of artillcrv, with orders to
make a forced march to Springfield, he be-

ing at Houston, eighty miles distant. On
the morning of the nth of January, 1863,
they having come across a body of rebels,
found them advancing in heavy force.
Colonel Merrill immediately made dis-
position for battle, and brisk firing was
kept up for an hour, when the enemy fell
back. Colonel Merrill now moved in the
direction of Hartville, where he found the
rebels in force under Marmaduke, and from
six to eight thousand strong, with six pieces
of artillery, while Colonel Merrill had but
800 men and two pieces of artillery.

In this engagement the rebels lost several
officers and not less than 300 men in killed
and wounded. The Union loss was seven
killed and sixty-four wounded, five captured
and two missing. The regiment performed
severe marches and suffered much in sick-
ness during the winter. It was assigned to
the Thirteenth Corps, General John A. Mc-
Clernand ; fought gallantly at the battle of
Port Gibson; and while the impetuous
charge of Black River bridge was being
made Colonel Merrill was severely, and re-
ported fatally, wounded. The battle of Black
River bridge, the last of the series of engage-
ments during the campaign of Vicksburg in
which the rebels fought without their fortifi-
cations, was a short but bloody combat.
While Colonel Merrill was leading his regi-
ment in this deadly charge he was wounded
through the hips. This brought his mili-
tarv career to a close. Suffering from his
wounds, he resigned his commission and re-
turned to McGregor, but was unable to at-
tend to his private affairs for many months.

In 1867 he was chosen Governor to suc-
ceed William M. Stone. He was inaugu-
rated January 16, 1868, and served till
January 11, 1872, being re-elected in 1869.
After the expiration of his term of office
he returned to McGregor, but as soon as
he could adjust his business interests he lo-
cated in Des Moines, where he is now
President of the Citizens' National Bank.

CrUUS C. CARPENTER.

207

^-&;

ROM his numerous offi-
cial positions, and
the ability with
which the)' have
been filled, Cyrus
C. Carpenter, the
eighth Governor of
the State of Iowa,
deserves to be remembered
as one of Iowa's foremost
men. He is a native of Sus-
quehanna County, Pennsyl-
vania, and was born Novem-
ber 24, 1829. His parents
were Asahel and Amanda M.
(Thayer) Carpenter, both of whom died be-
fore he was twelve years old. His grand-
father, John Carpenter, was one of nine
young men who, in 1789, left Attleborough,
Massachusetts, for the purpose of finding a
home in the " new country." After various
vicissitudes they located upon the spot
which they called Harford, in Northeastern
Pennsylvania, the township in which Cyrus
was born. This location at that time was
far from any other settlement, Wilkesbarre,
in Wyoming Valley, near the scene of the
celebrated Indian massacre, being among
the nearest, though fifty miles away.

Cyrus attended a common school three
or four months in a year until 1846, then

taught winters and worked on a farm sum-
mers for three or four years, and with the
money thus raised paid his expenses for
several months at the academy which had
been established in his native town. After
leaving this institution, in 1852, he started
westward ; halted at Johnstown, Licking
County, Ohio ; taught there a year and a
half, and with his funds thus replenished he
came to Iowa, loitering some on the way,
and reaching Des Moines in June, 1854. A
few days later he started on foot up the
Des Moines Valley, and found his way to
Fort Dodge, eighty miles northwest of Des
Moines, from which place the soldiers had
moved the previous spring to Fort Ridgely,
Minnesota.

He now had but a single half dollar in
his pocket. He frankly told the landlord
of his straightened circumstances, offering
to do any kind of labor until something
should " turn up." On the evening of his
arrival he heard a Government contractor
state that his chief surveyor had left him
and that he was going out to find another.
Young Carpenter at once offered his ser-
vices. To the inquiry whether he was a
surveyor, he answered that he understood
the theory of surveying, but had had no
experience in the field. His services were
promptly accepted, with a promise of steady

2o8

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

employment if he were found competent.
The next morning he met the party and
took command. When the first week's
work was done he went to Fort Dodge to
replenish his wardrobe. As he left, some
of the men remarked that that was the last
that would be seen of him. He was then
of a slight build, jaded and torn by hard
work, and, when he left the camp, so utterly
tired out it is not surprising that the men
who were inured to out-door life thought
him completely used up. But they did not
know their man. With the few dollars
which he had earned, he supplied himself
with comfortable clothing, went back to
his work on Monday morning and con-
tinued it till the contract was completed.

The next winter he taught the first school
opened in Fort Dodge, and from that date
his general success was assured. For the
first two years he was employed much of
the time by persons having contracts for
surveying Government lands. He was thus
naturally led into the land business, and
from the autumn of 1855, when the Land
Office was established at Fort Dodge, much
of his time was devoted to surveying, select-
ing lands for buyers, tax-paying for foreign
owners, and in short a general land agency.
During this period he devoted such time as
he could spare to reading law, with the
view of eventually entering the profession.

Soon after the civil war commenced he
entered the army, and before going into the
field was commissioned as Captain in the
staff department, and served over three
years, attaining the rank of Lieutenant-
Colonel and being mustered out as brevet
Colonel.

He has served his State in numerous
civil capacities. He was elected Surveyor
of Webster County in the spring of 1856,
and the next year was elected a Represen-
tative to the General Assembly, and served
in the first session of that bod)' held at Des
Moines. He was elected Register of the

State Land Office in 1866, re-elected in
1868, and held the office four years, declin-
ing to be a candidate for renomination.
He was elected Governor of Iowa in

1 87 1, and was inaugurated January 11,1872.
He was re-elected two years later, and
served until January 13, 1874. He made
an able and popular executive. In his first
inaugural address, delivered January 11,

1872, he made a strong plea for the State
University, and especially its normal de-
partment, for the agricultural college, and
for whatever would advance the material
progress and prosperity of the people, urg-
ing in particular the introduction of more
manufactories.

At the expiration of his second term as
Governor Mr. Carpenter was appointed,
without his previous knowledge, Second
Comptroller of the United States Treasury,
and resigned after holding that office about
fifteen months. He was influenced to take
this step at that time because another bureau
officer was to be dismissed, as the head of
the department held that Iowa had more
heads of bureaus than she was entitled to,
and his resigning an office of a higher grade
saved a man who deserved to remain in
Government employ.

He was in the forty-seventh Congress
from 1 88 1 to 1883, and represented Web-
ster County in the twentieth General As-
sembly. He is now leading the life of a
private citizen at Fort Dodge, his chief
employment being the carrying on of a
farm. He is not rich, which is a striking
commentary on his long official service.
He has led a pure and upright life.

He has been a Republican since the or-
ganization of that party. In religious mat-
ters he is orthodox.

He was married in March, 1864, to Miss
Susan C. Burkholder, of Fort Dodge. They
have no children, but have reared from
childhood a niece of Mrs. Carpenter, Miss
Fannie Burkholder.

JOSHUA G. NEW BOLD.

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OSHUA G. NEWBOLD

was the tenth Governor
of the State, and the
thirteenth of Iowa, num-
bering from the first
Territorial Gover nor.
He is yet living at Mount
Pleasant. He is a native of
Pennsylvania, and his an-
cestors in this country were
among the very early set-
tlers in New Jersey. They
were Friends, and conse-
quently none of them
figured in the struggle for
the independence of the colo-
nies. Governor Newbold is the son of
Barzilla and Catherine (Houseman) New-
bold. He was born in Fayette County,
Pennsylvania, May 12, 1830, and reared as
a farmer. When he was eight years of age
the family moved to Westmoreland County,
same State, where he was educated in the
common school, and also in a select school
or academy, the latter taught by Dr. John
Lewis, since of Grinnell, Iowa. At sixteen
he returned with the family to Fayette
County, where he remained eight years,
assisting his father in running a flouring
mill, when not teaching. When about nine-
teen he began the study of medicine, read-
ing a year or more while teaching, and then
abandoning the notion of being a physician.

In the month of March, 1854, Mr. New-
bold removed 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 Count)', there merchandising
and farming till about i860, when he re-
moved to Hillsboro, Henry County- and
pursued the same callings.

In 1862, 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, Twenty-fifth Regi-
ment Iowa Infantry. He served nearly
three years, resigning just belore 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,
Alabama.

His regiment was one of those that made
Iowa troops famous. It arrived at Helena,
Arkansas, 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 en-
gagement. Its second was at Arkansas
Post, and there it suffered severely, losing
in killed and wounded more than sixty.

Alter Lookout Mountain it joined in the
pursuit of Bragg's flying forces to Ring-

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

gold, where it engaged 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 continued in
the mercantile trade at Hillsboro for three
or four years, and then sold out, giving
thereafter his whole attention to agricult-
ure, stock-raising and stock-dealing, mak-
ing the stock department an important
factor in his business for several years. Mr.
Newbold was a member of the thirteenth,
fourteenth and fifteenth General Assem-
blies, representing Henry County, and was
chairman of the school committee in the
fourteenth, and of the committee on appro-
priations in the fifteenth General Assembly.
In the fifteenth (1874) he was temporary
Speaker during the deadlock in organizing
the House. In 1875 he was elected Lieu-
tenant Governor on the Republican ticket
with Samuel [. Kirkwood.

His Democratic competitor was E. B.
Woodward, who received 93, 060 votes. Mr.
Newbold received 134,166, or a majority of
31,106. Governor Kirkwood being elected
United Stales Senator during that session,
Mr. Newbold became Governor, taking the
chair February 1, 1877, and vacating it for
Governor Gear in January, 1878.

Governor Newbold's message to the Leg-
islature in 1878 shows painstaking care
and a clear business-like view of the In-
terests of the State. His recommendations
were carefully considered and largely
adopted. The State's finances were then
in a less creditable condition than ever be-
fore or since, as there was an increasing
floating debt, then amounting to $340,-
826.56, more than $90,000 in excess of the
Constitutional limitation. Said Governor
Newbold in his message: "The common-
wealth ought not to set an example of dila-

toriness in meeting its obligations. Of all
forms of indebtedness, that of a floating
character is the most objectionable. The
uncertainty as to its amount will invariably
enter into any computation made by persons
contracting with the State for supplies, ma-
terial or labor. To remove the present
difficulty, and to avert its recurrence, I
look upon as the most important work that
will demand your attention."

One of the greatest problems before
statesmen is that of equal and just taxation.
The following recommendation shows that
Governor Newbold was abreast with fore-
most thinkers, for it proposes a step which
yearly finds more favor with the people:
" The inequalities of the personal-property
valuations of the several counties suggest
to mv mind the propriety of so adjusting
the State's levy as to require the counties
to pay into the State treasury only the tax
on realty, leaving the corresponding tax on
personalty in the county treasury. This
would rest with each county the adjust-
ment of its personal property valuations,
without fear that they might be so high as
to work injustice to itself in comparison
with other counties."

Governor Newbold has always affiliated
with the Republican party, and holds to its
great cardinal doctrines, having once em-
braced them, with the same sincerity and
honesty that he cherishes his religious senti-
ments. He has been a Christian for some-
thing like twenty-five years, his connection
being with the Free-Will Baptist church.
He found his wife, Rachel Farquhar, in
Fayette County, Pennsylvania, their union
taking place 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 George C.

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

JOHN II. GEAR.

215

^m^^

>■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■ » Kl ■■

t i l ' I ' 1 I 1 1 1 1 i I '*' l"l"i - M ' S"i-* -»

1 E eleventh to hold the
highest official posi-
tion in the State of
Iowa was John H.
Gear, of Burlington.
He is yet living in
that city. He was
born in Ithaca, New York,
April 7, 1825. His father
was Rev. E.G. Gear, a cler-
gyman of the Protestant
Episcopal church, who
was born in New London,
Connecticut, in 1792.
When he was quite young
h i s family removed to
Pittsfield, Berkshire County,
Massachusetts; in 18 16, after being or-
dained, he emigrated to New York and
settled at Onondaga Hill, near which is now
the thriving city of Syracuse. Soon after
locating there he was married to Miranda E.
Cook. He was engaged in the ministry in
various places in Western New York until
1836, when he removed to Galena, Illinois.
There he remained until 1838, when he was
appointed Chaplain in the United States
Army at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He
died in 1874, aged eighty-two years.

John H., his only son, in 1843, came to
Burlington, where he has since continued
to reside. On his arrival he commenced

his mercantile career by engaging as clerk
with the firm of Bridgeman & Bros. After
being with this firm for a little over a year
he entered the employ of W. F. Coolbaugh
(since president of the Union National
Hank, of Chicago), who was even at that
early date the leading merchant of Eastern
Iowa. He was clerk for Mr. Coolbaugh
for about five years, and was then taken
into partnership. The firm of W. F. Cool-
baugh & Co. continued in business for
nearly five years, when Mr. Gear suc-
ceeded to the business by purchase, and
carried it on until he became known as the
oldest wholesale grocer in the State. He
is now president of a large rolling mill
company at Burlington.

Mr. Gear has been honored by his fellow-
citizens with many positions of trust. In
1852 he was elected alderman ; in 1863 was
elected mayor over A. W. Carpenter, be-
ing the first Republican up to that time
who had been elected in Burlington on a
party issue. In 1867 the Burlington, Cedar
Rapids & Minnesota Railroad Company
was organized, and he was chosen as its
president. His efforts highly contributed
to the success of the enterprise, which did
much for Burlington. He was also active
in promoting the Burlington & Southwest-
ern Railway, as well as the Burlington &
Northwestern narrow-gauge road.

2l6

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

He has always acted with the Republican
party, and in 1871 was nominated and
elected a member of the House of Repre-
sentatives of the Fourteenth General As-
sembly. In 1873 he was elected to the
Fifteenth General Assembly. The Repub-
lican caucus of the House nominated him
for Speaker by acclamation, and after a
contest of two weeks he was chosen over
his opponent, J. W. Dixon. He filled the
position of Speaker very acceptably, and
at the close of the session all the members
of the House, independent of party affili-
ations, joined in signing their names to a
resolution of thanks, which was engraved
and presented to him. In 1875 he was the
third time nominated to the Assembly by
the Republican party, and while his county
gave a large Democratic vote he was again
elected. He was also again nominated for
Speaker, by the Republican caucus, and
was elected by a handsome majority over
his competitor, Hon. John Y. Stone. He
is the only man in the State who ever had
the honor of being chosen to this high posi-
tion a second time. He enjoys the reputa-
tion of being an able parliamentarian, his
rulings never having been appealed from.
At the close of the session he again received
the unanimous thanks of the House for his
courtesy and impartiality.

In 1877 he was nominated for Governor
by the Republican convention which met
at Des Moines, June 28, and at the election
held the following October he received
121,546 votes, against 79,353 for John P.
Irish, 10,639 for Eliasjessup, and 38,228 for
D. P. Stubbs. His plurality over Irish was
42,193. He was inaugurated January 17,
1878, and served four years, being re-elected
in 1879, by the following handsome vote:
Gear, 157,571 ; Trimble, 85,056; Campbell,
45,439; Dungan, 3,258; Gear's majority
over all competitors, 23,828. His second
inauguration was in January, 1880.

Governor Gear's business habits enabled

him to discharge the duties of his office
with marked ability. He found the finan-
cial condition of trie State in a low ebb, but
raised Iowa's credit to that of the best of
our States. In his last biennial message he
was able to report : " The warrants out-
standing, but not bearing interest, Septem-
ber 30, 1 88 1, amounted to $22,093.74, and
there are now in the treasury ample funds
to meet the current expenses of the State.
The war and defense debt has been paid,
except the warrants for $125,000 negotiated
by the executive, auditor and treasurer,
under the law of the Eighteenth General
Assembly, and $2,500 of the original bonds
not yet presented for payment. The only
other debt owing by the State amounts to
$245,435.19, due to the permanent school
fund, a portion 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 reputation. The expenses
of the State for the last two years are less
than those of any other period since 1869,
and this notwithstanding the fact that the
State is to-day sustaining several institu
tions not then in existence; namely, the
hospital at Independence, the additional
penitentiary, the normal school, and the
asylum for the feeble-minded children, be-
sides the girl's department of the reform
school. The State also, at present, makes
provision for fish culture, for a useful
weather service, for sanitary supervision
by a board of health, for encouraging im-
migration to the State, for the inspection of
coal mines by a State inspector, and liberally
for the military arm of the Government."

Governor Gear is now in the sixty-first
year 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 Middlebury, Vermont, by whom
he has had four children, two of whom are
living.

(3.<r?.f/i

l^ryia^L-

BUR EN R. SHERMAN.

219

z*g&&±X"

^^>>>5^1^

son

^E twelfth Governor
of the State was
Buren R. Sherman,
who held offioe two
terms, from 1882 to
1886. He was born
in Phelps, Ontario
"ounty, New York, May
1836, and is the third
of Phineas L. and Eve-
le (Robinson) Sherman,
both of whom were natives
the Empire State.
The subject of this sketch
received his early educa-
tion in the public schools
of his native place, and con-
cluded his studies at Elmira, New York,
acquiring a thorough knowledge of the
English branches. At the close of his
studies, acting on the advice of his father,
who was a mechanic (an ax maker), he ap-
prenticed himself to Mr. S. Ayres, of El-
mira, to learn the watchmaker's trade. In
1855, with his family, he removed to Iowa
and settled upon an unbroken prairie, in
what is now Geneseo Township, Tama
County, where his father had purchased
lands from the Government. There young
Sherman labored on his father's farm, em-
ploying his leisure hours in the study of
law, which he had begun at Elmira. He
also engaged as bookkeeper in a neighbor-
ly

ing town, and with his wages assisted his
parents in improving their farm. In the
summer of 1859 ne was admitted to the bar,
and the following spring removed to Vin-
ton, and began the practice of law with
Hon. William Smyth, formerly District
Judge, and J. C. Traer, conducting the
business under the firm name of Smyth,
Traer & Sherman.

They built up a flourishing practice and
were prospering when, upon the opening
of the war, in 1861, Mr. Sherman enlisted in
Company G, Thirteenth Iowa Volunteer
Infantry, and immediately went to the
front. He entered the service as Second
Sergeant, and in February, 1862, was made
Second Lieutenant of Company E. On the
6th of April following he was very severely
wounded at the battle of Pittsburg Landing,
and while in the hospital was promoted to
the rank of Captain. He returned to his
company while yet obliged to use crutches,
and remained on duty till the summer of
1863, when, by reason of his wound, he was
compelled to resign and return home. Soon
after returning from the army he was
elected County Judge of Benton County,
and re-elected without opposition in 1865.
In the autumn of 1866 he resigned his judge-
ship and accepted the office of clerk of the
District Court, to which he was re-elected
in 1868, 1870 and 1872, and in "December,
1874, resigned in order to accept the office

GOVERXORS OF IOWA.

of Auditor of State, to which he had been
elected by a majority of 28,425 over J. M.
King, the " anti-monopoly" candidate. In
1876 he was re-nominated and received 50,-
272 more votes than W. Growneweg(Demo-
crat) and Leonard Brown (Greenback) to-
gether. In 1878 he was again chosen to
represent the Republican party in that office,
and this time received a majority of 7,164
over the combined votes of Colonel Eiboeck
(Democrat) and G. V. Swearenger (Green-
back). In the six years that he held this
office, he was untiring in his faithful appli-
cation to routine work and devotion to his
especial share of the State's business. He
retired with such an enviable'record that it
was with no surprise the people learned,
June 27, 1 88 1, that he was the nominee of the
Republican parly for Governor

The campaign was an exciting one. The
General Assembly had submitted to the
people the prohibitory amendment to the
Constitution. This, while not a partisan
question, became uppermost in the mind
of the public. Mr. Sherman received 133,-
330 votes, against 83,244 for Kinne and 28,-
1 12 for D. M. Clark, or a plurality of 50,086
and a majority of 21,974. In 1883 he was
re-nominated by the Republicans, as was L.
G. Kinne by the Democrats. The National
party offered J. B. Weaver. During the
campaign these candidates held a number
of joint discussions at different points in the
State. At the election the vote was: Sher-
man, 164,182 ; Kinne, 139,093 ; Weaver, 23,-
089; Sherman's plurality, 25,089; majoritv,
2,000. In his second inaugural Governor
Sherman said :

" In assuming, for the second time, the
office of Chief Magistrate of the State, I
fully realize my grateful obligations to the
people of Iowa, through whose generous
confidence I am here. I am aware of the
duties and grave responsibilities of this ex-
alted position, and as well what is expected
of me therein. As in the past I have given

my undivided time and serious attention
thereto, so in the future I promise the most
earnest devotion and untiring effort in the
faithful performance of my official require-
ments. I have seen the State grow from
infancy to mature manhood, and each year
one of substantial betterment of its previous
position.

" With more railroads than any other
State, save two; with a school interest the
grandest and strongest, which commands
the support and confidence of all the peo-
ple, and a population, which in its entirety
is superior to any other in the sisterhood,
it is not strange the pride which attaches to
our people. When we remember that the
results of our efforts in the direction of good
government have been crowned with such
magnificent success, and to-day we have a
State in most perfect physical and financial
condition, no wonder our hearts swell in
honest pride as we contemplate the past
and so confidently hope for the future.
What we inav become depends on our own
Hf. >rts, and to that future I look with earnest
and abiding confidence."

Governor Sherman's term of office con-
tinued until January 14, 1886, when he was
succeeded by William Larrabee, and he is
now, temporarily, perhaps, enjoying a well-
earned rest. He has been a Republican
since the organization of that party, and his
services as a campaign speaker have been
for many years in great demand. As an
officer he has been able to make an enviable
record. Himself honorable and thorough,
his management of public business has been
of the same character, and such as has com-
mended him to the hearty approval of the
citizens of the State.

He was married August 20, 1862, to Miss
Lena Kendall, of Vinton, Iowa, a young
lady of rare accomplishments and strength
of character. The union has been happy
in every respect. They have two children
— Lena Kendall and Oscar Eugene.

WILLIAM LARRABEE.

223

aii axg C&gxiaaxa &4ASHI3 i""" - '

^WILLIAM LflHRflBEE.^

4&?

I LLI AM LARRABEE

is the thirteenth
Governor of this
State, and the six-
teenth Governor
of Iowa, counting
from the Territo-
rial organization. His ancestors
bore the name of d'Larrabee, and
were among the French Hugue-
nots who came to America early
in the seventeenth century, set-
tling in Connecticut. Adam
Larrabee was born March 14,
1787, and was one of the early
graduates of West Point Military Academy.
He served with distinction in the war of
1812, having been made a Second Lieuten-
ant March 1, 181 1. He was promoted to be
Captain February 1, 18 14, and was soon
after, March 30, of the same year, severely
wounded at the battle of Lacole Mills, dur-
ing General Wilkinson's campaign on the
St. Lawrence. He recovered from this
wound, which was in the lung, and was
afterward married to Hannah Gallup Lester,
who was born June 8, 1798, and died March
15, 1837. Captain Larrabee died in 1869,
aged eighty-two.

The subject of this sketch was born at

Ledyard, Connecticut, January 20, 1832.
and was the seventh of nine children. He
passed his early life on a rugged New Eng-
land farm, and received only moderate
school advantages. He attended the dis-
trict schools winters until nineteen years of
age, and then taught school for two winters.

He was now of an age when it became
necessary to form some plans for the future
In this, however, he was embarrassed by a
misfortune which befel him at the age of
fourteen. In being trained to the use of
fire-arms under his father's direction, an ac-
cidental discharge resulted in the loss of
sight in the right eye. This unfitted him
for many employments usually sought by
ambitious youths. The family lived two
miles from the sea, and in that locality it
was the custom for at least one son in each
family to become a sailor. William's two
eldest brothers chose this occupation, and
the third remained in charge of the home
farm.

Thus made free to choose, for himself
William decided to emigrate West. In
1853, accordingly, he came to Iowa. His
elder sister, Hannah, wife of E. H. Williams,
was then living at Garnavillo, Clayton
County, and there he went first. In that
way he selected Northeast Iowa as bis

J2 +

GOVERNORS OF IOWA.

future home. After teaching one winter at
Hardin, he was for three years employed as
a sort of foreman on the Grand Meadow
farm of his brother-in-law, Judge Williams.

In 1857 he bought a one-third interest in
the Clermont Mills, and located at Cler-
mont, Fayette Count}-. He soon was able
to buy the other two-thirds, and within a
year found himself sole owner. He oper-
ated this mill until 1874, when he sold to S.
M. Leach. On the breaking out of the war
he offered to enlist, but was rejected on ac-
count of the loss of his right eye. Being
informed he might possibly be admitted as
a commissioned officer he raised a company
and received a commission as First Lieu-
tenant, but was again rejected for the same
disability.

After selling the mill Mr. Larrabee de-
voted himself to farming, and started a
private bank at Clermont. He also, ex-
perimentally, started a large nursery, but
this resulted only in confirming the belief
that Northern Iowa has too rigorous a cli-
mate for fruit-raising.

Mr. Larrabee did not begin his political
career until 1867. He was reared as a
Whig, and became a Republican on the or-
ganization of that party. While interested
in politics he generally refused local offices,
serving only as treasurer of the School
Board prior to 1867. 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
as Senator continuously for eighteen years
before being promoted to the highest office
in the State. He was so popular at home
that he was generally re-nominated bv ac-
clamation, and for some years the Demo-
crats did not even make nominations.
During the whole eighteen years Senator
Larrabee was a member of the principal
committee, that on Wavs and Means, of
which he was generally chairman, and was

also a member of other committees. In the
pursuit of the duties thus devolving upon
him he was indefatigable. It is said that
he never missed a committee meeting. Not
alone in this, but in private and public
business of all kinds his uniform habit is
that of close application to work. Many
of the important measures passed by the
Legislature owe their existence or present
form to him.

He was a candidate for the gubernatorial
nomination in 1881, but entered the contest
too late, as Governor Sherman's following
had been successfully organized. In 1885
it was generally conceded before the meet-
ing of the convention that he would be
nominated, which he was, and his election
followed as a matter of course. He was
inaugurated January 14, 1886, and so far
has made an excellent Governor. His
position in regard to the liquor question,
that on which political fortunes are made
and lost in Iowa, is that the majority should
rule. He was personally in favor of high
license, but having been elected Governor,
and sworn to uphold the Constitution and
execute the laws, he proposes to do so.

A Senator who sat beside him in the
Senate declares him to be "a man of the
broadest comprehension and information
an extraordinarily clear reasoner, fair and
conscientious in his conclusions, and of
Spartan firmness in his matured judg-
ment," and says that " he brings the prac-
tical facts and philosophy of human nature,
the science and history of law, to aid in his
decisions, and adheres with the earnestness
of Jefferson and Sumner to the fundamental
principles of the peoples rights in govern
ment and law."

Governor Larrabee was married Sep-
tember 12, 1861, at Clermont, to Anna M.
Appelman, daughter of Captain G. A.
Appelman. Governor Larrabee has seven
children Charles, Augusta. Julia, Anna,
William, Frederic and Helen.

HISTORY OF

Shelby County, Iowa.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY.

f$ACH year, as it rolls its resistless way
along the mighty pathway of time, is
fast thinning the ranks of the hardy
pioneers, who, in their adventurous way, first
made the broad pathway of emigration into
the bright valley and beautifully rolling
prairie land of what is now Shelby County.
The relentless hand of death, pursuing his
remorseless and unceasing avocation, is cutting
down, one by one, the hardy and brave men
and women who first dared, into this western
wilderness, to cope with the untried realities
of a domain unknown to civilization, and un-
inhabited, save by the savage, roaming tribes
of Indians, who for an unknown period
enjoyed their sort of life, even as we do ours
now. Within the memory of many now
living in this county, the Indian chieftain,
with his dusky maiden, was inspired by the
scenes of nature on every hand. This to
them was doubtless a sacred spot; here they
had hunted and fished; here they had wor-
shiped the Great Spirit; here they had lived
and died, passing away to give place to a
truer, better type of human creatures.

No tongue can tell, no pen portray, the
hardships and cruel vicissitudes of fortune
endured in those early days by the little

band of "apostate" Mormons, who, for the
conscience within themselves, deserted Brig-
ham Young and his polygamous devotees,
upon reaching the Missouri River. The his-
torian of to-day looks into the bedimrned eye
of the Latter-Day Saints, observing their
weather-beaten form, the furrowed brow, the
prematurely hoary locks, and takes them all
as evidence that these people have passed
through "great tribulation."

Besides these Mormons (who formed the
majority of Shelby County's first settlers),
there were some others among the earliest
settlement, who left the comforts of beautiful
homes in the far-away East and volunteered
here to plow the first fields and reap the
first grain. These, too, often endured penury
and want while trying to subdue and fully
conquer Dame Nature and establish for their
families comfortable homes in what, at that
date, was a boundless wilderness.

Let us hasten, then, to put down the words
as they fall from their quivering lips, of the
grandly heroic deeds done in those pioneer
times, that their actions may find the niche
in history which they justly deserve. Let
their words and deeds build for them a mon-
ument that shall long outlast the stone or
bronze which shall ere long mark their last

230

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

resting place. Let there an epitaph be in-
scribed, "They have builded better than

THEY KNEW."

But before we take up the history of true,
modern historic times, let us record a few of
the facts concerning this county as it existed
"down through the dim and misty vista of
time before man was," and see what founda-
tions were here builded by an all-wise Crea-
tor, in the geological formation, the soil, the
forests and the streams.

GEOLOGY, TOPOGEAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.

Shelby County is situated on the Missouri
slope, in the fourth tier of counties from the
southern boundary line of the State, and is
the second east from the Missouri River.
It is twenty-four miles square, and has an
area of 57G square miles. It is bounded on
the north by Crawford County, on the east
by Audubon County, on the south by Cass
and Pottawattamie counties, and on the west
by Harrison Count i .

The general surface of the land within the
borders of this county is very rolling, and in
portions it is quite hilly prairie land, with a
few good-sized native groves, of which Q-al-
land's is the largest. It ma}' be said of the
topography of nearly all this portion of Iowa,
that its surface reminds one of an irregular
checker-board of ridges and Intervening val-
leys, furrowed out by the great plow of
Nature. It is a prairie country, hut does
not have the usual characteristics of prairie
land, as occasional groves and beautiful
streamlets relieve the ordinary monotony of
a stretch of prairie. Let one, to illustrate,
imagine for a moment that at one time in its
formation the whole county was in a liquid
state, and by a violent wind had been thrown
into billowy commotion, resembling the angry
ocean when storm-driven. Imagine the whole
to be cut up into great wave-furrowed sec-

tions, and then by some sudden process to be
frozen, and this will show about the broken
condition of the land in Shelby County. It
is excellent for agriculture, as the hillsides
have fine rich soil and are especially adapted
to the growing of the various fruits cultivated
in this latitude. The bottom lands generally
slope toward the streams, and along the West
Nishnabotna River is one of the finest valleys
in all the broad domain of Iowa. All the
various valleys in the county possess the
richest of soil, which is known as "bluff de-
posit," washed from the hillsides, throughout
the centuries long since passed. Unlike the
northern and eastern portion of Iowa, this
county has no subsoil of clay to hold the
water; hence it is that after a heavy rain
6torm one may resume the work of farming,
never being bothered with plows not clear-
ing, or with muddy, impassable wagon-roads.
In short, there is no iiner soil to work in or
travel upon than is found in southwestern
Iowa. The principal crops grown are Indian
corn and the common grains, all of which
spring up quickly, grow rapidly and mature
into profitable harvests.

The county is exceptionally well watered,
for an Eowa county. The West Nishnabotna
River Hows nearly southwest, through the
middle of the territory, receiving from the
east the waters of the Middle Nishnabotna
River, Whittede and Indian creeks, while
the western part is drained by branches of
the Missouri and Boyer rivers, including
Silver, Mosquito, Pigeon and Picayune
creeks. Mill Creek is a small stream in the
northwest portion of the county, which flows
into the Boyer River in Harrison County, and
upon which is located one of Iowa's most
charming tracts of woodland, known as
Galland's Grove — named from one of the
first white men who settled in that vicin-
ity. It contains about 1,000 acres. There

UrSTORT OF SHELBY COUNTY.

231

are other beautiful groves throughout the
county, along the batiks of the numerous
streams, too small to call rivers and too large
to terra creeks, in the common understanding
of the name. These natural groves, planted
by Mother Nature, are made up, for the most
part, of the different species of oak, elm, ash,
hickory, black walnut and bass wood. There
are also many thickets of sumach, hazel,
thorn-apple, blackberry, gooseberry and kin-
dred shrubs.

The entire county is supposed, by geolog-
ical experts, to be underlaid with a coal de-
posit, to a greater or less extent, but is

concealed by the post-tertiary deposit, not
less than 200 feet beneath the surface. The
only stone fit for building purposes is the
boulder of the drift formation. Future pros-
pecting and delving into the geological strata
are quite likely to present a mineral wealth
of great financial value.

One of the finest features of the natural
resources of Shelby County is the excellent
quality, as well as quantity, of pure, whole-
some water found in its numerous water
courses and at easy depth for wells, affording
an abundance of living water for stock and
domestic purposes.

232

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

CHAPTER II.

EARLY SETTLEMENT THE MORMONS.

PO fix locations correctly, names and
wj! dates concerning the first settlement of
S a county, is no small task for the local
historian. From the most positive evidence
it is now generally conceded that the honor
of effecting the first actual settlement in
Shelby County belongs to Abraham Galland,
who located in what is now Grove Township,
in the autumn of 1848, building a log cabin
in which his son-in-law, William Jordan,
and family lived during the winter of 1848-
'49, being the first white family to spend a
winter within the county. During the fore
part of 1849 came William Felshaw, Solo-
mon and Joseph Hancock, Franklin, Kudd and
Joseph Roberts. Felshaw removed to Utah
Territory, Joseph Roberts moved to eastern
Iowa, the two Hancock brothers are both
dead, and Franklin Rudd now resides in
Dow City, Iowa. Abraham Galland has
been dead many years, but William Jordan,
the son-in-law, who lived in the first cabin
home built in the county, still survives. lie
lives at Deloit, Crawford County. Iowa, at
the advanced age of eighty-seven years.

It should here be stated that the greater
portion of the first settlement of the county
was from among the vast throng of families
who separated themselves from the Mormons,
who, under the leadership of Brigham Young,
stopped for the winter on tbe banks of the
Missouri River at a point just north of the
present city of Omaha, Nebraska. The place
was therefore called " Winter Quarters."
The Mormons had been driven from their

homes at and around the city of Nauvoo,
Illinois, and were en route for Utah at the
time above mentioned. Up to the time of
Joseph Smith (Sr.) being killed in tbe jail
at Carthage, Illinois, there had been no such
tiling as polygamy taught by that sect, but
upon arriving at " Winter Quarters " it was
made known by the president of the Mormon
church (I.righam Young, who took Joseph
Smith's place), that it would henceforth be a
religious requirement, and upon this ques-
tion alone many thousands separated them-
selves, as they would not submit to what
they believed to be a great evil. Hence it
came about that we have what is known as
the " Re-organised Church of Jesus Christ
of Latt.r Day Saints." The so-called " Mor-
mons " of Shelby County, as well as many of
its adjoining counties, are in no sense be-
lievers in polygamy, and are as outspoken
against its practice as any other religious
denomination of people. It is for their posi-
tion on this subject that they have been
termed as " apostates " by the Utah Mormon
church, with whom they have no affiliations.
A large number of this class, when Presi-
dent Young proclaimed polygamy an article
of faith, sought homes along the eastern
banks of the Missouri River, in Iowa and
Missouri. The first settlement in Potta-
wattamie, Harrison, Crawford, Cass and
Shelby counties was effected by this class,
commonly known as Latter Day Saints. The
reason for their scattering was principally on
account of wishing to build up homes in the
most suitable location, and of course early

UISTORT OF SHELBY COUNTY.

233

settlers always select the land through which
running water is found in abundance, as well
as because along such streams the fine nat-
ural groves are located, all of which go
toward constituting excellent locations for
the pioneers.

Galland's Grove, consisting of over 1,000
acres of timber land, situated in the extreme
northwest part of Shelby County, presented
charming features to that persecuted band,
large numbers of whom entered lands long
before any government survey had been
made. Among the early settlers at Galland's
Grove, including the Latter Day Saints,
were Uriah Roundy, John Mcintosh, Alex-
ander McCord, Ralph Jenkins, William
Vanausdall, John Hawley, Alfred Jackson,
Milton Lynch, Benjamin Crandall, Robert
Ford, Eli Clothier, Thomas Black.

One of the most noted pioneer characters
in Galland's Grove, who is still living, at the
advanced age of eighty-two years, is John A.
Mcintosh, who was born in Kentucky in
1806. He spent the first seventeen years of
his life in his native State, then went to
Illinois, and from that State to Tennessee,
where he was married. But few men survive
to relate the circumstances of voting at six-
teen Presidential elections, beginning with
Andrew Jackson and casting bis ballot, this
fall (November, 1888), the second time for
Grover Cleveland.

In 1840 he removed to Lee County, Iowa,
where he remained until 1849. He was
among the Mormons who separated them-
selves from the church on account of the evil
practice of polygamy. He spent many years
in the South, preaching the Mormon doc-
trines, traveling on foot, from place to place.
He first came to Shelby County in 1849,
when but a few families had settled on Mill
Creek within Galland's Grove. He located
where he is now living. Being a man pos-

sessed of sterling qualities, generous and true
to all his fellow beings, he made many friends,
even among the Indian tribes, which at that
time possessed all western Iowa. His pio-
neer cabin was erected in a narrow valley,
between two great ridges, and was indeed a
secluded and out-of-the-way location. His
first neighbors were the wild animals and the
Indian tribes, including the Pottawatomies
and Omahas, who called him " The Mormon
Chief,'' and would never do an act to displease
him, on account of his bravery and kindness
to them. He relates that in all those early
years, living with warlike tribes on every
hand, that he does not know of the Indians
ever taking any of his property, except one
pretty rooster, which was taken by an Indian
boy, who was severely chastised by his father.
One of tbe Indian chiefs was overtaken by a
band of warriors from another tribe and
wounded, so they supposed he would shortly
die; however, he made out to crawl on his
hands and knees to the cabin door of " Uncle
Mcintosh," to whom he gave advice as to his
burial. He wanted to be placed in a white
man's coffin and buried on Mcintosh's laud,
all of which was sacredly carried out. A
daughter of the hardy old pioneer died and
was buried near the grave of the Indian
chief, who had such implicit confidence in
her father, who was a great peace- maker
between the Indians themselves, as well as
between the white race and the Indians. Mr.
Mcintosh relates many a thrilling incident of
frontier life. When he first settled in Shelby
County all was new ; everything had to be
made from the state in which wild nature had
fashioned it. Kanesville (Council Bluffs)
was the nearest point at which any family
supplies could be obtained, such as flour,
groceries, meat and clothing. The streams
were much larger in their average flow of
water than now, and none of them were

234

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

spanned by any sort of a bridge. Every few
weeks some one or more of the settlers at the
"Grove" would go to Kanesville, becoming
a sort of " common carrier" for the whole
settlement, some sending for a jug of syrup,
some for a jug of whisky! and others for
the real necessities of life — meat, flour and
groceries; and they were lastly cautioned to
" be sure and see if we have any mail there!"

During Mr. Mcintosh's ministry among
the Latter Day Saints, he organized ten or a
dozen branch societies. Not until old age
had made such inroads on his strength and
health that he was unable to get about, did
he give up his work preaching the gospel,
according to his conviction.

Among the earlier settlers of the eastern
portion of the comity and within what was
known as Round Township, was Jefferson
Tague, the first white man to locate in
RoundTownship; hesettled at what was called
Watson's Grove. Then came William Hack
and his two sons, John B. Hoffman, W. Ing-
ham, Mansel Wicks, L. D. Sunderland,
Messrs. Heath, Hutchison, Stanton, William
McGinnes, Dwight Tirrell, Lon Sweat, Henry
Adams, Leonard Bowman, Colonel Dalton,
W. W. Lyons, James McConnell, Henry
Snider, Samuel Blake, Cyrus Luen, Nelson
Ward, Messrs. Roland, Rubendall, Phiefer,
Leonker, Miller, Lloyd Jinkins, AdainCuppy,
Dr. Johnston, and a blind man named
Barlan.

Those who settled in eastern Shelby County
had farther to go to market and mill than
those at Galland'e < J rove, and for a number
of years saw great hardships, and only sur-
vived by having a good degree of pluck and
energy. During the hard winter of 1850 -'57
the snow was very deep, filling the ravines
and valleys to a level and obstructing travel
everywhere in the State. At this time Shelby
County saw great suffering. The wife of

Nelson Ward, the first settler at Kibbey's
Grove, ground buckwheat in a common
coffee-mill, to the amount of sixteen bushels,
from December on until the snows had melted
sufficient to allow her husband to go to mill.
On the 18th of March, 1857, the snow meas-
ured four feet on the level. A pioneer named
George Merrill started from the Grove bear-
ing his name, to go across to Galland's Grove,
some twenty miles, but owing to a blinding
storm he sought refuge within a deserted log-
cabin built by Isaac Cuppy. For four days
he attempted to make his way across to the
Grove, but each time failing he returned to
the lonely cabin to spend the night; he had
no food during these long days and nights.

Another incident, connected with thatnever
to be forgotten winter of ^ fifty -six and
8t r. //,*' will sutlice to illustrate what our
pioneers had to endure, that the wilderness
might finally blossom like the rose! Levi
Yeoman came from Council Bluffs late in the
autumn of 1853 and purchased the claims and
cabin of Mr. Cuppy, moving his family to the
same. He then returned to his former home
and engaged at chopping wood, by which to
earn a little ready money to buy the actual
necessities of life. He had told his family
that he would be home at a given time, but
did not come, and as the weather was blustry
and getting quite severe, it then being early
in December, the wife and mother became
alarmed. A son less than eleven years old,
named Allen J., seeming to take the whole
situation in, started, unbeknown to his mother,
in search of a lost father, as he supposed.
The distance between their place and where
his father was working was about thirty-two
miles; the brave son traversed this long,
lonesome route alone, facing the cold wind
and snow, in an almost miraculous manner;
he arrived within three miles of the objective
point, when night overtook him. He became

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

535

confused and lost for the time, and believing
all would end well with one who sought only
to do his duty, he crawled into a hollow log
and there remained until morning, when he
resumed his journey and fortunately met his
father, loaded down with provisions purchased
for the family. This young lad, Allen J.,
grew to be a man, enlisted into the army and
served as Captain of an Indiana company
during the Rebellion. His mother, who died
in the fall of 1854, was a sister of L. D. Sun-
derland.

COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

Counties, like State and national common-
wealths, are only successful and prosperous
to the exact degree in which they have pru-
dent, progressive government. The early
history of every county in the "wild West"
shows a lack of means with which to do
business, as well as none too good educational
qualifications for transacting business in an
official capacity. Much experience had to be
gained at the expense of the illy prepared tax
payers, who in those early days did not find
money cropping out upon the side of every
budding tree and bush! Prior to 1860 the
State itself had imperfect laws. The present
code is as good as can be found in any State
of theUnion, but it is the crystallized methods
of all the earlier settled States, with an occa-
sional amendment and improvement over
any and all of them; but necessarily this
state of perfection could not well be obtained
at first. The one-man power of the old
county judge system prevailed in all of its
imperfection until 1860, when it was changed
to the present (or similar) system of county
supervisorship. Prior to that date Shelby
County had issued warrants for many thou-
sand dollars, which found a market in the
money changers-' hands of New York, and
were bought up, many of them, for one-fourth

their face value. Ten thousand dollars' worth
of these bonds were purchased by a party in
Keokuk, Iowa, who finally, during the Rebell-
ion, brought suit and obtained judgment
against the county for that amount. This
worked a great hardship to the citizens, who
more than had their hands full in taking care
of their unruly neighbors at the South and
trying to keep the wolf of starvation from
their own doors.

The first board of county supervisors met
in a regular session January 7, 1861. The
first board was constituted as follows: F. G.
Clark, of Jackson Township (elected for one
year); C. F. II. Forbes, of Harlan Township
(elected for two years); John B. Swain, of
Grove Township (elected for one year), and
Abraham Rubendall, of Fairview Township
(elected for two years). C. F. II. Forbes
acted as chairman of the first board. It is
useless to trace the different citizens who
have served in the capacity of supervisor,
but suffice to say that the people have always
chosen good men from out their numbers to
represent them in county matters.

In 1862, during the great Indian scare,
when the border counties were endangered,
Mansel Wicks and A. Roundy, members of
the county board, were appointed as a com-
mittee to go to Crawford and other border
counties for the purpose of finding out the
real state of the Indian troubles. They were
to investigate the matter and report the same
to the board, and alsoto the Governor of Iowa.
Nothing came of a serious nature, however.

Among the questions the supervisors had
to deal with, in time of the Rebellion, was
that of raising funds with which to aid in
filling up the war quota for soldiers. A peti-
tion was presented to them, calling for a levy
to be raised sufficient to pay the amount of
$300 to any who might be drafted into the
service, $500 to all old veterans, $800 to

230

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

any who should volunteer to make up the
quota of 1865, $1,000 to those who should
enlist for two years, and $1,200 to those
enlisting for three years. This petition was
signed quite extensively, but the "county
dads" rejected the demand, believing it poor
policy to pay men to defend their country.
Hence the county stood two drafts. It may
be said to their credit, however, that they did
appropriate $220 to be distributed among
dependent soldiers' families.

As has already been stated, the first records
of Shelby County were illy kept, both cleri-
cally and also as regards the stationery used.
The old style of blue paper, with invisible
rulings, together with poor quality of ink,
made very poor county records. This was
especially noticeable in the record of deeds,
consequently the supervisors ordered, in
1871, that the recorder transcribe the original
records of his office into a new styled book,
which was done, thus preserving intact records
of conveyance which otherwise, within a few
years, would have been almost illegible.

As an index that the supervisors (the
voice of the people) have been progressing and
seeking to keep pace with advanced civiliza-
tion, it may be stated that in 1871 they
oifered a reward of $300 to the person who
should discover a three-foot strata of coal
within Shelby County.

As a measure of protective prudence a
reward of $250 was offered for the capture
and final conviction of any horse-thief com-
mitting depredations within the county.

As one views the present county govern-
ment with its good system, and knows that
the county is out of debt, he is made to
believe that the early settlers were prudent
in the foundation they laid for the future of
Shelby County. The county is now sub-
divided into sixteen townships, each six
miles square, and is provided with one hun-

dred and thirty-six public school buildings,
excellent wagon bridges, with the best of
roads. The assessed valuation of taxable
property in 1851 was $20,600, as against
$4,163,266 in 1887. The first assessor
assessed the whole county in four days, and
received $1.50 per day for the same. The
tax levied in 1885 was one mill and a quarter
county tax, six mills for school purposes,
one-half mill for roads.

The first bill of stationery audited called
for $760. The county judge, clerk, recorder
and treasurer each received $50 per year as
their salary, with their respective fees.

ORGANIZATION OF TOWNSHIPS.

The county, soon after its organization, was
divided into two civil townships — " Galland's
Grove " and " Hound " being the names of
such divisions. From time to time these
divisions have been sub-divided and re-
bounded until about 1875, when they as-
sumed the uniform shape and size in which
they are at present, these changes always
being necessary in the settlement of any new
county, owing to the fact that the settlement
is usually made near the streams and within
easy access to groves, etc.; but upon final
development, roads, school-houses, etc., are
needed in a more uniform manner, hence
these equal and square sub-divisions of most
of the counties in Iowa.

Cass Township is bounded on the north by
AVashington, on the east by Lincoln, on the
south by Shelby Township and Pottawattamie
County, and on the west by Harrison County.
It was constituted June 7, 1869, at which
time it had a population of 120 people.

Clay Township comprises township 78,
range 37,west, and is south of Jackson Town-
ship and Audubon County, west of Audubon
County, north of ('ass County, and east of
Monroe Township of Shelby County. It was

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

237

constituted a civil organization September
16, 1867, when it contained a population of
80 people.

Douglas Township is bounded by Greeley
Township on the north, Polk on the east,
Harlan on the south, and Westphalia on the
west. It was constituted April 3, 1871, with
a population of 164.

Fatbvtew Township is south of Lincoln
and Harlan townships, west of Monroe, north
of Pottawattamie County, and east of Shelby
Township. It was constituted September 3,
1860, with a population of 130.

Geeeley Township is bounded north by
Crawford County, east by Jefferson Town-
ship, south by Douglas and west by Union
townships. Its organization dates from
June 2, 1871, when it contained a popula-
tion of 70.

Grove, which is one of the two original
townships of Shelby County, was organized
with its present boundaries in 1854, with a
population of 174 people, most of whom
were what the Utah Mormons term " Apos-
tate Mormons," as they were of that class of
Mormon believers who left the sect on ac-
count of the practice of polygamy, and settled
in the western part of Iowa, refusing to go
further than Kanesville (now Council Bluffs)
with President Brigham Young. It is now
bounded on the north by Crawford County,
on the east by Union Township, on the south
by Washington Township, and on the west
by Harrison County. It is the northwest
corner township of Shelby County, was the
first one settled, and now comprises congres-
sional township 81, range 40, west.

Harlan Township is congressional town-
ship 79, range 38, west, and was first consti-
tuted September 3, 1860. The county-seat
is within the township at Harlan, an incor-
porated town. It is bounded on the north
by Douglas, on the east by Jackson, on the

south by Fairview and Monroe, and on the
west by Lincoln townships.

Jackson Township, which is south of Polk
Township, west of Audubon County, north of
Clay and Monroe townships, and east of
Harlan Township, was constituted September
3, 1860, and now comprises congressional
township 79, range 37, west. When organ-
ized its population was less than 30 people.

Jefferson Township is bounded on its
north by Crawford County, on the east by
Audubon County, on the south by Polk
Township, and west by Greeley Township.
It comprises congressional township 81,
range 37, west, and was constituted April 3,
1871, at which date it had a population of
117.

Lincoln Township comprises congressional
subdivision 79, range 39, west, and was con-
stituted April 3, 1871, with a population of
129. It is now bounded on the north by
Westphalia Township, on the east by Harlan
Township, on the south by Shelby and Fair-
view townships, and on the west by Cass
Township.

Monroe Township, bounded on the north
by Jackson and Harlan townships, on the
east by Clay Township, on the south by Cass
County, and on the west by Fairview Town-
ship, was constituted January 7, 1873, with
a population of about 550 people. It is made
of all of township 78, range 38, west.

Polk Township is south from Jefferson,
west of the Audubon County line, north
from Jackson Township, and east from Doug-
las Township. It was constituted April 3,
1871, and now comprises township 80, range
37, west, having, when first organized, about
120 people within its border.

Shelby Township is bounded, north by
Cass and Lincoln townships, east by Fairview
Township, south by the Pottawattamie County
line, and west by Harrison County. It was

238

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

constituted September 6, 1870, and comprises
at present congressional township 78, range
40, west. It had about 190 population in 1870.

Union Township is south of Crawford
County, west of Greeley Township, north of
Westphalia Township, east of Washington
Township. It was constituted September 4,
1871, with a population of 87. Its present
limits embrace all of township 81, range 39,
west.

Washington Township is bounded, north
by Grove Township, east by Westphalia
Township, south by Cass Township, and on
the west by Harrison County. Its organiza-
tion dates from April 3, 1871, and its present
territory embraces all of congressional town-
ship 80, range 40, west. At the time it was
constituted its population was 163.

Westphalia Township comprises all of
township 80, range 39, west, and was organ-
ized June 2, 1874, with a population of 207
people. It is bounded, north by Union, east
by Douglas, south by Lincoln, and west by
Washington townships.

FIRST EVENTS.

Much interest and no little curiosity
attaches itself to the first events of the set-
tlement of any county, and along with it
comes a great amount of controversy which
not unfrequently bafiies the best efforts of
the gatherer of local history to establish
fully; but after much research in various
parts of the county it seems the following
are the first events within the limits of the
county:

The first settlement made within the
county was effected at Galland's Grove, in
the northwest part of the county, in 1848,
by Abraham Galland, who came in the fall
of 1848 and erected a log cabin, which his
son-in-law, William Jordan, with his family,
occupied the coming winter — being the

winter of 1848-'49. The next to locate
were Joseph Hancock and his two brothers.

The first justice of the peace was Uriah
Roundy.

The first birth is usually spoken of as
Granville Cuppy, but this is a mistake, as he
was born in April, 1854, and there were
quite a number of children born in Galland's
Grove among the Mormon settlers long
prior to this. Mr. Cuppy was probably the
first one born in the eastern portion of the
county, however.

The first death occurred at Galland's
Grove in 1850, it being an unnamed infant.

The first marriage was that of John Rudd
to Sereldue Jordan, in 1853.

The first school taught at the expense of
public fund was in the winter of 1857-'58,
on section 10 of Douglas Township. The
teacher, E. W. Holbrook, was engaged by
William McGinnis, who, with a few other
families, constituted the school patrons.
The attendance was twenty two pupils, who
were housed within a rude log cabin for-
merly used as a residence. Owing to the
fact that School Fund Commissioner Reed
had the school money stolen from a trunk in
his own house, the director, William McGin-
nis, to make good his word of honor to the
teacher, had to pay the amount himself,
which after a long time was refunded to him.

The first physician was a Dr. J. W. John-
ston, who lived near Harlan until about
1873, when he died while cutting up potatoes
in a " cave."

The first attorney was James Butler, of
whom many good stories are told by pio-
neers — among others the one regarding his
application to the court for admission to the
legal bar. Butler was asked by his honor
how many kinds of property there were? He
answered three, viz.: Real, personal and
mixed. The judge asked him what he des-

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

239

ignated as mixed, whereupon he promptly
replied — " Mules and Niggers." It may be
added he was pronounced a full-fledged
attorney!

The first goods were sold by Solomon
Hancock, at Galland's Grove, in 1853.

The first Fourth of July celebration in the
county was held in 1855 at the place of
Nelson Ward, in what is now Douglas
Township. The families present were
Wards, Sunderlands, Jinkens and Stantons.
It was at what is now styled Kibbey's Grove.
The principal features were a ten-gallon keg
of " Old Rye " and a flag made from strips
of red and white underwear, hung upon the
bushes!

The first newspaper published in the
county was called the JVew Idea, printed
at Simoda in 1858-59.

The first election was held in April, 1854,
and an old pioneer remarks that " there was
400 times the interest and excitement over
the election of a school officer then than over
the attempt to elect Grover Cleveland the
second time for President of the United
States!"

The first religious organization effected,
aside from the semi-organization among the
Latter Day Saints, was that formed by the
Methodist Episcopalians in 1858 in Douglas
Township, by Rev. Baker, who formed a
church of the families of William McGinnis
and his neighbor Jinkens.

The first orthodox sermon preached, was
delivered by Judge Tarkington, who was
somewhat of a Methodist preacher, and would
usually dispense the truth of the gospel Sun-
days, after having presided as judge through
the preceding week. The date of this first
sermon was in October, 1854, the same being
delivered from the open doorway of Mr.
Bowman's log house in Bowman's Grove.
The congregation was the few neighbors who

gathered in and were seated upon rails and
" shakes " placed about the yard beneath the
forest trees — " God's first temple."

The first mill is always hailed in every new
country with delight; they have ever gone as
vanguards of true civilization and are of great
necessity. At an early day — prior to 1860 —
the pioneers of Shelby and its adjoinino-
counties were greatly burdened with the
question, " Where would we better go to
mill?"

" Uncle Billy" McGinnis says he has gone
to mill from Dubuque to Council Bluffs !
His explanation, however, is, that he has
been a pioneer at three different points in
Iowa, and has always been obliged to go a
long distance in each location to mill, the
last time going from a point near Harlan to
Council Bluff's. He describes one of these
milling trips about as follows: He loaded a
few bushels of grain upon his wagon, and
started with his ox team for a mill in Mills
County — about sixty miles from his home —
but upon arriving there found they were two
weeks behind in grinding for others, so he
went on to " Haymaker's Mills," at the
junction of the Nishnabotna branches. Upon
entering the mill (where he had frequently
been before) the owner told him he was far
behind already, and as he was accustomed to
doing so, he would better go on to Pacific
City, eight miles away, and that if he failed
there to come back. The miller in charge
went out and on the sly told him that the
proprietor was cranky and did not like his
politics — the proprietor being of the class
who a few years thereafter were known as
rebels. He further advised " Uncle Billy "
to go off down in the woods and camp out
for a day or two, allowing time enough to go
and come to the mill already directed, and
then come to the mill as though he had been
to Pacific City and failed to get his grinding

240

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

done. He said then Haymaker would grind
for him. This course was followed out, and
after a couple of days he drove his load up
in front of the mill, when the proprietor
hailed him: "Well, Billy, I knew you
would finally come back to me." But Mr.
McGinnis was only too glad to get his flour
and go home — the trip taking nine days
travel over a rough, hilly country, which at
that day had no bridges. The writer asked
him what the millman took such a course
for, and the reply was, "Inborn cussed-

ness

/»

Such were the obstacles to overcome in
going to a mill at an early time, and it is
not to be wondered at that the home flouring
mill was highly prized by the early settlers
of western Iowa.

The first flour mill in Shelby County was
built at Harlan, on the Nishnabotna River.
It was constructed by J. W. Chatburn, who
was the pioneer miller of Harrison County,
Iowa, as well. He came to Harlan in Au-
gust, 1867, commencing at once to build his
mill. He had the mill completed and ready
for grinding early in January, 1868. There
was no other mill within a great distance,
and it was no uncommon occurrence for
farmers to come thirty and forty miles to get
their wheat floured at this mill. At first it
was a common burr-stone mill, but in 1885
the interior was refitted, all the old machin-
ery thrown out, and the modern mill appli-
ances, including the roller system, were
placed instead. The present plant is a ten-
roller mill, having a daily capacity of fifty
barrels of fiour. The power which drives
this mill is a seven-foot head of water from

the west branch of the Nishnabotna River,
which affords a sufficient power to run the
mill throughout the entire year. The mill
does both custom and merchant milling. In
the early history of this mill the proprietor,
Mr. Chatburn, paid 81.25 a bushel for wheat
which was hauled many miles, and after
being ground into flour was hauled to Dun-
lap and there marketed. The owner of this
mill has followed the business for forty
years, and has the honor of constructing the
flrst mill in Harrison County, as well as in
Shelby County.

The first 6aw-mill was hailed with nearly
as much delight as the flour-mill, because it
was almost useless to try to improve and
provide suitable buildings without it. The
first saw-mill in Shelby County was built on
Mill Creek by W. W. Reed, at Galland's
Grove, at a very early date, but in the east
part of the county the first mill was built by
Jonathan Wvland in 1857, and was operated
by his son Washington, in company with
Isaac Plum. The machinery, including the
cast-iron water-wheel, was brought from
Iowa City by teams. This mill was situated
at Bowman's Grove, and was propelled by
the waters of Nishnabotna River. It was
the old-time sash saw, and while its up and
down motion was somewhat slow, it sliced
off many a thousand boards which went
toward the building of the first houses in
Siraoda and Harlan. This property was in
the hands and operated by many different
persons, including T. J. Stanley, C. J. and T.
J. Wyland and Elias Monroe. It was oper-
ated until about 1877, when it had outgrown
its usefulness and was taken down.

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

241

CHAPTER III.

OFFICIAL TOTE OF SHELBY COUNTY.
PRESIDENT.

1856 — James Buchanan (Democratic) 02

John C. Fremont (Republican) 19

1860— Abraham Lincoln (Republican) 100

Stephen A. Douglas (Democratic) 64

1864 — Abraham Lincoln (Republican) 78

George B. McClellan (Democratic) 80

1868— U. S. Grant (Republican) 151

Horatio Seymour (Democratic) 124

1872— U. S. Grant (Republican) 350

Horace Greeley (Liberal) 145

1&76— Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican) 876

Samuel J. Tilden (Democratic) 631

1880— James A. Garfield (Republican) 1,499

W.S.Hancock (Democratic) 963

James B. Weaver (Greenback) 99

1884— James G. Blaine (Republican) 1,802

Grover Cleveland (Democratic) 1,745

1888 — Benjamin Harrison (Republican) 1,714

Grover Cleveland (Democratic) 1,762

GOVERNOR.

1854— Curtis Bates (Democratic) 33

James W. Grimes (Whig) 19

1857 — Ralph P. Lowe (Republican) (No vote shown).

1859— A. C. Dodge (Democratic) 96

S. J. Kirkwood (Republican) 78

1861— S. J. Kirkwood (Republican) 99

Scattering (Democratic) 36

1863— William M. Stone (Republican) 80

J. M. Tuttle (Democratic) 82

1865— William M. Stone (Republican) 73

T. H. Burton (Democratic) 74

G. S. Bailey 7

1867— Samuel Merrill (Republican) 107

Charles Mason (Democratic) 109

1869— Samuel Merrill (Republican) 116

George Gillaspy (Democratic) 90

1871— Cyrus C. Carpenter (Republican) 285

J. O. C. Knapp (Democratic) 177

1873— Cyrus C. Carpenter (Republican) 364

J. G. Vale (Democratic) 228

1875— Samuel J. Kirkwood (Republican) 549

Shephard Leffler (Democratic) 406

J. H. Lozier (Prohibition) 3

1877— J. H. Gear (Republican) 888

John P. Irish (Democratic) 637

1879— John H. Gear (Republican) 1,133

H. H. Trimble (Democratic) 794

Daniel Campbell (Greenback) 27

1881— B. R. Sherman (Republican) 1,050

L. G. Kinnie (Democratic) 695

D.M. Clark (Greenback) 103

1883— B. R. Sherman (Republican) 1,593

L. G. Kinnie (Democratic) 1,533

James B. Weaver (Greenback) 31

1885— William Larrabee (Republican) 1,544

Charles E. Whiting (Democratic) 1,689

1887— William Larrabee (Republican) 1,421

J. T. Anderson (Democratic) 1,587

M. J. Cain (Greenback) 301

COUNTY OFFICERS.

The first set of county officials served under
an appointment of the Governor, the first
regular election in the county being held
April 3, 1853. No record seems to have
been kept of the votes cast, but the county
election book shows the following to have
been elected: William Vanausdall was elected
County Judge at the April election of 185-1;
"W. H. Jordan, County Judge; Milton M.
Beebe, Sheriff; Alexander McCord, Treasurer
and Recorder; Adam Cuppy, Drainage Com-
missioner; James "Ward, Prosecuting Attor-
ney; James Perry, Surveyor.

The following is a complete list of the
various county officials having served in
Shelby County, as shown by the county offi-
cial election returns, of which the subjoined
is a true transcript:

COUNTY JUDGE.
Election Held.
August 7, 1854— Mansel Wicks. (No vote given.)

" 6, 1855 — David Baughman 41

L. G. Tubbs '..... 31

1857— H. A. Tarkington 47

242

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

August, 1857 — David Baughman 56

April, 1859— William Wyland 94

Stephen King 74

October, 1861— Samuel Dewell 183

Manse] Wicks 54

1863— Samuel Dewell

1865— Nelson Ward

1866— L. Woods

1867— Nathan Lindsey 108

P. C. Truman 107

November, 1868— H. C. Holcomb (Vacancy) 156

J. B. Swain " 25

At this date the office of county judge was
abolished, and that of county auditor created.

CODNTY AUDITOR.

1869— H. C. Holcomb 180

J. B. Swain 79

1871— John H. Louis 249

H. C. Holcomb 207

1873— J. H. Louis 286

H. C. Holcomb 211

1875— Washington Wyland 516

David Carter 428

1877— J. H. Louis 809

J.W.Stevens 715

1879— J. H. Louis 1,069

William Asquith 856

1881— D. F. Paul 933

J. B. Stutsman 836

1883— J. W. Harrod 1,627

E. Y. Greenleaf 1,533

1885— J. W. Harrod 1,653

H. C. McCusky 1,:, is

1887-J. W. French 1,660

John K. Davis 1,374

Frank S. Carroll 358

DRAINAGE COMMISSIONERS.

The first drainage commissioner of Shelby
County was Adam Cnppy, elected at the
April election of 1854, and re-elected by a
majority of eighteen over J. M. Long. This
office was then held as follows:
1859— C. C. Culver 381

Nathaniel Lindsly 75

1861— Mansel Wicks 127

John Hasty 10

1863— W. S. Brown. (No opposition.)

1864— George W. Taylor 76

D. H. Randall 75

1867— William Howlett, Jr., (No opposition) 101

This office was abolished at the close of the

last-named incumbent's term, the board of
supervisors having such matters in charge at
present.

prosecuting attorney.
Elected in

1854 — James Ward

1856— Nelson Ward

1856— Warren L. Brown 35

J.H.Adams 4

1857— M. P. Bull 65

Nelson Ward 55

At about this time the State judiciary was
reconstructed and this office abolished, and
that of district judge and district attorney
created.

SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT.

This office was created in October, 1863.
Elected in

1858 — David Baughman 86

S. Dewell 8

1859— S. Dewell 90

William Gray 79

1860— F. G. Clark (No opposition) 71

1861— F. G. Clark 141

William A. Rabb 1

1863 — John Young. (No vote given.)

1865— James M. Woods. (No vote given.)

1867— Barney Hindsall 106

Thomas Wood 104

1869— P. C. Truman (No opposition) 151

1869— P. C. Truman 178

John Young ... 78

1871— Caleb Smith j M

B. B. Mastick 175

D.S.Irwin 57

1873— O. N. Buckman 312

Caleb Smith 265

1875 — Aaron N. Buckman 597

John Beck 353

1877— M. D. Bridgeman 858

T. J. Mitynger 688

1879 — M. D. Bridgeman 1 145

L. S. Taylor 780

1880— W. W. Girton (To 811 vacancy) 1,279

M.E.Downey " " 1227

1881— W. W. Girton 1,051

James Canfield 688

James Louis 130

1883— W. K. Colburn .1,764

W. W. Girton 1373

1885— C. F. Swift i'.v,6

W. J. Wicks 1J579

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

243

1887— C. F. Swift i- 566

A. N. Buckman b 357

Mrs. M. E. McArfhur 264

COUNTY ASSESSOR.

r,s

1857— W. L. Brown

Adam Brant 31

As the county became settled this office
was impracticable, and hence township as-
sessors took the place of it.

SURVEYOR.

1854— James Perry

Abraham Rubendall. (Vacancy.)
1855— Abraham Rubendall. (No opposition.)
1857— Samuel Dewell 75

Abraham Rubendall 34

1859— Charles F. Forbes.

Samuel Dewell 83

1861— Samuel Dewell (No opposition) 122

1863— Christian Goodyear. (No vote given.)

1864— T. A. Haycook 72 _

A. Rubendall

1865— Abraham Rubendall. (No vote recorded.)
1867— P. C. Truman

:>7

101

Rubendall 110

1869— Charles W. Day 158

Samuel Slates

1871— W. L. Brown

190

N. J. Sharp 152 _

R. W. Robins 10 ~

1873— Washington Wyland 428

W. L. Brown 164

1875— P. C. Truman

Frank Reynolds

1877— P. C. Truman

A. C. Snyder

1879— E. Y. Greenleaf b048

Emil Flusche ••■ 844

1881— E. Y. Greenleaf b 050

J. D. Walker 707

1883— Washington Wyland i. 643

C. F. Swift 1 > 509

1885—0. F. Plum

415
832
719

L. R. Hertert.

.1,637

each became a distinct office; prior to that
date it was known as the office of " Treasurer
and Becorder."]

1854— Alexander McCord.

Henry Runnels. (Elected in August.)

1855— William Gedney 42

William Hock 3 2

1856— William Wyland 65

O. P. Steele 62

1857— William Wyland 5 3

L. B. Holcomb 43

1858— George Benjamin 91

Nelson Ward 83

1861— George Benjamin (No opposition) 130

1863— George Benjamin. (No abstract of votes
cast.)

1864— M. H. Adams SI

William Wyland 76

1865— M. H. Adams. (No record of votes cast.)

1867— M. H. Adams H2

John H. Louis 101

1869— M. II. Adams 169

Nathaniel Smith 65

1871— C. J. Wyland 243

M. H. Adams 214

A. M. Buckman 9

1873— C. J. Wyland 4i8

II. S. Burke 482

1875— Thomas McDonald 493

William J. Davis 399

1S77— Thomas McDonald ' 86 5

J. D. Coughran 679

1879— J. W. Harrod 973

John L. Long 954

1881— R. M. Pomeroy 903

J. W. Harrod 86 1

J.T.Burke 97

1883— R. M. Pomeroy 1.574

David Carter b 570

1885— W. F. Cleveland b 753

George D. Ross I. 486

1887— W. F. Cleveland I. 705

Chris. Christiansen 1.321

1887— C. L. Miller b294

J. W. Miller b518

J. K. P. Baker 264

1889— J. K. P. Baker b 797

C. L. Miller b 7 26

COUNTY TREASURER.

fit should be understood that the office of
county treasurer and that of recorder of
deeds was a combined office until 1864, when

M.Barton.

274

COUNTY RECORDER.

1864— M. H. Adams 78

William Wyland 76

1866— John Gish. (No vote recorded.)

1868— Benjamin I. Kinsey 133

John H. Louis 18

G. M. Couffer. (No vote recorded.)

F. A. Holcomb 369

F. S. White 17 °

1870-
1872-

244

HI8T0RY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

1874-F. A. Holcomb 517

J. M. Beck 218

1876— A. H. Holcomb 875

A. M. Louis 660

1878— J. E. Benson 715

William Howlett 581

1880— F. E. Benson 1,551

J. W. White 957

1882— B. B. Mastick 1,377

J. P. Miller 1,136

1884— B. B. Mastick 1,796

Lewis Gingery 1,733

1886— A. H. Tingle 1,738

F. J. McNaughton 1,469

1888— A. H. Tingle 1,778

J. H. Kuhl 1,738

W.H.Honeywell 117

SHERIFF.

1854— M ilton M. Beebe

1855— Milton M. Beebe 38

Alexander Ford 36

1857 — Albeit Crandall (No opposition) 1 in

1858— Isaac Wyland 50

Albert Crandall 4G

18511— Milton Stanton 88

A Crandall 82

1861— Washington Wyland 137

C. C. Culver 3

186-i — Washington Wyland. (No vote recorded )
1864— Albert Crandall 82

W S. Brown 73

1865— Albert Crandall. (No vote recorded.)

1867— Thomas Chatburn 95

L. D. Sunderland 80

James M. Wood 30

1868— Christian Goodyear 128

Daniels Bowman 123

1871— William II. l'.urk 201

T. W. Chatburn 198

C. C. Redtield 59

1873— L. Sweat

T. W. Chatburn 378

1875— John D. Long 512

John B. Swain 4">u

1877— John I). Long 917

Joseph H. Kuhl 623

1879— J W. Martin 1,028

Elijah Fish Bofl

• Mr. Sunderland content <■ 1 the election, claiming that, because
Chatham WM not n legal voter, thnt he had no right to hold the
office, though he sad ret eivoil a majority Of the votes cast. Chat-
burn argued that a man could hold office, if elected, though he had
not been In the county long enough t" rote himself. The case
was tried before County Judge Lindsay, who decided in favor of
Bnnderland, throwing the costs on Chatburn, amounting to about
$11.00.

1881— George E. Bennett 933

Lewis Shorett 786

C. W. Potter (Greenback) (To fill vacancy.) 123

1881— H. W. Patterson (Long term) 920

Lewis Shorett 816

C. W. Potter 133

1883— E. J. Trowbridge 1,635

Thomas W. Chatburn 1,467

1885— George S. Hainbow 1,652

N. W. Sherman 1,573

1887— George S. Rainbow 1,662

J.J. Harter 1,424

Z. H. McCombs 217

COCNTY CORONF.R.

1855 — Franklin Rudd (No opposition) 75

1857 — Lewis Jackson (No opposition) 121

1859— Lewis Jackson 88

William Hoik 84

1860— D. II. Randall (No opposition) 61

1861— O. E. Holcomb (No opposition) 134

1863 — O. E. Holcomb. (No record of votes cast.)

1864— Elias Monroe 76

L. D. Frost 73

1865— L. 1). Sunderland

1867— Martin Holland 107

A. Houndy 105

1808— H. M. Smith 152

William Frantz 14

1869— I. W. Winters 146

Aaron Bergstresser. 88

1871— Aaron Bergstresser (No opposition) 174

1873— A. X. Slainm I No opposition) 361

1874— Caleb Smiih (No opposition) 308

1875— H. Weeks (No other votes) 2

i\ A Boyer. i Xo opposition.)

1878— George E. Bennett 745

E. Jarvis 540

1870— George Bennett 1,097

Michael McCabe 758

1881— .J. W. Chatburn 1,088

William Blair 605

V II. Burks 1,587

J. W. (hail. urn 1,554

Mr A. II. Burks 1,724

E. Douglass 1,518

1H87— S. H. Waters 1,538

L. D. Frost I

P. H. Hunt 269

COt'NTY CI.ERK.

1854 — Vinsan G. Perkins

1855— L. B. IIolconili(V. G. Perkins suspended). .

1855->66— L G. Tubbs 41

L. B. Holcomb 80

1857— O. E. Holcomb 44

J. H. Adams 27

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

245

1859— H. C. Holcomb 89

M. P. Bull 78

1860— II. C. Holcomb (No opposition) 143

1802—11. C. Holcomb 86

John Young 30

1864— H. C. Holcomb 82

B. V. Springer 75

1866— A. M. Louis. (No vote recorded.)

1868— II. C. Holcomb 157

J.B.Swain 28

1870— II. C. Holcomb. (No vote recorded.)

1872— G. D. Boss 417

George Gibbs 7

1874— George D. Boss 352

C. C. Kedfield 234

J. M. Beck 218

1876— George D. Boss 863

A. D. Tiusly 664

1878—11. C. Holcomb 654

J. W. Harrod 642

1880— II. C. Holcomb 1,574

M. J. Heiress 057

1882— W. J. Davis 1,284

David Carter 1,236

1884— W. J. Davis 1,828

J. H. Louis 1,705

1886— Hugh Harrod 1,641

George F. Keller 1,570

1888— O. P. Wyland 1,870

Hugh Harrod 1,612

Frank Faltonson (Union Labor) 126

In 1857, when the question of prohibiting
the sale of intoxicating liquor within the
State was voted upon, Shelby County cast
fifty-four votes — four for and fifty against.

In June, 1882, when the vote was taken to
prohibit the sale of liquor in Iowa, by amend-
ing the State constitution, Shelby County
cast 1,268 votes — 517 for and 751 against
the amendment.

The vote for and against purchasing land
on which to found a poor-farm was taken in
1882, and resulted in 1,399 votes being cast
for the measure and 666 against it.

In 1885 a vote to determine whether the
county should erect a poor-house on the land
already purchased, or not, was taken, which
resulted in 1,698 for and 416 against the
measure.

COUNTY SEAT HISTORY.

In common with nearly every other county
in Iowa, Shelby has had her county-seat con-
test, which was indeed a heated strife, the
fever of which will not all have passed away
until the present generation, the first settlers,
have all passed from the 6cenes of earth.

From 1837 to 1840 this county was em-
braced in Keokuk County. In 1851 it was
established under its present name, being
partly taken from the temporary county of
Pottawattamie. It was duly organized from
and after March 7, 1853. Its first election
was held in April, 1853. By an order of the
court a committee for the purpose of* locating
a seat of justice was appointed, consisting of
L. D. Butler, John E. F. Vails and Marshall
Turley, who decided on section 27, township
81, range 40, west, in what is now known as
Grove Township. The place was called
Shelby ville and became a platted village, and
was for a time a thriving pioneer hamlet, but
for many years now has only been known and
marked out to the stranger by the farmers
residing near pointing to several stately Cot-
tonwood trees whose giant branches long ago
saw the village sink into decay, most of the
buildings having been removed to other parts
of the county. The first term of county court
was held at the farm-house of Milton M.
Beebe, July 3, 1851. At an election held in
April, 1857, a vote was taken to determine
whether or not a court-house should be
erected at Shelbyville. Such vote stood three
majority against the proposition to build,
ninety-one being the total number of votes
cast. Another election was soon held to de-
cide upon the question of building a $3,000
court-house at Shelbyville. This vote stood
thirty-seven for and sixty-five against build-
ing. At the April election of 1859 a vote
was taken to determine the popular virtue of

246

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

a petition callingfor the removal of the county
seat to Harlan. There were 175 votes cast;
a majority of nine said the county seat should
he removed to Harlan. Then came up the
ever-vexing question in all new counties, how
to provide a court-house. To make this
matter perfectly plain it will be well for the
reader to know all the circumstances. In
the first instance, there were three contend-
ing factions among the people. One was that
portion who lived in the extreme northwest
part of the county, who, for the most part —
selfish like all human kind — wanted the seat
of justice to remain where first located, at
Shelby ville. Then there were two other
fighting sections in the vicinity of Harlan.
The Rock Island & Pacific llailroad had been
projected through Iowa, and a land grant
given that company, the center of such grant
being a line running near or through Har-
lan. But designing men — men who came on
in advance of the real survey, for the express
purpose of laying out towns and selling off
the lots — sought to establish the county 6eat
at the now defunct village of Siinoda, just
east from the present site of Harlan. Samuel
Dewell represented such interests, aided by
others who held property adjoining the em-
bryo town. Then at Harlan there was the
other element whose financial interest con-
victed them strongly in the belief that Har-
lan presented the Inst surface of country over
which to construct a railroad; hence they
sought, by every means they could invent, to
get the people to vote the building of a costly
court-house there, hoping that this would
forever settle the question of both county
seat and railroad point, as well as give them
great financial benefit from the sale of prop-
erty. The three factions finally combined
into two elements, the people in the extreme
northwest joining with the Siinoda party,
mainly on the ground that every mile they

could shorten a trip to the county seat would
be so much gain to them. A contract was
finally made by the county judge, April 12,
1859, for the building of a $25,000 court-
house, to L. W. Woodruff. The structure
was large only in cost ! its size to be 40 x 60
feet, and two stories high, built of brick.
Schemers even lived that long ago ! But at
a later meeting of those in official authority
Judge Tarkington rescinded this visionary
plan, to which he had previously assented, on
the ground, as his record says, that it "toould
operate injuriously against the tax-payers of
the county.' 1 '' But the real and only true
cause for abandoning the project was the
more vital fact that the people outside of
Harlan would not submit to the burden of
taxes that would thus be laid upon them.
And so strong was this feeling that many of
the pioneers assembled and vowed they would
not submit, but would die at the breech of
their gun in resisting such imposition.
Usually truth and justice wield a winning
sword, hence it was that Judge Tarkington
(who of himself was a clever man of good
traits) and his scheming party 6aw fit to
withdraw so bad and bold an attempt to
bankrupt the new county.

In the early part of May, 1859, John Mc-
intosh and forty-seven others petitioned the
court to remove the county seat to Siinoda,
but this measure soon "flashed in the pan !"
However, it was the occasion of much bad
blood, resulting in what was known as the
"Siinoda war." It seems that upon the ad-
journment of the last terra of court at Shelby -
ville, Judge Tarkington was asked by the
acting clerk, Samuel Dewell, what he should
do with the books and records of the county
in his charge. He replied, "Do as you like
with them I" His interests and choice being
for the county seat to be removed to Simoda,
very naturally he took them to his home at

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

247

that point, and insisted on their being kept
there. So, between the two factions pulling
and hauling, the judge was kept in a constant
state of turmoil ! However, he was quite a
court-house builder (?), and consequently in
June of 1859 he contracted with Henry Run-
nels to erect a $10,000 court-house, to be
35x45 feet, the same to be finished by Au-
gust, 1800, and to be paid for in warrants, at
par. This was to be erected on block 41, in
the village of Harlan. In December of the
same eventful year (1859) this scheme was
also given up as a bad job! The following
summer, however, a contract was awarded to
build a court-house of fair size, and to cost
$2,500, which was carried nearly to comple-
tion, and by some accident, arising from
heating a glue-pot, the building was destroyed
by fire, at the loss of the contractors. Thus
it will be seen Shelby County had a continual
round of dire calamity and discord in the
matter of providing herself" with a "temple
of justice."

The county judge then entered into agree-
ment with J. M. Long and Adam Ault, by
which they were to receive $5,000 for a
buildiner then in course of erection and known
as the "store building," which was situated
north from the place where the " City Hotel "
now stands. It was a two-story frame house
with bricked walls, and was 20 x 40 feet. It
was accordingly finished up for court-house
purposes, and was used for such until about
1876, when the present court-house was com-
pleted, the same having been contracted for
with -Halstead & Palfreeraan, at $4,250.
It should, however, here be recorded that a
movement was placed on foot in 1873-'74, to
build a court-building to cost not less than
$30,000 or more than $40,000. The vote on
this measure stood 392 against and 192 for.
After this failure the board of supervisors
took the matter into their own hands and

built the present building, having the legal
right, without a vote of the people, to expend
$5,000 for such purpose. It may indeed be
considered a wise thing that the early meas-
ures of erecting large, costly court-houses
was always presided over and defeated by
better judgment, as the people were in no
wise ready to stand such burdens. But with
the present advancement, culture, develop-
ment and wealth of Shelby County, she can
no longer well afford to have her officers
housed in such small, dingy quarters as they
are at present. Shelby County needs a $40,-
000 court-house, and is now able to pay for
the same! notwithstanding her warrants at
one time were only worth twenty-five cents
on a dollar, and cost the pioneer very dear at
that!

There were many amusing and thrilling
incidents connected with the removal and
final location of the county seat; however, no
such bad blood was ever seen as in many
other Iowa counties. Among such incidents
may be mentioned the determined spirit of
persistency manifested upon the part of Will-
iam Wyland, who was then treasurer and re-
corder of the county. He was ordered by
Judge Tarkington (county judge) to return
the records in his possession to the county
seat, then designated as Shelbyville. Mr.
Wyland paid no attention to the order of the
court. The judge then declared the offices
held by said Wyland to be vacant, and again
ordered him to appear before him with such
official records as belonged to the county;
but he again refused to respond to the court's
order, whereupon the judge issued a writ of
replevin for said books of record. The sheriff
brought Mr. Wyland, together with his books,
before the outraged judge! Wyland claimed
the court had no right to demand the surren-
der of such books, but the court held con-
trary.

218

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

During the " Simoda war," as well as in
nearly all other wars, the people became ex-
cited and watchful — even were suspicious of
each other's every move and action. To illus-
trate better this state of affairs, it may be
well to repeat an incident related by one of
Shelby County's aged pioneers, whose hair
has been made snowy by the three decades of
pioneer life — "William ("Bill") McGinnes,
whose farm is on section 9 of Harlan Town-
ship. He says that while County Judge
Tarkington was holding court at Harlan
(during the county-seat trouble), that he,
together with a few of his neighbors from
Simoda, proceeded to the court- room to de-

mand their pay for the scalps of some wild
animals upon which the county had offered a
bounty. On their way they stopped and cut
some elder sticks for walking-canes, and when
seen coming up the road toward the court-
house, the guard, who had been set out to
protect (!) and guard his "honor" and the
county books against any attempted raid by
the Simoda faction, imagined they were
armed with guns, and so reported to the
judge, who for a time seemed quite troubled
and alarmed, but when he saw his mistake,
laughed - it off as a huge joke, and at once
allowed " Uncle Bill " pay for the scalps he
produced.

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

249

CHAPTER IV.

THE GREAT CIVIL WAR.

SFF there is any one thing more than another
H of which the people of the northern States
W have reason to be proud, it is the bright rec-
ord they made during the dark and bloody
days of the Rebellion. When this great civil
war was forced upon the country the people
were quietly pursuing the even tenor of their
ways, doing whatever their hand found to do
— making farms, cultivating those already
improved, erecting homes, founding cities
and towns, building shops and factories — in
short, the country was alive with industry
and buoyant with hopes of the future. While
they were immediately surrounded with
peace and tranquillity, they paid but little
attention to the rumored plots and plans of
those who grew rich from the sweat and toil,
blood and flesh of others; aye, even trafficking
in their own offspring. But, like a fierce
thunder-storm, came the world's greatest
war. The last words of Lincoln's proclama-
tion calling for men hardly ceased to vibrate
along the telegraphic wires before the quota
was full — 75,000 men only too ready to
defend the Union of States!

Patriotism thrilled and pulsated through
every heart — the farm, the shop, the office,
the store, the factory, the bar, the pulpit —
aye, even college and 6chool-room offered
their best men, their lives and fortunes, in
defense of the unity and honor of their gov-
erument and its flag. Party lines were for
the time lost sight of — all with one accord
rushed to the rescue, repeating in spirit the
oath of America's soldier-statesman, "By the

Great Eternal, the Union must and shall be
preserved."

At the time Fort Sumter was fired upon
by rebel arms Shelby County had only a
population of about 800 people, men, women
and children, all poor people who had come
hither to build homes for themselves in this
then wild, undeveloped country, far from rail-
roads and market places. Yet they were not
so far that they did not hear and heed the
call for troops. Out of a population aver-
aging during the war about 300 men, she
sent nearly fifty to the service.

Local history is a record of events, and no
better authority for such events can possibly
be obtained than those to be found in public
records and documents furnished at the time
by county, State and national officials. Es-
pecially is this true of war records.

In preparing a list of those who served as
soldiers from Shelby County during the Re-
bellion, all possible caution has been exer-
cised to publish a complete list; but it should
be understood that the local historian has no
safer guide to aid him in such long-ago data
than the Adjutant-General's reports for Iowa,
which contain but few errors. The follow-
ing is extracted from such reports:

The Fourth Infantry, Company " B." —
Benjamin T. Lakin, Hiram Simmons, veteran.
William Longcor, Daniel White, James E.
Reed (died), Elias Monroe, John E. Knott,
James Harwell, William Cuppy (died).

The Thirteenth Infantry (Unassigned).
— Charles E. Butterworth, William H. Buck-

250

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

holder, Albert Crandall, Alfred Jackson,
Samuel W. Kemp, Milton Lirich, William
Frantz, veteran.

The Fifteenth Infantry, Company " H."
— Henry Frantz.

The Twenty-third Infantry, Company
" I." — Jesse Casteel, Merriman Carlton,
David Duckett, Martin Obrecht, William A.
Rigg, Milton H. Stanton, Ed. A. Sweeney,
Harvey Inglesbee, H. N. Baughman, Will-
iam Frantz, George Castell.

The Twenty-ninth Infantry, Company
" C." — George W. Hedge, First Lieutenant,

Company "C;" Charles W. Oden, Quarter-
master; David Komig, William B. Tarkington.

The Ninth Cavalry, Company " M." —
Harvey Ingelsbe, John Dewell, J. N. Wy-
land, James G. Kemp, Peter H. Longcor,
Joseph A. Bunnell, Daniel S. Bowman,
Samuel Cammel, John Fritz, Luther Ingelsbe,
Robertson Kairns, James Rhodes, Warren
Wicks, Daniel Watesbury, Michael White.

The Fourth Cavalry, Company " L." —
I. L. Leoney (died).

Fourth Cavalry. — Charles C. Rice, Colo
nel; Nicholas White.

*£Gc3

HISTOMY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

251

CHAPTER V.

THE NEWSPAPER PRESS.

fHE local press is justly considered as
among the most valuable institutions of
every city, town, village and county.
Every community regards its particular paper
as of peculiar importance, and this not merely
on account of the fact already mentioned, but
because these local newspapers are the safe re-
positories wherein are stored the facts and
events, the deeds and the sayings, the under-
takings and achievements, that go to make
up final history. One by one these seem-
ingly trivial matters are placed in type; one
by one these papers are issued and read; one
by one these papers are gathered together
and bound into tiles, and then another
volume of real and true local history is laid
away in an almost imperishable state.

The people of each community naturally
have a pride in their own home paper. The
local press, as a rule nowadays, goes on
ahead, coupled with the railway, as vanguard
to civilization and refinement. They nearly
always reflect the true character of a people
by whom they are read, and their advertise-
ments are indices to the growth and financial
prosperity of a town or city. Judging from
this standard, Shelby County has ever had
wide-awake, enterprising business men.

The first newspaper issued in Shelby
County was the New Idea, started by Sam-
uel Dewell, at the now defunct village of
Simoda. Its first issue was dated soon after
that place was platted in 1858, and was later
known as the Gazette, but, like the embryo
town, soon " died in the shell," when another

journal representing the interests of Simoda
sprang into existence. This was known as
the Shelby County Reporter. Volume I.,
No. 1, of this pioneer sheet was dated
March 5, 1859. It was Democratic in its
politics, and was a live local paper, advocating
the removal of the county seat to Simoda
from Shelbyville. It was edited by Major
P. Bull. Its size and form was that of a
five-column folio. It carried on a personal
and bitter warfare against Judge Tarkington
and the people of Harlan, indulging in much
slang and personal abuse. Its second issue
had the following in bold head-lines: " Our
County a Kingdom Where a Tyrant Doth
Rule.'''' Its opponent was the Shelby
County Courier, published at Harlan. When
the county-seat " Simoda war " had ended
both journals sank into oblivion, and were
both hard to bring back by the historian.

The Shelby County Courier first greeted
its patrons January 30, 1859. It was a
creditable looking paper, several copies of
which are now highly prized by some of the
old settlers as mementoes of the long ago.
In size and form it was a six-column folio,
and was independent in its politics. Its
editor and proprietor was J. B. Besack, who
prior to this had been editor of the Jasper
County Express. It was an even match for
Major Bull, of the Reporter of Simoda, the
rival town, and frequently referred to its
editor's writings as " Bull Bellowings,"
" Kicked by a mad bull," etc., while in
answer the editor of the Reporter styled him

252

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

as " Bees wax drippings," — his name being
Besack. In it was published an account of
the first agricultural society, with a long
premium list; the fair, however, never mate-
rialized! Its career, like the Simoda paper,
found the end of its mission with the county-
seat settlement — both living long enough to
say very many mean things of each other.

The Herald was started December 18,
1874, by Campbell & Musgrave. It was a
seven-column folio, and Republican in poli-
tics. It only ran a few weeks until a change
was made, which has been going on ever
since, until its identity was absorbed in what
is now the Republican. Campbell dropped
out and Mr. Musgrove operated alone until
May 6, 1875, when he took in as a partner
F. H. Mcintosh, who Musgrave, in intro-
ducing him to his old patrons, said through
his columns was a man of fine culture, an
excellent writer, and with all of an untar-
nished character. However, within a few
months the young journalist (Mcintosh)
stole 830 from his fellow neighbor, II. C.
Holcomb, and "skipped the town," going to
Council Bluffs and from there went to
Texas.

The next change on the paper was in Sep-
tember, 1875. After having been closed
about a month, G. D. Ross took charge of
the plant. He changed the motto of the
journal from " Independent in all things
neutral in nothing," to "Republican — always
for the right." The 17th of July, 1879,
Robert W. Robins became proprietor of the
paper, with John L. Long as a silent partner.
January 22, 1880, a half interest was sold to
C. R. Pratt, of Connecticut, when the Dame
of the firm became "The Herald Printline
Company." In November of that year C.
R. Pratt sold to E. R. Parmelee. January
5, 1882, S. K. Pratt purchased a half inter-
est from Parmelee, when the firm was styled

Pratt Bros., which continued until July 12,
1883, when they sold to W. W. Girton, who
soon took W. M. Oungst as a partner. They
had both been connected with the Harlan
Hub, which was merged into the Herald,
and its name changed to the Shelly County
Republican — its present name. This change
was effected in July, 1880. when Girton sold
to C. W. Rhinesmith. Perhaps no paper in
Iowa has had more changes than this plant,
considering its age.

The Shelby County Record was foundei
by R. H. Eaton in July, 1870. It went
through several changes in proprietorship.
Woods cfe Robins conducted it awhile, then
Robins sold to Woods, who was connected
with it when it was merged, together with
the Harlan Hub, into the Shelby County
IiCjmblican in 1875.

The Harlan Hub was established De-
cember 9, 1880. It was a Republican paper
which advocated the prohibitory constitu-
tional amendment. Its founder was W. M.
Oungst, who after a year took W. W. Girton
in as equal partner. The plant was merged
into the Herald in July, 1883.

Under all these manifold changes the
paper has been a live local journal, and well
supported by the people of Shelby County.

The Harlan Tribune (Democratic) was
first launched on the sea of journalism June
11, 1879, by A. D. Tinslej and U. S. Brown.
It was started as an eight-column folio, and
has always adhered to the true democratic
principles and been the leading official organ
of ShelbyCounty. Tinsley purchased Brown's
interest February 18, 1880, and operated it
until May 10, 1882, then sold to E. T. Best,
of the Chariton (la.) Leader. December
19, 1883, another change was effected, by
which Best sold to G. W. Cullison and J.
D. Walker; they continued as partners until
February 27, 1881, when Cullison sold his

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

253

share to Walker, who conducted the paper
alone until January 1, 1885, then sold to the
present proprietor, W. C. Camphell, who
has made radical changes in the plant, both
as to mechanical and general newspaper
tone. July 11, 1888, it was enlarged to a
nine-column folio, and a Campbell cylinder
press was put in at the same time, which
gave the paper one of the best outfits owned
by any printing establishment in this sec-
tion of Iowa.

The Industrial American, the latest news-
paper publication in Shelby County, was
established July 16, 1887, by A. T. and M.
B. Cox. It is a six-column quarto, one side
home print and the otherfrom the Sioux City
Newspaper Union. In April, 1888, H. C.
Hanson bought M. B. Cox out — the firm
name now being Cox & Hanson. This jour-
nal is an advocate of the Union Labor party,
and has a large circulation among the various
county farmers' alliances. As an advertising
medium for the merchants and professional
men it has no superior. The political stand-
ard which it so faithfully upholds is constantly
growing in popular favor.

The Shelby News, published at Shelby, is
a good local journal, fully up to the times
and always found working in a correct man-
ner for the village of Shelby and its surround-
ing country. It was founded in 1877, its
first issue being dated March 22 of that year.
Its founder was El. L. Heath, who owned and
conducted it until April 8, 1880, when it

became the property of John Pomeroy, who
is the present proprietor. In politics it is a
consistent advocate of Republican principles.
It is of a seven-column folio form and printed
by a Washington hand-press. At this date
one-half of the printed matter is run by the
Western Newspaper Union of Des Moines,
Iowa. The local department is replete with
the latest, spiciest news items, giving its
patrons all the comings and goings of their
town and county.

The Defiance Argus, one of the fixtures of
Shelby County newspaper publications, was
founded at Defiance, Iowa, in 1882, the first
issue being printed on June 10 of that
year — the same season the railroad was being
constructed through the place. Its present
proprietor, F. Bangs, was its founder and has
constantly worked for the best interests of
the territory in which it circulates. The
office met with a misfortune in 1883, by
which all was lost in a fire; but it came forth
from the ashes brighter and better than ever.
It was at first a five-column quarto in size
and form, but at present is a seven-column
folio. Its local department is well filled each
week with every local happening. Politically
the Journal stands independent, being a news
chronicler, rather than an assumed party
organ. It may here be stated that Mr. Bangs
has not " amassed a great fortune," but by
the aid of his good wife and daughter, who
use both brain and muscle on the Argus,
manages to pay his bills and live.

254

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

CHAPTER VI.

VARIOUS THINGS.

POPULATION IN 1885 BY TOWNSHIPS.

Foreign Born.
144

Total.

Cass 874

Clay 1,024

Douglas 843

Fairview 800

Greeley 702

Grove 788

Harlan 2,564

Jackson 824

Jefferson 846

Lincoln 854

Monroe 1,102

Polk 584

Shelby 1,383

Union 1,096 175

Washington 764 149

Westphalia 1,198 49 1

380
101
250

62
317
350

95
140
459

89
244

Total 16,306 3,501

Total, 1854, 326; 1860, 810; 1870, 2,540; 1880, 12,696.

VALUATION OF PROPERTY.

In 1854 the total valuation, per assessment
of all the taxable property, both real and per-
sonal, was only about §20,000. The growth
has been gradual and good until in 1887 it
is found that the assessed valuation was
$4,163,266.

There were at this date 36,612 head of
cattle, valued at $243,837; 11,268 head of
horses, valued at $282,828; 735 mules, valued
at $20,919; and 1,022 sheep, valued at $1,022.

It may here be added that in 1888 the dog
tax amounted to $998.

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
I

The first county fair was a fair one, and
was the source of much amusement as well
as gratification to the farming and industrial

classes of Shelby County. It was held in the
beautiful autumn time of 1870. The display
of vegetables, grains, etc., was indeed good,
considering the short notice given, together
with the other important fact that no agri-
cultural society had been formed at that
time. This pioneer fair was held in and
near the old brick school-house which stood
where now stands the Methodist church in
Harlan. One of the principal and laughable
attractions there 6een were two babies —
Willie, son of A. N. Buckman, and Julia,
daughter of J. C. Buckman.

Another novel feature was the races, which
consisted of various kinds, including a free-
for-all trotting race, which brought Thomas
Castile cantering into the ring with his
trotters attached to a sulky plow, from which
the gang of plows had been detached. Next
came a man with his team attached to a big
farm wagon; the third entry being David
Wells with his trotting colt, which he led.
Everything being ready, the word Go! was
pronounced with no uncertain sound, when
pell mell they went. After gaining the first
quarter all broke into a dead run, coming in
on the homestretch midst great excitement
and applause. There seemed to be a vast
attendance of dogs who saw the rumpus,
when they, too, took a hand by commencing
to bark and growl, and finally all became
enraged and engaged in a fearful fight. The
exact number of people present is now un-
known, but all old settlers seem to agree in
the opinion that there were fifty dogs present!

III8T0RY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

255

Notwithstanding the dog fight the farmer's
team, with the big lumber wagon, came out
ahead, and took the purse of $3! The race-
track was just leveled off by good Mother
Nature, except that a mowing machine had
been once or twice around, cutting its clean
swathe of grass.

The following year the Shelby County
Agricultural Society was formed upon the
stock company plan. Thirty enterprising
men formed the society. The shares were
$5.00 each, and every share represented a
vote to its owner; 116 shares, amounting to
$580, were sold. The first officers were —
William Wyland, President; A. N. Buck-
man, Secretary; J. W. Davis, Treasurer.
The body was regularly incorporated, and
has since operated in a fairly successful man-
ner, each season holding its exhibits. In
June, 1872, James Long sold the society
sixty-five acres of land for $1,100, upon
which to establish fair grounds and trotting
park. The first annual exhibition was held
in the fall of 1872. In 1878 the society
seemed to be in good financial standing, and
so great was the faith of G. D. Ross, who
was at that time editing the local paper of
Harlan, that he agreed and was granted the
right to do all necessary printing for that
year, providing the society would give him
all over the amount of the previous year's
receipts, which was $478.

In 1879 the former grounds not being
suitable were sold for $350, and forty acres
purchased northeast from the business por-
tion of Harlan, for which $1,600 was paid.
All needed improvements, such as floral
hall, stock sheds, etc., were added to the
newly bought premises, also a half-mile race-
track made for the use of horsemen. In
1885 the receipts were $1,216, and in 1886
reached nearly $1,600.

The officers elected for 1889 were: J. H.

Louis, President; George Paup, Vice-Presi-
dent; M. K. Campbell, Treasurer; L. Gin-
gery, Secretary. At the present date (1888)
the society are owing about $1,600, but are
in possession of a fine property and in good
working order.

MEDICAL SOCIETY.

The Shelby County Medical Society was
organized in June, 1887.

The charter members were: J. C. Dunlavy,
E. A. Cobb, E. J. Smith, J. H. Waite, E. B.
Moore, W. T. Branson, W. B. Cotton, A. E.
Gregg, N. H. Burks (deceased), S. H. Walters,
N. J. Jone6, J. Smiley, C. Tiske.

The first officers were: E. A. Cobb, Presi-
dent; N. J. Jones, Vice-President: J. C.
Dunlavy, Secretary; E. J. Smith, Treasnrer.

The society is in good working order; it is
recognized by the State and National socie-
ties, with all of which it is working in
unison.

SCHOOL POPULATION.

Graded Ungraded School

Township. Schools. Schools. Population of 1888.

Jefferson 2

Greeley ....

Union 3 ....

Grove

Westphalia 2 . . . .

Washington 2 8

Douglas

Polk

Jackson

Harlan lOdepts....

Lincoln

Cass 2

Shelby 4

Fairview

Monroe

Clay

Totals 25

THE MARKIAGE RECORD.

The first marriage certificate issued in
Shelby County was granted to John Budd
to marry Sereldue Jordan. It is dated April
18, 1853, and the ceremony was performed

350

211

... 375

260
382

319

10 ..
9 .
9

.... 359
. 207
351

8
9

835

308

246

436

282

9
9

346
321

136 ....

5,588

256

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

by County Judge Vanausdall. The following

gives the number of marriages for each year

since the time the county was organized until

the present — 1888:

1853 4

1854 2

1855 4

1856 5

1857 7

1858 12

1859 5

1860 13

1861 8

1862 14

186J 4

1864 4

1865 6

1866 13

1867 14

1868 32

1869 24

1870 24

1871 36

1872 45

1873 37

1874 41

1875 55

1876 68

1877 63

1878 74

1879 86

1880 106

1881 143

1882 129

1883 170

1884 200

1885 168

1886 120

1887 210

Total 1,775

FARMERS' MI'TI'AI, INSl RAN<E COMPANY.

This institution found its origin in the
"Advance Alliance" of Polk Township, in
1886, through the efforts of their secretary,
H. C. Hanson, and T. B. Olson, their presi-
dent. It was, however, reorganized at I Lil-
ian, February 12, 1887, by the following in
corporators: A. N. Buckman, James M.
Pratt, 11. B. Kees, Jacob Anderson, M. Lar-
son and L. D. Sunderland. The first officers

under the new organization were: A. C.
Buckman, President; H. C. Hanson, Secre-
tary. The present officials are : M. Larson,
President; L. D. Sunderland, Vice-Presi-
dent; A. N. Buckman, Secretary, and J. K.
Barber, Treasurer. The concern is managed
and directed by nine trustees or directors,
who at present are as follows: H. B. Kees,
L. D. Sunderland, Jacob Anderson, J. M.
Pratt, Henry Niemann, W. H. Townson, Ole
P. Erickson, Fred Grobmiaer, P. B. Allen.

The prime object of this company is to
furnish a good but inexpensive fire insurance
on farm property — nothing taken within
towns or villages. It is a purely co-operative
company, and is doing a good, safe business.

THE OOTJHTY I'OOK-FARM.

In 1882 the question of the county pur-
chasing land and improving the same for a
permanent poor-farm, was submitted to the
tax-payers of Shelby County. The vote stood
1,399 for and 666 against. The measure
having been carried by a good majority, the
board of supervisors at once bought 120
acres of land on section 36 of Lincoln Town-
ship, paying about $5,000 for the same. In
1886 they let the contract for a poor-house,
which, together with the necessary out-
buildings, barns, etc., cost the county in
round numbers about $6,000. The farm is
well improved, and affords the best possible
means for taking proper care of the unfor-
tunate and helpless people who claim Shelby
County as their home.

THE C'OINTV JAIL.

March 2, 1880, the board of supervisors
awarded the contract for building a fine brick
jail and sheriff's residence combined in one
structure. It is a fine two-story building,
built of solid brick masonry. The contract
for the building proper was let to J. O.
Wickereham and II. Knowles, for $-4,t',(iil.

HISTORY OF SUE LB Y COUNTY.

257

The iron work, including jail cells, was
awarded to P. J. Pauley Bros, for $375,
making a total outlay of $4,975. Before the
construction of this building the county was
put to great trouble, as well as useless ex-
pense, in taking care of their prisoners, as
they were compelled to lodge such characters
in the jails of neighboring counties.

CHURCH OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.

This is a branch of the Galland's Grove
Conference, and was organized October 21,
1859, by Elder E. C. Briggs and Elder Will-
iam Blair. The names of the members com-
prising the organization were as follows:
William Vanausdall, Uriah Roundy, Rena
Roundy, John A. Mcintosh, Melinda Mcin-
tosh, Alexander McCord, Sybil McCord,
Elizabeth J. Williamson, Alexander Hunt,
Mary Hunt, Lewis Jackson, Elizabeth Thomas
and Alexander Black. The first presiding
elder was William Vanausdall, and was suc-
ceeded as follows: John B. Hunt, Benjamin
Crandall, Robert Ford, Ingaert Hansen, Ralph
Jenkins, Absalom Huykendall, Eli Clothier,
Milton Lynch, John A. Mcintosh, John
Hawley and Alfred Jackson.

In 1888 the membership was 276.

In 1880 the society commenced the erec-
tion of a neat edifice, which was finished in
1881, at a cost of $1,300. At first their
services were held at private houses, later in
a log school-house which was accidentally
burned, when they built a log church which
served until the new church was built.

AVhen the timber land and choice locations
in and about Galland's Grove were taken up,
the next settlers had to go to the next best
locations and select lands. Such settlement
was made at Bowman's Grove, in the center
of the county, and soon the county-seat mat-
ter, with talk of having it removed from
Shelbyville to Harlan or Simoda, caused a

good many to flock to these places and secure
farms and town-site property. In 1860,
according to the United States census reports,
Shelby County contained a population of 820
people, about equally divided between the
two townships then organized — "Galland's
Grove" and "Round." Up to this date five
villages had been platted, viz.: Shelbyville,
Itan, Manteno, Simoda and Harlan. The
biographical sketches contained elsewhere in
this volume give much of value concerning
the settlement, manners, customs, etc., of this
county, and may be considered reliable, given
as it has been in nearly every case by pioneers
or their children. Besides, much of Shelby
County's early history will be found in proper
place under the heading of "Towns and Vil-
lages."

ELKHORN (POST-OFFICE AND COLLEGE).

Elkhorn postoffice is situated in the north-
ern part of Clay Township. It was estab-
lished about 1882. It is in the midst of
the heavy Danish settlement of Audubon,
Shelby and Cass counties, and about three
miles southeast of Kiinballton. January 1,
1889, there was a general store conducted
by George James; a blacksmith named
Niels Hepenson; Martin Learson, harness-
maker; John Darffler and Jacob Hansen,
carpenters.

The principal feature of this point is the
fact that it is the location of the Danish
Lutheran Evangelical College. This institu-
tion of learning was founded by the influences
of the cburch in 1878, when a building was
erected at a cost of $2,000, to which was soon
added another department, costing $1,500.
This structure was all destroyed by fire April
21. 1886, the loss being only $1,000, as it
had been insured. New buildings were at
once constructed. The main building: is
26x94 feet, two and one-half stories high.

258

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

The present value of the college property
amounts to about $6,000.

The highest number of pupils at any one
time has been fifty, the present member-
ship being forty-four, each of whom pay
$6 per month tuition and $10 per month
for board. Among the branches taught are
general history, church history, United States
history, history of Denmark, Bible studies,
physics, Danish composition, English, com-
position and grammar, book-keeping, and
Greek as a special branch for those who may
desire it. Also the ordinary branches, such
as geography, arithmetic, etc.

The object and aim of this college is to
give the Danish people a chance to master
both their own and the English tongue, and
to gain a general secular as well as religious
education, under the influence of the Danish
Lutheran Church.

The presidents have been as follows: Rev.
O. Kirreberg, from 1878 to 1880; Rev. 11.
J. Pederson, from 1880 to 1882; Rev. Kris-
tian Anker, at present.

Four teachers are now employed. Two
hours each day are spent in teaching the Eng-
lish branches. The total number of pupils
who have from time to time attended here is
600.

Near the college building stands a neat
and tasty edifice, which was erected in 1882,
at a cost of $3,000; it is 32x70 feet. The
church was organized in 1872, and there are
now 160 heads of families belonging to the
congregation. The pastors are the same as
before named as presidents of the school.

Branches from this church are located at
Bowman Grove, Shelby County, with a mem-
bership of fifty, and also one at Oakhill,
Audubon County, of forty members. Rev.
Kristian Anker has charge of these two
branches, as well as the work at Elkhorn.
This church and educational institution is

one of great moral and educational value to
the Danish people of these western Iowa
counties.

THEN AND NOW.

Great has been the change since Abraham
Gallaud first built log cabin No. 1, in what
is known, now, as Grove Township, of
Shelby County, and the present time — 1888.
Then all was just as nature had left it. The
deer and elk roamed at will; the wolves made
the wintry night hideous by a noise which
disturbed no one of a civilized type. The
same fertile valleys, now productive of im-
mense corn crops, were the hunting and
camping grounds of the red man, who was
indeed " monarch of all he surveyed."

The change has been gradual, but positive.
At first there were a few " Mormons," who
sought here, amid the native groves, a place
of refuge, with the liberty of worshiping as
they pleased. The nearest market place at
which household supplies could be procured
was Council Bluffs, and the real home com-
forts were very few. With no saw-mills, the
first buildings were of necessity very rough
and unattractive, yet 6erved the purpose until
better could be afforded. Step by step ad-
vancement was made until the Rock Island
and Northwestern railroads were constructed
across the State to the Missouri River, cen-
tering at Council Blufl's; from this time on
many of the obstacles were removed aud life
went somewhat easier, as towns rapidly
sprang up, affording much needed in improv-
ing the half developed farms.

To-day things have changed; the whole
county is well cultivated and developed, with
towns and postoffices on every hand. In
1882 the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
Railroad Company constructed its Council
Bluffs line through the county, traversing
the northwestern part. Upon this line there

HISTORY OF SUE LB 7 COUNTY.

259

are four good-sized stations — Defiance, Earl-
ing, Panama and Portsmouth. The Kirkman
brand) of the Chicago & Northwestern Rail-
road was built through the northeastern part
of the county in 1881, to a point seven miles
north and east of Harlan, and the village of
Kirkman established. This place, with Irwin
in the northeastern township of the county,
gives excellent trading places and markets
for all that section of country. The present
towns and postoffices are as follows:

Harlan, with a population of 2,000

Shelby, " " " 600

Defiance, " " " 500

Irwin, " " " 300

Earling, " " " 460

Panama, " " " 250

Portsmouth, " " " 250

Westphalia, " " " 60

Kirkman, " " " 250

Corley (a siding station) 50

Manteno (postoffice and store)

Botna 20

Elkhorn (postoffice in southeastern part of county),

According to the State census reports of
1885, Shelby County, June 1 of that year,
had a population of 16,306, which in 1888
had increased to nearly 18,000, at which time
there were 3,291 dwellings.

DEFUNCT VILLAGES.
1TAN.

Notwithstanding the county plat books do
not show this, one of Shelby County's first
villages, nevertheless it was staked out by
Mansel Wicks and a man named Dodge. It
took its singular name from a town of the
same name in South America, where Wicks,
one of the proprietors of this embryo village,
was cast away by a shipwreck, about 1852.
The location of this place was near L. D.
Sunderland's home, on section 4, township
79, range 38, in what is now Harlan Town-
ship. A stock of goods was put in there by
Jacob Majors. This place was also started
with the view of getting the county seat

located there, it being near the center of the
county; and this, like several other center-
ing locations, fell into a dreamless sleep and
soon expired!

SHELBYVILLE.

This is the oldest village of the county. It
was regularly platted October 30, 1854, and
was the point designated by the committee,
who located the county seat in 1853-'54, as
the place for the seat of justice. Its location
was section 27, township 81, range 40, west,
and in what is now Grove Township. Quite
a prosperous village sprang into existence
there, but upon the removal of the county
seat to Harlan, the vitality of Shelbyville
was soon sapped and the numerous residences
and business houses erected there were torn
down or removed to Harlan and other points.
For many years there has been no trace of a
village there. In reality it had an existence
from 1854 to 1860, but yet it is replete with
pioneer incidents now almost lost in the
minds of the few remaining old settlers, and
scarcely ever spoken of by the younger gen-
eration.

SIMODA.

This was a village platted a mile and a
half east of Harlan, in September, 1857, by
County Surveyor Samuel Dewell, on land
owned by Milton Heath and wife. It was
situated on the east half of the southeast
quarter of section 8, and the west half of the
southwest quarter of section 9, township 79,
range 38, west. Its name originated from a
character named Som-i-daw, taken from a
novel which one of the first settlers of Simoda
was reading at the time the village was
being platted. The place was started for the
purpose of locating the county seat, and also
was to be an important station on the then
proposed Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
Railway, which finally took a more southern

260

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

route through Avoca and Shelby. It was a
well-designed plat; the survey shows that
the streets were all eighty feet wide, except
"Railroad street," which was 100 feet. The
depot grounds were surveyed 200 by 720
feet. A paper — the first newspaper in Shelby
County — was established at Simoda in the
spring of 1859, a history of which appears
in the chapter devoted to the newspaper
press elsewhere in this book. The place was
a rival village of Harlan, and was indeed a
beautiful site for a town, situated as it was at
the forks of the two branches of the Nishna-
botna River, on high, rolling ground. At
one time, during 1859-T>0, there were about
twenty residences and business houses, in-
cluding the New Idea printing office and N.
W. Merrill's general store. A copy of the
first newspaper was recently shown the
writer. It contained the following business
cards: William Reed, blacksmith, Manteno,
la.; A. C. Ford, attorney and counselor at
law; Dewell & Ilolbrook, county surveyors.

Quite a spirited warfare was carried on
between the people of Harlan and Simoda,
known as the "Simoda war," contesting for
the location of the county seat, but when by
a vote of the people it was finally located at
Harlan, Simoda lost its grip and soon went
to decay, now only having a name in the
musty plats of the county recorder's books
and in the memory of the pioneers of Shelby
County. The buildings were sold and re-
moved to Harlan and to adjoining farms.
Thus rose and fell the third village started
in the county.

MANTENO.

This is among the villages platted in 1859,
the same having been filed for record April
19 of that year. It is situated on section 18,
township 81, range 40, west, and in what is
now known as Grove Township, and is two

or three miles from the defunct village of
Shelbyville. At one time it was quite a
hamlet, but after the county seat was re-
moved from Shelbyville to Harlan, and other
towns took rank as trading points, Manteno
declined. At present there is but little aside
from a few shops, a general store and the
postoffice, all of which are a great accommo-
dation to the surrounding farming commu-
nity, who find it too far to go to the railroad
towns for the staple goods they may require.

PRESENT TOWNS AND VILLAGES.

HARLAN-

Harlan, the county seat of Shelby County,
is situated principally on section 18, township
79, range 38, near the geographical center of
the county. It was named in honor of one
of Iowa'6 early and quite distinguished United
States Senators, James Harlan. The original
plat, however, was located on section 7, of
the same township and range — a mile from
the present business center. Their first plat-
ting was executed by Adam and May Tuttle.
and filed for record August 9, 1858. It was
on low bottom land near the ineanderings of
the Nishnebotna River, and only flourished a
short time, owing mainly to the fact that the
land was not suitable.

The next platting was what is known as
" Long's Addition." This was laid out and
platted by James M. Long, July 15, 1859,
and now constitutes the greater part of Har-
lan. However, in the course of a few years,
what is known as " Wyland's Addition"
and "McDonald's Addition" were laid out
and now form part of the place.

BEAUTY OF ITS LOCATION.

Iowa contains many pretty towns, but very
few present to the eye a more charming
natural landscape than the flourishing town
of Harlan, environed as it is by a beautiful
and rolling farming country, with here and

HISTORY OF SIIELBY COUNTY.

2G1

there a good-sized grove of native timber —
just sufficient to break the monotony of an
otherwise prairie country. It matters not
whether one views the town from one of the
elevated tracts of laud on either hand —
whether standing on the bluff looking east,
catching now and then a glimpse of that pict-
uresque and extremely crooked stream, the
Nishnebotna River, the meanderings of which
at some seasons of the year look like a silver
cord, broken in two, here and there, or
whether one views it from an incoming train,
from the south — the scene is one calculated to
attract one to the place. In midsummer the
vast fields of waving grain and corn, with the
verdure of the forest trees, both natural and
those planted by the hardy-handed pioneer,
lend an enticing beauty which nature unas-
sisted could not produce. Then you should
pause a while at Harlan and watch the busy
mart, thronged with hundreds of farmers'
teams which have come in with various prod-
ucts, and soon to return with the goods for
which they have made an exchange. As one
approaches the town from any given direction
lie is at once pleased and impressed at the
sight of the numerous church spires pointing
heavenward, as well as the excellent high-
school building, with its dome towering high
above and over all. These bespeak the cult-
ure and social refinement of the populace, in
tones unmistakable. " God made the country
— man the city," and to the lover of nature
no more beautiful location can be found than
Harlan, which at this date — 1888 — is three
decades old and has a population of 2,000 in
round numbers.

The first building erected was a small
shanty, put up and lived in by Isaac Plum,
while he was providing better quarters. He
had first located at Simoda, across the river,
and when he saw that Harlan was to be the
county seat, he made an arrangement with

Messrs. Long & Ault, proprietors of the latter
place, to remove his effects to their village site.
Peter Barnett kept the first boarding-house
in Harlan, in 1858. In the fall of 1858,
William B. Newton built a house in which
was kept the first tavern. The first real
hotel built in Harlan was that erected by J.
M. Long in 1871; he operated it a short time
when it fell into other hands. It was called
« The Harlan Hotel."

The first harness-maker was Aaron Berg-
stresser, who located soon after the close of the
rebellion.

William A. Gray, who succeeded Harvey
& Woodruff as general dealers, carried the first
line of hardware, hollow-ware and stoves,
beginning in 1860.

The first druggist was Dr. Frost, who came
soon after the village was platted. Dr. Rich-
ard M. Smith, who came from Newton, Iowa,
was the next in the drug trade.

The pioneer shoemaker was George M.
Couffer.

The first furniture was handled by a man
named McClaren, who located in 1868. Prior
to that date people were compelled # to go to
Council Bluffs for even a common wooden-
bottom chair, or provide one of a home make,
which was stronger than it was easy or ele-
gant, but style did not reign supreme in
those earlier days!

A building at Simoda, belonging to Isaac
Plumb, was partly up and on a foundation
properly made, but Harlan people wanted
the new frame house to go up in their place,
so a road was cut out through trees and
bushes along the river, and the building
removed by five teams. The work on this
building was commenced April 14, 1858, and
was removed and nearly finished before May
the same year.

Just at this time Harlan began to have a
genuine pioneer boom — the sound of the

263

BISTORT OF SHELBY COUNTY.

hammer and saw was heard on every hand;
lumber was in great demand; also workmen.
The above named building was finally finished
off and sold to a firm who sold the first goods
in the place; it was composed of Dr. Ault, A.
L. Harvey and L. W. Woodruff, later known
as Harvey & Woodruff. This store was
located on block 5 of the original plat of
Harlan. The years 1858-'59 were busy years
at Ilarlan; among the buildings erected were,
after those just named, David H. Randall's,
Peter Bamett's, S. A. Sidner's and J.J. Tuck's.
Barnett sold a fine yoke of oxen, and with the
money purchased his lumber, cut at the new
saw- mill.

The first blacksmith who stood by an anvil
in Ilarlan was a young man whose name is
long since forgotten by the early settlers.
He worked, later in the town's history, with
D. H. Randall, who came from Clinton
County, Iowa, and operated a shop some
time. Men named Babb and Johnson were
early blacksmiths.

The first meat that was sold in retail way
was peddled out at Harlan once a week by
Abraham Kniss, who weighed with the old
style steelyards, and it is said never allowed
the beam to go too high in dealing out his
meat, having an eye evidently to business! The
first regular meat shop was Btarted by John
Stanley in 1871; he is still in the business,
holding a large patronage.

The earliest to engage in millinery busi-
ness was Mrs. J. W. Sharp, in 1873.

The first Fourth of July celebration was
held in Harlan in 1858, and the first liberty-
pole erected that Independence day, on the
high ground upon which II. C. Holcomb's
residence now stands, which was away out of
the business part of Ilarlan. The orator was
Stephen King, of Harrison County. A dance
was held in the evening, at which there was
much sport and innocent amusement.

The first religious service on the town
plat of Harlan was conducted by Judge
Tarkington, the county judge, who was also
a Methodist preacher. The first denomina-
tion to build a church edifice was the Bap-
tist society, who built in 1871, the same
serving that people until their present fine
church building was presented to them in
1886 by James M. Long, original proprietor
of the town proper.

The livery business was first represented
by George D. Ross, in 1873.

A copy of the first newspaper published at
Harlan in 1859, spoken of in the Press
chapter, has advertisements of L. G. Tubbs,
general dealer; William Gay & Co., general
dealers and produce and commission; also a
card appeared of A. M. Kime & Co., carpen-
ters and builders.

Another peculiar pioneer trader iu general
merchandise was one " Mr. " Bates, who rau
a general store for one season, having about
the premises several clerks, who, together
with the community, had all those months
been thinking "he" was a, man, when lo!
and behold, a Council Bluffs physician was
called to attend her in serious sickness, the
fact was revealed that " he " was of the truly
feminine gender. Upon the disclosure of
this the general store of Bates & Co. soon
became a thing of curiosity in the past. This
peculiar person made frequent trips with the
sheriff and other county officials to Council
Bluffs and other places, but they never once
thought they were bedfellows with other than
a man; but such was the case!

The first to embark in the jewelry business
at Ilarlan was a man named Gidden, who,
about 1870, was sent here to open a branch
concern for a dealer at Atlantic named A.
D. Hill.

Prior to 1867 the people of Harlan had to
go without photographs, or else make a long

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

263

journey to Council Bluffs; but in the fall of
that year an artist named Gander opened a
studio, such as it was, in the upper story of
the old court-house.

P. B. Hunt was among the earliest lumber
dealers, going into business soon after the
railroad came.

The first elevator was built in August,
1879, by J. S. Murray. It had a capacity of
10,000 bushels. This was destroyed by fire
in February, 1882, and rebuilt in June the
same year.

Cananan & Bechtel built an elevator also
in 1879, having a 10,000-bushel capacity.

J. M. Mosby erected the third grain ele-
vator in 1882, with the same capacity as
those above named.

M. J. Murray erected a warehouse of 5,000-
bushel capacity in 1886. Those handling
grain at Harlan in the fall of 1888 were M.
J. Murray, J. F. Piatt & Co., Lockwood &
Brother.

THE TELEPHONE LINE.

About 1880 the Hawkeye Telephone Com-
pany built a line of telephone to Harlan from
Avoca. It soon became known as the Iowa
Telegraph and Telephone Company, and from
that incorporated into what is now known as
the Iowa Union Telephone Company. In
Shelby County it operates an " exchange " at
Harlan, Kirkman, Irwin, Defiance and Earl-
ing, besides many private lines, some going
to farm houses, allowingdaily market reports
from eastern markets.

The first banking business transacted at
Harlan by a home concern was in 1873, when
C. J. & D. M. Wyland, who were engaged
in real-estate business, began banking on a
small scale in a little lean-to building, where
they remained a short time and found a good
paying banking business growing on their
hands. They were obliged to remove to a

frame building, 14x16 feet, which then
stood on the west side of the public square;
but this soon became too small a room, and
in 1880 they erected a fine, substantial brick
banking room, in which is now operated the
Bank of Harlan and a general land and real
estate office.

The Shelby County Bank was incorporated
under the laws of Iowa, in December, 1880,
with a cash capital of §50,000. W. E. Hazen
was the first cashier. It is what is known as
a State bank, and has been successful from
the commencement. Its present officers are:
W. W. Wheeler, President; B. Kees, Vice-
President; M. K. Campbell, Cashier. Its
place of business is within its own brick
building, situated east from the public
square.

COMMERCIAL INTERESTS OF 1888.

W. H. Axline, drugs.

L. Frost, drugs.

J. S. Gross, drugs.

J. F. Huntzinger, drugs.

Mills & Pexton, drugs and books.

Daniel Chase, groceries.

Cyrus A. Mentzer, groceries.

W. Pitman, groceries.

D. W. Grouse, groceries.
W. W. Wheeler, hardware.
Canfield & Taylor, hardware.
Nathaniel Booth, farm implements.
James McConnell, farm implements.

E. B. Wicks, boots and shoes.

J. H. & J. W. Ramsey, boots and shoes.
French & True, general store.
Joseph Beh, general store.
Blotckey Bros., general store.
B. Griffith, general store.
George S. Gibbs, general store.
George Holdefer, general store.
Eidamiller, general store.
William H. Carl, furniture.

204

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

O. F. Graves, furniture.
Tinsley Bros., jewelry store.
J. F. Brock, jewelry store.
Henry Bocken, tailor.
K. P. Jorgenson, tailor.
II. II. Luecke, clothing.
J. H. & J. W. Ramsey, clothing.
C. Will Fisher, photographs.
It. P. Dammand, photographs.
It. Boyd, marble works.
J. E. Miller, harness shop.
Joseph Crique, harness shop.

A. W. Bergstresser, harness shop.

W. C. Campbell, editor Tribune (Dem.)
Oungst & Ithinesmith, proprietors Repub-
lican (Itep.)

Cox & Hanson, proprietors Industrial
American (Labor.)

B. F. Eshelman, dentist. '

City Hotel, A. H. Vaughn, proprietor.

P. B. Hunt, lumber.

M. J. Murry, grain elevator.

J. F. Piatt, grain elevator.

Lockwood Bros., grain elevator.

L. L. Jarvis, livery barn.

Frank Crouch, livery barn.

Sheller & Phelps, real estate office.

Shelby County Bank, M. K. Campbell,
Cashier.

Harlan Bank, C. J. & D. M. Wylaud, pro-
prietors.

Opera House, C. J. & D. M. Wyland,
proprietors.

Miss M. Dunnington, millinery goods.

Mrs. A. L. Potter, millinery goods.

J. L. Stanley, meat market.

S. J. Ramsey, meat market.

J. W. Chatburn, proprietor roller mills.

Cass & McArthur, wagon-makers.

T. Hanson, blacksmith shop.

E. A. Cobb, physician.

E. B. Moore, physician.

J. II. Waite, physician.

E. J. Smith, physician.
E. L. Cook, physician.
R. S. Kirkpatrick, physician.
Smith & Cnllison, attorneys.
J. I. M., attorney.
Piatt Wicks, attorney.
Robert P. Foss, attorney.
Cyrus Beard, attorney.
Gammon & Byers, attorneys.

THE POST-OFFICE.

A postoffice was established at Harlan in
1858, the first postmaster being William
Henderson, who kept the office at his resi-
dence, on the left bank of the Nishnabotna
River. Among the postmasters who followed
him were: William A. Gray, D. H. Ran-
dall, II. C. Holeomb, N. W. Babcock, S. P.
Kinsey, Sr., B. I. Kinsey. The last named
served until April 1, 1888, and was suc-
ceeded by Jonathan B. Stutsman. S. P.
Kinsey and his eon held the office for four-
teen years. The office became a money-order
office in July, 1874, the first order being
issued to J. E. Rockwood, for $1.05, payable
to E. S. Tnpper, of Des Moines. The full
number of money orders issued up to No-
vember 27, 1888, was 24,436, or an average
| of about five per business day for the whole
time.

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

From the earliest date the people of Har-
lan'have sought for the best educational ad-
vantages, never begrudging the money thus
expended. The first term of school taught on
the present site of Harlan was held by L. W.
Woodruff in a log house which stood where
now stands the City Hotel. It was in the
summer of 1859. The next to teach were
.Mrs. William Gray and Miss Sue Dunning-
ton, who taught in the brick house erected
by Isaac Plum, in the summer and fall of
1859. This building was 20 x 24 feet, and

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

265

stood where the Methodist church now
stands, and served as school-house, public
hall for church and political gatherings, as
well as county fairs. Could this building
have recorded its own history ere it fell back
to dust, it would have unfolded a story of
pioneer days full of thrilling events and
happy incidents. As the population in-
creased this became too small, hence in 1871
it was torn down and a two-story frame
house erected on the original six school lots
purchased at an early day. It cost $2,500,
and was 25 x 50 feet on the ground. A few
years later an addition was made to it of two
more school-rooms, which served the district
until 1881, when the beautiful high school
building was completed. ' The old frame
house was converted into a residence for
John Derks, and was destroyed by tire a few
years later. The new building was erected
by S. Bryan, at a cost of $18,000. It is a
three-story building, divided into nine de-
partments, and is of most modern design
throughout, and is steam heated. One jani-
tor, J. B. Swain, has thus far been employed
at $40 per month, and through his excellent
management the building, engine and heat-
ing appliances have been kept in good repair.
Ten teachers are employed at this time,
theprincipal receiving $1,200 per year, while
eight assistants receive $45 per month, and
one $55 per month. The present (1888) en-
rollment of scholars is 625, the majority of
which reside in Harlan.

SOCIETIES.

The first secret societies to occupy our
attention would naturally be the order of
Free aud Accepted Masons. The traditions
of Freemasonry form a precious heritage.
Rightly interpreted, they are as beneficent as
they are authoritative. This ancient and hon-
orable order rests on a foundation of broad

human sympathies. Its objects are by pre-
cept and practice to foster virtue, to incul-
cate charity, and to bind the members to-
gether in enduring bonds of brotherly love.
It is a professor and teacher of every moral
and social virtue.

This institution has its foundation deeply
laid in the hopes, aspirations and affections
of man, or it never could have come down to
us through the ages, evolving and develop-
ing with the lapse of time, adapting itself
through revolving centuries to the changes
of religion, civilization and enlightenment,
ever retaining its hold upon the human heart.

All political agitation is excluded from its
action and consideration. The very charac-
ter of its membership is a guarantee not only
of its freedom from aught that is harmful,
but of its possession of much that is laudable
and desirable. Members of the order are to
be found in every land and clime; it is not
confined to sect, station, people or tongue —
neither does it show preference for members
on account of wealth or high social stand-
ing. Rich and poor, statesman and warrior,
scholar and laborer, men from every honest
class and honorable profession, meet upon one
common level and clasp each other's hands in
fraternal grasp.

Masonry has grown and flourished to a
wonderful extent in Shelby County; it has a
very large and active membership, embracing
within its fold many of the very best citizens,
who are enthusiastic and zealous workers in
its glorious cause.

Parian Lodge, No. 321, of F. ds A. M.,
worked under a dispensation from Novem-
ber 30, 1872, having twelve charter mem-
bers. Upon July 8, 1873, the lodge was
duly instituted, and the following officers
elected: John Fritz, W. M.; W. J. Davis, S.
W.; J. H. Louis, J. W.; H. S. Burke, Treas-
urer; William Wyland, Secretary; T. W.

266

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

Chatburn, S. D. ; James Lambert, J. D. ; F.

A. Barger, S. S. ; Alexander Barr, J. S.;
William H. Griffith, Tyler.

The officers at the present time are:
Joseph I. Myerly, W. M.; Cyrus Beard, S.
W.; Wesley Scott, J. W.; D. M. Wyland,
Treasurer; 0. P. Wyland, Secretary: W. C.
Campbell, S. D.;Fred. Eidenmiller, J. D.; J.
V. Brazie, S. S.; L. M. Kerr, J. S.; W. P.
Stone, Tyler.

The total membership in December, 1888,
was 115, at which time the lodge was in a
flourishing condition.

Olivet Chapter, No. 107, Royal Arch
Masons, worked under dispensation, from
July 6, 1885, with a charter membership of
twelve. The first elective officers were: P.

B. Hunt, H. P.; P. F. Murray, K.; F. Dun-
ham, S.; J. W. Latta, Sec. and Treas. ; W. II.
Axline, C. II.; Kev. P. V. D. Vedder, P. S.;
William Wyland, R. A. ('.; Neil Carmichel,
G. M. 3 V.; L. H. Lasall, G. M. 2 V.; II. S.
Burke, G. M. 1 V.; William Stone, Guard.

The present officers are: W. H. Axline, 11.
P.; D. B. Sheller, K.; W. Scutt, S.; D. W.
Wyland, Treas.; O. P. Wyland, Sec; J. 1.
Myerly, C. H.; S. R. Pratt, P. S.; D. B.
Sheller, R. A. 0.; John Fritz, G. M. 3 V.;
Cyrus Beard, G. M. 2 V.; W. J. Davis, G.
M. 1 V.; T. B. Burr, Guard. Total member-
ship, eighty-two.

Mount Zion Commandery, K. T., No.
49, of Harlan, worked under dispensation
from July 6, 1886, with a charter member-
ship of ten.

The first officers were: Sir William Fiske
Cleveland, E. C; Sir Josiah True, G.; Sir
Daniel Crawford Cooper, O. G. ; Sir Paroan
Brown Hunt, P.; Sir William Henry Axline,
S. W. ; Sir Patrick Francis Murray, J. W.;
Sir David Madison Wyland, Treas.; Sir Omar
Pacha Wyland, Rec. ; Sir Fred. Eidemiller,
Sta. B.; Sir William Colin Campbell, I. B.;

Sir Joseph Irving Myerly, W. ; Sir Ephraim
Douglas, S. W.

The officers serving December 1, 1888,
were: Sir William Fiske Cleveland, E. C. ;
Sir David Madison Wyland, G.; Sir Joseph
Irving Myerly, C. G.; Sir Cyrus Beard, P.;
Sir William Henry Axline, S. W. ; Sir George
Sabin Gibbs, J. W. ; Sir William John Davis,
Treas.; Sir Lorenze H. LaSall, Sta. B. ; Sir
Asher Sage Riley. S. B.; Sir Wesley Scutt,
Warden; Sir Edward D. Bergstresser, S. W.;
Sir Herman John Garland, 1 G. ; Sir Frank-
lin Moore Bowtin, 2 G. ; Sir David Byron
Sheller, 3 G. Present total membership,
sixty-seven.

Lebanon Chapter, No. 8, of Eastern Star
Order, was instituted at Harlan in March,
1887, with thirty-seven charter members.
The first officers were: Mrs. II. G. Garland,
Matron; D. B. Sheller, Patron; Mrs. F.
M. Bowlin, Treas.; Mrs. D. B. Sheller, Sec.
The present membership is some in advance
of the charter number. The officers for
1888 were: Mrs. II. J. Garland, Matron; D.
B. Sheller, Patron; Mrs. F. M. Bowlin,
Treas.; Mamie Fritz, Sec.

The various degrees of the Masonic order
meet at Masonic Hall, on the north side of
the public square. Their place of meeting
is indeed an elegant one. Both the lodge
room proper and the banquet hall are
furnished in an excellent style. No expense
has been spared to provide these rooms witli
everything for the convenience of the frater-
nity, and all of the furnishings have been
selected with the best taste. They have rich
and costly regalia, each suit having its proper
place within a finely finished wood and glass-
faced case. The carpets and seats are of an
attractive pattern, and the charts, emblems
and pictures add much to the appearance of
the rooms. The unusual amount of interest
that each individual member manifests for

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

267

the order, the large and increasing member-
ship, and the class of men who are so closely
identified with these several bodies, speak
highly for the intense zeal that permeates the
entire Masonic fraternity, and has marked the
city of Harlan as one of the leading Masonic
cities in the State.

The Knights of Pythias, Carthage Lodge,
No. 65, was instituted June 30, 1885, with
thirty-four charter members, the present
membership being sixty-one. The first offi-
cers were: Joseph Stiles, P. C; H. M. Neu-
meyer, C. C; C. H. Evans, V. C; E. B.
Ward, P.; B. F. Eshelinan, M. of F.; J. W.
Harrod, M. of V.; D. B. Shelter, K. R. S.;
J. F. Huntzinger, M. at A.; J. H. Ramsey,
I. G.; J. Walton, O. G. The present officers
are: H. L. Scotield, P. C; J. F. Brock, C. C;
J. S. Miller, D. C; G. K. Patterson, P.; M.
Headley, M. at A.; J. K. Ramsey, K. of R.
and S.; J. F. Pexton, M. of F.; H. L. Sco-
field, M. of V.; Gus Dasbach, I. G.; T. U.
Hathaway, O. G. They have an excellent
lodge room in Wheeler's Block, which they
have leased for permanent quarters. The
same is well carpeted and furnished, and the
members work in a harmonious manner, so that
it may be said the " K. of P." at Harlan is in a
growing, prosperous condition, fully carrying
into practical effect the object of its order.

The Odd Fellows Order. — Harlan Lodge,
No. 267, was instituted December 26, 1873,
with a charter membership of fifteen. The
first officers of this brotherhood were: Samuel
Potter, N. G.; N. Booth, V. G.; D. M.
Wyland, Sec. ; W. S. Stutsman, Treas. In
1888 the officers were: W. T. Shepherd, JST.
G.; D. Z. Ganzer, V. G.; J. W. Jones, R. S.;
L. R. Hertert, P. S.; E. D. Bergstresser,
Treas. The total membership at this date is
forty-six. The lodge is in good working
condition, and has among its members the
best business men in Harlan.

Other societies have sprung up and existed
for a time and then gone down. Among
such defunct societies may be mentioned the
Ancient Order of United Workmen, which
flourished for a time, but at present most of
the members have severed their connection
with the order, while a few still pay their
assessments to the Grand Lodge, but do not
meet in a body.

The Legion of Honor at one time was
represented here, but finally merged into
other mutual benevolent societies.

HARLAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.

This concern was organized May 28, 1888,
by the leading business men of the town, for
the purpose of " protecting and fostering the
commercial interests of Harlan." By-laws
and constitution were adopted, to which
twenty-six names were signed as charter
members, each paying $1 as a membership
fee. The following are the officers of the
association: W. J. Davis, President; D. M.
Wyland and W. W. Wheeler, Vice-Presi-
dents; D. B. Shelter, Secretary, and John T.
Jack, Treasurer. Committees were appointed
on Improvements, Railways, Manufactories,
etc. The business men who formed this as-
sociation saw the need of organized effort in
order to accomplish anything of much value
in way of public enterprises.

HAELAN GRAND AKMT POST, NO. 197.

This is one of Harlan's flourishing socie
ties, and comes to be more highly appreciated
as the years roll away and the frosts of age
bearin to whiten the heads of the comrades
brave who stood side by side in the great
civil war. This post was mustered Jnne 29,
1883, by Comrade Henry Fry, of " Sam Rice
Post," Atlantic, Iowa. The charter members
and first officers were as follows:

T. J. Robinson, Commander; J. 11. Louis,
Vice-Commander; M. K. Campbell, Quarter-

208

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

master; George E. Bennett, M. Headley,
George D. Ross, Senior Vice-Commander;
H. D. Lacy, Officer of the Day, Samuel Pot-
ter, Thomas A. Long, Quartermaster-Ser-
geant; B. I. Kinsey, Officer of the Guard;
F. Dunham, Sergeant-Major; J. H. Weeks,
John M. Rodgers, C. L. Drake, Surgeon; D.

F. Paul, Adjutant; George Chase, R. L.
Tompkins, C. L. Wilder, Thomas Ledwich,
Chaplain; T. E. Somers, G. II. Shoemaker.

At the time this post was mustered,
twenty-two comrades joined. At one time
eighty-six were enrolled. At this writing
there are about forty in good standing.

The present officers are: J. H. Reynolds,
Commander; M. White, Senior Vice-Com-
mander; A. J. Corbin, Junior Vice-Com-
mander; J. II. Weeks, Surgeon; S. W.
Swarts, Chaplain; T. J. Robinson, Officer of
the Day; M. Headley, Officer of the Guard;

G. D. Ross, Adjutant and Quartermaster;
W. II. Erret, Sergeant-Major ; John Mead,
Quartermaster-Sergeant. In January, 1885,
a hall on the west side of the public square
was fitted up, which provides a fine head-
quarters. The post is out of debt and owns
forty stands of regulation arms, and a beauti-
ful silk Hag costing upward of $70, the
finest in Shelby County. Upon Decoration
day the post forget not the graves of fallen
comrades, but conduct memorial services in
an impressive and appropriate manner. Per-
haps no man is more entitled to credit for
the success of this post than Comrade George
D. Ross, who has been an ardent, persistent
worker.

, SONS OF VETERANS.

This order, a branch of the Grand Army of
the Republic, was organized November 17,
1888, as « Gen. Schoficld Camp, No. 162,"
with a charter membership of thirteen. Its
officers are: H. L. Scofield, Captain; B. B.

Griffith, Jr., First Lieutenant; Colfax Smith,
Second Lieutenant. They meet at the G. A.
R. Hall.

AVOCA, UARr.AN & NORTHERN RAILWAY.

In 1878 a company was organized at Har-
lan for the purpose of grading and bridging
a road bed from Avoca to Harlan, a distance
of about thirteen miles. This company suc-
ceeded in getting a tax voted in the following
townships : Harlan, Lincoln, Westphalia,
Douglas and Greeley, at different precincts,
owing to the advantage to be derived from
the building and operation of such a line of
railroad, the per cent, in Harlan Township
being four cents on a dollar of taxable prop-
erty, while in Greeley it was only one per cent.

The officers of such company (formed really
for the work of construction) were as follows:
Thomas McDonald, President; Piatt Wicks,
Secretary; C. J. Wyland, Treasurer; J. M.
Long and D. M. Wyland, Directors. The
road was to be completed to Harlan on or
before December 1, 1878, and by hurrying
the work of track-laying the work was accom-
plished in time to insure the collection of the
taxes voted in its aid. There had been an
agreement between this home company and
the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific company
to the effect that the latter named would iron
and tie the road bed, providing the former
company would do the other work of con-
struction. When finally finished the Rock
Island company leased the same for a term of
ninety-nine years. It was in this manner
that the towns of Harlan and Avoca were
united by a line of railway, which gives
Harlan an outlet, east and west, over the
"great Rock Island route," giving the people
nearly all the advantages to be derived from
living on the main line. Too much cannot
be said in praise of the far-sighted men who
organized and carried on this plan for securing

HISTORT OF SHELBY COUNTY.

269

a railroad outlet to markets. Upon the ad-
vent of the first regular train which ran to
Harlan, there was great rejoicing among the
people in general, as it virtually opened up a
highway to the great commercial center of
the country, and marked a new era in the
history of Shelby County.

From both Harlan and the midway station
of Corley there are large shipments of grain
and live stock out, as well as vast amounts
of merchandise shipped in. It has proven
not only a benefit to the people of Harlan,
but also to all the surrounding farming com-
munity which hitherto had been obliged to
go a long distance to market.

INCORPORATION.

May 2, 1879, Harlan was incorporated in
answer to a petition signed by 123 voters.
The first mayor elected was William Wyland,
who was succeeded by mayors elected at the
April annual election of each year, as follows:
William Closson, 1881; 11. M. Jameson,
1882-'83-'84; O. F. Graves, 1885; E. J.
Smith, 1886; P. H. Hunt, 1887; B. F. Eshel-
man, 1888. The latter named, owing to
other business calling him away, resigned,
and F. M. Bowlan was elected in his place
October 1, 1888.

The incorporation has always had the best
of government; the expenditures for the most
part have been only such as the property
and safety of the place demanded. Among
the city improvements made may be men-
tioned

THE WATERWORKS,

which surpass those of any other town of its
population in Iowa. A contract was let and
carried out in the spring of 1880 to sink a
well for the purpose of supplying water for
fire and other purposes, the same being fifty
feet deep and six feet (in the clear) in diam-
eter. The price paid was $880. The supply

is inexhaustible, never yet having been
pumped lower than its average water mark,
which has always left thirty feet of water in
the well. Pipes have been laid to the pub-
lic square, where six cisterus or reservoirs
were constructed beneath the ground, with
two additional ones in the south and eastern
part of the place. The total capacity of these
several cisterns amounts to 4,000 barrels. A
stationary engine within the city building,
fired up once a month, pumps the water into
these reservoirs at a nominal expense. At
first a hand fire engine was employed, but in
June, 1885, a fine, large steamer was pur-
chased in New York, valued at $4,500. The
same weighs over three tons, without its
coal and water, and has a capacity of throw-
ing 700 gallons of water per minute, it being
the second largest fire engine in Iowa. It
was named " James M. Long,'''' in honor of
one of the proprietors of Harlan. It is what
is known as the Silsby, the best now man-
ufactured. There are three distinct tire
companies — all combined in one — the en-
gine company, the hose company and the
hook and ladder company. The city owns
1,000 feet of hose and about 100 feet
of the most improved ladders. These three
companies number sixty men, in whose
hands the town has always felt perfectly safe.
No disastrous fires have ever occurred since
the organization of the fire company. With
the inexhaustible flow of water at hand it
only remains for the incorporation to lay
pipes or purchase more hose in order to pro-
tect the entire place from the ravages of
flames.

CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.

No better index to the character of a
people can possibly be had than is afforded
by the support given the numerous church
societies. Each church spire tells of an

270

HISTORY OF SUE LEY COUNTY.

advanced Christian refinement which any
community should gladly support, and in
which it should take a just pride. Iowa is
fast coining to be noted for her many excel-
lent schools, colleges and churches. The re-
ligious element most certainly predominates
at Harlan now as in the early history, be-
cause it nobly supports the following church
organizations: Baptist, Danish Baptist, Con-
gregational, Christian, Latter Day Saints,
Methodist Episcopal, Adventists and Roman
Catholic.

The Baptist Society was formed in Jan-
uary, 1868, with the following member-
ship: A. Blankenship, T. J. Colwell, James
Lambert, J. Lambert, Mrs. M. Blankenship,
Mary Blankenship, Angeline Blake, Lucinthy
Colwell and Caroline Lambert. The differ-
ent pastors are as follows: Rev. James
Lambert, from October to November, 1869;
Rev. Joshua Courier, from November, 1869,
to December, 1871; Rev. James Lambert,
the second time, from March until Decem-
ber, 1872; Rev. Joshua Courier, the second
time, from January, 1873, to August, 1873;
Rev. E. G. O. (iroat, from September, 1873,
to March, 1874; Rev. J. E. Rockwood, from
May, 1874, to August, 1874; Rev. W. A.
Darward, from December, 1874, to Novem-
ber, 1875; Rev. Gilman Parker, from Jan-
uary, 1876, to 1879; Rev. W. A. AVelsher,
from May, 1880, to May, 1881; Rev. An-
thony Jacobs, from December, 1881; Rev.
A. H. Post, from 1883 to 1886; Rev. N. A.
Reed, from January 1, 1887, to 1888; Rev.
J. F. Bryant, present pastor, came from
Logan, Iowa, November 1, 1888.

At first religious services were held in the
court house, but in 1S71 a chapel was fin-
ished, which served until 1SK0, when .lames
M. Long, of Harlan, donated $6,000 toward
the erection of their present beautiful brick
church, which cost altogether about $7,000.

Its donor also gave his time as superintendent
of construction on the same. It is a good
sized structure, seating 450 people. It is
heated by an improved hot air furnace. Its
dedication took place August 22, 1886. Rev.
M. D. Bevan, of Atlantic, preached the ser-
mon. At one time the membership of this
church numbered 130, but at present only
enrolls ninety; the decrease is owing to re-
movals and deaths.

The Congregational Church was organized

j originally in 1871 l>y a minister from Avoca.
The first members, seven in number, were:
James Harvey, Lucy A. Harvey, Sarah E.
Davis, Miss Cornelia Holcomb, Mrs. Mary
A. Wood, Mrs. Anna E. Closson, Mrs. Sarah
Redfield. This first church held occasional
services until 1874, when others were added,
and in the fall of 1878 the believers in the
Presbyterian church who lived at Harlan,
together with the Congregational people, by
agreement, formed a reorganized Congrega-
tional church, there not being a sufficient
number to organize into two distinct socie-
ties. For several years this young church
drew sufficient support from the Home Mis-
sionary Society, but later was unaided. So
really the date of the present church at Har-
lan was November 10, 1878, when Rev. E.
Adams came and organized the new society,
which adopted their articles of faith and
covenanted together. Twenty-three united at
that time. The services have been unbroken
ever since. The early place of meeting was
at Long's Hall and in the court-house, but
in 1881 they built a commodious house of
worship in one of the finest locations of the
town, opposite the public school building.
Its cost was $2,800. It was dedicated Sab-
bath morning, July 23, 1882, at which time
all the churches in town omitted services to

j be in attendance, except the Methodist peo-
ple. The sermon was preached by Rev. E.

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

271

S. Hill, of Atlantic, Iowa. The property
was freed from debt before that day. E. W.
Davis, of Avoca, had given the ground upon
which the church stands. The trustees of the
society then were C. C. Redfield, T. J. Robin-
son and M. K. Campbell. The various pas-
tors having served this church, are: Rev. J.
G. Sabin, from 1879 to 1881; Rev. E. S.
Sherman, from 1881 to 1884; Rev. C. N.
Sinnett, from 1884 to 1886; Rev. J. W.
Geiger, July 6, 1887, who is still the pastor.
He came from Des Moines, Iowa, and is doing
much toward the upbuilding of the church at
Harlan.

The history of the Methodist Episcopal
Church of this place dates back to pioneer
days. In this county, as in nearly all new
countries, the Methodists were the first to
herald the truths of the gospel. To Judge
Tarkington belongs the honor of first pro-
claiming the Methodist faith in this section
of Iowa, having preached the first sermon
ever heard at Harlan, December 3, 1859, at
the first quarterly meeting of Harlan Mis-
sion, which was within the limits of the
Western Iowa Conference. The first preacher
who regularly attended this charge was Rev.
Kirkland Card, who came in 1860, and re-
ceived $100 for his services. Following him
came Rev. N. L. Phillips, in 1861; Rev.
James Leslie, in 1863-'64, at which date the
Des Moines Annual Conference was estab-
lished, making Harlan a regular station, from
which time it has been constantly supplied.
Those having served as pastors from the
above date to the present are as follows:
Rev. E. R. Latta, 1865; Rev. T. McK. Stew-
art, 1866; Rev. W. T. Smith, 1867; Rev. A.
W. Taylor, 1868; Rev. W. E. Hamilton,
1869-'70; Rev. Levi Park and Rev. Hanke,
1871; Rev. William Armstrong, 1872; Rev.
A. C. Smith, 1873-'74; Rev. C. Ashton,
1875-'76; Rev. G. H. Detwiler, 1878; Rev.

D. C. Franklin, 1879-'80-'81; Rev. W. E.
Hamilton, 1882; Rev. P. S. V. Vetter,
1883-'84; Rev. W. W. Ramsey, 1885; Rev.
J. H. Senseney, 1887, and Rev. W. H. Ship-
man, the present (1888) pastor.

The first class-leader was P. Springer, who
acted in 1859. A church building (part of
the present one) was erected in 1874, and
dedicated September 27 of that year, Rev.
Alexander Burns, D. D., of Indianola, Iowa,
preaching the sermon on the occasion, using
"Stand fast in the faith" as his text. In
connection with these services the amount of
$851 was pledged, all of which was paid
within one year. In 1882 an addition was
built to the original church, giving the
present edifice a seating capacity of 350.
The society, which now numbers 170, is in a
prosperous condition and owns a good-sized
parsonage near the church building.

Latter-Day Saints Church, of Harlan, is
within the Galland's Grove Conference, a
branch society of the Grove Township church.
It was organized May 23, 1869, with Jonas
Wellington Chatburn as presiding elder;
Frank Wellington, teacher, and John B.
Swain as priest.

In 1882 the society erected a neat edifice
in which to worship. It is a frame building
with seating capacity of about 500. It is
provided with pews, is finely carpeted and
otherwise furnished. The walls are of hard
finish, presenting an even and substantial ap-
pearance. The church, exclusive of lots and
interior furniture, cost $1,700.

At one time the society numbered seventy-
five, but owing to removals and other causes
it has been reduced to forty-five members.
It should here be stated that this sect de-
nounce in the strongest terms the doctrine of
polygamy as taught and practiced by Brig-
ham Young and his devotees.

The present officers of the church are: J.

272

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

W. Chatbnrn, Presiding Elder; J. W. Salter,
Priest; Nathaniel Boothe, Teacher.

The Christian Church was formed Febru-
ary 18, 1876, by Elder C. W. Sherwood, with
T. V. Berry as first pastor. At one time the
church had an enrollment of 125 members;
at present it has 110.

In 1880 a finely situated house of worship
was erected, at a cost of $2,000, the same
being dedicated June 27, 1880. It seats
comfortably about 275 persons. The first
church officials (trustees) were E. Douglas,
W. P. Chance and J. P. Wyland. Those
serving at this time are John Kamsey, G. W.
Fall and George Holdefer. The following
named have served as pastors: Rev. G. B.
Mullis, Rev. J. L.-Felter, Rev. D. J. Howe,
Rev. D. C. Morris, Rev. J. P. Lucas, Rev. O.
H. Truman and Rev. J. R. Cornell. At
present there is no pastor, but the church is
about to employ one. This society owns one
of the best pieces of church property in Har-
lan, and its members are a thorough-going
class of Christian workers.

The Danish Baptist Church of Harlan was
organized as a distinct society, independent
of the American church, October 30, 1886,
with a membership of seventeen. The first
minister was F. C. Nelson, who came once
in two weeks, until the spring of 1887, when
arrangements were made with C. Carlson, of
Atlantic, who still serves this people every
other week. The society now numbers
twenty-nine, most of whom reside in Harlan.
Their people had worshiped with the Ameri-
can church for many years, but preferring to
listen to and teach the gospel in their own
tongue, they finally organized. Their church
building was formerly occupied by the Ameri-
can Baptist, who conveyed it to James M.
Long, founder of the town, in lieu of the
handsome church edifice he erected for them,
and he then donated the old frame church to

the Danish branch. It is a house which was
built in 1867 — the first church in Harlan; it
is 24x48 feet, and seats between one and two
hundred.

The Roman Catholic society, consisting of
about twelve families, is under the charge of
the church at Westphalia. A chapel was
built and dedicated the past season — 1888.
In addition to the religious societies already
named, may be mentioned the Seventh Day
Adventist church, which is about perfected,
making in all more church organizations than
one seldom finds in a town the size of Har-
lan, which fact is a good index of the moral
character of her people.

SHELBY.

This is a thriving place of about 600
population, situated on section 33 of Shelby
Township. It is near the beautiful stream
known as Silver Creek, and is on the main
line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
Railroad, thirty-two miles from Council
Bluffs, in an easterly direction. Its his-
tory now covers a period of an even score of
yeai's, as it dates from 1868, in which year
the railroad passed through to the Missouri
River. The only settler, prior to 1868, was
James Hawkins, who sold the land on which
the town now stands to B. F. Allen, banker
of Des Moines, who platted the same in 1868.
Hawkins was an old soldier of a very eventful
life, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this
work. lie obtained this tract of land, with
others, for services rendered in the Mexican
war, the date of his original entry being in
1855. He settled on the banks of Silver Creek
in 1866, where he erected a log cabin, in
which he lived for many years. The first
house built in Shelby proper was the section
house of the railroad company. The next
was erected by Alexander Thompson, and is
still used as a dwelling. The third house

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

273

was built by James W. Linn in 1869. Soon
after this J. M. Wood came and erected the
Shelby House, and opened a general store. In
1874 the property fell into the hands of L.
Benham. The same year Dr. J. W. Camp-
bell, now of Old Mexico, started a general
store. Other early comers were Harrod
Bros., who engaged in general merchandis-
ing, but are now in trade at Harlan, Iowa.
In 1872 J. D. Cord came from Lucas County,
Iowa, and engaged in grain, lumber and
stock business, taking John Davis in com-
pany with him, in 1873. They continued
seven years, when Mr. Cord removed to Ta-
coma, Washington Territory. In the fall of
1874, E. C. Clapp came from Iowa City,
Iowa, and operated a general store until
1884; he is now one of the banking firm
of Davis & Clapp, of the Citizens' Bank. J.
D. Cord and John Davis were proprietors
of the Shelby County Bank for three years,;
dissolving May, 1887, when Davis & Clapp
formed their co-partnership as bankers and
real-estate dealers. Another man who came
to the village at an early day was J. P.
McEvven, from Davenport, Iowa. He was
one of the prominent men of the place, and
was noted for activity in all works of public
character. He died in 1881, leaving a family,
who still reside in Harlan.

The railroad depot was built in the fall
of 1869. Harrod Bros, came in 1877, and
built the store building now used by W. F.
Clevelaud & Co. The village was incorpo-
rated in the fall of 1877, the first mayor
being John W. Harrod. The place is made
up of wide-awake business men of high moral
and religious standing. The following socie-
ties have been organized and still flourish:
A Methodist, Presbyterian and German Lu-
theran church; Masonic, Odd Fellows, Good
Templars, Legion of Honor, and Grand Army
Post.

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Shelby
had its beginning by a service held in the
half finished railroad depot, July 3, 1870.
Those present were: C. J. McLaughlin and
wife, J. W. Linn and wife, Dr. Campbell
and wife, Mr. Wood and wife, J. P. McEwen
and wife, John Edwards, the railroad agent,
and several children. The preacher was a
local minister named A. Johnson. The first
"class" was duly organized that day, consist-
ing of four members — C. J. McLaughlin and
wife and J. W. Linn with his wife. The
class thus formed was soon attached to Har-
lan circuit. The first pastor was W. E. Ham-
ilton, now president of Simpson College.
The first leader was J. W. Linn; the first
steward was C. J. McLaughlin.

During the first three years services were
held at different private houses. In 1873 a
school- house erected in Shelby was used by
all the denominations for a time.

In 1877 the society built a neat edifice in
which to worship. This cost §3,500. C. A.
Bunker was pastor at the time. t

A year later a parsonage was provided,
costing about $700.

In 1875 Shelby charge was taken from
Harlan and added to Avoca, and in 1878
Shelby became a charge of itself.

The following pastors have faithfully served
the church at Shelby:

Rev. W. E. Hamilton, one year; Rev.
Parks, six months; Rev. Hauck, six months;
Rev. W. Armstrong, one year; Rev. Smith,
two years; Rev. Wood, six months; Rev. C.
A. Bunker, one year and a half; Rev. Fred
Harris, three months; Rev. W. A. Chambers,
nine months; Rev. W. C. Martin, one year;
Rev. W. F. Bartholemew, two years; Rev. J.
C. Stevens, one year; Rev. D. C. Franklin,
three years; Rev. D. Shenton, present pastor,
on his fourth year.

The present membership of the church is 173.

27-1

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

The Presbyterian Church was organized
February 20, 1880, by a committee appointed
by the Presbytery of Council Bluffs, Iowa,
consisting of Rev. G. M. Lodge and Elders
J. S. Love and George Bergen. The original
membership consisted of fourteen persons,
who gave in letters from various places.
After a sermon by G. M. Lodge, the follow-
ing ruling elders were elected: William
Shiek, R. M. Pomeroy and John Edwards.
N. A. Best was chosen deacon. Rev. G. M.
Lodge supplied the pulpit for about two
years. Rev. T. R. Lewis began his labors at
Shelby in June, 1882, and was duly installed
pastor of the church September 28, 1886.
He resigned and removed from Shelby in
January, 1888. The church edifice was
erected on the corner of Plateau and Center
streets in 1885, at a cost of $4,800. It is a
beautiful building, with Gothic cathedral
glass windows, with a spacious recess for
choir purposes, back of the pulpit; also a
lecture room in front, with folding doors into
the auditorium. It is finished with cherry
ceilings, seated with cherry-colored assembly
chairs, is heated by means of a furnace, and
lighted with reflectors. It comfortably seats
300 persons. This church was dedicated in
March, 1885, by Revs. John Herron, T. S.
Bailey and T. R. Lewis. The present mem-
bership of the society is eighty-five.

Rev. John II. Carpenter was called to the
pastorate in the spring of 1888, entering on
the duties June 1. In the fall of 1888 the
ladies of the church purchased an 800-pound
bell, known as the McShane bell, at Balti-
more, Maryland.

The present (1888) elders are: R. M. Pom-
eroy, S. D. Abbott, R. W. Carson and J. II.
Helm.

The German Lutheran Church was organ-
ized May 20, 1883, in which year the society
erected a house of worship with a seating

capacity of 300 people. At one time there
were 66 members, but now not quite so many.
The membership, for the most part, reside on
farms in the vicinity of Shelby. Services are
now held once a month. Rev. Kaminskie
was the first pastor in charge. The present
pastor is Rev. John Peterson, of Minden.
The society is out of debt, owning church,
parsonage and school building. A wealthy
lady of Germany donated $5,000 toward this
church enterprise.

The Baptist Society flourished at Shelby
for a short time, but is not an active body at
present.

SCHOOLS.

The intelligence of the population of Shelby
has always fostered the best of public schools.
The beginning of edcational matters in the
village dates back to 18 — .

SOCIETIES.

Silestia Lodge, No. 371, A. F. & A. M.,
at Shelby, Iowa, was organized in 1876, with
a charter membership of ten persons.

The first to serve as officers of their lodge
were: S. I'-. From, W. M.; A. O. Snyder,
S. W.; Silas Davis, J. W.; John Edwards,
Treasurer; J. H. Shively, Secretary; J. N.
Frum, S. IX; George Tate, J. D.

The first to be made a Master Mason at
this point was J. D. Cochran. The present
membership is fifty-six. The present officers
are : S. B. Frum, W. M. ; John Davis, S. W. ;
W. D. Buckley, J. W.; C. R. Benedict, Treas-
urer; <i. II. Rank, Secretary; J. H. Frum,
S. D.; S. C. Eschelman, J. D.; Silas Davis,
Tyler. The present condition of the lodge
is excellent in all of its workings.

The Odd Fellows Canopy Lodge, No. £01,
of Shelby, Iowa, was organized October 21,
1880. The highest number of members up

HISTORY OF SUELIiY COUNTY.

275

to this date (1888) has been 120. The first
officers were: W. F. Howard, N. G.; J. G.
Walters, V. G.; John A. Cook, Secretary; D.
H. Boget, Treasurer.

Those holding official places in 1888 were:
B. L. Watson, "N. G.; A. F. Meier, V. G.;
W. F. Christopher, Treasurer, and W. H.
Helm, Secretary. The order is active and
has a good many of Shelby's best business
men among its members. The lodge room,
situated over Christopher's harness shop, is
well furnished and kept, ranking with any
town of its size in Iowa.

Rebecca Degree, I. 0. 0. F., was instituted
October 1, 1886. The charter officers of the
society were: John Burwell, N. G. ; Mrs. J.
H. Helm, V. G. ; Mrs. A. Jones, Secretary;
Mrs. B. Watson, Treasurer.

The present officers (1888) are: Mrs. A.
Jones, N. G. ; Benjamin Watson, V. G.; John
Burwell, Secretary; M. F. Myers, Treasurer.
This order has a membership of forty per-
sons, and is in a flourishing condition.

The Good Templars Lodge, No. 230, of
Shelby, Iowa, was instituted August 1, 1887.
The first officers were: J. H. Helm, W. C;
Mrs. J. P. McEwen, Vice; Ed Abbott, Sec-
retary; Mrs. J. H. Helm, Treasurer. Atone
time this society numbered seventy members,
but at present only enjoys about thirty-five,
in good standing. The present officers are:
Will Osborn, W. C; Mrs. J. H. Helm, Vice;
Mrs. A. Curry, Secretary; Mrs. J. P. McEwen,
Treasurer.

The Iowa Legion of Honor, Shelby Lodge,
No. 10, was instituted August 4, 1881, by J.
H. Helm, who lives at Shelby, and is acting
as general agent for the Legions of Honor
for Iowa, having served in such capacity for
four years. The first officers were: W. F.
Cleveland, President ; Thomas Chatburn,
Vice; George H. Rink, Secretary; J. D.
Caughan, Treasurer. The officers now holding

are: S. P. Silliman, President; H. W. Helm,
Secretary, and N. Jasper Jones, Treasurer.

Dick Yates Post, Grand Army of the
Republic, No. 364., Shelby, Iowa, was mus-
tered October 1, 1884. The charter members
were: S. W. Taylor, Commander; D. C.
Cooper, Vice-Commander; William H. Brown,
Jr. Vice-Commander; L. W. Osborn, Quar-
termaster; Otho Means, Chaplain; F. M.
Keeney, Adjutant; W. A. Babb, Officer of
the Day; Thomas Brown, Officer of the Guard.
The remainder of the charter members were:
T. C. Hendricks, George W. Cennedy, J. S.
Dee, M. II. Skinner, F. S. Hubbard, C. H.
Best, J. D. Cunningham, E. C. Anderson,
James Hawkins, J. K. Smith.

At one time the post numbered forty nine,
but at present is forty-four. They meet at
the Odd Fellows Hall. A drum corps, most
of whom belong to this post, are of much
service to the order.

The officers of 1888 are: W. H. Brown,
Commander; Thomas Brown, Senior Vice-
Commander; C. H. Best, Junior Vice-Com-
mander; F. M. Keeney, Adjutant^ Dr. L.
Benham, Surgeon; Otho Means, Chaplain; J.
L. Buckley, Quartermaster; M. T. Keeney,
Officer of "the Day; F. S. Hubbard, Officer of
the Guard; J. V. Watson, Sergeant-Major;
J. S. Dee, Quartermaster-Sergeant.

THE POST-OFFICE.

The postoffice at Shelby was established in
1869, with J. W. Campbell as first post-
master; he was succeeded by James Garmong,
H. Harrod, J. H. Shively, who served eight
years under Presidents Grant and Hayes.
The present incumbent is I. D. Prouty. The
first money order issued from Shelby post-
office was dated October 1, 1877, by Luther
Doty, for the sum of $2.20, payable at Iowa
City, Iowa. Up to November 1, 1888, there
had been issued 11,384 postal money orders.

270

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

COMMERCIAL INTERESTS OF 1888.

Shelby is located in the midst of one of
the richest farming sections of Iowa, and
enjoys an excellent trade, and is one of the
best of markets for grain, corn and live stock.
The business interests of the place in 1888
were in the hands of live, energetic men, as
follows:

Abbott & Cooper, grain dealers.
Bank of Shelby.
Benedict, C. R., loans.
Benham, L., physician.
Benham, L. A., proprietor Shelby House.
Blotcky Bros., (Joseph and Solomon), gen-
eral store.

Boune & Morton, furniture.

Boyden, C. II., pumps and windmills.

Burwell, John, painter.

Bushfield, Mrs. T. M., dressmaker.

Carline & Buckley, contractors.

Central House, M. Graham, proprietor.

Christopher, W. F., harness-maker.

Cooper, D. C. & Co., hardware.

Cox, II., carpenter.

Davis & Co., druggists.

Davison, Thomas, carpenter.

Dee, J. S., live stock.

Dow, J. & Co., grain elevator.

Esty, John F., painter.

Fancher, C. II., attorney.

Fancher, Mrs. C. II., music teacher.

Foster, II. C, photographer.

Gabriel, Rees & Co., lumber.

Garinong, W. P., hardware.

Heilig, Enoch, blacksmith.

Helm, J. II., life insurance.

Hills, Ward H., general store.

Jones, N. Jasper, physician and surgeon.

Keeney, F. M., live stock.

Kostelecky, Charles, livery.

Loomis, J. F., farm machinery.

Ludden, A., apiarist, and boots and shoes.

McCombs, Z. H., blacksmith.

McCown, W. M., justice of the peace.

McDonald, Miss M. L., milliner.

Means, O., insurance.

Meier, Ferdinand, restaurant.

Mickey, T. C, blacksmith.

Miller, F. A., live stock.

Moore, L. L., barber.

Morgan, J., meat market.

Penn, C. W., livery.

Pickett, A. J., mason.

Pomeroy, John, Publisher News.

Pomeroy & Pierce, general dealers.

Reed, 11. D., station agent C. R. & P. Ry.

Shelby Roller Mills, J. Wolkey, proprietor.

Sieffert & Wiese, lumber dealers.

Sievers, II., wagon maker.

Smiley, J., physician.

Sunier, Emil, baker.

Ward, F., dentist.

Ward & Campbell, drugs.

Watters, P. K., live-stock.

Wiese, P., general store.

Winters & Morgan, live-stock.

Worth, F. A., grocer.

The milling interests of the place are in
the hands of the proprietor of the Shelby
Roller Mills, which is one of the two mills
located within Shelby County. Its history
dates back to 1878, when J. W. Chatburn,
the pioneer miller of southwestern Iowa,
came to Shelby and built a burr flouring mill
operated by steam-power. It was a large,
mill, and was completed in February, 1879.
In January, 1884, he sold to J. Wolky, who
remodeled the plant, and converted it into
what is known as a combination mill, having
two runs of burrs and five sets of rollers,
giving a capacity of 6eventy-five barrels per
day. He managed itin all about threeyears,
and sold to the present owners, Fred. Craigg,
John Lenhard and C. II. Fancher. The
original mill cost Mr. Chatburn $16,000.

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

277

IRWIN.

Irwin is a flourishing village in Jefferson
Township. The plat, which is situated on
sections 31 and 32, township 81, range 37,
was filed for record June 6, 1881. It is on
the banks of the Nishnabotna River, and is
an important station on the Kirkman branch
of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad.
It is fourteen miles northeast of Harlan, and
in 1880 had a population of 250. It was
named after E. W. Irwin, whose family were
among the first people who settled in the
northeastern part of the county. The place
was first known as Tibbittsville.

The first to engage in business was E. J.
Kimball & Son, who opened a general store
in 1879, two years prior to the coming of
the railroad, which was graded in 1880 and
completed in 1881.

The first to deal in hardware was E. J.
Trowbridge, in 1881. The stock passed
through different hands, and at present be-
longs to E. M. Huntington.

The first to deal in furniture was W.
Granger & Son, who commenced in the
spring of 1882. Harmon & Bumphrey dealt
in furniture in 1883 and 1884.

The first to deal in agricultural implements
was J. H. Dudley, but the stock is now in
the hands of E. M. Huntington, in connec-
tion with the hardware business.

The pioneer lumber dealers were Derrick
Brothers & Lampson r who opened a yard
in 1881. They sold to S. H. Bowman in
1883. In 1882 the Green Bay Lumber
Company engaged in the sale of lumber, and
in 1888 purchased the stock of Mr. Bowman,
and are now the sole dealers.

The first grain buyer at Irwin was Louis
Bechtell, who erected an elevator. Hancock
& Company also built and elevator. The
second dealer was .N. B. Stevens & Co.,
whose elevator was destroyed by fire in 1884,

and rebuilt. This, with the residence of
Harry Irwin, which was burned in the fall of
1885, is the only property lost by fire in the
village.

E. W. Hoyt built a hotel known as the
" Ogden." This was the first hotel, and was
among the first buildings erected. It is now
called the Redmon House, and is managed
by G. W. Redmon.

The first harness-maker in the village was
E. A. Bigelow. At present this trade is rep-
resented by H. W. Muldoon.

The first man to wield the sledge and blow
the glowing forge, as a blacksmith, was
Charles Franks, who with Polling & McCon-
nell are the present blacksmiths; the latter
named also do wagon work.

The millinery business was first represented
by Miss Mary Fogarty. At present it is in
the hands of Miss Anna Cooper.

The Bank of Irwin was established in the
fall of 1884. H. Humphrey is the cashier.
The bank does a general loan and insurance
business.

The first practicing physician was Dr. I.
M. Harsh, who located in 1879. The present
physicians of Irwin are Dr. S. H. Waters and
Dr. W. S. Branson.

The first to deal in drugs was J. A.
Harmon, who came in 1881, and still con-
tinues. Branson & Granger engaged in the
drug trade in June, 1883, and are still in
trade. Dr. Branson, of this firm, has prac-
ticed medicine since 1882.

Samuel Kimball started the first livery
stable in 1882; it is now operated by Peter
Will.

THE POST-OFFICE

was established at this point in 1879, and
first called Tibbettsville, in honor of William
Tibbetts. The first postmaster was G. B,
Thompson; then came D. S. Irwin, J. C. Pi-

278

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

per, W. W. Gibbs, H. D. Lacey, E. J. Trow-
bridge and J. A. Harmon, the present incum-
bent, who took the office in 1886. It became
a money-order office in August, 1882, the
first order being granted to Thomas Bras,
payable at Chicago, for the amount of $13.75.
The full number of orders issued up to No-
vember 13, 1888, was 3,711.

SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.

The people of Irwin may well be proud of
the record they have made in attempting to
sustain schools and churches. The town be-
ins' small, each denomination has found hard
work to keep up their distinct organizations
in religious affairs, but all have contributed
as far as possible toward such work. The
first school-house was built at an expense of
$500, raised by private subscriptions. This
served unt 1 1884, when a public school-house
was erected at an expense of about $3,700.
It is a two-story frame structure, having four
rooms, two of which are now in use. Two
capable instructors are employed at present.

The religious societies of Irwin are the
Campbellites, United Presbyterians and
Methodists.

The Methodist Society belongs to the
Kirkman Circuit, and was organized in 1881,
with fourteen members. They have held
services at private houses and in the Town
Hall. Their present membership is about
sixty-five. Rev. Fausett, who resides at
Kirkman, preaches once in two weeks at
Irwin.

The United Presbyterian Society was
formed at an early day, but the organization
was perfected in 1885, when a church edifice
was erected at a cost of $1,800, which seats
about 250 persons. The membership is about
thirty. At present they have no regular
pastor or services. It is a missionary point,
having never made a call for a pastor on their

own account. The society owns a neat par-
sonage, costing $800. The first who served
as minister for this people was Rev. Turner,
who remained a year and removed to Kansas.
The Campbellite Society was organized in
1886, with a membership of twenty-four.
They now number about thirty. At this date
(November, 1888), they have services once a
month, the minister in charge at Exira
preaching for them.

SOCIETIES.

The place supports a Masonic, Odd Fel-
lows, Legion of Honor and Grand Army
Post.

Sidius Masonic Lodge, No. &44> was in-
stituted in the autumn of 1883, with nine-
teen charter members. The first officers
elected were: W. W. Gibbs, W. M.; Joel C.
Woods, J. W.; G. L. Hall, S. W.; George
Dunham, Secretary: M. Reynolds, Treasurer.
The lodge now numbers about thirty; they
meet in a rented hall. The present officers
are: P. J. Brant, W. M.; J. D. Blades, J.
W.; W. S. Branson, S. W.; M. Reynolds,
Treasurer, and O. L. Russell, Secretary.

Ellsworth Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 473,
of Irwin, was instituted in March, 1883, with
a membership of thirty-five, of whom the
following were first officers: R. P. Roberts,
N. G.; E. A. Bigelow, V. G.; D. T. Quinn,
Secretary; J. A. Harmon, Treasurer. The
number at present is thirty. The society
have a well-furnished hall of their own.

Botna Lodge, No. 137, of Legion of LLonor,
was formed in 1881, with a membership of
eighteen. E. J. Trowbridge was the first
president. At present (1888) A. S. Morey
is president. The order now remains about
the same in number as when organized.

J. R. Slack Grand Army Post, No. 136,
wa6 mustered in 1881, with a charter mem-
bership of twenty-six; it now numbers twenty-

JIfSTOHY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

2Ti,

eight, in good standing. They lease a hall
and own a dozen stands of anus. E. J.
Trowbridge is the present commander.

BU8INESS INTERESTS IN 1888.

The commercial interests of Irwin in No-
vember, 1888, were as follows:

T. N. Harord, general stock.

Paulsen & Steenhusen, general dealer.

H. R. Allen, general dealer.

E. M. Huntington, hardware and farm im-
plements.

W. Granger & Son, furniture.

Branson & Granger, druggists.

J. A. Harmon, druggist.

Miss Anna Cooper, milliner.

Green Bay Lumber Company, lumber
dealers.

H. W. Muldoon, harness-maker.

W. S. Branson, physician and surgeon.

S. H. Waters, physician and surgeon.

Polling & McConnell, blacksmiths.

Chas. Franks, blacksmith.

Peter Will, livery stable.

H. Humphrey, general insurance.

Bank of Irwin, H. Humphrey, cashier.

Frank Humphrey, barber shop.

D. S. Irwin, attorney at law.

Hancock & Co., grain dealers.

N. B. Stevens, grain and lumber.

Redmon Hotel, G. W. Redmon, proprietor.

R. A. Owen, restaurant.

DEFIANCE.

Defiance is an incorporated town, located
on section 13, township 81, range 39, in the
civil township of Union. It was originally
platted February 20, 1882. It is a station
on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail-
road, and is situated on the banks of the
Nishnabotna River, twelve miles north of
Harlan, the county seat of Shelby County.
It had a population of 500 in 1885.

The first settler was W. J. Williams, who
located on the northeast quarter of section
23. Among the first to engage in trade
were W. J. Williams, C. M. Robins, Samuel
Reams, Joseph McColl and J. B. S. Case.

W. J. Williams is still engaged in a gen-
eral store; C. M. Robins went out of trade;
J. B. S. Case sold his clothing stock to Her-
man & Lisle. Easter & Elser, another early
firm doing a general business, sold to Easter
& Grace. The old firm of Samuel Reams,
drugs, has come to be Reams & Son.

H. B. Sooy came to the place and engaged
in the farm implement trade, January, 1882,
and is still engaged in the same.

Brain Bros., at the instigation of the
railroad company, erected the Clarendon
Hotel in 1882, which was run as a railway
hotel and eating house until dining cars were
placed on this branch of the Milwaukee sys-
tem. From that time on the house did not
pay its owners. Among those who leased
the property were Messrs. Smith, Burgess
and Whitcomb. The house was closed during
the greater portion of 1888, but finally taken
by L. B. Densmore, October 1 of that year.

The first to deal in grain were Stevens &
Fraese, who built an elevator in 1883.

The first lumber dealers were the Defiance
Lumber Company, now operating as the
Green Bay Lumber Company.

The place was incorporated under the laws
of the State, in January, 1883. The follow-
ing is a list of the mayors to the present
date: H. B. Sooy, J. E. Consigney, H. B.
Sooy, A. S. Riley, C. M. Robins and J. R.
Boyd.

THE POST-OFFICE

was established in 1881, with C. M. Robins
as the first postmaster. The succeeding ones
were J. B. S. Case and H. J. Brain, the
present incumbent. It was made a money-

280

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

order office August 14,1882. The first order
was granted to R. J. Argotsinger for $1.25.
The total number issued to November 8,
1888, was 2,619.

SCHOOLS AND CHTTKCHES.

Defiance lias never been behind her rival
towns in point of educational interest. Be-
lieving the school-house is of first importance,
her people have seen to it that good schools
have been provided. In 1883 a public school
building was erected. It contains three de-
partments, each having a teacher. Upon
approaching this thriving town, by wagon or
rail, the first object to impress itself on the
mind of the stranger is the fine school and
church buildings; they are always a true
index as to character of a people.

The religious element predominates, and
is represented by the Methodist, United
Brethren, Christian and Roman Catholic
societies, each having good-sized, comfort-
able and attractive church buildings.

The Christian Church was organized at
an early day, and many of its membership
reside on farms in the vicinity of Defiance.
The church proper was formed in 1883. The
present year (1888) they have erected a new
church building, at a cost of $1,700. Here-
tofore services were held in school-houses.
The present pastor, Rev. (). II. Truman,
lives at Manning ami holds services once in
two weeks. The church will be dedicated
November 25.

The first services held by the Methodist
Episcopal people were in district school-
houses, but in 1883 a neat building was
erected at a cost of $1,700, which comfort-
ably seats 250 people. The first organiza-
tion was made up of six members, but now
comprises a membership of about seventy.
The first pastor was Rev. Charles Brown;
following him came Revs. Coe, Douglas,

Hugh Linn, F. T. Beckweth, and the present
pastor, F. T. Farrow, who also serves the
Methodist people at Earling, Panama and
Buck Grove, all of which, together with
Defiance, are embraced within the Council
Bluffs District of the Des Moines Confer-
ence. At this date the church owes about
$200.

The United Brethren Society at Defiance
was among the earliest organizations. They
have a membership of forty-five. An at-
tractive church was built in 1888, at a cost
of $1,600, which was dedicated August 1.
The structure is 30x50 feet, with a belfry
8 x 10 feet. The present pastor is F. J.
Beetley.

OTHER SOCIETIES.

Defiance Lodge, No. 99, of Odd Fel-
loivs, was instituted October 31, 1884. The
original officers were: G. A. Mershon, N.
G.; J. C. Trenor, V. G.; A. J. Spencer, Sec-
retary; H. B.Sooy, Treasurer. These, together
with J. F. Loudenslager, constituted the
charter membership. The lodge has num-
bered forty-four, and is about the same at
present. They occupy a hall in common
with the Masonic fraternity. The present
(1888) officers are: J. R. Wickersham, N.
G.; J. M. Miller, V. G.; A. S. Riley, Sec-
retary; H. B. Sooy, Treasurer.

Guardian Masonic Lodge, No. JfJfl, was
chartered in June, 1884, having worked under
dispensation for about two years prior to
that date. The following worthy gentlemen
compose the charter membership: W. J.
Williams, W. M.; Howard Miles, S. W.; C.
A. Topping, J. W.; J. F. Massy, Tyler; C.
M. Robins, Secretary; E. B. Brown, S. D.;
Joseph Yockey, Treasurer; Frank Massy, J.
D.; W. H. Mytinger and Charles Seybold.
The present (1888) officers are: W. J. Will-
iams, W. M.; A. S. Riley, S. W.; S. B.

HISTORY OF SUE LET COUNTY.

281

Massy, J. W.; W. B. Sooy, Treasurer; C. A.
Topping, Secretary ; Joseph Yockey, S. D.;
John Durkes, J. D.; Elmer Reams, S. S.; A.
G. Meuller, J. S.

A Good Templars Lodge was formed in
1887, having a membership of sixty-five.
Like too many such orders, the interest after
a few months was not large enough to call it
one of great value or prosperity; however, it
still holds a place among other societies of
Defiance.

BUSINESS INTERESTS IN 1888.

Bank of Defiance, A. Riley, Cashier.

Clarendon House, L. B. Densmore, pro-
prietor.

H. C. Crawford, hardware.

Green Bay Lumber Company.

Leroy Densmore, billiards.

J. R. Easterly, grocery.

James Flaugher, blacksmith.

George A. Fry, grain dealer.

Fnller& Co., grain dealers.

George Gibson, livery stable.

T. B. Ilobart, farm implements.

H. B. Sooy, farm implements, and justice
and collections.

Warren Reams, meat market.

Ream & Son, general store.

Adolph Stepanack, harness shop.

Topping & Fry, druggists.

Harnen & Lisle, clothing store.

Easter & Grace, general store.

H. C. Vanduzer, lumber.

W. J. AVilliams, general store.

The Argus, edited and owned by F.
Bangs, is a live local sheet, well representing
the best interests of the town and surround-
ing country. For a full account see the Press
chapter elsewhere.

VILLAGE OF EARLING.
This is a sprightly village of 500 people,
situated twelve miles from Harlan, the county

seat of Shelby County. It is on the east
branch of the Mosquito River, and also on
the Council Bluffs branch of the great Chi-
cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. Spe-
cifically, it is located on section 5, township
80, range 39, and was originally platted Sep-
tember 1, 1882, by the Milwaukee Land
Company. Its original name was Marthan,
but it soon took the name of Earling.

The first to engage in business was Wen-
dell Like, who opened a general store during
the month of September, 1882. Another
early dealer was a Mr. Mason. In October,
1882, Byers & Eggen started a general store,
and afterward failed. The next to embark
in general trade was W. W. Maysent & Co.,
who commenced in November, 1882. They
are still doing a thriving business under the
firm name of Maysent Brothers. They carry
the largest stock in the place. Another quite
early firm was J. Dickey & Son, general
dealers, whose stock was destroyed by fire in
the autumn of 1884, in which about a dozen
other business houses were consumed, badly
crippling the business of the new village.
The first to handle a stock of general hard-
ware were Kuhl Brothers (Joseph and Peter),
now owned by Peter Kuhl. August Schunett-
gen commenced to handle hardware and fur-
niture in 1886 and still continues, having the
only 6tock of furniture in the place.

The first to deal in farm implements were
Ford & Son, in 1883; they also carried on
blacksmithing. John Lorge followed in the
same line of trade.

The pioneer blacksmith of Earling was
Frank Naruth, who commenced work at the
forge in the autumn of 1882, and is still thus
engaged.

Fritz Wilke has been the shoemaker of
the village from the time it first had a name.

The livery business was at first conducted
by B. F. Lawson, who operated from 1882

282

BISTORT OF SHELBY COUNTY.

until 1886, when Matt P. Kuhl succeeded
him, and is still carrying on the husiness.

Coenen & Mentzer, of Harlan, were the
pioneer lumber dealers, and finally sold to
Theile & Wilwerding, who are still among
the dealers in lumber and coal. Hesse &
Hsse engaged in the lumber trade in 1885;
they also deal in coal.

The first to deal in grain and live stock
wereG. II. Doughty & Co., who erected an
elevator in 1883. About the same time D.
H. Huntoon also built a grain elevator, and
commenced dealing in grain and stock. The
firm's name now goes as " The Huntoon Com-
pany." In 1888 Ray &Thode engaged in the
same business, having a warehouse through
which their produce is handled.

As soon as the village was fairly started
Miss Lizzie Wilwerding opened a millinery
shop, which she still manages. She is now
the wife of Frank Theile.

Among those who have worked at harness
business may be named John Lorge, Fred
Fass and Robert Ford.

John Noonan opened the first meat shop
in the fall of 1882, and operated the same for
a year or two, when he was succeeded by
Wilcox & Koling; their business was de-
stroyed in the fatal fire of 1*84. Bollerman
& Ford then engaged in the same trade,
which at present is represented by ('. II.
Bollerman.

The drug trade of Earling was first started
in 1883, by Ed C. Brown, who in 1886 sold
to W. It. Brown. After a time he moved the
stock to Council Bluffs, Iowa. The next to
deal in drugs was Charles Flusche, who op-
erated a while and then moved to Westphalia,
Iowa, where he is still in drug trade. In the
autumn of 1888 G. R. Roush put in a good
stock and is now the only dealer.

Among the various comers and goers in the
profession of practicing physicians may be

mentioned Drs. McKenna, Cassady, Walters,
and the present physician and surgeon, Dr.
L. Moser, who came to the place from Coun-
cil Bluffs in the fall of 1888.

The only commercial hotel of the place is
the Commercial House, erected in the fall of
1882, and since managed by its proprietor,
Frank Hillas, Sr.

THE POST-OFFICE

was established in the month of October,
1882, with Joseph PI. Kuhl as postmaster.
He served until 1884, and was succeeded by
Ed C. Brown, who was postmaster until 1885,
when Mr. Kuhl again took the office, having
received his commission from President Gro-
ver Cleveland, in June of that year, and is
still holding the office at this time — Novem-
ber, 1888. It was made a money-order office
in July, 1884, the first order, for $10.90, be-
ing issued to Nicholas Peters, July 27, that
year. The total number of money-orders
issued up to November 7, 1888, was 3,339 —
nearly 1,000 per year.

SCHOOLS AND CHURCH KS.

The edncational and religious spirit has
ever seemed to be uppermost in this village.
The large, commodious frame school building
which stands just over the line, in Union
Township, is a monument of good sense and
au index to the educational interest of this
people. It was erected in 1884. It is a two-
story frame structure, in which three able
teachers instruct in a graded system of pub-
lic schools.

Various denominations have used this
school-house for a place of religious worship.
The most of the population in both Earling
and the surrounding country are Roman
Catholic, who, in 1887, erected a fine church
edifice, including two school-rooms — the
second story being used for church purposes.
The building cost the congregation $3,000,

HISTORY OF SUE LB Y COUNTY.

283

and the excellent and large parsonage, built
in 1888, cost $2,200. The rooms are finely
finished and are heated by a furnace from
below. The first services held at Earling, and
for some considerable time, were conducted
in John Long's implement house, and in
other business rooms. At that time this was
within Westphalia charge and was attended
by Father Hummert. It became a congre-
gation by itself in 1885. At present the
enumeration is eighty-five families. They
own a block of land in one of the choicest lo-
cations within the plat of Earling, besides
two acres used for cemetery purposes, just
outside the limits.

COMMERCIAL INTERESTS IN 1888.

The following were the firms doing busi-
ness at Earling in November, 1888:

Maysent Bros., general dealers.

Frank Theile, general dealer.

Peter Kuhl, exclusive hardware.

August Schunettgen, hardware and furni-
ture.

Lorge Brothers, farm machinery.

C. H. Bollerman, meat market.

G. R. Roush, druggist.

Frank Hillas, " Commercial Hotel."

Fritz Wilke, shoe shop.

L. Moser, physician and surgeon.

Frank Nauroth, blacksmith.

Matt P. Kuhl, livery and feed barn.

The Huntoon Company, grain and stock.

Hesse & Hsse, lumber and coal.

Theile & Wilwerding, lumber and coal.

G. H. Doughty, grain and stock.

Ray & Thode, grain and stock.

Robert Ford, harness shop.

Dean & Rethlefren, restaurant.

Mrs. Frank Theile, millinery.

Anton Zender, temperance saloon.

John Loeltz, temperance saloon.

Joseph H. Kuhl, postmaster and notary
public.

PANAMA.

This is an incorporated town, made such
in the spring of 1886. It was originally
platted by the Milwaukee Land Company, for
railway purposes, May 17, 1882. It is geo-
graphically situated on section 23, township
80, range 40, in Washington Township. It
is distanced twelve miles northwest of Har-
lan, and about the same distance southwest
of Defiance, the nearest banking points, aside
from Portsmouth, six miles to the southwest.
It is beautifully situated, between two quite
elevated ridges of land, so common in Shelby
County, and cannot be seen until one comes
within a few rods of the town plat, reminding
one of some of the pretty places in the New
England States, except the country is void of
timber.

The first to engage in commercial calling
were AVheeler & Kleeb, who handled a general
stock in 1882. The firm was changed first to
Kleeb & McCoid, then to Williams & Co.,
who operated a year or so, and then, in 1885,
became the property of George W. McCoid,
who still owns it.

The next to go into trade in the general
line was George Holderfer, who commenced
in 1883, remained a year and removed to
Harlan. Sale & Lake were another firm, who
commenced operations in the spring of 1884;
they ran about a year and sold to J. D. Lake
& Co., who finally closed out to George W.
McCoid in 1887. The fourth general dealer
in Panama was Swenning Bros., who began
in the autumn of 1886, and is now known
by the title of Nels Swenning. Then came
Kleeb & Shoreth, in the summer of 1887,
with a general store, which is still in opera-
tion.

The first to deal in drugs was F. J. Swen-

284

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

ning, who located in 1882, and still continues.
The other drug store was started by Dr. A.
E. Gregg, in 1888; he simply carries an office
stock of pure drugs, but no general line.

The hardware trade was at first represented
by a Mr. Eby in 1882, who operated a year
or so and then sold to Nels Swenning, who
still carries on the trade. Another hardware
dealer at present is J. M. Pieffer, who left
his farm in 1888 to enter mercantile business.

The furniture trade has been handled by
various parties, in connection with other
lines, and is now carried on by Nels Swen-
ning, together with other general stock.

The first to deal in grain and live-stock
was Louis Shroett. At present D. S. Kin-
Bella runs an elevator. Lassell & Crandall
are also engaged in the same business, but
only use a warehouse.

P. 13. Hunt sold the first lumber in Pan-
ama. L. II. Lassell bought the stock and
handled the same until the fall of 1888, and
sold to the Green Hay Lumber Company.

The pioneer harness-maker was E. Lowell,
who commenced in 1882, but finally quit. T.
A. Kavanaugh next embarked in this impor-
tant line, and enjoys the sole trade to-day.

The first shoemaker, Martin Nager, came
.in 1883. He is now at Harlan, and Panama
has no shoemaker.

The first to handle millinery goods was
Mrs. W. H. Mytenger. Since then a dozen
have come and got rich (!) and left the town.
At present the business is well conducted by
Misses Kleeb & Franklin.

The first hotel was built in 1883, called the
Lowell House, after its owner. There have
been several so-called hotels from time to
time, but at this date the town supports one
good house known as the City Hotel, run by
Frank Miller.

The livery business was first represented
by Kleeb & Chamberlain, but later fell into

the hands of Frank Miller, who had the tuis-
'fortune to have his barn destroyed by fire in
the fall of 1886. He only received a hundred
dollars insurance, but he rebuilt and is still
running.

The pioneer blacksmith, who came as soon
as the town started, was Martin Kwapis-
zewski, a Polander, who is as thorough in his
trade as his name is long! He is still
pounding away at his glowing forge, a highly
respected citizen of Panama. The other black-
smith shop of the town is run by Fred Konz.

The wagon shop of Panama was started in
1882, and is still directed by Casper Oppold,
who is an excellent workman.

The first to deal in agricultural implements
were Wheeler & Kleeb, who sold to W. W.
Wheeler. Robert Ford also handled such
goods for a time. At present (1888) the
farm machine business is principally in the
hands of George W. McCoid.

The first and present barber is R. II. Story.

A brick-yard was started in 1886 by L. W.
Lantz, who makes an excellent quality of red
brick.

The town, which was incorporated in 1886,
has been under the following mayors: L. II.
Lassell, C. M. Wilder, W. J. Wicks, A. K.
Grow and L. H. Thorne.

THE POST-OFFICE

was established in 1882. The first postmas-
ter was J. W. Kleeb, who was succeeded by
W. H. Mytenger, in November, 1883. The
office became a money-order office in August,
lSSti, the first order being made out for Julia
Anderson, payable to the Crystal Mills at
Council Bluffs, the amount being *23. The
total number of orders issued up to Novem-
ber 12, 1888, was 1,601.

SCHOOL8 AMI CIIl'KCHES.

Up to 1887 the public school was held in
adjoining district school buildings and in a

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

285

public ball. At tbat time a fine frame build-
ing was erected on the high ridge overlook-
ing the town from the west. It cost about
$2,000. It accommodates two departments,
and is the most sightly, commodious build-
ing in Panama, and bespeaks the good sense
and intelligence of the town.

The church organizations are the Roman
Catholicand Methodist Episcopal, both having
good church edifices. The Methodist church
■was built in 1887, at a cost of $2,000. The
society was organized in 1885, by Rev. Linn.

The Catholic church began operations in
Panama in 1885, having formerly belonged
to the Westphalia church. They have a house
of worship costing $1,600, and have a mem-
bership of twenty-five families. Father Joseph
P. Hummert is the present pastor.

The Mormons have quite a settlement in
this vicinity, and hold occasional services,
but have no regular society.

The only civic society in Panama is a be-
nevolent order known as the Ancient Legion
of Honor, which was formed in 1888. There
are about twenty-five members at present.

A big flouring mill was moved from
De Witt, Iowa, to Panama, in 1883, and was
conducted until the autumn of 1888, when
it was removed to Darlington, Missouri.

The town is made up of live, energetic
business men, who never do things by the
halves, even to the ratification of a Presi-
dential election, as one of the dealers there
said when Harrison was elected, "We will
paint the town more than red!" This, of
course, was from the Republican portion of
the place.

PORTSMOUTH.

Portsmouth is situated ten miles from the
county seat, Harlan, directly west, and is on
sections 16 and 17, township 79, range 40.
The plat was filed August 17, 1882, by the

Milwaukee Land Company. The land was
originally owned by "William Williams, who
sold to the railroad or land company. The
railroad is the Council Blufis branch of the
great Milwaukee system, and is the only road
through Portsmouth.

The first general dealer of the place was
P. J. Korth, who sold the first goods in Sep-
tember, 1882. About the same time Burtis
& Walters put in a general stock, but sold to
J. H. Pingerton in 1886, who finally removed
with the stock.

The first hardware was sold by O. C. Bet-
terman in the fall of 1882; he continued
until 1887, and sold to Jacob Korth, who
still remains in trade, carrying a fine line of
hardware and stoves.

The first to sell drugs were Kuhl & Dohr-
mann, in 1882. They sold to A. O. Mudge.
The second drug store was opened afterward
by Charles Dohrmann, of the above firm.

The first practicing physician was Dr. A.
E. Noon, who came in 1882, and who sold
his practice or left it with the present physi-
cian, Dr. Charles Teske. Other physicians
have come and gone.

The only furniture dealer is J. C. Pfeifer,
who came in 1882, and still follows the same.
The pioneer agricultural implement dealer
was George Battey, who commenced in 1882.
He sold to Korth & Wehr. Sims Bros, next
engaged in the same line, but the firm is now
Sims & Houghton.

Lumber was first sold by Henry Dohr-
mann, but he was succeeded by Korth &
Wehr.

George Battey engaged in grain and live-
stock business in 1882, and later on Sims &
Houghton.

The pioneer harness-maker was George
Lafllin, who sold to Hammess Bros., and in
1886 they to L. F. Kellogg & Co., who still
carry on the business.

286

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

The first blacksmith to wield his hammer
in Portsmouth was Charles Miller, who later
sold to Charles Peck, and he to Max Stolz,
who is still one of the two blacksmiths —
John Hammer, who came in 1887, being the
other.

William Strauss, the barber, located in
1884, and is still thus engaged at Portsmouth.

Matt Peterson opened the first meat mar-
ket in 1883, and sold to Rankin & Co.; this
market is now controlled by William Rankin.

It may here be recorded that P. J. Korth
built the first residence in Portsmouth, in
July, 1882.

The first to engage in the hotel business
were J. A. Korth & Co., in 1882. They built
what was termed the " Portsmouth House,"
which was sold in 1883 to James Murtough,
who still conducts it.

The Bank of Portsmouth was opened in
1884 by D. F. Paul, and is still doing a fine
banking business.

The first to engage in the livery business
were J. F. Adams, who sold to John Leinen,
and he to Frank Ilammes. The business
now belongs to M. Ilammes.

The pioneer millinery store was opened by
Misses Flagler & Barter. At present Mrs.
W. C. Strauss transacts this branch of busi-
ness.

A public hall was built in 1884, during the
skating-rink craze, for rink purposes. It is
36 x 80 feet. It was built by J. L. Birk, but
now belongs to C. L. Peck. It is used for all
public gatherings and is a fine-looking build-
ing, nicely sided and painted.

The village was incorporated in 1883. The
first mayor was A. W. Sims. The present
mayor is I. E. Houghton.

THE POST-OFFrCE

was established in 1882 with George Walters
as first postmaster. In 1886, lie was suc-

ceeded by P. J. Korth, who is the present in-
cumbent. It became a money order office in
1886, the first order being issued to S. T.
Thompson for $60 payable to Lears Jackson
ofStory City, Iowa. The full numberof orders
issued up to November 12, 1888, is 694.

SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.

The present condition of the public schools
at Portsmouth is very good. A two-story
fine frame school building was erected in
1886, having two departments. It cost about
$2,500, and is of an excellent style and well
furnished. The present principal is U. L.
Bailey.

The two churches represented in the town
by regular organized societies are the Roman
Catholic and Methodist Episcopal, each of
which has good church property. The Method-
ist people, in 1885, erected a neat structure
suitable to the size of Portsmouth, costing
$500. Its size is 28 x 46 feet. The society is
very small, having five members when first
organized, and at present it is only double that
small number. It certainly speaks well for
the " faithful few" who thus seek to uphold
the Standard of the Cross.

The Roman Catholic Church at this point
began its work about 1876, when three fami-
lies, named Korth, Ilerkenraft and Linan, set-
tled about two miles east of Portsmouth. In
1878 they built a church, under direction of
Father Weber, of Westphalia. It was situ-
ated on the sightly ridge, and the place was
for a long time known as " Cologne Settle-
ment." The congregation was a part of a
mission belonging to Neola charge, and was
at first attended by Father Kempker. In
November, 1885, it received a resident pas-
tor — Father Ilummert. In the summer of
1886 their church in the country was blown
down in a wind storm, after which they
erected one in the town of Portsmouth. It

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

287

is 30x60 feet with an addition. This con-
gregation owns three and a half acres of land
and a parsonage with six rooms. The church
is valued at $2,200. The congregation now
enumerates sixty families.

In 1882 an Odd Fellows' lodge was regu-
larly instituted and carried on for some time.
It had a charter membership of ten and
reached as high as thirty, but finally they
fell out by the way and are now disbanded.

The only destructive conflagration which
has ever taken place at Portsmouth was the
burning of Mr. Battey's grain elevator in
1887. The same was rebuilt that year.

The only man doing a general merchan-
dising business in the place, who has been
identified with the town from its beginning
to the present, is P. J. Korth, who has stuck
by the old stand, believing in honest dealing;
he has built up a line trade.

THE PRESENT BUSINESS.

P. J. Korth, general dealer.

Burton & Helwig, general dealers.

M. J. McIIenry, general dealer.

Jacob Korth, hardware.

Charles Dohrman, hardware.

J. C. Pfeifer, furniture.

Korth & Wehr, farm machinery.

Sims &. Houghton, farm machinery.

O. W. Mudge, drugs.

H. F. Kellogg & Co., harness shop.

W. C. Strams, barber shop.

C. L. Miller, wagon shop.

John Hammerand, blacksmith.

Max Holtz, blacksmith.

Korth & Wehr, lumber dealers.

George Battey, grain dealer.

Sims & Houghton, grain dealers.

James Murtaugh, hotel.

VILLAGE OF WESTPHALIA.
This little village derives its name from
the German province of Westphalia, and is

situated on section 21 of the township bear-
ing the same name. It may well be called
the center and headquarters of the German
Catholic settlement. A post-office was estab-
lished in 1875, with Joseph H. Kuhl as first
postmaster. Following him came William
Flusche, who served until 1884, and was suc-
ceeded by the present incumbent, Michael
Wilwerding.

The village wa6 platted by Emil Flusche,
June 22, 1874. The early history of the
place will be found recorded in the subjoined
sketch of the German settlement, they being
one and the same in fact. The present busi-
ness interests of the village of Westphalia are
conducted as follows:

Michael Wilwerding, general store.

Charles Flusche, drugs.

John Kohles, general store.

Joseph Eossenthel, blacksmith.

F. Hesse, carpenter.

W. Hodapp, shoemaker.

Peter Emig, temperance billiard hall.

The place was platted June 22, 1874, by
Emil Flusche.

The nearest railroad station is Earling,
about five miles to the northwest. A stage
runs tri-weekly to Harlan, the county seat,
also to Dunlap. There are about seventy
inhabitants at the present time. It being
entirely a Catholic township, the only church
edifice is the fine brick building at West-
phalia, costing $16,000. The surrounding
country is of the richest soil in Shelby
County, and is all well improved.

THE GEKMAN CATHOLIC SETTLEMENT.

One of the most thoroughly prosperous
portions of Shelby County is that territory
embraced in Westphalia Township (except
the northern tier of sections), and sections
24, 25 and 36 of Washington Township. It
is what is known as the German colony, but

288

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

more properly termed the German Catholic
settlement, the history of which is as follows:
On March 1, 1872, A. H. Kettler made a
contract with the railroad land company, by
which he had full control of all lands within
Westphalia Township, then known as Sum-
ner Township. The object, as agreed upon
in the terms of said contract, was that a
colony be formed at once. Mr. Kettler was
to receive 50 cents per acre commission on
all lands sold to actual settlers, and an equal
amount was to go toward the Catholic church,
as it was understood that the settlement was
to be confined to German Catholics. An-
other stipulation was that Mr. Kettler was to
have forty settlers within the township on or
before eighteen months from date of contract.
September 1, 1872, Emil Flusche came from
Grand Rapids, Michigan, in response to a
newspaper advertisement published by the
founder of the colony. He built the first
house, situated on section 23. The next set-
tler was Joseph Flnsche, who came from
Minnesota, October 14, 1872. About a
month later Charles Flnsche came from
Grand Rapids, Michigan. In November of
the same year Herman Schwarte built the
second house in the settlement, on section 20.
On the 10th of March, 1873, there came
from the province of Westphalia, Germany,
August Flusche, Emil Zimmerman and John
Ruesehenberg. Among the next settlers were
William Flusche, an elder brother, and their
mother and aunt, Clara Feldmann, the bride
of Charles Flusche, also John Zimmerman
and family, who built the third house, the
same being situated on section 22. May 28,
1873, Rev. John Kemkcr, of Council Bluffs,
Iowa, arrived and conducted the first mass
service at the residence of Emil Flusche, on
section 23. The same day he also blessed
the first marriage ceremony in uniting as man
and wife Charles Flusche and Clara Feldmann.

Other early settlers were Frank Hesse and
Richard Schneider, who came from West-
phalia, Germany. In the autumn of 1873 a
house of worship was provided. It stood
where the priest's house now stands. No-
vember 0, 1873, the land company, by repre-
sentatives, J. L. Drew and a Mr. Van Tyle,
came to the settlement and transferred the
agency of the colony to Emil Flusche.

Among others who came from Germany
in 1873 was the family of Mr. Sasse, also
that of Mr. Hendichs. In the spring of
1874 came Joseph Blum, Peter Kaufmann
and the families of Messrs. Kuhl, Loehr,
Frund and others, from Fond du Lac, Wis-
consin.

On the 13th of April, 1874, the settlers
elected as their representatives Joseph H.
Kuhl, Fred Loehr and Mathias Frund, who
perfected the township organization of West-
phalia, named after the province of same
name in Germany. The same year the first
school building was erected on block 8,
town plat of Westphalia; the priest's house,
18x30 feet, which is now used as part of the
school building, was also built. The first
school board was duly elected March 1, 1875-
The officers were: Joseph F. Kuhl, Presi-
dent; August Kemmerich, Secretary. Mr.
Kuhl was the first township clerk, also be-
came the first postmaster, his commission
dating from 1875. He was succeeded by
William Flusche, in 1870, who held the office
until 1884, when Michael Wilwerding was
appointed and is still holding the office. The
first teacher in the settlement was Anton
Strueder, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who is
now a priest at, or near, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The first school was opened December 7, 1874,
with sixteen pupils present. The first priest
was Rev. John Kemker, who came from
Council Bluffs once a month. He was fol-
lowed by Rev. Henbncher, of the same place.

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

289

The third priest was Rev. F. W. Pape.
These were all of other charges and supplied
this place occasionally. The first resident
priest was Rev. Joseph Knepple, who came
from Sioux City, Iowa, January 7, 1875. He
was succeeded by Rev. Peter Maly, who came
April 20, 1877. Following him came Rev.
J. A. Weber, of Dubuque, Iowa. He was a
man of unusual success and held the confi-
dence of his entire congregation. lie went
to Germany and remained some months on
account of his ill health, during which period
Rev. John Cook supplied his place. Rev.
Weber returned, served the church awhile,
and in 1886 went to Germany, where he still
resides. He was succeeded by the present
priest, Rev. Peter Brommenschenkel, whose
biographical sketch appears elsewhere in this
volume.

In 1873 the congregation consisted of five
persons; in 1874, twenty-four; in 1875,
225; in 1876 it had 396, all living within
sixty-eight houses. In 1880 the congrega-
tion had reached 603 persons, or 112 families.
At this time (1888) the settlement consists
of 185 families, numbering about 800 persons.
Up to March 15, 1876, there had been sold
11,320 acres of land. In the spring of 1881
Emil Flusche went to Westphalia, Anderson
County, Kansas, and with hisbrotherfounded a
similar settlement, the object of which, in both
cases, was to provide a good home and make
good citizens of all Germans of the Roman
Catholic faith who might be induced to settle
at this place. Upon leaving for Kansas, Emil
Flusche gave the sale of lands in Westphalia
Township over to his brother, William
Flusche.

June 11, 1881, an architect by the name of
Herr, of Dubuque, Iowa, came on and marked
out the foundation lines for a new church, and
the work of construction commenced June
13, the same year. The building committee

was composed of Rev. J. A. Weber, President;
Emil Flusche, Joseph Rueschenberg, Frank
Hesse, Nicholas Muhl, Joseph Schmitt and
Michael Wilwerding. The structure is of brick
and stone, and is of a most beautiful and per-
fect design, and is a monument to the good
judgment and taste of the gentlemen who had
charge of the work. The building, exclusive
of furniture, cost $16,000, and seats about 500
people. The total value of church, furniture,
lots, etc., is placed at $30,000. Of this amount
$4,000 was received from the sale of lands,
the remainder provided by the people. The
first service was held in the new church Oc-
tober 22, 1882, and November 15, of the same
year, the church was dedicated by Right
Rev. Bishop John McMullen, of Davenport,
Iowa. In 1884 Father Weber built the first
parish school-house, and also the Sister's
house, which is still in use, though under-
going repairs from time to time.

The settlers of this so-called colony are all
Germans, formerly living in that country, in
various provinces, including Austria, Poland,
Bohemia and Switzerland. At present they
support six district schools, in which both
German and English are taught. To show
the industry and frugal management of this
people, it need only be said that no township
in Shelby County has so few farms mortgaged
and less delinquent taxes than Westphalia.
The land is already taken up by actual settlers,
and ranges from $35 to $50 per acre — higher
by far than in most partsof the county. The
farmers are well-to-do, and make their money
principally from corn and live-stock. A con-
gregation of a few families at Harlan belong
to this charge also, and are cared for by the
priest at Westphalia.

The local history of this settlement speaks
of the obstacles which the pioneers had to
encounter and overcome, among which items
it is record that the winter of 1874-'75 was

2U0

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

exceedingly severe, and many cattle were
frozen to death; also the grasshopper raid of
August, 1876, which destroyed some of the
growing crops. Another hard winter was
1880-'81; snow fell in the month of October,
and did not melt away until the following
April. It is related that when the first house
of worship was being built, the country was
so new, there were so few houses, roads or
other land-marks, that a piece of 2x4 scant-
ling was erected on the site where the church
was to be built, in order to guide those who
were hauling their first load of [lumber,
stone or other material for the building. See
sketch of the present pastor elsewhere in this
work.

KIRKMAN.

Kirkinan is a village, platted in Novem-
ber, 1880, situated on section 22, township
80, range 38, in Jefferson Township. It is
seven miles northeast of Harlan, the county
seat, and is the present terminus of the Kirk-
man branch of the Chicago & Northwestern
Railway. It is situated on the Nishnabotna
River, which is the crookedest stream in all
Iowa.

The history of this vilhige dates back to
1880-'81, when the railroad was constructed.
The first house built was the "Kirkinan
House,'' erected by Moses Woods, and now
managed by James Robins, who purchased it
in 1888.

The first dealer was J. B. Stutsman, a pio-
neer merchant of Council Bluffs, who located
at Kirkinan in the fall of 1881. He soon
became a member of the firm of Kuhl, Much-
ler & Stutsman. Another early firm in gen-
eral merchandise was Ilowland & McEwen,
who failed in business. "

Graham Eros, sold the first hardware in
the spring of 1883. The firm is now Gra-
ham & Ottawa, doing a general merchandising

trade. D. Jessup embarked in the grocery
trade in 1884, and finally failed.

The first to sell drugs was James French
(the present county auditor), who was also
the first postmaster. He lost his stock of
goods by fire. The present drug dealers are
Dr. Palmer and Dr. Guthrie.

The first blacksmith of Kirkland was Hans
Sanber, who, with Will Sharp, came in 1888;
they are the present workmen in that line.

Harmon Peacock has followed wagon-mak-
ing from the earliest date of the village.

A man named Needles bought grain at
first. The business then fell to Burk & Gra-
ham. An elevator was built by Mr. Fergu-
son, who died in 1888, the property passing
into the hands of John Schroggs, who still
controls it. When the place was first started
it had lumber yards. In 1888 the Green
Bay Lumber Company absorbed the two yards
remaining at that time.

THE 1'oST-OFFICE

was established in 1881, with James W.
French as the postmaster. Following him
came David Carter, who succeeded him Janu-
ary 1, 1888. It was made a money-order
office July, 1884. The first two orders do not
appear oti the records of the office, but the
third one was issued to B. F. Lancaster, for
the amount of $20. Up to November 14,
1888, there had been just an even 2,000
money-orders issued from the Kirkland office.

The only religious society of the village is
that of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which
was organized in 1881, with a membership of
thirty persons. They now double that num-
ber. A good church was built in 1883, at a
cost of §1,500. They now have sei vice only
once in two weeks, Rev. Fausett dividing
his time between Kirkinan and Irwin.

An excellent school building was erected
in 1883, at an expense of $2,200; it is a two-

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

291

story frame structure, divided at present into
two departments, eacli having a teacher.

THE PRESENT BUSINESS.

The followfng were the active dealers op-
erating at Kirkman in November, 1888:

John Doran & Co., general stock.

J. O. Closter, general stock and farm im-
plements.

Graham & Ottawa, general stock.

Dr. Palmer, drugs.

Dr. Guthrie, drugs.

Green Bay Lumber Comp'y, lumberdealers.

John Scroggs, grain elevator.

Burks & Graham, grain elevator.

James Robinson, proprietor hotel.

Mrs. Closter, millinery goods.

F. P. Oldfield, barber shop.

David Carter, postmaster.

David Rodman, harness-maker.

Hans Sanber, blacksmith.

"Will Sharp, blacksmith.

Harmon Peacock, wagon-maker.

Robert Steen, liveryman.

David Coster, meat market.

CORLEY.

This is a small village, situated on section
9, township 78, range 39, in the civil town-
ship of Fairview. It is the only station on
the Harlan branch of the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific Railroad between Harlan
and Avoca, being about six miles south from
the former named place. It is surrounded
by one of the finest agricultural portions of
Shelby County. Its early history is as fol-
lows: Thomas McDonald, who afterward
served two terms as county treasurer of
Shelby County, was a soldier during the civil
war, and in 1868 he, together with comrades
named James Casey, D. E. Corley, Oen
Curren and another gentleman, purchased six
hundred acres of land in this vicinity, all in
one tract. Later, through various deals, the

whole became the property of Mr. McDonald.
He was a man of much influence and great
public spirit, being one of the prime movers
in inducing the Rock Island Railroad Com-
pany to construct their Harlan branch, which
was completed December 1, 1878. Mr.
McDonald purchased and cultivated 250
acres of his land, commencing in 1868; yet
he resided in Harrison County until 1873,
when he moved his family to the homestead
which they still occupy. He opened the first
general store in January, 1881. He was
also the first postmaster, having obtained an
office as early as 1878. Unfortunately for
his family and the people of his county and
town, Mr. McDonald was suddenly called
from earth,dying at the noontide of manhood,
aged thirty-eight years. After his death his
wife was appointed postmistress until 1884,
when she resigned in favor of Mr. Albers, the
present incumbent. Mrs. McDonald had
twenty-two acres of her husband's landed
estate platted in June, 1883, the same beim'
now known as Corley on the plat books. The
general store opened by Mr. McDonald, and
later controlled by his widow, was finally
sold to Albers & Thompson, which after
awhile passed into the hands of Mr. Albers,
who continued until 1886 and then closed
out and opened another general store on the
opposite side of the railroad track, where he
is still engaged and keeps the post-office.
Charles Vogt opened a general store in Feb-
ruary, 1888.

The first to deal in grain at Corley was
AVillard Noble, who was manager for a Mr.
Somes, of Amboy, Illinois. The business
then went into the hands of Noble Brothers,
who finally sold to Hodson & Hancock. An-
other elevator firm who came when the place
was new is Weise & Severs. They built an
elevator in April, 1888.

F. M. Gillispie sold the first lumber in the

292

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

fall of 1882. It is now handled by the Green
Bay Lumber Company, who took the business
in 1886.

D. Rickson erected a boarding house and
saloon in 1883, and still conducts the board-
ing house, the saloon business going with the
advent of the prohibitory law!

As a shipping point there are but few
towns in Shelby County, if any, that handle
more grain and live-stock than does Corley.
It being quite near to the county seat (Har-
lan) the place has never grown much, farm-
ers depending on it only for staple articles.

BOTNA.
According to the county plat book this
place was platted by the Western Town Lot
Company, August 21, 1884, and was called
" Rochdale," but the post-office name, as well
as railroad station, is known as Botna. It is
simply a flag station on the Kirkman branch
of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad.
There is a post-office and one general store;
the proprietor, S. B. Fritz, also buys grain
and stock. Its geographical location is the
east quarter of the southeast quarter of sec-
tion 3, township 81, range 37.

7- "T

WOsr*

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

^ ^j^j^^^ :

^ON. C. J. WYLA'ND.— We all have a
part to perforin in the drama of life.
The race is made, the outcome de-
termined, our destinies decided, just in pro-
portion to our opportunities, endurance and
ability. These are the marks that distinguish
the successful man from the man that fails
and falls. Let us take a glance backward to
the year 1851, and picture a train of emi-
grant wagons slowly coursing their way
through swollen streams and undefined path-
ways, destined for Shelby County, Iowa, the
land of promise. In this way our subject,
together with his brother William and his
estimable wife, his three younger brothers
and his youngest sister, made their journey
from Elkhart County, Indiana, the father
having previously visited Iowa, entering
large tracts of land, a portion we mention as
being the southeast quarter of section 36,
township 80, range 38, near Bowman's
Grove. Having leased this land, C. J. Wy-
land settled here. In this wild, new country
he sought to provide a home for the younger
members of his father's family, until they
should be old enough to care for themselves.
That this plan was well carried out, those

younger

children,

all

living

but one, can

truly testify. The family chain was broken
by the death of Jasper N., who died at Du-
val's Bluff, Arkansas, in 1864, while a soldier
in the Union army. At the date of Mr.
Wyland's coming to Shelby County, the
nearest railroad point was Marengo, Iowa
County, to which point he made several trips
for supplies. That was the most western
point on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
line. On these long, tedious trips he camped
out, as there were very few hotels; and had
there been many, money was too scarce to be
thus expended. Notwithstanding these trips
were often in bad weather, and over trails
where there are now well-improved highways,
and over swollen streams long since spanned
by iron bridges, yet the remembrance of them
still has a pleasing charm, mingled with toil
and beautiful romance. While those early
days were hard ones, they were not without
their joys, for there has ever been something
attractive about a new country, and Mr. Wy-
land is of that type of manhood which sel-
dom broods over toil or even misfortunes,
but always sees the bright side on the darkest
day. On April 11, 1864, he was united in
marriage to Miss Amanda II. Dunnington, a
native of Kentucky. Soon after his marriage

296

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

he built a house on land adjoining that of
his brother William, and removed to it. The
lumber used in the construction of this house
was hauled by him from Boonesborough,
Boone County, a distance of 100 miles, some
of it costing £100 per 1,000 feet. It would
almost go without the saying that he smoked
few cigars at that time, however well he
6eems to enjoy one now. He did chew, how-
ever, and it is related of him that as a means
of economy he used to chew the weed until
most of the virtue had been extracted, and
then laid it away in some secret place to dry,
after which he Would smoke it in a cob pipe,
unless some one of the other boys had appro-
priated it to his own use. In speaking of
these early days, Mr. Wyland says, in his
jolly, good-natured way, "Well, we used to
have good times even though we did have it
a little tough. Everything in the way of
provisions seemed common stock in the neigh-
borhood, and by general consent was divided
among all. When flour was out at one
neighbor's, another volunteered a supply; in
other words, when one neighbor went to mill
the whole settlement was sure of Hour. But
occasionally all would get out at the same
time, and then they would change their diet
to middlings, which was middling good until
pure flour could be obtained." Among the
curious customs of pioneer milling was that
of the customer cutting and carrying with
him a small load of wood to grind his own
wheat; and not infrequently he was cheated
out of his turn by some other fellow slipping
a quarter of a dollar into the hand of the
honest (?) miller, which would result in the
first man having to haul a second jag of
wood before he could get his grinding done.
In 1807 Mr. Wyland moved to the saw-mill
at Bowman's Grove, and operated it for a
year; then he moved back to his farm. In
1871 he was nominated for county treasurer

on the Democratic ticket, for this has always
been his party, and was elected. He then
moved to Harlan and took possession of the
office January, 1872. He was a faithful officer,
accounting for every farthing entrusted to
his care. He was re-elected in 1873, again
making the county an efficient officer. During
his first term of office there was no bank
nearer than Council Bluffs. As the county
provided no way to keep the money safe from
the hands of thieves and robbers, except the
official bond required of the treasurer, it often
became a vexed question how to keep the
funds safe from marauders. It was the duty
of the treasurer to have the various funds for
roads, schools, etc., on hand the first of April,
when a greater portion of the taxes were col-
lected. So it not infrequently happened that
he was compelled to bring from £15,000 to
130,000 from Council Bluffs; then much of
this huge amount had to be kept in readiness
for the different townships for two or three
months, during which time the money was
stored away in a secret place, not exactly a
vault, but a place Mr. Wyland will not men-
tion now, for fear of making some of the
early settlers feel badly because they did not
know it at the time. In the spring of 1872
Mr. Wyland, in company with his brother,
I >. M. Wyland, who came back from Council
Bluffs, where he had been engaged in a bank-
ing house for some time, formed a partner-
ship in the land-office business, as C. J.& D.
M. Wyland. They bought the business of
Adams & Sharp, who were then located in
the building now occupied by Miss Dun-
nington as a millinery store. D. M. had the
management of the office, while C. J. looked
after outside matters. They soon outgrew
their quarters, and moved a building, 14x16
feet, to the lot upon which their present fine
bank building stands. From real-estate busi-
aesa they gradually advanced to loaning, and

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

297

finally to banking, when their extensive busi-
ness again demanded more spacious rooms.
In 1880 they erected their present building;
the bank is a private concern, known as the
Bank of Harlan. To mark the popularity of
C. J. Wyland in the county where he has
undergone so much privation and lived to see
such marked improvement, it only need be
said that his services as county treasurer for
two terms, his election to the Iowa Legislat-
ure in 1883, and his re-election in 1885,
have proven him a man of ability and un-
tarnished reputation. No man has been more
active than Mr. Wyland in encouraging ad-
vancement in public improvements. It was
he, together with other leading spirits, who
organized the company which finally induced
the Harlan branch of the Rock Island Rail-
road Company to build a line into the county.
Every commercial interest has felt his force
as an organizer. Mr. Wyland was born on
the old Wyland homestead, known as Wy-
land Mills, in Elkhart Count}', Indiana, June
22, 1836, where he grew, to manhood, having
the usual school advantages and experiences
of most country lads. In those days the
school-house was built of logs, with the flat
side of a slab for a seat, while the teacher
occasionally touched the pupil up with a
strap simply to remind him of the routine of
a country school. From the age of ten to
sixteen he worked on his father's farm, and
for the next five years was a hand, first on
the farm, then at the mill, wherever his serv-
ices were of most value. From 1855 to
1860 he was engaged in superintending a
mill of his father's. The following year he
came to Shelby County, as before noted,
where he has been an important factor in the
settlement and development of his adopted
land. Whatever his success may have been,
his admirable wife is not without her share
of credit, for her part was bravely borne in

times when privations were common and the
foundation was being laid for better days.
She was the daughter of Alexander and
Lovisa (Sellers) Donnington. To Mr. and
Mrs. Wyland were born six children — Arthur
Perry (deceased), Stella, Jay, Jessie, Grace
and Roy. Mr. Wyland is a member of Mt.
Zion Commandery, No. 49, K. T. ; Olivet
Chapter, No. 107, R. A. M., and Parian
Lodge, No. 321, A. F. & A. M. He is a
quiet, unassuming gentleman, possessing the
secret of winning friends and keeping them.
In politics he is firm and immovable. In
business circles he takes rank with the most
substantial men in the State. And so closes
the remarkable and unsullied career of one of
Shelby County's leading men.

~*~ >4 ir-3 > ~ t fr*l/ t "'"' "

f'UDGE JONAS W. CIIATBURN, pro-
prietor of the Harlan Mills, has been
prominently identified with the interests
of western Iowa since 1850. He is a native
of England, born in Lancashire, March 11,
1821, and a son of Thomas and Margaret
(Ingham) Chatburn, natives of the same
place. At the age of fourteen years he was
apprenticed to a machinist, and served an ap-
prenticeship of three years, after which he
served an apprenticeship of seven years in
calico printing. Judge Chatburn was united
in marriage, December 25, 1843, to Miss
Mary Burton, a native of Lancashire, Eng-
land, and a daughter of George and Jane (Fos-
ter) Burton. In the spring of 1845 they
emigrated to America, sailing May 12, in
the vessel Genesee of Bath, and arrived in
New York, July 2, 1845. They went to
Frankfort, Pennsylvania, five miles from
Philadelphia, where our subject engaged in
the printing business at the Tackawanna print
works, where he remained one year. He then

298

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

went to New Jersey, to the pine woods on
the Eancocus River, and repaired a steam
saw-mill, which he run for six months, having
his wife and two children in the green woods.
He then returned to Frankfort, and the fol-
lowing summer run the engine in a woolen
factory at Grubtown, Pennsylvania. He re-
mained here about a year and then went to
Philadelphia, and run out the insurance on a
large steam engine, for Sutton tfc Smith; here
he remained a year and a half, and in April.
1850, came west, starting with a company of
about 100 people, with the intention of going
to Salt Lake City. They went by the Penn-
sylvania Canal to Pittsburg, thence down
the Ohio River to the Mississippi, thence up
the Mississippi to St. Louis by steamboat,
and from there to a trading post on the Mis-
souri River, about seven miles below the
present site of Council Bluffs. On the trip
up the Missouri River, the boiler of the en-
gine burst; there were 300 passengers on
board, and an immense amount of freight;
the engineer was unable to repair the boiler,
and things were being prepared to float the
boat back to St. Louis, when t lie captain
called Mr. Chatbnrn to him, and requested
him to examine the boiler; he did so, re-
paired it, and in less than twenty-four hours
the boat was on her w-ay. Mrs. Chatbnrn is
a member of the Latter Day Saints church,
and when she learned thai polygamy was in
vogue in Utah, Bhe refused to proceed further;
so they settled in Iowa. Mr. Chatbnrn pur-
chased a claim near Council Bluffs from a
man who was going to Utah, and located
there; he worked at various things until he
went to Mills County, and entered a saw-mill,
where his early training as a machinist served
him a good turn. In 1853 he went into Har-
rison County, and entered 100 acres of land,
near the place wdiere Magnolia now stands;
he was the first person to drive a wagon

across the place where Magnolia now is. He
began to improve the land, and in 1854 built
the first mill in Harrison County. It was an
up-and-down saw-mill, on Willow Creek, near
Magnolia. Not being pleased with the idea
of going forty miles to get corn ground, Mr.
Chatbnrn conceived the idea of taking two
small stones from the prairie, commonly
called boulders, and dressing them down for
burrs; then the question arose, where the
belt was to be procured. He had a dried
cowhide which he soaked and cut in strips
to make a belt; the mill was put in running
order, and the first night the wolves came
and devoured the belt. Mr. Chatbnrn then
sawed a walnut log and hauled his lumber to
Kainsvilleand traded it for harness leather, of
which he made another belt for his mill, and
to this rude mill people came from points as
far distant as the place where Sioux City now
stun Is, and would remain a week to get their
grinding done. In the manufacture of the
first fiour in Harrison County Mrs. Chat-
liurn's veil was used as a bolting cloth. In
l^'i'J. in company with Thomas Davis, Mr.
Chatburn erected a large mill near Woodbine,
which he managed in connection with his
fanning pursuits, until he came to Shelby
County, in August, 1866; lie settled in Har-
lan, and lived in the school-house until he
could erect a residence. In 1867 he built
the first mill in Shelby County, which he con-
tinues to manage; he also built a mill in
Shelly, and controlled the two for about three
years. While in Harrison County Mr. Chat-
burn served as judge and justice of the peace;
he was also a member of the board of super-
visors from its organization, and was presi-
dent of the board when he left the county.
He has served as supervisor in Shelby County,
and has held the office of coroner for many
years. lie is an elder iu the church of the
Latter Day Saints, and is now presiding

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

299

elder of the Harlan branch. Judge and Mrs.
Chatburn are the parents of seven children,
6ix of whom survive — Thomas, of Independ-
ence, Missouri; Jane, the wife of John Bur-
chain, of Shelby County; Mary Ellen, the
wife of Wallace W. Wood, of Harrison
County; Margaret Ann, the wife of John
Chatburn, of Idaho; Cisley J., the wife of
A. D. Tinsley, of Iowa; George R., principal
of the Portsmouth, Nebraska, schools, and a
graduate of Ames College; and one child who
died in infancy. Judge Chatburn is a member
of the A. F. & A. M., Harlan Lodge, No. 321;
Olivet Chapter, No. 107, and Mt. Zion Com
mandery, No. 49. Politically, he was formerly
an old-line Whig, casting his first vote for John
C. Fremont, and was one of the organizers of
the Republican party. The first corn Judge
Chatburn planted in Harrison County he
carried from Kainsville on his back; as the
waters were very high in the streams he could
not take his team, so he started on foot after
seed corn, a trip of seventy-five miles. He
bought one-half bushel, paying $1.50 for it,
and carried it on his back thirty-seven miles.
He waded water for miles south of where
Missouri Valley is located, and the water was
half-leg deep where the city of Missouri Val-
ley is now located.

* ""L » 3"{ » .<" ■«•'

tEORGE PAUP.— It is not often that
one beholds the spectacle of ambitions,
not ignoble, fully-realized, and yet this
vision is sometimes vouchsafed to mortals,
even in western Iowa. The subject of the fol-
lowing biographical sketch furnishes us with
one example of this character. George Paup
is a native of Pennsylvania, born in York
County, May 9, 1833. He is a son of Daniel
and Lydia (Clark) Paup, natives of Pennsyl-
vania, of German extraction. His early life

was spent on a farm and in a mill; his edu-
cation was received in the primitive log school-
house with slab benches. He resided at home
until his marriage, which occurred in 1861, to
Miss Sarah Ham, a native of Pennsylvania,
and a daughter of Jared Ham. Soon after
his marriage Mr. Paup, with very limited
means, started to Iowa. He came to Cleveland
by railroad, thence by lake boat to Chicago.
From Chicago he traveled sixty miles by
railroad to Savannah, and then by steamer to
Bellevne — the journey having consumed
three weeks. When he landed at Eellevue
his capital had diminished to 20 cents. He
left this point and started to Andrew, the
county seat of Jackson County; there he
went to work at 50 cents per day. His wife
remained in Andrew, and he worked at
farm work all the fall and winter, and took
his pay in produce. His first modest desire
was to own a farm of eighty acres, and with
this in view the weather was never too severe
for him to be about his work. In the spring
of 1853 he was fortunate to have a yoke of
oxen given him by a friend; he then rented
ten acres of ground, which he sowed in
wheat, the seed being the pay for his fall and
winter's work. Besides putting in his crop
he worked every day with his team, and
when the little harvest was reaped he hauled
it to Bellevue and sold the wheat for
25 cents per bushel. This was the first
money he had received since coming to the
State. If we were to go back to this period
of Mr. Paup's life, this is the picture we
would see: A mere boy with his young wife
hundreds of miles from his native home, liv-
ing in a little round-log cabin, with what
the pioneer will recognize as a stick and clay
chimney, with no floor, except what Mother
Earth furnished, struggling to get a home of
his own. For two years he rented land from
his neighbors, who, Mr. Paup realizes, were

300

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

very generous, and assisted him in every
way possible. In 1854 he made his first
purchase of eighty acres of wild land for
$100; this he paid for by breaking prairie
for other people. In the meantime he had
traded his yoke of oxen for two yokes of
steer6. By hard work he paid for his land in
two years, and by close attention to his pur-
suits he was soon able to add to his posses-
sions sixty acres more, which he fenced and
improved. He then sold out with the inten-
tion of going to California, but on reaching
Iowa City he changed his mind and engaged
in land and live-stock trading until 1858. He
then purchased what be has since called his
home farm in Clinton County; the nucleus
of this home place was eighty acres, and he
has added to it until there are now 460 acres
in a high state of cultivation. In 18(54, in
connection with his agricultural industries,
he engaged in shipping stock, which he con-
tinued until 1881, anil was known as the most
successful shipper in that section of country.
I!y his first marriage Mr. I'.uip had four chil-
dren — Leslie, of Kirkman; (ieorge, on the old
home place in Clinton County; Horatio and
Harrison, both of Lincoln Township. His
first wife died in 1873, and he was again mar-
ried, to Miss Julia Brnmhaugh, a native of
Pennsylvania. In 1881 Mr. Panp came to
Shelby County, leaving George in charge of
the homestead. Leslie purchased a farm
fifteen miles from Denieon, which was almost
in a wild state; he afterward sold out to the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, and
Manilla now stands on the ground. He then
bought the place known as the Kibhv farm.
of 660 acres, supposed to be the best farm in
the county. When he retired from farming
Mr. Panp settled in Harlan, where he has a
pleasant, comfortable home in which to Spend
the remainder of his days, Mrs. Panp is a
member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Mr. Paup's political inclinations lie very de-
cidedly in the direction of the Republican
party. From a very small beginning Mr.
Paup has increased his property to a fortune
of no mean dimensions, besides assisting his
sous to excellent homes of their own, and he
is an exception to humanity in general in
this, that he is well satisfied with the results
of his exertions, and is one of the contented
few who desire no more.

-— ♦,r"-> , <-r;r—

B. KEES, a native of Venango County,
Pennsylvania, was born August 19,
a 1835; he is a son of George and N
(Benn) Kees; he was reared to farm life and
received his education in the common schools
and in an academy. When he reached his
twenty-first year he came to Iowa, and located
atSabnla, Jackson County, Iowa. He resided
there rive years and learned the carpenter's
trade, which he followed during his 6tay in
Jackson County. For ten years after leaving
Jackson County, be spent his time in carpen-
tering, farming and school-teaching. Prom
Jackson County he emigrated to Clayton
County, near the county 6eat; while there he
followed farming and school-teaching. He
was married December 25, 18(50, to Mi-s
Martha Patterson, daughter of John and Jane
Green Patterson. She was born in February,
L838. In 1865 they removed to Boone Coun-
ty, Iowa, near Prairie Hill post-office. Here
he followed carpentering three years, and then
engaged in the mercantile business, near
Perry. Iowa. He remained at this point two
years and then went to Perry with his stock
of goods; after One year's sojourn in Perry
he sold the business and moved on a farm in
Greene County. Iowa. He remained here
until December, 1881, when be removed to
his present home, in section 32, Douglas

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

301

Township. His first purchase was 210 acres
of partially improved land; he has since
Brought it into a tine state of cultivation; he
now owns 570 acres of improved land in
Douglas, Greeley and Polk Townships. Since
his residence in Shelby County he has fol-
lowed agricultural pursuits alone. When
residing in Greene County he was elected to
the board of commissioners. He enlisted
in the United States service in 1865, but was
never mustered into the service. He is a
live, energetic man, who labors for the country
and the welfare of those around him. He
is a Republican, always taking an active part
in the movements of the party. He is presi-
dent of the Farmers' Alliance of Shelby
County, an association formed March, 1886.
He is also vice-president of Shelby County
Bank. Mr. and Mrs. Kees are the parents of
seven children — George S. resides near Defi-
ance, Iowa; Clarence II., at home; Sarah J.,
deceased; Lettie A., deceased; Lillie M., John
P. and Edward, at home. Mr. and Mrs.
Kees are worthy and consistent members of
the Methodist Episcopal church at Harlan,
Mr. Kees being an ordained local deacon in
that church.

» 3"S ' a" ~

N. BUCKMAN comes of Quaker par-
entage. He is a native of Philadelphia
'~® County, Pennsylvania, born January
21, 1838; is a son of William and Sarah
(Cooper) Buckman. He was reared in his
native place and spent his early life on a farm,
receiving his education at the Friends' school
at Wrightstown until the age of eighteen, when
he entered the State Normal schoofat Millers-
ville, afterward taking a course at Bryant &
Stratton's Business College, Philadelphia.
A portion of his time since leaving school
has been spent in the profession of teach-

ing. In May,1861, he enlisted in Company C,
Third Pennsylvania Reserves, under Colonel
Sickle, serving until October 1,1865; he fought
in quite a number of battles; among the most
noted were the seven days' battle of McClel-
lan's army before Richmond, the siege of
Petersburg, Deep Bottom, Fort Fisher and
Bentonville. He enlisted as a private and
was promoted step by step until he was made
captain, and finally brevetted major of volun-
teers by President Lincoln for "gallant and
meritorious services in the field." His horse
was killed under him at Deep Bottom, where
the slaughter far exceeded that at the famous
"charge of the Light Brigade;" but there
was no Tennyson to immortalize it. Out of
eighteen officers in his regiment that went
into the fight, thirteen were either killed or
wounded within fifteen minutes after the bat-
tle began. He lost another horse in the Fort
Fisher expedition. After his return from
the United States service he settled in Phila-
delphia, where he engaged in business for
two years; he then came west, spending one
year in Nebraska. In 1869 he came to Iowa,
locating in section 18, Douglas Township,
Shelby County, on the farm he now owns.
Here he has made himself a home; he im-
proved his land, adding to it until he now
owns 140 acres, which is chiefly devoted to
grass-raising. He has experimented largely
in fruit-growing, and has now an apple or-
chard of 400 trees and five acres of grove.
Mr. Buckman, since his residence in the
county, has devoted himself to farming and
teaching. From 1873 to 1877 he was county
superintendent of schools, holding the first
Normal Institute in the county during the
first year of his superintendency. He has
held most of the township offices, especially
those connected with the educational interests
of the county. He has had to undergo most
of the hardships incident to pioneer life, com-

302

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

ing, as he did, in the early history of the
county. He was married January 31, 1867,
to Emma V., daughter of William Hurst-
She was born October 10, 1839, and died May
29, 1882. Four children graced this union;
two died in infancy: Willie and Grace are at
home, Grace being a teacher in the public
schools. Mr. Buckman married again De-
cember 27, 1883, to Amanda T., daughter of
W. A. and Mary (Jones) Blane; she was born
in Perry County, Pennsylvania, October 16,
1858. Two children have been born of this
marriage — Mary (deceased) and Warner. The
family are consistent members of the Method-
ist Episcopal Church at Kirkman. Mr.
Buckman is a member of A. F. ic A. M.,
Parian Lodge, No. 321, and of the G. A. R.
Post at Harlan. He is the present secretary
of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company
of Shelby County, Iowa, being one of the
active promoters in the establishment of this
institution in the county. He also assisted
in the organization of the Shelby County
Agricultural Society, serving as the first sec-
retary, and tilling that office for Beveral years.
He is now the president of that association.

■ "g ' 3"i - 3.

(ARLOS C. REDFlELD,of Harlan, is a
native of Connecticut, born in Say brook,
April 3, 1837. He is a son of William
and Dency (Chittenden) Iledtield, natives of
Connecticut, and of English ancestry. Will-
iam Redfield, the father of C. C. Redtield,
was the fifth child of Orrin Redtield, who
was born at Chestnut II ill, Connecticut, May
31, 1807, and followed farming in his native
State. He was married November 26, 1835,
to Miss Dency Chittenden, a daughter of
Joseph and Dency Chittenden, who was born
in North Madison, Connecticut, October 30,
1812; she was of English ancestry. They

were the parents of two children: Carlos C,
and Ellen Maria, wife of Giles A. Bushnell,
of Saybrook, Connecticut. William Redfield
departed this life July 5, 1876; his widow
still survives and resides with her daughter.
Orrin Redfield, the grandfather of Carlos C,
was born at Killingworth, Connecticut, on
the homestead, Chestnut Hill, June 25, 1779,
and was the second and youngest son of
Josiah Redfield. He was married in March,
1796, to Miss Rachel Grave, of Killingworth,
Connecticut, who was born February 24,
1769. He died December 31, 1861; his
wife died April 21, 1850. They were the
parents of ten children, six of whom lived to
maturity. Josiah Redfield, the great-grand-
father of Carlos O, was born at Chestnut
Hill, Killingworth, Connecticut, September
6, 1730, and was the seventh son of Theoph-
ilus Redfield. He was married December 8,
1757, to Miss Sarah Parmelee, a daughter of
Lemuel and Sarah Parmelee, who was born
August 19, 1734. He died August 6, 1802,
and his wife died August 25, INON. By this
union there were four children. Theophilus
Redfield, the oldest son of James Redtield,
was born in 1682, probably at Saybrook, Con-
necticut. He was a joiner by trade, and
probably settled in Killingworth soon after
coining of age. About 1717 or 1718 lie
purchased 120 acres of land on Chestnut
Hill, North Killingworth, and there estab-
lished the Redfield homestead. December 24,
1706, lie was married to Priscilla Greenel
(or Grinnell), the daughter of Daniel and
Lydia Greenel. They were the parents of
thirteen children, all of whom lived to be
married and have families. He died Feb-
ruary 14, 17 ( .*5, and his wife died January
12, 1770. James Redfield (or Redfin), the
only son of William Redfield, was born in
1646. The place of his birth is not known.
He was bound to the tanner's trade for five

^A^^Oz^f

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

303

years. He resided in various places, and
finally settled in Saybrook, Connecticut, in
May, 1669. He was married in New Haven,
Connecticut, to Miss Elizabeth How, a daugh-
ter of Jeremy How, by whom he had three
children. She died, and he was again mar-
ried, to Deborah Sturgis, by whom two chil-
dren were born. William Redfield (or Red-
fin) was probably one of the early emigrants
from England to the colony of Massachusetts
during the decade of years following 1630.
He had two children. Carlos C. Redfield
was reared on a farm, and received an aca-
demic education. He remained with his par-
ents until his majority, after which he
engaged in steamboating for three years
between Hartford and Sag Harbor. At the
breaking out of the late civil war the vessel
on which he was employed was chartered by
the government. This boat carried the mail
three times per week, from Fortress Monroe
to Cherry Stone Creek, for two years, and
exchanged prisoners. Out of a crew of
thirty Mr. Redfield and two others were all
that came back with the boat. He left the
service at Philadelphia, and for a year was
unable to do anything on account of disease
contracted while in the service; he did not
recover from the effects of this for over twenty
years. Mr. Redfield engaged with William C.
Hough & Co., as bookkeeper in the cotton mill
at Rockville, Connecticut. At the expira-
tion of one year he was appointed superin-
tendent, which position he filled for three
years. In 1870 he came to Iowa, and settled
in Shelby County. He purchased an unim-
proved farm in Harlan Township, a portion of
the land also lay in Lincoln Township, which
he immediately began to put in a state of
cultivation. In connection with his farming
pursuits he engaged in various avocations,
among others was the running of an express
line between Harlan and Avoca before the

railroad was built. Mr. Redfield served as
clerk of Harlan Township for ten years. He
has been appointed deputy sheriff three
terms, and for two terms he filled the office
of sheriff — appointed by the board of super-
visors. He was first appointed justice of the
peace in 1884, and that fall was elected to
the office. He was re-elected in 1886 as an
independent. He served as secretary of the
agricultural association for four or five years.
He was appointed assistant commissioner by
Commissioner Herbert S. Fairall, to the
World's Fair at New Orleans, in 1884. He
took great interest in this work, making two
trips to New Orleans. In 1880 he took the
census of Harlan and Harlan Township. Mr.
Redfield was married to Miss Dora King, of
Rockville, Connecticut. By this union one
son was born — Clarence. Mrs. Redfield died
in 1865 In 1866 Mr. Redfield was again
married, to Miss Sarah Buckland, a native of
Windsor, Connecticut. By this union one
child was 4)orn — Elbert B. Mrs. Redfield is
a member of the Congregational church. In
politics Mr. Redfield is independent.

A. COLLINS was a man of decided
character, who, though not one of the
■° earliest settlers of Shelby County, did,
by his untiring energy, enterprise, and broad,
liberal views, become more closely identified
with the people of this county than most
men of longer residence. Possessing ample
means, he came into the county in 1871, and
purchased an excellent tract of land in Shelby
Township, brought it to a high state of cul-
tivation, made it his home, and took especial
pleasure in entertaining a very large circle of
friends and acquaintances, who enjoyed his
hospitality. Mr. Collins was born in Penn-
sylvania, January 31, 1810, being a descend-

304

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

ant from the old Pennsylvania Dutch stock.
His mother could not speak a word of Eng-
lish. He was raised in the mountainous dis-
trict of his native State, and being inured to
the hardships incident to that period, he grew
to manhood possessed of splendid health, and
a magnificent physique. He was endowed
with a well-balanced mind, and possessed
an unusual amount of good common sense.
His father died when he was quite young. He
was raised by an uncle, who brought him up
to the trade of a tanner. November 12, 1833,
in his twenty-third year, he was married to
Nancy Ann Parkhiser, and there were born
to them eight children, four sons and four
daughters. Soon after his marriage Mr. Col-
lins embarked in the tanning business for
himself upon rather a small scale. A few
years after he formed a partnership with Jesse
Grant, father of General Grant, and for twelve
years they were associated together in making
and selling leather. In the meantime they
built a large steam tannery on, the Ohio
River, and as the western country grew and
developed they opened a wholesale store in
Galena, Illinois, then the Chicago of the West,
for the sale of leather, saddlery, hardware,
shoe findings, etc. In 1853 the firm of Col-
lins & Grant was dissolved by mutual con-
sent, Mr. Collins continuing in the busi-
ness with his two older sons, under the firm
name of E. A. Collins & Sons; they had
branch stores at Marshalltown and Iowa City,
and did a very successful business. In 1861
Mr. Collins closed nut his business interests
and removed to Davenport, Iowa, where he
resided about two years, lie then removed
with his family to Louisiana, and purchased
an orange grove in the vicinity of New Or-
leans, where he resided some years. In 1871
he visited Shelby County, purchased a 1,000-
acre tract of land, named it Deer Ridge Stock
Farm, and devoted his time to improving and

developing this place. He stocked it with
fine blooded cattle, and for several years
farmed it on quite a large scale; at one time
he had several head of buffalo and elk on the
farm. Here it was that his first wife died,
September 24, 1874, after a long continued
illness. Mr. Collins married his second wife,
Mrs. Maria Conn, in 1880, who still survives
him; there were no children by this second
marriage. Mr. Collins continued to make
this farm his home until his death, which oc-
curred in April, 1882, at the age of seventy-
two years; he left the following sons and
daughters — John S. Collins, Omaha, Ne-
braska; E. A. Collins, Jr., Yorkshire, Iowa;
Mrs. James Franklin, Neola, Iowa, and Mrs.
W. F. Cleveland, of this county, since de-
ceased. Mr. Collins was highly respected by
all who knew him, for his sterling worth and
undoubted honesty. When death removes
from our midst such a man as E. A. Collins
was, the community meet with an irreparable
los6, but his life affords us an example worthy
of emulation.

— g -i Mt - 3 —

fAMKS HAWKINS, deceased, who was
the first man to settle at or near the
present thriving village of Shelby, was
a native of England, born December 9, 1811.
When a young man he went to sea, following
the life of a sailor for many years. He visited
every port along the coast, both of North
and South America, lie served through the
Mexican war, and also in the civil war of this
country. Up to the time of his settling down
on the banks of Silver Creek, in Shelby
County, Iowa, his career had been an event-
ful one, full of stirring scenes and thrilling
adventures. He entered his land in Shelby
County in 1855, the same being described as
section 33, township 78, and range 40, upon

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

305

which the village plat of* Shelby was surveyed
in 1868-'69. Mr. Hawkins came to this
land to live upon and improve it. In 18G5
he erected a rude log cabin and lived in it
until within the past few years, when he
built a fine farm house which he made his
home until overtaken very suddenly by
death. He was unmarried and was held in
high esteem by every one within the circle
of his acquaintance. He was a man of firm
belief in his convictions of right and wrong.
In his business transactions he was strictly
upright with all. He died of apoplexy, June
24, 1888.

fHW' l;y ' A. (I. M. WINTERS. Angie
.'l')t\- Gertrude Michener, a well-known
^0?^ pioneer teacher of Shelby County,
was born in Morrow County, Ohio, June 16,
1844. Her father, Daniel Michener, be-
longed to the Society of Friends, and was
noted for his genial disposition, his integrity
of character, and his devotion to the cause of
education. Death called him to the other
side when the subject of this sketch was less
than two years old. Her mother, Mary
(Havens) Michener, was of good Presby-
terian stock, in whose family ministers and
physicians predominated. When a child
Angie G. Winters and her only sister were
taken by their mother to Indiana, which was
then considered the wild west, and settlers
had to endure many hardships. Schools
were few and very inferior, but the mother,
being a woman of unusual ability and liberal
education, did much for her children to sup-
plement their limited educational advantages.
When twelve years old Angie became lame
from blood-poisoning. When thirteen years
old her parents removed to Tipton, Iowa.
Here were better schools, but owing to her

lameness, which lasted five years, she could
attend school but little. Always a lover of
books, she determined not to be left behind
in the race for knowledge. Studying at home,
with the assistance of her mother, she kept
far in advance of other girls of her age, often
studying hard to divert her mind during
hours of extreme pain. In quite early child-
hood Angie determined to be a schoolma'am,
and as she grew older she realized more and
more the dignity and responsibility resting
upon those who mold the plastic minds of
youth. During her career as a teacher she
was very conscientious, trying to educate the
heart as well as the head. Being full of a
missionary spirit, she did a great deal of
evangelistic work wherever she taught school.
Inheriting a talent for nursing the sick, she
was in great, demand in cases of sickness and
accidents. One time she was called to treat
a case of delirium tremens, and another time
to stop a serious hemorrhage. In the spring
of 1861 she came to Harlan, where she
taught her first school in the old brick
school-house. The wages received were $10
per month, with the privilege of boarding
around, a favor not accepted. No two pupils
had the same kind of text-books; new ones
could not be procured nearer than Council
Bluffs, and most of the patrons were too poor
to buy new ones, so the teaching was princi-
pally oral. In the fall of 1861 Miss Mich-
ener began teaching what was known as the
Waterbury school, in Fairview Township;
but exposure brought on rheumatic fever,
from which she did not recover until the fol-
lowing June. The next ten years found her
in the schoolroom. In 1869 Miss Michener
was united in marriage to Lorenzo L. Win-
ters, a well-known farmer of Clay Township,
a genuine Christian gentleman. Being wed-
ded to her profession as an educator, Mrs.
Winters continued teaching for two years.

30G

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

Her husband then went into business in
Atlantic, Cass County. Here Mrs. Winters
took charge of a class in Sabbath-school)
superintended a Band of Hope, and taught a
mission school in her own house. Always a
strong advocate of total abstinence and equal
suffrage, Mrs. Winters early identified her-
self with the woman's temperance move-
ment. One of the first fruits of the great
tidal wave of temperance tbat followed the
woman's crusade, was the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union, in which Mrs. Winters
was a leading spirit. A writer of some note,
and having contributed to a score or more of
papers, a fluent speaker, she now consecrated
her talent and much of her time to the tem-
perance cause. This she was enabled to do,
having a husband in perfect sympathy with
her, and having no children with whom to
divide her time and attention. In 1882, when
the Dakota fever was at its height, Mr. and
Mrs. Winters bade adieu to Cass Couuty,
Iowa, and journeyed to the land of the Da-
kotas. Here they began pioneer life anew,
living for a time in a sod shanty on a claim
which was called Glen Rose. In less than a
month after taking possession, Mrs. Winters
had gathered the children from three fami-
lies, constituting the settlement, into a Sun-
day-school in her sod house. Fortunately it
was a large one, for as the country settled
rapidly the Sunday-school grew accordingly,
people coming from every direction for miles
around. For two years she resumed her
place at the teacher's desk. One winter she
rode two miles to school, where she would
have to wait for a fire to be kindled every
morning, with the thermometer often indi-
cating twenty-five to thirty-five below zero.
During all these years she had not forgotten
the temperance cause, but with tongue and
pen had done much to advance its cause. Mr.
Winters' failing health demanding lighter ,

occupation, the} 7 left their ranch and took up
their residence in Miller, Hand County.
Here was an organization of the W. C. T. U.,
with which Mrs. Winters immediately united.
She edited a temperance department of the
Hand County Republican, and organized and
superintended a Band of Hope. During the
local option campaign of 1887, Mrs. Winters
and a Mrs. Williams, of Miller, were em-
ployed by the County Temperance Alliance
to canvass the county in the interests of pro-
hibition. Their meetings were successful;
besides the regulation campaign speeches,
Mrs. Winters gave temperance chalk-talks.
Mrs. Williams was a fine vocalist, and this
accomplishment added greatly to the interest
of the meetings. Soon after Mrs. Winters
was appointed lecturer and organizer for the
W. C. T. U., a position of more honor than
pay. Mr. and Mrs. Winters, having no chil-
dren, have adopted two children, a son and a
daughter, and have given them all the ad-
vantages possible. Mr. Winters' health con-
tinuing poor, they were advised to seek a
milder clime, so they went to the Ozark
region in western Missouri. In 1888 Mrs.
Winters gave some temperance lectures and
chalk-talks in Shelby County. At present
she divides her time between the care of her
husband and evangelistic work, hoping that
at the last it may be said of her, "She hath
done what she could."

ro . ; ,■ ; . ? ,. ...

^LLIOTT A. COBB, physician and sur-
geon, Harlan, has been directly inter-
ested in the welfare of Shelby County
since 1880, at which time he came to the place.
He is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Wayne
County, July 10, 1843, and a son of Justus
and Eliza J. (Morgan) Cobb; the father was
a native of Pennsylvaniaand of English ances-

BIOGBA I'll 10 A /, S h' ETC II Es.

307

try, and the mother was a native of New
York and of Welsh descent. Dr. Cobb was
only six years old when his parents moved to
Sandusky County, Ohio, where his youth was
spent in working on the farm and in attend-
ing school. At the breaking out of the late
war he enlisted in the Fifty-fifth Ohio Vol-
unteer Infantry, Company A, going south
with his regiment. He participated in many
hard-fought battles; among the more promi-
nent were McDowell, Cross Keys, Cedar
Mountain, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fred-
ericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg,
Lookout Mountain, Charge of Resaca under
General Benjamin Harrison, Burnt Hickory,
or Pumpkin-vine Creek, Marietta, Peachtree
Creek, and at the evacuation of Atlanta. He
served his country faithfully until the close
of the war, when he was honorably discharged
in the spring of 1805. After the war he
returned to his Ohio home and began the
study of medicine under the teaching of Dr.
John B. Rice, of Fremont, Ohio, as preceptor.
He attended lectures at Ann Arbor, Michigan,
and graduated from Charity Hospital Medical
College, Cleveland,.Ohio, in 1868. Dr. Cobb
then began practicing at Kingston, Illinois,
where he remained one year; then he removed
to Richmond, Washington County, Iowa, and
remained there until 1878, when he entered
Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New
York. He graduated from this institution
in 1879, and then came to Harlan, where he
has built up a large and successful practice.
He is a member of the Shelby County Medi-
cal Society, the Iowa State Medical Society,
and the American Medical Society. Dr. Cobb
was first married in 1872, to Miss Martha
Foster, a native of Ohio. By this union one
child was born — Clyda B. The mother died
January 7, 1874. Dr. Cobb was again married,
in 1883, to Miss Nettie E. Cunningham, of
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. By this union three

children were born, only one of whom still
survives; this child is named Elliott O, the
other two died in infancy. The Doctor is a
member of the A. F. & A. M., Richmond
Lodge, No. 96. Politically he is a Democrat.

% • )"£ • $" ■■» »

fOHN A. MoINTOSH, a native of Logan,
now Todd, County, Kentucky, was born
April 14, 1806, and is the son of Cor-
nelius and Sarah (Montgomery) Mcintosh,
natives of North Carolina. Until heattained
his seventeenth year he resided in his native
county. He then emigrated to southern
Illinois, and thence went to Tennessee, re-
maining there three years, in Gibson County,
where he met and associated with Davy
Crockett. There, in 1826, he was married
to Miss Susan Boran, a native of Robinson
County, Tennessee. After six years she died
leaving three children, one of whom still sur-
vives — Cornelius G. About the year 1840 Mr.
Mcintosh was married to Miss Nancy Mc-
intosh, who was born in West Tennessee.
She died in 1846, leaving two children, one
of whom survives — Malinda. In 1852 Mr.
Mcintosh married his third wife, Miss Ma-
linda Hunt, who was born in Kentucky,
March 8, 1880. By this marriage ten chil-
dren were born — John, William (deceased),
Jennie, David, Douglas, Virginia (deceased),
Emma (deceased), Fannie, Minnie, Maggie.
Mr. Mcintosh was reared to farm life, and
educated in the common schools. When
about fifteen years old he joined the Baptist
church, and when he had reached his thirty-
second year he united with the church of the
Latter Day Saints, being baptized, confirmed
and ordained. He immediately entered the
ministry, and has since devoted his time and
attention to this work. He has traveled
through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas,

303

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

Kentucky, Tennessee and Nebraska in the
interests of the church, and his earnest and
zealous labors have been crowned with suc-
cess. He came to Shelby County in 1857
and located in Grove Township, on seventy
acres of land ; there he made his home and
reared his family. He organized the society
of the Latter Day Saints in Grove Township
in 1859 with a small membership, but the
church now numbers over 200 members. He
has organized several churches in this coun-
try, having done more in that direction than
any other minister now in the society. Mr.
Mcintosh has done much to elevate the morals
of the community in which he lives, and is a
man who is honored and beloved by people
far and near; everybody has a kind word for
" Uncle John," as he is familiarly called. lie
lias figured very prominently in the political
history of the count}', having held the offices
of county supervisor and justice of the peace
for eight or ten years; he also served on the
school board, and has filled other minor offices.
He has always been a staunch Democrat.

— ■ g - 3 «. £ - g» - —

'HUM AS M. DONALD.— Foreign coun-

mw. tries have bequeathed to America some
n$ of her best and most brilliant citi-
zens, and the Emerald Isle has not been
behind in the quality of her contribu-
tion to the strong and vigorous growth of
this country. To her Shelby County is in-
debted for her greatest benefactor and best
beloved citizen, Thomas McDonald, now at
rest, the rest won by a life of tireless activity
in the interests and welfare of those whose
lives touched his; and these were not few, as
will be attested by numbers of citizens of
western Iowa. Thomas McDonald was a most
remarkable man : to meet him was to be at-
tracted to him; to know him was to be won

as a fast friend, and hearty admirer. He was
kind and obliging, and possessed the faculty
of adapting himself to all sorts and condi-
tions of men, who always found in him the
satisfaction of their pressing needs. He had
within him a strong public spirit, ever will-
ing to sacrifice his own interests to those of
the majority. In his home he was all that a
wife and children could desire, and only those
who have been blessed by the association of
such a beautifully rounded and perfect char-
acter can know the loss of the family in his
death. Thomas McDonald was born in Ban-
don, twenty miles southwest of the city of
Cork, Ireland, July 20, 1813. His parents
came to America when he was four years old.
They settled in Massachusetts, but remained
there only a year; they then went to La Salle,
Illinois, where Thomas resided with his
parents until he was nineteen years old, when
he enlisted in the army, pledged to defend
the flag of his adopted country; he joined
the Ninetieth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, of
which he was Sergeant- Major. He served
through the entire war and was honorably
discharged at its close. 4 Iter the close of
the war he joined the famous detective service
of Allen Binkerton, of Chicago; he sj.ent
most of his time when in Pinkerton's employ
in eastern cities, and gave eminent satisfac-
tion, lie quit the service upon his marriage,
April 24, IStiT, in Chicago, to Miss Mary T.
Corley, of Arlington, Bureau County, Illinois.
He then came to Iowa and settled in Duniap,
Harrison County, where he resided six years;
he then settled on his farm of 600 acres, six
miles south of Harlan, and lived there until
his death. During his residence in thecounty
he tilled various offices of honor and trust.
He was elected county treasurer in 1875,
and re-elected in 1877. It was due to his
untiring energy and good management that
the A. 11. \- N. R. R. was secured to Harlan;

BlOOliA I'll W A L SKETCH EH.

•Am

he was president of the company. He laid
out the village of Corley, his wife's maiden
name, in 1873. His death occurred at his
residence in Corley, December 16, 1881. Mrs.
McDonald was born in Rochester, New York,
and educated in St. Vincent's Academy, La-
Salle, Illinois. She is a daughter of Martin
and Sarah (Bigelow) Corley. She and four
children survive Mr. McDonald. The chil-
dren are — -Agnes D. Brewer, wife of George
D. Brewer; Martin E., Thomas C, and Mar-
tina V.

WILLIAM HOWLETT, Su., of Fair-
view Township, is one of the old set-
lers, having come to the county in
1859. He was born in Norfolk County,
England, April 28, 1802. He is a son of
Samuel and Charlotte (Patterson) Howlett.
William was the eldest of twelve children,
seven of whom are living. He was reared on
a farm, and worked at bricklaying and plas-
tering — occupations his father had followed.
He was married in October, 1814, to Miss
Susan Egelstone, and sailed for America
April 27, 1855. They arrived in New York
May 29, 1855. They settled in Chicago,
Illinois, for a time, where Mr. Howlett
worked at his trade. His wife died August
22, 1855, and one child, August 24, 1855.
Mr. Howlett moved to Augusta, Illinois, in
1857, and worked at his trade until he came
to Shelby County, Iowa. He moved with a
team and wagon, and was thirteen days on
the road. The first months were spent in
Adams County, and the seasons of 1860
and 1861 were spent in Audubon County,
farming. In 1862 he came to his pres-
ent farm, where he has since lived, first
in a log house, and later in a good frame
house. He has worked a good deal at his

trade, being an expert and experienced work-
man. His farm contains ninety-three and a
half acres of good land, a portion of it being
in timber. There are good buildings for
stock and grain. Mr. Howlett was married
the second time, in October, 1860, to Miss
Myra Chambers, who was born and reared in
Tennessee. By the first marriage three sons
were born — Samuel, William, Jr., and Lam-
bert. The second wife died July 17, 1874.
No children were born by the second mar-
riage. He was married to his present wife
February 17, 1876; she was Mrs. Ruth
Peterson, whose husband was Samuel Peter-
son; her parents are Hugh and Rebecca
(Negley) Leslie. She was born and reared
in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania. She
came to Davenport, Iowa, when she was fif-
teen years of age. By this last marriage one
child was born — Phillis Gertrude, who died
when one year old. Mr. Howlett is a Dem-
ocrat, and has served as township treasurer,
road supervisor, and on the school board.
He and his wife are worthy members of the
Methodist Episcopal church. He is a re-
spected and valued citizen of the count}'.

>NDREW PETERSON is one of the
well-known citizens of Harlan, his res-
idence there having begun in 1876.
He was born in Denmark, February 14, 1830,
and is a son of Peter and Anna Maria (Chris-
tianson) Anderson. He was given the oppor-
tunity to attend school until he was fourteen
years old, and at the age of sixteen he went
to learn the tailor's trade, which he lias
followed the most of his life. Mr. Peterson
was married December 26, 1855, to Miss
Hansine Nelson, who died in 1872. In 1873
Mr. Peterson emigrated to America, sailing
from Copenhagen, via Liverpool, to New

310

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

York. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are the par-
ents of two children. Nels Peter was born
September 14, 1856. He was sixteen years
of age when he came to America. Before
coming to this country he had received a good
common-school education, and after arriving
here he attended school in Council Bluffs.
For a time he was located in Harlan, and
was a popular young business man. At
present he is in business in Onawa, Monona
County, Iowa. He was married in Harlan
to Maria Rasmus. The second child of Mr.
Peterson is Anna L., born August 27, 1862.
She is the wife of J. B. Brock, whose history
appears on another page of this volume.

^ON. WASHINGTON ROUNDY, one
of the pioneers of Shelby County, was
born in Onondaga County, New York,
September 22, 1825. lie is the son of Uriah
and Polly (Lyons) Roundy, his mother being
a cousin of General Lyons, of Connecticut.
The father was a native of Vermont, and the
mother was born in New York. AYashington
was the fourth in a family of nine children,
of whom three survive, a brother and sister,
both residents in Iowa. When he was about
nine years of age his parents came to Ohio,
and settled in Cuyahoga County, remaining
there one year. They afterwards lived in
Clay County, Missouri; Adams County, Illi-
nois, and Pike County, Illinois, remaining in
the last-named place for thirteen years. Our
subject received his education in the common
schools, and was reared to farm life. At the
a^e of twenty-one years he commenced life
for himself, with nothing but pluck and am-
bition; however, he was determined to suc-
ceed; and success has been his reward, lie
was married October 31, 1818, to Alvira
Williams, daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Cole-

man) Williams, natives of Kentucky, who had
removed to Illinois at an early day; there
they remained until death. They had a
family of thirteen children, of whom Alvira
was the sixth; she was born in White County,
Illinois, December 5, 1832. Mr. and Mrs.
Roundy are the parents of eleven children,
all of whom are living — Newton, Polly A.,
wife of William McCole; Sarah, wife of
James Addison; Adda, wife of William
Major; Julia, wife of William Fonts; Rena,
wife of James Fonts; Ellen, wife of David
Adamson; Fannie, wife of Freeman Van-
demark; John W., Mary E. and Adelbert.
In the spring of 1850 Mr. Roundy, on
account of ill health, attempted to make a
trip to California, and pursued hi* journey
as far as Council Bluffs; here he was dis-
suaded from continuing the trip, and remained
the winter in the Bluffs, then a small village.
The following spring he traded one of five
yoke of oxen for 160 acres of land in Grove
Township; this claim had been taken out by
Frank Rudd, and a rude log cabin had been
erected on it. Here Mr. Roundy and family
settled, intending to stay a year or two and
then go on to California; they were among
the very first settlers in the township, only
seven other families having located there pre-
vious to them. The plan to go to California
was abandoned, and they have ever since made
this their home. The}' endured all the hard-
ships encountered by pioneers in those early
days, and have done their share in building
Dp Shelby County from a wild and unbroken
prairie, inhabited by wolves, deer and elk,
to a fine, prosperous, enlightened community.
They have ever extended a hearty welcome to
the cold and hungry traveler, and have always
lent a helping hand to the needy. In sick-
ness and distress, in joy and health, they are
ever the same true friends, and they receive
the affection and respect of the entire com-

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

313

munity. Mr. Roundy possesses nearly 1,000
acres of land in Shelby County, 645 of which
are in his home place. At one time he owned
over 1,200 acres in this county. He has made
many valuable improvements, and has one of
the finest homes in this part of the county;
he has commodious barns for live-stock and
grain, and devotes his time to general farm-
ing. He is a staunch Democrat, and strongly
advocates the issues of the party. In 1887
Mr. Roundy was elected a member of the
Iowa Legislature, and has served with credit
to himself and to the satisfaction of his con-
stituency.

►*-*«

jOBERT STEEN, a native of Reever
jf|^ County, Pennsylvania, born February
*^\ 14, 1844, is a son of John and Nancy
Steen, both natives of Pennsylvania. He was
reared to farm life and received his education
in the common schools. When he was but
four years old, he came with his parents to
Mahaska County, Iowa, where he spent his
life until March, 1879, when he came to
Shelby County, Iowa. He located about five
miles northeast of Kirkman, on a farm; since
that time he has resided in Douglas and
Greeley townships on various farms for about
seven years; then he removed to Kirkman;
since locating here he has engaged in farming
quite extensively. He owns and manages
the only livery stable in Kirkman, and con-
trols the drayage of the town. During the
threshing season he follows threshing. He
is one of Kirkraan's live business men, and
is well calculated to fill any branch of busi-
ness to which he might be called. He is a
man of honor and integrity, and is one of
Shelby County's most worthy citizens. He
was married February 19, 1869, to Sarah A.,
daughter of John and Lucinda McDowell;

she was born in Poweshiek County, Iowa,
June 18, 1852. They are the parents of seven
children — Reuben R., Mattie, Lucinda, Latla,
Netta, Emma and Mable. Mr. Steen is an
active supporter of the Democratic principles.

- ~ . g . I ,. I .g.~.

R. WESTROPE is the proprietor of
Pine Valley Stock Farm, Harlan
Q Township, Shelby County. He is a
native of Morgan County, Illinois, born Sep-
tember 2, 1825, and is a son of Abner and
Sallie (Ashbrook) Westrope. He was five
years of age when his parents removed to
the wilds of La Fayette County, Wisconsin;
here he grew to manhood and was educated
in the district school, situated four miles
from his home. He was married April 8,
1848, to Miss Sarah Ann Huntsman, of La
Fayette County, Wisconsin. In 1849 Mr.
Westrope went to California, overland; he
was five months on the road, and remained
two years engaged in mining; he returned
home via the Isthmus of Panama, and New
Orleans, making the trip in fifty-six days; at
that day this was considered rapid travel.
Three years later, in 1854, he drove a large
number of cattle across the plains to the Pa-
cific coast, and remained in California two
years. This time he came back via the Nica-
raugua River, taking a steamer at Greytown
for N ew York, and going thence to Wiscon-
sin. Mr. Westrope resided in Wisconsin
until 1871 occupied with farming and stock-
raising. At that time he came to Iowa and
settled on land in Montgomery County, which
he had purchased two years previous. Here
he improved 1,000 acres of land and engaged
extensively in the breeding of short-horn
cattle, in which he was very successful. He
gave several of his sons farms in Montgom-
ery County, and in 1881 he removed to Shelby

314

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

County, and settled on Pine Valley Stock
Farm, which contains 480 acres of rich land
well adapted to stock-raising. There is a com-
fortable residence, and one of the finest barns
in western Iowa, with a stone basement, and
stabling for ninety-six head of cattle. It is
admirably arranged for the care and handling
of cattle. There is also a mill for grinding
and cutting feed by horse-power. Pine Val-
ley can show sixty-five head of registered cat-
tle, second to no herd in western Iowa. Mr.
Westrope has received his share of first pre-
miums, and his many years of experience in
the breeding of cattle justify his reputation
as one of the best judges of cattle in western
Iowa. He is known as one of the most suc-
cessful and reliable short-horn cattle breeders
in the northwest. Mr. and Mrs. Westrope
have ten children — Maria Jane, Abner J.,
Perry, T. It., Jr., Orville D., Otis, John G.,W.
W., Almira, Norman S. Three children were
lost by death — Mary Ellen died at the age of
one year; George, at the age of eleven years,
and Frank, at the age of twenty-three years.
Mr. Westrope is a strong Republican. Al-
though on the shady side of sixty he bears
his years lightly, and is as active as many a
man of forty years. Mr. Westrope is one of
Shelby County's leading citizens, and is of
the type for which any community is proud.

"»■ "? » 3 <-» t » |

'lit (MAS II. SMITH, of the law firm of
Smith & Cullison, Harlan, Iowa, was
born in Appanoose County, Iowa, Sep-
tember 30, 1854, and is a son of Paris S. and
Nancy .1. Smith, of Davis County, Iowa.
Paris S. Smith was a native of Ohio, and a
son of Noah and Elizabeth Smith, also natives
of Ohio, who removed from that State and
settled in Van Buren County, Iowa, in 1848.
Nancy J. Smith, wife or Paris S. Smith, was

a Virginian by birth, and a daughter of Jo-
seph and Mary Jones, natives of Virginia.
When she was quite small her father removed
from Virginia, and settled in Ross County,
Iowa, remaining there until she was sixteen
years old; her father then came to Iowa and
settled on a farm in Davis County, within
one-half mile of the place where Mrs. Smith
now resides. She was married to Paris S.
Smith April 1,1852, and they now reside upon
the farm that has been their home for the last
thirty years. They are the parents of thirteen
children, ten of whom are living; all of the
children received a liberal education, and with
one exception were teachers. Thomas H.
Smith lived upon the farm with his parents
until his eighteenth year, assisting with the
farm work, and attended the district school.
At the age of eighteen years he taught his
first school, and continued to teach each win-
ter thereafter, until his admission to the bar
in the spring of 1878. All the education he
received, aside from that obtained in the com-
mon schools, was in the Troy Academy and
the Southern Iowa Normal, at Blooinfield,
Ohio, in 1875— "7(5. His present paitner, G.
W. Cullison, was one of his instructors. In
the spring of 1870 he began the study of law
in the office of M. H. Jones, of Blooinfield,
Iowa, and was admitted to the bar in 1878,
in Blooinfield. Immediately thereafter he
located in Harlan, and commenced the practice
of his profession. In a few weeks after com-
ing to Harlan he formed a partnership with
P. 0. Truman, under the firm name of Tru-
man A- Smith; this firm continued until
January, 1881, when G. W. Cullison suc-
ceeded to the interests of P. C. Truman, under
the present firm name. Smith & Cullison
have an extensive and lucrative practice, and
a large and well-selected library. Mr. Smith
has a fine farm of 295 acres adjoining Irwin.
Iowa, and owns one of the finest residences in

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

815

Harlan. Mr. Smith was married June 3, 1880,
to Miss Josephine Worm, a daughter of Hon.
H. A. Wonn, of Davis County, Iowa. They
have three children — Mabel, aged eight years;
Orpha, aged six years; and Lois, aged eighteen
months. Mr. Smith was elected county
attorney of Shelby County, Iowa, in the fall
of 1886, and tilled this position with much
credit for two years; he refused a re-nomina
tion by acclamation at the expiration of his
term. Mr. Smith is a close student, an un-
tiring worker, and a self-made man in the
true sense of the word. All that he is and
lias was acquired by his own efforts.

J. DAVIS. — Whenever a new coun-
try is opened to settlement, with
9 such attractions of soil and climate,
such future prospects of growth and business
development as to make it a promising field
for the energies of young men, scores and even
lfuudreds flock thither to take their chance in
the great and untried race of life. At the
start all seem to be on equal footing, but if
the reader would pass that way in a quarter
of a century, he would find only a few of those
who started out in the vigor of their young
manhood together. In this connection we do
not, of course, refer to those who fell by the
way-side and perished, but to those living and
active, who have remained from the day of
small things. The majority of such settlers
do not tarry; a few return to their old homes,
while many press forward to other promised
lands, or perchance fail of business success.
But from out of the mass one will always find
that a small, very small proportion have staid
where they first landed and set their stakes,
exhibiting the utmost manly energy and a
determination to win in the great conflict of
life. Each will, most likely, have earned and

saved a handsome competency, besides ob-
taining an enviable personal record and good
social position in the community. Such seem
to be the results in nearly every country, and
the history of one is for the most part an
epitome of the history of all. About such a
proportion win the position and meed of praise
due to substantial citizens, while the o-reater
number are seldom heard of among their
fellow men. Among the vanguard of early
settlers in Shelby County, few have borne a
more conspicuous, useful and honorable part
than W. J. Davis, who first came to the county
in the month of April, 18G0, and located at
Harlan, then a small village of less than a
dozen houses. His first labor was that of
dropping corn for L. D. Sunderland a few
days. The same season he was engaged to
teach school for a term of six months, at a
point northeast of Harlan ; the first few weeks
he taught in a log cabin, formerly used as a
residence, but the remainder of the term in a
6chool-house just then finished. Upon com-
pleting his school he had but $15 left; but
he then taught a three months' school in what
was known as the Custer district, followed by
a six months' term in the Hactown district.
He then moved to Bowman's Grove, where he
purchased seventy acres of partly improved
land, which he finished improving and culti-
vated for four or five years; he then sold the
same and purchased a farm near Harlan,
known as the long farm, consisting of 200
acres; he farmed this for several years. In
1881 he was elected clerk of the district
court, serving for two terms and filling the
position with satisfaction to all and credit to
himself. So much for the history of a man
who has made his own way through the pioneer
years of Shelby County. Now to go back to
his earlier life and learn something of his
youthful days. He is the son of William and
Jane Davis, who were natives of Wales, The

316

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

father was left an orphan when a boy, and the
family came to America in 1829; he followed
coal-mining for a time in Pottsville, Penn-
sylvania, but later moved to Portage County,
Ohio, where he cleared up a farm out of the
big woods, which at that time was little less
than a wilderness. He married Miss Jane
Davis, daughter of John Davis, who emigrated
from Wales to this country, settling in the
great forest lands of Ohio at an early day.
Our subject's parents spent the remainder of
their days on the farm improved by Mr. Da-
vis. The father died in December, 1884, and
the mother survived him until April, 1888.
W. J. Davis, the subject of this sketch, was
born October 3, 1836, in Portage County,
Ohio, where he grew to manhood, spending
his youth in aiding his father on the farm and
attending the district school ; when far enough
advanced he entered Hiram College, of which
the late President James A. Garfield was
then president. In 1800 he started out for
himself to seek what the world might have in
store for him, but little comprehending what
was to be overcome and passed through in
hewing out for himself a home and a fortune
sufficient to keep him in advanced age. Just
before coming west he finished teaching a
school for which he was entitled u> $106, but
he was unable to draw more than half this
amount; so he started with the $53 and one
suit of clothes. He first took a trip through
Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, with the
intention of following teaching, but owing to
the laxity of the school-laws in this section
he decided to push on west. While in Ken-
tucky he visited the farm of the distinguished
statesman, CassiusM. Clay. After spending
some time in that vicinity, he came to Iowa,
via the Ohio & Missouri River line of boats,
as at that date there was no line of railroads
built farther west than Iowa City, Iowa.
Upon getting off the boat at Council lilufi's

he had but $4.50 in his possession. He en-
tertained the idea that the hotel was but a
short distance from the boat landing, and so
he started out for a few minutes' walk, which
proved a five-mile tramp; and worse than the
walk was the hotel, which he had pictured as
one with all the first-class appointments of
those in the eastern cities; its name was the
City Hotel, and he supposed it would be first-
class; be was anything but agreeably sur-
prised to find a double log house with few
accommodations for the pleasure and comfort
of a weary traveler, who had been for many
days tossed about on a river boat. However,
he ate his dinner and set out on foot, going
seven miles to a farm-house where he re-
mained over night, receiving the kindest at-
tention at the hands of the good pioneer
farmer and his wife, who in the morning
refused to accept any pay from him, for which
be was very grateful. From there he pro-
ceeded to Eight-Mile Grove, which was a dis-
tance of twenty miles, without a solitary
house in view, giving naught but wild prairie
landscape, upon which his eyes could have a
perpetual feast. The first house to which he
came was vacant, and the next one seemed to
be occupied, but he found no one at home.
He was hungry, however, and after searching
about the premises, discovered a Dutch oven
containing ;> short-cake, which made him the
best meal he had ever eaten. After having
partaken of this heartily, with perfect satis-
faction to the inner man, he walked on to a
house where he remained that night. The
next day he arrived at the county seat of
Harrison County, in hopes of finding a school
to teach, but was seemingly doomed to disap-
pointment; so he retraced his steps to the
house at which he had stopped the previous
night, and the following day came to Shelby
County. Here he succeeded in obtaining a
school, as first stated in this sketch. Mr.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

317

Davis was married in 1863 to Miss Sarah
Long, a daughter of James M. Long, one of
the founders of Harlan, of whom mention
will he made elsewhere in this volume. By
this marriage union five daughters were horn,
two of whom still survive — Marguerite G.
and Josephine. In April, 1880, Mr. Davis
was greatly bereaved by the sudden death of
his wife and three daughters, all of whom
were taken from him within five days. They
were stricken down by diphtheria and scarlet
fever. The first to be taken from the family
circle was their bright-eyed little daughter
Mary, aged seven years. The next to follow
was Susie B., who was just entering the
threshold of young womanhood, aged four-
teen years. Grim death, not yet content,
called the baby and pet of the household,
Inez, aged five years. In the midst of all
this sadness and gloom the wife and mother
was also stricken down and died; and had it
not been for the true kindness and practical
sympathy of Judge Chathburn and his good
wife, in all probability the remaining mem-
bers of Mr. Davis's family would also have
been called from earth. These truly good
people took Maggie and Jossie to their own
home and cared for them until this terrible
destroyer had subsided in the community.
In the death of Mrs. Davis, who was a mem-
ber of the Baptist church, the community
met with a sad loss, as well as in the death
of the three children, who were indeed fair
flowers in life's garden. By nearly thirty
years' residence in Shelby County, Mr. Davis
has, by his manly, upright course, justly
merited and won the confidence and esteem
of the entire population with whom he has
lived and mingled. He has always taken an
active part in politics, being an ardent Re-
publican. In 1888 he was chosen one of the
delegates to the Chicago Convention, which
placed in nomination General Harrison for

President. He is one of the radical, uncom-
promising men who always find the place of
leader. He belongs to the Masonic frater-
nity, being a charter member of the A. F. &
A. M., Parian Lodge, No. 321, and having
passed through all the chairs of such lodge.
He also belongs to Olivet Chapter, Lodge
No. 107, and Mt. Zion Coramandery, No. 40.
Besides his Masonic connection, he is a wor-
thy member of the Odd Fellows' order at
Harlan, having passed through all of its de-
grees. Nothing better can possibly be said,
as a matter of final record of a man's life,
than that he always had the confidence of his
fellow-men, which is unquestionably true of
W. J. Davis.

►*-**

§EWIS GINGERY, of Cedar Hill stock
farm, is one of the intelligent and enter-
prising citizens of Shelby County. He
was born in Massillon, Stark County, Ohio,
November 1, 1847. His father, Daniel Gin-
gery, was a native of Germany, where he was
reared, educated and married to Miss Amelia
Helena Wilhelmina Stuart. Soon after their
marriage they came to America, and stopped
for a short time in Baltimore, Maryland,
and then >vent to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
From Bethlehem they removed to Massillon,
Ohio. Daniel Gingery enlisted in the Mex-
ican war, and died while in the service of his
adopted country; he was buried in Mexico.
There were ten sons, six of whom lived to
maturity. Lewis was the youngest, and he was
thirteen years old when his mother came
to Cass County, Iowa, where he grew to man-
hood. Mr. Gingery was married December
19, 1869, to Miss Cylinda Howard, a native of
Rock Island County, Illinois, and a daughter
of William and Mary C. Howard. In 1877
Mr. Gingery removed from Cass County to

318

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

Shelby County, and settled on the land where
he now lives. The land was then wild prairie,
and the next six years were devoted to its culti-
vation. In 1883 Mr. Gingery rented his farm
and removed to Harlan, where, in company
with John Lorge, he engaged in the agricult-
ural implement business. This he continued
for two years, and then returned to his farm.
At the end of one year he came back to Har-
lan, and engaged in the nursery business
until the fall of 1888, when he sold his inter-
est in the business and went back to his
farm. Cedar Hill Stock Farm contains 200
acres, and is two miles east of Harlan. There
is a comfortable residence, pleasantly sit-
uated, a good barn, a grove and an orchard.
The proprietor makes a specialty of short-
horn cattle and Chester AVhite swine. Mr.
and Mrs. Gingery are the parents of three
children John 0., George Eugene and Mary
B. Claudia. Politically, Mr. Gingery is a Dem-
ocrat, and has served as township assessor.
He and his wife are members of the Congre-
gational chnrch, and lie is treasurer of the
Sabbath-school. He is yet in the prime of
life, is honorable in business, and has the
confidence and respect of all who know him.

& - > *H^*~~

f LETCHER DUN II AM. of Harlan Town-
ship, has been a resident of Shelby
County since 1881. He was burn in
Steuben County, New York, October 17,
1842, and is a son of Abraham and Susan
(Dolph) Dunham. The father's ancestors
were sent from England in an early day as
missionaries to preach the gospel. The father
served in the war of 1812. The mother was
of English extraction, and was a relative of
General Wolf, who'died in the battle of Que-
bec. Both parents were active and zealous
workers of the Methodist Episcopal church,

and died at Geneva, Kane County, Illinois,
in 1800, respected and regretted by all who
knew them. Our subject was eight years
old when his parents moved to Kane County,
Illinois, where he was reared and educated.
During the rebellion he went to the defense
of the old flag, enlisting, September 7, 1861,
at Chicago, in the Seventh Kansas Cavalry,
Colonel Jenison's regiment, General James
Lane's brigade. The regiment took an active
part on the western border until after the
battle of Shiloh, and then they were ordered
southeast, and took an active part in fighting
General Forest's troops. They were also
in the first attack on Vicksburg under Gen-
eral Grant. Mr. Dunham served his coun-
try in a gallant 7nanner, and was honorably
discharged in September, 1864, at St. Louis,
Missouri. He returned to Kane County,
Illinois, where he remained for a short time,
and then went to Guthrie County, Iowa. He
was married January 23, 1866, to Miss
Laura J. Porter, a native of Brown County,
< >hio, and a daughter of John J. Porter, who
was one of the prominent pioneers of Guth-
rie County, Iowa. The mother was Miss
Kliza Snell, a daughter of Daniel Snell, who
was a small boy during the revolutionary
war. and was confined in a fort in South
Carolina during that time. Mr. Dunham
lived in Guthrie County until 1857, when he
removed to Big Grove, Pottawattamie Coun-
ty, Iowa, an I engaged in the stock business.
In 1875 he went to Wyoming, where he
engaged in mining and live-stock dealing.
He continued this fur several years. In 1880
he sold his interests in Wyoming, and re-
turned to Dig Drove, Iowa, where he
remained one year, and then came to Shelby
County. Here he bought the Thomas Cald-
well farm, excellent land, and well adapted to
stock-raising. The farm contains 297 acres.
There is a good residence, well furnished, a

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

319

grove, an orchard, and all the conveniences
for farming on a large scale. Mr. and Mrs.
Dunham are the parents of three children —
Lee H., Van E., and Orah Wyoming. Laura
S. died at the age of sixteen months. Mr.
Dunham is a strong supporter of Republican
principles, and is a member of the G. A. It.,
Harlan Post, No. 197. He is a member of the
Masonic order, Parian Lodge, No. 321; Olivet
Chapter, No. 107; Mount Zion Command-
on, No. 49. Mr. Dunham is in the prime of
life, and has seen much of this country. He
is honorable in business, and has the respect
and confidence of a wide acquaintance.

— ■■■» ; ■ : ■ H ' 3 .~ —

ffAMESNEWBY is a well-known pioneer
settler of Harlan Township, having come
to the county in 1868. He was born in
Pasquotank County, North Carolina, six miles
from Elizabeth City, in 1824. He is a son
of John L. and Melissa (Perry) Newby, both
of whom were horn in North Carolina. James
Newby was left an orphan at the age of ten
years, when he went to live with a half-brother,
with whom he remained five years. He was
trained to agricultural pursuits, but his lit-
erary education was entirely neglected, and
he was obliged to work very hard in his youth-
ful days. He was married, April 22, 1847,
to Miss Julia Stallins, a daughter of Joseph
and Sarah (Ward) Stallins, natives of North
Carolina, where Mrs. Newby was also reared.
She was born February 28, 1822, in Per-
quimans County, North Carolina. Our sub-
ject remained in his native State until 1860,
when he removed to Henry County, Indiana,
where he lived four years. He then went
hack to North Carolina for a short time, and
afterward removed to Virginia, where he re-
sided four years. His next place of abode
was in Carroll County, Indiana, where he

lived until 1867, when he came to Mills
County, Iowa. In the spring of 1868 he
moved to Pottawattamie County, and in the
spring of 1869 to this county. In 1871 he
came to his present farm, which was then wild
land; he has since improved the place until
the Newby farm is one of the best in the
neighborhood. He has a two-story house,
built in good style, and surrounded with shade
trees; he has twenty-five acres of fine timber,
and an orchard; everything is conveniently
arranged for farming in good style. Mr. and
Mrs. Newby are the parents of nine chil-
dren — John L., Joseph W., Quinten, Ellsberry,
William G., Elvira Jane, Alexander and
Laura B. James died at the age of eighteen
years; he was the sixth child. Mr. and Mrs.
Newby are active and consistent members of
the Methodist Episcopal church, and the
family are among the respected and honored
citizens of the township. Politically, Mr,
Newby is a Republican.

—£-**•§*-

ANIEL DALEY, conductor of the Har-
lan branch of the Chicago, Rock Island
& Pacific Railroad, has been a resident
of Shelby County since 1878. He was born
in West Stockbridge, Berkshire County,
Massachusetts, January 3, 1840. He is a
son of Michael and Mary (Morrison) Daley,
natives of Cork, Ireland, who emigrated to
America immediately after their marriage.
They settled in Berkshire County, Massachu-
setts, and in 1871 removed to Iowa, and set-
tled in Atlantic. When Mr. Daley was seven
years old his parents moved to Janesville,
Wisconsin, where his father carried on farm-
ing; here he greV up and received his edu-
cation in the common schools. He remained
with his parents until his majority, when he
entered the employ of the Chicago, Rock Isl-

320

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

and & Pacific Railroad, first working on the
section at $1.15 per day. He occupied this
position only a short time, and then went on
the line as brakeman; while coupling cars
his hand was injured, so that he was disabled
for six months. He then took the position
of baggage-master at Atlantic, which he held
for two years, and again took the position of
brakeman. He was afterward promoted to
the position of yard-master, which he held
for five years. When the Harlan branch was
constructed Mr. Daley was given the train,
and is the only conductor this branch has
ever had. Mr. Daley was united in mar-
riage, August 8, 1878, to Miss Jennie Grant,
a native of Michigan, and a daughter of
Robert Grant, now a resident of Adair County.
By this union three children have been born —
Gracie, John and Roberta. In 1878 Mr.
Daley removed to Harlan, where he has as
comfortable and pretty a home as one need
wish. Mr. and Mrs. Daley are members of
the Roman Catholic church. He is a mem-
ber of the R. W. Conductors, Des Moines
Lodge; the Knights of Pythias, Lodge No.
G5, Harlan; the A. F. & A. M., Parian Lodge,
No. 321; Olivet Chapter, No. 107, and Mt.
Zion Coinmandery, No. 49. Mr. Daley's
political sympathies are with the Democratic
party. No man in Shelby County is more
highly esteemed, or has a more enviable rep-
utation, than Daniel Daley, of Harlan.

•« £ • ?"» ' $"

;R. DAVID GISH was a native of Bote-
tourt County, Virginia, and a son of
John and Adaline Gish. When about
sixteen years of age he went to Greene County,
Ohio. His life in Virginia»was spent on a
farm and in attending the common schools.
He was married to Miss Frances Hopping, of
Greene County, Ohio. In 1858 he came to

Iowa and settled at Greencastle, Jasper
County; here he engaged in farming and
steam-milling in company with his brother
Elijah. He pursued this avocation about one
year, and then commenced the study of medi-
cine under Dr. Love in Greencastle, and
graduated from the Keokuk Medical College
in 1863. He commenced the practice of
medicine with his preceptor, Dr. Love, in
Greencastle, where he continued for one year.
He then entered into partnership with Dr.
Sheldon, in Story County, and came from
this place to Shelby County in 1868, where
he continued the practice of his profession
until his death, which occurred August 13,
1879. He purchased vast tracts of Shelby
County land, which was placed under a good
state of cultivation by his own direction. Dr.
Gish had an extensive practice, and was one
of the pioneer doctors of the county. He
was one of the most prosperous citizens, and
at the time of his death was worth a consid-
erable fortune. He distributed a good por-
tion of his wealth among his children. Dr.
and Mrs. Gish were the parents of six chil-
dren — Charles; Laura, wife of A. Barton;
Harvey, Calvin and John; one child is not liv-
ing. The Doctor was a man that had the
respect and esteem of all who knew him, and
his acquaintance was an extensive one.

C. O. Gish, the son of David and Frances
(Hopping) Gish, was born in Greene County,
Ohio, September 25, 1^53. When he was
five years of age his parents moved to Jasper
County, Iowa, and remained there about ten
years. They then made two other moves,
but finally located in Harlan Township.
When C. O. Gish had attained his nineteenth
year he commenced farming, and has since
followed this pursuit. In 1875 he purchased
his first piece of ground, it being an eighty-
acre tract of wild prairie in section 35, Doug-
las Township; he bought it from the railroad

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

321

company at a cost of $7 per acre; lie placed
it under good cultivation, and made many
excellent improvements. To this first pur-
chase he added other tracts, until he now
owns 560 acres of Shelby County land;
through his own efforts and personal super-
vision, this land has been improved, has been
taken from the raw prairie and made into one
of the best farms in Shelby County; there
are a good house, a barn, a grove and all the
improvements that go to make a fine mod-
ern farm. Mr. Gish devotes himself to farm-
ing and stock-raising quite extensively. He
has disposed of some of his lands, but now
controls 440 acres. He is an active, ener-
getic business man, and is deserving of much
credit. Although but a young man, he is
one of the foremost in agricultural pursuits
in Shelby County. He is a strong supporter
of the Democratic party, and has been offi-
cially identified with the township. He is a
member of the Masonic order. Mr. Gish
was married November 16, 1876, to Miss
Minerva A., daughter of Dwight and Catha-
rine (Bowman) Terrill; she was a native of
Shelby County. She died in 1882, after a
wedded life of six years. Three children re-
sulted from this union — Pearlie M., Lester D.
and Ray. Mr. Gish was again married June
4, 1883, to Miss Mary E., daughter of John
and Rebecca East; she was born September
13, 1861, in Indiana. Three children resulted
from this union — Maud, Fern and Joseph.

kARY MICHENER HAVENS.— In

the history of Shelby County no name
^H^ 1 is more deserving of mention than
that of Mrs. Havens. She will loner be re-
membered by the older residents, and there
are many living at the present time who were
first cradled in her loving, motherly arms,

and many more who, under Providence, owe
their lives to her skillful medical treatment.
Mrs. Havens was born November 28, 1815,
in Licking County, Ohio. Had she been a
man, or had she made her advent into the
world a quarter-century later, when the pro-
fessions had been opened to women, she
would have undoubtedly made a name, either
as a minister of the gospel or as a physician,
for she came of a family of ministers on one
side, and of doctors on the other. Possessed
of a fine mind and liberal education, she was
far in advance of the times, being a firm be-
liever in total abstinence, prohibition and
woman's suffrage. Without the means of
mental culture now open to the majority, she
improved the opportunity within her reach,
and became well versed in general literature,
and quite well read in medicine and theology.
Of a genial disposition and a good conversa-
tionalist, she made many friends, while her
poetic vein, which enabled her to write verses
upon every occasion, from a lover's quarrel
to an elegy on the death of a favorite horse,
made her exceedingly popular, especially with
young people. At the age of sixteen she
united with the Presbyterian church, and as
long as she lived was a consistent Christian,
and an earnest worker in the vineyard of the
Lord. For eight years she followed the pro-
fession of school-teaching, and was eminently
successful, controlling unruly pupils and main-
taining order in what were known as unman-
ageable schools. In 1839 the subject of this
sketch, whose maiden name was Mary Mills,
was married to Daniel Michener, of Morrow
County, Ohio, who was a perfect specimen of
noble manhood. He survived only seven
short years after his marriage. After the
death of her husband, Mary Michener suf-
fered a long illness, from which she recovered
with her hearing much impaired. She then
took her two children, Mattie and Angie

322

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

Gertrude, and went to live with her brother
at Columbia City, Indiana. In course of
time she married Lorenzo Havens, a wid-
ower with two little girls. In the spring of
1861 they came to Harlan, where they lived
several years. It soon became known that
Mrs. Havens was not only a skillful ac-
coucher, but was remarkably successful in
her treatment of all kinds of diseases. At
that time there was but one physician in
Shelby County, and he was not in practice; I
therefore it is not strange that Mrs. Havens
should have many calls to visit the sick. She
was never very strong, but summer's heat
nor winter's cold, beating rain nor howling
blizzard, ever hindered her from answering
the call of suffering humanity until there
were other physicians to take her place.
Owning no conveyance of her own, she was
compelled to ride in any kind of vehicle and
after any wild and spirited animal that a
messenger might bring for her. Although
she spent much of her time and strength in
this work, it was more a labor of love than
anything else, for her charges were not in
proportion to the service rendered, but ac-
cording to the ability to pay. In 1872 Mrs.
Havens was mysteriously poisoned, strych-
nine having been put into her quinine bottle,
from which she took a dose. Dr. Bayer, of
Harlan, was called immediately, and her life
was saved. As soon as she was able she was
taken to the home of her son-in-law, L. L.
Winters, in Clay Township. Here she passed
her remaining days with her children, living
live years after this attempt upon her life.
The live years of suffering were borne with
patience, and a cheerful looking forward to
her release. Knowing it to be only a matter
of time, she prepared her burial clothes with
her own hands, speaking frequently of her
departure as if she were going on a pleasant
journey. In October, 1877, in the sixty-

third year of her age, at the home of Mrs.
Winters, in Marne, Cass County, her sum-
mons came, and she passed to the sleep that
knows no waking. Her remains lie buried
in the Marne cemetery, but the good she has
done will live forever.

ESLEY SCUTT.— Among the promi-
, nent citizens of Shelby County there
are none more worthy of notice in
this history than Wesley Scutt. He has been
identified with the interests of Shelby County
since 1879. He is a native of Columbia
County, New York, born January 25, 1843,
and a son of Peter and Eliza (Race) Scutt,
natives of New York, and of Hollandish
ancestry. The family were among the first
settlers of eastern New York, and were de-
scended from the Hollanders who settled on
the Livingston patent. The father of our
subject was a carpenter by trade, but Wes-
ley's youth was spent on a farm, where he
worked at 80 per month. He resided with
his parents until he was nineteen years old,
when he came to Iowa, and located in Me-
dian icsville, Cedar County, where he re-
mained eight years. From that place he
moved to Avoca. He was married in No-
vember, 1878, to Miss Sophia Sherman,
whose father came to Iowa with his wife
when Iowa was a territory. Mrs. Scutt was
born in Maquoketa, Jackson County, Iowa.
Soon after her birth her parents moved to
Wisconsin and purchased land where Mil-
waukee now stands. Here Mrs. Sherman
died, and Mr. Sherman with two little daugh-
ters returned to his former home in New
York, where he soon after died. Mrs. Scutt
was reared in Wyoming County, New York,
and after she was grown to womanhood she
went to Blooinington, Illinois, where she

«^fe&f

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

325

taught school for some time. From Bloom-
ed

ington she came to Avoca, Iowa. In the
spring of 1879 Mr. Scutt came to Harlan,
where he engaged in various occupations
until the fall of 1886, when he accepted a
position in the Harlan bank. lie is a mem-
ber of the A. F. & A. M., Parian Lodge, No.
321; Olivet Chapter, No. 107, and Mt. Zion
Commandery, No. 49. He is present junior
warden of the Blue Lodge, king of the chap-
ter, and warden of the commandery. In
politics Mr. Scutt affiliates with the Republi-
can party.

• 2 " l > l >~>>

L. WILLSON, a native of Pulaski
Count}', Indiana, born January 1,
I ° 1845, is the son of W. L. and Mary
(Ingram) Willson. When our subject was
seven years of age his parents came to Wash-
ington County, Iowa. They settled on an
unimproved farm, which they made their
home until the death of Mr. W. L. Willson,
Sr., which occurred in 1881. W. L. Willson,
Jr., spent his early life on a farm in Wash-
ington County, occupying his time in farm
work and in attending the common schools.
It was here he met and married Miss Sarah
E. Irwin, January 27, 1869. She is a daugh-
ter of Edward and Mary A. (Horner) Irwin,
both natives of Pennsylvania. She was born
in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, January
18, 1847, and came to Iowa in April, 1865.
Her parents settled in Washington County.
The second year of their marriage they came
to Shelby County, where they rented one
year, and then settled on section 20, Douglas
Township. They homssteaded eighty acres,
and erected a small house. They went to
work with the intention of making them-
selves a home, and they have succeeded.
They now own 360 acres of as fine land as

lies in the county, and have a comfortable
frame residence, surrounded by three acres
of grove. He also has good buildings for
stock and grain. He directs his attention to
stock-raising and farming, carrying on both
quite extensively. After Mr. Willson's father
died, he brought his mother, who is quite an
elderly person, to Harlan, providing a com-
fortable home for her. The parents of Mrs.
Willson still reside at Irwin, which place de-
rived its name from theirs. Mr. and Mrs.
Willson are the parents of six children — Es-
tella died in 1877; Howard, May, Maud,
Elba and Pearl are living. Mr. and Mrs.
Willson take great pride in their family, who
are bright and interesting children. Their
home is adorned witli all the luxuries and
comforts of life, and when one wishes to see
a happy family, let him look in on the family
of Mr. and Mrs. Willson. He i; a thorough-
going business man, taking a great interest
in everything that tends to elevate and benefit
the country in general. Mr. Willson is a
Democrat.

fUDGE WILLIAM WYLAND, retired
farmer, is the second son of Jonathan
Wyland, whose sketch appears elsewhere
in this book. He was born in Mercer County,
Ohio, September 14, 1830; when about two
years of age, his parents moved to Indiana,
and settled in Elkhart County, where his
youth was spent in assisting his father in the
woolen mills. He lived with his parents
until he grew to manhood. He was married
January 3, 1854, to Miss Helen Mary Thomp-
son, a native of Elkhart County, Indiana, and
a daughter of Mark B. Thompson, who came
from southern Indiana to Elkhart County,
April 5, 1829, among the early settlers. Mr.
Thompson was a native of Orange County,

326

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

New York, and of English and Irish descent.
In 1855 William Wyland came to Shelby
County with his father, by way of railroad to
Dubuque, then by stage to Council Bluffs.
He entered 240 acres of land in what is now
Harlan Township. He then returned to Indi-
ana, and the following year, in company with
his brother Isaac and family, removed to this
county. He then began the task of improv-
ing his farm, and resided on the place until
the fall of 1858, when he purchased a share
in the Wyland saw-mill, and operated that
for one year. In the spring of 1857 he was
elected to the office of county treasurer and
recorder, and on account of the larger portion
of the settlement being at Galland's Grove,
he appointed David Baughman as deputy,
but when the county seat was moved to Har-
lan in 1859 he removed to Harlan and took
charge of the office, which he held until Janu-
ary, 18fi0. Mr. Wyland was elected county
judge in 1859, and took charge of the office
January 1, 1860; this office comprised that
of the board of supervisors and the probate
business ; he held this office one year and then
returned to Indiana, with the intention of
assisting in the care of his father's business,
but before reaching there his father sold out,
and he returned with the rest of his family to
Iowa, and settled on what is now known as
the Wyland homestead, in Douglas Township.
He farmed here until 1872, when he returned
to Harlan and clerked one year for J. W. &
K. W. Davis. In 1874 he engaged in the
general merchandise business with Wood &
Bobbins, under the firm of William Wyland
&Co.; this was continued for three years.
Afterward he engaged with Jackson & Gibba
for one year. In 1884 he removed to his
present farm, which contains 100 acres ad-
joining town; he also owns some town prop-
erty. Mr. and Mrs. Wyland are consistent
members of the Baptist church, he holding

the position of clerk. He is a member of
the A. F. & A. M., Parian Lodge, No. 321;
Olivet Chapter, No. 107. Politically he affili-
ates with the Democratic party. He has
served as county supervisor, and was also ap-
pointed county treasurer, D. M. Wyland
serving as deputy.

— g - 3 n s <

,ZARIAH FISHER was born Septem-
ber 9, 1827, in Clinton County, Ohio.
At an early age he moved to Tazewell
County, Illinois. His immediate ancestors
were Quakers, and came from Guilford
County, North Carolina. His early life was
passed on a farm in the neighborhood of
Dillon. On the 6th day of November, 1851,
he was married to Malinda Stanley. For a
time they lived in Tazewell County, but aft-
erward moved to Whiteside County, Illi-
nois, and lived a few miles south of Coleta.
During the late war they moved to Pleasant
Plain, near the line of Jefferson and Wash-
ington counties, in Iowa. In 1870 they
moved to Shelby County, and in 1871 to
Harlan, the county seat. April 20, 1874,
Mr. Fisher was killed by the caving-in of a
well from which he was removing the curb-
ing. He was buried in the cemetery at
Harlan. Until his removal to Harlan Mr.
Fisher was engaged in farming, but after
this he was chiefly engaged in well-digging.
He was a man of more than usual intelli-
gence. He and his wife were members of
the church of the Disciples. Mrs. Fisher
was born in Highland County, Ohio, Sep-
tember 28, 1834. Her father is Thomas
Stanley, a native of Virginia, and her mother
is Rachel (Hoskins) Stanley, born in Clinton
County, Ohio. The Stanleys are of English
and the Hoskins of Welsh descent. Both of
Mrs. Fisher's parents reside at present in

HIOO RAP II fC A L X K ETGB BS.

327

Shelby County, Iowa. While a young girl
her father moved to Tazewell County, Illi-
nois. He remained there but a short time,
however, going to Louisa County, Iowa. He
attended the first land sale in the State of
Iowa, at Burlington. At that time the In-
dians were numerous, and would frequently
come into Mr. Stanley's cabin to smoke.
After several years' residence in Louisa County
Mr. Stanley moved to Whiteside County,
Illinois, in the Rock River country. To
Mr. and Mrs. Fisher were born four children
who reached maturity. The first three were
born in Whiteside County, Illinois, and the
youngest in Jefferson County, Iowa. Their
names and the times of their birth are as
follows: Ellen, born November 1, 1857;
Ellis, born March 9, 1860; Joel Melvin, born
August 18, 1862; William Robert, born July
13, 1865. The oldest was married in 1875,
and lias four children living — Frank, Mabel,
Thomas and Edna Hurless. Bessie and Katy
are dead. Mrs. Hurless resides at present in
Long Pine, Nebraska. Ellis Fisher is a farmer
in Brown County, Nebraska; he is also a
brickmason and plasterer, and aided in the
construction of most of the brick buildings
in Harlan. lie was married in December,
1888, to Miss Emma Barr, of Keya Paha
County, Nebraska. Joel M. is at this writing
a studentof Drake University, at Des Moines;
he is unmarried. William R. is a resident of
Douglas Township; he was married March
9, 1887, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Dotson, who
was born in Clarke County, Iowa, May 12,
1870. Her father is Pleasant Dotson, born
in Tennessee, near the Holston River; his
mother belonged to the Shelton family,
prominent in that region. The wife of Pleas-
ant Dotson was Mary Campbell, a native of
Kentucky. Mr. Dotson owns a large farm
nearKirkman. Ellis Harl, the one child of
Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, was born February 29,

1888. Mr. Fisher is at present engaged in
teaching school; he has taught two terms at
Kimballton, Audubon County, Iowa; three
terms in Jackson Township, Shelby County;
a part of one term near Bowman's Grove,
which he was prevented from finishing by
sickness; one term at Mount Zion, Audubon
County; one term in Brown County, Ne-
braska; he is now teaching his fourth term
at Hillside, Shelby County. Mr. Fisher was
for some time a compositor in the office of
the Harlan Hub, and of the Shelby County
Republican. He spent some time at Eureka
College in Illinois, also at Drake University,
Des Moines. At the age of eighteen he
published a small volume of poems. He has
contributed some to literary papers, and is
now engaged in writing a book of poems, of
which, at this date, December, 1888, 9,000
lines are completed. The work will consist
of original poems and translations from the
German and Danish-Norwegian lano-uao-es.
Malinda Fisher was married February 28,
1875, to William Porter. Mr. Porter is now
deceased. Dulciabel Porter was born April
1, 1876; Eleanora Porter was born Septem-
ber 23, 1877.

£ • 3"t * % " ~

f ON ATI! AN WYLAND was born in
Pennsylvania, January 1, 1797. His
father was Christian Wyland, whose an-
cestors came from Switzerland. When our
subject was a boy his parents moved to
Greene County, Ohio, where they followed
farming, having cleared a farm from out the
dense forests, a task that would now seem too
great to be undertaken by any one. Jonathan
learned the cooper's trade and worked at that
as well as farming. His first wife was Cath-
erine Plum, by whom one child was born,
named Washington. His second wife was

328

HISTORY OF SIIELBY COUNTY.

Elizabeth Van Ausdell, a native of Ohio; her
parents moved from New Jersey to Ohio and
were from Holland originally. After his
second marriage Mr. Wyland moved to Mer-
cer County, Ohio, where he remained until
1832 and then moved to Goshen, Elkhart
County, Indiana, where his wife died in 1858.
They reared a large family of sons and
daughters, named as follows — Catherine (de-
ceased), Rachel (deceased), William, Isaac P.,
Mary (deceased), Christian J., Lovina, Bar-
bara, Jasper Newton, who was a soldier from
Slielljy County, Iowa, member of Company
I, Ninth Iowa Cavalry, and who died from
wounds received July, 1804, at Duval's Bluff;
the other children are — David M., Thomas
Jefferson and Elizabeth. In Indiana Mr
Wyland followed farming and milling, own-
ing a woolen-mill, flouring mill and saw-mill
and carrying on an extensive business in both.
He first came to Shelby County in 1855 witli
his oldest son, William, and at that time en-
tered a large tract of laud, including a half
section in Shelby County and a full section
in Pottawattamie County; he afterward pur-
chased 200 acres in that county and a good
sized tract in what is now Shelby County, in
addition to that entered there. After enter-
ing this land he returned to Indiana and re-
mained until May, 1861, when he moved to
Shelby County, coming overland, bringing
his effects in three two-horse wagons and
driving several cows. The journey consumed
three weeks, and, like all journeys of that day,
was very tedious as there were no bridges and
very little improvement along the way. They
crossed the Mississippi at Davenport, Iowa.
Mr. Wyland furnished the means with which
to build the first saw-mill in the eastern part
of the county, the same being erected at
Bowman's Grove. It was put into operation
in 1857, the machinery being hauled by team
from Iowa City. While on his first trip to

Iowa our subject received a paralytic stroke
from which he had much trouble and which
finally caused his death, May 28, 1864, while
stopping with one of his daughters on a farm
four miles from Goshen, Indiana. He was a
man of rugged constitution and full of energy,
having always been a hard-worker at what-
ever he undertook to accomplish. He was a
faithful member of the Dunkard or German
Baptist church. He never sought public
office, but was one of the Elkhart County,
Indiana, commissioners for a term of fourteen
years. A number of his children are among
the most highly esteemed and public-spirited
men of Shelby County at the present time;
sketches of them will be found elsewhere in
this volume.

-♦' ! • ; *<?■

'ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, a native of
Guernsey County, Ohio, was born April
28, 18-49, and is the son of John and
Sarah (Luper) Campbell, natives of Ohio.
When there was a call fur men to defend this
nation's flag, John Campbell enlisted in
Company I, Eightieth Ohio Volunteer In-
fantry, in 1861. lie died in 1863, just after
the siege of Vicksburg. He had risen from
a private to the rank of Captain, and three
days after his death there came a commission
from the President promoting him to the
rank of Colonel. Alexander passed his youth
in farm work and in attending school. When
he was sixteen years old his mother came to
Iowa, and settled in Iowa County, where the
family resided two years. They then re-
moved to Jasper County and lived there
until 1880. In February of that year Mr.
Campbell purchased eighty acres of land in
Jefferson Township, Shelby County, and has
since here made his home. He has placed
the land, which was then unimproved, under

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

329

fine cultivation, and lias made many valuable
improvements' in the way of erecting build-
ings and planting groves. He has added to
his first purchase until he now owns 200
acres of land. He devotes himself to farm-
ing and stock-raising, and is making an effort
to produce a superior grade of hogs and
cattle. He is gradually reaching the summit
of his ambition in this direction. Mr. Camp-
bell had no capital to begin with excepting
his pluck and energy, and these have proved
superior in worth to dollars and cents. He
was the second child in a family of seven,
and when his father died the burden of the
family fell upon him and an older brother,
and well did they fill the place of protector
and care-taker. They educated their brothers
and sisters and kept the family together, and
much credit is due them for their efforts.
Mr. Campbell affiliates with the Republican
party, and represents his township officially
as justice of the peace, and is now serving
his second term. He is a member of the
Farmers' Alliance. He was married July 2,
1877, to Miss Emma Rorabaugh, daughter of
Israel and Jfhcebe (McQuillon) Rorabaugh,
natives of Pennsylvania. She was born in
Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, August 30,
1859. They are the parents of five children —
Myrtle, John, Jesse E., Frankie and Eliza-
beth G. They were brought up in the faith
of the U. P. and U. B. churches.

P. RORABAUGH was born in Clear-
field County, Pennsylvania, October
p® 26, 1857. He is the son of Israel and
Phoebe (McQuillin) Rorabaugh, natives of
Pennsylvania, who are now residents of Jas-
per County, Iowa. When our subject was
three years old his parents removed to Iowa
and settled in Jasper County. Here he was

reared to farm life, and educated in the pub-
lic schools. He was the seventh son and
seventh child in a family of twelve children,
of whom nine are still livin«r. When Mr.
Rorabaugh had attained his twenty-first year
he engaged in farming for himself, coming
to Shelby County, where he purchased a tract
of 120 acres of wild land in Jefferson Town-
ship. Here he has made many valuable im-
provements; he has erected a beautiful frame
residence, also barns for stock and grain, and
has planted a grove. He devotes himself to
agricultural pursuits exclusively, and is a
live, energetic man, standing in the front
ranks of Shelby County's rising young citi-
zens. Politically he affiliates with the Re-
publican party, lie is a member of the
Farmers' Alliance, and takes an active in-
terest in the welfare and advancement of the
community in which he lives. Mr. Rora-
baugh was united in marriage, January 3,
1887, to Miss Emma Shafenberg, a daughter
of Fred and Elizabeth (Cook) Shafenberg,
natives of Germany. She was born in Elk-
hart County, Indiana, March 28, 1863. Mr.
Rorabaugh and wife are the parents of one
child — Juanetia.

~*i | * S n ; . |n ~»~

js^SlILAS FRITZ was born in Butler Coun-
W ty, Pennsylvania, October 16, 1824,
*^p and is the son of Martin L. and Mary
(Huffman) Fritz, natives of Germany and
Pennsylvania, respectively. Until sixteen
years of age he lived on a farm in his native
State, and attended the subscription schools;
at that age he went to Ohio, where he re-
mained fourteen months, and then went to
Indiana, settling in Owen County — making
this his home for twenty-eight years. He
then removed to Missouri, and in 1870 he
came to Iowa and located in Palo Alto

330

III STOUT OF SHELBY COUNTY.

County. He next removed to Cass County,
and in 1874 lie came to Shelby County, since
then making his home in Jacksjn and Jeffer-
son townships. Mr. Fritz was married, .May
16, 1848, to Miss Letitia Arthur, daughter
of Reuben and Lavinia Arthur, who was born
in Kentucky, January 29, 1829. They are
the parents of ten children — R. A., M. L.,
Mary L., Joseph (deceased), S. B., E. M., A.
J., W. A., John P., and Sarah J. Politi-
cally, Mr. Fritz is a staunch supporter of the
Union Labor party. S. B. Fritz, the fifth
child of Silas and Letitia Fritz, was born in
Owen County, Indiana, February 22, 1857.
At the age of twelve years his parents re-
moved to Missouri, remaining there one year;
then they came to Iowa, locating in Palo
Alto County, and afterward lived in Cass
and Shelby counties. S. B., the subject of
this biography, was reared to farm life, and
educated in the common schools. After a
residence of two years in Shelby County he
went to the Black Hills, Dakota, remaining
there until 1881 engaged in mining for
gold. On his return to Shelby County in
1881 he rented a farm in the southern part
of the county for one year. At the expira-
tion of this time he came to Jefferson Town-
ship, and rented a farm for three years, and
then came to Botna, engaging in the mercan-
tile business; this he operated alone for about
diii' year, when lie established agraiu market
in connection with his mercantile interests.
lie has done an extensive business in grain,
his annual shipments reaching 350 cars. Mr.
Fritz is a live, energetic man, and has made
his way from the bottom of the ladder to his
present position. In the beginning of his
mercantile venture he carried a stock of $500,
and gradually increased it, until he now car-
ries £5,000 in a well-selected stock of goods.
Mr. Fritz has done much toward the building
up of Shelby County; he has erected some

good buildings and an elevator at Botna, and
has made other improvements which have
proven a benefit to the county. In January,
1889, he disposed of his mercantile and other
interests in Botna and removed to a farm in
section 15, Jefferson Township. Mr. Fritz
was married May 11, 1884, to Sarah Slisher,
daughter of Hero and Johanna Slisher, resi-
dents of Shelby County. Mrs. Fritz was
born in Peoria, Illinois, January 4, 1855.
They are the parents of two children — Helen
and Gracie. Mr. Fritz is a member of the
I. O. O. F. Politically he is a staunch
Democrat.

-:•-•:-

II. KEYES, a native of Sangamon
County, Illinois, was born February
° 4, 1840. He is a son of Gershom and
Matilda (Matheny) Keyes, and was reared to
farm life, receiving his education in the com-
mon schools. At the breaking out of the
late civil war, when there was a call for men
to defend the flag of this nation, Mr. Keyes
responded, enlisting in Company' B, Thirty-
third Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was
wounded March 28, 18(55, near Mobile, Ala-
bama, 'during the investing of Fort Spanish.
He was thus disabled for active service dur-
ing the remainder of the war. He partici-
pated in a number of hard-fought battles,
and after four years' service was discharged
as Sergeant, having entered as a private.
After the close of the rebellion he returned
to his native county, pursuing his old avoca-
tion — farming. He resided in Sangamon
and Christian counties until 1809, when he
removed to Bourbon County, Kansas; there
he lived until 1882, ^'hen he came to Shelby
County, and settled on section 9, of Greeley
Township. His farm consisted of eighty
acres of unimproved land, which he has

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

381

placed under good cultivation. lie has made
many valuable improvements in the way of
erecting buildings and planting groves. lie
has added to his first purchase forty acres
adjoining. lie devotes himself to farming
and stock-raising. Politically he is a staunch
Republican. He is a member of Phelps'
Post, No. 438, G. A. R. Mr. Keyes was
married August 8, 1871, to Miss Hattie
Burt, daughter of II. W. and Mary M. (Stain)
Burt. Mrs. Keyes was born in Dodge County,
Wisconsin, April 25, 1848. They are the
parents of two children — Gertie, born Decem-
ber 10, 1874, and Edwin C, born January
25, 1883. They are worthy and consistent
members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

— g-*Mf§-~

JB|OBERT PETERSON DAMMAND,

f Si photographer, Harlan, is a native of Den-
^t£\ mark, born in Horsens, September 6,
1855. He is a son of P. R. and Elizabeth
(Anderson) Dammand, natives of Denmark.
When he was thirteen years old his father
died. He was reared on a farm, and received
his education in the common schools of his
country, which he attended until he was four-
teen years old. After leaving school he went
on the farm, and remained a year and a half;
then he went to the city of Horsens, where
he engaged in various occupations until he
came to America in 1873. He landed at
Portland, Maine, and went from there to
Montreal, Canada; he then went to Racine,
Wisconsin, where he engaged in a wagon
factory. He worked at this for some time,
and then went on a farm, where he staid for
a year and a half and then returned to his
native country. There he worked at the car-
penter's trade for three years, and afterward
attended school for awhile. At the age of
twenty-two he entered the army, according to

the requirements of the Danish government,
and served for fifteen months. After leaving
the army he began the study of the photog-
rapher's art, and served an apprenticeship
of eight months, when his employer died,
and he again returned to his former trade of
carpentering. He worked at that until 1880,
when he, accompanied by his mother and
sisters, came to America and settled in Story
City, Iowa. Here Mr. Dammand remained
four months, when he went to Des Moines
and engaged in photography. Here he re-
mained three years, and then went to Hough-
ton, Michigan, where he resided one year.
January 10, 1885, he came to Harlan and
purchased the gallery of F. Reynolds, and
has since been doing a profitable and satis-
factory business. Mr. Dammand was united
in marriage August 11, 1887, to Mrs. Lettie
Potter, who was a native of Whiteside
County, Illinois, and a daughter of Frederick
Hille. Mr. and Mrs. Dammand are the
parents of one child — Vera Lenore. Mrs.
Dammand is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and Mr. Dammand is a
member of the Danish Lutheran church.
Politically he is independent.

~:»-^

fUDGE NATHAN W. MACY, Harlan,
has been identified with the interests of
Shelby County since the autumn of 1879.
He is a native of Indiana, born in Henry
County, March 25, 1848; he is a son of
Nathan and Jane (Wilson) Macy, natives of
North Carolina. Nathan Macy, Sr., came
to Henry County about the year 1830, and
was married there; he followed farming until
1862, when he emigrated to Cedar County,
Iowa, where he passed the remainder of his
days; he died in 1868, aged sixty-five
years. The mother died in Indiana in

332

HISTORY OF SUE LB Y COUNTY.

1857, at the age of forty-two years. Na-
thau W. Macy spent his youth in assisting
his father on the farm and in attending the
puhlic schools. At the age of fourteen he
came to Cedar County, Iowa, where he at-
tended school, and graduated from the Nor-
mal and classical department of the State
University at Iowa City. In 1873 and 1874
he was principal of the schools at West Lib-
erty, Iowa. lie began the study of his pro-
fession in 1874, and graduated in 1875; he
commenced the practice of law in the fall of
1875, in Adel, Dallas County, with the firm
of Willard & Calvert; the firm was known as
Willard, Calvert & Macy. In the fall of
1876 Mr. Macy abandoned his profession on
account of weakness of his eyes. For three
years he was principal of the schools at Wesl
Branch, Cedar County. In the fall of 1879
he came to Harlan, and formed a partnership
with Mr. D. W. Smith, the firm being Macy
& Smith. After one year Mr. Smith was ap-
pointed deputy State treasurer, ami withdrew
from the firm. In November, 1882, Mr.
Macy formed a partnership with Mr. Gam-
mon, which continued until Mr. Macy was
elected judge of the Fifteenth Judicial Dis-
trict, comprising Fremont, Page, Montgom-
ery, Mills, Pottawattamie, Case, Shelby and
Audubon counties, when the partnership was
dissolved. Mr. Macy was married October 5,
1875, to Miss Eunice Chambers, a native of
Ohio, and a daughter of John Chambers. By
this union one child was born, that died in in-
fancy. Mr. and Mr6. Macy are members of the
Society of Friends. Mr. Macy is a Republican.

- - " I ' fr 'Hf"— •

^ANIEL W. CHASE, grocer, of Harlan,
came to Shelby County in the fall of
1879. He is a native of New York,
born in Oneida County, November 10, 1849.

He is a son of Oliver T. Chase, a native of
the same county and a son of Seth Chase, a
descendant of William Chase, who was one
of three brothers who came from England in
1670 and settled in Brattleboro, Vermont.
During the latter part of the last century the
Chase family settled in Otsego County, New
York. The subject of this sketch is one of
the ninth generation. His father, Oliver T.,
followed farming in New York until he emi-
grated to Iowa in 18S0. He was married in
1843 to Miss Philena "Walling, a native of
New York, born in Columbia County. She
was a daughter of Ebenczer Walling. The
ancestors of Mr. Chase, on the paternal side,
were from England, and from Holland on the
maternal side. He and his wife were the
parents of three children, all of whom survive
— George B., of Dawes County, Nebraska;
Daniel W. and Newton H. As before stated,
the family came to Harlan in 1879, where
the father died March 24, 1882, at the age of
sixty-four years. Mrs. Chase still lives in
Harlan. They were both members of the
Baptist church. Mr. Chase was an old-line
Whig, but upon the organization of the Re-
publican party he cast his suffrage with that
party. Daniel W., the subject of this sketch,
was reared on a farm and received his educa-
tion in the common schools. He lived with
his parents until he reached his majority.
He was married December 4", 1871, to Miss
Malissa Bornt, a native of Otsego County,
New York. By this union one child was
born — Etta M. Chase. Mrs. Chase died July
29, 1875. In the fall of 1875 Mr. Chase
took a trip through the west. February 8,
1876, he was again married to Miss Nellie
Cady, a native of Ypsilanti, Michigan. By
this marriage two children were born — Kitty
Belle and Rosalie. Mr. Chase engaged in
the grocery business when he came to Har-
lan, and has built up a large and profitable

UIOGRAPIIIVAI SKETCHES.

333

trade. He is the leading grocer of Harlan.
Mr. Chase occupies the corner store in the
Opera-House Block, and carries a large stock
of groceries and queensware. He and his
wife are members of the Baptist church. He
is a Republican.

-' "| « }"! ' %» ■•"

;AVID B. SHELLEE, of the firm of
Sheller & Phelps, real-estate, loans and
abstracts, at Harlan, was born in Carroll
County, Illinois, September 6, 1853. He is
a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Butterbaugh)
Sheller, both natives of Pennsylvania, and of
German ancestry. Mr. Sheller was reared on
a farm, receiving a common-school education.
He resided with his parents until he was
twenty-three years old. In December, 1875,
he came to Iowa, and accepted a posi-
tion in the Dallas Bank, of Dallas Centre,
Iowa, where he remained until March 22,
1880; he then came to Harlan and formed
a partnership with J. I. Myerly, and
engaged in his present business. In Jan-
uary, 1882, Mr. J. W. Harrod became asso-
ciated with the firm, which was then known
as Myerly, Sheller & Harrod. The business
was thus continued until the following June,
when Mr. Myerly withdrew, and the busiuess
was continued by Sheller & Harrod. Jan-
uary 25, 188'/, Mr. Harrod withdrew, and
Mr. Sheller continued alone until the follow-
ing November, when he took Mr. D. Phelps
as a partner. The firm is now known as
Sheller & Phelps; they transact a successful
business, principally in abstracts, loans and
real-estate. Mr. Sheller was married No-
vember 6, 1880, to Miss Theda Allen, a
native of Wisconsin, and a daughter of W.
T. and Julia Allen. Mrs. Sheller is a mem-
ber and zealous worker in the Congregational
church. Mr. Sheller is a member of the A.

E. & A. M., Parian Lodge, No. 321; Oli-
vet Chapter, No. 107; Mount Zion Command-
ery, No. 49; and Lebanon Chapter, Order of
the Eastern Star, No. 8. He has been sec-
retary of the Shelby County Agricultural
Society 6ince 1885, and is now secretary of
Harlan Business Association, and secretary
and treasurer of Western Iowa Poultry
and Pet Stock Association.

.^S^,, ; . ? ,..^

^ON. M. K. CAMPBELL, Cashier of the
Shelby County Bank. In looking
through the histories of the body of re-
sponsible men of the country, the men who
turn the wheel, we find that the majority of
them either lived until early manhood, or
else through boyhood, upon a farm. So it
will seem that no fault can be found with
the influence that early communion with Nat-
ure has upon the full years of manhood. M.
K. Campbell, the subject of this biography,
has been found well equipped and fully equal
to the duties that have devolved upon him,
and Shelby County has not been the loser
thereby; her interests have been identical
with his since 1873, when became to Shelby
County to live. Mr. Campbell was born in
the Buckeye State, Belmont County, Novem-
ber 1, 1837; he is a son of William and Mary
(Kerr) Campbell, who were formerly from
Pennsylvania, and of Scotch descent. When
only a small boy he came to Iowa with Will-
iam Ramodge, with whom he made his home
until he went into the army. He first set-
tled in Jasper County, engaging in various
pursuits; he attended the Central University,
Pilla, Iowa, and taught school for a time.
At the breaking out of the civil war he re-
sponded to the call for defenders of our na-
tion's flag. He enlisted July 14, 1861, in
the Fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company

334

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

B. After the regiment was organized at
Burlington, they went to Keokuk, and then
to Missouri, where they remained until the
following spring, when they went south. Mr.
Campbell participated in the following bat-
tles: New Madrid, Missouri, Iuka, Corinth,
and the expedition down the Yazoo Pass;
during this march, in the spring of 1863, he
contracted a malarial fever, which unfitted
him for duty for the rest of his term of serv-
ice, lie was honorably discharged in Aug-
ust, 1864. He returned to Jasper County,
and was married September 6, 1864, to Miss
Mary E. Currier, a native of Indiana, and a
daughter of Rev. Joshua Currier. He en-
gaged in the mercantile business until he
came to Shelby County, in the autumn of
1873; he then settled upon an unimproved
tract of land in Lincoln Township, one and a
half miles from Harlan, where J. II. Lewis
now lives; here he improved a farm of 160
acres, and resided until 1881, when he re-
moved to Harlan. He then engaged in the
land business for a short time, and in De-
cember, 1880, he aided in the organization of
one of Shelby County's solid institutions,
the Shelby County Bank. He was chosen
one of the directors, and in August, 1883, lie
was elected cashier of the bank, and has since
held this position. In 1876 Mr. Campbell
was elected by the Republican party to rep-
resent the counties of Shelby, Cass, Adair
and Audubon in the Sixteenth General As-
sembly, serving one term. Mr. and Mrs.
Campbell were the parents of three children,
one of whom survives — CarlC, who is being
educated at Grinnell College; Gracie died
when four years of age, and Fanny, at the age
of nineteen years, while attending Tabor Col-
lege. Mrs. Campbell was called from her
husband and children to her last rest, in Feb-
ruary, 1882. She was a worthy member of
the Baptist church. Mr. Campbell was united

in marriage to Miss Bertha Todd, of Tabor,
Iowa, September 27, 1884; she is a daughter
of the Rev. John Todd. Mr. and Mrs. Camp-
bell are both active and worthy members of
the Congregational church. Politically Mr.
Campbell lends his support to the Republi-
can party.

(3 * • &)

HARROD, ex clerk of the Shelby
County Court, has been identified with
° the interests of the county since his
residence here, which began in July, 1871.
He was born in Knox County, Ohio, Jnly 12,
1843, and is a son of John and Rachel (Veatch)
Harrod, natives of Pennsylvania. The former
was born in Washington County, and is a son
of Michael Harrod, of English ancestry; the
latter was born in Greene County — a daugh-
ter of Nathan Veatch, of Scotch descent.
John Harrod settled in Knox County, Ohio,
in 1814, where he claimed a farm from out
the heart of the forest; here he remained
to the end of his earthly career, follow-
ing agricultural pursuits. He departed this
life May 26, 1879 at the age of seven-
ty-two years. He ami his wife were the
parents of eleven children, nine of whom
grew to maturity, and eight of whom still
survive. Mrs. Harrod still lives on the old
homestead, at the advanced age of eighty-
three years. BL. Harrod, the subject of this
sketch, was reared on a farm, and received
liis education in the common schools; he re-
mained with his parents until his majority.
In 1865 he came to Iowa, and settled on a
farm, that was unimproved, in Poweshiek
County, where he remained until January,
1871. lie then came to Shelby County, and
settled in Shelby, engaging in general mer-
cantile business; he followed this alone for a
year and a half, when his brother became as-

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

335

sociated with hi in, and the firm was known
as Harrod Brothers. This firm continued
until the summer of 187G, when they sold
out. II. Harrod then occupied himself in
dealing in stock for about one year, at the
end of which time he returned to his home,
and cared for his father and the home farm
until the death of his father; he settled the
estate, and returned to Iowa in 1884. He
purchased 240 acres of improved land in
Lincoln Township, section 22, and followed
farming until he was elected clerk of the
court, in the fall of 1886. He has attended
to the duties of this office in connection with
his farm work, directing special attention to
stock-raising. Mr. Harrod was married Sep-
tember 27, 1868, to Miss Harriet L. Shearer,
a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of
John and Sarah (Snell) Shearer, both of Ger-
man descent. They were the parents of four
children — Charles E., John Sherman, Mary
L. and Ada E. He and his wife are mem-
bers of the Christian church. Charles E. and
John Sherman are also members of the Chris-
tian church. Politically Mr. Harrod affil-
iates with the Republican party. When
residing in Shelby he was appointed post-
master under President Grant's administra-
tion, and served for two years.

-5nf«

^WIGHT TERRILL, farmer and stock-
raiser, section 1, Harlan Township, is
the oldest living settler in the eastern
part of Shelby County, Iowa, having come
here in August, 1853. He is a native
of Ohio, born in Lorain County, July 8,
1830. He is a son of Horace J. and Minerva
(McNeal) Terrill, natives of Connecticut.
Hwight Terrill's grandfather was the first set-
tler in Ridgeville Township, Lorain County,
Ohio, and an aunt of his was the first white

woman who settled in Ridgeville Town-
ship. His parents were reared and married
in Lorain County, and there reared their own
family of thirteen childreu, of whom eight
still survive. Dwight was fourteen years old
when his family removed to the Territory of
Iowa, and settled in Monroe County, where
he made a claim ; here the mother died. The
father died in Sullivan County, Missouri.
When thirteen years of age, our subject started
out to seek his own fortune; he worked on a
farm in Monroe County for two months, and
then went to Ray County, Missouri, where he
worked on a farm, receiving from §8 to $10
per month for his labor. He then returned
to Iowa, and engaged in various occupations
until his marriage to Miss Louisa Tinsley, in
February, 1853. Miss Tinsley was a native
of Indiana, and a daughter of Thomas Tins-
ley, who was among the pioneers of Iowa.
The following fall Mr. and Mrs. Terrill re-
moved to what is now Shelby County, and
took a claim, which they purchased at the
first government land sale. Mr. Terrill after-
ward entered 120 acres more, which he began
to improve. Mrs. Terrill died September 23,
1853. Mr. Terrill was again married, No-
vember 15, 1854, to Miss Catherine Bowman,
a daughter of Leonard Bowman, who was a
native of Pennsylvania; he drifted west with
civilization, and settled in Iowa; Bowman's
Grove is named for him. Mrs. Terrill was
born in Elkhart County, Indiana; her father
died in June, 1877, at the age of eighty-three
years. Mr. Terrill resided upon his farm,
which he improved and sold in 1862, and
removed to Cass County, Nebraska; here he
resided four years. He then went to Taylor
County, Iowa, and settled on a farm on the
Missouri line, half of the farm lying in Mis-
souri ; here he resided for eight years and sold
out, and returned to Shelby County. Here
he purchased his home farm of 320 acres; it

336

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

is well-improved and is in a fine state of cul-
tivation. Mr. and Mrs. Terrill are the parents
of four children, three of whom still survive
— Asa, of Taylor County, Iowa; Minerva,
(deceased), wife of Charles Gish; Daniel, of
this county, and Leora. Politically, Mr.
Terrill affiliates with the Democratic party.
He is a self-made man, and by his industry
and exertion has accumulated a large property,
which he uses to the best advantage in sur-
rounding himself and family with all the
comforts of life. In the late civil war he
enlisted April, 18(53, in the Second Nebraska
Cavalry, Company F, and served in northern
Dakota. He participated in one hard-fought
battle with the Indians. He served nine
months, and was honorably discharged in
December, 1863. He was mustered out of
the service at Nebraska City.

S ' ^ ' t ' S

ORfcNZO D. SUNDERLAND, farmer
ami stock-raiser, Harlan Township, is
one of the oldest settlers on the ea6t
side of Shelby County, lie is a native of
Ohio, born in Fayette County, June 24, 1825,
and is the son of Francis D. and Permelia
(Knight) Sunderland, natives of Virginia,
who came to Ohio at an early day. The
father died when Lorenzo D. was an infant.
At the age of six years he was taken to the
home of one Nathan Coffman, with whom he
lived until he grew to manhood. March 12,
1849, he, with several friends, made up a
company to go to California. They went to
St. Joseph, Missouri, where they organized,
and started with mule teams, May 1, 1849.
One hundred and four days were consumed
iu crossing the plains, in which time they
encountered storms and Indians, with whom
they had considerable trouble. They landed
at Auburn, on the north fork of the Ameri-

can River. They started with 104 men, and
reorganized twice on the journey, and arrived
in California with four teams. Their tent
was the second one pitched in that part of
the country. On his arrival Mr. Sunderland
engaged in mining, which he followed suc-
cessfully until the next June. He then re-
turned to Ohio by way of the Isthmus of
Panama and New York, being the first per-
son to bring gold from California mines to
New York. The gold dust was taken to the
mint at Philadelphia and coined. Mr. Sun-
derland still lias the receipt from the govern-
ment for the gold. He remained in Ohio
some time after his arrival, and then went to
Howard County, Indiana, and purchased 100
acres of land, with the intention of farming
it. lie was married June 29, 1851, to Miss
Mary E. Lucas, a native of Ross County,
Ohio, and a daughter of the Rev. Richard
and Mary F. ( Kirkendall) Lucas, of German
descent. After his marriage he sold his farm
in Indiana, and removed with his father-in-
law's family to Champaign County, Illinois.
I Lie he purchased eighty acres of partially
improved land, and resided upon it for one
year. In February, 1852, he went to Kains-
ville, now Council Bluffs, and then came to
Shelby County and entered eighty acres of
good land. He built a cabin and made some
hay. In the spring of 1*54 he removed his
family to this place. He afterward entered
'J ID acres of government land, and has en-
gaged in agricultural pursuits. He now owns
a landed estate of 780 acres of improved
land in a high state of cultivation. He has
also assisted his children to procure homes of
their own. Mr. and Mrs. Sunderland are the
parents of ten children, of whom eight are
still living — Nevada Frrett, wife of William
II. Frrett; Leroy and Leora Sunderland;
Nancy -lane Knelt, wife of Z. T. Frrett;
Juliette Bates, wife of Abner Kates; William

C/Jv/coxfU < p. JOs^^d^C^vwi:

Jv^ v oU K ^^^^nolpi^^n^^.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Sunderland; Lucy Firebaugh, wife of Frank
Firebaugh; Belle Westrope, wife of O. D.
Westrope; C. N. Sunderland and Ida May
Sunderland. Leroy and Leora Sunderland
were twins, born June 23, 1855, and both
are now dead. Leroy died when he was one
and one-half years old, and Leora died when
she was seventeen years, eight months and
seventeen days old. Mr. Sunderland was the
first school director in the county. In 1864
he was elected sheriff, and served one year
and a half. He was deputy sheriff for several
years. He was one of the promoters of the
Agricultural Society, and has been a director
since its organization. He is a charter mem-
ber of the Farmers' Alliance, and was its first
vice-president. He is a member of the I. O.
O. F., Harlan Lodge, No. 264. His politi-
cal sympathy is with the Democratic party,
having cast his first vote for Lewis Cass.
Mr. Sunderland makes a specialty of Pole
Angus stock. He now has a herd of thirty-
two head, of which six head are full-blooded.

" & • ? " £ •

IILL1AM B. McGOPJtISK, grain
dealer, Harlan, is a native of Illi-
nois, born in La Salle County, Octo-
ber 31, 1857. He is a son of E. J. and Mary
McGorrisk. E. J. McGorrisk was born in
Ireland, County of Armagh. He came to
America when about sixteen years of age,
and settled in Montreal, Canada, where he
studied medicine and afterward practiced his
profession for a time. He went to Galena,
Illinois, where he practiced awhile, and then
settled in Seneca, Illinois. Here he married
Mary, daughter of Jeremiah Grotty, a pio-
neer of La Salle County, who built the canal
from Joliet to Peru, Illinois, and also laid
out the town of Seneca. He was a native o'
Cork, Ireland, and after coming to this coun -

try resided in Maryland until he removed to
Illinois. Mr. McGorrisk's parents moved to
Iowa in 1858, and settled in Des Moines,
where the father practiced his profession.
William B. passed his youth in this city, at-
tending the public schools, until the death of
hie mother in 1870. He then went to Seneca,
Illinois, and remained there for four years.
He then went to Notre Dame, South Bend,
Indiana, and graduated from this institution
in 1882. He had no settled occupation until
1883, when he engaged in the grain business,
which he followed successfully for two years
in Harlan. At the end of this time he sold
out, and was away from Harlan until January,
1889, when he returned and purchased the
elevator known as No. 1. Mr. McGorrisk
was married September 19, 1887, to Miss
Harriet M. Hunt, a daughter of Daniel and
Harriet M. Hunt, of Avoca, and a native
of Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. McGorrisk are the
parents of one child — Anna Hunt McGor-
risk. Mr. McGorrisk is a member of the
lioman Catholic church. In his political
thought and action he is independent.

►*-**

j||ENTIIUS BILLETEPv (deceased) was
one of the pioneers of Shelby County,
He was a native of Kentucky, born in
Elkhart County, September 12, 1820, and a
son of Levi and Mary (Patterson) Billeter, of
Scotch ancestry. He was reared on a farm,
and remained with his parents until he was
eighteen years old, when he began work for
himself by splitting rails. When he was
quite young the family removed to Ohio,
and then to Clay County, Indiana, where he
grew to manhood. He was married in 1840
to Miss Susanna Beauchamp, a native of In-
diana, and a daughter of David Beauchamp,
who came from England to the United

342

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

States. After his marriage Mr. Billeter set-
tled on a farm near Terre Hante, Indiana,
where lie resided until 1856, when he emi-
grated to western Iowa, lie first settled in
Harrison County, and then removed to Ne-
braska, but did not remain there long on
account of the Indians. In the spring of
1858 he cauie to Shelby County, and bought
160 acres of unimproved land. He had sev-
eral head of oxen which he fattened and sold
to pay for his land; after the payment was
made he had three cents left, but by hard
work and close attention to his business he
soon had the farm under good cultivation.
His father settled in Harrison County, and
remained there the balance of bis days. He
added to his land until he had 360 acres in
a high state of cultivation. Mr. and Mrs.
Billeter were the parents of seven children,
who still survive. Susanna died at the age
of eighteen months. The other children are
— Sarah, wife of Byrnm Helm, of Taylor
County, Mary, wife of L. L. Jarvis, of Har-
lan; Jackson, of Brown County, Nebraska;
Levi Penthus, William II. and John. Mr.
and Mrs. Billeter were members of the
Dunkard church. Mrs. Billeter died May
14, 1873, aged fifty-three years; Mr. Billeter
departed this life November 6, 1886, at the
age of sixty-six years. Levi J.illeter, son of
Penthus Billeter, was born in Harrison
County, Iowa, December 3, 1856. When he
was two years old his parents came to Shelby
County. He was reared on a farm, and re-
sided witli his parents until their death. He
received his education in theconimon schools.
Be was married August 26, 1886, to Miss
Lllie McAnelly, a native of Iowa County,
Iowa, a daughter of Moses and Mary Mr
Anelly, who came to this county in 1881.
After his marriage Mr. Billeter settled on a
part of the old homestead, where he has a
fine farm of eighty acres. Mr. and Mrs. Bill-

eter are the parents of one child — Earl
Raymond. Politically Mr. Billeter affiliates
with the Democratic party.

fcEV. WILLIAM McGINNESS is one
.x of the prominent pioneers of Shelby
County, having been identified with its
history since 1856. He is a native of Ken-
tucky, born in Campbell County, September
25, 1814. He is a son of William anil Mary
(Mitcheltree) McGinness. The father was
burn in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and
was a son of Samuel McGioness, who came to
this country with eleven brothers and cousins,
and settled in Philadelphia. Here Samuel
McGinness followed the trade of a baker
until the beginning of the revolutionary war,
when he enlisted in defense of his adopted
country; he served five years and six months
under General Washington. The father of
our subject, William McGinness, was reared
in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and was
there married to Mary Mitcheltree, a daugh-
ter of George Mitcheltree, who came from
County Tyrone, Ireland, when Mary (Mrs.
McGinness) was a young lady. William
McGinnesa ami wife resided in Pennsylvania
until after the birth of two children, when
they emigrated to Nicholas County, and
thence to Campbell County, Kentucky, in
1811, where they resided until 1817. They
then removed to Switzerland County, In-
diana, and afterward to Hancock County.
Indiana, where the mother died in 1831 and
the father in 1833. They were the parents
of ten children, five sons and five daughters,
of whom William is the youngest. Our sub-
ject was reared to farming pursuits, and re-
sided with his parents until their death, when
he inherited the home place. Here he lived
until 1837, with the exception of one year

BIOGRA riIIC'.-lL SKETCH EB.

343

spent on the Ohio River. In March, 1838,
he started west, coming up the Mississippi
River and landing at Pine Creek. He set-
tled in the Blackhawk purchase, then Wis-
consin Territory, which was organized into
Iowa Territory the following fourth of July.
Afterward he took up a claim in what is now
Linn County, and hroke and improved fifty
acres, which he sold in 1839. William
McGinness was married May 2, 1840, to
Miss Mary Donehoo, a native of Clayborn
County, Virginia, and a daughter of John
and Keziah (Yehne) Donehoo. In 1839 Mrs.
McGinness's parents moved to Iowa. After
his marriage William McGinness engaged in
the saw-mill business, and in 1844 he removed
to Wapello County, Iowa, where he took a
claim, which he improved and sold, and
again entered 200 acres of wild land in
Adams Township. Here he built the third
cabin in the township, and improved the
place, and resided upon it until 1852. He
then started west, going to Kainsville, now
Council Bluffs, with four yoke of oxen,
which were stolen from him. He there
bought a claim and sold it, and rented laud,
and earned the money with which he bought
his present farm in Shelby County. The
farm contained 140 acres, and cost $6.60 per
acre. In the fall of 1856 Mr. McGinnis
moved into the cabin on his place, which
already sheltered one family, and thirteen
people lived one winter in this cabin, 12 x 14
feet. Here Mr. McGinness has since resided,
improving his place, and making a comfort-
able home. In 1858 he was licensed to
preach in the Methodist Episcopal church,
which he joined in 1833. He is one of the
pioneer preachers, and has held services in
thirty-five school-houses, in the old court-
house, in the present court-house, and in the
churches. He has organized three classes.
He has been present at the celebration of our

national independence, July 4th, since 1838;
at that time there were only three people to
celebrate. In 1861 he went to Central City,
Colorado, and returned the following fall.
Mr. and Mrs. McGinness are the parents of
ten children — two sons and eight daughters.
Eight lived to maturity, and five still survive
— Mary, Emily, Sarah (deceased), Henry M.,
John A., Nancy J. (deceased), Ellen, Hattie,
and one child who died in infancy. Mr.
McGinness has served in local offices of trust
and responsibility. Politically, he affiliates
with the Republican party; he was formerly
an old-line Whig, and cast his first presiden-
tial vote for Scott.

-■■ g . Mi . g ..>.

EORGE K. PATTERSON, of Harlan,
is a native of Iowa, born in Marion
County, December 10, 1860; he is a son
of H. W. Patterson, a native of Ohio, born in
Athens County in 1836; his father was Moses
Patterson, who was among the pioneers of
Ohio, and of Scotch and Irish ancestry. H.
W. Patterson was reared on a farm in his na-
tive country, receiving a common-school edu-
cation. He was married to Miss Eleanor
Carder, a native of Connecticut, and a daugh-
ter of Henry Carder, of Puritan ancestry. In
1857 they emigrated to Iowa and settled in
Marion County; here Mr. Patterson followed
farming until the breaking out of the late
war. In 1862 he enlisted in the Thirty-third
Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company A, serv-
ing until the close of the war, when he re-
turned to Marion County. In the fall of 1865
he removed to Chariton, Lucas County, where
he remained two years; from this place he
went to Dallas County where he resided one
year. In the spring of 1869 he came to
Shelby County and purchased a farm in Har-
lan Township, in Bowman's Grove; he im-

344

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

proved this place and lived upon it until 1873,
when he moved to Jackson Township, where
he lived until he was elected sheriff, in the
fall of 1881; he then moved to Harlan and
served one year, when he was taken ill and
died December 19, 1882. His wife still sur-
vives and lives in Harlan. They were the
parents of ten children, five of whom are liv-
ing — George K., Moses H., Chandler ft.,
Caroline and Ota. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson
were members of the Baptist church. Mr.
Patterson was a member of the Republican
party. The boyhood of our subject, George
K., was spent in the manner of most youths
living on a farm. lie was nine years old
when he came to Shelby County, and re-
mained at home until the death of his father.
In the autumn of 1882 he began to learn the
trade of a barber, serving an apprenticeship;
he afterward worked as a journeyman, and in
the spring of 1885 purchased the shop where
he had learned his trade. Here he worked for
a year and a half, and then sold out and worked
as a journeyman for a short time; he then
bought an interest in his present shop, and in
1887 he bought out his partner, and is doing
a thriving business, lie was married Sep-
tember 7, 1884, to Miss Anna Clark, a native
of Tipton, Iowa. They are the parents of two
children — Edna May and George; both of
these children died in December, 1887, the
younger being taken the 7th, and the older
the 19th; both died of diphtheritic croup.

-... go .. ! . ; ..-

S. CROFT, a native of Coshocton County,
Ohio, was born May 28, 1846, the son
I* of Geo. W. and Mary M. (Saner) Croft.
When eight years old he came to Iowa with
his parents, who located in Dubiupie County,
on a farm; subsequently they removed to
Franklin County, Iowa, and in 1865 removed to

Page County, remaining something over two
years; thence our subject made a trip to Wy-
oming Territory, where he spent about two
years and a half, after which he returned to
Page County. September 18, 1876, he was
married to Alice Steel, daughter of Eli and
Mary Steel; she was born April 25, 1860.
They are the parents of six children — Lloyd
O, Bertha E., Ida M., Lee J., Roy B., Nora
E., all of whom are at home. Mr. Croft
came to Shelby County in 1876, and located
on an unimproved farm of 160 acres in sec-
tion 24 in Douglas Township; this he has
cultivated and improved until he has a beau-
tiful home with a fine farm residence and
barn for stock and grain. lie has labored
hard and diligently in preparing this home,
and merits the approval of all. He holds the
esteem and confidence of his neighbors, as is
shown by their choosing him to officiate in
the many township offices. He has held the
office of township trustee, served on the
school board, and is present assessor. He
takes an active interest in politics, and is a
strong supporter of the Republican party.
He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance.

— S - 1 .. I - 8 -. —

HgENTHUS BILLETER is an exception to
most of the persons mentioned in this
history, in this, that he is an lowan by
birth, and not by adoption. He was born in
Shelby County, November 9, 1858, and is a
son of Penthus Billeter, whose biography ap-
pears elsewhere in this volume. Penthus, Jr.,
was reared on the old homestead, and his
youth was spent in assisting his father, and in
attending school. He was married February
13, 1883, to Miss Emma White, a native of
Whiteside County, Illinois, a daughter of
Michael White, of Irish descent. After his
marriage Mr. Billeter rented land from place

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

345

to place until 1885, when he removed to the
homestead, where he carried on farming,
making a specialty of Poland hogs. The farm
contains 211 acres. Mr. and Mrs. Billeter
are the parents of one child — Stella. Politi-
cally Mr. Billeter affiliates with the Demo-
cratic party.

£ * !"[ • %)

»NTHONY McKEEVER, a native of
La Grange County, Indiana, was born
August 27, 18§8^-"He is the son of
Reuben and Jane (Umphries) McKeever,
natives of Virginia and Ohio. When An-
thony was thirteen years of age he came with
his parents to Jasper County, Iowa, locating
on a farm, and as a farmer he was reared.
His education, which was received in the
common schools, was very limited, as his
services were needed at home on the farm.
Deprived as he was of the' usual amount of
schooling in his youthful days, and realizing
the need of such improvement, he has applied
himself untiringly in the endeavor to secure
a practical education; in this he has been
quite successful, and you will find him to-day
equal, if not superior, to many who were more
favored aud had all the advantages of a
thorough course in some of the best schools.
September 9, 1861, he was married to Cassie
Ann Green, a native of Illinois, who died
August 26, 1880. This union resulted in the
birth of nine children — "William, Mary I.,
Charles P. (deceased), Frank, Cynthia (de-
ceased), Maud, Thomas, Harvey (deceased)
and Henry E. He married again November
14, 1881, Mary J. Miller, daughter of Lydia
Ogdon; she was born in Wells County, Indi-
ana, October 3, 1857. In the spring of 1880
he came to Shelby County and purchased in
section 1, Douglas Township, a farm of 320
acres of unimproved land. This he has placed

under good cultivation. He has one of the
finest farm residences in the county; every-
thing is neat and tasty, and bespeaks the thrift
and energy of the owner. Mr. McKeever
takes great pride in his stock, of which he
keeps a good supply. On his farm will be
found a herd of the finest swine, of the Poland
China stock, and in his stable can be found a
rare specimen of a horse of the Norman breed.
His stock are all beauties, and show the care
and attention they receive. October 5, 1862,
he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-second
Volunteer Infantry, and for three years did
valiant service in defense of his country. He
participated in a number of battles, among
which were the siege of Vicksburg, Port
Gibson, Jackson, Mississippi, Champion Hills,
Black River, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Cedar
Creek, etc.; at the last-named battle he was
wounded in the right eye, which has caused
him much annoyance and suffering. He is
a member of the G. A. R., Irwin Post.

If^ENRY HAMDORF was born in IIol-
stein, Germany, July 1, 1848; lie is the
son of Hans C. and Mary E. Hamdorf.
He was reared to farm life and received his
education in the common schools of his coun-
try ; he worked in the manufacturing of cheese
and at the cooper's trade. When he was
about twenty years of age he came to America,
and stopped in Philadelphia for a short time,
to look into business in this country, and see
if the habits and customs of the American
people would suit him well enough to remain
here. His investigations proved satisfactory
to him, so he engaged in farming for one year
in Pennsylvania. He then came to Iowa and
located near Davenport, where he farmed for
about eight years. He came to Shelby County
in 1876, and lived in Fairview Township for

346

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

four years; then he came to his present home
in section 20, Douglas Township. He pur-
chased 200 acres of wild prairie land, which
never had any improvement previous to his
coming to it; this he has placed under good
cultivation and improved, until he has to-day
one of the finest farms in the county. He has
planted about two acres of grove. He has a
good, comfortable house, and barns for stock
and grain; he spends his time in farming and
stock-raising. Mr. Hamdorf is inclined toward
the principles of the Republican party.
He was married February 28, 1872, to Mary
Vogt, daughter of Max Henry and Anna
Vogt. She was born July 9, 1848, in Hol-
stein, Germany, and came to America in
1870. They have nine children — Fritz,
Henry, Ainial, William, Louie, Ella, Rosa,
Laura and Gustav. Mr. and Mrs. Hamdorf
were brought up in the Lutheran church, and
their children are being reared in the Method-
ist Episcopal faith. They had many hard-
ships in their early life in this country, but
they labored hard to secure for themselves
a home, whicli they have and are as well
situated as an}' family in the county, and are
among the most respected citizens.

M. WYLAND. — In these days one
hears the cries of specialties and special
a training; and cries against dissipating
one's forces, and scattering one's energies in
many directions; and that concentration is
necessary to secure success. This may be
true, for times have changed; but to prove
that in times past a multitude of experiences
have been the foundation of a successful life,
one needs only to study early history of some
of Shelby County's first and best men. If we
go back to the Hoosier State, which has fur-
nished some very excellent material to sup-

ply new countries, we will find five miles
south of Goshen, Elkhart County, at Wyland's
Mills, the birthplace of David Madison Wy-
land, who first saw the light of this world
August 21, 1846. If we had wandered up
and down and through the race and river for
the next fourteen years, we would have had a
constant comjianion in this youth, David,
whose time was spent in wading, and swim-
ming, and fishing, and a happy boyhood it
must have been; for what is there in a child's
paradise except water, and plenty of it? Up
to the time David was twelve years old his
greatest achievement was spearing a fish, as
long as his own body, and perhaps a third as
heavy. In the spring of I860, with his three
sisters, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Goodyear and Mrs.
Jarvis, their husbands, and his two brothers,
Jasper and Thomas J., he went overland to
Coffee County, Kansas, where their father had
previously bought some wild land and an im-
proved farm. That year the crop was a fail-
ure, and Mr. Goodyear and wife, Jasper W.
and D. M. came to Shelby County, Iowa, from
which place Jasper and D. M. went back to
Indiana before winter. A few years after the
other members of the family abandoned Kan-
sas on account of the continued failure of
crops, and joined those who had gone to Iowa.
In the spring of 1861, the father having dis-
posed of his property in Indiana, his family
with several neighbors moved overland to
Shelby County, Iowa, with the intention of
making it their future home. For two years
D. M. lived on the old home farm, section 36,
township 80, range 38, now occupied and
owned by Jefferson Wyland. During his
residence on the farm D. M. developed a
constitutional distaste for the occupation. In
the winter of 1863 he learned that a school-
teacher was wanted at Simoda. Simoda was
then as much of a town as Harlan, but is
HOW a part of Harmon liaughn's farm, a mile

BIOGRA I'llJCA /, SKETCHES.

349

east of Harlan. One stormy day he saddled
Joe, an Indian pony brought from Kansas by
his brother Jeff, and started for William
McGinness's, near Simoda, who was the sub-
director, and who promised him the school,
providing that he should first get a certificate.
The journey was then continued to the resi-
dence of Felix Grundy Clarke, then county
superintendent, living on a farm near the
present site of Kirkman. Mr. Clarke was
found butchering hogs for his winter supply
of meat; upon making his errand known, Mr.
Wyland was told that there was no time just
then for the ceremony of an examination, but
if he would tarry through the noon hour his
purpose might then be accomplished. While
atdinnerMr. Clarke asked him a few questions;
he then told him to write out a certificate.
Mr. Wyland found a form in a book, and filled
out the certificate stating his cpialificationsto
teach all the branches named in the printed
form, some of which he confesses to-day
never to have studied. The superintendent
signed the paper, and Mr. Wyland returned
to Mr. McGinness and engaged to teach six
months for $25 per month. This was the
first money he had ever earned for himself,
and he saved more out of his wages than
ever afterward, even when working for a
higher salary, showing upon how little one
could live comfortably at that time. After
he had taught about four months, the county
treasurer resigned and his brother William
was appointed to fill the vacancy. As he was
living on the farm, he could not afford to
leave it for the small salary paid the county
treasurer; with the consent of the school-
officers, D. M. turned his school over to one
of his lady pupils, who was older, and more
experienced than himself, and took charge of
the treasurer's office, in the old court-house,
on the corner where the city hotel now stands.
The labor was light, and the responsibility

not great, as the amount of tax was small;
but he carried the whole of the money col-
lected on his person during the day, and at
night slept on a bunk under the office coun-
ter, with the money in a small iron box under
his head. At that time there was no hotel,
and, in fact, beside the court-house and a
small brick school-house, there was only one
building in Long's Addition, now the popu-
lous part of Harlan. In the fall of 1864 Mr.
Wyland went to Iowa City to attend the
State University; not having money enough
to carry him through the full course, the fac-
ulty selected such studies as they thought
would be of most practical use to him; he
remained there several years, some time in
school, and part of the time working on a
farm, and for awhile in a hat store. A part
of one summer he spent in Council Bluffs, and
assessed the city for the city assessor, a former
Shelby County man, who was ill at that time.
In 1868, while at Iowa City, he received semi-
official notice from the board of supervisors,
that if he would return to Harlan he would
be appointed clerk of the district court, and
ex-officio clerk of the board of supervisors —
county auditor. Mr. Wyland considered that
this was a sad acknowledgement of the scar-
city of official timber, when the board had to
send to the other border of the State, and
then only secure the services of an inexperi-
enced youth. He returned and found the
office occupied by a preacher-school-teacher,
who had been appointed to fill the vacancy
with the understanding that he would resign
on the arrival of Mr. Wyland. Terms of
court were then few and far between, and
little business was transacted when court
convened. The preacher-teacher having little
to do, with better pay than either teaching or
preaching secured, declined to resign for a
time. The court was finally called for the
trial of a murder case, for which five promi-

350

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

nent citizens had been indicted, and to which
was called a large part of the residents, as
witnesses, jurors, or inter-spectators. The
great crowd terrified the clerk, and he re-
signed, and Mr. Wyland took possession. He
held the place until the spring of 18G9, when
he received a letter from N. P. Dodge, banker
and real-estate dealer at Council Bluffs, of-
fering him a position as chief clerk in his
office. He resigned his office and engaged
with Mr. Dodge, with whom he remained
two years, when he resigned and engaged in
the real-estate business, first with E. A. Huber,
and afterward with Colonel Addison Coch-
ran. Business being dull during the sum-
mer of 1872 he was engaged by Mr. Dodge
to go to Shelby County and make personal
examination of a large list of lands of which
he had control as agent for non-resident
owners. Mr. Wyland secured Joe, the pony,
who it seems was a veritable mascotte to him,
carrying him to success in every business un-
dertaking of importance. Joe had a playful
habit of loping along, carrying one as easily
and comfortably as though sitting in a rock-
ing-chair, and then suddenly, without appar-
ent cause, jumping six or eight feet to one
side, while the rider went straight ahead
when he would stop and look at one, as though
innocently wondering why he was spread out
on the ground. Mr. Wyland rode over the
whole country, visiting every township, and
nearly every section of land, making plats
and copious field-notes of all the lands in
which Mr. Dodge was interested, and many
others besides. It occurred to him during his
labor that Shelby County would soon be a
good place to do a land-office business, and
Harlan the place for headquarters. Finishing
his work, and reporting to Mr. Dodge, he
returned to Harlan, and in the autumn of
1872, with his brother C. J., then county
treasurer, he purchased for the munificent

sum of $350 the real-estate business of M. H.
Adams & Co. To show the difference be-
tween the equipment of a land-office then
and now, as seen by our people, he gives an
inventory of the purchase: One six-quire
book containing names and postoffice address
of non-resident owners, and lists of their lands
for which Adams & Co. were agents; one
small pine table; two wooden stools; one
wooden bench, and one small coal stove with
a big crack through the fire bowl, and a lot
of letters piled in a heap under the table, con-
venient for ready reference to their contents,
which gave instructions in regard to the dis-
position of all the lands which were expected
to be sold. The purchase was contained
in a lean-to, about 10 x 12 feet, attached to
the building south of their present location;
this building and the old Harlan House were
the only ones on the west side of the square.
Mr. Wyland set to work at once to prepare a
complete set of abstracts of title to all real
estate in the county. He kept at it steadily
the greater part of the first year, working
sometimes for days and even weeks withou 4 .
being interrupted by a caller on business, or
otherwise; but he got the officein good shape
to take care of the business that did conic
after awhile. C. J. and D. M. Wyland did
a steadily increasing business for several years;
they secured their present business lot and
moved to ita Bmall frame building; they thus
got a good-sized office, which was furnished
with a fire-proof safe, and a so-called burg-
lar-proof cash-box; this, however, was only a
small iron box, set in the wood-work inside
the safe, and probably could have been re-
moved in two minutes by a professional, and
carried away, but the people had confidence
in it, and came with money and papers to
deposit for safe keeping. The money when
received was put in an envelope marked with
the owner, s name, but no account was kept of

BWailAl'IllCAL SKETCHES,

•J51

it on the books, and when a person came to
make a draw, his envelope would be handed
to him and he would help himself. Having
opened an account with the First National
Bank of Chicago, for their own convenience
in making remittances to parties for whom
they had sold land, the United States reve-
nue collector notified them that they were
doing: a banking business, and asked them to
report the average amount of deposits, to en-
able him to collect the tax imposed on bank-
ers. They convinced him they were not
guilty, but in 1876 they notified their special
depositors, and others, that they would re-
ceive deposits subject to check, buy and sell
exchange, and do a general banking business.
In this small way they started the business,
now grown to respectable proportions, and
known as the Harlan Bank. Mr. D. M.Wy-
land is a member of the Mt. Zion Go mm and -
ery, No. 49, Knights Templar; Olivet Chap-
ter, No. 107, R. A. M.; Parian Lodge, No-
321, A. F. & A. M.; Mt. Lebanon Chapter,
No. 8, O. E. S. ; Mt. Sinai Encampment, No.
106, I. O. O. F.; Harlan Lodge, No. 247, I.
O. O. F., and Elkhart Temple, Cedar Rapids.
Mr. Wyland was married September 8, 1875,
to Miss Belle Keasey, at South Bend, Indi-
ana. Mrs. Wyland is a person of unusual
force of character, and uncommon attain-
ments; she is greatly beloved by the poor of
Harlan, and does a philanthropic work among
them.

T. KEENEY, of Shelby Township,
is one of the early settlers, having
" a come to the county in 1872. He
was born in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania,
December 20, 1844. He is a son of J. N.
and Permelia (Tupper) Keeney. The mother
is a native of Pennsylvania; her mother came

from Connecticut on horseback to Pennsyl-
vania when she was eleven years old. Mr.
Keeney had three brothers, of whom he was
the eldest. When he was two years old his
parents moved to Susquehannah County,
Pennsylvania, where the father remained
until his death. The mother now lives in
Pottawattamie County, Iowa. The subject
of this sketch was reared a farmer, and re-
ceived his education in the common schools.
During the great rebellion he enlisted; he
joined the Fifty-second Pennsylvania Infantry,
Company H, March 28, 1864, serving until
the close of the war. The regiment was sta-
tioned at Morris Island, South Carolina, in
front of Charleston, where they were fre-
quently under the fire of the enemy, and where
many died of disease. In the spring of 1865
they were moved to North Carolina, and were
on a forced march when Lee surrendered.
Oursubject was honorably discharged at Rolla,
North Carolina, and returned to Susquehanna
County, Pennsylvania. He was married to
Miss Julia Reynolds, a native of Susquehanna
County, and a daughter of Robert and Ma-
tilda (Godwin) Reynolds. In 1868 they re-
moved to Carroll County, Illinois, where they
lived until they came to Shelby County, in
1872. The land was then wild prairie, but
they have made many improvements. They
have a snug house on a sunny slope, sur-
rounded with a fine grove and orchard of
eight acres; a good barn and other good
buildings, all showing the energy and pros-
perity of the owner. Mr. and Mrs. Keeney
have two children — Edgar N. and Hattie M.
Mr. Keeney is a Republican and a member of
the G. A. R., Dick Yates Post, No. 364. He
has served as junior-vice, and is the present
officer. He is a member of the Masonic order
of Shelby, and a member and trustee of the
Methodist Episcopal church; he first joined
the Baptist church when he was fifteen years

352

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

old; his wife and son are both members of the
Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Keeney is
one of the representative men of the town-
ship, and has done his share in the religious
and educational labors; he is honorable in
business and has the confidence of all who
know him.

"' "t • 3"S « S" 1 ■"

S. GIBBS, dealer in general merchan-
dise, is now the oldest merchant in
L Harlan. He was born in Ypsilanti,
Michigan, October 7, 1848, and is the oldest
son of O. A. and Elizabeth (Watts) Gibbs.
The father was a native of Vermont, born in
Rutland County in 1814, of Puritan stock.
lie was reared in Vermont, and came to
Michigan when that was first settled. IB'
was married to Elizabeth Watts, who was a
native of Norfolkshire, England. When he
first came to Michigan, Mr. Gibbs was a sub-
contractor of the Michigan Central Railroad.
lie afterward engaged in farming and lum-
bering, which he followed until he came to
Iowa. He engaged in tanning in Harlan
Township in 18(>9, and continued this pur-
suit until his death. Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs
were the parents of five children — G. S., O.
O., Forest, William, and Ilattie, wife of Mat-
thew Thompson. They were active and con-
sistent mem hers of the Methodist Episcopal
church. Mr. Gibbs was a member of the I.
O. O. F., and of the board of supervisors in
the years 1870 and 1871. His death occurred
in September, 1887. His widow still sur-
vives. G. S. Gibbs was reared on a farm,
and received his education in the common
schools. lie resided with his parents until
they came to Shelby County in 1869. lie
entered the employ of J. W. and E. W. Davis,
as clerk in a general dry-goods store. He
served this firm until 1870, when he engaged

in business with Joseph Jackson, under the
firm name of Jackson & Gibbs. This firm
continued until July 1, 1879, when Mr.
Gibbs purchased his partner's interest and
continued the business alone. Afterward he
became associated with Mr. P. B. Hunt, the
firm being Gibbs & Hunt. This firm ex-
isted until 1887, since which time Mr. Gibbs
has carried on the business in his own name.
He carries a large stock of dry goods and
general merchandise. He was married Janu-
ary 21, 1875, to Miss Delia Baughn, a daugh-
ter of Charles Baughn, of Council Blufi's,
Iowa. She is a native of Ohio, and came to
this county when a child. Three children
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs —
George S., Jr., Lulu D. and John. Mr.
Gibbs served as a member of the board of
supervisors, and was the first city treasurer,
serving in 1879 and 1880. In 1881 he was
a member of the city council, and served
until 1885. He is a member of the I. O. O.
F., Harlan Lodge, No. 267, and Mt. Sinai
Encampment, of which he is the scribe, lie
is also a member of the A. F. & A. M.,
Parian Lodge, No. 321; Olivet Chapter, No.
107, and Mt. Zion Commandery, No. 49, of
which he is junior warden. He is a mem-
ber of the Eastern Star. Mrs. Gibbs is a
member of the Congregational church of
Harlan.

-S-*

J. GARLAND, agent for the Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, Har-
Ian, has been a resident of Shelby
County since 1882. He is a native of Law-
rence, Massachusetts, born November 17,
1849. He is a son of J. II. and Louisa C.
Garland, natives of New Hampshire, and of
Puritan ancestry. The youth of the subject
of this notice was spent in attending school.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

353

In 1872 he entered the employ of the North-
ern New Hampshire Railroad as an assistant
agent, and remained with that company for
three years. In 1875 he came to Iowa and
entered the employ of the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific Railroad at Marne, Cass
County. He was the first agent at that
place, and had entire charge of the company's
business, acting as ticket, express and freight
agent. He filled this position for six years,
when he came to Harlan, where he has since
attended to the interests of the railroad and
United States Express Company. Mr. Gar-
land was married in 1875 to Miss Gara M.
Sanborn, a native of New Hampshire. By
this union six children have been born, four
of whom still survive — Bertha May, Edith
Lottie, Harrie Sanborn and Walter Rollins.
Gara M. Sanborn, daughter of Thomas and
Ansina (Rollins) Sanborn, was born in Ca-
naan, New Hampshire, where her father now
resides, her mother having died when she
was fifteen years old. Mrs. Garland is a
member of the Congregational church. Mr.
Garland is a member of the A. F. & A. M.,
Parian Lodge, No. 321; Olivet Chapter, No.
107, and Mt. Zion Commandery, No. 49.
He is also a member of the A. O. U. W.,
Marne Lodge, No. 118.

fcEV. JOHN W. GEIGER.— This his-
torical work would not be complete
without an extended sketch of one of
the foremost preachers in western Iowa, if
not of the State. John W. Geiger, pastor of
the Congregational church at Harlan, Iowa,
first saw the light of day amid the green-clad
hills of Pennsylvania, near the city of Read-
ing, November 7, 1850. He is descended
from German, English and Welsh forefathers.
On the father's side the Geigers were pal-

atine Germans, and the Sands were English.
On the mother's side the Wesleys were En-
glish, and the Lashes were Welsh. Daniel
Wesley, grandson of Solomon Wesley, who
emigrated to America, is still living at the
age of ninety-five; he is Mr. Geiger's grand-
father. At an early day in his childhood Mr.
Geiger's parents settled in the city of Read-
ing, where through school-life until his mar-
riage to Miss Sarah E. llildebrand, in 18G8,
he continued to reside. The earlieryearsof his
education were passed in the public schools
and Ryan's Academy. In 1867 he graduated
in the commercial-scientific course from the
People's College — an institution of his native
city — of brief but brilliant career. Immedi-
ately after his graduation, in keeping with a
custom yet in much favor there, he began his
theological studies under a private tutor.
This work was pursued unremittingly, nearly
day and night, for eight years — a part of the
time in connection with the heaviest work of
a pastorate. Mr. Geiger preached his first
sermon in May, 1868, received his prelim-
inary license in December, 1869, full license
in 1871, and was solemnly ordained Feb-
ruary 28, 1875. Feeling the need of a better
acquaintance with the Greek, Latin and Ger-
man languages, as soon as his examinations
were finished he set about finding suitable
teachers for the study of the same, which his
pastorate in the larger cities made it easy to
do. In January, 1885, he was called to the
pastorate of one of the Des Moines churches,
in which city he spent two years and a half
of hard work. July 1, 1887, a telegram was
sent him from Harlan, asking him to spend
the following Sabbath with the Congrega-
tional church. This invitation was accepted,
and July 11 a unanimous call to this pastor-
ate was extended and duly accepted, and the
work began August 10, 1887. Mr. and Mrs.
Geiger have had born to them seven daugh-

354

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY

ters. Mr. Geiger is an untiring worker; he
is possessed of many sterling inherited qual-
ities, and by his own strong force of character
he has aroused a deep interest among the
members of his congregation, and the regular
attendance has been largely increased during
Mr. Geiger's pastorate. He is a ready and
fluent talker, and when he becomes deeply
interested in the subject of his sermons, he
is endowed with a power of eloquence and an
earnestness of delivery that bespeak for him
a very brilliant future in this his chosen call-
ing. Mr. Geiger is a member of Parian
Lodge, No. 321, A. F. & A. M.; Olivet
Chapter, No. 107, 11. A. M., and Mt. Zion
Commandery, No. 49, K. T.

C. HOLCOMB came to western Iowa
in 1853, arriving at Council Bluffs
\ Q November 22 of that year. He was
born January 23, 1823, in Essex County,
New York, and is a son of Oliver and Mar-
tha Holcomb, natives of Connecticut. The
family were of Scotch descent. Tbe parents
were married in Granby, Connecticut, and
went to Essex County, New York, in May,
1800. May 10, 1829, the mother passed
away. Twenty-three years later, in the same
month, the father followed her. Mr. Hol-
comb was reared in Essex County, New York,
and there received in the district schools his
education. At the age of twenty he taught
his first term of school, and followed this
profession for several years, working on the
farm during the summers. In 1853 he came
to Council Bluff's, and taught school in Pot-
tawattamie and Mills counties until 1857,
when he came to Galland's Grove, Shelby
County. In April, 1858, he located at Har-
lan, and worked at the carpenter's trade until
1861. In April, 1859, he was appointed

clerk of the district court, which office lie
held, except one and a half years, until Janu-
ary 1, 1873. The length of the term this
office was held by Mr. Holcomb indicates the
ability and faithfulness with which he ful-
filled his duties. In September, 1877, he
was made deputy clerk under George D.
Boss, and held this office until January 1,
1878, when he became clerk, having been
elected the October preceding. He filled this
office until January 1, 1883. He also acted
as auditor for two years, and as county judge
one year. Politically Mr. Holcomb is a lie-
publican. His first Presidential vote was for
Henry Clay in 1844. He was married No-
vember 22, 1802, to Miss Elizabeth A. Mc-
Coy, who was born in Warren County, Ohio,
February 22, 1830, and came to Council
Bluffs in April, 1853. Three 6ons were born
to them, only one surviving — William O.
Mr. Holcomb helped build the first building
put up in Harlan, lie and Isaac Plum are
the only ones left of those pioneers.

II. LUECKE, merchant tailor, has
been identified with the interests of
9 Shelby County since 1880. He is a
native of Lippe-Detmold, Germany, born
April 6, 1849. He is a son of Louis and
Charlotte (Buddie) Lnecke. He was edu-
cated in the schools of his native country.
When he was thirteen years old he went to
learn the tailor's trade, serving as an appren-
tice three years. In addition to his service
his father was obliged to pay $50 per year to
have his son instructed in this trade. After
his apprenticeship was ended he traveled
about and worked in various places one year.
In 1860 he emigrated with his father'6 family
to America. Two brothers had preceded
them. The parents and five sons landed in

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

355

New York, and started the same day to Cook
County, Illinois, where they remained one
year. They then came to Benton County,
Iowa, and settled in Blairstown, where the
father engaged in farming. Afterward the
family removed to Nebraska, where the father
died in 1881, at the age of sixty-five years.
The mother and brothers are still living in
Nebraska. After the family settled in Ben-
ton County, H. H. Lnecke worked at his
trade in Belle Plaine for six years; then he
went to Carroll, where he worked at his trade
until he came to Harlan and opened a tailor
shop. This was continued for ten months,
when he added a stock of clothing to the
tailoring department. The partnership with
Mr. Coenan lasted for five years, when Mr.
Charles Escher bought Mr. Coenan's interest,
and the firm was styled Luecke &, Escher.
This firm transacted business for two years,
when Mr. Lnecke purchased his partner's in-
terest and has since continued the business
alone. H. H. Luecke carries the largest
stock of clothing and furnishing goods in
Harlan, and does an extensive business in
custom work. He was married in 1871 to
Miss Sophia Wohlenberg, a native of Lippe-
Detmold, Germany, who came to this coun-
try in 1870. By this union four children
were born, three of whom survive — Emma,
Lyda and Clarence. Mr. Luecke is a mem-
ber of the I. O. O. F., Harlan Lodge, No.
267. Politically Mr. Luecke affiliates with
the Democratic party. He and his wife are
members of the Evangelical church.

— -'.. go . n . g . » -. —

|ELS OLSON was born in the western
part of Norway, November 21, 1836;
here he spent his early life on a farm,
and received his education in the common
schools. He is the son of Ole and Martha

Nelson. He came to America in 18G1, and
settled in Grundy County, Illinois, where he
resided until 1881; he then came to Shelby
County, Iowa, locating on an unimproved
farm of 320 acres in section 19, Polk Town-
ship, where he has since resided. He has
built a beautiful frame-house and barns for
grain and stock, and good fencing, making
his farm one of the best in the county. He
is a man of push and enterprise, as is shown
by his surroundings. He takes an active
interest in the advancement of educational
matters, having served on the board of school
directors for two years. He has always sup-
ported the Republican ticket until the past two
years, when he voted the Union Labor ticket.
He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance. He
devotes himself to farming. He was married
August 19, 1861, to Julia Georgeson, daugh-
ter of George and Anna Oleson. She was
born in Norway, December 20, 1841, and
came to America in 1861. They are the
parents of nine children — Ole, George, Mar-
tin, Anna (wife of Rasmus Anderson, residing
in Douglas Township), Samuel, Severt B., and
three deceased. The family are all at home
except Anna. They are members of the
Lutheran church, and Shelby County has no
citizens more highly respected.

-*V^T'

EORGE NE WHOTJSE, a native of West-
moreland County, Pennsylvania, was
born October 25, 1833. He is the son
of Samuel and Elizabeth (Ream) Newhouse,
both natives of Pennsylvania. The subject
of this sketch passed his early life in the
county of his birth, on a farm, and received
his education in the common schools of the
country. When he had reached the age of
seventeen he came west and located first in
Rock Island County, Illinois, where he

356

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

remained until 1866; he then moved to
"Washington County, Missouri, where he
staid three years; he then returned to Rock
Island County, Illinois, where he remained
until December, 1874, when he came to
Iowa. He settled in Shelby County, Doug-
las Township, on a partially improved farm
of eighty acres. Here he has since made
his home, and has made many improve-
ments. Having a beautiful frame residence,
with barn for stock and grain, he has planted
five acres of grove, and all his business is in
a thriving condition. He had to undergo
most of the hardships incident to pioneer
life; the place of marketing was a distance of
twenty-two miles, at the town of Avoca, where
they were compelled to carry all their prod-
uce and grain, lint they bravely faced all
of those things and well merit the beautiful
and comfortable home they have earned. Mr.
Newhouse occupies his time in farming and
stock-raising. He is a Democrat. He was
married June 21, 1803, to Aner Thomas,
daughter of Charles and Mercy (Sacket)
Thomas. She was born in Darke County,
Ohio, March 24, 1837. They are the parents
of two children — Charlie and Grade. Sirs.
Newhouse is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and they are among Shelby
County's most worthy and respected citizens.

— . .., ; ■ ] .. 1 . 1 —

fllOMAS J. WY LAND, the son of Jon-
ijijP athan and Elizabeth Wyland, whose
sketch will be found elsewhere in this
work, was born in Elkhart County, Indiana,
February 1, 1849. He lived there until lie
was twelve years of age. His education was
received in the common schools of Indiana,
Kansas and Iowa, with one year in the Tabor
(Indiana) high-school. He was brought up
to farm life, and has always followed this

avocation. When twelve years old, in com-
pany with three sisters and two brothers, he
moved to Kansas, where they intended to
make their home; but our subject remained
only one year and a half, when he came back
to Iowa with his father and one brother, and
located on a farm in section 36, Douglas
Township, then Jackson Township; here he
made his home until he was married. This
farm was purchased by his father in 1855 or
1856; he bought it in 1873. He had as-
sisted in placing it under cultivation and in
making the many improvements. He drove
four yoke of oxen in breaking up the ground
the first time it was broken. His first pur-
chase of land was made in 1871, of 120 acres
in section 1, Harlan Township, and forty
acres in Douglas Township; this he traded
for the home place where he now resides.
He has since purchased two tracts in Polk
Township, of 128 acres and forty-six acres,
and a ten-acre tract in Harlan Township. He
now owns 343 acres ot land in Shelby County.
He has done much toward the advancement
and improvement of the county, and is one
of the live, energetic farmers. He is a Dem-
ocrat, and held the office of township clerk
before the division was made in Jackson
Township. He was married April 11, 1870,
to Clara Osborn, daughter of J. E. and Eliza
.lane (Dunlap) Osborn, natives of Pennsyl-
vania and Ohio. She was born in Wisconsin,
October 24, 1849. They are the parents of
four children — Hugh O., Lizzie A., Ralph
W. and Mary.

ARMAN PULVER, a native of New
York, born July 2, 1837, is a son of
Wandle 1. and Eleanor (McArthnr)
Pulver. "When he was ten years of age he,
with his parents, came to Illinois, and settled

f^2 L a O (^Z^^Z^C^C^/

^C<i>St<> tfe^t^'^^^Q

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

359

in Whiteside County on a farm, where he
spent his early life. He received his educa-
tion at the coin moil schools; he was one of a
family of twelve children. He remained in
Illinois, in Whiteside and Carroll counties,
until 1878, when he, with his family, came
to Iowa, settling in Shelby County, Jackson
Township, on a farm of eighty acres, in sec-
tions 19 and 20. This farm was but par-
tially improved, and he has placed it under
good cultivation. In 1884 he sold this land
and purchased an eighty-acre tract in section
25, Douglas Township, and has since pur-
chased an adjoining eighty acres in section
24. He has a good, comfortable home, hav-
ing made many improvements. He is a
Democrat, always supporting the issues of
that party. He was married November 4,
1860, to Juliann Woods, daughter of M.
G. and Ruth Ann (Law) Woods, natives of
North Carolina and Tennessee. She was
born in Whiteside County, Illinois, and died
November 11, 1863. They had one child.
— Harriet E., wife of Hans P. Nelson, re-
siding in Jackson Township, Shelby County.
He was married again, September 17, 1868,
to Parmelia Woods, daughter of M. G. and
Ruth Ann (Law) Woods. She was born in
Carroll County, Illinois, June 16, 1840. By
this union three children were born — Minnie
E., Sarah and Eola. Mr. Pulver is a man
who always takes an active interest in the
advancement of the country, and he is one of
Shelby County's most deserving and esteemed
citizens.

HLLIAM FISKE CLEVELAND, the
present treasurer of Shelby County,
is indeed an honored and truly rep-
resentative citizen. Unlike most men of
these times Mr. Cleveland is in possession of

family records showing a complete genealogy
on both his father's and mother's side, back
as early as 1635. He is a descendant of
Moses Cleveland, who emigrated from Eng-
land in 1635, and died in January, 1701, at
Woburn, Massachusetts. Our subject is the
son of Dr. George Washington and Almira
(Barrett) Cleveland. The father was born in
Westmoreland, Oneida County, New York,
June 27, 1808, and died at Waterville, New
York, December 4, 1884, aged seventy-six
years. When eighteen years old he left the
home of his childhood and went to Water-
ville, where an elder brother, Dr. William
Phelps Cleveland, was practicing his chosen
profession. In 1827 he commenced the study
of medicine under the instruction of his
brother; he completed his medical studies at
Fairfield, New York, graduating in July,
1831, receiving his medal and diploma from
the State University, College of Physicians
and Surgeons, of the western district of New
York. After his graduation he practiced a
short time in Oneida and Chenango counties,
New York; also awhile at Homer, Michigan.
In 1836 he permanently located at Waterville,
New York, where he practiced with great
success until his last illness, in the latter part
of November, 1884, a period of nearly fifty
years. Like his older brother, who recently
died at the advanced age of eighty-seven
years, he was eminently successful, and during
the long period of his professional activity
enjoyed a large and lucrative practice. To
the sick room he always brought a genial and
hope-inspiring manner which was of great
value and comfort to those under his treat-
ment; he had for an axiom, no man dies until
he stops breathing. To the poor he was ever
a friend in need, and this class he served
faithfully, making no discrimination against
even those who were unworthy. He took a
deep interest in all public affairs and often

360

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

held offices of public trust and honor; he was
an active member of the Masonic fraternity
and held high rank in it. His wife, mother
of our subject, to whom he was married at
Springfield, New York, October 10, 1832,
was Miss Almira Barrett, daughter of Major
Benjamin Fiske and Betsey (Gerrish) Bar-
rett, who was born in Wilton, New Hamp-
shire, August 27, 1808. She received and
finished her education at one of the best
schools of her day in New England, the then
celebrated school of Miss 1'rescott, at Gro-
ton, Massachusetts, where she spent three
years under the instruction of that most ac-
complished and successful teacher. She was
a lady of many rare accomplishments, of a
sweet and cheerful disposition, and was sym-
pathetic, gentle and affectionate in her nature.
Her long life was one of purity in thought
and action, crowned by a Christian belief in
the future life; a life ae simple as it was pure,
giving true friendship to all who came within
the charmed circle of her acquaintance. The
hallowed influence and blessed memory of her
sweet life and character are the priceless jewels
left by her for her children and friends, richer
by far than silver or gold. "William Fiske
is the youngest of four children, lie was born
at Waterville, New York, August 30, 1844.
lie remained in the place of his nativity until
be was twenty-one years of age. In 18G1 he
graduated from the Waterville Seminary,
preparatory to entering college, with the view
of becoming a physician and surgeon; this
was the wish of his father, who intended to
educate one who should rank even higher in
the profession than he himself. But after a
few months' study under his father, having
from boyhood been in the family of a physi-
cian, he naturally enough saw the hardships
and objections to the life of a practitioner, and
more than all this his nature did not 6eem to
take kindly to such a profession. So he en-

tered the retail dry-goods store of J. Candee
«fc Son, at Waterville, New York, where he
served as a faithful clerk for about four years.
He then went to Louisville, Kentucky, and
from there to Nashville, Tennessee, where he
was engaged in the large hat, cap and fur es-
tablishment of Greene & Greene. After two
years in such capacity he went to New Or-
leans, Louisiana, in the spring of 1867, and
embarked in the clothing business, remaining
till 1870. The next year was spent in gov-
ernment employ, under a post-trader, in Wy
oming Territory, and in speculating for him-
self. During his stay there he furnished
2,000 tons of hay to the government in one
contract. In the autumn of 1877 he came to
Shelby County, Iowa, to which place his
father-in-law had moved a short time before.
In January, 1878, he engaged in the general
mercantile trade at Shelby, in which he con-
tinued until 1885. In the fall of that year
he was elected county treasurer, having re-
ceived his nomination by acclamation. Such
was his reputation as a business man and
such his personal popularity, that he was
elected by a very handsome majority, not-
withstanding his party -was in the minority.
After having filled the office to the entire sat-
isfaction of all, regardless of party lines, for
one term, two years, he was again nomi-
nated and re-elected by a largely increased
majority. While a resident of Shelby he
manifested great public spirit and did much
toward the development of that place. He
was twice elected mayor of the place; he
made a gift of the site where the roller mills
now stand; was instrumental in nearly all
the internal improvements, including the
grading of the streets, etc. He was agent
for a great share of the town lots which were
sold during his residence in Shelby. Mr.
Cleveland was married at the city of Du-
buque, Iowa, October 2, 1871, to Miss Kate

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

361

L. Collins, daughter of E. A. Collins and
Annie (Purheiser) Collins, formerly of Ga-
lena, Illinois. Mrs. Cleveland's father pur-
chased and improved a very valuable tract of
land in Shelby County, Iowa, containing 1,000
acres. After their marriage they returned to
New Orleans and remained until 1876, as
before stated. By this marriage union there
were two children born — William John and
Anna Centennial, the birthplace of both be-
ing New Orleans. The former was born
August 31, 1872, and died March 11, 1876.
The latter was born February 2, 1876, and
now lives with her aunt in New York, in
the same house in which her father was born.
Mrs. Cleveland died of consumption at Per-
sia, Iowa, August 24, 1885, and was buried
in the cemetery at Shelby. In his political
belief Mr. Cleveland, who, by the way, is a
distant relative of ex-President Grover Cleve-
land, is a staunch Democrat, and is not such
because of his father's belief particularly, but
because his study and observance of political
economy teach him that this party is best
calculated to carry out the will of a free and
self-governed people. He is a zealous worker
in the Masonic fraternity, being a member of
Parian Lodge, A. F. & A. M.; Olivet Chap-
ter, R. A. M, and Mount Zion Commandery,
K. T. ; he is also a member of the order of
the Eastern Star. As a Sir Knight in the
commandery Mr. Cleveland was its first and
present commander, and takes deep interest
and special delight in its welfare. It was
really through his persistency and zeal that
Mt. Zion Commandery, No. 49, K. T., at
Harlan, was instituted and has attained such
prominence among the other commanderies
of the State. His father was also a zealous
Mason, attaining high rank in his lodge,
chapter and commandery. At the time our
subject was made a Mason his father was
master of the lodge. It should here be said

that few fathers enjoy the pleasure and satis-
faction of presiding over the solemn cere-
monies which make their own sons members
of the mystic order. Among the heirlooms
prized most highly by Mr. Cleveland is the
Knights Templar uniform once worn by his
father. With his pleasing and manly address,
his unusual intelligence and business tact,
and many other sterling qualities, it is no
wonder that all are friends to him. While
he has deep-seated convictions, and is firm in
his belief, he never forces his opinions upon
others. There are few, if any, living in
Shelby County who have come to be so uni-
versally popular, per force of manly, noble
traits of character, as Mr. Cleveland.

►*-*«

fOIIN S. MILLS, of the firm of Mills &
Pexton, druggists and booksellers, came
to Shelby County in 1877. He is a na-
tive of Knox County, Ohio, born August 27,
1857, and is a son of Isaac N. and Ophelia
(Sims) Mills, natives of Ohio, and of English
descent. He was reared on a farm, and
received a common-school education. He
resided with his parents until he was seven-
teen years old, when he went to Union City,
Indiana, and began learning the printer's
trade; he worked at this for a short time, and
then studied telegraphy in the train dispatch-
er's office of the Bee Line Railroad. He re-
mained in the office one year, and in the
employ of the company, until he came to
Shelby County in 1877. He settled in Shelby,
and engaged as clerk in the grocery store of
J. W. Harrod. He staid there until Jan-
uary, 1880, when he came to Harlan, as dep-
uty treasurer under J. W. Harrod. He filled
this office for two years, and then engaged
with G. S. Gibbs in general merchandising,
remaining with Mr. Gibbs and with Gibbs &

362

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

Hunt for two years. When J. W. Harrod
was elected auditor Mr. Mills was appointed
his deputy, and held this office for one year.
In December, 1884, he became associated
with S. H. Waters in the drug business.
The firm purchased a stock of books and sta-
tionery from C. L. Drake, and combined the
two branches of business under the firm name
of Waters & Mills. They continued for one
year, when the firm name was changed to
Mills & Peyton. They carry a large stock
of drugs, books and stationery. Mr. Mills
was married July 12, 1880, to Miss Vania
Cole, a native of Rock Island County, Illinois,
and a daughter of George and Anne (Martin)
Cole. The father was a native of Pennsyl-
vania and of German descent. Mr. and Mrs.
Mills are the parents of three children, two
of whom survive — Lilah and Albert, and Gra-
de (deceased). They are both members of
the Congregational church. Mr. Mills is a
Demociat; he has served as city recorder for
two terms. He is a member of the Knights
of Pythias, Carthage Lodge, No. 65, Iowa
Legion of Honor.

— * ♦gH^F-^""-

(YRUS BEARD, attorney at law, Har-
lan, Iowa, has been identified with the
interests of Shelby County since 1878.
He was born in Venango County, Pennsyl-
vania, August 13, 1851), and is a son of
Thomas and Mary (McKinley) Beard, natives
of Pennsylvania. Our subject lived on a
farm in Pennsylvania until 1805, when he
with his parents came to Iowa, settling in
Washington County. Here the father engaged
in farming, Cyras assisting until he reached
his majority. His early education was ob-
tained in the district school, and was com-
pleted in what is now known as the Wash-
ington Academy, at Washington, Iowa. After

this he took a commercial course at Buff's
College, Pittsburg, Pa. He then engaged
in teaching in the winter season, and entered
the law office of G. G. Bennett, where he re-
mained two years. He was graduated from
the law department of the State University,
Iowa City, in 1874, and began the practice of
his profession in AVashington, where he re-
mained until he came to Harlan in October,
1878. He then formed a partnership with
E. Y. Greenleaf, the firm name being Beard
& Greenleaf, which continued until Septem-
ber, 1882. At this time he formed a part-
nership with J. I. Myerly, and has since
conducted a very successful business under
the firm name of Beard & Myerly. This
partnership was dissolved November 14,
1888, he remaining in the practice at Har-
lan. He was married September 28, 1875,
to Miss Nora E.Wilson, a native of Illinois,
and a daughter of Captain A. Wilson. By
this union five children were born — Mary O.,
Lawrence L., Clarence C. (died at the age of
twenty months), Clara E. and Arthur A.
Mr. Beard has held the office of city recorder
and city attorney; he is also a member of the
school board. He and his wife are members
of the Congregational chnrch. He is a Re-
publican. Mr. Heard is a member of Parian
Lodge, No. 321, A. F. & A. M.: Olivet Chap-
ter, No. 107, and Mt. Zion Commandery,
No. 49.

^ t y . j M ? .''. ' H- l

fW. FRENCH, Auditor of Shelby
County, was born in Jasper County,
° Iowa, December 3, 1859. He is a son of
T. A. French. When he was six years old
he came to Shelby County with his father's
family, locating in Jackson Township, where
they resided for a time, and then moving into
Douglas Township. There the father pur-

IilOGRAPniCAL SKETCHES.

363

chased a farm, on which the village of Kirk-
man now stands. Here our subject grew to
manhood. His youth was passed in assisting
his father on the farm and in attending the
common schools. In 1881 he made his first
business venture. He opened a drug store
in Kirkman, and carried on a successful busi-
ness until he was elected to the office of
county auditor. He took charge of the office
January, 1888. On May 25, 1884, Mr.
French met with a serious loss by fire, in
which his building and stock were entirely
consumed. The loss was about $2,500. lie
was appointed postmaster of Kirkman under
President Garfield's administration, and held
the office until his resignation, upon being
elected to that of auditor. He was married
November 22, 1882, to Miss Nettie Wood, a
native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of
the late George B. and Mary Wood, of Col-
fax, Iowa. By this union one child was born
— Gertrude. By close attention to business
Mr. French has been highly successful, and
by his honorable and upright dealings has
won the confidence and esteem of the entire
community. He casts his suffrage with the
Democratic party.

►>+H

lEORGE C. HEGLIN, a native of Stav-
enger, Norway, was born October 17,
1849. He is a son of Chris and Julia
Heglin, and spent his early life on a farm in
Norway, and received his education in the
common schools. When but seventeen years
of age he came to America, and settled in
Iowa County, Iowa, where he engaged in
farming. He continued his residence in Iowa
County until 1881, when he came to Shelby
County and located on a farm of 160 acres
of wild land in Polk Township. This he has
placed under good cultivation, and has planted

a grove of two acres and 250 apple-trees. He
has also erected a pleasant frame residence,
and barns for stock and grain. All the sur-
roundings indicate the energy and econom-
ical management of the owner, who is a live,
go-ahead farmer. He has held the office of
township trustee for four years, and affiliates
with the Republican party, taking an active
interest in the political affairs of his county.
Mr. Heglin was married February 28, 1872,
to Miss Malinda Knudsou, a daughter of
Knute and Martha Knudson. She was born
in Norway, January 18, 1852, and came to
America in 1871. Mr. and Mrs. Heglin are
the parents of six children — Julia M. and
Caroline C. (both deceased), Julia, Garfield,
Mina E. and Charles C. They are active
and consistent members of the Lutheran
church, and are among Shelby County's most
worthy and respected citizens. In the sum-
mer of 1871 Mr. Heglin went to Idaho, pros-
pecting, and engaged in mining in company
with Anson & Co.

'■» "| * i"t ' S

fHOMAS BARRETT, a native of Lin-
colnshire, England, born March 6,
1844, is a son of Matthew and Hannah
(Naylor) Barrett. He was reared in his na-
tive country, spending his time on a farm,
and in attending the common schools. In
1875 he came to America and settled in
Clinton County, Iowa, where he resided for
five years. The first three years he worked
as a farm hand, and at the end of that time
he, in company with Henry Richardson,
rented a farm, which they cultivated for two
years. Mr. Barrett then left Clinton County
and came to Shelby County, and settled on a
farm of 100 acres, partially improved, in Polk
Township. Here he has since made his home,
making many improvements; he has planted

364

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

about three acres of grove, erected a comfort-
able frame residence, and barns for stock and
grain. He devotes himself to agricultural
pursuits exclusively. By this industry he has
increased the small capital which he brought
from Europe until he is to-day one of Shelby
County's well-to-do citizens. Politically he
is liberal in his views. Mr. Barrett was
united in marriage October 11, 1878, to Miss
Catharine Seymore, a daughter of Charles and
Magdaline Seymore, born in Sleswick-Hol-
stein, Germany, July 25, 1855; she came to
America with her parents when she was ten
years old. Mr. and Mrs. Barrett are the
parents of five children living, and two de-
ceased — Florence, George EL, Frank, Bruce
B. and Thomas W. Mrs. Barrett is a mem-
ber of the Lutheran church.

— , V3"t , |

W. IRWIN, a native of Cambria
H County, Pennsylvania, was born April
1° 7, 1820. He is a son of Edward and
Elizabeth (Decker) Irwin, natives of West-
moreland County, Pennsylvania. He was
reared in his native county, near Johnstown,
on a farm, and received a limited education
in the subscription schools, in the old log
school-house. Not satisfied with such meagre
knowledge, he devoted his leisure hours and
evenings after his day's work was done to
his books, and in this way acquired an edu-
cation equal, if not superior, to many college
educations at the present day; he is a close
observer, and is endowed with an unusually
retentive memory, both of which have been
of great assistance to him in his self-education.
He is the second in a family of five children;
his father died when he was seven years of
age, leaving the mother with a family of small
children to support; so, as soon as he was
able it fell upon him to assist in their main-

tenance. When only nine years old, a mere
child, yet a veritable man in courage and
determination, he made his first business
venture; he was hired as driver on the tow-
path of the Pennsylvania Canal, receiving $8
per month and board for his services. He
kept this position for three years — his wages
being increased after the first year. At the
end of this time he was much gratified at
being promoted to the position of steersman,
receiving as wages $15 per month. He was
held in the employ of the canal and railroad
companies until 1849, when the Pennsylvania
Central Railroad was being constructed, and
he secured work with this company. He re-
mained with them as a laborer and contractor
until 1805; the last three years and a-half he
served as night police, being sworn into the
service by the government; in this as well as
all other positions he was faithful in the
discharge of his duties. In April, 1865, Mr.
Irwin started to Iowa, and arriving there,
settled in Washington County, on a farm,
where he remained until March, 1870. He
brought his family, consisting of his wife and
seven children, with him. When he came to
Shelby County in 1870 he located on the land
which is now section 31, Jefferson Township.
The fall previous he had purchased 200 acres
of wild land here, and he began the improve-
ment of this. Mr. Irwin's brother-in-law,
William Constable, came with him to this
wild, new country, and their families were
the only ones in what is now Jefferson Town-
ship; their nearest neighbor was four miles
distant. When moving to the new country,
they came to Avoca by rail, and there hired
teams to convey them and their effects to
their destination; this was not easily done,
as teams were scarce and roads were bad in
those days. They finally succeeded, and all
went well until they reached Harlan, late in
the evening. There was but one small hotel,

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

365

and when the emigrating party arrived, con-
sisting of twenty-three persons in all, there
was much wonderment as to how and where
they were to be stowed away for the night.
Mr. John B. Swain, one of the oldest settlers
of the county, was the landlord, and he was
equal to the occasion, and soon had everything
in ship-shape for his guests. His family,
however, were compelled to stay up all night,
but that was a small affair in those pioneer
days. The next day the travelers continued
their journey, and landed safely at their re-
spective places of abode. It was spring time,
and the waters were soon so high that the
families living on opposite sides of the creek
were cut on from all communication with each
other for three weeks. But Mr. Irwin de-
cided to put a stop to this isolation, and im-
provised a ferry out of a wagon bed, and by
means of a rope thrown across the stream,
attached to some bushes, he succeeded in
drawing himself across. This is but one of
many incidents which might be recounted of
the adventures and hardships undergone by
the pioneers of the State of Iowa. In 1881
the town of Irwin was laid out, and derived
its name from the worthy subject of this
sketch, Ebenezer W. Irwin, through whose
efforts the town was founded. It is built
upon land owned by Mr. Irwin, who gave a
good portion of land as an inducement to
settlers. Mr. Irwin has served his township
in an official capacity since its organization.
From the very beginning he has filled the
office of trustee and school director with-
out a break. He is a staunch Republican,
and has always taken an active interest
in the political affairs of the country. Mr.
Irwin was married August 25, 1844, to Miss
Mary A. Horner, daughter of Samuel and
Elizabeth (Beam) Horner, natives of Penn-
sylvania. Mrs. Irwin was born in Johnstown,
Cambria Count} 7 , Pennsylvania, October 23,

1824. They are the parents of eleven children
— John (deceased), Sarah, wife of L. W. Wil-
son; David S., Ruth (deceased), Clarinda,
wife of "William Kimble; Evalina, wife of
Miles Reynolds; Julia (deceased), Lucretia,
(deceased), Ellen, wife of Chauncey Randall;
Priscilla (deceased), and Etta, wife of W. J.
Wicks. Mr. and Mrs. Irwin are worthy
members of the Christian church.

fN. HARFORD was born in Wash-
ington County, Pennsylvania, March
a 19, 1849, and is a son of Thomas and
Jemima (Leonard) Harford, natives of Penn-
sylvania. Until he was thirteen years old
his parents resided in their native State, and
then removed to Livingston County, Illinois.
His boyhood was spent on a farm and in
attending school. At the age of thirteen
years he was compelled to abandon school
and devote himself to farm duties. He was
thus deprived of extensive advantages in ac-
quiring an education, but has made up this
loss in the cultivation of his unusually keen
faculties of observation. When nineteen
years of age he commenced life on his own
responsibility, having nothing but a team of
horses to begin his fortune with. He con-
tinued agricultural pursuits in Livingston
County and remained there five years. De-
cember 19, 1869, he was united in marriage
to Miss Eliza Gibson, a daughter of James
and Mary (Anthony) Gibson, natives of Ohio,
who was born in Ohio, March 3, 1851. In
1873 Mr. Harford entered the employ of
William Streight, of Cornell, Livingston
County, Illinois, as clerk, in a stock of gen-
eral merchandise. He served in this capac-
ity four years and a half, and in the summer
of 1879 he came to Harlan and engaged in
the mercantile business, where he continued

366

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

until 1881; he then came to Irwin, or the
spot where Irwin now stands, as his was the
first family in Irwin proper. Here he opened
a stock of general merchandise, in company
with Gibson Brothers — the firm-name being
Gibson & Harford. After two years Mr.
Harford disposed of his interest in the stock,
and entered into partnership with E. J.
Trowbridge, in the general merchandise busi-
ness. This firm continued three years, and
then Mr. Harford sold out to his partner,
and bought the stock and location of A. C.
Allen, where he has since done an extensive
business. He is to-day one of Shelby County's
most prosperous merchants. He carries a
stock of $-1,000, and owns two good pieces of
property in Irwin. Politically Mr. Harford
is an active Republican, taking an active part
in the politics of the county. He and his
wife are the parents of three children — Mah-
lon C, in the employ of the Northwestern
Railroad; James B. and Maud. The family
are among Shelby County's most respected
citizens.

S. BRANSON, M. D., a native of
Fulton County, Illinois, was born
[° March 1, 1854. He is a son of
D. W. and Caroline (Young) Branson,
natives of Ohio and New York respectively.
His boyhood was spent in attending the gra-
ded schools of his natke town, Morrison.
When he was fourteen years old his parents
removed to Marshall County, Iowa, to the
town of Lamoille. Here he was occupied
with farm work in the summer season, and
in the winter he attended school. This lie
continued for three years, when he entered
Ames (Iowa) State Agricultural College for
two years; he then taught for seven years in the
Iowa schools, at the end of which time he

commenced the study of medicine with Dr.
L. L. Bond, at West Side, Crawford County,
Iowa. He afterward entered Rush Medical
College, Chicago, and graduated from that in-
stitution in February, 1882. Immediately
after his graduation he came to Irwin, where
he has since been engaged in the practice of
his profession, which has grown to very com-
fortable proportions. In June, 1883, Dr.
Branson entered into partnership with W.
Granger in the drug business, and the firm
is doing business at the present time. He
was married June 23, 1881, to Miss Nora
Harris, a daughter of Benton and Amelia
(Scoville) Harris, born in Black Hawk
County, Iowa, June 22, 1858. Dr. and Mrs.
Branson are the parents of one child — Earl
S., born August 21, 1882. The Doctor is an
active worker in the ranks of the Republican
party, being appointed as chairman of the
township committee. He is a member of
the State Medical Association, the Missouri
Valley Association, and is acting vice-presi-
dent of the Shelby County Medical Associ-
ation, lie is a live, energetic physician, and
we bespeak for him a prosperous and useful
future. Dr. Branson owns 160 acres of land
in the county, which is under good cultiva-
tion. He and his wife are worthy members
of the Methodist Episcopal church, and are
among Shelby County's most respected citi-
zens. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M.,
and of the Legion of Honor.

~*h***

fOHN R. STEPHENS, a native of Parke
County, Indiana, was born October 31,
1845, and is the son of Edward and
Hcttie (Richey) Stephens. The father was a
native of England, and the mother of Ohio.
When he was about two years old his mother
died. When our subject was ten years old

BLOGRA PHICAL SKETCH ES.

367

his father came to Iowa and settled in War-
ren County, about ten miles southwest of
Des Moines. He was reared to farm life and
educated in the common schools. Mr. Ste-
phens was united in marriage, October 21,
1866, to Miss Elizabeth Ham, a daughter of
J. E. and Lavina (Stanford) Ham, natives of
Indiana and Ohio respectively. She was
born in Indiana, February 1, 1848, and was
eight years of age when her parents removed
to Iowa and settled in Greene County. After
his marriage Mr. Stephens engaged in farm-
ing in Warren County for two years, and then
removed to Pottawattamie County, where he .
continued his agricultural pursuits until
1880. He then removed to Gray's Postoffice,
Audubon County, and engaged in the grocery
business for two years. After this he was
employed by Dierks Bros. & Lampson, lum-
ber merchants, as manager of their business
at Gray's, where he remained but a short
time, and was then sent to Irwin by the same
company. He took charge of the business
here until the company sold out, and was em-
ployed by their successors, the S. H. Baldwin
Lumber Company, who sold out to the Green
Bay Lumber Company, of Des Moines. Mr.
Stephens was retained by this company, and
now has control of their business at Irwin.
He is well calculated to fill this position, as
is demonstrated by his retention by each of
the firms in succession. Mr. Stephens is an
active Republican, and has been identified
with the township officially as clerk for four
years. He is a member of the board of edu-
cation, now serving his second term, and is
director in the independent district of Irwin.
He was appointed one of three, as a soldiers'
relief committee, in September, 1888. He
is a member of the I. O. O. P., having passed
all the chairs, and is a member of the Iowa
Legion of Honor and the Grand Army of the
Republic, J. Pt. Slack Post, No. 136. Mr.

Stephens went to the defense of his country
in the late civil war, enlisting in May, 1864,
in the Forty-eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry,
Company A, and serving until October 22,
1864. He and his family are members of
the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. and
Mrs. Stephens are the parents of three chil-
dren — E. F. A., Edward E. and Lewis Manly.
They are numbered with Shelby County's
solid and reliable citizens.

—►-►» ' « j i t;- ? i<.-«oi -.

kETER WILL emigrated from Germany
to America in 1879. He was born Feb-
"^t ruary 1, 1855, and is a son of Henry
and Lucy Will. He grew to maturity in his
native country, spending his early life in at-
tending school and in farm work. At the
age of eighteen he was apprenticed to a cabi-
net-maker and served two years and a half,
when he began work as a journeyman, and
continued in this trade until he was twenty-
four years old. He then emigrated to Amer-
ica. The first stop he made was in Atlantic,
where he remained a few days, and then came
to Shelby County, stopping in Harlan for
four weeks. He then engaged to work on a
farm in Jackson Township for five months
for Lewis Buck. After his time with Mr.
Buck had expired, he was employed by a
neighbor to assist in the corn gathering, and
remained there all the winter. In the spring
he went to work for Charles Gish in Douglas
Township, where he remained for nine months.
He then purchased a team of Mr. Gish, and
during the following winter hauled corn for
the farmers to Harlan. In the sprinw he
traded his team for two ponies, and engaged
in herding cattle. He followed this occupa-
tion for five months, and on Christmas came
to Irwin, where he and Peter Graves had
purchased two lots. These they divided, and

308

HISTORY OF SUE LEY COUNTY.

Mr. Will built a stable and purchased a team
of horses and started in the livery and feed
business. In July, 1885, he purchased of S.
Kimball the present location of his barn, and
now has a well-planned building and two
good teams, and is able to accemmodate the
public with first-class livery. When Mr.
Will came to Shelby County he was in debt,
but by hard work and close application to his
business he has accumulated a good property,
lie is a live, energetic man, and is among
the solid citizens of Shelby County. He
affiliates with the Democratic party. Mr.
Will was married October 11, 1885, to Miss
Maggie Pepper, a native of Germany. They
are the parents of two children — Henry and
Peter. They are members of the Lutheran
church.

m^T AKTIN I'OLINO. Si;., is the son of
'''}< '■/. \' Samuel, Jr., and Klizabetb (Porks)
*^t0^ Poling, and grandson of Samuel, Sr.,
and Sarah Poling, of Pennsylvania. His
mother's parents were John and Sarah Porks.
Martin was born and reared in Barbour County,
West Virginia, his birth occurring January
29, 1819. lie was educated in the subscrip-
tion schools of that day, and was trained to a
farmer's life. In the fall of 1836 he, witii
his parents, two brothers and three sisters,
came to Ohio and settled in Union County,
where he met and married Peree Carpenter,
August 4, 1839; she was the daughter of
Solomon and Catharine (Hill) Carpenter, and
was born in Virginia, August 13, 1819, and
died October 7, 1888. Martin and Peree
Poling were the parents of ten children —
Silas, Cyrena, wife of William Gagle; Totten,
Jane, wife of L. C. Westfall; Mary £tt, wife
of Elijah Gish; Peree, wife of Jacob Tague;
Josephine, wife of J. R. McConnell; George,

Arthur and Martin H. After his marriage
Mr. Poling remained in Union County three
years, and then removed to VanBuren County,
Iowa, where he resided eight years. He then
lived in Mahaska County, Iowa, for seven
years, then in Jasper County for eight years,
and in 1865 he removed his family to Shelby
County, settling five miles east of Harlan.
In 1867 he took up a claim of forty acres,
which had been abandoned, and afterward
purchased an adjoining forty acres, all of
which was wild land; here he continued to
make his ho"me, making necessary improve-
ments. He erected a good frame residence,
barns for stock and grain, built fences, and
planted three acres of grove. He and his
family had many hardships to undergo, but
they now have one of the pleasantest homes
in the county, and enjoy the pleasures of those
who have a consciousness of dnty performed,
and work well done. Mr. Poling responded
to the call for men to defend the flag of this
country, and enlisted in Company B, Thir-
teenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry; he served
eleven months and was discharged on account
of failing health. He has always supported
the issues of the Republican party, and has
held many positions of trust and honor; he
has tilled the offices of justice of the peace,
township trustee and assessor. His first vote
was cast for William Henry Harrison in 1810,
and he has voted at every presidential election
since but one. He joined the church in 1858,
and since that time has lived the life of a true,
consistent Christian. His worthy wife fol-
lowed his example, and they made the journey
through life with interests undivided. When
Mrs. Poling died, a faithful wife and loving
mother passed to her eternal rest. Mr. Poling
now makes his home among his children ; he
has thirty grandchildren and one great-
grandchild. Although he has reached his
allotted threescore and ten years, Mr. Poling

lUOGHAl'HIVAL SKETCHES.

o71

is bale and hearty, and carries his age like a
man of sixty years. Martin II. Poling, the
tenth child of Martin, Sr., and Peree Poling,
was born in Jasper County, Iowa, March 27,
1859, and has lived in Shelby County since
1865. His youth was passed on a farm and
in attending school. At the age of seventeen
years he commenced to learn the blacksmith's
trade with his brother George at Bowman's
Grove; he worked with him for three winters,
and then began farming for himself in Jack-
son Township; here he remained for three
years, and then removed to Jefferson Town-
ship, where he purchased a farm of eighty
acres of unimproved land; here he made many
improvements in the way of erecting build-
ings and planting trees. He resided on this
place for four years, and then came to Irwin,
where he has since made his home. He en-
tered into partnership with Charles McCon-
nell in the blacksmith and repair business.
They are energetic business men, and have
built up an extensive trade in their line. Po-
litically Mr. Poling is a Republican. He was
married February 4, 1880, to Miss Minerva
J., daughter of Ephraim and Phoebe J. (Ward)
Tague, who was born in Shelby County, Sep-
tember 1, 1862. Mr. Poling and wife are
the parents of three children — Vinnie May,
Gracie Edna and Guy Hamilton. They are
worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal
church, and are among the respected and hon-
ored citizens of the county.

- ■ ■g . MI . g ... -

jMAR PACHA W YLAND, Clerk of the
courts of Shelby County, Iowa, was
born in Elkhart County, Indiana, Au-
gust 20, 1855. He is the son of Isaac P.
and Julia Wyland, and is one of a family of
live sons and one daughter. Although a
Hoosier by birth he knows very little of the

State of his nativity, his parents having emi-
grated to this State while he was still an
infant. In 1856 they settled on a farm in
Shelby County, and Omar Pacha and his
other brothers were reared to the hard work
incident to frontier life. While still quite
young he conceived the idea that a good ed-
ucation would make life's journey much
easier and more satisfactory, so he took advan-
tage of every opportunity to gain knowledge.
After attending the district school for several
winters he entered the Baptist College at Des
Moines, and was a student there in 1871,
1872 and 1873. Upon leaving college he
taught school in Polk and Shelby counties
for several years. Feeling that with the
education he had acquired he was better able
to take up the duties of life, and perforin
them successfully, he went back to the farm.
Believins that he was better fitted to make a
good, sensible farmer than he had been before,
he put in cultivation a farm in section 27,
Harlan Township; but in 1877, at their re-
quest, he left the farm to accept a position in
the land and abstract office of C. J. & D. M.
Wyland. He soon developed a marked abil-
ity in this line of work, and by close applica-
tion mastered the intricacies of the business.
He was soon placed in charge of the land and
abstract business, and still holds that position.
In 1875 Mr. Wyland was married to Miss
Rachel J. Wallace, a native of Adams County,
Illinois, and a daughter of Mr. James A.
Wallace. Mr. Wyland was elected treasurer
of the independent school district of Harlan
in 1879, and has held that office ever since.
He has been an active member of the City
Council since 1886. In 1888 he was unan-
imously nominated to the office of clerk of
the courts, and was elected by a large major-
ity over a very strong opponent — being the
first Democrat ever elected to fill that office
in Shelby County. He is an earnest and

372

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

zealous member of the Masonic fraternity, is
secretary of Parian Lodge and of Olivet Chap-
ter, and is recorder of Mt. Zion Commandery ;
lie is also a member of the order of the East-
ern Star. Mr. Wylaud is an honest and
conscientious Democrat, strong in his convic-
tions, yet never forcing his opinions upon
others. lie is to be envied in the possession
of a very even temper; there is a quiet vein
of humor running through his nature that
enables him easily to look upon the bright side
of life. Always ready with a pleasant word
for every one, it is not surprising that he has
so many warm personal friends, and that he
is so popular with all classes of citizens. Had
we more natures like Omar Pacha Wyland's,
life's burdens would seem the lighter to
bear.

— ^g.lMt.g...-

fM. BOWLIN, of the firm of Bowlin
& Paii]>, brokers, Harlan, is a native
° of Pennsylvania, born in Somerset
County, January 27, 1855. He is a son of
Joseph and Barbara (Avers) Bowlin. The
former was a native of Pennsylvania and of
Puritan descent, and the latter was also a
native of Pennsylvania, but of German
ancestry. The subject of this sketch was
sent to school in Sunimeriield, Pennsylvania,
until he was fourteen years old, when the
family removed to l.iwa, and settled in Ot-
tumwa, Wapello County. When he was six-
teen years old he engaged in the grocery
business, which he followed until 1876. In
March, 1877, he, in company with his brother,
came to Harlan and engaged in general mer-
cantile trade, which they followed success-
fully until 1881 when he sold to his brother.
He then engaged in the hardware business,
in which he continued until 1886, when he
sold out. January 1, 1887, he engaged in

his present business. Mr. Bowlin was mar-
ried December 14, 1879, to Miss Reppa L.
Brazie, a native of New York, and a daugh-
ter of Peter Brazie. Mrs. Bowlin is a
member of the Baptist church. Mr. Bowlin
is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Parian
Lodge, No. 321; Olivet Chapter, No. 107;
Mount Zion Commandery, No. 49. In the
spring of 1888 Mr. Bowlin was appointed
mayor of Harlan, and in March, 1889, he
was re-elected to fill this office.

"♦♦■ | * ? '* £ « | '*'»

"?*EIL ( AKMICI1EL, deceased, was one

1 of the well-known and respected citi-
zens of Shelby County. He was born
in Scotland, at Linsmore, October 26, 1840,
and was the son of Dngal and Sarah (Kieth)
Oarmichel. At the age of 6even years he
came to America with his parents, who set-
tled in New York. When he was sixteen
years old they removed to Canada, in which
country he was reared a farmer. His educa-
tion was obtained in the public schools. Six
months before the close of the late war he
enlisted for three years in the Twenty-first
Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Company B,
and was with General Sherman on his march
from Atlanta to the sea. He was hoi.orably
discharged at the close of the war. After
the close of the war he came west and en-
gaged in railroad contracting for some time.
Mr. Carmichel was united in marriage, in
Canada, November 15, 1870, to Miss Esther
McCallum, a native of the county of Kent,
Ontario, and a daughter of Hugh and Sarah
(Newcomb) McCallum. The father was born
in Glasgow, Scotland, and the mother was a
native of Nova Scotia. The year of their
marriage Mr. and Mrs. Carmichel came to
Iowa and settled in Monroe Township. There
they resided fourteen years. Mr. Carmichel

BIOGRAPHICAL .SKETCHES.

373

was engaged in general farming, but gave
especial attention to raising and feeding cat-
tle, in which lie was very successful. Before
his death he had acquired a valuable estate.
Mrs. Carmichel now owns 260 acres of line
farm land, and property in Harlan. Mr.
Carmichel was a member of Parian Lodge,
No. 321, A. F. & A. M. He was an active
business man, and enjoyed the esteem and
confidence of all who knew him. Mrs. Car-
michel has four children living — Douglas,
Sarah Ann, Barbara and Neil. Lilly died
since her father passed away. Mr. Cai'michel's
death occurred November 2, 1885. Mrs.
Carmichel now resides in Harlan, and is
giving her children the advantages afforded
by the public schools.

IB a • Ql

fP. SORENSON, proprietor of the Har-
lan brick -yards, was born in Denmark,
® May 16, 1831. He is the son of Soren
Peterson. He attended school until he was
fourteen years old, and then worked on a farm
and in the brick-yards for some time. When
about twenty years of age he married Miss
Christena Johuson,and in 1869 they came to
America and settled at Cuppy's Grove,
Shelby County, Iowa. Mr. Sorenson worked
on a farm until 1880, and then came to Har-
lan and engaged in brick-making, establish-
ing the first yard in the county; his yard is
one of the largest in the county, having a ca-
pacity of 1,000,000 bricks. Mr. Sorenson
makes 500,000 brick annually, and employs
from nine to sixteen men during the busy
season. He has two patent kilns, and drying
sheds for 14,000 bricks. There are three and
a half acres in the yard, and the clay is well
adapted to the work. Mr. Sorenson has had
many years' experience in this trade, and has
established a good business in Harlan. He

and his wife are the parents of ten children —
James G., Mary, Severine, Christina, Alsa,
Carrie, Christ, Otto, Nickoly and Julia. The
last two named were born in Shelby County,
and the others in Denmark. Christ, Carrie
and Otto are dead. In December, 1881, Mr.
Sorenson, wife and two children, Nickoly and
Carrie, made a trip to Denmark, returning
the following May. Mr. Sorenson has been
influential in bringing many of his country-
men to Shelby County. He was the first
emigrant landed at Avoca, on the Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, and was the
second man from Denmark to land in Har-
lan, Mr. Andrew Peterson being the first. In
two years, by his advice, several came over,
and they have been followed almost every year
by others, until probably more than 100 emi-
grants have found homes in Shelby County
through Mr. Sorenson's influence. He has
given much assistance to these people, and
many are indebted to him both for his kind-
ness and aid.

f^ W. BYERS, attorney at law, Harlan,
was born in Richland County, Wis-
consin, December 25, 1856. He is
the son of Andrew C. and Mary (Holwell)
Byers, natives of the State of Pennsylvania.
The parents removed from Wisconsin to
Hancock Couuty, Iowa, when H. W. was a
lad of fourteen years. There he obtained
the education afforded by the public schools.
In 1886 he began the reading of law with
Macy & Gammon, and in 1888 he was ad-
mitted to the bar at Des Moines, Iowa. He
is well read in law for a man of his age, and
has been very successful in his practice.
His office is the same occupied by Judge
Macy and Mr. Gammon, on the north side
of the public square, Harlan. Mr. Byers

374

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

has already won his share of practice, and
we bespeak for him a prosperous future. He
was married in May, 1882, to Miss Mary
J., daughter of James and Mary (Wyland)
Winegar. They have had born to them" two
children — James C. and Frank. Mr. Byers's
political convictions find expression in the
Republican party,which he zealously supports.

— ■ >»■ ; • mi ' 2" - —

tj. PATTEE is the proprietor of one of
the most popular restaurants in Har-
Q Ian. lie keeps the best grades of
goods, is thoroughly experienced, and under-
stands the art of managing an establishment
of this character successfully. He was born
in Germany, July 4, 1855, and is the son
of Rudolph and Enstinia (Goulkie) Pattee.
When he was seven years old his parents
emigrated to America, and settled in Potta-
wattamie County, Iowa. There our subject
grew to manhood, being trained to the occu-
pation of a farmer, and receiving a common-
Bchool education. In 1^77 Mr. Pattee was
married to Miss Emma Holdnian, who died
in 1879. He was married again in 1883 to
Miss Ella Lytton, of Harlan. They have
had born to them three children — Emarilda,
Joseph M. and Jessie Alice. Mr. Pattee
votes the Kepublican ticket. He is a mem-
ber of the I. O. O. E., No. 267. He is yet
in the prime of life, is of a genial disposi-
tion, honorable in business, and is among the
representative business men of Harlan.

~~V~:«^-«-~ —

fF. BROOK, watchmaker and jeweler,
Harlan, has been a resident of Shelby
° County since 1879. He was born in
Louisville, Kentucky, March 18, 1854, and
is the son of Leland and Amanda (Goddard)

Brock, natives of the State of Kentucky. He
was left an orphan at the age of six years,
and spent most of his youth in Decatur
County, Indiana, receiving a common-school
education. As before stated, he came to
Shelby County in 1879, and in 1882 he
engaged in business with C. C. Olmstead for
a time. He is now proprietor of one of the
leading jewelry stores of Harlan, and is an
honorable and experienced jeweler. He carries
a full stock and a large assortment of goods in
his line, and is receiving his share of patron-
age. He has been established in his present
business since 1885. Mr. Brock was mar-
ried in 1881 to Miss Anna L. Peterson, of
Harlan, a daughter of Andrew Peterson,
whose biography will be found elsewhere in
this history. Mr. and Mrs. Brock are the
parents of two children — Franklin P. and
Ivy G. Mr. Brock is member of the Knights
of Pythias, No. 65; he is also a member of
the Methodist Episcopal church.

►>•£*§-♦■

MfiUS. HARRIETT A. TRUMAN was

HU born in Dover, England, and is the
*^<pv^* daughter < >f William and Susan (Laws)
A.-hman. Until she was thirteen years of
age she resided in her native country, receiv-
ing excellent instruction and training. She
then became companion to Lady Pemberton
Knight who had been a schoolmate and inti-
mate friend of Mrs. Truman's mother, and
who also proved a most loyal friend to her
young companion. In the society of this
gifted person Mrs. Truman visited all im-
portant points of Europe and the West ludias,
obtaining in this way an education superior
to that of most people of her day. Mrs.
Truman was married in 1865, in Salt Lake
City, Utah Territory, to N. M. Dickinson, a
man of unusual intelligence and education,

D 1 00 U A PUICA L 8 KETCH Vs.

37.')

and a very successful business man; he was a
native of Vermont, and during the late civil
war he served his country in the Sixtieth
New York Regular Infantry, for three and a
half years; he held the office of Lieutenant and
Adjutant, and was a faithful and efficient
officer. After the close of the war he entered
the United States postal service at Omaha,
Nebraska. From Omaha he came to Harlan,
in which place his death occurred March 4,
1875. Mr. Dickinson and wife were the parents
of three children — Elena, died at the age of
eleven and a half years; George W., died at the
age of six and a half years, and Norris M. still
survives. Mrs. Dickinson was married in
November, 1877, to P. C. Truman, an attor-
ney of Harlan. Mrs. Truman owns 240 acres
of well-improved land and good residence
property in Harlan. She is a woman of in-
telligence, culture and education, and is a
worthy member of the Baptist church.

-3H~HK~

§L. JARVIS is the owner of the Jar vis
livery and sale stables of Harlan, Iowa.
ft This barn, located near the southwest
corner of the square, was built by Downey
& Company in 1887, and was sold to Mr. Jar vis
June 12, 1888. Good driving teams and car-
riages can be found at Mr. Jarvis's, who has
built up a profitable business. The subject
of this sketch was born in Rockbridge County,
Virginia, March 21, 1835. His father, James
Jarvis, was descended from an old Virginia
family, and his mother, Mary Hildreth, was
a native of Massachusetts. In 1837 his parents
removed to Elkhart County, Indiana, where
the father died in 1851; the mother died in
Cass County, Michigan, in 1849. L. L. was
reared to the occupation of a farmer, and re-
ceived the advantages of a common-school edu-
cation. In 1853 he went to Kankakee County,

Illinois, remaining there one year; he then
spent a year in Cass County, Michigan, and
at the end of that time went to Piatt County,
Illinois. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the
One Hundred and Seventh Illinois Volunteer
Infantry, Company H. While he was in the
service he spent seven weeks in the hospital.
He was honorably discharged May 9, 18(33.
In 1864 he went south in the government
employ, and in 1805 he came to Shelby
County, Iowa, which has since been his home.
In 18G6 Mr. Jarvis was married to Mary
Billeter, and seven children have been born to
them — Charles B., Leora, Owen, Frank, Fred-
erick, Ella and Jennie. Mr. Jarvis owns one
of the best farms in thetownship; it contains
160 acres, and has a residence in Harlan cost-
ing 81,800; he also owns eighty acres in sec
tion 29, Harlan Township.

^.^l^-,^S^^.

B. WARNER, Principal of the public
school of Harlan, is a native of the
9 State of Pennsylvania. He was born
April 12, 1855, and is the son of Samuel and
Mary E. Warner. When he was ten years of
age his parents removed from New York, in
which State they had lived for several years,
to Bowling Green, Pike County, Missouri;
there he attended school for some time, and
in 1879 graduated from the State Normal
School at Kirksville, Missouri. At the ace of
eighteen he began teaching, and with the ex-
ception of the time spent in study he has
since followed this high calling. For four
years he had charge of the schools in Aller-
ton, Wayne County, Iowa, and in 1885, after
an experience of eleven years, he took charge
of the Harlan schools. In the profession of
teaching he has doubtless found the work for
which he is endowed. He is an excellent
disciplinarian, and as an instructor has few

376

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

equals. Harlan may well congratulate her-
self upon having at the head of her public
schools such a man as Mr. Warner. He was
married May 24, 1878, to Miss Alice Perry-
man, of Princeton, Missouri. They have had
born to them three children — Ray, Blanche
and Carl. Politically Mr. Warner is a Pro-
hibitionist, and believes in free trade and civil-
service reform. Mr. and Mrs. Warner are
members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

— "•*•"%* 3 " S * |" "~

ITEPIIEN YODER has been a resident
of Harlan Township since 1881. He
was born in Centre County, Pennsylva-
nia, January 14, 1821, and is a son of Yost
Yoder, a native of Pennsylvania; his father
was also a native of Pennsylvania, and they
were of German ancestry. The mother of
Stephen Yoder was Sarah Yoder, and although
bearing the same name as her husband, was not
related to him. Our subject lived in Centre
County, Pennsylvania, until he was seven-
teen years of age. He was reared a tanner,
and received his education in the subscription
schools, and by diligenl reading at home.
In 1838 the family moved to .1 uniata County,
Pennsylvania, where they remained until

1845, when he removed to Wayne County,
Ohio. Mr. Yodei- was married January.

1846, to Miss Catharine Miller, a native of
Ohio. P>y this union two children were born,
one of whom, John O., is living; Jeremiah
was drowned in Skunk River, Iowa, when he
was fourteen years old. Catharine Yoder
died July 12, 1850. Mr. Yoder Mas married
again October 15, 1852, to Miss Margaret
Shoemaker, a native of Wayne County, ( >hio.
By this union ten children were born — Rufus
A., Stephen S., Samuel E., Mary Ann, Emma
Jane, Joseph P., Sarah F., Maggie A., Hattie
S. and W. Alonzo. Mrs. Margaret Yoder

died October 27, 1880. Mr. Yoder was again
married February 11, 1883, to Mrs. Sarah
Terwilliger, whose maiden name was Erb.
She was born in Wayne County, Ohio. Mr.
Yoder resided in Wayne County, Ohio, until
1859, when he came to Washington County,
Iowa, where he improved a farm and lived
until 1881. As before stated, he then came
to Shelby County and bought his present farm
of Washington Wyland, which is known as
Windy Knoll farm; the place contains 160
acres of land, and is one of the best in the
township. Mr. Yoder has spent $1,400 in
making improvements; he has built a good
residence, a large barn, and has a windmill
and a steam-cooker for food for stock. Po-
litically he is independent, and is a strong
temperance man. He is a member of the
German Baptist church, and he and his son
Rufus have charge of the church in this town-
ship. Mr. Yoder's membership in the church
began forty-one years ago. lie has given his
children a good education, and three daugh-
ters and one son are successful teachers. All
enterprises of a religious or educational char-
acter have ever found a hearty support in Mr.
Yoder.

-.. frM - fr -

4EORGE W. CULLISON, attorney at
law, Harlan, has been identified with
the interests of Shelly County, Iowa,
since 1880. He is a native of Iowa, born in
Henry County, October 6, 1848. He is a
son of Elisha and Matilda (^McCabe) Cullison.
Elisha Cullison was a native of Kentucky,
born in 1808, and was a son of Bennett Cul-
lison, who was a native of Virginia. He was
a son of Rush Cullison, who served in the
colonial army during the Revolutionary war,
and was present at the surrender of the Brit-
ish troops at Yorktown. The father of our

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

379

subject, Elisha Cullison, was reared to the
vocation of fanning, and when a young man
came to Indiana, where he was married to
Matilda McCabe, who was of Irish descent.
She was only a child when her father died
and she was brought to this country by her
Grandfather Baxter, and was reared in Indi-
ana. In 1842 Elisha Cullison and his wife
came to the Territory of Iowa and settled
about one and a half miles east of New Lon-
don, Henry County. They squatted on a
tract of wild land, and when it came into the
market they entered it from the government.
He followed agricultural pursuits until 1858,
when he moved to Adair County, Missouri.
Here he settled on a farm and also engaged
in the mercantile business. At the breaking
out of the war he boldly declared himself in
favor of the preservation of the union at any
cost. The county was about evenly divided
for and against the union, and great bitter-
ness was engendered between the union men
and " secesh." Elisha Cullison employed
his time during the first year of the war in
enlisting men for the union armies and or-
ganizing home guards. He, together with
two others, Dr. J. W. Lee and Mr. T. J. Ly-
can, were so diligent in organizing union troops
that the three became very offensive to the
rebels who offered a reward of $1,000 each
for the capture of them. They were never
caught, but the rebel General Martin E.
Green captured the little town (Paulville) and
robbed the stores of Cullison and Lycan, and
the office of Dr. Lee, and took all the horses,
cattle, chickens, turkeys, hay and grain,
and meat, flour and vegetables belonging to
Cullison, and left his family with nothing to
live upon. In 1863 he enlisted as a private
in the Missouri State Militia, George H.
Boone, Captain, but was soon discharged on
account of his age. His son, William Rush,
served through the entire war in Company A,

Fourteenth Illinois Infantry, and now lives
in Kansas City, Missouri. The father died
February 1, 1865, at the age of iifty-seven.
His wife survived him until December, 1872,
and died at the age of fifty- four. They were
the parents of twelve children, six of whom
lived to maturity and five of whom still sur-
vive, four sons and one daughter. George
W., the subject of this sketch, was reared on
a farm and remained at home until the death
of his father. He was little past twelve years
old when Sumter was fired on, and during
the greater part of the war was the oldest
male member of the family left at home.
During the war the public schools of the State
were destroyed and he had no opportunity to
attend school until the war was over. After
the death of his father in 1865 he resolved to
obtain an education, and on September 13,
1865, he entered college at Monroe, in Mon-
roe County, Missouri. He remained there
till the spring of 1867, and during that sum-
mer he worked on a farm for $20 per month.
In September of that year he entered the
Normal University of Missouri, and in June,
1870, graduated from the same. He was
considerably in debt at that time to friends
who had advanced him money to complete
his education. The next week after his gradu-
ation he hired out to parties then engaged in
building in Kirksville, and was in a short
time carrying the hod while a man at the top
was doing the work. He continued at this
employment till in September of that year
he secured a country school. While he was
teaching school and during his vacations he
studied law under Judge Andrew Ellison. In
1871 he came to Iowa and established an in-
dependent school, known as the Troy Normal
School. He was engaged in that school for
four years, and during that time the school
flourished as it never did before, having an
attendance of from 100 to 200 students. In

380

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

1874 he was selected as principal of the
Southern Iowa Normal and Scientific Insti-
tute, and placed that institution on such a
solid footing that it still is numbered among
the prosperous schools of Iowa. He con-
tinued his study of the law under Judge II.
C. Traverse, of Bloomfield, and in 1876 was
admitted by Judge J. C. Knapp to the prac-
tice of the law. In 1871, while teaching at
Troy, his wife, Mrs. Jennie S. (Gates) Culli-
son attended his school. She is a native of
Essex County, New York, and was born in
1849, and is a daughter of David Gates and
Rusetta (Hough) Gates. Her parents came
to Jefferson County, Iowa, when she was a
child. After Mr. Cullison was admitted to
the bar he practiced his profession and taught
school till 1880, when he formed a partner-
ship with Mr. T. H. Smith, since which time
he has devoted himself exclusively to the
practice of law. He is recognized as one of
the most thorough scholars in the west and
stands among the foremost in his profession.
His opinion is recognized as very valuable
among his associates at the bar. His firm
has the largest practice in the county and it
extends to several coutities in the district.
Mr. Cullison is regarded as a very excellent
public speaker. When ho addresses the court
it is done in that accurate and scholarly way
that makes what he has to say both instruct-
ive and entertaining. His addresses to the
public are earnest, thoughtful productions,
rich in illustration and pleasing in manner.
He is a very active, energetic man, and has
always been industrious. He manages his
business with skill and caution and never
permits it to fail. He has never held office
except school director, and has never been a
candidate but twice. In 1870 he was a can-
didate for superintendent of public instruc-
tion, and in 1880 was the nominee of his party
for judge of the fifteenth judicial district of

Iowa. He was beaten by a small majority
after running more than 1,000 votes ahead of
his ticket. One of the most pleasing features
of Mr. Cullison's life is his domestic relations.
He has a pleasant home and family and en-
joys it as but few do. He and Mrs. Cullison
are parents of six children, five of whom are
now living, four girls and one boy — Maggie
Lenore, Ollie M., Elizabeth B., Mabel Ella,
and Shelby. On May 5, 1889, they lost one
little son, Ben Eli, who died after an illness
of four weeks of typhoid fever. He was a
most interesting child, five years, three months
and eighteen days old. Mr. Cullison is a
member of the I. O. O. F., Harlan Lodge,
No. 207. He is a past grand of the order.
Politically he is an independent Democrat.

P. CHANCE, a Hoosier by birth,
and a soldier of the late war, is one
I— tspzft ° of the enterprising and successful
farmers of Harlan Township, Shelby County,
Iowa. He was born in Grant County, Indi-
ana, August 13, 1841, and is a son of Will-
iam Chance, a native of North Carolina, who,
when a boy, came to Highland County, Ohio,
where he was reared. He then went to Wayne
County, Indiana, where he was married to
Miss Jane Potter, a native of New Jersey.
He lived there one year. He was among the
first settlers in Grant County, Indiana, and it
was there that his wife died. After her death
the father and children came to Iowa, set-
tling near Chariton, Lucas County. William
Chance now lives in Ness County, Kansas.
W. P. Chance was reared a farmer and re-
ceived his education in the common schools.
During the late war he was one of the first to
go to the defense of his country. He enlisted
in March, 1862, in the Thirty-fourth Indiana
Volunteer Infantry, Company F, and 6erved

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

381

three years and ten months. He was in the
battles of Champion Hill, siege of Vicksbnrg,
and Jackson, Mississippi. He re-enlisted and
returned home on a furlough, after which he
went south again, and was at New Orleans
on duty under General Banks for a time. He
then went to Texas, and afterward took an
active part in the last battle fought in the war.
He was honorably discharged in February,
1866, at Brownsville, Texas, and was finally
discharged at Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr.
Chance then returned to Iowa, and engaged
in the more peaceful pursuit of agriculture.
He was married December 24, 1869, to Miss
Sarah Mellville, a daughter of Andrew and
Rachel (Armstrong) Mellville; the father was
born in Scotland, and came to Lucas County
in 1854; the mother was a native of Ohio.
By this marriage one child was born — Mell-
ville C. Mrs. Chance died November 4, 1870.
Mr. Chance was married January 11, 1872,
to Miss Isabella Mellville, a sister of his first
wife; by this union three children have been
born — Arthur B., Harry Garfield, and Carrie
B. In 1871 Mr. Chance came to Shelby
County, and settled on section 19, Harlan
Township; later he removed to Harlan where
he improved a good piece of property. In
1886 he came to his present farm of 280
acres, which is well improved. He is a mem-
ber of the G. A. R., Harlan Post, No. 107,
and is a member of the Christian church.

^ENRY C. NICOLLS is one of the pio-
neers of Shelby Township, having set-
tled here in 1876. He was born in
Morgan County, Ohio, September 20, 1829.
He is a ■ son of Israel and Mary (Craig)
Nicolls. The father was a native of Vir-
ginia, and the mother of Ohio. They had
eleven children. Henry was the second born,

but the oldest to grow to maturity. The
parents lived in Ohio until the time of their
death, which occurred in Hocking County.
Henry C. Nicolls was reared a farmer, and
received his education at subscription schools,
in primitive log school-houses with slab seats,
and floors made of puncheons. He was six-
teen years old when his parents moved to
Hocking County, Ohio. He was married
September 12, 1850, to Miss Sarah Pratt,
who was born in Athens County, Ohio, May
15, 1827. She was the daughter of Elias
and Mary (Swain) Pratt. The father died
in Athens County, and the mother in southern
Illinois. Mr. Nicolls lived in Ohio until
1854, when he removed to Iowa, coming bv
teams and wagons, and camping on the way.
He started October 9, and arrived in Johnson
County, Iowa, November 6. He remained
here nine years. He enlisted in the late war
September 2, 1862, in the Sixth Iowa Cavalry,
Company I, and took an active part in the
battle of White Stone Hill, with the Dakota
and Sioux Indians, and at Cannon-Bali River,
near the Bad Lands. He was in other skir-
mishes from the Little Missouri Riverthrough
to the Yellowstone River, in 1864. He served
under General Alfred Sully. They laid out
Fort Rice, and built Fort James and Fort
Sully. Mr. Nicolls served three years and
one month, and was mustered out of the serv-
ice at Sioux City as Second Lieutenant, and
was discharged at Davenport, Iowa. He then
went to Benton County, Iowa, where the
family had moved, near Belle Plain. Later
they moved near Luzerne, in the same
county, where he made his home until he
came to Shelby County. He bought 160 acres
of land; there was a rude cabin and 100 acres
broken. Here he has since lived, and has
made improvements until the Nicolls farm is
among the best in the county. There is a
good two-story house, a barn and sheds, an

382

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

orchard, and a grove of five acres. Mr. N icolls
and wife have five children — Mary Jane, Amos
P. (of Dakota), Sophia Elizabeth, Albert Ben-
ton Vinton and Rachel Viola. Mr. Nicolls
is a Republican, and has served eight years
as township trustee with credit. He is a
member of the Masonic order, Lodge No.
371, of Shelby. He was a member of the
Grange during its palmy days. He is a man
well informed, and is a close observer. Al-
though fifty-nine years old, he carries his age
lightly. Pie is kind and genial to all, and
has the respect and confidence of all who
know him.

~~-*| , 3 " S , | '~~

H^ARRISON SMITH, of Shelby Town-
ship, section 22, is one of the promi-
nent citizens. He bought land in the
township in 1872, and settled there in 1873.
He was born in Morgan County, Ohio, Octo-
ber 20, 184!*, a son of Solomon and Lethinda
(Newman) Smith, natives of Ohio. 'When
he was fourteen years old he went to Illinois
with an older brother. Here he spent his
time in fanning and attending the public
schools. In 1868 he removed to Poweshiek
County, Iowa, lie was married September
10, 1872, to Miss Mary IIarrod f a daughter
of John and Rachel Ilarrod, who was born
in Knox County, Ohio. Mr. Smith was en-
gaged in farming in Roweshiek County until
1873, when he came to Shelby Township and
located on his present farm. He first bought
eighty acres, but has since bought more till
he now owns 320 acres. His farm is one of
the best improved in the township. His
house, built in 1882, is a large frame build-
ing of modern style, well situated on a
natural building site, surrounded by a line
<rrove. His barn is commodious, and he has
ohter good buildings for grain and stock.

Everything is neat and snug, and well ar-
ranged for convenience and comfort. He has
Hambletonian horses, as fine as can be found
in the county. He is a Republican, a mem-
ber of the Masonic order, Shelby Lodge, No.
371, and one of the successful early settlers.
He has done his share in the improvement of
the county. He is cordial to all, honorable
in business, and has the esteem and regard
of all who know him.

"*-~*3H*- , H:; , ~ , ~

E. LINN is one of the well-known
and honored citizens of Shelby Town-
ship. He was born in Huntingdon
County, Pennsylvania, February 26, 1836,
and is a son of James and Nancy (l'ooher)
Linn, natives of Pennsylvania, the father of
Irish and the mother of German descent.
The parents reared six sons and one daugh-
ter — S. li. was the sixth child. He was reared
on a farm, and received his education in the
public-schools. During the great rebellion
he enlisted at Lincoln's call for 300,000 men,
in the Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Com-
pany A. He served until the close of the
war and was discharged at Lexington, North
Carolina. He took an active part in all the
engagements under General Kilpatrick, from
Atlanta to the sea. He was discharged, and
returned to Huntingdon County, Pennsylva-
nia, where he was married to Miss Jane
Keagy, who was horn in Clearfield County,
Pennsylvania. She is a daughter of Aluam
and Elizabeth (Shoff) Keagy. Mr. Linn
lived in Pennsylvania until 1878, when he
came to Shelby County and settled on an
eighty-acre tract of land. He now has a fine
farm, a good story and a half house, a barn
and windmill. Everything shows the energy
and prosperity of the proprietor. He now
owns 177 acres of tine land. Mr. Linn and

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

383

wife have four children — Luella V., Mary
K\, Lizzie N. and Samuel II. They have

g ]

/en their children the advantage of a good

education. Their daughters are all success-
ful teachers; two of them are now attending
college at Indianola, Iowa. Mr. Linn is a
Republican. He has served as township
trustee and on the school board. He is a
member of the Methodist Episcopal church,
and has served as trustee of the same. Mrs.
Linn and daughters are also members of the
church. Mr. Linn is a member of the G.
A. R., Dick Tates Post, No. 364. He has
always been a liberal supporter of all religious
and educational advancement. He is one of
Shelby County's most valuable and highly
esteemed citizens. James Linn, father of S.
B., went as a volunteer in the war of 1812.
When he left home his father traveled for
two days with him; when he left him he said:
" My son, be true to your country, and never
return with the name of being a coward!"
He was honorably discharged in December,
1814, and was married to Nancy Booker,
January 31, 1815. Four of their sons an-
swered their country's call for men to defend
her flag.

fOHN S. POTTER came to Shelby
County, Iowa, in 1874. He is a native
of Canada, born July 25, 1854, a son of
John Potter and Rebecca (Dixon) Potter,
natives of England. John S. was thirteen
years old when his parents moved to Iowa in
1867, locating at West Liberty, Iowa, where
they now reside. He was raised a farmer,
and received his education in the common
schools. In 1874, before he was twenty-one
years old, he came to the county with only
30 cents, and $40 in debt. He lived in the
vicinity of Cuppy's Grove for a time. In

1876 he bought eighty acres of wild land in
Harrison County, and later bought forty acrse
more, which he broke and fenced. He lived
on a rented farm for two years, and came to
his present farm in 1879. He had rented
this three years before he bought it. His
home farm contains 141 acres, and he owns
120 acres in Harrison County, making 261
acres in all. The home place is well im-
proved; there is a good house on a natural
building site, a barn, sheds for stock, a wind-
mill, and a grove. Everything indicates
thrift and prosperity. Mr. Potter is largely
engaged in stock-raising and feeding, in which
he is successful. He was married February
28, 1877, to Miss Cora E. Evans, of Musca-
tine County, Iowa, a daughter of Jerry and
Catharine (Hayward) Evans. She was born
in Geauga County, Ohio. They have three
children — Catharine Belle, Edwin Hay ward
and Bessie Rebecca. They have one child
dead — John Albert, born December 23, 1877,
died December 21, 1878. Mr. Potter is a
Democrat. Though but a young man, and
coming to the county with no means, he has
by industry and good management acquired
a good property, and gained a high position
in the county. He is one of the solid, relia-
ble men.

-Wl ILLIAM G " BARRETT JS 0ne 0f tLe

1 : '/: '/I JNtelligent and leading citizens of
r4pr5 Shelby Township. He came to the
county in 1877. He was born in Harrison
County, Ohio, August 16, 1846, and is a son
of J. W. and Sarah (Lavely) Barrett, natives
of Ohio. William G. was reared a farmer,
and received his education in the common
schools and the Bucyrus, Ohio, High School.
In 1863 he removed to Mahaska County,
Iowa, where he grew to manhood. He was

384

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

married February 25, 1877, to Miss Alice
Hollister, a daughter of Orange and Martha
(Lamborn) Hollister, of Mahaska County,
Iowa. In 1877 he came to Shelby Town-
ship and bought eighty acres of partially
improved land. He has since built a com-
fortable house, surrounded by shade and or-
namental trees. He has planted an orchard
and grove, and has good barns for stock and
grain. He owns 200 acres of land, 120 acres
lying in the east part of section 2, as fine
land as there is. He is a thrifty and enter-
prising farmer, as everything on his place
indicates. Mr. Barrett and wife have three
children — Galen A., Mabel Bertha and Sarah
Martha. He is a Republican aud a member
of the Evangelical church. He is a liberal
and active supporter and a trustee. He is a
member of the Masonic order, Shelby Lodge.
Though comparatively a young man, he has
gained a good position in the county, socially
and financially, lie is an earnest supporter
of any enterprise tending to the advancement
of religion and education. He is kind, genial
and hospitable, and is one of Shelby Town-
ship's most worthy and respected citizens.

C. JENSON, of Shelby Township, is
one of the successful farmers. He came
lo here in 1874. He was born in Den-
mark, December 12, 1837, a son of Jens and
Anna (Dorothea) Hanson. He attended
school seven years, and then worked on a
farm for a time; lie afterward learned the
trade of a locksmith and worked at it for
several years. In the spring of 1866 he
sailed from Hamburg for New York; he went
to Philadelphia and remained eight months;
then to Rock Island, Illinois, where he worked
at the blacksmith's trade for one year; then
he went farther west and worked on the rail-

road for some time. He then went south to
Louisiana and Texas; he was also in St. Louis.
The next move was to California and Oregon:
but he returned to Iowa and bought his pres-
ent farm. It was wild, unimproved land,
and he now has a good farm of 160 acres, a
nice house, orchard, grove, stables for stock
and cribs for grain. He is a good farmer,
and everything indicates good management
and prosperity. He was married March 17,
1876, to Tina Anderson, who was born in
Denmark and came to America in 1874; she
was the daughter of Annie and Bertha Olson.
Mr. and Mrs. Jenson have two children liv-
ing — Jens Anderson and Anna Dorothea.
Three are dead; one called Jens Anderson,
Bertha and a baby. Our subject is a Repub-
lican. Both he and his wife are members of
the Lutheran church; he is an honest and
enterprising citizen.

~ £ - 3 " : - 2 —

V. BEST is one of the intelligent
and progressive citizens of the town-
^%W& < * ship. He came to the county in
1873. He was born in Mercer County,
Pennsylvania, June 4, 1830, — a son of Rob-
ert Best, a native of Butler County, Pennsyl-
vania, of German ancestry. His mother was
Margaret (Van Horn) Best, a native of New
Jersey, of a long line of Dutch ancestry.
His father was twice married; by the first
marriage three children were born. Our
subject is the oldest of nine children born by
the second marriage. He was fourteen years
old when his parents moved to Cadiz, Harri-
son County, Ohio, in 1844. The father
was a cooper by trade, but he learned the
trade of coach-making. His education was
received in the common schools of Pennsyl-
vania and the Cadiz Academy. He was mar-
ried January 1, 1852, to Miss Mary Ann

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

385

Mercer, bom in Belmom County, Ohio, a
daughter of Elias and Mary (Randall) Mercer,
both natives of Ohio. In 1854 our subject
moved to Muscatine County, Iowa, on a
farm, where he lived until he came to Shelby
County in 1873. He bought 160 acres of
wild land, and built the first house on the
prairie where he now lives. He has since
improved the farm and put it under good
cultivation. He has a good dwelling-house,
a fine orchard and grove of live or six acres,
and barn for stock and grain — all betraying
the thrift and enterprise of the owner. Mr.
and Mrs. Best have eleven chillren, seven
sous and four daughters — Ella Belle, Sarah
Amanda, Jennie Ida, Nissie Ithalbert, Harry
Sherman, Archie Mathias, Alvin Stuart, Er-
nest Legrande, Frank Clinton, Arthur Mar-
shall and Charles Williams. There are two
deceased — Martha Belle and Mary Adeliza.
Mr. Best is a Republican. He has served
as assessor and on the school board. .No man
in the township has taken a greater interest
in education, or been more active in eleva-
ting the standard of the schools. His daugh-
ter, Ella Belle, was a successful teacher. He
is a member of the Presbyterian church and
a deacon of the same. His wife and daugh-
ters and one sou are all members of the same
church. He is well-informed on general
topics, cordial and genial to all; is honorable
and upright in his business transactions, and
has the confidence and respect of all who
know him.

( LEXANDER ADAMS is one of the
active and enterprising agriculturists

-■ of Shelby Township, who came to the
county in 1875. He was born in Washing-
ton County, Pennsylvania, August 12, 1845,
a son of William Adams, a native of Ireland,

and Abegail (McGowen) Adams, of Wash-
ington County, Pennsylvania, who is of Scotch
ancestry. There were ten children in the
family, of whom our subject was the oldest.
His youth was passed in school. When the
late war broke out, though but a lad of six-
teen, he went to the defense of his country's
flag. He enlisted in December and was
mustered into service January 1, 1862, in the
One Hundredth Pennsylvania Infantry, Com-
pany A. He served three years and eight
months. He was first under fire at the assault
on Fort Lookout, James Island, South Caro-
lina. He took an active part in the second
Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietain, Fred-
ericksburg, Vicksburg, Jackson, Mississippi,
Campbell's Station, Knoxville, Tennessee, and
the Wilderness, where he ^as wounded in
the right thigh by a gun-shot. He was con-
fined to the hospital five months at Wash-
ington, Philadelphia and Pittsburg. He
rejoined his regiment in front of Petersburg,
and was wounded a second time, January 21
1865. He was confined to the hospital three
months at City Point, Virginia. He re-
joined his regiment and was honorably dis-
charged July 24, 1865. His service was
brave and gallant, a credit to any patriotic
citizen. He returned to his home and in
three weeks removed to Johnson County,
Iowa, where he engaged in farming until
1870. He then went to Colorado and en-
gaged in prospecting and mining until 1874,
when he returned to Johnson County, Iowa.
In 1875 he bought 240 acres where he has
since lived. He has made many improve-
ments, has a good house, a grove, and build-
ings for stock and grain. He was married
January 1, 1880, to Miss Bessie Gormley, a
native of Glasgow, Scotland, a daughter of
John and Elizabeth (Chambers) Gormley.
Mr. Adams and wife are the parents of three
children — Mary Annette, Nina Elsie and

386

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

Harrold Montford. Mr. Adams is a Repub-
lican, a member of the G. A. R. Post, No.
364, and a member of the Masonic order.
lie is a man still in the prime of life, jovial
and cordial to all, honorable in business, and
one of Shelby's most worthy citizens.

*$**£"

jf\ANS N. HENRICKSON, one of the
successful farmers of Shelby Township,
came to this county in 1875. He was
born in Denmark, August 29, 1830, a son of
Henry Hanson, who died when he was eighty-
three years old. He lived in Denmark until
he was thirty-seven years old; he went to
school until he was fourteen years old, and
then worked on a farm until he was twenty-
eight. He then learned the cooper's trade,
which he followed for ten years. He was
married in 1861 to Miss Bertha Maria Jerik-
erson, and in 1868 came to America. They
sailed from Hamburg to Liverpool and then
to Quebec; from that point to Chicago, and
from there they came to Jasper County, Iowa.
Mr. Henrickson worked on the railroad for
seven years, and in 1875 came to Shelby
County and settled on eighty acres of wild
prairie land, where he now lives. He has
added to this farm until he now owns 300
acres. He has a good house and a large barn
for hay, stock and grain. He was twice mar-
ried. By the first wife seven children were
born — Henry, Ludwig, Hans, Jerkinson,
Christena and Thiuke, twins, and Martin.
Mrs. Henrickson died November 5, 1873.
Mr. Henrickson was married to his present
wife October 7, 1878. She was Metta Chris-
tianson, born in Denmark, and came to this
country when she was thirty-four years of
age. By this marriage six children were
born — Frederick, Mary and Engerbaugh,
twins, Dosena and Andrew. Mr. Henrick-

son is a Republican. He was road super-
visor two years. He is a member of the
Seventh-Day Ad ventists of Fairview. He came
to this State with $15 and was $200 in debt,
but by industry and good management he
has made a good living and accumulated a
good property. He is one of the honest, re-
liable farmers of Shelby Township.

-s*-*-

M. POMEROY was born in Frank-
lin County, Pennsylvania, March 24,
1849. He is a son of William and
Flizabeth (McClay) Pomeroy, both natives of
Pennsylvania. The father was of Scotch-
Irish ancestry. He was reared in his native
county, and received his education in the
public schools and an academy. At the age
of eighteen he engaged in the mercantile
business, which he followed until he came to
Iowa in 1872. lie settled at Morning Sun,
and engaged in the mercantile business until
1875; he then came to Shelby and formed a
partnership with J. W. Campbell, a well-
known business man of the town. They
established a mercantile business, which con-
tinued four years, when Mr. Pomeroy 6old
his interest to his partner and went into
business alone. He built his present store-
house and continued alone for four years; at
the end of that time taking a partner, George
D. Price. This partnership existed until the
spring of 1888, when Mr. Pomeroy bought
cut his partner's interest. His store is one
of the leading mercantile houses in the town;
he carries a stock of $6,000 and transacts an
annual business of $20,000. His long expe-
rience in the business, together with his
good judgment, has been the foundation of
his success. He has also been extensively
engaged in stock-raising and feeding; he
owns a fine farm of 400 acres near Shelby.

DIOORA PIIIVAI, SKETCHES.

387

It is well improved, having a fine dwelling
and good barns; lie also owns a good resi-
dence in Shelby. Mr. Pomeroy is a Repub-
lican, and has served four years as county
treasurer with credit to himself and the best
interests of Shelby County. He was elected
to this office in the fall of 1881. He was
married November 2, 1876, to Miss Mary
McClurkin, of Louisa County, Iowa. By this
union four children were born — Elizabeth
N., William II., Loren M. and Mary C.
Mr. Pomeroy is a member of the I. O. O. F.,
Canopy Lodge, No. 401, of Shelby. He is
one of the active and working members of
the Presbyterian church, and has been since
its organization. He is a man yet in the
prime of life; he is easy in his manner,
jovial in his disposition, cordial to all. He
is honorable in business, and has made many
friends in the county. He has always taken
an active interest in religion, and all educa-
tional enterprises have found a liberal sup-
porter in him.

Hnf-f«-

j^ENRY LEE, of Fairview Township, is
one of the early pioneers; he came to
the county in 1856. He was born in
Blount County, Tennessee, September 1, 1821.
He is a son of Nathan and Hannah (Dixon)
Lee, both natives of North Carolina. Henry
was the youngest of seven children; he was
eleven years old when his parents came to
Wayne County, Indiana, moving with a four-
horse team; they remained there three years
and then went to Cass County, Michigan;
the father died in 1837, and the mother in
1847. Henry was reared on a farm and re-
ceived his education in pioneer schools in
log school-houses. He was married in Cass
County, Michigan, October 31, 1847, to Miss
Mary C. McConnell, a daughter of James and

Mary (Grose) McConnell; she was born in
Botetourt County, Virginia, in 1852. Mr.
Lee moved to Elkhart County, Indiana, where
he lived for four years. In 1856 he and his
wife and five children came to Iowa, moving
with an ox-team, one horse and a wagon. The
first winter was spent at Bowman's Grove,
and one year in Harlan township. He moved
on his present farm in 1858, and was one of
the first settlers in the township. He has
improved his farm well; has a good house and
buildings for horses and cattle; the farm is
well adapted to stock-raising, being well wa-
tered. Mr. Lee has seven children living —
James M.; Mary Rold, wife of Soren Rold,
of this township; Martha J., wife of H. C.
Reed, of Monroe Township; Sarah A., at
home; Julia Ann, wife of George Larson, of
Harrison County, Iowa; Samuel II., of Fair-
view Township, and John A., at home. The
great loss of Mr. Lee's life was the death of
his wife, which occurred August 14, 1886;
she was a woman of many virtues, a kind and
loving wife, a good and affectiDnate mother;
she was greatly beloved by all who knew her.
Mr. Lee is a Republican; he has served as
township clerk for eighteen years and as jus-
tice of the peace for ten years, with credit to
himself and satisfaction to the public. He is
a member of the German Baptist church, and
a deacon of the same. He has ever taken an
active interest in education and religion.- He
is kind and hospitable to all and has the re-
spect and confidence of all who know him.

*-**§••—»

§EVI L. BARTLETT, of Harlan Town
ship, has been identified with Shelby
County since 1870. He was born in
Henry County, Virginia, January 11, 1830,
and is a son of Thomas Bartlett, a native of
West Virginia, who traces his ancestors back

388

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

to three brothers who came over in the May-
flower. One of the descendants of these
three brothers was one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence. The ancestors
of Thomas Bartlett settled in Virginia at a
very early day. Sabrina Hill, the wife of
Thomas Bartlett, was a native of Virginia;
the rebel General Price and Thomas Jeffer-
son are numbered among her relatives. Levi
L., the subject of this biography, was two
years old when his father removed to Warren
County, Indiana. There were twelve chil-
dren in the family. Nancy died in infancy
and John died at the age of twelve years. Ten
grew to maturity — William, "Washington,
George, Thomas, Levi L., Maria, Sabrina,
Elizabeth, Martha J. and Eliza. The father
was born in 1791, and lived until his death
in "Warren County, Indiana, which occurred
in 1802. The mother was born in 1793 and
died in I860. Thomas Bartlett, in the day of
the Whig party, was a "Whig; in later times
he was a Republican. In religion he believed
in universal salvation. Levi L.grew toman-
hood in Warren County, Indiana. He was
reared a farmer, and was educated in the com-
mon schools. In 1852 he went overland to
California with an ox-team. The first year he
was engaged in mining; the second year he
embarked in the lumber and lime trade, and
after that he freighted goods to the mining
camps. In 1855 he returned to the east via
the Nicaragua route, remained in Indiana a
few months and then came to Iowa and bought
some land in Cass County, and went on to
Tike's Peak where lie engaged in mining for
two years; thence became to Audubon County,
Iowa, where he lived a short time and then
returned to Warren County, Indiana, remain-
ing there two years. In 1863 he went to
California by water, and after a residence
there of two months he went to Idaho, where
he engaged in mining for three years. He

then returned across the plains to Audubon
County, Iowa, and settled near Brayton, where
he was one of the pioneers; here he lived
until 1870, when he came to Shelby County.
His farm contains 720 acres of well-improved
land which is watered by Bartlett Creek;
there are all necessary conveniences in the
way of buildings, and there are as fine cattle
to be seen on this farm as one will find in
western Iowa. Mr. Bartlett was married May
9, 1859, to Miss Sarah Jenkins, a native of
Kentucky, and a daughter of John Jenkins.
By this union seven children were born, two
of whom died in infancy — Raymond died at the
age of two years, and Mary at the age of
twelve years; Harrison, Jasper J. and Clar-
ence L. are living. Mrs. Bartlett died in
1878. Mr. Bartlett was again married Oc-
tober 3, 1880, to Mrs. Victoria Hubbard,
whose maiden name was Crouch; she was
born in Moultrie County, Illinois, and is a
daughter of William F. and Priscilla (Box)
Crouch. By her former marriage Mrs. Bart-
lett had three children — Irvin R., Hurdelland
Charles. By his last marriage Mr. Bartlett
has one child — Leola. Politically he is a
Republican, and served his party officially in
Audubon County, lie bears his years lightly,
is honest and industrious, and is one of the
leading citizens of the county.

" •■" I ' fr ' S ' l —

fREDERICK GOODING, of Connecti-
cut, was born May 13, 1838. He is a
son of Peter and Elizabeth (Dimphill)
Gooding, of German and French extraction.
When he was sixteen years old he was ap-
prenticed to a watch-case manufacturer, with
whom he remained until he was twenty years
old. He then left the paternal roof and went
to Peoria County, Illinois, where he did farm
work until his enlistment, August 13, 1862, in

BIOGRAPHICAL BKET0HE8.

391

Company E, Seventy-seventh Illinois Regi-
ment of Infantry; he served until July 13,
18G5. Mr. Gooding participated in various
engagements — Pleasant Hills, Mississippi,
Champion Hills, Black River Bridge, east
of Vicksburg, in the rear of Vicksburg, in
the charge of Vicksburg and in the siege,
which lasted forty-two days. After the sur-
render he went to Jackson, Mississippi,
where some skirmishing was indulged in;
he then returned to Vicksburg and camped
one month; then he went to Red River, Loui-
siana. His first experience in the service
was in the pursuit of John Morgan through
Kentucky, after which he went into camp at
Vicksburg. In the engagement at Sabine
Cross Roads he was taken prisoner, and hur-
ried away to the stockade at Tyler, Texas,
where he was kept in captivity for thirteen
months. This inclosure embraced about eight
acres, and accommodated 4,700 men; the
prisoners daily bill of fare was a cup of water
and a half pound of meal and beef. He was
paroled at New Orleans, May 13, 1865, and
received his discharge at Springfield, Illinois,
in July, 1865. Mr. Gooding then returned
to his father's home in Illinois. He was
married December 20, 1866, to Miss L. if.
Chrisman, of Salem, Knox County, Illinois,
a daughter of G. P. Chrisman. For three
years they lived with the parents of Mrs.
Gooding, when they removed to Pella, Iowa;
here Mr. Gooding made his first purchase of
eighty acres of land, on which he lived two
years; he then traded for eighty acres of his
present farm; after making this trade, how-
ever, he rented land in Jasper County one
year, and then settled on his new home in
Shelby County, Iowa. He has added to
this 320 acres, which he has improved with
his own hands. Mr. and Mrs. Gooding are
the parents of two sons — W. H. and Alva G.
W. H. has acquired a good education, and is

a competent teacher. Mr. Gooding has filled
the offices of member of the school board and
road supervisor. He is a member of the G.
A. R., Harlan Post. Mr. and Mrs. Gooding
are members of the Congregational church.
Mr. Gooding has made a specialty of raising
fine stock, and is one of the prosperous, go-
ahead farmers of Shelby County.

— -^v^:«f-i+-~ —

ON. THOMAS LEDWICH.— It is to

such characters as the Hon. Thomas
Ledwieh that Americans are indebted
for theii knowledge of the typical descend-
ants of the sons and daughter- of the Emer-
ald Isle, and it is of this type that Ireland
may well be proud. Thomas Ledwieh was
born in Serrington, Lower Canada, Novem-
ber 8, 1840. He is the son of Robert and
Bridget (Louth) Ledwieh, of County Meath,
Ireland, who emigrated to America in 18:29.
In 1843 they moved to Shoreham, Vermont,
and afterward to Moriah, Essex County, New
York. The subject of our sketch was reared
on a farm, receiving his education in the
public schools, and at the academy in the lat-
ter town. At the breaking out of the war in
1861 he answered the call for troops to defend
the flag of his country, and enlisted at Al-
bany, New York, May 7, 1861, in Company
E, Twenty -second New York Volunteer In-
fantry. He participated in many hard-fought
battles, and at the second battle of Bull Run
was twice wounded, so that for a time he was
disabled from active service. His term of
enlistment expired in May, 1863, and he was
honorably discharged June 19, 1863. Im-
mediately re-enlisting in the Second New
York Veteran Cavalry, he was commissioned
Second Lieutenant of Company A, and in 1864
he was made First Lieutenant. He took part
in most of the battles along the lower Mis-

392

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

sissippi River, and was in the Red River cam-
paign, commanded by General Banks; during
most of this time he was acting Captain in
command of the company. After the close
of the war, having faithfully served his
country for four and a half years, he was hon-
orably discharged November 8, 1865, at
Selma, Alabama. He engaged there for a
time in cotton planting, but finding it un-
profitable he removed to Louisville, Kentucky,
and in 18(38 to Victoria, Iowa County, Iowa,
engaging there with his brother in the mer-
cantile business. In 1869 he engaged in the
lumber business at Avoca, Iowa, and became
an active member of the business circles of
that place. lie established the Avoca Delta,
the first newspaper published there. lie was
the first president of the Botna Valley Agri-
cultural Society, and was first with his voice
and his money to advocate and assist all pub-
lic enterprises. In 1878 Mr. Ledwich re-
moved to Harlan, Iowa, and established a
lumber business, which he continued with suc-
cess until his death. He became a leading
spirit in every public enterprise that had for
its object the upbuilding of the community;
he was president of the Shelly County Agri-
cultural Society, and did much for its success.
He was a member of the town council of
Harlan, and served three terms as its mayor.
The following story related of Mr. Ledwich
gives the index of his character: One morn-
ing daring his term us major, a citizen pass-
ing down the street noticed a broken plank in
a walk, and called the mayor's attention to it.
Two hours later, going that way, he saw a
new board in the walk which had been re-
paired by Mr. Ledwich's prompt order.
Always ready to answer the call of duty, kind,
sympathetic, generous, open-hearted, good to
the poor, a true friend to all, he was beloved
by all who value true manhood. At one time
when Mr. Ledwich was a candidate for office

it was urged against him that he was too en-
terprising, but fortunately for Harlan, the
majority approved of this " fault," and it is
due to this characteristic that Harlan has
made the progress that has placed her among
the prosperous towns of western Iowa. Mr.
Ledwich was a member of Parian Lodge, No.
321, A. F. & A. M.; Olivet Chapter, No.
107, and Ivanhoe Commandery at Council
Bluffs, Iowa. He was also a member of the
Grand Army of the Republic. March 9, 1809,
he was married to Miss Eva G. Henderson,
daughter of John and Elizabeth (Faucet)
Henderson, of Livingston County, New York.
The father was a native of Pennsylvania and
the mother of Scotland. Eight children were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Ledwich, four of whom
survive — Demain, Evelyn, Day ami Robert.
Elm was killed by the cars at Avoca; May,
a twin of Day, died at the age of twenty-one
months; Lake died at the age of two years
and eight months, and I'.essie, a twin of Rob-
ert, died in infancy. The family reside in
their commodious residence in the east part
of Harlan. Mrs. Ledwich is a member of
the Episcopal church. Although not a mem-
ber of any church Mr. Ledwich gave freely
of his means to the support of religious work.
July \ 1SS5, Mr. Ledwich passed to his eter-
nal home. A plain granite monument marks
hie resting place in thu Harlan cemetery. In
his death the country lost a patriot, his wife a
faithful husband, his children a hiving father,
and society one of its most useful membi is.

— . -; . ] ■ < - 3 —

folIN I'A XI AN, proprietor of the Buf-
falo Shoe Store, Harlan, is the only
dealer in boots and shoes exclusively,
lie carries a large stock of reliable goods,
and does a large business. He has been in
the trade in Harlan nine years, and by fair

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

393

dealing and unswerving integrity he has
gained the confidence of all his patrons. Mr.
Panian was horn in Austria, May 16, 1852,
and is the son of John and Mary (Skoft)
Panian. He attended school until fourteen
years of age, and then went to learn the
shoemaker's trade. He served an apprentice-
ship of three years, and then at the age of
seventeen years he emigrated to America.
He worked at his trade in New York City
for eight months, then went to Chicago, re-
maining there three years. From Chicago
he came to Iowa, settling in Clinton. His
next place of ahode was Brown Station, in
which town he worked two years. Then he
went to Dubuque for two years, and then re-
turned to Clinton County. He then removed
to Shelby County, stopping in Westphalia
Township for seven months; thence he came
to Harlan. Mr. Panian was married at West-
phalia, January 10, 1882, to Miss Tracy Rau,
daughter of Anton Rau. They are the parents
of four children — Frank, Rosa, Joseph and
Charles. Mr. Panian affiliates with the Demo-
cratic party. lie is a member of the Roman
Catholic church.

fOSEPH CRIQUE was born in Lockport,
Will County, Illinois, March 30, 1859,
and is the son of Frank and Barbara
(Addelman) Crique. Until he was fifteen
years old he attended the public schools.
He then began learning the trade of harness-
making at Joliet, Illinois, during this time
attending evening school. After he had
learned his trade he pursued it for a time in
Chicago, and in 1877 came to Avoca. He
came without money, but possessed of indus-
try and pluck. He worked at his trade nntil
1889, when he went into business for him-

in Shelby County, and carries a stock valued
at $7,000; and this furnishes another exam-
ple of what can be accomplished by determi-
nation and industry. Mr. Crique is deservedly
popular in the trade. He was married in
1887 to Miss Minnie Swartz, of Harlan. They
have one daughter — Hazel. Mr. Crique's
political sentiments find expression in the
Democratic party, of which he is a 6taunch
member. He owns his store building, which
as valuable property.

-* £ ■»■ ! - 3

self.

He now has the largest harness shop

imENRY CUSTER, Jr., is a genuine pio-
|M) neer of Shelby County, having come here
■"jgflg in 1853. He was born in Fountain
County, Indiana, May 26, 1844, and is a son
of Henry Custer, whose sketch will be found
on another page of this volume. He was nine
years old when his father removed to this
county, settling at Custer's Grove; here he
grew up on the frontier, spending his youth
in driving an ox-team and breaking prairie,
both rn Iowa and Nebraska. His education
was very limited; he attended six weeks of a
term of school taught by John Davis. During
the late civil war he was one of the first to go
to the defense of the nation; he enlisted in the
fall of 1862 in the Twenty-ninth Iowa Vol-
unteer Infantry, and served ten months. He
was in the line of battle at Columbus, Ken-
tucky. He was honorably discharged and
returned to his home in Shelby County. Mr.
Custer was married January 22, 1865, to Miss
Catharine Wright, a native of Putnam County,
Missouri, and a daughter of Thomas and Mary
(Cochran) Wright, natives of Virginia and
Kentucky respectively. Thomas Wright set-
tled on Honey Creek, in Pottawattamie
County, Iowa, in 1851, and died in 1852. His
widow came to Shelby County in 1862, and
died here in 1865. After his marriage Henry

394

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

Custer lived in Fairview Township one year,
and then came to Harlan Township. He set-
tled on his present farm in 1881; this place
contains 160 acres of land which Mr. Custer
has greatly improved. Mr. Custer and wife
are the parents of eight children, two of whom
are deceased — Samantha Dewey, Mary, Carl,
Leroy, Jesse, Pearl. Jasper N. and Perry are
not living. Mr. Custer votes with the Re-
publican party, and is a member of the G. A.
R., Harlan Post, No. 197. He is a member
of the Anti-horse-thief Association of Fair-
view Township, No. 27. He owns a pair of
mules he lias worked twenty-one years; one
animal is twenty-six years old and the other
is thirty-three. Mr. Custer is a wide-awake,
energetic Farmer, and all his surrounding-'
show his thrift and wise management. He
is plain of speecli and manner, is a close ob-
server, and is honored and respected by all who
know him.

-■•■ £ • 3 . ■ £ • % ■■«—

T*-jT. W. WYLAND, Deputy Sheriff of
' \ \\ Shelby County, and Deputy United

l' t^io . J ° States Marshal, was born in Elk-
hurt County, Indiana, January 18, 1h.j2. lie
is a son of I. P. Wyland, a well-known pio-
neer of Shelby County, now a resident of
Dakota. lie was four years old when bis
parents came to Iowa, and hereon the frontier
he grew to manhood. His youth was passed
in assisting on his father's farm and in at-
tending the district school. After his school
days were over, Mr. Wyland engaged in farm-
ing until the year 1880, when he came to
Harlan and obtained a position with the Chi-
cago, Rock Island A: Pacific Railroad Com-
pany, as assistant freight and ticket agent.
Two or three years later he engaged in the
real estate business, and at the present time
he is serving as deputy sheriff and as deputy

United States marshal. He is a faithful and
efficient officer, and is serving the public with
much credit to himself. Politically he is a
Democrat, and is a strong adherent to the
principles of Democracy. He is a member
of the Knights of Pythias, No. 68. Mr.
Wyland was married May 6, 1871, to Miss
Clarinda Stanley, daughter of T. J. Stanley,
of Shelby County. Mr. Wyland is yet in
the prime of life, is a man of unusually
strong physique, a cordial, genial disposition,
and has a host of friends in the county.

r. A K 1 IK X G AMM( )N, attorney at law,
' Harlan, has been interested in the

rj welfare of Shelby County since 1879.
He is a native of Maine, born in New Port-
land, Somerset County, January 16, 1846;
he is a son of Ancil and Eleanor (Young)
Gammon, both natives of Maine, and of Eng-
lish ancestry. Warren Gammon was reared
on a farm and received his education in the
district schools; he resided with his parents
until he was eighteen years of age, when he
went to Illinois and settled near Pontiac, Liv-
ing-ton County. His father was twice mar-
ried; his first wife was Mehitable Young, by
whom Biz children were born, four sons and
two daughters. By his second marriage thir-
teen children were born, ten sons and three
daughters. Of the nineteen children, twelve
still survive. Six of the sons went out in
defense of union and liberty during the
late civil war; they served to the close of the
war and returned without a wound. The
subject of this sketch enlisted September 80,
1861, in the Thirty-second Illinois Volunteer
Infantry, Company D, and served until the
close of the war; he was honorably discharged
June 26, 1865. He returned to Illinois and
eno-ao-ed in the horse-detective business, which

B 1 00 II A PHIOA L 8 KE Ti 'HES.

395

he followed for five years. In the fall of
1869 he came to Iowa and located in Guthrie
County, where he engaged in opening up
a tract of wild land; here he remained
for three years, and then employed his time
in real-estate business, which he followed
until 1870, when he entered the law office of
J. B. Carpenter and began reading law; he
was admitted to the bar in Audubon County,
His Honor Judge Loof borough presiding.
Mr. Gammon practiced his profession for two
years in Guthrie County, and in 1879 he came
to Harlan. November 24, 1881, he formed a
partnership with Judge N. W. Macey, and
has built up a lucrative practice. Mr. Gam-
mon was married January 15, 1871, to Miss
Annie Pickett, a native of Jackson, Michi-
gan, and a daughter of Lorenzo and Annie
(Graham) Pickett. By this union two chil-
dren were born — Arthur L. and Bertie O.
Mr. Gammon casts his vote with the Repub-
lican party.

tOQIS M. KERR has been a resident of
Shelby County, Iowa, since 1883. He
was born in Hadersleben, in North
Schlesvig, Germany, and is the son of Louis
and Margaretta Kerr. He attended school
in his native country until lie was fifteen
years of age. He then sailed from Hamburg,
via Glasgow, to New York, and thence came
directly to Clinton County, Iowa, making
this his residence for the next four years.
In 1883 he came to Shelby County, and en-
gaged as a clerk for Graham Brothers at
Kirkman, in a hardware store. The follow-
ing year he accepted a position with F. M.
Bowlin, who was at that time in the hard-
ware trade at Harlan. Later he accepted a
position with W. W. Wheeler, of Harlan,
and remained in his employ until February,

1887, when he secured a position in the land
office of C. J. & D. M. Wyland. Mr. Kerr
is still in the employ of this firm, and dis-
charges his duties faithfully and with ability.
In political conviction and action Mr. Kerr
is a Republican. He is a member of Parian
Lodge, No. 321, A. F. & A. M. ; Olivet Chap-
ter, No. 107, and Mount Zion Commandery,
No. 49. He is also a member of the I. O.
O. F., No. 267, having filled all the chairs.
He is a member of Mt. Sinai Encampment.

— -..i g . 3ns . g i , , *» —

LBERT A. SCHOUBOE, a resident of
Jefferson Township, is a native of Den-
mark, and was born May 1, 1850. He
is a son of Fritz and Minne (Friis) Schouboe,
and was educated at home under the tutor-
ship of a private instructor. When he had
reached his twenty-first year he sailed to
America. He settled on a farm in P^ord
County, Illinois, and ever since has followed
agricultural pursuits. When lie landed in
this country he had but $20 in money, and
was soon taken very ill, so he was compelled
to spend all of his money and to dispose of a
good suit of clothes. When he recovered he
had the magnificent sum of 75 cents upon
which to start in life on his own responsibil-
ity. He had borrowed $60 to pay his ex-
penses to America, and he replaced this the
first year he was in this country. His career
in America was not begun under the most
favorable auspices, but he had pluck and
energy and ambition, and these traits of
character pay little heed to circumstance.
Mr. Schouboe was married February 11, 1879,
to Miss Anna E. Launders, a daughter of
William and Elizabeth (Monroe) Launders,
natives of England and Scotland, respectively.
Mrs. Schouboe was born in Will County,
Illinois, June 17, 1857. They are the parents

396

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

of five children — Minne E., Arthur F., Leon-
ard B., Viola I. and Claudius P. In Jan-
uary, 1881, the family came to Shelby
County, Iowa, and settled in Jefferson Town-
ship on 120 acres of wild land; here Mr.
Schouboe erected a frame residence, and barns
for stock and grain. He has planted a grove
of two acres and an orchard of one and a half
acres. Mr. Schouboe's family were among
the earliest settlers in the eastern part ot
Jefferson Township, and they endured many
hardships during the first years of their res-
idence in the county. They now own 200
acres of land and enjoy all the comforts of
a modern civilization. Mr. Schouboe has
always supported the liepublican party until
1888, when he joined the Union Labor party.
lie was the first member of bis family to
come to America, but be lias since induced
his brothers to emigrate to this land of the
free and home of the brave. lie also brought
his mother and sister to America, but his
mother died in Harlan in 1885. Mr. and
Mrs. Schouboe are worthy and respected
members of the United Brethren church.

— -'•■£■ 3"S- 3 '-~ —

■WILLIAM \\*. WHEELER, President
: l/\/ of the Shelby County Bank, and one

\ ; ~ "'I of western Iowa's leading hardware
merchants, is one out of a thousand men who,
without the aid of others, has by his own na-
tive tact and energy become the possessor
of a good fortune in almost a phenomenally
short period; be has won through actual merit
the good-will and high esteem of both busi-
ness and social acquaintance in a wide circle.
As will be observed in the following sketch,
three traits of character have been prominent
in his life — faithfulness, self-reliance and per-
severance. His whole career from boyhood
has been exemplary and eminently fitted to

become a pattern for any youth having an
ambition for success in life. He is the second
son and fourth child of Norman E. and Har-
riet (Lake) Wheeler, natives of Connecticut,
and of Puritan ancestry. Mr. Wheeler was
born October 4, 1856, at Sharon, Litchfield
County, Connecticut. He was reared on his
father's farm, where they remained until 1867
and then moved to Millerton, New York,
where they engaged in the hotel business,
following this until 1870. The mother and
one sister died in 1869. From New York
the family, with the exception of one sister
who was then married, removed to Fulton,
Whiteside County, Illinois, where the father
still resides. William W. attended the com-
mon schools at the different places he had
lived, and finally graduated from the high
school at Fulton, Illinois, in 1875. After he
had entered the high school he left his studies
and for about two years worked in a printing
office, but being convinced that that art would
not be what he cared to follow through life,
he left the printer's case and again entered
school, with a new ambition to linish his edu-
cation and enter some business pursuit. The
year prior to his graduation he clerked even-
ings and Saturdays in the hardware store of
his uncle, Charles N. Wheeler, thus partly
paying for his education. He then went to
Clinton, Iowa, where he engaged to clerk in
the hardware store of George Spencer, with
whom he remained until January, 1879. As
an evidence of his self reliance, it may be
stated that when his uncle learned that he had
hired to work for So per week in the Clinton
hardware store, he told him that he was miss-
ing it, and that he could make more money
to go out and work on a farm, as the inexpe-
rienced youth was to pay the whole amount
of his wages for his board. But having de-
termined to become a hardware merchant
nothing could turn him from his chosen call-

DIOQRAPniCAI, SKETCHES.

399

ing, so he thanked his uncle, but used his own
judgment, believing his employer would soon
raise his wages, which lie did the first Satur-
day night. He worked to please and did his
work well, hence was amply rewarded from
month to month. His brother, E. H. Wheeler,
and himself established a grocery business
at Maquoketa, Iowa, in 1877; W. W., how-
ever, remained at Clinton in the hardware
store during the existence of the partnership,
which continued eight months there and
finally ceased at Prophetstown, Illinois. In
December, 1878, he came to Harlan, Iowa, his
brother following the succeeding March. The
"two brothers were again to be engaged in
mercantile trade, this time in the hardware
business. E. II. bought a business lot and
contracted for a frame store building, which
they were to occupy in the spring. He then
returned to Illinois and remained till Febru-
ary, when he shipped in a $5,000 stock and
opened it in the building prepared for them,
which, together with the lot upon which it
stood, cost $2,000. The one-half interest in
this $7,000 investment had been earned and
kept by our frugal subject from the salary he
had received during the four years previous
to this date, with such amounts as his savings
had made him by wise investments in a build-
ing association, etc. Mr. Wheeler and his
brother came to Harlan the same year in
which the railroad was built, and they were
the leading hardware firm among three trading
in the town, which then only had a popula-
tion of about 600 people. They soon won an
extensive and profitable custom, which was
the foundation of what has come to be one of
the largest institutions in this section of Iowa.
On account of his brother's failing health, the
partnership was dissolved November 5, 1881,
AVilliam W. purchasing the other half of the
stock and business building. By 1885 his
business had assumed such proportions that

he was obliged to have larger quarters, and
during that year he erected a fine business
house containing three floors. It stands on
the north side of the public square, and is a
model of solidity and convenience; it is
24 x 120 feet, with two high stories and a deep
basement where stoves and iron and heavy
hardware are kept. By the use of an eleva-
tor the three floors become as easy of access
as though on a level. The building and
ground upon which it stands cost Mr. Wheeler
$10,000. At present he has a large, well-
selected stock of goods of all sorts belonging
to the trade, including the finest line of heat-
ing and cooking stoves in Iowa, of which he
has always seemed to be the leader. His stove
sales amount to $500 per year, while the
barbed wire he handles runs upon an average
of seven car-loads. As the country develops
he keeps adding to his already large stock.
In 1882 his sales amounted to the handsome
sum of $50,000. In connection with his other
affairs he has purchased 1,000 acres of land,
situated in Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota and Kan-
sas, and twenty town lots in the city of Chi-
cago, which is no small estate for a man of
thirty-two years of age to possess. He be-
came one of the stockholders in the Shelby
County Bank at Harlan, and in 1883 was made
one of the directors, holding that position
until 1887, when he was elected president of
the concern, having already purchased the
former president's stock, in addition to the
above named property. Mr. Wheeler owns
considerable town property, including his
charming residence, which he built in 1883,
on the corner of Victoria and Third streets,
at an outlay of $5,000. For a life companion
Mr. Wheeler chose Miss Kate Griffith, a na-
tive of Bridgeport, Ohio, and the daughter of
B. B. Griffith, St., now of Harlan, Iowa.
They were united in marriage September 1,
1880, under the following laughable surprise:

400

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.

A short time before the event took place, his
brother went to Chicago to buy goods, and
told William W. that he expected to be mar-
ried before his return; so in due time wed-
ding cards were sent on to Harlan, and as
soon as they came, and thus fixed the exact
date of the marriage, our subject took the
cards to the home of Miss Griffith (to whom
he was engaged), handing her the cards sent
by his brother, and remarking, why can't we
be married the same time here in Harlan? It
was agreeable all round, and the ceremony
was performed at the same hour in which his
brother was being married at Morrison, Illi-
nois. His brother telegraphed him to meet
them at the train in Harlan, and upon their
arrival he introduced him to his bride, and in
turn William W. surprised them both by
introducing them to his wife! Mr. and Mrs.
"Wheeler are the parents of one child — Charles
Lake. In politics Mr. Wheeler is a Repub-
lican, but has never been an aspirant to public
office, always deeming his own business of
more consequence. At present he is a mem-
ber of the school board of Harlan independent
district, vice-president of the Harlan Business
Association, and vice-president of the Harlan
Coal and Mining Company. He and his es-
timable wife are both members of the Con-
gregational church and consistent Christian
workers, he having been church trustee for
several years. He is also an acceptable mem-
ber of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to
the A. F. & A. M., Parian Lodge, No. 321;
Olivet Chapter, No. 107, and Mount Zion
Commandery, No. 49. The reader must have
been impressed with the thought, while tra-
cing this most successful business man's
career, from his start in the hardware store
of < ieorge Spencer in Clinton to the statement
of his fortune, that he is indeed an exceptional
character, possessing in his make-up the finest
elements which enter into the composition of

a grand and successful life. He has ever
been a hard-worker, yet seldom tiring in his
labors. Whether in his store midst iron, nails
and stoves, whether assisting in the bankino'-
house with which he is connected, whether
attending to his lands, whether in public or
private life, this genial, whnle-souled, Chris-
tian gentleman is the same earnest, faithful
friend of whom the world has none too many.

fOHN POTTER was born in Yorkshire,
England, March 2, 1835. He is the son
of Thomas and Nancy (Thirsk) Potter, '
and was reared in his native country. His
education is purely practical, and was gained
through his own efforts by diligent reading
and close observation. In 1857 Mr. Potter
came to America and resided in Illinois until
1861, when he made a trip to Canada, where
he remained two years and then returned to
England. Here he was united in marriage
to Miss Hannah Pearcy, February 28, 1863;
she is the daughter of Marmaduke and Anna
(Greene) Pearcy, and was born June 20, 1841,
in Yorkshire, England. Immediately after
their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Potter came to
America and settled in Carroll County, Illi-
nois, where they resided six years. They then
removed to Montgomery County, Iowa, and
lived there for six years; thence they removed
to Shelby County, Iowa, in March, 1875,
where they have since made their home. Mr.
Potter bought eighty acres of land in Jeffer-
son Township, which he has greatly im-
proved. He has planted a grove, in the
midst of whichhe has good a frame residence,
and barns for stock and grain. He has added
to his first purchase until he now owns 240
acres in one body of fine cultivated land.
Politically he is a staunch Republican, and
has done much toward the advancement of

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

401

the country socially and morally, and advo-
cates all measures tending to the progress of
the community. Mr. and Mrs. Potter are
the parents of four children — Thomas H.,born
November 2G, 1867, now attending the "West-
ern Normal at Shenandoah, Iowa; Libbie A.,
born October 12, 1870; James It., born Octo-
ber 4, 1872; and John A., born January 29,
1880. The family are worthy and respected
citizens of the county.

>NDREW WILFONG, a native of Wa-
bash County, Indiana, was born March
22, 1851, and is the son of Martin and
Maria (Harvey) "Wilfong. When he was
two and a half years old the family removed
to Carroll County, Illinois, where they re-
sided until he was fourteen years" of age.
They then came to Tama County, Iowa,
where they made their home until 1872. An-
drew Wilfong was reared on afarm, that most
excellent nursery of our national independ-
ence, and was educated in the public schools
of Iowa and Illinois. When he had reached
his majority he came to Shelby County and
settled on a tract of 147 acres in Jefferson
Township as a homestead. However, he was
defeated in this by a scheme concocted by the
railroad company to defraud settlers of their
improvements. In order to retain the prop-
erty upon which he had already expended
much time and labor he purchased of the
railroad company what he considered his own
property by right of pre-emption, paying
$18 per acre. Mr. Wilfong was married
June 30, 1875, to Miss Parmelia Tibbott, a
daughter of William and Elizabeth (Horner)
Tibbott, who was born in Ebensburgh, Cam-
bria County, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1851.
They are the parents of three children —
Ethel, William, and an infant daughter (de-

ceased). When Mr. Wilfong came to this
county he was seven miles from the nearest
improved farm and three miles from the near-
est neighbor, excepting one, James Lothrop,
a brother-in-law, now deceased. Their whole
possessions were a team of horses and $50
when they came to this new country, and
they had many hardships to contend with,
but they faced them bravely and are now
reaping their reward. Mr. Wilfong has
erected a good frame residence, and barns for
stock and grain; he has planted two and a
half acres of grove and made numerous
improvements. Politically he is a staunch
Republican, and has held many positions of
trust and honor. He has served his town-
ship as assessor, road supervisor and as a
member of the board of education. Mrs.
Wilfong is a worthy and consistent member of
the Christian church. These people are a
fair example of what can be